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THE 

Kansas Historical 
Quarterly 



KIRKE MECHEM, Editor 
JAMES C. MALIN, Associate Editor 




Volume IV 
1935 

(Kansas Historical Collections) 

VOL. XXI 



Published by 

The Kansas State Historical Society 

Topeka, Kansas 

16-1351 



Contents of Volume IV 



Number 1 February, 1935 



FERRIES IN KANSAS: Part VI Smoky Hill River George A. Root, 3 

THE KINSLEY BOOM IN THE LATE EIGHTIES James C. Malin, 23 

(In two installments) 

THE VALUE OF HISTORY H. K. Lindsley, 50 

EARLY IMPRINTS Robert T. Aitchison, 54 

THE MYSTERY OF THE MEEKER PRESS Kirke Mechem, 61 

THE ANNUAL MEETING: Containing the Reports of the Secretary, 
Treasurer, and Executive Committee; Election of Officers ; Talks 
by Charles H. Browne and O. W. Little; List of Directors of the 

Society Kirke Mechem, Secretary, 74 

KANSAS HISTORY AS PUBLISHED IN THE PRESS 94 

KANSAS HISTORICAL NOTES . 108 



Number 2 May, 1935 



PAGE 



THE SECOND BOOK ON KANSAS : An Account of C. B. Boynton and 
T. B. Mason's A Journey Through Kansas; With Sketches of 
Nebraska Cora Dolbee, 115 

FERRIES IN KANSAS: Part VII Saline River George A. Root, 149 

SWEDISH SETTLEMENT AT STOTLER Marie A. Olson, 155 

THE KINSLEY BOOM OF THE LATE EIGHTIES James C. Malin, 164 

(Final installment) 

RECENT ADDITIONS TO THE LIBRARY: 

Compiled by Helen M. McFarland, Librarian, 188 

KANSAS HISTORY AS PUBLISHED IN THE PRESS 215 

KANSAS HISTORICAL NOTES 222 

(in) 



Number 3 August, 1935 

PAOB 

MISSION NEOSHO : The First Kansas Mission T. F. Morrison, 227 

SPECULATIVE ACTIVITIES OF THE EMIGRANT AID COMPANY, 

Russell K. Hickman, 235 

FERRIES IN KANSAS : Part VIII Neosho River George A. Root, 268 

LABOR ORGANIZATIONS IN KANSAS IN THE EARLY EIGHTIES, 

Edith Walker and Dorothy Leibengood, 283 

VOTING IN KANSAS, 1900-1932 Charles H. Titus, 291 

KANSAS HISTORY AS PUBLISHED IN THE PRESS 317 

KANSAS HISTORICAL NOTES . . 333 



Number 4 November, 1935 

PAGE 

THE TURNOVER OF FARM POPULATION IN KANSAS James C. Malin, 339 

FERRIES IN KANSAS: Part VIII Neosho River Concluded, 

George A. Root, 373 

ELLSWORTH AS A TEXAS CATTLE MARKET F. B. Streeter, 388 

KANSAS HISTORY AS PUBLISHED IN THE PRESS 399 

KANSAS HISTORICAL NOTES 413 

INDEX TO VOLUME IV.. . 416 



(iv) 



THE 

Kansas Historical 
Quarterly 




Volume IV Number 1 

February, 1935 



PRINTED BY KANSAS STATE PRINTING PLANT 

W. C. AUSTIN. STATE PRINTER 

TOPEKA 1935 

15-6787 



Contributors 

GEORGE A. ROOT is curator of archives of the Kansas State Historical Society. 

JAMES C. MALIN, associate editor of the Kansas Historical Quarterly, is as- 
sociate professor of history at the University of Kansas, at Lawrence. 

HERBERT K. LINDSLEY is president of the Farmers and Bankers Life Insur- 
ance Co., of Wichita. 

ROBERT T. AITCHISON is treasurer of the McCormick-Armstrong Co., of 
Wichita. 

KIRKE MECHEM is editor of the Kansas Historical Quarterly and secretary of 
the Kansas State Historical Society. 



Ferries in Kansas 
PART VI SMOKY HILL RIVER 

GEORGE A. ROOT 

A CCORDING to an early edition of Webster's Unabridged Dic- 
^1. tionary, the word "Kansas" in the Indian vernacular means 
"Smoky Water." 1 This reference applies particularly to the stream 
commonly known as the Smoky Hill. Indians who had lived and 
hunted along this stream for ages considered the Smoky Hill and 
Kansas rivers one and the same stream. 

The Smoky Hill river is shown on early maps as the River of the 
Padoucas, from the fact that the stream has its source in territory 
occupied for ages by the Comanche Indians, or, as they were first 
known, Padoucas. The earliest reference to the stream we have 
located is found on D'Anville's map of 1732 which shows the Smoky 
Hill and Kansas as one river and calls it the River of the Padoucas. 2 
A map of British and French settlements in North America, published 
about 1758, names the stream the Padoucas river. Pike, the ex- 
plorer, encountered the stream while on his way to the village of the 
Pawnees on the Republican river, in 1806, and his chart of this trip 
gives the name as the Smoky Hill, this being, so far as we have dis- 
covered, the first mention of the stream under this name, though the 
name must have attached some time prior to his visit. John C. 
McCoy, who surveyed the Shawnee lands in Kansas in 1833, reached 
the river at a point about 200 miles west of the Missouri state line, 
and he called it the Smoky Hill. Schoolcraft, the historian, called 
the stream the Smoky Hill or Topeka river; Fremont called it the 
Smoky Hill Fork ; and Max Greene, in his The Kansas Region, pub- 
lished in 1855, mentions the river, and says the Indian name for it 
was "Chetolah." The Plains Indians had another name for it, call- 
ing it the "Okesee-sebo." 3 

James R. Mead, an early hunter, trapper and trader on the plains 
during the latter 1850's and 1860's, has the following regarding the 
origin of the name: "The Smoky Hill river takes its name from the 
isolated buttes within the great bend, landmarks widely known, to be 
seen from a great distance through an atmosphere frequently hazy 
from smoke." 4 

1. Junction City Union, January 5, 1867. 

2. Copy of original map in the Kansas State Historical Society. 

3. Junction City Union, August 6, 1864. 

4. Kansas Academy of Science, Transaction*, v. 18, p. 215. 

(3) 



4 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

George Bird Grinnell, the historian, has a different version of the 
origin of the name. He says that a large grove of cottonwoods about 
twenty-five miles west of old Fort Wallace, an old camping ground 
and burial place of the Indians along the river, was a landmark in 
that locality and could be seen for miles. At a distance those trees 
appeared like a cloud of smoke, thus giving rise to the name Smoky 
Hill, which he said was given by the Indians. 5 

In 1926 the topography of the Smoky Hill basin, which lies along- 
side the river, about four miles southeast of Sharon Springs, Wallace 
county, underwent a sudden and startling change. As the account of 
this convulsion of nature has a bearing on the origin of the name of 
the river, it is given here along with other interesting data. On the 
morning of March 9, between seven and eight o'clock, the bottom 
suddenly dropped out of the basin, leaving a gaping hole about 
150x100 feet in size, and over a hundred feet deep. Old-timers re- 
member when the Smoky Hill basin was a bottomless pool twenty- 
five or thirty years ago. Since that time through some mysterious 
workings of nature, the pool filled up with shale and clay. John T. 
Steele, of Abilene, writing to the editor of The Western Times, of 
Sharon Springs, in its issue of March 18, 1926, said: 

I am going to tell you some ancient history with which you may not be 
familiar, about the basin, a part of which is an echo of Indian tradition that 
has been handed down to us about the peculiar phenomena of the Smoky Hill 
disappearing like it does, at what we call the basin. John Robb, who as you 
know, was a scout at Fort Wallace, told me thirty years ago, that the Indians 
were to a certain extent very suspicious of the place. And that it was reported 
by them that the pool at the basin had no bottom. 

He said "that some soldiers in 1876, from the Fort, who had absorbed some 
of this Indian tradition, came out to test the truth of their statements. They 
had 500 feet of rope which he saw lowered into the pool at the basin, to which 
was added several lasso ropes contributed by interested cowboys, and that in 
all about 630 feet of weighted rope was let down in a vain attempt to touch 
bottom." 

In March of 1913, 1 think it was, I visited the basin and was surprised to find 
it dry, except for a pool in the northwest side, about sixteen feet in diameter. 
The temporary bottom was less than twenty feet below the usual water level, 
and this small pool contained a ton or more of frozen fish. 

The Kansas City Star sent a correspondent to the scene who stayed 
a week to report any changes. He stated that a strange blue haze 
hangs over the narrow bed through the summer, and suggested that 
perhaps the Indians who named it saw smoke issuing from the pool 
through volcanic action. Within a couple of weeks the cave-in had 

6. Kansas Historical Collections, v. 17, p. 198. 



ROOT: FERRIES IN KANSAS 5 

attained startling proportions, being at least 450 feet long from east 
to west and 300 feet north and south. From the east line of the 
cave-in it was 150 feet down to the water line, and the water by 
actual measurement was 180 feet in depth. 6 

The Smoky Hill in the early days traversed the center of the finest 
hunting country east of the Rocky Mountains. Along the stream 
and its various tributaries immense herds of buffalo, 7 and countless 
deer, elk, antelope and smaller game fed. For years it was con- 
sidered a hunter's paradise. Every year hunting parties of the 
various Plains Indians went there on their annual hunts, to kill and 
cure sufficient meat to last till the next hunting season. There was 
an abundance of game for all, and plenty of fuel to smoke the meat, 
and much of their meat must have been cured and dried within sight 
of those high hills known as the Smoky Hill Buttes, that lie in the 
south central part of Saline county. Inasmuch as this locality was 
such a favorite camping place for the Indians, is it not within the 
range of probability that the name of the stream was suggested by 
the hazy or smoky atmosphere that hovered over the tree tops of 
this most favored of the camping and hunting grounds on the river? 

On account of the abundance of game along the stream the Indians 
were reluctant to surrender this territory to the white men, and 
many battles with the Indians resulted as the white settlers en- 
croached on their hunting grounds. In 1867 a treaty was held on 
Medicine Lodge creek, with the Kiowas and Comanches, at which 
time these tribes signed a treaty of peace agreeing to withdraw their 
opposition to the building of a railroad up the Smoky Hill and Platte 
rivers. 8 In 1868 a treaty was made with the Sioux, Arapahoes and 
other tribes, who, while agreeing to withdraw opposition to the build- 
ing of a railroad across the plains, reserved the right to hunt on the 
Republican Fork and the Smoky Hill. 9 

In ordinary years the Smoky Hill is not a large stream, the channel 
gradually narrowing as the stream is ascended. At Lindsborg, 109 
miles above its mouth, the width at average low water is fifty feet. 
The highest water of record in the stream was in May, 1903, whefi 
it reached 31.5 feet at this point, flood stage being at 20 feet. 10 

Gauging stations have been placed at several points on the lower 
river. The earliest, at Ellsworth, was established April 16, 1895, 

6. The Western Times, Sharon Springs, March 18 to April 29, 1926. 

7. Kansas Historical Collections, v. 11, p. 606. 

8. Ibid., v. 16, p. 770. 

9. Ibid., v. 16, p. 771. 

10. U. S. Department of Agriculture, Weather Bureau, Daily River Stages, Part 9, 
p. 77 ; Part 10, p. 88. 



6 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

those at Lindsborg and Abilene on August 1, 1904, and the latest at 
Enterprise, in November, 1934. The river was out of its banks at 
a number of places during the flood of 1903 in the Kaw valley, while 
on several occasions during 1907 and 1908, the stream ceased to 
flow. 11 

During the summer of 1868 a prolonged drouth prevailed along the 
watershed of the Smoky Hill and its tributaries, and the Smoky 
had fallen to a low level. It is reported that on one particularly hot 
day that summer a large number of thirsty buffalo reached the river 
in what is now McPherson county. Driven by thirst the first 
animals to reach the water were soon driven out by others following, 
these in turn being crowded out by the vast herd bringing up the 
rear. As a result they drank the river dry on this occasion. This 
herd was described as covering an area thirty miles in length, and 
containing hundreds of thousands of buffalo. 12 

The Smoky Hill practically bisects all that portion of Kansas west 
of Fort Riley and, with the exception of the Arkansas river, has a 
greater mileage within the state than any other stream. The river 
is formed by two branches which rise in eastern Colorado. One, the 
north branch, has its source in Kit Carson county, and the other, the 
southern branch, starts in Cheyenne county. The North fork enters 
Kansas in Sherman county, makes a turn towards the southeast and 
joins the other branch in Logan county. The South fork enters 
Kansas in Wallace county, and flows practically east across almost 
three-fourths of the state. It traverses the counties of Wallace, 
Logan, Gove, Trego, Ellis, Russell, Ellsworth, McPherson, Saline, 
Dickinson and a portion of Geary, and unites with the Republican 
on the Fort Riley military reservation to form the Kansas river. 
The stream is about 530 miles long and has a drainage area of 57,- 
727 square miles. 13 

The name of the individual who started the first ferry across the 
Smoky Hill above the mouth appears to have been lost to posterity, 
but the ferry, no doubt, was located close to Fort Riley. Col. 
Percival G. Lowe, of Leavenworth, who saw much service on the 
plains, mentions having crossed this stream on a poor ferry in 1854, 
at which time the ferry was located about a mile above the junction 
with the Republican. His account, however, failed to mention the 
name of the proprietor. 14 

11. Ibid., Part 9, p. 7 ; Associated Press dispatch, November 10, 1934. 

12. McPherson Republican, June 3, 1932. 

13. U. S. Department of Agriculture, Weather Bureau, Daily River Stages, Part 11, p. 112. 

14. Kansas Historical Collections, v. 7, p. 113. 



ROOT: FERRIES IN KANSAS 7 

Samuel Bartlett operated the first licensed ferry on this stream 
above its mouth. This authority was granted in 1857 and was the 
first ferry license issued by Davis (now Geary) county. It was 
located northeast of Junction City, and the license cost $10 a year, 
with ferriage rates as follows: 

Two-horse team, mules, oxen or asses, 50 cents; each additional team, 20 
cents; every buggy, or one-horse vehicle, and horse, mule or ass, 30 cents; 
every horse, mule or ass and rider, 20 cents; each horse, mule or ass, led, 10 
cents; for footmen, 10 cents; for cattle, 10 cents; for sheep, hogs and freight, 
the court left the charges for the parties to agree on. 15 

By 1859 Bartlett had a competitor. The Kansas Weekly Herald, 
of Leavenworth, of March 26, 1859, says: "... A short distance 
above the mouth of the Smoky Hill Mr. Patterson has a good ferry 
boat in which one can cross to the north side of the Smoky Hill and 
reach Junction City, the first town west of Fort Riley." 

No further mention of Patterson's ferry has been located. 

The Herald of the same issue also published the following con- 
cerning Captain Bartlett's ferry: "A fine boat has recently been 
launched by Captain Bartlett, whose rate of tolls has been estab- 
lished by the citizens of the town. By this ferry a choice of roads 
may be taken, on the north or south side of the river." 

Bartlett presumably operated his ferry to the satisfaction of all, 
as no record of complaint has been located. In 1860 he endeavored 
to secure a special charter from the territorial legislature, at which 
time the following bill was introduced: 

AN ACT to Charter a Ferry across the Smoky Hill River in Kansas Territory. 
Be it enacted by the Governor and Legislative Assembly of the Territory oj 
Kansas: 

SECTION 1. That Samuel Bartlett, his heirs and assigns are hereby authorized 
to keep a ferry across the Smoky Hill river at the crossing of the Junction City 
and Lyons creek roads, in Kansas Territory, and shall have the exclusive 
right and privilege of keeping a ferry at said point and within two miles each 
way up and down the river, from said points for and during the period of ten 
years from the passage of this act. 

SEC. 2. That the above named Samuel Bartlett, his heirs and assigns shall 
keep a good and substantial boat or boats in constant readiness at said ferry, 
to be properly manned and attended and kept in good repair. 

SEC. 3. That the tribunal transacting county business for the county in 
which said ferry shall be situated is hereby authorized to determine and fix 
the rate of ferriage across the said river from time to time as may be deemed 
proper, and a list of the same shall be posted at the ferry landing or on the 
boat or boats so used and any fees extorted beyond the rates established shall 
work a forfeiture of all the privileges under this act. 

[SEC. 4.] This act to take effect and be in force from and after its passage. 

16. Davis county, "Commissioners' Journal/' Book 1, pp. 2, 3. 



8 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

This bill was introduced in the council by Senator Woodward 
and was passed February 10. The house of representatives added 
some amendments and passed it. These amendments were concurred 
in by the council. For some unexplained reason, however, the bill 
never became a law. 

In 1860 Bartlett built a new boat and started a second ferry. While 
the Junction City paper made no mention of this fact, commis- 
sioners' records of July 4 recite: "Ordered that the ferry of Samuel 
Bartlett on the Smoky Hill near Junction City be charged ly cense 
at the rate of ten dollars per annum and that the upper ferry be 
exempt from license." 16 

Apparently some individual nursing a grudge at Captain Bartlett, 
or blessed with a perverted sense of humor, cut the cable one night 
and the ferry boat drifted away. Upon its recovery the Union of 
November 25, 1861, had the following to say regarding the incident: 

Captain Bartlett 17 has at last restored to his famous crossing of the Smoky 
Hill the magnificent boat which he had built last spring to accommodate the 
traveling community. It had been for some time past four or five miles down 
the river, some villain having cut the rope. It is now on duty, and with such 
a commander who would doubt the safety of a trip across the Smoky Hill, 
as turbulent as it is. 

Evidently some of the ferry operators in the county were de- 
linquent in taking out ferry licenses from the county. Under date 
of July 3, 1860, appears the following brief entry: "W. H. McKinley, 
bill for services notifying ferrys to take out license. Allowed. $2." 18 

It is not known how long Bartlett's ferry was operated, since there 
was scant mention of ferry matters in early commissioners' records. 
However, it must have been operated up to some time in 1862. 

The following, relating to Davis county ferry matters, is some- 
thing of a puzzle, as no further mention of the matter has been 
found. Commissioners' records of April 5, 1861, recite: 

We the undersigned commissioners having in consideration the granting of 

a ferry license in the case of John Lawrence vs. Sage, deside that 

we have no rite to grant License to any person over a charterd privilege and 
therefore deside that Sage has the Legal wright to run said ferry on compliance 
with the Law regulating his charter. Signed Wm. Cuddy, chmn 

J. L. Wingfield 
J. H. Brown 19 

16. Ibid., Book 2, p. 67. 

17. Samuel Bartlett is listed in the 1860 "Census of Davis County," page 63, as being 28 
years of age, and a native of Maine. He had real estate listed at $1,000 and personal property 
at $200. He was a younger brother of William K. Bartlett, a prominent early-day business 
man of Junction City. 

18. Davis county, "Commissioners' Journal," Book 1, p. 65. 

19. Ibid., Book 2, p. 6. 



ROOT: FERRIES IN KANSAS 9 

By 1863 there appeared to be a lack of ferry accommodations on 
the Smoky Hill. The Junction City Union of February 28 called 
attention to the matter, stating that both the Smoky Hill and the 
Republican rivers were free of ice, and that preparations should be 
made immediately to place a boat on the Smoky Hill, as the spring 
rise in that river would soon shut off communication with the whole 
southern country unless precaution was taken and a boat placed on 
the river at once. 

From 1863 to 1866 no mention of ferry matters on the Smoky Hill 
in Davis county has been located. 

L. B. Perry succeeded to the ferry at Bartlett's crossing. The 
Union, of March 9, 1867, stated that he "has placed a ferryboat on 
the Smoky Hill river at Bartlett's crossing, and the consequence is 
we see so many familiar faces whom the 'drouth' has kept from 
our view for some time past." 

On March 13, 1867, Mr. Perry made application for a license to 
operate a ferry at the crossing of the Junction City and Council 
Grove state road. 20 His application was placed on file. 21 On May 
4, following, Mr. Perry received his license, issued for a period of six 
months, the commissioners fixing the following rates: "Six mules, 
or six horses and wagon, 75 cents; 4 mules or horses, 50 cents; 2 
mules or horses, 35 cents; 2 horses and buggy, 25 cents; 1 horse and 
buggy, 20 cents; 1 horseman and horse, 15 cents; 1 footman, 10 
cents; sheep or hogs, each, 5 cents. Ten cents for each span of 
horses or mules above six." 22 

Very little in way of a history of the Perry ferry on the Smoky 
Hill has been located. In the Union of June 8, 1867, there was the 
following item: "On Tuesday Perry's ferry boat across the Smoky 
Hill sunk while crossing with an ox team. The river was on a rise. 
One yoke of cattle were drowned." 

As a bridge was built close to the ferry location during 1867 it is 
likely Perry discontinued his ferry before the expiration of his 
license. 

Junction City had been an important road center from the time 
the town was established. It was on the most direct and practicable 
route from Leavenworth and Wyandotte to the frontier posts of 

20. The Junction City and Council Grove state road crossed the Smoky Hill a little north- 
east of Junction City on the NE& S. 7, T. 12, R. 6 E. The original survey of this road, 
including plat and field notes, is in the Archives division of the Kansas State Historical 
Society. The survey was made by Thomas White, county surveyor of Morris county, and the 
plat was drawn by Davies Wilson. 

21. Davis county, "Commissioners' Journal," Book 2, p. 281. 

22. Ibid., p. 241. 



10 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

central Kansas, and to the mountains and Santa Fe. The Leaven- 
worth and Pike's Peak Express line up the Kaw Valley ran through 
Junction City and westward for some distance on the north side of 
the Smoky Hill, branching toward the northwest at a point in 
Ottawa county. 

In the Kansas Statesman, Junction City, June 30, 1860, appeared 
the following notice regarding highways: 

Notice is hereby given that a petition will be presented to the Board of 
County Commissioners of Davis County, K. T., at the July session A. D. 1860, 
for the viewing, laying out and establishing a county road from Island City by 
the way of the present crossing of Dry Run creek and Bartlett's ferry, on the 
Smoky Hill river to Junction City. (Signed) "Many Citizens." 

Under date of July 3, 1860, the commissioners' proceedings of 
Davis county recite: "Petition for road was presented to start from 
Island City to Junction City, by the way of Bartlett's ferry. Fox 
Booth, Robert Reynolds and Joseph Walters said reviewers, to meet 
at Island City, on July 14, 1860, to view and establish said road." 23 

In 1861 the legislature established three roads affecting Junction 
City, the first being a state road from Atchison to Junction City, by 
way of Holton and James' crossing; the next from Junction City to 
Topeka, and the third from Council Grove to Junction City. 24 On 
January 5, 1863, a petition was presented to Davis county com- 
missioners for the establishment of a road from the Morris county 
line to Bartlett's ferry. This communication was filed and acted 
upon later when Christian Wetzel, C. Boyer and Chas. Roesler were 
appointed viewers to meet on the first Monday in February, fol- 
lowing, at Bartlett's ferry. 25 

In April, 1863, an effort was being made within the county to 
establish a road from Bartlett's ferry, via Dry creek, Clark's creek 
and Davis creek to Junction City. In 1864 two post roads were 
established from Junction City, one running to Denver and the other 
to Fort Kearney, Neb. 26 The legislature of 1864 established three 
roads affecting Junction City. One ran from Junction City, via 
Pooler's 27 crossing and Lyon's creek to Marion Center ; another from 
Junction City, via Abilene and Salina to the Santa Fe road, and the 
third from Junction City, via Quimby's to Clifton. 28 

23. Ibid., Book 1, p. 63. 

24. Laws, Kansas, 1861, pp. 247, 248. 

25. Davis county, "Commissioners' Journal," Book 2, p. 64. 

26. Junction City Union, May 6, 1876. 

27. The "Census of 1860" for Davis county, page 60, lists F. L. Pooler as being 48 
years of age and a farmer. He was a native of Vermont. His wife, S. A. Pooler, was born 
in Connecticut and was 45 years old. The couple had eight children. 

28. Laws, Kansas, 1864, pp. 205, 206, 208. 



ROOT: FERRIES IN KANSAS 11 

The legislature of 1865 established five roads affecting Junction 
City, the first starting from that town and running by way of Lyons 
creek to Marion Center ; another from Junction City in a southerly 
direction up Lyons creek to the northwest corner of township 4, 
range 4, thence in a southerly direction to the Santa Fe road, at or 
near where said road crosses the Cottonwood river in Marion 
county ; another ran from Junction City northwestward on the south 
side of the Republican river to the mouth of Buffalo creek in Shirley 
(now Cloud) county; another ran from the town of Batchelder, 
Riley county, to a point on the Solomon river, A. B. Whiting, A. H. 
Towle and Seymour Ayres being commissioners selected to lay out 
this road; another was established to run as nearly due west as 
practicable from Junction City to the western boundary of Kansas. 
The road from Junction City to Council Grove was shortened, while 
a state road was established from El Dorado, via Chelsea, Butler 
county, and Cedar Point, Chase county, to Junction City. 29 

In the commissioners' proceedings of Davis county, November and 
December, 1865, there is some reference to the report of the com- 
missioners selected to lay out a state road from Junction City to 
Marion Center. The county commissioners accepted the report of 
the road commissioners, excepting such portion as related to Pooler's 
ford. The county commissioners maintained that a county road was 
already laid out on the section line, nearly connecting Pooler's ford 
and Junction City, and that it was situated on equally as good 
ground as that selected by the road commissioners. 30 

In February, 1866, Capt. Alfred C. Pierce surveyed a state road 
from Junction City to Sibley, in Cloud county. This year the legis- 
lature authorized the location of a state road beginning at the north- 
ern terminus of Adams street, in Junction City, thence on the most 
practicable route and ground to the northeast corner of section 15, 
township 12, range 5 east, in Davis county; thence on the most 
practicable route and ground to intersect the Davis county road at 
the county line between Davis and Dickinson counties, at or near the 
present residence of 0. 0. Bridges. J. W. Woodward, Geo. W. 
Taylor and George Bates were commissioners selected to locate this 
road. 31 The road from Topeka to Junction City, on the south side of 
the Kansas river, and the location of the state road running from 
Council Grove to Junction City were changed by the legislature of 
1867. 32 

29. Ibid., 1865, pp. 142, 143, 145-148. 

30. Davis county, "Commissioners' Journal," Book 2, p. 173. 

81. Laws, Kansas, 1866, pp. 221, 222. 

82. Ibid., 1867, pp. 247, 250. 



12 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

The route up the Kansas and Smoky Hill rivers to the mountains 
had long been recognized as the shortest one, and compared to the 
Platte river highway of Nebraska, to Denver and other towns in 
the Colorado gold fields, was some 116 miles shorter between the 
Missouri river and those points. David A. Butterfield, projector 
of the Butterfield Overland Despatch had employed Lieut. Julian 
R. Fitch to make a report on the practicability of a route up these 
streams for freighting purposes, and in his report Fitch pointed 
out the advantages of the Smoky Hill route, which was the shorter 
one and had no sand to contend with, while on the Platte route 
from Julesburg to Denver, a distance of 200 miles, the freighter 
or emigrant had a dead pull through sand, without a stick of wood 
or a drop of water, save the Platte itself, which was from three to 
five miles from the road. When it was taken into consideration 
that a loaded ox team makes but from twelve to fourteen miles a 
day, and never exceeds sixteen, it would not pay to double that 
distance by driving to the Platte river for the only water in the 
country, for the purpose of camping. There was plenty of timber 
by the Smoky Hill route; also, nature had bountifully supplied this 
route with an abundance of bois de vache (buffalo chips), which 
was always cheerfully chosen by the tired emigrant in preference to 
cutting timber for a fire. 

The Smoky Hill valley route was becoming more and more 
popular. Partisans of this highway were not backward in con- 
trasting its advantages with those of the Platte river. A comparison 
of this sort when railroad building was started was published in the 
Leavenworth Times, and republished in the Junction City Union of 
April 27, 1867, as follows: 

THE SMOKY HILL 

There is no concealing the flood disaster of the road from Omaha west, 
and no mistake as to the snow difficulties it has had to encounter. Nor are 
these accidental. Every year they come, with less or greater severity; but 
with severity enough to deluge the plains of the Platte with water, and fill 
the gaps and ravines with snow. Nature will forever forbid this road being 
the main track west. 

Old trappers and early pioneers, for the last nine years, have insisted upon 
the Smoky Hill being the best, whether regard should be had to difficulties 
or benefits to danger from climate, or advantages such as water, fuel, etc., 
on land. 

Rough surveys followed. The first was made, mainly, at the expense of 
the city of Leavenworth, years ago. That gave a promise; still it was not 
thorough enough to satisfy the enquiring, or give confidence to the timid. The 
second was fuller; more satisfactory. It convinced most persons interested 



ROOT: FERRIES IN KANSAS 13 

in the west that the Smoky Hill was the route, and a few of the bolder 
pioneers tried it with success. Still old habit, regular stations, "being in 
company with each other," made the body of the plainsmen hug the Platte 
route. Nor was it until Isaac Eaton, Esq., passed over the Smoky Hill, 
established stations on the line, and then proved its superiority, that the 
public admitted it. That fact is now settled. 

On Saturday night our road the Pacific, E. D. was finished to Salina. 
The commissioners will visit and examine the last finished portion of the 
line, and report. That report will reach Washington, in all probability, by 
Thursday or Friday, and the cars will run from Leavenworth to Salina. 

Fort Harker will be the next point, and the warm July sun will witness this 
line completed. Onward is the word! Westward, the iron girder bears the 
increased and increasing weight of trade and travel. 

With the establishment of roads, the settlement of the country 
quickly followed, and naturally there came a demand for bridges 
over the Smoky Hill. The year 1860 saw the first move in this di- 
rection by private interests, the legislature that year granting to 
the Smoky Hill Bridge Company exclusive rights, for fifteen years, 
for building and maintaining a bridge across the river between the 
mouth of Lyons creek and the line of the Fort Riley military reser- 
vation. This company included P. Z. Taylor, John T. Price, William 
Cuddy, James B. Woodward, W. W. Herbert, Robert Wilson, James 
R. McClure and James P. Downer. This company was capitalized 
at $25,000, but aside from this charter accomplished nothing else. 33 

Apparently the first bridge across the Smoky Hill in Davis county 
was built by Samuel Bartlett, and was completed early in Decem- 
ber, 1861. 34 Just how long this bridge stood we have not learned. 
However, by 1866 a movement for a free bridge to be located at 
Bartlett's ferry began to take shape. On January 6, A. W. Callen, 
J. B. Woodward and James Brown were appointed a committee to 
measure the Kansas [Smoky Hill?] at Bartlett's ferry, at the point 
where the Topeka and Junction City road crossed the stream, and 
to draft a plan of a bridge and make an estimate of the cost. 35 Dur- 
ing the session of the legislature that year a bill was passed authoriz- 
ing Davis county to issue $20,000 in bonds for bridge purposes, the 
county having decided to build the structure. 86 At a meeting of the 
county board on July 2 the commissioners ordered $20,000 of bonds 
issued for construction of this bridge, which was to be built of lum- 
ber and to be guaranteed against damage or destruction by water 

33. Private Laws, Kansas, 1860, pp. 31, 32 ; House Journal, 1860, special session, p. 402. 

34. Junction City Union, December 12, 1861. 

85. Davis county, "Commissioners' Journal," Book 2, p. 190. 

36. Laws, Kansas, 1866, pp. 66-69; Junction City Union, May 6, 1876. 



14 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

for five years. 37 The bonds were duly issued and offered for sale, 
but as only one bid was submitted for building the bridge, the com- 
missioners decided not to let the contract at that time. 38 

On February 10, 1867, a second Smoky Hill Bridge Company was 
organized at Junction City, with S. M. Strickler as president; 0. J. 
Hopkins, secretary, and H. F. Hale, treasurer. Directors of the 
company included H. F. Hale, Robert Henderson, 0. J. Hopkins, 
James R. McClure, S. M. Strickler, W. C. Rawolla and Bertrand 
Rockwell. The company proposed to construct a Howe truss bridge, 
which was to be located on the river near the mouth of Lyons creek. 
The new structure was to cost $18,000, of which amount $7,000 was 
raised in Junction City. The contract was let to Marsh, Hilliker 
& Co., who were to take one-half of the contract price in cash, and 
receive stock in the enterprise for the balance. 39 Work on the bridge 
began some time in March, the Union of March 30 containing the 
following paragraph: 

The pile driver is vigorously at work preparing foundations for the Smoky 
Hill bridge, and while speaking of this, we must take occasion to confess our 
ignorance of the geography of our own county. The Smoky Hill bridge does 
not cross at the mouth of Lyons creek, but two or three miles below it, at the 
crossing of a state road. We understand they have found a very hard bottom. 
The stone is about prepared to be set in. We will tell more about it after 
Hilliker gives us that ride up there. 

This bridge is said to have been completed by the Fourth of July 
but not accepted from the contractors until the December following. 

During March, 1867, the county commissioners again took steps 
for the erection of a bridge over the Smoky Hill, near the Fogarty 
dam. This site was between Bartlett's ferry and the first bend up 
the river. 40 The contract was let to Marsh, Hilliker & Co, for $17,- 
500, and work was to be "pushed as fast as the season and the erratic 
disposition of that stream" would permit. Work started about the 
first of April, following, and was completed by September and ac- 
cepted by the county. 41 Evidently the contractors did a rather poor 
job of construction work, for the county board subsequently notified 
the contractors that the bridge was in an unsafe condition, in need 
of repairs, and that the county would hold them responsible. 42 

87. Davis county, "Commissioners' Journal," Book 2, pp. 198, 199. 

38. Junction City Union, August 4, 1866. 

39. Ibid., February 16, 1867 ; May 6, 1876. Leavenworth Daily Conservative, February 
20, 1867. 

40. Davis county, "Commissioners' Journal," Book 8, p. 28. 

41. Junction City Union, March 15, October 6, 1867; May 6, 1876. 

42. Davis county, "Commissioners' Journal," Book 8, p. 32. 



ROOT: FERRIES IN KANSAS 15 

By 1871 a move was started for free county bridges. During 
July, a fund of $2,000 was subscribed in Junction City to be used 
towards the purchase of the Smoky Hill Bridge Company's bridge. 
The company wanted $10,000 for the structure, but the county re- 
fused to pay more than $8,000. About the first of September, fol- 
lowing, the company transferred title to their bridge to the county. 43 

Junction City enjoyed a lively freighting business during the 
early days. During the period preceding the Civil War much of the 
supplies for the frontier posts was shipped out via Fort Riley, Junc- 
tion City and up the Smoky Hill valley for Rocky Mountain points 
and to Santa Fe. After the war broke out the Santa Fe trade from 
Westport, Mo., was almost entirely wiped out by plundering of 
caravans by bushwhackers and others. As a consequence, the bulk 
of this trade started westward from Atchison and Leavenworth, 
which points were comparatively free from molestation of this sort, 
and went southwest to the Santa Fe trail after leaving Fort Riley. 

With the inauguration of the Butterfield Overland Despatch line 
in 1865, the freighting from Junction City received an added im- 
petus that summer, and with the addition of a daily line of stages 
to the mountains that frontier town was made one of the liveliest 
settlements west of the Missouri river. In June, 1866, a line of stages 
was also running from Junction City to Santa Fe. 44 In November, 
following, the Union Pacific was completed to Junction City, after 
which date the bulk of freight for the West went by rail to that 
point, where it was transferred to wagon trains and carried to its 
destination. By 1867 this trade had so increased in volume that a 
meeting was held at Strickler's hall, Junction City, during March, 
for the purpose of securing a better road than the one up Lyons creek 
as then located. A road up the divide between Lyons and Turkey 
creeks was suggested by the Union as one that would require less 
upkeep than the one then in use on Lyons creek, which crossed that 
stream no less than six times. The Union stated there was a strong 
disposition manifested to enforce the collection of the road tax to 
meet the expenses of improving the roads, while a willingness was 
also indicated to have the roads repaired in any event. 45 That the 
roads were bad at this time, the following from the local paper 
would indicate: 

Late in February, 1867, a Mr. J. 0. Austin, of Albuquerque, N. M., spent 
a day or two in Junction City, while on his way to Boston. He reported a 

43. Junction City Union, May 6, 1876. 

44. Wilder, Annals of Kansas, p. 433. 

45. Junction City Union, March 16, 1867. 



16 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

large number of New Mexican trains on their way in, for whom he was acting 
as a sort of route agent. He also reported a few cuts on the road between 
Junction City and Fort Lamed that needed repairing immediately. 46 

About the middle of March, following, the agent of Chick, Armijo 
& Co., of St. Louis, probably the largest dealers in the Santa Fe trade 
and who were operating a store in Junction City, and also building a 
warehouse on the railroad, reported that during the next eight 
months Junction City would be the point for trans-shipment of 
freight destined for New Mexican points. He called attention to 
the fact that it was of the utmost importance to know the best route 
to and from this point. The road already selected by Merrick, 
Parker, Armijo, Guttman, Romero, Bata and other extensive freight- 
ers, is that across the Smoky Hill at what is Bartlett's ford or 
Perry's ferry, opposite Junction City the road being along Lyons 
creek, or on the divide between that and Clark's creek, striking the 
Santa Fe road at Lost Springs. A Howe truss bridge was being built 
across the Smoky near the mouth of Lyons creek at this time, which 
was to be completed within ninety days. 47 

Late in March two trains of provisions, etc., were started for Santa 
Fe, one belonging to Messrs. Parker and Merrick and the other to 
Mr. Romero. Within a week two trains from that point reached 
Junction City. At this time it was estimated that 1,500 wagons 
would be employed during the summer to transport government 
freight alone from Fort Riley and end of the railroad to the various 
government posts. 48 

In January, 1866, the Smoky Hill was impassable for teams. A 
thaw early in the year raised the water to such an extent that skiffs 
were resorted to. Many freight wagons were detained at different 
points awaiting a chance to proceed. 49 During the spring of 1867 
high water in streams beyond Junction City caused considerable 
inconvenience. Chapman's creek, in the eastern part of Dickinson 
county, seemed to furnish its full share of trouble. Early in Febru- 
ary a couple of teams had to swim the stream, and on the morning 
of February 16, the Santa Fe coach was obliged to unload its cargo 
and swim the stream. 50 This condition obtained as late as April 
following, tying up railroad activities as well, as may be judged from 
the following in the Union of April 20: 



46. Ibid. 

47. Ibid. 

48. Ibid. 

49. Ibid. 

50. Ibid. 



February 23, 1867. 
March 16, 1867. 
March 30, 1867. 
January 20, 1866. 
February 16, 1867. 



ROOT: FERRIES IN KANSAS 17 

Freight, mails and passengers have had a terrific time in attempting to go 
west by train during the past two or three days. Some days the trains don't 
come or go. When they do, there is no knowing at what time of the day or 
night the occurrence will take place. One of the consequences is a good deal of 
heavy waiting at the depot. The old reliable Kansas Stage Company is the 
only sure means of transit to the west at present. 

Six miles west of Junction City was Kansas Falls, the most west- 
erly town in Davis county on the Smoky Hill. The town was organ- 
ized September 10, 1857, by F. N. Blake, E. P. Burgess and John 
Harvie, and was incorporated by the legislature of 1858. This loca- 
tion was noted for its famous "Seven Springs" and "Mail's Springs," 
popular camping places for travelers and freighters who traveled the 
Smoky Hill route. A mill was operating at this point in 1859, run 
by a man named Biggs (or Riggs) , who probably ran a ferry in ad- 
dition. During the session of the 1858 legislature, a bill was intro- 
duced in the council for the establishment of a ferry at this place, 
but it failed of passage. The town was also the beginning of a mail 
route via the Smoky Hill to Bent's Station, with service twice a 
month. 51 

Some time during 1866 Jonas K. Bartlett started a sawmill in 
this vicinity, cutting native timber, which apparently found a ready 
sale with the early settlers. He also installed a ferry in connection 
with his mill, as his patrons included those living on both sides of the 
river. The Junction City Union of August 4, 1867, had the following 
mention of this enterprise: 

We were at Bartlett's mill the other day. Overcoming countless difficulties, 
the institution is now in running order, and sawing large bills every day. It 
is located on the Smoky Hill, about seven miles above town, in a large 
body of timber. High water has annoyed Bartlett to such an extent that he 
has put in the river a good ferry boat, and the freighting interests between 
town and the mill has got to be quite heavy. 

A tragic incident occurred on his ferry late in May, that year. 
Three Negro deserters from the Thirty-eighth U. S. infantry arrived 
at the Green Lamb crossing 52 of the Smoky Hill on the afternoon 
of May 27, 1867. They crossed over and called at several houses. 
Finding men at home at all of these places they did not linger. When 
asked what they wanted they replied that they were looking for 

51. Andreas, History of Kansas, p. 1005. Gunn & Mitchell's Map of Kansas, 1859. 
Kansas Historical Collections, v. 7, p. 580; v. 8, p. 410; v. 11, p. 562. Everts' Atlas of 
Kansas, p. 144. Lawrence Republican, June 21, 1860. 

52. This location was about nine or ten miles above Chapman's creek, and about three 
miles beyond Newport, the county seat of Dickinson county, according to an authority in 
the Lawrence Republican, March 17, 1859. 

26787 



18 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

deserters. They finally started off, making their way down the river. 
About two miles below Green Lamb's 53 they reached the home of 
P. J. Peterson, where they asked for something to eat. Food being 
given them they inquired of Mrs. Peterson the whereabouts of the 
men. She replied that they were in the woods. On learning this, 
one of the Negroes seized her, dragged her into the basement of the 
house and ravished her person. Having satisfied his own passions 
he called for his two comrades to come down, but Mrs. Peterson 
broke loose from her black assailant and fled, shouting loudly for 
help. A posse composed of about fifty citizens soon spread over the 
prairies and started a search for the fiends. The three men were later 
overtaken on a ferryboat near Bartlett's mills by the posse, which 
began firing on them. One of the Negroes was killed instantly on 
the boat; another jumped into the river and was killed; the third 
ran into the woods, but was overtaken and killed and his body 
thrown into the river. The posse then disappeared, leaving the 
bodies to float down the river. 54 

Some time after the foregoing tragedy Bartlett apparently moved 
his mill farther up the river, this time over into Dickinson county, 
an advertisement published in the Union of November 9 following 
stating that the mill was located about two miles above the mouth of 
Chapman's creek. 

Chapman's creek, about seven miles west of Kansas Falls and 
about three miles over the line in Dickinson county, was the next 
stream to be crossed in going up the Smoky Hill river on the military 
road. For that reason the history of that stream is given here. The 
first settlement in Dickinson county was made on this creek in 1855, 
but the stream, however, had a name bestowed by the Indians many 
years before, being known as the Nish-co-ba meaning Deep 
Water. 55 The stream later received the name of Chapman's creek, 
but when it was bestowed, by whom, and for what particular Chap- 
man has not been learned. In times of flood the Indian name has 
been found to be a most truthful one, as the following incident will 
illustrate: In June, 1869, a cloudburst which occurred on the head- 
waters of the creek swept down stream, and at the crossing of the 

53. Andreas' History of Kansas, page 685, states that Green Lamb settled in Dickinson 
county in 1857 or 1858. In 1860 he became county surveyor. The census of Dickinson 
county for 1865, lists him as a resident of Township No. 1; farmer; age 26 years, and a 
native of Ohio. His wife, Julia, 22, was also an Ohioan. Mr. Lamb may have been a son 
of William Lamb, an early resident of Dickinson county, who was a native of North Carolina ; 
married Julia , of Ohio, and raised a family in that state. One of the early town- 
ships of Dickinson county was named for the Lamb family. Green Lamb was still residing 
within the county in 1875, the census of thut year listing him as a resident of Center town- 
ship, post office at Enterprise. He had a family of three children at this time two daughters, 
nine and one years old, and a son aged three. 

54. Junction City Union, June 1, 1867. 

65. Letter of John C. McCoy to F. G. Adams, July 5, 1883. 



ROOT: FERRIES IN KANSAS 19 

military road the waters were said to have been at least fifty feet 
deep. The whole country for miles around was submerged, crops 
destroyed and thirteen lives lost. 56 

The highway up the Smoky Hill crossed Chapman's creek near its 
mouth, and here in 1859 the government erected a substantial oak 
bridge. 57 

During the special session of the territorial legislature of 1860 a 
bill was introduced in the council for the purpose of establishing a 
ferry across this creek. The bill passed the council, but was re- 
ceived by the house so late in the session that further action was not 
taken. 58 

The next ferry location above Bartlett's mills was at Newport, 
about five miles upstream. Abram Barry, a representative in the 
legislature of 1859, introduced House bill No. 81, an act to establish 
a ferry at Newport. 59 This town was platted in 1857 by the New- 
port Town Company, composed of N. P. White, Doctor Gerot and 
D. M. Rulison. This was the first town platted in Dickinson county, 
and was located on the E% S. 3, T. 13, R. 3. The following year it 
became the temporary county seat, the town comprising three log 
houses built on the public square, one of which was called the court 
house. Twenty votes were polled during an election held at this 
place in 1859. 60 The State Historical Society possesses a town-lot 
certificate of Newport, dated July, 1857, in its manuscript collec- 
tion. 

It would seem that a ferry would have been a convenience for Abi- 
lene during its cattle-shipping days. However, no record of any has 
been located. As all county clerk's records were among those de- 
stroyed in the disastrous fire of January 17, 1882, there is no way 
of checking up on ferry licenses issued. By an examination of news- 
paper files, however, we learn that steps were taken towards secur- 
ing bridges as early as 1870. In February, 1871, during the con- 
struction of an iron bridge across the Smoky Hill, the structure col- 
lapsed and fell into the river when both arches were nearly up. No 
one was seriously hurt. 61 

The Nationalist, of Manhattan, had the following item regarding 
the completion of this bridge: "Iron Bridges. The new iron bridges 

56. Junction City Union, June 26, 1869. 

57. Kansas Weekly Herald, Leavenworth, March 26, 1859. 

58. House Journal, 1860, special session, p. 733; Council Journal 1860 special session 
pp. 656, 657. 

59. House Journal, 1859, p. 72. 

60. Andreas, History of Kansas, p. 685. Kansas Historical Collections, v. 3, p. 124. 
"Dickinson County Clippings," v. 1, pp. 178, 179, 200, in Kansas State Historical Society's 
library. 

61. The Kansas Gazette, Enterprise, May 19, 1876 ; Waterville Telegraph, March 3, 1871. 



20 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

across the river at Abilene and Hoffman's mills are finished and open 
to travel. People on 'the south side can now reach the county seat 
without fording or ferrying the river." 

About 1866, Newton Blair started a ferry on the Smoky Hill just 
below the junction of the Solomon river, in the extreme western part 
of Dickinson county, and operated it for about a year. 62 This ferry 
location must have been in use up to about 1872, during which year 
iron bridges were completed at Chapman and Solomon. 63 

In 1859 Reuben R. Stanforth was granted a charter by the legisla- 
ture for a ferry across the Smoky Hill at the point where the mili- 
tary road from Fort Leavenworth to Bent's Fort crosses that stream. 
This crossing was just above the junction of the Smoky Hill and 
Solomon rivers. This charter was granted for a period of thirteen 
years, and Stanforth and his assigns were to have exclusive right of 
landing upon either bank of the stream at the point named and for 
a distance of two miles above and below. They were to keep suffi- 
cient boats to do the necessary crossing and keep the same in good 
repair ; his rates were to be the average of those charged on the sev- 
eral ferries on the Kansas river. He was required to post a bond as 
required by law. This act also carried rights for the construction of 
a bridge over the Smoky Hill, the same as were accorded to the 
Lawrence Bridge Company. This act was approved by Gov. Sam- 
uel Medary, and was to take effect and be in force from and after 
its passage. 64 No further record of this ferry project has been lo- 
cated. 

The next ferry location upstream was at Sabra, Saline county. 
This town was laid out shortly after the close of the Civil War, and 
had a post office in 1867, with C. W. Davis as postmaster. The 
town's exact location has not been determined ; however, it was three 
and one-half miles from Solomon river, on the line of the Kansas 
Pacific Railroad and 170 miles west of the Missouri river. Sabra is 
shown on Ado Hunnius' "Map of Kansas" as being a short distance 
west of the town of Solomon, and evidently located between the 
mouths of the Solomon and Saline. On November 9, 1866, the 
Smoky Hill Bridge and Ferry Company was incorporated, its pro- 
moters being Frederick E. Cushman, H. L. Sitler, Silas Bullard, 
Charles W. Davis, John W. Kelso, Richard M. Wimsatt and Fred 
Rawolla. The company proposed to maintain and operate a bridge 
or ferry over the Smoky Hill river, between its confluence with the 

62. Letter of Walter A. Grogger, Solomon, to author. 

63. The Kansas Gazette, Enterprise, May 19, October 19, 1876. 

64. Private Laws, Kansas, 1859, pp. 119, 120. 



ROOT: FERRIES IN KANSAS 21 

Solomon and the mouth of the Saline. The capital stock of the 
company was placed at $50,000, in shares of $50 each. The prin- 
cipal office of the company was to be at Sabra. This charter was 
filed with the secretary of state December 3, 1866. 65 Sabra has long 
since been numbered among the dead and forgotten towns. 

Salina was the location of the next ferry, which was started in the 
fall of 1858. This ferry had quite an interesting history. In 1854 
or 1855 the government built a bridge at the Smoky Hill crossing, lo- 
cated a mile or two southwest of present Kanopolis, Ellsworth 
county. This structure went out during a flood in June, 1858, and 
much of the timber used in its construction drifted downstream as 
far as Salina, where it was salvaged by Alexander M. Campbell, who 
was operating a trading post on the river. That fall Mr. Campbell 
and James Muir built a ferryboat, using this salvaged timber for 
that purpose, and putting their boat into use late in the year. The 
ferry location was where Iron avenue crosses the river, this point be- 
ing also the end of the Phillips road which followed the divide south 
of the Kaw and Smoky Hill rivers from Lawrence to Salina. The 
old government road was in the valley, and in wet weather it was a 
difficult route to travel, so most of the settlers used the Phillips road, 
as they could not get into Salina from the east unless they forded 
the river. Campbell's ferry was a free ferry, the only institution of 
the kind in that part of the country, and was operated until the com- 
pletion of a bridge across the river near the old landing place. Some 
of the old-timers say they used the ferry as a bridge when the river 
was low, and as a ferry when the river was up. Mr. Campbell was 
a member of the town company, built the first house on the townsite 
a one and one-half story log structure, keeping a store and living 
in the lower portion, while the upper part was used as rooming quar- 
ters when transients stopped for the night. On the establishment of 
a post office he was appointed postmaster and kept it in his store, 
serving in that capacity for the next forty years. During the time he 
operated his ferry he also did much trading with the Indians, and 
also hunting. There were times when he was absent from the new 
town, and it so happened on more than one occasion some travelers 
or freighters arrived on the opposite shore who wished to cross. On 
these occasions Mrs. Campbell was equal to the emergency, and un- 
tying the boat she poled it across to the opposite side of the river 
where the individuals who wished to cross assisted in making the re- 
turn trip. This ferry was operated for about nine years. 

During the early days of the new town, it was not an uncommon 

65. Corporations, v. 1, pp. 242, 243; Folk's Kansas Gazetteer, 1878, 1880. 



22 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

sight to find the few women residents gathered at the ferry to do the 
usual family washings. The water of the Smoky Hill was much 
softer than well water and required the use of less soap. 

On Sunday afternoon, December 10, 1933, the Saline county chap- 
ter, Native Daughters of Kansas, marked the ferry site with a gran- 
ite marker, which was inscribed in a unique way, with colors blasted 
into the stone to make a picture. The marker was placed at the 
point where the traffic across the river ascended, this being a short 
distance south of the bridge, and on the Union Pacific right-of-way, 
Salina to McPherson. Officials of the railroad cooperated with the 
Native Daughters in order to make the view of the marker from the 
avenue unobstructed. 66 

The Salina Bridge and Ferry Company was organized in the 
spring of 1867 for the purpose of building bridges or operating a 
ferry on the Smoky Hill in the vicinity of Salina. The incorporators 
were David Beebe, George H. Dell, J. N. Deitz, J. F. Deitz, and 
David Yarnall. Their charter specified that they have exclusive 
rights on the Smoky Hill beginning at the northeast corner of T. 14, 
R. 2 W., and running up the Smoky Hill through the village of 
Salina to the southwest corner of township and range above speci- 
fied. This charter was filed with the secretary of state March 26, 
1867. 67 Presumably this company never made use of its charter. 

Ellsworth county may or may not have had a ferry at some time. 
On December 6, 1866, the Ellsworth Bridge and Ferry Company 
was organized. The incorporators included Philip D. Filker, Thomas 
D. Slocum, H. D. McMilkee, Wallace McGlath, J. R. McClure, 0. 
J. Hopkins and D. F. Molan. It was the intention and purpose of 
the company to operate a bridge or ferry over the Smoky Hill river 
between the western boundary of the Fort Barker military reserva- 
tion (formerly Fort Ellsworth) to a point on same river two miles 
west of said reservation. The principal office of this company was 
located at Junction City. The capital stock of the enterprise was 
listed at $10,000, in 200 shares of $50 each. This charter was filed 
with the secretary of state January 7, 1867. 68 No further mention 
of this enterprise has been located. 

Assistance in the preparation of this sketch was given by Mrs. A. 
M. Campbell, Jr., Mrs. Nelson H. Loomis, Judge J. C. Ruppenthal, 
Roy F. Bailey, editor of the Salina Journal, and others, to whom the 
writer extends thanks. 

66. Salina Journal, December 11, 1933. 

67. Corporations, v. 1, p. 309. 

68. Ibid., pp. 261, 262. 



The Kinsley Boom of the Late Eighties 

First Installment 
JAMES C. MALIN 

NEAR the western bend of the Arkansas river, with Larned as 
the nearest important rival twenty miles to the northeast and 
Dodge City forty miles to the westward, Kinsley occupied a favor- 
able location in the western Arkansas valley. The site was selected 
when the Santa Fe railroad was built, in August, 1872. Three years 
later Edwards county, of which Kinsley was the county seat, claimed 
234 inhabitants, and another five years gave it 2,409. The city of 
Kinsley in 1880 had 457 people, but drought and adversity reduced 
the little city to 382 persons by 1884. During these early years the 
volume of trade with the small farmer was slight and probably not 
very profitable, but the location of the town made it an important 
supply point for cattle ranches. There was no railroad in the south- 
west corner of the state that part lying south and west of the 
Arkansas river. Wichita penetrated this great range-cattle area 
from the eastward, and towns along the Santa Fe railroad, Hutchin- 
son, Great Bend, Larned, Kinsley and Dodge City, from the north- 
ward. In addition, some of these towns served the Oklahoma coun- 
try farther south. Similarly, no railroad entered the territory lying 
northward between the Arkansas and the Smoky Hill rivers, and the 
same towns along the main line of the Santa Fe railroad competed 
with the Kansas Pacific railroad towns for the supply trade of that 
region. Kinsley appears to have secured its share of this trade, al- 
though it did not become a very important point for the shipment of 
cattle. 

The Kansas boom of the late eighties slowly began to gather mo- 
mentum during 1884, reaching its climax during 1887. Partly the 
process was a return of settlers who had deserted western Kansas 
during the drought of the early eighties, but mostly it was a migra- 
tion of new people. Government land was available in large quanti- 
ties under the preemption, homestead, or timber-claim acts, and rail- 
road land was being forced into the market by all the land-grant 
companies as rapidly as possible either to farmers or to speculators. 
On January 9, 1885, the Kinsley Graphic reported that "a continued 
stream of wagons rolls southward each day, regardless of wind or 
weather," and the Mercury, March 28, counted nearly 150 passen- 
gers from one train, and remarked that "the various stage lines have 

(23) 



24 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

all they can do to carry them off." One Kinsley firm had received 
its third carload of breaking plows before the end of April. By the 
close of the immigration season of 1886, the small farmer had occu- 
pied practically all available land south to the breaks of the Medi- 
cine river, and northward to the hills along the Smoky. Although 
many large ranches remained, the flood of homesteaders left them as 
scattered islands in a sea of small-farm country. With the sudden 
passing of the range-cattle trade, the character of Kinsley's business 
changed quickly. Gone was the large-scale cattle-supply trade with 
its big profits, and in its place was left only the petty trade of the 
impecunious homesteader that is, unless it was possible to conjure 
into existence some new and highly profitable form of big business as 
a substitute. Perchance much of the significance of the great boom 
which followed lies in the allurement of such magic. The Mercury 
boasted, March 14, 1885, that "Kinsley is the boomingest booming 
town in the Southwest," and that it had almost doubled its popula- 
tion since September. Near the end of the year the same paper was 
promoting a board of trade to advertise the town. 

Along with the small-farmer boom had come the railroad boom, 
each more or less interacting on the other, as the farmer was de- 
pendent upon rails for his market, and the new railroads upon the 
farmers for their traffic. And then, like measles on a child, townsites 
broke out all over this young country. Each new town hoped, by 
fair means or foul, to become the county seat and get one or more 
railroads. Small farmers, townsites, county-seat wars and railroad 
prospects, however, were only the preliminaries. The big boomers 
gambled for larger stakes. The story of Kinsley is more or less typi- 
cal, allowing for suitable variation of details, of the excesses of the 
boom in almost any town of the western part of the state. While 
many did not go to such extremes, all were dangerously infected with 
boomitis, and many were more fantastic in the excesses of their auto- 
intoxication. 

Kinsley had been built on the main line of the Santa Fe railroad, 
and in 1885-1886 a subsidiary of that system, The Arkansas Valley 
and Western Railroad Company, built what became the Hutchinson- 
Kinsley cut-off. It was completed in August, 1886. In boom par- 
lance it was Kinsley's second railroad. Incidentally, it placed rail 
facilities for the first time in the country south of the Arkansas river, 
although only in the northern edge. From the eastern edge of the 
same area, a railroad was built from Wichita, reaching Kingman in 
1885 and Medicine Lodge early in 1886. Many other lines were 



MALIN : THE KINSLEY BOOM OF THE EIGHTIES 25 

planned. The trade territory of Larned, Kinsley and Dodge City 
was reduced substantially by every mile of road built. Dodge City 
organized a telephone company to reach into its southern territory, 
and the Kinsley Mercury, March 13, 1886, urged its own business 
men to build to Coldwater if their Comanche county business was to 
be retained. Within two weeks a company was chartered, which was 
to connect the towns of four counties, Edwards, Kiowa, Comanche, 
and Clark, but it was not an exclusively Kinsley enterprise. 

The crop season of 1886 was not favorable in Edwards county, 
and farmers plowed up part of their wheat early in June in order 
to replant to sorghum and millet. The Kinsley Graphic, June 11, 
warned them not to be premature as rains might bring much of it 
out. The next few days did bring rain, and hail as well, and then 
the same paper recommended, June 25, that there was still time to 
replant. The rising boom was not to be seriously checked by short 
crops, because, as the Graphic said, July 2, "Kansas is railroad 
crazy." Many lines were being projected by irresponsible parties 
into the trade territory of those already built, and primarily for 
the subsidies voted by counties, townships, and towns, or to sell out 
to stronger roads. The established systems, the Santa Fe, Union 
Pacific, Rock Island and Missouri Pacific, felt that they had to 
locate branch lines in order to protect themselves from these rack- 
eteers, even when the business secured did not in itself warrant con- 
struction. 

Early in 1887 the railroad phase of the boom reached its peak in 
the Kinsley area. In January the Omaha, Kansas and El Paso Rail- 
road Company was chartered, with some Kinsley men as officers, 
and with Kinsley mentioned as possible headquarters. Among the 
arguments for the line, it was urged that Kansas needed north-and- 
south roads, that it would provide an outlet to Chicago by way of 
Omaha, and that the competition with Kansas City and St. Louis 
roads would benefit Kinsley. 1 On April 9 the Mercury stated that 
bond propositions would be submitted to Kinsley and Trenton town- 
ships at once. The road to the south line was to be completed within 
a year. Another railroad proposition which was considered as a 
certainty was the extension by the Santa Fe of the Chicago, Kansas 
and Western Railway (formerly Arkansas Valley and Western) 
from Kinsley northwest to Denver. 2 In its issue of April 9, the 
Mercury stated that construction would begin in a few days. 

1. Kinsley Mercury, January 22, 29, 1887. 

2. Ibid., March 19, 1887. 



26 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

The railroad proposition which excited the largest interest in the 
press was the line to Wichita. During 1885 the Wichita and Colo- 
rado road was projected under Missouri Pacific sponsorship, and all 
the towns from Hutchinson to Kinsley competed for the point of 
intersection with the Santa Fe. 3 Under the name of Arkansas Val- 
ley, luka and Northwestern, however, another Missouri Pacific line 
became more tangible as a link in the Denver, Memphis and At- 
lantic. On February 5 the Mercury declared "this will give us rail- 
road facilities second to no other town in western Kansas," and not 
least among the arguments for it was that it would provide a 
southern outlet to the ocean. An election for the authorization of 
subsidy bonds was called for March 29. In urging favorable action 
the Mercury argued in the issue of March 5 as follows: 

It is needless for us to tell the people that the present unprecedented 
activity in railway building cannot go on forever. Just as sure as the days 
continue to come and go, so sure will the money bags of Wall Street suddenly 
close up some time. Capital is timid and one of these fine mornings it will 
wake up "half scared to death" at the magnitude to which railroad building 
in the west, and especially in Kansas, has attained. People may not realize 
it, because they do not stop to think, yet so slender is the thread upon which 
our prosperity hangs that were one bare one leading banking institution 
of Wall Street to suspend payment it would precipitate a crisis that would 
result in stopping short every line of railway in process of construction in the 
West; and so closely is our general prosperity connected with and dependent 
upon railway building that to shut down operations now would be to cripple, 
if not absolutely ruin half the industries in the state of Kansas. Immigration 
would cease, eastern money, which is flowing into this country in an unbroken 
and constantly increasing stream, would be turned into other channels or be 
locked up, the building boom would collapse and farmers who are growing 
wealthy from the fast increasing value of their lands would suddenly find 
themselves possessors of estates that would not sell for as much as they 
borrow on them. Indeed many farmers with mortgages on their land would 
be unable to renew them, if necessary to do so, and would lose their homes. 
Stagnation would take the place of prosperity and it would be years before 
the country would recover from the effects of the blow. The localities that 
were provided with competing lines of road before the panic came upon them 
would be most fortunate, but how would it be with the people of Kinsley 
and Edwards county . . . 

Not wishing to weary our readers we will leave the question with them 
until our next issue, when we shall take up the matter and discuss it from a 
purely business standpoint. In the meantime, we hope that every voter in 
Edwards county will give that consideration to the probability or improba- 
bility of a crash in the financial world which the importance of the question 
to him, personally, would seem to warrant. 

In the following issue, the business argument estimated that forty 

3. Ibid., February 6, March 13, 1886, and June 22, 1887. 



MALIN : THE KINSLEY BOOM OF THE EIGHTIES 27 

miles of road at $8,000 per mile would be valued at $320,000 and 
would pay $13,000 per year in taxes. The interest on the bonds, 
county and township, which would buy $110,000 in railroad stock 
would be $6,600. The balance in favor of the county each year 
would be $6,400, and besides, the people would enjoy the use of the 
road. On a thirty-year basis the editor figured that even if the 
stock became worthless, the balance in favor of the county would 
be $82,000. In the same issue he assured his readers that the road 
would reach Kinsley by July. The next week's issue pointed out 
that the road would bring Kinsley nearer to the coal fields than the 
Santa Fe, and that the towns reached by the D. M. & A. enjoyed 
coal prices two to three dollars lower than formerly. Also, the road 
was closer to the pine lumber of Arkansas and Tennessee, and 
Wichita was getting lumber ten dollars per thousand cheaper than 
formerly. It would open southern markets, and counties on the 
road realized five to ten cents per bushel more for corn than before 
there was competition. To clinch these price arguments the writer 
again held out the warning of March 5: 

The unprecedented activity in railroad building will come to a short stop some 
of these days. . . . When it does stop it will be so sudden as to take 
one's breath away. Everybody knows that it is coming, and the county or 
city in Kansas not provided with competing lines when the crash comes will 
be many years in getting additional road. It is the part of wisdom to strike 
while the iron is hot. 

The bonds carried in every township but one. The Mercury 
printed an extra, and a jollification meeting was held. Conflicting 
plans of the Santa Fe and the Missouri Pacific were adjusted during 
the following weeks, and in the Mercury, May 21, announcement 
was made that the Missouri Pacific had abandoned to the former 
road the building of the line from Larned west, while the Santa 
Fe reciprocated on their proposed line from Kinsley northwest. 
While this seemed to deprive the town of one railroad, the interpre- 
tation placed upon it was that it made the building of the D. M. 
& A. more certain, and that it would reach Scott City yet that 
season. On June 18 the Mercury announced the completion of the 
survey from luka to Kinsley, and predicted that trains would be 
running in ninety days ; a two-story depot 58 by 130 feet was to be 
built and division offices established. A syndicate of Missouri 
Pacific officials was to build a large hotel. 

The Rock Island was sure to come, the Mercury announced on 
April 9, although the route was not indicated. Frisco prospects 
were treated in more detail, and it was stated that company repre- 



28 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

sentatives were in the city and asked for thirty acres on which to 
build depots, shops, and divisional facilities which would be located 
at Kinsley. When announcement had been made of the Santa Fe- 
Missouri Pacific compromise, the Mercury declared that it was an 
intervention of divine providence that the Frisco was in a position 
to take over the bonds already voted to aid the Santa Fe for the 
northwest extension. "Verily the Lord seems to be on our side!" 4 
Kinsley's railroad prospects aroused the Mercury editor's en- 
thusiasm to the point of imitative rhapsody in the display headlines 
of the "Boom column" in the issue of April 30: 

Oh hear the boom, the rumbling boom! What a shower of golden wheels 
to dissipate the gloom. Children of the eastern land, where your farms are 
spoiled; leave the barren sand where your fathers toiled. Leave the rivers and 
the rills, leave your spades and hoes; leave your rough and rocky hills where 
no harvest grows. Hither come and upward grow. Here your dimes invest, 
and you'll never want to go from the Golden West. Here you may in very- 
truth, in a country roam where your breast will swell with healthy breath, 
and "Ring a Chestnut Bell" on the form of Death. 5 

These headlines served as an introduction to a long article whose 
theme was Kinsley as a railroad and commercial center, and which 
was accompanied by a sketch map showing the town as the point of 
intersection of five through railroads and a branch line. In other 
words, eleven lines of railroad radiated from this "young Chicago 
of the Plains." The essential points of the argument were that 
Kinsley's remoteness from other cities of any size was in its favor; 
that Hutchinson, Newton, Winfield and Wellington could never 
shine save by the reflected light of Wichita ; that Kinsley occupied 
the best position to make her the next important city west of 
Wichita; "What Wichita is to Kansas City to-day, Kinsley will be 
to Wichita one year from this time. . . . There is no question, 
there can be no question, that Kinsley is the coming city of the 
Arkansas valley. . . ." 

All things have an end, including even railroad booms, and dur- 
ing the midsummer the railroads succeeded in concluding an agree- 
ment not to build more roads in 1887. This is what the Mercury 
had predicted, and on August 4 congratulated Kinsley and Edwards 
county that the contracts were let for the building of the D. M. 
& A. before the compromise. 

But what about the remainder of the Mercury's prognostications 

4. Ibid., May 21, 1887. 

6. The first two sentences of these headlines were in imitation of the first lines of each 
stanza of Edgar Allan Poe's poem "The Bells." The next sentences changed to a different 
model, following closely verses popular on the frontier. 



MALIN : THE KINSLEY BOOM OF THE EIGHTIES 29 

of March 5? Would the cessation of railroad building bring the 
economic collapse to Kansas the editor painted in that word picture? 
To anticipate a little, the most fantastic phase of the boom was 
yet to come, as well as the collapse, and both were to center around 
the industrial and commercial development of the city itself, build- 
ing of course on the foundations already laid in the railroad boom. 

The peopling of the county had resulted in an increase from a 
population of 1,876 in the year 1884 to 3,519, 4,388 and 4,717 in 
the next three years, respectively. From a village of 382 persons 
in 1884, Kinsley population rose to 623 the next year, 1,102 in 
1886, and 1,206 in 1887. Three weekly newspapers were published 
in the town, the Graphic (Democratic), the Banner (Democratic), 
a new comer, and the Mercury (Republican). The last named came 
into the hands of W. S. Hebron, of Sedgwick county, who pub- 
lished his first issue February 5, 1887. Unknown to the inhabitants, 
it was a memorable occasion, because the new editor set the pace 
for the boom. The Graphic and the Mercury had met all ordinary 
requirements of promotion in the regularly approved fashion, but 
the new Mercury editor had a manner all his own. Every issue 
of the paper contained a "boom column" with display headlines, 
and often there were several boom articles, in all of which he rang 
the changes on the merits of Kinsley in a vivid style and with 
unabashed exuberance of imagination. His favorite metaphor was 
drawn from the race track, and most of the boom articles were 
headed "The Dark Horse." 

A correspondent of the Atchison Champion described Kinsley 
in glowing terms as it appeared about the opening of the year: 

Kinsley has a proud consciousness of having waded to dry land through 
deeper tribulations than any of the Arkansas valley towns. For a long time 
it was the westernmost town that really aimed to get a respectable living. 
Dodge was further on, but Dodge, in those days, lived on the government 
and its own wickedness. Kinsley was started by nice folks, and a hard time 
they had of it. The drought came and stayed; the fires, one after another, 
licked up the houses. It is a pleasure to see the luck of the people of Kinsley 
who have held on. The fire has driven builders to using brick, and there 
are now brick blocks all along the main streets, and a brick courthouse which 
breaks up the commonly accepted belief that a courthouse must needs look 
like a brick kiln; and there is an opera house, a finer hall than any city in 
Kansas had for many years after its foundation; and there are stores reach- 
ing entirely through the block, and filled with merchandise. And the bulletin 
boards announce all the musical and dramatic novelties. There are two 
railroads, and others, of course, contemplated. The richest man in town is 
the man who had faith to stand by the town and country when everybody 



30 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

was of the opinion that the soil had "too much sand." The result proved 
that he had just enough. 6 

Editor Hebron set off his first "boom" in the first issue of the 
Mercury after he took possession. Commenting on the railroad fa- 
cilities of Kinsley, he declared that "There is not another city in the 
great Arkansas valley, always excepting Wichita, where investments 
are surer to yield greater returns than Kinsley." He reported that 
new additions to the city had been platted by Wichita and by Hutch- 
inson groups, and a Wellington group was in process of organiza- 
tion. 

Other towns had their booms further under way, as well as their 
jealousies. Each ridiculed the other, as is illustrated by a story in 
the Mercury, February 26, that a Wichita man refused to wash his 
face because he did not wish to waste so much valuable real estate, 
and that a storekeeper of the same city had become rich hoarding 
the sweepings from his storeroom, and selling them to eastern capi- 
talists for corner lots. 

Such incidental levities were not the main issue, however, and the 
Mercury, February 26, struck the keynote of the boom again in the 
headlines: "Railroads, roundhouses, repair shops and manufactories. 
Pretty, plucky, persevering and proud, she's boss of the situation and 
sure to get there with both feet. Now is the time to invest." Kins- 
ley was to get, in addition to railroads and division headquarters of 
the Santa Fe, a roundhouse, canning factory, foundry, carriage and 
wagon factory, and other enterprises not yet ready to announce. 
Wichita men were named who had bought, during the week, 384 lots 
south of the city and expected to commence an extensive building 
program. The Graphic headed its boom article March 4, "Solid 
Facts" ; "We deal not in fairy stories, but in plain, unvarnished tales 
of Kinsley, the magic city of the Great Southwest." It admitted 
March 18, of course, that "We had a Kansas zephyr last Saturday. 
Several signs were blown down and sand filled the air, but what do 
we care, we are going to have a boom." 

Week by week during the spring both papers published lists of 
real-estate transfers. The report of March 5 totaled $140,000, and 
each transaction was listed by name, description of tract, and price. 
A few tracts of inferior government land sold for $200 per quarter. 
Private land was selling mostly for $500 to $1,000 per quarter dur- 
ing the spring months. A few unusually high prices were recorded of 
$1,200 to $2,600 per quarter. The high price for city lots in the Mer- 

6. Reprinted in the Mercury, January 8, 1887. 



MALIN: THE KINSLEY BOOM OF THE EIGHTIES 31 

cury, March 5, was three for $11,500. The Santa Fe railroad was re- 
ported to have bought eighty acres for the roundhouse, shops, etc., 
and a syndicate of officers of the line had invested $28,000 in real 
estate. The Wichita, Colorado and Western was a reported pur- 
chaser, and the D. M. & A. had telegraphed an offer for property. A 
week later the news was: "The Dark Horse wins the first heat. 
. . . 'Wild, Wooly and Hard to Curry' the Great Unknown 
sweeps majestically to the front. . . . Kinsley, the gateway to 
Western Kansas, No Man's Land, Colorado, and New Mexico, sends 
greetings to her sister cities of the valley." The average daily total 
of real-estate transfers for the week was $30,000. The close of the 
month of March suggested a summary of accomplishments which ap- 
peared in the Mercury for March 26, headlined: 

Bright, beautiful, brilliant and booming, Kinsley surges to the head of the 
procession with a record of transfers amounting to more than $600,000 for the 
month of March, with four more days for business. Kinsley property advancing 
in value every day and hour, as the facts concerning our great prosperity be- 
come understood. The whyness of the wherefore. 

The article that followed this introduction said in part: 

There is no inflation in the boom which we are enjoying. The great growth 
of our city is a necessity forced upon it by the importance which the building of 
new railroads and the establishment here of division headquarters has given it. 
It has been known for the past dozen years that somewhere in the Western 
Arkansas valley a great city would spring up, and land speculators have been 
on the qui vive for pointers as to its exact location. Several attempts have 
been made at different times to boom certain cities in the valley into such 
prominence as would result in making them the favored spot, but all to no pur- 
pose. The contour of the country surrounding Kinsley as well as her geograph- 
ical location is such that, by natural selection, she has been chosen as the point 
of crossing and branching of the great trunk lines of railway in Kansas, and, by 
force of circumstances, the great metropolis of the Western Arkansas valley. 
Nowhere in the valley is there a greater demand for vacant property, and no- 
where is there a greater, or so great, assurances of a steady and constantly in- 
creasing growth for years to come. That this fact is appreciated is shown by 
the volume of the real-estate business transacted. 

Within a few days one town lot (lot 11, block 24) was reported to 
have sold for $5,000. A $35,000 hotel and $150,000 worth of other 
buildings were to be erected within ninety days. Every real-estate 
office was crowded, and ran two to four teams showing stuff to 
customers, and sometimes two or three dealers were making out sale 
papers for the same piece of property. Every hotel, restaurant and 
boarding house was jammed. The sale of the Schnatterly place of 
ten acres near the city for $650 per acre was recorded in the Mercury 
for April 9. It was later subdivided and resold for town lots. 



32 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

The Graphic announced, April 22, that Kinsley was "Still Boom- 
ing," and that it presented, "Not what the wild waves are saying, 
but bold glaring facts." 7 The next day's Mercury reported acres of 
brick blocks going up, representing more than a quarter of a million 
dollars, including the $60,000 Santa Fe depot, and asserted that the 
D. M. & A. had invested $28,000 in a tract of land for depots, round- 
houses, etc. : 

The transfers of real estate [were] unprecedented. Fortunes made in a day; 
no chance for loss, and everybody happy. 

Waterworks, electric lights and telephone exchange among the possibilities 
in the next sixty days. 

We may not want to print each day but, by jingo if we do, we've got the 
press, we've got the type, and we've got the franchise, too. 

If anyone, at all conversant with facts in the case, ever had a lingering 
doubt about the future of this city it certainly is dispelled by this time. We 
state but facts when we say there is not another city in the Arkansas valley 
with brighter prospects than Kinsley. The boom this city is enjoying is of the 
solid, substantial variety that marks the laying of the cornerstones of a great 
city. The Mercury has rung all the changes on our railroads, present and 
prospective. . . . 

Whether or not we can fill the bill remains to be determined, but the fact 
exists that a daily newspaper is a necessity here. The weekly newspaper is a 
relic of the past and belongs to the days of spinning wheels, looms and stage 
coaches. 8 

Hebron announced that he had bought a Potter power press and a 
steam engine and would publish a nine column daily, and about the 
first of May would get out a 25,000 copy edition of the Mercury for 
circulation in the East and in Europe. The Daily Mercury did ap- 
pear in June, reinforcing the Weekly Mercury, the Graphic, and the 
Banner, and now that the Dark Horse was nicely warmed in the 
trial heats, the big race was called. The election to vote $40,000 in 
bonds for city waterworks carried June 30 by a vote of 143 to 33. 
The bond election for a $16,000 issue to build two schoolhouses 
carried July 8. In four or five years Kinsley was to be a city of 
15,000 to 20,000. So said the Mercury. So said the Graphic. 

The boom campaign of the summer and fall of 1887 focused on 
Kinsley, the industrial city. Occasional mentions of manufacturing 
had occurred all along, but they did not become the chief and almost 
sole objective until the late summer months. On May 21 announce- 
ment was made of the Cooperative Cracker factory, which was re- 

7. The phrase "What the wild waves are saying" is taken from a song popular on the 
frontier and among pioneers. Many of the boom headlines were borrowed and adapted in this 
fashion. 

8. The third paragraph in this quotation is a paraphrase of the famous English music-hall 
jingle of 1878, which gave rise to the word "jingoism" : "We don't want to fight, but by 
jingo if we do, we've got the ships, we've got the men, we've got the money, too." 



MALIN : THE KINSLEY BOOM OF THE EIGHTIES 33 

ported to have purchased 31 lots and the next week would commence 
the erection of eighteen to twenty cottages for its employees. The 
problems of fuel and power were obviously formidable obstacles to 
industrialization. The Graphic, June 24, admitted that there was no 
coal in paying quantities in Edwards county, but urged the im- 
portance of boring for natural gas because, "from the geographical 
formation about Kinsley, we feel justified in predicting its discovery 
at very little expense and labor. . . . Our future would be an 
assured fact." 

The Fourth of July was celebrated with a town-lot auction and an 
excursion from Kansas City. The Graphic reported it: "Kinsley, 
Kansas, keenly keeps knowingly knocking. Fair fame forging for- 
ward finely. Excursionists elegantly entertained." Lots were sold 
in the Schnatterly, the Wichita railroad, the Kinsley Town and Land 
Company, and the Wichita additions for a total of $40,000 for the 
day. The Mercury rhymster delivered himself of the following: 

Oh, kickers all, 

Both great and small, 

No longer stand aloof, 
If you can't join the throng, 
And help boom things along 

You'd better "come off" the roof. 

By midsummer Kinsley had four banks, three of which were es- 
tablished since the boom began in 1886. When the First National 
Bank was announced in the Mercury, July 16, the city was assured 
that it was not organized to boom Kinsley, but to fill an actual need. 
Other financial institutions were the Kinsley Investment Company, 
the Edwards County Land and Loan Company, and the Kinsley 
Building and Loan Association. 

Already Kinsley had a small brick plant, a sorghum mill, a mat- 
tress factory, and a bottling works. During the late summer and 
fall at least eighteen other manufacturing enterprises were projected, 
with a grand total of estimated capital investment placed at over 
two million dollars; twine, meat packing, leather, glue, oleomar- 
garine, canning, tin cans, printing of labels, paper and paper boxes, 
gloves, strawboard, tobacco, crackers, sugar, sashes, doors and blinds, 
churns and washing machines, harrows, and papier mache. It would 
require too much space to relate the story of each, but the most 
highly publicized enterprises were the packing house, the paper and 
paper-box factory, and the papier mache plant. 

The Mercury outdid itself on August 18 in printing a highly im- 
aginative article in the form of an account of a twenty-four-hour 
3-6787 



34 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

tour of the city, picturing Kinsley as it would appear in thirteen 
years. All the above-named industries were included, and in addi- 
tion a barb wire factory, a foundry, steel mills, rolling mills, linseed 
oil works, plow works, and not least, a college, a public library, and 
the great publishing houses of the Daily Evening Mercury and the 
Daily Morning Graphic. 

The story of the packing plant began definitely with the issue of 
the Mercury, August 11 : 

Cattle are looking exceedingly well over this part of the state, but the "ex- 
ceedingly" low prices offered make our stockmen very tired. Before snow flies 
the matter will be remedied, to a certain extent, by the large packing house to 
be built here. 

In addition to the packing house a manila twine plant was among 
the projects which visiting capitalists were considering, but the 
former shared the main headlines of the issue of August 25 with the 
paper mill and paper-box factory, in which manila twine was a 
branch of the business : 

Yesterday was a red-letter day in the history of Kinsley, and, taken in 
connection with the work accomplished during the week, marks an epoch in 
our history. The packing house and the paper mills and box factory which 
have located here takes the future of our city entirely out of the realm of 
speculation. 

These would add 2,000 to 3,000 population to the city, it was 
claimed, and create a demand for smaller and dependent industries: 
glue, oleomargarine, canneries for meats, vegetables and fruits, can 
manufacturing, and the printing of labels. The pay roll of the plants 
now located were estimated at $7,000 to $10,000 per week, and the 
capital expenditure at $200,000. Furthermore, Kinsley had pros- 
pects for a college. 

Another article, reprinted in both the Graphic and the Mercury 
from the Topeka Commonwealth of August 19, added the glove 
factory and the tobacco house. The question was asked what 
induced these firms to locate in Kinsley, and the answer was three- 
fold: central location, railroad facilities, and water power. The 
last item calls for some explanation. 

After the drought of 1879-1880 an irrigation project was partially 
developed. Little Coon creek, which runs through Kinsley, or more 
accurately, whose channel does, had become a public nuisance, 
because people used it as a dumping ground for all kinds of refuse 
and there was not sufficient water, except during occasional floods, 
to clean the channel. The Arkansas river makes a bend to the 
northeast from its eastward course just above Kinsley. The head 



MALIN : THE KINSLEY BOOM OF THE EIGHTIES 35 

of the Big and Little Coon creek watershed lies near the river 
above this bend, and someone conceived the idea of cutting a ditch 
across from the river to the creek, thereby, with the aid of a dam 
on the river, diverting water into Coon creek. In shortening the 
distance the water flowed the relative fall was greatly increased. 
The value of the project, however satisfactory from a sanitary 
point of view, was not so great but that it was abandoned with the 
return of the cycle of years of more favorable rainfall during the 
mid-eighties. The new enterprise of 1887 was a revival of the old 
irrigation ditch, but this time for power purposes. The engineers of 
the packing house interests were reported to have found that the 
fall was over twenty-six feet. "They wanted power. This we had 
and to spare . . . and as these industries would not utilize 
near all the power produced," the surplus, according to the pro- 
moters, would be sublet to other users. Later estimates placed the 
power capacity of Coon creek at 3,500 horsepower. 9 "Kinsley is 
destined to become the Queen City of the west, and in eighteen 
months to have a population of 20,000 people." 10 

Kinsley! The Cynosure of all eyes. The coming great metropolis. A 
$250,000 packing house and a paper and paper-box factory employing 1,000 
operatives to be established here at once. The contracts all signed, sealed and 
delivered, and but a few days will elapse before hundreds of men will be at 
work here upon the buildings. 

Such were the headlines of the Daily Mercury, September 1. The 
paper company was reported to have purchased 800 acres of land 
and 750 city lots, and construction work would start by September 
20 and would be ready to operate by March or April, 1888, with 
1,000 workmen. The packing house would start with 250 workers 
and a capacity of 1,000 beeves per day. The National Packing As- 
sociation, chartered in Maine and capitalized at $1,000,000, was 
an overhead organization controlling separate companies located at 
selected places as operating units. Kinsley was one of these points. 

The strident voice of the Mercury aroused at least some opposi- 
tion, enough so that Hebron felt called upon to make a defense of 
the boom: 

"Boom" is the best word in our vocabulary and the only word for the place 
in which it is always used, that conveys the proper idea of what is intended. 
In this connection it gives us great pleasure to state that Kinsley is on a 
regular, old-fashioned boom. We have a real-estate boom, a building boom, 
a manufacturing boom, a public-improvement boom, a religious boom, a 

9. Daily Mercury, February 14, 1888. 

10. The Commonwealth article said 2,000 people, but the Mercury and Graphic reprints 
made it 20,000. 



36 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

temperance boom, an educational boom, and the Daily Mercury, the best 
paper published in the Arkansas valley, conspires to swell the boom. 

By mid-September arrangements were said to be about completed 
for several smaller industries, sash, door and blind factory, churn 
and washing-machine factory, and a harrow factory, and the Kins- 
ley Street Railway Company was making arrangements to buy three 
miles of track. 11 Again, apparently in defense of its burning zeal 
in the promotion of Kinsley's greatness, the Daily Mercury, Sep- 
tember 17, explained soberly and with an obvious effort at candor, 
that it "has never attempted to manufacture more enterprises for 
Kinsley than the circumstances seemed to warrant. We would not 
publish a syllable that would have a tendency to deceive. . . . 
We have, of course, said many things in favor of Kinsley, but have 
always stated only what we knew or believed to be facts." The 
headlines of September 28 continued in the approved manner: 
"Kinsley the beauty, Kinsley the great, Kinsley the boss, booming 
town of the state." Capitalists were in the city from Chicago, 
Cincinnati, St. Louis, Kansas City and Wichita, who were merely 
waiting, they said, for work to commence on the packing house 
before making investments. The Daily Mercury, October 4, said, 
"Let her go gallagher. She booms herself. Two thousand town lots 
and two thousand acres of land. All in or adjoining Kinsley, pur- 
chased by eastern capitalists. A settled fact. The largest manu- 
facturing plants and the largest wholesale establishments west of 
St. Louis to be established in Kinsley." 

"The Dark Horse" in the Daily Mercury, October 13, was de- 
scribed as "Bright, beautiful, brilliant and booming. Kinsley is 
coming to the front. Our future is assured, investors confident and 
everybody happy." And October 17, "Kansas still booms." Three 
days later a telegram of October 13 was published reporting the 
issuance of the charter to the Interstate Packing and Provision 
Company with a capital stock of $250,000. This was the company 
establishing the plant in Kinsley. Although there had been many 
delays, organization was now completed and $250,000 was in the 
bank to commence operations. During the next few days important 
articles succeeded each other in rapid succession in the Daily 
Mercury, and six of them were reprinted in a single issue of the 
Weekly Mercury October 27. "Our Prospects," from the issue of 
October 20, expounded the axiom that "Great industries demand 
something more than wind as a basis." "Our Packing House" the 

11. Mercury, September 15, 22, 1887. 



MALIN : THE KINSLEY BOOM OF THE EIGHTIES 37 

next day raised the question of a tannery. It pointed out that the 
leather industry ranked in dollars next only to agriculture. The 
Mercury urged investigation and argued that formerly a tannery 
in a treeless region would have been impossible, but new tanning 
methods had overcome that difficulty. The most important of the 
series "Manufactories/' October 22, is quoted here at some length 
for reasons that will appear in the argument: 

Manufactories are the salvation of any community; farm land tributary to 
an industrial center, be the latter ever so small, is always more valuable and 
in greater demand than that not so fortunately situated. 

For years the great state of Kansas, particularly the central and western 
portions, seemed in a measure, at least, destined to a hopeless bondage of 
poverty, because so remote from market and the utter absence of any aggrega- 
tion of nonproducers. 

What makes a little strip of our country between New York and Phila- 
delphia called New Jersey so valuable and its farms so difficult to obtain, 
but the fact that on either hand, within a short distance, are two great manu- 
facturing centers, containing the largest aggregation of non-producers on the 
continent. 

But already, so far as Kansas is concerned, there is a rift in the cloud 
... its vast number of people, purely agricultural in their pursuits, from 
the very nature of their isolation are demanding the establishment of manu- 
factories to convert the immense surplus of certain products into marketable 
articles. 

Kinsley's new industries were then summarized with the com- 
ment that the sugar industry was based on the ability of the country 
to raise sorghum, the packing industry on the cattle and hog in- 
terests, and that "it is folly to longer ship the animals hundreds of 
miles to be slaughtered." Three hundred men employed would 
mean 1,000 people as a market and also would bring other industry 
to the city. The article of October 22 dealt with strawboard, an 
artificial lumber, the manufacture of which was to be established 
in Kinsley. The product was claimed to be waterproof, fireproof, 
lighter, and seventy-five per cent cheaper than lumber: 

One of the greatest hindrances to the settler on the prairies of Kansas has 
been the excessive cost of lumber, necessitating the unhealthful sod house 
and dug-out which in some localities obtain to the almost utter exclusion of 
anything else, but the successful manufacture of strawboard on the plains, 
will soon relegate this primitive architecture to oblivion or at least make 
it as great a curiosity as the buffalo. 

In a few weeks a building of this new material was to be erected. 
In the article of October 25 entitled "Sure" an estimate was made 
of the importance to Kinsley of the packing plants, the operatives 
and families, the carpenters required to build cottages, as well as 



38 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

the construction of the plant itself. The conclusion reached was 
that the capacity of Kinsley as a market would be doubled. A 
short editorial in the Weekly Mercury of October 27 brought this 
series to a conclusion by emphasizing the relation of manufactures 
to the farmers: 

To no other class in our community than the farmers of Edwards county 
are the coming of manufactories in Kinsley of such vital importance. It 
means a wonderfully increased demand for the minor products of their land 
and a certain market for all their surplus stock, at very nearly Kansas City 
prices right at our own doors, and something for their straw stocks which 
have heretofore, except in extraordinary cases, been a nuisance rather than 
a source of profit. It means an enhancement in their farm's value, because 
there will be a demand for land contiguous to a manufacturing center. No 
class of our citizens should be more joyful over the consummation of the 
industrial negotiations pending so long, than Edwards county farmers. 

The whole line of argument, but with important elaborations, 
was recapitulated in the Daily Mercury of October 28. It took 
the ground that while on first consideration the location of the 
packing house might seem anomalous, a careful examination of 
industrial tendencies in the United States pointed clearly to the 
soundness of the proposition. First, the "wonderful railroad system 
of the United States has annihilated distance." Secondly, "Kansas 
is the acknowledged live-stock state of the Union." The saving in 
shrinkage alone would pay dividends on the investment in the 
home packing plant. Thirdly, the tendency toward decentralization 
of industry was a phenomenon which the editor seemed to feel re- 
quired fuller exposition than the first two: 

But there is still another cause for great industries seeking apparently 
isolated localities always, of course, near the production of raw material 
and that is the continual disturbance of strikes on the manufacturing in- 
terests of the country, and ever recurring where labor is concentrated in 
industrial centers, which can, in a measure be avoided by relatively widely 
separated manufactories, geographically. 

To this complexion, must, it seems to us, come the status of manufacturing 
interests of the country in the very near future, for our capitalists are already 
moving in the direction indicated. 

There will soon be an abandonment of the vast establishments now con- 
centrated in localities, and towns which never dreamed of such a possibility, 
will find themselves in possession of some institution devoted to the con- 
version of the raw material, abundant to their vicinity, into the manufactured 
articles. 

We do not intend to convey the impression that distinct and separate in- 
dustries will not seek the same locality, for that would be absured, as there is 
an interdependence between those of different character; one using the refuse 
material of another for the manufacture of an entirely different article; but 



MALIN : THE KINSLEY BOOM or THE EIGHTIES 39 

that all the hogs, all the beeves, all the iron, and so on to the end of the 
list, must not be converted to their ends, in one place as is now the case. 

Nor must it be inferred, that because Kinsley, on account of its special 
local advantages was selected, after a careful investigation, as the point to 
establish a series of interdependent industries, that any other town within 
a radius of a hundred miles may expect the same character of manufactures; 
for it is the determination of the principles interested, under the coming 
regime, to scatter labor, but to concentrate capital; to widely separate plants 
geographically, and by this method of "trusts" so-called financially, benefit 
labor materially, and inaugurate a radical change in the advancement of the 
mutual interests of labor and capital. 

Employees will have homes of their own, the land to be donated and the 
residence built by the company, to be paid for by a certain retained per- 
centage of wages. Such, at least, is the plan to be adopted by the estab- 
lishments to be located here, as we comprehend the idea, and certainly if 
such a revolution is to be brought about, it will do more to correct differences 
heretofore existing between capital and labor than anything else, because 
there is nothing so potent as the influence of the possession of a home. 

The general line of argument was not peculiar to the Mercury. 
The editor had taken his cue from the widespread discussion of the 
time, and he reprinted articles in the same vein along with his own 
handiwork. 12 

Kinsley and its packing house received an extended description 
in the Topeka Commonwealth, which was reproduced in the Weekly 
Mercury, November 3. The National Packing Association was 
credited with two plants in Kansas, at Argentine and at Kinsley. 
The plant of the latter was located just outside of the city limits 
to the east, along the Chicago, Kansas and Western Railroad, and 
the fourteen acres of sheds and stock pens fronted on the Arkansas 
river. The main building would be 150 by 350 feet, and the second 
building 100 by 300 feet, both three stories high. The packing and 
cooling building would be 150 by 450 feet and two stories high. 
Arrangements were to be made for 200 tenements for employees, 
who would number 500, with a monthly pay roll of $20,000. Kins- 
ley was to have a cracker factory, also, and like the packing plant, 
it would build houses for its employees. The city waterworks, 
electric-light system, and the street railway were making progress. 

Once more, November 17, the Mercury returned to the theme of 
decentralization of industry and industrial relocation: 

As we urged, in our article on this subject the other day, manufacturers 
are leaving great labor centers, and isolating their establishments from 
cities; they are moving to the region of raw material, and the day of con- 

12. Wichita Eagle comment on a quotation from Iron Age in the Weekly Mercury, No- 
vember 10, 1887; quotation from Kansas Farmer on wool, copied in Weekly Mercury, No- 
vember 17, 1887. 



40 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

centration is passed away forever, at least it seems so, as one watches the 
development of the manufacturing interests in their movement. 

We do not mean in our argument, that no concentration will be made in 
the new field, but that it will be limited to establishments of one character, 
in one place; our beef and pork packing house, will naturally, as is already 
in fact, draw the other industries dependent upon it, but the idea we mean 
to convey is, that beef and pork packing will not be done in a few places as 
is now the case. Kansas will have many such plants established, but at 
convenient intervals from each other. 

Kinsley had no rivals, he maintained, in Wichita, Hutchinson 
or Dodge City, as industrial centers in the East were spaced about 
a uniform distance apart. Kinsley was well located with respect 
to the others, and all would grow together. 13 

Late November brought the railroad back into the picture, and 
Kinsley, the new headquarters railroad town, was the great benefi- 
ciary of the new departure as seen by the Mercury. The principal 
railroad lines had recently issued new time schedules to speed up 
traffic, and in order to compete, the Santa Fe was following suit. It 
was cutting the arcs out of its line to shorten distance, as well as in- 
creasing speed. The Hutchinson-Kinsley cut-off (the C. K. & W.) 
cut sixteen miles or thirty minutes between those points. The old 
main line through Sterling, Great Bend and Larned would become a 
branch, and these towns would shrink accordingly. In the east part 
of the state similar changes were reported, so that all together it was 
maintained that two hours would be cut from the schedule between 
Kansas City and Kinsley. 14 

In the same issue of the Mercury the headlines to another article 
announced that "The Dark Horse strikes the home stretch in ad- 
vance of all competitors. The brightest star in the galaxy of Kansas 
cities shines with royal hangings and resplendent gold. The eyes of 
the world are upon her, and hither the steps of the eager, anxious 
multitude are bent. The coming manufacturing center of the West." 
This new outburst was inspired, not by the new railroad develop- 
ments, but by the location of a new industry, the papier mache fac- 
tory, to convert paper into car wheels, lumber, etc. The arrange- 

13. Since 1933 there has been a revival of the idea in modified form in the Tennessee 
Valley Authority and the subsistence homestead plan decentralization of industry and 
population and the more effective interdependence of manufacturing and agriculture. The 
historian is well aware that much of what is new to the living generation is only a periodic 
recurrence of thought, emotion and action of earlier generations, but no one knows why the 
cycles exist and the reasons advanced never really explain. The schemes of the eighteen 
eighties were widely discussed, and only incidentally did the idea crop out in the Kinsley 
boom propaganda. The plans in both periods involve a high degree of paternalism, but in 
the earlier period the principle of government supervision of business had not been fully 
accepted, and the plan necessarily appeared as capitalistic paternalism, while at the latter 
time it becomes governmental paternalism, with all the resources and authority of the govern- 
ment at its command. Otherwise the parallel is remarkably close. 

14. Weekly Mercury, November 24, 1887. 



MALIN : THE KINSLEY BOOM OF THE EIGHTIES 41 

ments would be completed within six to nine months. The packing 
plant and the papier mache factory would increase the population 
by 5,000. Land would double and quadruple in price. In eighteen 
months Kinsley would be "second to no other city in Kansas, save 
the possible exception of Wichita." 

The packing house seemed to be more tangible in mid-December, 
when bids were advertised for the foundation, and December 20 the 
contract was awarded to V. D. Billings, a local man, over competi- 
tors from Great Bend, Lamed, Jetmore and Dodge City. The Ban- 
ner-Graphic, December 16, broke out into display headlines: "The 
Dark Eyed Goddess dons her purple robe and joins the march of 
progress. Oh, Ye Gods and little fishes, read, read and reflect. 
Business barometer booming Buildings being builded. Fair fame 
forging forward finely." 

The unfavorable crops of 1886 have already been noted, and in 
1887, June and July was a period of serious drought. This fact did 
not find admittance to the boom columns of either paper at the time, 
but late in the season indirect references appeared. A letter from a 
Kinsley man, printed in the Elgin, 111., Courier, reported that crops 
were light, that corn would make about two bushels per acre, and 
that a steam thresher on his neighbor's place was able to turn out in 
a day's work only 42 bushels of oats and 44 bushels of wheat. This 
drew from the Mercury, August 30, a spirited reply and a statement 
from the editor that he knew some farmers who had fifteen to twenty 
bushel wheat and twenty-five to sixty bushel corn in spite of the fact 
that this was the poorest crop season in six or seven years. Further- 
more, he pointed out, every state had poor crops occasionally. 

Again, on October 17, an exchange was printed making oblique 
admission that all was not well with Edwards county, but the head- 
line asserted "Kansas Still Booms." 

The people who predict that Kansas would go to the eternal bow-wows 
because of a little drouth in the months of June and July are beginning to 
find out that they missed their bearings. The boom of Kansas is founded on 
an enduring basis and will grow in volume as the years roll on. . . . The 
fertile prairies were never made for an empire of solitude. . . . The fame 
of those western plains is spread abroad over the land, and emigrants will 
pour in until every acre is made subject to the plow. 

The woes of the West come not singly, but in wild herds, and 
November 3 the Republican Mercury recognized the rumor that 
certain disgruntled individuals had met or were to meet to nominate 
a so-called Peoples' ticket for county offices a Democratic subter- 
fuge to draw votes from the Republicans. "Mugwump," writing to 



42 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

the Graphic (Democratic), protested the nomination of Williams, 
relatively a newcomer, for treasurer, and Hebron hit hard in reply : 
[Mugwump] attempts to show that unless a man ran wild with the buffalo 
years ago, he is not eligible to office. Great Caesar! what asses some men can 
make of themselves and live. . . . the individual who attempts by such 
logic as his vaporing ... to influence voters at the election next week, 
has just about brains enough to keep his pipe from going out, and to propa- 
gate his species, like any other ass. 

A correspondent joined the fray by remarking pointedly that if 
Williams was a tenderfoot, then three-fourths of the voters were, 
also. 

It was in the face of cumulative disaster that the boomers and 
their organs, the newspapers, had kept up appearances with much 
the same brand of optimism as Mark Twain's "Colonel Sellers," who 
set before his unexpected guests the only thing he had in the house, 
raw turnips and water, with the tattered rationalization which he 
knew deceived no one, that he served such food because it was so 
healthful. Even at the time the Daily Mercury published the adver- 
tisement for the packing house contract, it served its "raw turnips" 
December 15 under the headline "The Boom Busted," yet in the 
article itself the editor boastfully explained how eight months before, 
with the encouragement of business men he had set out to boom 
Kinsley : 

We knew as well as they that there was not much to be made by what is 
termed "blowing," but with no particular prospects in view for the city there 
was nothing for the Mercury to do but to make the most of what we had, 
whether what it chose to say was "blowing" or not. 

In the meantime, however, with a few citizens we were at work on a 
scheme to secure for Kinsley something in the shape of manufactures that 
would give us a solid and substantial growth, but kept up, the while, the boom 
racket, as much to keep our own people encouraged as to attract the at- 
tention of outsiders. Just so long as there was nothing tangible in sight, 
just so long had we made up our mind to continue in the way we had started 
out. 

In our best judgment the "boom" days are over in Kansas. That is to 
say, the real-estate craze that has run riot for something over two years, has 
ceased to draw. . . . 

As a matter of sober fact Kinsley never had a "boom" in the common 
acceptation of the term. She is the county seat of as good a county as is to 
be found in the state of Kansas, and is as well, or better, located than most 
towns in the valley. . . . 

The intention of this article is to serve notice to the readers of the Mercury 
that the days of displayed heading boom articles in this paper are over. 
Kinsley is as certain to make, not one of, but THE leading manufacturing, 
beef packing, wholesaling and banking city of the Arkansas valley, as that 



MALIN : THE KINSLEY BOOM OF THE EIGHTIES 43 

two times two make four. Regardless of what the Wichita papers or the 
Hutchinson papers may gay to the contrary, the packing house now going in 
here will be, when completed, the largest this side of St. Louis, and one of the 
finest on this continent and is backed by as much capital. . . . 

Then, too, the arrangements are all completed and the company formed 
with a million dollars capital for putting in here the largest papier-mache 
plant in the world. ... If we did not know it to be so we would not make 
this positive statement now. 

In this connection it gives us great pleasure to inform the outside world 
that to prevent the price of property here getting beyond such figures as 
will yield good returns on investments, a large and wealthy corporation has 
been formed which has now got possession of alternate lots and acre prop- 
erty, and will see to it that no "craze" shall force any fictitious values upon 
it. The future of the city is assured and it is the intention of the company 
holding the property referred to, to keep it for sale at reasonable figures. . . . 
The various enterprises going in here now, will give steady employment to 
from twelve hundred to two thousand operatives, and these institutions will 
attract others. 

It is to prevent the catastrophe to investors in Kinsley property (which 
occurred in Wichita and Hutchinson) that this alternate lot pool has been 
made. 

The renunciation of December 15 was followed two days later by 
a restatement under the caption "No Boom for Kinsley": 

A few people in this city were inclined to be skeptical in regard to the 
Mercury's statement, made a few days since, that under no circumstances 
would this paper indulge in any more "boom" literature. In all seriousness 
we desire for their benefit to reiterate the statement. The fact is there is no 
further need or demand for "boom" articles in the Mercury. That the dis- 
played heading "boom" articles that formed such a conspicuous part of every 
day's Mercury for the last six months was of great benefit to the city of 
Kinsley there is in our mind not the least doubt. In truth there has not 
been a day nor an hour in that time, that personally, we had less faith in 
the prospects of Kinsley than we now have, but inasmuch as we had nothing 
tangible to point to it was absolutely necessary to state everything in the 
superlative degree in order to attract any notice from outsiders whatever. 
Then again with the towns all around us, whose prospects were not one- 
tenth so good as ours, making so much noise about their alleged "boom" the 
Mercury had to keep Kinsley in the procession, and there was no way in 
which it could have been done, except to talk long and loud, concerning our 
"boom." Of course in a strict construction of language, Kinsley never had a 
"boom," yet in comparison with other towns which have made more pre- 
tentions, our "boom" has really been unprecedented. The time has come, 
however, of which our "boom" articles were the prophecy. The things of 
which we "spake" are coming to pass. 

He could not restrain himself longer. He could not resist a 
sober, modest description of the packing house with attendant 
industries, "the finest packing house in the United States" and of 



44 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

the papier-mache factory, "the largest in the world." And further, 
in defense of the Mercury's record for moderation, good judgment 
and truth he declared that "everything that it ever prophesied for 
Kinsley is being fulfilled. . . . No one possessing the merest rudi- 
ments of good sense can doubt that Kinsley will have a population 
in another year of from five thousand to eight thousand people . . . 
and that Kinsley will continue to grow and spread out and develop 
in all directions until she leads every town in the valley." 

Attacked on all sides, both at home and abroad, both for boom- 
ing and for desisting, Hebron's "sensitive nature" (he frankly ad- 
mitted the sensitiveness) was driven December 27, into an attitude 
of boastful defiance: 

Since the Mercury's announcement a week or two since, that it had gone 
out of the boom business, nearly every paper in the state has taken a turn 
at moralizing over the situation. Some go so far as to intimate that the 
Mercury did the entire valley more harm than good by its course in the 
past, and some of them are greatly worried for fear that the Mercury's 
present course will injury Kinsley. There is one thing we "rather guess" they 
are agreed upon and that is the Mercury has kept folks on the outside talking 
about Kinsley for the past eight months. It is better, "y u know" to be 
spoken illy of, than not to be talked about at all. The Mercury is willing 
to assume the responsibility for all the injury it has in the past or may in the 
future do to Kinsley. . . . Great is Kinsley and the Mercury is her prophet. 

An unfailing earmark of a boom is an abiding faith in the im- 
possible; for instance, that cash is unnecessary and credit a cardinal 
virtue. And equally, the same implicit faith in the impossible marks 
a depression ; a cash basis is a necessity and credit a sin. Both con- 
ditions are alike in that there is little or no cash in either, and they 
are different only in the matter of credit and the factors upon 
which it rests. On October 14 one leading Kinsley firm inserted 
an advertisement in the Mercury notifying its customers that "Until 
the roses bloom again we sell goods for cash only at such prices 
as will astonish the nations." This advertisement ran without 
change until May 25, 1888. Another firm advertised October 25, 
"We sell goods on closer margins than any house in the West. 
Therefore be it resolved that IT DON'T SCARE Us! Everybody 
else may complain, but HARD TIMES DON'T TROUBLE Us, and they 
will not trouble you if you trade with us." Nineteen-thirty-three 
was all there, except the "Three Little Pigs" and the "Big Bad 
Wolf." And price cutting as well. With the new year, advertise- 
ments and locals called attention to bankruptcy and mortgage fore- 
closure sales of stocks of merchandise. These sales "at any price" 



MALIN : THE KINSLEY BOOM OF THE EIGHTIES 45 

drew much of the cash there was in the community and tied it up, 
besides taking cash business from the few remaining solvent 
merchants and driving them to cut-throat price wars. The editor 
congratulated the city government in the same issue on its drastic 
action to protect the taxpayers. This issue of the Mercury, Janu- 
ary 5, seemed to be an occasion for announcement of a general re- 
orientation for the new year. Two business cards decreed the 
spreading of the new dispensation. The first, "Cash for Coal." It 
stated that a bill would be sent with the driver and if the coal was 
not paid for it would be returned to the yard. This card was signed 
by the two leading coal dealers. Similarly the other card read, 
"Bed rock at last." Flour, feed, hay and grain would be sold for 
cash only. "We are forced to do business this way in order to do 
business at all." This card was signed by the three leading dealers. 
Hebron discussed the matter at length and with a brave attempt 
at humor. He and other "leading citizens" went to the merchants 
in question and protested the cash-basis plan, but the editor rue- 
fully admitted that these merchants presented the self-appointed 
delegation with their unpaid bills for the past summer a knock- 
out argument. But Hebron was not to be outdone in that fashion 
and these people would receive no further free publicity, but must 
meet a schedule of "cash in advance" prices. For example, if one 
of them was to be mentioned in the Mercury as a "leading citizen" 
the price would be $1, if as a "Christian gentleman," $2.50, and 
if a citizen was to be branded as a thief, the price was $7, and 
proving it with an affidavit was $1 extra. 

Kinsley had enjoyed its boom and enjoyed it hugely but who 
was to pay the piper? The board of trade had employed J. B. 
Arthur to promote the interest of the city. He had put in six to 
eight months and had made trips to Kansas City, Chicago and other 
places in its interest, and had been instrumental in bringing indus- 
tries to the town, including the packing plant. Dame rumor was 
circulating a story that Arthur had made the threat to take the 
packing house elsewhere unless he was paid. Hebron branded the 
story as false, but insisted that Arthur should nevertheless be paid 
his expenses incurred in good faith in advancing the interests of 
Kinsley. 

Misery loves company, and busted boomers seemed to have en- 
joyed an immense inward satisfaction from indulging in derisive 
jeers at each others delusions and excesses. Wendell was a quarter 
section of sand (but not so big a quarter as some, where the sand 



46 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

had to be stacked to get it all on) located in what had been the 
center of the county, but two tiers of townships had been cut off 
from Edwards county on the south and combined with a similar 
strip from Comanche county and made into the new county of 
Kiowa. This left Wendell very much off-center, and killed any 
possibility of its taking the county seat from Kinsley. The collapse 
of the boom had then finished whatever lingering hopes Wendell 
might have retained of continuing even as a town, and if that was 
not humiliation enough for one little village the Daily Mercury, De- 
cember 17, 1887, from the midst of its own ruins thumbed its nose 
contemptuously at its discomfited rival: 

Wendell is now in the throes of a religious boom. . . . The position of 
Wendell is analagous to that of a condemned murderer. With its custom mill 
passed to the pale realms of shade, its railroads and water tank lost in the 
sand on the east banks of the Rattlesnake, its mail reduced to a tri-weekly 
drawn by only two plug horses in place of the four noble steeds that used to 
delight the hearts of the ever-tired citizens, and many of its imposing buildings 
gone to do service on the sand hill claims, with large and artistic mortgages on 
them; what wonder is it that the ex-geographical center should give up all 
hopes of worldly things and fall back on the consolation which two churches 
will afford? . . . Christianity is not so filling as patent roller flour, espe- 
cially when the blizzards are raging through a pair of last summer's linen 
pants. 

The real estate agents who flourished here last summer are now in winter 
quarters outside the city limits, and the places that knew them here well know 
them no more until next spring, when the snowball is no longer edible. Doctor 
Cullison, the junior member of the "Farmer's Friend Land and Loan Com- 
pany," is wintering at his suburban villa, and says the prairie hay in his vicinity 
makes a superior article of soup. He expects to pass a very comfortable winter 
if the hay holds out. 

J. W. Carpenter, the rotund senior member of the same benevolent firm, is 
holding down his claim north of the city. By judicious feeding of his horses he 
is enabled to dispense with a clothsline this winter, the bony protuberances on 
the animals proving excellent receptacles for articles from the wash. With the 
money which he will save this winter in a single article of clothslines, Mr. Car- 
penter expects to start a farmers' safe deposit bank next spring. Since he re- 
tired to his claim the citizens have been agitating the question of boring for 
natural gas to supply the deficiency. 

The Mercury did not ridicule the little ones only, but met all com- 
ers. When the Lamed Chronoscope derided Kinsley's boom and the 
Mercury's renunciation of boom literature, the latter jeered that 
"Larned never had anything but a 'real-estate' boom and the fine 
blocks built there and which stand tenantless to-day are simply 
monuments to the stupidity of men who could not discern the differ- 
ence between a 'craze' and a genuine bona fide 'boom,' " and the 



MALIN : THE KINSLEY BOOM OF THE EIGHTIES 47 

Chronoscope should give the Mercury credit for not attempting to 
boom Kinsley "on the strength of an alleged coal mine sixty miles 
away." And in an exchange a Chronoscope comment was quoted in 
which Kinsley's moral status was challenged because its citizens had 
stolen coal from trains during the recent coal famine, especially coal 
that was billed to Lamed. The Mercury administered a crushing re- 
buke to such self-righteousness : 

In a rushing, growing metropolis, like this, there are sure to be some 
"toughs." That is one of the things that can't be helped. Of course, it is alto- 
gether different with Larned. Toughs, like rats, always desert a sinking ship. 

No matter how black the outlook there is always a glimmer of 
hope on the frontier. The issue of the Mercury, January 5, com- 
mented in one local that collections were easier this month than 
many supposed they would be. Such a comparative statement is 
not necessarily very enlightening. Another local reported that 
"Business in this city is gradually getting down to a cash basis. 
This it is thought will bridge over the temporary stringency in the 
money market, and put people on their feet in good shape for 
spring business." The next issue recorded that there was not a 
vacant house in town. More tangible, if true, was the item of the 
Banner-Graphic, pointing out that newspapers all over the state 
reported taxes being paid more promptly than ever. From time to 
time the same paper reported favorably on progress being made on 
the city waterworks, and the two school buildings, and that the 
packing house movement was progressing finely, and no doubt need 
be entertained concerning it. The town was entitled to all the 
consolation it could get from such tarnished silver linings, but it 
did not have the opportunity to forget its troubles in listening to 
light operas such as the "Mikado" or "The Chimes of Normandy" 
as during the previous winter. 

A substantial part of Kansas did what Wendell was accused of 
doing during that bitterly cold and depressing winter of 1887-1888, 
or at least it shut one eye for the time being to "all hopes of worldly 
things/' and fell back on the consolation of religion even Kinsley 
resorted to religion. On February 11 the Mercury headlines an- 
nounced boldly "The efforts of the Mercury ably seconded by Bro. 
Coats. The good work will continue another week." The article 
thus introduced contained the following: 

A little more than a year ago we took charge of the Mercury, since which 
time we have labored in season and out, early and late, and, withal earnestly, 
to lead the people of this city and county to forsake their sins. . . . Yet 



48 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

such is the perversity of human nature that many refused to believe. We 
have not been persecuted, but we have been scoffed at and reviled, many 
going so far as to denounce some of our mildest statements as falsehoods. We 
have borne up bravely against all this, and though our sensitive nature has 
been frequently shocked by hearing ourself referred to as the "Mercury liar," 
yet have we continued in the good work buoyed up by the hope that in the 
"better days to come" we would have our reward. We feel encouraged to 
keep on in the good work; and now that the efforts of the Mercury are so 
ably seconded by Bro. Coats, the evangelist, we have no doubt we shall be 
able to get up a terrible awakening here and that many of our people will 
see themselves, as it were, suspended by a hair over a fearful preci- 
pice. . . . 

These meetings will be held nightly the coming week [at the M. E. church] 
and the Mercury hopes they may grow in interest until every sinner in 
Kinsley is brought to repentence. 

The success of Bro. Coats' work among Kinsley sinners is reflected 
indirectly in a local February 15: 

We trust that Bro. Coats will continue in the good work here until every 
sinner in Kinsley is converted. We desire, however, to caution him against 
feeling discouraged because our people do not come forward in droves as they 
do in many places. The fact is we have not, comparatively speaking, many 
sinners here that is to say our people are all reasonably good right now. The 
Mercury goes into nearly every family in the county and through its influence 
much good has already been done. There are a few, of course, of the more 
hardened cases that we have been unable to reach, but taken as a whole 
the people have responded nobly to our efforts. Let the good work go on. 

In the same issue appeared another short item: 

Interest still centers in the revival meetings at the Methodist church, and 
while the number of conversions is not so large as is reported from some of 
our neighboring and more ungodly towns such as Lamed, Stafford, Dodge 
City and others, there is still much good being done. ... So far, there 
has been six accessions to the church. . . . 

Such a junior partnership of the Methodist church with the Re- 
publican Mercury could not pass without some recognition by its 
Democratic contemporary in the next issue, February 17: 

The Banner-Graphic then "rises to remark" that if Bro. Coats can succeed 
in bringing Bro. Hebron to repentence and can make any arrangements with 
him to give up his journalistic labors and enter the Evangelistic field as a 
co-worker with him, the twain could start out with the assurance that if Bro. 
Hebron were as successful in instilling the spirit of religion into the hearts 
of the benighted people of this world, as he has the spirit of business enter- 
prise . . . the millenial dawn would be looked for a thousand years earlier 
than the time allotted by the most sanguine prophet of modern times. 

Brother Hebron was too much filled with the spirit of the occasion 
to take offense, but expounded with friendly and disarming candor 



MALIN : THE KINSLEY BOOM OF THE EIGHTIES 49 

his theological system: "Religion consists in the good we do," was 
his initial thesis, and some sing psalms, others relieve distress or 
comfort the disheartened, some proclaim Christ, some persecute the 
flesh by denying themselves pleasures. "They expect to wear a night- 
gown and wings and to sing long-meter tunes in heaven," but, 

Our religion consists of making the most of the opportunities this life 
affords. He who can cause the value of a town lot to double is certainly 
entitled to share the glory of Him who causes two spears of grass to grow 
where but one grew before. . . . After all, who can say that we shall not be 
entitled to a reserved seat at the symphony concert in the "sweet bye and 
bye." 

The Banner-Graphic did not reciprocate with its confession of 
faith, but persisted in being unpleasantly personal: 

While we differ widely in politics (or rather in our opinions as to who the 
rascals are) and while we may differ in our views as to the best methods of 
giving life to our town, we have as yet found nothing to quarrel with him 
about, and know him to be a man of keen perceptibility, a forceable reasoner 
and a liberal joker, but we can't vouch for his logic. 

It remained for the Kansas City Star, with its eyes fixed on the 
material rather than spiritual rewards, once and for all, to dispose 
of this Kansas boom by inquiring cynically to what degree the sales 
of padlocks had fallen off since the religious revival had swept over 
Kansas. 

(To be Concluded in the May Quarterly.) 



4-6787 



The Value of History 1 

H. K. LlNDSLEY 

A BUSINESS man who has no claim to the title of historian ex- 
cept by virtue of the honorary office of president is placed in a 
position of some embarrassment when he speaks before this Society. 
If my observations are not made from the viewpoint of the pro- 
fessional historian, precedent can be found in the addresses of other 
presidents; and if I do not speak authoritatively of the early history 
of Kansas, as they did, it is because I am young, and we are all 
young, compared with the life of the state. The time is past when 
a president of this Society can appear before you with reminiscences 
which at the same time will be a history of our beginnings. 

Yet this is a custom which should not be put aside. We are 
making history to-day at a speed that was not exceeded during 
the years when our territory was "Bleeding Kansas," and the Civil 
War was having its preview within our borders. The social con- 
sequences of the changes we are witnessing may be as far-reaching 
in their effect on the future of the country as were the results of 
the fight to abolish slavery. Whether these consequences will be for 
good or evil is for the future to disclose, and for the historian to 
record. The point I wish to emphasize is that our history is in the 
making; it is not a dead thing to be pulled out and praised or de- 
plored ; and our Historical Society, therefore, is not merely a custo- 
dian of the past, but is the recorder of the present, and so is as vital 
and essential to Kansas as any department of the state. 

In seeking a definition of history for these very brief remarks I 
discovered that historians have as many interpretations of the word 
as politicians have explanations for the New Deal. As a matter 
of fact we are all historians. When a mother teaches a child to 
talk she is teaching history. Every grade in school is a step upward 
in a knowledge of history. If we could collect a group of the 
children of our most highly educated parents before they had 
learned to walk, and could segregate them where they would never 
be taught anything, where they would never even see another 
human being, they would never talk. Their descendants for years 
would never talk. It would be centuries before they would wear 

1. Address of the president at the annual meeting of the Kansas State Historical Society, 
Topeka, October 16, 1934. 

(50) 



LINDSLEY: THE VALUE OF HISTORY 51 

clothing, make fires and cook food, learn to chip flints, make bows 
and arrows. It would be centuries more before they would learn 
to work metals, would stumble on the principle of the wheel, discover 
the use of the lever, understand the planting and cultivation of 
crops. In time they would arrive where civilization is to-day 
and perhaps some of them would regret it. But each generation 
is saved from this return to savagery by one thing, and that is his- 
tory which, written or unwritten, is in its true sense the record 
of the combined knowledge of mankind. 

In our complicated civilization there are many kinds of his- 
tory. Every textbook, every laboratory record, every medical 
journal, every agricultural report is a history which conceivably 
could save some record of progress from oblivion. I am in the in- 
surance business, which as businesses go is relatively in its infancy. 
Yet there is a vast history of the insurance business; not a written 
history in the sense that you could get it and read it; but a record 
of the trials and errors by which modern insurance companies 
have grown and progressed, and by which they avoid the pitfalls 
of the past and build for the future. The first insurers were 
gamblers and they necessarily asked high odds because they were 
taking long chances. To-day they read history in the form of 
mortality tables and other actuarial data, and their policies have 
ceased to be lottery tickets. The business has become a science, 
and all science, it is obvious, has its foundations in the records of 
the past, in history. 

It may be said that what I have described is not history, but the 
source material from which history is written. Perhaps that is true 
from the viewpoint of the writer of history. But in a broader sense 
these records of businesses, industries and crafts are in themselves 
histories because trained experts can read and act upon them as they 
exist without further organization. Written history, no matter how 
orthodox in treatment and limited in scope, is after all dependent 
upon a more or less uninitiated public. But it seems to me that any 
collection of records upon which men or businesses base the conduct 
of their affairs may rightly be called history. And if that is true, 
therefore, our whole civilization is dependent upon the preservation 
and accessibility of history ; and the proper care of historical records, 
whether in a laboratory of chemical research or in a historical so- 
ciety, is of immediate concern to everybody. 

Now, we all know, of course, that very few persons are concerned 
with the preservation of history. For that reason it is our duty as 



52 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

members of the State Historical Society to support it and argue for 
its importance. When I was in the legislature a fellow member once 
asked, "What the hell is the Historical Society? What good is it 
anyway?" I have too much respect for this man to believe he meant 
that question literally, any more than I believe Henry Ford seriously 
made the statement that history is bunk. Mr. Ford has since spent 
many thousands of dollars on his historical museum and I have no 
doubt that the member of the legislature appreciates the value of 
the kind of history which he unconsciously uses every day in his pri- 
vate and business affairs. These statements nevertheless reveal an 
all too common type of mind which regards the collection and writ- 
ing of history as a sort of academic exercise with no practical rela- 
tion to the problems of life. We do not hear similar remarks about 
the tax department no matter how we may feel about taxes person- 
ally and I question if they are even made about the insurance com- 
mission. But because the Historical Society is a little less directly 
connected with our pocketbooks some of us fail to comprehend that 
it is already one of the most valuable assets the state possesses and 
will increase in value with every decade. 

It has been said that a people which does not respect its history 
will have no future worthy of respect. If this is true, and I think 
you will agree that it is profoundly true, we need have no concern 
about the future of Kansas, for Kansas has always cherished her 
past. The Memorial building and the State Historical Society are a 
monument to the men and women who built the state. This Society 
is among the largest in the country, although one of the youngest. 
For this we must thank the men who directed it and supported it 
through even leaner years than those we have been experiencing. To 
them it was a living organization, not founded for the past alone, and 
they honored themselves and the state in this belief and in their la- 
bors. 

Public appropriations for historical societies have been reduced 
everywhere. This condition is offset to a considerable extent by the 
vigor and cheerfulness with which historical society staffs have car- 
ried on their work. Though even in days of prosperity they had to 
exercise rigid economy, they have recognized the special need for 
government economy during hard times, and they have done their ut- 
most with reduced budgets. They do not suppose that historical 
agencies should or could be exempt from reductions in a period of 
prolonged depression. It is clearly within the province of the mem- 
bers of this Society, however, to do all in their power to impress upon 



LINDSLEY: THE VALUE OF HISTORY 53 

the public the value of this institution and its work; to promote 
wider understanding of the necessity of adequate support; to call 
upon their friends for defense; to consider how they can most ef- 
fectively present their needs to legislators ; to harbor no defeatist at- 
titude. Let us bear in mind that popular interest in history is on 
the increase and the value of the work of historical societies is gain- 
ing a wider public understanding than it has ever had before. Our 
staff is carrying on its routine work collecting, arranging, catalog- 
ing, editing and publishing, serving users of historical materials, and 
reaching the public in scores of ways. They are making slender re- 
sources go a long way toward serving the need of the state in a 
critical period of history. They need and deserve all the support we 
can give them. 



Early Imprints 1 

ROBERT T. AITCHISON 

I SHALL endeavor to give you the history, to show you the way 
the stage was set to bring on the invention of printing to ex- 
plain what effect it had on the Renaissance, and to touch the high 
points of its introduction into various countries and states down to 
our own Jotham Meeker, which will take you a long way back. 

During the fourth and fifth centuries, the Vandals and Goths 
swooped down on Italy, destroying its culture; and for another five 
hundred years, until the time of the Crusaders, there was little 
change. When these Crusaders from France, Germany and England 
trekked across Europe they came in contact with the architecture of 
Rome, of Greece, and the simple, beautiful structures of the Orient, 
and going back to their own country they gave some of that 
beauty expression. Shortly after the Crusaders, we note the con- 
struction of Gothic architecture all over western Europe. To digress 
briefly here, I want to give you a picture of conditions of the people 
under King John. 

A noble held ;his land by grant from his King, or in other 
European countries, from the emperor or Pope. The lower classes 
owned no land, and when a manor was transferred the serfs went 
with the manor. They could not even marry unless permission 
was given by their lord. Then came the signing of the Magna 
Charta; the feudal system was passing and a national spirit was 
arising in Spain, Germany, France and Italy. In the time between 
1200 and 1400, many men rose above the crowd; names familiar 
to all of us: Petrarch, Boccacio, Chaucer and Dante; men of let- 
ters who have given us brilliant pictures of that time; pictures in 
words of the trend of thought of that age. As men began to think 
for themselves, writing became more general, the feeling spread that 
such writings must be placed before the people. When a man writes 
he wants others to read, to hear what he has to say, so writers began 
to look about for some cheaper process of reproducing these writ- 
ings, to give them greater distribution. 

At this time we find the first printing of wood blocks. Before the 
wood blocks we had manuscripts ; very beautiful things, but on ac- 

1. Address given at the annual meeting of the Kansas State Historical Society, Topeka, 
October 16, 1934. Mr. Aitchison illustrated his talk with rare imprints from his private 
collection. 

(54) 



AITCHISON: EARLY IMPRINTS 55 

count of the labor and expense involved in their preparation they 
could not be widely distributed. About the year 1400 the art of 
printing from wooden blocks came into being. Old ledgers tell us 
Jan Coster was known to have made letters of wood and to have set 
up a shop for the printing of block books. It is alleged that his 
workman, sworn to secrecy as to the process used in printing, after- 
wards stole the tools and equipment of his master and established 
himself at Mainz, but this tale is given little credence. The art of 
wood engraving was brought to much perfection by Albert Dlirer 
at the end of the fifteenth century. These old wood engravings are 
beautifully executed, and were done by making the drawing on a 
block of wood, then part of the wood was chiseled or whittled out, 
leaving the drawing in relief. After the wood block for printing 
came in some printer had the idea of joining these pictures to- 
gether that is, joining the blocks together, and began to add words 
coming out of the mouths of the figures so pictured, much as words 
are pictured on balloons coming out of the mouths of figures in our 
modern funny strips. 

In Germany, at Mainz, about the year 1450, a man named 
Johann Gutenberg printed from movable metal type, and is credited 
with the invention of printing. The mechanics of printing as 
practiced by Gutenberg are, in many ways, similar to those used 
to-day, and the size and shape of the type remains much the same. 
As I said, to Gutenberg is attributed the invention of printing, about 
1450, and I have here a manuscript of that same period. (Holds it 
up.) See the similarity between the manuscript and the type. The 
earlier printers seem to have copied the lettering used in the manu- 
scripts. Printing was a secret process and was held secret until about 
1460. The first printer's mark used on this piece by Fust and Schoef- 
fer is the mark of the printer's craft to-day, and is a very beautiful 
thing, I think. (Indicates mark.) 

Gutenberg was a good inventor, but, like most inventors, a very 
poor business man. He borrowed eight hundred guilders from a man 
named Fust to complete his invention and later, for the purchase of 
supplies and payment of wages, borrowed another eight hundred 
guilders. From the court records it appears that Fust foreclosed 
on Gutenberg in 1455, and took over all his tools and equipment. 
Gutenberg had had in his shop a young man named Schoeffer, and 
following this time books began to appear under the name of Fust 
and Schoeffer, as printers, although there is nothing which definitely 
shows that Fust had very much to do with it, or did any of the 



56 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

work himself. They printed Bibles, which were sold all over France 
and Germany, some being more widely distributed, and there are 
still forty-eight of them in existence, in whole or in part. They were 
fine volumes, printed on paper and vellum. Our own government 
purchased one a few years ago. 

About the year 1462, during the strife between the rival arch- 
bishops, Diether von Isenburg and Adolph von Nassau, Mainz 
espoused the cause of the former, but was taken by the latter who 
had the support of the Emperor, lost its imperial privileges, and was 
thereafter subject to Archbishop von Nassau. The victorious arch- 
bishop sent many into exile, driving most of the able-bodied men out 
of Mainz, who carried with them to other lands the knowledge of 
the printing trade, which up to that time had been held secret. With- 
in fifty years every city of consequence in Europe had printers, 
practically all being German. In fact, all the first printers in 
European countries were German. 

After the art of printing became public property, Italy was among 
the first of the European countries to get printers, when Conrad 
Sweynheym and Arnold Pannartz went across the mountains into 
Italy, on their way to Rome. Before going to Rome they stopped 
at Subiaco and did some work for a monastery there. 

In 1464 the King of France sent a young man to Mainz to learn 
printing from Gutenberg. This young man, named Jenson, did not 
return to France, but, later, went to Italy. We are not entirely 
certain whether he went to Sweynheym and Pannartz, or whether 
he went to Venice. But we do know that he cut some of the most 
beautiful type ever invented. This (holding up book) is a book 
printed in 1471. That is what we call "black letter" type. It shows 
how beautiful his black letter was. The binding is still in fair con- 
dition, having been super-imposed on oak boards. That (indicating) 
is a reproduction of his printer's mark. A very beautiful thing. The 
design is the same as that copied on a "Uneeda Biscuit" box. Jen- 
son was a very successful man, and died quite wealthy. He was one 
of the first to bring beauty into a book, or into the cutting of type. 

The next great printer in Italy was a man named Aldus. Italy at 
that time was the center of culture in Europe, and people went there 
to trade from all other countries of the time. In 1490 Aldus was 
running a college, when his father-in-law died and Aldus inherited 
his printing business. He was, perhaps, the outstanding man in 
the printing industry of that day. He printed books in many 
languages, and no workman was allowed to work on a book unless 



AITCHISON: EARLY IMPRINTS 57 

he could speak that language. You can see that a workman had to 
be quite a linguist in order to hold a job in those days. He invented 
what is known as "Italic" type. In Europe they called it "Aldus" 
type. Before he invented "Italic" type this (displaying) was the 
size and general style of books, and only the nobles or very wealthy 
people could own them. 

While we are looking at this book I want to show you the unique 
manner in which it is printed. The pages are rubricated throughout. 
I think, if we do not have to hurry too much, I would like to show 
you some of the very wonderful illustrations. Now this (indicating 
page of book) is what we call the "Tree of Life." See these lovely 
initials which go down the pages. Marvelous colors there. Those 
colors added by the illuminator were generally ground from semi- 
precious stones, the stones being crushed and mixed with the white of 
an egg, albumin ; the coloring remains very clear and unf aded to this 
day. Compare the size of this huge tome with this small 8-vo Aldus 
printed in 1501, the year his italics were invented. The book in 
italics brought the price down so every man could own books to 
about 60 cents in our present currency. 

Printing scattered, in the first fifty years, all over Europe. It was, 
I think, most responsible for the Renaissance. From books on 
Ptolemy men got the desire of travel soon came the discoveries by 
Columbus and Amerigo Vespucci shortly after that the reformation 
started. By 1560 Mercator began to have printed his well-known 
maps, and these maps were widely circulated. They caused people 
to think about things outside their own town, their own country. 

Here is a book by Martin Luther, printed in 1546, showing a very 
wonderful woodcut of Luther by his friend, the master, L. Cranach. 
(Shows book.) Things were moving very rapidly at that date; the 
center of printing had jumped from Italy to France by 1525. In the 
first half of the 1500's there were many printers who made wonderful 
strides in the art, and were outstanding craftsmen of all time: the 
Estienne's, de Colines, Vascosan, and others of Paris, and Roville of 
Lyons; Garamond, who cut the finest Greek and Roman types; 
Tory with his beautiful initials which we still use in our case to-day. 

The center of printing again moved from France to Holland about 
1600, and much fine work comes to us from that period. Here is a 
little book that may give you some idea of the work done at Plan- 
tin's plant. This book had never been cut down, as so many of them 
were at that time, many of them being trimmed until the type was 



58 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

cropped. You can see (indicating) that it is just full of wood cuts, 
some of them very lovely things. 

A man named Caxton came to the low countries to handle some 
matter of a wool treaty for England. He was not at that time a 
printer, but a man of consequence in the wool trade. However, he 
seems to have stayed in Bruges, and made translations of two books, 
The History of Troy and The Game and Playe of Chess, and later 
entered the service of the Duchess of Burgundy, a sister of the King 
of England, who granted him a yearly pension, and he there con- 
tinued his History of Troy. About 1471 Caxton learned the art of 
printing, but at what date he brought his press to England and set it 
up at Westminster is uncertain; it was probably 1476. Caxton, while 
not the greatest printer of his time, did some great things for Eng- 
land and English literature, for through him purer copies of Chaucer 
were preserved for posterity. England is unique in two things its 
first printer was a native son, and it is the only country which had its 
first book printed in its native tongue, as books until that time had 
been printed for the most part in Greek or Latin. 

The first printing press in America was established in Mexico City, 
being brought over in 1539 shortly after the Spanish invasion. This 
press was sent to Mexico City from Seville, Spain, by a German 
printer named Kromberger. He sent an Italian, named Pablos, to run 
the press under contract. As I recall it he had to print 3,000 sheets 
daily, which was quite heavy printing in those days; he was to re- 
ceive no salary, just his living expenses, and any moneys he made 
during the life of the contract had to be put into what we would call 
"surplus." If Pablos made a mistake, ruined any paper, or had a 
loss of any kind, that was to be taken out of his share of the final set- 
tlement. He was not to enter into any other kind of business; was 
to act as agent, without commission, for the sale of Kromberger's 
books, and this contract was to last for ten years, at the end of which 
time Pablos was to receive one-fifth of the net profits of the business. 
It was a rather hard contract, but he stuck it out, and later evidently 
owned the business himself. He was sent over to print religious 
tracts in the various Indian-Spanish tongues. I will show you a 
piece of printing from the first press in Mexico (indicating). It is 
not very good printing. 

I will jump back to England, because, shortly after 1622 the 
first English newspaper was started, printed in book form and issued 
once a year. It was against the law to print anything of a local 



AITCHISON: EARLY IMPRINTS 59 

political nature in England, so newspaper contents were limited to 
the happenings on the continent and in the Orient. The newspaper 
did not have a very wide sale, as it was hard to be interested in 
news over a year old. It was printed by Nathaniel Butter and 
Nicholas Bourne, who, with Archer, were the first three men to 
have anything to do with newspaper printing in England. 

Getting back to America: Our first Colonial press was estab- 
lished in Cambridge, at Harvard University. In 1638 the Reverend 
Mr. Glover went to England and hired a printer by the name of 
Stephen Day, and his son Matthew, and secured a printing press. 
On the return voyage Mr. Glover died of smallpox, but his widow 
survived, and in about' six months she decided to marry again. 
She married the president of Harvard University, and the first 
press was run there in 1639 by Stephen Day. This part of a book 
(displaying), printed in the Indian language, was found in an 
Indian tepee. These books were translations of the Scripture and 
various religious works by John Eliot, and were printed at Cam- 
bridge on the Harvard press. 

Printing now rapidly spread all over the colonies; it went over 
the Alleghanies, and into the Mississippi valley about the year 
1800. The first printer in Kentucky was John Bradford, who 
printed this first school book (holds it up), a grammar, in Kentucky 
about 1802. This third issue of the first newspaper west of the 
Mississippi was printed in July, 1808, by an Irishman, Joe Charless, 
at St. Louis, in the Louisiana territory. From there we get to our 
own state. 

Our first printer was Jotham Meeker, who was born in Ohio, in 
1804. He was twenty-six years old when our government estab- 
lished its Indian territory, west of Missouri and Arkansas, north 
to the Missouri river. Meeker, a missionary at heart, made a 
perilous trip from Cincinnati by boat and wagon to Shawnee 
mission, an outpost of the Baptist Missionary Board in the Indian 
country. 

With him he brought his wife, and a small printing outfit. Meeker 
had learned the printing trade in Cincinnati when nineteen; had 
gone into Michigan at twenty-five, on missionary work, and there 
worked out a system of translating English into Indian. 

With this system, the ability to speak three Indian tongues and 
his knowledge of printing, he opened his plant at Shawnee mission 
and printed his first job on March 8 ; 1834. This was fifteen years 



60 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

before the "forty-niners"; thirteen years before the Mormon mi- 
gration, and nine years before Fremont's expedition in 1843. 

It is hard for us to appreciate the life the Meekers had to live, 
and to comprehend how he could work out a system of translation 
which made it possible for an Indian child to learn to read, as he 
put it "in a few days." You must realize that the "learning" on the 
part of the Indians had to be done simply and easily, as the Indian 
lacked patience for study and application. 

Meeker 's was a wonderful system, worked out to have a letter 
represent an articulate sound of the Indian's speech. This differed 
from the Cherokee, and all other systems. McCoy, in his History, 
says that twenty-three letters were all Meeker required for trans- 
lation into any Indian tongue. Meeker translated and printed in 
nine different Indian tongues. 

The first newspaper printed in Indian was printed by Meeker 
at Shawnee mission, The Shawnee Sun. Fifty-one books or pam- 
phlets were printed while he ran the press, from 1834 to 1837, and 
at Ottawa from 1849 to the time of Meeker's death in 1855. 

I will stop now, and let Mr. Kirke Mechem tell you about the 
Meeker press. 



The Mystery of the Meeker Press 1 

KIRKB MECHEM 

AS THE title suggests, this paper describes an attempt to solve 
a mystery. In January, 1931, Chas. F. Scott, publisher of the 
lola Daily Register, wrote that Giles E. Miller, owner of the Guy- 
mon (Okla.) Herald, possessed the first printing press ever brought 
to Kansas. Mr. Scott believed the State Press Association would 
like to present this press to the Historical Society, but first he wanted 
to check its history. In so doing he made amateur detectives of the 
Society's staff, for we were soon lost in such a maze of conflicting 
testimony that it is only now, over three years later, that all the 
misleading fingerprints may be tabulated. As a detective story 
should, this account begins with the established facts. 

A century ago this year, in February, 1834, Jotham Meeker set 
up Kansas' first press at the Baptist Shawnee mission, just south 
of the city limits of the present Kansas City, Kan. On the first day 
of March he set the first types in the new territory, and on the 
eighth of that month he made the first press impression. During 
the next three years Meeker produced about ninety pieces of printed 
matter, mostly in the form of booklets of a religious nature, trans- 
lated into various Indian languages by himself and other mis- 
sionaries. In 1837 he became a missionary to a band of Ottawas 
who had settled near the present city of Ottawa, being succeeded 
as printer by Rev. John G. Pratt. In 1846 Pratt removed Meeker's 
press to Stockbridge, an outpost of the Baptist Shawnee mission- 
north of the Kansas river, near the Missouri. In 1849, Pratt having 
discontinued the use of the press, Meeker transported it to Ottawa, 
where he used it spasmodically until his death in January, 1855. 

The history of the press to this date may be considered author- 
itative, for it is based on a journal, now in the possession of the 
Kansas State Historical Society, which Meeker kept from 1832 to 
within ten days of his death in 1855. On January 12, 1889, thirty- 
four years after Meeker's death, Mr. Pratt, in answer to an in- 
quiry from Franklin G. Adams, first secretary of the Historical 
Society, wrote: 

This first Press in the Territory after being used by myself in printing 
these various books was removed about July, 1858, to the Ottawa mission, 

1. Read at the annual meeting of the Kansas State Historical Society, October 16, 1934 ; 
with some new material added. 

(61) 



62 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

which had been under Mr. Meeker's supervision since my arrival in the 
country 1837. After its removal, Mr. Meeker reprinted some of the books 
which had become exhausted, & some new ones. The Press, on the death of 
Mr. Meeker in 1854 remained at that point until 1856-7 when, by the direc- 
tion of the Board of Missions, I sold it, and all the material, to G. W. Brown 
of Lawrence, Kan., then publishing the well known Herald of Freedom, and 
it was utterly demolished in Quantrels raid on that City. 

Presumably when Pratt wrote 1858 instead of 1849 as the date 
for the removal of the press to Ottawa, he made a slip of the pen; 
also, after so many years, he could hardly be expected to remember 
the exact date of Meeker's death. There has just come to light a 
letter Pratt wrote to his home office in October, 1857, which verifies 
this sale and incidentally gives an interesting glimpse at the busi- 
ness methods of its first secular owner: 

At Ottawa, I left word with Bro. Jones to sell the Press to any one who 
would pay him cash $400. A newspaper editor at Lawrence, who had often 
spoken of purchasing the establishment, sent a team and persuades Mr. Jones 
to believe I had consented to sell on a six months credit, and took the whole 
concern away. I have seen him since and he has given me a written obliga- 
tion to pay the whole within the time specified. 2 

Many years later Brown also commented on his purchase of the 
press. In a letter to Miss Zu Adams in 1907, he said: 

The Meeker press I bought of Rev. Pratt, or Platt, agent for the Baptist 
Missionary Society, in the spring of 1857. I sold it to S. S. Prouty, who 
established a small paper at Prairie City, and ran it for a time. ... I had 
all the type, with the vowels and ws in terrible excess. They were of pica 
size. We used the latter for printing the bills for the legislature. 3 

From this point, however, the trail becomes as devious as any 
reader of murder mysteries could desire. For the past three years 
the staff has worn the spiritual habiliments of Sherlock Holmes in 
the search for clues. The scent has led all over eastern Kansas, 
as far west as Cimarron and Dodge City, back into the hills of 
Missouri, and for a time grew very odoriferous in northern Okla- 
homa. The stories of the principal witnesses will be given first. 
You will recognize many of these persons; they are reputable 
citizens; their worst offense was in their proneness to accept hear- 
say in the place of evidence. 

The first statement is in a letter from S. S. Prouty to R. B. Taylor, 
dated at Topeka, November 15, 1869. Mr. Prouty says: 

2. Extract from letter of John G. Pratt to Solomon Peck, dated October 20, 1857, 
Delaware, K. T., quoted in letter from Forrest Smith of the American Baptist Foreign Mission 
Society, New York City, to the Kansas State Historical Society, October 24, 1934. 

3. Extract from letter of G. W. Brown to Miss Zu Adams of the Kansas State Historical 
Society, August 7, 1907. 



MECHEM : MYSTERY OF THE MEEKER PRESS 63 

On the 25th day of June, 1857, I started the Freemen's Champion at Prairie 
City. ... I issued eleven numbers of the Champion when I was compelled 
to suspend its publication for the want of patronage. The material of the 
office 1 was purchased of G. W. Brown at Lawrence for $450 and the purchase 
money was furnished by the Prairie City town company. The press was an 
old-fashioned Jews-harp press and was brought into the territory in 1834 by 
Rev. J. Meeker and was employed by him to print tracts thereon for the 
Indians in their vernacular. The old press is now at Cottonwood Falls and on 
it is now printed the Chase County Banner. 

The facts given above are also included in an article on Kansas 
newspaper history, printed in volume 1-2 of the Kansas Historical 
Collections. 

Six years later George W. Martin, in his Hand Book of the Kansas 
Publishing House, published in Topeka in 1875, wrote: 

The state of Kansas should recover that Meeker press, and preserve it at 
the Capital. Kansas will have a centennial some day. From Meeker, the 
press passed into the hands of George W. Brown. In 1857, Brown sold it to 
S. S. Prouty. Prouty owned the press for years, and used it in the publication 
of the Freemen's Champion, and the Neosho Valley Register. Prouty sold it 
to S. Weaver, who used it at Lecompton. From thence it went to Cotton- 
wood Falls, and from thence to Cowley county. It is now supposed to be in 
the Indian territory, on its march of conquest. It was a Seth Adams manu- 
facture, oval at the top. There were twenty stars on it, indicating that at the 
time of its manufacture there were twenty states in the Union. This was in 
1817, as the twenty-first state was admitted in 1818. 

In 1875, the Fredonia Citizen indicates that controversy regarding 
the press had already arisen. On June 18 the Citizen said: "Con- 
siderable has been said by the papers since they commenced writing 
their respective histories as requested by the committee appointed at 
the last meeting of the editorial convention, in reference to the 
oldest press in Kansas, and the claims of several for 'priority of 
settlement' have been set up." The Citizen then quoted the above 
statement from Martin's Hand Book. This was the year the Kansas 
State Historical Society was organized; the reference is to an at- 
tempt Secretary Adams was making to compile a newspaper history 
from statements secured from members of the editorial association. 

Two years later Adams apparently believed he had located the 
press. On July 10, 1877, he received the following letter from W. H. 
Kerns of Sedalia, Mo. : 

Your letter in reference to the "Meeker Printing Press" received. I owned 
the press some two or three years in Winfield, Cowley Co., Kansas. It was 
brought to Sedalia. I sold it to a party in Windsor, Mo. From here it went 
to another town in South Missouri. Will find out and let you know in the 
course of a few days. It is the same press throwed in the river at Lawrence 



64 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

by "Border Ruffians," and its history is full of interesting items. Your society 
should have it by all means and anything that I can do will be done with 
pleasure. 

Six months later Adams wrote again to Kerns, and on February 
18, 1878, Kerns replied: 

Yours of Feb. 9 at hand. I had forgotten about the press until your last 
letter. I met the brother of the man who owns the press, who states the press 
is in south-east Missouri having started four or five papers in Missouri since 
I brought it to this state. He states his brother wants $100 for the press. The 
press does very good work yet. I have had him to write to his brother in 
reference to the press, not stating that your society desired the press for in 
that event he would ask a fancy price. I asked him to write his lowest cash 
figures, as I desired to run a small paper. I understand he has another press in 
his office and can spare this one. It will probably cost you $100 and the freight, 
but I have made him a less offer. I do not remember the name of the town in 
which it is. As soon as Mr. Hitchcock hears from his brother I will write to 
you. I will charge your society nothing for my efforts and had you written to 
me when I owned it I should have presented it to you. 

The correspondence languished until early in January, 1883, when 
Kerns asked if the Society was still interested. Adams replied that 
he thought he could raise the money either by subscription or from 
the legislature and asked Kerns to set a price on the press. And, 
with what seems now an undue optimism, he added, "Some of our 
old printers will readily identify the press." Kerns did not reply, 
and on the 24th of January Adams wrote again, saying that the 
legislature was in session and requesting a quotation. 

When Kerns received this letter he was in St. Louis in the midst of 
a private depression. He wrote, "... I can only make a proposi- 
tion without any explanation for its amt. I can urge failure in busi- 
ness in Kansas, losses etc., through all of which I was the owner of 
the 'Old Meeker Press.' If your Society wishes to pay $3,000 for 
the press I will produce it about Mar. 10th." 

Adams replied that the Society "could not think of asking for the 
appropriation of any such sum. Our entire estimates for all pur- 
poses are but $5,450 and this includes $100 which we put in for the 
press." He informed Kerns that the Society had no means except 
what was received from the legislature, and that legislatures do not 
appreciate relics. He closed by offering $150, as the outside sum 
that could possibly be secured. 

Kern's answer on February 9 indicates that his $3,000 dream had 
been rudely shattered. He brusquely stated that he did not care to 
make any more propositions. "I shall leave the place where it is 
unknown," he wrote, "and if the Historical Society is too poor to pay 



MECHEM: MYSTERY OF THE MEEKER PRESS 65 

anything for it I shall bury its history so deep it will never be 
straightened out." 

The next year, August 4, 1884, however, when his disappointment 
had cooled, Kerns wrote to Adams from St. Louis: 

It has been some time since I wrote you regarding the old Meeker press. I 
am out about $150 on the old thing, and it will cost $100 to get it from the 
present owner who does not know the history of it. I am the only person 
living now who can produce it and give the evidence to prove it. ... Now, if 
I am paid my losses, I will secure press for above amts. 

Adams replied that the Society had no funds, and that unless the 
directors or the Kansas Editorial Association would contribute, the 
matter would have to await the next session of the legislature. 

This seems to have closed negotiations; at least no further cor- 
respondence can be located in the files. No description of the press 
appears in any of the letters. Adams certainly believed he was bar- 
gaining for the original Meeker press, but whether mistakenly there 
is no way of knowing. 

While Adams was still dickering with Kerns, F. H. McGill, of 
Leavenworth, wrote a letter which was published by John A. Martin, 
editor of the Atchison Champion, in the issue of June 12, 1878. Mc- 
Gill reported that the editor of the Clifton Journal, while in southern 
Kansas, "saw a press in the Oxford Independent office which he be- 
lieved to be the oldest in the state, and says also that the same once 
had lain in the Missouri river and subsequently had been thrown 
into the Marais des Cygne by a pro-slavery party. "In 1870," Mc- 
GilFs letter continued, "A. J. Patrick and G. H. Beach, of Olathe, 
purchased an old press and a small amount of type in Cottonwood 
Falls, which had been used in the publication of the old Banner of 
that place, and started the Winfield Censor, the first paper published 
in Cowley county." McGill then stated that he had worked upon 
the Censor in 1871, and went on to describe it in the same terms 
Martin had used in his Hand Book. His letter ended with the fol- 
lowing paragraphs: 

The Censor, of Winfield, was changed to the Cowley County Telegram in 
1872, and from that time it is not known what became of the old press, as the 
Telegram was enlarged to a seven-column paper which could not have been 
printed upon that press. 

The old press spoken of by the Clifton Journal is undoubtedly the same 
which Messrs. Martin and Prouty have mentioned, and which was bought by 
Patrick & Beach at Cottonwood Falls and moved to Winfield, and which is now 
in the Oxford Independent office, idle. Every effort should be made by the 
Kansas Historical Society for its capture. 

56787 



66 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

It will be noted that McGilFs letter introduces several interesting 
new facts. The old press has now received duckings in the Marais 
des Cygne and the Missouri, in addition to the occasion when, ac- 
cording to Kerns, it was "throwed" in the Kansas river at Lawrence. 
It must be remembered that it was originally a Baptist press. But 
if McGill was correct, and the press was at Oxford, it could not have 
been subject to sale by Kerns from some unknown place in Missouri. 

Before Adams had finished his correspondence with Kerns, the 
well-known Andreas' History of the State of Kansas (Chicago, 1883) , 
had been published. In a sketch on Meeker, Andreas accepts Mar- 
tin's statement regarding the disposition of the press, but where Mar- 
tin said it was "supposed to be" in the Indian territory, Andreas 
states it as a fact. The History also said: "The type and other ma- 
terial used at the mission farm by Mr. Meeker were scattered broad- 
cast on the prairie by the Indian children, and as late as 1865, hand- 
fuls of type could be picked up near where lies buried one of the most 
zealous missionaries that ever labored in any land." 

According to these contemporaneous accounts, therefore, at the 
time the first comprehensive history of Kansas was published, the 
old Meeker press was in three places: Oxford, Kan., somewhere in 
Missouri and somewhere in the Indian territory. That was fifty 
years ago, and most of the subsequent stories of its wanderings, of 
which there have been hundreds in the half century, have been ver- 
sions of the above statements, with an occasional remarkable combi- 
nation of all three. But there is still another story from which it ap- 
pears that at the very time the press was in these three places it was 
actually in Dodge City. 

This account was printed in the Topeka Journal on February 1, 
1902, under an Elmdale, Kan., date line. It declared that the oldest 
printing press in Kansas belonged to Charles Garten, editor of the 
Elmdale Reporter, who used it every week in getting out that paper. 
Pictures of Garten and the press illustrated the story. Following a 
brief sketch of the Mission history of the press, which for the most 
part was correct, the article stated : 

Many little incidents as to the destroying of the office of the Free State are 
now almost forgotten. Once when the office was destroyed the type were 
thrown into the street, and the metal was used in making balls for "John 
Brown's" cannon. 

During Quantrell's raid in 1856 [sic] the press was thrown from the second- 
story window, and one of the main castings was broken, yet it has never 
interfered with the working of the press. 

Ten years later, in 1866, the press, together with a few fonts of type was 
bought by Sam N. Wood, who established the Chase County Banner at Cot- 



MECHEM: MYSTERY OF THE MEEKER PRESS 67 

ton wood Falls, Kan., and continued its publication until August 3, 1867, when 
Theo. A. Alford took charge, running the paper until November, 1868. The pa- 
per then went into the hands of a stock company, with Judge W. R. Brown as 
editor and H. L. Hunt as local reporter, who published the paper for one year. 
The press was then taken to Winfield, Kan. The next adventure was in 1870 by 
Beck, Fallett & McClure, who ran an 8-column, 4-page paper called the Kansas 
Central Index, but at the end of nine months turned the press over to Albert 
Yale, who, with John Gifford, moved it to Wichita in January, 1871. The press 
remained in Wichita for a number of years, but was finally exchanged to the 
Great Western type foundry, of Kansas City, and some twenty years ago was 
sold to N. B. Klain, now editor of the Dodge City Globe-Republican, but who 
was then editor of the Dodge City Times. The press was then moved to 
Cimarron, where it was used in publishing the Cimarron New West. It then be- 
came the property of W. C. Shim, but afterwards went back to Judge Klain, 
and for five years was stored in an old barn at Dodge City. In April, 1890, 
the press was purchased by Chas. B. Garten, who started the Elmdale Reporter, 
and the press has been doing good service ever since. 

The old press is of the Washington hand press make, bearing the name plate 
of Ladew, Peers & Co., and was made by the Cincinnati Type Foundry and 
Printers' Warehouse Company. It bears many marks and ornaments significant 
of revolutionary war times, such as guns, swords, drums, cannon balls, flags, 
and a large eagle adorns the top. 

Strangely, this version of the history of the press has been re- 
printed but a comparatively few times. Usually the earlier accounts 
were accepted. E. C. Manning, in his Biographical, Historical & 
Miscellaneous Selections (1911), traced it from Lawrence to Em- 
poria, then to Cottonwood Falls, then to Winfield, from where, he 
said, "it was transported to some town in southwest Missouri." He 
makes the statement that "the Winfield town company only paid 
Sam Wood three hundred for the press and the whole printing office 
outfit." 

A news item in the Topeka Capital on May 23, 1925, under a 
Strong City date line, stated that S. E. Yeoman of that city had 
helped rebuild the press following its immersion in the river at Law- 
rence by "border ruffians." According to this article, Mr. Yeoman, 
aided by F. E. Smith, "soon after brought the press to this county 
where it was set up in Cottonwood Falls. . . . The paper was 
originally printed in the interest of equal suffrage, being backed by 
Eastern stockholders." 

A few years after the discovery of the press in Garten's pos- 
session at Elmdale, E. D. Smith of Meade, Kan., sent to Geo. W. 
Martin, then secretary of the Society, a clipping from an unidentified 
paper stating that Meeker's press had been found in the office of the 
Guymon (Okla.) Herald. Its history was traced, according to the 



68 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

usual formula, down to the Cowley County Censor. But here a 
new note was introduced, for the article stated : 

After that a Sedalia (Mo.) newspaper man bought it and took it out of 
the state, but according to R. B. Quinn, former editor of the Guymon Herald, 
it again worked its way westward and landed in Liberal in 1888 or 1889 as the 
property of Lambert Wilsteadt. In 1890 it was moved to Hardesty, Okla., 
and used in getting out the Times, a paper succeeded by the Hardesty Herald, 
which later became the Guymon Herald. 

The historic old press was made under one of the earliest patents issued, 
the number of the patent being close to 100 as shown by a plate fastened to 
the bed of the press, which has been removed since the press was moved to 
Guymon. It is thoroughly old-fashioned and looks just about like the one 
that Benjamin Franklin used, according to the pictures in the histories. 

The discovery of this ancient press aroused new interest through- 
out Kansas and adjoining states. A year later, on November 3, 1909, 
the Kansas City Journal reprinted the above article verbatim. On 
November 21, 1909, the Kansas City Star said: "It is known that 
the press was shipped from Philadelphia to Leaven worth, Kan., at 
an early day and that it passed year after year from town to 
town along the Kansas frontier. . . . Quinn says that the name 
of the maker was something like 'Bronstrub.' " On September 17, 
1911, the St. Louis Globe-Democrat printed an illustrated feature 
story from Hutchinson about the Guymon press, stating that it was 
the Meeker press. "It is treasured highly," said the writer, "and 
it was only after much pleading on the part of the Hutchinson 
Typographical Union that the local organization was given permis- 
sion to use it on the float to be exhibited by them in the parade 
during the celebration of the semicentennial of the admission of Kan- 
sas into the Union as a state." In addition to these out-state papers, 
most of the leading Kansas journals carried news items or feature 
stories in which the press at Guymon was identified as the Meeker 
press. 

In the summer of 1929 J. T. Crawford, of Topeka, general sec- 
retary of the Kansas State Baptist Association, became interested 
in this press, by that time generally accepted as the one which his 
church had brought to Kansas. After some correspondence with 
the owner he went to Guymon, and with the assistance of the em- 
ployees succeeded in bringing forth from under much debris the 
major portion of the old press. The old wooden standards had 
withstood the ravages of time, as had the iron track and upper 
tympan, with the screw setting firmly embedded in the heavy 
wooden impression beam. The impression screw and lever, and the 



MECHEM: MYSTERY OF THE MEEKER PRESS 69 

moving bed and frisket were missing, as was also the heavy frame 
which served as a base, and other small attachments. 

The next day the press was expressed to the Kansas State His- 
torical Society, where under the direction of Crawford and Wm. 
E. Connelley, secretary of the Society, who approved its authenticity, 
the missing parts were made of wood and fitted into their places. 
Later, on October 15, 1929, the press was put on exhibition and was 
the subject of a lecture given by Crawford at the Kansas Baptist 
Convention at Kansas City, Kan. The press was then placed in 
the museum of the Kansas State Historical Society for several 
months before it was returned to Guymon. It has since been ex- 
hibited in numerous places in Oklahoma and has been the subject of 
many newspaper and magazine articles. 

It is. not surprising that this Guymon press was accepted as the 
Meeker press. The credentials of the other claimants had long 
been buried in newspaper and correspondence files. It was only by 
accident, after Charles Scott proposed to secure it permanently for 
the Society, that suspicions arose. A little digging into the records 
disclosed discrepancies. Further research brought forth the con- 
flicting accounts just related. It became apparent that until an 
authentic picture or description, or the name of the maker of the 
press which Meeker brought to Kansas, could be obtained, identifi- 
cation was not possible. 

This realization led to a re-reading of Meeker's journals and cor- 
respondence and an examination of the available records of those 
who had had personal knowledge of the press before it was moved to 
Lawrence. This search disclosed the curious fact that neither 
Meeker nor his contemporaries ever mentioned the name of the 
manufacturer or gave an identifiable description, although it is re- 
ferred to several hundred times in the journals and correspondence 
preserved in the Society's archives. 

Meeker purchased the press at Cincinnati early in September, 
1833. The Baptist Missionary Magazine for 1834 lists an appro- 
priation of $550 for this purpose. 4 Meeker's expense account lists 
as paid, September 10, 1833, the following: "Printing aparatus 
including transportation, $468.13." An explanatory note adds: "In 
the article of Printing aparatus I include $35 worth of Paper and 
Ink. All wooden articles which can be made by a carpenter belong- 
ing to the Printing establishment I concluded to not purchase in 
Cincinnati." The press was shipped by boat by way of the Ohio, 

4. The Baptist Missionary Magazine, Boston, 1834, p. 238. 



70 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

Mississippi and Missouri rivers to Independence Landing, where it 
arrived on October 2. Meeker did not get the press ready for opera- 
tion, however, until after the first of the year, and the first press 
run was not made until March. 

Apparently this was as close as we would ever come to a descrip- 
tion of the press. Letters to historical societies in Ohio and to 
printing establishments and others in Cincinnati failed to elicit any 
further information. As a last resort the American Baptist Foreign 
Mission Society in New York was appealed to. This was considered 
a last resort because it was assumed that in the copies of Meeker's 
voluminous correspondence with his home society which the His- 
torical Society possesses, all his communications had been recorded. 
But in this we were mistaken. On August 8, 1933, the Mission 
Society wrote a letter containing the following brief statement: 

In a letter from Mr. Meeker dated February 27, 1837, he gives a list of 
articles in the office as follows: 

"One Super Royal Cast Iron Smith Press, with Ball rack and Ink block, 
two Friskets, two Bodkins, two pr. points, Sheep's foot, wrenches, etc., but no 
Roller, Mould nor Frame." 

This brief inventory was the long-lost clue. While it would not 
lead to the hiding place of Meeker's press it would at least test the 
authenticity of the other claimants. But an unexpected difficulty 
arose when the attempt was made to secure a picture and specifica- 
tions of the Smith press. Finally, after correspondence with a num- 
ber of authorities in the East, Sidney A. Kimber, of the University 
Press, Cambridge, Mass., furnished a detailed description with 
pencil drawings. From his letter and other sources the following 
description of a Smith press was secured. 5 

The Smith press was patented in 1821 by Peter Smith, brother- 
in-law of Robert Hoe, founder of the well-known firm of that name. 
Smith and Hoe entered into partnership, and this was the first of 
a long series of patents granted to the Hoe company. The frame 
was of cast iron, and in place of a screw with levers, Smith sub- 
stituted a toggle joint, which made the press superior in many 
respects to any up to that time. The press was manufactured for 
many years, but its production was discontinued about 1880, as 
the Washington press, also made by Hoe, was more popular. The 
Smith press, like the Washington, obtained its power from the 

6. Letter from Sidney A. Kimber, May 9, 1934; A Short History of the Printing Press, 
printed and published for Robert Hoe, New York, 1902; American Dictionary of Printing and 
Bookmaking, Howard Lockwood & Co., New York, 1894; American Encyclopaedia of Printing, 
Menamin & Ringwalt, Philadelphia, 1871; letter from Henry L. Bullen, Typographical Library, 
Jersey City, N. J., May 21, 1934. 



MECHEM : MYSTERY OF THE MEEKER PRESS 71 

straightening of a toggle joint, but they differed in one respect. In 
the Washington the knee-joint was pressed in; in the Smith it was 
drawn in. A super-royal Smith press had a bed 32% x 26^ inches, 
and a platen 28 x 22% inches. A type form could be printed the 
size of the platen if special care was taken; usually the maximum 
size of the sheet to be printed would be about an inch smaller each 
way than the platen. These dimensions, however, cannot certainly 
be applied to Meeker's Smith press, for they were taken from a Hoe 
catalog of 1854, and Meeker's press may have been smaller. 

In the light of this information it is interesting to recheck the 
statements of those who claimed to have owned or used Meeker's 
press. Prouty said it "was an old-fashioned Jews-harp press," and 
that in 1869 the Chase County Banner was being printed on it. He 
also indicated that he bought it prior to June, 1857, when he started 
the Freemen's Champion. So far, it has been impossible to deter- 
mine what a Jews-harp press was. Possibly that may have been a 
name applied to the Foster hand press, which had a large cast iron 
harp on the frame under the bed between the legs; or it may have 
been applied to the Stanhope press, whose iron frame could be said 
to resemble a huge Jew's harp. There is nothing connected with the 
Smith press, or its history, to indicate that it ever went by this 
name. There is also a discrepancy between the statements of Pratt 
and Prouty. Pratt says the press was destroyed by Quantrill, which 
would have been in August, 1863; yet, Prouty, in 1869, says posi- 
tively that it was then in Cottonwood Falls. 

Geo. W. Martin, in his Hand Book, accepted Prouty's statement 
that the press was in Cottonwood Falls, but said it was a Seth 
Adams, oval at the top, with twenty stars on it, indicating that it 
was made prior to 1818. If it was a Seth Adams press, of course, it 
could not have been Meeker's press, and if it was made prior to 
1818 Seth Adams was a very precocious inventor, for he was then 
only eleven years old, having been born April 13, 1807. He first 
began manufacturing presses in 1832. 6 

In none of Adams' fruitless correspondence with Kerns is any 
mention made of the make of his press. The fact that Kerns said 
he bought it in Cowley county may mean that he had Prouty's old 
press. If he could be trusted in his statement that it was the "same 
press throwed in the river at Lawrence by 'Border Ruffians,' " which 
is doubtful, it must have been another press. Either he or Pratt 
could have been mistaken about the date of the destruction of 

6. American Dictionary of Printing and Book-making, p. 9. 



72 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

presses in Lawrence. The date of the "Border Ruffian" raid, so- 
called, was May, 1856, seven years before QuantrilPs massacre. 
Presses were either destroyed or thrown in the river on both occa- 
sions. Since Brown bought the press in the spring of 1857 it is quite 
probable that it was the destruction of his plant in 1856 which 
necessitated the purchase of another press. 

McGill's letter of 1878 in the Atchison Champion, claiming that 
the press then reposed in the plant of the Oxford Independent, says 
it was "an oval lever, six column, and had nineteen stars on the face 
of the oval." McGill has subtracted one star from the total given by 
Martin, but there can be no question the type of press was the same, 
and therefore could not have been Meeker's. 

The story of Garten's press at Elmdale, which had arrived there 
by way of Lawrence, Cottonwood Falls, Winfield, Wichita, Kansas 
City, Dodge City and Cimarron is disproved by the fact that it was 
made by Ladew, Peers & Co., and was "of the Washington hand 
press make." 

We come now to the press discovered at Guymon, Okla., which in 
recent years had been commonly accepted as the Meeker press. 
Despite the conflicting accounts of its travels, this press alone is 
small enough and old enough to qualify. But when it was learned 
that the Smith press which Meeker purchased was made of cast iron 
the press at Guymon also was eliminated, for it had been made of 
wood. 

All efforts to identify the Guyman press failed, however, until in 
the American Dictionary of Printing and Bookmaking there was 
found a picture of an old Ramage press which coincided exactly 
with the remaining parts of the Guymon press. But about that time 
the Kansas City Star article of November 21, 1901, came to light, 
in which R. B. Quinn who bought the press in 1901, was quoted as 
having stated that when he got the press it bore a plate. The name 
of the maker, as he remembered it, was something like "Bronstrub." 
Seemingly this ruled out the supposition that it was a Ramage press. 
But shortly afterward, in the American Dictionary of Printing and 
Bookmaking, the following paragraph was discovered: 

BRONSTRTTP PRESS. A hand-press formerly made by Frederick Bronstrup of 
Philadelphia, the successor of Adam Ramage, and having three sizes. The 
largest is! 22% by 29% inches, the next 20 by 26 inches, and the smallest 16 
by 22 inches. The material is chiefly wrought iron, and the press stands 
securely without a stay. 

This statement explained the seeming discrepancy. Presumably 
Bronstrup either had a number of Ramage's old wooden presses on 



MECHEM : MYSTERY OF THE MEEKER PRESS 73 

hand when he succeeded to the business, to which he attached his 
name plates, or he continued to make them for a time after he began 
manufacturing iron presses. There can be little doubt that the Guy- 
mon press is of the old Ramage type, and there is no question that 
it was sold with Bronstrup's name plate on it. While this disproves 
the claim that the Guymon press was Meeker's it does not lessen its 
value as a genuine product of one of America's first press makers. 
Adam Ramage began business in Philadelphia about 1800 and was 
the only one of consequence in the country. The press at Guymon 
is probably an older press than the one Meeker used, it was used 
many years in both Kansas and Oklahoma, and it should be 
preserved. 

So, after all this elimination, nothing remains to be eliminated. 
The question may still be asked, as it was when this Society was 
organized in 1875, "What has become of Kansas' historic press?" 
Perhaps it was destroyed in one of the raids on Lawrence or was 
disposed of in some obscure transaction of which, so far at least, we 
have no record. Possibly Kerns did take it to Missouri, and it may 
still be in existence in some country print shop. Certainly the 
myths relating its migrations, if they are old enough to be called 
myths, are as curious as any in the annals of Kansas and Kansas 
history contains some strange myths. But whatever the state does, 
it does wholeheartedly. Where only seven cities strove for the 
distinction of being known as Homer's birthplace, Kansas, in the 
short space of seventy-five years, has furnished ten towns with 
claims on a press which in all likelihood was never seen in any of 
them. 



The Annual Meeting 

THE fifty-ninth annual meeting of the Kansas State Historical 
Society and the board of directors was held in the rooms of the 
Society on October 16, 1934. 

In the temporary absence of the president, H. K. Lindsley, the 
meeting was called to order at 10 a. m. by the vice president, F. H. 
Hodder. 

The first business was the reading of the annual report of the sec- 
retary. 

REPORT OF THE SECRETARY, YEAR ENDING OCTOBER 16, 1934 

The years of depression have greatly increased the use of libraries throughout 
the country and, unfortunately, libraries were among the first public institutions 
to suffer. With the demand for services increasing from twenty-five to upwards 
of fifty per cent, income in many instances was cut in even greater proportion. 
This is more largely true of public libraries than historical societies, although 
many state societies were crippled by drastic reductions in appropriations. It 
is estimated that the demands on our Society have increased approximately 
twenty-five per cent in the past two years. While it is regrettable that salary 
cuts had to be made, the number of employees was not reduced. The staff has 
been kept busy with routine work and much that should have been done in the 
way of cataloging and organizing books and other collections was necessarily 
postponed. Considerable organization of material was accomplished under a 
CWA project early in the year. Accessions of manuscripts, documents, books 
and relics were not so large as in the preceding year, but many valuable addi- 
tions were received which will be mentioned in the reports of the various de- 
partments. 

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE 

Illness and the inability of members to attend prevented several meetings of 
the executive committee. Advice of the members was sought in all matters of 
consequence, however, and in accordance with the constitution and by-laws they 
have approved all expenditures. The committee and the Society suffered a 
great loss in the death of H. K. Brooks. Mr. Brooks had been a member of 
the Society for many years and had always taken an active interest in its work. 
His knowledge of the history of the state and his experience as a successful 
business man made him an invaluable member of the committee. Mr. Brooks 
had been reappointed, with W. W. Denison and E. A. Austin, for a two-year 
term following the 1933 meeting. Upon the death of Mr. Brooks, President 
Lindsley appointed Thomas Amory Lee to succeed him on the committee. 

APPROPRIATIONS AND THE LEGISLATURE 

Appropriations requested for the biennium beginning July 1, 1935, were 
filed with the budget director in September. The executive committee thought 
it unwise to ask for salary increases, although the members believed the 

(74) 



THE ANNUAL MEETING 75 

salaries inadequate. It is understood that some state departments have asked 
that salary reductions made by the last legislature be restored. The com- 
mittee felt that if a general restoration of salary cuts is made the legislature 
will treat all departments equally whether or not requests appear in the 
budget. The contingent fund was cut from $2,500 to $1,500. A request was 
made that this appropriation be increased to $2,000. Two years ago the 
Society asked for $1,800 for newspaper racks which are badly needed to care 
for papers now filed on the floor in the basement where they are difficult of 
access and subject to deterioration. This request was then refused and it is 
again renewed. The present staff is inadequate to handle the increased de- 
mands, and two or three additional employees are badly needed. Additional 
steel manuscript cases are also needed. It was felt that the times do not 
warrant these requests and they were not made. The budget as submitted 
is believed to be necessary and reasonable. 

CWA PROJECT 

Eighteen persons were employed by the Society under a Civil Works Ad- 
ministration project for ten weeks, from January 15 to March 22, 1934. The 
Civil Works Administration furnished $2,412 for the project, which went en- 
tirely for salaries. The Society spent $79.20 for working materials and rental 
of office equipment. Supervision was supplied by department heads. An ac- 
count of the work accomplished appears in this report under the department 
headings. 

A summary of work accomplished under CWA projects by state historical 
societies, which was read at the annual meeting of the Mississippi Valley 
Historical Association in April, indicates that the Kansas Society accomplished 
more in its own collections than any society in the country, although several 
sponsored projects for the organization of county archives which employed 
more persons. 

THE PROPOSED FERA PROJECT 

In September an application was made for a Federal Emergency Relief 
Administration project which would employ twenty-seven persons for five 
months. This is known locally as the Kansas Emergency Relief Committee, 
or KERC. It was hoped this project would be in operation by the time of 
this meeting. More than thirty persons had already been interviewed when 
the Society was notified that a change in rulings regarding personnel had been 
made which would limit employees to those available from the relief rolls. 
Whether this limitation will make it possible to secure qualified persons for 
the work proposed cannot be determined until those available from the relief 
rolls are interviewed. Word was received last week that the project has been 
approved. It is hoped work can be begun by the first of November. 

Tentative plans for work under this new project include the following: 
Completing the cataloging and labeling of pictures in the picture collection; 
completing the cataloging and reclassifying of books in the general library; 
indexing names in the first Kansas official census reports for the years 1855, 
1857 and 1859; indexing Kansas corporation records which contain copies of 
all charters issued by the state from 1863 to 1909; continuing the indexing 
of original correspondence of Kansas governors; preparing a general index of 
the Kansas Historical Collections from volume 1 to volume 17, inclusive; 



76 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

reclassifying and relabeling relics in the museum ; copying documents and cor- 
respondence in the manuscripts and archives collections, and mending books. 
Probably not all the indexing mentioned can be accomplished. No final 
decision can be made until the qualification of the workers is appraised. 

LIBRARY 

The library received over 3,000 requests for information, some requiring 
much time and research and others needing but brief answers. The number of 
books and pamphlets added is about the same as during the preceding year. 

Interest from the Pecker bequest fund, a bequest which can be applied only 
on the purchase of New Hampshire books, was used for the purchase of 
twenty-one volumes dealing with the genealogy and history of that state. 
Interest from the Booth bequest fund was spent for the latest edition of the 
Americana encyclopedia. 

An interesting collection of Civil War music was given by Mrs. Maud C. 
Cramer of Garden Grove, Calif. The music belonged originally to Ella Jane 
Hillyer, daughter of George S. Hillyer, a pioneer of Grasshopper Falls. 
Joseph K. Lilly of Indianapolis presented a complete set of reproductions of 
the songs and compositions of Stephen Collins Foster. Of particular note 
is a pamphlet purchased for the Kansas library, Periodical Account of Baptist 
Missions Within the Indian Territory for the Year Ending December 31, 1836, 
by Isaac McCoy. 

Subjects on which extended research was made during the year by historians 
and students are: Civil rights of women in territorial Kansas; Presbyterian 
missions in Kansas; Methodist missions in Kansas; Holladay stage coach 
line; history and development of schools in Doniphan county; history of 
education in Montgomery county; Pierre and Auguste Chouteau; panic of 
1857 and its political consequences; history of Osage county, 1870-1890; 
slavery in Kansas; relief of 1874-1875; history of Sherman county; the 
frontier and the labor movement; Gerrit Smith; Old Bill (William S.) 
Williams; history of the Baptist church in Kansas; Fremont sentiment in 
Kansas in 1864. 

Six trained librarians were employed in the library under the CWA proj- 
ect last winter. Approximately 45,000 books and pamphlets were classified and 
a small part of these were labeled and shelf-listed. Additional trained librarians 
are needed on the regular staff to continue this work. There are also hundreds 
of valuable books, pamphlets, maps and broadsides which need expert mending 
and backing for their preservation. 

PRIVATE MANUSCRIPTS 

Many valuable manuscripts were accessioned during, the year. These deal 
with various phases of the state's history from territorial days to the present. 
Donors to whom we are indebted include: Theodore Ackerman; James B. 
Brinsmaid; Clinton H. Collester; Mrs. R. K. Fry; Mrs. Lee Redden Gordon; 
W. B. Haines; W. P. Harrington; Grant W. Harrington; Bliss Isely; Mrs. 
Arthur M. Jordan; Mrs. L. G. Kennedy; T. M. Lillard; Wilder S. Metcalf; 
Ormon L. Miller; M. E. Palmer; Paul Parrish; L. C. Penfield; Paul Popenoe; 
Lena Robitaille; Mrs. Elmer 0. Swatzell; H. M. & J. P. Sydney; Webstei 
Wilder; Dora Skelton; Clayton Wyatt. 



THE ANNUAL MEETING 77 

Much use has been made of the manuscript collections. Papers of the United 
States Indian Superintendency and the New England Emigrant Aid Com- 
pany, the correspondence of Jotham Meeker, Thomas Wentworth Higginson, 
George Luther Stearns, Thaddeus Hyatt, Charles Robinson, John James 
Ingalls and others have furnished data for researchers. 

Under the CWA project much sorting and classifying was done in the vast 
collection of federal archives acquired from the old Topeka post-office building. 
The papers have been placed in eight general groups: correspondence and 
records of the Topeka post office; documents and correspondence of land 
offices; documents and correspondence relating to bankruptcy; court records, 
documents and correspondence; alien enemy registration; pension records; 
and miscellaneous correspondence. There has been some organization of the 
alien enemy registration, court records and correspondence, and bankruptcy 
papers. Of especial interest is the large group of papers from the territorial 
period of which there are approximately eight thousand. As rapidly as it is 
possible to do so, these important manuscripts will be made available for 
research. 

STATE ARCHIVES 

There were fewer accessions in this department than in the preceding year. 

Seven bound volumes relating to Harper county were given by Mrs. Myron 
Miller and Phil Sydney, of Anthony. These include abstracts, tax records 
and other material. Eleven maps with explanatory manuscripts were received 
from club women of the first congressional district, presented through the 
Women's Kansas Day Club. These maps show locations of historic sites and 
include the counties of Atchison, Brown, Doniphan, Jackson, Jefferson, 
Leavenworth, Marshall, Nemaha and Washington. A similar map of Bour- 
bon county was also received. 

Subjects on which research was done include ferries, lost town sites, the old 
Osage mission, Osage ceded lands, Cherokee neutral lands, battle fields, military 
camps, churches and numerous less general topics. Records of many of the 
noted women of Kansas were furnished the Women's Kansas Day Club. 
Many family records were supplied from the original census reports. 

NEWSPAPER SECTION 

A Union List of Newspapers, a publication listing the newspaper holdings 
in the libraries of the United States and Canada, is being compiled under the 
auspices of the Bibliographical Society of America. The committee in charge, 
under the chairmanship of Dr. J. T. Gerould, of Princeton, asked for a list of 
the Kansas Society's holdings. With the assistance of four CWA employees, 
the Society brought up to date the list of Kansas newspapers owned by the 
Society as shown in its History of Kansas Newspapers, published in 1916, and 
its list of out-of-state publications which had not been revised since the list 
was last published in the Eleventh Biennial Report in 1898. 

Thousands of volumes of our out-of-state holdings are magazines and prop- 
erly are cataloged through the library. In this compilation, for the conven- 
ience of the Bibliographical Society, an attempt was made to list only the 
newspapers owned by the Society, thus separating for the first time the actual 
holdings of the newspaper section from that of the library. The report showed 
a total of 8,062 out-of-Kansas bound newspaper volumes. 



78 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

The 1934 annual List of Kansas Newspapers and Periodicals received by the 
Kansas State Historical Society was published in July. The edition listed 738 
newspapers and periodicals which were being received regularly for filing. Of 
these, 59 were dailies, 11 semi-weeklies, 519 weeklies, 19 fortnightlies, nine 
semimonthlies, two once every three weeks, 73 monthlies, nine bimonthlies, 22 
quarterlies, 13 occasionals, one semiannual and one annual, coming from all the 
105 Kansas counties. In this list were included 460 weekly community news- 
papers. On January 1 the collection of Kansas newspapers totalled 42,010 
bound volumes. 

Accessions of old newspapers for the past year include: six issues of the 
Concordia Cyclone, published in 1881 and 1882, from Marion Ellet, Con- 
cordia; miscellaneous United States newspapers of the middle nineteenth 
century from J. B. Brinsmaid and Mrs. Lee Redden Gordon, and an incom- 
plete file of The Jayhawker Press, Newton, 1923-1933, from Ralph T. Baker, of 
Topeka. 

PICTURE COLLECTION 

With the assistance of three CWA workers, the Society was able to sort, 
catalog and shelf-list nearly five thousand pictures during the year. Of these, 
3,430 were unmounted pictures and portraits of persons prominent in Kansas 
history, and 1,333 were unmounted pictures of localities, or objects such as 
monuments and buildings, which often required more than one subject head- 
ing and cross reference. 

Work of this nature must necessarily proceed slowly, but progress is antici- 
pated this winter if our application for the new project under the KERC is 
approved and capable workers are furnished. Over ten thousand pictures yet 
remain to be worked. 

There were 207 pictures and portraits accessioned during the year. 

MUSEUM 

The attendance in the museum for the year ending July 1 was 33,617, a 
gain of 674 over the preceding year. 

There were ninety-four accessions of relics and museum objects. Among 
the most interesting accessions was the Civil War uniform which was worn 
by Gov. Samuel J. Crawford. This uniform and a number of other items 
which belonged to Governor Crawford were donated by his grandson, Marshall 
Crawford. An outstanding accession was an old Spanish bit which was found 
in western Kansas in 1885. This is a crude wrought-iron bit of the type 
used in the sixteenth century, and it is possible that it once belonged to 
some member of Coronado's expedition of 1541. It was presented by Paul 
Jones of Lyons. An ancient trunk was the gift of Harry Hutchings of 
Lawrence. Mr. Hutchings lived on property adjoining the Sir Walter Raleigh 
estate in England, and when as a boy of 15 he came to America, he was 
presented with one of three trunks stored in the attic of the Raleigh home. 
The trunk has been in Mr. Hutchings' possession ever since, and he states 
that it is one which had belonged to Raleigh. The initials W. R. appear in 
brass studs on the top of the trunk. 



THE ANNUAL MEETING 79 

ACCESSIONS 

Total accessions to the Society's collections for the year ending June 30, 
1934, were as follows: 
Library : 

Books (volumes) 1,330 

Pamphlets 3,998 

Archives : 

Separate manuscripts 

Manuscript volumes 

Manuscript maps 

Printed maps, atlases and charts 

Newspapers (bound volumes) 794 

Pictures 207 

Museum objects 94 

These accessions bring the totals in the possession of the Society to the 
following figures: 

Books, pamphlets, bound newspapers and magazines 353,060 

Separate manuscripts 924,795 

Manuscript volumes 27,223 

Manuscript maps 

Printed maps, atlases and charts 10,365 

Pictures 15,143 

Museum objects 32,780 

THE QUARTERLY 

The Quarterly is now completing its third year. A number of valuable con- 
tributions to the history of the state have been printed in the past year. 
Among the articles which attracted favorable attention was one entitled "A 
Southerner's Viewpoint of the Kansas Situation, 1856-1857." This consisted of 
letters which A. J. Hoole wrote to his family in South Carolina while he was 
living in and near Lecompton during the territorial troubles. George A. Root's 
series of articles on the ferries of Kansas has also aroused interest. Much 
credit for the high standard of the Quarterly is due to Dr. James C. Malin, as- 
sociate professor of history at the University of Kansas, who is associate editor. 

OLD SHAWNEE METHODIST MISSION 

There are five organizations cooperating with the Society at the old Shawnee 
mission : the Daughters of the American Revolution, the Colonial Dames, the 
Daughters of American Colonists, the Daughters of 1812 and the Shawnee Mis- 
sion Indian Historical Society. These are all state-wide organizations with the 
exception of the latter. The rooms which have been assigned to these societies 
are gradually being repaired and furnished. In the east building four rooms 
have been remodeled and decorated. A stone wall was built along the creek 
south of the west building to prevent damage by high water. Along the road 
south of the north building a stone retaining wall sixty feet long and averaging 
four and a half feet high was built. The seven acres north of Mission road were 
graded and filled to permit the use of a power mower. Despite the drought the 
grounds present a better appearance than they have since the state acquired the 
site. 

The appropriations granted for the mission are inadequate and should be 
increased. The amount allowed for maintenance by the legislature of 1933 
was $750 a year. The request made to the budget director asks that this be 



80 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

increased to $4,000 a year. This property, consisting of three large brick 
buildings now nearly one hundred years old and sixteen acres of ground, is 
one of the most important historic sites in the Middle West. The state pur- 
chased it at a cost of $50,000 and it deserves more consideration than it has 
received from the legislature. 

FIRST CAPITOL OP KANSAS 

The first capitol building continues to attract many visitors. For the year 
ending October 1, 1933, there were 6,647 as compared with 11,546 the preced- 
ing year. This decrease is due to the fact that highway No. 40 through the 
Fort Riley reservation was closed for several months while it was being re- 
paved. It is interesting to know that 35 per cent of the visitors come from 
other states. The salary of the caretaker, who is required to be in attendance 
every day, including Sundays, was reduced by the legislature of 1933 to $37.50 
a month. Our budget request asks that this be restored to $50 a month. 

FORT HAYS FRONTIER HISTORICAL PARK 

This park, which was created by the legislature of 1931, is managed by a 
board of which the secretary of the Historical Society is a member. A re- 
forestation camp was established at the park in the summer of 1933, and a 
crew of nearly two hundred men landscaped the grounds, built dams and made 
roads on land belonging to the park and to the adjoining experiment station 
and Fort Hays State College. At its last meeting the board voted to request 
$4,000 a year from the legislature for the maintenance of this park. 

PIKE PAWNEE PARK 

In 1901 the legislature appropriated $3,000 for a memorial monument to 
commemorate the visit of Zebulon Montgomery Pike to the Pawnee Indian 
camp at this site. Last spring this monument was blown over in a high wind 
and the top of the shaft was broken. Since any repairs which could be made 
would materially reduce the size of the shaft many persons in that part of the 
state, believing a new monument should be erected, requested that action be 
deferred until after the 1935 session of the legislature. 

KANSAS ARCHAEOLOGY 

This summer archaeologists of Kansas were surprised to learn that a group 
of men, said to represent the Nebraska Historical Society, had excavated 
Indian village sites in Kansas and had presumably taken a considerable num- 
ber of artifacts from the state. The Kansas Society had no knowledge of this 
archaeological expedition. There are many village sites in the state which 
have not yet been despoiled. These should be protected until they can be 
scientifically explored, and when they are excavated the Kansas Society should 
have an opportunity to secure representative artifacts. 

LOCAL AND COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETIES 

Since the last annual meeting two county historical societies have been 
organized, and the Society has assisted organizers in several other counties 
which have not yet affiliated. A number of the local and county societies in 
the state are doing good work in gathering historical documents and relics. 
Members of the state Society are urged to lend their assistance to local asso- 
ciations. 



THE ANNUAL MEETING 81 

This report would be incomplete without mention of the members of the 
staff of this Society. They are uniformly courteous, loyal and conscientious. 
The secretary acknowledges his indebtedness to them for what has been ac- 
complished in the past two years. 

Respectfully submitted, 

KIRKE MECHEM, Secretary. 

Upon the conclusion of the reading of the report of the secretary 
it was moved by F. A. Hobble that it be approved and accepted. 
Seconded by F. B. Bonebrake. Carried. 

The president, H. K. Lindsley, having arrived, Mr. Hodder re- 
linquished the chair to him. Mr. Lindsley called for the reading of 
the report of the treasurer of the Society, Mrs. Mary Embree, which 
follows : 

REPORT OF THE TREASURER 

STATEMENT OF MEMBERSHIP FEE FUND FROM OCTOBER 13, 1933, TO 
OCTOBER 12, 1934 

Balance October 13, 1933 $731.11 

Life membership fees 230.00 

Annual membership dues 196.00 

Refund of postage money '. 177.00 

Postage on Quarterly 1 .00 

Return of subscription 2 . 25 

Interest on Liberty bonds 297.50 

Liberty bonds at cost 5,911 .63 



Total amount on hand $7,546.49 



Expenditures : 

Expense of annual meeting $37.00 

Pictures and prints 29 . 35 

Traveling expenses 178.23 

Extra clerk hire 333.41 

Subscriptions 124.30 

Money advanced for postage 314 . 00 

Premium on bonds 10.00 

Payment to Belleville Monument Works 19.00 

Sign for Indian cemetery 3.82 

Flowers 17.82 

Gifts to janitors 13.50 

Rent of safe deposit box 3.30 

Payment on exchange of bonds 3 . 50 

Filing annual report of Society and Mission 2 . 00 

Notary renewal 2 . 00 

Southwest Press, clippings 3.40 

Remington Rand Inc., repairs and machine 46.25 

Southwest Bell Telephone Co., payment 7. 15 



Total expenditures $1,148.03 

Balance, October 12, 1934 6,398.46 



$7,546.49 



Liberty bonds $5,911 .63 

Cash 486.83 



66787 $6,398.46 



82 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

JONATHAN PECKER BEQUEST FUND 

Principal, Liberty bonds $950.00 

Balance, October 13, 1933 62.66 

Interest from October 13, 1933, to October 12, 1934 41 .38 



Total amount received $104.04 

Expenditures : 

Goodspeed's Book Shop for New Hampshire books 62.70 

Balance, October 12, 1934 41 .34 



$104.04 

JOHN BOOTH BEQUEST FUND 
Principal, Liberty bonds 500.00 

Balance, October 13, 1933 66.48 

Interest from October 13, 1933, to October 12, 1934 21 .78 



$88.26 



Expenditures : 

Americana Corporation, set of Americana 87 . 73 

Balance, October 12, 1934 .53 



$88.26 
THOMAS H. BOWLUS FUND 

Principal Liberty bond (interest in membership fund) $1,000.00 

Respectfully submitted, MARY EMBREE, Treasurer. 

The above and foregoing statement preceding this one, of the membership 
fund and of the trust funds Jonathan Pecker bequest fund, John Booth 
Bequest fund, and Thomas H. Bowlus fund, has been examined by the com- 
mittee October 12, 1934, and approved. EDWIN A. AUSTIN, 

THOMAS AMORY LEB, 
T. M. LILLARD. 

On motion of Mrs. Flora R. Godsey, seconded by Dr. E. Bum- 
gardner, the treasurer's report was approved. 

The president called for the report of the executive committee. 
In the absence of Edwin A. Austin, the secretary was asked to read 
the report: 

REPORT OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE 

The executive committee of the Kansas State Historical Society hereby 
submits the following report: 

The constitution of this Society by the second paragraph of the sixth 
section provides: 

For the transaction of necessary business when the board of directors 
is not in session, there shall be an executive committee of five members to 
be chosen from among members of the board of directors as follows: the 
president elected at the 1931 meeting shall appoint two members for one year 
and three members for two years and thereafter each newly elected president 



THE ANNUAL MEETING 83 

shall appoint members to fill vacancies as they expire, the term of office 
being two years. Subject to the general direction of the board of directors, 
and in conformity with the state laws governing the Society, the executive 
committee shall be authorized to exercise the powers of the board and shall 
be responsible for the management of the Society and the carrying out of its 
policies. 

Under the above provision the committee for the past year has been W. W. 
Denison, chairman, Edwin A. Austin, T. M. Lillard, H. K. Brooks, recently 
deceased, and Thomas Amory Lee appointed in his place, and Sam F. Woolard. 
The committee holds monthly meetings on the third Friday of each month 
except during the summer months, the president and secretary also attending. 
At the last meeting of the executive committee before this annual meeting, 
the committee examined the books of the treasurer and the receipts and 
disbursements of the Society, including the membership fund, state appro- 
priation, and other receipts and disbursements, and the report of the state ac- 
countant, and the cash on hand at the National Bank of Topeka to the credit 
of the Society up to the date of this report. 

In compliance with the constitution the following vacancies on the board 
of directors were filled by the executive committee: For the year ending 
October, 1934, C. L. Brokaw, Kansas City, Kan., Charles M. Correll, Man- 
hattan, and Mrs. Mamie Axline Fay, Pratt, to complete the terms of H. K. 
Brooks, Topeka, and A. E. Van Petten, Topeka, deceased; and Charles Curtis, 
Topeka, removed from the state; and for the year ending October, 1935, W. F. 
Lilliston, Wichita, Ralph R. Price, Manhattan, and Mrs. T. T. Solander, 
Osawatomie, to complete the terms of Noah L. Bowman, Garnett, C. E. Cory, 
Fort Scott, and H. L. Humphrey, Abilene, deceased, and they now submit 
their action for approval. 

The report of the executive committee would not be complete without 
mentioning the loss of Harry K. Brooks. Mr. Brooks died since the last 
annual meeting of the Society. In him the Society lost an active, energetic 
and faithful member. Mr. Brooks had served upon the executive committee 
of the board of directors for many years. It will be remembered that he 
married the daughter of the late Col. J. N. Harrison, who was president of 
the Society in 1914-'15, and it may be said that Mr. Brooks inherited from 
his father-in-law his first interest in the Society. The company of which he 
was the president and principal owner, The Capital Iron Works, furnished 
practically all the steel used in the construction of the building and of its 
metal fixtures. Mr. Brooks was always interested in the financial affairs of 
the Society and was one of the safeguards of its treasury. His place as a 
friend, member and efficient officer of the Society will be hard, indeed, to fill. 

W. W. DENISON, Chairman, 
EDWIN A. AUSTIN, 
T. M. LILLARD, 
THOMAS A. LEE, 
SAM F. WOOLARD. 

On motion of Dr. E. Bumgardner, seconded by R. C. Rankin, the 
report of the executive committee was approved and accepted. 

The report of the nominating committee was read by Mrs. Henry 
F. Mason, chairman: 



84 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

REPORT OF THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE 

To the Board of Directors, Kansas State Historical Society: 

Your committee on nominations beg leave to submit the following report 
for officers of the Kansas State Historical Society: 

For a one-year term: Thomas F. Doran, president; F. H. Hodder, first vice 
president; E. E. Kelly, second vice president. 

For a two-year term: Kirke Mechem, secretary; Mrs. Mary Embree, 
treasurer. Respectfully submitted, 

MBS. HENRY F. MASON, 
ISABELLE C. HARVEY, 
ERNEST A. RYAN, 
JAMES C. MALIN, Committee. 

On motion of Justice John S. Dawson, seconded by J. G. Egan, 
the report of the nominating committee was accepted. 

There being no further business for the board of directors the 
meeting adjourned. 

ANNUAL MEETING OF THE SOCIETY 

The annual meeting of the Kansas State Historical Society con- 
vened at 2 o'clock p. m. The meeting was called to order by Presi- 
dent Lindsley. 

Mrs. Eliza E. Goodrich, of Kansas City, Kan., a life member of the 
Society, was introduced. She explained her connection with the 
historical society of Wyandotte county and displayed a photostat 
copy of the Shaumee Sun and several other articles and relics. She 
presented a print of a group of pictures, including portraits of early- 
day residents, to the Society. 

The secretary read telegrams and letters from members who were 
unable to be present. 

The annual address of the president, H. K. Lindsley, was then 
read. His paper, "The Value of History," appears as a special 
article elsewhere in this issue of the Quarterly. At the conclusion 
of his address, Mr. Lindsley said: 

At this time I would like to say, also, that the Society is fortunate in having 
an executive staff of specialists, and a secretary who is more than efficient, 
looking after the detailed work of our Society. I want at this time to give 
them these words of appreciation for their work during the past year, and 
I know you all join me in sincere appreciation of their efforts. 

The principal address was made by Robert T. Aitchison, of 
Wichita. At the request of President Lindsley, he was introduced 
by Mr. Mechem, who said: 

It is a pleasure to me, personally, to have with us my friend, Robert 
Aitchison, of Wichita. He is a printer and publisher, and will give an address 



THE ANNUAL MEETING 



85 



which is peculiarly appropriate. This year is the one hundredth anniversary 
of the introduction of printing into Kansas by Jotham Meeker, in 1834. Mr. 
Aitchison is an authority on printing, and an artist as well, and is the maker 
of the two-colored charts hanging on the west wall of this room, giving the 
history of printing in America, and the history of printing in Europe. They 
were both designed and printed by Mr. Aitchison, and they show in some 
detail the beginnings of the art of printing. You will be interested to know 
that these charts have received international recognition, and are hung in 
libraries and universities all over the world. 

I also wish to say that in honor of Jotham Meeker, the first printer in 
Kansas, we have on display on the rack in the rear of the room, and on the 
counter, a number of early papers of Kansas, including some of those printed 
by Meeker in the first years of printing in Kansas. 

It gives me more than ordinary pleasure to introduce to you Mr. Robert 
Aitchison, who will illustrate his talk with rare imprints from his private 
collection. 

Mr. Aitchison's paper, "Early Imprints/' appears as a special 
article elsewhere in this issue of the Quarterly. 

Kirke Mechem, secretary of the Society, read a paper, "The 
Mystery of the Meeker Press," in which were presented the results 
of an investigation into stories of various presses which have been 
claimed to be Jotham Meeker's original press. His paper appears 
as a special article elsewhere in this issue of the Quarterly. 

The report of the committee on nominations for directors was 
read by Mrs. Henry F. Mason, chairman, as follows: 

OCTOBER 16, 1934. 
To the Kansas State Historical Society: 

Your committee on nominations beg leave to submit the following report 
and recommendations for directors of the Society for the term of three years 
ending October, 1937: 



Austin, E. A., Topeka. 
Berryman, J. W., Ashland. 
Brigham, Mrs. Lalla M., 

Council Grove. 
Brokaw, C. L., Kansas City. 
Bumgardner, Edward, Lawrence. 
Correll, Charles M., Manhattan. 
Davis, John W., Dodge City. 
Denious, Jess C., Dodge City. 
Fay, Mrs. Mamie Axline, Pratt. 
Frizell, E. E., Larned. 
Godsey, Mrs. Flora R., Emporia. 
Hall, Mrs. Carrie A., Leavenworth. 
Hamilton, Clad, Topeka. 



Haskin, S. B., Olathe. 

Hegler, Ben F., Wichita. 

Jones, Horace, Lyons. 

Kelley, E. E., Garden City. 

Lillard, T. M, Topeka. 

Lindsley, H. K., Wichita. 

McCarter, Mrs. Margaret Hill, Topeka. 

Mercer, J. H., Topeka. 

Oliver, Hannah P., Lawrence. 

Patrick, Mrs. Mae C., Satanta. 

Reed, Clyde M., Parsons. 

Rupp, Mrs. W. E., Hillsboro. 

Scott, Charles F., lola. 

Schultz, Floyd B., Clay Center. 



86 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

Shirer, H. L., Topeka. Wheeler, Mrs. B. R., Topeka. 

Vande Mark, M.V.B., Concordia. Woolard, Sam F., Wichita. 

Wark, George H., Caney. Wooster, Lorraine E., Salina. 

Respectfully submitted, 

MRS. HENRY F. MASON, 

ISABELLE C. HARVEY, 

ERNEST A. RYAN, 

JAMES C. MALIN, 

E. E. EJELLEY, Committee. 

On motion of Edwin A. Austin, seconded by F. A. Hobble, these 
directors were unanimously elected for the term ending October, 
1937. 

President Lindsley called upon Mr. Mechem to introduce editors 
who had been invited to take part in the program in celebration of 
the one hundredth anniversary of printing in Kansas. 

Charles H. Browne, editor of the Horton Headlight, and a director 
of the Society, spoke extemporaneously, as follows: 

TALK OF CHAS. H. BROWNE 

Mr. President, and members of the Society: I think it is a little bit late, 
after these very fine speeches, to hear from a mere Kansas editor, of whom 
there are five hundred or six hundred scattered throughout the state, and 
who do not always attend these affairs in the capital city. However, when 
Mr. Mechem wrote me, I thought it might possibly be of interest to you to 
know the reactions of a newspaper man to some of the history-making events 
of this state in connection with its military forces. It happens to have been 
my privilege to have been a member of the National Guard of the state of 
Kansas for around thirty years, and also to have been in the newspaper 
business at the same time. Now, I think you all know that it is the custom 
of all military forces to try to suppress or censor military news while it is the 
business of a newspaper to disseminate the news. So I have had a dual 
job of taking part in military maneuvers, and keeping even unusual events 
out of the news. I have been thinking of a few little things that took place, 
which will never be quoted as history, because those who participated were 
unable to mention the events, and, as a result, much has probably been 
forgotten by even those who took part in them. Mr. Mechem, your secretary, 
who served in the 137th infantry in France, understands what I mean. 

As a little sample of this, I recall an incident which happened in 1916. As 
all of you, no doubt, remember, Kansas sent two regiments of volunteer 
soldiers to the Mexican border. This was the first time that the volunteers 
were permitted to actually go into action as the National Guard, for Kansas 
state troops were not permitted to go as National Guard to the Spanish War. 
That great figure, Gen. Fred Funston, was commanding general of about 
200,000 troops on the border, including the punitive expeditionary force com- 
manded by General Pershing in Mexico. There was no actual war at that 
time with Mexico; we were there, however, to keep peace 75,000 regulars 



THE ANNUAL MEETING 87 

and 125,000 National Guardsmen some from every one of the forty-eight 
states. Funston was in direct command of all troops, including the National 
Guard units, and perhaps had as much to do with preventing actual warfare 
at that time as anyone, including the President of the United States. Right 
at that time the gasoline driven truck was coming into general use, and a 
number of them were sent to the Mexican border, and Funston was directed 
to move two or three regiments by trucks as an experiment. Trucks for the 
movement of troops was something that had never been tried in the United 
States before, but a year or two later in the World War they were used every 
day for that purpose. 

Funston .knew we had two Kansas infantry regiments at Eagle Pass, Tex., 
and, as I understand, he wanted to see the officers, but it was impossible for 
him to go to Eagle Pass. Being resourceful, he just thought he would move 
them up to San Antonio in the trucks. No one had ever thought of moving 
hundreds of foot soldiers by trucks then, but less than two years later we 
moved divisions of 27,000 men in that way and thought nothing of it. Among 
the Kansas officers at Eagle Pass were Gen. Wilder S. Metcalf, Maj. Albert 
H. Krause, and others, who had served with Funston in the Twentieth Kansas 
in the Philippines in 1899. 

That is a little incident of no particular importance, but it shows how 
Funston, the outstanding hero of the Spanish-American War, used his wits, 
and the resources at hand, to get an opportunity to see these Kansas soldiers 
and the intimate friends of his early military career. 

Of course, during the World War, all movements of the army and navy 
were concealed, and nothing was allowed to be printed about it, and we used 
to say that nobody but the Germans knew when you went anywhere. When 
one battalion of the Thirty-fifth division went into the trenches, the Germans 
put up a little banner, saying, "Welcome, 35th Division." (Laughter) 

Another incident that I never could put into my newspaper was this: Back 
in the early stages of the war my home town was Horton, as it is now, and 
the Eighteenth infantry was moved from El Paso to the Atlantic seaboard 
for early service in France. General Pershing had asked for this regiment as 
a part of the First division, and they moved through Horton in May of 1917. 
I went down to the train and talked to the officers. They knew they were 
going to France, and I did, too, and yet I couldn't put one thing in my paper 
about it, because of the strict censorship of that time. 

The First division did more fighting than any other division in France. 
The Eighteenth, when it joined the First division, had in its ranks some 700 
Polacks. These men had enlisted in the hope of being allowed to form an 
all-Polish regiment, but in the various transfers the Eighteenth got them all, 
and there wasn't an officer in the regiment who could talk to these men. The 
First was the first division to go to France, and yet a quarter of them were 
Polacks, who knew very little about the United States, but they were our 
first representatives in France. I have heard people say that the First division 
was almost wholly composed of native-born Americans, but they evidently 
hadn't heard about those Polacks. 

I went to France with the Thirty-fifth division was an officer in the 139th 
infantry. You can talk all you want about certain regiments being composed 



88 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

of men from Kansas, or men from Missouri, or men from Texas, or any other 
one state, but I'll tell you that they were shifted around so much that they 
were finally a combination from all states. 

The 139th infantry finally got to New York. It took every railroad to 
move this Thirty-fifth division to get it to New York. The 139th, the 
regiment I was in, went from Kansas City to Detroit; traveled all night 
through Canada, and went down from there to New York. Other regiments 
were routed through Illinois, Kentucky, and even Georgia. It took at least 
two weeks to get them across the United States. And that was the way we 
went to war. When we got to France, this same division, the Thirty-fifth, was 
moved from up near Calais, near the English Channel, to the front lines in 
Alsace, not far from Switzerland, in three days. They moved us in cattle 
cars you've heard about them, I know little cars about as big as a truck, 
and tiny engines with whistles that sounded like those of a peanut stand. 
They didn't tell you how many days you would be on the train, but they 
got you there. 

After we got to New York, the men of the 137th infantry the all-Kansas 
regiment were all loaded on board a ship. Then they found some bombs, or 
a broken propeller shaft, or something, and so they unloaded all of them and 
distributed them to other ships. Company "H" of Lawrence, 137th infantry, 
went over on the same ship that I did, which also carried all the 3,600 men 
of the 139th infantry. 

An interesting thing happened after our arrival in France. We were in 
England a short time, and then were sent over to France, to Le Havre. There 
company commanders were called together by an American army officer, who 
told them that he had orders to give to them this information, which they 
would communicate to their men. He said, "You are now in the British army. 
This regiment is a part of the British army. You will eat British food, and 
probably wear British uniforms when those you have on wear out." I was a 
National Guard officer; my men had all enlisted voluntarily a year before. 
They were not drafted men, but volunteers like those who fought in the 
Spanish-American War and the Civil War half of them Kansas men, and 
perhaps half Missouri men, and now they were in the British army. 

Astounded, but obeying orders, I lined up my company and repeated what 
I had heard, adding this: "These are orders. You thought you were enlisted 
in the United States army, but you are now in the British army, and if any 
of you don't like it, you have my permission to fall out and go home." No- 
body went home we were three or four thousand miles from there, and so 
we stuck. 

Our division was moved from that area, and so we eventually got rid of 
this British control. We were moved up near Switzerland. My battalion 
were placed in trucks; went through a tunnel; passed unusual signs, with 
different kind of reading. I said, "We are in Germany, I know we are, those 
are German type buildings," and it turned out that we were in German Alsace. 
It is my belief the Thirty-fifth division was the first American division sent 
into German territory, whose men were actually on German soil, and that is 
another thing that has never been printed. 

In a little town there a Kansas chaplain of our regiment announced that 
church service would be held in a little Lutheran church. It was the first 



THE ANNUAL MEETING 89 

Protestant church I saw in Europe. Our band played in lieu of an organ, 
and the chaplain, a very fine man, got up and announced that the regular 
minister was away on military service. And when we asked the chaplain after 
the service, "What army is this duck in?" he said "In the German army." 
I am taking too much time. 

(Mr. Lindsley told him to go on.) 

The National Guard units of Kansas have participated in a tremendous 
number of engagements as volunteer soldiers, right on down from Givil War 
days, yet, until lately, we had nothing that might show our honorable 
service such as they have in the British army, regimental insignia. The 137th 
infantry of Kansas, which it has been my privilege to command for the past 
thirteen years, now proudly wears its new regimental insignia. I want to 
show it to you. It took our regiment at least five years to get the insignia 
that we should have had years before. And the man who had more to do 
with it than any other is Lieut. Col. Harrie S. Mueller, of Wichita. It is a 
coincidence that he is present here to-day. 

I want to show you the actual coat of arms of this all-Kansas 137th regiment 
of infantry, as drawn up by the quartermaster corps of the United States 
army and approved July 14, 1932, by the IT. S. government, to carry on the 
history and traditions of your Kansas regiment. (He indicates as he talks.) 
This green canton at the top stands for service on the Mexican border. 
Space has been left to show the service of Kansas soldiers in the Civil War 
and the Indian wars when we can prove connection between our present 
regiment and the officers and men who were engaged in those early wars. 

These (points) are real little bolos, and represent the service of the 
Twentieth Kansas in the Philippines. The sunflower, of course, represents 
Kansas. 

Now, an interesting thing, in my opinion, is this bar across here (indicates), 
which is one distinctive thing that no other American army regiment has. 
That was secured by the untiring efforts of Colonel Mueller. He wrote the 
French war department and asked them to pick something from the coat of 
arms of some town in France which was lived in, passed through, or captured 
by this particular regiment, the 137th infantry, to put into the coat of arms, 
or insignia of the regiment. They were very much interested, and they took this 
bar (indicates), which is really a baton of a marechal of France; took it from 
the coat of arms of the town of Varennes, which had acquired it, as represent- 
ing a marechal of France in the time of Louis the XVI. At the time of the 
Revolution in France Louis the Sixteenth and Marie Antoinette were trying 
to escape from France, but were recognized at the little town of Varennes by 
a young French army officer who arrested them and returned them to Paris. 
He later became a marechal of France. 

In 1918 the 137th infantry actually captured the town of Varennes during 
the Meuse-Argonne offensive after it had been occupied by the Germans for 
over four years. The French military authorities felt this gave all officers and 
men of the 137th infantry the right to wear it this baton taken from the 
coat of arms of the city of Varennes. I hope you who are interested will 
look this over. 

It has given me pleasure to tell you a few small incidents which I haven't 
been allowed to print, nor even allowed to tell when in the army. None of 



90 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

them are of great importance, but possibly carry some interest. They would 
have been doubly interesting at the time they happened, had I been allowed 
to put them into print. 
I thank you. (Applause.) 

Following Mr. Browne, 0. W. Little, of the Alma Enterprise, 
addressed the members: 

TALK OF 0. W. LITTLE 

Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen: I was much interested in hearing 
about our friend Jotham Meeker, who engaged in the printing business in 
Kansas a hundred years ago, because the paper with which I am associated 
was established fifty years ago, and celebrated the anniversary of its estab- 
lishment last week. I might have been a relation of Meeker's, as at one time 
I was rather sweet on his grand-daughter, and I thought she liked me, but 
that was as far as I ever got. 

My father came here, and lived here in Topeka the winter of '57 and '58; 
he went to high school here, and lived with a Doctor Martin. I don't know 
whether any Topeka people knew him or not. In the summer of 1858 he 
stayed with Dr. S. E. Beach, above Dover, on Mission creek. He only 
stayed there while he was having the "shakes" in other words, malarial ague. 
From his account he had them good and plenty. 

I haven't anything of particular interest to offer you. I was very much 
interested in the secretary's story about the Meeker press. Charlie Scott 
wrote me about the press when he heard from the man at Guymon and we 
were both trying to do some sleuthing. After listening to your secretary's 
paper, I thought there wasn't much left of the story of the press like the 
Dutchman's cider barrel, nothing left but the bunghole. (Laughter.) 

I am going to tell you about my first acquaintance with Harvey Parsons, 
who died here a year ago. I knew him all his life. When I first knew him 
he lived up near Keene, on a farm; then he came to Topeka. After coming 
to Topeka he was the police reporter on the State Journal, and there has 
never been another like him. It was while he was working as a police re- 
porter that his cartoons began to bring him into prominence. 

I have taken some satisfaction in the thought that I started "Harve" in 
his work as a cartoonist. While he was out on the farm some of his friends 
told me of his ambition to draw things, and gave me an idea of what his 
trend was in that line. I made some connection with him, and told him that 
if he wanted to draw some cartoons for my paper to go ahead. The first 
cartoon he sent in was based on the catch-line of a paper in a neighboring 
town, the Star the phrase being "Search the Star." His cartoon showed an 
old hayseed searching the Star, and the individual shown happened to be an 
exact picture of one of my subscribers a good friend. Harvey never saw 
him, didn't know him at all, but he couldn't have drawn a better picture of 
him than that cartoon. The old gentleman didn't like it, and he stopped the 
paper. I hadn't thought of any connection in looking at that cartoon, but 
when he stopped the paper, I knew what ailed him. 

The next week he drew a picture of a place in a neighboring town where 
they sold some of the liquid that is usually sold to folks in the backroom of 



THE ANNUAL MEETING 91 

the hotel. The sheriff down there had put a padlock on the door. I forget 
the catch line under this picture, but it showed about six of the rather 
prominent men in town weeping while they looked at this padlocked door. 
They got their papers on Friday, and on Saturday I got letters from most of 
them stopping the paper. (Laughter.) 

I went over to see Harvey, and I told him, "This is too expensive. I can't 
affiord it it is costing me too much to have them mad every week. You 
ought to be on a larger paper." Anyway, I wrote letters to Albert Reid and 
Mr. MacLennan, whom you all knew, and Harvey came to Topeka and got 
a job. He was a very unusual man. Through all the years I knew him he 
continued to develop, and his death was untimely, to me at least. 

I was glad that Charlie Browne got a chance to talk about the army to 
tell us some of the unwritten history which he couldn't print. I think telling 
about it is more interesting than writing about it, anyway. 

I thank you. (Applause.) 

The president called for reports of committees. He was informed 
that Mrs. W. B. Gresham and several members of the Shawnee 
Mission Indian Historical Society had been in attendance at the 
meeting with the report which they had been invited to read. Due 
to the lateness of the hour they found it necessary to leave for their 
return trip to Kansas City, with the request that their report be 
accepted and filed. On motion, their report was accepted and placed 
on record. 

At the request of John C. Hogin, a life member of Belleville, the 
following article by John F. Stanton was made a part of the records 
of the meeting. It had been hoped that time would be found for the 
reading of this tribute to the pioneer home, but the lateness of the 
hour prevented. 

OUR FATHER'S CASTLE 

It nestled in the brow of a hill, by the side of a winding trail. 

The tomahawk and fire brand of a hostile Indian could harm it not. 

The blasts of winter held it in its frozen grip, and spread an icy mantle of 
sleet and snow over it; as if to hide its homeliness. 

Spring came and the lightning played about it. 

It was lost to view in a sea of flames as a wind-driven prairie fire surged 
around it. 

The tornado writhed and twisted and spent its fury on it. 

The scorching sun and winds of summer beat upon it. 

Yet in the calm of autumn the moon beamed through the window upon 
the children in the little trundle bed. 

Through cold and heat; through flame and fury that had raged over them: 
they had played or slept in that peace, safety, and comfort that mother earth 
has ever given to them that seek the shelter of her bosom. 

Within its crowded space the new-found neighbors gathered to minister to 
some misfortune or celebrate some joyous event. Its narrow walls were ever 
broad enough to shelter some weary traveler from the chill of night or storm. 



92 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

Its tiny stores were large enough to divide with some less fortunate neighbor. 

It was home to those who fought with drought and hunger. 

It was home to those who would and did an empire build. 

To-day it is as but a dent in the hillside as a blur in our memory may 
we commemorate it in legend and in song. 

The old dugout the refuge of the pioneer. 

The castle of the homestead. 

May we in these dark days of depression and drought, kindle anew the 
flame of the fraternity of the old dugout. 

May we stand neighbor to neighbor and as shoulder to shoulder in this 
common cause to all. 

Through the far stretches of our country hearts bleed over our plight. 

The government and great agencies of mercy are bending to aid us. 

Let us stand as our fathers stood as neighbor and brother. And the de- 
pression, heat and drought will not have destroyed all. 

And we shall find that much of the dross has been burned from the gold 
within us. And we shall emerge from under this thing with a better faith 
in humanity. 

A better understanding of our government. 

A better hope for our future. 

A better love for our neighbor. 

And a better respect for our neighbor's God. 

Let us in our hearts abide again in Our Father's Castle. J. F. STANTON. 

There being no further business the annual meeting of the mem- 
bers of the Society adjourned. 

MEETING OP THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS 

The afternoon meeting of the board of directors was called to 
order by the president. He asked for a re-reading of the report of 
the nominating committee for officers of the Society. The following 
were unanimously elected: 

For a one-year term : Thomas F. Doran, president ; F. H. Hodder, 
first vice president; E. E. Kelley, second vice president. 

For a two-year term: Kirke Mechem, secretary; Mrs. Mary 
Embree, treasurer. 

There being no further business the meeting adjourned. 

KIRKE MECHEM, Secretary. 

DIRECTORS OF THE KANSAS STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY 
AS OF OCTOBER, 1934 

DIRECTORS FOR YEAR ENDING OCTOBER, 1935 

Aitchison, R. T., Wichita. Doerr, Mrs. Laura P. V., Lamed. 

Capper, Arthur, Topeka. Doran, Thomas F., Topeka. 

Crosby, E. H., Topeka. Ellenbecker, John G., Marysville. 

Dawson, John S., Hill City. Harvey, Mrs. Sally, Topeka. 

Denison, W. W., Topeka. Hobble, Frank A., Dodge City. 



THE ANNUAL MEETING 



93 



Hodder, F. H., Lawrence. 
Hogin, John C., Belleville. 
Huggins, Wm. L., Emporia. 
Johnston, Mrs. W. A., Topeka. 
Knapp, Dallas W., Coffeyville. 
Lilleston, W. F., Wichita. 
McLean, Milton R., Topeka. 
McNeal, T. A., Topeka. 
Malin, James C., Lawrence. 
Mason, Mrs. Henry F., Topeka. 
Moore, Russell, Wichita. 
Morehouse, George P., Topeka. 

DIRECTORS FOR YEAR 

Beeks, Charles E., Baldwin. 
Beezley, George F., Girard. 
Bonebrake, Fred B., Topeka. 
Bowlus, Thomas H., lola. 
Browne, Charles H., Horton. 
Dean, John S., Topeka. 
Embree, Mrs. Mary, Topeka. 
Gray, John M., Kirwin. 
Harger, Charles M., Abilene. 
Harvey, Mrs. Isabella C., Topeka. 
Haucke, Frank, Council Grove. 
Kagey, Charles L., Wichita. 
Kinkel, John M., Topeka. 
Lee, Thomas Amory, Topeka. 
McFarland, Helen M., Topeka. 
Malone, James, Topeka. 
Mechem, Kirke, Topeka. 

DIRECTORS FOR YEAR 

Austin, E. A., Topeka. 
Berryman, J. W., Ashland. 
Brigham, Mrs. Lalla M., 

Council Grove. 
Brokaw, C. L., Kansas City. 
Bumgardner, Edward, Lawrence. 
Correll, Charles M., Manhattan. 
Davis, John W., Dodge City. 
Denious, Jess C., Dodge City. 
Fay, Mrs. Mamie Axline, Pratt. 
Frizell, E. E., Lamed. 
Godsey, Mrs. Flora R., Emporia. 
Hall, Mrs. Carrie A., Leavenworth. 
Hamilton, Clad, Topeka. 
Haskin, S. B., Olathe. 
Hegler, Ben F., Wichita. 
Jones, Horace, Lyons. 



Price, Ralph R., Manhattan. 

Raynesford, H. C., Ellis. 

Russell, W. J., Topeka. 

Smith, Wm. E., Wamego. 

Solander, Mrs. T. T., Osawatomie. 

Spratt, 0. M., Baxter Springs. 

Stevens, Caroline F., Lawrence. 

Thompson, W. F., Topeka. 

Van Tuyl, Mrs. Erne H., Leavenworth. 

Walker, Mrs. Ida M., Norton. 

Wilson, John H., Salina. 

ENDING OCTOBER, 1936 
Metcalf, Wilder S., Lawrence. 
Morrison, T. F., Chanute. 
Norris, Mrs. George, Arkansas City. 
O'Neil, Ralph T., Topeka. 
Philip, Mrs. W. D., Hays. 
Rankin, Robert C., Lawrence. 
Ruppenthal, J. C., Russell. 
Ryan, Ernest A., Topeka. 
Sawtell, James H., Topeka. 
Simons, W. C., Lawrence. 
Seller, August, Washington. 
Stanley, W. E., Wichita. 
Stone, Robert, Topeka. 
Trembly, W. B., Kansas City. 
Walker, B. P., Topeka. 
Woodward, Chester, Topeka. 

ENDING OCTOBER, 1937 

Kelley, E. E., Garden City. 

Lillard, T. M., Topeka. 

Lindsley, H. K., Wichita. 

McCarter, Mrs. Margaret Hill, Topeka. 

Mercer, J. H., Topeka. 

Oliver, Hannah P., Lawrence. 

Patrick, Mrs. Mae C., Satanta. 

Reed, Clyde M., Parsons. 

Rupp, Mrs. W. E., Hillsboro. 

Scott, Charles F., lola. 

Schultz, Floyd B., Clay Center. 

Shirer, H. L., Topeka. 

Van de Mark, M. V. B., Concordia. 

Wark, George H., Caney. 

Wheeler, Mrs. B. R., Topeka. 

Woolard, Sam F., Wichita. 

Wooster, Lorraine E'., Salina. 



Kansas History as Published 
in the Press 

Sketches concerning early Washington and Marshall county his- 
tory are featured in Grant Swing's column, "Notes By the Way- 
side," published from time to time in the Barnes Chief. 

Pictures of Norton county's pioneers, as taken from Lockard's 
History of Norton County, have appeared occasionally in recent 
issues of the Norton Champion. 

Recollections of early-day Nicodemus by George Moore were 
recorded by W. F. Hughes in his column, "Facts and Comment," 
printed in the Rooks County Record, of Stockton, March 29, 1934. 

Falls City (Neb.) history was reviewed by David D. Reavis in 
his column, "Through the Years in Falls City," published in the 
Falls City Journal from May 10 to June 28, 1934. Mention was 
made in the series of articles of the Indians and Doniphan county 
and of the activities of James Lane and John Brown in the Falls 
City area on their way to and from Kansas. 

George J. Remsburg, a former Kansas newspaper publisher, is 
associate editor of the Pony Express Courier, a monthly journal now 
being published at Placerville, Calif., a historic California mining 
town of gold-rush days. The Courier, since its inception on June 1, 
1934, has been replete with historical articles of the gold rush and 
pony express eras. Mr. Remsburg is an able writer of history and 
his present series in the Courier maintains the high standard of his 
previous writings. His recent articles of especial interest to Kansans 
include: "Pony Express Riders I Have Met," "Kansas Governors in 
California History," "Marysville, Kansas, a Historic Town Born 
in the California Gold Rush," and "Buffalo Billions." 

A recently revealed memorandum dictated by Lieut. James D. 
Mann a few days before his death throws considerable light on the 
Battle of Wounded Knee Creek, the Junction City Union reported 
in a brief review of the incident printed in its issue of June 25, 1934. 
Lieutenant Mann's memorandum in full appears in a recent issue of 
The Cavalry Journal, of Washington, D. C. 

Early maps of Russell county were discussed by J. C. Ruppenthal 
in his column "Russell Rustlings," appearing in the Paradise Farmer, 
June 25, 1934. Only about ten place names appear on the twenty- 

(94) 



KANSAS HISTORY IN THE PRESS 95 

five township maps made by a United States survey in 1866-1867, 
Mr. Ruppenthal reported. 

The story of the development of the Fort Hays Frontier Historical 
Park was written by J. P. Cammack, the construction superin- 
tendent, for the Hays Daily News, June 28, 1934. 

Arkansas City post-office history was reviewed by L. B. Mohler, 
postmaster, in the Arkansas City Tribune, September 20, 1934. 
Gould Hyde Morton, the first postmaster, was appointed May 16, 
1870. 

A twelve-page brochure entitled History of First Baptist Church 
of Emporia, was recently published by Miss Adelaide Jane Morse. 
The church was originally organized in Emporia in October, 1859, 
with nine members. They all moved away soon afterward, and no 
meetings were held until February 8, 1868, when the present church 
was organized. 

Mayfield church history was reviewed in a two-column article 
printed in the Wellington Daily News, October 11, 1934, and The 
Sumner County News, October 17. 

The history of Schoenfeld Reformed church of Wheatland town- 
ship, Barton county, was published in the Hoisington Dispatch, 
October 18, 1934. The church celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of 
its founding October 7. 

"A Brief History of Pawnee County," by Harry H. Wolcott, was 
printed in the Larned Chronoscope in its issues of October 18 and 
25, 1934. Mr. Wolcott prepared the narrative for use at a meeting 
of the Pawnee Women's Farm Bureau Units held at Larned on 
October 12. 

The history of the 137th infantry, to which Company D of Dodge 
City belongs, was reviewed in the Dodge City Daily Globe, Octo- 
ber 22, 1934. 

A history of Rice county's School District No. 19, more com- 
monly known as Hebron, was sketched by R. H. Smith in the 
Lyons Daily News, October 23, 1934. 

The fiftieth anniversary of the Strong City Grace Evangelical 
Lutheran church was observed with special services held at the 
church on October 14, 1934. Only one charter voting member, 
William Eckhart, Sr., of Bazaar, is now living, the Chase County 
Leader, of Cottonwood Falls, reported in its issue of October 24. 



96 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

Winona forty-five years ago was described by J. C. Rice in an 
interview with J. G. Felts, published in the Logan County News, 
of Winona, October 25, 1934. Mr. Rice, while living in Winona, 
was president of the townsite company. 

Fifty years of Protection history was sketched in the Protection 
Post, October 25, 1934, commemorating the city's founding in 
October, 1884. A copy of the town company's charter was printed 
as a feature of the edition. 

Clearwater history was briefly reviewed in the Clearwater News, 
October 25, 1934. The city celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of its 
founding with special ceremonies held October 31. 

The Salem Evangelical Lutheran church, southeast of Marys- 
ville, celebrated the sixtieth anniversary of its founding October 
19 to 21, 1934. Histories of the organization were contributed by 
Everett W. Nelson to The Advocate-Democrat, of Marysville, 
October 25, and by Byron E. Guise to the Marshall County News, 
October 26. 

Early days along the eastern part of the Kansas-Indian territory 
border were described by James H. Hale in a four-column article 
published in the Yates Center News, October 26, 1934. 

Members of the Blessed Sacrament Catholic parish of Kansas 
City celebrated the silver anniversary of the pastorate of the Rev. 
Eugene I. Dekat, October 28, 1934. A review of the Reverend 
Dekat's accomplishments was included in a history of the parish 
printed in the Kansas City Kansan, October 28. 

Hardships of pioneer days were described by Mrs. James Lynch, 
of Miller, in an article published in the Emporia Gazette, November 
1, 1934. Mrs. Lynch came to Lyon county in 1869. 

Names of old settlers and the dates of their arrival in the Cheney 
vicinity, as registered in the guest books at the Cheney Fair and 
Homecoming held October 24 to 26, 1934, were printed in the 
Cheney Sentinel, November 1. 

Kansas City school history was briefly reviewed in the Kansas 
City Kansan, November 4, 1934. 

Some highlights of Rice county history were sketched by Frank 
Hoyt in the Lyons Daily News, November 6, 1934. In the News 
of January 4, 1935, Mr. Hoyt described the county's Indian scare in 



KANSAS HISTORY IN THE PRESS 97 

the latter 1870's, and in the issue of January 9 he told of the 
blizzard of 1886. 

Horse thieves and the punishment meted out to them in Butler 
county in 1870 were discussed in the Douglass Tribune in its issue 
of November 9, 1934. The article was reprinted in the Wichita 
Sunday Eagle, December 2. Additional notes on the subject were 
supplied by W. F. McGinnis in the Tribune of November 23. 

The World War experiences of Lieut. John Wesley McManigal 
of Horton, and Joseph S. Simpich of New Franklin, Mo., were re- 
lated by A. B. MacDonald in an Armistice Day feature published 
in the Kansas City (Mo.) Star, November 11, 1934. The article 
with illustrations was reproduced in the Horton Headlight, Novem- 
ber 15. 

Excerpts from the diary of Elisha Root, pioneer Wichitan, were 
printed in the Wichita Sunday Eagle, November 11, 1934. Mr. Root 
began his diary on his arrival in Wichita in 1872. 

The history of old Wilmington, in present Wabaunsee county, 
was reviewed in the Emporia Gazette, November 13, 1934. The city 
was established at the junction of a road from Leavenworth with 
the Santa Fe trail. H. D. Shepard, who settled there in 1858, opened 
the first store. 

A brief history of the Rogers Mills trading post which was 
operated by Darius Rogers near present Chanute during the Civil 
War period was published in the Chanute Tribune, November 17, 
1934. 

The history of the Wichita Indians was sketched by Paul I. Well- 
man in the Wichita Sunday Eagle, November 18, 1934. The 
Wichitas were living at the present site of the city of Wichita in 
1867, when they were removed to the Indian territory. 

A three-day observance of the eightieth anniversary of the found- 
ing of the Lawrence First Methodist church was held November 18 
to 20, 1934. Notes on the history of the organization were published 
in contemporaneous issues of the Lawrence Daily Journal-World 
and the Douglas County Republican. 

Early Liberal and Seward county history was briefly reviewed 
by Mr. and Mrs. B. B. Gant, western Kansas pioneers, in the 
Liberal News in its issues of November 20, 21, and 23, 1934. 

76787 



98 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

Norton's first school was recalled by Mrs. Fred Duvall in an 
article published in the Norton Daily Telegram, November 21, 
1934. The school was established in a dugout in 1873. Joel Sim- 
mons was the teacher. 

A historical feature story entitled "Merriam Forty Years Ago 
and To-day," was contributed by John W. Sanders to the Merriam 
Leader, November 22, 1934. 

The railroad bond election in Anderson county in 1868 and the 
part played in it by the Irish of Reeder township was recalled by 
J. E. Reddington, of Waverly, in the Garnett Review, November 
22, 1934. A history of the Emerald Catholic church near Harris 
was another of Mr. Reddington's contributions to the Review, in 
its issue of December 13. 

Immanuel Lutheran church of Lawrence celebrated the tenth 
anniversary of the dedication of its church building November 25, 
1934. Brief histories of the organization were published in the 
Lawrence Douglas County Republican, November 22, 1934, and the 
Daily Journal-World, November 23. 

The reminiscences of George W. Bragunier, pioneer merchant of 
Topeka and Emporia, were printed in the Emporia Gazette, Novem- 
ber 23, 1934. Mr. Bragunier came to Kansas in 1867. 

Kansans, whose biographies have recently been sketched in the 
Kansas City (Mo.) Star include: Dudley Doolittle, of Wichita, 
November 25, 1934; Hugo Wedell, Chanute attorney, December 30; 
Frank Milligan, business manager of Fort Scott Tribune, January 
6, 1935; Frank W. Sponable, Paola banker, January 13; L. D. 
Brewster, Baxter Springs mining operator, January 27 ; Fred Harris, 
Ottawa attorney, February 3, and Charles D. Welch, Coffeyville 
attorney, February 10. 

The history of the old Mickel hotel and the early town of Water- 
loo was discussed by Marie A. Olson in the Topeka Daily Capital, 
November 26, 1934. W. L. Mickel erected the hotel in 1856, and 
two years later he laid out the town of Waterloo with the hotel 
serving as the post office. 

A history of Fall, in southern Leavenworth county, was sketched 
in the Leavenworth Times, November 27, 1934. Fall was originally 
named Fall Leaf in honor of Po-na-kah-wo-wha, a Delaware Indian 
chief whose home was in that vicinity. 



KANSAS HISTORY IN THE PRESS 99 

The history of Winding Vale school, District No. 20, of Jackson 
county, was contributed by Mrs. Charles E. Taylor to the Holton 
Recorder, November 29, 1934. The district was organized on April 
26, 1862. 

" 'Billy the Kid' Rode to Grave in Wagon Repaired by 88-year- 
old Pittsburgan," was the title of a brief article relating the remi- 
niscences of W. S. Jones, which was published in the Pittsburg 
Advertiser, November 29, 1934. Mr. Jones was an early settler 
of Pittsburg, arriving there in 1874. 

The founding of Osawatomie was briefly reviewed by Addie 
Mullins in the Osawatomie Graphic-News, November 29, 1934. The 
city was established in the middle 1850's. 

The execution of John Brown seventy-five years ago was recalled 
in a two-column review of his life published in the Kansas City 
(Mo.) Times, December 1, 1934. The article was contributed by 
Laura Knickerbocker of Topeka. 

Life in old Auburn, a territorial contender for the state capital, 
was discussed by Frank D. Tomson in a two-column article printed 
in the Topeka Daily Capital, December 2, 1934. 

The experiences of Charles Fish while a member of the Second 
Colorado cavalry on the Indian frontier were briefly related in the 
Chase County Leader, Cottonwood Falls, December 5, 1934. 

Several historical sketches of early-day Edwards county were 
featured in the Kinsley Graphic, December 6, 1934. 

The history of the Leavenworth, Kansas & Western railroad, a 
part of the Union Pacific system, was briefly reviewed in the Kansas 
City (Mo.) Star, December 6, 1934. The line from Knox in Leaven- 
worth county to Clay Center in Clay county, and the Belleville "con- 
nection," were abandoned early in 1935. 

A history of the Canton Methodist Episcopal church was sketched 
by Mrs. E. P. McGill in the Canton Pilot, December 6 and 13, 1934. 
Mrs. McGill has attended the church since its organization in 1880. 

Sherman county history as recollected by George Bradley, Good- 
land pioneer, has been featured in The Sherman County Herald, of 
Goodland, starting with the issue of December 6, 1934. Other 
articles of historical interest published in recent issues of the Herald 
include: "Methodist History" and "When the Rock Island Built 
Into Goodland," December 20, 1934, and the reminiscences of D. W. 
Dillinger, early resident of Sherman county, February 7, 1935. 



100 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

"Early Day Gunmen Gave Color to Picturesque Setting of Dodge 
City," was the title of a two-column article by Dr. H. 0. Simpson, 
which appeared in the Topeka Daily Capital, December 9, 1934. In 
an introduction to the article the editor wrote that Doctor Simpson 
moved to Dodge City in 1884 and was well acquainted with the 
"Bad Men" who now sleep with their boots on at "Boot Hill." 

Life in central Kansas in the early days was recalled by C. 
Crotinger in the Great Bend Tribune, December 11, 1934. Mr. 
Crotinger first arrived in Great Bend in the latter 1870's, but took 
a claim in Rush county later where he lived for thirty-nine years. 

The Osborne County Farmer, of Osborne, celebrated its sixtieth 
anniversary with the issuance of a special historical edition De- 
cember 13, 1934. Biographical sketches of prominent pioneers, 
histories of Osborne's newspapers, churches, and early stores were 
printed. Other features included a review of the slaying of William 
W. Osborne by Mrs. F. S. Gibler in 1880, and a sketch of Vincent 
B. Osborne, the man for whom Osborne county was named, by 
Bert P. Walker; "Brutal Butchery of Henry Kuchell," by Del Cox; 
"Early Days in Grand Center," by H. P. Tripp; "Early Settlement 
of Osborne County," and "Early Settlement of Mt. Ayr Township," 
by C. E. Williams; "First Sunday School and Preaching Service 
in Osborne County," by Mrs. Eunice S. Bliss; "A Famous Buffalo 
Hunter [Jeff Durfey]," "Tragic Death of General Bull," and "The 
Pennsylvania Colony." 

An article describing the Hugoton-Woodsdale county-seat fight 
written by C. A. Hitch of Guymon, Okla., was printed in the Liberal 
News, December 14, 1934. The story was originally published in 
the Guymon Panhandle Herald. 

The seventy-fifth anniversary of the founding of the Burlington 
First Methodist Episcopal church was observed with a week of 
special services held from December 10 to 16, 1934. Names of 
pastors serving the church were included in the brief history printed 
in The Daily Republican, Burlington, December 14. Additional 
historical information was printed in the Republican on July 11, 
1913, John Redmond, the editor, reports. 

A list of Reno county's senators and representatives, with the 
years their terms started, was contributed by Don Fossey, present 
Reno county legislator, to the Hutchinson News, December 15, 1934. 



KANSAS HISTORY IN THE PRESS 101 

Settlement of Moehlman Bottom, Riley county farming com- 
munity, was discussed by Mrs. Charles Kientz in a paper read at 
the recent fiftieth anniversary celebration of the founding of Moehl- 
man Bottom school. A resume of the paper was published in the 
Manhattan Mercury, December 15, 1934. 

The Topeka First Presbyterian church celebrated its seventy- 
fifth anniversary with four days of special programs starting Decem- 
ber 16, 1934. Names of ministers of the church were included in 
a brief history of the organization printed in the Topeka Daily 
Capital, December 16. A more detailed history edited by the church 
anniversary committee appeared in a recently published, attractively 
bound 145-page book. 

Early-day reminiscences of Mrs. Almeda Greever were recalled 
in the Hutchinson News, December 17, 1934. Mrs. Greever came 
to Kansas territory in the middle 1850's. 

A bronze tablet, dedicated to T. W. Whiting, donor of Madonna 
park in Council Grove, was unveiled December 17, 1934. A brief 
history of the park was featured in the Council Grove Republican, 
December 18. 

"Scene of Father Padilla's Martyrdom Remains the Basis of a 
Kansas Dispute/' the Kansas City (Mo.) Star reported in its is- 
sue of December 22, 1934. Both Herington and Council Grove 
claim to be the burial place of Father Juan de Padilla who ac- 
companied Coronado and, from a study of the evidence available, 
either place could be approximately correct, the Star related. 

The experiences of John L. Barr, of Fort Dodge, as a member of 
the Nineteenth Kansas cavalry, were recorded in the Dodge City 
Daily Globe, December 22, 1934. 

Mrs. Nettie Morss of Howard who is a member of the 1935 Kan- 
sas house of representatives is the ninth woman to become a mem- 
ber of the legislature. She is the first since 1931 when Kathryn 
O'Loughlin McCarthy was a representative in the Kansas house. 
The former women legislators were named in an article published in 
the Topeka State Journal and other Kansas newspapers, December 
22, 1934, which reviewed the highlights of Mrs. Morss' career. A 
house in Highland Park thought to be a stopping place of John 
Brown in his "Underground Railroad" activities was described by 
Marianna Chase as another feature of this issue of the Journal. 



102 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

Some of the troubles confronting the newly organized state of 
Kansas in 1861 were discussed by T. A. McNeal in his article en- 
titled "The First Kansas State Legislature," published in the 
Topeka Daily Capital, December 23, 1934. Another article, "The 
Legislature of 1862," appeared in the issue of January 6, 1935. 

Excerpts from the weather diary of Miss Sarah P. Ladd were 
printed in the Kansas City Kansan, December 23 and 31, 1934. 
Miss Ladd came to Kansas in the early 1840 ; s and kept a daily ac- 
count of the temperature readings to 1877. The three books in 
which the diary is written now belong to K. L. Browne, Sr., of 
Kansas City, and are considered a valuable addition to the weather 
records of northeast Kansas. 

The survey of the southern boundary of Cowley county was dis- 
cussed by Bert Moore in the Winfield Daily Courier, December 24, 
1934. The first survey was a part of the southern boundary of 
Kansas project marked in 1857 by a party under Col. Joseph E. 
Johnston. 

Early days at Fort Dodge were recalled by Albert Fensch in the 
Dodge City Daily Globe, December 24, 1934. Mr. Fensch soldiered 
at Fort Dodge from 1877 to 1881. Other features of this issue in- 
cluded an article listing the business establishments in Dodge City 
in 1878 comparing the number of firms operating then with those do- 
ing business to-day, and a brief historical review of Ford county 
schools. 

Reminiscenses of the late Dwight B. Christy, an early settler of 
Pawnee county, were printed in the Great Bend Tribune, Decem- 
ber 24, 1934. Mr. Christy was one of the crew from Lamed who 
held up a westbound immigrant train in order that names of the 
men in the party might be added to a petition, the official acceptance 
of which would make the surrounding territory a bona fide county, 
the article related. 

Pioneering in early-day Kansas was described in an article re- 
lating the experiences of Mr. and Mrs. G. E. Welch, of Hartford, 
which was published in the Emporia Gazette, December 25, 1934. 

A history of Mount Joy school, District No. 67, was briefly 
sketched in The Daily Republican, Burlington, December 25, 1934. 
The school district was organized in the fall of 1879 and located in 
the southwest corner of S. 10, T. 21, R. 17. 



KANSAS HISTORY IN THE PRESS 103 

"Tales of covered wagons, bushwhackers and Indians still resound 
on the plains at 142 creek crossing on the old Santa Fe trail," wrote 
a correspondent in the Emporia Gazette, December 26, 1934. 
Charles Withington established a trading post at this crossing in 
present Lyon county in June, 1854. 

Garnett's Methodist Episcopal church celebrated the seventy-fifth 
anniversary of its founding, December 30, 1934. Names of former 
pastors were included in the historical sketches of the church pub- 
lished in the Garnett Review and The Anderson Countian in their 
December 27 issues. 

The experiences of A. R. Wells in a Kansas blizzard in 1886 were 
sketched in The Sherman County Herald, of Goodland, December 
27, 1934. 

Brief reviews of navigation over the Arkansas river at Arkansas 
City were printed in the Arkansas City Daily Traveler, December 
27, 1934, and the Kansas City (Mo.) Times, December 31. Agita- 
tion for water transportation at Arkansas City reached its height on 
June 30, 1878, it was reported. On that date the Aunt Sally steamed 
into "port" after completing a trip on the Arkansas from Fort Smith, 
Ark., with a cargo of merchandise. 

Garnett history was briefly sketched by Harry Johnson in the 
Garnett Review, December 27, 1934, January 3 and 17, 1935. The 
city was established in 1856 by Dr. George W. Cooper and asso- 
ciates. Other stories by Mr. Johnson covering more specific phases 
of Garnett history have been published in the Review almost regu- 
larly in recent months. 

Peru history was discussed in detail in the Sedan Times-Star, 
December 27, 1934; January 3, 10, 17, and 24, 1935. Winnie Looby- 
Severns contributed the articles. 

Carrie Nation's visits to Wichita and her campaign against the 
saloons in that city were recalled by David D. Leahy in the Wichita 
Sunday Eagle, December 30, 1934. Mr. Leahy exploded some ideas 
concerning Mrs. Nation and told a few diverting incidents in her 
career, in this two-column article. 

A biography of Chief Charles Bluejacket, for many years a resi- 
dent of Kansas territory and Johnson county, was published in the 
Kansas City (Mo.) Times, December 31, 1934. His old home, 
erected in 3857 near Shawnee, is still standing. 



104 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

The history of Kansas City, Mo., and vicinity, was reviewed in 
the Kansas City (Mo.) Journal-Post, December 31, 1934, marking 
the eightieth anniversary of the founding of the Kansas City Enter- 
prise, the forerunner of the Journal-Post. 

Starting with the issue of January 2, 1935, the Chase County 
Leader, of Cottonwood Falls, is republishing a "History of Chase 
County," which was compiled some years ago by D. A. Ellsworth. 

The early history of the Kansas Pacific (now the Union Pacific) 
railroad was reviewed in the Kansas City (Mo.) Times, January 2, 
1935. 

Cheyenne county history was briefly discussed by Earl N. Con- 
way in the St. Francis Herald, January 3, 1935. The county was or- 
ganized on March 10, 1886. 

Members of the Arkansas City Trinity Episcopal church held 
special services January 6 and 7, 1935, celebrating the fiftieth 
anniversary of the founding of the organization. A history of the 
church was sketched in the Arkansas City Tribune, January 3. 

A copy of the certificate incorporating the Mound Valley Town 
Company was printed in The Times- Journal, Mound Valley, Jan- 
uary 3, 1935. The document was dated June 23, 1868. 

Chetopa newspaper history was briefly reviewed in the Chetopa 
Advance-Clipper, January 3, 1935. The Advance was founded Jan- 
uary 6, 1869, by Col. John W. Horner and A. S. Corey. 

A five-column review of the history of Kansas newspapers under 
the heading, "Centennial of First Printing Press in Kansas," was 
contributed by Eaton B. Going to the Osawatomie Graphic-News, 
January 3, 1935. 

Recollections of early-day Kansas by Mrs. Emma Whistler, of 
Burlington, who came to Kansas territory in 1855, were sketched in 
the Topeka Daily Capital, January 6, 1935. 

A map of sites of moundbuilder remains discovered in Butler 
county and a discussion of the progress made in tracing the cultures 
of the ancient races throughout Kansas were contributed by Ray E. 
Colton to the Wichita Sunday Eagle, January 6, 1935. Mr. Colton 
has contributed similar stories to other newspapers of the state in 
recent months. 

Early wine making in the present boundaries of Doniphan county 
was briefly discussed by George J. Remsburg in the Atchison Globe, 



KANSAS HISTORY IN THE PRESS 105 

January 8, 1935. The Bourgmont expedition made wine from 
grapes given them by the Kansas Indians in 1724, Mr. Remsburg 
related. 

The sixty-fifth anniversary of the organization of the El Dorado 
First Presbyterian church was observed January 9, 1935. A history 
of the church was sketched in the El Dorado Times, January 10. 

Early-day Arkansas City was described by W. A. Leonard of 
Newport Beach, Calif., in the Arkansas City Daily Traveler, Jan- 
uary 10, 1935. Mr. Leonard recalled Arkansas City's preparation 
for an Indian raid in 1874 and his boat trip down the Arkansas to 
Little Rock in 1875. 

C. L. Willey's recollections of the blizzard of 1888 were recorded 
by Byron E. Guise in the Marshall County News, of Marysville, 
January 11, 1935. 

The history of the Arkansas City First Presbyterian church was 
reviewed in the Arkansas City Daily Traveler, January 11, 1935. 
The church was formally organized on January 12, 1873. 

Brief sketches from the history of Washington county are being 
featured in the Washington County Register published at Washing- 
ton. The series started with the issue of January 11, 1935. 

The great blizzard of January, 1886, was discussed by old timers 
in the Hutchinson News, January 11, 15 to 19, 1935. 

A biographical sketch of Maj. John Dougherty, trapper, Indian 
agent and freighter, was contributed by George J. Remsburg to 
the Leavenworth Times, January 17, 1935. 

Hutchinson thirty years ago, was described in the Hutchinson 
Herald, January 17, 1935. 

The fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the Halstead Presby- 
terian church was observed January 20, 1935. A history of the 
organization was contributed by the Rev. T. R. Mordy, present 
pastor, to the Halstead Independent, January 18. 

A story of the S. F. Lewis family of Bavaria, which is now in 
its second generation, was read recently before a meeting of the 
Saline County Chapter, Native Daughters of Kansas, and was 
published in the Salina Journal, January 18, 1935. 

The introduction of telephones into Kansas was briefly reviewed 
by W. R. Kercher in the Topeka State Journal, January 21, 1935. 



106 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

In Mr. Kercher's opinion, a grocery company in Lawrence brought 
in the first telephones used in the state in the spring of 1877. 
Topeka, Manhattan and Leavenworth experimented with the in- 
vention a few months later, putting it into practical commercial use 
by 1879. 

Ottawa school history was sketched in the Ottawa Record Jan- 
uary 23, 1935. 

The early history of Bonner Springs was recalled by C. L. David 
in a four-column article printed in the Bonner Springs Chieftain, 
January 24, 1935. 

A history of the Harveyville Methodist Episcopal church was re- 
viewed in the Harveyville Monitor, January 24, 1935. The church, 
which in January celebrated its fiftieth anniversary, received its 
charter from the secretary of state January 20, 1885. 

Pioneer life in Kansas and particularly in Woodson county was 
described by A. H. Harris of Seattle, Wash., writing in the Yates 
Center News, January 25, 1935. 

The removal of the Shawnee Indians from their lands near 
Columbus, Ohio, to present Johnson county was discussed in the 
Kansas City (Mo.) Times, January 26, 1935. The treaty, which 
arranged for the removal, was ratified by the United States senate 
April 4, 1832. 

Wichita's transportation history was reviewed in an article, 
"From Mule Cars to Motor Busses in Wichita/' published in the 
Wichita Sunday Eagle, January 27, 1935. A man named Chapman 
built the first mule car line in 1882, the Eagle reported. 

The exploration of Etienne Venyard de Bourgmont, in the Kansas 
City region in 1714 were discussed by Dr. Dorothy Penn, of Leaven- 
worth, in the Kansas City (Mo.) Times, January 28, 1935. 

Kansas editors and their newspapers who have become famous 
in the state's history were reviewed by E. E. Kelley in the Topeka 
Daily Capital, January 29, 1935. 

A history of the Columbus Christian church, by Mrs. Zora New- 
lands, was read at homecoming ceremonies held January 27, 1935. 
The history, as sketched by Mrs. Newlands, was published in the 
Columbus Daily Advocate, January 30, and The Modern Light, 
January 31. The church was organized in 1871. 



KANSAS HISTORY IN THE PRESS 107 

The visit of President R. B. Hayes to Neosho Falls in 1879 was 
described by R. H. Trueblood in the Yates Center News, February 
1, 1935. The President was a guest at the Neosho Valley District 
Fair. 

A history of the Center Methodist Episcopal church, near Leon, 
by Mrs. Louise Kenyon, was a feature of the fourth annual Meth- 
odist booster edition of the Leon News, February 1, 1935. Center 
church membership is now affiliated with the Leon church. An 
article describing early-day Leon as recalled by Mrs. George A. 
Kenoyer, wife of one of the city's founders, was also included in the 
edition. 

The history of The Morton County Farmer at Rolla was briefly 
reviewed in its tenth anniversary edition issued February 1, 1935. 

Early days in Shawnee county as witnessed by the late Mrs. 
J. W. Marsh were described in the Topeka Daily Capital, February 
3, 1935. The article, which was prepared several years ago by Mrs. 
Marsh, was submitted by Mrs. J. D. Vance, a daughter. 

"Setting Kansas Right on Its Own Birth Date," was the title of 
an article by David D. Leahy discussing Kansas' admission into 
the Union seventy-four years ago, which was published in the 
Wichita Sunday Eagle, February 3, 1935. Mr. Leahy contends that 
the actual birth date of Kansas was February 9, 1861, when Gov- 
ernor-elect Charles Robinson, took over the office of governor from 
Acting Governor George M. Beebe, a representative of the federal 
government. An article upholding January 29, the date upon which 
President James Buchanan signed the bill admitting Kansas to the 
Union, as the official birth date, was contributed by Kirke Mechem 
to the Kansas City Times April 10, in answer to Mr. Leahy. Mr. 
Mechem cited the observance of birthdays in other states and con- 
tended that Kansas was only following precedent. 

Ellsworth Methodist Episcopal church history was reviewed in 
the Ellsworth Reporter and Messenger in their issues of February 
7, 1935. The church on February 10 observed the fiftieth anni- 
versary of the erection of the present church edifice. 



Kansas Historical Notes 

The Shawnee Mission Indian Historical Society held its annual 
election of officers on October 22, 1934. Those elected were: Mrs. 
Walter E. Gresham, president; Mrs. R. R. Sandmeyer, vice presi- 
dent; Mrs. Carl Harder, secretary; Mrs. Fred Carter, treasurer; 
Mrs. A. E. Fraser, historian ; Mrs. Ross Smith, custodian, and Mrs. 
Ed Walmer, assistant custodian. 

The fiftieth anniversary of the founding of Haskell Institute, U. 
S. government Indian school at Lawrence, was observed November 
10 to 12, 1934, with special ceremonies held at the Institute. More 
than a thousand Indians participated in the presentation of the 
historical play "A Pageant of the Wakarusa," directed by Mrs. 
Margaret Pearson-Speelman, on the evening of November 10. Eliza- 
beth Washakie, a full blood Shoshoni of Wind River, Wyo., played 
the part of her famous Indian ancester, Sacajawea, who acted as 
guide for the Lewis and Clark expedition into the Northwest. An 
Indian village, set up near the stadium, was another interesting 
feature of the three-day celebration. 

At the annual organization meeting of the Lindsborg Historical 
Society held on November 12, 1934, John A. Holmberg was re- 
elected president, and G. E. Eberhardt was reflected secretary. New 
officers are: Dr. H. J. Thorstenberg, treasurer, and J. A. Altenborg, 
vice president. All directors were reflected. The board includes the 
officers named above and the following: Dr. Birger Sandzen, C. R. 
Rooth, A. W. Carlson, Henry Olson and C. A. Nelson. 

Nearly 500 persons attended the Golden Jubilee Memorial dinner 
held at the Hotel Kansan in Topeka, December 1, 1934, honoring 
Chief Justice William Agnew Johnston's completion of fifty years' 
service on the Kansas supreme court bench. Letters of tribute to 
Justice Johnston from persons of national prominence and excerpts 
from the speeches of Fred Dumont Smith, Justice Rosseau Burch, 
Judge Otis E. Hungate, Tom McNeal and Circuit Judge George T. 
McDermott who spoke at the event, were recorded in the Topeka 
Daily Capital, December 2, 1934. A biographical sketch of Justice 
Johnston was a feature of the Capital of November 24. 

Organization of the Chase County Historical Society was effected 
at meetings held in Cottonwood Falls in December, 1934. C. W. 

(108) 



KANSAS HISTORICAL NOTES 109 

Hawkins, of Clements, was chosen president; C. A. Sayre, Cotton- 
wood Falls, and George Topping, Cedarpoint, vice presidents; 
Henry Rogler, Matfield Green, secretary, and S. H. Baker, Cotton- 
wood Falls, treasurer. The directors are: George Starkey, Falls 
township; Lawrence Rogler, Bazaar township; Mrs. 0. B. Harvey, 
Diamond township; Mrs. C. P. Thompson, Homestead township; 
J. E. Jackson, Cottonwood township ; W. R. Sayre, Cedar township ; 
N. B. Scribner, Toledo township; J. E. Stout, Strong township, and 
Mrs. E. G. Crocker, Matfield township. Members of the executive 
committee as named by President Hawkins include: S. R. Black- 
burn, Geo. E. Dawson, Carl Park, L. L. Chandler, and G. H. Grim- 
wood. F. A. Smethers, Mrs. Carrie Breese Chandler, and Howel H. 
Jones have been appointed historians. Over 200 persons have signed 
as charter members of the society, which is affiliated with the 
Kansas State Historical Society. 

The annual meeting of the Shawnee County Old Settlers' As- 
sociation was held at the First Baptist church in Topeka, December 
5, 1934, celebrating the eightieth anniversary of the founding of 
Topeka. Newly elected officers are: Ira Williams, president; 
Beatrice Burge, vice president, and Ruth Burge, secretary-treasurer. 

Mrs. Margaret Hill McCarter, noted Kansas author and lecturer, 
was the guest of honor at a dinner given by the Kansas Authors 
club in Topeka, January 30, 1935. 

The Kansas State Historical Society in cooperation with the 
Kansas Chamber of Commerce is planning a comprehensive mark- 
ing and mapping of all historic sites in Kansas. Permission will be 
sought of the Kansas State Highway department to erect approach 
markers on the highways a half mile on either side of designated 
points of interest in order that travelers will know they are nearing 
a place of historic importance. All markers erected on the highways 
will be of uniform types. Local communities will be urged to place 
markers on the historic sites in their vicinities. Members of the 
marking committee are: F. W. Brinkerhoff, Pittsburg, chairman; 
Frank Haucke, Council Grove; W. A. Bailey, Kansas City; Kirke 
Mechem, Topeka; W. E. Archer, Hiawatha; D. E. Ackers, Topeka, 
and E. C. Mingenback, McPherson. 

Interesting paleontological discoveries have been made recently 
in southern and western Kansas. George F. Sternberg, curator of 
the museum at the Fort Hays Kansas State College, one of the 



110 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

paleontologists so engaged, has shipped part of his collection to the 
American Museum of Natural History in New York. 

A park, located on the site of old Fort Zarah, headquarters for 
soldiers protecting travelers and settlers in the early days, is being 
established on Walnut creek, three miles east of Great Bend. The 
land was donated by Miss Grace Gunn of Great Bend. The Kansas 
State Highway department and the Kansas Emergency Relief com- 
mittee will assist in the beautification of the tract. Other Barton 
county sites and trails of historic interest will be appropriately 
marked through the operation of a KERC project under the super- 
vision of H. K. Shideler, county engineer. The Kansas State His- 
torical Society has assisted Barton county historians in the prep- 
aration of some of the historical data necessary for the project. 

Photographs of Harvey county pioneers and early-day scenes are 
being collected by the Harvey County Historical Society. John 
C. Nicholson, of Newton, is historian. 

A monument was recently erected on the spot where Knute K. 
Rockne and seven other men perished in an airplane accident south- 
west of Bazaar in Chase county. The granite shaft, which was 
erected through the efforts of the Kansas Rockne Memorial As- 
sociation, bears the following inscription: "Rockne Memorial In 
memory of Knute K. Rockne, Waldo B. Miller, H. J. Christen, John 
Happer, Spencer Goldthwaite, C. A. Robrecht, Robert Fry, Herman 
J. Mathias, who perished on this spot in an airplane crash March 
31, 1931." W. C. Austin, Kansas state printer, is president of the 
memorial association. 

The number of bound newspaper volumes in the Kansas State 
Historical Society's newspaper division far exceeds the total number 
of volumes preserved in any similar state institution of the United 
States, a recent survey by the Nebraska State Historical Society 
discloses. The information as published in a recent issue of the 
Nebraska History Magazine, of Lincoln, was obtained through ques- 
tionnaire letters sent to sixty of the leading historical institutions by 
Dr. Addison E. Sheldon, secretary of the Nebraska society. Names 
of the more prominent organizations and the number of bound news- 
paper volumes in their newspaper collections are: Kansas, 50,072; 
Wisconsin, 30,000; Ohio, 20,000; Missouri, 18,317; Minnesota, 
17,100; Texas, 17,000; California, 13,740; Nebraska, 12,000; Iowa, 
8,523; South Dakota, 7,150; Illinois, 6,000; Indiana, 6,000; North 
Dakota, 4,132. 



KANSAS HISTORICAL NOTES 111 

An attractively printed and bound 408-page history of Butler 
county entitled Butler County's Eighty Years, 1855-1935, by Jessie 
Perry Stratford, of El Dorado, has recently been published. De- 
tailed histories of the county's cities and townships, biographical 
sketches and portraits of pioneers and leading citizens were featured. 



THE 

Kansas Historical 
Quarterly 



Volume IV 



Number 2 



May, 1935 



PRINTED BY KANSAS STATE PRINTING PLANT 

W. C. AUSTIN. STATE PRINTER 

TOPEKA 1935 

15-7467 



Contributors 



ORA DOLBEE is a member of the department of English at the University of 
Kansas, at Lawrence. She is the author of the article, "The First Book on 
Kansas," which appeared in The Kansas Historical Quarterly in May, 1933. 

GEORGE A. ROOT is curator of archives of the Kansas State Historical Society. 
MARIE A. OLSON'S home is at Stotler, about which she writes in this issue. 

JAMES C. MALIN, associate editor of the Quarterly, is associate professor of 
history at the University of Kansas, at Lawrence. 

NOTE. Articles in the Quarterly appear in chronological order without re- 
gard to their importance. 



The Second Book on Kansas 

An Account of C. B. Boynton and T. B. Mason's "A Journey 

Through Kansas; With Sketches"of Nebraska" 

CORA DOLBEE 

THE second book on Kansas came out of Ohio. Its title was 
A Journey Through Kansas; With Sketches oj Nebraska. The 
names of two men appeared jointly as authors, C. B. Boynton and 
T. B. Mason, but the composition was evidently the work of Mr. 
Boynton alone. The two men had belonged to a commission sent to 
Kansas in September, 1854, by "The American Reform Tract and 
Book Society" and "The Kansas League" in Cincinnati to explore 
the territory and report upon the conditions and the resources. 1 The 
title page characterized them as "a committee from the 'Kansas 
League' of Cincinnati." 2 The "Commissioners' Preface," giving 
official sanction to the statements of the book, bore both their 
signatures as commissioners. 3 The unsigned "Preface of the Writer" 
explained that these statements were of "all facts . . . concern- 
ing the aspect, resources, and productions of the country." 4 For the 
grouping of those facts and the manner of presentation the author 
alone was responsible. 

Available records do not reveal with which group the idea of the 
exploring party originated. Interest in Ohio in the territorial 
question had been concurrent with the congressional debate. Her 
sympathies were Northern, and many of her citizens desired to 
migrate to Kansas. The Kansas League of Cincinnati, like the 
county Kansas leagues of Massachusetts, made capital of this spirit 
and tried to serve the needs of the western settlers as they set out 
on their momentous mission. To the league, therefore, information 
about the territory, drawn from observation, would be most helpful. 

1. Boynton, C. B., and T. B. Mason, A Journey Through Kansas; With Sketches of 
Nebraska (Moore, Wilstach, Keys & Co., Cincinnati, 1855), p. V. 

2. Ibid., p. I. 

3. Ibid., p. III. 

4. Ibid., p. VI. Although this preface does not tell who "the Writer" was and might be 
interpreted to imply it was a third and different person, the author of this article has inferred 
the writer was Mr. Boynton. The book was from the first attributed to him and so credited 
in all contemporary reviews and references and in subsequent catalogs. Recently H. C. 
Houlton, cataloger for Argosy Book Stores, Inc., 114 East 59 street, New York City, in 
Argosy catalog No. 78, has interpreted this preface as meaning "the Writer" was a third 
and unnamed person. (Letter to author of this article, May 27, 1935.) A letter of C. B. 
Boynton to Amos A. Lawrence, March 14, 1857, referring to A Journey Through Kansas With 
Sketches of Nebraska as "my little book," seems to the author of this article ample proof 
of the other long-accepted interpretation. (Letter in archives of Kansas State Historical 
Society.) "The Writer's" characterization of self, moreover, is wholly in keeping with the 
known facts about Mr. Boynton and his life. 

(115) 



116 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

The American Reform Tract and Book Society, organized in 
Cincinnati in November, 1852, had had as its underlying idea "the 
application through literature of Christianity to the betterment of 
personal and national life in practical affairs, especially to the pro- 
motion of the antislavery cause, while temperance and other reforms 
were not to be neglected." 5 Two of the articles of the constitution, 
said to have been especially noteworthy, explained in part both the 
interest of the society in furthering a free emigration westward and 
also the religious interest of the commissioners in their report of 
their journey thither. 

Art. II. Its object shall be to promote the diffusion of divine truth, point 
out its application to every known sin, and to promote the interests of prac- 
tical religion by the circulation of a sound evangelical literature. 

Art. III. It will receive into its treasury none of the known fruits of iniquity 
nor the gains of the oppressor. 6 

From the first both Mr. Boynton and Mr. Mason were officers in this 
society, the one being corresponding secretary and the other being 
treasurer, and both being directors besides. 

On August 9, 1854, in behalf of the directors, Mr. Boynton sent 
forth a letter explaining the society's plan of operation in the cause 
and soliciting funds for their work. 

Rooms of the 
American Reform Tract and Book Society 

Cincinnati, August 9, 1854. 

DEAR SIR: The directors of the American Reform Tract and Book Society, 
address you as a friend of human rights, and as opposed to the Nebraska 
fraud. We are at this time earnestly engaged in efforts by which we hope to 
assist in securing Kanzas and Nebraska for free institutions. An opportunity is 
now offered, whereby with the aid of our fellow citizens, a timely and effectual 
blow may be struck. 

We wish by special agents and colporteurs to scatter broadcast over these 
territories such publications, and to diffuse such influences, as shall, by the help 
of God, create and sustain a public sentiment of the right character, against 
the time when States shall then be organized. Unfortunately, all who are re- 
moving to these Territories, from the Free States, even, are not fully in- 
structed, nor so firm in their decision as to be in no danger of indifference or 
change. Already voices of warning come to us from true men on the ground 
who ask us to be prompt in the diffusion of light. Our own publications and 
such as we can command are fitted to this work. We wish to send at once 
the corresponding secretary of our Society to visit and examine these new 
Territories, and it is desirable he should take with him one or more who shall 
remain and act as agents and colporteurs, distributing our publications, and 
collecting useful information in regard to the country, its resources, and pros- 

5. Ford, H. A., and K. B. Ford, History of Cincinnati (1881), p. 280. Photostatic copy 
used. 

6. Ibid., pp. 280-281. 



DOLBEE: SECOND BOOK ON KANSAS 117 

pects, by which our future efforts may be guided. We need funds for the 
publication of our tracts and books, and for sending them and these agents 
and laborers at once into this important field. Emigrants are pouring in, and 
what is done must be done quickly. May we not ask from you a special do- 
nation to meet this exigency, and for the common cause of freedom? If we t 
can be promptly supplied with means, we will fill these territories with men 
and publications that will speak for God and humanity. 

Should you think proper to aid us, please enclose your donation to T. B. 
Mason, Treasurer, 180 Walnut St., Cincinnati. By order of the Directors. 

CHARLES B. BOYNTON, 
Corresponding Secretary? 

The general nature of the meager salutation, "Dear Sir," did not in- 
dicate at all the persons to be circularized. 

The letter was used not only as a circular but also as a communica- 
tion in at least two publications. One was The National Era in 
Washington, which carried it in the issue of August 24, 1854. Ap- 
parently the letter was used there as an advertisement, for it ap- 
peared at the top of a column of advertisements, without editorial 
comment. The form of the letter and the prominent position given 
it on the page, however, make it seem like a personal communica- 
tion to the editor. Gamaliel Bailey, the editor, was a former Cin- 
cinnatian, who was, perforce, interested in the Ohio-Kansas plan. 

The second publication known to have printed the letter was The 
Christian Press, a monthly edited by Mr. Boynton himself and 
issued by the American Reform Tract and Book Society, Cincinnati. 
The Christian Press had just changed from a weekly publication to 
a monthly. As a weekly, circulating mostly among Congregational 
subscribers, it had served both as a religious and as an anti-slavery 
organ. As a monthly it was to be "devoted entirely to the anti- 
slavery cause." 8 Its first issue, September, 1854, carried the Boyn- 
ton circular letter in one place and in another an editorial upon it, 
entitled "A Personal Appeal." 

We ask every reader of this paper to consider the circular of the A. R. Tract 
and Book Society, which we publish, as addressed to himself individually. 

The decision of the question of slavery in Kansas and Nebraska, if rightly 
settled by Northern freemen, in spite of the fraud of slaveholders and politi- 
cians, and against their efforts, will also decide the question of the extension of 
slavery. 

By its publications and agents this Society can now, if rightly assisted, do 
an important work in these battlefields of freedom. Already, it is said, there 
are ten thousand settlers in Kansas, and this number increases with a rapidity 
that calls for immediate effort. The times and the signs of the times are 

7. Circular copy of letter by Charles B. Boynton, August 9, 1854, in "Webb Scrap Books," 
v. I, p. 89, in library of the Kansas State Historical Society, Topeka. 

8. The Christian Press, Cincinnati, September, 1854, p. 6. Fhotostatic copy used. 



118 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

auspicious. Large numbers from Slaveholding States are moving in their 
opinions, and are open to conviction. They may be brought to aid in making 
these territories free. 

Brethren and friends! shall this Society be aided, or must the opportunity 
be lost. 9 

No record has been available of the financial results of the appeal 
of the circular letter by Mr. Boynton, or of the editorial in his 
monthly. 

The same September issue of The Christian Press gave in still 
another article another motive for this exploration of the territories. 
This was the advantage first hand knowledge of Kansas and 
Nebraska would be to the editor of the Press. 10 Personal inspection 
of the region, its soil, its climate, and its resources would enable him 
to make the paper "the medium for original and authentic informa- 
tion to the friends of freedom and those who are considering the 
question of Emigration." An additional statement to the effect that 
the journey was undertaken in behalf of the society so that its efforts 
might be intelligently directed in extending religion and freedom into 
the new territories, suggests that the Tract and Book Society was 
primarily responsible for financing this exploration of Kansas. 

Possibly the commission received some support from another 
source. On September 5, 1854, the Worcester Daily Transcript, in 
reporting a meeting of the American Missionary Association held in 
Central church in Worcester, September 3, told of the work of the 
association in Kansas through a representative sent from Ohio. 
Although his name was not given, the characterization and the time 
of his going indicate that the representative was Mr. Boynton. 

In Kansas, the Association has already made a beginning. A clergyman 
from Ohio has gone thither to explore the country and to establish depots for 
religious and other publications. On his return he will be prepared to advise 
young missionaries and others going there as to the most eligible sites for 
location. Tracts of anti-slavery character have been sent there. Three mis- 
sionaries have been commissioned to go into this territory, and the Associa- 
tion is corresponding with others for the same purpose. It is the aim of the 
Association to do its part in making Kansas, if possible, another New England. 11 

The object of the American Missionary Association was "to prop- 
agate 'an anti-slavery gospel.' " Its purpose, therefore, was so 
similar to that of the American Reform Tract and Book Society that 

9. Ibid. 

10. Ibid. 

11. The Home Missionary, official publication of the American Home Missionary Society, 
October, 1854, stated that "one missionary is under appointment to go to Kansas S. Y. 
Lum," v. XXVII, pp. 152-153. The issue of November, 1854, v. XXVII, p. 171, added, 
"We have one brother already on the ground, and others will be sent as soon as reliable in- 
formation comes that they can employ themselves with advantage to the cause of Christ." 



DOLBEE: SECOND BOOK ON KANSAS 119 

the one representative could serve both organizations in Kansas at 
once. The American Missionary Association was an orthodox 
Congregational society; and Mr. Boynton was in 1854 pastor of a 
Congregational church in Cincinnati. 12 The missionary society, 
moreover, of which The Christian Press, when a weekly, had been 
the organ, had recently been united with the American Missionary 
Association. 13 Therefore it would seem plausible to suppose the 
association now shared the responsibility undertaken by the 
monthly Press. Although the emigrants from Ohio did not explain 
their aim as that of "making Kansas, if possible, another New 
England," they did expect by transplanting Northern institutions 
there to make and keep the territory Northern. These particular 
Ohioans were themselves New Englanders largely, but a generation 
removed, and the life they had established in Ohio was modeled on 
the life of the New England they had left behind; but now as they 
considered migrating still farther westward, they characterized this 
same culture they would take along as "Northern." 

Whether the commission consisted of more than two members is 
not a matter of positive record in Kansas to-day. The title page of 
the published report, A Journey Through Kansas, designated the two, 
C. B. Boynton and T. B. Mason, as the "Committee from the 'Kan- 
sas League,' of Cincinnati." To the "Commissioners' Preface" their 
names only were attached in signature as though they alone had 
constituted the commission. In 1893, W. L. Mason of Milwaukee, 
son of T. B. Mason, wrote Franklin G. Adams, secretary of the Kan- 
sas State Historical Society, that his father and Mr. Boynton had 
been appointed a committee of two by the Kansas league to visit 
the territory of Kansas in the interests of the anti-slavery move- 
ment. 14 In the same letter, however, Mr. Mason told that H. V. 
Boynton, son of C. B. Boynton, had accompanied the two older men. 
The Christian Press, December, 1854, also stated that he "accom- 
panied the party." The presence of the younger Boynton may not 
have been official. The report referred to him but once; then it 
honored him by quoting a three-page extract from his journal to 
show the effect of a cloudless night at the Big Blue in Kansas upon 
"the youngest member of the party." 15 The sketch, entitled "The 
Heavens at Big Blue" was the most imaginative and most finished 
description in the book. Prefatory comments of the father, also in 

12. Vide post, footnote 19. 

13. The Christian Press, September, 1854, p. 6. Photostatic copy used. 

14. Mason, W. L M letter to Franklin G. Adams, September 6, 1893, in "Biographical 
Circulars," v. II -M, in library of Kansas State Historical Society, Topeka. 

15. Boynton, C. B., and T. B. Mason, A Journey Through Kansas, pp. 82-85. 



120 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

praise of the unusually beautiful night scene, attested the genuine- 
ness of the impression it recorded. The description accompanying 
the map used as frontispiece indicated that the son had made the 
original drawing of the map too. The December Press referred to 
the map as a "new" one, "drawn by H. V. Boynton." 

The background of the commissioners accounted in part at least 
for their interest in the American Reform Tract and Book Society 
and its anti-slavery activities. Both were Massachusetts men by 
birth. Charles Brandon Boynton was born in Stockbridge, June 12, 
1806. 16 He attended the Stockbridge academy and entered Williams 
college in the class of 1827. Ill health, which seems to have handi- 
capped him frequently through his life, necessitated his leaving col- 
lege in his senior year. For a time he engaged in business, becoming 
president of the first railroad company in Berkshire county. 17 He 
studied and practiced law, and served as a member of the Massa- 
chusetts House of Representatives. Later he prepared himself for 
the ministry by studying theology privately with the Reverend Mr. 
Woodbridge of Spencertown, N. Y., and was ordained by the Colum- 
bia Presbytery in October, 1840. His first charge was at Housatonic, 
Mass., 1840-1845. 18 The second charge was at Lansingburg, N. Y., 
1845-1846. His third call, coming in 1846, was to the Vine Street 
church in Cincinnati, at that time the Sixth Presbyterian, where he 
remained until March, 1856. Before 1849, this church became Con- 
gregational and was known thereafter as "the Vine Street Congrega- 
tional Church." 19 

Mr. Boynton had grown up and lived in the East where the anti- 
slavery movement had had its chief support, but not until he came 
west was he himself actively interested in the question. In 
Cincinnati, however, where the controversy was waged fiercely dur- 
ing the fifties, he bore an important part. In the circular letter of 
August 9, he indicated that his proposed journey to Kansas in behalf 
of the American Reform Tract and Book Society was the wish of 
the directors. 20 In his own preface to A Journey Through Kansas he 
suggested that his trip was of his own election, undertaken in part to 
recuperate his health. "With this party [the commission] the writer 
united himself, partly for the purpose of aiding in executing the com- 

16. Appleton's Cyclopaedia of American Biography, v. I, p. 342. 

17. Dictionary of American Biography (Scribner), v. II, pp. 536-537. 

18. Appleton's Cyclopaedia gives the place as Housatonic, Conn., and the period as three 
years instead of five. 

19. After 1849 the Cincinnati directories carried the name of "Vine Street; Congrega- 
tional Church" as Mr. Boynton's church. Statement of Davis L. James, Sr., in letter to 
author of this article, January 5, 1933. Mr. James is a retired book dealer of Cincinnati. 

20. Vide ante, pp. 116-117. 



DOLBEE: SECOND BOOK ON KANSAS 121 

mission, and partly in the hope of recruiting his exhausted strength 
by a ramble over the 'prairie land' of Kansas." 21 The suggestion 
here of Mr. Boynton's relationship to the "party," more than any 
other extant statement, leads one to suppose that the commission 
may well have had more than two or three members. 

The second known member, Timothy B. Mason, was born in Med- 
field, Mass., November 17, 1801. 22 Information about him is meager. 
A relative of Lowell Mason, the musician and song writer, he seems 
to have had music as his own primary interest, and he must have 
been something of a musician himself. The exact time of his coming 
to Cincinnati is not certain, for he was not listed in the directories 
there until 1836 ; but he must have been there as early as 1834, for 
in that year he helped to found the Eclectic Academy of Music, of 
which he continued as director until 1840. 23 The Cincinnati direc- 
tories carried the name of Mr. Mason as a resident of the city from 
1836 to 1857 24 ; in the earlier years his occupation was "professor of 
music"; later it was "piano dealer." In 1844 he was the conductor 
of the newly founded Handel & Hayden Society, which was in ex- 
istence up to 1849. From 1853 through 1855, he was also entered as 
"treasurer of the American Reform Tract and Book Society," and in 
1856 just as "agent." In 1839, Mr. Mason had compiled and pub- 
lished a book, entitled Mason's Young Minstrel, a new collection of 
juvenile songs with appropriate music, arranged by himself. 25 Mr. 
Boynton's son, Henry, married a daughter of Mr. Mason. 26 

Mr. Mason's responsibility was apparently to explore and observe, 
and possibly to contribute, from notes or from memory, facts upon 
the geographical features of the territory, and officially to sanction 
the written report. If he helped in the writing of the composition, 
Mr. Boynton gave him no credit. Once in the course of the record, 
Mr. Boynton did refer to him. At Council Grove, where the explor- 
ers had opportunity to see an encampment of Kaw Indians, Mr. Ma- 
son transcribed one of their songs. 

On Sunday evening there was loud riot and revelry in their camps and all 
seemed to join in yelling out a song, which was so softened and modulated by 

21. Boynton, C. B., and T. B. Mason, A Journey Through Kansas, p. V. 

22. "Biographical Circulars," v. II-M. 

23. Wilby, Eleanor S., librarian of Historical and Philosophical Society of Ohio, in letter 
to author of this article, February 16, 1933. 

24. Although Mr. Mason's name does not appear in the city directories of Cincinnati 
after 1857, he may have continued to dwell there afterward. Miss Wilby thinks he may have 
gone into the country to live. He died in Cincinnati, February 10, 1861. Cf. "Biographical 
Circulars," v. II-M. 

25. The copy of this book in the library of the Historical and Philosophical Society of 
Ohio, in the University of Cincinnati Library building, is of the "revised, enlarged, 4th 
edition," copyrighted by Truman & Smith of Cincinnati, and published in Boston. It is 
called v. I. Statement of Eleanor S. Wilby, librarian. 

26. Statement of Miss Wilby, drawn from Cincinnati records. 



122 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

floating half a mile, as to enable Mr. Mason to write down its principal notes, 
and after his return he performed or imitated it on the organ, much to the 
astonishment and amusement of those who heard. 27 

The text did not indicate the occasion to which the author here al- 
luded. Shortly after the return of the commissioners to Ohio, late 
in October, however, Mr. Boynton gave an address at his church on 
Vine street, descriptive of the tour. Afterward, according to the 
newspaper story, "while the collection was being taken, Mr. Mason 
gave on the organ an imitation of an Indian war-song." 28 This 
press notice and the reference in the book, quoted above, are the only 
records found, for this review, of Mr. Mason's part in the report. 

Mr. Boynton's first accounts of the journey seem to have been 
oral. The Daily Columbian of October 17, in announcing a regular 
meeting of the Kansas League for Thursday night, added, "it is ex- 
pected the Rev. C. Boynton will make a report of his explora- 
tions." 29 The Vine Street Congregational Church address upon the 
subject occurred a week or ten days later. The two extant records 
of this occasion, on file in Kansas to-day, summarized his remarks. 30 
He divided Kansas territory into three sections geographically 
northern, middle, and southern, and two divisions agriculturally 
the east and the west. The varied beauty of the country he found in- 
describable. The prairie stirred in him a feeling of sublimity as did 
the sea. He spoke at length upon the laws of squatter life, the con- 
ditions of the settlers now in the territory, and the inducement to 
other emigrants to follow. 

The Ohio commission, the reader should know, did not travel much 
farther west in the territory than Fort Riley and Council Grove. 
Mr. Boynton's comments, therefore, did not refer to the prairies in 
the western part at all; nor in the address did he even mention the 
far western region toward the Rocky Mountains. What he talked of 
was for the most part what he had seen, or the conclusions to which 
he and his fellow travelers had come from what they had seen and 
heard. Although to-day some of his generalizations may seem ill- 
founded, the report appealed at the time as convincing, for it was 
based upon actual observation. 

Following the formal address, the president of the Kansas League 
of Cincinnati, one Mr. Jolliffe, spoke to the audience. "In a few 

27. Boynton, C. B., and T. B. Mason, A Journey Through Kansas, pp. 123-124. 

28. "Webb Scrap Books," v. I, p. 178. The news clipping citing this information has 
neither source nor date attached. It evidently comes from a Cincinnati paper, probably the 
Gazette; inserted in the "Scrap Book" between other articles bearing the dates of October 4 
and October 26, it would seem to be of about the same date itself. 

29. Ibid., p. 166. 

30. Ibid., p. 178; Herald of Freedom, Lawrence, January 6, 1855. 



DOLBEE: SECOND BOOK ON KANSAS 123 

pertinent remarks he set forth the purpose for which the commis- 
sioners were sent, the expense of sending them, about $500, the de- 
sign of publishing their report, and appealed to the audience for 
aid." 31 The newspaper story did not record the success of the ap- 
peal. Nor has any other statement come to light in regard to the 
financing of the trip or the publication of the written report. 

The first notice of publication found by the writer of this article 
appeared under the caption of "Kansas," in The Daily Columbian, 
October 27, 1854. 32 It was virtually contemporary with the report 
of the Vine Street Congregational Church address. 

Moore, Anderson, & Co., have in press, and will issue in a few days, the very 
able report of the Rev. G. Boynton, relative to his recent exploration of Kan- 
sas Territory, on behalf of the Kansas League of this city. In addition to its 
merits as the fullest and most reliable account yet published, of this land of 
promise, and its being accompanied by an original map, this report will contain 
one feature, which will especially commend it to the attention of our mer- 
cantile community. This will be its remarks upon the prospective magnitude 
of Kansas trade, and the only means by which it can be permanently secured 
to this city. 

To have completed the manuscript of the two hundred and sixteen 
page report and have got the book in press by October 27 would 
have called for as concentrated and rapid work as Edward Everett 
Hale found himself performing in Kanzas and Nebraska the pre- 
ceding August. Presumably October was well begun before the Ohio 
commission came back to Cincinnati. Not until after their return 
was the form of the report determined upon; therefore, the author 
could not have begun the composition of it enroute. Twice, more- 
over, in the text, he referred to the date on which he was writing 
particular parts of the book. In chapter XXII, the date was 
November 16; in chapter XXVII, it was November 28. 33 The 
announcement of The Daily Columbian to the effect that the book 
was in press on October 27 was, therefore, somewhat premature. 

The point, however, to which this advance review of the book 
called the attention of "the mercantile community" was a point the 
finished publication made conspicuous in both chapters II and 
XIX. 34 If the publishers had already contracted for the book in 
October, part of the manuscript may have already been in their 
hands, and its emphasis upon the commercial advantage to southern 
Ohio of a westward migration may have been made known to the 

81. "Webb Scap Books," v. I, p. 178. 

32. Ibid., p. 182. 

33. Boynton, C. B., and T. B. Mason, A Journey Through Kansas, pp. 160, 208. 

34. Ibid., pp. 4-9, 139-141. 



124 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

reviewer. All the subsequent notices of A Journey Through Kan- 
sas, name as publishers, not "Moore, Anderson & Co.," but "Moore, 
Wilstach, Keys & Co." While the book was preparing, the firm was 
evidently reorganizing. 

The second announcement of the book was an advertisement in 
the New York Tribune October 30, 1854. It listed the book for 
November publication and noted the wide appeal of its contents. 
The book was not issued, however, in November. The third notice, 
appearing as an advertisement in The National Era, on December 
14, repeated the description of the Tribune. Varied itself in form 
and composition, it was designed to make a varied appeal. 

Our Orders 

Now Count by Thousands 

The universal interest now felt in the subject is shown by the large orders 
we are receiving for the new book, to be published, in December, entitled 

A Journey Through Kansas 
With Sketches of Nebraska, 

Describing the country, climate, soil, mineral, manufacturing, and other 
resources; the results of a Tour of Observation made in the autumn of 1854, by 
Rev. C. B. Boynton and T. B. Mason, committee from the "Kansas League of 
Cincinnati." With a new and authentic map from official sources, with emenda- 
tions by H. V. Boynton. One volume, 12 mo. paper, price 50 cents. 

Interwoven with the facts and statistics, presented in this volume, there 
will be found many exciting and amusing incidents of travel, narrated in a 
style of great beauty and vigor, which can not but attract many minds not 
directly looking to this land of promise for a future home for themselves or 
friends. 

SW* Dealers will find this work one that will meet a ready sale among rail- 
road travellers, and, through the agency of canvassers, in all sections of the 
country. Liberal discounts given. 

D^~ Orders should be forwarded promptly, or it will be quite impossible for 
them to receive as prompt a response as may be desirable. 

Moore, Wilstach, Keys, & Co., Publishers 
25 West Fourth St., Cincinnati. 35 

This advertisement added two bits of information to our knowledge 
of the book ; one was the date of publication December ; the other 
was the work upon the map by H. V. Boynton. The names of both 
Mr. Mason and Mr. Boynton appeared as authors; and, as on the 
title page of the published book, they constituted a "Committee from 
the 'Kansas League of Cincinnati/ " nothing being said about the 
American Reform Tract and Book Society. 

35. New York Tribune, October 30, 1854. The National Era, Washington, D. C., Decem- 
ber 14, 1854. Adv. 



DOLBEE: SECOND BOOK ON KANSAS 125 

The fourth notice of A Journey Through Kansas was a brief para- 
graph in the Cincinnati Gazette, December 23. 

We understand that a book entitled "A Journey Through Kansas," by Rev. 
Mr. Boynton, of this city, will be published in a few days, by Moore, Wilstach, 
Keys & Co. We have seen some of the proof sheets of this book, and predict 
for it a rapid and extensive sale. We shall notice it more at length in a few 
days. 36 

On December 27 the same paper carried an advertisement, begin- 
ning "Published This Day," and followed by virtually the same ac- 
count of the book as that appearing in The National Era except the 
first paragraph was omitted entirely. 37 The Gazette advertisement 
also dropped the statement offering liberal discounts to dealers. To 
the paragraph urging prompt orders, it added, "They [the orders] 
are pouring in promptly." Four months, then, after the exploration 
of Kansas by the Ohio commissioners, their report upon the journey 
was published in book form. A review of the nature and the sub- 
stance of that report follows. 

A Journey Through Kansas With Sketches of Nebraska, as the 
author explained in the preface, 38 was a description of many of the 
scenes and incidents of "that far and almost unexplored territory" 
which had so deeply interested him and his companions on their 
autumn visit there. Facts and statements concerning the aspect, the 
resources, and the productions of the country he presented "with the 
sanction of the commissioners," but he conveyed them primarily 
through the medium of narrative for which he alone was responsible. 
The purpose of the story form was to "make a more vivid impres- 
sion, . . . obtain a wider circulation, . . . and awaken an interest" 
in readers in Kansas and Nebraska and the cause they represented. 
The underlying motive was, of course, to encourage free emigration 
there. 

As the emphasis in the title would suggest, Kansas received the 
fuller treatment. Of the twenty-eight chapters, only one discussed 
Nebraska separately. Most of them were short, varying from three 
to twelve or thirteen pages; the longest chapter numbering fifteen 
pages in all, was rightly, perhaps, or at least fairly, the chapter on 
Nebraska. 

The discourse was for the most part narrative. It followed, with 
some divergence, the chronological order of the actual journey of 
the commissioners, with reflections upon their various experiences or 

36. Cincinnati Gazette, December 23, 1854. Phot'ostatic copy used. 

37. Ibid., December 27, 1854. Photostatic copy used. 

38. A Journey Through Kansas, pp. V-VI. 



126 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

the experiences of other adventurers before them about whom they 
heard along the way. Now and then the narrative paused for whole 
chapters of descriptions of scenery or expository discussions of 
purely informational nature. 

Chapter I told of the general ignorance of the needs of territo- 
rial exploring parties and included some amusing speculations as to 
desirable outfits for the journey. Although most men now talked 
"as if Kansas were a familiar subject, studied and comprehended," 
few had formed "any well-defined ideas of the position, aspect, and 
resources of this great Territory." 39 The commissioners from Ohio 
had, therefore, found making plans for the trip far more difficult 
than fitting themselves out for a voyage to Europe. 

In chapter II the journey itself began, but not until chapter V did 
it touch upon Kansas. Meantime, however, the writer told of ways 
and conditions of travel emigrants would desire to know. Two 
chapters told of the journey up the Missouri by boat from St. Louis 
to Kansas City. Interspersed with the narrative of the author's 
own experience were accounts of the river, its availability for naviga- 
tion, the operation of the steamboats then upon it, the surprisingly 
extensive business they carried on, and the prospects of development 
for Kansas City, still known as Kansas and still but a village. 

Kansas City, which appeared "like a village of from six hundred 
to one thousand inhabitants," was contending with Weston, a place 
of some four thousand inhabitants, for the territorial emigrant trade 
as well as that for Santa Fe and California. Kansas City was 
largely under the influence of Eastern capital; yet its location in a 
slave state made its future hard to predict. 40 In Weston, too, were 
both slave and free elements. 

In chapter VI the Cincinnati party boarded the Weston ferry to 
enter Kansas. Twice before they had touched upon the territory. 
On leaving Kansas City, Mo., they had noted at the mouth of the 
Kansas, on the Wyandot reservation, the beautiful sloping site for 
a town that might well become a "rival free-soil city." 41 Thirty 
miles beyond, on the west bank of the Missouri, they saw their first 
"squatter city," Leavenworth, three and one-half miles below the 
fort. In this strange city "squatted" upon the lands of the Dela- 
wares, where government officials had declared squatter sovereignty 
had no jurisdiction, they found twelve hundred and more "sover- 
eigns" had already set up their thrones. 

39. Ibid., pp. 1-2. 

40. Ibid., pp. 20-31. 

41. Ibid., p. 22. 



DOLBEE: SECOND BOOK ON KANSAS 127 

A squatter city has little resemblance to any other city; it belongs to a 
distinct genus of cities. This is a large and important one, the capital, as many 
hope, of Kansas, and is therefore worthy of description. There was one steam- 
engine, "naked as when it was born," but at work, sawing out its clothes. 
There were four tents, all on one street, a barrel of water or whiskey under 
a tree, and a pot, on a pole over a fire. Under a tree, a type-sticker had his 
case before him, and was at work on the first number of the new paper, and 
within a frame, without a board on side or roof, was the editor's desk and 
sanctum. When we returned from the territory to Weston, we saw the "notice," 
stating that the editor had removed his office from under the elm tree, to the 
corner of "Broadway and the levee." This Broadway was, at that time, much 
broader than the streets of old Babylon; for, with the exception of the "fort," 
there was, probably, not a house on either side, for thirty miles. 42 

Leavenworth City had commercial aspirations, but it could never 
rival Kansas City in trade. Fort Leavenworth, beautifully situated 
on a rolling bluff where scattering forest trees gave it the appearance 
of a cultivated park, made only a meager show as a fort, but it was 
an important military depot. It had become "the principal point of 
departure for troops and government supplies of all kinds, for 
Santa Fe, Fort Riley, Fort Laramie, and Fort Kearney, and other 
western stations, and the number of horses, mules, oxen, wagons, 
and the large amount of stores of all kinds, required in these opera- 
tions" was an important item for future Kansas agriculturists to 
consider. 43 

The first impression Kansas made upon her visitors was of the 
fertility of her soil. Along the Missouri river bottom between the 
Weston ferry and Fort Leavenworth, "every description of vegeta- 
tion" appeared on magnified scale. The most common timber was 
cottonwood, oak, and elm, many of the trees being conspicuously tall 
and thick in diameter. 44 Though these river bottom lands were 
fertile, they were unhealthful and on that account not extensively 
cultivated. 

The following twenty-one chapters did not trace the succeeding 
impressions of the journey in chronological order. Instead, they 
grouped facts and features according to subject and interspersed in- 
formation with entertaining narrative. Chapter VII told of the 
geographical and commercial divisions; chapter IX, of climate and 
productions ; chapter X, of temperature and quantity of rain ; chap- 
ter XI, of streams, springs, wells, and timber; chapter XXI, of the 
Indian lands and reservations; chapter XX, of the homestead and 

42. Ibid., pp. 23-24. 

43. Ibid., p. 32. 

31 ~ 32 ' Th6 author ' s P hrase " five and * feet in diameter," seems some- 



128 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

preemption law; chapter XIV, of town sites and settlements, and 
chapter XVII, of the inhabitants now in the territory. 

In reviewing the geographical divisions the reader must remember 
the Rocky Mountains still marked the western boundary line of 
Kansas territory. Mr. Boynton, in his book survey, divided the 
territory into three districts: the eastern, lying along the river and 
state of Missouri; the western, stretching along the eastern base of 
the Rocky Mountains; and the central, extending between and 
having but general boundaries. Depending upon personal observa- 
tion and all other available known sources of information, he char- 
acterized the eastern district as an agricultural region, the western 
boundary of which was an average distance of two hundred and 
fifty miles from the Missouri but bent farther westward along the 
head waters of the Kansas to some three hundred miles. The west- 
ern district he called "the western New England or American Switz- 
erland, abounding in beautiful streams, timber, and fertile and 
sheltered valleys." 45 The central district was a belt of land de- 
prived of moisture by the mountain ranges on the west and lying 
west of the line reached by the northward winds from the Gulf of 
Mexico; the plains in this district were destitute of timber, but the 
buffalo grass that covered the sandy soil with a scanty verdure was 
exceedingly nutritious and would afford pasturage for the flocks and 
herds of civilized life as it had already long done for buffalo, elk, 
antelopes, and deer. In confirmation of his pictures the author 
quoted several June and July entries from Colonel Fremont's 
journal. 

Natural features of the country, Mr. Boynton felt, would largely 
determine the commercial divisions of the territory. Although he 
admitted only time would fix the exact place and number of trade 
centers, he prophesied the development of four: The northeastern 
portion of Kansas, near the Missouri valley, would demand a com- 
mercial depot of its own on the Missouri near St. Joseph where the 
railroad from Hannibal was planned to terminate. The central dis- 
trict along the valley of the Kansas, including the valleys of the 
Smoky Hill and Republican forks, promised to be the central route 
of the Pacific railroad which, with the river boats, should the river 
prove navigable, would draw commerce to the towns along the river 
and the railroad. The southeastern portion, drained by the head 
waters of the Osage and Neosho rivers, must depend upon a railway 
to Kansas [Kansas City] or upon the southwestern branch railway 

45. Ibid., p. 37. 



DOLBEE: SECOND BOOK ON KANSAS 129 

from St. Louis. The southern portion, along the Arkansas river 
valley, the commissioners did not visit but learned about from "an 
intelligent gentleman" who had passed down the valley and who 
pictured it as a fertile, well-timbered place that should "offer great 
advantages to a large colony possessed of considerable capital." 46 

Mr. Boynton characterized Kansas as the land of streams and 
springs. By borrowing the Nebraska part of the Greater Nemaha 
and incorporating it within the northeastern limits of Kansas terri- 
tory, he gave Kansas three "large river" valleys. The one of the 
borrowed stream to the north was the shortest. That of the Kansas 
and its tributaries in the center had its head waters far toward the 
Rocky Mountains. The Arkansas to the south, with its origin far 
within those mountains, ran for five hundred miles across Kansas 
territory. With the Osage, the Marais des Cygnes, and the Neosho 
rivers in the southeast part, they covered all the eastern part of Kan- 
sas with a network of streams, and their tributaries watered the cen- 
tral part and portions of the western part reasonably well. 

In their three hundred miles travel the Ohioans always found 
water, at suitable intervals, for themselves and their horses, without 
leaving the main roads. In the autumn season, too, when they made 
their trip, many of the small streams and springs were dry. The 
deepest well they found was thirty-five feet, and the temperature of 
the several wells tested was 54 Fahrenheit. Water of some of the 
wells and springs was suitable for washing, but most of it was 
"hard." 

The timber supply interested the Ohioans especially. Within the 
territory they had found the erroneous opinion prevailing among set- 
tlers that timber and fuel were scarce and dear; and every squatter 
had consequently made it his first object to secure a claim with a 
tract of timber both for his own use and for an investment. 

This subject is one of prime importance, and deserves a careful con- 
sideration; for if prairie farms, destitute of timber, can not be cultivated suc- 
cessfully, then, except for stock-raising, Kansas will prove of but little value. 
If the prairie farmer is to be at the mercy of the owner of timber, and tree- 
tops, for fuel, are to be sold at five dollars a cord, as in some locations 
now, it will be long before the territory is changed into a populous State. 47 

Apprehending little difficulty if the settlers would exercise judicious 
management of all the resources at hand, the author devoted seven 

46. Ibid., p. 44. The "intelligent gentleman" making this prophecy may have been 
Max Greene or some other member of the exploring party of the American Settlement Com- 
pany of New York that chose Council City (now Burlingame) as the site of its first colony 
in Kansas. Cf. Max Greene's The Kanzas Region, p. 109. 

47. A Journey Through Kansas, p. 67. 

97467 



130 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

pages of chapter XI to a discussion of the timber growth of Kansas. 
Enumerating the kinds of trees growing in the different sections, he 
showed Kansas had more timber than people had commonly sup- 
posed. 

Added to this chapter on the water and timber supply were brief 
discussions on the cost of a farm and farming, and on minerals, 
mines, and manufactures. Average crop yields were listed. Cali- 
fornia and Oregon emigration and the Santa Fe trade would insure a 
steady cash market at home for all productions. Development of 
manufacturing resources would extend this market further. 

Mr. Boynton had no full or accurate knowledge of minerals and 
mines; but he named numerous minerals which he had seen or 
other persons claimed to have seen: bituminous coal, carboniferous 
limestone, iron, lead, tin, zinc, gypsum on the Smoky Hill fork, 
copper on Turkey creek, clay for bricks, and potter's clay. If 
Kansas should become a free state, her free settlers of mechanical 
skill and experience in the East would "at once furnish manu- 
factures of wood, iron, leather, hemp, and a countless variety of 
articles" and make Kansas soon "present a copy of manufacturing 
New England." 48 

Chapter XXI, which located the Indian lands and reservations, 
showed that they formed only an inconsiderable portion of the 
territory in area but that they embraced some of the most desirable 
parts of the country, especially of the timber lands on the Kansas 
and its tributaries. Necessity, the author felt, would soon compel 
a change; either the treaties would be modified or the government 
would purchase the lands entire. 

So far as the great ends of civilization and Christianity are concerned, the 
most of these Indian lands are so occupied by the tribes as to be useless to 
the world, or rather they are obstacles in the progress of the country. . . . 
How their territory is, without injustice to them, to pass into the possession 
of the whites, is a question we can not answer, and yet we can not doubt 
that the transfer will ere long be made. 49 

On the mouth of the Kansas, between that river and the Missouri, 
the Wyandots had six square miles. On the north side of the Kansas 
the Delawares held a tract ten miles wide, extending west from the 
Wyandots, forty miles along the river. Thirteen miles west of the 
Delaware reservation began the Pottawatomie tract, fourteen miles 
wide on the north side of the Kansas and four miles wide on the 
south side, and stretching westward for thirty miles. The Shawnee 
reservation, ten miles wide and forty miles long, lay on the south 

48. Ibid., pp. 73-76. 

49. Ibid., pp. 152-155. 



DOLBEE: SECOND BOOK ON KANSAS 131 

side of the Kansas, beginning about four miles from the Missouri 
and extending westward. The Kansas, or Kaws, had a small tract 
in the neighborhood of Council Grove; with the Osages, Ottawas, 
and Sacs, this tribe held some of the best timber and bottom lands 
on the Osage and Neosho rivers. The lowas had small reservations 
in the north of Kansas. Unofficial reports indicated some of these 
lands were soon to be ceded or sold. Over some lands lately ceded 
by the Delawares, the government and "squatters" were now in 
dispute; the treaty had been designed to exclude the right of pre- 
emption but already there were twelve hundred settlers on the 
lands. 

Chapter XX, entitled "Homestead and Pre-emption Law," con- 
sisted wholly of directions to prospective settlers. Since no home- 
stead law existed to apply to Kansas, the law of preemption must 
be their guide. 

By the law of pre-emption, any person being the "head of a family, or 
widow, or single man, over the age of twenty-one years, and being a citizen 
of the United States, or having filed his declaration of intention to become 
a citizen, as required by the naturalization laws," is entitled to enter upon 
any unoccupied public lands, and "claim" any number of acres not exceeding 
one hundred and sixty, (a quarter section). He must make a "settlement" 
upon the land thus claimed, and erect thereon a dwelling. This claim and 
settlement must be made in person, and the claimant must "inhabit and 
improve" the same in order to have a legal protection against others who 
might claim the same ground. 50 

Inasmuch as the lands of Kansas were unsurveyed, the settler 
would be expected to file a description of his "claim" with the 
surveyor-general within three months after the survey should have 
been made, and would then supposedly be allowed twelve months 
to make payment to the government ; but as the government survey 
wtould not be complete until the following spring, settlers would 
enjoy use of their claims for two years, virtually, before the govern- 
ment would require payment. 

In further explanation the chapter included a two and one-half 
page abstract of the preemption laws, and a one-page letter from 
the commissioner of the land office. Mr. Boynton explained that 
the purpose of the preemption law was to 1 protect the settler in his 
claim to one hundred and sixty acres, allowing him to pay for it as 
indicated above; but he also stated that the government would 
permit a man to purchase, on the day of public sale, as much as 
ten thousand acres, if no other person should object or overbid 



132 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

him. To only the quarter section, however, would he have legal 
security. 

The chapter on town sites and settlements was a mixture of facts 
and speculation. When the commissioners visited Kansas in Sep- 
tember, the New England settlement at Lawrence was the most ad- 
vanced and most promising. Twenty miles west of it, at Tecum- 
seh, was Stinson's settlement. Atchison was already laid out on the 
Missouri with an eye to the trade of northeastern Kansas. Below it 
was Leavenworth. Choosing as sites places where the principal 
streams and valleys struck the Kansas or where the main lines of 
roads, like the Oregon, California, and Santa Fe trails crossed the 
river, emigrants had already formed settlements at Salt creek, 
Hickory Point, Stranger creek, Grasshopper river, Soldier creek, 
Catholic mission, Lost creek, Vermilion, Rock creek, Big Blue, 
Wild Cat creek, and Fort Riley, all on the north side of the Kansas. 
Similar settlements the Ohioans found from Council Grove toward 
the Missouri along the Santa Fe trail in the northern part of the 
territory; the chief of these settlements was on the Big Blue where 
the government road to Forts Kearney and Laramie crossed the 
river. At Council Grove 51 and at Fort Riley natural conditions 
led the travelers to believe important towns must develop. Between 
Fort Riley and the mouth of the Kansas they foresaw another trade 
center, but were not sure whether it would be at Lawrence. At the 
mouth of the Kansas, on Kansas soil now reserved to the Wyandots, 
they placed the commercial capital of Kansas. 

The New England settlement at Lawrence received the fullest 
treatment, being given two full pages. 52 Part of the account was a 
description of the place as it appeared on the day of the commis- 
sioners' visit. On that day there had been "an auction sale of the 
choice of claims," fifty-six choices being sold at a premium of five 
thousand dollars. The plan for the city had been made, and "for 
the present ... a town lot will be donated to any one who will 
occupy and improve" it. 53 At Lawrence alone there were then 
supposedly four hundred persons. 54 The sketch also told of the two 

61. Council Grove was also called Big Spring. Ibid., p. 43. 

52. Ibid., pp. 98-99. 

53. Correspondence from residents of Lawrence, printed in Northern and Eastern papers 
at this time indicated that one-fourth of the 9,000 city lots would be given to persons that 
would build upon them within a year. S. F. Tappan, in The Atlas, Boston, November 1, 
1854; E. D. Ladd in the Milwaukee Sentinel, November 4, 1854. Mrs. C. I. H. Nichols 
wrote November 2 to the Springfield Republican. November 18, 1854, that "no person can 
have a city lot without binding himself not to deal in intoxicating drinks." 

54. A Journey Through Kansas, pp. 160-161. In the narrative of the commissioners' 
actual September journey, inserted in chapter XXII on November 16, the date of writing, 
Mr. Boynton gave a fuller picture of Lawrence and used other figures, referred to before on 
p. 98. At the time of the November writing there were 600 heads of families in Lawrence 
and nearly a thousand people all told. Here, as elsewhere, Mr. Boynton cited no sources. 



DOLBEE: SECOND BOOK ON KANSAS 133 

steam saw mills, the steam-driven printing press, the plan for a 
public building for school and worship, the proposal of the Emigrant 
Aid Company to supply food and other necessaries at lower rates 
than the settlers could procure for themselves, and the hotel pur- 
chased in Kansas City to be used as a receiving house for emi- 
grants. In a brief paragraph that followed, the author expressed 
the hope that at other points other companies would emulate the 
noble work of the Massachusetts company at Lawrence. 55 

The discussion of the inhabitants of the territory said little about 
the inhabitants, but it did say much about local conditions and 
sentiments they must face. Since no census had been taken, no 
one had any real knowledge of the population of the territory. Gen- 
eral opinion, in September, 1854, placed the estimate at some four 
to five thousand in all. Major Ogden, at Fort Leavenworth, thought 
there were twelve hundred on the Delaware lands alone. These 
figures, however, were all merely estimates. On all sides the com- 
missioners found the practice of staking fictitious claims, some- 
times by little associations of slave sympathizers to keep out "the 
abolitionists," and sometimes by the free-soilers to exclude slave- 
holders. Usually these associations had consisted of a few specu- 
lators and politicians who had passed " terrible resolutions . . . 
saving the Union, and protecting and extending 'our peculiar institu- 
tions.' " 56 Mr. Boynton predicted early cessation of such hostilities. 
The different parties would have to mingle, from proximity and 
from the strong necessity of companionship and of social and busi- 
ness relations. Already a "free-soiler," in western phrase, was not 
necessarily an anti-slavery man ; rather, he was a person willing all 
should come and decide the question of slavery when there, fairly, 
by the popular vote. Even in Missouri this "free-soil" principle 
prevailed, the Ohioans believed; and most slaveholders to whom 
they talked had considered the question settled against them. If 
Eastern and Northern emigration should continue, the commis- 
sioners were sure of a triumph for the free-state cause. The two 
facts that contributed most to this assurance were, first, the char- 
acter of the productions suitable for the soil and the nature of the 
resources which would appeal to men with large families and small 
means who would not desire the presence of aristocratic slaveholders 

55. Ibid., p. 93. The opening paragraph of the chapter on "Town Sites and Settlements," 
written only a few days after the chapter itself, stated that "The New England settlement 
on the Waukereusa has since received some large accessions. ... A large colony, as is 
said, has selected Council Grove as its center, and some claims have been made in the 
vicinity of Fort Riley." 

56. Ibid., p. 126. 



134 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

in their neighborhoods; and seconpl, the expectation that a large 
portion of the lands of Kansas would be "claimed" or "squatted," 
previous to the survey, in one hundred and sixty acre plots, too 
small for plantations. 57 The discussion ended with an exhortation, 
however, to every free man of the East and North whose circum- 
stances would allow, to go and aid in making the cause of freedom 
sure. 

The thirteen remaining chapters that were primarily narrative 
contained much additional information. The unexpected beauty of 
the Kansas prairies, so different from the prairies of Indiana, 
Illinois, or Iowa, called for both descriptive and expository treat- 
ment. 58 The view from the bluffs above Fort Riley, at the con- 
fluence of the Republican and Smoky Hill forks, appealed as one 
of the most beautiful. 59 Only a small part of the territory had as 
yet been explored; the field either for individual enterprise or for 
the establishment of colonies was wide and inviting. 60 

Pictures of the Indians and Indian life appeared frequently in the 
book. Stories of the travelers' own encounters with them enlivened 
some of the pages. Tales of their superstitions and beliefs, current 
among the settlers, were repeated. 61 Their skill in horsemanship had 
vivid portrayal. 62 Their ability in warfare received unwilling 
praise. 63 Incredulously the Ohio travelers listened to the young 
American officers at Fort Riley explain the superiority of the 
mounted Indian in close combat. With a trained horse, with a bow 
and arrow, and with a spear he excelled over the dragoon, untrained 
in horsemanship and riding a horse that was but a raw recruit. The 
Indians of the plain might be called the American Cossack before 
whom the artillery was almost useless. Stories of massacres of both 
emigrants and soldiers on the western plains supported the officers' 
point of view. The Indians' love of tobacco "chebok," as they 
called it seemed their most obvious weakness; only for it would 
they make voluntary advances to the white man. 64 In different 
places in the book Mr. Boynton asserted his belief that the Indian 
race had nearly finished its course. 

As surely as races, like individuals, have characteristics peculiar to them- 
selves, capacities which indicate fitness or unfitness for certain modes of 

57. Ibid., pp. 130-132. 

58. Ibid., pp. 45-49, 86-90. 

59. Ibid., pp. 46-49, 106, 114-117. 

60. Ibid., p. 104. 

61. Ibid., pp. 165-173. 

62. Ibid., pp. 51, 108-109. 

63. Ibid., pp. 108-112. 

64. Ibid., pp. 51-53. 



DOLBEE: SECOND BOOK ON KANSAS 135 

thought or action, so certain does it appear that the Indian race will never 
assume the forms of the Anglo-Saxon civilization. ... As a race, and 
nationally, they are lost already, and will disappear. They have played their 
part through, in the world's development, and they are nearly ready to leave 
the stage. 65 

From the Raws, observed in encampment near the Methodist mis- 
sion at Council Grove, he drew most of his conclusions about the ap- 
parent destiny of the race. 

Fort Riley, seen at this time, made a better impression as a fort 
upon the Ohio commissioners than did Fort Leavenworth. Es- 
tablished in November, 1853, and built largely in 1854, it still had 
a freshness of look. White lime-stone from the neighboring bluffs 
had been the chief material used. Cheaply obtained and cheaply 
hewn, it gave the appearance of durability. 66 The architect was 
from Cincinnati. 67 The setting added to its charm. 

Standing on a broad, low eminence, swelling gently up from the Kansas 
valley on the east, and from that of the Republican on the south, and south- 
west, its cluster of white buildings presented a neat and attractive appearance, 
and doubtless the beauty of that picture was enhanced, in our eyes, because 
we had lately looked only on unsightly cabins. It was a sweet-looking "oasis," 
not indeed a green spot merely, amid sands, but a little isle of beauty, rising 
out of the prairie ocean, bright with a civilized smile, and wearing the decora- 
tions of taste and skill. 68 

Purity of the air, the Ohioans felt, would keep the fresh color long 
undimmed. A lengthy description of the natural background made 
by the Republican, the Smoky Hill, and the Kansas rivers and the 
surrounding hills and woods gave a full view of the place. 69 To us 
now, who have always thought of Fort Riley as one of the per- 
manent military posts in the United States, one statement of Mr. 
Boynton's regarding its intended fate seems strange. Officers 
stationed there in the early fall of 1854 told him that as soon as the 
settlements in Kansas reached to the fort, the government designed 
giving up the position, selling out the grounds and buildings, and 
establishing a more western station. 70 More western stations came, 
of course, but Fort Riley also remained. 

Throughout their journey the Ohioans felt the importance of the 
position of Kansas and of the nature of the population that should 
settle there. Situated in the heart of the continent, the territory was 
bound to be the center of extensive commerce "an exchange 



65. Ibid. 

66. Ibid. 

67. Ibid. 

68. Ibid. 

69. Ibid. 

70. Ibid. 



pp. 91-92. 
p. 106. 
p. 105. 

pp. 106-107, 114-115. 
p. 112. 



136 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

point between the Eastern states and the farthest West." 71 The ques- 
tion of her settlement, moreover, had become the preeminent politi- 
cal interest of the day. 

Kansas may be regarded as a political upheaval. Like islands that have 
been formed in the night by volcanic action, or mountains suddenly lifted out 
of the plains of South America, Kansas has been upheaved from the political 
ocean, by the internal fires of party, and has become at once one of the most 
prominent objects on our continent. With thousands, who a few months ago 
had never even heard of Kansas, it is now the chief subject of thought and 
inquiry. 72 

In the different proposals for occupation of this crucial territory 
Northerners, at least, also saw a grave moral issue. 

Upon the question of the settlement of Kansas, the fate of the slave- 
power now hangs, more especially than upon the movements of political 
parties. The contest for the possession of this Territory will end in giving 
an effectual if not decisive blow to the defeated party. From a defeat there, 
slavery can never recover itself, and if the slave-power is victorious, it will 
have at its disposal almost every conceivable earthly advantage. 73 

Ohioans, of course, were bent upon securing the new territory from 
the dominion of slave power and establishing out of it "a genuine 
Puritan state, . . . both as a model and center of influence, and 
a point of departure for other enterprises in favor of freedom." 74 A 
free state there would be to all the vast regions of the West and the 
Southwest, "even to the Rocky Mountains and Mexico, the dawn of 
a new era, decisive of their destiny." 75 With boundary lines in- 
visible to the eye between the territory and Missouri on the east 
and the Indian lands on the south, a free state would wield there an 
unobtrusive but irresistible influence over even the slave holders and 
the slave state itself. The free institutions of school and church 
and society would make of her a model state that would direct to 
all the other unsettled territories of the Southwest a free emigra- 
tion, "which would prevent forever the formation of another slave 
state in all that region." 76 In the middle ground of Kansas herself, 
emigrants from all states, both Northern and Southern, must con- 
centrate and mingle. The moral power of their intermingled life 
and interests would be felt upon Missouri, Tennessee, Kentucky, 
and Virginia in inestimable ways, the author believed, even to the 
point of rendering disunion impossible. 77 

71. Ibid., pp. 133-134. 

72. Ibid., p. 134. 



ION Jl/tU.jp. -LO^t* 

73. Ibid., pp. 135-136. 

74. Ibid., pp. 133-134. 

75. Ibid., p. 136. 

76. Ibid., p. 138. 

77. Ibid., p. 139. 



DOLBEE: SECOND BOOK ON KANSAS 137 

In all the four separate chapters (XIX, XXVI, XXVII, XXVIII) 

devoted to the momentous nature of the Kansas question, Mr. 
Boynton emphasized the value of colonization. 78 He pointed out 
the great significance of the coming of the first New England party 
the summer before. 

Rightly considered, one of the most suggestive scenes that has been looked 
on for a hundred years in this country, was when the first large emigrant 
party from New England stepped upon the slave soil of Missouri, at St. 
Louis, on its way to Kansas. In that silent, unheeded act, was the inaugura- 
tion of a new era, unknown though it might be to the actors themselves. 
It was the advance-guard of freedom's hosts which was taking possession of 
the lands and dominion of slavery in the name of God and humanity. It 
was the first ripple of that new stream of emigration which, for years to 
come, is to swell on that southern shore with a broader and stronger tide. 79 

Believing that the opening up of the territories to Southern settle- 
ment had been the first and only motive of the Kansas-Nebraska 
bill, he thought of this Northern movement as a triumphant way to 
oppose it. 

We regard this idea of the colonization of the West and Southwest this 
conquest of slavery by the showing of the more excellent way as one of the 
grandest conceptions of modern times. It is a peaceful march of freedom's 
armies in a holy crusade, for the securing of human rights, and the extending 
of a true Christian civilization to our remotest borders. 

It will plant Northern energy, skill, capital, and industry, upon a new and 
nobler theater. It will move men in masses, so that their character, senti- 
ments, and institutions, will all be preserved entire. It is not merely emigra- 
tion it is colonization and these colonies, if properly formed, and wisely 
conducted, will settle, under God, the question of American slavery. 80 

Nor was it settlement of the question in territories only that was to 
be thus achieved. The Missouri Compromise had hitherto been a 
wall of defense for slavery in the South as it had for freedom in 
the North. Now, by its repeal, the North had been thrown open 
to slavery, but so was the South opened to freedom. If the North 
could only be true to herself, no one could doubt the result. 81 

Upon the people of his own state he laid a special charge. 

Especially do we, of Ohio, hope that southern Ohio will not hesitate to 
take interest and part in this great enterprise, but that she will cause her- 
self to be represented by one of the largest and noblest colonies in Kansas. 
The stake which Cincinnati has in this enterprise, is a very deep one, and 
her business men should give it a prompt and serious consideration. . . . 
Nothing has lately been presented to Cincinnati, of more importance than 
to bind Kansas, and all that surrounding region, to her by all the affinities 

78. Ibid., pp. 138-141, 201-216. 

79. Ibid., pp. 134-135. 

80. Ibid., pp. 139-140. 

81. Ibid., pp. 137-138, 200-201, 210-211. 



138 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

which free institutions on both sides can create, and by sending there, in 
large numbers, the sons and daughters of Ohio to bind Kansas to her by the 
ties of kindred and old association. 82 

So had Ohio been bound to the states farther east whence her 
people came; from northern Ohio, as a result, trade had been 
secured to New York and Boston, and from southern Ohio, to 
Philadelphia. 

Not only the commercial advantage to Ohio as a whole did Mr. 
Boynton note thus frankly, but he also pointed out the special oppor- 
tunity to emigrant aid companies. Like the New Englanders who 
formed the first Emigrant Aid Company in Massachusetts, the Ohio 
commissioners encouraged other companies to hope to secure a rich 
return for capital employed; judicious management was the only 
suggested prerequisite. 83 The remuneration would come in the form 
of increased value of the lands which the companies would them- 
selves retain. 84 

The fifteen-page chapter on Nebraska compared the two territories 
of Kansas and Nebraska in size and nature. 85 Not knowing any part 
of the northern territory himself, the author drew upon the accounts 
of others and upon supposition. He divided the country into six gen- 
eral districts, each characterized by common geographic features. 
These sections he described at length, picturing the prevailing con- 
tour of each and pointing out the adaptability of it to habitation. 
Elements of reputed grandeur or peculiar beauty he emphasized. He 
supplemented his own discussion with lengthy quotations from Ed- 
ward Everett Hale's Kanzas and Nebraska, 86 from an unnamed mis- 
sionary's account of the climate near the Canadian border line, and 
from the description of the valley of the Yellow Stone by an un- 
known writer in the New York Tribune. He also praised Fremont's 
journal for its accuracy as observed by himself in traveling over 
parts of the same routes. 

Frequently through the book the author alluded to the obli- 
gation of the church in settling the fate of the territories. In the 
chapter on "Nebraska" he said the determining of the question 
belonged "of right to the churches of this land." 87 The question 
was a question of morals and religion. The colonization he Would 

82. Ibid., p. 140. 

83. Ibid. 

84. Ibid., p. 214. 

85. Ibid., pp. 183-197. 

86. Ibid., 192-194. Cf. Kanzas and Nebraska, by Edward Everett Hale (Phillips, Samp- 
son & Company, 1854), pp. 70-71. 

87. A Journey Through Kansas, p. 196. 



DOLBEE: SECOND BOOK ON KANSAS 139 

make "a Christian colonization." 88 Emigrant churches should 
become the nuclei around which society would then form itself and 
make of Kansas not only a free state but a model state. Were such 
churches organized in the different parts of the country, the dif- 
ferent missionary societies might aid in sustaining their pastors. 
Where Christians of different sects might settle in the same locality 
they should unite in an organization liberal enough to embrace all. 89 
The religion, however, should not be so liberal as to be unorthodox 
in its practices. Chapter III began with severe censure of the 
second Emigrant Aid party sent out from Massachusetts, for not 
resting in St. Louis over the Sabbath. 

This party, numbering about one hundred and thirty, reached St. Louis on 
Saturday, and instead of resting in St. Louis over the Sabbath, as we have 
since understood it was the intention of the officers of the society that they 
should do, proceeded immediately up the river thus trampling down one law 
of God, in a mission professedly undertaken to vindicate another. 

This desecration of the Sabbath by a band of emigrants from Massachusetts; 
as most of them were, and connected as they were with a society organized 
for the very purpose of opposing an immorality, was a cause of grief to the 
best friends of the movement in the West. It served to divest the whole 
enterprise of a moral character; and to this extent diminished its power. 90 

Forbidding travel on the Sabbath was only one of several orthodox 
ideas appearing in A Journey Through Kansas. 

Different manifestations of nature were the handiwork of God. 
The Kansas prairie was "a magnificent picture of God"; its wonder- 
ful beauty was "the workmanship of God." 91 The three substitutes 
for timber and wood stone, coal, and osage orange were the 
provision of God. 92 The mounds of the prairies had "been up- 
heaved there by the hand of God." 93 The expanse of plain was 
particularly impressive. 

Over the vast plateau the heavens seem spread out on purpose to curtain 
it in; a dome, "whose maker and builder is God," and which, glowing, as 
it is, with excess of light, seems to send down to us the glory of some "upper 
sky," the shining through of a heavenly splendor. 94 

Customs and behavior of the pioneers already in the territory 
were weighed by orthodox standards. The head of the house who 
had given up saying grace at table had lost his Christian graces and 

88. Ibid., p. 214. 

89. Ibid., p. 215. 

90. Ibid., pp. 10-11. 

91. Ibid., pp. 46, 78. 

92. Ibid., p. 67. 

93. Ibid., p. 165. 

94. Ibid., p. 86. 



140 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

became a dead or frozen disciple. 95 Satan followed the weak and 
wavering Christian even into the wilderness. In Lawrence the 
Ohioans admired the cheer and hope and energy of the settlers, the 
scene reminding them of Plymouth Rock. Their wish for it was 
like a prayer: "Would that there might be found there the same 
depth of piety, the same sublimity of faith and loftiness of aim!" a6 

In spite of his exhortation to the new communities and to the 
settlers to be religious, Mr. Boynton unhesitatingly criticised the 
work of the missions. The mission at Council Grove, supported by 
the Methodists, provoked his chief rebuke; but its failure was only 
representative of the disappointing effects of most of the Indian 
missions. 

The "Mission" is merely a school, the Kaws not consenting to have the 
Gospel preached among them. They send a few of their children irregularly 
to a school, in which little or nothing is, or can be done. The name of "Mis- 
sion" does not very well describe the thing ; and this, we think, is not the only 
"Mission," in Kansas, to which the same remark would apply. It would do 
no harm, if this whole subject of Indian missions were somewhat more closely 
investigated by the churches. Some unexpected disclosures might be made, 
perhaps, by such a scrutiny, and the matter would be stripped of much of the 
heroic, and the romantic, with which it has been so largely invested. Many 
dreams of Christian Indian nations just budding into life on the frontier, 
would, probably, be put to flight, by a journey even through Kansas. 97 

Individual Indians, Mr. Boynton believed, might yet "be snatched 
as brands from the burning, and as trophies of the surprising grace 
of God," but of national vitality among the American tribes there 
was now none. Their probation as communities was over; their 
judgment day was passed; nationally, they were among the lost. 98 

Ignorance of the history of the open, uninhabited prairies was due 
to God's not yet having seen fit to disclose one of the most in- 
teresting secrets of the past. 99 Mr. Boynton's own conjecture was 
that the plains were once the cultivated fields of a race that had 
since passed away. The mounds were the remains of fortifications, 
of ruined temples and of walled cities. 100 

That was the substance of the report of the exploration of Kan- 
sas in the autumn of 1854 by the Ohio commissioners. In putting 
their findings into the seminarrative, semi-informational form of 
A Journey Through Kansas, Mr. Boynton made interesting reading 

95. Ibid., pp. 78-82. 

96. Ibid., p. 161. 

97. Ibid., p. 117. 

98. Ibid., p. 119. Cf. pp. 91-96. 

99. Ibid., pp. 89-91. 

100. Ibid., p. 90. Cf. pp. 164-168 



DOLBEE: SECOND BOOK ON KANSAS 141 

of what could easily have been barren fact, and he lent importance 
to personal incidents that without factual setting would have 
seemed insignificant. The information was for the most part of 
general nature, derived primarily from observation. With the ex- 
ceptions of the quotations above from Edward Everett Hale's Kan- 
zas and Nebraska, the New York Tribune, and Fremont's journal, 
and the weather reports supplied by the officers at Fort Leaven- 
worth, the author cited no authorities for his subject matter. His 
information was, on the whole, nevertheless, authentic. The book 
recorded more mistaken opinions than it did errors of fact. Opinion 
was clearly opinion, however; and speculation was speculation; the 
author offered neither as fact. 

Lack of exact information led both him and the maker of the 
map to place all of the Nemaha river in northern Kansas. 101 From 
frequent evidences of coal along the course of exploration, Mr. 
Boynton concluded erroneously that a coal supply was general and 
abundant throughout the territory. 102 Having no difficulty in a dry 
season in finding water readily all along the way for both man and 
beast, he supposed water would be found in every section of land. 103 
The statement that the Ohioans "saw no streams in the country, 
except the Kansas, whose waters are turbid," 104 may have been 
wholly truthful, but any Kansan reading the remark feels they could 
not have looked upon many Kansas streams. To appreciate the 
frequent comment upon the good Kansas roads, the reader needs 
information about the general condition of roads elsewhere in 1854; 
so few of the natural thoroughfares in Kansas, however, could ever 
have been rightly described as "the finest roads in the world" 105 
that he feels the author was little-traveled or frankly extravagant in 
remark. The "mucilaginous elm," which the Ohioans noted among 
the chief trees of the territory, 106 Kansans have long since char- 
acterized as "slippery elm." The idea that "fall planted potatoes 
might, perhaps, succeed best," must, to people who understand po- 
tato growing, be the most smile-provoking statement in the book. 107 
Failure to understand fully the extent of the issue at stake in Kansas 
and the strong feeling in both North and South upon it, explain the 
sincere but false prophecy that the border warfare by Missourians 

101. Ibid., pp. 40, 94. Frontispiece. Vide post., pp. 142-143. 

102. Ibid., pp. 65-67, 158. 

103. Ibid., p. 65. 

104. Ibid., p. 65. 

105. Ibid., p. 3. 

106. Ibid., p. 66. 

107. Ibid., p. 59. 



142 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

was over "to return no more." 108 Rightly the Ohioans sensed that 
much of the trouble was bluster, "empty gasconade," 109 with prov- 
ocation from both sides, but they jumped too hastily to the con- 
clusion that serious ruffianism was over. These are the most obvious 
incorrect or inaccurate ideas about Kansas and Kansas matters 
appearing in A Journey Through Kansas. 

The frontispiece of the book was "a map of Kansas with portions 
of Nebraska, etc., redrawn from official sources with emendations 
by H. V. Boynton." no Middleton, Wallace & Co., Cincinnati, were 
the engravers; Moore, Wilstach, Keys & Co., were the publishers. 
The map itself measured 6 7 /$ by 5% inches; it was printed on a 
page 7 l /2 inches square; and it had a single fold. Besides Kansas, 
it included those portions of other territories and states lying be- 
tween meridians 94 and 106 and between latitudes 35 and 43. 
It embraced portions of Utah, New Mexico, Texas, Indian territory, 
Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, and Nebraska. The geog- 
raphy of Kansas and Nebraska, as represented in the map, is of 
especial interest in this study. 

The territory of Kansas occupied the central portion of the map. 
Only that part of Nebraska territory south of latitude 43 appeared. 
The map, like that used as a frontispiece of Edward Everett Hale's 
Kanzas and Nebraska, was but an outline map. Boundary lines, 
river courses, forts, and towns were its chief inclusions ; the Santa Fe 
route from Kansas (Kansas City) to Santa Fe, N. M., was marked 
with two lines of travel as far west as Council Grove ; the northern 
was by way of Forts Leavenworth and Riley ; the southern lay south 
of the Wakarusa river. Forts and towns had almost the same loca- 
tions as in modern maps. The New England settlement was desig- 
nated as such, though it had already chosen the name of Lawrence 
for itself; 111 none of the other settlements mentioned in the text were 
marked on the map at all. The plains south of the great bend in the 
Arkansas river were called Salt Plains. Pike's Peak was the only 
Kansas marking in the Rocky Mountain range. Shaded sections 
along the Kansas river and one small place on the Kansas side of the 
Missouri river opposite St. Joseph evidently indicated Indian reser- 
vations ; why, however, these Indian lands were so marked and others 
in the territory were not designated at all is not clear. Most of 

108. Ibid., p. 126. 

109. Ibid., p. 128. 

110. Legend accompanying map. 

111. The New England settlement chose "Lawrence" as its name after Amos A. Lawrence, 
treasurer of the Emigrant Aid Company, October, 1854. 



DOLBEE: SECOND BOOK ON KANSAS 143 

the rivers followed almost the same courses as in modern maps, with 
two exceptions. The greater Nemaha in the map, as in the text, was 
placed entirely within Kansas. 112 The Cimarron river, which is now 
known to unite directly with the Arkansas in latitude 36, longitude 
96 15', united in the Boynton map with the Salt Fork in latitude 37 
30', longitude 101. In the portion of Nebraska shown in the map 
only rivers and forts appeared. The Rocky Mountains followed a 
general northeasterly line. Long's Peak was the only mountain 
noted separately. 

In so far as neither the map nor the text indicated the "official 
sources" used by H. V. Boynton in making his emended drawing, 
no one can tell at all what his sources were and whether they or 
he were responsible for the right or the wrong features of the work. 

The map was an interesting supplement, nevertheless, to the 
text. Although it did not indicate the course of the route the 
Ohioans followed in their own explorations, it noted the chief places 
Mr. Boynton talked of in his report places in both Kansas and 
Missouri, including the Missouri river as far east as Lexington. It 
therefore made locations relatively clear and so added to the 
reader's graphic knowledge of the western territories. 

In December, 1854, after the written report had gone to press, 
Mr. Boynton's monthly magazine devoted a column to the pros- 
pective publication. It discussed the purpose and noted the con- 
tents of the work. The reviewer described it as the result of 
personal observations of Mr. Boynton and Mr. Mason, who had 
traveled between three and four hundred miles in the territory 
and visited the principal points of interest. Their intention, he 
said, had been to collect information for prospective emigrants, 
and he believed that in every essential particular the information 
might be relied upon. The article ended with an account of the 
arrangements for sale of the book. 

By an arrangement with the publishers, the editor of this paper is able to 
supply this work at their prices. Any order, therefore, addressed to Rev. C. B. 
Boynton, editor of the Christian Press, Cincinnati, will receive attention. 
The publishers' prices are as follows: 
Single copies, paper, 50 cents. 

25 copies and less than 100, 33^ per cent discount. 
100 copies and less than 500, 40 per cent discount. 
400 copies and less than 1,000, 45 per cent discount. 
1,000 copies and over, 50 per cent discount. 

112. Vide ante, p. 141. 



144 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

This book will also be for sale as soon as published, at the American Re- 
form Tract and Book Society's Rooms, 180 Walnut street. 113 

Published on December 27, 1854, A Journey Through Kansas re- 
ceived its first lengthy review in the Cincinnati Gazette, January 15, 
1855 ; it was the notice, evidently, that had been announced Decem- 
ber 23. 114 The review was printed in the morning edition of the 
Gazette, January 16. 115 It was unsigned, the nameless writer re- 
ferring to himself by the editorial "we." A half-column in length, the 
review alternated approval and disapproval of the subject matter and 
treatment. It characterized the work first as a "pleasant, unpretend- 
ing little volume of 216 pages, ... a good book, well-prepared." 
It commended the authors for tact and judgment in the selection of 
material, but it would have preferred to have them relate the narra- 
tive of their experiences "in one continuous and unbroken chain'' 
and reserve the statistical matters for consecutive chapters at the 
close. It found pleasant the descriptions of backwoodsmen and 
squatter life. It accepted the Boynton picture of Indian life in Kan- 
sas as "correct, though painful," and supported the judgment with 
the knowledge that "practical Indian life is not pleasant, and is far 
from being romantic, whatever reciters of legends and writers of 
novels may say to the contrary." It regarded the decided anti- 
slavery attitude of the book as its most distinctive feature. It found 
the views given with such "Christian candor and sincerity," however, 
as not to offend "intelligent and candid men." A southern Ohio 
paper, the Cincinnati Gazette had proslavery as well as antislavery 
readers whom it must satisfy ; but it had more concern for the wel- 
fare of the western emigrants and the enviable opportunities for an 
independent life awaiting them on the spacious prairies of Kansas. 
Persons weary of living "hived up in big cities" should find in the 
"far-off and beautiful country ... an inexhaustible charm." The 
Gazette review was for the most part a recommendation that should 
have advanced the sale of the book, and its enthusiasm for the open 
spaces should of itself have furthered emigration thither directly. 
The review made no quotations, for want of space, but saw little use 
for them since the sale price of the volume was fifty cents at the 
bookstore of the publisher in Cincinnati. 

The second review found in Kansas to-day, appeared in The 
Puritan Recorder, January 18, 1855. 116 Prefaced by a biblio- 

113. The Christian Press, December, 1854, p. 28. Photostatic copy used. 

114. Vide ante, footnote 36. 

115. Cincinnati Gazette, January 16, 1855. Photostatic copy used. 

116. "Webb Scrap Books," v. II., p. 196. 



DOLBEE: SECOND BOOK ON KANSAS 145 

graphical description of the book and statement of the place of 
sale, the article made general comment upon the purpose of the 
Ohio commission and its findings in the territory and praised the 
author for the nature of his report. It repeated Mr. Boynton's 
impressive warning to the North that from undue confidence, want 
of vigilance, or lack of well-directed effort, there was still great 
danger of the territory's being subjected to slave tyranny. 

The issue of the Herald of Freedom for January 20, 1855, under 
the heading "A Tour Through Kansas," printed one and one-half 
columns from the account of the journey, but described the source 
of it as a "pamphlet," recently published by Messrs. Boynton and 
Mason; passages quoted were taken verbatim from scattered places 
in the book. Apparently they had been selected and arranged 
in a folder or pamphlet for advance notice. Further indication 
that the "pamphlet" must have arrived earlier than the book 
appeared in the following remark. "His book describing the country, 
soil, climate, mineral, manufacturing, and other resources, will be 
read with interest. Will the publishers be so kind as to favor us 
with a copy?" 117 Had the Kansas editor already had a copy of the 
book at his disposal, he would not have printed this bold request. 

Comparison of the Herald of Freedom quotations with the text 
of the published book reveals that the passages used embraced parts 
of chapter VIII on scenery and incidents; and from chapter XI on 
streams, springs, wells, and timber, and on materials for fences 
and dwellings. Not quoted in the order in which they appear in the 
book, the passages had different groupings and bore different 
captions. 118 Some of them were of whole paragraphs, reproduced 
consecutively; others were of parts of paragraphs; and some were 
of single sentences. 

The editor of the Herald of Freedom evidently believed the book 
on Kansas based on the observation of the Ohio explorers would 
interest people already in Kansas as well as the people in Ohio who 
contemplated emigration there. The Kansas paper, of course, had 
as wide a circulation, too, outside the state as in it; and notice of 
the new book printed in its columns would reach readers in many 
communities in the North. In the prefatory remarks the editor 
reminded the reader of his review of Mr. Boynton's Vine Street 

117. Herald of Freedom, January 20, 1855. 

118. Parts entitled "Scenery and Incidents" came from chapters VII and XI of the book, 
pp. 45-49, 65-68; "Building Material," from chapter XI, pp. 69-70; "Markets," from 
chapter XI, p. 74; and "Mines and Manufactures," from chapter XI, p. 75. 

107467 



146 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

Congregational Church report of his Kansas journey in October, 
1854. 119 

In March, 1855, Harper's Magazine published an appreciative 
account of the contents of A Journey Through Kansas and the 
author's treatment of the material. 120 It characterized the book as 
'"a graphic record'' of the tour of the exploring party. It found the 
detailed description a contribution to the knowledge of the region. 
The fresh and lively sketches of Indian life it valued as the testi- 
mony of credible eye-witnesses. It commended the author's wise 
hopefulness of the capabilities of the new territories and their 
development. 

The fact that the information came almost entirely from the 
author's own observation constituted its chief worth in the estimates 
of all the reviewers. It was only the second book, to be sure, upon 
the territory of Kansas, but it was the first book for which the 
author made exploration himself of what he wrote. To the public, 
therefore, its information would be fresh and attractive; and it 
would appeal, the reviewers believed, as being authoritative. So, at 
least, they all announced it. So, as far as records reveal, the public 
seems to have received it. 

The book probably failed to challenge interest long. Such was 
the opinion of the writer in the Dictionary of American Biography, 
who characterized the book as "an interesting account of a country 
before the trouble over slavery had grown acute." 121 When the 
question of slavery became intense, the territory and its settlement 
were but incidental to the principle at stake. Books of narrative 
nature written by residents of the territory who were participants 
in the affairs, or at least witness to them, soon began to flourish. 
Beside their dramatic appeal, books of information, even though 
narrative-coated in part like A Journey Through Kansas, could 
win little favor. 

The size of the edition of the book is not known. Mr. W. L. 
Mason wrote Mr. Adams in 1893 that "a limited number" of the 
books were published. 122 Kansas has no record of the places of 
sale or the proportion sold. In March, 1857, Mr. Boynton wrote 
Amos A. Lawrence, treasurer of the New England Emigrant Aid 
Company, that "the people are not yet very familiar with the 

119. Vide ante, pp. 122-123. 

120. Harper's Magazine, March, 1855, v. X, p. 569. 

121. Scribner's Dictionary of American Biography, v. II, pp. 536-537. This was pub- 
lished in 1929. George H. Genzmer was the writer of the Boynton sketch. 

122. Mason, W. L., letter to Franklin G. Adams, September 6, 1893. 



DOLBEE: SECOND BOOK ON KANSAS 147 

aspect, attractions and resources of Kansas, as all have been fully 
occupied with the events there transpiring." 123 The remark implied 
his book had not had the sale he once expected it would have. A 
postscript to the letter referred to a lost package of the books, 
amounting to thirty or forty dollars worth, that had been sent 
by express to Dr. Thomas H. Webb, secretary of the New England 
Emigrant Aid Company in Boston, but that had not been delivered. 
After much delay, the publishers had ordered them not to be de- 
livered; they believed the express company, which had been re- 
sponsible for the tardiness, would be obliged to pay. The com- 
pany had refused payment, however; then the publishers had 
failed, and the loss had devolved upon the author. Supposing the 
books were still in some express office in Boston, he now offered 
half the lot to Mr. Lawrence for gratuitous distribution, and the 
rest he would claim himself. 

Thirty or forty dollars worth of A Journey Through Kansas, if 
of the paper-bound issue advertised in 1854-1855, would have 
meant from sixty to eighty copies. The writer of this article has 
seen but three copies of the book; each is firmly bound in board 
covers with leather back and corners, and must have sold for more 
than fifty cents. 124 These copies are, nevertheless, of the same first, 
and probably only, edition of the book ever issued. 

Although active interest in the report of the Ohio commissioners 
seems to have waned early, its author for a time contemplated 
making a second journey to the territory and writing a second 
book. 125 Correspondence with Amos A. Lawrence about the propo- 
sition indicated that the New England Emigrant Aid Company 
was being thought of as part sponsor. 126 Rapidly changing con- 
ditions in Kansas, however, soon rendered the plan impracticable. 
In 1857, in inquiring how he might further serve the cause of 
freedom by use of pen or tongue, Mr. Boynton again referred 

123. Boynton, Charles B., letter from Pittsfield, Mass., to Amos A. Lawrence, March 14, 
1857, in official correspondence of New England Emigrant Aid Company, archives of Kansas 
State Historical Society. 

124. Two of these copies are in the Kansas State Historical Library at Topeka. The 
third is in the Watson Library at the University of Kansas. Joseph Sabin, in his Dictionary 
of Books Relating to America (N. Y., 1867), v. II, p. 384, does say, "A third edition has 
been published." 

125. As editor of The Christian Press Mr. Boynton had kept up his anti-slavery interests. 
In the issue of December, 1854, he published an unsigned letter from a correspondent in 
Leavenworth urging nonresidents of the territory to circularize the residents, the actual resi- 
dents that is, with a tract upon the freedom of Kansas. The title suggested for the tract 
was "Shall Kansas be a Free or Slave State?" Protesting against the interference of 
Missourians along the border in territorial elections, the correspondent wished to make the 
3,000 qualified residents and voters alive to the question themselves. His estimate of a 
population of 3,000 voters varies from the estimate of 10,000 settlers, in the September issue 
of the Press. Vide ante, p. 117. 

126. In official correspondence of New England Emigrant Aid Company. 



148 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

to the proposed second book, supposing that it would not then be 
of much consequence but believing the people in the territory 
were not yet "very familiar with the aspect, attractions, and re- 
sources of Kansas." As pastor of the South Church in Pittsfield, 
where he had come for his health, he was helping to "spread right 
principles and feelings" in his native Berkshires, but in his desire 
to be nearer the scene of action himself and at the same time 
find a still more favorable climate, he even proposed migrating 
to Kansas and, with his three sons, then verging upon manhood, 
trying "to exhibit at least the dignity of free labor, if we c'd do 
nothing in its defense." 127 Mr. Boynton mixed his motives frankly, 
but he was apparently sincere in his wish to aid the free-state 
cause. He did not migrate to Kansas, however, and he did not 
again write in defense of her cause. 

127. The letter of March 14, 1857, to Amos A. Lawrence, also sought information about 
the colonization of Virginia as proposed by the New England Aid Company. 



Ferries in Kansas 
PART VII SALINE RIVER 

GEORGE A. ROOT 

THE Saline river rises in the southwest corner of Thomas county 
and flows practically east, crossing Thomas and Sheridan; it 
barely touches the southwest corner of Graham, and crosses Trego 
and Ellis counties ; it makes a turn to the southeast into Russell, and 
crosses over into Lincoln county; then it traverses the southwest 
corner of Ottawa and the northern part of Saline counties, to join the 
Smoky Hill about a mile from the village of New Cambria or about 
six miles east of Salina. The stream is about 235 miles long 1 and 
drains an area of approximately 3,311 square miles. 2 

The earliest printed reference to the stream we have located was 
by Etienne Venyard de Bourgmont who, on October 18, 1724, while 
on a visit to the Padouca Indians, records: "We found a small river 
where the water was briny." 3 This could be none other than the 
Saline river. Just how early the stream was called the Saline we 
have not learned. Pike, the explorer, crossed the river while on his 
way to visit the Pawnee village in 1806. 4 Carey's Atlas, published 
in 1817, names the stream the "Grand Saline," while Colton's Map 
of Kansas, for 1857, called it the "Grand Saline Fork." The stream 
derives its name from salt springs which impregnate its waters. 5 
The water, however, is said not to be salty above the mouth of Salt 
creek, Russell county. 6 

The United States Geological Survey describes the Saline as 
sluggish and with a bed composed of sand and mud. A gauging 
station was established at Salina, May 4, 1897, which was discon- 
tinued November 30, 1902. 7 

The Saline river traverses a section of the finest farming and hunt- 
ing territory in Kansas, and not until about 1859 was much known 
of that particular section. The late James R. Mead, of Wichita, 
wrote a good description of the Saline river country, and said that 

1. Blackmar's History of Kansas, v. 2, p. 039. Everts' Atlas of Kansas, pp. 225, 241, 
249, 252, 285, 295, 303, 330. 

2. U. S. Geological Survey, Water Supply and Irrigation Papers, No. 66, p. 142. 

3. Pierre Margry, Memoires et Documents Pour Servir a L'Histoire des Origines Francois 
des Pays D'Outre Mer (Paris, 1888), v. 6, p. 432. 

4. Coues, The Expedition of Lieut. Zebulon M. Pike, v. 2, p. 405. 

5. Kansas Historical Collections, v. 9, p. 12. 

6. Statement of Jacob C. Ruppenthal to author, March 29, 1935. 

7. U. S. Geological Survey, Water Supply Papers, No. 84. p. 108; No. 99, p. 227. 

(149) 



150 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

tributaries on the north side of the stream were unnamed until in 
1859 he gave them the names by which they are still known. 8 

Although big floods have occurred from time to time in the stream, 
the earliest of which we have printed record is that of 1858, 9 which 
swept away such bridges as spanned the river at that time. Another 
destructive flood occurred during early June, 1867. 10 The flood of 
1903 11 did vastly more damage, as the country by that time was 
pretty well settled. 

The old military road up the Smoky Hill crossed the Solomon 
river near its mouth, and about nine miles farther on crossed the 
Saline at a point about a mile a little west of the village of New 
Cambria of later date. This crossing was at the point where the 
Union Pacific railroad bridge was constructed, and a short distance 
north of the Ben Holladay stage station. 12 The first ferry on the 
Saline above its mouth was the one operated by James Jasper Wood- 
ward at this point. The earliest mention of this enterprise we have 
located was in the Junction City Union, of June 4, 1864, which 
printed the following notice: "Free Ferry. Jim Woodward is 
running a free ferry across the Saline. In addition to this induce- 
ment, the road to Salina by way of his ferry is considerably shorter 
than by any other. Freighters would do well to try that route." 

Lieut. J. R. Fitch, who surveyed a route up the Smoky Hill for the 
Butterfield Overland Despatch, mentions Woodward's ferry as being 
seven miles west of the Whitley & Hall ferry. 13 

Woodward's ferry probably was first operated as a free ferry, he 
apparently having some sort of an understanding with Salina mer- 
chants who made this free service possible. He was attentive to 
business and had the reputation of crossing his patrons with prompt- 
ness and despatch. This free service probably was terminated by 
1866, when the Woodward family organized themselves as the Saline 
River Bridge and Ferry Company. The new company consisted of 
J. J. Woodward, R. W. Woodward, Hugh T. Woodward, J. B. Wood- 
ward and U. S. Shreves. This corporation proposed to operate 
bridges or ferries over the Saline river at a point between the mouth 
of the river and where the Saline crosses the northern boundary of 
Saline county, on the line between townships 12 and 13, R. 4W. 
The principal office of the company was located on the west bank of 

8. Kansas Historical Collections, v. 9, p. 12. 

9. Ibid., p. 11. 

10. Ibid., v. 10, pp. 626, 627. 

11. U. S. Geological Survey, Water Supply Papers, No. 99, p. 227. 

12. Junction City Union, August 8, 1866. 

13. Kansas Historical Collections, v. 17, p. 191. 



ROOT: FERRIES IN KANSAS 151 

the river at a point known as' Woodward's ferry. Capital stock of 
the enterprise was listed at $80,000, in shares of $100 each. Their 
charter was filed with the secretary of state June 29, 1866. 14 

This ferry must have gone out of business by 1867, or when the 
bridges came. George W. Martin, an old friend of Woodward, paid 
him this tribute : 

James J. Woodward, the king of ferrymen, whose crossing of the Saline in 
the days of staging and footing, both gratified and annoyed the traveling 
public, now that railroad bridges and county bridges encompass him on all 
sides, has turned his attention to grinding and sawing. Jim is always bound to 
make himself useful, and frequently in passing by we have wondered whose 
enterprise it was which turned out great piles of fine lumber, changing to the 
hum of industry the bellowing and cursing incident to an old-time ferryboat 
with water, "no bottom," and the mud approaches thereto "quarter less twain." 
He is now running a first-class sawmill, and in saying this we do not mean to 
say that he did not run a first-class ferry. But levity aside, we are glad to 
note this improvement, and only wish there were more such men as Woodward 
to push on such enterprises. He has recently attached a run of burrs for 
grinding corn, and we understand that it is his intention during the coming 
season to add a first-class flouring mill. We wish Jim luck in all his under- 
takings, and may a mill rise on the banks of the Saline, an enduring monument 
to that historic point, "Woodward's crossing of the Saline." 15 

By 1865 there was much discussion favoring bridges. At the 
fall election that year Saline county was to vote on the proposition 
of issuing $10,000 worth of bonds for the purpose of bridging the 
Saline and Solomon. The Junction City Union being the nearest 
paper, became an outspoken champion for bridges. In its issue of 
October 28, 1865, it said: 

Our neighbors of Saline county have before them a proposition to vote the 
issue of ten thousand dollar bonds with which to bridge the Saline and 
Solomon. A practical and sensible expenditure of money. Far different with 
our neighbors over in Riley, who propose to vote bonds for the building of a 
courthouse. To build a courthouse now would be like putting jewelry on a 
hog. Riley is like Davis within her limits she can get so far away from a 
settlement as to be in danger of wolves and wild beasts. Be practical and not 
ornamental, at least while there are so few taxpayers. 

G. SchippePs was the next ferry upstream, and was located on the 
road directly north of Salina. This was the first ferry service in- 
augurated on the Saline river. 

Gotthart Schippel, a native of Germany, was born on May 6, 
1835. He came to America in 1852 and settled in Iowa, where he 
farmed until about the middle of June, 1857, when he came to Saline 
county, following the Leavenworth-Fort Dodge wagon trail to the 

14. Corporations, v. 1, pp. 186, 187. 

15. Junction City Union, March 14, 1868. 



152 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

site of the Saline river ferry. Although it was his intention at first 
to cut hay for his stock, he also dealt somewhat with the Indians. 
He had some traffic with the Raws, but was soon obliged to leave on 
account of the unfriendly Cheyennes, who were numerous and 
powerful. Afterward he went to Kansas City and brought some 
goods to Kansas Falls. He chopped wood and ran a sawmill during 
the winter of 1857-1858. The following spring he returned to Saline 
county and located on S. 29, T. 13, R. 2 W, where he began farming 
and stockraising. In 1857 the government had a pole and plank 
bridge across the Saline for the use of the supply trains going to 
Dodge. They had also built at the bridge head a log house, since 
dismembered and strewn about Salina as souvenir and relic material. 
Mr. Schippel took possession of this log house. Mr. A. M. Camp- 
bell, Sr., had observed the building on a previous reconnoitering trip 
into central Kansas in 1856 or 1857. When he came in 1858 to 
settle in the territory he expected to move into the log house, but 
when he was within a mile of it, he saw a stack of hay in the creek 
bend and knew he'd been outdone. Schippel was comfortably set- 
tled and was making a little cash something which was very scarce 
in that part of the country in those days selling hay and antici- 
pating correctly the sale of corn to the government and independent 
freighters. 

Eighteen fifty-eight was the year of the flood, and the Schippel 
house was built on the only dry land in the vicinity of the old bridge 
house. The river rose steadily. Mr. Schippel, Indians, trappers and 
freighters all hauled rocks and logs to weight the bridge down on the 
breast of the current. Finally they went onto it themselves on foot 
and horseback. There must have been some great floundering when 
the old bridge went out regardless of their attempts to hold it down. 
Mr. Schippel was then invited by the government to supply ferry 
accommodations. They hesitated to build a bridge because they 
expected a railroad to be built soon. Schippel built a ferry boat, 
12 x 30 feet, with top-opening doors, one at each end, for landing 
and loading purposes. The old oak planks are around the Schippel 
property yet, adze-hewn and drilled for heavy wooden pins. Schip- 
pel and his passengers operated the boat by ropes and pulleys tied 
to trees on the banks. There are no pictures of the ferry, and no 
documentary evidence of Mr. Schippel's agreement with the gov- 
ernment since he would "sign" nothing. John Schippel, son of the 
old ferryman, states that the ferry was most successful financially, 
some days his father taking in from three hundred to four hundred 
dollars. Schippel sold hay and corn to the government, operated a 



ROOT: FERRIES IN KANSAS 153 

sort of store and commissary and trading post for the Indians, and 
saved his money. When the Union Pacific was built up the valley 
and wiped out the ferry business, Gotthart Schippel was able to buy 
the land the present Schippel estate north of Salina around the 
old ferry. In the early 1880's he owned over 1,000 acres, about 600 
acres of which were under cultivation at that time. He was married 
in 1872 to Miss Clara Wary, a native of France. They had four 
children. Mr. Schippel served Salina as a member of the city coun- 
cil for several terms. 16 

Gotthart Schippel located on the SE% S. 29, T. 13, R. 2 W, and 
started his ferry. One authority states that he saved planks from 
the bridge on the Saline that went out in the flood of 1858, and used 
them in the construction of his ferry boat. This ferry is said to have 
run for nine years. Many of the government troops and Pike's Peak 
travelers used it, and Mr. Schippel often sold hay and corn to them. 
Some of the planks and also the "tie plate" iron of the old ferryboat 
are in the museum of the Saline County Historical Society. 17 

In 1859 William A. Phillips obtained from the legislature a char- 
ter for a ferry across the Saline at the town of Salina, with the ex- 
clusive privilege of landing within two miles of that town, up and 
down the river, for the period of twenty-three years. He was to 
keep a good and sufficient boat or boats at all times sufficient to cross 
the traveling public and was to be entitled to take toll for this serv- 
ice, the county board being allowed to fix ferriage charges. The 
ferry was to be placed in operation within nine months, or the 
privileges granted by the legislature were to be forfeited. This act 
was approved by Gov. Samuel Medary, February 10, 1859. 18 If this 
ferry went into operation we have failed to find any mention of it. 

The next ferry of which we have knowledge was at the town of 
Lincoln, about thirty or thirty-five miles upstream, being established 
by Elias Rees, who built the first mill on the Saline in Lincoln 
county and operated his ferry in connection with it. The ferry was 
started about 1873 and ran almost a year, being discontinued when 
a toll bridge, also built by Mr. Rees, was put into operation. The 
ferry charge was ten cents for each person crossing. 19 

High water in the Saline river at Lincoln in 1873 caused consider- 
able inconvenience and no doubt interrupted ferry business. The 

16. Andreas, History of Kansas, p. 709. Letter of R. Lynn Martin, Brookville, October 
7, 1934, to the author, the data being obtained in an interview with John Schippel, a son 
of Gotthart. 

17. From a letter of Mrs. A. M. Oampbell, Jr., to the author. 

18. Private Laws, Kansas, 1859, p. 119. 

19. Letter from J. Albert Smith, of Lincoln, to the author. Mr. Smith also wrote: 
"I have lived here fifty-one years and never heard of any other ferry in this section." 



154 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

following items from the Lincoln County News, Lincoln, tell the 
story: 

The dam at Rocky Hill, we learn, has been seriously injured by the 
cantankerosity of the Saline. May 22, 1873. 

The river is said to be higher than at any previous time the present season. 
May 22, 1873. 

River still on the war path. May 29, 1873. 

The bosom of the Saline river has been swelling with emotion in con- 
sequence of the several "drouths" last week. June 5, 1873. 

In consequence of high water the mail experienced considerable difficulty in 
coming up from Salina last Monday. Royal, being the most perserving cuss 
we ever saw, weathered it though and returned on Monday as usual. June 5, 
1873. 

The Saline river has got on the largest "bender" of the season, and is mak- 
ing tracks as fast as possible for the Gulf of Mexico. June 19, 1873. 

Sometime during the fore part of the year Mr. Rees started work 
on his bridge, and the county also started work on some projects of 
its own. Mention of these activities are recorded in the following 
items from the News: 

A temporary bridge is being built on the Saline just below Rees' mill to 
facilitate ingress and egress to and from our city. Is it not about time some 
steps were taken to build one or two permanent bridges in the county? 
June 19, 1873. 

We understand that a portion of the new bridge the citizens of this and 
Valley township have been building over the Saline, has taken a new departure 
in consequence of the first little freshet that occurred. July 3, 1873. 

The bridge over the Saline at Rees' mill is now completed, and persons who 
come to our city can cross without fear of ducking. July 24, 1873. 

Immigration still pours in without any prospect of ceasing, so long as a 
claim is vacant in so good a county as ours. October 27, 1873. 

In 1859 Representative Graham, of Nemaha county, introduced 
House bill No. 167 in the legislature, "An act to establish a ferry at 
Covington, on the Salina river," which was read and referred to the 
committee on public roads. A search through the records of the 
Kansas State Historical Society has failed to locate a town of Cov- 
ington on the Salina (or Saline) river. However, the act failed to 
pass and the ferry was never put into operation. 20 

So far as we have been able to learn, the Rees ferry before men- 
tioned, was the uppermost and last crossing of the kind on the Saline 
river. 

20. House Journal, 1859, p. 153. 



Swedish Settlement at Stotler 1 

MARIE A, OLSON 

IN A valley drained by Salt creek in northeastern Lyon county 
is a unique community which is inhabited by people of Swedish 
descent. This community is known by the name of Stotler. It is 
a rural community, but of a distinctive character. Most of the 
inhabitants are children and grandchildren of sturdy Swedes who 
chose Stotler as their place of abode back in the 1870's and 1880's. 

The social as well as the religious life of the community centers 
in its two Swedish churches. One church bears the name of the 
Stotler Mission Church and the other is known as the Stotler 
Lutheran Church. Originally there was but one church in Stotler, 
but some thirty years ago dissensions arose in the congregation. 
Differences in regard to doctrinal beliefs caused a number of 
families to leave the Mission Church and to build another church 
nearby. These two churches adhere loyally to the faith brought 
by God-fearing fathers from Sweden. Even today scripture read- 
ing and prayer finds its place in the daily program of most homes. 
The people of Stotler like music, and singing is one of the leading 
community activities. Various musical organizations find important 
places in the churches. 

The Swedish language has not yet been entirely abandoned. The 
older folks converse in Swedish and occasionally the younger folks 
speak Swedish with their parents. In most homes one finds both 
Swedish and English books. Swedish papers find their way into 
many of the homes. The Swedish language is still spoken in the 
churches, but the Swedish services have dwindled in number so 
that only one regular service each month is conducted in this 
language. Swedish is used almost exclusively in the Sunday School 
classes for the older people. 

Old Swedish customs are still deeply cherished by both the old 
and young inhabitants. When a neighbor woman pays a friendly 
visit to a Swedish friend, the hostess serves the customary Swedish 
coffee. The hostess would consider it a breach of etiquette not to 
adhere to this practice. At no time are Swedish customs better 
brought into play than at the Christmas season. Christmas Eve 

1. Historic facts and incidents for this article have been obtained from the oldest Swedish 
settlers now living in Stotler, and have been agreed upon by more than one reliable individual. 
Only such material was used as appeared to have its truth definitely established. 

(155) 



156 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

is the beginning of festivities. The celebration on this evening is 
entirely a family affair. Each family gathers at home for Christmas 
supper after which presents are exchanged around the Christmas 
tree. At 5:30 on Christmas morning the people, both old and young, 
gather at church for Christmas services. The old Swedish hymn 
"Var Halsad Skona Morgonstund" peals forth from the churches, 
which are lighted by Christmas candles. The old Christmas story is 
the text of the morning. These services are the height of the Swedish 
Christmas festivities. As the crimson rays break forth in the east, 
the worshippers turn their footsteps homeward. The remainder of 
Christmas Day is customarily spent in family groups. In the 
evening the children of the Lutheran Church give a program con- 
sisting of recitations and songs. A few evenings later a similar 
program is given by the Sunday School children of the Mission 
Church. These programs are the children's affairs and are events 
to which they eagerly look forward. Christmas festivities con- 
tinue for about a week, during which time the various families 
invite relatives and friends to their homes. These much-loved 
Swedish customs will likely continue to be observed for years to 
come. 

The land on which Stotler is located was once a part of the 
great territory claimed by the Osage Indians. In 1846 it became 
a part of the Indian reservation for the Sac and Fox Indians of 
the Mississippi. In 1859 the Sacs and Foxes agreed to sell the 
western half of their Kansas reservation and by the year 1864 this 
land was opened to white settlement. The region now included in 
Stotler was a part of this area. It was purchased by a land com- 
pany in the East known as Seyfert, McManus & Company. This 
company later sold the land to private individuals. 

When the first settler found his way to the community, the prairie 
region was the home of wild plants and animals which thrive on the 
Kansas plains. The red men roamed the region, and frequently 
pitched their tepees along Salt creek. Except for a few scattered 
trees along the creek, there was nothing to obstruct the view for 
a distance of many miles. An early trail (known as the Burlingame 
trail and the Lawrence-Emporia road) wound its way across the 
prairie from Burlingame, passed over the region which was to be- 
come Stotler, and then continued its way towards Emporia. Over 
this trail rolled numerous westward-bound prairie schooners, and 
now and then a government train carrying provisions for soldiers 
stationed in the western forts plodded over the prairie trail. 



OLSON: SWEDISH SETTLEMENT AT STOTLER 157 

It was some time in the latter sixties that the first settler fol- 
lowed this road to Salt creek and built his prairie home near its 
eastern bank by the side of the old trail. This first pioneer was 
France Cabbage. His brother, John Cabbage, later chose a site for 
his home on the other side of the creek. Two other Cabbage 
brothers, Sylvester and William, owned land in the neighborhood, 
but they never lived on it. The little huts in which the Cabbage 
families lived were typical frontier homes with rude furnishings. 
One old settler tells of having visited one of the Cabbage homes on a 
stormy day. Snow had blown in through the cracks in the poorly 
built house and lay in piles on the floor. Straw had been placed over 
the bed so that it might be kept dry. But it was not the Cabbages 
who were destined to make Stotler. Before many years passed, both 
families left the community. 

In 1869 a young Swede, Glaus Peterson, with his family, set out 
from Michigan to find a home in Kansas. After arriving in Ottawa, 
he set out on foot one morning to investigate the land in the vicinity 
of what is now Osage City. In the evening the weary and hungry 
Swede chanced to stop at the home of James Fagan, who was a land 
agent. After being shown the land in the region, young Peterson 
selected a site on Salt creek adjoining the claim of John Cabbage. 

To this land Peterson brought his family and his youthful friend, 
A. P. Walstrom, with his family. The two young men in partner- 
ship bought one hundred acres and built a two-room house out of 
native lumber. This dwelling was a rude hut with cracks between 
the boards and no ceiling. The stove pipe passed out through a 
hole in the roof. For three years the two families lived in this 
house, each occupying one room. Finally Walstrom decided to 
move on to his farm of fifty acres. Walstrom and Peterson then 
dissolved partnership and the former moved his room of the house 
to his farm. 

The first years which these two Swedes spent on the Kansas 
plains were years of hardship. Both were extremely poor, but 
industrious. They paid for their land by cutting trees in the 
Fagan woods, located eight miles to the south. Burlingame, twelve 
miles away, was the first trading point for the families. Many times 
Peterson and Walstrom walked to this point and returned carrying 
what little provisions the families could afford to buy. One day 
Peterson purchased a plow, and walked home carrying the plow on 
his back. Finally, each of the men purchased a horse, and thus 
together they had a team. For four years the families of Peterson, 
Walstrom, and Cabbage were the only settlers in the community. 



158 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

These were years of hard work and privation. Now and then 
in their work the parents and children would pause to watch the 
white-topped wagons roll by. Scarcely a day passed but some wagon 
hurried by, and frequently they came in groups of twelve or 
fourteen. Oftentimes they camped by the creek and came to the 
Peterson home to ask for hay or other provisions. The prairie 
schooners were a welcome sight to the busy settlers. 

Early in the spring of 1873 two Swedish-speaking families from 
Galesburg, 111., came to Osage City in a freight car, which was 
loaded with stock and rude accommodations. The fathers, Magnus 
Lungren and John Sutherland, selected land in the neighborhood 
of Peterson and Walstrom, and immediately built a one-room shack. 
In this roughly built hut the two families lived together for several 
months. Towards fall Lungren made a cave on his farm. In this 
cave the young Lungren family lived for several years. Before 
the coming of the winter Sutherland dug a cellar under his one- 
room hut. Thus he was better prepared for the winter snows. In 
that same year Johan Blex and his family took up their abode in a 
simple prairie home in this budding Swedish colony. 

The following year, 1874, several more Swedes took their places 
among the home-makers of the community. These had come to 
Osage City in 1870 or 1871. In 1869 a Swedish committee had 
been sent out from Princeton, 111., to investigate the possibility of 
buying land in the newly opened region in the neighborhood of 
what is now Osage City. The investigation and report of this com- 
mittee led to the coming of numerous families. At first the men 
worked on the building of the Santa Fe railroad, which in 1870 had 
reached Osage City. Later they worked in the stone quarry and 
strip mines. The Swedish-speaking settlers who came to Stotler 
in 1874 were led by Swan Fager, who in February moved his 
family to the roughly built house in which the John Cabbage 
family had lived. Mr. Fager worked in the mines in Osage City 
and consequently was away from home most of the time. In the 
fall Mrs. Fager and her oldest son dug a cellar, over which they 
placed the one-room building. Early in the spring of that same 
year Gust Rudeen and his family built a simple hut on the land 
which had been owned by France Cabbage. Others who turned 
their footsteps towards the Swedish settlement that year were Swan 
Lundholm, Andrew Chelberg, and C. I. Johnson, all of whom built 
caves as their first Stotler homes. 



OLSON: SWEDISH SETTLEMENT AT STOTLER 159 

The succeeding years saw a stream of other Swedish immigrants 
come to the community. Among those added to the list of resi- 
dents appear such names as Lagergren, Anderson, Johnson, Fager- 
strom, Hogberg, Ogren, Poison, Bergman, Ericson, Eastburg, Mel- 
gren, Sutherland, Lundstadt, Sanders, Christensen, and Olson. 

The first years of life in Stotler were trying ones for these 
colonists. All the settlers were poor and could afford only the most 
meager living. Many times the meals consisted of black bread and 
coffee or mush and milk. Before wells were dug, water was taken 
from the creek. Farming did not progress rapidly. Each settler 
could at first break up only eight or ten acres. For a number of 
years corn was planted by hand, a hole being made with a hoe 
and the corn dropped in and then covered. This was customarily 
the children's task. Quite early some of the families commenced 
using hand planters. A two-shovel plow drawn by one horse served 
as the first cultivator. Corn, cattle, and hogs could not be sold 
for cash as they are today. Hence the settler would barter a hog or 
bushel of corn for clothing or groceries in Burlingame or Osage City. 
If he purchased a plow or other implement, he paid for it with 
cattle or hogs. Money was scarce, and interest rates were high. 
There were no banks nearby, and if money was to be borrowed, 
it had to be obtained from well-to-do individuals, who charged 
around 20 percent interest. 

Since there were no fences to separate the various claims, the 
cattle were let out in the morning and allowed to roam at will. 
In the evening it was the task of the children to go after them. This 
was a chore which in pioneer days was not an easy one. Those 
who were boys and girls at that time relate how the cows some- 
times wandered six or eight miles from home. Tales are told of 
times when the children were lost and did not find their way home 
until ten or eleven o'clock at night. 

Many were the hardships that the Swedish pioneers suffered. 
Prairie fires were a constant hazard. Grasshoppers destroyed crops 
and left the pioneers destitute. Sickness took its tragic toll. In 
the community cemetery, which is today neglected and almost 
forgotten, lie the bodies of some seventy or eighty of these pioneer 
Swedes. Many of them were children who were unable to with- 
stand the hardships of pioneer life. Many incidents are related 
about the hardships which the Swedes suffered when working in 
the Fagan woods. The men's bedding was spread on boards in the 



160 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

open air. In the morning they often awoke to find several inches 
of snow on their beds. 

The hardships of pioneer life fell equally heavy on the women. 
It was their task to care for the homes during the long weeks 
when the men were away working. Bravely they met the Indians 
when they came to the doors to beg for food. An incident is told 
of an Indian who came to the John Sutherland home when the 
young wife was alone with her infant. After eating what he wished, 
he lay down by the stove. The young wife had outside work which 
she had to attend to so with heavy heart she left the child alone 
with the Indian. After finishing her work, she anxiously rushed 
in to see if her child was still alive. To her great surprise and joy, 
she found the Indian quietly rocking the crying child. The Indian 
slept behind the stove during the night and left early the following 
morning. 

The inconveniences and fears of pioneer life were many. There 
were no calendars in the homes and this often resulted in a confusion 
of days. The story is related of a man in the settlement who 
started to Osage City one day with a load of potatoes. As he 
was passing his neighbor's house, he was informed that it was Sun- 
day. (The Sabbath was strictly observed in this community.) On 
another Sunday visitors to one of the homes found the housewife 
washing, and it was with difficulty that the guests could persuade 
her that it was not a week day. There was also an absence of 
newspapers. It happened one day that the cavalry returning from 
one of the Indian wars passed through the community. Some of 
the settlers thought that war was commencing. One mother be- 
came so frightened that she took her children and with them she hid 
in the cornfield. In the earliest days of the community letters had 
to be mailed at Osage City or Burlingame. This was a great in- 
convenience. Early one morning a woman from Rapp, a neighbor- 
hood east of Stotler, arrived at the Lagergren home. This woman 
had arisen at three o'clock and had walked the five miles to Stotler 
in order that she might receive assistance in writing a letter to her 
husband. After writing her letter, she returned to Rapp, and then 
walked five miles to Osage City to mail her letter. 

The Swedish pioneers were sincere Christians, and immediately 
upon establishing their homes they began assembling in the various 
homes for the purpose of reading and studying the Bible. Each 
home had its daily period of Bible reading and prayer. As soon 
as the school was built the pioneers commenced having services 



OLSON: SWEDISH SETTLEMENT AT STOTLER 161 

there. Frequently traveling preachers visited the settlement. Rev. 
C. P. Melgren, one of the settlers in the community, was called as 
the first pastor. 

One of the earliest projects in the community was the building 
of a school. This was done in 1874. The site was a treeless hillside. 
The building was small and had but three small windows on each 
side. Desks and seats were made of rough native lumber. A 
rudely built teacher's desk and a stove were also installed. To 
this rudely furnished school, eight pupils came during the first year. 

Before many years elapsed a post office was established in the 
Swedish community. It was named in honor of Jacob Stotler of 
Emporia, who was influential in its establishment. The post office 
of Stotler was first located in the home of A. P. Walstrom, later 
in the S. P. Lundholm home, and still later in the William Sanders 
home. The Stotler post office was used until the starting of the 
rural routes from Osage City in 1901. For many years a mail 
wagon brought the mail from Osage City on Mondays, Wednesdays, 
and Fridays. When the railroad reached Miller, the mail was taken 
from there. The first survey of the Missouri Pacific Railroad crossed 
Stotler and hopes were at once raised that Stotler would become a 
town, but these hopes were soon doomed to disappointment. 

By the eighties and nineties the second generation had begun to 
play a prominent part in the life of the community. In the early 
eighties the school building became too small to accommodate all 
the pupils and consequently a larger building was erected. The 
number of pupils in the school at one time reached seventy-five, 
and for a number of years the enrollment ranged between sixty and 
seventy. Usually three pupils sat in each seat in those days. 

Among the subjects taught were reading, arithmetic, grammar, 
geography, history, spelling, and penmanship. From this list the 
pupils were permitted to select almost any subjects they pleased. 
Spelling and penmanship were the most popular. For a number 
of years the school term was six months in length. Pupils did not 
attend regularly. The larger boys and girls sometimes attended 
for only two or three months during the winter season. There 
was no such event as graduation. Consequently, boys and girls 
continued to go to school until they were twenty or twenty-one 
years old. The first examinations in the Stotler school were not 
given until the term of 1895-1896. At that time the pupils thought 
that it was a terrible ordeal to answer questions over a whole 
month's work. Pupils were not placed in grades and no report 

117167 



162 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

cards were given until 1898. Before that time the pupil's progress 
in school was designated by his being in the First, Second, Third, 
Fourth, or Fifth Reader. The Stotler school during those years 
was made up almost entirely of Swedish pupils. Much to the dis- 
pleasure of the teacher the pupils talked Swedish continually on 
the playground. 

For many years the social center of Stotler was the school. It 
was the scene of many happy events in the eighties and nineties. 
There were singing schools, which met at the school and which 
attracted large crowds of young folks. Then there were night 
schools in which various subjects were taught. There were also 
literary meetings, which were the highlights of social life. It is 
said that young folks within a radius of eight or ten miles would 
wend their ways to the Stotler school for "Literary." The programs 
of the literary society varied, but of most interest were the debates, 
and the ciphering and spelling matches. Ordinarily the young folks 
walked to these events. Family visiting was common. It was not 
unusual for a father and mother to load their family of six or ten 
children into the lumberwagon and go to visit a neighboring family. 

The church which was organized when the first pioneers came to 
Stotler prospered. Until 1892, the year in which the Mission 
Church was built, services were held in the schoolhouse. These 
meetings were well attended although almost everyone walked to 
services. Groups of twenty-five or thirty young folks would leave 
the school together and would have a hilarious time on their way 
home. Even prayer meetings were well attended in those days. Of 
outstanding interest were the "Mission Meetings," which were held 
almost every year. Swedish-speaking people from other towns 
came. They were met in Osage City and were taken to Stotler 
in lumberwagons. Houses were small and since there were not 
enough beds to accommodate the guests, many of them slept on the 
floors of the various homes. Sometimes several preachers came to 
the meetings. The buildings in which the services were held were 
packed with listeners. Revivals frequently broke out at these 
meetings. Oftentimes the settlers in Stotler went to Osage City 
to attend revival meetings. It happened quite often that the fathers 
loaded their families into lumberwagons, drove the ten miles to 
Osage City, and returned after the meeting in the evening. 

As the years passed the colonists in Stotler prospered. The rude 
huts gave way to larger houses. Large fields of corn and wheat ap- 
peared. Trees grew up around the homes. Roads were laid out 



OLSON: SWEDISH SETTLEMENT AT STOTLER 163 

and bridges built. The telephone found its way into most homes. 
Daily newspapers brought news from distant places. Today Stotler 
is a typical rural community in outward appearance. The Swedes 
have built a community which fills its place in Kansas. The Swed- 
ish descendants are loyal Kansans, but proud of their Swedish 
heritage. Many Swedish ideas and customs are so firmly en- 
trenched in the hearts of the young folks that they will be an 
influence in the community for years to come. 



The Kinsley Boom of the Late Eighties 

Final Installment 
JAMES C. MALJN 

ALONG with the swelling of the buds on the sand hill plums each 
spring, the annual crop of settlers came to replace those who had 
starved out the year or years before. Weeks before the plum thickets 
were white with bloom, the emigrants headed West in white-topped 
wagons or in trains which deposited them at desolate way stations. 
The immigrants hoped to make their fortune, and the communities 
to which they came hoped for a large crop of immigrants, if of 
nothing else, because of the stimulation to the year's business which 
flowed from this importation of cash even in the limited quantities 
possessed by these small farmers. During frontier and drought 
years about the only cash which came into a frontier town was rail- 
road taxes and wages, and the spendings of the homeseekers. It 
was with anxiety and no doubt with foreboding that they looked 
for signs of a big immigration in 1888. On January 28 the Daily 
Mercury recorded, whether fancifully or not the point need not 
be pressed that "the prairie schooners are beginning to sail west- 
ward." On February 1 it announced that 50,000 copies of the paper 
would be printed in March for circulation in the East. The 
immigration prospects were summarized February 7 from the Larned 
Chronoscope: "Had there not been a partial failure of crops in some 
localities of this state last year the immigration would have been 
unprecedented." The article pointed out further that "the distressing 
drought last year in Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and 
Missouri will create in the minds of the people of those states an 
uneasiness and a disposition to look for a better place," and in view 
of the additional burden imposed by the financial depression in that 
region, this discontent would be intensified. It was estimated that 
the emigration from that quarter would be divided, about four- 
fifths to the West and one-fifth to the South. The prediction was 
made further, that the terribly cold winter in Dakota and Nebraska 
and the high temperature on the Pacific coast would direct most of 
the emigration to Kansas and Texas. Southwest Kansas boomers 
thought that their region had not received a fair share of publicity 
from the state immigration bureau and organized a Southwestern 
Kansas Immigration Society. The Daily Mercury, February 28, 

(164) 



MALIN : THE KINSLEY BOOM OF THE EIGHTIES 165 

reported that a meeting had been held in Kinsley at which a decision 
was reached to have Edwards county represented, money was 
pledged, and committees appointed to interview the county com- 
missioners for aid, to manage the advertising program, and to wel- 
come visitors. As late as May 30 the Mercury reported that the 
railroads were working up a big immigration and that "in a few 
weeks it will be pouring in upon us like an avalanche." 

Kansas had her rivals at the boom business in 1888. The San 
Luis valley of Colorado was being opened as an irrigated district un- 
der the management of T. C. Henry, formerly of Abilene, and his 
advertisements in the Mercury promised home markets, no crop 
failures, no hot winds, no chinch bugs, no grasshoppers, no blizzards, 
and no coal famines. The most threatening rival, however, was 
Oklahoma, not yet opened to settlement. For several years the 
Oklahoma boomers had kept up the agitation and in 1888 the open- 
ing appeared imminent. A mass meeting was held in Kinsley as in 
many other Kansas towns to protest to the Kansas delegation in 
congress against the pending bill. In discussing the call for the 
meeting the Daily Mercury, February 11, maintained that the 
movement was the work of "town-lot boomers, land sharks in some 
of the border towns, backed up by Kansas City. . . . The 
opening of this Indian country will rob Kansas of 100,000 people 
direct while it will have the effect [of] diverting fully that many 
more from settling in Kansas." When the appointed time arrived 
it was reported that the board of trade rooms were packed with citi- 
zens voicing similar views. 

The protest of the Greensburg Republican was reprinted on 
February 18: 

Kansas City would be the principal winner, and can afford to spend money 
lobbying this measure through congress; but the state of Kansas would be the 
principal loser and ought to oppose it. It would be worse than a failure of 
crops, or a siege of drought and a grasshopper raid combined. If our senators 
and representatives in congress do not oppose and defeat this measure the 
shadow on the dial of Western Kansas will go back five years. 

Six days later in another exchange the voice of the Salina Journal 
was echoed in the same key. 

The railroad question was raised early in the year and January 
31 the Daily Mercury declared that the Frisco and Rock Island 
railroads would extend their lines during the course of the year, and 
Kinsley was just waiting and doing nothing. If these companies 
came there must be some inducement, and the editor insisted that 



166 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

Kinsley must present its case. On February 10 the same paper 
reported that the Omaha, Kansas and El Paso Railroad would be 
built from Kinsley to the south line of the state "at once, or in a 
short time at least." A four-line item in the same issue, however, 
leaves a reader wondering. It read: "The officers and directors of 
the Kinsley and Milkyway Rapid Transit Company will meet this 
evening for the purpose of discussing the practicability of running 
a branch line to the moon." Was it just another vagary of Hebron's 
sense of humor, or had the printer's devil put one over on the "Old 
man"? The issue of the following day recorded that the stock- 
holders meeting of the 0. K. & E. had been held the preceding day, 
officers were elected, with Hebron of the Mercury, secretary, and 
the president had reported that arrangements had been made to 
finance construction to the south line by way of Ford City. For 
some reason new flights of fancy did not come easily to the Mercury 
in booming railroads in 1888. The leap-year issue of February 29 
reprinted substantially a last year's article about the Santa Fe 
cutting out its arcs. The only other significant mentions of rail- 
roads occurred on April 6, when the president of the 0. K. & E. 
appeared before the board of trade stating that construction would 
begin as soon as the bonds were voted, and April 17 when a promise 
was made of a speedy bond election. 

One of the most peculiar features of the boom of 1887, as it was 
reflected in the press of Edwards county, was the neglect, almost 
omission, of agriculture. There were no discussions of field crops, 
or of live stock, varieties of products, adaptation, or methods of pro- 
duction. The ballyhoo was railroads, town lots, and manufacturing. 
The farmer came into the picture only as an incidental factor con- 
nected with the other three subjects. Other cities and towns had 
behaved similarly. 

During the long winter the Kansas boomers themselves became 
conscious of the omission, and there were numerous instances where 
western Kansas papers in 1888 began to emphasize the necessity of 
building a sound prosperity on the product of the local farms. In 
this connection the Mercury fell in line urging the business men to 
get behind the sugar factory and to assist in modernizing its 
machinery to produce sugar as well as syrup. This would provide 
a market for sorghum, the sure crop of Edwards county, and on 
January 12 it returned to the rural question suggesting "that it 
was high time an effort was made to boom our farming lands, 
just a little. City building is all right and proper, but the country 



MALIN : THE KINSLEY BOOM OF THE EIGHTIES 167 

must be kept in the line of procession. ..." A few days later 
it advised all farmers to plant a little flax, in view of the papier 
mache plant, and even if there was no market for the straw the seed 
was as valuable as any other crop. 

The failure of crops the preceding year was so serious that many 
farmers did not have seed to plant another crop. As early as 
February 22 the Mercury reported that Greensburg had raised $800 
to buy seed for Kiowa county, but except for flax seed, Edwards 
county did not act until March, when the board of trade arranged 
to advance seed of all kinds to farmers unable to buy through the 
usual channels. 15 They would do nothing about the sugar mill, 
however, and a meeting reported in the Mercury April 6 that 
Bennyworth, the owner, stated that it was too late to expect to 
renovize the mill for the current season. The conclusion seems 
justified that, except for the imperative matter of spring seed, the 
business and boom leadership, although conscious of something 
lacking, did not understand how or where to take hold of the agri- 
cultural problem. Their peculiar talents were much more fitted to 
the attempt to revive the industrial boom of 1887. 

The first boom article in 1888 of the type so common the year 
before was printed by the Daily Mercury, February 3: 

Already our people have caught the inspiration of the great boom coming, 
and are marching in time to the music. There are more new buildings 
planned in Kinsley today than ever were built here in any two years of the 
city's history, and there are more inquiries being made by eastern people 
regarding our city than ever before; and it is safe to presume that when 
spring opens there will be such a rush to Kinsley as our most ardent and 
enthusiastic boomer never dreamed of ... By the middle of April or 
the first of May the probabilities now are that more than a million dollars 
worth of buildings business houses, hotels, factories and machine shops will 
be in the course of erection. 

In addition to all this we have here one of the finest and best waterpowers 
in the state, a stream, whose banks on either side might be dotted with 
mills and factories and still not exhaust its power. 

Fortunately for Hebron's equanimity the phrase "Oh, Yeah" had 
not yet been invented. He might have pointed in defense to the re- 
port in the same issue of the paper, however, that the First National 
Bank had just declared a four per cent dividend on its first six 
month's business and placed $1,500 in its surplus fund besides. The 
next day the headlines to the news story of the meeting of the board 
of trade ran "Over forty new members added. . . . Four hun- 
dred dollars subscribed in ten minutes. Which amount will be quad- 
is. Daily Mercury, March 9, 1888. 



168 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

rupled at the next meeting, Tuesday evening. Everybody jubilant 
over our prospects. 'Tis not Wealth, nor Fortune, nor High Estate, 
but Git up and Git that makes men Great. Measured by this 
standard our people are Great. Great is Kinsley and the Mercury is 
Her Prophet." 

Again on February 11 the Daily Mercury expounded its theory of 
booming: 

There are several hundred towns in Kansas, each represented by a good 
newspaper or two, and each clamoring to be heard on the subject of the merits 
of the locality in which it is located. These towns may be compared to as 
many men in a room, all talking at once and each anxious to be heard. Speak- 
ing for the Mercury we propose to talk loud enough to attract attention. 

The big meeting at the Opera House February 10, under the aus- 
pices of the board of trade, was reported in the local papers and in 
the Topeka Commonwealth. The features of the evening were 
speeches by the men representing the two big manufacturing enter- 
prises, packing and papier mache. R. R. Beemis, president, and 
George W. Adams, secretary, spoke for the Interstate Packing Com- 
pany, and George Quigley, of Randolph, Mo., patentee, and F. E. 
Parker spoke for papier mache. The Daily Mercury, February 15, 
pictured Kansas " Tis a land of mighty rivers flowing over sands of 
gold. All nature conspires to boom sunny Kansas in 1888." 16 The 
issue of February 18 boasted that "God might have made a better 
country, but doubtless He never did," and on February 17 declared 
that 

The prospects of Kinsley could not well be brighter than at present. . . . 
Should the present plans materialize, Kinsley will, in the very near future be- 
come the leading manufacturing and commercial city of Kansas. Not a second 
Hutchinson or Wichita, but a city of from fifty to seventy-five thousand in the 
next two years. 

But like the wasp and his relatives the sting was in the tail, be- 
cause near the end of the article he added the qualification: "We 
must, however, have the nerve to grasp our opportunities. So far 
our people have done nothing, absolutely nothing." The particular 
enterprise then being urged was the organization of a stock yards 
company, because without such facilities Kinsley could not become 
a live-stock market. 

Until this spring boom revival there had been nothing explicit pub- 
lished concerning the method of subsidizing industries in this money- 
is. The sentence " 'Tis a land of mighty rivers flowing over sands of gold," was taken 
from a song of the pioneers which usually bears the title "Out in the West." It may have 
had originally a definite authorship, but it took on the character of a folksong with different 
versions and with an indefinite number of stanzas. 



MALIN : THE KINSLEY BOOM OF THE EIGHTIES 169 

less country to attract them to Kinsley. The first definite reference 
occurred in the above editorial on the stock-yards company, and in 
the next issue the matter became the subject of a full-length article. 

The plan was for land owners in the city and vicinity to list their 
lands and to pledge in so doing half the profits from the sale of the 
lands as a bonus to the new industries. The explanation repre- 
sented that the same principle was involved as in federal land grants 
to railroads of alternate sections. The grant of lands made the rail- 
road construction possible and enhanced the value of all land near 
the road. The same idea applied to Kinsley bonuses meant that 
without the prospective industries the land would enhance in value 
very slowly, while with the industrial development all land would 
be benefited. Half of these profits on land listed on the bonus plan 
would accrue to the companies during the period in which their 
capital investment was unproductive, and the other half retained 
by the land owners would exceed greatly the whole profit obtain- 
able if the industries did not locate there. For a community without 
cash such a scheme sounded attractive. 

The organization of the Kinsley Water Power and Land Company 
with a capital stock of $300,000 was announced in the Daily 
Mercury, March 1. A meeting was reported March 28, at which 
the officers of the packing house and papier-mache factory presented 
a proposition for a canning factory. They solicited an offer of a 
suitable bonus to transmit to the canning interests they were repre- 
senting. A committee was appointed and the next day the report 
was published that an understanding had been reached which it 
was thought would be favorably received. 

Under the caption "No Boom for Kinsley," the Daily Mercury, 
April 10, presented in display headlines "A plain unvarnished state- 
ment of facts. It is what we are sure of that makes us happy. 
Kinsley not driven to false representations to create a market for 
town lots." The article which followed employed much the same 
technique as the notorious article of December 15 : 

Our readers will remember that a few weeks since we stated that we were 
through with writing boom literature. That we have religiously lived up to 
this promise our patrons can attest. Indeed so well pleased are we at the 
result of the experiment that nothing could induce us to publish a boom 
article. ... A plain statement of facts concerning the great enterprises 
going in here is sufficient. 

Then followed reference to the "mammoth packing house and 
papier-mache factory" and the announcement that work on the 
packing plant would commence April 17: "With the mammoth 



170 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

industrial and commercial enterprises going in here the great need 
of our city was felt to be in the line of more railroads. This long- 
felt want, we are happy to state is about to be filled." 

The bond election for the O. K. & E. was to be called at an early 
date. The D. M. & A., about which hope had almost been given up, 
would arrive about mid-summer and would connect with the King- 
man-Larned road at Turon. The Frisco and Rock Island would be 
built also before the end of the season. These were the predictions 
of the Mercury. 

A week later the Daily Mercury carried five boom articles. One 
of them mentioned under "Possibilities" the desire of the Portable 
House Company of Grand Rapids, Mich., to locate there, and the 
board of trade was said to be corresponding with a boot and shoe 
company of Massachusetts. Another article announced the organi- 
zation of the Union Stock Yards Company, and the possibility of a 
second packing house. There were certain peculiar things about 
the issue of April 17. Except for a few locals the issue was reprinted 
complete April 18. One of the articles was a reprint from the 
previous year, "Kinsley's Find/' the story of the waterpower, pub- 
lished as though it was a new discovery. This reprinting of the 
ebullitions of 1887 was becoming a habit, and this was the fifth 
time it had occurred within a few weeks. 

During the remainder of April and May the booming continued, 
the Mercury, April 2, for instance announcing self-consciously, "The 
population of Kinsley to be quadrupled the present season, this is 
no lie, we have our little hatchet with us." Three days later, in 
competing with Ralph M. Easley of the Hutchinson News in 
bragging like small boys about their respective towns, Hebron 
boasted that his town "becomes a competitive [live stock] market 
with Kansas City, St. Louis and Chicago." And before long, he 
continued, Hutchinson would be buying Kinsley paper, and Kinsley 
canned goods, and would be patronizing Kinsley as its wholesale 
center instead of Kansas City and Wichita. On April 26 the paper 
recorded the arrival in Kinsley of the president of the papier-mache 
company, but nearly a month later he arrived again, to start opera- 
tions on the plant. In the meantime the packing house was actually 
under construction, and May 21, the Daily Mercury reported thirty- 
six men at work. Banner-Graphic locals recorded progress also, from 
week to week, commenting that it was not so important how fast 
the work was done, as that work continued to be done at all. The 
Daily Mercury gasped for breath May 22 assuring its readers that 



MALIN : THE KINSLEY BOOM OF THE EIGHTIES 171 

"The Mercury will 'say something' just as soon as there is some- 
thing to say. It will not be a great while either." It was June 20 
before it committed another boom article, an exhausting effort from 
which it never recovered, and then on July 14 it quietly expired, 
leaving a brief note of farewell, half hopeful of a glorious resurrec- 
tion in the life to come : 

We'll see you later. As soon as business livens up and Kinsley starts out 
on another boom we'll be on the ground with the Daily Mercury to carry the 
news to Mary. For the present we propose to give the people a rest. . . . 

At the present time a daily is hardly a necessity in Kinsley, and when 
regarded in the light of a luxury it is just a trifle too expensive. 

There is no necessity for moralizing or philosophizing over the matter 
the daily is a thing of the past. Good bye. We'll come again sometime 
perhaps. 

Eighteen-eighty-eight was another year of short crops. Corn was 
the principal field crop, and August 9 the Weekly Mercury admitted 
there was no use denying that the dry weather has injured the yield, 
but enough would be raised for home consumption and to spare, and 
even "should the worst possible luck befall us, Edwards county will 
raise four times as much corn this year as last." There was a little 
wheat acreage that year, but the crop was reported fair. Oats were 
rather generally very short. After viewing the prospects, the Ban- 
ner-Graphic concluded July 6 that "we are now convinced that 
what Kansas needs more than anything else is scientific farming 
aided by a little more capital." It was thinking of farming, however, 
in terms of corn. Comments on crop prospects later in the season 
pointed to the planting of a larger wheat acreage than formerly, but 
West Kansas had yet to find itself in this matter. 

The year which had begun with such apparently high hopes of 
retrieving the disaster of 1887, turned to disappointment long before 
its close. The immigrants had not come, neither had the railroads, 
nor the industries, the rains or the crops. Drought had come again 
and stayed. A correspondent wrote to the Banner-Graphic that 
"while crossing the Arkansas during the summer, I noticed clouds 
of dust rising from the river's bed. It struck me quite forcibly that 
the river needed irrigating, just enough to lay the dust." In hopes 
of aiding the farmers to meet their dire need of money income, the 
Kinsley board of trade attempted to establish a periodic live-stock 
auction in September, advertising from Newton west, in order to get 
better prices for stock. The project died. The board again agitated 
the sugar-mill question, but with no better results. Finally the 
farmers called a meeting to give consideration to the establishment 



172 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

of cheese factories. Eventually two cooperative plants were organ- 
ized, at Kinsley and at Lewis, which afforded some cash to the 
communities immediately adjacent to those towns. 

Even while booming was most hysterically insistent, news items 
inadvertently revealed more than was intended. Many of the less 
tangible boom towns, such as Fargo Springs or Ravanna, collapsed 
as quickly as they had come. Others suffered disastrous fires, which 
frequently visited boom towns, by coincidence, after the bubble had 
burst. In March, 1888, at Coldwater, a whole block burned, and 
at Cimarron the whole north side, except one brick building. Taxes 
for 1887, which became delinquent after June 30, 1888, were ad- 
vertised in August. At the top of the first column, the Mercury 
printed a short paragraph from an exchange: "Kansas is one of the 
biggest and grandest states on the American continent. It has 106 
counties, is a total abstainer from strong drink, Republican in 
politics, prolific in soil, and inexhaustible in resources." Then 
followed five columns of tax-delinquent real estate ; three of Kinsley 
city lots, and two of farm lands. It is evident that Kinsley's boom 
resources were about exhausted, but not quite. Several near-by 
towns, early in 1888, had promoted the boring of test wells to locate 
salt, or coal, or gas. Although Kinsley had ridiculed this movement 
at the time, it had admitted condescendingly that more salt underlay 
Kinsley than Hutchinson. Kinsley had anticipations of bigger 
enterprises in those days. By December, 1888, the town was some- 
what humbled, however, and a movement was organized to bore a 
hole in the ground for just anything. Like the other booms it failed, 
no hole was bored, and Kinsley was left still wondering "what might 
lie beneath the surface." By January, 1889, the Kinsley fire depart- 
ment was reported to be "getting plenty of practice." 

The dispersal or eclipse of the boomers was relatively a quick 
process. Most of them, after the collapse, fell into such obscurity 
that their departure or later activities were not made a matter of 
specific record. Along with the boomers, many of the established 
business enterprises passed out of existence. The Edwards County 
Real Estate Co., managed by Arthur, the official booster of the board 
of trade, was dissolved in February, 1890. The real estate and loan 
agents, instead of carrying quarter-page advertisements, disappeared 
altogether from the Mercury in 1890 and were represented in the 
Graphic by only two obscure notices. The stores continued to sell 
for "cash only," and came to boast of the virtues of the "spot cash 
idea." 



MALIN : THE KINSLEY BOOM OF THE EIGHTIES 173 

A prolonged depression brings forth other marks of its demoraliz- 
ing ravages, and usually the last phase of a boom and its collapse 
is the rise of political discontent. In 1887 there had been a People's 
party movement in the county elections. In 1888 the national and 
state elections provided a wider range of agitation. The Knights of 
Labor became active as early as January, and in the late summer 
political organization produced vociferous Union Labor and Pro- 
hibition parties. The Democratic Graphic, while supporting the 
Democratic ticket, nevertheless gave aid and comfort to the other 
two minority parties, avowing that as neither had a newspaper 
through which to present its views, the Graphic would undertake to 
give them full publicity. The Republican ticket was elected, but 
the leaders of discontent set about preparing a continuous system 
of agitation, partly through the organization of a Union Labor 
club which held meetings every week for discussion of economic 
issues, especially money and tariff. 

The political campaign opened early in 1889 for a year in which 
only county officials were elected. The Mercury, May 30, took 
notice of the so-called People's party movement, insisting that the 
people were really quite unaware that such a "spontaneous uprising 
of the 'people' " was taking place. Rather it was a movement with 
two or three politicians as wet nurses and "the capital stock 
. . . is in its name . . . spelled with a capital P. Its assets 
will be based upon the supposed gullibility of the 'People'." A week 
later the Mercury again belabored the political "soreheads." In 
the November election the People's party polled a modest vote, but 
did not elect any candidates. Their boom was not yet ripe. 

The next stage in the evolution of the political boom began in 
January, 1890, when the so-called Edwards County Farmers Alli- 
ance was organized at Kinsley with county-seat politicians as ring- 
leaders. The unsuccessful People's party candidate for county 
treasurer in the election of the preceding November was chosen 
president, and the candidate for register of deeds secretary. In 
spite of the name this was merely the Kinsley subordinate alliance, 
and in a few weeks others were organized throughout the county. 
The real County Farmers Alliance was organized at a delegate 
convention held at Lewis February 17. The Alliance was repre- 
sented as nonpolitical, and in that guise drew membership without 
respect to party lines. But as summer wore on it became clear that 
the leaders of the Union Labor party of 1888 and the People's party 
of 1889, combined with regular Democrats, were really in control and 



174 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

were determined on using it for political purposes. During its 
early months the Alliance discussed agricultural problems, espe- 
cially those touching the marketing of farm products, but later in 
the year they turned almost exclusively to the political issues of 
1890 as they were drawn between the Republican and Democratic 
parties, the Alliances opposing the Republican party on tariff, trusts 
and money. In effect, the Alliances took essentially the Demo- 
cratic position on all the main issues of the campaign. 

In March the Kinsley Alliance, renamed Sunflower, adopted a 
political platform and pledged itself not to support any candidate 
who would not pledge himself to it. The state Alliance, later in the 
month, took similar ground. The Republican Mercury supported 
the Alliance movement through the early part of the year, but de- 
nounced the attempts of the political element, especially the Sun- 
flower Alliance, to make it a political party. Finally, July 24. with 
the calling of Alliance nominating conventions to put candidates of 
their own into the field, the Mercury turned definitely against it, 
declaring that "The Alliance is now an opposition political party, 
and of course must be treated as such." The Kinsley Sunflower 
Alliance, not satisfied with casting votes against the Republican 
party ring in the county, voted August 30 a boycott of the Mercury. 
Shortly afterward, the County Alliance, acting as a People's party 
central committee, issued a call for a People's party convention to 
meet September 13 to nominate a county ticket. The outcome of 
the election in November was a clean sweep for the People's party 
in county offices, including a mortgage company lawyer for county 
attorney. 

The aim and excuse for booming was to get rich quick. It was a 
speculation or, to put it more vulgarly, a form of gambling. In the 
boom the mania had passed through several phases, in each of 
which a particular feature had received a larger emphasis than 
others; the small-farmer boom based on free government land or 
cheap government and railroad land, then the townsite boom, the 
railroad boom, and the industrial and town-lot boom. With the col- 
lapse of the boom as a whole, the emotional defense of a dis- 
illusioned and nearly desperate people alternated between religion 
and politics; religion from January to planting time, and poli- 
tics from harvest (or the time when harvest should have come) to 
November, but in the nineties it settled down to politics pretty much 
all the year round. The political program took the form of an ap- 
peal to the government to rescue them from their folly and from 



MALIN : THE KINSLEY BOOM OF THE EIGHTIES 175 

the visitations of nature, and quickly to make them rich. They 
blamed their misfortunes on the political party in power, on some- 
body else, not on themselves. The protective tariff, they said, re- 
quired the farmer to buy in a protected market, and sell in a free 
market; the trusts forced prices of finished products to the maxi- 
mum, while manipulating the markets for raw materials so that 
the farmer received less than cost of production; the bankers, 
through control of credit and curtailment of the volume of money, 
beat down farm prices and wages, strangled the producing classes, 
and consolidated in their own hands the wealth of all. 

These boomers being gamblers themselves found it not unnatural 
to use the gambling terminology in their political revolt, and, hold- 
ing a bad hand, accused the dealer of dishonesty and called for 
a "new deal," 1T the People's party. It is admitted that this diag- 
nosis of the movement is not complete, but in touching on the 
Populist movement as a phase of the boom, this aspect of it must 
be sharply emphasized. Undoubtedly the movement had two im- 
portant aims, recovery of losses and reform, but the motives were 
badly mixed, and it is probably impossible ever to know exactly 
where to draw the dividing line between them. 

While there can be no doubt that a higher price for farm products 
would have afforded the community a larger income, there is serious 
question whether a moderate difference in price through these years 
would have changed materially the situation as a whole. The out- 
standing fact for some ten years after 1886 was that the commercial 
surplus of farm products at any reasonable price would have yielded 
a wholly inadequate income on a normal capitalization of land, im- 
provements and equipment, both urban and rural. Viewed in terms 
of the inflated capital values resulting from the boom, the situation 
was hopeless for most land holders, especially if in debt. Only a lim- 
ited number of land owners, however, and mostly speculative buyers, 
had purchased farms at highly inflated figures. For the most part to 
the average resident farmer of Edwards county high price land was 
not the dominant factor, for in large measure they had received their 
farms free as homesteads or timber claims, or at low prices as pre- 
emption claims. If they were heavily in debt, it was for improve- 
ments, or because of insufficient income resulting from crop failures 
and low prices, or because of small farm units and insufficient work- 
ing capital, or combinations of these elements. The question of the 
size of the farm unit scarcely received mention in the contemporary 

17. Kinsley Mercury, May 30, 1889, "We the People." 



176 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

press discussions. The quarter section farm predominated and rela- 
tively few men had adequate capital to operate that efficiently, while 
the minimum-sized unit should have been a half-section or larger. 

The Populist enthusiasts among historians have been prone to 
interpret the party almost entirely in terms of reform, although 
they are not agreed on just the nature of the reform. In Edwards 
county it is significant, therefore, to test briefly the current hy- 
pothesis. On July 13, 1893, the People's party convention met at 
Lamed to nominate a candidate for the judgeship of the sixteenth 
district. A bitter fight ensued in which the worst of old line party 
tactics were employed in selecting Fred S. Hatch, and Editor French, 
in reviewing the episode in the Populist Graphic, concluded with the 
vehement declaration that "the methods pursued by his [Hatch's] 
supporters in Pawnee county . . . were a disgrace to the party 
and an outrage on its members." Nevertheless on November 3, the 
last issue before election, the Graphic called on all Populists to vote 
the ticket straight. The same issue also praised W. S. Hebron, 
former Mercury editor and former postmaster, recently dismissed 
from government service for embezzlement, for his remarkable Pop- 
ulist speeches in which he "completely captured" his audience. 

After some years in control of the county offices a Populist voter 
protested in the Graphic against the fact that no reform had been 
instituted. He said that he voted for the party because it promised 
to reduce taxation, but his taxes had been increased 33 per cent; 
county officers' fees were retained by the incumbents instead of 
being applied to reduce taxation. The Graphic defended the party 
record, one of the main points being that the officers were following 
strictly the law. The issue was then joined squarely by the pro- 
testor: 

The present officials are to blame because, as reformers, they have not 
made the slightest attempt to expose these old Demo-Republican laws. No, 
the moment they get to sucking the public teat, I am sorry to say, they 
went to "sawing wood" and said nothing, just like their Demo-Republican 
predecessors. 18 

Somewhat later one of the county officers was "smoked out" 
and replied in the Graphic, March 29, in a classic of reform litera- 
ture. He warned that the discussion of salaries and fees "may 
create dissension in our party," and then continued: 

The article referred to above implies that it would greatly please him, or 
them, for the present incumbents of the county offices to preach their own 
funeral sermons and proclaim themselves fools at one and the same time 

18. Kinsley Graphic, March 1, 8, 1895. 



MALIN : THE KINSLEY BOOM OF THE EIGHTIES 177 

by taking less than the Republican statute makes it lawful for them to take. 
If there is a readjustment of salaries of county officers desired by the tax 
payers of this county, it will have to come through the People's party. The 
present law is Republican. I have worked for reform for 20 years, and will 
not be the last to advocate it now. Let us be active, harmonious and united, 
and never let it be said that the People's party lost their prestige in Edwards 
county by petty dissensions in their ranks. 

If further illustration is necessary it may be found in the conduct 
of the register of deeds, T. H. Evans, in 1897. At that time the 
owner of a half -section of land in the Ohio City project sold it, but 
the fees which accumulated in the filing of the papers on the numer- 
ous tracts into which it had been subdivided amounted to more than 
$700. The purchaser then refused to accept delivery and though the 
transfer was not completed Evans sued the owner to recover his fees. 
Judgment was rendered in favor of Evans September 7, 1897, for 
$766, plus costs of $34.80, and the land was sold by the sheriff to 
satisfy the claim. Mrs. Evans bid it in at $200, the court accepted 
the bid, and the transfer was recorded May 14, 1898. Two days 
later the property was sold by Evans for a consideration of $1,200. 19 
A correspondent of the Graphic in the issue of May 31, 1895, 
put his finger on a vital spot in a jeremiad on the crop outlook of 
the season: "If it don't rain pretty soon and the wind stop blow- 
ing, we will have to have another campaign to redeem Kansas 
this fall." The election did not turn out that way, however, even 
though the harvest was nearly a failure. The People's party and 
the Republican party divided honors evenly in county offices. In 
other words Populism was slipping, and in the presidential cam- 
paign of 1896 they fused with the Democrats and did whip up a 
campaign to redeem Kansas. In order to accomplish this, and in 
the face of sharp minority protests, they threw overboard their 
reform platform and united the whole opposition to Republicanism 
on the single issue of silver. 

The weakness of the People's party was not so much in the in- 
adequacy of the reform program, even though that was defective, 
but rather in the "reformers." As individuals, they themselves had 
not been regenerated. Certainly nothing can be said in defense of 
the Republican county ring in Edwards county, but the Populists 
were little if any better. Whatever the good intentions in the be- 
ginning of the reform agitation, it turned out to be primarily a case 

19. Ibid., May 14, 1897. Records of the Register of Deeds, Edwards county, Kansas, 
for the south half of S. 29, T. 24, R. 18. 

127467 



178 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

of the outs trying to oust the ins by capitalizing on the misfortunes 
of the post-boom period. 

The liquidation of the boom and the accompanying readjustment 
was a long-drawn-out process, covering over a decade. The people 
never did quite learn that prosperity would not return next year 
with a big spring immigration, a bumper corn crop, or a new in- 
dustrial plant of some kind. On January 10, 1889, the Mercury 
seemed almost convinced: 

It must be confessed that times are a trifle dull at present, but it should 
be remembered that it is only about six or eight weeks until the grass will 
start to grow. 

P. S. We have been consoling ourself with this reflection for a week, but 
now that we have reduced it to writing we can't for the life of us see where 
the consolation comes in. We don't propose to eat grass, by a darned sight. 

Six weeks later one cannot be so sure that booming was over: 
The "booming" business seems to be over hi Kansas and nobody cares to 
renew a boom of any kind; but the people of Kansas never let up on 
business enterprises, and are always keeping an eye on the main chance. 
Every town in Kansas, however small or unimportant, has something on foot 
to benefit the place. Salt wells, gas wells, coal mines, sugar mills, canning 
factories, foundries, creameries, paper mills and many other enterprises and 
industries are being considered and pushed forward. . . . It is this spirit 
of watchfulness and perseverence that keeps Kansas at the head of the 
procession. 

The Banner-Graphic on March 15 was much less restrained in 
its article which opened with a similar condemnation of "wild 
speculation" and then urged the energetic development of "the grand 
and varied natural resources" of the country; gas, paint, salt and 
other substances even diamonds might turn up. 

To the disaster of drought and depression in western Kansas was 
added the opening of Oklahoma, which drew from the Graphic the 
second-hand, but no less fervent, comment that "Now that we have 
Oklahoma, hell is no longer a necessity." Kinsley and Edwards 
county sent forty or fifty of its citizens with good references to 
assist in the boom. The Mercury made the claim that there was not 
a farmer in the crowd. Kinsley was well represented in Guthrie, 
Lisbon, and Kingfisher. One lumber dealer loaded his stock in a 
car and joined the other forty-six lumber yards at Guthrie, while 
Hebron, in addition to editing the Mercury at Kinsley, edited a 
paper at Kingfisher. Although the Kansas boomers in Oklahoma had 
complete schooling in the art, and possessed, absolute confidence in 
their extraordinary talents, they found it quite impossible to make a 
fortune out of nothing, and by the middle of the summer many 



MALIN: THE KINSLEY BOOM OF THE EIGHTIES 179 

were returning. They found that even Kinsley offered greater pros- 
pects than Oklahoma. 

During the spring of 1890 several conventions were held through- 
out southwest Kansas in the interest of an immigration bureau, 20 
and in later years there were similar revivals, but all met the 
same fate. Population was moving out, not in. At the peak of the 
boom in 1887 the state census reported Kinsley population at 1,206 
and the county at 4,717. Except for an increase in 1893, the decline 
in inhabitants was continuous until 1897, when the city figures 
were ,681 and the county 3,024. The county did not again reach the 
boom numbers of the year 1887 until 1903, and the city of Kinsley 
until 1904. 

In contrast with the boom period the economic history of the 
county in depression is concerned almost solely with agriculture. 
Kinsley, the city, settled back into the obscurity of a country 
village where farmers brought their eggs and butter on Saturdays 
and traded for a few groceries. Its only distinction was the doubt- 
ful one of a county court house with an empty treasury. 

The certainty of the sorghum crop kept the sugar-mill issue 
alive, but not enough capital could be raised to modernize the 
machinery, so the plant operated only as a syrup mill. Kaffir corn 
was relatively new to western Kansas and the papers carried several 
articles during the spring in which its culture was discussed. There 
was no kaffir boom, but gradually the new plant became established 
as a reliable dry-weather forage and seed crop. For some time 
certain live-stock men had taken the initiative in cooperating with 
small farmers in horse breeding and in 1889 substantial shipments 
began to eastern points. Probably also part of the horses shipped 
were the better class of horses sacrificed by hard-pressed farmers 
to secure a little cash. These out-shipments of horses continued for 
the next two years. During this season several live-stock men 
entered heavily into the transient cattle business, buying their 
stock in Colorado, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona for grass fat- 
tening or even finishing in Edwards county. Many of these cattle 
were sold in small lots to farmers, or were handled by farmers on 
shares or a rental basis. In the following years, in addition to this 
type of business, Kinsley became for a time an important distribut- 
ing point for western cattle to be placed in the eastern Kansas blue- 
stem pastures or in the corn-belt feed lots. 

The wheat yield of the county in 1889 was large, but the acreage 
was small, and the corn crop was fair, but the price almost nothing. 

20. Kinsley Banner-Graphic, February 28, March 7, 1890; Mercury, March 8, 1890. 



180 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

There was much talk of burning corn instead of coal. The Edwards 
County Bank in September offered loans to farmers to enable them 
to buy cattle to feed hoping thereby to aid its patrons to realize a 
larger income on the corn. Hay shipments were large during the 
winter and supplemented other sources of income. In the spring an 
attempt was made to interest farmers in raising castor beans, but 
they did not make anyone rich. The good wheat yield of 1889 was 
followed by another in 1890, and Turkey hard winter wheat was 
gaining the ascendancy. Short items in the papers indicate clearly 
the trend: 

The wheat crop of this county this year will relieve a number of farmers 
of quite a large amount of indebtedness and put them on their feet so that 
they can be a little more independent in the future. Graphic, June 27, 1890. 

An immense crop of wheat will be sown this fall, as it is the only thing a 
man can rely on to meet his taxes and interest. Graphic, July 25, 1890. 

The Mercury reported August 21 that the wheat acreage would at 
least be quadrupled over the last year, and "taking into considera- 
tion the prices that farmers are realizing for their grain this year it 
is by odds the most prosperous of any in the history of the county." 
Kinsley implement men were well pleased with this development 
because they sold an unusual amount of machinery, especially drills. 

General conditions were not as favorable as these optimistic 
reports indicate. Corn and feed crops were short and before spring 
live stock was reported suffering from the severity of the winter 
and from scarcity of feed. During 1891 dry weather and chinch 
bugs damaged all crops, but the short yields were offset to some 
degree by high prices during August and early September. Later 
in the fall prices of both grain and live stock collapsed. Among the 
newer experiments induced by these conditions was an emphasis on 
irrigation and alfalfa as forms of insurance against complete loss 
of farm income. 

The drift toward wheat and the prolonged depression caused 
absentee landowners to take more aggressive steps to realize some 
income from their unsalable holdings. The years 1892 and 1893 
were especially noteworthy for the amount of sod broken for these 
absentees. The temporary increase in population and the enlarged 
farming operations of 1893 caused a turn in the tide of the horse 
business and heavy importations from the East were recorded. Then 
crop failure stopped the movement and outshipments were resumed 
the following year. 

The time came when even wheat did not produce and again ex- 



MALIN : THE KINSLEY BOOM OF THE EIGHTIES 181 

periment was the order of the day. Broom corn had been fairly 
certain as a supplementary money crop, but in 1894 the price was 
abnormally low. Renewed interest was taken in pump irrigation 
and in alfalfa. An attempt was made in 1895 to start hemp culture. 
The cheese factory was revived by Kinsley business men to replace 
the cooperative plant of earlier years, but most farmers had disposed 
of their milk cows in order to raise wheat during the wheat boom 
and the milk supply within reasonable distance of this factory was 
insufficient. 

The crop failures of 1894 brought disaster to a large part of 
Kansas, and government relief seemed to be the only way out. The 
legislature acted accordingly. Among the relief measures was one 
authorizing the distribution of seed to farmers in the form of loans 
in the fourth, sixth and seventh congressional districts; one for the 
distribution of coal; and another requiring local officials to make 
fireguards at public expense. By March 8, Edwards county had 
advanced coal to 100 families in amounts ranging from 500 to 800 
pounds, and ninety-nine applications for seed were filed. By a 
perversion of the fireguard law, local officers in western counties 
decided to make fireguards in the spring instead of in August in 
order to get protection, to save moisture and to get money into cir- 
culation among farmers. The first two allegations were probably 
excuses, while the last was the reason. 

The winter wheat crop was reported from South Brown township 
in the Graphic, March 29, 1895, as "wheat dull; twenty-five cents 
per acre asked, no bids, no sales." Root blight had killed most of 
the wheat. South Brown reported again May 31: "We have no 
wheat that will make twenty bushels to the acre, but we have 
'scads' of it that will go twenty acres to the bushel." The pastures 
by this time were reported dry enough to burn, and the same cor- 
respondent reported further "Weather cold sand drifting people 
blue fruit killed or blown away hurrah for Kansas." In July 
he suggested again, with his usual shrewd cynicism, that "If wheat 
should bring $1 per bushel, we suppose the farmers of Edwards 
county will sell every cow, pig and chicken they have, and try to 
get up another overproduction." 21 

Nature and the price system suceeded, however, in preventing 
both dollar wheat and overproduction. On August 2 the Graphic 
reported that the grasshoppers were stripping the leaves from the 
trees. Two weeks later, the smut damage to corn was estimated 

21. Graphic, July 12, 1895. 



182 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

at one-third. As late as September 27 the local items reported "No 
wheat sown yet, and but little preparation made in that direction, 
owing to dry weather/' but October 11 the Lewis items recorded 
rains that put the ground in fine condition, while South Brown com- 
mented that "This cool, dry weather is hard on flies, grasshoppers, 
chintz bugs, Republicans and other pests." Yields for the season 
were reported at the same time as two bushels per acre for wheat 
and mostly about ten for corn. The best market for such corn as 
was raised was the Laird ranch near the east line of the county, 
which paid seventeen cents per bushel for ear corn. During the 
winter of 1895-1896 some outside relief came to this part of Kan- 
sas from the Santa Fe railroad which was engaged in laying new 
steel. Homesteaders came to Kinsley from as far south as Okla- 
homa to earn a little cash by working on the steel gang. 

The year 1896 was similar only in a different manner. Among the 
new crops offered to the farmer was peanuts, but there was little op- 
portunity to make them a money crop. The early summer was dry 
and damaged early corn, but during the remainder of the crop sea- 
son rainfall was favorable. Irrigation plants were idle. The curse of 
the season was of different origin. Insects of all kinds appeared in 
appalling numbers. Possibly the extremely dry, hot weather of pre- 
ceding seasons had upset the balance in the insect world by killing off 
certain species that normally preyed upon others. Whatever the ex- 
planation they ate "everything . . . green, except the inhabi- 
tants," according to the South Brown correspondent. Grasshoppers 
finished what the dry weather left of the early corn as well as the 
peach crop. Whitehead army worms cut off the wheat heads just be- 
fore they matured. Potato bugs ruined the potato crop and disap- 
peared only when there was nothing else left to eat. Red ants dam- 
aged the corn, aided by cut worms and grasshoppers. South Brown 
challenged any township to "show more worms, greater variety, and 
better quality." In the midst of calamity the South Brown Populist 
cynic pretended to be hopeful that the next season would be "free 
from all kinds of pests" under "McKinley and protection." The 
wheat that had promised twenty bushels per acre yielded five, and in 
late October the grasshoppers and drought were playing havoc with 
the next year's crop. Corn yields made about 70 per cent of the ex- 
pected crop. 

Everybody was agreed on at least one thing, that the famed Kan- 
sas "Eyetalian climate" was not performing according to the specifi- 



MALIN: THE KINSLEY BOOM OF THE EIGHTIES 183 

cations of the real-estate agents. Instead of man limiting himself to 
the adaptation of his mode of living to the conditions provided by 
nature, he is perennially cursed with the urge to change and to im- 
prove upon nature to make it conform to his wishes by rain-making, 
irrigation and timber growth. Private advisers had been urging 
throughout the decade that farmers irrigate and plant orchards and 
windbreaks. The state government now revised its irrigation law 
and the government was again aiding and abetting man's conspiracy 
by advertising that forest trees would be furnished free, except 
freight, to all who would apply to the commissioner of forestry at 
Dodge City. Black locust trees predominated in the tree stock of- 
fered, but other varieties included on the list were honey locust, 
white ash, box elder, alianthus and elm. 22 

If Kansas people could have thought of other crops to experiment 
with no doubt they would have given them a trial. At that time the 
agricultural colleges and experiment stations had not developed far 
enough to have accomplished much toward doing this experimental 
work under a system of governmental subsidy. The farmers did 
their own experimenting, for the most part. A decade of drought had 
not resulted in the discovery of any crops that could survive with 
certainty. Cattle, hard winter wheat, sorghum and kaffir corn, while 
not drought proof, had made the best showing, although the verdict 
against the corn tradition, associated naturally with live stock, 
had not been decisive. 23 

22. Ibid., November 29, 1896. 

23. An amount of land in cultivation in Edwards county is given in the following table 
compiled from the reports of the State Board of Agriculture. As the figures given there 
include prairie grass under fence it has been necessary to adjust the printed figures to deter- 
mine the number of acres under the plow. 

Year Acres Year Acres 

1883 15,726 1891 54,172 

1884 22,364 1892 62,047 

1885 29,904 1893 72,908 

1886 50,621 1894 79,556* [69,556] ? 

1887 33,777 1895 93,441 

1888 39,177 1896 89,331* [79,331] ? 

1889 44,588 1897 84,800 

1890 31,200 1898 94,706 

* There are serious defects in most of these statistics, and some years are clearly out of 
line. The declines in field crops in 1887 and 1890 are possibly too extreme. The figures for 
1894 and 1896 are unquestionably defective. The item most clearly out of line in the 
computations is that of prairie under fence. The figures for the five years most concerned 
are given below : 

Year Acres Year Acres 

1893 16,195 1896 8,810 [18,810] ? 

1894 2,837 [12,837] ? 1898 30,102 

1895 13,759 

It does not seem reasonable that the fluctuation in fencing could be so great from year 
to year, otherwise the farmers must have spent most of their time tearing down and re- 



184 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

Bank failures, tax delinquency, tax evasion, tax deeds, mort- 
gages, stay laws and redemption laws were painful subjects, but 
were the intimate and persistent companions of Edwards county 
people during this dry decade. The historian is more fortunate 
than they, inasmuch as he can exclude such subject matter alto- 
gether from his narrative or limit the space allotted it for his par- 
ticular purpose. Both defensive devises are resorted to here. The 
first bank failure was that of the Edwards County Bank in October, 
1890, followed by the Exchange Bank in 1893. The Graphic, Feb- 
ruary 16, 1894, carried the announcement of the dissolution of the 
First National Bank and its reorganization as a state bank with a 
reduced capital. The reasons for this action were set forth in a 
short statement which is highly significant to the historian of the 
national banking system: 

We have taken this step because the limited amount of banking business 
in this section does not pay the expenses incident to the National system 
and leave us a reasonable interest on the amount of capital required by law 
to be invested in order to retain a national charter. 

The personal property valuations in Edwards county for pur- 
poses of taxation in 1883, before the boom, totaled $112,844. This 
item rose to $309,551 in 1886 and then decreased to a low of $32,307 
in 1896. In Wayne township at one time only three persons paid 

building fences. The figures in brackets are suggested as being more nearly in accordance 

with conditions as reflected in the press. 

The changes in the field-crop program in Edwards county by decades is tabulated below, 

in the average acreage per farm: 

Year Corn, acres. Oats, acres. Winter wheat, acres. 

1885 . . 16.5 7.22 4 

1895 40.6 16.4 97.8 

1905 45.2 5.5 145.0 

The above table gives some indication of the increase in acreage per farm under the plow 
for the decade, as well as the shift to wheat as the principal crop. 

The average yields of corn, oats and wheat for the county is given m the table below: 

Winter 
Year Corn, bushels Oats, bushels wheat, bushels. 

1885 32 35 20 

1886 25 25 5 

1887 . 15 20 10 

1888 10 13 11 

1889 33 34 20 

1890 10 25 19 

1891 28 28 

1892 10 29 16 

1893 . 5 2 1.1 

1894 5 0.15 0.1 

1895 10 15 

1896 12 

1897 .....10 17 12 

1898 13 24 9 

1899 24 17 6 

1900 13 

1901 5 14 

1902 14 16 

1903 15 

1904 15 10 

1905 28 25 14 



MALIN: THE KINSLEY BOOM OF THE EIGHTIES 185 

a personal property tax, and they were merchants. Land valuations 
in 1884 amounted to $341,602, reaching $553,869 in 1887 and rising 
continuously thereafter because of the patenting of homesteads 
and tree claims entered during the settlement period of the middle 
eighties. The average valuation per acre offers no guidance be- 
cause it fluctuated narrowly between the limits of $2.01 and $2.33 
for nearly a decade. The total valuation of city lots was $62,400 
in 1884, reached $251,746 in 1888, and declined to $135,922 in 1900. 
Railroad valuations were increased through the decade. There is 
more in the tax figures, however, than appears on the surface, be- 
cause abnormally low valuations on personal property and on farm 
improvements tended to reduce the relative share of tax burden of 
the resident farmer, shifting it to the unimproved nonresident owned 
land and to the railroads. 

The record of tax delinquency after the boom seems appalling at 
first sight, and while it was serious for the community, an analysis 
tends to dissipate some of the gloom. The publication list of tax-de- 
linquent land in 1889 occupied twenty columns in the local paper, 
fifteen of which were Kinsley and two Wendell city lots. Farm land 
listings made somewhat over four columns, but part of them were 
small tracts adjacent to Kinsley, which had been subdivided for pro- 
motion purposes. In 1890 the list occupied seventeen columns, 
twelve and a half of which were Kinsley lots. In 1891 it was an 
eight-column story, in 1892 eleven, 1893 eight, 1894 thirteen, 1895 
twelve, and 1896 ten and one-half. 24 The list of agricultural lands 
fell to a little over two columns in 1892 and 1893, rising to six in 
1895, and falling to four and one-half in 1896. So far as tax delin- 
quency reflected hard times, the city of Kinsley suffered more 
seriously than the rural districts from the immediate collapse of the 
boom. The farmers' ability to pay did not hit bottom until the 
middle nineties. 25 Some specially favored city lot owners had re- 
ceived partial relief by going to the state legislature for special 
dispensations removing parts of their additions from the city limits 
and freeing them from the burden of the city taxes necessary to pay 
Kinsley's boom debts. Others had secured relief by selling the im- 
provements off their lots, and many north-side farms benefited 
thereby. South-side farmers obtained cheap buildings in a similar 

24. The data for 1896 omits thirty-nine columns of Ohio City tracts which were the 
ruins of a wildcat promotion scheme originating in Ohio during the nineties. 

25. By way of affording some standard of comparison, similar lists in 1934 occupied seven- 
teen columns, four and two-thirds of which were agricultural land, and about half of the 
remainder were Kinsley city lots. 



186 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

manner from Kinsley's boom rivals, the Belpre community drawing 
from Lamed and Lewis and vicinity from Greensburg. 26 

Tax delinquency for three years, if not removed by payment of 
back taxes and charges, resulted in a transfer of title by tax deed. 
The final test, therefore, of the seriousness of nonpayment of taxes 
previously reviewed is indicated by this final disposal of the land. 
The first large lot of tax-deed transfers was advertised in April, 1892, 
for taxes of 1888 delinquent after June 30, 1889. Something 
less than half of the land sold for taxes in September, 1889, had 
been redeemed, leaving a total of twelve columns advertised for tax- 
deed transfer in April, 1892. Kinsley city lots made up ten, Wendell 
one, and agricultural lands one column. In 1893 the total was over 
fourteen columns and in 1894 twelve and a half, but in 1895 the list 
dropped to five and one-half, and in 1896 to four. In 1894 and 1895 
agricultural lands occupied about one column, and in 1896 one and 
one-half. 

The loss of land by individuals for nonpayment of taxes is only 
one side of the problem. From the standpoint of government finance 
it was almost equally disastrous. The breakdown in the tax system 
left the county without adequate funds for several years. It was 
1893 before the treasurer was able to take up the unpaid warrants 
issued in 1888, and it required several years more before the county 
was on a cash basis. 

The mortgage question is too complicated to be treated adequately 
except as a separate study. Mortgage loans were of various kinds, 
certain ones bearing directly on the community, while others only 
indirectly became local problems. The resident- fanner debtor was 
the leading case under the first head. The local creditor was not 
an important factor, because there had been few men with capital 
to loan. Leaving the resident farmer who was improving his home- 
stead out of the question for the moment, a large part of the 
mortgage loans were speculative. Many homesteaders or tree-claim 
holders had been purely speculators or farmers who were easily 
discouraged. Many of these had borrowed to the limit to prove up, 
and then deserted with the proceeds leaving the creditor to foreclose. 
Many other speculators bought at high valuations making only a 
small down payment. Their mortgages were quickly foreclosed. 
Many Easterners had bought land as an investment, only to suffer a 
collapse in its value. Just how many of each type there were, it is 
impossible to know, and for that reason a wholly satisfactory treat- 

26. Kinsley Graphic, December 21, 1894, and several issues during the following weeks. 



MALIN: THE KINSLEY BOOM OF THE EIGHTIES 187 

ment of this topic is impossible. Nevertheless the agricultural land 
holders of these types were nonresidents, they were reluctant to 
liquidate their holdings at distress prices, and hoped, of course, that 
prosperity would soon return. The resident farmers struggled to 
hold their farms against nonresident creditors, advocating stay 
laws or redemption laws, and secured the latter allowing an eighteen- 
months redemption period. The issue between resident and non- 
resident was acute. The resident pastured nonresident land or cut 
hay from it, and shifted as much of the tax burden as possible to his 
shoulders. The nonresident refused to expend money for improve- 
ments, or to plow fireguards, and the lack of fire protection resulted 
frequently in the partial or even complete loss of many farmers' 
homes, crops and live stock. 

In 1896 the newspapers record that Easterners were beginning to 
sell out, the prices ranging from $250 to $750 per quarter. 27 This 
was the beginning of the end, the liquidation running its course dur- 
ing the next five or six years. They were taking whatever they could 
get that is, when the question is viewed from the standpoint of the 
nonresident. Buyers were giving what the land seemed to be worth 
or what they could afford to pay. The rebuilding of the community 
was scarcely possible except it be done on the foundation of a 
capitalization of land at its current income value. It was a bitter 
process for all concerned, but this phase of the liquidation of the 
boom marks one of the turning points toward the recovery of the 
next decade. This process incidentally contributed in part also to 
the general increase in the size of farm units to a point where they 
would more nearly sustain a farm family. 

27. Ibid., June 26, 1896. 



Recent Additions to the Library 

Compiled by HELEN M. MCFARLAND, Librarian 

K ORDER that members of the Kansas State Historical Society 
and others interested in historical study may know the class of 
books we are receiving, a list is printed annually of the books 
accessioned in our specialized fields. 

These books come to us from three sources, purchase, gift and 
exchange, and fall into the following classes: books by Kansans 
and about Kansas ; books on the West, including explorations, over- 
land journeys and personal narratives; genealogy and local history; 
and books on the Indians of North America, United States history 
and biography. 

We receive regularly the publications of many historical societies 
by exchange, and subscribe to other historical and genealogical pub- 
lications which are needed in reference work. 

The following is a partial list of books which were added to the 
library from October 1, 1933, to October 1, 1934. Government and 
state official publications and some books of a general nature are 
not included. The total number of books accessioned appears in 
the report of the secretary in the February issue of the Quarterly. 

KANSAS 

ABILENE, Capitol Removal Convention Committee [Circular Letter]. 188 . 

AMERICAN LEGION, KANSAS DEPARTMENT, Goodland Post No. 117, February 16, 
1934, Thirteenth Annual Founders' Day Banquet With History of Sherman 
County in the World War and Review of Goodland Post No. 117, American 
Legion. [Goodland, Daily News Print] 1934. 

The Atchison County Teacher, vols. 1, 2. Garnett, May, 1891-June, 1893. 

BALDWIN, MRS. SARA A. (MULLIN), AND ROBERT MORTON BALDWIN, eds., Illus- 
triana, Kansas; Biographical Sketches of Kansas Men and Women of 
Achievement . . . Hebron, Neb., Illustriana Incorporated, 1933. 

BARTHOLOMEW, ELAM, Handbook of the North American Uridinales. 2d ed. 
Morland, Kan., A. R. Spurrier [pref. 1933]. 

BEALS, CARLETON, The Crime of Cuba. Philadelphia, J. B. Lippincott Com- 
pany [c!933]. 

BECKER, EDNA, Hugh and Denis; Twelve Tales of Two Boys of the Middle 
Ages. Caldwell, Idaho, The Caxton Printers, 1934. 

BEGLEY, JOHN, The Western Missionary Priest. No impr. 

BOISGILBERT, EDMUND, The Golden Battle; or the Story of Ephraim Benezet 
of Kansas. New York, D. D. Merrill Company, 1892. 

(188) 



RECENT ADDITIONS TO THE LIBRARY 189 

BOLLIG, RICHARD JOSEPH, History of Catholic Education in Kansas, 1836-1932. 
Washington, D. C., Catholic University of America, 1933. 

BOWLES, ELIHU, In a Sod-House. [Emporia, author, c!897.] 

CALLISON, JOHN J., Bill Jones of Paradise Valley, Oklahoma; His Life and 
Adventures for Over Forty Years in the Great Southwest . . . [Chicago, 
M. A. Donohue & Company, c!914.] 

CARTERET, JOHN DUNLOE, A Fortune Hunter: or, The Old Stone Corral. A 
Tale of the Santa Fe Trail. Cincinnati, Printed for the author, 1888. 

CLENDENIN, MRS. ANGELA (AARON), Altar and Sanctuary, an Exposition of the 
Externals of the Mass. Wichita, Catholic Action Committee of Women, 
c!932. (The Catholic Action Series of Study Club Textbooks, vol. 1, No. 1.) 

COLAW, JOSHUA A., The Beacon Light; or, Illuminated Odd Fellowship. 7th ed. 
Cherryvale, J. A. Colaw, 1914. 

COLLINS, DENNIS, The Indians' Last Fight; or, The Dull Knife Raid. [Girard, 
Press of the Appeal to Reason] n. d. 

CRAVEN, THOMAS, Modern Art; the Men, the Movements, the Meaning. New 
York, Simon and Schuster, 1934. 

CRAWFORD, NELSON ANTRIM, Cats, Holy and Profane. (Reprinted from The 
Psychoanalytic Review, vol. 21, No. 2, April, 1934.) 

DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, Newton Chapter, Year Book, 1934- 
1935. No impr. 

DILLON, JOHN FORREST, comp., Pacific Railroad Laws, Including Charters and 
Acts of Congress, Relating to or Affecting the Union Pacific Railroad, the 
Kansas Pacific Railway, the Denver Pacific Railroad, the Northern Pacific 
Railroad, the Atlantic & Pacific Railroad, and the Texas & Pacific Railroad. 
[New York] Printed for the Union Pacific Railway Company [E. C. Miles, 
Publisher and Printer], 1890. 

DOUGLAS, STEPHEN ARNOLD, Speech in the Senate of the United States, Feb- 
ruary 23, 1859 . . . In Opposition to the Passage of a Code of Laws by 
Congress to Protect Slavery in the Territories . . . Washington, Lemuel 
Towers, 1859. 

EDWARDS, JOHN A., In the Western Tongue. Wichita, McConnick-Armstrong 
Press [cl920]. 

ELLSWORTH & PACIFIC RAILROAD, Some Facts and Information as to the Routes 
of the Ellsworth & Pacific Railroad, and the Country Through Which It 
Would Pass; Together With a Review of Reports and Surveys Made of the 
Region West of Kansas; Also, a Memorial to the Congress of United States 
by the Citizens of Ellsworth, Kansas, in Relation to a Change of Route of 
the Union Pacific R. R., E. D. Leavenworth, Bulletin Office [1868]. 

FELLOW, HENRY COFFIN, Maumewa; an Indian Lyric of the Ozarks. [Wichita, 
Tilma Printing Company, c!930.] 

, Odes of Brotherhood. Wichita [c!923]. 

FETZER, HULDA, Poems. Independence, Author, 1907. 

FIGGINS, J. D., The Bison of the Western Area of the Mississippi Basin. (Pro- 
ceedings of the Colorado Museum of Natural History, vol. 12, No. 4.) 



190 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

FISH, WILLIS ALFRED, Rambling Rhymes. Cawker City, Cawker City Ledger, 
c!932. 

FOLGER, ANTHONY, AND ROY H. HALL, Development of the Oil and Gas Re- 
sources of Kansas in 1928, 1929. Part 2, . . . in 1930. Topeka, Kan- 
sas State Printing Plant, 1933. (State Geological Survey of Kansas, Mineral 
Resources Circular .) 

FORSYTE, GEORGE ALEXANDER, The Story of the Soldier. New York, D. Apple- 
ton & Company, 1900. 

GAGLIARDO, DOMENICO, The Kansas Industrial Welfare Act. (University of 
Kansas, Studies in Business, No. 15.) 

, Labor Legislation in Kansas. Private edition distributed by the Uni- 
versity of Chicago Libraries. Reprinted from Studies in Business, No. 14, 
May, 1931. 

GANN, MRS. DOLLY (CURTIS), Dolly Gann's Book. Garden City, N. Y., 
Doubleday, Doran & Company, 1933. 

GARDEN CITY INDUSTRIAL CLUB, Garden City and Finney County, Kansas. 
N. p., September, 1907. 

GATES, FRANK CALEB, Wild Flowers in Kansas. Topeka, Kansas State Printing 
Plant, 1933. (Report of the Kansas State Board of Agriculture for the 
Quarter Ending December, 1932, No. 204.) 

[Gomer T. Dames} A Golden Mile, 1883-1933. Concordia, The Kansan, 1933. 

GUILD, FREDERICK HOWLAND, AND CLYDE A. SNIDER, Legislative Procedure in 
Kansas. Lawrence, University of Kansas, Bureau of Governmental Research 
and Service, 1930. 

GUNKEL, HERMANN, The Legends of Genesis . . . translated by W. H. 
Carruth. Chicago, Open Court Publishing Company, 1901. 

GUYER, ULYSSES S., Centenary of John James Ingalls. Speech in the House of 
Representatives January 29, 1984. [Washington, Government Printing 
Office, 1934.] 

HARDY, ED, A Pioneer's Recollections of Ottawa County. No impr. 

HARVEY, FRED, Wichita. Wichita, Author, 1914. 

HERR, HORACE D., Harvey Vonore; or, The Making of a Minister, a Story of 
Old Lecompton and Early Kansas. [Fort Myers, Fla., Geddes Printing 
Company, c!934.] 

HEYWOOD, STELLA MAY, AND LUCILLE OSBORN RUST, Planning and Equipping 
Home Economics Rooms in Kansas High Schools. Topeka, Kansas State 
Printing Plant, 1930. 

HINKLE, THOMAS CLARK, Silver, the Story of a Wild Horse. New York, 
William Morrow & Company, 1934. 

HOLCOMB, KENNETH MORTON, Pioneers, Temporal and Spiritual. Wichita 
[Printed for the author by Franklin Printery], 1934. 

HORNER, HATTIE, Business Exposition; Outlines, Problems, Quiz, Drill. N.p., 
c!924. 

, Business Rhetoric; Quiz, Outlines, Problems, Drill to Supplement Any 

Textbook. N.p. [Carson Press, c!921]. 



RECENT ADDITIONS TO THE LIBRARY 191 

, Have You Done Your Part? [Denver, Smith-Brooks Press] n. d. 

, The Modern Business Letter; Quiz, Outlines, Problems to Supple- 
ment Any Textbook. Rev. ed., n.p. [cl921]. 
, A Rocky Mountain Feud. Boston, C. M. Clark Publishing Company 



[cl910]. 

, "Some Reasons for Our Choice." [El Dorado, 1886.] 

, Thoughts Adrift. Boston, Richard G. Badger, 1902. 

, A Word to Women. [Denver, The Union Printing and Publishing 



Company] n. d. 
HYDE, GEORGE E., The Pawnee Indians, Part One, 1500-1680. Denver, John 

Van Male, 1934. (The Old West Series, No. 4.) 
JAMES, JOHN TOWNER, The Benders in Kansas. Wichita, The Kan-Okla 

Publishing Company [c!913]. 
JOHNSON, KEITH W., The Survival of the West. (University of Kansas, Hattie 

Elizabeth Lewis Memorial, No. 14.) 
JORDAN, DAVID STARR, AND VERNON L. KELLOGG, Animal Life, a First Book of 

Zoology. New York, D. Appleton and Company, 1901. 
JUSTIN, MARGARET M., AND LUCILE OSBORN RUST, Problems in Home Living. 

Philadelphia, J. B. Lippincott Company [c!929]. 
JUSTIN, MARGARET M., LUCILE OSBORN RUST, AND GLADYS ELLEN VAIL, Foods, 

an Introductory College Course. Boston, Houghton Mifflin Company 

[cl933]. 
KANSAS, College of Agriculture and Applied Science, Department of Industrial 

Journalism and Printing, Two Arts, Poetry and Printing. Manhattan, Kan- 
sas State College of Agriculture and Applied Science, 1934. 
KANSAS, SUPREME COURT, Reports of Cases Argued and Determined in the 

Supreme Court of the State of Kansas. Vols. 134-136. Topeka, Kansas 

State Printing Plant, 1932-1933. 
[KANSAS CITY BAR ASSOCIATION], A Tribute to Judge John Calvin Pollock by 

the Bench and Bar. Kansas City, Mo. [Brown- White Company], 1931. 
KANSAS EDUCATORS CLUB, The Kansas Educator, Year Book, February 1, 1934- 

Mimeographed. 

KANSAS LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY, Topeka, Manual of Kansas Laws. [1931.] 
KANSAS STATE MILITIA, Fifth district, General Order No. 4> Council Grove, 

May 1, 1864. 
KINEAR, H. EDGAR, New Hypothesis of Important Ether Phenomena. [Topeka 

cl921.] 

, The Omniscient and Life. Topeka, Cavanaugh Printing Company 

[c!926]. 
KING, CHARLES, Starlight Ranch and Other Stories of Army Life on the 

Frontier. Philadelphia, J. B. Lippincott Company, 1891. 
KISTLER, JOHN J., The Installation and Operation of a Cost-Finding System 

for Printers. Lawrence, University of Kansas, Department of Journalism, 

1934. 



192 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

LAWRENCE, PLYMOUTH CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH, The Nineteen Twenty Year 
Book, Containing the By-laws of Plymouth Church; the Pastor's Annual 
Summary for 1919; the Roll of Members, April, 1920. No impr. 

LAWRENCE, YOUNG MEN'S SOCIAL CLUB, A Pure and Simple History of the 
Rise and Progress of the Young Men's Social Club of Lawrence, Kansas 
. . . Lawrence, W. I. Hoadley, 1882. 

LEAVENWORTH, LAWRENCE & GALVESTON RAILROAD COMPANY, Report of the 
Directors; Presented to the Stockholders at the Annual Meeting June 5, 
1871. Chicago, Rounds & Kane, 1871. 

LOUTHAN, MRS. HATTIE (HORNER), see Homer, Hattie. 

MCCORMICK, CALVIN, The Memoir of Miss Eliza McCoy. Dallas, Tex., 
Author, 1892. 

McCoY, ISAAC, Periodical Account of Baptist Missions Within the Indian 
Territory, for the Year Ending December 81, 1836. [Shawanoe Baptist Mis- 
sion, Indian territory, 1837.] 

MCDERMOTT, GEORGE T., Three Addresses Delivered by Judge George T. Mc- 
Dermott and Compiled by the Wichita City Library, 1933. Typed. 

MCDOWELL, MRS. LILLIE GILLILAND, Stories I Told Louise. Topeka, The 
Kansas Farmer Company, 1915. 

MCEACHRON, DUNCAN LENDRUM, Peter McVicar, the "Grand Old Man" of 
Washburn College. (Washburn College Bulletin, vol. 18, No. 5, Oct. 1933.) 

MADDOCK, MRS. J. M., Manhattan and the War. Manhattan, n.d. 

MAXWELL, BERTRAM WAYBURN, The Soviet State; a Study of Bolshevik Rule. 
Topeka, Steves & Wayburn [c!934], 

MORRELL, FRANCIS JOSEPH, AND ANGELA A. CLENDENIN, The New and Eternal 
Testament; an Elementary Study of the Mass, Its Early History and 
Disciplinary Canons. Wichita, Catholic Action Committee of Women 
[1933]. (The Catholic Action Series of Study Club Textbooks, vol. 1, No. 2.) 

Moss, RYCROFT G., Preliminary Report on Ground Water Resources of the 
Shallow Water Basin in Scott and Finney Counties, Kansas. Lawrence, 
University of Kansas, 1933. Mimeographed. (State Geological Survey of 
Kansas, Circular 5.) 

MUDGE, H. U., Regulation of Railroads, Delivered at Reception and Banquet 
Given by the Commercial Club of Topeka, Kansas, April 11, 1911. No impr. 

NIELSON, N. P., Origin and Nature of Man as Outlined in the Cosmic Philoso- 
phy. Topeka, n.d. 

NININGER, H. H., AND J. D. FiGGiNS, The Excavation of a Meteorite Crater 
Near Haviland, Kiowa County, Kansas. (Proceedings of the Colorado 
Museum of Natural History, vol. 12, No. 3.) 

NOBLE, R. C., Our Trip to California. Shelbyville, 111., Our Best Words, 1890. 

PENNINGTON, J. E., Recollections. [Typed.] [c!933.] 

PERIAM, JONATHAN, History of the Origin, Aims and Progress of the Farmers' 
Movement . . . Cincinnati, E. Hannaford & Company, 1874. 

PETERSON, ELMER T., Trumpets West. New York, Sears Publishing Company, 
[c!934L 



RECENT ADDITIONS TO THE LIBRARY 193 

FOLK'S LAWRENCE CITY DIRECTORY, 1919. Lawrence, R. L. Polk & Company, 
1919. 

POWELL, CUTHBERT, Twenty Years o] Kansas City's Live Stock Trade and 
Traders. [Kansas City, Pearl Printing Company, 1893.] 

QUAYLE, WILLIAM ALFRED, In God's Out-of-Doors. New York, Abingdon Press 
[c!902]. 

RANDOLPH, VANCE, From an Ozark Holler; Stories of Ozark Mountain Folks. 
New York, Vanguard Press [c!933]. 

RANDOLPH EVANGELICAL MISSION COVENANT CHURCH, Sixtieth Anniversary, 
1874-1934. Mimeographed. 

RANKIN, EDWARD PAYSON, JR., The Santa Fe Trail Leads to France; a Narra- 
tive of the Battle Service of the 110th Engineers (35th Division) in the 
Meuse-Argonne Offensive. Kansas City, Mo., Dick Richardson Company 
[c!933]. 

RENO COUNTY BAR, Hutchinson, Kan. In Memoriam, George A. Vandeveer. 
Hutchinson, The Times Company, 1908. 

RICHARDS, RALPH, Taxed T oxers and Taxes. [Fort Scott, Kan., November, 
1933.] 

ROBERTS, ROY, Freedom of News: An Address Delivered at the University of 
Kansas, May 4, 1934 . . . Lawrence, University of Kansas, Department 
of Journalism, 1934. 

ROGERS, JOHN R., Looking Forward; or, The Story of an American Farm. 
N.p., Spike Publishing Company, 1898. 

RUMBAUGH, JACOB, Reminiscences. [Kansas City, Mo., Franklin Hudson Pub- 
lishing Company] 1910. 

SAINT MARY'S ACADEMY, Leaven worth, Facets; the Story of the Sisters of 
Charity of Leavenworth and of the Activities of the Diamond Jubilee Year, 
1933-1934. No impr. 

SHARP, WABAUN A. SEWARD, Our Bible, Its Origin and Use. N. p., 1916. 

, "The Pioneer Pottawattamies" ; Burial of an Indian Chief, and Other 

Notes. Reprinted from the Hamburg Reporter, Hamburg, Iowa, 1934. 

SHELDON, ALVAH, pub., National Republican Rally Rhymes. El Dorado, Wal- 
nut Valley Times Print, 1892. 

SHELDON, CHARLES MONROE, Edward Blake, College Student. Chicago, Ad- 
vance Publishing Company, 1900. 

SMITH, FREDERICK DUMONT, Washington and the Constitution. Chicago, 
American Bar Association [1932]. 

SPRINGFIELD GROUP OF FIRE INSURANCE COMPANIES, [Biography of William H. 
Lininger]. (Reprint from Hobbies, November, 1933.) 

STUMM, EWING, pub., Souvenir of Hutchinson, Kansas. [Hutchinson] Ewing 
Stumm, 1893. 

TEMPLIN, OLIN, Lest We Forget; a Plea for Adequate Memorialization of Our 
Kansas Pioneers. Read before the Annual Dinner of the Minnesota Kansas 
Day Club, January 29, 1934. (From Graduate Magazine, February, 1934.) 

TILGHMAN, MRS. ZOE A., Outlaw Days; a True History of Early-Day Okla- 
homa Characters. [Oklahoma City] Harlow Publishing Company, 1926. 
137467 



194 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

TOPEKA, AUDITOR, Annual Report of City Auditor of City of Topeka for the 
Year Ending December 31, 1933. No. impr. 

TOPEKA, NATIONAL BANK, Anniversary, 1868-1928, National Bank of Topeka. 
No impr. 

TOPEKA PRESS CLUB, Frank Pitts MacLennan, March 1, 1855-N ovember 18, 
1933. Topeka Press Club, 1934. 

TOWNLEY, CHARLES VALENTINE, Other Days. Olathe, Johnson County Demo- 
crat, 1930. 

[UNITED SPANISH WAR VETERANS, Department of Kansas], Roster of 22d 
Kansas Volunteer Infantry, 1934. [Topeka, Kansas State Printing Plant, 
1934.] 

VESTAL, STANLEY, Warpath; the True Story of the Fighting Sioux Told in a 
Biography of Chief White Bull. Boston, Houghton Mifflin Company, 1934. 

WALDO, J. CURTIS, pub., Illustrated Missouri Pacific Gazetteer . . . New 
Orleans, Southern Publishing & Photo-Engraving House, 1882. 

WARD, MAY WILLIAMS, Leaves; 24 Poems With Mention of Trees by Living 
Kansas Poets. No impr. 

WARREN, MRS. ELLEN MORLAN, White Rock Historical Sketches. (Reprinted 
from the Superior Express, Superior, Neb., 1933.) 

WELLMAN, PAUL I., Death on the Prairie; The Thirty Years' Struggle for the 
Western Plains. New York, Macmillan Company, 1934. 

WELLS, CHARLES KNOX POLK, Life and Adventures of Polk Wells, the Notori- 
ous Outlaw . . . written by himself. [Halls, Mo., G. A. Warnica, pref., 
1907.] 

WELLS, WILLIAM MORRIS, The Deserts' Hidden Wealth; the Life Story of a 
Man of the American People: Kansas, From Desert to World-Granary. 
[Los Angeles, c!934.] 

WHITE, WILLIAM ALLEN, Fifty Years Before and After; an Address Given at 
the Sixty-second Annual Commencement of the University of Kansas, June 
11, 1934- No. impr. 

Wichita City Directory, 1891, 1896, 1913, 1914, 1918, 1923, 1924. 7 vols. Pub- 
lisher varies. 

WILSON, JOHN EDWARD, Soul Salutes. N. p., 1928. 

WILSON, JOSEPH, John Davis, the People's Candidate for Congress in the 
Fifth District. [Marysville, The People's Advocate] n.d. 

WINROD, GERALD BURTON, Christ Within. New York, Fleming H. Revell 
Company [c!932], 

, Science, Christ and the Bible. Chicago, Fleming H. Revell Company 

[c!929L 

, Three Modern Evils. Wichita, Defender Publishers [c!932]. 

WOMAN'S CHRISTIAN TEMPERANCE UNION, Burlingame, The Itinerant's Daugh- 
ter, a Temperance Story. Burlingame, 1908. 

WOMAN'S RELIEF CORPS, Department of Kansas, History of the Department of 
Kansas Woman's Relief Corps, Auxiliary to the Grand Army of the Repub- 
lic, 1884-1934. [Buffalo Blade, 1934.] 



RECENT ADDITIONS TO THE LIBRARY 195 

THE WEST 

ALLEN, WILLIAM ALONZO, Adventures With Indians and Game; or, Twenty 
Years in the Rocky Mountains. Chicago, A. W. Bowen & Company. 1903. 

ARMES, GEORGE A., Ups and Downs of an Army Officer. Washington, 1900. 

BELL, JAMES G., A Log of the Texas-California Cattle Trail, 1854. [Austin, 
Tex., c!932.] Reprinted from the Southwestern Historical Quarterly, 1932. 

BENNETT, JAMES, Overland Journey to California; Journal of James Bennett 
Whose Party Left New Harmony in 1850 and Crossed the Plains and 
Mountains Until the Golden West Was Reached. New Harmony, Ind., 
Times Print, 1906. 

BRIGGS, LLOYD VERNON, Arizona and New Mexico, 1882; California, 1886; 
Mexico, 1891. Boston, Privately Printed, 1932. 

, California and the West, 1881, and Later. [Boston.] Privately 

Printed [Wright & Potter Printing Company], 1931. 

BRUFFEY, GEORGE A., Eighty-one Years in the West. Butte, Mont., Butte 
Miner Company, 1925. 

CARTWRIGHT, DAVID W., Natural History of Western Wild Animals and Guide 
for Hunters, Trappers, and Sportsmen . . . Also, Narratives of Personal 
Adventure. 2d ed. Written by Mary F. Bailey. Toledo, Ohio, Blade 
Printing and Paper Company, 1875. 

CROFUTT, GEORGE A., Crofutt's New Overland Tourist and Pacific Coast Guide 
. . . Omaha, The Overland Publishing Company, 1882. 

DISTURNELL, JOHN, pub., The Western Traveler; Embracing the Canal and 
Railroad Routes from Albany and Troy, to Buffalo and Niagara Falls. Also, 
the Steamboat Route from Buffalo to Detroit and Chicago. New York, J. 
Disturnell, 1844. 

ELLISON, ROBERT SPURRIER, Fort Bridger, Wyoming; a Brief History, Com- 
prising Jim Bridger's Old Trading Post, Fort Bridger Becomes an Army 
Post, Fort Bridger as a Frontier Army Post. Casper, Wyo., Historical 
Landmarks Commission of Wyoming, 1931. 

FEATHERSTONHAUGH, GEORGE WILLIAMS, Excursion Through the Slave States, 
From Washington on the Potomac to the Frontier of Mexico; With 
Sketches of Popular Manners and Geological Notices. New York, Harper 
& Brothers, 1844. 

FOREMAN, GRANT, Advancing the Frontier. Norman, University of Oklahoma 
Press, 1933. 

FOSTER, JOHN WELLS, The Mississippi Valley: Its Physical Geography, In- 
cluding Sketches of the Topography, Botany, Climate, Geology, and Mineral 
Resources; and of the Progress of Development in Population and Material 
Wealth, Chicago, S. C. Griggs and Company, 1869. 

FULTON, WILLIAM SHIRLEY, Archeological Notes on Texas Canyon, Arizona. 
New York, Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation, 1934. 

GATES, CHARLES M., ed., Five Fur Traders of the Northwest; Being the Narra- 
tive of Peter Pond and the Diaries of John MacDonell, Archibald N. Mc- 
Leod, Hugh Faries, and Thomas Connor. [Minneapolis] University of 
Minnesota Press, 1933. 



196 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

GILLMOR, FRANCES, AND LOUISA WADE WETHERILL, Traders to the Navajos; 
the Story of the Wetherills of Kayenta. Boston, Houghton Mifflin Com- 
pany, 1934. 

GREENBURG, DAN W., Sixty Years, a Brief Review. The Cattle Industry in 
Wyoming; Its Organization and Present Status and Data Concerning the 
Wyoming Stock Growers Association. 1st ed. Wyoming, Wyoming Stock 
Growers Association, 1932. 

HALL, JAMES, The Romance of Western History ; or, Sketches of History, Life, 
and Manners in the West. Cincinnati, Applegate & Company, 1857. 

HOSMER, J. ALLEN, A Trip to the States in 1865. (State University of Montana, 
Sources of Northwest History, No. 17.) 

HULBERT, ARCHER BUTLER, ed., Where Rolls the Oregon; Prophet and Pessimist 
Look Northwest. [Colorado Springs.] The Stewart Commission of Colo- 
rado College; [Denver] Denver Public Library [1933]. (Overland to the 
Pacific, vol. 3.) 

HUMPHREY, SETH K., Following the Prairie Frontier. [Minneapolis] Uni- 
versity of Minnesota Press [c!931]. 

HUNTER, GEORGE, Reminiscences of an Old Timer; A Recital of the Actual 
Events, Incidents, Trials, Hardships, Vicissitudes, Adventures, Perils, and 
Escapes of a Pioneer, Hunter, Miner and Scout of the Pacific Northwest 
. . . San Francisco, H. S. Crocker and Company, 1887. 

ICKES, MRS. ANNA (WILMARTH), Mesa Land; the History and Romance of the 
American Southwest. Boston, Houghton Mifflin Company [c!933]. 

JOHNSON, M. L., True History of the Struggles With Hostile Indians on the 
Frontier of Texas in the Early Days. [Dallas, Tex., 1923.] 

KINGIE, MRS. JOHN H., Wau-Bun; the "Early Day" in the Northwest. New 
York, Derby & Jackson, 1856. 

LANGFORD, NATHANIEL PITT, Diary of the Washburn Expedition to the Yellow- 
stone and Firehole Rivers in the Year 1870. St. Paul, J. E. Haynes [c!905]. 

MASON, RICHARD LEE, Narrative of Richard Lee Mason in the Pioneer West, 
1819. New York, Printed for Charles F. Heartman [1915]. 

MILLS, ANSON, My Story. Washington, Press of Byron S. Adams, 1918. 

MOODY, DAN W., The Life of a Rover, 1865 to 1926, Known in Early Western 
Life as Dan Moody, the Indian Scout . . . [D. W. Moody, c!926.] 

MORRIS, ANN AXTELL, Digging in the Southwest. Garden City, N. Y., Double- 
Day, Doran & Company, 1933. 

MUNSELL, MARION EBENEZER, Flying Sparks as Told by a Pullman Conductor. 
Kansas City, Mo., Tiernan-Dart Printing Company, 1914. 

Nelson's Pictorial Guide-Books. Salt Lake City, With a Sketch of the Route 
of the Union and Central Railroads, From Omaha to Salt Lake City, and 
From Ogden to San Francisco. New York, T. Nelson and Sons, n. d. 

PECK, JOHN MASON, Forty Years of Pioneer Life, Memoir of John Mason 
Peck, D. D. Edited From His Journals and Correspondence. Philadelphia, 
American Baptist Publication Society [1864]. 

PLATT, WARD, The Frontier. New York, Missionary Education Movement of 
the United States and Canada, 1911. 



RECENT ADDITIONS TO THE LIBRARY 197 

REMINGTON, FREDERIC, Pony Tracks. New York, Harper & Brothers, 1895. 
RICHARDSON, RUPERT NORVAL, The Comanche Barrier to South Plains Settle- 
ment; a Century and a Half of Savage Resistance to the Advancing White 

Frontier. Glendale, Calif., Arthur H. Clark Company, 1933. 
, AND CARL COKE RISTER, The Greater Southwest. Glendale, Calif., 

Arthur H. Clark, 1934. 
RUSSELL, CARL P., A Concise History of Scientists and Scientific Investigations 

in Yellowstone Park, With a Bibliography of the Results of Research and 

Travel in the Park Area. No impr. 
SKINNER, CONSTANCE LINDSAY, Beaver Kings and Cabins. New York, Mac- 

millan Company, 1933. 
STUART, GRANVILLE, Montana As It Is. (State University of Montana, Sources 

of Northwest History, No. 16.) 
TAYLOR, JOSEPH HENRY, Kaleidoscopic Lives; a Companion Book to Frontier 

and Indian Life. 2d ed. Washburn, N. D., Printed and published by the 

author, 1902. 
THORP, JOSEPH, Early Days in the West; Along the Missouri One Hundred 

Years Ago. [Liberty, Mo., Irving Gilmer, 1924.] 

VAUGHN, ROBERT, Then and Now; or, Thirty-six Years in the Rockies: Per- 
sonal Reminiscences of Some of the First Pioneers of the State of Montana; 

Indians and Indian Wars . . . Minneapolis, Tribune Printing Company, 

1900. 
VILLAGRA, GASPAR PEREZ DE, History of New Mexico . . . Translated by 

Gilberto Espinosa. Los Angeles, Quivira Society, 1933. (Quivira Society 

Publications, vol. 4.) 

Western Land Owner. Washington, D. C., May, 1874-March, 1876, vols. 1, 2. 
WILTSEE, ERNEST ABRAM, The Pioneer Miner and the Pack Mule Express. 

San Francisco, California Historical Society, 1931. (California Historical 

Society, Special Publication, No. 5.) 

GENEALOGY AND LOCAL HISTORY 

ADAMS, JAMES TRUSLOW, The Adams Family. New York, The Literary Guild, 

1930. 
ALLEN, ETHAN PUTNAM, Invalidation of Municipal Ordinances by the Supreme 

Court of Iowa. Iowa City, State Historical Society of Iowa, 1933. (Iowa 

Monograph Series, No. 4.) 
ALLEN, WILLIAM, History of Norridgewock [Maine]; Comprising Memorials 

of the Aboriginal Inhabitants and Jesuit Missionaries, Hardships of the 

Pioneers, Biographical Notices of the Early Settlers and Ecclesiastical 

Sketches. Norridgewock, Me., Edward J. Peet, 1849. 
ANDREWS, CHARLES M., Connecticut and the British Government. Published 

for the Tercentenary Commission of the state of Connecticut by the Yale 

University Press, 1933. 

, The Connecticut Intestacy Law. Published for the Tercentenary Com- 
mission of the state of Connecticut by the Yale University Press, 1933. 
ARCHIBALD, WARREN SEYMOUR, Thomas Hooker. Published for the Tercentenary 

Commission of the state of Connecticut by the Yale University Press, 1933. 



198 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

BACON, OLIVER N., History of Natick, From Its First Settlement in 1651 to 

the Present Time; With Notices of the First White Families . . . 

Boston, Damrell & Moore, 1856. 
BANCROFT, J. M., comp., Thomas Bancroft and His Descendants. Chart. No 

impr. 
BARSTOW, GEORGE, History of New Hampshire From Its Discovery in 1614, to 

the Passage of the Toleration Act in 1819. 2d ed. Boston, Little & Brown, 

1853. 
BARTLETT, SAMUEL COLCORD, New Hampshire in the American Revolution. 

Concord, Ira C. Evans, 1898. 
BATCHELDER, CALVIN REDINGTON, History of the Eastern Diocese. Vol. 1. 

Claremont, N. H., Claremont Manufacturing Company, 1876. 
BENTON, EVERETT CHAMBERLIN, A History of Guildhall, Vermont, . . . 

Waverly, Mass., Author, 1886. 
BILL, LEDYARD, History of Paxton, Massachusetts. Worcester, Mass., Putnam, 

Davis & Company, 1889. 

BINGHAM, ROBERT W., Early Buffalo Gunsmiths. Published by Buffalo His- 
torical Society, 1934. 

Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Adams, Clay, Hall and Hamilton 
Counties, Nebraska . . . Chicago, Goodspeed Publishing Company, 1890. 

BOYER, MARY G., Arizona in Literature; a Collection of the Best Writings of 
Arizona Authors From Early Spanish Days to the Present Time. Glendale, 
Calif., The Arthur H. Clark Company, 1934. 

BRADSTREET, HOWARD, The Story of the War With the Pequots, Retold. Pub- 
lished for the Tercentenary Commission of the state of Connecticut by the 
Yale University Press, 1933. 

BRIGGS, LLOYD VERNON, History and Genealogy of the Cabot Family 1475-1927. 
Boston, Charles E. Goodspeed & Company, 1927. 

BROWN, ABRAM ENGLISH, History of the Town of Bedford, Middlesex County, 
Massachusetts, From Its Earliest Settlement to the Year of Our Lord 1891 
. . . Bedford, Author, 1891. 

BROWNE, DAVID HENRY, Raymond, New Hampshire, Fifty Years Ago. Chicago, 
Lakeside Press, 1901. 

BUCKLEY, WILLIAM EDWARD, The Hartford Convention. Published for the 
Tercentenary Commission of the state of Connecticut by the Yale Uni- 
versity Press, 1934. 

BUTLER, FRANCIS GOULD, History of Farmington, Franklin County, Maine, 
From the Earliest Explorations to the Present Time, 1776-1885. Farming- 
ton, Press of Knowlton, McLeary and Company, 1885. 

CADMUS, WILLIAM EUGENE, Sermon in Memory of Isaac Stevens Metcalf, 
Preached to the First Congregational Church, Elyria, Ohio, March 6, 1898. 
No impr. 

GARY, HENRY GROSVENOR, The Gary Family in America. Boston, Seth Cooley 

Gary, 1907. 
GARY, SETH COOLEY, John Gary, the Plymouth Pilgrim. Boston, Author, 1911. 



RECENT ADDITIONS TO THE LIBRARY 199 

CHILD, HAMILTON, comp. and pub., Gazetteer and Business Directory of 
Addison County, Vermont, for 1881-82. Syracuse, N. Y., Journal Office. 1882. 

, Gazetteer and Business Directory of Chittenden County, Vermont, 

for 1882-83. Syracuse, N. Y., Journal Office, 1882. 

, Gazetteer of Grafton County, New Hampshire, 1709-1886. Syracuse, 

N. Y., Syracuse Journal Company, Printers and Binders, 1886. 

CLARK, LYMAN, Civil and Religious History of Andover Center, New Hamp- 
shire. Haverhill, Mass., C. C. Morse & Son, 1901. 

COLE, J. R., History of Washington and Kent Counties, Rhode Island . . . 
New York, W. W. Preston & Company, 1889. 

CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE, Concord Town Records 1732-1820. Concord, N. 
H., Republican Press Association, 1894. 

CONNECTICUT, CHARTERS, The Charter of Connecticut, 1662. Published for the 
Tercentenary Commission of the state of Connecticut by the Yale Uni- 
versity Press, 1933. 

CONNECTICUT HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Annual Report; Reports and Papers Pre- 
sented at the Annual Meeting, May 23, 1933; Also a List of Officers and 
Members and of Donations for the Year. Hartford, Society, 1933. 

, Annual Report . . . May, 1934. Hartford, Society, 1934. 

CONOVER, CHARLOTTE REEVE, Concerning the Forefathers; Being a Memoir, 
With Personal Narrative and Letters of Two Pioneers, Col. Robert Patter- 
son and Col. John Johnston . . . [New York, Winthrop Press, c!902.] 

COPELAND, ALFRED MINOTT, History of the Town of Murrayfield, Earlier 
Known as Township No. 9 and Comprising the Present Towns of Chester 
and Huntington, the Northern Part of Montgomery, and the Southeast 
Corner of Middlefield, 1760-1783. Springfield, Mass., Clark W. Bryan & 
Company, 1892. 

DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, Lineage Book, vols. 133-138. Wash- 
ington, D. C. [Press of Judd & Detweiler, Incorporated] 1933-1934. 

DEMING, DOROTHY, Settlement of Litchfield County. Published for the Ter- 
centenary Commission of the state of Connecticut by the Yale University 
Press, 1933. 

, The Settlement of the Connecticut Towns. Published for the Tercen- 
tenary Commission of the state of Connecticut by the Yale University 
Press, 1933. 

DUTCHER, GEORGE MATTHEW, Connecticut's Tercentenary; a Retrospect of 
Three Centuries of Self-Goverment and Steady Habits. Published for the 
Tercentenary Commission of the state of Connecticut by the Yale Uni- 
versity Press, 1934. 

, George Washington and Connecticut in War and Peace. Published for 

the Tercentenary Commission of the state of Connecticut by the Yale Uni- 
versity Press, 1933. 

[ , AND A. C. BATES], The Fundamental Orders of Connecticut. Published 

for the Tercentenary Commission of the state of Connecticut by the Yale 
University Press, 1934. 



200 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

EMERY, EDWIN, History of Sanjord, Maine, 1661-1900. Compiled, Edited and 
Arranged by His Son, William Morrell Emeiy. Fall River, Mass., Compiler, 
1901. 

EMERY, SARAH ANNA, Reminiscences oj a Nonagenarian. Newburyport 
[Mass.], W. H. Huse & Company, 1879. 

ERVING, HENRY WOOD, The Discoverer of Anaesthesia: Dr. Horace Wells of 
Hartford. Published for the Tercentenary Commission of the state of 
Connecticut by the Yale University Press, 1933. 

, The Hartford Chest. Published for the Tercentenary Commission of 

the state of Connecticut by the Yale University Press, 1934. 

FISHER, SAMUEL H., The Litchfield Law School 1775-1833. Published for the 
Tercentenary Commission of the state of Connecticut by the Yale Uni- 
versity Press, 1933. 

FREEMAN, FREDERICK, History of Cape Cod: the Annals of Barnstable County, 
Including the District of Mashpee. Boston, Printed for the author by G. 
C. Rand & Avery, 1858-1862. 2 vols. 

FRIENDS, SOCIETY OF, Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, Book Committee, Quaker 
Biographies; a Series of Sketches, Chiefly Biographical, Concerning Mem- 
bers of the Society of Friends . . . Vols. 1 and 5. Philadelphia, Friends 
Book Store, [1909] -1916. 

GEROULD, SAMUEL LANKTON, Brief History of the Congregational Church in 
Goftstown, N. H., Being Part of a Sermon Preached July 9, 1876, With a 
Few Later Additions. Bristol, N. H., R. W. Musgrove, 1881. 

GIPSON, LAWRENCE HENRY, Connecticut Taxation, 1750-1775. Published for 
the Tercentenary Commission of the state of Connecticut by the Yale Uni- 
versity Press, 1933. 

HALE, WILLIAM THOMAS, Early History of Warren County [Tennessee]. Mc- 
Minnville, Tenn., Printed by Standard Printing Company [1930]. 

, History of De Kalb County, Tennessee. Nashville, Tenn., Paul 

Hunter, 1915. 

Handbook of American Genealogy, vol. 2. Chicago, Institute of American 
Genealogy, 1934. 

HANOVER, NEW HAMPSHIRE, The Records of the Town of Hanover, New 
Hampshire, 1761-1818. Hanover, N. H., 1905. 

HATCHER, SADIE BACON, A History oj Spiceland Academy, 1826 to 1921. Indi- 
anapolis, Indiana Historical Society, 1934. (Indiana Historical Society 
Publications, vol. 11, No. 2.) 

HAYDEN, A. S., Early History oj the Disciples in the Western Reserve, Ohio; 
With Biographical Sketches . . . Cincinnati, Chase & Hall, 1876. 

HAZEN, HENRY ALLEN, Pastors of New Hampshire, Congregational and Pres- 
byterian; a Chronological Table of the Beginning and Ending of Their 
Pastorates. Bristol, N. H., R. W. Musgrove, 1878. 

HILLS, GEORGE MORGAN, History of the Church in Burlington, New Jersey; 
Comprising the Facts and Incidents of Nearly Two Hundred Years . . . 
Trenton, N. J., William S. Sharp, 1876. 



RECENT ADDITIONS TO THE LIBRARY 201 

Historical, Pictorial and Biographical Record of Chariton County, Missouri. 
Salisbury [Mo.], Pictorial and Biographical Publishing Company, 1896. 

History of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Including Its Early Settlement 
and Progress to the Present Time . . . Chicago, A. Warner & Company, 
1889. 

History of Beaver County, Pennsylvania . . . Philadelphia, A. Warner & 
Company, 1888. 

HODGES, GEORGE, Holderness; an Account of the Beginnings of a New Hamp- 
shire Town. Boston, Houghton Mifflin and Company, 1907. 

HOLBROOK, FRANKLIN F., AND LIVIA APPEL, Minnesota in the War With Ger- 
many. Vol. 2. Saint Paul, Minnesota Historical Society, 1932. 

HOLMAN, MRS. MARY LOVERING, Ancestors and Descendants of John Coney of 
Boston, England, and Boston, Massachusetts. [Concord, N. H., The Rum- 
ford Press] 1928. 

HOOKER, ROLAND MATHER, Boundaries of Connecticut. Published for the Ter- 
centenary Commission by the Yale University Press, 1933. 

, The Spanish Ship Case. Published for the Tercentenary Commission 

of the state of Connecticut by the Yale University Press, 1934. 

HOOPES, PENROSE R., Early Clockmaking in Connecticut. Published for the 
Tercentenary Commission of the state of Connecticut by the Yale Uni- 
versity Press, 1934. 

HUGUENOT SOCIETY OF SOUTH CAROLINA, Transactions No. 38. Charleston, 

S. C., Published by Order of the Society, 1933. 
HURD, DUANE HAMILTON, comp., History of Bristol County, Massachusetts, 

With Biographical Sketches of Many of Its Pioneers and Prominent Men. 

Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & Company, 1883. 
, History of Essex County, Massachusetts, With Biographical Sketches 

of Many of Its Pioneers and Prominent Men. Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis 

& Company, 1888. 2 vols. 
, History of Norfolk County, Massachusetts, With Biographical Sketches 

of Many of Its Pioneers and Prominent Men. Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis 

& Company, 1884. 

, History of Plymouth County, Massachusetts, With Biographical 

Sketches of Many of Its Pioneers and Prominent Men. Philadelphia, J. W. 
Lewis & Company, 1884. 

JACOBUS, DONALD LINES, comp. and ed., History and Genealogy of the Families 
of Old Fairfield, vol. 2, part 7-8. Edited for the Eunice Dennie Burr chap- 
ter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. [New Haven, Conn., The 
Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor Company, 1932.] 

JACOBY, HENRY SYLVESTER, The Jacoby Family Genealogy. Lancaster, Pa., 
Lancaster Press, 1930. 

JAMESON, EPHRAIM ORCUTT, Biographical Sketches of Prominent Persons, and 
the Genealogical Records of Many Early and Other Families in Medway, 
Mass., 1713-1886. Millis, Mass. [Providence, R. I., J. A. & R. A. Reid, 
Printers] 1886. 



202 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

JOHNSON, FRANCES HALL, Music Vale Seminary, 1835-1876. Published for the 
Tercentenary Commission of the state of Connecticut by the Yale Uni- 
versity Press, 1934. 

JOHNSON, ROBERT WINDER, AND LAWRENCE JOHNSON MORRIS, The Johnson 
Family and Allied Families of Lincolnshire, England; Being the Ancestry 
and Posterity of Lawrence Johnson of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Phila- 
delphia, Dolphin Press, 1934. 

KELLY, J. FREDERICK, Early Domestic Architecture of Connecticut. Published 
for the Tercentenary Commission of the state of Connecticut by the Yale 
University Press, 1933. 

KINGSBURY, HENRY D., ed., Illustrated History of Kennebec County, Maine. 
New York, H. W. Blake & Company, 1892. 2 vols. 

KNICKERBOCKER, DIEDRICH, A History of New York From the Beginning of 
the World to the End of the Dutch Dynasty. New York, R. H. Russell, 
1903. 

LABAREE, LEONARD W., Milford, Connecticut; the Early Development of a 
Town as Shown in Its Land Records. Published for the Tercentenary 
Commission of the state of Connecticut by the Yale University Press, 1933. 

LANCASTER COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Lancaster, Pa., Index of Personal 
Names Appearing in Volumes XI to XX, Inclusive, of the Proceedings of 
the Lancaster County Historical Society. 1934. 

LAWTON, JOHN JULIAN, The Seamans Family in America as Descended From 
Thomas Seamans of Swansea, Massachusetts, 1687. Syracuse, N. Y., 
Privately Printed, 1933. 

LINDLY, JOHN M., The History of the Lindley, Lindsley, Linsley Families in 
America, 1639-1930. Winfield, Iowa [c!930]. 

LOUISIANA STATE MUSEUM, New Orleans, Biennial Report of the Board of 
Curators for 1932-1933. New Orleans, 1934. 

MCCALLUM, JAMES, A Brief Sketch of the Settlement and Early History of 
Giles County, Tennessee. [Pulaski, Tenn., The Pulaski Citizen, 1928.] 

McCLAiN, WALTER STEPHEN, A History of Putnam County, Tennessee. Cooks- 
ville, Tenn., Quimby Dyer & Company [c!925]. 

MANCHESTER, MASS., Town Records of Manchester From the Earliest Grants 
of Land, 1636 . . . to 1769 . . . Salem, Mass., Salem Press Publish- 
ing and Printing Company, 1889-1891. 2 vols. 

MAY, RALPH, Early Portsmouth History. Boston, C. E. Goodspeed & Com- 
pany, 1926. 

Memories of Pater I. S. Metcalf and the Old Home. No impr. 

MERRILL, JOSEPH, History of Amesbury, Including the First Seventeen Years 
of Salisbury, to the Separation in 1654; o,nd Merrimac, From Its Incorpo- 
ration in 1876. Haverhill, Mass., Press of Franklin P. Stiles, 1880. 

MIDDLESEX COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Middletown, Conn., Pamphlets, Nos. 
1-6, 21-26. 1904-1933. 

Military History of Medway, Massachusetts, 1745-1885 . . . N.p. [c!886]. 

The Missouri Historical Review. Index, Volumes 1-25, October, 1906-July, 
1931. Columbia, Mo., State Historical Society, 1934. 



RECENT ADDITIONS TO THE LIBRARY 203 

MITCHELL, GILES CARROLL, There is No Limit: Architecture and Sculpture in 
Kansas City. Kansas City [Mo.], Brown-White Company, 1934. 

MITCHELL, ISABEL S., Roads and Road-Making in Colonial Connecticut. Pub- 
lished for the Tercentenary Commission of the state of Connecticut by the 
Yale University Press, 1933. 

MITCHELL, MARY HEWITT, The Great Awakening and Other Revivals in the 
Religious Life of Connecticut. Published for the Tercentenary Commission 
of the state of Connecticut by the Yale University Press, 1934. 

MOORE, MABEL ROBERTS, Hitchcock Chairs. Published for the Tercentenary 
Commission of the state of Connecticut by the Yale University Press, 1933. 

MORSE, JARVIS M., The Rise of Liberalism in Connecticut, 1828-1850. Pub- 
lished for the Tercentenary Commission of the state of Connecticut by the 
Yale University Press, 1933. 

, Under the Constitution of 1818: the First Decade. Published for the 

Tercentenary Commission of the state of Connecticut by the Yale Uni- 
versity Press, 1933. 

MUNRO, WILFRED HAROLD, History of Bristol, R. I.; the Story of the Mount 
Hope Lands From the Visit of the Northmen to the Present Time . . . 
Providence, J. A. & R. A. Reid, 1880. 

NEW ENGLAND SOCIETY IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK, One Hundred and Twenty- 
Eighth Annual Report, 1933. No impr. 

NEW GLOUCESTER, ME., The New Gloucester Centennial, September 7, 1874, 
by T. H. Haskell. Portland, Me., Hoyt, Fogg & Donham, 1875. 

NEWMAN, HARRY WRIGHT, Anne Arundel Gentry; a Genealogical History of 
Twenty-two Pioneers of Anne Arundel County, Md., and Their Descendants. 
[Baltimore, Lord Baltimore Press] 1933. 

NEWPORT, R. I., TRINITY CHURCH, Annals of Trinity Church, Newport, Rhode 
Island, 1698-1821, by George Champlin Mason. Newport, George C. Mason, 
1890. 

, Annals of Trinity Church, Newport, Rhode Island, 1821-1892. Second 

Series. Newport, V. Mott Francis, 1894. 

NEWSON, J. A., The Life and Practice of the Wild and Modem Indian . . . 
[Oklahoma City, Harlow Publishing Company, c!923.] 

NYE, GEORGE S., Biographical Sketches and Records of the Ezra Olin Family. 
Chicago, W. B. Conkey Company, 1892. 

OAK, LYNDON, History of Garland, Maine. Dover, Me. Observer Publishing 
Company, c!912. 

OJEDA, Luis THAYER, Genealogy of the Descendants of William Turpin Thayer 
of Bellingham. No impr. 

PARSHALL, JAMES CLARK, The Barker Genealogy: Giving the Names and 
Descendants of Several Ancestors Who Settled in the United States Pre- 
vious to . . . 1776. N. p. [Pref. 1897.] 

PEARS, THOMAS, AND MRS. SARAH (PALMER) PEARS, New Harmony, an Adven- 
ture in Happiness; Papers of Thomas and Sarah Pears, Edited by Thomas 
Clinton Pears, Jr. Indianapolis, Indiana Historical Society, 1933. 



204 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

PENCE, GEORGE, AND NELLIE CATHERINE ARMSTRONG, Indiana Boundaries, Terri- 
tory, State, and County. Indianapolis, Indiana Historical Bureau, 1933. 

PERLEY, SIDNEY, History of Boxjord, Essex County, Massachusetts, From the 
Earliest Settlement Known to the Present Time . . . Boxford, Mass., 
Published by the Author, 1880. 

PETSWORTH PARISH, VIRGINIA, The Vestry Books of Petsworth Parish, Glouces- 
ter County, Virginia, 1677-1793 . . . Richmond, Division of Purchase 
and Printing, 1933. 

PHILLIPS, VERNON S., Francis Nash of Braintree, Mass., and 480 of His De- 
scendants. Mimeographed. Akron, O., 1932. 

The Piscataqua Evangelical Magazine for January and February, 1805. Ports- 
mouth, N. H., Ward D. Treadwell, 1805. 

PISCATAQUA PIONEERS, Portsmouth, N. H., Piscataqua Pioneers 1623-1775; 
Register of Members and Ancestors. Dover, N. H. [Charles F. White- 
house], 1919. 

POMPEY, N. Y., Re-union of the Sons and Daughters of the Old Town of 
Pompey, Held at Pompey Hill, June 29, 1871 . . . Pompey, Published 
by Direction of the Re-union Meeting, 1875. 

PORTER, NOAH, The New England Meeting House. Published for the Tercen- 
tenary Commission of the state of Connecticut by the Yale University Press, 
1933. 

Portrait and Biographical Record of Clay, Ray, Carroll, Chariton and Linn 
Counties, Missouri . . . Chicago, Chapman Brothers, 1893. 

RAINEY, GEORGE, The Cherokee Strip. Guthrie, Okla., Co-operative Publishing 
Company, 1933. 

RANDALL, ORAN EDMUND, History of Chesterfield, Cheshire County, N. H. 
. . . Together With Family Histories and Genealogies. Brattleboro, Vt., 
D. Leonard, Printer, 1882. 

RANDOLPH, MAINE, Vital Records of Randolph, Maine, to the Year 1892. 
Gardiner, Reporter-Journal Press, 1910. 

READ, WILLIAM A., Florida Place-Names of Indian Origin and Seminole Per- 
sonal Names. Baton Rouge, Louisiana State University Press, 1934. 

ROBERTS, CHARLES RHOADS, comp., History of Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, 
and a Genealogical and Biographical Record of Its Families. Allentown, 
Pa., Lehigh Valley Publishing Company, 1914. 3 vols. 

ROGERS, ERNEST E., Connecticut's Naval Office at New London During the 
War of the American Revolution . . . New London, Conn., 1933. (The 
New London County Historical Society, Collections, vol. 2.) 

ROSENBERRY, Lois KiMBALL MATHEWS, Migrations From Connecticut Prior to 
1800. Published for the Tercentenary Commission of the state of Con- 
necticut by the Yale University Press, 1934. 

Russian Union Church, 110th Anniversary, 1820-1930. No impr. 

SAWTELLE, ITHAMAR BARD, Oration Delivered at the Centennial Celebration in 
Brookline, N. H., September 8, 1869. Fitchburg, Mass., Fitchburg Reveille 
Office, 1869. 



RECENT ADDITIONS TO THE LIBRARY 205 

SCOTT, C. S., ed., Genealogical Record of the Descendants of Thomas Scott 
Born 1744, the Record Covering the Entire Period of the History of the 
Family in America. No impr. 

SHAMBAUGH, BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, The Constitution of Iowa. Iowa City 
[State Historical Society of Iowa], 1934. 

SHIPTON, CLIFFORD K., Biographical Sketches of Those Who Attended Harvard 
College in the Classes of 1690-1700, With Bibliographical and Other Notes. 
Cambridge, Harvard University Press, 1933. (Sibley's Harvard Graduates, 
vol. 4.) 

SIMPSON, RICHARD WRIGHT, History of Old Pendleton District [South Caro- 
lina], With a Genealogy of the Leading Families of the District. [Ander- 
son, S. C., Oulla Printing & Binding Company, 1913.] 

SMITH, ARTHUR THAD, Historical Address Delivered at the Centennial Celebra- 
tion August 30, 1902, of the Town of Milton, New Hampshire. Boston 
[Rumford Press], 1902. 

SMITH, JONATHAN, Peterborough, New Hampshire in the American Revolution. 
Peterborough, Peterborough Historical Society, 1913. 

SMITH, WILLIAM E., AND OPHIN D. SMITH, eds., Colonel A. W. Gilbert, 
Citizen-Soldier of Cincinnati. Cincinnati, Historical and Philosophical 
Society of Ohio, 1934. 

SOCIETY OF SONS OF THE REVOLUTION, State of Missouri, Register, 1907-1909. 
St. Louis, Woodward & Tiernan Printing Company, n. d. 

, State of New York, Reports and Proceedings, July 1, 1932, to June 30, 

1933. N.p, 1933. 

SOMERSWORTH, N. H., First Annual Report . . . Prefaced With an His- 
torical Sketch of Somersworth, by Hon. William D. Knapp. Somersworth, 
N. H., Free Press Publishing Company, 1894. 

SOUTH DAKOTA. State Department of History, South Dakota Historical Col- 
lections, vols. 9, 10, 1918, 1920. Pierre, S. D., Hippie Printing Company, 
1918-1921. 2 vols. 

SPIESS, MATHIAS, The Indians of Connecticut. Published for the Tercentenary 

Commission of the state of Connecticut by the Yale University Press, 1933. 
Sprague's Journal of Maine History. Dover, Me., John Francis Sprague, 1917- 

1922. Vols. 5-10. 
STACKPOLE, EVERETT S., History of New Hampshire. New York, American 

Historical Society [pref. 1916]. 
STEVENS, THOMAS WOOD, Yorktown Sesquicentennial Pageants. Washington, 

Government Printing Office, 1933. 

STRALEY, W., Pioneer Sketches, Nebraska and Texas. Hico, Tex., Hico Print- 
ing Company, 1915. 

SYLVESTER, HERBERT MILTON, Maine Pioneer Settlements. Boston, W. B. 
Clarke Company, 1909. 5 vols. 

TENNESSEE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, Journals of the Senate and House of the 
Second General Assembly of the State of Tennessee Held at Knoxville 
. . . 1797, 1798. Kingsport, Tenn., Southern Publishers, 1932. 



206 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

THOMPSON, FRANCIS McGEE, History of Greenfield, Shire Town of Franklin 
County, Massachusetts. Greenfield, Mass. [Press of T. Morey & Son], 
1904. 2 vols. 

THOMPSON, LUCIEN, comp., Revolutionary Pension Declarations, Straff ord 
County [N. H.], 1820-1832, Comprising Sketches of Soldiers of the Revolu- 
tion. Manchester, N. H., Ruemely Press, 1907. 

TISBURY, MASS., Records of the Town of Tisbury, Mass., Beginning June 29, 
1669, and Ending May 16, 1864- Boston, Wright & Potter, 1903. 

TREADWAY, OSWELL GARLAND, Edward Treadway and His Descendants, News 
Letter Number 2. [Chicago, 1934.] 

VIOLETTE, EUGENE MORROW, History oj Adair County [Missouri], Together With 
Reminiscences and Biographical Sketches. [Kirksville, Mo.] Denslow His- 
tory Company, 1911. 

[WALTON, GEORGE W.] ed., History of the Town of Wayne, Kennebec County, 
Maine, From Its Settlement to 1898. Augusta, Maine Farmer Publishing 
Company, 1898. 

[WARNER, CHARLES FORBES], Representative Families oj Northampton [Mas- 
sachusetts] . . . Northampton, Picturesque Publishing Company, 1917. 

WILCOX, FRANCIS O., Some Aspects of the Financial Administration of John- 
son County, Iowa. Iowa City, State Historical Society of Iowa, 1934. 

WILLIAMS, J. C., The History and Map of Danby, Vermont. Rutland, Vt., 
McLean & Robbins, 1869. 

WILSON, FRED ALLEN, Some Annals of Nahant, Massachusetts. Boston, Old 
Corner Book Store, 1928. 

WYOMING, HISTORICAL LANDMARKS COMMISSION, Second Biennial Report, 1929- 
1930. Rock Springs, Wyo., Miner Print [Pref. 1931]. 

, Third Biennial Report, 1931-1932. [Rock Springs, Wyo., Rocket Press] 

1933. 

GENERAL 

ADAMS, JAMES TRUSLOW, Provincial Society, 1690-1763. New York, The Mac- 
millan Company, 1934. 

AMERICAN JEWISH HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Publications No. 33. N. p., The Society, 
1934. 

AMERICAN TRACT SOCIETY, New York, The History oj Amelia Gale, a Poor 
Woman in England, Distinguished for Her Benevolence. New York, Ameri- 
can Tract Society, n. d. 

The Americana Annual; an Encyclopedia of Current Events, 1934. New York, 
Americana Corporation, 1934. 

ASHE, S. A., AND LYON G. TYLER, Secession, Insurrection of the Negroes, and 
Northern Incendiarism. Revised and Reprinted from Tyler's Quarterly 
Historical and Genealogical Magazine, July, 1933. 

BALDWIN, SIMEON EBEN, Life and Letters of Simeon Baldwin. New Haven, 
Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor Company [1918?]. 

BARRETT, S. A., Porno Myths. Milwaukee, Published by Order of the Board 
of Trustees, 1933. (Bulletin of the Public Museum of the City of Mil- 
waukee, vol. 15.) 



RECENT ADDITIONS TO THE LIBRARY 207 

BARTLETT, HARLBY HARRIS, The Sacred Edifices of the Batak of Sumatra. Ann 

Arbor, Mich., University of Michigan Press, 1934. 
BIDDLE, NICHOLAS, The Correspondence of, Dealing With National Affairs, 

1807-1844. Boston, Houghton Mifflin Company, 1919. 
BROWN, W. NORMAN, The Swastika; a Study of the Nazi Claims of Its Aryan 

Origin. New York, Emerson Books [c!933]. 

BUNAU-VARILLA, PHILIPPE, Panama; the Creation, Destruction, and Resurrec- 
tion. London, Constable & Company, 1913. 
CARNEGIE ENDOWMENT FOR INTERNATIONAL PEACE, International Conciliation; 

Documents for the Year 1933. Worcester, Mass., Carnegie Endowment for 

International Peace, n. d. 

, Year Book, 1933. Washington, Endownment, 1933. 

CHAMPLAIN, SAMUEL DE, The Works of, Vol. 5, 1620-1629. Toronto, Champlain 

Society, 1933. 
CLARK, CHESTER WELLS, Franz Joseph and Bismarck; the Diplomacy of Austria 

Before the War of 1866. Cambridge, Harvard University Press, 1934. 
CLEVELAND, GROVER, Letters of, 1850-1908, Selected and Edited by Allan Nevins. 

Boston, Houghton Mifflin Company, 1933. 
COLE, ARTHUR CHARLES, The Irrepressible Conflict, 1850-1865. New York, The 

Macmillan Company, 1934. (A History of American Life, vol. VII.) 
COLEMAN, LAWRENCE VAIL, Historic House Museums. Washington, D. C., 

American Association of Museums, 1933. 
[CoLEMAN, WILLIAM], A Collection of the Facts and Documents Relative to 

the Death of Major-General Alexander Hamilton . . . Together With 

the Various Orations, Sermons, and Eulogies That Have Been Published on 

His Life and Character. New York, Printed by Hopkins and Seymour, 1804. 
COOK, HARVEY TOLIVER, The Life and Legacy of David Rogerson Williams. 

Glendale, Cal., Arthur H. Clarke Company, 1916. 

COOPER, L. R., The Red Cedar River Variant of the Wisconsin Hopewell Cul- 
ture. Milwaukee, Published by Order of the Board of Trustees, 1933. 

(Bulletin of the Public Museum of the City of Milwaukee, No. 2.) 
COPPEE, HENRY, Life and Services of Gen. U. S. Grant. New York, Richard- 
son & Company, 1868. 
CREASY, SIR EDWARD SHEPHERD, Fifteen Decisive Battles of the World From 

Marathon to Waterloo. New York, Hurst & Company, n. d. 
Cumulative Book Index; a World List of Books in the English Language, 

1928-1932. New York, H. W. Wilson Company, 1933. 
DAGGETT, HARRIET SPILLER, A Compilation of Louisiana Statutes Affecting Child 

Welfare, and the Report of the Louisiana Children's Code Committee. 

Baton Rouge, Louisiana State University Press, 1933. (Louisiana State 

University Studies, No. 10.) 
DAGGETT, MABEL POTTER, In Lockerlie Street; A Little Appreciation of James 

Whitcomb Riley. New York, B. W. Dodge & Company, 1909. 
DAHLIN, EBBA, French and German Public Opinion on Declared War Aims, 

1914-1918. Stanford University, Stanford University Press, 1933. 



208 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

DANAILOV, GEORGI TODOROV, Les Effects de la Guerre en Bulgarie. Paris, Les 
Presses Universitaires de France [1932?]. ([Carnegie Endowment for In- 
ternational Peace. Division of Economics and History] Histoire Eco- 
nomique et Sociale de la Guerre Mondiale [Serie bulgare].) 

DAVID, SIR PERCIVAL VICTOR, The Shoso-In. Reprinted for the Japan Society, 
New York, from vol. 28 of the Transactions and Proceedings of the Japan 
Society, London. London, Eastern Press, 1932. 

DAVIS, RICHARD HARDING, The Cuban and Porto Rican Campaigns. New 
York, Charles Scribner's Sons, 1898. 

DESAHAGUN, FRAY BERNARDINO, A History oj Ancient Mexico, vol. 1. N.p., 
Fisk University Press, 1932. 

DE WOLF, FRANCIS COLT, General Synopsis of Treaties of Arbitration, Concilia- 
tion, Judicial Settlement, Security and Disarmament, Actually in Force 
Between Countries Invited to the Disarmament Conference. Washington, 
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 1933. 

DICKERSON, PHILIP J., History of the Osage Nation, Its People, Resources and 
Prospects. N.p. [c!906]. 

Dictionary of American Biography, vols. 12-14. New York, Charles Scribner's 
Sons, 1933-1934. 

DIEREVILLE, Relation of the Voyage to Port Royal in Acadia or New France. 
Toronto, The Champlain Society, 1933. (The Champlain Society Publica- 
tions, vol. 20.) 

DODGE, GRENVILLE M., Personal Recollections of President Abraham Lincoln, 
General Ulysses S. Grant and General William T. Sherman. Council Bluffs, 
Iowa, Monarch Printing Company, 1914. 

DuBosE, JOHN WITHERSPOON, General Joseph Wheeler and the Army of 
Tennessee. New York, Neale Publishing Company, 1912. 

ELLET, MRS. ELIZABETH FRIES (LUMMIS), Court Circles of the Republic; or, 
The Beauties and Celebrities of the Nation. Philadelphia, Philadelphia 
Publishing Company, n. d. 

ELLIOTT, CHARLES W., Remarkable Characters and Places of the Holy Land 
. . . Hartford, J. B. Burr & Company, 1867. 

Eminent and Representative Men of Virginia and the District of Columbia of 
the Nineteenth Century. Madison, Wis., Brant & Fuller, 1893. 

The Encyclopedia Americana; a Library of Universal Knowledge. New York, 
Americana Corporation, 1932. 30 vols. 

Encyclopedia of American Biography: New Series. New York, American 
Historical Society, Incorporated, 1934. 

EVANS, CHARLES, American Bibliography, a Chronological Dictionary of All 
Books, Pamphlets and Periodical Publications Printed in the United States 
of America From the Genesis of Printing in 1639, Down to and Including 
the Year 1820 . . . Vol. 12, 1798-1799. Privately Printed for the Author 
by the Columbia Press of Chicago, 1934. 

FAULKNER, HAROLD UNDERWOOD, The Quest for Social Justice, 1898-1914- New 
York, The Macmillan Company, 1931. (A History of American Life, vol. 
XI.) 



RECENT ADDITIONS TO THE LIBRARY 209 

THE FEDERALIST, The Federalist; a Commentary on the Constitution oj the 

United States, by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay. Ed. 

... by Paul Leicester Ford. New York, H. Holt and Company, 1898. 
FISH, CARL RUSSELL, The Rise of the Common Man, 1830-1850. New York, 

Macmillan Company, 1929. 
Foster Hall Bulletin, November, 1933, No. 9. 
GARFIELD, JAMES ABRAM, Works of. Boston, James R. Osgood and Company, 

1883. 2 vols. 

GENTILI, ALBERICO, De lure Belli Libri Tres. Vol. 1, The Photographic Re- 
production of the Edition of 1612; Vol. 2, The Translation oj the Edition 

oj 1612. Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1933. 2 vols. 

GLANVILLE, JAMES LINUS, Italy's Relations With England, 1896-1905. Balti- 
more, Johns Hopkins Press, 1934. (Johns Hopkins University Studies in 

Historical and Political Science, Series 52, No. 1.) 
Glimpses of the San Francisco Disaster, Graphically Depicting the Great 

California Earthquake and Fire . . . Chicago, Laird & Lee, 1908. 
GREENLEAF, JEREMIAH, A New Universal Atlas; Comprising Separate Maps of 

All the Principal Empires, Kingdoms and States Throughout the World and 

Forming a Distinct Atlas of the United States. Brattleboro, Vt., Printed 

by G. R. French, 1840. 
HANDELSMAN, MARCEL, La Pologne, Sa Vie Economique et Sociale Pendant 

la Guerre. Paris, Les Presses Universitaires de France [1932]. 
HARLOW, RALPH VOLNEY, The Growth of the United States. New York, Henry 

Holt and Company [c!932]. 
HARVEY, H., Memoir of Alfred Bennett, First Pastor of the Baptist Church, 

Homer, N. Y., and Senior Agent of the American Baptist Missionary Union. 

New York, Edward H. Fletcher, 1852. 

HAYES, JOHN RUSSELL, Old Meeting-Houses. Philadelphia, Biddle Press, 1909. 
HAYWOOD, RICHARD MANSFIELD, Studies on Scipio Ajricanus. Baltimore, The 

Johns Hopkins Press, 1933. (The Johns Hopkins University Studies in 

Historical and Political Science, vol. 51, No. 1.) 
HEARNE, SAMUEL, AND PHILIP TURNER, Journals of. Toronto, Champlain 

Society, 1934. (Publications of the Champlain Society, vol. 21.) 
HENRY E. HUNTINGTON LIBRARY AND ART GALLERY, San Marino, Calif., Sixth 

Annual Report, July 1, 1932-June 30, 1933. San Marino, Calif., 1934. 
HERSKOVITS, MELVILLE J., AND FRANCES S. HERSKOVITS, An Outline of Dahoman 

Religious Belief. Menasha, Wis. [George Banta Publishing Company], 

1933. (Memoirs of the American Anthropological Association, Number 41, 

1933.) 

HODGSON, WILLIAM, The Society of Friends in the Nineteenth Century: a 
Historical View of the Successive Convulsions and Schisms Therein During 
That Period. Philadelphia [Sherman & Company Printers], 1875-1876. 2 
vols. 

HOLLOWAY, LAURA C., The Ladies of the White House; or, In the Home oj 
the Presidents. New York, Funk & Wagnalls, 1886. 2 vols. 

14_7467 



210 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

The Hudson River Route: New York to Albany, Saratoga Springs, . . . 

and Montreal. New York, Taintor Brothers, n. d. 
HUTCHINS, EDWARD RIDGEWAY, comp., The War of the 'Sixties. New York, 

Neale Publishing Company, 1912. 
HYDE, GEORGE E., The Early Blackjeet and Their Neighbors. Denver, John 

Van Male, 1933. (The Old West Series, No. 2.) 
INGHAM, HARVEY, Old Indian Days; A Story of White Man Beginnings. No 

impr. 

INSURANCE COMPANY OF NORTH AMERICA, American Fire Marks, The In- 
surance Company of North America Collection. Philadelphia, Insurance 

Company of North America, 1933. 
JOHNSON, SIR WILLIAM, The Papers of Sir William Johnson. Vol. 8. Albany, 

University of the state of New York, 1933. 
LA MERE, OLIVER, AND HAROLD BROUGH SHINN, Winnebago Stories. New York, 

Rand McNally & Company [c!928]. 
LINDLEY, ERNEST KIDDER, The Roosevelt Revolution, First Phase. New York, 

Viking Press, 1933. 
LOCKWOOD, FRANK C., Life of Edward E. Ayer. Chicago, A. C. McClurg & 

Company, 1929. 
MACCORKLE, STUART ALEXANDER, Ameiican Policy of Recognition Towards 

Mexico. Baltimore, The Johns Hopkins Press, 1933. (The Johns Hopkins 

University Studies in Historical and Political Science, Series 51, No. 3.) 
McKAY, DONALD COPE, The National Workshop; a Study in the French 

Revolution of 1848. Cambridge, Harvard University Press, 1933. (Harvard 

Historical Studies, vol. 35.) 
MARGOLIOUTH, D. S., Mohammed and the Rise of Islam. New York, G. P. 

Putnam's Sons, 1905. 
MARSH, CHARLES W., Recollections, 1837-1910. Chicago, Farm Implement 

News Company, 1910. 
MARSH, EDWARD SPRAGUE, comp. and ed., Stephen A. Douglas, a Memorial; a 

Description of the Dedication of the Monument Erected to His Memory 

at Brandon, Vermont . . . Together With Other Matters and Things 

Pertaining to His Life and Character. Brandon, Vt., Privately Printed for 

the Committee of Arrangements, 1914. 

Mitchell's School Atlas: Comprising the Maps and Tables Designed to Ac- 
company Mitchell's School and Family Geography. Philadelphia, Thomas, 

Cowperthwait & Company, 1853. 
MOORE, JOHN BASSETT, ed., International Adjudications, Ancient and Modern; 

History and Documents . . . Modern Series, vol. 6. New York, Oxford 

University Press, 1933. 
MORRIS, CHARLES, ed., Men of the Century, an Historical Work. Philadelphia, 

L. R. Hamersly & Company, 1896. 
MORRIS, JAMES, Memoirs of James Morris of South Farms in Litchfield. . . . 

[New Haven] Printed by the Yale University Press for the Aline Brothers 

Morris Fund [c!933]. 



RECENT ADDITIONS TO THE LIBRARY 211 

MORRIS, WILLIAM O'CONNOR, Wellington, Soldier and Statesman, and the 
Revival of the Military Power of England. New York, G. P. Putnam's 
Sons, 1904. 

MOSBY, JOHN SINGLETON, Stuart's Cavalry in the Gettysburg Campaign. New 
York, Moffat, Yard & Company, 1908. 

MOUNT VERNON LADIES ASSOCIATION OF THE UNION, Annual Report, 1933. No 
impr. 

NASH, PHILLEO, Excavation of Ross Mound Group I. Milwaukee, Published 
by Order of the Board of Trustees, 1933. (Bulletin of the Public Museum 
of the city of Milwaukee, vol. 16, No. 1.) 

National Cyclopaedia of American Biography . . . vol. 23. New York, 
James T. White & Company, 1933. 

NATIONAL GUARD ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES, Annual Convention 
Reports, 1926-1933. 8 vols. 

NBVINS, ALLAN, The Emergence of Modem America, 1865-1878. New York, 
The Macmillan Company, 1932. (A History of American Life, vol. 8.) 

New International Year Book; a Compendium of the World's Progress for 
the Year 1933. New York, Funk & Wagnalls Company, 1934. 

NEW YORK, MUSEUM OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK, Annual Report of the 
Trustees, 1932, 1933. New York, 1933, 1934. 

The New York Times Index, a Book of Record, Annual Cumulative Volume 
Year 1933. New York, New York Times Company [c!934]. 

NORTHROP, HENRY DAVENPORT, Indian Horrors; or, Massacres by the Red Men 
... No impr. [c!899.] 

Patterson's American Educational Directory, Vol. 31. Chicago, American Edu- 
cational Company, 1934. 

PAULLIN, CHARLES O., Atlas of the Historical Geography of the United States. 
Published Jointly by the Carnegie Institution of Washington and the 
American Geographical Society of New York, 1932. 

PEARCE, J. E., AND R. T. JACKSON, A Prehistoric Rock Shelter in Val Verde 
County, Texas. Austin, Tex., University of Texas, 1933. 

PIDGEON, WILLIAM, Traditions of De-coo-dah. And Antiquarian Researches: 
Comprising Extensive Explorations, Surveys^ and Excavations of the 
Wonderful and Mysterious Earthen Remains of the Mound-Builders in 
America . . . New York, Horace Thayer & Company, 1853. 

PIERCE, FRANKLIN, Federal Usurpation. New York, D. Appleton and Com- 
pany, 1908. 

POWELL, DESMOND, Emily Dickinson. Colorado Springs, Colo., 1934. (Colo- 
rado College Publication, General Series, No. 200.) 

PRIESTLEY, HERBERT INGRAM, The Coming of the White Man, 1492-1848. New 
York, The Macmillan Company, 1930. (A History of American Life, 
vol. 1.) 

READ, WILLIAM A., Louisiana-French. Baton Rouge, Louisiana State Uni- 
versity Press, 1931. (Louisiana State University Studies, No. 5.) 



212 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

ROLLIN, CHARLES, Ancient History of the Egyptians, Carthaginians, Assyrians, 

Babylonians, Medes and Persians, Macedonians and Grecians. Philadelphia, 

J. B. Lippincott & Company, 1866. 4 vols. 
REVILLON FRERES, Igloo Life; a Brief Account of a Primitive Arctic Tribe 

Living Near One of the Most Northern Trading Posts of Revillon Freres. 

New York, Privately Printed, 1923. 
ROOSEVELT, THEODORE, Addresses and Presidential Messages, 1902-1904- New 

York, G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1904. 
ROOT, ELIHU, Secretary Root's Record, "Marked Severities" in Philippine 

Warfare . . . Boston, Geo. H. Ellis Company, 1902. 

ROWE, KENNETH WYER, Mathew Carey; a Study in American Economic De- 
velopment. Baltimore, The Johns Hopkins Press, 1933. (Johns Hopkins 

University Studies in Historical and Political Science, vol. 51, No. 4.) 
RUSSELL, PHILLIPS, Benjamin Franklin, the First Civilized American. London, 

Ernest Benn, Limited, 1927. 
SCHLESINGER, ARTHUR MEIER, The Rise of the City, 1878-1898. New York, 

The Macmillan Company, 1933. (A History of American Lije, vol. 10.) 
SCOTT, JAMES BROWN, Spanish Origin of International Law; Francisco De 

Vitoria and His Law of Nations. Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1934. 
SEGER, JOHN H., Early Days Among the Cheyenne and Arapahoe Indians. 

Norman, University of Oklahoma Press, 1934. 
SHANKLE, GEORGE EARLIE, State Names, Flags, Seals, Songs, Birds, Flowers 

and Other Symbols. New York, The H. W. Wilson Company, 1934. 
SIMMS, WILLIAM GILMORE, The Life of Francis Marion. New York, Henry 

G. Langley, 1845. 
SLOSSON, PRESTON WILLIAM, The Great Crusade and After 1914-1928. New 

York, The Macmillan Company, 1931. (A History of American Life, 

vol. 12.) 
SMITH, ARCHILLA, DEFENDANT, Indian Justice; a Cherokee Murder Trial at 

Tahlequah in 1840, as reported by John Howard Paine. Edited by Grant 

Foreman. Oklahoma City, Harlow Publishing Company, 1934. 
SMITH, ROSWELL C., Smith's Atlas Designed to Accompany the Geography. 

Hartford, John Paine, 1839. 

SOULSBY, HUGH GRAHAM, Right of Search and the Slave Trade in Anglo- 
American Relations, 1814-1862. Baltimore, The Johns Hopkins Press, 1933. 

(The Johns Hopkins University Studies in Historical and Political Science, 

vol. 51, No. 2.) 
SPINDEN, HERBERT JOSEPH, tr., Songs of the Tewa. [New York, Published 

Under the Auspices of the Exposition of Indian Tribal Arts, Inc., c!933.] 
STALLINGS, LAWRENCE, ed., The First World War; a Photographic History. 

New York, Simon and Schuster, 1933. 
STEVERS, MARTIN D., Steel Trails; the Epic of the Railroads. New York, 

Minton, Balch & Company [c!933]. 
STEWART, WILLIAM MORRIS, Reminiscences of Senator William M. Stewart of 

Nevada. New York, Neale Publishing Company, 1908. 



RECENT ADDITIONS TO THE LIBRARY 213 

STILLWELL, MARGARET BINGHAM, Incunabula and Americana, 1450-1800; a Key 
to Bibliographical Study. New York, Columbia University Press, 1931. 

STOKES, I. N., PHELPS AND DANIEL C. HASKELL, American Historical Prints, 
Early Views of American Cities, etc. New York, New York Public Library, 
1933. 

SULLIVAN, MARK, Our Times; the United States, 1900-1925. Vol. 5: Over Here, 
1914-1918. New York, Charles Scribner's Sons, 1933. 

TALMAGE, THOMAS DE WITT, The Earth Girdled, The World As Seen Today. 
Philadelphia, Historical Publishing Company [c!896]. 

THALHEIMER, M. E., Eclectic History of the United States. Cincinnati, Van 
Antwerp, Bragg & Company [c!881]. 

THATCHER, MARSHALL P., A Hundred Battles in the West; St. Louis to Atlanta, 
1861-65; the Second Michigan Cavalry . . . Detroit, Author, 1884. 

THWAITES, REUBEN GOLD, AND LOUISE PHELPS KELLOGG, eds., The Revolution 
on the Upper Ohio, 1775-1777. Madison, Wisconsin Historical Society, 1908. 

TORONTO UNIVERSITY, Contributions to Canadian Economics, Vol. 7. Uni- 
versity of Toronto Press, 1934. 

True Blue Republican Campaign Songs for 1892. Chicago, S. Brainard's Sons 
Company, 1892. 

[TRUMBULL, HENRY], History of the Discovery of America, of the Landing 
of Our Forefathers at Plymouth, and of Their Most Remarkable Engage- 
ments With the Indians . . . Norwich, Published for the Author, 1810. 

TRUMBULL, HENRY, History of the Indian Wars . . . Boston, George 
Clark, 1844. 

UNITARIAN HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Proceedings, vol. 3, part 2. Boston, 1934. 

UNITED STATES SUBSISTENCE DEPARTMENT, Correspondence on the Subject of 
the Emigration of Indians, Between the 30th November, 1831, and 27th 
December, 1833 . . . Washington, Duff Green, 1835. 

UNITED STATES GEORGE WASHINGTON BICENTENNIAL COMMISSION, History of 
the George Washington Bicentennial Celebration, Vol. 3, Literature Series. 
Washington, United States George Washington Bicentennial Commission, 
1932. 

VICTOR, ORVILLE JAMES, Incidents and Anecdotes of the War . . . New 

York, James D. Torrey [c!866] . 
VICTORIA, QUEEN OF GREAT BRITAIN, 1819-1901, Leaves From the Journal of 

Our Life in the Highlands, From 1848 to 1861. New York, Harper & 

Brothers, 1868. 

VOLNEY, CONSTANTIN FRANCOIS CHASSEBOEUF, COMTE DE, The Ruins ', Or, 

Meditations on the Revolutions of Empires: and the Law of Nature. New 

York, Peter Eckler, 1890. 
WALKER, ALBERT PERRY, Essentials in English History. New York, American 

Book Company [c!905]. 
WALTON, JOSEPH, Incidents Illustrating the Doctrines and History of the 

Society of Friends. Philadelphia, Friends' Book Store, 1897. 



214 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

WAMBAUGH, SARAH, Plebiscites Since the World War, With a Collection of 

Documents. Washington, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 

1933. 2 vols. 
WEBSTER, DANIEL, The Private Correspondence of. Boston, Little, Brown and 

Company, 1857. 2 vols. 
Webster's New International Dictionary of the English Language. Second 

edition. Unabridged . . . Springfield, Mass., G. & C. Merriam Com- 
pany, 1934. 
WELLS, JOHN WESLEY, AND N. A. STRAIT, Alphabetical List of the Battles of 

the War of the Rebellion . . . Washington, G. M. Van Buren, 1883. 
WERTENBAKER, THOMAS JEFFERSON, The First Americans, 1607-1690. New 

York, The Macmillan Company, 1929. (A History of American Life, 

vol. 2.) 
WEST, GEORGE A., Tobacco, Pipes and Smoking Customs of the American 

Indians. Milwaukee, Published by Order of the Board of Trustees, 1934. 

(Bulletin of the Public Museum of the City of Milwaukee, vol. 17, parts 

1-2.) 
WHARTON, EDITH, A Motor-Flight Through France. New York, Charles 

Scribner's Sons, 1908. 
WILL, GEORGE F., Notes on the Arikara Indians and Their Ceremonies. Denver, 

John Van Male, 1934. (The Old West Series. No. 3.) 
WORCESTER, J. E., Elements of Geography, Ancient and Modern; With an Atlas. 

Boston, Cummings, Hilliard & Company, 1825. 
The World Almanac and Book of Facts, 1934. New York, World Telegram, 

1933. 



Kansas History as Published 
in the Press 

Historical articles appearing in the fall, 1934, issue of The Aerend, 
a Fort Hays Kansas State College publication, included stories on 
early hangings in Barton county, by Elizabeth Eppstein; Charles 
Godfrey Leland's journey to Kansas in 1867, by F. B. Streeter; 
Santa Fe, another ghost town, by Bee Jacquart, and the Scott 
County State Park, a prehistoric playground, by Matilda Freed. 

W. R. Honnell, of Kansas City, sketched the history of the Pony 
Express at the nineteenth annual meeting of the pioneers of Kenne- 
kuk, southeast of Horton, January 1, 1935. His talk was reviewed 
in The Tri-County News, of Horton, January 3, and the Horton 
Headlight January 7. 

Pioneers of Ness county are contributing articles to an old settlers' 
column which was started in the Ness County News, of Ness City, 
on January 5, 1935. Much Ness county history is being recorded by 
this arrangement. 

Notes on Abraham Lincoln's visit to Kansas in 1859 were con- 
tributed by George J. Remsburg to the Horton Headlight in its 
issues of January 7 and April 8, 1935. 

Kansas' worst blizzard was in January, 1886, the Dodge City 
Daily Globe pointed out in its issue of January 14, 1935. C. M. 
Johnston's reminiscences of this snowfall were recorded in the Globe 
on January 16; H. B. Regnier, of Spearville, related his experiences 
January 17, and stories from other pioneers were published Janu- 
ary 21. 

Some experiences of William H. Garbitt in the Civil War were 
recounted in the Spearville News January 17, 1935. Mr. Garbitt 
was a member of the Fifteenth Kansas volunteer cavalry. 

"Personal Recollections of Col. (Buffalo Bill) Cody" and "Fort 
Leavenworth Has the Oldest Post Office in Kansas," were the titles 
of two articles by George J. Remsburg published in recent issues of 
the Leavenworth Times. The first appeared on January 21, 1935, 
and the second was printed on January 29. 

A history of the German settlement in the Pawnee river valley 
of Ness county was related by Fern C. Callison in the Dodge City 
Daily Globe, in its issues of January 22 and 23, 1935. 

(215) 



216 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

The experiences of early-day settlers were printed in articles ap- 
pearing in recent issues of the Kensington Mirror. Included among 
those featured were: Mrs. O. S. Wolfe, January 24, 1935; Frank 
Brower, January 31, and Mr. and Mrs. George Boyd, February 21. 
A sketch of old Germantown, four miles north of Kensington, was 
printed in the February 7 issue. 

Pictures of Topeka scenes and personages are being published as 
a regular Sunday department of the Topeka Daily Capital. The 
series, which is entitled "Do You Remember When," started with 
the issue of January 27, 1935. 

Reminiscences of Saline county and the Gypsum creek valley dur- 
ing the latter part of the nineteenth century were recorded in the 
Salina Journal January 29, 1935. The paper as published was read 
at a meeting of the Saline County Chapter, Native Daughters of 
Kansas, by Mrs. Edith Wellman Brown, and was compiled from 
data gathered by Mrs. Jennis Adams and Charles H. Wellman. 
Another story relating the pioneering experiences of Mr. and Mrs. 
S. J. Hartman was also featured in the same issue. The article was 
written by Lois Hartman and previously had been read by Mrs. 
Jess B. Smith before the Native Daughters. 

A history of Lawndale school as read by H. H. Myer at a P.-T. A. 
meeting held at Lawndale, January 18, was published in the Soldier 
Clipper January 30, 1935. The school was organized in 1880. 

"Indians Once Roamed Site of Newest Lyon County Town," was 
the title of an article reviewing the history of Miller, published in 
the Emporia Gazette January 30, 1935. Miller was founded in 1910. 

The seventieth anniversary of the founding of Washburn College 
at Topeka was observed with special ceremonies held February 6, 
1935. A brief history of the college was printed in The Washburn 
Review February 6. 

Methodists in Ellsworth celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of the 
dedication of their present church building on February 10, 1935. 
Notes on the history of the organization were published in the Ells- 
worth Messenger and Reporter in their issues of February 7 and 14. 

Early Neosho Rapids history was reviewed in the Emporia 
Gazette February 8, 1935. Two other towns, Florence and Neosho 
City, previously occupied the townsite, the Gazette reported, but 
they were short lived. Tradition says that a townsite known as 



KANSAS HISTORY IN THE PRESS 217 

Italia was also laid off where Neosho Rapids now stands. If true, 
then it, too, failed to survive. 

The history of the Union Pacific Railroad Company's hotel at 
Ellis was discussed briefly in an article entitled ''Razing of Old 
'Ellis House' Will Remove Famous Social Center During Pioneer 
Days," which was published in the Hays Daily News February 9, 
1935. 

"It Is Half a Century Since Wild Buffalo Roamed the Kansas 
Plains," the Kansas City (Mo.) Star recalled in its issue of Febru- 
ary 13, 1935. Few were seen in the state after 1880, although strays 
were reported once or twice in the northwest section, the newspaper 
reported. 

The "Legislative War of 1893" was recalled by A. Q. Miller, Sr., 
in an article published in the Belleville Telescope February 14, 1935. 
Mr. Miller was a member of the Clyde-Clifton company of militia 
which was called to Topeka for guard duty. 

"Buffalo Bill" Cody's activities in northwestern Kansas were dis- 
cussed in The Sherman County Herald, of Goodland, February 14, 
1935. 

Dr. Allen White's place in early El Dorado history was reviewed 
by J. M. Satterthwaite in the Douglass Tribune February 15, 1935. 
Doctor White, father of William Allen White, settled in El Dorado 
in 1869. 

Notes on the battle of the Little Big Horn as taken by Gen. Hugh 
L. Scott, who joined the Seventh cavalry as a replacement immedi- 
ately after the fight, were republished through the courtesy of the 
New York Times in a two-column article appearing in the Dodge 
City Daily Globe February 16, 1935. 

Pratt Christian Church history was briefly sketched in the Pratt 
Daily Tribune, in its issues of February 16 and 18, 1935. The 
church was chartered on February 17, 1885. Two of the twenty- 
seven charter members are still living. 

Judge Wm. P. Campbell's reminiscences of early-day Kansas were 
related by David D. Leahy in an article published in the Wichita 
Sunday Eagle February 17, 1935. Judge Campbell settled in the 
El Dorado vicinity in 1869 or 1870. 

Biographical sketches of the following Kansans were featured in 
the Sunday issues of the Kansas City (Mo.) Star in recent months: 



218 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

Solon H. Wiley, Fredonia manufacturer, February 17, 1935; Wint 
Smith, head of the Kansas State Highway Patrol, March 31 ; S. C. 
Bloss, Winfield lawyer, and speaker of the 1935 Kansas House of 
Representatives, April 14, and Fred A. Seaton, Manhattan news- 
paperman, April 28. 

Thirty years' service as a rural mail carrier were reviewed by 
Albert Peffley in The Butler County News, of El Dorado, February 
19, 1935. A brief history of El Dorado's rural mail routes was dis- 
cussed by Mr. Peffley in the News February 26, and other reminis- 
cences were written for succeeding issues. 

Pioneering hardships encountered by the late Joe Hart, one of the 
early settlers in Alton vicinity, were discussed in an article appear- 
ing in the Alton Empire and the Osborne County Farmer, of Os- 
borne, in their issues of February 21, 1935. 

Letters from former editors of the Montezuma Press occupied a 
page and a half in its twenty-first anniversary edition issued Feb- 
ruary 21, 1935. R. E. Campbell founded the newspaper as the 
Montezuma Chief, February 20, 1914. 

Excerpts from letters written by Thaddeus Hyatt in 1860 concern- 
ing the drought in Kansas were printed in the Atchison Daily Globe 
February 22, 1935. 

A brief history of Douglass High School, organized in 1883, was 
published in the Douglass Tribune February 22, 1935. J. R. Mc- 
Gregor was the first teacher. 

The history of Old Pete's ranch, in Clark county, was sketched in 
the Dodge City Daily Globe February 23, 1935. The ranch was es- 
tablished in the early 1870's. 

Extracts from a paper on life in early Tecumseh, which was read 
by Mrs. George Kreipe at a recent meeting of the Shawnee Grange 
Institute, were published in the Topeka Daily Capital February 24, 
1935. 

Life in southeastern Kansas in the early days was discussed by 
Ben Hamilton, of Clyde, in an article printed in the Clyde Republi- 
can February 28, 1935. Mr. Hamilton's father was an army officer 
who brought his family to Fort Scott in 1853, when the boy was two 
years old. 

A story on the life of Col. Jesse H. Leavenworth, with particular 
emphasis on his activities in Kansas and present Colorado and Okla- 



KANSAS HISTORY IN THE PRESS 219 

homa, both as a soldier and as an Indian agent, was written by 
Carolyn Thomas Foreman for the March, 1935, issue of the Chroni- 
cles of Oklahoma, published by the Oklahoma Historical Society in 
Oklahoma City. A biographical sketch of Milton W. Reynolds, 
well-known newspaper correspondent of the Kansas and Oklahoma 
region after the Civil War by Dan W. Peery, was another feature of 
this edition. 

The diary of Augustus Voorhees, member of a gold-seeking party 
from Lawrence which journeyed to the region of present Colorado 
during the summer of 1858, was printed in The Colorado Magazine, 
published by the Colorado Historical Society of Denver, in its 
March, 1935, issue. 

Articles of interest to Kansas readers appearing in recent issues of 
the Pony Express Courier, of Placerville, Calif., include an account 
of the death of Johnnie Frey, Pony Express rider, at Atchison, as 
told by Fred E. Sutton to George J. Remsburg, in the March, 1935, 
issue; "Buffalo by the Million [as Seen by Horace Greeley]," by 
E. A. Brininstool, "Pony Express Stations Seneca, Kansas," in the 
April issue, and a brief history of Bent's fort, "The Frontier Fort 
That Kept Moving," in the May number. 

Excerpts from the diary of Jotham Meeker, a missionary-printer 
who published the first periodical in the present boundaries of the 
state of Kansas, were included in Laura Knickerbocker's article en- 
titled "Missionary Published First Newspaper in Kansas a Century 
Ago for Indians," which appeared in the Kansas City (Mo.) Star 
March 5, 1935. 

The fiftieth anniversary of the dedication of the Rossville Metho- 
dist Episcopal church building was observed March 3, 1935. A 
history of the church was included in a mimeographed souvenir 
program issued by Wright M. Horton, present pastor, and in the 
March 7 issue of the Rossville Reporter. 

Reminiscences of early-day Cloud county by Henry R. Honey 
were published in The Kansan, of Concordia, March 7, 1935. An 
article entitled "In the Airly Days" appearing in The Kansan March 
14, related the story of an accident happening to a Captain Saunders 
of the state militia when he was prying lead from cartridges after 
the Indian raid of 1868. The powder caught fire and the results 
were almost fatal. 



220 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

Sen. H. A. W. Tabor's activities in Kansas were reviewed in three 
articles appearing in the Manhattan Mercury March 8, 9, and 11, 
1935. In 1855 Senator Tabor helped to found the Zeandale settle- 
ment eight miles east of Manhattan. 

A history of Walla Walla school district No. 24, of Geary county, 
was published in the Junction City Union March 9, 1935. The dis- 
trict was organized on June 17, 1872. 

Rev. Pardee Butler's experiences with the rabid Proslavery ele- 
ment in Atchison during the middle 1850's were discussed by Tom 
A. McNeal in the Topeka Daily Capital March 10, 1935. Reverend 
Butler was set adrift in the Missouri river on a flimsy raft, and 
later, on another visit to Atchison, he received a coating of tar and 
cotton batten feathers being too scarce. 

The introduction of Methodism into Kansas was briefly reviewed 
by Frank Dagenais in the Atchison Daily Globe March 13, 1935. 

The sixty-fifth anniversary of the founding of the Wichita First 
Presbyterian Church was observed March 13, 1935. Brief histories 
of the church were printed in the Wichita Beacon March 13, and 
the Wichita (Morning) Eagle March 15. 

Biographical sketches of several of Holyrood's early citizens were 
published in the Holyrood Gazette March 13 and 27, 1935. 

Changes in Arkansas City's street names were reviewed in the 
Arkansas City Daily Traveler in its issue of March 14, 1935. Most 
of the renaming occurred in 1889, when the city commission sought 
to make the city's street system uniform. 

Two brief articles of a historical nature were printed in the Clyde 
Republican March 14, 1935 the first, John Reynard's recollection 
of John Brown as he knew him and, the second, some severe storms 
in the 1880's. 

Early-day Jackson county history as recalled by the correspon- 
dents of the Holton Recorder was featured in the sixtieth anni- 
versary edition of the Recorder issued March 14, 1935. Titles of 
some of the stories describing these communities, and their con- 
tributors were: "Soldier Endures, in Spite of Cyclone, Fire, Famine," 
Edna Nicholas; "Cross Creek Was Early Settlement," Mrs. John 
Lane; "Denison, Formerly North Cedar, Early Settlement," Cloud 
Braum; "Why, Who and When of Buckeye Ridge," Wright Beach; 
"Early Cemetery Is South of Circleville," Mrs. Arthur G. Hurst; 



KANSAS HISTORY IN THE PRESS 221 

"Life Begins in West Jackson," Mrs. Kansas E. Nott; "Rigors of 
Pioneers at Buck's Grove/' Bertha Kroth; "Mayetta Is Center of 
a Pioneering District," John Page; "The Pioneers of Liberty Town- 
ship Had Much to Do in Developing a Fine Farming Community," 
Mrs. A. S. Hay; "Whiting Grew From Wide Place in Road," Miss 
Jennie E. Morris; "Life Was Crude But Pleasures Were Sweet [in 
Buck's Grove]," Mrs. Ivan Clements; "Circleville Was Once Known 
by Name of New Brighton," Mrs. Lillian Estee; "Adrian Settlers 
Conquer Prairie," Gladys L. Brown; "New Eureka Now Only a 
Memory," Mrs. Birdie Huff Lukens; "The Beginning of the History 
of Our Town [Holton]," Martha M. Beck; "Pleasant Valley Is 
Living Up to Name," Mrs. Lottie Stauffer; "South Whiting in the 
Pioneer Days," Mrs. Frank C. Eames; "Did Anyone Come Earlier 
Than Cedar Creek Folks?" Mrs. Ross Tipps; "For Seventy-nine 
Years These Farms [in Gibeson settlement] Have Produced," Mrs. 
Marion Shields ; "The Story of School and Homesteads in the Point 
Pleasant Neighborhood," Mrs. Clarence Bolz; "Larkinburg Was an 
Early Settlement," Mrs. W. E. Hoenshell; "Arrington Was Once 
Lively Health Resort," L. H. Stepp; "Rock Houses [in South Cedar 
neighborhood] Prevail," Mrs. H. A. Pasley, and "Indian Reserva- 
tion Fades as a Memory." Other brief articles were contributed 
by J. G. Kirkpatrick, of Pomona, CaL, Mrs. Olen Daniel, Mrs. D. 
A. Todd, Mrs. G. E. Messenger, Mrs. Win. Walton, and Mrs. Charles 
Walker. More letters and articles on early-day Kansas published 
in later issues were sent in by the following: Mrs. Walter Cope, 
Mrs. James W. White, Jesse Bumgardner, Lucy and Annie Miller, 
Mrs. Jennie West Peace, Geo. W. James, Mrs. Bert Hay, in the 
March 21 number, and Mrs. Chattie Smith Trundle, in the April 
25 issue. 

Lyon county cattle brands were discussed in the Emporia Gazette 
March 16, 1935. The articles described some of the more famous 
brands registered by Lyon county cattlemen as recorded in a ledger, 
"Brands and Marks," which is filed in the archives of the county 
clerk's office. 

"Who Are the Police Heroes of Wichita's Past?" the Wichita 
Sunday Eagle inquired in a headline to an article reviewing famous 
names associated with the department's history. The story, which 
was written by Pliny Castanien, was published in the issue of March 
17, 1935. 



Kansas Historical Notes 

Biographical sketches of the Civil War veterans of Waterville 
and vicinity, as written and compiled by S. A. Bryan, were published 
by W. E. Turner, editor of the Waterville Telegraph, in a sixty- 
page, adequately indexed booklet, issued early in 1935. 

A state-wide society known as the Kansas Commonwealth Club 
was organized at a meeting held in Wichita February 9, 1935. 
Plans were formulated for the organization at a previous meeting 
held in Wichita on January 29, where it was emphasized that the 
citizens of Kansas should have an opportunity to observe the 
anniversary of the entrance of the state into the Union and that 
such observance should be nonpolitical. The club will sponsor a 
diamond jubilee and historical exposition to be held in Wichita 
from January 29 to February 8, 1936, as its first major objective. 
The officers of the club are: R. M. Cauthorn, president; Elsberry 
Martin, vice-president; David D. Leahy and Margaret Hill Mc- 
Carter, honorary vice-presidents and historians; Harry Van Ness, 
secretary, and Virgil Davis, treasurer. 

The ninth annual meeting of the Kansas History Teachers Asso- 
ciation was held at the Emporia Kansas State Teachers College, 
April 13, 1935. "New Viewpoints in History and History Teaching" 
was the general theme of the program. Titles of papers read before 
the association and their authors were: "The Status of History 
Teaching in American Secondary Schools," Delia Warden, Kansas 
State Teachers College of Emporia; "Developments in Social His- 
tory," David L. MacFarlane, Southwestern College, Winfield; "His- 
tory and the History Textbook," Fred A. Shannon, Kansas State 
College, Manhattan; "New Viewpoints in Recent Historical Litera- 
ture," R. R. Price, Kansas State College, Manhattan; "New His- 
torical Viewpoints in Germany," Leonard L. O'Bryon, Lawrence; 
"History Teaching in England," Emory K. Lindquist, Bethany Col- 
lege, Lindsborg, and "New Viewpoints in Modern History," Frank 
E. Melvin, Kansas University, Lawrence. At the election of officers, 
J. D. Bright, of McPherson, was elected president; H. A. Shum- 
way, of El Dorado, vice-president, and C. B. Realey, of Lawrence, 
secretary-treasurer. Sam A. Johnson, of Emporia, is the retiring 
president. 

(222) 



KANSAS HISTORICAL NOTES 223 

At the organization meeting of the Historical Society of Fort 
Barker, held at Kanopolis, April 26, 1935, Bert Woodmansee was 
elected chairman and Valentine Shankland, secretary. The society 
hopes to keep alive the memories of Fort Harker, which was a 
supply distributing point for military posts farther west in the late 
1860's and early 1870's. 

Friends of Dr. Charles M. Sheldon, noted Topeka author and 
divine, eulogized his useful life at a dinner sponsored by the Topeka 
Press Club, May 3, 1935. The speakers of the evening included 
Charles F. Scott, editor of the lola Register; Miss Helen Rhoda 
Hoopes, of Kansas University; Doctor Sheldon, and T. A. McNeal. 
Doctor Sheldon has written forty-one books, among them In His 
Steps which has now reached twenty -three million copies. 

A life-size bronze statue of John Brown was unveiled in the John 
Brown Memorial State Park at Osawatomie, May 9, 1935, on the 
135th anniversary of his birth. The morning program included 
addresses by David C. Doten, of Paola; H. M. Beckett, of Olathe; 
Dr. Henry Roe Cloud, of Lawrence, and Bishop W. T. Vernon, of 
Quindaro. The dedicatory program in the afternoon, presided over 
by Judge G. A. Roberds, featured a brief history of the statue 
project by Mrs. Ida Heacock-Baker, of Parsons; a poem, "The 
Pioneer," written for the unveiling ceremony by Mrs. Anna L. 
January and read by Mrs. T. T. Solander, and the acceptance 
speech for the state by Gov. Alf M. Landon. The $6,000 statue 
was sculptured in Paris by George Fite Waters, an American, and 
is mounted on a pedestal of red boulders. Funds for its erection were 
raised by public subscription through the efforts of the Woman's 
Relief Corps, Department of Kansas. Members of the statue 
fund committee were: Mrs. Anna L. January, Osawatomie; Ethel 
Kimmerle, Topeka; Bernice Ludwick, Buffalo, and Grace Wanner, 
Topeka. The John Brown Memorial Park consists of twenty-three 
and one half acres situated four blocks from the business district 
of Osawatomie. The Adair log cabin, part of the time John Brown's 
Kansas home and headquarters, is in the park and contains many 
historical relics and records. 

A picture of W. Y. Morgan, late Hutchinson editor and publisher, 
has been added to the "Kansas Newspaper Hall of Fame" spon- 
sored by the department of journalism at the University of Kansas. 
For names of other Kansas newspapermen who have been nominated 
to this honor see The Kansas Historical Quarterly, v. Ill, p. 336. 



224 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

Original manuscripts depicting early Chanute and Neosho county 
history were a part of a recent deposit made by Mrs. C. T. Beatty 
with Ross Cooper, city clerk of Chanute. The manuscripts and 
other documents are to be preserved in the historical collection 
Mrs. Beatty has assembled in the Municipal building. 

A cannon has been secured to stand near Pleasanton as a memo- 
rial of the Battle of Mine Creek, said to be the only battle fought 
on Kansas soil between regularly organized forces during the Civil 
War. Plans for marking the scenes of the battle along highway 
73-E and the site of the old farm house used as a hospital, also 
are being taken up by Linn county citizens. 

The Fleming-Jackson-Seever post of the American Legion at 
Atchison is establishing a museum in its headquarters in Memorial 
hall. Harres Martin, William Simpson and Claude Warner are 
members of the committee detailed to secure material for the 
display. 

An Indian burial ground was recently uncovered by workers in 
the Scott County State Park near Scott City. The grounds are 
about one half mile from the site of the old Picurie pueblo. 



THE 

Kansas Historical 
Quarterly 



Volume IV Number 3 

August, 1935 



PRINTED BY KANSAS STATE PRINTING PLANT 

W. C. AUSTIN, STATE PRINTER 

TOPEKA 1935 

16-51 



Contributors 

T. F. MORRISON is an attorney at Cha-nute and a director of the Kansas State 
Historical Society. 

RUSSELL K. HICKMAN, a teacher, lives afe La Porte, Ind. 

GEORGE A. ROOT is curator of archives of the Kansas State Historical Society. 

EDITH WALKER is an instructor of history in the high school at Eureka. 

DOROTHY LEIBENGOOD is social science instructor in the Oak Street Junior 
High School at Burlington, Iowa. 

CHARLES H. TITUS is a professor of political science in the University of 
California at Los Angeles. 

NOTE. Articles in the Quarterly appear in chronological order without re- 
gard to their importance. 



Mission Neosho 

THE FIRST KANSAS MISSION 

T. F. MORRISON 

TN 1820 the United Foreign Missionary Society, an organization 
A supported by the Presbyterian, Reformed Dutch and Associated 
Reformed churches, 1 established among the Osages on the Neosho 
river, near Fort Gibson, Indian territory, a mission school known as 
Union Mission. 

In 1821 the same organization, under the superintendency of the 
Rev. Philip Milledoler, established a mission near Pappinsville, 
Bates county, Missouri, known as Harmony Mission. The super- 
intendent was the Rev. Nathaniel Dodge. He was assisted by the 
Rev. Benton Pixley. The mission family numbered altogether forty- 
one persons, of which twenty-five were adults and sixteen were 
children. Among the members were the Rev. William B. Mont- 
gomery, Doctor Belcher, Daniel H. Austin, Samuel Newton, Samuel 
B. Bright, Otis Sprague, Amasa Jones, John Seeley, Susan Comstock, 
Mary Weller, Mary Etris, Elizabeth Howell and Harriet Woolley. 
All the men were married and were accompanied by their families. 
In the group were ministers, a physician, blacksmith, carpenter, mill- 
wright, shoemaker and two farmers. The women, many of whom 
had taught school in the East, were fitted to teach sewing, knitting, 
cooking and music to the Indians. 

Members of the missionary party traveled by wagon to Pitts- 
burgh where two boats were built, on which, with their goods, they 
descended the Ohio river to the Mississippi and up this river to the 
Missouri. Thence they proceeded to the mouth of the Osage which 
was ascended to the place where the mission was to be built. The 
objective point was reached 112 days after leaving Pittsburgh. 2 

Harmony Mission commenced with two Osage pupils and in- 
creased this number to fifty-five. In 1825 the Osages relinquished, 
by treaty, all their claims to land lying in Missouri and removed to 
what is now Kansas. 3 Notwithstanding the migration of the Osages, 
which took them seventy miles from the mission, Harmony was 
continued until 1836. 4 

1. Green, Ashbel, A Historical Sketch of Domestic and Foreign Missions in the Presby- 
terian Church (Philadelphia, 1838), p. 55. 

2. [Pelham, Cornelia], Letters on the Chickasaw and Osage Missions (Boston, 1833), p. 68. 

3. Indian Treaties and Laws and Regulations Relating to Indian Affairs, 1826, p. 254. 

4. Missionary Herald, Boston, v. 32, p. 194. 

(227) 



228 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

The migration to Neosho county, Kansas, had commenced as 
early as 1815, when 1,000 Great Osages under Chief White Hair 
built a village about four miles down the Neosho river from present 
Shaw, Kan. 5 The village was known as White Hair's Town and 
contained eight log houses and 100 bark and grass houses. It was a 
pretentious Indian town with flagstone sidewalks and a grist mill. 
The site of the village is on the west side of the river in section 2, 
township 29, range 19, Neosho county. When the first white settlers 
came there were eight stone chimneys standing ; the houses had been 
burned. The Osages had been induced to come to their new home 
by Pierre Chouteau, 6 the Indian trader, who had established a 
trading post sixteen miles down the river from White Hair's village. 7 

Continuing the program of work among the Osages, the United 
Foreign Missionary Society established, in 1824, Neosho Mission. 
In September of that year, from Harmony Mission in Missouri, 
came Benton Pixley, accompanied into the wilderness only by his 
wife and two small children. Pixley was a college graduate, a Latin 
and Greek scholar. 

The family arrived by wagon and moved into a vacant cabin that 
had been built by one of Chouteau's traders. Pixley selected a site 
for the mission in a stately oak grove about one half mile west of 
the Neosho river and forty rods from a small natural lake near what 
is now Shaw, Neosho county. He set to work felling trees prepara- 
tory to building a log house for his home in the coming spring. He 
continued at this work during the fall and winter, having at the 
same time to provide wild game for the sustenance of his family. 
In the spring white men came from Harmony Mission and assisted 
him in erecting a large log house. Another log house was built at 
the time for a school room for the Osage children, and hewn log 
seats were placed in it. This room was also used as a church for 

5. White Hair's village has been variously located by historians. William E. Connelley 
in his History of Kansas establishes the location in section 16, township 28, range 19. How- 
ever, Mr. Connelley also states that Boudinot Mission was established opposite the town of 
White Hair, and since the site of Boudinot Mission is known to be on the Neosho river near 
the mouth of Four Mile creek, it would appear that the village was somewhat south of 
section 16, township 28, range 19. The writer establishes the location in section 2, township 
29, range 19 as the result of a study of the ruins on that site, also an Indian cemetery. 
Interviews with pioneers and the descendents of early settlers support the theory. 

6. "About 1796, Manuel Lisa secured from the then government of Louisiana, a monopoly 
to trade with all the Indians on the waters of the Missouri river. This, of course, included the 
Osages. Previous to that time the trade went to traders in competition, among these the 
Chouteaus. The monopoly of Lisa cast out the Chouteaus. Pierre Chouteau had at one time 
enjoyed a monoply of the Osage trade. When he was superseded as agent of the tribe by 
Lisa, he sought some means of continuing his profitable business relations with the tribe. He 
determined to divide it, and to settle a part of it beyond the jurisdiction of Lisa. He induced 
the best hunters of the tribe to go with him to the Lower Verdigris. . . . The date of 
the formation of this band and its migration to the Verdigris is given as about 1803 by 
Lewis and Clark, Doctor Sibley and Mr. Dunbar, in their report published in 1806." 
Connelley, W. E., History of Kansas (1928), v. 1, p. 207. 

7. [Pelham], Letters, p. 168. 



MORRISON: MISSION NEOSHO 229 

Osage adults on the Sabbath. The Osages built seven log houses 
near Pixley's for permanent homes. 

In the spring of 1826, Daniel B. Bright, instructor in farming at 
Harmony, came to live with the Pixleys. Ground was plowed and 
crops were planted and cultivated. The Osages assisted with the 
crops and an abundance of beans, watermelons, pumpkins and 260 
bushels of corn were produced. 8 These were probably the first 
crops of the sort produced in Kansas by white men. Also in 1826 
came Cornelia Pelham to assist the Pixleys with the teaching. She 
had taught at Harmony and Union missions. Her letters and daily 
records of events at Neosho Mission provide an excellent descrip- 
tion of the country and its agricultural possibilities. An attempt 
was made to teach the Osages how to farm, but no mention is made 
of their agricultural pursuits after their work with the first crops in 
1826. A report from the mission to the American Board of Com- 
missioners for Foreign Missions in 1827 sets forth the following: 

Neosho is about in the center of the Osage reservation from north to south, 
just within the eastern line of that reservation, and without the western line of 
Missouri. The face of the country is neither level nor mountainous, but what 
is called rolling prairie. There are few trees, except on the banks of rivers and 
smaller streams. The soil is good and capable of producing, in great abundance, 
the necessaries and comforts of life. If the Indians should become moderately 
industrious, their external circumstances would be rapidly improved; and they 
could soon get all the implements, which are required, in the ordinary progress 
of agriculture from a rude to a more perfect state. 

From 1825 to 1828 Neosho Mission was a busy place. The Indian 
children came daily for two months in each year to the school, and 
Missionary Pixley was expected to see that the noonday lunch was 
provided for them. Here, too, came the squaws with their small 
children to beg for food, while the Indian men gambled in their skin 
tents and bark houses in the Indian villages. The Great Osages 
lived in a village four miles down the Neosho river and the Little 
Osages lived a few miles up the stream. Strange bands of Indians 
came frequently to pilfer and steal and make war upon the Osages. 
Amidst all these exciting and dangerous surroundings, eighty-five 
miles distant from the nearest white settlement, this lone missionary 
labored, prayed, preached and taught the untutored savages, truly 
one of the heroes of Christianity. 

For three years Benton Pixley devoted much of his time to learn- 
ing the Osage language. He spent many evenings in the Indian tents 
and rude bark houses listening to the talk of the Indians and ac- 

8. Annual Report, American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, 1827, p. 136. 



230 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

companied them for months on their summer and fall hunts to 
familiarize himself with the language. Once he went with them on 
a bear hunt. They started from what is now Shaw and went down 
through southeastern Kansas, northeastern Oklahoma, Arkansas and 
through the Ozarks of Missouri. They started on the hunt in the 
midst of a storm of hail and rain. When night overtook them their 
situation was frightful; the ground was covered with ice, and of 
course it was not a trifling labor to kindle a fire and prepare food. 
However, as the missionary said later, he might have had a toler- 
able night, as he had two blankets to lie upon and one to spread 
over him to keep off the hail and rain, if it had not been for the 
dogs, who, to use his own words, "contended for their share of the 
blankets and fire with a zeal not to be controlled. They were con- 
tinually walking over me, and no whipping would drive them from 
their purpose." Night after night he passed with no other bed or 
shelter than the three blankets afforded him. His food was unsalted 
meat, boiled, without bread or vegetables, except that every day or 
two they had a little boiled corn. When they started in the morning 
he knew not where he was going. While the weather was the coldest 
the Indians were not disposed to talk much, and sometimes it seemed 
as if his labor was almost lost in following them. 

While on the hunting trip with the Indians Pixley tried to impart 
to them all the religious instruction his imperfect knowledge of the 
language would allow. One evening the chief, under whose particu- 
lar guardianship he was, and whom he called his host, proposed a 
variety of questions to him, which it was painful to feel himself un- 
able to answer as fully as he desired. The Indian chief propounded 
the following: "What made the sun turn dark in the middle of the 
day?" (alluding to an eclipse.) "What makes white men so anxious 
to get money? . . . Why do whites make the negroes slaves? 
. . . What land is beyond the American? . . . What beyond 
that?" 

In October of 1827 the Rev. Benton Pixley wrote at length to the 
Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, reporting conditions 
as he found them among the Osages. Of their family state he wrote: 

As it respects the kinds of labor they perform I might say, speaking gen- 
erally, that they perform none. They are lamentably destitute of ingenuity 
and aptitude in contriving and making things for their use and comfort. They 
seem in this respect to be inferior to the Indians, who formerly inhabited New 
England. Such a thing as a basket, I never saw among them. Their dress, 
excepting such as is used in their dances, exhibits deplorable negligence and 
laziness. Their game has been so abundant, that they have felt little need of 



MORRISON: MISSION NEOSHO 231 

agricultural labors, and have consequently established a habit of considering it 
dishonorable for a man to do much besides hunting and going to war. Other 
employments bring upon him an insupportable derision. Indeed it is hardly 
possible to make you understand with what an iron-handed despotism the airy 
phantom, Ridicule, holds this people in subjection and drives them miserably 
along to perdition. I offered large wages to a young Osage, Milledoler, who 
has long attended school at Harmony, to induce him to remain with me 
through the present winter, and assist me in acquiring his language, he, at the 
same time, learning the English. This, he said, he would be glad to do, but 
remarked, "The Osages call me a fool." Although he understands much of 
our language, he can hardly be persuaded to speak a word of it in presence 
of the Indians. 9 

Another instance, showing the current of feeling among the Osages, 
and the prevalence and power of this servile fear of ridicule, is set 
forth in a story told by Pixley: 

A boy, of ten or twelve years of age, was lounging about my house, without 
clothing, and apparently without shame. When I inquired the cause of his 
being thus destitute, his mother gave as a reason, that they were poor, and had 
no clothing. I accordingly gave him an old gray garment, which would have 
been an abundant covering, according to the Indian fashion. But as he still 
continued to go in the same condition as formerly, I inquired the cause, and 
was told by his mother "that he was ashamed to put on the cloth I gave him, 
because it was not blue," that being the color of the cloth uniformly sold by 
the traders to the Indians. Poor creatures! they are ashamed of nothing of 
which they ought to be ashamed, but are ashamed of every thing that is 
virtuous and praiseworthy. 

You ask how this people live. If by living be meant place, manners, and 
accommodations, in the summer it is on the prairies, in the winter in the 
village-huts; three months perhaps in these huts, and betwixt two or three 
months on the prairie; the rest of the time they are scattered here and there, 
a few families together, hunting, moving every day or two, and lodging where 
night overtakes them. Their accommodations are few and simple. A few 
wooden dishes, two or three horn-spoons, a knife, and a kettle or two, make 
up the amount of their household furniture. Their houses and manner of 
building them is equally crude. They set two rows of the little poles in the 
ground, of sufficient width for their accommodation, and bring them together 
in a curve at the top. These they cover with flags or buffalo hides, and when 
in their towns have mats laid upon the ground to recline and sleep upon. 
Their food, while in the town, is principally jerked meat, boiled corn, dried 
pumpkins, and beans. Wild fruits, acorns, and other nuts, in the season of 
them, make up what is lacking, and when their provisions are exhausted they 
move off on their hunts. If they kill nothing the second or even the third day, 
they are not alarmed. Acorns or roots of the prairie are still at hand to 
supply them with a supper, so that the fear of starving is the last thing that 
would be likely to enter an Osage mind. 

The women plant the corn, fetch the wood, cook the food, dress the deer- 
skins, dry their meat, make their moccasins, do all the business of moving, 
pack and unpack their horses, and even saddle and unsaddle the beasts on 

9. Missionary Herald, Boston, v. 24, p. 79. 



232 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

which their husbands and other male kindred ride; while the men only hunt 
and war, and, when in their towns, go from lodge to lodge to eat, and drink, 
and smoke, and talk, and play at cards, and sleep ; for with them it is no mark 
of ill manners to doze away some hours of the day in their neighbor's lodge. 
And were you here now, just to go through their towns on a tour of observa- 
tion, you would probably find more than four fifths of the men employed in 
gaming, and scarcely one engaged to any useful purpose. 

Writing of their religious knowledge, beliefs and customs, Pixley 
said: 

When I tell them I came to teach them the word of God, they sometimes 
sneeringly ask, "Where is God? Have you seen him?" and then laugh that 
I should think of making them believe a thing so incredible, as a being who 
sees and takes knowledge of them, while they cannot see him. They indeed 
call the earth, the sun and moon, thunder and lightning, God; but their con- 
ceptions on this subject are altogether indefinite and confused. Some old 
men, who are more given to seriousness and reflection, frankly declare that 
they know nothing about God what he is, or where he is, or what he would 
have them do. 

They speak of him as hateful and bad, instead of being amiable and good. 
They often say, "They hate him; he is of a bad temper; they would shoot him, 
if they could see him." 

Of a future state of rewards and punishments, they have no conception. 
Some, indeed, perhaps the generality of them, have some confused ideas of a 
future state of existence, and suppose if they are painted when they die accord- 
ing to the particular mark of their family, they shall be known, and join those 
of their relatives who have died and gone before them. But these ideas are 
only what might be called the traditions and superstitions of the common 
people, and are regarded as foolishness by others, who, in their philosophic 
pride, treat it as a chimera. Only a few days since, I was declaring to an Osage 
the fact, that the soul existed after death in a separate state from the body. 
For some time he seemed, I knew not why, strangely intent upon catching a 
fly. Having at length succeeded, he crushed the insect to death between his 
fingers; then laying it on the floor, and rubbing it about until not a vestige of 
it remained, he triumphantly exclaimed, "What remains to exist? Where is 
the soul?" drawing his conclusions that men died and returned to nothing in 
the same way. 

Yet of all creatures, . . . they seem to be most subject to supernatural 
fear and alarms. This, of itself, puts a great check upon their nightly depre- 
dations, which would otherwise be intolerable. Darkness presents so many 
terrors to their affrighted imaginations, especially around their towns where 
their dead are buried, that few have courage to go abroad at night beyond 
the light of their own dwellings. 

As it respects their religious customs, one is often reminded of several 
passages of Scripture. When the women cut off their hair, which is their 
glory and their ornament, as they often do in case of mourning, we are re- 
minded of the prophet's declaration, "Cut off thy hair, Jerusalem." In cases 
of fasting, also the women put earth on their heads, and men ashes or soot 
on their faces, forcibly reminding us of those hypocrites, of whom our Saviour 
speaks, "who disfigured their faces, that they might appear unto men to fast." 



MORRISON: MISSION NEOSHO 233 

If you invite them to eat, when their faces are thus covered with soot and 
ashes, they are very ready to comply, but only on condition that you first 
furnish them with water to wash, for except they wash they eat not, holding 
the tradition of the elders. In case of the death of any relative, they send 
for such as they choose should come and mourn for them, though others often 
join as volunteers. I was witness to a ceremony of this kind, where a child 
had recently died. While some were preparing the child for burial, five women 
of their choosing, as I was afterwards informed, stood around crying, or pre- 
tending to cry, making a doleful lamentation. At length they ceased, and each 
went to a skin of buffalo-grease standing in one corner of the lodge, and took 
two or three pounds apiece, as a remuneration for their services in mourning 
for the dead, and then quietly and cheerfully returned to their homes. 10 

An unfriendly Indian agent and two rival Indian chiefs brought 
Mission Neosho to its closing chapter. Chief Clamore of the Little 
Osages, who was unfriendly to missionaries, died about 1825. and 
his son, Clermont, succeeded him as chief. The young chief, Cler- 
mont, was also unfriendly to missionaries and encouraged his young 
warriors to commit depredations at Mission Neosho. White Hair, 
chief of the Great Osages, was friendly to the missionaries and en- 
couraged them in their work. He and Clermont were rivals. 

The religious services held by Benton Pixley at Neosho were often 
disturbed and broken by young Indian men. On one occasion a 
band of Indians broke up a meeting and destroyed the hewn log 
seats in the church room. Complaints were made to the Indian 
agent, who was not in sympathy with the mission, and Pixley 
closed the mission, expecting to reopen it; but it closed forever. The 
matter was reported to the Board of Foreign Missions and in the 
annual report of the board, 1829, we find the following: 

In the course of last autumn and winter a difficulty arose between Mr. 
Pixley and the agent, which ultimately made it necessary that the station 
should be relinquished for the present. Mr. Pixley is not censured by the 
Committee. On the contrary, they deeply sympathize with him on account of 
the injurious treatment which he received; and especially on account of the 
trial which he experienced in being obliged to leave the poor natives without 
any teacher after he had so far acquired the language of the people as to make 
himself understood by means of it. In the circumstances of the case, the Com- 
mittee could not take any other course than to advise him to retire from the 
opposition which had been excited against him by the most profligate means. 
He therefore removed his family to the white settlements in Missouri, whence 
he is expected to return to the mission whenever a suitable opening is found. 11 

The mission was relinquished in 1829, and the Rev. Benton Pixley 
and his family went to Independence, Mo., where he was retained 
as the first Presbyterian minister in that place. This was the closing 

10. Ibid., pp. 79-81. 

11. Annual Report, American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, 1829, p. 80. 



234 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

scene, and thus the curtain fell on the first mission in what is now 
Kansas. 

Mission Neosho, from the viewpoint of the Indians, was a failure. 
It did not succeed in converting them to Christianity nor did it 
revolutionize their habits of living. The Indians were not exactly 
indifferent to the agricultural skill of white men, but they could 
not be induced to devote themselves to such pursuits. This was 
especially true of the men. They were content with the efforts of 
the squaws, who on small tracts of land along the creeks, cultivated 
and produced beans, pumpkins, watermelons and corn sufficient for 
the family needs. The importance of the mission lay in the fact 
that it was the first mission in Kansas and pointed the way to the 
establishment of other missions. 



Speculative Activities of the Emigrant 
Aid Company 

RUSSELL K. HICKMAN 

'TVEE Kansas struggle had as a background a sharp contest of two 
JL civilizations for possession of the land. Back of all the tumult 
and shouting was this elemental conflict between two economic sys- 
tems, in either of which control of the land was the first essential foi 
success. One was typified to a high degree by the slaveholding 
Missourian of the fertile Missouri frontier, 1 the other by the enter- 
prising Yankee, or his western descendant who had turned farmer. 
Back of the invasions of the Missourians into Kansas territory was 
more than once a claim dispute with tragic results, which became a 
rallying cry of the Proslavery party of Missouri. 2 The North, not 
to be outdone by the South, was by 1856 engaging in similar organ- 
ized invasions on a large scale, and endeavoring to hold strategic 
centers for the cause of freedom. 3 In this struggle the South was at 
a great disadvantage, as it lacked the fluid capital of the North, 
while the market value of slave property in a rough-and-tumble 
Kansas frontier settlement was extremely uncertain. 4 Concerted 
efforts were nevertheless made by the western Missouri frontiersmen 
early in 1854 to "stake a claim in the territory," whether they in- 
tended to reside there immediately or not. 5 When they heard of the 
formation of the Massachusetts Emigrant Aid Company, a "vast 
moneyed corporation" formed to transport "hirelings" from the 
Eastern "brothels," and seize the fertile lands near their very fire- 
sides, their anger knew no bounds, and they began to organize to 

1. See Harrison A. Trexler, "Slavery in Missouri, 1804-1865," Johns Hopkins University 
Studies in History and Political Science, Series XXXII, No. 2. The greatest increase in slave 
population in Missouri during the fifties came in the fertile counties nearer the Kansas border, 
and along the Missouri river. Hemp was the chief crop, and was very profitable. Platte 
county, home of Sen. David R. Atchison, was a leader in its production. 

2. The Coleman-Dow claim trouble, which terminated in a fatal shooting, led to the 
Missouri invasions of December, 1855. Similar troubles later around Fort Scott furnished, in 
part, the background of the Montgomery raids. 

3. The National Kansas Committee was the directing body, headed by Thaddeus Hyatt. 
It had been appointed by the Buffalo convention of Kansas aid societies, in midsummer of 
1856. The entrance of the Northern train, under Gen. James H. Lane, was the most spectacu- 
lar of these Northern "invasions." 

4. There never were more than a few slaves actually held as such in Kansas. 

5. This "custom" was not peculiar to Missouri, being practiced in Iowa and elsewhere on 
the frontier. Participation in a nearby election, where he was legally excluded, was also 
frequently done wherever a frontiersman believed his interests particularly affected. There is 
perhaps no instance, however, in which it was done in such a mass way as by the Missourians 
in Kansas. 

(235) 



236 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

control the polls, to "beat the Yankee at his own game." 6 Un- 
fortunately for them, they could turn to no organization comparable 
to the Massachusetts Emigrant Aid Company, and its successor, 
the New England Emigrant Aid Company, which could "let capital 
be the pioneer." 

The plan of artificially promoting emigration to new and unsettled 
lands was not a new one, being in substance followed by land com- 
panies in our earlier history. Not long after the Revolution two 
classes of dealers in land had made their appearance the speculator 
or "land jobber," who aimed primarily at a "quick turnover" and a 
large profit on as small an investment as possible; and the "land 
developer," who bought large tracts for the purpose of long-time 
investment, and might then try to "hurry civilization" by various 
improvements and inducements aimed to obtain and hold settlers. 7 
The characteristic American disease of land hunger, or "terra- 
phobia," however, usually led the promoters to overemphasize quick 
sales at the expense of true development, and with the unlimited 
expanse of cheap lands to the west, was a factor in making the 
panics of the nineteenth century more severe. In these plans there 
appears to have been in the past little effort to consciously control 
the political destiny of any particular region, prior to the advent of 
the Emigrant Aid Company. 8 This organization (including both 
the Massachusetts and the New England companies), was the first 
to unite on a large scale the objects of investment in land and free- 
dom in the territories, to be attained by a plan of promoted emigra- 
tion. 9 The Rev. Edward Everett Hale, in 1845 a youthful minister 
in Washington, was very unfavorably impressed by the admission 
of Texas, and wrote a pamphlet entitled How to Conquer Texas Be- 
fore Texas Conquers Us, appealing for the immediate settlement of 
Texas by the North. 10 Hale was one of the first to associate himself 
with Eli Thayer in the Massachusetts Emigrant Aid Company, but 

6. This movement was motivated in particular by the desire to protect slavery in Missouri, 
which would be in a critical position with Kansas free, and with enemies on three sides, as 
well as within Missouri itself. See James C. Malin, "The Proslavery Background of the 
Kansas Struggle," Mississippi Valley Historical Review, v. X (December, 1923). The move- 
ment to prevent the abolitionizing of Kansas (and then Missouri) gathered its chief force in 
Missouri coincident with the news of the vast plans of the Emigrant Aid Company, and was 
largely distinct from the earlier movement to open Kansas (and Nebraska) to settlement. It 
culminated in the Lexington convention of July, 1855, and declined completely after the 
advent of Gov. John W. Geary. 

7. A. M. Sakolski, The Great American Land Bubble (New York and London, 1932), p. 
73 et seq. This is an enlightening though somewhat superficial treatment of the general subject. 

8. Any such plan of organized emigration would have courted failure by running counter 
to the strongly individualistic nature of the frontiersman. 

9. It was followed by a host of smaller organizations. 

10. Edward E. Hale, Memories of a Hundred Years, v. II, pp. 142, 145, quoted by Cora 
Dolbee, "The First Book on Kansas," Kansas Historical Quarterly, v. II, No. 2 (May, 1933), 
p. 141. 



HICKMAN: THE EMIGRANT AID COMPANY 237 

disclaimed all credit for originating the plan, and gave full credit 
to Thayer. "He conceived the scheme, he arranged the working de- 
tails of it, and by his comprehension and ingenious combinations so 
adjusted it, in the beginning, that to practical men it has always 
seemed an eminently practical affair." n 

In the struggle to exclude slavery from the territories, the North 
should not give up in despair, Eli Thayer argued. By forming a 
moneyed corporation Northern emigrants could be gathered into 
companies and ''planted" at points favorably situated to win the 
new territory of Kansas for freedom. The settler would be well re- 
warded in the increased comforts of civilization, and the stockholders 
would receive a comfortable dividend on their investments. What 
more could be asked for? When in a short space of time Kansas 
was free, turn to the border South, and colonize it similarly. 12 By 
investing money a contributor could plant a saw mill and a steam 
engine in Kansas. The snort of the steam engine (instead of the 
crack of the blacksnake), would signalize the victory of free labor 
over slavery. "Saw-mills and Liberty!" became a slogan of Thayer, 
which was widely proclaimed in the New England press. 13 

11. Hale to the editor of the North American Review, February 3, 1855, published in the 
April number (v. LXXX, p. 548), and quoted by Dolbee, op. cit., p. 177. The letter was in 
response to a pointed query of C. H. Branscomb as to the real origin of the company. Hale 
remarked that his Texas pamphlet was one which "no one read, and I could not induce any 
one to consider the idea. It contained no plan of operation . . . ," and Thayer had never 
seen or heard of it when he originated his plan. (Compare the Texas project of the company, 
in I860, mentioned elsewhere.) Hale was much interested in properly providing for the host 
of foreign immigrants who reached our shores, and in 1852 delivered a sermon on this subject 
(cf. Dolbee, op. cit., p. 141). Without doubt he was influential in obtaining the inclusion of 
plans for their transportation to the West, when the Emigrant Aid Company was projected. 
Extensive plans were then announced, but little was ever accomplished. 

12. For further details see Thayer's volume, A History of the Kansas Crusade (New 
York, 1889). 

13. For example, the Providence Journal of November 16, 1855, clipped in the "Thomas 
H. Webb Scrapbooks," v. VI, p. 223: "This droll phrase, which has become, it is said, quite 
a proverb among the Free State men in Kansas, really expresses very well the nature of the 
power which the North has in the control of the destiny of the territory." Immediate state- 
hood depends on furnishing homes to the thousands now moving in. There is enough timber, 
if it can be sawed into lumber. This necessitates steam saw -mills. "But these steam saw- 
mills cannot be put up by squatters who need every cent they have for their oxen, ploughs, 
and the transport of their families. To obtain them at all, they must induce capitalists to 
furnish them," or some organization such as the Emigrant Aid Company. 

Thayer was a leading exponent of the doctrine of organized emigration. (See in particular 
his two speeches in the appendix of The Kansas Crusade.) The general law of emigration 
westward following parallels of latitude could thus be avoided, and Northerners settled in 
communities of their own, in the South. With them would go their schools and churches, 
free labor, and the higher real estate values of the North. Slavery could never compete 
economically with freedom, and must die. Nor should one stop at the Gulf of Mexico, as 
Nicaragua and Central America offered equal opportunities for the gospel of freedom. In 
1858 Thayer, then a representative in Washington from the Worcester, Mass., district, de- 
livered a speech in the house of representatives, depicting in glowing terms the glory of 
colonizing Central America. This would relieve the pressure of population in Massachusetts 
and the East. "But I will speak now of that which constitutes the peculiar strength of 
emigration of this kind, and that is the pro fit of the thing. ... It is profitable for 
every one connected with it; it is profitable to the people where the colonies go; it is profita- 
ble to the colonies, and it is profitable to the company, which is the guiding star and the 
protecting power of the colonies. . . . 

"Well, sir, if we give them a better civilization, the tendency of that better civilization 
is to increase the value of real estate, for the value of property, the value of real estate de- 
pends upon the character of men who live upon the land, as well as upon the number who 



238 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

In response to the petition of Thayer and colleagues the Massa- 
chusetts Emigrant Aid Company was incorporated in April, 1854, 
under the laws of the commonwealth of Massachusetts. Its charter 
stated the purpose was that of "assisting emigrants to settle in the 
West." 14 Its capital stock was limited to five millions of dollars, 
to be divided into shares of $100 each. The literature of the com- 
pany argued that the defrauding of emigrants could be avoided by 
organizing them in groups and locating them properly in the un- 
settled territories of the West, thereby removing the surplus of both 
native inhabitants and foreign immigrants. 15 The settler would be 
enabled to migrate more cheaply and in better manner, and his 
actual settlement in the West would be facilitated by the erection 
of temporary boardinghouses, and steam sawmills and gristmills, by 
the company. The company would reserve only those sections in 
which the boardinghouses and mills were located, but as they would 
become the centers of the new territory the consequent rise in prop- 
erty values at these points would enable the trustees to dispose of 
their holdings when the territory entered the Union as a free state, 
at a profit to the company. A market would be opened in the West 
for Eastern products. The troubled question of freedom or slavery 
in the territories would thus be settled in less time than it had taken 
in congress, and in a decisive manner. 16 

Because the stockholders became afraid they might be held in- 
dividually responsible for their investments, the Massachusetts Emi- 
grant Aid Company never functioned. To correct the defect the 
New England Emigrant Aid Company was formed in July, 1854, 
but was not incorporated until the following February. To make 
provision for the interim, action was vested in the trustees Eli 

live upon it." The Kansas Crusade, appendix II, pp. 280-282. From this arose the high 
hope of profit from a corporation, based on such principles. 

In this speech Thayer appealed to the South for support, quite as much as to the North. 
The humor of his remarks cau ed frequent laughter. The congressional committee never re- 
ported on the subject. Thayer's entire position may be viewed as one of "Manifest Destiny." 

14. Charter of the Massachusetts Emigrant Aid Company (Boston, 1854). The capital 
stock could be invested in real estate, but not to exceed $20,000 in value in Massachusetts. 
Not more than four dollars on the share was to be assessed during 1854, and not ovt-r ten 
dollars in any succeeding year. Each stockholder was entitled to one vote for each share 
held, up to fifty votes. 

15. The company came to be much interested in German immigration, which had reached 
a high peak after 1848. In 1854 it was reported in the press as having chartered a steamer 
to import immigrants from Hamburg, but in actuality the plan never went much further than 
the stage of investigation. In 1857 Dr. Charles F. Kob was employed to set up a German 
paper in Kansas (the Kanzas Zeitung of Atchison). It was then hoped to send him to 
Germany later, in the interest of colonization. The company had a strong penchant toward 
German settlers, as strongly opposed to slavery. 

16. Company document, entitled: Organization, Objects, and Plan of Operations of the 
Emigrant Aid Company (Boston, 1854), pp. 3-6. Not over $20,000 was to be invested in 
property in Massachusetts. However, as soon as a million dollars was subscribed, it was 
planned to collect a mere four per cent for the operations of 1854. Such details were not 
realized by the general public, who were often deluded by the reports of the tremendous 
wealth of the company. 



HICKMAN: THE EMIGRANT AID COMPANY 239 

Thayer, Amos A. Lawrence, and Moses H. Grinnell (later J. M. S. 
Williams) acting under private articles of association. 17 These 
trustees continued as the chief directive force in the New England 
Emigrant Aid Company, thereby achieving a unified and continuous 
course of action under both the temporary and permanent com- 
panies. 18 The capital stock of the "permanent" company was limited 
to a million dollars, with a paper capitalization of $200,000, con- 
sisting of ten thousand shares of $20 each, par value. Its announced 
purpose, like that of its predecessor, was that of "directing emigra- 
tion westward, and aiding and providing accommodations after ar- 
riving at their place of destination." 19 

The plan of action which was followed quite consistently by the 
company, 20 was formulated by a committee appointed at a meeting 
of the incorporators early in May, 1854. 21 It was the belief of this 
committee, as stated in its report, that as soon as subscriptions to 
the stock amounted to a million dollars the annual income from this, 
with later subscriptions, might "be so appropriated as to render most 
essential services to the emigrants; to plant a free state in Kansas, 
to the lasting advantage of the country, and to render a handsome 
profit to the stockholders upon their investment. . . ." 22 The 
directors were advised to contract immediately for the conveyance 
of 20,000 persons from the Northern and Middle states to the point 
selected for the first settlement, to be forwarded in companies of 
200, at reduced rates of travel. 23 Where settlements were planned, 

17. Daniel W. Wilder, Annals of Kansas, 1541-1885 (Topeka, 1886), p. 46. Also company 
document, History of the New England Emigrant Aid Company (Boston, 1862). Thayer also 
tried to circumvent the financial defect in the charter by organizing the Emigrant Aid Com- 
pany of New York and Connecticut under the laws of Connecticut (July, 1854), but its 
operations were never extensive. For a careful study of the organization of the various 
companies, see Samuel A. Johnson's "The Genesis of the New England Emigrant Aid Com- 
pany," New England Quarterly, v. Ill, No. 1 (1930). 

18. When the New England Emigrant Aid Company formally organized in March, 1855, 
after obtaining a charter of incorporation, John Carter Brown was made president, Amos A. 
Lawrence treasurer, and Thomas H. Webb secretary. Eli Thayer and J. M. S. Williams were 
made vice- presidents, and also served on the executive committee. Of these Thayer and 
Lawrence had the greatest influence. 

19. Charter of the New England Emigrant Aid Company (Boston, 1855). Approved by 
the governor on February 21. The subscribers of the "temporary" company were made associ- 
ates in the permanent one. The new articles of incorporation made it clear that subscribers 
could not be held liable for more than the amount of their subscription. The company 
formally organized under the new charter on March 5, 1855, and e'ected a complete slate of 
officers. Documentary History of the New England Emigrant Aid Company, p. 11. 

20. The writer uses the term "Emigrant Aid Company," or simply "company" to denote 
what was in actuality one acting organization. 

21. This committee consisted of Eli Thayer, Alexander H. Bullock, and Edward E. Hale 
of Worcester, and Richard Hildreth and Otis Clapp of Boston. 

22. Thayer, The Kansas Crusade, p. 27. (A copy of the report is included.) 

23. The trustees advertised for bids "for conveying not less than twenty, nor more than 
fifty thousand persons, during the present season. ..." (Boston Daily Advertiser of 
June 20, 1854, clipped in the "Thomas H. Webb Scrapbooks," hereafter denoted as "Webb," 
v. I, p. 19). Small wonder that the frontier Missouri slaveholder, patriotic to his section and 
suspicious of Eastern capital, should be given a case of the "jitters," especially when these 
details of the company were so widely broadcast. 

The emigration under the company's auspices in 1854, as obtained by totaling the various 
groups, was only 703 (not including, of course, those induced indirectly to go, or those joining 



240 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

a boardinghouse or receiving house should be constructed, to ac- 
commodate temporarily 300 emigrants while they were locating a 
place of settlement. Steam sawmills and other machines needed in 
a new settlement, which could not be easily bought by individual 
settlers, were to be forwarded by the company, to be leased or run 
by its agents. A weekly newspaper would be the organ of the com- 
pany. The report specifically noted: 

4th. It is recommended that the company's agents locate and take up for 
the company's benefit the sections of land in which the boardinghouses and 
mills are located, and no others. And further, that whenever the territory 
shall be organized as a free state the directors shall dispose of all its interests, 
then replace, by the sales, the money laid out, declare a dividend to the stock- 
holders, and 

5th. That they then select a new field, and make similar arrangements for 
the settlement and organization of another free state of this Union. . . . 

Under the plan proposed it will be but two or three years before the com- 
pany can dispose of its property in the territory first occupied, and reimburse 
itself for its first expenses. At that time, in a state of 70,000 inhabitants, it 
will possess several reservations of 640 acres each, on which are boardinghouses 
and mills, and the churches and schools which it has rendered necessary. From 
these centers will the settlements of the state have radiated. In other words, 
these points will then be the large commercial positions of the new state. If 
there were only one such, its value, after the region should be so far peopled, 
would make a very large dividend to the company which sold it, besides re- 
storing the original capital with which to enable it to attempt the same ad- 
venture elsewhere. 24 

It was, in brief, a plan to tame the frontier and introduce at least 
some of the amenities of civilization in advance of the settler, by a 
judicious investment of capital. "Let capital be the pioneer." 25 

Doiring the years 1854-1855 the Emigrant Aid Company passed 
through a period of severe economic trial. There was a lack of 
agreement within the company as to the proper course to be fol- 
lowed. Should the aim of making Kansas and the territories free 

later of which no record was kept). The total number transported by the company during 
its entire history probably did not number over a few thousand. In 1860 there were only 
1,282 people living in Kansas who had come from Massachusetts. See the article by William 
O. Lynch, "Popular Sovereignty and the Colonization of Kansas From 1854 to 1860," Missis- 
sippi Valley Historical Association, Proceedings 1917-1918, Extra No., May, 1919. 

Yet Thayer claimed, in a speech in November, 1854, that the company had already been 
the means of introducing 5,000 settlers. Congregational Journal, November 23, in "Webb," 
v. II, p. 19. 

24. Thayer, The Kansas Crusade, pp. 27, 28; Organization, Objects, and Plan of Opera- 
tions, of the Emigrant Aid Company, pp, 3-6. The latter gives the plan in greater detail, 
and was evidently written later, to apply also to the final company, then planned. 

25. The agents of the company in Kansas, particularly S. C. Pomeroy and C. H. Brans- 
comb, often praised this plan, in their official correspondence. In his appeals for men and 
money in New England, Thayer followed a like course. Branscomb, then an agent in Kansas, 
wrote to the trustees, November 21, 1856: "What we especially want is the expenditure of 
capital in the territory. Emigration will follow capital of itself" . . . without the in- 
tervention of such cumbersome and expensive devices as the National Kansas Committee, 
which had spent much in getting its trains into the territory. "I have more reason than ever 
to admire the simplicity and efficiency of our plan. . . . Let capital be the pioneer." 
"Records of the Company Trustees," v. II, "Emigrant Aid Collection." 



HICKMAN: THE EMIGRANT AID COMPANY 241 

be followed to the exclusion, in large measure, of the hope for profit? 
If so, it would be largely a charitable organization. But regardless 
of the answer to this question there was the even more pressing one 
as to where the finances were to be obtained to meet the running 
expenses of the company and support its agents in Kansas. Eli 
Thayer best typified the profit motive in the company, and Amos 
A. Lawrence the one of charity. The entire career of Thayer sub- 
stantiates the conclusion that the profit motive was a leading one 
in his life, and that even his hopes of reform had a silver lining. 
There is, in fact, reason for the belief that if the Missouri Com- 
promise had not been repealed Thayer would nevertheless have pro- 
jected some kind of emigrant aid company, but when the Nebraska 
issue became the great one of the day he immediately placed his 
project in the Nebraska spotlight. 26 In his volume The Kansas 
Crusade Thayer discusses this problem under the heading "Charity 
vs. Business in Missionary Enterprise." His original plan had been, 
he says, to conduct a company on orthodox business principles, "able 
to make good dividends to its stockholders annually, and at its close, 
a full return of all the money originally invested. . . ." 27 This 
would have meant the location of towns wherever advisable, and 
investment in Missouri as well as Kansas land. He advised the 
purchase of land in Kansas City, but this was blocked by his 
associates. 

The main objection of my associates to my original plan of a money-making 
company was a fear that people might say that we were influenced by pecuni- 
ary considerations in our patriotic work for Kansas. Therefore, they did not 
desire any return for any money invested. So we went on the charity plan, 
and were never one-half so efficient as we would have been by the other 
method, and were fully twice as long in determining the destiny of Kansas. 28 

Thayer said in another passage: 

I had not then, and have not now, the slightest respect for that pride in 
charity which excludes from great philanthropic enterprise the strength and the 
effectiveness of money making. . . . Why is it worse for a company to make 
money by extending Christianity than by making cotton cloth? . . . The 
truth is, that the highest civilization is the greatest creator of wealth. She is the 

26. The writer does not wish to be unduly harsh in judging the part of Thayer, and 
advances this view as merely a probable assumption. Early in February, 1856, Thayer re- 
plied to the attack of President Pierce upon the company (New York Evening Post, February 
6, 1856, in "Webb," v. IX, p. 49): "The company would have been formed, and put in 
operation, had the Missouri Compromise remained in force. . . . The repeal of the 
Missouri Compromise made Kansas the best field for the operations of the company. Had 
Kansas not been opened to settlement, some other field would have been chosen." See, also, 
William E. Connelley, A Standard History of Kansas and Kansans (Chicago 1918), v I, 
p. 347. 

27. The Kansas Crusade, p. 58. 

28. Ibid., p. 59. A more accurate conclusion might be to say that the company, despite 
its conflicting make-up, followed a rather continuous business plan, which included charitable 
elements. 

1651 



242 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

modern Midas, with power to turn everything she touches into gold. Properly 
equipped, and with proper direction, she will conquer and supplant any in- 
ferior condition of men. . . . 29 

Amos A. Lawrence, on the contrary, regarded the company as an 
organization formed primarily to attain a great political and philan- 
thropic goal. He never expected it to pay dividends, and doubted 
that the stockholders would ever see their money again. He wrote 
to Professor Packard of Bowdoin: 

The shape in which it is presented is objectionable, that is, as a stock com- 
pany, and it imposes on those who manage it the responsibility of making 
dividends or of becoming odious. It was with great reluctance that I meddled 
with it at all; but it was just about dying for want of concerted action and 
for want of money and business knowledge on the part of those who had 
started it. 30 

He advised a clergyman who questioned him concerning investing 
in the stock of the company: 

Keep your money for your own use, rather than do anything of that sort. 
The value of land stock companies is the most delusive of all stocks. . . . 
Some of my coadjutors in this enterprise would, if they had the money, invest 
large sums in the stock, but fortunately the sanguine ones who have property 
are all in debt, and the poorer ones must rest content. I have taken consider- 
able, but only so much as I am willing to contribute to the cause ; and I have 
already given a part of this away, and intend to do the same with the 
balance. 81 

Lawrence opposed from the start the plan to make the company 
a speculative concern, and in effect announced his position publicly. 32 
He objected in no uncertain terms to the proposal to purchase real 
estate in Kansas City to the amount of $28,000, as "contrary to the 
articles of agreement which we have signed as trustees, and by which 
we are prevented from making any expenditure beyond the amount 
of funds actually in our hands," and as being "for the purpose of 

29. Ibid., p. 60. "Now, if we apply the above reasoning to an organized, peaceful 
competition of free labor with slave labor in the former slave states, it will be readily seen 
with what certainty freedom would have been sustained." The national constitution gave 
freedom the power to destroy slavery. "Now if it was true, as the census proved, and as all 
the people of the free states maintained and believed, that our civilization was superior to 
that of the slave states, then we were at liberty at any time to go into the inferior states 
and establish free labor there." In fact, they had a great inducement to do so, by means 
of a corporation which could take advantage of the rise in property values which would 
follow the economic conquest of the South. Although this was written in 1889, Thayer's 
published words of before the Civil War were in much the same tenor. 

30. Quoted in William Lawrence's Life of Amos A. Lawrence (Boston and New York, 
1899). p. 80. 

31. Ibid., p. 80. When the campaign to sell the stock of the Massachusetts Emigrant 
Aid Company largely failed, Lawrence proposed that the trustees take large additional shares, 
and himself took a large block, to forestall failure. He gave away a considerable number 
of shares to such Kansas patriots as M. F. Conway, G. W. Dietzler, S. N. Wood, S. F. 
Tappan, and others. 

32. At an adjourned meeting of the company at Chapman Hall, Boston, June 19, 1854, 
Lawrence announced on behalf of the trustees that all subscribers might be called on for 
the full amount of their subscription (contrary to the original plan) within a year, and no 
promise could be made to return any part. The work would go on indefinitely, until the 
territory was free. Boston Commonwealth, June 20, in "Webb," v. I, p. 9. 



HICKMAN: THE EMIGRANT AID COMPANY 243 

speculating, to make a profit, and is not necessary in order to ac- 
complish the object for which the society was formed. It is using 
the good name of the company to create a rise in value in the 
neighborhood of our purchases," 33 and might place the trustees in 
an unfavorable light. He regarded it extremely doubtful that such 
property could ever be sold for cash. Lawrence actively opposed 
the views of Thayer, writing confidentially in October, 1854: "His 
views are very different from mine, and he states them as though 
they were a part of the plan of the society ; and I requested him not 
to do so ; but if he promulgated them at all, to say that they are his 
own." 34 Lawrence differed with Thayer in regard to the hope for 
profit, to the plan of Thayer to free the slave states in the near 
future, and to the practice of making large promises to gain emi- 
grants, promises which could not be fulfilled. 35 

Which of these views predominated in the early years of the com- 
pany? It appears that the influence of Thayer was considerably 

33. Memorandum of Lawrence, to Messrs. Williams and Thayer, August 26, 1854. 
Kansas letters of Amos A. Lawrence, hereafter termed "Lawrence Letters" (copies in Kansas 
State Historical Society), p. 21. "We have good reason to believe that we have good agents, 
and I propose that our interest in land be small, and that they shall have an interest in it. 
Also that the emigrants shall have the privilege of buying small portions of us at prime cost." 

It is evident that the "articles of agreement" mentioned by Lawrence were the private 
ones signed when the Massachusetts company was given up as unworkable. 

34. Amos A. Lawrence to Pliny Lawton (marked confidential), Boston, October 26, 1854, 
ibid., p. 35. Compare the following letter of Lawrence to Edward E. Hale, February 25, 1855, 
ibid., p. 54. The Worcester subscription (excepting that of Thayer) turns out to be value- 
less, being collected for something entirely different from the purposes of the company. The 
notices in the paper, that parties will go twice a week, that the fare will be only $25 (it will 
be that much to St. Louis), is all "untrue and impossible, and creates confusion and dis- 
trust." He is led to the conclusion that they will have to separate from the gentlemen at 
Worcester. "You shall be 'Young America' and we will be the 'Old Fogy'." 

At that time many pertinent criticisms were appearing in the public press, concerning the 
company's course in 1854. 

35. This was perhaps the most just criticism of the company. The New England press 
was full of unfavorable accounts by emigrants many of whom had returned completely 
disillusioned, the "dupes" of "high pressure salesmanship" tactics. No doubt they expected 
too much, and knew little of life on the frontier. Many printed their "laments" in poetic 
form, for which prizes were offered by Eastern papers. The following comes from one of 
the winners, and was entitled "The Kansas Emigrant's Lament": 

I left my own New England, 

The happiest and the best, 
With a burning Kansas fever 

Raging in my breast. 
Oh that fair New England! 

Oh that lovely home ! 
If I live to reach you, surely 

I never more will roam. 

I came to Lawrence city, 

A place of great renown, 
Alas! what disappointment 

To find so small a town. 
The houses were unfinished, 

The people had no floors, 
The windows had no glass in, 

And sheets were used for doors. 

I sought an Astor palace, 

And a table where to eat, 
They gave me poor molasses, 

With some bread and salted meat. 
Oh my mother's pantry! 

Herald of Freedom, October 13, 1855. 



244 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

more powerful, but that it was greatly toned down to obtain the 
cooperation of Lawrence and those opposing speculation, while as 
time went on, the company was increasingly indebted to Lawrence, 
who was always ready, as a last resort, to underwrite its activities, 
when finances could not be obtained elsewhere. 36 From its earliest 
history the company began to invest in Kansas property with the 
hope of ultimate gain. This hope was well expressed by the execu- 
tive committee late in 1855 : "The executive committee therefore feel 
warranted in saying, it is rendered certain that at no very distant 
day the stockholders may have returned to them the whole amount 
subscribed, and it is probable that they will receive in addition a 
large dividend." In addition to the securing of freedom to Kansas, 
was "the great probability, almost certainty of realizing a large 
profit on the investments already worth more than the whole stock 
subscriptions." However, such "estimates of pecuniary profit are 
based on the probability of the success of the efforts of our friends 
in making Kanzas a Free State." 37 

The Emigrant Aid Company probably would have succumbed 
from financial troubles during the early years of its existence, save 
for the timely aid given it by Lawrence. While the original com- 
pany had announced great plans for a five-million-dollar concern, 
it was soon decided to begin operations when a million dollars had 
been subscribed. 38 After the original charter was abandoned, and 
the final New England Company projected, it was decided that a 
capital of $200,000 would be sufficient. 39 At the meetings in Chap- 
man hall, Boston, Thayer appealed for action to save freedom on 
the Kansas prairies, stressed the commercial and industrial disad- 
vantages of slavery, 40 and obtained a number of important sub- 
scriptions, notably those of J. M. S. Williams and Charles Francis 
Adams. Later at New York he obtained the powerful aid of Horace 
Greeley and the New York Tribune, and additional subscriptions. 41 
Yet, in general, sales of stock were hard to make, and cash in hand, 

36. After 1856 Thayer was primarily concerned with other matters. The writer has seen 
no evidence, however, for concluding that any serious rupture had taken place within the 
company. 

37. Statement of property, signed by the executive committee, and submitted to the 
quarterly meeting of the directors (of the New England Emigrant Aid Company), November 
27, 1855. "Emigrant Aid Collection" of documents of the Kansas Historical Society. A 
resume of property held at that time is given below. (Here, as elsewhere, words or phrases 
in italics were stressed by the original authors, and not by the writer of this article.) 

38. Thayer, op. cit., p. 80. 

39. Ibid., p. 58. 

40. Ibid., pp. 30-33. 

41. Ibid. The same author, "The New England Emigrant Aid Company," in Proceeding* 
of the Worcester Society of Antiquity, v. VII, pp. 65-56. 



HICKMAN: THE EMIGRANT AID COMPANY 245 

which was so much needed to carry on operations in Kansas, was 
even harder to obtain. The trustees, who then constituted the act- 
ing company, had signed articles of agreement preventing them 
from making any expenditures beyond the amount of funds actually 
in their hands. 42 They were consequently in a grave quandary by 
late summer, 1854, with no available stock subscriptions, "since we 
cannot make any assessment until the sum of $50,000 is subscribed, 
and now we have barely $20,000, and from the efforts which have 
been made we must infer that the stock, like all stock in land com- 
panies, is looked on with distrust . . . ," 43 or that other reasons 
prevented subscriptions. In this predicament Lawrence advised that 
each of the trustees take an additional $10,000 subscription, and 
thereby attain the working capital of $50,000. 44 Yet in November, 
1854, only $12,731 had been received into the treasury, and about 
twice that amount subscribed, on which a half had been assessed. 43 
Early in 1855 important meetings were held in New England in the 
interest of the company and Kansas, but the financial returns were 
disappointing. At these meetings Thayer stressed the hope of profit 
from the investments in Kansas, as was his custom. 46 The financial 
embarrassment of the company continued, and early in March 
Lawrence wrote: "A crisis has arrived in the affairs of the Emigrant 
Aid Company, and the whole fabric must come down with a crash 
. . . unless we have energy enough to avert it." Pomeroy would 
be forced to suspend all operations, unless money could be ob- 

42. Memorandum of Lawrence, to Williams and Thayer, August 26, 1854 (cited above). 

43. Quoting the same document further, Lawrence appears to have distrusted the Emi- 
grant Aid Company at this time even more than other land companies. He had considerable 
interests in western lands, and was himself later a trustee of the Kansas Land Trust, which 
acquired large holdings around Quindaro. 

44. Lawrence, Life of Amos A. Lawrence, p. 85 ; Lawrence to J. M. S. Williams, Septem- 
ber 2, 1854. It appears that Lawrence acted accordingly, but not all the other trustees. 
There had been no money to honor the Kansas drafts sent in by Pomeroy, and Lawrence 
paid them himself. The company was already six or seven thousand dollars in debt to him. 
"Meanwhile we are making large promises as to what we shall do for settlers, which are 
certain to be broken, and which will entail much dissatisfaction," Lawrence wrote. 

At this same time reports were circulating in Missouri of the tremendous projects of the 
company, which was reputed to be immensely rich. 

45. Documentary History of the New England Emigrant Aid Company. In the fall of 
1854 the company sent a circular letter to the ministers of New England, appealing for sup- 
port and funds. Receipts had been, it stated, "altogether inadequate to sustain the activity 
and vigor of the enterprise." 

At a later time a much wider appeal was made to the same profession, with much more 
success (1855). 

46. Clipping in "Webb," from the Kennebec Journal, Augusta, Maine, February 2, 1855: 
The meeting there was held in the hall of the house of representatives. Thayer made a long 
address, and stressed the importance, from a commercial point of view, of making Kansas a 
child of New England. Those who went out six months ago were now worth, in some cases, 
$3,000 each, in their locations in Lawrence. The 600,000 European immigrants directed by 
the society into the Southwest, would prove a mighty force against slavery. Each state should 
in addition furnish its quota. The company also wanted a fund of $200,000. They hoped 
to establish ten cities, and invest $10,000 in each, which would provide a sawmill, machine 
shop, reception house, etc. The company takes a fourth of the lots in a city. A fourth of 
the profits will be divided among all who take stock. Kansas for freedom! 



246 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

tained. 47 The executive committee considered the subject at an 
April meeting, relieved Pomeroy, but did little to solve the riddle. 48 
Pomeroy addressed the first annual meeting of the company at 
Boston on June 1, and praised its technique in planting towns in 
the territory. Soon thereafter he began a series of speeches through 
New England, in which he appealed for money to send sawmills to 
the settlers, and for subscription to the company's stock. 49 Never- 
theless, Lawrence continued to advance money, and became increas- 
ingly irritated at the method in which business was carried on in 
the territory. In September he wrote to C. H. Branscomb: 

It appears to me that the plan of conducting operations in Kanzas with 
borrowed capital, and incurring debts which cannot be paid without further 
loans is not a good one. If, as in some kinds of business, the property ac- 
quired were convertible into cash, it would not be so liable to objections; but 
we have very little which can be thus converted. 50 

Apparently in order to sever his connection with the financial 
morass into which the company was sinking, Lawrence, on Septem- 
ber 26, 1855, handed in his resignation from the position of treas- 
urer. 51 No action appears to have been taken by the executive com- 
mittee, whose members probably hoped that he would reconsider his 
move. Early in October Lawrence wrote more urgently : "As I have 
resigned my place as treasurer some way must be devised or the 
company must go to the wall." 52 While still in this state of suspense, 
he continued to pay in an individual way, drafts on the company. 53 
Some sort of an agreement must have been effected, as Lawrence 

47. Lawrence to J. M. S. Williams, Boston, March 2, 1855 ("Lawrence Letters," p. 57): 
In the face of this dark situation, Pomeroy was permitted to overdraw his account, the com- 
pany expecting to make it up later. Lawrence appears to have "weakened" somewhat in 
his opposition to speculation, at this time. He wrote Pomeroy in April (ibid., p. 75;: "D'o 
not fear to buy the Kaw lands freely for the company. The company needs something to 
make money with, more than the trustees or outsiders. . . As to stock subscriptions, 
they have almost ceased." 

48. Adjourned meeting of the executive committee, April 18, 1855 ("Trustees' Records," 
y. I): Only $26,840 had then been paid for shares, with nearly eleven thousand still outstand- 
ing. Lawrence reported around $39,000 subscribed, at the first annual meeting. Despite the 
crisis, the executive committee authorized the purchase of a steamer, the Grace Darling, if 
Messrs. Lawrence and Webb consented. Lawrence objected, believing that such investments 
would leave little margin for profit. 

49. Hampshire Gazette, Northampton, July 10, 1855, in "Webb," v. IV, p. 209: Pomeroy 
promised a mill for the Hampden colony, "on condition that the citizens of Hampden county 
will subscribe three thousand dollars to the stock of the Emigrant Aid Co." The sawmills 
would be the nuclei for free settlements. Money thus given for the cause of freedom "is not 
asked as a donation, but simply as an investment, which will pay a good dividend in a few 
years." 

50. Lawrence to Branscomb, September 22, 1855, "Emigrant Aid Collection." He con- 
tinues: "some of the executive committee have already taxed themselves to pay the drafts 
of Mr. Pomeroy, and may be willing to go on increasing the amount, but this makes them 
creditors in relation to the very property which they are appointed to hold in trust." Such 
was "expressly forbidden by our by-laws." 

51. Letter of resignation of Lawrence included in minutes of the executive committee 
meeting of September 29. Lawrence added that the duties of the office were so pressing 
that they required the entire time of a competent person. 

52. Lawrence to Dr. Cabot, October 9, 1855. "Emigrant Aid Collection." 

63. Lawrence to Branscomb, October 19, 1855. Ibid. "I have not heard of the appoint- 
ment of my successor as treasurer of the Emigrant Aid Company and think there must be 
some mistake. 



HICKMAN: THE EMIGRANT AID COMPANY 247 

retained his position. Later in the fall Thayer came to his aid with 
a new plan, to meet the crisis. 54 

At the meeting of the executive committee late in the fall of 1855 
it was made clear that the funds of the company were exhausted, 
and that Lawrence had advanced heavily of his own resources. Some 
of the committee were much discouraged, and repented having 
adopted the "charity" plan, Thayer states. Thayer proposed an 
immediate campaign for funds among the "friends of freedom" in 
New York, and left immediately on this mission. In that city he 
conferred with Simeon Draper and George W. Blunt, who called a 
meeting of prominent and wealthy men, to whom Thayer made a 
special appeal. 55 A series of meetings in New York and Brooklyn 
rewarded Thayer and his assistant, C. H. Branscomb, with a number 
of large subscriptions, among which those of Horace B. Claflin and 
Rollin Sanford were notable. 56 Henry Ward Beecher's congregation 
also contributed liberally, as did William Cullen Bryant, editor of 
the New York Evening Post. Thayer continued his campaign into 
the early spring of 1856, when he returned to his customary work of 
raising colonies. 57 The immediate crisis to the company had then 
passed, and the troubles in Kansas, coupled with the interest in 
the election of Fremont, brought indirectly a new interest in the 
company. 58 

54. Lawrence retained his position until 1857 when he permanently resigned. At about 
that time he made the following summary statement (letter of Lawrence to Giles Richards, 
March 22): "I find that within 2 years I have sent $20,000 and more to Kansas from my 
own means, and of which not a dollar can ever come back to me or my heirs, for I have 
never owned $200 there which I have not given to the settlers." 

Lawrence stated, in a letter in 1855, that his wealth was around $120,000. One sixth of 
his private fortune was then spent for the cause of freedom in Kansas. 

55. Thayer, The Kansas Crusade, pp. 188, 202-205. The same author, "The New 
England Emigrant Aid Company," in Proceedings of Worcester Society of Antiquity, v. VII, 
pp. 55-56. His appeal included the following passage: "That New York merchants were more 
interested pecuniarily in this result (freedom in Kansas) than were any other people in the 
Union ; that if they would compare their sales of goods to Kentucky with those to Ohio, they 
would need no further argument. . . ." This was the time to act decisively, by means 
of a conservative company, which would in all cases support the government. 

56. Claflin and Sanford each gave six thousand, Thayer states (preceding citations). 
Other large subscribers were Henry H. Elliott, George W, Blunt, David Dudley Field, 
Thaddeus Hyatt, Bowen and MacNamee, Cyrus Curtis, Moses H. Grinnell, and Marshall O. 
Roberts. Speaking later at Syracuse, N. Y., Thayer said that $50,000 was subscribed in 
New York City. Lawrence, testifying before the special Kansas committee at Washington 
(May, 1856), stated that about $95,000 had then been paid in for subscriptions to stock, 
plus $4,000 of donations (34th cong., 2nd sess., H. R. Report No. 200, p. 874). 

Claflin remarked long after this that the six thousand he paid the company in 1856 had 
been several times repaid by the excess of profit on goods sold in Kansas and Kansas City 
over what it would have been if slavery had prevailed (Thayer, p. 209). 

57. Thayer was nominated for congress from the Worcester, Mass., district in 1856, and 
was elected. He argued that Kansas would be free, regardless of whether Fremont were 
elected. At the end of 1856 he left the Kansas work, and began his Ceredo, Va., project 
(see footnotes numbered 76 and 136). 

58. Contributions were collected in many places in 1856, to relieve those injured by the 
troubles in Kansas (and perhaps in part to help elect Fremont). In this the machinery of 
the Emigrant Aid Company was taken advantage of. Its agents might accept gifts for relief, 
and at the same meeting take subscriptions to the stock of the company. When Lawrence 
resigned the treasurership in May, 1857, he said: "You will find the company free from debt, 
and its prosperity entire," with the shares never more valuable. Documentary History of the 
Company, p. 22. 



248 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

The early literature of the company stressed the plan to transport 
emigrants, but the records of the company do not indicate any in- 
come from this source. Investment in sawmills and gristmills, to be 
rented or sold to the settlers, offered a better hope for income or 
profit. The original plan of action provided that the company for- 
ward the steam sawmills and gristmills needed in its pioneer com- 
munities, to be run or leased by its agents. The pioneers themselves 
could not be expected to furnish such products of capital, it was 
argued. Thayer and the representatives of the company greatly 
emphasized the importance of such machinery, whereby free labor 
could multiply itself, and make sure a victory over slavery. 59 By 
the fall of 1855 the company could report a mill in each of its five 
settlements, although no doubt they were not all in operation. 60 So 
anxious were the settlers to obtain these mills for their communities 
that they were frequently willing to pledge the company a share of 
the townsite in return. 61 This service would have been of signal 
benefit to the settlers if the company had been able to furnish the 
mills quickly, and keep them in good order, but the lack of ready 
finances, coupled at times with poor management in the territory, 
more than once defeated the plan. Thus 1854 passed with no mill 
in operation in Lawrence, and none in the entire territory. 62 When 
mills finally were obtained the agents had difficulty in keeping them 
running properly, and further trouble in collecting the rents when 
due. 

As a part of the plan to transport emigrants to Kansas, the com- 
pany planned a series of hotels and receiving houses, to provide 

69. See the speeches of Thayer. 

60. Statement of the executive committee, to the quarterly meeting of the directors, 
November 27, 1855, "Emigrant Aid Collection." The settlements then included Lawrence, 
Manhattan, Hampden, Topeka, and Osawatomie. The book value of these mills then totaled 
$ 23,400, out of a total of $82,550 of property. 

61. Manhattan, Osawatomie, Wabaunsee, Claflin (Mapleton), and Batcheller (later Mil- 
ford) were examples. The company also at times authorized the sale of its mills, and the 
purchase of town shares with the proceeds (for example, Burlington). "Emigrant Aid Collec- 
tion." It was a general rule of the company to avoid payments in cash, as far as possible, 
and pay instead in company property, shares, etc. During its entire history, a considerable 
number of mills were owned or passed through the hands of the company. A large proportion 
of the real estate acquired from time to time was obtained from the town companies in return 
for the mills furnished, thus avoiding a direct cash outlay. See the documentary History of 
1862, p. 23. 

62. New York Daily Times, January 10, 1855: "The Aid Companies have done something 
toward introducing Northern emigrants, but not nearly so much as their feeble efforts have 
stimulated the slave interests to do. With lavish promises, the Massachusetts Company in- 
duced some hundreds to go to Kansas, a large proportion of whom, disgusted before they 
have ever seen Kansas, or finding that their circumstances were inadequate to meet the 
realities of the case, have returned, pome to stay, and some to take a new start in the 
spring. . . . There is no doubt that, at this very moment a large proportion of needless 
suffering is being endured by those who went out under its auspices. With a whole summer 
in which to provide sawmills, lumber, and boardinghouses, according to promise, the first of 
November found them without a mill in successful operation, and a mere tent, the sole shelter 
for newcomers at Lawrence. . . ." 

This was a harsh but rather truthful judgment, as the company's record for 1854 was 
not very good, due to slowness in getting started. Later more success was achieved. At the 
second annual meeting of the company in May, 1856, it was reported that all five of the 
company's mills were in operation. 



HICKMAN: THE EMIGRANT AID COMPANY 249 

temporary shelter. In 1854 the chief hotel at Kansas City was 
purchased, at a reported cost of $10,000. 63 In 1855 the Free State 
hotel at Lawrence was erected as a receiving depot for emigrants, 
at an estimated cost of over $15,000. 64 By May, 1856, the company 
claimed to have spent $96,956.01 in Kansas, of which by far the 
largest part had gone for the two hotels, and for engines and mills. 65 
The plans of the company centered upon speculations in real 
estate, particularly in the towns which their emigrants had had a 
leading part in founding. The project for a future income or profit 
of this nature was emphasized, particularly by Thayer and Pomeroy, 
in the meetings in New England and the East. It was kept much 
more quiet in the territory, but was well known by the leading men, 
and many others as well. This was more than once brought for- 
ward, particularly by the Proslavery party and their colleagues in 
Missouri, as a general condemnation of the company. 66 Clause four 
of the plan of operation provided that: "It is recommended that the 
company's agents locate and take up for the company's benefit the 
sections of land in which the boarding houses and mills are located, 
and no others," 67 such properties to be disposed of whenever the 
territory became a free state, and a dividend declared to the stock- 
holders. This plan was put in effect at the first settlement of the 
company, at Lawrence, and was consistently followed thereafter. 68 
In 1855 the towns of Topeka, Osawatomie, Manhattan, Hampden, 

63. Kansas Weekly Herald, Leavenworth, October 6, 1854. Any such exact figures are 
always open to question, due to the method of payment. 

64. This hotel was destroyed by the raiders from Missouri in the troubles of 1856, and 
thereby led to a claim by the company against the United States government, which was in 
1897 transferred to the University of Kansas. 

65. Pamphlet History of the New England Emigrant Aid Company (1862). The company 
also took stock in the hotel at Manhattan, and considered other hotel projects. The sale of 
these properties later brought plenty of trouble to the company. The greatest difficulty lay 
in carrying out the terms of a sale which was largely not a "cash down" one. However, in 
such transactions the agents of the company probably were merely following current business 
practice. 

66. For example, by John Calhoun, in an address before the "Law and Order" conven- 
tion at Leavenworth on November 14, 1855 (reported in Kansas City Enterprise, December 1), 
Calhoun charged that, while political objects were kept in view, the almighty dollar was 
never lost sight of, as they hoped, by abolitionizing the territory, to become large land owners. 

The strong criticism of the company during the winter of 1854-1855 led to a meeting of 
its friends at Lawrence (described by William H. Carruth in his article, "The New England 
Emigrant Aid Company as an Investment Society." Kansas Historical Collections, v. VI). 
The activities of the company were praised, as well as the "basis" on which it was operating, 
i. e., a share of the town lots. 

67. Thayer, The Kansas Crusade, pp. 27-28. 

68. In addressing the first annual meeting in May, 1855, Pomeroy reported there were 
eight towns of prominence among which were included Lawrence, Topeka, Pawnee, Boston, 
Osawatomie, and Grasshopper Falls. Northern workmen thus controlled the right points. 
"They have their mills, and their machinery their churches, and newspapers. With the 
exception of Council City, there is not another center of influence or trade in Kansas." This 
control of public opinion had been arrived at "quietly but thoroughly." "Kansas Territorial 
Clippings." 

Boston was renamed Manhattan. The company never invested in either Grasshopper 
Falls or Pawnee. The latter proposed site of the state capital was a speculative project in 
which Gov. Andrew H. Reeder and officers at Fort Riley were interested. Council City 
(later Burlingame) was the projected site of the American Settlement Company. 



250 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

and Wabaunsee were established. 69 By the close of that year the 
company estimated its real estate in the towns of Lawrence, Man- 
hattan, Topeka, and Osawatomie (exclusive of mill properties, 
hotels, buildings, lumber, horses, etc.), at the book value of $31,100. 70 

No consistent rule was followed in determining the proportion of 
a town site to be held by the company. At times the original amount 
was reduced by the town companies at later meetings. It has been 
pointed out that in Lawrence the share of the Emigrant Aid Com- 
pany was reduced from a half of the original town site to a fourth, 
and in the spring of 1855 to ten of the 220 shares of the town stock 
(two of these in trust for a university). 71 At Topeka the original 
agreement gave the company a sixth of the lots "as a consideration 
for the erection of a mill, a schoolhouse, receiving house, etc.," 72 
but this was later reduced to one thirty-sixth. At Osawatomie, on 
the other hand, the original proportion of a third of the town site 
was retained by the company. 73 Much discretion seems to have 
been left in this regard to the bargaining ability of the Kansas 
agents, Pomeroy, Robinson, Branscomb, and Conway, 74 who were 
expected to follow the accepted business practice, and do the best 
possible for the company, in their execution of its instructions. 

The year 1856 was one of transition in the history of the company. 
The increased sale of stock subscriptions, coupled with the greatly 
increased popular interest in the work of the organization, appear to 
have given new hope of attaining the main objectives freedom in 
the territory, and a dividend to the stockholders. 75 The troubles 
resulting from the incursions of the Missourians, with the blockade 
of the Missouri, put a temporary check upon business, but the ar- 

69. Documentary History of the Company. Wabaunsee really did not get well under way 
until 1856, when the famous New Haven colony, sponsored by Henry Ward Beecher, left 
for that place, armed with "rifles and Bibles." Hampden was located on the Neosho, about 
fifty miles south of Lawrence, in the spring of 1855. 

70. Report of the executive committee to the quarterly meeting of the directors, Novem- 
ber 27, 1855, in "Emigrant Aid Collection." Total property in Kansas and Missouri was 
then estimated at $82,550, distributed as follows: Lawrence, $36,900; Manhattan, $9,700; 
Hampden, $3,000; Topeka, $8,100; Osawatomie, $17,300, and Kansas City, $7,550. The 
Kansas City hotel had been recently sold, but the transaction had not been completed. 

71. Carruth, op. cit., p. 93. Also documents included in A Memorial of the University 
of Kansas in Support of Senate BUI No. 2677. Concerning the bitter quarrel over the Lawrence 
town site, see A. T. Andreas, History of the State of Kansas (Chicago, 1883), p. 315. In 
1857 the company owned 117 lots in Lawrence. 

72. Original agreement of the Topeka Town Association, December 5, 1854. F. W. Giles, 
Thirty Years in Topeka (Topeka, 1886), p. 21. This work gives a very good account of the 
various steps in the founding of a town in Kansas. 

73. The other two thirds was owned by O. C. Brown and William Ward "Emigrant Aid 
Collection. " 

74. S. C. Pomeroy, 1854-1862; Charles Robinson, 1854-1856; C. H. Branscomb, 1854- 
1858; and M. F. Conway, 1858-1862. Pomeroy acted as treasurer of the agents, kept books, 
and was chief in importance in transaction of business, from 1854 to February, 1858. There- 
after Conway became general agent. 

75. However, a circular of the company dated August 10, 1856, requested subscriptions 
to rebuild the Free-State hotel, and put up the saw and grist mills already purchased, and 
concluded : "But the funds of the company are nearly exhaused. . . ." 



HICKMAN: THE EMIGRANT AID COMPANY 251 

rival of Gov. John W. Geary brought a restoration of order in the 
fall. The company had suffered a large loss in the destruction of 
the Free-State hotel, but nevertheless it continued its program of 
investment, even though collections were not easy to make in the 
territory, and few sales had been completed. 76 The events of the 
year showed the value a well-located town on the Missouri river 
would be to the Free-State party and its friends at a distance. 
Charles Robinson was a leading promoter of the newly projected 
town of Quindaro, on the Missouri, three miles below Parkville, Mo. 
Early in January, 1857, Robinson was in Boston in the interest of 
Quindaro. The company purchased ten shares of Quindaro stock 
and made plans to aid in its development. 77 It was announced that 
$500,000 had already been subscribed for investment, and that a 
hotel, sawmill, gristmill, machine shop, and paper mill would be 
constructed. 78 With such evident "puffing," Quindaro enjoyed a 
transitory boom, later to pass into oblivion. 

In 1857 the company invested in several Wyandot floats, to safe- 
guard the title to its properties. Pomeroy had in 1855 urged the 
company to invest more extensively in these claims, as sure to bring 
returns, but the proposal was then declined, further than laying a 

76. Even the sale of the hotel at Kansas City remained "in the air," the terms having 
not been satisfactorily met. A little later the hotel site at Lawrence was sold to T. W. 
Eldridge for $5,000. 

Lawrence wrote to J. Carter Brown on July 9, 1856 ("Lawrence Letters," p. 151): "As to 
the Emigrant Aid Company, I have very much the same view as yourself : that it has done 
its work. But you always find it odious to propose the destruction of an organization of 
which you are a manager." Such might discourage the settlers. "As to the stock, its value 
will probably become steadily less, as no sales of land can be made to keep down the expenses." 

Thayer was at this time becoming increasingly interested in other things. Besides being 
a candidate for congress, he had begun the manufacture of a new type of rifle which, it was 
announced, would far exceed the Sharpe in effectiveness. He was also planning his Ceredo, Va., 
project, with which the company declined to cooperate. 

77. Pomeroy's statement of expense for September 1, 1855, to December 15, 1856 
"Emigrant Aid Collection." The ten shares, valued at $3,614.80 were obtained by trading 
to the town company one of the three mills which had been dumped into the Missouri river 
by the "border ruffians," and later recovered. Minutes of executive committee for 1857. 

Abelard Guthrie was vice-president of the town company, and Robinson treasurer and 
agent to sell shares. Robinson was also the Kansas agent of the closely allied Kansas Land 
Trust, a company formed in 1856, with its main office in Boston, to invest in Kansas land. 
Its depositors included J. M. S. Williams of the Emigrant Aid Company, and Oakes Ames, 
later involved in the Credit Mobilier scandal. Joseph Lyman was treasurer, and Amos A. 
Lawrence one of the trustees. The trust bought land extensively in and around Quindaro, 
promising Robinson a good share of the profits. In 1857 it sold a large amount of its land 
to Robinson, who gave his notes, signed by Guthrie, By 1860 Robinson had paid nothing 
on these purchases, although contrary to his agreement. This placed Guthrie in a very tight 
situation (see quotations from the diary of A. Guthrie, edited by W. E. Connelley, and pub- 
lished in the Nebraska State Historical Society's Proceedings and Collections, Second Series, 
v. III). The trust was placed in a difficult position, because of the trouBle to complete the 
sale to Robinson, and the impossibility, after the panic of 1857, of selling any additional 
land. The holdings appear to have been divided in 1860. (The Kansas State Historical 
Society has an incomplete collection of the trust papers. These, with the diary of Guthrie, 
are the authority for these statements.) An arbitration in 1860 found the Quindaro town 
company deeply in debt to Robinson. 

78. Wilder, Annals of Kansas, p. 148. Late in 1856 the company sent a saw mill to 
Wabaunsee, but a loan was necessary to the operators to set it up ("Minutes of the Meetings 
of the Connecticut Kansas Colony," p. 143). Evidently it was not satisfactory, as the town 
company the following June offered a bonus for a mill. Pomeroy favored such going towns, 
rather than ones newly projected. He proposed to also finance a hotel and a Wyandot float, 
for Wabaunsee. The latter was granted. The property stake of the company in the town 
was limited to the mill and site. 



252 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

float at Lawrence. 79 However, the need of surety of title came to 
be more clearly appreciated, as the stake of the company in the 
Free-State towns of the territory grew. Hence the Emigrant Aid 
Company, on its own initiative, or in cooperation with other town 
promoters, arranged from time to time to locate Wyandot floats on 
such towns as Lawrence, West Lawrence, Manhattan, Topeka, and 
Burlington. 80 

Simultaneous with the investment in Quindaro, the company em- 
barked on several additional town projects. Early in January, 1857, 
Pomeroy was instructed to sell one of the small mills at Kansas City 
for not less than $3,000, and take as large a share as possible in 
Wyandotte. 81 Late in December, 1856, the boot, shoe and leather 
dealers of Boston and vicinity, at an adjourned meeting, agreed to 
subscribe for $20,000 of the stock of the Emigrant Aid Company. 
As a reward they were given the privilege of naming two new towns 
in Kansas, after their principal contributors, William Claflin and 
T. J. E. Batcheller. 82 Mr. Pomeroy was directed to obtain suitable 
locations for these projected towns, in Kansas, and appears to have 
had some difficulty. 83 His general advice to give the preference to 

79. Weekly meeting of the executive committee, April 28, 1855 "Trustee's Records," 
v. I. By article 14 of the "Treaty of 1842" with the Wyandot Indians, as modified by 
further arrangement in 1854, the United States agreed to grant in fee simple to each of thirty- 
five named Wyandots, or their heirs, a section of land from any of that set apart for Indian 
use, and still unoccupied, west of the Missouri river. Such a reserve could be planted before 
the lands were surveyed, and would take "precedence over that of the white settler in cases 
where his location either precedes or is of equal date with that of the white settler" (Govern- 
ment regulations for such reserves). One need only recall that there were no government 
surveys during the first years of settlement, and that the only "title" then existing was such 
as squatter claim associations could enforce upon their own members, to see why that such 
reserves were so much in demand. 

80. Other Free-State towns upon which such floats were located included Wyandotte and 
Kansas City (site), Big Springs, Emporia, and Doniphan. No doubt others could be added 
to this list. (See Senate Documents, 1857-1858, v. II, "Report of the Secretary of the 
Interior," pp. 274-275, for a complete list of such reserves.) Because of their lack of fluid 
capital, the Proslavery settlers did not locate as many as their rivals. A large number of 
these reserves were located, evidently by capitalists, along the Big Blue river above Manhattan. 
Each float of 640 acres covered four legal claims. Wyandot floats were so valuable that a 
cynic might point to them as a further good reason for the movement among the Wyandots 
(many of whom were now of white blood), to open Nebraska to settlement. Unfortunately 
even these reserves did not entirely prevent disputes by rival town companies, or previous 
claimants. Thus the Robitaille float at Lawrence was long in dispute, and less serious disputes 
occurred at Manhattan and Topeka. 

81. Minutes of the executive committee meeting of January 9, "Trustees' Records," v. III. 
Nothing came of this proposal. 

82. Minutes of the executive committee meeting of December 26, 1856. At the annual 
meeting in 1857 this was reported as over half the total sales of stock for the year of $37,000. 
However, the "Journal" notes on April 7, 1857, p. 4, that only $8,660 worth was actually sold. 
Batcheller took $1,000 worth, and Claflin $300. Figures given for publication at the start 
of a campaign are naturally much higher than the amounts that actually materialized later. 

83. Pomeroy to Thomas H. Webb, January 6, 1857, executive committee minutes of Janu- 
ary 23, in "Trustees' Records," v. III. "The Fishes, at the mouth of the Wakarusa, now 
want a movement. We have organized a Town Company (unknown to even our friends) the 
matter is kept perfectly quiet. They vote the Em. Aid Co., one sixth of the original in- 
terest. . . . But 1 think my influence will be sufficient to secure a Name to the Town, 
to suit the Shoe and Leather Dealers." He had then bought a mill of the Wyandotte com- 
pany, for Wakarusa. 

Another letter of Pomeroy of February 2, 1857, in the minutes of February 20: "The 
Fishes are in a heap of trouble. The commissioners, in alloting the land to the Shawnees, 
instead of leaving the land open are locating the lands of the orphan children and the 
absentees thereabout, so that little will be left for pre-emption. It is a trick of the Pro- 
slavery officers to prevent the Yankees settling on the upper part of the Reserve." Pomeroy 
had been trying to "manage the Indians," and get them to go ahead with a town on lands 
not set off. 



HICKMAN: THE EMIGRANT AID COMPANY 253 

going towns rather than newly planted ones was finally followed, 
and the directors of the town of Madison, on Madison creek, were 
persuaded to rename their town Batcheller. The company agreed 
to erect a mill, 84 and obtained in return a mill site of five acres, and 
an eighth of the townsite. 85 Claflin, the second of these two towns, 
was located by arrangement with the proprietors of Mapleton, Bour- 
bon county. A New England company had laid off the site in May, 
1857, but it was later preempted by a company of westerners, and 
called Eldora. This was later changed to Mapleton, 86 and now, in 
the fall of 1857, it came under the financial tutelage of the Emigrant 
Aid Company, and was renamed Claflin. A mill was promised at an 
early date, but was not actually erected until 1859. 87 

The most important investment of the Emigrant Aid Company 
in 1857 was made in Atchison. The Quindaro site did not appear 
sufficient, as the executive committee early in March authorized Mr. 
Pomeroy to establish a town in Kansas on the Missouri river, as 
nearly opposite St. Joseph as possible, at an expense of not over 
$8,000. 88 About a month later Pomeroy wrote he was convinced 
that Atchison was the best townsite on the Missouri river above 
Quindaro. Mr. McBratney, agent of an emigrating company from 
Cincinnati, had made preliminary arrangements for the purchase 
of one half the townsite of 480 acres, including the chief paper, the 
Squatter Sovereign. Pomeroy cooperated with McBratney, and de- 
manded further property adjacent to the town, both in Kansas and 
Missouri. P. T. Abell, of the town company, bound himself to ob- 
tain at least fifty-one of the original hundred shares, at $400 to $500 

84. Minutes of executive committee meeting of October 9, 1857, in "Trustees' Records," 
v. III. M. F. Conway was one of the original incorporators of this town, in 1858. In 1870 
the name was changed to Milford. Mrs. Frank C. Montgomery, archivist clerk of the Kansas 
State Historical Society, has an extensive bibliography of Batcheller. 

85. Valued on January 1, 1859, at $3,792.35 "Emigrant Aid Collection." The mill 
was evidently not satisfactory, as the town company, in the spring of 1859, offered the Emi- 
grant Aid Company a quarter interest in the town site of 320 acres, to get the mill into 
operation quickly. This was accepted (executive committee minutes of April 29). 

86. Andreas, History of Kansas, p. 1097. The Rev. B. B. Newton, of the original town 
company, executed a contract with Pomeroy, agreeing to change the name to Claflin. 

87. Development of these last two towns came during a period of depression, when the 
company was compelled to curtail operations drastically. However, it eventually carried out 
its contracts. 

88. Minutes of executive committee meeting of March 9, "Trustees' Records," v. III. 
A Quindaro correspondent, of strong antislavery views, of the Daily Missouri Democrat, St. 
Louis, of May 2, 1857, argued it as proved that the Proslavery men could not make a town. 
With all its advantages Lecompton had become merely "the abode of innumerable doggeries." 
Delaware City was another example, until recently a company from Lawrence bought the 
town, when things immediately boomed. D'oniphan was another case, until General Lane and 
some friends purchased it. Atchison was now about to capitulate, in a similar way. How- 
ever, nine-tenths of the Kansas towns "are perfect catch -penny operations, and must burst 
as flat as flounders." 

Lack of needed capital was, without doubt, a basic reason for the failure of many Pro- 
slavery towns. Fluid capital from Missouri and the South was far less than Yankee capital 
from New York, Cincinnati, New England and the East. No doubt some of the above 
transactions were motivated by a desire to "cash in" at a favorable opportunity. The Emi- 
grant Aid Company might also have profited by selling when the tide of emigration was at 
its height. 



254 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

each, which would give control to the Free-State party. 89 A little 
later Pomeroy wrote that the bargain had been consummated by 
McBratney and himself. "It has been a very difficult matter to get 
a controlling share in the Town lots. But we have got them. I 
should have bought much more if I knew of any way to pay. The 
company have not authorized me to buy. I have taken the responsi- 
bility." 90 The Emigrant Aid Company accepted the Atchison pur- 
chase, as made by Pomeroy, and authorized a draft sufficient to 
complete the initial terms of the transaction. 91 Late in May the 
executive committee considered the question of changing the name 
"Atchison" to something of less "evil" memory. "Wilmot" was the 
first choice, and "Pomeroy" second, but no definite action was ever 
taken. 92 

By the summer of 1857 the Emigrant Aid Company reached the 
apex of its hopes, and was filled with gratification at its accomplish- 
ments. The Free-State cause had clearly triumphed in the terri- 
tory. 93 The annual report of the directors for 1857 ably summarized 

89. Pomeroy to Thos. H. Webb, April 10, in minutes of the executive committee meeting 
of April 24, "Trustees' Records," v. III. It was further agreed to give Atchison any "aboli- 
tion name" desired. Pomeroy wrote the next day that, as soon as a rumor got abroad con- 
cerning the sale, shares and lots went up about 300 per cent. A move was made to locate a 
Wyandot float below Atchison, and start a rival town. 

90. Pomeroy to Webb, April 18 ibid. He added they could now either accept, or 
allow him to sell to other parties. There was no town site opposite St. Joseph in which he 
was willing to risk any money. 

91. Minutes of the executive committee meeting of April 24 ibid. Money from the eale 
of the Lawrence hotel site was used, in part. However, the commitments of the company 
were very large in this transaction. C. J. Higginson noted (letter of April 29, in the minutes 
of May 15) that an outlay of about $11,000 cash was involved, with a like amount six 
months hence, and the expenditure of $50,000 in the place by himself and new settlers, in 
which a flouring mill was to be included. Both Higginson and Martin Brimmer quailed at 
such a large outlay. 

Yet contrast the following "balance" presented at an executive committee meeting of 
May 25: $2,000 paid; $1,500 promised in six or twelve months. In January, 1859, the 
company's property in Atchison was listed at over $17,000. 

92. "Wilmot" after the author of the famous Proviso to exclude slavery from the Mexican 
cessions. 

When the transaction was being made, Pomeroy wrote (April 18) concerning the Atchison 
town company members: "B. F. Stringfellow and [P. T. ] Abell are here. They have both 
done their utmost to facilitate our bargain. They both declare they have done all they could 
to make Kansas a slave state; now they want ta make some money, which, to quote from 
B. F. Stringfellow, 'can only be done by falling in with manifest destiny, and letting it be- 
come a free state.' " Minutes of the executive committee meeting of May 1. 

The name of the Squatter Sovereign (formerly rabidly Proslavery) was changed to that 
of Freedom's Champion, and the politics radically altered, with Pomeroy and McBratney 
as editors. 

93. This was undoubtedly due chiefly to the great wave of settlers from the Northern 
middle-west. Even the company, in its report for 1857, did not claim that even a considera- 
ble part of the population had come through its direct agency. See its History, published in 
1862. The census of 1860 showed conclusively that by far the greatest number of permanent 
settlers came from such states as Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. See the article by William O. 
Lynch, cited elsewhere. Settlers were on the move to Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, 
and Texas, as well as to Kansas. Although the settlers actually transported to Kansas by 
the company were few in numbers, they did include a number of important leaders and in- 
fluential men. Historically the greatest importance appears to attach to the powerful and 
widespread influence of the company propaganda and advertising. Probably many settlers 
were indirectly influenced thereby, while the political effects were widespread. Unfortunately, 
this same propaganda was the stormy petrel which, when wildly exaggerated, stirred the 
Missouri slaveholders to action to prevent the abplitionizing of Kansas, as a safeguard to 
their own firesides. The reader should bear in mind that the land activities pale into in- 
significance when compared historically with the effects of the company as an agent of 
propaganda. 



HICKMAN: THE EMIGRANT AID COMPANY 255 

their accomplishments: "In view of the present condition of Kan- 
sas . . . your committee may be pardoned for dwelling with pride 
and satisfaction upon the reflection that this result has been chiefly 
owing to the operations of the New England Emigrant Aid Com- 
pany," which had taken the initiative. "The truth of the great 
principle of the immense benefits to colonization from the aid of 
associated capital planted in advance of emigration, to prepare the 
way for a civilized community, has never been so fairly tried and 
so fully proved as by this company." Without its work, the terri- 
tory would still have been "wild and uncultivated," with slavery 
established. "The policy which has built up towns in Kansas, has 
also, as a natural result, enhanced the value of all the permanent 
property of the company in the territory. . . . The value of its 
actual property, at a low estimate, nearly equals the total amount 
of the subscriptions to the capital stock." 94 Land was now worth 
double to quadruple the amount of a year ago, in the more thickly 
settled areas. This was especially encouraging, in view of the fact 
"that considerable sums have been expended without a direct view 
to pecuniary profit," and additional amounts lost by the destruction 
of property. If peace continues the stock will probably recover its 
original value, and make possible good dividends on the invest- 
ment. 95 Amos A. Lawrence presented his annual report, and re- 
signed his position as treasurer. In his official farewell to the com- 
pany he remarked: 

You will find the company free from debt, and its prosperity entire. What- 
ever may have been the result to the stockholders, the shares have never had 
more value than at the present time. The main object for which the associa- 
tion was formed viz., the incitement of free emigration into Kansas has 

94. The statement of expense to date of all their properties totaled $126,616.27 (June 20, 
1857 "Journal," p. 21). However, the cost of the Atchison property so far ($1,293.78) was 
only a small part of its real value, while no figures could yVt be placed on the projected 
towns of Claflin and Batcheller. The above included the following: 

Kansas City (hotel and site, etc.) $13,869 . 48 

Lawrence (claim on U. S. for hotel destroyed, real estate, mills and 

sites, and W st Lawrence) 55,181 .00 

Topeka (mill and mill sites, 10 shares, etc.) 7,146 . 80 

Manhattan (95 shares) 12,092 . 08 

Osawatomie (mill and site, one third town site, timber, etc.) 17,042.60 

Quindaro (10 ^ares) 6,912.80 

Wabaunsee (mill and site) 3,555 . 42 

Burlington (real estate) 2,401 . 21 

Atchison (103 lots and hotel, listed in 1859 as $17,107.10) 1,293.78 

Mills property (mills on way) 7,121 . 04 

Expenses were prorated annually between Boston and Kansas, and charged to the various 
properties. For 1856-1857 the total had been over $32,000. Over $27,000 had been received 
from stock sales that year, and $5,000 from donations. See the article by Carruth. 

95. Quotations from the "Annual Report of the Directors" for 1857, in Lawrence Re- 
publican of August 6. The report noted that the great improvement from a year before 
was not due to any help from the government, but to the "brave and determined resistance 
to oppression" of the Kansas patriots. (The anti-slavery party in Kansas and elsewhere was 
highly prejudiced against the Democratic administration at Washington.) The tide of emi- 
gration now promised to make the aid of the company no longer needed, the report continued. 

The company at this time began to consider activities elsewhere, particularly in Texas, 



256 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

been successfully accomplished. The corporation must hereafter be considered 
a land company, and be managed as such. A speedy closing-up of its business 
seems to me to be the surest method of yielding a return of the money ex- 
pended; and, in disposing of the property, much consideration appears to be 
due our faithful agents. . . , 96 

The approach in the fall of the panic of 1857 blasted all reason- 
able hope for a satisfactory liquidation of the company's holdings. 
The crisis, precipitated by the failure of the Ohio Life Insurance 
and Trust Company late in August, spread rapidly over a wide 
area. 97 The west suffered most severely, as the close of the Crimean 
War had opened a large area to wheat production, causing that 
commodity to fall from $2 to 75 cents a bushel. Kansas and Ne- 
braska were particularly hard hit, as the settlers in these regions 
had scarcely gotten established (many had indeed only arrived that 
year) . As early as September the Kansas Weekly Herald of Leaven- 
worth advertised a sheriff's sale of land for taxes. 98 The Herald of 
Freedom remarked in the following June: 99 "We pity the man who 
is compelled to raise money now in Kansas. We were told by a 
moneylender, the other day, that he was receiving from 10 to 20 
per cent per month, and had been paid at the rate of 20, 25 and 30 
per month to discount notes." Business was nearly suspended in 
all Kansas towns, and men with twenty or twenty-five thousand 
dollars could not sell property at any price, to realize even a few 
hundred dollars. A movement was begun to obtain united support 
in an appeal to the President to postpone the coming land sales, 
and they were put off several times, but were held in 1859 and 1860. 
A similar movement was instituted to reduce the taxes, but by 1859 
the advertising of delinquent taxes reached an astounding scale, in- 
cluding both rural lands and town lots. Vast numbers of the latter 
were listed as of unknown owners, presumably nonresident specu- 
lators who had abandoned their holdings on the approach of the 
depression. 100 The severe drouth of 1860 caused an almost com- 
plete crop failure, necessitated a widespread program of relief, and 

96. Annual report of Amos A. Lawrence, as treasurer, May 26, 1857, incorporated in the 
documentary History of the Company, p. 22. 

97. Frederic L. Paxson, History of the American Frontier, 1769-189$ (New York, etc., 
1924), p. 441. 

98. Issue of September 26. 

99. Issue of June 6, 1858. 

100. Information derived chiefly from announcements in various territorial newspapers. 
The Neosho Valley Register of July 21, 1860, remarked that, down to the fall of 1857. Kansas 
had been largely dependent on Missouri for the chief articles of food, being more concerned 
with speculation than with the growing of crops. (It might be added that several years were 
usually required for a settler to establish himself.) 



HICKMAN: THE EMIGRANT AID COMPANY 257 

still further postponed recovery. Thousands sold their claims, or 
abandoned them, and left Kansas. 101 

What were the chances of success for the Emigrant Aid Company 
under such circumstances? In the past the company had depended 
on sales of stock to finance it, and had never accumulated a reserve 
of any importance. Income from rents had always been disappoint- 
ing, and from sales negligible. The general policy followed in the 
years 1854-1857 had been one of expansion, with no apparent in- 
tention of sales on a large scale. Had no depression intervened, such 
a program might have slowly reached fulfillment, but in stringent 
times, with its credit nothing to boast of, a large reserve would be 
imperative to tide it over. The Emigrant Aid Company was thus 
totally unprepared to pass through any extended period of hard 
times, and was in the class of "frozen" corporations which are 
ordinarily expected to fail in such circumstances. By a policy of 
sales instead of purchases in the summer of 1857 the company might 
have been more fortunate. Lawrence, early in the summer, in a 
letter to Williams, advocated the sale of at least half their Kansas 
property before September first, to avoid a coming depression. 102 
His warning went unheeded. 

The panic of 1857 brought an abrupt end to the policy of expan- 
sion, and inaugurated one of strict retrenchment. So pressing was 
the situation at the close of the year that the company was obliged 
to procure a loan to meet its obligations, and to allow Pomeroy to 
fulfill his engagements in Kansas. 103 Early in 1858 the resignations 
of Messrs. Pomeroy and Branscomb were accepted, and a new policy 

101. Thaddeus Hyatt had a leading part in the program of relief. He wrote to Hon. 
B. F. Camp, January 12, 1861, soliciting aid from the New York legislature, and stated that 
his statistics, covering twenty-five counties and representing the general average, were as 
follows: 12,673 persons had only $10,671, or less than a dollar each; 18,967 bushels of corn, 
or about 1 */ bushels each ; less than nine pounds of flour each ; and their corn and wheat 
crops had been almost complete failures. "Hyatt Papers," Kansas State Historical Society. 

102. Lawrence to J. M. S. Williams, May or June, 1857 (exact date not clear), 
"Lawrence Letters," p. 258. Lawrence said: "1. That the land speculation now rife in the 
Western states must have an end before another summer. 2. That Kansas lands are higher 
than they will be next year. So are town lots, taking all the towns together. ... 4. 
That it is for our interest to sell freely, say one half of all we own in Kansas before Septem- 
ber 1st. . . . By this course we may in time pay over to our stockholders 50 or 75 
per cent of their investments. By the opposite course, in my opinion, we shall lose the 
capital. . . ." 

103. Letters of Pomeroy of December, 1857, in minutes of the executive committee 
meeting of January 1, 1858, "Trustees' Records," v. IV. Why the situation should have 
changed so very rapidly, is not entirely clear to the writer. The "Journal" states that, at the 
time of the annual meeting, there was a balance of $10,000 in cash on hand. 1857 had 
been, it is true, a year of large outlays. Whether Pomeroy was in any way responsible, can- 
not be said without further study. (Strange to say, the more important books of the 
company for the first two years seem to have disappeared.) 

There was at that time trouble as to the Kansas City hotel property, and claims held 
there against the company. To raise money, Pomeroy tried to sell the Atchison mill, but 
"the proposition to sell for cash was deemed a joke." 



258 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

inaugurated, with M. F. Conway as general agent. 104 The com- 
pany's property "will not be enlarged except in the towns of Claflin 
and Batcheller. . . . We do not intend to enter upon any new 
enterprises in the territory." 105 There was to be "a prudent hus- 
bandry of our resources, which can only be secured by economy, 
method in the accounts, & a careful attention to details." 106 A plan 
for the gradual sale of their properties, in order to obtain the best 
possible returns for the times, also came to be increasingly urged. 
In the program of townsite promotion the Emigrant Aid Company 
had been obliged to cooperate with the local town companies. As a 
result it became seriously involved, even in its earlier years. Thus 
at Osawatomie the company had obtained a third interest in the 
townsite, along with William Ward and 0. C. Brown. Early in 
1857 Pomeroy was made head of the town company, and could then 
better protect the Emigrant Aid interests. 107 A serious difference 
arose between Ward and Pomeroy, on the one hand, and Brown, 
who had formerly headed the town company, on the other. The 
townsite proved to be not properly preempted. 108 Even worse, how- 
ever, was the course pursued by Brown, who, to avoid payment of 
what he owed the town, placed his property in other hands, where 
it could not be touched. 109 Thus by 1860 the town company was 
mortgaged to the extent of almost $1,000, with the courts threaten- 
ing a foreclosure. The Emigrant Aid Company was obliged to 
authorize its agent to advance $1,000 to free its property of en- 
cumbrance. 110 

104. See footnote No. 131 concerning the serious dispute between the company and Mr. 
Branscomb. Whether Pomeroy supported him or not, is not clear to the writer, but at any 
rate both resignations took effect on March 1, 1858. No doubt Mr. Pomeroy was, from 
a business standpoint, too optimistic to serve the company well in times of depression, when 
retrenchment and not expansion was necessary. He continued to serve as local agent for 
Atchison and Kansas City, and apparently was still in good standing with his employers. 

105. Letter of instructions of C. J. Higginson to M. F. Conway, newly appointed general 
agent, "Emigrant Aid Collection." The letter stated that the political objective of freedom 
in the territory had been attained "so far as the influence of the company through invest- 
ment can attain it." The second objective of profit was now to be the goal to aim at. 

106. Letter of notification of Mr. Brimmer to Conway as general agent, February 6, 
1858 ibid. This advice seems to have been quite to the point. In the earlier years of 
the company Lawrence appears to have been the only one in authority who stood for the 
application of strict business principles. 

107. By 1859 Conway was elected to this position. He was also a member of the Man- 
hattan town company. Pomeroy, Robinson, and Branscomb were also at times on various 
town companies, such as Atchison, Quindaro, Lawrence, etc. The agents were greatly helped 
by being in such positions. 

108. R. S. Stevens to O. C. Brown, Washington, February 18, 1860. The land office 
pronounced the entry of town sites by the probate judges as void. 

109. M, F. Conway to Thomas H. Webb, May 27, 1859, and June 18, 1860. Ward had 
abandoned the whole affair in despair, and refused to make further payment. The company 
was thus left to shoulder the whole burden, or follow the example of Ward, and complete 
the fiasco. 

The trouble at Osawatomie was merely an extreme example of a class of troubles that was 
constant. 

110. C. J. Higginson to M. F. Conway, July 10, I860, Instructions of the executive 
committee, "Emigrant Aid Collection." 



HICKMAN: THE EMIGRANT AID COMPANY 259 

The problem of collecting rents had always been a difficult one. 
The attitude of many settlers, that the Emigrant Aid Company 
was a great charitable organization, increased these troubles. For 
example, the Topeka association early in 1858 advised Mr. Brans- 
comb it would be useless to attempt the collection of more than a 
nominal rent for the Topeka schoolhouse. 111 The problem of rents 
had become so serious by early 1858 that the company issued special 
instructions to Conway, the newly appointed general agent, advis- 
ing him that: "These rents you will henceforward insist by all 
means upon collecting punctually. . . ." Otherwise the "impres- 
sion is thereby produced that the company is neglectful or indifferent 
to its own interests. . . ." 112 

Conway as general agent found it virtually impossible to per- 
sonally supervise the disordered business of the company all over 
the territory. He advised that the sales of lots, erection of mills, 
and the like, be left to the local agents in the towns. 113 The com- 
pany now authorized the sale of its property, but to obtain any 
reasonable payment in cash, as desired, was almost out of the ques- 
tion. 114 The treasurer could no longer borrow .on a simple promise 
of the company to pay. Before the ill-starred year of 1858 drew to 
a close he recommended the borrowing of $10,000. 115 In the face 
of this dark outlook, meetings of the executive committee, which 
had regularly occurred weekly, now became more and more infre- 
quent during 1859. The company fulfilled its contract and voted a 
mill for Batcheller, but doubt was expressed as to the outcome. 116 

111. Official letter of Branscomb to the company, January 14, 1858, in the minutes of 
January 29. The Kansas State Historical Society possesses the contract for this building, 
drawn up in 1857. The company advanced money to Abner Doane, to aid in its construction. 
(The term "Topeka association" refers to the town company.) 

112. Letter of instruction, C. J. Higginson to M. F. Conway, February, 1858 "Emigrant 
Aid Collection." Properties then rented included the Lawrence mill, the Pinckney street 
and Kentucky street houses in Lawrence, the Manhattan mill, Topeka schoolhouse, Osawatomie 
mill, Atchison hotel (and the Atchison mill soon to be rented). Rent of the Lawrence and 
Manhattan mills was then overdue, and affairs of the Osawatomie mill were in disorder. 

113. Official letter of Conway to the company, May 5, 1858, in the minutes of May 14, 
"Trustees' Records," v. IV. "I have the Manhattan embroglio, the Topeka embroglio, be- 
sides the Williams & Critchett embroglio, the Branscomb embn>glio, and a half dozen other 
embroglios here in Lawrence, all to straighten out. ... I do not wish to become my- 
self an embroglio, so be prudent, gentlemen." 

The local agents could not have been very enthusiastic, as they were now paid a mere 
commission on business transacted. 

114. When Pomeroy did sell a few lots in Atchison, he could make no collection. His 
rosy letters as to the outlook there began to cool down by the fall of 1858. He complained 
in addition on January 3, 1859 (minutes of January 28): "Those of us who live here are 
every day called upon to give a lot to a church or school or to secure the Salt Lake mail, or 
other purposes." 

115. Letter of the treasurer, minutes of the executive committee meeting of October 22, 
1858. Kansas receipts for 1858-1859 were only $3,474, and expenses $14,724.95. 

116. Webb wrote to Conway, April 30, 1859: "I am in hopes now, they will go ahead 
and make a bona fide town. I trust the town executive committee are discreet and judicious 
men, who will be careful not to accumulate a debt, to ruin and sink the whole concern." 

It may be stated here that Webb had a very large property interest in Kansas. This 
included a share in each of the following towns : Topeka, Brownsville, Lawrence, Quindaro, 
and Osawatomie; also lots at Manhattan, an undivided interest at Atchison with Pomeroy, 
another at Winthrop (opposite Atchison), and a quarter interest in the Wyandot float at 



260 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

A question arose as to the exact extent of the company's property 
at Manhattan. 117 It was found that in general no sales of impor- 
tance were possible in such a period, but the company continued to 
oppose forced sales, 118 even though current expenses made impossi- 
ble a reduction in the notes outstanding. Sales were limited chiefly 
to the Topeka schoolhouse and the Kansas City hotel. 119 In its 
extremity territorial scrip was accepted in payment of several "bad" 
debts. 120 The executive committee noted, in the fall of 1860, that 
it was "entirely unsafe to rely for any part of this needed money, 
upon remittances from the territory" . . . and recommended a 
further note issue. 121 At the annual meeting in May, 1861, it was 
shown that rents from Kansas for the past year had been only 
$915.09, and sales a paltry $520.75. Though current expenses had 
been greatly reduced they were still not far from $4,000. Non- 
resident landholders could make no sales, while the mills of the com- 
pany were deteriorating. 122 With the admission of Kansas as a 
free state the special purpose of the company had been fulfilled; 
"still, the Ex-Committee have always borne in mind, that our en- 
terprise to be perfect in result, must be a success financially, as well 
as in every other way. It must be shown that the Free State system 
of settling new country, pays well, in money. This we do not abso- 
lutely despair of doing even in the case of Kansas," despite the 
series of unfortunate events. 123 It was decided to sell their entire 
property for $20,000, which would leave $5,000 above indebtedness, 
and with the $25,000 due from the United States for destruction of 
the Lawrence hotel, might eventually admit of a small dividend to 
the stockholders. A few weeks later, however, it was voted inex- 

Burlington. He had also a promise of a share in each of the following: Moneka, Emporia, 
and Tecumseh. Letters of Thomas H. Webb to "Friend Conway," July 6, 1858, and 
August 20, 1859, "Emigrant Aid Collection." Webb would request a share in a city as a 
reward for his account in the handbooks he published for emigrants. (A share was uni- 
formly ten lots.) 

117. Official letter of Conway, April 23, 1859, in the minutes of May 13. A hotel project 
there also caused trouble. 

118. Minutes of the directors' meeting of May 29, 1860, "Trustees' Records," v. V. 
"The secretary observed that the business affairs of the company continued much as they 
were at the last annual meeting, the year closing having proved quite unfavorable for the 
effecting of sales to any great extent or amount. 

"The opinion was very decidedly expressed that forced sales ought not to be made, but 
the property carefully husbanded, and disposed of in larger or smaller parcels, from time to 
time. . . ." 

119. The Kansas City hotel was sold to one Hopkins for $10,000. The company ob- 
jected to the unfavorable terms Pomeroy obtained, however. Eldridge intervened, claiming 
Hopkins his customer. The sale does not seem to have been finally completed. 

120. $2,500 from G. W. Brown of the Herald of Freedom, to pay his debt in full. 
Brown had often claimed that he owed nothing, because of his services to the cause of 
freedom. Also $1,500 from S. W. Eldridge, for furniture of hotel at Lawrence. 

121. Minutes of the executive committee meeting of November 9, "Trustees' Records," v. V. 

122. Annual meeting of May 28, 1861, described in the documentary History of the 
New England Emigrant Aid Company, p. 26. 

123. Minutes of the directors' meeting of May 28, 1861, "Trustees' Records," v. V. 



HICKMAN: THE EMIGRANT AID COMPANY 261 

pedient to sell at that time. In July Messrs. Brimmer and Lawrence, 
of the finance committee, reported that the income of the company 
was nothing, and "neither its value, nor the necessities of its man- 
agement justify an annual expense of $3,000." 124 The salary of 
the secretary and expenses of the Boston office were discontinued, 
and the salary of the general agent in Kansas reduced. Evidently 
the problem of paying its debts was bringing the Kansas venture 
to a close. 

At an auction in Boston by Leonard & Company, February 27, 
1862, the entire property of the Emigrant Aid Company in Kansas 
and Missouri was sold to Isaac Adams, of Sandwich, N. H., and 
Henry A. Ayling, of Boston, for a consideration of $16,150 (except- 
ing its claim on the United State for the Free State hotel). 125 This 
amount little more than covered outstanding debts, to say nothing 
of a dividend to the stockholders. 126 The property thus disposed 
of had a book value of $143,322.98, having remained at approxi- 
mately that amount for some time, with no reduction to conform 
to depression values. 127 

In reviewing the reasons for the failure of the Kansas real-estate 
project, several major factors appear. There was no income to the 
company in the transportation of emigrants, while the indirect re- 
sults, upon which it had so much doted, were hard to obtain. It 
was often very hard to get the emigrants to "stay put/' upon which 
the success of a projected town so much depended. 128 The Emigrant 
Aid Company became so seriously involved with the affairs of the 
various town companies where it had interests, that its fate was 
virtually the sum total of theirs. 129 It has been held that the agents 

124. Minutes of the executive committee meeting of July 22, 1861. Ibid. 

125. "Journal," p. 179. Also minutes of the executive committee meeting of March 20, 
1862, in "Trustees' Records," v. V. Included in the sale were Kansas bonds and territorial 
scrip to the amount of $3,500. 

Isaac Adams was the inventor of the "Adams power press," which worked a revolution 
in the art of printing. He was a member of the Massachusetts senate in 1840. He died 
in 1883. Henry A. Ayling was in earlier years a member of the firm, Priest and Ayling, 
commission iron merchants. He later became an officer of the Union Elastic Goods Company 
of Boston. Both men were members of the Emigrant Aid Company. 

The original agreement of sale is in the "Emigrant Aid Collection" of the Kansas State 
Historical Society. 

126. Three notes outstanding then amounted to $12,000. 

127. For most of this property, at least, the company now had valid deeds. The 
"Journal" lists the following (p. 179): 

Kanzas City $12,864.08 Burlington 3,096.05 

Lawrence 50,075.28 Atchison 15,127.65 

Topeka 10,646.87 Batcheller 4,392.32 

Manhattan 11,910 . 77 Claflin 2,739 . 20 

Osawatomie 19,965 . 54 

Quindaro 7,456 . 15 

Wabaunsee 5,049.07 Total $143,322.98 

128. At least four of the company towns eventually became "dead towns," or were 
radically altered. 

129. If the company could have had a 100 per cent interest, this would not have been 
the case, but usually its share was proportionally small. 



262 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

of the company, in Kansas, were in part responsible for its fail- 
ures. 130 It appears that in general they did their work well, for 
which the company more than once heartily thanked them. There 
were, indeed, several serious disputes, involving at least one forced 
resignation, 131 but in general the agents cooperated well in carrying 
out their official instructions. 132 No doubt the company itself was 
lax in its general policy, which was reflected at times by its agents 
in the field, justifying well the poor opinion of it as a land company 
held by Amos A. Lawrence. Yet the Emigrant Aid officials did 
considerably alter their plan as to the agents early in 1858. Under 
this system the local agents were paid solely by their commissions 
on sales and rents, and were to do much of the actual business, while 
a general agent (M. F. Conway), supervised the entire interests 
of the company. A general policy of strict economy was enjoined 
on all. 133 

There is little doubt that the one chief cause of the failure of the 
real-estate projects of the Emigrant Aid Company in Kansas was 
the panic of 1857, which intervened at a decisive time in the com- 
pany's history. Probably few land companies could have survived 
such an immense deflation in property values. The severe drought 
in Kansas in 1860 prolonged the depression, and made it even more 

130. See Carruth's article, cited in footnote No. 66. A minute recheck of the company's 
finances might lead to interesting conclusions. Unfortunately the records, as found at Topeka, 
are not complete in this regard. It is furthermore doubtful whether the books kept by 
Pomeroy are in existence. 

131. The most serious dispute involved the account of Branscomb, in 1857. It was sub- 
mitted to Judge Russell, who found in Branscomb's favor, with the exception of the payment 
by Branscomb of the expenses of four persons back to Massachusetts, when the Missouri river 
was closed to the Northern emigrants (1856). The company refused to pay this, and, coupled 
with an error as to salary, threatened suit. Branscomb eventually resigned (March 1, 1858). 
(The Topeka Tribune of January 28, 1860, notes that suit was then being brought in the 
court of Shawnee county, by the company vs. Branscomb and C. Robinson, on a note and 
deed of mortgage.) 

Charles Robinson, in his resignation in 1856, claimed he could serve the company quite as 
well outside, and avoid the charge of being controlled by it. Secret differences seem to have 
arisen. Robinson was then also becoming interested in the Kansas Land Trust, and Quindaro. 

The resignation of Pomeroy from his supervisory position at an hour particularly dark for 
the company may possibly have been due to dissatisfaction with his general policy, and more 
or less "free and easy" business, which would not have worked well in times of depression. 

132. The company issued very definite instructions to its agents in Kansas. Those given 
Pomeroy in August, 1854, will serve as a good example. He was authorized to purchase 
property in Kansas City and Kansas territory to an amount not exceeding $40,000. With 
either of the other agents he could draw on the company treasurer for an amount not over 
$10,000. He was to buy not over six sawmills, and a gristmill if necessary, and to cause 
receiving houses to be erected. He was to be treasurer of the agents, and keep a set of books. 
Deeds of real estate were to be in his name, and at least one of the other agents. He was 
to have a schoolhouse built in each settlement, and to encourage the establishment of places 
of public worship. He was to use his influence in behalf of the Herald of Freedom, which 
was to be conducted on principles approved by the trustees. His salary was to be $1,000 
a year, plus traveling expenses and a ten percent commission on sales, rents, etc. Minutes of 
the fifth meeting of the trustees, August 26, 1854, "Trustees' Records," v. I. 

133. Instructions to M. F. Conway, February, 1858, "Emigrant Aid Collection." The 
company did on rare occasions send sharp reminders as to general policy. Thus on October 1, 
1856, its note to Pomeroy and Branscomb included the following: "The Executive Committee 
feel it to be of much importance that the agents of the Co. should in future devote them- 
selves exclusively to its affairs, so that no political or other object should be allowed to divert 
their attention from its interests." (Perhaps this applied well to Robinson, who resigned 
about this time.) 



HICKMAN: THE EMIGRANT AID COMPANY 263 

severe. 134 Yet with a sufficient fund from which to draw for running 
expenses, the company might have kept its investments intact until 
the better days of the post-war period. 

None of the later projects of the New England Emigrant Aid 
Company approached the fruition of the Kansas venture. Early 
in 1857 Eli Thayer began the formation of the Homestead Emigra- 
tion Society, to begin the colonization with Northern capital and 
labor of worn-out lands in Virginia. 135 As early as May, 1856, in 
the annual meeting of the Emigrant Aid Company, the subject of 
colonization of Virginia was broached by Mr. Thayer, as a lucrative 
land venture which would promote the cause of freedom. The com- 
pany never acted on his proposals. 136 The future Emigrant Aid 
program was being studied during 1857 and 1858. In 1857 the 
executive committee had a subcommittee on Texas, before which 
Colonel Ruggles of the United States army appeared, in favor of 
emigration to Texas. 137 In June of that year this committee re- 
ported "that highly valuable investments can be made if prompt 
action be had, at comparatively moderate cost. . . ." The free- 
soil population could be easily added to. Operations should begin 
immediately to check the ingress of a slave population. 138 It was 
decided to make further investigation, however, before taking action. 
At the quarterly meeting of the directors in November, 1858, Thayer 
made an address in favor of continuing the activity of the company 
in the cause of freedom. The secretary mentioned several possible 
fields: Missouri now rapidly tending to free-stateism, the Chero- 
kee country, and western Texas, and preferred the last named. 139 
The committee then appointed did not report on the subject of Texas 
colonization until March, I860. 140 They believed that immediate 
action was needed to secure freedom to western Texas, and "that a 
well-sustained band of free settlements, like the line of fire to the 

134. The documentary Hi&tory of the company states that the panic "checked at once 
and fatally our hopes of rapidly converting our property into money." It also stresses the 
drought as a powerful factor (p. 24, et seq.). 

135. William Lloyd Garrison's The Liberator, April 17, 1857. See the speech of Thayer 
on organized emigration to the South, cited above. 

136. Proceedings of the annual meeting for 1856, Boston Daily Evening Traveller of May 
28, in "Webb," v. XII, p. 225. Thayer made a tour of western Virginia (now West Virginia) 
and eastern Kentucky in the interest of his project to develop neglected plantations and un- 
improved lands. Five thousand acres were finally selected in Wayne county, near the Kentucky 
border, in a narrow peninsula on the Ohio. Here the town oi Ceredo was founded, in which 
Thayer planned a great manufacturing establishment along New England lines. The plan 
prospered well at the start, and the earlier opposition of leading Virginians to "Yankee con- 
version" largely disappeared. The war intervened, however, and Ceredo remained a small 
town. 

137. Minutes of the executive committee meetings, summer of 1857. 

138. Report of the committee, minutes of June 19, in "Trustees' Records," v. III. 

139. Quarterly meeting of the directors, November 23, 1858. Minutes of the meeting. 
He did not favor any movement, without being first assured of at least $50,000. A committee 
was named to study the matter. 

140. Minutes of the executive committee meeting of March 16, 1860, in "Trustees' 
Records," v. V. 



264 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

scorpion, will turn back the advance of slavery, & turn its venom 
to its own destruction." 141 The only peaceful solution of the slavery 
question "was the clear demonstration to the slave holders that free 
labor was cheaper and better in every way than slave labor," even 
in the cotton belt of the South. It was believed that the tide of 
slavery could be safely dammed up, by planting northern settle- 
ments along a 190-mile front south of the mouth of the Little 
Wichita river. 142 To execute this plan the committee recommended 
the purchase of large tracts of around 2,000 acres at six or eight 
points, leaving about fifteen miles between the settlements. Armed 
settlers and machinery should then be quickly sent in, with the 
general plan kept a secret to all but a chosen few, "until we feel 
ourselves strong enough to bid defiance to the slave-power." 143 
Land could be purchased very cheaply in this region. The com- 
mittee recommended a $50,000 fund, with operations to begin when 
$10,000 was collected. Subscription papers were drawn up, but not 
enough was collected to warrant the starting of the enterprise. 144 
Late in 1864 the Emigrant Aid Company undertook a plan to 
transport the surplus women of Massachusetts to Oregon. 145 The 
Rev. Sydney H. Marsh, president of the Pacific University of 
Oregon, called the attention of the directors of the company to the 
subject as early as 1860, but the war intervened, and no action was 
taken. 146 The project appears to have been largely philanthropic, 
and devoid of plans to invest in real estate. 147 The first small group 
of girls were sent, via the Isthmus, late in December, 1864, and a 
second and larger group was transported in 1865. 148 

141. Quoting from this report. 

142. South and southwest of the Rio San Antonio there was little if any danger. From 
a point thirty or forty miles south of San Antonio de Bexar to a point nearly due north on 
the Rio Llano, a distance of over a hundred miles, there was a large preponderance of German 
settlers, blocking the advance of slavery. This left a distance of about 190 miles to the 
mouth of the Little Wichita river, and through this gap slavery threatened to flow. 

143. A point like Lamar on the coast would be needed to land settlers and supplies for 
the South. Settlers for the North would go via the Mississippi, the Red, and Arkansas 
rivers, and then wagons overland. 

144. Quoting the minutes further (meeting of March 16, 1860). Also the documentary 
History, p. 23. 

Edward E. Hale, who was prominent in the later history of the company, had been much 
interested in the future of Texas, as his pamphlet of 1845 had indicated. 

145. Emigrant Aid circular, in "Emigrant Aid Collection." This circular, dated Novem- 
ber 2, 1864, noted that in Oregon there were, by the last census, 40,000 less women than men, 
while in Massachusetts there was a large surplus. The company announced it had engaged 
its own vessel, and employed an Oregon agent. 

146. Report to the directors, May 15, 1865, of John Williams, Oregon agent, in Oregon 
correspondence, "Emigrant Aid Collection." 

147. At least $850 was given for the cause. The later announcements noted that only 
girls of good character would be accepted. 

148. The company advertised it would send its own steamer from Boston to Portland, 
in May, 1865. It appears to have used, instead, a government vessel to transport 300 lady 
passengers. (Difficulties arose on the first trip when the girls, being sent via steerage, were 
exposed to too many dangers.) Governor Andrew of Massachusetts, and Edward E. Hale of 
the company were the particular sponsors of the Oregon work. Oregon correspondence, "Emi- 
grant Aid Collection." The Seattle Weekly Gazette (April 27, 1865) rejoiced at the prospect 
for bachelors. 



HICKMAN: THE EMIGRANT AID COMPANY 265 

Although the plan to operate in western Texas never materialized, 
the company still retained an interest in emigration and investment 
in the South. In 1862, when a bill was in congress to confiscate the 
lands of certain classes of former confederates, the company issued 
a circular suggesting that these lands be given to loyal union men, 
by means of an emigration southward. 149 The experience of the 
Emigrant Aid Company showed that such a movement should be 
organized. If the government should decide to do this, "it might 
use to advantage trustworthy agencies at the North," such as the 
Emigrant Aid Company. 150 A company report of the same year 
recommended purchases in the border states, such as Maryland and 
eastern Virginia, as a suitable plan for future operations. 151 This 
was not done because of the lack of funds. At a meeting of the com- 
pany in 1865 the proposal was advanced for the company to co- 
operate with the United States Mutual Protection Company, in its 
work of promoting emigration to the South and real-estate develop- 
ment in that section. 152 No action was taken at that time, but the 
general subject made a strong appeal. In February, 1867, the 
Massachusetts legislature issued a new charter to the New England 
Emigrant Aid Company, with the object of specifically authorizing 
Southern colonization. 

The charter of 1867 authorized the issuance of $150,000 of ad- 
ditional capital stock, denominated "preferred," for the purpose of 
"directing emigration southward, and aiding in providing accom- 
modations for the emigrants after arriving at their place of destina- 
tion." 153 The company enjoyed a large correspondence at that time 
with persons in widely separated places, urging it to purchase land, 
particularly in Florida. 154 Gen. J. F. B. Jackson went on a tour of 

149. Company circular, June, 1862, in the "Emigrant Aid Collection." 

150. If employed, they would disclaim any idea of profit to the company or those con- 
nected with it. Signed by the executive committee, then composed of S. Cabot, Jr., M. 
Brimmer, C. J. Higginson, John Carter Brown, Amos A. Lawrence, and Edward E. Hale. 

151. Documentary History, pp. 31-33. 

152. This company had as its chief aim the occupation "by loyal citizens of the Northern 
states, of desirable plantations in the various Southern states lately in rebellion, thereby in- 
fusing into them a healthy and loyal element, and, at the same time, promoting the pecuniary 
interests of the patriotic men who shall be instrumental in effecting this work." It was 
capitalized at a large amount, and had its general offices in Washington, D. C. Hon. Alexander 
W. Randall, first assistant post master general, was president, and the Hon. S. C. Pomeroy, 
senator from Kansas, vice president. (Edward Winslow, in 1867 treasurer of the Emigrant 
Aid Company, was subagent for Massachusetts.) The company proposed to aid settlers on 
the same general plan as the Emigrant Aid Company had followed in Kansas, and was to 
reap a reward in real-estate profits. Official pamphlet of the United States Mutual Protection 
Company, in "Emigrant Aid Collection." 

163. Act to Incorporate the New England Emigrant Aid Company, February 19, 1867. 
Copy in Florida correspondence, "Emigrant Aid Collection." The charter was amended to 
expire by limitation in thirty years. Preferred stock was to draw 8 per cent dividends, be- 
fore any on the common. R. P. Waters was then president, Rev. E. E. Hale, vice president, 
and Edward Winslow, treasurer. 

154. Knowledge of the land activities of the company seems to have been widespread 
at that time. 



266 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

inspection of that state, and convinced the company "that capital 
is greatly needed there; that it may be invested with handsome 
profit, and at the same time so as to largely assist and encourage 
emigration." 155 It was desired to colonize settlers of small means, 
in units for mutual support and public influence, and thereby en- 
courage loyal union sentiment in the state. The governor of Florida, 
and various internal improvement companies in that state, were 
ready to make very liberal offers of land. 156 In May, 1867, the 
company announced its intention of establishing a colony on or near 
the St. Johns river (in the vicinity of Jacksonville) , on a large tract 
offered at favorable terms. 157 When twenty families agreed to unite 
in a colony, the company would send an agent to survey and lay 
out the land. It was the intention to send such a colony, at least 
by October. The company would remedy the chief draw-back for 
New England settlers the lack of religious and educational facili- 
ties, by providing a church and schoolhouse. 158 

The Emigrant Aid Company sold stock to finance its Florida 
project, but these sales never approached those made in the interest 
of the Kansas venture. 159 The cause of loyal unionism in the South 
did not have the appeal of "bleeding Kansas." Late in September, 
1867, the company announced it had abandoned its proposed Florida 
colony, as announced in the May circular, because a large proportion 
of the emigrants wished to go unpledged as to the point of settle- 
ment, rather than in company with others. 160 For some months the 
company entertained further proposals as to Florida, nevertheless, 
and began to collect a new fund early in 1868, for "use in promoting 
emigration to Florida, and its other purposes." 161 The next month 
(February, 1868) it officially denied it furnished "pecuniary assis- 

155. Official company circular, early 1867, in the "Emigrant Aid Collection." 

156. Ibid. Every day they received applications from small farmers of limited means, 
who wished to emigrate. A local newspaper was planned, to cherish union sentiments. 

157. "Florida Circular," May, 1867, printed circular in the "Emigrant Aid Collection." 

158. Company circular of May, 1867, in the "Emigrant Aid Collection." They would 
sell five shares of preferred stock at $100 a share to each person desiring to be member of a 
colony. With the certificate of stock would go a written guarantee to furnish the holder a 
farm of from 50 to 100 acres, at from $5 to $10 an acre. If in a year the settler did not 
care to purchase, they would take back the farm, and refund the money paid, in preferred 
stock of the company, or its land elsewhere. All communications were to be sent to T. B. 
Forbush, secretary, 49 Tremont St., Boston. 

159. Florida correspondence in the "Emigrant Aid Collection." One list of sales totaled 
$5,300, and another $11,400. Large subscribers included Samuel Cabot, $1,000; John Carter 
Brown, 75 and 50 shares (evidently preferred and common), William Claflin, 27 and 75, 
Martin Brimmer, and John W. Forbes. These were largely officers or former officers of the 
company. Brimmer and Forbes were then both directors. Probably these subscriptions were 
not paid in full. 

160. Company circular of September 26, 1867, "Emigrant Aid Collection." They recom- 
mended all going to Florida, however, to Capt. E. M. Cheney, their agent at Jacksonville. 
No doubt the company was taking a lesson from its Kansas experience, in thus abandoning 
the project. Settlers in the West in particular were ready to pull up stakes and "hit for the 
tall timber," whenever it became more inviting. 

161. "Subscription Book," dated January 1, 1868, in "Emigrant Aid Collection." 



HICKMAN: THE EMIGRANT AID COMPANY 267 

tance to parties going to Florida." Neither did it have "any colonies 
located, organized, or in the process of organization, nor any interest 
in the purchase or sale of any lands." It gave advice instead to 
would-be settlers. 162 The company continued to accept gifts for a 
"loyal paper" in Florida, evidently hoping to thus promote Northern 
principles in the state. 163 

The Florida project virtually closed the eventful history of the 
New England Emigrant Aid Company. A final meeting of the 
stockholders, their heirs or proxies, was held in February, 1897, when 
its charter was about to expire by limitation, and its claim against 
the United States for the destruction of the Free-State hotel at 
Lawrence was then voted to the University of Kansas. 164 

162. Pamphlet of information for emigrants (2d edition), February, 1868, in Florida 
correspondence. A description of land around Jacksonville, products, etc., is included. 

163. A large number of gifts were made to the company for this purpose by benevolent, 
persons. Some individual gifts were above $100. The Union Printing Company, which 
published the Florida Union, a journal of Northern views, at Jacksonville, had appealed to 
the Emigrant Aid Company for funds, as it was in debt. The company could not give it 
money, they replied, but offered to start a subscription list instead. 

164. In May, 1885, Amos A. Lawrence^ Edward E. Hale, and Eli Thayer incorporated 
the Utah Emigrant Aid and Improvement Company, under the laws of Massachusetts. Its 
purposes were: "Directing emigration to Utah and aiding in providing accommodations for 
emigrants after arriving in that territory and assisting in establishing among them manu- 
facturing and other industries." Acts and Resolves of the General Court of Massachusetts, 
1885. Capital stock was to be limited to a million dollars, only a small part of which could 
be invested in real estate in Massachusetts. A newspaper* of the time remarked that the 
founders of the company proposed to effect for Utah and Mormondom what they had done 
for Kansas and slavery. The writer has no information as to the operation of this company. 

The extensive collection of papers and documents of the New England Emigrant Aid 
Company (and allied companies) was sent to the Kansas State Historical Society many years 
ago by the family of Edward E. Hale. It includes the record books of the trustees, in which 
are found the minutes of the meetings of the executive committee and of the directors (five 
volumes); the "Journal" and "Ledger," which includes financial records from 1857 on; and 
a large amount of correspondence of the company with its agents and other persons, prelimi- 
nary financial statements, company circulars, etc. The correspondence is so extensive that the 
writer has only slightly tapped it, and should prove a valuable source for future writers. 
There is a considerable aggregate of further information concerning the affairs of the company, 
which is widely scattered. The extensive collection of newspaper clippings in the "Thomas 
H. Webb Scrapbooks" is a notable compilation of such materials. 



Ferries in Kansas 
PART VIII NEOSHO RIVER 

GEORGE A. ROOT 

THE Neosho was first known to the white man as Le Grande, this 
name having been bestowed by the French. 1 The year it re- 
ceived this title is a matter of conjecture. Pike, in the account of 
his journey to the Pawnee village in 1806, mentions the stream as a 
"grand fork of the White river," 2 and so far as we have been able 
to discover, this is the first mention of the name as applied to this 
stream. M. Carey & Son, in their General Atlas, published in 1817, 
call the stream the Grand. Stephen H. Long, in the account of his 
expedition of 1819-1820, adds other names to the list. He says: 
"A short ride brought us to the Neosho or Grand river, better known 
to the hunters by the singular designation of the Six Bulls." 3 This 
is believed to be the first printed mention of the stream as the 
"Neosho," while the name "Grand" river appears in an atlas as late as 
1840. 4 South of the confluence of the Verdigris with the Neosho, to 
where it joins the Arkansas, the name "Grand" attached for nearly a 
quarter of a century later. Maps of 1825 and later spell the name 
"Neozho." Joseph C. Brown's survey of the Santa Fe trail, 1825- 
1827, gives the same spelling. That Neosho is an Osage word 
various authorities agree, but there appears to be some question as 
to the real meaning of the word. One authority gives the meaning 
as "water that has been made muddy." 5 The late James R. Mead, 
of Wichita, who spent a number of years on the border and trafficked 
with Osages and other tribes along the southern border of Kansas, 
says that "Neosho is an Osage word, meaning 'Ne,' water; 'osho/ 
clear. Neosho clear water. In the Indian languages the adjective 
comes after the noun." 6 

The Neosho is the largest tributary of the Arkansas river on the 
north, and under federal law is considered a navigable stream. 7 

The Neosho is famed for its beauty, running through some of the 
choicest agricultural lands within the state, while its banks are 

1. Kansas Historical Collections, v. IT, p. 708. 

2. Pike's Expeditions, p. 135. 

3. Long's Expedition, v. 2, p. 253. 

4. Jeremiah Greenleaf, A New Universal Atlas, p. 47. 

5. Andreas. History of Kansas, p. 826. 

6. Kansas Academy of Science, Transactions, v. 18, p. 216. 

7. 65th congress, 1st session, House Document, No. S21, pp. 22, 30. 

(268) 



ROOT: FERRIES IN KANSAS 269 

lined with a wealth of native timber. The stream is formed by an 
east and west branch, the first named having its source in the 
southwest corner of Wabaunsee county, while the west branch 
starts at a point about fourteen or fifteen miles west of Council 
Grove, in Morris county. These two branches unite a little north- 
west of Council Grove, and flow in a general southeast direction 
through the counties of Morris, Lyon, Coffey, Woodson, Allen, 
Neosho, Labette and Cherokee, entering Oklahoma at a point a 
little southwest of the village of Mill Rose, Cherokee county, 
and emptying into the Arkansas near Fort Gibson. The Neosho 
is 404 miles long, of which about 300 miles are within Kansas, 8 
and has a drainage area variously given as 5,090 and 5,106 square 
miles within the state. Before the settlement of the state the river 
had a sufficient flow of water to warrant an early-day assertion 
that the river was navigable to a point above Parsons. 9 However, 
the present-day status of the river precludes the possibility of 
commercial traffic on the stream except in times of high water or 
flood. The river drains the section of the state between the Kaw 
and Marais des Cygnes on the north and the Verdigris on the south. 
Disastrous floods have occurred in the stream, its tortuous chan- 
nel being responsible in a great measure for the destruction that 
followed. The following years have been recorded as flood years: 
1844, 1885, 1896, 1898, 1899, 1900, 1902, 1903, 1904, 1905, 1907, 
1908, 1909, 1911, and 1915, and, in passing, it might be added that 
the year 1935 should be added to the above list. Of those floods 
occurring before 1935, those for 1885 and 1904 were the most dis- 
astrous. 10 In order to obtain reliable data regarding the amount of 
water carried by the river, a gauge station was established at lola 
in July, 1895, and, following the devastating flood of 1904, stations 
were also established at Oswego, Labette county; at Humboldt, 
Allen county; at LeRoy, Coffey county; and at Neosho Rapids, 
Lyon county. From records obtained at these stations some in- 
teresting facts regarding the river were brought out. For instance, 
at Oswego, the Neosho at average low water was found to be 220 
feet wide. At Humboldt, "the channel is permanent having a 
sandstone bottom. The current is sluggish at low water and fairly 
swift at high stages of flow. The gauge is at the highway bridge 
about one-half mile west of Humboldt. A masonry dam is about 

8. U. S. Weather Bureau, Daily River Stages, Part XI, p. Ill; Blackmar, History of 
Kansas, v. 2, p. 352. 

9. 65th congress, 1st session, House Document, No. 321, pp. 22, 30. 

10. Ibid., p. 6. 



270 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

100 yards below the bridge and is used to develop power for a grist- 
mill nearby." This station was abandoned in about a year. The 
highest water recorded there was on July 10, 1904, when the river 
reached a stage of 30.50 feet. 11 At Tola, at average low water, the 
river is 208 feet wide. At this point flood waters once reached a 
height of 17.03 feet, date unknown, while the lowest stage recorded 
was 2.8 feet on October 19, 20, 1908, flood stage being at ten feet. 12 
On May 26, 1902, at a height of twelve feet, the river discharged 
15,216 cubic feet of water a second. On August 25, same year, at a 
height of 16.50 feet, the flow was 25,246 cubic feet a second. 13 At 
Le Roy the highest stage of water recorded was 28 feet, on June 5, 
1904; lowest stage 0.0 on various dates. Flood stage occurred at 
24 feet. 14 At Neosho Rapids, 324 miles above the mouth, the width 
at average low water is 142 feet. Drainage area above this station 
is 2,511 square miles. The highest stage of water recorded here was 
29.5 feet; lowest 0.0 on November 7, 8, 1904, flood stage being at 
22 feet. 15 During August, 1934, the Neosho reached a new low 
level in Labette county. Mr. T. A. Sprague, of Oswego, who has 
lived in that vicinity for many years, said that the Neosho stopped 
running at three points in that locality during the month of August. 
Mr. Sprague has lived along the Neosho for the past sixty-eight 
years, has kept a diary for many years, and included in his nota- 
tions are many facts about the river. 16 

The site of the first ferry north of the Oklahoma-Kansas boundary 
has not been definitely located. Probably it was somewhere to the 
southeast of Chetopa, and within Cherokee county. In the Chetopa 
Advance, January 20, 1869, appeared the following advertisement: 

ROGERS NEW FERRY NEAR THE KANSAS AND CHEROKEE LINE AT THE OLD 
CROSSING. The proprietor has located and put in a ferry and a number one 
boat for the accommodation of the traveling public. It is in thorough repair 
and the public will find it to their advantage to cross at this point. The roads 
leading to it and from it are in fine condition and persons approaching Baxter 
from the west will find it a saving in distance to cross at this ferry. Also, the 
best way from the east to Chetopa. 

A week later, the Advance of January 27, printed the following 
item: 

NEW FERRY. Arrangements have been made to put in a new ferry across 
the Neosho, just this side of the residence of Mr. Hard. Unless the proprietors 

11. Water Supply and Irrigation Papers, No. 131, pp. 157, 158. 

12. Ibid., No. 37, p. 267 ; Daily River Stages, Part IX, p. 68. 

13. Water Supply and Irrigation Papers, No. 84, p. 115. 

14. Daily River Stages, Part IX, p. 76. 

15. Ibid., p. 92. 

16. St. Paul Journal, August 16, 1934. 



ROOT: FERRIES IN KANSAS 271 

of the old ferry put their boat and the approaches to the ferry in better con- 
dition, they must expect to lose all their custom. When not crossing teams, 
the hands ought to be kept busy with the shovel. 

No further mention of the Rogers ferry has been located. 

By early 1871 W. H. Barker and F. C. Lowrey applied to the 
county board for a license to run a ferry on the Neosho near the city 
of Chetopa, at the crossing of the Baxter Springs and Chetopa road. 
Their application was granted upon their filing a satisfactory bond 
and payment of a $10 fee into the county treasury. The board fixed 
their ferriage rates the same as those allowed other ferries within 
the county. 17 No further mention of this enterprise has been located. 

Chetopa was the next ferry location upstream. On September 
14, 1868, Messrs. C. W. Isbell and J. H. Frey petitioned the county 
commissioners for a license to operate a ferry at Chetopa, and the 
board, believing that such a ferry was much needed and would be of 
great utility to the traveling public, granted their petition. The 
county clerk was instructed to issue them a license upon payment of 
$20 into the county treasury of Labette county, and otherwise com- 
plying with the law. The board also fixed the following rates of 
ferriage. For one 4-horse, mule or ox team, 75 cents; one 2-horse, 
mule or ox team, 50 cents; one 2-horse buggy, 50 cents; one single 
horse and buggy, 40 cents; cattle, per head, 10 cents; mules, horses 
and asses, 10 cents each ; hogs and sheep, 5 cents each ; man on horse- 
back, 25 cents; footmen, 10 cents each. This license was for the 
duration of one year from the date of issue. 18 At a meeting of the 
board of county commissioners on November 26, following, the $20 
license fee charged this ferry was reduced to $10. Mr. Frank Frey, 
of Parsons, is a brother of the J. H. Frey who was connected with 
this ferry, and worked for his brother during his spare time. 19 No 
further record of this ferry has been found. 

In the spring of 1870 F. W. Maxon appeared to be in charge of 
the ferry at Chetopa, located at the foot of Maple street. He 
probably took charge sometime during 1869, for on April 6, the fol- 
lowing year, he made a request to the county board through the 
county clerk for a renewal of his license to operate at that point. 
The clerk was ordered to renew his license for one year upon the 
filing of a proper bond and the payment of $20 to the county 
treasurer. 20 

17. "Commissioners' Journal," Labette county, 1871. 

18. Ibid., 1868. 

19. Statement of Mrs. Sallie Shaffer, Parsons, after interview with Mr. Frey. 

20. "Commissioners' Journal," Labette county, 1870. 



272 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

Following high water in the year 1878, when bridges were put out 
of commission, a ferry was constructed the latter part of May, by 
J. M. Bauman, under contract with the city of Chetopa, and oper- 
ated during the flood period. 21 

Chetopa was an important trading point during the late 1860's, 
and for a time during the period of the Texas cattle trade was a 
shipping point for the "long horns" to northern markets. Thousands 
of head of Texas cattle were daily being driven through the south- 
east corner of the state, headed for the packing houses east of the 
Mississippi river. After the building of the railroads there was 
occasional trouble over the accidental killing of livestock by the 
railroad. William Higgins, an early-day politician, editor and 
later secretary of state, was appointed claim agent for the Missouri, 
Kansas and Texas Railroad, and the greater part of his duty was 
adjusting claims of farmers and cattlemen for loss of livestock 
killed by his road. This job earned for Mr. Higgins the honorary 
soubriquet of "Bull Coroner." 22 

In 1866 the legislature established a road from Humboldt to 
Chetopa, George Lisle, Henry Jackson, and William Simmons being 
appointed commissioners to lay it out. This road followed a trail 
already in use, which followed up the west side of the Neosho to 
Oswego and farther north. 23 In 1869 another road was established 
by the legislature, running from Baxter Springs to Chetopa, along 
the south line of the Cherokee neutral lands. J. W. Miller was the 
surveyor in charge of running this road, and his plat and notes are 
on file in the archives division of the Kansas State Historical 
Society. 24 

Agitation for bridges within the county began early in the 1870's, 
but the sparsely settled condition of the country found the settlers 
rather loath to incur the necessary expense in the way of taxes for 
these much-needed improvements. During the early summer of 
1871 another move for bridges was started, and on August 21 a 
special election on the proposition of voting Neosho river bridge 
bonds to the amount of $105,000 was held. The settlers evidently 
had not changed their minds, for the vote stood, for bonds, 165; 
against the bonds, 1,295. However, a later effort was more success- 
ful, and a bridge was built at Chetopa in 1872. This was a wooden 
structure and cost the city $10,000 in bonds. It served the com- 

21. Chetopa Advance, December 5, 1888. 

22. Parsons Sun, June 1, 1878. 

23. Plats of land surveys in office state auditor, Topeka; Laws, Kansas, 1866, pp. 226, 227. 

24. Laws, 1868, pp. 31, 83. 



ROOT: FERRIES IN KANSAS 273 

munity for several years, but during high water in the river on May 
21, 1878, the abutment on the east bank gave way and the eastern 
span went down "with all on board," the crew consisting of Messrs. 
L. M. Bedell, 0. A. Sarber, J. Ritter and a Mr. Day. The latter 
two were somewhat injured by the fall of the bridge, but Mr. Bedell, 
so the Advance stated at the time, "did not even get his pants wet." 
Following this catastrophe, a ferry boat was put into operation, 
and until the bridge was repaired was the only means of crossing. 

The next structure built was truly a "bridge of sighs," and was 
constructed under great difficulties and with many discouragements. 
It was begun in the spring of 1879, and was a combination bridge, 
erected by the same company that built a later one. On July 23, 
when nearly completed, the props having been taken out for fear of 
high water, a wind storm swept up the river, tearing down the east 
span and breaking up the frame work and twisting the iron rods so 
badly that it required several weeks of labor to remedy the damage. 
The storm that caused all this trouble was not felt anywhere else 
in the vicinity. By the middle of August the bridge was again 
upon the trestle work and ready to be braced together, when high 
waters swept the bridge and trestle work down the river, leaving not 
a stick of timber behind. It was carried from twelve to fifteen 
miles downstream and had to be hauled back by team. This re- 
quired much time and it was not until November following that it 
was ready for use. The third bridge an iron one was built during 
1888 and completed early in December. 25 

Labette creek is the principal tributary of the Neosho in Labette 
county, and consequently second in importance. The stream is close 
to fifty miles in length, has its source in the southwestern part of 
Neosho county, slightly south of the town of Thayer, and joins the 
Neosho at a point a mile or so north and east of Chetopa. This 
stream was named for Pierre Labette, an early-day Frenchman who 
lived on the creek a little southwest of where Oswego was built 
later. He is said to have once lived opposite the mouth of the 
creek. 26 There is good water power on this stream, and close to its 
mouth was located an ancient Indian village site. As Labette creek 
joins the Neosho in the immediate vicinity of Chetopa, the history 
of its ferry is given herewith. 27 

25. Chetopa Advance, December 6, 1888; Oswego Independent, December 14, 1888. 

26. Statement of Larkin McGhee, in Case's History of Labette County, p. 24. 

27. Mills' Weekly World, Altamont, December 30, 1890; Kansas City (Mo.) Times, 
February 25, 1879. 

1851 



274 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

On September 14, 1868, Hugh Moore, by his agent J. D. McCue, 
presented a petition to the county board for a license to keep a 
ferry on the Labette "river" at or near the Rocky Ford. His peti- 
tion was granted and the following rates of ferriage were established : 
For one 4-horse, mule or ox team, 75 cents; one 2-horse, mule or ox 
team, 50 cents; one 2-horse buggy, 50 cents; one-horse buggy, 40 
cents; man and horse, 25 cents; cattle, per head, 10 cents; hogs and 
sheep, per head, 5 cents ; footmen, 10 cents. He was required to file 
a good and sufficient bond, whereupon the county clerk issued him 
a license good for one year from the date of issue. 28 

Mr. J. O. Wiley, of Bartlett, Labette county, says the "Rocky 
Ford" on Labette creek was just a mile west and one half a mile 
north of where the main highway from Chetopa to Oswego crosses 
Labette creek. It was his recollection that there was a ferry which 
operated across the creek where the highway is now located. He was 
but a small boy at the time and cannot remember who operated it. 
He also recalls a ferry across the Neosho right at the line between 
Kansas and the Cherokee territory, but does not remember who 
ran it. 29 

Apparently a ferry was contemplated for Hackberry creek, a 
tributary of Labette creek, for on July 2, 1867, the following item 
is recorded in the "Commissioners' Journal" of that date, but 
through some neglect or other cause, the name of the party applying 
for the license does not appear: 

Ordered, that ferry License be granted to at the mouth 

of Hackberry creek in Labette county, Kansas, from the date of issuing said 
license by the county clerk the rate of ferriage as follows for wagon & two 
Horses 50 cents and wagon and 4 horses 75 cents. Buggy and two horses 50 
cents Buggy and 1 horse 40 cents for man and single horse 25 cents every 
additional horse 10 cents, Loose stock cattle 8 cents per head, to am't of 100 
head over 100 head 5 cents footmen crossing 10 cents not connected with 
wagon & team for sheep and hog 4 cents. 

Hackberry creek flows into Labette creek in Richland township, 
S. 7, T. 34, R. 21E. 

Oswego was the next ferry location upstream on the Neosho, and 
this early-day crossing was located at or near the residence of D. M. 
Clover. On July 1, 1867, Thomas Richard was granted ferry privi- 
leges at this place, paying $10 for the privilege for the period of 
one year, and being required to file a bond of $500 with the county 
to keep up the ferry as required by law. Ferriage rates were es- 

28. "Commissioners' Journal," Labette county, 1868. 

29. From letter of J. O. Wiley, July 3, 1935, to author. 



ROOT: FERRIES IN KANSAS 275 

tablished as follows: For wagon and 2 horses, 50 cents; wagon and 

4 horses, 75 cents ; buggy and 2 horses, 50 cents ; buggy and 1 horse, 
45 cents; man and single horse, 25 cents; every additional horse 10 
cents; loose cattle, 8 cents per head to the amount of 100; over 100 

5 cents each; footmen crossing not connected with wagon, 10 cents; 
sheep and hogs, 4 cents per head. 30 Richards apparently retired 
from the business within a year, for the following year contains no 
mention of his having applied for a renewal of his license. 

In January, 1868, Messrs. Earner & Clover petitioned the board 
of county commissioners as follows: 

OSWEGO, KANSAS, Jan. 11, 1868. 

Now comes Earner & Clover with petition asking the board to grant to the 
said Earner & Clover the right to build & maintain a ferry across the Neosho 
river in or near the North line of Sec. 16 Town. 33S Range 21 East of the 6th 
principal Meridian And the Board having been fully advised in the premises 
and believing that such ferry is necessary for the accommodation of the public 

6 that the petitioners are suitable persons to keep the same do & it is hereby 
ordered that the Clerk upon the production of a receipt from the county show- 
ing that the said Earner & Clover have paid into the co. Treasurey the sum 
of Twenty five Dollars as tax for said ferry issue to License to said Earner 
& Clover granting them the right to build & maintain a ferry as above 
described 

And it is further ordered that the rates of ferriage shall be as follows for 
wagon and two horses (40) forty cents for wagon & 4 horses sixty-five cents, 
buggy & 2 horses 40 cents Buggy & one horse 35 cents one man & horse 20 
cts. & for each additional footman 10 cts. Loose cattle per head 8 cts hogs 
& sheep 5 cts per head and the same rates are allowed for oxen as for horse 
teams 31 

Mr. Earner apparently retired from the ferry by early fall, for 
a little over eight months later, on September 15, 1868, D. M. 
Clover, by his attorney N. L. Hibbard, presented a petition to the 
county board asking permission to start a ferry on the Neosho at a 
point one half mile from his residence. This license was granted 
and the following rates of ferriage prescribed: Four-horse, mule or 
ox team and wagon, 75 cents. Two-horse, mule or ox team, 50 cents. 
Two-horse, buggy or carriage, 50 cents. One horse and buggy, 40 
cents. Man on horseback, 25 cents. Loose cattle, mules, horses and 
asses, 10 cents per head. Hogs and sheep, 5 cents each. Footmen, 
10 cents. Mr. Clover was required to pay $20 for his ferry license. 32 

From old files of the Oswego Independent it is learned that that 
city secured a ferry when an Oswego merchant, R. W. Wright, pur- 
chased for $300 a boat loaded with potatoes, oats, etc., which came 

30. "Commissioners' Journal," Labette county, 1867. 

31. Ibid,, 1868. 

32. Ibid. 



276 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

down the river from Erie, during the drought of 1869. The boat be- 
came stranded because of low water. The potatoes, etc., were sold 
and the boat pressed into service as a ferry at the crossing east of 
Oswego. 

During the summer of 1868 the streets of Oswego were congested 
with homeseekers looking for claims in the Neosho valley. In 
Columbus, a few miles to the east, a similar condition prevailed the 
following year. The Workingman's Journal, of that place, in issue 
of November 12, 1869, said: "Our town presented a lively appear- 
ance during the past week. The hotels are crowded with persons 
who are looking at our beautiful country, many of whom are settling 
here, and going into business." 

Reeves' ford on the Neosho was the location of another ferry. 
Under date of July 11, 1867, the "Commissioners' Journal," Labette 
county, recites that it was ordered that G. P. Reeves be granted a 
license for a ferry at what was called Reeves' ford on the Neosho 
river, to take effect upon his paying a $10 license fee to the county 
treasurer. This ferry probably functioned during the ferrying season 
of 1868. On January 4, 1869, the county board was petitioned by 
R. W. Bagby to grant Simon Holbrook and R. W. Bagby a license 
to keep a ferry on the Neosho at a point where the Reeves ferry and 
west line county road crossed the river. Their petition was granted 
upon their paying into the county treasury the sum of $10 as tax, 
the board also ordering that the rates of ferriage be the same as 
those established for the Chetopa ferry. 33 This ferry probably 
lasted until a bridge spanned the river. 

Another ferry in this vicinity was that of S. M. Sovereen. We 
haven't discovered the exact location of this crossing; however, it 
was the starting point of a road which ran to Columbus and on to 
Broylis' ferry on Spring river. 34 Aside from the following item 
headed "A Villainous Act," we have discovered no further mention 
of this ferry: 

We are informed by S. M. Sovereen, Esq., that on last Sunday night some 
rascal went to his ferry on the Neosho river and cut the large rope that spans 
the river, almost in two. The cut was near the center and was not observed 
by Mr. Patoush, who runs the ferry, until the boat was being crossed on 
Monday morning when it gave way. The boat was heavily loaded at the time 
and the river up, and only by merest chance was it saved from going down 
stream and perhaps doing great damage. Mr. Sovereen feels confident he 
knows the perpetrator, but has no evidence sufficient to convict him. He and 
Mr. Patoush offer a reward of $100 for arrest and conviction of the scoundrel. 

33. Ibid., 1869. 

34. Laws, 1871, p. 302. 



ROOT: FERRIES IN KANSAS 277 

The boat will not run again until they can send East and procure a wire 
cable. Oswego Independent, July 6, 1872. 

The next ferry location was between Oswego and Montana, about 
four miles north of Oswego. This ferry was started by Abner Fer- 
guson. In a letter to the author, Mr. T. A. Sprague, of Route 1, 
Oswego, states: "The first boat on the river here was owned by 
Abner Ferguson. It was made by Andy Boyd and ironed by Jim 
Lindsay, a blacksmith who came to this country in the fall of 1866. 
The ferry was put in operation in the summer of 1867. In the 
absence of the father, it was run by the son, T. B. Ferguson, later 
governor of Oklahoma. The elder Ferguson sold out here in 1870 
and went to Chautauqua county." The ferry was owned and oper- 
ated by different parties until a bridge was built across the river. 
The last boat at this location about four miles up the river 
from Oswego upset while crossing a party, and four people were 
drowned. That ended the ferry business in this part of the county, 
according to Mr. Sprague. This ferry was granted a license without 
cost, on July 11, 1867, and was the first ferry operated within the 
county. The following rates of ferriage were prescribed: 

For wagon and 2 horses, 50 cents; buggy and 2 horses, 50 cents; wagon 
and 4 horses, 75 cents; one horse buggy, 40 cents; horse and rider, 25 cents; 
every additional horse 10 cents ; loose cattle, 8 cents per head to amount of 100 
head; 5 cents per head for all over that amount; footmen, 10 cents each not 
connected with wagon and team ; sheep and hogs, 4 cents each. 

The location given for the ferry was rather indefinite; it was 
described as being on the Neosho river in Labette county, on or 
near the section line in Township 32. This would be between 
Oswego and Montana. 35 Case's History of Labette County, p. 125, 
states that Mr. Ferguson, in connection with Jonah Wilcox, com- 
menced operation of the ferry near where the river is spanned by the 
iron bridge. 36 

Sometime during 1868 Mr. Ferguson acquired a partner in the 
ferry, the "Commissioners' Journal" that year containing the fol- 
lowing entry: 

Clerks office, Oswego, Labette County Kansas, Oct. 5th, 1868. 

County Commissioners met pursuant to law Present Wm Logan Chairman 
J. F. Molesworth & Isaac Butterworth Commiss Chas Boggs Deputy Co Clerk 

And now comes Dempsey Elliott and presents the petition of Elliott and 
Ferguson for a license to keep a Ferry on the Neosho river at or near Montana 
and the board having considered the petition do grant said license and estab- 

35. "Commissioners' Journal," Labette county, 1867. 

36. Abner Ferguson died at his home near Emporia, where he had lived for many years, 
on August 22, 1900. The author is indebted to Mrs. Ruth Childres, daughter of Abner 
Ferguson, Mrs. T. B. Ferguson and T. A. Sprague for data of the Ferguson ferry. 



278 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

lish the following rates of Ferriage to-wit for one Four horse Mule or ox team 
75 cents for one two horse mule or ox team 50 cents. Two horse buggy or 
carriage 50 cents one horse buggy 40 cents. Man on horseback 25 cents 
loose horses mules asses or cattle 10 cents per head Hogs & Sheep 5 cents per 
head. And when the said Elliott & ferguson shall have paid into the treasury 
of the county the sum of 10 dollars as tax for keeping such ferry he shall be 
entitled to receive a license for the same under the seal of the county. 

On November 26, 1868, the "Commissioners' Journal" records an 
entry to the effect that "the ferry license heretofore issued to Isabelle 
and Fry and Dempsey Elliott at $20 each be and the same is hereby 
reduced to $10 each." This entry is a bit puzzling inasmuch as the 
board had already granted to these same ferry operators licenses at 
a cost of $10 for a year. 

February 12, 1869, Elliott and Ferguson were granted a renewal 
of their ferry license, presenting a bond to the commissioners with 
A. C. Bexon and Samuel Wilson as securities. 37 This apparently 
ended Abner Ferguson's connection with the ferry business in 
Labette county. 

By 1870 the ferry business on this section of the river appeared 
to be in the hands of Jonathan Wilcox and John Disner, who on 
January 8 petitioned the county commissioners for a license to run 
a ferry at Montana. This Wilcox may have been the same in- 
dividual who was engaged in the ferry business three years earlier. 
They filed an approved bond and were granted the necessary 
license. 38 

Mrs. Sallie Shaffer of Parsons, who has done much historical re- 
search in Labette and adjoining counties, has rendered invaluable 
assistance to the writer in examining and copying old records of 
county commissioners, interviewing old-timers, etc. Mrs. Shaffer 
states that there was a ferry on the Neosho about eight miles east 
of Parsons and south of the Frisco tracks. This ferry accom- 
modated a summer resort of some importance at this location, known 
as "Neosho Park." 

The following record is something of a puzzle as to the location 
described. Under date of September 5, 1871, the county clerk 
presented the 

Petition of J. S. Cooper and others praying the board to grant a license 
to B. McMillen to keep and run a ferry across the Neosho river at or near the 
mouth of Bachelder creek in Neosho township of county. Where- 
upon the board grant said petition. Order that a license issue to said B. 
McMillen to keep and run a ferry at the point designated and at such a time 

37. "Commissioners' Journal," Labette county, 1869. 

38. Ibid., 1870. 



ROOT: FERRIES IN KANSAS 279 

as he shall file a good and sufficient bond as required by law and pay to the 
county treasurer the sum of ten dollars. Rates of toll to be the same as for 
other ferries across the river. 39 [Bachellor creek flows into Labette creek 
southwest of Parsons instead of the Neosho river.] 

No further mention of this ferry has been located. 

The most northern ferry within Labette county was located at a 
point where the south line of S. 22, T. 31, in Neosho township 
crossed the river. On March 3, 1871, Edward Spicer and other 
parties petitioned the county board for a license for Edward Spicer 
and Isaac A. Jones for a ferry at this point. Their petition was 
granted, the county board directing the applicants to pay into the 
county treasury the sum of $10, and also furnish a good and 
sufficient bond as required by law. Rates of ferriage were to be the 
same as charged at other ferries on the river within the county. 40 

In April, 1870, county commissioners of Neosho county (?) 
granted a license to William Milton to run a ferry on the Neosho 
river at Vegetarian ford, in Neosho township, license fee being fixed 
at $12.50. 41 We have not yet located this ford. Neosho county has 
no Neosho township and Labette county has, but since Labette 
county had reduced ferry licenses to $10 a year, we are inclined 
to think this ferry applies to Neosho county. 

The earliest ferrying in Neosho county no doubt was in the im- 
mediate vicinity of old Osage Mission now called St. Paul, after 
the noted Catholic missionary Father Paul Ponziglione, who spent 
the greater part of his life at this post. After the organization of 
the county the first ferry license was issued to J. P. Williams on 
April 2, 1867. 42 As no further mention of this ferry has been found 
and a new man appeared to be in charge the next year, it is likely 
Mr. Williams did not operate his ferry over a year. A man named 
Morgan was in charge of the boat on September 3, 1868, the 
Journal mentioning that his boat was in good running order, and 
also that the Neosho was "on a rampage." 

"Capt." S. J. Gilmore was another ferry operator in the vicinity 
of the mission. The Journal of November 26, 1868, recites that he 
had "purchased Mr. Ashworth's interest in the mission ferry boat." 
This apparently was what was known as the "lower ferry." The 
captain operated another crossing known as the "middle ferry," 
also in the immediate vicinity of the mission. One of the ferryboats 

39. Ibid., 1871. 

40. Ibid. 

41. St. Paul Journal, May 24, 1934, "Annals of Osage Mission." 

42. St. Paul Journal, March 22, 1934. 



280 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

owned by Mr. Gilmore was known as the Legal Tender. On the 
night of June 8, 1869, a great rainstorm visited the locality of the 
Osage Mission, and as a result the water in the Neosho rose twenty 
feet in nine hours. Captain Gilmore's new ferry which had just 
been put in operation a short distance below the Buck & Hutchings 
mill, was torn loose and swept down stream. The boat was re- 
covered the following week a little north of Montana, Labette 
county. The Neosho below St. Paul winds back and forth from 
east to west for a number of miles without getting many miles to 
the south, and the Journal, in mentioning the recovery of the boat, 
remarked: "Although it was but nineteen miles by land to the point 
where the boat stopped, it is fully fifty-seven miles by the channel 
of the Neosho, which is as crooked as the path of a politician." 
D. K Wilson was mentioned as chief engineer and pilot of Capt. 
Gilmore's ferry. 

Neighbors and Johnson operated what was known as the "upper 
ferry" near St. Paul. The boat used at this point was also swept 
away during the freshet of June 8, 9, 1869. 43 

About the middle of August, 1869, A. J. Saunders purchased the 
"middle ferry" from Captain Gilmore. In November, following, 
Mr. Gilmore entered into some business arrangement with the au- 
thorities of the town to keep in repair and run what was known as 
the old "Gilmore ferry" for the ensuing year, free to everybody. 44 

Another ferry in the vicinity of St. Paul was operated during the 
early sixties. F. M. Dinsmore, in a paper read before the Neosho 
County Historical Society, said that when he arrived in St. Paul 
in 1865, there were but two houses between the Mission and Baxter 
Springs, and that one of these was at Trotter's ford on the Neosho, 
where a half-breed had a ferry. Mr. Dinsmore has passed away 
since the reading of his paper. He gave no names of anyone con- 
nected with the ferry. 45 

Not having opportunity to consult commissioners' records of Ne- 
osho county, no doubt considerable data regarding ferry matters for 
St. Paul will be found lacking in this paper. For what information 
we have our thanks are extended to W. W. Graves, editor and 
publisher of the St. Paul Journal. 

With the building of bridges in the county, ferrying practically 
ended except for a temporary ferry south of Erie, which was oper- 

43. Ibid., April 19, 1934. 

44. Ibid., August 9, 1869, May 17, 1934. 

45. Letter of W. W. Graves to author. 



ROOT: FERRIES IN KANSAS 281 

ated until a new bridge was built to replace the one washed out by 
ice during the early 1880's. 

On May 16, 1871, the West Mission Bridge Co. was organized for 
the purpose of building a bridge across the Neosho on a line be- 
tween Sections 15, 22, and 16 and 21, T. 29, R. 20. Jas. M. Roycroft, 
Reuben Lake, Stephen Carr, John Moffett and M. J. Cavanaugh 
were the incorporators. This company was chartered for fifty years, 
their charter being filed with the secretary of state May 18, 1871. 46 
This bridge, located about two miles west of the town of St. Paul, 
was the first built in this part of the county, and was a much- 
traveled structure. Late in May, 1873, the Neosho rose to a higher 
point than it had reached in several years. A large amount of 
property along its course was destroyed. The fair grounds were 
partly inundated, including a portion of the race track, while bot- 
tom lands were completely overflowed. In the year 1869 the waters 
were some two feet higher than at the time of the 1873 freshet, but 
less property was destroyed owing to the fact that the country was 
then sparsely settled. The waters, however, rapidly subsided, but 
the west abutment of the bridge was washed out and that end of the 
bridge dropped down. This mishap was most inconvenient to the 
whole community as the nearest bridge across the river was at Par- 
sons, in the county to the south. The factor of expense was another 
handicap in making necessary repairs, as the county could spend 
only $200, while the estimated expense in reconditioning the bridge 
was $2,500. The Journal was up in arms over the situation, and in- 
quired "Are we going to sit still and allow $20,000 worth of town- 
ship property go to ruin simply because the law does not partic- 
ularly authorize the trustees to use a sufficient amount of township 
funds to repair the damage done? The farmers on the west side of 
the river are now compelled to go to Parsons to do their trading 
. . ." This evidently aroused the community, for during the 
latter part of June the town trustees advertised for sealed proposals 
for raising the end of the bridge, building a "trunk" and doing the 
work in a satisfactory manner. Seahner & Chesterfield took the 
contract, and by the end of July had a large force at work on the 
bridge, which was then almost completed. 47 

By 1884 a new bridge was in course of construction at Osage 
Mission. The contractors doing the work were a bit worried about 
their money, refusing to accept bonds issued by the township in pay- 

46. Corporations, v. 3, pp. 309, 310. 

47. Osage Mission Journal, June 4, 11, 18, July 30, 1873. 



282 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

ment, claiming that they were illegal on account of the township 
voting an excess over the amount authorized by law. The con- 
tractors apparently had other troubles, for a local paper at the 
neighboring town of Erie, the following year records: "The new 
bridge in process of construction at Osage Mission was swept away 
by the flood Monday, and as it had not yet been accepted by the 
commissioners, we suppose the loss will fall upon the bridge com- 
pany." 48 

48. Neosho County Republican, Erie, April 10, July 24, 1884; May 21, 1885. 

(Part VIII Neosho River Ferries to be concluded in the 
November Quarterly.) 



Labor Organizations in Kansas in the 
Early Eighties 

EDITH WALKER and DOROTHY LEIBENGOOD 

THE labor union movement in the United States, in the modern 
sense, began in the decade of the eighteen sixties. This move- 
ment did not become important in Kansas, however, until the early 
eighties. The most of the unions appealed only to the skilled 
workers, but the real story of the great labor conflict after the de- 
pression period of the seventies was associated more largely with 
the Knights of Labor, a union which included all types of workers. 

THE NATIONAL BACKGROUND 

The Order of the Knights of Labor was established in 1869, at 
Philadelphia, under the leadership of Uriah Stephens and gradually 
developed into a highly centralized organization with its local, 
district, state and national assemblies. In 1879 Stephens was suc- 
ceeded by Terence V. Powderly as grandmaster workman, who held 
that position until 1893. 

The deliberately planned policy of the Knights was to emphasize 
and rely upon arbitration, cooperation and education. Although 
strikes and boycotts no doubt eventually proved to be the chief 
recruiting agencies of the Order, officially strikes were discouraged 
and violence was at all times condemned. 

Membership in the organization fluctuated from time to time. 
Initiation fees were low and many assemblies after organizing 
and holding a few meetings dropped out of existence because there 
was nothing for them to do. Organizers were paid a certain per cent 
of the charter fee for each new assembly formed and this made for 
an unhealthy growth of the organization. The successful Gould 
strike of 1885 caused many who had once belonged to the Knights 
of Labor and dropped out to come back into the Order and a great 
many new assemblies were formed. By 1886 the organization was 
at its height with a membership of over 700,000. More locals were 
formed in that year than in the sixteen years of its previous exist- 
ence. 

Powderly and other leaders favored thorough organization, co- 
operation and political action and opposed strikes. On the other 
hand a large part of the new membership was attracted by the 

(283) 



284 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

success of the strikes of 1885, and placed implicit confidence in 
strikes and boycotts. The leaders found it impossible to educate 
these radical elements in the older ideals, and the authority of the 
general executive board proved insufficient to control their action. 

LABOR ORGANIZATIONS IN KANSAS 

Many of the numerous labor organizations were represented in 
Kansas in the eighties, and in their struggle to improve their con- 
dition hundreds of Kansas wage earners joined the ranks of the 
growing army of organized workmen. Among the craft unions 
represented in Kansas were ten local divisions of the Brotherhood 
of Locomotive Engineers with a membership of five hundred and 
seven; eight lodges of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen, 
located at Parsons, Atchison, Ellis, Emporia, Fort Scott, Ottawa, 
Topeka and Nickerson; two organized divisions of the Order of 
Railway Conductors; four lodges of the International Typographical 
Union located at Lawrence, Leavenworth, Atchison and Topeka; 
and five lodges of the Cigarmakers International Union of America 
located at Topeka, Leavenworth, Marysville, Fort Scott and Hum- 
boldt. 1 

Foremost among the labor organizations, however, in point of num- 
bers and influence, stood the Knights of Labor. Introduced into the 
state in 1879, the Order grew slowly until 1881 and was confined to 
the coal regions, consisting of only three or four local assemblies. But 
from 1881 it increased rapidly in membership and never more rapidly 
than it did during the latter half of the year 1885 and the first half of 
the year 1886. This growth was especially noticeable following the 
strikes on the Missouri Pacific railway which occurred in March, 
1885. 2 While the strike was in progress the Kansas City strikers 
took steps toward joining the ranks of the Knights of Labor. On 
March 15, the railway men involved in the difficulty with the 
Missouri Pacific company held a meeting at Armourdale, in which 
they banded together in a more permanent organization, and estab- 
lished a branch of the Order. Mr. Joseph R. Buchanan, editor of 
the Labor Enquirer of Denver, Colo., and a representative of the 
Knights of Labor, was present at the meeting and conducted the 
ceremonies of initiation. Later, in an interview with a reporter of 
the Kansas City Journal, Mr. Buchanan stated: 

The Knights of Labor are a tremendous organization and have a vast and 
constantly increasing influence. They already run the Union Pacific railway. 

1. Kansas Bureau of Labor and Industrial Statistics, First Annual Report, 1885, pp. 90- 
91. 



WALKER AND LEIBENGOOD: LABOR IN THE EIGHTIES 285 

Now you see we have lots of money and lots of experience. These Missouri 
Pacific strikers haven't a great deal of money and no experience to speak of. 
By becoming members of our organization they have made themselves ten 
times stronger for they have the whole body of the Knights with all of their 
resources to back them. The Kansas City strikers have acted very wisely in 
joining our ranks. 3 

The assemblies of the Union Pacific employees had commissioned 
Mr. Buchanan to assist the Gould strikers and had appropriated 
$30,000 to their support. 4 

Throughout the year assemblies sprang up along the Missouri 
Pacific line in Kansas. With a strong assembly of railroad men at 
Armourdale, 5 five other thriving assemblies in Wyandotte county, 6 
and a Knights of Labor organizer stationed at Lenora, the western 
terminus of the Missouri Pacific line in Kansas, the Knights felt 
confident of a successful crusade in the northwestern part of the 
state. 7 In the fall an assembly was organized at Stockton on the 
South Solomon branch of the Missouri Pacific, and arrangements 
were under way for the institution of assemblies at other towns in 
that region. The workers at Muscotah, Greenleaf and Downs were 
already organized. 8 

In Atchison, the center of four radiating railway lines, the Order 
was well represented by three local assemblies. The first group was 
established there by seventeen workmen about 1883, and two years 
later their numbers had increased to more than four hundred. A 
short time after the Gould strike of 1885, a second assembly was 
organized and soon boasted a membership of almost two hundred 
wage earners. In October a group of young mechanics organized a 
third assembly, and Atchison Knights felt that the real work of or- 
ganization had just begun. 9 In December they were suggesting that 
steps should be taken toward the formation of a state assembly 
with headquarters in their city, and frankly stated that their three 
groups had the material necessary to carry out the project. 10 They 
were looking forward to a vigorous winter campaign when they 
hoped to see many local assemblies established throughout the state, 
and for that purpose Atchison was furnished with an additional 
organizer. 11 

3. Kansas City (Mo.) Daily Journal, March 15, 1885. 

4. Ware, Norman J., The Labor Movement in the United States, 1860-1895; A Study 
in Democracy (New York, D. Appleton and Co., 1929), p. 369. 

5. The Labor Journal, Scammonville and Rosedale, May 9, 1885. 

6. Kansas Sun and Globe, Kansas City, April 2, 1885. 

7. The Trades-Union, Atchison, October 24, 1885. 

8. Ibid., November 28, 18S5. 

9. Ibid., October 31, 1885. 

10. Ibid., December 12, 1885. 

11. Ibid., December 26, 1885. 



286 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

That the Knights had not worked in vain is clearly shown by the 
statement of Terence V. Powderly on his visit to Kansas City in 
the winter of 1885, when he wrote: 

The Knights of Labor are firmly intrenched here. Twenty-two assemblies 
of that Order transact their business and take a hand at shaping the future of 
the city. The Missouri Pacific Railway System with its 6,046 miles of railway 
is now manned from end to end by the Knights of Labor. . . , 12 

Both strikes and boycotts served as recruiting agencies for the 
Order. In April, 1885, a boycott was declared against The Daily 
Commonwealth of Topeka, by the Knights there, 13 and apparently 
the use of this weapon gave new life to the Order. 14 In June local 
assembly No. 1800 of the Knights of Labor announced enthusi- 
astically that its group was growing rapidly. 15 The same month it 
was stated that within two weeks nearly 500 Topeka wage earners 
were initiated into the various local groups of the Order. 16 Labor 
organizations there were growing as never before and reports of con- 
tinued progress were made throughout the summer and fall. 17 By 
December of that year the membership had grown from about 500 
to almost three times that number. 18 

However, the Order was not confined to the larger cities in Kan- 
sas where the industrial workers were found. Assemblies were lo- 
cated in smaller towns and scores of Kansas fanners found their 
way into the organization. An assembly composed chiefly of farm- 
ers was active at Lenora. 19 A labor leader reported that the farmers 
near Independence were becoming interested in the organization, 
and he thought that before spring three or four farmers' assemblies 
would be organized there. At Muscotah the Knights proposed to 
hold meetings in the surrounding territory in order to interest the 
farmers in their organization. They felt that if these producers 
were united with the wage earners the power of the organization 
would be vastly increased. They earnestly desired to see every 
assembly in the land make it a special object to bring this great 
wealth-producing class into the fold. 20 Many of the farmers of 
Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota and Texas joined the Knights with the 

12. Ibid., January 2, 1886. 

13. Kansas Bureau of Labor and Industrial Statistics, Second Annual Report, 1886, 
pp. 80-81. 

14. Editorial in The Daily Citizen, Topeka, December 29, 1885. 

15. Topeka Daily Journal, June 24, 1885. 

16. The Daily Citizen, Topeka, June 18, 1885. 

17. Ibid., June 24, 1885; August 17, 1885; September 21, 1885. 

18. Editorial in The Daily Citizen, Topeka, December 29, 1885. 

19. The Trades-Union, Atchison, October 24, 1885. 

20. Ibid., December 12, 1885. 



WALKER AND LEIBENGOOD : LABOR IN THE EIGHTIES 287 

hope that organization would render them more competent to cope 
with the railroads and other corporations. 21 

The labor papers in Kansas urged every worker to rally to the 
cause of labor and join a labor organization. Organization was the 
watchword. It was every man's duty thus to use his influence to 
faring about the salvation of the working classes. In fact, labor 
organs pointed out that this was the only means by which the toiler 
could hope to be saved from greater degradation. Laws, bureaus of 
labor, and boards of arbitration were valuable only when directed 
by the forces of organized labor. If the working men failed to con- 
trol these agencies, when once won, they would simply become addi- 
tional tools in the hands of the enemy. 22 

It is not surprising, then, with this lively interest in labor organi- 
zations and resultant increase in numbers, that the various as- 
semblies reached out into their communities and took an active part 
in their economic and political life. In a few instances, at least, the 
Knights ventured into or promoted cooperative schemes in industry. 
At Muscotah they formed a cooperative mining company. They 
intended to prove to the people of their city and to the assemblies 
throughout the state that they were Knights of Labor in every sense 
of the word. 23 

The Atchison Knights were discussing similar plans. A scheme 
to establish a cooperative foundry and stove works originated in 
their senior lodge. As the project developed, however, it eventually 
included not only members of the various assemblies, but also citi- 
zens who were outside of the Order. When directors were chosen 
from the stockholders the only rule followed was the selection of 
capable men who had sufficient time to devote to the management 
of the business. 24 An office was opened, 25 stock in the enterprise 
sold, and work started on the erection of the foundry by December, 
1885. 26 If this venture proved successful, other cooperative in- 
dustries would surely follow, it was believed. 27 Hope assembly, not 
to be outstripped by a sister group, made plans to organize a com- 
pany to establish a planing mill. Undoubtedly many schemes were 
entertained by these workers and no little discussion given to their 

21. Ibid., October 24, 1885. 



Decembe^' lIlT" *" ""* ^^ **"*** ^ JUne "' 1885; The 

to the' s 

24. Editorial in The Trades-Union, Atchison, November 14, 1885. 

25. The Trades-Union, Atchison, November 28, 1885. 

26. Ibid., December 12, 1885. 

27. Editorial in The Tradet-Union t Atchison, November 14, 1885. 



288 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

adoption. That they did not always agree on such issues was shown 
by a speech made by their master workman, when he cautioned his 
fellow members not to engage in unreasonable or impractical busi- 
ness enterprises. He maintained that he would oppose to the last 
an investment by the Order in railroad building, insurance, or loan 
and trust companies. If the assembly possessed more money than 
was necessary for the ordinary expenses he advised the founding of 
a library for the use of the Knights of Labor. He believed, how- 
ever, that there were many manufacturing industries in which mem- 
bers of the assembly might invest, and considered the plan of having 
a planing mill a wise one. If judiciously and honestly managed the 
enterprise would not only pay dividends to its owners, but also 
furnish work for the Knights. He warned them, however, that the 
majority of cooperative schemes failed. 28 

The Trades-Union, published at Atchison, which exhibited such a 
lively interest in these schemes, was itself a cooperative newspaper 
published by working men. 29 This paper was convinced that once 
this plan of cooperation was in motion in Atchison and its value and 
wisdom demonstrated to the people, "the city would fairly bustle 
with all kinds of cooperative industry." 30 Cooperation, it pointed 
out, was advocated by the Knights of Labor as the solution of the 
labor problem. 31 

Workingmen everywhere were urged to unite, cast aside their 
party prejudices and support those candidates for public offices who 
were willing to serve labor. 32 In 1885 The Trades-Union urged the 
Knight to cast his vote for the candidate who favored the interest 
of labor, whether he was of his party or not, 33 and announced that 
seven out of the twelve candidates for Atchison county offices were 
members of the Order. 34 

This significance of labor gaining possession of political offices 
was pointed out to the Shawnee county workingmen in a letter, 
signed by Gracchus Colltar, which appeared in The Daily Citizen 
August 10. The writer stressed the importance of the office of sheriff 
in case of a strike, and urged that the matter be looked after before 

28. The Trades-Union, Atchison, November 28, 1885. 

29. The Trades-Union, Atchison, passim, April -December, 1885. 

30. Editorial in The Trades-Union, Atchison, November 14, 1885. 

31. The Trades-Union, Atchison, December 12, 1885. 

32. Editorial in The Daily Citizen, Topeka, July 24, 1885. 

33. Editorial in The Trades-Union, Atchison, October 31, 1885. 

34. The Trades-Union, Atchison, October 24, 1885. Until 1902 the sheriff, coroner, 
county commissioners, county clerk, county treasurer, register of deeds, county surveyor, and 
county assessor were elected biennially in the odd-numbered years. The remaining county 
officers were chosen in the even-numbered years. General Statutes, Kansas, 1901, sees. 2677, 
2678; p. 568. 



WALKER AND LEIBENGOOD: LABOR IN THE EIGHTIES 289 

the strike developed and before the click of the rifles of the militia 
was heard. While, in his estimation, some of the county offices re- 
quired no especial qualifications, he believed that in order to choose 
a man for an office something besides competency should be kept in 
mind. He maintained that if laborers voted some man a fine salary 
they should get something in return to aid their cause. In closing, 
he suggested that the laboring men of Topeka get together and nomi- 
nate and elect officers in the fall election. 35 

Such a course was adopted and, under the leadership of the 
Topeka Knights, 36 a general labor meeting was held September 12 
at the district court room, where the ticket recommended earlier 
was endorsed. 37 With representatives of the industrial worker, 
farmer and negro included among the candidates, an effort was 
made to unite these groups in support of the newly formed party. 38 
Particular emphasis was placed upon the right of the negro to 
representation, and it was pointed out that the Workingmen's ticket 
was the only one which recognized this right. 39 In Topeka party 
managers worked diligently to capture the vote of the negroes. 40 

Plans for a successful campaign were carefully mapped out. 
Leaders were appointed to take charge of the advertising, and ar- 
rangements were made for regular meetings of the central committee 
of the party. 41 In order to arouse interest in the new ticket it was 
planned to hold rallies throughout the county. 

The party leaders were eager to win, but doubt must have existed 
in the minds of some concerning victory in November. 42 Mr. G. C. 
Clemens, an earnest advocate of the rights of labor, 43 explained 
during the campaign that labor did not expect to elect its ticket in 
1885, but would use the ballot this time. However, if the workers' 
petitions were not heeded and their wrongs redressed, he asserted 
that they would "make their demands felt in another way next 
time." 44 On the eve of the election The Daily Citizen sold a column 
to the central committee of the Democratic party in which the merits 

35. Letter signed Gracchus Colltar written to the editor, The Daily Citizen, Topeka, 
August 10, 1885. 

36. Editorial in The Daily Citizen, Topeka, August 18, 1885. 

37. Ibid., September 14, 1885. 

38. The Daily Citizen, Topeka, September 14, 1885. 

39. Ibid., September 15, 1885. 

40. The Daily Commonwealth, Topeka, October 24, 1885. 

41. Ibid., October 14, 1885. 

42. The Daily Citizen, Topeka, October 12, 1885. 

43. Ibid., October 30, 1885. 

44. Editorial in the Topeka Daily Journal, October 17, 1885. 

1951 



290 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

of the Democratic candidates were set forth, and in the same issue 
reported that the Republican party was "badly scared." 45 

In these elections of 1885, of course, there were no contests for 
state offices, and the labor leaders had to content themselves with 
more or less isolated attempts to capture local offices for their 
candidates. The campaign in Topeka was an example of this effort. 
As was anticipated, all the candidates of the Workingmen's party 
in the Shawnee county election of November 3 were defeated. The 
next day The Daily Citizen asserted that the vote on this ticket 
was extremely gratifying, and pointed out that the results had 
proved more surprising to the managers of the major parties than 
to the laborers. 46 On the second day after the election, however, 
when returns from local elections over the state and nation indicated 
that the labor candidates had been pretty generally neglected, the 
Citizen said "Let the workingmen turn their attention to the country 
and see that it is as well organized as the city. When that is done 
they will stand some show at elections and it cannot be done too 
soon for the election for members of the legislature next fall." 47 

45. The Daily Citizen, Topeka, November 2, 1885. 

46. Editorial in The Daily Citizen, Topeka, November 4, 1885. 

47. Ibid., November 5, 1885. 



Voting in Kansas, 1900-1932 

CHARLES H. TITUS 

FOR decades the state of Kansas has been of special interest to 
all those concerned with the problems of politics and especially 
of elections. This interest has not been limited by the boundary 
lines of the commonwealth, but has extended from the Atlantic to 
the Pacific. Furthermore, in making another study of voting be- 
havior, it was noted that Kansas in the period under consideration 
always cast its electoral vote for the presidential candidate who 
won. Beginning with McKinley's election in 1900 up to and includ- 
ing the election of Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1932, Kansas has 
always helped to elect the winner. The only other states possessing 
such a record are Ohio and North Dakota. And, finally, having 
made a number of studies of voting behavior, 1 especially of western 
states and subdivisions thereof, it was thought wise to include 
Kansas as a unit in this larger and more comprehensive study of 
voting behavior in the West. 

Forty-four counties were included in this analysis, representing 
the different districts or geographic sections of the state, the various 
economic interests and activities, and the large and small units, con- 
sidered both from the standpoint of area and the size of the popu- 
lation. Table I presents itemized information concerning each 
county included in this study. 

Except for background purposes, the elections analyzed in the 
study were limited primarily to the first three decades of the twen- 
tieth century. The study was limited also to a consideration of 
voting for President, for congress, for governor and the other state 
executive officers, for the state senate and the state house of 
representatives. 

The results and conclusions 2 which emerged from this study were 

1. a. "Voting in California Cities, 1900-1925," Southwest Political and Social Science 

Quarterly (v. VIII, n. 4), March, 1928. 

b. "Rural Voting in California, 1900-1926," ibid. (v. IX, n. 2), September, 1928. 

c. "Voting in California, 1900-1926," ibid. (v. X, n. 1), June, 1929. 

d. "Primary Voting in California, 1910-1928." (Not published as yet.) 

e. "Voting in Wyoming, 1910-1928." (Not published as yet.) 

f. Studies of voting behavior in Montana, Washington, Oregon and Nevada have been 
partially completed. 

2. In presenting the results and conclusions of this study, it will be helpful to distinguish 
between these two terms as used in scientific studies in general and in this statistical study in 
particular. Results include the mathematical or experimental findings which flow out from 
the actual analyses made, the experiments performed, or the calculations completed. So, in 
this study the results are composed of the statistical values derived. On the other hand, 
conclusions consist of evaluations made and inferences drawn from the results and from the 
relationships developed between the results and the various aspects of the study or problem 
under consideration. 

(291) 



292 



THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 



TABLE I. Forty-four counties of Kansas included in this study. 



COUNTY. 


Population (in 000). 


Area 
in 
square 
miles. 


Location. 


1900. 


1905. 


1910. 


1915. 


1920. 


1925. 


1930. 


Allen 


20.0 
28.8 
13.8 
25.0 
42.2 

16.5 
31.4 
40.2 
22.2 
25.3 

21.4 
.4 
10.2 
.5 
18.0 

17.0 
19.0 
2.1 
27.3 
36.1 

25.3 
20.8 
24.0 
29.0 
.3 

20.3 
20.1 
4.4 
23.7 
13.6 

17.6 
6.8 
27.4 
18.4 
12.9 

7.7 
42.9 
53.7 
3.3 
9.1 

.3 
25.3 
20.9 
68.1 


29.2 
30.0 
15.1 
25.0 
40.3 

15.0 
32.3 
48.3 
22.9 
25.1 

21.2 
.4 
11.9 
.6 
15.6 

16.1 

17.4 
3.5 
30.3 
38.9 

24.2 
20.0 
23.0 
48.8 
.2 

20.1 
24 2 
54 
22.2 
14.2 

16.2 
8.2 
30.8 
17.1 
13.7 

9.5 
503 
55.8 
3.6 
10.4 

.4 
25 5 
20 3 
92.8 


27.7 
27.8 
19.0 
25.4 
37.5 

15.5 
33.4 
50.5 
25.3 
25.6 

21.0 
.9 
14.3 
1.0 
16.1 

15.5 
17.4 
5.9 
35.0 
41.2 

25.0 

22.7 
23.8 
59.7 
1.1 

19.0 
23.2 
5.7 
19.8 
14.9 

16.5 

10.6 
37.5 
16.6 
15.4 

11.4 
73.3 
61.8 
4.5 
12.1 

1.0 
30.0 
19.8 
109.8 


23.5 
27.2 
18.0 
25.0 
36.4 

14.9 
30.0 
60.3 
25.3 
25.1 

22.1 
.9 
13.3 
1.0 
15.6 

15.7 
17.2 
6.5 
31.0 
40.6 

26.5 
21.6 
21.7 
49.8 
1.7 

18.3 
23.0 
5.5 
20.1 
13.2 

16.1 
11.6 
40.5 
16.9 
16.5 

10.6 
73.3 
64.7 
4.1 
11.4 

.8 
28.0 
19.0 
110.6 


23.5 
23.5 
18.5 
23.2 
33.5 

14.4 
35.7 
61.6 
25.7 
24.0 

21.9 
1.1 
13.6 
1.5 
15.5 

14.7 
16.3 
6.2 
33.9 
38.6 

26.2 
22.8 
22.7 
49.6 
3.2 

18.4 
24.0 
7.5 
18.6 
12.5 

16.1 

12.9 
44.6 
15.8 
20.6 

10.0 
92.3 
69.2 
5.6 
11.5 

.9 
29.2 
17.9 
122.2 


23.5 
25.4 
20.1 
24.0 
34.0 

15.1 
41.9 
60.0 
25.1 
23.8 

20.6 
1.9 
12.9 
2.0 
15.0 

14.4 
15.7 
6.0 
32.0 
41.4 

26.7 
22.2 
23.1 
50.1 
3.4 

18.3 
22.7 
7.6 
20.7 
12.5 

15.3 
12.8 
46.6 
15.4 
19.7 

10.1 
110.0 
75.2 
6.2 
11.0 

1.4 
28.4 
17.5 
131.7 


21.4 
23.9 
19.8 
22.4 
31.5 

14.5 
40.9 
49.3 
25.9 
25.1 

22.0 
3.1 
12.8 
2.8 
14.7 

14.1 
14.5 
6.0 
31.3 
42.7 

29.2 
20.7 
23.1 
51.4 
4.1 

18.3 
22.7 
8.4 
17.5 
12.2 

15.9 
13.3 
47.8 
14.7 
19.9 

9.5 
136.3 
85.2 
7.4 
10.5 

22 
29.0 
17.1 
141.2 


504 
412 
892 
656 
605 

638 
1,133 
605 
838 
469 

585 
578 
799 
577 
675 

543 
900 
723 
643 
444 

845 
953 
905 
644 
718 

716 
580 
1,079 
718 
887 

829 
726 
1,242 
704 
604 

890 

994 
544 
1,049 
796 

685 
1,179 
902 
143 


SE 

NE 

c cw 

SE 
SE 

NEC 
SEC 
SE 
CCE 
CE 

CE 

sw 
swc 

sw 

NE 

NE 
N WC 
SWC 

SE 

NE 

CCE 
CCE 
NCE 
SE 
SW 

NE 
SE 

cwc 

CE 
NCW 

NEC 

sew 

CCW 
NCE 
NCE 

NCW 
SCE 
CE 

NW 
CCW 

sw 

SCE 

NCE 

NE 


Atchison 
Barton 


Cherokee 
Clay 


Cowley 
Crawford 
Dickinson 
Douglas 

Franklin 


Grant 
Harper 


Haskell 
Jackson 

Jefferson 
Jewell 
Kiowa 


Labette 
Leavenworth 

Lyon 
Marion 


Marshall 
Montgomery 
Morton 

Nemaha 


Neosho 

Ness 


Osage 


Phillips 


Pottawatoroie 
Pratt 


Reno 
Republic 


Riley 


Rooks 


Sedgwick 


Sherman 


Stafford 


Stanton 




Washington 
Wyandotte . . . 





arranged under two general topics: (I) material related to party 
victory; and (II) material related to voting behavior, and are 
presented according to this major classification. The first of these 
was further subdivided into national and state or commonwealth, 
and the second was broken into time differences, size differences, 
and location differences. In each case, the results are indicated and 
then the conclusions presented. 



TITUS: VOTING IN KANSAS, 1900-1932 293 

I. PARTY VICTORY 

In the introduction of this article it was pointed out that the 
people of Kansas have voted for the presidential winner at each 
election in this century. Table II presents a graphic picture of this 
behavior. 

TABLE II. Voting in Kansas and party victory in presidential elections. 



YEAR. 


The party 
electoral vote cast. 


The winning 
presidential candidate. 


Tctal vote cant 
for president. 


1900 




McKinley 


354,000 


1904 




T Roosevelt 


322 000 


1908 


Republican 


Taft 


376 000 


1912 


Democrat 


Wilson 


36,000 


1916 


Democrat 


Wilson . . 


*630 000 


1920 


Pepublican 


Harding 


570.000 


1924 




Coolidge 


662 000 


1928 


Republican 


Hoover 


707,000 


1932 




P D Roosevelt 


792 000 











* Woman suffrage effective. 

Instead of the expression, "As Maine goes so goes America," it 
might well be said, "As Kansas votes, so goes the election." How- 
ever, even after all these years of success, one hesitates to rely too 
much upon the political sagacity of the people of Kansas; the next 
election may find the record broken. 

During this period Kansas has always had at least one Republican 
United States senator. In 1912 William H. Thompson, Democrat, 
defeated Gov. Walter R. Stubbs, Republican, for this high office. 
In 1930 George McGill, Democrat, defeated Henry J. Allen, Repub- 
lican, and in 1932 Senator McGill defeated Ex-Governor Ben S. 
Paulen, Republican, for the senatorship. Consequently, out of 
thirteen United States senators chosen directly or indirectly by the 
people of Kansas, ten have been Republican and three Democratic, 
or, in other words, for more than two-thirds of the first thirty-three 
years of this century, Kansas has been represented in the senate by 
Republicans only, while during the remainder of the period the 
representation has been divided. Therefore, Kansas can be thought 
of as Republican in its relationship to the United States senate. 

The analysis of the contests for election to the United States 
house of representatives is limited to the period 1904-1930. In 1904 
Kansas was represented by seven congressmen from as many dis- 
tricts and one congressman at large, while in all subsequent elec- 
tions, including 1930, the eight congressmen were selected from as 
many districts. Table III gives a picture of the party representa- 



294 



THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 



tion in the house of representatives as a result of the congressional 
elections held. 

TABLE III. Party victory for members of the House of Representatives. 



Year 


1904 


1POfi 


1P08 


1Q10 


1Q1? 


1014 


ipie 


1918 


1P?0 


IP?? 


1P?4 


1P?f 


IP?8 


1P30 


































| 


| 


s 


R 


3 


9 


3 


7 


g 


7 


7 


7 


7 


7 










n 


o 


| 


fi 


H 


1 





1 


1 


1 


1 


1 

































Throughout the period the first district, located in northeast Kan- 
sas, has elected Republicans, as has the third, which is located in 
the southeastern corner of the state. The sixth district, which is 
made up of the counties in the northwest corner, has been Republi- 
can, except when John R. Connelly, Democrat, was elected in 1916. 
The eighth district, established between 1904 and 1906 to take the 
place of the congressman at large as a result of redistricting the 
state, is composed of a narrow band of counties extending north 
from the Oklahoma boundary. They include Sumner, Sedgwick, 
Harvey, and McPherson with Butler off to the east. This district 
took care of Victor Murdock until 1914 when W. A. Ayres, Demo- 
crat, captured the district from Ezra Branine, the Republican can- 
didate. Aside from one term, when R. E. Bird was elected, 1921- 
1923, the eighth district has been Democratic since 1914. 

Turning next to the state ticket, it was found that during the 
period 1904-1932, twelve of the fifteen governors have been Republi- 
can. In 1912, 1922, and 1930, the Democrats were successful. No 
Democrat was able to secure reelection. 

In the selection of the other elective state officers, the time period 
extended from the election of 1910 to include the election of 1930. 
The results for these two decades are very significant. Table IV 

TABLE IV. Party victory for the President and the state executive offices. 



DATS. 


President. 


Governor. 


Lieut, 
governor. 


Secy, 
of 
state. 


Auo"itor. 


Treas. 


Atty. 
general. 


Supt. 
public 
instr. 


Supt. 
insur- 
ance. 


State 
printer. 


1910. . 
1912. .. 
1914. .. 
1916. .. 
1918. . . 


' b ' 

" b " 


R 
D 
R 
R 
R 


















1920. .. 
1922 


R 


R 
D 


R 


R 


R 


R 


R 


R 


R 


R 


1924. .. 
1926. .. 
1928.... 
1930. . . . 


R 
" R'" 


R 
R 
R 
D 



















TITUS: VOTING IN KANSAS, 1900-1932 



295 



gives a clear picture of the election results for these offices and for 
President and governor. 

The election of Woodrow Wilson in 1912 and in 1916 and the elec- 
tion of Democratic governors in 1912, 1922 and 1930, seemed to 
have had no effect whatever upon the selection of men to the elected 
other state executive offices. All were Republican. 

The state senate is composed of forty members chosen from as 
many districts. They are elected for terms of four years and all are 
up for election in presidential election years. This is quite different 
from that system used in California and the one used in selecting 
the United States senators. Table V shows the party strength in 
the upper house for the period 1908-1930, inclusive. 

TABLE V. Party victory for upper house of Kansas legislature. 



Year 


1908. 


*1912. 


1916. 


1920. 


1924. 


1928. 


Republican 


34 


18 


31 


38 


32 


37 


Democrat 


6 


21 


9 


2 


8 


3 



* One Socialist was elected to the senate at this election. 

Thus the senate was clearly Republican for twenty of the last 
twenty-four years. In filling the two hundred and forty offices (40 
offices X 6), 49 (20 percent) were Democratic. The senate was 
eighty (80) percent Republican during this twenty-four year period. 
Omitting the 1912 election, which appears to have been an excep- 
tional situation, twenty-eight of two hundred were held by Demo- 
crats, thus giving the Republicans eighty-six (86) percent of the 
voting strength in twenty of the twenty-four years. For four years 
(1912-1916) the Democrats had fifty-two (52) percent of the 
voting power. However, the upper house of the Kansas legislature 
is distinctly Republican and the Democrats will have to capture 
and hold the upper chamber for several four-year periods before 
another evaluation will be in order. 

The Republicans have a distinct advantage as a result of elect- 
ing all forty state senators at the presidential elections. Either 
three out of five, or four out of five times in current history, the 
Republican party has been successful in electing the President. 
This is of great help in successfully carrying state elections. One 
Democratic governor out of the three has had a friendly senate, 
while only one Republican out of nine has had an unfriendly upper 
house. 



296 



THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 



The lower house is distinctly Republican as measured by the 
number of victories obtained in the twenty-four year period under 
consideration (twelve elections, 1908-1930). Table VI presents the 
party strength as a result of the various elections held. 

TABLE VI. Party victory for the lower house of the Kansas legislature. 



YEAR. 


Republican. 


Democratic. 


Independent. 


Progressive. 


Socialist. 


1908 
1910 


84 
71 


40 
53 


1 
1 




o 




o 


1912 
1914 


51 

67 


72 
48 




o 



9 


2 
1 


1916 
1918 


86 
110 


37 
15 




o 




o 


2 

o 


1920 
1922 
1924 


113 

95 
90 


12 
30 
33 




2 





o 





o 


1926 
1928 


91 
101 


33 
24 


1 

o 




o 




o 


1930 


77 


48 


o 


o 


o 















The Republicans have controlled the lower house for twenty-two 
of the twenty-four years under consideration, and in only two 
periods (1910-1912 and 1914-1916) was that control seriously chal- 
lenged. 

When the analyses of elections of governor, of members of the 
upper house, and of members of the lower house were combined, it 
became apparent that in nine of the twelve periods the three sec- 
tions of the state government were united politically and that, in the 
remaining three periods, one party controlled two while the other 
party was in possession of one of the sections. During eight of the 
nine periods when unified control was present, the Republican party 
controlled. Only in the 1912-1914 period did the Democratic party 
control the three sections of the government. During each of the 
periods when the power was divided, the Republicans controlled 
two of the three sections: In 1914-1916 the governorship and the 
lower house, in 1922-1924 both houses, and in 1930-1932 both houses. 
Without adding the fact that in at least twenty-two of the twenty- 
four years included in this portion of the study all the elected 
members of the so-called state cabinet were Republican, it is quite 
evident that for all practical purposes and during the great part of 
the time under consideration, the state officials have been Re- 
publican. 



TITUS: VOTING IN KANSAS, 1900-1932 



297 



II. VOTING BEHAVIOR 

In this section the central question is, "What is the behavior of 
the unit or the comparative behavior of units under consideration?" 
It is not "Who won?" Consequently, the forty-four counties be- 
come the main feature. The state of Kansas, as such, is a factor 
only when "Time Differences" are being presented. 3 "Time Dif- 
ferences" will be presented under two headings: (1) the behavior 
of the state of Kansas, and (2) the behavior of the counties of 
Kansas. 

Table VII gives a picture of the voting behavior of the state of 
Kansas when electing the President of the United States. Two meas- 
uring sticks population and voting population are included in the 
table, as well as the absolute vote cast, so additional information can 
be developed in the process of presentation. It should be noted that 
the population and voting population estimates for 1932 are ex- 
tremely temporary and will be revised as soon as the returns from 
the next census are available. 4 

TABLE VII. Time series for the state of Kansas pertaining to the election of 

President. 



YEAR. 


Population 
(in 000). 


Voting 
population 
(in 000). 


Absolute 
vote cast 
fin 000). 


Vote cast 
per 1,000 
population. 


Vote cast 
per 1.000 voting 
population. 


1900 


471 


410 


354 


241 


863 


1904 


,530 


447 


322 


211 


721 


1908 


632 


486 


376 


230 


774 


1912 


,684 


493 


366 


218 


743 


1916 
1920 . 


,692 
769 


*992 
1 023 


630 
570 


373 
322 


635 
556 


1924 


805 


1 055 


662 


362 


627 


1928 
1932 


,854 
,900 


1,084 
1,110 


707 
792 


381 
416 


652 
713 



* First time women voted for President. 

Even at first glance, it is evident that the votes cast did not vary 
directly with changes in the voting population or the population. 
On three occasions when the population and voting population were 
continuing to increase, the absolute vote cast was less than in the 
preceding election. In the period prior to woman suffrage, the 
population increased about twelve (12) percent while the vote cast 
for President did not change appreciably. During the period since 
the adoption of woman suffrage for national elections, the popula- 



3. In another study, not yet completed, Kansas is one of the forty-odd units being 
nnalyzed statistically. In this latter study, "Size Differences" and "Location Differences" are 
included. 



298 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

tion has increased about ten (10) percent and the total vote cast 
about twenty (20) to twenty-five (25) percent. 

As one examines the behavior for the entire period, two points 
stand out prominently and call for consideration. With the intro- 
duction of woman suffrage in the election of President, the voting 
population was, for all practical purposes doubled, the actual in- 
crease was 101.2 percent, and, assuming equal interest and equal 
training or ability, one might have anticipated that the vote cast 
in subsequent elections would have been approximately twice as 
great, but such was not the case. The mean * of votes cast in the 
four elections prior to the adoption of universal suffrage was 355 (in 
1,000) while the mean for the period subsequent was 672, and it 
should have been 710 to 712. The same results appeared when 
analyzing the vote cast per 1,000 of the population. The mean 
prior to 1914 was 225, the mean since 1914 was 351, and it should 
have been about 450. The increase was fifty-six (56) percent in- 
stead of one hundred (100) or one hundred one point two percent. 
This may have been due either to a general lack of interest or to 
an undeveloped interest on the part of the women, or to a continued 
and serious loss of interest on the part of the men, or to a combina- 
tion of these. The loss of interest was evident from the beginning 
of the period down to and including the election of 1920. Woman 
suffrage may not have contributed to this decline, but it certainly 
did not succeed in stopping the decline until after 1920 if then. 
In the second place, the last column, "Vote cast per 1,000 of the 
Voting Population," indicated the appearance of a "U" curve with 
the minimum point at 556 in 1920. These increases since 1920 are 
not as great in magnitude as the comparable decreases prior to 1920. 
These increases may be due, in part at least, either to the existence 
and growth of actual issues, or to developing interest on the part of 
the women of the state, or to a renewed interest on the part of the 
men which, in fact, means a developing interest on the part of the 
new generation of men, or it may be the product of a combination 
of these and other factors. 

In California similiar results were discovered. The mean of votes 
cast per 1,000 of population for President prior to the adoption of 
woman suffrage was 183 and the mean for the period subsequent 
was 275, 5 while the mean should have been about 360 to 370, if 

4. For a detailed presentation of the methods used in making this and the other statistical 
studies of voting in western states, the reader is referred to footnote one of this article. 

* Mean = average. 

5. "Voting in California," Southwest Political and Social Science Quarterly (June, 1929), 
v. X, p. 7. 



TITUS: VOTING IN KANSAS, 1900-1932 



299 



doubling the voting population should double the number of people 
participating. When voting population was the basis of the Cali- 
fornia study, the 1912 election for President was the low point in the 
series, and it was also the first election in which the women of 
the state participated, possibly indicating, as in Kansas, that either 
the women did not immediately rush to the ballot box, or that, 
when the women were allowed to vote, a considerable number of 
the men stayed away, or it may have been a combination of both. 
This similarity of behavior is significant especially when the dates 
are not identical, when the states are of different sizes from the 
standpoint of population and when they are in distinctly different 
geographic regions. 

Nine general state officials are elected every two years. These 
nine are the governor, the lieutenant governor, the secretary of state, 
the auditor, the treasurer, the attorney general, the superintendent 
of public instruction, the superintendent of insurance, and the state 
printer. The time series showing the voting behavior as regards 
the election of governor and secretary of state are given to illustrate 
the general behavior pattern along with the results already presented. 

TABLE VIII. Time series for the state of Kansas governor and secretary of 

state. 



YBAB. 


Governor. 


Secretary of state. 


Absolute 
vote 
(in 000;. 


Vote cast per 1,000. 


Absolute 
vote 
(in 000). 


Vote cast per 1,000. 


Population. 


V.P. 


Population. 


V.P. 


1904... 
1906 


321 
316 
375 
327 
360 

528 
582 
434 
547 
533 

660 
508 
671 
621 
800 


209 
201 
230 
194 
214 

315 

344 
251 
310 
298 

366 
279 
362 
330 
421 


719 

679 
773 
657 
730 

564 
587 
431 
535 
513 

626 
476 
618 
564 
720 


317 

306 
373 
312 
347 

480 
539 
414 
515 
490 

597 
471 
599 
531 


207 

194 
228 
184 
206 

286 
319 
240 
292 
274 

331 

258 
323 
282 


710 
657 
768 
MM 

704 

513 

544 
411 
504 
472 

566 
450 
552 
483 


1908 
1910 


1912 
1914 


1916 
1918t 


1920 


1922 


1924 
1926 


1928 


1930 


1932 











*First time women voted for general state offices. 

f This election, held during the closing days of the World War, does not seriously modify 
apparent trends. 

Similiar results appeared in these series and in the series for the 
other state offices as in the series for President. That is, prior 
to 1914, the votes cast did not change appreciably from one election 



300 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

to another. In the early years subsequent to 1914, the decline 
became evident and then in the recent elections a general increase 
has been indicated. An asymmetrical "U" curve is present for 
the governor series with the minimum points in 1918, 1922, and 
1926. In addition, the 1904 and 1932 points are practically the 
same. Furthermore, throughout this period when a "U" curve was 
developing in the series of votes cast for President, a one-two, one- 
two, up-down rhythm appeared in the voting for state offices. 6 
Even when the presidential series was declining, the breaks in the 
gubernatorial series were great enough to require an increase to 
reach the following presidential. The series of votes cast for gover- 
nor, for lieutenant governor, and in fact, for each of the other state 
offices, was quite uniform throughout the period (see Tables IX 
and X) i. e., the votes cast per 1,000 of voting population in each 
bi-election was smaller than the votes cast in the preceding and 
subsequent presidential elections. This so-called rhythm in the 
election of state officials will be interesting to watch, especially if 
a wave of increases and decreases should appear in series of presi- 
dential elections and a twenty -year cycle should continue to develop 
in national party control. 

Just at this point in our discussion, another set of differences make 
their appearance. These might be labeled "office differences." The 
votes cast for the other general state offices are practically without 
exception fewer than the votes cast for the chief executive of the 
state and the votes cast for the governor of the state are generally 
fewer in number than the total vote cast for the presidential electors. 
Furthermore, one may infer that there is a definite relationship 
between the size of the vote cast for an office and its relative loca- 
tion on the ballot. Would the total vote cast for the first office 
appearing on the ballot continue to be larger than the second, and 
so forth, or would the total vote cast for President and governor 
continue to be relatively large regardless of position? 

Measuring the differences between offices from election to elec- 
tion and from period to period, gives additional information and 
conclusions concerning time changes. Table XI gives the differences 
in votes cast per 1,000 of the population and per 1,000 of the voting 
population for governor and lieutenant governor, and between 
governor, at the head of the list, and the office of state printer, at 
the end of the list. 

6. The 1918 election indicates an exaggerated decline in contrast with the elections of 1916 
and 1920, as presented in Tables VIII and IX, but one should hesitate before laying the 
entire decline upon the shoulders of the absent soldiers and sailors. 



TITUS: VOTING IN KANSAS, 1900-1932 



301 



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Governor 
Lieutenant governor 
Secretary of state... 

Auditor 
Treasurer 


Attorney general. .. 
Superir tendent of pu 
Superintendent of ins 
State printer 



302 



THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 



TABLE XI. Differences in votes cast per 1,000. 



YEAR. 


Of population. 


Of voting population. 


Governor 
Lt. governor. 


Governor 
State printer. 


Governor 
Lt. governor. 


Governor 
State printer. 


1904 


1 
6 
2 
8 
7 
M5 
26 
26 
12 
20 
24 
M 22 
36 
32 
37 
50 
M39 


'e 

3 
10 
10 
M 7 
41 
38 
19 
29 
30 
M31 
129 
68 
48 
53 
M75 


2 
20 
5 
27 
23 
M15 
45 
44 
21 
33 
42 
M37 
62 
55 
63 
86 
M67 


20 '" 
9 
33 
32 
M24 
72 
64 
33 
49 
52 
M54 
221 
116 
82 
91 
M 127 


1906 


1908 
1910 


1912 


1914 


1916 


1918 
1920 


1922 


1924 


1926 


1928 


1930 





M equals the mean for the given block of differences. 

From an inspection of this table it is not only evident that the 
differences are greater as the differences in political rank increase 
and as the place on the ballot is relatively prominent or incon- 
spicuous, but also there is a fourfold increase in differences based 
on population following the adoption of woman suffrage and more 
than a twofold increase in the differences when voting population 
is the base. In the third period, the differences are almost doubled 
when comparing the governor and the lieutenant governor and they 
are more than doubled when comparing the governor and the state 
printer. This increasing loss of interest on the part of the Kansas 
voters the California voters express the same feeling, whether 
from the same causes or not it is not now known forces one to 
consider the advisability of selecting some of the state executive 
officers by some method other than election. 

The following conclusions are apparent when the state of Kansas 
is analyzed as a single political unit and its voting behavior is 
determined from the votes cast for the President and the nine state 
executive offices: 

(1) Prior to the adoption of woman suffrage in general elections, 
the voting behavior was more or less horizontal in its general ap- 
pearance. 

(2) Subsequent to the adoption of universal suffrage, the voting 
behavior has been gradually increasing in its general appearance. 

(3) By plotting the values of these series of votes cast in per- 
centages relativq to population and voting population, it was 
immediately seen that the angles of change from election to elec- 



TITUS: VOTING IN KANSAS, 1900-1932 



303 



tion became more acute or sharper as one moved from 1904 toward 
1930. 

(4) The differences between the various lines, indicating the 
relative positions of the plotted values of the series, became greater 
as one moved from 1904 toward 1930. 

The second section under the heading of "time differences" per- 
tains to the voting behavior of the counties in Kansas. As it was 
out of the question to present the twelve time series for each of the 
forty-four counties, the more or less representative counties shown 
in Tables XII, XIII, XIV and XV have been selected to give a 
picture of some of the results obtained in this study. 

TABLE XII. Wyandotte county. 



YEAR. 


Popula- 
tion 
(in 000). 


Absolute vote cast 
(in 000) for 


Vote cast per 1,000 
population for 


Vote cast per 1,000 
voting population for 


Pres. 


Govr. 


Cong. 


Pres. 


Govr. 


Cong. 


Pres. 


Govr. 


Cong. 


1904.. . 
1906 


87.9 
96.2 
103.0 
109.8 
110.1 

110.4 
113.0 
118.0 
123.0 
126.5 

130.0 
133 6 


14.2 

"is. 3" 
"is'.s" 


14.4 
12.6 
18.2 
15.0 
18.0 

21.6 

29.2 
16.7 
31.3 
27.3 

39.0 
25.0 
45.9 
34.4 


13.4 
12.0 
17.9 
14.4 
17.6 

19.6 
29.1 
15.8 
30.6 
26.6 

33.4 
24.4 
37.9 
33.0 


162 


164 
131 
176 
136 
163 

196 
262 
142 
257 
216 

301 

189 
333 
243 


153 
129 
174 
132 
159 

178 
261 
134 
251 
210 

258 
185 
276 
234 


577 

'"eoe" 

'"563" 


584 
447 
605 
469 
536 

325 
423 
233 
421 
358 

498 
310 
554 
418 


544 
427 
596 
452 
525 

295 
421 
221 
412 
349 

428 
303 
458 
388 


1908 
1910 
1912 

1914* 
1916 
1918 
1920 
1922 

1924 
1926 


177 


171 

'"297" 
'277' ' 

309 


33.1 

"337" 

40.1 


479 
453 

513 

'"eos" 


1928... 
1930 


137.4 
141.2 


50.6 


364 





'Woman suffrage introduced. 



TABLE XIII. Crawford county. 



YBAR. 


Popula- 
tion 
(in 000). 


Absolute vote cast 
(in 000) for 


Vote cast per 1,000 
population for 


Vote cast per 1,000 
voting population for 


Pres. 


Govr. 


Cong. 


Pres. 


Govr. 


Corg. 


Pres. 


Govr. 


Cong. 


1904 . . . 
1906 
1908 
1910 

B" 

1914* 
1916 
1918 
1920 
1922 

1924 
1926 
1928 
1930 


46.7 
48.7 
49.6 
50.5 
54.4 

58.3 
60.6 
61.1 
61.7 
61.0 

60.4 
57.9 
53.6 
49.3 


10.1 


9.8 
9.0 
10.9 
9.3 
10.5 

16.2 
17.0 
10.9 
14.9 
16.0 

18.1 
13.7 
16.8 
15.2 


9.7 
8.9 
9.9 
9.2 
10.5 

15.4 
17.2 
10.8 
13.9 
15.7 

16.4 
13.2 
14.8 
14.7 


217 
2i4 
i95 


209 
186 
220 
184 
192 

277 
279 
178 
231 
261 

301 
238 
314 
309 


207 
183 
199 
181 
192 

264 
282 
177 
224 
256 

272 
229 
277 
299 


784 
'"742" 
'676' ' 


757 
639 
759 
637 
664 

512 
518 
328 
423 
474 

540 
424 
561 
552 


748 
628 
689 
628 
664 

487 
523 
325 
412 
466 

488 
408 
495 
534 


10.7 


10.6 

"w!i" 

"H'.S" 


305 


565 

isi 


235 


18.0 
"l7.Q 


299 
""328" 


535 

'"587" 





304 



THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 



TABLE XIV. Sherman county. 



YEAR. 


Popula- 
tion 
(in 000). 


Absolute vote cast 
(in 000) for- 


Vote cast per 1,000 
population for 


Vote cast per 1,000 
voting population for 


Pres. 


Govr. 


Cong. 


Pres. 


Govr. 


Cong. 


Pres. 


Govr. 


Cong. 


1904 . . . 
1906 
1908 
1910 
1912 

1914* 
1916 
1918 
1920 
1922 

1924 
1926 
1928 
1930 


35.2 
37.5 
41.1 
44.6 
42.9 

41.3 

43.6 
50.0 
56.4 
58.7 

60.9 
64.4 
69.2 
74.0 


.8 

'"i!6" 
'"i'.o 

"*i!t" 

2'6 


.7 
.9 
1.2 
1.0 
1.0 

15 
1.7 
1.5 
1.8 
2.0 

24 
2.5 
2.6 
2.3 


.7 
.9 
1.0 
1.0 
1.0 

1.5 
1.7 
1.5 
1.8 
2.0 

2.2 
25 
2.6 
2.3 


218 
258 
229 

'"430" 
'"354" 


212 
239 
293 
225 
229 

375 
398 
302 
317 
335 

399 
390 
371 
317 


200 
232 
242 
219 
225 

371 
398 
305 
330 
334 

367 
389 
374 
317 


745 

'"795" 
'"768" 

'"796" 


725 
769 
953 
738 
769 

676 
733 
559 
577 
619 

734 
717 
684 
584 


686 
746 
784 
716 
755 

666 
732 
563 
599 
618 

682 
715 
689 
584 


644 


2.4 


402 


740 
'"724" 


2.7 


393 





TABLE XV. Clay county. 



YBAE. 


Popula- 
tion 
(in 000). 


Absolute vote cast 
(in 000) for 


Vote cast per 1,000 
population for 


Vote cast per 1,000 
voting population for 


Pres. 


Govr. 


Cong. 


Pres. 


Govr. 


Cong. 


Pres. 


Govr. 


Cong. 


1904 
1906 
1908 
1910 
1912 

1914* 
1916 
1918 
1920 
1922 

1924 
1926 
1928 
1930 


15.3 
15.1 
15 3 
15.6 
15.3 

15.1 

14.8 
14.6 
14.4 
14 7 

15.0 
15.0 
14 8 
14.5 


3.3 
"3.5 

"'s.i' 


3.1 
3.2 
3.5 
3.0 
3.7 

5.1 
5.3 
3.8 
4.77 
5.0 

5.4 
4.2 
5.5 
5.6 


2.9 
2.9 
3.5 
2.9 
3.6 

4.8 
5.2 
3.7 
4.6 
4.9 

5.1 
4.0 
54 
5.2 


215 
'"228" 
"242" 

'"m" 
"335" 


200 
211 
227 
190 
240 

338 
359 
263 
331 
339 

362 
281 
373 
386 


188 
191 
226 
185 
236 

316 
353 
257 
318 
332 

342 

267 
367 
361 


786 

'"sio" 

'"842" 

"66l" 
'"572" 


729 
750 
806 
671 
833 

594 
623 
453 
564 
572 

607 
468 
625 
646 


684 
703 
800 
649 
819 

568 
613 
443 
540 
561 

573 

446 
615 
603 


5.6 
"'4"84' 


5.9 

"o" 


393 


659 


408 


681 







*Woman suffrage introduced. 

The counties included in this study have similar behavior to that 
of the state as far as time differences are concerned. The general 
confusion in voting prior to the adoption of woman suffrage has 
produced a more or less horizontal pattern. The decline until the 
period following 1920, and then the increase in the past decade, are 
all in accord with the characteristics of state behavior. The increase 
in differences between the various offices is also apparent as one 
examines the county series. 

As the so-called rhythmic factor was examined, the one-two or 
up-down beat was quite apparent when the office of governor was 



TITUS: VOTING IN KANSAS, 1900-1932 



305 



under consideration. In order to eliminate the factor of the intro- 
duction of woman suffrage, the analysis was made of votes cast 
per 1,000 of the voting population. The range of behavior could 
extend from 1 (complete agreement with expected behavior) to 
(complete disagreement) . The extent of this agreement is presented 
in the form of fractions with the denominator indicating the number 
of counties included in the particular set of comparisons. The ac- 
companying table indicates to what extent the counties behaved in 
harmony with our theoretical expectations. 

TABLE XVI. Summary of changes in voting behavior from election to election 
in votes cast per 1,000 of the voting population for governor by the counties 
studied. 



Period 


1904 


1906 


1908 


1910 


1912 


1914 


1916 


1918 


1920 


1922 


1924 


1926 


1928 


1930 






d 
W 


u 
40 


d 
40 


u 
41 


d 


u 
42 


d 


u 
38 


d 
23 


u 
36 


d 


u 
35 


d 
30 


Behavior 












42 


41 


41 


44 


1 


43 


1 


43 


42 


41 


1 


44 


44 



d, downward; u, upward, in comparison with preceding election. 

In addition, it is important to note that eleven counties (25 per- 
cent of those included in this study) behaved completely in accord 
with the theoretical expectations, while thirteen of them deviated 
once and eight of them twice. Out of thirteen possible deviations, 
almost three-fourths of the counties deviated two times or less. 

When one turns from considering the votes cast for governor to 
those cast for President, the factors are found to be more compli- 
cated. When the absolute vote cast was classified, it was found that, 
in 1908, thirty-eight counties cast a larger vote than in 1904, five 
cast a smaller vote, and one the same vote. In 1912 twelve went 
up, twenty-five down, and seven remained the same. In 1916, due 
partially at least to the introduction of woman suffrage, all forty- 
four cast a larger vote. In 1920 eight followed the upward trend 
and thirty-six turned downward, while in 1924, without the stimulus 
of woman suffrage, all forty-four counties cast a larger vote than 
in 1920. In 1928 thirty-seven continued upward, five declined, 
and two remained the same. In 1932 forty-three increased and 
one showed a decline. Thus, when absolute vote cast is analyzed, 
the elections of 1908, 1916, 1924 and 1932 indicate a strong upward 
or major beat and the 1912 and 1920 elections produce the down- 
ward or minor beat. The 1928 election indicates a downward beat 



20-51 



306 



THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 



in relation to the 1924 election, but it is not as pronounced as the 
other downward beats. 

Using votes cast per 1,000 of the population as the basis for 
analyzing changes from one election to the next, similar results are 
obtained. 

TABLE XVII. Summary of changes in voting behavior from election to election 
in votes cast per 1,000 of the population for President by the counties 
studied. 



Election 


1908. 


1912. 


1916. 


1920. 


1924. 


1928. 


1932. 


Upward 


36 
8 


5 
39 


44 

o 


2 

42 


42 
2 


33 
9 


43 
1 














o 


2 


o 




Up 


Down 


Up 


Down 


Up 




UD 



















Here, again, one finds strong upward or major beats in 1908, 1916, 
1924 and 1932, when compared with the minor beats of 1904, 1912, 
1920 and 1928. The election of 1928 does not have as pronounced 
a downward break except when comparing it with the surrounding 
elections. 

Combining the analysis of behavior when voting for President 
with the analysis of behavior when voting for governor, the follow- 
ing situation becomes apparent for the period under consideration. 
The behavior pattern for the election of governor is a "W" eight- 
year cycle pattern the outer wings of the "W" being elongated 
while the pattern for the election of President is a "V" eight-year 
cycle pattern superimposed over the "W" (^)- If on the other 
hand, one wishes to think of the behavior pattern for the election of 
governor as a "W" eight-year cycle pattern the outer wings of the 
"W" being seriously shortened, then the pattern for the election of 
President becomes an inverted "V" "/\" superimposed over the 



From the information presented, it is immediately seen that 
major beats are not associated with a particular major party. In 
1908 and in 1924, the Republican candidates were successful, while 
in 1916 and 1932, the Democratic standard-bearers were victorious. 
These major beats are not related to candidates seeking election or 
those seeking a second term. In 1916 and in 1924 Presidents sought 
reelection and were successful, while in 1908 and in 1932 those 
seeking first terms were successful. Furthermore, there seems to be 
no close relationship between major beats and economic depressions 



TITUS: VOTING IN KANSAS, 1900-1932 



307 



or periods of business activity. The elections of 1908 and 1932 
follow periods of economic stress and the elections of 1916 and 1924 
are in the midst of periods of business activity. The election of 
Republican and Democratic governors seems to have little in com- 
mon with these patterns. Of the three Democrats elected, one was 
with a Democratic President (Wilson, 1912), two were carried into 
office in a bi-election (1922 and 1930), and none was elected at a 
major point on the presidential pattern. Republican candidates 
were successful at major points and at minor or low points on the 
presidential pattern and at major and minor points on the guber- 
natorial pattern. 

Analyzing this problem of possible rhythm when votes cast per 
1,000 of the voting population are used as the basis for the study, 
other results appear than those in the preceding paragraphs. The 
following summary tells the story. 

TABLE XVIII. Summary of changes in voting behavior from election to elec- 
tion in votes cast per 1,000 of the voting population for President by the 
counties studied. 



Election of 


1908 


1912 


1916 


1920 


1924 


1928 


1932 


















Upward 


20 


g 


5 


1 


38 


33 


43 


Downward 


18 


32 


36 


41 


6 


10 


1 




2 


1 


1 


o 


o 


1 


o 


Not counted 
Significant inferencfi 


4 
Up 


3 
Down 


2 
Down 


2 
Down 



Up 



Up 



Up 



















Furthermore, eleven of the forty-four counties behave as the sum- 
mary indicates; i.e., up, down, down, down, up, up, up. Thus a "V" 
twenty-four year cycle pattern presents itself when voting popula- 
tion is used as the measuring stick. Looking back over these para- 
graphs presenting material which pertains to rhythm, one is puzzled 
concerning the significance of these observations, and asks whether 
any general propositions are to be evolved or extracted from these 
behavior patterns. 

Would it be entirely absurd for one to expect or anticipate the 
1934 vote for governor to be down when compared with the 1932, the 
1936 vote for President to be down when compared to 1932 and the 
vote for governor to be up when compared with 1934? It will be 
interesting to note to what extent these anticipations are realized. 
The theory here presented has been upset neither by the 1932 elec- 
tion nor by the 1896 election (when Kansas was treated as a single 
unit) , but has been further verified. With only one cycle available, 



308 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

when voting population is the basis, it would be unwise to extra- 
polate beyond 1936. However, it would be interesting if the 1936, 
1940 and 1944 presidential elections should prove to be down, down, 
down, when voting population is the measuring stick applied to the 
votes cast. 

Consequently, from the analysis of "time differences" for the 
state of Kansas and for forty-four fairly representative counties 
of the state, certain uniformities are discovered, such as (1) the pos- 
sibility of rhythmic behavior between the various elections; (2) an 
increase in the amount of difference between votes cast for the 
different offices as one moves from early elections to more recent 
ones, and (3) either a reticence on the part of the newly en- 
franchised voter to participate immediately upon being given the 
right to vote or the refusal on the part of an element among the 
men to participate in the first few elections after the adoption of 
the amendment, or both of these factors working together. 

As attention was turned to the consideration of "size differences," 
the material was reclassified and the results analyzed in the light of 
the new relationships. For each election beginning with 1904 and 
continuing through the election of 1930, the counties were ranked 
from the one having the largest population to the one having the 
smallest, and in a second analysis they were ranked on the basis 
of voting population. Seven classes were established similar to the 
arrangement used in other studies. The classification is as follows: 

Class A Population over 100,000 

Class B Population between 50,000 and 100,000 

Class C Population between 25,000 and 50,000 

Class D Population between 10,000 and 25,000 

Class E Population between 5,000 and 10,000 

Class F Population between 1,000 and 5,000 

Class G Population less than 1,000 

The same system was used when "voting population" was the 
basis of operations. It should be noted that in one or two of the 
early elections there were no counties in Class A and in the latter 
elections no counties in Class G. 

Table XIX presents the means of votes cast for President per 
1,000 of the population by classes. 

This classification of the counties of Kansas further validates 
a possible scientific law of voting behavior which was first suggested 
in March, 1928 7 namely, the larger the population of a political 
unit the smaller the vote cast relative to the population. By com- 

7. "Voting in California Cities, 1900-1925," Southwest Political and Social Science 
Quarterly (v. VIII, n. 4), March, 1928. 



TITUS: VOTING IN KANSAS, 1900-1932 



309 



TABLE XIX 



CLASS. 


1904 


1908 


1912 


1916 


1920 


1924 


1928 


B ' '.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'. 


185 


177 
205 


171 
191 


297 
328 


277 
286 


338 
340 


354 
365 


c 


204 


217 


207 


357 


321 


361 


378 


D ...... 


224 


239 


231 


389 


340 


390 


411 


E 


*218 


241 


232 


*380 


*315 


*352 


*378 


F 


238 


248 


236 


526 


386 


402 


*340 


G 


334 


414 


265 


*474 


388 























* The mean is smaller than the mean in the class above. 

bining Classes E, F and G, there would be only one exception to 
the rule for these counties. Of thirty-nine possibilities there were 
seven exceptions to uniform behavior in voting for President. In 
voting for governor, there were eleven deviations from uniformity 
of a possible seventy-seven, and in voting for congressmen there 
were thirteen deviations of a possible seventy-seven. 

When the counties are ranked on the basis of voting population, 
the results obtained are presented clearly by analyzing Table XX. 

TABLE XX. The means of votes cast for President per 1,000 of the voting 
population by classes ranked on the basis of voting population (forty-four 
counties) . 



CLASS. 


1904 


1908 


1912 


1916 


1920 


1924 


1928 


A 
















B . 








479 


470 


553 


587 


c 


577 


606 


563 


551 


490 


*552 


*578 


D 


688 


688 


633 


651 


576 


644 


668 


E . 


777 


795 


755 


733 


601 


678 


698 


F . 


811 


812 


799 


802 


621 


*666 


*683 


G 


f 


f 


*789 


f 


839 


827 


695 



















* Deviations from the law of voting behavior. 

f Three counties in 1904, three in 1908, and two in 1916 cast more votes than there were 
voters in the respective counties. 

In this table the so-called law of voting behavior manifests itself 
even more clearly than in the table presenting the material based 
on the population. The larger the voting population of a political 
unit, the smaller the vote cast relative to the voting population is 
a statement of human behavior relative to voting activity which is 
applicable in Kansas and in California for the periods considered. 
From this and other studies partially completed, one is justified 
in suggesting that this statement of behavior may be universally 
applicable where a relatively large proportion of the population 
does have an opportunity to participate in the selection of govern- 
mental officials by means of the Australian ballot. Kansans and 



310 



THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 



Californians may be peculiar when it comes to voting activities, but 
up to the present no objective evidence has been introduced to sub- 
stantiate such a position, and, until such evidence is introduced, it 
ought to be considered sound to assume that the voters in these 
two commonwealths are reasonably representative of voters in 
general and particularly of Anglo-Saxon voters. 

Tables XXI and XXII present the behavior of the forty-four 
counties when voting for governor and for congressmen. 

TABLE XXI. The means of votes cast for governor per 1,000 of the voting 
population by classes ranked on the basis of voting population. 



CLASS. 


1904 


1906 


1908 


1910 


1912 


1914 


1916 


1918 


1920 


1922 


1924 


1926 


1928 


1930 


A. 






























B. . 












325 


423 


288 


444 


396 


551 


329 


4 >0 


487 


C. ... 


584 


447 


605 


469 


536 


469 


503 


327 


464 


448 


561 


474 


538 


499 


D. ... 


673 


612 


701 


578 


629 


553 


599 


450 


557 


524 


634 


494 


616 


580 


E. ... 


764 


678 


792 


676 


725 


634 


674 


523 


580 


*515 


665 


541 


644 


618 


F. ... 


782 


737 


821 


695 


814 


652 


755 


584 


582 


616 


*651 


614 


*609 


602 


G. ... 


t 


t 


t 


856 


847 


758 


t930 


793 


803 


748 


821 


633 


*608 





* Deviations from the law of voting behavior. 

f Votes reported are more than voting population. 

J The reliability factor in this election for four counties is low. 

TABLE XXII. The means of votes cast for congressmen per 1,000 of the voting 
population by classes ranked on the basis of voting population. 



CLASS. 


1904 


1906 


1908 


1910 


1912 


1914 


1916 


1918 


1920 


1922 


1924 


1926 


1928 


1930 


A 






























B 












295 


421 


283 


443 


398 


511 


329 


487 


413 


C 


544 


427 


596 


452 


525 


420 


493 


324 


450 


440 


501 


365 


*456 


442 


D 


657 


580 


675 


485 


609 


509 


584 


447 


527 


512 


573 


463 


546 


529 


E 


733 


664 


788 


612 


722 


575 


652 


515 


559 


*510 


608 


497 


608 


559 


F 


747 


717 


786 


641 


760 


609 


736 


582 


570 


601 


612 


610 


*571 


570 


G 


t 


t 


t 


833 


820 


671 


J950 


800 


779 


739 


757 


630 


614 





* Deviations from the law of voting behavior. 

t Votes reported are more than the voting population. 

t The reliability factor in this election for four counties is low. 

In measuring and analyzing the votes cast for governor and for 
congressmen, as was the case with the President, the results further 
validate the suggestion that the rule of voting behavior the larger 
the population and the voting population of the political unit, the 
smaller the relative vote cast may be universal in extent. When 
this possible law of voting behavior was first suggested, an important 
problem presented itself which up to the present time has not been 
solved; namely, are democracy and popular control of government 
through systems of elections compatible with metropolitan areas 
and rapidly growing political units? If there is further develop- 



TITUS: VOTING IN KANSAS, 1900-1932 



311 



ment in the "back to the farm" movement, this problem may solve 
itself, but if the urbanization of America persists and cities continue 
to grow, can we expect democratic control to be established, or, if 
established, to be maintained over government? 

Some years ago Prof. William Bennett Munro suggested that 
there might be some relationship between voting behavior and the 
area or size of the political unit or units being studied. Since that 
time, the author has been watching for an opportunity to follow up 
this suggestion. As a result, the counties included in this study were 
classified on the basis of acres contained within their boundaries. 
Five classes were established: 

Class 

I over 800,000 acres. 

II 600,000 to 800,000 acres. 

Ill 400,000 to 600,000 acres. 

IV 200,000 to 400,000 acres. 

V Less than 200,000 acres. 

The results obtained from analyzing six elections for the Presi- 
dent on the basis of this classification of counties is indicated in 
Table XXIII. 

TABLE XXIII. The means of votes cast for the President per 1,000 of the 
voting population when the counties are classified on the basis of acres 
contained. 



CLASS. 


Election of 


Number 
of counties 
in each 
class. 


1908. 


1912. 


1916. 


1920. 


1924. 


1928. 


j 


728 
735 
810 
757 
606 


692 
723 
774 
706 
563 


649 
677 
720 
636 
479 


563 
*553 
610 
584 
453 


590 
620 
675 
633 
513 


613 
655 
689 
660 
603 


1 
6 
23 
13 
1 


n 


in 


IV 


v 



* A deviation. 

Recognizing the meagerness of information and the absence of a 
distribution compatible with the classification, the uniform behavior 
exhibited on the part of the counties in these elections is not to 
be taken too seriously at this time. The presentation merely in- 
dicates another method of analyzing the possible effect that "size 
differences" may or may not have upon voting behavior. 

Finally the results of analyzing the statistical data on the basis 
of "location differences" are presented and briefly compared with 



312 



THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 



results obtained in other studies. For this study the state was 
divided into twelve districts. The districts and the number of 
counties contained in each are shown in the accompanying diagram. 





West. 


West central. 


East central. 


East. 


Total. 


North 


1 


3 


6 


6 


16 


Central 





4 


3 


4 


11 


South 


4 


3 


3 


7 


17 














Totals 


5 


10 


12 


17 


44 



The counties included in each district are listed in the following 
table: 

TABLE XXIV 



Northwest 
(1). 


North west 
central (3). 


North east 
central (6). 


Northeast 
(6). 


Sherman 


Jewell 
Phillips 
Rooks 


Republic 
Washington 
Marshall 
Clay 
Riley 
Pottawatomie 


Wyandotte 
Nemaha 
Jackson 
Jefferson 
Atchison 
Leaven worth 


Central west 
(0). 


Central west 
central (4). 


Central east 
central (3). 


Central east 
(4). 




Reno 
Barton 

Ness 
Stafford 


Dickinson 
Marion 
Lyon 


Shawnee 
Douglas 
Osage 
Franklin 


Southwest 
(4). 


South west 
central (3). 


South east 
central (3). 


Southeast 
(7). 


Haskell 
Grant 
Morton 

Stanton 


Harper 
Pratt 
Kiowa 


Cowley 
Sedgwick 
Sumner 


Crawford 
Cherokee 
Bourbon 
Allen 
Neosho 
Labette 
Montgomery 



The two block patterns of Kansas which follow indicate, on the 
basis of population and voting population respectively, the voting 
behavior by geographic districts. The values of "M" (arithmetic 
mean) and of "b" (quadrennial change) in the equations of lines 
of best fit to votes cast for President per 1,000 of the population are 



TITUS: VOTING IN KANSAS, 1900-1932 



313 



shown in the first diagrammatic pattern of the state as divided into 
twelve districts, while the values of "M" and of "b" in the equations 
of lines of best fit to votes cast for President per 1,000 of the voting 
population are presented in the second pattern. 

BLOCK 1. On the basis of population. 





West. 


Central west. 


Central east. 


E*8t. 




North 


M 326 

b +37 


M 318 

b +31 


M 324 

b +36 


M 291 
b +36 


M320 


Central 




M 295 

b +28 


M 300 
b +33 


M 324 

b +41 


M 306.3 


South 


M 377 


M 306 


M 294 


M 285 


M 321 




b-5 


b +29 


b +31 


b +32 






M 352 


M 306.3 


M 306 


M 300 





BLOCK 2. On the basis of voting population. 





West. 


Central west. 


Central east. 


East. 




North 


M 745 


M 756 


M 738 


M 668 


M 727 




b-11 


b 36 


b 28 


b 28 


b 26 


Central 


M 


M 700 
b 28 


M 680 

b 27 


M 694 
b 28 


M 691 
b 28 


South 


M 827* 
b 44 


M 717 
b 28 


M 614 
b 23 


M 649 
b 26 


M 702 

b-30 




M 786 


M 724 


M 677 


M 670 





* Three- fourths of the units could not be used on a number of occasions. 

From an analysis of both of these patterns it is apparent im- 
mediately from the standpoint of statistical results that the farther 
west one goes the higher the mean is and that the mean for the 
central band of counties decreases less than in either the northern 
or the southern band. 8 

Two other geographic distribution blocks are presented indicating 
the changes which took place with the introduction of woman 
suffrage into the general elections of the state. The numbers in 
each section indicate (1) the mean of votes cast for the President 
per 1,000 of population (Block 3) and of voting population (Block 
4) for the counties in the section for the elections prior to the adop- 
tion of woman suffrage, (2) the same since the adoption of woman 
suffrage and (3) the difference between the two means for the 
particular district. 



8. Geographic location studies of California cities and counties produced no significant 
results that could be used as bases for inferences or generalizations. 



314 



THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 



BLOCK 3. The means of votes cast for the President per 1,000 of the popula- 
tion prior to and subsequent to the adoption of woman suffrage in general 
elections and the differences between the two presented by districts. 





West. 


Central west. 


Central east. 


East. 


Total. 


North 


253-395 


231-385 


238-389 


219-344 


235-356 


Central 


+142 


+154 
222-350 


+151 
232-355 


+125 
224-400 


+121 
226-368 


South 


329-413 


+128 
229-357 


+123 
213-355 


+176 
204-346 


+142 
244-368 




+84 


+ 128 


+142 


+142 


+124 


Totals 


291-404 


227-364 


228-366 


216-363 






+113 


+137 


+138 


+147 





The information contained in the bottom section of this block 
may be of importance at this point. Prior to woman suffrage the 
east west totals are 216, 228, 227 and 291, indicating once again a 
heavier voting per 1,000 of the population as one moves from east 
to west. After women became a part of voting population the east 
west series is 363, 366, 364 and 404 and indicates no change in 
voting behavior as far as location is concerned as a result of en- 
larging the suffrage. 

BLOCK 4. The means of votes cast for the President per 1,000 of the voting 
population prior to and subsequent to the adoption of woman suffrage in 
general elections and the differences between the two presented by districts. 





West. 


Central west. 


Central east. 


East. 


Total. 


North 


769-726 


844-694 


823-674 


730-621 


792-679 


Centrf 1 


43 


150 
770-648 


149 
759-621 


109 
772-625 


113 
767-631 






122 


138 


147 


136 


South 


888-781 


791-659 


701-599 


717-599 


774-660 




107 


132 


102 


118 


114 


Totals 


829-754 


802-667 


761-631 


740-615 






75 


135 


130 


125 





Here again both series the one prior to the adoption of the 
amendment 740, 761, 802 and 829, and the one subsequent to the 
adoption 615, 631, 667 and 754 show that interest in voting in- 
creased the farther west the political unit was located as far as 
votes cast per 1,000 of the voting population was concerned. 

Another way by which the introduction of woman suffrage was 
analyzed and its influence noted was by relating the actual change 



TITUS: VOTING IN KANSAS, 1900-1932 



315 



in voting population in 1915 county by county with the actual 
change in votes cast in the presidential election of 1916 when com- 
pared with the election of 1912. 

TABLE XXV. The distribution of counties on the basis of 



Percent of increase in voting 
population by adding females 
21 years of age and over. 


Percent of increase in vote 
cast for President 1916, 
as compared with 1912. 


2 Counties . belcw 70 % 


9 Counties below 60 % 


4 Counties 70 to 80 % 


11 Counties 60 to 70% 


6 Counties 80 to 90 % 
29 Counties 90 to 100 % 


14 Counties 70 to 80 % 
6 Counties 80 to 90 % 


3 Counties above 100 % 


2 Counties 90 to 100 % 
2 Counties above 100 % 






The mean percent increase was, 91% 


76.5% 



Ness (W. C. C. region) and Sherman (W. N. W. region) 
showed less than one point of difference between change in popula- 
tion and change in voting behavior, while Rooks county (W. C. N. 
region) had a difference of two and one half points between the 
two and Pratt (W. C. S.) and Sumner (E. C. S.) each indicated 
a five-point difference between the population increase and the 
voting increase. The remaining counties presented differences which 
were larger than those indicated in the above discussion. The 
increase in voting population was the larger item in all the counties 
except Haskell (S. W.), Morton (S. W.), Pratt (W. C. S.), and 
Stanton (S. W.). Both the eastern and the east-central bands of 
counties had a twenty-four-point differential between percentage 
of voting population increase and percentage of vote cast increase 
(94:% V. P. 70% V. C. = E.) and (92% 68% = east central) 
while the west-central band had an eighteen-point differential (91 
73) and the western band had a three-point differential in which 
the vote cast was larger than the percentage of increase in voting 
population (80 83). Here again is further indication that the 
farther west one goes the larger the participation in election by 
the people in the counties of Kansas. 

The outstanding inference concerning "location differences" may 
be limited to the statement that the farther west in Kansas the 
political units are located the larger is the vote cast per 1,000 of 
either the population or the voting population. However, this sum- 
marization is overshadowed if not neutralized by the application 
of the first law of voting behavior the larger the population or 
voting population the smaller the relative vote cast in that the 



316 1 HE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

political units included in this study are quite uniformly smaller 
in population the farther west one goes in the state. 

In conclusion, this study of "Voting in Kansas, 1900-1932" in- 
dicates clearly that while Kansas was giving to the country out- 
standing men and was experimenting with various economic and 
political problems and methods, it was also developing a voting 
behavior (1) which indicated a strong Republican leaning in state 
elections; (2) which might be interpreted as an ability to select 
accurately the winner in national elections and then voting in such 
a way that the electoral vote of Kansas was cast for the candidates 
eventually winning; (3) which conformed in general to the behavior 
already discovered in studying other political units the larger the 
"P" or "VP" of the political unit the smaller the vote cast relative 
to the unit and (4) which may involve rhythm of a more or less 
complex nature in moving from one election to another. 



Kansas History as Published 
in the Press 

Marshall county history is recalled in Grant Ewing's column, 
"Notes by the Wayside," appearing from time to time in the Mar- 
shall County News, of Marysville. Part of these "Notes," as 
previously mentioned here, have also been published in the Barnes 
Chief. 

"Do You Know Your City," is the title of a column appearing 
weekly in the Herington Times-Sun. The column, which features 
biographical sketches of local citizens and histories of the city's 
institutions, was started in the issue of August 2, 1934. 

School records of Odin district, Cheyenne township, Barton county, 
covering part of the period from 1880 to 1895, were discussed in an 
article published in the Hoisington Dispatch November 22, 1934. 
Names of teachers and some of the pupils were listed. 

A brief history of Wilson's school buildings was printed in the 
Wilson World December 12, 1934. Histories of the school band 
and graduating classes of Wilson High School were featured in the 
issue of December 19. 

Some of Osborne county's sod houses were recalled by Mrs. J. A. 
Kyle in a two-column article published in the Osborne County 
Farmer, of Osborne, December 27, 1934. 

A Christmas dinner in 1878 in what is now Graham county was 
described in a letter from Abram T. Hall, Sr., of Philadelphia, Pa., 
appearing in the Hill City Times, December 27, 1934. 

The winter, 1935, issue of The Aerend, of Fort Hays Kansas State 
College, included the following articles of interest to Kansas his- 
torians: "Tales From a Pioneer Justice Court [Hays and vicinity] ," 
by F. B. Streeter; "History-Making Guns of the Prairies," by Jack 
Saunders; "Presbyterian Indian Missions in Kansas," by Harold 
McCleave, and "A Plain Tale of the Prairie [early Phillipsburg and 
Phillips county] ," by Thelma Kelly. 

T. H. McGill's recollections of Samuel D. LeCompte, first Kansas 
territorial supreme court justice, were published in The Russell 
County News, of Russell, January 3, 1935. Mr. McGill, who now 
lives at Scott City, also described the equipment of The Russell 
County Record when he was employed there as a printer in 1874. 

(317) 



318 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

A Ness county old settlers' reunion, an event scheduled at five 
year intervals, was held in Ness City June 11 and 12, 1935. The 
Ness County News, of Ness City, in order to provide a historical 
background for the gathering, regularly printed an old settlers' 
column starting with its issue of January 5. The column was spon- 
sored by 0. L. Lennen and Luke Pembleton. On June 8 the reunion 
edition was issued. Included among the contributors for this issue 
were: T. P. Levan, Frank Buckman, L. L. Scott and Mrs. Joseph 
Langellier. 

Historical articles have occupied a prominent place on the front 
pages of the Washington County Register, of Washington, since 
January 11, 1935, when the present series was started. On July 12 
the diamond jubilee edition was issued preceding the celebration held 
in Washington July 17 to 19, commemorating the founding of the 
county seventy-five years ago. Included in this and the succeeding 
week's issue were pioneer reminiscences and biographies, and the 
following articles: "Washington Mill History," "Proceedings of the 
First Town Company," "Churches With First Settlers," "Early 
Clifton a Busy Place," "Many Prominent Hanover Families Made 
History," "Rebuild After Storm of 1932," "Newspapers Active in 
This County," "First Paper Made History," "Barnes History," 
"Linn History," "Washington County School History," "Early His- 
tory of Lowe Township," "Chepstow History," "Washington County 
History," "Ballard Falls," "First Post Office in Hanover," and 
"Strawberry Post Office and Store." 

A letter from George Stanton discussing early elections in Chey- 
enne county was published in the St. Francis Herald January 24, 
1935. 

Some central Kansas pioneer teachers and Pennsylvania German 
settlements in Kansas were recalled by J. C. Ruppenthal in his col- 
umn, "Rustlings," appearing in the Wilson World February 13, 
1935, and other Kansas newspapers of the same week. 

Sedgwick high-school history was reviewed by Lois Dunkelberger 
in the Sedgwick Pantagraph February 28, 1935. 

Brief histories of a store building at Cleveland, recently razed, 
were printed in the Kingman Journal and The Leader-Courier in 
their issues of March 1, 1935. At the time the building was erected 
in 1879 the little town of Cleveland, located in the center of the 
county, had visions of becoming the county seat. 



KANSAS HISTORY IN THE PRESS 319 

The history of Company 729, Civilian Conservation Corps, now 
located at Camp Bluff creek, Ashland, was contributed to The Clark 
County Clipper of March 14, 1935. 

Kansas in the 1850's was recalled by Joseph W. Ackley in the 
Wichita Beacon March 18, 1935. Mr. Ackley came to Kansas with 
his parents in 1854 and settled on Salt creek near Leavenworth. 

A letter dated September 13, 1861, at Fall creek, Leavenworth 
county, describing the drought of 1860, was printed in The Morton 
County Farmer, of Rolla, March 19, 1935. H. W. Worthington was 
the writer. 

Barber county old settlers met in their third annual reunion at 
Medicine Lodge March 14, 1935. Names of persons registering at 
the event were published in The Barber County Index March 21. 

The killing of ten Confederate prisoners of war at Palmyra, Mo., 
on October 18, 1862, was described by Leland Smith in the Arkansas 
City Daily Traveler March 21, 1935. Mrs. Anna Baker, a relative 
of two of the condemned prisoners, lives in Sedan. 

A review of Pratt's history and brief historical notes on its library, 
churches, banks and other institutions were included in a thirty-four 
page edition of the Pratt Daily Tribune issued March 22, 1935. 

Some of the names applied to Kansas' early counties were re- 
called in the Kingman Journal March 22, 1935. 

Apparently credit for the authorship of "Home on the Range," 
President Franklin D. Roosevelt's favorite song, is still a matter of 
controversy. Samuel Moanfeldt, a New York attorney, after several 
months' research, believes that Dr. Brewster Higley of Smith county 
wrote the words in the early 1870's, and that Dan Kelly supplied 
the music. The story of Mr. Moanfeldt's search was told in the 
Smith County Pioneer, of Smith Center, in its issue of March 28, 
1935. Dr. W. D. Kirby, in an article appearing in The County 
Capital, of St. John, April 4, advances another theory as to the origin 
of the song. He believes that John Trott, another Kansan, is the 
author and that it was written in the early 1880's. 

Halstead's Mennonite Church celebrated the sixtieth anniversary 
of its founding March 24, 1935. Names of some of the older mem- 
bers of the church were recorded in the Halstead Independent 
March 29. 

The biography of John W. Leedy, former governor of Kansas, who 



320 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

died at Edmonton, province of Alberta, Canada, March 24, 1935, 
was sketched in the Le Roy Reporter March 29. "How Governor 
Leedy Returned Home Rule to Wichita," was discussed by David D. 
Leahy in the Wichita Sunday Eagle, March 31. 

"When Kansas Voted to Become a Slave State 80 Years Ago To- 
day," was the title of a two-column article published in the Kansas 
City (Mo.) Times March 30, 1935. The election came as a climax 
to the race staged by Massachusetts and Missouri to see which could 
get more immigrants into the territory, the Times reported, and the 
Proslaveryites won. 

"Old Timer Recalls Disastrous Fire Wiping Out Fifty-six Build- 
ings in Hays Forty Years Ago Today," was the title of a feature 
story appearing in the Hays Daily News March 30, 1935. 

Sketches from Wichita's early history were published in a special 
section of the Wichita Sunday Eagle March 31, 1935, announcing 
the presentation of the pageant "Builders of Wichita," on April 1. 

A two-column history of the Pony Express was printed in the 
Kansas City (Mo.) Star in its issue of April 3, 1935 the seventy- 
fifth anniversary of the start of the first rider over the famous route 
from St. Joseph to California. 

Gove county's courthouse was once a hotel the Gove County 
Republican-Gazette, of Gove City, recalled in an article reviewing 
the history of the building published in its issue of April 4, 1935. 
The county leased the building in 1886 and purchased it ten years 
later. 

A series of articles by Harry Johnson on the early history of 
Richmond was printed in the Richmond Enterprise in its issues 
from April 4 to May 30, 1935. 

Eudora history was sketched in the Eudora Weekly News April 4 
and May 2, 1935. The city was incorporated under territorial laws 
on February 8, 1859. 

The drought of the early 1890's was recalled in an article published 
in the Hays Daily News April 5, 1935. The story was reprinted 
from the January 26, 1895, issue of Harper's Weekly. 

Early days of Hartland were described by Mrs. S. E. Madison in 
an interview with India H. Simmons appearing in the Dodge City 
Daily Globe in its issues of April 6 and 8, 1935. 

The golden anniversary of Kiowa's founding was observed by the 



KANSAS HISTORY IN THE PRESS 321 

Kiowa News-Review with the issuance of a sixty-eight page tab- 
loid size edition on April 8, 1935. Reminiscences of early-day set- 
tlers, and histories of the city's schools, churches and newspapers 
were published. Titles of some of the feature stories included: 
"The First Christmas Tree in This Part of the Country," "A. Greg- 
ory Came to New Border Town in 1884," "Happenings in 1902 as 
Given by J. M. Miller; a Rich Irishman," "'Uncle Bob' [R. J.] 
Talliaferro Came to Barber in 1873," "Minutes Give History of 
Kiowa Town Company," "Mrs. Bessie Norris Tells of Kiowa From 
'83 to '93," "T. A. McNeal Tells of 'Dynamite Dave' Leahy," "The 
Early Years on the Prairies Were Hard," as related by M. S. Justis, 
"Mound Center Community One of First Settled in This Country," 
"Dave Leahy Writes of Early Days in Kiowa," "The 'Last Roundup' 
of the Once Famous Comanche Pool," "Old Kiowa in History and 
Romance," by T. J. Dyer, "Sketches From the Life History of An 
Early Barber Settler [Jacob Achenbach]," and "Many Changes in 
Kiowa Since 1899, Says Mayor [Harry] Hill." 

A series of articles written by John Parks, a newspaper corre- 
spondent following the Civil War, is appearing in the Lawrence 
Democrat under the heading "Some Early Kansas History." The 
publication was started April 11, 1935. Mr. Parks was the father 
of Mrs. A. L. Selig, of Lawrence, who supplied the letters to the 
Democrat for printing. 

Liberal observed the fiftieth anniversary of its founding this 
spring. The anniversary edition of The Southwest Tribune was 
issued April 11, 1935, and that of the Liberal News appeared May 2. 
Special features in the News included a news chronology from 1886 
to 1935, a list of Seward county officials from 1886, histories of the 
leading business houses, post office, courthouse, newspapers, and 
biographical sketches of the city's leading citizens. The News was 
first published April 22, 1886, at Fargo Springs. 

Twenty-two names appeared on Sumner county's first census, the 
Wellington Daily News reported in its issue of April 11, 1935. A 
photostatic copy of the census taken by Zinni Stubbs July 20, 1870, 
was recently obtained by Marie Sellers, regent of the Wellington 
chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. It showed 
eighteen of the inhabitants were males. The original copies of this 
census are on file in Washington and in the Archives division of the 
Kansas State Historical Society in Topeka. 

2151 



322 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

Proposals introduced in the U. S. senate in the early 1890's by 
Sen. William A. Peffer, from Kansas, were discussed in the Kansas 
City (Mo.) Times April 13, 1935, in an article entitled "Populists 
Had a 'Share the Wealth' Plan Before Congress 40 Years Ago." 

A request has been made to the Kansas State Planning Board to 
establish a state park in the vicinity of Independence Crossing or 
Alcove Springs to commemorate the place where the old Oregon and 
California trail crossed the Big Blue river, in Marshall county. The 
early history of the Springs was reviewed by Earl E. Strimple in the 
Topeka State Journal April 13, 1935. A history of Topeka's old 
Adams house, in later years known as the Baltimore hotel, was 
sketched by Dwight Thacher Harris as another feature of the 
edition. 

David D. Leahy, one-time publisher of the Kiowa Herald, remi- 
nisced on early-day Kiowa in the Wichita Sunday Eagle April 14, 
1935. 

Legal hangings in Wichita's history were discussed by J. D. Dick- 
erson in the Wichita Sunday Beacon April 14, 1935. 

The seventy-fifth anniversary of the founding of the First Chris- 
tian Church of Olathe was observed April 14, 1935. The early 
history of the church as recalled by Mrs. George H. Hodges was 
published in the April 18 issue of The Johnson County Democrat, 
of Olathe. 

Organization of Company K, Tenth Kansas state militia, in 1863 
was discussed by Harry Johnson in the Garnett Review April 18, 
1935. 

The career of Ben Holladay, operator of the Overland stage, was 
reviewed by John G. Ellenbecker in the Marshall County News, 
of Marysville, April 19, 1935. 

"Romance in Old Legend of Tribal Battle at Indian Hill at Chap- 
man," was the title of an article contributed by Alma Frazier to the 
Abilene Daily Chronicle April 20, 1935. The story recalled the 
legend of the love of Eloa, daughter of a Padouca chieftain, for a 
member of her own tribe and described the reputed unsuccessful 
warfare waged by a Cheyenne chieftain to capture her in a battle 
between the Padouca and Cheyenne Indians many years ago. 

A story of the life of Mother Rose Philippine Duchesne, who was 
a missionary among the Indians living in Missouri and present Kan- 
sas, was written by A. B. MacDonald for the Kansas City (Mo.) 



KANSAS HISTORY IN THE PRESS 323 

Star April 21, 1935. The beatification of Mother Duchesne is near- 
ing completion, and it is expected that she will be declared the first 
American saint. During 1841 and 1842 she was a missionary to the 
Pottawatomie Indians living on Sugar creek, in what is now Linn 
county, Kansas. Droughts and dust storms of other years were de- 
scribed in another feature story published in this issue of the Star. 

Ottawa University observed the seventieth anniversary of the 
granting of its charter during the week starting April 21, 1935. 
Feature stories sketching the early history of the college were printed 
in the Ottawa Campus and Herald during the middle part of April. 

The history of St. James Episcopal Church of Wichita was re- 
viewed in the Wichita Sunday Eagle April 21, 1935. The church is 
celebrating the fifteenth anniversary of its founding. Dr. Otis E. 
Gray organized the parish. 

Early attempts at landscaping the statehouse grounds, and To- 
peka's first Arbor day held on April 23, 1875, were discussed by Mil- 
ton Tabor in the Topeka Daily Capital April 21, 1935. Several of 
the trees now adorning the statehouse grounds were planted at this 
first official Arbor Day observance. 

"Olden Days at Georgetown Recalled in Closing Day Exercises 
Yesterday," the Pratt Daily Tribune reported in a half-page history 
of the school published in its) issue of April 25, 1935. Georgetown 
School District No. 7, of Pratt county, was organized September 28, 
1880. 

Early Meade history was briefly reviewed by Frank Fuhr in the 
Meade Globe-News, of Meade, April 25, 1935. The original townsite 
of twenty-five blocks was surveyed during April, 1885. 

The shooting of Charley Green by disgruntled cowboys and the 
resulting "Battle of Douglas Avenue," were related by Capt. Sarn 
Jones, pioneer Wichitan, in an interview with Victor Murdock pub- 
lished in the Wichita (Evening) Eagle April 25, 1935. 

Notes on the early history of Barton county by P. J. Jennings, 
of Hoisington, appeared in the Great Bend Tribune April 27, 1935. 

A facsimile of a recently discovered letter from President Lincoln 
to Gov. Thomas Carney, dated July 21, 1863, relative to Gen. James 
G. Blunt's military conduct in Kansas, was printed in the Kansas 
City (Mo.) Star April 28, 1935. Governor Carney had previously 
written the President asking that Major General Blunt's military 
authority be "absolutely suspended in the state." The President in 



324 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

his reply stated that "the thing should not be hastily done," and 
promised that there would be more cooperation between the military 
and the civil authorities in the future. The half-page article pub- 
lished in the Star touches upon Carney's dissatisfaction with Blunt 
and throws additional light on General Blunt's own story of the war 
which appeared in The Kansas Historical Quarterly, in May, 1932. 

The story of the founding of St. John's Junior College in West 
Wichita was sketched by David D. Leahy in the Wichita Sunday 
Eagle April 28, 1935. 

Holton school history was briefly reviewed in The Holtonian April 
29, 1935. 

Some of the buildings at old Fort Lamed now used as ranch build- 
ings on the Frizell Fort Larned ranch were described by Victor 
Murdock in the Wichita (Evening) Eagle April 30, 1935, after a 
visit with E. E. Frizell, a pioneer ranchman of Pawnee county. 

The Evangelical Lutheran Immanuel Church in School District 
No. 47, Chase county, celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of its 
founding May 26, 1935. A brief history of the organization was 
published in the Chase County Leader, of Cottonwood Falls, May 1. 

A history of the Bonner Springs Chieftain was printed in its issue 
of May 2, 1935. The Chieftain was founded as The Wyandotte 
Chieftain on April 30, 1896. 

H. C. Benke, of Chicago, 111., a resident of Barton county until 
the early 1890's, reminisced on pioneer life in a letter published in 
the Great Bend Tribune May 2, 1935. 

Claflin high school celebrated its twenty-fifth anniversary May 

1, 1935. The history of the school was briefly reviewed in the 
Claflin Clarion and the Great Bend Tribune in their issues of May 

2, 1935. 

A brief history of the Milberger Lutheran Church, by the Rev. J. 
Gemaelich, was printed in the Russell Record May 2, 1935. The 
constitution of the church was adopted on April 26, 1885. 

Early Dighton history was recalled by F. H. Lobdell, former 
Dighton editor, in a two-column article published in the Dighton 
Herald May 2, 1935. 

A history of the Wathena Times, now entering its fifty-first year 
of publication, written by Dave Downs, was printed in the Times 
in its issue of May 2, 1935. 



KANSAS HISTORY IN THE PRESS 325 

Names of former pastors were included in a brief history of the 
Lindsborg Evangelical Mission Church published in the Lindsborg 
News-Record May 2, 1935. The church celebrated the sixtieth anni- 
versary of its founding May 4 to 7. 

Early Stanton county cattle brands were discussed in an article 
appearing in the Johnson Pioneer May 2, 1935. Gustave T. Gerbing 
registered the first brand with the county on November 8, 1888. 

Interesting archaeological "discoveries" made by 0. D. Sartin, 
of Cedarvale, in the old Osage country near Arkansas City, were 
described by Brian Coyne in the Arkansas City Daily Traveler 
May 2 and 3, 1935. Mr. Sartin claims to have located the remains 
of extensive breast parapets, flint workings where primitive ammuni- 
tion was fashioned, caches of arrowheads, one of which yielded three 
gunny sacks full, charred and weather beaten fire pits, and numerous 
graves which he believes are centuries old. Most of the relics from 
this site are in the possession of Mr. Sartin who has located, in all, 
eighty-nine different Indian camps near Cedarvale. 

Early Oswego and Labette county history was reviewed by Mrs. 
Sallie Shaffer, of Parsons, before a meeting of the Oswego Rotary 
Club, April 30, 1935. A summary of the talk was published in the 
Oswego Democrat and Independent in their issues of May 3, 1935. 

The settlement of Liebenthal by Russian emigrants was discussed 
in an article appearing in the Hays Daily News May 4, 1935. 

A history of Lincoln school in Wichita was briefly sketched in the 
Wichita Sunday Eagle May 5, 1935. 

The history of Wheatland cemetery in Grasshopper township, 
Atchison county, was reviewed by Charles E. Belden, in the Horton 
Headlight May 6, 1935. 

A two- column biography of Ben Holladay, proprietor of the 
Holladay Overland Stage Line, was published in the Kansas City 
(Mo.) Times May 8, 1935. 

Histories of the Wichita City Library were sketched in the 
Wichita Eagle May 8 and 12, 1935. Pictures accompanied the latter 
article, written by Mrs. Hortense Balderston Campbell, present 
reference librarian. The library was chartered February 3, 1876. 

A history of the Westmoreland Recorder was published in its issue 
of May 9, 1935. The newspaper was founded by J. W. Shiner on 

May 7, 1885. 



326 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

Brief notes on the history of Kling, a "ghost" town of western 
Barber county, were printed in The Barber County Index, of Medi- 
cine Lodge, in its issue of May 9, 1935. 

A history of the Mound City W. C. T. U. as written by Mrs. Lillie 
Hellard for its fiftieth anniversary meeting held at Mound City 
May 5, 1935, was published in the Mound City Republic May 9. 

John Brown's life was briefly reviewed in an article appearing in 
the Kansas City (Mo.) Star May 9, 1935, on the 135th anniversary 
of his birth. 

An experience of M. M. Winters with the Indians in the early 
1870's in northwest Kansas when his partner was killed was re- 
counted in the St. Francis Herald May 9, 1935. 

Life in early Butler county was described by Mrs. Alvah Shelden 
for the Douglass Tribune in its issues of May 10 and 17, 1935. Mrs. 
Shelden came to the county from Ohio in 1869. 

The opening of the Peru, Chautauqua county, oil pool by William 
Geyser over thirty years ago was reviewed by Victor Murdock in 
the Wichita (Evening) Eagle May 11, 1935. 

Experiences in early-day Manhattan and elsewhere were recalled 
by Mrs. Annie Pillsbury Young for the Manhattan Mercury May 
11, 1935. Mrs. Young is a former Manhattan postmistress. 

The pioneer reminiscences of Mrs. J. C. McConnell, of Turner, 
were recorded in the Kansas City (Mo.) Star May 12, 1935. 

Early Humboldt school history was reviewed by John C. Hamm 
in a letter published in the Humboldt Union May 16, 1935. 

City waterworks in northwestern Kansas in the early days were 
discussed in a story appearing in The Sherman County Herald, of 
Goodland, May 16, 1935. Bird City was the first town in the 
Sherman county vicinity to establish a system, the article reported. 

A two-column history of Economy School District No. 68, of 
Butler county, was written by Mrs. Mabel Bolin for the Leon News 
May 17, 1935. A more detailed story of Economy which included 
Mrs. Bolin's sketch as published in the News was contributed by 
George F. Fullinwider to the El Dorado Times of the same date. 

The early history of Wabaunsee was briefly reviewed in an article 
printed in the Eskridge Independent May 23, 1935. The story was 
a reprint of a recent editorial appearing in the New York Sun. 



KANSAS HISTORY IN THE PRESS 327 

Greensburg's First Methodist Episcopal Church observed the 
fiftieth anniversary of its founding with special services held from 
May 22 to 26, 1935. A history of the church written by Blanche 
Lea was published in the Greensburg News and The Progressive- 
Signal, in their May 23 issues. Letters from former pastors, and 
their pictures also, were featured in the News. 

The history of the Cornforth Woman's Relief Corps of Clyde was 
reviewed in the Clyde Republican May 23, 1935. The auxiliary was 
organized May 22, 1885. 

Notes on the history of Leona and its First Congregational 
Church, as compiled by Clarence Royer, were published in the 
Hiawatha Daily World May 23, 1935. The Highland Vidette of the 
same date also printed a history of the church which was formally 
organized in May, 1885. 

The fiftieth anniversary of the Ashland Methodist Episcopal 
Church was observed with a month of special services held during 
May, 1935. A history of the church, which was organized in 
March, 1885, was sketched in The Clark County Clipper, of Ash- 
land May 23. 

Notes on the history of Clay county, as compiled by E. G. Gunter 
from a perusal of the county commissioners' journal beginning with 
the organization of the county in 1866, are being published from 
time to time in the Clay Center Dispatch. The series commenced 
with the issue of May 23, 1935. 

A history of Little Walnut chapter, No. 362, Order of the Eastern 
Star, of Leon, was sketched in the Leon News May 24, 1935. The 
chapter was organized on February 13, 1913. 

The history of the First Baptist Church of Wichita was briefly 
reviewed in the Wichita Beacon May 25, 1935. The church was 
organized on May 26, 1872. 

Harry Landis, a veteran of the "Legislative War of 1893," was 
interviewed by David D. Leahy for the Wichita Sunday Eagle 
May 26, 1935. 

Fort Zarah history was briefly sketched in an illustrated article 
published in the Great Bend Tribune May 28, 1935. 

Names of alumni of Winona Consolidated High School from 1915 
were listed in the Logan County News, of Winona, May 30, 1935. 

The history of the Garnett Review was reviewed in its seventieth 



328 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

anniversary edition issued May 30, 1935. The Review is a con- 
tinuation of several newspapers. The Plaindealer, founded in 1865. 
by I. E. Olney, was the first. 

A letter from Walter L. Holcomb, of Kendallville, Ind., relating 
some of his early-day experiences in Butler county, was published 
in the Douglass Tribune May 31, 1935. Mr. Holcomb arrived in 
the county in 1873. 

"Three Floods in Wichita Which Occupy a Place in the Town's 
History" was the title of an article by Victor Murdock printed in 
the Wichita (Evening) Eagle May 31, 1935. The floods cited by 
Mr. Murdock occurred in 1877, 1904 and 1923. 

Biographical sketches of persons prominent in Kansas affairs 
have been published in a feature column entitled "Kansas Personal- 
ities," which has been supplied daily by the Associated Press to 
its member newspapers. The series was started during the latter 
part of May, 1935. 

"Tom Smith Marshal of Abilene, Kansas," was the title of an 
article contributed by E. A. Brininstool to the Pony Express Cour- 
ier, of Placerville, Gal., in its June, 1935, issue. Mr. Smith served 
as marshal of Abilene from May to November, 1870, when he was 
killed. 

Burlingame's First Presbyterian Church observed the seventy- 
fifth anniversary of its founding June 9, 1935. Histories of the 
organization were published in the Topeka State Journal June 1, 
and The Enterprise-Chronicle, of Burlingame, June 6. 

Old Sacramento, a cannon now resting in the Watson library at 
the University of Kansas at Lawrence, fired the first shots both for 
and against slavery in the United States, the Kansas City Times 
reported in an article printed in its issue of June 3, 1935. The 
historic cannon was captured from the Mexicans by Col. Alexander 
Doniphan in the Mexican War, and later it saw service in the Pro- 
slavery and Free-state bands operating in Kansas territory in the 
latter 1850's. 

Augusta Christian Church history was reviewed in a special 
Christian Endeavor section issued by the Augusta Daily Gazette 
June 5, 1935. 

Histories of the Hope Methodist Church, which celebrated its 
fiftieth anniversary June 2, 1935, and St. Philip's Catholic Mission, 



KANSAS HISTORY IN THE PRESS 329 

which observed the twenty-fifth anniversary of the building of the 
present church edifice June 4, were published in the Hope Dispatch 
June 6. 

Sutphen residents were hosts to the regular spring meeting of 
the Dickinson County Historical Society June 5, 1935. Historical 
sketches of early-day mills at Sutphen, Chapman, Industry and 
Enterprise were presented at the meeting and were reviewed briefly 
in the Chapman Advertiser June 6. 

Excerpts from the diary of Mark Titsworth, detailing his experi- 
ences in Wichita in June, 1872, were printed by Victor Murdock in 
a front-page feature article appearing in the Wichita (Evening) 
Eagle June 6, 1935. 

Brief biographical sketches of several favored sons and daughters 
of Kansas, nearly all of whom are identified with the newspaper 
history of the state, were featured in the Kansas State Editorial 
Association edition of the Atchison Daily Globe issued June 6, 1935, 
preceding the convention held June 7 and 8. Persons written up 
include: Amelia Earhart Putnam, J. E. Rank, A. W. Robinson, 
L. L. Robinson, L. L. Robinson, Jr., John A. Martin, Eugene Abbott, 
Gomer T. Davies, Mrs. J. C. Mack, Robert B. Reed, J. Byron Cain, 
Harold A. Hammond, Bertha Shore, E. W. Howe, Ferd. L. Vande- 
grift and H. C. Sticher. The history of Atchison's newspapers was 
also briefly reviewed in the edition. 

The organization of the Arkansas City Town Company on June 
7, 1870, and other significant dates in the city's history were dis- 
cussed in the Arkansas City Daily Traveler June 6, 1935. 

Letters from former residents of Sedgwick were featured in the 
Sedgwick Pantagraph starting with the issue of June 6, 1935. Earl 
Leedy, the editor, hoped to have a "reunion" of old timers of 
Sedgwick and vicinity in his newspaper in this manner. 

Oskaloosa and Jefferson county history is being reviewed in de- 
tail in a series of special historical articles appearing in the Oska- 
loosa Independent, commencing June 6, 1935. On July 11 the In- 
dependent completed its seventy-fifth year in Oskaloosa and cele- 
brated the occasion with the issuance of a historical edition describ- 
ing the city and newspaper as they were in 1860 and as they are 
now. J. W. Roberts, the managing editor, wrote that much of the 
historical material published in the Independent at this time may be 
republished in pamphlet form. 



330 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

A twenty-page special historical edition was issued by the Hazel- 
ton Herald for the ninth annual old settlers' homecoming held at 
Hazelton June 7, 1935. 

L. N. Blood, of Winfield, first teacher in Augusta's school system, 
described his early teaching experiences in a letter published in the 
Augusta Daily Gazette June 7, 1935. The first school in Augusta 
was taught in the fall and winter of 1869, Mr. Blood related. 

An entry in the diary of Mineus Ives, Kansas pioneer, records 
August 9, 1875, as the date of the killing of the last buffalo in 
Sedgwick county, Victor Murdock reported in an article appearing 
in the Wichita (Evening) Eagle June 8, 1935. 

Chanute's railroad history was reviewed by F. E. Armstrong, Don 
Rankin and Roy Chappie in a series of articles published in the 
Chanute Tribune as a "Railroad Week" feature, starting in the 
issue of June 10, 1935. 

The history of the Wathena Baptist Church was briefly sketched 
in the Wathena Times June 13, 1935. The church was organized 
seventy-seven years ago. 

Mrs. Etta Scott Hatch reminisced on life in early Jewell county 
in an article published in the Burr Oak Herald June 13, 1935. Other 
short historical articles have appeared from time to time in the 
Herald in recent months. 

Osawatomie's railroad history was sketched by Mrs. Anna L. 
January in the Osawatomie Graphic-News June 13, 1935. 

The fiftieth anniversary of the establishment of the Friends church 
at Haviland was observed June 16, 1935. Historical notes on the 
founding were published in the Haviland Review in its issues of 
June 13 and 20, 1935. 

The address reviewing the history of the Oregon trail given by 
John G. Ellenbecker at the dedication of an Oregon trail marker 
at Bremen June 9, 1935, was printed in The Advocate-Democrat, 
of Marysville, June 13 and 20, and in the Marshall County News 
in its issues of June 14 to July 5, inclusive. R. V. Tye's address on 
early Washington county given at the same event was published in 
The Advocate-Democrat June 13. 

Reminiscences of life in the early years of Kansas statehood were 
related by Mrs. Alice M. Dow, of Lawrence, to Mrs. Pearl Richard- 
son for publication in the Pratt Daily Tribune June 14, 1935. Mrs. 
Dow came to Kansas in 1860. 



KANSAS HISTORY IN THE PRESS 331 

The Oakley Graphic resumed publication of Clarence Mershon's 
"History of Oakley," in its issue of June 14, 1935. The previous 
series was started in the issue of June 29, 1934. 

A brief history of the Sunday school of St. Mark's Lutheran 
Church of Emporia was printed in the Emporia Gazette June 14, 
1935. The school was founded July 14, 1885, with the Rev. F. D. 
Altman as superintendent. 

The activities of Chief Hopoeithleyohola, a Creek Indian, were 
reviewed by T. F. Morrison of Chanute in the Le Roy Reporter 
June 14, 1935. Chief Hopoeithleyohola was loyal to the Union dur- 
ing the War of the Rebellion. He is buried in Woodson county. 

St. John's Lutheran Church at Lanham observed its fiftieth anni- 
versary at special services held June 16, 1935. The history of the 
church was briefly sketched in the Hanover Democrat June 14. 

Pioneer reminiscences of Mrs. E. A. Eaton, of Arkansas City, and 
Mrs. D. F. Feagins, of Oklahoma City, who settled in Cowley 
county with their parents in August, 1871, were recorded by Helen 
Woodman in an article printed in the Arkansas City Daily Traveler 
June 17, 1935. 

The second annual dinner party given by the Pratt County 
Council of Clubs for residents of Pratt county who were seventy- 
five years of age or older was held June 17, 1935. Names of the 
guests were published in the Pratt Daily Tribune June 18, and the 
Pratt Union June 20. "Railroads Brought Several Men to Pratt 
Who Later Branched Out Into Businesses of Own," was the title of a 
"Railroad Week" feature article by Mrs. Pearl Richardson printed 
in the Tribune June 18. 

Augusta's motion picture industry's history was briefly sketched 
in the Augusta Daily Gazette June 19, 1935, on the occasion of the 
opening of a new theater in the city. 

The origin of some of Manhattan's street names was discussed 
by Mrs. Florence Fox Harrop in an article published in the Man- 
hattan Mercury June 22, 1935. 

A competitive war dance between Cheyenne and Arapaho Indians 
staged in Wichita at the corner of Main and Douglas in 1876 was 
described by Waitmon White, pioneer, to Victor Murdock, who fea- 
tured the interview in his front-page article published in the Wichita 
(Evening) Eagle June 22, 1935. 

The loss of the engagement at Byram's ford, on the Blue river, 



332 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

was a serious blow to the Confederates during Gen. Sterling Price's 
raid on Missouri and Kansas in October, 1864, the Kansas City 
Times reported in its issue of June 22, 1935. The site of this ford 
has never been marked and is now a controversial matter. 

A history of the Santa Fe trail as sketched by the late Viola 
Allen McCullough in 1904 as a tribute to the Atchison, Topeka <fc 
Santa Fe Railroad Co., appeared in the Topeka State Journal June 
22, 1935. O. C. Jones, a Wathena merchant, told of a ride on a flat 
car on the old St. Joseph & Denver City Railroad in Doniphan 
county in 1860 in the same issue. 

Wichita school history was briefly reviewed by Muriel E. Schaefer 
in the Wichita Sunday Eagle June 23, 1935. 

The Horton Presbyterian Church celebrated the tenth anniversary 
of the dedication of the present church building in special services 
held on June 23, 1935. The history of the organization as related 
in a sermon given by the Rev. G. W. Nelson, pastor, was published 
in The Tri-County News, of Horton, June 24, 1935. 

Marshal Thomas J. Smith's career as Abilene's peace officer in the 
early 1870's was discussed in an article appearing in the Kansas 
City (Mo.) Star June 25, 1935. Marshal Smith established a rule 
that firearms were not to be carried openly in the town and en- 
forced it, the Star related. 

Reminiscences of early-day Barton county by Will E. Stoke, 
former Great Bend newspaper publisher, were printed in the Great 
Bend Tribune June 26, 1935. 

J. H. Downing, editor of the old Hays City Star, "scooped" the 
world on the news of the Custer disaster, the Hays Daily News re- 
ported in its issue of June 26, 1935. The Star, due to the editor's 
friendship with a telegraph operator at Fort Wallace, carried the 
news the evening of July 6, 1876, while other papers did not publish 
it until the following morning. 

A series of descriptive articles on cross-state highways in Kansas 
was prepared by George Mack of the Kansas State Highway De- 
partment for publication in the newspapers of the state during the 
summer of 1935. Points of historic interest along the routes were 
noted in the articles. The series was started June 26. 

Names of business houses operating on Main street in Chanute in 
1910 were briefly reviewed in the Chanute Tribune June 27, 1935. 



Kansas Historical Notes 

Early explorers traveling through present Barton county and 
their probable routes were discussed by H. K. Shideler, county 
engineer, in an address at the reorganization meeting of the Barton 
County Historical Society held in Great Bend May 7, 1935. Officers 
selected at this meeting include: Dr. E. E. Morrison, president; 
Ferd Isern, first vice-president; Mrs. C. P. Munns, second vice- 
president; Eleanor Vollmer, secretary; Mrs. Robert Peugh, treas- 
urer; Mrs. Flora Stedman, custodian; Mrs. Grace Bowman, his- 
torian; Grace Gunn, Charles Mayo, Bob Hamilton, Fred Wolf, 
Sr., Mrs. Jennie Southwick, Judge Elrick Cole and Arthur Taylor, 
members of the executive board. A museum, housed in the county 
courthouse, is being sponsored by the society. 

An address by Gov. Alf M. Landon was a feature of the dedication 
ceremonies for the recently completed Fort Zarah park held in Great 
Bend on May 28, 1935. A British artillery field gun, a recent 
acquisition to the park, was also dedicated. The gun was secured 
through the efforts of Sen. R. C. Russell. 

Beecher Island Memorial Park in northeastern Colorado was 
seriously damaged by recent flood waters, according to press reports. 
A monument, erected jointly by Kansas and Colorado, honoring the 
men, mostly Kansans, who participated in the Battle of the Arick- 
aree, was toppled over. The graves of soldiers buried at its foot 
were badly washed. The bridge near the entrance was washed out, 
while the Arickaree itself cut a new channel, now running south of 
the park, instead of to the north. In the early days the stream 
divided, running on each side and forming an island. 

An Oregon trail marker, two and one half miles southwest of 
Bremen, was unveiled at special ceremonies memorializing the fif- 
tieth anniversary of the founding of the town and the seventy-fifth 
year since the abandonment of the trail, held at the site on June 9, 
1935. Speakers for the day included Fred A. Prell, of Bremen; 
R. V. Tye, of Hanover; Judge Edgar C. Bennett, John G. Ellen- 
becker, C. K. Rodkey and Paul W. Kirkpatrick, of Marysville. 
The marker bears the inscription "Lest We Forget, Oregon Trail, 

(333) 



334 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

1827-1875." Speeches delivered on the occasion were recorded in 
Marysville newspapers contemporaneous with the event. 

A granite marker, locating the intersection of the old Fort 
Leavenworth-Fort Scott-Fort Gibson military road with Kansas 
highway No. 57 at Kniveton was dedicated June 19, 1935. The 
bronze tablet on the shaft bears the inscription: "This Tablet 
Marks the Intersection of the Old Military Road of 1837 With 
the New State Highway No. 57. Erected by Oceanic Hopkins 
Chapter of the D. A. R., Pittsburg, Kan., 1935." Mrs. Loren E. 
Rex, of Wichita, state regent of the Daughters of the American 
Revolution, delivered the dedicatory address. Mrs. 0. P. Bellinger, 
of Pittsburg, made the presentation to the state and F. W. Brinker- 
hoff, of Pittsburg, chairman of the committee on marking and map- 
ping historic sites in Kansas, created by the Kansas Chamber of 
Commerce, gave the acceptance talk. Mrs. D. L. Dunn, of Pitts- 
burg, supervised the unveiling. The highway department was repre- 
sented by Earle C. Todd, of Independence, commissioner for the 
fourth district. The marker is on the north side of the road, a 
short distance east of the railroad tracks at Kniveton. 

Thomas F. Doran, president of the Kansas State Historical 
Society, addressed the members of the Riley County Historical 
Society at a meeting held in Manhattan on June 21, 1935. Kirke 
Mechem accompanied Mr. Doran to Manhattan and spoke briefly 
at the same meeting. 

A banquet honoring Frank H. Roberts and the Independent, 
Oskaloosa's oldest business institution, was sponsored by Oska- 
loosa citizens on June 21, 1935. The Independent, which was 
founded by John Wesley Roberts, has been published in Oskaloosa 
by members of the Roberts family continuously for seventy-five 
years. Speakers at the dinner included Frank Roberts, Dr. M. S. 
McCreight, Will T. Beck, publisher of the Holton Recorder, and 
Homer Hoch, former publisher of the Marion Record. Judge 
Lloyde Morris was toastmaster. 

Thirty new buses, carrying the names of thirty of Wichita's 
pioneers, were placed in service in Wichita the last week in June, 
1935, supplanting the old electric trolley system. David D. Fish- 
back, public relations director of the Wichita Transportation Co., 
in a letter to the Kansas State Historical Society related Wichita's 
part in the development of the electric trolley which was established 



KANSAS HISTORICAL NOTES 335 

in the city forty-eight years ago. Names of pioneers honored were 
selected through the cooperation of the Sedgwick County Pioneer 
Society and include: Murdock, Davidson, Griffenstein, Mathewson, 
Mead, English, Jewett, Waterman, Fabrique, Allen, Woodman, 
Hyde, Ross, Harris, Lewis, Hunger, Carey, Schweiter, Gribl, Black, 
Smith, Lawrence, McCoy, Aley, Sluss, Stanley, Smythe, Sowers, 
Steele and Getto. 

More than forty persons interested in collecting and preserving 
Indian arrowheads and other relics of the early inhabitants of the 
Southwest recently organized themselves into an "Arratolist" society 
at a meeting held in Elkhart July 4, 1935. William Baker, of Boise 
City, Okla., was elected president of the new society and Neal Van 
Hosen, of Elkhart, was chosen secretary-treasurer. 

A Jewell County Historical Society was organized at a meeting 
held in Mankato July 8, 1935. The following persons were elected 
to serve as officers one year or until another election: Forrest Fair, 
Mankato, president; Mrs. Joe Beeler, Ionia, vice-president; Frank 
Kissinger, Mankato, secretary; Mrs. Bert Cluster, Jewell, treasurer; 
Mrs. Sarah Vance, Mankato, historian. Directors elected include: 
Everett Palmer, Jewell; Dr. C. S. Hershner, Esbon; Mrs. A. W. 
Mann, Burr Oak; Don Balch, Formoso; E. C. Whitley, Mankato; 
Geo. Warne, Webber; Mrs. J. W. Waite, Esbon. 

The first annual Chase county old settlers' all-day picnic spon- 
sored by the newly organized Chase County Historical Society was 
held in Swope park, Cottonwood Falls, July 24, 1935. Kirke 
Mechem, secretary of the Kansas State Historical Society, was the 
speaker. Mr. Mechem also addressed the Herington Rotary Club 
July 22. 

Roadside signs marking points of historic interest in Riley county 
were recently erected through a joint Manhattan Chamber of Com- 
merce-county-KERC project. 

A valuable addition to the literature of Kansas is Bliss Isely's 
recent book, Sunbonnet Days. Mr. Isely, a Kansas newspaperman, 
has told the story of his mother, Elise Diibach Isely, who came to 
America from Switzerland in 1855. She was a Civil War bride, her 
husband, Christian Isely, serving with the Second Kansas cavalry. 
After the war they took up their residence in western Brown county 
and later in Wichita. Christian Isely died in 1919. Mrs. Isely, 



336 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

who celebrated her ninety-third birthday June 21 of this year, still 
resides in Wichita. 

Three generations of Sternbergs are fossil hunters, the Hays 
Daily News related in its issue of April 20, 1935. George F. Stern- 
berg is curator of the museum at the Fort Hays Kansas State Col- 
lege; his father, Charles H., is employed at the Natural History 
Museum in San Diego, Cal., and the son, and grandson, Charles W., 
is a student at Kansas University, in Lawrence. 



n 



THE 

Kansas Historical 
Quarterly 




Volume IV Number 4 

November, 1935 



PRINTED BY KANSAS STATE PRINTING PLANT 

w. c. AUSTIN. STATE PRINTER 

TOPEKA 1935 

16-1351 



Contributors 

JAMES C. MALIN, associate editor of the Quarterly, is associate professor of 
history at the University of Kansas, at Lawrence. 

GEORGE A. ROOT is curator of archives of the Kansas State Historical Society. 

FLOYD B. STREETER is librarian of the Fort Hays Kansas State College at 
Hays. 

NOTE. Articles in the Quarterly appear in chronological order without re- 
gard to their importance. 



The Turnover of Farm Population 
in Kansas* 

JAMES C. MALIN 

A LTHOUGH there is much discussion of the improvement of 
-L\ farm conditions and of the stabilization of agriculture, there 
is remarkably little specific information of historical character about 
the behavior of farm population and of the factors which influence 
that behavior. This study of the turnover of farm population in 
Kansas presents only one of many phases of an investigation under- 
taken in that field. 

The state of Kansas was divided into five belts, or zones, from 
east to west and townships were selected in each in sufficient num- 
ber to make a fairly representative sampling of each area. Except 
for the third or central belt, the selection resulted in the inclusion 
in each division of upwards of one thousand farms after the belt 
was fully settled, the number varying, of course, from time to time. 
The method for determining the division of the state presented 
many problems. Which should be used: arbitrary rectangles, time 
of first settlement, type-of-farming areas of contemporary times, 
soil, topography, temperature, altitude or rainfall? Arbitrary divi- 
sion into rectangles, while frequently used for statistical purposes, 
did not appear to have any meaning for this study. From the 
standpoint of the frontier alone, the division on the basis of time 
of settlement would seem to be most desirable, but such an arrange- 
ment would have a limited relation to subsequent development. As 
settlement moved from northeast to southwest, the process did not 
conform with the natural geographical conditions. Type-of-farming 
areas are more suitable for investigations where time and change 
do not enter. Soil areas are not sufficiently definite and uniform. 
Temperature belts in Kansas run northeast and southwest, with the 
longest growing season in the southeast corner and the shortest in 
the northwest corner. Altitude belts are similar although they run 
more nearly north and south, but in this respect also Kansas faces 
the southeast rather than the east or northeast. Rainfall belts in 
the eastern part of the state run northeast and southwest also, but 

* This article was read in part at the annual meeting of the Mississippi Valley Historical 
Association at Cincinnati, Ohio, April 26, 1935. 

(339) 



340 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

near the middle of the state, they change directions to north and 
south. 1 

For the present purpose, rainfall has been chosen as the basis of 
division because of the close relation of rainfall to agriculture and 
because this division more nearly conforms to some of the other 
possible divisions; time of settlement, temperature and altitude 
without their exaggerated extremes. The first rainfall belt of 35 
inches per year and upward runs from the northeast corner of the 
state southwestward. This region includes the section most heavily 
populated during the territorial period. The second rainfall belt of 
30 to 35 inches includes Brown and Nemaha counties in the north- 
east and extends southwest into the east central section, including 
such cities as Emporia, Newton and Wichita. The third rainfall 
belt of 25 to 30 inches extends westward to a line nearly north and 
south through Ellsworth, Great Bend and Pratt. The fourth belt 
of 20 to 25 inches extends to a point slightly west of the one-hun- 
dredth meridian. The fifth belt of less than 20 inches rainfall in- 
cludes the remainder of the state west to the Colorado line. 2 

The selection of the township samples presented its difficulties. 
The boundaries of the townships must remain unchanged through 
the years for which census data are available, or if divided, the sub- 
divisions must include the original area. The sample townships 
must be strictly rural in character without being isolated. The 
presence of a small town is permissible, but a city of any size would 
introduce the suburban factor which is a problem in itself. The 
township should be large enough to be fairly representative, and 
foreign populations or other unusual influences must not be present 
in sufficient degree to dominate or distort the results. In practice 
it has been found all but impossible to find townships that have not 

1. Maps showing types-of-farming areas, rainfall and growing seasons may be found 
conveniently in Hodges, J. A., et al., "Types of Farming in Kansas," Kansas Agricultural 
Experiment Station Bulletin 251 (August, 1930). A soil map is to be found in the Twenty- 
eighth Biennial Report of the Kansas State Board of Agriculture, opposite p. 100, in con- 
junction with an article on soils of Kansas by R. I. Throckmorton, pp. 91-102. 

2. GROUP I, First Rainfall Belt. Doniphan county, Center township ; Leavenworth 
county, Alexandria township ; Linn county, Valley township ; Douglas county, Eudora town- 
ship, Kanwaka township. 

GROUP II, Second Rainfall Belt. Brown county, Walnut township ; Lyon county, Pike 
township, Agnes City township, Reading township ; Harvey county, Macon township, Alta 
township. 

GROUP III, Third Rainfall Belt. Jewell county, Sinclair township; Dickinson county, 
Buckeye township ; Saline county, Walnut township ; Kingman county, Vinita township. 

GROUP IV, Fourth Rainfall Belt. Phillips county, Long Island township; Ellsworth 
county, Lincoln township ; Russell county, Big Creek township ; Ellis county, Wheatland town- 
ship ; Edwards county, Kinsley township, Trenton township, Wayne township ; Barber county, 
Sun City township, Deerhead township, Turkey Creek township ; Decatur county, Center 
township ; Ness county, High Point township. 

GROUP V, Fifth Rainfall Belt. Gove county, Grainfield township ; Cheyenne county, Jaqua 
township, Benkelman township, Calhoun township, Cleveland Run township; Wallace county, 
Harrison township, Morton township, North township, Sharon Springs township, Stockholm 
township, Vega township, Wallace township, Weskan township; Hamilton county, Bear Creek 
township, Coolidge township, Kendall township, Lamont township, Liberty township, Medway 
township, Richland township, Syracuse township. 



MALIN : TURNOVER OF FARM POPULATION 341 

been influenced by foreign population to some degree at some time 
in their history. 

The materials used are the original federal and state census 
records giving names and other data for all farm operators, at five- 
year intervals from 1860 to 1885 and for ten-year intervals there- 
after until 1915, after which five-year intervals are resumed. 3 Lists 
of names of farm operators were compiled from each census for all 
townships analyzed and these lists compared with succeeding name 
lists to determine operators who were represented in the township 
in their own right or through male descendants. 4 From resulting 
statistics the following types of data could be established; firstly, 
the total number of farm operators at successive census dates; sec- 
ondly, the persistence of farm operators; and thirdly, the proportion 
of the farm operators of any period who are descendants from those 
of any prior period. 

The whole number of farm operators, both for the townships 
taken separately as well as for them taken as groups, increased 
through the settlement period, frequently, if not usually, to a num- 
ber in excess of what the land would support under the existing 
stage of economic development. The second phase was usually a 
recession in numbers accompanied by an increase in the size of the 
farm unit. Beyond that point few generalizations seem possible. 
When the numbers were plotted in graphic form the curves showed 
no uniformity of pattern. After the frontier or settlement period 
the townships took on characteristics of established communities, 
but not necessarily of stabilized communities. Only in the eastern 
part could the term stabilization be applied with any degree of 
accuracy, because only there has sufficient time elapsed for fairly 
adequate adjustments to environment to be completed. The pecu- 
liarities of agricultural problems on the plains require a longer 
period of adaptation than has elapsed since the original settlement. 
And furthermore, throughout the state, both east and west, the ad- 
vent of power machinery disrupted much of the adaptation already 
supposedly achieved. 

3. These state census records for the period 1860-1925, inclusive, are deposited perma- 
nently with the Kansas State Historical Society. Those for 1930 are temporarily in the posses- 
sion of the department of agricultural economics of Kansas State College of Agriculture and 
Applied Science and those for the current year 1935 are held temporarily by the federal 
agricultural statistician at Topeka. No federal census data were used for 1890 and since, 
because the more recent federal records are closed to the public. 

4. The shift of farm operation from father to children is usually very small during the 
first ten years from any particular census date and only somewhat larger during the second 
ten years. By the end of twenty years relatively few of the families in question are repre- 
sented in the township, as will be seen from the analysis of data later in the paper, so the 
element of error inevitable through inability to follow the female line is relatively small. If 
a family includes male children, the possibility of the male succeeding to the farm instead 
of the females tends to minimize this constant error. 



342 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

The period of depression between 1870-1875 recorded moderate 
losses of farm operators in the first and second belts. The next 
five years brought increases in population along with partial eco- 
nomic recovery for most of the state. The five years 1880-1885, 
generally prosperous, present a different picture. The first and 
fourth belts lost farm operators. In the fourth it was the result of 
reaction from the boom in the northwest counties. The decade 
1885-1895, mostly one of national and world-wide depression, shows 
increases in the first, second and third belts, the older region, but 
decreases again in the fourth or younger part of the state. The 
decade 1895-1905 recorded decreases in four belts, but substantial 
increases in the fourth. This was the period in which the fourth 
belt was achieving relative stabilization on a basis of hard winter 
wheat farming, and succeeded in running counter to the trends of 
the country both to the east and to the west of it. The decade 
1905-1915 was the first one in which all belts registered the same 
trend, a substantial increase, especially in the fifth. Decreases 
occurred during the next five years, the World War period, except 
in the fifth, and increases during the first half of the twenties, 
except in the second and third. The period 1925-1930, another 
period of national prosperity, brought declines in numbers in all 
belts. It is a period of rapid mechanization of agriculture and 
correspondingly enlarged farm units. In the depression years 1930- 
1935 the decline in numbers was reversed except in the second belt. 
The 1930-1935 change in direction was substantial, otherwise it 
might not be significant as census rolls were probably more com- 
plete in 1935 than in former years on account of the federal agri- 
cultural allotment policy. For emphasis it may be well to stress 
the fact that the number of farm operators increased between 1930 
and 1935 even in the semiarid fifth rainfall belt, the so-called 
"dust-bowl." 

Although only limited generalizations may be permissible from 
these variegated data, a few things stand out. Economic depression 
was usually associated with declining numbers of farm operators 
during the frontier or settlement stage of development of the 
country, but increasing numbers usually occurred in older parts of 
the state. On the other hand, national prosperity was associated 
with increasing numbers in all parts of the state between 1905 and 
1915, and with declining numbers in most of the state between 
1925 and 1930. 5 

5. In this discussion the words "result" or "cause" have been excluded and the phrase 
"associated with," or an equivalent, is used in order to avoid any implications of "cause-effect" 
relationships. 



MALIN : TURNOVER OF FARM POPULATION 343 

These conclusions have an important bearing on the so-called 
safety valve theory of the frontier hypothesis. It has been rather 
generally assumed by the followers of F. J. Turner that unfavorable 
conditions in the east or older regions resulted in a flow of popula- 
tion westward to free or cheap land, thus affording relief to the 
east and providing opportunity to the migrants. The data collected 
in this study do not seem to bear out such a theory. On the frontier 
the number of farm operators declined more often than it in- 
creased during periods of general economic stress. On the other 
hand the increases occurred in most substantial numbers in the 
older counties and especially those containing a town of some size. 
The significance of the shift resulting from depressed economic con- 
ditions appears to lie therefore in urban to rural rather than old- 
country to frontier readjustment. This urban-to-rural movement 
was conspicuous while there still was an open frontier and it was 
conspicuous in the 1930-1935 period after the frontier was gone. 

The study of the agricultural census rolls, name by name and 
farm by farm, reveals many changes which cannot be presented 
statistically. For the decade 1925-1935, some of these furnish 
significant background for interpretation of the data. During the 
twenties rapid mechanization and increased size of farms necessarily 
reduced the number of farm operators. Many of the less efficient 
were squeezed out and found it difficult to make a living at any 
other occupation. The towns received most of them and thereby 
added to marginal urban population. Much of the tradition of 
agricultural depression of the twenties was associated with these 
who were eliminated or who were on the borderline. More ac- 
curately these farmers were the victims of a revolutionary advance 
in agricultural technology. Also the period seems to have en- 
couraged the early retirement of many older operators from active 
management of their land. The depression of the thirties seems to 
have reversed to some extent both of these tendencies. Near larger 
towns especially, there was subdivision of farms associated with the 
town-to-country movement. Another tendency seems to be an at- 
tempt on the part of the head of a family to provide for all mem- 
bers through subdivision of the farm. In other cases farmers who 
had retired appear to have returned to active operation of their 
land. In still others, instead of older farmers retiring outright, 
many seem to reserve a small plot of ground which they operate 
separately from the original farm. There was an increasing tend- 
ency also for the sons in a family to operate a farm jointly under 



344 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

such a title as Jones Brothers, or a father and sons to handle the 
farm jointly. Obviously there are conflicting factors present in 
these cases of joint management. In some it seems to have been a 
substitute for subdivision of the land, while in others the situation 
suggests that the joining of forces was a means for carrying on 
large-scale operations. Subdivision, consolidation and preservation 
of the size of farm units went on at the same time. The effect of 
subdivision and consolidation is to cancel or offset each other in 
the statistics. The figures for the number of farms in any town- 
ship or county, therefore, may be unchanged, but the farm situation 
may be changed radically. 

The second phase of the problem of population turnover, the per- 
sistence of farm operators, affords more that is unusual. General 
conclusions are presented first. In all rainfall belts, the rate of 
turnover was high, but was declining during the first twenty-five 
years from the time of settlement. At about twenty to thirty years 
after settlement, the rate of turnover may be said to have become 
somewhat stabilized, although the word stabilized must again be 
used loosely. In some cases, instead of stabilization, there was an 
increase in the rate of turnover after that high point twenty-five 
years from settlement. After the World War persistence increased 
substantially. 

For purposes of summarizing persistence of population by rain- 
fall belts, the data on the several sample townships were added to- 
gether for each belt, and the persistence was expressed in percent- 
ages of the total of persons included in each base census list who 
remained at successive later census periods. In the first, or eastern 
belt in 1860 there were 478 operators in the five sample townships. 
Five years later only 35 percent remained ; at the end of ten years 
26 percent; at the end of twenty-five years 20 percent; in 1920, or 
after 60 years, 10.6 percent, and in 1935, or after 75 years, 8.3 per- 
cent. Taking in succession the years 1865, 1870, 1875, 1880 and 
1885 as base years, the percentage of persistence increased to a 
high point in 1885. There were 953 farm operators in 1885, and of 
these ten years later 51.4 percent remained, after another ten years 
40.8 percent, in 1920 after thirty-five years, 24.6 percent, and in 
1935, or after 50 years, 19 percent. The next base year, 1895, 
showed increasing instability; only 47.7 percent remained after ten 
years. It was not until after 1915 that the 1885 level again was 
reached. The last three base years, 1920, 1925 and 1930, showed 



MALIN : TURNOVER OF FARM POPULATION 345 

little variation from the high mark of about 66 percent after five 
years and 56 percent after ten years. 6 

The five different townships in the first rainfall belt varied quite 
widely. Doniphan is the northeast county of the state along the 
Missouri river. Center township includes the county seat, Troy. 
Its leading economic interests are corn, livestock and apples. The 
farm population was highly stabilized at 55 percent at the five-year 
point and 46 percent at the ten-year point for the 1865 base year 
and changed little until the 1915 base year, when it declined some- 
what. After the World War the stabilization reached a high per- 
centage of 70.8 for the period 1920-1925 and declined to 67.1 for 
the years 1930-1935, being the only township in this belt to decline 
in stability after 1920. 

Alexandria township in Leavenworth county lies in the Stranger 
creek valley, just to the west of the city of Leavenworth. Much 
of the township is rough and in the early day was timbered. Water 
and wood made it especially attractive to early settlers. It is a 
general farming area. It did not reach a high degree of stability 
as early as Doniphan county, but the level rose steadily to a high 
percentage of 71.6 for the 1920 base year for the period 1920-1925. 
After irregularity for 1925-1930, it made a new high of 72.4 percent 
for 1930-1935. 

Eudora township in Douglas county is mostly bottom land, settled 
by Germans in the north part and Quakers, the Hesper community, 
in the south. It is a general farming township. In level of stability 
it was between Doniphan and Leavenworth, with a percentage of 
approximately 66 for each five-year period after 1920. 

The most irregular population movements of the five were found 
in Valley township of Linn county. This community occupied the 
north watershed of the Marais des Cygnes river on the Missouri 
border and contains the village of Trading Post, made notorious in 
territorial days by John Brown's "Parallels." The first high point 
of stability was reached at the 1875 base year with 51 percent at 
five years and 49 percent at ten years. The second high point was 
1905 at about the same level as 1875. The third high was the 1925 
base year with 58 percent for the five years 1925-1930, but with a 
low figure of 37 percent for 1930-1935. The 1930 base year showed 
a decline also for the 1930-1935 quinquennium. 

The most stable township of the group was Kanwaka in Douglas, 

6. See Chart I at the end of this article. 



346 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

a general farming community, lying on the ridge dividing the 
Wakarusa and the Kansas river valleys and between the historic 
towns of Lawrence and Lecompton. A very high stability was 
found for the base years 1865, 1870 and 1875 of 58 percent to 65 
percent at the five-year point and 46 percent to 53 percent at the 
ten-year point. The second and third high levels were the 1885 and 
1905 base years with 71.2 percent and 63 percent at the ten-year 
mark. Beginning with the 1915 base year the five-year level of 70 
percent was practically unchanged for the succeeding base years. 

The second rainfall belt, represented by six townships, started 
with 1860 also, as its first base year, and the curve of persistence 
was similar to the first rainfall belt, differing only in details. A 
high degree of stabilization occurred by 1885, and the curves for 
the base years 1895 to 1915 were almost identical with 1885. At 
the end of fifteen years the four stood close to 45 percent. At that 
point the 1915 curve diverged but the others continued close to- 
gether. The level of the 1920, 1925 and 1930 lines rose to a high 
point in 1930 of 71 percent at the end of five years. 7 

Brown county, in this belt, is in the heart of the Kansas corn belt 
and lies just west of Doniphan county. The 1875 base year showed 
the highest percentage of stability until the postwar period, with 
73 at five years, 61 at ten years and 47 at fifteen years. Thereafter 
there was some irregularity at lower levels until the 1905 base year, 
which opened a period of increasing stability to almost the 1875 
level. The 1925 base year was definitely lower, but the 1930 base 
year was again high at 72 percent for 1930-1935. 

Lyon county, lying in the blue-stem pasture region, contributed 
three townships to this group. Agnes City township is mostly pas- 
ture, Pike township is largely bottom land with more general farm- 
ing and alfalfa. Reading township partakes somewhat of the 
characteristics of both. These townships were outstanding in show- 
ing an unusually high level of stability in the earliest year. Pike 
township maintained a higher level of stability for 1860, 1865 and 
1870 than for any base years since. This may be accounted for in 
part by the fact that it contained a closely-knit Quaker community. 
The 1860 base year retained 60 percent at five years and 51 percent 
at ten years. The 1865 base year retained 68.8 percent at five years 
and 66.2 percent at ten years. The 1870 base year retained 67.1 
percent at five years and 59.6 percent at ten years. The middle 
years 1875-1905 were highly stable, but at a lower level. By 1915 

7. See Chart II. 



MALIN : TURNOVER OF FARM POPULATION 347 

the stability had risen to 60 percent retained after five years and 
50 percent after ten years and succeeding base years remained al- 
most unchanged until 1930 which advanced to 64 percent at the 
five-year point. The record of Agnes City township was very 
similar except the level of stability was not so high in the early 
years. Reading township, which was given present boundaries by 
1875, reached higher levels but was more irregular. 

Harvey county is in the eastern part of the wheat belt. Macon 
township lies between two towns, Newton and Halstead. After a 
somewhat irregular beginning it achieved a very high stability by 
1915. That base year retained 67 percent of its farm operators 
after five years and 58 percent after ten years. The postwar years 
continued the stabilization process until the 1930 base year achieved 
a high level of 75 percent retained in 1935. Alta township is about 
the center of a triangle formed by the cities of Newton, Hutchin- 
son and McPherson. In its early years it was settled by Mennonites 
from Russia and Germany. The percentages of persistence are 
quite irregular, but are relatively high. In the early years, 1880 to 
1905, inclusive, the Alta township level was higher than Macon 
township, but since that time Macon was more consistent and re- 
tained higher percentages, except for the five-year figures on the 
1920 and 1930 base years. The number retained after ten years 
was higher for Macon than for Alta even for these two exceptions. 

The third rainfall belt is represented by four townships, but for 
early years two whole counties were used, Dickinson and Saline. 
The first base year was 1860, using Dickinson county alone, which 
gave a percentage of 58.3 percent retained at the end of five years 
and 42 percent at the end of ten years. The 1865 base, using both 
counties, retained 43 percent at the end of five years. By 1875 the 
township lines were sufficiently established to change to the town- 
ship units and one township in Phillips county was introduced for 
1875 and one from Kingman in 1880. The high point of persistence 
was the 1875 base year for which 57 percent remained after five 
years, 47 percent after ten years, 37 percent after twenty years, 
21 percent after thirty years, and 11 percent after forty-five years. 
All base years from 1875 to 1895, inclusive, showed a lower rate of 
persistence. Beginning with 1905 the level of stability rose steadily 
to the last base year, 1930, with 73.5 percent after five years. 

The third zone is in the east central wheat belt. Dickinson and 
Saline counties lie in the lower Smoky river valley, which in the 
seventies received the name the Golden Belt as descriptive of its 



348 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

leading crop. Jewell county, on the Nebraska line, raised less wheat 
and more corn and livestock. Kingman county is predominantly a 
wheat country. The record of these counties was so nearly uniform 
that they need not be treated separately. From the time of settle- 
ment to the World War each base year retained 55 percent to 58 
percent of its farm operators after five years, and 41 percent to 46 
percent after ten years. Kingman county, the one farthest south- 
west, was highest in stability, closing in 1935 with 80.8 percent of 
the farm operators of 1930. 8 

The fourth rainfall belt started from an 1875 base losing in five 
years all but 38 percent, in ten years all but 24 percent, in twenty 
years all but 14 percent, and after sixty years there remained 4 per- 
cent. The 1880 base year followed closely the same curve at the 
ten- and twenty-year points, but held up to more than 6 percent at 
the fifty-five-year mark. The base years 1895, 1905 and 1915 
reached a high point of stability for the prewar period at more than 
47 percent. In the postwar period the level of persistence rose in 
each successive census until the 1930 curve reached 76.1 percent in 
1935 or at the end of five years. 9 

The fourth belt is in the heart of the Kansas wheat region and 
in area it is the largest of the five rainfall divisions. The selection 
of ten townships was made from eight different counties. On the 
northern border two counties, Phillips and Decatur, produce corn 
and livestock as well as wheat. Ellsworth, Russell, Ellis and Ness 
counties include a good representation of cattle country. Edwards 
county is devoted almost altogether to wheat. Barber county pro- 
duces cattle and wheat. Five of the individual townships, in Bar- 
ber, Decatur, Edwards (Trenton), Ellsworth and Russell counties, 
were moderately irregular in turnover until 1905 or 1915, and 
thereafter increased consistently in stability to a high level of 70 
percent to 80 percent for the five years 1930-1935. In the others 
the irregularity from base to base continued through their whole 
history, but all arrived at a level of 70 percent or more for the final 
five years. In 1905 the level of stability declined in the townships 
from Barber, Decatur, Edwards (Kinsley and Wayne), Ness and 
Phillips counties, but increased in the other four. In 1915 the 
decline occurred only in the townships from Barber and Decatur 
counties, and in 1920 only in Ness, Phillips and Russell counties. 

The fifth rainfall belt, represented by two whole counties, and five 
townships from two others, was settled in the late eighties. As the 

8. See Chart III. 

9. See Chart IV. 



MALIN : TURNOVER OF FARM POPULATION 349 

federal census for 1890 is closed to investigators, the first base year 
available is the state census of 1895. At the ten-year mark this 
belt retained 33 percent of its members, at twenty-five, 16 percent, 
and at forty years (1935) 8.8 percent. The succeeding base-year 
curves were consistently higher, and that of 1925 substantially 
higher with 59.1 percent retained after five years and 50.5 percent 
after ten years. The record for 1930-1935 was only eight tenths of 
a point lower. For the region as a whole the record of stability for 
post-World War years is lower than for the belts farther east, but 
an analysis by separate counties presents a different view. 10 

Three of the counties represented lie on the west line of the state, 
Cheyenne in the Republican river valley, Wallace in the Smoky 
river valley and Hamilton in the Arkansas river valley. Gove 
county is the third county east from Wallace, in the Smoky river 
valley. The cattle industry was dominant in this region until the 
wheat boom under the influence of power farm equipment in the 
twenties. Throughout the whole history of these counties, however, 
there was a wide divergence between them in stability of popula- 
tion, but the record was quite consistent within each one. Cheyenne 
county was always most stable, Wallace next and Gove, farther 
east, was third. Hamilton county was substantially lower than the 
others, and as it turned out its numbers in the post- World War 
period had too much influence as against the four townships of 
Cheyenne county in the combined figures for the fifth rainfall belt. 
Cheyenne county, represented by four townships, not only had the 
highest level of stability in this belt, but it ranked near the top for 
any rainfall belt. Only four townships were higher in the fourth 
belt, those in Ellis, Ellsworth, Ness and Russell. Two were higher 
in the third belt, those in Dickinson and Kingman. Three were 
higher in the second belt, those in Brown and Harvey. Only 
Kanwaka township in Douglas county was higher in the first belt. 
The record for Wallace county would average well with townships 
in any part of the state. 

A study of individual townships presents additional interesting 
data. Jaqua township, in the southwest corner of Cheyenne county, 
while somewhat irregular from year to year, achieved the highest 
level of persistence of any township in the state represented in this 
study, regardless of location. 11 It had no near rival in the fourth 
rainfall belt. Vinita township in Kingman county was nearest to 

10. See Chart V. 

11. See Chart V, inserts. 



350 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

it in the third belt, Macon township in Harvey county in the 
second, and Kanwaka township in Douglas county in the first. 
In spite of its low average, Hamilton county had one township, 
Bear Creek, with an exceptionally high stability which would place 
it favorably in any rainfall belt. 12 

Several factors enter into the situation in the fifth belt that are 
either absent or less pronounced farther east. In age of settlement 
it had scarcely passed the frontier period when the World War 
came, if the same time is allowed for that process as in the eastern 
belts. On the contrary it might be argued that modern industrial- 
ism had shortened the period necessary for frontier adjustment. 
At least, there were some very different influences at work, but 
there is little or no clue to what their effect should have been on 
stability of farm population. In connection with the later period, 
the World War stimulated somewhat the emphasis on wheat, but 
the wheat boom proper, associated with power farm equipment, did 
not come until the last half of the twenties and the early thirties. 
It was more extensive in the southwest counties, such as Hamilton, 
than in the northwest. The depression did not begin to make itself 
felt in a serious way until the winter of 1931-1932. 

In connection with the wheat boom two unusual factors were in- 
troduced, the absentee farm operator (often called the suit-case 
farmer) and the farm corporation. Adequate treatment of these 
is not possible because complete information of a nature required 
for this kind of a study was not collected by the census enumerators 
and some of the names of these classes may not have been placed on 
the rolls. In Wallace county only a few absentee operators, who 
can be clearly identified as such, were listed and none was listed in 
the Cheyenne townships used, nor in Grainfield township in Gove 
county. In Hamilton county quite a number appeared. 

The rolls for 1935 are probably most complete because of their 
use by the federal allotment administration. In Wallace county 
eighteen absentees were listed, or 4.3 percent of the farm operators. 
In Hamilton county twenty-five absentees were listed, or 6 percent 
of the operators of the county. In Lament township in the latter 
county ten of the ninety-five farm operators, or 10.5 percent, were 
of this class in 1931 and in 1935 fourteen of ninety-one farm 
operators, or 15.4 percent. 

The wheat-farming corporations were present in Wallace and 
Hamilton counties, but held the larger acreage in the former. In 

12. See Chart V, insert. 



MALIN : TURNOVER OF FARM POPULATION 351 

1930 one corporation was listed in Hamilton county with 3,360 
acres, or the equivalent of five 640-acre farms. By 1935 its holdings 
had been disposed of, but a second corporation which acquired 
acreage after 1930 still held 2,800 acres in 1935. In Wallace county 
in 1930 one corporation held 25,610 acres distributed through three 
townships, or an equivalent of forty 640-acre farms. By 1935 it 
still held 3,200 acres. The census rolls do not show how many 
farm operators were displaced when these corporations accumulated 
their acreage, nor how many new operators returned when the cor- 
porations were carrying out forced liquidation of their holdings 
under the requirements of the legislative act of 1931. There can be 
no question, however, that the net effect of both absenteeism and 
the corporation farming episode was to increase instability of farm 
operators, even though the extent of that influence cannot be de- 
termined. 

The history of the turnover of farm operators seems to fall into 
three periods, except in the fifth belt; the settlement period of ex- 
ceptionally rapid change, a middle period of relative stabilization 
at rather low levels, and the recent period of higher stability. Dur- 
ing the settlement period exceptionally heavy losses of population 
are registered for the first and second base years in the first, sec- 
ond 13 and fourth rainfall belts, and relatively moderate losses in 
the third and fifth. The Civil War period occupied the four years 
following the 1860 census and might seem to account for the great 
losses in the first and second belts, but the same fact could not 
account for the opposite effect in the third belt. 

In most of the curves the losses of population during the settle- 
ment period are especially heavy for the first ten years, and then 
the curve flattens out during the second decade. For the curves 
representing the period of relative stabilization, the losses are not 
so great during the first decade, and are relatively greater for the 
second decade than for the first base-year curves. In other words, 
these losses after stabilization are distributed more evenly over the 
first twenty years, rather than being concentrated in the first ten 
years as in the curves for the settlement years. 

The second period has been characterized as one of relative stabil- 
ization. The rate of turnover was still high. Few townships re- 
tained more than 55 percent to 60 percent of their farm operators 
for five years or 45 percent to 50 percent of them for ten years. 
The period 1915 to 1920, the World War era, seems to mark a 

13. The 1865 base year is an exception in the second rainfall belt. 



352 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

division point for most townships between the second and third 
periods. With relative suddenness the percentage of persistence for 
five years increased by ten to fifteen points, many townships re- 
taining between 65 percent and 82 percent. For the first time it 
could be said that the emphasis was on stability rather than change. 
In the older eastern part of the state this new development appeared 
in a few cases as early as 1905, but a number of instances are found 
in 1915 and by 1920 it was general. 14 The general trend was for 
stability to increase with the age of the community. 

The outstanding fact to be derived from this analysis of the per- 
sistence of farm operators, however, is that the general pattern 
presented by the curves of persistence is very nearly the same for 
the five rainfall belts. The two extreme western belts show results 
only slightly lower on the whole than the eastern belts, although 
some of them are actually higher. In other words, the persistence 
of farm operators was a relatively constant factor, except for the 
immediate settlement period. While the total number of farm 
operators fluctuated, the rate of turnover was constant. When the 
total was declining, it meant only that the losses from the normal 
turnover were not being replaced by new arrivals, and when the 
total number rose, it meant that they were more than being replaced. 
In either case the losses from any particular base period were going 
on at a fairly constant rate. 

Further analysis of the curves does not indicate any uniform 
reflection of the influence of economic cycles or of rainfall cycles. 
If anything, after the communities became established, periods of 
drouth and depression such as 1895 and 1930 when taken as a base 
tended to show a higher stability than some other periods. The 
same is true of the post-war depression in many townships using 
1920 as a base. The periods of reputed prosperity, such as those 
beginning with 1905 or 1925, displayed an unusually high rate of 
turnover in many communities. The relation of soil and land 
tenure to turnover require further study. The foreign population 
was usually more stable than the native born, but not so much so as 
is usually supposed. 15 The second and later generations seemed to 
take on rather quickly much of the characteristics of the native 
born. When the combined data for each of the rainfall belts is 
broken down into the individual township samples, the separate 
curves of persistence show wide fluctuation, but the fluctuations 

14. The federal census of 1910, if open to research, would be of particular interest at 
this point. 

15. These subjects will be treated in separate studies. 



MALIN: TURNOVER OF FARM POPULATION 353 

within a rainfall belt, with a few exceptions, are as wide on the 
whole as between rainfall belts. 

From the facts available, it would appear that the problem is 
primarily one of group behavior, apart from specifically assignable 
accidents of farm life in the separate communities or regions in- 
volved. In other words, under any given set of general conditions, 
the farm operators in all parts of the state reacted in much the same 
manner, the variations of local physical environment exercising 
only a secondary or minor influence. For any conclusions that may 
be drawn, that assumption may well be employed as the point of 
departure. An interesting suggestion in this connection may be 
derived from a study of persistence of students in college. The data 
on a freshman group entering the college of liberal arts of the Uni- 
versity of Kansas in 1928 provides a curve of persistence over a 
period of four to six years identical in shape with the curves for 
Kansas farm operators over a period of twenty to thirty years. 
Whether the matter has any significance or not, the fact remains 
that the students as a group in their brief career in college behave in 
much the same manner as their parents in their career as farm 
operators. Unfortunately comparable data are not available for 
other social groups. 

The third phase of the problem of turnover of farm operators is 
to determine the proportion of farm operators of particular periods 
who are descendants of those of an earlier period. This procedure 
makes the approach from the opposite direction from the second. 
Three base years were chosen, 1885, 1915 and 1935, for the eastern 
belts whose settlement dated from 1860. The absence of data from 
the federal census of 1910 made it necessary to choose a prior or 
later date. The year 1915 was taken because it represented more 
nearly the base used for comparative purposes in most of the post- 
World War discussions of agriculture. The later-settled parts of 
the state presented other problems, and for part of the third rain- 
fall belt and for the fourth belt two periods were taken, dividing the 
life of the communities as near the half-way point as possible. The 
fifth belt was handled similarly, only the mid-point fell at 1915 in- 
stead of 1905 as in the fourth. The tables report the results in 
detail and therefore only brief interpretations will be presented 
here. 16 In all parts of the state the original or early settlers and 
their descendants constitute an extremely small proportion of the 
later or contemporary community. Except for Kanwaka township, 

16. See the table at the end of this article. 

231351 



354 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

8 percent is the highest representation the settlers of 1860 held 
seventy-five years later. 17 These facts run contrary to much of 
the tradition about the character of a community being determined 
by the people who settled it and established its original institutions. 
Obviously, the pioneers constituted too small a proportion of the 
later community to exercise a controlling influence. The proportion 
of a community that can be traced back to later base points rose 
rapidly as those dates approached the present. It is notable, never- 
theless, that in few townships does the proportion of the community 
which traced its origin to 1915 or 1905 appear as high as might be 
expected from the percentages of persistence of farm operators in- 
dicated in the previous section. In many cases the older families 
were represented in the community by only one operator, while 
newer families might have two or more. The opposite is true, how- 
ever, in a few cases where one or more prolific families came to con- 
stitute a large proportion of the community. In one particular case, 
Wheatland township, Ellis county, the male lines of two families 
constitute 35.4 percent of the operators of 1935. 

A comparison of figures for the five rainfall belts shows quite 
similar percentages for the different belts, except for the fifth. If 
age of the community is recognized, however, the percentages there 
are much higher than for any of the eastern belts at a similar com- 
munity age. 

The fact of the high rate of turnover of rural population during 
the early period and the middle periods of Kansas history suggests 
numerous questions about the effects such instability has had on 
institutions; political, economic, and social. As Edwards county 
has been studied most intimately, some illustrations are chosen from 
there. During the frontier stage of development, scarcely a mention 
was made in the press concerning reform of local political institu- 
tions. The sole question at issue in elections was the county-seat 
ring against the field, for the maintenance of power, and incident- 
ally, the money income from offices and county contracts. This was 
particularly important in the early years during hard times when 
public money, derived mostly from taxing the railroads, was about 
the only cash in circulation in the community. In 1880 an unusual 

17. These figures are too low, but they are the nearest possible, because the female lines 
of descent cannot be traced from the census rolls. Investigation of this problem in one 
township, through the aid of old settlers, points to a conclusion, however, that the error 
is relatively small for the average community, because the extent of population movement 
was so nearly complete. Furthermore, if the farm continued in the hands of the family the 
probability was in favor of a son continuing rather than a daughter. For later base points 
this kind of error is probably greater than for the old-settler period. The amount of error 
of this kind is probably greater here, however, than it is in the previous section of this study. 



MALIN : TURNOVER OF FARM POPULATION 355 

situation was presented when the old county ring, which called it- 
self Republican, was crumbling, and the drouth entered its second 
year. Emigration of politicians was so extensive that when the time 
came to call the Republican county convention in the midst of a 
national campaign, no member of the county committee was a 
resident of the county. The people got a new deal in politics when 
a group of citizens assumed the responsibility for calling a mass 
meeting to reorganize the party. The net result, however, was just 
to establish a new ring on a basis similar to the old. Whenever the 
newer settlers in the county tried to get control, the county ring 
raised the cry of "carpetbaggers" trying to exploit the "old settlers." 
One editor denounced in language more vigorous than elegant such 
attempts "to show that unless a man ran wild with the buffalo 
years ago, he is not eligible to office." 18 A correspondent closed 
the incident with the remark that if the candidate in question was 
a "tenderfoot" then three fourths of the voters were also. A few 
years later, after the Populist reformers had been in office for some 
time, a disgusted member of the party protested the failure to re- 
duce taxes and to reform the fee system. One of the officials made 
a formal reply in which he invoked that age-old political wisdom 
so dear to reformers as well as to old party men that discussion 
"may create dissension in our party," and that the writer of the 
protest "implies that it would greatly please him ... for the 
present incumbents ... to preach their own funeral sermons 
and proclaim themselves fools at one and the same time by taking 
less than the Republican statute makes it lawful for them to take." 19 

Certainly the instability of the frontier population, together with 
the bare bread-and-butter existence of the community as a whole, 
retarded the progressive adaptation of local political institutions to 
meet the obligations expected of them as a result of rapidly chang- 
ing economic and social conditions. This influence was not limited 
to the frontier, because the older eastern communities were de- 
moralized by competition with western agriculture. And further- 
more, even after the frontier had achieved the status of established 
rural communities, the high rate of turnover of population kept at 
a minimum the interest which this moving farm population gener- 
ated for its changing, yet unchanged, local institutions. 

The economic development of the farm communities was not 
promoted by the high rate of turnover of farmers. Possibly agri- 

18. Kinsley Weekly Mercury, November 3, 1887. 

19. Kinsley Graphic, March 29, 1895. 



356 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

cultural methods did not suffer so seriously in the humid areas of 
the East as they did in the more arid country west of the Missouri 
river. Each new crop of Eastern farmers found that they must un- 
learn most of what they thought they knew about agriculture and 
adapt themselves to new methods and to new crops. A large pro- 
portion starved out or moved out for other reasons without ever 
learning. It is well to remember that the tillage methods and the 
varieties of wheat that have given outstanding distinction to the 
Kansas hard winter wheat belt have become standard only since 
1905. Forty years is a long time to discover what crops to raise 
and how to grow them. 

Social institutions suffered more seriously if anything than others. 
Again and again lyceums, debating societies, literary clubs, and 
dancing clubs were organized only to break up within a few months. 
Each new organization usually carried a large proportion of new 
names indicative of the rapidly changing population. Churches 
suffered along with other institutions. In Wayne township, Ed- 
wards county, the first religious organization was Methodist church, 
South. Why this should have been is difficult to explain, because 
there were scarcely any southern people in the community. Possi- 
bly a preacher on a nearby circuit was willing to add this com- 
munity to his other charges as an additional source of income. 
During the cattle boom of the middle eighties the ranch element 
and large farmers organized a Protestant Episcopal church, and 
hauling stone from a distance built a little Gothic church amid the 
sand hills. It had its six gables and a cross, a vestry room, an organ 
room, paneled ceilings, stained glass memorial windows, and rented 
pews. With the crash in the cattle business, the ranches came into 
the possession of the 160-acre farmers and the loan companies, and 
aristocracy in religion disappeared with the cattlemen. The 160- 
acre farmers organized a Methodist Episcopal church and put up a 
little frame building. After 1900 Missouri immigrants came and 
with them the Christian church and the Baptist church. With the 
shifting of population both of the latter failed in a few years, leav- 
ing only the Methodists. Probably the Methodists survived only 
because of a strong centralized organization and an emotional reli- 
gion which provided the psychological compensation necessary in 
the arid life of the plains. Across the river in the German com- 
munities, the Catholic church, also a strong centralized organization 
with a genius for reaching the masses, maintained its position. 
Churches organized on a relatively independent congregational basis 



MALIN : TURNOVER OF FARM POPULATION 357 

had little chance of survival amid an unstable and changing popu- 
lation, except in the larger towns. This discussion of churches sug- 
gests further that changing community characteristics are closely 
related to changing sources of interstate migration, but that is a 
problem of sufficient importance to require a separate treatment. 

The foregoing discussion applied to the period prior to the World 
War, when instability was the outstanding fact. The recent period 
of relatively high stability may produce different results. In any 
event, if the higher level of stability persists, it provides a sub- 
stantially different population environment within which economic, 
social and political institutions must function and develop. What 
the results may be, only time can tell. 

Under prevailing conditions in agriculture it would be remarkable 
indeed not to recognize the question whether the conclusions reached 
concerning the turnover of farm population have any significance 
for current agricultural policies. On April 11, 1935, a mid-West 
economic conference held at Kansas City devoted a session to the 
subject of land utilization policies. The plan of the national re- 
sources board was outlined, explaining how the government planned 
to purchase seventy-five million acres of submarginal land, to ex- 
tend grass areas as protection against erosion, to relocate farmers 
on more economically planned farms, and for other purposes. In 
the course of the discussion S. L. Miller, of the University of Iowa, 
was quoted in the press as saying: "I was brought up in western 
Kansas and I know you have a lot more failures where you fail 
to get rain. The problem is whether or not we intend to conserve 
our resources." The opposite side of the question was taken by 
E. S. Sparks, of the University of South Dakota, who was quoted 
as saying: "It has always been my experience that good farmers 
succeed almost anywhere you put them and poor farmers will fail 
on the best land in Iowa. Why shift them around? You still have 
the problem of farm management." 

He developed his theme further by declaring that until the gov- 
ernment knew more about what it was doing the program looked 
like folderol. 20 

It is clear that Sparks was looking at the problem from the stand- 
point of the farmer as an individual and as a member of a group 
whose behavior is determined by forces among which national land 
utilization and other economic policies and conditions are largely 
incidentals. The results of this investigation of the turnover of 

20. Kansas City (Mo.) Times, April 12, 1935. 



358 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

farm population do not constitute proof, of course, but so far as 
they may contribute to enlargement of knowledge about the con- 
ditions within which agricultural policies must function, they tend 
to give support to the Sparks contention. Possibly one further 
observation might be added, that the whole discussion might well 
lead to a reconsideration of the time-tried National Grange dictum 
that the farmer is more important than the farm. 

In certain respects the relation of farm population movements to 
agricultural policy is reasonably clear. The mere fact of a high 
degree of persistence or of mobility of farm operators does not 
necessarily mean either prosperity or failure. A highly mobile 
population may be prosperous and a highly stabilized community 
may be stagnant and backward. On the other hand, the reverse 
may be true in both cases. At least there is nothing in this study 
to the contrary except during the early frontier stage. Much that 
has been proposed in the way of agricultural policy implies either 
directly or indirectly that a causal relationship does exist. If policies 
designed to increase rural prosperity are expected to stabilize rural 
population there is little hope of success. If resettlement or land 
utilization projects require operators to remain over a period of 
years, they will not hold out much hope thereby of insuring pros- 
perity. Attempts to stabilize population in such resettlement plans 
run counter to the group habits of Kansas farmers, and there is no 
reason to believe that they differ widely from other farmers of the 
major agricultural areas. It is vital to such policies to know first 
why farmers move as they have done and why a rapid stabilization 
occurred during the post- World War period, and whether there is 
reason to assume that the high level of stability will continue. 
Without a fairly exact analysis of the factors determining such 
movements any agricultural policy which directly or indirectly in- 
volves movement or resettlement of farm population is obviously 
a step in the dark. 

CHARTS AND TABLES 

The charts are divided into three parts, except for the fifth rainfall belt. 
The lower division presents the data on the early years, approximately the 
frontier period. The middle division presents the data for the middle period 
of stabilization at relatively low levels. The top division presents the data for 
the post-World War period of higher stabilization. The year 1915 is included 
in both the middle and top divisions, because it seems to be a transition year 
and its presence in both divisions serves as a guide for more effective compari- 
son of the two periods. 



MALIN : TURNOVER OF FARM POPULATION 359 

Chart I. Five townships are represented in this chart, all starting from 1860. 

Chart II. The 1860, 1865 and 1870 curves represent only two townships 
in Lyon county, Agnes City and Pike. 

The 1875 and later curves represent six townships in three counties, Brown, 
Harvey and Lyon. 

Chart III. The I860 and 1865 curves represent the whole of two counties, 
Dickinson and Saline. After 1870 the population became so large that it did 
not seem practicable to carry them further in that form. 

The 1875 curve represents one township each from Dickinson, Jewell and 
Saline counties. 

The 1880 curve represents one township each from Dickinson, Kingman and 
Saline counties. The census roll for Sinclair township in Jewell county is 
missing for that year. 

The 1880 and later curves are based on one township each in the four above- 
named counties, except 1895 for which the census roll for Walnut township in 
Saline county is missing. 

Chart IV. The 1875 curve represents four townships, one each in Ellsworth 
and Barber counties, and two in Edwards county. 

The 1880 curve represents eight townships, one each from the counties of 
Barber, Ellis, Ness, Phillips, and Russell, and three from Edwards. Ellsworth 
is not included because of changes in township lines. 

The 1885 curve represents ten townships, the same ones named for 1880 
with the addition of one from Ellsworth and one from Decatur counties. The 
remaining curves on this chart are based on the same ten townships. 

Chart V. This chart contains only two divisions because of the short period 
since its first settlement. The inserts at the right of the figures for the belt 
as a whole present the curves for individual counties, and for certain individual 
townships. 

The bottom division of this chart presents a summary of the charts for the 
five individual belts in the form of a composite of all years for each belt ar- 
rived at by averaging the percentages of persistence for each base year. This 
procedure is open to criticism, but it is sufficiently accurate to assist in pre- 
senting general trends. As the data for the first three belts begins with 1860, 
the fourth with 1875 and the fifth with 1895, the instability associated with the 
frontier period has too much influence in the averages for the western belts. 



360 



THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 




MALIN: TURNOVER OF FARM POPULATION 



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FIRST RAINFALL BELT 


Doniphan county, Center townshi 
Douglas county, Eudora township 
Douglas county, Kanwaka townsh 
Leavenworth county, Alexandria t 
Linn county, Valley township 

Totals 


SECOND RAINFALL BELT, 
Brown county, Walnut township. 
Lyon county, Agnes City townshil 
Lyon county, Pike township 


OQ 

I 




Harvey county, Alta township. . . 
Harvey county, Macon township. 




I 


THIRD RAINFALL BELT, 


Dickinson county, Buckeye towns! 
Jewell county, Sinclair township . . 

Kingman county, Vinita township 
Saline county, Walnut township. . 


Totalst 



MALIN : TURNOVER OF FARM POPULATION 



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FOURTH RAINFALL BELT, 25" TO 


Barber county, Sun City and subdivisions 
Edwards county, Kinsley township 
Edwards county, Trenton township 


on 

I 




Edwards county, Wayne township 
Ellis county, Wheatland township 
Ness county, Highpoint township 
Phillips county, Long Island township . . . 
Russell county, Big Creek township 


1 




Decatur county, Center township 
Ellsworth county, Lincoln township 


I 



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372 



THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 



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Ferries in Kansas 
PART VIII NEOSHO RIVER CONCLUDED 

GEORGE A. ROOT 

THE next ferry upstream was in the vicinity of Erie. About the 
beginning of the Civil War the four Wikle brothers settled on 
the Neosho. They were Unionists, and previous to their settling in 
Neosho county had lived in Texas. On account of their loyalty 
they had to leave that state. The two younger brothers, John M. 
and Samuel M., entered the Union army, enlisting in Company K, 
Sixth Kansas cavalry, on May 14, 1862, and were mustered in the 
same day. They served till the end of the war and were mustered 
out at DeVall's Bluff, Ark., John M. having been promoted to the 
rank of corporal in K company. The other boys, Henry and Jeptha, 
stayed in Neosho county, Henry operating a farm about a mile 
south and half a mile west of Erie, just south of the river, the cor- 
ner almost touching the river. This location was near the south end 
of the island somewhat to the west of Erie. The island was covered 
with a dense growth of heavy timber, and Henry and his brother 
Jeptha established a ferry about the year 1868 which connected 
with the island, it being used almost exclusively for bringing out 
wood. The ferry landing was near the south end of the island in 
T. 28, R. 20, this location being just above the site of the present 
bridge. 49 

On January 23, 1869, three of the Wikle brothers J. L., H. M., 
and S. M. John King and Samuel Davis obtained a charter for 
the Wichita Ferry Co. The principal office of the company was at 
Erie. Capital stock of the new enterprise was placed at $500, with 
shares $50 each. The company proposed to maintain a ferry across 
the Neosho river at a point about 1,000 yards below where the 
county road from the town of Erie to Oswego, in Labette county, 
crossed the river, this location being described as in S. 8, T. 29, R. 
20 E., and to include territory to the west line of S. 36, T. 28, R. 19. 
The banks of the Neosho where the ferry was to be located belonged 
to J. L. Wikle. This charter was filed with the secretary of state 
February 1, 1869. 50 

About the year 1886 or 1887, John Hall, a Neosho county attorney, 
acquired the land on this island previously mentioned, and estab- 

49. Interview with an old resident of the county. 

50. Charters, v. 2, p. 19. 

(373) 



374 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

lished a ferry connecting with it. He had obtained a contract with 
one of the railroad companies which operated within the county, to 
furnish railroad ties, and used this ferry to get them across the 
river for delivery. The ferry apparently became a community con- 
venience, and was operated by anyone who wished to make use 
of it. 51 

The first bridge built at Erie was constructed in the early 1870's. 
This structure was put out of commission in 1883, when ice broke 
up early in the year. The stone piers of this old structure had 
square corners, and when great slabs of ice came down with the 
current and struck these sharp corners, they soon tore out a layer 
of stone. Succeeding ice cakes tore out more and more until this 
end of the bridge fell upstream into the water. Until a new bridge 
could be built to replace this one a temporary ferry was operated 
close to the location of the old Wikle ferry. On March 2, 1884, a 
proposition to vote bonds for a bridge south of Erie carried. The 
Neosho County Republican, of Erie, in its issue of February 28, 
1884, favored the proposition and stated, "All must realize the 
importance of a good bridge across the river at this point." J. W. 
Lynch, of lola, was awarded the contract for the stonework for 
$1,500, while the bridge contract went to the Missouri River Bridge 
Co., of Leavenworth, at $4,200. The new structure was a com- 
bination of iron and wood, and was completed early in 1885. 52 

A dam was built across the Neosho during the early 1870's, just 
below the bridge, to furnish water power for a grist mill. This mill 
was run by Branner & Snow in the late 1870's, and was subsequently 
purchased by Johnson & Kyle, who operated it for a number of 
years. It finally burned about 1902, and nothing much remains to 
mark the site. It was one of the common sights in the early days to 
see folks going to this mill with their grist. One fifth of the finished 
product was the usual "toll" for grinding, this being a more equitable 
charge than that attributed to one of the frontier millers, who upon 
being accused of being unfair, retorted: "Well, there's the toll in one 
sack and the grist in the other. Take your choice." 

High water in 1882 or 1883 put the bridge at this point out of 
commission, and a ferry was operated for a time. A traveling circus 
was carried over the river on this ferry. When everything else had 
been safely gotten over, the elephant was led down to the ferry 
landing. He just got one foot on the boat and felt it give beneath 

51. Ed. L. George, Erie, Kan., is authority for the above statements. He was one of 
those employed in cutting ties. 

52. Neosho County Republican, Erie, February 12, 26, 1885. 



ROOT: FERRIES IN KANSAS 375 

his weight. He backed off at once and no amount of persuasion 
could induce the elephant to again set foot on the boat. However, 
he willingly took to the water and swam across. 53 

John Gregg, of St. Paul, in a letter to the author, mentions this 
ferry which operated after high water carried the bridge away. 
Mr. Gregg states that about 1898 he built a small steamboat which 
he operated up and down the Neosho for several years above the 
dam, the river affording sufficient depth of water for boating pur- 
poses. When this dam went out it spoiled navigation. His boat 
was thirty-eight feet long, eight feet at bottom, and ten feet at top 
sharp at both ends, and had a reversible engine, with speed of about 
eight miles an hour. The boat would carry from eighty to ninety 
passengers, using the two decks. It was used chiefly in taking 
church and school picnics upstream to some picnic ground. 

The dam mentioned in the foregoing paragraph backed water 
upstream for several miles. Following the flood which carried the 
dam away, the channel of the river shifted to the west side of the 
island. Where the Hall ferry was located the banks were quite 
high from fifteen to eighteen feet above average low water. This 
gorge has filled in considerably during the passing years, and trees 
are now growing in the old channel where the ferry was operated. 54 

About the year 1865 Stephen E. Beach established a ferry three 
eighths of a mile south of a small trading post called "Osage City." 
This "city" consisted of one little log house. The ferry was located 
about two and one half miles east of Chanute, and was operated 
until 1871, ceasing on completion of the bridge east of Chanute. 
Mr. Beach hung a cable across the river, attaching it to a large tree 
on either side of the stream. One of the trees so used still stands 
on the west bank of the river. "This was the first ferry in the 
county, regularly established, with a cable, so far as I know," wrote 
Mr. J. J. Hurt, of Chanute. Osage City was later changed to 
Rogers' Mills, as there were six post offices of that name in Kansas. 55 

Chanute was established in 1870, and if any ferries operated there 
before the building of the bridges, we have failed to locate mention 
of them. The city has been well supplied with bridges over the 
Neosho, one having been built on the road directly north, one east 
of the Santa Fe tracks, and one east of the city. About 1931 a new 
bridge was built north of the city, being located west of the old one. 
A bridge also spans the Neosho just west of the village of Shaw. 

53. Statement of A. A. George. 

54. Ibid. 

55. Letter of J. J. Hurt to author. 



376 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

Humboldt, about eight miles above Chanute, was the location of 
the next ferry. Having no opportunity to consult Allen county 
commissioners' journals, or newspapers of that vicinity for the ferry 
period, the following account has been prepared from articles which 
appeared in the Humboldt Union of September 24, 1931, and 
February 9, 1933: 

Up to the close of 1867 the only way to cross the Neosho at 
Humboldt was by fording. There was a choice of two fords the 
Thurston ford, which crossed the river some 500 feet above the dam, 
and Blue's ford, which crossed at the lower end of the Humboldt 
community park and entered the Neosho a short distance from the 
present septic basin. 

When the river channel was full of water the only way to cross 
was in homemade skiffs or small boats. When the river had risen 
but little it was crossed with a team by roping the wagon together, 
making the wagon bed fast to the chassis and swimming the 
horses. If this precaution was not taken the wagon box would float 
away and perhaps the front and rear wheels would float off in 
different directions should the kingpin be lifted from its position. 
Loss of life was of frequent occurrence when this precaution was 
not observed. 

Up to 1867, when plans were made to start a ferry, this was the 
only way the river could be crossed. The building of the first boat 
created much interest in the community. Twenty or more men 
were employed in its construction. Isaac C. Cuppy was the prime 
mover in the enterprise. The boat was long and flat with square 
ends, and had a capacity of two teams and wagons. It was built 
on the water's edge on the side of the river nearest town, so that it 
would not be necessary to transport it any distance when completed. 
When the boat was ready for launching a cable one and one half 
inches in diameter was stretched across the river and made fast. 
Two pulleys were a part of the boat's equipment, one at each end. 
To these was attached a rope, perhaps twenty feet long. By pulling 
the front end of the boat as closely as possible to the cable stretched 
across the river, and giving plenty of slack to the rear, the boat 
was propelled in oblique fashion, the current furnishing the power. 
When it reached the opposite shore a rope was thrown to some one 
on shore who pulled the boat close to the bank and fastened it. It 
was a slow process, sometimes twenty teams on either side waited 
to be crossed, which would take about a day, for the women and 
children had to be unloaded. The horses were unhitched and driven 



ROOT: FERRIES IN KANSAS 377 

onto the boat, for teams sometimes became frightened at their new 
surroundings and tried jumping overboard. Then the wagons were 
run onto the boat. At length the boat was loaded and ready to 
weigh anchor. Sometimes this took about an hour. On reaching 
the opposite shore the boat was unloaded and a new cargo taken on, 
for the ferry took them going and coming. 

This ferry got under way in May, 1868, when Isaac Cuppy, who 
lived west of the river, petitioned the commissioners of Allen county 
for permission to construct and operate a ferry across the river west 
of Humboldt for one year, which permission was granted. He 
paid into the county treasury $10 for his license and filed a bond for 
$5,000 for the faithful performance of his duties as ferryman. His 
ferriage rates were: For each wagon, buggy or carriage, drawn by 
two horses, or mules, each way, 35 cents; each wagon, buggy or 
carriage, drawn by one horse, 25 cents; horseman, 10 cents; sheep 
and hogs, per head, five cents; horses or cattle, 10 cents; footman, 
five cents. 

More or less trouble was occasioned when the river was high. At 
such times the water rose to the point where it almost touched the 
cable. In early days immense amounts of driftwood would come 
down during floods, and on one occasion this caused the cable to 
snap, tearing the ferryboat loose from its moorings, and boat and 
all went down stream never to be returned. Another boat was built 
and put into commission, and it also got away and landed some 
ten miles down the river. J. H. Osborn, of the Osborn Lumber Co., 
took a contract to bring the boat home for $10, which he finally did, 
but it is said he was sorry long before the job was finished. When 
the river was low the ferryboat did no business at all, for the people 
used one or the other of the fords. 

Late in 1868 there was a movement within the county in favor of 
bridges, the old ferry being too slow and uncertain. On January 27, 
1869, a county election was held to vote on the proposition of issuing 
bonds to the amount of $35,000 for the purpose of building half a 
dozen bridges, one of which was to span the Neosho at Humboldt. 
Evidently the taxpayers did not look with favor upon the proposi- 
tion, for the bonds were badly defeated; out of a total of 406 votes 
cast, only 29 were in favor of the bond issue. Matters dragged 
along until the following year when the Humboldt Bridge Co. was 
organized on January 25, 1869. The capital stock of the company 
was $20,000, in 200 shares. The company proposed to build a 
bridge over the Neosho at the juncture and intersection of Bridge 



378 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

street with the river in Humboldt. Nine directors were to manage 
the company's affairs, those named for the first year being W. W. 
Curdy, C. H. Pratt, Watson Stewart, Peter Long, Chas. Fussman, 
G. P. Smith, Moses Neal, Wm. Wakefield and E. C. Amsden. This 
charter was filed with the secretary of state, January 28, 1870. 56 
Upon the election of officers Maj. Joseph Bond was chosen pres- 
ident and W. W. Curdy, 57 secretary. Work started on the bridge 
during the summer of 1870, and it was completed by September, 
following. The Union Pacific, Southern branch, now the M.-K.-T., 
reached Humboldt with its passenger trains in April, 1870, and 
while the bridge was under construction, traffic used Thurston ford 
if the water was low and the ferry if the water was high. 

The bridge, costing originally $9,000, was a one-arch affair and 
was planned to carry a maximum load of not to exceed 2,500 pounds. 
It was operated as a toll bridge up to the time it was taken over 
by the county. Free bridges had been built above and below Hum- 
boldt, and the toll bridge was driving trade elsewhere; therefore 
there was nothing else to be done but to secure the bridge from the 
Humboldt Bridge Co., eliminate the toll and make it free. This 
was done in 1881. For nearly a third of a century more it was used, 
when on February 3, 1933, the old steel structure was removed from 
its supports and allowed to plunge into the waters of the Neosho 
to make room for a modern new concrete arch bridge. 58 There are 
other bridges over the Neosho within the county a new steel bridge 
on the Chanute road, and another built for the Monarch Cement Co. 

There was a crossing on the Neosho six miles below Humboldt 
on the present Chanute road. Wagons entered the river just east 
of the old bridge, and it was necessary to proceed up the riffle to 
about the location of the new steel bridge before a place could be 
found where the bank made it possible to leave the river. This 
was used in 1868, and was the ford used by the freighters going to 
Osage Mission, Oswego and Chetopa. The river was again crossed 
somewhere above Montana. The crossing or ford described above 
was said to be the most dangerous between Humboldt and Chetopa. 
It was one of the worst located and necessitated a long pull through 
the water. 59 

Humboldt, on account of its being the oldest town in the county 
and being the seat of the government land office as well, was quite 

56. Corporations, v. 2, p. 242. 

57. W. W. Curdy became a resident of Topeka during 1887, and engaged in a general 
merchandising business, which he carried on for several years. 

58. Humboldt Union, September 24, 1931, February 9, 1933; lola Register, July 5, 1932. 

59. Humboldt Union, October 1, 1931. 



ROOT: FERRIES IN KANSAS 379 

a road center. Beginning with 1865 and ending with 1871, nine 
roads were laid out which affected Humboldt. Two ran from 
Garnett to Humboldt; and one each from Humboldt to LeRoy, 
Humboldt to Elk river, Humboldt to junction of Duck creek and 
Elk river, Humboldt to the south line of the state, Humboldt to 
Wichita, Humboldt to Arkansas City and Humboldt to Chetopa. 
Plats, field notes and commissioners' reports of most of these are 
on file in the Archives division of the Kansas State Historical 
Society. 

lola, about seven miles above Humboldt by land, or nine or ten 
by the river, may have had a ferry, but we have found no mention 
of any. 

lola was well connected by roads to various parts of the county 
and southeastern Kansas. One of the first established was the 
second mail route into Allen county, which ran from Lawrence to 
Humboldt. This service was to commence on July 1, 1858, and a 
few days before it started, J. W. Scott, J. M. Evans and Harmon 
Scott went out with a wagon load of poles and laid out and 
marked a trail from Hyatt to Carlyle, which later became the main 
wagon road north. The first mail carrier was Zach Squires, who 
carried the mail while riding a small mule. 60 

In 1865 the legislature established a road from Fort Scott to lola, 
a distance of thirty-nine miles. J. W. Bainum was the surveyor. 61 

Neosho Falls, Woodson county, is the only town in that county 
on the river that might have had need of a ferry, but so far as our 
investigations have gone, we have been unable to find any mention 
of a ferry that was operated there. 

Le Roy, in Coffey county, about seventeen or eighteen miles above 
Neosho Falls by the river, was the next ferry location. During the 
special session of the 1860 legislature a bill was passed authorizing 
John B. Scott, Thomas Crabtree and Richard Burr to keep a ferry 
over the Neosho at that point. They were to have exclusive privi- 
leges for one mile up and one mile down the river, for a term of 
five years. 62 This act was signed by Gov. S. Medary, February 11, 
1860. Whether the above-named gentlemen started their ferry at 
this time we have been unable to learn. However, a ferry was 
started within the next year or two. An exchange of letters with 
the editor of the LeRoy Reporter brought the following history: 

60. History Allen and Woodson Counties, Kansas, p. 17. 

61. Laws, Kansas, 1865, p. 145; 1867, p. 261. Field notes, commissioners' report and 
plat in Archives division. 

62. Private Laws, Kansas, 1860, special session, p. 289. 



THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

LEROY, KAN., Sept. 20, 1935. 

DEAR SIR As advised in my previous letter, G. W. Ringle and W. B. Mosley 
are the only old-timers around here who remember anything definitely about 
the only ferry on the Neosho river at this point. Mr. Mosley was not a resi- 
dent of Le Roy at the time but lived in an adjoining township. Mr. Ringle, 
however, actually operated the ferry for a time. His story is: 

The ferryboat was built by a man by the name of Bracket Love, early in 
the Ws the exact date is not remembered. Ben Kerns, who owned the 
breweiy near the site of the ferry, bought it from Love. Ringle made a con- 
tract to run it on shares. As he remembers it, his operation of the ferry was 
about 1865. The date is reasonably well fixed in his mind because of a peculiar 
accident which happened on a fourth of July, which both he and Mr. Mosley 
believe was in 1865. The town had decided to put on a whooping celebration 
doubtless to celebrate the close of the Civil War. The grove where the cele- 
bration was to be held was across the river and was known at that time as 
"Scott's Grove," after John B. Scott 3 (who with Richard Burr and Thomas 
Crabtree 64 had laid out the town of LeRoy). To facilitate the passage of 
the celebrants, a foot bridge had been built across the river. During the night 
(3d) the river rose several feet on account of rains up river and the foot bridge 
was washed away. So resort had to be made to the ferry for transportation. 
Ringle was in charge of the ferry. On the first attempted trip so many people 
crowded on the ferry that it sank, and this resulted in a great deal of excite- 
ment, but as the boat was still near the bank, there was no loss of life. The 
bedraggled celebrators then waited until the boat could be bailed out, and it 
made many trips to get everyone across the river. 

Both Mr. Mosley and Mr. Ringle are agreed that the ferry was not used a 
great deal during the ordinary stages of the river, as there was a usable ford 
in the same vicinity. 

The ferry was located at approximately the foot of "C" street as it is now 
known. 

This about tells the story. I have asked both Mr. Ringle and Mr. Mosley 
to take plenty of time to try and remember anything about the ferry that 
they can, but both are agreed that there is not much more to be said. 

Yours very truly, 

GLICK FOCKELE. 

LeRoy was laid out in 1855, at which time roads were few and 
far between. The town was connected with the county seat, Bur- 
lington, and also with towns south and east of Le Roy, for trading 
purposes. By 1861, it became an intermediate point on a road 
which ran from Ohio City, Franklin county, via LeRoy to Bel- 

68. John B. Scott was a pioneer of Coffey county and Le Roy. The land upon which 
the town stands was preempted or rather claimed by Mr. Scott and Frederick Troxel. He 
kept the first post office and a country store in a log house on the Wilkinson farm. He was 
also the first justice of the peace, being commissioned in 1855. 

64. Thomas Crabtree was one of the earliest residents of Le Roy, purchasing an interest 
in the townsite. Richard Burr arrived from California in 1856 and purchased a third interest 
in the townsite, which was surveyed in 1857. Mr. Crabtree and Isaac Chatham built the 
first frame house on the site, in 1855. He was later a member of the Masonic Lodge of 
Le Roy. Andreas, History of Kansas, p. 658. 



ROOT: FERRIES IN KANSAS 381 

mont. 65 In 1863 two new state roads reached the town. The first 
ran from Ohio City, via Mineral Point to LeRoy, a distance of 
thirty-seven miles. Jackson Means was the surveyor of this road, 
the plat and commissioners' report of which are in the Archives 
division of the Kansas State Historical Society. The second was a 
road also starting from Ohio City, by way of the northeast corner 
of S. 23, T. 19, R. 18, and Mineral Point to Le Roy. This was au- 
thorized by the legislature, and D. C. Weatherwax of Franklin 
county, James R. Means of Anderson county, and Edward Drum of 
Coffey county, were appointed commissioners to establish it. 66 
Another road was provided for by the legislature of 1865, which 
started at Mapleton, Bourbon county, and ran via Ozark and Eliza- 
bethtown, Anderson county, to LeRoy. W. J. Brewer, Bourbon 
county, Joseph Price, Anderson county, and J. B. Hosley, Allen 
county, were the commissioners. 67 Another road was established 
from LeRoy to Humboldt, via Neosho Falls. 68 This road was 
surveyed by G. DeWitt, and his plat and field notes, together with 
the report of the commissioners, is on file at the Kansas State 
Historical Society. LeRoy was also an intermediate point on a 
road laid out in 1870 which ran from Garnett to Fredonia. 

Burlington, approximately twenty miles by the river above Le- 
Roy, was the location of the next ferry. Lacking opportunity of 
consulting Coffey county commissioners' journals, we are unable to 
state when this ferry was inaugurated or by whom. The earliest 
mention of the enterprise is an item from a Lawrence paper which 
stated that since the Burlington bridge was carried away by recent 
floods in the Neosho, the enterprising citizens of that town had 
gotten together and inaugurated a free ferry service. 69 Another 
mention of the Burlington ferry appeared in an item in the local 
paper, the Neosho Valley Enterprise, of November 29, 1859, which 
stated that "Mr. Gibbs, 70 near the sawmill, is engaged in repairing 
the old ferryboat preparatory for the high-water season." A ferry, 
apparently, was in operation as late as 1863, Andreas' History of 
Kansas, page 652, stating that in the spring of that year William 
Gibson 71 was drowned by the sinking of the ferryboat at that place. 

65. Laws, Kansas, 1861, p. 247. 

66. Ibid., 1863, p. 85. 

67. Ibid., 1865, pp. 143, 144. 

68. Ibid., 1866, p. 224. 

69. Lawrence Republican, July 7, 1859. 

70. "Census of 1860," Coffey county, lists an L. Gibbs, Burlington, age 52, carpenter; 
wife, E. Gibbs, age 43, born in England; and four children, aged 18, 12, 9 and 2, respectively. 

71. William Gibson, son of Samuel Gibson, is listed in the "Census of 1860," Coffey 
county, age 24, and a farmer. 



382 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

An article first published in the Neosho Valley Register, of lola, 
and copied in the Kansas State Journal, of Lawrence, March 19, 
1863, doubtless refers to the Burlington ferry. It states that on 
March 16, 1863, one Pleasant Landers, 72 a resident of Avon town- 
ship, was returning from a trip to town, when his horses refused 
to be driven onto the ferryboat. Accordingly they were unhitched 
and led onto the boat, and the partially loaded wagon drawn on 
by hand. In addition to the team and wagon, the ferryboat con- 
tained Mr. Landers, Misses Sarah Vince 73 and Mary Jane Gibson, 74 
and Henry Atherly and William Gibson who were operating the 
boat. The load, apparently, was not evenly distributed, too much 
weight being on the upper end of the boat. When near the opposite 
shore and in the swiftest part of the current, the boat dipped 
beneath the surface and the force of the current carried it under, 
when all on board were washed off, excepting Gibson and his 
sister who succeeded in clinging to the railing. The team swam 
ashore, carrying with them Landers and Atherly. Miss Vince 
started drifting with the current, but managed to get hold of the 
railing of the boat which was floating near, and was soon rescued. 
The ferryboat was still attached to the swing rope, and rode up and 
down with the current, sometimes one end being three or four feet 
above the water and the next moment as far below, carrying with 
it the Gibsons who still clung to the railing. After several such 
plunges, Gibson lost hold of his sister and was swept away, his sister 
still clinging to the boat. Later the rope was cut and the boat 
drifted down the river. When near the pieces of the old bridge, 
B. F. Ash plunged into the river, carrying with him one end of a 
rope, and succeeded in reaching the boat. This rope he made fast 
and the boat was drawn ashore, Miss Gibson being in a nearly 
insensible condition when rescued. Every effort was made to re- 
cover the body of young Gibson. He had been a member of a Kan- 
sas volunteer regiment, and had been wounded in the knee by a 
rebel musket ball during the Battle of Drywood. His lameness 
probably prevented him from saving himself. 

A move towards a bridge in Burlington took shape early in 1858, 
when an act was passed by the legislature granting A. D. Searl, 
Robert Frazer and Judson A. Larrabee authority to erect a toll 

72. Pleasant Landers, 26, a farmer, was a native of Arkansas. "Census of 1865," Coffey 
county. 

78. Sarah Vince, aged 20, a daughter of A. H. Vince, was born in Ohio. Ibid. 

74. Mary Jane Gibson, aged 20, was born in Ireland. She was a daughter of Samuel 
Gibson. Ibid. 



ROOT: FERRIES IN KANSAS 383 

bridge across the Neosho at that point. The act specified that the 
bridge should be a substantial one, and that it be kept in good re- 
pair so as to render the crossing thereon safe and convenient. The 
following rates of toll were authorized: For one horse and rider, 
10 cents; each single horse and mule, five cents; each head of work 
cattle, two cents; each head of other stock, one cent; each horse and 
carriage, 25 cents; each horse and wagon, 50 cents; each six-horse 
or an ox wagon, 75 cents. 

The privileges granted this company were to be exclusive for a 
period of twenty-one years. Gov. J. W. Denver approved the act 
on February 5, 1858. 75 

The above-mentioned bridge, perhaps, was the one carried away 
in the flood of the following year. Just when the next structure to 
span the river was built we have not discovered. However, a 
modern bridge 916 feet long spans the Neosho at this point, com- 
pleted early in July, 1935. 

Burlington became quite a road center during the first decade of 
its existence. In addition to local roads within the county, a road 
was established from Leavenworth to this point in 1859, 76 it being 
a trifle over 96 miles in length, running via Lawrence, Minneola and 
the Sac and Fox agency in Franklin county. The plat of this road, 
together with the field notes signed by J. B. Stockton, commissioner, 
are on file at the Kansas State Historical Society. Another road, 
established in 1864, ran from Burlington to Fall River, via Janes- 
ville. This thoroughfare was about 41 miles long, and traversed 
the counties of Coffey, Woodson and Greenwood. The plat, to- 
gether with field notes and commissioners' report, is on file at the 
Historical Society. Another road, a little over 13 miles long, was 
laid out in 1866, and ran from Burlington to Mineral Point; another, 
established in 1871, ran from Burlington to Quenemo; another, estab- 
lished the same year, ran from the southwest corner of Coffey 
county to Winfield, via Osborn settlement and Eureka, Greenwood 
county. 77 Plats, surveyors' notes, etc., of the last three named 
roads are also on file in the Historical Society. 

Ottumwa, approximately eight miles by river above Burlington, 
was the next point where a ferry may have been operated. During 
the session of the 1860 legislature, House bill No. 289 was intro- 
duced authorizing Rosetta Smith, her heirs and assigns, to keep a 

75. Private Laws, Kansas, 1858, pp. 43, 44. 

76. Laws, Kansas, 1859, p. 585. 

77. Ibid., 1864, pp. 207, 208; 1866, p. 225; 1871, p. 229. 



384 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

ferry across the Neosho river at or near the town of Ottumwa, and 
to have exclusive privileges within two miles of that town for a 
period of five years. The act specified that a good and substantial 
boat or boats should be provided sufficient to carry the traveling 
public, the same to be manned by good and safe hands. Rates of 
ferriage were to be fixed by the board of county commissioners. 
This act was approved by Gov. S. Medary February 27, I860. 78 
Whether the ferry ever operated we have not learned. 

Emporia, some forty-five or more miles above Ottumwa, follow- 
ing the crooks and turns of the river, was the next ferry location. 
The first ferry over the Neosho in this vicinity is said to have been 
started about 1865 by William 0. Ferguson. However, it has been 
impossible to verify this date. The earliest printed mention of the 
ferry we have found is in the printed proceedings of the board of 
county commissioners, of April 1, 1867, which recites: 

W. O. Ferguson and J. J. Campbell filed petition praying for license to run 
ferryboats on the Cottonwood and Neosho rivers. 

Ordered by the board that the county clerk be instructed to issue license 
to Ferguson & Campbell to run boats as follows: One across the Cottonwood 
river at Soden's mill, and one across the Neosho near Rinker's ford for one 
year, rates of ferriage for the same to be as follows: For 4 horses and wagon, 
75 cents; 2 horses and wagon or carriage, 50 cents; 1 horse and wagon or 
carriage, 35 cents; man and horse, 25 cents; footman, 10 cents; loose cattle 
and horses, per head, 10 cents ; loose sheep and hogs, per head, 5 cents. 79 

That this may have been the start of this ferry is indicated in 
the following item from the Emporia News, of April 5, 1867, which 
says: 

W. O. Ferguson and J. J. Campbell have their long wished for ferryboats 
in good running order one on the Cottonwood, near Soden's mill, and the 
other at Rinker's ford on the Neosho. Hereafter, when either of these streams 
get on a high, the enterprising proprietors will be on hand to set you across, 
dry shod, for a reasonable compensation. 

This location was just above the crossing known as the Rinker 
ford, named for Royal Rinker, who settled on the north bank of 
the river. This ford was considered the only safe and reliable 
crossing. On account of heavy rains it frequently happened that 
it was not safe to ford the stream and this was probably responsible 
for the establishment of the ferry at this point. 

There appears to be considerable conflicting testimony concern- 

78. House Journal, 1860, special session, pp. 375, 730; Council Journal, 1860, special 
session, pp. 431, 495, 519, 548. 

79. Emporia News, April 5, 1867. 



ROOT: FERRIES IN KANSAS 385 

ing this ferry, one authority stating that it was run for a year or 
two by Peter Bishop, 80 who sold to Mr. Ferguson who moved it up 
the river to a point below the mouth of Allen creek and just below 
the Fawcett & Britton sawmill. The stage to Emporia often 
crossed on the ferryboat, but the horses could not pull the loaded 
wagon up the steep bank of the river at this location, so the 
passengers were obliged to get out and help push it up the bank be- 
fore they could proceed. Wagons loaded with corn for the Emporia 
market were also obliged to unload here, and the grain was carried 
up the steep bank by the sackfull on the shoulders of the driver. 81 
This new location was near what is known as the Holmes ford, just 
below the Country Club dam. "Jack" Holmes, 82 from whom it 
took its name, was one of John Brown's men at Osawatomie. 

The following from a letter from the daughters of Mr. Ferguson 
adds some more to the history of this ferry : 

EMPORIA, KAN., Oct. 7, 1935. 

MY DEAR MR. ROOT Replying to your letter of August 2, concerning our 
father's connection with the early day ferry on the Neosho northeast of 
Emporia, we wish to say our information is limited and most of the old-timers 
are dead. 

We do know from Mr. Wm. Hammond, now ninety-eight years old, our 
father owned the ferryboat for about two and one half years. 

Mr. C. A. Bishop, our friend and neighbor, tells us his father, Simon Peter 
Bishop, ran the ferry for father but did not own it. 

The place of crossing is on the Wm. Hammond's farm at the bend in the 
river, a short distance above the present "Rinker" bridge at the point where 
the old "Burlingame road" would touch the Neosho as it made its diagonal 
way toward the new Emporia. 

Our father, Wm. O. Ferguson, was born in Ohio. The family followed the 
western migration into Iowa. Three sons came on into the turbulent Kansas. 
Father entered the state March 27, 1857, and camped on the site of the present 
city of Leaven worth. He came on to Lawrence and in 1859 to Emporia. He 
served four years in the Civil War. Returning to Emporia he engaged in 
general merchandising. Doubtless the ferry was of aid in this as well as a 
convenience to others. The lumber of our present home was brought by 
wagon train from Topeka and some of our furniture from Leavenworth. 

The bridge directly north of town on the Neosho was built about '68 or '69, 
so the ferry must have been in operation between the years '65 and '68 or '69. 

Mr. Bishop has a hazy memory that the ferry was sold to W. T. Soden. We 
have not been able to verify this. There was, however, a ferry south of town 
at Soden's, on the Cottonwood, as early as '67. . . . 

80. Simon Peter Bishop lived in the Rinker neighborhood, three or four miles northeast 
of Emporia, settling there in 1865. 

81. Laura M. French, History of Emporia and Lyon County, pp. 271, 272. 

82. This was probably James H. Holmes, who was associated with John Brown during 
his operations in Kansas in 1856. 

251351 



386 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

We will make more inquiries, and should we learn anything more definite 
in the near future will write you, but fear it is a false hope. Miss French 
knew no more than we. Her information came, we think, from the Plumbs, 
and the original members of this family are now all gone. 

Sincerely, 

Miss Lou E. FERGUSON, 
MRS. DAISY FERGUSON GRIMES, 
718 Constitution, Emporia, Kan. 

P. S. It occurred to me the drouth years of '69, etc., may have caused the 
ferry to die a natural death. There was a good ford a short distance below 
and the present "Rinker" bridge was not built until middle '80's. D. F. G. 

Jacob Stotler, editor and publisher of the Emporia News, while 
on a tour of the county had occasion to cross the Neosho, and in 
his issue of July 26, 1867, said: 

Supplying ourselves with one of Crowe Brothers' fast teams we hauled up 
in front of Bill Ferguson's ferryboat on the Neosho north of town at an early 
hour. The river had been passable the evening before, and Mr. Bishop, the 
ferryman, not knowing the river had raised during the night, and supposing 
there would be no use for the boat, was not present. Two or three lusty 
yells brought the good-natured phiz of our friend Tom Milburn to view on 
the opposite side of the stream, where the boat was anchored. "Do you run 
this ferry?" we inquired of Thomas. "Not by a d d sight," was his soft 
reply. After telling us the man lived a mile and a half away, he finally 
thought he could "run her over," and we told him to pitch in. After tugging 
awhile we landed "on the other side" of this obstruction, fully convinced that 
Tom Milburn can lay stone wall a "doggone sight" better than he can run a 
ferryboat. Nevertheless we return thanks to Thomas for his assistance. 

Aside from the Santa Fe trail which crossed the county, in 1854 
there was no other road. Some Indian trails, barely wide enough 
for the Indians to go in single file, were the only thoroughfares. The 
first wagon road or trail across the Neosho was blazed by John 
Rosenquist in 1855, who cut down trees on each side of the Neosho 
to open a road wide enough for wagons. 83 Mrs. John Rosenquist, 
in speaking of the lack of roads in 1855, said the early settlers of 
her neighborhood went back to Withington's Inn, near Allen, and 
then followed the Santa Fe trail, otherwise they would get lost, as 
there were no houses or distinguishing landmarks to be guided by 
when off the trail. A year or so later, as settlers came in they got 
their bearings, and so the Burlingame road came into use. 

The first permanent road into Emporia was one laid out from 
Burlingame. This was established by government authority. Oliver 
Phillips drove the first wagon over this road in February, 1857, 
when he drove diagonally across the prairie to help lay out the 

83. Mrs. Flora I. Godsey, in letter to author. 



ROOT: FERRIES IN KANSAS 387 

Emporia townsite. The road crossed the Neosho near the Rinker 
ford. A stage station was established at the Phillips place, and 
there was much travel on the road. 84 

In 1859, a road was laid out from Lawrence to Emporia, via 
Bloomington, Clinton, Twin Mound, Georgetown, 110 creek, Su- 
perior, Sac Trail, and Waterloo, a length of 69 miles. 85 A. D. 
Searl was the surveyor, and his plats, field notes and the commis- 
sioners' report are preserved by the Historical Society. Another 
road, authorized by the legislature of 1861, ran from Minneola to 
connect with the Santa Fe road, via Neosho Rapids, Emporia, and 
Cottonwood Falls, and ended in Rice county, near Lyons, being a 
little over 180 miles in length. 86 Another road, established by the 
legislature of 1861, ran from Emporia to El Dorado via Bazaar 
and Chelsea, a distance of sixty-one miles. 87 This road was sur- 
veyed by C. F. Eichacker, whose plat and field notes are in the 
Archives division of the Historical Society. In 1866 a state road 
was laid out from Emporia to Eureka, by R. G. Soule, James 
Kanver and Edwin Tucker. This was ten miles shorter than the 
usually traveled route as well as an improvement on the old road. 88 

The first movement for a bridge over the Neosho within Lyon 
county was in the year 1858, when a bill was introduced in the 
legislature for the incorporation of the Neosho River Bridge Co. 
This charter was for a fifteen-year period, during which the com- 
pany was to have exclusive privileges at or within five miles of the 
town of Emporia. The act passed both houses but was vetoed by 
Governor Denver. 89 The first permanent bridges erected on the 
stream were provided for by an election of 1867. This included one 
for Emporia the Merchant Street bridge and one at Neosho 
Rapids. 90 

So far as we have been able to discover, the ferry operated by 
Mr. Ferguson was the uppermost and last ferry located on the 
Neosho river. 

Thanks are hereby tendered to Mrs. Flora I. Godsey, Miss Lou 
E. Ferguson, Mrs. Daisy Ferguson Grimes, William Allen White, 
Glick Fockele and others for assistance in collecting this data on 
upper Neosho river ferries. 

84. French, op. cit., pp. 269, 270. 

85. Laws, Kansas, 1859, p. 585. 

86. Ibid., 1861, p. 247. 

87. Ibid., p. 248. 

88. Emporia News, Jan. 12, 1867. 

89. House Journal, 1858, p. 372. 

90. French, op. cit., p. 268; Emporia News, Feb. 22, 1867. 



Ellsworth as a Texas Cattle Market 

F. B. 



EARLY in May, 1869, a man named Fitzpatrick came to Ells- 
worth from Sheridan, Kan., having been warned that it would 
not be healthy for him to remain longer in the latter place. He 
secured employment in one of the saloons in Ellsworth. During the 
evening of May 11, Fitzpatrick began firing his gun on the street. 
While on this rampage, he stopped several people, put his pistol 
against them, and threatened to shoot, scaring them most to death. 
When the east-bound train came in he fired a shot through the cars 
and then went into the saloon where he was employed. 

He found a man named William Bryson 1 asleep in the room. He 
shook the sleeping man and when he awakened, asked him how he 
got in there. Bryson, in the habit of sleeping there, answered that 
he came in through the window. Thereupon Fitzpatrick struck him 
on the head with his revolver, and when the man tried to escape he 
fired a shot, striking him in the groin. The victim died about eight 
o'clock the next morning. 

The coroner's jury found Fitzpatrick guilty of murder in the first 
degree. The news spread through the village. At one o'clock that 
afternoon the citizens turned out en masse, took the murderer from 
the jail to the river bank and hanged him to the historic old cotton- 
wood which became famous because of the number of persons who 
were strung up on its branches by vigilance committees. Before 
being hung, Fitzpatrick gave his age and residence and confessed 
that he had stabbed a "great many men." His people lived in 
St. Louis. 

The night Fitzpatrick ran amuck, someone fired a shot into Judge 
Westover's residence, wounding one Mrs. Brown in the arm; the 
same shot grazed the arm of the little Westover boy who was asleep 
in his bed. The citizens searched the town and surrounding country 
for the villain. No record is extant showing that he was captured, 
but if he was, his body adorned a strong branch of the old cotton- 
wood. 

Ira W. Phelps, a local grocer and dealer in provisions who wrote 
up the details of these shooting affrays for the press, stated that 
Ellsworth had the assurance of the Texas cattle trade and that the 

1. Also spelled Brison. 

(388) 



STREETER: ELLSWORTH CATTLE MARKET 389 

citizens were determined to have law and order "if they have to 
fight it out on this line all summer." 2 

How much time elapsed between the opening of this campaign 
against lawlessness and the establishment of the cattle market in 
Ellsworth is not known. Nor are figures on the drives to this point 
in 1869 and 1870 available. However, Ellsworth was not an im- 
portant market during those two years. 3 

A total of 161,320 4 head of cattle were transported over the Kan- 
sas Pacific Railroad in 1871, an increase of 30,000 over the ship- 
ments for the previous season. Ellsworth received a fair share of 
this traffic. According to the most reliable figures available, there 
were shipped from that market during the fall months 1,340 cars of 
cattle, averaging eighteen head to the car, making a total of 24,121 ; 
and for the entire season the shipments amounted to more than 
1,900 carloads of longhorns. 5 These animals were sold to firms in 
Kansas City, Leavenworth, Chicago, and St. Louis. 

The northern drive reached its height in 1871. According to 
Joseph G. McCoy, fully 600,000 head of cattle arrived in western 
Kansas that year. The season was a rainy one, causing the grass 
to be coarse and spongy and to lack the nutrition needed to make 
tallow. The severe storms caused the cattle to stampede badly. 
As the season advanced the animals became poorer in flesh and, 
furthermore, there were comparatively few buyers. As a result of 
the condition of the cattle and the lack of a market, 300,000 head 
were put in winter quarters, most of them having been driven west 
into the buffalo-grass region. Upwards of 140,000 longhorns were 
wintered on lands belonging to the Kansas Pacific. 

Scarcely had the herds arrived in the short-grass country when 
a severe rainstorm set in, followed by a cold wind which froze the 
water. The grass became covered with a sheet of ice two or three 
inches thick. A furious gale blew for three days and nights. Many 
men and horses were frozen to death and thousands of cattle per- 
ished. The winter was a severe one. It is estimated that several 

2. Junction City Union, May 15, 1869. 

3. Abilene was the chief market. Junction City, Solomon and Salina received a share of 
the trade. A newspaper was not established at Ellsworth until December, 1871. The 
municipal records begin in July of that year. In the early years of the Texas cattle trade the 
newspapers in the larger cities gave little space to the trade in a town until that place be- 
came an important market. The country town papers paid practically no attention to the 
cattle trade in other towns. The Union Pacific Railroad Co. has been unable to supply 
figures on the cattle trade at Ellsworth for 1869 end 1870. Therefore, the contemporaneous 
newspapers have been the only available source and a search of them has not yielded the 
desired data. 

4. Kansas Pacific Railway Co., Guide Map of the Great Texas Cattle Trail (1875). 

5. Ellsworth Reporter, December 28, 1871 ; July 25, 1872. 



390 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

hundred cow ponies and a quarter of a million head of cattle died 
before spring. Wealthy cattlemen were made bankrupt by the 
losses which mounted into millions of dollars. 6 

There were 640,000 acres of rich grazing land in Ellsworth county. 
More than 80,000 head of Texas cattle were put in winter quarters 
in the county in 1871-1872. The losses were terrific, at least half 
of the animals dying as a result of the cold and stormy weather. In 
May, 1872, a writer made the following statement in the local paper: 

I believe that I am safe in saying that fully fifty percent of the stock in 
Ellsworth county (no doubt the best stock county in western Kansas) died 
from exposure and want the past winter; of the domestic and wintered stock 
a less percent, of those brought from Texas last year a greater percent. Not 
less than thirteen thousand hides have been shipped from Ellsworth since last 
November. . . . 7 

After 1871 Abilene ceased to be an important market. In Febru- 
ary, 1872, a circular notifying the drovers not to return to Abilene 
was prepared by the enemies of the traffic and sent to Texas. 

A considerable portion of the cattle men drove their herds to 
Ellsworth that season, and some of the business men and others 
deserted Abilene and followed the trade. J. W. Gore and M. B. 
George tore down part of the Drovers' Cottage and moved it to the 
new market place. Jac. (Jake) Kara tof sky, the young Russian 
Jew who owned the Great Western Store on the corner of Cedar 
and Texas streets, went to the new cow town with a stock of general 
merchandise about May 1. J. W. (Brocky Jack) Norton, who had 
served on Abilene's police force in 1871, was employed as a peace 
officer in Ellsworth and later became city marshal. The gamblers, 
roughs, courtesans, and hangerson, who had infested Abilene, flocked 
to the new longhorn metropolis to ply their nefarious occupations. 

The population of Ellsworth was about one thousand. The chief 
business was the trafficking in cattle and trade with the cattlemen. 
The main street ran along both sides of the railroad, making an 
exceedingly wide street, or two streets, called North Main and 
South Main. The business section was approximately three blocks 
long. The store buildings, mostly one- and two-story frame struc- 
tures with porches on the front, lined the outer side of the street and 
faced the railroad. Here and there more pretentious structures of 
brick had been erected. Board sidewalks were generally in use, 
though in the spring of 1873 Arthur Larkin constructed a stretch 
of sidewalk twelve feet wide, made of magnesia limestone, in front 

6. McCoy, Historic Sketches of the Cattle Trade, pp. 226, 227. 

7. Ellsworth Reporter, May 16, 1872. 



STREETER: ELLSWORTH CATTLE MARKET 391 

of his hotel. It was said that no other town, not even Kansas City, 
had a sidewalk equal to it. In keeping with the custom of the times, 
most of the business places provided benches or seats for loafers 
under the wooden awnings. There were hitching posts in front of 
the stores to which farmers' teams or cow ponies were tied most of 
the time day and night. 

The location of the leading business houses (commencing at the 
west end on South Main), was as follows: 8 Drovers' cottage, a 
three-story hotel equipped with eighty-four nicely furnished rooms 
and a dining room which seated 100 guests. A short distance down 
the street was Reuben and Sheek's "gents" furnishings store which 
catered to Texas men; and two doors east was J. Ringolsky & Co.'s 
store, called Drovers' headquarters, which kept a general line of 
clothing and supplies. All three men came from Leavenworth. 
Beyond were: D. W. Powers' bank, also a Leavenworth firm, estab- 
lished in 1873 to care for the financial needs of the cattlemen; 
Minnick and Hounson's brick drug store; and John Bell's Great 
Western Hardware Emporium on the corner of Douglas. East of 
Douglas: John Kelly's American House; the big general store of 
Jerome Beebe who had branch stores at Wilson and Brookville and 
sold a variety of merchandise in fact almost everything from high- 
grade groceries and "wines and liquors for medicinal purposes" to 
Kirby's reapers and Moline plows; and Whitney and Kendall's 
furniture store a half block east of Lincoln. This firm established 
a cabinet shop on North Main in 1872 and moved across the tracks 
a year later. The railroad station was almost directly in front of 
Beebe 's store. 

The courthouse and jail were located on the north side of the rail- 
road tracks two blocks east of Douglas. When the jail was com- 
pleted in June, 1873, the local paper called it the most comfortable 
place in town, but warned its readers that too many should not 
crowd into the building at once. 9 Nearby was the Ellsworth lumber- 
yard owned by Kuney, Southwick & Co. The Grand Central hotel, 
owned by Arthur Larkin, was on the corner of Lincoln. This build- 
ing was constructed of a good quality red brick and was said to be 
the finest and costliest house west of the Missouri, excepting in 
Topeka. Its entire cost, including furniture, was $27,000. The 
building still stands and is now called the White House hotel. If 

8. D. H. Fraker, a pioneer business man of Ellsworth, rendered valuable assistance in 
locating and describing the old buildings. This information has been checked with and sup- 
plemented by files of the Ellsworth Reporter and other printed sources. 

9. Ellsworth Reporter, June 26, 1873. 



392 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

this building could speak it would tell of many noted characters of 
the Old West who occupied its rooms in the early days Buffalo Bill 
Cody; Wild Bill Hickok; Wyatt Earp; Ben and Billy Thompson; 
"Rowdy Joe" Lowe of Wichita dance-hall fame; big cattlemen; 
several local policemen; and other celebrities of the plains. In the 
next block west, opposite the depot, were Arthur Larkin's dry goods 
and clothing store, which opened in 1873, and J. C. Veatch's hotel 
and restaurant. Beyond were Nagle's livery stable, the post office, 
and Seitz's drug store on the corner of Douglas, advertised as the 
"oldest established drug store in western Kansas." 

The stockyards were located up the railroad track in the west part 
of town; they were constructed of unpainted lumber and covered 
several acres of ground. The yards had seven chutes from which 
200 cars of cattle per day could be loaded. The Ellsworth Reporter 
claimed that these yards were the largest in the state in 1872. 10 
Col. R. D. Hunter, favorably known among the cattlemen, was 
superintendent of the stockyards in 1872 and 1873. 

The cattle traffic brought to Ellsworth hundreds of drovers, buyers 
and speculators ; and the rough element, which moved from town to 
town with the shifts of the trade, congregated there. A visitor in 
1872 had this to say of the new market: 

This little border town of Ellsworth is not the most moral one in the world. 
During the cattle season, which, I am told, only lasts during the summer and 
fall, it presents a scene seldom witnessed in any other section. It reminds one 
of a town in California in its early days when gambling flourished and vice 
was at a premium. Here you see in the streets men from every state, and I 
might say from almost every nation the tall, long-haired Texas herder, with 
his heavy jingling spurs and pairs of six-shooters; the dirty, greasy Mexicans, 
with unintelligible jargon; the gambler from all parts of the country, looking 
for unsuspecting prey; the honest emigrant in search of a homestead in the 
great free West; the keen stock buyers; the wealthy Texas drovers; dead 
beats; "cappers"; pick-pockets; horse thieves; a cavalry of Texas ponies; and 
scores of demimonde. 

Gambling of every description is carried on without any attempt at privacy. 
I am told that there are some 75 professional gamblers in town, and every 
day we hear of some of their sharp tricks. Whisky-selling seems to be the 
most profitable business. But there are many honorable business men here, 
who are doing a heavy business. 11 

The saloons and gambling houses were all patronized. During the 
first seven months of 1873, a total of thirteen persons were licensed 
to carry on the business of keeping saloons and dramshops for the 

10. Ibid., July 11, 1872. 

11. Ibid. f July 25, 1872. 



STREETER: ELLSWORTH CATTLE MARKET 393 

year. 12 Three of the hotels sold liquor. That spring the Ellsworth 
Reporter made the observation that whisky was an antidote for 
snake bites. In view of the number of saloons in town, this paper 
did not believe that anyone in Ellsworth was in great danger if 
stung by one of these reptiles. 

Just a word about the social life of Ellsworth in the cow-town 
period. The hotels were the social centers in those days. Numerous 
parties and dances were held in their commodious halls. In the 
winter of 1872-1873 the Ellsworth Dancing Club sponsored a series 
of balls at the Grand Central hotel, the final entertainment taking 
place in March. 13 Numerous dances were held in the Drovers' 
Cottage during the winter and spring of that year. The last dance 
of the season occurred on Thursday evening, May 29. Messrs. 
Parkhurst, Bradshaw, Skyrock, Savage, Whitney, and Hoseman 
were the committeemen. A large crowd attended and those present 
are said to have enjoyed the entertainment so much that they 
danced until morning. Several gentlemen from Texas participated 
and "seemed to like the Ellsworth girls." 14 

Another form of entertainment was provided for Ellsworth folk. 
Late in February, 1873, the Sixth cavalry boys from Fort Harker 
put on a play at the Drovers' Cottage. The hall was crowded and 
everyone was pleased with the show. 15 On June 5, the local paper 
announced that "Ellsworth is to have a theater." A week later it 
said, "Ellsworth has a theater" and explained that Messrs. Mc- 
Clelland and Freeman had been occupied the previous week fitting 
up a building for this purpose. Freeman went to St. Joseph, Kansas 
City and St. Louis and engaged an excellent line of talent. Late in 
the summer the press reported that the theater was still patronized 
by large crowds and stated that the proprietors deserved good 
audiences for booking so many first-class actors. 16 

In 1871 or 1872 a cattle trail to Ellsworth was established which 
ran by way of "Bluff creek, Turkey or Salt creek to Zarah and 
Ellsworth." 17 The total distance from the crossing of the Red 
river in Texas to Ellsworth was about 350 miles. 

12. Ellsworth, city council, "Proceedings," 1873. 

13. Ellsworth Reporter, March 6, 1873. 

14. Ibid., June 5, 1873; Topeka Commonwealth, June 4, 1873. 

15. Ellsworth Reporter, March 6, 1873. 

16. Ibid., August 28, 3873. 

17. Mentioned in Ellsworth Reporter, June 13, 1872. The exact route followed those two 
years is not known. The trail was probably not well defined at the start. According to 
information in the local paper, it evidently left the old trail near Pond creek, Indian territory, 
crossed Bluff creek near the present sita of Anthony, ran near Kingman, and crossed the 
Arkansas at Raymond. By "Zarah" the writers may have referred to the town which was 
located one mile east of Fort Zarah. The fort was dismantled in 1869. However, the name 
of the fort appears on the Kansas Pacific's map issued in 1875. In 1872 Great Bend won 
the fight for the county seat. After that the town of Zarah gradually disappeared. 



394 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY 

In 1873 a new trail from Pond creek, Indian territory, to Ells- 
worth was surveyed by the Kansas Pacific Railway Co., which 
shortened the distance thirty-five miles. The party to whom the 
work of making the survey was intrusted consisted of William M. 
Cox, general livestock agent for the railroad company, and the 
following well-known cattlemen: David Hunter, brother of Col. 
R. D. Hunter; T. J. Buckbee; Howard Capper; and J. Ben George. 
The trail blazers left Ellsworth on April 16 and completed their 
work about May 1. The trail ran through a section which was 
supplied with an abundance of water. Ellinwood was selected as 
the point for crossing the Arkansas river. When the survey was 
completed Cox returned to Ellsworth, while Hunter, Buckbee and 
Capper remained at Sewell's ranch on Pond creek until the first 
herd came along. 18 

The new route, known as "Cox's trail" or the "Ellsworth cattle 
trail/' 19 diverged from the old trail at the Pond creek ranch, 
about half-way between Salt Fork of the Arkansas and Pond creek ; 
turned to the left and bore a little west of north along Pond creek 
to the headwaters of that stream ; then west of north to Cox's cross- 
ing of Bluff creek (about a quarter of a mile west of north fork) ; 
and ran by way of Kingman and Ellinwood to Ellsworth. Three 
supply stores were located at convenient points along the trail. 
These were Sewell's ranch and store east of the Pond creek cross- 
ing; C. H. Stone's store at Cox's crossing of Bluff creek; and E. C. 
Manning's store at a place "called Kingman," a mile and a half 
east of the crossing of the Ninnescah. 

The people of Ellsworth and the Kansas Pacific Railroad Co. 
made every effort to direct the cattle trade to that town. Articles 
appeared in the Reporter setting forth the advantages of the new 
trail and of Ellsworth as a market place. The drovers were told 
that Ellsworth had the railway facilities, the largest cattle yards in 
the state, and the hotel accommodations for the drovers and their 
crews. The new trail was spoken of with pride and the cattlemen 
were informed that they would be less liable to interruptions and 
annoyances because the trail ran west of the settled regions. 20 
Each week for some time in the spring of 1873, the Reporter pub- 
is. Ellsworth Reporter, May 8, 1873. 

19. Kansas Pacific Railroad Co., Guide Map of the Great Texas Cattle Trail (1875). 

20. The 1875 edition of the Kansas Pacific Railway Co.'s Guide Map also stated that 
the Cox trail ran "west of the settlements in Kansas." There were several towns west of 
the trail. However, not much of the land around the towns had been occupied by settlers 
and it was this fact that the Ellsworth advertisers had in mind when they made their state- 
ments. McCoy added a bit of evidence on this point in 1874 when he stated that the 
country adjacent to Great Bend was such that it would "remain unsettled for years to come" 
unless it was taken for stock ranches. See Historic Sketches of the Cattle Trade, p. 415. 



STREETER: ELLSWORTH CATTLE MARKET 395 

lished a table showing distances and containing a description of the 
route, streams, crossings, camping grounds, and trading posts along 
the way. As a means of advertising the new trail and the shipping 
points on the line, the Kansas Pacific issued a pamphlet and map 
entitled, Guide Map of the Great Texas Cattle Trail From Red 
River Crossing to the Old Reliable Kansas Pacific Railway. The 
writer has located only two editions of this pamphlet: one issued 
in 1872, the other in 1875. To quote from the 1875 edition: 

Drovers are recommended to make Ellis, Russell, Wilson's, Ellsworth and 
Brookville the principal points for their cattle for the following reasons : Free- 
dom from petty annoyances of settlers, arising from the cattle trespassing upon 
cultivated fields, because there is wider range, an abundance of grass and water, 
increased shipping facilities and extensive yard accommodations. Large and 
commodious hotels may be found in all these places, and at Ellsworth, es- 
pecially, the old "Drovers' cottage," so popular with the trade for years, will be 
found renovated and enlarged. The banking house of D. W. Powers & Co., 
established at Ellsworth in 1873, in the interest of the cattle business, will re- 
main at this point and continue their liberal dealings as in the past. 

As stated above, Ellsworth became the principal shipping point 
for Texas cattle on the Kansas Pacific Railroad in 1872. The first 
three droves of longhorns that season arrived in Ellsworth early in 
June. These droves numbered 1,000 head each. 21 Two weeks later 
a total of twenty-eight herds, numbering from 1,000 to 6,000 head 
each, had arrived and many more were on the way. The fresh 
arrivals contained a total of 58,850 head of longhorns. These, to- 
gether with over 40,000 head which had wintered in the county, 
made a total of more than 100,000 head of Texas cattle in Ells- 
worth county. 22 

That season 40,161 head were transported from Ellsworth, or one 
fourth of the total number marketed over the Kansas Pacific. Large 
shipments were also made from the following towns: 12,240 from 
Brookville; 10,940 from Salina; and 8,040 from Solomon. 23 Besides 
those shipped by rail from Ellsworth, about 50,000 head were driven 
to California and the territories from that place. In the months 
of June and July more than 100,000 head of beef and stock cattle 
changed hands at Ellsworth. Drovers found buyers on their arrival, 
enabling them to close out at a good price and return to their 
homes. 24 

The prices paid