Kansas Historical Quarterly

Kansas History as Published in the Press

W. R. Honnell, of Kansas City, sketched the history of the Pony Express at the nineteenth annual meeting of the pioneers of Kennekuk, 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 contributed 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 January 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.

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 during 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 `vas 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 Ellsworth 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

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 February 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 discussed 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 immediately 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 Win. P. Campbell's reminiscences of early-day Kansas were related by David D. Leaky 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:

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 discussed by Mr. Peffley in the News February 26, and other reminiscences 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 appearing in the Alton Empire and the Osborne County Farmer, of Osborne, 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 February 21, 1935. R. E. Campbell founded the newspaper as the Montezuma Chief, February 20, 1914.

Excerpts from letters written by Thaddeus Hyatt in 1860 concerning 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. McGregor 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 established 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 Republican 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

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 Knickerbockers article entitled "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 Methodist 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.

A history of Walla Walla school district No. 24, of Geary county, was published in the Junction City Union March 9, 1935. The district was organized on June 17, 1872.

Rev. Pardee Butler's experiences with the rabid Proslavery element 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 correspondents of the Holton Recorder was featured in the sixtieth anniversary edition of the Recorder issued March 14, 1935. Titles of some of the stories describing these communities, and their contributors 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;

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.