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As Published - November 1947

November 1947 (Vol. 14 No. 4), pages 406 to 412.
Transcribed by lhn;
digitized with permission of the Kansas Historical Society.

The series of articles by W. W. Graves, editor of the St. Paul Journal, entitled, "History of Neosho County," has been continued in the Journal in recent months. Articles were published on September 5, 19 and 26, October 31, November 21 and December 26, 1946; January 2, 1947, January 16, June 5, 12, 26, July 3, 10, 17, 24, August 7, 14, 21, 28, September 4, 11 and 18. The history of the Osage Catholic mission at St. Paul was featured in the Journal in illustrated articles appearing from January through May, 1947.

Among historical articles concerning Wilson county published in the Neodesha News under the title, "Diamond Jubilee," were: Pioneers and their social gatherings, December 12, 1946; reminiscences of the late Mrs. B. T. Frost, who came to Kansas in 1869, December 19; list of post offices in the 1860's and 1870's with the date each was established, December 26, and the first school in Neodesha township, January 2, 1947. Mrs. Kate Winter Pingrey was the author of the following articles printed by the Neodesha Register: Neodesha's first water supply and early day fire fighting equipment, January 9, 1947; historical sketch of Neodesha newspapers, February 6, and "Development of Transportation," February 20.

"Across the Years" is the title of a weekly historical column, written by W. E. Baer, which was started in the La Cygne Journal, January 3, 1947. Beginning with events in 1869 the installments for the first eight months of this year traced principal happenings in the community in the 1870's and 1880's and mentioned the business firms. Among the events noted by Mr. Baer were: The laying of a switch at La Cygne by the Missouri River, Fort Scott & Gulf railroad and its designation as a station on October 14, 1869; the incorporation of La Cygne as a city of the third class in August, 1870, and its selection as the Linn county seat on February 14, 1871; the removal of the county seat to Pleasanton in 1874; the stop of Henry Ward Beecher to dine in the spring of 1878, while en route from Fort Scott, and a list of some marriages in Linn county from 1878 to 1885.

"Notes From the Early Days," weekly column in the Protection Post sponsored by the Protection Historical Society, has been continued in recent months. Among the subjects were: The reminis-

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cences of Mrs. Albert Thornhill concerning the middle 1880,s, May 30 and June 6, 1947; "Protection's Founding and Incorporation," June 20, 27 and July 4, and the first church service in Protection in 1885, July 11.

Articles of general interest in the June, 1947, issue of the Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science, Lawrence, include: "Prehistory and Environment in the Central Great Plains," by Waldo R. Wedel; "Jack Rabbit, Cottontail, and Vegetation in a Mixed Prairie," by H. Leo Brown; "Kansas Mycological Notes: 1946," by S. M. Pady, E. D. Hansing and C. O. Johnston; "The Pocket Gopher in the Rexroad Fauna," by Dorothea S. Franzen; "Migration Records of Birds in East-Central Kansas," by R. F. Miller and Ivan L. Boyd; "Kansas Botanical Notes, 1946," by Frank C. Gates; "Early Observations on the Elk in Kansas," by Donald F. Hoffmeister, and "Structure and Convergence in the Lansing Group, Wilson County," by J. R. Chelikowsky and Virgil Burgat.

Historical articles dealing with Kansas in recent issues of the Kansas City (Mo.) Star, included: "It Was a Great Day in 1888 Abilene When Town Tried to Become Capital," June 12, 1947, by C. M. Harger; "The Spirit of Bishop Quayle Lives in Bibles He Collected," June 15, by Edward R. Schauffler; "Contrast in Harvests Over Forty Years Show Revolution on Farm," June 23, by Cecil Howes; "When Wild Bill Cleaned Up Hays," July 10; "Split-Log Drag on Kansas Roads," July 24, and "Last Indian Reservation in Kansas May Be Broken Up in Near Future," August 2, both by Cecil Howes; and "At 80, W. A. Ayres Is Ready to Start Another Term in Government Service," August 12, by Henry Lyon. Articles in the Kansas City (Mo.) Times included: "Kansas Had Plenty of Mountains Until Wyandotte Convention Lopped Them Off," June 7; "Dust in Kansas Predated Plow," June 10, and "Ellsworth, Kansas, 80, Plans Pioneer Fete, Recalls Rip-Roaring Trail Days," July 9, both by Cecil Howes; "Century-Old Story of Council Grove, Kas., Began With Seth Hays's Cabin," July 16, by Dwight Pennington; sketch of the life of Mark W. Delahay, who persuaded Lincoln to make a speaking trip to Kansas in December, 1859, August 5, and "'Rain Makers' Toured the Kansas Plains With Strange Equipment in the 1890's," August 15, both by Cecil Howes; a review of the controversy over murals painted by the late John Steuart Curry in the state house, August 23, by Jessie Benton, and

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"Newton and Wichita Harking Back to Birth at Ends of Cattle Trail," August 29, by Cecil Howes.

A history of Claflin, written by O. A. Copple, was published by the Claflin Clarion during the summer of 1947. It included historical sketches of schools, newspapers, churches and banks, and lists of mayors and postmasters. The town was named for the maiden name of Mrs. O. P. Hamilton, Copple said. Mr. Hamilton was an incorporater of the town company. The Claflin Town Company filed its charter in March, 1887, and the city was incorporated by order of the board of county commissioners of Barton county on July 18, 1901. Installments of the history were printed in the Clarion on June 19, 26, 1947; July 3, 10, 17, and August 7 and 14.

The pioneer experiences of Adam Hilkey who located in the present Overbrook community in 1880, were described in the Overbrook Citizen and Scranton Gazette-Record, June 26, 1947.

Beginnings of county government in Smith county were discussed in an article in the Smith County Pioneer, Smith Center, July 10, 1947. Smith county was organized by proclamation of Gov. James Harvey early in 1872, and the first meeting of the county commissioners was held at Cedarville, the temporary county seat, on March 9 of that year. Smith Center was chosen as the county seat in an election in November, 1872, receiving a majority of all votes cast in a contest with Cedarville and Gaylord. The Pioneer on August 28 printed a photograph entitled, "Street Scene in Gaylord Sixty-one Years Ago." It was from a collection of the late Mrs. Jane Gedney.

The eightieth anniversary of the founding of the city of Ellsworth and the organization of Ellsworth county was observed with a three-day celebration, July 10-12, 1947. The plat of the Ellsworth townsite was filed for record on July 18, 1867. A 34-page "Pioneer Day" edition issued by the Ellsworth Reporter, July 10, contained a chronological history of the community for the period of 1867 to 1930, inclusive. Biographical sketches included: James B. (Wild Bill) Hickok; Ben Thompson, notorious gunman; William F. (Buffalo Bill) Cody; Capt. Eugene Millett; Maj. George E. Alden; George Seitz; Ira E. Lloyd; T. G. O'Donnell; E. W. Wellington; Arthur Larkin; W. E. Sherriff, and George Huycke. Rosters of Ellsworth mayors, postmasters, senatorial representation for Ellsworth county from 1867 to date, and the vigilante committee

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of 1869, appeared in the issue. Among the historical articles were: Founding of Ellsworth; naming of Ellsworth city and county; "Ellsworth's Famous Shooting," a recital of the slaying of Sheriff Chauncey B. Whitney, by F. D. Streeter; "The First Settlement on Thompson Creek"; "Pre-Historical Sketch of Ellsworth County"; historical sketches of the churches and public schools; experiences of Henry V. Faris, who located in the county in 1860; "Terminus of Union Pacific in 1867"; "Indian Raids," and "History of Ellsworth County Newspapers." The edition included many photographs of buildings of the late 1860's and 1870's, and a sketch of Ellsworth in 1871, drawn by Bernard Wardlow.

Another proposal to permit the sale of Huron cemetery in downtown Kansas City, now pending in congress, has brought forth considerable discussion and recalled previous measures of Kansas City residents to resist moves to dispose of the historic Wyandot Indian burial ground. The colorful history of the cemetery was reviewed by Grant W. Harrington in an article in the Kansas City Kansan, July 13, 1947. Burial of members of the Wyandot tribe who died in an epidemic in the 1840's was the beginning of the cemetery. It is also the resting place of Kansas soldier dead, who were killed in the Battle of the Blue and of one veteran of the War of 1812. In 1906 congress authorized the sale of the burial ground but two girls, Lyda and Hellena Conley, lineal descendants of the Wyandots, took possession of the cemetery. The fight was carried to the courts. The Conley sisters received an adverse decision in the United States supreme court a few years later but nevertheless their efforts to preserve the burial ground were successful when Sen. Charles Curtis obtained repeal of the statute permitting the sale. Lyda Conley died in 1946 and was buried in Huron cemetery beside her father and mother. On Memorial Sunday, 1947, a monument over the grave of Lyda Conley was dedicated.

Early history of Great Bend was related by its newspapers in connection with the city's diamond jubilee, held July 20-26, 1947, in celebration of the seventy-fifth anniversary of the start of the city. The Great Bend Herald issued a 36-page edition July 4, which included the following subjects: Beginnings of Great Bend; taking Barton county census in 1870; 1875 census of Buffalo, Great Bend and Lakin townships; 1875 census of Great Bend businessmen; Barton county's first bond issue; historical sketches of churches; the Wayne Pritchard collection of 11 pioneer automobiles, and in-

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terviews with Frank G. McKinney, Miss Laura Chapman, Mrs. E. J. (Jennie) Ingersoll and Mrs. Mary Feder, early settlers. A 40-page diamond jubilesta edition was printed by the Great Bend Tribune, July 19. Among the historical features were: Roster of mayors; a sketch of the public school system; description of the first hotel; population tables of city and county showing annual enumerations from founding to date; building of railroads to Great Bend; description of Koen ditch, irrigation project constructed from Arkansas river to Cheyenne Bottoms in the late 1890's; horse-drawn streetcar line opened in 1887; history of city library; the Santa Fe trail through Barton county; sketches of churches and clubs; extracts from the diary of Capt. Lambert Wolf during the establishment of Fort Larned; first telephone line; oil development in Barton county; sketches of the experiences of Frank Johnson, Mrs. E. J. Ingersoll, Frank McKinney and Will Osmond, early settlers, and a historical map of Barton county, drawn by A. A. Yarmer. Jubilee events included the staging of an "armed holdup" of a Santa Fe train near Great Bend on July 24 and the dedication of the Great Bend municipal airport, formerly an army air field for the training of B-29 fliers, July 26.

The Hutchinson News-Herald began in August, 1947, the printing of a series of views of Kansas historical and beauty spots. Most of the photographs were made by Russell W. Walker of St. John. These pictures included: "Cave Hollow," north of Carneiro, August 4; Smoky Hill river roller mill, Lindsborg, August 12; "Hell's Half Acre," hard layers of sandstone, near Carneiro, August 18; early territorial capitol at Lecompton, August 25; "Cathedral of the Prairies," St. Fidelis Catholic church, Victoria, September 1.

Lucas observed the sixtieth anniversary of its founding with a celebration held on August 6-9, 1947. The Lucas Town Company was incorporated in December, 1887. A "History of Wolf Creek Valley. . . ," by R. T. Fowler, and recollections of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Spalding of early days in what is now Lucas community were printed in the Lucas Independent, July 30, 1947. Spalding was born in Pottawatomie county in 1867 and moved to Russell county with his family in 1875.

Sterling celebrated the seventy-fifth anniversary of its founding with a two-day program at the annual old settlers, picnic, August 7 and 8, 1947. The townsite was laid out in 1872 under the name of Peace and the community retained that name until April 18,

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1876, when it was incorporated as a city of the third class under the name of Sterling by Judge Samuel R. Peters of the ninth judicial district. A historical sketch of the city was published in the Sterling Bulletin, July 31, 1947. Harry Porter of Sterling was elected president of the Rice-Reno County Old Settlers Association at the annual meeting, August 8. Will Hodge was elected vice-president and H. C. Bruce reelected secretary. Mrs. Ted Buel was the retiring president. A series of articles by Mrs. William Fleeson, reviewing the history of Sterling and vicinity, commenced in the Sterling Bulletin, August 21.

The Journal-Free Press, of Osage City, published a 16-page seventy-fifth anniversary edition on August 13, 1947, in connection with the city's diamond jubilee which was celebrated August 20-22. Osage City was incorporated as a city of the third class about April 1, 1872. The anniversary edition of the Journal-Free Press contained a roster of mayors from the incorporation of the city to date, and pictures of many old and present-day places.

Reminiscences concerning the pioneer experiences of the John Jacob Buhrer family in Pawnee county in the late 1870's and 1880,s were published in the Larned Chronoscope, and The Tiller and Toiler, August 21, 1947. The Buhrer family settled in Pawnee county in 1878.

Hanover celebrated the seventy-fifth anniversary of its incorporation as a third class city with a diamond jubilee on August 25-27, 1947. The city was incorporated on July 5, 1872, by Judge Andrew S. Wilson, Washington, of the twelfth judicial district, three years after it was laid out by G. H. Hollenberg, builder of the Hollenberg Ranch Pony Express station. Gov. Frank Carlson was the principal speaker at the celebration and after his talk drank from a water pitcher once used in the White House by John Quincy Adams. The pitcher was provided by Wayne Wilson of Hanover, a direct descendant of the Adams family. Mr. Wilson's grandmother, the late Katherine Adams Jessup, was a granddaughter of President Adams. Brief historical sketches on the incorporation of Hanover were printed in the Hanover Democrat, July 11 and August 29, 1947.

The seventy-fifth anniversary of its incorporation as a third class city was celebrated by Newton August 30 to September 4, 1947, sponsored by the Harvey County Fair Association. A historical sketch of the fair association beginning with the original "Agricul-

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tural and Mechanical Association of Harvey County" organized in 1872, was published in the Newton Evening Kansan-Republican, August 23, 1947. Newton was first incorporated on February 22, 1872, and the Kansan was established the same year.

H. Bart White, who arrived in Johnson county in 1856, was the oldest old timer registered at the forty-ninth annual old settlers' reunion held in Olathe September 5 and 6, 1947. His reminiscences were recorded in the Olathe Mirror, September 11. Officers of the association for 1948 are: Howard N. McKee, president; J. Fred Marvin, vice-president; Miss Annie Sutton, secretary, and H. E. Julien, treasurer, all of Olathe.