This Day in Kansas History - April

These entries are taken from The Annals of Kansas, 1541-1885 by D.W. Wilder, The Annals of Kansas, 1886-1925 edited by Kirke Mechem, and contributed by staff members of the Kansas State Historical Society (these entries are marked with an *). Other sources used will be noted. This is not meant to be a comprehensive list of events in Kansas history.

April

1 - [1925] - The Menninger Sanitarium, Topeka, was chartered with a capital of $50,000. Its purpose was "to establish, support and maintain a private hospital and sanitarium for the care and treatment of persons suffering from illness, disease or infirmity, and particularly those afflicted with nervous and mental diseases."

2 - [1882] - Robert Hay, in the Capital, says he has found in various books, twenty-four forms of the word Kansas.

The War Department publishes Sergt. John P. Finlay's investigation of the tornadoes of May, 1879, in Kansas and Missouri.

Capt. Wm. Higgins gives the Historical Society copies of the early papers of Crawford and Cherokee counties.

3 - [1860] - the first Pony Express leaves St. Joseph for San Francisco. It is a weekly express.

4 - [1878] - Strike of Santa Fe Railroad employees.

5 - [1873] - Ford county organized. The first county election was held June 5. Named for Col. James H. Ford, Second Colorado.

6 - [1855] - The Leavenworth Herald announces the result of the first Legislative election in these words:

"All hail! Pro-slavery Party Victorious. We have met the enemy and they are ours. Veni, Vedi, Vici. Free White State Party Used Up."

"The triumph of the Pro-Slavery party is complete and overwhelming. Come on, Southern men; brign your slaves and fill up the Territory. Kansas is saved. Abolitionism is rebuked, her fortress stomred, her flag is draggling in the dust! The tri-colored Platform has fallen with a crash; the rotten timbers of its structure were not sufficient to sustain the small fragments of the party."

"Kansas has proved herself to be S.G.Q."

These letters mean: Sound on the Goose Question, or Pro-Slavery.

7 - [1870] - The Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railway Co. organized, by the consolidation of the Neosho Valley road and Missouri roads. Robert S. Stevens was its brains and road-builder.

8 - [1918] - The Marysville Turnverein, a German society which bought $50,000 in bonds during the first Liberty loan drive, resolved to buy $25,000 more in the third drive. Mennonite churches in Reno county also voted to buy bonds.

9 - [1842] - Capt. Benj. Moore and Dr. Mott, U.S.A., select Camp Scott as a military post. The name changed to Fort Scott in 1843. Hiero T. Wilson went there in September, 1843, and was the first white settler. The Fort was occupied by United States troops until 1855.

10 - [1887] - Topeka's baseball club, Goldsby's Golden Giants, defeated the St. Louis Browns, 12 to 9, before 3,000 persons at Topeka.

11 - [1884] - Death of Gen. George W. Deitzler at Tucson, A.T. A noted Free-State pioneer, who did good service in our early struglles.

The Butler county corn received in Cincinnati; sold on the 12th for $7,000.

Grand Lodge of colored Masons in session at Parsons.

The New York Evening Post commends Gov. Thos. A. and Gen. Thos. O. Osborn, Ministers to South American countries, for the honorable settlement of the boundary between Chili and the Argentine Republic. The Chicago Tribune says the highest peak of the Andes, on the line, should be named Osborn.

12 - [1894] - The heaviest rain in over a year at Russell put citizens in a quandry. A church had held special prayers for rain on Sunday, but W.H. Wilder, rainmaker, began operations on the day of the rain.

13 - [1881] - The State Pharmaceutical Association unanimously adopts the following:

"Resolved, That we recommend to the druggists of the State that no application for permits covering the sale of intoxicating liquors be made, except for test cases, until the law shall have been so interpreted by the Supreme Court of this State as to make plain our status under it, particularly with reference to the provisions of section 10, and that in the meantime, no sale of liquors be made.

"Resolved, That the Executive Committee of this Association are hereby instructed to take such measures as shall most speedily result in a legal test of the provisions of section 10, and of such other portions of the present temperance law as may be necessary for a clear and final interpretation of the law."

14 - [1910] - An electric power line was being built from Atchison to Troy, supplying farmers along the route. [1986] - Sixth graders from Caldwell and teacher Larry Miller launched a successful campaign to name the Ornate Box Turtle the State Reptile. Terrapene ornata ornata is found across the state.*

15 - [1854] - The Independence (Missouri) Messenger says: "The Rev. Thomas Johnson, Delegate to Congress from Nebraska Territory, passed down the river the other day, on the steamer Polar Star, on his way to Washington City." He has Indians with him, and is negotiating treaties. Mr. Gatewood has gone to Washington, through St. Joseph with Otoe and other Indians, on the same errand.

16 - [1920] - Judge Silas Porter of the Supreme Court protested high prices by appearing at the State House in overalls.

17 - [1976] - King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden made an appearance on stage with Bethany's famed Messiah chorus while in Lindsborg.*

18 - [1872] - Leavenworth celebrates the completion of the bridge across the Missouri; thirty thousand people present.

19 - [1936] - Frederick H. Harvey, of Kansas City, Mo., vice-president of the Fred Harvey system, and his wife crashed to death in their airplane on the rugged Allegheny mountains near Johnstown, Pa. About one-quarter of the business section of Nortonville, Kansas was destroyed by fire with an estimated loss of $100,000. [Ives, Footprints on the Sands of Time]

20 - [1922] - "Powder River," official motion picture of World War I, was shown at Topeka. The picture cost $10,000,000 and was released by the federal government.

21 - [1879] - E.C. Boudinot, in the Kansas City Journal, claims that there is a large amount of Government land in the Indian Territory open to white settlement; the probable origin of the "Oklahoma" movement, of squatters from Kansas.

22 - [1898] - Fred Funston was made colonel of the first regiment of Kansas volunteers. Under the President's call for 100,000 volunteers, Kansas' quota was 2,230 men. Capt. W.A. Harshbarger, Washburn College, enlisted student volunteers. Students burned General Weyler, Cuban general, in effigy.

23 - [1872] - A terrific tornado at Coffeyville destroys the office of [Edmund G.] Ross's Paper.

24 - [1867] - Earthquake shock, at 2:45 P.M., in eastern Kansas and western Missouri. A second shock soon followed. A few chimneys fell.

25 - [1925] - The apple blossom festival in Doniphan county, Kansas, and Buchanan county, Missouri, featured a tour from St. Joseph to Troy. Doniphan county had 400,000 apple trees.

26 - [1854] - The following is copied from the Report, made in 1856, by the Congressional Investigating Committee:

"In April [the 26th], 1854, the General Assembly of Massachusetts passed an act entitled 'An act to incorporate the Massachusetts Emigrant Aid Society.' The object of the Society, as declared in the first section of this act, was 'for the purpose of assisting emigrants to settle in the West.' The nominal capital of the corporation was not to exceed five millions of dollars, but no more than four per cent. could be assessed during the year 1854, and no more than ten per cent. in any one year thereafter. No organization was perfected or proceedings had under this law."

The incorporators under the act of this date creating the Massachusetts Emigrant Aid Company are Benjamin C. Clark, Isaac Livermore, Charles Allen, Isaac Davis, William G. Bates, Stephen C. Phillips, Charles C. Hazewell, Alex. H. Bullock, Henry Wilson, James S. Whitney, Samuel E. Sewall, Samuel G. Howe, James Holland, Moses Kimball, James D. Green, Francis W. Bird, Otis Clapp, Anson Burlingame, Eli Thayer, and Otis Rich. One of the most active men in securing the organization was Eli Thayer.

27 - [1868] - Supplemental treaty with the Cherokees. On the 30th of August, 1866, Secretary Harlan made a contract with the American Emigrant Company, of Connecticut, forthe sale of the Cherokee Neutral Lands. Secreatry Browning regarded this sale as illegal, and, on the 9th of October, 1867, he made a contract to sell the lands to James F. Joy. It is now agreed, April 27th, 1868, that the American Emigrant Company shall assign its contract to Joy, and the contract is reaffirmed and declared valid, as herein modified; the contract between Browning and Joy is canceled.

28 - [1863] - C.W. Babcock makes arrangements for bridging the Kaw at Lawrence.

29 - [1847] - Rev. John Schoenmakers arrives at the Osage Mission, now in Neosho county, accompanied by Rev. John J. Bax and Rev. Paul Ponziglione. The school for boys was established May 10th. Several Sisters of Lorette arrived October 5th, and established a school for girls. Both schools are still in a flourishing condition [1886].

30 - [1863] - The Commissioners appointed by the Governor report to him that they have selected forty acres of land near Lawrence as a site for the University buildings.