This Day in Kansas History - JanuaryThese 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. January
1 - [1886] - Twelve carloads of buffalo bones had been shipped from Cimarron since May, 1885. They sold for $10 a ton and were made into harness ornaments and cutlery handles. 2 - [1913] - Twenty-one bank robbers had been jailed in the past two years. Box-car robberies had decreased 75 percent, house robberies 60 percent, and post office robberies 90 percent. 3 - [1969] - Robert Dole of Russell was sworn into office as United States Senator from Kansas replaced Senator Frank Carlson of Concordia. He retired in 1996 to run for the office of president.* 4 - [1876] - The Historical Society library has its beginning in a bookcase in the Auditor's Office. 5 - [1936] - Harry Darby, director of Kansas Highway Department in annual report says motorists in Kansas pay less taxes for maintenance and construction of highways than do motorists in any other State. Jay e. House, former mayor of Topeka and noted columnist, dies in Topeka. [Ives, Footprints on the Sands of Time] 6 - [1890] - Antelope saddles sold for 9 cents a pound at Kansas City; bear hams, 35 cents a pound; prairie chickens, $3.25 to $3.75 a dozen; possums, 15 to 25 cents each; fancy quail, $1.00 a dozen; plover, 75 cents a dozen; cottontails, 25 to 50 cents a dozen; squirrels, 40 to 50 cents a dozen venison, 10 cents a pound, and wild turkey, 5 cents a pound. 7 - [1920] - Dr. Forrest C. "Phog" Allen, director of athletics at K.U., began his first year as basketball coach. 8 - [1878] - J.P. Johnson, of Highland, Doniphan county, says that he is the person who ran the first Kansas survey line. That was the 40th parallel line--the line separating Kansas and Nebraska, surveyed in 1854, from the Missouri river to the sixth principal meridian. Associated with Mr. Johnson in making the astronomical calculations for this survey was Capt. Robert E. Lee, then of the United States army, afterwards of the Confederacy. Mr. Johnson has been a resident of Kansas since 1854. 9 - [1912] - One hundred Jetmore citizens with shovels helped clear the Santa Fe track to Larned. A train loaded with provisions and livestock feed had been snowbound there for 12 days. 10 - [1906] - Mastodon remains unearthed near Buffalo were sold to the American Museum, New York. 11 - [1868] - Mrs. [Elizabeth Cady] Stanton publishes an article in the Revolution, on the woman suffrage campaign in Kansas. 12 - [1857] - Convention of the "National Democratic Part of Kansas Territory," at Lecompton. 13 - [1881] - Farmers' Convention. Resolutions introduced by Samuel N. Wood, adopted:
S.A. Riggs, of Lawrence, offered the following resolution, which was adopted:
14 - [1880] - F.H. Barnhart, of the Osborne County Farmer, gives to the State Historical Scociety the first thirty-eight numbers of the Lincoln County News--the first paper started in Lincoln county, the date of the first issue being March 5, 1873. The paper was started by Mr. Barnhart. 15 - [1885] - State Woman Suffrage Convention, at Topeka. Officers: Mrs. Hettie Mansfield, Attica, President; Mrs. Annie C. Wait, Lincoln, Vice President; Bertha H. Ellsworth, Topeka, Corresponding Secretary; Georgiana Daniels, Eureka, Recording Secretary; and Mrs. A.D. Millington, Winfield, Treasurer. --The Republican caucus unanimously renominates Senator Ingalls and State Printer Thacher. 16 - [1865] - The following statistics are taken from the records of the United States Adjutant General: Under the call of April 15, 1861, Kansas furnished 650 three-months men. Under the call of May 3, and the acts of July 22 and 25, the quota of Kansas was 3,235; she furnished 6,953, for three years. Under the call of July 2, 1862, the Kansas quota was 1,711; she furnished 2,936. Under the calls of October 17, 1863, and February 1, 1864, the Kansas quota was 3,523 men; she furnished 5,874. Under the call of March 14, 1864, our quota was 1,409; we furnished 2,563 men. Between April 23 and July 18, 1864, Kansas furnished 441 one-hundred-days men. Under the call of July 18, 1864, Kansas furnished 351 men. Under the call of December 19, 1864, we furnished 883 men. Under all calls the quota of Kansas was 12,931; she furnished 20,151; the aggregate, reduced to a three-years standard, was 18, 706. The total number of men furnished for our armies, deducting those credited to the navy, exceeds 2,850,000, counting men who reenlisted twice, or even more often. This record credits Kansas with 19 regiments, 5 companies, and 3 batteries. Kansas troops participated in 127 engagements during the war, out of 2,261 in the whole country. There were 7 engagements in Kansas. Our casualties were: Killed, officers, 34; men, 762. Died of wounds, officers, 12; men, 192. Deaths by disease, officers, 26; men, 2,080. Deserted, officers, 2; men, 1,988. Dishonorably discharged, officers, 1; men, 94. Discharged for disability, officers, 8; men, 1,849. Dismissed, officers, 43. Cashiered, officers, 4. Resigned, officers, 281. Missing, enlisted men, 35. 17 - [1856] - The election under the Topeka Constitution for State officers was held at the house of T.A. Minard, in Easton, Leavenworth county, on the 17th. On Friday morning, January 18th, Stephen Sparks, Free-State man, while on his way home from the election, with his son and nephew, was surrounded by Ruffians. Capt. Reese P. Brown went to their assistance, and rescued them. While Brown and seven others were on their way to Leavenworth they were arrested and taken to Easton where a Pro-Slavery mob had assembled. Through that day they were guarded. At night all the Free-State men were released, except Brown. He was taken out and assaulted with hatchets and knives, then dragged to a wagon and carried to Dunn's liquor shop, in Salt Creek valley. Finding that Brown must die, he was taken to his home, where he soon expired. Capt. Brown had been in Lawrence during the recent Wakarusa war, aiding the Free-State men. He was a member of the Free-State legislature. 18 - [1867] - The town of Osage Mission is laid out, by George A. Crawford, Chas. F. Drake and others. The Insane Asylum at Osawatomie has four inmates. 19 - [1896] - German Baptists at Abilene cut the ice on the Smoky Hill river to immerse converts. 20 - Sharpshooting guards frustrated an attempted break by eight Kansas State Penitentiary convicts. [Ives, Footprints on the Sands of Time] 21 - [1917] - Butler county produced 6,500,000 barrels of oil in 1916. The total state output in 1915 was only 4,009,329. 22 - [1884] - Opposition Congressional Convention, at Fort Scott. Fifteen counties were represented. Frank Bacon, Chairman; John M. Galloway, Secretary. Ex-Congressman Sidney Clarke, Chairman of the Committee on Resolutions, reported the following platform, which was unanimously adopted: Resolved, That we demand:
23 - [1854] - Senator [Stephen A.] Douglas reports a substitute for his former bill, providing for the organization of two Territories, Nebraska and Kansas. The important provision of the bill is the following, copied from section 32: "That the constitution, and all laws of the United States which are not locally inapplicable, shall have the same force and effect within the said Territory of Kansas as elsewhere within the United States, except the eighth section of the act preparatory to the admission of Missouri into the Union, approved March sixth, eighteen hundred and twenty, which being inconsistent with the principle of non-intervention by Congress with slavery in the States and Territories, as recognized by the legislation of eighteen hundred and fifty, commonly called the Compromise Measures, is hereby declared inoperative and void; it being the true intent and meaning of this act not to legislate slavery into any Territory or State, nor to exclude it therefrom, but to leave the people thereof perfectly free to form and regulate their domestic institutions in their own way, subject only to the Constitution of the United States. Provided, That nothing herein contained shall be construed to revive or put in force any law or regulation which may have existed prior to the act of the sixth of March, eighteen hundred and twenty, either protecting, establishing, prohibiting, or abolishing slavery." 24 - - [1835] - Birth of Elizabeth Simmerwell, afterwards Mrs. John S. Carter, at the Shawnee Baptist mission; probably the first white girl born in Kansas. 25 - [1901] - Root diggers in Rooks and other counties made as high as $3.50 a day. Pioneers in the work were Elam Bartholomew and his sons. They dug snakeroot and shipped it to a Cincinnati drug firm. Later, R.E. Jackson employed a number of men and dug the root on a much larger scale covering several counties. Fred Lawson, Stockton, employed eight or ten persons to dig the root and bought the product of many others. In 18 months he bought and shipped 35,000 pounds. Prices ranged from three to seven cents a pound. The digging season was from September to March. The root was an astringent. Indians used it for snakebite. 26 - [1882] - Death of Gen. Robt. B. Mitchell, in Washington. He was born in Ohio, in 1823; came to Paris, Linn county, to live, in 1857; was a volunteer in the Mexican war. Since serving as Governor of New Mexico he has lived in Washington. Kansas had these Generals: Blunt, Mitchell, Deitzler, Lee, Ewing, and Clayton, with Lane occasionally acting as a General. 27 - [1934] - Jury found Tom Boyd, former State Treasurer, guilty of allowing Ronald Finney to illegally withdraw bonds from State treasury. [Ives, Footprints on the Sands of Time] 28 - [1886] - Two members of a Saratoga raiding party were wounded when Pratt was attacked during the county-seat fight. The courthouse at Iuka was burned. 29 - [1861] - President Buchanan signs the bill, and Kansas becomes a State. AN ACT FOR THE ADMISSION OF KANSAS INTO THE UNION. Whereas, The people of the Territory of Kansas, by their representatives in convention assembled, at Wyandotte, in said Territory, on the twenty-ninth day of July, one thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, did form for themselves a Constitution and State Government, republican in form, which was ratified and adopted by the people at an election held for that purpose, on Tuesday, the fourth day of October, one thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, and the said convention has, in their name and behalf, asked the Congress of the United States to admit the said Territory into the Union as a State, on an equal footing with the other States: therefore, Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled: SECTION 1. That the State of Kansas shall be, and is hereby declared to be, one of the United States of America, and admitted into the Union on an equal footing with the original States in all respects whatever. And the said State shall consist of all the territory included within the following boundaries, to wit: Beginning at a point on the western boundary of the State of Missouri where the thirty-seventh parallel of north latitude crosses the same: thence west on said parallel to the twenty-fifth meridian of longitude west from Washington; thence north on said meridian to the fortieth parallel of latitude; thence east on said parallel to the western boundary of the State of Missouri; thence south with the western boundary of said State to the place of beginning: Provided, That nothing contained in the said Constitution respecting the boundary of said State shall be construed to impair the rights of person or property now pertaining to the Indians in said Territory, so long as such rights shall remain unextinguished by treaty between the United States and such Indians, or to include any territory which, by treaty with such Indian tribe, is not, without the consent of such tribe, to be included within the territorial limits or jurisdiction of any State or Territory; but all such territory shall be excepted out of the boundaries, and constitute no part, of the State of Kansas, until said tribe shall signify their assent to the President of the United States to be included within said State, or to affect the authority of the Government of the United States to make any regulation respecting such Indians, their lands, property, or other rights, by treaty, law, or otherwise, which it would have been competent to make if this act had never been passed. SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That until the next general apportionment of Representatives, the State of Kansas shall be entitled to one Representative in the House of Representatives of the United States. SEC.3 And be it further enacted, That nothing in this act shall be construed as an assent by Congress to all or any of the propositions or claims contained in the ordinance of said Constitution of the people of Kansas, or in the resolutions thereto attached; but the following propositions are hereby offered to the said people of Kansas for their free acceptance or rejection, which, if accepted, shall be obligatory on the United States, and upon the said State of Kansas, to wit: First:That sections numbered sixteen and thirty-six, in every township of public lands in said State, and where either of said sections or any part thereof has been sold or otherwise been disposed of, other lands, equivalent thereto and as contiguous as may be, shall be granted to said State for the use of schools. Second:That seventy-two sections of land shall be set apart and reserved for the use and support of a State University, to be selected by the Governor of said State, subject to the approval of the Commissioner of the General Land Office, and to be appropriated and applied in such manner as the Legislature of said State may prescribe for the purpose aforesaid, but for no other purpose. Third:That ten entire sections of land, to be selected by the Governor of said State, in legal subdivisions, shall be granted to the said State for the purpose of completing the public buildings, or for the erection of others at the seat of government, under the direction of the Legislature thereof. Fourth:That all salt springs within the State, not exceeding twelve in number, with six sections of land adjoining or as contiguous as may be to each, shall be granted to said State for its use, the same to be selected by the Governor thereof, within one year after the admission of said State, and when so selected to be used or disposed of on such terms, conditions and regulations as the Legislature shall direct: Provided, That no salt spring or land, the right whereof is now vested in any individual or individuals, or which may be hereafter confirmed or adjudged to any individual or individuals, shall by this article, be granted to said State. Fifth:That five per centum of all sales of all public lands lying within said State, which shall be sold by Congress after the admission of said State into the Union, after deducting all the expenses incident to the same, shall be paid to the State for the purpose of making public roads and internal improvements, or for other purposes, as the Legislature shall direct:Provided, That the foregoing propositions hereinbefore offered are on the condition that the people of Kansas shall provide by an ordinance, irrevocable without the consent of the United States, that said State shall never interfere with the primary disposal of the soil within the same by the United States, or with any regulations Congress may find necessary for securing the title in said soil to bona fide purchasers thereof. Sixth:And that the said State shall never tax the lands or property of the United States in said State: Provided, however, That in case any of the lands herein granted to the State of Kansas have heretofore been confirmed to the Territory of Kansas for the purposes specified in this act, the amount so confirmed shall be deducted from the quantity specified in this act. SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That from and after the admission of the State of Kansas, as hereinbefore provided, all the laws of the United States, which are not locally inapplicable, shall have the same force and effect within that State as in other States of the Union; and the said State is hereby constituted a Judicial District of the united States, within which a District Court, with like powers and jurisdiction as the District Court of the United States for the District of Minnesota, shall be established; the Judge, Attorney and Marshal of the United States, for the said District of Kansas, shall reside within the same, and shall be entitled to the same compensation as the Judge, Attorney and Marshal of the District of Minnesota; and in all cases of appeal or writ of error heretofore prosecuted and now pending in the Supreme Court of the United States, upon any record from the Supreme Court of Kansas Territory, the mandate of execution or order of further proceedings shall be directed by the Supreme Court of the United States to the District of Kansas, or to the Supreme Court of the State of Kansas, as the nature of such appeal or writ of error may require; and each of those courts shall be the successor of the Supreme Court of Kansas Territory as to all such cases, with full power to hear and determine the same, and to award mesne or final process therein. SEC. 5 And be it further enacted, That the Judge of the District Court for the District of Kansas shall hold two regular terms of the said Court annually, at the seat of government of said State, to commence on the second Mondays of April and October in each year. Approved 29th of January, 1861. The signing of the bill by Buchanan is made known in Leavenworth by a dispatch from Marcus J. Parrott to the Conservative. That paper prints an extra, and D.R. Anthony carries it to Lawrence. The Legislature thanks the paper for its enterprise. Captain Frank B. Swift, Caleb S. Pratt, Edward D. Thompson, and James C. Horton, with a large company, go to Captain Bickerton's farm, where the "Old Sacramento" is buried, dig it up, take it to Lawrence, and consume the night in saluting the admission of Kansas. It is also a holiday in Leavenworth, all parties joining in salutes, speeches and songs. Information on current Kansas Day festivities. 30 - [1922] - An exhibit of art by Birger Sandzen, Lindsborg, opened at the Babcock galleries, New York. 31 - [1940] - The Topeka Harvey House, the first of the famous Harvey System on the Santa Fe Railway, ceases busisness. E.E. Kelley, veteran newspaper man, dies at Garden City, Kansas. January was the coldest month on record. [Ives, Footprints on the Sands of Time] |
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