This Day in Kansas History - October

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.

October

1 - [1911] - Prof. L.L. Dyche, State Fish and Game Warden, said catfish fed on cornmeal were as different from pond catfish as sirloin from round steak.

2 - [1866] - State Fair at Lawrence.

3 - [1883] - Campbell Normal University, of Holton, opens its second year with 140 students.

4 - [1854] - E.D. Ladd writes to the Milwaukee Sentinel that "within a few days the 'Misery-ans' have taken down and removed the tents of our squatters, and burned the cabins, while the owners were absent at work." His letter is dated Lawrence, the new name for the "Wakarusa" or "New Boston" settlement. It is named in honor of Amos A. Lawrence, of Boston.

5 - [1892] - Four members of the Dalton gang were killed at Coffeyville. They had robbed two banks and were escaping when attacked by a marshal's posse. Four citizens were killed. [Oct. 27th, John Kloehr, Coffeyville liveryman who killed three members of the Dalton gang, was given a gold medal by a group of Chicago bankers. The medal, set with a large diamond, bore the inscription: "John Joseph Kloehr--the emergency arose, the man appeared."]

6 - [1863] - The followoing account of the massacre at Baxter Springs, Kansas, is copied from Greeley's Conflict, vol. II, p. 452:

"General Blunt, having been on business to Kansas, was returning with a small cavalry escort to Fort Smith, when he was struck, near Baxter's Springs, Cherokee Nation, by Quantrill, with 600 guerillas, and most of his small escort killed or disabled: among the eighty killed--nearly all after they had been captured--were Major H.Z. Curtis, son of Major General S.R. Curtis, and several civilians. [General Curtis named Fort Zarah for this son.] General Blunt, rallying some fifteen of his guard, escaped capture and death by great coolness and courage; their persistency in boldly fighting creating a belief that they were the van of a heavy force. A considerable train that accompanied them was sacked and burned. The attack was made very near the little post known as Fort Blair, which was next assailed; but its defenders, though few, were brave, and well led by Lieutenant Pond, Third Wisconsin Cavalry, who beat the enemy off, inflicting a loss of eleven killed and many mroe wounded. General Blunt and his remnant of escort kept the prairie till night, then made their way to the post. they had not ventured thither before, apprehending that it had been taken."

7 - [1854] - Governor Reeder arrives in the Territory, and establishes the Executive Office temporarily at Fort Leavenworth.

8 - [1896] - At Eudora a carp fishery produced 6,000 pounds for market during the year. Fifty apple-barrel makers struck at Kansas City. They received five cents a barrel and wanted six.

9 - [1905] - The Garden City Irrigation project was approved by the Department of Interior. Fifteen hundred acres would be irrigated at a cost of $236,000 and a yearly maintenance of $24,000.

10 - [1898] - The Kansas Anti-Horse Thief Assn. met at Coffeyville.

11 - [1923] - Frank Tierney and John Denny, Morton county, gathered about 14, 500 honeydew melons from 12 acres. They were shipped to Pittsburgh, Pa., for a "satisfactory price."

12 - [1917] - A federal grand jury at Leavenworth returned an indictment against four persons for participating in an illegal anti-draft meeting at Topeka. An Ellsworth county farmer was indicted for telling his hired men not to register.

13 - [1868] - Four men killed and one wounded by Indians, in the Solomon valley. Two women have been carried into captivity by Indians.

14 - [1890] - David Dwight Eisenhower was born to Mr. and Mrs. David Eisenhower of Denton, Tex., formerly of Hope.

15 - [1884] - Meeting, at Salina, of the Women's Foreign Missionary Society of the M.E. Church. President, Mrs. Bishop Ninde.

16 - [1859] -Captain John Brown, with eighteen men, takes possession of the town of Harper's Ferry, Virginia.

Sanborn says, (Life of Brown, p. 552): "At the Kennedy farm-house, about eight o'clock on the evening of Sunday--a cold and dark night, ending in rain--Brown mustered his eighteen followers, saying, 'Men, get on your arms; we will proceed to the Ferry.' His horse and wagon were brought to the back door of the farm-house, and some pikes, a sledge-hammer and a crowbar were placed in the wagon. Brown 'put on his old Kansas cap,' mounted the wagon, and said, 'Come, boys!' at the same time driving his horse down the rude lane into the main road." All day Monday Capt. Brown carried in his hand the sword of George Washington, presented to the Father of his Country by Frederick the Great, and now captured from Col. Lewis Washington.

17 - [1906] - William Scully, formerly Lord Scully of Ireland, died in London. He had been an American citizen since 1900. He owned thousands of acres of land in Kansas, principally in Marion county. His tenants were mainly German. Scully leased the land to them at $3 to $5 an acre; put down foundations for buildings which they must erect; insisted they pay their debts; not drink; keep their livestock fat and their machinery in good condition, and in every way deport themselves to the credit of the Scully name. Many Kansas landowners, however, claimed Scully resisted good roads and schools, and was an impediment to progress.

18 - [1870] - The Kansas Pacific gives an excursion to Denver to Kansas editors.

The New York Tribune publishes a letter from Mr. Grail, dated Topeka, October 9th, in which he says:

"Settlers are pouring into eastern Kansas by car-loads, wagon-loads, horse-loads, daily, because of the fertility of her soil, the geniality of her climate, her admirable diversity of prairie and timber, the abundance of her living streams, and the marvelous facility wherewith homesteads may here be created . . . Having exposed freely the errors, as I see them, of all parties, I hardly need restate that Kansas, in spite of them all, is going ahead magnificently; and I predict that the child is born who will see her fifth if not fourth in population and production among the States of our Union."

19 - [1870] - The Grand Lodge of Masons meets at Atchison.

20 - [1872] - Terrible prairie fire in Butler county.

21 - [1891] - Forty-seven German-Russians located in the settlement south of Russell. Thirteen others were detained by the immigration bureau at New York.

22 - [1825] - Nile's Register: "We understand the United States Commissioners met the Osage Indians at Council Grove, on the Nee-o-zho river, 160 miles southwest of Fort Osage, in latitude 38 degrees, 40 minutes, longitude 96 degrees, 12 minutes and 22 seconds from Washington City, in the early part of August, and there made a treaty with them for the passage of the road."

23 - [1855] - Constitutional Convention meets at Topeka.

24 - [1907] - George H. Smith, Finney county, invented a machine for digging and topping sugar beets.

25 - [1864] - The Rebels driven from the Trading Post. On the north bank of Mine creek, Price, Fagan, and Marmaduke, with 15,000 men, form a line of battle. Kansas meets and routs them, the Rebels falling back in wild disorder. Generals Marmaduke, Cabell, Slemmon, and Graham captured.

26 - [1910] - Coffeyville, home of Walter Johnson, Washington American league pitcher, honored him with a banquet.

27 - [1869] - Convention of colored men at Topeka. Wm. D. Matthews, President; J.W. Scott and W.R. Conner, Secretaries.

28 - [1856] - L. Maria Child, of Wayland, Mass., sends a box of clothing "to the women of Kansas." She says: "Never have I been so proud of woman as I have been while reading of your patient endurance and your undaunted heroism."

29 - [1925] - Locals from the Smith County Pioneer, Smith Center: "Slim Rowding has a new blanket for his Ford. Look out girls! . . . Undertaker Al Cole was at church Sunday. . . . Judge Korenke's barber pole has quit going around. . . . Bill Bowman was mad again yesterday. His wife didn't call him till . . . the pancake batter was dead. . . .Parm Moyers spent Monday evening at home with his wife and reports a very pleasant time with his radio."

30 - [1861] - Settlers driven from Mine Creek, Linn county.

31 - [1837] - Plan of defenses of the western frontier proposed by Charles Gratiot, and published in the report of J.R. Poinsett, Secretary of War. This is another railroad map. The lines of the Missouri Pacific and North Missouri railroads, the route from Kansas City to Omaha, and directly south to Fort Smith--these and other lines in Missouri and Arkansas anticipate with marvelous accuracy the present railroad system. Posts were recommended at Fort Scott and Kansas City.