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F 687 . L7 B26 Copy 1
OUVENIR
HISTORY
LINCOLN COUNTY KAN SAS
1800.
Class FEET
Book
. 49826
A Souvenir History
OF
Lincoln County,
Kansas
BY
Elizabeth N. Barr, (A native and an old settler)
1908
F6x7 L7B26
27
Dedication:
It is to the makers of history that the writers of it can most fittingly dedicate their work. So, here's to the Pioneers of Lincoln County. Some of them builded better than they knew, others worse than they intended; but all things have worked together for good to those who love the right.
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ELIZABETH N. BARR.
PREFACE
This book has been compiled from the written and verbal ac- counts of those who ought to know the history of Lincoln Coun- ty. Personally i knew nothing of this history when I began gathering the material, and when stories conflicted i was not prejudiced to either opinion but tried in all possible ways to as- certain the actual facts in the case. I have interviewed most of the early settlers and those to whom I am most indebted are: J. J. Peate, Richard Clark, and Chatmer Smith of Beverly; John S. Strange, N. B. Rees, Anna C. Wait, Fred Erhardt, Adolph Roenigk, E. M. Harris, Martin Hendrickson, Daniel Day, Cris. Bernhardt, C. M. Heaton, Tone Bishop, Ogden Green, Myron Green of Lincoln; William Baird of Vesper: Mrs. Morgan and A. R. Buzick of Sylvan Grove.
Those from a distance who have contributed letters and arti- ctes are: F. A .Schemerhorn, Eli Ziegler, and A. T. Biggs. Olh- ers have been kind enough to loan clippings. Among these clip- pings were articles by J. R. Mead, J. J. Peate, Thomas Strange, Washington Smith, Gen. Geo. A. Forsyth, also several important articles by unknown parties. Besides getting the statements of these people I have read the files of at least one newspaper from '73 down to date and searched the archives of the State His- torical Society diligently and gleaned all I could from that source.
A special voto of thanks is due the newspapers and others who have loaned cuts and pictures.
I wish to make special mention of those who have advertised in this book. They are the fellows who are up-to-date and pro- gressive or they wouldn't be here. And it is the man who is public spirited, liberal, and broad minded with whom you want to deal, not simply because he will do the best for the com- munity but because he will do the best by you. As you read this book just notice who these men are.
I have done my best to give a true account of the happenings of Lincoln County. I know there will be some mistakes, and I do not anticipate that everybody will agree with even that part. of my story which is correct. If von do not agree with me do not ask me to change it now. If there is anything left out which you think ought to have been put in you should have spoken of it last summer. In case this book meets with your approval i shall be happy. In case it does not I refuse to worry.
ELIZABETH N. BARR.
KANSAS CHRISTIAN COLLEGE.
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1000
History of Lincoln County
Geology of Lincoln County
Lincoln County lies directly under the ancient coast line of the Triassic age, along which were deposited enormous beds of salt, ranging from seventy-five to two hundred fifty feet in thick- ness, at depths ranging from four hundred fifty feet at Hutchin- son, Kans., to nine hundred twenty-five feet at Anthony, these depths being the least and greatest which have been found. So much for the salt.
Stone was found in the neighborhood which when polished made a very handsome marble surface. The Lincoln Board of Trade then sent for Robert Hlay, a geologist, who reported on the geology of Lincoln County as follows:
"The Geology of Lincoln County, Kansas, is mainly connected with two sub-divisions of the Cretacious group of formations. These in descending order are Benton series and Dakota series. There is some good building material in the Dakota, formed during the epoch. The marble found in some limited districts may be looked for in other areas. It is quite likely that the Dakota sandstone will yield gas under favorable conditions. These conditions are most likely to be found under the high land forming the divide from Lost Creek around the head of the Prosser and Rattlesnake ('reeks. It is possible that similar con- ditions may be found in the southwest part of the county, and on the west line between Wolf and Spillman. Gas must not be sought near the outcrop of the strata, hence the localities indi- cated here.
"The lignite at every place we visited was at the same geolog- ical horizon, very nearly at the top of the Dakota. It is useless to look for this bed low down in the Saline Valley. The best guide to its position is the lowest layer of Benton limestones. If the boring is begun at some twenty feet below that, the hori- zon of the lignite will be reached at less than one hundred feet. It will probably pay to test it on the slopes of Lost Creek, Beaver, Rattlesnake, Upper Bullfoot, and West Elkhorn. The Dakota may yet yield another lignite horizon, and if so, it will be better, being farther below the surface."
J. R. Mead gives an account of a legendary tin mine in the
History of Lincoln County
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QUARRY ON W. D. MORGAN'S FARM.
One of Lincoln County's best quarries. Produced one flagstone weighing 4,745 pounds, and two others almost as large, also rocks 30 by 10 feet. It is worked by Walter Van Valkenberg, who is an expert
History of Lincoln County
vacinity of Elkhorn or Elm Creek. So far it has never been dis- covered.
Among the valuable materials which have been found and used are coal, which was first discovered in wells; marble, red, brown, and purple, streaked with white; salt and building rock, which is still extensively quarried.
The above is a picture of Table Rock, for which Table Rock freek was named. For many years it was a great curio to trav- elers who came through this section, but was destroyed by un- known parties some years ago.
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History of Lincoln County
Pre-Historic
Geographically speaking Lincoln County is in the central part of Kansas, and Kansas is in the center of the Universe, hence the importance of what shall follow. It is watered and drained by the Saline River, and by its tributaries, the creeks, Wolf and Spillman, Lost, Beaver, Twelve Mile on the north and Twin, Bull- foot, Spring, Elkhorn, Owl and Table Rock on the south, also by Rattlesnake and Battle Creek, which flow into Salt Creek in the northwestern part of the county. There are seven hundred fifty sections of arable land, most of which is under cultivation. The landscape is just rolling enough to be beautiful, but not to interfere with tillage. The air is so clear that the eye may span many miles, and looking from any high point one may see com- fortable and thrifty farm-yards, shaded by beautiful trees and surrounded by fertile well-kept fields. One can trace the streams by their wooded banks, and perhaps see the spires of a village in the distance.
Withdraw these evidences of civilization from the scene, peo- ple it instead with occasional herds of buffalo, deer, elk, ante- lope, towns of prairie-dogs, packs of gray wolves, flocks of wild turkey and prairie-chickens, with perhaps a band of Indians mounted or afoot, and you have the proper scene for the be- ginning of these chronicles.
Some of these herds of buffalo and deer were surprisingly large sometimes, containing tens of thousands. We have it on good authority that a single herd of buffalo crossing the railroad track some time in the sixties held up a train from nine o'clock in the morning till five in the evening. Mr. Erhardt tells of starting out from his home with a friend to get some tallow and killing ninety-two buffalos in one afternoon. This must have been before the year 1870. In ten years from the time the first settlers came, buffalo began to be very scarce in the county, very few were seen after 1877.
Mr. J. R. Mead, in a letter to Miss Clara Green, speaks of seeing a herd of elk between five hundred and a thousand, in number, coming down the valley from Spillman Creek. They crossed the Saline where the town of Lincoln now stands. A hundred great bucks were in the herd, their immense horns
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History of Lincoln County
looking like a forest of dry cottonwood limbs, as they walked through the sunflowers with their bodies partly hidden by the grass and weeds.
Mr. Mead also tells of a great herd of deer which he saw in this county. He has given a complete description of this section of the country in its natural state. We quote in brief:
"In the lowlands along the river the sunflowers grew a dense thicket ten feet high. Along the bluff was a line of drift show- ing the valley had been covered six feet with water. This line of drift extended far up the river, and the valley above where Lincoln now stands must have been covered, judging from the drift ten to fifteen feet deep, occasioned by the bluffs on either side and the thick timber forming a gorge."
In his letter he says further: "I and my party were nearly drowned on Wolf Creek in 1861. The water rose thirty feet in an hour. big logs and trees were left at the foot of the bluffs a quarter of a mile from the creek."
Besides the animals above mentioned there were many beav- ers, ravens, eagles, badgers, squirrels, porcupines, raccoons, foxes, otter, and wildcats.
The famous Pawnee road which extended from Nebraska to the Big Bend of the Arkansas, thence wherever opportunity af- forded, came through what is now Lincoln County and crossed the Spillman five or six miles above its mouth. This well- watered, well-wooded country, full of big game, offered a happy hunting-ground, and with its ridges and rocks was a bonanza for primitive warfare.
Of the tribes which frequented this country, the writer has learned very little except that Pottawatomies, Cheyennes, Sioux, Delawares, Kaws, Otoes, and Pawnees were all seen by early hunters in the valleys of the Saline and Spillman. It seems that these Indians were seldom dangerous if they knew a white man was armed and had the will and ability to defend himself. But J. R. Mead has well said: "The timid and weaklings had no business in that country." The Pawnees in particular were capable of being docilized, and the superior keenness which ages of thieving had taught them, made them valuable govern- ment scouts in the border warfares. They were excellent horse- men, and had a thorough knowledge of the country over which their raids extended, hundreds of miles in width and from Ne- braska to Mexico.
The Pawnee road above mentioned was no defined path, but just a route within a strip of country a mile or so in width. They made semi-annual buffalo hunts with this road as a basis. Next in importance, as a means to wealth and honor was their
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History of Lincoln County
thieving expeditions. J. R. Mead describes the equipment of one of these parties: "The Pawnees invariably went on these expo- ditions afoot in parties of from two to thirty-five, composed mostly of young men. They were lightly armed, all had a very serviceable bow and quiver of arrows, and a knife. Each In- dian carried from four to six extra pair of new moccasins, one or more lariats, twenty pounds of dried meat, some pieces of strap to repair their clothing also a pipe and tobacco, an ocea- sional light sqnaw axe and a few trifles. This was all that was necessary for a thousand mile journey. Although they went afoot they expected to come back mounted for when they raided another tribo they depended on stealing enough horses to get away on. A piece of tanned hide looped around the lower jaw of the horse was bridle enough. They were so successful that they were hated by all other plains tribes. Their hand was against every man and every man's hand against them. All tribes wore united in their effort to exterminate the thieving Pawnees."
Mr. Mead says further: "Periodically the Cheyenne warriors spread out like a net, swept over the rolling country of hills and streams and valleys between the Solomon and Saline in Pager search of the detested raiding parties."
The Pawnces avoided conflict wherever possible as it inter- tered with their business, they were out to steal ponies and not to pick quarrels, but once drawn into battle they were among the bravest and most skilled warriors of the plains.
The Pawnees followed the same program after the coming of the whites. They had once occupied all the territority of Kansas and still claimed it, and thought they had a right to gain their living from it. This worked a great hardship on the set- flers, which, with other hardships of pioneer life, prompted Wasshington Smith in his history to ask what motives "impelled men to leave the scenes of childhood, the surrounding of youth, the love of kindred and associations of home, the tender ties of friendship and the graves of their ancestors to contend with the inclement skies and inhospitable shores of an unknown eoun-
Their motives were various, but in any case it was not dangers, hardships, privations, calamity, war and death which lilled the minds of those who laid the foundations of our prosent commonwealth. It was rather the opportunity of a new country. a veritable now heaven and new earth, which attracted them. Here was an opportunity to transfer the best of what existed in older settled places and to build to that something more ad- vanced and better, and economically an opportunity to gain
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History of Lincoln County
new and richer estates for themselves, and better advantages for their children.
Those who looked on the right and not the wrong side of the picture had strength, and faith to endure all adversity and were permitted to see with their own eyes all these things come to pass. Such is the reward of the hope that "springs eternal in the human breast."
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History of Lincoln County
Coming of the White Men
It is not possible to go very far back in the history of Lin- coln County, although our introduction has shown that prehis- toric times in this section of the country must have been full of interesting events. We have seen that with its superior ad- vantages for food, war and sport it was the favorite stomping ground of several tribes of Indians. It was claimed by more than one tribe, even after it had become government iana by treaty. The Pawnees, especially, still considered it theirs and thought they had a right to gain their living from it by raids.
The first white man on record to visit what is now Lincoln County was Bourgmont and his party in 1724. His line of march has been traced through the county going from east to west. Pike and his party came through in 1806. His line of march extended from the north, and the two routes intersected about the place where Lincoln Center now stands.
In the fifties hunting parties going up the Satine and Solomon Rivers operated in the territority which is now Lincoln County. Few of them left any record of their findings or their exper- iences.
Some of Mr. Mead's adventures appeared in Vol. IX of the State Historical collections from which the following quotations are taken:
"There was a battle fought on the plains north of the Spillman Creek in June, 1861. The Otoe tribe from the north, with their families and a letter from their agent, came down for a big hunt. They camped in the valley along the creek. The Chey- ennes found them and sent three or four hundred warriors to drive them out. The Cheyennes were afraid to charge the camp as the Otoes had guns. Both sides fought on horseback with bows and arrows and after the battle arrows could be picked up everywhere. In one instance two young men rushed together at full speed, seized each other with their left hands, stabbing with their right till both feil dead without releasing their hold. The Otoes finally retreated down the river to my ranch with scalps, ears, fingers and toes of their enemies, trophies of the fight, tied on potes.
"Once I left a young fellow at a camp I had established while
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History of Lincoln County
I went over to Wolf Creek to hunt a few days. On returning I found my man hidden out in the brush nearly frozen, with nothing to wear but his under clothes. Two Indians came along with some stolen horses, saw he was scared, made him cook all they could eat then took off his clothes or whatever else they wanted and leisurely packed their ponies, Back of the camp shelter was my young man with two loaded guns hid under some skins. He was too badly scared to use them. He could easily have gotten away with both Indians, but he lacked grit.
"On another occasion (December, 1861), I established a camp on Spillman Creek and after collecting a quantity of furs left one man in the camp and went to hunt with my other man and team. It was very cold and snow deep. In a day or two the man 1 had left came to my camp; said he heard shooting around, was scared and skipped in the night. I drove back and found my camp plundered and a big trail in the snow leading down to the river. Directing my men to follow I started after them on my pony. In a few miles I saw them ahead on foot. Each one had a big wolf skin of mine hanging down his back, a slit in the neck going over his head. There were thirty-three of the party. I followed them unseen for some distance and saw 1 could not possibly get around them as my pony could hardly stand, her feet were so smooth; but I had to get to my ranch ahead of them, so I rode into them and was surrounded and captured. I found they were a party of Sioux on marauding expedition, some of them, the most villinanous-looking beings I ever saw. I gave them a good talk, let on 1 was glad to see them, proposed we all travel together to which they agreed, had a jolly time for half a day, by which time I had so in- gratiated myself with the chief who was a fine fellow, that I was allowed to go on alone. Our conversation was carried on in sign language. I had two men at the ranch and my men with the team got in that night. The Indians came to my place the next morning and built a fortified camp in the timber back of the house. I treated them nicely, gave them tobacco and got all my furs back except an otter skin."
"Uncle Mike" Sterns, as he is familiarly known here, used to hunt in this country with Uncle Tom Boyle, Ade Spahn, and a man by the name of Dean, in fifty-eight and fifty-nine. He says that the Moffit ranch house was located about 150 yards down the Saline River from Rocky Hill bridge on the north bank. The evacuation may be seen there at this time.
On one of these hunting trips the party camped near the mouth of Beaver Creek under a large oak tree that is familiar
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History of Lincoln County
to all of the old settlers and on going to the creek for water found it dry. Spahn, being an old hunter, led the party up the creek very cautiously and when near where the Dan Day's barn now stands, they came upon a beaver dam where several hundred beavers were busily engaged in enlarging it. Uncle Mike says that it was one of the most beautiful sights he has ever seen.
On another of these hunting expeditions they pitched their camp on the Elkhorn bottom south of Rocky Hill. One of them carelessly threw a quarter of buffalo meat on the picket pins. That night when they staked the horses out with the pins the wolves were so ravenous that they gnawed the pins to pieces, the horses escaped and they never recovered them. one of the number walked to their home in Salina and brought up a team of oxen with which they continued the hunt. On this trip they saw some wolves surround a cast off buffalo and make a circle around him with relays and after chasing him till he was exhausted they hamstringed him and devoured him. This took place around the bluff near where Sam Weigert now lives, southeast of Lincoln.
At one time when camped on the J. W. MeReynolds farm in what is now Franklin township. the others of the party went away for the day, as was their usual custom, and left Mr. Sterns in charge of the camp. A party of Indians came up and asked for coffee. He refused to get it for them and after repeatedly asking for it they grew angry and one of them picked up a loaded musket, cocked it and placed the muzzle at his breast. He then pointed to the bucket and to the spring up the bill and told them to go. He did so, and upon returning found the Indians gone and all of the camp supplies stolen.
The accompanying illustration is the scene of a battle-ground of the Pottawatomie and Pawnee Indians, on Bullfoot. Indian bones were found in the cave shown in the picture and vari- ous opinions have been advanced as to how they came there. Mr. F. A. Schemerhorn says in a letter: "As to the battle bo- twoen two Indian tribes on Bufffoot, I went over there in 1867 and gathered up a sack full of skulls and gave them to Dr. T. B. Fryer then post surgeon at Fort Harker, and nearly every skull had a bullet hole in it, showing that they were killed by bullets and not with arrows. It was generally believed then that those Indians were killed in a tight with some buffalo-hunt- ers in 1865, 1 think on Beaver Creek. I think Dan Day now owns the place where the fight occurred. As it was the custom of the Indians to biny their dead by placing them upon seaf- folds in some out-of-the-way place and on some high point gen-
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History of Lincoln County
erally. we supposed they carried their dead from the fight on Beaver Creek over to the point of the rocks on Bullfoot, which was at that time an out-of-the-way place, as the hunters and trappers going up the river generally traveled up the north
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Indian Battleground.
side of the stream. There was no travel to amount to any- thing on the south side of the river when I went there in 1867."
Mr. Ferdinand Erhardt, who came to live on Bullfoot in 1867, found a number of skeletons in the cave before mentioned but gives a different explanation.
One day in 1868 Mr. Erhardt was walking along the ridge on the south side of Bullfoot when his dog, prowling among the rocks, came up with a skull. Mr. Erhardt followed the dog back and found an open cave filled with Indian skeletons. He reported his find to Fort Harker, and the soldiers sent a con- veyance to remove the skeletons to that place. There were sixteen whole skeletons in the cave, and they were sufficiently preserved to be moved without going to pieces. Mr. Erhardt at that time shared the belief spoken of by Mr. Schemerhorn, namely, that these were the remains of Indians killed by the Moffit boys on Beaver Creek.
But about the year 1880 a band of Pottawatomie Indians camped on Bullfoot and laid out the battle-ground for Mr. Er- hardt, and also left the story of the affray in characters on the wall of the cave. It seems that the Pottawatomies and Pawnees had been quarreling about their hunting-ground. The Pot-
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History of Lincoln County
lawatomies drove this band of Pawnees in from the west, who, being hard pressed, took refuge in this cave and were massa- creed by the Pottawatomies. A Pottawatomie was killed by a Pawnee who shot up from the cave. Those who do not believe that such a battle occurred, and that this was a burying-ground instead of a battle-ground, base their opinion on three things.
First, that the Indians were killed by bullets and not by ar- "OWS.
Second, that there were no remains of horses found near the place, and that Pawnee ingenuity would scarcely pern it them to tako refuge in such a death-trap as this cave proved to be.
Third, that both the Pottawatomie and the Pawnee Indians were peaceful and never had any fights.
The writer is inclined to credit the story of the battle. It was learned by Mr. Erhardt direct from the Pottawatomie In- dians themselves. Mr. J. R. Mead is anthority for the state- ment that in the year 1861 a large band of Otoes who camped 'on the Spillman were armed with guns. So the Pawnees and Pottawatomies might have had them two years later.
Indians were often, but by no means always, mounted on horses. According to the record left on the rocks the pursuing party was mounted. Mr. Sol. Humbarger says the Pawnees were likely on one of their thieving expeditions on foot. They were driven in to the rocks from the north or northwest.
The fact that their enemies were mounted and they were not will probably account for the Pawnees taking refuge in the first stronghold which presented itself instead of choosing a better place to defend.
The Pottawatomies that camped near the battle-ground in 1880 had an interpreter with them, who talked with Mr. Erhardt.
Authorities do not agree on the peaceful qualities of these Indians, and Mr. Mead says in a letter :: "I left in the spring of 1863, so I know nothing personally of the battle between the Pottawatomies and Pawnees. Usually the Pawnees did not wish to fight." Ile says in another place: "These raiding parties of Pawnees were the especial objects of hatred of all the tribes of the plains both north and south, who fought and if possible killed them wherever found."
THE MOFFIT BOYS.
In spite of the fact that the country up the Saline River was not considered safe, a settlement was attempted in 1864 which ended disastrously. In March six persons, Charlie Chase, Will- iam Chase, Marion Chase, and John Motfit, Flave Moody and an
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