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BLUE RAPIDS CENTENNIAL 1870-1970
NT
KANSAS
1870 THE
BLUE RAPIDSI
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The Old Tow
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The large building in the foreground is the flour mill, to the right and north of this was a woolen mill. In the narrow space between the two mills the pumping station of the Blue Rapids Water Works.
Still farther to the right with the sign on top of the building was a general store, and along the river
THE KANSAS EMIGRANT
We cross the prairie as of old, The pilgrim crossed the sea To make the West, as they the East, The homestead of the free!
We go to rear a wall of men, On freedom's southern line, And plant beside the cotton tree, The hardy northern pine.
We're flowing from our native hills, As our free river flows The blessing of our father-land Is on us as we go.
On The Blue
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bank at the lower right hand corner of the picture may be seen the top of a shed where farmers could stable their teams while waiting for their grists at the mill.
On the west side of the river and to the south the Blue Rapids Plater C o. or the Fowler Mill.
Still farther north the paper mill.
We go to plant her common schools On distant prairie swells, And give the Sabbath of the wild The music of her bells.
Upbearing like the ark of old. The Bible in our van We go to test the truth of God Against the fraud of man.
No pause nor rest, but where the streams That feed the Kansas run, Save where our pilgrim gonfalon Shall flont the setting sun
We'll tread the prairies as of old Our fathers sailed the sea, And make the West, as they the East, The homestead of the free.
19 THIS IS THE YEAR FOR CELEBRATING
70
STREET SORNE, BLUE Ring, Kad
Early days of Blue Rapids, a town to celebrate its centennial this year, is shown soon after business places were erected and the Fountain Park came into being. This was made unique by placing a square on the round. Note that all buildings look sharp, crisp, and new. Folks were proud to be called "Blue Rapids folks" and it is the same today in this thriving, industrious community of 1514.
We wish to thank those who have made this book possible by the generous loan of their historical pictures, those who have given their time and help in preparing the story, and to everyone who has assisted in any way in the preparation of this book.
The Centennial Book Committee Mrs. Leola McLain, Chairman Mrs. Beulah Moore Mrs. Frances Stump Mrs. Maude Harris
Many years ago there was scarcely a vestige of civilization in the area that now contains Blue Rapids in Marshall County. For untold ages its prairies had been covered with a sea of waving grasses and vast herds of buffalo had, for numberless years wandered almost unmolested across them. Nothing disturbed its solitude, save occasional bands of nomadic savages, in search of prey or plunder and the hardy frontiers- man who is always found far in advance of the onward march of civilization thus proving it could not always remain terra incognita.
One of the hardy frontiersman could have been General John C. Fremont. He writes, "On June 20, 1842, shortly after noon we reached the Big Blue and encamped on the uplands on the western side near a small creek, where there was a fine large spring of very cold water. This is a clear and handsome stream (referring to the Blue) about one hundred and twenty feet wide, running with a rapid current through a well timbered valley." The spring mentioned above was Alcove Springs, which is a short distance northwest of Blue Rapids.
Then in 1857, the first attempt to establish a town on the site of Blue Rapids, was laid out by James Waller, who lived on Elm Creek, Henry Poor and M. L. Duncan. Waller died, Poor shot and killed an officer in the army, then encamped at Marysville, and was obliged to leave the country. The town was abandoned by Duncan and the attempt to establish a town failed.
The land that was to be Blue Rapids had been pre-empted as homesteads by Enoch Hund, Andrew Scott, Henry Poor and Albert O. Porter. Eighty acres was railroad land.
TOWNSITE
In the fall of 1859 a preliminary meeting of those interested in Kansas was held at LeRoy, Genesee Co., New York. At a later meeting held in Batavia, N. Y., a colony was organized with the following officers, Rev. C. F. Mussey, President; T. Holbrook, Vice President; S. A. Parmalee, Treasurer and C. J. Brown, Secretary.
S. A. Parmalee, Treasurer of the colony of men who helped start the town of Blue Rapids.
A location committee consisting of the present town site of Blue Rapids. During the winter of 1869 and 1870 the colony, numbering about 50 families, came out and immediately commenced improvements. A town site of 287 acres embracing
the water privileges was purchased of S. R. Craft and others at the cost of $15,000 and 8,000 acres secured in farming lands.
Among the members of the original Colony and a greater part of who were located here were: S. H. Parmalee, T. Holbrook, R. Robertson, M. T. Coe, D. Fairbanks, S. Smith, J. T. Smith, H. S. Halbert, J. B. Waynant, C. J. Brown, J. D. Brown, T. F. Hall, C. E. Olmstead, J. L. Freeland, J. V. Coon, R. S. Craft, John McPherson, J. E. Ball, Y. Douglass, Jason Yurann, J. P. North, H. Woodard, E. L. Stone, J. S. Fisher, C. T. Roedell, C. J. Mussey, William Burr and others.
Those who composed the colony and others who joined the enterprise later, were of the best class of people from the several eastern towns who migrated to Kansas for the better- ment of their finances and health, and if possible, to carry out contemplated ideas of a model community.
The water power was surveyed and found to possess manu- facturing facilities of over 1500 horse power so the Town Co. constructed the dam costing $50,000.
Each town lot was sold and distributed on the fixed condition that it never was to hold the foundation for a grog shop or a gambling house of any kind.
On the arrival of the colony at Blue Rapids, there were no buildings on the town site, with the exception of a small stone building erected years before. In the territory in which is now known as Blue Rapids City Township, settlements were made in 1857 on Elm Creek.
The colony erected a large two story frame building which was called "Colonial Hall" but the native or old settlers referred to it as the "Ark." This structure stood on the corner of 6th and Genesee Street. It was used by the colonists until other buildings could be built. In it was held the first church services and the first school. All meetings were held there and at one time a portion was used for a hotel and the other part for school purposes. The building was finally moved down to the river and used by the Buell Manufacturing Company.
When was the term "Blue Rapids" first applied to this vicinity? When the first settlers got here and before the present dam was constructed there were two riffles or "rapids" in the river, one opposite the property of Judge Thompson northwest of town which was known as the "upper rapids" and the other about 200 or 300 feet above the power dam which was known as the "lower rapids." When the county was first organized in 1855 the board of county commissioners divided it into two townships, the dividing line being one extending from the southerly boundary of the Otoe Indian reservation to the south boundary of the county at the point where Elm Creek empties into the Blue River. In 1858, the commissioners redistricted the county into four townships and the southwest one was named "Blue Rapids." This seems to have been the first time the name was used.
The history of Blue Rapids begins with the establishment of settlers most of whom were former residence of Genesee County, New York. By that date Marshall County had ceased to be a portion of the extreme frontier.
The townsite comprises portions of Sections 20 and 21 and 28 and 29 in township 4, Range 7. These four sections come to a corner in the rear of Mrs. Jessie Burr's residence on East Sixth Street. The lots on the north side of the Public Square are partly in Section 20 and partly in Section 28, the lines between the sections running across them from east to west. A quarter section of land lying between this line and Eleventh Street and extending from the west line of the W. R. Stump farm to a line midway between Genesee and Pomeroy Streets, was originally pre-empted, or "homesteaded" by Albert O. Parter. It changed hands several times and was
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eventually purchased by Enoch S. Hunt. His holdings extended on both sides of the river and included the site of the Certain- teed Products former mill. Just west of this tract was the homestead of Andrew Scott which also extended on both sides of the river. Just west of this were the original holding of Henry W. Poor which included the site of the power dam, the Marshall County Fair Grounds and a part of the block south of the fair grounds. A tract of eighty acres in the south- west part of town lying south of Poor's homestead between a line midway between Genesee and Pomeroy Streets and Gypsum Streets and extending south to the railroad, and also that portion of the town lying south of the tracts, was originally property of the railroad company and platted as Railroad Addition to Blue Rapids, most of the remaining real estate in the west or southwest portions of Blue Rapids was either pre-empted or owned at one time or another by Judge William Thompson.
On March 20, 1872, Judge Andrew S. Wilson, of the District Court approved an order incorporating Blue Rapids as a city of the third class under the statutes of Kansas.
The first dwelling completed on the townsite was erected by J. B. Waynant at Fifth and Genesee Streets. Closely follow- ing was the residence on the opposite side of the street. It was built by Rev. Mussey and became the family home. A few other houses were built in 1870, some of them were quite temporary in character. Population, by the end of the year 1870 did not exceed 250.
CHARTER
OF THE
BLUE RAPIDS TOWN COMPANY.
SECTION 1 .- NAME.
The name of this Company shall be the Blue Rapids Town Company.
SECTION 2 .- PURPOSE.
This Company shall exist for the purpose of building a Town on the Blue Riv. er in Marshall County, Kansas, at a point commonly known as the Blue Rapids, and also, and in connection therewith, for the purpose of purchasing, holding, improv- ing or conveying such property as the Company may deem for its interest to own or convey.
Its office for the transaction of business shall be at the above location.
SECTION 3 .- TERM OF EXISTENCE.
Tho term of its existence shall be ten years, or such time less than ten years as will satisfy the desires of the Company and as will enable it to meet the require- ments of the law, both as to its existence and the liquidation of its affairs.
SECTION 4 .- CAPITAL.
The Capital Stock of this Company shall be as many thousand dollars as halt the number of the members of the Con.pany at the time of filing this Charter la the office of the Secretary of State, (Kansas ,) with power to increase to double the amount, which shall be divided into shares of One Hundred Dollars ($100) each, tra isferable only on the books of the Company, and according to the other pro- visions of this Charter.
SECTION 5 .- MEMBERSHIP.
Each member of this Company must own five shares of its Stock and must be, or purpose to become, an actual resident at or near the town called Blue Rapids, by November 1st, 1870, or procure a substitute for him self who shall be acceptable to the Company.
SECTION 6 .- MEMBERSHIP.
No person can become a member of this Company without the consent of a majority of three-fourths.
SECTION 7 .- MEMBERSHIP.
As this is a Company for actual settlement and residence, no member shall be allowed to furnish a substitute for himself except by consent of the same major- ity.
SECTION 8 .- MEMBERSHIP.
Any person may become a member of this Company, after being voted in, by signing its pledge and cl .arter and by subscribing for five shares of its Stock.
SI CTION 9 .- BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
The corporate powers of this Company shall be vested in and exercised by a Board of Directors, nine in number, a majority of whom shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of bi siness. Each Director shall be a share-holder ir. this Company, and shall be, ( r purpose to becoine a citizen of Kansas by the first of July, 1870; and if he sh: Il fail to become such by that time, his office shall be de- clared vacant and another person shall be appointed in his place.
SECTION 10 .- MEMBERS OF FIRST BOARD, &c.
The following persons shall constitute the First Board of Directors of this Com- pany :
C. F. MUSSEY, Z. R. EVANS, C. B. MATTHEWS,
WM. W. JEROME, HENRY S. HALBERT, CRAFT,
JOHN B. BROWN, YATES DOUGLASS, V. R. NORTII.
They shall hold their office till the last Monday of December, 1870, or until otli- ers are chosen in their place.
Each year an election shall be held, at which . ach Stockholder may, in person, or by proxy, cast a number of votes equal to the number of shares which he owns in this Company.
The requisite number of persons who shall receive the highest number of votes shall be declared elected as Board of Directors. These persons thus elected sisal! Luid Omee 101 One , Of the vines are elected in their place, unless their office shall be vacated by resignation or by death. Any vacancy in the Board of Directors shall be filled hy the Board.
SECTION 11 .- MEETINGS AND OFFICERS OF BOARD.
The Directors shall meet on the First Monday in January of each year, and from their number they shall choose a President and Vice-President. They shall also choose a Secretary and Treasurer from among the members of the Company. A vacancy in any of these offices shall be filled by the Board. Any meeting of the Board may be adjourned to any time and place which they may sclect; and all meetings shall be held at such times and places as the Board may designate. A meeting of the Board may be called by the President or, in his absence, by the Vice-President, whenever he thinks the interests of the Company demand it, or whenever any three Directors may request him so to do.
SECTION 12 .- EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.
The President, Vice-President and Secretary, shall together constitute an Ex- ecutive Committee, with such powers as may be defined by the By-Laws.
SECTION 13 .- AUDITING COMMITTEE.
There shall be an Auditing Committee of three persons, whose appointment. and duties shall be as required by the By- Laws.
SECTION 14 .- COMPENSATION OF OFFICERS.
The Compensation, if any, of the officers of this Company, shall be fixed by he Stockholders at any Annual Meeting ; if not so fixed, it may be done by the + oard of Directors.
R
SECTION 15 .- TRANSFER OF PROPERTY.
No person shall sell out his interest in the Town site of this Company, without first offering it to the Company, at the lowest price at which he is willing to take for it. If the Company, through its Board of Directors, reject the offer, he may sell to whom he will
SECTION 16 .- DIVISION OF PROPERTY.
The Property of this Company shall be divided among its Stockholders, ac- cording to tue special plan appended to the By-Laws.
The Board of Directors shall call and deniand from the Stockholders, respec. tively, such assessments upon their stock, at such time, and in such proportien as they shall deem necessary for the prosperity of the Company; [pro- vided, such necessary assessments have not been called in by the stock-holders at their appointed meetingsj. And if such sums of money, so assessed upon their stock, are not paid by each'stock-holder, within sixty days after notice re- quiring the payment of such assessments shall have been given him, all the prop- erty transferred by the Company to him, shall be holden for the amount of such assessments.
SECTION 17.
No stock of this Company shall be transferrable until all previous payments thereon have been fully paid in, and until all other requisites of membership have been complied with.
SECTION 18.
Except as limited by the Charter and By-Laws, this Company shall have all the powers and privileges, conferred by the laws of the State . f hansas upon like corporations.
BY-LAWS.
I .- It shall be the duty of the President to preside at all moetings of the Board of Directors and at the annual meetings of the Company, and to avercien a general superintence over the affairs of the Compayy.
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The Vice President shall exercise the same powers In the absence of the Pre- ident.
II .- It shall be the duty of the Secretary to attend all regular meetings of the Board of Directors and of the Executive Committee; to give four weeks notice of annual meetings of stockholders by publishing it in the nearest newspaper in the Coumy ; to give notice of the meetings of the Board of Directors, also of the meetings of the Executive and Auditing Committees; to keep and file in his othce minutes of the proceedings of the same, recording them in a book provided for that purpose, and to prepare all papers requiring publication for the press.
III,-It shall be 'he duty of the Treasurer to receive and hoid, and keep an ac- curate account of all money's paid to the Company, in a book provided for that pur- post, which, during business hours, shah be subject to inspection by any stock- holder. Ile shall atso pay all moneys upon orders drawn upon him by the Sec- retary and countersigned by the President or Vice President, and uo order sha.1 be drawn upon him by the Secretary, except by direction of the Auditors or Executive Connnittee.
The Treasurer shall, on entering upon Ins duties, execute a bond for the faithful discharge of his duties, in such sum of money and with such seeuri- ties as the Board of Directors may approve.
IV .- The Board of Audi ors shall be appointed from the Board of Directors and by them at their anunal meetings, whose duty it shall be to examine and audit all accounts of the officers or agents of the Company, and all claims for s. rvices rendered, and to allow the same, if they are just. They shall meet twice in the year on the 3d Tuesday of June and December to exanime and audit all accounts, and all persons having claus against the Company are requested to meet the Board and present thein at that tune.
V .- The Executive Committee shall carry into effect the enaetments of the Board of Directors, aed shall be empowered to aet in place of the Board of DI- reetors in such cases as require such immediate action as precludes the possi- bility of calling the Board together; also to act in place of the Auditing Board when minor claims must be allowed or adjusted.
PLEDGE.
We, the undersigned, in becoming Members of the " Blue Rapids Town Com- pany," for the purpose stated in the Charter and By-Laws of said Company, do hereby make to each other the following pledge :
1 -- We pledge ourselves to each other to go as actual settlers to the location selected by the authorized agents of this Company, or to furnish in our stead a substitute acceptable to the Company,
2 .-ยท We pledge ourselves to each other to become actual settlers upon such lo- e tion at the earliest practicabie moibent; in no case later than Nov. Ist, 1870, and if possible, as soon as the 1st of May of the same year.
3 .- We pledge ourselves to each other to make some improvement, by Nov. 1 1870, upon our individual property at or near the central place of settlement -such improvement as will indicate an interest in the permanent settlement and pros- perity of the Colony.
4 .- We pledge ourselves to each other that by all fair and legal means, we will use our influence for exelnding the sale and use of all spirituous and malt liquors as a beverage, from the town which shall be organized by this Company.
5,- . Ve pledge ourselves to each other that, in all our transactions as a Com pany, we will obey and abide by the Charter and By- Laws adopted by the Company
PLAN [ For the Division of the Property of the Town Company. ]
A Commission appointed for that purposd shall survey the Town Site of this Company and lay out the requisite stree.s and divide the land. not taken up by the streets, Ilito 1015 Rud hx tuvappt 'fit and makon n'et ot the Town site thus divided They shall set apart such lots as in their judgement should be do- rated for publie purposes, and then divide the lots into parcels containing each as many lots as the whole number of lots divided by the number of memberships, , g. 500 lots 50 members). Sernpulously endeavoring to make each parcel equal in value to every other pareel. They shall submit this division of lots to such members of the Company as may be on the ground, for approval ; and when ap- proved, they shall prepare and number as many slips of paper as there are par- eels (say from 1 to 50) and cause a disinterested person, in their presence to draw these, one at a time from a hat, and each parcel shall be assigned as his division of the Town site, to that member of the Company whose name shall be drawu from another hat containing the names of the metibers each on a slip of paper.
The farm lands purchased by the Company of the Railroad Co., shall be sold to members of the Company in farms of 160 or less acres, cach, at the price paid to the Railroad Co, with such equitable addition of price as the Commissioners may affx. as will enable the Company 10 meet the expenses in the transfer.
After each colonist shall have had the privilege of buying 160 acres, the re- maining land> may be sold at such prices as the market may call for and at the discre.ion of the Board of Directors; it being understood in all cases that ifmore than one person desires the same piece of fand, it shall be drawn by fot.
The other lands of the Company shall be divided into such sized lots as the Board of Directors may determine and be sold at their market value, or held in common for a time, according to the discretion of the Board.
All property hereafter to be acquired, if any, shall be disposed of as the Board of Directors shall see fit.
holders.
OFFICERS
[ For the Year Beginning January 1st, 1870.]
C. F. MUSSEY J. B. BROWN
President.
Viec President
S. H. PARMALEE, C. J. BROWN,
Treasurer.
Sceretary.
RESIDENTS OF 1870
C. F. Mussey and Family
J. H. Brown and Family
C. J. Brown
H. S. Halbert and Family
S. H. Parmalee and Family
Howard Parmalee and Family Taylor Holbrook
Flagler Passage
Dr. R. S. Craft and Family
Yates Douglass
Augustus Borck
N. Zell
Joseph Grimm
A. W. Stevens
Capt. A. D. Gaston
C. B. Mathews
H. V. Mathews
E. D. Wheeler
Fred J. Jacob
J. B. Waynant and Family
Charles E. Tibbets and Family
N. Holsted and Family
L. W. Darling and Family
C. E. Olmstead
J. L. Freeland and Family Guy R. Brown and Family Samuel Hill and Family J. H. Fowler and Family
Jackson Taylor and Family
A. W. Kimball and Family
John McPherson and Family C. Y. Reed and Family
J. S. Fisher and Family
D. Fairbanks and Family A. J. Bovee and Family Charles True and Family Thomas Oakley James Allerdiee
W. D. McPherson
J. C. Harland
D. B. Taylor and Family
H. Van Dusen and Family
D. Minium and Family
C. B. Stone
J. W. Davis and Family
H. Armstrong and Family
W. E. Brown and Family
H. W. Jackson and Family
J. T. Smith and Family William Brown
George S. Smythe and Family
Dr. R. A. Wells and Family J. S. Stanley
J. L. Herrick
William Burr, Sr.
Doctor Ream
George Kempton and Family
J. E. Ball and Family
James Hunt and Family
J. C. Frissell and Family.
On December 31, 1870, there were about 250 people in Blue Rapids.
ITEMS OF INTEREST
EXTRA.
Blue Rapids Times, March 25th : 1872.
ELECTION NOTICE.
CORPORATION ELECTION AND ORDER.
WHEREAS on this 20th, day of March A. D., 1872. a certain petition signed by a majority of the electors of the town or village of Blue Rapids, in the 'County cf Marshall, State of Kansas, has this day been presented to me, praying that said town or village be incorporated as a city of the third elass. And it appearing that waid towa or village contains at least two lumired and fifty inhabitants and not over two thousand: that the metes and bounds of naid town or village are fully set forth ic
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said petition; that said petition has been published in foll, three consecutive weeks in the Blue Rapids "TIMES" a newspaper published in said town or village, and that full compliance bas been Lad with the
Now therefore, I, A. S. Wilson, Judge of the 12th District Court of the State cf Kansas, in and for Marshall County, at Chambers do hereby declare said town or village duly incorporated as a city of the Third Class by the name and style of "The . "ty of blue Rapids." and designato the -metes and bounds thereof to be as fol- lows, to wit: Beginning at the center of the county road running cast from Water- ville to Frankfort in said county of Marsh- hall on the north and south parallel line extending through the center of sections Nos. 16 and 21, Town 4 south, range 7 east in said Marshall county; thence run- ning due west to the section line between sections Nos. 20 and 21. thence due north un section line to the north west corner atone of section No. 21; thence due west on section line to the quarter stone be- tween sections Nos. 17 and 20: thonce due south to the quarter stone on ine south line of section 20; thence west to the south west corner stone of section No. 20: thence due south to south west corner stone of section No. 29; thence duc east on section line to the quarter stone between sections Nos. 28 and 33; thence north through the cortar of sections Nos. 28 and 21 to the ++1. Jf beginning. all being in town 4, range 7 east.
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