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Saga of Old Fort Kirwin 1869
And History of the
Kirwin Kansas Community
SAM Treat dunt Sara Emily was the first school teacher in the school~ a new one flater built was named after Her. De Happens School
DELMAR SCHOOL HOUSE ON BOW CREEK
1 6 9
Compiled and published by the Kirwin City Library Board and Librarian to commem- orate the Hundredth Anniversary of the com- ing of the first settlers who came to stay in the Kirwin community.
1969 1 9 6
Kirwinites, We're sure your "uncle' ",
is just as proud of you. . .
as we at Olliff-Boeve are!
You've toiled and sweat .. . risked your lives and your liveli- hood ... struggled to raise your families ... and, through it all, laugh- ed at fate and the devil.
In 100 years you've built a friendly, happy, industrious commun- ity of which we are all proud!
OLLIFF-BOEVE
Phillipsburg, Kansas
UNITED STATES OF AI
all to whom these presents shall come, Gree
Adam Crites of Phillipe C 1
e United States a CERTIFICATE OF THE REGISTER OF THE LAND OFFICE at
made by the sai April, 1820, enti
Rande ut afir
d lands, returned
tes of Ame
these presents .
ve described; T. Adan
of, Ben tters to be made
er my hand, at th indred and 72
INTRODUCTION
The march of civilization across the prairies did not begin until after the close of the war between the states.
Families came over the pathless prairies in ox-carts and covered wagons, their radi- ant faces turned in faith toward the setting sun. With them came the courage and perse- verance, without which the reclamation of the West could not have been accomplished.
The unchanging laws of nature have now eliminated those sturdy pioneers from the scene of action, but we acknowledge gladly the debt of gratitude to which they are en- titled.
Kirwin did not spring into bloom like a springtime flower, for the road was beset with trials and tribulations. The rolling fields of buffalo sod around Kirwin have turned to waving wheat fields and walls of growing corn.
The covered wagons brought the settlers. Crude soddies and dugouts furnished their homes. Time has marked the passage of a century since the settlement was founded - a beautiful setting in the Solomon valley, with Deer Creek to the north.
There followed many eventful years, as the new town in the valley grew and pros- pered.
Homesteaders flocked in to take up gov- ernment land. From prairie sod, there blossomed forth a town with churches, schools, business and professional houses and newspapers.
So with this book we wish to commemorate the achievements of those settlers that came to this valley in the early day of the settle- ment of Kirwin.
for the sale of
crefe-
the SURVEYOR (
, and inconfor: Ada id®
, together with
20
AND OFFICE to
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By the gresident:
UTenjamin Mia
By
Kirwin Business History
After the Civil War, when the men were coming out of the army, and the country was trying to bind its people together, with the land in the west opening up, along with the farmers and ranchers came the businessmen, with harness, plows, supplies, and as a thriving community's needs grew, it attract- ed more and more businesses.
These men were a special breed. They brought their tools of trade and set up shop. Some are our ancestors while others moved along as various trials and tribulations enter- ed their lives.
Kirwin prospered and grew. Listed be- low are the rise and fall of many of the dif- ferent businesses that we were able to find in our research including the first store in the fort. Most of the businesses were the first in Phillips county.
In December 1871 built in the stockade were two small log houses, one was occupied by Captain Chute who ran an outfitting or supply store for hunters and trappers and one log house occupied by Milt Wood. Their stocks consisted of a limited supply of flour, meal, bacon, etc., some ammunition and a considerable line of those articles deemed more essential in those days es- pecially tobacco and fire water. They also traded for buffalo robes, furs and wild game.
In April 1872, there was not a yard of calico on sale in Kirwin, but soon after Messrs., Cottrel, Destin, Nixon and Wood enlarged their stocks and it was then pos- sible to get such staples.
About the same time a Mr. Smith who had a diminutive log hut near the site of the U. S. Land Office site, had a store from which he supplied groceries brought in from Cawker City by stage in small quantities. His orders of goods sometimes ran as high as $5.00 to $7.00 at a time.
In the spring of 1872 Dean and Parsons erected a saw mill. The first house fur- nished with their lumber is still standing.
E. H. Moffett planted a new crop of broom corn in 1878 and made a broom. It sold so fast that he sold all he could get ma. terial to make.
In the fall of 1874 a man named James McFatridge came to Kirwin from Clay Cen- ter and began the sale of liquor. At the same time he began circulating a petition for a li-
cense. A remonstrance was soon in circu- lation and it seemed the remonstrant had many more names than the petition. When both were presented before the commis- sioners, the petition was refused.
Henry Donn probably opened the first barber shop located in Kirwin in the fall of 1875.
Wallace Morrill spent several years on the square doing nothing else but trading horses.
The first man who loaned any money in Kirwin was Stephen Moulton, who seemed to have plenty of money, and found customers at the rate of three per cent per month for his spare cash.
In the fall of 1875 a man named J. P. Barnard started a meat market in Kirwin but it did not last long and Barnard quit the meat business and became a surveyor and land agent.
1875-76 Steble's Brewery -- ended 1880
1877 Brick yard north part of town - Billings and Mowers
1873 First saloon -- Built and licensed 1879 Three large lumberyards -- Michi- gan, Bryson, Southwestern
Traders Bank
First National Bank
Exchange State Bank
C. C. Stone and Co. (dry goods) boots and groceries
Ryan and Fenton -- delivered groceries and notions free to any part of the city. Oliver and Boddington -- sold the choic- est meats.
The Pioneer Store 1872 -- general store
A. Weaver and F. L. Ingersoll Rohschild's Emporium H. L. Choen -- tailor John Ellenberger -- tailor
Bales and Cox -- furniture
A. J. Stiles -- furniture Eugene John -- harness and leather goods William Stuckmann -- boots and shoes A Mammoth Hardware Store 1878 --
C. P. Barber
H. C. Wey -- Hardware Henry Santrock windmills Howell Brothers -- lumber yard
New Lumber Yard -- Harris Brothers Bradley and Hardy -- contractors
G. H. Ensign -- drugs and medicine (Con't. on P. 46)
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Hardships of Pioneers
We read our papers today and shake our heads at the violence that goes on and yet the same sort of acts and deeds existed long ago. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse rode our prairies unchecked, death, plague, pestilence and disease. Run- a-way buggies and wagons often killed and maimed. Guns were used just in the same manner as now, some settlers were killed by hunting accidents, cleaning guns or just plain mishandling. And of course intended shooting wounded and often took lives. Water, useful and most needed, took friends and neighbors, even boating accidents occurred occasionally. Rescue was much slower and knowledge as to what to do wasn't available. Machines also took their toll, one lost his life when a railroad car jumped the track, a hay stacker fell on one little boy, a close call came when a man dinning in a sand bank had it cave in on him. Horses and farming also proved to be equally danger- ous, getting kicked in the head or thrown by one could prove fatal. Even wives took their toll, not in death but accidents, like the woman that let a sharp digging tool slip and fall on her husband who was down intheir well trying to finish it.
Lightning struck several, even killed a mail carrier. The weather was just as con- trary then as today, they either had too much or not enough rain. The snow made it im- possible for travel, just taking care of their needs was sometimes impossible. The weather kept settlers out on their farms and just choosing groceries and supplies some- times proved a difficult task. With spring rains often came the hail, one rancher south of town reported several head of cattle being killed by hail stones. The wind, much need-
ed in pumping water, was just as disastrous as now, barns blew down, windmills upset, and hay stacks were torn apart. Fires were dreaded, for no help could get there in time. Barns full of hay and sometimes cattle, granaries full of stored grain, hay stacks, livery stables burned. The fires whether ac- cidental or set, proved costly. In August 1878 two men were camped on the bank of the south Solomon. The quake came with the road of a loaded freight train and the water in the river seemed to boil. The earth shook and the wagon under which we were sleeping rattled like a giant hand had hold of it. It shook so hard dishes were shaken from the shelves at Kirwin. Disease rode on nightly raids, measles, smallpox and diphtheria were the main villains, also sometimes cancer and diseases they had no name for. The only thing that was important was if the grim reaper could be eluded.
The insects took their turn at what was left. In 1874 the grasshoppers took the crops entirely, but in 1875 no crops suf- fered in the vicinity of Kirwin. In 1876, many sections of the country suffered sever- ly from those little pests. They came in such numbers that on a bright and sunshiny day they hid the sun like the darkest cloud. The noise that they made sounded like an approaching windstorm. They ate any kind of crop except castor beans. They were es- pecially fond of watermelons, eating vines and all.
Some settlers sought and received some relief from the government, but some loaded their wagons and moved on, either back east or on to Colorado. Any place seemed a little kinder, so to those that chose to stay we need extra recognition.
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KIRWIN CAFE Roy and Grace
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The Last Indian Scare
In the early days of the county Indians were always a threat to the pioneer. Al- though there is no record that the Indians actually made war, the people were always prepared for the worst when there came word of redskins being around.
One of the earliest scares came a year be- fore the county was organized in August, 1871. Thomas Cox, Jr., one of the original settlers at Kirwin related the tale in the souvenir edition of the Phillips County Post in July 1906.
Thomas Cox, Sr., had just completed the first house on the townsite of Kirwin. The families of Thomas Cox, Sr., John Butler and Allen Ward moved into the house before the spaces between the logs had been filled.
One day while these families were living there Cox related, seven men came rushing in from Deer Creek with one wagon and team. Two of the men were riding horses partly harnessed. The men stated that they had been chased by a squad of Indians. In attempting to cross one of the gulches, one of the wagons became stuck, so they cut the horses loose and rushed up to the house to tell them that about 500 Indians were coming down the divide between Deer Creek and the Solomon.
The scare spread fast, Cox continued, "and men began coming from all quarters and soon there were about 35 men gathered, and men were sent up Box Creek and a fam- ily brought in that was camping on a claim. The men commenced corralling the horses and cattle, piling logs and a ditch, making a solid breastwork, and while this was going on 500 Indians came in sight and halted on the hill just west of Kirwin.
"Gil Hoover understood something of the Indian tactics and he said he would take four men with him and go up and tryto see if they could, what they were up to. When they got half way up the hill Hoover made some signs to them, which they understood to mean a council. Five of their warriors or chiefs came out to about half the intervening dis- tance, then our five men advanced to within speaking distance and demanded to know what they were doing here, to which they replied that they owned the river down to the Great Spirit Spring (which is just east of Cawker City) and that we must get out before the ‘sun low' or fight."
Cox added that during the parley the men at the house had drawn the table out in the middle of the room and placed all the car- tridges and ammunition on it. Their plan was that in case the Indians attacked some of the men were to fire from the cracks in the house and others from the breastworks and the women were to hand them the am- munition.
When the five men returned to report they found the party well prepared with all kinds of repeating guns that would fire from eight to 16 shots without reloading. " And they were in shape to give the Indians a warm reception," the early settler added.
The Indians must have come to that con- clusion too, for after standing there about two hours discussing the situation, they moved south and went into camp on the Solomon.
"In the evening five of the chiefs were seen coming up to the house and five of our men went out and met them and asked what they wanted," the story continued. "The Indians said they would 'no fight' and they wanted to come up and tell the women to be 'no afraid.' It was thought they wanted to see how we were prepared, but the men com- manded them to return to their camp. They were as naked as the day they were born.
"Guards were placed and watched all night and the next day about ten o'clock they moved on south leaving spies that could be seen for a week afterward on all high points around Kirwin to see if they could catch us off guard. To prevent being caught asleep, the horses and cattle were taken out and herded in the open in the day time and guards watched at night."
Cox said that John Butler and Jonathan Cox started to Hays City for the soldiers at the first report of the oncoming Indians. They rode all night in getting to the post. The soldiers came as far as Alton on the South Solomon, went into camp and sent word that if there was no further danger they would go to Cawker City, which they did.
The men then went to work chopping and hauling logs from the river, stood them on end, buried two feet in the gound, making a solid wall eight feet high around about one- fourth acre of ground, enclosing the house and corralling everything inside, "making them feel perfectly safe from any attack by
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the hostile tribes."
The Indian scare passed over, the early pioneer wrote, but he was convinced "that if the government had provided the early
settlers with good guns and plenty of am- munition that ten men would have been worth more than a whole regiment of the regulars in protecting their homes."
From City Clerk's Records
1878 THROUGH 1895
The town was incorporated in 1878. The first officials were - Horace Moulton, may- or, Joseph Poska, police judge; C. E. Don Carlos, city clerk; and the councilmen were F. Campbell, W. T. Belford, W. W. Warner, J. H. Skinner, W. K. Jenkins. J. J. Cameron was treasurer, C. E. Russell was marshal.
So on Aug. 28, 1879 the first council meeting for the newly incorporated city of Kirwin was held. On motion, C. E. Don Carlos was elected clerk and the governing
body was in operation. Committees were ap- pointed, ordinances were drawn up and on motion the first Monday of each month was selected for the regular meeting time for the Council.
Problems that confronted the Council were somewhat different in those times than they are today, altho as we read on through the accounts of years we find that many of the problems are about the same as those of today. Regulations on stacks of loose hay
County's Only Legal Brewery
Picture of the Kirwin Brewery, built in 1875-76 by John and William Streble south of that city. It was the only legal brewery ever operated in this county, and was put out of business Nov. 2, 1880, when Kansas voted for prohibition. The building was not
torn down for quite a number of years after- wards, and we are indebted to Chas. H. Hull, 1134 8th Ave., Helena, Mont., for the pic- ture. The Hull family lived in the Kirwin community for many. years.
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CITY CLERK CONTINUED
and straw, which might ignite from flying sparks, had to be considered. Applications were numerous for druggist, dray wagon, butcher and peddlers licenses were con- sidered. Fire guards, a question of a brew- ery, the building of a calaboose and pound, issuing dram shop licenses and other pro- blems were issues brought up early in the business of getting things organized for the city.
The Dram Shop licenses seemed to cause a lot of uncertainty as they had to be pre- sented with a petition and the question of the legal residents of the town was some- times a question. Licenses for pool tables. and billiard tables were numerous.
A special meeting was called in Septem- ber, 1879, where the committee on ordinances was to draft ordinances relating to side walks, shows, games, houses of ill fame and prostitution. On Apr. 30, 1880 a license was granted to operate a saloon in Kirwin, and in February 1881 the governing body stopped the license.
Forty acres of land was purchased by the city for a cemetery in 1882. It was about this time that the park was plowed and plant- ed to grass and rye. A little later evergreens were planted. Pig pens and dog tax were hot issues.
In July 1883 the council had two four foot wells dug and two pumps installed. The need for fire equipment was brought up in 1885. The same year a board fence was erected on the east side of the cemetery and a barb wire fence enclosed the other three sides.
It was in '85 that the towns people want- ed a band stand in the city park so they pre- sented a petition to the Council. After some time one was built.
About this time the Council was again con- cerned about fire equipment. After investi- gating it was found that a hook and ladder outfit would cost from $200.00 to $400.00. After the fire Nov. 1, 1888 the council dis- cussed the fire equipment again and found that the equipment would cost then $500.00 in Topeka and that they would have to dig cisterns. They then thought it best to call a public meeting and get the public opinion on purchasing equipment.
A proposition was brought before the
council to call a special election as to whether the city would vote bonds to operate the Kir- win Mining Development Company of Kirwin. (No record found as to the election)
At the council meeting in September, 1895 the condition of the street on east main was discussed and it was decided that it should be made passable. Law and order was reported to the council at each meeting by the police judge and the city marshal. The marshal's job seemed to have a new owner every few months and the salary was the sum of $10.00 per month. Before the turn of the century settlers took their politi- cal obligations very serious. At the city election in 1897 we find that three men ran for mayor, fifteen men were running for councilmen, one for police judge, three for clerk, two for marshal and four for street commissioner.
A Different Age
Due to the mode of travel in the pioneer days, livery stables started their uprising in Kirwin. The first "barn" was connected to the Commercial Hotel.
There was also a barn at the northwest corner of the square known as the Southwest Stage Company Barn. It was built to take care of horses driven on stages carrying mail out of Kirwin. The first stage line was from Cawker City to Kirwin, and for a time this company handled the mail routes to Bloomington, Stockton, Logan, Phillipsburg, Smith Center and other towns.
The oldest livery man was George Noble, who was an experienced horseman. He kept his stock well-fed and otherwise cared for and he always had hitched behind his horses, the finest buggies in the country.
"The Missouri Barn" was noted for its fine horses: draft breeds, roadsters, and al- so trotters.
One of the best places for horses to be put up, was the "Chicago Barn" located near the square. Here was the place the farmers fed and sheltered their horses, while they tended to business in town.
"The Warner House" also built a large barn and did considerable driving for custo- mers of the house. In those days Kirwin was a young Chicago for business.
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DECLOTHIM
CFBARBER
KIRWIN GLOBE.
SCHUTTLER WAGONS
NORTH SIDE OF SQUARE
Kirwin Newspapers
Due to the growth of Kirwin and the de- sire of its citizens for news from the "out- side world", Dr. W. D. Jenkins established the Kirwin Chief in August, 1872, under the direction of the Kirwin Townsite Company.
As he wanted the best for his customers, he soon purchased better machinery from a Phillipsburg editor who went out of business. Many Phillipsburg people did not want to see the machinery moved out of town so after Jenkins arrived with some teams to move the machinery and had it loaded, they overpow- ered the Dr. and his drivers and unloaded it on the outskirts of town.
Jenkins rounded up some help and re- loaded the machinery and arrived in Kirwin late in the night with it. The paper lasted from 1872 to 1891.
Other papers that cropped up were: "Pro- gress and Democrat", started by John Mc- Clermont, 1877 to 1878. The "Independent" was maintained from 1880 to 1888, first by Garretson and Topliff and later by C. J. Lamb. This office was burned in the midst of a political campaign and there were whispers that the fire was the work of political enemies.
In 1879 there was a new paper started in Kirwin, a neat-looking three-column folio and it was called "The Rag Baby." The man behind the publication was C. J. Lamb but the name of the man on the masthead was F. I. Snodgrass. It was printed on a little press owned by "Little Bill" Gray, and claim-
ed to be established to promote purity in politics and civil government. The paper was a supporter of the union labor or anti- monopoly party. After it was started by Snodgrass who was supposed to have a wife, he received many packages of baby clothes, obtensibly sent in to clothe the "Rag Baby." He gave the clothes to some poor people who had babies in their families.
After Snodgrass quit the paper, it was operated by C. J. Lamb who changed its name to the "Iconoclast", which means breaker of images. He later bought the In- dependent.
On Saturday, Oct. 26, 1889, a four-page newspaper "The Sun" was put out by its editor. In spite of great plans, its life was short and there was only one issue printed and that one copy was presented to C. W. Hull by its editor.
The "Independent II" was established in 1889 and was published until 1902 when it was sold and published as a partnership paper with the name "Kirwin Kansan". The " Kirwin Argus" was consolidated with the " Kansan" in 1909. This paper was dis-
continued on Oct. 1, 1942. The building still stands and is owned by Jim Stockman.
Other papers printed in Kirwin and " short- lived" were The "Republican" printed from 1883 to 1885, "The Globe" from 1891 to 1901, the "Chief", "Kansas Northwest", "Northwest," and the " Solomon Valley Dem- ocrat," and "Kirwin Lively Times."
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Education In Kirwin
Miss Maggie Shurtz taught the first school in Kirwin in 1873 in her own home in the south part of town. The same year a school house was built in the northwest part of town on the school square. The Kirwin school district voted bonds in the amount of $1,700 to be used to construct the first school house.
By 1876 there were 61 enrolled in the public schools of Kirwin. C. J. Van Allen was the teacher employed at a salary of $40 per month. School was conducted for a per- iod of six months.
By 1880 Kirwin had a population of 807 and it was decided to build a new school house. That same year the old school house
was removed to give place to an elegant stone public school building. It was a large two- story house. Built of magnesium lime stone and erected at a cost of $9,000, it was cap- able of seating 300 persons. Sam Fisher constructed the stone building.
The first high school class graduated in 1886, and consisted of six members. They were: Emma Bissell, Mary Bissell, Phebe; Bissell, Lizzie Banisted, Millie Lamb and Nellie Shepherdson. The following year there was only one graduate, Mollie Dodge.
There was only one high school teacher as late as 1906 with 25 enrolled. The high school course was of three months dura- tion with eight months of school.
Old Stone School At Kirwin
The two-story stone building erected at Kirwin in 1880 was one of the early show- places in Phillips county. When the district (No. 2) was organized in 1873, the first school was taught at the home of Miss Maggie Shurtz, teacher. A building was built later that same year in the northwest part of town after bonds in the amount of $1,700 were voted to finance construction. By
1880, however, Kirwin had a population of 807, and a new school became absolutely necessary. The "elegant" two-story stone structure, built at a cost of $9,000 was the result. It was capable of seating 300. By 1883, there were 260 pupils with three teach- ers on the staff. By 1918, the old building had outlived its usefulness, however, and a brick building was constructed to replace it.
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