USA > Kansas > Meade County > A history of Meade County, Kansas > Part 4
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PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
The public schools of Meade County compare most favorably with those of other counties of the State. The county is divided into 44 school districts, having a school population of 1,738, and employing 72 teachers.
Both Meade and Fowler maintain well-equipped accredited high schools, the former employing 14 in- structors and the latter 12. Plains employs 5 teachers.
Of the teachers employed in the public schools, 24 hold State certificates, 9 hold Normal Training certifi- cates, 13 have first-grade county certificates, 12 second- grade, and 14 third-grade.
Each of the towns has splendid modern school build- ings, and many of the country districts have school- houses that would do credit to any community.
The average wage paid teachers for the year 1915-16 was $90 per month. for high-school teachers. $70 per month for teachers in the grades, and $55 per month in the rural schools.
177
FRATERNAL ORGANIZATIONS.
Meade County is noted for its Fraternal Societies, and probably, in proportion to its population, has more fraternalists than any other county in Kansas.
The M. W. A. have a camp at Plains, organized in 1904. Plains Lodge No. 367, A. F. & A. M., was or- ganized in February, 1912.
Fowler Lodge No. 519, I. O. O. F., received its charter on Oct. 10th, 1901; Fowler Rebekah Lodge No. 406 was chartered Jan. 21st, 1902; Fowler Camp No. 1768. M. W. A., received its charter on March 3rd. 1898; and Friendship Camp No. 1768. R. N. A., was chartered Dec. 5th, 1908.
The city of Meade is especially distinguished as a fraternal center.
Of the lodges still active, the oldest is Webb Lodge No. 275. A. F. & A. M., its warrant bearing date Feb. 16th, 1887: Webb Chapter No. 304, O. E. S., was chartered on May 14th. 1908; and on Feb. 16th, 1909. the 22nd anniversary of the blue lodge, a warrant was issued for Meade Chapter No. 46, R. A. M.
A charter was issued for Meade Lodge No. 523, 1. O. O. F .. Oct. 10th, 1901; for the Meade Rebekah Lodge No. 422. on Sept. 19th, 1902; for Meade En- campment No. 138, on Oct. 10th, 1907 ; and a warrant was issued for the Canton of Patriarchs Militant No. 8, on Nov. 6th, 1907.
Meade Lodge No. 22. K. of P., was organized in November. 1911.
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CONTENTMENT.
4
80
HISTORY OF MEADE COUNTY.
Meade Center Lodge No. 247, A. O. U. W., was granted a charter on Sept. 4th, 1902.
A charter was issued to Meade Camp No. 1738, M. W. A., on Aug. 12th, 1892; and to Middlemarch Camp No. 622, R. N. A., on April 10th, 1902.
Meade Council No. 225, Sons and Daughters of Justice, was organized in February, 1906.
Meade C'enter Post No. 388, while previously exist- ing, was ieorganized in 1909.
Artesian Camp No. 201. W. O. W., was organized in July, 1915.
Meade also has an organization of the A. H. T. A.
Three members of the Meade organizations are at present the heads of three great orders, viz .: R. M. Painter is Department Commander of the G. A. R. of Kansas ; O. R. Stevens is Grand Patriarch of the Grand Encampment, I. O. O. F .; Frank S. Sullivan is Grand Chancellor of the Knights of Pythias. Grand Domain of Kansas.
BONDED INDEBTEDNESS.
On March 15th, 1888, Meade County issued one hundred twenty bonds of one thousand dollars each, bearing six per cent and due in twenty years, in aid of the Chicago, Kansas & Nebraska Railroad. These are the only bonds ever issued by the county as an orig- inal obligation, all subsequent issues- and there have been several being for the purpose of taking care of these original bonds, and other accrued indebtedness.
The bonds standing against the county at the close of the fiscal year, July 1st, 1915, are as follows :
$26,000 due in 1929, bearing 5 per cent interest.
$95,000 due in 1936, bearing 412 per cent in- terest.
$50,000 due in 1938, bearing 412 per cent in- terest.
The present bonded indebtedness of the different townships is as follows :
Meade Center $7,500
West Plains 6,000
Sand Creek 2,000
The cities are bonded as follows :
Meade. $37,350
Plains 20,000
Fowler 29,300
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HISTORY OF MEADE COUNTY.
The various school districts had in outstanding bonds, July 1st, 1915, as follows :
Joint No. 1 $800
No. 2. 23,500
No. 5. 600
No. 10.
1,000
No. 14 200
No. 16
10,000
No. 18 12,200
No. 22 400
No. 39 400
No. 58
600
No. 60 800
No. 61
1,200
No. 62
500
No. 66
1,000
No. 69
100
.. ...
FRANK MARRS AND ONE OF HIS WELLS.
HIGHWAYS AND BRIDGES.
In the construction and maintenance of highways and bridges, Meade County has expended considerable money during the last ten years. In 1889 the Legis- lature enacted a law declaring all section lines in Meade County to be public highways. As the country was largely devoted to stock-raising, this law soon proved to be very objectionable to a majority of the citizens, and was repealed by Chapter 212 of the Laws of 1895.
So long as the country was used largely as a grazing proposition, little farming being done, there was but little use for roads, and very little money was ex- pended on their upkeep. But as the country devel- oped, as farmers required means for marketing their crops, and especially since the automobile has come into general use, the demand for more and better roads has been insistent, and Meade County today probably has better roads than any other county of the same population.
Up to this time 77 miles have been designated as county roads, as follows: A road extending from the northwest corner of the city of Plains north to the county line, 14 miles ; extending from the southeast corner of the city of Plains south to the State line, practically 18 miles ; a road extending north from Missler to the county line, 11 miles ; a road connecting Plains, Meade and Fowler, located as follows: Com- mencing at the northeast corner of the city of Plains, thence 1 mile north, thence 5 miles east, thence 2 miles
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HIGHWAYS AND BRIDGES.
north, thence 4 miles east, thence one half-mile south, thence 1 mile east, thence one half-mile south, to the northwest corner of Section 5, Township 32, Range 28; thence, commencing at the southeast corner of said Section 5 and extending east to the city of Meade ; from Meade the road goes north about one half-mile, thence east one half-mile, then north 1 mile, east one half-mile, north 2 miles, east 1 mile, north 2 miles, thence east 6 miles, to Fowler, thence north from the northwest corner of Fowler 6 miles, to the county line.
It will be noted there is a gap in this road around Section 5, Township 32, Range 28. The reason for this is that when this road was designated the Com- missioners were unable to determine whether the road should follow the section line around Section 5, or whether to angle through this section, and so this matter was left to be decided later.
All county roads are graded and dragged at the ex- pense of the county, and many of the township roads are graded and dragged at the expense of the various townships.
The steel bridge across Crooked Creek, on Road No. 1, just east of Meade, was built in 1909, at a cost of $1,765.
In 1910 three bridges were built under the same con- tract, the aggregate cost being $5,381. These are all con- crete bridges, and are known as the Brinekman bridge, crossing Crooked Creek on Road No. 88; the Bunyan bridge, crossing Crooked Creek on Road No. 68; and the Conrad bridge, crossing Crooked Creek on Road No. 6.
Eight bridges were built in 1913, all of concrete.
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HISTORY OF MEADE COUNTY.
They are as follows: The Adams bridge, just north of Meade, on Road No. 72; cost $1,776. Prior to this time a wooden bridge had stood here. The Pin- nick bridge, on Road No. 3, about a mile west of Fowler. at a cost of $1,500. The Watt bridge, on Road No. 63, across Crooked Creek, north of Fowler, at a cost of $1,448. The Fanchar bridge, across Sand Creek, on Road No. 39, Logan Township, at an original cost of $1,375. Scarcely had this bridge been completed than high water caused the creek to cut a new channel. and it became necessary to extend the bridge at an additional cost of $1,200. A bridge across Crooked Creek, on the line between Meade and Ford Counties, was built by the two counties jointly, each county pay- ing the sum of $545. This is on Road No. 54.
The MeMeel bridge, just south of Meade, on Road No. 8, was built by Meade Center Township, the county contributing $300. The Boyer bridge, on Road No. 32, was also built by the township. the county con- tributing $400.
The year 1915 brought four bridges. On Road No. 32. across Skunk Arroya, in Odee Township, a cement ford was constructed at a cost of $250. A low-water bridge was built across Stump Arroya, on Road No. 32. in Odee Township, at a cost of $1.917.
The Stalder bridge, on Road No. 70, across Crooked Creek, in Meade Center Township, cost $600; the Hughbanks bridge, on Road No. 32, Meade Center Township. cost $2,355.80. This creek was spanned by a bridge which stood up for a year or two, but the high waters of 1915 undermined the foundation, wrecking the bridge, and making the construction of a larger and bet- ter one imperative.
A COOL DRINK.
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HISTORY OF MEADE COUNTY.
About ten years ago the county built a low wooden bridge across the Cimarron river, on Road No. 95, at a cost of about $750, of which the Meade Commercial Club paid one-third. This bridge was taken out by flood, and in 1909 the county built a one-hundred-foot span steel bridge where the wooden bridge had stood, at a cost of $2,830. In 1913 the approach to the south end of this bridge burned out, and was replaced at a cost of $38S.
In May, 1914, a flood, the like of which is not in the memory of the oldest inhabitant, came down the Cimarron, taking this bridge out completely. When the waters subsided, of the structure costing more than three thousand dollars nothing remained save three or four pillars, the remainder of the bridge being buried somewhere in the treacherous sands, from which no part of it has ever been recovered.
AUTOMOBILES.
On August 29th. 1904. there was delivered to John W. Baughman, at Plains, the first automobile to enter Meade County. It was a two-passenger Winton Sur- rey, capable of a speed of fifteen miles an hour under favorable conditions, but there is ro record of its ever having attained so great a velocity. In consideration of this car. which was a "second-hand" one. Mr. Baughman exchanged a quarter-section of land for which he had paid the sum of one hundred twenty-five dollars. Dr. Fee was the second Meade County man to own a car, and his first was of the old-style buggy type ; and when C. P. Fullington appeared with his one-cylinder Cadillac and a regular chauffeur, Meade took on metropolitan airs.
On May 1st. 1916, there were 360 cars registered. of 43 different makes, classified as follows: Ford. 147; Overland, 35; Maxwell, 31: Reo, 25; Buick, 18; Stu- debaker. Hudson, and Dodge, 10 each; Allen, 9; E. M. F .. 5: Chandler, Halliday, Flanders, Saxon, and Hupmobile, 4 each : Jackson, Brush, and Chalmers, 3 each : Moline, Regal, Case, Krit. Mitchell, and Oak- land, 2 each ; and 1 each of Lambert. Sterling, Paige. Apperson. Partin-Palmer. Glide, Detroiter, Wescot. Metz, Paige-Detroit, Chevrolet, Dort, Mason. Carter, King, Auburn, Anchor, Jones, and Coey.
At the same time there were 73 motor-cycles. of the following makes : Harley-Davidson, 41 ; Indian. 16 :
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HISTORY OF MEADE COUNTY.
Excelsior, 9; Henderson, 2; and one each of Thor, Apache, Sears Leader, Light, and Pope.
Dealers' licenses were in effect for the Harley-David- son motor-cycle, and for the following cars: Empire, Interstate, Ford, Detroiter, Allen. Hupmobile, Krit, Halliday. Moon, Maxwell. Hudson, Overland, Saxon, Buick, Dodge, Studebaker.
EARLY-DAAY RESIDENCE.
THE COURT HOUSE.
During the county-seat fight it was generally under- stood that if the county seat were located at Meade Center the city would dedicate a block in the center of the town, designated on the official plat as "Block A." to the county, and would erect for the county a court house.
But. "the best-laid schemes of mice and men gang aft a-gley." Meade Center was designated as the county seat, but the proposed dedication of "Block A" to the county was never made, and neither was the court house ever built for the county.
The building originally used as a court house was a frame building on the south side of the alley cf the block in which now stands the Southern Hotel, facing east. This building was rented by the county, and while some of the county officers maintained offices uptown, this was officially the court house, although court was held in the second story of a building located back of the present site of Fick's store, and facing north.
On March 3rd, 1888, the city of Meade obtained from Charles E. Cones a deed for Lots 13 and 14. in Block 3, original survey, and soon thereafter commenced the construction of the present court house, although it was built for, and known for years as, the city hall. It has been used as a court house practically ever since its completion.
In the summer of 1895 negotiations were had be- tween the County Commissioners and the City Coun-
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MEADE COUNTY COURT HOUSE.
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HISTORY OF MEADE COUNTY.
cil of Meade, looking toward the purchase of this build- ing by the county. The proposition was voted on at the general election in November, and carried by a vote of 288 to 39. The nominal consideration was five thousand dollars, which was paid in a round-about way. The Meade County Bank, which had failed and was then in the hands of George B. Cones, Trustee, was a depository of something like four thousand dollars of the county's funds. The city of Meade owed this bank ; the city had not the money to pay the bank, and the bank lacked the necessary assets to make restora- tion to the county, and so the county took over the city hall, paying to the city of Meade the sum of $950.56 and to the trustee of The Meade County Bank the sum of $82.77, and thus released the bank from further obligation to the county. The city was released from further obligation to the bank, the two debts were wiped out, and the county acquired the present court house.
In April, 1911, the county purchased of George B. Cones two lots adjoining the court-house site, for a con- sideration of $355.55, and in December, 1915, the county purchased of Lucy R. Allen eight lots adjoin- ing these, for a consideration of $1,60C. so that the county now owns an entire half-block, a tract of ground suitable in area ard location for a court house such as Meade County ought to have.
The present court house, while having served its purpose well in the past, is by no means adequate to the needs of the present, ard it would be false economy to retain it much longer. Not a single office is suffi- ciently commodious to permit a proper transaction of
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THE COURT HOUSE.
the business pertaining to that office; every vault is packed and crowded with records until it is a difficult proposition, oftentimes, to find the record of a particular thing required ; the Commissioners have nowhere to meet save in the County Clerk's office, which office is of inadequate proportions for that purpose; there is but one jury-room, and that is so small as to be unsani- tary ; no record is absolutely safe, and a fire would do incalculable and irreparable damage.
A commodious, modern, fire-proof building could be constructed at a cost to each taxpayer of four dollars on every thousand dollars valuation of his property. and such a building would not only save money to every taxpayer in the way of lessened expense of up- keep and insurance, but the danger of damage or de- struction of records would be eliminated, and such a building would add to the value of every tract and parcel of real property in the county.
Not only as a matter of pride, not only as a matter of convenience, not only as a matter of "safety first." but as a matter of dollars and cents. Meade County should have a new court house, and one that will meet the requirements of the future as well as the needs of the present.
THE SALT WELL.
One of the natural curiosities of Meade County is the salt well, about two miles south of Meade, the his- tory of which commences at about the time of the first settlement.
The Jones & Plummer trail was the route of prac- tically all travel between Fort Dodge and Fort Elliott. This trail passed east of the present site of Meade about a mile, extended south for several miles, and then turned westward. It was the practice of travelers, and more especially of freighters, to camp on Spring Creek the second night out of Fort Dodge. To reach this favorite camping-ground they would branch off of the main trail a mile or so south of the present city of Meade, and angle across the prairie in a southwesterly direction to the waters of Spring Creek, and a well- defined trail across this prairie had been established. On March 16th, 1879, a Mexican freighter passed along this accustomed route, and camped on Spring Creek. All was as usual at that time. On the 19th of March an American freighter, probably returning from Fort Elliott, discovered an immense "cave-in" on this branch trail to Spring Creek. One side of the road, or trail, was left intact, the other had disappeared. He proceeded to Dodge City and reported his strange dis- covery. Great interest was awakened, and many per- sons from Dodge and elsewhere came to view this re- markable work of Nature. Among the first to visit it was C. E. Haywood, and it is to him and to J. R.
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THE SALT WELL.
Colgan that the author is principally indebted for the early history of this " well."
Many stories are extant concerning the depth of the salt well. One story is that Capt. Wirth let down six hundred feet of rope without finding bottom, and while this appears to be authenticated, yet it does not follow that the well was more than six hundred feet deep. because the water was so impregnated with salt that a human body would float round like a dry log, so it is not surprising that the rope, although attached to a weight, did not sink.
In May. 1879, J. R. Colgan took careful measure- ments of the depth, and found that from the top of the bank to the water was nineteen feet, and the water, at the deepest place, measured twenty-three feet. At that time the cavity was almost exactly circular, and was, according to the judgment of Mr. Colgan, about sev- enty-five feet in diameter; the side walls were per- pendicular. At the present time the hole is almost perfectly circular, and measures two hundred feet in diameter. The increase in the diameter has been caused by subsequent eaving of the banks, and by the wash of the rains of many years. The side walls, while not now perpendicular, are so precipitous that descent is impossible except in one or two places. The ground, for one hundred feet back from the hole, shows evi- dence of a tendency to cave; the caving and washing have filled the cavity until now the water is but a few feet deep at the deepest part, and no doubt subsequent savings will fill it to a point above the water-line.
Many persons claim to have heard a great rumbling and roar. caused by the cave-in of this well. But when
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HISTORY OF MEADE COUNTY.
we consider that the only settlers in Meade County at that time resided many miles from this place, too far distant to hear any disturbance there may have been, if any, which is doubtful, we should politely listen to such narrations and give them such credence as other fairy tales are entitled to.
In September, 1879, George B. Allen secured one gallon of water from this well, which he evaporated by boiling and obtained one quart of salt.
In the spring of 1880 William Sturgis commercialized the salt well in the manufacture of "Meade County Solar Salt." The water was pumped from the well by windmill into a vat, where it was evaporated by boil- ing; but this method did not prove a success. either through lack of knowledge or lack of proper equip- ment, as the salt obtained had a dirty, rusty appearance. This plan of evaporation was early abandoned and the water allowed to evaporate by the sun's rays, and by this method an exceptionally good quality of elean salt was secured, which was placed in 50-1b. sacks and sold, at the plant, for $1 per cwt. Twenty-two vats, each measuring twelve by sixteen feet, were used, and the quantity of salt procured was from two thousand to two thousand five hundred pounds daily. At this time one gallon of water produced one pint of salt. After a year or two Mr. Sturgis sold his plant to one John Ristrem (spelling not vouched for) who con- tinued to operate it for a year or two, and then sus- pended operations for the reason that the quantity of salt derived from a given volume of water gradually decreased until "salt-making" became unprofitable. Also, there were no means of transportation except by
THE SALT WELL.
160
HISTORY OF MEADE COUNTY.
freight wagons, and the output was always limited to the local demand.
The second year the salt-works were operated what was considered a strange phenomenon was observed. It had been customary for people to bathe in the well, the impossibility of sinking, the ability to float around without effort, making this recreation especially de- lightful. At this time one who had gone into the water for the first time made haste to come out, and announced that "the water was scalding." Investi- gation proved that while the water at the surface was of the ordinary temperature, at a depth of about two feet it was noticeably warmer, and at a depth of five or six feet was almost "scalding." The experience of bathers ever after was. that the water increased in tem- perature with the depth, and this fact gave origin to the theory of hot springs under the bed of the well and that the hot water escaped upward through some orifice. This theory, however, has been proven falla- cious. If this were true the difference in temperature would be as great, perhaps greater, in winter than in summer. But tests have proved that the temperature of the surface-water and of water at the bottom of the well is practically the same in winter. The true ex- planation is that the salt, and other minerals in solu- tion, readily absorb the sun's heat, and the heat thus absorbed is retained by the lower particles, while the particles near the surface give off their heat at night. Hence the water near the surface would at no time contain more heat than had been absorbed from the sun on the given day, while the lower waters, giving off the heat less readily, would retain a portion of every
101
THE SALT WELL.
day's absorption and thus become pregnant with stored heat.
The well was a favorite resort for bathers up until ten or twelve years ago, and during all of that time the solution of salt was so great that one's body would float as readily as would a log in ordinary fresh water. Various tests have been made to ascertain the amount of salt in this water, the per cent varying considerably at different times. It has tested as high as thirty-six per cent, but the amount at the present time is neg- ligible. In June, 1916. the writer procured two quarts of this water. It had a pronounced alkaline taste, but on being evaporated by boiling, no salt, nor other sediment. remained. What a chemical analysis would show I do not know, but, so far as the naked eye could diseern, the entire volume of these two quarts was converted into steam. This water was taken from the surface ; it might be that a sample taken from the bot- tom would still disclose the presence of salt.
The water now stands at practically the same level as originally. The shallow water, along the banks, is transparently clear, but the deeper parts present a dark-green appearance. It sustains no animal or vege- table life, save a few insects, except that the writer has observed a solitary muskrat disporting, and, apparently, enjoying himself therein.
DRILLING THE WHEAT.
FARM STATISTICS.
The following tables show the population of the county by years, and statistics of the principal farm products. from 1886 to 1915 inclusive :
1886 .- POPULATION, 3,827.
Acres
Winter wheat
.bu. 501
Product 7,056
Spring wheat
5
50
Rye
125
1,500
Corn
12,151
303.775
Barley
5
100
Oats.
2,678
80,340
Buckwheat.
105
Frish potatoes.
389
29,175
Sweet potatoes
..
90
9,000
C'astor Beans
61
610
C'otton.
. .
1
300
Tobacco
lbs.
12
7,200
Broom corn
66
17
23,500
Millet
tons 4,617
9,234
Prairie hay
6,968
Poultry and eggs sold
$1,869
Butter, Ibs
15,105
Cheese. lbs
445
Milk sold.
$86
Garden products sokl.
$1,551
Number
Horses
1,285
Mules and asses
406
Milch cows
938
Other catt'e
2,325
Swine
475
Sheep
1,024
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HISTORY OF MEADE COUNTY.
1887 .- POPULATION, 4,407.
Winter wheat
bul.
Acres 797
Product 7,690
Spring wheat.
66
C'orn
..
13,627
204,405
Oats
1,874
56,220
Rve
124
1,240
Barley
66
101
2,020
Buckwheat
8
120
Irish potatoes
291
23,280
Sweet potatoes
72
7,200
C'astor beans
6
60
C'otton
lbs.
2
500
Flax
bu.
1
10
Tobacco
lbs.
5
3,000
Broom corn
66
27
16,200
Millet
tons 5,577
11,154
Prairie hay
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