USA > Kansas > Republic County > A history of Republic County, Kansas, embracing a full and complete account of all the leading events in its history, from its first settlement down to June 1, '01 > Part 2
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25
15
History of Republic County.
mand, ordered the Spanish flag hauled down, and the American flag run up to which demand the grand chief, Characterish, demurred. Here Pike's tact and ingenuity were called into play and he applied the art of persuasion with so great effect that the chief permitted the flag to be taken down and the stars and stripes hoisted in its place with the promise that the Spanish flag should not again be displayed in the village during Capt. Pike's stay. It is thus established beyond a reasonable doubt that the stars and stripes first floated to the breeze in Republic county. on September 29, 1806, this event being now annually commemorated by the Pawnee Republic Historical So- ciety. (In a former edition of this history it was stated the flag was first raised at Scandia, September 25, 1806, but was given as traditional only and from the best in- formation then obtainable).
At a meeting of the citizens of White Rock and Big Bend township held at the Pawnee school house, January 4, 1896, Col. Thomas Shuler was chosen chairman, and James Lacey, secretary. At this meeting it was decided to effect a permanent organization which was accordingly done. The name adopted was "The Pawnee Republic Historical Society," and the first officers elected were, Col. Shuler, president; Mrs. George Johnson, vice-pres- ident; Hon. Gomer T. Davies, secretary; Mrs. W. R. Charles, assistant secretary and Geo. Johnson, treasurer. An investigating committee was appointed at this meeting consisting of E. D. Haney, Mrs. E. A. Johnson, J. C. Price, Dr. J. W. McIntosh and Major C. W. Gulick. This committee visited Red Cloud, Nebr., but found nothing in support of the claim that the Pawnee village was located at that point, the theory that at or near Scandia was the place having already been abandoned. The valley of the Republican has been visited and carefully scrutinized by members of this committee and officers of the society for many miles up and down, finding no other traces of per- manent Indian occupancy at all comparable with the well
16
History of Republic County.
defined and unmistakable evidences which exist at this point, and so reported to the society.
The next step was to get the State Historical Society interested in this investigation which was done by laying before it a large amount of accumulated evidence at its annual meeting in January, 1896, at which time the fol- lowing committee was appointed by Gov. Morrill, presi- dent of the society, viz: The late Judge F. G. Adams, at that time secretary of the state society; the late Noble L. Prentis, author of "Pike of Pike's Peak," and Prof. E. B. Cowgill, of the Kansas Farmer, with instructions to inves- tigate and make a complete and exhaustive report to the State Historical Society at its annual meeting in January, 1897. Accordingly Judge Adams and Professor Cowgill visited the site on July 15, 1896, Mr. Prentis being dis- abled by an accident which made it impossible for him to visit the field. This committee reported as directed, an advance copy being furnished the Pawnee society at the request of Mrs. Johnson, its vice president, as follows:
TOPEKA, KANSAS, August 22, 1896. To HON. THOMAS SHULER,
President Pawnee Republic Historical Society, White Rock, Kansas.
DEAR SIR :- In conformity to the wishes expressed by your respected vice-president, Mrs. George Johnson, and in compliance with our duty in the premises, the un- dersigned, members of the committee appointed by the Kansas State Historical Society at its annual meeting in January last, to co-operate with your society in an effort to identify the location of the village of the Pawnee Indian Republic visited by Lieut. Z. M. Pike in 1806, hereby give you the conclusion arrived at by us as the result of our recent visit to the ancient village site in White Rock town- ship, and our inspection of the same, accompanied by offi- cers and members of your society. In giving you the conclusion to which we have arrived in the matter it is proper that we should say that in the first place we have
17
History of Republic County.
been guided by the narrative of Lieut. Pike, giving as it does an account of his journey to and from the village, with such description as the narrative contains; this, taken in connection with such an account as is given by Lieut. Wilkinson, who accompanied the explorer.
These descriptions, though meager and somewhat conflicting, by careful examination have been of service. Next we take into consideration the local information on the subject derived from the fact that the entire valley of the Republican and the adjacent country of the region, above and below, has for many years been settled up and brought into cultivation, and that your society has made diligent inquiry among all the inhabitants and, though your committee, has visited the only other locality be- lieved by any of the inhabitants to have ever been the site of an Indian village; and that at that place there had been seen at one time merely slight evidences of a temporary Indian camp; no remains of a permanent Indian village. In regard to the inquiries and investigations made by you, it is of course out of our power to do otherwise than rely upon your information. In this we place implicit confidence.
The final consideration influencing us has been the markings at the place which we visited with you and which clearly exhibits evidence that there was at a time as remote as Pike's visit, an Indian village of the char- acter described by him.
In respect to this the evidences are quite satisfac- tory. They conform to those well known artificial fea- tures which have identified sites of other ancient villages of the Indians of the plains country.
There are the clearly marked remains of a surround- ing wall, and within the bounds of the wall circular ridges marking the situations of the numerous permanent lodges. There is the debris left from the destruction of these habitations. All these evidences are distinct and unmistakable. From these considerations we have ar-
18
History of Republic County.
rived at the conclusion that the spot pointed out to us by your society is the identical site of the village in question. There is but a bare possibility that it can be otherwise.
We beg to give you our sincere thanks for the cour- tesies extended to us during our visit to the now rich and fruitful region ushered into history ninety years ago; then an uncultivated wilderness, now one of the most productive portions of Kansas, bearing all the evidences of thrift and culture among the people. The existence of your society organized for the laudable object of promot- ing an important branch of information respecting the history of the state and country, is in all respects highly praiseworthy, and should receive due consideration from the Kansas State Historical Society, which we have the honor to represent. With great respect, Yours truly, F. G. ADAMS. E. B. COWGILL.
The Pawnee Republic Historical Society holds its reg- ular annual meetings at the Pawnee school house near the village site, on the 29th of September, this being the anniver- sary of the hoisting of the American flag in Republic county, and special meetings whenever deemed necessary, but the annual celebrations and flag raisings are held on the town site, one of the most beautiful and picturesque spots in the great state of Kansas. The present officers of the society are: J. C. Price, president; Mrs. John Moore. sec- retary, and George Johnson, treasurer
The site of the village, embracing eleven acres was deeded by Mrs. Johnson to the state, conditioned that an appropriation be made by the legislature for the purpose of suitably marking this place as one of the leading his- toric spots of Kansas. The importance of doing this was strongly presented to the legislature by the Pawnee Re- public Historical Society in which it was ably assisted by the Daughters of the Revolution.
Accordingly Senator R. B. Ward introduced the fol-
View near the Pawnee Indian Village. Road leaving the Grove at foot of the hill.
19
History of Republic County.
lowing bill January 14, 1901, and ably championed it to final passage February 11th; yeas 28, nays none, absent or not voting 12. Hon. W. H. Woodward, representing Repub- lic county, introduced the same bill in the House, where it met with some opposition, being at one time stricken from the calendar, but it finally passed that body without a dis- senting vote and was approved by the governor February 14, 1901:
SESSION LAWS OF KANSAS, 1901.
CHAPTER 40.
PIKE'S PAWNEE INDIAN VILLAGE.
An act accepting title to the site of Pike's Pawnee Indian village, in Republic county, Kansas, making appropri· ation for fencing and suitably marking the said prem- ises, and placing the same under the care and control of the Kansas State Historical Society.
WHEREAS, Elizabeth A. Johnson and George Johnson, of of White Rock, Republic county. Kansas, have, by their joint deed of general warranty, tendered as a gift to the state of Kansas a clear and unencumbered title to the following described real estate situated in Republic county, Kansas, which deed is now held in escrow by the secretary of the Kansas State Historical Society, to wit: Beginning at a point six chains west of the southeast corner of the north- east quarter of section 3, township 2, south of range 5 west; thence west sixteen chains, thence north seven chains, thence east sixteen chains, thence south seven chains to the place of beginning, containing eleven and two-tenths acres, more or less, being in the site of Pike's Pawnee Indian village, which conveyance of title is to be made upon condition that within four years from the 29th day of March, 1899, the state of Kansas shall accept the title to said premises so tendered, and shall cause the said premises to be fenced and suitably marked to commemo- rate the first raising of the American flag on Kansas terri- tory; therefore,
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas:
SECTION 1. That the title to the premises aforesaid and described as follows, to wit: Beginning at a point six
20
History of Republic County.
chains west of the southeast corner of the northeast quar- ter of section 3, township 2, south of range 5 west; thence west sixteen chains, thence north seven chains, thence east sixteen chains, thencé south seven chains to the place of beginning, containing eleven and two-tenths acres, more or less, being the site of Pike's Pawnee Indian village, ten- dered as a gift to the state of Kansas by Elizabeth A. John- son and George Johnson, by their deed of general war- ranty, dated March 29, 1899, be and the same is hereby accepted by and on behalf of the state of Kansas ; pro- vided, however, that the title to said premises so tendered and accepted shall revert to the said donors in the event the state shall fail to fence and mark said premises as hereinafter provided within four years from the 29th day of March, 1899.
SEC. 2. That upon the vesting of the title to said premises in the state of Kansas, under the provisions of this act, the Kansas State Historical Society shall have the care and control of said premises for and on behalf of the state, and shall fence the said premises and suitably mark the same by monument or otherwise, to commemorate the first raising of the American flag on Kansas territory.
SEC. 3. That the sum of three thousand dollars, or so much thereof as may be necessary, be and the same is hereby appropriated out of any money in the state treas- ury not otherwise appropriated, to fence and suitably mark said premises by monument or otherwise, as herein- before provided, the money so expended to be paid upon warrants of the State Auditor, allowed and drawn upon vouchers approved by the secretary of the Kansas State Historical Society.
SEC. 4. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its publication in the statute book.
Approved February 14, 1901.
The corner stone of the monument provided for in the above act was laid with impressive ceremonies by the Grand Lodge, A. F. and A. M., under the auspices of Belleville Lodge, No. 129, July 4, 1901, and at which time and place other patriotic exercises were held. Hon. George W. Martin, secretary of the State Historical So- ciety, called the assembled multitude to order and intro- duced Senator R. B. Ward as president of the day, who in '
21
History of Republic County.
a few patriotic and well-timed remarks introduced J. C. Price, president of the Pawnee Historical Society, who in the name of the society and in behalf of Mrs. Johnson for- mally presented to Governor Stanley a deed to the eleven acres of land comprising the site of the Pawnee village. Mr. Price said:
Were it possible byany system of investigation to find out the history of all the peoples who have occupied this country since the beginning of time, men would stand ready for the undertaking.
Were it possible to trace an immigration from the north through British America to our lands of gold and ice across Bering straits, south through Asia to some un- known "Garden of Eden" as the original home of our In- dian predecessors, men and means would not be wanting in the enterprise. But the origin of these people is a closed book, and no one is found who can break the seal thereof, and we are defrauded of an heritage to which we are justly entitled.
History, like nature, has its hill-tops, and though our vision may be shaded by a misty past, much remains with- in the range of our observation and research which we may classify, record and bequeath to those who come after us as a goodly heritage.
This testament should convey not only the full comple- ment of that which we have received, but increased and augmented by the results of our inquiry, our studies and observation.
We meet today upon a natural promontory-the pano- rama presented is many miles in extent in all directions- and yet the prominence of this place is not its elevation above the surrounding country, but that it occupies a prominent place, and I might say the initial point in our state's history.
We meet on this historic spot, this hall of fame, to place a tablet to the memory of one of our early heroes, and to dedicate these grounds to the cause of freedom, to which he gave his young life. To perpetuate the record of one of the greatest peaceful victories of our history, a vic- tory only possible by the rare judgment, tact and person- ality of the gallant young officer, Zebulon M. Pike.
History places him on these grounds, over which
22
History of Republic County.
floated the flag of one of the greatest nations of the world, surrounded by hundreds of warriors who recognized the sovereignty of that flag, while he with a little band of travel-stained and weary men demanded the lowering of the flag of Spain and substituting the Stars and Stripes. Incredible as it may seem, this demand was complied with, and on September 29, 1806, Kansas breezes were called upon for the last time to unfurl that flag, which has floated over more of misery, more of oppression, more of treach- ery, than any emblem ever designed by man.
We meet to transfer to this great commonwealth these grounds where our children and our children's children may gather to learn lessons of loyalty, patriot- ism and devotion to the principles which have made us the foremost nation on the globe.
These grounds twice hallowed, hallowed by being the home of the Republican Pawnees, a people whose identity is perpetual in the name of this county, the river that flows at the foot of these bluffs, and the name of yonder village, a people who when they had accepted the sover- eignty of the United States were always loyal to the "Great White Father" in Washington.
IOWA SETS A PACE.
Our sister state, Iowa, has just dedicated a monument to the memory of Sergeant Floyd of the Lewis and Clarke expedition, at the cost of $60,000, of which the general government contributed $5,000. We believe that this sum was wisely and justly expended and leads us to anticipate a substantial appropriation for preserving these grounds.
The organization of the Pawnee Republic Historical Society was the inception of Mr. and Mrs. Geo. Johnson, and to their devotion to its objects is due whatever of suc- cess may be attained. They have been tireless in conse- cration of time and means for the necessary investiga- tions to establish the facts in connection with this inter- esting chapter of state and national history.
May the time soon come when they will be appropri- ately remembered for the unselfish labor which they have devoted to this cause of preserving whatsoever remains of the history of our predecessor, the Republican Pawnees, for honoring and preserving the spot upon which Ameri- can dominion was first enforced in the disputed territory of the Louisiana Purchase.
23
History of Republic County.
It has been the purpose of our society to arrive at ex- act truths in our examination of these historic grounds, and the deeds here enacted which have made them of national as well as local interest. And when we had ex- hausted our own resources, the results were turned over to the State Historical Society, which with its better facilities has carried on the labors to the successful ter- mination.
We will ever hold in grateful remembrance our late Secretary Judge Adams for the interest and assistance which he rendered our local society.
Our only hope of retaining these grounds in their present position is the fact that Geo. Martin can not have them moved to Topeka, labeled and placed on the shelf in the new historical rooms.
And now I am impowered as the representative of the Pawnee Republic Historical Society, and through the gen- erosity of Elizabeth A. Johnson, to deliver to your ex- cellency, the representative of our great state, this inden- ture, conveying the title in fee of these grounds.
To which the Governor responded as follows :
In the early days of the century that has just closed, at this spot, Lieutenant Pike hauled down the Spanish flag, which up to that time had been the emblem of au- thority to the savage tribes that peopled these plains, and erected in its stead the stars and stripes. Since that time the flag has had a memorable history, and recently there has been a great discussion of the question whether the constitution followed the flag. Be that as it may, many things have followed the flag since Lieutenant Pike planted it here as a mark of American sovereignty over this terri- tory. Then the United States was composed of eighteen states and twenty-four territories, with a population of six million people. Now it is composed of forty-five states and six territories, counting Alaska and Hawaii and excluding Porto Rico and the Philippines, with a population of sev- enty-eight millions.
The planting of the American flag here closely fol- lowed the Louisiana purchase and marked the commence- ment of our internal improvements and the beginning of steamboat navigation. Now the great Louisiana purchase embraces the richest part of our domain: our internal im- provements have grown to immense proportions, and the
24
History of Republic County.
protection of American commerce is becoming one of the pressing questions of the hour. Then Uncle Sam was a modest youth, unable to command any considerable share of respect or attention from foreign nations. Now he is a mature and very vigorous gentleman and commands the respect of the whole world. Then we were a debtor nation and the ledger balance was always on the wrong side. Now we are a creditor nation and the trade balance is largely in our favor.
About the time that Lieutenant Pike raised the Ameri- can flag here our imports were $130,000,000, our exports $100,000,000, showing a balance against us of $30,000,000, or 30 per cent of our entire imports. Now our exports are more than one and one-half billion dollars, our imports less than a billion, leaving a balance in our favor of more than $500,000,000. making the great balance on the credit side of the ledger one-half as great as the entire imports.
In a single century we have grown from weakness to strength; from poverty to wealth; from a debtor to a cred - itor nation. The American flag is upon all seas, Ameri- can products and the American merchant in all markets, and the United States enters upon the new century as a great world power.
But marvelous as has been the development of the United States, the development of Kansas has been more remarkable. For more than half a century after the flag was planted here the territory which now comprises our state was known by travelers and geographers alike as a great desert. The development of that desert land into fruitful fields; the substitution of an energetic, thrifty people for savage tribes; the displacement of the wild herds that roamed in countless numbers over these prai- ries by the Shorthorn and the Hereford; the building of homes, school houses and churches where formerly the wigwam stood, has been marvelous, and the history of that wonderful growth reads like a fairy tale.
Forty years ago Kansas was admitted into the Union as a state. It had scarcely more than a hundred thousand people, but these have grown and increased until we have within our borders one and a half million people, as devoted to home and law and order and good government and tem- perance as any people that were ever brought together.
We have developed along the lines of agriculture until in 1900 and 1901, in two succeeding harvests, Kansas pro-
25
History of Republic County.
duced the astounding and unequaled yield of more than 150,000,000 bushels of wheat. Last year we had in Kansas more than 6,000,000 head of live stock, or more than four head for every unit of our population. We have realized the dreams of the theorists and have a horse for every family and a cow for every individual in the state, with plenty of swine and sheep thrown in for good measure. We have grown from the crude business methods where pelts and robes were used as mediums of exchange to a banking system represented by over five hundred banks, with an aggregate deposit of nearly seventy million dol- lars, or nearly fifty dollars for every unit of our popula- tion. The deposits of our state and private banks have in- creased in a single year over 30 per cent.
To carry the products of our pastures and fields to the market we have nearly nine thousand miles of railway. If built in parallel lines equi-distant from each other, it would make twenty lines of railroad traversing the state from east to west.
But it is not in our rich harvests, our bursting gran- aries, our increasing bank deposits or our great system of railways that the state has made its greatest advancement. There was not a school house in Kansas for half a century after Pike raised the flag here. There are now more than nine thousand in the state. There are eleven thousand school teachers and an enrollment in our schools of four hundred thousand pupils. This shows that more than one-fourth of the population are enrolled in the common schools, and that one out of every one hundred and thirty of our population is a school teacher. That our schools are efficient is shown by the fact that Kansas has a smaller per cent of illiteracy than any state in the Union. .
One of the strongest influences in this wonderful de- velopment has been the public press. There are now pub- lished in Kansas eight hundred and thirty-eight papers and other periodicals. These go into our homes and afford the people means of keeping in touch with all the topics of the day. Theinfluence of the schools and homes and newspapers had a forcible illustration during the Spanish-American war. when in four full Kansas regiments, enlisted from all parts of the state, there was not a single soldier who could not write a legible hand. A remarkable thing in all of this wonderful development is that it has taken place within the space of a single life.
26
History of Republic County.
Many of the men who moulded and shaped public sen- timent in Kansas in the early days are moulding and shap- ing public sentiment still. Of the strong coterie of news- paper men who directed the current and trend of popular sentiment in the great struggle to make Kansas a free state, some still wield a ready pen in defense of the insti- tutions which the early Kansas press made possible. Of these men, John A. Martin, of the Atchison Champion; Sol Miller, of the Troy Chief; S. S. Prouty, of Freedom's Cham- pion; T. Dwight Thatcher, of the Lawrence Journal; F. G. Adams, of the Atchison Free Press, have gone, but D. R. Anthony, of the Leavenworth Times; M. M. Murdock, of the Wichita Eagle, and George W. Martin, formerly of the Junction City Union, now of the Kansas City Gazette, are still in the editorial harness I think many fail to realize the great and successful fight that the early free state press of Kansas made for freedom's cause and the influ- ence it exerted to give breadth and purpose to Kansas civilization.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.