Annals of Brown County, Kansas : from the earliest records to January 1, 1900, Part 50

Author: Harrington, Grant W., 1865-
Publication date: 1903
Publisher: Hiawatha, Kan. : Kansas Democrat
Number of Pages: 704


USA > Kansas > Brown County > Annals of Brown County, Kansas : from the earliest records to January 1, 1900 > Part 50


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388


ANNALS OF BROWN COUNTY.


to the legislature in 1862, reelected in in Hiawatha. His was the kind of 1863 and elected for a third time in charity, however, that the public 1865. It was during this third term knew little or nothingabout. It was that an effort was made by the rail- a common thing for him to go into a road companies to steal the school store and order a bill of goods sent lands. Mr. Lacock resisted the steal. to some deserving family. £


These His constituents, who wanted a rail- things never got into the newspapers road beyond all things else held an and very often the recipients of his indignation meeting and demanded charity did not know who was their his resignation which was at once benefactor. Soon after coming to tendered. The appreciation in which Hiawatha Mr. Lacock was married to Miss Clista Babbitt, daughter of


he was held by his fellow members was abundently shown by the letter Judge J. F. Babbitt. Three children were born to them but all have been


that twenty-seven of them signed


and forwarded to him on that occa- dead for a number of years. Capt.


sion, a copy of which will be fourd Lacock's library was his pride. on page 50 of these "Annals." Time Among other things he kept a file of has thoroughly vindicated Mr. La- the Brown County papers which cock's action on that occasion and were carefully bound each year. This his friends proudly point to it as the file he presented to the Academy a grandest act in his whole life. Soon couple of years ago. It is the only after this incident Mr. Lacock pur- complete file in existence and with- chased the Union Sentinel and for outit the "Annals of Brown County" nearly a year gave the people of the could not have been compiled. Capt. county an exceedingly interesting Lacock died suddenly June 18th, 1900. paper. He was elected county at- He was addressing a meeting at the torney three times-in 1862, 1878 and court house when without an in- again 1n 1888. He was a Mason, be- stant's warning he dropped to the longing to the lodge, the chapter and floor dead. The members of the bar the commandry. For a number of passed the following resolutions. years he was master of Hiawatha which will be spread upon the court lodge, No. 35, and the thoroughness records as a testimonial of their es- with which he did his work won for teem: him the admiration of all his masonic WHEREAS, It has pleased the Great Law Giver to call to his court our esteemed Brother, Ira J. WHEREAS, His wife has suffered an irrepara- ble loss; the community an energetic and useful citizen, and this, the Brown County, Kansas, bar the oldest and most brilliant member. Therefore be it Lacock, and brethren. In 1870 he was elected by the grand lodge a custodian of the work for the jurisdiction of Kansas. Mr. Lacock was a very methodical man. For years before his death he did a large business for eastern friends Resolved, That we extend to his widow our heartfelt sympathy, and the thought that his many virtues will be a solace to her in this hour of her sad bereavement. That though his re- moval from this court to that of the Supreme Judge leaves a place that cannot be filled, yet we, the survivors of this bar, will ever cherish his memory and strive to emulate his many virtues. who had interests in Brown County and his scrupulous honesty and attention to business were charac- teristic in a marked degree. He was a very sympathetic man and a tale Resolved, Further, That we adjourn in a body to attend his funeral of suffering or want would always That a copy of these Resolutions be presented to his widow, be published in the county news- papers, and be presented to our district court to be spread at large on its journal. open his purse. It is no exaggera- tion to say that he gave away more Witness the bar by its committee. Dated at Hiawatha, June 21, 1900. in charity each year than any man


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ANNALS OF BROWN COUNTY.


Flintoft Smith.


to the bar in 1848, being only twenty-


Flintoît Smith was born at Sarnia, one years of age. Always a patriotic Ontario, Canada, December 27, 1863, ,citizen it was but natural that when the son of a Canadian clergyman. He the war broke out Col. Bierer was received his education at Kingston interested in the cause of the union Collegiate Institute and Victoria and on April 18, 1861, he quit the law- College. After leaving college he lo- yer's office and organized a company cated in Wayne county, New York, of volunteers and entered the service and studied law. Was admitted to of the United States as Captain of the bar 1885. Came west on a trip Co. F, 11th Regiment of Pennsylvania in the summer of 1888 and decided to Reserve Volunteer Corps. He served locate and went to Horton in Octo- in the Army of the Potomac and ber, 1888, where he has since been en- when the whole of Fitz John Por- gaged in the practice of his profes- ter's corps was broken and retiring sion. In December, 1888, W. F. Means Captain Bierer rallied part of the reg- and Flintoft Smith formed a part- iment with his company and was nership-Means & Smith, and con- captured with his command June 2, tinued in business together at Hor- 1862, and taken to Libby Prison, from ton until, 1891, when Mr. Means was which he was released August 14th of elected county attorney and moved


that year. Returning to the army to Hiawatha, after which the firm he was severely wounded in the bat- continued but maintained an office tle of South Mountain September 14, in each town, and in the general 1862, from which wound he is crippled practice of their profession have had in his left arm for life. Becoming a reasonable success. Mr. Smith was convalescent on October 24th he was married to Miss Lottie Sours, of appointed Commandent of Camp Cur- Wayne county, New York, and has tin, Harrisburg, Pa., with the rank one child, Gray R. Smith.


Col. E. Bierer.


Colonel Everard Bierer was among unteer Infantry, and November 18th the early settlers of Brown County. was commissioned colonel of the Although he did not remove here un- 171st. September 26, 1863, he was til October, 1865, when he located on mustered out of the service with his a farm one mile east of Hiawatha. regiment. In January, February He had been here, however, in 1857 and March, 1864, Colonel Bierer and made investments in real estate served in the Veteran Reserve and returned to the east again. He Corps, but resigned his command is a Pennsylvanian, having been born and retired permanently from the in Uniontown, January 9, 1827. After army. Although he was never a pol- receiving an education in the district itician in the common understanding and private schools of his county of that term as to having sought of- Col. Bierer was sent to the Madison fice-numberless times have the college of his place where he gradu- friends in the party to which he be- ated in the higher mathematics, the longed insisted he make the race for sciences, languages and English liter- office. In 1850 he was elected the first ature. After leaving college he read district attorney of Fayette county, law in the office of Joshua B. Howell Pennsylvania. In 1864 the Republi- of his native city and was admitted cans made him the nominee for Pres-


of colonel. Here he organized the 171st. 172nd, 173rd, 176th, 177th and 178th Regiments, Pennsylvania Vol-


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ANNALS OF BROWN COUNTY.


idential elector in Pennsylvania and Fayette County, Pa. To them eight he was elected. In 1867, two years children were born, six sons and two after removing to this county, he daughters. Col. and Mrs. Blerer are was elected representative from the both members of the Congregational eleventh district to the Kansas legis- church of Hiawatha. As a lodge lature and once he made the race man Col. Bierer belongs to the Ma- for congress in this district. On April sons and the Independent Order of 8, 1852, Col. Everard Blerer and Ellen Odd Fellows.


Smouse were married at Brownsville,


1


NEWSPAPERS AND EDITORS.


Brown County was detached from Doniphan County and given a sep- erate organization in 1857 but it was more than four years before she had a newspaper published within her borders. Sol Miller's paper, The Chief, published at White Cloud did duty as an official county organ most of the time though in 1860 the publication of the tax list was given to the Cham- pion at Atchison. It was not till May 1861, when Dr. P. G. Parker having secured the material of the defunct Doniphan County Dispatch at Troy be- gan the publication of the Brown County Union at Hiawatha that the newspaper history of the county begins. Levi Morrill a brother of Gov. E. N. Morrill was the printer who took the first copy from the old rusty hand press and handed it to Jacob Weltmer who preserved it for many years as a souvenier. The office was located in the d welling house of H. M. Robinson on the ground where C. H. Lawrence's two story brick now stands. The Union ran until Jan. 3rd, 1862 when the office was destroyed by fire and no effort was made to revive the publication. So far as can be ascertained there is not a single copy of the paper in existence.


The Chief again became the official paper of Brown County and contin- ued as such until August 20th, 1864, when H. P. Stebbins began the publi- cation of the Union Sentinel. It supported Lincoln and Johnson and was anti-Lane in state politics all for $2 00 per year payable strictly in advance. Ira J. Lacock furnished the money to buy the material for the plant. Mr. Stebbins continued as editor of the Sentinel until August 16th, 1866, when he was succeeded by Ira J. Lacock and J. W. Oberholtzer.


Mr. Lacock had just passed through an unpleasant experience in the legislature in which his Brown County constituents had demanded and se- cured his resignation as a member of the House because he would not vote to loot the school fund in the interests of certain railroad corporations and · as might be expected under the circumstances he proceeded to make the Sentinel both breezy and aggressive.


On November 7, 1867, David Downer purchased the Sentinel of Messrs. Lacock and Oberholtzer and continued its editor and publisher until Octo- ber 1st, 1870 when it quietly breathed its last. A. N. Ruley afterwards purchased the material for $290.00 and shipped it to the St. Louis Type Foundry.


On April 30, 1870 A. N. Ruley began the publication of the Hiawatha Dispatch and continued as its editor until April 4th, 1878 when it passed into the hands of W. T. Stewart who in March, 1882, sold out to D. W. Wilder, J. B. Campbell and Cyrus B. Bowman who changed the name to the Hiawatha World and later to the Brown County World.


Mr, Ruley in his Directory and Reference Book published in 1892 states that the Dispatch had no connection with the Union Sentinel so that the attempt sometimes made to claim the successor of the Dispatch as a legiti- mate offspring of the old Union Sentinel is a gross perversion of the news- paper history of the county.


Bowman soon retired from the World and J. B. Campbell disposed of


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ANNALS OF BROWN COUNTY.


his interest August 4, 1884 to M. E. Foote. Foote did not continue with the paperlong and Mr. Wilder continued as the sole proprietor until March 1889 when Ewing Herbert, the present proprietor took control. From August 31, 1891 until May 1, 1892 the World ran a daily edition and again in 1899 it ran a daily for a few months.


June 21, 1874, Davis and Watson began the publication of the Brown County Advocate at Hiawatha. It started as an independent paper but soon landed in the Republican camp. July 23, 1874, Watson retired and S. L. Roberts took his place. February 20, 1875, D. L. Burger became interested in the publication. On October 9th, 1875, A. T. McCreary became a mem- ber of the firm and the name of the publication was changed to the Kan_ sas Herald. In April 1876 McCreary retired from the firm and Burger and Roberts again took control.


On August 16, 1877, D. L. Burger sold his interest to M. E. Foote who on May 14, 1882, sold to T. L. Brundage. In April 1883 Mr. Brundage be- came the sole proprietor and on Nov. 29, disposed of his subscription books and business to the World and moved the machinery to Sabetha.


On September 7, 1878, the North Kansan, the first anti-Republican pa- per in the county made its appearance at Hiawatha. It was started by a stock company of which Col. E. Bierer was president and H. B. Coryell was secretary. W. F. Gordon was editor and publisher and the politics of the paper was advertised as Democratic Greenback. On December 14, Mr. Gordon was succeeded by J. P. Mulhoolen, H. C. Wey and Albert Lawrence as editors and G. R. Propper as foreman. This arrangement was contin- ued until January 4, 1879, when C. B. Ellis took charge of the publication, ran it one week as a weekly, changed it to a semi-weekly, issued two num- bers and then suspended publication.


The second attempt to run a Democratic paper was made by Geo. P. Christie and E. G. Moore who started the Kansas Sun June 7, 1879. Moore withdrew July 18, but Christie continued the publication until October 27, 1880 when it flickered out. John L. Parker bought up the machinery and took it to Highland.


December 10, 1881. S. R and J. M. Wharton started the publication of the Weekly Messenger at Hiawatha. September 5, 1883, Geo. T. Williams began the publication of the Kansas Democrat. The two merged into the present Democrat, January 26, 1884, under the management of Williams and Bowman. Bowman soon retired and Williams remained the sole pro- prietor until March 20. 1890, when he sold the publication to Ben F. Hilde- brand. On July 5, 1892, Mr. Hildebrand was succeeded by Grant W. and Wynne P. Harrington. W. P. Harrington retired from the paper in 1894 leaving Grant W. Harrington the sole proprietor.


February 17th, 1887 W. T. Stewart and E. J. Patch began the publica- tion of the Free Press, a non-partisan paper at Hiawatha. July 14th Stewart retired and on Aug. 14th the paper declared itself a Republican or- gan. It suspended March 9th 1888.


On May 23rd 1889 Geo. W. Reinegan started the Hlawatha Journal as a Republican paper. With the advent of the Alliance came a change in the policy of the paper which became the recognized organ of the Peoples Par-


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ANNALS OF BROWN COUNTY.


ty. On Dec. 15th, 1890 Mr. Remegan sold out to the Journal Publishing Co , but remained for some time as manager for the company. He was succeeded by Geo. Holbein who remained in charge until May 10th 1891 when he was succeeded by Frank Moore. For a while during the campaign of 1892 H. A. White had charge of the paper but the management was soon restored to Mr. Moore. On Dec. 15th 1892 the Journal Publishing Com- pany sold the paper to Ben F. Hildebrand who continued its publication until June 1895 when his interest was purchased by Grant W. Harrington who merged the Journal into the Democrat.


HORTON.


The first newspaper in Horton was the Headlight, issued October 29, 1886, by Brundige & Bear. It had a clear field for nearly a year and on October 3, 1887, began the publication of a daily. The daily issue was sus- pended September 6, 1888. Shortly after this Sam Bear disposed of his in- terest to Brundige, and In 1890 the Headlight and Telegram were consoli- dated under the name of Headlight with H. W. Brundige and H. E. Whit- aker proprietors. The next year Brundige sold his interest to Will Clark and after a partnership of about six months Clark sold to Whitaker. In January, 1893, Harry Whitaker sold the Headlight to J. P. Dodds and C. J. Needham, of Sigourney, Iowa, who remained in control of it until Feb- ruary 13, 1894, when the plant was purchased by L. H. Smyth. Mr. Smyth remained in charge of the paper until 1897, when his interest was purchased by Bert Howard, the present proprietor.


On October 8, 1887, the Commercial was issued by Sherdeman & Co., with Will A. Powers as editor and manager. Mr. Powers was soon suc- ceeded by Clyde McManigal, who became the sole, proprietor of the paper December, 1892.


On January 19, 1899, Chas. R. Johnson and Lorin Law began the pub- lication of the Semi-Weekly Leader, making the third paper in Horton.


Horton has also had her full quota of short lived papers. The first of these was the Gazette, issued June 1, 1887, as a semi-weekly by C. C. Bart- huff. It suspended May 2, 1889, and the machinery was moved to Wathena.


On September 16, 1888, the Daily and Weekly Register appeared with Whitaker & Whitaker as editors. The dally suspended May 2 of the next year. On June 6, 1889, C. N. Whitaker disposed of his interest in the Regis- ter to A. B. Crockett. Mr. Crockett retired from the management January 23, 1890. The paper in the mean time had changed its name to the Telegram and on March Ist consolidated with the Headlight.


On January 1, 1889, the Brown County Star, a union labor organ, ap- peared with Fred Starr as proprietor and A. S. Abbott as editor. Abbott did not stay with the venture long and on February 12th began the publi- cation of a labor paper called the People's Banner. Both ventures were short lived.


In 1896 W. C. Atkins started a chicken paper known as the Poultry Farmer, but it only ran a few months.


ROBINSON.


The first newspaper published in Robinson was owned by a stock com- pany composed of business men. Dave Alley was editor and the first issue


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ANNALS OF BROWN COUNTY.


occured April 6, 1883. The paper was a three-column, four-page affair, size 9x12, Republican in politics. This venture ran for about six months, when the material was sold to satisfy outstanding claims and was bid in by N. F. Leslie, who was treasurer of the company.


In October. 1884, the Robinson Record was launched with N. F. Leslie as editor and N. O. Pierce as mechanical supervisor. During March, 1885, the Record gave up the ghost and the material was sold to A. N. Ruley, of Hiawath, and later the plant went to Cuba, Kansas.


August 14, 1891, E. J. Patch issued the first number of the Robinson Reporter, a seven-column folio. This paper went the way of the others in March, 1892. The material was sold to parties in White Cloud.


July 7, 1893, Pool Grinstead issued the first number of the Index and continued the publication until January 1, 1894, when C. R. Arries pur- chased the plant and assumed editorial control. Arries continued in the work until February 1, 1899, at which time N. F. Leslie and H. M. Leslie bought the plant and took charge.


MORRILL.


Until July 5, 1882, Hiawatha was the only town in the county with a newspaper. On that date the Wharton Bros. started the Morrill Journal. It proceeded to fill the long felt want until the 18th of October when it suspended.


On July 9, 1886, Price & Shelton issued the Brown County Herald, but it only lasted six weeks.


On April 4, 1890, Pool Grinstead, having purchased the Hamlin News Gleaner, moved it to Morrill and began the publication of the Morrill News. Grinstead soon afterwards sold the paper to C. E. Stains, who continued its publication until November, 1891, when Chas. E. Dyche took charge of ît. After a little more than a year Mr. Grinstead again took charge of the paper. In November, 1897, he sold the paper again to A. H. Eichelber- ger, who sold it to Mrs. Jennie McMillan, the present editor, July 1, 1898.


On December 9, 1894, T. K. Sawyer began the publication of the Morrill Vindicator. He was succeeded by S. A. Haldeman and A. H. Eichelberger, who continued the publication until 1895, when finding it unprofitable they suspended publication and the machinery was moved to Netawaka.


EVEREST.


The first paper in Everest was the Reflector. It was issued June 5, 1883, with B. H. Patch as publisher and Bert Patch as editor. It ran until Jan- tiary 28, 1887, when it suspended publication. The machinery was moved to Hiawatha and used in the publication of the Free Press.


In 1888 Lowe & Green purchased the material and on March 9th issued Vol. 1, No. 1 of the Everest Enterprise. After running nine months the office caught fire and burned down. In the spring of 1889 the business men of Everest purchased a new plant and loaned it to J. B. Green, who resur- rected the Enterprise. In the summer of 1890 Chas. R Johnson bought a half interest in the plant. The next year N. F. Hess bought the paper and ran it until February, 1895, when he sold out to Chas. R. Johnson, who on December 1, 1897, sold to the present proprietor, L. A. Irsik.


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ANNALS OF BROWN COUNTY.


HAMLIN.


July 20, 1889, Henry B. Barnes began the publication of the Hamlin News Gleaner. He continued its publication until March 29, 1890, when Pool Grinstead purchased the plant and moved it to Morrill and started the Morrill News.


FAIRVIEW.


On March 26, 1888, Col. S. O. Groesbeck issued the first number of the Fairview Enterprise and he has remained in continued and uninterrupted proprietorship ever since.


On the 29th of September, 1893, the Fairview Courier began its career with Eugene L. Smith and Cora Zook Smith as editors and proprietors. It was Republican in politics. On August 17, 1894, the paper passed into the control of the Fairview Publishing Co., but the Smiths were contined as its editors. This arrangement lasted until April 1, 1895, when the paper was sold to Chas. A. and H. J. Calnan who changed it to an Independent paper. On July 1st the Powhattan Post was consolidated with the Cour- ler and the two ran as one paper until July, 1897, when H. J. Calnan re- sumed the publication of the Post at Powhattan, leaving Chas. A. Calnan the sole proprietor of the Courier, who continued to run it until the Fair- view fire in 1899, which closed its career.


POWHATTAN.


On May 5, 1894, Chas. B. Walker began the publication of the Powhat- tan Post. He was succeeded on November 23rd by H. J. Calnan, who con- tinued the publication of the paper until the next July, when he consoli- dated it with the Fairview Courier. In July, 1897, Mr. Calnan resumed the publication of the Post at Powhattan.


WILLIS.


Two efforts have been made to establish a paper in Willis. The first was on June 1, 1883, when J. M. Wharton issued the Willis Reporter. The second was in 1897, when W. A. Huff started the Willis Journal. Both ventures were short lived.


H. P. Stebbins.


Oberholtzer and shook the dust of


H. P. Stebbins came to Kansas in Brown County off his feet.


1859. In the fall of 1858 helped to build the telegraph line from Boonville, Dr. P. G. Parker. Mo., to Kansas City and Leaven- The pioneer editor of Brown Coun- worth. In August, 1859, he com- ty was Dr. P. G. Parker, who began menced setting type at Leavenworth. the publication of the Brown County He began the publication of the Un- Union in May, 1861, The paper ran ion Sentinel August 20, 1864, keeping until January 3, 1862, when the office it up for two years, doing all the was destroyed by fire. Dr. Parker work himself, job work, type setting, entered the army as assistant sur- press work, rolling, etc. On August geon of the 10th Kansas. "He died 16, 1866, he sold his interest in the some years ago at Louisburg, in Sentinel to Ira J. Lacock and J. W. Miami county.


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ANNALS OF BROWN COUNTY.


A. N. Ruley.


a small business for himself which he continued until the fall of 1859, when


A. N. Ruley was the approach of war cut short cir- born near Lex- culation of money and paralyzed all ington, Rock- business. Then he returned to Indi- bridge County, ana and was there when Ft. Sumpter Old Virginia, on was fired upon, and returned to Mis- February 6, 1337. souri about August 1, 1861. At this His father, John time war was well on and business B. Ruley, had at a stand still. A confederate camp there owned a had been established at Rochester, in farm, but as it Andrew county, and a union army was situated at under command of Lieut. Governor the foot of the Edwards, of Iowa, had crossed into mountain. w a s Missouri and was headed towards rather rough as to topography, hills Rochester. A company of Union men and gullies abounding, so that when had been organized in Oregon but the rains came the water rushed feared to start for the Union camp down with such velocity and in such for the reason that the Confederate volumes that the soil in time washed element predominated and compan- away leaving only rocky hills, and ies of them were daily drilling near one by one the fields were abandoned the town. Mr. Ruley, growing rest- and turned out to grow up with less under the situation, found a brush and briers. Thus the good young friend of like feeling, one C. W. land left had been reduced to such a Bowman, who was afterwards edi- small area that it became impossible tor of the Holt County Sentinel, and to make a living upon it for so large they conceived a way out. There a family-father, mother, two girls had been stowed away for years in a and seven boys. So, having heard building several boxes of old flint- wonderful stories of the possibilities lock muskets and pouches used out of the west, arrangements were soon on the borders in the Indian troubles completed and the old farm forsaken. and left in charge of old Coi. Kelly, a In the fall of 1845 the family made the prominent man of the place. These trip across the Alleghanies to High- had been distributed among the Un- land county, Ohio. and in 1847 from ion men, and Ruley and Bowman there to Grant county, Indiana. having made arrangements with Here in this wet and timbered coun- others to meet them at various places try A. N. Ruley made his farming re- and secured some of these guns, and cord assisting in cleaning off the after moulding bullets until noon trees and spice brush from wild land shipped out of town, followed a creek and making farms, supporting the a couple of miles and into the big family until 1856. The father having road north and by ten o'clock that died and two older brothers having night the army of Ruley and Bow- gone west to Oregon, Holt county, man had increased to twelve men on Missouri, he with the remainder of foot and what wasdubbed the flying the family followed, where he entered dutchman on a pony, all armed with the employment of his brother who these old flint-lock muskets, wading conducted a clothing store and the the Nodaway river opposite Wilig postoffice. Tiring of this he set up Valley to make a junction with the




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