USA > Kansas > Brown County > Annals of Brown County, Kansas : from the earliest records to January 1, 1900 > Part 52
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The Brown County Exposition Association had a capital stock and shares were sold at $10.00, the proceeds being used to buy more land and erect an exposition hall and other buildings. The improvements made ex- ceeded in cost the money secured from the sale of stock and the grounds were mortgaged to cover the difference. Seventeen years experience convinced the stock holders that fair associations were not money making concerns and the stock holders decided to let the grounds go to satisfy the indebtedness.
This led to the forming of a new Association and in 1897 the Brown County Fair Association was formed with a paid up capital stock of $3,000.
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ANNALS OF BROWN COUNTY.
This was divided into 30 shares of $100 each and were taken up by thirty citizens who were anxious to see a, successful fair maintained in Brown County. This Association purchased the grounds at sheriff's sale and the fair this year is the fourth one held under its auspices.
The following table will show the dates when falrs have been held and the lists of presidents and secretaries under whose auspices they were con- ducted.
No. Year President
Secretary
Date
1. ... 1864. J. F. Babbitt
.E. L. Pound
. August 13-14
2. ... 1865 J. F. Babbitt
E. L. Pound
September 21-22
3 .... 1866.
Samuel Speer
E. L. Pound
September 27-28
Samuel Speer
E. N. Morrill
September 27-28
4 .... 1867
5. . .. 1868
Samuel Speer
E. N. Morrill
September 24 25
6 .... 1869
M. B. Bowers
E. N. Morrill.
.October 1-2
7 .... 1870 John Schilling
J. W. Oberholtzer September 8-10 8 .. .1871
John Schilling.
J. W. Oberholtzer
September 21-23
9. ... 1872. John Schilling J. W. Oberholtzer September 26-28 10 ... .1873 John Schilling. J. W. Oberholtzer .September 25-27
. . 1874. Alfred Walters Joseph Cracraft (Grasshoppers)
11 .. 1875 Alfred Walters
Joseph Cracraft . October 14-16
Joseph Cracraft September 26-29 12 1876 J. P. Davis
13. ... 1877 Joseph Cracraft W. D. Lewis. .September 25 28
Joseph Cracraft September 18-21 14 .. .1878 J. P. Davis
15 .... 1879 J. P. Davis
C. H. Lawrence September 9-12
Sept. 28-Oct. 1 16 ... .1880 J. P. Davis
C. H. Lawrence Theo L. Brundage. . September 27-30 17 ... .1881 J. P. Davis
18 ... .1882 J. M. Boomer Theo L. Brundage ... September 19-22
19
.. 1883 J. M. Boomer
Theo L. Brundage ... September .8-21
20 .1884. J. M. Boomer
C. H. Lawrence
September 16-19
21
1885
J. M. Boomer
C. H. Lawrence
September 9-12
C. H. Lawrence. September 14-18 22 .... 1886. .S. Detwiler
23 .... 1887. S. Detwiler. C. H. Lawrence October 3-6 24 .1888 G. R. T. Roberts
John H. Meyer September 3-6 26 1890
John H. Meyer September 9-12 27 1891 E. Harrington
28 1892 .E. Harrington
C. H. Lawrence September 6 9
29 .1894 E. Harrinton
C. H. Lawrence . September 4 7
30 ... 1895.
E. Harrington
.C. H. Lawrence September 10-13
31 ... .1896 G. Y. Johnson
E. Hoye. September 15-18
.G. W. Harrington .. . Aug. 31-Sept. 3 32. .1897 G. Y. Johnson
33.
.. 1898
G. Y. Johnson.
John H. Meyer
. September 6-9
34 ... 1899 G. Y. Johnson G. W. Harrington Aug. 30 Sept. 1 35. ... 1900 .G. Y. Johnson John H. Meyer August 28-31
C. H. Lawrence .September 4-7 25 .1889 S. Detwiler.
E. Harrington
M. L. Guelich
September 1-5
.1893 E. Harrington
C. H. Lawrence
(World's Fair)
411
ANNALS OF BROWN COUNTY.
OUR LEADING CITIZEN.
Every county has its leading citizen. The man who by common consent is recognized as holding that position of honor in the com- muuity. The man who is preeminent as a leader in public enterprises, whose influence has always been for the betterment of the community and whom the people have honored with positions of trust and profit. That position in Brown county will be accorded without question to Governor Edmund N. Morrill. · Pioneer settler, Territorial legislator, soldier, success- ful business man, state senator, member of Congress, Governor of Kansas -such a combination of honors will never fall to the lot of another citizen of Brown county.
Major Morrill, as he is familiarly known, was born in Westbrook, Cum- berland county, Maine, February 12, 1834 His education was received in the common schools of the town and in the Westbrook Seminary. His father, Rufus Morrill, was a tanner and currier by trade and this business was taught to the son. In 1856 young Morrill at the age of twenty-two . was elected a member of the board of school supervisors for his native town for a term of three years. He resigned this office at the end of one year to come to Kansas. He tells with pride that one of his official acts as a member of this board was to grant a certificate to Thomas B. Reed authorizing the future speaker of the House of Representatives to teach school.
In 1857 Mr. Morrill joined a colony which left the Pine Tree State to found a new settlement in the Territory of Kansas. The party headed for Brown county and settled a few miles west of where Hiawatha now stands. Here they laid out a town which they named Hamlin in honor of Hannibal Hamlin, then a senator from Maine. Mr. Morrill took a claim of one hundred and sixty acres near the town which, when the land came into the market, he bought from the government at $1.25 per acre. Here he erected a saw mill and began the manufacture of native lumber. This , mill though burned out was rebuilt and successfully operated for three years.
In the fall of 1857 the Free State men determined to capture the legisla- tive machinery of the territory and Mr Morrill was picked on as the prop- er man to make the race for the legislature in the district composed of Brown and Nemeha counties and a committee was sent to notify him that he was the nominee. At the election which followed he received 136 votes in Brown county and 145 in Nemeha county against 72 in Brown and 38 in Nemeha for his Pro Slavery opponent E. M. Hubbard. Such was Mr. Morrill's introduction to Brown county and to the politics of Kansas.
In the territorial legislature he helped to repeal the "Bogus Laws" and distinguished himself In an effort to get under headway a movement to create a state out of the northern half of Kansas and the Nebraska terri- tory south of the Platte river. In January 1858 he was elected to the legis- lature under the Lecompton constitution but as that movement failed no sessions were ever held.
412
ANNALS OF BROWN COUNTY.
When the war broke out Mr. Morrill enlisted. He was mustered into the service as a private in Company C of the Seventh Kansas cavalry on October 5th 1861. On October 10th he was promoted to the rank of ser- geant and on August 9th 1862 he was commissioned commissary of subsist- ence while at Rienza, Mississippi by President Lincoln. He was with Gen- eral Grant at Corinth and at the expiration of his service he held the rank of major by brevet. On October 26th 1865 he was mustered out of the ser- vice and returned to his Brown county home.
At the election in 1866 he was elected clerk of the court without oppo- sition. During the year, a vacancy occuring in the office of county clerk, he was appointed to fill the vacancy and was elected at the fail election with- out opposition. He continued to fill the two offices for some time being reelected clerk of the court in 1868 and county clerk in 1869 and 1871. In the fall of 1872 he was elected to the state senate and served for a term of two years. He was again elected to the senate in 1876 and served for a term of four years. During this term he was made president pro tem of the senate and chairman of the cominirtee of ways and means, the most important committee in the senate. In 1882 he was nominated by the Republicans as one of the "Big Four" and was elected to Congress as a member from the state at large. Two years later, the state having been redistricted he was elected from the first district and reelected in 1886 and 1888. In 1890 he de- clined a renomination.
In Congress Major Morrill was recognized as one of the industrious hard working members of the body. His specialty was in securing pen- sions for his old comrades and during his last term he was the chairman of the committee on Invalid Pensions. He drafted and put through Con gress what is known as the Morrill dependent pension and disability act which has proven a blessing to many an old soldier.
In 1891 in recognition of his work for the old soldier he was elected by Congress as a member of the board of managers for the National Home for disabled soldiers.
In 1892 he was a candidate for the Republican nomination for governor but was defeated by Farmer A. W. Smith. Two years later he was an easy winner for the nomination and was elected defeating Gov. Lewelling who was a candidate for re-election. Two years later he was unanimously re nominated by the Republicans but that proved to be a Populist year and he went down in the general defeat which overwhelmed his party at the polis.
Although actively engaged in politics for more than thirty years Major Morrill has not neglected his business interests. He had faith in Brown county and saw in her magniûcent future growth the opportunity to make a fortune. In 1871 in company with W. B. Barnett and Lorenzo Janes he established the first bank in the county. When it was afterwards incor- porated as a state bank he became its president and has so continued. He was also president of the First National Bank of Leavenworth for a num- ber of years and a director in the Inter State National Bank of Kansas City, Kansas. He has also dealt extensively in Brown county land and has been a farmer and a stock ralser on an extensive scale.
On the 27th of November 1862 Mr. Morrill was united in marriage to Miss
413
ANNALS OF BROWN COUNTY.
Elizabeth A. Brettun of Livermore. Maine, daughter of William H. Brettun She died in September 1868, and on Christmas day of 1869 he was again married, his second union being with Miss Caroline J. Nash of Boston Massachuetts. Three children have been born to this union: Susan B., wife of Cornelius B. Baker of Hiawatha, Grace W., wife of Charles Dixon presi- dent of the Dixon Live Stock Commission Company of Kansas City, and Frank N., who completed the academic course in Harvard University with the class of 1897 and the law course with the class of 1900.
Major Morrill is a member of the Masonic fraternity belonging to the lodge, chapter and commandery at Hiawatha and to the Shrine at Leav- enworth. He is also a member of Hiawatha Post I30 of G. A. R. and a member of the Loyal Legion.
Major Morrili has always been a public spirited man and has given liber- ally to the upbuilding and support of all classes of public institutions but he will always be especially remembered in connection with twoinstitutions of which Hiawatha is extremely proud-The Morrill Public Library and the the Academy. In 1882 he made a proposition to the city of Hiawatha to furnish the city with a free library and reading room. The proposition was accepted and from this begining has grown the present library one of the best public libraries in the state. In 1886 he fathered the movement which gave to Brown county the Hiawatha Academy. He has always been its most liberal supporter and is today the president of its board of trustees .
During his long and active business career in Brown county Major Morrill has won the confidence and respect of the entire community. He has been above the little sharp practices too common in business affairs. He has taken advantage of no man's neccessities. His sincerity and honesty have never been doubted and the people have learned to trust him because they felt that their confidences would not be abused. Earnest, able, public, spirited, progressive. These are the characteristic which have secured for him the acknowledged position as the leading citizen of the county .
414
ANNALS OF BROWN COUNTY.
THE BANKS AND BANKERS.
CHRONOLOGY.
Jan. 2, 1871. The Pioneer Bank of Barnett, Morrill & Co., is organized.
Feb. 1, 1877. Morrill & Janes succeed Barnett, Morrill & Co.
Nov. 16, 1881. The First National Bank of Hiawatha is chartered.
Mch. 10, 1885. The Farmer's Bank of Morrill is chartered. Mch. 10, 1887. The Bank of Horton is chartered.
May 2, 1887, The Morrill & Janes Bank. succeeds Morrill & Janes. Oct. 8, 1887. The First National Bank of Horton is chartered.
Dec. 12, 1888. The Fairview State Bank is chartered.
June 17, 1889. The Bank of Hamlin is chartered.
Ang. 15, 1892. The State Bank of Powhattan is chartered.
Oct. 25, 1892. The Everest State Bank is chartered.
Mch. 16, 1893. The Farmer's State Bank of Horton is chartered. Aug. 7, 1895. The Bank of Robinson is charrered. Jan. 25, 1897. The Bank of Powhattan is chartered.
May 15, 1897. The Farmer's State Bank of Everest is May 15, 1898. [ The Reserve State Bank is chartered.
May 30, 1899. The Willis State Bank is chartered.
June 23. 1899. The State Bank of Everest is chartered.
The banking history of Brown County began on January 2nd :1871 when W. B Barnett, E N. Morrill ard Lorenzo Janes organized the pio- neer, banking house of Barnett, Morrill & Co., at Hiawatha. Its banking. capital was $12,550 and Peter Pfeiffer was its first depositor. The nearest bank at that time was in Atchison. For eleven years this bank had nu rival in the county. Then the First National Bank of Hiawatha was or- ganized. Next came the Farmer's Bank of Morrill. The building of the Rock Island road into Brown County brought two banks into the county at Horton. Then in rapid succession banks were organized all over the coun- ty until today every town in the county, except Baker, has a bank. Bank failures have been unknown in this county. Today there are an even dozen banks in the county.
Some idea of the magnitude of the business done can be gathered from a study of the published statements made to the Bank Commissioner and the Comptroller of the Currency in June last (1900) These reports show that the capital. surplus and undivided, profits of the twelve banks amounted to $396,884 €7 The buildings and fixtures owned amounted to $58,311.56. The individual deposits amounted to $1,336,684 42. The outstanding loans were $1,071,823 91 and the cash on hand was $577,498.51. These figures are simply :astonishing but they serve to show as nothing else can that Brown County is an exceedingly rich and prosperous corner of the state.
415
ANNALS OF BROWN COUNTY.
THE MORRILL & JANES BANK.
The business of the Morrill & Janes Bank was established in January 1871 by Edmund N. Morrill, William B. Barnett and Lorenzo Janes under the firm name of Barnett, Morrill & Co. Charles H. Janes, son of Lorenzo Janes, entered the bank as cashier at the time the business was established in January 1871.
The firm of Barnett, Morrill & Co , was dissolved in February 1877, and the firm of Morrill & Janes, composed of Edmund N. Morrill and Charles H. Janes, succeeded to the business. The business was carried on by the firm of Morrill & Janes, until May 2, 1887, when the banking business of the said firm was sold out to The Morrill & Janes Bank, a state bank cor- poration.
The firm of Morrill & Janes continued in the real estate loan business which was an entirely seperate business from that of the banking business, until the death of C. H. Janes, when it was turned over to the Banking Corporation.
The first board of directors was composed of Edmund N. Morrill, Charles H. Janes, Lorenzo Janes, A. J. Schilling and C. D. Lamme. The board organized by electing E. N. Morrill President, C. H. Janes Vice Pres- ident and C. D Lamme Cashier. There was practically no change in the directory until the death of Mr Lorenzo Janes in 1894, whose place on the board was filled by the election of George H. Adams. The death of Mr. Charles H. Janes, occuring in 1896 and Mr. Samuel Bierer was elected to fill the vacancy
The present board is composed of E. N. Morrill, C. D. Lamme, C. B. Baker, George H. Adams and Samuel Bierer. The active management is In the hands of E. N. Morrill President, C. D. Lamme Vice President and C. B. Baker Cashier.
Mr. Morrill is a native of Maine and settled in Kansas in 1857. He was County Clerk at the time of the organization of ;the Bank. Mr. Barnett is a native of Ohio and came to Kansas in an early day and was Coun- ty Treasurer at the time of the establishment of the business. Lorenzo and C. H. Janes were natives of Vermont, the senior Janes not removing to Kansas until 1870. C H. Janes spent about fifteen years in the City of New York having been connected with the National Express Co., as cash- ler, and afterwards with a bank in St. Albans, Vermont.
The present management and clerical force having been with the Bank as follows: E. N. Morrill January 1871, 30 years, C. D. Lamme Jan- uary 1880, 21 years; C. B. Baker November 1891, 9 years; T. Mclaughlin October 1888, 12 years: F. H. Smith February 1889, 12 years; Cora Younk- man July 1897, 3 years; George H. Storch December 1899, 1 year. Wm. Alexander (porter) about 20 years.
Barnett, Morrill & Co., commenced business with a capital of $12,550, which was increased from time to time as the business required, until the capital of the present corporation is $100,000, with surplus and undivided profits of more than $20,000. The deposits ranged from nothing at the be-
416
ANNALS OF BROWN COUNTY.
ginning to more than $400,000. During the past thirty years this institu- tion has invested for non-residents principally in real estate mortgaged ir.ore than two and one-half million dollars without the loss of a penny to the investor.
THE FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF HIAWATHA.
The First National Bank of Hlawatha was chartered to begin business November 16, 1881 with a capital of $50,000 divided among twenty-four stockholders, seven of them being residents of Brown County. The bal- ance of the stock was owned principally in Galesburg, Ill. Among the original promoters are found the names of M. S. Smalley, Samuel A. Ful- ton, Edgar R. Fulton, Josiah C. Thomas. Henry F. Macy, Elias Moser, David Babbit, Everard Bierer and Johnson Beatty. Ellas Moser is the only member of the present board of directors who was of the original stockholders, he having served in that capacity continuously from the organization of the bank. M. S. Smalley was its first president and Sam- nel A. Fulton its first cashier .
March 22nd, 1881 S. A. Fulton having purchased the corner 65 feet by 25 feet where the bank building now stands, a three story brick build- ing was erected. The I. O. O. F. lodge of Hiawatha owning the upper story, the bank and J. C. Thomas owning the first and second stories of the building. Sept. 3rd, 1890 fire totally destroyed the three story brick build- ing, leaving building, vault and contents a mass of smoking ruins. By some skillful work of the officers and the fire department, che safe was pro- tected and its contents saved without injury. The books of the bank were all badly injured, but fortunately the most important of them were suffi- ciently preserved to enable a complete new set to be made. On the morn- ing after the fire the board of directors held a meeting in the bandstand and decided to obtain plans and erect a new building at once. Business was resumed without delay in the west side of Hill Bros'. hardware store. By February 1st 1891 the new building was ready for occupancy.
Mr. Chas. P. Waste, the former cashier, who is now engaged in busi- ness at Galesburg, Ill., was with the bank for eighteen years during most of which time he was its cashier. Of the present officers Mr. Charles Kuabb has been president of the bank since 1894. Mr. Lewis E. Chase its vice- president has been an active member of the board of directors for eighteen years. Wm. Knabb cashier has been with the bank for twelve years, J. W. Howie assiscant cashier for fifteen years and J. F. Meisenheimer who recently joined the force had just completed his second term as treasurer of Brown County.
The board of directors at present is composed of the following well known citizen : Elias Moser, Dr. W. W. Nye, Lewis E. Chase, Chas Knabb, Eii Davis, Dr. Geo. C. MeKnight and Wm. Knabb. The bank's business has grown gradually from the beginning until its present showing is a credit to the community.
417
THE ANNALS OF BROWN COUNTY.
THE FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF HORTON.
The First National Bank of Horton organized in October 1887 with Scott Hopkins as President, Alex Dunn as Vice President and F. M. Wilson as Cashler and it has never made any change in the personel of the officers. The first board of directors were John S. Hopkins, Gordon Dunn, Alex Dunn, Jr., Scott Hopkins and F. M. Wilson. Gordon Dunn retired in favor of Dr. W. W. Ralston and at his death Hugh Caughey was elected to fill the vacancy. This is the only change that has been made in the board of directors. The bank has a capital stock of $50,000, a surplus of $10,626.81 and deposits of nearly a quarter of a million of dollars.
THE BANK OF HORTON.
The Bank of Horton was chartered March 10th, 1887. The organizers were M. A. Low, General Attorney for the C. K. & N. railway; H. A. Park- er, chief engineer of the C. K. & N .; C. F. Jilson. secretary and treasurer of the C. K. & N .; W. W. Guthrie and E. W. Sandison. J. W. Parker was the first president and Frank Krebs the first cashier. Frank Krebs died May 17th, 1889 and was succeeded by Geo. Hovey the present cashier. In 1892 W. R. Honnell became president of the bank and A. F. Moore vice presi- dent. In 1891 the building in which the bank was located burned but the the bank lost nothing except its fixtures. The capital of the bank is $25,000. Its surplus and undivided profits are more than $16,000. It al- ways has been a depository for the Rock Island railway and its deposits exceed two hundred thousand dollars.
BANK OF ROBINSON.
The Bank of Robinson is recognized as one of the solid substantial well managed dividend paying institutions of Brown County. It was organ- ized June 10th 1890 às a private bank by J. N. Mills, J. M. Idol and Frank Idol. This arrangement continued until 1892 when B. B. Idol bought the interest of Mr. Mills. On August 7th 1895 the bank incorporated as a state bank under the laws of Kansas with B. B. Idol, J. M. Idol, Frank Idol, Wm. Idol and H. F. Idol as directors. B. B. Idol was elected president, J. M. Idol vice president, Frank Idol cashier and Wm. Idol assistant cash- ier. J. M. Idol died the latter part of that year and S. E. Felchter was elected to succeed him as a director and as vice president. These are all the changes that have taken place in the more than ten years of the bank's history. The active management of the bank has from its start been in the hands of its efficient and painstaking cashier Frank Idol assisted since 1895 by his brother Wm. Idol
The bank has a capital and surplus of $16,000. It owns its own build- ing and is equipped with the modern banking conveniences, screw door time lock safe, etc. The average deposits of the bank are about $100,000 which shows that the institution enjoys the confidence of the people of Robinson and the surrounding territory.
418
THE ANNALS OF BROWN COUNTY.
THE FAIRVIEW STATE BANK.
December 10th, 1888, the Fairview State bank was organized and char_ ter secured. December ISth a meeting was held by the prospective stock- holders to perfect the organization. H. C. Haines, T. J. Brady, George A. Gulld, of Sabetha, J. H. Vandalsem, J. M. Boomer, W. F. Sanderson and J. S. Belk, of Fairview, were designated by the charter as directors at said meeting and the number of directors was increased from seven to nine and C. F. Joss and E. M. Brown were elected as such directors. The board then elected the following officers: John T. Brady, president; W. F. Sanderson, vice president; John S. Beik, secretary. January 7th 1889, at a called meeting held that date, John T. Brady resigned as president and H. C. Haines resigned as director. Henry Isley was then elected director and also as president. Fred E. Graham was elected cashier. The authorized capital was $50,000. On the 14th day of January '89 the bank started to do'business with $10,000 of the capital stock being paid in. On the first day of business the deposits were $1,884.30 and loans $1,570.85. January Ist '90 the deposits were $25,567.05, and loans were $33,516 42. At the close of business December 30, 1899, the deposits were $65,602 52. The paid up capital and surplus now is $20,000. The bank has always done and is now doing a good business. The management is on the conservative plan . In the fall of '92 the brick banking house was erected, which stood the fire test last October 31st and provided the fire wall which saved the east end of the block from being wiped out. The building is 25x46 with spacious banking room and directors room. Fred E. Graham was cashier of the bank from its organization until October Ist '90, when he resigned and C. D. Graham was elected as cashier. That he did his part acceptably to the board and patrons is evident from the fact that he has beid the position continously since and is serving his ten years more. The following consti- tute the present board of directors: W. F. Lambertson, Henry Monroe, Sr., Fred Isley, E M. Brown, C. F. Joss, Fred E. Graham and Henry Isley. Of the above number four have been continuously members of the board since the bank opened for business. The first vacancy on the board caused by death was last June when A. A. Frink died. That he was highly es- teemed by his fellow members of the board was fittingly demonstrated hy the resolutions adopted. The present officers are: Henry Isley, president; W. F. Lambertson, vice president; C. D. Graham, vice president; V. R. Shintaffer, book keeper.
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