Biographical history of Cloud County, Kansas: biographies of representative citizens. Illustrated with portraits of prominent people, cuts of homes, stock, etc, Part 17

Author: Hollibaugh, E. F
Publication date: 1903]
Publisher: [n.p.
Number of Pages: 938

USA > Kansas > Cloud County > Biographical history of Cloud County, Kansas: biographies of representative citizens. Illustrated with portraits of prominent people, cuts of homes, stock, etc > Part 17

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One of the notable features of this ban- quet was the absence of wine. The ment card was headed with the following quota- tion : "Some food we have and some water fresh."

The object of the organization is to promote Republicanism and to call together in a social way the young Republicans of Cloud county.

THE PIKE MONUMENT.

The Pike monument commemorates the place and event where Colonel Zebulon Pike, while on his return from Mexico, raised the American flag, the first stars and stripes that ever floated over Kansas soil.

THE PIKE MONUMENT.

The cornerstone was placed with cere- monial rites by the Grand Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons, under the auspices of Bellville Lodge No. 129, July 4, 1901. The unveiling of the monument occurred the following 29th of September, just ninety-five years from the day Colonel Pike displayed the fair standard of American liberty on Pawnee rock, the site of the Pawnee Indian village in Republic county,

146

HISTORY OF CLOUD COUNTY, KANSAS.

COUNTY FAIR ASSOCIATION.

Cloud county once had a prosperous County Fair Association. The society was organized in 1883. A considerable sum of money was expended in fitting up the grounds that the agricultural and mechanical products might be shown to good advantage. It was a commendable institution and flour- ished several years. Competent and reliable men were in charge and the people from all over the surrounding country took an appreciable interest. The grounds, which were situated near Concordia, afforded one of the best race tracks in northwest Kansas. The advantages of the state as a produc- tive and stock raising country were sent abroad and did much to convince eastern people, who entertained grave doubts about even the civilization of the state, that Kansas had no superior in the west.

Poli Buharw

5- 14 - 19 20

WASHINGTON STREET IN CONCORDIA DURING THE FLOOD.

THE FLOOD OF JUNE, 1902.

During the latter part of the month of June, 1902, scores of fields adja- cent to the rivers and creeks were submerged under water caused by the heavy and continued rainfalls, seriously damaging the corn and many of the wheat fields. As the injured grain ripened the fields were in such a muddy condition it was impossible in many instances to garner the grain. Both the Republican and Solomon rivers were higher than they had been known for years, as the illustrations given will testify, and in July, 1902, the Republican was reported to have been higher than ever before in the history of the coun- try. reaching a width of four miles in some localities. The tracks of the Prosser branch of the Missouri Pacific Railway, near Yuma, about four miles west of Concordia, were under water for several miles and hundreds o: yards of track was washed out.

VIEW FROM SOUTH SIDE OF WEST BRIDGE OVER THE SOLOMON RIVER.

VIEW FROM SOUTH SIDE OF EAST BRIDGE OVER THE SOLOMON RIVER.

TRANSFERRING CREAM ACROSS THE REPUBLICAN UNDER DIFFICULTIES.

149

HISTORY OF CLOUD COUNTY, KANSAS.

Many farmers living in the lowlands were compelled to flee to the uplands for safety ; many of them losing stock. Some of the harvesting had been finished: some of the grain was unripe, owing to a late season, drouth, etc., and a machine did not enter the field. The young and growing corn that had given such rare promise of a plentiful harvest was greatly injured, some

ON THE SANTA FE RAILWAY, NEAR ONEONTA.

REPUBLICAN RIVER NEAR CLYDE.

places totally. The watermelon growers in the vicinity of Clyde were heavy losers of their crop of melons, which gave indications of an unprecedented yield a few weeks before. The farmer who lives on the upland in a year like this can witness his broad acres of wheat or his great fields of corn, the stocks of which are burdened with long ears of well-filled corn, and feel it is good to live on the upland prairie.

The cut on page 148 is a view of the "Bridge" road ( taken July 9). looking south from the Missouri Pacific railway crossing, between Shorer's and Fessenden's farms, during the recent high water-the highest the Repub- lican river has been during the past twenty-five years-at which time and place the river was nearly two miles wide. It also illustrates how one of Clyde's principal business men overcame the obstacle presented in the obstruction of communication. Mr. C. F. Armstrong makes the proud claim that he has never, for any reason, closed down any of his skimming stations. and never proposes to as long as his patrons will furnish him any milk. During this time the Como (Mulberry) station was receiving from twelve thousand to fifteen thousand pounds of milk daily. The cream from this milk, together with that from Huscher and Concordia, was brought to the south side of Fessenden's farm, from whence it was successfully transported across the river in a boat, necessitating many trips and much ardnous and dangerous labor. Each load had to be pulled by hand over the Missouri Pacific railway, but as the tops of the rails were only a few inches above the general surface of the river, this was not the most difficult part of the work.

HISTORY

OF THE

CITY OF CONCORDIA.

The city of Concordia is situated in the immediate valley of the Repul lican river, at the base of a range of hills to the south upon which have been erected many handsome dwellings, whose ocenpants enjoy one of the most beautiful panoramic views on the continent. On the north side is the river, which is bordered by fine cottonwood trees, and its broad valley stretches far to the east and west of the city.

Perhaps no one man is so much entitled to the credit of founding Con- cordia as J. M. Hagaman. He conceived the idea and selected the town site where he has resided and lives at the present time, and whose face is as famil- iar to Cloud county people as the head of the Goddess of Liberty on the Amer- ican dollar.

The plan of locating the county seat on the Republican river was co-ex- istent with Mr. Hagaman's advent into the county in 1860, and he never let an opportunity escape to push the project. To aid this enterprise he opened a road at his own personal expense to Junction City and secured the survey over this line in 1864 of a state road from that city. The sixty-fourth mile- post (a red sand rock) lies buried on his old homestead by the river bridge. Mr. Hagaman explains the seemingly short distance by saying: "In order to make it appear they were not so very far distant from the outside world, he had the surveyor, A. C. Pierce, of Junction City, stretch the gunter's chain," that is, threw in ten links now and again and sometimes oftener. This was done to secure a good road to Junction City and avoid the dangers and hardships in going to market. He reasoned that without the county seat and an important town, never would be heard the locomotive's shrill whistle on the south side of the Republican river.

Is it any wonder that his neighbors smiled at his talk, when the buffalo bulls were making the hills, valleys and plains melodious with their bellow- ing, and the wolves making night hideous with their bloodthirsty howlings, in the very dooryards of the settlers.

Mr. Hagaman built the first house on the town site with his own hands.

151

HISTORY OF CLOUD COUNTY, KANSAS.

He built for G. W. Andrews the second, projected the court house and donated more funds toward it than all the other parties with the exception of G. W. Andrews. Mr. Hagaman located land on which a part of the town stands and induced Mr. Andrews to locate one hundred and sixty acres adjoining his on the south, the prospective town being the inducement held out to Andrews. This was in August, 1868. In 1866 he had secured the per- manent location of the county seat two miles east of the present site.

THE COUNTY SEAT SKIRMISH.

In the summer of 1866, the population being sufficient, Mr. Hagaman prepared a petition to the governor, the Honorable S. J. Crawford, praying him to issue a proclamation declaring the county organized. He presented the petition personally; the prayer was granted, election of officers and the present location of the county seat ordered.

He had named in the petition Clyde as the temporary county seat; his object being to mislead the people of that village, who not only desired to get the temporary seat but the permanent one as well. Naming Clyde disarmed the opposition to the organization of the county. He was somewhat per- plexed over a suitable name and after casting about for a time decided on naming it "Townsdin's Point." Mr. W. S. Townsdin had taken a claim just west of Oak Creek and not far east of the center of the county. where he intended the seat should be finally located; not caring, as Mr. Hagaman archly remarked, "if afterward the point were found to be in the moon," his sole purpose being to keep Clyde from getting the vote.

Election day came, and Cowel, the Clyde merchant, went to Sibley to tell the dozen or so of voters how to cast their ballots on the county seat. Mr. Hagaman went, and some one in the crowd was heard to remark "and Satan came also." He looked over the poll-book. so-called, and found it very defec- tive, a jug of whiskey sitting on the floor near the judges' table, and the judges and clerks fully "three sheets in the wind." Mr. Hagaman went home fully satisfied that precinct would not be counted-and it was not.

The commissioners appointed by the governor to complete the organiza- tion of the county were George Wilcox, Dr. Henry Lear and Moses Heller, with N. D. Hagaman for clerk and "Elk Creek" for the county seat. It may seem strange to have a creek selected for the county seat, but there was no land deeded at that time and "Elk Creek" was then generally known to be around "Uncle. Heller's" place.

These commissioners were recommended in the petition and all lived on the north side of the river except the clerk. The commissioners could not be got together to canvass the vote. Finally the clerk wrote the secretary of state to know what to do about it. He replied to make and remit to him an affidavit of the facts and he would authorize N. D. Hagaman to canvass them. They were advised of this and still would not meet. The order of the secre- tary came : the clerk set the day to canvass, of which the opposition was noti-

152

HISTORY OF CLOUD COUNTY, KANSAS.

fied, but none appeared. The clerk found that "Townsdin's Point" has a majority of the legal votes and he declared it the permanent county seat of "Shirley county."

Had Clyde been given the county seat. Concordia would never have existed. As a matter of course nothing was ever done at "Townsdin's Point." nor was there ever intended to be. The object was to keep the county seat from Clyde, and prevent the growth and prestige the permanent location of the county seat would give.

Nothing more was done about the location of the county seat until 1869. In the summer of that year a sprightly town sprung up at Sibley and was named for the lake that bears that name. A. A. Carnahan had a quarter section upon which a portion of the town was located and of course wanted the county seat there C. M. Albinson was the soul of this enterprise and A. A. Carnahan the brains.

COUNTY SEAT AGITATION.

The subject of re-locating the county seat began to be agitated that summer. The south side voters cansed to be circulated the report that they were opposed to the election which doubled the desire of the north side people for it, construing the unwillingness of the south side people to mean fear of the result. While not sanguine of success they knew it was now or never, as the south side had a plurality of five votes with a steady gain on the north side.

Albinson was planning to colonize some voters, but upon hearing that the board would throw his precinct out if it was found a single illegal vote were east. he abandoned the scheme. No fairer or more honest elections were ever held than the two that finally settled the county seat at Concordia. On the first ballot Clyde was third in the race, which left Sibley and Con- cordia alone in the ring. The fight waged hot and fierce; report came that Sibley was distributing town lots among voters. Mr. Hagaman advised George Andrews to put one or two hundred lots in his pocket and go with them to Shirley and Clyde, which he did. Consequently the vote was very satisfactory in both places.

Every vote south of the Republican river was for Concordia and the eighteen votes from Clyde gave her a big majority. There was sufficient reason for the Clyde property owners not voting for Sibley. Concordia would do them less harm.

As Concordia grew. Sibley paled in the dim distance, her stores were deserted and her hotel. built at a cost of four thousand dollars, was aban- doned and went to ruin. The failure of Sibley brought ruin to J. T. Swen- son. of Junction City, the financial backer of the adventure. C. M. Albin- son and several others lost many of their ducats when the Sibley bubble bursted. Mr. Carnahan erected the fourth building in Concordia, but after- ward east his lot with Sibley. the illusive future metropolis being partly on his land: but prodigal like, he returned to Concordia.

153

HISTORY OF CLOUD COUNTY, KANSAS.

The election on November 6, 1866, was an important one, inasmuch as the county seat question was involved in this contest; it was the north and the south side of the river, the north side concentrating on Elk creek. the south side, a location situated on Oak creek.

J. M. Hagaman, not satisfied with the action of the convention, claimed the right of applying to the people for their suffrage to the office of representative, so ran independent. The Elk precinct polled eighteen votes. Election over, the next thing was to canvass this vote by the first board of commissioners.

Here hinges the most delicate part of this narrative, but to those who are inclined to censure, please bear in mind this election involved a county seat contest, which has been the cause-whether it came up in this state or any other state-of more crookedness and official corruption than .many other causes combined. The officers were new and inexperienced, had no precedence before them to look to, nor had they that usful appendant, county attorney, to counsel, and as for legal documents, there were perhaps none in the county, with the exception of one copy of the compiled laws, in pos- session of 'Squire J. M. Thorp.

The following statement was made by a person who was present at this attempted canvass and in substance is as follows: The board saw by the certified returns that William English was elected county commissioner and immediately had him sworn in. George Wilcox was then told his term of office expired, and there was nothing more for him to do. so he went home, which left Heller and English on the board. Robert J. Smith, the man from the Solomon valley, never qualified.

An idea prevailed among the settlers of that day that where there was a tie on the board the clerk had a right to give the casting vote. This was an advantage to the friends of Oak creek, for the clerk was an Oak creek man ; so, on inspecting the returns from Sibley, they were thrown out because they were signed by the judge with a pencil, instead of written with ink. By doing this the majority of the vote cast was declared in favor of Oak Creek.

After doing this, it seemed they adjourned. Mr. Heller, who opposed such action, refused to meet to finish the canvass. To show that there was a serious muddle, and the manner in which it was finally settled, we will submit the following extract of a report from the secretary of state: "Soon after the election I was informed by the county clerk of Shirley that the commissioners of said county had refused to canvass the vote of said county as provided by law. I immediately wrote to the clerk to canvass the vote and also to make an affidavit, setting forth all the facts, and forward the same to this office, which was done."

To persons of to-day who are acquainted with such work it will puzzle them to know why this adjournment, when the whole could have been com- pleted almost in the next instant. Mr. Rupe says that the only way he can account for it is that they must have thought they had to canvass the ballots

I54

HISTORY OF CLOUD COUNTY, KANSAS.

as well as the certified returns, but even then it would have taken but a short time, as the vote was very light. The whole number of votes with the Sibley precinct thrown out ( which is said to be ten), according to the report of the secretary of state is forty eight. Rather a small vote for a county, but about four too many, as there were eighteen in Elk, twenty- two in Shirley, four in Buffalo and ten at Sibley; total, fifty-four. Sub- tract from this the ten Shirley votes and there are forty-four. There were 110 votes from the Solomon. There were a few settlers there but no votes cast. The settlement in that precinct began in 1865, and a safe estimate of the voters would be ten.

Had this been polled there would have been sixty-eight. Allowing five to each voter, there would have been two hundred and forty at the time the affidavit was made, stating there were six hundred inhabitants. It may be denied that the throwing out of the Sibley vote had the effect of throw- ing the county seat on Oak Creek, but this was too generally known to admit of much argument. Had there been a fair expression of the people in favor of that locality there can be no doubt'its friends would have held it there, but the people were so indignant at the procedure the conmis- sioners never met at this place to transact county business, but continued to meet on Elk creek or Clyde, until they removed to Concordia in 1870.

Again had there been a fair expression there never would have been another election on this vexed question, for the county seat would have remained on Oak creek.

APPROVING OF TOWN SITE AND NAMING OF THE COUNTY SENT.

Having decided where the city was to be, the next step was to get some public demonstration in favor of it. The convention met in August, 1869, at Captain Sanders' saw mill, standing on the left bank of the river, half a mile below the town site. The delegates from the south side being a majority, rode over the site and approved of it. To H. C. Snyder was voted the honor of naming the to-be great city. and this he did by saying, "In view of the harmony and unanimity prevailing, I name the future city 'Con- cordia,'" and the name was thereupon unanimously approved.

The idea of building a city here was regarded as a huge joke by some of the delegates, but did not in the least degree shake the faith of its founder. In 1870 E. Linney moved his store, which had been located near the saw mill. about half way between where the bridge now spans the river and Sixth and Washington streets. He was then appointed postmaster of Con- cordia, and afterward removed into the building erected by A. A. Carnahan.

The January meeting of the commissioners' was held in the building erected and presented to the county, the business was transacted and when the board adjourned it looked as. though the county seat trouble was at an end. when in fact they were still in the midst of it. In placing the build- ing they had not been particular about locating it on the exact spot, speci-

155

HISTORY OF CLOUD COUNTY, KANSAS.

fied by the ballot, but near by on the tract plotted, named it Concordia and. filed it in the register of deeds' office just before the first election in 1869.

The Clyde people became aware of this and at once assumed that the county officers could not be compelled to come to the county seat, as there was no place for them to do business at Concordia. Some people believed there was something in the contention, and some who thought otherwise deemed it best to silence the objection by moving the house onto the traet specified. It was protested but to no avail; the building was moved.

The moving of the building so maddened Mr. Hagaman that he abandoned the town for a time, went to Clyde and selected some lots pre- paratory to erecting a business house upon them. The town company pro- fessed to be glad he was coming. but when a few days later he went to begin work and requested them to stake out his lots, he was told there was a prior claim to the ground in question and he would have to go further out. After much travel a location was found that he could not be induced to take, and with language more "forcible than elegant," he returned to his "first love," determined to redouble his efforts to make Concordia a town. The Clyde people were superstitious of his move and thought prob- ably he boded them ill.

After moving the county house the commissioners met and voted to transact the county business in Clyde. and back to that town they went. A more crestfallen lot of men than those who spent two weeks moving that building never met. This looked like a death stroke to their little town. a death knell to their hopes of building a city, and in all probability would have been but for the timely removal of the United States land office from Junction City to Concordia.

The commissioners were as follows: First district, W. H. Page, living near Clyde; second district, Chester Dutton, living in Sibley: third. John Murphy, in Meredith. Page pulled for Clyde, Dutton for Sibley and Murphy for Concordia.

It was very quiet the spring and summer of 1870, with very little to break the monotony of pioneer life. The coyote still made the air resonant with their yelpings, and the ground squirrel sported and grazed on the town site unmolested.

Sibley had a chance of securing the United States land office which revived her dying hopes. G. W. Martin, registrar of the land office at Junction City, held out to the Sibley managers the hope of getting the office. but the United States land office and their officers were perquisites of Sen- ator Pomeroy and what he demanded was given. In June of this year Sen- ator Pomeroy, in company with the Honorable S. D. Houston, visited Cloud county, going as far west as Cawker City, or to the site, as there was less of a city there than at Conocrdia. On climbing the hill beyond Cawker City he was captivated by the magnificent panorama before him. and decided to put the other land office there. Senator Pomeroy never went back on a true friend, and never broke a promise. He gave out a newspaper interview

I56

HISTORY OF CLOUD COUNTY, KANSAS.

descriptive of the country and it stirred both hemispheres, and was immedi- ately followed by a rush of emigration.

CONCORDIA TOWN COMPANY.

The incorporators of the Concordia Town Company were as follows : James M. Hagaman. G. W. Andrews, William McK. Burns, Amos Cutter and S. D. Houston. This charter was filed in the office of the secretary of state of Kansas. December 26, 1870. It was September, 1870. that word was received to the effect that the United States land office had been located at Concordia, and orders to prepare a building where the officers might hold forth.

Long before the land office was opened for business long lines of home- steaders were daily formed in front of the office. The applications were made. filed and recorded when the books came in January.

J. M. Hagaman drew the plans for the building of the United States land office. The pine lumber, windows and doors were hanled from Junc- tion City. The pine lumber cost one hundred dollars per one thousand feet. The cottonwood lumber, which formed the greater part of the building, was purchased in Concordia. The building was one and one-half stories high, eighteen by twenty feet, and paid for by Andrews and Hagaman. This was a costly building at that time and largely because of high wages paid poor workmen.

To keep the land office from being moved, the same parties built another house for the officers at a cost of two thousand dollars. All that was nec- essary in those days to make the town company "put up" was to get the word afloat that the land office was going to be moved because "the town company wouldn't do this or wouldn't do that."

When the "political triumvirate" of the land office, the court house and the saloons were established in the early 'seventies, all that was neces- sary to secure the election of the combined candidates was for the managers to say "if you don't vote for our candidate we will move the land office." and every man voted loyally for them. This continued more or less until 1879. when the ring was smashed.

DESCRIPTION OF THE STREETS IN CONCORDIA.

In the first platting of the town the streets were made the width they are at present. Sixth, the main business street, is one hundred and ten feet wide, Fifth, one hundred and thirteen feet wide, Fourth, one hun- 'Ired and thirty feet wide, Broadway. one hundred and twenty feet wide. Washington, ninety-nine feet wide; all the other streets are eighty feet wide. The alleys are twenty feet wide. The lots were originally forty-four by one hundred and thirty-two feet, but at the suggestion of S. D. Houston they were divided in the middle, making them twenty-two by one hundred and

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Biographical history of Cloud County, Kansas: biographies of representative citizens. Illustrated with portraits of prominent people, cuts of homes, stock, etc, Part 17

Author: Hollibaugh, E. F Publication date: 1903] Publisher: [n.p. Number of Pages: 938

Author: Hollibaugh, E. F
Publication date: 1903]
Publisher: [n.p.
Number of Pages: 938