USA > Kansas > Wabaunsee County > Business directory and history of Wabaunsee County > Part 2
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Wabaunsee County Directory and History
EMIGRATION.
Before 1857 there had been a steady emigration of German families into the county, large numbers of whom settled in Alma Township. In that and other townships we find the name of Henry Krupp, Fred Palenske, Henry and J. Terras, E. Hohen- eck and G. Zwanziger, who built the first mill, which he after- wards sold to Lorenzo Pauly. Mr. Zwanziger sold part of his claim to the Alma Town Company, and surveyed it off into streets, blocks and lots. In Washington Township were located A. Brasche, Mr. Maxbrink, Adolph Patting and Henry Grimm, the hero of the Platte Bridge Indian Massacre. Ed Krapp, A. Hankammer, and John Spiecker settled in Farmer Township. Henry Schmidt, Wm. Drebing, B. Cline and J. Metzger settled in Mill Creek Township.
Wabaunsee County was especially favored, settled as it was principally by New Englanders of good education and high ideals, and by perhaps the most desirable of foreign emigration -Germans-whose descendants are to-day among the most in- fluential, industrious, and prosperous people of the county.
SCHOOLS.
In the struggle for existence in the early days, the pioneers did not forget the education of their children. Prior to 1859 four school-houses were built, principally by private subscrip- tion. D. B. Hiatt was the first man to teach in the county, and Miss M. H. Cotton (Mrs. J. T. Glenn) was the first women teach- er. The first school-house was built in Wabaunsee. Public school districts were organized in 1859 in three localities. The county was favored in having men of fine education at the head of its schools. The first county superintendent was J. E. Platt, afterward professor in the Agricultural College for twenty years. Supt. Robert Tunnell was afterward principal of Fair- mount College at Wichita. Upon Supt. W. W. Ramey devolved the work of grading the county schools. Matthew Thompson, editor, was county superintendent for ten years. He rendered another valuable service to his county when he wrote his Wa- baunsee County history, considered one of the best county his- tories in the Historical Library at Topeka. Florence Dickin- son was county superintendent in 1890. George L. Clothier was
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Wabaunsee County Directory and History
county superintendent in 1892. The present county superintend- ent is Fred I. Hinshaw of Alma. In 1863 there were fifteen school districts, in one of which there was held no school be- cause of Indian raids. District No. 10, used the stone fort built in 1864 on the farm of August Wolgast. Many of the school- houses were built of logs. There are now eighty-nine organized school districts, sixty of which have libraries. There are Cath- olic schools at Alma and Paxico, a German Baptist school at Altavista, and a Lutheran school at Alma. The county has 4,204 persons of school age.
CIVIL WAR RECORD.
Soon after the arrival of the Beecher colony they formed a militia company called the Prairie Guards, which took part in the Wakarusa war in the summer of 1856. Its captain was Wm. Mitchell. At the beginning of the Civil War, the population was only 1,050, of whom about 250 were voters, and being com- posed largely of New Englanders were anti-slavery in belief. Out of about 200 men subject to military duty, 112 men enlisted, a record to be proud of. About one-half of them were in the famous 11th Kansas, over thirty were in the 8th Infantry, some were in different companies of cavalry, six were in the 2nd In- fantry, in whose service Captain E. D. C. Lines lost his life. After the campaign against General Price in 1864, the 11th Kansas was ordered to the frontier for a campaign against the Indians in Wyoming. In the Platte Bridge Massacre, July, 1865, Sebastian Nehring of Alma was slain and his body horribly mutilated. Henry Glimm, late of Volland, received arrow wounds from which he suffered all his life. Adolph Hankammer was also wounded. It was the sad mission of Stephen H. Fair- field, now of Alma, to assist in burying the dead. In this bloody battle twenty-five men were killed and their bodies dismembered, two were wounded. The Civil War record of the county is so well known and valued that it is needless to give further detail.
The following enlisted in the Union Army and went into active service in the different regiments :
Second Infantry, Company B .- E. C. D. Lines, A. M. Reed, A. Hankimmer, H. L. Isbell, M. C. Welch, I. C. Isbell.
Eighth Infantry, Company E .- Capt. John Greelish, Wm. Richardson, R. M. Kendall, Wm. Blankenslip, Ephraim Smith,
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Wabaunsee County Directory and History
J. P. Kendall, J. B. Bancks, G. W. Barnes, L. P. Cawkins, Charles Cooney, J. H. Dunmire, Daniel Spear, John Wells, S. Brickford, Charles Burns, J. H. Cummings, Henry Grimm, A. W. Harris, Z. Johnson, J. W. Johnson, Henry Lutz, Amos Reese, A. J. Smith, S. J. Speer, John Saylor, F. M. Weaver.
The following enlisted in the cavalry service:
Second Cavalry, Company A .- W. C. Studibaker; Company B. James Dickson; Company F. - Charles Ross, W. B. Dotty, G. W. Eddy, G. F. Hartwell, A. S. Waters, S. B. Easter, Eli Watson; Company K .- C. E. Bisby, Columbus Foster, A. H. Kelsey.
Fifth Cavalry, Company A .- Hamilton Davis; Company L .- B. C. Benedict.
Sixth Cavalry, Company F .- Joseph Weisse, E. W. Wetzold. Eighth Cavalry, Company E .- Haynie Tomson.
Eleventh Cavalry, Company E .- Benj. Cripps, Ira Hodgson, A. D. McCoy, George Hodgson, I. H. Isbell, G. H. Hill, A. H. Brown, J. N. Smith, George Ross, Riley Frizzle, Albert Kees, Wm. Mahan, W. F. Isbell, W. H. Lapham, L .J. Mossman, Sam- uel Sage, C. G. Town, Samuel Woods; Company G .- J. F. Chap- man; Company I .- H. C. Thompson; Company K .- Capt. J. M. Allen, Lieut. J. M. Hubbard, J. H .Pinkerton, J. B. Allen, Moritz Krauz, D. Schwanke, P. C. Pinkerton, W. A. Yimbocker, Henry Grimm, S. H. Fairfield, Albert Dieball, C. D. Ensign, Isaac Fenn, Edward Hoffman, Jacob Isler, Hiram Keyes, A. T. McCormick, J. M. McCormick, John McNair, Sebast. Nehring, G. Siegrist, R. M. Widney, Wm. Wiley, R. P. Blain, R. J. Earl; Company L .- Lieut. J. VanAntwerp, J. T. Green, C. B. Cotton, E. A. Kel- sey, Wm. Smith, John Smith; Company M .- John N. Doty.
A comparison between the enlistments of 1861 and 1898 is interesting. In 1861, 112 men volunteered out of a population of 1,050. In the Spanish-American War, 1898, 29 men enlisted out of a population of 12,172. Undoubtedly many enlisted in the regular army at Fort Riley. The enlistment in the volun- teer regiments was as follows:
Twenty-First Regiment, Co. G .- Hugo Brandt, Second Lieu- tenant (resigned) ; Charles Dilley, Sergeant; Ralph Lane, Cor- poral; Julius C. Behnke, Corporal; Frank Davis, Albert Eisen- hart, Gustavo Kratzer, Edward Mann, Albert F. Miller, Chris. Mungerson, Elmer Motz, Charles G. Davis, Frank Davis. All
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Wabaunsee County Directory and History
these were from Alma. In the same company were Kelley Cro- zier, Artificer, and Henry Adam from Volland; Wm. R. Bradley, Alta Vista; Arthur Griffith, Bradford; Benton H. Jackson, of Keene; Royal S. Wood, Wabaunsee; Wm. E. Walker, Maple Hill; Bert G. Loveland, Keene.
Co. M .- Earl E. Dilley, Alma; Clarence E. Younker and Clyde F. Younker, of McFarland.
Co. I .- George Heubner, Corporal, Alma.
Attached to Staff, Twenty-First Regiment-Winstead Deans, Alma; Bert G. Loveland, Keene.
Twenty-Second Regiment, Co. I .- Richard S. Goodwin, Cor- poral, and Barndt Nelson, both of Maple Hill.
Twenty-Third Regiment, Co. H .- Wm. Buck, Paxico, in ser- vice in Cuba from August, 1898, to March, 1899.
Twenty-one of the men were in Co. G, Twenty-First Regi- ment, recruited at Osage City, May 13th, 1898. They were sta- tioned most of the time at Camp George H. Thomas, near Lysle, Ga. Much sickness prevailed in this camp where Henry Allen, of Volland, gave up his life in Leiter Hospital, August 25th, 1898. The regiment was moved to Camp Hamilton, Ky., August 26th, where it stayed until ordered to Ft. Leavenworth, Septem- ber 27th. It was mustered out December 10th, 1898.
The men of the Twenty-Second Regiment were most of the time at Camp Algr, Va., when they were ordered on a march of fifty miles to Thoroughfare, Va., arriving August 9th; then by rail to Camp Meade, Middletown, Pa., August 29th; ordered to Ft. Leavenworth, September 9th, mustered out November 3rd, 1898. It was a source of greatest disappointment to the men of these regiments that they were not given a chance in active field service.
RESOURCES AND INDUSTRIES.
The resources of the county are varied, but it is particularly adapted to stock-raising as nearly seventy-five per cent of its area is most suitable for pasturage, with an abundant water- supply. Hay is a product of great importance, vast quantities being used or shipped out. Corn is its best field crop and it claims to lead in yield of sweet potatoes. There are more than seventy thousand fruit trees, over half of which are apple. It stands high in the State in the number and value of its cattle.
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Wabaunsee County Directory and History
Naturally the principal industry of the county is stock-raising. Its many successful stock-breeders aim to reach the highest per- fection in pure-bred stock. Eighteen of its stockmen belong to the Kansas Improved Stock Breeders' Association.
Wabaunsee County has a great treasure in her hills, unsur- passed for building as well as lime and cement making purposes. Limestone is found all over the county in ledges from one to six feet. This industry furnishes employment to many hundreds of men, the out-put being shipped in all directions for many pur- poses from railway ballast and bridge building to pretentious city structures. There seems to be an unlimited supply of this stone, the largest quarries being located at Eskridge and Alma. Salt works are located at Alma, which at one time shipped from thirty to fifty barrels a day, but seem to have been abandoned.
From the report of F. D. Coburn, Secretary of Agriculture, we learn that in 1896 the value of the field crops was $1,731,074. The "Helpful Hen" scored next, in value of poultry and eggs sold $118,347. The "Sister of the Beef Steer" produced $47,746 worth of butter, $33,259 worth of milk sold, and $4,387 worth of cheese. The value of honey crop was $2,400. The wool clip was worth $300. The wood marketed amounted to $1,801. Wa- baunsee ranks fifty-six in the State with a population of 12,014 in 1906. Its assessed valuation is $3,213,464.
COUNTY REPRESENTATION.
Wabaunsee County is in the Thirty-fifth Judicial District, in the Twenty-first Senatorial District, in the Forty-ninth Legis- lative District and the Fourth Congressional District. J. N. Dolley, of Maple Hill, is the State Senator, and Wyatt Roush is its Representative. The county has thirteen townships, embrac- ing 804 square miles, or 514,560 acres. The population of the largest towns in 1906 is given thus: Alma, county seat, 814; Eskridge, 806; Alta Vista, 411; McFarland, 311; Harveyville, 262; Maple Hill, 246; Paxico, 244.
The present county officers are C. C. Stotler, Clerk, Alma; L. J. McCrumb, Treasurer, Alma; Frank Schmidt, Sheriff, Alma; Oscar Schmitz, County Attorney, Alma; L. L. Teas, Clerk District Court, Alma; J. A. Bisley, Register of Deeds, Alma ; Joseph Little, Probate Judge, Alma; F. I. Hinshaw, County
.
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Wabaunsee County Directory and History
Superintendent, Alma; L. B. Burt, Surveyor, Wabaunsee; Geo. A. King, Coroner, Paxico. Commissioners: First District, B. Buchli, Alma; Second District, W. K. Beach, Maple Hill; Third. District, J. J. Mails, Wabaunsee.
The county seat was located at Alma in 1866, after a spir -- ited contest with Wabaunsee, the first county seat, and other- towns. There had been no permanent buildings erected in Wa -- baunsee for county purposes. When the Alma site was chosen. there was not a single house upon it. In 1867 a small frame: building was erected to receive the county records. The sum: paid to Gottlieb Zwanziger for the site was only $200. He sur -- veyed it off in streets, blocks, and lots. The town was incor- porated as a village in 1868. The members of the first village council were: Chairman S. R. Weed, August Meryor, Henry Schmidt, John Winkler, and Herman Dirker. S. R. Weed was also Probate Judge and N. H. Whittemore was attorney for the. council.
INSTITUTIONS.
The first newspaper was The Wabaunsee County Herald,. published by A. Sellers and G. W. Bertram in April, 1869. The following papers are now published in the county: Alma En- terprise, Republican, Frank I. Sage and O. W. Little, editors and publishers; Alma Signal, Republican, H. C. Sticher, editor and publisher; Eskridge Star, Republican, Dow Busenbark, edi- tor and publisher; Wabaunsee County Tribune, Republican, W. H. Melrose, editor; Alta Vista Journal, neutral, James A. Shill- ing; Harveyville Moniitor, independent, Jos. Frishman, editor,. Printing Company, publisher.
The first Catholic service in Alma was conducted by Father Remelee. The first Lutheran service was held by Rev. Senne. Th oldest church in the county was built in 1862 at Wabaunsee. by the Congregationalists.
The first railroad reached the county in 1880, built by the Santa Fe, called The Manhattan, Alma & Burlingame. From McFarland north it is now operated by the Rock Island, which built its road through the county in 1886. There are 75.52 miles of main track.
The first steamboat passing up the river was the "Excel," Cap- tain Baker, in 1854. The log of the Steamer "Guss Linn" going
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Wabaunsee County Directory and History
from Kansas City to Fort Riley in 1859, reported as follows: "May 16th, 1859. Reached Wabaunsee, containing one store and fifteen houses."
The telephone franchise was granted in 1898, to J. H. McMahan, beginning with twelve telephones.
The Rural Mail Delivery reached the county in 1901 in Maple Hill township.
We note the change in population in forty-six years:
1860.
1,023
1902.
12,134
1870.
3,362
1903.
.12,391
1880.
8,759
1904.
. 12,160
1890.
10,780
1905.
11,910
1900.
12,299
1906.
12,014
1901.
.12,406
THE FLOOD.
The slight variation of population between 1901 and 1906, must be ascribed to the fact that the small tracts of land were bought up for pasture by stockmen, rather than any other reason. It takes more than an occasional dry spell or an in- frequent flood to drive out the average Wabaunsee man. When Enoch Platt joined the Beecher Colony in 1856 and looked about for a claim, he consulted William Mitchell, who pointed to the bottom lands of the Kaw. Platt refused the proffered location and chose land higher up with the prophesy that the river would one day overflow. S. H. Fairfield says that few of the settlers of 1856 took land on the river, preferring the uplands. They were no doubt influenced by the warning of the Indians, whose losses in the flood of 1844 were still fresh in their minds. In after years, having witnessed no alarming overflow, they gained confidence in the old Kaw and took up the fertile land along its banks.
The warnings and the prophesy had long since been forgot- ten when people awoke on the 28th of May, 1903, to a realiza- tion that a flood was upon them. Some remembered the warn- ing in time, others held the fort in their homes until rescued by their neighbors, some of whom were fortunate enough to have boats. No loss of life was reported, but the loss of homes, land, stock, crops, orchards, implements, and household treas-
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Wabaunsee County Directory and History
ures was immense and could not be adequately reckoned in figures. Along the Kaw the utter desolation of the scene was beyond description. The river was from two to ten miles wide and its bridges gone or badly damaged. All the creeks and streams in the county were swollen and many of their bridges washed away. The river extended over two miles south of the Wamego bridge, some places twenty feet deep. New channels were formed which would rob one man to his neighbor's advan- tage. One man was given a lake while another was left on an island. Great trees and even groves of trees were swept away and cellars were gouged out under houses that possessed none before. Orchards were ruined and all crops on the bottom lands were carried away. Many dwellings, barns, and outbuildings and the school-houses in District 52, floated down the river. Re- ceding waters left sandbanks piled against the houses and floors were covered with sand, sometimes as high as the door-knobs.
In looking over the files of newspapers of the county for that week, two stories impressed one aside from the record of de- struction during the flood-time. One was an account of the removal of Mrs. Robert Earl, from her home at Zeandale, on the bottom, to a place of safety. Mrs. Earl was one of the set- tIers in 1856, when Zeandale Township belonged to Richardson County, and her death occurred after the flood, June 8th, Another story was that of the marooning of three passenger trains, containing near 400 people, at McFarland; the efforts to provide food enough for such a crowd; the benefit ball given in Arnold's Hall, the tickets for which were printed thus: "Wash-out Ball, by the Victim's Amusement Co., McFarland Island, June 1, 1903."
All this is too recent to be classed as history, but no story of the county would be complete without some tribute to the indomitable spirit and enterprise of its people, who refuse to be overcome by fire, drouth or flood. Whatever the calamity they were quick to recover their losses. If it was fire, new and better buildings were built; if drouth, patience endured until the next season. As soon as possible after the flood, corn was planted for the second time, and farmers and real estate men were claiming that the soil would be benefited in the end by the overflow.
Thus they rise above all difficulties. It must be the Spirit of '56.
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Wabaunsee County Directory and History
STOCK BUSINESS IN WABAUNSEE COUNTY.
One of the most important industries in Wabaunsee County is cattle-pasturing and stock-raising. Both are engaged in to a great extent and bring considerable money into the county. This county being the "Switzerland of Kansas," is particularly adapted to pasturage. The four creeks and their tributaries furnish water in abundance at all times, while the native grass on the hills is of such a high quality that cattle pasturage usually brings fifty cents more per head than any other locali- - ties.
The cattle are brought here from Texas about May 1st, for the season. The main points for unloading cattle are Alma, Harveyville, Eskridge, Halifax, Volland, and Altavista. There are from thirty to forty thousand head of cattle pastured in the county yearly at $3.00 to $3.50 and as high as $4.00 per head. Most of these animals are steers and it is not an uncommon thing for one animal to gain several hundred pounds during the season.
Native grade cattle are raised extensively in Wabaunsee County, which sold off the grass last fall for 6 cents per pound. Coburn's report shows the number of milch cows in the county in 1906 to be 9,523 with a value of $257,121, and the number of other cattle to be 35,074 with a value of $701,480. These figures compared with those of the previous year show that while the aggregate number of cattle is less, the aggregate price is nearly $200,000 more than in 1905. This increase in the value per head may be due to the natural rise in price, but it is probable that it is at least partly due to the increase in the number of pure-bred stock.
Pure-bred cattle have been raised in this county for the last thirty years, but lately the number of herds have been greatly increased. It is estimated that there are some forty different farmers engaged in the raising of pure-bred cattle. These are pretty well scattered over the county, but there are more of them about Eskridge than any other locality.
The hog and poultry business is also engaged in very exten- :sively. Nearly every farmer keeps from two to five hundred hens. There are several breeders who make a specialty of pure-bred poultry.
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Wabaunsce County Directory and History
In the last few years a great deal of attention is being paid to raising pure-bred hogs. Most of the breeders have a good home market for their animals, as the people of Wabaunsee County are finding that it pays better to raise improved stock than grade stock for the market. The raising of good animals is a matter of education and this county is pretty well advanced along this line.
The progressive State of Kansas, with her acres of waving yellow wheat, the large acreage of corn, to say nothing of the vast expanse of fine pastures, has many things of which she may well be proud.
Prominent among these is the live-stock industry in which she stands well up in the list as compared with other States. She may justly feel proud of the large live-stock market which she has been so big a factor in building. This market, located on the Eastern border, is also proud of the State which has been the largest contributor thereto.
Located at this market is a commission firm whose growth has been commensurate with the growth of that market, and also the State of Kansas, and stands today as one of the largest firms doing business at the Kansas City Stock Yards-The J. P. Peters Commission Company-whose advertisement appears elsewhere in this issue, and to whom we would suggest writing if you have any stock on hand or wish to purchase. At the head of this firm is our old-time friend, Jim Peters, for many years a citi- zen of Wabaunsee County, who is ably assisted by a large and efficient corps of salesmen and buyers. His pens are the choicest in the Yards, being in the immediate vicinity of five different scales; direct chutes and viaducts to his pens from the loading tracks, and well-divided and sufficient pen-room, all of which are large factors in the proper handling of live stock to secure good fills, quick sales, and immediate weigh-ups. These various import- ant features add many dollars to the bank accounts of the pa- trons of this company.
The Kansas Breeders' Directory for 1907, issued by the Kansas Improved Stock Breeders' Association, shows the fol- lowing list of fine-stock breeders in Wabaunsee County, who are members of the State Association :
Herman Arndt, Templin, Poland-Chinas.
T. P. Babst & Sons, Dover, Shorthorns.
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Wabaunsee County Directory and History
J. M. Beach, Maple Hill, Route No. 1, Holsteins.
R. M. Buck, Eskridge, Shorthorns, Poland-Chinas, Poultry. Scott R. Buck, Eskridge, Shorthorns.
A. M. Jordan, Alma, Poland-Chinas, Poultry.
C. S. Kelley, Paxico, Poland-Chinas.
E. L. Knapp, Maple Hill, Shorthorns.
C. G. Nash, Eskridge, Berkshires, Poultry.
Andrew Pringle, Eskridge, Shorthorns, Poland-Chinas.
A. and P. Schmitz, Alma, Poland-Chinas.
H. W. Steinmeyer, Volland, Duroc-Jerseys.
E. W. Thoes, Alma, Duroc-Jerseys.
Wm. J. Todd, Maple Hill, Feeder.
Seb. Wertsberger, Volland, Herefords.
K. C. Berry, Eskridge, Percherons, Shorthorns, Berkshires. W. G. Martin, Eskridge, Shorthorns, Berkshires.
T. P. BABST.
Mr. T. P. Babst, who lives on Walnut Grove, near Dover, has been a breeder for thirty years. His specialty is Shorthorn cattle, and he has raised some of the finest animals in the United States. He sells all his stock himself and never puts it on show, but the stock has never failed to draw prizes wherever shown by the buyers. The choicest animals on the State Agricultural College farm are from the Babst herd; also nearly all of the Tomson and Son's show animals. Mr. Babst at present keeps a herd of about one hundred and twenty-five cattle. He has the oldest Shorthorn establishment in the State.
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Wabaunsee County Directory and History
J. P. PETERS COMMISSION COMPANY
Kansas City Stock Yards Kansas City, Mo.
A Square Deal.
Strictly Commission Merchants.
..
Composed of experienced, successful and practical stockmen. Have best located pens and plenty of them. Prompt service in receiving and handling of stock and proceeds. Best information service.
Test Our Work by a Trial Consignment.
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Wabaunsee County Directory and History
Alma.
BUSINESS DIRECTORY.
Abstracters, Real Estate and Loans.
W. G. Weaver.
R. J. Kerans.
Banks.
The Alma National Bank.
The Bank of Alma.
Barber-Shops.
West Side Barber-Shop. A. A. Johnson.
Blacksmiths.
Wilson & Noller. E. T. Linss. Frank Metzger.
Books and Music Store.
L. Palenske.
Boots and Shoes.
Adolph Zeckser.
Cattle and Pasture Office. A. S. Allendorf.
Cigar Manufactory.
C. H. Cozine.
Clothing. E. L. Knostman Clothing Co. Dentist.
Dr. C. Glunz.
Druggists. A. A. Meyer. Brown Drug Co. 1
Dry Goods.
Carl Lang.
Electric Light.
Alma Light and Power Co.
Furniture and Wall Paper.
E. T. Diestelhorst.
Furniture and
Undertaking.
Thoes & Schieber.
General Merchandise.
Meyer Bros. Pries Store.
Groceries.
J. B. Cassidy.
Hardware.
Fred Lutz. Conrad Mueller. F. C. Simon. Alf Umbehr.
Harness and Saddles.
Geo. Sutherland.
Horseshoers.
R. N. Gaugh.
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Wabaunsee County Directory and History
Hotels.
The Brand Hotel.
The Commercial Hotel.
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