USA > Kansas > Wabaunsee County > Early history of Wabaunsee County, Kansas, with stories of pioneer days and glimpses of our western border.. > Part 31
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36
FRANK RICKERSHAUSER
Was born at Neustadt, Hesse Cassel, Germany, March 9, 1833. Came to America in 1852, locating at Connersville, Indiana. Came to Kansas in the fall of 1856, locating a claim on the head of the Waka- rusa, removing to Wabaunsee county, near Halifax, in 1868, but in 1875 bought the farm near Paxico, on which he has since resided. Owns 4,000 acres of fine farming and grazing land stocked with nearly seven hundred head of cattle. Has always farmed on a large scale, as is indicated by our illustration, which presents to view one of the finest stock and grain ranches in Wabaunsee county-the result of hard labor and good management on the part of one of our leading citizens-one who has always been foremost in the advancement of any public enterprise, and ever just as ready to lend a helping hand to those, who, in the battle of life, have been less fortunate. A single example of Mr. Rickershauser's generous and sympathetic nature will emphasize the statement. In 1873, when the news came to Mr. Rickershauser that Judge Hall's fine residence and nearly all his per- sonal property had been destroyed by a prairie fire, Mr. Rickershauser loaded up his big farm wagon, with double sideboards, with corn, hauled it to Wabaunsee, and dumped the contents into Mr. Hall's crib. No solicitation was needed. It was but the spontaneous act of one of Nature's noblemen. When the Alma Salt Works needed a man to push business to the front, Mr. Rickershauser took charge in person and with crude appliances made fifty barrels of the finest salt per day. Acres of cord wood were piled about the works, giving a large number of men employment. Mr. Rickershauser has led an active life. Hard work has been the rule of his life and though at this writing his health is impaired it is hoped that for many years he may yet enjoy the fruits of industry and well directed effort. He has not only seen the wilderness blossom as the rose but he has rendered valued assistance in bringing about the miraculous changes that have been wrought.
312
EARLY HISTORY OF WABAUNSEE COUNTY, KAN.
O. E. WEBB
Was born December 2, 1866, in Jefferson county, Iowa. Came to Kansas with his parents in 1873, locating in Pawnee county. Was a farmer boy for years and knows what hard work is and thoroughly understands the practical side of life-his knowledge being gained by experience in starvation times and the grasshopper raids in the short grass country. Is a graduate of Central Business College, of Sedalia, Missouri. Also graduated in a special science course at the C. N. C., Great Bend, Kansas. After teaching eight years in the county and city schools of Pawnee county, Kansas, entered upon the study of medicine, being a graduate of the Beaumont Hospital Medical Col- lege, of St. Louis, Missouri, class of 1896. Located at Paxico in March, 1895, and by striet application to business, by constant study, and his own natural ability has built up a lucrative practice, attaining a phenomenal degree of success in his chosen profession. In May, 1896, Dr. Webb was united in marriage to Miss Esther C. Willms, of Ellinwood, Kansas, three children being born to this union: Charley, Florence, and Fleta. Dr. Webb is one among the first of our profes- sional men to make a practical application of a system of telephones . in his business. In 1898, he constructed his first line to McFar- land. Since that time he has constructed lines to Keene, Dover, and Kuenzli creek. He uses the Bridging system and already has 65 phones in operation and the number is constantly increasing. He has 50 miles of wire and on the completion of the new stone building- the first in Paxico-he will have one of the best appointed offices in the county. A view of his pleasant home in Paxico is shown in the illustration, and the bundles of wires speak volumes in the Doctor's behalf-showing how forethought, energy, and up-to-date methods will bring success.
REV. J. J. SILBERMANN
Was born at Uman, Russia, December 25, 1854. Was educated at Basel, Switzerland, taking a theological course at the University located there, graduating in the class of 1880. Came to America the same year. In 1883, came to Kansas, locating at Eudora. Has been a resident of Alma since 1898. On January 23, 1883, was united in mar- riage to Frida Sonderegger, four children being born to this union: Olga, Anna, Oscar, and Esther. The Evangelical church, of which Mr. Silbermann is pastor, is one of the neatest church edifices in Alma. Was built in 1880, though the spire wasn't erected until 1888. The church has a membership of forty families and is in a flourishing condition -a fact due in a great measure to the personal efforts of their highly esteemed minister.
.
EARLY HISTORY OF WABAUNSEE COUNTY, KAN. 312a
ROBERT GUTH
Was born April 28, 1837, in Baden, Germany. Came to America in 1847, landing at New Orleans. Lived nine years at Quincy, Illinois, going from there to Mankato, Minnesota. Is a harness maker by trade and during the Civil war was employed by the government at Vicksburg, Mississippi, from 1863 to 1855. On July 23, 1857, was united in marriage to Miss Mary Magdaline Hund, to which union ten children were born, seven living: Moritz and William, of Hutchinson, Kansas; Mrs. Ottilla Muckenthaler, August, Mary, Leo, and Henry. Mr. Guth came to Newbury in 1873, kept boarding house awhile, and worked at his trade. Was postmaster and ran a general store until 1895. Has retired from business and is comfortably located at his old home in Newbury.
W. H. H. SMITH
Was born April 6, 1858, at Jerseyville, Illinois. Came to Kansas in 1890. Received a good classical education at Valparaiso, Indiana. Took the full medical course at the North Western Medical College, of St. Joseph, Missouri, and a post graduate course at the Missouri Medical College, at St. Louis, Missouri. On February 22, 1882, was united in marriage to Miss Maria Rhodes, of Ethingham, Illinois, four children being born to this union: Grover Eugene, August Herman, Dewey, and Willie H. Dr. Smith has been for six years a resident of Wabaunsee county and during that time has demonstrated his ability as a physician, and the number of difficult surgical oper- ations performed by him attest a thorough and intricate knowledge of every detail of his chosen profession.
ROBERT STROWIG
Was born July 13, 1853, in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. Came to Kansas with his parents when five years of age. Received a good education at the Banner school, one of the best in Jackson county. On January 1, 1879, was united in marriage to Miss Caroline Riederer, to which union four children were born: Otto, Mabel, Milton, and Homer. Was six years county commissioner-from January, 1896, to January, 1902. Besides being a popular official, Mr. Strowig is one of the best millers in the state, the mill being located on Mill creek, near Paxico. The mill was built in 1879 and has a capacity of 75 barrels of flour and 50 barrels of meal per day. Has five double stands of 9x15 rolls on wheat, one, three high on corn. Has one sifter, two purifiers, two
.
3126 EARLY HISTORY OF WABAUNSEE COUNTY, KAN.
centrifugal rolls, smutter and separators. Is one of the best mills in Kansas and is operated and owned by Strowig & Son. Mr. Strowig bonght his land of an Indian, and for several years after the mill was built the last remnant of the Prairie band of Pottawatomies in Wa- baunsee county lived in two wigwams within two hundred yards of Mr. Strowig's fine residence near the mill.
JOSEPH MUCKENTHALER
Was born in Scott county, Minnesota, May 13, 1868. Came with his parents to Wabannsee county the following year. On September 8, 1891, was united in marriage to Miss Ottilla Guth, to which union were born five children: Louis, Eleanor, Clements, Joseph, and Paul. Owns the old family homestead north of Newbury and that he is making a success of farming is indicated by the many improvements being made on the farm, among others, the best and most convenient swine shed in the county. For many years has been leader of the Newbury band and is one of the best cornet players in Kansas.
ED. L. CAMPBELL
Was born December 28, 1858, in Rushville, Illinois. Was educated in the Rushville schools and came to Kansas in 1881. On September 18, 1887, was united in marriage to Miss Mary Sage, of Dover, Kansas, to which union three children were born: Lyle, Charlie, and Clyde. Mr. Campbell was postmaster at Eskridge four years but is at present engaged in farming, owning a good farm of 160 acres on Mission creek. Ed. is one of the world's good fellows, was popular as a postmaster and is making a success of life on the farm.
THOMAS OLIVER
Was born in Denholm, Roxburgshire, Scotland, April 28, 1859. Came from Edinburg to Old Maple Hill, October, 1884. When the new town was laid out in 1887, Mr. Oliver, who already lived on the new site, moved his wagon shop into the new town and assisted in erecting the first building, Mr. J. N. Dolley's general store, and built the first dwelling house-a five room, two story structure. Ile still operates the only wagon shop and has erected a majority of the build- ings in what is one of the neatest towns in the county, of which Mr. Oliver is an esteemed citizen. Isabella Maple Hill Oliver was born September 19, 1887-the first child born in the new town and the first child baptized in the new M. E. church.
313
EARLY HISTORY OF WABAUNSEE COUNTY, KAN.
A Court Reminiscence.
The following interesting reminiscence of the courts in the years agone is from the pen of Hon. A. H. Case, of Topeka. Mr. Case was our first district attorney, when Wabaunsee county (or Richardson county then) was one of the 13 counties comprising the 3d judicial district-taking in Pike's Peak and a good share of the Rocky Mountains.
Under the act of the legislature of 1860, 29 counties were included in the 2d judicial district, in which Wabaunsee was one of them, Rush Elmore, judge. At that time Arrapahoe was in the 1st district and county attorneys were in vogue. In 1861 Wabaunsee was placed in the 3d judicial district with Shawnee, and all west of Davis county was supposed to be attached to this district for judicial purposes. At the fall election in 1861 Jacob Safford was elected judge of this district, he being the first judge under the state constitution, and I was elected at the same time as district attorney. The judge's salary was sure, but the district attorney took his pay in county scrip, worth about 20 cents on the dollar. The highest fee was in murder cases, $25, but we had no such cases, as no attention was paid to accidents of that character. Our whole time was occupied in stock stealing cases and the old dram shop law. To convict for the larceny of stock, pos- session by the defendant was sure conviction unless he could prove that he was not in the United States at the time. Under the dram shop act, the grand jury, on proof, would find a bill, the case would be continued, and the next term the defendant, by his learned counsel, would produce a license, antedated of course, showing, under the honest seal of the officials, that he was authorized by law to keep shop.
We had no railroads so we migrated from court to court by stage, horseback, on foot, and wagon. The stage charged us ten cents a mile, provided we carried a rail to help out of a mnd hole. When we went from Topeka by horse or in wagon we left in the afternoon, went to the Walterman crossing at Mill creek, tied up, ate cold lunch, washed it down with red eye, slept the sleep of the just and in the morning drove or rode to Manhattan for breakfast, thence on to Junction City, our western terminus, where we stopped with Jim Brown, at the Old Eagle Hotel, at $4 per day for bacon and coffee, and in the goodness of his heart Jim would place our buffalo robes on the
314
EARLY HISTORY OF WABAUNSEE COUNTY, KAN.
floor for a bed, crowd in an outsider and charge him a dollar for its use.
Lawyers' fees, in those days, were exceedingly small. If we got enough to buy grub and the wash down and not leave the town in debt, we were satisfied. After Judge Elmore went off the bench he traveled with us, the jolliest and best of men. His heart was in his hand and, unless out late, he had imported stuff in his saddle bags. I remember we were at Junction City with him and all broke. Luckily, the grand jury found somebody guilty of something and employed Elmore. Two yoke of oxen for fee. Well, we camped in the "Fiag-of- our-Union-saloon" on the amount realized from the sale of those steers. So that steers, as is well known, are good to eat as well as drink. Another time we were at Junction City, broke, as usual. What to do?
This was after I was out of office and a private. We concluded we would have a mock court, arrest somebody when the judge was snug in bed, try him, convict him, fine him ten dollars, get it and let him go. With this bountiful ten dollars we managed to allay thirst for the next thirty hours. We were young then, no one intended to do harm; it was life in the wooly west and we made the best of it as we saw it.
Many things could be said, but no history will ever be written that can or will tell all that occurred. A good many things best be not told as some are living yet that enacted a part in those early days.
I want to give your county credit for one thing and that is, the scrip issued by it for officers' fees became par and was paid in full the first of any county in the state, while Shawnee scrip at that time was worth only forty cents.
The Alma Salt Works, 1874.
The News, of February 12, 1873, speaking of the Alma oil well said that it was yielding over one hundred barrels per day of oil and water. As Fred Link had poured but a pint of oil in the well he was digging at the Winkler hotel there is no risk in stating that it was mostly water.
But what was intended as a hoax resulted in the organization of the Alma Oil & Mining Company. A hole was drilled 585 feet in depth and a flow of strong brine reached. Analysis of this brine showed fifty pounds of salt to fifty-three and one-half gallons of water. The result was the Alma Salt Works. John Gibson went East and purchased a number of large kettles; two evaporating vats 16x112 feet were constructed; a brick smoke stack sixty feet in height was built and from thirty to fifty barrels of pure, white salt was the daily output. But mismanagement or an undue interest in outside matters resulted in closing down the plant. It was afterwards leased to S. T. Wright, but the lack of funds prevented the proper development of an industry that may yet prove a bonanza at some time in the near future. That the brine is sufficient in quantity and strength to justify a judicious investment seems apparent.
315
EARLY HISTORY OF WABAUNSEE COUNTY, KAN.
Historical Notes.
Prior to 1833 the country now known as Wabaunsee county be- longed to the Kaw or Kansas Indians. In that year Rev. Isaac McCoy, a missionary having charge of the location of the different Indian tribes, assisted by his son, John McCoy, surveyed a strip 120 miles in length from east to west, and 19 miles in width from north to south, for an outlet for the Shawnee Indians from their reservation to the Buffalo country. This was known as the Shawnee Purchase. Three years later the north line of the Kaw reserve was located.
By a treaty with the Kaws, January 14, 1846, the Pottawatomies were granted a tract of land 30 miles square, comprising a part of the counties of Wabaunsee, Pottawatomie, Jackson and Shawnee. In 1847 the "Pottawatomies of the Woods." and the "Mission Band," about 1,500 in numbers, located in this tract. In 1850 a band of Michigan Pottawatomies numbering about 650 joined the tribe at St. Marys.
November 15, 1861, a treaty was made by which the Mission band was allotted lands in severalty, while the Prairie band elected to con- tinue tribal relations. William W. Ross, a brother of Charles Ross, was Indian agent at that time and the treaty was made at Rossville. On the part of the Indians the treaty was signed by Shaw-que, To- Penubbee, We-Weh-Seh, Shomen, Joseph N. Bourassa, George L. Young, B. H. Bertrand, M. B. Beaubien, L. H. Ogee, John Tipton and Louis Vieux-all well known to the early settlers of Wabaunsee county.
This treaty provided for the sale of all lands not chosen for allot- ments to the Santa Fe Railroad Company. The Mission band removed to the Indian Territory in 1870, and the Prairie band, 780 strong, was given a body of land twelve miles square in Jackson county, on which they now live.
At this treaty a half section of land was reserved for the Baptist Mission, located near Uniontown, adjoining the farm of Mr. M. W. Janes, opposite the old Darling ferry. This mission was in operation until 1859.
In 1847, St. Marys Mission was moved from Sugar creek to the south side of Kaw River but the year following was transferred to its present location on the north side.
316
EARLY HISTORY OF WABAUNSEE COUNTY, KAN.
When Richardson county was set off and given a name by the Territorial legislature of 1855, the width of the county from East to West was but 24 miles. The legislature of 1859 changed the name to Wabaunsee county and in 1860, through the efforts of Mr. C. B. Lines, our representative, a strip six miles in width was added to the west side of the county.
In 1864, 72 square miles of territory were taken from the southwest corner of Wabaunsee county and attached to Morris county. This territory was recovered by Captain Wmn. Mitchell in 1868, but the fol- lowing year was returned to Morris county and in 1870 was divided between the two counties. In 1871, John Pinkerton betrayed his trust by having himself set over into Riley county, taking a strip six miles wide and fifteen miles long from the west side. In 1872, Mr. J. M. Johnson introduced and caused to be passed by both branches of the legislature a bill recovering the lost territory but by some hocus- · pocus the bill failed to become a law, but the following year Represen- tative Sellers succeeded in recovering six miles of this territory. No changes have been made since.
The first white men in the county built a log house in the heavy timber on Dragoon creek about the year 1844. But their purpose was highway robbery. This gang of cut-throats, if not the company raised by John McDaniel, on the frontier, to raid the Mexican trains, was one organized for the same purpose. Captain Philip St. George Cooke was sent out from Fort Leavenworth on several different occasions to capture or disperse these hordes and how well he succeeded is attested by the records of the war department of that period. Captain Cooke's capture of the remnants of the dispersed bands led by Colonel War- field and Major Snively, near where Old Fort Atkinson was afterwards established furnishes indisputable evidence of his valor and efficiency as an annihilator of robber hordes. (See pages 141-145).
The first actual settlements by homeseekers were in Wabaunsce and Wilmington townships, with the weight of evidence in favor of Wabaunsee. Mr. J. M. Bisbey, of Pavilion-see illustration-is prob- ably entitled to first place among the few living settlers of the olden time. He came to Wabaunsee in the fall of 1854. Closely following were Peter and Bartholomew Sharai, J. H. Nesbitt (the first store- keeper), D. B. Hyatt, Clark Lapham, Joshua Smith, and Rev. Leonard.
Mr. Henry Harvey and his two sons, George and Samuel, selected their claims on the Dragoon in the fall of 1854, but not until May, 1855, did they make actual settlement.
Milton Haywood built the first house on Rock creek in 1855, but the following year sold his claim to William Exon.
Ed. Krapp, Joseph Thoes, and Peter Thoes arrived on their claims
317
EARLY HISTORY OF WABAUNSEE COUNTY, KAN.
four miles south of Alma, March 1, 1855, and in three weeks built three log houses, one for each of the newcomers.
Fred Palenske, Terrass, and Hendricks came up the Missouri river on the same boat, arriving May 8th.
Mr. Mauzenbrinck and wife settled on the claim afterwards owned by C. Wertzberger. On a trip to Kansas City to buy goods to start a country store Mr. Mauzenbrinck was drowned in the Missouri river. Herman Dierker, a returned California miner, married the widow, and his place was known as Alma-West Precinct. Mr. Dierker was for several years cook in the gold camps of the Pacific coast, receiving ten dollars a day for his services. He afterwards sold the farm to Mr. C. Wertzberger and bought a farm near Alma. A few years ago left for Ohio and when he left surprised a few of his intimate friends by inviting them into his smoke house. With the assistance of his invited friends he soon dug up a pot of gold containing, according to . diverse statements, a sum ranging from $20,000 to $70,000. It may be unnecessary to state that none of the gold is there now, but our peddler, Scheminski, feels proud of the fact that many a time he has thrown his bundle of hides on the ground where that gold for nearly half a century lay hidden.
In May, 1855, came Ernest Honeke, a surveyor and one of three representatives in the state legislature of 1860. Mr. Honeke was one of a colony from Cincinnati and laid out what was probably the first town-site in the county. It was located on the hill just south of the Palenske homestead and was called Humboldt City.
Honeke, besides being among our first representatives in the legislature was one of the first proprietors of a still. William Griffen- stein was his partner in the business. The capacity of the still was five gallons a day and the Indians were their best customers. The Indians would patiently wait until, drop by drop, their bottle was filled and then got over on their own side of the reservation. (For further notes as to Griffenstein see pages 136-138).
The first building erected at Fort Riley was in 1854, by Major Ogden.
For the protection of overland traffic across the plains Fort Atkinson, six miles above Dodge City, was built by Colonel Sumner in 1850.
Kansas Territory was organized May 30, 1854.
One of the first houses built in the Mill creek valley was of logs on the Christian Hankammer place, and was for many years used by Mr. Hankammer as a residence. Wooden pins instead of · nails were used in constructing the house built by Gleich & Antoine in 1855 and torn down by Mike Boetcher in April, 1890. Before locating on Mill creek Mr. Gleich had worked at Darling's ferry, opposite Uniontown,
318
EARLY HISTORY OF WABAUNSEE COUNTY, KAN.
near the east line of the farm owned by Mr. M. W. Janes. Mr. Gleich's marriage on April 16, 1857, to Mrs. Catherine Terrass, is the first on record in the county. Mr. Terrass had settled on the reservation near Mr. Peter Johnson's, and his death, in 1856, was probably the first in the county.
The death of Mrs. Susan D. Thomson, wife of Mr. James L. Thom- son, and mother of the writer, was the first in Wilmington township. The date was August 6, 1857.
Mr. J. M. Bisbey reports the winter of '55-'56 the coldest of his experience in Kansas. On a trip to Kansas City for provisions, was snowbound three days and could make but 10 to 15 miles a day. On his return found his family out of breadstuffs for three days but had plenty of frozen potatoes and beef. From December 22, to January 15 was intensely cold and on February 3 was 32 degrees below. On several days was 24 below, while the sun shone brightly.
Mr. Fred Palenske bought his claim from a man named Gilbert, who was living on the place in a tent. He paid $20 for the claim, in- cluding tent, tools and provisions.
Rev. Harvey Jones located at Wabaunsee in 1855. Organized the First Church of Christ, of which he was the first pastor till 1860, when he returned to Ohio. In 1864 went to southern Kansas and two years later returned to Wabannsee.
After Ed. Krapp located his claim he hauled goods from Westport Landing to "Whiskey-Point, " a small town opposite Fort Riley. Left the Old Santa Fe Trail at 110 creek and followed the old Mormon trail over tne divide between the waters of Mill creek and Rock creek. Be- tween the Big Spring near Eskridge and Moss Springs in Geary county, a distance of 28 miles, there was no water to be had except that hauled in kegs. Fifty or more freighters would be met on the road every day, and he would often have several thousand dollars in gold in a keg or box in the wagon to buy goods or for deposit. Was badly frozen in a blizzard on one of these trips in 1856 while encamped on the head of the Wakarusa.
Richardson county was named by the legislature of 1855 in honor of Wm. A. Richardson, congressman from Illinois, who introduced the first Kansas-Nebraska bill in the house of representatives. The present name, Wabaunsee, was in honor of an Indian chief. The word means, in English, "dawn of day."
The Connecticut colony, or the Beecher Rifle colony, left New Haven, Conn., March 31, 1856, and' arrived at Wabaunsee April 28. Capt. C. B. Lines was chosen president of the company. The com- pany built a town hall and a mill and a church-the latter being a part of the residence of Mr. A. J. Bowman. The following members of the Connecticut colony remained over three months: C. B. Lines,
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.