USA > Kansas > Shawnee County > Historical sketch of Shawnee County, Kansas : prepared for the occasion of the centennial celebration, July 4, 1876 > Part 5
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" Already a great deal of heavy work has been done on this part of the route. Two miles have been put in order for the iron and several miles more let out in short sections so as to secure the grading of the first two miles before winter sets in. We confidently expect to have a railroad connection with Doniphan by the Fourth of July and with Topeka in less than two years."
The Hannibal and St. Joseph road had been com- pleted in the previous February.
Even during the calamitous year of 1860, when every other interest in Kansas languished, this one worked steadily on and it seemed that Topeka was to be the first town on the Kansas river to enjoy railroad advantages.
But it was not alone the St. Joseph and Topeka road that elated the Topekans in 1859.
THE KANSAS CENTRAL RAILROAD.
In the spring of that year W. Y. Roberts and associ- ates, interested in the town of Wyandotte, inaugurated an enterprise of a railroad up the Kansas valley from their town to Fort Riley. They associated with them- selves certain capitalists of Pennsylvania, and, securing the services of Engineer O. B. Gun entered immediately upon the work of survey. A line was first surveyed from Wyandotte to Lawrence on the north side of the river, thinking to cross the river at that point and con-
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tinue on the south side to Topeka. Subsequently, in the same year, a survey was made upon the south side be- tween Wyandotte and Lawrence to determine which was the more feasible route, and thence continued to Topeka where the line recrossed the river to the north side. This road was styled the Kansas Central. It was ex- pected by the projectors that a road would be extended down the Missouri river from St. Joseph and thus afford them connection by that route at an earlier day than the spirit of the Missouri Pacific would justify them in ex- pecting by it.
The hopes of Topeka in March, 1860, in view of the encouraging railroad prospects, are set forth in an edito- rial of the State Record as follows:
" With the rapid advancement of the St. Joseph and Topeka railroad we foresee the opening up for Topeka of a future unparalleled for brilliancy in the West. The assured completion of this road (the St. Joe and Topeka) will make an almost air line to all points of the North and East, giving us communication with the great com- mercial marts of the country, and affording us a speedy outlet for the immense productions of this fertile valley. The Kansas Central road will not be long behind the St. Joe in reaching this point, and then we will have con- centrated here a railroad interest which will attract cap- ital and trade from every direction and tend to the ag- gregation of commercial interests at this point sufficient of themselves to create a city of the first magnitude. With the completion of one or both of these roads, the immense trade of New Mexico will at once make its de- pot here, throwing into our city a commerce far surpas- sing that which constitutes the glory of Damascus in the day of her greatest prosperity."
In justification of what may now seem extravagance in the foregoing anticipations, it should be remembered
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that the enterprise of the St. Joseph & Topeka road was in such state of forwardness as to demonstrate the practi- cability of its completion to Topeka within one year of the time the article was written, even by the slow process of construction then practiced, and that the wealthy stockholders of the Hannibal & St. Joseph road were fully conscious of the advantages of an early extension of their road into the heart of Kansas.
It is idle to speculate about what might have been- and yet it is interesting to remember, in this connection, that, with the two roads completed to Topeka in 1861; with a road from Emporia to Topeka, as was then proba- ble, in a year or two thereafter, and no road to Kansas City from the East till the summer of 1866, Topeka would unquestionably have enjoyed facilities and time for com- mercial growth, in a pre-eminent degree. To the great drouth of 1860 in Kansas, and to the cloud of civil strife gathering blackness over the nation during that year, and culminating in the storm-burst of 1861, may well be attributed the changed results.
RAILROAD CONVENTION.
On the 7th of October, 1860, a general railroad con- vention was held at Topeka, at which about 125 delegates were present. Many railroad schemes were under con- sideration, as it was expected that when Kansas should be admitted into the Union, a grant of lands for railroad aid would be made, and it was deemed advisable to have a previous understanding as to the routes that should receive them.
The schedule agreed upon embraced five distinct lines of road, the two immediately affecting Shawnee County being as follows :
". A railroad from the city of Wyandotte up the Kan- sas Valley, by way of Lawrence, Lecompton, Tecumseh,
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Topeka, Manhattan and the Fort Riley Military Reser- vation, to the western boundary of the Territory." "A railroad from Atchison, by way of Topeka, through the Territory in the direction of Santa Fe."
The schedule, as agreed upon, was generally satisfac- tory to people, and in subsequent years was carried out with an unusual degree of faithfulness, in such matters. The Leavenworth, Pawnee & Western Railroad Company had been organized, and on the 14th of June procured the passage of an act by Congress authorizing the sale of the Delaware trust lands in the interests of that road. This produced some uneasiness at Topeka, lest that road should be built, as its landed interests seemed to dietate, on the north side of the river past Topeka. These appre- hensions strengthened as time elapsed, and Topeka men made strenuous efforts to induce the company, when it should build its road, to cross the river at Tecumseh, and continue westward thence on the south side. A prelim- inary survey was made, at the expense of Topeka, through Wabaunsee County, to demonstrate the practicability of that route.
UNITED STATES MAIL ROUTES.
Kansas, from various causes, had been subject to de- ficiencies and irregularities of mail service, as well as in other things. Congress had, in 1858, established neces- sary routes, but from a failure to make necessary appro- priations, mail service could not be supplied till the fall of 1860. We give below a list of routes affecting Topeka, as they were let on the 31st of July of that year :
From Topeka, by Brownsville, Wilmington, Wau- shara, Allen and Orleans to Plymouth and back, once a week.
From St. Joseph, in Missouri, via Atchison, Palmyra, Geary City, Doniphan, Monavia, and Grasshopper Falls to Topeka and back, three times a week.
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From Topeka, by Quincy and Eagle City to Shellrock Falls and back, once a week.
From Cottonwood Falls, by Cahola, to Topeka and back, once a week.
From Topeka, by Lecompton and Willow Springs, to Minneola and back, three times a week.
From Topeka, by Mission Creek, Wadsworth, Fre- mont and Alma, to Wabaunsee and back, three times a week.
Many of the localities here named are now forgotten, but in that day they had prominence, and were hopeful of becoming important business centers.
THE STATE CAPITAL.
But the subject, above all others, of unwaning interest to Topeka, almost from the day it was founded, was the possibilities and the hopes and the probabilities of her becoming the State capital. She had succeeded in the Topeka Constitutional Convention in having herself named as the capital, and as a consequence had gained prominence as a candidate for that position. In the repeated conventions that were subsequently held to frame State constitutions, Topeka always urged her
claims for the honor, and with universal success. In accordance with popular sentiment, the question of local- ity must be submitted to a general vote, and the Wyan- dotte constitution provided as follows :
"SEC. 8. The temporary seat of government is hereby located at the city of Topeka, county of Shawnee. The first Legislature under this Constitution shall provide by law for submitting the question of the permanent loca- tion of the capitol to a popular vote, and a majority of all the votes cast, at some general election, shall be neces- sary for such location."
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In obedience to this injunction the first State Legisla- ture passed an act to provide for the permanent location of the State capital, the first section being in the follow- ing words :
" SECTION 1. That there shall be an election for the permanent location of the State capital on Tues- day succeeding the first Monday in November, A. D. 1861, and, no place receiving a majority of all the votes cast, an election for the permanent location of the State capital shall be held at each succeeding general election, on the Tuesday succeeding the first Monday, until some place shall receive a majority of all the votes cast."
The people of Shawnee County were apprehensive for results as they approached the final ordeal and would have preferred that the important election thus precipi- tated upon them, should have been deferred for a few years. But for similar reasons why Shawnee preferred a postponement of the final contest, her competitors de- sired its precipitation, and in this they prevailed.
The election soon became the absorbing theme, espec- ially in Shawnee and Douglas counties, the chief towns of which were so largely interested in the result. There were many difficulties in conducting the canvass, pecu- liar to a sparsely settled country, chief of which were the difficulties of travel, there being no railroads and few routes of public conveyance. The chief fields of contest were in Leavenworth and Atchison counties and 'in the counties north and south from Shawnee. A good deal of what politicians call heavy work, was done, especially at Leavenworth City, the vote of which was divided be- tween Topeka, Lawrence and herself, though preponderat- ing to Topeka. Leavenworth had no expectations of being elected and the vote reserved to herself would have been given to Topeka but for the persistent efforts of Lawrence to get it.
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The vote polled upon the question, in the State, was 14,471, of which Topeka received 7,996; Lawrence, 5,291, and all others 1,184. Very much the largest number of counties voted for Topeka.
The sessions of the House of Representatives for 1861, 1862 and 1863 were held in a building now forming the front portion of Costa's Opera House, and the sessions of the Senate, for the same period, were held in a large building that stood upon the southwest corner of Kansas and Sixth avenues-known as the Ritchie Block.
By an act of the Legislature, approved March 2, 1863, the Secretary of State was directed to enter into a contract on behalf of the State, with Messrs. Gordon, Mills, Gage and Farnsworth, to erect a temporary capitol building upon lots 131, 133, 135 and 137 Kansas avenue, in the city of Topeka, according to plans and specifications, and to lease the said building for the term of five years, with the privilege of ten years, at the annual rental of $1,500; the property, under the same act, being exempted from all taxation during the period of its occupancy by the State.
The contract was duly entered into, the building erected and taken possession of by the State officers in the following autumn. The building occupied by the Topeka Constitutional Convention in the fall of 1855 for framing that somewhat famous document, and locally known as " Constitution Hall," was embraced within the limits of the building prepared for the State-the prin- cipal room thereof becoming the Senate Chamber.
At the session of the Legislature in 1862, the twenty acres of ground in the city of Topeka, now known as " Capital Square," and upon which is located the State House, was presented to the State by the Topeka Associ- ation, and accepted by joint resolution, as follows :
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" That the tender to the State of Kansas of a block of land in the city of Topeka, suitable for capitol purposes, made by the Hon. C. K. Holliday, as president and special trustee of the Topeka Association, is accepted, and that the Auditor of State is hereby authorized to receive the deed thereof, in behalf of the State, and cause it to be properly recorded and preserved."
The first appropriation for building a State House was made at the session of 1866, and during that year the foundations were nearly completed, but the frosts of the winter proving destructive of the stone used-taken from a quarry a mile to the southeast of Topeka-the work had to be rebuilt of other stone. The east wing was completed for occupancy in the fall of 1870.
The session of the first State Legislature and the con - centration of State business at Topeka added largely to the general movement upon the streets, and considerably to the local business of the town; and thereafter, the in - fluence of the State business has been all that had been anticipated, probably; though in later years that influ- ence has not been so apparent on account of the greater prominence of other influences upon the prosperity of the town.
The coming of the State and Federal Courts, too, con- tributed largely to the general weal of both the town and county.
On the 14th of April, 1860, the county commissioners published the following in response to conflicting rumors in regard to the financial condition of the county.
" Whole amount of county orders issued from and af- ter the first Monday in October, 1857, $12,354.78. Amount of tax levied to meet the above indebtedness, $12,060.66. Amount against the county for which no provision has been made by taxation, $294.12. In ad-
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dition to the above named sums there is between four and five thousand dollars in the form of warrants and bonds which were issued prior to the first Monday in October, 1857, and which have been repudiated by our predecessors as constituting no just debt against the county. The question of the responsibility of the county for the repudiated bonds is now before the courts, and all persons are hereby notified that the present board does not intend to recognize such bonds as valid unless compelled to do so by the highest courts.
G. W. SPENCER, J. M HAYWOOD, WM. C. BOWKER.
Commissioners."
The expenses of the county for 1861 do not seem to have been very 'accurately kept, but were reported by the commissioners to have been the round sum of $10,- 000. The levy that year for county purposes was one per cent. Upon Topeka township for township purposes, .0013, and in each of the other townships one tenth of one per cent. The commissioners did but li cle business that year, a fact for which there is possibly occasion for gratitude. The year 1861 should be remembered as a year of important events to Shawnee county.
From 1861 to 1865 the thoughts and efforts of the county in common with all the country were so absorbed by the terrible conflict that raged between the free and the slave States of the Union that few works of import- ance in a matured way were entered upon. Still it may be said that during all that dreary period there was a general prosperity in Shawnee County. The agricultural interest-especially in the valley of the Kansas river- was steadily advanced and the city of Topeka, year by year, added to her population, wealth, beauty and influ- ence.
During the period of the war, Shawnee County con- tributed largely of her men to the armies of the Nation,
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never falling behind nor faltering in works of patriot- ism with her associate counties, nor Kansas with her as- sociate States. And what Shawnee County did for the cause of the Nation, she did ungrudgingly and without complaint. The scenes of battle were generally so far from her borders that the dead from Shawnee were not returned to her. Scenes of patriotism and of grief fill the mind as we write, but which can have no place in this narrative. It is not well to pass unnoticed, however, the going out from Topeka on the morning of the 12th of October, 1864, of Shawnee's regiment to do battle with the invading army of Gen. Price.
Those who witnessed and those who took part in the scenes of the untrained militia as it formed on Sixth Av- enue and moved out to the east in its varied equipage and followed by its incongruous huddle of farm wagons and teams in haste to be a military train, know the spir- it in which men leave their families and go into battle.
From the dearly bought victory at Big Blue on the 22d there were returned for rights of honor and sepul- chre the bodies of-
HARVEY G. YOUNG,
JAMES P. ALVERSON,
MCCLURE MARTIN,
D. DRAKE,
NICHOLAS BROWN,
SAMUEL ALLEN,
GEORGE GINNOLD,
ROBERT McNOUN,
CHARLES H. BUDD,
ALBERT CAHPMAN,
LEAR SELKIN,
HIRAM C. COVILL,
R. J. BOLLES,
DANIEL HANDLEY,
W. P. ROBERTS.
Ground was specially set apart in the Cemetery by the generosity of its proprietor, and on the 10th of De- cember were transferred to it, from temporary burial near Wyandotte, the bodies of these patriot dead.
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It was an occasion of gloom and lamentation, such as has at no other time rested upon the people of Shawnee County. There upon that unkept ground, sacred in the memory of all who esteem the character that can do sac- rifice for another, it is yet the pleasure of our people to annually gather the garlands of May, and refresh the memory of their heroes. So let it be.
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