USA > Kansas > Woodson County > History of Allen and Woodson counties, Kansas > Part 70
USA > Kansas > Allen County > History of Allen and Woodson counties, Kansas > Part 70
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During the past ten years S. C. Holcomb, A. J. Jones. S. C. Holmes. .J. S. Gilson. R. Sample. Jr., E. Q. Stillwell. E. E. Kelley, J. E. Wirick and A. Howard were enrolled as members of the legal fraternity of the county, E. E. Kelley is county superintendent of public instruction of this county, and is fast winning fame as an author. All of the rest of these last named
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gentlemen still reside in Woodson County and are engaged in the practice of law except J. S. Gilson who is dead.
The first case that appears on the docket of the district court of Woodson County, as shown by the records, was filed September 9, 1864. The title of the case is: The State of Kansas, against D. H. Miller, charged with breaking jail. This note appears on the trial docket: "Case con- tinued on account of the absence of the defendant." The defendant is still absent.
In these early days when the lawyers were young, inexperienced and without books, questions were raised and discussed that would surprise and startle the lawyers of to-day. Among many instances of this kind is the following: A man was arrested in the city of Neosho Falls for selling in- toxicating liquors without a license. The defendant before the Police Judge pleaded "not guilty," and demanded a jury. No provisions could be found by court or counsel authorizing such a proceeding. The constitutional pro- vision giving to every man a trial by jury was paraded by counsel for the defendant and thereupon the City Attorney confessed the right of trial by jury, and proposed to the Police Judge to impannel one, which he proceed- ed to do. To this the defendant objected, but the trial went on and the defendant was convicted, whereupon he appealed to the district court. In the district court the defendant moved to dismiss on the ground that the defendant had been convicted in a manner not provided for by the statutes; but the Judge held the appeal good, and stated that the defendant was now voluntarily in a court where he could have the benefit of a constitutional jury, and thereupon the trial proceeded. There being no jury room, the jury was left in the court room to consider their verdict, and remained there all night. The defendant at the time of the trial was running a saloon in a room adjoining the court room. During the night he slipped through the thin partition to the jury bottles of beer and other liquors.
In the morning the jury were called into the box and delivered to the court a verdict of not guilty. The City Attorney insisted upon having the jury polled. During this examination of the jury one of them said that he had not agreed to the verdict, but that he had been compelled by other jurors to assent thereto; that he had been knocked down and with an uplifted chair and violent threats forced to consent to the verdict; but he now claims protection of the court in repudiating it; but the jury were discharged, the defendant was not to be found, and he is still at large.
The warmest feelings of friendship have always existed between the members of the Woodson County Bar, and the different persons who have presided as judge of the district. They have mutually aided each other in arriving at the correct solution of the various questions that have arisen.
Woodson County is purely an agricultural and stock raising county, and is not a fruitful field for litigation, yet its bar ranks among the first in the state. Several of her lawyers having a large practice in the adjoining
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WOODSON COUNTIES, KANSAS.
counties. They have taken an active part in all movements for the uplifting of the county, all of them who have families, with possibly one exception, own their own homes, and they may truly be said to be part and parcel of the varions communities where they reside.
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HISTORY OF ALLEN AND'
The Public Schools
(BÝ MR. E. E. KELLEY, SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION.) ...
The early history of the schools of Woodson County is very similar- to that of scores of counties in the Eastern half of Kansas. The pioneers: were men and women who came to make homes. The great majority were. HIen and women of good education and, next to the making of homes they were interested in the education of their children.
In 1857 the common school system was in the first stage of its evolution: even in the states east of the Mississippi. The Kansas pioneer tried to. begin the education of his children at the point where it was broken off when he moved from the East.
Under the territorial law there was an attempt at the organization of a publie school system. The free state legislature of 1858 took some steps In this direction and created the office of Territorial Superintendent of Schools, though the first incumbent of that office. James N. Noteware, has left on record no report of the condition of the schools during his adminis- tration. His successor, S. W. Greer, did much towards organizing the schools into a system, as did his successor, J. C. Douglas, the last of the territorial superintendents.
W. R. Griffith was the first state superintendent and died soon after his election. His succesor, S. M. Thorp, was killed in the sacking of Lawrence. Then came Isaac T. Goodnow, a man of great force of character and fine executive ability. To his recommendation the passage of many wise school laws of the earlier days is due. He organized the state school system as it stood until the year 1876. The school laws were revised in that year, and the Hon. D. W. Finney, of this county, then a state senator, was chairman of the committee on revision.
The first school tanght in the county was taught at Neosho Falls. It was taught in the summer of 1858 by Miss Emma Coulter. Early settlers say she was a very pretty, stylish young lady and was well liked. (A standard. by the way, that seems to have been maintained throughont the district's history.) Following the close of this term, Ebenezer H. Curtis opened a private school in the building which now stands south of Mrs. Tydeman's and back from the street in Neosho Falls. Mr. Curtis was a man of good education and was a popular teacher. When the war broke out he entered the Union army and subsequently became the colonel of a colored regiment. When last heard from, some eight years ago, he was living near Baxter Springs, Kan.
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WOODSON COUNTIES, KANSAS.
In the winter of 1860-61 George Waite taught a private school in the Viteto building just east of Highbargin's hotel. During the next winter Mrs. Brengle taught a school in her home, the house now known as the John Bryant house, and had an enrollment of twenty-five pupils.
In January, 1863, the new County Superintendent, E. J. Brown began the organization of the county into school districts. They were numbered consecutively in each township. Number One, Owl Creek township, was organized January 17th of that year. Number One, Neosho Falls township, was organized January 15th, as was Number One, Belmont township. Num- ber One, Liberty township, was created January 24th, and Number One, Toronto township, was organized April 25th of the same year.
Thomas Holland taught the first public school in Neosho Falls. About this time lumber was obtained for a new school house, but I am told the greater portion of it was "jayhawked" by a wagon maker who had a shop licar Ly. The law of recompense was vindicated, however, in a peculiar way. At that time there was a small building two lots north of Dulinsky's store that was used as a cooper shop. Early in the war the proprietor stole away and later the news came back that he had joined the Rebel army and was killed in battle. No relatives appeared to claim his property, and the cooper shop was appropriated and made use of as a school house.
The first "new " school house was built in Neosho Falls in 1869. A second room was added in 1871, and in 1872 the district purchased the old land office building just south at a cost of $1,000. This served as the high school building until January, 1900, when it was abandoned for school purposes, sold, and the new school building. just then completed was occupied. The new building has six rooms, is built of brick and is of modern architecture. Among those who once taught in the Neosho Falls schools I find the names of A. F. Palmer, later a county superintendent ; J N. Shannon, now a prosperous merchant of Vernon; J. J. McBride, a brilliant scholarly man who came to his death in a tragic manner at Toronto in 1886: J. N. Stout, ex-editor of the Post ; A. J. Jones, later probate judge and county attorney ; A. H. Newton, of the Humboldt schools, and J. W. D. Anderson, a man of brilliant attainments and literary aspirations, who died at Omaha, Nebraska.
Operating under a new law, in 1865, Mr. W. B. Stines, then county superintendent, proceeded to number the school districts of the county in consecutive order. There was a rivalry among the various districts in the position of "Number One." Neosho Falls especially pushed her claims for that place. The coveted number was conferred on a Liberty township district near Mr. Stines' home. Neosho Falls was Numbered Eight, which number she still bears, but the district squared matters with Mr. Stines at the next election by casting a heavy vote against him and securing his defeat.
The official records show that a school was taught in Toronto in the summer of 1864 by R. W. Richardson, that forty-nine pupils were enrolled,
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of which only twenty-three were residents of the district. The school cost $90 for the term of three months. E. Kellogg was the district clerk. The next year Mr. Richardson again taught the school, receiving $20 per month. The clerk reports that the school house was built with money raised by levying a district tax. The house so buili served its purpose until 1882. when a house of four rooms was erected and A. J. Jones was the first principal. In 1899 it was found necessary to build two more rooms to meet the growing needs of the school. G. H. Lamb was principal for a number of years, as was E. E. Kelley. Mrs. Ella Crockett served twelve years in the primary room.
The first school house was built in the Yates Center district in 1876. It was a one room stone building. Two rooms were subsequently added to it, and in 1882 bonds were issued to build the stone house on the hill in the north part of the city. It was known as the high school building, and its graduates number about 150. In April. 1901, the district voted bonds in the amount of $12,500 for a new, modern, ten room structure on the site of the north building.
The first building at Vernon was erected about 1873. In 1895 it gave place to a new school house, and in 1900 an additional room was built and a graded school established with Miss Flora Sherman and Miss Maude Lamb as teachers.
Among the old time teachers I find the names of many now dead. and all survivors are in other vocations : Edwin B. Dennison, Mary Brengle. Helen S. Miller, who later became Mrs. Fred Arnold, Sarah H. Hawkins, who became Mrs. Judge Graves, Cornelia A. Woodruff, Wm. B. Stines, Julia B. Thayer, Laura A. Dumond, Phedora Jones, M. E .Patterson, David Phillips. L. A. Wolfe, R. F. Eades. J. M. Jewett, Mollie Brady, A. J. Moody, E. V. Wharton and H. S. Johnson.
In 1867 the school population of the county was 571 white children and one colored. The average daily attendance in the county was 186, and ile average length of the school term was three and one-fourth months. There were six male and nine female teachers employed, and the average wages of the males was $31.14. and of the female teachers $19. Now the total number of school age in the county is 3,521, with an average daily attendance of 2,300. The average length of school term is seven and one- half months, and the average wages per month for male teachers is $37.50. and for females $31.50.
It seems a little strange to hear of log school houses in Kansas. Yet, in the report of the county superintendent for 1867, it appears that there were thirteen school houses in the county, and that ten of them were log houses and three were frame buildings. At that time the following text books were in use: McGuffey's reader and speller, Spencerian penman- ship. Ray's arithmetics. Cornell's geographies. the Goodrich history and Pinneo's grammars; in many respects distinctly superior to the state texts of the present day.
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WOODSON COUNTIES, KANSAS.
It might be well to speak here of at least two ventures toward estab- lishing private schools. Especially I wish to speak of the work of Miss Hattie Clark, now Mrs. W. W. P. McConnell. Miss Clark came to Neosho Falls during the war period with the purpose in view of founding a semi- mary for young ladies. She came in January. 1864. The hall over the hotel was fitted with blackboards and seats, and the use of Mrs. Crane's organ was obtained. Miss Clark taught four terms of three months each. The tuition was $2.50 per term. The first term she had sixteen pupils. Then to make the school more lucrative she admitted younger children and also some male pupils. During the last term the enrollment reached forty.
In Perry township, almost due west of Humboldt. and on a high, bleak limestone hill, stands an old unpainted house, gloomy in appearance and showing the ravages of time. Here, soon after the war a man named Qnackenbos. a brother of the old time text book author of that name, essayed to start a boarding school for boys. An old settler tells me that the plan was to take for students the sons of Eastern men who desired their sons to see a bit of Western life and at the same time be far removed from the contaminating influences too often found in the East. The project began bravely enough, but the students had a predilection for running away to Humboldt for a good time. and after a year's trial the school was abandoned. The old building is a landmark and can be seen for many miles.
The following is a complete list of the county superintendents of the county: Peter Stevens, 1859-61; J. B. Pickering, 1861-62: E. J. Brown 1863-64 : Dr. McCartney, 1864 : W. B. Stines, 1865-67 ; S. J. Williams, 1867- 70; \ M. Friendly, 1870-71. J. L. Gilbert, 1871-75; A. F. Palmer, 1875-81; J W. Richardson, 1881 ; Lizzie J. Stephenson, 1882-87 ; Kate Rhea, 1887-89; J. C. Culver, 1889-91 ; Kate Rhea, 1891-93; A. M. Kannard, 1893-97 ; Lucy Ellis. 1897-99 : E. E. Kelley, 1899.
The twenty-fifth annual session of the normal institute was held in the month of July, 1901. It is, in Kansas, the educational Chautauqua of the school teacher, and there is scarcely a county in the state but where the attendance runs above the hundred mark. The early history of the normal institute is interesting. In the legislature of 1864 some humorously inclined Solon introduced and secured the passage of a bill designed to encourage the normal institute. It provided for the holding of an insti- tute in each senatorial district, "Provided, board shall be furnished free of charge to all teachers and members of the institute during its session, by the place where the institute is held."
It would be rather a wonder if any town would want the institute under those circumstances, but a search of the records shows that Neosho Falls opened her homes and spread her tables for the members of the institute on at least two occasions. One transcription is: "The institute held at Neosho Falls on September. 19th, 20th, 21st and 22nd was a decided snecess." Another entry, a little later says : "The institute at Neosho Falls
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was a decided success. Teachers are becoming more efficient in the school room and more active out of it. Forty-six new school houses have been built during the year. But one instance has occurred in which a patron has attempted to interfere with the lawful authority of the teacher. That patron suffered the expense of a lawsuit, a fine of eighty dollars and the righteous indignation of an outraged community."
In 1867 the county received $357.57 from the state school fund. Last year it received the sum of $3,040. In 1867 the total amount paid for teachers' wages was $1,315.50, and last year $21,080 was so paid. There are now eighty-eight teachers employed and sixty-nine organized districts in the county. The alumni of the various high schools number 220, and there have been 238 graduates from the district schools.
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WOODSON COUNTIES, KANSAS.
Politics and Election Returns (BY FRED L. STEPHENSON)
At the time Wood. mn County was organized and for a number of years afterward, locality and personal popularity seemed to have more to do with the selection of tle county officials than party politics. The Repub- lieans were so largely in the majority that not until about 1880 or 1881 did the Demo rats pla e a county ticket in the field. However the regular nominee on the Republ can ticket was not always successful as almost every year there were some independent candidates, and occasionally a Democrat would be elected by reason of his personal popularity or some local strife. From the beginning the Republicans have maintained their organization and have been the dominant party in the county.
Some of the active workers among the Republicans in the 60's and 70's were: I. W. Dow, W. B. Hogueland, W. W. Sain, W. H. Jones, W. B. Stines, W. A. Atchison, D. W. Finney, T. W. Wilson, W. H. Slavens, David Phillips, A. B. Mann, Joseph Bishop, W. S. Lockard, O. S. Woodard, J. H. Bayer, William Stockebrand, J. W. Turner, Fred L. Arnold, Henry Gregory, J. W. Jewett, J. A. Freer, G. C. Snow. In the 70's and 80's the following came into honorable prominence: Seth Kellogg, J. B. Prutzman J. A. Gregory, F. M. Henly, Geo. D. Carpenter, I. N. Holloway. I. S. Jones, Geo. E. Faler, J. B. Fry. H. S. Trueblood. R. A. Hurt, J. W. Depew. J. E. Pickett, J. A. Hale, T. J. Eagle, W. P. Stephenson. S. E. Porter, G. W. Davis, B. P. Baker, G. W. Rogers, W. E. Hogneland, G. R. Stephenson, J. B. Stockton, Dexter E. Clapp, A. C. Gordy, L. L. Byington, W. C. Willie, B. F. Everett, T. L. Reid, Eli Jackson, Jno. O. Dow, N. B. Buck, J. N. Stout. W. L. Parsons, Jas. Dutro, I. M. Jewett, R. M. Phillips, W. P. Dickerson, Chas. Starrett, A. Singleton, S. C. Guston, A. A. Keck, E. W. Naylor, Geo. W. Shepard, James Davidson, J. J. Layton, H. H. McCormick, R. P. Hamm, J. F. Bayless, J. J. Puckett, A. H. Schnell, D. T. Shotts, A. T. Woodruff, G. H. Lamb, J. L. Martin, J. W. Quick, Thad Parsons, S. G. Paris, D. M. Ray.
In 1873 what was known as the Reform party was organized by Democrats and former Republicans. Among those prominent in the movement were G. W. Hutchinson, W. J. Honghawout, Hud Houghawout, Mike Reedy, Dan Fullmer and Frank Butler. This party nominated a ticket in 1873 and succeeded in electing Frank Butler Representative.
The Democratic party was the next to form a county organization and placed a ticket in the field, selecting their candidates in mass convention. In 1882, E. V. Wharton, their nominee for Representative was elected, he
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being the only successful candidate on their ticket that year. Among the' leading Democrats of the county were: Frank Butler, W. J. Houghawont,- A. Hamilton, O. P. Houghawout, Mike Reedy, Mike Heffren, Hud Hough- awout, Geo. Yohon, Owen Diviney, H. D. Dickson, Phillip Hefflenger, C. H. Goodrich, E. V. Wharton, A. F. Pahuer, Henry Ashley, C. C. Mills, R. R. Wells, M. C. Smith, E. K. Kellenberger, T. W. Plummer, H. H. Winter, G. W. Highbargin. A. A. Newman, William Cooper, John Cannon, Geo. Me- Gill, Wm. Reedy, M. E. Hunt, Wm. Wyse, James Drain, W. D. Wingrave, M. L. Lynch, Fred Stewart, W. B. Woodside, H. C. Rollins.
In 1886 the Prohibition party held their first county convention that nominated a full ticket. J. N. Shannon was the nominee for Representative. receiving 288 votes. In 1888 Pusey Graves was the Prohibition candidate. for Representative and received 368 votes, the largest vote ever cast in the county for that ticket, and their last complete county ticket. Some of the prominent workers in this party were: J. N. Shannon, A. VanSlyke, W. S. Shippey. Pusey Graves. O. P. Houghawout, M. V. B. Pearsall, H. H. Petty, T. B. Noland, J. W. Grimes, E. J. Troyer, John Taylor, John Young, At this time all of the minority parties were more or less interested in the so-called Reform movement.
In 1888 the Union Labor party, which had already been organized in the county, nominated a complete county ticket with H. H. Petty for repre- sentative, The Knights of Labor were well organized at that time giving all' the assistance they could to the Union Labor party. Some of the leaders in this new reform party were, E. V. Wharton, H. H. Petty, J. G. Kellen- berger, Frank Hall, Wm. Walker, J. Z. Dysert, E. B. Moore, W. A. Bailey, J. H. Sturdivan, H. T. Chellis, S. C. Geary, W. H. Talbot and Chas. Pol- lard. This party only continuel their county organization for a year or two, when nearly all of them with some dissatisfied Democrats and Repub- licans formed the Alliance party, and in 1889 and '90 they effected their county organization.
Although the Democratic party lost many of its members they kept up their county organization. The organization of the Alliance was soon fol- lowed by fusion which was successfully effected with the combined opposi- tion to the Republicans in this county.
In 1892 the Peoples' or Populist party as the result of fusion reached its zenith in this county and for several years succeeded in electing one or Two county officers, by the assistance of some free silver and dissatisfied Re- publicans, but the Republicans have always been considered the strongest political organization in the county.
A few of the organizers and leaders of the Populist party in this county were, E. V. Wharton. H. H. Petty, J. G. Kellenberger, E. A. Macoubrie, Frank McGill. J. Z. Dysert, Sam Jones, J. H. Sturdivan, A. Hamelton, C. B. Goodale, H. T. Chellis, D. S. Park, Geo. Mentzer, Fred Wil- Finson. Alex. Baxley. Alec Linder, S. C. Geary, Thomas Watson, Chas. Bauersfeld and C. C. Mills.
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WOODSON COUNTIES, KANSAS.
At a meeting of the supervisors of Woodson county, Mansas territory, held at Neosho Falls, May 22, 1858, I. W. Dow was chairman and W. Phillips and G. J. Cavin constituted the board with Chas, Camron their ·clerk. Among other business they made a call for an election of county of- ficers the first held in the county, at which time there were less than one hundred votes cast. At the general November election in 1859, Marcus .J. Parrott received a majority of the votes cast for delegate to congress and N. S. Goss for member of the council of the 12th. Council district. P. G. D. Morton was elected a Representative of the 24th district, over E. J Brown. The county officers elected were: Peter Stevens, Supt. Common Schools ; Jonathan Keys. Probate Judge: Hiram McConnell, Sheriff. For Register of Deeds, Emeric Chase and H. Groesbeck each received 84 ; for County Clerk, J. M. Leech and M. Smith Austin received 81 votes each ; A. Vernam elected county attorney: G. J. Gavin, treasurer ; David Reynolds Coroner : John Woolman, Surveyor.
At an election held under the Wyandotte constitution. December 6. 1859. Charles Robinson received 60 votes and Samuel Medary 37 votes in the county for Governor, 97 being the total number of votes cast in the county that year.
At a special election in March, 1860. T. D. Bodman was elected county clerk and H. Groesbeck register of deeds to fill vacancies, there being no choice for those offices at the previous election.
In November, 1860, the county officers elected were : James Crane, pro- bate judge: A. W. Pickering, county clerk : Joel Moody, county attorney ; Osbone Ewing, county assessor. and William Phillips, E. Chase and Lewis Thompson. commissioners.
At a special election in March, 1861, E. J. Brown was elected repre- sentative. and John Stansbury probate judge to fill vacancies.
At the general election in November. 1861, George A. Crawford received a majority of the votes in the county for governor. E. J. Brown was elected representative. David Reynolds, sheriff : Peter Yohon, county clerk; M. W. Alexander, treasurer : J. D. Coulter, register of deeds ; J. S. Askren, county assessor : James Crane. probate judge: J. B. Pickering, superintendent public instruction : W. B. Stines, surveyor ; Allen McCartney, district clerk . Jackson Lewis, Owen Diviney and H. J. Gregory, county commissioners
For state capital the vote stood: Lawrence, 71; Topeka, 5, and Em- poria, 1.
NOVEMBER, 1862.
There were 101 votes cast for governor of which Thos. Carney received 61 and W .R. Wagstaff received 50.
A. McCartney was elected representative; J. B. Pickering, probate judge; A. L. Hathaway. clerk of district court ; Geo. L. Wait, county clerk ; 1. Johnson, sheriff : Michael Collins, coroner; J. M. Baldwin, treasurer ; John Woolman, surveyor; Peter Yohn, register of deeds; Isaac McCon- nell, county assessor, and E. J. Brown, superintendent public instruction
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