USA > Kansas > Atchison County > History of Atchison County, Kansas > Part 10
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wards became famous as the "Port William colored settlement." This was about twenty years before this community became generally settled by colored people. The old Herndon family residence, one of the landmarks of this region, is still standing and is occupied by Frank Bluma and family. There is evidence that the "old Indian farm" was occupied by Indians long before "Kickapoo John's" time for the old field is strewn with various fragments representing the stone age and prehistoric times. Mr. Herndon died a number of years ago. He was another of the early justices of the peace of Walnut township and was generally known as "Squire" Herndon. He was also a public administrator for Atchison county, and was one of the most prominent citizens of the southern part of the county for many years. He was the father of Mrs. Henry King and James Herndon, residents of Round Prairie. Mrs. King, then Miss Virginia Herndon, was the "belle" of the old town of Port William, and was a social favorite throughout this section of the county.
Another early settler of Port William was Henry Luth, the veteran car- penter, who moved from Atchison to Leavenworth. Mr. Luth lived in Port William for several years in the early fifties, removing to Atchison in 1857. He built many of the first houses in this section of the country. A large wal- nut cupboard and other furniture in Mr. Luth's home he made from walnut timber cut at Port William and sawed into lumber at the old Hartman saw- mill at that place. Mr. Luth had a little shop at Port William in which he made furniture. Henry Hausner, Atchison's well known commission mer- chant, took a claim at Port William in 1855, but was cheated out of it. Andy Brown, for many years an Atchison flagman, was an early settler of Port Wil- liam. With Thomas Taylor, now living at Perry, Kan., he crossed the river to Kansas on Jake Yunt's ferry just above Port William in 1854. Mr. Brown's father had taken a claim at Port William and Taylor one adjoining it. The latter helped Samuel Dickson build his cabin shanty on the site of Atchison in the fall of 1854.
Ex-Sheriff Fred Hartman, of this county, now deceased, lived at Port William in the early days. His father, Jonathan Hartman, in 1854, put into operation at that place one of the very first sawmills in the Territory. It furnished lumber for many of the first houses in this section. The lumber was sawed from the fine timber which grew along Little Walnut creek. Fred Hartman said that in 1856 Bob Gibson brought his famous "Kickapoo Rang- ers" to Port William for the purpose of lynching his father, Jonathan Hart- man, on account of his most avowed Free Soil principles. They stayed around a while, and as Mr. Hartman did not seem to be the least bit intimidated, they
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finally left and never molested him again. It was during this time that Pardee Butler was placed on a raft at Atchison and set adrift in the river. He landed just above Port William, and went at once to Mr. Hartman's for assistance. Not deeming it safe for Mr. Butler to remain in Port William, Mr. Hartman took him out to the home of Jasper Oliphant, about two miles west of the vil- lage, where he stayed at night and finally reached his home in safety. Jasper Oliphint was another of the earliest settlers of this locality. He was assassi- nated some years ago by Bob Scruggs, a desperate character, who at the same time shot and killed John Groff, another prominent Walnut township citizen, and Scruggs was captured and hanged to a tree near Oak Mills. The tragic deaths of two such substantial citizens as Mr. Oliphint and Mr. Groff produced a profound sensation throughout Walnut township. In the spring of 1857 Jonathan Hartman sold his sawmill and moved to a farm near the present site of Parnell, where he died. Fred Hartman served during the war in the Thir- teenth Kansas with Thomas J. Payne, mentioned elsewhere.
The wagon road leading from Port William westward to the "old military road," bears the unique distinction of crossing the same creek fourteen times in a distance of less than three miles. It is not believed that there is another creek in Atchison county that is crossed an equal number of times by one road. Little Walnut creek, which empties into the Missouri river at Port William, has its source near the Leavenworth county line. It flows northward through a heavily timbered country, and is one of the prettiest little streams in Atchison county. It was formerly called Bragg's creek, after "Jimmy" Braggs, an early-day Missouri Pacific section foreman, who lived on its banks. Braggs afterward moved to Holton, where he died and the name of the creek was changed to Little Walnut, after its neighbor, Walnut creek, which empties into the river at Dalby, about two miles above.
ARRINGTON.
Arrington is located on the Union Pacific railroad in the southwest part of the county. This town was platted August 20, 1884, and its original pro- moters were R. A. Van Winkle, D. S. Henecke, John Ballinger, D. D. High, D. A. Benjamin, J. M. Roberson, Michael Baker, J. S. Hopkins, Ira Tabor and George W. Drake. Its streets are numbered one to four, and its cross streets are called Fountain avenue, Delaware street and Forest avenue. Arrington has three general stores, one elevator and a bank. During good crop years, as high as 125 cars of grain and live stock are shipped from its station, and its stores do a good business, rendering fine service to the surrounding territory.
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At one time prior to 1890 medicinal springs were located at Arrington and it was quite a resort during the summer months for people living in north- eastern Kansas. The town has a good hotel, and in addition to its merchandise establishments it supports a physician and several churches.
For many years a mill was conducted on the Delaware river upon which Arrington is located, operated by water power. This mill was built by John Reider in 1867, who also operated it both as a sawmill and as a grain mill. In 1874 W. H. Stockton joined Mr. Reider, and these two men built a two-story frame mill, but they operated it only one day, as it was mysteriously burned the following night. Shortly thereafter Mr. Reider, undismayed and undis- couraged, associated with himself Albert Ingler, and remembering his previous disastrous experience with fire, Mr. Reider built a stone mill. This firm con- ducted a successful business for a number of years, drawing patronage for a distance of sixty miles, but in 1879, Mr. Ingler met an untimely death, by drowning as he was crossing the river, a few feet below where the Arrington bridge stands. Mr. Reider sold his interest to D. S. Heneks, who ran the mill until 1906, when John W. Young became its owner. He subsequently turned it over to George W. Stone, since which time it has been in possession of various owners, and in 1916 is owned by Burt McCulley. It has not been operated since 1908, and stands in ruins.
A history of Arrington would be incomplete without the mention of the name of Ransom A. Van Winkle, who was the first settler in Kapioma township, and the founder of the town. Captain Van Winkle was born November 25, 1818, in Wayne county, Kentucky. He was a Hollander by descent, and at one time his great-grandfather, Michael Van Winkle, owned an interest in 13,000 acres of land within twelve miles of New York City, which was sold just prior to the Revolutionary war, for twenty-five cents an acre. Van Winkle received the rudiments of his education in a Kentucky log school house, but was for two years a cadet at West Point and received a good education. He was married twice and had a varied experience in busi- ness, at one time owning a large interest in coal lands in Kentucky. He removed to St. Joseph, Mo., in 1849, and in September, 1855, came to Kan- sas and built the first claim cabin on the Grasshopper, or what is now the Delaware river, above Valley Falls, in Kapioma township. He also built the first steam sawmill; sawed the first lumber, and built the first frame house, and taught the first school in Kapioma township, and was the first postmaster at Arrington. He always took an active part in politics in the county and was a stanch Republican. He was a prominent Free State man
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in the early struggle in Kansas and contributed liberally to the cause and worked hard in its behalf. He was a justice of the peace in Papioma township for fourteen years; postmaster five years; trustee of Kapioma township eight years; a member of the legislature in 1861 and 1862 and county commissioner of Atchison county for six years. He was patriarchal in appearance and was a conspicuous figure for many years in Republican conventions in Atchison county.
MUSCOTAH.
The name of "Muscotah" is of Indian origin, but when, why and by whom it was applied to a town, seems to be a question. "Andreas' History of Kansas," in a brief historical mention of the town of Muscotah, says: "The name Muscotah, written in Indian style, Musco-tah, signifies 'Beautiful Prairie,' or "Prairie on Fire.'" Andreas does not give any authority for this statement, but on page 1343 in a biographical sketch of William D. Barnett, one of the earliest settlers of Muscotah, he says that Mr. Barnett did not name the town, but that it was named by Paschal Pensoneau, the old Kickapoo trader and interpreter. Mr. Kessler was a blacksmith among the Kickapoos at an early day.
Maj. C. B. Keith was one of the founders of Muscotah, and an early agent for the Kickapoo Indians. In a letter under date of December 8, 1908, Mrs. Keith, the widow of Major Keith, wrote that Muscotah was named by her husband and her two brothers, William P. and John C. Badger. She corroborates Andreas in his statement that the name signifies "Beautiful Prairie," or "Prairie on Fire," and says that Muscotah should be accented on the last syllable. She further says that Paschal Pensoneau may have suggested the name, and incidentally adds: "He was interpreter for my brother, William P. Badger, who was Indian agent under President Buch- anan, and later for my husband under Lincoln. He was a good friend for both of my brothers and Major Keith, and accompanied my husband to Washington with the head chiefs when they made their treaty. The original Muscotah was on a fine site and justified the name."
There is a town in the old Kickapoo country, in Illinois, named Mas- coutah, and believing it to be synonymous with the Atchison county name, though slightly different in orthography and pronunciation, Milo Custer, of Heyworth, Ill., the well known authority on the Kickapoos, wrote: "As to the meaning of the names Muscotah and Mascoutah, they are synonymous
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with the old Algonquin word, Masko-teh, meaning 'prairies.' The Kick- apoo word for prairies was one among others that I failed to get when I visited the tribe in Kansas in October, 1906. However, I am of the opinion that the word was originally derived from Ma-shi O-shkoo-teh, meaning 'Big Fire,' and that it referred to the great prairie fires which swept over the country. In fact I have seen the opinion advanced by some other author- ity, but cannot now recall the name." When the Kickapoos lived in Illinois there was a band called the Mas-cou-tins, which Maj. H. W. Beckwith, the highest authority on the Illinois tribes, says was the Indian name for "Indians of the Prairie." Hence it is evident that the name Muscotah is at least a derivation of the word "prairie," whether a "beautiful prairie" or "prairie of fire."
The plat of the Muscotah Town Company was filed by W. P. Badger,
Scene on Main Street, Muscotah, Kansas
one of its proprietors, June 5, 1857, and the town is located in section 34, township 5, range 17, on the Central Branch railroad, near the western edge of the county. Its streets run from one to thirteen, and its cross streets are named Pawpaw, Elm, Vine, Walnut, Mulberry, Hickory and Oak. Follow- ing the construction of the Central Branch railroad William Osborn filed another plat of the town, and several amendments have since been made to it. Muscotah has always been an important trading point, and one of the prosperous towns of the county. In 1916 there were three general stores,
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New Muscotah School Building. Erected 1916, at a cost of $20,000.
one hardware store, two banks, two elevators, one lumber yard, two cream stations, two barber shops, one harness shop, two drug stores, two res- taurants, a hotel, private boarding house, two garages and blacksmith shops. The town also has four practicing physicians, including an osteopath, and one dentist. The first general store was established by Nels Brown in 1868, and a year later Watson & Guy put in a general hardware store. Hagerman & Roach conducted a grain business in 1865, and the first elevator was built in 1874. Several serious fires have destroyed much property in Muscotah, the largest being known as the Watson fire, which occurred in 1883, de- stroying much property. The first mayor of the town was Dr. William P. Badger, who was eelcted in 1882. Albert Harrington was the first post- master, in 1866. The first physician to locate in the present limits of Mus- cotah was Dr. L. N. Plummer, who came there in 1869. In 1868 a Dr. Heath located a few miles out from Muscotah, but never lived in the town. Dr. S. M. Riggs came in 1872 and he and Dr. Plummer are both active physicians in the practice in 1916, together with Dr. O. O. Barter and Dr. F. A. Bermen. Years before Muscotah was established there was a small settlement nearby where there were a few houses and a postoffice located
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about where the Robert Russell farm is. John Keeley, an enterprising early settler, built a flouring mill on the Grasshopper river, now known as the Delaware, in 1869. Mr. Keeley did considerable business with the farmers in the surrounding territory, but business finally fell off and the mill was washed away by high water in 1895.
Muscotah is an important shipping point, and the annual shipment of grain amounts to $150,000 to $200,000. Much live stock is also shipped from Muscotah, and during the year 1915 fifty-two cars of cattle, hogs and horses were shipped to the Kansas City and St. Joseph markets.
Muscotah is also a city of churches and schools. The Congregational church was established in 1866. The pastor of this church in 1916 is Rev. Fred Gray, who preaches to a congregation of about 150. When this churchi was organized its members worshipd in the home of Robert Russell, which was at that time in the depot, and the church edifice which is now occupied was built in 1914.
The Methodist Episcopal church was established about 1876; it now has a membership of 120, and its pastor is Rev. Rollo J. Fisher.
The Advent Christian church was organized in 1889, and its first pas- tor was Rev. Marshall McCollough.
Mission Hall is maintained by unattached and unorganized Christians. It holds meeting several times a week, including two services on Sunday.
The public school system of Muscotah includes an accredited high school, in which two four-year courses are offered, together with a general and col- lege preparatory course. R. E. Devor is superintendent of schools, and the officers of the school board are: J. F. Thompson, president; W. D. Roach, treasurer; R. A. Allison, secretary. The first school house within the pres- ent limits of the town was built in 1870, but was subsequently destroyed by fire when another school was built in 1885. A six room school was erected, and it was also destroyed by fire in January, 1916. A movement is now under way to build a new, handsome, modern school building, to accommo- date twelve grades, together with manual training, domestic science and a gymnasium.
Muscotah is supplied with electricity by high tension line from Atch- ison, and in 1916 it has forty-two street lamps and fifty-five private con- sumers.
In addition to being a town of churches and schools, Muscotah also has several active lodges. The Masonic lodge was organized December 20, 1871, by E. D. Hillyer, of Grasshopper Falls, on a dispensation issued by
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HISTORY OF ATCHISON COUNTY
the grand odge; the charter was issued October 17, 1872, and the officers installed November 16, 1872. The first officers were: Ben F. Freeland, William N. Kline, Thomas H. Phillips, B. G. Merrill, D. M. Stillman, W. Bullock and I. C. Archer.
Purity Council No. 293, Knights and Ladies of Security, was chartered July 6, 1895. with John Edward Lewis, president. It had ten charter mem- bers and in 1916 there was a membership of seventy, with George W. Rork, president, and Mrs. Carl Rork, secretary.
Modern Woodmen was chartered in August. 1898. The present offi- cers are WV. F. Murray, V. H. Little and G. W. Harris. There are also active lodges of the Mystic Workers, Eastern Star and Royal Neighbors.
Muscotah's new combination grade and high school, which will take the place of the one destroyed by fire, will cost approximately $20,000, and will be a fire-proof structure of brick and concrete. When completed it will be one of the best school buildings of its kind in any town the size of Mus- cotah in the State. The present city officials of Muscotah are: William Buckles, mayor; R. A. Hillyer, J. G. Burbank, W. D. Roach, R. H. Trial and R. A. Allison, councilmen ; H. M. Turner, city clerk: E. M. Hicks, police judge, and S. B. Liggatt, marshal.
EFFINGHAM.
Effingham, the seat of Atchison county high school, is an incorporated town. located sixteen miles west of Atchison, on the Central Branch rail- road, and was first platted by William Osborne April 4. 1868, who built the first hundred miles of the Central Branch railroad, and is located on a part of the southwest quarter of section 15 and the northwest quarter of section 22. township 6, range 18. The original plat contained only eight blocks and was subsequently cancelled. February 6, 1871, Major W. F. Downs, land commissioner of the Central Branch railroad, filed another plat in which one block was dedicated as a public park and the streets numbered from one to ten, with cross streets as follows: Elizabeth, Seabury, Howard, George, William, and John. At the opening of the Central Branch railroad Effingham enjoyed quite a boom and it has remained one of the finest towns in northeastern Kansas ever since.
There was a settlement around Effingham for a number of years prior 10 the location of the townsite, and it was quite a trading point. Effingham is located on a broad sweep of prairie land, but there is very little of romance
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or legend connected with the town. There is one thing, however, for which it has always been noted, and to this extent Effingham occupies in unique place in the towns, not only of Atchison county, but of Kansas, namely: It has never been without a good hotel. The original hotel was known far and wide throughout the country and was conducted by Aunt Betty Benton, a famous cook, who not only gave her guests good things to eat, but made of her hotel a favorite stopping place for the traveling public on account of the hospitable way in which she ran it. Uncle Jack Martin succeeded Aunt Betty and for many years thereafter kept up the high standard set by her. Then came Thomas F. Cook, whose kindly welcome made friends for him
1
Main Street, Looking West, Effingham, Kansas
among the hundreds of visitors that came to Effingham from year to year. and who never left his hotel without a full meal. Mr. Cook was succeeded by Mrs. Frank Pitman, and she in turn was succeeded by Mrs. Davis, who, in 1915, is conducting the hotel at Effingham and maintains the high stan- dard of excellence of food and hospitality set by her predecessors.
Among the early merchants of Effingham was Hon. Milton R. Benton, who was born in Madison county, Kentucky May 3, 1815. He immigrated to Kansas in 1857: located in Atchison, where he resided until 1867. during which year he moved to his farm in Atchison county, near Effingham. He was the first marshal of the city of Atchison, having been elected in 1858. In 1863 he was elected mayor of the city, and in 1864 was elected a member
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HISTORY OF ATCHISON COUNTY
of the council. He served as a member of the senate in the Territorial coun- cil of 1859; in the State legislature in 1864, and for three years as trustee of Center township. Benton township, in which Effingham is located, was named for him. He was educated as a Democrat, but before he cast his first vote identified himself with the anti-slavery movement and became a Free State man in Kansas, but in after years he supported Horace Greeley and became identified with the Democratic party. In addition to farming he was in the real estate business in Effingham.
A. F. Achenbach was one of the early liverymen of Effingham, and also was George P. Allen, who was a dealer in hardware and grain; Ball & Her-
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Presbyterian Church, Effingham, Kansas
ron, dealers in harness; Joel M. Ketch, hardware merchant; J. E. McCor- mick, butcher: Alonzo Spencer, grocer; James Nesbitt, lumber dealer, and Simeon Walters, contractor and carpenter.
P. J. O'Meara was a pioneer merchant of Effingham, and was a native of Ireland, having been born in the county of Tipperary March 27, 1829. He first settled in Miami county, where he received his education, and in 1865 he moved to Atchison and went into the grocery business on Com-
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HISTORY OF ATCHISON COUNTY
mercial street, between Third and Fourth, later moving to Effingham when the townsite was located, and built one of the first store buildings. He did a large and paying business, and his popularity was shown by the people of Effingham in electing him their first mayor.
Effingham in 1915 had two hardware stores, one drug store, four gen- eral stores, two banks, two garages, two barber shops, one cream station, one clothing store, three restaurants, one hotel, one livery, and two elevators. Effingham is also a city of churches having one Catholic church, one Pres- byterian church, Methodist church, Christian church and Lutheran church. Its citizens are enterprising and progressive, and in 1914 the city council secured a twenty-four hour electric light service over high tension line from Atchison. The elevators are owned by the Farmers' Mercantile Association, and Snyder, Smith & Company. Tom Tucker and Beckman & Thomas are big live stock shippers, and they ship from ninety-five to one hundred cars of live stock out of Effingham every year, and the elevators ship over one hundred cars of grain every year.
The present city officials who have been so diligent and faithful in their services to Effingham are as follows:
J. W. Wallach, mayor; A. J. Sells, city clerk; G. M. Snyder, council- man; I. Ebert, councilman; D. Richter, councilman; James Farrell, council- man ; E. J. Kelley, councilman; J. W. Atcheson, marshal; J. A. Harman, city treasurer.
HURON.
Huron is located on the Omaha branch of the Missouri Pacific railway, in Lancaster township, seventeen miles northwest of Atchison. The town- site was originally the property of Col. D. R. Anthony, of Leavenworth. Mr. Anthony donated the railroad company twenty acres of land and the right of way for one mile. The surveys were made and the town named and platted on May 18, 1882. Within six weeks after completion of the sur- veys five dwellings were erected and the business interests of the town were well represented. W. D. Starr was the first postmaster, and by the end of the first year there were over fifty dwellings in the town, and among the first buildings to be erected were the Presbyterian and Baptist churches. Colonel Anthony donated lots upon which to build the churches. J. D. Car- penter opened the first hotel in Huron. Mr. Carpenter came to Kansas in 1874 and located on a farm near Huron, and when the town was organized he moved there and opened his hotel. W. G. Rucker was one of the early 8
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HISTORY OF ATCHISON COUNTY
lumber dealers of Huron. He came from Corning, where he was engaged in the general merchandise business, and moved to Huron when the town was platted. Capt. George W. Stabler, for many years a resident of Huron, was one of the prominent politicians and characters of the county. He was born at Stablersville, Baltimore county, Maryland, in 1839, where his ances- tors had lived for over 200 years. He moved to Kansas in 1858, set- tling in Lancaster township. He enlisted as a private in Company D, Second Kansas infantry, in 1861, for 100 days, and at the expiration of that time he re-enlisted in the Second Kansas calvary ; was made sergeant and was mustered out in 1865 and returned to his farm, subsequently moving to Huron. In 1866 he was elected to the legislature, and in 1871 and 1872 served as deputy United States marshal. He had been justice of the peace, at the time of his death, a few years ago, for over twenty years.
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