History of Atchison County, Kansas, Part 12

Author: Ingalls, Sheffield
Publication date: 1916
Publisher: Lawrence, Kan., Standard Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 1032

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Potter is one of the most flourishing towns of its size in Kansas. Though its population is less than 200, it boasts of two banks, the aggregate resources of which amount to nearly a quarter million dollars. There probably is not another town of its size in the State that has two banks. The town has two good elevators which during the years 1912, 1913 and 1914 handled on an average of 140,000 bushels of grain a year. These elevators are operated by Fred Ode & Sons and James Robinson. The railroad station at Potter does a business that amounts to something like $40,000 annually. The ship- ping of live stock is an important industry here. The principal buyers are Tinsley, Potter, and Timple Bros. Much fruit is grown around Potter, and as high as $20,000 has been paid out for apples during one shipping season.

Potter has a rural high school, the first of its kind established in the State, and an $8,000 school building.

The town has two general stores, those of W. A. Hodge and P. P. Knoch; a hardware store, operated by B. F. Shaw; a grocery store, by Thomas J. Potter ; a furniture store, by Frank Beard; a drug store, by G. E.

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Coulter : a hotel, by Mrs. G. F. Pope ; two blacksmith shops, by R. E. Brown and G. F. Pope; a livery stable, by H. G. Hawley; two barber shops, by George Brown and Frank Blankenship; a cement tile factory, by Grisham & Maxwell; a millinery store, by Mrs. T. J. Maxwell; a telephone exchange, by E. C. Yoakum; a newspaper, The Potter Weekly Kansan, by J. E. Remsburg ; two physicians, Dr. G. W. Redmon and Dr. S. M. Myers. Dr. A. E. Ricks, of Atchison, has a branch dental office here; the Lambert Lumber Company, of Leavenworth, has a commodious and well stocked yard here, with Samuel Parker as manager. There are two churches, Methodist and Christian, two

School House, Potter, Kansas

public halls, and one lodge hall. L. M. Jewell conducts an insurance, real estate and loan business. There is also a garage, and other business enter- prises in the town.

MOUNT PLEASANT.

In 1854 Thomas L. Fortune, Jr., a Virginian, settled on the "old Mili- tary road" and opened one of the very earliest stores in Atchison county, around this store springing up the village of Mount Pleasant. A postoffice was established here in 1855, and Mr. Fortune was appointed postmaster. Being an inventive genius, he finally gave up his store business and devoted his energies towards perfecting and building a road-wagon, to which refer- ence has heretofore been made, and which he thought would revolutionize the freighting business across the plains.

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The townsite of Mount Pleasant was surveyed in 1857 by John P. Wheeler, agent for the Town Company.

Michael Wilkins and James Laird were the very first settlers in the township, being followed shortly afterwards by Levi Bowles, Jacob Grind- staff, Andrew J. Peebler, Martin Jones, Chris Horn, P. R. King, W. C. Findley, A. S. Speck and Amos Hamon.

The first hotel in the town was opened by Henry Payne, who operated it many years.

T. J. Payne and Philo W. Hull were the next parties to engage in busi- ness, Mr. Payne leaving when the new town of Sumner was started, and locating there.

The next to engage in business was P. R. King, who established a gen- eral store about 1858. He remained at Mount Pleasant until after the county seat question had been settled, when he removed to Atchison.

In the fall of 1858 a district school was opened. In 1860 the Cumber- land Presbyterians erected a church building, having held religious services at the homes of the members prior to this time. Rev. A. A. Moore was their first pastor.

On May 1, 1862, the Church of Christ was organized by Elder W. S. Jackson, with seventeen members, services being held in the school house.

Mount Pleasant Lodge, No. 158, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, of Mount Pleasant, was organized in the fall of 1868 by the following charter members : William J. Young, X. Klein, M. R. Benton, John Hawley, S. K. McCreary, Joseph Howell and Albert Hawley. Their first meeting was held October 20, 1868, with the following as first officers : William Young, wor- shipful master; X. Klein, senior warden; A. Hawley, junior warden; S. K. McCreary, secretary ; M. R. Benton, treasurer.

In August, 1862, the name of the postoffice was changed to Locust Grove.

LEWIS' POINT.

In pre-territorial times and in the steamboat days, Kansas had many geographical names that are not now to be found on the map. Some of them, where permanent settlements have sprung up, have been perpetuated, but the majority of them do not live even in the memory of the oldest inhabitants. One of the latter is "Lewis' Point," near the present site of Oak Mills. Old "Cap." Lewis is long since dead, his name almost forgotten, and the rapacious Missouri river and "Mansell's Slide" are now about to devour the "Point."

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with which his name was coupled in our early geography. While "Lewis' Point" was never a place of any prominence, and not even the site of a village or settlement, yet it was a geographical name that was known to every steam- boat man running on this section of the river, and is worthy of preservation in our local history. "Lewis' Point" was at the projection of land lying im- mediately above Oak Mills, on the Missouri river. It took its name from the fact that Calvin Lewis, an old riverman, settled at this point at an early day, and it became a frequent stopping place for steamboats to take on wood. In those days there was a splendid wood supply in that vicinity. Lewis' house stood near the site of the old Champton, or William Moody, house, which was destroyed by fire about a year ago.

It is not generally known that a steamboat was ever built on Atchison county soil, much less that Oak Mills was ever the scene of the ship builder's craft, outside of the construction of Indian canoes and the modern skiffs built by Dick King or some other later-day river man. Yet, it is a fact that Calvin Lewis once built and launched at "Lewis' Point" a small stern-wheel steam- boat, and operated it on the river for several years. In 1855 the first terri- torial legislature of Kansas passed an act authorizing Lewis to operate a ferry at "Lewis' Point."

FARLEY'S FERRY.

The same legislature that gave permission to Lewis to operate a ferry at "Lewis' Point," granted the same privilege to Nimrod Farley, to maintain a ferry across the Missouri river, opposite Iatan, Mo. Farley was a well known character in the Missouri bottoms in the vicinity of Iatan, Cow Island, and Oak Mills, in the early days. He lived near Iatan, but it seems that he owned land on the Kansas side, near Oak Mills, which offered a landing for his ferry. He was a brother of Josiah Farley, who laid out the town of Farley, in Platte county, in 1850. George McAdow later became proprietor of Farley's Ferry and operated it until it was destroyed by Jayhawkers, shortly before the war.

CHAPTER VIII.

THE CIVIL WAR.

THE ISSUE BETWEEN EARLY SETTLERS-INFLUX OF FREE STATE AND PRO- SLAVERY PARTISANS- EARLY VOLUNTEERING-MILITARY ORGANIZATIONS -THREATENED INVASION FROM MISSOURI-POLITICAL SOCIETIES-JAY- HAWKERS - CLEVELAND'S GANG - LYNCHINGS - ATCHISON COUNTY TROOPS IN THE WAR-PRICE'S ATTEMPTED INVASION.

The six years intervening between 1854 and 1860 constitute a momentous period in the history of Atchison county. No new community was ever organized under more unpromising circumstances. It was not merely land hunger and lust for personal gain that were the impelling motives which brought men to Kansas in that day. Neither gold, nor gas, nor oil, nor precious gems lured men here. Kansas was then, as it is now, an agricultural paradise, and such an environment has ordinarily but little charm for the dar- ing adventurer and the seeker after sudden riches, who toil not and spin less. It is true that a large number of peaceful, plodding home-seekers -- the tillers of the soil -- the hewers of wood and the haulers of water, immigrated to Kansas to take up land and build permanent homes, but they were in the minority prior to 1860. The tremendous issue of human slavery was thic all absorbing fact. and the long struggle here wrought a complete revolu- tion in the political thought of the whole country. Men came to Kansas for the most part for political rather than for business or agricultural reasons. The settlement of Kansas was an inspired political movement of partisans. There was little room for neutrals, and those who were "too proud to fight" went elsewhere. There was little consideration on the part of the early settlers of Kansas, of any questions except slavery and anti-slavery. They came in large numbers from the South and from the North, and met here upon the frontier in a final test of strength. The Free Soilers won, but only

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after bitter contests in which passion, prejudice and bloody partisanship ran riot. and Atchison county played a most conspicuous part in this great battle. The Nation and the world looked on as the battle lines surged for- ward and backward. And while they fought here in a last desperate strug- gle for supremacy, these courageous men and women on both sides founded their towns, built their court houses, their primary schools and their churches with an abiding faith in the hearts of each of them that victory would finally crown their efforts. Atchison county made progress in spite of the fact that her leaders were wrong. We gave promise here of being the metropo- lis of Kansas, for we had many geographical and commercial advantages over other struggling communities of the Territory. But before the well laid plans of our citizens matured, before projects for the development of steam transportation to bring us nearer the outside world could be concluded the mighty conflict which ended in four bloody years of civil war, broke upon the Nation, and Kansas within three months after being admitted as a State enrolled itself on the side of the Union. Atchison county sprang to arms almost a thousand strong, and may it ever be said to its everlasting glory that few, if any, counties in the State had a more patriotic record. One hundred and thirty-one Atchison county men enlisted in the First Kan- sas regiment ; twenty-five in the Seventh; eighty-five in the Eighth ; eighty- six in the Tenth : 260 in the Thirteenth; 100 in the First Kansas (colored) ; twenty-five in the First Nebraska; 105 in the Thirteenth Missouri; thirty in the Fifteenth Kansas : forty in the Ninth, and fifty in the Sixteenth, or a total of 937 men, which, together with the scattering of men in other regi- ments in adjoining States, brought the total number of soldiers engaged during the Civil war to 1,000. The population of Atchison county at that time was 7.747, and the voting population 1,133, which shows that the total number of voters was but slightly larger than the total number of volun- teers. At that time Atchison, by reason of its location, was subject to in- cursions from Confederate troops and Jayhawkers from Missouri, which called for the organization at different periods of the war, of home guard companies, which are not included in the foregoing statement. At the out- set of the war Atchison had three militia companies. A. B and C. and a fourth, known as the All Hazard company, the origin of whose name is thus explained. At the city election in the spring of 1861 the issue was union or dis-union. The Republicans and Union Democrats united in supporting G. H. Fairchild for mayor. He was a Union Democrat who on various occasions announced his unwavering friendship of the Union and for the

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HISTORY OF ATCHISON COUNTY

maintenance of the constitution and laws "at all hazards," and when this company enlisted for the war Mayor Fairchild was its captain and it became Company K of the First Kansas. It participated in the battle of Wilson's Creek, August 10, 1861, which was the first action in which a Kansas regi- ment was under fire.

In 1861 there were constant threats of invasion from Missouri rebel organizations in Buchanan and Platte counties, and in that year another home guard company was organized with the following officers: Charles Holbert, captain; J. G. Bechtold, first lieutenant; Clem Rhor, second lieuten- ant; W. Becker, third lieutenant; John Schupp, ensign. During the follow- ing year the danger of invasion became still more threatening and 650 men in sixteen companies came to Atchison to protect the town from destruction. The Atchison county companies were commanded by Captains Holbert, Hays, Batsett, Evans and Vanwinkle. It was due to the thoroughness with which the people of Atchison organized themselves against invasion that they were spared from being completely annihilated. On the fifteenth day of Septem- ber, 1861, another company for home guard service was mustered in at Ft. Leavenworth. J. M. Graham was captain; J. G. Bechtold, first lieutenant ; R. N. Bryant, second lieutenant. This company subsequently became Com- pany E of the First Kansas Regiment Home Guards, numbering fifty men, and were ordered back to Atchison for duty, where they were stationed until all danger of invasion had passed, after which the company became a part of the Eighth Kansas. The victories of the Union forces in 1862 were frequent, and as a result many rebel sympathizers came to Atchison for safety, where they became very troublesome. In order to counteract the growing evil over the activities of these men, Mayor Fairchild issued a proc- lamation in which he warned them that they must not expect to be pro- tected in any manner by the city laws as long as they held to the views which they expounded at every favorable opportunity. "It would be absurd to suppose," the proclamation said, "that a patriotic community could treat otherwise than its enemies, persons who are in sympathy with base men who have brought upon our country untold misery, almost un- limited taxation and almost inconceivable pecuniary suffering. As a repre- sentative of a loyal people I will not encourage men to return among us who have circulated reports that they were refugees from the loyal States on account of their secession doctrines, nor will I give protection to men who unmistakably at heart belong to the Confederacy." This proclamation met with such favor that a mass meeting of Union men in Atchison county

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HISTORY OF ATCHISON COUNTY

was held at Price's Hall March 15, 1862. The whole county was well represented and stirring addresses were delivered by Colonel Edge, of Doni. phan county, Tom Murphy, the genial proprietor of the Massasoit House. Rev. W. S. Wenz, Lieutenant Price, E. Chesebrough, Mayor Fairchild. Caleb May, and others, after which resolutions denouncing the southern sym- pathizers and notifying them not to return were unanimously adopted. Dur- ing the latter part of the same year a call for aid to assist the Atchison county troops met with immediate response and within a few days, com- mencing August 20, 1862, almost $4.000 was subscribed by the citizens of Atchison. Seven hundred and forty-five dollars came from Mt. Pleasant township. Among the leading contributors were Theodore Bartholow. E. Chesebrough, G. W. Fairchild, J. W. Russell, W. L. Challiss, Dr. William Irwin, G. W. Howe, Bela M. Hughes, William Hetherington. Otis & Glick. Henry Deisbach, J. E. Wagner, Rice McCubbin, McCausland & Brown, Tom Murphy, W. A. Cochrane, Samuel C. Pomeroy, Stebbins & Company, E. Butcher, and William C. Smith, each of whom subscribed the sum of $50 or over. Atchison also made a notable contribution when Quantrell invaded Lawrence, sending $4,000 to assist the people of that city. In 1863 depreda- tions of the Jayhawkers became very annoying, and a vigilance committee was organized and all good, peaceful and loyal citizens were called upon to band themselves together for the protection of their lives, homes and prop- erty. Those who joined the vigilance committee took an oath to support the Government of the United States and Kansas, and to do all in their power to put down the rebellion, and also to keep secret all proceedings of the or- ganization. This committee did very effective work in bringing to punish- mient violators of law and also in keeping the lawless bands of Jayhawkers and other thieves out of Atchison county.

The following "circular" has been unearthed by the author, and while it bears no date it apparently contained the constitution, by-laws, ritual and oath of these societies.

"CIRCULAR TO OFFICERS.

"Be extremely careful in the selection of your members. Admit no one who is not of good standing in the community, and whom you have not good reason to believe to be firm and uncompromising in his devotion to the Union, and to be relied upon to assist in any emergency in maintaining the laws and good order in the community. This is of the first and highest im- portance to the order, and if any member shows symptoms of defection, watch him closely.

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HISTORY OF ATCHISON COUNTY

"In all cases, deal kindly with your opponents, and strive by gentle means to win them over to a change of sentiment. Many good men may thus be brought within our circle who would otherwise be lost to us.

"The first club established in your county seat will be called the County Club, to which all clubs in the county will report, and by those officers all such clubs will be established. It is important that we be frequently advised as to our strength in the State; and for this purpose each subordinate club will re- port weekly to the county club the number of members enrolled therein : and the County Club will report monthly to the Ex. Com. at - the number of clubs and number of members in the county. These reports should be carefully sealed and addressed

"The officers of County Clubs will be supplied with a printed constitution and ritual, and they will furnish officers of subordinate clubs copies of the same, with a strict injunction to secrecy.

"All correspondence must be secret as possible ; and in order that this may be accomplished the monthly reports may consist only of the place, date, num- ber of clubs in the county and number of members. No signature must be attached. These reports will be summed up and published by the Ex. Com.

"Strict secrecy as to the working of the organization is enjoined and promptness and vigor in its extension is very important. We must work now and work rapidly. No time is to be lost; our opponents are working vigor- ously and secretly, but it is not too late to counteract their machinations and utterly overthrow them. Work! Work! Work!

"CONSTITUTION.

"OBJECT.

"The object shall be to preserve and maintain the Union and the constitu- tion of the United States and of the State of Kansas, and to defend Kansas against invasion, insurrection, civil commotion and to protect Union men against assassination, arson, robbery, prescription and all other wrongs in- flicted by the enemies of the Government of the United States and of this State upon loyal persons.

"OFFICERS.

"The officers shall consist of Pr .. V. P., R. S., T., M., and S., who shall hold their office for three months.

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HISTORY OF ATCHISON COUNTY

"DUTIES OF OFFICERS.

"The duties of officers shall be the same as in similar organizations and all business shall be conducted in the usual parliamentary form.

"ADMISSION OF MEMBERS.

"Persons may become members who are eighteen years of age and up- wards, and are citizens of the United States.

"INITIATION.

"All initiations shall take place in and with the authority of the officers of the club who may delegate suitable persons to initiate members from time to time as occasion requires outside of any regular meeting of the club. Branch clubs may be formed by proper application to this club when the president may appoint suitable persons to establish the same.

"WITHDRAWALS.

"Any member may withdraw from this club by giving written notice of the same to the R. S. at any regular meeting; but the obligations of such member shall remain the same as before.

"AMENDMENTS.

"This constitution may be altered or amended by giving one week's notice thereof, by a vote of two-thirds of the executive committee of the State. Each county club may make by-laws for its own organization, not conflicting with this constitution.

"RITUAL.

"Eternal God! Supreme Ruler, Governor and Architect of the Universe! We humbly beseech Thee to protect the people of the United States in general and especially the members of this organization. Wilt thou be pleased to direct and prosper all our consultations to the advancement of Thy glory, the good of Thy country, the safety, honor and welfare of Thy people, and may all things be ordered and settled by the Legislature and Executive branches of our Gov- ernment upon the best and surest foundation, so that peace and happiness, truth and justice may be established among us for all generations. Wilt Thou be pleased to guide and direct us as Thou didst our Fathers in the Revolution. With the strength of Thine almighty arm Thou didst uphold and sustain them through all their trials, and at last didst crown them with victory. May

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charity, and brotherly love cement us; may we be united with our principles founded upon the teachings of Thy Holy Word and may Thy Good Spirit guide, strengthen and comfort us, now and forever, Amen.

"All candidates for membership to this club will be required to answer the following questions to be propounded by the marshal before initiation :

"I. Are you opposed to secession or disunion ?

"2. Do you acknowledge that your first and highest allegiance is due to the Government of the United States of America ?

"3. Are you willing to take such an oath of allegiance to the United States of America ?

"4. Are you willing to pledge yourself to resist to the extent of your power, all attempts to subvert or overthrow the constitution of the United States, or the constitution of the State of Kansas?

"Should the candidates answer affirmatively, the marshal, after repeating to the president, will conduct them into the club room and present them to the president, who shall then address the candidates as follows :

"Gentlemen :- We rejoice that you have thus voluntarily come forward to unite yourselves with us. The cause we advocate is that of our country ; banded together for the purpose of perpetuating the liberties for which our fathers fought, we have sworn to uphold and protect them.

"It is a strange and sad necessity which impels American citizens to band themselves together to sustain the constitution and the Union; but the Govern- ment under which we live is threatened with destruction. Washington en- joined upon us that 'the unity of the Government which constitutes us one peo- ple is a main pillar in the edifice of our real independence ; the support of our tranquility at home, our peace abroad-of our safety, of our prosperity, of that very liberty which we so highly prize.' He charges that we should 'prop- erly estimate the immense value of our national Union to our collective and in- dividual happiness ; that we should cherish a cordial, habitual and immovable attachment to it ; accustoming ourselves to think and speak of it as the palladium of our political safety and prosperity ; watching for its preservation with jealous anxiety ; discountenancing whatever may suggest even a suspicion that it can in any event be abandoned.'

"He tells us again that 'to the efficiency and permanency of the Union, a Government for the whole is indispensable. No alliances, however strict be- tween the parts, is an adequate substitute.'

"It is to sustain this Government we are banded together, and for this pur- pose you are now required to take a solemn obligation.

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"Place your left hand on the National Flag and raise your right hand toward Heaven; repeating after me :

"We and each of us do solemnly swear in the presence of God and these witnesses to support, protect and defend the constitution and Government of the United States and of the State of Kansas against all enemies, foreign and domestic, and to maintain and defend the Government of the United States and the flag thereof, and aid in maintaining the laws of the United States in this State and to defend the State of Kansas against invasion from any State or States and from any other rebellion, invasion, insurrection to the best of our ability without any mental reservation or evasion-So help us God.

"The members will respond.

"To this we pledge ourselves.

"We do severally solemnly swear and affirm that we will protect, aid and defend each member of all Union clubs, and will never make known in any way or manner, to any person or persons, not members of Union clubs, any of the signs, passwords, proceedings, purposes, debates or plans of this or any other club under this organization, except when engaged in admitting new members into this organization.

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History of Atchison County, Kansas, Part 12

Author: Ingalls, Sheffield Publication date: 1916 Publisher: Lawrence, Kan., Standard Publishing Co. Number of Pages: 1032

Author: Ingalls, Sheffield
Publication date: 1916
Publisher: Lawrence, Kan., Standard Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 1032