History of Butler County Kansas, Part 11

Author: Mooney, Vol. P
Publication date: 1916
Publisher: Lawrence, Kan. : Standard Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 946

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HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY

of Lawrence, one of the party who started the town, gives an account of the naming of El Dorado: Lawrence, Kan., December II, 1882: Dear Sir-In reply to yours of the seventh instant, I would say the name El Dorado is two Spanish words and signifies "The Golden Land." The beautiful appearance of the country upon our arrival at the Walnut sug- gested the name, and I exclaimed, "El Dorado!" and when the townsite was selected the name was unanimously adopted. I proposed the name and Thomas Cordis seconded it. Yours truly. J. Cracklin.

William Hilderbrand is supposed to have been the first settler near El Dorado, probably in 1854, having taken a claim near where the J. D. Connor farm now lies. In 1859 his place, which had become a sort of headquarters for horse thieves, was raided, and Hilderbrand, after join- ing the order of the flagellents or anglice, and getting a sound thrashing at the hands of the vigilantes, was given twenty-four hours to effect his escape from the county, and disappeared forever from El Dorado's hor- izon. In 1859 occurred the first wedding in El Dorado, as well as in the county, the parties united being Miss Augusta Stewart and a Mr. Graham. Shortly after the wedding the groom received serious injuries from the discharge of an overloaded gun and died. The first child born in El Dorado was Mattie, daughter of P. R. Wilson. The first death was that of Mrs. H. D. Kellogg.

El Dorado postoffice, as originally located, stood a mile and a half south of the present town. The mails were, however, handled at the residence of Henry Martin, on the present townsite, and the postmaster, Daniel Stine, lived at Augusta. There was a little frame building at the site of El Dorado proper, but in 1867, when the county lines had been moved to their present southern limits, the building had been stripped and stood alone and untenanted. At this juncture, D. M. Bronson, who had been appointed county attorney, proposed to Connor, representative from the district, to refit the building and employ it as a county seat headquarters. After various conferences, in which Connor refused to do anything. Bronson left this part of the country and went to a point be- low Augusta. On his return the present El Dorado had been located and made the county seat. A postoffice had been opened across the Walnut, opposite the present city, for four or five years before old El Dorado was surveyed, and D. L. McCabe had been postmaster. Daniel Stine, of Augusta, was, as has already been stated, potmaster in the old town, though never performing the duties of that office. The postoffice of- ficials in the present city have been Henry Martin, H. D. Kellogg, Mrs. M. J. Long, Frank Frazier, Alvah Shelden, T. P. Fulton, J. C. Rodgers, B. F. Meeks, A. J. Palmer, W. H. Ellet, Mary Alice Murdock, and the present one is T. P. Mannion. The office has been, since 1879, a Presi- dential one.

The first hotel opened in the new town was a rough frame erected in 1869, and occupied by Thomas Brothers. This very modest hostelry was later made the rear portion of the El Dorado House, of Samuel Langdon.

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El Dorado has been fortunate in its exemption from disastrous fires, the only one of any great importance occurring in December, 1880, and destroying the Walnut Valley elevator. This structure was built in 1878, at a cost of $10,000, and had a capacity of 40,000 bushels. It was not only an elevator, but also a flouring mill. And the fire in 1900, which destroyed the Central school building.

El Dorado had the usual uneventful and uncertain future of frontier towns. Its geographical location, and being the county seat, were its only boast. A $10,000 stone school house was erected in 1875, which was destroyed by fire in February, 1900. While it grew steadily in population and number of buildings, it had not an air of permanency. Enterprising citizens, among the leading ones being T. B. Murdock, then editor of The Walnut Valley "Times," after much labor and

MAIN STREET, EL DORADO, KANS.

persuasion, secured the building of the Florence, El Dorado & Walnut Valley railroad from Florence to El Dorado. This was the potent factor, the first railway in the county. It reached El Dorado in July, 1877, and the town turned out en masse to welcome it. Immediately after its completion an excursion train was run to the town, a grand ball and banquet were participated in, and a new era of prosperity wel- comed with every evidence of joy. The future of the town seemed then assured. Real estate advanced rapidly. New roofs sprang up in all directions. The old and small business houses began to give way to larger and handsome brick and stone structures. A brick building 104 feet long and two stories high was built by N. F. Frazier in 1878. But the town's tribulations were not over. In 1879 overtures were made to the citizens to aid a line of railway to be known as the St. Louis, Wichita & Western railroad. It was to be a branch from the Atlantic

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HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY

& Pacific at Pierce City, Mo. For years the citizens, strangers crossing them, and surveyors and engineers declared that the flint hills, a range of semi-mountains bounding the county's eastern line, presented an im- passable barrier to railways in that direction, save at one particular "pass" in what is now Glencoe township. The railway officials pro- fessed to be anxious to come through this "pass" to El Dorado, al- though the line running in a northwest direction from Pierce City would have to trend southward to reach Wichita. Our people rejected the de- mands of this company, and shortly after propositions were submitted to townships, and carried, voting aid to this line, running nine mile's south of El Dorado, through the rival town of Augusta and cutting off at least 60 per cent of the trade which had previously come to the town to reach rail communication with the outer world. This was a de- pressing period. Many, believing that Augusta, by reason of the heavier population around her, and her "boom," inaugurated by the building of the new road, would be the county seat, moved away from El Dorado, building slackened and the town was at a standstill. Again our business men took hold, and in 1880 forced the F. E. & W. V. (the "Bobtail," as it was called), from El Dorado, through Augusta to Douglass; which be- came the terminus, thirteen miles south of Augusta. Again the county seat was saved by cutting off the trade of Augusta from the region of Douglass and stopping her growth. But El Dorado languished. Being in the geographical center of the county, the county seat and having a railroad was not enough. Her growth became slow and unsubstantial through 1880, 1881 and 1882. During these three years an effort was being made by a local company at Fort Scott to build a road westward along the fifth parallel-an old dream of the first settlers in El Dorado, thought to be impossible of realization on account of the flint hills previously spoken of-but the company was poor and weak, and the work languished. It kept building and bonding, building and bonding, however, until in 1882 preliminary surveys were run through the hills by General Gleason, of St. Louis, an experienced engineer, who found a route of easy grade, but expensive to construct through the hills. Propositions were submitted and aid voted the road, under the belief, afterward verified, that the road would belong to the Missouri-Pacific system, and on January 1, 1883, our second railway, known as the St. Louis, Fort Scott & Wichita, was completed to the borders of the town, amid the same scenes of rejoicing which had characterized the coming of the first one. From the date of the completion of this (competing) line the permanent growth and prosperity of El Dorado were assured. The town outstripped the most sanguine guessers of its progress. The building and putting in operation, on July 1, 1885, of the Ellsworth. McPherson, Newton & Southeastern railway, largely secured through the activity and influence of Gen. A. W. Ellet. of El Dorado, gave the city its third railway, and accelerated and amplified the "boom" which characterized building operations after the coming of the "Sunflower"

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railroad, as the St. Louis, Fort Scott & Wichita was called. This line passes through a very fine agricultural country, and is a very important feeder to the main line of the St. Louis, Fort Scott & Wichita railroad.

El Dorado was made a city of the second class in July 1885. It is noted for the numerous shade trees along its broad streets and about its houses. Everybody plants and cares for trees. Its houses are generally neat and substantial structures. It is remarked that an unusual and very large amount of paint is used in painting and decorating dwellings, outhouses, fences, etc. El Dorado is one of the neastest towns in the State.

El Dorado has a beautiful, well-drained and healthful site. Its busi- ness buildings are substantial. It has many liandsome residences and beautiful grounds. The streets are board and shaded. Its schools are such that any intelligent community would be proud of them. Its churches have large memberships, and their ministers are generously

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CENTRAL AVENUE, EL DORADO, KANS.

supported. The secret orders are in a flourishing condition. The Masons and Odd Fellows have large and handsome halls. The city has a square (but the town is not built about it), deeded to the public, artistically set out with trees, which are flourishing and yield much pleasure from its shady foliage.

Finally, El Dorado's people are a social, intelligent, reading, church and school-loving and saloon-hating people, with whom all order-loving folk will find the warmest and most generous friendship and ample and inviting accommodations and facilities for educating and rearing their sons and daughters and launching them into business.

The first issue of The Walnut Valley "Times" was on March 4, 1870. It was a seven-column folio, exactly the size of the present Daily Times. T. B. Murdock, afterward editor of The El Dorado "Republican,"

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and J. S. Danford were "editors and proprietors," to quote from the edi- torial subhead. The paper was started by contributions of cash and El Dorado town lots. In a few weeks Danford retired from the paper and began a remarkable career as a banker-rather as a bank wrecker. The Bank of El Dorado, the Bank of Caldwell, Sumner county, and the Bank of Osage City, Osage county, all went under; all were simply robbed by Danford. How he escaped hanging at Caldwell at the hands of a mob was one of the remarkable episodes of early days. Murdock sold the Times to Alvah Sheldon in 1881.

The "head" of The Walnut Valley "Times" has never been changed since the first issue, save that some ten or fifteen years ago instead of small capitals the initial letters of the three words of the title were changed to capitals and small capitals for the remainder of the words.

What would now be called an advertising rate card was.in 1870 designated in the Times as a "price list," and the rates then were ap- proximately what they are yet in the weekly. The subscription price was $2 per year, subsequently reduced to $1.50 and in 1889 to $1, if paid in advance or during the year. Newspaper paper in 1870 was about seven cents a pound. The paper boasted in its first issue that it had a "circut- lation of 800 copies," by which the editors meant to say that they printed that many. They did not refer to the number of subscribers.

Under the head of physicians and surgeons were H. D. Kellogg, J. C. McGowan and Dr. Edwin Cowles. Attorneys-at-law were D. M. Bron- son, Ruggles, Plumb & Campbell, E. B. Peyton & J. V. Saunders, H. C. Cross & W. T. McCarty and Almerin Gillett. How familiar are these names to the old pioneers. And Bronson and his wife were kindly, gen- erous and helpful. They slept on the floor of their small home one night that two orphan girls who had ridden in the four-horse stage from To- peka might enjoy a night's rest before continuing their journey on to Douglass. They were Lida and May Lamb, the one buried in Belle Vista, the other Mrs. Alvah Shelden. Bronson died many years ago; Mrs. Bronson remarried and lives in Wisconsin. They reared a fine family. Mrs. E. C. Thompson is their daughter. R. M. Ruggles was an able lawyer. He died years ago. P. B. Plumb later served twelve years in the United States Senate and died in 1892. He was one of Kansas' distinguished patriots, soldiers and statesmen. Plumb and Ruggles were from Emporia. W. P. Campbell in after years served with honor as district judge.

In 1870, El Dorado, having about 400 inhabitants, advertised one hotel, the El Dorado House, corner of Main street and Central avenue. The public is assured in the first "Times" that it "is receiving large ad- ditions and is being refitted and refurnished throughout." J. B. Shough, deceased, advertised the Chelsea House as having "ample accommoda- tions for the traveling public," and many of its guests rolled up in blankets and slept on the floor, anywhere they could find room. Meals were usually fifty cents. Mrs. Eliza White told the public she had a

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boarding house "on Main street," in El Dorado. Eli Corliss was a stone mason and plasterer ; Crimble & DeLong were carpenters and builders ; so were D. A. Rice & Company and Ward & Potts-W. G. Ward and Thomas M. Potts. Henry Martin (settled on the old Teter farm, north east of El Dorado, at an early day), was a "licensed conveyancer and" notary public ;" S. P. Barnes-peace to his ashes-was the town's lumber dealer ; Henry Rohr shod the town and roundabout, making many pairs of boots at $8. $10 and $12 per pair ; in millinery and dressmaking, Mrs. M. J. Long (Mrs. E. H. Clark) and Miss M. E. Close "respectfully an- nounce to the ladies of El Dorado and vicinity that we expect to, within a few weeks, open a new and complete stock of millinery, consisting in part of ribbons, laces, flowers, feathers, silks, satins, velvets, etc. Bon- nets and hats made to order. Dressmaking a specialty." Thomas R. Pittock was heralded as proprietor of a saw and grist mill "adjoining town on the southeast ;" and "H. Martin & Company have permanently located their saw mill on the Walnut adjoining town on the east, sawing over 6,000 feet of lumber per day." Sleeth Brothers announced their saw and grist mill running "on West Branch, at the north end of Main street ;" and Burdett & Wheeler advertised their new saw mill "in opera- tion on the L. B. Snow farm on the Walnut, south of town." "We pub- lish herewith the first number of The Walnut Valley "Times." We have no apologies to make. Our paper speaks for itself. We make no promises, as we might not be able to fulfill them. To those who have aided us in establishing our paper here, we wish to return thanks. If you, after carefully examining the 'Times,' conclude that it is worthy of your support, make it known to us by sending us 'two dollars in ad- vance.' 'Our political faith' is described-It is scarcely worth while for us to state that we are Republican in political faith, as politics is so little thought of or talked about in this country. We will not, however, sup- port Republican nominees when they are known to be dishonest or cor- rupt. We will not under any circumstances support men for office who have a reputation for dishonesty. We are in favor of the fifteenth amendment, the present administration and the payment of the govern- ment debt according to contract."

A writer, under a nom de plume, under date of February 14. 1870. says : "On Monday three of us started for the lower country. We stopped at Augusta to take on a better supply of rations. Augusta is a lively little town, having two stores, a blacksmith shop, saw mill and hotel. Messrs. Baker & Manning have a good stock of goods and appear to be doing a good business. Our old friend, Dr. Thomas Stewart, is also selling goods there. The saw mill is doing a good business, but cannot supply the demand. Another mill is expected soon. We passed the new townsite of Walnut City, on a gradual slope of the upland, sloping toward the junction of the Little and the main Walnut. One or two buildings have been constructed and we noticed about 100 logs piled up waiting for the mill from the Neosho. We came to the flourish-

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ing town of Douglass, near the southern line of Butler county. There are three good stores, good hotel, etc. Chester Lamb is proprietor of the hotel. Douglass has one of the finest locations of any town in the State. Douglass and Walnut City will, in all probability, be rival towns, · as they are only two or three miles apart. Below Douglass the valleys grow in breadth and beauty and numerous squatter cabins are visible along the valley from Douglass to the mouth of the Walnut. About eighteen miles below Douglass we came to Winfield, at the mouth of Lagonda creek, formerly called Dutch creek. We counted several new houses. Just below the town we crossed to the west side of the Walnut at what is known as Kickapoo corral. We ascended to the divide through a defile with large rocks on either side, and from there south ten miles to Delphi (later Arkansas City). This is the most beautiful stretch of land I have seen in Kansas. The Arkansas river, about six miles west of the road, is visible all the way down to the mouth of the Walnut. About the middle of the afternoon of the second day we reached Delphi, which is a new site laid out for a future town. It is a smooth, swelling ridge, sloping off toward the Walnut on the east and toward the Arkansas on the south and west. The Arkansas is about the size of the Kaw at Lawrence. Fish are very abundant. We formed a fishing ex- cursion on the evening of the first day after our arrival. The evening was delightful, warm and clear. The moon being full made it as light as day. During the short time we were fishing we secured some nice ones, upon which we feasted. Prior to our arrival Captain Norton caught a catfish weighing seventy pounds, and a short time before one that . weighed sixty. The second day, while surveying claims, getting dry, we stopped to take a drink-not of the oh-be-joyful-but out of the pure and sparkling waters of the Walnut, and while so doing our horses ran off. leaving the wagon a wreck and scattered through the woods. After running a couple of miles the horses were caught by a friend, and re- turning to camp we went to work and before night we had everything mended up and ready to start home the next day. On returning to El Dorado, absent only four days, we noticed three new buildings that have sprung up during our short absence, which shows that the people of El Dorado mean business."

Someone, writing from the Little Walnut river country, near where Leon was started in 1879, says that every claim (homestead) is taken from the stream's head in the Flint Hills to its junction with the main Walnut, near Douglass. Taking a claim meant settlement upon it, and at times four poles laid in a square testified to someone's settlement until he (or she) could erect a cabin. The writer praises this section and declares that "stock can be grown to the age of four years at an average price of $2; thus giving the owner a clear profit of at least $25 per head. Companies from Michigan have already been formed and have taken claims on the head of the North Branch of Little Walnut for the pur- pose of entering extensively into the dairy business." This was only a

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dream-there were so many dreams, visions, illusions in those days. Nearly all the settlers were poor. They did not understand the country, the soil and climate. Many had never owned land before and the pros- pect was so flattering that air castles were readily constructed. W. R. Lambdin-he died in Denver several years ago-"has a claim at the junction of the north and south branches of the stream. He has been here about two and a half years. He has eighty-six domestic cattle, nine horses, four hogs, a mowing machine, sulky rake, plows, etc., etc. He raised in 1869 300 bushels of potatoes and an abundance of other vege- tables. His 160-acre claim has seventy acres of timber. He has re- fused $3,500 for his claim and stock. The next claim, on the north branch, is J. T. Lambdin's, seventy-five acres of timber, balance mostly good valley land. He has a log house of one room, which serves as parlor, bedroom, dining room, kitchen and nursery. He 'baches' and is making rails and will improve his claim as rapidly as possible. He values his claim at $900." This was J. T. or Josh Lambdin, who died here many years ago. It will be seen that the Lambdin brothers were considered quite wealthy. Think of 160 acres of the best bottom land and eighty-six head of cattle worth only $3,500 "Amos Richardson," the writer continues, "has a claim, a family, a frame house and three acres broke ; made several hundred rails this winter and smokes his pipe in leisure hours. He is a number one man and ought to be a J. P. He would be insulted if one should offer him less than $1,200 for his claim. His brother occupies the next ranch, has a frame house, three acres broke (this means the sod turned over with a 'breaking' plow) and that he is a son of a thief if he can be euchred out of his claim for less than $600. He is recommended for P. M. at Quito and will soon open an extensive stock of dry goods and groceries in that city. By the way, fearing people may not find the city, it is located on the N. E. 14 of the S. E. 14 of section 11-27-6. The next claim belongs to a Mr. Hart, for- merly of Ohio, and was settled upon in August, 1869. He has built a one-an-one-half-story house, hewed logs and made no other improve- ments. Mr. Hart has a No. I claim, with forty acres of timber and 100 acres of the best bottom land. He offers his claim now for $500, and it is the cheapest on the Little Walnut." It will be noted how frequently timber is referred as a valuable feature of land. The marvelous building of railways and distribution of lumber could not then be foreseen and timber was considered to be precious. With the coming of railways twelve years after this time, timber land lost much of its value, save for fuel and cattle shelter. "George Miller," says the chronicler, "owns a claim with a log house, stables, etc. His claim cost him a horse, and he would be badly scared if offered $600 for it. Mr. Miller's daughter has taken an adjoining claim, 160-no improvements. This is an example for other young ladies, and darn the man who dares to jump that claim. B. R. Boarce has a claim with hewed log house; he can take $400 for it any time." His record goes to show the small and humble beginnings

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of the pioneers, many of whom became homesick, were disheartened by drouth that would now be unnoticed because of better farming and better understanding of the time of planting, of crops to plant and their cultivation."

The editors of the "Times" left a record of incipient El Dorado, not full and complete, but giving a fair idea of its small beginnings: "Our town is beautifully located on a rolling prairie in the Walnut valley, and about the center of Butler county. Main, the principal business street, runs parallel with the Walnut river and is level enough to be called a table land, yet with sufficient slope to drain the surface water. By the original survey, the townsite contained but 140 acres, lacking twenty acres in the southeast corner to make it a square quarter section. But the enterprise of our citizens, encouraged and stimulated by an unprece- dented flow of immigration developing the resources of our county, soon demanded an enlargement of our borders. E. L. Lower, one of our first settlers, and Judge J. C. Lambdin, who are ever exercising a disposition to advance the interests of the town and community, concluded to make a personal sacrifice for the public good and prepared for the market Lower's addition, comprising eighty acres lying adjacent to the original townsite, which being rapidly covered with all kinds of business and dwelling houses. Twenty-two business lots on Main street and a large number of residence lots have been duly surveyed, the plot recorded as Finley's addition, and lots are now on the market at reasonable prices. While these lots are recorded as an addition, they properly belonged to and should have been surveyed as part of the original townsite; they are a portion of the twenty acres required to make the site square. All owners of property in El Dorado will be pleased to learn that Main street has been continued southward parallel with the streets on the west, not only bettering so essentially the shape of the town, but bring- ing into market some of the most choice business locations on Main street. Much gratitude is due Mr. Finley's liberality in removing the blockade to allow a large share of our improvement and business to take its natural course southward and we hope our citizens will not hesitate in using the means to the end intended. We are just informed that our fellow townsman, Dr. J. P. Gordon, has laid out a row of lots south of Finley's addition, continuing Main street the full extent of those on the west, thus perfecting the shape of that corner of the townsite. Let us all appreciate the doctor's public spiritedness. Comes last in order, but greatest in point of importance, Wilson's addition. It is eminently more essential to have a location of health and beauty, with salubrious air and water and fertile soil on which to build your residence, grow your or- chard and make your home, than to own a whole bulk of business lots on Main street. Wilson's addition offers all these attractions and in- ducements. It joins the old townsite on the west and contains eighty- six acres of good undulating prairie, affording natural building sites and is especially adapted to parks, gardens and vineyards. Prof. T. R.

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History of Butler County Kansas, Part 11

Author: Mooney, Vol. P Publication date: 1916 Publisher: Lawrence, Kan. : Standard Publishing Co. Number of Pages: 946

Author: Mooney, Vol. P
Publication date: 1916
Publisher: Lawrence, Kan. : Standard Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 946