USA > Kansas > Butler County > History of Butler County Kansas > Part 16
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In the fall of 1870, three horses were taken from the lariat near W. Packard's cabin about dusk one evening. They were recognized as they passed the place of his neighbor, A. N. Sloan, and Mr. Packard was notified, and, in company with two of his neighbors, he started in hot pursuit. Near where is now the Harmony church they noted that the thieves had hastily pulled some grass, presumably used as a substitute for saddles. The third day they returned home with their recovered stock, badly jaded. All the information vouchsafed the inquisitive was, "Them thieves won't steal any more horses." That incident, followed by the lynching of eight men near Douglass, put a damper on horse stealing as a business for a time.
As to price fluctuations-In 1860, this chronicler paid $2.25 per bushel for about No. 3 grade of corn ; $2.25 per bushel for potatoes ; five cents per pound for salt and 35 cents per pound for bacon. In 1872, this same scribe sold Comrade James Dodwell, of Wall street, El Dorado, a nicely dressed hog for $1.75 per hundred pounds, after butchering and hauling it twelve miles. That was the best offer he could get.
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HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
The first school in the township was taught by J. D. Porter in 1870, a mile west of the Frisco depot. The first school house was the Cheno- weth, on the corner of section 16, a quarter of a mile west of the present stately Leon school building. It was built in 1871. T .O. Shiner taught the first term in it. A lively literary society fourished there and many notable debates were held. The society paper was a gem. Too bad that it was not preserved. This scribe would give $o for a file of it. The Christian church was organized there in 1872, by John Ellis, author of "The White Pilgrim." This was the first church of Christ organized in the county.
The first village to have a blacksmith shop, a drug store and a physician, Dr. -, was at the junction of the north and south branches of the Little Walnut in the fall of 1872. Some notable meet- ings were held there. One held during the winter of 1872-1873 was supposed to be epoch making. Two narrow gauge railroads were pro- projected to cross at that particular point. They were to be built and owned by the people. Neil Wilkie, of Douglass, afterward a State Sen- ator, and C. W. Packard, of North Branch, were the chief speakers. The proposed city was christened New Milwaukee. But the roads never got as far as the bond voting age, and the christener kept the key and stubbed his toe, so you all know Quito.
The drought, chinch bug and grasshopper nearly annihilated the crops in 1874. The little wheat grown, a few patches of oats and the early truck was all that escaped the devastation. The hopper arrived on the afternoon of August 13th. The floating army formed a cloud that dimmed the sunlight. Every blade of corn, even where it was in the shock, disappeared within a few hours. They literally covered the ground in some places to a depth of four inches. The lint on the lumber was eaten so that it showed spotted for two or three years. Fork handles and other hardwood tools and implements were nicked and married by them. Having done their work of destruction, the bulk of them took wing on the 15th and 16th. However, there were sufficient left to literally fill the earth with eggs in favored localities. Mrs. Hopper drilled a hole an inch and a half to two inches deep and deposited a hundred eggs or more. Then she slimed them over to resist the mois- ture. In the early spring of 1875 they hatched out in great numbers. But subsequent cold and wet weather was such that few survived and there was no damage to speak of in this vicinity. The field north of the Leon cemetery was a peculiarly favorable locality for the deposit of the eggs. The eld was plowed shallow early in the spring so as to cut the hopper nests in two. The white eggs showed so thick as to give the ground somethinng of the appearance of having received a skift of snow. This was the first and last serious invasion of the army hopper in this vicinity during the forty-six seasons of our residence.
Little Walnut township voted $17,000 in bonds to the Wichita & Western Railroad Company (construction company for the Frisco),
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whose western terminus was then at Severy, in the spring of 1879. When the line was located across his land, the writer gave the right-of- way and paid the president of the company. B. F. Hobart. $150 to pay for the right-of-way across Charles Tabing's land, upon the promise to locate the depot where it now stands.
The Leon "Indicator" was born and the first house erected on the townsite in January, 1880. The first issue of the paper, a three-column folio, bears the date of January 31. 1880. Here are a few of the quips from its local page: "The Indicator may die, its editor will die, but Leon is bound to make a town." "Look here-Leon expects to have the first telegraph station in Butler county." "Don't laugh at us be- cause we are little, it might make us feel bad. and if we should live to get big enough, you might feel bad, too." "If there are not one hundred houses in half a mile of the Leon town well, November 1, 1880, set us down as a poor guesser." At the above date the population of Leon was over 500 and it had taken rank. next to Douglass, as the fourth town in the county. The coming of the barbed wire fence, the early growing of hedge fences, the introduction of alfalfa and kafir corn and the building of the Frisco railroad set Little Walnut township forward at a great pace.
The first construction train reached the town April 29. 1880: the first regular passenger train from St. Louis arrived May Ioth. The second issue of the Indicator, which had been dubbed the "Tri-Yearly." was published May 8th. Up to this date very few of the upland settlers had made final proof of settlement. But now the lands assumed a com- mercial value. Loan companies were established and anxious to make loans on them. Consequently the rush of the claimants to secure pub- lication of their final notice was something fierce. The first issue of the "Indicator." a seven column folio, was printed on its own Washing- ton hand press. June 18, 1880. It made the price for publishing these fi- nal notices $3, which, up to that time, had been $4 to $5.
On Thursday afternoon, September 16th, fifty-two of these notices came from the land office to appear in the next morning's issue of the paper-and not a stick of type left in the office. But our printers said they would "stay" with us. So. after supper, we drove to El Dorado and secured from the late T. B. Murdolk, of the Walnut Valley Times, a big batch of nonpariel type. Reaching home at II o'clock p. m. the men fell to distributing that type into the cases. By 7 o'clock p. m. Friday. the work of setting the type, printing a full page supplement, folding and mailing the paper was completed: then home to breakfast and a good forenoon nap. That week the Indicator had one hundred and forty- three of those notices.
F. W. Beckmeyer established the first general store in Leon ; Pal- mer & Westocott the first drug store; W. J. Martin the first hardware store: W. L. Beadle the first hotel ; Postmaster Kenover moved the office up from Tong's watermill and he and T. C. Chenowethi opened
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one of the first grocery stores; H. Belton was the first man on the ground, and opened a blacksmith shop. S. A. Brown & Co. established the first lumber yard. C. C. Miller was the local manager. A. Mussel- man, the first furniture store. Palmer & King established the first bank. Tong & Fetrow erected a steam flouring mill and T. J. Lindsey and H. P. Morgan started in the packing business in the early eighties. One year, they salted down 800 hogs. But, the hot competition by the big establishments, high freights, and a lack of capital flattened out both establishments. The loss of half our population, when Oklahoma was opened to settlement in 1889, curtailed business and caused many business changes.
A second paper, the Leon Quill, was established in 1885. by J. L. Stratford. O. W. Meacham became the owner and the two papers were consolidated. fle sold to the original "Indicator" man in 1891. He sold the plant to J. B. Adams in 1894. After a few months, Mr. Adams moved the paper to Augusta, leaving Leon without a paper. In the spring of 1895, the business men of the town prevailed upon the original founder to re-establish the "Indicator," which he continued to publish until December 2. 1901, when he sold to L. L. Schmucker, who, in turn. sold to J. E. Hannon. He sold to C. W. King, whose office and build- ing was burned in 1911 and the town was again without a paper. De- cember 7, 1911, C. V. Cole established the Leon News. He was suc- ceeded by J. W. Watkins in February, 1915. May 1, 1915, the present editor. J S. Martin, took the helm and is giving us one of the best local papers, for a town of this size, in the state.
Little Walnut township has furnished two Representatives to the state legislature: M. A. Palmer, (who has also served as a county com- missioner and register of deeds), and D. W. Poe, and one state Senator, Fremont Leidy, who also served as U. S. Internal Revenue Collector for a term of four years. James D. Anderson was elected sheriff from this township; likewise, H. T. Dodson. C. R. Noe was appointed a regent of the State Agricultural College, by Governor E. N. Morrill, in 1895. and served three years; filling the position of treasurer of that institution in 1896. The township has furnished a score or more of employees for the Frisco R. R. Co., including George Edgar, claim adjuster, and James Dunworth, a passenger conductor. Leon is per- haps the only town of its size in the state with the distinction of hay- ing had two full fledged brass bands at one and the same time. It has for years held the honor of having the best band in Butler county. In 1914, the city voted $10.000 in bonds and had three prospect wells drilled to a depth of 1.500 feet. All proved dry. However, there is little doubt that gas, or oil, or coal, will be brought to the surface in this vicinity within a few years at most. Traces of coal have been found in several open wells, as far back as thirty-five years ago. The Leon public and high school building ranks with the best for a town of its size.
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LOGAN TOWNSHIP.
Logan township was formed May 2, 1874, out of portions of Bloom- ington and Union townships and comprises all of congressional town- ship twenty-eight, range six. The first election was held at the resi- dence of T. R. Kalker and the first officers were: S. M. LeMoins, trustee ; T. J. Lindsey, treasurer : C. M. Price, clerk; B. H. Penn, jus- tice of peace ; L. A. Drury, constable.
Among the early settlers of what is now Logan township were: . John C., Isaac, Ben and Alonzo Jones ; W. R. Burroughs, J. J. Dedrick, W. M. Kelly, Joseph L. Potter, J. W. Shidler, W. A. Mccullough, A. Lurzadder. J. S. Bogle, J. M. Cotton, the Dunn family, John B. Hol- ford, James Sears, A. J. Lightfoot. Minos West, Harry Wait, J. J. Getz, B. J. Russel and many others. Very few, if any, except J. J. Getz and Mrs. B. J. Russell now own, or reside on, their original claims. Some of the best agricultural and pasture land in the county are in this town- ship. Many fine stock ranches and farms are located here. Well watered and plenty of timber along the streams and at one time was the banner portion of the county for the deer, the antelope and wild turkey. No railroad enters or crosses the township but coal, oil, gas and other minerals are to be found in abundance and its people are noted for those qualities that make it one of the most desirable places in which to live, so much so that there has never vet been found the person who would not rather live there than die anywere else.
CHAPTER XI.
TOWNSHIPS, CITIES AND TOWNS. (Continued.)
MILTON TOWNSHIP-MURDOCK TOWNSHIP-PLEASANT TOWNSHIP- PLUM GROVE TOWNSHIP-PROSPECT TOWNSHIP.
MILTON TOWNSHIP. By Dr. John Horner.
January 6, 1873, a petition was presented to the board of county commissioners THE INDEPENDENT. asking that a new township be formed out of the terri- tory comprising congression- al township 24, range 3, east. Petition granted and an elec- tion ordered at the regular time of holding election for township officers. The elec- tion resulted as follows: C. INDEPENDENT OFFICE, WHITEWATER. P. Strong, trustee; G. H. Sanders, treasurer; G. W. Carter, clerk; B. Clouce and H. H. Storms, justices of the peace ; E. J. Powell and Charles Barker, constables.
Milton township, so named after Milton C. Snorf, its first settler, is a block of thirty-six square sections, and joins Fairmount township on the south, which is situated in the northwest corner of Butler county, Kansas.
Milton C. Snorf, the first settler in the township, located on the northeast quarter of section thirty-six in 1868. He was followed soon after, and in about the order named, by W. G. McCramer, Stark Spen- cer, Levi Spencer, George Cornelius, Sylvester Foster, George Sanders, W. B. Mordough, Charles Barker, L. C. White, George Ogden, E. J. Powell, Sam Thomas, the Storms, Neiams, Hoss, Harder, Sparks, De Talent, Hershley, and many others.
The Holden post office was located on section eighteen and B. C. Leveredge was appointed postmaster in 1871. After a few years Thomas H. Storms was appointed postmaster and the office moved to
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HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
his residence on section eight. Later the office was moved to section twenty and E. T. Eton was appointed postmaster. He moved the office to Brainerd in 1886 where it remained until 1883, when changes in rural routes were made and the Brainerd post office discontinued. a post of- fice having been established at the town of Whitewater near the cross- ing of the tracks of the Missouri Pacific and Rock Island railroads.
Towanda was the nearest post office in 1869 and 1870. The nearest railroad was at Emporia, seventy miles away, from which place lumber and other necessities were hauled. There was a saw mill at Florence and å grist mill beyond Florence, where grain was ground. A trip to either place meant two days and a night. On the prairie were many antelope, some deer, and plenty prairie chickens. In 1871 Mrs. E. T. Eaton taught our first term of school in a small house built on the southwest quarter of section twenty, township twenty-four, range three, east, now in school district No. 95. Holden school house was built later in '71 on the same section. In this school house the Holden Literary Society held its meetings for years. The Holden "Times," a product of this society, was read at each meeting. In the Times were discussed farm, home, and literary topics. It also had a local column that kept the boys guessing who would come next.
Most of the land in Milton township was occupied by homemakers about 1870 and '71, and a battle for existence was on-the transforma- tion of the prairie soil to a seed-bed. This required much time but will- ing hands guided the plow.
The first township officers were G. P. Neiman, justice of the peace ; E. T. Eeaton, constable; George Carter, clerk. School districts were laid off in blocks of two by three miles, on which school houses were erected. Teachers were paid about twenty dollars per month. These school houses were used for many purposes, meetings, Sabbath school, preach- ing. elections, secret socities, concerts, etc.
But, Work! More Work! Better Work! was the slogan and the soil yielded fair crops of corn and oats. Spring wheat was first tried but was not a success, the chinch-bug being long on that variety of wheat. Fall wheat was then tried with better success. Before the herd law was enacted, herds of cattle grazed over the prairie in the summer, and hay was put up where shelter and water could be had they were wintered and rounded up occasionally. These cattle (Texas) knew nothing of corn and were put on the market as "grass fed stock." One very severe winter in the early seventies hay was put up late on sections thirty and thirty-one in this township, and a large bunch of rather poor cattle placed there to winter. The weather became bad, the ground froze, snow covered the earth and the north winds were blizzardly. Many of these cattle died during the winter and the following spring. Incidents of this kind taught the farmer and stock raiser that a better way of caring for the cattle was necessary if profit was to be derived from this industry, and so the native cattle were bred up to a better
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HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
standard, pastured during the summer, and fed at home on good hay, fodder, grain it, etc. during the winter. This opened the way for the dairy with a side profit on cream and cheese, and a solid foundation for better cattle and more hogs.
Grasshoppers came in 1874 and destroyed the crops and cleaned up nearly all vegetation, even tobacco plants, red peppers, etc. People discouraged? Well, naw! Need any help? Naw! "Got any?" "Any?" "Oh, yes, got friends back East, guess can pull through." A carload of friendship did come and was thankfully received, seed corn especially. Yes, many were glad to get the seed corn and leave a dollar in its place. The debt was cancelled in 1889 when Kansas sent East a whole train load of friendship, for the needy poor. In the spring of '75 the eggs
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8517A
High School Building, Whitewater
HIGH SCHOOL BUILDING, WHITEWATER, KANS.
hatched out and the ground was thickly covered with young hoppers but heavy and frequent rains drowned a great many and those left departed when their wings developed, not, however, until much of the early ) !. . . ed corn was destroyed. Discouraged? No. Fall wheat looke ' the team and old bossy had lived on it all winter, and hogs ha
1 away or sold for anything one could get for them. Aut'-fin sh planting ; oats were looking good. May-everything i hig leads ing and looking fine. June-oats rank, corn boor ung !! "Tis well filled and taking on the golden color. W
it grow-
well. Trees
done. The big hail storm of 1875 did the work and owed down, win- and hedges were stripped of their foliage, grass was 'f rabbits killed. A dows broken, loose stock injured, prairie chicken - in
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HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
sycamore board was taken up by the wind from sections 22-24-3 and found near the town of Burns. Discouraged now? Nixey. Came to Milton tonship to get a home and intend to stay.
In June, '72, a heavy wind storm did considerable damage, wreck- ing a few small buildings; corn was blown down very badly but next day the wind blew quite strong from the opposite direction which straightened the corn, whereupon Neighbor S. remarked: "This is the darndest country I ever saw : the Lord knocks the corn down one day and sets it up the next."
In '76 a colony of Prussian Menonites located in the township, built large houses and barns and put out orchards, etc. They are good farm- ers. They raise fine horses and cattle. Their word is as good as their bond, and they believe in settling their own affairs without resorting to law. About this time quite a number of Swiss Menonite families located in this township and vicinity. Each of the above maintained a church of their own, services being conducted in their native tongue. All of these people are sincerely devoted to their church and are good neighbors, upright citizens, and have large families of native born Amer- ican children.
The early settler found that about all of the timber land and some of the choicest bottom land was owned by non-residents. This land was known as Potwin land, Lawrence land, railroad land, etc. The timber on this land made it possible for the early settler to live on this prairie until the railroads were built across this portion of Kansas, upon which coal and other necessities could be brought in. The loss of timber to the owners of the land was a gain in the end, as the price of their land was increased by the development of the township.
Lord Harrison, an English subject, owned much land in Milton township. Houses of a like pattern were placed on each quarter section and rented or leased out on a rental basis. These renters suffered all the hardships and many of the inconveniences of the real homesteader. Some of this land has been sold to real settlers. Lord Scully also owned land in Milton township. This land was leased for cash, the lessee pay- ing taxes. The object in making this statement is to show that if this land had been owned by individuals it would have been improved as much as adjoining farms, thereby improving the appearance of the town- ship as well as adding value to these farms and evening up taxation.
The early settler was not a grumbler. If things did not come his way he went after then. He would exchange work with some one if he ue -ded help. He would take his team and haul lumber or other freight from tilc nearest railroad if he needed food for himself and family. He was a worm, Ver, not a kicker. The loss of a horse or team would ruin a man's prospects of making a home or supporting his family. Horses were usually pi Icketed out on the prairie at night and it was easy for a person so dispose d to untie a horse and be miles away by daylight. This kind of loss becani e so frequent and annoying that the settlers formed a
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HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
society for their protection. A few of the thieves were caught and tried and the rest of them departed. That put a quietus on horse stealing for some time. With all his work, trials, and tribulations, the settler took time to attend surprise parties, concerts, and Fourth of July celebra- tions. The first Fourth of July celebration was held on the west branch, of the Whitewater on G. P. and 1. II. Neiman's place in 1871. The usual program of patriotic songs, picnic dinner and dance was observed.
In forty-five years there has been no failure of wheat crops, though some of the crops were damaged by chinch bugs. The Hessian fly has also done considerable damage, but by sowing late and not on stubble ground, there is little fear from the fly. Corn failed in 1874, 1901 and 1913 but in 1889 Kansas had a bumper corn crop.
The first child born in Milton township was Edgar B. Brumback.
STREET SCENE, WHITEWATER, KANS.
December 6, 1870. The first death, a child of Harley Patterson, was in the winter of 1870.
In 1885, the McPherson branch of the Missouri Pacific came through this township. A station was located near the center of the township and the town of Brainerd was quickly built up and did a thriving business until about 1888. The Rock Island railroad came through the western edge of the township and located a station and built a depot at the junc- tion of the roads, then the Missouri Pacific, put up a depot and the town of Whitewater was laid off at the junction. Chester Smith moved his house from Annelly to Whitewater in January, 1888. This was the first house in Whitewater. Two more houses were moved in from An- nelly. About this time the town of Brainerd was put on wheels and
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HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
about thirty-five business houses and residences were moved in to Whitewater. I. H. Neimam was appointed postmaster; S. L. Matter, deputy postmaster, and the infant, Miss Whitewater, stepped upon the stage of action with her best bow.
"Whitewater Independent."-In a reminiscent way one's thoughts occasionally return to the "old times." especially so is it of your first home. Remembrance of it may be somewhat clouded, but there comes to you some recollections that are vivid and lasting. This metropolis of northwest Butler county, at the intersection of the Rock Island and Missouri Pacific railroads, and platted as the town of Whitewater by the Golden Belt Town Co., has undergone the hardships of a small town, and now taken its place as a city of importance and a business center. Whitewater has always been a city in many ways, and its citi- zens have that characteristic push and energy that builds cities. Their brain, their brawn, their pride and enthusiasm is well marked and a vis- itor within our gates can only say for us words of praise for the past and well wishes for the future. And incentive to either build or help build the best town in these parts has been that its location, surrounding territory and natural advantages enjoyed by few of the later built cities, gives it the prestige. and with a vim, its citizens, shoulder to shoulder, push and don't pull. Cities builded by them are the ones that grow. As a part of the history of this city we may start from so far back as 1885. when the Missouri Pacific railroad was builded. The Rock Island sur- vey was made through here the next year, and in August, '87, the first trains were run. In August, '87, Whitewater had two general stores and a blacksmith shop. The first to start business here were: G. H. Otte, groceries ; S. L. Motter, groceries ; John Eilert, general merchan- dise ; C. H. Bruhn, blacksmith ; M. M. Bishop, hotel. Mary Neiman was teacher of the first school.
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