USA > Kansas > Johnson County > History of Johnson County, Kansas > Part 17
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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY, KANSAS
After murdering Sampson, they came to Aubry, and stopped at Bell's store, still pretending to be Union soldiers. After making a few in- quiries, they threw off the masks, arrested Bell and setting a guard over him, proceeded to rob the store. As soon as the goods they desired were taken out, the building, store and dwelling, were fired and burned to the ground.
While a part of the band engaged in this work, they informed the Doctor that if he would give them $1,000 they would release him-otherwise he would be hanged. He told them he had no money, and they then, cooly, procured a rope, and making him mount the horse they had taken from the unfortunate Sampson, started towards Missouri, promising to attend to the hanging at the first convenient place on the road.
For the first time, the Doctor gave up all hope, for he knew the merci- less nature of his captors. As he rode along he realized all the horrors of a violent death. In the full flush of manhood, he looked at the familiar prairies, calm and peaceful in the bright sunlight, and thought they had never appeared so fair and lovely. He thought of his family, and his soul was wrung with agony as their helpless future loomed up before him. Life never appeared so desirable nor so hard to relinquish as then. In fact, only those who have been similarly situated can fully realize his feelings. He was not reassured in the least by the act of a burly ruffian who rode up and grasping the front locks of his hair remarked to a com- rade that he intended to have that for an ornament for the head stall of his bridle. As they were riding along, one of the gang, behind the Doc- tor, rode up to the fence and broke off a large splinter. The latter heard the sharp snap and concluded that they had attempted to shoot him, and it was the cracking of a cap. He did not dare to look back, but presently saw the shadow of one approaching with something in his hand that looked much like a bayonet or long knife. He then decided that the pis- tol had failed to go off and their intention was to stab him, and he waited each. minute to feel the sharp thrust of the blade in his body. The fel- low with the splinter, however, rode up and struck the horse the Doctor was riding, causing it to perform a lively circus movement. They all laughed heartily and the Doctor's gloom vanished. He reasoned that while they were in this sportive mood they could hardly be contemplat- ing a deed of blood. His reasoning was correct for on reaching the end of the lane they gruffly told him to go home and attend to his business- and he did. He certainly had escaped "out of the jaws of hell." In ad- dition to the house and goods, the Doctor lost $225 in money, which was burned in the building.
Previous to Trekle's death, and while the Jayhawkers were making his house their headquarters, the Doctor, one night anticipating a raid by the bushwhackers, went to the home of his brother-in-law, John Beeson, who lived a mile or two out in the country, to stay over night for safety.
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It happened that on the same night a squad of jayhawkers had gone down on the Missouri line, and pretending to be bushwhackers, robbed several persons who were obnoxious to them. On the way back they concluded to stop at Beeson's to look for a certain Jake Mast, a rebel. who was supposed to be there. They surrounded the house. Bell in bed upstairs was awakened by the noise, and as he awoke he heard some one say : "There is a man in there I'm going to have, by God." Suppos- ing it was bushwhackers who had discovered his retreat, he sprang out of bed, seized his gun and attempted to get out at the back door. As he raised the latch some one called out : "Don't open that door or I'll blow you to h-1." Immediately after that a man stepped in and said: "Give me that gun." The Doctor, without any ceremony, gave him the con- tents, killing him instantly. The sentinels outside, supposing it was Mast, fired three shots at Bell, one bullet passing between his hand and hip, and the blaze from the gun setting fire to his shirt. The Doctor ran out of the door knocking a man down who was standling in his way and proceeding to Aubry, gave the alarm that the bushwhackers were coming. The next morning he found he had killed a Union man. Isham Helm, the leader of the party. Helm was a Missourian, who had been compelled to leave that State because of his loyal tendencies, and seek- ing shelter in Kansas, had taken up the precarious profession of jay- hawker to get even with his enemies. Had the Doctor known they were Union men he would not have fought them ; had they known he was the Doctor they would not have made the attack. It was a mistake on both sides, but it cost a human life.
Greenbury Trekle's father, an old man of eighty years, lived in Mis- souri six miles east of Aubry. At the time of the Quantrill raid on Lawrence, the bushwhackers assembled on the creek not far from the old man's residence preparatory to starting, and the latter knew that the demonstration meant a raid in Kansas, but did not know where they intended to strike. Becoming satisfied of their intentions, he walked to Aubry and informed the citizens and commandant of the post, of their movements. The information was timely enough to have given the alarm and saved the city of Lawrence, but the officer in charge treated it as an idle story of an old man who wished to create a sensation. Two hundred lives paid the penalty for his stupidity or carelessness. The object of the old man's visit to Aubry became known and a few weeks after Vaughn's men murdered him in cold blood in his home.
STILWELL.
The little town of Stilwell on the Missouri Pacific railroad in Aubry township is about one-half mile east of "Old Aubry," but the two towns are practically one and have a population of about 300. The plat for Mt. Auburn, now Stilwell, was filed November 30, 1886, by
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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY, KANSAS
Michael O'Keefe, J. Larkin, W. A. Kelly and A. J. Norman. The town is located on the southeast quarter of section 5, township 15 south, range 25 east. Grain and stockraising in this fertile country are profitable occupations of the thrifty people living there.
The town will probably be incorporated as a city this coming year. The business men carry excellent lines of merchandise and receive a good patronage from the surrounding country.
The following business concerns are engaged in business at Stilwell : M. Wilson, general merchandise; E. K. Gibson, general merchandise ; W. M. Moon, hardware, implements and drugs; State Bank of Stilwell ; Jones Bros., successors to Conboy Bros., who are retiring after twenty years of successful business, elevator, grain, coal and implements ; J. T. Kissenger, blacksmith and carriage worker ; D. N. Wright, confectionery, restaurant and groceries ; Miss Sloan, postmistress ; Dr. M. F. Sloan, phy- sician and drugs; A. P. Conboy & Son, general merchandise; Stilwell Lumber Company, Mr. Berg, manager; A. B. Hiatt, livery, feed and sales barn; A. B. Witherspoon, barber; Ira Baker, garage and jitney ; Fred Smith, carpenter and builder; Dr. M. W. Rogers, physician and surgeon ; Fred Collins, blacksmith and wagon maker; L. Whitsett, gas and plumbing.
The State Bank of Stilwell has a capital stock of $12,500, surplus, $6,- 250. Michael Kelly is its president and P. K. Hendrix is cashier.
Its directors are: W. M. Moore, L. N. O'Keefe, E. K. Gibson, J. W. Adams, Thomas Hudson, Gust A. Zimmerman.
STANLEY.
Stanley is situated on the Clinton Branch railroad two miles south and eight miles east of Olathe, Kan., in a fertile prairie country and the farms around speak well for the thrift of its people, and it has a population of 300. It has been built since the building of the railroad through Oxford township and is a growing little town as proven by its new buildings now in the course of erection. The Methodists, Christians, and Presbyterians all have fine churches here and are well supported. An excellent school is maintained and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Woodmen, Royal Neighbors and Grange, all have strong or- ganizations. Another thing that speaks well for the place is that a sum- mer Chautauqua has been kept up for several years.
The town has several good stores, among them Allison & Son's general store, a drug store, and Allen's cash store. Hodges Brothers Lumber Company has an excellent yard here under the supervision of Ralph Par- sley. Stanley's Bank is the pride of the city and was organized April 3, 1905. It has a capital stock of $10,000, a surplus of $5,000, and owns its own building. J. H. Schroder is president, W. W. Frye, vice-presi- dent, T. L. Kellog, cashier. The directors are, J. H. Schroder, W. W.
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Frye, Robert Baker, J. T. Kincaid, R. M. Donham, J. T. Hudson, George D. Warr.
Stanley, Kan., is located in the Black Bob district, and the settlers, after years of suspense in getting titles to their land, at last were per- mitted to buy their homes at an average price of $10 per acre. If Black Bob, a real Indian in name and nature, could come back to the place of his wanderings here and see the beautiful fields of waving grain under the soft rays of the June sun he might be convinced that agriculture is better than loafing, but he was not an agriculturist and he didn't like any one very much that was. Fishing and hunting suited Black Bob and his followers, and they were also great visitors, oftentimes going down to the Indian Territory or visiting with the more civilized around Shaw- nee.
J. H. Hancock located here in 1866 and bought the claim of David Hunt. A man by the name of Hudson was a former owner of the claim. Mr. Hancock has taken active interest in the Grange work of Johnson county, and held the office of overseer in the State Grange at one time. Stanley had a newspaper at one time which was published for about six months. Mr. Kellog, cashier of the State Bank, was interested in it, and was its editor. The Stanley "Review" was the name of the paper, and it was printed in Kansas City, Mo., by a firm that got out patents for several country weeklies. The cashier of the concern at Kansas City vamoosed one day leaving them stranded, and Mr. Kellog made ar- rangements with another concern to fill out the unexpired subscriptions. The paper sent out, however, turned out to be an anti-prohibition sheet and Mr. Kellog notified them to cease sending them out to his sub- scribers. The "Review" had about 300 subscribers at the time it sus- pended.
Sherman Kellogg, one of the interesting and historical characters of Stanley, was born in Sherman, Vt., April 5, 1833. He says he is related to all the Kelloggs in this country. He came to Atchinson in 1864 and to Johnson county in 1867, locating about one-fourth mile north of Stanley. Mr. Kellogg has been a notary public and justice of the peace almost the entire time since he came here, and often took depositions of the Indians that lived here when he came. There was considerable of this work to do in the early days. Mr. Kellogg knew old man Gill, a wealthy Southerner, who lived on a farm adjoining the townsite of Oxford, just across the State line from Little Santa Fe., Mo. Mr. Gill was a slave holder. Oliver Gregg in his Oxford township sketch says: "One of the most prominent of the wealthy planters was a man named Gill, who owned a fine large farm adjoining Santa Fe, highly improved with first class buildings, and well stocked with cattle, horses and slaves. The war found him in most prosperous circumstances and surrounded with all the appliances for ease and comfort that an ordinary man could de- sire. But Mr. Gill was not at all satisfied with his blessings and longed
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to increase them by crushing the North and establishing slavery on a basis that would insure its stability for years to come. Hence he was most active of all fiery partisans and soon acquired such prominence as to render the locality unsafe for him personally. As these patriots were noted for desires, tending to extreme longevity, it was not long till Gill, his family, slaves and personal effects were loaded in wagons, and in a long procession, with the Confederate flag flying gaily in front, a negro boy riding a jackass and trailing the Union flag in the dust in the rear, the caravan departed for Texas. It was in this triumphant manner the majority of the citizens in that locality went. No more striking con- trast could be conceived than their return. At the end of four years'
JUDGING COLTS, STANLEY, KAN.
war, they straggled back haggled with hardships and cares, impover- ished in purse with broken health, and utterly dispirited to find their fine dwellings burned or torn down, the magnificent orchard dead from neglect or destroyed by vandals, the fences gone and fields a wilderness of weeds, only ruin and desolation where once was thrift and pros- perity.
List of present business firms in Stanley :
William Allison & Son, general merchandise and postoffice; S. L. Run- ner, drug store; Stanley Lumber Company, lumber and hardware; Allen's cash grocery, general merchandise ; P. C. Brown & Son, restau- rant ; State Bank of Stanley, Percy Kellogg, cashier ; John Meyers, black- smith ; John May, blacksmith ; C. W. May, barber; J. R. Sloan, practic- ing physician ; J. H. Shrader, banker and farmer; E. O. Callahan, auc- tioneer ; Kenneth Allison, agent Kansas City "Star" and Olathe "Mirror."
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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY, KANSAS
MERRIAM.
Merriam, Kan., at first called Campbellton, is a station on the Frisco railroad, thirteen miles northeast of Olathe. Merriam Park, a short distance south, was in the eighties one of the prettiest spots near Kansas City, the delight of those who desired a day's outing. In later years the Frisco road neglected it, and it is now a pasture.
Merriam has a new $20,000 school building, modern throughout, and an excellent corps of teachers. The southwest boulevard rock road runs through the town and the old Quaker mission, one of the historic buildings of Kansas, is still standing, one-half mile east and one-fourth south of the depot. A wireless station stands near the mission. Hock- er's Grove adjoins Merriam on the west, and is one of the pretty spots for which this part of Shawnee township is famous. Pretty bungalows line the electric railway that runs from Merriam through this grove to Shawnee. J. M. Campbell runs a general store at Merriam, and is one of the oldest residents, having located here with his father in 1862. Ilis father planted the first orchard of any magnitude, forty acres, near Shawnee in an early day. Mr. Campbell was there when Quantrill sacked and destroyed so much property in 1862 and 1864. Mr. Camp- bell tells of the fun the Indians had with him once when they found him alone on the road. Seeing him coming one of them dropped a handker- chief in the road, where he was sure to see it. Then they hid and after Campbell had picked it up they surrounded him and accused him of stealing it. However, a chance for his life was given him by giving him twenty feet the start. He did some tall running with that bunch after him, and they failed to catch him. A few years ago Mr. Campbell soared to fame, by his expert horseshoe pitching. He and some more of the crack pitchers challenged the Stanley pitchers to a game and the Kansas City Star wrote it up. Mr. Campbell has two pairs of mallcable iron shoes molded according to the regulation size and weight and he knows how to use them.
In 1888 Billie Randall, an Indian, owned forty acres, now a part of Hocker's Grove at Merriam. One day Milt Parish, of Kansas City, a real estate man, offered him $8,000 for the forty. Randall said he would take it. Then Mr. Parish said he could pay only $4,000 down, and would like to have him take a mortgage for the other half. Mr. Randall drew a long breath, and in all seriousness replied : "Well, I will take it but it is d-n poor security." Forty acres cornering with this on the southwest is the old homestead of Mrs. Randall, a Shawnee woman, and the title is still in the Government of the United States. As Mrs. Randall has never sold the land she is a ward of Uncle Sam.
BONITA.
Bonita, Kan., i sa small town, five miles south of Olathe, on the Frisco railroad. It was at first named Alta, on account of its
(12)
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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY, KANSAS
being the highest point along the road. There being another postoffice in the State with the same name, it was changed to Bonita, the Spanish word meaning, "beautiful." The name is very appropriate, as the sur- rounding country is one of the prettiest scenes to be found on the prairies of eastern Kansas. Each year the farms grow fine yields of corn and wheat. J. J. Kuhlman has a general store and elevator there and does a large business in shipping grain. This country is one of the best grain growing districts along the Frisco.
MORSE.
Population, 61. £ The little town of Morse, Kan., situated on the Clinton Branch railroad, six miles southeast of Olathe, is in the most fertile part of Johnson county's rich prairies. It has a population of 61. Smith Brothers have a general store here and the Morse Grain Company operates an elevator, and handles a large amount of grain, mostly wheat and corn. The Modern Woodmen of America have a strong organization here, and meet in the hall over Smith Broth- ers' store. George McCaughey is the oldest settler, having located here in 1866. It was then a vast prairie, and some of the Black Bob In- dians were living along the creeks. The State Bank of Morse was or- ganized June 22, 1910, with a capital stock of $10,000. It has a surplus fund of $1,500 and owns its own building.
Its officers are: J. W. Toynbee, president, J. F. Mitchell, vice-presi- dent, James Murdock, cashier. Directors : J. W. Tonybee, B. F. Hargis. J. L. Pettyjohn, G. H. Smith, J. F. Mitchell, H. B. Klopmeyer, H. M. Beckett, James Murdock, T. B. Sharp.
OCHELTREE.
Named after W. A, Ocheltree, one of the town company. Ochel- tree is situated on the Frisco railroad, one and one-half miles north of Spring Hill, Kan. The territory surrounding this town is as fine for agriculture as any part in Johnson county. C. H. Mossman and nephew, Harry E. Mossman, conduct a general store here and do a good business. Besides the store they handle coal and buy grain, handling over 65,000 bushels the past season. Mr. Mossman came to this county with his father in 1868, who settled four miles east of Ocheltree on a farm. When the town of Ocheltree was first established it grew rapidly, having three stores, and quite a number of residences, but Spring Hill at first refused a depot, because they would not subscribe $1,500 bonus to get the line, afterwards got a depot and Ocheltree being so close failed to hold up in the trade. The early business concerns were Scott and McElhenny, Miller & Thorne Lumber Company, Miller Hotel and the inevitable
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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY, KANSAS
saloon. O. H. and William Tibbetts were also in business here, running a general store.
MONTICELLO.
The town of Monticello was laid out in June, 1857, by the town company of which Col. A. Payne was president and W. J. McCar- thy secretary. Among those who moved into Monticello that year were C. Brassfield, A. J. Cordray, M. and F. P. Shannon and J. M. Reed. Mr. Reed to show his faith in the town, built a large hotel which was burned in 1862. The first store was opened in 1857, by Rich & Rively. A school was opened in 1865, a school house was built and school held there that year. In 1880 a Methodist church 40x50 was built, one and one-half miles southwest of town, at a cost of $2,000.
A tornado visited the town in 1858 and destroyed many of the build- ings, but the people soon rebuilt, and at one time the town had the am- bition to be the county seat, but its location being too far from the cen- ter of the county it failed to be selected. At the presen time there are several residences and a good store. It is nine miles north of Olathe.
Back in 1866, after the war had closed, the pro-slavery and Free State men of Monticello township had a little party all their own. During the war and before many horses were stolen. The owners were killed, if necessary, for being, "Free State" or "pro-slavery" men, it didn't mat- ter which, to the fellows who followed this business.
Isaac Parish, who had married a Shawnee woman, had lost three or four horses ; Uncle Joe Kenton had lost two; Lorenzo Greening two, and a good many other men living near had lost from one to two at a time by this roving band of thieves in 1865.
John Wilson, now living at Craig in Monticello township, remembers the circumstances well. His father came to Olathe in 1862, and bought a place in Monticello, in 1864, and in 1865 moved there. John was four- teen years of age at that time. Benton Ingraham, Preston Deen, and Newton Wicher, went to Douglas county and arrested Peter Bassinger, and returned with him to Monticello. While he was in charge of W. S. Ingraham and Preston Deen, constables, a number of men who had suffered loss at the hands of Bassinger and his gang, took him from the officers, and making a scaffold of rails, using three as a tripod tied to- gether at the top, and a fourth as a lever, swung him from the ground. The hanging took place about a mile south of Monticello. Mr. Wilson saw Bassinger the morning after the hanging, before he was cut down. One foot touched the earth at this time and the other was drawn up. The men who did the hanging are now all dead. Among them were Ike Parish, John Kenton, Barney Evans, Newton Wicher, Benton Ingraham, Tom Self, Lorenzo Green and Sam Garre. A number of these men were arrested, and the county attorney refused to let them out on bond, but
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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY, KANSAS
Judge A. S. Deviney went to Topeka, brought their case before the gov- ernor and they were permitted to give bond which they did, but none of them were ever tried.
The first wedding in Monticello township occurred prior to the war. Major Hadley had been elected justice of the peace for Monticello town- ship. One day George Walker called on him and told him the neigh- bors were coming in that evening for a social time, and for Mr. Hadley to be sure to be there. Mr. Hadley was there, not knowing exactly what part he might have to play in the evening's entertainment. On arrival there a Mr. J. W. McDaniel entered with Miss Mattie Walker, his sweet- heart, and McDaniel handed him a marriage license and requested him to perform the ceremony immediately. Mr. Hadley was an unmarried man and had never seen a marriage ceremony performed, and had no idea of what a real marriage ceremony consisted. In speaking of the incident afterward Mr. Hadley said: "I don't know what I said. I never will know what I said but I said something, and I sometimes doubt the legality of that union." Uncle Thomas Stephenson, who lived in Monti- cello for forty years or more, says that Major Hadley wound up the ceremony by saying, "And may the Lord have mercy on your soul." But as Mr. Stephenson is somewhat of a practical joker this latter statement must be taken with a grain of allowance.
WILDER.
Wlider is in the northern part of Monticello township, on the Santa Fe railroad, about one mile from the Kansas river. This town and Frisbie station, two and one-half miles south, are in the potato belt and many carloads of potatoes are shipped from here every year. Wil- der takes its names from E. Wilder, who was formerly with the Santa Fe railroad. The first settler was Simon Walters, who located there in 1877. A postoffice was established there the same year with L. S. Hayes postmaster.
KENNETH.
The little town of Kenneth is situated at the crossing of the Clinton Branch and Missouri Pacific railways almost on the Missouri line, a little over three miles east of Stanley. Clyde Clark has a general store here.
Choteau is a little station on the Santa Fe twelve miles west of Kansas City, between Holliday and Wilder, and takes its name from the Choteau brothers, who were early pioneers of Johnson county, establishing a trading port here in 1827.
Switzer is a station on the Frisco twelve miles north of Olathe. Large quantities of milk are shipped from this place to Kansas City, Mo.
Lackman, three miles north of Olathe, is a station on the Frisco.
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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY, KANSAS
Craig is a station on the Santa Fe, seven miles north of Olathe.
Zarah is located ten miles north of Olathe, on the Santa Fe railroad and Harry King has a general store there and does an extensive business.
Holliday is located in the north part of Monticello township, at the Junction of the two lines of the Santa Fe railroad. It has a population of 175, and several stores.
OXFORD.
This little old town, Won its way to renown ; And from "stay at home crime," absolution, Thirty votes to each man, Won the day for the clan, And for law and the new constitution.
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