USA > Kansas > Labette County > History of Labette County, Kansas, and representative citizens > Part 17
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During the summer Mrs. Herbaugh taught the first school, and the first religious services were also held, a Sunday-school having been organized and maintained during the summer, and preaching services having been instituted in the fall by Rev. Thomas H. Canfield, wlio had been sent here by the Congregational So- ciety, and by Rev. John Mark, a local Methi- odist preacher, who had settled in the town- ship. Thos. J. Flouronoy, a Baptist minister, also preached occasionally.
I868.
A very great addition was made to the growth and improvement of the town during this year. Several firms of quite large means started in business, and a number of substantial residences were put up. Read Bros., a firm composed of John S., Merriaa and Elijah T., came early in the year, and at once commenced the construction of their store building on the west side of Commercial street, where they have ever since been in business. They built a large two-story frame building and put therein the first stock of hardware brought to town. C. M. Condon came in the spring, and put up a two-story frame, placing therein a large stock of general merchandise. Israel R. Fisher (Samuel Fisher, his brother, being then with him) located and put up a two-story frame, in which he commenced the sale of groceries, which he has continued until the present. Sev- eral other business houses of less magnitude than those I have mentioned were started this year ; so that at the close of the year there were 100 frame buildings in town, a very fair pro- portion of which were occupied by business of one kind or another. Nearly all of the lines of business usually found in frontier towns were at that time fairly represented.
The town had been started on an Indian reservation before the treaty with the Indians- releasing their rights thereto had been ap- proved, and even at this time the title to the same was in the General Government, and no provision had yet been made for anyone ac- quiring a title to his home; yet people who had come here had commenced preparations for per- manent homes, and most of them had no thought of making a change. Those in busi- ness were making money, and all seemed con- tented and prosperous, and the year closed with
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Oswego having apparently as good a prospect as any of her competitors for making a pros- perous and permanent growth.
1
TITLE TO TOWN-SITE.
The town company had originally claimed and bought the right of the original occupants to the southwest quarter of section 15 and the southeast quarter of section 16. Under the rul- ing of the land office the odd sections could not be entered under the joint resolution of April 10, 1869, but the even sections could. It was arranged that the southeast quarter of section 16 should be entered by D. W. Clover, who was then the oldest resident living upon the same. Immediately after making entry Mr. Clover conveyed the title to this quarter to the town company, which was thus enabled to make title to the several occupants then living and doing business thereon. As no titles could be obtained to lots on the southwest quarter of section 15, few persons settled thereon after that became known. After the contest with the railroads ended in the decision of the court against their claim, the passage of the law by Congress in 1876 provided for the entry of town-sites by the municipal authorities, when the town was incorporated, for the benefit of the occupants thereon. Some one had secured a provision to be inserted in the act authoriz- ing town companies to enter town-sites under certain conditions. A contest sprang up be- tween the Oswego Town Company and the mayor and councilmen of the city of Oswego, for the entry of the southwest quarter of sec- tion 15. The city was represented in this con- test by its city attornev, and the town company by Colonel W. B. Glasse. The decision of the local land office was in favor of the city author- ities. From this an appeal was taken to the 9
Commisioner of the General Land Office, and then to the Secretary of the Interior, both of whom sustained the decision of the land office in favor of the city authorities. This contest was ended in March, 1880, and thereupon the city conveyed title to the occupants for the lots occupied by them respectively.
THE TOWN COMPANY.
Up to July, 1866, the place we now desig- nate Oswego had been known as Little Town "from a time when the memory of man run- neth not to the contrary."
Prior to the incorporation of the town company there were no records kept of its transactions except upon slips of paper. I have gone through the records thus kept so far as they have been preserved, and from them find the following facts: J. F. Newlon, William A. Hogaboom, C. H. Talbott and D. C. Rex- ford seem to have been the parties instru- mental in organizing the town company ; at any rate they are the ones who receipted for the money paid for shares in the town company, so far as I can now ascertain from these frag- ments of records. The first records of any kind that I find are receipts, coming by date in the following order :
"NEOSHO COUNTY, KANSAS, July 9, 1866.
"Received of N. Sloan thirty-one dollars, being one-half payment for said share in the town. Balance to be paid when the company is organized and title perfected. If not per- fected, the money refunded.
"WILLIAM A. HOGABOOM."
"NEOSHO COUNTY, KANSAS, July 10, 1866.
"Received of A. Kaho one-half payment
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for one town share, in a watch; if title not per- fected, the watch returned in good order. "WILLIAM A. HOGABOOM."
1 "NEOSHO COUNTY, KANSAS, July 11, 1866. "Received of Daniel Matthias thirty-one dollars, being the one-half the money for a town share on the Matthews place. The bal- ance due when the company perfect their ar- rangements and a good and sufficient title is had, but the above money to be returned if said arrangements are not consummated.
"WILLIAM A. HOGABOOM."
"Received of D. W. Clover thirty-one dol- lars, being one-half the pay of a share in Little Town. C. H. TALBOTT. "LITTLE TOWN, July 12, 1866."
The first record of the minutes of any meet- ing being held is the following:
"LITTLE TOWN, NEOSHO COUNTY, KANS., July 12, 1866.
"The shareholders of the Town Company of Little Town met for the purpose of organiza- tion. Mr. D. W. Clover was called to the chair. On motion, Dr. J. F. Newlon was elected president pro tem., Wm. A. Hogaboom, vice-president pro tem., and H. C. Bridgman, secretary pro tem. Moved that a committee of three be appointed to draft by-laws for the company. Carried."
It will thus be seen that upon July 12, 1866, the proposed town is still designated Little Town. The first time I find the word "Os- wego" written is in the following instrument :
"OSWEGO, KANSAS, July 17, 1866.
"This entitles the holder, T. J. Buntain, to
one full share in the Town Company of Os- wego, Neosho county, Kansas, on his comply- ing with the rules and regulations of the Town Company of said town of Oswego.
"J. F. NEWLON, President.
"H. C. BRIDGMAN, Secretary of Town Co."
There is no record now to be found of the exact time when it was done, nor of the action taken in changing from Little Town to Os- wego, but it is apparent from the instruments copied above that some time between the 12th and 17th of July the change of name was made. I am informed that at a meeting of the town company D. W. Clover suggested the name of Oswego for the proposed town, and some other member of the company, probably J. Q. Cowell, suggested Vernon. A ballot was tak- en, and a majority of the stockholders voted in favor of choosing the name "Oswego;" and from that time on Oswego was the designa- tion of the settlement formerly known as Little Town.
On August 3, 1867, J. Q. Cowell, C. C. Clover, J. F. Newlon, D. W. Clover, T. J. Flouronoy, T. J. Buntain and D. M. Clover signed articles of incorporation, which were acknowledged before D. W. Clover, justice of the peace, and the charter thus prepared and signed, was, on August 10, 1867, filed in the office of the Secretary of State, and the com- pany had a corporate existence from that date. The company's book contains no record of the meeting, but on a scrap of paper I find the minutes of a meeting held September 24th, and while the figures representing the year are not very distinct, I take it to be 1867. This being soon after the incorporation, it was evidently the first meeting of the incorporators after re- ceiving the charter. The minutes show that "on motion to organize and elect directors,"
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the following were elected: J. F. Newlon, T. J. Flouronoy, D. W. Clover, D. M. Clover, and N. F. Carr. On the same day J. F. New- lon was elected president, D. W. Clover vice- president, Nelson F. Carr secretary, and D. M. Clover, treasurer. On November 26, 1867, R. W. Wright was elected secretary in place of Mr. Carr, resigned. On February 10, 1868, a new board of directors having been elected, D. W. Clover was elected president, R. W. Wright, secretary, and A. L. Austin, treasurer. On January 9, 1869, J. F. Waskey was elected president, and M. Reed secretary of the com- pany, and they remained the officers of the company during its further corporate existence.
ENCOURAGEMENTS TO IMPROVE.
To the town company thus organized and operated, Oswego owed a very large degree of her growth and prosperity. While the town company could secure no title to its site until the fall of 1869, it promised from the first lib- eral donations to all enterprises which it was believed would be for the public good. Each church organization was given lots of its own selection to an extent of 100 feet front ; a half block was donated for a school-site; a build- ing was erected and donated to the county for a court-house; a county jail was erected ; donations were made to the first newspaper ; and, until the close of 1869, anyone building a house of a certain dimension had donated to him the lot on which it stood.
STONE AND BRICK BUILDINGS.
The first stone building to be erected in the place was the school-house, in 1869. During this year the Congregational church was com- menced, and finished about the close of the year. The first stone business house was erected on the southwest corner of block 32,
in the summer of 1869, by W. M. Johnson. The walls were laid that year, but it was not completed until 1870. In 1874 H. S. Coley, W. H. Robey and Nelson Case purchased lots I and 2, block 38, and laid a foundation there- on with a view of erecting a brick building. These parties sold the lots, however, to Sam- uel Carpenter, who erected the brick building now standing thereon; this was the first brick building in the place. One room of it was occupied June 1, 1875, by the firm of Mont- gomery & Carpenter as a store, and the other room was occupied by Hobart & Condon as a bank. In 1879 the Masons put up their temple on the west side of block 32. The opera house was built in 1879, on the north side of Fourth avenue. In 1880, after the fire on the west side of Commercial street, arrangements were made for the erection of brick buildings in their place, and during that season the entire east side of block 33, with the exception of the northeast corner building, was covered with a row of uniform brick buildings. The following year Mr. Symmes completed the row by the erection of the one at the north end. The city building, at the southeast corner of block 38, was commenced in 1883 and finished early in 1884. In 1887 L. Sawyer & Co. erected a fine two-story stone building on the east side of block 38. The First National Bank building was erected in 1885; this was the first three-story brick in town. In 1890 Mr. Knight put up a very fine three-story building at the southeast corner of block 25, in place of the old frame Oswego house. Os- wego was thus furnished with one of the best hotels in this part of the State.
WATER-POWER.
It was believed by our citizens that the Neosho cut-off, commencing just below the
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dam and running south near the foot of the .bluff and striking the river again at a point as nearly as possible south from the place of beginning, would furnish an immense water- power. The river at this place taking such a large bend to the east, the fall in several miles of its flow could, it was thought, be concen- trated into a comparatively short space by turning the channel down this cut-off. In 1871 a survey was made, and a report pub- lished that 19 feet of fall could thus be secured. But no steps were ever taken to make availa- ble this apparently wasting power, farther than to organize a company and inake plans on paper. In January, 1874, W. T. Cunning- ham and others obtained a charter for the Os- wego Canal and Manufacturing Company.
STORMS.
On the night of April 5, 1873, a severe hail storm came from the southwest, and broke nearly every pane of glass on the south and west sides in very nearly all the houses in town. The following day was Sunday and the town had a forlorn appearance. Not enough glass could be found in town to replace those broken, and for several days bed quilts and other garments furnished a conspicuous pro- tection from the weather.
September 29, 1881, a wind storm in the na- ture of a cyclone passed over Oswego, scatter- ing the lumber of Sharp's lumber yard, blow- ing down the porch at Mr. Tuttle's house, north of the Congergational church, and do- ing some other damage.
The town was visited by a tornado on July 7, 1895, which blew down the iron stand-pipe belonging to the water works.
FIRES.
The following fires occurred according to their respective dates : Jennings packing estab- lishment, on July 2, 1879; the south end of the frame row on the west side of Commercial street, March 8, 1880; Grant's livery barn, with thirteen houses, February 18, 1882; "Frisco" depot, December II, 1882; Miller's mill, February 21, 1884; the row of buildings opposite the Oswego House, February 10, 1886; Shotliff's wagon factory, April 27, 1885; Hall's flouring mill, January 14, 1886; Judge Barnes' dwelling house took fire and burned July 4, 1874; the Champion fire extinguisher, which had recently been purchased, had been taken that day to the celebration at Montana, and the fire company were much annoyed on reaching home and learning that in their ab- sence this fire had taken place.
POSTOFFICE ELECTION.
November 28, 1870, a vacancy existing on account of J. D. Coulter, the postmaster. absconding, and there being several applicants. for the position, an election was held to deter- mine who should be appointed. A. W. Picker- ing, who had been Coulter's deputy, and who had charge of the office, was chosen over E. O. Kimball, J. W. Minturn, J. A. Miller, R. J. Elliott, and C. M. Gilkey. These were not in the days when the spirit of civil-service re- form predominated, and the election cut no- figure in the matter of the appointment.
LITERARY AND MUSICAL.
In the fall of 1870 Nelson Case, B. W. Perkins, H. C. Hall and some other parties organized for the purpose of securing lectures.
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and aiding in literary enterprises, and on Oc- tober 6th, of that year, obtained a charter for the Oswego Library and Lecture Association. Under its auspices Henry Clay Dean delivered his lecture on "The Old Senate." This was about the extent of the work of this associa- tion.
On July 19, 1870, a musical association was formed, with E. W. Davis as president. They at once arranged to give a concert on Septem- ber 9th. This concert proved to be a great success, and on October 24th and 26th they rendered the cantata of Queen Esther. Febru- ary 27th, 1871, a brass band was organized under the leadership of William Wells. In Jan- uary, 1872, Mr. Wells organized a ladies' cor- net band, which soon became quite proficient, and was in favor at public entertainments. In January, 1873, Prof. Perkins held a musical institute. In May, 1874, a new musical insti- tute was formed, of which J. A. Gates was president. On October 15, 1877, a musical in- stitute commenced, under the direction of Prof. Teats, of New York. F. B. McGill, H. S. Coley, E. W. Ross, F. Beal and L. C. Howard worked hard for its success and it proved a great benefit in developing the musical talent of the town.
WORKMEN'S ASSOCIATION.
April 27, 1872, the mechanics and workmen of Oswego formed an association for their mental as well as financial improvement. J. A. Miller was elected president and George C. Sarvis secretary. F. B. McGill, David Bran- son and James T. Rierson were appointed a committee on lectures and educational mat- ters. A reading-room was opened, and supplied with reading matter by the members bringing
books and periodicals, so that each had the ad- vantages of what all controlled. It was not a very long-lived institution; its history, like that of so many undertakings, shows that it is easy to start almost any kind of an enter- prise for the public welfare, but that if it is to be made permanent and to be a lasting bene- fit, some one must be willing to sacrifice him- self for the good of others; such a person is not always to be found.
MUTUAL BENEFIT SOCIETY.
About the last of January, 1874, a society was formed by those who had been inclined to dissipation, to assist in at least a partial refor- mation. They agreed not to drink, either not at all for a certain length of time, or to ab- stain from drinking under certain circum- stances. It was said to have had quite a percep- tible influence on its members, and, at least for a time, to have seriously affected the receipts of the saloons. William Wells was president and L. C. Howard secretary of the organiza- tion. A charter was obtained January 28, I874.
THE AGASSIAN SOCIETY.
In 1873 a number of Oswego citizens who were somewhat inclined to literary and scien- tific studies organized a society for the pur- pose of study and the discussion of subjects in which they were interested and which might be deemed beneficial and of practical import- ance. Meetings were usually held weekly, at the residence of some of the members of the society. Some one was appointed to prepare a paper to be read at a subsequent meeting and the paper thus presented formed a basis for discussion. This society was kept up for
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several years, and proved to be of very great interest and benefit. Among those who were prominently connected with the work were C. O. Perkins, Dr. W. S. Newlon, Mary A. Higby, Ferd. Beyle, F. B. McGill, together with many others who were less conspicuous in its workings.
OSWEGO LIBRARY ASSOCIATION.
The Murphy temperance meetings which had been held during the fall of 1877 resulted in the organization of a society for the pur- pose of opening a reading-room. . A donation of a few books and periodicals was secured, and a subscription was taken to raise money to pay the necessary expenses of opening the room. Nelson Case wrote an article which appeared in the Independent, in October, 1887, urging that steps be taken to make this reading-room, for which a start had been made, a permanent institution. His suggestion met with favor, and a committee was appointed to secure a charter. The charter having been prepared and properly signed and acknowl- edged, it was filed in the office of the Secre- tary of State on December 24, 1877. A board of 13 directors was appointed. On January 5, 1878, the directors met and organized, elect- ing the following officers: President, C. O. Perkins; secretary, C. L. Wyman; treasurer, B. F. Hobart; executive committee, Nelson Case, chairman, Merrit Read, F. H. Atchin- son. Mr. Perkins remained president as long as he lived. F. H. Atchinsin, before the close of the first year, succeeded Mr. Wyman as secretary and continued to fill that position during the next nine years. Mr. Case remained chair- man of the executive committee during its first ten years. Upon the death of Mr. Perk-
ins, on April 30, 1887, the duties of the presi- dent were performed by the chairman of the executive committee until the annual meeting in December of that year, when Nelson Case was elected president; J. R. Hill, secretary; C. M. Condon, treasurer ; F. H. Atchinson, E. P. Sawyer and R. L. Sharp, executive commit- tee. The following year Mr. Hill was made chairman of the executive committee in place of Mr. Atchinson, the other officers remain- ing as last announced, all of whom have held the same positions to the present. The asso- ciation has maintained a free reading-room, kept open daily with very slight exceptions, from the time of its organization to the pres- ent. It has never invested very largely in books, but has acquired quite a fair library. Its tables have constantly been kept supplied with the best periodicals. For a number of years the association had its reading-room in the city building, but during later years it maintained its reading-rooms, in connection with the Y. M. C .. A. rooms, in the center of the business part of town. The association has provided a course of literary entertain- ments, consisting of lectures and concerts, nearly every season since its organization. A number of the best lecturers on the platform have been secured, as well as first-class musi- cal talent. In more recent years the policy of home lectures has been inaugurated, and some of the leading men of the State have been se- cured to give lectures in these courses. By this means the people have been furnished with a class of entertainments of high standard, and the association has reaped something of a rev- enue to assist in maintaining its reading-room. During the past few years the association has been partially disorganized, and has not done the aggressive work it did during its earlier history.
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GOVERNMENT.
On February 8, 1870, a majority of the residents having petitioned therefor, the pro- bate judge made an order incorporating Os- wego as a town, and appointed R. W. Wright, J. F. Waskey, Merrit Read, John F. Newlon and W. M. Johnson trustees. The trustees met February 23d, and organized by electing W. M. Johnson chairman, and appointed John D. Coulter clerk. Nelson Case was employed by the trustees as counsel, and assisted them in preparing ordinances.
On March 21, 1870, a census as taken, which showed more than 1,000 inhabitants in the town. An ordinance was passed declaring Oswego organized as a city of the third class. The first election was held April 4th, at which the following officers were elected : Mayor, J. F. Newlon ; councilmen, D. W. Clover, R. W. Wright, William Wells, J. T. Pierson, and E. R. Trask. On April 6th the mayor and councilmen organized and held their first meet- ing. J. D. Coulter was appointed clerk ; James R. Morrison, marshal, and F. A. Bettis, attor- ney. On March 16, 1871, an ordinance was passed declaring Oswego a city of the second class by virtue of chapter 59 of the laws of 1871, permitting certain cities therein named to organize as cities of the second class. The city has continued to act as a city of the second class from that time to the present. However, in 1890, in a case wherein Oswego township was plaintiff and Joseph Anderson was de- fendant, the supreme court decided that the act above referred to was unconstitutional, and therefore the organization as a city of the sec- ond class thereunder was illegal. In fact, it was always considered doubtful whether or not this act had any validity, and in 1880 the nec- sary steps were taken to secure an organization
as a city of the second class under the general laws. On June 18, 1880, the Government is- sued a proclamation declaring Oswego a city of the second class.
Mayors: 1870, J. F. Newlon; 1871, Mer- rit Read; 1872, J. F. Waskey; 1873-76, R. W. Wright; 1876-87, C. M. Condon; 1887-89, H. C. Cook; 1889-91, J. W. Marley ; 1891-95, J. M. Grant; 1895-97, J. B. Montgomery ; 1897-99, R. O. Deming; 1899-1901, George S. Liggett. Clerks : February 23d to August 15, 1870, J. D. Coulter ; August 15, 1870, to Feb- ruary 6, 1871, J. B. Zeigler; E. E. Hastings was appointed, but did not qualify ; March 10, 1871, to April 10, 1871, H. E. Porter ; April 10, 1871, to May 16, 1872, C. F. Winton; May 16, 1872, to April 30, 1878, Nelson Case; May 6, 1878, to Janaury 3, 1890, Thomas Bul- wer; January 3, 1890, to April 10, 1891, J. D. H. Reed; April 10, 1891, to April 8, 1895, W. K. Orr; April 8, 1895, to April 16, 1897, J. W. Minturn; April 16, 1897, to April 8, 1898, W. K. Orr; April 15, 1898, to February 27, 1899, Jesse Richcreek; February 27, 1899, to April 6, 1900, L. H. Kemper; April 6, 1900, Marion Parks.
BUSINESS ENTERPRISES.
POTTERY .- In 1868 Mr. Shanks operated a pottery, and turned out several kilns of stone- ware. In the spring of 1870, D. and C. E. Watts established a pottery in the east part of town, from which they sent out quite an amount of stone-ware that season.
PORK-PACKING .- Mr. Jennings was the first to start this enterprise. He erected a stone building in the southwest part of the town, in which, in 1878, he commenced the slaughter and packing of hogs. Edgar Leonard and George Schwartz succeeded Mr. Jennings in
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