USA > Kansas > Labette County > History of Labette County, Kansas, and representative citizens > Part 18
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HISTORY OF LABETTE COUNTY
the business. The establishment having been mostly destroyed by fire, the business was dis- continued after having been conducted with a fair degree of success for two or three years.
WAGON FACTORY .- In June, 1882, J. Shot- liff commenced work on his wagon factory in the south part of town, which was put in oper- ation before the close of the year. Mr. Shot- liff operated this until it was destroyed by fire in 1885. On account of the loss then sus- tained, he was unable to again commence busi- ness. During the time he was running his fac- tory he turned out a large number of wagons, and did a good business.
While no one else has ever carried on the manufacture of wagons at this place on such an extensive scale as did Mr. Shotliff while he conducted the business, there have been others who have done a good business in a smaller way. During the lifetime of David Branson, he and Mr. Marsh made wagons. J. C. Patter- son has been engaged in the business almost from the start of the town. Mr. Gordon and Mr. Peters have likewise been in the business, and W. K. Orr has conducted a carriage- trimming shop for many years.
TILE FACTORY .- In June, 1885, H. C. Draper moved his tile factory to Oswego from across the river, where he had operated it for several years.
COTTON GIN .- In November, 1888, D. S. and J. C. Romine and A. Chambers purchased machinery and commenced the operation of a cotton gin. On December 11, 1888, they shipped six bales of cotton over the "Frisco" to St. Louis, which was the first shipment from this point. The gin was run several years, but was finally moved to Chetopa. C. A. Wilkin was interested in its operation a part of the time.
A CHEESE FACTORY was started on the south side of Fourth avenue near the M. K. &
T. Ry. depot, in 1892, which it is hoped will prove successful; still for two or three years past little or no use has been made of it.
CREAMERY .- In 1899, a company was formed for the purpose of establishing a cream- ery. Most of the capital was furnished by farmers in the vicinity, who were interested in the enterprise. It is said to have been a profit- able venture, and a great accommodation to those having milk to dispose of. Several aux- iliary skimming stations are maintained.
EVAPORATOR .- Two or three parties have for a time conducted the business of drying and evaporating fruit. In 1892 a small plant was put in with the expectation of enlarging it and adding a canning factory.
MILLS.
In September, 1870, Macon, Krell & Cow- ell commenced the operation of their steam mill, the erection of which had been in progress for about a year. This firm were not able to continue the operation of their mill a great length of time, owing to financial embarrass- ment, and it was for a while in 1871 in the hands of Mr. Ross as receiver. The mortgage on the property was foreclosed, and the sale had through court. In October, 1873, R. S. Math- ews became the owner of this mill. Subse- quently, Miller & Sons purchased and ran this mill until it burned, early in 1884.
In October, 1870, Howell & Rathburn com- menced the foundation of a three-and-one-half story frame flouring mill on the bank of the river north of Oswego, which was run by water except when the river was low. H. C. Hall became the owner of Mr. Rathburn's interest in this mill; the firm of Howell & Hall oper- ated it until its destruction by fire, in January, 1886.
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In June, 1881, Mr. Eickerman arranged for the erection of the brick mill in the west part of town, the walls of which were put up dur- ing the summer, and at the close of the year it was ready for business. Mr. Eickerman and G .. W. Bird were the original proprietors. There have been several different ownerships of the mill. For some years past a corpora- tion,-the Pearl Roller Mills,-in which S. B. Miller and G. W. Burdick are the principal stockholders, has owned and operated this mill, which is one of the largest and best equipped mills in this part of the state.
In the summer of 1892, Kiddoo, Black & Co. erected a new mill south of the St. Louis & San Francisco Railroad, between Illinois and Michigan streets. This mill is now owned (principally or wholly) by C. M. Condon, and is known as the Oswego Roller Mill.
BANKS.
THE FIRST BANK .- The first bank in the county was started in Oswego, by W. M. John- son, in October, 1868. During that year and the fore part of 1869 it was conducted on the north side of Fourth avenue. In the summer of 1869 he erected a small frame building on the northeast corner of block 38, in which he thereafter conducted the business. For a short time only A. L. Austin was associated with Mr. " Johnson in the banking business. This bank continued to do business until the spring of 1870, when Mr. Johnson was forced to make an assignment. His failure was caused by at- tempting to build a town instead of confining himself to conducting a bank. He had great con- fidence in the outcome of the county and of the town, and expected to realize very large profits from the money he could invest in real estate. He secured two corners, viz., the southwest cor-
ner of block 32 and the northeast corner of block 38, and on these intended to erect, for the time, very fine buildings. He went far enough to get the walls completed for the building on the southwest corner of block 32, now owned .by Mr. Perkins ; in doing so he had used more money than he was able to control belonging to himself, and during the spring of 1870, when depositors were wanting their money, he found himself unable to cash their checks. Every dollar of his property was consumed, and still his creditors were far from being paid. What might have been a very profitable busi- ness proved his financial ruin, simply because he indulged in a spirit of speculation.
About the middle of July, 1870, B. F. Ho- bart and H. L. Taylor came to Oswego and opened the next bank that was started in the town. About July 1, 1871, Mr. Taylor retired from the business, and was succeeded by J. C. Longwell, Mr. Hobart's father-in-law. Mr. Longwell having died, the business came un- der the management of B. F. Hobart. On July 1, 1877, C. M. Condon became a partner of Mr. Hobart, and thereafter the firm of Ho- bart & Condon conducted the business until the summer of 1882, when Mr. Hobart sold his interest to Mr. Condon, who continued in sole control of the business until early in 1901, when he admitted his son, Wilbur F. Condon, as a member of the firm of Condon & Co. They have a very extensive business.
STATE BANK OF OSWEGO .- On August 18, 1870, the State Bank of Oswego, with a paid-up-capital of $25,000, M. S. Adams be- ing president and J. H. Folks cashier, com- menced business. It only continued in business a few months, however, not finding a sufficient amount of business for two banks.
The next bank to open its doors to the pub- lic was that conducted by George Brockway
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and H. C. Draper. It commenced business March 2, 1874. Mr. Draper desiring to retire, in 1876 C. F. Smith, upon the close of his offi- cial term as treasurer, became associated with Mr. Brockway in this bank, and afterwards, in March, 1877, the sole manager of the same. This bank discontinued business September 1, 1877.
In 1880 H. A. Marley and his son, J. W. Marley, opened a bank and loan office, which business they conducted until April II, 1887, when they were succeeded by the First State Bank, which in turn was succeeded by
THE OSWEGO STATE BANK, on May 5, 1888. This bank has a paid-up capital of $50,- 000, and has done a profitable business for a number of years. Its board of directors have Been J. W. Marley, E. T. Reed, H. C. Cook, John M. Grant, Lee Williams. H. A. Marley, Fred Perkins; in 1891 Scott Taylor succeeded Mr. Cook.
THE FIRST NATIONAL BANK was char- tered in July and opened its doors for business the last of August, 1883. Its first officers were R. P. Clement, president ; J. B. Montgomery, vice-president ; F. C. Wheeler, cashier; C. F. Winton, assistant cashier. In January, 1885, C. Abbey succeeded Mr. Clement as president The last of 1886, Mr. Wheeler resigned, and was succeeded by H. C. Cook as cashier. On .April 1, 1887. F. W. Keller became cashier, and served until September 16, 1890, when he was succeeded by J. M. Berry. On October 26, 1888, R. O. Deming was elected president, in which position he continued until the bank went out of existence. The bank was capitalized at $60,000, and did a large and profitable busi- ness. It went into voluntary liquidation and dissolution in the fall of 1893, its stockholders preferring to organize under the state law. Its successor was
THE LABETTE COUNTY BANK .- This was incorporated with a capital stock of $25,000. R. O. Deming was president and J. M. Berry, cashier. In 1895, this bank went into volun- tary liquidation, leaving two banks in the city.
LOAN AND INVESTMENT COMPANIES.
THE OSWEGO BUILDING AND LOAN ASSO- CIATION .- This institution was organized in June, 1884, with an authorized capital of $50,- 000. H. C. Draper was president, L. C. How- ard, secretary and E. T. Reed, treasurer.
THE DEMING INVESTMENT CO .- On the last of December, 1887, the Deming Invest- ment Company was organized, and opened bus- iness on the first of January, 1888, with a paid- up capital of $50,000, since which time it has been increased, and is now $60,000. The firm of Winton & Deming had been in the loan busi- ness previous to this time for a number of years, and upon the organization of this com- pany it succeeded to the business of said firm. Nelson Case has been president, and R. O. Deming treasurer and manager of this com- pany from its organization.
THE EASTERN KANSAS INVESTMENT CO. -About the first of 1889, Fred Perkins, C. F. Winton, C. A. Wilkin, M. E. Williams, and a few other parties organized the Eastern Kan- sas Investment Co. for the purpose of conduct- ing a loan business. The company has done a good business.
PARKS.
Upon laying out the town, the town com- pany designated block 52 as the city park. For a number of years it remained entirely unim- proved. A few years ago a number of the citi- zens undertook the work of its improvement, and set it out to trees. It now presents quite an attractive appearance.
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LADIES' ENTERTAINMENT SOCIETY.
On February 12, 1887, about 40 ladies of the city formed themselves into a ladies' enter- tainment society, with the following officers : Mrs. Mary E. Perkins, president; Mrs. Hettie C. Hall, vice-president; Mrs. Franc Wilkin, secretary; and Mrs. Anna Sharp, treasurer. The purpose of the organization was to secure a site for and to improve a park. A number of entertainments were held, by means of which some money was raised, and in addition to this quite a sum was raised by subscription. A tract of ground was selected and purchased lying on the bluff of the river north of the city and east of the water-works engine house. This is about as far as the society has ever gone in its work of providing a park. There are a number of locations near the city with suffi- cient natural advantages to make a delightful resort, were a reasonable amount of money expended upon the improvements.
STREETS AND SIDEWALKS.
For several years the only sidewalks in town consisted of platforms in front of the stores and public buildings. As the space be- tween these buildings grew less by the erec- tion of other new buildings, the platforms were connected and planks put down, so that there was a continuous sidewalk on the principal street so far as the stores extended.
As early as July 21, 1870, notice was given by direction of the council for the construc- tion of certain sidewalks, but no further ac- tion was ever taken thereunder. The first sidewalk constructed outside the business part of town, and the first one built by direction of the city council, was on Illinois street, extend- ing from block 9 in Johnson & Folks' addition,
to the Methodist church. This was built in pursuance of an order made by the council on March 6, 1874, on the petition of the requisite number of property-holders along the line. From this time on, sidewalks began to be gradually petitioned for and to be built over the residence part of the town, and for several years past nearly all streets of the city that are thickly inhabited have been supplied with good sidewalks.
During the summer of 1878 Commercial street was graded from Fourth avenue to the Frisco depot, and put in good condition for travel. It was not until June, 1885, that a good plank sidewalk was laid on the south side of Fourth avenue from Commercial street to the M. K. & T. Ry. depot.
During 1897 and 1898 especially, and to a certain extent since then, a great improve- ment has been made in the sidewalks of the city. A large amount of brick sidewalk has been laid. In addition to this improvement in sidewalks, Fourth avenue has been macad- amized from Commercial street to the M. K. & T. Ry. depot ; this work was done in 1898.
TREES.
Few cities are better supplied with shade trees than is Oswego. All of the principal streets were at an early day set out with lines of trees, which have made a good growth, and now furnish abundant shade. The yards are also supplied with beautiful shade and orna- mental trees, and in the summer the place presents almost the appearance of a city built in a forest.
TELEPHONE.
Early in 1882 a telephone plant was put in operation, connecting many of the business and
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dwelling houses, and was quite extensively used. During the summer a line was put in connecting Oswego with Parsons, which was completed July 20th. This plant was only used for a few months to any great extent, and after a time all of the instruments were taken out.
In 1896, and since then, telephonic con- munication between the various towns in the county, and with distant cities was resumed, and has been maintained and extended, so that at this time one can send messages over these lines to almost any point in the country.
WATER-WORKS.
During 1887 a system of water-works was constructed, supplying the city with water from the Neosho river north of town. They were put in operation in the fall, and were accepted by the city about the last of November.
ELECTRIC LIGHTS.
An electric light plant was put in during the spring and summer of 1888. On July 12th of that year the lights were first turned on. After being run a few months, its operation was for a time suspended. A change of owner- ship, however, was had, and the lights were soon again turned on, and have been in opera- tion ever since. At the time the electric light plant was put into operation, the city con- tracted for the lighting of its streets by arc lights, but street lighting by electricity proved to be too expensive for the revenues of the city, and so was discontinued after a trial of two or three years. The incandescent lights in dwellings and business houses are main- tained.
NATURAL GAS
Has been found but not in sufficient quantities to be utilized.
INDEBTEDNESS.
For a great many years Oswego was great- ly burdened with its bonded indebtedness. When the M. K. & T. Ry. was constructed in 1870, Oswego township, including the city, gave the company $100,000 in bonds to secure the road. A few years later the township and city, united voted bonds to the amount of $80,- 000 to secure an east and west road, now known as the St. L. & S. F. R. R. All of the $80,- 000 issue of bonds were executed and part of them were delivered to the contractors who had done grading; the rest were put in escrow, and subsequently a few of them were returned to the officers, but the most of them became outstanding liabilities against the township. The construction of the road was suspended for several years. To secure the completion of the road, besides a large contribution in cash by individuals, Oswego city issued $30,- 000 in bonds and Oswego township, $15,000 in bonds. For the purpose of bridging the Neosho, the township and city issued $20,000. In addition to all this, the city issued $18,000 for the construction of the two school-houses we are now using.
Most of these bonds were bearing a high rate of interest, and none a rate less than 6 per cent. To pay this indebtedness was be- yond the power of the people residing in these municipalities. For many years no payment whatever was made on principal or interest of the railroad and bridge bonds. Litigation en- sued which greatly increased the burden. The
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interest was all the time accumulating, and be- fore anything was done toward solving the difficulty the indebtedness was, perhaps, much more than double what it had been originally.
Finally, in 1885, efforts to effect a com- promise of the principal part of this indebted- ness were successful. The last issue of bonds to the east and west road and the school bonds were not included in the compromise and were to be paid in full. But the $100,000 M. K. & T., $80,000 M. C. & N. W., $20,000 bridge bonds, making $200,000 principal, and prob- ably as much more in accumulated interest, were taken up, and in their place $154,000 funding bonds of the city and township were issued.
On these funding bonds the interest was paid somewhat regularly ; still there was more litigation and costs were incurred, and quite an amount of interest was allowed to accumulate. In 1897 these municipalities started in to re- lieve themselves of indebtedness. A small amount had been paid prior thereto, but near- ly all of the indebtedness above recited was then outstanding. The people heroically im- posed on themselves a rate of taxation which, to name, would seem impossible to endure. For four years this extraordinary rate of debt paying has been going on, and now the peo- ple have the satisfaction of knowing the debt is reduced to $85,000, which on the basis they have been giving will in four more years be entirely extinguished.
PARSONS.
THE COMMENCEMENT.
On June 19, 1869, W. K. Hayes located on the north half of the southwest quarter of section 19, North township, and in connection with Milton W. Eves opened a small stock of
general merchandise. Mr. Hayes was on September 25, 1869, appointed postmaster of a new postoffice established at that point and named Mendota-"the place of meeting." Whether it was the place of meeting of the two branches of the Labette, or the two branches of the M. K. & T., neither of the latter of which was then located, or of the traveling public, perhaps it is too early to write with interest. When a hundred years of tra- dition and myth shall have gathered round it, the future historian can write a chapter upon the founding of the office which will be read with delight. But as a sober, historical fact, and to somewhat curtail the wings of mythol- ogy, it may be recorded that it was because of the proximity of the site to the confluence of the Big and Little Labette that the name Men- dota was chosen. In the winter of 1869 Mr. Hayes took his goods to a house he had built. farther south, near Steel's mill, at the junction of the two Labettes; but in the spring he re- moved back to his old stand.
In 1870 J. J. Pierson succeeded Mr. Eves. as a partner of Mr. Hayes, and the firm Hayes & Pierson continued in business at this point until November, 1870, when, the town-site of Parsons having been located, they moved to a point on the east side of the railroad track, northeast of the passenger depot, and just north of where the Belmont House now stands.
THE SITE.
Sections 18 and 19 in North township, and 13 and 24 in Walton township, formed tlie body of land selected by the company on which to lay out a town. Most of this land was al- ready occupied by actual settlers, some of whom had acquired, or could obtain, title, and some of whom had only a squatter's right.
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John Leonard was on the southeast quarter of section 19, Abraham Fults on the northeast quarter, John Kendall on the northwest quar- ter, W. K. Hayes on the north half and Aaron Midkiff on the south half of the southwest quarter of the same section ; John Davis was on the northeast quarter of section 18, Abraham Cary on the northwest quarter, and Mr. Simp- son on the southwest quarter of the same sec- tion; Anson Kellogg was on the southwest quarter and S. Eves on the northeast quarter of section 24; Henry F. Baker was on the southeast quarter of section 13, and H. L. Partridge on the southwest quarter and George Briggs on the northwest quarter of the same section. Some of the remainder was claimed by non-residents. Several of these parties were unwilling to dispose of their interest, and negotiations to secure title were in prog- ress for some time.
THE SITE SELECTED.
The first intimation that the public gen- erally had that a town was to be located at this point was on October 26, 1870, when L. F. Olney, a civil engineer, got off the train and inquired of some parties at work on the ground where the city of Parsons is now built, if they could tell him where Parsons was located, saying he had come to lay off a town. Nothing was done by him for several days excepting to look over the ground and make observations. On Sunday, November 6, 1870, C. G. Wait, the railroad engineer, located the connection of the Sedalia and Junction City branches of the M. K. & T., and two days later Frye & Pierce, grade contractors, broke dirt at this junction. It was known that here was to be the railroad town, and, before the survey commenced, in addition to two or three
business houses which preceded it, on Novem- ber II, 1870, John Austin had on the ground the first dwelling put thereon, aside from those which were there at the time of the location. He put it upon what proved to be the north- east corner of Central and Crawford avenues, and at once occupied it for a dwelling, and also for keeping boarders. In front of this building the next spring he set out some maple trees, which were the first trees planted in the place. On these premises Dr. G. W. Gabriel has for many years had his home. It was about the middle of November when Mr. Ol- ney commenced the survey of the town-site, and it was not completed until about the mid- dle of January.
THE TOWN COMPANY.
Isaac T. Goodnow, N. S. Goss, F. C. White, O. B. Gunn, Norman Eastman and Robert S. Stevens were the incorporators of the town company. The charter was filed in the office of the Secretary of State October 24, 1870, and authorized the company to purchase lands and lay off a town at and adjacent to section 19, township 31, range 20. The company was formed expressly for the purpose of laying off and building a railroad town. It was believed that the junction of the two branches of the M. K. & T. was the most feasible point for the location of a town, where would almost certainly be located the machine shops and of- fices. Of course these parties knew the point where this junction must be made before their incorporation, for not only was section 19 designated in the charter as the central point, but their surveyor was on the ground before the railroad engineer had actually designated the connecting point. The intention being to have a railroad town, of course no more appro-
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priate name could have been selected than that of the president of the road, who would there- by, if for no other reason, be interested in its support and growth.
DIFFICULTIES.
The town having been located, the com- pany soon encountered difficulties in acquiring title to as large a body of land as they hoped to secure, and we may readily believe that it was for the purpose of influencing these par- ties to make terms that the action of the town company-an account of which is given be- low-was taken, rather than with any serious intention of carrying out the determination therein expressed, for no steps were taken look- ing to an abandonment of the site which had been selected and partly surveyed; but for some purpose, probably by the company's di- rection, certain resolutions by it adopted were published in several papers, and more or less was said through the press on "Parsons de- funct." I will here refer to what appeared in but one paper, although the same was copied in the county papers and more or less com- mented on.
Near the close of 1870 the following ap- peared in the Humboldt Union.
"NEOSHA FALLS, KAN., Dec. 22.
"EDS. UNION : Inclosed you have resolu- tions passed by the directors of Parsons Town Company, and confirmed by the president of the M. K. & T. Co. You will see that the present town-site of Parsons is abandoned, as the orders are to erect not even a station house there. If you think these facts are of sufficient interest to your readers, you are at liberty to publish the accompanying resolutions.
"Very respectfully, "I. T. GOODNOW.
"At a meeting of the board of directors of the Parsons Town Company, held at Sedalia, Mo., on the 14th inst., the following resolu- tions were unanimously adopted:
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