USA > Kansas > Labette County > History of Labette County, Kansas, from the first settlement to the close of 1892 > Part 15
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38
BANKS.
Near the close of 1868 C. P. Spaulding started the first bank in the town. He had very little capital, and attempted a much larger business than he was able to conduct. He continued to operate this bank till the spring of 1870, when, unable to meet his obligations, a number of suits were commenced against him and he was forced to quit business.
KETCHAM & Co .- W. B. Ketcham and F. H. Ketcham opened a bank about July 1, 1870, which they conducted till the fall of the following year.
NATIONAL BANK .- The First National Bank was the successor of Ketcham Brothers. It was opened for business December 4, 1871, with James E. Marsh, of Kansas City, president, E. J. Stewart ( then post- master) vice- president. F. H. Ketcham cashier, Lee Clark assistant cashier. Some time thereafter R. W. Officer succeeded Mr. Marsh as president. The bank had an authorized capital of $50,000, and a paid-up capital of $25,000. In March, 1873, the bank moved into its fine brick building, which it had just completed on the northwest corner of Third and Maple streets. In September, 1873, the stringency of the money market caused this bank to temporarily suspend payment. On July 19, 1875, the bank decided to go into liquidation, and Lee Clark was put in charge and settled up its affairs.
SAVINGS BANK .- The Chetopa Savings Bank was organized July 1, 1871, with a paid-up capital of $30,000. Charles H. Safford was presi- dent, L. F. Fisher secretary, and George S. Newman cashier.
PRIVATE BANKS .- January 1, 1876, F. H. Ketcham, R. W. Officer and Lee Clark commenced business as Ketcham & Co., and succeeded to
151
TOWNS AND CITIES.
the business of the First National Bank. Lee Clark bought out the in- terest of his partners in June, 1876, and in August following associated with him Arthur D. Sturgis under the firm-name of Clark & Sturgis. January 1, 1879, Lee Clark went to Parsons to become cashier of the First National Bank of that place, and later in the year Mr. Sturgis re- moved to Mansfield, Ohio, leaving Edgar W. Clark in charge of the bank. August 1, 1879, Lee Clark purchased Mr. Sturgis's interest, and soon thereafter sold a half-interest to George H. Bates. Clark & Bates as thus constituted continued in business till the death of Mr. Bates, in February, 1883, when Florence E. Bates succeeded to the interest of her husband. Afterwards Lee Clark sold his half-interest in the bank to Edgar W. Clark, who, with Mrs. Bates, is still conducting the business.
LOAN AND INVESTMENT COMPANIES.
Col. J. B. Cook in 1875 opened a real estate and loan business, and during the next few years did an extensive business, both in the way of selling real estate and making real-estate loans. January 1, 1884, L. M. Bedell and J. W. Breidenthal became associated with him in the loan business, the firm being known as J. B. Cook & Co.
By March 1, 1885, the Neosho Valley Investment Company was formed as the successor to the business of J. B. Cook & Co. J. B. Cook was president, J. W. Breidenthal secretary, L. M. Bedell treasurer. Subsequently R. Haines Passmore succeeded Mr. Cook as president, and still more recently other changes have been made in its officers.
MILLS.
October, 1869, Gilbert Martin commenced operating a flouring-mill which he had just finished on the Neosho.
July 1, 1871, Hunter & Williams's flour-mill, which had been erected during the early part of the year, was finished and opened for business. Since then other mills have been established.
MECHANICS' ASSOCIATION.
On March 3, 1871, the mechanics of the town organized an association for mutual help and protection, of which J. M. Bannan was secretary and the controlling spirit. This organization sought to unite the mechan- ics' interest in the town by an effort to control the work of that locality to those residing therein rather than allowing it to be done by persons brought there from abroad, and also to secure a fair remuneration to all who were engaged in mechanical pursuits.
OPERA HOUSE.
In December, 1882, the opera house company was organized, with G. H. Bates president, B. S. Edwards vice-president, William Lehman secre-
152
HISTORY OF LABETTE COUNTY.
tary, and E. W. Clark treasurer; and the following year the opera house was constructed and opened.
FIRES.
On September 17, 1871, a big fire broke out, and nearly one block, known as the Sturgis block, was burned. August 14, 1882, a great fire took place, starting in G. A. Luman's hardware store on the south side of Maple street, and consuming nineteen buildings before its force could be arrested. On May 3, 1884, Marsh's block was burned.
LIBRARY ASSOCIATION.
On February 18, 1875, the Ladies' Library Association of Chetopa was organized, with a membership of eighty-one. Mrs. M. A. Shilds, Mrs. J. F. Hunter, and Mrs. H. Butterworth, by the payment of $10 each, were made life members of the association. The following officers were elected : President, Mrs. M. A. Aldrich ; secretary, Mrs. B. S. Edwards ; treasurer, Mrs. M. A. Shilds ; librarian, Miss Fannie Shilds. On May 1+, 1875, the library was formally opened, with 116 volumes on the shelves. In February, 1882, the association disbanded, and did nothing for three years. On March 7, 1885, it was reorganized as the City Library Asso- ciation, with a membership of ninety. The payment of $1 a year enti- tled one to the use of a book each week. The association now has 582 books in the library.
LITERARY.
A number of winters, more especially in her early history, Chetopa has maintained a good literary society ; frequently the business men have been among the leading spirits in it. In 1870 C. H. Ludlow was presi- dent, and that year, as well as in 1872-3, most of the leading men took part in the debates. In 1873 a temperance literary society was organized, of which Dr. C. Humble was president.
An organization of the Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle was effected here in 1884.
CHINAMEN.
In 1884 a couple of Chinamen came to town and opened up a laundry. Some of the citizens conceived a great antipathy to these workmen, and concluded that the proper thing to do was to dispense with their presence. The Chinamen were informed that they would do well to take their de- parture from town, but not heeding the request, other measures were taken to induce them to find a more congenial home. The authorities, ascertaining what was going on, took steps to interfere; the result was the arrest of some two dozen men engaged in the attempt to depopulate, and after a protracted and hotly-contested suit four of the parties were convicted and fined $25 each.
153
TOWNS AND CITIES.
CELEBRATIONS.
Chetopa has ever taken a pride in getting up fine celebrations. The first one was held on July 4, 1867, in an arbor provided for the occasion north of Maple and east of Third streets, at which the Declaration of Independence was read by Harry Shannon, of La Porte, Indiana. Speeches were made by Captain Secrest and others, and in this arbor in the afternoon of that day Rev. Mr. Cox, from Indiana, preached the first sermon of which we have any account since the breaking-up of the settle- ment in 1863. At the same place in the evening a dance was held, and those participating therein took their refreshments at Barnes's Hotel, which had just been opened across the street to the south. The next celebration of note was on July 4, 1869, at which Congressman Sidney Clarke and Colonel Hoyt made speeches to a large crowd of people. An- other important celebration was held July 4, 1875, when George T. An- thony spoke to a large crowd of people.
OSWEGO. 1865.
Of the settlement of Mathews upon the present site of the city of Os- wego, I have spoken in another part of this work. The first settlement. of the town aside from the Mathews settlement dates from the fall of 1865. In the latter part of October of that year Clinton Rexford and N. P. Elsbree located, the former on the southeast quarter of section 16, and the latter upon the southwest quarter of section 15, township 33, range 21, and were the first white men to make their homes upon the present site of Oswego after the death of Mathews. Messrs. Rexford and Elsbree were directed to this site by A. T. Dickerman and Jabez Zink, who had a short time before that located upon the Labette, and who found them encamped near the mouth of that stream in search for a location and contesting with the Bakers for claims taken by them. They had not much more than gotten fairly located upon their claim until other parties came into the neighborhood. But as the location of these new settlements were outside of the limits of what became the town, and have been spoken of in treating of the settlement of the township, I will not re- peat it here. Late in 1865, Rexford and Elsbree brought on a small stock of provisions and opened up the first store or trading-post in the town, and in fact the first in this part of the county. Their store building was a rough log shanty, and stood near the center of what is now block 66. In the street near the northwest corner of this block is a spring from which all the early settlers were supplied with water. The old Government. road, coming from a northwesterly direction, passed between what is now blocks 61 and 66.
154
HISTORY OF LABETTE COUNTY.
1866.
The first hotel in the place was started in the spring of this year by Wm. A. Hogaboom. It was a log cabin, and stood on what is now the east part of block 61. While it was not a very commodious affair, it served the purpose of furnishing entertainment to the few new settlers who commenced coming early that season. Among those who came this year were the following : Dr. John F. Newlon, C. H. Talbott, Andy Kaho, the Sloane Family, Thos. J. Buntain, Hiram Hollingsworth, Thos. J. Flouronoy, J. Q. Cowell, H. C. Bridgman, Jas. Jones, H. W. Thomp- son, Nelson F. Carr, and C. H. Bent. Carr and Bridgman bought from Rexford and Elsbree the small stock of groceries which they had put in the fall previous, and added somewhat thereto; and during that year J. Q. Cowell put up a small addition to the Carr and Bridgman store, in which he opened up a small stock of groceries and drugs. This was the first drug store in the county.
1867.
The treaty with the Osages having been ratified and proclaimed by the President, settlers came in this year in greater numbers, and with more assurance of finding here a home than had those who had previously come. D. W. Clover had come into the vicinity the July previous, and had stopped with his sons down on the bank of the river. Directly after coming he had gone into the organization of the town company, making preparations for helping build up the town. During the winter he had gotten out logs, and in the spring of this year erected on the southeast corner of block 25 a hewed log house in which he at once opened a hotel, naming it the Oswego House ; ever since which time the principal hotel in the place has been maintained on that corner under the same name as first started.
The principal new business firms that were started this year were A. Waskey & Sons, Dr. R. W. Wright, and H. L. Woodford. All of these came here during the summer and got their business houses open in the fall. J. F. and T. P. Waskey conducted the business for their house, opening first in the Buntain building and the next season erecting their own building, in block 33, into which they moved.
Prior to this year there had been no saw-mills in the county, and all of the buildings had been built of logs-some of them rough log houses, and some hewed. Those who built this year were able to get boards, and several frame houses were erected. Thomas J. Buntain put up a two- story frame about 20 x 40 feet, on the southwest corner of block 25; Dr. R. W. Wright put up a one-story frame on the northwest corner of block 31, in which he thereafter put his drug store; Dr. W. S. Newlon built a frame residence on the lots ever since occupied by him. Several other
155
TOWNS AND CITIES.
smaller frame houses, either for business or residence, were also built. In addition to Dr. Wright, Dr. Newlon, and the Waskey brothers, whom I have mentioned as having come this year, I may name A. L. Austin, Rev. Thomas H. Canfield, Jerry D. McCue, and Walter P. Bishop. At the close of 1867 there were in Oswego ten frame buildings and eleven log houses, with a population of sixteen families, numbering about 100 individuals. There were in all five stores, two of which were kept on the site first occupied, on the edge of the bluff, one by Carr & Bridgman and one by J. Q. Cowell. H. L. Woodford had a small feed store in the same vicinity. The other two stores were within the present business site-one by the Waskeys in the Buntain building, and the other by Dr. Wright in his own building, as above described. In addition to these there was one blacksmith shop and one hotel.
During this summer Mrs. Herbaugh taught the first school, and the first religious services were also held, a Sunday school having been or- ganized and maintained during the summer, and preaching services hav- ing been instituted in the fall by Rev. Thomas H. Canfield, who had been sent here by the Congregational Society, and by Rev. John Mark, a local Methodist preacher, who had settled in the township. Thos. J. Flouro- noy, a Baptist minister, also preached occasionally.
1868.
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 .. Merrit, 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 pres- ent. Several 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 proportion 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 repre- sented.
The town had been started on an Indian reservation before the treaty with the Indians releasing their rights thereto had been approved, and even at this time the title to the same was in the General Government,
156
HISTORY OF LABETTE COUNTY.
and no provision had yet been made for anyone acquiring a title to his home ; yet the people who had come here had commenced preparations for permanent homes, and most of them had no thought of making a change. Those in business were making money, and all seemed con- tented and prosperous, and the year closed with Oswego having ap- parently as good a prospect as any of her competitors for making a prosperous and permanent growth.
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 south- east quarter of section 16. Under the ruling 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. Someone had secured a provision to be inserted in the act authorizing town companies to enter town-sites under certain conditions. A contest sprang up between the Oswego Town Company and the mayor and coun- cilmen of the city of Oswego, for the entry of the southwest quarter of section 15. The city was represented in this contest by its city attorney, and the town company by Colonel W. B. Glasse. The decision of the local land office was in favor of the city authorities. From this an appeal was taken to the Commissioner 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 designate Oswego had been known as Little Town "from a time when the memory of man runneth 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
157
TOWNS AND CITIES.
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. Rexford seem to have been the parties instrumental in organizing the town company; at any rate they are the ones who re- ceipted for the money paid for shares in the town company, so far as I can now ascertain from these fragments 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 organ- ized and title perfected. If not perfected, the money refunded.
WILLIAM A. HOGABOOM."
"NEOSHO COUNTY, KANSAS, July 10, 1866.
"Received of A. Kaho one-half payment for one town share, in a watch; if title not perfected, the watch returned in good order.
WM. A. HOGABOOM."
"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 balance due when the company perfect their arrangements and a good and sufficient title is had, but the above money to be returned if said arrangements are not consummated.
WM. A. HOGABOOM."
" Received of D. W. Clover thirty-one dollars, being one-half the pay of a share in Little Town. C. H. TALBOT.
"LITTLE TOWN, July 12, 1866."
The first record of the minutes of any meeting being held is the fol- lowing :
"LITTLE TOWN, NEOSHO COUNTY, KANSAS, July 12, 1866.
"The shareholders of the Town Company of Little Town met for the purpose of organization. Mr. D. W. Clover was called to the chair. On motion, Dr. J. F. Newlon was elected president pro tem., Wm. A. Hoga- boom 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 "Oswego" writ- ten is in the following instrument :
"OSWEGO, KANSAS, July 17, 1866.
" This entitles the holder, T. J. Buntain, to one full share in the Town
158
HISTORY OF LABETTE COUNTY.
Company of Oswego, Neosho county, Kansas, on his complying with the rules and regulations of the Town Company of said town of Oswego.
J. F. NEWLON, President.
H. C. BRIDGMAN, Secretary, 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 Oswego, but it is apparent from the instruments copied above that sometime be- tween 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 taken, 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 company 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 in- corporation, it was evidently the first meeting of the incorporators after receiving the charter. The minutes show that "on motion to organize and elect directors," 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. Newlon 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 presi- dent, and M. Reed secretary of the company, and they remained the offi- cers 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 com- pany could secure no title to its site until the fall of 1869, it promised from the first liberal donations to all enterprises which it was believed would be for the public good. Each church organization was given lots
159
TOWNS AND CITIES.
of its own selection to an extent of 100 feet front; one-half block was donated for a school-site; a building was erected and donated to the county for a court-house ; a county jail was erected ; donations were made to the first newspapers ; and, until the close of 1869, anyone build- ing 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 commenced, 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 com- pleted until 1870. In 1874 H. S. Coley, W. H. Roby and Nelson Case purchased lots 1 and 2, block 38, and laid a foundation thereon with a view of erecting a brick building. These parties sold the lots, however, to Samuel Carpenter, who erected the brick building now standing there- on ; this was the first brick building in the place. One room of it was occupied June 1, 1875, by the firm of Montgomery & 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 build- ings. 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 a very fine three-story building at the southeast corner of block 25, in place of the old frame Oswego House. Oswego 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 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 concentrated into a comparatively
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.