USA > Kansas > Labette County > History of Labette County, Kansas, from the first settlement to the close of 1892 > Part 18
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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
WATER WORKS.
During the summer of 1882 the matter of supplying the city with water was discussed, and a company was formed for the purpose of carrying
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out the contemplated project. On September 15th, by an almost unani- mous vote of the electors, the city gave its assent and promised aid. During the following year the works were put in under the general direc- tion of C. W. Hill, but it was not until July, 1884, that they were com- pleted and accepted by the city. Reservoirs were made upon the banks of the Labette some distance above the city, from which stream the water was procured. The city paid $3,000 per year for fifty hydrants. Soon after the completion of the works, C. H. Kimball and E. H. Edwards became the principal owners of the stock of the company and had the general management of its business. The operation of the works under the original construction never gave general satisfaction, and they were believed to be far inadequate to meet the city's needs. Early in 1892 steps were taken to secure a better supply by obtaining water from the Neosho instead of from the Labette. Mains were laid from the Neosho to the old reservoirs on the Labette and into the city. A new stand-pipe, one of the largest in the State, was erected in the city, and under the present arrangements the water system is very complete.
GAS.
On December 11, 1882, the city council passed an ordinance giving an exclusive franchise for twenty-one years to Angell Matthewson to con- struct and operate gas works. The franchise was assigned to the Parsons Light and Heat Company, and in 1883 the works were completed, since which time those who desired it have been supplied with gas.
ELECTRIC LIGHTS.
On May 25, 1887, an ordinance was passed authorizing J. J. Everning- ham to erect electric works in the city of Parsons, and within a month thereafter this franchise was transferred to the Parsons Light and Heat Company, which was operating the gas plant. A system of arc lights was at once put in, and put in operation on September 25th. In the summer of 1892 the incandescent system of lights was added, and the capacity of the plant much enlarged.
TELEPHONE.
In 1882 a system of telephones was put in providing for communication in the various parts of the city, and also a line was built connecting the city with Oswego; and on July 20th of that year Mayors Gabriel and Condon exchanged congratulations. The line between Parsons and Os- wego was not maintained for any great length of time, nor was the city system very largely used after a few months of trial.
STREET IMPROVEMENTS.
One of the wisest investments made by the city in the way of improve- ment was that of building sidewalks and macadamizing its streets. The
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work of macadamizing commenced in 1878, and was gradually pushed forward for the next two or three years, until the streets in the principal business part of town were all macadamized, and good sidewalks have been laid in nearly all of the streets that have any large amount of travel.
STONE AND BRICK BUILDINGS.
The first building to be erected of material other than wood was put up early in 1871, on block 25, on the north side of Johnson avenue, by Ed. Foley. It was constructed out of cut sandstone, and made a very creditable appearance. The first brick buildings in town were erected in 1872. They were the passenger depot, the First National Bank build- ing, the St. James Hotel on the corner north from the First National Bank, and the second ward school-house. The same year two or three brick business houses were put up-one by W. C. Calkins, on lots 13 and 14, block 33, and one by A. Royer. on lot 1, block 34. During this year T. C. Cory tore down his brick residence at Ladore and rebuilt it on the southeast quarter of section 24. This was the first brick residence in town.
FIRES.
On October 7, 1871, the Sun published an article advising the people to turn out the first still day and burn around the town to protect it from fires. I do not know whether or not this advice was heeded. but it seems that no damage resulted from fire from that quarter.
During the history of the city there have been several quite extensive fires, but none that were at all destructive; in fact, most of them, in the business part of the city, while they may have damaged individuals, were a public benefit so far as the city was concerned, for it secured in the place of the buildings destroyed, others of a very much better quality. One of the first, if not the first fire in town to do any large amount of damage, was the burning of John Rhodus's boarding-house. On July 29, 1875, a fire occurred on Fourth avenue which destroyed nine business houses. The loss by this fire was estimated to be from $75,000 to $100,000. On December 26, 1875, the Lockwood House was burned ; and on May 23, 1883, the City Hotel, which was one of the original hotels. Among the losses that have occurred from fire have been several of the mills and factories; one of the largest of which was on August 1, 1892, being the destruction of the National Mills. A number of other quite extensive fires have taken place at various times, the particulars of which I have not learned.
MACHINE-SHOPS.
Of all the enterprises which have contributed to the prosperity of Par- sons, none have approached that of the railroad influence, and especially the machine-shops thereof. Work on the machine-shops commenced in October, 1871, and by the close of 1872 they were completed and ready for operation. The round-house was not completed until May, 1873.
EDUCATIONAL.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
THE FIRST SCHOOL IN THE COUNTY.
An account of the first school in the county, while not a public school, is still necessary for a history of our educational growth. Of this school I will let one of its founders, Dr. George Lisle, give the account, which is as follows :
"On or about the middle of May, 1858, James Childers, George Walker, William Blythe, Larkin McGhee, Benjamin Todd, Millard Rogers, John McMurtrie, James Hethrington and myself got together and concluded to build a school-house that would be large enough to have preaching in as often as we could get the preacher. A committee was appointed to select a site and fix upon size of house and call the people together to approve the same. The next Saturday was appointed, and everybody turned out and agreed to build it at a small spring in a branch one and one-half miles south of where Chetopa now stands. The people agreed to meet and go to work on Monday morning, which they did with such success that by Saturday night they had a house 22 by 24 feet square, floored with puncheons, seated and desked with the same, covered and lined with split and shaved clapboards; door and window fastenings were of boards cut with a whip-saw; and on Sunday it was dedicated in order. On Monday, Joseph C. Henry commenced a school by the month, which he kept up almost one year; then Jeff. Jackson taught one term of three months; Pleasant McGhee taught one term ; and Helen Hardin was teaching when the war broke out and ended our school, but not its effects."
The history of the public schools of the county commences with the election of Dr. John F. Newlon as County Superintendent of Public In- struction, at the first election, held on April 22d, 1867. How soon after his election he commenced work I have no means of knowing, but a number of the school districts must have been formed early in May of that year, for as early as June 1st we find the residents of one of the districts petitioning for a change of boundary. On account of the imper- fection of our records as originally made, and of the entire loss of some of them, I am unable to speak with absolute definiteness in reference to the organization and history of many of the districts. Just how many districts were organized during Dr. Newlon's term of office I cannot say positively, and yet I may say with a reasonable degree of certainty that
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HISTORY OF LABETTE COUNTY.
twenty is the number. From the appearance of the records the number cannot have exceeded twenty-one or twenty-two, I think, and there is nothing showing clearly, nor hardly intimating anything beyond twenty. The order for the organization of District 20 appears in Dr. Newlon's own writing. This cannot be said of any subsequent number so far as the records now show. It is quite likely some of these first twenty dis- tricts had scarcely any existence aside from on paper. Most of them, however, were at once organized and steps taken for the establishment of schools. The county having just been organized, there was of course no public money, nor any public schools before the fall of 1867, and I can learn of but two private schools having been taught that year, viz., one in Oswego District, No. 1, and one in District No. 2. However, levies for school purposes were made that summer and taxes collected the fol- lowing fall and winter, and from this time on the public schools were regularly held for a greater or less length of time in most of the districts. In the Jacksonville district, No. 11, only a part of which was in this county, a public school was taught in the summer of 1867; that school was not in this county, although as a joint district, report of the school was made to our County Superintendent, as well as to the Superintend- ent of Neosho county.
OSWEGO DISTRICT, NO. 1.
All of Oswego township lying west and south of the Neosho river, ex- cepting the two southern tiers of sections, was, by the first order made by Supt. Newlon, formed into School District No. 1. In June, 1867, Mrs. Augusta Herbaugh commenced teaching the first school in the dis- trict. It was of course a private school, no public funds having yet been raised with which to employ a teacher. She taught in a small log build- ing with dirt floor, situated near the northeast corner of section 21. The first officers elected were: T. J. Flouronoy, director; Henry Jacobs, clerk; and J. Q. Cowell, treasurer. The first report of the district is dated August 14, 1867, and signed by H. Jacobs, clerk, and shows 30 male and 39 female children in the district, 17 males and 15 females having attended the private school taught by Mrs. Augusta Herbaugh at $2.50 per scholar, which commenced on the 24th of June. At that time there was standing on lot 1, block 33, now occupied by Mr. Symmes's drug store, a small frame building, in which most of the meetings, both religious and secular, were held. The board secured the use of this building for school purposes, and by a "bee" slabs were furnished with legs, and thus seats were provided ; and in this room thus furnished, about the first of November, 1867, R. J. Elliott commenced teaching the first public school in the district, and one of the first, if not the very first, in the county. Public schools were taught that winter in several dis-
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tricts, but there are no records showing which was commenced first. Mr. Elliott's school continued for three months. There was no further school taught until the next fall. The second report is dated September 14, 1868, signed by J. F. Waskey, clerk, and shows a total enumeration of 176 children in the district, 77 of whom had attended a three-months school, taught by R. J. Elliott at a salary of $50 per month, the average attendance being 41. On March 26, 1868, the following were elected : E. Hammer, director; J. F. Waskey, clerk ; A. L. Austin, treasurer. On February 9, 1869, Mr. Waskey resigned, and W. S. Newlon was ap- pointed clerk in his place. During the summer of 1868 a subscription was taken up among the business men of the place, and a frame building was erected on the southeast corner of block 39, designed for public meetings as well as for school and church purposes. The only seats with which this building was furnished were rough slabs. In this building. in December, 1868, Rev. Cornelius V. Monfort and Miss Sallie Elliott commenced a term of school. Mr. Monfort was not especially adapted to public-school teaching, and at the expiration of two or three months found it advisable to give up his employment, and R. J. Elliott was again placed in charge of the school in connection with his sister Sallie. On March 10, 1869, on a vote of the district to issue $5.000 in bonds to build a new school-house, there were 84 votes for and 8 against the proposition. The board elected on March 25, 1869, consisted of W. S. Newlon, director ; George C. Sarvis, clerk; and R. W. Wright, treasurer. These officers had charge of the construction of the new school-house. Dr. Wright took the bonds to Leavenworth, where he negotiated them and secured funds for paying for the building as it was erected. The town company donated the west half of block 16, on which, during the summer of 1869, a two-story stone building was erected, containing four good school-rooms capable of seating fifty pupils each. The building was furnished through- out with patent seats and desks. In this building, late in the fall of 1869, a school was opened, with George C. Sarvis principal, Miss Louisa M. Allen teacher of the intermediate and Miss Sallie Elliott teacher of the primary department. On September 14, 1869, George C. Sarvis, clerk, reported a total enrollment of 350, of whom 123 had been in school the preceding year; the average attendance being 98. In March, 1870, Henry Tibbits was elected director, J. F. Waskey clerk, and R. W. Wright treasurer. Mr. Waskey failed to qualify, and George C. Sarvis was appointed to fill the vacancy. With the opening of the school year in the fall of 1870, David Donovan was employed as principal, in which position he was continued for three years. In 1871 the board consisted of W. S. Newlon, director; A. B. Close, clerk ; C. M. Condon, treasurer. in the spring of 1872 Nelson Case succeeded Mr. Close as clerk ; Dr.
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Newlon remained as director and Mr. Condon as treasurer, and the board as thus composed remained in office until the organization of the board of education in 1873. In April, 1872, at the city election the following per- sons were chosen members of the board of education : First ward, Henry Tibbits, Joseph Nelson ; second ward, Mrs. Mary B. Franklin, J. W. Minturn; third ward, Mrs. Mary E. Case and Alexander Mackie. Some of these parties not desiring to serve, it was concluded not to organize the board of education, and the school continued under the charge of the district board as formerly elected. At the April election in 1873 a board of education was elected, consisting of Joseph Nelson and H. P. Nelson from the first ward, G. C. Sarvis and Dr. S. P. Hurbut from the second ward, and H. W. Barnes and R. J. Elliott from the third ward. The board organized by electing Mr. Nelson president and Mr. Sarvis clerk ; Nelson Case was elected superintendent of schools. Until the fall of 1883 the plan of the board was to have the teacher of the high school the principal of the school, and to employ a superintendent who was to have the general direction of school affairs, but who was not on the teaching force. Under this plan the superintendents were Nelson Case, Mary A. Higby, W. S. Newlon, W. A. Starr, F. H. Atchinson, D. H. Mays, and M. Chidester. During this time the principals of the school were : April, 1873, David Donovan, who resigned at the end of the month, and Mrs. E. Williams was put in charge until the close of the school; 1873-76, A. C. Baker, three years; 1876-78, J. B. Hoover, two years; 1878-79, Mrs. J. R. Boulter, one year; 1879-81, A. C. Baker, two years ; 1881-83, O. R. Bellamy, two years. Commencing with the fall of 1883 the super- intendent of schools has been one of the teachers; sometimes he has also been principal of the high school, and sometimes there has been a separate principal of the high school. Under this arrangement the su- perintendents have been : 1883-86, M. Chidester, three years ; 1886-90, J. W. Weltner, four years ; 1890-91, Evelyn B. Baldwin, one year ; 1891- 92, H. C. Long, two years. Presidents of the board : 1873, Joseph Nel- son ; 1874, H. W. Bari es; 1875, Nelson Case; 1876-77, John A. Pigg ; 1878-79, R. W. Wright; 1880-83, Nelson Case; 1884-88, J. B. Mont- gomery ; 1889-90, Nelson Case; 1891, J. B. Montgomery ; 1892, David Jennings. Clerks of the board : 1873, George C. Sarvis; 1874, John W. Montfort; 1875, J. W. Montfort and R. J. Elliott ; 1876, C. A. Wilkin ; 1877, John S. Read and Charles H. Willhalf; 1878, J. C. Boulter; 1879, F. C. Ilelsel ; 1880, N. Sanford and F. H. Atchinson ; 1881-82, William Houck ; 1883, F. H. Atchinson ; 1884-85, John F. Hill; 1886-92, A. T. Dickerman. At the close of school in April, 1834, the first graduating class went out, consisting of Eunice Crane, Samuel Carpenter, D. S. Waskey, and Merrit C. Reed. The graduates now number 54; of this
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number, one, John Ford, was a colored boy. For some time prior to 1882 the stone school-house was entirely insufficient to seat the pupils of the district, and rooms had to be secured in such places as they could be had. Of course very inferior accommodations could be provided in this way. During 1880 and 1881 the board submitted several propositions to the electors for the issuance of bonds for a new school-house, which were voted down. In his annual report in 1881, and again in 1882, the presi- dent of the board urged the erection of a new house, and on June 6, 1882, a proposition to issue $12,000 in bonds was carried. With this the north half and the central part of the south half of block 4, in Cowell's ad- dition, was secured for a site, on which the west school building was erected during the summer and fall, and in January, 1883, was occupied for school purposes. In 1886 the old stone school-house was torn down and a new brick erected on the same site, at a cost of $6,000.
LADIES' EDUCATIONAL ASSOCIATION .- June 16, 1871, at the close of the county teachers' association the ladies of Oswego formed an educational association, of which Mrs. Mary E. Perkins was elected president and Mrs. Amy B. Howard secretary. On June 15, 1872, they held their first annual meeting, and elected Mrs. M. E. Donovan president and Mrs. E. Williams secretary. At the annual election of 1873 Mrs. M. E. Donovan was re-elected president, Mrs. E. Williams secretary, Mrs. A. M. Taylor treasurer. The association was maintained for several years, and did a great amount of good. Through their exertions the school-house grounds were fenced, the trees which now adorn the east school-house yard were planted under their superintendency, the city authorities were induced to assist in securing sidewalks leading to the school-house, and in many ways their influence on the school was felt for good.
STICE DISTRICT, NO. 2.
The original order for the formation of District No. 2 is now on file, and shows that it was located in the southeast corner of Oswego town- ship. The first report of the district is dated August 9th, 1867, signed by William F. Mason, clerk, showing 46 children in the district, 26 being in attendance on a private school taught by Mrs. Sarah Braught, wife of Cloyd G. Braught. Mrs. Braught taught in their own cabin, situated on section 34, in Oswego township. John W. Burgess, clerk, makes two re- ports, one dated September 14th, 1868, showing 55 children in the district, 33 having attended a three-months school taught by W. Leonard at $25 per month ; the average daily attendance being 16. O. Whitney was clerk in 1869, and shows by report that Mary E. Biggs had taught a three- months school the preceding season at $25 per month.
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GORE (OR MARTIN) DISTRICT, NO. 3.
The original order for the organization of District No. 3 is not among the public records ; but on June 1st, 1867, a petition of a number of the residents of that district living in Richland township, north of the La- bette and west of the Neosho river, petitioned for a change of boundary so that it should include all of the township lying north of Labette creek, and west from the Neosho as far as and including a part of sections 17, 8 and 5, which petition Superintendent Newlon granted. The report of the district for 1867 has evidently been torn and mutilated, so that at present no information can be gathered therefrom. The first report we have is dated November 9th, 1868, signed by M. J. Lee, clerk, showing 25 males and 20 female children in the district, and that a school had been taught by Cass Steel. Mr. Lee again reports as clerk, in 1869; the report shows a three-months school having been taught by Miss Lizzie Kingsbury, with an average daily attendance of 22, at a salary of $25 per month. On June 12th, 1869, a special meeting was held, at which 16 votes were cast, all in favor of issuing $350 in bonds with which to build a school-house. With this money the district purchased a frame store building which L. D. Bovee had put up for Mr. Smith at the old town of Labette, and moved it out to the Oswego and Chetopa road. This build- ing has served the district as a school-house ever since.
CHETOPA DISTRICT, NO. 4.
All of the original records we have in reference to the formation of the early districts in the county are on slips of paper. There is no record whatever now on file of the formation of any district in the county num- bered 4; but the original records describing District No. 5 completely fit the territory which has ever since been recognized as District No. 4, and the description of District No. 6 fits the territory which was thereafter recognized as District 5 ; and as there is little or no record of any business in District 6 prior to the establishment of such a district in 1872, it may be fairly inferred that the Superintendent in writing out these orders made a mistake in numbering them, leaving out 4 entirely. I shall as- sume that the original order for the establishment of District No. 5 was intended for and was thereafter uniformly applied to District 4. It em- braced two miles in width on the east line of the county, extending from Labette creek on the north to the State line on the south. We have no record showing who composed the first board of this district, but the first report is dated August 14th, 1867, and is signed by Henry Shannon. The only thing the report shows is that there are in the district 20 males and 16 females of school age. We have then this negative testimony that no school was taught in this district prior to that time. During 1868 the school board consisted of William Craft, director; Daniel J. Doolen,
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clerk ; Z. A. Woodard, treasurer. The report dated August 29th, 1868, shows the school population to be 137, and that a three-months school of 26 males and 29 females, and a total average daily attendance of 30, had been taught by Miss Ellen Craft at a salary of $25 per month. During the winter of 1868-9 a school with two departments was taught; one by Mrs. Abigail Horner, and the other by Miss Ellen Craft. No school building had yet been erected, but early in 1869 a contract was made for the erec- tion of a school building. At the election on March 25th, 1869, the fol- lowing officers were elected : J. L. Taft, director ; John W. Horner, clerk ; C. P. Spaulding, treasurer. On December 5th. 1869, the schools were opened in Spaulding's Hall, in charge of Newton Bowles and his daugh- ter, Miss Eva Bowles. On February 3d, 1870, the new frame school-house having been completed, it was dedicated with appropriate ceremonies. On the 7th of the same month the schools were opened in this new build- ing, which even then was found to be too small to accommodate the children who were ready to attend. At the election in the spring of 1870 N. S. Storrs was elected director, J. W. Horner clerk, and J. L. Taft treasurer. During the summer Mr. Storrs resigned and Jonas Clark was appointed in his place. J. J. McBride was appointed principal of the schools for the following year, but in January resigned, and for a time Miss M. L. Ela, who had been one of the assistant teachers, was put in charge, but in March she resigned, and Mr. Griswold was elected princi- pal. At the district election in 1871, Jonas Clark was elected director, C. H. McCreery clerk, J. L. Taft treasurer. The city having been organ- ized into a city of the second class about this time, on March 29th, 1871, Mayor Fox assumed, with the assent of the council, to organize the board of education, and appointed as members thereof the following: Jonas Clark, Dr. John Birch, C. F. Smith, and Rev. C. H. McCreery. On May 1st these parties met as the board of education and proceeded to organize by electing Mr. Clark as president, Mr. Birch vice-president, Mr. Mc- Creery clerk, and Mr. Smith treasurer; they then appointed J. M. Cava- ness superintendent of schools. In September, 1871, the schools were opened under the superintendency of Edward Mason. On June 10th, 1872, by a vote of 147 for to 54 against, it was decided to issue $25,000 in bonds to build a new school-house. In due course of time preparations for building were made. The board pushed forward the work as rapidly as possible. The building was completed and dedicated on July 4th, 1873, and was at that time the finest school-house in the county. A separate building was then erected for colored children. The first graduating class consisted of Nellie McGinley, Allie Horner, Jessie Sellman, and Harry W. Sterling. This class went out in 1873. In all, there are now fifty- eight graduates. J. M. Cavaness, C. H. McCreery, J. Paulsen and J. D.
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