USA > Kansas > Marshall County > History of Marshall County, Kansas : its people, industries, and institutions > Part 16
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HISTORIANS' CONTENTION REFUTED.
Although some historians claim that the Oketo cut-off. which became quite noted, was discontinued by Holladay after four months. Mrs. Lee Holladay, who was Mrs. Whitehead until his death, declares positively that Holladay did not discontinue the use of this cut-off until the Overland stage was finally discontinued by reason of the building of the Union Pacific rail- road in 1866. This statement is borne out by Mr. Frank Thomann, of Sun- merfield, and by other old settlers along the stage route.
In the fall of 1864 Whitchead sold out to Asa Simpson and in the sum- mer of 1865 the barn was burned. The store and dwelling had also been set on fire, but were saved by the stage boys.
There being no barn on the east side Holladay moved the station to the west side of the river to the farm of William . Bond, which is now owned by l'eter Champagne.
With the passing of the stage, the big barn, the store and the ferry, the original Oketo declined as a business point and is now so much of the past. that all which recalls it to memory is the reminiscent tale of an old settler.
Mrs. Whitehead, who later became the wife of T. L. Holladay, recalls the foregoing and the historian is indebted to hier for the facts.
The only other resident of old Oketo is J. H. White, who came to Mar- shall county in 1859. located on what became section 13. Oketo township. built a little shanty on the very spot where he now has a comfortable frame
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dwelling. White is a Canadian by birth and rumor says he was well able to defend his rights among the somewhat turbulent population of those days. Once. while in Lon Cottrell's drug store in Marysville, William Bond attacked him and White whipped out his gun and shot him. The wound did not prove fatal but in a later fray with another man, the bullet is said to have hit the mark.
White was for many years the mail carrier between Oketo and Marys- ville, and while enough undersized to prevent his enlistment in the army, White made his daily trips along the Blue unmolested.
White has parted with his original homestead of one hundred and sixty acres with the exception of forty acres on which he resides. He will reach his eighty-first birthday on July 7, 1917. He is totally blind and is cared for by a devoted granddaughter.
OKETO OF TODAY.
The present Oketo is located ten miles north of Marysville on the Blue Valley branch of the Union Pacific railroad and is in sharp contrast with the old settlement on the river bank.
This fine little city is located on the hill and has well-kept streets, clean, up-to-date business houses, a substantial bank, three grain elevators, flour- mill, lumber yard, implement stores. harness shop, blacksmith shop, barber shop, drug store, hotel and a wideawake newspaper. Better than these, Oketo owns a fine electric light plant. with arc lights on all business corners and has a well-graded school and competent teachers, a well-attended Meth- odist church, a high-class citizenship and a full city government of women.
The clean little town with substantial, even pretentious homes and well- kept lawns, situated on a hill commanding a wide view of the surrounding country, challenges the admiration of the visitor.
In 1866 Irving Chapman built a dam across the Blue and put up a flour- mill. The discontinuance of the old Oketo postoffice left the entire stretch of country between Liberty, Nebraska, and Marysville without mail and with- out any general store.
Z. H. Moore was then a resident of Barneston, and as soon as possible after the building of the Chapman mill he came to Oketo and established a store. He later built a house and brought his family there permanently. At that time Chapman kept the postoffice in the mill.
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SETTLEMENT INCREASED.
The firm of Moore & Esterbrook opened the fine stone quarries and this industry scon diverted settlement to that point. This industry was a valu- able one to the growing town. The quality of the stone was unsurpassed and found a ready market in Lincoln, Beatrice. Grand Island and other towns of Kansas and Nebraska A large number of men were employed in the quarries.
Like many other deposits of buikling stone in the county. while it was of fine quality, there was not a large quantity and the quarries are not now in operation.
A number of the best business houses of Oketo and also some dwellings are built of the native stone. The bank building, postoffice and city hall are built of this stone and retain the original fineness of quality and add much to the attractiveness of the town.
The Moores were the first business men who located in Oketo. They were engaged in the mercantile business, opened up the stone quarries, were active in the affairs of the town and soon became prominent in the county. R. B. Moore served as county commissioner and represented the county in the Legislature. He served his country in a Pennsylvania regiment during the Civil War.
It may be truly said that Z. H. Moore numbered the majority of the citizens of the county among his friends throughout a long and useful life. and his death was deeply deplored. . A man of upright character, gentle man- ners and of deep religions conviction, he attracted the better class of people and he and his wife held an enviable place in the estimation of the county. Mrs. Moore is the type of woman who inspires the esteem of all who know her. She has been lovingly called the "Mother of Oketo." because of her great kindness and gracious hospitality. The citizens of the town testified to their appreciation of her worth by electing her mayor of the city in April. !917. The Moores are Quakers in religious faith. Two sons. Edgar and Howard, are young, promising business men of Oketo. R. B. Moore is at present a resident of Topeka.
EARLY BUSINESS MEN.
Among the okler business men of Oketo will be recalled: Wilson and Kuhlman, who operated one of the quarries; Joseph Guittard, who built the large stone house to the left of the road as Oketo is entered from the south.
STORE AND RESIDENCE OF Z. H. MOORE, ERECTED 1876, FIRST BUILDINGS ON PRESENT SITE OF OKETO.
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Guittard was associated with the Chapmans in the mill. Irving Chapman was one of the original men of the town and operated the mill, which after- wards became the property of his brother, Chauncy Chapman, who moved to Oketo from Hanover. Chauncy Chapman was a familiar figure in public affairs in the county until his death.
The mill is now the property of the Oketo Milling Company, which also owns one of the elevators. E. H. Moore is the manager of both these concerns, of which the Moores are the owners.
Of the two other elevators, W. W. White is manager of the Farmers . Union Elevator and F. L. Root, of the Nebraska Elevator.
Among other day business men of Oketo will be recalled: Allen and Farrant, groceries; Norman and Will Brooks, meat market; Hedge and Eychaner, lumber ; E. H. Bach, harness and saddlery ; Bartlett and Hedge, general merchandise ; E. D. Woodman & Son, general merchandise : John W. Kelley, furniture; Brown Brothers, druggists; Gearhart Steinbach, shoe- maker; F. F. Brooks, barber; Stowell and Benson, livery: Dunnick & Dun- nick, farm implements: J. W. Chambers, physician ; Henry Thomas, black- smith ; Anderson & Company, millers. This firm was Peter Anderson and Chauncy Chapman.
Of these former business men, Frank Allen now lives in Topeka : Hedge is still in Oketo: E. E. Woodman is a prominent farmer in the south half, while the father is dead. Francis Benson is now superintendent of the county infirmary ; Henry Thomas lives in Lillis and the Browns are in California; good old Doctor Chambers is no more, and with him rests John Kelley.
PROMINENT FAMILIES.
Prominent and well-known families of Oketo are the DeLairs. The DeLair families are residents of the town who have done much to build up and foster the welfare of its citizens.
J. P. DeLair owns the large general merchandise store opposite the bank and employs two clerks to assist in the business. The stock invoices between six and ten thousand dollars annually.
William DeLair was for many years the well-known and popular miller at the Excelsior mills.
The Farmers Co-operative Mercantile Association carries on a general store, which is run on a cash basis. O. E. Hardesty is the manager, assisted by Ted White,-George Blackman, Ellen Schafer and Cynthia Brubaker.
Miss Olive Waters is the very efficient postmistress. George Williams
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runs the blacksmith shop. Morgan Hedge & Son are engaged in the lumber and coal trade. Clement DeLair, a son of Susan DeLair, conducts a furniture store. Ray Eley handles hardware and implements and sells automobiles. Cecil Shandony runs a restaurant. Carl Naaf has a garage, and Fred Schafer, a butcher shop. Will Farrant is engaged in the harness business, and Clarence Long has a neat barber shop. Edgar Hardenbrook is the druggist. He was formerly the police judge and was succeeded by his wife in the April election. R. F. Montgomery is editor and proprietor of the Oketo Eagle. Rev. Frank Jackson is the resident pastor of the Methodist Episcopal church. The present population of Oketo is two hundred and sixty-nine. The present resident physician is O. P. Wood, M. D.
Among those who, living in and around the city, have contributed largely to its prosperity are : Peter Champagn, William E. Smith, Thomas and John Howes, Araminta Dolan, J. G. Schmidler, Vancel Malecky, Joseph Zara- borickey. T. J. and J. Suggett and Thomas Devers. .
It may be added that when the old Oketo was abandoned, the postoffice was removed to the present town.
Old Oketo was somewhat a rendevouz for the flotsam and jetsam of the age. The present city of Oketo is ample evidence of the fact that good farm- ers and legitimate business industries will soon be followed by schools and churches and wholesome moral influence.
Oketo of today is the result of conscientious effort on the part of good men and women. to build homes and create a pleasant community center in which to live.
GOVERNMENT BY WOMEN.
The election of April, 1917, resulted in the following city ticket being elected : Mayor. Mrs. Z. H. Moore ; clerk, Mrs. O. P. Wood ; police judge. Mrs. Hardenbrook : city council, Mrs. F. L. Root, Mrs. E. H. Moore, Mrs. W. W. White, Mrs. O. E. Hardesty and Mrs. W. W. Ely.
The present city of Oketo was incorporated in 1890 with three hundred and six inhabitants. The first officers were: F. B. Tatman, mayor; E. Burke, police judge: council, M. C. Brainard, W. J. Dunnuck, J. H. Moore, Ray Eley, F. M. Schafer. C. M. DeLair and E. Hedge.
THE PALMETTO COLONY.
In the spring of 1856 the Palmetto Town Company was organized in Atchison with eighty-four members, nearly all Southerners. They were
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mostly young men who had come into the territory in the interests of the South. Thirty-five members came out from Atchison and arrived at Palmetto on July 8, 1856, among whom may be mentioned, J. S. Magill, J. P. Miller, O. D. Prentis, Albert Morall, W. B. Jenkins, J. R. Alston, John Vanderhorst, A. S. Vaught and R. Y. Shibley. Of this colony only one, R. Y. Shibley, now resides in Marysville and nearly all are dead.
The colony filed upon and laid out a townsite, for which Shibley, who was then a boy, paid. Shibley had left his home in South Carolina in search of adventure and the stirring scenes of the territory appealed to him. He had a monthly allowance from relatives. This was known to the others in the party, who induced him to pay for the pre-emption and it was entered in the land office on September 25. as the town of Palmetto.
The progress of the new town was slow. Finances were at a low ebb and Shibley's allowance soon disappeared, when levied on by the thirsty mem- bers of the Palmetto Company.
PIONEER PASTIMES.
In 1856 Doctor Miller built a log cabin on the claim, this being the only improvement made during the year. Wagons furnished shelter for all, and the time was spent in bartering with the Indians, talking with emigrants and assuaging a constant and ever-increasing thirst. The game of quoits, or as it was then called, "pitching horse-shoe." furnished amusement for the many idle hours with which these pioneers were amply endowed.
About this time F. J. Marshall, John and James Doniphan, who had formed a company and were incorporated on August 27, 1855, bought up one hundred shares of the Palmetto Company's stock, which gave them a controlling interest.
The Marshall-Doniphan Company then had an addition of three hun- dred and twenty acres laid off, on the north half of section 33, township 2, range 7. The northwest one-quarter was Marysville addition to the town of Palmetto, and the northeast one-quarter was Ballard & Morrall's addition to the city of Marysville. ( Morrall was one of the Palmetto Company. ) This scheme and the then powerful influence of Marshall soon made Marys- ville the leading portion of this tract.
SCHROYER.
The village of Schroyer, on the Lincoln and Manhattan branch of the Union Pacific railroad, is located near the Big Blue river, six miles south of
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Marysville. It was laid out by Philip Schroyer on his farm in 1896, the same year the railroad was built.
Edward Dargatz erected the first general merchandise store and resi- dence and was then appointed postmaster.
A Mr. LaRue followed with a blacksmith shop and G. B. Stocks, of Blue Rapids, built a shed and cribs and bought grain.
Mr. Dargatz succeeded Stocks. He sold to Hammett Brothers, who built and operated an elevator. and bought and shipped grain and live stock for many years. They sold out to the Farmers Union, which is conducting the elevator at present.
Krause Brothers succeeded Dargatz in the mercantile business and they were succeeded by Gottlieb Ziegler, who sold to A. Ham.
Joseph Barta built a store on the bottom near the depot in 1889 and he is now the only merchant in the town. He has a stock of general merchan- clise. hardware and farm implements and has been the postmaster for four- teen years.
BRIDGE BUILT.
In 1900 a steel bridge costing three thousand dollars was built across the river, the county paying two thousand dollars toward it and the balance was donated by the neighboring farmers and the business men of the town. Peter Schroyer was the financial surety to the county for the amount neces- sary above what the county furnished.
With the bridge came new business. Stores, butcher shop, barber shop, implement store and a new blacksmith shop, pool hall and restaurant were opened up, and later a Methodist church and school house were built, and for a number of years Schroyer remained quite an important trading point.
Then the automobile came and with it disaster to the small town. At one time Schroyer had a population of one hundred and twenty-five. At present there are Joe Barta's store and postoffice. Farmers Union elevator, Methodist church and school house and the depot, while the population has diminished to a total of forty-one souls.
Schroyer is still a good grain market, handling about one hundred cars annually. The town was named Schroyer in honor of the well-known pio- neer family of that name, and many of the family still live near it.
LONE GR.WE CEMETERY.
This ground, on the highest point in the surrounding country, was laid out, a stone wall built, and cedars and other shrubbery planted to beautify
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it, by Philip Schroyer, who intended it as a family burying ground for the Schiroyer family.
There is but one grave within the walls, that of an infant. The de- ceased members of the Schroyer family have been interred in the Marysville cemetery. Mr. Schroyer is still living, making his home in Oklahoma. This is indeed a lone grave cemetery.
SUMMERFIELD CITY.
Summerfield is located in the northeast part of Marshall county, partly in St. Bridget and Richland townships. The Missouri Pacific railroad runs through the city; this branch is commonly known as the Kansas City & Northwestern. The Kansas-Nebraska state line bounds the city limits on the north.
The town was named in honor of Elias Summerfield, who was at that time superintendent of the railroad, which was completed to Virginia, Neb- raska, its present terminal. The date on which the first train came into the town was near the first of the year 1889.
In the year 1888 the Summerfield Townsite Company was formed and purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land, located in St. Bridget town- ship, from John Smiley and eighty acres from Capt. C. F. McCulloch. On this land the original town was laid out. Two additions have been made to the original plat. One known as Smiley's Addition and the other as Joseph's Addition, and this land, comprising about sixty-seven acres, was purchased from W. H. Joseph in Richland township, which joins St. Bridget township on the west.
INCORPORATED.
In the spring of 1890 the town was incorporated and the following officers were elected: Mayor, R. G. Cunningham : clerk, J. M. Kendall ; city council, I. Jay Nichols, H. E. Adams, C. J. O'Neil, D. Swartout and E. M. Miller. E. H. Rundle was appointed marshal. The population of the town at the time of incorporation was about one hundred persons.
The first firm of grain buyers were Davis & Gilchrist, from Seneca ; George Hibbard was their manager.
The first elevator for grain was built for O'Neil Brothers, who also owned and operated a hardware and implement store. The second ele-
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vator was built in 1893, for the Brunswig Elevator Company, Frank Tho- mann, manager. A third elevator was built in 1893, known as the Farm- ers Elevator. After some time the latter organization disbanded.
Among those who early located in Summerfield were Dr. J. H. Mur- phy and Dr. William Johnston.
The first carpenters were David Wilson. George Van Allen, James Monroe and Webster Brothers.
The first draymen were Charles Travelute, George Curtis and a col- ored man named John Nelson.
The first postmaster was Capt. James Hemphill.
The first child born in the town was a son to Mr. and Mrs. Frank Heard. The baby was named Summerfiekl in honor of the town.
FIRST NEWSPAPER.
The first newspaper was published by Edward and Harry Felt, sons of Hon. A. J. Felt, of Seneca, former lieutenant-governor of Kansas. The office was in the second story of the I. Jay Nichols building, and the pro- prietors shared the floor with a hardware and implement dealer. The name of the paper was the Summerfield Sun, and it was a bright, newsy sheet. The first story of the building was used as a livery barn and feed stable. It was totally destroyed by fire in 1892. The paper is now published by C. E. Jones.
.A. A. Gearhart built a livery barn on the same site and a few years later it was burned and Mr. Gearhart lost a number of horses in the fire. Later. the present livery barn was built on the same site.
A great fire occurred on June 29, 1894, when almost the entire busi- ness portion of the city was reduced to ashes. The fire started in the store building owned by II. H. Lowrey, which was situated on the corner now occupied by the Berens store, and destroyed every store buikling north to the J. II. Moore stone structure. then in process of building, now occupied by R. W. Nelson.
The following is a list of the stores burned: H. H. Lowrey, general merchandise; R. W. Hemphill, variety and book store; Wuester & Tho- mann, drugs: Frank Thomann, hardware; J. H. Moore & Sons, general merchandise. The loss was near one hundred thousand dollars.
The ruins had hardly quit smoking when preparations were begun for larger and more substantial buiklings.
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EARLY BUSINESS ENTERPRISES.
Many buildings were in course of construction before train service began. The building material was hauled from Beattie and Axtell, as were groceries and provisions.
The first store building was erected by Heard & McGinty. E. J. Smiley and J. J. McClennan ran a grocery store in the basement of the old Smiley house now owned by A. B. Garrison.
An auction sale of town lots was held in February, 1889; William Speak, of Axtell, was the auctioneer.
Among early business firmns were the following :
Cunningham & Mohrbacher, general mercantile business' and harvest- ing machinery.
Smiley & Lock conducted a large mercantile establishment.
H. H. Lourey & Company, dry goods, groceries and furnishing goods.
J. H. Moore & Son, general merchandise.
Swartout, Smith & Son, general merchandise.
Summerfield Sun, weekly; editor, Ed Felt.
Wuester & Thomann, pharmacists.
J. H. Murphy, druggist.
F. Baringer, groceries.
Welsh & Brady, general merchandise.
C. J. & J. C. O'Neil, department stores.
Fleming & Adams, lumber; successors to Russell & Schutt.
E. M. Miller, lumber.
Misses Moriarty & Creevan. millinery and dressmaking.
Mrs. Annie E. Sidwell, milliner.
Mohrbacher Brothers, photographers.
G. C. Moore, restaurant.
W. A. Huston, restaurant.
August Eisenbach. bakery and diningroom.
Weston & Shadle, hardware.
Myers & Miller, meat market.
J. J. Nichols, hardware and livery.
Charles Usher. livery barn.
C. W. Washington, John Martin, barbers.
W. H. Smith, variety store.
T. Hutton, blacksmith.
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Henry Maitland. real estate. justice of peace and notary public.
William Johnson, physician. Jacob Hoffman. billiard parlor. Burnett House, hotel.
M. W. Terry, lawyer.
William Kennemur, paperhanger.
PRESENT-DAY CONDITIONS.
The amount of business transacted in Summerfield is a surprise to those not familiar with the town. In 1916 the elevators handled about two hundred thousand bushels of grain. The deposits in the State Bank of Summerfield during 1916 amounted to two hundred and fifty thousand dol- lars. This makes it the third in line of deposits among the twenty-seven banks of Marshall county.
While not a dairy center, fifteen thousand dollars worth of cream was sold during the past year. There are forty business houses in the town and all are prosperous.
Summerfield has five miles of sidewalk, well-graded streets. a splendid park. many fine residences and three churches, with good congregations. Fifty automobiles are owned in the town. This pretty little city more than justifies its reputation as being one of the most prosperous and active busi- ness centers of northern Kansas. The people of Marshall county on No- vemler 7. 1916, elected one of its leading citizens, Hon. F. G. Bergen, to represent them in the Legislature. as state senator.
TOWN OF VERMILLION.
Vermillion is a pleasant little town of about four hundred inhabitants. situated in the southeastern part of Marshall county on the Central Branch railroad. It is one hundred and seventeen miles from Kansas City, ninety miles from St. Joseph and seventy miles west of Atchison.
The town was laid out in the fall of 1869 by G. R. Kelley. Theo. Collier and the railroad company. The original townsite, consisting of two hun- dred and forty acres, was owned as follows: Railroad company, forty acres ; G. R. Kellev, one hundred and sixty acres: Theo. Collier, forty acres. Col-
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lier and Kelley gave one-half of their interests to the railroad company, which laid out the town, built a depot and side track.
The first building erected on the townsite was built by W. H. Dickinson in the spring of 1870 and used as a store. Soon after a large building was erected by Robert Shields for a store. In 1872 this building was used as a hotel and managed by a Mr. Bryon until 1875.
The first birthi was that of Frank, a son of Theo. Collier in August, 1870. The first marriage ceremony took place in 1875. the contracting parties being Anderson Duffy and Eva Burt, who are still living in Ver- million. The first death was that of George Collier in the spring of 1870. The first postoffice was established in 1870, with Theo. Collier as postmaster. J. L. Rogers is postmaster, January, 1917.
EARLY SETTLERS AND EARLY EVENTS.
Among the settlers who located in the vicinity of Vermillion prior to 1860 were J. Knapp, E. Lewis, W. Warren, Major Beattie, I. Blades, J. Kenworthy, S. Osgood and Samuel Smith.
In the summer of 1874, G. W. Duffy built an elevator with a capacity of three thousand bushels, and operated it until 1878. At present this elevator is operated by Watson brothers.
In 1895 Ed Horth built. an elevator. After changing owners a number of times, it is now owned by T. J. Smith.
The depot was built in the fall of 1869. Theo. Collier was the first agent, followed by S. Arnold.
Samuel C. Calderhead, a brother of the historian, was the first tele- grapher ; also the first agent who kept a double-entry system of books. The present operator is I. N. Moore.
The telephone system was organized by P. H. Hybskmann and H. D. Williams. The first connection was made in 1901. The plant was sold to J. O. Puntney in1 1907.
In 1895 three acetylene lights were placed on posts in different parts of the business section of town. A year later two gasoline lamps were added, to be followed by lanterns placed near dangerous crossings and bridges.
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