History of Montgomery County, Kansas, Part 11

Author: Duncan, L. Wallace (Lew Wallace), b. 1861, comp
Publication date: 1903
Publisher: Iola, Kan., Press of Iola register
Number of Pages: 1162

USA > Kansas > Montgomery County > History of Montgomery County, Kansas > Part 11

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In 1871 the title of the Independence Town Company, which was re- sponsible for the existence of the city and to whom it owed so much, began to be seriously questioned. and for the next year the matter was kept prominently to the front. Between the spring of IS71 and that of 1872 the growth of the city was most rapid. Two hundred houses were built and the population rose from one thousand to twenty-three hundred. This was more than the entire gain during the succeeding ten years, and made the period a marked one in the history of the young city. In the summer of 1871 the Town Company was losing ground rapidly. The lot so long ocenpied by Jasper & Boniface as a meat market was jumped by them during that summer, and a building started. The title to this lot was held by a man at Fort Scott by certificate from the Town Company. but those interested in maintaining the titles of this company assembled and hitched a couple of yoke of oxen to the building, drove the carpenters

HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY, KANSAS.

off and partially hanled the building into the street. It was, however, the last show of vigor on the part of the Company. Its influence was on the wane, and lots were soon being taken everywhere, regardless of its warn- ings. Houses began to be built on wheels and hauled on to vacant lots at night, or they were claimed by some other act of occupancy. After the defeat of the company, the good work it had done for the city was fully recognized, and, writing of it in 1878. W. 11. Watkins says: "It is of the past and the time has come to acknowledge the good work it did. Its oh- jeet has been grandly attained but the benefits have inured to others. It entered into politics, met with success and disaster and came to its end in litigation. It dug wells, built honses, established a newspaper and by its wise policy induced people to locate here."

Following the voting of county bonds in aid of the Leavenworth, Law- rence & Galveston railroad, in June 1870, which was accomplished by the most unblushing fraud, that road was built down the east line of the county in July 1871, and a great many people thought that a death blow had been struck at the new city. Its people were not made of the stuff to be easily discouraged, though, and from the very day that it was decided that the road should be built there they went to work to secure a line from Cherryvale. Committee followed committee in rapid succession, and re- ceived from the railroad officials the same courteous treatment and ale- complished the same barren results. So anxious were the people, that. during this time, it was privately hinted by an employee of the company that a cash contribution of four thousand dollars and one hundred town lots. in addition to the $7.500 per mile in bonds, would secure the branch beyond question. The town lote were selected and individual notes to the amount required were placed in the hands of J. B. Craig and E. E. Wilson. After a whole round of failures, Frank Bunker, M. D. Henry and Charles W. Prentiss succeeded. This was late in 1871, and the de- mand was so urgent that a bond in the sum of $50,000 was signed by a majority of the voters as a guarantee that the bonds would be voted so that the work might begin at once. An election was held Sept. 30th, and $25,000 in bonds voted. Frank Bunker, by a generous donation of land, secured the location of the depot on his premises, and the road became known as "Bunker's Plug." The railroad was built in December 1871, and the first train of cars whistled into Independence on New Year's day 1872. The termius remained here for seven years-until 1879-mak- ing this a wholesale point for the supply of the entire southern Kansas trade for a linnared miles to the west and contributing very materially to the growth and prosperity of the city.

A word more is fitting in regard to Frank Bunker, whose name will be indissolubly connected with the early history of the city and who, per. haps, did more than anyone else to promote its welfare in those pioneer lays. He died at Andover, Massachusetts, on the 12th of August 1876,

HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY, KANSAS.

In an obituary notice shortly after that date, the "Independence Kansan" said: "But little happened in which Frank was not consulted or did not take an active part. His vivacity, brilliant wit dash and droll anecdotes made him sought after in society. When disposed, few men were more entertaining than he could be and none was warmer hearted." And E. E. Wilson says of him in his history of the county: "Frank Bunker was a man of some rare native talents and, in some directions, of fine culture. A natural musician, an easy and brilliant writer, in conversation he del- uged his hearers with song and story. His fund of humor was rich and his witticisms truly a bonanza. llis long continued ill health had made him whimsical and, at times, very irritable, but withal Frank was a gen- ial fellow and a generous friend. After travelling from the Pacific to the shores of Africa in a vain search for health he died in Massachusetts in the antum of 1876."

During the year 1872. Independence and Montgomery county were in the heyday of their early prosperity and enjoying what is known as a "boom." E. E. Wilson had been the second mayor the previous year, as ho was the first storekeeper in 1869. and was followed in that office by James De Long, formerly consul at Tangiers, Morocco, and a most eccentric char- acter. So soured was he with the world that we who knew him only in his later years invariably referred to him as the "chronic growler." It was during his administration that the removal of the Osage District Land Office to this city occurred. Speaking of the removal of this office from Humboldt to Neodesha, in December 1871. Mr. Wilson says: "On the 8th of December the United States Land Office passed on its way from Hum- boldt to Neodesha. As it passed down Main street and north on the aven- ne it was not a very imposing pageant, but its intrinsic value of $10,000.00 was determined before it passed the limits of the town." If the Neodesha people paid that much to secure it they made a very poor bargain, for, no later than March 26th, 1872, the same office was opened for business in In- dependence, where it remained until discontinued by order of President Cleveland in the spring of 1885. The means used to secure its removal to this city are detailed in another chapter of this book, devoted to Sen- ator York's betrayal of Senator Pomeroy. The city council appropriated $3,000,00 to secure the land office, but of this amount it was found neces- sary to spend only $1,900, and even this small fraction of an "intrinsic value of $10.000" would not have been paid. so it is said, by Delong's economical administration, had it not been that "the town site was hang ing in the land office."

After its location here, the officers of the land office were P. B. Max- on, register: and M. W. Reynolds, receiver. The subsequent registers were W. W. Martin. M. J. Saler and C. M. Ralstin. The receivers wore : E. S. Nichols, 11. M. Waters and H. W. Young.

In March 1882, there was found here a population of 2,300, and the

HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY, KANSAS.

governor was petitioned to make Independence a city of the second class, which he did by proclamation on March 20th. The following day the city was divided into four wards, with the same boundariesas today except that the fifth ward has since been carved out of the second. The first election under the new title was held April 5th, when James DeLong was elected mayor. receiving 445 votes to 146 for L. T. Stephenson. Osborn Shannon, DeLong's son-in-law, was elected police judge; T. P. Trouvelle, marshal: 1. 1. Crouse, treasurer ; and A. D. Gibson, justice of the peace. The first board of education was elected at the same time, and it is noteworthy that two of its members, Mrs. o. M. Nevins and Mrs. H. T. Millis, from the first ward. were the first women elected to office in the city. The mem- bers of the council elected at the same time were J. M. Nevins, Wm. Daw- son, S. A. Wier, John Beard, John Korr. J. Moreland, Joseph Bloxam and E. T. Mears. Of these six. Dawson and Mears still roside here.

April 6th, owing to the prevalence of small pox, wholesale vaccination was ordered and the following physicians appointed to do the work: For the first ward, Dr. Masterman ; for the second ward, Dr. Thrall; for the third ward. Di. McCulley ; for the fourth ward. Dr. Miller.

The year 1872 was one of the most prosperous ever witnessed in ln- dependence. The transplanted members of the community were taking root and growing together into a homogeneous citizenship, while times were good and values so far above the $1.25 an acre the lands cost to enter, that everybody felt rich. During this year. seventy-one school houses were built in the county at a cost of $70.043, and the fourth ward brick school building at Independence completed at a cost of $23.000.00. Though it was nicknamed "the Tannery." on account of its box-like ont- lines, and came into bad repute in later years because of a cracking of th ' walls which was thought to render it unsafe, it served its purpose in mak- ing a home for a generation of school children, and when it was demol- ished in 1902, it was found to be substantial enough to have stood for centuries.

In March 1872, the city council ordered the issue of $10,000.00 in city serip to pass current as money, and to run until January 30, 1874. It cost $650.00 to get this serip printed. Half of it was in one dollar bills and half in two dollar bills. Travelers would carry this novel currency back to their homes in the east unnoticed and then write back to know if the bank was good. Half a million dollars in interest-bearing debt bad been incurred by the county in the first three years of its existence, and times could not but be prosperous for the fellows who had the spending of the money. Right athwart this boom, almost without warning, came the panie of 1873, to be followed the next year by a rainless season, drying and parching everything on the farm, except the mortgage and taxes, And then, to cap the climax. came the Rocky mountain locusts or grasshop- pers, with digestion for everything except interest. And plenty of farm-

HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY, KANSAS.

ers were under contract to pay three per cent a month for the use of money. The fat years were followed by others as lean as Pharaoh's kine.

In April 1873. DeLong was re-elected mayor, and he continued his strenuous tight for the settlers and against the old town company with all the sturdy vigor of his nature. One of the old settlers characterizes him as "the Cromwell of Independence." He was erratic, unselfish and zealous, and labored without stint to secure the land for the settlers and relieve them from the necessity of buying their homes from the town company. At the same time he charged every man six dollars for a deed to a lot, as expenses, and he and those associated with him uever made any accounting of the money. In fact it is understood that, during the time the settlers were paying for their lots, DeLong was living out of the in- come he received from the office in this irregular way. He was not pe- mirious and did not lay up money but was always ready to spend it for the town and the people. He was antocratie in his methods and did a great deal to build up the city. He was pogilistic. too, and always ready for a fight. The issue of city script was his scheme. and. notwithstanding the doubtful legality of the undertaking, he carried it through very sue- cessfully. The stuff circulated and was never at a discount. Every dollar of it was eventually redeemed, and the result of the undertaking might well be used as an argument in favor of municipal currency. Altogether De Long was, in many ways, the strongest and most unique personality in the city's history, and. had a popular novelist known him and his works. he might have served as a leading character in some work of fiction. His declining years were sonred and embittered, however, by dwelling upon the ingratitude of the people for whom he had labored, and he seemed to have a grudge against the world.

The most prominent event of the year 1874 was the burning of the railroad depot on Jaunary 15th, which resulted in the purchase of a fire engine by the city council within a week. The DeLong dynasty ended on the 7th of April that year, with the election of D. B. Gray as mayor.

The new fire engine did not prevent the most destructive fire in the history of the city on February 13th, 1875, when eighteen business build- ings were consumed. Down the east side of the avenne, from where Bad- en's dry goods store stands now, and up the north side of Main street to the location of Zutz' grocery, everything went .except Brown's three-story brick, where the Baden clothing house now stands. That was reserved to be burned later. That year W. E. Brown was elected mayor and William Dunkin city attorney. The session of the South Kansas Conference of the M. E church, which convened March 3, and was presided over by Bishop Merrill, was one of the leading events of the year. At the election for city officers this year, W. E. Brown won the mayorality, having 278 votes to 169 cast for ex-Mayor DeLong. Wm. Dunkin now became city attor- ney, and J. L. Scott was continued in office as police judge. The steady

HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY, KANSAS.

growth of a prohibition sentiment was indicated by the instructions given the city attorney in March to draw up an ordinance to prohibit dram shops from keeping open on Sunday. The last mention of the city script appears in November of this year, when it was ordered that $2,000.00 of that currency lying in Holt's bank, and which had been redeemed, be re- issued to take up outstanding warrants, and that the rest be destroyed.

The years between 1873 and 1881 are not prolific of material for the historian of Montgomery county's capital. Hard times had the new conn- try in its grip. and it was simply a matter of "hanging on" and "waiting for the clouds to roll by," with the business men then there. Independence, having reached abont 3.000 in population. came to a standstill and re- mained a country trading post merely, except for the wholesale business in the region to the southwest. Merchants advertised but sparingly in the local papers until the later seventies and there was nothing to indicate the brilliant future in store for the city.

Reckless expenditure of public funds had become unpopular and in December 1875, a proposition to use $10,000.00 in building a dam across the Verdigris river to furnish water power for factories was voted down, only 96 favoring it to 176 who opposed.

In 1876, there was not even life enough to get up a contest over the mayorality, and F. C. Jocelyn had all the votes cast, except nine scatter- ing. S. S. Peterson, who subsequently served with distinction as sheriff of Wyandotte county, was elected city marshal, and Joseph Chandler city attorney, both of them being repeatedly re-elected in following years. In Angust of that year the citizens were worried by a rumor that the United States land office was to be removed, and the city council appro- priated $400.00 to defray the expenses of sending Colonel Daniel Grass and Edwin Foster to Washington to prevent such a calamity.

In January 1877, a counterfeiters' den was discovered in a house at the foot of the hill on East Main street, and Marshal Peterson arrested three of the manufacturers of the "queer" and turned them over to the United States authorities. Not only were molds, frames and all parapher- malia of this illegal business found, but 124 half dollars and 16 quarters, well enough executed to pass readily. The same month the land office authorities awarded to L. T. Stephenson the one hundred and sixty acres adjoining the city on the south for which he was contesting and the may- or was permitted to enter for the settlers the Emerson tract in the south- west part of the city between 10th and 13th streets. In April, William Dunkin was elected mayor, the minority candidate again being ex-Mayor DeLong, whose only ambition in life appears to have been to get gack in the chair of that office again. Michael Mw Eniry was chosen as police judge, a position he held for many years and filled with dignity and dis- cretion.

Norman H. Ives was now postmaster, being the third inemmbent of

HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY, KANSAS.

that office. A. H. Moore having succeeded Irwin, the first appointee. L. M. Knowles was superintendent of the city schools. In June JJ. B. Hoober began the erection of a two story brick hotel on West Main street over which he presided for so many years and which is still running, with the name changed from "Hoober" to "Heckman." At this time the saloon business must have been one of the principal industries of the city, and the manufacture of drunkards going on apace. There were eleven licensed grog shops, and the revenue they paid into the city treasury amounted to $3.00.00 a year,

The year 1877 was rendered notorions. not only in Independence but throughout the country, by the "Hull Baby" case. Hull's bank here was one of the strongest financial institutions in southeastern Kansas, in fact the only bank in the county that weathered the financial storm of 1873 without suspending payment for an hour. It was established by Latham llull. of Kalamazoo. Michigan, and his two sons, Charles A. and Edgar. were connected with it. Charles, the elder one, was a bachelor. but he fell a victim to the wiles of a clever adventuress and married her. No sooner was this former "schoolmarm" installed as the mistress of the banker's home than she began to sigh for other worlds to conquer. Charles' father had offered a standing prize of $5.000,00 for the first male grandchild born in the family. Carrie's fingers itched to get hold of that roll, and she proented. from an orphans' home af Leavenworth, a young infant of the requisite sex. to which she pretended to have given birth. The fraud was too transparent to impose long on the parties interested, and her husband disowned the brat and began suit for divorce. Not to be outdone, the al- leged mother began suit against Latham Hull, her father-in-law, Edgar Hull. her brother-in-law. George Chandler. their attorney, and the Home for the Friendless at Leavenworth. for alienating the affections of her husband and damaging her character to the extent of $40,000.00. In De- cember the divorce case of Charles Hull versus Carrie Hull was heard and decided in the district court . Mrs. Hull claimed to be in very poor health. so that her testimony could not be taken publicly, and those who we're expecting to see all the dirty linen in the case aired in court were disappointed. Charles got the decree. however, but Carrie was allowed $300 alimony. the household goods and $200 for counsel fees, which, con- sidering the wealth of the husband, was not all that she might have ex- pected. Yet she was still eager for the main chance and proceeded to construe the "household goods" clause very liberally. In fact. she tore a mantel out of the house which she thus claimed a right to dismantle, and soll it. For this offense she was arrested on the 8th of January fol- lowing by Sheriff Brock. As he did not like to take her to jail he ro- mained in the house to guard her until she could have a hearing in court or seenre bail. During the night Constable Nelson came with another warrant to arrest her on a suit by Dr. MeCulley, to whom she had mort-

HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY, KANSAS.

gaged her goods for medical attendance. The constable was refused admission and had to tear off a shutter to get in. And when he did. he found not a thing left of all the goods the court had awarded Carrie, except the cradle of that famous baby, which she still retained. Of course another arrest followed. When at last the heroine of this romance got free from the meshes of the law, she went west seeking fresher fields and pastures new. While her money lasted she out a great swath at Pueblo, Colorado, as a rich young widow ; and finally wound up there by bewitch- ing the landlord of the hotel where she made her home. who deserted wife and children to elope with her.

Early in 1878 the school board expended $515 in the purchase of block No. 1 in Concannon's addition, and proceeded to erect a four room school building there at an expense of $8,000. One of the city papers com- plained that the location was too far out for the little folks. Now. with another building at the same place the difficulty is that it is too far in. The election for mayor this year was hotly contested and George W. Bur- chard won by a majority of 90 over A. C. Stich. Burchard had been both a Republican and a Democrat, and had edited both the "Tribune" and the "Kansan," but he was able and popular. April 5th. another counterfit- ers' outfit was unearthed in the old land office building and Matt M. Rucker arrested for the crime of making money on his own account. In the summer of this year the present city building was erected.

About this time the railroad question was exciting lots of interest as it was known that the St. Louis & San Francisco line was to be extend- ed west from Oswego. and Independence was anxious for something more than the "plug," which was all she yet had. Besides, there were propo- sitions for a road southwest from Parsons, and the papers of that day are full of the reports of meetings held and committees appointed to bring hither three or four different lines, the initials of whose titles mean noth- ing now. Probably if all the citizens of the town had pulled together, the ".Frisco" would have come here instead of edging off to the north from Cherryvale and angling through Wilson county. But there were divided counsels in those days, and a jealousy between property holders on the north and south sides which would not permit them to work together har- moniously. and so the line was lost and the population which would other- wise have come to swell the census of Independence went to build up Cherryvale. Probably Independence would have been a city of 15,000 many years sooner than it now will, if the " 'Frisco" road had been land- ed. Not only did the year 1879 witness the loss of this road, but the same year the "plug" was extended ont into the counties to the west. and the city's trade thereby materially circumscribed.

In April 1879, Burchard was re-elected mayor, defeating Dr. W. A. MyCulley. 172 to 260. In September of that year Cary Oakes, who was then county treasurer. lost a suit instituted by the county to recover $4,-

HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY, KANSAS.

073.30 which he had unwittingly allowed to get into the Mastin Bank at Kansas City the day before that institution closed its doors. It was in the shape of a draft from the state treasurer for the school fund account. and Oakes had put it in Turner & Ofis' bank for collection. They for- warded it to their correspondent at Kansas City, and it disappeared in that hole which at the time engulfed so many ofher fortunes.

In the year 1880. the law in relation to city elections was changed. giving to mayors a two years' term : and the year witnessed so little of interest here that it must remain a blank, so far as these annals are con- cerned. In the spring of 1881. 1. 6. Mason was elected to the head of the city government, defeating B. F. Masterman. The following summer the people who have seldom refused to do anything asked of them to promote the educational interests of the city, voted $4,000.00 in bonds to repair that ill-fated fourth ward school building which had cost $23,000.00 in the start. This year the board of education drew the color line by pro- viding a separate building for the accomodation of pupils of African de- cent. but they all refused to attend. and the courts decided they could not be discriminated against in that way. The prohibition law went into effect on May Ist. and. before the year was over. twelve drug stores in the county, of which five were located in Independence, had taken ont permits to enable them to supply alcoholic medicine to the thirsty.

February 5th. 1882, witnessed the second disastrous fire in the history of Independence, tive buiklings on the west side of Penn. avenue, south of the bank building on the corner of Myrtle street, going down, while two more were badly damaged. All the five were wooden structures, though. and when they came to be replaced with substantial brick and stone build- ings two stories in height. it was evident again that what had seemed to be a calamity was really a blessing in disguise.

May 25th. the new iron railroad bridge in process of erection over the Verdigris was swept away by the flooded stream and went down about ten minutes after a heavily loaded passenger train had passed over it. The loss to the company was $20.000.00. At the close of this year. the city counted among its acquisitions during that period a canning far- tory, a four story stone touring mill, a foundry and a wooden mill. The location of so many manufacturing plants was seenred at considerable effort and expense. and was thought to indicate that the future of the city was assured. Of the four, the Bowen touring mill. alone, proved a permanency.

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History of Montgomery County, Kansas, Part 11

Author: Duncan, L. Wallace (Lew Wallace), b. 1861, comp Publication date: 1903 Publisher: Iola, Kan., Press of Iola register Number of Pages: 1162

Author: Duncan, L. Wallace (Lew Wallace), b. 1861, comp
Publication date: 1903
Publisher: Iola, Kan., Press of Iola register
Number of Pages: 1162