USA > Kansas > Reno County > History of Reno County, Kansas; its people, industries and institutions, Vol I > Part 22
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The third church organized in Hutchinson was the Presbyterian church. Early in 1872, realizing the need of the community, C. C. Hutchinson offered one hundred dollars and three lots to any denomination that would build a church. The subscription was first started as a union of all churches, but this movement did not succeed. Mr. Hutchinson's donation had been added to until it amounted to fifteen hundred dollars. After the failure of the union plan, the Presbyterian church undertook to build, taking the three lots and the fifteen hundred dollars, but it was too much for them and after a thorough canvass, they gave it up. Then the Methodists tried to build, using the three lots and the fifteen hundred dollars that had been raised. They failed likewise. The Presbyterians took another turn at the matter after the Methodists had failed and this time they succeeded in getting the necessary amount of money to complete the building, and on the fourth Sun- day in June, 1873. their church, costing three thousand dollars, was dedi- cated free from debt. It was the first and only church building in the county for nearly two years. At a meeting on October 28, 1872, Rev. J. T. Pot- ter was hired and came to Hutchinson to preach. He came to the call from the Ohio presbytery, he having been located then at Cincinnati. This church was incorporated on January 9. 1873. From July 15. 1873. to January 1. 1874. the church was without a regular pastor. "At a called meeting of the
FIRST . CHRISTIAN. CHURCH
1
CHRISTIAN CHURCH. HUTCHINSON ,
.9
D
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, HUTCHINSON
REV. J. T. POTTER, FIRST PRESBYTERIAN PREACHER AT HUTCHINSON
245
RENO COUNTY, KANSAS.
church on the First Wednesday evening, December, 1873," so reads their record, "Rev. D. M. Moore of Lawrence was called to the pastorate of this church." He came to Hutchinson the first Sunday in January, 1874. The church at that time had twenty-seven members.
In December, 1872, Reverend Saxby, who preached the first sermon ever preached in this city, returned to Hutchinson and organized the Bap- tist church. He had seven members in this first organization. Reverend Saxby stayed with this church for two years as the pastor.
The Christian church was organized in Hutchinson in July, 1876. The organization had no building and met in the court house for some time. The first pastor of this church was Alexander Ellot, who then lived near Burrton. The first official board consisted of A. H. Ploughe, M. Saunders, Henry Music, T. J. Anderson and H. Eisminger. This organization used a rented hall for its services for several years. In 1882 the congregation began the erection of a building on North Main street, which cost ten thou- sand dollars. This building was later sold and moved to Fifth avenue, east, in I911, and another building erected on this original site that cost over forty thousand dollars. This church had two of the most notable revivals ever held in this city. They were conducted by Rev. J. V. Updike and one was held in 1885 and the other in 1889. The result of these meetings was a membership of over one thousand at the close of the second revival.
Among the earliest church organizations outside of Hutchinson was the one founded in Castleton township and was called the Harmony Baptist church. It was organized on November 3. 1875, with ten members. The first officers were H. D. Freeman, H. Bramwell, G. R. Bowser and B. F. Tucker. The church building was begun in July. 1882, and was completed in April. 1883, at a cost of one thousand dollars. It was dedicated on May 20. 1883.
The first church organization effected in "old" Nickerson was made by Rev. J. W. Fox, the presiding elder of the Methodist church, and the services were held in the school house on the old townsite until a building could be erected, which was in the fall of 1875, when a brick structure was erected costing four thousand five hundred dollars.
In December, 1878, Rev. R. J. Schlichter organized the Congregational church in Nickerson with nine members.
The first Catholic church in the county was organized in Nickerson by Rev. F. P. Sweenberg. The early meetings were held at the homes of the membership for a number of years. Reverend Sweenberg also organized the
246
RENO COUNTY, KANSAS.
church in Hutchinson, he having about fifty families in his charge at Hutch- inson and Nickerson. Their first building was completed in Hutchinson in 1879.
The first Universalist church in Reno county was organized in Decem- ber, 1881, with forty members by Rev. T. W. Woodrow. Their first meet- ings were held in the Baptist church until they could erect their first build- ing on Plum street. .
The church growth of Reno county. has kept pace with the material growth of the county. Almost every neighborhood has a church. Nearly every organization has its own building. A few meetings are held in school buildings. Sunday schools are maintained in all places where there are church organizations, and in several communities Sunday schools are kept up. with only an occasional church service.
CHAPTER XXXIV
EARLY DOCTORS OF RENO COUNTY.
The first doctor of any county spends a particularly strenuous life, and the first doctors of Reno county were no exceptions. They had all of the usual hardships of their calling, and to these were added the long drives neces- sitated by the sparsely settled communities they served. Many of the modern doctors do not go out of the city at all, and when they leave their offices to call on patients they have an automobile to hurry them to their patients and back to the office. Others do not leave their finely-fitted rooms, with every modern convenience. But the pioneer doctors made their long drives, often by night, generally with a team of mustang ponies, the kind that would strike up a swift trot and maintain that gait without either whip or spur. These doctors would drive over roads for miles and never see a sight of any human habitation. Their trips often carried them one hundred miles southwest, over into Barber county. They would necessarily be gone several days. They were more like the pioneer preacher in their visits than they were today when professional rules have set the boundary lines for their calling. They would go into a community and if any were sick they would minister to them, leaving them such medicine as they had with them, and advising then as to the care of their case.
The first doctor in Hutchinson was Doctor DeWitt, who came to this community from California. Very little is now known of him, not even his initials being remembered. He had a further distinction of being the first Sunday school superintendent in Hutchinson. He had been in the village but a short time when he began talking of the organization of a Sunday school. There wasn't much sentiment among the pioneers of that day for such an organization, but DeWitt persuaded ten or twelve of the early set- tłers to gather together and organize a Sunday school. It did not continue very long, as the men of that day were more interested in the material devel- opment of the county than they were in the upbuilding of spiritual things. Although C. C. Hutchinson was an ordained Baptist preacher, his experience among the pioneers showed him that the church life of a community was a matter that followed later in the development of a community. Doctor
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RENO COUNTY, KANSAS.
DeWitt is described by those now living who knew him, as being a highly cultured man, not used to the pioneer ways, but readily adapting himself to his surroundings.
Doctor Easley was the second doctor to reach Hutchinson. The third in the order of arrival in Reno county was Dr. A. W. Mckinney. He lived for years in Hutchinson and had a large practice, dying there many years ago. Doctor Mckinney was a public-spirited man, taking a leading part in the early affairs of Reno county. He was a prominent lodge man, and was coroner of the county for many years.
Dr. D. B. McKee was the next doctor to come to Hutchinson and was one of the men accustomed to make the long drives in the country. He was small of stature, genial in his nature, kindly and sympathetic; did much work among the poor for which he never collected any fee, and never expected to when he went to call on his patient, but his services were given as cher- fully, and his care and attention of them were just the same as he gave his best-paying patients. Doctor McKee practiced many years and died in Hutchinson of hardening of the arteries.
Perhaps the best known of the early doctors, the one 'who was the largest factor in the medical development of Reno county, was Dr. H. S. Sidlinger. He came to Hutchinson in 1874 and still lives in this city, having retired from the practice several years ago. He is the only one of the early doctors living. Doctor Sidlinger had an enviable record as a physician. During his practice he attended two thousand three hundred and fifty-seven confinement cases, and in all the years he never lost a patient in all those cases. There are hundreds of young men and women in Hutch- inson and Reno county, whom he attended at their birth, that he calls'by name. Doctor Sidlinger made many trips in the early days to the south- west, Sun City, in Barber county ; Larned, Inka, in Pratt county, and other points equally distant. He is still living, enjoying a competence, driving his high-power automobile as carefully and at not much greater speed than he drove his mustang ponies in the early days over the prairies.
Dr. N. T. P. Robertson was another of the old-time doctors. He was the physician spoken of in the chapter on "Surveyors and Coroners" as the aggressive Democrat who was generally put on his party ticket as a candi- date for coroner, but who never hesitated to impress his Democracy on all occasions, and for that reason never was able to be elected to any office. Doctor Robertson was a tall, spare man, active even in his advanced age. He had a large practice among the old settlers even in his later years, and he responded to calls as long as his health permitted.
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RENO COUNTY, KANSAS.
Dr. G. W. Maguire was another of the old-time doctors. He quit the active practice years ago because of his health and moved to West Virginia.
There are a number of physicians who have been practicing many years in this county outside of Hutchinson. Among the most active and promi- nent is Dr. C. H. Bacon, living in Valley township. He has been in Reno county many years, and limits his practice to the country surrounding his home. In addition to the doctors named there are about fifty doctors prac- ticing in Reno county at the present time, most of them in Hutchinson.
The Reno County Medical Society was organized on October 12, 1904. Dr. H. J. Duval was the first president of the organization. It meets once a month in Hutchinson. The president at the present time is Dr. W. F. Schoor.
Reno county has never had any epidemics of any sort. The rules laid down by the board of health are generally observed. Hutchinson has always maintained a complete sewer system, and other preventative measures are enforced.
The first hospital was established in the county by Dr. J. E. Stewart and Dr. R. E. Stewart, who built a hospital on North Main street, called the Stewart Hospital and maintained a high-grade institute for many years. The hospital was sold in September. 1915, to the Methodist church, which organization has continued its operation.
In July, 1917, another hospital movement was started. The Catholic church started a campaign to raise one hundred thousand dollars for a hos- pital. This campaign lasted a week and was only partially successful, about thirty-eight thousand dollars having then been subscribed to the fund. They insist that the work will soon begin on the hospital building, and will be continued until their original plan for a four-hundred-bed hospital is accom- plished.
While hardly a subject matter for a chapter on doctors in a county history, yet a matter closely allied to the work of a physician was accom- plished in 1917. It was the raising by popular subscription of fifty thou- sand dollars for the Red Cross of America, as a part of the war plans of the country. This amount was assigned to Reno county as her part of the work of helping care for the soldiers of the country. The county subscribed $68,500, or $18,500 more than was asked for. There never has been as willing a subscription made in Reno county as was this one. The balance above the amount asked for will be held in the treasury of the local organi- zation in anticipation of other calls of a similar nature before the war closes.
CHAPTER XXXV.
THE BANKS OF RENO COUNTY.
The first bank. in Reno county, which was organized on October 12. 1872, was started by C. C. Hutchinson, the founder of the town, and contin- ued in business until 1876. Others had stock in the bank but it was a private institution. There is no record of the capital stock, its deposits, its loans or any other features of its activities. Its successor was the Reno County State Bank which continued in business until 1884.
In 1877 James Redhead started a bank, also a private institution, which was owned by the founder and his father. The bank continued in business until 1888 when it was sold to James St. John and A. W. McCandless, who ran the bank until its consolidation with the Valley State Bank.
The First National Bank was organized in 1884, succeeding to the busi- ness of the Reno County State Bank. The directors of the Reno County State Bank at the time it became the First National Bank were: S. W. Campbell. L. A. Bigger, John Brown, E. L. Meyer, H. Whiteside, E. S. Handy and E. Wilcox. The First National succeeded on July 1, 1884, and contin- ued the directors of the Reno State Bank. This bank has continued under the same management for forty years, E. L. Meyers being its president.
The Citizens Bank was a private bank when it was established on August 1. 1892, by the owner, J. B. Mackay. It had a small capital but grew rapidly and continuously. J. B. Mackay was president of it from the beginning until 1916, when C. M. Branch became president.
There were two banks organized in an early day that met with reverses ; one was the Hutchinson National and the other, the Valley State. The shrink- age of values during the relapse from the boom was the cause of their suspension. The latter was reorganized and reopened under the name of the Hutchinson National, but the reorganized bank did not prosper and closed its doors after a few months.
The State Exchange Bank was organized in 1891 by Willis N. Baker. the owner of a bank at Pretty Prairie, which he sold and started the bank, in Hutchinson. Mr. Baker sold this bank also and moved to lowa. The present officers of the bank are: F. W. Cooter, president, and B. E. Mitch- ener, cashier.
RENO COUNTY, KANSAS. 251
The Commercial National Bank was organized on November 20, 1906. It has the same officers now that it had when organized: A. E. AAsher, president ; and R. H. Suter, cashier.
The Farmers National Bank, the last bank organized in Hutchinson, resulted from the consolidation of the Reno State Bank, and another bank, the Farmers National, occupying the same room and in reality, the same bank as the present Farmers National, except as to ownership. H. K. Mcleod was president of the Reno State Bank at the time of its consolidation with the Farmers National, and the combined institutions, which were merged. June 23, 1917, took the name of the Farmers National. 11. K. McLeod is president : E. P. Bradley, cashier, and Grant Chamberlain, assistant cashier. The Reno State, which became a part of the Farmers National, was organ- ized in 1909 by S. G. Puterbaugh.
The first president of the Central State Bank was F. J. Altswager. At the present time J. C. Hopper is president and George T. McCandless. cashier.
The State Bank of Haven was organized in August, 1886, and re-organ- ized in September, 1891, the original capital stock being $50,000. Its first president was T. R. Hazard, and L. O. Smith, cashier.
The Citizens Bank of Arlington was established in 1887, with the capi- tal stock of $12,500. H. C. Warner was its first president and F. B. Babbit its first cashier.
The State Bank of Turon, a private institution, was organized in 1887 with an original capital stock of $4,000. J. B. Potter was its first president and M. H. Potter, its first cashier.
The State Bank of Pretty Prairie was organized by Willis N. Baker, who sold this bank when he started the State Exchange Bank in Hutchinson. J. A. Collingwood was the first president and Mrs. Ella Demorest was the first cashier. The original capital of this bank was $5,000. This bank has been one of the most prosperous in the county, having paid over one hundred thousand dollars in dividends to the stockholders in the thirty years of its existence on the original investment of $5.000.
The State Bank of Sylvia was established in 1898 with the capital stock of $5.000. W. H. Hinshaw was the first president and O. G. Hinshaw the first cashier.
The State Bank of Langdon was organized on July 7, 1002. J. E. Eaton was the first president and O. J. Windiate its first cashier. The original capi- capital was $5.000.
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RENO COUNTY, KANSAS.
The Bihler State Bank started in business in 1912. J. J. Wall was its first president and .A. B. Buhler, cashier. Its original capital was $5.000.
The Farmers State Bank of Turon was established in 1904. J. T. Wal- lace was the first president and E. E. Shears its first cashier. Its capital stock at its organization was $10.000.
The Partridge State Bank was organized in 1904. A. B. Burke was its first president and German French, Jr .. its first cashier. Its original capi- tal was $10.000.
The State Bank of Castleton was organized in 1906. Charles D. Evans was its first president and J. . \. Lewis, its first cashier. Its original capital was $10.000.
The Nickerson State Bank was established in 1907. F. R. Newton was the first president and O. J. Windiate its first cashier. The original capi- tal was $15,000.
The Citizens State Bank of Sylvia was organized on February 5. 1909. O. C. Lang was its first president and. F. E. Lang, its first cashier. It started with a capital of $10,000.
The Farmers State Bank of Arlington was established in 1910. C. F. Fehr was its first president and R. M. Taylor its first cashier. Its original capital was $12,500.
The State Bank of Abbyville was organized on May 13, 1901. J. H. McSherry was the first president, John Mckeown, the first vice-president, and F. S. Hinman. the first cashier.
The State Bank of Plevna was established in 1900. Its original capi- tal stock was $5,000. J. N. Hinshaw was the first president: George Mckeown, the first vice-president, and W. E. Roach, the first cashier.
The State Bank of Nickerson was established in 1881 by W. R. Mar- shall. It was then called The Exchange Bank 'of Nickerson. It was first established to issue exchange and was not intended as a bank of deposit. There was no other bank in Nickerson and it was soon changed and became a bank of deposit. The name was also changed to the State Bank of Nick- erson. This bank had no stated capital at the time of its organization. In 1888 A. D. Butts and L. C. Brown bought the bank from Mr. Marshall. Mr. Butts was the president and Mr. Brown, the cashier. They capitalized it for $25.000. In a short time Mr. Butts sold his interest in the bank to Mr. Brown, who ran it as a private bank until 1898. In August, 1898, the bank was incorporated with $15,000 capital. A. M. Brown was the first president. D. E. Richart the first vice-president. L. C. Brown the first cashier, and 11. E. Fleming, the assistant cashier.
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RENO COUNTY, KANSAS.
The Citizens State Bank of Haven was organized with a capital of $10,000. Its present capital and surplus is $22,000 Its deposits at the pres- ent time amount to $50,000. C. R. Astle is the present cashier.
These banks have all prospered, as will be shown by reference to the table which shows their original capital, the present capital and their deposits at the present time. These banks are a fair measure of the prosperity of their communities.
The total capital stock of the banks of Reno county at the present time well show their soundness as financial institutions. The deposits at the time of their last statements to the Bank Commissioner show the total to be $9,020,217.
Name
Location.
Original Capital. $5.000
Present Cap. and Surplus. $339.000
Present
First National Bank . . Hutchinson
Central State Bank
Hutchinson
100,000
106,220
Deposits. $2.025,906 332,110
Citizens Bank
Hutchinson
5,000
353,163
1,519.304
Commercial National Hutchinson
100,000
186,552
925,280
Farmers National Bank. . Hutchinson
150,000
165,000
669.304
State Exchange
Hutchinson
10,000
150,000
1,500,000
State Bank
.Turon
10,000
18,500
200,000
Farmers State Bank
Turon
10,000
24,000
175.000
Citizens State Bank
Sylvia
10,000
22,000
I 20,000
State Bank of Sylvia
Sylvia
5,000
25,000
150.434
State Bank of Haven
Haven
50,000
34,500
227,000
Citizens State Bank.
Haven
10,000
22,000
120, 1IO
Farmers State Bank.
Arlington
12,500
15.000
72,000
Citizens State Bank
Arlington
1 2,500
50.000
1 25,000
Partridge State Bank.
Partridge
10,000
27.000
1 14,000
State Bank of Castleton .. Castleton
10,000
20,000
50,000
Nickerson State Bank.
Nickerson
15,000
38,000
175,000
State Bank of Nickerson. . Nickerson
.
*
45,000
199,814
Abbyville State Bank. . Abbyville
5.000
19,000
111.534
State Bank of Castleton .. . Castleton
10,000
20,000
50,000
State Bank of Plevna.
Plevna
5,000
26.500
96.000
State Bank of Pretty
Prairie
Pretty Prairie
5,000
25.000
250,000
State Bank of Langdon ... Langdon
5,000
20,000
150.763
Buhler State Bank
Buhler
5.000
22,600
142,000
*No stated capital.
1
CHAPTER XXXVI.
THE RENO COUNTY BAR.
The lawyers of Reno county have, with few exceptions, been men of high character and ability. The county and city has never had much great litigation, although there have been several cases that have ended in the supreme court of the United States. It has been a general practice that the lawyers have enjoyed. A good per cent. of their business has never shown on the docket of the district court, as it has been conducted entirely in the office of the attorneys. There has never been a case wherein it was charged that the attorney betrayed the interest of his client.
Of course, the largest per cent. of the litigation of the county has been civil business. While there has been a criminal docket in every term of court it always has been an unimportant part of the court's work. The largest per cent of the criminal practice has been for violation of the prohi- bition law. When the prohibition law was first framed, a number of men undertook to sell liquor in defiance of law. They stayed in the business for a while and apparently succeeded. but public sentiment grew to favor the law and the jointist voluntarily quit or was put out of business by the expense of the litigation, even if he escaped with serving a term in the county jail. Under some county attorneys a large number of injunctions were placed on buildings. One of these was a hotel. An injunction would be run on one room of that hotel. The "joint" would be moved to another room. Another injunction was run, and another move jor the joint. This kept up until there were more than a score of injunc- tions filed on the one building. The purpose of this was a nominal enforce- ment of the law. It resulted profitably to the county attorney of that day, as each injunction produced a fee as a part of the judgment. This was continued until the threat of ouster brought the means of an apparent enforce- ment of the law to an end and secured a more complete enforcement of the prohibitory law.
Occasionally a more drastic method was used. A search would be made of the place and all of the joint fixtures and intoxicating liquor would be confiscated. But the liquor business, today is perhaps as nearly prohibited
RENO COUNTY, KANSAS. 255
as is possible. So many aids to the enforcement of the law have been added to the original law that the booze seller has found that it costs too much to keep up the contest. There is liquor sold in Reno county, but this law is as well enforced as any other criminal statute. There has been, of course. criminal practice other than whisky prosecution. There have been several murder cases. There have been many burglary cases. But with the dis- appearance of whisky the criminal practice dwindled to the minimum and the attorneys have paid but little attention to the criminal practice, making their chief business the settlement of civil disputes.
EARLY LAWYERS OF RENO COUNTY.
Among the early lawyers, perhaps the most conspicuous was Lysander Houk. He was a highly educated man, and had taught in a southern col- lege before the Civil War. He was a fine jurist and later made one of the best judges the district court ever had. His brother-in-law. William M. Whitelaw, was also a fine attorney. While it was operated as an independent road, he was general attorney for the Hutchinson & Southern railroad and in all its litigation, through its receivership and its reorganization, Mr. Whitelaw represented the road. He was a man of fine ability : not a fluent speaker, but a good lawyer. His brother, Frank S. Whitelaw, was an accomplished speaker. After leaving Hutchinson he practiced in St. Louis and was the trial attorney for one of the largest law firms in that city, until the time of his death. Among the early lawyers, one of the ablest as a trial lawyer was A. R. Scheble. Ile defended William Moore, who killed his neighbor, a man by the name of Cox, near Arlington. The trouble arose over some grazing land. After killing Cox, Moore came to Hutchinson to secure the coffin for his victim. He was soon suspected and the feeling against him was intense. Scheble went to Arlington to attend the prelimi- nary hearing. The feeling was as intense against Scheble as it was against Moore. The justice of the peace before whom the preliminary was being held asked Scheble if he wanted a guard while he was attending the trial. Scheble pulled two Colt revolvers out of his hip pockets, laid them on the table before him and told the justice that he could protect himself. He made a hard fight for Moore, but the circumstances were sufficient to convict him. There was only one eye-witness to the killing-a daughter of Moore.
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