USA > Kansas > Reno County > History of Reno County, Kansas; its people, industries and institutions, Vol I > Part 26
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RENO COUNTY, KIN.S.A.S. 301
MUSTERED INTO UNITED STATES SERVICE.
Company E did not go into service in a body, but was mustered out in December, 1898, being reorganized in May, 1899, with T. R. Campbell, cap- tain: Matthew Smith, first lieutenant ; Chester Roberts, second lientenant. Campbell was promoted to major in 1901. He was succeeded by J. T. Law- son. During this time Alfred HI. Poe, Charles S. Meece. David Baxter and Howard Sheeley were lieutenants in the company. J. C. Newman succeeded Lawson as captain and Rodney J. Kessler was made first lieutenant. Kessler resigned and Fred L. Lemmon became captain of the company on September 21, 1908, and has been captain of the company since his selection.
Company E was mustered into the United States service on May 12. 1898, as a part of the Twenty-first Regiment, Kansas Volunteer Infantry. On May 17, 1898, the regiment left Topeka for Fort Lysle, Georgia, where it went into camp and remained there until August 25. 1898. There was much sickness in this camp and twenty deaths from typhoid fever resulted. On August 25 the regiment was sent to Camp Hamilton, Kentucky. The regi- ment remained there until September 25, 1898, when it was ordered to Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas, where it was furloughed and finally mustered out on December 10, 1898. Below is the roster of the company at the time of its service during the Spanish-American War :
Company E.
Captain, Dorr Thompson. First Lieutenant, James U. Brown.
Second Lieutenant, Charles S. Gibbens.
First Sergeant, James F. Lawson.
Quarter Master Sergeant, Edward A. Heffner, Frank L. Huxtable.
Sergeants. Edward Swift, Clyde J. Botkin. Frank Nicholson, Elmer Kenoyer.
Corporals, Roy C. Whitney, Lawrence Meece. William H. Heffner. Harry Squire, Charles II. Shaw, Percy F. Godley, William H. Elder, James K. Moon, William H. Erwin, John M. Garrison, Hiram M. Dolby. William H. Ashley, Frank H. McKee. Benjamin .A. Fleming.
Musicians, Marion A. Kelley, Teddie W. White, Charles C. Hoag. Earl R. Benson.
Artificers, John G. Willard, Edward S. Patton.
Wagoner. James O. Messinger.
Cook. Joseph R. Marr.
-
.
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RENO COUNTY, KANSAS.
Privates. Albert R. Atkinson (died in division hospital. September 1I, 1890, of typhoid fever), William H. Ashley, Frank J. Baker, Walter Baker, William A. Barnes, Harry Barton, Samuel Bedford, Owen Bick- ford, Ethan E. Bringle, Frank C. Brown, Albert .A. Buck, Charles W. Brown. Earl R. Benson, Gilbert L. Callard, Robert A. Campbell. Dexter Chambers, Richard J. Coleman, Andrew Crichton, William Campbell, Herbert Davis, Ernest W. Day, Richard Devine, John A. H. Devitt, Ernest De Walt, William E. Duke. Hiram M. Dolby, Rufus Edwards, Frank J. Ekey, Judd L. Elliott, Albert B. Eales (died in division hospital, Aug. 17, 1898, of typhoid fever ). William H. Elder, William H. Erwin, Henry Fey. Robert P. Frost, Benjamin A. Fleming, William G. Gordinier, Bruce F. Grimm, Herbert MI. Grubbs, John M. Garrison, Edward A. Heffner, Charles W. Holsapple, James Hamilton, Leonard C. Harry, Charles C. Hoag. Frank L. Huxtable. Irwin M. Ivey, Marion A. Kelley, William T. Kincade. Thomas Kirk, George D. Koon, Thomas H. Kesner. deserted August 20. 1898: Dwight T. Lawson, Samuel E. Lowe, Charles E. McCormick, Horace Matherly, Lawrence Meece, William E. Munson, Algernon R. Murphy. Rob- ert C. Myers, James K. Moon, Frank H. McKee, Joseph R. Marr, Ray- mond Nally, Levi .A. O'Hara, William E. Pinnell, Edward S. Patton, Albert M. Rardin, William F. Redman, Carl D. Rice, John W. Roberts, William G. Robertson, Arthur C. Rogers, Joseph Rogers, Frank M. Raner, George Schlegel. Chris W. Schrader, John H. Schrant, Charles H. Shaw, Hiram S. Shaw, Eads E. Shive, Burtie E. Shultz, Walter S. Simms, Matthew Smith. Ross L. Snyder. Charles Sommers, Charles A. Starr, Clarence Taylor, Cyrus C. Taylor. Morgan M. Tolle. Levi H. Tuttle. Joseph H. Van Dorsten, Clar- ence E. Warren, Teddie W. White. John G. Willard, Charles M. Wilson, Frank Wilson, Alfred Yaughgar.
SECOND CALL TO SERVICE.
Company E received its second call to service on June 19. 1916. It was sent to Ft. Riley on June 23. 1916, and was mustered into the service of the United States on June 26, 1916. The regiment left Ft. Riley for Eagle Pass, Texas, on July 1, 1916, arriving there on July 3. The regi- ment was assigned to the Twelfth Army Division and was ordered to join that division at San Antonio, Texas, making the trip in motor trucks: leay- ing Eagle Pass on September 6, 1916, and making the one hundred and eighty miles in two days' time. The division was sent overland from San An- antonio to Austin, Texas, making the distance in fourteen days. It consisted of
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RENO COUNTY, KANSAS.
fourteen thousand men and six thousand horses. The regiment was ordered North on October 24, 1916, and was mustered out of the service on Novem- ber 12, 1916, at Ft. Riley, Kansas. Company E automatically reverted to its former state as Company E, Second Regiment, Kansas National Guard. The following is a roster of Company E as it stood at the time of its second call to service, on June 19, 1910:
Captain, Fred L. Lemon.
First Lientenant, Durward J. Wilson.
Second Lieutenant, Walter W. Brown.
First Sergeant, Harvey R. Rankin.
Mess Sergeant, Rex C. Houston.
Supply Sergeant, Lee R. McMullen.
Sergeants, Clarence T. Mather, Donald P. Stewart. Dalbert W. Mitchell. Charles O. Souder. Thomas D. Horr, Louis D. White.
Corporals, Earl K. Risley, AAlbert Wickendoll, Fred .A. Hadel, Roy H. Newton, Bert V. DaVolt. Clande M. Hall, Donald C. Potter, Elton E. Giles. Morris J. Tucker.
Mechanic. Leonard A. Gibbs.
Cooks, Wilber R. Lee, Lloyd B. Cox.
Buglers, Paul L. Black, Robert L. Shields.
Privates, First Class, Seth J. Abbott, Harry G. Buettner. Charles G. Diehl, Leon L. Foster, Lester O. Foster. George E. Hobby, Fred W. King. Ernest W. Parmley, Edward W. Payne, Ralph F. Peck, Ivan G. Ramsey. William, F. Smither, Howard E. Strobel, Joseph L. Ulmer. Frank A. Vaughan, John Vogt, Leo Ward, William S. Weir, Charles E. Williams.
Privates, Paul L. Barstow. John A. Black, Clayton W. Brace, Charles R. Brundige, George H. Burdick, James W. Campbell, Clarence C. Chapin. Dale L. Crippen, John E. Davidson, Hobart Edwards, William F. Gabbert. Frederick E. Goodrich, George W. Goodrich, Philip W. Hamer, Ralph R. Hart, Roscoe O. Hawkins, Joseph F. Harrington, Bert L. Hicks, Floyd II. Hobson, Edgar E. Howe, Roy A. Howe, John R. Jewell. Earl H. King, Archie D. McCollum, Norman W. Miller, Davis E. Parsons, Verner B. Porter, Charlie L. Seaman. Harry H. Stephens. Grant Stewart. Albert N. Stockton, Harvey W. Ulmer, Hubert L. Waggerman, James H. Weaver. William J. Whitehead, James 11. Woods. Charles L. Zumalt.
MACHINE-GUN COMPANY, SECOND INFANTRY, KANSAS NATIONAL GUARD.
The Machine-Gun Company was located at Hutchinson through the influence of Guy C. Rexroad, at the beginning of the year 1916. The first
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RENO COUNTY, KANSAS.
drill was held on January 17, 1916. Lieutenant Rexroad received his com- mission as second lieutenant on March 6, 1916. At that time the Machine- Gun Company was composed of members detailed from other organizations and the regiment commissary captain was ex-officio captain of the Machine- Gun Company. Capt. C. S. Gibbons, of Nickerson, was regiment commander and therefore captain of the Machine-Gun Company. Under the direction of these two officers the company was brought up to a high state of effi- ciency when the call for border service came on June 19, 1916.
The company left Hutchinson for Ft. Riley on June 23, 1916, with its full strength of fifty-three men. Captain Gibbons failing to pass the physical examination, was succeeded as captain by Jerry C. Springstead, of Topeka. then ranking as colonel in the guard in the paymaster's depart- ment. Meanwhile the law making the Machine Gun Company a separate and independent unit of the regiment was passed and the complement of the company placed at fifty-three enlisted men and four officers, a captain, first lieutenant and two second lieutenants.
The company was mustered into the service of the United States at Ft. Riley and left for the border at Eagle Pass with the regiment on July I. 1916. Soon after reaching Eagle Pass, Second Lieut. Frank J. Benscoter. of Hutchinson, and Second Lieut. William H. Burgener, of Newton, both of the supply company of the Second Regiment were transferred to the Machine-Gun Company, Lieutenant Rexroad having been promoted to first lieutenant on July I.
The company made the trip from Eagle Pass to San Antonio by motor truck and took part in the march from San Antonio to Austin and return, came North with the regiment and was mustered out at F't. Riley on Novem- ber 12. 1916, and returned to Hutchinson on November 14, 1916.
As the Machine-Gun Company is now constituted the men are armed with automatic pistols in addition to the machine-guns. The company con- sists of two platoons and each platoon is armed with two machine-guns. Each of these guns is capable of firing six hundred shots per minute and is estimated to equal fifty rifles. The guns and equipment were carried on pack mules and the Hutchinson company became very efficient in packing and caring for its equipment.
Captain Springstead has been transferred to another department, leav- ing the company under the command of Lieutenant Rexroad, who was in actual command nearly all the time on the border, Captain Springstead being occupied much of the time with other duties.
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RENO COUNTY, KANSAS.
ROSTER OF THE MACHINE-GUN COMPANY.
The following is a complete roster of the Machine-Gun Company at the time it was mustered out of service on November 12, 1916:
First lieutenant. Guy C. Rexroad, commanding company ; second lieu- tenant, Frank J. Benscoter ; second lieutenant, Carl B. Schmidt : first ser- geant. Robert A. Campbell; mess sergeant, Edward C. Clickner; supply ser- geant, Bertram J. Ayres; stable sergeant, Lester W. Huston: sergeants, Ezra J. Wilson, John J. Barthold, James H. Holdeman, Ray W. Brown. Roy F. Parsons ; corporals, Arthur L. Maltby, Hal. H. Crocheron, James B. Lynas, Edward W. McKee, Walter D. Hyatt, Howard J. Bates ; horse- shoer. George S. Middlehurst ; mechanic, Earl C. Warnock ; buglers, Karl F. Schonholz, Frank E. Woodmanse : cooks, Harry B. Reynolds, Bert C. Butcser : privates, first class, Roy M. Crow, Marcus G. Keedy, Alfred A. Massoni. Arba F. Richards, Leslie L. Shawhan, Ray F. Brown, Darrell P. Hagaman. John H. Ferguson; privates, Ray W. Arnold. Chester I. Bates, Vern O. Bobey, Harry Elmes, Martin E. Everett, Paul F. Fick, Karl M. Harmon, Floyd M. Jackson, Roy V. Johnson, Harland D. Kimzey, Frank L. Lloyd. Verl J. Mckenzie, William S. Nelson, Gerald Rexroad, Ned M. Rider. Ray E. Shiffer, Lee Slate, George W. Winters.
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CHAPTER XL.
COMMUNITY MUSIC.
The early settlers were not without their pleasures. They had more leisure than their successors, for business matters were not so pressing and social matters received more attention than they do now. Formality was less observed than now and everyone in the county knew his neighbor. It was pioneer days and they enjoyed pioneer ways.
Social gatherings were common. In the early days religious gatherings were largely attended. Music was one of the features of church work. The musician was in constant demand for church services, for funerals and for entertainments of all kinds. There were a few persons who could always be relied upon to help out in the service, of whatever nature it might be. It would be a difficult matter to place a value on the services of a singer who was always ready and willing to help with the voice. The uplifting influence of one good singer in a county -- the refining influence that comes from such a person-has more to do with the character of the county than has ever been told.
In the early days of Reno county there were a number of persons who had good voices and who were always ready to help along. Among them were Nettie Burrell. now Mrs. Joe Talbott; Mrs. A. W. Innes, now of Waukegan, Illinois : Mrs. Dr. Lucas; Mr. Wall and B. S. Hoagland. Per- haps a quartette of these singers has sung for more public entertainments. church services and funerals than any other quartette that ever was organ- ized in the county. For twelve years they sang regularly in one of the churches. It mattered not what denomination wanted their help in any special music and it mattered not what services they had rendered that day. they were always ready and willing. They have a record of two church services, one special Sunday school service and three funerals in one day. Without a charge of any kind, they did their work for the good of the com- munity.
One of the earliest music teachers in the county was Prof. W. F. Oakes. He was a fine pianist and also a splendid violinist. He stayed in Hutchin-
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RENO COUNTY, KANSAS.
son for many years and his services both as a teacher and entertainer were in constant demand.
The first public concert was given in 1875 in the Presbyterian church. Among the soloists were T. F. Leidigh, G. V. Ricksecker and B. S. Hoag- land. A year or so later the cantata, "Queen Esther," was given by Hutchin- son musicians. Among those who participated in this musical entertainment were Mrs. C. A. Robb, Dr. A. W. McCandless, L. T. Woodrow, Mrs. Lyda Rogers and Mrs. H. Whiteside. These were some of the occasions in which the community interests were considered. They were the beginnings of gen- eral interest of the entire public in musical matters. Of course there were numerous other musical events. but these were the most pretentious.
On Thanksgiving day, 1892, a big concert was arranged at the audi- torium, then located at Riverside park. The principal feature of this con- cert was a children's chorus of one thousand two hundred and ninety-seven voices. Patriotic songs and school and religious songs were on the pro- gram. The purpose of this concert was to raise money with which to pay the local expenses of the State Christian Endeavor Union that was to be held in Hutchinson the following summer. There was one soloist that day. who afterwards became mayor of the city and is now at the head of a trust company, Louis E. Fontron, then but a young man. He sang the solo part of "Throw Out the Life Line," the chorus and audience all joining in the chorus. It was an inspiring sight and public interest in this class of public entertainments was aroused and was responsible for the largest musical event that Kansas has ever known, "The Musical Jubilee."
L. A. Bigger, then owner of the street car line ( only a horse-car line at that time ) and who saw how greatly it would benefit the city and help hin keep the car line in operation which was barely making operating expenses, proposed to finance the preliminary organization that it would take to estab- lish the jubilee as a state-wide musical event. B. S. Hoagland was selected as secretary of the jubilee committee and general field agent and manager of the matter. It was arranged through Theodore Thomas, director of the World's Fair music, to appoint a committee of ladies to have charge of the first jubilee. Back of the World's Fair proposition was the Hutchin- son Jubilee, providing the place and prizes for the contests. All the rail- roads of the state joined in a low rate and Hutchinson became the musical center of Kansas. The committee who had charge of the jubilee were Mrs. Gaston Boyd, of Newton; Mrs. A. M. Dunlap, of Lawrence; Mrs. G. H. Parkhurst, of Topeka: Mrs. H. W. Hodges, of Abilene; Mrs. S. W. Jones
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RENO COUNTY, KANSAS.
and Mrs. Kate Blunt, of Leavenworth: Mrs. Garst, of Wichita, and Mrs. S. C. Cross, of Emporia. The State Music Teachers' Association met that year at Lawrence and they also joined in the enterprise.
The prizes were for ladies' choruses, male choruses and for solos, duets and quartettes. Instrumental contests were also provided for the piano, violin, pipe organ and other instruments.
The street car company guaranteed two thousand dollars for the expense of the meeting. The Commercial Club also joined in the guarantee and raised the necessary guaranty to push the matter to the end.
The result was that the greatest anticipations of the most enthusiastic were more than realized. There were mixed choruses of over a hundred from Emporia, Newton, Topeka, Leavenworth, Hutchinson, Anthony, Abilene and Salina. There were also ladies' choruses present from Wichita and Newton. There were dozens of entries in all of the other contests and it became necessary to continue the contests into the night to get through with all of the contestants. In this contest. W. L. Tomlins, of Chicago. was the adjudicator of the choruses; Carl Busch, of Kansas City, was the vocal adjudicator, and H. C. Schultze, also of Kansas City, instrumental adjudicator.
The jubilee ran eleven years. Ten of these years its was under the direction of B. S. Hoagland. He traveled over the state, keeping in touch with the musicians. He had a job for which he was eminently fitted and for which he had no competition. He had the ability to keep the notoriously hard bunch of high-grade musicians in working order. He kept down fac- tional jealousies. He anticipated the opposition of other towns which would like to have had the jubilees located in their city and for ten years he was the principal factor in the continuance of the big musical event. The eleventh year was one of disaster. H. E. Malloy was directing it after Mr. Hoagland declined to carry the load further, but, with no fault on the part of anyone, the jubilee was a failure. The big floods in eastern Kansas made railway travel impossible. Hutchinson was experiencing one of the three occasions of a flood in Cow creek and it was a physical impossibility to carry the jubilee through.
So there were ten years of musical jubilees. During these ten years there were but two years when the jubilee did not pay all expenses and then it was but a few dollars shortage. There never was a time when all prizes in contests were not paid the last night of the jubilee. All of the judges' salaries were paid. There never was a time when there was the slightest
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question about everyone getting their money. Prizes were often paid when the strict construction of the rules of the contest did not require such pay- ment, but no technicality ever was allowed to prevail. Perhaps it was this feature as much as any, that held the support of those who lived outside of the city and who would perhaps have really favored some other place for the contest; the fact that Hutchinson business men guaranteed every- thing and made good that guaranty, kept other towns from organizing in competition.
It is difficult now to comprehend the real value of those ten years of jubilees to Hutchinson and to Reno county. Outside of the increased inter- est in musical matters and the developing of the musical talent of the city and community, it had a financial value that was very great. In the ten years thousands of people came to attend the jubilees from points outside Hutchinson and Reno county. Special trains were provided every year to accommodate those who attended. The money they left in the city was 110 small item in those days, when crops were not so bountiful and when prosperity was not so general as it was at a later date. It kept alive one institution alone that could not possibly have survived the "hard times," and that was the street car' line. Without the added business of the jubilees. it could not have continued to operate. The present electric system is an outgrowth of the old car line, and it would not have been established.
The interest in musical matters developed by the jubilees led to the present condition of "community music" and the voting of a small tax to support a "municipal band," which is one of the interesting features of Hutchinson life. This band gives a concert during the fall, winter and spring months in Convention hall every Sunday afternoon. The capacity of the building, four thousand five hundred, is nearly always used in these concerts, the average attendance being over four thousand weekly. There is no charge whatever for these concerts. The highest and the lowest. the wealthy and the poor, have equal access to it. It is an exceedingly popular institution and has a large part in the community life. During the summer months, when it would be uncomfortable in a building. this band plays one concert during each week, at some one of the various school yards of the city, enabling the people of each part of the city, without any expense and with little effort. to hear the music. It is without doubt a great help in adding to the common enjoyment.
CHAPTER XLI.
SMALLER TOWNS IN RENO COUNTY.
Hutchinson, of course, is the largest city in Reno county. Being the county seat it has always had the advantage and its location also has helped keep it growing. It has the outlet of railroads centering here and has enjoyed a steady growth ever since it was organized. Reno county has a number of smaller towns that have had a steady growth ever since they were laid out. The largest of these towns is Nickerson. It got its name from Thomas Nickerson, who was president of the Santa Fe Railroad Company at the time the town company was organized. It is ten miles northwest of Hutch- inson on the Santa Fe railroad and also on a branch of the Missouri Pacific that runs to Hoisington, where this branch line connects with the main line. east and west.
NICKERSON.
The original townsite of Nickerson was laid out one mile east of its present location in 1875. A depot was built on the old townsite in 1872 and the name of Nickerson was given to it. In the fall of 1872 the railroad company erected a house for the use of their section foreman. In the fall of 1874 a school house was built to accomodate the children of the settlers who had taken land close to Nickerson and in August, 1875, A. L. Reeves built a two-story building and opened up a stock of general merchandise in the store. In 1876 he sold his store and building to A. Seivert. This was the extent of the growth of "old" Nickerson. In 1878 the present town of Nickerson was laid out on ground that was then in corn. A few days after the survey of the townsite James DeWitt began the foundation of a hotel which he called the Old Dominion House. Soon afterward A. L. Harlow began the building of a house for a hotel, which he called the Harlow House. Before either of these buildings were com- pleted, Reeves moved his old building from old Nickerson to the new town- site : hence, outside of a small building occupied by John Sears as a resi- dence, the building of Reeves was the first one on the present townsite of Nickerson. By March, 1879. Mr. Reeves had a number of buildings erected.
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RENO COUNTY, KANSAS.
In October, 1878, M. McCormick erected a small building and used it for a drug store. Soon after Seivert & Smith had a general store in opera- tion. In a short time Nickerson had two hotels, a dozen stores of various kinds, two livery stables, two lumber yards, and a printing office.
The postoffice of Nickerson was established in January, 1873. Amanda J. Sears was the first postmistress. The office was first opened up in a sod house in the southeast corner of the present townsite. The money- order system of the postoffice was established in 1880.
The first school in Nickerson was established in 1874 and the first term of the school was taught by Mary Kinney. In 1879 the building was moved to the new townsite and was occupied until 1882, when the present two- story building was erected.
The first newspaper issued in Nickerson was the Nickerson Argosy, the first copy of which was printed on December 11, 1878. Sargent & Bow- man were the publishers. On February 12, 1879, Sargent purchased Bow- man's interest in the paper and ran the paper until September 10, of the same year, when he sold it to I. M. Bundy.
Nickerson was incorporated as a city of the third class on June 7, 1879, and the following were the first officers under that organization: Mayor. L. A. Reeves; councilmen, M. McCormick, C. S. Brown, J. A. Moore, J. O. Smith and H. I. Nickerson. The first police judge of the city was D. D. Olmstead.
Nickerson has had a slow growth since that time. It is now the seat of a county high school and has a number of prosperous stores in operation. Its population has increased, and it is a center of a good agricultural country.
ARLINGTON.
Arlington, named after the famous Heights of Arlington, is located eighteen miles southwest of Hutchinson on the Rock Island railroad. It was on the route of the "Sun City Trail" of early days and was a stopping place for haulers because of the abundance of the water and grass. Later it was close to the trail over which cattle were driven from Texas to Abi- lene. The townsite was laid off in August, 1877. by A. K. Barrel and G. T. Empey. The first building in the town was a three-story frame mill. which was operated by water from the Ninnescah. This building was thirty by forty feet. It had four buhrs and had a daily capacity of fifty barrels. It was operated for a number of years and was a great convenience to people living southwest of Hutchinson, offering the nearest flour supply they had.
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