USA > Kansas > Sedgwick County > History of Wichita and Sedgwick County, Kansas, past and present, including an account of the cities, towns and villages of the county, Vol. I > Part 10
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By JUDGE JAMES L. DYER.
The local land office of the United States at Wichita, Kan., embraced all the tract of land bounded on the north by the fourth standard parallel south, on the east by guide meridian east of the sixth principal meridian, on the west by the boundary line between Colorado and Kansas, on the south by the south boundary line of the state of Kansas.
The lands in this boundary were of three classes: First, a narrow strip of land known as the Cherokee Strip, varying from three and one-half miles on the east to one-half mile in width on the west, situated at the extreme south of the state.
Second-A fifty-mile strip known as the Osage Trust and Di- minished Reserve lands, lying directly north of the Cherokee Strip and extending from the east boundary of said land district to the 100° west longitude; and
Third-The remainder of said land district was unoffered lands subject to pre-emption settlement. Homestead and timber culture acts under the laws governing the public lands of the United States.
The lands in the Cherokee Strip were subject to sale to actual settlers, without regard to time the settler occupied said land, in quantities in compact form not exceeding 160 acres to one actual settler at $1.25 per acre.
The Osage Trust and Diminished Reserve lands were subject to sale to actual settlers for the sum of $1.25 per acre in tracts not exceeding 160 acres in compact form under the act of July 1, 1870.
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THE WICHITA LAND OFFICE
The land office at Wichita was known as the Arkansas Land District, and was first located at Augusta, Kan., but as immigra- tion pushed west, the settlers driving before them the buffalo and coyote, it became necessary for the accommodation of the large body of people to change the location, and hence in March, 1872, the land office was removed from Augusta to Wichita, and from that time it took the name of the Wichita Land Office of the United States, retaining the same boundary until 1874, when it was subdivided and other land offices established west of range ten west of the 6° principal meridian.
On May 9, 1872, congress passed an act (see 2283 R. S.) re- quiring that the Osage Trust and Diminished Reserve lands in the state of Kansas, excepting the sixteenth and thirty-sixth sections in each township, be subject to disposal for cash only to actual settlers in quantities not exceeding 160 acres in compact form, in accordance with the general principles of the pre-emption laws under the direction of the commissioner of the General Land Office, but that settlers must make proof of settlement, occupancy and cultivation within one year from date of settlement. The moneys derived from the sale of these lands were to be held in trust for the Osage nation after deducting the actual expenses of sale of said lands. The Osage Indians realized from the sale of these lands in the Wichita district over $4,000,000.
The officers of a local land office consist of a registrar and receiver, appointed by the President, holding their offices for four years but subject to removel at the wish of the President.
The registrar receives all applications and jointly with the re- ceiver passes upon the legality of all applications and all proofs presented to the local office, and determines the rights of adverse claimants to the same tract of land. In case of disagreement be- tween registrar and receiver the case is referred to the honorable commissioner of the General Land Office.
The receiver in addition to the foregoing duties must receive all moneys paid to the local office and must deposit the same in some United States depository under direction of the Secretary of the Treasury.
The first registrar of the Wichita land district was A. C. Aken, who was appointed while the office was at Augusta, and the first receiver was W. A. Shannon. Both came to Wichita with the office in March, 1872. Mr. Aken was succeeded as registrar
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HISTORY OF SEDGWICK COUNTY
by W. T. Jenkins, and Mr. Shannon was succeeded as receiver by J. C. Redfield, formerly of Humboldt, Kan., now dead.
The offices of registrar and receiver in those days grew high up on the political tree, and the one having the longest and strongest pole got the persimmon. Although appointed for four years, yet if the officers happened to be for the wrong man for congress or for the United States senate his resignation was soon demanded and a favorite was selected to succeed him, in accord- ance with the old Jacksonian policy, "To the victor belongs the spoils." And thus Mr. Jenkins, registrar, was not permitted to hold out his full term, but in 1875 had to give way to the Hon. H. L. Taylor. J. C. Redfield was permitted to hold his full four years' term, having so trimmed his sails, politically, and having been such an efficient officer that no one was able to oust him from his office.
H. L. Taylor was forced to give way before the expiration of his term of office to the Hon. Richard L. Walker in 1879. Colonel Taylor was lieutenant-colonel of the Sixty-eighth Illinois In- fantry and was provost marshal at Alexandria, Va., where the regiment was encamped in the summer of 1862. He remained in Wichita and held other offices of trust and died an honored citizen in the summer of 1906 at the age of seventy-two.
J. C. Redfield lived in Wichita after retiring from the office of receiver and was manager of the G. G. Smith dry goods store at this place. He was also county commissioner for several years. He died in 1904 at the age of seventy-four years. All who knew Mr. Redfield loved him for his sterling worth.
Mr. Redfield was succeeded in December, 1876, by James L. Dyer as receiver, who held the position of receiver of this office until November, 1885.
Richard L. Walker, who succeeded H. L. Taylor as registrar, was prior to that time sheriff of Cowly county, Kansas, and held the office of registrar one full term, and was reappointed for a second term. Then he had to fall by the wayside on account of Cleveland's election. He was captain of Company A, Nineteenth Ohio Infantry, and had a splendid record as a soldier. He re- moved from here and afterwards was United States marshal for the district of Kansas. He was a jolly good fellow and counted a great politician, but has been gathered to his fathers many years ago in the prime of his vigorous life and manhood.
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THE WICHITA LAND OFFICE
James L. Dyer, who came here in April, 1872, is at present judge of the city court of Wichita.
Walker was succeeded as registrar by the Hon. Frank Dale, who held the office as long as the pie tasted good, but when it got too poor he resigned, moved to Guthrie, Okla., where he made money at the practice of the law, and was afterwards honored by President Cleveland and made chief justice of the territory of Oklahoma. He is now a private citizen, enjoying the luxuries of a well-earned fortune at Guthrie, Okla., and a leading lawyer of the new state.
J. G. McCoy succeeded Mr. Dale as registrar and held the office until it was abolished and absorbed by the offices at Topeka and Fort Dodge.
Samuel Gilbert succeeded James L. Dyer as receiver in No- vember, 1885, and performed the duties of the office as long as there was any pay. Then he quit and now lives in California. J. G. McCoy is now a resident of Wichita and enjoys the many friends in his declining years of an active life.
Connected with the local office were clerks and attorneys, some of whom will long be remembered in this community. W. B. Mead came here a clerk of the office from Augusta and was clerk for a long time afterward. He lived to a ripe old age. C. A. Walker came with Mr. Redfield from Humboldt and was clerk during the whole of Mr. Redfield's term. He was a very pro- ficient clerk and afterwards was cashier of the Wichita National Bank until it suspended business. He now lives in Kansas City, Mo. Robert E. Guthrie held the position of clerk longer than any other person during the existence of the office at this place. He was one of the most efficient clerks that ever held a position in the United States Land Office. He has been clerk in several United States land offices since that time, and is now a clerk in the treasury department at Washington, D. C. Avery Ains- worth was a genial and efficient clerk, but went to Larned, Kan., and was clerk in the United States Land Office at that place for many years. Harry St. John, son of ex-Governor John P. St. John, was clerk for many years. He died several years ago in Oklahoma. J. Clifford Bentley was a most efficient clerk for two years. He is now practicing law in Kingman, Kan. John M. Lean was also a clerk for several years. His whereabouts is now unknown to us. J. P. Horton was a very efficient clerk for two
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HISTORY OF SEDGWICK COUNTY
years. He went from here to Anthony, Kan., and died a few years ago. He was an old bachelor.
D. B. Emmert, formerly receiver at Humboldt, Kan., served as clerk under Mr. Walker, registrar. Dr. E. B. Allen, the first mayor of Wichita, was clerk under W. T. Jenkins.
Hon. J. F. Lanck was one of the very best land office attorneys in the country. He practiced before the Wichita office during its whole existence. He was at one time chancellor in Tennessee, after the war. He was a Union soldier. He died a few years ago. O. D. Kirk and W. W. Thomas were two excellent attorneys and practiced before the office many years. Thomas was afterwards probate judge of Sedgwick county. He now lives in California. O. D. Kirk is now probate judge of Sedgwick county, Kan., and an honored citizen of Wichita.
But few connected with the land office at an early day now live, and their names are almost forgotten by the public at large. And the fact that there was once a United States land office at Wichita is almost a dream. Once it was the busiest place in the whole district, and thousands came to Wichita from the vast terri- tory it embraced, coming with teams and remaining here for days at a time, and when one did a great business in those days it was said of him, "He does a land office business."
There were many other features connected with the land office which would interest early settlers, but the foregoing is a mere biographical sketch of its officers, clerks and attorneys and of the vast business transacted here.
Note .- Judge James L. Dyer was for many years receiver of the United States Land Office at Wichita. No man living is so competent to write its history as Judge Dyer. The location of the Government Land Office at Wichita gave the town its first im- petus as a trading point .- Editor.
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CHAPTER IX. THE BANKS OF WICHITA.
By
L. S. NAFTZGER.
An authenticated history of the banks of Wichita since the founding of that city as a mere hamlet to a now thriving com- munity, known and called the Metropolis of the Southwest, is not only important but in a commercial sense exceedingly advisable and almost indispensable.
Therefore, we have taken pains by use of records and by careful inquiry among the older business men living here since 1870, who have had business with the earlier banks, to establish beyond cavil an undisputed history of the banks of Wichita.
The Arkansas Valley Bank is often credited with being the first bank organized in Wichita, but this is not substantiated by the facts based upon authentic information, and, further, the records at the court house show that W. C. Woodman did not arrive in Wichita until the spring of 1871, when he bought out George Smith's general store, located midway on the west side of the first block on North Main street, where he erected a frame addition on the rear of the storeroom, where his family resided.
Mr. Woodman converted the northeast corner of his store with a desk behind the counter into a loan office, where money was advanced to settlers for the purpose of proving up on their claims at the rate of 5 per cent interest per month, secured by mortgage on the land, and many settlers lost their claims through this severe exaction of interest rate.
After several years of loaning the institution grew into the Arkansas Valley Bank, and failed some time in the nineties.
The Wichita Bank was really the first legitimate bank estab- lished and was opened for business in the spring of 1872 by J. C. Fraker, president; J. R. Mead, vice-president, and A. H. Gossard, cashier, and was located in the most credible frame building in the town at that time.
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HISTORY OF SEDGWICK COUNTY
The building was a handsomely built frame with store front erected midway on the west side in the third block on North Main street and did an excellent business from the start, and remained in that location until the spring of 1873, when it was chartered as the First National Bank of Wichita, at that time building a splendid bank structure, still standing as an ornament to the city, on the northeast corner of Main and First streets.
The county made it a depository, and when it failed obtained title to the building and ground in lieu of the losses sustained.
The Wichita Savings Bank was next in order and was incor- porated July 1, 1872, with a capital of $100,000, one-third being paid up, and the first officers being A. W. Clark, of Leavenworth, Kan., president; Sol. H. Kohn, vice-president, and A. A. Hyde, formerly with Mr. Clark's bank at Leavenworth, cashier, and commenced business in August of the same year.
The first board of directors was completed with A. M. Clark, Sol. H. Kohn, W. A. Thomas, William Griffenstein, S. C. Johnson, H. J. Hills, N. A. English, Emil Werner and A. A. Hyde.
On October 27, 1875, M. W. Levy was elected vice-president, Mr. Clark retiring March 1, 1879, and the bank was merged into the Wichita Bank of Kohn Brothers & Co. on January 1, 1883.
The institution began business as the Wichita National Bank with Sol. Kohn, then of this city, president; A. W. Oliver, vice- president; W. M. Levy, cashier; C. A. Walker, assistant cashier. Capital, $250,000, and in 1882 deposits were $350,000; loans and discounts, $150,000; cash and sight exchange, $200,000.
This bank did a very successful business for several years, but owing to the disasters and shrinkages incident to the boom of the years 1900 and 1901 it passed into the hands of Major Ewing as receiver ; finally, however, paying out its depositors in full.
The Kansas National Bank opened for business originally as the Farmers' & Merchants' Bank, and was established November 1, 1876, by H. W. Lewis as a private institution, and on Septem- ber 1, 1882, was organized under the state banking law with a capital of $25,000, the directors and officers being H. W. Lewis, president ; A. A. Hyde, cashier, S. Houck, W. S. Corbett and T. H. Lynch, and subsequently nationalized as the Kansas National Bank.
The deposits during the first year were $20,000, and in 1882 amounted to $100,000, with discounts of $60,000.
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THE BANKS OF WICHITA
The organization of the national bank under its present name, the Kansas National Bank, was made on November 1, 1882, with a capital stock of $50,000, with board of directors as follows: H. W. Lewis, J. L. Dyer, R. H. Roys, R. E. Lawrence and A. A. Hyde.
The ownership of this bank has entirely changed, but is still doing a large and profitable business in its own building located at the corner of Main street and Douglas avenue under the able and efficient management of C. Q. Chandler, president ; E. E. Mas- cerman, vice-president; J. W. Berryman, second vice-president ; Elsberry Martin, cashier, and Charles Testard, assistant cashier.
It has a capital of $100,000; surplus and undivided profits amounting to $140,000, and has come safely through the financial storm incident to the boom, and is still one of the most solid, sub- stantial and conservative financial institutions in the state.
The Kansas State Bank was organized December 16, 1880, with a paid up capital of $52,000, its officers being B. Lombard, Jr., president ; James L. Lombard, vice-president ; L. D. Skinner, cashier, and George E. Spalton, assistant cashier.
After a year's business the bank was nationalized, but subse- quently failed in 1894. Of the roster of officers of this bank only George E. Spalton remains as a resident of Wichita.
The Citizens' Bank was incorporated December 20, 1882, with a capital of $100,000 by J. O. Davidson, S. L. Davidson, C. L. Davidson, W. E. Stanley, R. S. Cates, A. Drum and John Carpen- ter, and officered as follows: J. O. Davidson, president; S. L. Davidson, vice-president; C. L. Davidson, secretary, and John Derst, cashier.
The bank was opened for business at the corner of Main and Douglas, where the Kansas National Bank now operates, it hav- ing built and owned the building, and was finally merged into the Kansas National Bank.
The Bank of Commerce, a private banking institution, was established by Rodolph Hatfield and John W. Hartley in Janu- ary, 1883, with a capital of $25,000, to be increased as business demanded, and was afterwards purchased by George C. Strong and in 1887 reorganized as the Fourth National Bank of Wichita.
In 1892 a controlling interest was purchased by Messrs. L. S. Naftzger and J. M. Moore, and has at the present time a capital of $200,000, with surplus and profits of $200,000.
Mr. J. M. Moore severed his active connection with the bank
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HISTORY OF SEDGWICK COUNTY
in the fall of 1908, present officers being L. S. Naftzger, president ; W. R. Tucker and C. W. Brown, vice-presidents; V. H. Branch, - cashier; George M. Whitney and M. C. Naftzger, assistant cashiers.
The bank is located in its own building, the handsome four- story brick structure at the corner of Market street and East Douglas avenue, and is credited with having gone through the entire boom and various financial depressions and remaining con- tinually in business since its establishment in 1887 without ever dishonoring a check or losing an hour's business time.
The bank has been managed under a broad and exceedingly safe and conservative policy, and has always been regarded as one of the most safe and solid financial institutions in Wichita or the state of Kansas.
Note .- Since the writing of the above article Mr. Naftzger has retired from the presidency of the Fourth National Bank of Wichita. He is succeeded by Mr. Ben F. McLean, so long con- nected with the directorate of that bank and formerly mayor of Wichita .- Editor-in-Chief.
The West Side National Bank was established in 1887 by Rob- ert E. Lawrence and associates, but after two years' business went into voluntary liquidation, paying its depositors in full.
The American State Bank, located at the corner of Topeka and Douglas avenues, was organized in 1890 with a capital of $50,- 000, subsequently increased to $100,000, and has at the present time, in addition to the $100,000 capital, a surplus and profit account amounting to $20,000. The present officers are C. E. Denton, president ; M. J. Lloyd, vice-president, and J. N. Richard- son, cashier.
This bank has had a very remarkable and substantial growth, and is a popular depository and enjoys the confidence of the busi- ness community.
The National Bank of Commerce was established in 1899 and now has a capital of $100,000 and surplus of $100,000, is under the excellent management of C. W. Carey, president ; J. H. Stewart and J. H. Black, vice-presidents, and F. A. Russell, cashier.
This bank is one of the leading popular and successful banks of Wichita and was founded by A. C. Jobes, now vice-president of the First National Bank of Kansas City, Mo., and C. W. Carey and enjoys the implicit confidence of the community, having
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THE BANKS OF WICHITA
made a remarkably strong growth and building up its business upon extreme conservatism and excellent business judgment.
The Commercial Bank, located at 143 North Main street, is a private bank having a capital of $100,000, and is owned and op- erated by its president, J. A. Davison, with the assistance of E. L. Davison, cashier.
This bank is a very conservative private institution, with many friends and depositors.
The State Savings Bank, located at No. 115 East Douglas avenue, was organized by W. M. Levy and H. W. Lewis, who subsequently sold their controlling interest to Mr. J. S. Corley, now managing the bank as president with the assistance of Will- iam C. Little, vice-president ; M. V. Corley, cashier, and H. U. P. Gehring, assistant cashier. Its present capital is $25,000, and the bank is a well-established, painstaking institution with a growing business.
The Citizens' State Bank, located across the river at No. 915 West Douglas avenue, was organized in 1902, and has for its present officers W. S. Hadley, president ; G. E. Outland, vice-presi- dent; W. C. Kemp, cashier, and H. C. Outland, assistant cashier.
This institution has always enjoyed the entire respect and confidence of the citizens of Wichita in general and the West Side in particular, to which location it has largely confined its growing business, constantly increasing, and building up a very large and successful business, particularly for a bank with so limited a capital, and this growing business has recently made it necessary to increase the capital from $10,000 to $25,000.
The National Bank of Wichita was organized by C. T. Granger, of Waukon, Iowa, and his associates, date of organization certifi- cate being May 10, 1902, but the bank was not opened for busi- ness until in November following, owing to delay in completion of the building.
First officers were C. T. Granger, president; R. S. Granger, vice-president; George W. Robinson, cashier.
Later and in July, 1903, R. G. Granger resigned as vice-presi- dent, being succeeded by V. H. Branch, and on the following January Mr. C. W. Brown was elected president in place of C. T. Granger, resigned; George W. Robinson remaining as its cashier until he resigned on August 26, 1905, being succeeded by V. H. Branch, Mr. F. C. Sheldon, of Kansas City, being elected vice- president.
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HISTORY OF SEDGWICK COUNTY
The business of the bank continued under the excellent man- agement of C. W. Brown, president ; F. C. Sheldon, vice-president, and V. H. Branch, cashier, until July 3, 1908, when the business was consolidated with the Fourth National Bank of Wichita, Mr. Brown and Mr. Branch going to the Fourth National Bank, the former as vice-president and the latter as its cashier.
The National Bank of Wichita enjoyed a successful business, and at the time of the above mentioned consolidation carried a deposit of $600,000.
The Gold Savings State Bank, occupying the new Anchor Trust building, corner North Market and First streets, was or- ganized in 1906 with a capital of $25,000, and now has surplus and profits amounting to $1,500.
This institution is under the management of H. W. Lewis, president ; P. K. Lewis, vice-president, and Charles Frank, cashier. This bank is doing a general banking and deposit business and is meeting with a steady and substantial growth.
The Stock Yards State Bank, situated at 1857 North Lawrence avenue, was organized in 1907 by W. W. Brown and his associates, F. C. Sheldon and V. H. Branch, having a capital of $10,000.
Messrs. Sheldon and Branch subsequently sold their interests in the bank to Mr. Brown and associates, and same is now under the active and conservative management of Garrison Scott, Presi- dent; George T. Cubbon, vice-president, and W. W. Brown, cashier.
This institution is located in a territory by itself, having a fine neighborhood in the center of the growing industries on North Lawrence avenue, including the packing house district, and is doing a thriving and successful business.
The Merchants State Bank, located at the corner of Emporia and Douglas avenues, was opened for business on December 10, 1906, with George W. Robinson, president ; D. Heaton, vice-presi- dent, and J. A. Murphy, cashier, with a capital of $50,000.
The bank is at the present time under the management of Charles H. Lewis, president; George Veail, vice-president, and J. W. Dice, cashier.
Mr. Robinson, who was the organizer of the bank, resigned on October 1, 1909.
Present deposits of the bank are $315,000, and is one of the successful financial institutions of the city of Wichita.
The Wichita State Bank was organized on August 2, 1908, as
ED. Kimball.
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THE BANKS OF WICHITA
a savings bank only with a capital of $25,000 and surplus of $5,- 000, present officers being H. V. Wheeler, president; H. J. Hag- ney, vice-president ; J. C. Kelly, cashier, and H. H. Dewey, secre- tary.
This bank does exclusively a savings bank business, and as such is rapidly growing in popular favor, and holds the faith and confidence of its customers.
The Union Stock Yards National Bank was organized in May, 1910, and opened for business in the stock yards district north of Twenty-first street and just outside the city limits of Wichita by Charles H. Brooks and his associates, and has a capital of $50,- 000, with the following officers: Charles H. Brooks, president ; George Theis, Jr., vice-president; F. F. Ransom, cashier, and John D. McCluer, assistant cashier.
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