USA > Kansas > Wyandotte County > History of Wyandotte County, Kansas, and its people, Vol. I > Part 31
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forceful yet artistic handling. "Brutality" represents a French dray- man beating his horse because of its inability to draw a heavy load. This class of subjects was not the natural selection of the young Ameri- can, who was rather given to painting sweet faees and delicate draperies, but his sensitive nature, which found delight in the purely beautiful, was deeply touched by the cruelty seen on the streets of Paris. Mr. Patrick is a Kansan, his early education being in the public schools of the state; an ardent student of nature, with a love for the beautiful, a tone of realism and an effort toward originality, which, coupled with his power of execution, place him among the strongest of western artists. Ile is a devotee of art for its own sake.
LITERARY AND ARTISTIC WOMEN.
Mrs. Cora M. Stockton, of Kansas City, Kansas, widow of Judge John S. Stoekton, was one of the women of Wyandotte whose literary and artistic talents were helpful to women and, as such, were recognized. Mrs. Stoekton was one of Mrs. Potter Palmer's aides on the women's board of the World's Columbia Exposition at Chicago, in 1893, and in that capacity she contributed something of her own talents to the eanse of woman's advancement in the arts and sciences. Mrs. Stockton wrote many poems of worth. In 1894 she published a collection of her best writings in a little volume which was dedicated to her friend. Mrs. Palmer. One of these, a description of a night scene at the Exposition grounds, while the great searchlight was thrown on the White City, presents this view of Columbia :
" And Columbia stands with welcoming hands When nations their treasures are bringing; A song of the free by the inland sea Wakes the bells of Time to heavenly chime, A song of the centuries singing!"
Mrs. Mary H. S. Wolcott, who came to Wyandotte from Ohio in 1857 with her husband, Albert Wolcott, is the only surviving charter member of the old Congregational church of war-time days. Mrs. Woleott and her husband brought with them six of those Cincinnati "ready-to-set-up-houses" like Doctor Root's "Pill Box," and her stories of the social side of old Wyandotte are delightful to hear.
The chief elerk in the surveyor general's office when it was located in Wyandotte in 1855-6, was Robert L. Ream, the father of Mrs. Vinnie Ream Hoxie, the noted sculptress. Hle was born in Center county, Pennsylvania, in October, 1809, and died in Washington, November 21, 1885. Another of his daughters married Perry Fuller, a noted Indian contractor in the early days of Kansas. The daughter Vinnie was born in Madison, Wisconsin. In 1863 she began to develop great talent
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as an artist. In 1866 congress commissioned her to execute a marble statue of the martyred President Lincoln, over eight competitors. In 1874 she was awarded a contract by the government for a statue of Admiral Farragut, over twenty-one competitors. She became a very famous woman, spending much of her time in Rome, engaged in this elass of art.
REV. ALEXANDER STERRETT.
The Rev. Alexander Sterrett came to Kansas in 1866, when he first preached in Junction City. IIe located at Manhattan. £ IIe organized the Presbyterian churches of Junction City, Manhattan, Womego and Kansas City, Kansas, and died in the latter city in 1884. Ilis widow, Mrs. Anna Sterrett, was a student at the Anderson Collegiate Institute at New Albany, Indiana. Mrs. George W. Veale, of Topeka, was also a student in the Anderson Institute.
"MOTHER" STURGES.
In Oak Grove Cemetery a beautiful monument marks the grave of Mrs. Mary A. Sturges, who was a noted army mirse. She died in Kansas City, Kansas, December 29, 1892. The monument was erected by the Grand Army of the Republic and Woman's Relief Corps. It is a massive, but plain granite slab, resting on a base of the same ma- terial. Mrs. Sturges was one of the army nurses of the Civil war. She was intimately associated through the war with "Mother" Bicker- dyke, "Aunt Lizzie" Aiken, and other noted nurses. She entered the service in October, 1861, being at that time a widow living at Peoria, Illinois. She continued as a nurse till the close of the war, was after- ward pensioned and for many years lived with her daughter in Kansas City, Kansas. She often spoke of a monument she wanted erected over her grave, and in her declining years saved every cent she eould for that purpose.
THREE WYANDOTTE FOUNDERS.
William Y. Roberts, one of the founders of Wyandotte, located with a colony at Big Springs, Douglas county, in the summer of 1855, from Fayette county, Pennsylvania. He was a native of that state, and had served several terms as a member of its legislature. On October 5, 1855, he participated in the Big Springs Free State convention, and served as a member of the constitutional convention which met at Topeka the 23d of the same month. The schedule of members gives
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his age at forty-one, farming as his ocenpation, and his politics as Democratic. He was elected lieutenant governor under the Topeka constitution. His practical judgment prevented an open conflict with the border ruffians at the time of the Dow murder, though his party of Free State men first gave the ruffians a realizing sense that Yankees would fight. His company was the second to be mustered into the War of the Rebellion from Kansas-Company B, First Kansas- and was led by him in the battle of Wilson Creek, Missouri, August 10, 1861. He was soon promoted to the position of major, and then to the rank of colonel, in which capacity he served during the war. After the war he resumed the occupation of farming, doing some editorial work on the Lawrence Tribune during the summer of 1868. He died on his farm near Lawrence. February 9, 1869, after a lingering illness.
Caius Jenkins, another of the incorporators of Wyandotte, settled on his claim adjoining Lawrence in the fall of 1855, having located it the previous autumn. During the preceding year he had been pro- prietor of the American House, at Kansas City. He at once identified himself with the Free State cause. On May 10, 1856, he assisted Governor Reeder in his escape from Lawrence to Kansas. The same month he was indieted by the grand jury of Douglas county for treason ; arrested at Lawrence May 21st by Deputy United States Marshal Fain, and confined with Governor Robinson and other Free State men at Lecompton. May 25, 1857, with other Free State men, he signed an open letter addressed to Secretary Stanton, offering to overlook the past and participate in the election of delegates to the Lecompton constitu- tional convention, provided a correct census was seeured. On June 3, 1858, Mr. Jenkins was killed in a dispute over the title to his land elaim by James H. Lane.
Thomas IInnton Swope was the last of the survivors of the first Wyandotte town company. He was a native of Kentucky, graduating from the Central College, at Danville, in that state, in 1848. The following year he became an alumnus of Yale. Some years later he removed to Kansas City, Missouri, and November 9, 1857, his name is found among the charter members of the Chamber of Commerce. In 1895 he gave to that city Swope Park, a traet of 1,400 aeres. He pre- sented, in March, 1902, the sum of $25,000 to Central University, Dan- ville, Kentucky, for the purpose of erecting a library building. The death from poisoning of Thomas H. Swope in Kansas City, Missouri, in 1908. and the trial for murder and eonvietion of his physician, Dr. B. Clark Hyde, who had married a niece of Mr. Swope, was one of the most celebrated cases in the eriminal annals of the United States. The verdiet of the trial court was reversed by the Missouri Supreme Court in April, 1911, and a second trial was ordered.
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JAMES R. PARR AND OTHERS.
It is a difficult task at this time-more than fifty years after the founding of Wyandotte and Quindaro, to write of all of the pioneers who rightfully should be mentioned as among those who were here when the state, county and city were in the making. Any historical work, how- ever, would be incomplete without the mention of such stanch citizens as James R. Parr, the first mayor of Wyandotte; Nicholas MeAlpin, one of the city's founders; William P. Overton, a veteran of the Mexican war; David J. Greist, who opened a lumber yard in the fifties; Judge Barzillai Gray, O. S. Bartlett, John S. Stockton, Martin Stewart, George B. Reichnecker and Arthur D. Downs. Then there were lawyers like David E. James, Governor George Glick and his brother Charles, Charles Chadwick who was secretary to Governor Robinson and afterwards adjutant general. Some of the early German citizens were Charles Ilains, Philip Knoblock, Fred Drees, George Grubel, Charles and J. W. Wahlenmaier, G. W. Robaugh, who built mills and machinery for the Indians, and August Jost. Also well worthy of mention are the Woods brothers, Dr. George B. and Inther II., builders of our first street rail- way line ; R. E. Ela, George S. Kroh, W. B. Garliek, O. K. Serviss, John B. Seroggs, Dr. P. A. Eager and his son Dr. J. L. B. Eager; Captain George P. Nelson and George Schreiner, of steamboat fame; R. G. Dun- ning, who built the Grand Opera House, known later as Dunning Opera Ilouse; Prof. Porter Sherman, Dr. John Wherrell, and Prof. O. C. Palmer, of early day school teaching experience; Henry L. Alden, a school principal until he entered the law office of Stephen A. Cobb, and John A. IIale, who was an employee of the Kansas Pacific railroad be- fore he became a criminal lawyer, and one of the ablest before the bar.
CHAPTER XXIV.
ORGANIZATION OF THE COUNTY.
CREATIVE ACT-FIRST ELECTION OF COUNTY OFFICERS-MACHINERY IN MOTION-BEGINNING OF ROAD BUILDING-THE OLD SOUTHERN BRIDGE -LAW ENFORCEMENT IN 1859-THE FIRST JURORS DRAWN-SENATORS AND REPRESENTATIVES- COUNTY OFFICERS IN FIFTY-TWO YEARS-THE COUNTY SEAT-FIRST TAXES LEVIED-COMMISSIONER DISTRICTS ESTAB- LISHED-TOWNSHIP ORGANIZATION-WYANDOTTE COUNTY STATISTICS.
In the territorial period of Kansas, previous to 1859, the area that is embraced in Wyandotte county was a part of Leavenworth and Johnson counties. Thus, with the domination of the "Leavenworth crowd," or of the Missourians who came over into Kansas territory, the citizens here at the mouth of the Kansas river had little share in the af- fairs of government and of politics. In consequence thereof some things happened. The first election in the county, aside from the elections held by the Indians themselves before the organization of the territory, was in June, 1857, to select a delegate to the Lecompton constitutional convention. The polls were guarded by soldiers and the votes were deposited in a candle box, which was afterward found buried in a wood- pile at Lecompton and made infamous in history. In October of the same year the county came into notiee again, politically, by the stuffing of a ballot box and other frauds, perpetrated at the Delaware crossing, eight miles west of Wyandotte. It is said that many of the names found on the poll list could also be found in a New York City directory, which some enterprising pro-slavery man happened to have in his possession at that time.
The political history of Wyandotte eounty, however, began with its organization under an act passed by the legislature of January, 1859, the same legislature that authorized the Wyandotte constitutional con- vention. The act, signed by Governor Medeary January 29, 1859, eut off one hundred and fifty-three square miles from the southeast corner of Leavenworth county and the north side of Johnson county. Since that time Wyandotte county, thus created, has been a free and inde- pendent political entity, capable of managing its own elections and governmental affairs without the aid or interference of its neighbors, and an important factor in the affairs of Kansas.
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CREATIVE ACT.
The legislative measure, "An Act Creating and organizing the County of Wyandotte," follows:
Be it enacted by the Governor and Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Kansas:
Section 1. That a county to be called Wyandotte be bereby erected, including that portion of Leavenworth and Johnson counties within the following limits: Commencing at a point in the middle of the channel of the Missouri river, where the north line of the Delaware reserve intersects the same; running thence west on said reserve line to the line between ranges twenty-two (22) and twenty-three (23); thenee south of said range line to the south boundary of Leavenworth county : thence castwardly on said boundary to the main channel of the Missouri river; thence northwardly with the said main channel to the place of beginning. Also that portion of Johnson county lying north of the township line between townships eleven (11) and twelve (12) east of range twenty-three (23).
Section 2. That an election shall be held in the various precincts in said county of Wyandotte, on the fourth Tuesday of February, 1859, for election of county officers, who shall hold their offices, respectively, until the next general election of county officers, as prescribed by law.
Section 3. That it shall be the duty of the present supervisors of each town- ship in said county of Wyandotte to appoint two clerks and provide places to hold said special election and to act as judge of the same, observing the general election laws except as herein otherwise provided, and on the first Friday of the election, the chairman of all the boards of judges shall meet in Wyandotte City, at the Eldridge House, and canvass the votes and issue certificates to the persons duly elected, and transmit to the secretary of the territory a true copy of the canvass showing who were elected to the various offices of said county.
Seetion 4. That the tenure of all other than county officers within said county shall in nowise be affected by the provisions of this act.
Section 5. That it shall be the duty of the clerk of Leavenworth county, as soon as practicable after the organization of Wyandotte county, to transmit to the clerk of said county the papers in all suits which may be pending in the pro- bate court of Leavenworth county wherein both parties reside in Wyandotte county, together with a certified transcript of all the entries on record in each case, which causes, when so certified, shall be tried and disposed of in the same manner as though they had been commenced in the county of Wyandotte. It shall further be the duty of the clerk of Leavenworth county in like manner to transmit to the clerk of Wyandotte county the papers and documents, together with a certified transcript of all entries in said cause pertaining to probate business, in all cases wherein the decedent's last place of residence was within the limits of said county of Wyandotte. there to be disposed of according to law.
Section 6. That it shall be the duty of the elerk of the district court of the United States in and for Leavenworth county, as soon as practicable after the organization of the county of Wyandotte. to transmit to the clerk of the district court in and for said county of Wyandotte a certified transcript of the record and of all the papers in each and every ease pending in said court wherein the parties thereto reside in said county of Wyandotte, to be disposed of in the same manner as though the same had originally been commenced in the county of Wyandotte.
Section 7. That is hereby made the duty of the recorders in the counties of Leavenworth and Johnson to make out and transmit to the recorder of Wyandotte county as soon as practicable a true copy of the records of all deeds, mortgages,
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deeds of trust, bonds and other writings in relation to real estate or any interest therein being within the limits of Wyandotte county as above described, and the said recorders are authorized to procure suitable books for that purpose, and such elerks and recorders shall be entitled to compensation for said service from the county of Wyandotte at the usual legal rates.
Section 8. The city of Wyandotte shall be the temporary county seat until a permanent county seat shall be established.
Seetion 9. That at the next election for members of the territorial legis- lature, the people of said county shall vote for permanent county seats, and the place receiving the highest number of all the votes cast shall be the permanent county seat of Wyandotte county.
Seetion 10. That portion of any precinct divided by the county lines, and being within Wyandotte county, shall be attached to the precinet adjoining in said county of Wyandotte for election and other purposes until otherwise ordered.
Section 11. That the county of Wyandotte shall be liable for all the money appropriated by the county of Leavenworth to be expended within the limits of said county of Wyandotte, and that all taxes now assessed within said county of Wyandotte shall be paid into the treasury of said county.
Section 12. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage.
THE FIRST ELECTION OF COUNTY OFFICERS.
Under the provisions of this act the first election of county officers was held, as directed, on February 22, 1859. Three days later, Febru- ary 25th, the board of supervisors to canvass the votes cast at the election met at the Eldridge House in the city of Wyandotte. On the board were George Russell and George W. Veale, the latter acting for Alfred Gray. Myron J. Pratt was acting secretary. The board deelared the following county officers elected :
Probate Judge, Jacques W. Johnson ; sheriff, Samuel E. Forsythe ; clerk of the Board of Supervisors, Marshall A. Garrett ; register of deeds, Vincent J. Lane; county attorney, William L. MeMath; treasurer, Robert Robitaille; surveyor, Cyrus L. Gorton ; coroner, Dr. George B. Wood ; and superintendent of common schools, Jacob B. Welborn.
Jacques W. Johnson, the probate judge, died in the summer of 1859 and at a meeting of the supervisors, on September 2nd, Barzillai Gray was elected to the vacancy.
THE COUNTY MACHINERY IN MOTION.
The new officers duly elected and installed, the supervisors lost no time in setting up their organization and within a month the machinery of the county government was in motion. The supervisors, on March 5th, resolved to lease "the room on the corner of Nebraska avenue and Third street, " from S. D. McDonald for the county officers. The coun- ty attorney was then established in a room over the postoffice. The salary of the clerk was fixed at $400, of the probate judge at $800, and the county attorney at $600. An appropriation of $200, "or so mueh Vol. I-18
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thereof as may be required," was made "out of the first moneys re- ceived in the county treasury" to pay Samuel Doddsworth of Leaven- worth for county books. Alfred Gray was delegated "to correspond with some person competent to build an iron jail." A license of $50 was fixed for each dramshop.
THE BEGINNING OF ROAD BUILDING.
As soon as the white settlers in considerable numbers began to come into the county outside of Wyandotte and Quindaro the supervisors be- gan to lay out roads, establish ferries and build bridges. Among the earliest and best thoroughfares that had been built previous to this time were the military roads from Leavenworth south through Wyandotte county to the Delaware ferry near Muncie, and a road that was opened in 1857 from Quindaro to Lawrence. Early in the summer of 1859 the supervisors appointed Delos N. Barnes, Monroe Salisbury and Francis Kessler as commissioners to survey and locate a county road from some point on a line dividing sections 31 and 32, township 10 south, range 25 cast, extending in a southerly direction to the bridge across the Kansas river.
The bridge across the Kansas river to which this road ran was the first bridge in the county. It was built in 1858 by private subscription. It cost $15,000 and was located three miles above Wyandotte. In 1860 a tornado took out one span and the balance of the structure soon disappeared.
LAW ENFORCEMENT IN 1859.
In the record of the proceedings of the first board of supervisors, September, 1859, is the following: "The county attorney is hereby in- structed to strictly enforce the requirements of the act to restrain dram- shops and taverns and regulate the sale of intoxicating liquors, approved February 11, 1859, and he is hereby directed to indiet, at the next term of the district court, those persons who fail to take out license and in other respects neglect to comply with the provisions of said law."
THE FIRST JURORS DRAWN.
The board of supervisors organized Monday, April 2, 1860, with William MeKay as chairman. On Tuesday the matter of the selection of grand and petit jurors was taken up, and the following names from the assessment rolls of the county, for the year 1859, were chosen: For grand jurors, Charles H. Chapin, Francis Kessler, Landon Lydon, Albert S. Corey, Thomas MeIntyre, Fielding Johnson, Charles E. Sawyer, Abelard Guthrie, Arad Tuttle, James C. Zane, Silas Armstrong, S. P. Bartlett, O. S. Bartlett, Chester Colburn, P. Clingaman, William Curns,
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Louis M. Cox, John M. Chrysler, Emmanuel Dyer, A. P. Day, A. D. Downs, James H. Hassis, Joseph Hanford, Ed. Hovey, A. Huntington, William Hood, Sterling IIance, Leonard Leake, Valentine Lucas, John Me Alpin, Thomas Merry, W. C. MeHenry, James McGrew, William Millar. James R. Parr, W. Y. Roberts, George Russell, Samuel Stover, Berry Swander, Martin Stewart, Milton Sabers, Iliram Wright, A. G. Walcott, Gustavus Leitz, Samuel M. Stephens, Charles H. Suydam, G. B. Terrill, E. T. Vedder, C. H. Van Fossen and Isaiah Walker; for petit jurors, Eli McKee, Joseph II. Bartles, Jacob Kyle, John H. Mat- toon, Charles Moraseh, C. II. Carpenter, Isaac R. Zane, Samuel Merchant, John Stewart, Robert Anderson, Fred Blum, Stephen S. Bradley, E. S. Barche, John M. Blockly, Frank H. Betton, James Clifford, James D. Chestnut, R. Chalk, J. A. J. Chapman, R. G. Dunning, Thomas Downs, Michael Gorman, G. K. Grinrod, Bat. Griffin, Joseph Greible, Malcolm Gregory, Theodore Garrett, M. A. Garrett, James Hennepey, Robert Halford, William D. Jones, N. A. Kirk, Daniel Killen, Claudius Kiefer, Henry Kirby, II. C. Long, William Lovey, Charles Lovelace, Anthony McMahon, Joseph MeDowell, J. M. Mather, H. W. McNay, David Powell, E. J. Pedigo, Ed. Purdam, George Roof, J. D. Simpson, Ebenez- er Smith, C. Stapleton and Fred Schonp.
SENATORS AND REPRESENTATIVES.
In her fifty years of statehood Wyandotte county has had twelve state senators. The first election for state senator was in 1862 and James McGrew, afterwards lieutenant governor, was chosen. He had previously served Wyandotte county as a representative, under election in 1861. William Wear was chosen senator in 1864, Isaac B. Sharp in 1866, Charles S. Glick in 1868, George P. Nelson in 1870 and Byron Judd in 1872. Mr. Judd was re-elected in 1874 and in 1876. He was succeeded by William J. Buchan, who was state senator fourteen years and was defeated in 1892 by Edwin Taylor, who served one term of four years. Following Senator Taylor came Henry T. Zimmer, James K. Cubbison, James F. Getty and T. A. Milton, each for a term of four years.
The first representative chosen from Wyandotte county after its organization was William L. MeMath, in 1859. The next year, 1860, W. Y. Roberts was chosen. They served in the territorial legislatures. Since Kansas has been a state the following have been chosen as repre- sentatives at the elections in the years indicated :
1861-W. W. Diekinson and James McGrew.
1863-W. W. Bottum.
1864-Charles S. Gliek.
1865-Isaiah Walker.
1866-Thomas J. Barker and Daniel Killen.
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1867-Richard Hewitt and Vincent J. Lane.
1868-II. W. Cook and Thomas Feeney.
1869-Vincent .J. Lane and John T. Mckay.
1870-Rufus E. Cable and Joseph K. Hudson.
1871-Stephen A. Cobb and Hiram Malotte.
1872-William J. Buchan and W. S. Tough.
1873-Richard B. Taylor and Sanford Haff.
1874-William J. Buchan and Sanford Haff.
1875-Henry W. Cook and Sanford Haff.
1876-Henry W. Cook and Sanford Haff.
1877-Henry L. Alden, L. E. James and G. W. Greever.
1879-Russell B. Armstrong, L. E. James and G. W. Greever.
1881-E. S. W. Drought, Thomas J. Barker, and B. L. Stine.
1882-E. S. W. Drought and James F. Timmons.
1884-E. S. W. Drought and B. L. Stine.
1886-Porter Sherman and James F. Timmons.
1888-G. L. Coates and W. H. II. Young.
1890-J. O. Milner and A. A. Burgard.
1892-J. K. Cubbison and A. A. Burgard.
1894 J. K. Cubbison, C. H. Allen and D. S. Hains.
1896-J. K. Cubbison, Frank J. Armstrong and Edwin Taylor.
1898-David D. Hoag, J. S. Edwards and H. A. Bailey.
1900-David D. Hoag, J. A. Butler and J. L. Landrey.
1902-E. A. Enright, II. W. Broadbent and J. L. Landrey.
1904-S. S. Glasscock, E. K. Robinet and C. D. Dail.
1906-E. A. Enright, W. H. Martin and W. W. Gordon.
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