USA > Kansas > Kansas; a cyclopedia of state history, embracing events, institutions, industries, counties, cities, towns, prominent persons, etc. with a supplementary volume devoted to selected personal history and reminiscence, Voilume I > Part 27
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In 1865 the citizens voted $150,000 in bonds for the purpose of sub- scribing a like sum to the capital stock of the Missouri River, Fort Scott & Gulf railway. The road was completed to Fort Scott in Dec., 1869, and on Jan. 7, 1870, the bonds were delivered to the road. In 1867 a proposition to vote $150,000 worth of bonds to purchase stock of the Tebo & Neosho railroad was carried, but the commissioners de- cided it was not advisable to purchase stock of this road and ordered that $150,000 be subscribed to the capital stock of any road that would start at Fort Scott, run north of the Marmaton in the general direction of Humboldt. This amount was subscribed to the stock of the Fort Scott & Allen County Railroad company, on condition that the road should be completed west of the county by July 1, 1872. The Fort Scott, Humboldt & Western succeeded this road, and asked for the deliverance of the bonds, but the conditions had not been complied with and the bonds were issued to the Fort Scott, Humboldt & West- ern under that name. At the present time there are about 125 miles of main track railroad in the county. The Missouri Pacific operates two lines-one traversing the center from east to west, the other cross-
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ing the county from north to southeast, both lines passing through Fort Scott. The St. Louis & San Francisco enters in the northeast, passes through Fort Scott and at Edward branches, both the lines entering Crawford county. The Missouri, Kansas & Texas enters in the east from Missouri, passes through Fort Scott, thence southwest into Crawford county.
The first schools in the county were private ones at Fort Scott, opened in 1857, but the district school system was not organized until 1859. One district, later known as No. 10, was organized on Dec. 10 of that year. In 1860 four more districts were organized and since that time progress in education has been steady, until at the present time Bourbon county has a public school system as fine as any county in the state.
According to the U. S. census for 1910, the population of the county was 24,007. The value of the farm products for the same year was $1,504,134, the principal crop being corn, with a value of $754,039, and hay second, with a value of $432,994.
Bourgmont's Expedition .- Dumont and Bossu both tell of a Spanish expedition which was sent out from Santa Fe in 1720, having for its object the punishment of the Missouris, a powerful tribe of Indians in- habiting what is now the central and western parts of the State of Mis- souri, for wrongs inflicted upon the Spaniards. The commander of the expedition was instructed to visit the Osages and secure their assist- ance in the destruction of the Missouris. Through a mistake in the route, the expedition first reached the Missouri villages. Supposing them to be the Osages, the Spanish commander unfolded his plan, and asked the chiefs to aid him in carrying it out. With a diplomacy rarely excelled, the Missouri chiefs concealed the identity of their tribe and consented to the arrangement. The Indians were then furnished with arms, and during the following night they massacred the entire caravan except a Jacobin priest. This story is repeated by Chittenden, in his "American Fur Trade," but Prof. John B. Dunbar, who has made ex- tensive researches pertaining to the early French and Spanish move- ments in the southwest, thinks it largely in the nature of a myth, or at least an incorrect account of the Villazur expedition (q. v.) of that year.
Most historians have adopted the theory that news of a Spanish ex- pedition of some sort reached New Orleans, and the French govern- ment of Louisiana determined to establish a fort at some suitable point on the Missouri river, as a means of holding the allegiance of the In- dians and guarding against Spanish invasion or interference.
According to the Michigan Pioneer Collections (vol. 34. p. 306) Etienne Venyard Sieur de Bourgmont was temporarily in charge of the post of Detroit in the early part of the 18th century, during the ab- sence of Cadillac, and in 1707 he deserted and went to the Missouri river, where he lived for several years among the Indians. His familiar- ity with the country and his acquaintance with the natives of that sec-
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tion doubtless led to his selection as the proper man to lead the expe- dition. M. de Bourgmont was at that time in France, but he hurried to America and soon after his arrival at New Orleans set out at the head of a body of troops for the Missouri river. His first work was to erect Fort Orleans (q. v.), where he established his headquarters.
Du Pratz's narrative says: "The Padoucas, who lie west by north- west of the Missouris, were at war with several neighboring tribes all in amity with the French, and to conciliate a peace between all these nations and the Padoucas, M. de Bourgmont sent to engage them, as being our allies, to accompany him on a journey to the Padoucas in order to bring about a general pacification."
Du Pratz himself states that his narrative was "extracted and abridged from M. de Bourgmont's journal, an original account, signed by all the officers, and several others of the company." A few years ago a translation of Bourgmont's original journal was made by Prof. Dunbar, and a copy of his translation was presented by him to the Kansas Historical Society. According to this account, Bourgmont left Fort Orleans on July 3. 1724, crossed the Missouri river on the 8th, and "landed within a gunshot of the Canzes village, where we camped." The Canzes came in a body to Bourgmont's camp, and seven of the leading chiefs assured him that it was the desire of all the young men of the tribe to accompany him to the country of the Padoucas. On the 9th Bourgmont sent five of his Missouris to the Otoes, to notify them of his arrival at the Canzes village and that it was his intention to continue his journey as soon as he could complete his arrangements. Two weeks were then spent in securing horses from the Canzes, and in other necessary preparations. Sieur Mercur and Corporal Gentil left the Canzes village on the 24th with a pirogue loaded with supplies, which they were to take to the Otoes for Bourgmont, whose intention it was to return that way.
Everything was being made ready, Bourgmont resumed his march on the 25th. Besides his Indian allies, he was accompanied by M. de St. Ange, an officer; Sieur Renaudiere, engineer of mines; Sieur du Bois, sergeant ; Sieur de Beloin, cadet ; Rotisseau, corporal ; nine French soldiers ; three Canadians, and two employees of Renaudiere. On July 31, when within ten days' journey of the Padouca villages, Bourgmont became too ill to retain his seat in the saddle. A litter was constructed and he was carried for some distance in it, but his illness increasing. he was forced to discontinue his march. In this emergency he decided to send a Padonca woman, who had been a slave among the Canzes, and a boy of sixteen or seventeen years of age to inform the Padoucas that he was on his way, but was ill, and that he would be with them as soon as he was able.
Gaillard, one of the soldiers, volunteered to conduct the woman and boy to the Padoucas. Bourgmont gave him a letter to the Spanish (in case he met them), and also a letter in Latin to the chaplain. Gaillard was instructed to bring the Padouca chiefs to meet Bourgmont, and in
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case they declined to come to wait at their villages until his arrival. A few days later Bourgmont decided to return to Fort Orleans, where on Sept. 6 he received a letter from Sergt. du Bois advising him of Gail- lard's arrival among the Padoucas on Aug. 25.
Having recovered his health, Bourgmont again left Fort Orleans on Sept. 20 and arrived at the Canzes village on the 27th. On Oct. 2 Gail- lard arrived at the camp with three Padouca chiefs and three warriors. and reported some 60 others four days' distant. On the 8th the expe- dition left the Canzes village, moved up the valley of the Kansas river, and on the 18th reached the Padoucas. The next day the chiefs of that tribe were called together, Bourgmont made a speech to them, dis- tributed presents, and concluded a treaty of peace. On the 22nd he set out on his return to Fort Orleans, where he arrived on Nov. 5.
Franklin G. Adams, for many years secretary of the Kansas His- torical Society, and George J. Remsburg, an acknowledged authority on the archaeology of the Missouri valley, think that the Canzes village mentioned in Bourgmont's journal was located near the present town of Doniphan, in Doniphan county, Kan. A map of the expedition in Volume IX, Kansas Historical Collections, shows this place to the starting point west of the Missouri, whence the expedition moved southwest to the Kansas river, which was crossed near the northwest corner of the present Shawnee county ; thence up the south bank of the Kansas and Smoky Hill rivers, crossing the latter near the mouth of the Saline; thence following the Saline to the Padouca villages in the northern part of what is now Ellis county.
Who were the Padoucas? Parrish, in his account of the expedition, speaks of them as the Comanches, and this may be correct. On a map published in 1757, in connection with Du Pratz's History of Louisiana, the country of the Padoucas is shown extending from the headwaters of the Republican to south of the Arkansas, the great village of the tribe being located near the source of the Smoky Hill. Other author- ities say that "Padoucas" was the Siouan name for the Comanches, a branch of the Shoshones. The Comanches were a "buffalo nomad" tribe that ranged from the Platte to Mexico.
The theory that the Bourgmont expedition was the sequel of some Spanish expedition massacred by the Indians is hardly tenable when it is carefully considered in the light of known facts. The Villazur ex- pedition, the only Spanish expedition of 1720 of which there is any authentic record, was massacred on Aug. 16, while Bourgmont's com- mission bore date of Aug. 12, 1720, four days before the massacre oc- curred. It is far more likely that Bourgmont was sent out-just as other explorers of that day were sent out-with the general view of establishing amicable relations with the Indians and thereby profit by the fur trade, etc.
Bow Creek, a little village of Phillips county, is situated near the southern boundary, about 15 miles southeast of Phillipsburg. It was formerly a postoffice, but the inhabitants now receive mail by rural free
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delivery from Stockton. Kirwin is the most convenient railroad station. The population was 66 in 1910.
Bowersock, Justin De Witt, member of Congress, was born at Co- lumbiana, Ohio, Sept. 19, 1842. His father was of Irish and his mother of Scotch descent. He was educated in the common schools, and at the close of his academic course went to Iowa City, Iowa, where he en- gaged in business as a grain merchant. In 1877 he· located at Law- rence, Kan., where he saw the possibilities of water power. He built a dam across the Kansas river, and with the power thus developed estab- lished several manufacturing plants. Mr. Bowersock was made presi- dent of the Kansas Water Power company; organized the Douglas County bank (now the Lawrence National) in 1878, and was elected president of that institution in 1888. He is also president of the Bower- sock Mills & Power company, the Kansas Water Power company, the Griffin Ice company, the Lawrence Iron works, the Lawrence Paper Manufacturing company and the Kansas & Colorado Railroad company. He has always taken an active part in municipal affairs and in 1881 was elected mayor of Lawrence, which position he filled until 1885. In 1886 he was elected to the Kansas house of representatives, and to the state senate in 1894. In 1898 he was nominated by the Republican party of the Second district for Congress, and in November was elected. His record during his term commended him to the people of his district, who honored him with four reëlections. Mr. Bowersock is a member of the Congregational church, the Lawrence Commercial club and the Merchants' Athletic association. On Sept. 5, 1886, Mr. Bowersock mar- ried Mary C. Gower, of Iowa City, Iowa.
Boyd, a village of Eureka township, Barton county, is a station on the Missouri Pacific R. R., 4 miles west of Hoisington and 12 miles northwest of Great Bend, the county seat. It has a money order post- office, and is a trading and shipping point for the neighborhood. The population was 40 in 1910.
Boyle, a station on the Union Pacific R. R. in Jefferson county, is located about 5 miles from Valley Falls and 9 miles from Oskaloosa, the county seat. It has a money order postoffice. The population in 1910 was 18.
Boys' Industrial School .- (See Industrial Schools.)
Bradford, a money order postoffice of Wabaunsee county, is a station on the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe R. R., 21 miles southeast of Alma, the county seat. It is a shipping and supply point for the neighbor- hood and in 1910 reported a population of 63.
Brainerd, a village of Butler county, is a station on the line of the Missouri Pacific R. R. that runs from Eldorado to McPherson, 17 miles northwest of Eldorado. It has an express office, telephone connections, and is a shipping and supply point for the neighborhood. Brainerd was formerly a postoffice, but the people there now receive mail by rural free delivery from White Water. The population was 73 in 1910.
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Branscomb, Charles H., who with Charles Robinson selected the site for the town of Lawrence, was a native of New Hampshire. He was educated at Phillips Academy, Exeter, N. H., and Dartmouth Col- lege, where he graduated in 1845. Subsequently he studied law at the Cambridge Law School, was admitted to the bar and practiced for six years in Massachusetts. Upon the organization of the Emigrant Aid Society (q. v.) Mr. Branscomb became one of its agents. He came to Kansas in July, 1854; and went up the Kansas river as far as Fort Riley to select a location for a town, but finally agreed with Dr. Robinson on the site of Lawrence. On July 28 he conducted the pioneer party of 30 persons sent out by the society to Lawrence, where they arrived on Aug. I. The second party, also conducted by Mr. Branscomb, arrived in October. He continued to act as agent for the aid society until 1858, when he located in Lawrence and opened a law office. He immediately began to take an active part in the political life of the territory; was elected to the territorial house of representatives; was a member of the Leavenworth constitutional convention; and after his removal to St. Louis, Mo., was a member of the Missouri legislature.
Branson, Jacob, one of the early settlers of Douglas county, located at Hickory Point, about 10 miles south of Lawrence on the old Santa Fe road. It was a very beautiful tract of land, part heavy timber and the rest fertile prairie. Many of the early settlers came from Indiana, some of the people who took claims returned to the east temporarily, some never returned. Missourians and others took up these abandoned claims and sometimes laid claim to others which were afterward re- sumed by the original settlers. Jacob Branson, who was the leader of the free-state men in the locality, encouraged free-state men to settle at Hickory Point and the pro-slavery men endeavored to get as many men of their faction to settle there as they could. Most of the difficul- ties in Kansas during the territorial period arose over the question of slavery, but disputes about claims in many cases precipitated the quar- rels. The antagonistic elements brought into daily conflict could not long remain without open rupture; one of the most serious occurrences of this kind took place at Hickory Point. A man named Franklin Cole- man was among the second claimants at Hickory Point and a dispute arose between him and Charles W. Dow, who had also settled on an unoccupied claim. Coleman was prominent in the neighborhood as a pro-slavery man, while Dow lived with Branson, the acknowledged lead- er of the free-state party in the Wakarusa district. Coleman trespassed on Dow's claim and was warned that he must stop. The feeling be- tween the two men was rapidly tending toward a crisis, when on the morning of Nov. 21, 1855, Dow met Coleman and some other pro-slavery men, among them Buckley and Hargus, at the blacksmith shop at Hick- ory Point. They denounced Dow and unfortunately Dow and Cole- man met on the road going toward Dow's claim. Dow left Coleman at his claim and just after he passed up the road Coleman fired at him ; the gun missed fire and Dow begged for mercy but Coleman shot him
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and he died in the road. Immediately Coleman started for Westport, Mo., to give himself up to the governor, but not finding him surrendered to Samuel J. Jones, the sheriff of Douglas county, who was a friend of the pro-slavery party. After Dow's funeral the settlers of Hickory held a meeting, when resolutions of condolence were passed and a committee was appointed to take steps toward bringing the murderer to justice. At this meeting Branson advocated radical measures with regard to Coleman and his companions, Buckley and Hargus. Sheriff Jones, in the meantime was on his way to Lecompton with his prisoner, but on the way was met by some of Coleman's neighbors. Buckley told of the threats made against him by Branson and the sheriff concluded to make another arrest. A warrant was sworn out by Buckley who said that he feared for his life. Justice Cameron issued a peace war- rant for the arrest of Branson. It seems that the pro-slavery party ex- pected the free-state men would attempt to rescue Branson, but believed they would do so in Lawrence, after the prisoner was taken there, under which circumstances there would be an excellent excuse for assaulting that stronghold of the abolitionists. Armed with this war- rant and accompanied by Buckley and some fifteen pro-slavery men, Jones went to Branson's house on the evening of Nov. 26 and arrested him. This posse had been met before they served the writ by S. P. Tappan of Lawrence, a free-state man, who learned of their mission, and immediately informed Branson's friends of the intended arrest; a young man who lived at Branson's also aroused the neighbors as soon as Jones and his party left. The sheriff with the posse did not ride at once toward Lawrence, so that considerable time elapsed before they started north. In the meantime the friends of Branson were aroused and planned his rescue. Phillips, in his Conquest of Kansas, says. "the intention was to have Branson rescued in Lawrence," but Tappan and the young man who had left Branson's had both been busy ; about four- teen of the free-state men were gathered at Abbott's house near which the posse would have to pass on the way to Lawrence. They had gath- ered so quickly and Jones was so slow that for a time the party at Ab- bott's began to think they had taken a different road or gone to Le- compton, when the alarm was given by the guard on the road. The party in the Abbott house rushed out and Jones attempted to evade them by going off the road. This was prevented by the free-state men spreading out. Jones demanded what was the matter, to which the free-state men replied that was just what they wanted to know. The tree-state men told Branson to ride over to them, which he did; both sides declared that they would shoot but neither did. Jones tried in every way to induce the free-state men to give Branson up, but this they refused to do. Finding that nothing availed but to fight, and not being willing to shed blood, Jones was obliged to leave Branson in the hands of his friends and returned to Franklin. The numerical strength of the contestants in this bloodless encounter was about equal, as it is estimated that there were about fifteen men on each side. Later in the
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night the rescuing party having been augmented by a few men, rode into Lawrence, where they told of the threats Jones had made against the Abolitionists of Lawrence. The arrest of Branson was both violent and irregular and it is doubtful whether any legal officer would have sustained the arrest had the rescue been questioned. There were only three Lawrence men concerned in the rescue, and Charles Robinson saw that it would not do for the city to take any action in the rescue or harbor the rescuers. A meeting of the citizens of Lawrence was called and Mrs. Robinson in writing of it said, "Mr. Branson said at the meet- ing that he had requested to leave Lawrence, that no semblance of an excuse existed for the enemy to attack the town, with tears streaming down his weather-beaten cheeks he offered to go home and die there and be buried by his friend." To this the free-state citizens would not hear but after the Wakarusa camp was established, Tappan, Wood and Branson moved there as a precautionary measure, as Wood had taken such a prominent part in the rescue.
Brantford, a village of Washington county, with a population of 75, is located near the Republic county line, about 20 miles southwest of Washington, the county seat. It was formerly a postoffice, but mail is now supplied to the people there by rural free delivery from Clyde.
Brazilton, a town of Crawford county, is located in Walnut town- ship and is a station on the Pittsburg & Chanute division of the Atchi- son, Topeka & Santa Fe R. R., 8 miles northwest of Girard, the county seat. It has a money order postoffice, express, telegraph and telephone service, some good general stores, and does considerable shipping. The Catholics and Lutherans are the leading religious denominations. In 1910 Brazilton reported a population of 150.
Breckenridge College .- On Feb. 14, 1857, the legislature of Kansas passed an act as follows: "An institution of learning is hereby incor- porated under the name and style of 'Breckenridge College' to be lo- cated at or near Lodiana City in Browne county, Kansas Territory." The directors named were W. H. Honnell, Samuel M. Irvine, F. B. Montfort, Walter Lowrie, Robert J. Breckenridge, John Ford, Elijah M. Hubbard, Henry W. Honnell, John M. Scott, John Calhoun, Austin Forman, J. P. Blair, and James G. Bailey.
Breckenridge County was created by the first territorial legislature in 1855 and named for John C. Breckenridge, who was the next year elected vice-president of the United States. When first created it was attached to Madison county for all civil and judicial purposes, but by the act of Feb. 17, 1857, the county was fully organized "with all the rights, powers and privileges of other organized counties of the terri- tory; and the county seat of Breckenridge is hereby temporarily lo- cated at Agnes city," etc. The act of Feb. 27, 1860, provided for the location of a permanent county seat by vote of the electors of the county.
As originally established, the county was 24 miles square, lying im- mediately south of Richardson (now Wabaunsee) county, but by the
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act of Jan. 31, 1861, the southern boundary was moved southward to. the line between townships 21 and 22 south. On Feb. 5, 1862, the gov- ernor approved an act changing the name of Breckenridge to Lyon county. (See Lyon County.)
Bremen, a village of Marshall county, is located in Logan town- ship 9 miles northwest of Marysville, the county seat, on the St. Joseph & Grand Island R. R. It has banking facilities, telegraph and express. offices and a postoffice with two rural mail routes. The population in IgII Was 200.
Brenner, a station on the Burlington & Missouri River R. R. in Doni- phan county, is located in Wayne township 5 miles south of Troy. It has telegraph and express offices and a money order postoffice. The population in 1910 was 40. It was laid out by the railroad company in 1872 and during the next decade was an important grain market, the dealers buying principally for the Atchison millers.
Brewer, David J., jurist, was born at Smyrna, Asia Minor, June 20,. 1837, a son of Rev. Josiah and Emilia (Field) Brewer, and a nephew of Stephen J. Field, who was one of the associate justices of the United States supreme court from 1863 to 1897. David J. Brewer was educated at Yale College and the Albany Law School, and in June, 1859, located at Leavenworth, Kan., where he began the practice of law. He was United States commissioner in 1861-62; judge of the probate and crim- inal courts of Leavenworth county from 1863 to 1865; judge of the district court from 1865 to 1869; county attorney in 1869-70; an asso- ciate justice of the Kansas supreme court from 1870 to 1884; resigned his position on the supreme bench on April 8, 1884, to become United States circuit judge; and on Dec. 18, 1889, was commissioned associate justice of the United States supreme court where he remained until his death. In 1896 Judge Brewer was appointed a member of the Venezuelan boundary commission, and three years later was a member of the British-Venezuelan arbitration tribunal. Always a friend of and a believer in popular education, Judge Brewer was the president of the Kansas State Teachers' Association in 1869, and he also served as a member of the Leavenworth school board. He was the author of sev- eral books on legal subjects. Judge Brewer was twice married. On Oct. 3, 1861, he married Louise R. Landon of Burlington, Vt. She died on April 3, 1898, and on June 5, 1901, he married Emma Minor Mott of Washington, D. C. Judge Brewer died at Washington of apoplexy on March 28, 1910. He is remembered by many friends. in Kansas as a genial companion, an able lawyer and a just judge.
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