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 39
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Cheyenne County .- On March 6, 1873, Gov. Osborn approved an act creating a number of new counties out of the unorganized territory in the western part of the state. One of these counties was Cheyenne, the most northwestern county of Kansas, the boundaries of which were defined by the act as follows: "Commencing where the east line of range 37 west, intersects the fortieth degree of north latitude; thence south with said range line to the first standard parallel; thence west with said parallel to the west line of the State of Kansas; thence north with the state line to the fortieth degree of north latitude; thence east with said parallel to the place of beginning."
A survey of the public lands in the county was made in 1874, and in 1876 the first cattle ranch-the "T" ranch-was located about 9 miles above Wano on the Republican river. The country was then full of Indians and buffalo hunters. The first actual settlers came to the county in 1879, when the Day brothers located on the "Big Timber," but they left the following spring, about the time that A. M. Brena- man, L. R. Heaton and a man named Bateham came with their families. Jacob Buck also settled in the county, near Wano, and in the spring of 1880. By Aug. 23 of that year there were enough settlers to justify the establishment of a postoffice at Wano, with A. M. Brenaman as postmaster. The first mail was carried from Atwood, the county seat of Rawlins county, on Oct. 15, 1880. Graham & Brenaman opened the first store in Sept., 1880, in a sod house, and it said their stock of goods was neither large nor particularly well assorted, consisting of a few necessary staple articles, such as a frontier settlement de- manded. The first school was taught at Kepferle. School district No. I was organized on Dec. 3, 1881, and the following subscriptions were made to pay a teacher : G. T. Dunn, $5; L. R. Heaton, $5 ; S. O'dell, $5; Jacob Buck, $8; John Quistorf, $3; F. J. Graham, $3; H. Miller, W. H. Holcomb, J. A. Hoffman and John Long, $2.50 each; G. W. Howe, $1.50, making a total of $40.50, in addition to which the patrons agreed to board the teacher. School was opened on Jan. 10, 1882, in a building donated by F. J. Graham, with ten scholars in attendance.
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In the winter of 1883 Cheyenne county was made a municipal town- ship and attached to Rawlins county for judicial and revenue pur- poses. It was organized as such with A. M. Brenaman as district clerk and county superintendent, and John Long as sheriff and surveyor. Two years later (1885) the property of Cheyenne county was valued at $150,000 for taxation. In April of that year the site of Wano was selected by John Dunbar, W. W. Mckay and John Goodenberger, in the southwest quarter of section 14, township 3 south, range 40 west, about a mile northeast of the present town of St. Francis. The name was selected by A. M. Brenaman when the postoffice was established. Wano is a Spanish word, meaning "good," esto wano signifying "very good."
On Sept. 7, 1885, the Cheyenne County Agricultural Society was organized at Wano, with the following directors: A. L. Emerson, Jacob Buck, L. R. Heaton, John G. Long, W. W. McKay, A. M. Brenaman, L. P. Rollins, Dr. J. C. Burton and John Elliott. At the same meeting it was decided to hold a fair on the Ist and 2nd of October. The Cheyenne Rustler of Oct. 9, 1885, says: "The first exhibit of the Cheyenne County Agricultural Society was successful beyond the expectations of the most sanguine friends of the enterprise," and pub- lishes a list of the prize winners.
The first newspaper published in the county was the Wano News, which was established by A. M. Brenaman. It was printed at Atwood, and but five numbers were issued. It was followed by the Echo, which lived but a short time. The Cheyenne County Rustler was started on July 3, 1885, and was soon followed by the Cheyenne County Democrat and the Bird City News.
Toward the close of 1885 an agitation was started for the organiza- tion of the county. There was some opposition to the movement, but on March 10, 1886, a petition praying for an independent county organ- ization was presented to Gov. John A. Martin, who appointed Morris Stine to take a census of the inhabitants and the valuation of property. On the 30th of the same month Mr. Stine made his report to the gov- ernor, showing a population of 2,607, of whom 855 were householders. The value of the property at that time, exclusive of railroad property, was "$509,124, of which $258,740 represented the value of the real estate." On April 1, 1886, Gov. Martin issued his proclamation declar- ing Cheyenne county organized, appointing J. M. Ketcham, W. W. Mckay and J. F. Murray commissioners ; B. W. Knott, county clerk, and designating Bird City as the temporary county seat. On Feb. 26, 1889, an election was held to determine the location of the permanent county seat. The town of St. Francis received a majority of the votes, and the county authorities established their offices there. Within a short time the county owned lots worth $3,000 and buildings worth $4,000 in the new county seat, when the question was raised as to the legality of the election. To settle the matter the legislature of 1891 passed an act, which was approved by Gov. Humphrey on Feb.
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5, declaring "That the said election for the purpose of permanently locating the county seat of Cheyenne county, held Feb. 26, 1889, be and the same is hereby legalized, and the town of St. Francis is hereby declared to be the permanent county seat of said county."
It was also provided that the act should take effect and be in force from and after its publication in the official state paper. Such pub- lication was made on Feb. 6, 1891, the day following the approval of the act by the governor. (See St. Francis.)
By the act of Feb. 25, 1889, the section lines in the county were declared to be public highways, and roads have been opened and im- proved on a number of these lines. The county has but one line of rail- road-the Orleans & St. Francis division of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy system-originally known as the Burlington & Missouri River railroad.
On Feb. 20, 1903, the legislature passed an act providing that when a majority of the electors should petition the county commissioners for a county high school, the board should order such a school estab- lished at the point designated, if the school district would guarantee to furnish a suitable building, the necessary school furniture, etc. Under the provisions of this act the county high school was located at St. Francis, the town furnishing a modern school building of ten rooms.
The surface of Cheyenne county is generally undulating, with a few high bluffs along some of the streams. The bottom lands are usually narrow. There is not much native timber, but a large number of artificial groves have been planted about the farm houses. The soil is largely of sandy nature. Cheyenne is one of the leading counties in the state in the production of Kafir corn, broom-corn and spring wheat. Corn, barley and sugar beets are important crops. The Repub- lican river flows in a northeasterly direction across the county and has a number of tributaries, the principal ones being Bluff, Cherry, Plum and Hackberry creeks. Little Beaver creek flows across the southeast corner, and about 3 miles of the Big Beaver are in the extreme southeastern part. Irrigation ditches have been constructed along the Republican river, and hundreds of acres of land are under irrigation. The county is divided into the following civil townships: Alexander, Beaver, Benkelman, Bird City, Calhoun, Cherry Creek, Cleveland Run, Dent, Eureka, Evergreen, Jaqua, Jefferson, Lawn Ridge, Nutty Combe, Orlando, Porter and Wano.
According to the U. S. census of 1910, the population of Cheyenne county was 4,248, a gain of 1,608 during the preceding decade. The assessed value of the property in that year was $6,486,668, and the value of all farm products, including live stock, was $1,215,954. The five leading crops, in the order of value, were: wheat, $325,302; corn, $317,256; barley, $123.345; hay (including alfalfa), $101,737; broom- corn, $65,008.
Cheyenne county has an altitude of over 3,000 feet. It was named for the Cheyenne Indians, and was crossed by the old Leavenworth
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& Pike's Peak express, which was established in 1859. The area of the county is 1,020 square miles. It is in the 39th senatorial, the 107th representative, the 17th judicial and the 6th Congressional districts. According to the U. S. Postal Guide for July, 1910, there were at that time but four postoffices in the county, viz .: Bird City, Jaqua, St. Francis and Wheeler.
Cheyenne Expedition of 1857 .- In the spring of 1857 the Cheyennes became somewhat troublesome on the western frontier. On May 18 Col. E. V. Sumner despatched Maj. Sedgwick with four companies of cavalry up the Arkansas river, and two days later left Fort Leaven- worth with a force of cavalry and infantry, intending to meet Sedgwick on the south fork of the Platte on July 4. The union was effected, and after leaving two companies of dragoons at Fort Laramie for Gen. Harney's Utah expedition, Sumner moved over to the Solomon river. On July 29, while passing down the Solomon in pursuit of the Indians, he came upon some 300 Cheyennes drawn up in battle array. Sum- ner charged and put the Indians to flight, killing 9 and wounding a large number, with a loss of 2 killed and 9 wounded. On the 3Ist he reached the Indian village, which he found deserted, with 171 lodges still standing and nearly as many more taken down ready for removal. Everything indicated a precipitate flight, and after destroying the vil- lage, Sumner continued the pursuit to within 40 miles of the Arkansas river.
While encamped near old Fort Atkinson, on Aug. II, he received information that the Cheyennes refused to come to Dent's fort, where the agent was waiting to distribute their annual presents, and that they had notified the agent that he would not be permitted to take the goods out of the country. Sumner wrote to the adjutant-general of the United States army, imparting this information, and adding: "I have therefore decided to proceed at once to Bent's fort with the elite of my cavalry, in the hope that I may find the Cheyennes col- lected in that vicinity, and, by further blow, force them to sue for peace ;. at all events this movement will secure the agent and the public property."
Before reaching Bent's fort, Sumner received an order to break up the expedition and send four companies of cavalry to join Gen. Har- ney's expedition. The latter part of the order was subsequently coun- termanded, and on Sept. 16 the expedition reached Fort Leavenworth, having traveled over 1,800 miles.
Cheyenne Raid, 1878 .- When the last of the Indian tribes was removed from Kansas to the Indian Territory, hope was entertained that depredations on the western frontier would cease. But in Sept., 1878, Dull Knife's band of northern. Cheyennes, dissatisfied with the rations furnished by the government, decided to return to their former homes. They accordingly left the reservation, moved northward into Kansas, and on the 17th attacked the cattle camps south of Fort Dodge, where they killed several white men and drove off some of the cattle.
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News of the event reached Gov. Anthony the next day and he appealed to Gen. Pope, commanding the department, but Pope thought it was nothing more than a "scare." The governor sent Adjt .- Gen. Noble to Dodge City with arms and ammunition, but the Indians had moved on northward. Lieut .- Col. William H. Lewis, with a detachment of troops from Fort Dodge, pursued the Indians and came up with them at a canon on Famished Woman's fork. In the fight that ensued Lewis was killed. Telegrams from various points in the western part of the state poured into the governor's office appealing for aid, but still Gen. Pope declined to act.
On Sept. 30 the Cheyennes appeared in Decatur county. Dr. W. B. Mead, in the Kansas Magazine for Nov., 1909, gives an account of a meeting at Oberlin when it became known that the Indians were in in the county. At that meeting a number of men volunteered and were divided into three small companies commanded by W. D. Street, J. W. Allen and Solomon Rees. They went in different directions, scouring the western part of the county, but Capt. Rees' company was the only one that came in contact with the savages. A running fight of several miles followed, in which one Indian was killed, and it was thought several others were wounded. All together, 17 white persons were killed in Decatur county. The Indians were finally overpowered and returned to the reservation. This was the last Indian raid of any consequence in Kansas. Hazelrigg's History of Kansas says: "Of the many In- dian raids in Kansas, none was ever characterized with such brutal and ferocious crimes, and none ever excited such horror and indigna- tion as the Cheyenne raid of 1878."
On Nov. 11, 1878, Gov. Anthony wrote to the secretary of war demanding the surrender of the chiefs to the civil authorities to be tried on the charge of murder. The chief, Wild Hog, and six others were surrendered in December, and on Feb. 15, 1879, were taken from Fort Leavenworth to Dodge City for trial. They were finally tried in Ford and Douglas counties, but the evidence was insufficient to con- vict, and in Oct., 1879, the Indians were released by order of Judge Stephens of Lawrence.
After the raid the government established a cantonment in the In- dian Territory, on the north fork of the Canadian river, between Fort Supply and Fort Reno, for the better protection of the settlers in west- ern Kansas. The post was occupied by five companies of foot soldiers and one company of mounted infantry. Steps were also taken by the state to afford security to the western settlements. Gov. St. John, who succeeded Anthony in Jan., 1879, in his first message to the legis- lature, recommended the establishment of a military contingent fund. The act of March 12, 1879, appropriated $20,000 for such a fund. (See Frontier Patrol.)
The legislature of Kansas in 1909 appropriated $1,500 to the board of county commisisoners of Decatur county for the purpose of erect- ing a monument to the memory of the citizens of that county who were killed on Sept. 30, 1878, victims of the Cheyenne raid.
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Chicago Exposition, 1893 .- (See Expositions.)
Chicopee, one of the principal towns of Crawford county, is located in Baker township, 13 miles southeast of Girard, the county seat, and 4 miles southwest of Pittsburg. It is in the coal fields, and the chief occupation of the people is mining and shipping coal, the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe and the Missouri Pacific railroads furnishing excel- lent transportation facilities. The town has a money order postoffice, telegraph and telephone facilities, Catholic and Protestant churches, good public schools, some well stocked stores, and in 1910 reported a population of 955.
Chief Justices .- The chief justices of Kansas during the territorial regime were Samuel D. Lecompte and John Pettit. The former served from Oct. 3, 1854, to March 9, 1859, and the latter from March 9, 1859, to the establishment of the state government on Feb. 9, 1861.
Following is a list of the 'chief justices since the state was admitted into the Union, with the term of service of each: Thomas Ewing, Jr., Feb., 1861, to Nov. 28, 1862, when he resigned; Nelson Cobb, Nov. 28, 1862, to Jan., 1864; Robert Crozier, Jan., 1864, to Jan., 1867; Samuel A. Kingman, Jan., 1867, to Dec. 30, 1876; Albert H. Horton, Dec. 31, 1876, to April 30, 1895, when he resigned; David Martin, April 30, 1895, to Jan., 1897; Frank M. Doster, Jan., 1897, to Jan., 1903; William A. Johnston, Jan. 1903, to
Chikaskia River, a tributary of the Arkansas river system, is formed by the union of Sand creek and another small stream in the southern part of Kingman county. Its general course is southeast, across the southeast corner of Harper county and through the county of Sumner, crossing the southern boundary of the state near the town of Hunne- well, and finally emptying into the salt fork of the Arkansas near the town of Tonkawa, Okla. .
Children's Aid Societies .- Within recent years the attention of the public has been drawn to the needs of dependent or neglected children, particularly the latter, who, while nominally possessed of a home, are permitted to grow up in an environment where they are almost cer- tain to become criminals or professional paupers. Many of the states, proceeding on the theory that it is easier and better to train the child than to reform the adult, have established houses of detention, juvenile courts, and similar institutions, and have given great encouragement to private societies engaged in caring for such children.
In this work, Kansas has kept pace with the more progressive ideas in the other states, as her reformatory, industrial schools, etc., bear witness, while from the early days of settlement in the state various private and religious societies have done benevolent work of a most important character in caring for and providing homes for dependent and neglected children.
As an encouragement to such societies, an act was passed by the legislature on March 15, 1901, which defined "Children's Aid Society," as "any duly organized and incorporated society, which had for its
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object the protection of children from cruelty, and the care and con- trol of neglected and dependent children." The act provided that "any constable, sheriff, police or other police officer, may apprehend with- out warrant" and bring before the court, as neglected, any child- apparently under the age of fourteen years, if a boy, or sixteen, if a girl-who is dependent upon the public for support, if found begging, receiving alms, thieving, or sleeping at night in the open air; or who is found wandering about late at night, not having any home or set- tled place of abode or proper guardianship; or who is found dwelling with a thief, drunkard or vagabond, or other dissolute person; or who may be an orphan or deserted by parents; or having a single parent undergoing imprisonment for crime.
Any child apprehended by an officer may be brought before the proper court within three days and the case investigated. If the child is found to be neglected the court may order its delivery to "such chil- dren's aid society or institution" as in his judgment is best suited to care for it.
By this act the court has authority to appoint probation officers, whose duty it is to make investigations concerning the children brought before the court, report the same and take charge of the child before and after the trial. When a child is placed in charge of an aid society, the society becomes its legal guardian, and is "authorized to secure for such children legal adoption in such families as may be approved by the society on a written contract for their education in the public schools." These contracts cover the entire period of the child's minor- ity, but the right is reserved to withdraw the child from custody when- ever its welfare requires.
The trustees of charitable institutions may transfer children to aid societies, in order to have the society find homes for them.
Any person over the age of sixteen years, who has charge of a child, who willfully ill treats, neglects, abandons or exposes such child to ill treatment or neglect, is subject to a fine or imprisonment at the discretion of the court. If it is suspected that a child is being ill treated, the proper officials may authorize any person to search for the child and when found, take it to a place of safety until brought before the court. When any county board commits a child to an aid society to care for and provide with a home, the county may pay the society a reasonable sum, not to exceed $50, for the temporary care of such child.
Section 13 of the act provides that children under the age of six- teen, who are charged with offenses against the laws of the state, or brought before the court by the provisions of this act, are not "to be confined in the jails, lockups or police cells used for ordinary criminals," and the municipalities are required to make separate pro- vision for their custody. No societies, except those incorporated under the laws of Kansas, are allowed to place a child in a home within the the state unless permission to do is first obtained from the proper state
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authorities. Under the operations of this law a number of children's aid societies have been formed in the state, and by their careful sys- tematic work, hundreds of children have been taken from unwholesome or immoral surroundings and placed in an atmosphere where they may become useful citizens.
Children's Home Society of Kansas .- This organization is very similar to the Children's Aid Society. The National Children's Home Society was chartered on May 23, 1885, at Chicago, and the Kansas branch was chartered March 20, -1894, at Topeka, with J. T. Clark, president ; Jesse Shaw, vice-president; S. S. Ott, secretary ; Dr. J. E. Minney, treasurer ; and Rev. O. S. Morrow, state superintendent. The aim of the society is to place orphan children in homes where they are adopted or by contract and indenture. In addition to the general board there are local boards in different towns and cities. After the children are placed in a home, they are looked after by supervisors, who see that they have proper care. Some 1,300 children have been placed in good homes by the society, which is chiefly maintained by private donations, though the state has at times contributed to its sup- port, notably in 1893, when the legislature appropriated $1,800 to aid the society's work, and in 1897, an appropriation of $1,400 was made for a like purpose.
Chiles, a post-village in the northeastern part of Miami county, is a station on the Missouri Pacific R. R. II miles northeast of Paola, the county seat. It has a money order postoffice and telegraph station. In 1910 the population was 100.
Chingawassa Springs .- These springs are located in a beautiful nat- ural park in the northeastern part of Marion county, about 6 miles from the city of Marion, and not far from Antelope station on the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific R. R. Within a radius of a quarter of a mile there are about 30 springs that bubble out of the bluffs, the water flowing from them forming quite a stream. One of the springs has å constant flow of about 1,500 gallons an hour. The bottoms and sides of some of them are encrusted with deposits of sulphur, and in a few the odor of hydrogen sulfid is pronounced. About 1888 steps were taken to improve the resort by building a hotel and constructing a "dummy" line to connect with the railroad, but the arrangements were never fully carried out. The park is a favorite place for picnic- parties, etc.
Chisholm Trail .- In the spring of 1865 Jesse Chisholm, a half-breed Scotch-Cherokee, an adopted member of the Wichita Indians, who owned a ranch on the creek east of Wichita bearing his name, "located a trail from his ranch to the present site of the Wichita agency, on the Wichita river, Indian territory, distance 220 miles. This trail sub- sequently became, and is still known as the Chisholm trail. It was. established for the purpose of enabling the traders in the Arkansas valley to obtain wagon communication with the Indians in the Indian Territory, and the trail was used by these traders for years in the-
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transportation of merchandise to tribes in the territory. Afterward the trail was used by Texas cattle drivers, and still later by the govern- ment in the transportation of supplies to Fort Sill, south of the Wichita agency. The principal points on the trail are Wichita, Clearwater, Caldwell, Pond Creek, Skeleton Ranch, Buffalo Springs, Mouth of Turkey Creek, Cheyenne Agency, Wichita Agency and Fort Sill." The Rock Island railroad now follows the Chisholm trail from Wichita to . the north fork of the Canadian. The original trail started at Wichita and ended at the North Canadian, but lengthened out it reached from Abilene, Kan., to San Antonio, Tex. The trail is now a thing of the past, giving way as settlers occupied the lands.
Cholera .- Pathologists describe the malady known as Asiatic cholera as "a malignant disease due to a specific poison which, whein received into the human body through the air, water, or in some other way, gives rise to the most alarming symptoms and very frequently proves fatal to life. An attack of cholera is generally marked by three stages, though these often succeed each other so rapidly as not to be easily defined. There is first a premonitory diarrhoea stage, with occasional vomiting, severe cramps in the abdomen and legs, and great muscular weakness. This condition is succeeded, and often within a remark- ably short period, by the second stage, which is one of collapse, and is called the algid or cold stage. This is characterized by intense pros- tration, great thirst, feebleness of circulation and respiration, with coldness and blueness of the skin, and loss of voice. Should death not take place at this, the most fatal period, the sufferer will then pass into the third or reaction stage of the disease. This, though very frequently marked by a high state of fever, with a tendency to con- gestion of the internal organs, as the brain, lungs, kidneys, etc., is a much more hopeful stage than that which has preceded it, and the chances of recovery are very much increased."
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