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 61
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tion of the leader. On Aug. 29, 1799, he was appointed lieutenant-gov- ernor of Upper Louisiana, which included the territory now comprising the State of Kansas, and remained in that office until March 9, 1804, when, pursuant to orders from the Spanish authorities, he delivered the province to Maj. Amos Stoddard, the representative of the United States government. Upon that date De Lassus issued the following proclama- tion to the people of the province :
"Inhabitants of Upper Louisiana ; By the King's command, I am about to deliver up this post and its dependencies. The flag under which you have been protected for a period of nearly 36 years is about to be with- drawn. From this moment you are released from the oath of fidelity you took to support it. The fidelity and courage with which you have guard- ed and defended it will never be forgotten; and in my character of rep- resentative I entertain the most sincere wishes for your perfect pros- perity."
De Lassus remained at St. Louis until the following autumn, when he was ordered with his regiment to Florida. For a time he was stationed at Pensacola, and later was appointed governor of West Florida, with headquarters at Baton Rouge. Here he was captured by local militia in the uprising of 1810. Shortly after this he resigned his commission and became a private citizen of New Orleans, where he died on May 1, 1842.
Delavan, a village of Grand View township, Morris county, is 19 miles west of Council Grove, the county seat. It is the trading center and shipping point for a rich agricultural neighborhood, has a bank, a money order postoffice with one rural route, express and telegraph offices, tele- phone connections, Christian and Methodist churches, a good public school building, and is one of the most progressive villages of its size in the state. The population in 1910 was 58.
Delaware River, one of the principal water courses of northeastern Kansas, rises in Nemaha county, about 2 miles west of the city of Sabetha. At first its course is southeast through Nemaha, across the southwest corner of Brown and the northeast corner of Jackson county, until it enters Atchison county about 3 miles south of the northwest cor- ner. From this point its course is more southerly through Atchison and Jefferson counties until it falls into the Kansas river nearly opposite the town of Lecompton. Its principal tributaries are Cedar, Plum, Gregg's, Walnut, Rock, White Horse, Big and Little Slough and Catamount creeks, and the Little Delaware river. Originally the stream was called Grasshopper river, but the visitation of grasshoppers in 1874 rendered the name unpopular and the legislature passed an act, which was ap- proved by Gov. Osborn on Feb. 27, 1875, changing the name to Delaware river.
Delia, a little town of Jackson county, is located in the southwest cor- ner of the county on the Union Pacific R. R. 20 miles southwest of Hol- ton, the county seat. It has banking facilities, a money order postoffice with one rural route, telegraph and express offices, and the principal lines of business activity are represented. The population in 1910 was 100.
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Delight, a country postoffice of Ellsworth county, is located in Mul- berry township, near the northeast corner of the county, about 15 miles from Ellsworth, the county seat, and 5 miles north of Carneiro, which is the most convenient railroad station.
Deliverance, a small settlement in the western part of Osborne county, is located near the head of the Little Medicine creek, about 20 miles southwest of Osborne, the county seat. It is a trading center for that section of the county and in 1910 reported a population of 20. Alton is the nearest railroad station.
Dellvale, a village of Leota township, Norton county, is a station on the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific R. R. 8 miles southwest of Norton, the county seat. It has a money order postoffice with one rural route, telegraph and express offices, telephone connections, a grain elevator, some well stocked general stores, a hotel, etc., and in 1910 reported a population of 31.
Delmore, an inland hamlet of McPherson county, is located 12 miles northeast of McPherson, the county seat, and 8 miles north of Galva, on the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe and the Chicago, Rock Island & Pa- cific railroads the nearest shipping point and railroad station. The mail for Delmore is distributed by rural route from the Galva postoffice.
Delphos, the second largest town of Ottawa county, is located on the Solomon river and on the Union Pacific R. R., in Sheridan township, about 12 miles northwest of Minneapolis, the county seat. It has a public library, an opera house, 2 banks, a weekly newspaper (the Re- publican), telegraph and express offices and an international postoffice with four rural routes. It is an important receiving and shipping point, having two flour mills and a creamery and facilities for handling large quantities of grain. It is an incorporated city of the third class and the population in 1810 was 767. The promoter of the town, W. A. Keizer, platted it in 1870. A postoffice had been established two years before with Levi Yockey as postmaster. The first store was opened by Simp- son, Seymour & Easley. In 1872 a bridge was built over the Solomon, $5,000 in bonds being voted for the purpose. Delphos was from the first a grain market and elevators were built before the railroads came through in 1878. In 1879 half of the town was destroyed by a tornado. The first newspaper was started that year, the "Delphos Herald." The first bank was established in 1880. Delphos is famous as the yearly camp- ing ground of the society of spiritualists, which was organized in 1877 at that place with thirteen members. This camp meeting brings hun- dreds of people to Delphos every summer.
Denison, one of the thriving towns in Jackson county, is located on the Missouri Pacific R. R. in Cedar township, 10 miles southeast of Holton, the county seat. Among the public improvements is a $2,000 electric light plant and a $5,500 school building. There are several well stocked stores, banking facilities, express and telegraph offices, and a postoffice with one rural route. The population in 1910 was 325. Deni- son is the successor of the old town of Tippinville, founded in 1858 by
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Welwood Tippin. This was a thrifty little town having a dozen busi- ness establishments, including one of the first cheese factories in Kan- sas. In 1887 when the railroad came through it missed Tippinville, going a mile south. The little town was picked up and moved bodily to the railroad. Most of the buildings moved at that time are still in existence.
Denmark, a hamlet of Lincoln county, is located in the Spillman creek valley, about 10 miles northwest of Lincoln, the county seat. The in- habitants receive mail by rural delivery from Vesper, which is the near- est railroad station.
Dennis, a village of Labette county, is located in Osage township on the St. Louis & San Francisco R. R., 25 miles north of Oswego, the county seat, and 8 miles from Parsons. It has an express office and a money order postoffice with one rural route. The population in 1910 was 175. The first building in Dennis was a railroad depot erected in 1880. In the spring of 1881 William Current opened the first grocery store. John Webb and John Milligan put in a stock of general mer- chandise in 1882. At the time the town was platted in Dec., 1883, there were two general stores, a grain elevator, harness shop, lumber yard. drug store, hardware store and livery stable. The first hotel was put up by Mr. Acre in 1885. The first dwelling house was erected by Mr. Thorne in 1883.
Densmore, one of the prosperous towns of Norton county, is sit- uated on the Solomon river in West Union township, and is a station on the Missouri Pacific R. R. about 16 miles southeast of Norton, the county seat. It has a bank, a flour mill, a hotel, some well stocked gen- eral stores, Catholic and Methodist churches, a money order postoffice with two rural routes, telephone connections, etc., and in 1910 reported a population of 100.
Denton, one of the villages of Doniphan county, is located in Union township on the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific R. R. II miles south- west of Troy, the county seat. It has telegraph and express offices, banking facilities, and a money order postoffice with one rural route. The population in 1910 was 200. The town was laid out by Moses, William, and John Denton and D. C. Kyle in 1886. William Kirby erected the first store in the fall of 1886. The first dwelling was built by E. Callaway, and the first mail carrier between Severance and Kenne- kuk in the early '80's. Denton is located near the site of the old stage station of Syracuse, on the Pottawatomie trail, where the Vickerys kept a store in the '6os.
Dentonia, a hamlet of Jewell county, is located in Odessa township 18 miles southwest of Mankato, the county seat. The population in 1910 was 60. It receives mail from Esbon.
Denver, James William, secretary and governor of the Territory of Kansas, was born at Winchester, Va., July 23 (some authorities say the 18th), 1817. He was reared on a farm, attended the common schools, and about the time he attained to his majority went with his parents to
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Ohio. Here he studied engineering and in 1841 went to Missouri to engage in the practice of that profession. The following year he returned to Ohio and took up the study of law, graduating at the Cincinnati Law School in 1844. In 1847 he was commissioned captain of a company in the Twelfth United States infantry, and served under Gen. Scott in Mexico until the close of the war in July, 1848. He then located at Platte City, Mo., where he practiced law until 1850, when he went to .California. While serving in the state senate of California he got into an altercation with Edward Gilbert. A duel followed, with rifles as weapons, and Gilbert was killed. In 1853 Mr. Denver was elected sec- retary of State of California, and the next year was elected to Congress. He served but one term, but Forney says: "Gen. Denver, while in Con- gress, as chairman of the committee on Pacific railroad, in 1854-5, pre- sented in a conclusive manner the facts demonstrating the practicability of that great enterprise' and the advantage to be derived from it." At the close of his term in Congress, he was appointed commissioner of Indian affairs, and in the spring of 1857 came to Kansas to make treaties. The following December he was appointed secretary of the territory, and subsequently was appointed governor. While governor of Kansas he was active in securing the erection of the Territory of Colorado, and in commemoration of his services in this connection, the capital of Colo- rado bears his name. On Oct. 10, 1858, he resigned his position as gover- nor to engage in the practice of law. In Aug., 1861, he was commissioned brigadier-general of volunteers by President Lincoln and served until in March, 1863, when he resigned. For a time he practiced law in Wash- ington, D. C., and then removed to Wilmington, Ohio. He was de- feated for Congress in that district in 1870, and in 1884 his name was mentioned as a probable candidate for the Democratic nomination for the presidency. On Sept. 3 of that year lie attended the old settlers' meeting at Bismarck Grove, near Lawrence, Kan., where he delivered an address. Gov. Denver died at Washington, D. C., Aug. 8, 1894.
Denver's Administration .- Mr. Denver took the oath of office as ter- ritorial secretary before Judge Sterling G. Cato on Dec. 21, 1857, and immediately became acting governor. In his inaugural address of the same date he quoted from the letter of Gen. Cass, of Dec. II, notifying him of his appointment, wherein Cass said : "It is vitally important that the people of Kansas, and no other than the people of Kansas, should have the full determination of the question now before them for de- cision."
The question at that time before the people for decision was the adop- tion of the Lecompton constitution. The convention which framed the constitution had submitted it to the people in such a way that the only question they were called upon to decide was whether it should be adopted "with" or "without" slavery. They had no option of voting upon the instrument as a whole-no power to reject it in its entirety. Dur- ing the last days of Gov. Shannon's administration (q. v.) a special ses- sion of the legislature had provided for an election on Jan. 4, 1858, at
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which the people would be given the privilege of exercising the right denied them by the convention, i. e. to reject the constitution if a ma- jority of them so decreed. In discussing this phase of the subject, Gen. Cass, in his letter to Denver, said: "It is proper to add that no action of the territorial legislature can interfere with the elections of the 3Ist of December and the first Monday in January in the mode and manner prescribed by the constitutional convention."
It was generally understood that the free-state men of the territory would not vote on the constitution as submitted by the convention, and Gov. Denver, in his address, referred to this attitude on their part as follows: "American citizens can never preserve their rights by abandon- ing the elective franchise, and punishment too severe cannot be inflicted on the man who by violence, trickery or fraud would deprive them of it. A very stringent law was passed at the late session of the legislature providing for the infliction of severe penalties on persons engaged in election frauds. This act meets with my most hearty ap- proval and if it is not yet sufficiently stringent, I will gladly assist in making it more so. It is not possible to throw too many guards around this great bulwark, which is the very foundation of our free institu- tions."
In the light of subsequent events, the declaration of Gen. Cass that "no other than the people of Kansas" should have a voice in settling the question before them, and the utterances of Gov. Denver with regard to stringent election laws, became as "sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal." At the election of Dev. 21, the very day the governor delivered his inaugural address, Missourians in large numbers came into the ter- ยท ritory and voted for the adoption of the constitution "with slavery."
On the 22d the governor wrote to Howell Cobb, the secretary of the United States treasury, for $10,000 to defray the expense of the legis- lature, which would meet in January, and $1,000 for the contingent ex- penses of the territory. "There is not a dollar here," said he, "and prompt action is requested."
A free-state convention assembled at Lawrence on Dec. 23 to discuss the question of voting on Jan. 4 for state officers under the Lecompton constitution. Wilder says: "It was the most exciting convention ever held by the free-state party." After a spirited debate it was finally de- cided by a vote of 74 to 62 not to vote for state officers. A committee of fifteen was appointed "to prepare and transmit to Congress a protest against the admission of Kansas under the Lecompton constitution."
Notwithstanding the decision of the Lawrence convention on the sub- ject of voting for state officers, some free-state men, on the evening of Dec. 24, assembled in the basement of the Herald of Freedom office and nominated candidates for these offices as follows: For governor, George W. Smith ; lieutenant-governor, W. Y. Roberts; secretary of state, P. C. Schuyler ; auditor, Joel K. Goodin ; treasurer, A. J. Mead ; representative in Congress, Marcus J. Parrott.
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In apprehension of trouble on the day of the election, Gov. Denver, on Dec. 26, issued a proclamation in which he gave Webster's definitions of the word inhabitant and said: "From these definitions it will be seen that it requires something more than a mere presence in the territory to entitle a person to vote at the coming elections. I have deemed it my duty to distribute the United States troops over the territory in such a way as to preserve order and to insure to every one entitled a fair oppor- tunity of voting."
The executive minutes from Dec. 26, 1857, to Jan. 3, 1858, are made up largely of orders and instructions to military officers as to the disposition of troops on election day, in order to insure a fair vote. On Dec. 30 the governor gave to the judges of election the information that "Many complaints have been made that frauds have been committed at elec- tions in Kickapoo, and in order to satisfy all persons that such chargesare incorrect, I have given assurances that challengers would be allowed to stand by and question the voters as to their right to vote during the time the polls are kept open."
On Jan. 1, 1858, and again on the 2d, Gen. Denver admonished E. S. Dennis, the United States marshal, to exercise all possible power "to secure to every person an opportunity to vote," yet despite all these pre- cautions a number of illegal votes were cast on Jan. 4, when two distinct elections were held-one for state officers, delegate to Congress and mem- bers of the legislature, and one on the ratification or rejection of the Lecompton constitution. Both parties participated in the former, but the pro-slavery men ignored the one relating to the adoption of the consti- tution, claiming that the question of its ratification had been settled by the election of the preceding December. Although many free-state men refused to vote for state officers, Smith received 6,875 votes to 6,545 for F. J. Marshall, the pro-slavery candidate, and the other candidates on the free-state ticket were victorious by about the same majority. Owing to the failure of the pro-slavery men to vote on the constitution, it was rejected by a vote of 10,226 to 161. (See Constitutions.)
The third session of the territorial legislature convened on Jan. 4, 1858. Carmi W. Babcock was elected president of the council and George W. Deitzler speaker of the house. On the 5th Gov. Denver delivered his message. In his introduction he said: "Having but recently arrived among you, it can hardly be expected that I should have the exact in- formation in relation to the internal affairs of the territory that a longer residence would have afforded : but I have seen enough to satisfy me that much of the animosity and bitter feeling, now existing, proceeds more from personal hostility than from political considerations."
The governor then goes on to show how neighborhood feuds could be traced back to personal quarrels, and mentions the case of a man hav- ing been forcibly removed from a quarter-section of land in the southern part of the territory. When the parties who removed this man were arrested under writs issued by the Federal judges the cry of "Persecu- tion" was raised, and "this petty difficulty was soon elevated to the dignity of a war between the free-state and pro-slavery parties."
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"To quell these disturbances," said he, "I have deemed it necessary to send a detachment of United States troops into the neighborhood, which has had the effect to restore peace to the community."
Concerning the Lecompton constitution and the influence it might have on the work of the legislature, he quoted the provisions under which it had been submitted on Dec. 21, and said: "It was again sub- mitted to a vote of the people by an act of the legislature, approved Dec. 17, 1857, only one of the political parties voting at a time on these propo- sitions, and the others absenting themselves from the polls. In this condition it will probably be sent to Congress, and it may be well for you to delay any important legislation until you can ascertain what ac- tion Congress will take in the premises ; for, should Kansas be admitted as one of the states of the Union, under this constitution, it would have the effect to nullify all your acts, and revive such as you may have re- pealed. If, however, you shall conclude to disregard this possible state of affairs, it then becomes my duty to direct your attention to some matters on which legislative action may be necessary."
The subjects to which the governor then called special attention were the need of a revision of the criminal laws of the territory and the es- tablishment of prisons; some amendment to the election laws to pre- vent intimidation ; suitable legislation to promote the construction of highways, and a law to encourage the establishment of common schools.
At the evening session on Jan. 5 both houses adopted a resolution to adjourn to meet at Lawrence on the 7th, because of "a general lack of suitable accommodations" at Lecompton. The free-state legislature, which had met at Topeka on the 5th, also adjourned to Lawrence, and on the 7th the members of that body asked the territorial legislature to substitute the state for the territorial assembly. The proposition' was declined and soon after the Topeka legislature adjourned.
Early in the session Henry J. Adams, Thomas Ewing, Jr., Dillon Pickering, E. L. Taylor, H. T. Green and J. B. Abbott were appointed as a committee to investigate the election frauds of Dec. 21 and Jan. 4 and report to the governor. On Feb. 12, the day before the legislature adjourned, the committee made its report, showing that at the election of Dec. 21, 1857, on the Lecompton constitution, illegal votes had been cast as follows: At Kickapoo, 700; at Delaware City, 145; at Oxford, 1,200; at Shawnee, 675, making a total of 2,720. At the election of Jan. 4, 1858, for state officers under the Lecompton constitution, the illegal votes reported by the committee included 600 at Kickapoo; 5 at Dela- ware City ; 336 at the Delaware agency ; 696 at Oxford, and 821 at Shaw- nee, a total of 2,458. Regarding the illegal votes at Shawnee agency, the committee stated that forged names had been added to the regular returns, and that this had been done with the knowledge of John Cal- houn, who had been president of the Lecompton convention, and also John D. Henderson.
During the session 175 town companies were incorporated ; several new counties were created ; a code of civil and a code of criminal procedure
.
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were enacted; and a bill was passed over the governor's veto making Minneola the seat of government. (See Capital.)
On Feb. 6 Gov. Denver vetoed a bill repealing the "Black laws" en- acted by the first territorial legislature-laws providing the most severe penalties for injury to or interference with slave property. In his veto message the governor said: "The act referred to is a very stringent one, perhaps much more so than is necessary, but, so long as the terri- torial existence continues here, the owners of slaves have a right to claim protection for their property at the hands of the law-making power.
I cannot therefore give my consent to repeal of all laws on this subject, until there shall be some other enactment to take their place."
The legislature then passed another act, less radical than the one vetoed, which was accepted by the governor. This act, while repealing many of the obnoxious features of the slave laws, still provided ade- quate protection for the slaveowner.
On Feb. 10 the legislature sent to the governor a bill providing for another constitutional convention. The law gave the governor three days (Sundays excepted) to sign or veto bills, and before the expiration of the full three days after this bill was submitted the legislature ad- journed. Gov. Denver therefore claimed that the bill was not legally a law, but under its provisions was held the Leavenworth constitutional convention. (See Constitutions.)
At the special session of the legislature, called by Gov. Stanton in Dec., 1857, a bill was passed authorizing the establishment of a military board to organize and control the movements of the militia. The bill had been vetoed by Mr. Stanton (See Stanton's Administration), but the assembly passed it over the veto. On Feb. 12, 1858, Gov. Denver vetoed a similar bill, and again it was passed over the governor's ob- jections. On Feb. 26, 1858, Gov. Denver issued a proclamation denying the authority of James H. Lane, who held the rank of major-general by authority of the legislative assembly, to organize the militia of the ter- ritory. Lane, however, feeling secure in the power granted him by the legislature, paid no attention to the proclamation and went on with his work.
All through the years 1857-58 there was more or less trouble between the free-state and pro-slavery men, especially in southeastern Kansas. Free-state settlers who had left this section during the border war in 1856, returned the following year and undertook to regain possession of their claims, but their efforts were resisted. About this time Capt. James Montgomery organized his "Self Defensive Association" (q. v.) and "carried the war into the enemy's country." On Jan. 9, 1858, Gov. Denver notified United States Marshal E. S. Dennis that an armed mob at Leavenworth was parading the streets, "breaking open stores and searching private houses for arms." He directed the marshal to call on Gen. Harney for troops to restore order, and added: "Previous to the late election, you will recollect that I gave you directions to have the (I-33)
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