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 82
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The first houses were built by J. S. Magill, R. S. Newell and Frank Schmidt. The first store was erected by O. C. Horr in 1867. The next year seven buildings were erected. Frankfort was incorporated as a city of the third class in 1875 and an election was held in which R. S. Newell was made the first mayor. The population in 1910 was 1,426.
Franklin, a village of Crawford county, is a station on the Joplin & Pittsburg electric railroad, about 8 miles east of Girard, the county seat. It has a money order postoffice and is a trading center for that section of the county. The population in 1910 was 150.
Franklin, Battle of .- Almost immediately after the battle of Black Jack (q. v.) bands of both pro-slavery and free-state men began to con- centrate toward Franklin, the Wakarusa, Hickory Point and Bull creek on the Shawnee reserve. Franklin had not been entirely abandoned by the pro-slavery forces since the sack of Lawrence. Buford's men and a number of Missourians were assembled there, with a brass 6-pounder. a large quantity of ammunition and other camp supplies which had been taken at Lawrence, and the plunder taken from intercepted wagons had also been stored there. The pro-slavery forces used the town as a rally- ing point when they invaded from Missouri.
To recapture the stolen property, secure the ammunition and break up the stronghold of the enemy who would have Lawrence at their mercy if the free-state forces were called to support Brown, an attack was planned upon Franklin by the free-state men in the vicinity of Law- rence. The plan of attack was poorly worked out and as a result there was no concerted action. About 16 men left Lawrence on the night of June 4, for Franklin. The plan was to have the Wakarusa company
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attack on one side and the Lawrence party on the other. Failing to find the Wakarusa company at the place agreed upon, the men from Lawrence entered the town about 2 a. m. and went to the place where they supposed the cannon to be for the purpose of capturing it and the ammunition, but the cannon was not to be found. In fact, nothing was found where it was supposed to be, and for nearly an hour the Lawrence men hunted about the town before the real operations commenced. By this time the pro-slavery men were awake and prepared. Finally the free-state men marched to the guard-house and demanded the surrender of the garrison. The garrison had been warned of the approach of the free-state men, refused to surrender and fired a volley of rifle shots. This was returned by the free-state men and then the cannon, which had been placed just inside the guard-house door, was fired. It had been loaded with nails, broken scrap iron, etc., which went screaming through the darkness but the aim was poor and no one was hurt. The firing on both sides continued and pro-slavery men in other houses began to open fire on the attacking party which did not desire to assail anything but the guard-house. The Wakarusa company, which had lost its way in the darkness, was guided by the sound of the firing and found its way into Franklin, but not knowing friend from foe, was unable to take any active part in the engagement. The men knew, however, that Buford had most of his stores in a place near where they entered the town. They broke into the storehouse, obtained a large quantity of ammu- nition, and some Sharpe's rifles as well as a few of the guns which had been seized from the free-state men. All kinds of provisions were stored in this house in case of need. Much of these were loaded into a wagon and hurried away. Several wagons could have been loaded, had the Wakarusa men had them.
As day began to break the firing in the streets ceased. The free-state men feared the approach of the United States troops who were in camp near Lawrence and were forced to leave Franklin without taking with them the cannon they had captured. Only one free-state man was hurt during the fight, while 4 of the opposite side were badly wounded, one of whom died a few days later. Although it had not been carried out as planned, the expedition was not an entire failure, for supplies had been secured and the pro-slavery party taught that the free-state men could strike back. (See Fort Saunders.)
Franklin County, located in the eastern part of the state, was one of the original 33 counties created by the first territorial legislature in 1855. It was named Franklin in honor to Benjamin Franklin. At the present time the county is bounded on the north by Douglas county, on the east by Miami, on the south by Anderson, and on the west by Osage and Coffey counties. It has an area of 576 square miles, and had a population of 20,884 in 1910. The county is divided into sixteen townships, as fol- lows: Appanoose, Centropolis, Cutler, Franklin, Greenwood, Harrison, Hayes, Homewood, Lincoln, Ohio, Ottawa, Peoria, Pomona, Pottawa- tomie, Richmond and Williamsburg. The surface of Franklin county
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is mostly undulating prairie. The "bottom" lands along the creeks and Marais des Cygnes river average from one to two miles in width and comprise nearly one-fifth of the area. Timber belts confined to the streams average from one-half to one mile in width and contain trees of the following varieties : walnut, oak, cottonwood, elm, hickory, willow, locust, ash, soft maple, mulberry and hackberry. Winter wheat, Irish potatoes, and flax are important crops but corn is the leading cereal. Much effort is given to the production of live-stock and also to the growing of fruit trees, there being 150,000 bearing fruit trees in 1907. Limestone and sandstone are abundant, marble and potter's clay are found near Ottawa, coal is mined in several localities, and oil and gas have been found in the southern portion of the county.
The principal stream is the Marais des Cygnes (Marsh of Swans) which enters the county from the west and flows through it into Miami county. Pottawatomie creek is second in size. It enters near the south- east corner and flows northeastward into Miami county.
Franklin county was included in the tract of land ceded to the Great and Little Osage Indians on Nov. 10, 1808, and receded by them to the government in 1825. (See Indians and Indian Treaties.) The settle- ment of the county by white people was not so early as that of the adjoining counties, due to the fact that most of the land was occupied by Indians until late in the '6os. However, along the northern line, was a strip of land belonging to the Shawnee reservation, the title to which was extinguished in 1854, and a number of settlements were made there in that year. Appanoose township was settled by Missourians in 1856. Some time later J. H. Whetstone conceived the idea of establishing a colony in its western part. To this end in 1869 he purchased 15,000 acres north of the Marais des Cygnes, and in 1870 S. T. Kelsey became associated with him. They platted the land into small farms and laid out the village of Pomona. Harrison township was opened for settle- ment in 1865. In 1868 there was a large influx of settlers to this dis- trict.
One of the first settlers in Centropolis township was J. M. Bernard, who was made postmaster, the postoffice being named St. Bernard. Mr. Bernard being a pro-slavery man, the Missouri legislature of Kansas in 1855, located the county seat at St. Bernard. The town never grew and was finally extinguished by a raid of free-state men. Ohio town- ship was opened to settlement in 1857 and a large immigration set in from Ohio. A postoffice was established at Minneola in 1858.
In 1856 the settlers of Pottawatomie valley organized the Pottawa- tomie Rifle Company. It was composed exclusively of about 100 free- state men with John Brown, Jr., as captain. The object in organizing the company was to protect free-state men against the border ruffians.
After the first session of the territorial legislature, the company went to Judge Cato's court, in session at Henry Sherman's house, to inquire if the court intended to enforce the so-called "bogus" laws. Finding that it did, Capt. Brown, leader of the company, cried in a loud voice, "The Pottawatomie company will assemble on the parade ground !"
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This order was quite sufficient, for Judge Cato and the jury hastened to Lecompton. On the night of May 24, 1856, occurred what is termed the Pottawatomie massacre (q. v.), the object of which was to protect the free-state settlers by terrorizing in the most effective manner the pro- slavery element.
Franklin county did not contribute many men to the army in the Civil war. In 1861 there were about 2,500 inhabitants in the county scattered along the northern, eastern and southern borders. There was very little town life, no rallying points, so the enthusiastic ones had to go to Lawrence or other points to enlist. There were some recruits, however. Company D of the Twelfth infantry was composed entirely of residents of the county. It was mustered in on Sept. 25, 1862, and was officered by George Ashley, captain ; Henry Shively, first lieutenant ; Alfred Johnson, second lieutenant. In addition to this company, men were enlisted in nearly every regiment of the state.
Two railroad companies operate in the county. A line of the Atchi- son, Topeka & Santa Fe crosses from north to south in the center, pass- ing through Ottawa, with a branch southwest from Burlington Junction into Coffey county. Another line of the same road enters in the north- east corner, crosses in a southwesterly direction through Ottawa, and enters Osage county. A line of the Missouri Pacific railroad crosses the southeast corner, and a branch northwest from Osawatomie, Miami county, following the valley of the Marais des Cygnes river passes through Ottawa, thence west into Osage county. The first bond elec- tion for any railroad was held Nov. 6, 1866, on the question of voting $125,000 to the L. L. & G. railroad, and the second was held Sept. 23, 1867, on the question of raising $200,000. Both were carried, the second on the condition that cars were running to Ottawa by Jan. 1, 1868. The road was completed to Ottawa Dec. 30, 1867. Bonds for the Santa Fe road to the amount of $100,000 were voted on April 6, 1869, on con- dition that $50,000 should be issued if the cars were running to Ottawa by July 1, 1870, and $50,000 when they were running to the southern line of the county.
Franklin county was organized in 1855 with a partial set of officers. In 1857 an election was held and officers chosen, part of whom failed to qualify and in the spring of 1858 the vacancies were filled. The first county officers were as follows: Commissioners, J. A. Marcell, William Thornbrough and John F. Javens, Marcell being also probate judge; clerk, Robert Cowden; treasurer, T. J. Mewhinney ; sheriff, C. L. Rob- bins; prosecuting attorney, P. P. Elder; register of deeds, William Austin ; coroner, John Bingham.
The contests over the location of the county seat were numerous and exciting. The legislature of 1855 placed it at St. Bernard. When St. Bernard became extinct Minneola was made the county seat. An elec- tion was held March 26, 1860, to determine a location. Ohio City, Peoria and Minneola were the contesting villages, but no one of them received a majority of the votes cast. Another election was held on April 16,
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1860, at which Peoria received 342 and Ohio City 320. Then followed a contest between Peoria and Minneola. Minneola enjoined the removal of the records. A law suit followed, which was carried to the supreme court, but while the case was pending the territorial legislature passed an act resubmitting the matter to the people. Another controversy fol- lowed but the supreme court decided the act was legal so the question was resubmitted and Minneola won the election. The next election on the question was held March 25, 1861, when the contesting towns were Ohio City, Peoria, Centropolis, Mount Vernon and Minneola. Again no decision was made. Another election was held on April 15 when Ohio City became the county seat and so remained until another election on Aug. 1, 1864, decided the question in favor of Ottawa.
The schools of Franklin county are among the best in the state. There are 94 organized school districts and a school population of 6,624. Aside from the district and high schools is Ottawa University at Ottawa (q. v.), which has been maintained by endowment since it was organized in 1860.
While Franklin county is preeminently an agricultural county, a few industries of other kinds are in successful operation. Among these are flour mills, furniture factories, brick and tile factories, machine shops and a soap factory. In earlier days an effort was made to establish a silk industry. (See Silk Culture.)
Among the earliest newspapers published in the county was the Western Home Journal, a sheet that did much toward attracting set- tlers to that section. A cabin of an early settler, Judge James Hanway, located near Lane, and occupied by the Hanway family from 1857-59 has frequently been called John Brown's cabin. While he visited there a great deal, he never owned the place.
In 1910 the assessed valuation of Franklin county property was $32,342,026. The total value of field crops was $1,630,506, the five lead- ing crops being corn, $822,603; hay, $387,269; oats, $171,931; wheat, $74,631 ; Kafir corn, $57,264. The value of animals slaughtered or sold for slaughter was $940,605, and the value of dairy products was $350.834.
Franklinville, a small settlement of Ness county, is situated on the south fork of Walnut creek 8 miles southwest of Ness City, the county seat, from which place mail is received by rural carrier.
Fraser, John, was born in Cromarty, Scotland, about 1823. He received his education at the University of Aberdeen and while there won the Huttonian prize in mathematics, offered every ten years. He also excelled in classical studies and showed an extreme earnestness and devotion to intellectual pursuits. After graduating at Aberdeen he went to the Bermuda islands to teach in Hamilton Institute. He spent several years in Bermuda, but failing health influenced him to go to New York, where he was appointed principal of a private school. In 1850 he went to Connellsville, Pa., as tutor to two boys, and while there organized a private school. In 1855 he went to Jefferson College as professor of mathematics. He remained at Jefferson for seven years,
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during which period he raised money for the first telescope used in a western Pennsylvania institution and superintended the erection of an observatory. In 1862 he enlisted as a private at Canonsburg and fought for the North throughout the Civil war. He won the rank of captain of the One Hundred and Fortieth Pennsylvania volunteers in Aug., 1862; became lieutenant-colonel in September, and in July of the next year was made colonel. "During the charge of Hancock at Spottsylvania he was wounded by a shell, and in Sept., 1864, he was captured and held prisoner at Libby prison, Richmond, Va .; Roper's hospital, Charles- town, S. C., and finally at Camp Sorghum, Columbia, S. C. While im- prisoned with many others, at Roper's hospital, under fire of the guns from the northern fleet, he cheered his fellow prisoners for their amuse- ment a course of lectures, notably on Shakespeare's plays." He was finally exchanged, and returning to his regiment was made brevet brigadier-general. He was mustered out in May, 1865. He then became president of the State College at Bellefontaine, Pa. On June 17, 1868, he became the second chancellor of the University of Kansas, succeed- ing Robert W. Oliver. The university building which bears his name was erected during his term of service, which ended in 1874. During his connection with the university he served as state superintendent of public instruction. His last position was in the Western University of Pennsylvania. He died at Allegheny, Pa., of small-pox, in June, 1878, leaving a widow but no children.
Fred, an inland trading point in Marion county, is located II miles southwest of Marion, the county seat, and 8 miles from Peabody, from which place it receives its mail. Aulene, on the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific R. R., 5 miles to the northeast, is the nearest railroad station and shipping point.
Frederick, one of the smaller towns of Rice county, is located in Eureka township, at the junction of the Missouri Pacific and the St. Louis & San Francisco railroads, 12 miles northwest of Lyons, the county seat. It is a shipping and trading point for a wealthy agricul- tural district; has banking facilities, telegraph and telephone offices, a number of churches, good schools, and a money order postoffice with one rural route. The town was incorporated as a city of the third class in 1909. The population according to the government census of 1910 was 15I.
Fredonia, the judicial seat and largest city of Wilson county, is located southwest of the center of the county, 90 miles east of Wichita, and 150 from Kansas City. It has city waterworks, police and fire departments, natural gas and electric lights, 3 banks, 2 newspapers, 2 large brick plants, 2 independent gas plants, linseed oil mill, ice and cold storage plant, cement works, foundry and machine shops, and the largest window glass plant in the entire West. There are 5 churches and 3 public schools. Fredonia is well equipped with railroad facilities to take care of her manufactured and farm products, the Missouri Pacific running north and south, the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe run-
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ning northeast and southwest, and the St. Louis & San Francisco run- ning east and west cross at this point. It is the railroad center of the county. There are telegraph and express offices and an international money order postoffice with five rural routes. The population in 1910 was 3,040.
The foundation for the town was laid in 1868, when Dr. J. J. Barrett put up the first building, in which Albert Troxel opened a store. The next spring the Fredonia town company was formed with Justus Fel- lows, president ; J. J. Barrett, secretary ; the other members being, W. H. Williamson, J. H. Broadwell, Elisha Hadden, G. F. Jackson, John T. Heath, W. T. Barrett, John E. King, Albert Troxel and D. P. Nichols. Steps were at once taken to build a court-house. There was a little rival town half a mile north called Twin Mounds, which about this time tried to secure a postoffice but failed because there was already a post- office by that name in Kansas. Fredonia then succeeded in securing a postoffice and was thus officially established as a town. By 1870 there were about thirty buildings on the town site. That year immigration was heavy, new buildings sprang up on the prairies, and the population went to about 600. In May, 1871, the town was incorporated as a city of the third class. An election was held in which 144 votes were polled and the following officers were elected: T. J. Hudson, mayor; John Hammert, W. W. Sholes, C. Christ and Robert Morgan, councilmen. In September of that year the first bank was opened. In 1872 a disastrous fire occurred which destroyed nine buildings, netting a loss of $30,000. Another bank was started, by R. M. Foster & Co., which failed in 1877. The St. Louis & San Francisco R. R. was built in 1879. The next year there were two fires in Fredonia, with a total loss of $17,000. Another fire occurred in May, 1886, destroying eleven frame store buildings worth $13,500. That year several new buildings went up, the total capital used in construction exceeding $150,000. In addition to private enterprises, the court-house was erected in that year and several buildings were erected by the railroads. In July the whole north side of the square was burned to the ground, but was immediately rebuilt with two-story stone buildings. Many new business houses were erected in the next two years, and new enterprises started. In 1889 there was another fire in which Cliff King, a nine-year-old boy, lost his life and buildings worth $30,000 were destroyed. A flood that year carried away the Center town- ship bridge over Fall river and a new one, several feet higher, was built. In 1890 a canning factory began operations, and in 1891 a linseed oil mill. Otto's flour mill on Fall river burned in 1898, and his new electric mill was built in 1900. The telephone system was installed in 1900.
Freedmen's Relief Association .- This association resulted from the large negro immigration to Kansas in the year 1879. (See Negro Exodus.) It was incorporated on May 8, 1879, with the following direc- tors : John P. St. John, Albert H. Horton, P. I. Bonebrake, John Francis, Bradford Miller, N. C. McFarland, A. B. Jetmore, J. C. Hebbard, Lyman U. Humphrey, Willard Davis, A. B. Lemmon, James Smith, T. W.
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Henderson, C. G. Foster and John M. Brown. On June 26, 1879, the association issued an appeal "to friends of the colored people," in which it was stated that the organization was controlled by two motives, the first of which was humanity, and the second was "to maintain the honored traditions of our state, which had its conception and birth in a . struggle for freedom and equal rights for the colored man." The appeal also announced that efforts were being made to establish a colony in Wabaunsee county, about 50 miles west of Topeka, where a tract of land belonging to the state university could be bought for $2.65 an acre.
Freedom Colony .- This communistic settlement is located on the Little Osage river, 4 miles west of Fulton, Bourbon county, Kan., mail being received at Fulton. The colony was organized in 1897 as Branch 199 of the General Labor Exchange organization, incorporated in Mis- souri, with headquarters at Independence, Mo. Only members of the organization are admitted to colony membership and then only by unanimous vote, the applicant making a permanent deposit of property in amount satisfactory to the existing members. The colony has a limited membership which is slowly growing; owns a town site of 60 acres, a coal shaft, etc., and in a business way the members carry on the occupations of farming, coal mining and lumber sawing. Colony members may buy a life lease on an acre city lot for $40, or on four lots for $140, payable in installments if he so elects. The objects of the colony are "to alleviate the sufferings and avert the dangers arising from a constantly increasing class of unemployed, by establishing industries to provide employment for the idle, and by saving the wealth thus pro- duced for the benefit of the actual producers and their families; to facilitate the equitable exchange of services and products among the members of the association; to lighten the burdens of charitable insti- tutions by establishing one that will be self-sustaining; to establish industrial schools for the benefit of those who cannot afford to attend high-priced colleges ând academies ; and to conduct any other industrial, educational and humanitarian work within the scope of the association."
Free Employment Bureau .- The Kansas free employment bureau was established by the act of March 5, 1901, "for the purpose of providing employment agencies in all cities of the first and second class within the state." It was placed under the management of an officer known as the "director of free employment," with a salary of $1,200 a year and $500 for postage and office expenses. Under the law free employment agencies were established in a large number of cities, the agents being required to register the names and addresses of all persons asking for employment and report the same to the director, who was to make reports annually showing the work of the bureau.
Theodore B. Gerow was appointed director of free employment on April 8, 1901, and served until his death in 1908. His widow continued to conduct the affairs of the bureau and made the annual report for that year. In 1909 Charles Harris was appointed director. His report for the year 1910 shows that during the year there were 34.340 applications
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for employment, and on the other hand there were 33,153 applications from persons asking for help. Through the medium of the bureau, 29,575 found employment. One of the greatest benefits resulting from the bureau is in its aid in furnishing harvest hands to the great wheat fields of western Kansas. When harvest time comes, acres and acres of wheat in the western counties all ripen about the same time, and it sometimes happens that men despatched by the bureau for a certain district are intercepted by wheat growers before they reach their destination. In some instances harvest hands have been almost dragged from the trains by force, so great has been the demand for help. In the establishment of this institution Kansas has shown a progressive spirit, by giving the services of a state official to the assistance of the worthy unemployed, thus enabling them to escape the clutches of private employment agencies, with which the payment of a fee is the main consideration.
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