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 86
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Mr. Hendryx was not willing to give up the fight, and succeeded in interesting Edgar Harding, a wealthy resident of Boston, Mass., in the college. In Feb., 1892, Mr. Harding assumed all outstanding indebted- ness-some $125,000-and settled the claims of all creditors. A new charter was obtained, a new board of trustees assumed the management, and the name was changed to "Central Memorial University," the name Garfield to be retained as a general designation. On March 28, 1892, the university again opened its doors. Subsequently the property of the institution passed into the possession of James M. and Anna Davis, who donated it to the "College Association of Friends." (See Friends Uni- versity.)
Garland, a post-village of Bourbon county, is situated in the south- eastern portion on the St. Louis & San Francisco R. R. II miles south of Fort Scott, the county seat. It has a money order postoffice, telegraph and express facilities, and is the shipping point for a rich agricultural district. In 1910 the town had a population of 276.
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Garnett, the county seat and largest town of Anderson county, is located northeast of the central part of the county, on the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe and the Missouri Pacific railroads. It has an electric light plant which produces current for lighting and power, waterworks, a fire department, an opera house, 3 banks, 2 furniture factories, a flour and feed mill, planing mill, creamery, cigar factories, II churches, high school and graded schools, 2 daily papers (the News and the Review), 2 weeklies (the Eagle-Plaindealer and the Journal), and several blocks of substantially built business houses. The city is divided into four wards, and in 1910 had a population of 2,334. There are telegraph and express offices, and an international money order postoffice with seven rural routes.
Garnett was founded by Dr. George W. Cooper, who first selected the site in 1856. He then returned to Louisville, Ky., where he organized a town company consisting of W. A. Garnett, president; R. B. Hall, vice-president; Theodore Harris, secretary; George W. Cooper and George A. Dunn. In May, 1857, Dr. Cooper had the site platted and built a double log cabin. A colony from Louisville came later in the year, bringing with them machinery for a sawmill and a flour mill which was erected at once. Dwellings and business houses were put up, and a school house was erected in 1858. The postoffice was established in 1859, and in that year the county seat was removed from Shannon to Garnett. In the fall the commissioner of the general land office made an order canceling the entry of the town site. This was a serious matter for the citizens. Some of them on the north side of the town formed a stock company and secured titles to their lands. The south half of town was preempted by Dr. John B. Chapman. Matters went on till 1861, when at the instance of the citizens an investigation was made which disclosed the fact that titles could be given to the lots by action of the probate judge. It was found that the probate judge then in office had not properly qualified and they succeeded in getting another man put in his place who would take the action necessary to secure them legal possession of their homes. A great deal of red tape and trouble was occasioned before the matter was finally brought to a satisfactory close, during which time the town did not grow. The case was finally settled in the supreme court in 1862. The town was incorporated in Oct., 1861. and the following were its first trustees, G. W. Iler, G. A. Cook, William McLoughlin, B. F. Ridgeway and Thomas Lindsay. In 1870 the form of government was changed to that of a city of the third class. The first railroad reached Garnett that same year. In 1881 the town suffered a disastrous fire, which burned II business buildings out of the heart of the town. The first newspaper was the Garnett Plaindealer, established in 1865 by I. E. Olney.
Garnishment .- Any creditor is entitled to proceed by garnishment in the district court of the proper county against any person, excepting a municipal corporation, who is indebted to or has any property, real or personal, in his possession or under his control belonging to such credi-
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tor's debtor. Either at the time of the issuing of the summons, or at any time thereafter before final judgment in any action to recover dam- ages founded upon contract, express or implied, or upon judgment or . decree, or at any time after the issuing in any case of an execution against property and before the time when it is returnable, the plaintiff, or some person in his behalf, may file with the clerk an affidavit stating the amount of the plaintiff's claim against the defendant or defendants over and above all offsets, and stating that he verily believes that some person (naming him) is indebted to or has property, real or personal. in his possession or under his control belonging to the defendant (or either or any of the defendants) in the action or execution, that such defendant has no property liable to execution sufficient to satisfy the plaintiff's demand, and that the indebtedness or property mentioned in such affidavit is to the best of the knowledge and belief of the person making such affidavit not by law exempt from seizure or sale upon execu- tion. Any number of garnishees may be embraced in the same affidavit and summons; but if a joint liability be claimed against any it must be so stated in such affidavit, and the garnishee named as jointly liable is deemed jointly proceeded against, otherwise the several garnishees are deemed severally proceeded against.
The order of garnishment is not issued by the clerk until an under- taking on the part of the plaintiff has been executed by one or more sufficient sureties, approved by the clerk and filed in his office, in a sum not exceeding double the amount of the plaintiff's claim, to the effect that the plaintiff will pay to the defendant all damages which he may sustain by reason of such garnishment, if the order be wrongfully obtained ; but no undertaking is required where the party or parties defendant are all non-residents of the state or a foreign corporation. Upon the filing of such affidavit a garnishee summons is issued by the clerk and served upon the defendant or his attorney of record, and each of the garnishees. in the manner provided for the service of summons, and is returned with proof of service in five days. The garnishee summons may be served by the sheriff, or any other person not a party to the action. If any garnishee, having been duly summoned, fails to file an affidavit of non-liability or otherwise answer to the summons, the court may render judgment against him for the amount of the judgment which the plain- tiff recovers against the defendant in the action for damages and costs, together with the costs of such garnishee.
Garrison, a village of Pottawatomie county, is located in Green town- ship on the Union Pacific R. R. 20 miles west from Westmoreland, the county seat, and 6 miles from Olsburg. It has a money order post- office with one rural route, and express and telegraph offices. The population in 1910 was 160.
Gas (also called Gas City), an incorporated city of Allen county, is situated in Elm township and is the first station east of Iola on the Missouri Pacific railroad. When natural gas was discovered in Elm township in the summer of 1898 E. K. Taylor sold 60 acres of his farm
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to some spelter companies and in October sub-divided the remainder into lots, which was the beginning of "Gas City." The place grew rapidly, the cheap fuel afforded by the immense supply of natural gas bringing in a number of large manufacturing plants of various kinds. In 1910 the population was 1,281. Gas has a bank, a daily and a weekly newspaper, an opera house, an international money order postoffice from which mail is distributed to the surrounding country by rural free delivery, several good mercantile houses, telegraph and express offices, etc. The city is divided into four wards. Excellent transporta- tion facilities are afforded by the Missouri Pacific and Missouri, Kan- sas & Texas railroads.
Gaskill, a small hamlet of Washington county, is located about 4 miles south of the Nebraska state line and 10 miles northwest of Wash- ington, the county seat, from which place mail is received by rural delivery.
Gay, William, Shawnee Indian agent in 1856, was one of the victims of pro-slavery animosity. On June 21, 1856, accompanied by his son, he started to Westport, Mo., and when about 2 miles from that place was met by three men. One of them offered him a drink, and in the course of the conversation Mr. Gay was asked whether he was for or against slavery. He replied that he was from Michigan, but this indi- rect answer did not satisfy his inquisitor, repeated the question. Mr. Gay then replied that he was in favor of making Kansas a free state. He was then shot several times and fatally wounded. The son was also wounded, but managed to make his escape. It was thought by some that robbery was really the motive for Gay's murder, the per- petrators of the deed hoping to find on his person the key to the safe in which the agency money was kept. If they found the key they were afraid to attempt to use it, because of the storm of indignation aroused by the murder.
Gaylord, an incorporated town of Smith county, is located on the north fork of the Solomon river and the Missouri Pacific R. R. 10 miles south of Smith Center, the county seat. It has a bank, a newspaper (the Sentinel), a number of good retail stores, three churches, daily stage to Smith Center, telegraph and express offices, and a money order postoffice with two rural routes. The population in 1910 was 308.
Gaylord was named in honor of C. E. Gaylord of Marshall county, Kan. The postoffice was established in 1871, with W. D. Street as the first postmaster. Mr. Street opened the first store. The first grist mill in the county was built on the Solomon at this point by Baker & Keeler in 1871. The first white child born in Gaylord was Cora May McNall, born in May, 1872. The first marriage was between Miss Rhoda Phillips and George Parker the same summer. The first town officers were: Trustee, E. R. Fowler; justice, Henry Abercombie; constable, Webb McNall; treasurer, George Parker. The first school was taught by Mrs. Agnes L. C. Skinner in the summer of 1872.
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Geary (formerly called Geary City), a hamlet of Doniphan county, is located in Wayne township about 9 miles southeast of Troy, the county seat, and 8 from Wathena, from which place it receives daily mail. The population in 1910 was 52. The town was located in 1857 by a company of Leavenworth people and named for J. W. Geary, who was at that time governor of the territory. The first building was a log house used as a saloon. The town company built a hotel. The first store was opened by a Mr. Cutter James McCahon was the first lawyer and Dr. F. Grubb the first physician. Flickinger & Langdon put up a sawmill in 1859. The postoffice was established in 1857, with J. L. Roundy as the first postmaster. An interesting paper called the New Era was started in 1857, with two editors, one a Democrat and the other a Republican.
Geary County, originally called Davis, is located in the northeastern part of the state, being in the third tier of counties south of Nebraska and in the fifth west from the Missouri river. It is bounded on the north by Riley county, east by Riley and Wabaunsee, south by Morris and Dickinson, and west by Dickinson and Clay. It is irregular in shape, contains 407 square miles, and is one of the 33 counties created by an act of the first territorial legislature in 1855. It was organized at the time of its creation and named "Davis" in honor of Jefferson Davis, who was at that time secretary of war. By act of the Kansas legislature of Feb. 28, 1889. the name was changed to Geary, in honor of John White Geary, third territorial governor of Kansas. An attempt was made by the act of March 11, 1893, to change the name back to Davis, provided a majority of the people of the county favored the proposition, but the majority was against the change and the name Geary remains.
It is generally believed that the first white men to visit Geary county were Coronado and his associates in their search for the unknown prov- inces of Quivira and Harahey. (See Coronado.) The Bourgmont expe- dition (q. v.) is supposed to have traveled along the south bank of the Kansas river through the present county of Geary. John C. Fremont, in his report of the expedition to the Rocky mountains, says, "we arrived on the 8th (June, 1843) at the mouth of the Smokyhill fork, which is the principal southern branch of the Kansas, forming here, by its junction with the Republican, or northern branch, the main Kansas river."
In 1853 settlers began to come into the territory now embraced within the bounds of Geary county. One of the first to locate permanently was Thomas Reynolds, who settled near Ogden. When Kansas was organ- ized as a territory, there were only 20 voters in the region now embraced within the county. The Pawnee town association was organized on Nov. 26. 1854. Col. W. P. Montgomery was president of the association and William Hammond was secretary. Many of the officers stationed at Fort Riley took an active part in the management of local affairs. The first election, in what is now Geary county, was for the election of a dele- gate to Congress. It was held in Nov., 1854, and the voting place was at the house of Thomas Reynolds. The free-state candidate was R. P. Flenniken, and the pro-slavery candidate was J. W. Whitfield. The
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judges of election were all officers of the army, and of the 40 votes cast, Flenniken received 31 and Whitfield 9. In Dec., 1854, the town of Paw- nee was started on the north shore of the river not far from Fort Riley. Some trouble arose in its establishment, as a few settlers had already located on the land. It is said that Col. Montgomery, the president of the town company, had the settlers driven off by a squad of soldiers, in Jan., 1855, and the association was assured by Gov. Reeder, the first gov- ernor of the territory, that if the necessary buildings were completed in time he would convene the first territorial legislature at Pawnee. In March a second town company was formed of which William Hammond was president, and a town was laid out and called Chetolah (q. v.). Before the close of March a third town company was organized, which laid out the town of Ashland on McDowell's creek and made a settlement.
On March 31, 1855, the first election for members of the territorial leg- islature was held, and Pawnee was the only voting precinct in what is now Geary county. It formed a part of the eighth representative and the sixth council district. M. F. Conway was the free-state, and John Donaldson the pro-slavery candidate for the council ; S. D. Houston was the free-state and Russell Garrett the pro-slavery candidate for the house of representatives. The free-state candidates were elected by a vote of 53 to 23.
In 1855, according to the promise made by Gov. Reeder, the executive office was removed to Pawnee, and in July the first territorial legislature convened there, but soon after adjourned to the Shawnee Mission in Johnson county. The resolution to adjourn was vetoed by the governor, but the territorial court sustained the measure and Pawnee lost the cap- ital. This was a hard blow to the town company.
Gov. Geary visited the county in 1856, and the same year the county was represented in the Topeka legislature by J. H. Pillsbury in the council and Abram Barry in the house. An act to complete the organiza- tion of Geary county as a separate corporation was passed on Feb. 20, 1857. The legislature elected two county commissioners, a probate judge, who was ex-officio chairman of the board, and a sheriff. These officers were to hold office until the first Monday in October, when a county elec- tion was ordered, for county officers and to decide the permanent location of the county seat. The first commissioners were Robert Reynolds, C. L. Sandford, and N. B. White and the first meeting was held on March 16, 1857, but only Reynolds and Sandford were present. G. F. Gordon acted as clerk but E. L. Pattie was later regularly appointed to that position. H. N. Williams was elected sheriff; P. M. Barclay, treasurer, and G. F. Gordon, justice of the peace. At the election of Oct. 5, 1857, for mem- bers of the legislature, the voting precincts were Ashland, Ogden, Che- tolah, Clark's Creek, Riley City and Montague's. At the election 126 free-state and 30 Democratic votes were cast.
The first postoffice in the county was established at Fort Riley in 1853, with Robert Wilson as postmaster. The first marriage solemnized in the county was that of Thomas Jenkins and Ella Wicks on Oct. I.
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1855, and the first white child born was John Fleming, whose birth occurred on Dec. 20, 1854. The pioneer merchant of Geary county was John T. Price, who opened a grocery store at Pawnee in 1854.
The legislature of 1859 located the seat of justice at Ashland. In the spring of 1860 Junction City was made a voting precinct, and a petition was presented to the commissioners for a change of the county seat. Accordingly, the question was submitted to the people and an election ordered for June 25, 1860. Ashland, Junction City, Riley City and Union were the contestants. The election resulted in 287 votes for Junction City, 129 for Union, 3 for Ashland and 3 for Riley City, and thus Junc- tion City became the permanent seat of justice. The first meeting of the county board was held there on July 2, 1860.
Upon the outbreak of the Civil war there was much excitement in Geary county over the men who enlisted in the army. On March 10, 1862, some of the soldiers stationed at Fort Riley, dissatisfied with the secession sentiments expressed in the columns of the Kansas Frontier, attacked the newspaper office and did much damage. A meeting of the citizens denounced the action of the soldiers, and it is not certain whether this meeting or something published in the Frontier stirred the soldiers to a higher indignation, but the same week they again attacked the news- paper office and this time it was demolished. There were then several regiments encamped at Fort Riley, and the outbreaks of the soldiers became so frequent and annoying that the town was placed in charge of Capt. Sylvester of the Twelfth Wisconsin, who acted as provost guard.
About the same time great excitement was created in Geary and the adjoining counties, by a party of Comanche Indians, who entered the Republican valley, committed depredations and drove out the settlers. The people within easy reach of. Fort Riley had little to fear because of the troops stationed there, and many settlers from further west sought refuge in Junction City.
Prior to 1866, the county officers were located in the upper story of a stone building at the corner of Sixth and Washington streets at Junction City. This building was destroyed by fire on the night of April 8, and a few days later the town and county were swept by a cyclone that did great damage.
On July 5. 1866, the county commissioners decided to build a bridge across the Smoky Hill river and authorized the sale of $20,000 of bonds for the purpose. In 1867 bonds were voted by the people to aid in the construction of the south branch of the Union Pacific railroad and the Kansas Pacific, which was the first railroad to enter Geary county, being completed as far as Junction City on Nov. 10, 1866. A great tide of immigration flowed into the county with the opening of the railroads, and most of the desirable land was soon taken up. In 1870, Geary county was sued by the Missouri, Kansas & Texas railroad company for $165,000 in bonds that the county had voted to aid in the construction of the railroad, but which had never been paid. After being in the courts for some time, the case passed to the supreme court where a decision was rendered in favor of the county.
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Geary county constituted one municipal township up to Aug. 7, 1872, when the board of commissioners divided it into two civil townships, Smoky Hill and Jackson. In time these were subdivided to form the eight townships into which the county is now divided, viz :- Blakely, Jackson, Jefferson, Liberty, Lyon, Milford, Smoky Hill and Wingfield. In 1873, the legislature changed the boundaries of Geary county by tak- ing away Ashland township and adding it to Riley county. At the same time Milford township was taken from Riley and annexed to Geary The first newspaper was the Sentinel, edited by B. H. Keyser. It made its appearance in June, 1858, as the organ of the Democratic party. In 1859 this paper was bought by Samuel Medary and the name changed to Kansas Statesman. The Frontier Guide, started in 1861, was the sec- ond newspaper.
Transportation is furnished by the main line of the Union Pacific rail- road, which runs across the northwest part of the country, from northeast to southwest, with a branch northwest from Junction City. A branch of the Missouri, Kansas & Texas enters in the south and terminates at Junction City, giving the county nearly 50 miles of main track railroad.
The east and central portions of the county are rough and hilly along the streams but the southeastern and western parts are undulating prairie. The county is well watered by the Republican and Smoky Hill rivers, which unite near Junction City to form the Kansas river.
The population of the county in 1910 was 12,631, a gain of 1,937 during the preceding ten years. The assessed valuation of property was $16,- 642,510, and the value of agricultural products for. the year was $1,888,967.
Geary, John White, the third territorial governor of Kansas, was born in Westmoreland county, Pa., Dec. 30, 1819. From his Scotch-Irish ancestry he inherited all those traits which developed in him a man of unquestioned courage, great force of character, and a high order of exec- utive ability. His early education was acquired under the instruction of his father, who conducted an academy, after which he entered Jeffer- son College at Canonsburg, Pa., where he graduated in 1841. The deatlı of his father about this time made it necessary for him to contribute to the support of his widowed mother and her children. He clerked in a store in Pittsburgh for a time, taught school, and finally took up the work of civil engineer-a profession for which he had thoroughly prepared himself. He followed this occupation in Pennsylvania and Kentucky until the breaking out of the war with Mexico, when he raised a com- pany known as the "American Highlanders," which became a part of the Second Pennsylvania infantry, of which he was made lieutenant-colonel. His regiment was attached to the army of Gen. Scott, and for his gal- lantry at the Belen gate, City of Mexico, he was promoted to the rank of colonel. After the capture of the Mexican capitol he was placed in charge of the city as commandant. The discovery of gold in California lured him to the Pacific coast, and on Jan. 22, 1849, he was appointed postmaster of San Francisco by President Tyler. After a few months"
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service he was removed by President Taylor, and was then elected by the citizens to the office of first alcalde of the city. He was also elected the first mayor of San Francisco under the charter of 1850. In 1852 he returned to Pennsylvania on a visit, but while there his wife died, and he never returned to California. On July 31, 1856, he was appointed gov- ernor of Kansas. Connelley, in his Territorial Governors, says: "He was selected for the position because of his firmness and recognized executive ability." He resigned on March 12, 1857, and like, Gov. Reeder left the territory at night to escape assassination at the hands of mem- bers of his own political party, returning to Pennsylvania, where he lived quietly on his farm until commencement of the Civil war in 1861. Upon the first call for volunteers, he raised the Twenty-eighth Penn- sylvania infantry and was commissioned colonel of the regiment. Sub- sequently he was promoted to brigadier and still later to major-general. During the Atlanta campaign and the famous march to the sea he com- manded the "White Star" division of the Twentieth army corps, and on Dec. 22, 1864, was appointed by Gen. Sherman military governor of Savannah. In 1866 he was elected governor of Pennsylvania, and at the close of his term was reëlected. Gov. Geary died at Harrisburg, Pa., Feb. 8, 1873, eighteen days after the expiration of his second term as governor. His work in Kansas did much to break the power of the.pro- slavery party and contributed materially to the admission of Kansas as a free state. Geary county was named in his honor.
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