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, Volume II > Part 108
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Waveland, a country hamlet in Shawnee county, is located 14 miles southwest of Topeka, the county seat, and 4 miles west of Wakarusa, the postoffice from which it receives mail. The population in 1910 was 31.
Waverly, the sceond town in size and importance in Coffey county, is located in Rock Creek township, at the junction of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe and the Missouri Pacific railroads, about 18 miles northeast of Burlington, the county seat. It is a modern town in every respect, having waterworks, electric lights, a public library, banks and a newspaper. It is an incorporated city of the third class. The schools are of the best and the churches are ample and substantial. There are telegraph and express offices and an international money order post- office with three rural routes. The population according to the census report of 1910 was 751. The town was platted in 1878 by Isaac Pier-
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KANSAS HISTORY
son, and the town company was chartered in 1880. The first store was opened in 1878 by A. N. Sylvester, the second in 1879 by Thomas Don- nell. In June, 1882, the first bank was opened by R. R. Fisher and John L. Senior. The "Waverly News" was started by the latter in the same year. Waverly is an excellent trading point and is the most important shipping point between Burlington and Ottawa.
Wayne, a village in Grant township, Republic county, is a station on the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy R. R. II miles southeast of Belle- ville, the county seat. It was laid out in 1884, immediately after the railroad was built through the southeastern part of the county. The site was located on the homestead of Isaac Walton and the first build- ing was a general store erected by William Hill in Aug., 1884. It has a money order postoffice with one rural route, telegraph and express offices, churches, schools, a weekly newspaper and banking facilities. All the . leading professions and lines of business activity are repre- sented. The population according to the census of 1910 was 200.
Wayside, a hamlet of Montgomery county, is a station on the Atchi- son, Topeka & Santa Fe R. R. in Caney township, II .miles southwest of Independence, the county seat. It has an express office and a money order postoffice with one rural route. The population according to the census of 1910 was 40.
Wea, is a hamlet in the extreme northeastern part of Miami county, about 5 miles east of Bucyrus, from which place it has rural mail delivery.
Weaver, a hamlet of Douglas county, is situated in the extreme north- eastern portion on the south bank of the Kansas river, about 3 miles northeast of Eudora, the nearest railroad station, from which it has rural free delivery.
Webb, Thomas Hopkins, physician, was born at Providence, R. I., Sept. 21, 1801, and died on Aug. 2, 1866. From 1854 to 1860 he was secretary of the Emigrant Aid company. During that time he made scrap-books of clippings collected from newspapers published in all parts of the country. These clippings fill seventeen large volumes- over 3,000 pages ten by twelve inches in size, of three columns each- . and are said to contain everything printed about Kansas during the seven years of his secretaryship. They constitute a veritable mine of information concerning the border troubles of the territorial period. In July, 1878, the scrap-books were purchased by the Kansas Historical Society for $400, and they form one of the best collections in the archives of that society. Dr. Webb also published a guide book for emigrants and two pamphlets about Kansas, each of which ran through six editions.
Webber, a village of Jewell county, is located in Jackson township on the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe R. R., 18 miles northeast of Man- kato, the county seat. It has banking facilities, express and telegraph offices and a money order postoffice with two rural routes. The popu- lation in 1910 was 250.
(II-57)
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CYCLOPEDIA OF
Webster, a little town in Rooks county, is located in Belmont town- ship on the south fork of the Solomon river, 10 miles west of Stockton, the county seat. It has a hotel, a bank, a number of retail establish- ments, daily mail stage to Stockton and Bogue, and a money order postoffice with one rural route. The population in 1910 was 200.
Weir (also known as Weir City), one of the important towns in Cherokee county, is located on the St. Louis & San Francisco R. R. 14 miles north of Columbus, the county seat, and II miles from Pittsburg, the metropolis of this section. It is an incorporated city, has water- works, electric lights, fire department, an opera house, a bank, a news- paper (the Journal), a feed mill, a public library, schools and churches, telegraph and express offices, and an international money order post- office with three rural routes. An excellent quality of coal is mined in the vicinity and shipped from Weir in large quantities. The town was founded in 1872 as a zinc mining point. In 1880 the population was 400. In 1890 it had grown to 2,138, in 1900 the population was 2,977 and in 1910 it was 2,289.
Welcome, a hamlet in Geary county, is located 15 miles southeast of Junction City, the county seat, and 7 miles northwest of Alta Vista in Wabaunsee county, the nearest railroad station and the postoffice from which it receives mail.
Welda, a little town in Anderson county, is located in Welda town- ship on the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe R. R., 10 miles south of Gar- nett, the county seat. It has a bank, churches, all lines of business enterprises, express and telegraph offices, and a money order postoffice with one rural route. The population according to the census of 1910 was 212. The railroad established the station of Welda in the year 1870, and the town was platted in 1873. It was not until 1879 that the first store was opened. A school house was erected the same year.
Weller County, one of the extinct counties of Kansas, was created by the first territorial legislature in 1855. It was not organized as a county until 1859, when the name was changed to Osage and the fol- lowing year a nine-mile strip from the south end of Shawnee county was added. (See Osage County.)
Wellington, one of the important towns of southern Kansas and the judicial seat of Sumner county, is located near the central part of the county. It has an elevation of 1,192 feet. It is on the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe R. R., of which it is a division point, and also on the Chi- cago, Rock Island & Pacific R. R. It is an important shipping point for live stock, grain, hay and produce. The division headquarters is a source of steady income to the town, the monthly payroll of the Santa Fe at this point being $80,000. There are two national and two state banks, with a combined capital and surplus of nearly $300,000. The deposits aggregate over $1,000,000 and the stock is held by 193 citizens of the community. The auditorium was built at a cost of $50,000. The Sumner county high school located here is second to none in standing, and in 1908 it had the largest enrollment of any in the state. There
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KANSAS HISTORY
is a $65,000 government building. The salt mines are a source of wealth to the city. The waterworks, which originally cost $100,000 and has since been improved to the extent of $50,000, is owned by the city, as is also the electric light plant which cost $40,000. Natural gas for lighting, heating and manufacturing is plentiful and has been an asset in the development of the town. There is a good sewer system ; attrac- tive stores line several blocks of the main streets; there are 2 daily and 4 weekly papers, 3 large flour mills, a plow works, 3 feed mills, a number of grain elevators, a cigar factory, ice and cold storage plant, salt manufactory, cheese factory and paved streets. The city is divided into five wards, and the population in 1910 was 7,034. It is well sup- plied with telegraph and express offices and has an international money order postoffice with seven rural routes.
Wellington was laid off in April, 1871, and two months later the Wellington Town company was organized. The members of this com- pany were R. A. Davis, A. A. Jordan, P. A. Wood, L. K. Myers, C. R. Godfrey, J. S. McMahan, J. P. McCulloch and A. N. Randall. The town was named in honor of the Duke of Wellington. Buildings were put up during the first days of April. Religious services were held on the 9th and on the 15th the first store was opened by A. W. Shearman. The same day the first hotel, the Civic House, was opened by William Bur- ton. This was the only one of the first buildings that was not of logs. The postoffice was established in 1871 with C. R. Godfrey as postmaster, and was kept in Wood's drug store. The first school was taught by Mrs. B. Cooley in 1872. The Wellington Banner, the second newspaper in the county, was started by G. P. Garland in Oct., 1872. The first two years of its life the little town had a strenuous time on account of the unsettled condition of the county seat matter. Finally in 1872 the voters chose Wellington and its prosperity was assured. It was incorporated as a city of the third class in Nov., 1872. A city election on the 30th of that month resulted in the selection of the following officers: Mayor, D. N. Caldwell; police judge, J. A. Dillar ; clerk, T. C. Gatliff ; council- men, A. W. Shearman, W. P. Hackney, A. N. Randall, John G. Tucker and T. J. Riley. In 1880 the completion of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe R. R. to this point gave Wellington a new impetus. The next year, however, a disastrous fire occurred destroying $40,000 worth of buildings and goods. The first banking institution was a private one established by J. E. Neal & Son in 1879. It became incorporated in 1882. Mills and manufacturing plants were put up about this time. The little city developed very rapidly and in 1888, street cars, gas works, waterworks and telephone system were among the improve- ments.
Wellmanville, a country hamlet in Ness county, is located in High Point township about 20 miles southeast of Ness City, the county seat, and 10 miles south of Bazine, the nearest shipping point and the post- office from which it receives mail.
Wells, a station on the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe R. R. in Ottawa county, is located in Grant township, 9 miles east of Minneapolis, the
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CYCLOPEDIA OF
county seat. It has a money order postoffice with one rural route and an express office. The population in 1910 was 42.
Wellsford, a little town in Kiowa county, is located in the township of the same name on the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific R. R. 15 miles east of Greensburg, the county seat. It has a mill and grain elevator, a hotel, several retail establishments, telegraph and express offices, and a money order postoffice. The population in 1910 was 100.
Wellsville, the second largest town in Franklin county, is located in the northeast corner on the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe R. R. The town site was purchased in 1870 by J. Emerson, P. P. Elder and J. J. B. Shute, who had it platted. In August of that year the first dwelling was built, and in the fall H. N. Brockway opened the first store. In the spring of 1872 a second store was opened by Parker & Ray. The first hotel was opened in 1875, and the next year Paul Laberrier opened a drug store. One of the first large commercial enterprises was the building of an elevator in 1877 at a cost of $5,000. The following year a large wagon shop was started, which carried on a good business. In 1878 Nathaniel Steen purchased the town site and inaugurated such a liberal policy that many settlers were attracted to the town. The first school was taught in 1871 by Ella Brown. In 1881 a large school house was erected and today Wellsville has a fine public school system. The postoffice was established in 1872 with W. Brockway as the first post- master. The Congregational church was established in 1875. and a church building was completed in 1877. The Methodists organized in 1881. Since then other denominations have perfected organizations and erected church buildings. The first newspaper, the Wellsville News. made its appearance on April 20, 1882, edited by Dr. H. M. Bennett. It did much to advertise the town and worked in its interests for years. Wellsville is the banking, shipping and supply town for a rich agricul- tural district. It has hotels, general stores, drug stores, hardware and implement houses, lumber yards, furniture stores, wagon and black- smith shops, a newspaper, a money order postoffice. telegraph and express facilities, and in 1910 had a population of 750.
Weskan, a country postoffice in Wallace county, is located in the township of the same name on the Union Pacific R. R. 12 miles west of Sharon Springs, the county seat. It has a hotel, general store, and telegraph and express offices. The population in 1910 was 30.
Wesleyan University .- (See Kansas Wesleyan University.)
Western Christian University .- (See Ottumwa College.)
Western Engineer .- (See Early River Commerce.)
Western Park, one of the inland hamlets of Elk county, is located in Union Center township about II miles northwest of Howard, the county seat, the nearest railroad station and the usual shipping and banking point. whence it receives mail by ruarl route. The population, according to the 1910 report, was 34.
Western University .- This institution, also known as Stanley Indus- trial Hall, is located at Quindaro, Wyandotte county. Just before the
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KANSAS HISTORY
emancipation proclamation, Sept. 22, 1862, Rev. Edwin Blatchley, a Presbyterian minister, founded a school for colored children called Freeman University, on the present site of Western University. It was maintained for some years with great effort and the dying request of its founders was that the grounds be made the seat of a school for the education of children of African descent. After Mr. Blatchley's death the colored men of Quindaro organized and appointed a board of trus- tees, to which the property was transferred, and the school remained under their management for some years. In 1885 T. W. Henderson, presiding elder, and Rev. B. F. Bates, the pastor of the African Methodist Episcopal church of Quindaro, had a committee of three, consisting of Revs. B. F. Watson, J. C. Embry and John Turner, appointed to confer with the trustees of the school, with a view to having the prop- turned over to the church conference. Little progress was made in the work for some years, during which time efforts were made to secure an appropriation from the state, but nothing was accomplished until the school was brought to the attention of the people by Gov. Stanley in his message to the legislature of 1899. He said: "One of the most recent movements in the state is the attempt to establish industrial schools at Quindaro for the negro. The one great need of the negro today is progress and development in the things fostered and encouraged by industrial education."
He recommended aid for the institution, which resulted in the intro- duction of the Bailey bill. By the provisions of this bill the 15 acres of land at Quindaro were deeded to the state, to be under the control of a board to be known as "the board of seven trustees of the indus- trial department of Western University." Four trustees were appointed by the governor, two were elected by the board itself, and the presi- dent of the university was to be an ex-officio member. This board of trustees was to determine the branches of industry, purchase the neces- sary appliances, select a superintendent and prescribe his duties and authority. Section II of the act provided that "For the purpose of erecting a suitable building upon said land for said industrial school, there is hereby appropriated the sum of $5,000; and for the purpose of paying the running expenses of said department for the ensuing two years there is hereby appropriated an additional sum of $5,000."
The principal buildings are Stanley and Trades' halls and a main building which was completed for the school year beginning in Sept., 1901. During Gov. Bailey's administration $22,250 was appropriated by the legislature and an agricultural department was added. In 1905 an appropriation of $35,000 was made, and two years later $55,850 was appropriated for a boys' trades hall, central heating and electric light- ing plant. The session of 1909 appropriated $67,000, of which $25,000 was for a girls' dormitory.
The curriculum includes a college preparatory course, a regular col- lege course and a normal training department, while the Shaffer the- ological seminary is open to students preparing for the ministry. All
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students must be at least fourteen years of age for admission. In the industrial department courses in carpentry, architecture and me- chanical drawing, printing, tailoring, wheelwright work, blacksmithing, agriculture and commercial branches usually taught in a business col- lege are provided for the boys, while the girls may take sewing, mili- nery, cooking and domestic science, laundry work and music.
Westgate, a hamlet in Geary county, is located 9 miles east of Junc- tion City, the county seat, 7 miles from Fort Riley, the nearest rail- road station, and 10 miles southwest of Manhattan, in Riley county, the postoffice from which it receives mail. The population in 1910 was 20.
West Mineral .- (See Mineral.)
Westmoreland, the county seat of Pottawatomie county, is located in the central part of the county on the Kansas Southern & Gulf R. R., which connects with the Union Pacific at Blaine, 8 miles north. It has I national and 2 state banks, an opera house, 2 newspapers and all the general lines of business activity. There are daily stage lines to Louisville and Wamego on the south line of the county. The popula- tion in 1910 was 500. The town was platted in 1871 by Volney Baker. Subsequent additions have been made by J. Rachel Arner and A. C. Coch- run. It was made the county seat by a vote of the people in 1879, but not removed until 1882. Being a comparatively new town Westmore- land is one of the smallest county seat towns in the eastern part of the state.
Westola, a hamlet in Morton county, is located on a branch of the Cimarron river 15 miles northwest of Richfield, the county seat. It receives mail from Konantz, Col.
Weston, a hamlet in Geary county, is located 15 miles southeast of Junction City, the county seat, and 7 miles northwest of Alta Vista, Wabaunsee county, the nearest railroad station and the postoffice from which it receives mail.
Westphalia, one of the towns of Anderson county, is located in West- phalia township on the Missouri Pacific R. R. 17 miles southwest of Garnett, the county seat. It has 2 banks, a weekly newspaper (the Times), a number of churches, good schools and all the principal lines of business are represented. There are telegraph and express offices and a money order postoffice with four rural routes. The population in 1910 was 550. When the railroad was completed in 1880 a town was platted at this point and named Cornell. Later a railroad station and postoffice were established under the name Westphalia. The name of the town was changed later to Westphalia. The first school was taught in 1881, and the first business places were opened about that time. The early inhabitants of the town and surrounding country were mostly Germans.
Wetmore, a town of Nemaha county, is located in Wetmore town- ship in the southeastern part of the county on the Missouri Pacific R. R. 25 miles southeast of Seneca, the county seat. It has an opera house, a creamery, a weekly newspaper, good banking facilities, express and telegraph offices, and an international postoffice with two rural
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KANSAS HISTORY
routes. Wetmore was established by the railroad company in 1866 and was named after Hon. W. T. Wetmore, vice-president of the company. The first dwelling was that of Augustus Mayer, built in 1867. The first business building was a general store by Morris & Brown. The next year a lumber yard was opened by P. M. Cassidy. Within the next two years a grain elevator, a new general store, a hotel and a drug store were among the improvements. The postoffice was established in 1867 with A. O. McCreary as postmaster. The first marriage was between N. Morris and Mary Wolfley in 1870; the first birth was that of Mary Cassidy in 1868; the first death was Nellie A. Rising in 1869; the first school was taught by A. S. Kenoyer in the winter of 1868-69. The third house in Wetmore was a school building. The town was incorporated in 1882. The election was held on July 25 of the same year and resulted as follows: J. W. Graham, mayor; M. P. M. Cassidy, police judge ; William Morris, E. H. Chapman, William Buzan, Joseph Haigh and E. F. Vilott, councilmen. The population of Wetmore in 1910 was 700.
Wettick, a hamlet in Gray county, is located on the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe R. R. 6 miles east of Cimarron, the county seat, from which place it receives mail by rural delivery.
Wheat .- This cereal has been grown in Kansas since the territory was thrown open for settlement, and probably in a limited way at the missions in pre-territorial days. Prior to 1860 no record was kept of the amount raised. That year the crop amounted to 168,527 bushels. As late as 1878 a discussion was going on in the state as to whether wheat could be successfully raised here. This prediction was made that vear : "It will be safe to say that the day will not be far distant when Kansas will stand at the head as the greatest and best wheat growing state in the Union." Time has shown the prophecy to be correct, the increase in production being seen in the following table :
Year
Acres
Bushels
Value
1880.
2,444,434
25,279,884
$20,980,668
1890
2,321, 113
28,801,214
23,410,548
1900
4,378,533
77,339,19I
41,974,145
1903
5,964,866
94,041,902
52,426,355
1905
5,925,338
77,178,177
53,889,365
1906
6,436,085
93,292,980
55,178,7II
1910.
4,870,450
61,017,339
52,785,965
Prior to 1872 the soft varieties of wheat were raised in Kansas. In that year Bernard Warkentin settled in Harvey county and introduced the Russian or Turkey (hard) wheat, and since its introduction it has supplanted nearly all the soft varieties. A flour is produced from this wheat that has become famous the world over. The Kansas hard wheat is also much sought by elevator men to mix with inferior grades in order to raise the standard. About the year 1900 macaroni wheat was intro- duced in the United States, and it has been demonstrated from experi-
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CYCLOPEDIA OF
ments that it can be successfully grown in Kansas. While wheat can be grown with fair success in nearly every section of the state, the great wheat belt of Kansas may be roughly described as comprising the central section of the state between 97º and 99° 30', excepting Washington, Republic, Jewell and Phillips counties on the north, and Edwards, Kiowa, Comanche and Barber counties in the southwest. The wheat belt, how- ever, is pushing from the Arkansas river towards the northwest part of the state.
THRESHING SCENE IN WESTERN KANSAS.
From time to time there have been some large fields in wheat in Kansas. The first to attract attention was T. C. Henry's 10,000 acre field. This has since been exceeded by J. N. Fike of Colby, who on one occasion had in over 20,000 acres. Among the enemies of wheat, aside from drought and flood, are the Hessian fly and the chinch bug. Dur- ing the 'gos the ravages of the latter pest were so pronounced as to cause apprehension among growers. From experiments made by Fran- cis H. Snow, for years connected with the University of Kansas, it was demonstrated that it was possible to inoculate the chinch bug with a contagious disease that produced death inside of ten days. Numerous experiments were made, which in the main were entirely satisfactory.
Wheaton, one of the most prosperous of the villages of Pottawatomie county, is located in Lone Tree township on the Union Pacific R. R. 12 miles northeast of Westmoreland, the county seat. It has banking facilities, telegraph and express offices, and a money order postoffice. All the general lines of business activity are represented. The popula- tion in 1910 was 225. It is one of the new towns.
Wheel .- (See Agricultural Wheel.)
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KANSAS HISTORY
Wherry, a hamlet of Rice county, is located in Washington township on the St. Louis & San Francisco R. R. 13 miles southeast of Lyons, the county seat. It has express and telegraph offices, a money order postoffice, and some retail trade.
White Church, one of the earliest settlements in Wyandotte county, is located in the central portion on the Missouri Pacific R. R. 14 miles west of Kansas City. A Methodist mission was established on the present town site among the Delaware Indians in 1832 by Thomas John- son. After Kansas was thrown open to white settlement a village sprang up at "the white church," which has continued to be a prosperous com- munity. It is the supply and shipping point for a rich agricultural dis- trict by which it is surrounded, has general stores, express and tele- graph facilities and rural free delivery from Bethel. The population in 1910 was 152.
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