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 22
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99 | Part 100 | Part 101 | Part 102 | Part 103 | Part 104 | Part 105 | Part 106 | Part 107 | Part 108 | Part 109 | Part 110 | Part 111 | Part 112 | Part 113 | Part 114
Louisburg, the third largest town in Miami county, is located on the Missouri, Kansas & Texas R. R. 14 miles east of Paola, the county seat. The town was laid out in 1868 and called St. Louis, but in order to avoid confusion with St. Louis, Mo., the name was changed to Louisburg in 1870. A postoffice was established in 1867 before the town was surveyed. The first residence was built in 1869, and a hotel was opened the same year. This was followed by some general stores and a drug store. The first school was opened in the town in 1871. The following year Louisburg was incorporated as a city of the third class and began a period of great prosperity. There are several large brick business blocks and three churches. It is the supply town for a rich agricultural district and has large nurseries. In 1910 the popula- tion was 603.
Louisiana Purchase .- On April 9, 1682, La Salle reached the mouth of the Mississippi river and claimed all the country drained by it and its tributaries in the name of France, and conferred upon the territory the name of Louisiana, in honor of Louis XIV, then king of France. In 1762 all that portion of the province lying west of the Mississippi river, with the island of New Orleans east of that river, was ceded to Spain by the secret treaty of Fontainebleau, which was concluded
189
KANSAS HISTORY
on Nov. 3 and ratified ten days later. By the treaty of Paris, Feb. IO, 1763, Louis XV ceded to Great Britain all that portion of Louisiana lying east of the Mississippi "except the town of New Orleans and the island upon which it is situated." By the treaty of Sept. 3, 1783, which established peace between the United States of America and Great Britain at the close of the Revolutionary war, all the British possessions east of the Mississippi and south of Canada became the territory of the United States. That portion of the original province of Louisiana lying west of the Mississippi was ceded back to France "with the same extent that it now has in the hands of Spain, and had while in the possession of France," by the treaty of St. Ildefonso, Oct. 1, 1800.
This was the condition of affairs when Thomas Jefferson was inaugu- rated as president of the United States on March 4, 1801. About three weeks after Mr. Jefferson was inaugurated a definitive treaty of peace was concluded at Amiens between France and Great Britain, but it was not long until the peace was "broken by the vaulting ambition of Napoleon Bonaparte, who had been made first consul of the French republic in 1799, and in 1802 secured the consulate for life." In the fall of 1802 Napoleon sent Gen. Victor to Holland to fit out an army and sail for America for the purpose of taking possession of Louisiana, but the English were on the watch for some movement of this nature and Victor was not permitted to leave Europe. President Jefferson was somewhat anxious over the prospect of having the lower Mississippi pass from the hands of Spain to a powerful nation like France, and another cause for anxiety among American statesmen was that the cession of Louisiana might afford England a pretext for invading that province in case Great Britain and France became engaged in war.
The relations between the United States and France at that time were of the most amicable character, owing in a great degree to the treaty of alliance concluded on Feb. 6, 1778, one provision of which was that "Neither of the two parties shall conclude either truce or peace with Great Britain without the formal consent of the other being first obtained ; and they mutually engage not to lay down their arms until the independence of the United States shall have been formally or tacitly assured by the treaty or treaties that shall terminate the war."
The independence of the United States was acknowledged by Great Britain in the treaty of 1783, above referred to, when France and the United States agreed. The treaty of St. Ildefonso, being a secret one, the United States authorities were somewhat at sea as to the best course to pursue. However, in the spring of 1803 Mr. Jefferson instructed Robert R. Livingston, the American minister to France, to commence negotiations for the purchase of the island of Orleans and the Floridas, if they were included in the secret treaty of St. Ildefonso, in order to secure for American commerce an outlet through the Mississippi river. To encourage the negotiations he was also instructed to intimate that "on the day that France takes possession of New Orleans the United States will go into an alliance with Great Britain."
190
CYCLOPEDIA OF
Against such an alliance Napoleon realized that he could not possibly hold Louisiana, and decided to sell the whole province to the United States. The Memoirs of Lucian Bonaparte say that this decision was reached as early as April 6, more than three weeks before the final treaty of cession was concluded. On Easter Sunday (April 10) Napoleon called in two of his ministers-Barbe Marbois and Alex- ander Berthier-and laid before them the whole situation. After refer- ring to the attitude of England he said: "The conquest of Louisiana would be easy, if they only took the trouble to make their descent there. I have not a moment to lose in putting it out of their.reach. I know not whether they are not already there. It is their usual course, and if I had been in their place I would not have waited. I wish, if there is still time, to take from them any idea that they may have of ever possessing that colony. I think of ceding it to the United States. I can scarcely say I cede it to them, for it is not yet in our possession. If, however, I leave time to our enemies, I shall transmit only an empty title to those republicans, whose friendship I seek."
In the long conference which followed Barbois favored the cession and Berthier opposed it. No conclusion was reached that day, but early the following morning Napoleon sent for Barbois and showed him despatches from London to the effect that "military and naval prepara- tions were being pushed forward with great rapidity." After going over the whole matter carefully the discussion ended by Napoleon's saying: "I renounce Louisiana. It is not only New Orleans that I will cede; it is the whole colony, without reservation. I renounce it with the greatest regret. To attempt obstinately to retain it would be folly. I direct you to negotiate this affair with the envoys of the L'nited States."
About this time James Monroe, whose term as governor of Virginia had just expired, was expected in Paris as an envoy extraordinary to assist Mr. Livingston in the negotiations. He had been minister to France in 1794 and had been recalled by Washinton on account of his sympathy for the French republicans-a fact that doubtless influ- enced Mr. Jefferson in making his appointment. Monroe arrived on the 13th with a draft of a treaty for the cession of the island of Orleans and the Floridas, but the entire situation was changed by the decision of the first consul to cede the whole province. After several consulta- tions, in which Livingston, Monroe, Barbois, Berthier and Talleyrand participated, a treaty was concluded on April 30, 1803, by which the province was ceded to the United States for 80,000,000 livres, with the understanding that 20,000,000 livres should be used for the liquidation of the French spoiliation claims-indemnity for cargoes and prizes. These claims at that time amounted to about $3,750,000, so that the total purchase price was about $15,000,000. Thus not only was much more territory ceded to the United States than was originally contem- plated by Mr. Jefferson, but it was also an entirely different territory.
Article III of the treaty provided that "The inhabitants of the ceded
191
KANSAS HISTORY
territory shall be incorporated into the Union of the United States and admitted as soon as possible, according to the principles of the Federal constitution, to the enjoyment of all rights, advantages and immunities of citizens of the United States; and in the meantime they shall be maintained and protected in the free enjoyment of their liberty, property and the religion which they profess."
Under this provision practically all of the territory now comprising the State of Kansas passed into the hands of the United States, and fifty-eight years later Kansas was admitted into the Union, being the 2Ist state admitted after the formation of the Federal republic.
Louisiana Purchase Exposition .- (See Expositions.)
Louisville, one of the incorporated cities of Pottawatomie county, is located in Louisville township on Rock creek, II miles southeast of Westmoreland, the county seat, about 3 miles from Wamego. It is connected with both these places by daily stage. It has a weekly news- paper, a flour mill and a money order postoffice. The population in 1910 was 264. The town site was preempted by Robert Wilson, who built a log cabin on Rock creek at the old military crossing in the early '50s and kept a hotel there for many years. With him were his sons, James and Louis, the town being named after the latter. It was recorded as a town site in 1857. It is very pleasantly situated and there are said to be mineral springs with medicinal properties near it. Louis- ville was the county seat from 1861 to 1882.
Lovewell, a village of Jewell county, is located in St. Clair township 18 miles northeast of Mankato, the county seat, on the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe R. R. It has express and telegraph offices and a postoffice. The population in 1910 was 200.
Lowe, a post-village in Chautauqua county, is a station on the Mis- souri Pacific R. R. 8 miles west of Sedan, the county seat and nearest banking point. It has an express office and some local retail trade. The population, according to the census of 1910, was 74.
Lowe, David P., jurist and member of Congress, was born in Oneida county, N. Y., Aug. 22, 1823. His early education was such as most boys received in that early day, but he decided upon a professional career and graduated at the Cincinnati Law College in 1851. Imme- diately after his admission to the bar he began to practice in Cincin- nati, Ohio, but ten years later determined to try his fortune in the west and removed to Kansas. He soon became actively interested in local and state politics, and was nominated attorney-general by the conven- tion held at Lawrence on Sept. 29, 1862, but declined the nomination. In November of that year Mr. Lowe was elected state senator from the 13th district, in which capacity he served until 1864, when he suc- ceeded Hon. Solon O. Thacher as judge of the 4th judicial district. On March1 4, 1867, he was appointed judge of the 6th judicial district, and continued to hold that office until after his election to Congress on Nov. 8. 1870, as a Republican. He was renominated as a candidate for Congress Sept. 1, 1872, and again elected on Nov. 5 of that year.
192
CYCLOPEDIA OF
After serving his last term in Congress he was appointed chief justice of the supreme court of Utah Territory. Subsequently he returned to Fort Scott, and in 1880 succeeded W. C. Stewart as judge of his old district, the 6th, remaining in that office until his death on April 20, 1882.
Lowell, a little town in Cherokee county, is located in Garden town- ship on the St. Louis & San Francisco R. R. 14 miles southeast of Columbus, the county seat, and about 4 miles from Galena, from which place its mail is distributed by rural route. The population, according to the census of 1910, was 156.
Lowemont, a village of Leavenworth county, is located in the north- ern portion on the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe R. R. II miles north- west of Leavenworth. It has a money order postoffice, express and tele- graph facilities, and in 1910 had a population of 25.
Loyal Legion .- The official designation of this society is "Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States." On April 15, 1865, a few army officers met for the purpose of adopting resolutions rela- tive to the death of President Lincoln. At that meeting some one suggested a permanent organization of the commissioned officers who had served in the Union army during the war, and at another meeting on May 3, 1865, the Loyal Legion was launched. In 1910 there were 21 state commanderies, with a total membership of 8,902.
The Kansas commandery had its beginning in a meeting at Leaven- worth on March 25, 1886, Gen. Nelson A. Miles presiding and Col. James P. Martin acting as secretary. Capt. M. H. Insley was chosen acting recorder, with instructions to correspond with the recorder-in- chief of the grand commandery, which had been instituted the pre- ceding year, regarding a charter. No trouble was experienced in obtain- ing a charter, and on April 9, 1886, the following officers of the Kansas commandery were elected: Commander, Bvt .- Col. Andrew J. Smith ; senior vice-commander, Bvt. Brig .- Gen. Charles W. Blair; junior vice- commander, Bvt. Lieut .- Col. James P. Martin; recorder, Capt. M. H. Insley ; registrar, Bvt. Col. Thomas J. Anderson; chancellor, Capt. John D. Barker; treasurer, Capt. Lafayette E. Campbell; council, Bvt. Brig .- Gen. Thomas Moonlight, Col. Milton Stewart, Col. J. H. Gil- patrick, Capt. J. R. McClure and Capt. W. B. Stone.
The objects of the Loyal Legion are to promote good fellowship among the officers who served in the army and navy in the Civil war and to preserve historical information regarding that great conflict. At the annual meetings war papers are read, after which they are usually printed and filed away in the archives. The Kansas Historical Society has a complete collection of the war papers read before the Kansas commandery. They contain a great deal not to be found in the published histories of the war.
Lucas, an incorporated city of the third class in Russell county, is located on the Union Pacific R. R. 25 miles northeast of Russell, the county seat. It has a bank, a weekly newspaper (the Sentinel), a num-
193
KANSAS HISTORY
ber of retail mercantile establishments, telegraph and express offices, and an international money order postoffice with four rural routes. The population, according to the census of 1910, was 573.
Lucerne, a hamlet in Sheridan county, is located in Adell township 18 miles northeast of Hoxie, the county seat, and II miles from Studley on the Union Pacific R. R., the nearest shipping point. It has a stage daily to Jennings, a general store, a hotel and a money order postoffice. The population in 1910 was 50.
Luctor, a hamlet in Phillips county, is located 17 miles northwest of Phillipsburg, the county seat, and 3 miles from Prairie View, the post- office from which its mail is distributed and the nearest railroad station. The population in 1910 was 53.
Ludell, a little town in Rawlins county, is located in the township of the same name on Beaver creek and the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy R. R. It has a bank, 2 grain elevators, a number of general stores, public schools, and churches, telegraph and express offices, and a money order postoffice with one rural route. The population in 1910 was 200.
Lund, a hamlet in Decatur county, is located 12 miles south of Ober- lin, the county seat, and 10 miles northwest of Dresden, the nearest shipping point and the postoffice from which its mail is distributed by rural route. The population, according to the census of 1910, was 24.
Luray, an incorporated town in Russell county, is located in the township of the same name on the Union Pacific R. R. 16 miles north- east of Russell, the county seat. It has a bank, a weekly newspaper (the Herald), churches, public schools, telegraph and express offices, and a money order postoffice with two rural routes. The population, according to the census of 1910, was 341. It is the principal trading and shipping point for the northern part of the county.
Luther, a hamlet in Washington county, is located 12 miles south- west of Washington, the county seat, 5 miles from Palmer, the nearest shipping point, and 10 miles from Clifton, the postoffice from which it receives mail.
Lutheran Church .- Lutheranism is a system of doctrine and church government established in the 16th century by Martin Luther and his associates, who made an effort to maintain and continue the historical development of Christian life, aiming only to purify the church by reforming abuses rather than the founding of any new church or organ- ization. Wittenburg was the center of the movement, which rapidly spread among all classes but Luther restrained all radical measures and was conservative in his preaching. The early ceremonies of the church were very similar to those of the Roman Catholic, and the direction of ecclesiastical affairs was in the hands of the civil rulers.
Nearly all the Protestants of Germany became and still are Luther- ans; the established churches of Denmark, Sweden and Norway are Lutheran in belief; most of the people of Finland and about one-fourth of the population of Switzerland profess this faith. Lutheran organiza-
(II-13)
194
CYCLOPEDIA OF
tions have been founded in other European countries and in all lands where the Lutherans have migrated.
Lutheranism was introduced into America by the early Dutch emi- grants from Holland, who located on Manhattan island about 1623. They were followed by the Swedish Lutherans who settled in Dela- ware about 1637. Early in the 18th century the Germans began to come. Unlike the Puritans the Lutherans had no religious motive back of their emigration. For some years the Lutherans in America were without pastors, one of the first being Jonas Minuit, who came in 1628. The first church was built and the first school opened in 1633. Minuit was followed by a number of educated pastors from Halle under whom the church prospered and gained wide influence in the colonies. The first Lutheran synod was held in 1735, but was not a synod in the sense in which the word is used today, being merely a conference of pastors and representatives of the congregations.
------
One of the earliest synods was formed in Pennsylvania in 1748; New York followed in 1786; Carolina in 1803, and Ohio in 1818. In 1820 the general synod was formed for the purpose of uniting all Lutheran organizations. The question of slavery caused a division in the church and the southern synods withdrew, forming the United synod of the South. In 1910 there were twenty-four synods in the United States.
The Lutherans were among the first of the religious organizations to become established in Kansas. A church was organized in Jeffer- son county in 1857 under the leadership of J. B. McAfee, and a build- ing was erected the same year. The Leavenworth church was organ- ized in 1861, the first services being held by Bishop Dubs and a Mr. Miller. The same year another Lutheran church was established at Leavenworth by Michael Meier, who was the first minister. In 1866 a Lutheran church was started at Atchison by C. F. Liebe, a home missionary of the Evangelical Lutheran synod of Missouri, and the first pastor was a Mr. Menge, who was installed in April, 1867. In Douglas county a church was organized at Lawrence in March, 1867, by a minister named Morris, with 19 members. The Swedes of Shaw- nee county organized at Topeka in 1868, and the German Lutherans organized there in 1874. J. C. Young established the English Lutheran church at Salina in 1868, and two years later the Swedish Lutherans became established under the leadership of a Mr. Dahlsten. One of the earliest and largest Lutheran colonies in the state was established at Lindsborg, McPherson county, in 1868. The next year the Swedish Lutheran Church of Bethany was organized there by Prof. O. Olsson, the first superintendent of schools of McPherson county. The Free Mount Lutheran church was organized there by A. W. Dahlsten in 1869; the New Gotland Lutheran church in 1872, and four years later a church building was erected by this organization. In 1880 the Elms- borg Lutheran church was established at Lindsborg and from these beginnings the Lindsborg colony has become one of the strongest cen- ters of Lutheranism in Kansas. A Lutheran college has been estab-
!
------- 4
1
1
1
195
KANSAS HISTORY
lished there under the general supervision of the church, to fit the youth of the church for the ministry as well as for other walks of life. (See Bethany College.)
In 1878 the Lutheran church in Kansas had 58 organizations, 33 church edifices, and a membership of 4,565. By 1886 the organizations had increased to 95 and the total membership to 11,651. During the five years following the number of organizations doubled but the mem- bership of the church increased only about 3,000, due to the start of churches in new parts of the country where the population was scant. In 1906 the Lutheran bodies in the state ranked sixth in number of all denominations, with an aggregate membership of 28,642, making it one of the leading religious bodies.
Lydia, a country postoffice in White Woman township, Wichita county, is located 16 miles south of Leoti, the county seat and nearest shipping point. The population in 1910 was 16.
Lykins County .- (See Miami County.)
Lykins, David, a member of the first territorial legislature of Kan- sas, was born in Iowa about 1820 or 1821. He received a good educa- tion and became a physician. In early life he became interested in missionary work among the Indians and in 1845 came to what is now the State of Kansas to engage in that work among the tribes there. In 1853 he was connected with the Pottawatomie mission, and two years later was made superintendent of the mission for the Weas, Piankeshaws, Peorias and Kaskaskias. He was an ardent pro-slavery man and advocated the annexation of Cuba in order that the slave power might have more territory. At the first territorial election on March 30, 1855, he was elected a member of the legislative council from the 4th district. The present county of Miami was originally named Lykins in his honor. After the ascendency of the free-state men Dr. Lykins disappeared from the political arena.
Lyle, a hamlet in Decatur county, is located on Sappa creek about 20 miles northeast of Oberlin, the county seat, and 8 miles north of Norcatur, the nearest railroad station and the postoffice from which it receives mail by rural route. The population in 1910 was 30.
Lyndon, the judicial seat of Osage county, is located in the central part of the county on Salt creek, and is a station on the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe and the Missouri Pacific railroads. It has 2 banks, 2 newspapers (the People's Herald and the Osage County Democrat), an opera house, flour mill, good public schools and churches. The chief shipments from this point are live stock, grain and produce. There are telegraph and express offices, and an international money order postoffice with four rural routes. The population in 1910 was 763.
The town was founded in 1869, immediately after the Sac and Fox Indian tribes gave up their possessions and the district was opened for settlement. M. M. Snow started a store, and when the postoffice was established in the fall of 1869 he was made postmaster. The next year a town company was formed, with Judge Lawrence D. Baily as
196
CYCLOPEDIA OF
president. The new town started off with a boom, but a depression followed when it experienced so much trouble in securing the county seat. Before the first year was out there were 20 business houses and over 500 population. The county seat election was held in October and Lyndon declared the victor. A long series of quarrels and legai battles followed until the people lost faith in Lyndon's prospects and withdrew their interests. Although the records were moved in 1875 it was not until 1878 that the matter was finally settled, and by this time other towns had such a start that Lyndon never regained its prestige. It was incorporated as a city of the third class in 1871, when the following officers were elected: Mayor, S. C. Gilliland; council- men, W. H. Jenness, John S. Edie, William Haas, M. M. Snow and J. W. Hammond.
The first school was taught in 1870 by J. W. Watkins. The first sermon was preached the same year by a Baptist minister named Barker. The first birth occurred during that summer and the child was named Lyndon Smith. On Jan. 3, 1871, the first marriage took place, the contracting parties being L. D. Gardiner and Sarah E. Thomas.
Lyon County, created as Breckenridge county (q. v.) by the first territorial legislature, was not organized until 1858, and did not assume its present boundaries until 1864. These boundaries are as follows: Wabaunsee county on the north; Osage and Coffey on the east; Green- wood on the south, and Chase and Morris on the west. In 1862, the former vice-president Breckenridge having become a secessionist. the patriotic anti-slavery legislature changed the name of the county to Lyon, in honor of Nathaniel Lyon, the Union general who had lost his life at Wilson's creek the previous August.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.