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 24
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KANSAS HISTORY
McPherson is the seat of two colleges of standing in the state, Mc- Pherson College, which was established some years ago by the Ger- man Baptist church, and Walden College, established in 1908 by the Swedish Evangelical church. Both are equipped with large, sub- stantial buildings. In addition to these things McPherson has two good hotels, an opera house, 3 flour mills, which are among the largest in the state, 4 grain elevators, ice and cold storage plant, electric plant, fire department, waterworks and sewer system. The streets are wide and well kept and the business blocks are of brick or stone. Main street is lined for several blocks with well appointed retail stores. The town is supplied with telegraphic communications and express offices and has an international money order postoffice with seven rural routes. A board of trade has recently been organized and a retail dealers' association has been in operation among the merchants for some years. The population of McPherson, according to the census of 1910, was 3,546.
The town was founded by L. G. Skancke in 1872. Mr. Skancke was chief clerk of the government land office at Salina at the time, and being informed that a colony of Kentuckians were about to settle on "McPherson Flats" he conceived the idea of starting a town in that location. He interested several friends, and the party which composed the town company drove from Salina on Sunday, June 4, and located the town site, which they called McPherson Center, and made "improve- ments," which consisted in turning over a little of the sod, enabling them to hold the ground until it could be properly entered. The next month H. Bowker erected the first building and opened a store. In December the foundation of the town hall was laid. Although the town grew quite rapidly, the postoffice was not established until 1873. In the spring of that year the detachment of a tier of townships from the southern part of the county made McPherson the center of the county and at an election held on June 10, 1873, it was made the county seat. It was incorporated as a city of the third class on March 4, 1874. The first election, at which 30 ballots were cast, was held the 16th of the same month, when the following officers were chosen: Mayor, Sol Stephens ; councilmen, H. Bowker, C. E. Pierce, William West, W. B. McCord and M. P. Simpson. In July, 1877, a money order department was added to the postoffice. The first school building of any size was erected in 1882 at a cost of $12,000. The first newspaper was the Mc- Pherson Messenger, established by the Yale brothers in 1872. It still continues under the name of the Republican. The first bank was the Farmers' and Merchants', founded in 1882. A mill and two large ele- vators were built in 1879 and 1880. A colony of German Baptists (sometimes called Dunkards) located at McPherson in 1887, and later founded McPherson college. The first railroads did not reach Mc Pher- son until 1879 and 1880. McPherson is now a city of the second class.
McPherson College .- An institution conducted under the auspices of the German Baptist Brethren church was founded at McPherson in
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Aug., 1887. Its aim is to provide a thorough, Christian education for the young people of that denomination, although it admits any person of good moral character who is in sympathy with the spirit of the in- stitution. It endeavors not only to cultivate the intellect but also to instill principles of morality and the truths of religion. Devotional exercises are held each school day in the chapel and regular evening prayers are held in the dormitory. This college advocates plainness of dress, simplicity in the habits of life, and discourages caste, thus making it a home for rich and poor alike. It occupies three buildings, a main school building, a dormitory and a library erected through the generosity of Andrew Carnegie. It embraces four departments, the department of arts, literature and science, the department of fine arts, the business department, and the Biblical department. There are three literary societies. In 1910 Edward Frantz was president and profes- sor of Biblical languages and literature. There are 24 instructors and about 700 students.
McPherson County, one of the best wheat producing counties of the state, is located a little to the south of the center of the state, and in the first tier of counties west of the 6th principal meridian. It is bounded on the north by Saline county; on the east by Marion; on the south by Harvey and Reno, and on the west by Rice and Ellsworth. The Santa Fe trail ran through McPherson county and the first ranch for the accommodation of travelers was established on the east branch of Turkey creek, about 7 miles east of the present city of McPherson, in 1855. It was kept by Charles Fuller. The first settler was Isaac Sharp, who took a claim in the winter of 1860 on the creek which bears his name. He brought with him his father and mother from Pennsyl- vania. Mrs. Sharp died and was buried on the creek. Sharp trapped, hunted and traded with the Indians. When the war broke out and the Indians became troublesome he moved to Council Grove. It is interest- ing to note that when Sharp became a candidate for governor ten years later that out of 198 votes cast in McPherson county he received but one or two. From the time of Sharp there were no settlements of any consequence for several years, although the county was visited by trappers and traders. One of these, Lewis by name, located a claim on the Smoky Hill river, which he improved to some extent. A man by the name of Peters located on Sharp's creek, but died shortly afterward. A man by the name of Wheeler built a stone corral at the crossing of the Santa Fe trail over the Little Arkansas river in 1865. The next year Col. Grierson with the Seventh Kansas cavalry encamped with his troops at this place. They built a stockade of cottonwood logs for a headquarters, and put up huts to live in.
In 1866 settlers came in considerable numbers. In January Milton and Jefferson Harper and S. Delano located on Sharp's creek; in May ten Swedes-A. Klingbery, F. Lundstrum, J. Ericson, A. Lend, J. F. Huldquist, P. Ahlquist, N. Sponberg, G. Johnson, B. Johnson and Andrew Hanson, located on the Smoky Hill river. The same month H. B. Tolle and Sanford and Lowell Reese settled on Gypsum creek.
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Others who located in various parts of the county that year were, D. B. Ray, Robert Minnis, J. G. Maxwell and family, E. R. Falley, G. W. and S. D. Shields and William Brown.
In 1867 the Pawnee Indians made a raid on Gypsum creek, murdered a man by the name of Temple and hid his body in a ravine. The next year the Osages raided the vicinity of Sharp's creek and carried off a Mrs. Bassett and a child a few days old. The woman was too weak to ride a pony so was left on the open prairie, where she and her baby were later found by the searching party, in a pitiable condition. The baby died from exposure.
The year 1868 saw the advent of several colonies of Swedes. One colony purchased 13,000 acres of the Kansas Pacific Railroad company in the vicinity of the present town of Marquette, and settled on it. The Chicago Swedish company made heavy purchases especially along the Smoky Hill river and located the town of Lindsborg. Other smaller colonies located in different parts of the county. The town of Sweadal, now extinct, had its beginning. A postoffice was established with L. N. Holmburg, the first store keeper, as postmaster. The first marriage ceremony, which united F. Lindstrum and Miss Larson, was performed by Mr. Holmburg. In 1870 he was made captain of a military company organized for protection from the Indians. Solomon Stephens was first lieutenant of the same company and G. W. Shields, second lieutenant.
In 1871 the Ashtabula colony, the officers of which traveled nearly all over Kansas in search of a location, came to McPherson county and settled in King City township. They founded the town of King City, which was at one time a dangerous rival of McPherson for the county seat, but which is now extinct. The colony took its name from Ashta- bula, Ohio, the town in which it was organized. In Feb., 1873, a colony from Ashland, Ky., located 3 miles east of McPherson. They hauled the timber for their houses from Salina. In September of that year the first Mennonite colony came to the county and bought a large tract of land in the southern part from the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe R. R. company, besides making extensive purchases from settlers.
The first birth in the county was that of Andrew Brown on Sharp's creek Ang. 19, 1869. The first destructive storm after the settlement of the county occurred on June 17, 1876. It passed over the northern part wrecking a great deal of property and injuring a number of per- sons.
McPherson county was originally a part of Peketon county, which was established in 1860 and contained all the territory in Kansas west of the 6th principal meridian and south of township 16. This county was abolished in 1865 and McPherson was made a township of Marion county, which covered a territory similar to Peketon, except that its eastern boundary extended to the west line of Chase county. Solomon Stephens and L. N. Holmburg, who were appointed justices of the peace in 1868, were the first civil officers in what is now McPherson county. A township election was held in 1869 and the following ticket was
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elected without opposition : Justices of the peace, J. G. Maxwell and L. N. Holmburg; constables, R. D. Bagley and David Ray; trustee, D. H. Page; treasurer, David Stephens ; clerk, John F. Hughes.
The county was organized in 1870 by proclamation of Gov. Harvey in response to a petition prepared by a mass meeting of citizens held at Sweadal. The population at that time was 738. John H. Johnson and Samuel Shields were appointed commissioners and John Rund- strum, clerk. Sweadal was made the temporary county seat. The com- missioners organized the following townships, Gypsum, Turkey Creek, Smoky Hill and Sharp's Creek. At the election held on May 2, 172 votes were cast. Sweadal was made the county seat and the officers chosen were: Commissioners, T. E. Simpson, James Weir and John Ferm; clerk, J. R. Fisher; treasurer, Solomon Stevens ; probate judge, Nathan Bean; register of deeds, S. D. Shields; sheriff, M. E. Harper; coroner, John Rundstrum; county attorney, D. H. Page; clerk of the district court, S. J. Swenson; surveyor, J. D. Chamberlain; superin- tendent of public instruction, O. Olsson. Sweadal was located less than 2 miles from Lindsborg, and in Sept., 1870, the commissioners moved the county seat to the latter place. In April, 1873, a petition for reloca- tion was filed. The election was held on June Io, the contesting towns being McPherson, King City, New Gotland and Lindsborg. The McPherson town company had offered the county the use of rooms for county offices for ten years, and ground on which to build a court-house. It is said that there was a great deal of illegal voting on the part of the McPherson people. L. N. Holmburg of New Gotland would have put a stop to the practice, but before he had an opportunity to do so he was arrested on a spurious charge and taken to King City, where he was detained until evening. Out of 934 votes cast McPherson received 605. The county commissioners picked out the grounds in accordance with the offer of the town company and the company erected a two- story frame court-house, which was used for ten years when a large stone structure was built.
The next winter after the grasshopper disaster of 1874, the grangers of McPherson county asked the government for rations for 10,000 people for six months, 10,000 blankets, and 10,000 of each article of clothing. T. D. Wickersham, who was the promoter of this request, helped to distribute the goods and got into serious trouble for supposed theft of money and supplies. Wickersham was an ill-starred name in McPherson county, a James Wickersham having fled the country in 1870 to escape lynching, and another James Wickersham having been shot, but not killed, by James Abercrombie in 1876. In 1875 the sum of $3,300 was stolen from the county, there being no safe place for the treasurer to keep the funds collected.
In 1877, McPherson was the foremost county in the state in agricul- tural products and a great celebration, attended by 5,000 people, was held at the county seat. Although agitation for railroads had been going on since 1872, these products were still being marketed at Salina and other towns outside of the county. The first railroad was built in 1879.
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It was the Marion & McPherson branch of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe. A great celebration took place at McPherson on its com- pletion to that point. The Kansas & Southwestern was completed to McPherson on Jan. 1, 1880. This is at present the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific, which enters the county midway on the east line, extends west to McPherson, where it turns southwest crossing the southern line into Reno county. About the same time the Salina & Southwestern road was built from Salina to McPherson. This is at present the Union Pacific. A branch of the Missouri Pacific R. R. from Newton terminates at McPherson, and another branch of the same road crosses the north- western corner.
The county is divided into 25 townships, viz: Battle Hill, Bonaville, Canton, Castle, Delmore, Empire, Groveland, Gypsum Creek, Harper, Hayes, Jackson, King City, Little Valley, Lone Tree, Marquette, McPherson, Meridian, Moundridge, New Gotland, Smoky Hill, South Sharp's Creek, Spring Valley, Superior, Turkey Creek and Union. The postoffices are, McPherson, the county seat and largest town, Canton, Conway, Dolespark, Elyria, Fremont, Galva, Groveland, Inman, Linds- borg, Marquette, Moundridge, Roxbury and Windom.
The general surface of the county is rolling prairie, somewhat broken in the north and level in the central part. Bottom lands, which com- prise 7 per cent. of the total area, average from one-half to one mile in width. The timber belts along the streams are a few rods in width and contain cottonwood, box-elder, ash, oak, mulberry, hackberry, coffee- bean and willow. The Little Arkansas crosses the southwestern corner, and the Smoky Hill river flows through the northwestern section. There are a number of fair sized creeks, among which are Sharp's, Gypsum, Blaze, Turkey, Black Kettle, Emma and Crooked. Limestone, sandstone and gypsum are abundant.
Stock raising and agriculture are the chief occupations of the people and this locality is second to none in the state in products of this char- acter. The annual output of the farms is over $5,000,000. The corn crop of 1910 brought $1,500,000; oats, nearly $1,000,000; barley, $100,000; sorghum, $100,000; Kafir corn, $80,000; wheat, $77,000; tame grass, $300,000, and wild grass, $100,000. The total value of field crops was $3,500,000, the value of livestock for slaughter $1,600,000. Other important products are poultry, butter, milk, fruit, eggs and broom- corn. McPherson county makes a specialty of the latter crop and it is manufactured locally.
The assessed valuation of property in 1910 was $44,589,000. The population in the same year was 21,521, which makes the wealth per capita nearly $2,100.
McVicar, Peter, clergyman, soldier and educator, was born at St. George, N. B., Canada, June 15, 1829. His parents were natives of Argyleshire, Scotland. At the age of fourteen he went to Wisconsin, and in 1852 entered Beloit College. Subsequently he studied for the ministry at the Union Theological and Andover seminaries, graduating
(II-14)
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at the latter in 1860. In October of that year he came to Kansas and within a few months became pastor of the First Congregational church of Topeka. At the outbreak of the Civil war he enlisted in the army and served under Gen. Curtis. From 1866 to 1870 he was superintendent of public instruction of Kansas and while holding this position was instrumental in saving to the state the school lands in the Osage Indian reservation. At the close of his second term as superintendent he was offered and accepted the presidency of Washburn College, which at that time had neither site, endowment nor buildings and the building up of this well known educational institution may be regarded as his life work and stands as a monument to his memory. Mr. McVicar married Mar- tha Porter Dana of Waukesha, Wis., in Sept., 1863. He died on June 5, 1903.
M
MacGraw, a hamlet in Sheridan county, is located on the north fork of the Solomon river 12 miles amost due north of Hoxie, the county seat. It receives mail from Dresden, which is the nearest railroad station.
Macksville, an incorporated city of the third class in Stafford county, is located in Farmington township on the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe R. R., 12 miles west of St. John, the county seat. It has 2 banks, a weekly newspaper (the Enterprise), all the leading lines of merchan- dising, telegraph and express offices, and an international money order postoffice with two rural routes. The population according to the census of 1910 was 626. It was settled in 1878.
Macyville, a hamlet in Cloud county, is located in Summit township 9 miles southwest of Concordia, the county seat, and about II miles northeast of Glasco, the postoffice from which its mail is distributed by rural route. The population in 1910 was 62.
Madison, the second town in importance and size in Greenwood county, is located on the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe and the Mis- souri Pacific railroads, and on the Verdigris river in Madison township, 27 miles northeast of Eureka, the county seat. It is the only important shipping and receiving station for many miles around and has a number of mercantile establishments. There are 2 banks, a weekly newspaper (the Spirit), express and telegraph offices, and an international money order postoffice with five rural routes. The schools are excellent and all the leading denominations of churches are represented. The popu- lation in 1910 was 721.
The first Madison was established in 1872, northwest of the present town. E. Smith opened a general merchandise store, and later four men named Green, Strails, Cunkle and Oglesby erected log buildings and began business. In 1879, when the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe R. R. was built, the town was moved to the present site, which was laid out by a town company with the following officers : President, L. J. Cunkle; secretary, S. J. Wells; treasurer, W. Martindale. The post-
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office was also moved, the postmaster, T. A. McClure, still retaining his office. A school house was built at the cost of $1,100, and E. Wal- ters was the first teacher. The first building on the new town site was the residence of W. H. Green. Professional people came in, new busi- ness enterprises were established and inside of two years the popula- tion had increased to 300. The first church was organized by Rev. H. P. Baker before the founding of the town. The first newspaper (the Madison News) was established in 1879 by W. O. Lundsford.
Madison County, created in 1855, was bounded as follows: "Begin- ning at the southeast corner of the county of Breckenridge; thence south 24 miles ; thence west 24 miles; thence north 24 miles; thence east 24 miles to the place of beginning." In 1861 the territory embraced by the county was divided between Breckenridge and Greenwood counties and Madison county disappeared.
Madison, Edmond H., lawyer and member of Congress, was born at Plymouth, Hancock county, Ill., Dec. 18, 1865, a son of James W. and Frances (Doty) Madison. He was educated in the common schools and at the age of eighteen years began teaching. In 1885 he went to Wichita, Kan., where he studied law in the office of G. W. C. Jones, and in 1888 was admitted to the bar. The same year he was elected county attorney of Ford county, which office he held for two terms. On Jan. I, 1900, he was appointed judge of the 31st judicial district and served in that capacity until Sept. 17, 1906, when he resigned to enter the race for Congress. He was elected as the representative of the 7th Congressional district that year, reelected in 1908 and again in 1910, but died suddenly from apoplexy while seated at the breakfast table on the morning of Sept. 18, 1911, before completing his third term. While in Congress Mr. Madison was a stanch supporter of President Roose- velt's policies and was a member of the committee to settle the Bal- linger-Pinchot controversy. Mr. Madison was twice married. On Nov. 5, 1885, he was united in marriage at Wichita with Miss Lillie Vance. She died at Topeka on Nov. 9, 1899, and on Dec. 12, 1900, he married Miss Lou Vance of Oklahoma City, Okla., who survives him. Judge Madison belonged to that class of young Republicans who were so active in Kansas politics during the years immediately preceding his death. He was president of the Kansas League of Republican clubs in 1896-97, was an active member of the Sons of Veterans; was fre- quently called upon to serve as delegate to conventions, and his services were in great demand as a campaign orator.
Magda, an inland hamlet of Lyon county, is located 9 miles south of Plymouth, from which place it receives mail by rural route, 12 miles from Emporia, the county seat, and 8 miles west of Olpe, on the Atchi- son, Topeka & Santa Fe R. R., the nearest station and shipping point.
Mahaska, an incorporated city of the third class in Washington county, is located in Union township on the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific R. R., 20 miles northwest of Washington, the county seat. It has a bank, telegraph and express offices and a money order postoffice
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with two rural routes. The population in 1910 was 246. It is the princi- pal trading and shipping point for a large agricultural district in Republic and Washington counties.
Maize, a little town in Sedgwick county, is located in Park township on the Missouri Pacific R. R., 13 miles northwest of Wichita, the county seat. It has a bank, all the leading lines of mercantile enterprise, tele- graph and express offices, and a money order postoffice with one rural route. The population according to the census of 1910 was 200.
Majella, a little settlement of Bourbon county, is located about 15 miles northwest of Fort Scott, the county seat, and 6 miles northeast of Bronson, the most convenient railroad station and the postoffice from which mail is delivered by rural carrier. The population in 1910 was 28.
Malgares, Don Facundo .- In 1806 the relations between the United States and Spain were somewhat strained, the latter country having opposed the cession of the province of Louisiana to the United States by France. When Lieut. Zebulon M. Pike was fitting out his expe- dition at St. Louis, Spanish emmissaries there managed to get word to the authorities in New Mexico, and a counter expedition was planned to prevent Pike from exploring the country and to make treaties of amity with certain Indian tribes. (See Pike's Expedition.)
The leadership of the Spanish expedition was given to Don Facundo Malgares, a native of Spain, a nephew of one of the royal judges of New Spain, and a man who had distinguished himself as a commander of Spanish forces in numerous encounters with hostile Indians. Mal- gares marched from Santa Fe with 100 regular dragoons and 500 mounted militia, under instructions to turn back Pike in case he should meet him, and in any event to make friendly treaties with the Indians, in order that their allegiance might be secured in case of a rupture between the United States and Spain. While on the march an incident occurred that showed the determined character of the commander. A petition, signed by 200 of the militia, was presented to Malgares, asking him to turn back. Malgares ordered a halt, had a gallows erected, separated the petitioners from the rest of his command, and then directed that the man who presented the petition should receive fifty lashes, the gallows standing ready to receive any man who grumbled at his order. Under this heroic treatment there was no more talk of turning back, and the expedition soon after divided, 240 men remaining in camp while Malgares with the remainder of his force went on to the Pawnee republic, in what is now Republic county, Kan., where he made a treaty with the Pawnees. The Spanish flags which Pike found there a little later had been presented to the Indians by Malgares, who failed to meet Pike, and in October returned to Santa Fe.
When Pike reached Santa Fe the governor there notified him that he and his men would have to be conducted to Chihuahua under a mili- tary escort, which Lieut. Malgares was selected to command. Not- withstanding the fact that Pike and his men were virtually prisoners of war, Malgares would not examine Pike's private papers, and refused
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