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 35
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Mitchell County, one of the counties which was settled after the Civil war, is centrally located east and west, and is the second county south from Nebraska. It is bounded on the north by Jewell county; on the east by Cloud and Ottawa; on the south by Lincoln, and on the west by Osborne. The name was given it in honor of Capt. William D. Mitchell, who enlisted in the Union army as a private soldier in the second Kansas cavalry, and after being promoted to the rank of captain was killed at Monroe's cross-roads, N. C., in 1865.
The honor of being the first settler in Mitchell county is divided between Joseph Decker, who located near Glen Elder early in 1866, and Hon. John Rees, who located in Ashbury township at a date not definitely known, except that his son, S. G. Rees, the first while child born in the county, was born in 1866. Mr. Rees opened the first store
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in the county and kept the first postoffice, both at Ashbury. The post- office was established in 1869. Mr. Decker brought a large herd of cattle with him, which the Indians drove away before fall. This so discouraged him that he quit the country. In 1867 a number of people settled in the county, and by early spring of 1868 the following had started improvements : Thomas Howie and William Joiner, just below the forks of Asher creek; Mathias Nelson, David Bogardus and B. Bell at the mouth of Plumb creek; Whit McConnell and Tunis Bulis between Asher and Plumb creeks on the river; James Farrow and James Duff just above Plumb creek on the river; H. A. Bell, John Whitehurst and his sons, Vinton and Abraham, on the Solomon river where Beloit now stands; and John Smith at Solomon Rapids. Andrew Peterson settled in Logan township in 1868. Other early settlers were Abram Marshall, Charles Welsh, B. F. Moody and A. A. Bell.
In Aug., 1868, roving bands of Cheyennes and Sioux visited the settle- ments and lingered about the mouth of Plumb and Asher creeks for several days, hoping to be able to steal something from the settlers. Finally, to intimidate the settlers they called B. Bell and David Bogardus from their cabin and shot them. Mrs. Bell was fatally wounded in attempting to avoid being carried away. They killed Mr. Hewitt of Brown creek and wounded his son, two sons of Abram Mar- shall and a man by the name of Thompson lost their lives in pursuing the Indians, and two little daughters of A. A. Bell were stolen but were afterward abandoned by the Indians and picked up by the settlers on the Saline. A stockade was established at Howie's ranch, just below the forks of Asher creek a few miles above the present town of Asher- ville, and nearly all the settlers spent the next winter there. They were joined by George Ealand, William Holton, John Cushing and John Owen. The latter, who led a wild life as a trapper, was unanimously elected commander of the stockade. Finding his protests in vain, he secretly packed his traps and fled to the headwaters of the Cimarron. Shortly after the raid, company G of the Seventh U. S. cavalry made a reconnoisance of the Solomon valley. The Indians managed to escape, although hard pressed on two occasions. That fall the soldiers built a blockhouse on the Solomon 2 miles south of Cawker City, but did not remain long. .
Early in 1869 Dr. Rose of Junction City filed on the tract of land occupied by the blockhouse, but was driven out by the Indians and killed near Glen Elder in trying to make his escape. Later in the year the government established a post west of Waconda and north of the river, in which Battery B of the Fourth U. S. artillery, under Capt. H. C. Hasbrouck, was stationed .. This company was relieved in April, 1870, by G Troop of the Seventh U. S. cavalry, under Lieut. C. C. de Rudio, with Lieut. McIntosh, a full blooded Chippewa, second in command. The raids of the Indians became less frequent, but on May 9th a party of Cheyennes and Arapahoes came upon four men-Lew J. Best, John Hatcher, R. G. F. Kshinka and John A. Seger-on Oak creek near the
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west line of the county. The men made such a determined resistance that the Indians gave it up, passed on down the river, and made an attack at Glen Elder, killing Solomon Meiser, John Greer and a Mr. Kenyon. Most of the settlers then took refuge in a stockade built on the farm of George W. Stinson. The soldiers from the post followed the Indians, who divided themselves into two bands and escaped. They reappeared three weeks later at Cawker City, where John Seger led them into thinking the place well manned. They then went on west and stole Io horses from the ranch of Best & Hatcher, where a dozen men were concealed, but did not dare attack the savages. The final raid took place July 2, 1870. A settlement was made near the center of the county in the spring of that year by C. J. Brown, G. W. Anderson, R. C. Clark and J. S. Smith. They built a stockade and lived together. Civilization was then pretty well established. The last buffalo seen in the vicinity was one which came down the main street of Cawker City (then a town of 250 people), in July, 1872.
The first school houses in the county outside of Beloit, four in num- ber, were built in 1872, in Lulu, Bloomfield, Center and Solomon Rapids townships. The first church was built in Blue Hills township, by the Baptists in 1873, the second was built at Beloit by the Methodists in 1874. The first marriage was in Asherville township between W. McConnell and Nancy Marshall in 1868.
The county organization was effected in 1870, when the governor appointed as commissioners J. M. Myers, William E. Schooley and Charles Brown, and as clerk Don A. Peaslee. The commissioners held their first meeting in Oct., 1870. At the first election Beloit was selected as county seat and the following officers were chosen; Commissioners, C. L. Brown, William E. Schooley and Lew J. Best; clerk, L. C. Smith ; probate judge, James Britt ; sheriff, W. B. Smith; county attorney, Don A. Peaslee ; treasurer, H. J. Messenger ; superintendent of public instruc- tion, J. W. Elliott; coroner, J. W. Clark; representative, E. Harrison. A court-house was built by T. F. Hersey at a cost of $4,000 and pre- sented to the county.
There were originally 17 townships, Asherville, Beloit, Bloomfield, Blue Hill, Cawker, Cedar Creek, Center, Glen Elder, Hayes, Logan, . Lulu, Pittsburg, Plumb Creek, Salt Creek, Solomon Rapids, Turkey Creek, Walnut Creek. Cedar Creek has disappeared and the following have been added, Carr Creek, Custer, Eureka and Round Springs. Some of the early towns which have disappeared from the map are, West Asher, Round Springs, Naomi, Pittsburg, Elmira, Danville, Shockley, Springfield, Brown's Creek, Ulysses and Excelsior. The principal towns and villages of the present are, Beloit, the county seat, Asherville, Blue Hill, Cawker City, Glen Elder, Hunter, Scottville, Simpson, Solomon Rapids, Tipton, Victor and Waconda Springs.
The Central Branch of the Missouri Pacific railroad came through the county in 1879 and was aided by the people to the extent of $50,000. The Solomon Valley road was extended from Solomon City to Beloit
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the same year. The Missouri Pacific enters the county in the northeast corner, runs southwest to Beloit, where it connects with the Union Pacific, thence west through Solomon Rapids, Glen Elder and Cawker City, leaving the county a few miles south of the northwest corner.
The general surface of the county is rolling prairie with bottom lands about 3 miles wide along the Solomon river, and from one-quarter to one-half mile wide along the creeks. The north and south forks of the Solomon join just within the western limits of the county, forming the main river, which flows southeast into Cloud county. It has several small tributary streams within the county, among them being Salt, Oak, Brown's, Limestone, Walnut, Carl, Plumb and Asher creeks. Salt marshes are plentiful in the southern part of the county and Waconda spring, at the place of that name, is heavily laden with salt. Magnesian limestone and sandstone of good quality for building material are extensively quarried along the bluffs. Potter's clay and gypsum are found in several localities.
The area of the county is 720 square miles or 460,800 acres, of which about 300,000 acres are under cultivation. The total farm production in 1910 amounted to over $4,000,000. The corn and wheat crops were almost even in value, running over $1,000,000 each. Live stock for the same year was worth $750,000, and the assessed value of property was $28,648,000. The population was 14,089, which makes the wealth per capita about $2,100.
Mitchell, Robert B., soldier, was born in Richland county, Ohio, April 4, 1823. He was educated at Washington College in Pennsylvania, after which he studied law, was admitted to the bar, and practiced at Mansfield, Ohio, from 1844 to 1846. He then entered the army as a first lieutenant in an Ohio regiment and served through the Mexican war, resuming his law practice in 1847. In 1856 he removed to Kansas, where he became an active participant in political affairs as a free-state advocate, and in 1857 was elected to the legislature. From 1858 to 1861 he held the office of territorial treasurer. When the Civil war broke out he again entered the army, this time as colonel of the Second Kansas, and was severely wounded at the battle of Wilson's creek. Subse- quently he raised a regiment of cavalry and was commissioned brigadier- general of volunteers. At the battle of Perryville, Ky., Oct. 8, 1862, he commanded a division of the Third army corps, and at Chickamauga he was in command of the cavalry corps of the Army of the Cumber- land. At the close of the war he was appointed governor of New Mexico and held that office until 1867, when he removed to Washing- ton, D. C., where his death occurred on Jan. 26, 1882.
Modoc, a hamlet in Scott county, is located on the Missouri Pacific R. R. 9 miles west of Scott, the county seat. It has an express office and a money order postoffice with two rural routes. The population in 1910 was 75.
Moline, the second largest town in Elk county, is located 9 miles south of Howard, the county seat, on the Atchison, Topeka & Santa
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Fe R. R. and in Wild Cat township. It has 2 banks, a weekly news- paper (the Gazette), good churches and schools, telegraph and express offices, and an international money order postoffice with three rural routes. It is an enterprising little city, with all modern improvements, and is heated and lighted with natural gas. Several flowing gas wells are found in the vicinity. The population according to the census report of 1910 was 808.
Moline was laid out in 1879, the survey being made by Maj. J. H. Chapman for the Moline Town company. The first building erected was a general store, opened by M. Carter and S. B. Hemmenway. A number of the buildings were brought from the town of Boston, located on the line between Chautauqua and Elk counties, as was also the post- office. The first journalistic attempt was the publication of the Elk County Signal in 1881 by W. C. Parker and I. N. Boicourt.
Monahan, Deane, psuedonym .- (See Steele, James W.)
Monett, a country postoffice in Chautauqua county, is a station on the Missouri Pacific R. R. in Washington township, 10 miles northeast of Sedan, the county seat. It has telephone connections, and according to the census reports of 1910 had a population of 12.
Monmouth, a village in Crawford county, is located in Sheridan town- ship on the St. Louis & San Francisco R. R., 12 miles south of Girard, the county seat. It has an elevator, a few stores, churches and a school, telegraph and express offices and a money order postoffice with one rural route. The population according to the census of 1910 was 179. This is said to be the oldest town in Crawford county, having been laid off by L. Manlove on his own farm in 1866. The postoffice was estab- lished in that year and Manlove was the first postmaster.
Monrovia, one of the oldest towns in Atchison county, is located on the Missouri Pacific R. R. 15 miles southwest of Atchison. The town was platted in 1856. Caleb West was president of the town company, which expected Monrovia to become a large town, but it never grew to their expectations. It now has two or three general stores, a church and district school, money order postoffice and telegraph station. In 1910 it had a population of 104.
Montana, a village of Labette county, is located on the Neosho river in Montana township, 8 miles north of Oswego, the county seat, and 4 miles from Laneville, the nearest shipping point. It has a money order postoffice. The population in 1910 was 153. In 1866 Frank Simons put up a log house at this point and opened a store. The post- office was established in that year. In 1867 a ferry was established at the point where the bridge now spans the Neosho. A town company was organized in 1868, of which Levi Seabridge, J. S. Anderson, Henry Minor, S. S. Watson, J. S. Waters and D. M. Watson were members. The early growth of the town was rapid and inside of two years there were 13 general stores, 3 saloons, 3 hotels, 2 livery stables, 2 wagon shops, and about 500 inhabitants. Disappointed in not getting the Missouri, Kansas & Texas railroad, the growth was checked in 1870,
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when the town of Labette sprang up with glowing prospects and many of the buildings were moved to that point. City government was main- tained from 1873 to 1884.
Montana County, now a part of the State of Colorado, was created by the territorial legislature of Kansas on Feb. 7, 1859, with the fol- lowing boundaries: "Commencing at a point on the 40th parallel of latitude, 20 miles east of the 105th meridian of longitude; running thence west to the western boundary of the Territory of Kansas; thence following the boundary of the Territory of Kansas, on the summit of the Rocky mountains, to a point 20 miles north of the 39th parallel of latitude; thence east to a point 20 miles east of the 105th meridian of longitude; thence due north to the place of beginning." By the same act J. H. Turney, William H. Prentice and A. D. Richardson were appointed commissioners for the county and were authorized to select a location for the seat of justice at or near the geographical center.
Montezuma, a country postoffice in Montezuma township, Gray county, is located 18 miles south of Cimarron, the county seat. It has tri-weekly mail. The population in 1910 was II. Montezuma was a thriving little town during the 'Sos, when it had prospects of a railroad and of becoming the county seat. The first newspaper published in Gray county was established in Montezuma in 1879. In 1886 the town had a population of over 100, a newspaper and a bank. The springs at this point are said to have medicinal qualities.
Montgomery County, located in the southern tier of counties, is the third west from the Missouri line. It is bounded on the north by Wilson county ; on the east by Labette; on the south by the State of Oklahoma, and on the west by Chautauqua and Elk counties. It was settled to some extent before 1870, though the lands still belonged to the Osage Indians until the treaty of Drum Creek in September of that year. However, there was a narrow strip, 3 miles in width, extending along the eastern side, belonging to the "ceded lands," which was opened to settlement in 1867. In that year the first settler, Louis Scott, a negro, located in the Verdigris valley. In Dec., 1867, Zachariah C. Crow, P. R. Jordan and Col. Coffey located in the same neighborhood. In Feb., 1868, R. W. Dunlap established a trading post near the mouth of Drum creek, and about the same time a post was established by John Lush- baugh at the junction of Pumpkin creek with the Verdigris. The next winter Moses Neal opened a store at the mouth of Big Hill creek, and in 1869 Maj. Fitch began a similar business on the north side of Elk creek near the mouth of Sycamore. Among the settlers of 1868, all of whom located along the river and creek valleys in the eastern part of the county, were John A. Twiss, T. C., J. H. and Allen Graham, J. H. Savage, Jacob Thompson, E. K. Kounce, William Fain, Green L. Canada, W. L. and G. W. Mays, John L. McIntyre, Joseph Roberts, John Russell, J. B. Rowley, Patrick Dugan, William Reed, Christian Greenough, John Hanks, Mortimer Goodell, D. R. B. Flora, R. W. Dun- lap, Mrs. E. C. Powell, Thomas C. Evans, Lewis Chouteau, George Spece and James Parkinson.
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In order to obtain a "squatter's claim" the settler had to secure the consent of the Indians, which, by a treaty made in the Upper Elk valley in 1869, was to be had on payment of $5 for a prairie claim and $10 for one in the timber. Considerable trouble was experienced between the settlers and the railroads over the title to the lands in the eastern part of the county. The matter was finally settled in favor of the settlers, by the supreme court of the United States. The unreliability of the early surveys caused no little trouble as to ownership of certain tracts of land after the authorized survey had been made. Unwilling to await the tedious and often expensive process of law on these matters there were formed in different parts of the county what were called "Settlers Claim" clubs, to which all disputes of this character were referred. A code of laws was drawn up to cover all points liable to arise in any case of disputed land title. All cases were settled according "to law and evidence" and whenever a decision had been reached, the party against whom such decision had been rendered was given notice to move from the claim within a certain length of time. Upon failure to obey he was ejected forcibly from the premises and his buildings and other property destroyed. Occasionally these clubs took a hand in criminal cases, as in the punishment of the three murderers of John A. Twiss, who were hanged to an oak tree after a trial by the club.
The county was organized in 1869 by proclamation of Gov. Harvey. Verdigris City was named as the temporary county seat and the fol- lowing officers were appointed: Commissioners, H. C. Crawford, H. A. Bethuran and R. L. Walker; clerk, E. C. Kimball. The commissioners divided the county into three townships, Drum Creek, Westralia and Verdigris. An election for county officers and to locate the county seat was held in November of the same year. The returns from Drum Creek were thrown out on technical grounds, and the remaining vote gave a majority for Liberty. A board of commissioners favorable to that place were elected. Independence filed a notice of contest and the matter was taken before the court of Wilson county, to which Mont- gomery was at that time attached for judicial purposes. The court decided that there had been no election. The old board of commis- sioners continued to serve, but the county seat, in face of great oppo- sition was removed to Liberty. The Independence men sent Charles White to Topeka to lay the matter before the state authorities. He succeeded in getting a new board of commissioners appointed, which was composed of W. W. Graham, Thomas Brock and S. B. Moorhouse. The new board went to Verdigris City where they organized and appointed the following officers: County clerk, J. A. Helpingstine; treasurer, Samuel Van Gundy; register of deeds, J. K. Snyder ; super- intendent of schools, R. B. Cunningham. They selected Independence as the county seat and, finding it useless to dissent, the old board gave up the fight. At a hotly contested election in Nov., 1870, Independence received the largest number of votes and became the permanent county seat. The court-house, erected shortly afterward, was the first brick building in the county.
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The organization of the county government was followed by reck- less and extravagant bond issues. Before 1872 the people had for various purposes voted a debt upon themselves to the amount of nearly $1,000,000. Money loaned to private parties drew from 25 to 50 per cent. interest. The people were very anxious for a railroad and in 1870 they voted $200,000 in bonds to the Leavenworth, Lawrence & Gal- veston company, which built a line through the eastern part of the county terminating at Coffeyville. Independence, indignant at being deserted by the railroad company, after being foremost in securing the bonds, yet over-zealous for a road, paid the company an immense bonus to build a branch. This was called "Bunker's Plug," and was in use from Jan., 1872, to 1879. In the latter year the South Kansas & West- ern built a line across the county connecting with the main line at Cherryvale, and the next year the St. Louis, Warsaw & Western built a line across the northeastern part of the county. At that time there were 65 miles of railroad in the county. At present there are 160 miles. The early companies have since sold out and the names of the roads have been changed. The Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe enters in the north- east corner, passes southwest through Cherryvale and Coffeyville and continues on into Oklahoma. A branch of this line diverges at Cherry- vale, runs southwest through Independence and into Chautauqua county. There are three lines of the Missouri Pacific. One enters in the north and runs south through Independence to Dearing, where it united with a second line that crosses the southern part east and west, and the third line crosses the northwest corner. The St. Louis & San Francisco enters near the northeast and runs to Cherryvale, where it diverges into two branches, both running to the Joplin-Galena lead and zinc district. The Missouri, Kansas & Texas crosses the southeast corner.
The county is divided into 12 civil townships as follows: Caney, Cherokee, Cherry, Drum Creek, Fawn Creek, Independence, Liberty, Louisburg, Parker, Rutland, Sycamore and West Cherry. The post- offices in the county are, Bolton, Caney, Cherryvale, Coffeyville, Dear- ing, Elk City, Havana, Independence, Jefferson, Liberty, Sycamore, Tyro and Wayside.
The general surface of the county is prairie. The bottom lands along the creeks and rivers average over a mile in width and comprise 25 per cent. of the area. The timber belts on the streams average a few rods in width and contain walnut, cottonwood, hickory, oak, pecan, hack- berry, ash, mulberry, sycamore, elm, maple, box-elder and locust. The Verdigris river enters from the north and flows south into Oklahoma. The Elk river enters in the northwest and flowing east joins the Ver- digris. Big Hill, Drum, Pumpkin, Sycamore and Onion are important creeks.
The best quality of limestone and shale are found in abundance. Sand for glass, coal and building stone also exist in commercial quantities. The entire county is a great natural gas and oil field. This gas enables the county to be one of the foremost manufacturing districts in the state.
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While not strictly an agricultural county, the yearly product of the farms bring over $2,000,000. In 1910 the wheat crop was worth $200,000; corn, $650,000; Kafir corn, $112,000; oats, $250,000; and prairie grass, $150,000. There are 150,000 bearing fruit trees. Live stock is raised to considerable extent.
The population according to the census of 1910 was 49,475, which was an increase of more than 20,000 in ten years. The assessed valu- ation of property in that year was $60,650,000.
A number of disasters in the way of fires and floods have occurred in the history of Montgomery county, but perhaps none was so pic- turesque as the prairie fire of 1868. A long spring drought was followed by an exceptionally wet summer. The rivers and creeks were swollen so that they were impassable and the ground was soaked so that no crop could be raised. Wild grass grew rank all over the county, and when this became dry a terrific but magnificent conflagration swept the county. While it lasted it kept the skies bright at night, so that ordinary handwriting could be read by the light of the fire at a distance of a mile or more. Live stock, utensils, settlers' cabins and whole villages were destroyed, and a number of lives were lost. In 1874 this section suf- fered in common with the whole state from the grasshoppers. The next most disastrous occurrence was the flood in the valleys of the Elk and the Verdigris in 1885, when homes were inundated and a number of lives lost.
Montgomery, James, pioneer and soldier, was born in Ashtabula county, Ohio, Dec. 22, 1814. He was a cousin of Gen. Richard Mont- gomery, who fell at the storming of Quebec in 1759. He received an academic education and in 1837 went to Kentucky, where he was for a time engaged in teaching school. While there he joined the Christian church and became a minister of that denomination, but later in life espoused the doctrines of the Adventists. In 1852 he removed to Pike county, Mo., with his family, and a year later he went to Jackson county, in order to be ready to enter Kansas as soon as the territory was organized and the lands opened to settlement. Some of his friends, among whom was Dr. Thornton, knowing him to be opposed to slavery, persuaded him to go to Bates county, Mo., by telling him that he could obtain as good land there as he could in Kansas. He accepted their advice, but quickly became dissatisfied in Bates county and returned to his original resolution to settle in Kansas. Accordingly he purchased a claim from a pro-slavery settler about 5 miles from the present town of Mound City late in the year 1854. It was not long until he was recognized as a leader by the free-state men of that locality. In 1857 he organized and commanded the "Self-Protective Company," which had been formed to defend the rights of the anti-slavery settlers, and backed by this company Montgomery ordered some of the most rabid pro-slavery citizens to leave the territory. After their departure, he settled down to improve his claim, but later in the year some of the free-state men of Bourbon county, who had been expelled by George
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