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 45
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written by his secretary, with notes and comments by himself. In this work mention is made of a river which "poured such a large stream into the Gulf that we took fresh water from the sea," and upon this statement some writers have tried to establish the claim that Nuñez discovered the Mississippi before De Soto.
In 1851 Buckingham Smith, while secretary of the American legation at Madrid, found and translated the narrative of Nuñez's wanderings in the interior of America, written at Culiacan in May, 1536. Accord- ing to his own account he was something of a trader while among the Indians, as he tells how they employed him to go from one place to another for things of which they had need, the Indians being unable to do so themselves because of the hostility among the tribes. He says his chief wares were "pieces of sea snails and their cones, conches that are used for cutting, and a fruit like a bean of the highest value among them, which they use as a medicine and employ in their dances and festivities. There are sea beads also, and other articles. Such were what I carried into the interior; and in barter for them, I brought back skins, ochre with which they rub and color their faces; and flint for arrow points, cement and hard canes of which to make arrows. and tassels that are made of the hair of the deer and dyed red."
The occupation apparently suited him, as it left him at liberty to go where he pleased, and was finally the means of permitting him to make his escape from captivity. He was probably the first white man to traverse the western plains, and is believed by some to have fol- lowed the Arkansas river from the neighborhood of Great Bend to near Dodge City, whence he proceeded southwest toward New Mexico. It was the report of Nuñez and his companions that led to the Coro- nado expedition (q. v.) a little later in search of the seven cities of Cibola.
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Oakhill, a little town in Clay county, is located in Oakland township on Chapman creek, and on the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe R. R., 15 miles southwest of Clay Center, the county seat. It has a bank, a number of retail stores, telegraph and express offices and a money order postoffice with two rural routes. The population in 1910 was 300.
Oakland, an incorporated city of the third class in Shawnee county. is a suburb of Topeka, the county seat, with which it is connected by a street railway. It has a money order postoffice. A number of nur- series and large woolen mills are located here. There is one newspaper (the Oakland Blade). Many of the people residing here are employed in Topeka. The population according to the census of 1910 was 1,465.
Oakley, an incorporated city of the third class in Logan county, is located in Oakley township, on the main line of the Union Pacific R. R., and is the terminus of the Colby & Oakley branch of the same road. It is 22 miles northeast of Russell Springs, the county seat, and is sur-
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rounded by a rich agricultural district for which it is the receiving and distributing point. It is a well appointed little city with cement side- walks, electric lights, ice plant, a commercial club, an opera house, a county high school, flour mill, steam laundry, bottling works, creamery, cold storage plant, 2 banks, a machine shop, a weekly newspaper (the Graphic), telegraph and express offices, and an international money order postoffice with one rural route. The population according to the census of 1910 was 681.
Oak Mills, one of the earliest settlements of Atchison county, is located on the Missouri river and the Missouri Pacific R. R. 10 miles southeast of Atchison. The first settlers came in June, 1854, from latan, Mo. The following year a postoffice was established and during the years of river traffic it was a town of some consequence. At the present time it has several stores, a money order postoffice and tele- graph station. In 1910 the population was 86.
Oak Ranch, a hamlet in Rawlins county, is located in the Beaver creek valley 20 miles southwest of Atwood, the county seat, and 10 miles south of McDonald, the nearest railroad station. It receives mail from Colby.
Oakvale, one of the inland hamlets of Smith county, is located 9 miles southeast of Smith Center, the county seat, and 8 miles south- west of Lebanon, from which it receives mail by rural route. The population according to the census of 1910 was 23.
Oak Valley, a little town in Elk county, is on the Elk river and the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe R. R. in Oak Valley township, about 16 miles southeast of Howard, the county seat. All the main lines of trade are represented. The town is supplied with express and tele- graph offices and a money order postoffice. The population according to the census of 1910 was 149. This town was founded in 1879 by John Johnson, who built the first structure and used it as a residence. The first store was opened by M. Donovan. The next building was a drug store. The depot was built the first year. A postoffice had existed at that point since 1876, under the same name. It was kept in the resi- dence of John Johnson until 1880, when it was moved "up town." A flour mill with a capacity of 25 barrels per day was built in 1876. The first religious services were held in 1882 by Rev. Mr. Collison in the school house, which was built in that year. The first birth was that of Wilson Shoemaker, son of H. Shoemaker, and the first death that of an infant child of C. H. Jones.
Oakwood, a hamlet of Linn county. is situated in the western portion on the Missouri, Kansas & Texas R. R., about 10 miles northwest of Mound City, the county seat. It has mail from Centerville. The popu- lation in 1910 was 40.
Oanica, a hamlet in Kearny county, is located in Hibbard township, about 16 miles north of Lakin, the county seat, which is its usual bank- ing and shipping point. It has a postoffice and in 1910 reported a population of 20.
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Oatville, a hamlet in Sedgwick county, is located in Waco township, on the Missouri Pacific R. R., 6 miles southwest of Wichita, the county seat. It has telegraph and express offices and a money order postoffice with one rural route. The population in 1910 was 44.
Oberlin, the county seat of Decatur county, is an incorporated city of the third class, located a little northwest of the center, on Sappa creek and at the terminus of a branch of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy R. R. It has electric lights, waterworks, fire department, sewer system, an opera house, flour mill, foundry, creamery, grain elevators, county high school, public library, 2 banks, 3 newspapers (the Times, the Herald and the News), telegraph and express offices, and an inter- national money order postoffice with six rural routes. The population in 1910 was 1,157. The town was platted in 1878, and in September of that year consisted of two stores, a hotel and a blacksmith shop. In 1882 the population was 300. In 1885 Oberlin was incorporated as a city of. the third class. The population in 1890 was 976. In 1882 the Independent volunteer cavalry company (see Militia) of Oberlin was organized. Oberlin is in the midst of a prosperous farming district for which it is the receiving and shipping point.
Obern, a country postoffice in Seward county, is located 18 miles north of Liberal, the county seat, and about 14 miles northwest of Arkalon, the nearest railroad station.
Ocheltree, a village in the extreme southern part of Johnson county, is located on the St. Louis & San Francisco R. R. 7 miles south of Olathe, the county seat. The town was laid out by a company in 1867 and was recorded under the name of Spring Hill station. William Auld was the first settler. The postoffice was established in 1870, with J. M. Miller as the first postmaster. The first school house was moved into the town from the country and used until 1880, when a new structure was erected. At the present time the town contains an agricultural implement and hardware store, several general stores, has a money order postoffice, telegraph and express facilities, is a large shipping point and in 1910 had a population of 75.
Octagon Settlement Company .- The octagon plan of settlement originated with Henry S. Clubb of New York, who was one of the founders of the Vegetarian Settlement company (q. v.), and it seems that he had a faculty for promoting schemes of this character that were destined to end in failure. The Octagon Settlement company was organized early in the year 1856, the constitution declaring the follow- ing objects :
"I-To form a union of persons of strict temperance principles, who, in the admission of members, shall have a guaranty that they will be associated with good society, and that their children will be educated under the most favorable circumstances, and trained under good example.
"2-To commence a settlement in Kansas Territory, for the pursuit of agriculture and such mechanic arts as may be advantageously intro- duced.
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"3-To promote the enactment of good and righteous laws in that territory, to uphold freedom, and to oppose slavery and oppression in every form."
The books were opened for stock subscriptions early in Feb., 1856, and by the end of the month enough subscriptions had been received to justify the company in beginning a settlement. The octagon plan con- templated the occupation of 16 square miles of land-four tracts each containing 4 square miles. In the center 584 acres were to be set apart for an agricultural college and model farm, and in the center of each of the four tracts a school house was to be established. Grouped around these educational institutions were the farms of the shareholders, each facing the center or one of the roads leading to the center. The advan- tages claimed for this plan were: I-Every settler could enjoy the ad- vantages of living in a village and at the same time be in the best pos- sible position on his farm; 2-The proximity of neighbors would afford mutual aid and protection ; 3-By this arrangement every family would be within easy reach of a school house, thus affording better educa- tional advantages for the children; 4-Ease of association for social purposes, etc.
Lack of capital prevented the settlement from being established on this plan, but with a view to carrying it out later, a tract two miles square was selected in the southwestern part of the present Allen county, on the west bank of the Neosho river and immediately opposite the Vegetarian Settlement company's colony. In fact the two com- panies were so closely united that they were practically one. They were conceived by the same mind, were started in the same manner, and they perished about the same time from bad management and inanition.
Odd Fellows .- The secret, benevolent society known as the Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows originated in England in the latter part of the 18th century, though the location of the first lodge and the exact date of its organization is unknown. For several years there was no central organization, the various lodges acting independently of each other. In 1812 delegates from the lodges in the vicinity of Manchester met in that city and formed the "Manchester Unity of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows." Some six years prior to that time Solomon Chambers and his two sons, members of Westminster Lodge, England, came to the United States, and soon after their arrival in this country organized lodges in New York and Brooklyn, but both had been dis- solved by 1810. The organization of the Manchester Unity gave strength to the order in the mother country, and when Thomas Wildey and another Odd Fellow came from England and located at Baltimore, Md., in 1818, they found conditions more favorable for the introduction of Odd Fellowship than had Mr. Chambers and his sons in New York. In 1819 a lodge was organized in Baltimore, which on Feb. 1, 1820, received a charter from the Manchester Unity, under the name of "Washington Lodge and Grand Lodge of Maryland and the United States of America." This lodge is recognized in the history of the order
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as the first in the United States. Its charter was afterward surrendered and it became merely a local or subordinate lodge. After a few years the American lodges severed their allegiance to the Manchester Unity, and in 1879 the grand lodge in the United States adopted the name of "Sovereign Grand Lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows." It is from this supreme body that all the state grand lodges receive their authority.
The order is composed of the sovereign grand lodge, the grand lodges of the several states and territories, encampments and cantons, the last named being made up of the "Patriarchs Militant," a uniformed, semi- military organization, something like the Knights Templars of Masonry, or the uniform rank of the Knights of Pythias. The first encampment was established at Baltimore-which city might be aptly termed the mother of American Odd Fellowship-in 1831, and the patriarchs mili- tant degree was founded in 1884. In addition to these bodies, there is also a làdies' degree called the Daughters of Rebekah, which was estab- lished in 1851. To this degree the wives, mothers and daughters of Odd Fellows are eligible, and it is an auxiliary to the order in chari- table work, etc ..
The first Odd Fellows' lodge in Kansas was organized at Tecumseh on March 2, 1857, under a charter received from the sovereign grand lodge of the United States at Baltimore, Md. It was known as Shawnee Lodge, No. I, and was followed during the next twelve months by Leavenworth Lodge, No. 2, at Leavenworth; Summunduwot Lodge, No. 3, at Wyandotte; Lawrence Lodge, No. 4, at Lawrence; and Friendship Lodge, No. 5, at Atchison. On June 2, 1858, representatives of these five lodges met in the hall of Shawnee Lodge at Tecumseh and organized the Kansas grand lodge, with John Collins as the first grand master and George W. Brown as the first grand secretary. For the first few years, owing to the transition from territory to state and the Civil war, the growth of the order was comparatively slow. After the war new members began to come in, and from that time to 1911 the progress of Kansas Odd Felloship has been steadily onward and upward, the grand lodge reports for June 30, 1911, showing 564 sub- ordinate lodges in the state, with a membership of 49,264. When the · first lodge was instituted it had but five members. During the five years from 1906 to 1910 the order has increased about one-third of its membership; has paid out in relief to members over $500,000, and the assets of the subordinate lodges have increased over $530,000. On April 26, 1906, the Rebecca I. O. O. F. home at Manhattan was dedi- cated, with accommodations for 30 adults and 60 children.
The first Rebekah lodge was established at Topeka, and was soon followed by lodges at Fort Scott and Holton. In 1911 a Rebekah degree was connected with practically every subordinate lodge in the state.
Following is a list of the grand masters from the organization of the grand lodge to 1911, with the time served by each: John Collins, 1858; C. A. Logan, 1859 (was elected grand sire of the sovereign grand
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lodge at Baltimore in 1872); W. A. Shannon, 1860; J. B. Davis, 1861 ; A. N. Blacklidge, 1862; John Martin, 1863; Fred Speck, 1864; F. P. Baker, 1865; Levi Empie, 1866; H. O. Sholes, 1867; H. D. McCarthy, 1868; H. J. Canniff, 1869; Isaac Sharp, 1870; Sol Miller, 1871; George W. Martin, 1872; R. A. Randlett, 1873; F. H. Betton, 1874; John M. Price, 1875; John Charlton, 1876; J. J. Buck, 1877; J. G. Northcraft, 1878; W. H. Pilkinton, 1879; C. H. Krebs, 1880; A. W. Dow, 1881 ; E. S. Bertram, 1882; D. B. Long, 1883; George W. Jones, 1884; J. S. Codding, 1885; J. T. McMillin, 1886; W. A. Cormany, 1887; A. P. Riddle, 1888; A. L. Voorhis, 1889; William Mathewson, 1890; M. B. Ward, 1891; H. W. Pond, 1892; J. A. Campbell, 1893; Levi Ferguson, 1894; W. T. Taylor, 1895; W. M. Glenn, 1896; W. L. Brown, 1897; J. A. Colaw, 1898; John A. Bright, 1899; J. W. Haughey, 1900; George W. Brown, 1901; J. M. Johnson, 1902; G. T. Davies, 1903; G. W. Alla- man, 1904; J. I. Saunders, 1905; A. W. Hershberger, 1906; B. M. Powell, 1907; W. H. Kemper, 1908; C. M. Cole, 1909; T. P. Roney, 1910; Charles G. Lilly, 1911.
George W. Brown served as grand secretary from the organization of the grand lodge until 1865, when he was succeeded by Samuel F. Burdett, who served until 1889. George W. Jones held the office in the year 1890; John A. Bright then served until 1893; C. W. Main then held the office for two years and was succeeded by D. W. Kent, who closed his term of office with the year 1900; W. H. Kemper then served until 1905, and since that time the position has been filled by Will J. Russell.
Odee, a country hamlet in Meade county, is located on Crooked creek in the township of the same name, about 10 miles southwest of Meade, the county seat and nearest railroad station, from which point mail is delivered by rural carrier.
Odense, a discontinued postoffice of Neosho county, is located 9 miles south of Erie, the county seat, whence it receives mail daily by rural delivery. It has about two dozen inhabitants.
Odin, a hamlet in Barton county, is located 15 miles northeast of Great Bend, the county seat, and 7 miles northwest of Claflin, the near- est shipping point and the postoffice from which its mail is distributed by rural route. The population according to the census of 1910 was 30.
Offerle, a village in Edwards county, is located in Trenton township on the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe R. R., 9 miles west of Kinsley, the county seat. It has a number of general stores, a mill, a grain ele- vator, a creamery, telegraph and express offices, and a money order postoffice with one rural route. The population according to the census of 1910 was 200.
Ogallah, a village in Trego county, is located in the township of the same name on the Union Pacific R. R., 9 miles east of Wakeeney, the county seat. It has telegraph and express offices, and a money order postoffice with one rural route. The population in 1910 was 125. It is the principal trading and shipping point for the eastern part of the county.
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Ogden, an incorporated town of Riley county, is located on the Kansas river and the Union Pacific R. R., II miles southwest of Man- hattan, the county seat. The railroad name is Ogdenburg. It has telegraph and express offices and a money order postoffice with one rural route. The population in 1910 was 190. This is one of the oldest towns in the county. The first house erected within the county limits was in the vicinity of Ogden. The Ogden Town company was chartered in 1857 by act of the legislature, and a government land office was established at this point in the same year, but soon afterward was removed to Junction City. When the United States government ordered Pawnee (q. v.) vacated, Gov. Reeder moved his somewhat imposing residence to Ogden. This was the first judicial seat of Riley county and was in other ways an important point. It had all lines of business, warehouses, wholesale establishments, etc. In 1870 it was made a city of the second class.
Ohio, an inland hamlet in Smith county, is located 17 miles north- west of Smith Center, the county seat, and 15 miles north of Kensing- ton, from which postoffice its mail is distributed by rural route. Bloom- ington, Neb., is the nearest railroad station.
Oil .- In Kansas oil was first discovered on Wea creek, Miami county, in 1855. This substance, first known as "rock tar," occurred in many places, coming to the surface through the crevices of the rocks and porous soils. A company was formed in the latter '50s for the purpose of exploring the field, obtained leases on 30,000 acres of land in the immediate vicinity and did some boring. Civil war breaking out soon after, work was discontinued and for various reasons never resumed. During the '6os and for many years afterwards this oil was gathered and sold for lubricating purposes, bringing from $3 to $5 a barrel. From 1870 to 1890 considerable prospecting for both oil and gas was done in this section of the state, Paola being the center of activity. Prior to 1890, however, no discoveries had been made tending to show the magnitude of the Kansas oil field, but from that time on there was a period of great development in the "Mid-Continent" oil field, which includes Kansas and Oklahoma, the production increasing from 500 barrels in 1889 to 1,200 barrels in 1890, and to 44,467 barrels in 1895. Much of this oil was shipped out of the state and some stored, but the production increased so rapidly that both producers and consumers were powerless to cope with existing conditions. The Standard Oil company about this time erected a refinery at Neodesha and was at work on a pipe line extending from the Kansas field to Whiting, Ind. Several independent refineries were built and operated, but the bulk of the oil was taken over by the Standard. The Forest Oil company and the Prairie Oil and Gas company, subsidiaries of the Standard and both powerful corporations, entered the Kansas field, stimulating pros- specting which resulted in the discovery of many new producing wells. The output since 1895 has been almost phenomenal, increasing from 81,186 barrels in 1900 to 12,013,495 barrels in 1905 and to 50,741.678
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barrels in 1908, valued at $21,311,504.76. In 1903 oil brought $I.Io a barrel, the highest price paid in this field, but dropped to 40 cents, the lowest quotation, in 1907.
In 1905 the Chautau- qua County Oil Pro- ducers' association was formed with H. E. West as president. This or- ganization called a meet- ing at Topeka on Jan. 19, 1905, to discuss the pros- pects of the oil industry in the state. A special train engaged to take the members of the associa- tion to Topeka was crowded. The officers elected at that meeting were H. E. West, presi- dent; J. O. Fife, vice- president; J. M. Parker, secretary and treasurer. Headquarters were main- tained in Topeka during the session of the legis- lature and the association was instrumental in se- curing the passage of acts A KANSAS OIL WELL. providing for the release from record of oil, gas and other mineral leases; to provide for the construction and operation of an oil refinery by the state as a branch of the state penitentiary and making an appropriation therefor, but this law was later declared unconstitutional by the supreme court and the refinery was never built. (See Hoch's Administration.) This legis- lature also passed a law relating to the transportation of oil by means of pipe lines and placing them under the general supervision and con- trol of the State Board of Railroad Commissioners.
The legislature of 1881 had enacted a law providing for a state inspector of oils and an assistant, stipulating that all expenses of the office be paid out of the fees collected for the inspection of oils. In 1891 the legislature passed another law, which provided for the casing of all oil and gas wells and the mode of plugging them when they were abandoned.
Okaw, a country hamlet near the south line of Kingman county, is located 20 miles southwest of Kingman, the county seat. It receives mail from Duquoin, Harper county.
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Oketo, an incorporated town of Marshall county, is located in Oketo township on the Union Pacific R. R. and the Big Blue river, 10 miles north of Marysville, the county seat. It has banking facilities, express and telegraph offices, and a postoffice with one rural route. The popu- lation in 1910 was 253. Oketo was a trading point in the early '6os, and for a time the main line of the overland stage route ran that way. It was incorporated in 1870.
Olathe, the county seat of Johnson county, is located very near the geographical center, at the junction of three railroads-the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe, the Kansas City, Clinton and Springfield and the St. Louis & San Francisco-26 miles southwest of Kansas City. In the spring of 1857 Dr. Barton with a party came to lay out the town. With him was a Shawnee Indian, and when the location of the future town was pointed out to him he exclaimed "O-la-the!" the Indian word for beautiful, which was adopted for the name of the future city. Upon the completion of the survey of the town, building was at once com- menced. Dr. Barton and Charles A. Osgood built the first house early in the spring of 1857. It was a rude structure of rough lumber, located near the site where the Olathe House was afterwards erected, and served a manifold purpose as grocery, drug store, dry goods and farm implement house, and also as the first hotel. Among the pioneer set- tlers were Henderson Boggs, Jonathan Millikin, Charles Mayo, J. B. Whittier, Charles A. Osgood, S. F. Hill, C. M. Ott, J. H. Blake and John P. Campbell. Jonathan Millikin built a fine house close to the town and the next year married Emily L. Whittier, the pioneer woman settler of Olathe. J. B. Whittier opened the first regular hotel, known as the Union House.
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