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 73
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F. H. Hodder, of the University of Kansas, wrote to the Nation on May 13, 1907: "No man was ever more foully abused, yet he bore per- sonal abuse and retirement to private life, alike with patience and with- out bitterness. If the people of Kansas wish to atone for the injury they did Mr. Ross during his lifetime they can scarcely do better than place his statue in the capitol at Washington, in the hall reserved for notable men of the states. Such a statue would commemorate an heroic act, a valiant soldier and an honest man."
William Carruth, also of the University of Kansas, says: "It goes hard with us to admit that he was wiser than the majority of us. Major Ross returned to his state, faced obloquy and slander, and earned the living of a poor but honest man, with the same silent endurance with which he met the stress of the great impeachment trial."
Foster D. Coburn, secretary of the Kansas state board of agriculture, said on May 13, 1910: "For the vote cast by Senator Ross against the conviction of President Andrew Johnson, I was, at the time bitter and indignant beyond expression. Now, forty-odd years after, I am firmly of the opinion that Senator Ross acted with a lofty patriotism, re- gardless of what he knew must be the ruinous consequences to him- self."
Mr. Ross was one of the Liberal Republican leaders in Kansas in 1872 who opposed the nomination of Grant and favored Horace Greeley for the presidency. On his retirement from the senate he began to publish a paper at Coffeyville, but a cyclone destroyed his office and he became associated with the Spirit of Kansas and the Standard of Lawrence. In 1882 he went to New Mexico and for a time edited a
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paper at Albuquerque. He was appointed governor of the territory by President Cleveland in 1885, which position he held for four years. Mr. Ross continued to live in Albuquerque until his death on May 9, 1907.
Rossville, an incorporated city of the third class in Shawnee county, is located in the township of the same name on the Union Pacific R. R., 16 miles northwest of Topeka, the county seat. It has a bank, a weekly newspaper (the Shawnee County News), a number of retail stores, an opera house, schools and churches, telegraph and express offices, and a money order postoffice with two rural routes. The population in 1910 was 672. Rossville was founded in 1871, when the depot was moved across the creek to the site selected for the town, and the first store was started in 1873 by J. C. McIlvane. It was incorporated as a city of the third class in 1881, and the first city officers were: Mayor, H. H. Miller ; clerk, C. W. Talmage; treasurer, D. G. Smith; city attorney, W. C. Sherman; councilmen, S. V. Maxwell, Samuel Kerr, M. F. Tar- man, John Stoyell and D. P. Elder.
Roundmound, a hamlet of Osborne county, is located on the eminence of that name, 21 miles southwest of Osborne, the county seat, and 5 miles northeast of Natoma on the Union Pacific R. R., the nearest railroad station and the postoffice from which it receives mail by rural route.
Roxbury, a country postoffice in the extreme northeastern corner of McPherson county, is located on Gypsum creek, 20 miles northeast of McPherson, the county seat, and ro miles from Gypsum, on the Mis- souri Pacific R. R. in Saline county, which is the nearest railroad sta- tion and shipping point. The nearest important town is Lindsborg, 12 miles west. According to the government census of 1910 the popu- lation of Roxbury was 100. The town was located as a trading point and postoffice about 1871. It was formerly known as Colfax City, but the name was changed to Roxbury by act of the legislature, March 4, 1875.
Rozel, a little town in Grant township, Pawnee county, is on the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe R. R., 17 miles west of Larned, the county seat. It has a bank, a mill, a grain elevator, a number of re- tail stores, telegraph and express offices, and a money order postoffice with two rural routes. The population in 1910 was 200.
Rubens, a hamlet of Jewell county, is located on White Rock creek in Richland township, 6 miles northeast of Mankato, the county seat, from which place it receives mail. The population was 32 in 1910. This is one of the oldest settled communities in the county and was the scene of several Indian outrages, notable among which was an at- tack on the home of John Marling in 1866, when his home was destroyed and his wife and baby horribly abused.
Ruble, a small village of Leavenworth county, is situated about 10 miles west of the city of Leavenworth, from which place it receives mail by rural delivery, and 5 miles south of Easton, the nearest railroad station.
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Ruleton, a hamlet in Sherman county, is located in Lincoln township on the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific R. R., 10 miles west of Good- land, the county seat. It has one general store, telegraph and express offices, and a money order postoffice with one rural route. The popu- lation in 1910 was 25.
Runnymede, one of the hamlets of Harper county, is a station on the Kansas City, Mexico & Orient R. R., 18 miles north of Anthony, the county seat. It has a money order postoffice and the population in 1910 was 19.
Rush Center, one of the leading towns of Rush county, formerly the seat of justice, is located in Center township on Walnut creek and the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe R. R., 4 miles south of La Crosse, the county seat. It has a bank, a weekly newspaper (the Breeze), a mill and grain elevator, a number of retail establishments, telegraph and express offices, and a money order postoffice with two rural routes. The population in 1910 was 250. The town was one of the earliest in the county, founded about 1873 and made the temporary county seat in 1874, remaining so until 1877: For the next ten years it retained the county records more than half the time. In 1886 the town claimed 1,000 population. It then had 2 banks and a newspaper.
Rush County, west of the central part of the state, is the fifth county north from Oklahoma, the fourth south from Nebraska, and the sixth east from the west line of the state. It is bounded on the north by Ellis county ; on the east by Barton; on the south by Pawnee, and on the west by Ness. It was named in honor of Capt. Alexander Rush, who was killed at Jenkins' Ferry, Ark. The boundaries were described in the creative act as follows: "Commencing where the east line of range 16 west crosses the 3d standard parallel ; thence south to the 4th standard parallel ; then west to the east line of range 21 west; thence north to the 3d standard parallel; thence east to the place of beginning." By an act of the legislature in 1873, the southern tier of townships was taken off and the present boundaries established.
The first settlers came in 1870. They were William Basham, Adolph Ashoft and P. C. Dixon. The first family was that of I. S. Templeton, who came in Sept., 1871. His son was the first white child born in the county. Other early settlers were A. A. Stilson, F. E. Garner, A. Harvey, James Corrall and Joseph Shaw Brown. The first church services were held in 1873 by Rev. A. Hartman, a Methodist minister. The first marriage was that of Adolph Ashoft and Dora Gein in Dec., 1872. The first postoffice was Economy in Pioneer township, estab- lished in 1871 with N. S. Gilbert postmaster. The first newspaper was the Walnut Valley Standard, started at Rush Center by W. P. Tomlin- son in 1874. It was taken to La Crosse in the spring of 1877. The Rush County Progress was founded in Rush Center, but was taken to La Crosse when the county seat was moved to that place. The first store was a grocery, established in Center township in 1874 by John Hubbard.
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County organization was effected in 1874. William S. Wood was ap- pointed census taker in September. He made his report in December and Gov. Thomas A. Osborn issued a proclamation organizing the county, naming Rush Center as the temporary county seat, and appoint- ing the following officers: County clerk, Frank E. Garner; commis- sioners, P. C. Dixon, John Shaftsbury and Frederick R. Smith. At the first election the following officers were chosen: Commissioners, Fred- erick R. Smith, T. S. De La Plaine and Levi Cline; county clerk Allen McCann; treasurer, John Felch; register of deeds, George W. Cooley; surveyor, Eugene N. Gunn ; sheriff, P. H. Mosier; coroner, T. S. Clark; superintendent of public instruction, John Hargrave; probate judge, J. E. Mill; county attorney, W. E. Dawson, clerk of the district court, Frank E. Garner.
It is not reported how this election resulted with regard to the county seat, but it evidently left the matter undecided, as the records remained at Rush Center (then called Walnut City), and in 1877 another election was held, when La Crosse was made the county seat and the official county paper was moved from Rush Center to that place along with the county records. Another election was held in 1878. Rush Center had a few more votes and the records were taken back to that place, but La Crosse took the matter to the district court on charges of fraud. The opposition made no answer and judgment was rendered in favor of La Crosse on default. The records were then taken to that place, the removal occurring about the first of the year 1883. Rush Center took the case to the supreme court, where the decision was rendered in favor of that town in 1886. This gave rise to a new county seat election. Under the law a petition of two-thirds of the legal voters was necessary to secure a special election in this case. The petition was secured and the election was held on Aug. 23, 1887, resulting in favor of La Crosse. Rush Center then took the matter to the court, alleging that the peti- tion was not secured according to law. In March, 1888, the court found that the petition was legal and issued a writ of mandamus to have the county records moved to La Crosse. Accordingly a large body of citi- zens from that place went over in wagons and, aided by about 50 farmers, took forcible possession of the county property and conveyed it to La Crosse where it has since remained.
While all this was going on, the county was steadily building up. In 1877 out of 460,800 acres of land there remained but 150,000 taken. The population of the county was 2,000, a great many of the inhabitants hav- ing come in that year. The county indebtedness was $4,727. There were 16 organized school districts, and the assessed valuation of prop- erty was $176,033. There were 1,000 head of live stock. Five years later the live stock had increased to 13,000 head, the taxable property to $329,301, the number of organized school districts to 46, and there were teachers' normals being held during vacations.
In 1875 the county was divided into 4 townships; in 1878 there were 8; in 1880 there were 13, and in 1910 there were 15, as follows: Alex-
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ander, Banner, Belle Plaine, Big Timber, Brookdale, Center, Fairview, Garfield, Hampton, Illinois, La Crosse, Lone Star, Pioneer, Pleasant Dale and Union. The postoffices are Alexander, Bison, Hampton, Har- grave, La Crosse, Liebenthal, McCracken, Nekoma, Otis, Rushcenter, Shaffer and Timken.
The county is crossed by two railroads, both of which enter on the east line from Barton county. The Missouri Pacific runs west and north- west through La Crosse, the county seat, which is in the central part. The Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe from Great Bend crosses about 8 miles from the southern line, through Rush Center.
The general surface is tillable prairie. Bottom lands average one mile in width and comprise about 20 per cent. of the area. The streams are fringed by thin belts of timber, the chief varieties being ash, elm, cottonwood, walnut, hackberry and box-elder. Walnut creek, the prin- cipal stream, flows from west to east, somewhat south of the center. Sand and Otter creeks are the most important tributaries. Big Timber creek in the northwest flows northeast and empties into the Smoky Hill river. Magnesian limestone is common. Shell-rock limestone, potter's clay and gypsum are found in some localities.
The value of farm products in 1910 was $3.619,191. The leading fie'd crops are, wheat, which in 1910 was worth $2,438,765; corn brought $409,344; oats, $115,610; Kafir corn, $95,250; hay, $142,769; animals sold for slaughter, $113,440; poultry and eggs, $86,145; and dairy prod- ucts. $94,908. The value of live stock on hand was $1,786,875. The as- sessed valuation of property was $16,351,545. The population in 1875 was 451; in 1878 it was 2,794; in 1890 it was 5,204; in 1900 it had in- creased to 6,134, and in 1910 it was 7,826. The average wealth per capita was $2,075.
Russell, the county seat of Russell county, is centrally located on the Union Pacific R. R., nearly 200 miles west of Topeka. It has 2 banks, 3 weekly newspapers (the Record, the Recorder and the Reformer), an opera house, a public library, grain elevators, good hotels, daily stages to Fay and Fairport and tri-weekly stages to Milberger and Hawley. The town is supplied with telegraph and express offices, and has an in- ternational money order postoffice with four rural routes. It is an incorporated city of the third class with a population in 1910 of 1,692. The town was founded in May, 1871, a large number of houses and a school house being erected in that year, and by December the popula- tion was 200. The next year a hotel was opened, a lumber yard started, and a number of business houses established. Russell was made the county seat in 1874. The depot was burned that year and was replaced by a fine stone building. From 1875 to 1880 extensive improvements were made. The population in 1880 was 861, in 1890 it was 961, and in 1900 it was 1,143, showing continuous growth.
Russell County, in the northwest section of the state, is in the third tier from the Nebraska line, and is the sixth county east from Col- orado. It is bounded on the north by Osborne county ; on the east by
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Lincoln and Ellsworth; on the south by Barton, and on the west by Ellis. The railroad was built throught the central part of the county in 1867, about the time the boundaries were first defined, and before there was a single settler. In 1868 the legislature again defined the boundaries and named the county in honor of Avra P. Russell of the Second Kansas cavalry. In July, 1869, A. E. Mathews settled near the eastern edge of the county for the purpose of mining coal. Early in that year a party of seven section hands working 3 miles west of Fossil were attacked by 25 Indians. The Indians were armed with native weapons and the white men had but two guns. They tried to escape on a hand- car, but two of their number were killed and all but one wounded. The five were saved by a man named Cook, who came to their aid with a gun.
In 1870 a number of men came into the county on a hunting expedi- tion, selected claims and returned to their homes. In April, 1871, a large colony from Green Lake, Wis., settled upon the site of Russell. Shortly afterward a colony from Ohio settled east of Russell and started the town of Bunker Hill. In 1872 a colony from Pennsylvania settled near Dorrance. Up to this time the county had been attached to Ells- worth for judicial purposes. In 1872 Gov. Harvey issued the proclama- tion organizing the county, naming Russell as the temporary county seat, and appointing the following temporary officers: County clerk, J. L. V. Himes; commissioners, J. B. Corbett, John Dodge and E. W. Durkey; justice of the peace, Stillman Mann. The first election was held on Sept. 9, 1872, and the officers chosen were: Commissioners, John Fritts, John Dodge and Benjamin Pratt; county clerk, E. W. Durkey; sheriff, John Hemminger; treasurer, L. Langdon; probate judge, H. J. Cornell; superintendent of public instruction, H. C. Hib- bard; register of deeds, R. G. Kennedy; surveyor, James Selling; coro- ner, J. W. VanScyoc. The candidates for county seat were Russell and Bunker Hill. The latter had the majority of the votes, according to the count of the commissioners, and was declared the permanent county seat.
This was the beginning of a two-year fight between the towns. The people of Russell never admitted the change of the seat of justice to Bunker Hill, and although the records were taken there, the people of Russell and about half of the county officials, including one commis- sioner, considered Russell the county seat. When the time came to canvass the vote at the November election this one commissioner and the clerk met at Russell, and the other two commissioners met at Bunker Hill. The county was so evenly divided on the matter that half of the returns were sent to Bunker Hill to be counted and half to Russell. Neither recognized the action of the other. The matter then was taken to the courts and after considerable delay the supreme court decided in favor of Russell. Another county seat election was held on April 23, 1874, and by scheming and plotting Russell succeeded in getting the more votes.
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Meanwhile the settlers were steadily coming, and in 1877 a large colony of Russians located about 12 miles southwest of Russell. The next year they were followed by another colony of the same nationality. The first school was taught at Russell in 1871 by Mrs. A. H. Annas. The first newspaper was the Western Kansas Plainsman, established in 1872 by A. B. Cornell. The first flour mill was built at Russell in 1875. The county has always been remarkably free from debt.
There are 12 townships, viz: Big Creek, Center, Fairfield, Fairview, Grant, Lincoln, Luray, Paradise, Plymouth, Russell, Waldo and Win- terset. The postoffices are Bunkerhill, Dorrance, Fairport, Gorham. Lucas, Luray, Milberger, Paradise, Russell and Waldo. The main line of the Union Pacific R. R. passes through the center of the county from east to west. A branch of the same road enters in the east and crosses northwest into Osborne county. There were 66 organized school districts in 1910.
The general surface of the county is rolling and there are high bluffs along the Saline and Smoky Hill rivers. Bottom lands average three- fourths of a mile in width and comprise 20 per cent. of the area. The soil is mostly clay loam with some Benton and sandy loams. Thin belts of timber line the streams. The Saline river enters on the western border near the northwest corner, crosses east and a little south into Lincoln county. The Smoky Hill river flows east across the southern portion. There are a number of creeks tributary to these two rivers. Soft and hard limestone, potter's clay and salt are found.
The early occupation of settlers was stock raising rather than farming. Up to 1880 sheep were the principal kind of stock, and at that time there were about 30,000 head in the county. Cattle were found to be more hardy and profitable, and in the course of 10 years they were raised more exclusively than sheep. In 1910 there were less than 1,000 sheep and about 33,000 cattle. The first farming was done in 1872, when 600 acres were cultivated. Ten years later the number of acres under cul- tivation was 214,260. In 1910 there were 433,063 acres out of a total of 576,000 under cultivation. There were then about 50,000 bearing fruit trees. The. total value of farm products in that year was $3,355,929. The amount received from animals sold for slaughter was $395,143; for corn, $607,851 ; wheat, $1,716,048; oats, $45,680; tame grasses, $85,689; wild grasses, $79,905; poultry and eggs, $99,424; butter, $39,686; milk, $55,515.
The population in 1870 was 156 (all coal miners) ; in 1875 it was 1,212; in 1880 it had grown to 7,321. There was a slight decrease during the '8os, followed by an increase so that the figures of 1890 were 7:333. In the next decade there was an increase of 1,156, and in 1910 the popula- tion was 10,800. The assessed valuation of property in 1910 was $24,- 920,442, the average wealth per capita being $2,308, which is several hundred dollars above the average for the state.
Russell Springs, the county seat of Logan county, is an incorporated city of the third class, centrally located on the Smoky Hill river, 10
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iniles south of Winona on the Union Pacific R. R., the nearest rail- road station. It has a bank, a weekly newspaper (the Leader), schools and churches, a fine court-house, a number of retail establishments, and a money order postoffice. The Garden City, Gulf & Northern R. R., which has been built as far north as Scott City, is in process of con- struction from that place to Russell Springs. When it is completed the town may realize some of the high hopes entertained by the founders in 1887. The town was laid out in April of that year. The town com- pany spent a great deal of money in improvements among which was a waterworks system, an artificial lake stocked with fish and fowl, a $25,000 court-house and a $10,000 school house. In the election of Dec. 22, 1887, for county seat, Russell Springs won by 276 votes. Land was valuable at that time, the Eastern capitalists having loans to the amount of $1,000,000 on Logan county real estate. The next year the boom subsided, lots which had sold for from $250 up were not consid- ered by the owners to be worth the taxes, and later sold for 10 apiece. The town lost nearly all of its population, the settlers for miles around left and the only thing which kept a single person in the town was the fact that it was the county seat. In 1910 the population was 82. Then came the news that the railroad was to be built. No one had any faith in the report until the railroad company bought 3,000 lots and paid $7,000 for them. The town then began to experience a second boom, which will in all probability prove to be permanent.
Ruth, a hamlet in Decatur county, is located 8 miles south of Oberlin, the county seat, the nearest shipping point, and the postoffice from which it receives mail.
Ruweda, a country postoffice in Greenwood county, is in the north- western part of the county, 18 miles from Eureka, the judicial seat, and 15 miles from Hamilton, the nearest railroad station.
Ryan, a hamlet in Rush county, is located in Banner township, 15 miles southeast of La Crosse, the county seat, and 7 miles south of Tim- ken, the nearest shipping point and the place from which it receives mail.
Ryan, Thomas, lawyer, statesman and diplomat, was born at Oxford. N. Y., Nov. 25, 1837, but while he was an infant his parents removed to Bradford county, Pa., where he was reared upon a farm and attended the country school. He was ambitious, studied by himself, acquired a fair education and a good knowledge of law, passed the bar examina- tion and was admitted to practice. When the Civil war broke out he enlisted in the One Hundred and Forty-first Pennsylvania infantry, was chosen captain of his company, and served until 1864. He was seriously wounded in the battle of the Wilderness In 1865, accompanied by his wife and son, he came to Kansas and located in Topeka, where he formed a law partnership with Judge J. P. Greer. In 1866 Mr. Ryan was elected county attorney and was reelected for three successive terms. This was followed by his appointment to the position of United States attorney in 1873, which position he occupied until 1877, when he en-
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tered Congress, having been elected on the Republican ticket from the Third district the year before. He was reelected five times, serving until 1889. His service in Congress was of great benefit to Kansas and the West. He introduced the first bill throwing Oklahoma open to settle- ment. In 1889 he resigned his seat in the house to accept the appoint- ment of minister to Mexico, tendered him by President Harrison, and while minister he strengthened the cordial relations between the coun- tries. President Mckinley appointed him assistant secretary of the interior in 1897, a position for which he was well qualified by training and experience. Mr. Ryan married Sarah E. Coolbaugh, of Towan- da, Pa.
Rydal, a small village on the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific R. R. in Belleville township, Republic county, is 5 miles west of Belleville, the county seat. There are telegraph, telephone, postoffice and express facilities, a grain and coal establishment and a nursery. The population in 1910 was 3I.
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Sabetha, the second largest town in Nemaha county, is located near the east line of the county, 18 miles northeast of Seneca, the county seat. at the junction of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific and the St. Joseph & Grand Island railroads. It has banking facilities, plan- ing mill, iron foundry, cement block works, creamery, hosiery factory, cider mill, grain elevators, waterworks, electric lights, two weekly news- papers, express and telegraph offices, and an international money order postoffice with six rural routes. The population in 1910 was 1,768.
The first settlement was made in 1857 by Capt. A. W. Williams, who started a store and received a commission as postmaster. The few set- tlers had previous to this time been obliged to go to the Missouri river, 50 miles away, for their mail. During the same year the following per- sons located in the neighborhood: George, John L. and William Gra- ham, Edwin Miller, William Slossen, Isaac Sweetland, Lawrence R. Wheeler and Noble H. Rising, the last named starting a store soon after his arrival. The old store built by Williams was a historic place. Sa- betha was at that time on the "California road" and this store having a good well in front became a favorite stopping place. During the Pike's Peak emigration the sales amounted to an average of $200 per day. Williams was justice of the peace and runaway couples from Nebraska used to get married at his store. It was closed as a place of business and became a church, in which the first sermon in this part of the country was preached, in 1861, when Williams entered the army.
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