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 88
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Just two weeks later a similar association was formed in Doniphan county, others followed in different parts of the territory, and in Feb., 1855, a paper called the "Squatter Sovereign" was started at Atchison.
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In his speech submitting the Kansas-Nebraska bill to Congress, Doug- las declared the great principle to be "non-intervention," but in the ap- plication of the idea the free-state advocates were given no opportunity to present their side of the case. In the settlement of a new country, it frequently happens that men will go in advance of the surveys of public lands and stake out claims. Such men are called "Squatters." No sooner had Kansas been organized as a territory, than many of the Missourians living near the border rushed across the line and selected claims. In fact, some selections had been made before the organization of the territory. It was these men who formed themselves into the squatters' associations, and who endeavored to prevent, by force if nec- essary, free-state men from coming into Kansas. Such was the applica- tion of Mr. Douglas' "non-intervention" idea, which was denounced by Horace Greeley on Jan. 5, 1857, in an editorial, when he said: "We hold Kansas a part of the rightful domain of free labor, and we deny the right of any 5,000 men to vote away the patrimony of 5,000,000."
By the time this editorial was written the situation in Kansas was well known to the civilized world, but in his inaugural address on March 4, 1857, President Buchanan "still clung to the glittering platitude of 'Squatter Sovereignty.'" Said he: "Congress is neither to legislate slavery into any territory or state, nor to exclude it therefrom, but to leave the people thereof perfectly free to form and regulate their domes- tic institutions in their own way, subject only to the constitution of the United States."
While it was generally accepted as true that Congress was not to introduce or exclude slavery in any of the territories of the United States by legislation, there was nothing in the theory of "Squatter Sovereignty" to prevent the executive from appointing territorial offi- cials who would favor the cause of slavery. This was done by Mr. Buchanan, and when a territorial officer showed a disposition to give the opponents of that institution fair play, he was either summarily removed or his position was made so unpleasant that he would be forced to resign to retain his self-respect. The situation was well summed up by Abra- ham Lincoln in a speech at Springfield, Ill., in June, 1857, when he said : "Look, Douglas, and see yonder people flying-see the full columns of brave men stopped-see the press and type flying into the river-and tell me what does this! It is your Squatter Sovereignty."
A noted instance of the failure of this beautiful theory of "non-inter- vention," when an attempt was made to apply it in opposition to slavery, was in Feb., 1860. At the preceding election the free-state men had carried the territory and selected a majority of the members of the legislature. It is fair to assume that these legislators, as the authorized law-making power of the territory, knew what the people wanted in the way of legislation, and if the people were to be "perfectly free to regulate their domestic institutions in their own way," as the dogma of "Squatter Sovereignty" taught, then the legislature certainly had the right to pass a law abolishing the institution of slavery in Kansas.
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Yet such a law was vetoed by Gov. Medary, and when it was passed over his veto it was declared unconstitutional by Judge Pettit, an ap- pointee of the pro-slavery national administration. If the constitution gave Congress no right to legislate slavery into a territory, or to ex- clude it therefrom, by what line of constitutional argument could Judge Pettit reach his opinion? Should the executive or judiciary department of the government have rights denied to the legislative-the department which derives its power direct from the people? Such were the practical workings of the doctrine of "Squatter Sovereignty." But a day came when the people of Kansas arose in their might and made a constitution prohibiting slavery in the state. Then came the Civil war, and the theory of "non-intervention" passed from the stage of action.
Stafford, an incorporated city of the third class in Stafford county, is the largest town in the county. It is located at the junction of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe and the Missouri Pacific railroads, 9 miles southeast of St. John, the county seat. It has new and substantial buildings, the wide streets are clean and shady. It is lighted by elec- tricity, has waterworks, public library, 2 banks, a flour mill, grain ele- vators, a steam plow works, disc harrow works, sled works, 2 weekly newspapers (the Courier and the Republican), hotels, department stores, professional men, telegraph and express offices and an international money order postoffice with two rural routes. Stafford was founded in 1878. It had grown to be quite a village in 1882, when it was com- pletely destroyed by a cyclone. The sod buildings were replaced within a year by frame, stone and brick structures, and the town has continued to prosper. It was a candidate for the county seat, which was perma- nently located at St. John in 1882. Stafford was incorporated in 1885 with a population of about 700. The population in 1910 was 1,927.
Stafford County, in the southwestern section of the state, is the third county north of the Oklahoma line, and its western border is about 175 miles east of Colorado. It is bounded on the north by Barton county ; on the east by Rice and Reno; on the south by Pratt, and on the west by Edwards and Pawnee. The legislature of 1870 defined the bound- aries of Stafford county and named it in honor of Capt. Lewis Stafford, of the First Kansas infantry. In 1875, in an effort to obliterate it, the legislature gave a portion to each of three surrounding counties, Paw- nee, Barton and Pratt. However, a strip 6 miles wide and 12 miles long remained and was still called Stafford. In 1879 the supreme court decided that the act of the legislature dividing the county was uncon- stitutional and the original boundaries were restored.
In the meantime the settlers had been coming in and improving the land. The first ones came in 1874, among whom were, John Birbeck, Mr. and Mrs. W. R. Hoole, whose son, born the next year, was the first white child born in the county, Martin Fitzpatrick, James O'Connor, Elisha, Edward and F. Williamson, Abraham Lash, H. Campbell, J. C. Stone, R. M. Blair, Jesse Vickers, E. B. Crawford, Edwin Hadlock and W. Z. Nutting. Some dozen families located the same year in the
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eastern portion of the county, forming what was known as the Mis- souri settlement, and a few families located near the site of St. John. In the spring of 1875 a colony of Mormons, comprising 40 families, located where St. John now stands and founded Zion Valley. A post- office was established there and the prophet of the community, Wil- liam Bickerton, was postmaster. In 1876 a few people moved into the northeastern portion of the county, locating in the vicinity of "Salt Marsh." A company was organized to manufacture salt, but the enter- prise did not pay and was abandoned. The first school house was erected that year and Miss Ella Miller was the first teacher. During the next two years a great many new settlers located in the county and by 1879 the population was sufficient for organization.
In response to a memorial Gov. St. John appointed a census taker. A public meeting was held in Zion Valley church on May 31 to choose men to be recommended to the governor for temporary officers and to decide upon a place for temporary county seat. The governor acted upon the choice made at this meeting and in his proclamation issued in July designated St. John as the temporary county seat and appointed the following officers: County clerk, Frank G. Fox; commisisoners, M. B. Walker, Frederick Baumgardner and J. C. Townsley. The first election was held in August and resulted in the choice of the following officers : County clerk, S. M. Nolder; treasurer, J. B. Smith ; probate judge, George W. Hovey ; register of deeds, Berlin Zenor; sheriff, J. W. Miles ; clerk of the district court, George W. Bausman; attorney, F. M. Morgan ; coroner, W. S. Tyrrell; surveyor, H. L. Fitch ; superintendent of public instruction, N. L. D. Smith ; commissioners, G. M. Detwiler., Frederick Baumgardner and J. C. Townsley ; representative, C. M. John- son. The candidates for county seat were, St. John, Stafford, Newburg, Livingston and Center. Out of a total vote of 822 St. John received 411, lacking one of having a majority. It was continued as the temporary county seat, and a special election was held on April 5, 1882, to decide the matter. A cyclone struck Stafford at 4 p. m. that day, destroying the ballot box, so that there was no returns from that township, and another election was ordered to be held on April 14. The candidates were St. John, Stafford and Bedford. No place received a majority. Another vote was taken on April 18, with Bedford eliminated. St. John received a majority and became the permanent county seat.
The storm which destroyed the ballot box at Stafford wrecked every building and scattered household goods and merchants' stocks to the four winds. It was followed the same season by a storm in Richland, which killed and wounded a large number of people, besides leaving many families homeless. Considerable property and growing crops were destroyed in Hayes and Cooper townships, but no lives were lost.
The first newspaper in the county was the Stafford Citizen, established by T. L. Kerr in 1877. At their first meeting the commissioners divided the county into 7 townships, Hayes, Seward, Lincoln, St. John, Clear Creek, York and Stafford. Cooper township was organized a few
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months later. Since that time II more have been organized, Albano, Byron, Cleveland, Douglas, Fairview, Farmington, Ohio, Putnam, Rich- land, Rose Valley and Union. The postoffices are, Dillwyn, Hudson, Macksville, Neola, St. John, Seward, Stafford and Zenith. A cut-off branch of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe railroad from the main line at Hutchinson enters on the eastern border and crosses west through Stafford and St. John into Edwards county. A branch of the Missouri Pacific northwest from Winfield enters in the southeast and crosses west and northwest into Pawnee county.
The general surface is rolling prairie, well adapted to cultivation. Bottom lands average one mile in width and comprise 15 per cent. of the area. The native timber is limited to a few cottonwoods along Rattlesnake creek, which is the principal stream. It enters in the south- west, flows northeast across the center of the county and leaves at the northeast corner. There is plenty of building stone, clay for bricks and gypsum, and a salt marsh is in the northeast.
In 1882 the number of acres of land under cultivation was 142,992. The area under cultivation in 1910 was 370,734. The value of the prod- ucts in that year was $3,303,412. Wheat, the leading crop, brought $1,879,970; corn, $626,769; Kafir corn, $91,500; hay, $157,636; animals sold for slaughter, $265,071 ; poultry and eggs, $76,440; dairy products, $81,160. A great many more sheep were raised in the early days than at present. In 1910 the live stock numbered 42,566 head with a valu- ation of $2,382,742. There were 35,000 head of live stock in 1882, 30,000 of which were sheep. The number of bearing fruit trees in 1882 was 7,191 ; the number in 1910 was 120,000. The acreage of artificial forest in 1882 was 1,244, the value of farm implements in use was $23,496. The assessed valuation in 1910 was $26,622,334. The population in 1880 was 4,746; in 1890, 8,520 ; in 1900, 9,820; and in 1910, 12,510, showing a steady increase by decades, although there were years during the '8os and '90s when the population decreased. The average wealth per capita is sev- eral hundred dollars above the average for the state.
Stage Routes .- With the advent of the railroad the stage coach passed out of existence, and lack of authentic data at this late date makes it difficult to give even an approximate history of Kansas stage lines. The earliest stage route in what is now Kansas was the Santa Fe trail, over which, in 1849, ran a monthly line of stages from St. Louis to Santa Fe. As the line became popular the eastern terminus was moved west- ward to Independence, Mo. Hall & Porter were the proprietors of the line and to meet the increasing demands of the business later estab- lished a weekly line of stages, which made the trip in about 15 days. The distance from Independence to Santa Fe was reckoned at about 740 miles, and a charge of $250 was collected for the trip, the passengers being allowed but 40 pounds of baggage. This enterprise had about $50,000 invested and carried the government mail, for which an annual compensation of $50,000 was received.
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KANSAS HISTORY
The first overland mail stage west of the Missouri to Salt Lake was inaugurated on July 1, 1850, as a monthly service and lasted four years.
John Butterfield's Southern overland mail was operated from St. Louis to San Francisco, via El Paso, Yuma and Los Angeles, and thus avoided the snows of the Rockies encountered by the routes farther north. This line was 2,759 miles long and Butterfield had a schedule of 25 days for the trip, which later was reduced to 23 days. The first coaches started from each end on Sept. 15, 1858. The line was dis- continued on the breaking out of the Civil war and the equipment moved north to the central route, starting from St. Joseph and going west by way of the California trail. After the close of the war the field covered in southern and southwestern Kansas by the Butterfield lines was suc- ceeded by the Southern Kansas Stage company.
Kansas City, on account of its location on the Missouri river, was quite a stage center, and during the latter '50s a line was operated be- tween that city and Leavenworth by Moore & Walker. Another line ran from Kansas City to the Sac and Fox agency, the towns of West- port, Olathe, Gardner, Bull Creek, Black Jack, Palmyra, Prairie City, Boling City, Centropolis and Minneola being intermediate points. This , route was 75 miles long and the fare to the Sac and Fox agency was $5.
Col. Eldridge, of Lawrence, started a line between Lawrence and Leavenworth in 1857, and another between Lawrence and Kansas City, running this in opposition to one operated by a Mr. Richardson. H. G. Sutherland and H. G. Weibling operated a line between Lawrence and Leavenworth. Samuel Reynolds, of Lawrence, started a line in 1857 between 'Lawrence and Osawatomie, via Prairie City, Ottawa, Jones' and Stanton, and a tri-weekly line of hacks, operated by Kimball, Moore & Co., ran between Leavenworth and Westport, Mo.
A daily line of stages between Leavenworth and Lecompton was operated by a man named Cass. This line was about 35 miles long. Fred Emery ran a weekly line of hacks between Leavenworth and Junc- tion City, passing through Salt Creek, Easton, Hardtville, Ozawkie, Indianola, Silver Lake, Louisville, Manhattan, Ogden and Fort Riley. A. G. Lewis, of Leavenworth, operated a line between that city and Atchison, commencing about July 1, 1863, and another line was operated between Leavenworth and Atchison, going by way of Kickapoo. In 1864 J. C. Crall, of Atchison, started a line of hacks to Leavenworth.
A line of stages was operated between Topeka and Manhattan begin- ning in March, 1857. Coaches left Topeka every Thursday morning, and returning left Manhattan the following Monday morning. A line was also started from Topeka to Lawrence in the same month, the ser- vice being tri-weekly. Following the Pike's Peak gold excitement a daily line of stages was run from Topeka to the gold mines, commencing as early as April, 1859.
In 1859 the territorial legislature granted articles of incorporation to the Kansas and Missouri River Stage company. In March, 1860, the Western Stage company had a daily line of stages running between (II-47)
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CYCLOPEDIA OF
Atchison and Topeka via Lecompton. The fare was $4 from Topeka to St. Joseph, via stage line to Atchison and by rail the balance of the way. In April, 1860, four lines of stages reached Topeka, three from the Missouri river and one from Junction City. One of these lines from the Missouri river was operated by the Kansas Stage company, which had offices at Kansas City, with L. G. Terry as superintendent and James H. Roberts as agent. This route from Kansas City to Junction City was 150 miles long, for which a $Io fare was charged. The line passed through Westport, Shawnee, Chillicothe, Monticello, Lexington, Eudora, Franklin, Lawrence, Lecompton, Big Springs, Tecumseh, In- dianola, St. Marys, Manhattan, Ogden and Fort Riley.
About 1862 the Kansas Stage company started a line from Junction City to Fort Larned, making a through route from Fort Leavenworth to Fort Larned of about 300 miles. This line ran up the Kaw valley, through Topeka, Manhattan, Fort Riley, Junction City, Abilene, Salina and crossed the Smoky Hill near the present city of Ellsworth.
From about 1864 to 1868 the Barlow & Sanderson Overland Mail company operated a line from Fort 'Larned to Fort Lyon, Col. Robert M. Wright, of Dodge City, built about all the stations along this route, generally dugouts about 14 by 20 feet in size, cut in the side of a hill, and located about 30 miles apart. The line ran along the north side of the Arkansas river and the stations, commencing with Fort Larned, were at Coon creek; on the Little Coon on a line drawn direct between Fort Larned and Fort Dodge; a temporary station between Coon creek and Blanco Arroyo; Fort Dodge; Cimarron station (about 4 miles west of the present town) ; Bluff station, near the site of Pierceville; Aubrey, at the fort of that name on the boundary between Hamilton and Kearny counties ; Pleasant or Pretty Encampment, about 4 miles east of the Kansas line in Hamilton county and located in a nearly inclosed bend of the river; Sand Creek, at the mouth of that stream, and Fort Lyon between Graveyard and Limestone creeks.
In 1866 the Southern Kansas Stage company was running a line of coaches from Lawrence and Topeka, in connection with the Union Pacific railroad, to all the principal villages in southern and south- western Kansas. A daily line left Lawrence for Baldwin City, Ohio City, Iola, Twin Mound, Waterloo, Paola, Prairie City, Garnett, Hum- boldt, Ridgeway, Emporia, Mound City, Ottawa, Carlyle, Burlinganie, Burlington, Council Grove and Fort Scott. Henry Tisdale was super- intendent and Jacob Pike was agent at Lawrence. G. L. Terry was superintendent at Leavenworth.
The Fort Scott Stage company operated a line between Fort Scott and Kansas City, the route from the latter city south passing through West- port, Little Santa Fe, Squiresville, Spring Hill, Paola, Osawatomie, Twin Springs, Brooklyn, Paris, Moneka, Mound City, Dayton, Maple- ton, Osage, Fort Scott and Warrenton. The distance from Fort Scott to Kansas City was 122 miles and the fare was $II.
Fort Scott was once quite an important stage center. As late as 1869
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KANSAS HISTORY
ten stage lines ran out of there as follows: One to the Missouri river operated daily, along the line of the Fort Scott & Gulf railroad ; another daily line to Pleasant Hill, Mo., by Barlow, Sanderson & Co .; A. P. Bland ran a line to the Missouri river; Parker & Tisdale, a daily line to Humboldt on or near the 5th standard parallel, and a tri-weekly line to Ottawa and Chetopa; the Kansas Stage company a daily line to Fort Gibson, Ind. Ter .; William Smalley, a daily line to Osage Mission ; Parker & Smith, a tri-weekly line to Carthage, Mo., and a man named Arnold, a tri-weekly line to Lamar, Mo.
The Jones Express ran from Leavenworth up the north side of the Kansas river to Fort Riley and Junction City, the enterprise being started about 1859, and a daily coach left Junction City for Denver. This route was located on the divide between the Republican river and Chapman's creek, the intention being to make it as nearly an air line to Denver as possible.
Stanley, a village in the eastern part of Johnson county, is located on the Kansas City, Clinton & Springfield R. R., 8 miles southeast of Olathe, the county seat. It is one of the new towns which has grown up since the building of the railroad, and is the shipping and supply town for a rich farming district in the eastern part of the county. There are several general stores, an implement and hardware house, hotel, lumber yard, money order postoffice, telegraph and express facili- ties, public school and churches. It is one of the progressive towns of the border counties and in 1910 had a population of 200.
Stanley, William E., who succeeded John W. Leedy as governor of Kansas in Jan., 1899, was born in Knox county, Ohio, Dec. 28, 1844. When in the second year of his age, his parents removed to Hardin county, Ohio, where he grew to manhood. His father was a physician and an influential citizen, and from him the son inherited many of those traits of character that later aided him to make his mark among men. After attending the common schools, Gov. Stanley took part of the course in the Ohio Wesleyan University at Delaware, Ohio, leaving school there to enter the law office of Bain & King at Kenton. Subse- quently he read law with the well known firm of Conover & Craighead, of Dayton, and in 1868 was admitted to the bar. Two years later he re- moved to Jefferson county, Kan., and soon after locating there he was elected county attorney. In 1872 he removed to Wichita, and for three terms he served as county attorney of Sedgwick county. He was then elected to represent that county in the lower house of the state legisla- ture, where his record was such that Gov. Morrill tendered him an appointment as judge of the court of appeals, but it was declined. At the Republican state convention at Hutchinson, in 1898, he was nomi- nated for governor, and at the election in November defeated John W. Leedy, who was the Populist candidate for reelection. In 1900 he was again nominated by his party, and this time defeated John W. Breiden- thal by an increased majority over that which he had received two years before. Upon retiring from the governor's office he resumed his law
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CYCLOPEDIA OF
practice at Wichita, and continued to follow that profession until his death, which occurred on Oct. 13, 1910. In 1876 Mr. Stanley married Niss Emma L. Hillis, of Wichita.
Stanley's Administration .- Gov. Stanley was inaugurated on Jan. 9, 1899. and the next day witnessed the commencement of the eleventh biennial session of the state legislature. Lieut .- Gov. H. E. Richter, by virtue of his office, became president of the senate, and S. J. Osborn was elected speaker of the house. The administration of Gov. Stanley may be said to mark the beginning of a reaction in both industrial and po- litical affairs. The country was just recovering from the effects of the panic of 1893, and especially were the people of Kansas beginning to enjoy the blessings and benefits of the new-born era of prosperity.
"No state," said Gov. Stanley in his message, "ever realized in its experience the sentiment contained in its motto more fully than our own. We are reaching the highlands of prosperity, but we have come up out of lowlands of adversity. The period of speculation from 1883 largely swallowed up or forced to leave the state by the reaction and to 1888 caused the inflow of large sums of foreign capital, which were depression which followed; and as a consequence we were, for the first time in our history, compelled to rely upon our own resources. During the speculative period Eastern capital sought investment in the state- largely in the way of loans on real estate-and when the reaction came nearly all our farms and much of our city property were mortgaged for more than the actual value, and most of the money obtained was invested and lost in speculation. It seems strange that so intelligent a people as our own would incur such a large indebtedness as they did for a few years prior to 1890, and largely for speculative purposes.
"The condition which confronted the people of Kansas in 1890 was discouraging, and would have deterred a people less courageous, indus- trions and frugal than our own; but with the readiness and willingness which have always characterized them, they proceeded to the work of discharging their indebtedness and building up waste places without the aid of outside capital. Public indebtedness has been, and is being largely reduced, and it can be safely said that the end of the long night of our own folly is at hand, and, when the morning comes, we will greet it all the more cordially, because even in the dark night of our misfortune we did not yield to the clamor to compromise our individual honesty or the honor of the state."
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