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 91
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In 1886 some Topeka men took hold of the project and under the title of "Kansas Fair Association" gave an exhibition that fall. In 1887 the Kansas State Fair Association was again revived, holding fairs an- nually from 1887 to 1893. Kansas was again without a state fair until 1903 when the Kansas State Exposition company was organized, and it gave exhibitions in 1903, 1904 and 1905. In 1910 the Kansas State Fair Association was again reorganized, holding successful fairs during 1910 and 1911. An effort was made to hold a state fair at Hutchinson under the auspices of the Central Fair Association in 1908, and the venture met with so much encouragement that the fairs were repeated In 1909, 1910 and 191I.
In 1909 Topeka and Shawnee county voted $50,000 for the erection of permanent buildings on the fairgrounds in the capital city. The adequacy and permanency of these buildings for exhibition purposes have attracted attention among fair exhibitors all over the central west, and has proved to be money well expended. "Few of the older and larger state fairs in the entire country have any more or better perma- nent buildings for the display of all kinds of exhibits than the Topeka fair," and this fact should have some weight with the legislature, which should provide for an annual fair in its capital city, as is done in nearly
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all the older states. During the session of the legislature of 1911 an effort was made to secure an appropriation for a state fair but so many localities aspired to the honor of holding it that the measure was voted down.
State Flower .- By an act of the Kansas. legislature, approved by Gov. Bailey on March 12, 1903, the sunflower was made the official state flower. The full text of the act, as introduced by Senator George P. Morehouse, is as follows :
"Whereas, Kansas has a native wild flower common throughout her borders, hardy and conspicuous, of definite, unvarying and striking shape, easily sketched, molded and carved, having armorial capacities, ideally adapted for artistic reproduction, with its strong, distinct disk and its golden circle of clear glowing rays-a flower that a child can draw on a slate, a woman can work in silk, or a man can carve on stone or fashion in clay ; and
"Whereas, This flower has to all Kansans a historic symbolism which speaks of frontier days, winding trails, pathless prairies, and is full of the life and glory of the past, the pride of the present, and richly em- blematic of the majesty of a golden future, and is a flower which has given Kansas a world-wide name, 'the Sunflower State'; therefore, "Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas: .
"Section 1, That the helianthus or wild native sunflower is hereby made, designated and declared to be the state flower and floral em- blem of the State of Kansas.
"Section 2, This act shall take effect and be in full force from and after its publication in the statute book."
The act was published on June 1, 1903, and on July 8 Gov. Bailey, in his capacity of commander-in-chief of the state militia, gave the sun- flower its first official recognition in his general orders No. 9, which di- rected that "The collar device of the full-dress, dress and service coats of the officers and enlisted men of the Kansas National Guard shall be the sunflower, according to pattern in the office of the adjutant-gen- eral. Aside from this departure, the uniform prescribed for the Kansas National Guard will conform to that of the United States Army, as published in General Orders, No. 132, Headquarters of the Army, Wash- ington, D. C., series 1902."
Although Senator Morehouse was the author of the law making the sunflower the floral emblem of the state, Kansas had been called the "Sunflower State" for many years before the passage of the act. In early days the sunflower sprang up on both sides of the Santa Fe trail for a distance of 800 miles. Pioneer settlers used the stalks for fuel and the seeds as food for their poultry. It was also found in great pro- fusion in other western states, and Nebraska was considering its adop- tion as the official flower of that state when the Kansas law was passed.
It is thought that Noble L. Prentis was the first to propose the sun- flower as the state flower of Kansas. As early as Sept. 2, 1880, he wrote in the Atchison Champion: "The capitol square is surrounded by a
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dense growth, rods in width, of rampant sunflowers. They grow as big, rank and yellow as if they were forty miles from a house. The sun- flower ought to be made the emblem of our state. Nothing checks it or kills it. It is always 'happy as a big sunflower.' Grasshoppers have never held the edge on it; and in drouthy times when everything else wilts and throws up its hands, the sunflower continues business at the old stand. It probably has some private arrangement with nature for securing 'aid'."
State Library .- (See Libraries.)
State Normal School .- The State Normal School was established in March, 1863, by an act of the legislature which provided: "That there be and is hereby established and permanently located at the town of Emporia, in Lyon county, a State Normal School, the exclusive pur- pose of which shall be the instruction of persons, both male and female, in the art of teaching, and in all of the various branches that pertain to a good common school education, and in the mechanic arts, and in the arts of husbandry and agricultural chemistry, and in the fundamental laws of the United States, and in what regards the rights and duties of citizens: Provided, that a tract of land, not less than 20 acres, adjacent to said town of Emporia, be donated and secured to the state, in fee simple, as a site for said normal school within twelve months from the taking effect of this act."
Section 2 of the same act empowered the governor to appoint three commissioners to attend to the details of procuring the site, and section 3 provided "That all lands granted to the State of Kansas and selected by said state adjoining or as contiguous as may be to each and all of the salt springs belonging to said state and granted by the 4th subdi- vision of the 3d section of an act of Congress entitled "An act for the admission of Kansas into the Union," approved Jan. 29, 1861, "save and except the salt springs, and the section of land upon which each of said salt springs are located, and one additional section, are hereby set apart and reserved as a perpetual endowment for the support and maintenance of the Normal School established and located by this act."
The salt lands amounted to some 30,380 acres but unsold produced no income. In Feb., 1864, the legislature appropriated $1,000 to be used exclusively for the salaries of teachers, and made provision for a board of nine directors, "six of whom shall be appointed by the governor, and the governor, secretary of the state, state treasurer and state super- intendent of public instruction shall, by virtue of their office, be mem- bers of said board." In 1873 the regents of the state institutions of learning were reduced to seven, six being appointed by the governor and the seventh ex officio, to be the chancellor or president.
At the first meeting of the board of directors on Dec. 8. 1864, the ex- ecutive committee was authorized to employ a principal, "at a salary not to exceed $1,000." Prof. L. B. Kellogg, a graduate of the Illinois State University, was elected to the position. The same legislature that en- acted the law establishing the normal passed an act authorizing Dis-
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trict No. I, Lyon county, to vote bonds for the erection of a school house. The upper floor of this school house was offered for the use of the normal school and was gladly accepted by the board.
The school opened in Feb., 1865, with 18 students enrolled. Accord- ing to Mr. Kellogg's report, settees for the students were borrowed from a neighboring church, and a seat for the teacher from the county treasurer's office. The room contained two stoves but no furniture, "no text-books, maps or other appliances." The number of students in- creased during the year until there were 42.
At the opening of the second year, Prof. H. B. Norton became as- sistant principal. Through the liberality of John Fawcett a one-story frame building which he built at his own expense was placed at the service of the school. In June, 1865, the board of directors ruled that applicants for admission must be 16 years old if girls and 17 years old if boys, but it gave the principal power to admit those younger if a "sufficient maturity of mind is indicated, and where the pupil proposes to complete the course before teaching." In Feb., 1867, the legislature appropriated $10,000 to erect a building for the school. It was ready for occupancy the same year.
In the fall of 1868 Mr. Kellogg visited state normal schools in the East. In his report of this visit to the board of directors he defined the position and purpose of a normal school as being different from the other institutions of learning in the state, in that its sole design is to prepare students for the special vocation of teaching and for no other business. For this reason the normal school bears a near and permanent relationship to the common schools, its courses should be planned after the improvement of said schools, and the place of the normal school should be at the head of the common school system. Upon this idea as a foundation the later presidents have built.
In Jan., 1868, C. V. Eskridge proposed a resolution to the board which was adopted: "That the board of directors do not hesitate to declare it to be the duty of the faculty to impress upon the minds of the students the fundamental principles of the Christian religion ; yet, as the institution is not in any respect denominational, the faculty or any mem- ber of it will not be justified in inculcating denominational peculiari- ties in speaking to students for or against any church organization."
In 1870 the board of directors elected Mr. Kellogg an honorary direc- tor of the school. The new board of 1871, although the institution was in prosperous condition, made changes that resulted in the resignation of Mr. Kellogg. Dr. George W. Hoss, of Indiana, became his successor, assuming his duties in Sept., 1871. In 1872 an appropriation of $50,000 was made by the legislature for the erection of a main building. To this the city of Emporia added $10,000, and in June, 1873, the building was dedicated.
In April, 1873, every member of the faculty, including the principal, resigned, their resignations to take effect in June.' In May Dr. Hoss was elected president, and in June some of his friends were reëlected
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to their old positions. Prof. Hoss was succeeded at Christmas time by Dr. C. R. Pomeroy, of Iowa. During the first two years of Dr. Pomeroy's administration the school developed rapidly, but the legislature of 1876, after making a small appropriation, decreed that the school should no longer be maintained at the expense of the state. The enrollment was then 345. The faculty finished the term, when all teachers except the president were dismissed, and he was instructed to manage the school without expense to the board, charging such fees as he saw fit for main- tenance. In 1879 the attendance dropped to 90 students. Appeals were made to the legislature without success, the only appropriation being barely enough to liquidate old claims and to make repairs.
In a law suit with the city in 1878 the school lost two boarding halls that were a source of revenue. In April of that year a tornado damaged the new building. In October both buildings were burned and every- thing was lost. The citizens of Emporia fitted up the two boarding halls as class rooms and the school continued. The next legislature ap- propriated $25,000 to reconstruct the buildings on condition that the citizens of Emporia and Lyon county give $20,800 toward them. The condition was met. President Pomeroy resigned in 1879 and his suc- cessor was Prof. R. B. Welch, of Illinois.
In May, 1880, the new building was occupied. During Mr. Welch's administration the school, through land endowment and fees, was able
STATE NORMAL SCHOOL, EMPORIA.
to pay expenses and an awakened interest increased the enrollment to 402. In 1882, Mr. Welch entered the law profession and Prof. A. R. Taylor, of Illinois, became president. A plan recommended by Mr. Tay- ler and approved by the regents was the "offer of mileage to Kansas
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students at the rate of three cents a mile in excess of 100 miles." During the next decade the school made remarkable growth, the building was enlarged, the courses were rearranged and increased, and a library of 10,000 volumes was collected. Early in this administration arrange- ments were made by which high schools were placed on the accredited list, diplomas from them entitling the owner to enter the normal with- out examination.
In 1886 the legislature appropriated 12 additional sections of salt land, the sale of which increased the endowment by $270,000. In 1887 a request for a new building was granted by the legislature and $26,200 appropriated for the same. In 1889 a room was fitted up for work in manual training, but little was accomplished in it for years from lack of funds to employ a competent instructor. It is now a strong depart- ment, the courses of which cover 80 weeks.
In 1895 the main building, which is known as "Albert Taylor Hall," was completed. For ten weeks during the summer of 1899 classes in mathematics and Latin were conducted, the number of students in attendance being 53. The summer school developed into a permanent session held every year in June and July. In 1901 Jasper N. Wilkinson succeeded Mr. Taylor as president. In 1902 the library building was completed at a cost of $60,000, and in 1905 the training school building was completed. It is arranged for practice teaching, and contains accommodations for the kindergarten and the eight grades of common schools. In 1906 Joseph H. Hill was installed as president. The State Normal School has grown until in 1910 it had 2,224 students, a teaching force of 71 people, and occupied seven buildings.
By an act of Congress, approved March 28, 1900, the Fort Hays mili- tary reservation was donated to the State of Kansas for educational pur- poses. and the legislature set apart about 4,000 acres for a western branch of the state normal. This school began with a summer session on June 23, 1902, and the first regular term opened on Sept. I following, with an enrollment of 23 students. The school was conducted in the old fort buildings until 1904, when the central portion of what is now the main building was ready for occupancy. Since then the state has appropriated about $100,000 for buildings and equipment, and the total enrollment from the time the institution was opened to 1910 was 996 students.
A manual training normal school has been established at Pittsburg. The legislature of 1911 appropriated $50,000 for an industrial arts build- ing for the institution, and in December of that year the state architect, Charles H. Chandler, had completed plans for the building, the central portion of which was to be 84 by 132 feet, two stories high, with east and west wings, each 50 by 112 feet, one story in height. In this build- ing will be taught the mechanical arts, modeling, woodwork, iron work, forging, foundry, concrete work, clay modeling and firing and it will also contain an engineering department. The value of the property held by the normal schools at Emporia, Hays and Pittsburg aggregates about $1,100,000.
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State Orphans' Home .- In the first few years following the Civil war, several of the northern states founded asylums for the care of children ieft fatherless by the soldiers who died on the field of battle or sacrificed their health in defense of their country. In 1885 the legislature of Kan- sas passed an act authorizing the trustees of the state charitable insti-
STATE ORPHANS' HOME.
tutions to buy or accept as a donation a tract of land not to exceed 640 acres, and to erect suitable buildings for a home for the orphan chil- dren of ex-Union soldiers and sailors. Before selecting a location for the institution, the trustees were required to publish a notice in five of the leading newspapers of the state, announcing their intention to choose a site for the home, and receive proposals therefor.
The purpose of the home is to receive and care for all indigent chil- dren of soldiers who served in the army or navy of the United States during the Civil war, "who were disabled from wounds or disease, or who died in indigent circumstances, and other indigent children of the state." An appropriation of $10,000 was made for 1886, and a like amount for 1887, provided $5,000 and 160 acres of land were given for the home. The home was located on a quarter section of land 2 miles north of the city of Atchison and three-quarters of a mile west of the Missouri river.
Children of five years and under were provided for first, then children between the ages of five and ten; and lastly those over ten and under fifteen, but none were to be cared for after they were fifteen, unless incap- able of caring for themselves. The school consists of a kindergarten department, primary, intermediate and high school grades, similar to those in the Kansas public schools. The girls are taught cooking, sew- ing and all branches of housework; while the boys are given a course in manual training and taught branches of farm work. The aim of the home is to care for the neglected child population of the state, and by proper care and supervision make the neglected orphans good and use- ful citizens.
The institution has always received liberal support at the hands of the
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state and in 1891 an appropriation of several thousand dollars was made for building a new wing and making general improvements. In 1907 the legislature passed an act providing for the erection of a special cot- tage for crippled children, on the grounds of the home, and appropriating $25,000, "or as much thereof as may be necessary," for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of the act. The building was to be but one story in height and its equipment of such a character that the crippled children could be treated, attend school and live without climbing any stairs.
State Reform School .- (See Industrial Schools.)
State Seal .- (See Seal of State.)
State University .- (See University of Kansas.)
Steamboats .- (See Early River Commerce.)
Steele, James William, writer, was born at Grandview, Edgar county, Ill., Nov. 9, 1840. His parents removed to Topeka, Kan., some time during his childhood. In 1860 he went to Waveland, Ind., to complete his education, and the next spring joined the army with the rest of his class and served during the entire war, receiving two dangerous wounds and returning to Topeka with a commission as lieutenant in 1865. He took up the study of law, became a partner of Thomas Ryan, and in 1866 married Augusta Butterfield, of Topeka; spent some time in New Mexico and Arizona as captain of cavalry in the United States army ; was one of the founders of the Kansas Magazine in 1871, of which he became editor in 1873; was United States consul at Mantanzas, Cuba, from 1874 to 1877, and was editor of The Earth (Santa Fe magazine) at the time of his death, which occurred in Chicago, on Oct. 11, 1905. He was the author of Sons of the Border, 1874; Cuban Sketches, 1877; Frontier Army Sketches, 1882; To Mexico by Palace Car, 1884; and numerous magazine articles, many of which were signed "Deane Monahan."
Sterling, the largest town in Rice county, is located in the southern portion of the county on the Arkansas river and the Missouri Pacific and the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe railroads, 10 miles south of Lyons, the county seat. It is beautifully laid out with broad streets and has an abundance of delightful shade trees. It is the seat of Cooper Col- lege, and has a number of profitable factories which work on the various raw materials yielded by the surrounding country. Among these are two broom factories, a salt works, machine shops, washing machine fac- tory, flour mill, marble works, feed mill and a seed cleaner factory. The city has an efficient sewer system, waterworks, fire department, electric light plant, library, an opera house, 3 banks, and numerous churches and lodges. There are two weekly newspapers (the Bulletin and the Jour- nal), telegraph and express offices, an international money order post- office with six rural routes. The population, according to the census of 1910, was 2,133.
The old town of Peace, Sterling's predecessor, was established in 1871, and was incorporated in 1876 by an official order of Judge Samuel
1
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Peters, of Marion, as the "city of Sterling." He ordered an election for city officers to be held on May 10, when the officers chosen were as fol- lows: Mayor, J. S. Chapin; councilmen, W. H. Lape, E. B. Cowgill, A. G. Landis, W. H. Page and Patten Nimrod; police judge, W. M. Lamb. The name of the town was changed in honor of Sterling Rosan, one of the early settlers.
Steuben, a hamlet of Jewell county, is located on White Rock creek in Holmwood township, 8 miles from Mankato, the county seat, from which place it receives daily mail. According to the census of 1910 there were 15 people in Steuben.
Stevens County, one of the southern tier, the second county east of Colorado, is bounded on the north by Grant county; on the east by Seward; on the south by the State of Oklahoma, and on the west by Morton county. It was first created in 1873 and named in honor of Thaddeus Stevens of Pennsylvania. The boundaries were defined as follows: "Commencing at the intersection of the east line of range 35 west with the 6th standard parallel; south along range line to its inter- section with the south boundary of the State of Kansas; thence west along said south boundary line of the State of Kansas to where it is intersected by the east line of range 39 west; thence north along range line to its intersection with the 6th standard parallel; thence east to the place of beginning."
Ten years after it was created the county was obliterated and became a part of Seward. In 1886 the legislature reestablished the original boundaries and later in the year it was organized. In May J. W. Cal- vert was appointed census taker, and made his returns to the governor on Aug. 3. According to his figures the population was 2,662 and there were 868 householders. The taxable property amounted to $313,035, of which $140,380 was real estate. A large petition in favor of Hugoton for county seat was presented to Gov. Martin along with the returns. The governor made his proclamation the same day, designating Hugo- ton as the temporary county seat and appointing the following officers : County clerk, J. W. Calvert; commissioners, H. O. Wheeler, J. B. Chamberlain and John Robertson.
The other candidate for the county seat was Woodsdale, located 4 or 5 miles northeast of Hugoton. The people of that town employed the noted lawer, Col. Samuel N. Wood, to represent them, and to pre- vent the complete organization of the county on the ground of a fraudu- lent census. Mr. Wood came to the county and proceeded to gather evidence in the case to present to the governor. He traveled over the county to ascertain the number of actual residents and to secure affi- davits to the effect that there was not sufficient population to organize. It was about Aug. 15 when Mr. Wood came to the county. The tem- porary commissioners had already divided the county into voting pre- cincts in such a manner that the whole north side was without a polling place. A public meeting was held at Woodsdale and a large crowd examined a copy of the memorial for Hugoton, to which 400 names were
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attached, and also the census roll containing 2,662 names. It is said that the latter contained the names of over 200 pair of twins. It was voted to bring proceedings to disorganize the county. The people of Hugoton called a meeting two days later and resolved to stop Mr. Wood from bringing the matter to the attention of the governor. The next day Col. Wood started to Topeka with the evidence, in company with Capt. J. C. Price, who was going to Meade Center. They were met on the road by a mob and taken into custody on representation that they were arrested, but no warrant was presented. They were taken south- west into "No Man's Land," the intention being to keep them there' until after the election on Sept. 9. Their disappearance created great excitement at Woodsdale. A posse of 25 men under Capt. S. O. Aubrey started out in search of the missing men and the citizens of Woodsdale threatened to burn Hugoton if Wood was not brought back. Word was sent to Topeka, and the governor sent out a number of officers who spent some time investigating, but did not accomplish anything. The affair caused considerable concern over the state, as it was feared the captives would be killed. They were rescued by Capt. Aubrey and his men about the last of August.
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