USA > Kansas > Cloud County > Miltonvale > Miltonvale : the western terminus of the narrow gauge, to 1910 > Part 5
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29 The Miltonvale News, July 12, 1888.
30 Charles C. Howes, This Place Called Kansas, p. 156.
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buyer who lacked an elevator of his own. Thus the farmer had to sell to the privileged grain elevator for whatever price he was offered. The age of big business, trusts, combines, pools, and monopolies had arrived, and the farmer had no part in fixing the price for the products he sold or bought. With the coming of the "bust" came also the depreciation of property without any depre- ciation of mortgages or chattels. In fact, interest rates, already high, went still higher. Rates of 7 percent were now considered extremely low, and on chattels 10 percent was an unusually low rate; rates of 40 percent and above being sometimes charged. Foreclosures came thick and fast. 31 Barr estimates that in Kansas about 10,600 farms, or over 1,690,000 acres of land were lost through mortgage foreclosures and settlements outside of court in the year 1890 alone. 32
These conditions convinced the farmer that justice could only be received through political action. In 1890 the People's party in Kansas elected five congressmen and a majority of the lower branch of the legislature. Ives was elected for attorney-general on the People's and Democratis tickets. Humphrey, the Republican candidate for governor, polled 115,124 against John Willits' 106,943, showing that the People's ticket was a close second. 33 The year 1891 was spent more in activities of an educational nature as a buildup for 1892.
31 See Hicks, op. cit., pp. 54-95 for a fuller discussion of the farmers' grievances of this period.
32 Elizabeth N. Barr, in Kansas and Kansans, 2:1157.
33 Ibid., 2:1169.
:
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There was little doubt in the minds of Miltonvale citizens as to how the editor of the Miltonvale Press felt concerning the Populists. His brief comments, like those of many other editors in Kansas, and over the nation, were mostly in the form of criti- cism and derision, as the following illustrate:
The Populists of Kansas claim they have polled the state and that they will carry the electoral ticket by 50,000, and the state ticket by 35,000 to 40,000. Why don't they claim the earth?34
The following appeared a few weeks before the 1892 election:
The Populists are beginning to get rattled in this, the last inning of the great game, and not a man on the bases. Sling 'em another "out!" 35
In this same issue he charged the speaker of a Populist meet- ing held a few days before, with falsifying the facts in regard to the economy in the county administration.
In spite of these derogatory remarks of the press, the People's Party carried Cloud County by a "fair majority," as the Press expressed it.36 In the state the entire state ticket was elected, with 25 senators and 58 members of the House also elected on the Populist ticket. 37
The Miltonvale Leader gives the tone of feeling in 1893 toward the People's Party in the following news item:
The People's Party rally in this city on Tuesday (October 31) was very poorly attended considering the fact that one of the big guns from Arkansas, P. G. Montgomery, was the speaker. A pop rally at the present does not mean a rousing enthusiastic meeting as it did a year or two ago. For a report of the political points
34 Miltonvale Press, Sept. 16, 1892.
35 Ibid., Oct. 21, 1892.
36 Ibid., Nov. 11, 1892.
37 Barr, op. cit., 2:1180.
=
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discussed see stereotyped speeches of three years ago.
In 1896 there was local support for Bryan as President on the Democratie ticket. No doubt many of these were former Populist followers who, along with the party as a whole, threw their weight behind Bryan and the free silver issue. In the state the fusion- ists' ticket was elected but Bryan was defeated.39
After the fusion of the Populists with the Democrats in 1896 the Populists in Starr township showed a rather lukewarm feeling toward their own party with little interest shown in the 1897 cam- paign locally.40 By 1898 prosperity was returning, crops being better and prices higher, and the argument against gold as a monetary standard was being dispelled for gold was becoming more plentiful. The outbreak of the war with Spain also helped to di- vert attention from reforms at home. This year the Republican party elected all state officers, secured control of the state legislature, and elected every congressman but one . 41 For all practical purposes the Populist party was dead, although its doc- trines showed amazing vitality; many of its projects having become a part of the law of the land.
The political rallies, parades, and speeches provided many opportunities for fellowship with one's neighbor. These were all a part of the social life of the community. There were a number of other social functions provided by the various lodges and clubs which had been organized in the town. Table 7 lists the various
38 The Miltonvale Leader, Nov. 2, 1893.
39 The Miltonvale Press, Nov. 6, 1896; Barr, op. cit., 2:1202.
40 The Miltonvale Press, Oct. 28, 1897.
41 Hicks, op. cit., pp. 388-390, 395.
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LTE AND APPLIED
SCIENCE
organizations and number of charter members where possible.
Table 7. Miltonvale lodges and clubs. 42
Lodge or Club
:
Date of organization
: Charter
: members
Grand Army of Republic
August,
1882
10
Odd Fellows
Dec. 6,
1883
15
Mite & Literary Society
January, 1884
U. D. A. F. & A. M. (Mason)
June 2,
1884
13
Good Templars
Sept.22, 1884
54
Temperance & Debating
Dec. 22, 1884
--
Lecture & Amusement Bureau
July 26, 1886
7
Driving Park Ass'n.
Mar. 25, 1887
Prohibition Club
July 6, 1888
14
Demorest Contest Organization
December, 1888
-
Knights of Pythias
July,
1890
17
Loyal Mystic Legion Ass'n.
July 21, 1893
--
MANHATTAN
NANSAS
Sunday School Conventions, revivals, spelling bees, lyceums, dinners, dances, and many other functions contributed a part to the social life of the town and surrounding area. The public holidays were great occasions; people gathering in from miles around, by horse-back, train or buggy, with their basket dinner to spend the day. The Opera House was the meeting place where a speaker would be present and a program presented. 43 It was a great time of festivity, visiting, and games. Toward evening the people bade each other goodby, entered their conveyance, and returned to the daily round of activities after a day of relaxation and recreation. These occasions were not so often enjoyed as they are today
42 The Miltonvale News, Jan. 18, 1884, Dec. 7, 1883, Jan. 4, 1884, June 5, 1884, Sept. 25, 1884, Dec. 25, 1884, March 31, 1887, July 12, 1888, Dec. 20, 1888, July 17, 1890; Miltonvale Star, July 29, 1886; The Weekly Press, July 21 and 28, 1893.
43 Interview with Miss Elizabeth Fry, July 12, 1955, at Mil- tonvale, Kansas.
70
because the means of transportation and communication were slower and less convenient, yet probably there were more opportunities for originality in entertainment and development of one's own talents than may be found today.
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ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The writer wishes to acknowledge his indebtedness to Dr. A. Bower Sageser of the Department of History, Government, and Philosophy of Kansas State College, for his suggestions and guidance. His understanding and patience, as well as his assistance, have been greatly appreciated. The able assistance of Miss Hazel M. Riggs also of the Department of History, Government, and Phil- osophy of Kansas State College, has helped to make this thesis possible. The encouragement and help of my wife, Ailene, especially in the gathering of materials, have contributed greatly to the preparation of this thesis.
04
72
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Books
Buck, Solon J. The Granger Movement. Cambridge: Harvard Univer- sity Press, 1913.
Edwards, John P. Atlas of Cloud County. Quincy, Illinois, 1885. Hicks, John D. The Populist Revolt. University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, 1931.
Hollibaugh, E. F. Biographical History of Cloud County, Kansas. (publishers and date of publication not listed), Miltonvale Grade School Library, Miltonvale, Kansas.
Howes, Charles C. This Place Called Kansas. University of Okla- homa Press: Norman, Oklahoma, 1952.
Kansas State Gazetteer, 1884-85.
Ogle, George A. Standard Atlas of Cloud County, Kansas. George A. Ogle & Co., Chicago. 1917.
The Homestead Guide. (Title page missing) Listed as Kansas at Concordia Public Library, Concordia, Kansas.
Unpublished Materials
Miltonvale. An unpublished history of the Miltonvale Roman Catho- lic Church obtained from Rev. Maurice Dion, Miltonvale, Kansas.
Pomeroy, T. J. History of the Kansas Conference of the Wesleyan Methodist Church. Unpublished material obtained from T. J. Pomeroy, Miltonvale, Kansas.
Smith, William G. The History of Church-Controlled Colleges in the Wesleyan Methodist Church. Unpublished Ph. D. Thesis, New York University, 1951.
Articles
Barr, Elizabeth N. Kansas and Kansans. 2:1157-1202.
Carruth, W. H. "Foreign Settlements in Kansas." Kansas Univer- sity Quarterly, 1:74, 75. October, 1892.
73
Kansas Historical Collections, 1905-1906. 9:574-577. Kansas State Historical Society, Topeka, Kansas.
Pamphlets
Crimmins, Harold. A History of the Kansas Central Railway, 1871- 1935. Graduate Division of the Kansas State Teachers Col- lege, Emporia, Kansas. June, 1954.
Government Documents
Abstract of Statistical Rolls, 1878-1910. Recorded in the Cloud County Clerk's Office, Concordia, Kansas.
Clark, Carroll D., and Roberts, Roy L. People of Kansas. Kansas State Planning Board, Topeka, Kansas.
"Deed Record," Volumes A and K "Misc." Record of Deeds office of Cloud County, Concordia, Kansas.
Federal Census of 1880 for Starr Township, Cloud County, Kansas. Kansas State Historical Society, Topeka, Kansas.
"History of Kansas Newspapers." Kansas State Historical Society and Department of Archives. Topeka: Kansas State Printing Plant, 1854-1916.
"Plat Book," Volumes 1-3. Record of Deeds office of Cloud County, Concordia, Kansas.
Records of the Cloud County Commissioners, Journals A and B. Cloud County Court House, Concordia, Kansas.
State of Kansas 1875 Census Figures for Starr Township, Cloud County, Kansas. Kansas State Historical Society, Topeka, Kansas.
Newspapers
Miltonvale (Kansas) Chieftain, 1887-1888.
Miltonvale (Kansas) Star, July and August, 1886.
The Clay Center (Kansas) Times, July 12, 1883.
The Concordia (Kansas ) Empire, July 12, 1883.
The Miltonvale (Kansas ) Leader, November 2, 1893.
74
The Miltonvale (Kansas ) News, 1882-1891. The Miltonvale (Kansas ) Press, 1896-1900. The Miltonvale (Kansas) Record, April 29, 1904, 1933-1934. The Tribune, (Miltonvale, Kansas ), August 17, 1894. The Weekly Herald (St. Joseph, Missouri), January 6, 1887. The Weekly Press (Miltonvale, Kansas), June-August, 1893.
Interviews
George Palmer, Miltonvale, Kansas, June 10, 1955. Miss Elizabeth Fry, Miltonvale, Kansas, July 12, 1955. Miss Ina Fry, Miltonvale, Kansas, July 12, 1955. Mrs. Clara Kuhnle, Miltonvale, Kansas, July 16, 1955. Pleasant Fry, Miltonvale, Kansas, July 12, 1955.
MILTONVALE: THE WESTERN TERMINUS OF THE NARROW GAUGE, TO 1910
by
EZRA R. MORGAN
A. B., Marion College, Marion, Indiana, 1948 B. D., Asbury Theological Seminary, Wilmore, Kentucky, 1950
AN ABSTRACT OF A THESIS
submitted in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the degree
MASTER OF SCIENCE
Department of History, Government, and Philosophy
KANSAS STATE COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE AND APPLIED SCIENCE
1956
The purpose of this study was to present the settlement and growth of Miltonvale and the surrounding area, as a marketing center in an agricultural community. The economic, social, polit- ical, and spiritual activity discussed covers the years from 1867 to 1910, and centers around the area at the headwaters of Chapman Creek, in the southeastern part of Cloud County. Before 1867 the area was unsettled and had been seen by few white men other than those on hunting and exploring expeditions. Probably the earliest of those who explored the area was Colonel John C. Fremont who, in 1843, crossed through the center of what is now Starr Township, from the southeast to the northwest, and on across Cloud County .
Since employment in the east was difficult to find, in 1867 William Zahn and his family came from Hoboken, New Jersey and settled on Chapman Creek. Within six years there were enough set- tlers in the area to warrant the organization of Starr Township. With the coming of the Kansas Central Railroad in 1882, the "City of Miltonvale" sprang into existence. During the first five years there was steady and rapid growth of the town but the "bust" of 1887 brought the growth to an end for a number of years. Not until 1910 did the population reach and surpass the years just before the beginning of the depression in 1887.
In developing the history of Miltonvale, the procedure varied. The first step taken was for the writer to orient himself concern- ing the subject in mind. The Biographical History of Cloud County, by E. F. Hollibaugh, was an especially helpful source for this purpose, and contributed much general information on the subject.
2
Another phase of the orientation was accomplished through inter- views with several of the citizens of Miltonvale who had some general knowledge of the town's history. The writer then sought information from the surrounding towns of Concordia, Glasco, and Clyde, inquiring at libraries, newspaper offices, and contacting private individuals as opportunity afforded. The Cloud County Abstract Office in Concordia gave the writer some valuable infor- mation about the ownership of the land before the town was begun and assisted in obtaining information with regard to the petition for incorporation of the town, as well as other information. The Concordia Public Library had a number of books on Kansas history which provided much background material for a better understanding of the local history in relation to the history of the state and of the nation during this period. Several books from the Library of Kansas State College were helpful for source material. After obtaining all the local material available on the subject, the writer spent two weeks at Topeka, Kansas, in the newspaper room and in the library of the Kansas Historical Society. The most im- portant single source of information on the subject was The Milton- vale News, 1882-1891, on file at the Historical Society. These papers, along with a number of others which had been published at Miltonvale during the period of 1882 to 1910, were carefully examined.
The Register of Deeds of Cloud County was helpful in supply- ing information regarding population figures, minutes of the Cloud County Commissioners, and early plat books.
After obtaining material from four of the older local residents
3
of Miltonvale, the writer began organizing the material under five chapter headings.
The first chapter contains the history of the settlement and the development, organizationally, of Starr township. The coming of the Kansas Central Railroad and the founding of Miltonvale, in- cluding a short sketch of the founder of the town, end the chapter.
Chapter two reviews many of the hardships of the pioneers in their battle with the Indians and the elements, sickness and low prices. This chapter also points up some of the reasons for their migration to the plains of Kansas. Local inventions which con- tributed their part to the development of the area around Milton- vale are briefly referred to.
The third chapter deals with the growth of the town of Milton- vale, especially its business enterprises and its population. Fire and depression played a great part in hindering the town's growth. Its location away from the main line of any of the important rail- roads did much to set limitations on its growth from 1882 to 1910.
The different means of transportation and communication and their contribution to the development of the town and township are dealt with in chapter four.
The fifth chapter covers the religious, educational, civic and political history of the period, with an attempt to tie poli- tical developments of a local nature into the picture of national politics.
PP
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