USA > Kansas > Phillips County > Kirwin > Saga of old fort Kirwin 1869, and history of the Kirwin Kansas community, 1869-1969 > Part 3
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The first camp meeting was held on Deer Creek, eight miles northwest of Kirwin. The fruit of this meeting was seventy five addi- tions to the Methodist Episcopal, United Brethren and Baptist churches. Previous to the commencement of this religious exer- cises, Messrs. Enyart and Worley took their rifles and after a short hunt returned to camp and brought two buffalo. They had killed these animals at the foot of Sugar Loaf mound,
twenty miles southwest of Kirwin. The meat was barbecued and all partook of a hearty meal before the real work of the meetings began.
Early in 1873 the Baptists organized the church at Kirwin, with Elder Hitchcock as clergyman.
While the country was still the stamping ground of the buffalo and other wild ani- mals, the First Congregational Church of Kirwin was organized. This was in October 1875. G. O. Blake was the pastor. After five or six years they were able to build a hand- some church that measured 28x40 feet at a cost of $2000.00. It was chartered by the State in 1879 and then worked under that charter . Until 1881 it held its services in other places other than its own building. On July 4th of that year it held its first meeting in their own unfinished building. An enlarge- ment of the church was made in 1890 and again in 1903 it was necessary to expand. Down through the years the Sunday School, Ladies Aid, Missionary Society and the Young People's groups had been connected with the church.
THE METHODIST CHURCH
The Methodist Episcopal Church was organized in 1873. The first preacher was Reverend E. J. Jewett. When first organi-
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METHODIST CHURCH FIRE
zed there were eight members. The early meetings were mainly held in private homes, at Belford's Store and in the school house. In a few years a church was built at the cost of $1600.00, and it had a seating capacity of four hundred. A Union Sabbath School was established in 1873 with six teachers and twenty scholars. After two or three years there were still six teachers but the enroll- ment had climbed to eight members.
THE KIRWIN, KANS. - NOV. 17, 1920 METHODIST CHURCH DESTROYED BY FIRE ON LAST SUNDAY AFTERNOON LOSS ABOUT $8000.00
"Last Sunday afternoon the Methodist Church was completely destroyed by fire. The only things that were saved were a church pew and two chairs. When the church ser-
vices were dismissed several persons thought they smelled something burning but some- one thought it was only a chair over the reg- ister, and that was removed and all went home. About a half hour later Claude Ed- wards discovered smoke coming out of the roof. The fire fighters arrived in short or- der but the water pressure was low and the electricity off, as it was Sunday and it was some little time before the pumps could be put into action. The whole attic of the church was afire and soon the roof was burned through in several places so the fire could be seen all along the side. The water could not be thrown up to the top of the roof on account of the lack of pressure and a ladder was leaned against the side of the church and men stood on that with the hose. From the first the church was doomed.
(Con't. to P. 37)
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Since the first settlers broke the virgin sod in the 1800's. . .
Kirwin has been primarily an agricultural community.
Since our organization 27 years ago, it has been our privilege to serve our farmers with all their needs. We hope to continue to do so.
FEEDS - - SEEDS - - VETERINARY SUPPLIES - - FER- TILIZERS - - OILS - - GREASES - - TIRES - - BATTERIES ACCESSORIES - - GASOLINE - - ETC.
Don't Forget Our Tank Wagon Service!
Farmers Union Co-op Elevator And Shipping Association
Doyle Conrad, Manager Kirwin, Kansas
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WARNER HOUSE
HOTELS
As Kirwin was known far and wide as the headquarters for everything up the valley west, there came a need for boarding for the influx of settlers and travelers coming thru. As a result several hotels sprung into being.
The first hotel was the Kirwin House. It was built in the winter of 1872-73. It was owned by Lozier and Parsons and as they neither one had a wife they employed to op- erate it an experienced hotel woman, Mrs. Addie Thompson.
Mrs. Thompson had one daughter, Miss Matie. Mrs. Thompson was a very fine and estimable lady and the daughter was pro- bably the most popular young lady in town. The daughter was about ten years of age and was probably the swiftest person on foot in the schools. Some of the boys would re- move their shoes on the warm winter days and they would challenge her to a race, but she would trot along beside them and not even swinging her arms. But this did not last long, as the boys named her "Jack Rabbit" and she refused to race after that. She was very modest and would not stand for any- thing that was unconventional.
The "Wands House", known as "the best dollar house in Northwest Kansas" was due to the outgrowth of the good business Mr. L. Wands had with his restaurant business that he opened in 1875. The manager of the ho- tel was Ed Page.
1875 also saw the construction of the Commercial Hotel. There were no saws used in the preparation of stones for the building.
The stones were dressed with the common hand ax method and one man, an Irishman, dressed most of the rock for the outside walis. The building was not finished for occupancy until late in 1876. It was then alled the "Centenial" to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Before the building was finished the basement rooms were rented out for a billiard hall to Johnnie Tanner.
The Chicago House was owned by a jolly German, W. H. Steunkel, and was renowned as a travelers and farmers popular resort. This house was known for the great quan- tities of food set before its guests.
The Warner House Hotel was built in 1878 and was opened for business by January 1879. It was built of stone taken from quarries near Kirwin and sawed by horse power into blocks nine by eighteen inches. The lumber used in the construction was hauled overland from Kearney and Grand Island, Neb., a distance of nearly 100 miles.
Hotels also had their tragedies. In 1881 Eugene Germain met his death by taking laudanum in the Commercial Hotel then known as the Centenial House. In 1890, a stranger Homer Reed of Fredonia, Ky., shot himself in the Commercial Hotel in his room.
Other hotels that were erected in Kirwin were the "Sentnal House", "Belfor House", and the "Tibbel House". These were filled every night due to the Land Office and in 1876 Kirwin boasted a population of 1300 people.
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POLITICS
Life was serious, every phase of it, so it was not surprising that the pioneers took their politics seriously. The first taste of politics that most of the settlers around here received was when Kirwin made its move to have the Land Office brought here from Caw- ker City. Then, of course, the great battle for the county seat. But they were also in- terested in local affairs. They took great interest in county, state and country matters. It seems now to be quite enough conflict with just two main parties, the Democrats and Republicans but in early Kirwin there were two more, the Populist Party and the Labor Union Party, the last being the most mili- tant.
Records show that they used most any means they could to succeed in reaching their goals, as an example: A Dutchman named John Ellenberger, who wandered out from the city of Poughkeepsie, N.Y., in an early day, took up some government land southeast of Kirwin. He did not talk politics enough to make himself understood as to just which party he belonged to. His candidate for president was really Bill Hayner of St. Louis. Just prior to one of the early day presidential elections, and while John was
running a tailor shop in Kirwin, word was passed around the square that there would be a meeting in the basement of Moulton's building on the Saturday night prior to elec- tion. John was a little late getting there and the meeting had been organized with August Stockman as chairman. Speeches were made in which the Republicans were branded as thieves and robbers, speakers raved that they stole elections and didn't count fair, they stated that the Democrats never had a chance because the Republicans ran every- thing. There was a motion made that a com- mittee be appointed by the chairman to watch the Republicans on election day and keep them from running off with everything. The motion carried. The chairman began to name his committee and one was John Ellenberger. At this time John arose and told them that if they wanted good committees they had better have all Democrats on them. The meeting had been planned for Democrats only and the chairman felt outraged. He said, "Vat you doing here?" John told them he had been invited to come, but did not know the object of the meeting. He told them he had never voted the Democratic ticket in his life. The meeting broke up. John visited
Congratulations, Kirwin!
It has been a real privilege to serve this agricultural community during past years!
WINCHELL'S, INC.
Phillipsburg, Kansas
Three Cheers For Kirwin!
Congratulations on your 100th Anniversary !
We pledged to continue serving you with flameless electric heat for TOTAL COM- FORT in your homes.
WESTERN POWER
Division of Central Telephone and Utilities Corporation
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a little while and then left. The meeting reorganized and the plans to keep the Re- publicans out were carried through.
At the election of county officers in 1874, the contest for representative of Phillips county was a spirited one, the idea seemed to be that the representative could secure some state aid for the western settlers. Rev. Jewett, living northeast of Kirwin, was the Republican nominee and Daniel L. Smith of Long Island, Independent candidate, was his opposition. Jewett was elected by a twelve vote majority.
A. G. McBride was elected county at- torney in' 1880. He did not move to the county seat but remained in Kirwin. At one meeting of the county commissioners there was a petition signed by seven businessmen of Phillipsburg asking them to compel the county attorney to move to the county seat. The only result was that McBride gave each of the signers a real good roasting in his paper, the Kirwin Chief.
On Saturday night, Oct. 27, 1888, Kirwin came near to being wiped off the map by fire, the entire southeast part of the square was burned. At that time the Kirwin Inde- pendent was published by C. J. Lamb. Late in the fall of 1888 Lamb planned and car- ried out a big meeting of the Union Labor Party which was addressed by Mrs. Sarah F. V. Emery. The Republicans also had en- gaged the hall for a reply by a young Re- publican, Philip P.Cambell, of Neosho county.
After the speech by Mrs. Emery, the union laborites attempted to leave, but the Republicans accused them of being afraid to stay and listen to the truth. They stayed and some tried to drown out the speaker by yell- ing Streetor for president. Soon the crowd was toned down again for a short time and young Campbell shortly had things all stirred up again, as he proved that Mrs. Emery had
in her book misquoted such statesmen as Abraham Lincoln, Salmon P. Chase and Thaddeus Stevens. This created a roar generally.
In the midst of all the yelling, fist wav- ing and accusations, the sheriff arrested C. J. Lamb on a warrant charging that he had libelled George W. Stinson through his paper C. J. Lamb later wrote "that he had spent the night as a guest of W. D. Covington of Phil- lipsburg - the night Kirwin friends and enemies thought he was safe in jail, from which he was saved by a hundred good friends." That night the Union Labor people feeling that they had lost ground that af- ternoon, called another meeting by adver- tising it as well as they could. That meet- ing was addressed by Mrs. Emery, L. F. Fuller and others.
Later that night, the southeast corner of the square was set on fire, and as the town was entirely without fire protection, little could be done but stand by and see the hungry flames destroy the stores of V. S. Keckley, C. C. Stone, August Stockman, Oliver and Boddington's Meat Market, the lumber and coal yard of Ed Bradley and the printing of - fice of C. J. Lamb. The damage and loss was estimated at between forty and fifty thousand dollars.
Lamb claimed to believe that the Re- publicans had burned him out, but it was pointed out to him that the Republicans were the heaviest losers. It was further claimed that Lamb was a member and an official in an oath-bound organization known as the "Videttes" which made a practice of burning property. No proof was furnished by either side. No arrests were ever made, although both sides discussed it hotly for some time. The town was speedily rebuilt and if there were any guilty ones they were not brought to justice.
THRESHING TIME AS IT USED TO BE
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Postoffice History
Isaac V. Lee was appointed the first postmaster at Kirwin in the fall or winter of 1871. The post office was kept in a half log and half dugout in the bank of Deer Creek east of where Kirwin is now.
When the mail hack made the first trip from Cawker City, there had been a cloud- burst west of Kirwin and Deer Creek was bank full so the mail carrier swam the creek and after unlocking the sack there was just one letter and that was for the post- master.
In the absence of the postmaster, the of- fice was kept locked. When a herd of buffalo came along, he put a padlock on the door, took his gun and went after them. If you wanted your mail before he returned you had to go around the building, reach through a hole in the wall where a cracker box was hung, take out the mail and see if there was anything for you.
William Wetherilt came to Kirwin in 1872. He was a shoemaker, but in those days shoes were scarce, as were people to wear them, and it was hard sledding for him. He owned his business building and home at the northwest corner of the square. He had a wife, one son and two daughters. He decided to take contract to carry the mail from Kirwin to Stockton. On the morning of May 27, 1875, there was a threat of rain all fore- noon and about 11 o'clock the rain began in earnest, with much thunder and lightning, the rain continuing until late afternoon. Weth- erilt started on his route with a pair of black ponies hitched to what was then called a "buck board," being a buggy with only a bot- tom for a bed and no sides. He reached a point just across from the Bow Creek post- office when he was struck by lightning and killed. The buggy was badly damaged and cut loose from the horses. It appeared the ani- mals had been knocked down, judging from bruises and burns on them. The team went on going west till they reached the home of Elam Bartholomew at the Rockport post office. Elam knew something was wrong so he mounted a horse and drove the ponies ahead of him, tracking them back as best he could until he found the body in the road. He informed Samuel Hebrew at the Bow Creek post office, who with his son Evan came to his assistance. As Bartholomew was a post- master, he knew it was his duty to go on
with the mail as speedily as he could.
He went on to Stockton. The rain was very hard and creeks were all rising fast. The nearest house on the side of the creek where the body was found was the home of a Methodist minister, Rev. Cling. He was asked to let the body be brought to his home, but he said he could not do so on account of serious illness of his wife. Hebrew and his son then went for shelter to a cattle shed on the south side of the creek. It was impossible to get the body across Bow Creek. Hebrew sent his son across the creek to get someone started for Kirwin to in- form the family. By the time the boy had gone across the creek and got someone start- ed from Kirwin, the water in the creek was so high the boy could not cross so the father remained there all night with only the re- mains of the dead man for company. It was lonesome, as afterwards he said, but he only smiled at the idea of being afraid.
It was late the next day before the water had receded to permit a team sent out from Kirwin to get across and load the body. It was late in the day when the remains reach- ed home. In those days there were no cas- kets carried in stock and the town had no furniture store so the caskets were made of walnut lumber by the carpenters. The car- penters were F. W. Agard, James Vander- ford and George Wright. Undertakers were not known in that part of the country. The wal- nut lumber used had been hauled from Kearney, Neb., the nearest railroad point. The body of Wetherilt was laid to rest. In a very short time there was a son born to the widow. Wetherilt was a great church worker and strong believer in the Baptist faith, and a great Sunday school teacher.
At one time there was a men's Bible class organized that met on Sunday after- noon at the school house and it was led by Wetherilt.
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Those Were The Days.
TISANA BANK PHILLIPS COUNTY FARMERS UNION
NOTIONS
"THE WEST SIDE AS IT APPEARED YEARS AGO."
Congratulations to the Kirwin Community on 100 years of progress!
We maintain a com- plete line of groc- eries, fresh meats, and vegetables to serve the Kirwin commun- ity
24-HOUR SERVICE ON ICE CUBES
1.0.0
Eileen and Al Stackhouse, June Kearns
"THE FOOD MART"
Al Stackhouse - The Friendly Store By The Lake - Kirwin, Kansas
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Bits and Pieces
It seemed that soon after civil war a man named John Stillwell had consummated a common law marriage with a widow who had one small daughter. Under the agreement the marriage was to terminate when her daughter became sixteen years of age and John was to marry the daughter according to law. But when the daughter became six- teen the wife objected to giving up her com- mon law husband. The daughter was ready for the marriage to her stepfather under the common law marriage. This led to much difficulty and finally to a fistic encounter be- tween husband and wife. But later matters were patched up and early in 1876 John yoked up his oxen and drove to Stockton where he and the girl Frances E. Herren were married by the probate judge of Rooks county. He returned and the former wife continued to live with them, together with three children born under the common law marriage.
Before the railroad got to town there was only a small amount of coal burned and the fuel was principally wood. There was some
complaint at one time that considerable wood was being purloined and one man load- ed a few stocks of this wood quite heavily with powder. Soon after this the oven of the bakery that was located on east main street was completely wrecked by an explosion. The oven was not rebuilt.
Hallowe'en pranks were great in those days and one man that the boys liked par- ticularly well to tease was August Stockman. One night in 1874 when the Hallowe'en festi- vities were on August was out trying to pro- tect his property he looked into his store and saw a man in there lighting matches. He jerked the front door open and grabbing an ax handle took after the fellow who escaped through a side door. After this and in 1876 the boys took a mule belonging to August and put it up in the judge's stand at the Fair grounds south of town. In an effort to get out of the stand the mule hung himself. But August turned the trick by making them pay for the mule.
Thomas Klontz rode a bicycle from Kir- win to Phillipsburg Jan. 14, 1899. The exer-
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AUXTE OPTICIAN
ACROSS STREET EAST OF SQUARE
tion caused hemorrhages of the blood ves- sels and he died the next day.
The post office at Kirwin was robbed June 4, 1897.
An attenpt to rob the Kirwin State Bank was made Dec. 19, 1897.
The first telephone in the county was in Kirwin from the office of May and Blake to the bank, put in during September, 1881. Com- plete systems were installed in Kirwin and Phillipsburg during 1887 but on Feb. 18, 1889, an agent of the Bell Company put them both out of business claiming they were an infringement of Bell Patents. It was not un- til 1903 that Kirwin had permanent tele- phones.
At one time the foundation of a Roman Catholic Church was laid on the slope west of the main part of town. But the building never got higher than the foundation. The writer never knew who were the promoters.
Early in 1886 a Mr. D. S. Lusadder pre- sented a proposition to the council offering to build a hotel in the center of the square. It was to measure sixty by sixty feet and not to cost less than $16,000.00. There was consid- erable discussion and then the proposition was referred to a committee. This proposition was mentioned at the next council meeting and the committee asked for more time. Evidently it was tabled and not taken up again
as there was no mention of it.
The first chickens hatched in the settle- ment.
In 1873 there was only one flock of chickens in the county and these were owned by Mrs. E. G. Lee, who had traded her hat for them. She afterward sold two hens to John Butler and a hen and a rooster to James Monroe. The eggs that were laid by the Butler's hens were not fertile so he took both of his hens under his arm and walked to Mon- roe's homestead a distance of seven miles, where he turned them loose with Monroe's flock. This is only a slight specimen of the many inconveniences that the early settlers had to face and overcome.
A proposition was brought to the council to call a special election as to whether the city would vote bonds to operate the Kirwin Mining Development Company of Kirwin (No record found as to the election)
A special meeting was called in Septem- ber, 1879, where the committee on ordi- nances were to draft ordinances relating to side walks, shows, games, houses of ill fame and prostitution. In April, 1880 a li- cense was granted to operate a saloon in Kirwin, and in February 1881 the governing body stopped the license and returned the balance of the price of the license to the license holder.
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The Famous Murder
MURDER OF GEORGE T. LORD
In December, 1882, Mrs. Millie McHurin, formerly Mrs. Cisley of Kirwin, was arrest- ed in Graham county, charged with the mur- der of George T. Lord, also of that city. The following are the attendant circumstances, given in the Kirwin "Independent".
" About the middle of May, 1880, George T. Lord, a well-known citizen of Kirwin, left this place with a well equipped outfit and a considerable sum of money, with the avowed purpose of going to the mountains, to be gone an indefinite length of time. His neighbors were given to understand that un- less he prospered in his enterprise they would not hear from him. From Kirwin Mr. Lord drove up Bow Creek and over to Stockton. Here he sold his load of bacon and came back to Bow Creek crossing, where his team ran away, breaking the tongue of the wagon and slightly injuring himself. The team was caught, and with the assistance of Joshua Kin- caid the breaks were repaired. A Mrs. Cisley, who is well known in this commu- nity , and who had been a housekeeper for the Lord family for a long time previous to the departure of Mr. Lord, joined him at this point, she being accompanied by a child four years old. As soon as the wagon was fixed the party traveled to the southwest. They reached Monument station on the eve- ning of May 28, and after watering at the rail- road tank they went down the ravine to the southeast about three miles, where they went into camp for the night. And this is the last time Uncle George Lord, as he was familiar- ly called, was ever seen alive. The next morning a cattle herder looking for stray stock, seeing their camp went toward it to inquire about his lost cattle. Mrs. Cisley seeing him coming, left the wagon and went
toward him meeting him about forty rods from the wagon. When asked if she had seen any cattle near there she said that there had been no cattle near there, but that she had seen some in another direction with which information the herder went away in the di- rection indicated. Mrs. Cisley and her child reached Collyer May 29 having driven about sixty-five miles, and driving about sixty miles on Saturday, May 30, she reached Hays City about dark. At Hays she sold the team, harness and wagon worth about $350.00 to Mr. Madden, a liveryman, for $102.00. She stated while in Hays that her husband had died out west. In a few days after making the sale she returned to Phillips county.
About the middle of June, 1880, the dead body of a man, who had been shot in the back of the head was found in the ravine three miles southeast of Monument where George T. Lord, Mrs. Cisley and her child had camped. The body was much decomposed and evidently had lain there several weeks. Near by was found some clothing, books, feather bed, etc. The station agent at Monument took charge of the clothing which had been pre- served, and another resident took the feather- bed. Notice was sent to the coroner of Ellis county, in which jurisdiction the body was found, but the distance was so great, and the body had lain so long that no inquest was held and it was buried near where it lay.
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