USA > Kansas > Anderson County > The history of Anderson County, Kansas, from its first settlement to the Fourth of July, 1876. > Part 14
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of company ('): Jacob R. Shields. William H. Nichols. Edward Bulson. Henry Strickland, Cyrus II. Lowry, Al- fred Brown. William P. Aldridge, Charles A. Rankin, James R. Eaton, sergeants ; Daniel Harmon, William G. Hill, Thos. Means, Jesse Sutton, John Aldridge, corporals : James M. Aldridge. William Cooper. Ottawa Sutton. Red- ington J. Shields, Travis Farmer, William Starr, Julian S. White, Herbert Brown, William G. Eaton. John JJ. Martin, Patrick B. Redington. William Skinner, Elihue Wilson. privates.
TENTH KANSAS INFANTRY.
Company (-Charles Brown, sergeant (promoted to first lieutenant. April 1, 1863) ; Thomas Spencer, John E. Blunt (promoted to first lieutenant in 1862), corporals ; Perry Kirkland. musician ; Christian Barham, Henry Bar- ham. Abner lleflin, Samnel Strong. Eli Barham. Marcus M. Vinton. Edward C. Ross. James II. Farrah. Thomas R. Fagg. A. R. Garrett. Solomon Kauffman (promoted to first lieutenant. September 11, 1862, and to captain, May 28. 1863). Joseph Kiesler, John A. Kirkland, Joseph King, A. Reynolds, Nathaniel Spriggs, Malichi Tyler, privates.
Company H-Thomas R. Morris, James L. Morris, Hi- ram Vess, privates.
Company 1-Ilarry W. Stubblefield, sergeant ; John Jil- lison, Thomas D. Masterson. John Martin, John Mc D). Martin. Mark Perkins, George H. Sater, privates.
ELEVENTH KANSAS.
David HI. Johnson. hospital steward.
Company F-J. G. Reese, John G. Lindsay, captains : George W. Simons, first lieutenant : Marvin H. Payne. second lieutenant ; John Horn, orderly sergeant ; David ('. Lowe, Francis MeShane, William L. Frankenberger, quar- termaster sergeants ; Samuel H. Furgeson, Eber L. Hay- wood. David A. Whipp. Thomas S. Kelley, David D. Judy, Lloyd Sparr, sergeants ; James L. Kercheval, George Bar- ker, William R. Borrer, Frank Fenhouse, William F. Hiatt,
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Christian Rebstock. Frank Minor, Allen G. Poteet, Wil- liam R. Ingram, Benjamin F. Webb, Hiram Spriggs, Wil- liam MeGrew, JJames Rogers, Wilber D. West, corporals ; Jonathan Bigelow, farrier; Wm. Bendall, John Sullivan, buglers ; William Ayass, Henry Ayass, Charles Ashburn, Enoch W. Barker, John Burns, John Bingamon, Nathan W. Barker, Charles W. Backer, Jackson Black, Allen W. Bingamon, Chester Cummings, John Campbell. Robert W. Corker, George W. Carlyle, Charles E. Dewey, Hewitt Dixon, Henry V. Dart, Charles Drake, John B. Dilday, Levi Daniel, John H. Feuerborn. Joshua Griffith, John Hall, Ishum C. Hudnall, Robert Hart, Ira E. Hollomon, John H. Hydorn, Thomas Hunt, Isaac Hull, Joseph M. Hiner, Homer Johnson, Cyrus K. Johnson, Richard A. JJones, Frederick Tochterman, Robert H. Moore, John R. Montgomery, Abram R. Mumaw, Archi- bald MeGrew, William A. Majors, George Manlove, Ad- dison Morris, Manly M. Minkler, James JJ. Mason, Ad- donijah Maness. John P. Oswold, Elisha J. Peters, David S. Peters, Charles Pritchard, Henry Paul, John Pickett, Alexander Rush (promoted to captain in the Second Kan- sas colored), William Rebstock, John H. Smith, John H. Shultz, John Zeitzler, Samuel S. Stailey, James E. Tanks- ley, William Vess, John Winklepleck, Henry Westmier, Daniel W. Wright. Charles W. Young, Isaac N. Beeler, Ernestes P. Gilpatrick (promoted to first lieutenant), Wil- liam D. Hamilton, Chester C. Johnson, Isaac Norton, Henry Putnam, James Paul, James Rogers, Thomas J. Shultz, Thomas Severns, John Severns, John Sutton, John Taylor, Martin MeGrew. privates.
TWELFTH KANSAS INFANTRY.
Thomas Lindsay, assistant surgeon.
Company G-Alexander McArthur, first lieutenant ; Frank H. Crum, orderly sergeant ; William MeLaughlin, sergeant ; William M. Agnew, V. M. Hollomon, William Q. Wickersham. Robert Whitson, corporals ; Wilson An-
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derson, William Bandle, Joseph L. Eaton, James C. Kelso. Ezra Kesselring. Julins Mathews. Sammel T. Nichols. David R. Pattee, Benjamin F. Pattee, Francis M. Pettit. Louis G. Ragain, George A. Shields, William D. Whitson, William J. Williams, privates.
FIFTEENTH KANSAS CAVALRY.
Company M-W. A. Johnson. captain : Jeremiah (. Johnson, commissary sergeant : Charles Paul, sergeant : Calvin G. Chaffee, Thomas Dykes, Elias R. Johnson. James Moore, Hugh MeNulty, William E. South, Thomas S. Ty- ler. privates ; Charles W. Warren, musician.
SIXTEENTH KANSAS CAVALRY.
Company II-H. W. Stubblefield, captain.
Company L-JJesse Baker. Henry C. Dennison. Henry Gadbery, Jackson Gadbery, Daniel W. Hoover. Isaac Johnson, Martin V. Kimmel, William T. Kimmel, Ranson Mundell, William F. Priest, H. L. Poplin. Charles Sump- tion, John T. Smith, James South. I. P. Sutton, JJacob (. Sutton. Andrew South, Nathan White, William A. Ward. privates.
W. G. Nichols. John G. MeGue. John Pangborn. JJames Townsley, JJohn R. Sutton. Thomas Townsley, privates.
SECOND KANSAS COLORED.
G. W. Walgamott, surgeon; J. R. Montgomery, adju- tant : George W. Sands, captain company E.
ELEVENTH U. S. COLORED.
Ernestes P. Gilpatrick and Alanson Simons, first lienteu- ants.
FIRST KANSAS BATTERY.
B. P. Brown, private.
SECOND KANSAS BATTERY.
William C. Caskey, David Moyer, Thomas Salkeld. J. M. Stigenwalt, A. JJ. Stigenwalt, privates.
When the wicked rebellion had been suppressed,
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and the brave men had been in the service, many of them for more than three years, and encountered all the hardships incident to a soldier's life on the march, in camp or in the din of battle, in the prison pen or the hospital, the survivors of these hardships returned to their homes and families to en- joy the blessings of peace. But on their return many sad hearts ached for the loss of a dear hus- band, father, brother or son that had gone away in the full strength and vigor of manhood, but had fallen in the cause of his country and is now sleeping in a bloody and unknown grave, leaving his deeds of valor and his sufferings to be told by surviving comrades, and his memory to be perpetuated in his- tory, and his service and sufferings to be apprecia- ted by all loyal and liberty-loving people of the na- tion.
The following are the names of the heroic dead who sacrificed their lives in the cause of their country :
Albert Saulsbery. private company A, Second Kansas.
Sergeant R. H. P. Snodgrass and corporal Albert John- son, company E. Second Kansas.
Corporals William J. Wade and George Lewis, and pri- vates Freeman F. Austin. Jacob F. Frank. James B. Frank. John Gerth, William B. Lewis and Robert MeLaugh- lin, company K. Fifth Kansas.
Sergeant Ephraim Reynolds, corporals Noah V. Vess and James F. Hamby, Isaac Morley, farrier, and John Q. Tefft. private, company G, Seventh Kansas.
Sergeant George G. Price, and David Witt, private. company F. Eighth Kansas.
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Sergeants Jacob R. Shields, William H. Nichols and Henry Strickland. and privates Redington JJ. Shields, Wil- liam Starr, Julian S. White, William Skinner, Samuel Mundell and David P. Bethurem, company H, Ninth Kan-
Corporal Thomas Spencer, and privates Nathaniel Spriggs, Edward C. Ross, Malichi Tyler and James Il. Farrah, company C, Tenth Kansas.
Corporal Benjamin F. Webb, and privates Nathan W. Barker, Charles W. Backer, Robert W. Crocker. Charles Drake, Frederick Tochterman, Isaac Hull. James JJ. Mason. Addonijah Maness, John H. Smith, John Winklepleck. Henry Westmier, David W. Wright, Charles W. Young and Isaac N. Beeler, company F. Eleventh Kansas.
Orderly Sergeant Frank HI. Crum, and privates Francis M. Pettit and William D. Whitson, company G, Twelfth Kansas.
James Moore, private, company M. Fifteenth Kansas.
Alexander Rush, captain of company HI, Second Kansas colored.
Hugh Quinn, captain. Second Arkansas cavalry.
B. P. Brown, private, First Kansas battery.
William G. Nichols and Thomas Townsley, privates. Sixteenth Kansas.
Anderson county had four hundred and twenty volunteers in the service during the rebellion, and out of that number fifty-six were killed and died of disease while in the service.
CHAPTER XXIV.
Trials of Felonies, etc.
BROCKHOLT TYLER's store in Canton was broken open in the fall of 1861, and a lot of goods were stolen. In January, 1862, a search was made for the stolen goods at the house of a man by the name of J. G. Smythe, living on the Pottowatomie, two miles north of Central City, and about twelve miles distant from Tyler's store. Smythe was a man who had never been suspected of the commission of crime ; had always been regarded as an honest man and a worthy christian : but in the search the stolen goods were found in his house. He had on his per- son some of the goods at the time. The announce- ment was astounding to every person within Smythe's acquaintance. He was arrested and had a prelimi- The
nary examination before W.m. Dennis, J. P.
justice found him guilty on the examination, and bound him over for his appearance at the next term of the district court to answer for the larceny. At the March term of the court, 1862, the grand jury found an indictment against him. He was put on trial and found guilty, and sentenced to the penitentiary for a term of one year. It was always a question of grave doubt whether he was guilty of the theft, but
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the goods were found in his possession and he was never able to give a satisfactory account of the man- ner in which he got them. He claimed to have purchased them from a man who was traveling in a two-horse wagon. It is believed by many persons that the store was robbed by a man named Baggs, who was formerly in Tyler's employment. Smythe only remained in prison about two months, when he was pardoned by the Governor. The case being surrounded by such grave doubts, and Smythe's gen- eral character being so good, most of the citizens signed a petition for his pardon. Smythe was the first person ever convicted of a felony in the county.
In the winter of 1863 a man by the name of Louis Perrier, a half-breed Indian, living on the Neosho river near the present town of Erie, stole a fine mare from W. J. Bayles. He was pursued to his home and arrested, brought back to Garnett, and put on trial at the March term of court, in 1864, found guilty, and sent to the penitentiary for a term of five years.
George S. Holt's store, in Mount Gilead, was broken open in the spring of 1863. After consider- able investigation it was ascertained that a lot of goods such as Holt had lost were in the possession of a colored man by the name of Douglas, at Osa- watomie. A search warrant was issued, and when the officer searched his house a large amount of the goods were found in his possession. He was arrested and brought to Mount Gilead for exam-
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ination. He had his trial before D. W. Smith, J. P., admitted his guilt, and implicated other parties with being participants in the crime. They were arrested and tried, but there being no other evidence against them they were discharged. Douglass was commit- ted to jail to answer the crime of larceny and bur- glary, but was permitted to volunteer in the army, and went into the service, and consequently was never tried or punished for the crime.
In the summer of 1867, when Van Amburgh's show was in Garnett, a difficulty arose between some showmen and Manuel Denny, when a young man by the name of Peter Sells, one of the employes of the show, rushed upon Denny with a large tent pin, with an iron band around the top, and struck Denny over the head, knocking him insensible. Sells was arrested on a charge of an assault with intent to kill, and committed to jail to await his trial. He was tried at the September term of the court in 1867, and found guilty and sentenced to the penitentiary for a term of one year. Sells was a young man, about twenty-two years of age, and a stranger here.
A most unfortunate occurrence took place in the spring of 1868. Isaac Bulson and H. M. Anderson were near neighbors, Anderson living on Bulson's farm. Bulson's horse got into Anderson's corn, when Anderson tied the horse up. Bulson sent his little boys over to Anderson's for the horse, and Anderson sent the boys away without it, and told them to tell their father to come over himself. 3I
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Bulson went over to get the horse, and when he was untying it Anderson came out, when a fight took place between them, and in the fight Bul- son took out his knife and stabbed Anderson in two or three places. Bulson was arrested on a charge of an assault with intent to kill, was bound over to court, was tried, convicted and sent to the peniten- tiary for one year. He was pardoned before the expiration of his term. At the time of the trial of this case there was strong prejudice against Bulson, on account of some suits that he had been engaged in in the courts of this county, just previous to this matter.
In the summer of 1869 John Martin stole a horse from C. E. Dewey, and took it to Ottawa and sold it. He was arrested for the larceny, bound over to court, and in the September following he was tried in the district court, found guilty, and sentenced to the penitentiary for a term of five years.
In the summer of 1872 Henry Knox broke into the dwelling house of J. P. Crane, in the night time. Crane woke up and heard foot-steps in his kitchen, got up and went into the kitchen, when he met the burglar. Knox at once attacked Crane, but the lat- ter proved of too great strength for him, so he beat a hasty retreat through one of the back windows and fled. In the scuffle he lost his hat, and in getting through the window got considerably cut by the broken glass. It was so dark that Crane was un- able to recognize the man. In the scuffle he bit
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Crane on the arm so as to leave visible prints of his teeth for several days. The next day the officers got track of him, and followed him to La Cygne ; ar- rested him on a charge of burglary, and brought him back. He was tried and convicted, and sent to the penitentiary for a term of seven years. Knox was a stranger in this county ; he lived at Paola.
In 1874 a young man by the name of William Ma- lone was arrested for the larceny of some cattle be- longing to Alexander Seber. Malone was tried at the September term of the district court, 1874, found guilty, and sent to the penitentiary for a term of four years.
At the March term of the district court, 1876, Michael Amy was tried for an assault with intent to commit a rape on the person of Myra Hull. Amy was found guilty and sentenced to the penitentiary for a period of four years. Amy is a man about fifty years of age ; the girl alleged to have been as- saulted was about twelve or thirteen years old.
In the year 1874 William Denny's house was en- tered and a lot of clothing stolen. The burglars fled south. They were pursued down the Neosho river to near Iola, and were overtaken, arrested and brought to Garnett, under the charge of burglary and larceny. The men's names were William Flem- ing and - Paul. Fleming was tried at the March term, 1875, found guilty of burglary in the third de- gree and larceny, and sent to the penitentiary for a term of three years. The Governor afterward, on
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petition, commuted his sentence to two years. Paul was taken from the officers by the United States marshal, before his trial, and taken before the U. S. courts.
In the spring of 1875 Washington Waterman stole a horse from George A. Smith and took it to Wichita, and sold it. Waterman was afterwards ar- rested at Humboldt, and committed to jail. At the September term of the court he plead guilty to the charge of larceny, and was sentenced to the peni- tentiary for two years. He is an old man and a hardened criminal.
Since the organization of the county, twenty years ago, there has been one conviction of mur- der in the first degree, and the convict sentenced to death : but the execution was prevented by a pardon from the Governor. Two convictions of murder in the second degree, and the convicts sentenced to the penitentiary, one for twelve years and the other twenty-one years. One conviction for manslaugh- ter in the second degree, and the convict sentenced to the penitentiary for five years. There have been ten convictions for various other felonies of a lower grade. There have been fourteen convictions for felonies in the aggregate, thirteen of whom have served a term in the State's prison at hard labor. A great number of others have been charged, and some trials had, but these are the only convictions. Several cases of misdemeanors have been tried and convictions had, principally growing out of viola-
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tions of the dram shop laws, petit larceny, assaults and batteries, disturbing the peace, &c. After a careful examination of the calendar of criminal cases in the courts of the county, it is a pleasure to be able to say that the county has had fewer criminal cases on its docket than any other county in the State that has been organized as long, while the law has been as rigidly enforced in this as in any other county.
CHAPTER XXV.
Walker Township-Its Organization-Settle- ment-Towns-Prominent Men-Elections-Suc- cessive Township Officers.
WALKER TOWNSHIP was established by the board of county commissioners on the 7th day of October. 1857, with the following boundaries : Beginning at the northeast corner of the county, at the northeast corner of section 22, in township 19, of range 21 : thence west along the north line of the county five miles, to the northwest corner of section 24, in town- ship 19, of range 20 ; thence south nine miles, to the
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fourth standard parallel, at the southwest corner of section 36, in township 20, of range 20 ; thence east on said parallel five miles, to the east line of the county, at the southeast corner of section 34, in township 20, of range 21 ; thence north along said county line nine miles, to the place of beginning ; con- taining an area of 45 square miles. The township was named in honor of Robert J. Walker, Gover- nor of Kansas Territory. The first settlement of whites in the county was made in this township, at the present town of Greeley, in May, 1854. The settlers were Valentine Gerth, Francis Myer, Henry Harmon, Oliver P. Rand, Samuel Mack, J. S. Wait- man and Henderson Rice ; and, of these persons, Valentine Gerth and O. P. Rand, Mrs. Wm. Tull and Mrs. W. F. Priest, daughters of Henry Harmon, are still residents of the county ; and they are the only persons who came to the county as early as 1854 who still reside in it. About the first of May, 1854, V. Gerth and F. Myer came to Kansas Territory with an ox team and a few horses and cattle. They were both unmarried at the time. They came from Missouri, and pitched their tent on the present town- site of Greeley, it being then an old Indian field, the Indians having left during the same spring. Gerth
and Myer planted about five acres of corn, and in October following built them a log cabin on the bank of Pottowatomie creek, near where the bridge now spans the stream. At the time they came they found Dr. Lykins three miles east of Paola, and
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Henry Sherman, who had settled among the Potto- watomie Indians, at Dutch Henry crossing of Potto- watomie creek. These were the only white settlers west of Missouri on the line of travel of these bold immigrants.
Gerth afterwards selected a claim about one mile south of Greeley, and improved and pre-empted it, and resided thereon until 1868, when he sold it to Rev. Joseph Welsh, and bought unimproved land two miles northeast of Greeley, where he has made him one of the finest farms in the county. He is a native of Saxony, Germany, and has resided in the township ever since its organization, and is doubt- less the first white settler in the county. He is a worthy citizen, an industrious farmer, and has passed manfully through the "time that tried men's souls" in this part of the country.
Francis Myer took a claim north of Greeley, and built a log cabin thereon, but, belonging to the Pro- Slavery party, he fled the country in the summer of 1856, having taken part on the Border Ruffian side.
Henry Harmon came with his family in 1854, a short time after Gerth and Myer, and settled north of Greeley, near the junction of the Pottowatomies, where he lived with his family until the 20th of Au- gust following, when his wife, Eliza Harmon, died, which was the first death in the county. She was buried near the present residence of Jacob Reese. Her funeral was preached by Rev. W. C. McDow. After the death of Mrs. Harmon, Mr. Harmon sold
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his claim to C. H. Price, and moved about ten miles west, on North Pottowatomie, and took and pre- empted another claim, built him a house, and re- sided there until the beginning of the rebellion, when he and his only son went into the army, served through the war and returned, but soon thereafter he died.
His daughter, Mary Ann, married William Tull, an old and respectable citizen, and now resides with her family near Greeley. The other daughter, Eliza, married Giles Sandlin, with whom she lived for several years on North Pottowatomie, until he died ; and she afterwards married W. F. Priest, with whom she lives in Greeley.
Oliver P. Rand came to the Territory in May, 1854, a single man, and in 1856 married Patsy Sut- ton, daughter of James Sutton. This was the first marriage in the county. Rand is an industrious farmer and worthy citizen, now residing in Reeder township, in the western part of the county.
In the spring of 1855 a large immigration came from the border counties of Missouri, and the strug- gle soon commenced between the Free State men and Border Ruffians. Prominent among the Free State men that settled in Walker township that spring were Rufus Gilpatrick, W. C. McDow, James Sutton, Hardy Warren, Richard Robinson, Jacob Benjamin, P. D. Maness, Frederick Weimer, A. Bondi, J. F. Wadsworth and many others. Among the most active of the Pro-Slavery men were John
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S. Waitman, C. H. Price, David McCammon, Hen- derson Rice and J. P. Barnaby. When the Pro- Slavery men found they were out-numbered and that Kansas was to be free, many of them took an early departure for Missouri and other slave States.
W. C. McDow was commissioned justice of the peace in 1856, and was afterward elected by the people and served as such for several years.
In the spring of 1857 a postoffice was established at Greeley, and named Walker, and was the first postoffice in the county. Jacob Benjamin was ap- pointed postmaster. A mail route was established in 1857 from Osawatomie, via Walker and Hyatt, to Neosho City. In 1858 the postoffice was removed to Mount Gilead, one mile west of Greeley, and George S. Holt appointed postmaster. The office remained there for several years, but has since been removed to Greeley, and the name changed to " Greeley" postoffice.
The townsite of Greeley was selected in the spring of 1856 ; surveyed and laid out April 7, 1857. On the 21st day of November, 1857, Jacob Benja- min, August Bondi and Fred. Weimer, associates of the town company of Greeley, filed their plat of said town and a petition in the probate court claim- ing the right to pre-empt the townsite ; and on the 14th day of October following it was pre-empted by George Wilson, probate judge, for the benefit of the occupants of the townsite. In the spring of 1857 building and business commenced lively ; but
32
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HISTORY OF
for want of better material, most of the houses were constructed of logs. In 1857 saw mills were erec- ted and good lumber could be obtained for more substantial buildings. The first store opened in Greeley was by B. F. Smith, in 1857. He kept such articles as were generally needed by the set- tlers. They were sold at high prices, because of the freight and risk in getting them by wagons and teams from the Missouri river.
In the years 1857-8-9 a heavy immigration settled on the Pottowatomie, and in 1859 the population of the township was as large as it has ever been since.
During the war improvements were almost entire- ly suspended ; but with the return of peace the pat- riotic soldiers that survived the war returned to en- joy the blessings of a free country, which in its full- ness could only be appreciated by them. Then prosperity blessed the country, and Greeley shared its growth, until-it now contains three wagon shops, three blacksmith shops, one cabinet shop, one hotel, one general store, one dry goods store, one tin shop, one saw mill, one flouring mill, a commodious school house, and a good church edifice, belonging to the United Brethren denomination.
The general desire for making money and specu- lation caused the early settlers to lay out townsites in various portions of the Territory ; and many town- sites failed to become the cities anticipated, and are now known only in the history of the country. One of these towns was organized about the first of Sep-
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tember, 1857, and was known by the name of " Pot- towatomie," afterwards called "Mount Gilead." The town company was composed of Rufus Gilpat- rick, J. G. Blunt, Henry Nugent, Willis Ayres, J. F. Wadsworth and others. September 11, 1857, Dr. Rufus Gilpatrick, president of the Pottowatomie town company, presented a plat of the town of Pot- towatomie to John Shannon, a notary public, who made a certificate to the same, setting forth that the lands covered by the plat were claimed as a town- site. On the 21st day of July, 1860, J. G. Blunt, secretary of the Pottowatomie town company, pre- sented for filing in the recorder's office of the county a plat and a survey, made by N. J. Roscoe, sur- veyor, of the townsite. It was laid out as a rival town to Greeley, being only one-half mile west of that town. The proprietors of Mount Gilead were men of energy, and soon succeeded in getting the postoffice and most of the business removed from Greeley to Mount Gilead ; but time proved that the new town was not well located for a prosperous city, on account of the great depth to water ; so the en- terprise was abandoned, and the townsite has since been inclosed, in connection with several other ad- jacent tracts, by Gen. Blunt, and is now one of the finest farms in the county.
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