USA > Kansas > Wyandotte County > Kansas City > Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas. Historical and biographical. Comprising a condensed history of the state, a careful history of Wyandotte County, and a comprehensive history of the growth of the cities, towns and villages > Part 19
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89
The records contain the following relative to the drawing of jurors for the May term, 1860: "List of grand jurors for the May term of the first district court for the county of Wyandotte, in the Territory of Kansas, drawn April 19, 1860, from the hat containing the names of the persons selected by the board of county commissioners of said county for that purpose for the current year, at their April session, A. D. 1860. Present at the drawing, M. B. Newman, county clerk, and Thomas Ryan, deputy sheriff, and Joseph Speck, Esq., a justice of the peace of said county, who were previously notified according to law. The following list of names, as drawn from the grand jury hat by said clerk, were respectively entered on a written list by said Joseph Speck, viz. :
" Silas Armstrong, Charles H. Suydam, George Russell, James R. Parr, William Millar, Edwin T. Vedder, Wyandotte Township; Al- bert S. Corry, Quindaro Township; Gustavus Zeitz, A. D. Downs, James H. Harris, William Curran, O. S. Bartlett, Wyandotte Town- ship; James C. Zane, Quindaro Township; Chester Colburn, John M. Chrysler, Wyandotte Township; Francis Kessler, Quindaro Town- ship; Joseph Hanford, W. Y. Roberts, Wyandotte Township.
"We, the undersigned, present at the drawing, as aforesaid, do
187
WYANDOTTE COUNTY.
hereby certify that the foregoing list from No. 1 to No. 18, inclusive, was drawn by said M. B. Newman, after duly shaking the box con- taining the ballots, and that said names were respectively minuted by said Joseph Speck, as drawn, this April 19th, 1860." The record is signed by M. B. Newman, county clerk, Wyandotte County, and Joseph Speck, "justice of the peace and deputy sheriff."
"List of petit jurors for the May term of the first district court for Wyandotte County, Kansas Territory, drawn April 19, 1860, from the box containing the names of the person selected for that purpose by the board of county commissioners for the current year, at the April session of said board, A. D. 1860. The drawing was conducted and recorded by the same officials and in the same manner as that for grand jurors. The following in the recorded list:
"Eli McGee and Jacob Kyle, Quindaro Township; Henry Kirby, Robert Chalk, S. Purdam, M. A. Garrett and R. G. Dunning, Wyan- dotte Township; Joseph A. Bartles, Quindaro Township; Claudius Kiefer, Robert Halford and Michael Gorman, Wyandotte Township; John H. Mattoon, Quindaro Township; James Clifford, Wyandotte Township; Isaac R. Zane, Quindaro Township; Robert Anderson, Daniel Powell, Frank H. Betton, Bat Griffin and S. E. Burche, Wy- andotte Township; Samuel Marchant, Quiudaro Township; James D. Chestnut, C. Stapleton, N. A. Kirk and William Lavey, Wyandotte Township."
For some reference to the work of the first grand and petit jurors, see the history of the Wyandotte County District Court elsewhere in this volume.
The following is among the recorded proceedings of the board, July 11, 1860:
"Isaiah Walker, Esq., having submitted to the board a proposi- tion in writing to sell to the county of Wyandotte Lot No. 46, in Block No. 93, on Nebraska Avenue, in the City of Wyandotte, with the frame building thereon, for a court room and other county purposes, for the consideration of $50 in hand in scrip of the county of Wyan- dotte, and $1,750 in bonds of said county, payable ten years from date, and bearing interest at the rate of ten per cent per annum, the said proposition being fully considered by the board, was accepted, and the chairman of the board was directed and empowered to com- plete the purchase of said property on the part of the county, and procure a deed for the same, in accordance with said proposition."
At the meeting last referred to, on motion, it was ordered that the
G
188
HISTORY OF KANSAS.
register of deeds be authorized to record the plat of the Wyandotte lands, and the description of the allotment of the same, from the copies thereof in the office of the county clerk, and $25 was appropri- ated for such use. The demand of William McKay for the use of the court-room for the May, 1860, term of the district court was allowed. The amount was $20. The matter of a new county jail was considered, and, there being neither plans nor propositions on hand satisfactory to the board, it was ordered that the clerk post up notices in not less than three conspicuous places in the county, calling for further plans and proposals for a county jail to be presented to the board May 30, 1860, at which time it was decided to further consider the matter. It was further ordered that the notices above referred to should also invite proposals for removing the court-house to the front part of the court house lot. At the appointed time, a plan proposed by J. R. Parr, Esq., to build the jail of planks laid and spiked together was adopted by the board. The structure was to be twenty feet square, each story to be eight feet in the clear. The first story was to be divided centrally by a four-foot passage, and into five cells-three on one side of the passage, two on the other. The upper story was to be divided into three rooms, approached by an outside stairway. The bid of J. L. Hall, being the best and low- est, to complete the jail for $2,000, was accepted, and the chairman of the board was authorized to enter into a contract with him on that basis, and also to contract for the removal of the court-house.
The second grand and petit juries were drawn September 15, 1860. The former consisted of the following named persons:
Charles Morasch, Quindaro; Ebenezer Smith, Wyandotte; C. H. Carpenter, Quindaro; H. C. Long and Fred Schoup, Wyandotte; John Stewart, Quindaro; G. K. Grindrod, Anthony McMahon, W. H. McNay, Joseph Greible, Fred Blum, James Hennesy, Edward J. Pedigo, George Roof, Thomas Downs and J. D. Simpson, Wyan- dotte; Edward Anderson (removed); M. A. Garrett, William D. Jones, Theodore Garrett, Claudius Kieffer, Charles Lovelace and Daniel Kil- len, Wyandotte; J. M. Mather (removed); J. A. J. Chapman and S. S. Bradley, Wyandotte.
The record of the drawing was signed by M. B. Newman, county clerk; Joseph Speck, justice of the peace: Daniel Kirkbridge, justice of the peace, and L. H. Wood, sheriff, all of whom certified to the drawing of petit jurors, as follows:
S. M. Stevens, Wyandotte; Thomas McIntyre, Quindaro; George
189
WYANDOTTE COUNTY.
B. Terrill (removed); Landon Lydon, Quindaro; Silas Armstrong and Leonard Lake, Wyandotte; Charles H. Chapin, Quindaro; Milton Savers, O. B. Bartlett, A. J. Day and Isaiah Walker, Wyandotte; Hiram Wright (removed); S. P. Bartlett, Edward Hovey, James H. Harris and Martin Stewart, Wyandotte; Abelard Guthrie, Quindaro; Valentine Lucas, Thomas Merry and James McGrew, Wyandotte.
At a meeting of the board, October 2, 1860, the amount of taxes to be levied for county and other purposes for the current fiscal year was considered. It was determined that, for the purpose of redeem- ing the outstanding orders on the treasurer of the county, and to meet the ordinary current county expenses, $15,000 would be required. The county clerk was authorized to make a levy of taxes on the total amount of taxable property on the assessment roll of that year, at such a rate, in mills on the dollar, as would produce most nearly such an amount. The further amount of $2,500 was required to pay the in- terest on bonds issned by the county and to redeem such bonds as would become due within the coming year, and au additional levy was ordered to meet this demand.
The necessity for new roads now found expression in the petition of A. Columbus, and others, for a township road, from the north end of Fifth Street, in Wyandotte City, northwestwardly, "along the line between William Walker's and M. R. Walker's and Henry McMullen's, also, Walker and Millar and D. V. Clements, and thence on or near the section lines, northwardly, to the bank of the Missouri River, at or near Clark's old wood-yard;" and in the petition of Isaiah Walker and eighteen others for the location of a road from the terminus of Walker Street, on the western boundary of the town of Wyandotte, "along the northern border of William Johnson's land, and various other points named in said petition, to Isaac Johnnycake's." Daniel B. Hadley, Thomas Maxfield and Stephen S. Bradley, “judicious land- holders," were appointed a jury to view and locate the first road; and Louis M. Cox, John M. Funk and Isaac N. White were appointed a jury to view and locate the second road. Both juries were to do their work early in October, with the assistance of William Millar, surveyor. In the matter of the township road, from the north end of Fifth Street, in Wyandotte City, to Clark's old wood-yard, the viewers and survey- or reported favorably, October 15, and the board ordered that the road be established as a permanent highway, according to the follow- ing survey: "Commencing at a point on the second standard parallel, the north line of the corporation of Wyandotte City, and 15 poles east
190
HISTORY OF KANSAS.
of a stone marking the southwest corner of Section 34, Township 10, Range 25; thence along the line between the lands of William Walker and Walker and Millar, on the west, and those of W. R. Walker and H. M. McMullen, on the east, north 80 poles to the south line of D. V. Clements' land; thence along the same, west, 15 poles; thence along the line between the lands of Walker and Millar on the west, and D. V. Clements on the east, north 80 poles to the south line of Adam Hunt's land; thence through the same north 172 degrees, west 77 poles; thence north 30 degrees, east 8} poles, to the south line of E. B. Kellogg's land; thence through the same and on the same course 15} poles; thence north 72 degrees, east 8 poles; north 8 degrees, west 5 poles; thence north 45 degrees, west 16 poles to the east line of R. S. Nash's land; thence along the same north 42 poles to the north line of Section 33; thence along the same east 36 poles to a point 12 poles east of the southwest corner of Section 27; thence through the lands of Cox and Garrett and on the line between the lands of John M. Funk and Francis Coon on the west, and the heirs of J. B. Cornstalk and heirs of G. I. Clark on the east, north 175 poles to the south bank of the Missouri River, total distance 2 miles and 90 poles." Oc tober 16, the report of Isaac N. White, Louis M. Cox and John M. Funk, commissioners, and William Millar, surveyor, on the road from Wyandotte to Isaac Johnnycake's, was filed and read and laid over for action at the next regular session of the board; but it was not acted upon until January 9, 1861, when the road was ordered opened upon a survey as follows: "Commencing at a point in the center of Walker Street, 323,3% feet west from the west line of Tenth Street, in the city of Wyandotte; and running thence on the east line of Louis M. Cox's land, north 15g poles to a point 10 poles east of the center of fractional Section 4, Township 11, Range 25 east; thence on the line between the lands of the heirs of John Lewis Coon and Lucy A. Sharlow on the north and those of the said Cox and the heirs of John S. Bearskin on the south, west 170 poles to the quarter-section corner, between Sections 4 and 5, same township and range; thence through the lands of the said Bearskin and on the line between the lands of Isaiah Walk- er, Susan Nofat, Catharine Young and George Spybuck on the north, and Christopher Littlechief, H. C. Norton and Margaret Solomon on the south, west 400 poles; thence through the lands of Margaret Solo- mon and George Spybuck north 48 degrees, west 10} poles; thence through R. Robitaille's land and on the line between the said Robitaille and James C. Zane west 67} poles; thence through the said Zane's
Y
G
191
WYANDOTTE COUNTY.
land and along Robitaille's lands north 462 poles, west 13 poles; thence north 172 poles to the second standard parallel; thence along the same between the said Robitaille on the south and Mary Collier's land on the north, west 50 poles; thence through the said Collier's land north 77 degrees, west 40} poles to a point 9 poles north from the quarter- section corner on the south line of Section 36, Township 10 south, Range 24 east: thence on the line between A. Guthrie and James C. Zane on the west, Mary Collier and Sarah Collier on the east, and through the lands of said Zane, north 151 poles to the center of said Section 36; thence through the said Zane's land, on the line between him and Samuel E. Forsythe, through the said Forsythe's land, and on the line between the lands of the heirs of James Bigtree and John Bigtree's land on the south and A. Guthrie's land on the north, west 320 poles to the center of Section 35; thence along the line between Jefferson Zane's and Threza Zane's lands on the west, and the said Guthrie and Francis Cotter's lands on the east, north 160 poles to the quarter-section corner between Sections 26 and 35, of Township 10 south, Range 24 east, and on the road from Quindaro to Lawrence; total distance, 4 miles 2313 poles." November 10, 1860, the petition of Theodore Garrett and forty-eight others, for a county road "from Silas Armstrong's by the present traveled route, thence on the nearest and best route to a point at or near Delaware ferry; thence on the nearest and best route to Tuley's ferry," was presented to the board, and James C. Zane, H. C. Long and John M. Funk were appointed viewers, with William Millar, surveyor, to investigate and report on the feasibility of said road. They reported as follows:
"In the matter of a petition for a county road from Wyandotte City to Tuley's ferry, to the board of county commissioners of Wyan- dotte County, Kansas:
"GENTLEMEN-In accordance with the provisions of an act defining the mode of laying out and establishing roads, approved February 27, 1860, we, the undersigned, John M Funk, Henry C. Long and James C. Zane, have viewed and caused to be surveyed and marked on the ground a county road, as reported on by William Millar, sur- veyor. We believe the road necessary for public convenience, and therefore recommend that it be established, and opened sixty feet wide on the line, in accordance with the prayer of the petitioners. We had the principal petitioners notify the owners of lands through which said road passes that the same has been located, and, believ- ing that the property will be benefited to a greater degree than any
192
HISTORY OF KANSAS.
injury the owners may sustain by reason of the opening of said road, we have not deemed it necessary to assess any damages."
Following is a copy of the survey above mentioned, which was duly attested by William Millar:
"Commencing at a point in the center of Tauromee Street, 5 poles east from the east line of Twelfth Street, in the city of Wyandotte, and 1133 poles east and 48} poles north from the southwest corner of the northwest quarter of Section 9, Township 11 south, Range 25 east; thence through lands belonging to E. T. Vedder, Mrs. Solomon and John Sarabess, west 113} poles (the south line of the road being the north line of land belonging to Silas Armstrong, for the last 80 poles); thence through land belonging to said Sarabess north 87 de- grees, west 80 poles; thence north on line between said Sarabess and Silas Armstrong north 16 poles; thence through land of said Arm- strong, south 87 degrees, west 80 poles; thence on line between said Armstrong and John D. Brown, north 75 poles to the northwest cor- ner of the northeast quarter of Section 8, same township and range, where it connects with the road described below. Again com- mencing in Kansas Avenue, in the center thereof, 24§ poles west from the west line of Twelfth Street, in the city of Wyandotte, and 6 poles south from the northeast corner of the northwest quarter of Sec- tion 9, Township 11 south, Range 25 east; thence uorth 4 poles; thence through land of John Sarabess, west 32 poles (the north line of the said road being the line of land belonging to the Wyandotte City Company); thence through land belonging to the said Sarabess, south 82 degrees, west 60 poles; thence south 80 poles, west 80 poles; thence through land of Jacob Whitecrow, west 60 poles; thence on the line between said Whitecrow and Silas Armstrong, west 9 poles, to the northwest corner of the northeast quarter of Section 8, same town- ship and range, where it connects with branch road described above; thence on the line between Sections 5, 8, 6 and 7, divid- ing lands of said Whitecrow, A. C. Davis and Mary Karyboo, Sr., on the north, from lands of John D. Brown, Margaret Brown and William Johnston on the south, west 296 poles; thence on the line of said Karyboo and said Johnston, south 20 poles; thence on the line between Mary Karyboo, Sr., and Mary Karyboo, Jr., west 100 poles; thence to the line of Mary McKee, north 63 degrees, west 4} poles; thence along the same, north 18 poles; thence west 20 poles; thence south 39 degrees, west 20 poles; thence west 64 degrees, west 8 poles; thence north 72 degrees, west 20 poles, north 39} degrees, west 16
193
G
WYANDOTTE COUNTY.
poles; thence on the line between said McKee and Jesse Gayamee, west 10 poles, to the northwest corner of Section 7, same township and range; thence along the same, west 10 poles, to the east line of land of Mary Elliott; thence along the same, south 16 poles; thence through the land of the said Elliott, west 70 poles, and through land of Dan- iel Peacock's heirs, west 80 poles; thence through land of John (Sol- omon) Karyboo, south 654 degrees, west 17} poles, passing into the land allotted to Joseph Williams; thence through the same, south S8 degrees, west 88 poles, passing into the land belonging to John Lamb; thence through the same, south 472 degrees, west 26 poles, south 22 degrees, west 20 poles, south 20 poles, south 1 degree, west 17 poles, to line between said Lamb and Alfred Gray; thence along the same, west 12 poles; thence through land of said Gray, south 563 degrees, west 28 poles, north 823 degrees, west 12 poles, north 30 degrees, west 16 poles, to same line between said Gray and Lamb; thence along the same and on the south line of Michael McMahon, 136} poles; thence on line between lands of George Spybuck and said Gray, south 49} poles; thence on the line between said Spybuck and John Smith, west 76 poles; thence through land of said Smith, south 21 poles and south 71 seconds, west 28 poles, passing into land of Peter Hooper; thence through the same, north 85 degrees, west 20 poles, south 84 degrees, west 21 poles, and west 8§ poles, to the southeast corner of land belonging to W. W. Jacks; thence on line between lands of said Hooper and Jacob Young on the east, and Elizabeth Young and Re- becca Lumpy on the west, south 264 poles, passing into the lands of Elizabeth Peacock; thence through the same, south 50 degrees, west SO poles; thence through the land of Sarah Peacock, south 46 poles, west 152 poles, and passing into land belonging to the Garrett family; thence through the same, 523 degrees, west 220 poles, to the Delaware ferry; thence through the same lands, south 53} degrees, west 60 poles, south 61 degrees, west 76 poles, north 89 degrees, west 70 poles, north 63 degrees, west 11 poles, south 40 degrees, west 40 poles, south 30 degrees, west 40 poles, south 11 degrees, west 80 poles, south 16 degrees, west 78 poles, south 28 poles, west 18 poles, south 34 poles, west 64 poles, south 452 degrees, west 52 poles, south 55 degrees, west 60 poles, and south 343 poles, east 49 poles, to the Kan- sas River at Tuley's ferry, distance 10 miles 51} poles from the west line of the plat of the city of Wyandotte."
Thursday, April 9. 1861, an application for a township road from Davis Creek to Kansas River bridge, on the south side of Kansas
194
HISTORY OF KANSAS.
River, in Wyandotte Township, was taken up, in pursuance of the action of the board on the previous Monday, and also an application of Stephen J. Payne and others for a township road from a township road from Lovelace's saw mill to the bridge above mentioned. It appear- ing to the board that the establishment of one road, properly located, might be made to serve the interests of both sets of petitioners, the au- thority of viewers previously appointed was revoked, and John M. Funk, David Leavitt and Albert S. Corey were appointed viewers to meet at the bridge April 22, and, with the aid of J. A. J. Chapman, surveyor, to survey out and report upon a road from Lovelace's saw mill, or some point near there, past the residence of Stephen J. Payne to the Wyan- dette bridge, and report to the board at its next session. The report was favorable to the opening of the road upon the following survey: "Beginning at a point one-quarter of a mile due east from the center of Section 23, in Township 11 sonth, and Range 24 east of the sixth principal meridian in Kansas, and running thence north (varying 11º 30' east) 40.36 chains; thence east (varying 11º 4') 30 chains; thence north (varying 11° 24' east) 40.05 chains; thence east (varying 11º 30' east) 116.45 chains; thence south 25°, east 31.21 chains; thence south 35°, east 13.30 chains; thence south 58°, east 4 chains; thence south 45° 30', east 14.81 chains; thence south 50°, east 4.56 chains; thence south 45° 30', east 5.53 chains; thence south 56°, east 72.95 chains; thence south 81° 30', east 7.16 chains to the south end of Kaw bridge, the total distance being 370.33 chains-4.63 miles." July 15, 1861, the petition of Louisa C. Smith, N. A. Turk, Jacob Whitecrow, Elisha Sortor, George W. Veale, A. Tuttle, J. A. Bartles, K. Wenzler, F. Cook, F. Johnson, E. K. Woodburg, Eli McKee and F. Kessler was presented, requesting the board to locate and establish a road "from a point on the Territorial road run- ning from Quindaro via Leavenworth to Elwood. at the northwest corner of William Long's allotment in Section 31, Township 11, Range 25 east, thence running as near as practicable to a point due south to a point on the county road from Wyandotte City to Isaac Johnny- cake's." The board ordered that Vincent J. Lane, Franklin Cook and William Taylor act as viewers, and Eli McKee as surveyor of such road. Their report was rendered November 4, 1861, accompanied by a survey, as follows: "Beginning at the north line of Section 31, Township 11 south, of Range 25 east, at the northwest corner of land allotte l to William Long; thence south between lands owned by Han- nah Zane, Sr., Isaac R. Zane and Louisa C. Smith on the west, and
195
G
WYANDOTTE COUNTY.
the lands of William Long and Jacob Whitecrow on the east, and through the land of said Whitecrow to the south line of land owned by Susannah D. Robitaille 39 chains and 80 links; thence through lands of said Susannah D. Robitaille south 13º, west 32 chains to a point 25 feet west of the southwest corner of the No. E. burying ground; thence south 16'', west 13 chains 30 links to a walnut tree; thence south 3}'' west to the intersection of the county road from Wyandotte to Johnnycake's." It was recommended that the road be opened over the above described route fifty feet wide. The viewers expressed the opinion that the land along the line of this road would be enhanced in value, and that the owners should not be entitled to any damages. During the few years succeeding, petitions were presented for the fol- lowing and other roads, many of which were viewed, and some of which were opened and have since formed part of the highway facili- ties of this part of the State: A Territorial road from Wyandotte to Elwood; a road from Lawrence via De Soto to the State line; a road from the Missouri River bottom to the Leavenworth County line; a road to Muncietown; a road along the bluffs south of the Kaw; a Missouri River road; a road from Delaware ferry to the pontoon bridge; a road from Wyandotte to Washington's; a road from Muncie- town to Washington's; a road from Frank Cotter's to Muncietown.
The board made the following selection for grand and petit jurors for the year 1861, from the assessment roll for the year 1860: Grand jurors-J. C. Clemens, Albert S. Corey, William M. Dickinson, David Pearson, Alfred Robinson, E. Sortor, D. D. Strock, N. M. Turk, G. W. Veale, J. D. Freeman, Charles Lovelace, Ed Pettigrew, Milton Savers, D. B. Lucas, J. P. Alden, Philip Klingaman, William Cur- ran, Samuel Crosby, J. D. Hath, W. P. Holcomb, Jacob Kerstetter, David Leavitt, N. McAlpine, S. D. McDonald, W. P. Thompson, W. P. Winner, Horatio Waldo, John E. Zeitz, Cornelius Mallory, John McAlpine, James McGrew, William Millar, G. B. Nelson, George Parker, N. A. Richardson, George Russell, Christopher Schneider, J. M. Summerville, W. F. Simpson, J. P. Fisk, Fielding Johnson, Thomas McIntyre, S. Hance.
Petit jurors: Thomas Maxfield, W. P. Overton, C. F. Peters, Ben- jamin Ritz, W. Y. Roberts, A. Roberts, M. Romain, F. Skorka, Fred Schoup, M. Shipp, D. A. Tomb, Augustus Walters, Henry West, C. H. Van Fossen, C. H. Carpenter, L. Leyder, William Raffe, Robert Robitaille, Isaac R. Zane, Henry Bengard, John Brevator, S. S. Brad- ley, John Bottom, Solomon Balmer, G. D. Bouling, James Fisk, J. P.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.