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 24
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tween Kansas City and St. Paul. The Kansas City & Southern was completed to this city and opened to Osceola, Mo., and the Memphis & Birmingham road, an extension of the Kansas City, Springfield & Memphis, was completed to a connection with the Georgia Central at Goodwater, making a through line from Kansas City to all south At- lantic ports. The Willow Springs branch of the Kansas City, Spring- field & Memphis, and the Cape Girardeau & Southwestern were con- structed to a junction, opening a new line between Kansas City and the Mississippi River, at Cape Girardeau, and a connection with the railway system of Southern Illinois and Kentucky, which gave access to the trade of that section. The Lexington & Boonville line of the Mis- souri Pacific was completed, which opened to Kansas City the rich country in Central Missouri, which had heretofore been almost inaccess- ible. The Missouri Central, the St. Louis, Kansas City & Colorado, the Kansas City & Sabine Pass, and the Kansas City & Pacific, were all under construction or contract, making a total of twenty-three lines in operation and four under construction. The total mileage embraced in the lines in operation was about 30,000 miles, and with connections and branches available for commerce in the States and Territories above mentioned, the aggregate was not less than 35,000.
The Wyandotte County Bridge & Terminal Railway Company recently filed articles of incorporation with the secretary of State at Topeka. The object of the company is to construct, operate and main- tain a railway line. The estimated length of the road is nineteen miles. It will run through Johnson and Wyandotte Counties, from a point on the State line in Johnson County, and run northwesterly through Wyandotte County to the Missouri River, near Trinidad. The incor- porators are Charles Lovelace, James D. Husted, W. H. Bridgens, O. B. Copeland, of Wyandotte County, Kas., and Fred W. Perkins, Charles A. Peabody and Lycurgus Railsback, of Jackson County, Mo. The capital stock of the company is $2,000,000.
Kansas City, as a railroad center, is stronger to-day than at any time in her history. Not only this, but the tendency of other lines is in this direction. As the great western railway headquarters and gateway to the west and southwest, she has not simply maintained her position, but in gigantic strides she has forged far ahead of her posi- tion of a year ago. The recent completion of one line from the north- west has thrown at the very doors of this city a vast territory hitherto out of its commercial reach. No line was completed or projected within the year that did not have solid backing and excellent reasons for its
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inception. Immense territories have been thrown open by the pene- trating ribs of steel, and from them all added business relations have sprung. The quite recent completion of the Kansas City, Wyandotte & Northwestern Railway is an accomplishment that is looked upon proudly by all Kansas City people and all Central Nebraskans. By arrangements effected by the now flourishing Missouri, Kansas & Texas, that road, with its 1,900 miles of line, opened offices in Kansas City, and at once began the enjoyment of a good business. The Mis- souri, Kansas & Texas opened up more extensive southern fields and brought about a much livelier competition, which of course redounds to the benefit of Kansas City.
In the way of local improvements, the Rock Island has expended the sum of $1,250,000. This money paid for terminals here and at Armourdale, and covered the expense of a bridge across the Kaw, the building of a roundhouse for twenty-four locomotives and two enor- mous freight depots-one on the west side of the Kaw, and one on Wy- oming Street. The company's elevator at Armourdale has a capacity of 120,000 bushels. The new machine shops of this company are constructed on modern plans, with every facility for handling any bus- iness that may occur in the next twenty-five years, thus anticipating the prospects for the reasonable growth of Kansas City.
Construction on the Rock Island the past year was confined to the branch south from Caldwell, Kas., penetrating the Indian Nation to Fort Sill. The cost of construction on this road west of the Missouri River has reached a total of $31.000,000. Business of that portion of the line shows an increase of 60 per cent over last year. The Rock Island does business throughout the summer resort region of Iowa, Minnesota and the Dakotas over the Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Northern, with which road it has direct connection. This includes the "Iowa route " very properly in Kansas City's territory, and to a large extent heightens the passenger facilities of the city.
The Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul's 5, 700 miles of road, al- though it has been a part of Kansas City's mileage, is coming to be recognized as one of the great through lines to the North and East. By an improved freight service the Milwaukee gave the people of Kansas City remarkable time to Chicago, and a better passenger service is promised.
Among the railroads that Kansas City can pretty nearly count on for her list of actual lines this year are the Missouri Central, Kansas City, Nevada & Fort Smith, and the Chicago, St. Paul & Kansas
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City. Although the last named road has been doing business here over existing lines to St. Joseph, it has never had any track of its own to Kansas City. Many rumors of an extension have gone out, but at present there is a substantial story afloat to the effect that the road will come in over the Chicago, Kansas City & Texas, from Smithville, Mo. In order to do this the company will have to build a line to Smithville, a distance of about thirty miles, and buy the branch of twenty-two miles to this city. This it will in all probability do within ten months, coming into Kansas City over the Winner bridge, now in course of con- struction.
The Fort Smith road is rapidly approaching the construction stage. This road is to be constructed by Kansas City and Philadelphia capital, and the projectors mean to vigorously push it to an early com- pletion. The shops of the new line have already been located at Ne- vada Mo., and Chief of Surveyors Bond, late of the 'Frisco system, is in the field with his men locating the route.
The Missouri Central will reach Kansas City before winter, if the present indications hold good. This will give Kansas City another valuable St. Louis line.
The vast Winner bridge enterprise is one of great importance to Kansas City's railroad interests. The bridge is well started now, a large force of hands being employed daily on the piers. A quantity of false work has been extended over the water, and there is every indication that the structure will be brought to completion within ten months, as promised. The bridge will be a high one. It will have fifty feet of clear space between the high water mark and the bridge floor, so that the largest steamer, light, can pass safely under it. This bridge is being built in connection with the Winner belt line, which is to skirt the city for several miles. It will also give an en- trance to the Chicago, Kansas City & Texas, by which, it is pro- posed, the Chicago, Kansas City & St. Paul will become a thoroughly Kansas City road.
The Second Street Belt Line is commercially a very valuable one, and in point of good construction is a model. The question of the extension of the Carbondale line of the Northwestern to Wichita is one of quite as much importance as that of the recently completed Beatrice extension. It is highly probable that this extension will be made within the year. This will give Kansas City a much shorter line to Wichita and the Southern Kansas coal fields, besides affording her a much desired south- western outlet.
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The addition of 1,900 miles of railroad by the coming of the Mis- souri, Kansas & Texas, not to speak of the added mileage in the Rock Island extension southwest, and the Wyandotte & Northwestern north- west, makes 1889 a proud year in the railroad history of Kansas City. The Winner bridge enterprise makes the prospects for 1890 even more flattering. Over it the Chicago, St. Paul & Kansas City will surely enter the city, giving a line as the crow flies to Chicago and the twin cities of Minnesota. Other roads have already made overtures to the projectors of the bridge enterprise, and it is probable that every northern line that is now heading southward will eventually seek an entrance to Kansas City, over the structure now progressing so rapidly.
The tonnage of the roads whose rules permit them to give out such information is reported for the year as follows: Chicago Rock Island & Pacific, 1,511, 453,524 pounds; Union Pacific, 1,269,346, 740; Mem- phis route, 2,666,832,137; Santa Fe system, 2,665,854,840; Alton, 1,141,057,031; Wyandotte & Northwestern, 423,920,577; Missouri, Kansas & Texas, from July 8, date of entrance to city, 121,396,000; Missouri Pacific, 2,750,603,690; increase over 2,536, 179,807 pounds.
All the great railroads of the West-the Burlington, Wabash, Missouri Pacific, Union Pacific, Fort Scott & Memphis, Santa Fe, Chicago & Alton, Rock Island, St. Paul, Kansas City & Northwestern, Missouri, Kansas & Texas, and Kansas City & Southern, run in here. The Missouri Pacific, Rock Island, Union Pacific, Kansas City, Wyan- dotte & Northwestern, and Santa Fe have immense machine shops (em- ploying some 3,500 hands) here. These roads have also large terminal facilities here, which they have, from time to time enlarged. They all connect with the belt line, running over from Kansas City, Mo., and along this line most of the factories at present are located. These freight facilities are, however, quite inadequate to meet the demands of the unparalleled increase in manufacturing. The cry is, more freight-terminal facilities, less delay at Kansas City, Mo., in shunting and handling freight.
There are now seventeen bridges crossing the Kaw River between the two Kansas Cities, some of them railroad bridges, some for wagon roads, others for electric and cable cars, while others again are ex- clusively used for driving over hogs and cattle from the stock-yards to the packing-houses. The greatest of all the railroad enterprises is yet, however, to come, in the shape of the Circular Railroad, which is to encircle Kansas City, Kas. This company has been organized with $1,000,000 capital, with some of the ablest men of two cities .on its
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directory. The road is sixteen miles long, and follows the edge of the Missouri and Kansas Rivers three-fourths of its length; for the other fourth it crosses country north and south, about three miles dis- tant from the mouth of the Kaw, its easternmost point. The road is double track, standard gauge; it will give special attention to sidings for factories; it touches all the eight packing-honses; it opens up the North Missouri River bottoms for manufacturing. Across the Mis- souri River, on the north, it makes direct connection with all the railroads from the northwest and northeast, and, on the south, cross- ing the Kansas River at Argentine, it will connect with all the roads coming from the southeast and southwest. It will also run passenger trains every half hour, passing through nine additions of the city. It will convey fuel and building material to the doors of the factories located along its line, cheaper than is at present dreamed of.
Closely connected with this are the reclamation projects, which have behind them men of big brain and unlimited means and influence. The Van Aiken, or Union Depot scheme, is to span the Missouri River with a four-track steel bridge, from a point on the Kansas City, Kas., levee to the Missouri side in Clay County. The company has obtained the right to a large portion of the river front, where it will reclaim the now half-submerged land by a series of dykes. Another company working conjointly with the above will build an immense bridge over the mouth of the Kaw, and reclaim some 160 acres of now waste land from the two rivers. These two projects, when properly under way, will give Kansas City, Kas., the most magnificent freight terminal facilities and the finest passenger depot in the West. It will relieve much of the crush and crowding now to be seen every day in Kansas City, Mo., both in handling freight and passenger traffic. All the large railroads are in favor of it, and are ready to cross both bridges whenever built. If brains and money will do it, the gentle- men at the back of these schemes will accomplish it in short order, if not hampered by legal and political delay. Any one who has looked at the marvelous growth of Kansas City, Mo., will see when these proj- ects are completed, her counterpart on the Kansas side of the line.
A Kansas City paper refers thus to the Winner bridge project: " The Winner bridge was also started in 1889, and next fall will witness its completion. The enterprise is a great one in itself, and with others close- ly allied with it forms one of the greatest improvement schemes ever begun in Kansas City. The bridge will cost $1,200,000 and will be the finest on the Missouri River. It will be for wagons and foot passen-
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gers as well as railways, and its completion will give to the city several roads now barred by a lack of proper terminals. Mr. Winner gives assurance that from the very start six roads will enter the city over the new structure, four of which are entirely new roads. By this is not meant that they are new or baby roads. They are full-fledged rail- ways, doing a great business and which must add materially to the prosperity of Kansas City. In connection with the bridge is planned and under construction the Winner Belt Line, completely circling the city, with a bridge at Quindaro, making the bridge an inlet from any direction and an outlet from any. A land company, the third of the allied interest, has bought 11,000 acres of land in Clay County, through which has already been built a railway costing $450,000. These gigantic enterprises combined have never been equaled in the history of the city. The capital invested, aggregating over $4,000,000, is mostly from the East and shows that there Kansas City's standing is higher than ever."
The next few years will doubtless see all these lines completed, unless some great national calamity intervenes to stop their construc- tion, and when done they will make Kansas City the greatest railway center of the West. All these remarkable railway developments mark an epoch of special importance in the local history, and results are shown in the opening up of new territory to agriculture, the building of new towns and the establishing of new industries, making Kansas City the headquarters for their supplies and the commercial center of the Southwest.
There are in Wyandotte County twenty-three post-offices, named as follows: Argentine, Armourdale, Bonner Springs, Connor's Station, Edwardsville, Horanif, Kansas City, Loring, Menager, Muncie, Piper, Pomeroy, Quindaro, Rosedale, Summundawot, Turner, White Church, Bethel, Grinter, Maywood. Quivera, Wallula and Emmet. The county has ten banks, all, except the first-mentioned, located in Kansas City: The Argentine Bank, The Armourdale Bank, The Fidelity Savings Bank, The First National Bank, The Kansas City Stock Yards Bank, The bank of the Northrup Banking Company, The Provident Savings Bank. The Savings Bank of Kansas, The Western Banking Company, and the Wyandotte National Bank, repre- senting an immense combined capital.
The first term of court in Wyandotte County was held in Constitu- tion Hall on State Avenue, between Third and Fourth Streets, June 6, 1859, Joseph Williams, associate justice, presiding. The court-
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room was on the second floor, the eastern portion being partitioned off for the probate court, and the western part for the district court. After leaving Constitution Hall the county officers moved into Byron Judd's building on Minnesota Avenue. Other offices (among them Dunning's Hall and the Ryus Hotel building) were occupied from time to time, until the erection of the present court house on the northwest corner of Minnesota Avenue and Seventh Street, in 1882 and 1883. The site was purchased from H. M. Northrup for $6,000, and the building, a fine and sightly brick structure, cost about $40, - 000. The Wyandotte County offices are among the most commodious and convenient in the State, and Wyandotte County officers are proverb- ially helpful and accommodating. The county has, during most of its history, been singularly free from official scandal. It is worthy of remark that, with few exceptions, the men in control of Wyandotte County's affairs are among the youngest county officers in Kansas.
Some references to early acts of the county board relative to county offices and to the detention of prisoners will be found in Chapter XII. In April, 1860, William McKay was elected chairman of the board, which consisted of himself, J. E. Bennett and S. E. Forsythe. After talking "jail " for a number of months, in July, 1860, the plan for a jail was adopted, the building to be twenty feet square, two stories, the first story to be divided into five cells, and the upper story into three rooms, approached by an outside stairway, the structure to be built of planks laid and spiked together. J. L. Hall was awarded the contract for $2,000. Meantime, claims were being allowed Luther H. Wood for subsisting and guarding persons. This jail stood on Ne- braska Avenue, between Third and Fourth Streets. It was burned in 1863. After this, prisoners were kept in the old court-bouse, chained between chairs and guarded by one Hosp, whose wife relieved him from time to time, standing over the prisoners with a club. In 1872 the county rented a stone barn, on the corner of Armstrong and Fourth Streets, and converted it into a jail. This was in use until 1880, when the county entered into contract with Drought & Ryus, for the erection of a new jail at the corner of State Avenue and Eighth Street. The iron work was furnished by the Leavenworth Iron Com- pany. It is a brick building, strongly constructed and provided with modern iron cages, and cost about $12,000. The new jail, not yet occupied at this writing, is one of the most substantial improvements acquired during the past year. The building cost $30,000. It is a three-story structure, fronting forty-nine feet on Seventh and 122 on
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State Street. It is constructed entirely of cut stone, brick and iron, and the generous use of hammered glass and a mansard roof lend beauty to the building. The basement, at present the only floor laid off in cells, is sufficient to confine one hundred prisoners. The total capacity of the jail when finished will be for 400 prisoners. The cells are constructed with a good quality of chrome steel grated cages. Each cell is 63x8 feet, holding four prisoners comfortably. The cages are in two rows, with no entrance toward the outside corridor; between the two rows of cells is a prisoner's corridor, at one end of which are two bath rooms and closets for the use of the imprisoned. By the arrangement of locks, in order to effect an escape it is neces- sary to break five locks. The entrance to the prisoner's corridor is by a rotary cage. Besides the steel cages are cells for women, and pad- ded cells for the insane. The sheriff's residence, hospital and jailer's apartments are well furnished and equipped. An underground pas- sage goes from the jail to the court-house. Two boilers in the base- ment heat the building and also the court-house.
The county poor farm is situated about twelve miles west of Old Wyandotte. It consists of a large tract of well cultivated land. The present buildings were erected in 1889 at a cost of $25,000. They contain every convenience, and the institution ranks as one of the finest in the State.
The Wyandotte Fair Association organized, secured and fitted up grounds in the northwestern part of the present city, near the present lines of the Kansas City, Wyandotte & Northwestern Railroad and the Inter-State Elevated Railroad. and held successful fairs in 1886-89. The principal promoters of this enterprise were D. M. Ward, W. J. Buchan, George W. Greener and J. S. Stockton. There were earlier attempts to establish fairs, some of which were measurably successful, but not permanent. The first agricultural fair was held at a compar- atively early date, on "the Levee." A feature was a memorable horseback race between the Misses Sue Mudeater and Kate Armstrong, two native Indian girls of good families. About eighteen years ago an association was formed and a race track was made in the northeast part of the city. Only one fair was held. The Wyandotte County Industrial Society was in existence some years and won numerous valuable prizes at the Kansas State Fairs and the Kansas City (Mo.) Expositions.
Following is a copy of the articles of incorporation of the recently organized Wyandotte Fair Association of Kansas City, Kas .: "First,
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the name of this corporation shall be the Wyandotte Fair Association. Second, This corporation is organized for the purpose of promoting and encouraging agriculture and horticulture; the encouragement of the breeding of horses, cattle and other domestic animals; holding and maintaining annual or semi-annual fairs or as often as the board of directors may determine, for the purpose of making displays of agri- cultural and horticultural products, domestic animals and articles, the products of industrial manufacture, the acquiring by purchase or lease and occupying a tract or tracts of land for establishing and maintaining grounds to be used for said exhibits and fairs, and constructing and maintaining racing tracks in a condition suitable for the speeding of horses, in such manner as may be fixed by the by-laws of this corporation. Third, The principal offices of this corporation, and its chief place of business, shall be in Kan- sas City, Kas., but it is the aim to make the interest in the asso- ciation co-extensive with Wyandotte County. Fourth, This corpor- ation shall continue to exist for the term of twenty years. Fifth, The officers of this corporation shall be a president, vice president, secretary and treasurer, whose term of office and manner of election shall be governed by the by-laws of this corporation. Sixth, This corporation shall be under the management of nine directors, who shall be elected annually by the stockholders, and the directors ap- pointed by these articles of incorporation for the first year shall elect out of their number the officers of this corporation for the first year. Seventh, The following residents of Wyandotte County, Kas., are appointed as the board of directors for the first year: George E. Bell, J. F. Ensminger, H. S. Swingley, Frank Mapes, W. H. Ryus, H. A. Yonge, N. Barnes, E. L. Barnes, W. L. Wood, H. J. Hughs." A certificate of incorporation was issued to Messrs. Bell. Ensminger, Yonge, Swingley, Hughs and E. L. Barnes, by the secretary of State, under date of June 6, 1890.
At a meeting of the board of directors of the Wyandotte Fair As- sociation. June 10, 1890, on motion of H. S. Swingley W. H. Ryus was elected temporary chairman and H. A. Yonge temporary secretary. The following action was taken: George E. Bell was elected presi- dent; H. S. Swingley, vice-president; J. F. Ensminger, secretary, and Frank Mapes, treasurer for the first year. N. Barnes, George E. Bell and H. A. Yonge were appointed a committee on by-laws, and George E. Bell, H. S. Swingley and H. A. Yonge were appointed to procure leases to suitable grounds for the use of the association.
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Large and convenient grounds have been secured near the Kansas City, Kas., terminus of the Fifth Street and Wyandotte cable line, ac- cessible alike to the people of both Kansas Cities, and preparations were at once begun to organize and hold during the fall of 1890 the first of a series of fairs and race-meetings, which will doubtless eclipse all former efforts of Wyandotte County people in the same line. Wy- andotte County has considerable fine stock, its agricultural and horti- cultural displays are always fine, and the goodly number of local coursers and the increasing general interest in racing, with the capital, energy and enterprise of the projectors of these fairs, ought to insure their brilliant success.
The Missouri Valley Horticultural Society met at the home of Maj. Frank Holsinger, at Rosedale, July 19, 1890. Delegates were present from Denver, Lawrence, Topeka and Olathe. Among the prominent fruit-growers in attendance were Dr. I. D. Heath, L. A. Goodman (State secretary of the society) and J. S. Soule, of Topeka, (editor of the Kansas Farmer). After the usual business was disposed of the following interesting programme was carried out: "Education in Flowers," Amanda Evans; " Lawns and Shrubs," George E. Kess- ler; "Looking Backward," Prof. A. J. White; "The Ideal Home," Mary R. Rose. The society is now in its twenty-third year and is rap- idly increasing in membership. The officers are: J. C. Evans, Har- lem, Mo., president; Edwin Taylor, Edwardsville, vice-president; George E. Rose, Rosedale, secretary; and G. F. Espenlaub, Rosedale, treasurer.
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