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 43
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The principal hotel in Armourdale is the Amourdale House, at 415 Kansas Avenue. The Commercial Hotel, at 811 North Sixth Street, is well patronized. Other well known public houses are the Fifth Street Hotel, the Hotel Normandy, the Mechanics' Hotel and the Metropoli- tan, some of which are more distinctively boarding houses. The Por- ter House, not now open, is a fine building, centrally located.
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All is now in readiness for the construction of the large hotel at the corner of Central and Park Avenues, contracted for by the Central Avenue Building Company on June 3. The building, without the ground, is to cost $85,000, and will, when completed, be one of the best appointed edifices in the city. The coutract calls for a building four stories high. The first floor is to be used for mercantile and banking purposes, and the second story will contain offices exclusively, while the third and fourth floors will be utilized for hotel purposes and sleeping rooms, and the fourth floor will be used for the most part for the kitchen and dining hall. The store rooms will face on both avenues and will be built to contain large retail stores. The structure will be provided with elevators.
About all of the modern secret and beneficial orders are represented in Kansas City. In July, A. L. 5854, a dispensation was issued from the Grand Lodge of Missouri to J. M. Chevington, W. M .; M. R. Walker, S. W., and Cyrus Garrett, J. W., authorizing them to meet and work under dispensation. The first meeting under this warrant was held August 11, A. L. 5854, and a lodge of Masons under dispen- sation was duly organized. The officers were installed by Brother Piper, D. G. M. of Missouri. In May, A. L. 5855, a charter was granted from the Grand Lodge of Missouri to M. R. Walker, W. M .; Russell Garrett, S. W .; and Cyrus Garrett, J. W., authorizing them to meet and work under the name of Kansas Lodge No. 153, A. F. & A. M. The first meeting under this charter was held July 27, A. L. 5855. On the 27th of December, following, a meeting of the lodges of the Territory of Kansas was held at Leavenworth, at which the Wyandotte Lodge was represented. At this meeting the Grand Lodge of Kansas was organized. October 20, A. L. 5856, a charter was granted by the Grand Lodge of Kansas to Cyrus Garrett, W. M .; George C. Van Zandt, S. W., and Henry Garrett, J. W., authorizing them to meet and work under the name of Wyandotte Lodge No. 3, A. F. & A. M. The first meeting under this charter was held February 20, A. L. 5857. The lodge has continued its labors uninter- ruptedly to the present time. Wyandotte Chapter No. 6, R. A. M., was organized in October, 1866. Wyandotte Council, Royal and Select and Super-Excellent Masons, was organized October 18, 1877. Meri- dias Chapter No. 1, O. E. S., was instituted July 23, 1856. Odd Fellowship was introduced here with the institution of Summunduwot Lodge No. 3, I. O. O. F., October 7, 1857, with six charter members: Silas Armstrong, Sr., J. A. Fligor, J. H. Miller, I. N. White,
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HISTORY OF KANSAS.
Joseph Rosenwald, J. W. Garrett. Wyandotte Encampment No. 9 was instituted in 1869; Teutonia Lodge No. 68, in January, 1871. Mystic Lodge No. 1, K. of P., was organized with fourteen members February 5, 1880. Fellowship Lodge No. 2 was instituted April 11, 1882. Tauromee Lodge No. 30, A. O. U. W., was organized January 15, 1880. The Ancient Order of Forresters-organized here in the same year. The above may be regarded as the pioneer lodges. There are now in the city the above mentioned and other lodges and societies as follows :
Masonic-Wyandotte Lodge No. 3, A. F. & A. M., meets every first and third Friday evenings of each month at Masonic Hall, 439 Minnesota Avenue. Henton Gordon is W. M .; John Bennett, Sec. Armourdale Lodge No. 271 meets every first and third Thursday evenings of each month at hall, Kansas Avenue, southeast corner Sev- enth. J. M. Enochs, W. M .; J. G. Fertig, S. W .; John Gray, J. W. Kaw Lodge No. 272, A. F. & A. M., meets first and third Wednesday evenings of each month at Masonic Hall, James, northwest corner Third. S. McConnell, W. M .; H. Dunn, Sec. Meridias Chapter No. 1, O. E. S., meets every second and fourth Tuesday evenings of each month at Masonic Hall, 439 Minnesota Avenue. Florence Ericsson, W. M .; Henry A. Dixon, W. P .; Nellie Sharpe, Sec. Wyandotte Chapter No. 6, Royal Arch Masons, holds regular meetings on the second and fourth Friday evenings of each month at Masonic Hall, 439 Minnesota Avenue. J. W. Ferguson, H. P .; William Priestly, Sec. Wyandotte Council No. 6, Royal and Select Masters, meets every second Thursday evening of each month at Masonic Hall, 439 Minnesota Avenue. James Snedden, T. I. M. Ivanhoe Commandery No. 21, Knights Templar, meets second and fourth Wednesday even- ings of each month at Masonic Hall, 439 Minnesota Avenue. J. H. Holloway, E. C .; J. K. Proudfit, Rec.
Odd Fellows-Summunduwot Lodge No. 3 meets every Monday evening at Odd Fellows Hall, Sixth, northeast corner Minnesota Ave- nne. H. B. Chandler, N. G .; W. B. Morgan, V. G .; W. J. Russell, Sec. Teutonia Lodge No. 68 meets every Tuesday evening at Odd Fellows Hall, Sixth, northeast corner Minnesota Avenue. A. Keller, N. G .; A. Adler, V. G .; J. J. Bernhard, Sec. Kaw Valley Lodge No. 315 meets every Friday evening at hall, Osage Avenne, sonth- west corner Eleventh. J. Wilson, N. G .; E. B. Purel, V. G .; G. Pu- rel, Sec. Wyandotte Encampment No. 9 meets second and fourth Saturday evenings of each month at Odd Fellows Hall, Sixth, north-
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east corner Minnesota Avenue. W. P. White, C. P .; Charles Gloyn, S. W .; E. F. Gloyn, scribe.
Knights of Pythias-Grand Lodge of Kansas: F. S. Merstetter, J. H. Lyons, supreme representatives; G. J. Neubert, G. K. of R. & S. Office 544 North Nebraska Avenue. Wyandotte Division No. 10, Uni- form Rank K. of P., meets second Monday evening of each month, State, southwest corner Fifth. H. L. Alden, captain. Armourdale Division No. 32, Uniform Rank, meets every Thursday evening at hall, South Kansas Avenue, southeast corner Fourth. C. L. Freeman, captain. Pythian Benevolent Association of Kansas, G. J. Neubert, Sec. and Treas., 544 North Nebraska Avenue. Myrtle Lodge No. 1 meets every Tuesday evening at hall, 401 Minnesota Avenue. Fellowship Lodge No. 2 meets Thursday evening at hall, 401 Minnesota Avenue. Germania Lodge No. 41 meets first and third Wednesday evenings of each month at hall, 401 Minnesota Ave- nue. A. A. Peterson, K. of R. & S. Fearless Lodge No. 97 meets every Thursday evening at hall, South Kansas Avenue, southeast cor- ner Seventh. Wide Awake Lodge No. 153 meets every Monday evening at old City Hall. J. T. Flynn, K. of R. & S. Freia Lodge No. 195 meets every Saturday evening at old City Hall. Calanthe Tem- ple No. 1, Pythian Sisters, meets second and fourth Monday evenings of each month at hall, 401 Minnesota Avenue.
Improved Order of Heptasophs-Mid-Continent Conclave meets first and third Tuesdays of each month at Masonic Hall, corner Third and James Streets. Wyandotte Conclave meets at Odd Fellows Hall, Sixth and Minnesota Avenue.
Ancient Order of Forresters-Court Pride, Armourdale, No. 7057, meets first and second Wednesday evenings of each month. Court Wyandotte No. 6677 meets second and fourth Wednesday evenings of each month.
Ancient Order of United Workmen-Tanromee Lodge No. 30 meets every Friday evening at their hall, 401 Minnesota Avenue. Solon Woodward, M. W. Armourdale Lodge No. 216 meets every Wednesday evening at hall, South Kansas, southeast corner Seventh. Select Knights, A. O. U. W., Uniform Rank, meet every Monday evening at hall, Osage Avenue, corner Eleventh.
Grand Army of the Republic-Sumner Post No. 10 meets first and third Tuesday evenings of each month at Sons of Protection Hall. Burnside Post No. 28 meets first and third Tuesday evenings of each month at Northrup Hall, Sixth, northeast corner Minnesota Avenue.
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J. W. Longfellow, P. C .; J. W. Wert, Adjt. George I. Ranson Post No. 303 meets every first and third Thursday evenings of each month. L. C. Paine, P. C. Wyandotte Post No. 456 meets every Monday evening at Lugivihl Hall, west side Third, between Kansas and Nebraska Avenues. George D. Wagoner Post No. 474 meets first and third Monday evenings of each month at hall, South Kansas Avenue, northeast corner Seventh. Burnside Post Relief Corps No. 1 meets second and fourth Monday evenings of each month at Saw- yer's Hall, Minnesota Avenue, southwest corner Fourth.
Knights of Honor-Lodge No. 3102 meets first and third Mon- day evenings of each month at Sawyer's Hall, Minnesota Avenue, southwest corner Fourth.
Independent Order of Good Templars - Armourdale Lodge No. 29 meets every Saturday evening at Odd Fellows Hall, Osage Avenue, sonthwest corner Eleventh. A. E. Perkins, C. T .; Mrs. W. S. Dun- can, V. T .; Fred L. Lucas, Sec.
Degree of Honor- Harmony Lodge No. 18 meets second and fourth Saturday evenings of each month at Sawyer's Hall, Minnesota Avenue, southwest corner Fourth.
Equitable Aid Union-Lodge No. 179 meets on second and fourth Wednesday evenings of each month at Sawyer's Hall, Minne- sota Avenue, southwest corner Fourth. William Fletcher, president; John Bennett, secretary.
Catholic Young Men's Club-Meets at 530 Minnesota Avenue. John T. Dixon, president; James Birmingham, corresponding secretary; A. A. Krammer, treasurer.
Mendelssohn Club-A. N. Moyer, president; C. J. Smith, secretary; J. J. Collins, treasurer. Meets in Gazette Building every Wednesday evening.
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WYANDOTTE COUNTY.
CHAPTER XXII.
KANSAS CITY'S GREAT STREET RAILWAY AND RAPID TRANSIT SYS- TEMS-DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL LINES-HISTORY OF THE IN- TER-STATE CONSOLIDATED RAPID TRANSIT RAILROAD COMPANY- SKETCH OF THE METROPOLITAN STREET RAILWAY COMPANY-ELEC- TRIC LINES TO ARMOURDALE AND ARGENTINE-PROJECTED LINES- NEW YORK COMMENT ON KANSAS CITY'S STREET RAILWAYS-A GREAT VIADUCT IN PROSPECT.
A thousand years scarce serve to form a State, An hour may lay it in the dust .- Lord Byron.
APID TRANSIT facilities are destined to work won - ders in the development of modern cities. The street car facilities of Kansas City will bear com- parison with those of any city in the country. The "L" system has eight miles of double and sixteen miles of single track. The Metropoli- tan has two miles of double cable track and four miles of double track on the electric road that runs from the stock-yards to Argentine. To this network of tracks much of the prosperity of the city is due, and it has done more than any one other thing to build up the resi- dence parts of the city. The business men of Kansas City, Mo., can reside in the healthy and beautiful ad- ditions of this city, and in twenty-five minutes from the time they start can be at their desks across the State line. It is probable that before 1890 becomes a thing of the past, three other street car lines will be in operation in this city, full details of which are given below.
The most potent factor in the development of Kansas City has been the Inter State Rapid Transit Railway, or as it is more commonly called, the "L" road system. Its road-bed reaches out into every
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part of the city. Take the Union Depot as a starting point, the main line extends west along Ninth Street, Kansas City, Mo., Central Avenue, Kansas City, Kas., to Riverview Station; thence it extends north to Edgerton Place. This is the main division of the road, and is three and three-fifths miles in length. Connecting with the main line at Fifth Street and Virginia Avenue, is the Chelsea Park division. This extends west to Chelsea Park, one of the prettiest pleasure places in the West, a distance of two miles. From Riverview Station, the division of like name extends west to Grandview, a distance of one and four-fifths miles. The Kensington line, owned by a distinct cor- poration, connects the western terminus of the Riverview division with the western terminus of the Chelsea Park division, making a loop encircling the entire northwestern part of the city. The Ken- sington line is one and one-fourth miles in length. Return to the starting point at the Union Depot. The Delaware Street and Tunnel division, three-fourths of a mile in length, extends east through the tunnel to the center of Eighth and Delaware Streets, in Kansas City, Mo. The tunnel is 900 feet in length, twenty-three feet high, and sufficiently wide for a double-track railway. This tunnel and the en- gine house, from which the cable is operated, cost in the neighbor- hood of #800,000. The system has facilities for carrying 50,000 passengers a day. The trains pass every seven minutes, and have no equals outside of the city of New York, in style and equipment.
The portion of the system which remains to be completed is the southern extension. This will be fully as important as any other part of it. A company, known as the Consolidated City & Chelsea Park Railway Company, has been chartered for the purpose of building this division. It will start from the Riverview station, extend down Fifth Street, along Euclid and Colorado Avenues, across the Seventh Street viaduct, down Seventh Street to Shawnee Avenue, east on Shawnee Avenue to Adams Street, thence north to Kansas Avenue, passing con- veniently to the packing-houses of Kingan & Co., and the numerous manufactories in this quarter of the city. From Riverview station to Adams Street and Kansas Avenue is two miles. Leaving this line at the corner of Seventh Street and Shawnee Avenue is another division. It will extend west on Shawnee Avenue to Mill Street, thence north to Kansas Avenue, thence west to the western city limits, thence south- westerly to the city of Argentine. Last fall the company obtained the right to use a dummy on the Riverview branch, thus giving a through service from the Union Depot to this growing and beautiful suburb.
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Among the other improvements made were the placing of new and improved switches at Eighth and Delaware Streets, the building of a shelter at the Union Depot, and the putting on of two special trains every evening for the accommodation of lady clerks and working girls.
The history of the corporation which has built and perfected this system is as follows: In December, 1883, the Inter-State Rapid Transit Railway Company was organized and chartered to build a line or lines of railway between Kansas City, Mo., and Wyandotte and other points in Kansas. Prominent among the incorporators were D. M. Edgerton and Carlos B. Greeley, then of St. Louis, David D. Hoag, of Wyandotte, S. T: Smith, Robert Gillham and James Nave, of Kansas City, Mo. The first election of officers was held December 15, 1883, when D. M. Edgerton was chosen president, S. T. Smith, vice president, and David D. Hoag, secretary. The original capital stock was $600,000. It has been greatly increased. The work of construction was begun in May, 1886, and trains were run between the Union Depot and Edgerton Place in the following October. The long interval between the date of the company's organization and the beginning of work on the road was partly spent in preparing in various ways for active operations that should insure its construction and the complete success of the enterprise. The real projector of this system was Mr. D. M. Edgerton, who has from the first been president or receiver of the company. When Mr. Edgerton first undertook the formation of a company to build this line, Wyandotte was practically a country town, and connected with Kansas City by a horse railway, which was not a very good one, even as horse railroads go. He be- lieved that with proper transportation facilities, Wyandotte, with its many natural advantages, might become a considerable city, and to him should attach the distinction of the conception of the idea of this important system of rapid transit.
This railroad was the first Kansas City enterprise of real magni- tude and importance in which eastern capital was invested. And the splendid realization upon the investments so made have caused a vast aggregate of capital to be applied to the inauguration and furtherance of other schemes, which have done much and will do more for the city's advancement and greatness. March 22, 1887, the tracks of the Inter- State Rapid Transit Railway Company were consolidated with various other lines which the company was then constructing, and a new or- ganization was effected under the name of the Inter-State Consolidated Rapid Transit Railway Company, which it still bears. Work on the
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HISTORY. OF KANSAS.
tunnel division of the line, from the Union Depot to Eighth and Dela- ware Streets, Kansas City, Mo .. was begun in May, 1887, and the trains began running in April, 1888. This tunnel, through the solid limestone bluff, was a gigantic undertaking. Work on the Brighton Hill and Chelsea Park division was begun in the spring of 1887, and the line was opened for travel July 4, the same year. On the River- view Cable Railway, work was begun in the fall of 1887, and the trains were running in May, 18SS.
The line from Eighth and Delaware Streets, Kansas City, Mo., and the Riverview branch are operated by cable. The power house of the Tunnel Cable Line is located at Eighth and Bluff Streets, Kansas City, Mo., and that of the Riverview line at Tenth Street and Riverview Boulevard, Kansas City, Kas. The line from the Union Depot to Edgerton Place and the Chelsea Park branch are operated by steam motors or "dummy " engines. The main line of the consolidated sys- tem extends from Eighth and Delaware Streets, Kansas City, Mo., on the street grade; thence through the tunnel under the bluff to Bluff Street; thence over viaducts and an elevated structure, to the iron bridge across the Kansas River. This bridge was constructed jointly by the railway company and Kansas City, Kas. The upper part is occupied by the tracks of the railway, and the lower part is used as a wagon bridge by the general public. From the bridge to Riverview station, the road runs over an elevated structure. From Riverview to Edgerton Place, the line is a surface road running on the street grades, through the heart of the Wyandotte portion of Kansas City, Kas. The Chelsea Park line runs from a connection with the main line in the northern part of the city, westwardly, through a beautifully diversified country. to Chelsea Park. This line opened up for residence and oc- cupation a section that had previously been practically inaccessible to business men and others desirous of making homes in this quarter. The rapid increase in building and other improvements along this branch since its completion has been most extraordinary.
The terminus of this line, as stated, is Chelsea Park, owned by the company, and containing thirty-six acres of land of surpassing natu- ral beauty. The company has made a lavish expenditure to render this tract the most attractive and delightful park in the West, and the great crowds of people who resort thither for recreation and out-door pleasure testify to the perfection with which the work has been done. Everything that one can reasonably desire in such a place, conducive to comfort and real enjoyment, may be found in Chelsea Park.
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The Riverview cable line has also opened up a most desirable resi- dence location, and made it convenient for beautiful homes for men who do business in the two cities. The developments along this line have been rapid. The railway company owns a number of very fine tracts of land along this line, which are offered at such prices as have insured their speedy and substantial development. It will be only a short time until this line, the pioneer in that direction, will traverse one of the most densely populated portions of the city. The consolidated com- pany has a charter for the construction of a line to and through Armourdale. It will connect with the older part of the city the new and large manufacturing center of Armourdale and Argentine beyond.
The Metropolitan Street Railway Company was organized and incorporated in July, 1886. The incorporators were C. F. Morse, president; W. J. Ferry, secretary; A. W. Armour, treasurer. Its capital was $1,250,000, for which sum it purchased Thomas Corrigan's entire system of horse railways in Kansas City, Mo., and its first operations consisted in the conversion of these railways into cable lines. The first line, from the Union Depot to Market Square, Kansas City, Mo., was opened to the public May 1, 1887; the second, from the State line to Wyandotte, ran its first through train November 1 follow- ing. The power-house at the corner of Ninth and Wyoming Streets was built in the winter of 1887. The Fifth Street line of this com- pany runs from Wyandotte to Market Square, in Kansas City, Mo., where it connects with an elevated railway, which extends eastward to Woodland Avenue. Besides the Fifth Street line, the Metropolitan company owns and operates other lines as follows: The Twelfth Street line runs from the Union Stock Yards westward to the Porter road, Kansas City, Mo. The work of construction was begun in March, 1887, and the line was opened in April, 1888. The power-house at Twelfth and Charlotte Streets, Kansas City, Mo., was built in the fall of 1887. The Eighteenth Street line has been completed from "the Junction," Kansas City, Mo., to the eastern part of the city via Nine- teenth and Eighteenth Streets, returning via Eighteenth. A loop down Main, from "the Junction" to Third Street, westward along Third to Delaware Street and up Delaware to "the Junction," affords connection with the Fifth Street and Wyandotte line. The Broadway (Kansas City, Mo.) line, not yet changed to a cable road, is operated by horses. The Rosedale line, a horse railway, starts at Nineteenth Street, Kansas City, Mo., and extends to Rosedale. The Armourdale
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HISTORY OF KANSAS.
Electric line extends from the Union Stock Yards through Armourdale to Argentine.
During 1889 the Metropolitan Street Railway Company made two improvements in their system in this city that are of great import- ance. The old mule car line that connected the North and South Sides of the city, via the stock yards, has become a thing of the past, and cars are now run by electricity. In the middle of December, the Ar- gentine extension was completed, and now cars run from the Union Stock Yards to Argentine, and for 5 cents one can ride from the end of Fifth, Twelfth or Eighteenth Street cables to that city. The South Side branch was placed in operation last October, and it has double tracks to Twenty- first Street. From that point to Argentine, single tracks with switches are used, but the second track will be laid at an early day. The system used is the Thompson-Houston, with overhead wires, and it is a decided success. The cars move along rapidly and smoothly, and make a trip in just about one-third of the time con- sumed formerly. At night the cars are lighted from the wire that furnishes the force with which they are propelled.
The North and South Electric line is the principle street car line now under construction, and will run a double track from the Quin- daro Boulevard, in the north end of the city, south on Seventh Street, over the new railroad viaduct into the Sixth Ward. Its route more exactly stated, is: Beginning at Seventh Street and Quindaro Boule- vard, thence south to State Avenue, east to Fifth, south to Reynolds, west to Simpson, southwest to Seventh, south to Euclid; thence to and over Seventh Street viaduct to Kansas Avenue, east to Packard, north to Scott, east to Fourth, north to Berger, and then east to a point due north, Adams Street extended. A branch of the line is also to extend from Seventh Street, Kansas Avenue, west to the city limits.
A franchise has been applied for, for a double-track electric line from Third Street and Minnesota Avenue, north and west to the Quin- daro B ulevard, and then west and south, permeating a well-settled portion of the city.
State Labor Commissioner Betton has compiled statistics upon the street railway lines in Kansas. The report shows a total of 160 miles in operation in the State; amount of capital invested, $4,067,667; number of men employed, 705; amount paid for wages per annum, $43,638.36. While Kansas City stands third in the list, with 12} miles of double-track street railway, yet of the $4,067,667 of the cap- ital invested in the State $1,931,122, almost one-half, is invested in
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Kansas City, Kas. Topeka has 47 miles of railway in operation, with only $915,000 of capital employed. Wichita, with 35 miles, has $400, - 000 invested; Fort Scott, $200,000; Leavenworth, $100,000; Arkan- sas City, $100,000; Atchison, $75,000. In the number of men em- ployed, Kansas City again leads with 276, while Topeka reports 260. The next highest is Wichita, where 68 men are employed. The an- nual pay roll for labor is $207,996.16 in Kansas City, Kas., and in Topeka $140,470.52.
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