History of El Dorado Butler County Kansas Genealogy Trails

EL DORADO

El Dorado looking east at the intersection of E. Central & Main. Taken late 1940s or early 1950s

Picture submitted by Tim Peal Hummell

El Dorado, the county seat and largest city of Butler County, is located on the Walnut River about fifteen miles above its confluence with the Whitewater. The 140 acre tract which comprised the original town site was entered on March 23, 1868, by B. Frank Gordy, and filed for record in the succeeding month. Shortly after entering his claim, Gordy sold a fifth interest each to Henry Martin, Samuel Langdon and Byron O. Carr, and with them formed the El Dorado town company. Town lots were laid out and sold to all who would improve them, at the rate of ten dollars a lot. The location of the town near the crossing of the old California trail on the Walnut, and its other natural advantages of position, did much to aid it at this critical time, when it needed but a trifle to kill the embryo city. Houses of a very modest description sprang up rapidly, and the town began soon to present a semblance of substantiality. There had been some houses on the town site prior to the entrance of the Gordy claim. As early as 1867 a log house was built in the east part of town, and the same summer E. L. Lower put up a cabin where Dr. A. White's residence now stands. The latter of these buildings has passed away, but the former still stands just west of the livery stable on East Central avenue. The third building on the town site was a frame store erected by Henry Martin. Just prior to the erection of this store, Elias Main put up a saw mill on the Walnut near the present lower bridge. The year 1868 brought many new industries to the town. In the spring D. M. Bronson opened a land office. Dr. Kellogg divided his time between this office and the practice of his profession. A wagon shop was put up by a Mr. Handley, a blacksmith shop by Mat. Strickland and a harness shop by Mr. Gearhart. Mrs. Long opened a millinery store, and some minor branches of business were carried on. This year was also signalized by the opening of the first regular saloon. This institution, after being some time a sore spot in the community, was closed by the suit of Mrs. Thomas Tool for damages to her husband and the ensuing litigation. To counteract the influence of the saloon element thus early arrayed against the prohibition forces, the temperance people organized a lodge of the Sons and Daughters of Temperance. This order flourished for some time, but finally died out and its records have been lost. The year closed upon the town in a flattering state of growth, and bidding fair to become a large central trading point.

Thus far the reputation of El Dorado had spread little beyond its immediately associated towns in the northeast - the places where it touched the line of older settlement, and felt, though distantly, the pulsations of the world's great heart. With 1869 came the publication of a paper of its own, the Emigrant's Guide, gotten up by Bronson & Sallee, who had entered extensively into real estate dealings, and printed by Jacob Stotler, of the Emporia News. The Guide was what would now be called a 'rustler,' and crowed for Butler County and El Dorado after a very lusty fashion. This year saw the first social gathering of the people in the new settlement, and the first disaster, the drowning of the Johnson family in the June flood in the Walnut. With 1870 came a rush of settlers and a flood of events which deserve more specific description.

With the rush of 1870 came the demand for more room within the town limits, and the specially suave and ready respond to the demand by real estate men. Lower's addition of eighty acres, now forming all of the town north of Central Avenue, was laid out in this year, as were the blocks of land belonging to Finley & Gordon, on Main street, and that of Wilson on the west. These, together, made a little less than 320 acres.

The form of the name of the capital city of Butler County is even now a vexed question. When the Walnut Valley Times made its first appearance, its usually well posted editor adopted the spelling of 'Eldorado.' This came to be in general use, and when the change in management of the paper was made, and 'El Dorado' printed as the name of the city, considerable discussion was evoked. The following letter from Captain J. Cracklin, of Lawrence, one of the party who started the town, may fairly be said to settle the matter.

LAWRENCE, KAN., Dec. 11, 1882.

"Dear Sir: - In reply to yours of the 7th inst., I would say the name El Dorado is two Spanish words, and signifies 'The golden land.' The beautiful appearance of the country upon our arrival at the Walnut, suggested the name, and I exclaimed, 'El Dorado,' and when the town site was selected, the name was unanimously adopted. I proposed the name and Mr. Thomas Cordis seconded it.

Yours very truly, J. Cracklin."

William Hildebrand is supposed to have been the first settler near El Dorado, having taken a claim near where J. D. Conner's farm now lies. In 1859, his place which had become a sort of headquarters for horse thieves, was raided, and Hildebrand after joining the order of the flagellants or anglice, getting a sound thrashing at the hands of the vigilantes, was given twenty-four hours to effect his escape from the county, and disappeared forever from El Dorado's horizon. In 1859 occurred the first wedding in El Dorado, as well as in the county, the parties united begin Miss Augusta Stewart and a Mr. Graham. Shortly after the wedding, the groom received serious injuries from the discharge of an overloaded gun and died. The first child born in El Dorado, was Mattie, daughter of Mr. P. R. Wilson. The first death, that of Mrs. H. D. Kellogg.

El Dorado postoffice, as originally located, stood a mile and one-half south of the present town. The mails were, however, handled at the residence of Henry Martin on the present town site, and the Postmaster, Daniel Stine, lived at Augusta. There was a little frame building at the site of El Dorado proper, but in 1867, when the county lines had been moved to their present southern limit, this had been stripped and stood alone and untenanted. At this juncture D. M. Bronson, who had been appointed County Attorney, proposed to Connor, Representative from this district, to refit the building and employ it as county seat headquarters. After various conferences, in which Connor refused to do anything, Bronson left this part of the country and went to a point below Augusta. On his return the present El Dorado had been located and made the county seat. Had Connor responded to Bronson's wishes, the present site of El Dorado might now be a fine farm.

A postoffice had been across the Walnut, opposite the present city, for four or five years before old El Dorado was surveyed, and D. L. McCabe had been Postmaster. Daniel Stine, of Augusta, was, as has already been stated, Postmaster in the old town, though never performing the duties of the office. The officials in the present city have been: Henry Martin, H. D. Kellogg, Mrs. Long, Frank Frazier and Alvah Sheldon. The office has for some years been a presidential one.

The first Fourth of July celebration is thus described by Mrs. D. M. Bronson:

"Our first Fourth of July celebration occurred in 1868, which eclipsed anything I had ever seen for pure, unadulterated patriotism and practically illustrated freedom. The grove near Dr. Gordon's was selected for the purpose. The preparations were elaborate, seats were improvised, a speaker's stand erected, an old army flag was resurrected out of some dark corner and suspended in graceful folds from the limb of a tree just over the head of the speaker, which was both inspiring and effective. A public dinner was the order of the day. The men reconnoitered around to secure the financial requisite. The Women were occupied preparing the 'grub.' The day arrived, and 'all went merry as a marriage bell.' The sun shone brightly, the birds sang sweetly, and all nature seemed in unison with our hearts. The Marshal of the day was Mr. Elisha Main. The exercises were introduced by singing the 'Star Spangled Banner,' which was executed with spirit; what was lacking in time was supplied in sound. Father Stansberry offered a prayer; the Declaration of Independence was read by W. T. Gallagher; orations were then delivered by D. M. Bronson and W. T. Gallagher, which were both eloquent and patriotic, and so vivid in portrayal that we could almost see the noble bird in his aerial gyrations, and hear the footfall of the Pilgrim Father on the barren Plymouth Rock. The Declaration, our glorious Magna Charta, was literally worn out, what there was remaining of it would hardly make a gun wad. After the exercises closed the table was prepared, looking inviting enough to please the most fastidious epicure. But here came the 'tug of war.' There were about ten bachelors to one woman in the county. All hungry, lean and lank, they made one grand forward march for the table. In about five minutes that table was bare. One lady approaching me with a countenance indicative of sorrow, said: 'Have you seen anything of my fruit cake?--the first one I have seen or made since I left old England's shores.' I told her I supposed it had gone to hunt up my dried apple pies. I did come near on this occasion being converted to the doctrine of total depravity. The day's exercises closed by a grand ball over Henry Martin's store, located where Mr. Denny's store now stands. This was our first dress ball."

The first hotel opened in the new town was a rough frame, erected in 1869, and occupied by Thomas Bros. This very modest hostelry was later made the rear portion of the El Dorado House of S. Langdon. For the past four years the building has been used as a flour and provision house, and the walls, which have resounded to the baying of hunting dogs or the tales of Indian scares, or later, to the wassail and rude mirth of pre-prohibition times, are covered with dust, and for some time have echoed no sounds save the tramp of footsteps and the scurry of the rats.

El Dorado has been fortunate in its exemption from disastrous fires, the only one of any great importance occurring in December, 1880, and destroying the Walnut Valley Elevator. This structure was built in 1878, at a cost of $10,000, and had a capacity of 40,000 bushels. It was not only an elevator, but also a flouring mill. At the time of its destruction it was nearly full of wheat. The origin of the fire was never precisely ascertained, but was thought to be incendiary.

The city now has a population of fully 2,000, and is growing rapidly. Some idea of its gain in the past year can be taken from a statement of the buildings erected during 1882. This list, which is too long for publication, foots up $59,100. This sum is distributed among a hundred buildings, giving an average cost of $591. Many included in the list were small buildings, offices and the like, but none ran in price above $4,000, and but sixteen reached $1,000, the majority being cozy residences at or near the outskirts of the city (Taken from History of Butler County Kansas by William G. Cutler)