History of Butler County Kansas Genealogy Trails

HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY, KANSAS

By Vol. P. Mooney

1916

CHAPTER XI
TOWNSHIPS, CITIES AND TOWNS. (Continued.)

MILTON TOWNSHIP - MURDOCK TOWNSHIP - PLEASANT TOWNSHIP - PLUM GROVE TOWNSHIP

PROSPECT TOWNSHIP - MILTON TOWNSHIP
By Dr. John Horner

January 6, 1873, a petition was presented to the board of county commissioners asking that a new township be formed out of the territory comprising congressional township 24, range 3, east. Petition granted and an elec-tion ordered at the regular time of holding election for township officers. The elec-tion resulted as follows: G. H. Sanders, treasurer; G. W. Carter, clerk; B. Clouce and H. H. Storms, justices of the peace; E. J. Powell and Charles Barker, constables.

Milton township, so named after Milton C. Snorf, its first settler, is a block of thirty-six square sections, and joins Fairmount township on the south, which is situated in the northwest corner of Butler county, Kansas.

Milton C. Snorf, the first settler in the township, located on the northeast quarter of section thirty-six in 1868. He was followed soon after, and in about the order named, by W. G. McCramer, Stark Spencer, Levi Spencer, George Cornelius, Sylvester Foster, George Sanders, W. B. Mordough, Charles Barker, L. C. White, George Ogden, E. J. Powell, Sam Thomas, the Storms, Neiams, Hoss, Harder, Sparks, De Talent, Hershley, and many others.

The Holden post office was located on section eighteen and B. C. Leveredge was appointed postmaster in 1871. ; After a few years Thomas H. Storms was appointed postmaster and the office moved to

Page 172

his residence on section eight. Later the office was moved to section twenty and E. T. Eton was appointed postmaster. He moved the office to Brainerd in 1886 where it remained until 1883, when changes in rural routes were made and the Brainerd post office, discontinued, a post office having been established at the town of Whitewater near the crossing of the tracks of the Missouri Pacific and Rock Island railroads.

Towanda was the nearest post office in 1869 and 1870. The nearest railroad was at Emporia, seventy miles away, from which place lumber and other necessities were hauled. There was a saw mill at Florence and a grist mill beyond Florence, where grain was ground. A trip to either place meant two days and a night. On the prairie were many antelope, some deer, and plenty prairie chickens. In 1871 Mrs. E. T. Eaton taught our first term of school in a small house built on the southwest quarter of section twenty, township twenty-four, range three, east, now in school district No. 95. Holden school house was built later in '71 on the same section. In this school house the Holden Literary Society held its meetings for years. The Holden "Times," a product of this society, was read at each meeting. In the Times were discussed farm, home, and literary topics. It also had a local column that kept the boys guessing who would come next.

Most of the land in Milton township was occupied by homemakers about 1870 and '71, and a battle for existence was on-the transformation of the prairie soil to a seed-bed. This required much time but willing hands guided the plow.

The first township officers were G. P. Neiman, justice of the peace; E. T. Eeaton, constable; George Carter, clerk. School districts were laid off in blocks of two by three miles, on which school houses were erected, Teachers were paid about twenty dollars per month. These school houses were used for many purposes, meetings, Sabbath school, preaching, elections, secret societies, concerts, etc.

But, Work! More Work! Better Work! was the slogan and the soil yielded fair crops of corn and oats. Spring wheat was first tried but was not a success, the chinch-bug being long on that variety of wheat. Fall wheat was then tried with better success. Before the herd law was enacted, herds of cattle grazed over the prairie in the summer, and hay was put up where shelter and water could be had they were wintered and rounded up occasionally. These cattle (Texas) knew nothing of corn and were put on the market as "grass fed stock." One very severe winter in the early seventies hay was put up late on sections thirty and thirty-one in this township, and a large bunch of rather poor cattle placed there to winter. The weather became bad, the ground froze, snow covered the earth and the north winds were blizzardly. Many of these cattle died during the winter and the following spring. Incidents of this kind taught the farmer and stock raiser that a better way of caring for the cattle was necessary if profit was to be derived from this industry, and so the native cattle were bred up to a better

Page 173

standard, pastured during the summer, and fed at home on good hay, fodder, grain it, etc. during the winter. This opened the way for the dairy with a side profit on cream and cheese, and a solid foundation for better cattle and more hogs.

Grasshoppers came in 1874 and destroyed the crops and cleaned up nearly all vegetation, even tobacco plants, red peppers, etc. People discouraged? Well, naw! Need any help? Naw! "Got any?" "Any?" Oh, yes, got friends back East, guess can pull through A carload of friendship did come and was thankfully received, seed corn especially. Yes, many were glad to get the seed corn and leave a dollar in its place The debt was cancelled in 1889 when Kansas sent East a whole train load of friendship, for the needy poor. In the spring of '75 the eggs hatched out and the ground was thickly covered with young hoppers but heavy and frequent rains drowned a great many and those left departed when their wings developed, not, however, until much of the early planted corn was destroyed. Discouraged. No. Fall wheat looked good; the team and old bossy had lived on it all winter, and hogs had given away or sold for anything one could get for them. April-finished corn planting; oats were looking good. May-everything out of doors growing and looking fine. June-oats rank, corn booming, wheat big heads well filled and taking on the golden color. Whomg! Bang!! Tis done. The big hail storm of 1875 did the work and did it well. Trees and hedges were stripped of their foliage, grass was mowed down, windows broken, loose stock injured, prairie chickens and rabbits killed. A

Page 174

sycamore board was taken up by the wind from sections 22-24-3 and found near the town of Burns. Discouraged now? Nixey. Came to Milton tonship to get a home and intend to stay.

In June, '72, a heavy wind storm did considerable damage, wrecking a few small buildings; corn was blown down very badly but next day the wind blew quite strong from the opposite direction which straightened the corn, whereupon Neighbor S. remarked: "This is the darndest country I ever saw; the Lord knocks the corn down one day and sets it up the next."

In '76 a colony of Prussian Menonites located in the township, built large houses and barns and put out orchards, etc. They are good farmers. They raise fine horses and cattle. Their word is as good as their bond, and they believe in settling their own affairs without resorting to law. About this time quite a number of Swiss Menonite families located in this township and vicinity. Each of the above maintained a church of their own, services being conducted in their native tongue. All of these people are sincerely devoted to their church and are good neighbors, upright citizens, and have large families of native born American children. The early settler, found that about all of the timber land and some of the choicest bottom land was owned by non-residents. This land was known as Potwin land, Lawrence land, railroad land, etc. The timber on this land made it possible for the early settler to live on this prairie until the railroads were built across this portion of Kansas, upon which coal and other necessities could be brought in. The loss of timber to the owners of the land was a gain in the end, as the price of their land was increased by the development of the township.

Lord Harrison, an English subject, owned much land in Milton township. Houses of a like pattern were placed on. each quarter section and rented or leased out on a rental basis. These renters suffered all the hardships and many of the inconveniences of the real homesteader. Some of this land has been sold to real settlers. Lord Scully also owned land in Milton township. This land was leased for cash, the lessee paying taxes. The object in making this statement is to show that if this land had been owned by individuals it would have been improved as much as adjoining farms, thereby improving the appearance of the township as well as adding value to these farms and evening up taxation.

The early settler was not a grumbler. If things did not come his way he went after them. He would exchange work with some one if he needed help. He would take his team and haul lumber or other freight from the nearest railroad if he needed food for himself and family. He was a worker, not a kicker. The loss of a horse or team would ruin a man's prospects of making a home or supporting his family. Horses were usually picketed out on the prairie at night and it was easy for a person so disposed to untie a horse and be miles away by daylight. This kind of loss became so frequent and annoying that the settlers formed a

Page 175

society for their protection. A few of the thieves were caught and tried and the rest of them departed. That put a quietus on horse stealing for some time. With all his work, trials, and tribulations, the settler took time to attend surprise parties, concerts, and Fourth of July celebrations. The first Fourth of July celebration was held on the west branch of the Whitewater on G. P. and I. H. Neiman's place in 1871. The usual program of patriotic songs, picnic dinner and dance was observed.
In forty-five years there has been no failure of wheat crops, though some of the crops were damaged by chinch bugs. The Hessian fly has also done considerable damage, but by sowing late and not on stubble ground, there is little fear from the fly. Corn failed in 1874, 1901 and 1913 but in 1889 Kansas had a bumper corn crop.

The first child born in Milton township was Edgar B. Brumback, December 6, 1870. The first death, a child of Harley Patterson, was in the winter of 1870.

In 1885, the McPherson branch of the Missouri,Pacific came through this township. A station was located near the center of the township and the town of Brainerd was quickly built up and did a thriving business until about 1888. The Rock Island railroad came through the western edge of the township and located a station and built a depot at the'junction of the roads, then the Missouri Pacific, put up a depot and the town of Whitewater was laid off at the junction. Chester Smith moved his house from Annelly to Whitewater in January, 1888. This was the first house in Whitewater. Two more houses were moved in from Annelly. About this time the town of Brainerd was put on wheels and

Page 176

about thirty-five business houses and residences were moved in to Whitewater. I. H. Neimam. was appointed postmaster; S. L. Matter, deputy postmaster, and the infant, Miss Whitewater, stepped upon the stage of action with her best bow.

"Whitewater Independent."-In a reminiscent way one's thoughts occasionally return to the "old times," especially so is it of your first home. Remembrance of it may be somewhat clouded, but there comes to you some recollections that are vivid and lasting. This metropolis of northwest Butler county, at the intersection of the Rock Island and Missouri Pacific railroads, and platted as the town of Whitewater by the Golden Belt Town Co., has undergone the hardships of a small town, and now taken its place as a city of importance and a business center. Whitewater has always been a city in many ways, and its citizens have that characteristic push and energy that builds cities. Their brain, their brawn, their pride and enthusiasm is well marked and a visitor within our gates can only say for us words of praise for the past and well wishes for the future. And incentive to either build or help build the best town in these parts has been that its location, surrounding territory and natural advantages enjoyed by few of the later built cities, gives it the prestige, and with a vim, its citizens, shoulder to shoulder, push and don't pull. Cities built by them are the ones that grow. As a part of the history of this city we may start from so far back as 1885, when the Missouri Pacific railroad was built. The Rock Island survey was made through here the next year, and in August, '87, the first trains were run. In August, '87, Whitewater had two general stores and a blacksmith shop. The first to start business here were: G. H. Otte, groceries; S. L. Motter, groceries; John Eilert, general merchandise; C. H. Bruhn, blacksmith; M. M. Bishop, hotel. Mary Neiman was teacher of the first school.

The first newspaper was the "Herald," and its first editor was Al M. Hendee. Before this it was known as the Brainerd "Sun," edited first by Blumback and McCann, and was moved later by Mr. Morrison to this city in 1889 and the business has grown from a small country office to one of the largest enterprises in the city, under its present management. The first bank was moved here from Brainerd in 1889. Its officers were: A. H. McLain, president; A. H. McLain, Jr., vice president ; E. S. McLain, cashier. The first postmaster in Whitewater was I. H. Neiman in his own building, occupied by S. L. Motter as general store, who was assistant postmaster under him. Mrs. Nellie M. Godfrey, in the building now occupied by the "Independent," was second. The next was H. W. Bailey, editor of the "Tribune" at that time. Next was G. W. Penner, followed by C. H. Otte, the present incumbent. To date there have been two Democrats and three Republicans in the postal service as postmasters. The first mail route on the rural free delivery was established in 1902. In June, Isaac Neiman was the first carrier on the route, with his father as substitute. The route is north and east.

Page 177

The present carrier is T. J. Powell and J. T. Welsh as substitute. The first carrier on route No. 2 was George Corfman.
In early days Whitewater had a United States male carrier from the Rock Island depot while the postoffice was out of the limit. He was O. C. Shay. The Missouri Pacific never had one, other than its agent. The Rock Island is now within the limits. The first school directors of Butler and Harvey county district No. 95 were: John Eilerts, Joseph Weatherby, and Chester Smith. Under their term of office the present school house was built. Wert and Froese were the contractors. The first grain buyers were: E. T. Burns on the Missouri Pacific and W. A. Sterling and brother on the Rock Island. The first meeting of the council was held in the school house. The incorporation of the city took place in 1889. The first mayor was G. H. Otte. Councilmen were J. Weatherby, G. G. Cooms, H. H. Weachman, Fred Breising and E. T.

Burns. The first city marshal was Wm. Newbury. The board of canvassers for this first election were: S. L. Motter, W. F. Wakefield and E. L. Neal. The first brick yard was operated by L. Fessler of Newton with George Brazee as foreman. The first brick building was built by G. W. Penner and its first occupants were Penner and Motter with a stock of general merchandise. This building was built of Whitewater brick.

Whitewater has had only six fires of any importance in its nearly twenty years of existence. The first was the barn of G. H. Roach. The others were barns also and were but little loss.

The waterworks system was begun by McLains, the bankers. It was built by John E. Ford of Newton. The first location of the post-office was in the building now owned and occupied by the "Independ-

Page 178

ent." The first pastor of the Reformed Church was D. B. Shuey and of the Lutheran, H. Acker. The first church parsonage of which Whitewater has two, was purchased by the Lutherans. The other was built by the German Reformed. The first elevator was built by E. T. Burns in 1889 near the Missouri Pacific tracks on South Main. It was later moved and consolidated with the Whitewater Mill and Elevator Co., of which he is a member. Mr. Burns was also the first coal dealer in Whitewater. The first drug stores were owned by E. S. Raymond, from Brainerd, and G. H. Otte, from Annelly, in '89. The first resident carpenter was Joseph Weatherby of Annelly. The first -secret order was the Independent Order Odd Fellows, in 1889. The first meeting was in Eilert's,. now Huguenin's Hall. The other orders represented here are the Masons, Ancient Order United Workmen, Modern Woodman and Grand Army of the Republic. The first ladies' order was the Rebekahs, the other the Woman's Relief Corps. The first furniture dealer was Mr. Henry Heigerd, who occupied the north room of the Smith building which was the first store building moved from Annelly. The first retired farmer to move to town was C. Miller. Many have come since. The first butcher shop was started by Fred Breising. The first barber was O. E. McDowell. He was also the first painter here. The first lawyer was Peter E. Ashenfelter. Within the limits of Whitewater are few people who do not try to make it a better place to live in socially and morally. The morals of this community compare favorably with the b.est-none better while there are many worse.

MURDOCK TOWNSHIP

By W. O. Moore

Murdock township, comprising the territory known as township 25, range 3, east . of the principal meridian, was organized in March, 1873, and an election was ordered for township officers at the general election in April. Voting place to be at school house in district 25. The following officers were elected: Wm. Spencer, trustee; W. Goodale, treasurer; J. N. Shibles, clerk; Reuben Moore and B. F. Hess, justices of the peace; B. E. Doyle and A. G. Davis, constables.

The township was named for the late Thomas Benton Murdock. Anthony G. Davis, now a resident of Benton, was, I believe, the first settler in what is now Murdock township. Mr. Davis came to Butler county in 1857. In the year 1868 he had a little store in the southwest corner of Murdock township. Goods were hauled in those days with teams from as far as Topeka; and the county abounded in Indians and buffalo. In 1859 came Mr. Gillian, a widower, bringing one son and three daughters. The mother of. the girls,, his second wife, was part Cherokee Indian. All these have gone to their reward, except possibly one daughter. In 1862 came the Atkison brothers, Benjamin, now living

Page 179

in Chautauqua Springs, Samuel, lying now at Independence, and Stephen, dead. About the same time came the Kelly brothers. Jim, the oldest, is now in an old soldiers' home in California. Abe Kelly is deceased. Charley's whereabouts are unknown. John Kelly was drowned in 1867 while swimming the Whitewater river about four miles south of Whitewater City. In 1866 came John Folk. In the spring of 1868 Reuben Moore, father of the writer, came to the county, buying for one hundred dollars a quarter section of homestead land on the Whitewater which stood down by the creek a little log house. That summer and fall buffalo were hunted for winter meat out near the present location of Wichita. Sometimes a deer, or an antelope and often a wild turkey, was killed. Failing these, a fat raccoon or opossum would answer for a roast and always there were prairie chickens, thousands of them, and I have counted nineteen antelope in one bunch on the divide between the Whitewater and the West Branch.

In 1870 the Whitewater overflowed its banks. We left the little log cabin about ten o'clock one night and the next morning the water was half way to its roof. Then father decided it was time to build on higher ground. Lumber was brought from Emporia, and for the times, a very fine house was built, it being one and one-half stories high. The following summer the young people decided that a dance, then the popular amusement, must be given at the house. The time arrived, and most of the day it rained, but a large crowd gathered notwithstanding, again it rained, it rained until daylight and until daylight we danced. At day break a trip was made to the creek. It was bank full. As nearly all the guests must cross the creek to get to their home, all returned to the house. The following night the dance was continued and all stayed another night. The girls occupied the upstairs and the boys the downstairs. The next morning the creek was still nearly bank full. A little lumber having been left from the building a canoe was made with which the girls were to be taken across the creek. Reuben Moore and his brother, Carl, took their places in the boat and started off a high bank. When they had gone about two hundred yards, a swift current was encountered, the boat capsized and the boys had a struggle to swim back to shore. In this catastrophe Reuben lost his pocket book and fifteen dollars. That night the tired crowd retired about midnight, but some of the boys wakening later, called the fiddler, the music began at "Balance all," down came the girls and another round was had. This was always called the "protracted dance."

Other early settlers of Murdock township are: Edwin Hall, 1868, deceased; William Paul, 1869, deceased, 1873; Leonard Shafer, 1868. Old Mr. Dorsey and family, Mr. Blankenship, son-in-law of Dorsey and Charles Mornhenwig, all came in 1869. John Miller, Henry Dohren, Thomas Ohlsen, Dave Kehl, Albert and Charley Diemart, Robert Taylor, Joseph Claypool, Henry Terbush and the Goodales all came in 1870. A. L. Drake, Isaac Curtin, Jim Shibles, 1871; Bill Spencer and Barney

Page 180

Doyle, 1871; William McCraner, who came in 1870, locating in Milton township, just outside of Murdock, was the first postmaster of the Caribou postoffice. Wm. McCraner, Jr. and myself made many a boast of how much prairie we could "break" with four or five yoke of oxen.

In the winter of 1869 a little school house was built by the people of the township. This was a little log house and like most of the other log houses, had a floor made of logs which had been split in the middle, and dressed a little with an ax. These were called puncheon floors. The seats were of the same material, having holes bored in with an auger and round pins or sticks driven in for legs. The writing desks were made in the same fashion, the pins being driven into the wall. O. W. Belt was the first teacher, a three months summer term. Charles Noe, now of Leon, was the teacher the next term. Some of us will always remember Charley as 'twas from him we received our schooling.

In the spring of 1868 an Indian scare took all of us to El Dorado, where we stayed two or three days and returned to our homes. Bill Avery said of this occasion, that when he had gotten back home everything seemed so peaceful and quiet he was ashamed to look his cows in the face.

Rev. Isaac Mooney, "Father Mooney," as we always called him, for he was certainly a gospel father to us all, was the first man to preach in the vicinity. He rode from Towanda on horseback. Each Sunday, without fail, he came. Very few to attend at the start, no one to help with the singing. Some would come to remain on the outside, these being especially the cowboys, their revolvers buckeled around them and seemingly more afraid of. the preacher than of a herd of buffalo. But in time all finally went inside. Father Mooney continued coming until a larger and better school house was built, and finally a strong church was organized. He was a faithful servant of the Lord and his influence for good is still felt in this community today.

In my time here I have heard young men from the East say they would not stay if given the whole county. I have heard the early settlers say the land would be stock range forever, and time spent in trying to farm these prairies was wasted. But these mistaken opinions are evidenced by the prosperous farmers and fertile farms of this valley. Often my mind goes back to the '6o's when everyone was a friend, when no selfishness was among us, and those seem the best days of my life.

PLEASANT TOWNSHIP

By J. F. Glendenning

Pleasant township was organized March 11, 1873, out of the territory known as township twenty-eight, range three. Election ordered held at the usual time of holding election and voting place to be at the residence of Thomas McKnight. The following town-

Page 181

ship officers were elected: A. H. Dunlap, trustee; J. E. Milton, treasurer; E. J. Pyle, clerk; N. W. Runnells and H. G. Russell, justices of the peace; James Stroup and Sam Allen, constables.

In July, 1871, the writer, with another young man by the name of Byron McKinney, conceived the idea of adventure; so we thought we would take Horace Greeley's advice, "Go west, young man, and grow up with the country," so we took the prairie schooner for Kansas.

Traveling at our leisure and enjoying life to its fullest extent (as we then thought) for we were having a picnic every day until we arrived at a little town by the name of Bazaar, in Chase county, Kansas. Bazaar was located on a creek called Rock Creek which was at flood tide when we arrived there, so we did not have a picnic but a regular, or irregular, camp meeting. The camp ground was about all occupied by fifteen or twenty other wagons, emigrants and freighters. So we located in the suburbs of Schooner City for about three days or till the water ran down so we could resume our journey, and as we wanted to be fully satisfied before locating we travelled over several counties, including Butler, Sedgwick, Sumner, Cowley, Wilson, Howard and Greenwood; and not finding any place as enchanting as Butler county, so we again pulled for Butler and feeling sure we had found the promised land and as we were a little particular in our selection of a place for a home and wanting a garden spot of that most beautiful county we located in Pleasant township. The name is significant of the township and also of the early settlers of the township as they were kindly, neighborly, energetic and unsophisticated and as memory is a little treacherous after a lapse of forty-five years, I will perhaps not be able to give many of the things that transpired or the names of many of the people, which I regret very seriously.

The first man we met in Pleasant was Henry Freeman, and as we camped by a little creek for dinner and also joining Mr. Freeman's corn field, he perhaps thought we would want some corn to feed our horses, so he came down to our camp and sure we did buy a bushel of corn from him for one quarter of a dollar. Mr. Freeman was a Union soldier during the Civil war (if there is anything as civil war) and was also a man of Roosevelt type, as he reared a family of ten children who are all doing well. One of the boys, Prof. Harvey Freeman, is holding a good position in the Commercial College in Wichita, Kansas. And one of the girls, Miss Lizzy Freeman, was married to Byron McKinney. She was a splendid wife to Mr. McKinney and sure he was one of the best men I ever knew, as we lived on adjoining farms for twenty years. I knew him to be a true friend. He departed this life about ten years ago and his widow lives in Wichita, Kansas. Mr. Freeman has gone, as most of the old settlers have; he died a few years ago.

After looking over the country that afternoon we camped for the night at Mr. Lane's, father of George Lane, ex-clerk of the district Court of Butler county. George is now a resident of Los Angeles, California.

Page 182

One daughter, Mrs. Alice Baker, lives in Bruno township, Butler county. Mr. and Mrs. Lane are both dead and gone to try the realities of that happy home that awaits the just and upright in heart. The next man we met was Ephraim Yeager, who had located some six weeks earlier and had just built a nice frame house to shelter his wife and two baby girls from the storms that might come; but there was one storm came that nothing combustable has ever yet withstood. That was the prairie fire which burned his house with all its contents and about three hundred dollars in cash. That fire occurred about the time (October 7, 8, and 9,) of the great Chicago fire, but this fire started from other cause than the cow kicking the lamp over, but it surely devastated the country, burning houses, stables, cows, horses, wagons, hay, etc. It did not burn any barns, buggies, or fine carriages; as they were at that time immune to fire in that part of Kansas. Mr. Yeager was an old Indian fighter in Oregon and California and also a veteran of the Union army. Mr. and Mrs. Yeager are both dead, leaving a nice interesting family of six children, most of whom live on or near the old homestead. I think it was in this fire that a man by the name of Herod lost his life. He was on his way to his claim when overtaken by the fire. His clothes were almost burned off him but he managed to reach Eight Mile Creek, near where Mr. Jones, the father of Marion Jones, lived-they took care of him the best they could but he died four days later. He was a school teacher.

In order to show you the tenacity that possessed the early settlers, I will relate what came under our observation on our first trip over the township. As we approached the little creek of Eight Mile we discovered an open shed, and wishing to cross the creek and get over to the shed, were barred by the marshy ground, so one of us walked over and there found a young man (a bachelor, of course) lying there with a broken leg, and with not a murmur of complaint and in asking and insisting that we should do something for him, he said that Dr. Hill had been there and reduced the fracture and some of his near neighbors were caring for him; I believe his name was Osborn.

It is impossible at this writing to give all the early settlers' names as only those that I was best acquainted with do I remember. I hope no one will feel slighted or offended if they fail to see their names here, for I would not wound the feelings of one of those brave hearts that endured the hardships and suffered the privations of frontier life.

There was the very interesting family of A. H. Dunlap, and as they were all musicians they organized an orchestra and gave us splendid music at our literary society at Old Harmony school house, which was destroyed by cyclone on the last day of March, 1892. L. S. Dunlap was trustee of the township for several years and surely made a splendid officer. Rev. A. H. and Mrs. Dunlaphave long since departed this life and we hope and trust they occupy mansions above. And there was John Dunlap and his very estimable wife, who took a prominent part in things to make a better community.

Page 183

There on the banks of the beautiful stream of Four Mile Creek resided the families of Nathan Hide and the Russells. The Russells girls were some of Butler county's best teachers. There also lived John Q. Chase who was trustee for several years and John Kibby, the great cattle king of the township.

I thought I had got so far from home that I would not see any one that I had known but I had just got located and passing a house or rather a hay shed I met a man that had freighted for us in Iowa and I said /'Hello, Mr. Snook," and he looked at me in great surprise, and said, "It's Frank." I said "Yes, but I am surprised to see you here;" he said that he could not make a living on those poor hills north, so he had to move and he said, "By golly, I've found the garden spot of earth," and he also believed in that command in the Scripture to Adam and Eve, "Multiply and replenish the earth." Mr. and Mrs. Snook are long since dead, and their ten children are scattered.

The name that will perhaps live longer in the minds and hearts of the good people of Pleasant township is Theodore McKnight, as he was always noted for his good words and works; and as he was left to travel the road toward the setting sun alone, he made his, home with his daughter, Mrs. Nathan Chance of Augusta, one of the estimable ladies and strong characters for purity and uprightness of Augusta. One of his sons, Thomas McKnight, was one of the rustlers of Pleasant township and a veteran soldier of the Union army, with his energy and indomitable will, succeeded in building a fine home. W. A. McKnight, another son, was sure one of the strong men of the township and was as faithful a friend as it ever was my pleasure to meet. If any one had told me that W. A. McKnight had done a mean act, I would not have believed it. His daughter, Ola, was married to Will Cummings, Jr., who had made a success in life and by his uprightness of character has won the confidence and esteem of the entire community.

Another one of the substantial citizens was Joe Hall, and Mrs. Hall was his equal in stability of character, for they are sure as true as steel and as faithful in performing their life work as the Lord wanted them to be. Joe was a veteran in the Union army and was wounded in battle. They are spending their declining years in a nice home in Rose Hill; and we hope and trust that their lives will be fraught with all the joy and happiness that is man's lot to receive here on earth. T. F. Hall was another of the substantial citizens and his wife, a very estimable lady, was the daughter of Captain Webb, and sister of U. S. Webb, now attorney general-of California.
There was the Webb Reynolds family who were always ready to help in every movement for the bettering of the community in which they lived and I believe they really enjoyed frontier life, as they seemed so cheerful and happy at all times. The Matt Skinner family was numbered with our dearest friends who helped make Pleasant township and also Butler county, as Mrs. Skinner was one of Butler's best school

Page 184

teachers. The William Cummings family were our near neighbors and dear friends and as they believed in preparedness they raised a family of two girls and seven boys, two of whom are now in the front ranks fighting for King Emmanuel. And there was the William Simmons family who enjoyed in building a nice home of their own in the land of peace and quiet. And there was another man that was true to the principles of democracy and that was the dear old boy, Cale John, one of my substantial friends. There are many others, that I would like to tell you of their good qualities and true friendship, but I must bring this to a close by mentioning a few names of the early settlers. There were the Billows, Prays, Pyles, Dinnets and Johnstons, and a man by the name of Marion Franklin who located in what is now- Pleasant township in 1869.

I haven't told any funny stores as I thought I would, for when my mind was carried back to those happy days and then down to the present time, it rather saddens my heart. I don't like to live too much in the past, as they say when a person begins to live in the past, he is getting old and as I expect to stay young for years I will try to live in the present and enjoy this life with a glad heart and look to the future for a happy home where there will be no more good-byes said, and we will never grow old. The names given here and many more are among the men and women that faced the trials of frontier life and made the desert bloom as the rose. The dark day of the grasshopper raid I shall leave for a more able writer to describe.

Wishing you all a happy life here and a happier future, I bid you good-bye. I am your friend.

PLUM GROVE TOWNSHIP

By C. V. Cain

After the passing of forty-six years, that being the time I came to the township, it will be little wonder if many happenings of importance at that time have not gone from my memory, but to write up the sayings and doings of these pioneers, one must be in a reminiscent mood to make it of interest to any, but those that had part and parcel at that time, and also this little sketch must include the names of many who were residents of other parts of the county outside of Plum Grove. These outsiders came into our social life, as well as the commercial or business life of the community.

The largest immigration to this part of Kansas was in 1870. The newcomers that year and 1871 had their time all taken up with preparing a place to live, without devoting their time to sociability. Consequently, it was in 1872 before they began to move around and get acquainted with their neighbors, which they did by attending literary societies at the different school houses and one in particular at the Eaton school in Milton township which was largely attended by George, Howard and

Page 185

Arthur Neiman, Ed Eaton, W. J. McFrancis, E. B. Brainard, John and Mrs. Horner, C. P. Strong, and so many others from eight to ten miles away their names I do not now recall. Their debates were certainly interesting and there was always an editor and a paper that was full of jokes at the expense of the attendants, but I recall but one such; C. P. Strong had unusually large ears. One of the papers had this little squib: "If all flesh is grass, what a pile of hay Strong's ears ought to make." Of course it brought down the house. Not only the Eaton school house but the Wilcox school house in Clifford held their debates and spelling schools. Settlers in those days went a long distance to church and Sun-day school; among the church and Sunday school workers were Daniel M. Elder, Jacob Holderman, Joseph B. Morton, Mrs. L. B. Cain, Mrs. I. Howe and many others.

Another line of amusement that was popular with the early settlers were the "surprise parties." They would gather at some neighbor's, and a neighbor was anyone living within fifteen miles. Everyone was expected to bring a basket of provisions, and sometimes in these baskets there would be some huge sell in the shape of sawdust pie, cake seasoned with salt in place of sugar, coffee spiced up with pepper. One night there was a large, nice looking cake brought in which there was said to be a ring. When it was cut and divided around a young lady had the piece with a small harness ring. There were several good singers in the country and they formed a singing class, and there were some very fine singers. M. S. Eddy and brother-in-law, Will Power, were as fine bass and tenor as you could find anywhere. The Ketchum brothers,Ed and Hoyt, were also good. Mrs. W. H. Randall was generally the musician that accompanied. Prof. F. C. Buck, of Augusta, often attended the meetings of the musical crowd in their vicinity.

I have omitted mentioning some of the early settlers in the township who did not secure and-occupy homesteads. Among the first was Weightman F. Joseph and four sons,William I., James, Moses N. and Sidney S. The father came in 1871, also William I., and bought a large tract of the best land in the Whitewater valley. They were among the most reliable and substantial citizens of this township and their children are following in the footsteps of their fathers. The Josephs were from West Virginia. M. D. L. Kimberlin also came in 1871 from Kentucky. He bought land on the east branch of the Whitewater and improved it and made a home for four boys and that many girls, and three of his sons are still on the home place and on land they have since bought. A history of the early settlers of Plum Grove would not be complete without special mention of Mrs. Charles Coppins. She filled the place of nurse for any and all of the sick in this section. No night was so dark or the weather too hot or too cold or distance too great that Mrs. Coppins would not go to the relief of those that were sick and in distress. It was the same whether the sick lived in a dugout or in the best house in the land, oftentimes going to El Dorado to care for the

Page 186

sick. The nearest doctors at that time was one living near the north line of the county and one at El Dorado. I have known Dr. McKenzie to leave El Dorado, come to my house,, and from there drive to Cole Creek and on to the head of Walnut and on around to El Dorado, making a circuit of nearly one hundred miles in one drive. The people, in this, like all newly settled countries, were afflicted with chills and fever. There was not much typhoid, but occasionally a case of it.

In those days there were no buggies or carriages in the country. In the towns the livery stables kept both, but I only knew of one buggy and one spring wagon in all the northwest Butler county. Before 1870, the settlers have told, there was no money in circulation, and in talking with one of the old pioneers who came in 1857, raccoon skins, meaning furs, and buffalo hides and tallow were legal tender. The men would go on a buffalo hunt in the fall when the buffalo were fat and kill and skin and save the tallow until a wagon load was saved, and then go to Leavenworth or Westport, Missouri, and trade it for supplies for the family. At that time these times were the nearest places to market their furs, etc. In 1870 the nearest railroad point was Emporia, which was sixty-five miles from Plum Grove. The roads at that time were located across' the prairies in every direction; to get any place that you wanted to go, you would have to know the direction from where you were and follow the road leading in that direction, as there were no guide boards and you were not liable to meet any person that could direct you.

About the year 1876, there were two Mennonite boys that had been to El Dorado. They were twins, about twenty years old, and their name was Dick. They lived near where Elbing now is. On their way "home there was a big storm coming up from the north. The lightning struck the prairie grass right near and set it on fire. It scared the boys so much that they drove to my house and wanted to stay all night. In those days a traveler was never turned away. They stayed, but the rain did not reach my house; the cloud rained out on the head of Whitewater. In the morning they hitched up and started from my place to their home. When they drove into the ford on the Whitewater they did not think of the creek being up and the team, wagon and all were washed down the stream and the boys were drowned. The body of one was found a few rods below the ford, the other about a half mile below.

In the early days there were people who came to this section who afterward were prominent and widely known. I will recall one, Fred Remington, who became a great painter and cartoonist, so much so that he gained a national reputation for his paintings of cowboy, Indian and scenes of the Wild and Wooley West. They were admired by everyone who was acquainted with these characters, for they were so life like and natural. This sketch would be incomplete without mentioning the early day preachers. Of the Presbyterians there were Rev. Stryker, of El Dorado; Rev. E. J. Stewart, of Fairmount; Rev. A. H. Lackey,

Page 187

of Peabody; the ,Camfires, Rev. I. Mooney, of Towanda; Rev. Kinney, of Fairview, and Rev. I. J. Curtis, of Murdock. The Methodists were represented by Rev. F. H. Martin, of West Branch of Whitewater, and Rev. S. L. Roberts, of Clifford.

The women who came to this country in the early settlement certainly deserve more than a passing mention in this history of Butler county, more especially those who came in the sixties and before. Settlers at that time were very scattering. Sometimes it would be a distance of four miles or more to the nearest neighbor. The men of the families sometimes would go away for supplies and be away for two or three weeks before they could return. At that time bands of Indians were occasionally roaming over the prairies and wherever there was a house they were sure to visit. Stop and think now of the feelings of a woman alone, or perhaps with her little children, with no white person within miles to come to her rescue if those Indians were disposed to be treacherous and cruel. I have in mind now two of those pioneer women, Mrs. W. H. Avery, who lived at least four miles from the nearest neighbor, and Mrs. Amos Adams. Their lives during those times were certainly anything but pleasant.

I must mention the pioneer school teachers, for what would a civilized settlement be without them? I recall the names of two, Jane Wentworth and Fannie Hull Wilson. Miss Wentworth taught school in diffrent places in the county during the sixties, at El Dorado, on the west branch of Walnut and other places. Fannie Hull Wilson taught many different schools in the county. For several years she taught the Blue Mound school, and I venture to say there is not a county school in the county graduated as many, that after became school teachers, as that school. All four of the children in the Lobdell family were teachers, Charles, Fred, Adda and Myrtle, and they were successful teachers with no other preparation than the district school that Mrs. Wilson taught. Besides the Lobdells, there were two from the Ashenfelter family and the three Boersnia sisters and others that I do not now remember;

Early Settlement.-What is now Plum Grove township received its first settlers in the spring of 1857, when a colony of people from Douglass county, Kansas, settled along the Whitewater River at the ford on the old California Trail, which started at Fort Smith, Arkansas, and united with the Santa Fe Trail near Hutchinson. This colony surveyed and platted a town which they called Whitewater City and many of the stakes were still in the ground in the spring of 1870. They built several houses, mostly of logs, which were afterwards torn down and moved to the claims of the later settlers along the Whitewater and its tributaries, as all the original settlers left during the year of the great drought, which was in i860. The first man to make a permanent settlement in the township was Joseph H. Adams, who originally came from Illinois and located on the Whitewater, one mile southwest of the

Page 188

present city of Potwin, in the spring of 1860, and lived there until fall, when he moved to Whitewater City, living there until the next spring, when he moved to the northeast quarter of section 7, where he lived until his death in October, 1875. Mr. Adams' wife died in 1868, and he was again married to Mrs. Margaret Pitzer, of Chase county, Kansas. After the death of Mr. Adams, Mrs. Adams was married to M. S. Bond in 1879. In 1911 Mrs. Bond died. Mr. Adams had three sons, one of whom, J. C. Adams, homesteaded the northwest quarter of section 19, Plum Grove township, and he is still the owner of it, but his home is now in Major, Oklahoma, and I am indebted to Mr. J. C. Adams tor nearly all of the early history of Plum Grove township. Another of J. H. Adams' sons is J. A. Adams, who was born in Plum Grove township in 1874, and is living on his father's original homestead, of which he is the owner of 120 acres, having bought out the Adams and Pitzer heirs. There were several settlers who came in the sixties. Mr. Adams' daughter, Harriet, was the wife of Charles Lyon, who home-steaded the quarter section joining Mr. Adams on the east. Mr. Lyon went on a buffalo hunt and was taken sick and died about 1862 on Cow Creek, a few miles southwest of Wichita. Mrs. Lyon afterwards married John R. Wentworth, who made final proof on the Lyon home-t stead. Stephen Wentworth, father of John R., came from Chase county, Kansas, and settled on an adjoining quarter and himself and wife lived there until their death. Sam Karner was a squatter on a claim upon which he did not remain long, and J. L. Green came and occupied it. Henry Comstock moved in and settled on Henry Creek, after whom the creek was named. Mr. Comstock was from Illinois and was a Civil War veteran. James Jones lived on a claim in the south part of the township. Amos Adams and wife, Nancy, cousins of J. H. Adams, and Mr. Adams, a Civil War veteran, came in 1866 and homesteaded on the northwest of section 30, living there until his death in April, 1904. Amos Adams and son, Hon. J. B. Adams, who for several years has occupied a prominent position in Butler county's political and financial matters, was born in Plum Grove township on the old homestead.

While Plum Grove township had quite a number of settlers before 1870, it in common with all of Butler county received its great influx of settlers and homesteaders in 1870 and 1871. January 1, 1870, there were yet forty quarter-sections of Government land open for home-steading and which was entered by homesteaders filing before the last of 1871. Charles Coppins placed his homestead entry on the southwest quarter of section 26 in the spring of 1871, which was the last vacant Government land in Plum Grove township. There were two sections of vacant school land in the township, one of which was settled in 1870 by C. V. Cain and W. J. Johnson. Of the original homesteaders but one is now living on his claim taken in 1870, John H. Poffinbarger, a Civil War veteran. His homestead was the southwest quarter of section 14. Since then he has purchased 320 acres more joining his origi-

189

nal claim. Mrs. Mariah Odor is living on a part of her husband's homestead in section 28. On the J. H. Adams land lives one son, J. A. Adams, and a step-son, C. C. Pitzer. The heirs of Amos Adams still own the land their father homesteaded in 1866. Mrs. Adams died in El Dorado, September 9, 1914.

Beginning at the northeast corner of Plum Grove township, I will name the homesteaders with the exception of those already mentioned: Section 2 had M. S. Eddy, his brother-in-law, Charles Johnson, James Turner and Thomas Commons. Section 4 had Mrs. Cole and one other whose name I cannot recall. Section 6 had William Dennis. On Section 6 lived Ben Ogden and he died there about 1875. Section 12 was occupied by William Dornbus, William Powers, George Mann, who was killed there in blasting rock out of a well; also Henry Brown. On the southeast quarter of section 14 the owner was Frank Troxell, who died in the fall of 1872 with typhoid fever, at the house of Chas. Cobbins. John H. Poffinbarger, William Montgomery and Frank Jones were the other settlers on section 14. On section 20 was Nathan Duncan, who secured the relinquishment of the southeast quarter from the original homesteader, whose name I do not remember. Section 22 was originally homesteaded by Milton Bradley, James Stuart, Lida Poffinbarger and Sam Crow. Sam was one of the most successful deer hunters of this whole country; with his long-barreled rifle he killed a great many, and at that time deer and antelope were very numerous on these prairies.

Section 24 was settled by John Cave and Poe and two others whose names I cannot recall. Section 26 had James Ledbetter, an old soldier, Charles Coppins, Jesse Smith and one other. Jesse Smith and Charles Coppins are both in their graves, but their homesteads are still owned by their widows, both of whom live in Wichita. Section 28 was settled by Robert G. DeYarman, Squire Smith, John H. Odor and William Watkins. Section 30 was owned by Amos Adams and James Jones. Section 32 was homesteaded by Mrs. Cornelious, her son, Joe Cornelious, and Allen arid Henry Atrible. The only of these four now living that I know of is Joe Cornelious, in Harper county. On section 34 I can recall but one of the original claimants, Silas Hall, who died several years ago. His widow still owns the homestead and is living in Wichita.

In Plum Grove township all the odd numbered sections, when not previously claimed, were included in the Santa Fe Land Grant. Quite a large amount of the best land along the streams was claimed by Lawrence and Potwin, who located it with railroad and agricultural college script.

The different railroads were projected through the township. The first one, called Chicago, Kansas and Nebraska, came in the north line of the county and followed down the Whitewater on the west side to Augusta. County bonds were voted to aid in building it, the only bonds ever voted by Butler county for the aid of a railroad. I do not remm-

Page 190

eber the year. The second project was from Fort Smith, Arkansas, but neither of those were ever more than paper roads. In 1884 the El Dorado, Newton & McPherson was under consideration, and the company asked the township to vote bonds and take $20,000.00 stock in the road, which was done, the township receiving stock certificates for their bonds. The road was built in 1885, and the town of Potwin was laid out and named after C. W. Potwin, who owned the land where the town was located. In a few years after the road went into the hands of a receiver and was sold to satisfy a mortgage, and the township lost their stock.
The first postoffice in the township was Plum Grove, located at John R. Wentworth's, and he was the first postmaster and the office was named for a thicket of plum bushes near the Wentworth house. The office was established in the fall of 1871 and was supplied with mail from Towanda, at first once a week, and afterwards two mails a week. In 1872 Drake & Lobdell erected a building and put in a stock of general merchandise, which was the first store in the township. Later a Mr. Stewart opened another store. After the railroad bonds were voted and a prospect for a road seemed quite certain, the stores and post office were moved over on the proposed line of the road. A mail route was established from Peabody to Holden, in Milton township, and to Plum Grove, and Oliver'P. Brumback carried the mail twice a week, walking and carrying it on his back. Some later the route was changed to run from Newton to El Dorado, and another postoffice was established in the township at the house of W. H. Randall. Office was named Ayr and Mrs. Randall was appointed postmaster. When the town of Potwin was started, the office was moved there and the name changed to Potwin. The new town of Plum Grove on the west side of the Whitewater had two general stores, a drug store and a blacksmith shop. Stark M. Spencer was one of the merchants, M. C: Snorf the other. Dr. I. V. Davis had the drug store and practiced medicine, and W. W. Kemper had a blacksmith shop. A school house was built and the prospect was good for a nice little country town. In 1885, when the railroad was finished, Plum Grove was divided, part going to the town of Brainerd and a part to Potwin. I believe the first school house built in the township was on the hill between the Whitewater and Diamond Greek and was known as the Plum Grove school house and district. It was built in 1872 and soon after there was a Sunday school organized, and I believe the first superintendent was Jacob Holderman. There were several living in this neighbor-hood who in times past had been members of the Presbyterian church. Rev. E. J. Stewart, a Presbyterian minister, moved into the community and a church was organized and regular services were held for quite a long time, and the settlers came, for a long distance to preaching. The Methodists had an appointment which was supplied by the El Dorado circuit and in June, 1871, S. C. Roberts was assigned to that charge,

Page 191

but as he did not suit some of the leaders in the El Dorado church, they did not want him. He drove out to Plum Grove and put up at my house, reaching there about 6 o'clock in the evening of June 16, .1871. As we came away from the stable there was a heavy black cloud coming up from the northwest. We had just got into the house when the storm came with a terrific wind and hail knocking the windows all out and destroying what little crops we had. That was the storm that destroyed so many buildings in El Dorado and with some loss of life. . In the spring of 1871, Daniel M. Elder bought a saw mill at El Dorado and moved it to Plum Grove and sawed a large amount of lumber, for at that time there were a great number of large trees all along the streams and the lumber was what the settlers needed in -building houses and stables. Mr. Elder, after sawing all the timber that was brought to him at Plum Grove, moved his mill farther down the Whitewater.

The first death in the township was George Adams, son of H. Adams, who died in 1864; aged twenty-three years. The first birth in the township was Charles Stewart, born in 1860 and died the same year. Eliza Jane Lyon was born December 20, 1860, and is now living in El Dorado, the wife of W. G. Lyon. The first wedding that we have any account of was John C. Adams and Nancy M. Pitzer, in the year 1871.

PROSPECT TOWNSHIP

This township was organized April 1, 1872, out of the territory comprising township 26, range 6, and an election ordered held at the residence of William Shepherd, southwest corner of section 14, on April 20, 1872. The following officers were elected: S. White, trustee; William Sample, treasurer; S. D. Andrews, clerk; V. M. Pruden and R. P. Edington, justices of the peace; Napoleon Chrisham and J. B. Sherman, constables.

The boundaries of this township were afterwards changed, presumably for the purpose of permitting the citizens thereof to assist El Dorado in procuring the F. E. & W. V. railroad, giving the township one mile of said road. The township now contains, in addition to the original territory, a strip of land three miles wide and sixteen miles long. It also has about seven miles of the Missouri Pacific railway, and the thriving little town of Pontiac, containing depot, stock yards, switching facilities, also a general store by Siegrist Brothers, blacksmith shop and other lines of business represented, all doing a good business. It is also one of the principal shipping points for hay in the county. The township is well watered and the soil adapted to all kinds of agriculture and stock raising.

Prospect township has within its borders one of the principal industrial and commercial enterprises in the county, the stone quarry and crusher, owned and operated by R. E. Frazier, of El Dorado. This in-

Page 192

stitution furnishes employment for from fifty to one hundred and fifty people during each month of the year. Immense quantities of building stone, ballast and screenings are shipped out of this quarry daily. The estate of the late Charles Parker owns and operates a like institution adjoining the above on its east, but upon a somewhat smaller scale. The first patent under the homestead laws was issued September 30, 1869, to Sarah C. Saxby for the heirs of Saxby, deceased, on land in sections 4 and 5. Prior to this time Amos A. Lawrence had issued script or land warrants on about 2,100 acres in 18655.

Among the early homesteaders were: William Crimble, who homesteaded the present county farm; H. K. and James Johnson, Abe Musselman, Elias Hinkle, Cornelious Coble, I. A. Moulton, J. J. Donnelly, Charles Eckel, John S. Friend, Frank Cour, J. B. Sherman and also Phineas Hathaway, a gentleman of the old school and a Universalist preacher, fond of good living, and enjoyed a joke or a roast on himself or anyone else. It is told of him that while on a shopping expedition in El Dorado, he called at a grocery and while purchasing some sugar of one of the parties, who, by the way,, was a good church member, said to him: "Well, Brother F., I presume you still believe in literal hell fire and eternal damnation, do you?" "Yes, sir; yes," replied Brother F. "I do." "Well," said Phineas, "I am glad of it, I am glad you do; it is the only thing in the world that makes you give sixteen ounces for a pound."

Very few, if any, of the original homesteaders now own or reside upon their homesteads. Among the early settlers were George C. Haver, Henry Martin, Beamis Brothers, J. E. McCully, John Teter, William Bailey and many others.