History of Leon Butler County Kansas Genealogy Trails

LEON

Leon is situated on the line of the St. Louis and San Francisco Railway, 476 miles west of St. Louis, 113 miles west of Oswego, and 12 miles east of Augusta. It occupies a high point in the world, the west bank of Little Walnut near which the town stands, being 1340 feet above sea level. The town was first christened Noble, but it was discovered that another point in the State bore that name and the new town became the namesake of Leon, Iowa, and also, in the minds of its projectors, of the far-famed Ponce de Leon. The town site was laid out and surveyed in November, 1879, and a town company formed. This consisted of M. A. Palmer, C. Tabing, J. King, J. M. Watson and C. R. Noe. To the latter gentlemen belonged the land of the town site - sixty acres. The first building erected in the town was the blacksmith shop of H. Belton, erected in 1879. The second was the store and residence of J. M. Watson, erected early in 1880. What the third was is uncertain, as the rush of construction became so great that not days or weeks but hours gave precedence. This rapid growth continued through the year and at its close Leon had buildings to the value of $33,325, and a population of between 250 and 300. This year saw the advent of the first physician, I. M. Wells; the first attorney, J. M. Dilts; and the first merchant, F. W. Beckmeyer, who occupied the Watson store building. The first birth in the town was that of a child of Joseph Denton; the first death an unknown railroad hand; the first wedding, Charles Craig and Mrs. Carrie Hollander.

Incorporation and Officers. On March 15, 1882, Leon became a city of the third class without passing through any intermediate town organization. Its officers then elected still hold their positions. They are: Levi Kiser, Mayor; D. W. Poe, City Clerk; J. S. Calvert, Police Judge; W. J. Cunningham, J. Kunkle, C. Lipscomb, G. A. Kenoyer and Ben. H. Wood, Councilmen.

Leon, on October 21, 1882, was a model city for one of its age. Up both sides of the long Main street ran blocks of stores, not palatial by any means but good enough to do a large business in. Early on the morning of Monday the 23rd, the street presented a far different aspect. Fire had taken possession of the best block of the city and all efforts to check it with the feeble means at hand were unavailing, it burned till there was no more to destroy, and the block, save the building on the southwest corner, was leveled. The buildings destroyed were the barber shop of Robert Grunewell; harness shop of A. A. Jones; J. H. Cecil's two store buildings, one of which was also used for residence purposes; Waddell & Dick's meat market, the building owned by H. H. Clements; a billiard hall also owned by Clements; Snyder & Dobbins' store building; T. H. McCormick's store building, and the Commercial Hotel. The aggregate loss by this fire may be roughly stated at $10,000. No efforts have thus far been made to rebuild upon the burned block, but there will undoubtedly be a stirring of the ashes ere long.

The postoffice at Leon was established in March, 1880, with G. A. Kenoyer, who still holds the position, as Postmaster. There has been a star postoffice known as Little Walnut, on the creek, about a mile south, and here Kenoyer became Postmaster January 1, 1879. On the establishment of Leon Little Walnut was discontinued. The postoffice was first located in the store of Kenoyer & Chenoweth, and upon the dissolution of that firm, moved across the street to its present quarters. It was made a money order office on August 15, 1881, and the first order purchased by G. W. Churchill.

Prior to the laying out of Leon the district schoolhouse stood a half mile east of the town site. This building was moved to town in the fall of 1881, and formed part of the spacious house completed that year at a cost of $2,000. S. L. Hodge was secured as principal of the school, and still holds that position. One assistant only was needed the first year, but in 1882 a second was engaged to properly handle the 180 children now in attendance. What 1883 will bring forth no one can say, but it seems probable that ere long still further accommodations and more teachers must be secured.

The city now occupies considerably more than the sixty acres of the original town site, C. R. Noe having made two additions amounting to fifty-five acres, and J. King one of three acres. Industries of all sorts are constantly increasing and the building of neat residence constantly going on. Already the population numbers 600, and the close of 1883 will bring it well up toward 1,000. (taken from the History of Butler County Kansas by William G. Cutler)