On the Wing Butler County Genealogy Trails Kansas

ON THE WING

Augusta, Kansas, January 29th, 1871.

Over a week has passed since an opportunity has presented itself for us to forward an account of our wanderings to the NEWS. Within that time we have traveled through the Walnut Valley from El Dorado to Arkansas City, near the mouth of the stream, and returned to this point; a distance of almost 60 miles.

South of Augusta, a distance of 12 miles, is located the village of Douglass. It is situated on the Big Walnut, at a point almost three miles below the junction of the Little Walnut. The town site is an excellent one, being on a gentle rise in the prairie, and gives it drainage that will, in a great measure, protect it from the mud incident to towns built on the tenacious soil of Kansas.

The storm clouds that covered this youthful village, and enveloped it in gloom a few weeks ago, have all dispersed, giving place to the more genial sunshine of prosperity, and leaving the atmosphere much purer and healthier than before. Unless the stranger asks questions, he would never suspect that such a thing as hanging men by fours was ever resorted to by the quiet working people of this little frontier neighborhood. But the fact that eight men were shot and hung in this vicinity not long ago, can't be denied; as a consequence, the citizens from Augusta to Arkansas City claim that they have no need of watching stock, but wake from peaceful slumbers to find their horses where they left them the previous night. They go to work in the morning thankfully, remembering long days in the past spent in fruitless search for missing horses.

Douglass contains about twenty houses, with all the stores, shops, etc., usually found in such places. In the town there are three general country stores. L. Shamleffer & Bro., brothers of our enterprising friend, Billy Shamleffer, at Council Grove, are carrying on an extensive trade here in dry goods, groceries, etc. They are young men of large business capacity, and are working hard to advance the interest of the town and country. Huffman & Brown are engaged in the grocery and provision business. The Douglass House is one of the best hotels in the valley. C. H. Lamb is the proprietor. Here the traveler finds good beds, good hash, and an accommodating landlord. Mr. Lamb is postmaster and is also dealing in blank books and stationery. The country around Douglass is well settled and supports a good trade. They are in need of a drug store and a shoemaker here; anyone starting a business in either of the above will be liberally supported.

From the mouth of the Little Walnut, the timber becomes heavier the further one travels down the valley.

Ten miles below Douglass we arrive at a trading point called "Polk's store." This store is owned by A. V. Polk, a native of Pennsylvania. He has a good location for his stock of goods. The post office here is called "Lone Tree." This will make a good trading point, and we rather wonder that a town has not been laid off here.

After crossing Big Dutch Creek, a large stream, we found ourself at Winfield, county seat of Cowley County. This town presents an extremely new appearance. In fact, it has been built, with the exception of a very few houses, within the last three months. Some good wooden buildings are being erected. On our road to the mouth of the Walnut, we stopped at the Walnut Valley House at this place. That night was a new experience to us. We have heard of the hair of one's head being turned gray in one night. Heretofore we were incredulous, but its truth has been demonstrated and we believe it. This house needs "ventilation," but we will leave that for the citizens of Winfield to do. We found some enterprising men here, and with their excellent location and rich surrounding country, they will have a city of no mean dimension at some future time. Among some of the principal businessmen of Winfield are Maris & Hunt, dealers in groceries; and Deloss Palmer, formerly of Emporia, dealer in hardware and tinware. W. C. Orr is proprietor of the Indiana House; his table is always loaded with the best the market affords and he spares no pains to make his guests comfortable. The present term of the school here is taught by Miss Mellville. [?Melville?]. A. J. Patrick is publishing the "Censor" here. This is a good paper and is becoming extremely popular in Cowley and Butler Counties.

Arkansas City has one of the finest locations for a town to be found any place in Kansas, but as this has been written of so often and so extensively, we will pass it for the present. The city contains about eighty houses, some of them are very good buildings. H. O. Meigs has recently erected a large building, in which he has opened the City Hotel, one of the best hotels in the valley; G. H. Hamilton & Co. are doing an extensive business in groceries and provisions; they have a large stock. Charley Sipes is engaged in hardware, etc. Keith & Eddy, a Leavenworth firm, are selling drugs. E. A. Rennin and M. C. McIntire are dealing flour, feed, and groceries. Norton & Bro. are trading extensively with the Indians. The Arkansas Traveler, the property of L. B. Kellogg, of Emporia, published here, is superintended by C. M. Scott, the local editor. Mr. Scott is a first class printer and gets up one of the neatest little papers in the State.

Owing to the bad condition of the roads, our return trip was not as pleasant as dry soil and fine weather would have made it. G. G. PATTERSON BRIX. Emporia News, February 3, 1871