Cemeteries for Cherokee County, Kansas

The Advocate is in receipt of an interesting and voluminous letter from Ed C. Williams, former Columbus resident now living in Guadeloupe, Cal., recalling early days of this county. Mr. Williams's letter follows:

I will endeavor to give you and any of my friend pioneers who might still be living there in the good old town of my childhood and early school days, a writeup after 70 years, of the early settlement of Cherokee county and the city of Columbus, Kansas, as requested by the editor of The Advocate.

My father Zebina Williams and wife and eight children, with eleven other families with similar ideas to ours of making a new home in a new land, in the month of October, 1867, started southward in covered wagons leaving Louisa county, Ia., and the town of Columbus city. It has since been named Columbus Junction.

My father made a trip to Kansas the fall of 1866, and had located a claim 1-1/2 miles southeast of what is today the city of Columbus, Kans. The other ten families in the caravan had made sale of their properties in most cases. Father made a sale of household goods, farm implements and stock. Most of the other ten families came from the vicinity of Columbus City. My Uncle Dennis and family moved from Wapelo, twelve miles from Columbus City.

We were about 25 days making the trip, as we laid over one week in Kansas City, which in 1867 was not much more than a booming pushing village. I had two cousins there, who were running the largest livery stable in town. I think it was on Walnut street. They were doing well.

These relatives were the main reason for delaying our journey, then our horses as well as ourselves needed rest, so we laid over a week. While there a couple of boys walked out about two miles and got half a sack of freestone peaches. It was a warm day, and when they got to camp the juice was oozing out through the sack soaking through the boys' shirts. These peaches were given them by a free-hearted Missouri fruit raiser. We had always heard the Missouri people were free-hearted, but this generosity was past our expectations. Peaches were greatly prized by us Iowans, as we had seldom got them in Iowa. Those peaches were sweet and good and were a great treat. We had a great joke of them and all ate our fill

The land my father had selected, was a quarter section, 1-1/2 miles southeast of the present Columbus. The only landmarks where the town is located was a log cabin with one corner burned off, which stood about 300 feet southeast of where the square now is. Someone had put out the fire, a prairie fire that had nearly destroyed the cabin and has swept the wide prairie clean from Cherry creek on the west to Shawnee creek nine miles east of Columbus; and as far as Pleasant View northeast and I can't tell how far south, perhaps to the then Indian Territory line (Oklahoma).

We landed at my cousin's claim on the fifth of November. The caravan all camped that night at what was known as the Hall place, but afterwards known as the Chaney farm, 3/4 mile northeast of the town of Columbus. Chaney was a brohter of Solon L. Chaney, the fire stock cattle man, who moved in later.

The caravan broke up the next day, my Uncle Dennis and some more of the wagons going on to near Diamond, Mo., and settling there. My uncle's daughter, Mrs. Amelia Baynham, still lives on her fine farm four miles south of Diamond. Some others of the caravan or their children live near Mrs. Baynham. Several of the caravan settled in Cherokee county. Two cousins, George and James Jones, located in and built business houses on the south side of the square and some of the boys are still in Columbus.

An uncle, Thomas Stoddard, one of the caravan, two days after reaching cousins Gean and Charley Halls place, took the back tract for Columbus City, Iowa, where he has lived for many years. It was very windy the next morning after we landed at the Hall place.

Uncle Thomas, being disgusted at the windy weather, said to my father, "I'm going to go back, you couldn't keep stock alive here, it would blow the hay out of the horses mouths and they couldn't survive." It was not that bad, but for some years in our new homeland the wind put in pretty full time, but it lost most of its terror for us after we got hedges and trees grown for wind breaks. On our 160 acres there was no buildings yet, no improvements of any kind, just stakes at the corners, with the number of section and range. Father located this place largely because there was a big spring of fine soft water.

For several years this and another spring on our land and one on James Jones place joining our place on the north, helped to supply clear soft water to the later on fast growing town of Columbus. A son-in-law of old Dr. Walker, Jerry Shuck and Jack Benn, had water tanks built. These tanks would hold 8 or 10 kerosene barrels of water. Father rented our spring to them. They paid for the largest spring $7 a week. The other one $5 a week.

In August, 1868, there was a mass meeting held in the open air. It was held about one-half mile east of what is now the pubic square of the City of Columbus, Kansas. It was held for the purpose of choosing a location for a town. The main speaker was Sidney S. Smith, a very early settler here. He first took a claim over on Neosho river. The family all contracted chills and fever and he dropped the claim there and came and took up between the Gulf railroad and what we called East Columbus. There was about 50 or 60 present. Sidney Smith was to be the speaker.

He said, "We have met together today to select a location for a townsite. This is the Geographical Center of Cherokee County is the proper place for the county seat. It is sure to be the county seat and can't help but be a flourishing city. We have a rich alluvail soil. Have an inexhaustible supply of coal. We have wonderful stone quarries, both flagstone and heavy stone. There is good indications that there is valuable lead and zinc to be mined in this county. I would suggest the townsite be one-half mile west of this location." That is just about the location of the public square today. (To be Continued)

The Advocate continued today Ed Williams' account of early Columbus history, which started in this paper last Friday. The story is as follows:

The first newspaper printed in the new town of Columbus was The Working Man's Journal. Sanford sold the paper a few years later to J. Frank McDowell who edited the paper a number of years.

I think our next nearest was Jim and John Hanson's farm of 160 acres one mile north. Jim later worked for A. Hood in his farm implement store in the center of south side of square. He married old Jim Pitzer's daughter Druzilla Pitzer and John married an older daughter, Mrs. Boice. Our next nearest neighbor was Jim Pitzer, Hanson's father-in-law previously mentioned, 2-1/2 miles north. He and son Anthony had the first drug store in Columbus. It was on the south side of the square joining Hoods Implement and Feed Store. John Freeleigh lived 1-1/2 miles south and Warren Williams, 2 miles south of the aftewards located square. Then there were no other neighbors nearer our place than 6 miles, Grant Ally on Fly Creek.

There was not much game for two or three years except prairie chickens. They flew in great droves even before the land was broken up. They seemed to thrive on the burned off prairie. They were fat and fine eating. Rabbits, quails, ducks, geese, cranes came in great numbers as soon as the settlers got to raising crops. They came in such numbers as to be a menace to the crops for the first two or three years and they were so tame you could walk right up to a big flock within a few feet of them so you could almost hit them with a club befroe they would take flight. They soon got wild as there was soon a lot of regular hunters who made a living for their families hunting. After the railroad came, these regular hunters using shotguns would ship by express hundreds of shot prairie chickens and other game weekly to Eastern markets. A Mr. Baden grocery bought and shipped hundreds of prairie chilckens and ducks every week. Two men in our neighborhood, Mr. McReynolds and John Radclif, extra shots with double barrel shotguns, would often kill 50 prairie chickens or more in a day, which would bring $4.50 or $5.00 for their day's hunting.

Just after the Kansas City-Fort Scott and Gulf R.R. was built to Columbus the great flocks of prairie chickens flying across the track flying low would often strike the telegraph wire with such force as to break a wing and often if some of them hit the wire with their neck fling fast several of the flock would often break their necks. Some would fall to the ground, others would hang by their necks on the wire. We children coming from school every night would follow over a mile down the track toward home. We would frequently pick up as many as 8 or 10 chickens that had wings or necks broken. We would take them home and several families would have the best of meat for several days.

Some earliest houses built in town were; the Judge Fry Hotel, northwest corner of square; Jeff and Bill Jones hotel, also on west side of square; Bill Benham's livery stable northwest corner of square; Old Dr. Walker's large residence on the south side of square. He had 21 children by three wives. Louie Smith's baker and saloon on the east side of square near Whitcraft's grocery; Fred Hunt's restaurant next to Smith's saloon on north side of it; then a small office built for J. N. Lea, a notary public, W. J. and Chester Brannen's Book store north of Whitcraft's grocery; Meginety and Klinfield's meat market on east side of the square.

Jack Thompkin's harness shop was on the north side of square; George Theis's grocery on the northeast corner of square; Mrs. Lynches boarding and room house one-half block southeast of the corner; the Paddleford hotel, on block west of Gulf depot.

Amos Sanford's dwelling house was located 1/2 block south of the southeast corner of the square; D. S. Freeman 2 blocks south of the square; Lon Hunt 1/2 block southeast of square; L. Purcel joining Lon Hunt's residence; Ben Dilworth 1-1/2 blocks east of north side of square; Bob Dilworth's tombstone factory 1/2 block southeast of square.

W. R. Cowley in east Columbus; M. V. B. Bennett in east Columbus; Hank Cushman Cooper shop one block west of square; George Theis residence east Columbus; Sidney Smith, father of Mrs. W. R. Cowley and Mrs. Bob Warren residence between east and west Columbus.

Brother O. N. Williams 1/4 section joined the townsite on the south. He conducted the Columbus nursery 18 years and sold trees and plants over most of the state of Kansas through agents. Dr. E. A. Scammon's house was 1/2 mile north of the townsite; John Rawleigh two miles south of town; John Radcliff 2 miles south of square; schools and churches.

The first church built was the Baptist church. It was 1 block north of the northwest corners of square. A. Mr. Bunch, a carpenter, lived joining the church on the south. There were no preaching services in it for some time after it was built, while waiting for a preacher to locate here.

Many local persons have showed their interest in E. C. Williams' account of the early history of Columbus, written for The Daily Advocate and mailed from Agnew, Cal., where he now resides. Mr. Williams has written two installments to date, and they are said by longtime residents to express the story accurately and in detail.

In the first installment Mr. Williams told of his trip to Cherokee county in a covered wagon, in 1867, and settlement with his father and family on the old Chaney farm northeast of the city. In Friday's issue he related the names of old-time business men who will be remembered by older residents of the community, and described the bountiful supply of prairie chickens, which were shot here and sold in great numbers on the Kansas City market.

The remainder of Mr. Williams's interesting history is concluded today as follows:

I'll tell how Columbus came to be named. It was in the last of November, 1868. There was a meeting called to name the town of a scattered few houses. I was in the Mort and Jeff Jones Hotel near the southwest corner of the square. There were probably 25 or 30 men and a few women attending. I think John Davis was chairman. He stated the object of the meeting was to get a name for the town to be. Several names were suggested, including Salamanca.

My father or brother Oscar suggested the name of Columbus. A vote was taken and Columbus carrier. We had moved from Columbus City, Iowa, then we were to live and did live for 16 years 1 1/2 miles southeast of Columbus, Kansas. My father died there in 1871 and my mother in 1889, and both were buried in the Columbus cemetery. Mother and the rest of the family moved to California in 1883 for my oldest sister's health. She never regained her health and died in San Jose, Cal., months after coming here.

Nails, window frames, door locks, and door hinges were bought at Baxter Springs. There were a few stores there. Our first groceries were bought at Millersburg on Cherry Creek 7 miles away sold by John Whitcraft. Groceries sold high those days, 5 pounds of brown sugar for a dollar. Bacon 79 cents a pound. Whitcraft moved to Columbus later and ran a grocery there for years and Jimmy his boy was in my classes in the 4 room stone school house and years later served several terms as county clerk.

Early Settlers. Our nearest neighbor when we started building our first house, was Jessie Canfield, who joined our 160 acres on the east. Next nearest was John Davis one mile northeast on the west bank of Brush creek. Amos Sanford lived 3/4 mile northeast of our place on what was known as the John Stauffer farm.

Miss Anna Wilson, Dr. Wilson's daughter, an early settler, taught a subscription school in the church for three terms. She charged $2 a scholar and three of my family attended. The terms were three months long and about 35 scholars came to her first term.

My aunt Mary Hall taught the first school. It was in a building one-half block southeast of the square. I attended this school. About 25 scholars attended from the ages of 5 years to 17 years.

The next school was taught in a 4 room stone school house. It was built in 1869 or 1870, built with school money and was quite a well built commodious building. The early settlers took a great interest in schools. The second winter after we arrived where the city of Columbus is not located, 1869. My brother O. N. Williams, taught a writing school. He had 40 children. He taught two terms. As soon as school houses were built in the county, a good many spelling schools were held in the school houses and a good many dances after the opera hall, we called it, was built in Columbus.

No railroad facilities: About 1869 or 1870 The Kansas City-Fort Scott and Gulf Railroad was built as far as Baxter Springs. As soon as it was built to Baxter the company, partly to get the goodwill of the Leagers and other, and partly to get business started, gave a free ride from Columbus to Fort Scott and return to all wishing to avail themselves of the opportunity. In a good many cases the whole family, both in town and country took advantage of thre free ride and all went. Quite a number went to restaurants in Fort Scott for their dinners. There must have been 150 or 200 who take advantage of the free ride and went and all seemed to enjoy it hugely. Some went from all over the county.

About the title of the land. We had expected to get the land at $1.25 per acre, but we got fooled. My father and his son Oscar had to pay $5 an acre for their land. Three counties, Cherokee, Labette and Crawford counties tried to fight the title but it seems they had a hard tight title. The settlers formed a league and sent Amos Sanford to Washington to get to some legislation. The leagers would not buy their claims. They had a good many mass meetings and threatened some who bought their land outright from the company.

Quite a number bought their land and there was so much feeling on both sides, that Uncle Same sent about 300 U.S. soldiers. They had their quarters on the A. T. Lea 160 acres on the west bank of Brush creek two miles southeast of Columbus and one mile east of my father's land. The soldiers were kept there 2 or 3 years or until the Leagers gave up their fight against James F. Joy and bought their land. There was some jumping of claims, throughout the county and some fights, but I don't think any casualties. The leagers threatened a number of settlers. Even with the threatened trouble about the titles, the quarter sections and town lots were taken up very rapidly and houses went up very rapidly throughout the county and city. We thought at one time our land or part of it at least might be laid off in city lots. The soldiers were quite a help to the town, both in a social and financial way.

The opera hall, they called it, had just been built. We had several dances soon after they arrived. To get acquainted with them a good many both ladies and gents turned out; and all seemed to enjoy these dances very much.

They has some dances down at the soldiers camp too, which were pretty well patronized by the new settlers. The soldiers bought their meat and most of their groceries in Columbus, especially the last year or two of their stay, after the stores got better stocks of goods. The soldiers were pretty good spenders and those early merchants benefitted by it. I went down several time to watch them play baseball. The Columbus Daisy Cutters played a few match games with the soldiers.

They drove immense long bedded government wagons when they passed our home going to or coming from town and there were usually 10 to 15 soldiers all standing up in the wagon. They seemed to like to go town. they always drove 6 big mules, trained to be driven with a single line, or rather it was a rope hitched to the lead mule's bridle bits and carried three rings from the driver's hand, through rings in the backband of the others to the bridle top of the lead mule. The mules were well broken. The driver had only to jerk the rope quickly to make them turn around or to quicken their pace. They always drove them in a fast trot going or coming from town or on longer drives.

Our mail was brought to us early settlers by a man on horseback. It was delivered along the Military road 10 miles east of the now Columbus. Then it was brought to us living in the vicinity of Columbus by a man on horseback. I think our mail was delivered to us that way till the railroad was built to Cherokee county.

The first year we were on our 160 acres there was a celebration at Lowell in a nice grove to celebrate the glorious Fourth of July. Lowell is in the southeast corner of the county seat of Baxter Springs. There was probably five hundred in the grove. A good many came from the Quaker Valley, some 10 miles east of our farm. The orator of the day was Cyrus W. Harvey, a Quaker from Quaker Valley. Old Enoch Carter, a Quaker preacher also made a short speech. The Jolly boys living as far away from Quaker Valley as Columbus oft repeating a joke on Old Enoch. It was like this. He was driving an ox team breaking up the first virgin sod, which is a dead pull for even strong ox teams. It was a hot day. One ox got sullen and refused to go any farther. Old Eny was certainly out of patience. He held his whip and said to the ox, "I'll not curse thee nor I'll not bruise thee but I'll twist thee darned tail off". I won't vouch for the truth of this joke on Preacher Carter, he came that near to cuss words.

I can't blame him if he did say it. I drove oxen to breaking plows before and after school hours. Drove as many as 5 yoke (ten big fat steers) to a 20 inch ploy. On hot days some of them with their tongues sticking out, puffing and blowing, they'd get sullen and refuse to go on for a while. I carried a platte rawhite whip 18 feet long with a cracker on the end, 2 feet long. The whip handle was a heavy piece of hickory wood three feet long. I was only 10 years old but I could handle that whip and that team in great shape.

We broke about 120 acres of sod on our place the first year we were there, and some stunt it was. My brother, then seventeen, was usually with me so if the oxen got thirsty and started to run to the water place he could help me control them.

We raised wonderful watermelons, squashes and beans the first few years after the first virgin soil was broken up. On watermelon that we weighed tipped the scales at 45 pounds. Garden vegetables, onions, carrots, sweet potatoes, corn, sweet corn and Irish potatoes grow very fine after the first or second year or while the land was new.

Everyone was anxious to get their land broken as soon as possible. With a good strong team of well broken steers it was easy if a man had a good strong team of either horses or oxen to get sod breaking anywhere in the county, breaking by the acre.

For three or four years after the new settlers were breaking out their land there was a great deal of chills and fevers. Whole families would be sick often at the same time. There were a good many deaths throughout the county. There were not many doctors there yet, but more came later.

This epidemic of sickness was said by the doctors to be caused from the rotting of the grass roots of the newly broken sod land. Doctors were in such demand it was hard to get one even if several in the house were sick. The doctors did all they could but they were just worn out with over work and often refused to leave their home. Very often they would give the one calling, medicine for the sick ones and let you do the doctoring.

When my father died in April 1871 we couldn't get a doctor just at that time. He had been sick with chills and fever over two years. He would get it broken a while, then it would come on again. A great deal of quinine was taken by families throughout the county those first years after the breaking up of the sod ground.

Father, Fremont Sholts, a man by the name of Pat Murphy and some others were all first buried about 3/4 block west of where the square now is, and were later all taken up and buried in the new cemetery.

The first doctors in Columbus and vicnity were Dr. A. F. Childs, Dr. Patty, John Ritters father-in-law, Dr. Walker in Columbus, Dr. Wilson in Columbus, Dr. A. L. Warrington on the Military road, later in Pitzer's drug store on the south side square, and a little later Dr. W. H. Baxter in Columbus.

It has always seemed to be that the few years extreme cases of Miasmic sickness and peril and death for so man almost paralled the flu epidemic of the late war. The doctors were thought the terrible general sickness of those two or three years was caused entirely from the rotting and ceyaing of the sod roots where the sod land was being broken largely over the whole state of Kansas. One could sometimes on damp mornings smell the miasm in the air. The mases were a great deal worse during the late summer and early fall weather. I used to take quinine, black draught, black haw root tea all the year round to keep off the disease.

Brother Bob and I took a great interest in our 160 acre farm 1-1/2 miles southeast of Columbus. When we traded it to R. C. Ladd for San Jose, Calif., rental property it was one of the show places of the county. It had good buildings, 35 acres apple orchard, 5 acre peach orchard, 40 acre pasture and hedge around the whole 160 acre. We always kept the hedge squared on top, and trimmed it 3 times a year.

We had 7 acres of grapes with trellaces on 3 wires high. There were 8 rows of walnut trees on the north side of the place running along by the north hedge line 1/4 mile long. When I left Kansas in 1894, these walnut trees were 1 foot in diameter. These were put out for a wind break and they made a good one. Then there was a 1-1/2 acre catalpa grove.

Mr. Knock, you of The Advocate, and any early settlers of the time that I have been describing who might be living in that wonderful Cherokee county, or if there should be none there of the older people, I am sure their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren will enjoy reading this description of these early times almost as much as their ancestors who were instrumental in making the history of the time and places herein described. I have tried to give a true account of those stirring, rushing restless times during the birth and growth of Columbus.