Newton, the judicial seat and largest town in Harvey county, and
one of the thriving cities of central Kansas, is located 30 miles north of Wichita and 33 miles east of Hutchinson.
It is the division point of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe R. R., and the pay roll of the employees at this
point amounts to about $85,000 per month. It is also a station on the Missouri Pacific. The abundance of natural
gas has made Newton a manufacturing town. It has a grain drill factory, an alfalfa mill, a wagon works, a threshing
machine factory, cornice works and a number of small plants devoted to various productions. In addition to the
public schools, which are second to none in the state, Newton has two colleges, Bethel College (Mennonite) and
the Evangelical Lutheran (Congregational). The business interests include 4 banks, a daily newspaper (The Evening
Journal), three weeklies (the Journal, the Kansas Republican, and the Post), and the Volksblatt (German), a building
and loan association, a creamery, 3 flour mills with a capacity of 1,200 barrels daily, 3 large elevators a number
of well appointed stores. Among the metropolitan conveniences are two parks, a hospital, city mail boxes, telephone
local and long distance service, a Carnegie library, 24 daily passenger trains, waterworks, an efficient sewer
system, electric light plant, an ice plant with a daily capacity of 60 tons, all the leading fraternal organizations,
17 churches and a government building. The city is well supplied with express offices and telegraphic communications,
and has an international money order postoffice with seven rural routes. The population according to the census
of 1910 was 7,862.
The first building to occupy the town site of Newton
was brought from Darlington township in March, 1870. Ten years later a thriving little town of second class, with
handsome brick blocks, fine residences, churches, schools and newspapers had grown up. This prosperity was largely
brought about by the completion of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe R. R. in 1871, making Newton the shipping
point for the immense herds of Texas cattle, which hitherto had been driven to Abilene. The cattle trade while
it brought a great deal of wealth to the town had its disadvantages. A rough element held sway during this time
and social amusements were devised for the "cowboy trade" that were a disgrace to any community. Every
person went armed, liquor was plentiful, many quarrels were engaged in and some shooting was done, although the
number of people killed in these border towns have been always exaggerated. In the two years of "cowboy reign"
there were but 12 men killed in Newton. In 1873, the railroad having been extended to Dodge City and Wichita, the
cattle trade moved to these points, leaving Newton free from this undersirable element. For a time business was
dull as a result of the loss and this state of affairs was augmented by a disastrous fire which swept out the best
part of the business section. However, in 1875 the town recovered from both and began a new and steady development.
Prior to 1872, Newton was without government in
any form. In February of that year it was incorporated as a city of the third class, and at the election held on
April 1, the following officers where chosen: Mayor, James Gregory; police judge, M. J. Hennessey; councilmen,
E. Chamberlain, D. Hamill, Isaac Thayer, B. c. Arnott, John Winram. The city council appointed R. B. Lynch, clerk;
G. Chamberlain, Treasurer; D. Skelley, attorney; W. Brooks, marshal; Charles Bowman, assistant marshal. In 1880
the governor proclaimed Newton a city of the second class, and it was divided into three wards.
The postoffice was established in 1871 with W.
A. Russell postmaster. It was made a money order office in 1874. Newton owns and operates its own water system,
which furnishes an abundance of water of superior quality. (Kansas A Cyclopedia of State History, edited by Frank
W. Blackmar, A. M., Ph. D., Volume 2, 1912, Pages 367-368)
Sedgwick, the third largest town in Harvey county, is located on
the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe R. R. and the Little Arkansas river, 10 miles south of Newton, the county seat.
It is an incorporated city of 626 inhabitants according to the census of 1910, has 2 banks, an opera house, a weekly
newspaper (the Panagraph), telegraph and express offices, and an international money order post office with four
rural routes. It is the oldest town in the county having been laid off in June 1870, by the Sedgwick Town Company,
of which T. S. Floyd was president. The first store, which was the first in the county was built in July of that
year by William H. Owen. The postoffice was established in the same year with T. S. Floyd as postmaster. The money
order department was added in 1877. The first school house in the county was erected here in 1870 and the first
term was taught by C. S. Bullock and wife. The first newspaper was the Sedgwick Gazette, the initial number of
which was issued in Jan., 1871. The Citizens' Savings bank was organized and began business in 1872. The town was
incorporated as a city of the third class in March of that year. The first election was held on April 1 and the
first city officials were as follows: Mayor, T. S. Floyd; police judge, F. T. Morris; clerk, H. Goodell; treasurer,
P. M. Morgan; marshal, W. H. Hurd; councilmen, N. A. Mathias, W. B. Chamberlain, O. M. Sherman, O. Y. Hart and
Charles Shaefer. The city government was suspended in 1877 on account of a clerical error in the charter. It was
revived again in 1881 and a reorganization took place followed by an election of officers in April, 1882, when
S. B. Cretcher was elected mayor; N. A. Mathias, police judge; James Cox, R. W. Hall, E. N. Green, J. M. Massey
and P. M. Morgan, councilmen. The following were appointed: A. G. Stones, Clerk, T. J. Miller, treasurer; C. E.
Green, marshal. (Kansas A Cyclopedia of State History, edited by Frank W. Blackmar, A. M., Ph. D., Volume 2, 1912,
Pages 661-662)
Walton, one the thriving little cities of the third class in Harvey
county, is located on the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe R. R. 7 miles northeast of Newton, the county seat. It
has a bank, the leading denominations of churches, good graded schools, telegraph and express offices, and has
a money order postoffice with one rural route. The population according to the census of 1910 was 357. Walton was
laid out in 1871 by William Mathews, who erected the first building and used it for a dwelling. The first store
was opened by B. C. Johnson. The third building was the railroad section house. A school house was built in 1871
from a subscription fund raised for religious and educational purposes, and Mrs. M. J. Sharron was the first teacher.
The postoffice was established the same year with Mrs. E. Peck as postmistress. On account of some difficulty over
the title to the lands, the growth of the town was retarded until 1876. (Kansas A Cyclopedia of State History,
edited by Frank W. Blackmar, A. M., Ph. D., Volume 2, 1912, Page 875)
