Abbyville, a village of Reno county, is situated in Westminister
township, 17 miles southwest of Hutchinson, the county seat. The former name was Nonpariel. It is a station on
the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe R. R., has a bank, a money order, postoffice with two rural routes, express,
telegraph and telephone facilities, churches of the leading Protestant denominations, some mercantile and shipping
interests, and in 1910 reported a population of 300. (Kansas, Frank W. Blackmar, A. M., Ph. D., Volume 1, 1912,
page 17)
Arlington, an incorporated town of Reno County, is situated in the
township of the same name, 17 miles southwest of Hutchinson, at the point where the Chicago, Rock Island &
Pacific R. R. crosses the Ninnescah river. It has a bank, grain elevators, a weekly newspaper, a good public school
system, a cornet band, a money order post office with two rural free delivery routes, express and telegraph offices
and is the shipping and supply point for a large area of the rich agricultural country surrounding the town. The
population increased from 312 in 1900 to 450 in 1910. (Kansas, Frank W. Blackmar, A. M., Ph. D., Volume 1, 1912,
page 101)
Buhler, a town in Little River township, Reno county, is located
on the Little Arkansas river at the point where it is crossed by the St. Louis & St. Francisco R. R., about
12 miles northeast of Hutchinson, the county seat. It has a bank, a money order post office with two rural routes,
two grain elevators, hotel, creamery, telegraph, telephone and express service, some good mercantile houses, schools,
churches, etc., and in 1910 reported a population of 275. (Kansas, Frank W. Blackmar, A. M., Ph. D., Volume 1,
1912, page 252)
Dodge City, the county seat of Ford county and
one of the important cities of southwestern Kansas, is situated a few miles west of the center of the county on
the Arkansas river, and the main line of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe R. R. It is also the terminus of a
division of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific that connects with one of the main lines of that system at Bucklin,
in the southeastern part of Ford county. The city takes it name from old Fort Dodge (q. v.), which was located
about 4 miles below on the same side of the river.
Dodge City - The history of Dodge City begins with the completion of
the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe railroad to that point in Sept., 1872. About a month before the railroad reached
the Arkansas river, the tide of emigration turned toward Dodge City. Buffalo hunters found in the vicinity a profitable
field, and in the fall and winter of 1872 thousands of hides were shipped eastward over the new line of road. Other
branches of industry were introduced, and the saloon - that apparently inevitable concomitant of a frontier civilization
- flourished in all its pristine glory. Among the early comers was a large class of adventurers who had little
regard for human life and less for the "majesty of the law." This class was increased in numbers when
Dodge City became the objective point of the Texas cattle trade. In fact, within a year or two conditions became
so bad that on May 13, 1874, the commissioners of Ford County adopted a resolution to the effect "That any
person who is not engaged in any legitimate business, and any person under the influence of intoxicating drinks,
and any person who has ever borne arms against the government of the United States, who shall be found within the
limits of the town of Dodge City, bearing on his person a pistol, bowie knife, dirk, or other deadly weapon, shall
be subject to arrest upon charge of misdemeanor, and upon conviction shall be fined in a sum not exceeding $100
or by imprisonment in the county jail not exceeding three months or both, at the discretion of the court, and same
to take effect from date."
The adoption of this resolution and its enforcement
had a tendency to purify the civic atmosphere, but it was several years before Dodge City was entirely purged of
its undesirable population. When President Hayes passed through the place in 1879 he declined to leave his coach
because of the turbulent crowd on the outside. As late as 1883, a gambler named Short committed some offense againt
the public welfare and was threatened with lynching. Matters assumed such a serious aspect that Gov. Glick sent
Adjt. - Gen. Moonlight to Dodge City and a company of militia was held in readiness at Great Bend to move on short
notice to the scene of the trouble, but the adjutant-general succeeded in securing promises to let Short be tried
by the courts.
The Dodge City of the present day is as orderly
a city as any in the state. It has 3 banks, 2 weekly newspapers (the Globe-Republican and the Journal-Democrat),
electric lights, waterworks, a fire department, a fine sewer system, good public schools, an opera house, and its
international money order post office has one rural route that supplies daily mail to the inhabitants in a large
section of the adjacent country. Its manufacturing industries include flour mills, machine shops, an ice plant,
etc. The city has a telephone exchange, telegraph and express offices, hotels and a number of well appointed mercantile
houses. A United States land office was established at Dodge City in Feb., 1894; one of the state forestry stations
and the state soldiers home are located in the vicinity, and in 1911 Dodge City was designated by the national
government as the site of a postal savings bank. The population in 1910 was 3,214, a gain of 687 during the preceding
decade. (Kansas, Frank W. Blackmar, A. M., Ph. D., Volume 1, 1912, pages 523 & 524)
Haven, one of the thriving and prosperous towns of the wheat
belt, is in Haven township, Reno County, and is located on the Missouri Pacific R. R. 15 miles southeast of Hutchinson,
the county seat. It has 2 banks, a weekly newspaper (the Journal), a flour mill, an elevator, a creamery and a
number of well stocked retail stores. The town was laid out in 1886, and was incorporated as a city of the third
class in 1901. It is supplied with telegraph and express offices and has an interational money order post office
with three rural routes. The population according to the census of 1910 was 528. (Kansas, Frank W. Blackmar, A.
M., Ph. D., Volume 1, 1912, page 830)
Hutchinson, the "salt city," is one of the important cities
of the first class in Kansas. It is the judicial seat of Reno county, in the central part of the state, and is
168 miles southwest of Topeka. It is at the outlet of a great corn and wheat raising district, and has one of the
largest salt works in the world. Hutchinson is a city of active, wide-awake business men, excellent railroad facilties,
fine hotels, extensive manufacturing and jobbing interests, shady streets, beautiful buildings, and plenty of automobiles.
A home owned electric street railway system extends all over the city. The Hutchinson salt plants have been yielding
from 2,500 to 5,000 barrels of salt per day for the last twenty years and the source still seems inexhaustible.
The vein of rock salt is 400 feet thick and is found at a depth of 375 feet. The Hutchinson salt is unsurpassed
as a table salt. The amounts of money spent in running these plants is enormous, the cost of fuel alone being moe
than the amount received for salt sold within the state, the profits coming from export sales - and that with natural
gas for fuel at 10 cents per 1,000 feet. The various flour mills have a combined capacity of 3,000 barrels per
da, most of which is shipped out of the country by way of Galveston. The elevators have a storage capacity of 6,500,000
bushels. Te soda ash plant, which is probably the largest institution of its kind in the country, manufactures
the raw material or base of all soda products. The wholesale business aggregates $11,500,000 annually and 400 traveling
salesmen, representatives of Hutchinson firms, have their homes here. There is a meat packing establishment an
the poultry and egg business is extensive and brings large returns. There are foundries, a straw board factory,
canning factory, paint factory, creamery, blank book manufactory, machine shop, furniture factory and boiler works.
The five Hutchinson banks have a combined capital of over $500,000, and they were among the few banks in the country
which did not in some manner restrict cash payments during the panic of 1907.
The city is paved, lighted with electricity, has
a good sewer system, waterworks, an efficient fire department and police force. The finest hotel between the great
lakes and the Pacific coast, and the best retail stores between the 6th principal meridian and the Continental
divide are located here. This is the seat of the state reformatory. Hutchinson has a live commercial club, which
is continually inducing new factories and new commercial enterprises to locate there. The railroad facilties are
greatly to their advantage, in these matters, and have been one of the principal factors in the growth of the city
into an important commercial and manufacturing center. The main lines of both the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific
and the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe pass through the city; the Missouri Pacific line from Ellsworth to wichita
runs through Hutchinson and there are two additional lines of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe, one running
south and the other running west to Kinsley, where it meets the main line. The frieght hauled from Hutchinson by
the Santa Fe alone amounts to more tons per month than that of any town on the line, except Kansas City and the
terminals. Hutchinson ranks sixth among all the towns on the road, terminals included. A state fair is held annually
at Hutchinson by a fair association owning large grounds and buildings. Exhibits of live stock and agricultural
products come from all over Kansas and neighboring states.
Aside from her money making interests Hutchinson
has other valuable assets, not the least of these being her large and beautiful shade trees, which money cannot
buy and which time alone can produce. A Carnegie library, many fine churches, and the best of schools make the
town attractive from an intellectual and religious standpoint. The population in 1910, according to the government
census, was 16,364. It is rapidly increasing, as a great deal of labor is needed in the factories. In 1900 the
population was but a little over 9,000.
The town was founded by C. C. Hutchinson in 1871.
The first building on the site was erected in the fall of that year and in early days was the stopping place for
newcomers and travelers. It was also the grocery store, the meat market, and contained the real estate office of
C. C. Hutchinson. In Aug., 1872, the new town having sufficient population, it was incorporated as a city of the
third class. The first officers were: Mayor, Taylor Flick; police judge, J. B. Brown; councilmen, John McMurray,
G. A. Brazee, E. Wilcox, R. C. Bailey and D. M. Lewis. The founder of the town and the city officers from the first
tried to eliminate the selling of intoxicants in or about the town. In spite of this some of it was sold outside
the limits, and as there were no county government at the time the offenders could not be molested by the city.
However, they were arrested by the United States marshal. Among the first to open stores were W. Bailey, general
store, T. F. Leidigh, grocery; Jordan & Bemis, general store, E. Wilcox, hardware and farm implements; J. S.
Fay, opened a hotel and J. & C. McMurray, a livery stable. the year 1872 was an eventful one. The Atchison,
Topeka & Santa Fe R. R. was built past this point; the first bank was started by the founder of the town; the
Hutchinson News was founded on July 4, and the first school was taught by Miss Jennie Hodgson in a small frame
building on Main street. Mr. Hutchinson was elected to the legislature, and through his efforts Hutchinson became
the county seat. (Kansas, Frank W. Blackmar, A. M., Ph. D., Volume 1, 1912, pages 891-893)
Langdon, a village of Reno county in Langdon township, is a station
on the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific R. R. 16 miles southwest of Hutchinson, the county seat. It is a thriving
little town, the shipping and trading center for a prosperous agricultural area. A fish hatchery, conducted by
private enterprise, is located here. The town has a bank, a number of retail stores, telegraph and express offices
and a money order post office with two rural routes. The population, according to the census of 1910 was 300. (Kansas,
Frank W. Blackmar, A. M., Ph. D., Volume 2, 1912, page 104)
Nickerson, the second largest town in Reno county,
is located on the Arkansas river, and the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe and Missouri Pacific railroads, 12 miles
northwest of Hutchinson, the county seat. This is the location of Nickerson college and of the Reno county high
school, which was established by act of the legislature in 1899. There are 2 banks, an opera house, mills and elevators,
a weekly newspaper (the Argosy), and all the general lines of retail establishments. the town is supplied with
telegraph and express offices and has an international money order postoffice with two rural routes. The city is
divided into three wards and according to the census of 1910 had 1,195 inhabitants.
Nickerson was founded by the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad
company. The depot was built in 1872 and the station was named in honor of Thomas Nickerson, who was at that time
president of the company. A section house was built the same year. In 1875, a school house was erected. It was
not until Aug., 1875, that anyone came to live on the town site. At that time Dr. L. A. Reeves built a two-story
structure and opened a store. These buildings comprised "old Nickerson." In 1878 a new town site was
laid off on land owned and up to this time farmed by Mr. Sears. Building began at once and within 60 days after
the town was surveyed it had two hotels, a dozen stores, 2 livery stables, 2 lumber yards, and a printing office.
The first building was a drug store put by Mr. McCormick. The hotels were built by James DeVitt and A. L. Harlow.
The postoffice was established in 1873 with Mrs. M. Sears as postmistress, and was kept in a little sod house.
Later Dr. Reeves was postmaster and kept the office in his store, which he moved to the new town in 1878. The money
order system was established in 1880. The first schoolw as taught in 1874 by Mary Kinney. The Nickerson Argosy
was established in 1878 by Sargent & Brown. A Lodges, churches and other organizations were established at
different times during the '70s, until by 1880 all the leading ones were represented. The town was organized as
a city of the third class in June, 1879. The first set of city officials were: Mayor, Dr. L. A. Reeves; council,
M. McCormick, C. S. Morse, J. O. Smith, H. R. Nickerson; police judge, O. O. Olmstead; treasurer, C. E. Heath;
clerk, A. H. Jackson; marshal, J. D. Reed. (Kansas, Frank W. Blackmar, A. M., Ph. D., Volume 2, 1912, page 369)
Pretty Prairie, a little town in Reno county, is located in the southern
part of the county on the Kingman branch of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe R. R., about 20 miles south of
Hutchinson, the county seat. It is the trading point for Albion township, and an important shipping point for live
stock, grain and produce. It has a bank, mills and elevators, express and telegraph offices, and a money order
postoffice with three rural routes. The town was incorporated as a city of the third class in 1907. The population
according to the census of 1910 was 327. (Kansas, Frank W. Blackmar, A. M., Ph. D., Volume 1, 1912, page 501)
Partridge, a thriving little town of Reno county, is located on the
Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe and the Missouri Pacific railroads in Center township, 11 miles southwest of Hutchinson,
the county seat. It is an important shipping point for grain, live stock and produce, has a bank, an elevator,
telegraph and express offices, and a money order post office with two rural routes. It was laid out early in 1886
and was incorporated as a city of the third class in 1906. The population according to the census of 1910 was 246.
(Kansas, Frank W. Blackmar, A. M., Ph. D., Volume 2, 1912, page 446)
Plevna, a little town in Plevna township, Reno county, is a station
on the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe R. R. 22 miles southwest of Hutchinson, the county seat. It has a good graded
school, several general stores, telegraph and express offices, and a money order post office with two rural routes.
The population according to the census of 1910 was 200. (Kansas, Frank W. Blackmar, A. M., Ph. D., Volume 2, 1912,
page 482)
South Hutchinson, is that portion of the city of Hutchinson lying south
of the Arkansas river. The population in 1910 was 387. (See Hutchinson) (Kansas, Frank W. Blackmar, A. M., Ph.
D., Volume 2, 1912, page 718)
Sylvia, the third largest town in Reno county, is a station on
the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe R. R. and is located on the north branch of the Ninnescah river in Sylvia township,
30 miles southwest of Hutchinson, the county seat. It is in the midst of a locality famous for wheat and corn crops
and is a town frequently heard from in connection with those products, being an important buying and shipping point
for live stock and grain. The town has a bank, a mill, an elevator, a weekly newspaper (the Sun), telegraph and
express offices and an international money order post office with three rural routes. The population, according
to the census of 1910, was 634. Sylvia was founded in 1886 and organized as a city of the third class the next
year. T. J. Talbott was its first mayor. (Kansas, Frank W. Blackmar, A. M., Ph. D., Volume 2, 1912, page 794)
Turon, one of the prosperous little towns of Reno county, is
located at the junction of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific and the Missouri Pacific Railroads in Miami township,
about 33 miles southwest of Hutchinson, the county seat. It has 2 banks, a weekly newspaper (the Press), a creamery,
an elevator, telegraph and express offices, and an international money order postoffice with two rural routes.
Turon was founded in 1886. It was incorporated as a city of the third class in 1905. The population in 1910 according
to the U. S. census report was 572. (Kansas, Frank W. Blackmar, A. M., Ph. D., Volume 2, 1912, pages 82 & 823)
