Grant Township Sedgwick County Kansas Genealogy Trails

Grant

Grant Township is settled mostly by old soldiers, and named in honor of the General. Alexander Jester was the first settler, and located with his family upon the banks of what was called Jester Creek (since changed to Badger), as early as January, 1868. In the fall of 1870, he left his family and went to Indiana on his annual predatory excursion; returning he met a sixteen year-old boy enroute West, who was in possession of a good team, some money, a trunk and a silver watch. Jester, acting in a totally different capacity from what his name would imply, worked into the confidence of the boy. Gaining it the more readily owing to his old age, and then assuming the role of guide and protector to the poor boy, he allured him to this valley one night, and brutally murdered him with an axe while asleep at their camp fire in Missouri. He burned the body but preserved the effects, coming through Wichita a month afterwards with the boy's team, trunk, etc., and going to his place. Word reached here a few days after; he was arrested and sent back to Missouri, where he broke jail, and was afterwards killed among a band of outlaws, while attempting to rob a wagon train. His wife and family, a boy and two girls, scattered, and having all since died. There were pioneers in Grant Township, however, as early as the spring of 1870; among them were Scott Thomas, D. R. Allen, Ruleson, the blacksmith, S. J. Perrin, O. G. Jacobs, Chris. Pringle, the Ayers. All are still living in Grant except Allen, who resides in Wichita. Ruleson was probably the first to settle after Jester, in Grant Township. Valley Center, now grown to be quite an important village, doing a fine grain and stock trade, with depot, elevator and several good stores, several good church organizations, a fine school edifice, etc., is located in Grant Township. The township is watered by the Little Arkansas, Badger Creek, and the head waters of Chisholm Creek. The soil is very productive, lies mostly in the beautiful valley of the Little Arkansas, or with a valley slope approaching the uplands, which produces nearly equal to the bottom farms, while greatly superior in the matter of fruit culture; one of the finest orchards in the State, that of Mr. McCracken, is upon the uplands of Grant Township, Sedgwick County. Grant Township has eight schoolhouses, and boasts of a handsome park, dark with shade trees, and seats, platforms, etc., arranged for speaking, dancing or celebrating. Population, 891; valuation of property, $340,066. (William G. Cutler's History of the State of Kansas, Sedgwick County, Part 2, Township Sketches)