History of Washington County, Kansas

Barnes, an incorporated town of Washington County, is a station on the Missouri Pacific R. R. 13 miles southeast of Washington, the county seat. It has a money order postoffice with three rural routes, express and telegraph offices, telephone connection, a bank, a weekly newspaper - The Barnes Chief - Methodist, Lutheran and Christian churches, good schools and in 1910 reported a population of 454. It is the principal trading and shipping oint for Barnes township, in which it is situated.

Brantford, a village of Washington county, with a population of 75, is located near the Republic county line, about 20 miles southwest of Washington, the county seat. It was formerly a postoffice, but mail is now supplied to the people there by rural free delivery from Clyde.

Clifton, an incorporated city of the third class of Washington county, is located near the southwest corner on the line between Clay and Mulberry townships, and about 20 miles from Washington, the county seat. It is on the Republican river at the junction of the Union Pacific, Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific and the Missouri Pacific railroads, which gives the city unsurpassed shipping facilities. Clifton has 2 banks, a money order postoffice with five rural routes, express and telegraph offices, telephone connections, churches of various denonminations, some first class mercantile houses, a hotel, a good public shool system, etc. Of the 614 population according to the U.S. census of 1910, 261 lived in Clay and 353 in Mulberry township.

Greenleaf, an incorporated city of Washington county, is a station on the Missouri Pacific R. R. 7 miles southeast of Washington, the county seat. It is also the terminus of a branch of the same system that runs to Washington. Greenleaf was incorporated in 1880 and in 1910 had a population of 781. It has an international money order postoffice with four rural routes, 2 banks, a weekly newspaper (The Sentinel) hotels, a cigar factory, Catholic, Lutheran and Methodist churches, telegraph and express offices, telephone connections, a number of well stocked stores, and is a shipping point of considerabe importance.

Hanover, an incorporated city of Washington county, is situated 12 miles northeast of Washington, the county seat, at the junction of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy and the St. Joseph & Grand Island railroads, which makes it an important shipping point for a rich agricultural district. The town was laid out in the spring of 1869 by G. H. Hollenberg. It was incorporated as a city of the third class, in July, 1872. Mr. Hollenberg died on July 1, 1874, and left $600 for the purpose of building a city hall, provided the citizens would raise $1,000.

The money was secured without difficulty and the hall was built in 1875. Hanover has electric lights, waterworks, public and Catholic schools, 2 banks, 2 weekly newspapers, (The Democrat-Enterprise and the Herald), an international money order postoffice with four rural routes, express, telegraph and telephone facilities, a bottling works, a number of good mercantile establishments, hotels, etc. The population was 1,039 in 1910.

Source: Kansas: a cyclopedia of state history, embracing events, institutions, 1912, edited by Frank Wilson Blackmar