3) T 01 a> SJ "Tl 
 
 :*■ M Cft! w p o 
 
 O d (t r-^ ^ 
 
 » < 5 "s 
 
Wabaunsee County Directory and History 
 
 Wabaunsee County 
 Independent Telephone Co. 
 
 This is the new telephone company which has lately bought 
 out the Wabaunsee Telephone Company. The telephone system 
 in Wabaunsee County began operations June 25th, 1898, with 
 twelve subscribers under the management of the McMahan Tele- 
 phone Exchange. The lines soon extended to the neighboring 
 towns and by 1900 Topeka was reached. In 1902 there were 
 110 'phones in Alma, 70 in Eskridge, and 41 on the rural lines. 
 In 1903 the McMahan Telephone Company was succeeded by 
 the Wabaunsee County Telephone Company. Since that time the 
 system has been greatly extended. At present there are five 
 central offices — Alma, Altavista, Eskridge, McFarland, and 
 Maple Hill, employing ten operators. Toll lines from Topeka 
 to Dwight; also St. Marys, Rossville, Harveyville, and Allen 
 have connections with the Paxico, Keene, and Harveyville Mu- 
 tual and all Mutual exchanges in Morris County, Manhattan and 
 Burlingame; also with all Independent Companies' lines running 
 into three adjoining counties, Shawnee, Pottawatomie and 
 Morris. 
 
 There are about eighty-four miles of pole lines, seventy miles 
 of city wire, and two hundred and fifty-five miles of rural 
 toll lines. The total number of telephones in use exceed 525, 
 of which 275 are in and about Alma. Four men are regularly 
 employed keeping the lines in order. 
 
 The improvements being made at present are the installment 
 of new switch-boards at Alma and McFarland and the building 
 of new rural lines. 
 
 The stockholders of the present company are: C. B. Hender- 
 son, Alma; J. R. Henderson, Alma; J. Y. Waugh, Eskridge; 
 M. F. Trivett, Eskridge; B. R. Henderson, Eskridge-; J. N. 
 Dolley, Maple Hill. 
 
 The officers are: C. B. Henderson, President; J. N. Dolley, 
 Vice-President; J. R. Henderson, Secretary and Treasurer. 
 
 The company is capitalized on $50,000. 
 
Business Directory 
 
 AND 
 
 History 
 
 OF 
 
 Wabaunsee County 
 
 PUBLISHED BY 
 
 'Ihe Kansas Directory Company 
 
 OF 
 
 Topeka, Kansas 
 
 1907 
 
K 
 
 
 Wabaunsee County Directory and History 
 
 ^tisl3lisSies'^s ^m^o^^hc®im.<aEht 
 
 In presenting the Business Directory and Official History of 
 Wabaunsee County, we believe we have the most valuable ref- 
 erence book ever gotten up for any county in Kansas, and desire 
 to make due acknowledgement to the enterprising and public- 
 spirited business men of the county for their assistance and 
 cooperation. Otherwise it would not have been possible to have 
 •gotten out so valuable a publication and make a success with 
 this our first county directory. 
 
 The Kansas Directory Company has published several di- 
 rectories, notably the Kansas Produce Directory and the Kansas 
 "Real Estate Directory, and this book is the first attempt at a 
 "County Directory, and the publishers are encouraged to make a 
 special feature of this line of work in Kansas. 
 
 The publishers take great pleasure in acknowledging the effi- 
 cient and enthusiastic services of our special literary writers, 
 Mrs. Mary Emma Montgomery and Miss Elizabeth N. Barr of 
 Topeka. Of Mrs. Montgomery, Hon. Geo. W. Martin, Secretary 
 of the State Historical Society, says: 
 
 "Mrs. Mary Emma Montgomery is a native of Ohio and came 
 to Hays City, Kansas in 1877 with her father J. B. Milner. In 
 1879 she married Frank C. Montgomery, editor of the Hays 
 City Sentinel. She has made her home in Kansas ever since, 
 excepting for four years in the early eighties, when she was in 
 Tacoma and Seattle, Washington Territory, where her husband 
 edited newspapers. She was educated in the Alliance, Ohio, 
 high school. She is the mother of three sons, Franklin Terence 
 ■of San Francisco, Paul Milner of Topeka and William Penn, 
 of Topeka. The youngest son recently graduated from the law 
 department of the Kansas State University. Frank C. Mont- 
 gomery, recently deceased, as all people know, was a brilliant 
 •editorial write? for many years connected with the Kansas City 
 
 _rVaywf . ^^■Tix-. bir^' . ^ 
 
Wabaunsee County Directory and History 
 
 Journal. Mrs. Montgomery has excellent literary ability with 
 a taste for historical work." 
 
 Miss Elizabeth N. Barr, Secretary of the Kansas Authors: 
 Club, and author of Washburn Ballads, has written a number 
 of notable articles and has been quite a contributor of verse 
 and prose for the Kansas press. 
 
 Governor Hoch gave Miss Barr the following letter of intro- 
 duction to Wabuansee County people: 
 
 "June 14, 1907. 
 To the People of Wabaunsee County: 
 
 I understand that Miss Elizabeth N. Barr contemplates 
 writing a history of Wabaunsee County. One of the beautiful 
 booklets in my Kansas collection is a little book of poems by 
 Miss Barr. She is a gifted young lady and I am quite sure 
 will write the ptory of Wabaunsee County in a charming man- 
 ner. She is a Washburn girl and I commend her as worthy of 
 the confidence of those who meet her. 
 
 Very respectfully, 
 
 (Signed) E. W. Hoch." 
 
 The editions of the Wabaunsee County Business Directory is 
 limited to three thousand copies, and owing to a large advance 
 sale the supply will soon be exhausted, but until then we will 
 fill orders for a single book at one dollar or make a special rate 
 for quantity. It is a magnificent book to send to friends and 
 customers by patriotic residents of Wabaunsee County. 
 
 THE KANSAS DIRECTORY COMPANY. 
 Topeka, Kansas, August 15, 1907. 
 
 Standard Directories for Sale at Special Prices 
 
 Kansas Real Estate Directory — in cloth, $1.00. Regular 
 price, $2.00. 
 
 Kansas Produce Directory— Paper $1.00; in cloth, $1.50. 
 Regular price, 33.00 and $5.00. 
 
 Shippers' Record Book — Book for shippers of all kinds of 
 produce. In boards, $1.00. 
 
 Stock Breeders Annual and Kansas Breeders Directory — 
 Price, $1.00, sell for 50 cents. 
 
 Address all orders to Kansas Directory Co., 625 Jackson St., 
 Topeka, Kans. 
 
Wabaunsee County Directory and History 
 
 H. W. Steinmeyer, Volland, Kans. 
 
 Mr. H. W. Steinmeyer, who lives five miles southeast of Vol- 
 land, is making a specialty of fine blooded Duroc-Jerseys. He 
 has a fine herd and is enjoying a good business. He started his 
 herd ten years ago, and besides his immediate home trade, which 
 is large, he is shipping to Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, and Mis- 
 souri. We can venture a guess that Mr. Steinmeyer knows his 
 business in the hog line. 
 
 Egypt Lad 34032 is at head of the herd. ° Following are a 
 few of the sows kept in the herd at the present time: Miss 
 Topnotcher 108816, Can Be Choice 112380, Volland Ferry 83624, 
 Royal Gold Dust 122970, Bessie Wonder 112382. You can make 
 no mistake in buying from this herd. 
 
 Mr. Steinmeyer also handles the Red Polled cattle, which 
 herd he started five years ago with Mike Sunflower 12567 at 
 iiead of herd, which is a son of the champion bull of Iowa. Last 
 fall a young bull was added to the herd which is out of Lawn 
 Pall 13221. 
 
 On further conversation with Mr. Steinmeyer we find he is 
 keeping a flock of the Single Comb Rhode Island Red chickens, 
 which is perhaps of great interest to many who wish the vei-y 
 best stock. 
 
 His farm contains 320 acres and lays in the very heart of 
 the alfalfa land. 
 
 In answer to our questions, Mr. Steinmeyer said: "Yes, the 
 fine stock business has my undivided attention and I have been 
 able so far to fill my orders. The hogs and cattle which I put 
 out are great advertisers for me." 
 
Wabaunsee County Directory and History 
 
 'a]baiMi©ee County 
 
 INDIANS. 
 
 Wabaunsee County is one of unusual interest to the student 
 of Kansas histoiy, by reason of its location, Indian reservations, 
 early settlement, and war record. 
 
 Its locality according to the belief of many of its people, 
 would seem to fit the description of Quivera, 
 
 "In that half forgotten era," 
 
 given by Coronado in the old Spanish documents concerning his 
 explorations in 1542. Mr. J. V. Browei*, an archaeologist of 
 note, has spent years in research over this and adjoining coun- 
 ties, and many valuable archaeological collections have been 
 made which would seem to substantiate the belief of many peo- 
 ple that the Quivera Indians once lived on the soil of Wabaun- 
 see County. Great interest is shown in historical matters. 
 A Quivera Historical Society was formed at Alma in 1901 to 
 continue the research and preserve records. The Legislature 
 of 1907 passed a bill authorizing the Board of Commissioners of 
 Wabaunsee County to provide for the use of the Wabaunsee 
 County Historical Society, a room in one of its county buildings 
 for its museum and library, and were authorized to appropriate 
 $1,200 out of the county funds for the purpose of providing and 
 erecting a room for the vise of that society. The Quivera so- 
 ciety joined in the dedication of the monument erected and com- 
 pleted August 12th, 1902, by Capt. Robert Henderson, at Logan 
 Grove, Geary County, in commemoration of the exploration of 
 Coronado in the country of the Quivera and Harahey Indians. 
 
 It is interesting to note that there is a difference of opinion 
 as to Coronado's line of march. Mr. W. E. Richey, the archaeol- 
 ogist of Harveyvile, who has his own ideas on this subject, has 
 an interesting collection of Indian specimens and an old Spanish 
 sword which he deposited with the Historical Society in the 
 State House at Topeka. 
 
 Whatever tribes composed the aborigines, Quivera's or Hara- 
 
Wabaunsee County Directory and History 
 
 hey's, it is known that prior to 1846 the land embraced in Wa- 
 baunsee County was claimed by the Kansas or Kaw Indians. 
 In 1833, Rev. Isaac McCoy, a missionary who had charge of the 
 location of the Indian tribes, was sold to this locality to survey 
 a portion of land for the Shawnee Indians. In 1846, by treaty 
 with the Kaws, the Pottawatomie Indians of Michigan, Wiscon- 
 sin, Illinois, and Indiana, were given a portion of land thirty 
 miles square beginning two miles west of Topeka, into Wa- 
 baunsee, Pottawatomie, and Jackson Counties. This reservation 
 extended over one- fourth , the area of Wabaunsee County and 
 was occupied by over two thousand Indians. The Kaws had 
 been given a reservation in the southern part of the county. 
 All these lands had been allotted in severalty or thrown open for 
 settlement by 1872. The Pottawatomies of the Woods and the 
 Kaws went to the Indian Territory. The Prairie Band of Pot- 
 tawatomie Indians still lives on the reservation given them in 
 Jackson County. 
 
 ORIGINAL FORMATION AND NAME. 
 
 In 1855, the Territorial Legislature defined a certain portion 
 of land west of Shawnee County, and attached to that county for 
 business and judicial purposes, which they named Richardson 
 County. As such it had no county officers or records. It was 
 named after Wm. Richardson, of Illinois, who introduced the 
 first Kansas and Nebraska Bill in the House of Representatives. 
 On account of his political sentiments the name of the county 
 was changed in 1859 to Wabaunsee, after Chief Wabaunsee of 
 the Pottawatomies. The name signifies "Dawn of Day." An 
 old map of "Richardson County, Kansas Territory," published 
 in 1855, before the survey, shows the Pottawatomie reservation 
 in the northeast, Kaw reservation in the southwest, a proposed 
 railroad from Kansas City to Ft. Riley, the Mormon Trail from 
 Uniontown in Shawnee, southwest through the county, and the 
 Santa Fe Trail crossing the corner at Wilmington. 
 
 ORGANIZATION. 
 
 The county was organized in March of 1859. There were 
 two voting precincts, one at Alma and one at Wabaunsee vil- 
 lage. There were 111 votes cast in the election of county officers 
 
Wabaunsee County Directory and History 
 
 which resulted as follows: County Commissioners, Henry Har- 
 vey, J. M. Hubbard, G. Zwanziger; Probate Judge, J. M. Hub- 
 bard; Clerk of the Court, J. M. Harvey; Sheriff, John Hodgson; 
 Register of Deeds, Moses C. Welch; County Attorney, R. G. 
 Terry; Coroner, August Brasche; Treasurer, Henry Harvey; 
 Surveyor, G. Zwanziger; Auditor, S. F. Ross; Superintendent 
 of Public Instruction, J. E. Piatt. The county was divided into 
 four townships only. Wabaunsee was the first county seat, but 
 in 1866 the large German population succeeded in changing it 
 to Alma, as being more central. It is said that they named it 
 for the river and battle of Alma in the Crimea, September 20, 
 1854. 
 
 The Territorial Legislature of 1855 defined the boundary 
 lines of Richardson County as follows: Beginning at the south- 
 west corner of Shawnee County, nine miles south of the present 
 southwest corner of that county, and seventy-two miles west 
 of the Missouri line, then west twenty-four miles, then north to 
 the middle of the channel of the Kansas River, then following 
 the coui-se of that river, eastward to the west line of Shawnee 
 County, then south to the starting point. In 1860 Hon. C. B. 
 Lines, member of the Territorial Legislature, succeeded in hav- 
 ing a strip of land six miles wide and as long as the west line of 
 the county, added to its confines. In 1864, the establishment of 
 Morris County took from the southwest corner of Wabaunsee 
 County seventy-two square miles of land. In the Legislature of 
 1868, Hon. Wm. Mitchell succeeded in reclaiming that land for 
 the county. In 1869 it was again given to Morris County, but 
 in the Legislature of 1870, a compromise was brought by which 
 one-half was given to Morris and one-half to Wabaunsee. In 
 1871, when John Pinkerton was representative, the Legislature 
 enacted a law detaching most of Zeandale Township from the 
 county, giving it to Riley. After the bill had passed the House, 
 and before it reached the Governor, it was illegally changed to 
 take in a larger territory than named in the true bill. In 1872 
 and 1873 efforts were made to recover the illegally detached 
 portion, finally resulting successfully when A. Sellers was Rep- 
 resentative, but uniformity in the west boundary was never 
 regained. 
 
10 Wabaunsee County Directory and History 
 
 LOCATION AND DESCRIPTION. 
 
 Its location is in the fourth tier of counties from the east 
 line of the State, about seventy-five miles from the Missouri 
 River and about midway between the north and south boundaries 
 of the State. It is bounded on the north by the Kansas River, 
 Riley, Pottawatomie, and Shawnee Counties, on the east by 
 Shawnee and Osage, on the south by Morris and Lyon, and its 
 neighbors on the west are Riley, Geary and Morris. The sur- 
 face of the county is very much broken, especially in the central 
 portion, where there is a chain of bluffs. It is crossed by many 
 streams and creeks along whose banks are fine grovrths of tim- 
 ber, including walnut, oak, cottonwood, hickoiy, and locust. The 
 largest of these streams is Mill Creek, which, with its many 
 tributaries, empties into the Kansas River near the northeast 
 corner of the county. The bottom lands along the river are very 
 fertile though not wide, varying from one-half mile to one and 
 one-half miles in width. These bottom lands make up about 
 fifteen per cent of the area of the county. The soil is very rich 
 varying from two to ten feet in depth. The greater part of the 
 county is upland px'airie, whose soil where not faced with lime- 
 stone, can not be excelled for grazing purposes. This abundance 
 of pasturage and the bountiful water supply make Wabaunsee 
 County of great importance in the matter of stock-raising. The 
 highest point of land in the county is Buffalo Mound in Maple 
 Hill Township, south of Mill Ci*eek. From this point can be 
 seen a view extending over forty miles in radius. There is a 
 story that General J. C. Fremont camped near by and raised 
 the flag on its summit, while on his way to the Pacific in 1843. 
 This mound and other picturesque features of Maple Hill Town- 
 ship make the village of Maple Hill on the Rock Island railroad, 
 a favorite summer resort with the people of adjacent counties. 
 
 SETTLEMENT. 
 
 The story of the early settlement of the county is full of in- 
 terest. The first white men outside the reservations were evi- 
 dently pirates of the prairie. They built a log house in 1842 
 near where Harveyville is now. Their purpose was to rob trav- 
 elers on the several roads. From a high mound near by they 
 could observe the Santa Fe Trail which was used before the 
 
Wabaunsee County Directory and History 11 
 
 year 1800 and was well established by 1822. It was used by 
 Mexican ti'aders, paymasters, and gold-seekers. This nest of 
 robbers was broken up after the killing of twenty-seven Mex- 
 ican traders and the robbery of five hundred mules and treasure- 
 box said to contain seventy-five thousand dollars in gold. Gov- 
 ernment authorities were notified, chase was given, nineteen of 
 the robbers were shot in the fight, and five were sent to prison 
 for life. The money was never recovered for the owner, but 
 there is a story that a mysterious Englishman dug up the treas- 
 ure-box from under the ruins of the log-house in 1895, and im- 
 mediately left the place. 
 
 One of the first settlers in the county was Jacob Terras, a 
 German, who located on Hendi'icks' Creek, one mile east of 
 Alma, in 1853. Before 1854, John P. Gleich, Joseph and Peter 
 Thoes, Frank Schmidt, R. Schrauder, and C. Schwanke had set- 
 tled in different parts of the county. The first collective set- 
 tlement was made in 1854 on the Kansas River in Wabaunsee 
 Township, by a colony of about thirty-four people of mixed na- 
 tionality. They made their settlement on Government land just 
 outside the reservation. Among them were D. B'. Hiatt, Peter 
 and Bartholomew Sharer, Clark Lapham, J. Smith, Rev. Leon- 
 ard, Robert Banks, J. Nesbit, and Horace W. Tabor. J. H. 
 Nesbit was a secretary in the Free State Convention at Topeka 
 in 1855. Horace W. Tabor, afterward Senator from Colorado, 
 was a representative from Richardson County in 1856. He was 
 a member of the Free State Party, and left the State for Colo- 
 rado in 1859. Rev. Harvey Jones and wife were sent to this 
 settlement as missionaries. He took up one hundred and sixty 
 acres of Government land just outside the reservation on Em- 
 mons Creek, where he built a rude cabin. For several years 
 this house was used for church, school, and postofRce. Harvey 
 .Jones was both preacher and postmaster. The mail arrived 
 once a week from Tecumseh. In 1855 a German colony, com- 
 posed mostly of single men, came to a place near the present 
 site of Alma. Their plans for a town failed, and before a year 
 passed most of them abandoned their claims and their chosen 
 townsite was pre-empted by Gottlieb Zwanziger. 
 
 Among the Quakers who settled in Wilmington Township in 
 1854, was Henry Harvey, the historic character deserving of 
 more than passing mention. He had come from Ohio to Kansas 
 
12 Wabaunsee County Directory and History 
 
 in 1840 with the Shawnee Indians as their teacher in the Shaw- 
 nee Mission School in Johnson County. He returned to Ohio in 
 1842 and began his "History of the Shawnee Indian from 1681 
 to 1854, inclusive." This volume is now very rare and contains 
 one of the few written accounts of the flood in the Kaw valley 
 in 1844. He was a great friend of the Indian and was appointed 
 Government agent to the Osage tribe in 1850 by President Tay- 
 lor. In 1854 he settled with his two sons on Dragoon Creek, 
 near the present site of Harveyville, which was named in his 
 honor. His book was published in Ohio in 1855. 
 
 BEECHER BIBLE AND RIFLE SOCIETY. 
 
 The largest colony that came to the county was "The Beecher 
 Bible and Rifle Society.'" This was organized in 1856 in New 
 Haven, Conn., inspired by the intense interest in the Kansas- 
 Nebraska Bill. The colonists were assisted in their plans by cit- 
 izens of their native State and by Henry Ward Beecher and his 
 church, which furnished twenty-five rifles at $25 each. Fifty- 
 two rifles were bought for members not supplied, and when the 
 colony left New Haven for Kansas March 29th, 1856, every one 
 of its seventy men were armed with a Sharpies, rifle, a Bible, 
 and hymn-book. Their avowed purpose was to aid in the estab- 
 lishment of liberty, good government, church, school, town, and 
 a farm for each person. The company consisted of all classes — 
 ministers, merchants, doctors, mechanics, laborers, and two had 
 benn in the Legislatui-e of their native State. Five men brought 
 their families and all came well provided with provisions. Farm 
 implements were purchased at St. Louis and Kansas City, where 
 also, cattle were bought. Sixty-five of the members arrived 
 about May 1st, 1856, and established a camp at Wabaunsee, 
 where they joined the 1854 colony. The Government had made 
 only a partial survey, so their first work was to survey town- 
 ships and divide them off into sections, after which each man 
 chose his claim. Then the town site of Wabaunsee was chosen 
 and named after the Indian Chief. The town company included 
 nine of the settlers prior to the coming of the colony. Here was 
 built the first school house with funds partly furnished by the 
 editor of the New York Sun, and the historic stone church for 
 which Connecticut furnished most of the building fund. Harvey 
 
Wabaunsee County Directory and History 13 
 
 Jones was the first pastor. The committee of seven who organ- 
 ized the church society were S. H. Fairfield, Hai'vey Jones, Hi- 
 ram Mabie, Mr. and Mrs. C. B. Lines, and Mr. and Mrs. C. E. 
 Pond. S. H. Fairfield was one of the volunteers to the colony 
 in September, 1856, from Mendon, Illinois. Among these were 
 S. R. Weed, Enoch Piatt, J. E. Piatt, and L. H. Piatt. Many 
 were the privations and struggles of this colony resulting from 
 Indian depredations, drouth, flood, sickness, prairie-fires, and 
 frequent Indian alarms. Many became discouraged and left the 
 colony. 
 
 Among those from Connecticut who remained more than 
 three months, we find the names of C. E. Lines, Wm. Hartley, 
 J. D. Farren, George H. Coe, F. H. Hart, Silas M. Thomas, L. 
 H. Root, J. M. Hubbard, Wm. Mitchell, O. Bardwell, Roland 
 Moses, A. A. Cotteral, H. S. Hall, Benj. Street, J. J. Walter, T. 
 C. P. Hyde, E. C. D. Lines, E. D. Street, Timothy Reed, H. M. 
 Selden, George Wells, S. A. Baldwin, W. S. Griswold, Isaac 
 Fenn, J. P. Root, J. F. Willard, H. D. Rice, H. Isbell, D. F. 
 Scranton, E. J. Lines, F. W. Ingham, L. A. Parker, E. N. Pen- 
 eld, R. W. Griswold, G. H. Thomas, M. C. Welch, B. C. Porter, 
 F. Johnson, C. E. Pond, L. W. Clark, and W. G. McNary. The 
 story of the colony will always occupy an honored place in the 
 records of Kansas. Its men, wherever they scattered, had much 
 to do with the history of the State. J. P. Root was the first 
 Lieutenant-Governor of the State of Kansas — 1861. Hon. C. B. 
 Lines was most active in affairs of the State, representing his 
 county several terms. J. M. Hubbard, Lieutenant Co. K., 11th 
 Kansas, returned in after years to his native State, Connecticut, 
 and served several terms in the Legislature of that State. The 
 colony established farms, town, school, church, and a militia 
 company. Thus was their original purpose accomplished. It 
 is said this colony alone furnished twenty-seven men for the 
 Civil War. During the settlement of this colony Richardson 
 County was represented by H. W. Tabor. Hon. C. B. Lines was 
 the first territorial representative of Wabaunsee County. E. 
 J. Lines, A. Allen, and E. Hobeneke were in the first State Leg- 
 islature in 1861, and J. M. Hubbard was its first State Senator. 
 In 1855, Wabaunsee had one vote for State Capital. 
 
14 Wabaunsee County Directory and History 
 
 EMIGRATION. 
 
 Before 1857 there had been a steady emigration of German 
 families into the county, large numbers of whom settled in Alma 
 Township. In that and other townships we find the name of 
 Henry Krupp, Fred Palenske, Henry and J. Terras, E. Hohen- 
 eck and G. Zwanziger, who built the first mill, which he after- 
 wards sold to Lorenzo Pauly. Mr. Zwanziger sold part of his 
 claim to the Alma Town Company, and surveyed it off into 
 streets, blocks and lots. In Washington Township were located 
 A. Brasche, Mr. Maxbrink, Adolph Patting and Henry Grimm, 
 the hero of the Platte Bridge Indian Massacre. Ed Krapp, A. 
 Hankammer, and John Spiecker settled in Farmer Township. 
 Henry Schmidt, Wm. Drebing, B. Cline and J. Metzger settled 
 in Mill Creek Township. 
 
 Wabaunsee County was especially favored, settled as it was 
 principally by New Englanders of good education and high 
 ideals, and by perhaps the most desirable of foreign emigration 
 — Germans — whose descendants are to-day among the most in- 
 fluential, industrious, and prosperous people of the county. 
 
 SCHOOLS. 
 
 In the struggle for existence in the early days, the pioneers 
 did not forget the education of their children. Prior to 1859 
 four school-houses were built, principally by private subscrip- 
 tion. D. B. Hiatt was the first man to teach in the county, and 
 Miss M. H. Cotton (Mrs. J. T. Glenn) was the first women teach- 
 er. The first school-house was built in Wabaunsee. Public 
 school districts were organized in 1859 in three localities. The 
 county was favored in having men of fine education at the head 
 of its schools. The first county superintendent was J. E. Piatt, 
 afterward professor in the Agricultural College for twenty 
 years. Supt. Robert Tunnell was afterward principal of Fair- 
 mount College at Wichita. Upon Supt. W. W. Ramey devolved 
 the work of grading the county schools. Matthew Thompson, 
 editor, was county superintendent for ten years. He rendered 
 another valuable service to his county when he wrote his Wa- 
 baunsee County history, considered one of the best county his- 
 tories in the Historical Library at Topeka. Florence Dickin- 
 son was county superintendent in 1890. George L. Clothier was 
 
Wabaunsee Cormty Directory and History 15 
 
 county superintendent in 1892. The present county superintend- 
 ent is Fred I. Hinshaw of Alma. In 1863 there were fifteen 
 school districts, in one of which there was held no school be- 
 cause of Indian raids. District No. 10, used the stone fort built 
 in 1864 on the farm of August Wolgast. Many of the school- 
 houses were built of logs. There are now eighty-nine organized 
 school districts, sixty of which have libraries. There are Cath- 
 olic schools at Alma and Paxico, a German Baptist school at 
 AltaVista, and a Lutheran school at Alma. The county has 
 4,204 persons of school age. 
 
 CIVIL WAR RECORD. 
 
 Soon after the arrival of the Beecher colony they formed a 
 militia company called the Prairie Guards, which took part in 
 the Wakarusa war in the summer of 1856. Its captain was Wm. 
 Mitchell. At the beginning of the Civil War, the population 
 was only 1,050, of whom about 250 were voters, and being com- 
 posed largely of New Englanders were anti-slavery in belief. 
 Out of about 200 men subject to military duty, 112 men enlisted, 
 a record to be proud of. About one-half of them were in the 
 famous 11th Kansas, over thirty were in the 8th Infantry, some 
 were in different companies of cavalry, six were in the 2nd In- 
 fantry, in whose service Captain E. D. C. Lines lost his life. 
 After the campaign against General Price in 1864, the 11th 
 Kansas was ordered to the frontier for a campaign against the 
 Indians in Wyoming. In the Platte Bridge Massacre, July, 1865, 
 Sebastian Nehring of Alma was slain and his body horribly 
 mutilated. Henry Glimm, late of VoUand, received arrow 
 wounds from which he suffei-ed all his life. Adolph Hankammer 
 was also wounded. It was the sad mission of Stephen H. Fair- 
 field, now of Alma, to assist in burying the dead. In this bloody 
 battle twenty-five men were killed and their bodies dismembered, 
 two wei'e wounded. The Civil War record of the county is so 
 well known and valued that it is needless to give further detail. 
 
 The following enlisted in the Union Army and went into 
 active service in the different regiments: 
 
 Second Infantry, Company B. — E. C. D. Lines, A. M. Reed, 
 A. Hankimmer, H. L. Isbell, M. C. Welch, I. C. Isbell. 
 
 Eighth Infantry, Company E. — Capt. John Greelish, Wm. 
 Richardson, R. M. Kendall, Wm. Blankenslip, Ephraim Smith, 
 
16 Wabaunsee Coiinty Directory and History 
 
 J. P. Kendall, J. B. Bancks, G. W. Barnes, L. P. Cawkins, 
 Charles Cooney, J. H. Dunmire, Daniel Spear, John Wells, S. 
 Brickford, Charles Burns, J. H. Cummings, Henry Grimm, A. 
 W. Harris, Z. Johnson, J. W. Johnson, Henry Lutz, Amos Reese, 
 
 A. J. Smith, S. J. Speer, John Saylor, F. M. Weaver. 
 The following enlisted in the cavalry service: 
 
 Second Cavalry, Company A. — W. C. Studibaker; Company 
 
 B. James Dickson; Company F. — Charles Ross, W. B. Dotty, 
 G. W. Eddy, G. F. Hartwell, A. S. Waters, S. B. Easter, Eli 
 Watson; Company K. — C. E. Bisby, Columbus Foster, A. H. 
 Kelsey. 
 
 Fifth Cavalry, Company A. — Hamilton Davis; Company L. — 
 B. C. Benedict. 
 
 Sixth Cavalry, Company F. — Joseph Weisse, E. W. Wetzold. 
 
 Eighth Cavalry, Company E. — Haynie Tomson. 
 
 Eleventh Cavalry, Company E. — Benj. Cripps, Ira Hodgson, 
 A. D. McCoy, George Hodgson, I. H. Isbell, G. H. Hill, A. H. 
 Brown, J. N. Smith, George Ross, Riley Frizzle, Albert Kees, 
 Wm. Mahan, W. F. Isbell, W. H. Lapham, L .J. Mossman, Sam- 
 uel Sage, C. G. Town, Samuel Woods; Company G. — J. F. Chap- 
 man; Company I. — H. C. Thompson; Company K. — Capt. J. M. 
 Allen, Lieut. J. M. Hubbard, J. H .Pinkerton, J. B. Allen, Moritz 
 Krauz, D. Schwanke, P. C. Pinkerton, W. A. Yimbocker, Henry 
 Grimm, S. H. Fairfield, Albert Dieball, C. D. Ensign, Isaac Fenn, 
 Edward Hoffman, Jacob Isler, Hiram Keyes, A. T. McCormick, 
 J. M. McCormick, John McNair, Sebast. Nehring, G. Siegrist, 
 R, M. Widney, Wm. Wiley, R. P. Plain, R. J. Earl; Company 
 L.— Lieut. J. VanAntwerp, J. T. Green, C. B. Cotton, E. A. Kel- 
 sey, Wm. Smith, John Smith; Company M. — John N. Doty. 
 
 A comparison between the enlistments of 1861 and 1898 is 
 interesting. In 1861, 112 men volunteered out of a population 
 of 1,050. In the Spanish-American War, 1898, 29 men enlisted 
 out of a population of 12,172. Undoubtedly many enlisted in 
 the regular army at Fort Riley. The enlistment in the volun- 
 teer regiments was as follows: 
 
 Twenty-First Regiment, Co. G. — Hugo Brandt, Second Lieu- 
 tenant (resigned) ; Charles Dilley, Sergeant; Ralph Lane, Cor- 
 poral; Julius C. Behnke, Corporal; Frank Davis, Albert Eisen- 
 hart, Gustavo Kratzer, Edward Mann, Albert F. Miller, Chris. 
 Mungerson, Elmer Motz, Charles G. Davis, Frank Davis. All 
 
Wabaunsee County Directory and History 17 
 
 these were from Alma. In the same company were Kelley Cro- 
 zier, Artificer, and Henry Adam from Volland; Wm. R. Bradley, 
 Alta Vista; Ai-thur Griffith, Bradford; Benton H. Jackson, of 
 Keene; Royal S. Wood, Wabaunsee; Wm. E. Walker, Maple 
 Hill; Bert G. Loveland, Keene. 
 
 Co. M. — Earl E. Dilley, Alma; Clarence E. Younker and 
 Clyde F. Younker, of McFarland. 
 
 Co. I. — George Heubner, Corporal, Alma. 
 
 Attached to Staff, Twenty-First Regiment — Winstead Deans, 
 Alma; Bert G. Loveland, Keene. 
 
 Twenty-Second Regiment, Co. I. — Richard S. Goodwin, Cor- 
 poral, and Barndt Nelson, both of Maple Hill. 
 
 Twenty-Third Regiment, Co. H. — Wm. Buck, Paxico, in ser- 
 vice in Cuba from August, 1898, to March, 1899. 
 
 Twenty-one of the men were in Co. G, Twenty-First Regi- 
 ment, recruited at Osage City, May 13th, 1898. They were sta- 
 tioned most of the time at Camp George H. Thomas, near Lysle, 
 Ga. Much sickness prevailed in this camp where Henry Allen, 
 of Volland, gave up his life in Leiter Hospital, August 25th, 
 1898. The i-egiment was moved to Camp Hamilton, Ky., August 
 26th, where it stayed until ordered to Ft. Leavenworth, Septem- 
 ber 27th. It was mustered out December 10th, 1898. 
 
 The men of the Twenty-Second Regiment were most of the 
 time at Camp Algr, Va., when they were ordered on a march of 
 fifty miles to Thoroughfare, Va., arriving August 9th; then by 
 rail to Camp Meade, Middletown, Pa., August 29th ; ordered to 
 Ft. Leavenworth, September 9th, mustered out November 3rd, 
 1898. It was a source of greatest disappointment to the men of 
 these regiments that they were not given a chance in active field 
 service. 
 
 RESOURCES AND INDUSTRIES. 
 
 The resources of the county are varied, but it is particularly 
 adapted to stock-raising as nearly seventy-five per cent of its 
 area is most suitable for pasturage, with an abundant water- 
 supply. Hay is a product of great importance, vast quantities 
 being used or shipped out. Corn is its best field crop and it 
 claims to lead in yield of sweet potatoes. There are more than 
 seventy thousand fruit trees, over half of which are apple. It 
 stands high in the State in the number and value of its cattle. 
 
18 Wabaunsee County Directory and History 
 
 Naturally the principal industry of the county is stock-raising. 
 Its many successful stock-breeders aim to reach the highest per- 
 fection in pure-bred stock. Eighteen of its stockmen belong to 
 the Kansas Improved Stock Breeders' Association. 
 
 Wabaunsee County has a great treasure in her hills, unsur- 
 passed for building as well as lime and cement making purposes. 
 Limestone is found all over the county in ledges from one to six 
 feet. This industry furnishes employment to many hundreds of 
 men, the out-put being shipped in all directions for many pur- 
 poses from railway ballast and bridge building to pretentious 
 city structures. There seems to be an unlimited supply of this 
 stone, the largest quarries being located at Eskridge and Alma. 
 Salt works are located at Alma, which at one time shipped from 
 thirty to fifty barrels a day, but seem to have been abandoned. 
 
 From the report of F. D. Coburn, Secretary of Agriculture, 
 we learn that in 1896 the value of the field crops was $1,731,074. 
 The "Helpful Hen" scored next, in value of poultry and eggs 
 sold $118,347. The "Sister of the Beef Steer" produced $47,746 
 worth of butter, $33,259 worth of milk sold, and $4,387 worth 
 of cheese. The value of honey crop was $2,400. The wool clip 
 was worth $300. The wood marketed amounted to $1,801. Wa- 
 baunsee ranks fifty-six in the State with a population of 12,014 
 in 1906. Its assessed valuation is $3,213,464. 
 
 COUNTY REPRESENTATION. 
 
 Wabaunsee County is in the Thirty-fifth Judicial District, 
 in the Twenty-first Senatorial District, in the Forty-ninth Legis- 
 lative District and the Fourth Congressional District. J. N. 
 Dolley, of Maple Hill, is the State Senator, and Wyatt Roush is 
 its Representative. The county has thirteen townships, embrac- 
 ing S04 square miles, or 514,560 acres. The population of the 
 largest towns in 1906 is given thus: Alma, county seat, 814; 
 Eskridge, 806; Alta Vista, 411; McFarland, 311; Harveyville, 
 262; Maple Hill, 246; Paxico, 244. 
 
 The present county officers are C. C. Stotler, Clerk, Alma; 
 L. J. McCrumb, Treasurer, Alma; Frank Schmidt, Sheriff, 
 Alma; Oscar Schmitz, County Attorney, Alma; L. L. Teas, Clerk 
 District Court, Alma; J. A. Bisley, Register of Deeds, Alma; 
 Joseph Little, Probate Judge, Alma; F. I. Hinshaw, County 
 
lY abaunsee County Directory and History 10 
 
 Superintendent, Alma; L. B. Eurt, Surveyor, Wabaunsee; Geo. 
 A. King, Coroner, Paxico. Commissioners: First District, B. 
 Buchli, Alma; Second District, W. K. Beach, Maple Hill; Third 
 District, J. J. Mails, Wabaunsee. 
 
 The county seat was located at Alma in 1866, after a spir- 
 ited contest with Wabaunsee, the first county seat, and other 
 towns. There had been no permanent buildings erected in Wa- 
 baunsee for county purposes. When the Alma site was chosen 
 there was not a single house upon it. In 1867 a small frame 
 building was erected to receive the county records. The sum 
 paid to Gottlieb Zwanziger for the site was only $200. He sur- 
 veyed it off in streets, blocks, and lots. The town was incor- 
 porated as a village in 1868. The members of the first village 
 council were: Chairman S. R. Weed, August Meryor, Henry 
 Schmidt, John Winkler, and Herman Dirker. S. R. Weed was 
 also Probate Judge and N. H. Whittemore was attorney for the 
 council. 
 
 INSTITUTIONS. 
 
 The first newspaper was The Wabminsee County Herald, 
 published by A. Sellers and G. W. Bertram in April, 1869. The 
 following papers are now published in the county: Alma En- 
 terprise, Republican, Frank I. Sage and O. W. Little, editors 
 and publishers; Alma Signal, Republican, H. C. Sticher, editor 
 and publisher; Eskridge Star, Republican, Dow Busenbark, edi- 
 tor and publisher; Wabaunsee County Tribune, Republican, W. 
 H. Melrose, editor; Alta Vista Journal, neutx'al, James A. Shill- 
 ing; Harveyville Moniitor, independent, Jos. Frishman, editor, 
 Printing Company, publisher. 
 
 The first Catholic service in Alma was conducted by Father 
 Remelee. The first Lutheran service was held by Rev. Senne. 
 Th oldest church in the county was built in 1862 at Wabaunsee 
 by the Congregationalists. 
 
 The first railroad reached the county in 1880, built by the 
 Santa Fe, called The Manhattan, Alma & Burlingame. From 
 McFarland north it is now operated by the Rock Island, which 
 built its road through the county in 1886. There are 75..52 
 miles of main track. 
 
 The fii'st steamboat passing up the river was the "Excel," Cap- 
 tain Baker, in 1854. The log of the Steamer "Guss Linn" going 
 
r20 
 
 Wabau7isee County Directory and History 
 
 from Kansas City to Fort Riley in 1859, reported as follows: 
 ■'"May 16th, 1859. Reached Wabaunsee, containing one store 
 and fifteen houses." 
 
 The telephone franchise was granted in 1898, to J. H. 
 McMahan, beginning with twelve telephones. 
 
 The Rural Mail Deliveiy reached the county in 1901 in Maple 
 Hill township. 
 
 We note the change in population in forty-six years: 
 
 1860 1,023 
 
 1870 3,362 
 
 1880 8,759 
 
 1890 10,780 
 
 1900 12,299 
 
 1901 12,406 
 
 1902 12,134 
 
 1903 12,391 
 
 1904 12,160 
 
 1905 11,910 
 
 1906 12,014 
 
 THE FLOOD. 
 
 The slight variation of population between 1901 and 1906, 
 Tnust be ascribed to the fact that the small tracts of land were 
 bought up for pasture by stockmen, rather than any other 
 reason. It takes more than an occasional dry spell or an in- 
 frequent flood to drive out the average Wabaunsee man. When 
 Enoch Piatt joined the Beecher Colony in 1856 and looked about 
 for a claim, he consulted William Mitchell, who pointed to the 
 bottom lands of the Kaw. Piatt refused the proffered location 
 and chose land higher up with the prophesy that the river would 
 one day overflow. S. H. Fairfield says that few of the settlers 
 of 1856 took land on the river, preferring the uplands. They 
 were no doubt influenced by the warning of the Indians, whose 
 losses in the flood of 1844 were still fresh in their minds. In 
 after years, having witnessed no alarming overflow, they gained 
 •confidence in the old Kaw and took up the fertile land along 
 its banks. 
 
 The warnings and the prophesy had long since been forgot- 
 ten when people awoke on the 28th of May, 1903, to a realiza- 
 tion that a flood was upon them. Some remembered the warn- 
 ing in time, others held the fort in their homes until rescued 
 by their neighbors, some of whom were fortunate enough to 
 have boats. No loss of life was reported, but the loss of homes, 
 land, stock, crops, orchards, implements, and household treas- 
 
Wabaunsee County Directory and History 21' 
 
 ures was immense and could not be adequately reckoned in 
 figures. Along the Kaw the utter desolation of the scene was 
 beyond description. The river was from two to ten miles wide- 
 and its bridges gone or badly damaged. All the creeks and 
 streams in the county were swollen and many of their bridges 
 washed away. The river extended over two miles south of the 
 Wamego bridge, some places twenty feet deep. New channels 
 were formed which would rob one man to his neighbor's advan- 
 tage. One man was given a lake while another was left on an 
 island. Great trees and even groves of trees were swept away 
 and cellars were gouged out under houses that possessed none 
 before. Orchards were ruined and all crops on the bottom lands 
 were carried away. Many dwellings, barns, and outbuildings 
 and the school-houses in District 52, floated down the river. Re 
 ceding waters left sandbanks piled against the houses and floors; 
 were covered with sand, sometimes as high as the door-knobs. 
 
 In looking over the files of newspapers of the county for that 
 week, two stories impressed one aside from the record of de- 
 struction during the flood-time. One was an account of the 
 removal of Mrs. Robert Earl, from her home at Zeandale, on 
 the bottom, to a place of safety. Mrs. Earl was one of the set- 
 tlers in 1856, when Zeandale Township belonged to Richardson 
 County, and her death occurred after the flood, June 8th. 
 Another story was that of the marooning of three passenger 
 trains, containing near 400 people, at McFarland; the efforts 
 to provide food enough for such a crowd; the benefit ball given 
 in Arnold's Hall, the tickets for which were printed thus: 
 "Wash-out Ball, by the Victim's Amusement Co., McFarland 
 Island, June 1, 1903." 
 
 All this is too recent to be classed as history, but no story 
 of the county would be complete without some tribute to the- 
 indomitable spirit and enterprise of its people, who refuse to 
 be overcome by fire, drouth or flood. Whatever the calamitjr 
 they were quick to recover their losses. If it was fire, new and 
 better buildings were built; if drouth, patience endured until 
 the next season. As soon as possible after the flood, corn was 
 planted for the second time, and farmers and real estate men 
 were claiming that the soil would be benefited in the end by the 
 overflow. 
 
 Thus they rise above all difficulties. It must be the Spirit, 
 of '56. 
 
22 Wabaunsee County Directory and History 
 
 STOCK BUSINESS IN WABAUNSEE COUNTY. 
 
 One of the most important industries in Wabaunsee County 
 is cattle-pasturing and stock-raising. Both are engaged in to a 
 great extent and bring considerable money into the county. This 
 county being the "Switzerland of Kansas," is particularly 
 adapted to pasturage. The four creeks and their tributaries 
 furnish water in abundance at all times, while the native grass 
 on the hills is of such a high quality that cattle pasturage 
 usually brings fifty cents more per head than any other locali- 
 ties. 
 
 The cattle are brought here from Texas about May 1st, for 
 the season. The main points for unloading cattle are Alma, 
 Harveyville, Eskridge, Halifax, Volland, and Altavista. There 
 are from thirty to forty thousand head of cattle pastured in the 
 county yearly at $3.00 to $3.50 and as high as $4.00 per head. 
 Most of these animals are steers and it is not an uncommon 
 thing for one animal to gain several hundred pounds during the 
 season. 
 
 Native grade cattle are raised extensively in Wabaunsee 
 County, which sold off the grass last fall for 6 cents per pound. 
 Coburn's report shows the number of milch cows in the county 
 in 1906 to be 9,523 with a value of $257,121, and the number 
 of other cattle to be 35,074 with a value of $701,480. These 
 figures compared with those of the previous year show that 
 while the aggregate number of cattle is less, the aggregate price 
 is nearly $200,000 more than in 1905. This increase in the 
 value per head may be due to the natural rise in price, but it is 
 probable that it is at least partly due to the increase in the 
 number of pure-bred stock. 
 
 Pure-bred cattle have been raised in this county for the 
 last thirty years, but lately the number of herds have been 
 greatly increased. It is estimated that there are some forty 
 different farmers engaged in the raising of pure-bred cattle. 
 These are pretty well scattered over the county, but there are 
 more of them about Eskridge than any other locality. 
 
 The hog and poultry business is also engaged in very exten- 
 sively. Nearly every farmer keeps from two to five hundred 
 hens. There are several breeders who make a specialty of 
 pure-bred poultry. 
 
Wabaunsee County Directory and History 23 
 
 In the last few years a great deal of attention is being paid 
 to raising pure-bred hogs. Most of the breeders have a good 
 home market for their animals, as the people of Wabaunsee 
 County are finding that it pays better to raise improved stock 
 than grade stock for the market. The raising of good animals 
 is a matter of education and this county is pretty well advanced 
 along this line. 
 
 The progressive State of Kansas, with her acres of waving 
 yellow wheat, the large acreage of corn, to say nothing of the 
 vast expanse of fine pastures, has many things of which she 
 may well be proud. 
 
 Prominent among these is the live-stock industry in which 
 she stands well up in the list as compared with other States. 
 She may justly feel proud of the large live-stock market which 
 she has been so big a factor in building. This market, located 
 on the Eastern border, is also proud of the State which has 
 been the largest contributor thereto. 
 
 Located at this market is a commission firm whose growth has 
 been commensurate with the growth of that market, and also 
 the State of Kansas, and stands today as one of the largest firms 
 doing business at the Kansas City Stock Yards — The J. P. Peters 
 Commission Company — whose advertisement appears elsewhere 
 in this issue, and to whom we would suggest writing if you have 
 any stock on hand or wish to purchase. At the head of this 
 firm is our old-time friend, Jim Peters, for many years a citi- 
 zen of Wabaunsee County, who is ably assisted by a large and 
 efficient corps of salesmen and buyers. His pens are the choicest 
 in the Yards, being in the immediate vicinity of five different 
 scales; direct chutes and viaducts to his pens from the loading 
 tracks, and well-divided and sufficient pen-room, all of which are 
 large factors in the proper handling of live stock to secure good 
 fills, quick sales, and immediate weigh-ups. These various import- 
 ant features add many dollars to the bank accounts of the pa- 
 trons of this company. 
 
 The Kansas Breeders' Directory for 1907, issued by the 
 Kansas Improved Stock Breeders' Association, shows the fol- 
 lowing list of fine-stock breeders in Wabaunsee County, who 
 are members of the State Association : 
 
 Herman Arndt, Templin, Poland-Chinas. 
 
 T. P. Babst & Sons, Dover, Shorthorns. 
 
Wabaunsee County Directory and History 
 
 J. M. Beach, Maple Hill, Route No. 1, Holsteins. 
 
 R. M. Buck, Eskridge, Shorthorns, Poland-Chinas, Poultry. 
 
 Scott R. Buck, Eskridge, Shorthorns. 
 
 A. M. Jordan, Alma, Poland-Chinas, Poultry. 
 
 C. S. Kelley, Paxico, Poland-Chinas. 
 
 E. L. Knapp, Maple Hill, Shorthorns. 
 
 C. G. Nash, Eskridge, Berkshires, Poultry, 
 
 Andrew Pringle, Eskridge, Shorthorns, Poland-Chinas. 
 
 A. and P. Schmitz, Alma, Poland-Chinas. 
 
 H. W. Steinmeyer, Volland, Duroc-Jerseys. 
 
 E. W. Thoes, Alma, Duroc-Jerseys. 
 
 Wm. J. Todd, Maple Hill, Feeder. 
 
 Seb. Wertsberger, Volland, Herefords. 
 
 K. C. Berry, Eskridge, Percherons, Shorthorns, Berkshires. 
 
 W. G. Martin, Eskridge, Shorthorns, Berkshires. 
 
 T. P. BAB5T. 
 
 Mr. T. P. Babst, who lives on Walnut Grove, near Dover, 
 has been a breeder for thirty years. His specialty is Shorthorn 
 cattle, and he has raised some of the finest animals in the United 
 States. He sells all his stock himself and never puts it on show, 
 but the stock has never failed to draw prizes wherever shown by 
 the buyers. The choicest animals on the State Agricultural 
 College farm are from the Babst herd; also nearly all of the 
 Tomson and Son's show animals. Mr. Babst at present keeps 
 a herd of about one hundred and twenty-five cattle. He has the 
 oldest Shorthorn establishment in the State. 
 
Wabaunsee County Directory and History 
 
 25 
 
 J. P. PETERS 
 
 COMMISSION COMPANY 
 
 Kansas City Stock Yards Kansas City, Mo. 
 
 A Square 
 Deal. 
 
 Strictly Commission 
 Merchants. 
 
 Composed of experienced, successful and practical stockmen. 
 Have best located pens and plenty of them. Prompt service in 
 receiving and handling of stock and proceeds. Best information 
 service. 
 
 Test Our Work by a Trial Consignment. 
 
26 
 
 Wabau7tsee County Directory and History 
 
 Abstracters, Real Estate and 
 Loans. 
 
 W. G. Weaver. 
 R. J. Kerans. 
 
 Banks. 
 
 The Alma National Bank. 
 The Bank of Alma. 
 
 Barber-Shops. 
 
 West Side Barber-Shop. 
 A. A. Johnson. 
 
 Blacksmiths. 
 
 Wilson & Noller. 
 E. T. Linss. 
 Frank Metzger. 
 
 Books and Music Store. 
 
 L. Palenske. 
 
 Boots and Shoes. 
 
 Adolph Zeckser. 
 
 Cattle and Pasture Office. 
 
 A. S. Allendorf. 
 
 Cigar Manufactory. 
 
 C. H. Cozine. 
 
 Clothing. 
 
 E. L. Knostman Clothing Co. 
 
 Dentist. 
 
 Dr. C. Glunz. 
 
 BUSINESS DIRECTORY, 
 
 Druggists. 
 
 A. A. Meyer. 
 Brown Drug Co. 
 
 Dry Goods. 
 
 Carl Lang. 
 
 Electric Light. 
 
 Alma Light and Power Co. 
 
 Furniture and Wall Paper. 
 
 E. T. Diestelhorst. 
 Furniture and Undertaking. 
 Thoes & Schieber. 
 
 General Merchandise. 
 
 Meyer Bros. 
 Pries Store. 
 
 Groceries. 
 
 J. B. Cassidy. 
 
 Hardware. 
 
 Fred Lutz. 
 Conrad Mueller. 
 
 F. C. Simon. 
 Alf Umbehr. 
 
 Harness and Saddles. 
 
 Geo. Sutherland. 
 
 Horseshoers. 
 
 R. N. Gaugh. 
 
Wabaunsee County Directory and History 
 
 27 
 
 Hotels. 
 
 The Brand Hotel. 
 The Commercial Hotel. 
 
 Jewelry. 
 J. H. Newell. 
 
 Laundry. 
 The Alma Laundry. 
 
 Lawyers. 
 
 J. T. Keagy. 
 C. E. Carrol. 
 Wm. Bowes. 
 Jno. W. Wilson. 
 
 Livery Stables. 
 
 Degenhardt & Kraus. 
 Albert Copp. 
 August Uttermann. 
 
 Lumber Yards. 
 
 Oetinger Lumber Co. 
 Eck's Lumber Yard. 
 
 Marble Works. 
 
 Alma Marble Works. 
 
 Meat Market. 
 
 L. Undorf. 
 Grunewald & O'Neill. 
 
 Millinery. 
 
 Mrs. Frank Grunewald. 
 Anna B. Dwyer. 
 
 Mills. 
 
 Mid-Kansas Milling Co. 
 
 Newspapers. 
 
 The Alma Signal. 
 The Alma Enterprise. 
 
 Photographers. 
 
 .G. H. Meier. 
 
 Physicians and Surgeons. 
 
 Dr. C. H. Mielke. 
 
 Dr. G. W. B. Beaverly. 
 
 Produce Dealers. 
 
 Freeman & Rose. 
 
 Real Estate Dealers. 
 
 J. B. Fields. 
 W. G. Weaver. 
 
 Repair Shop. 
 
 C. Schubert. 
 
 Restaurants. 
 
 L. W. Schroeder. 
 J. E. Kitterman. 
 
 Alma, the "Shire Town," and most important point in Wa- 
 baunsee County, is located on Mill Creek. Most writers would 
 say located at the junctions of the Rock Island and Santa Fe, 
 but as Alma was here before the railroads, we claims that she 
 is located on Mill Creek. With Hendricks branching from 
 Mill Creek on the north and the Illinois on the south, the country 
 
28 
 
 Wabaunsee County Directory and History 
 
 about Alma is inclined to be hilly. The town nestling down 
 among the green hills might admit of extensive description if 
 we were disposed to write it all out. We simply borrow an 
 expression from the Bible and say, "a city beautiful for situa- 
 tion" and pass on. 
 
 Alma is located abovit the center of the county and the only 
 town of any size between Topeka and Herington. It is thus 
 the hub of a large and pi'osperous territory. Its location in 
 relation to large towns is thirty-six miles west of Topeka, 
 twenty-two miles east of Manhattan and thirty-four miles north- 
 west of Burlingame. 
 
 The question of how Alma came to be named is a mooted one. 
 Most of the early settlers held an opinion of their own on the 
 subject. Since it is a subject of which the writer knows abso- 
 lutely nothing, we will give the different views pertaining to 
 
 m r i« w ntw »« y v>o» r^, •««»-» 
 
 Wabaunsee County Court House. 
 
Wabaunsee County Directory and History 
 
 29 
 
 the name and let each reader settle it for himself. The settle- 
 ment seems to have been called Alma in the '50s and so must 
 have been named by some early settler. John Winkler, an early 
 settler, says that the name was first applied to the postoffice 
 kept by John Spiecker on a high point on his farm south of 
 town, now referred to as lookout station. The Switzers, several 
 families of whom lived in the vicinity, called this place "The 
 Alma," meaning in Swizz a high open place, frequented by 
 herdsmen and by lovers. Mr. Winkler says that Henry Schmitz 
 is responsible for the name being given to the city. 
 
 Phil ¥. Johnson credits Gottleib Zwanziger with naming the 
 place Alma, because he came from a place named Alma in the 
 old country, also because the word in English signified a Ger- 
 man Settlement. 
 
 Slightly akin to this last view is the one held by A. F. 
 Thayer of Maple Hill, who suggests that the name came from 
 the River Alma, on which a bloody battle was fought in 1854, 
 his theory is that some of the soldiers of that battle found their 
 way to this locality and named the town to commemorate the 
 
 Commissioner 
 B. BUCHLI. 
 
 Mr. Buchli was born in 
 Switzerland. He came to 
 Wabaunsee County in 
 1876, was County Clerk 
 from 1898 to 1903. Mr. 
 Buchli lives on his farm 
 near Sunbeam and is one 
 of the stock-raisers of this 
 county. At the present 
 time he is County Com- 
 missioner. 
 
30 
 
 Wabaunsee County Directory and History 
 
 victory over the Russians. Personally we favor Mr. Winkler's 
 account of the naming. However it came by it, Alma has a 
 beautiful and appropriate name of good old Latin derivation. 
 
 As near as can be learned, the first white men to settle at 
 Alma were Mr. Joseph Thoes and his brother, which was in 
 the year of 1855. There was at that time to Mr. Thoes' knowl- 
 edge five claims taken in the county. This was in January. 
 In May of the same year a large company of the Germans 
 arrived at Kansas City on their way west. A company had been 
 formed in Cincinnati and this was the first division of the 
 colony. They had been told at St. I>ouis that they could go to 
 Kansas City and take the boat up the Kaw River. They were 
 very much disappointed in not being able to do this and were 
 about to disband when discovered by Joseph Thoes, who hap- 
 pened to be in Kansas City to get supplies. He at once gave 
 
 Commissioner •* 
 W. K. BEACH. ^j 
 
 Mr. Beach is an "Old "^ 
 Timer." He located at 
 Keene in 1856. Wouldn't 
 tell us anything about 
 himself, hated awfully 
 to have this picture 
 taken. He doesn't seem 
 to believe in making 
 "Graven images." 
 
W" 
 
 Wabaunsee County Directory and History 
 
 31 
 
 up the idea of buying supplies on that trip, procured three ox 
 teams in Westport and brought the whole colony out, bag and 
 baggage. Mr. Metzer and Frank Schmidt each drove one of 
 the teams. Mr. Thoes places the number of these people at 
 about thirty, while other accounts say there were seventy, 
 mostly young men, and that Ernest Honeke was their leader. 
 It is hardly possible that two companies came in this year. 
 The account which places the number at seventy says that those 
 who came first laid out the grounds and prepared for the re- 
 ception of those to follow, so it is possible that there were 
 seventy in all, but only thirty in the first division. In a short 
 time all the land within six or eighr miles of Alma had been 
 taken. The other division came on. The first comers, who had 
 expected to sell out their claims to the later arrivals at a good 
 figure, were disappointed. So the bubble burst and two-thirds 
 
 - Commissioner 
 "=^ J. J. MAILS. 
 
 The writer has lost 
 the notes on this man, 
 but sees by the memoran- 
 dum that he is the only 
 man from Wabaunsee 
 who "signed up." 
 
32 
 
 Wabaunsee County Directory and History 
 
 of the settlers left. The towTi company went out of business. 
 In 1857 the settlement was reinforced by a large colony direct 
 from Germany. They formed a town company in St. Louis, 
 chose Alma as a location and settled here. They also for- 
 feited the right to the Townsite and it was pre-empted by Gott- 
 leib Zwanziger, who had come in 1856. In 1858 improvements 
 were made. Two mills were erected on Mill Creek, but high 
 Avater washed them away the same year they were erected. This 
 was the great flood year all over Wabaunsee County, but it was 
 ■especially destructive on Mill Creek, which during the high 
 water was half a mile wide and from ten to twenty feet in 
 depth. Settlers were driven from their homes and much prop- 
 erty was destroyed. Only one life was lost, that of Mr. 
 Moettcher, who was drowned while attempting to rescue Fred 
 Steinmeyer and wife from their housetop. But worse than the 
 flood of '59 was the drouth of '60, when all Kansas seemed for 
 
 Oscar Schmitz 
 
 County Attorney 
 
 Mr. Schmitz was 
 born at Alma, Decem- 
 ber 26, 1875. He is a 
 graduate of Dickinson 
 County High School at 
 Chapman, Kansas, and 
 of the law course of the 
 Kansas State Univer- 
 sity. 
 
 He is serving his sec- 
 ond term as County At- 
 torney. 
 
Wabaunsee County Directory and History 
 
 33 
 
 a year and a half to be reverting into a desert. In 1861 the 
 war broke out and not much progress was made while the men 
 were at the front. When peace was established and affairs were 
 running smoothly again, Alma was organized into a town. A 
 meeting was held in '66 to determine the location. There was 
 stx'ong rivalry between this place and the location out on Peter 
 Thoes farm. Through the efforts of Hehry Schmitz and Gott- 
 lieb Zwanziger, this place won when the vote was taken. The 
 same year a petition was signed by Rudolph Arndt and one 
 hundred and thirty-two others were presented at the January 
 session of the County Commissioners for the permanent location 
 of the County seat and Alma won out by twelve votes at the 
 February election. Owing to the legality of the vote being ques- 
 tioned, the matter was deferred to the next year. S. H. Fair- 
 field tells of the election in 1867 and of the moving of the county 
 seat. 
 
 C. C. Stotler 
 
 County Clerk 
 
 Mr. Stotler was one 
 of the men who knew it 
 was no use to try and 
 get away when we 
 came after him for a 
 contract to support this 
 book. 
 
Wabaunsee County Directory and History 
 
 "One beautiful spring day in 1867 a German was wander- 
 ing among the hills of Mill Creek. Ho came upon the high bluff 
 east of where the City of Alma now is. When he looked over 
 the beautiful landscape spread out before him with wooded 
 streams flowing into the valley from the north, south, and west, 
 and the valley itself clothed in the verdure of spring, he thought 
 he had never seen anything so lovely. As he gazed upon the 
 picturesque scene before him it held him spellbound and he said, 
 There in the valley is the place for the capital of Wabaunsee 
 County and there it shall be. Wabaunsee on the banks of the 
 Kaw, was the county seat and had been since the organization 
 of the county. The young German who had declared that the 
 capital of Wabaunsee County should be on Mill Creek, stirred 
 up the settlers of the valley and they became enthusiastic like 
 himself. He then made an alliance with the settlements south. 
 Wabaunsee heard the mutterings and threatenings of the com- 
 
 Frank Schmidt 
 
 Sheriff. 
 
 Mr. Schmidt served 
 as Under Sheriff when 
 Fred Frey was in of- 
 fice. He was the first 
 officer to sign up for 
 ten of these books, 
 thereby getting the rest 
 of the Court House 
 crowd into trouble. 
 
Wabaunsee County Directory and History 
 
 35 
 
 ing struggle to wrest the County Seat from her and braced her- 
 self for the conflict. She said that the people of the county 
 never would vote to remove the County Seat from the Kaw 
 Valley and locate it over among the hills of Mill Creek. The 
 election came off" and the Dutch got away with the Yankees. 
 The capital was located on a forty acres of a bare prairie cov- 
 ered with blue stem grass nearly as high as a man's head and 
 just where the young German said the future capital of the 
 county should be. The name of the County Seat was called 
 Alma — after the name of a territory that now composes the- 
 townships of Washington, Garfield, Farmer, Mill Creek and. 
 Alma. The Alma post-office, for the whole territory, was located, 
 near what was called "Devil's Lookout," in Farmer Township, 
 a one and one-half story frame building was erected for a court 
 house, the room upstairs to be used for a court room and public 
 gatherings. The front room below was used for a general store.- 
 
 L. B. Burt. 
 
 County Surveyor. 
 
 Mr. Burt is tho 
 County Surveyor, also 
 Instructor in the Alma 
 High Schools. He lives 
 at Wabaunsee, but is 
 not a historic charac- 
 ter, except for the his- 
 tory he made in hiding 
 out to avoid being put 
 in this book. 
 
^36 
 
 Wabaunsee County Directory and Histoid 
 
 and one of the rear rooms was used for a bed room for the em- 
 ployes of the store. The other rooms, fourteen by twenty feet, 
 was reserved for the county officers. A small two-room house 
 used for a boarding house just south of the court house, and 
 a blacksmith shop, were the only buildings of the new capital 
 of Wabaunsee County. One cold day the last of December, 
 1867, were seen two wagons coming over the hills from the 
 north from Wabaunsee. In one wagon was a small safe, which 
 held all the cash and valuable books that the county possessed. 
 The other wagons carried the County Clerk and Treasurer and 
 some miscellaneous papers and books. These composed all the 
 property of Wabaunsee County, save a few books belonging to 
 
 School House at Alma. 
 
Wabaimsee County Directory and History 37 
 
 the Probate Judge's office. The wagons were driven to the rear 
 of the court house, the Clerk and the Treasui-er took possession 
 of the fourteen by twenty room assigned them. The small safe 
 and the balance of the county's property were deposited in these 
 small quarters, which were to be for the use of all the county 
 officers. We took supper with Father Dirker and his good wife 
 in their two-room hotel. At night we spread our blankets on the 
 floor of the office and slept the sleep of the innocent. The in- 
 habitants of the little city soon became restless and wanted 
 more liberty than the fathers of the country were willing tO' 
 grant them, and they applied to the authorities to be made a 
 city of the third class, and it was granted them. But this was 
 not the end. The obtaining of the County Seat is an important 
 thing and the other towiis were not willing to let Alma have it 
 without a dissenting voice. Every town then on the Wabaunsee 
 County map entered the race. There was Dragoon, Wilmington, 
 Zeandale, Maple Hill, Thoes Place, Newbury, and Eskridge. 
 Some of these were the merest infants whose first cry was for 
 
 F. M. Patterson 
 
 Superintendent 
 
 Mr. Patterson is Super- 
 intendent of Alma Public 
 Schools. He hasn't missed 
 a year from the school- 
 room since he was a child. 
 His ability, together with 
 his forty-five years of ex- 
 perience makes him a val- 
 uable man in his profes- 
 sion. 
 
38 
 
 Wabaunsee County Directory and History 
 
 the County Seat. Gradually they all fell by the wayside until 
 the final pull was between Alma and Eskridge. In 1871 Alma 
 received a majority of the votes cast, for the third time and 
 was declared the County Seat. In 1872 Alma, according to an 
 agreement, built an $8,000 court house, which she turned over 
 to the county. In 1869 there were four buildings in Alma, 
 Schmitz & Meyer's store, Winkler's Hotel, Dierker's boarding 
 house, and the court house." As the records speak of no other 
 buildings, we infer that it was fashionable in Alma in those 
 days to live in hotels and boarding houses. August 11th, of 
 that year, the Alma debating society was formed with Henry 
 Schmitz as President and N. H. Whittemore as Secretary, to 
 decide serious public problems such as "Should Alma have a 
 daily mail?" "What is the age of Ann?" etc. 
 
 In 1870 a new colony from Pittsburg, Pa., located at Alma. 
 Among the trials and tribulations of early Alma were the 
 prairie fires, which were often disastrous. One particularly 
 
 Looking north from Eugene Schmitz, on Street of Alma. 
 
Wabaunsee County Directory and History 
 
 39 
 
 destructive fire occurred in 1875. Smallpox swept the settle- 
 ment in '71. It first broke out in Templin in the family of 
 Mr. Carl Falk. The germ had been brought on the clothing 
 of Mr. Herman Fink, who came over from Germany on an in- 
 fected ship. Nearly every family in Templin, Alma, and East 
 Branch were down with it. A number of deaths occurred at 
 each point, among those dying at Alma was N. H. Whittemore, 
 County Attorney. 
 
 We here quote another historical incident from Mr. Fair- 
 field: "One little incident, however, I must relate which brought 
 Alma into the public eye and put new life into the tovioi and 
 eventually caused her to put on city airs. Large stone build- 
 ings were erected and other improvements were made, and for 
 the first time in her history her streets were sidewalked. The 
 awakening of the little city from lethargy was on this wise: 
 A well was being dug at the lower end of Missoui'i street. The 
 workmen were promised a treat when they struck water. A 
 
 Looking south from Hochkaus coi-ner on Street of Alma. 
 
40 Wabaunsee County Directory and History 
 
 strong vein was soon reached. The men left and went for the 
 promised treat of beer. There was a kerosene barrel standing 
 near the well with a little oil in it. A lady thought she would 
 play a joke on the men while they were away enjoying the 
 beer, so she emptied the few gallons of kerosene from the bar- 
 rel into the well. When the men came back they smelled the 
 kerosene and they were sure they had struck oil. They drew 
 up a bucket and the top was covered with oil. The city paper 
 announced that a vein of oil had been tapped in a well and that 
 a stream poured out as large as a man's leg. The town went 
 wild over the prospect. A company was formed, stock issued 
 and hundreds of shares sold. The officers at Fort Riley took 
 forty or more shares. Alma was in the 'lime light,' a noted 
 naturalist from St. Louis came to the city and country around 
 was thoroughly inspected to find the source of the wonderful vein. 
 There wei-e some spiritualists in the city and they held a seance, 
 and the medium was told by the spirits that there was a pocket 
 of anthracite coal under the city and surrounding country. A 
 map was made under the directions of the spirits, showing just 
 where the, vein of coal lay. The spirits were often consulted as 
 to how the rich deposit could be brought to the surface. The 
 lady who perpetrated the joke by pouring the kerosene into the 
 well became alarmed at the excitement she had stirred up and 
 kept the joke a secret, and only told it to her husband." The 
 effect of this little joke, over a quarter of a century ago, is felt 
 by the city of Alma today, and will be for many years to come. 
 The joke of priming the well with kerosene proved a costly one. 
 The prospecting company boring for oil in the north part of 
 town struck a salt vein at a depth of 600 feet, and proceeded 
 to manufacture salt by evaporation. It was the grasshopper 
 year and the vats became so thick with them that the salt was 
 worthless. The company then tried boilers and turned out 
 sixteen barrels per day; the water was 65 per cent salt. A 
 Hutchinson company purchased the company's di'ill and struck 
 the real thing. The Alma company went out of business. 
 About this time the spirits got in their work through their 
 medium. They induced a man to bore 2,000 feet into the earth 
 to reach the pocket of coal. The drill passed through twelve 
 veins of coal, which varied in thickness. The man then put 
 down a shaft 600 feet, his money gave out and a halt was 
 
Wabaunsee County Directory and History 41 
 
 called. There was also a St. Louis company which tried for 
 coal at Alma, and it is believed by Mr. Fairfield, who was very 
 active in this matter, that if the matter had been properly 
 worked it would have had fine results. Mr. Fairfield is the 
 party who secured the land options which were used by this 
 company. 
 
 The Salt Works of which Mr. Fairfield speaks, once supplied 
 salt to a great part of Kansas, and might have been doing it 
 yet if they hadn't allowed Hutchinson to get their drill. The 
 salt works at Alma shut down in 1876. Alma has another 
 prospect for manufactories besides salt. There is the cement 
 business. Alma was the first town in the United States to 
 furnish Portland cement, which has since become one of the 
 greatest enterprises in the whole country, and especially in Kan- 
 sas. 
 
 The growth along the educational line is shown by the build- 
 ing of a high school building in 1875. The first newspaper was 
 established at Alma in 1869. The oldest newspaper in the 
 country is the Alma Enterprise, established in 1884. In 1886 
 a newspaper gives an account of a meeting of the horticultural 
 society which was holding regular meetings at that time. Fruit 
 was no longer regarded a luxury, but a necessity. 
 
 Returning to Alma's natural resources, a word should be 
 said regarding the natural rock. It has been quarried for 
 building purposes and makes excellent material. The Rock 
 Island bridge at Topeka was built from Alma stone. 
 
 Alma has made many improvements the last two years, 
 among them is The Hochhans Block, the new Meyer Building, 
 Oetinger Lumber Yards, the $15,000 High School Building, the 
 Lutheran Church, which cost a like sum, and L. Undorf's new 
 market. Besides these, many new residences have been erected. 
 Every business place in Alma is occupied, and it is almost im- 
 possible to rent a house. The walks on Missouri Street are 
 cement and new cement walks are being laid on the back 
 streets. 
 
 Alma is the only town in the county that can put on enough 
 metropolitan airs to have an automobile parade every evening. 
 From the standpoint of appearance, it is one of the most pleas- 
 ing towns in Kansas. It is well kept and neat. Missouri street 
 is kept in good repair and lined with nice looking business blocks 
 
42 Wabaunsee County Directory and History 
 
 of native stone. There is an uniformity and grace about the 
 town which is good to see. As well as being progressive and 
 enterprising, the people of Alma are so friendly and pleasant 
 to meet that a stranger at once feels at home among them. 
 
 Mr. J. B. Cassidy, who keeps the dandy grocery store in the 
 middle of the block, holds the enviable distinction of being the 
 only Irishman in town. The claims of the real-estate man who 
 seeks to deprive Mr. Cassidy of half this honor are not taken 
 seriously by the grocer. 
 
 Mr. Cassidy is one of the early settlers of Alma, having come 
 before the railroad. By hard work and thrift he has accumu- 
 lated considerable means. He is now serving his second term 
 as Mayor of Alma. The fact that the Deutschers have twice 
 united to elect the only Irishman in the town to the highest 
 office in the gift of its citizens proves that "there is nothing too 
 good for the Irish." 
 
 August Falk, proprietor of the Alma Marble Works, operates 
 the only establishment in his line in Alma. 
 
 He has been in business for thirty years, and his work has 
 won more than a local reputation. Mr. Falk has a large monu- 
 ment trade at Herrington, where he spends a part of his time. 
 He does fine work in native rock as well as in marble. He also 
 takes contracts for cement work, and most of the cement walks 
 in Alma are of his building. 
 
 Mr. Falk was born in Groszerlang, Brandenburg, Germany, 
 in 1849, and came to Wabaunsee County in 1870. He has al- 
 ways lived at Alma. 
 
 The firm who is said to be paying money to more people than 
 any other firm in Alma is Freeman & Rose, who are engaged 
 in the poultry and egg-buying business. They started last De- 
 cember and since that time have done a cash business, averaging 
 $1,000.00 per month. Owing to the increase in trade, it is al- 
 ready necessary to enlarge their plant so as to accommodate a 
 steadily increasing volume of business. 
 
Wabaunsee County Directory and History 
 
 43 
 
 C. E. Carroll 
 
 Carey E, Carroll, 
 one of the prominent 
 younger citizens of 
 Alma, was born at 
 Maplewood, Ohio, Sep- 
 tember 15th, 1868. He 
 was appointed Court 
 Reporter of the Thirty- 
 first Judicial District of 
 Kansas, under Judge 
 Wm. Thomson, where 
 he remained eight 
 years. During this time 
 he read law and was 
 admitted to the bar in 
 
 1895. In November, 
 
 1896, he was elected 
 County Attorney of 
 Wabaunsee County. 
 
 Between 1898 and 
 1907 Mr. Carroll served 
 several terms as re- 
 porter in the Appellate 
 and Supreme Court at 
 Topeka. For two years 
 he was U. S. Marshal 
 at Wichita. He has been a newspaper man of considerable 
 merit and until recently was interested in several papers. 
 
 Mr. Carroll is an extensive property owner in Alma, an active 
 member of the Board of Education and of the City Council. 
 
 The Electric Light Company was organized in the fall of 
 1905 and the plant established. On December 21st everything 
 was in readiness and the lights were officially turned on by 
 Mayor Cassidy. The equipment was a fifty-horsepower simple 
 automatic engine, a fifty-horsepower boiler and a fifty-kilowatt 
 
 In October, 1906, Mr. W. B. Wilson bought out the other 
 members of the company and took over the business. At that 
 time the number of subscribers did not reach forty. In June, 
 1907, there were sixty-three subscribers. 
 
 The business is now growing beyond expectation, and Mr. 
 Wilson will be obliged to rebuild at once. New machinery of 
 greater capacity will be installed. 
 
44 
 
 Wabaunsee County Directory and History 
 
 H. C. Stitcher 
 
 H. C. Stitcher, editor 
 of the Alma Signal, is 
 one of the enterprising 
 young men on which the 
 future depends. He has 
 been in Alma only two 
 years, but has demon- 
 strated clearly his ability 
 as a newspaper man. He 
 has lately been joined in 
 his business by his broth- 
 er, C. H. Stitcher. 
 
 5. H. FAIRFIELD. 
 
 S. H. Fairfield is one of the men who have been identified 
 with the history-making of Wabaunsee County since he came to 
 Kansas in 1856. He took part in the Civil War and Border 
 Wars, serving in Company K of the Eleventh Kansas with 
 honor and distinction. He has held many offices with credit, 
 among them Postmaster in charge of the military mail for 
 Missouri, Kansas, and Colorado in 1863; he was doorkeeper of 
 the Senate and High Courts of Impeachment of Kansas in 
 1861-2, County Clerk in 1856, County Treasurer from 1867-81, 
 Register of Deeds for several years. For two years he was edi- 
 tor and proprietor of the Alma Union and Trustee of Washburn 
 College twenty-five years. The writer acknowledges a debt to 
 him in compiling historical facts for this book. 
 
Wabaunsee County Directory and History 
 
 45 
 
 W. G. Weaver 
 
 Mr. W. G. Weaver, 
 who is of New England 
 birth, came to Wabaun- 
 see with his parents in 
 1868, before pioneer days 
 were over. This was his 
 place of residence until 
 1895, when he was elect- 
 ed Clerk of the District 
 Court and moved to 
 Alma. At the close of 
 his four years' official 
 term, Mr. Weaver went 
 into the real estate and 
 abstract business. His 
 residence of thirty-eight 
 years in the county ren- 
 ders him particularly 
 competent in both these 
 lines of business — in the 
 real estate business, be- 
 cause he knows every piece of land in the county and is able to 
 meet the individual wants and needs of his customers; m the 
 abstract business, because he knows the history of every piece 
 of land. The four years spent as Clerk of the District Court 
 also gives him valuable knowledge on this point. Mr. Weaver 
 Tias the only established abstract business in the county. He also 
 handles a loan and insurance business. 
 
 The Alma Enterprise, Sage & Little, editors and ovniers, is 
 "the oldest paper now in the county, being established in 1884, 
 and since absorbing the News, established in 1868, and the Alta- 
 Vista Record. It has a list of 1,600 subscribers, by far the 
 largest in the county. It put in the first power press, also the 
 first gas engine in the country and was first to own its own 
 home. Frank I. Sage, the senior partner, is a printer of thirty- 
 five years' experience, and the fame of his excelleiit work is 
 known over several adjacent counties. O. W. Little, the junior 
 member, is a native born son of the county, and for nearly four 
 years was Deputy County Clerk. He was largely instrumental 
 in establishing the Wabaunsee County Historical Society, the 
 first county society in the State, and is its present secretary. 
 
 The Enterprise is Republican in politics and has always stood 
 for what was best in the gi-owth and upbuilding of the city 
 and county. 
 
46 
 
 Wabaunsee County Directory and History 
 
 A. & P. Schmitz, Poland-Chinas 
 
 Among the prominent breeders of Wabaunsee County are 
 Arthur and Paul Schmitz, who are of Alma. They have been 
 raising Poland-China hogs for the past four years. They have 
 a herd of about one hundred and forty pigs. The young pigs 
 are sold each year to farmers and stockmen for breeding pur- 
 poses. They w^ill have about eighty for sale this year. 
 
 The Schmitz Brothers are also getting a start in registered 
 Hereford cattle. They have about a dozen head as a beginning 
 and intend to increase their herd. 
 
Wabaunsee County Directory and History 
 
 47 
 
 OETINQER LUMBER CO. 
 
 Among the new men who have come to Alma and established 
 a business, of which the little city is proud, is Wm. Oetinger, 
 Pi'esident and Treasurer of the Oetinger Lumber Co. The 
 Oetinger Lumber Co. owns yards at Harveyville and Alma. The 
 yards were established April 15th, 1906. The above is a cut of 
 the buildings put up at that time. The Harveyville yard was 
 bought of the Harveyville Lumber Co. in 1906. These two yards 
 are about equal in capacity, and a large business, running up to 
 about $30,000, is transacted at each point. 
 
 All kinds of building material, including lumber, rough and 
 dressed, shingles, lath, posts, lime and cement are dealt in. Coal 
 and brick are also handled at the Alma yards. The different 
 kinds of lumber handled are the yellow or Southern pine, the 
 white pine, and redwood from California, fir from Oregon, cedar 
 from Washington, cypress from Louisiana, and oak fi-om Mis- 
 souri. Mr. Oetinger is an experienced lumberman. He came to 
 Alma from Riley, where he had been in the lumber business for 
 fifteen years. He has energy and enterprise, and is doing his 
 share to promote the interests of his city and county. 
 
 The Oetinger Lumber Co. is incorporated under the laws of 
 the State of Kansas, and its officers are Wm. Oetinger, President 
 and Treasurer; W. G. Means, Vice-President; J. E. Edgerton, 
 Secretary. 
 
Wabaunsee County Directory and History 
 
 J. B. Fields 
 
 One man who has a 
 system for keeping the 
 boys on the farm, which 
 beats all the "sage ad- 
 vice" ever printed, is Mr. 
 J. B. Fields, real estate 
 dealer in Aima. Mr. 
 Fields realizes that one 
 way to increase the de- 
 mand for real estate is to 
 make farmers. To this 
 end he manages various 
 contests — one of these 
 the corn contest. M**- 
 Fields furnishes seed- 
 corn lo all boys of Wa- 
 baunsee County who care 
 to go into the contest. 
 Some of this corn of the 
 new varieties costing 
 $1.00 for three quarts. 
 Twenty prizes will be given to the boys raising the best corn. 
 The prizes are given by the business men of the county and 
 are of an educational nature, such as a trip to Manhattan to 
 inspect the live-stock and farming methods. The object is to 
 teach the boys the very best kind of farming. Mr. Fields has 
 been in Alma in the real estate business since 1892. He is an 
 extensive real estate owner himself a;nd pastures 1,800 head of 
 cattle. He was the first Sha\vnee Insurance agent in Wabaun- 
 see County, and is still in the insurance business. 
 
 Alma has three banks, the oldest of these The Alma National. 
 It has a capital of $50,000, a surplus of $20,000 and is especially 
 well backed by the following substantial directors : Fred Reuter, 
 President, is a retired farmer, but still retains about 1,500 acres 
 of choice real estate, besides his homestead. Mr. J. L. Shepp 
 owns 4,000 acres of land in Farmer Township and in Lyons 
 County. C. G. Willig, of Pavilion, who is considered one ot the 
 wealthiest men of the county, owns a large area of valuable 
 land. Mr. C. Thomson owns town real estate and a general store. 
 Geo. Huber, manufacturer of hand-made boots and shoes. Mr. 
 J. C. Goetzbach owns one of the largest stores in the county, 
 also a fine farm. Philip F. Johnson, an old settler and retired 
 farmer, has considerable money in property and stocks. Mr. J. 
 R. Henderson is the cashier of the bank. 
 
Wabaunsee County Directory and History 
 
 49 
 
 Dr. George W. B. 
 Beverly 
 
 U. S. Pension Exam- 
 iner. 
 
 County Health Officer. 
 
 Coroner for the past 
 two years. 
 
 Offices fitted with latest 
 equipment, including 
 X-Ray Machine. 
 
 Has an extensive prac- 
 tise over the entire 
 county. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 ^^- 
 
 "" " -^1^ 
 
 n 
 
 -( 
 
 
 
 ',-' ^' ^s^^ 
 
 H^ 
 
 1 
 
 m 
 
 
 Kr 
 
 m 
 
 J 
 
 
 
 1 
 
 ' - 
 
 1 
 
 ^^M 
 
 P 
 
 
 
 
 
 1 
 
 ..rf^flMHI 
 
 igjUniii^ 
 
 fli 
 
 1^ 
 
 4 
 
 M 
 
 ^ 
 
 m 
 
 
 ^K^ sVi 
 
 4 
 
 
 •'.JH^- 
 
 zZ^, 
 
 Q^^^ r . '^'^ 
 
 _1 
 
 !3 
 
 
 !^^E»«t*<»«''«V#:.!3SiSPfi«<«KlS~; . 
 
 ■■:.ii 
 
 Mr. R. M. Buck, of near Eskridge, is one of the stock-raisers 
 of great enterprise. He is making Poland-China hogs a specialty 
 and his herd of one hundred head contains some very valuable 
 animals, including some prize-winners. 
 
 Mr. Buck has a herd of fifty Shorthorn cattle, one of which 
 was a prize-winner at the Kansas City Royal Stock Show. 
 
 Mr. Buck is also a breeder of Barred Plymouth Rock Chick- 
 
50 
 
 Wabaunsee County Directory and History 
 
 Knostman Clothing Co. 
 
 MEN'S 
 
 Ready-Made 
 
 Clothing and 
 Furnishings 
 
 Shoe Emporium 
 
 Latest Styles in all 
 Goods. 
 
 Q. H. Meier. 
 
 Photographer. 
 
 Mr. Meier is a Portrait 
 and View Photographer 
 permanently located at 
 Alma, with branch galler- 
 ies at Alta Vista and Pax- 
 ico. He can be found — 
 
 First Saturday of each 
 month at Alta Vista. 
 
 Third Saturday of each 
 month at Paxico. 
 
 Pictures copied and en- 
 larged in India Ink, Cray- 
 on, Water Color and Pas- 
 tel. 
 
Wabaiaisee County Directory and History 
 
 51 
 
 AMavisto. 
 
 Banks. 
 
 AltaVista State Bank. 
 Peoples State Bank. 
 
 Barbers. 
 
 City Barber Shop. 
 Fred Kriiger. 
 
 BUSINESS DIRECTORY. 
 
 Lumber Yards, 
 
 The Wohlgast Lumber Co. 
 
 Meat Market. 
 Union Thomas. 
 
 Millinery. 
 
 Carpenters and Contractors. 
 
 Syring Bros. 
 
 Dentists. 
 
 Dr. F. C. Gale. 
 
 Furniture Store. 
 
 Otto Wolgast. 
 
 General Stores. 
 
 Alexander & Son. 
 J. N. Bolton. 
 Gantz Bros. 
 W. F. Kahle. 
 Star Mercantile Co. 
 
 Hardware and Machinery. 
 
 A. H. Wolgast. 
 
 Hotels. 
 
 Fairview Hotel. 
 Farmers Hotel. 
 
 Jewelry and Notions. 
 Chris Johnson. 
 
 Doiill Millinery Co. 
 Mrs. Dollie Houghton. 
 
 Music Store. 
 
 Olney Music Co. 
 
 Newspapers. 
 
 AltaVista State Journal^ 
 
 Notary Public. 
 
 P. Hawes. 
 
 Physicians and Surgeon. 
 
 Dr. W. H. Little. 
 
 Produce Dealer. 
 
 Joe Hampton. 
 
 Real Estate Dealer.. 
 
 A. H. Meseke. 
 
 Restaurants. 
 
 City Restaurant. 
 L. E. Paetke. 
 
■ 52 Wabaunsee County Directory and History 
 
 AltaVista is a very active, enterprising town of almost 
 five hundred people, on the Main line of the Rock Island. It is 
 situated in the southwest corner of Wabaunsee County, just at 
 the junction of three counties, and draws a large amount of 
 trade from each, there being no other town of importance be- 
 tween Alma and Herington. Besides the town trade, Altavista 
 has a steady trade of about 560 country families. To the South 
 and West is a vast area of level farming lands. The increasing 
 prosperity of the farmers has caused the population and busi- 
 ness of Altavista to double within the last four years. The 
 :town is booming, but the boom has the firm reliable backing of 
 a rapidly developing farming community to sustain it. 
 
 EARLY HISTORY OF ALTAVISTA. 
 
 The earliest account obtainable concerning Altavista is the 
 establishment of the town in 1886. The surrounding territory 
 onust have been settled many years before, but no account of 
 it was ever learned. 
 
 Matt Thompson says that Pike was laid out in October, 1886, 
 by W. D. Deans; that shortly after the name was changed to 
 Cable City, and in March, 1887, changed again to Altavista. 
 In an old 1887 map, the name appears as Cable City. The ac- 
 count obtained from citizens of Altavista is to the eifect that 
 the town was laid out by C. Langvart, who sold lots enough to 
 start in the stock business and thus become wealthy. P. Hawes 
 had previously homesteaded a piece of land which is now the 
 part of the townsite, from the depot south. Geo. Wolff had 
 homesteaded what is now north part of town. 
 
 The town was laid out in 1886 and building began in the 
 winter of '89. 
 
 A party by the name of Messenber built the first bull Ung. 
 Steve Hoog, Gantz Brothers, and Sattell were some of the first 
 people to build and start in business. Mr. Kahle, who has a 
 general store at the present time, did the carpenter work on 
 many of the early buildings. L. J. Woodward, Richardson & 
 Fisher, and the firm of Kistler and Arndt are also among the 
 
Wabaunsee County Directory and History 53 
 
 pioneer business men of Alavista. M. L. Hull was the pioneer 
 lumberman. He was bought out a few years ago by Wm. Wol- 
 gast. 
 
 There is an old landmark not far from Altavista, in the 
 shape of a stone fort, built on the farm of August Wolgast in 
 1864 in anticipation of a raid from the Kaw reservation. Sixty- 
 four was a very anxious time on the border. The Kiowas and 
 Cheyennes were on the warpath and the restlessness of the 
 Kaws caused much apprehension among the whites. In the 
 same year the settlers of Harveyville "hid out" in the corn- 
 fields for fear of an Indian outbreak. However, the Kaws 
 stayed at home and the strong stone fort was not needed. It 
 is quite a curiosity today. 
 
 There is an old proverb, "Happy is the nation that has no 
 history." Applying that to the towns in Wabaunsee County, 
 AltaVista is a happy place indeed, for we were able to gather 
 very little, except that the little town has always been pros- 
 perous. There was no stories of hard times, as was heard from 
 the earlier settled places. This may be because the town did 
 not appear on the map until after the "big drowth" and the 
 two grasshopper years were over. There is a tradition that 
 AltaVista was struck by a cyclone about two years ago. If it 
 was, the town certainly does not look it now. It is all 
 together again and steaming away at a rate that looks like 
 business. There are no vacant store rooms or dwellings to be 
 found. Neither are there any idle men. The railroad rock 
 crusher gives steady employment to a large number of hands. 
 
 Cream is an important product, and the weekly shipment 
 avei'ages one thousand pounds a week. 
 
 Corn is the principal grain, although all grains are raised 
 to some extent. Hogs and cattle are raised in large herds.^ 
 There are five men near Altavista engaged in breeding regis- 
 tered stock. Cattle feeding on the hills north and east is quite 
 extensive. This is one of the principal points in the county 
 where Texas cattle are unloaded for pasturage. This territory 
 is well watered and especially adopted for stock-raising. 
 
 As its name indicates, Altavista is built on a high location. 
 Fi-om a hill a short distance away Alma and other distant points 
 can be seen very distinctly. 
 
54 
 
 Wabaunsee County Directory and History 
 
 — THE- 
 
 Altavista State Bank 
 
 AltaVista, Kans. 
 
 Capital and Surplus, 
 $15,000.00. 
 
 Resources of Stockhold- 
 ers, over $200,000. 
 
 DIRECTORS. 
 
 A. H. Meseke, 
 President. 
 
 Otto Wolgast, 
 Vice-President. 
 
 W. C. A. Meseke, 
 Cashier. 
 
 Herman Arndt, 
 A. H. Wolgast. 
 
 J. N. Bolton 
 
 AltaVista, Kans 
 
 Dry Goods, Ladies' and 
 Gents' Furnishings. 
 
 "Black Cat" Hosiery. 
 
 Shoes for Men and 
 Boys, "Julia Mar- 
 lowe" for Women. 
 
 Staple and Fancy 
 Groceries. 
 
Wahamisee County Directory and History 
 
 55 
 
 THE PEOPLE'S STATE BANK, ALTAVISTA, KANSAS. 
 
 This bank owns its own building, as shown in cut, and is 
 absolutely protected against fire, etc. As the name indicates, 
 this bank was created "by the people for the people." The stock- 
 holders consist of the best and most wealthy people in the com- 
 munity, aggregating a value of over one-fourth million dollars, 
 thus making it one of the most safe and substantial institutions. 
 When in our city make this your headquarters; we will treat 
 you honorably as well as honestly. We respectfully solicit your 
 patronage. 
 
 H. F. DiERKiNG, President. Wm. Addie, Cashier. 
 
 Directors: J. W. Spencer, U. Thomas, V. G. Slack, Ross 
 Cooper, S. P. Snodgrass. 
 
 ANDREW BROTHERS 
 
 Andrew Brothers, who maintain a well-kept livery, a dray 
 and transfer, are new men in Altavista, having bought out the 
 old-established business of A. P. McLain about a year ago, which 
 consisted of seventeen head of fine horses. Several carriages 
 and wagons are a part of the equipment, and are kept constantly 
 in good order. 
 
56 
 
 Wabaunsee County Directory and History 
 
 View of the Ranch of John W. Naylor, Altavista, breeder of registered and 
 high-grade Hereford Cattle. Herefords of the leading strains — Anxietys, Archi- 
 balds, Columbus, and Acrobats. 
 
 WOLGAST LUHBER CO. 
 
 Among the people who figure in the building of a town is 
 the man who furnishes the wherewithal to build. Mr. William 
 Wolgast, who went into the lumber business in 1902 has fur- 
 nished most of the lumber used. In 1904 he bought out M. L. 
 Hull & Son, pioneer lumberman of Altavista. Having the two 
 yards, Mr. Wolgast was then well equipped to handle all the 
 lumber the town needs. In 1905 Herman Wolgast, brother of 
 the lumberman, bought a half interest in the lumber yards and 
 the business has since been conducted under the name of the 
 Wolgast Lumber Co. The bulk of the lumber handled is yellow 
 pine from Arkansas, Texas, and Louisiana. Most of the finish is 
 bought in Oregon. The trade is in Altavista and tributary 
 country. 
 
Wabaunsee County Directory and History 
 
 57 
 
 W. H. H. Smith, M. D. 
 
 W. H. H. Smith, M. D., 
 and a registered drug- 
 gist, of AltaVista, Kan- 
 sas, was born at Jersey- 
 ville, Illinois, April 6, 
 1858, and came to Kan- 
 sas in 1890, beginning 
 the practise of medicine 
 at Eureka, but came to 
 AltaVista in 1897, suc- 
 ceeding Dr. E. W. El- 
 dridge in the practise of 
 medicine and the drug 
 business. By hard work 
 and close attention to 
 business the doctor has 
 built an enviable reputa- 
 tion as a physician, be- 
 sides making his drug- 
 store the most attractive 
 and complete of any in 
 the county. The doctor 
 will soon retire from ac- 
 tive practise of his pro- 
 fession and take life easy 
 at his counti-y home, one 
 of the most beautiful quarter sections in Wabaunsee County, 
 just four miles east of to^vn. 
 
 Dr. W. H. H. Smith was graduated from the University of 
 Valparaiso, Indiana, taught school twelve years, the last five 
 years of which time he was State Teachers' Institute instructor; 
 attended the Missouri Medical College one year, was graduated 
 from the Northwestern Medical College, St. Joseph, Mo., 1890; 
 was married to Maria Rhodes, of Effingham, 111., February 22d, 
 1882, four children being born to this union — Grover Eugene, 
 graduate of the pharmacy department of the University of Val- 
 paraiso, in 1906, now has a position in the laboratory depart- 
 ment of the Smith Drug Company, Salt Lake City, Utah; Her- 
 man, 19 years of age, and a student of the State University of 
 Lawrence ; and Dewey and Wm. H. H., two youngest of the four 
 children. 
 
58 
 
 Wabauyisee County Directory and History 
 
 A. H. Meseke 
 
 Among the young 
 men whose enterprise is 
 giving Altavista new life 
 and impulse is A. H. Me- 
 seke. He is the son of 
 Herman and Carolin-e 
 Meseke and was born in 
 Wabaunsee County, 
 April 18th, 1879. He at- 
 tended common school ai; 
 Templin and at the age 
 of 13 entered the Salina 
 University, whei-e he 
 completed the commer- 
 cial course in 1895. He 
 entered the Alma State 
 Bank (now the Alma 
 National Bank) , at 
 Alma, Kansas, as book- 
 keeper and was later 
 elected Assistant Cash- 
 ier. In 1900, A. H. Me- 
 seke, with others, organ- 
 ized the Altavista State 
 Bank at Altavista and 
 opened a real estate of- 
 fice. Januaiy, 1905, he was elected President of the Altavista 
 State Bank. September, 1904, he was married to Miss Lillian 
 E. Simon, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. F. C. Simon, of Alma, 
 Kansas. 
 
 KISTLER & ARNDT 
 
 Probably the most important factors in the development of a 
 town are the men who started in business with the town and 
 stayed with iit through good and bad. Such a business is the 
 Hardware Store of Kistler & Arndt, which started the same year 
 Altavista was established, under the name of J. B. Kistler, j. S. 
 Kistler owning an interest in it. The business prospered with 
 the town and under careful management has greatly enlarged. 
 In 1906 the interest owned by J. B. Kistler was bought by J. S. 
 Kistler and Herman Arndt and the firm name became Kistler 
 & Arndt. This store handles the latest and most up-to-date ap- 
 pliances in farm machinery and tools as well as the usual hard- 
 ware stock. 
 
Wabaunsee County Directory and History 
 
 59 
 
 UNION THOMAS' MEAT MARKET 
 
 Union Thomas entered business in Altavista in 1888. Sold 
 meat in connection with restaurant. Closed restaurant business 
 in 1890 and continued meat market. In 1897 Mr. Thomas dug 
 an ice-pond north of town, from which he gets not only his own 
 supply of ice, but also supplies his customers. The ice from 
 this pond is pure as well water. 
 
 We have been requested to mention Miss Addis, of Topeka, 
 Kansas, in this book. She is the only lady jeweler in this part 
 of the country and her place of business has won fame on ac- 
 count of having a contract for many of the precious articles 
 which have so recently taken an advance. This is the one rea- 
 son why she has been credited with the extreme amount of 
 sales, of which a large portion has gone into the new homes in 
 Wabaunsee County. She invites everyone to make her place 
 of business (817 Kansas Avenue) their headquarters while in 
 the City. She handles very rich cut glass, hand-painted china, 
 watches, clocks, diamonds, silverware, latest novelties and sou- 
 venirs. Wedding-rings are made to order. Courteous treat- 
 ment is said to be the pride of this house. Miss Addis prides 
 herself in having the finest line of Christmas presents in the 
 city. A lady jeweler is not often herd of and should be encour- 
 aged. Expert repair department. Old jewelry made new. 
 
60 
 
 Wabaunsee County Directory and History 
 
 Bakery, 
 
 Meyers & Gee. 
 
 Banks. 
 
 Eskridge State Bank. 
 Security State Bank. 
 
 Barber-Shops. 
 
 City Barber Shop. 
 Star Barber Stiop. 
 
 Blacksmith. 
 Fred Baker. 
 
 Carpenter. 
 
 W. H. Peet. 
 
 Dentist. 
 
 Dr. A. H. Reynard. 
 C. A. Kraus. 
 
 Drays. 
 
 Beacli & Bashor. 
 Mace Bros. 
 
 Druggists. 
 
 E. R. Brown. 
 J. G. Trueblood. 
 
 Dry Goods and Groceries. 
 
 H. Hersberger. 
 N. E. Reed. 
 
 Flour Feed and Coal. 
 
 Miller & Son. 
 K. C. Berry. 
 
 Furniture and Undertaking. 
 Geo. D. West. 
 
 BUSINESS DIRECTORY. 
 
 General Merchandise. 
 
 Mudge Mercantile Co. 
 W. A. Harris. 
 
 Hardware and Machinery. 
 
 W. A. Waugh. 
 
 Hotels. 
 
 Palace Hotel. 
 Merideth Hotel. 
 
 Jeweler. 
 
 N. N. Spaukling. 
 
 Lawyers. 
 
 .T. R. Moreland. 
 J. E. Martin. 
 
 Livery. 
 
 Martin Schwartz. 
 
 Lumber Yards. 
 
 S. B. Chapman. 
 D. Worden. 
 
 Meat Market. 
 
 Wm. Parmiter. 
 
 Millinery. 
 
 Kelley Sisters. 
 Mrs. Anna Mears. 
 
 Newspapers. 
 
 The Eskridge Star. 
 Wabaunsee County Tribune- 
 
 Paint. 
 Robertson Paint Co. 
 
Wabaunsee County Directory and History 
 
 61 
 
 Painters and Paper Hangers. 
 C. D. Marshall. 
 
 Potographers. 
 Easter's Photograph Gallery. 
 Physicians and Surgeons. 
 
 Dr. C. William Walker. 
 Dr. M. F. Trivett. 
 Dr. A. L. Lemon. 
 
 Pumps. 
 
 S. M. Handley. 
 
 Real Estate Dealers. 
 
 F. L. McCoy. 
 C. C. Moreland. 
 W. H. Melrose. 
 
 Restaurants. 
 
 T. A. Endsley. 
 
 Sells Everything. 
 
 Wm. Trustier. 
 W. H. Earl. 
 
 The town is located on a plateau 1,700 feet above sea level. 
 A range of hills rises to the north and west, from which Esk- 
 ridge looks like a grove with a church in it, so completely is it 
 covered by the foliage of its trees. Situated near the head of 
 four streams, the Dragoon, Mission Creek, Mill Creek, and Elm 
 Creek, this town has a large area of rich country tributary to 
 it and its nearness to Topeka and Kansas City makes these 
 lands very valuable for all kinds of special and general farming. 
 
 Eskridge is an important shipping point. It is the center 
 of the greatest Shorthorn district in the world. There are 
 about 1,000 head of pedigreed cattle within a radius of twenty 
 miles. Some of these animals are woi-th thousands of dollars. 
 
 The whole town has a well-kept, thrifty appearance. Its 
 business blocks are substantially built of native stone or brick. 
 Unlike Alma, it never had a boom of any sort to string its 
 nerves up to a tension, and then let them down, but has enjoyed 
 a steady growth from the beginning. 
 
 Eskridge has unusual educational advantages for a town of 
 its size. Besides its excellent graded and high schools, it is 
 the fortunate possessor of a university which reflects great 
 credit on the town. This is the Wesleyan University, a Bible 
 School founded in 1901, by men of lofty ideas and great faith, 
 and ambitious to make it the foremost institution of its kind 
 in the United States. Many people do not realize the value of 
 a college to a town. Aside from a matter of culture, a college 
 
62 Wabaunsee County Directory and History 
 
 always brings money and business to the locality, not only in 
 what the attending students spend, but in donations and gifts, 
 the benefit of which the community receives in the end. 
 
 THE FIRST ESKRIDGE. 
 
 The history of Eskridge begins with the establishment of 
 what is now called East Eskridge, in 1861, two years after 
 the county seat fight came up. With characteristic enterprise 
 Eskridge at once got into the game, although she had only one 
 house at the time. By an offer of a court house square and a 
 building to be donated to the use of the county, Eskridge at the 
 election, February 7th, 1871, polled 256 votes against 269 for 
 Alma, 217 for Newbury, and 2 for Wabaunsee. 
 
 The race was now between Eskridge and Alma. Another 
 election was called three weeks later, and Eskridge lost to Alma 
 by thirty-six votes. 
 
 It was in this year that Col. Ephraim H. Sanford, the 
 founder of Eskridge, started a paper called the Landmark. 
 This was the second paper established in the county. The 
 press and other material was brought from Emporia and had 
 been the property of a man by the name of Eskridge, for whom 
 Sanford named his town. We have said his town, because he 
 founded it on his own land, of which he ov^med six or seven hun- 
 dred acres in the vicinity. He was a man of great energy and 
 enterprise, and had apparently made a success of everything 
 he undertook. 
 
 He held many offices of honor and won distinction in politics 
 and war. His strenuous temperament is nowhere more promi- 
 nent than in his loyalty to his own town. According to his 
 idea, Eskridge was the central point of the whole globe — ac- 
 cording to his map, all railroads lead to and from Eskridge, 
 and according to the pictures in the Lank Mark, heavy steam- 
 ers plied the Dragoon, and unloaded their commerce at Eskridge 
 landing. Colonel Sanford was Postmaster for over twenty years 
 and must have been appointed in the early '60s. 
 
 Dr. M. F. Trivett and Wm. Earl, who are both live wires in 
 modern Eskridge, lived in East Eskridge in the early days. Dr. 
 Trivett was the first man in the vicinity to own a buggy. Wm. 
 Earl kept a stock of general merchandise from the time the 
 
Wabaunsee County Directory and History 63 
 
 town first started. He was not only the first merchant in Esk- 
 ridge, but he has been in business longer than any merchant 
 in the county. 
 
 Under the strenuous efforts recounted above, the town as- 
 sumed village-like proportions and in 1880 had two hotels, two 
 livery-barns and several stores. The population was between 
 400 and 500. 
 
 About this time the Santa Fe surveyed for a road to take 
 the place of the old trail. Bonds were voted all along the line 
 and tradition has it that a load of hop tea was sent to Harvey- 
 ville and that a few cold ones found their way to Eskridge. 
 The writer does not believe it. It is true, however, that after 
 the road was built the people along the route were given an 
 excursion on the flat freight cars, previously used for hauling 
 dirt. The people were game and went. The train stopped at 
 every corner, and even in the middle of the block if anyone 
 wanted to get on. It rained as usual and rained hard. 
 
 Instead of all railroads leading to Eskridge, the only one 
 which did go through, "passed by on the other side" of Colonel 
 Sanford's town, and the little burg had to move over to the 
 west. Dr. Trivett was first to move his residence. He also 
 built the first building. W. H. Earl moved his store building, 
 and built the first new store. 
 
 Within three years the town had grown considerably and the 
 surrounding country was being rapidly developed. Eskridge 
 was shipping great quantities of hay for which $3 per ton was 
 being received. 
 
 In 1882 the first paper in the new town "Home Weekly," 
 was moved from Alma by W. W. Cone. This was the second 
 of the six papers Eskridge has supported at different times. 
 The rest are The Eskridge Star, issued in 1883 by Mitchell F. 
 Fowd and owned at present by Don Busenbark; Wabaunsee 
 County Democrat, Dr. Platte, editor — which lasted a few weeks 
 — a little longer than Democrats do in Kansas; The Eskridge 
 Sun, A. A. Graham, editor, issued 1888; The Eskridge Tribune, 
 Frank Hartman, editor, issued in 1900; The Wabaunsee County 
 Tribune, 1900, by Seaman & Carrol. 
 
 In 1890 Eskridge had the misfortune of being visited by a 
 destructive fire. All the west side between Trusler's and 
 
64 Wabaunsee County Directory and History 
 
 Mi;dge's were burned. E. L. Shumate & Son, W. H. Mills, J. 
 W. Taylor, and Parmiter & Son were the principal sharers in 
 a $25,000 loss. 
 
 It was about this time that a new era of prosperity began. 
 The hardships of pioneer life disappeared and people began to 
 have all comforts of life. By this time nearly every farmer had 
 a nice orchard. Fine new homes replaced the small houses put 
 up when "getting a start." Large barns were built to accom- 
 modate the produce from improved farms. The effect was soon 
 seen in the growth of the towns and in the volume of business 
 transacted. 
 
 To-day Eskridge is the second largest town in the county, 
 and is known far and wide as a "fine town for business." About 
 the only drawback to the place is the poor railroad accommoda- 
 tions. This condition promises to be remedied by the new rail- 
 road, the Topeka and Southwestern, which promises to go 
 through before the close of 1907. 
 
 Private and Company Farm Insurance 
 
 Money to Loan. a Specialty. 
 
 C. C. MO RE LAND, 
 
 ESKRIDGE, KANS. 
 
 Lands, Loans, and Insurance. 
 
 I have farms listed for sale, any size you desire ; also ranches 
 and town property. Eskridge is a clean, high-class town of about 
 nine hundred population, and growing. It is the best business 
 center for a place of its size in the State of Kansas. 
 
 We have a first-class High School, the educational center of 
 the county; any churches, one railroad and another now build- 
 ing. Rural delivery and telephone system complete. Land can 
 be purchased from $10 to $60 per acre, owing to location and 
 quality. Will drive to any part of the county. 
 
 Will buy, sell or trade land or personal property. 
 
 Collections made on reasonable terms. Phone No. 44. 
 
Wabaunsee County Directory and History 65 
 
 H. Hershberger 
 
 Eskrid^e, Kans. 
 
 - SELLS— 
 
 High Ouality Merchandise 
 
 —AND BUYS 
 
 Farm Produce. 
 
 When you buy what is best, you buy but 
 
 seldom; When you buy what is cheap, 
 
 you are buying: all the time. 
 
66 Wabaunsee County Directory and History 
 
 W. H. EARL, Eskridge, Kans. 
 
 The oldest pioneer merchant in Wabaunsee County. For 
 forty years we have been supplying the wants of the people in 
 the southern half of Wabaunsee County in the general mer- 
 chandise business. We carry everything the farmers want in a 
 general way. Have been here all these years and have satisfied 
 thousands upon thousands of customers in the line of Groceries, 
 Dry Goods, Ladies* and Gents' Furnishings, the famous brand 
 of Sunflower Shoes, Crockery, Queensware, Clothing, etc. We 
 buy Flour, Feed, and Salt in car-load lots and sell the best of 
 everything at the lowest possible price. Call and get prices. 
 Highest prices paid for all kinds of produce. 
 
 USE BROWN^S HEALING FLUID 
 
 for all wire-cuts and other wounds. It can be used with the 
 least trouble and leaves the smallest scar possible. Your neigh- 
 bor has used it; ask him if he has ever found a better remedy 
 for healing purposes. It is a strong antiseptic and germicide 
 used extensively by farmers and stockmen. Price, 25 cents, 50 
 cents and $1 a bottle. 
 
 E. R. BROWN, Drugfgist, /. Eskridgfe, Kans. 
 
 S. M. HANDLEY 
 
 Eskridge, Kans. 
 
 Dealer in Wind- 
 mills, Pumps. 
 Power Mills, and 
 Gasoline Engines, 
 Bathtubs and 
 Kitchen - sinks, 
 Steel Tanks and 
 Wooden Tanks. 
 Agent for the De 
 Laval Separator, 
 the best on earth ; 
 also oil for same. 
 
Wabaunsee County Directory and History 
 
 67- 
 
 BUSINESS 
 
 Banks. 
 
 Harvej'ville State Bank. 
 
 Barbers. 
 
 Wm. Grigsby. 
 Ed Teel. 
 
 Cream Stations. 
 
 Charles Droege. 
 Burt Bonner. 
 
 Contractors of Brick, Stone 
 and Piaster Work. 
 
 Wetzel & Duff. 
 
 Dry Goods. 
 J. R. Turner. 
 
 Drug Store. 
 
 Dr. L. A. Walker. 
 
 Elevators. 
 
 Garringer, Ferrel & Co. 
 Osage Grain and Elevator Co. 
 
 Furniture Stores. 
 
 M. P. Cook. 
 
 Groceries. 
 
 Earley & Root. 
 Heinlein Bros. 
 Jas. S. May. 
 
 DIRECTORY. 
 
 Hardware. 
 
 A. E. Copp. 
 
 Thompson Hardware Co,. 
 
 Harness. 
 
 J. T. Fields. 
 
 Hotels. 
 
 Santa Fe House. 
 
 Livery Stable.. 
 
 J. A. Beauchamp. 
 
 Lumber Yards. 
 
 Oetinger Lumber Co. 
 
 Meat Market. 
 
 Ferrel & Goodklns. 
 
 Newspapers. 
 
 Harveyville IVTonitor. 
 
 Physicians. 
 
 Dr. C. L. Youngman. 
 
 Real Estate Dealers. 
 
 A. A. Denney. 
 S. B. Easter. 
 
 Restaurants.. 
 
 M. L. Ray. 
 J. T. Bliss. 
 
68 Wabaunsee County Directory and History 
 
 Harveyville is a town of about 450 people, in an excellent 
 location. For miles around are the rich flats of the Dragoon, 
 where the country population has become wealthy. The cattle 
 and hog business is the principal money-making occupation, al- 
 though large shipments of produce and cream are continually 
 being made. There are two "cream days" each week, and on 
 these days the trade is very heavy at Harveyville, and there 
 isn't room on the streets to accommodate the teams of the pa- 
 trons. 
 
 EARLY HISTORY. 
 
 Although the town of Harveyville was not founded until the 
 'Coming of the Santa Fe Railroad, the history of Harvey settle- 
 ment dates back to 1854, when Henry Harvey and his two sons 
 took land on the Dragoon. The next year a claim was taken 
 up by I. M. Harris not far from the present site of Harveyville. 
 The Pitman and Gilbert families and Morris Walton also set- 
 tled in the vicinity about this time. The Harveyville territory 
 was settled along the rich bottoms where there was plenty of 
 moisture and little danger of destructive high water. 
 
 In these days it was a custom to winter in Missouri, because 
 there was nothing to eat in Kansas. The Indians were a great 
 annoyance, not that they were dangerous, but they pestered the 
 settlers continually with their begging. Even with the excel- 
 lent natural conditions in this section it was hard getting a start. 
 The outlook for good crops was often spoiled by drouth, grass- 
 hoppers, or prairie-fires. 
 
 In 1857 the slavery question was warm and there was a 
 general influx of settlers to Kansas. A number of people came 
 to Harveyville settlement. Among them was Joseph Johnson, 
 who took a claim on the Dragoon where he is still located. For 
 many years he was the only carpenter, and he built all the first 
 houses in Wimington and Harveyville. He manufactured all 
 the window- and door-casings, flooring and finishing material 
 from rough lumber by hand. 
 
 The first Fourth of July celebration in this vicinity was held 
 in 1857. 
 
 There were no railroads west of the Mississippi. Goods wei'e 
 hauled to Kansas City and the settlers went there to buy. In 
 
Wabaunsee County Directory and History 69^ 
 
 summer it was bad enough, but in winter these trips were per- 
 ilous. Gradually the market become more convenient. First it 
 was moved to Leavenworth, where there was no longer neces- 
 sity of crossing the river, next to Atchison, then Lawrence and 
 Topeka, and finally to Burlingame. Ox teams were used exclu- 
 sively, as the ox is a better pioneer than the horse or mule. 
 Aside from the fire and floods, and the natural hardships attend- 
 ing the settlement of a new country, the tenor of the Harvey- 
 villits way has been tolerably even. The Undergound Rail- 
 way ran through the Harvey settlement and the good house- 
 wives were often called out at night to get supper for two men 
 and ask no questions. 
 
 In 1858 a mail station was established on the Dragoon and 
 was kept at Dodge and Saunders. The stage coach of 1858, 
 such as traveled the Santa Fe Trail south of Harvey Settle- 
 ment, is described as a massive affair with a large boot attached 
 behind for baggage. It was generally drawn by mules. 
 
 Sod corn was the principal crop. It was planted by chop- 
 ping a hole in the sod of fresh-broken prairie and dropping the 
 seed in. Those who were fortunate enough to have cows, made 
 money by selling butter in Kansas City. 
 
 What little progress was made by 1860 was given a serious 
 set-back that year by the drouth. No rain fell for a year and 
 six months. Many settlers were discouraged and i-eturned home. 
 War broke out and took the strength of the country to the 
 front. Those who remained at Harveyville joined Company A 
 of the Osage Battalion. Company A drilled at Wilmington, 
 This battalion was not ordered into service till 1865, when it 
 was sent to Missouri. They marched to Kansas City and took 
 part in the "Battle of the Blue," where the advance orders were 
 not to shoot, whatever happened. 
 
 After the war came the grasshoppers, whose visit is de- 
 scribed in another part of this book. When the pest arose the 
 third day, leaving barren desolation behind, starvation stared 
 the people in the face. Henry Harvey went to Ohio to solicit 
 aid and was successful. Provisions and clothing were sent tO' 
 Atchison and hauled from there to the settlers. 
 
 The next stirring event was the Pike's Peak gold fever. The 
 Santa Fe Trail was alive with traffic. Men came in all manner 
 
70 Wabaunsee County Directory and History 
 
 of conveyances, and even on foot, pushing wheel-barrows or 
 carrying grips. 
 
 In 1874 there was another serious drouth. Ohio was agai.a 
 appealed to, and responded generously. Mr. Joseph Fields did 
 the soliciting and managed the distribution of the goods. 
 
 This brings us down to the time when the Santa Fe Rail- 
 road came to the place of the trail at Harveyville — in 1880. 
 The day the bonds were voted in Harvey Settlement, a wagon- 
 load of hop-tea was sent by the railroad company as a gentle 
 persuader. Then the town was laid out. Some years before 
 this a townsite had been located about a mile north of the pres- 
 •ent site, called Lexington, but no lots were sold. 
 
 The land where Harveyville stands was first taken under 
 military law, as a bounty from the Government to Te Par Kee, 
 minor child of Eme Eman Thluseca, Corporal of Captain Hopie 
 Haarjus, Company A, Creek Volunteer of Seminole War. Sam- 
 uel B. Harvey obtained the land from the child's guardian, and 
 it was granted to him as a patent, which was sio;ned by Presi- 
 dent Buchanan in 1860. Later it was sold to Morris Walton 
 and this deed is one of the earliest on record in the country. 
 
 The first man to start into business in the new town was 
 Alpheus Glasscock. John Thompson soon followed Glasscock 
 was a store building. George Woods and Eli Henderson oper- 
 ated an elevator and hay-baling establishment. George Woods 
 built a store and put in a fine stock of hardware. Walton Bros, 
 kept a general store. 
 
 This was the beginning but it was ten years before Harvey- 
 ville was able to hold her own trade which was going to Bui'- 
 lingame, and it is only within the last few years that people 
 have ceased to consider an ocasional shopping trip to Bur 
 lingame necessary. 
 
Wabaunsee County Directory and History 
 
 71 
 
 Saringer-Farrell Elevator Co., deals in all kinds of grain and elevator stuff, and 
 in Meat Meal. Located at Harveyville, Kansas. 
 
 The Thompson Hardward Co., of Harveyvil'e 
 
 started in their present business January 20th, 1905. In May 
 of that year the business done amounted to $334.90. The busi- 
 ness for May, 1906, was $1,072.42. The business for May, 1907, 
 was $2,945.00. The groAvth should be noted. They are building 
 a large stone store into which they will move this fall, and where 
 they will continue to handle everything found in a first-class 
 hardware store, including cutlery, silverware, ammunition, fish- 
 ing tackles, baseball supplies and builder's hardware; also farm 
 implements (of which they have sold three cars this spring), 
 vehicles and up-to-date farm machineiy of all kinds. 
 
72 Wabaunsee County Directory and History 
 
 One of the localities soon to be greatly benefited and devel- 
 oped by the building of the railroad between Topeka and Coun- 
 cil Grove, is the neighborhood about Keene. It is one of the 
 oldest settled sections of the country. At the time the Beecher 
 Bible and Rifle Company came to Wabaunsee, land was also be- 
 ing taken in this part of Mission Township. Among the earliest 
 was the Mossman family who came in 1856. Mr. S. L. Moss- 
 man then a boy of seven, still occupies the original homestead. 
 The Beach family came in 1857. Mr. W. K. and Mack Beach 
 have fine homes in Keene at the present time. Other earlier 
 settlers were. Captain Henry, Mr. Mason, John Doty, William B. 
 Hill and William Collins. A store was opened in 1858, where 
 tobacco, sugar, drygoods and wet goods (mostly the latter) 
 were sold to the Indians. In 1861 a stage route was established 
 between Topeka and Council Grove, on about the same route as 
 the new railroad is to be built. A postoffice was opened at that 
 time. A rural delivery now takes the place of the postoffice. 
 
 In 1874 the site was moved one-half mile farther west, and a 
 permanent store established. Mr. G. A. Eberhardt the present 
 proprietor of the store does a general mercantile business. He 
 has been in the vicinity for forty years and is a substantial cit- 
 izen and enterprising business man. 
 
 There is also a blacksmith shop, a public hall, and a large 
 schoolhouse. The surrounding farms are fertile, their owners 
 prosperous, and there are many fine homes in the vicinity. 
 
Wabaunsee County Directory and History 
 
 73 
 
 Banks. 
 
 The Stockgrowers State Bank 
 Maple Hill State Bank. 
 
 Barber. 
 
 Frank Stephens. 
 
 Coal Dealer. 
 
 H. R. Williams. 
 
 Druggists. 
 
 Chas. F. Payne. 
 
 General Stores. 
 
 Davis Stewart. 
 Ormbee & Updegraff. 
 
 Grain Buyers and Feeders. 
 Fowler & Tod. 
 
 Hardware and Implements. 
 Chas. P. Banker. 
 
 BUSINESS DIRECTORY. 
 
 Hotels. 
 Windier Hotel. 
 
 Livery Stable. 
 R. A. King. 
 
 Lumber Yards. 
 
 The Star Lumber Company. 
 J. Thomas & Son. 
 
 Meat Market. 
 
 Mercantile Meat Market. 
 
 Physicians and Surgeons. 
 
 Dr. J. M. Kemper. 
 Dr. C. E. Yates. 
 
 Restaurant. 
 
 Chas. E. Greaser. 
 
 Maple Hill is one of the newer towns of the county, yet it has 
 an interesting eary history. It was a part of the Pottawatomie 
 Reserve and the French who settled in the vicinity were, with 
 the exception of a few adventurers, the first settlers in the coun- 
 ty. This settlement was made in 1844 at the time of the ratifi- 
 action of the treaty between the Government and Indians. Chief 
 among these French people was a large family of Bourassas, 
 of which Mr. Eugene Bourassa seems to have been the head. 
 They built grist-mills and saw-mills and the old dams are 
 still to be found on Mill Creek. Their principal business was 
 grist and lumber work for the Government. They also supplied 
 
74 Wabaunsee County Directory and History 
 
 the Indians and goods. There was another family came with 
 the Bourassas in 1844, Shorey by name. One of the early land- 
 marks is a stone set up by the explorer, Freemont, who stopped 
 with the Bourassas in 1843, on his way west. Later others were 
 added to the settlement. One of the first marriages on record 
 is that of Isabella Bourassa and R. H. Watterman in 1859. 
 
 In 1864, Maple Hill was organized as a voting precinct and 
 the polls were at Watterman's place. This place is known as 
 Rocky Ford. The Santa Fe Trail crossed the Kaw River just 
 above the rocks. The first postoffice was on the Watterman 
 place; later it was moved to Eugene Bourassa's, then to Well- 
 house's, and from there to George Mouer's . 
 
 In 1861 the treaty for breaking up the Pottawatomie Reserve 
 was ratified, and in 1866 the allotments of land was made to 
 the Indians, and the surplus lands opened for sale by the Santa 
 Fe Railroad Company. This encouraged immigration, but set- 
 tlement was slow. It was the habit of settlers to stop at Mill 
 Creek for a sojourn of a few weeks or months, and go on west. 
 In 1872 there were about eighteen families living in the settle- 
 ment. 
 
 The early settlers of Maple Hill do not tell so many stories 
 of hard times as do the settlers of other vicinities. They did 
 their trading at St. Marys and sent their children there to 
 school until a schoolhouse was built at home. They were on 
 friendly terms with the Indians and liked them very much as 
 neighbors. The French settlers intermarried with them. These 
 Indians have the reputation of being industrious and fair in 
 their dealings. They lived in small buildings, and were self- 
 respecting enough not to beg. 
 
 There was no road at this time except the Fort Riley branch 
 of the Santa Fe Trail. 
 
 The stone schoolhouse was built in the early days in a his- 
 toric spot. It began with one pupil — Eugene Bourassa. The 
 teacher's name was Loofe. This schoolhouse was a kind of pub- 
 lic hall in the early days, and all meetings, religious and secular, 
 were held in it. S. H. Fairfield used to collect taxes there, be- 
 fore Maple Hill and Newbury townships were divided. 
 
 In 1873 there was a large influx of settlers from Massachu- 
 setts. They were the children and relatives of Santa Fe officials. 
 
Wabaunsee County Directory and History 75 
 
 and had plenty of money. Things began to hum. They built 
 large stone houses and fitted themselves out regardless of 'ex- 
 pense. From all accounts their occupation was farming, cattle- 
 raising, and money-squandering. 
 
 In 1882 a man came who has ever since figured prominently 
 in the affairs of Maple Hill. This was George Fowler, a son of 
 the Fowler who owns the packing-house in Kansas City. He 
 fenced in considerable land, and incidentally fenced up the Santa 
 Fe Trail. 
 
 There was a leap in the value of lands as they began to be 
 fenced and brought under culture. About this time the nucleus 
 of a town was formed. 
 
 About 1884 a store was started by Brooks and Verits, on 
 the Pine Ranch, about two miles south and west of the present 
 site of Maple Hill. Soon after the third partner, J. N. Dolley, 
 was taken in. They did business in this manner until about 
 1866, when Mr. Brooks retried and Verity and Dolley continued 
 the business. The postoffice, which had for years before been 
 established and had gone from one farmhouse to another, was 
 moved into the store in about 1884, where it remained until 
 moved to the railroad town in 1887. 
 
 Dr. Kemper was the pioneer doctor, having come here and 
 established a practise near the old Maple Hill store in the early 
 eighties, and moved into town. 
 
 The stone church was built and dedicated tbout 1885, and 
 services were held there until 1902 or 1903. It being so far 
 from town the Congregationalists moved into town and built 
 a new church. Much credit in building both these churches was 
 due to Rev. W. S. Crouch and his helpful wife. 
 
 During the fall and summer of 1886 several surveys were 
 made up the Mill Creek Valley, crossing the large ranches and 
 its prosperous farms. The survey made up the railway com- 
 pany, called the Chicago, Kansas & Nebraska, was afterwards 
 bought by the Rock Island interests. After passing the junction 
 of Mill Creek and the Kaw River in Northeast Wabaunsee Coun- 
 ty, the interests intended to form a junction between tne Fort 
 Worth and Colorado lines at a point about one mile east of the 
 present site of Maple Hill, which was the most natural place. 
 As there was a fight between the two large ranches, the Fowler 
 
76 Wabaunsee County Directory and History 
 
 Ranch and the Pierce Ranch, as to where the town should be lo- 
 cated, the Rock Island decided to go where they were given more 
 encouragement (McFarland) and the two factions were left to 
 fight out their own town battle. The Fowler site was finally, 
 after a very warm fight, successful in capturing the town, and 
 in August, 1887, after the depot and side-tracks had been build, 
 Mr. Fowler advertised a free excursion to Maple Hill from Kan- 
 sas City and Topeka. Three trains were needed to carry the 
 crowd. A free dinner was also given, also a free dance at night 
 in the Hereford barn on the Fowler Ranch. At the time of the 
 sale of lots there had been only a few buildings erected. J. N. 
 Dolley had a store and warehouse near the corner of Third and 
 Maine Streets, which was the first store in the present townsite. 
 J. H. Verity and the Pierce interest had a store just west and 
 south of town, where the postoffice was kept, as J. H. Verity was 
 the postmaster at the old store which was about a mile and 
 one-half south and west. A few years later a stone store was 
 built on Main Street, near the Fowler elevator and Pierce & Co. 
 succeeded .J. H. Verity and occupied the stone building, R. S. Smith 
 occupying the former Verity store, which had then been moved 
 to the south end of Main Street, as a hardwai-e store. This 
 store was soon transferred to Warner & Griggs, of Topeka, who 
 conducted a paying business there until about 1901, when they 
 sold to Taylor Bros. The Pierce store existed and did a thriv- 
 ing business, but much of this was credit, until about 1893, when 
 they were succeeded by Wm. Robinson. Shortly after this store 
 had changed hands, J. N. Dolley purchased the stone store and 
 rented Rhinearson his former stand and the two stocks were 
 transferred to W. R. Bracken, who conducted it for about a year 
 and moved the stock away. About 1893, J. N. Dolley took in a 
 partner (David Stewart) and the firm was known as Dolley & 
 Stewart and the stock increased. A furniture and clothing de- 
 partment was added. From 1893 this firm carried a larger 
 stock of goods than is usually found in a small town, being about 
 a $20,000 stock, and had a good selection of anything that could 
 be desired. 
 
 The first house built in Maple Hill was the Gilbert Stewart 
 property, which was formerly the farmhouse on the Fowler 
 Ranch. Mr. Simms built on Third and Fowler Avenue which 
 
Wabaunsee County Directory and History 
 
 77 
 
 was really the first house built after the starting of the town. 
 Joseph Hetherington started a blacksmith and wagon-shop near 
 Third and Fowler the same year. W. B. Small built the Wind- 
 ier Hotel, lit it by gas and heated it by steam for several years. 
 It was well kept and did a good business during the summer as 
 a fishing resort and many people from Topeka and elsewhere 
 made this their favorite outing place. Reed & Smith thinking 
 there was prospect for a larger town during the boom days of 
 the eighties and nineties bought forty acres of the Stone farm 
 and plotted it into a suburb of the town. This is now nearly 
 all taken several parties owning four to six tracts. 
 
 Maple Hill Public School Building. 
 
 About 1888 Thos. Brownlee was appointed postmaster, which 
 position he filled until about 1892, when J. W. Clark, our pio- 
 neer harnessmaker, was appointed his successor. Mr. Brownlee 
 started a general merchandise store on a small scale while in 
 the postoffice, which he afterward continued and increased until 
 about 1902. J. W. Clark kept the postoffice about two years 
 and resigned about 1893, and Geo. H. Smith, the pioneer drug- 
 gist, was appointed. He held the position until the fall of 1897, 
 when H. E. Beaubien was appointed. He held the place until 
 October 1, 1889, when H. R. Williams was appointed and has 
 held the position ever since. Soon after Mr. Smith was removed 
 
78 
 
 Wabaunsee County Directory and History 
 
 as postmaster he sold his drug stock to Charles F. Payne ,of 
 Topeka, and moved to Spokane, Washington. 
 
 In the early spring of 1900 when everything w^as dry, in the 
 small hours of the night, Maple Hill receiver her first backset. 
 Some one discovered a fire at the rear of the drug-store and gavfr 
 the alarm. In a short time there were several men on hand with 
 buckets and water, but not until the fire had made such head- 
 way in the drug-store that no one could enter. This fire de- 
 stroyed five buildings, the drug store. Dr. Menard's office, ad- 
 joining it, the Axley store, and Stewart's meat market and ice- 
 house. By heroic work the contents of all but the drug-store 
 were saved. These buildings were soon replaced by better ones. 
 
 Maple Hill State Bank. 
 
 In November of the same year, in the night, fire was again 
 discovered, this time on the outside of the building occupied by 
 Dolley & Stewart's clothing and furniture store. This fire 
 spread until it swept away the barber-shop next door and Dol- 
 ley & Stewart's warehouse in the rear, but by heroic efforts the 
 Fowler cribs and elevator, as well as a large quantity of the con- 
 tents of Dolley & Stewart's warehouse, also the stone or main 
 store of Dolley & Stewart, were saved. New warehouses and 
 other buildings were at once built and business went on as usual, 
 until early in the spring of 1901, the alarm of fire was again 
 heard at an early hour in the morning, this time to find the 
 stone store had been afire for several hours on the inside, caused 
 
Wabaunsee County Directory and History 79 
 
 by spontaneous combustion. After this fire Mr. Dolley withdrew 
 from active business in the mercantile line and Mr. David Ste- 
 wart, together with Robert Best, formed the firm of Stewart & 
 Best, and bought out Thomas Brownlee, at the old original 
 Dolley stand. This firm was soon succeeded by David Stewart, 
 who again burned out in the fall of 1903, fire having caught 
 from the adjoining building. He at once moved into other quar- 
 ters and continued business. Mr. Dolley was then in the real 
 estate and insurance business. In 1904 he entered politics. 
 
 Thomas Brownlee moved to Dover and died in 1905. W. E*. 
 Small closed the Windier Hotel in about 1899 and moved to 
 Blackwell, Oklahoma. While proprietor of the hotel he served 
 two terms as Register of Deeds of Wabaunsee County. Gilbert 
 Stewart, the pioneer butcher, sold out about 1900, bought a farm 
 and was not actively engaged in business until 1907, when he 
 began to buy and ship hogs. 
 
 R. T. Updegraff, who started the first lumber-yard, began 
 business about 1888, and continued in it until January 1, 1905, 
 when he sold to Star Lumber Company, to act in the capacity 
 of President of the Maple Hill State Bank, which was organized 
 in the fall of 1904, with R. T. Updegraff as president, and Chas. 
 P. Banker as cashier. In 1907 he bought an interest in the 
 store, established by F. L. Grove in about 1898, at this time be- 
 ing owned by T. W. Ormsbee, and formed the Maple Hill Mer- 
 cantile Company. 
 
 W. S. Isham had been tinner here for several years until a 
 mail-box for rural mail patrons was patented in 1902, and a 
 company formed to manufacture the boxes. It was called the 
 Maple Hill Manufacturing Company and was composed of J. N. 
 Dolley, W. S. Isham, P. C. Chamberlain and H. R. Williams. 
 This firm did business for two years. During the first year 
 10,000 of these boxes were made and shipped. About ten men 
 were employed during this year. The second year was not so 
 prosperous and in the fall the whole business was sold out to 
 W. S. Isham. 
 
 The Business Men's Commercial Club was formed in 1900, 
 with W. J. Todd as president, John Turnbull, vice-president, and 
 G. P. Sturgis, secretary and treasurer. Its objects were the wel- 
 fare and the benefit of the business interests of Maple Hill. 
 They did many commendable things, among them being the plant- 
 
80 Wabaunsee County Directory and History 
 
 ing and cultivating of about one hundred shade trees along some 
 of the principal streets. 
 
 Maple Hill has two churches, the Congregational, established 
 in the old Adams schoolhouse about 1862, and the M. E. Church, 
 established about 1888. The school-building built in 1904 is the 
 pride of the town and surrounding country. 
 
 The Stockgrowers' State Bank was organized in October, 
 1906, with Franklin Adams, president ; J. N. Dolley, vice-presi- 
 dent; and J. D. Weaver, cashier. They did a general banking 
 business and are doing a fine business for a small town. 
 
 For several years after the second fire there was no hall in 
 town for lodge work or public meetings, but in 1905, J. D. Weav- 
 er put up a two-story stone building — a storeroom below and 
 hall above. 
 
Wabaunsee County Directory and History 
 
 81 
 
 R. T. Updegraff, 
 leading business man of 
 Maple Hill is president 
 President of the Maple 
 Hill State Bank, head of 
 the Ormbee & Updegraff 
 Mercantile Company, the 
 principal general mer- 
 cantile store. He is 
 also owner of the Wink- 
 ler Hotel, meat market 
 and a splendid farm 
 near the town. Mr. Up- 
 degraff is a native of 
 Ohio but has been in 
 business here ever since 
 he came to Kansas. No 
 man in the county has 
 more diversified business 
 interests than he has 
 and made such a grati- 
 fying success. He is 
 the fortunate possessor 
 of a beautiful home and 
 interesting family. To 
 do business in Maple 
 Hill you must see Mr. 
 Updegraff. 
 
 CH4S. F. PAYNE. Maple Hill, Kansas 
 
 Chas. F. Payne, the only druggist at Maple Hill, was born 
 in London, England, in 1863. At the age of 15 years was ap- 
 prenticed to a chemist and druggist at Folkeston, County of 
 Kent. After serving his apprenticeship and having passed the 
 examination he secured a position with a leading firm of dx'ug- 
 gists in Colchester, Essex, where he remained four years, rising 
 to the position of head dispenser (or prescription clerk) ; resign- 
 ing to come to the United States in 1887. Mr. Payne has been 
 in business in Maple Hill for over eight years, coming to that 
 place from Topeka, and enjoys the patronage and confidence of 
 the best people in the community. His stoi-e is well stocked and 
 is neat and attractive, a feature of the store being no liquors 
 handled for any purpose. 
 
82 
 
 Wabaunsee County Directory and History 
 
 BUSINESS DIRECTORY. 
 
 Barber-Shop. 
 
 H. J. Borgman. 
 
 General Stores. 
 
 H. J. Hahn & Co. 
 F. C. Noller & Co. 
 
 Hotels. 
 
 Denver House. 
 
 Livery and Feed Barn. 
 
 Wm. Walters. 
 
 Lumber Yards. 
 
 McFarland Lumber Co. 
 
 Meat Market. 
 
 Noller & Theel. 
 
 Physicians and Surgeon, 
 
 C. R. Siliverthorne. 
 
 Restaurants. 
 
 Mrs. M. Calaway. ^ 
 Ringel Bros. 
 
 McFarland is strictly a railroad town, and became so by 
 the location of the junction of the Denver branch with the Her- 
 ington line of the Rock Island, at that place. The location of 
 the junction was fixed in 1887 when the Denver branch was 
 built. 
 
 This junction was first intended to be at Paxico. The ma- 
 terial for two railroad bridges were unloaded at that point and 
 the Rock Island's civil engineer was on the ground. This en- 
 gineer made a trip to McFarland, so the story goes, and on his 
 return the location of the junction was changed to McFarland. 
 At Paxico they have the story that the engineer was bribed. 
 The other account is that the company found it impossible to 
 reach the rich bottoms from Paxico and abandoned that point. 
 The location of the junction was then fixed on the southwest 
 quarter of section 31. 
 
 S. H. Fairfield, learning of the prospects, bought the south- 
 west quarter of 31. A town company was formed, the members 
 of which were S. H. Fairfield of Alma, C. W. Jewel, James Sury, 
 
Wabaunsee County Directory and History 
 
 83 
 
 George Bates, of Topeka, and Judge J. N. McFarland. Under 
 this town company the land was surveyed, town lots laid out 
 and sold, and a hotel, store, church, and four dwellings erected. 
 
 The hotel was sold to John Winkler, of Alma, who by the 
 way is about as historic a character as lives in the county. The 
 church which was built for a Congregational church was sold to 
 the Lutherans. 
 
 Watson Aderhold & Co. put a stock of goods in the town 
 company's store building the next year, and became the pioneer 
 merchants of McFarland. 
 
 Store of H. J. HAHN & CO., McFarlaniJ, Kans. 
 
 Dealer in General Merchandise. Complete line of Ladies' and 
 Gent's Clothing and Furnishings. Large stock of Groceries and 
 Notions, Footware, etc. Successors to Wendland Bros. 
 
84 
 
 Wabaunsee County Directory and History 
 
 T?here is an amusing bit of history connected with the nam- 
 ing of the town. It was laid out by S. H. Fairfield on his own 
 land. Mr. Fairfield was at a loss to know what name to give it. 
 He had started a town about a mile west of this one on the M. 
 A. & B. and had called it Fairfield. There was a postoffice in 
 Russell County by that name. Senator Plumb said that Mr. 
 Fairfield took a bag of beans and went up to Russell County to 
 get the patrons of the Fairfield postoffice to change the name to 
 Hawley, so that his own town could have a postoffice. 
 
 There is doubtless more or less truth in this bean story. 
 Whoever doubts it can just look up Russell County on the map, 
 und finds the postoffice of Hawley on a little creek tributary to 
 'Smoky Hill River. Any one who would not take Senator 
 
 Residence of MR. C. J. COMSTOCK, McFarland Kans. 
 
 Mr. G. J. Comstock and wife, who live in the above beautiful 
 home, are the oldest residents of McFarland. They located on 
 the Pau-Pau Creek one mile from town in 1882 while the site 
 of McFarland was still a wheat-field. The above residence on 
 the old Springer place was built in 1905. 
 
Wabaunsee County Directory and History 85 
 
 Plumb's word for it, after that, must be as skeptical as the man 
 who wouldn't believe that Louis Palenske's pigs climbed thirty 
 feet high into a tree the night of the flood on Mill Creek. 
 
 Disliking very much to spoil this story of Senator Plumb's, 
 Mr. Fairfield named the new town on the Rock Island, McFar- 
 land after his prime friend. Judge McFarland, of Topeka, al- 
 though after all these twenty years, he still says the town should 
 have been called Fairfield and would have been, had it not been 
 for that bag of beans. 
 
 After the town was started and the first half dozen buildings 
 put up, the bottom fell out of everything and things were at a. 
 stand-still for a long time. 
 
 The Rock Island, finding their eating-house not well patron- 
 ized in Topeka on account of there being so many cheaper places, 
 moved it to McFarland. It is a very fine eating-house, but does 
 
 DR. C. R. SILVERTHORNE. 
 
 Dr. C. R. Silverthorne, one of the most active and public- 
 spirited men of McFarland, is a self-made man in the strictest 
 sense of the term. He was left an orphan at the age of seven 
 and has taken care of himself and became educated. It is a 
 pleasure to give a biography of such a man as an encouragement 
 to young men without advantages. 
 
 Dr. Silverthorne was born at Grandview, Ind., August 17th, 
 1870. He went through common school and at the age of twenty 
 entered the medical department of the United States Hospital 
 as dispensarian. In 1894 he left for St. Louis to attend the 
 Medical College at that place. Three years later he came to 
 Kansas with the sum of $2.75 and plenty of grit, although he 
 did not know a person in the State. He graduated from the 
 University of the South at Sewanee, Tenn., in 1898. Coming 
 back to Kansas he located at Mayday, Riley County, where he 
 remained six years. In September, 1901, he went to St. Joseph, 
 Mo., and took a postgraduate in Ensworth College, graduating in 
 1902. He was appointed Rock Island Surgeon at McFarland in 
 December of the same year and has been in active practise in 
 this town ever since. On April 1st, 1905, he was appointed 
 Surgeon on Gov. Hoch's staff" and reappointed on April 1st, 1907. 
 
 Dr. Silverthorne is a member of the following Medical so- 
 cieties: American Medical Association; American Association 
 of Railroad Surgeons, Rock Island Surgeon's Association, Mili- 
 tary Surgeons of the United States, and of both State and 
 County Medical Associations. 
 
86 
 
 Wabaunsee County Directory and History 
 
 not do the town much good as it spoils the restaurant trade. Mr. 
 John Winkler, who conducted a restaurant by the depot, went 
 out of business when the eating-house was built. 
 
 The growth was very slow until after 1901, when the rail- 
 road company built a sheep-rest and feeding-yards on the prop- 
 erty. At that time the town began to come to the front and 
 there has been plenty doing at McFarland ever since. 
 
 It has a population at pi-esent of 500 inhabitants and is the 
 largest town for its age in the county. It is a very active, busy 
 little town and there is not an unemployed man to be found. 
 Its business places ai'e among the best-patronized stores in the 
 county. There are a number of fine residences already, and 
 more being erected. 
 
 As mentioned in the beginning of this article, McFarland is 
 strictly a railroad town. It has fifty trains daily, eighteen of 
 which are passenger trains. It is located on the Mill Creek bot- 
 toms which extend toward the south, while a range of low 
 hills rise on the north. The surrounding country is adapted to 
 cattle- and sheep-feeding and general farming. 
 
 H. B. Channell 
 
 Alma, Kans. 
 
 Mr. H. B. Channel, of 
 Alma, Kansas, is the 
 auctioneer upon whom 
 we have decided to give 
 credit as being the best 
 in the county, for the fol- 
 lowing reasons: He is 
 proficient on thorough- 
 bred sales, as he makes it 
 his business to keep 
 posted on what stuff 
 should bring, and be- 
 cause his terms are rea- 
 sonable. He has been an 
 auctioneer for the last 
 twenty-five years, eigh- 
 teen of which time he has 
 been in Wabaunsee 
 County. Mr. Channel 
 has his headquarters 
 with J. B. Fields at 
 Alma. 
 
Wabaunsee County Directory and History 
 
 87 
 
 S-^ 
 
 
 o c 
 
 
 
 
 r""(t 
 
 
 , ,^^ 
 
 
 •rJs'fc 
 
 
 ►^ 3 i-j 
 
 
 o sr? 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 5. ^ 
 
 nJ 
 
 S>8, 
 
 © 
 -*> 
 
 O ' 
 
 -n 
 
 530 
 
 
 
 2 -^-o 
 
 • 
 
 3 to 
 
 
 (D j;j- 
 
 >: 
 
 !2Jk S' 
 
 
 
 t— 
 
 • - 
 
 r- 
 
 ^S-^ 
 
 m 
 
 P 
 
 ?o 
 
 
 
 
 :r^ 
 
 »» 
 
 ^s? 
 
 
 
 "^ v.- 
 
 
 
 '< 
 
 ^ 
 
 5? 
 
 ^ 
 n 
 
 
 TJ 
 
 .2 0- 
 
 
 ^0 
 
 &3 
 
 
 0. 
 
 «. '^ 
 
 
 p - 
 
 ^ 
 
 a>^ 
 
 o» 
 
 ^ s? 
 
 3 
 
 73 G- 
 
 V) 
 
 
 
 X rt! 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 m P 
 
 
 M 3 
 
 
 a. 
 
 
 orq 
 
 
 2 
 
 
88 
 
 Wabaunsee County Directory and Mistory 
 
 BUSINESS 
 Banks. 
 
 State Bank of Paxico. 
 
 Blacksmiths. 
 
 Jess Davis. 
 A. J. Pride. 
 
 Barbers. 
 
 Geo. Woodey. 
 J. H. Snyder. 
 
 Cobbler. 
 
 H. Knoober. 
 
 Druggists. 
 
 J. H. Nutlmann. 
 
 General Merchandise. 
 
 C. Tomson. 
 
 C. J. Glotzback. 
 
 Grocery. 
 
 Oehms & Palenske. 
 
 DIRECTORY. 
 
 Hardware. 
 
 Muckentahler Hardware Co. 
 
 Harness. 
 
 Louis Palenske. 
 
 Livery Stable. 
 
 J. H. Meyers. 
 
 Lumber Yard. 
 
 i Paxico Lumber Co. 
 
 Physicians and Surgeons. 
 
 Dr. Maynard. 
 
 Dr. W. F. Richardson. 
 
 Restaurants. 
 
 J. C. Phipps. 
 
 Wagon Works. 
 
 S. Shroyer. 
 
Wabaunsee County Directory and History 89 
 
 Paxico is located in the valley of Mill Creek, amid surround- 
 ings of great natural beauty. Its large area of tributary farm 
 lands are well watered and fertile and constitute a substantial 
 backing for the little town. It is on the main line of the Rock 
 Island and has excellent railroad accommodations. Considerable 
 stock is raised in the vicinity, but the principal farm product is 
 grain, especially wheat. The growth of woods along Mill Creek 
 and the abundance of fish make Paxico a favorite camping place. 
 
 HISTORY OF PAXICO. 
 
 The history of Paxico naturally opens with a short sketch 
 of Newbury, the town on the hill about a mile from Paxico 
 which has retired from business. 
 
 Newbury was settled by an Ohio colony, and the first build- 
 ings were put up in 1870. In the fall of 1869 four Germans, 
 John Mock and his father, Joe Glatzbach, and Martin Mucken- 
 tahler, jointly bought the first land sold on the reserve. At this 
 time there were no white people within five miles of the place, 
 In the spring Newbury was laid out. A man by the name of 
 Bartlett, afterwards mayor of San Francisco, and the Santa Fe 
 Railroad were the originators. 
 
 The Santa Fe had bought the whole reservation at $1 per 
 acre and sold it at from $5 per acre up, and so was interested 
 in starting towns wherever possible. 
 
 The county-seat struggle was not over yet when Newbury 
 came on the scene, and not being immune she had an attack of 
 county-seat aspirations from which most of the small tov^Tis 
 were suffering. While she was convalescing from this many 
 people got discouraged and moved away. Those who stuck to 
 it, made money. There was not the keen struggle for existence 
 in this community that there was in the earlier settlements. 
 Markets were handy, and the people were tolerably comfortable 
 from the first. 
 
90 Wabaunsee County Directory and History 
 
 About a dozen houses were built in Newbury and also a few 
 business places. Goldstandt & Cohen kept the first store. 
 Stringham opened a store in 1872 and later Mahan kept a place 
 called the "Variety Store." Mahan was bought out by Tomson, 
 who still figures prominently in the business life of Paxico. 
 Stephenson built a lumber-yard and James Matheny, from whose 
 son, Atwood, the town of Atwood was named, kept the drug- 
 store. Some of the Newbury people were old settlers in the 
 county. Mr. E. Little (better known as Dick Little) came to 
 Mission Creek in 1857 and settled near what is now the Hender- 
 son Ranch. C. Tomson settled on Mission Creek in 1866. Both 
 these parties were afterward influential citizens of Newbury. 
 
 About the middle of the eighties, when there was talk of the 
 Rock Island going through, Newbury was working hard to have 
 it come around her way. But meanwhile in 1879, William and 
 Robert Strourg had built a mill on the place formerly owned by 
 the old Indian medicine man, Pashqua, who left for the Indian 
 Territory in 1870. A store was started near the mill by John 
 Copp. A postoffice was established and called Paxico, after the 
 Indian. 
 
 When the Rock Island v/as looking up its location there was 
 a fight between Newbury and Paxico to get the railroad. The 
 scrap went merrily on for some time and finally a compromise 
 was made on the present site of Paxico. Then there was a 
 struggle over which place it should be named for. Paxico won 
 out. 
 
 The town was laid out in 1886 and was promoted by a iovm 
 company which was a Topeka concern. It was called Nuttman's 
 addition. Copp moved his store up from the bridge, and most 
 of the business places were moved over from Newbuiy. An- 
 derson of St. Marys, who was a member of the town company, 
 built the hotel; also the building now owned by C. J. Glatzbach. 
 There was a chance at one time to have had the Rock Island 
 junction at Paxico, but it got away from them. 
 
 About the main thing that distinguishes Paxico from the rest 
 of the towns in the county, is that she never tried to get the 
 county seat. Secondariily are her Fourth of July celebrations, 
 and the weeds in the streets. 
 
Wabaunsee County Directory and History 91 
 
 GOOD ALL THE TIME. 
 
 Snowflake Flour 
 
 NEVER BETTER THAN NOW. 
 Give it a trial. 
 
 Paxico Milling Company, 
 
 Paxico, Kans. 
 
 J. C. Phipps' Restaurant, 
 
 Open 18 hours every day. 
 
 Cigars and Confectionery. 
 
 J. C. Phipps, Prop., Paxico, Kans. 
 
92 Wabaunsee County Directory and History 
 
 Wabaunsee is a town which we can with a clear conscience 
 call a back number. It is not exactly a town either, just a com- 
 munity. It has one store in which the postoffice is kept, a Wood- 
 man's Hall, three churches, two schoolhouses, and twenty-five 
 dwellings. Yet from a historic viewpoint Wabaunsee is prob- 
 ably the most important town in the county. It figured in Kan- 
 sas history in the days of "bleeding Kansas" with a John Brown 
 in the West and Henry Ward Beecher in the East. The first 
 three towns of the State where in the order of their settlement, 
 Leavenworth, Lawrence, and Wabaunsee, For many years Wa- 
 banusee was the only town west of Topeka. 
 
 The first settlers were Joshua Smith and Robert Banks from 
 Massachusetts, who were here when J. M. Bisby and his com- 
 panions came from New York in 1854. 
 
 In the spring of 1855 Rev. Harvey Jones was sent to Wa- 
 baunsee by the American Missionary Association of New York. 
 In the fall his wife followed him. In her diary Mrs. Jones men- 
 tions that it took a week to travel from St. Louis to Kansas 
 City. At that time a small hotel, two stores and a few houses 
 were all that comprised Kansas City. It was two days' journey 
 with the ox team from that point to Lawrence. In those days 
 some people who indulged in prophesies were of the opinion 
 that the country would never be settled up much west of Te- 
 cumseh, and that Topeka would never be a town. 
 
 The settlers in those early days lived in small houses en- 
 closed with "shakes." They also had chills most of the time, 
 but one kind of "shakes'" had no connection with the other. 
 Chairs, bedsteads, and other furniture were made from cotton- 
 wood and elm poles. Although the weather was no colder in 
 those days than it is now the suflfering from the cold was ter- 
 rible, as the houses were not sufficient to keep out the cold and 
 the comforts of life were few. Food was often scarce and people 
 used to live solely on "hulled corn" for weeks at a time. In the 
 spring of 1856 the famous Beecher Bible and Riflo Company of 
 New Haven arrived on the scene. They had sent five men — A. 
 
Wabaunsee County Directory and History 93 
 
 A. Cottrell, J. J. Walters, Benjamin Street, T. P. C. Hyde, and 
 a Mr. Webb— to look up a location where there was no townsite 
 company to interfere with them in making what rules and regu- 
 lations they wished. These instructions were responsible for 
 them not settling at Topeka, where C. K. Holliday, president 
 of the Topeka Town Company held out every inducement, ex- 
 cept to give up all rights to the townsite. This is what the set- 
 ters at Wabaunsee did. The parties to the agreement were J. 
 M. Bisby, Harvey Jones, and Peter Sharrls, acting for the town 
 and the five men above mentioned acting for the New Haven 
 colony. 
 
 The story of their organization in New Haven lo help make 
 Kansas a free State is given in the historical sketch of the coun- 
 ty and will not be dealt with here, except to say that the '"eal 
 name of the company was the Connecticut Kansas Colony. There 
 were some women in this colony. Before their cjming there 
 were only three women in the Wabaunsee settlement. Ir the 
 same year the colony was joined by others among whom was 
 S. H. Fairfield, who came to Kansas with the Northern immi- 
 grants led by .James Redpath. The members of the colony or- 
 ganized a rifle company with others of the neighborhood, under 
 Capt. Wm. G. Mitchell. 
 
 The history of this Beecher Bible and Rifle Company in- 
 cludes about the whole history of Wabaunsee, a large part of 
 the history of the county, and is an important item in the his- 
 tory of the State. 
 
 At this time the feeling between the Pro- and Anti-slavery 
 parties ran very high and each side were carrying guns and 
 ropes for the other. The President of the United States, the 
 Secretary of War, and all the Territorial officers were doing all 
 they could legitimately and otherwise to make Kansas a slave 
 State. Bogus sheriff's with bogus warrants were sent out after 
 free-State men. Three men who were being thus hunted down 
 came to Wabaunsee in .June, 1856, from Topeka, where they had 
 been at work on a free-State constitution. They were Dr. J. P. 
 Root, J. J. Walters, and W. Griswold. 
 
 Being shut off from the main line of travel, Wabaunsee it- 
 self was not the scene of much of the conflict, but the Rifle Com- 
 pany was engaged in the struggle all the way through. They 
 
94 Wabaunsee County Directory and History 
 
 took part in the early struggles about Lawrence and Franklin 
 and repulsed the attack of the Missouri bushwhackers. Nearly 
 every member of the Wabaunsee settlement went to the seat of 
 war. They were joined by several free-State men from upper 
 Deer Creek, a settlement west of Wabaunsee. They were gone 
 some six weeks on this trip, and were engaged in every skirmish 
 that took place in or near Lawrence, the last one being just at 
 sunset on Sunday night. The whole body of border ruffians 
 were in camp at Franklin. They came down the main line to 
 Lawrence and were repulsed by the Beecher Rifle Company from 
 a ravine about half a mile from town. This victory has been 
 credited to "the Lawrence Stubbs," but it really belonged to the 
 Wabaunsee boys, as" the "Stubbs" were not on the ground, ac- 
 cording to the statement of Wabaunsee men. 
 
 On their return the men found everything gone to the bad 
 at home. The cattle had eaten up the crops. Many of the boys 
 were sick and there was no money to buy medicine. Flour cost 
 $6 to $9 per sack. 
 
 The winter of 1856-57 was a very hard one. People were 
 out of food and clothing and the suffering was vei-y gi'eat. In 
 the spring things brightened up. Some new settlers were add- 
 ed to the colony. 
 
 The famous Beecher Bible and RiHe Church was founded in 
 1857, with seven members. The first Fourth of July celebra- 
 tion was held in this year. A glorious time was planned. There 
 was a brass band there and thirty-six ox teams decked out in 
 bunting. The Governor of the Territory was the principal 
 speaker. 
 
 The people were just beginning to live in comfort when the 
 drouth of 1860 and the Civil War the following year brought 
 hardship and trouble. All the able-bodied men went to the front 
 and most of them saw hard service. During the Price raid eve- 
 ery able-bodied man in Kansas was ordered to the front. Cap- 
 tain Palmer gives an excellent description of the Price raid in 
 Volume 9 of the State Historical Society. 
 
 The Wabaunsee boys saw the hard part of the Battle of the 
 Blue, otherwise known as the Battle of Westport, where the 
 Missourians and Kansans were pitted against each other, each 
 side on their own soil. 
 
Wabaunsee County Directory and History 95 
 
 After the close of the war the county-seat trouble came 
 up and Wabaunsee lost the county official effects, which were 
 hauled to Alma in a light wagon with the county officers for 
 ballast in 1867. For three years the struggle was kept up, but 
 at last Wabaunsee dropped behind in the fight and Alma won 
 out. P"'i'om this time on there is not much to tell of the plucky 
 pioneer town, which was once designated by its enemies as 
 "that d — abolition nest." 
 
 Judge Hall, of Wabaunsee, was being interviewed by a Cap- 
 ital reporter in 1888. In reply to a cinestion he said, "Yes, Wa- 
 baunsee is growing like a cow's tail — growing down." 
 
 We have neglected to say that a stone building was erected 
 in 1862 as a home for the Beecher Bible and Rifle Church. This 
 is one of the old landmarks in Kansas and brings early settlers 
 together every year to celebrate the founding of the church. 
 Some of the old rifles are displayed on these occasions, fulfilling 
 the prophetic words of Beecher who said, "Let these arms hang 
 above your doors as the old Revolutionary muskets do in many 
 New England homes. May your children in another generation 
 look upon them with pride and say, 'Our fathers' courage saved 
 this fair land from slavery and blood.' " 
 
 Much has been said of the warlike spirit in this article, but 
 that really was not the predominate spirit of the colony. The 
 Bible and Hymn book went along with the rifle, and in many 
 cases the Yale sheepskin also. All four were important factors 
 in pioneer life, and the rifle was not used except in cases where 
 the other three were not practicable. 
 
 The New York Daily Tribune of April 4, 1856, describes the 
 colony in the following words: "A nobler looking body of men 
 was never seen than the New Haven Colony. They are mostly 
 athletic men with strong hands and strong hearts." For this 
 occasion demanded it, and without strong hearts, strong hands 
 were powerless, while with them, weak hands can move moun- 
 tains. 
 
96 
 
 Wabaunsee County Directory and History 
 
 SOME LATER HISTORY FROM THE DIARY OF ELIZA- 
 - BETH N. BARR, WHO GATHERED THE 
 HISTORY FOR THIS BOOK. 
 
 Maple Hill, July 4th. — We were discussing grasshopper year 
 at the hotel to-day. I told about what terrible straits the peo- 
 ple of Harveyville were left in at that 
 time. Some one asked me if I were living 
 at Harveyville at the time. You know 
 ^^m^ grasshopper year was in 1874. I went 
 
 ^^^H^^ up stairs and ordered three pitchers of 
 
 ^^HpRlj^M- ice water. 
 
 ^^^^^ ^^ Paxico, July 6th. — Came down to the 
 
 ^B©l> ^^IT depot to inquire about trains. Saw 
 
 " --- through the window as I was coming 
 
 that the station agent was washing his 
 feet, — a most commendable occupation. 
 He saw me. Thinking to give him time 
 to get through, I stayed out doors for a 
 few minutes. When I came in he was 
 still washing his feet — in the waiting 
 room. Looking up innocently he asked: 
 "What do you want?" "Nothing in that 
 line," 'I answered. 
 Maple Hill, July 8th. — One of the campers came up fi'om the 
 Creek to-day and brought a fish that weighed 49 pounds. Now 
 we were used to fish stories, but this man could show the goods. 
 At first we were stupefied with amazement, and then we all 
 made a rush for the Creek to see the spot where the fish was 
 pulled out. It was a mile and half and we run nearly all the way. 
 The spot showed the marks of a hard struggle and the water 
 was still riled considerably. On our way back we learned that 
 the fish had arrived that afternoon from Lake Michigan in a 
 refrigerator car. The criminal is still at large, but a posse is 
 scouring the woods, and if caught he will probably be lynched 
 before the authorities can interfere. 
 
 July 12th. — I have been talking it over with several of the 
 local bachelors and have decided to fix it this way: We counted 
 up the bachelors in Wabaunsee County, and I happen to know 
 that there is a corresponding number of old maids living on Col- 
 
 Elizabeth N. Barr 
 
Wabaunsee County Directory and History 97 
 
 lege Hill, Topeka, Kansas. I will act as agent for the Topeka 
 end of the line and send the spinsters out in cai'-lots. The first 
 consignment will be shipped September 1st, care of a certain 
 County Commissioner, and the distributing point will be Sun- 
 beam. The next shipment will be in care of Schroeder & Thoes' 
 undertaking establishment. It is not to be inferred from this 
 that the spinsters will be dead ones. 
 
 ■ Alma, July 13th. — I used to think the people noted my per- 
 sonal appearance, but I am now quite disillusioned on the matter, 
 Yesterday and to-day I have been going around with my mouth 
 and neck all blistered, my nose twice its natural size, and my 
 eyes swelled shut — the results of poison ivy. I thought I was 
 a great deal uglier than usual, but most of the people didn't 
 notice the difference, until their attention was called to it. 
 
 At the present day few pursuits offer to intelligent and in- 
 dustrious young men and women so many attractions as does 
 stenography. Moreover, no line of work offers such great oppor- 
 tunities. Shorthand work naturally fits one for more responsi- 
 ble positions, and then opens the ways to pi-omotion, for the 
 stenographer is always in a confidential capacity, in closest 
 touch with the head of the concern; as he handles his employer's 
 private correspondence, he gets a knowledge of the details of the 
 business such as no other clei'k can get, and is naturally fitted 
 by this work for other and higher positions of trust and respon- 
 sibility. 
 
 Because we wish to serve the interests of the young people of 
 Wabaunsee County, we take this opportunity of calling special 
 attention, with our heartiest recommendation, to Dougherty's, 
 the Actual Business Training School, located at 116-118 West 
 Eighth Street, Topeka, which is doing such very successful work 
 in fitting young people for success in the business world. This 
 school is now thirteen years old, and has been steadily growing, 
 both in enrollment and popular favor. Its success has largely 
 been due to the fact that it has been built up on new lines. 
 
 Mr. George E. Dougherty, the founder and proprietor, is 
 himself an expert stenographer and a business man of extended 
 experience, having been an employer as well as an employee, and 
 knowing the needs of the business world, he is determined to 
 make better stenographers than the average. That he is suc- 
 ceeding is attested by the growing demand for his graduates. 
 Within the last week he has had fourteen more calls for stenog- 
 raphers than he could supply, and most of these positions of- 
 fered $60 a month or more. In one day came three calls from 
 the Santa Fe Railway, one for a $70 position and two of them 
 
98 Wabaunsee County Directory and History 
 
 for positions paying $80 a month. Within three days Dough- 
 erty's sent out three students right from school into $75 posi- 
 tions. 
 
 Mr. Dougherty's success is due chiefly to his methods, which 
 he got from his own business experience and not from other 
 schools. While working as a stenographer he had experience in 
 training others for stenographic work by means of the regiilar 
 work of the office in which he was employed, and when he es- 
 tablished his school he founded it upon this plan. Practically 
 all the instruction from the very first is given by means of actual 
 work for business men. This work is very much more varied 
 than that of any one office, consisting of letters in a number of 
 different lines of business, architects' specifications, legal work, 
 medical work, etc. And all of it is done under constant super- 
 vision and instruction. The work must be done right, hence this 
 plan insures the maximum of personal attention on the part of 
 teachers and means to the student veiy much more thorough 
 training. At the same time this work is vastly more interesting 
 to the learner than is play work, and thus, securing and holding 
 his interest and attention, enables him to learn much more 
 rapidly, and upon graduating he is, as a result, prepai-ed to take 
 up business work in a manner to suit his employer. 
 
 No other school anywhere is conducted as is Dougherty's in 
 this respect. This feature alone insures very much more pro- 
 ficient stenographers. It "kills two birds with one stone" by 
 giving the student a very great deal of actual experience in 
 connection with his study, so that six months in Dougherty's 
 is equivalent to at least nine months in other schools plus three 
 to six months' experience in an office afterwards. With such 
 thorough business training it is not surprising that graduates 
 of this school find no difi^cvilty in obtaining employment, there 
 being a constantly increasing demand for them. 
 
 Topeka has some decided advantages over other cities as a 
 place in which to secure a business training. It is a nice clean 
 city, an unexcelled place in which to live. The student has ac- 
 cess to a splendid City Library, to the State Library, State His- 
 torical collections, etc. Being the capital of the State, it holds 
 the State officers, an unusually large number of strong law firms, 
 the State headquarters of very many organizations working 
 throughout the State. Here too are the headquarters and the 
 general officers, also the main shops, of the Santa Fe Railroad 
 Company, with its 75,000 employees; also many large mercan- 
 tile establishments, wholesale and retail. All these business of- 
 fices require an immense number of stenographers and other 
 clerks. The Santa Fe, through its chief officers here, employs 
 very many stenographers for various points along the line, also. 
 To the citizens of Wabaunsee County, Topeka is much nearer 
 than other cities having business colleges. Hence this is the 
 paturaj place for them to attend school. 
 
Wabaunsee County Directory and History 99 
 
 Dougherty's School has the finest location in Topeka, being 
 within a block of the city transfer station, Santa Fe general 
 offices, diagonally opposite the Capitol Square and the City Li- 
 brary, two blocks from the two High School buildings, the larg- 
 est stores of the city, the daily newspaper offices, the largest 
 printing offices in the city, etc. In fact, it is in the very heart 
 of the business section of Topeka. The school occupies especially 
 pleasant rooms, they being exceedingly well lighted and venti- 
 lated. The equipment of the school is pronounced unequaled in 
 the State by those who have had opportunity to see all the 
 schools. 
 
 Among the features of this school are Dougherty's Brief 
 Shorthand and Dougherty's Touch Typewriting, both of which 
 are very much different from other methods. Dougherty's Brief 
 Shorthand is by far the simplest system published. It has 
 achieved remarkable success, being used now in all parts of 
 the country and in various parts of the world, where its stu- 
 dents have gone and advertised the system by their successful 
 work. The simplicity of the system is due to the fact that it is 
 exactly like longhand in its general principles; it is, therefore, 
 the natural method. For this I'eason it is not necessary to resort 
 to such complicated methods as the old systems use. All the 
 principles of the system are shown and fully explained on four 
 small pages of the text book. 
 
 Dougherty's School has always paid very much more atten- 
 tion to typewriting than do other schools, and this is one reason 
 for the unusual demand for its students. The employer judges 
 the stenographer by the typewritten work, for that is the part 
 of the work which shows; hence, this is the most important part 
 of the stenographer's' equipment. 
 
 Dougherty's Touch Typewriting gives results that cannot be 
 secured with ordinary methods. Mr. Dougherty's copyrighted 
 method of teaching the learner the keyboard, for example, 
 gives the learner as much knowledge of the keyboard in ten 
 minutes as he could get by ordinary methods in ten hours. Great 
 stress is laid upon the importance of forming right habits and 
 learning at the very start to do everything in the best way. 
 
 Very much attention is given to the proper arrangement and 
 display, margins, etc., in both letters and other business forms. 
 Schools usually have students learn by copying correct forms 
 from a book; in this way they merely follow the copy before 
 them, without a thought or any instruction as to the reason. 
 Hence but little impression is made upon the mind. When the 
 student is doing actual work, as he is required to do in Dough- 
 erty's School, from longhand or from his shorthand notes, in 
 which there is no attempt at arrangement, he is compelled to 
 think for himself, he is taught the reason for this and that, and 
 inevitably it makes an impression which stays with him. Some 
 schools have an "actual business department," in which students 
 
100 Wabaunsee County Directory and History 
 
 for sevei'al weeks before leaving school are supposed to practise 
 on real work; but Dougherty's is the only school which teaches 
 by means of real work, from the beginning of the course to the 
 end. 
 
 But it is necessary to see this school in order to fully under- 
 stand its decided advantages. We have had experience with 
 students of various schools, and we have no hesitancy in pro- 
 nouncing this school far superior in its methods and results to 
 any other school we know of. 
 
 Mr. Dougherty publishes his shorthand and typewriting sys- 
 tems in a complete Manual, which he sells for $2.00, and many 
 learn from this alone. He also publishes a handsome little book, 
 entitled "Dougherty's Shorthand Primer," of which the Phono- 
 graphic World, of New York, says, "It occupies a unique field all 
 alone," as nothmg of the kind was ever published before. It is 
 simply enough for the youngest school child, and sells at 25 
 cents. For six cents he will send any of our readers a copy of 
 a little book containing twenty-five simple lessons in Dougherty's 
 Brief Shorthand. 
 
 Write to Mr. Dougherty at any rate, but if possible see his 
 school for yourself. 
 
 Even though you cannot go to school, we would advise you 
 to learn Dougherty's Brief Shorthand. It will be worth much 
 to you in various ways, and you can learn it at odd moments 
 at home. Mr. Dougherty gives lessons by mail with great suc- 
 cess, and at a trifiing expense. Aside from the practical use to 
 which you can put Shorthand, the mental training which it af- 
 fords is a great advantage in every way. In securing help for 
 any clerical position, experienced employers always give the 
 preference to those who have a practical knowledge of Short- 
 hand, because they say there is a marked difference in the way 
 a stenographer is able to handle the work. 
 
 Phones: Bell, Hickory 227; Home, Main 227. References: K. 
 C. National Bank of Commerce or Stock Yards Bank of Com- 
 merce. 
 
 ESTABLISHED 1889. 
 
 CARLISLE COMMISSION COMPANY, 
 
 1315 W. Eleventh Street, Kansas City. 
 
 We solicit your shipment of Hay and Straw. Liberal advances. 
 Warehouses on K. C. S. and Missouri Pacific Railway. 
 
Wabaunsee County Directory and History 
 
 101 
 
 THE, AUTO -FED AN Record run 3 tons in 
 
 SeLf-FeldHAY PRESS Bun It?" one hour. Easy on 
 
 horses, makes smooth 
 square cornered bales. 
 Will save its cost in 
 two seasons in expense 
 of operating. Shipped 
 on trial. Write for 
 free booklet. 
 
 THE, AUTO.FE,DAN HAY PRE,SS CO 
 
 1041 Jefferson St., Topeka, Kans. 
 
 J. E. GALL, 
 
 Grain, Provision, Cotton and Stock Broker, 
 
 Telephone 486. 
 BUY AND SELL FUTURES. 
 110 West Sixth Street, Topeka, Kansas. 
 
 The Topeka Pure Milk Co., 
 
 Pasteurized Milk, Cream, 
 Ice Cream and Butter 
 
 We buy cream and always pay the highest market price. 
 Phones 537. Topeka, Kansas. 
 
 I 0in-£PSveep Feed 
 
 ^iA-22. Calvanized 
 Grinder. | 9 14 Steel Wind I 
 We manufacture all sizes 
 styles. It win 
 pay you to In- 
 vestigate. Write 
 for catalog and 
 price list. 
 
 CURRIE WIND MILL CO., 
 
 628 Seventh St., Topeka, Kansas 
 
102 Wabaunsee County Directory and History 
 
 Brigfhtside Homestead Residence of Chas. C. Gardner, 
 
 Owner of Brightside Stock Farm. Bradford, Kans. 
 
 Among the citizens of Wabaunsee County we want to men- 
 tion Mr. Charles C. Gardiner, who was born October 25th, 1834, 
 near Sherborn, Chenango County, New York, of Rhode Island 
 parents. In the spring of 1842 he moved to Akron, Ohio, with 
 his parents. In 1847 removed to the ancestral home in Rhode 
 Island, whei'e he attended the common school. 
 
 In the fall of 1853 he went to Providence to learn the carpen- 
 ter trade; attended night school to learn drawing and architec- 
 ture; united with the Congregational Church in 1855; in the 
 fall of 1856 went to Alfred University, New York, and took a 
 course in civil engineering. Taught school at Jamestown, R. I., 
 the winter of 1858-59. Came to Kansas Territory in May, 1859, 
 as a civil engineer, and pre-empted a quarter section of land 
 four miles north of Burlingame. Nothing doing in the survey 
 line, he went to work at carpentering. Midsummer found him 
 at Jeffei'son City, Mo., as foreman in a sash and blind factory. 
 In August, 1860, married Miss Leydia P. Buffington, of Chester 
 County, Pa., who came to Missouri the year before with her par- 
 
Wabaunsee County Directory and History 103 
 
 ents. Late in the fall of 1860 went into the sawmill business 
 with his father-in-law at Stonesport, Mo., ten miles up the river 
 from Jefferson City. The war of secession breaking out in 1861, 
 he enrolled in the loyal home-guards of Missouri, and saw some 
 service in the year that followed. Removed to Kansas with his 
 family in the spring of 1865 and settled at Waveland, ten miles 
 south of Topeka. He moved to Wabaunsee County in the spring 
 of 1884 and commenced impi'oving the 1,500-acre farm he still 
 occupies. Was instrumental in having Bradford station opened 
 in the fall of 1889 and postoffice established. Was the father of 
 four children, Independence Day, who publishes the Alma News; 
 Seydia, who married Prof. J. T. Willard, K. S. A. C; Earnest 
 A. and M. Maud, who married Prof. R. C. Obrecht, of University 
 of Illinois. 
 
 W. E. SCHWANKE. 
 
 Mr. W. E. Schwanke, who lives near Alma, is breeding 
 Shorth'orn cattle and Duroc-Jersey hogs. 
 
 The bull and heifer which started his herd were both from 
 Gallant Knight. The Abbott 253713 is the herd-header at 
 present, and is the animal which brought the most money at 
 
104 Wabaunsee County Directory and History 
 
 Gifford's annual Shorthorn sale. This calf weighed 1350 pounds 
 when but two years old. 
 
 Mr. Schwanke started breeding the Du roc- Jerseys in 1903 
 with Daisy 2d as a foundation. Superior is now the head of 
 herd. The date of farrow is March 17th, 1906. He is a deep 
 cherry and weighs 500 pounds, and is but seventeen months 
 old. He is an excellent hog and one that you can bet on. Mr. 
 Schwanke has permitted us to announce that he always has both 
 hogs and cattle for sale at any time. 
 
 Mr. Schwanke handles the Iowa Stock Powders, which is 
 meeting with great success, because it is giving excellent satis- 
 faction and the expense is so much less than the ordinary stock 
 powders, yet its results are better. Only two feeds are required 
 each week. It is a conditioner and will prevent disease. He ex- 
 pects to call on the farmers over the county and offer the pow- 
 ders for sale. 
 
 We are glad some one has found cheap stock powders that 
 will do the work, as the farmers have already made the Inter- 
 national Stock Food Co. a nice thing by using their powders; in 
 fact, they sport the finest buildings in the country and the fast- 
 est harness horse in the world. Now let us try the Iowa Stock 
 Powders for a while, as their prices are reasonable. 
 
 Do You Feed Your Stock Eller's 
 
 Highly Medicated Stocl< 
 
 Food? 
 
 Which Is the greatest health promoter and flesh forcer known, will 
 cause stock to take on that high finish which Is so much sought after, makes 
 cows give more and richer milk. Horses will do more work on one-third 
 less feed. It Is an appetizer, digester and tonic. 
 
 We own ard control the only positive cure and preventative of cholera 
 both In swine and poultry known through the land as the German Swine 
 and Poultry Powders. We also manufacture the following goods: 
 Eller's Worm Powders, filler's Death to Lice, Eller's Liquid Lice Killer, 
 E-So Stock Dip (one gallon of this liquid makes 100 gallons of dip). Poller's 
 Roup and Cholera Remedy (put a small quantity In the drinking water 
 and the fowls cure themselves). Colic Cure, Spavin Cure, Liniments, Oint- 
 ment, Salves, etc. 
 
 Wholesale and retail jobbers in Poultry Supplies and Commercial 
 Feeds. We extend to you a cordial invitation to visit us when in the city. 
 Send for Illustrated catalogue. 
 
 The German Swine & Poultry Merc. Co., 
 
 TOPEKA, KANSAS 
 yvn. F. WEBER. Pres. r r - ? LQN ELLBR, Sec.-Treas. 
 
 I e kg '09 
 
Wabaunsee 
 
 County 
 
 Folks 
 
 1907 
 
 PRICE, $1.00. 
 
Seven Years Ago 
 
 We opened the smallest Clothing store in Topeka 
 with less than four thousand dollars' worth of mer- 
 chandise on six tables — with one clerk at $3.50 per 
 week, in our employ — with seventeen competitors in 
 the same line of business all claiming to carry stocks 
 ranging from $10,000 to $75,000— all claim.ing to 
 sell goods at cost, and usually less than cost. In the 
 face of all this we passed them all in volume of 
 business before we were four years old. 
 
 Our Remarkable Growth 
 
 Has become the subject of comment in Commercial 
 circles from New York to the Pacific Coast and we 
 are given credit for having built, in a short period 
 of time, the most prenomenal clothing business in 
 America, and this, too, by operating along strictly 
 legitimate lines, with never a "sale," never a cut 
 price, no slaughters, no sacrifices, no fakes, no 
 grafts, no bunco methods, — simply standing pledged 
 to give "a dollar's worth for a dollar," and we enjoy 
 a patronage that has flocked to us faster than we 
 have been able to take care of it. 
 
 WATCH OUR BUSINESS METHODS WIN 
 
 ^^OTHiE"-'*^ 701-703 Kansas Avenue 
 
We Carry 
 
 At all times a complete line of Boy's Knee Pant 
 Suits, ages 3 to IG years. Prices $1.50 to $7.50, 
 
 Youth's Suits 
 
 made in the latest style, all the popular shades; also 
 blue and black. Ages 13 to 18 years. Prices $4 to 
 
 $15. 
 
 Mens' Suits 
 
 The lai-gest assortment of high-class clothing shown 
 in Kansas. Suits and Overcoats by the World's best 
 makers. $7.50, $10, $12.50, $15, $18, $20, $22.50, 
 $25. 
 
 Every item fully guaranteed by us. No fakes. No grafts. 
 No "Jew methods" in this store. The only American clothing 
 store in Topeka. The fastest growing clothing store in Kansas. 
 Mail orders promptly filled. 
 
 WATCH US GROW 
 
 WATCH OUR BUSINESS METHODS WIN 
 
 »Thl 
 
^ Emahizer=Spielman 
 Furniture Company 
 
 The largest Retail and Wholesale House Furnishing Com- 
 pany in the State of Kansas. 68,000 feet of floor space in retail 
 department; 50,000 feet of floor space in wholesale warerooms. 
 If we have no dealer in your city, we will give you the benefit 
 of jobbers' prices. Furniture, Carpets, Rugs, Draperies, Stoves, 
 Sewing Machines, Talking Machines, Pianos, Records. We pay 
 freight to your depot. 
 
 We handle the Chickering & Son, Everett, Decker & Son, 
 McPhail, Crown, Melville A. Clark, Hobart M. Cable, Straube, 
 Hammond and Harvard Pianos. We handle so many lines we 
 can save you one-third on a Piano. Write us for catalogue and 
 prices. 
 
 We are jobbers and retailers 
 of the Victor and Zona-Phone 
 talking Machine and records. 
 Talking Machines from $20.00 
 up to $75.00. Records 60c. We 
 will make you our agent and 
 you can sell these machines or 
 we will sell you for your own 
 use. You can hear any of the 
 fine musicians or singers or any 
 band in your own home. This 
 will help you to spend every 
 night with the finest artists in 
 the land. Over $1,700,000 
 worth of Talking Machines 
 sold last year. 
 
 Write us for catalogue, 
 prices and terms. Will extend 
 time if desired. Better than 
 any musical instrument for it 
 plays them all. Every home 
 
 has one or wants. Write for prices today. Come in and hear 
 them FREE when in the city. 
 
 517-519 Kansas Avenue /. 518-520 Jackson Street 
 Topeka, Kansas 
 

 
 UBBABVOFCONGRESS 
 
 016 089 300 A*