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"HE WM Y OF FOR T SCO! 1
MARY U BARLOW

YALE UNIVERSITY
LIBRARY

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THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT

(S'SaraTpfia©®! Say
WLmy 'iLa Bartow

This book Is dedicated
to
Mrs. Elizabeth Wilson Goodlander
One of the few noiv lining, who were
born on the historic Plaza.
1921

SOCIETY NEWS
MRS. ALICE G. McDERMOTT
PHONE 148

•^fived on Plaza.
mVs Mary Barlow has come in
touim with many former residents,
TSipo write her alter reacting her
Mcent book "The Why ol Fort
Scott' One of them was irom Mrs.
Perry D. Cover (Julia E. Fowler)
who once lived on the Plaza, whose
home is now 1111 KUlon Ave., Los
Angeles, Calif., a lew extracts will
be of interest. -
"Mr. Cover and I' did enjoy, your
little history of the early days "of
Fort Scott so much, we only wish
ed that the book was larger. I re
member well the school teachers
you speak of Miss Royce was my
first teacher in 1868 in the old
Plaza building. I remember Mr.
Craven, Miss Birsal and Mrs. Hav
ens also and that Miss Royce and
Birsal boarded at Mr. Margraves.
I was well acquainted with Jennie
and "Puss" Margrave and have sat
on that haircloth sola and probably
all the chairs that went with the
set, after it was in the Margrave
home. I went through all the four rooms
ln the Plaza school ahd most in the
Central building and attended one
winter on the east side Mr. Carter
being my teacher. Maiy Smith,
Lucy Anthony, Minnie Henderson,
George Ware, Charlie Tallman and
others being my schoolmates. I
also remember Miss Scholfield and
Miss Detweiler, being teachers of
the little stone school house be
fore the brick building was put up.
On one of the pages you speak ol
a Dr. A. N. Bucking as being one
of (he soldiers. His widow is now
Mrs. Blee, who lives near us and
we often see her. She did not
live very long in Fort Scott as did
her husband, who was a very line
man.

1

I would not take anything a
without your, little book, we' wish
more of (he early names could
have been biographed, like the
Stewart, Graff, Lyrm and other fam
ilies. I know old Mrs. Arnett we'll,
who must have been the widow of
Thomas Arnett, who kept the old
"State Hotel," that being before
my day. Mrs. Arnett used often to
to tell me incidents of the early
days. My father bought the old govern- . d
ment stables at (he eas( end of '
Blair avenue over looking Buck ,
Run and out of the lumber in them !.
built the cottage now there. I would
like a set of the photographs cop
ied and as you suggest any others
not in the book. I am glad to have
the name of the Methodist pastor
and shall write him.
My mother's name was Julia Ann !{[
Fowler. She died August 4, 1873. 'I
Her physican was a Dr. Hays, and '
I think '3am Goodlander wa-s the 1
undertaker. Mr. Watters was thei]
pastor who officiated, but he and,'
his family have all passed away. '
My first Sunday school was in the!'
stone building, the Court House, '
corner ol Second and Jones street''
(now National) and it was held up <
stairs. i <
I do not believe that you spoke of I
our McDonald Hall that was our]i
opera house. I have never enjoyed ' <
any enlertainmeuts as I did those |i
held there. j
I suppose tho Fort Scott picnic i '
, will be held as usual here on (he T
fourth of July.
i_ '* * *

.0

OFFICERS QUARTERS 1843

A FOREWORD.
This little compilation has been made, that the
people of Fort Scott may have a succinct and con
nected account of the town, from its earliest times
to the close of the Civil War, and also that they may
have a ready reference of the happenings during
that time.
There is a vast amount of information to be ob
tained, but it is so deeply buried in extraneous mat
ter that it is hard to sift out the material needed,
and the compiler has spent much time during three
years, in gathering all this buried material, and
putting it in form available for use by the general
public. Every book that might contain any material
pertaining to Fort Scott, has been searched, and
everybody who might have scraps of information
in their possession, has been asked to search their
memory for any little incidents that might help to
interpret the atmosphere of the old fort to the
younger generation.
Those young men and those young wives with
their babies and httle children, who "crossed the
plains" to build that we might Uve in comfort,
might well have borrowed the State motto, "Ad
astra per aspera," for their own. Most of them
were young people from comfortable homes, homes
of refinement and homes of plenty, and they were
determined to put Fort Scott "on the map," and
they did, through their hard work, backed with
plenty of energy, foresight, and all the qualities that
go to make the pioneer. We all take off our hats

to them. Not only that, but like Cyrano, we sweep
the ground with them .
The compiler is under many obligations to Mrs.
C. W. Goodlander, and Mr. T. F. Robley, both of
whom gave her carte blanche to use Mr. C. W.
Goodlander's "Early Days of Fort Scott," and T. F.
Robley's "History of Bourbon County." Much con
tained in this little book is quoted, almost verbatim,
from these two books. Mrs. Goodlander, Mrs. A.
Campbell and others have helped to make it more
readable by giving many illuminating anecdotes
and incidents connected with the early times on the
Plaza. After much searching, correspondence with the
War Department at Washington, and help from
Judge J. C. Cannon, Wm. Osbun, T. A. Caldwell
and D. J. Field (of Richards) the compiler feels
that she has made a fairly accurate routing of the
Military Road.
The Plat of the Plaza was submitted to Wm. Beth,
who came here in 1842, a baby in arms, and remem
bers it as it was in the old fort days. As he passed
favorably upon it the compiler ventures to incorpo
rate it in this work.
To Henry Baseman she is indebted for the loca
tion of the different companies of troops stationed
here during the War Days.
M. L. Barlow
Fort Scott Kansas
1921.

QUIVERA  1
KANSAS' NAME  3
KANSAS COUNTRY  4
KANSAS SEAL  '6
MILITARY ROAD  8
PLAZA  13
HOTELS  19
MODES OF TRAVEL  22
SLAVERY  25
SCHOOLS  26
BURIAL GROUNDS  30
BOURBON COUNTY  31
POST OFFICE  32
BORDER TROUBLES  35
NEWSPAPERS  46
BUSINESS 1858-59  48
BUILDING OUTSIDE OF PLAZA  50
CHURCHES  53
TOWN COMPANY  56
BLOCK HOUSES  59
FIRST CITY ELECTION  61
WAR HAPPENS  62
PRICE'S RAID  70
SUMMARY  72
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES  82

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
QUIVERA
Coronada, Spanish explorer and governor of one
of the provinces of New Spain, Mexico, was given
command of an expedition to be sent out to search
for the far-famed "Seven Cities of Cibola," and in
cidentally, for all the treasures supposed to be found
in this region. A friar claimed to have found these
seven cities, which are now thought to have been
some of the extensive stone pueblos of the Zuni
Indians. The expedition of horsemen and infantry
were well supplied with arms, artillery, munitions
and food.
Coronado went as far west as the Grand Canon,
then returned to near what is now Bernatello New
Mexico, and camped for the winter. While there,
he heard glowing accounts of the land further
north, which was rich in gold, silver and other met
als. Taking three hundred of his best men, and
guided by a plains Indian, (whom they named "the
Turk") Coronado started in the spring of 1540 to
locate this wonderful country, Quivera.
They travelled through what is now Kansas in a
north-easterly direction, nearly to the Nebraska
line. Finding no treasure, they killed the "Turk,"
blaming him for their lack of success,

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
and started their homeward march. In his report
to the King of Spain of his expedition to Quivera,
he speaks of the inhabitants as "hving in round huts
covered with straw." As the Wichita Indians were
the only Indians whose houses, or tepees, were cov
ered with straw, the conclusion reached by numer
ous students of the subject "Quivera" is, that the
famed Quivera was in the region about Great Bend
and Newton, Kansas, the then hunting-ground of
the Wichita Indians. In his report, too, he speaks
of the "fat, black, well-watered land, abounding in
prune trees (wild plums) and sweet grapes." Also,
in this report, we get the first mention of the buffalo
and the vast grassy prairies.
If Coronado had but turned his swords into
pruning hooks, and applied a little elbow grease,
he might have found his much-sought treasure in
the shape of golden grain and other products of the
"fat, black" soil, and thus have realized his "Qui
vera." "In that half-forgotten era,
With the avarice of old,
Seeking cities he was told
Had been paved with yellow gold,
In the kingdom of Quivera.
Came the restless Coronado
To the open Kansas plain,
With his knights from Sunny Spain,
In an effort that, though vain
Thrilled with boldness and bravado."
"Ironquill." (E. F. Ware.)

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
KANSAS' NAME
There has been much controversy over the origin
of the name, Kansas. Prof. John B. Dunbar, a stu
dent of the Indian languages, says the word is de
rived from the Indian word "Kanza," meaning
"swift." In an article in vol. 10, p. 531, of the State
Historical Collection the statement is made that,
on a map of what is now eastern Kansas appears
the name, "Pays des Cansas," (Land of the Canses.)
Very likely, that is the map-maker's spelhng of
"Kanza." On some of the old maps, the Kansas or
Kaw River was spelled, "Riviere des Cans, des
Kances, des Quans, and Kanza."
To quote again, "The first mention of the Kansas
Indian was about the beginning of the 17th Cent.,
when a Spaniard, Juan de Onate, a member of one
of the Spanish expeditions, gave the name "Escan-
saques," to the tribes of Indians in this region, the
word meaning to trouble, or, to molest."
Thus in our search for the origin of the name Kan
sas, we are led inevitably back to the name given
by the Spaniards to the Indians in this region. No
matter whether spelled Kanza, Cans, Canses,
Quans or Escansaques.

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
KANSAS COUNTRY
We go back in our pohtical history, to the Louis
iana Purchase. They said in New York City, then
the capital of the United States, "President Jeffer
son is going to buy a tract of land somewhere out
west. It is such an extravagant piece of legislation,
what do we want of it? We have enough land al
ready; it is only good for Indians, anyway." Nev
ertheless, Jefferson had foresight enough to go
ahead and make the treaty with France, thereby
adding 1,000,000 sq. miles to the infant U. S. The
treaty was made on April 30th 1803. The Spaniards
occupied the land until 1804, when Major Ames
Stoddard, acting as agent of France, went to St.
Louis, and formally accepted the cession of the
province from the Spanish Lieutenant-Governor,
Don Carlos Delassus, on March 9th, 1804. The
Spanish regiment marched out, and a detachment
of the 7th U. S. Artillery marched in and raised the
American flag. Thus what is now Kansas became a
part of the United States. Kansas (except a small
portion in the southwest acquired from Texas, in
1850) was carved out of this "Louisiana Purchase."
In 1812, Congress renamed this middle region "The
Territory of Missouri," but this part seems to have
been generally referred to as the "Country of the
Kansas Indians," or "The Kansas Indian Country."
In 1825, the Government began its Removal
Policy, and eventually corralled seventeen tribes,
all the Indians on reservations east of the Mississ
ippi River in what is now Kansas. They were to
occupy their reservations "as long as the grass grew
and water flowed." Fort Scott was built on the
New York Indian reservation.
The first white people to come to this country
were the fur-traders. As early as 1825, Chouteau

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
Bros, secured a license to trade with the Indians
west of the Mississippi River, and made their cen
tral trading post on the land now occupied by the
city of St. Louis, and established branch posts all
over the country. There was one on the Military
Road near Pleasanton, now known as Trading Post,
that is very often mentioned in the early annals
of Kansas . This Fur business amounted, in
some years, to $300,000.00 and all paid
for in whiskey, tobacco and trinkets. Don't
mention present-day profiteering ! These fur-traders
or voyageurs (rowers because they travelled mostly
in canoes,) Were the real pathfinders, tracing the
streams to their source, exploring the boundless
prairies and thus constituting themselves a general
information bureau.
The next to come were the missionaries from the
different denominations establishing missions over
much of the country. The missions were the only
stopping places for all the early pioneers, a sort of
half-w&y house. A traveler was always assured a
bed and something to eat, a much welcome hospi
tality when overtaken by night or storms. They
were the centers of education for both the Indians
and white children. In their time they were both a
university and an agricultural college, for they gave
courses in academic studies, in farming and the
trades. Many men and women of culture and re
finement devoted their hves to teaching in these
missions. Their's was the same spirit that actuated
the apostles to labor among the heathen, and their
crowns may shine a little bit brighter than the
crowns of we stay-at-homes.
Finally an Act was passed in Congress defining
what is now Kansas as part of the Indian Territory.
The boundaries of this territory were from the
western line of Missouri as far west as the "State
of Deseret," the name given by the Mormons, 1849,

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
to Utah. The name signifies "Land of the Honey
bee." From Minnesota on the north, to Texas on
the south. , ,
In 1854, Kansas emerged, battle-scarred, but
daunless to be erected into a territory ready to begin
her bloody struggle for entrance into the Union.
Her struggle shook the whole country and for
awhile all eyes turned to this far western land to
know which party would win, the Free State or the
Pro-Slavery. She won out as a free state and was
admitted into the Union, January 29th, 1861. On
February 22nd, the U. S. flag with an added star,
was raised over Independence Hall in Philadelphia.
Charles Sumner speaks of Kansas as "the middle
spot of North America calculated to nurture a pow
erful and generous people." Wm. D. Seward said:
"Kansas is the Cinderella of the American family."
Henry Ward Beecher said: "There is no monument
under Heaven on which I would rather have my
name inscribed than on this goodly state of Kansas."
J. H. Forney said: "If I had been commanded to
choose one spot on the globe, upon which to illus
trate human development under the influence of ab
solute liberty, I could have chosen no part of God's
foot-stool as interesting as Kansas, yesterday an
infant, today a giant, tomorrow — who can tell?"
SEALS
TERRITORIAL.
This seal was engraved by Robert Lovett, of
Philadelphia, after a design submitted by Andrew
H. Reeder, first Territorial Governor. It consists
of a shield with two supporters, surmounted by a
scroll motto; in the lower compartment is the buf
falo and the hunter; in the upper, the implements

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
of agriculture. The left-hand supporter is a pioneer
with his smock-frock, leggings, rifle and tomahawk.
The right-hand supporter is the Goddess, Ceres,
with her sheaf., At their feet, lie a fallen tree and an
axe. The motto two inches in diameter, is "Populi
voce nata," (Born of the popular will.)
KANSAS SEAL.
March 1861, the Legislature appointed a commit
tee of six to present a design for a State Seal. De
sign after design was submitted and discussions ga
lore were the order of the day, and on May 20th
the design of the present seal was adopted.
The East was represented by the rising sun; the
West by a herd of retreating buffalo, pursued by
two mounted Indians; Agriculture by a man plow
ing; Government of the country by a settler's cabin,
and a train of moving- wagons going west; Com
merce, by a river and a steamboat. Over the top
is the motto, "Ad astra per aspera," (To the stars
through difficulties) ; beneath the motto is a cluster
of thiry-four stars, representing the thiry-four
states. Around the outside are the words "The
Great Seal of the State of Kansas, Jan. 29th, 1861."
There has been much controversy as to who sug
gested the design. The credit for the selection is
given to Josiah Miller, a member of the committee,
and is so stated on his monument. It is likely that
the final design was a combination of the different
designs submitted. It is generally conceded that
John J. Ingalls' design Was very little changed but
some additions were made, such as the steamboat,
the plowing and the buffalo. It is almost certain
that the motto "Ad astra per aspera" was on his de
sign, for he speaks of "having seen it on an old
brass seal in the office of a gentleman, with whom
I read law in Haverhill, Mass. in 1857."

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THE MILITARY ROAD 1843

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
MILITARY ROAD
In_ 1825, the Government conceived the plan of
moving all the Indians, on reservations east of the
Mississippi River, out to Kansas, and turning them
loose that they might get back "next to Nature's
heart." Forthwith, treaties were made with the dif
ferent Indian tribes and they were dumped on
their new reservations, with the promise that they
should have these particular reservations to have
and to hold "as long as the grass grew and water
flowed." Fort Scott was built on the New York In
dian land. Of course they were no sooner well
"next to Nature's heart" than they reverted to type
and began harrying and raiding all the white set
tlements along the Missouri border.
When the Government saw what a mistake had
been made by their "Removal Policy," Congress was
asked for an appropriation for a military road,
linking the western forts. On Dec. 23rd, 1835, this
motion was made in the Senate, by Mr. Linn: "Re
solved that the committe on military affairs be
instructed to inquire into the expediency of making
an appropriation for the purpose of constructing
a military road from Cantonment Des Moines to
Cantonment Leavenworth, thence to Fort Gibson,"
Cherokee Nation, later Indian Territory.
All the reports made on this resolution make the
guarding of this border country from the depreda
tions of the Indians in this "buffalo country," as one
report calls Kansas, the reason for building this
road. Leavenworth, (established in 1827,) was then
the western terminus of river traffic and the dis
tributing point of all military stores. This Military
Road was intended to facilitate the transportation
of these supplies and troops to these two far forts,

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
and to make a more certain and easier route for the
patrolling companies.
A commission under Col. S. W. Kearney and
Capt. N. Boone, 1st Dragoons U. S. Army were sent
out from Washington to locate this road, and the
survey was finished in 1842 and a report thereof
sent to Washington by Charles Dimmick, Govern
ment civil engineer. He had been repeatedly charged
to place the road within the Territory but as close to
the Missouri line as possible. At all fords the road
was graded down to the stream, as can be plainly
seen today at our Military Ford, at Marias des
Cygnes, and other places.
On the completion of the Road, which is the why
of Fort Scott, the Government sent out two com
missioners, Capt. B. J. Moore and Dr. Jacob R.
Mott, to decide on a location for a cantonment about
mid-way between Forts Leavenworth and Gibson.
They were to take with them the contingent of
troops then occupying the Cantonment Fort Wayne,
Arkansas, consisting of 120 men and three officers,
Capt. B. D. Moore, J. Simpson, assistant surgeon,
and Lieut. W. Eustis, and march north along this
newly surveyed road and locate a new cantonment
as before indicated. They found one location that
they thought would be desirable, but the land was
held by an Indian, and he, thinking it a chance of
getting some of the white chief's money, wanted
$4,000.00 for it. As this was $3,000.00 more than
the Government had allowed for the purchase of
land, they continued their march, reaching, one
evening, a farm house just across the Missouri bor
der from here, owned by a Col. Geo. Douglas, and
camped for the night. Col. Douglas, on learning the
object of their search, told them about this location
on the Marmaton. Early next morning, the offi
cers, guided by Col. Douglas rode over to the future
site of Fort Scott. They were so pleased with the

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
location, the extended view of the Military Road
from the Plaza bluff, the nearness to a stream of
water, and the high and dry elevation on which to
place their cantonment, that there was an imme
diate and unanimous vote for the location.
The contingent broke camp, on the return of the
officers to the Douglas farm, and marched over to
their future camp and immediately started work on
their temporary quarters. Lieut., then Sergeant,
Hamilton felled the first tree. Y This was on May
"Oth 1842 It was called Camp Scott~after "Gent
"WinfieTd Scott, but in 1843, by order from Washing
ton, it was changed to Fort Scott. These temporary
quarters, of course, were built of logs, the chinks
stopped with mud. These log houses stood near
where the Plaza School now stands. After the per
manent buildings were finished, these houses, with
the exception of one, were burned. The remaining
one was occupied for a time by the Surgeon of the
Post, and, later, by Judge Margrave. In it, Mrs. E.
J. Rollings, still of this city, was born. You will find
an account of the permanent quarters of the Post,
under the heading, "The Plaza."
The commissioners returned east, and according
to some authorities, Lieut. J. Hamilton was left in
charge of the troops and under his supervision the
permanent quarters were built.
This Military Road continued to be the main
route for all military supplies the stages those trav
eling on horse-back or in moving-wagons, army
supply trains, etc., until the war broke out, as I be
fore stated. Looking over the State Historical re
ports, one often sees mention of this road. Rev.
Cyrus Rice, circuit-rider of this District, tells of an
amusing incident that happened on this Road.
Coming into Fort Scott from the Chouteau Trad
ing Post, he passed a party of young people on
horse-back. After he had passed, one of them called
10

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
back and asked him if he was a preacher. On his
replying in the affirmative, they, said they were
looking for someone to marry two of them. They
all dismounted and lined up on the road and Rev.
Rice proceeded with the ceremony. He wrote their
marriage certificate on a leaf of his notebook and
handed it to them. Thus were united James S.
Brown and Martha Hobbs, in holy wedlock, on that
lonely road in the wilds of this far western country,
on December 13th, 1855.
E. A. Smith, in his diary, tells of two Companies
passing through Fort Scott on this Military Road.
Rev. J. J.Lutz, a missionary, speaks in a report to
the State Historical Society, of Bishop Morris, Rev.
L. B. Stateler, Rev. T. Hurlburt and Rev. E. S. Perry
travelling over this Road on their way to an Indian
Mission Conference at Tahlequah, and camping
overnight at Fort Scott, October, 1844. _
I have given this long account of this Road, be
cause it was the reason for Fort Scott, the "Why"
of Fort Scott.
The road as surveyed, started from Fort Leaven
worth, crossed Five Mile creek south of the Fort,
then on south and east to the Kaw, or Kansas River,
where it crossed into Johnson County, at what was
called Grinter's Ferry, about where Edwardsville
now stands. From there it run through Shawnee
Mission south to Little Santa Fe, where it crossed
the Santa Fe trail, the shipping point for the farther
western country in the early forties. From there
it run almost due south until it reached a settlement
called West Point, on the Kansas and Missouri line.
Here the road made a detour around a rise of
ground and run for about ten miles through Mis
souri, thence turning west into Kansas again, cross
ing Sugar creek, still running southwest and cross
ing the Marias des Cygne at Trading Post, where can
still be seen the grading leading to the ford. From
11

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
Trading Post, passing about two miles east of Pleas
anton, on south around Military Mound, through Po-
tosi, a settlement now abandoned, which stood a
few miles east of Pleasanton to Barnesville. When
it reached the Marmaton River it crossed at what is
now known as Military Ford or Bridge, thence due
south,passing east of National Cemetery, crossed
Moore's Branch near Edwards Junction, Drywood
Creek about one half mile east of Garland, thence
through Crawford county, still hugging the border
into Cherokee county, to Baxter Springs, where it
turned southwest and on to Fort Gibson, the most
southwestern Government Station.
Fort Scott being located by the two Government
Commissioners, Capt. B. D. Moore and Dr. J. R.
Mott, a httle off the surveyed line, a branch road
was surveyed, which run from the crossing at Mil
itary Ford, south between the Nogle and Osbun
farms, southwest through the Reirson farm, due
west between the Horse Market and the condensery,
past the Tallman place, under the hill and entered
the Fort at First street, then the only approach to
Buck Run. From there a little west, then north on
Scott Avenue to Marmaton Avenue, where there
was a great iron gate, always guarded, giving en
trance through the stockade to the Plaza. A little
later they used a road running on the north side of
the river and crossed to the fort at a ford a httle
east of the Marmaton bridge. All who have used
this ford tell how steep and muddy were the ap
proaches on each side.
It was over this route that all the lumber for the
Government Buildings was hauled.
When going south from the Fort, they went on
Market street to Scott Avenue to abdut Third street
where they crossed Buck Run and entered the main
Road which leads across Drywood Creek and into
Crawford County . 12

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* THE PLAZA 1843
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THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
Just before the Civil War the Government made
another survey and moved the road farther away
from the turbulent dividing line between Kansas and
Missouri. This later survey made it pass through
Paola, Mound City, etc.
PLAZA
As we have said before, the present site of Fort
Scott was chosen by the Government for a camp
or cantonment for three reasons: First, because it
was mid-way between Fort Leavenworth and Fort
Gibson, Cherokee Nation, or Fort Coffee, Arkansas;
second, because of the river (the Marmaton) as the
question of water was an important item in those
days for deciding on a location; and third, because
of the strategic location.
Can you not place yourself on what is now
known as Tower Hill, and see these vast prairies as
those men must have seen them in May 1842, a
broad expanse of country covered with a verdure of
most brilliant green, broken here and there, by lines
of the darker green of the trees marking the streams
in their flow through the lowlands; or stand with
them on the point back of the Plaza and see, as they
did, the fine strategic view to be had of the ap
proach from the north over their new Military
Road ? Can you wonder that they decided then and
there to pitch their tents on this beautiful spot?
Temporary quarters were built for the garrison,
which consisted of 120 men and Lieut. John Hamil
ton, who was left in charge by the commissioners,
Capt. B. D. Moore and Dr. J. R. Mott, who had re
turned to St. Louis, or as some authorities state to
Fort Leavenworth for another company of dra
goons to help with the construction of the canton
ment. After the temporary quarters, which con-
13

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
sisted of log houses, hastily put up, were finished,
they begun work on a saw mill and brick yard.
These were to be used in the work of erecting per
manent quarters, and were located on Mill Creek,
hence the name of this creek. These log houses, with
the exception of one, were burned when the troops
moved into their new quarters. A parade ground,
or plaza, (Spanish for a square, or military parade
ground,) was laid out, around which were to be the
different government buildings.
1843 saw the completion of these buildings and
the lodgment of officers and men in comfortable
quarters. Most of the lumber was cut in the imme
diate vicinity some hauled from near Fulton and
the Trading Post by ox teams, and finished at the
saw mill. The brick for the chimneys were made in
their own brick yard. The stone for foundations
and out houses was quarried on the C. Nelson farm,
south of town. There was oak, walnut and ash in
abundance along the Marmaton River and no dif
ficulty was experienced in getting all material need-
for their new homes. In the officer's quarters, all
but one still standing, the door and window
frames and mantels are of walnut. Upstairs the
doors are all battened. The frame timbers are of
oak, 12 inches square and mortised together. The
floors are of oak. The pillars, supporting the
porches , are of turned walnut, bored through the
center the entire length to prevent the surface
cracking during the process of seasoning. These
soldier-carpenters had few tools, as compared with
those of today, but they certainly did first class
work. Considering that these new houses were
built in a far-western country, in the midst of an al
most interminable prairie, miles and miles from any
other settlement, with only Indians as neighbors,
they might be called almost palatial.
On the west side of the Plaza, starting from the
14

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
north, was the ordnance building. Where the lum
ber yard is now was a barracks for the soldiers;
farther on, where is now a large barn, was a cavalry
stable, 110 feet long. It eventually burned down.
On the south side, opposite this stable, stood another
barracks, this was later the Pro-Slavery, or Wes
tern Hotel. Directly south of this stood the hospi
tal, which, as can be seen now, was a large rectang
ular building surrounded on all sides by porches.
The government, even then seemed to have the fresh
air fad, judging from the many broad porches on
all hving quarters. On the southeast corner stood
the guard-house, used afterwards by the city for
many years as a calaboose. (Calaboose, from the
Spanish, calabazo, dungeon,) On the the east side,
starting from the north, stood the commissary
building, then another barracks. On the north side
stood the four officer's quarters. Within the
Plaza opposite the hospital, was an octagonal
brick building, the powder magazine. On the oth
er side was a deep well, their only source of drink
ing water, covered with a canopy, supported by
columns. Mrs. Elizabeth Goodlander, in 1914, had
the canopy renewed, in exact reproduction of the
original one, as a matter of sentiment, as she and
all the Plaza children had played about it. The
creak of the enormous windlass and the rattle of
the heavy iron chain of this old well could then be
heard at all times of the day and night. It was truly
the "Town Pump."
Back of the officer's quarters was a corrall for
the horses, and on the slope of the hill was a corn
mill, operated by horse power. Near here was the
Government bakery, still standing. Here they bak
ed as many as 1500 or 2000 loaves a day, kneading
and mixing all done by hand.
Just off the Plaza, a short distance east of what
is now Market Square, stood the sutler store, a two-
15

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
room log house. The location has been marked by
a stone marker, by the ladies of the D. A. R. On the
inside of this building, the counter ran all around
the four sides of the room. This was done to keep
the Indians, who came to trade, from stealing the
goods from the shelves. The first sutler, who came
with the troops, was J. A. Bugg. He conducted the
store alone, until September 1843, when H. T.
Wilson arrived from Fort Gibson, Cherokee Nation,
and bought a partnership in the store for $5000.00.
They continued together until 1849, when Col. Wil
son bought out his partner, and continued the busi
ness until the Post was abandoned as a fort. This
store was on the direct route from the ford, east of
the Marmaton bridge, to the Plaza.
Surrounding the Plaza was a stockade about 12
or 14 feet high, and an iron gate led out from it on
the' northwest side, facing the sutler's store. The
lumber of this stockade was bought by J. McClevey,
near Fulton, for a cattle corrall.
Around this historic Plaza lived a few hundred
human beings, in the midst of a trackless, wind
swept, almost treeless, Indian-infested prairie, a
veritable outpost of civilization. The fort was
abandoned by the Government as a military post
in April, 1853, and the buildings left in charge of
an orderly-sergeant, after all the movable property,
owned by the Government had been sold. There
were but two families left, when the soldiers march
ed out,— that of H. T. Wilson, and that of Lieut. J.
Hamilton, whose time of enlistment had expired,
and who had concluded to remain on the scene of
his ten years labor. They must have felt a httle
lonely, as they watched the last of the troops out of
sight, but almost at once, eastern people began to
come in, for Kansas was settling up with almost un
believable rapidity, and this being one of the direct
routes, added that advantage to its many others.
16

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
The Government houses were to be let to anyone
who would care for them until arrangements could
be made for their sale. On May 16th, 1855, the build
ings were all sold at auction by Major Howe, "with
out land." As no land Was conveyed with the build
ings, there were few bidders and they went at a
nominal price, the buyers trusting to making the
land titles good, either as pre-emptions, or upon ac
quiring a deed when the town should be incorporat
ed. The land belonged to the New York Indians,
and the Government could not give title to the land,
or let it be pre-empted as they did not make a treaty
with these Indians until 1860. The buildings that
had cost $200,000.00 were sold for about $5,000.00.
The purchasers of the officer's quarters on the
north side of the Plaza were Mr. A. Hornbeck, who
bought the first double house on the northwest
corner for $500.00, Mr. Wilson the one next, for
$300.00, E. Greenwood the next, and Mr. J. Mitchell
the last one on the northeast corner. All the other
buildings were sold relatively as cheap. For many
years business all centered around the Plaza. The
first dwelling outside of the Plaza was erected by
Wm. Smith, on the corner of what is now Scott
Avenue and Locust (First) Street.
The ladies of the Molly Foster Berry Chapter of
the D. A. R. have done a fine work in fostering a
love for these old places, by placing markers at
these historic sites. The locations of these markers
follow: The Post sutler's store, the Government
well, Hospital, Guard house, Dragoon stables, Ad
jutant's quarters, Commissary Department, Post
bake-shop, Officer's quarters, soldiers' barracks
Block-houses, Government saw mill. Fort Lincoln
near Fulton, and at the scene of the Marmaton mas
sacre. Also they have had reproductions made of
views of the old town, when any could be found.
These are tastefully mounted on a ~°destal made
17

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
from one of the walnut pillars from the porch of the
officer's quarters which was torn down (more is the
pity) to make way for a modern residence. The
Chapter presented these photographs to the His
torical Society. They can, at the present time, be
seen at the Pubhc Library. The city authorities and
every citizen of Fort Scott should be interested in
the preservation of these historic buildings on the
Plaza. Mr. Ralph Richards has acquired the one
known as the Free State Hotel, and is keeping the
house as near in its original state as possible, after
all these years of use.
The name Carroll was added to Plaza, in 1860,
when the city was platted by the town company.
The name Carroll Plaza is very prominent on the
original plat of the town which is now in the Othick
Abstract Office. Why and when so named was
somewhat of a puzzle, and everybody who seemed
likely to know was questioned, but to no avail, un
til Mr. F. L. McDermott was asked about the matter.
He said that he had always understood that the
name "Carroll" was given to the Plaza when, as I
said before, the City was laid out in lots, at the sug
gestion of Mr. Wilson. Mr. Wilson had always been
a great admirer of Charles Carroll of Maryland,
one of the signers of the Declaration of Independ
ence, and prominent in all patriotic movements of
his time. He always signed his name, "Charles
Carroll of Carrolltown." and it is so found on the
Declaration. He died in Baltimore in 1832.

18

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
HOTELS
THE FORT SCOTT, OR FREE STATE HOTEL
When the Government buildings were sold, in
May, 1855, A. Hornbeck bought the officer's quar
ters on the corner of Marmaton and Blair Aves.,
for $500.00, and fitted it for a hotel. It opened
May 30th, 1855, under the proprietorship of Thos.
Arnett, as the Fort Scott Hotel until 1857, when the
management was taken over by the Casey Bros.
Later George Crawford and C. Dimon took charge,
with B. P. McDonald and C. Bull as clerks. Mr.
Wm. F. Campbell, father of the late A. Campbell
succeeded C. Dimon, and gave an opening ball on
Jan. 18th, 1858. One fiddle furnished the music,
and Joe Ray, the wag of the town, did the calling.
Square dances were then the fashion and it needed
someone who was expert as caller to make them
step lively in "forward and back," "Crossover," or
"allemande left." etc.
Most of the Town Company and the young men
boarded there, and it thus got its sobriquet of "Free
State" hotel, for this younger element, coming as
they did from the northern states, were Free State
men. It was here that the Brockett episode took
place. Brockett, who afterwards helped to plan
the Marias des Cygnes massacre, came into the of
fice, drew his pistol, and picked up a chair throwing
it at C. Dimon who was alone. Mr. Dimon called
to some young men who were upstairs. They got
their pistols and run to the office. Brockett told
Geo. Crawford, who remonstrated with him, "to
shut up, or I will shoot you." Just then Wm. Camp
bell came in and asked why he was insulting his
guests. Brockett replied "You dassen't talk to me."
Mr. Camubell replied, "God Almighty never made
the man I dare not talk to." When Brockett saw
19

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
that Mr. Campbell meant business, he left without
further words. Mr. Campbell was of the men
who made Kansas what it was, a state, unafraid.
Malaria was so bad in 1857, that all of the twenty-
five boarders, but nine, were "chillin' a httle."
Judge Margrave later bought the hotel for a res-
dence, occupying it until his death, in 1904. Mrs.
E. J. Rollins has the parlor furniture that was in the
hotel at the time of its transfer to her father. There
stands now, in the hall, a hat rack of walnut, that
has been there ever since the Post days. In the
upstairs hall are two dark closets under the roof
that were used as cells in Post days. An offi
cer could not have been confined in the guard house,
of course, and no doubt more than one has "sober
ed up" in these so-called cells.
THE WESTERN, OR PRO-SLAVERY* HOTEL.
This hotel was opened by a man named McKay
in the barracks next to the hospital. During the
border troubles, it came to be the headquarters of
the Pro-Slavery element, and thus acquired its
name. In 1857, it was run by Sheriff Ben Hill, and while
he was proprietor, the Marias des Cygnes massacre
was planned in this hotel. Dr. Hamilton, Ben Hill,
Brockett and other border ruffians took part in the
planning, and G. W. Clark, who came in 1857 and
was the bad genius of the town, is supposed to have
been the instigator of the plot.
THE WILDER HOUSE.
This hotel, still standing at the southwest corner
of Wall and Main sts., was built and opened by Geo.
Dimon, in the spring of 1863. The brick was made
in the old Post brick yard, which was where the
Redinger farm now is. G. and C. Dimon ran the
20

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
hotel and it was much patronized by army officers
during the war. It was named after Carter Wilder,
who had been a Congressman from Kansas and was
later stationed here as Commisary. He was a great
friend of the Dimons. One proprietor, named J.
Darr, had a typical answer for new comers when
they asked as they alighted from the stage, "Is this
the Wilder House ?" "Well, you stay a few days and
you will find it's the Wildest house you was ever in."
If anyone happened to wear a high hat when he
came to town and stopped there it was "Good-bye.
top hat."
Those were somewhat "wild and wooly" days,
but then all did a thriving business. Their money
went as easily as it came and often to help those
who were stranded, far from home and alone in a
far country.

21

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
MODES OF TRAVEL
Those who came to Fort Scott in an early day,
came by different modes, but practically over the
same route, after reaching Kansas City, — the Mili
tary Road. Some came on horseback, among them
Mr. Joe Liepman; some, in their own conveyances,
moving wagons, etc.; some on foot, — Mr. C. F.
Drake came that way; others by stage, others still
in hired conveyances, usually rattletrap affairs
drawn by mules or a spavined horse.
Two days was the usual time from Kansas City,
with a stop-over night at some "wayside inn" or
squatter's cabin. What woman now would think
she could start from Lockport, Penn., on a journey
to Kansas City, with a babe in her arms, as did Mrs.
A. McDonald, and travel much of the way by stage?
Now we want Pullmans or palatial steamboats and
then we would be afraid the baby would take cold
or we would fail to get our morning bath. The
writer's grandmother rode horseback, on a visit
from Ohio to Connecticut, with a three year old
child. E. L. MARBLE'S OVERLAND TRff.
Mr. E. L. Marble, with four others, Mr. and Mrs.
F. Gates, Mr. J. Lowery, and his sister, Miss Sarah
Marble, eighteen years old, started from Bristol, DI.,
in a covered wagon, drawn by an ox team, and one
spring wagon, with two horses. On reaching
Quincy, they found the ferry out of commission, so
drove on down the river, until they sighted a boat
taking people and cattle out of the flooded dis
trict, — the Mississippi was out of its banks. This
boat landed them at Hannibal, the first place they
could make a landing. Then they rode for days in
22

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
the mud and rain, and when they struck the Mis
souri River, found it bankfull and no ferry boat.
After awhile they found two men to take
them across on a flat-boat, not certain that they
would ever reach the other bank. They had often
to go roundabout ways to find a ford, only to find,
when it was reached, that it was a dangerous cross
ing. They stopped at Westport for provisions, and
then came on, stopping at Trading Post, and thus to
Fort Scott, June 24th, 1858. Their progress had
been from five to eighteen miles a day.
STAGE TRAVEL.
A stage line was estabhsed between Fort Scott
and Jefferson City, Mo., in 1857. It made three
trips a week, and brought in the mail from the east.
Mr. T. F. Robley in his "Bourbon County," says
that the arrival and departure of the stage was a
good deal of an event. It was over this route that
Geo. Crawford and A. McDonald travelled on their
return trip from Philadelphia, where they had been
to buy machinery for their saw mill, to be built at
the foot of Birch street., on Buck Run.
April 14th, 1858, Squire's four-horse stage coach
rolled into Fort Scott. It made tri-weekly trips
from Kansas City and the townspeople felt as
though they had been indeed put into communica
tion with the outside world. Twenty-four hours
was the time for the trip; $15.00 was the price.
They changed horses about every ten miles, and
stopped somewhere for the night. Mr. and Mis.
Wm. Smith and daughter, now Mrs. A. Campbell,
and Mr. and Mrs. A. McDonald and baby came
over this route in 1858. They were overtaken by
a storm on the way, and sought refuge in a
squatter's cabin. Below is Mr. C. W. Goodlander's
account of his trip on one of Squire's stages :
23

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
"I came from Milton, Penn.. by rail to St. Louis,
and by boat to Kansas City. Started at 8 A. M. from
the stage office on Main street, to 13th, cross lots to
Grand Avenue, thence to Westport, to Shawnee
(Merrian), on to Squiresville, (near Olathe)
stopped there for a dinner of salt pork,
beans, dried apples and coffee. Put up at Osawat
omie for the night; then on to Moneka, (a few miles
north of Mound City.) The people there were veg
etarians, and the women wore bloomers. We cross
ed the Osage at Rayville, the Marmaton at Military
Ford, came along the river bottom uo the Military
Road a little east of National Avenue., and from
there over to the Plaza. When the stage rolled up,
all the occupants of the hotel (Free State) came out
to welcome us. The stages brought the passengers
and express, but all freight came by ox team. The
latter could be seen most any time, winding over
the Military Road."
Mr. E. A. Smith, brother of Mrs. A. Campbell,
came overland to Fort Scott, after a trip of two
days and three nights on a Missouri river boat. This
boat was so crowded with people fn^;--- west, that
a hundred of them slept on the cabin floor. From
Jefferson City, he reached Kansas City, in Septem
ber, 1857. When stopping in St. Louis, he saw
freight and passenger boats lined up along the
levee for two miles. From Kansas City, he took
the stage, a rattly affair (a bob-tailed jerky), to
Osawatomie, passing through Squireville and Paola.
The hotel at Osawatomie was an unsealed shanty
with bunks arranged along one side, straw ticks and
dirty blankets. The eating was in keeping; bacon,
yellow soda biscuits, and coffee without sugar or
milk. He spent the next day trying to get a convey
ance to Fort Scott, but was obliged to walk the dis
tance, with the help of a "lift" of ten miles in an
ox wagon. He found Fort Scott a village, princi-
24

THE Win. SMITH RESIDENCE BUILT 1858

BLOCK HOUSE 1863

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
pally of Government houses, as few others had
then been built. The Plaza was the village.
SLAVERY

SLAVES IN BOURBON COUNTY.
In 1857, there were about thirty slaves in the
county, owned by families who had come in from
Missouri and the south. In 1855. when the first
census was taken, there were 192 in the Territory.
As early as 1845, there were slaves in Fort Scott.
Col. H. T. Wilson owned a number. In 1859, he
took them to Calhoun, Mo., and liberated them at
the same time that his brother-in-law liberated his.
Mrs. E. Goodlander later found the mother in Kan
sas City, and sent her the money to come to Fort
Scott, where she stayed with the family for six
years. There is a record of 1857. in Book A, p. 5, in the
Recorder of Deeds' office of the sale of a negro
woman by J. M. Rucker, for $500.00. The same
record gives the will of J. M. Hart, in which he be •
queaths a negro woman and boy, George, to his
wife. Rev. C. Rice, in his "Experiences of a Pioneer,
1855," speaks of the slaves of Dr. Hill who lived in
one of the officer's quarters on the Plaza. "He
owned a few slaves who lived in the basement of the
house and who seemed to be the happiest of people."

25

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
SCHOOLS
The first schools, of course, were private ones;
and all the learning acquired by the children during
the first fifteen years of the town's existence, was
gotten in somewhat of a haphazard manner.
Mrs. C. W. Goodlander's first recollections of
school is of going, slate in hand, to one taught on
the point of the Plaza, in a log house. Mrs. C. H.
Haynes, who came here in 1858, opened a school
in an upstairs room in the Calkins building on Big-
ler street, near the junction of Weir (Wall) -treet.
Ready money was scarce in those early times and
she often took her pay in commodities — potatoes.
butter, eggs, etc. The most unique pay was a pig,
and truly thankful was she to get it, for it helped
out mightily the winter's supply of meat.
In 1855 the Territorial legislature passed a law,
under which District or County Schools could be
organized. The first district oreanized in Bourbon
County was District No. 10, Mapleton, Dec. 10, 1859.
C. F. Drake, who came here in 1858, immediately
made himself active in all town affairs, was on the
school board and succeeded in getting the county
to fit up four rooms in the Post Hospital building
for school. A Mr. Nelson, as far as the writer has
been able to learn, was the first teacher of this
District school. He was followed by Miss Nancy
Custer. The hospital building continued to be used
for the school until the war came, when it was re
quisitioned by the Government for its original
purpose. After the war it was again used for the schools
and so continued until the Central School was built.
During the war there were no rooms in town avail
able for school purpose, the Government using all
26

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
spare rooms and buildings for its different activi
ties. Mrs. Jane Smith and thirty other ladies went be
fore the council with a petition for the erection of a
school house in 1863, but after a committee canvass
ed the matter, they decided that the schools were
not within their jurisdiction so were obliged to
deny their request.
A number of the older girls were sent away to
"Boardinr School," in the absence of other means
of education. Mrs. C. W. Goodlander, Mrs. Albert
Campbell and Miss Fannie Johnson were among
those who went away. "Baker" then in its infancy,
was the most patronized. Mrs. Campbell at one
time started to Baker by way of Kansas City. On
her arrival there she met a young girl on her way
to Oxford (near Cincinnati) . Deciding that she
would rather go to Oxford with company than to
Baker without, she joined the young girl. They
went by boat to St. Joseph and from there by rail
to Cincinnati. As the trains did not run at night or
on Sundays their journey took some days. There
being no telegraph in this far western country she
was unable to communicate with her parents on her
departure from Kansas City and a letter bore to
them the astonishing information that she was in
Ohio instead of Kansas.
Of course there was no coming home between
the opening and closing of school owing to the diffi
culties of travel.
In 1865 Rev. Austin Warner was elected County
Superintendent of School and began at once their
reorganization. He asked for Rev. Irwin, of Fort
Wayne, Ind., to come out and take charge of the
schools and fill the pulpit of the Presbyterian
Church on Sunday, neither alone paying a hving
salary. In 1866 Rev. J. M. Rendricks, of the Episcopal
27

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
Church opened a Seminary in what is now the
Chas. Penniman home, built for that purpose by
Mrs. L. L. Ury. Failing of support this school did
not last long. PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
The first Pubhc School Board was organized
May 4th, 1868. A. R. Allison, president; W. H.
Dory, vice president; J. M. Kendricks and R. S.
Stewart members. According to the minutes of the
meeting, A. F. Cravens was appointed principal at
a salary of $1,200.00 per year; assistant principal,
Miss Bissell, $75.00 per month; Miss Scofield, $60.00
and Miss Royce, primary department, $65.00. Miss
Bissell and Miss Royce boarded with the Margrave
family on the Plaza.
The city schools when organized September 1868,
were held in the Post Hospital building. The East
Side school in a small stone building which stood
where the Margrave school now stands. The Hos
pital building continued to be so used until the Cen
tral school was built and opened.
The Central School building was dedicated and
opened September 1871, and served for all the
schools on the West Side. The East Side schools
continued in the original building until the Mar
grave was built.
At that time the school population was 520; in
1860 it was 300.
Miss Sarah Bates holds the record for the longest
continuous teaching— forty-one years — 1869-1910.
Mrs. Luke Havens, still a resident of the city,
taught in that little stone building on the East Side.
Mrs. Havens was followed by Miss Detwiler, later
Mrs. Wm. Dilworth. Miss Sarah Bates and Miss
Ellwood also taught there after Mrs. Havens had
been transferred to the Hospital building.
28

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
Mrs. Havens tells of a little incident typical of
school life. Henry Drum was somewhat mischiev
ous, and one day, thinking to punish him, she ask
ed him if he would like her to put him next to
Emma Tallman for the rest of the afternoon. His
face broke into a thousand smiles as he replied,
"Yes Ma'am." Had Mrs. Havens been a man, she
would never have suggested such a move, knowing
from experience the fallacy of that mode of punish
ment. Sitting next to a pretty girl never has been
and never will be much of a punishment for a lively
boy. The Tallman, Caldwell, Couch, Drum and An-
drick children all "went" to Mrs. Havens.
The first colored school was opened under the
auspices of the "Freedman's Home Mission," and
was held in a house which stood near where the
Knox House now stands. When the City Schools
were organized in 1868, one was opened for the col
ored chUdren on the Plaza. The first teacher was
Mr. Woodbury, employed at a salary of $50.00 per
month.

29

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
BURIAL GROUNDS
The earhest burial ground was established by the
Military Post and was used by both Post and civil
ians until 1862. This was located at about the
junction of Lowman and Wall streets, and was the
largest in the state, except the one at Fort Leaven
worth. In 1862, September 30th, the Presbyterian Church
bought from John G. Stuart, a plot of ground
southeast of town and this was used for all burials
until 1867, when it was bought by the Government
for a National Cemetery. The Government paid
$300.00, added an equal amount of land, and began
improvements. The bodies buried there were to re
main if the friends so wished. The name of Jones
Street was then changed to National Avenue.
There is now in the National Cemeterv the grave
of an ordnance sergeant, who died here, while this
was yet a Post. He was first buried in the old burial
ground, but the body, with its stone marker, was re
moved to the new cemetery. This stone is hke those
now used in all National Cemeteries, and reads,
"David Reed, Sergt." The record at Washington,
D. C gives the information that "he died, Jan. 30th,
1852, in Fort Scott, Missouri." It must be a comfort
to his relatives, if there are any now living, to know
that he rests in so fitting a place for a soldier who
gave his life in this far frontier country.
Mrs. Albert Campbell, of this city, while visiting
in Eureka Springs, in 1904, met a gentleman from
Fort Smith, who had been stationed at Fort Scott,
at the same time that Sergt. Reed was. When pass
ing through Fort Scott years afterward, 1902, he
stopped off and took flowers out to the National
Cemetery and laid them on the Sergeant's grave.
Truly a beautiful tribute to their youthful comrade
ship. 3t)

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
BOURBON COUNTY
The County was organized in 1855, under an act
of the "Bogus" Legislature, and. at the solicitation
of S. A. WiUiams and Wm. Barbee, was named after
Bourbon County, Kentucky. Not until 1867 was
an act passed, defining the boundaries, which act
cut the county to 25 square miles, containing
607.680 acres.
H. T. Wilson and C. B. Wingfield were appointed
County Commissioners and B. T. Hill, Sheriff, in
August, 1855. September 17th, J. J. Fareley was ap
pointed County Clerk, Thomas Watkin, Justice of
the Peace, (in addition to Wm. Margrave, appointed
in 1854, by Gov. Reeder) J. F. Cottrell, Constable,
and A. Hornbeck, County Treasurer. In November,
the Commissioners divided the county into town
ships, five in number. Fort Scott was named as the
County seat, and so remained until January, 1858,
when, on account of border troubles, it was moved
to Marmaton. by special act of the legislature. On
May 11th. 1863, an election was held to vote on the
permanent location, under a law, (introduced by C.
F. Drake) allowing the calling of an election on pe
tition of the County Court. Fort Scott received 700
votes; Centerville, 279; Mapleton, 14; and Fort Lin
coln, 1. At the last meeting of the County Commis
sioners at Marmaton, Fort Scott was formally
named as the county seat and the records brought
back, placed in the new court house ,or, as it was
then called, the City Hall.
From 1855 to 1858, the county was governed by
a Probate Judge, and two Commissioners. That
was called the County Court. In 1858 a body of five
supervisors succeeded the County Court, one from
each township. In 1860, the form of government
was changed again, to three commissioners. The
first county election was held in 1856.
81

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
In 1863- the city built the City Hall, corner of
Jones and Locust streets. (National Avenue and Sec
ond street) and after the May elections, offered the
lower floor to the county for offices, and the upper
room for a court room. The contract for this
building was for a cost of $4,900.00, and C. W.
Goodlander and A. R. Allison were the builders.
On December 14th, 1863, the County Commission
ers were notified by the City Marshall that it was
ready for occupancy.
When court was not in session, the upper floor
was used for religious, political, social and many
other purposes, as the old army hospital where such
meetings had been held, was falling into disuse.
POST OFFICE

J. A. Bugg, the first sutler was also the first post
post master ,and when H. T. Wilson bought Mr.
Bugg out, he succeeded him as post master, Feb.
26, 1849, and so continued till 1856. Mrs. E. Good
lander has now in the Historical Rooms the letter
boxes used in this first post office. After this the
mail was kept in various buildings, the hospital
building, the Land Office and others.
Until Kansas was erected into a Territory in 1854,
all letters were addressed to Fort Scott, via Bates
Co., Missouri, and were sent to Balltown, Mo. Dur
ing the Post days, an orderly was sent on horseback
for the Post mail. After the Post was abandoned
as a fort, a regular mailman was sent, until the stage
routes were established, though some of the routes
were still traversed on horse back. One time, on
his return, the carrier found the Marmaton River
bankfull. J. G. Stuart swam his mule across, and
carried the mail pouch back on his head to keep it
32

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
dry. The early mail routes out of Fort Scott were:
Westport, Sarcoxie, Mo.; Baxter Springs, Osage
Mission and Jefferson City.
In 1858. the office was in the Post barracks which
stood where the Grant lumber yard now stands. It
was moved to the hall in the Free State Hotel. In
1859, it was moved again to the first story of the
Town Company's building, on Bigler street, near
Wier street. Mr. Goodlander fixed up this office
for the Government, at $3.00 per day, carrying the
lumber, himself, from the saw mill at the foot of
Locust street. The boxes were made of walnut. In
making a batten door for the room, he used six
kinds of wood. He says he felt mighty proud of
that thirty dollars thus earned, the largest "bunch"
of money he had held since his arrival in Fort Scott.
While the post office was yet in the hotel, Wm.
Gallegher Was post master, as well as hotel clerk.
He introduced the city delivery of mail — took it
around in his hat, and handed out the letters as he
met the persons to whom they were addressed.
In 1858, J. Caldwell came to Fort Scott and suc
ceeded C. B. Wingfield as mail carrier over the five
mail routes. These routes were: 1. Osage; 2. West-
Point, Mo.; 3. Crawford Seminary (Presbyterian
Indian School) ; 4. Mapleton; 5. Marmaton. His
son, T. A. Caldwell, now of this city, was allowed to
carry one of the routes.
At one time, during the war, the delivery of mail
between Fort Scott and Kansas City became so ir
regular on account of raids from the border, that
an appeal was made to Washington by the settlers,
and in reply, tlie Government established camps of
cavalry along the Military Road, after which, the
mail was carried by relays from Kansas City to
Fort Scott. Two well mounted men rode their al
lotted ten miles, delivered the mail to the waiting re-
33

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
lay and so on, covering the route ever3' twenty-
four hours. The relay stations were Westport, Lit
tle Santa Fe, Aubray, Coldwater Grove, Sugar
Creek, Trading Post, Fort Lincoln and Fort Scott.
Fort Scott was the second post office established
in Kansas. That at Leavenworth was opened May.
1828. POST MASTER APPOINTMENTS
J. A. Bugg ... . March 3, 1843.
H. T. Wilson - - - February 26, 1849
J. J. Fareley - - - January 28, 1856
W. Patterson - - - August 2, 1856
F. H. Casey - - - July 18, 1857
Wm. Gallegher - August 20, 1857
D. Manlove - - - May 23, 1861
S. A. Manlove - - - January 20, 1861

34

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
BORDER TROUBLES
1856.
The year 1856 was one long to be remembered by
Kansas, for then began In earnest the "Border
Troubles" which were to prove the mettle of those
sturdy pioneers, most of whom had come to make it
a free state, untrammeled by slavery. They came,
primed for their work, proved their mettle, and
well deserved the motto of their state seal.
This same controversy between the two parties
had raged in Congress since 1819, when Maine and
Missouri had appealed for admission to the Union.
The southern congressmen refused the admittance
of Maine as a free state, unless Missouri should be
admitted as a slave state, for up to this time the
free and slave states had been equal in number. So
came about the Missouri Compromise, which ad
mitted Missouri as a slave state but prohibited, ever
after, slavery north of the southern line of Missouri,
namely 36 degrees and 30 minutes north latitude.
Kansas was north of this line and as early as 1852
appealed to Congress for admittance, but the ap
peals were in vain, until the Kansas^Nebraska Bill
was passed. This bill nullified the Missouri Com
promise and left the decision of free or slave, to the
people of the Territory.
So began the struggle between the Free State and
the Pro-Slavery parties. Immigrants from both
north and south began coming in, but the trouble
was not caused so much by clashes between the set
tlers of the two parties, as by the many raids from
Missouri, sent in by the rougher element of the
south. Most of the settlers were conservative, in
both parties, and only when attacked, showed any
fight; but when this rough border element, compos^
35

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
ed mostly of the scum of the southern states, began
coming in, it was a fight to the finish. Fort Scott
being close to the Missouri line was made head
quarters and a rendevous for the leaders of these
"Border Ruffians." 1856.
The first trouble in town was when G. W. Jones,
under orders from Major Buford, (commander of
about 300 men, who had constituted himself super
visor, so to speak, of the border) made Fort Scott
his headquarters, and sent his lieutenants to every
settler in the country, to find out whether they were
Free State or Pro-Slavery sympathizers. Every
Free State man was given orders, in July, to leave
the state. Their claims were given to the Pro-Sla
very men and the cabins of those who refused to go
were burned, their cattle driven off, and themselves
brought to headquarters and advised to move on
further north. Let me say, now, that the object of
this raiding was to rid the territory of as many as
possible of the Free State men and thus increase
the voting chances of the Pro-Slavery party at the
polls, for as before stated, Kansas Territory was to
vote herself into the Union, either free, or slave.
The next trouble was a squad of men, calling
themselves "Texas Rangers," making Fort Scott
their headquarters. They were well mounted, well
armed and came in with a great flourish. Here
they gathered a few Jones' men, a few adherents
from the town, and started north to Osawatomie to
round up John Brown. They were led by G. W.
Jones, Wm. Brown and Jesse Davis. They met at
Middle Creek, a body of Free State men of about the
same number under command of Captains Ander
son and Shore, and on August 25th were turned
36

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
back after a hght skirmish. As they gathered their
belongings in Fort Scott on their march back to
Texas they told wonderful tales of the number of
Free State men who were on their trail, threaten
ing to burn the town, that the inhabitants were bad
ly frightened and prepared for flight. But as no
troops appeared, they soon settled down lo business
again. This is the expedition that Kline, editor of
the "Southern Kansas," joined, and with which he
went to his death. In this year, election for mem
bers of the Territorial Legislature took place, and
two Pro-Slavery men were elected. So many of the
Free State settlers had been driven out of the coun
try, the Pro-Slavery party was much in the major
ity- 1857.
At this time immigration began to increase, most
of them, Free State men; and these, with the re
turning men, Who had been driven from their
claims the year before, made that party much
stronger in the county. These returned men de
manded their claims and many clashes took place,
for instance, Wm. Stone demanded the return of
his claim from a man named Southwood, to whom
it had been given by G. W. Jones, and who refused
to vacate. Stone built a cabin for himself near by,
and moved his family into it. Of course, the fami
lies quarrelled continually, and Stone again ordered
Southwood to leave. Southwood gathered a num
ber of his sympathizers for resistance, but when he
saw the strength of the other party, decided to re
turn to a more congenial clime, and for once there
was no blood shed.
At this time was organized the Wide Awakes to
counteract the Dark Lantern lodge of the Slavery
37

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
Party. Leaders in the Wide Awakes were J. C. Bar
nett, B. Rice and others.
They, the Wide Awakes, at once notified the
squatters who had driven out the Free State set
tlers that they must vacate the land wrongly appro
priated by them. The Southwood-Stone affair was
an example of this.
Trouble still brewed, and it was decided to try to
settle the disputes by law, and take the cases to the
U. S. District Court, that was held in the Land Of
fice on Bigler street. Judge J. Williams presided,
S. A. Williams was clerk of the court, and J. H.
Little was Deputy Marshall. Judge Williams being
a strong Pro-Slavery man. the Free State men lost
most of their cases, his decisions being mostly in
favor of his own party. Then the Free State men
organized a Squatter's Court. This court composed
of Judge, Sheriff and other officers, was convened
as a protest against Judge Williams' proslavery de
cisions. It held its first session at Bain's Fort, a
short distance from Fulton. Dr. Rufus Gilpat-
rick, of Anderson county, was judge. Their decis
ions were as prejudiced on the side of the Free
State men as Judge Williams' were for the Pro-Sla
very side.
Of course Judge Williams did not recognize this
court and ordered Marshall Little to arrest the Judge
and officers. When Little arrived at the scene of
the Court, Judge Gilpatrick sent out a flag of truce,
but Marshall Little, irritable and tired from his
forced march from Fort Scott replied: "If you
don't surrender at once, I will blow you to hell." A
skirmish took place and when Little found that four
of his men were wounded, thought discretion the
better part of valor and retreated to Fort
Scott. When he returned with reinforcements he
found, after cautious investigation, that the Court
38

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
had adjourned during the night, had gone to the
Baptist Church at Danford's MiU. Marshall Little
concluded not to follow them into such a Free
State stronghold, disbanded his men and returned
lo Fort Scott.
Later the Court returned to Bain's Fort, but soon
abandoned the undertaking of meting out justice
and returned to their homes.
One of Marshall Little's posse, J. Rhoades- met, on
his way home, a Free State man, named Weaver.
Being well loaded with whiskey, proceeded to fire
upon Weaver, but Weaver got his gun away from
him and killed Bhoades. More killings took place,
and after a man by the name of Hedrick was shot
down at his own door, a Mr. Hopkins and a neigh
bor, Mr. Denison, started out to organize a Protec
tive society, "The Self Protective Society." Squire
Jewell was made chairman and James Montgomery
leader. This was Montgomery's first participation
in the troubles in this section. This Society was
pledged to protect all good citizens in their property
rights, irrespective of their politics. The troubles
now became so frequent this society failed of its
purpose, so at a mass-meeting, it was decided to ap
peal to the Governor for troops to quell uprisings.
The 1st U. S. Cavalry was sent to Fort Scott, but was
soon withdrawn, and again the border ruffians be
gan their raids. Montgomery and the Protective
Society were sent for, but the raiders were always
too swift for them and disappeared. Again a com
mittee, called the Vigilance Committee, was formed
of the conservative men of both parties (H. T. Wil
son, B. Little, T. B. Arnett, G. A. Crawford and J. W.
Head), to petition the Governor for troops. In
December, Companies E and F, U. S. Cavalry were
sent, under Capt. Sturgis. This was the second time
U .S. troops came to Fort Scott. They stayed only a
short time and were recalled as before.
39

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
1858.
On the abandonment of the town by the troops,
trouble began again. They raided Johnson's claim,
and some of his stock was taken. Johnson appeal
ed to Montgomery, and again he was too late, but
Judge Williams and G. W. Crawford invited Mont
gomery and his Society to breakfast at the Free
State Hotel, and did him other courtesies. It was
just after this that the trouble at this Hotel took
place between W. T. Campbell. C. Dimon and the
man named Brockett. During all this time J. Mont
gomery was active as a leader in this part of the
state, and did much for the advancement of the state
towards its goal.
J. Montgomery was from Ohio and settled in
Linn County, 1854. He became a leader in the Free
State party in this section and was one of the or
ganizers of the Self Protective Society, formed to
protect tlie rights of the Anti-Slavery settlers in
this section. At times he became so active in his
enthusiasm for the cause, he had to be curbed in
some of his undertakings.
In June, Gov. Denver, during his trip along the
border, came to Fort Scott to try to concihate the
opposing elements. He made a speech on the Plaza.
To show how hot the feeling was then, the Gover
nor had hardly finished speaking when E. Ransom,
Receiver of the Land Office, made a fiery Pro-Slav
ery speech to which Judge Wright replied, when
the Governor stepped between them and repri
manded Ranson.
Gov. Denver prevailed on aU the County officers
to resign, and the citizens held an election, right
there. They placed their candidates on one side of
the Plaza, and at Gov. Denver's signal, the citizens
marched to where their candidates stood, after
40

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
which they were counted. The officers elected were
given certificates and their commissions were sent
later from Lecompton. The Peace Protocol issued
by Governor Denver was:
Withdrawal of troops from Fort Scott.
Election of officers of Bourbon County, without
reference to party.
Troops to be stationed along the state line.
Suspension of the execution of old writs until
their legality be authenticated by proper tribunal.
Montgomery and all other bodies to abandon the
field. Later, in November of this year, 1858, Ben Bice
was arrested on an indictment found by a grand
jury, partly of Free State men, for crimes commit
ted before the amnesty. It was claimed by some that
this was a rupture of the fourth clause of this treaty,
and a revival of the executions of the old writs
would fall mainly on the Free State men who had
committed offenses of a political nature, for most
of the Pro-Slavery men had left the Territory and
could not be prosecuted. Montgomery so viewed
the arrest of Bice. The other party said he had been
indicted by a legally "authenticated" grand jury.
Feeling ran high. In December, a party, organized
under the leadership of John Brown, Montgomery,
and Jennison of about 70 men, and a small cannon,
(which they called "Betsy", and which is now in the
possession of the State Historical Society,) came to
Fort Scott, to rescue Bice.
On the way, a council was held and John Brown,
as the oldest, wanted to lead. He planned to kill
all who resisted, and to burn the town, but they fi
nally chose Montgomery, who adhering to his policy
of "no killing and no burning" said not a house
should be burned, or a man killed. John Brown re
fused to come further, if he could not command the
expedition, and remained at Wimsett. When the
41

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
band came into town, they halted at the house of
J. N. Roach. (Fort Roach), corner of National ave
nue and First street, formed into three squads,
and marched to the Free State Hotel, where Rice
was held. One squad went to the rear, the second
to the left side of the hotel, and the third marched
up the front steps and on to the third story, where
they released Rice. He was incarcerated in one of
the so-called cells (closets) opening off the upper
hall. George Crawford and John Little who were
sleeping in the Little and Sons store, the old ord
nance building, across the way, heard the noise.
Little, seeing an armed force of men, fired through
the front door of the store. One of the rescuing
tarty fired back- Little then went to the side door
and stood on a box to look through the transom.
The glass was dusty, and he took out his handker
chief to wipe off the dust, and Capt. Whipple, see
ing the moving object, fired, striking Little in the
forehead. He died in a few minutes. J. Little was
the first U. S. MarshaU.
This Capt. Whipple, (real name A. D. Stevens),
also Hazlett (who received the duck-shot from
Little's gun) and Kagi, later joined John Brown's
raiders, and with him, were hung at Harper's Ferry.
During the tumult, Mr. and Mrs. WUson came out
on their porch. They were ordered to come down to
the sidewalk. A. McDonald came to his door, and
was ordered to surrender, but he shut the door in
Jennison's face. Montgomery, realizing Mrs.
Wilson as being related to Dr- Hogan, who had at
one time befriended him, released her and the Col
onel, promising not to molest the Colonel's store.
but asking them to give some of the men their
breakfast. However, they all left before breakfast
time. It was the shot fired by John Little that pre
cipitated the trouble. He thought it was a band of
42

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
Jayhawk raiders. He was a strong Pro-Slavery
man, but had little to do with pohtics and his death
was regretted by everyone. 1859
Trouble continued and the Governor, having no
troops to send, advised the citizens to organize a
troop of mihtia. Following his advice, the citizens
began forming these companies. J. Hamilton, a
sergeant of the old fort days, was made Captain of
one company and A. McDonald of a second com
pany. J. HamUton drilled the companies and soon
brought them into military shape. Each man
brought his own arms. A conglomeration of flint
locks, rifles, shot guns, carbines and pistols. It
must have amused Capt. HamUton, the old regular
army officer.
They were finally divided into three companies.
J. Hamilton, A. McDonald and A. CampbeU, Cap
tains. The Militia's first activity, after they had been
"re-armed" with Government smooth-bore rifles
sent from Fort Leavenworth, started out after the
Jayhawkers, Feb. 4th, at 12 M. Captain Hamil
ton's company reached the Little Osage at dawn
and began the search of the vicinity. They captured
about twelve prisoners and returned with them on
the seventh. They were ordered to bring these
prisoners to Lawrence that they might have a
fairer trial than could be had in the southeastern
section where matters were at the boiling point.
The Amnesty Act in the meantime had been pass
ed so they released their prisoners. The result of
this visit of the Militia served to convince Lawrence
people that Fort Scott was not entirely inhabited
by Border Ruffians and also showed the Fort Scott
43

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
people that Lawrence was not composed entirely
of thieves and Jayhawkers. This Amnesty Act re
leased any person then on trial for political of
fenses in Linn, Bourbon, McGee, Allen and
Anderson counties.
During this year Fort Scott, as well as the county,
received a good increase in its population, all of
them of the best type of citizens.
Dayton, Xenia, Uniontown, Rockford and Cato
sprang into existence during this year.
In July of this year, W- Smith and his son. E. A.
Smith undertook the editing of the "Fort Scott Dem
ocrat" which bad been suspended.
At this time there were in Fort Scott, seven law
yers, four doctors, and five merchants.
In September the Episcopal and Presbyterian
Churches were organized. Times heretofore had
been too unsettled and the town was too full of the
Border Ruffian element for the citizens to think of
making any permament organizations of any kind.
1860
Trouble continued but mostly between the rough
er element of both parties. Troops were asked for
and the Governor sent Gen. Harney and 180 men
to protect the inhabitants, for both elements were
growing license loving instead of liberty loving.
Public opinion, too, was fast crystalizing against
vigilant committees, protective societies and all
other elements who wished to take the law into
their own hands. The eastern border of the state
was becoming more stable so the necessity for these
organizations was fast disappearing and they felt
that the few disturbances could be dealt with by le
gal authorities.
So ended the four long years of Kansas Border
Troubles. 44

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
On February 26th of this year the legislature
passed an act incorporating the town, the former
incorporation being made by the bogus legislature
was illegal, an entirely new company was formed
under the February Act. The members of this per
manent company were: George Crawford, Presi
dent; W. R. Judson, J. Williams, F. S. Lowman, II.
S. WUson, N. Eddy, and T. R. Blackburn. These
names are perpetuated in the names of some of our
streets. The first city election was held in this year. The
officers elected were: W. B. Judson, Mayor; (J.
Ray served in his stead) W. T. Wilson, C. W. Blair,
J. S. Redfield and G. Crawford, councilmen; Wm.
Gallegher, Clerk; Wm. Margrave, Recorder; R.
Philhps, marshal; J. S. Caulkins, assessor; A. Mc
Donald, treasurer and A. R. Allison, street commis
sioner. As before remarked, the inhabitants of Fort Scott
had a breathing spell and consequently some time
for civic matters. Mr. W. Gallegher took the census
of Bourbon County and there were 6,102 inhabi
tants. One thousand, two hundred, were farmers.
All forward movements were much handicapped
by the drought, which had started in the fall of
1859 and continued untU September of this year.
With the thermometer 114 in the shade and every
growing thing scorched and burned, water almost
impossible to get. (25 cents a bucket and half of
that mud) . Most people stayed within doors and put
what little energy they had to the business of keep
ing alive.
October brought rain and they began to prepare
for the winter as best they could. It was a misera
ble, dreary, suffering, starving winter, fiUed with
rumblings of the coming struggle between the
North and the South. But the people came out of
45

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
it with hearts and hands ready for the coming con
flict. There were no slackers in Kansas then.

NEWSPAPERS
In the summer of 1856, a printing press was
brought from Boonville, by a man named Kline.
He started a newspaper and called it "The Southern
Kansan." Only two numbers were issued, when he
joined a Pro-Slavery party accompanied them to
Osawatomie, Was wounded in a skirmish, and died
there. In January, 1858, E. Jones resurrected the press,
(it had been stored in Arnett's blacksmith shop,)
moved it to the south upstairs room in the Town
Company's building on Bigler street. Joseph Wil
liams and Chas. Bull undertook the job of sorting
the pi, ready for the first issue of the "Fort Scott
Democrat," Jan. 27, 1858. E. Jones continued the
publication until July, 1859, when, for the want of
financial aid, it went out of existence. Mr. Jones
was the first man from a free state to come to Fort
Scott. The Town Company, owning the material, desired
to continue the paper, and persuaded Wm. Smith
and his son, Edward, to take over the publication,
which they did, bringing out their first edition,
July 14, 1859, and continued until the summer of
1861. In that year, the paper came out with this
announcement: "Hereafter, party politics will be
dropped, and it will support, loyally the Adminis
tration at Washington."
E. A. Smith, the son, joined the Frontier Guard
and during his absence but one copy was issued,
under the editorship of Mr. Reynolds. On his re
turn from Wyandotte, where the Guard went to be
46

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
mustered out, and where they mustered themselves
out, (some difficulty in the organization occurring)
Mr. Smith changed the name of the paper to "The
Western Volunteer," and later to "Fort Scott Bul
letin." During Mr. Smith's editorship, Mr. Porter
Coston was apprenticed to him for three years. The
first year, for his board and clothing; the second,
the same plus $50.00; the third year, another $50.00
was added. There being no schools, his father
thought this the next best way to obtain an educa
tion. Levi Babb, now of Pleasanton, when a boy of.
thirteen, carried the Plaza route for the Monitor in
1863. During the summer of 1862, the paper was
bought by C. B. Hayward.
The "Monitor" was first published at Marmiton,
(then so speUed) by D. B. Emmert, in January,
1862. The heading of the fifteenth number reads:
Bourbon County Monitor
Marmiton, Kansas Saturday, November 15th, 1862.
Issued every Saturday morning.
D. B. Emmert, Publisher and Proprietor
Terms of Subscription
One copy, one year, $1.50
Sometime between June 20th and August 6th,
1863, Mr. Emmert moved his press to Fort Scott,
bought out the "Fort Scott BuUetin," published
then by C. B. Hayward, successor to E. A. Smith,
consohdated the two papers, under their joint edi
torship, and caUed it "The DaUy Union Monitor."
Below is the heading of their first issue:
47

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
Fort Scott Union Monitor.
Fort Scott, Kansas. August 6th, 1863.
The Union Monitor
Published every Thursday morning
By Emmert and Hayward
Office, Bigler St., North Side.
The first page of this Monitor was given over to
advertisements and so continued for more than
a year. BUSINESS 1858-59
There were only three merchants at this time: H.
T. WUson, in the old post sutler store. He buUt a
store, September, 1859, on Bigler street, and open
ed under the firm name of Wilson, Gordon and
Ray. Blake and Little, a general merchandise
store, in the Post ordnance building across from the
Free State Hotel. Dr. A. M. BUls, in a building of
his own on Bigler street. C. W. Goodlander was
the contractor for this buUding, and took his pay
in lumber, to build on his claim, and trees, to set
out there. B. Biggins built a store on corner of
Lincoln Avenue and Bigler street. Mr. Goodland
er says the profit from this building, for which he
was the contractor, started him in business and he
was able to put up a shop for himself on Scott Ave.,
near where the Elks' Club now stands.
In 1858, the doctors were: A. G. Osbun, J. H.
Couch and A. M- Bills. J. S. Redfield, B. F. Hepler
and J. G. Miller came in 1859.
The lawyers, in 1858, were: C. P. Bullock, J. S.
48

CORNER OF MAIN AND WALL

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
Symms, L. A. McCord and Wm. Margrave; in 1859
C. W. Blair, R. Stadden and M. and W. Williams.
The Masonic Lodge was in existence but had only
a few members. No meetings were held during
the war.
The first barber shop was run by J. Slavens, the
first free negro to come here. Mr. Goodlander
made a barber's chair for him.
The first drug store was opened by D. Andrick
on the west side of Williams (Main) St., near Big
ler St., in a building put up by Dr. Osbun.
C. F. Drake opened the first stove and tin store
on what is now Wall street. It was on the bluff,
the last on the street. W. Dorey's blacksmith shop
was just west of the Drake shop.
The Town Company's office, in 1858, was in the
Post barrack, which stood where the Grant lum
ber yard now is. In 1859, they put up a building
of their own on Bigler street.
The Hospital building was bought by a company
and fitted up for various purposes, church, school,
public meetings, entertainments and offices.
J. G. Stuart had a blacksmith shop on the Plaza.
Later he built a wagon shop, of walnut lumber, cut
on his claim, (near Stuart's dam.)
J. S. CaUdns put up a frame building on Bigler
street, near Weir.
Crowell Bros, had a brick kiln on north side of the
Marmaton. B. P. McDonald and A. Campbell put up a one-
story frame building, where the Berner block now
stands. Wm. Smith lived there untU his own
home was finished. They were to build it them
selves, and C. W. Goodlander was to "boss" the job,
but as they were both afraid to climb a ladder, Mr.
Goodlander had to do most of the building.
The Indians still came to Fort Scott to fi-ade, es
pecially the Osages. They sold ponies, robes, etc.,
49

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
at so many buttons, each button representing a
dollar. Then they would buy the goods they want
ed, a doUar at a time till they had traded out all
their buttons. The women would then pack the
ponies and get things in shape to go back home,
whUe the young bucks sat around, on the banks of
the Marmaton, gambling and consuming fire
water. BUILDING OUTSIDE PLAZA
1858-59.
By this time the arrivals had become so fre
quent, that the Plaza became crowded, and the bus
iness men began to erect buildings on Bigler street.
Thus in the year 1858, the growth of this smaU vil
lage became very noticeable.
The first building to be erected, was, as in most
small western towns, a saloon, by W. Linn; but later
bought by I. Stadden, for a grocery store. The
store faced Lincoln Avenue, opposite the Guard
house. J. S. Calkins put up a frame buUding on Bigler
street, east of Lincoln Avenue. The Town Company
put up a frame two-story structure near where the
Bamberger Clothing store now is. The "Fort Scott
Democrat" occupied one of the second story rooms,
the U. S. Court another, the Land Office another,
and Post office, one on the ground floor. About
where the Penniman store now stands Dr. B. BUls
put up a store for general merchandise. It fronted
both Bigler street and the Plaza. A httle further
to the west was "Dutch" Schubert's bakery, board
ing house and ice cream parlor. H. T. Wilson buUt
a new store on Bigler street, moved from the old
sutler log store, and opened under the firm name of
50

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
Wilson, Gordon and Bay. A blacksmith shop own
ed by one Kelley stood where the Triangle building
on WaU street now stands.
On the corner of Jones street (National Avenue)
and Locust, (First street) J. N. Boach built a one
room log house. Later a stone front of one room
was added. This was often called Fort Roach. Mr.
C. H. Haynes occupied a house across Buck Run,
and a little south of Weir street. Mr. Wingfield,
who at this time, worked five mail routes, lived in
a log house about where Little crosses Wall street.
Only a path through the brush and over the Run
led to the town center — the Plaza.
A. McDonald and E. S. Bowen, (who afterwards
became president of the Erie R. R.) nut up a saw
mill at the foot of Locust (Second St.) on the west
side of Buck run. B. P. McDonald, then about
eighteen years old, and J. Ray, worked in this mill.
The lumber was mostly cottonwood, and like all
cottonwood lumber, much given to warping. Joe
Ray said he had to measure it with a corkscrew,
and watch it all the time to keep it from crawling
off. The first real dwelling erected off the Plaza, was
a story and a half frame, by Wm. Smith, on the
corner of Scott Ave. and Birch (First) St. C. W.
Goodlander put up his contractor's shop across the
street on the east side of Scott Ave. Dr. Couch put
up a log house on his claim near Potter's Grove. It
stood at the foot of the mound that is there.
THE DROUTH, OCTOBEB 1859-JULY 1860.
Before this time, the crops raised by the settlers
were barely sufficient to keep them from starving,
from crop time to crop time; there was no surplus
and when the drouth came they were face to face
51

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
with starvation. These settlers had been able to
fight, and to endure aU the privations, incident to
pioneer life and to outride the dreadful "Border
Troubles" but hunger, that worst of all evils, con
quered many of them and of the 100,000 pioneers,
30,000 of them pulled up stakes and went back east.
They tell of a legend on one wagon, "Going back to
my mother-in-law."
Some of the wagons, on going into Kansas, bore
the legend, "In God We Trust," but on coming out
after the drouth they bore this legend: "In God We
Trusted; In Kansas We Busted."
The first of September, 1859, saw the last rain for
over a year. During the summer the winds blew hot
and sizzling, drying up all vegetation, streams and
ponds, even the Kaw river was fordable in places.
While the hot winds lasted, the thermometer stood
114 degrees in the shade, and everybody retreated
to their houses and closed every window and door.
People went down to the Marmaton river with cups
to dip the water into their buckets. A bucket of
Water brought to the house cost 25 cents, and was
part mud at that. The East came to the rescue with
food, clothing and other necessities, and helped to
tide over the time until another cron could be raised.

52

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
CHURCHES METHODIST.
In vol. 13, P. 311 of the Kansas Historical Collec
tion, Rev. Cyrus R. Rice, an early Methodist mis
sionary in Kansas, tells of being sent by the first
Kansas Methodist conference, meeting at Kickapoo,
to Fort Scott, to organize a church, in 1856. He and
his wife came, of course, on horse back, as it was
before the stage days, and boarded at the Fort
Scott Hotel. He goes on to say "A company had
bought the Post hospital and fitted it up for school
purposes and for church." The operating room
was seated and arranged for an assembly room and
chapel and in this room we organized a society (The
old Methodist word for church) and we used it for
years for that purpose." Much of Rev. Rice's work
was missionary work in the country, preaching in
Fort Scott on Sundays, and in the country on week
days. Rev. Rice died in Kansas, a few years ago.
Before they had a church edifice, they held ser
vices in the City Hall, and after the Presbyterians
built their church, they occupied that, on alternate
Sundays. At some of these early church services,
the hymns were "lined out," (hymn books were
scarce in those days) and Robert Blackett accom
panied the singing with a French harp.
This organization fell into disuetude but in 1866
the Rev. C, R. Rice was again appointed to this sta
tion (during the war having transferred his mem
bership from the M. E. Church (South) to the M.
E. Church (North) and at this time made the pres
ent organization of the Methodist Episcopal Church
with about thirty members.
The Rev. J. Paulson followed the Rev. C. Rice the
next year. At this time church services were held in
53

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
the courthouse, corner National avenue and Second
street. EPISCOPAL.
Rev. C. Reynolds, Army Chaplain, stationed at
Leavenworth, came occasionally to Fort Scott to
hold services, and in September 1859, organized the
church. Geo. Clark, W. Ransom, C. H. Haynes, B.
P. McDonald and C. W. Goodlander were the five
vestrymen and W. Ransom was senior Warden
and C. H. Haynes, junior Warden.
In 1860, the Town Company gave two lots, (the
present location of the church) and Mrs. Haynes
and other ladies of the church solicited funds
enough to build the foundation, waUs and roof. In
this unfinished state, it was rented by the Govern
ment for an arsenal, with the proviso that the Gov
ernment should put in the floor, doors and windows.
The building was' of stone, covered with stucco. In
October, 1866, Rev. J. M. Kendricks came as rector,
and through his efforts the church was put in con
dition for services, the chancel finished, the pews
put in and a cabinet organ donated by the ladies of
the parish. PRESBYTERIAN.
In November, 1859, Bev. Rankin came' to Fort
Scott from Buffalo, N. Y., to help organize a
church. He preached two sermons on the subject,
and on Sunday, Nov. 13th, the church was organized
with three members, Mrs. Wm. Smith, Mrs. A.
McDonald and J. S. Calkins. Mr. Calkins was made
elder. These three, with the help of Mrs. J. G. Mil
ler organized a Union Sunday School. Mrs. Miller
went out into the highways and hedges and brought
the children in, herself, to make sure they did not
54

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
forget. It was a new experience for these children
as this was the first Sunday School in the commu
nity. Rev. Rankin stayed about a year and was fol
lowed by Rev. S. N. Miller.
In 1860, the Town Company donated two lots on
the corner of WiUiams and Hickory streets. In 1865
a church was built at a cost of $3,269.00. The
trustees were: W. R. Judson, H. T. Wilson, Dr. J.
S. Redfield, S. A. Williams and A. McDonald. The
first sermon in the new church was preached No
vember 20th, 1865, and the dedication took place
December 3rd, 1865. CATHOLIC.
Revs. J. Shoemaker, P. M. Ponziglione and J.
Van Gach came up from Osage Mission, in 1860, to
make arrangements for organizing a church. Rev.
J. F. Cunningham was the first priest. The Town
Company offered them two lots in town, but as
they wanted land enough for a school, also, the
Company gave land on the edge of town, and Wm.
Gallagher gave them five acres outside of the city
limits adjoining. Later the church added two more
acres. On this, they put up a stone building for a
chapel, which is now used for a school.

55

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
TOWN COMPANY
To understand why the Town Company organiza
tion of 1855 was illegal, one should understand a lit
tle of the workings of the "Bogus" Legislature.
Gov. A. H. Reader, first governor of the territory of
Kansas, called an election for delegates to Con
gress. That was the signal for an influx of Pro-
Slavery men from Missouri, and bands from the
southern states, organized for the purpose of coming
to Kansas, to carry the election in favor of slavery.
The same thing occurred at the election for mem
bers of the Legislature. When this legislature met
at Pawnee, the pro-slavery members were in ma
jority and ousted most of the free state members,
and moved the seat of government to Shawnee
Mission, near the Missouri hne, where, re-inforced
by plenty of ardent spirits brought from Westport,
four miles away, they enacted enough laws to fill
a good sized book.
As this legislature was formed by an illegal
election, its statutes were illegal. The legislature
of 1859 repealed these laws, and after adjournment
the members burned a copy of these bogus laws in
the streets of Lawrence. The first Fort Scott Town
Company was formed under these same "Bogus
Statutes," August 30th, 1855, and being, of course,
Ulegal, the organization came to naught, and the
town was not incorporated. The trustees of this
company were H. T. Wilson, A. Hornbeck, T. Dodge,
R. G. Roberts, F. Demmitt, and T. Arnett.
Geo. A. Crawford, President of the later Town
Company, came to Kansas from Washington, D. C.
in the spring of 1857. While in Lawrence he and
Norman Eddy, U. S. Commissioner for sale of In
dian lands, met a party going to Fort Scott, and
joined them. They had come west with the inten-
56

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
tion of forming a town company somewhere in the
fast growing Kansas Territory. Fort Scott, from
aU reports, seemed a likely place for such an organ
ization, so they hired a private conveyance drawn by
a pair of mules, and came to the Fort. There were
about 300 inhabitants living on the Plaza and just
otuside. They proceeded at once to organize their
company, which consisted of Geo. A. Crawford,
President; G. W. Jones, Secretray; H. T. Wilson,
Treasurer; D. W. Holbrook, W. R. Judson, E. S.
Lowman, T. R. Blackburn and N. Eddy. They
bought, conditionally, the claims of H. T. WUson,
S. A. WiUiams, G. W. Jones and N. E. Herson, 320
acres, and later 200 more on the east side. They
took the claims, as before stated, conditionally for
the U. S. Government had not yet acquired by
treaty the land from the New York Indians on which
the town stood, and so, could give no valid title.
Nevertheless, the Legislature passed an act incorpo
rating the town, Feb. 27th, 1860. Not until Septem
ber of the same year, when the government signed
the treaty, were the titles made legal. AU these
householders must have felt happy that September
morning, when they could change the song they
had been singing since 1853 "When I can read my
title clear," to "I CAN read my title clear."
The Company donated two lots each to the Pres
byterian, Episcopal, Catholic and Methodist
churches, which were then organized; to the county
one block for a court house and jail, and the lots
on which the houses stood, to the owners of the
houses on the Plaza, and lots on the east and west
side for schools. The property donated was worth
about $57,000.00 at that time.
George A. Crawford was president of the com
pany for twelve years.
The streets of the town, running north and south
57

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
were named after the members of the company, ex
cept Williams, which was named for S. A. WiUiams,
one of the claim owners, and Bigler, for Joseph
Bigler. The streets running east and west were
named for trees, except Weir and Montgomery.
The town limits were Lowman on the west, Little
on the east, Sycamore on the north and Montgom
ery on the south. The old and later names follow:
1861.

Wall

was

Weir

First

)»

Locus

Second

55

Birch

Third

55

Hickory

Fourth

55

Chestnut

Fifth

55

Orange

Sixth

55

Ash

Seventh

55

Montgomery

Scott Ave.

was

Scott Ave.

Main

55

Williams St

National Ave

55

Jones St.

Judson

55

Judson

Eddy

55

Eddy

Holbrook

55

Holbrook

Lowman

55

Lowman

Market

55
MAYORS.

Bigler

J. Ray (acting) 1860 J. S. Miller 1862
J. Rav 1861 G. A. Reynolds 1863
G. Dimon 1864
Mrs. C. W. Goodlander has in her possession, the
patent issued by the Government to Joseph Ray,

58

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
Mayor, for the site of Fort Scott, dated 1860. The
original plat of the town can be seen at the Othick
Abstract office. BLOCK HOUSES
There were three of these block houses: Fort
Blair, Fort Henning, and Fort Insley. They were
buUt in 1862-63.
Fort Blair stood nearly at the intersection of what
are now First St., and Scott Avenue. Mr. Wm.
Smith (the first to build a resfdence outside the
Plaza) bought it from the Government after the
War, and had it moved to the rear of his lot, for a
carpenter shop. It stood there, on the aUey between
Scott Avenue and Main St., untU Dr. W. S. McDon
ald, in a true spirit of town patriotism, had it moved
to his lots on the corner of National Avenue and
First St., to preserve it and to prevent further decay.
It is so placed that home people and strangers, too,
can see it as a constant reminder of our historic
days. Fort Henning stood at the intersection of Second
St. and National Avenue. When the Standard OU
Co. was digging, preparatory to puttmg up the fUl-
ing station, they found the remains of a moat a key
and some bullets. Mr. Ed Marble says he helped
to level the embankment around the fort.
Fort Insley stood on the point back of the Plaza,
where Pennimans' powder house now stands, and
where the marker was placed by the ladies of the
D. A. R.
These block houses were surrounded by an em
bankment, outside of which was a moat. A
24-pound cannon was within the enclosure. Truly
the Government was for preparedness in those
strenuous days. 59

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
THE OLD BLOCK HOUSE.
The "Old Block House," shattered and worn;
By time and wind racked and torn,
Many's the time it has sheltered well
From fall of bullet or storm of shell,
The soldier who pased his lonely beat
Or guarded him safe in his hasty retreat.
In time of war an outlying post,
Stormed at by cannon of opposing host;
Now its doors stand open wide,
Beyond its walls no enemy hide.
Those whom it guarded are passing from sight;
Time misses non in its onward flight.
But Ihe "Old Block House' still stands guard
Bent in its age, battered and scarred.
— Mary L. Barlow.

60

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
FIRST CITY ELECTION
In pursuance of the Act incorporating Fort Scott
as a town, the first election was held on the second
Monday in March, 1860. W. R. Judson was elected
Mayor, but failing to qualify, Joseph Ray became
acting Mayor; Councilmen, H. T. WUson. C. W.
Blair, J. S. Redfield and Geo. Crawford; City Clerk,
Wm. GaUagher; Recorder, Wm. Margrave; Marshal,
R. PhiUips; Assessor, J. S. Calkins; Treasurer, A.
McDonald; Street Commissioner, A. R. Allison.
The first official act of the council was to order a
new fence placed around the Plaza.
One of the first official acts of Mayor Ray was
to introduce Jim Lane, who was to make a speech
from the porch of one of the Post barracks build
ings. The Mayor became very much frustrated,
and just as he started his speech, a mule began a
very sonorous and prolonged bray, confusing Mr.
Ray the more. Waiting patiently for the mule to
bring his bray to an end, he said, "Mr. Mule, if you
wish to monopolize the meeting, I think you are
more suitable than I to introduce the honorable
gent, so I wiU retire in your favor." He never
lacked for words if the situation was humorous, but
his tongue faUed him if a set speech was required.
BANKS.
In 1860, J. C. Seymour and Co. organized a pri
vate bank in the Redfield building which stood
where the Marble building now stands, and had an
entrance on both Williams and Weir streets. In
1860 its fixtures and good will were bought by A.
McDonald and Bros., and continued as a private
bank in the same name, untU 1868. In 1863, Mr.
McDonald purchased a safe, the first to be brought
61

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
to Fort Scott. J. Dillon was the cashier. The bank
was in the rear of the McDonald store, corner
of Weir and Scott Avenue. The name was changed
to the First National Bank of Fort Scott, in 1871,
with B. P. McDonald, President and L. C. Nelson,
Cashier. The D. A. R. collection of pictures of "Old Fort
Scott" gives a photograph of the McDonald bank.
WAR HAPPENINGS
This year saw Kansas triumphant. Even though
she had been tried by the scorching winds of poht
ical conflict both at home and in the halls of Con
gress; though she had seen her fair prairies become
the scenes of bloody struggles; though she had seen
drouth deplete her population and devastate her
farms; though she had seen starvation's gaunt form
enter her homes; though she had seen half the
Union arrayed against her, and great and strong
men opposed to her policy, she had entered the
Union with head up, banners flying, and "Per as
pera" on her lips.
But now in spite of her triumph, her mettle was
to be further tried and one of her staunchest sup
porters was the little town of Fort Scott. True to
type, her young men left their plows, their shops,
and their hard earned homes, to help uphold the
hands of freedom, and their country, one and un
divided. The Fort Scott "Democrat" then edited
by Wm. Smith and bis son, E. A. Smith, came out,
Jan. 19th, 1861, with the announcement that "Here
after all party pohtics would be abandoned and the
Administration at Washington would be supported
by the paper."
During the course of the year, aU kinds of patriot-
62

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT «
ic demonstrations took place in the town, declaring
for support of the Union. As late as March, the
citizens of the town, as well as those of all the North,
labored under the delusion that war could be avert
ed. Even as radical a man as Jim Lane, advocated
conservatism, in a speech made here at the invita
tion of the town. He said: "Keep your heads level,
pursue your usual course in business, cultivate your
crops, and f orestaU the horrors of war." He gave
the same advice at a meeting held later at Barnes-
viUe. This meeting was made up of aU factions
and shades of pohtics caUed to devise plans of ac
tion, whereby all parties might be drawn together
in one final effort. The firing on Fort Sumpter of
course changed all this, and on AprU 24th, the
largest demonstration Fort Scott ever had seen, and
one to be still proud of, took place. Old feuds were
forgotten, patriotic speeches were made, patriotic
songs were sung, and the Plaza echoed with cheers
for the Union. A rousing meeting was held at
Barnesville March 20th, to form a working commit
tee, to systematize as much as possible all prepara
tion for raising troops in Linn and Bourbon
Counties. The people of Kansas had a greater real
ization of the seriousness of the coming conflict
than did the people of the North. The slavery
question had been so long and so vividly before
them that they issued no call for "ninety day" men.
It was, "Boys get in for as long as Lincoln wants
us; it took four years to save Kansas; what wUl it
take, to save the whole country? We won't get
started in ninety days."
At a meeting held on the evening of April 24th,
composed of the representative men of the town,
the decision was made to raise two companies The
volunteering began at once and the quota'completed
and officers elected. The officers of the first
company were Captain, C. W. Blair; first, second
63

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
and third lieutenants, A. R. AUison, R. L. Phillips
and C. Bull. The officers of the second company
were: Captain, C. Dimon; W. Gallagher and A. F.
Bucking. Shortly these two companies were consoli
dated and started to Lawrence to be mustered into
service. They called themselves the Frontier
Guard. Their service was short, but later most of them
went into three years' service. Later, another
company was raised and caUed Frontier Guard,
No. 2. On July 4th, these two companies invited
a company (cavalry) raised at Drywood, and one
raised at Mill Creek, (infantry) to take part in a
parade. They were escorted into town by the home
companies where dinner was served by the ladies
of the town. After dinner, gathered on the Plaza,
Capt. John Hamilton drilled the cavalry, and E. A.
Smith the infantry. Thus was Fort Scott started
on the war path, a pretty good showing for a town
of 500 inhabitants. THE SIXTH KANSAS CAVALRY.
By this time, July 1861, war was getting uncom
fortably close. The battle of Carthage aroused the
people to the fact of their exposure all along the
border, to raids from guerilla bands, for this bor
der was entirely unprotected. The home guards
were kept pretty busy in the immediate viciiujy of
the town.
After an appeal by the citizens Gen. Lyon, com
mander of the MUitary Department of the West, au
thorized W. L. Campbell and W. C. Ransom to re
cruit Home Guards of one hundred men. Soon
two more companies were recruited, one of cav
alry and one of infantry. These were augmented
by a company recruited by L. R. Jewell from the Ar
cadia neighborhood. Still more troops were need-
64

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
ed and five more companies were recruited in Aug
ust. These eight companies were at once organ
ized into a regiment and on September 9th, an elec
tion for field officers was held, resulting in the fol
lowing: Col. W. R. Judson, Lieut. Col. L. R. JeweU,
Maj. W. Campbell, Adj. C. O. Judson, Quartermas
ter, G. G. Clark, Surgeon, J. S. Redfield. Later
two more companies were added and the regiment
was organized into a cavalry regiment. Companies
ABC and D were recruited in Bourbon County and
Captained by W. C. Ransom, W. S. CampbeU and
J. Grover. They camped at Fort Scott, most of
them riding their own horses and without uniform.
Uniforms are considered the outward and visible
sign of the inward fighting spirit of a soldier, but
out west the fighter is found fighting, uniform or no
uniform. This regiment can easily take its place beside the
Elsworth Zouaves, the Blue DevUs of France, and
the Fighting 35th in the Argonne. No wonder Kan
sas is on the map with capital letters.
Gen. Lane, who, through some pull in pohtics had
pursuaded the authorities at Washington to put
him in command of the Kansas troops, ordered more
troops to concentrate at Fort Scott, and made the
town a mUitary post and supply depot. Troops
moved back and forth as they guarded the border
and met the raiders in their maraudings through
the eastern part of the state.
Parts of the 1st Kansas battery, the 3rd and 5th
Kansas infantry and the 6th Kansas Cavalry were
stationed in the town at this time.
Battle of Drywood.
On September 2, 1861, Gen. Price, who was in
Missouri ready to raid southeastern Kansas with his
burning, devastating bands, sent Gen. Rains, with a
65

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
detachment, over the border in this vicinity, and
coming within a couple of mUes of Fort Scott, cap
tured a number of government mules that were cor-
raUed near the Tallman farm. About 500 cavalry
and infantry under command of Col. Montgomery
of the 3rd Kansas, started in pursuit and met them
at Drywood where they had a lively skirmish until
the ammunition of the Union men gave out; they
then made a lively retreat to the town, which was
guarded by the infantry stationed on the rise south
and southeast of town. Mr. Goodlander, in his
book, gives some amusing accounts of these home
guards. The next day another attack was expected,
but when night came and no enemy appeared, they
all sought shelter from a raging storm in their own
camp within the town.
This is the time that Gen. Lane ordered the en
tire force and aU the inhabitants of Fort Scott to
seek safety at Fort Lincoln, an improvised httle
fort he had erected about twelve mUes north on the
Osage river. They were to carry with them stores,
ammunition, women and chUdren. One company
was left to guard the town, under command of Col.
L. R. Jewell. It was at this time that Gen. Lane
gave that noted order: "Guard the town until
Price's army show themselves on the crest of the
rise east of town, then apply the torch and make
your retreat to Fort Lincoln." Mrs. Wm. Smith
and Mrs. H. T. Wilson and Mrs. J. S. MUler refused
to leave, preferring to take chances of another raid.
Mrs. MUler and Mrs. Wilson went over to Mrs.
Smith's to see what she proposed doing, and all
three women stayed at the Smith house, Col. JeweU
sending soldiers to guard them. Other families
went to the country and camped all night, S. A.
Williams' family being one of them. This order has
been often disputed by Gen. Lane's friends, but
66

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
Mrs. C. H. Haynes, A. H. CampbeU, C. H. Osbun and
P. Gorman all testify to this order. Their testimo
ny is given in notes on page 231 of the 12th vol. of
the State Historical Society CoUection. The friends
of Gen. Lane feel sure that the order was given in
all good faith, with no malice, because he felt his
force to be inadequate to defend the town — a head
long order given in a moment of excitement by an
eccentric, excitable man. Col. JeweU's reply was as
characteristic of him: "When Gen. Price begins
his occupancy of the city, then your order wiU be
obeyed." They had to get near enough for him "to
see the whites of their eyes."
Gen. Price, not being cognizant of conditions in
Fort Scott, ordered Gen. Rains to 'make a counter
march to Lexington, Missouri, and thus Fort Scott
was saved. 1862.
In March of this year, the Confederates came into
northwest Arkansas in greater force, thus menacing
southeastern Kansas, and the military force at Fort
Scott was augmented by the 1st, the 9 th, 12th and
13th Wisconsin, and the 2nd Ohio cavalry, and 2nd
Indiana battery. Such an incoming of troops stim
ulated business and put the httle town of 500 in
habitants in a prosperous condition.
In May, Lieut. Strong of the 2nd Ohio cavalry,
built a bridge across the Marmaton river to make
it easier for the supply trains bringing stores to en
ter town. Shortly after, the bridge was washed
away by a flood.
In June, Col. JeweU was appointed Post Com
mander. During the summer, C. W. Blair raised
the 2nd Kansas battery. On July 15th, the first is
sue of the Monitor came out at Marmaton, under the
editorship D. B. Emmert. 67

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
During this year, the soldiers all felt that they
were becoming hardened veterans and could much
better endure the hardships of forced marches and
of camp hfe, to which was added a greater deter
mination to keep their state a Free State, and their
country a united country. 1863.
A movement, through the efforts of C. F. Drake
and others, was started to bring the county seat
back to Fort Scott, a very necessary step (so felt
these men) if the town was ever to become the
principal town of southeastern Kansas. The county
seat had been moved to Marmaton in 1858, in order
to get it further away from the Missouri border and
the dangers of guerilla raiding into the state.
The session of the Legislature 1863 had passed a
law, allowing an election to be held for the location
of a county seat, on application to the County Court.
An election was held in May of this year, for this re
location and Fort Scott won, over Centerville, Ma
pleton, and Fort Lincoln. On May 16th the County
Commissioners met at Marmaton and a proclama
tion declaring Fort Scott to be the county seat was
issued. The commissioners were T. W. TaUman, I.
Ford and E. A. Toles. D. Cobb, County Clerk. The
City Hall or court house as it was afterwards caUed,
standing on the southeast corner of National Ave.,
and Second street, was built and offered to the
county by the city, if the county seat was returned
to Fort Scott. The cost of the buUding was $4,500.
It was built by Goodlander and Allison. The upper
room was used for Court and at other times for
lectures, amusements and school.
The three block houses were built in this year,
and the old Post hospital was again used for its
original purpose. 68

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
The troops stationed in Fort Scott, in 1863, were
Companies E, B, F, of the 12th Kansas infantry.
They were camped on Holbrook street between WaU
and Oak Streets. One of their duties was to guard
the old burial ground and see that none of the
graves were desecrated. While the troops were here
they were notified that they might bring their fam
ilies here, and that rations would be issued to them.
Mr. Baseman's father, mother and two sisters came.
The Government issued enough lumber to them to
build a cabin, which stood near the camp of the 12th
and Mrs. Baseman cooked for one of the messes.
The 9th Kansas Cavalry was also stationed here
during this year, camping about where the Mo. Pac.
shops now are. Blair's Battery (Second Kansas)
was camped on Holbrook between Wall and First
streets. The 3rd Wisconsin Cavalry's camp was
on the Marmaton bottoms, between Wall and Oak
streets. The three Pond boys were in this. The 1st
and 2nd Kansas colored troops were camped on
Buck Run, near Fifth street. 1864.
At a Democratic meeting in May of this year, in
the City Hall, the following resolution was passed:
"As a party we will vote for no man fo^ President
who is not pledged to devote all his powers to the
suppression of the Rebellion, and to the maintenace
of the Union."
In May, H. Taylor, a guerUla, made a raid on
Drywood and committed several depredations. On
his way out of the country, he stopped at the house
of L. L. Ury, intending to take Joe, a son, who was a
Union scout, prisoner. This farm was where Gar
land now stands. Taylor ordered the girls and
Newt Ury, into the yard, preparatory to burmng the
house. Joe Ury knocked Taylor down. Taylor re-
69

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
gaining his feet, ordered his men to shoot. L. Ury,
the father, who was standing near the house was
struck, and so badly wounded that he died a short
time later. Just after the shooting, Taylor saw a
squad of soldiers led by George Pond, coming to
the rescue (they belonged to a Wisconsin regiment
camped nearby), and made his get-away in a hurry,
faUing to take Joe Ury with him.
PRICE'S RAID
To vary the monotony, Gen. Price made a second
raid, in October, with a force of about 20,000 men.
AU troops then in eastern Kansas were ordered to
take the field against him. The forces in northern
Kansas met Price at Lexington, the Little Blue and
the Big Blue, and were victorious at alf three places.
Price then retreated south along the border, fight
ing as he retreated, until he reached Mine Creek,
near Pleasanton. There he met the Union troops,
those from Fort Scott consisted of about 1,000, the
24th Regiment of State Mihtia, officers, Col. I.
Stadden, Lieut. Col. J. Van Fossen, Major J. Ury,
Surgeon B. F. Hepler. They had the wide prairie
for a battle ground The engagement lasted several
hours, the Union army capturing about 1,000 of
Price's men, nine pieces of artiUery and four gene-
erals: Marmaduke, Cabell, Slemmer and Graham.
Through the movements of Gen. Blair's army
Price was obliged to take a south and easterly course
into Missouri. He made two stands in Bourbon
County, one on the Little Osage, and the other on
Shiloh Creek, losing two more pieces of artiUery.
Thus for the second time Fort Scott was saved from
Price's army. Great was the rejoicing when the vic
torious army returned, for all had expected the raid
to continue due south with Fort Scott as the ob
jective. 70

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
In October, Joe Shelby made a raid into Bourbon
County, plundering and kilhng as he went. The
most ruthless and uncalled for murders and burn
ings occurred in the latter part of October, in a raid
made by another band of gueriUas, under Matthews
and Courcy on Marmaton. Word was brought in
of their approach and squads were sent out to guard
the approaches, but the guerillas came into town,
cross lots, avoiding the main approaches. They shot
down H. Knowles, D. Brown, L. Chadwick, J.
Stout, A. McGonogle and W. Hawkins. This was
not war, but murder in its worst form. The stores
of Aitkins and Knowles, Cobb & Jones, the house
of Mrs. Schoen and the Methodist church were
burned. An alarm was sent into Fort Scott, but
even after a forced march the troops were too late
to capture the gueriUas.
These were the last of the raids into Bourbon
County and Fort Scott and the people were at last
free to foUow the pursuits of peace and to live their
lives in newer and brighter surroundings. These
young soldiers had all come fo Kansas to make a
home and to own a bit of soil in a free state, and
truly they fought the good fight with courage and
true loyalty, their faces always to the foe, and may
they rest in God's good keeping, and may their
memory be always green in the hearts of their chil
dren and of their children's children. The women
were always loyal and courageous, too, doing cheer-
fuUy their part, in this great struggle.

71

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
SUMMARY 1842.
May 30th, Capt. B. D. Moore, Surgeon J. Simpson,
Lieut. W. Eustice and 120 men establised a camp
on the point of the Plaza bluff and called it Camp
Scott. The name was changed to Fort Scott, by or
der of the Government, in 1843.
1843.
Post buildings finished and troops moved into
permanent quarters.
Col. H. T. Wilson arrived and bought a partner
ship in the Post sutler's store from J. A. Bugg.
1843-52.
A military post, and nothing of historical value
happened. 1853.
Fort Scott abandoned as a military post in AprU.
Two families were left here— Lieut. J. HamUton's
and H. T. Wilson's. 1855.
Few settlers had come in yet, except to the county.
May 16th, Post buildings, without land, sold at
auction by Major Howe, for less than $5,000.00.
First election for congressmen held at the house
« .i ^son Judges: H. T. Wilson, T. B. Ar
nett and W. Godfrey.
. F°J* Scott Hotel, (later Free State Hotel) opened
in officers quarters, corner of Marmaton and Blair
Aves., by Thos. Arnett, May 30th.
72

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
First election for Territorial Council and House
of Representatives.
Western Hotel opened in Post barracks, next the
hospital building.
Bourbon County organized. Fort Scott named as
county seat.
Fort Scott Town Company formed under "Bogus
Statutes", never functioned, later declared illegal.
1854-55.
Arrivals 1854-55:- T. B. Arnett Wm. Margrave
F. Demint J. Mitel ell
T. Dodge B. G. Robert
E. Greenwood J. J. Stewart
A. Hornbeck E. Wiggin
S. A. Williams'
1856.
Fort Scott's most turbulent year — the border
troubles occupying everyone's attention. Few im
migrants came in and there was httle or no im
provements made. Everyone thought themselves
lucky if they kept homes intact, and themselves
from being shot at night.
The "Southern Democrat," first paper published
in the town, put out two issues; a man by the name
of KUne was editor.
Texas rangers visit the town.
1857.
Masonic lodge, Bourbon No. 8, was organized,
October 19th. In 1859, the records showed 26 mem
bers. The officers, 1857-59, were: Grand Master,
J. J. Fareley; Senior Warden, no name reported;
73

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
Junior Warden, J. L. Price; Treas., S. D. Gordon;
Secretary, A. R. Allison; Senior Deacon, J. L. Ray;
Junior Deacon, B. L. Riggins; Tyler, I. G. Harris;
Bourbon Lodge No. 8 was consolidated with the
Rising Sun Lodge, No. 46, in 1878. Rising Sun
Lodge was organized May 19, 1865.
"A Committee of VigUance" was formed, the
five members being H. T. Wilson, B. Little, T. B.
Arnett, G. A. Crawford and J. W. Head. They were
to organize a Home Guard company to patrol the
town at night, to aid civil authorities in the execu
tion of warrants and all other legal processes, and to
do general guard duty.
Petitions were sent to the Governor, asking that
soldiers be sent to protect the citizens of the town
and county from the frequent raids by the "Bor
der Ruffians." Companies E and F of 1st U. S.
Cavalry, under Capt. Sturgis were sent.
The Land Office was opened with E. Ransom,
Receiver, and G. W. Clark (Fort Scott's evil genius)
Register. Their first office was in the Post bar
racks on Marmaton Ave., afterwards in the Town
Company's building on Bigler street.
Immigrants began coming into the town and
county in large numbers.
"Squatter's Court" organized for this district, to
try and get justice done to the claims of the Free
State men. Judge WiUiams of the District Court,
being pro-slavery, gave very one-sided decisions in
cases tried before him.
Mapleton organized.
A Protective Society organized in the county.
First vote, on Lecompton Constitution in Bourbon
County, stood: Constitution with slavery, 366;
without slavery, 78. Free state men refusing to
vote, knowing their votes would be thrown out.
74

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT

Arrivals 1857:-
A. R. Allison
J. Andrick
T. Blackburn
A. M. Bills
E. S. Bowen
C BuU
C. P. BuUock
J. S. Calkins
A Campbell
Wv. T. CampbeU
G. J. Clark
G. W. Clark
J. H. Couch
G. A. Crawford
O, Darling
C. Dimon
S. B. FareweU

1857.

T. W. TaUman
J. WiUiams

W. M. Gallagher
S. B. Gordon
J. Harris
J. E. Jones
R. Kelsoe
W. I. Linn
A. McDt nald
B. P. McDonald
A. J. <sbun
E.Bansom J. Ray
J. N. Roach
-T. S. Sims
E. A. Smith
I. Stadden
R. Stadden
J. G. Stuart

1858.
First stage coach arrives from Kansas City, in
April. Jennison's Jayhawker raid.
Fort Scott Democrat estabhshed. First issue,
Jan. 27th, E. Jones, editor.
Uniontown organized.
County seat moved to Marmaton on account of
border troubles.
Well on the Plaza became contaminated and the
drinking water question became serious. The
spring at the foot of the bluff, back of the Plaza,
was enlarged, and everybody was obhged to carry
their drinking water up that steep incline.
First ball was given by W. T. Campbell. It was
75

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
to celebrate the formal opening of the Free State
Hotel, and was attended by the fashion of the town.
Bowen and McDonald saw mill completed, the
first manufactory.
The first building on Bigler St.
Border trouble begins again. The Marias des
Cygne massacre was planned at the Pro-Slavery
Hotel. Attempt of Montgomery's men to burn the Pro-
Slavery Hotel by running a load of burning hay
against the side, but the sidings were of heavy oak
lumber and nothing came of the attempt.
G. A. Crawford, Wm. Gallagher and C. Dimon
were notified to leave town on pain of death, by a
lot of border ruffians, G. W. Clark at the head.
Many Indians were stUl coming here to trade
ponies, blankets, etc.
Montgomery raid, release of B. Bice and death of
Marshal J. Little.
Arrival? :- R. Blackett C. H. Haynes
G. Dimon E. Marble
C. F. Drake D. Phillips
S. Eaton Wm. Smith
C. W. Goodlander J F. White
1859.
The Episcopal Church organized in September.
The Presbyterian Church organized in November.
First Fourth of July celebration a picnic and
dance in the evening. Ice for the lemonade brought
from the Marias des Cygnes at 10 cents per pound.
Coal hauled to Springfield, Mo., and traded for
wheat, bushel for bushel.
H. Hartman built the first ice house.
76

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT

First furniture store opened by McCauly and WU-
liams. First drug store was opened by D. Andricks on
Wilhams St., two doors from northeast corner of
Weir St.
First County Surveyor, Wm. Norway.
First dentist, Dr. H. S. Greeno.
Fort Scott "Democrat" revived July 14th under
the editorship of Wm. Smith and son, E. A. Smith.
Mihtia organized three companies under J. Ham
ilton, A. McDonald and W. T. Campbell.
Arrivals :-

C. W. Blair
J. Caldwell
J. Dillon
W. Dorey

B. F. Hepler
W. B. Judson
J. G Miller
J. S. Redfield

BUSINESS 1859.

Lawyers - - Ellison & Blair
Wm. Margrave
J. S. Sims
C. P. Bullock
R. Stadden
L. A. McCord
WiUiams Bros., M. & W.
Doctors - - J. H. Couch
A. M. BiUs
A. G. Osbun
Redfield & Miller
Merchants - H. T. Wilson
Hill & Riggin
G. A. Crawford & Co.
Little & Son
McDonald Bros.
77

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT

nothing - -

J. S. Calkins

Groceries - ¦

- Malone

Contractors

- C. W. Goodlander
Dennison & Waterhouse

Tailors 

R. Blackett
D. Funk
P. Roscopi

Tinware - -

C. F. Drake

Shoenaker-

E. L. Marble

Harnesr - -

F. D. Heuston

Drugs 

D. Andrick
H- S. Greeno

Bakery and
Ice Cream -

H. Hartman

Blacksmith

- Wm. Dorey

Town Company -

T. B. Blackburn
G. A. Crawford
N. Eddy
D. W. Holbrook
G. W. Jones
W. B. Judson
E. S. Lowman
D. H. Weir
H. T. Wilson

1860.
First City election was held second Monday in
March. Indian lands were opened for sale. They had
78

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
just been acquired by the Government, after the
treaty with the New York Indians was ratified.
These lands were surveyed, platted and entered at
the Land Office in June, and a public sale was held,
December 3rd. Gen. Harney, staff and 180 men
were sent down by the Governor to preserve order
during the sale.
School population, 300; county population,
6,102. Fort Scott incorporated, February 27th. The
Town Company had been organized in 1857, but the
town had not been incorporated until this time.
Mayor J. Ray received the patent for the site, 320
acres (later 200 more on the east side were added) .
Mrs. C. W. Goodlander has this patent in her pos
session. Two companies were formed for home defense,
under A. McDonald and C. W. Blair.
Corn sold for 50 cents per bushel.
First photograph gaUery opened by J. Parker in
a buUding on southeast corner of Weir and Wil-
liams streets.
First bank opened by J. C. Seymore, in the Red-
field building, a two-story frame, which stood pn
Weir St., where the Marble BuUding now stands.
First hay scales set up by J. Ray and J. White,
near the present site of the city scales.
Cathohc church organized; Rev. J. F. Cunning
ham was the first priest.
Many trees planted along the streets and on the
Plaza. An immigrant train of 40 wagons (50 families),
on their way to Oregon, passed through, over the
Military Road. They had a drove of 500 sheep.
A dancing school was opened. A big New Year's
baU was given. Printed invitations were issued,
one of which is now in the possession of Mrs. C. W.
79

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
Goodlander. The guests danced tiU morning and
then adjourned to the Wilder House for breakfast.
A. McDonald built a residence on corner of Wtt-
liams and Locust Sts., the second to be buUt outside
of the Plaza. 1861.
Second city election, J. Ray, Mayor.
Rains frequent and crops good.
Fort Scott Democrat had six columns on the fir
ing on Fort Sumpter.
Fort Scott made a depot for army supplies. The
Government rented the half-finished Episcopal
Church for an arsenal.
First troops sent to Fort Scott, under Gen. Har
ney. Depot established for receiving food and cloth
ing for the drouth sufferers.
A. McDonald estabhshed the second bank.
Flag staff erected on the west side of WiUiams
street near the junction with Bigler street.
City dug a well near the same junction. Two oth
ers were later dug, one near the junction of Scott
Avenue and Locust Street, the other in front of the
present Pubhc Library site.
May 1st, two companies of Frontier Guards were
formed, and later, Frontier Guards No. 2 was raised.
July 4th, these companies and one from Drywood
and one from Mill Creek held a grand parade.
Town had 500 inhabitants.
Home Guards raised. Sixth Cavalry organized.
Battle of Drywood fought.
Gen. Lane's order given to abandon the town, re
move all stores to Fort Lincoln, and to burn the
town, at the approach of Gen. Price's troops.
Gen. Raines' raid, and mule-steahng occurred.
80

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT

1862.

The town forces augmented by Kansas, Wiscon
sin and Ohio troops.
A bridge buUt over the Marmaton River, by
Lieut. Strong for the better convenience of bringing
in army supplies; it was swept away by a flood,
April 20th of this same year. After that there was
no bridge over the river until 1871, when the pres
ent one was built by J. Heylmun, city engineer at
that time.
Lieut.-Col. Jewell appointed Post Commander.
The 2nd Kansas Battery raised by C. W. Blair.
First issue of the Monitor at Marmaton, July
15th. Fort Scott Bulletin first issued.
1863.
The county seat returned to Fort Scott.
The three block houses finished.
The first flour mill built by G. A. Crawford.
First sleighs appeared on the streets, home-made
ones. MiUer Building erected, corner Wilhams and
Weir Sts.
Telegraphic communication with Leavenworth
opened, J. D. McCleverty operator.
City Hall finished and turned over to the county,
to be used as a court house. Cost, $4,500.00.
Henry Baseman, William Beth and Patrick
Gorman are the three soldiers who served in Fort
Scott in 1863, left now, in 1921, on the G. A. R.
roster. 1864.
Raid made into the county by the guerilla Taylor.
81

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
Louis Ury kiUed by these raiders.
Price's second raid made in October.
Joe Shelby's raiders also visited the vicinity.
The Marmaton massacre occurred.
Fort Scott had about 3,000 inhabitants.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES
A. R. ALLISON.
A. R. Allison arrived in Fort Scott in 1857, and
soon after entered into partnership in the carpentry
trade with C. W. Goodlander, and "had a finger"
in most of the buildings erected outside of the
Plaza in the early days. Later he entered the drug
business with Dr. J. S. Redfield. ¦ He left a widow,
now in Beloit, Kansas, and one son, Ernest, of Bar
nard, Kansas. HENRY BASEMAN.
Mr. Baseman came in 1863 with the 12th Kansas
Infantry and was here most of that year. It was
two years later that he came here to live. Through
him the compiler was able to give the exact location
of the camps of the different troops stationed here
in 1863. He gives an amusing account of a dinner
served to him and others of his comrades as they
stopped at Moneka, on a furlough to Leavenworth.
Moneka was a settlement of vegetarians so they got
no meat, something of a disappointment to a lot
of hungry, young foot-weary soldiers. But they
were wiUing to shorten their stop in the town, for
they were horrified and much abashed to see the
women in bloomers and were glad to hurry away.
82

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
Mr. Baseman has a wife and two daughters living.
Mrs. Gene Othick of this city and Mrs. L. Schuley,
of Kansas City, Kansas.
JACOB BAMBURGER.
Lieutenant Jacob Bamberger, wounded in the
Confederate army, arrived in Fort Scott in the
spring of 1864 from Charlotte, N. C. He purchased
the frame business building located on the corner of
WaU and Market streets, (the Calkins buUding) on
the present site of the Bamberger Clothing store and
opened a clothing store in November 1864. When
first coming to Fort Scott he boarded with Mrs.
Henry Ernich on Scott Avenue and later with Mrs.
A. Graff on the Plaza.
WILLIAM BETH.
As Mr. Beth came to Fort Scott in the latter part
of 1842, at the age of one year, he holds the palm
as being the oldest living inhabitant of the Plaza.
His father, R. Beth, belonged to the 2nd Dragoons,
then stationed at Fort Leavenworth. They were
ordered to Fort Scott, in 1842. Capt. Nathaniel
Boone commanded the company and they were
quartered in the barracks on the northwest side of
the Plaza. After twenty-five years of service in the
regular army he was discharged and at once pre
empted 320 acres of land, three miles east of Stotes-
bury, but at the opening of the Civil War, they
moved back to Fort Scott, and Mr. Beth and a son
joined the 6th Kansas, in which they served for four
years. Mr. R. Beth and a son were buried in the old
burial ground.
WiUiam Beth was sixteen at the time of the Mont
gomery raid, to release Ben Rice, and stood behind
83

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
the man who shot Mr. John Little. Mr. Beth is hv
ing in Fort Scott, hale and hearty, at eight-one years
of age. He has the dates of the principal happen
ings in the old town, at his tongue's end. He has,
at this time, nine living chUdren.
GEN. C. W. BLAIR.
C. W. Blair came to Fort Scott in 1859, and form
ed a law partnership with A. Ellison. He was a man
of great energy and made his presence felt at once,
and during the time he hved here. Politically, he
was a Free State Democrat, and, after the war
broke out. a war Democrat. He was one of the
first to answer the call for troops, by raising the
first company in Fort Scott. He was Major, and
was promoted to Lieut-Colonel in the 2nd Kansas
Cavalry. He later raised a company which was
named "Blair's Battery" (2nd Kansas Battery.) He
was also breveted Brigadier General. He followed
L. Jewell as Post Commander of Fort Scott, which
position he held until the close of the war.
One of the officers' quarters on the Plaza, was
bought by him and was occupied as his residence
during his stay here. Blair Avenue was named for
him. J. CALDWELL.
Two wagons loaded with his f amUy of seven, and
his household goods, brought J. Caldwell to Fort
Scott, December 12th, 1858. As there was no house
to rent, he bought two lots and a log house, at what
is now the corner of Little and WaU streets, from C.
B. Wingfield, who was leaving for Texas. Mr.
Caldwell proved up on a claim just east of these lots
and went into farming. 84

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
He foUowed Mr. Wingfield as mail carrier over
the five routes out of Fort Scott, viz: Osage Mission,
Westpoint, Missouri; Crawford Seminary (Presby
terian Indian School,) Mapleton, and Marmaton.
His son, Tom, then 12 years old, carried the mail to
Osage Mission, with permission from Washington.
Of course these mails were carried on horseback,
the roads then not allowing it to be carried by
wagon. Mr. Caldwell left a son, Thomas, of this city, and
a daughter, Mrs. J. Lambert, of Bakersfield, Cal
ifornia. J. S. CALKINS.
Mr. CaUcins seems to have gone directly into bus
iness here, upon arrival from New York, in 1857,
for he immediately built himself a frame store
building on Bigler St.,near Weir. This business was
somewhat varied, clothing, agent for a New York
Commission firm, and agent for the American
Tract and Bible Society. He supphed Bibles, hymn
books and other books for the Sunday School, then
held in th£ Post hospital on the Plaza. He with Mrs.
A. McDonald and Mrs. Wm. Smith were the first
members of the Presbyterian Church, when organ
ized in 1859, and he was made an elder. He left
Fort Scott soon after the war.
W. T. CAMPBELL.
In 1857, Mr. Campbell and his family started for
Kansas in three covered wagons. He also brought
with him a herd of blooded stock. They stopped at
Leavenworth for three or four months, and later
came on down to BarnesvUle. In January, a dele
gation went to BarnesvUle, to pursuade him to come
85

THE WHY OP FORT SCOTT
to Fort Scott and take charge of the Free State
Hotel, which he did and soon after his arrival, gave
an opening ball at the hotel. Amusements were
few in those early days and a ball was quite an
event. It was not long before he was appointed U.
S. Marshal, an office that was nothing of a sine
cure in those lawless times; as example, the trouble
with Brockett, in this same hotel, during his pro
prietorship, spoken of elsewhere.
He pre-empted a homestead, where now is Athlet
ic Park, and built his home mere. When the war
broke out, he organized a company which later
made part of the famous 6th Cavalry. After the
war, Mr. Campbell returned to his fruit farming.
He died November 9th, 1877, on the land he home-
steaded. A. H. CAMPBELL.
A. H. Campbell came with his father. W. T. Camp
bell, in 1857, to Fort Scott, to do his part in blazing
the trail to future prosperity for the httle town, and,
like the other young men, he put his whole energy
into growing up with it; and, incidental^ doing all
in his power to keep the town a httle ahead, that
he might have something to grow up to. Mr. Camp
beU was a member of the 6th Kansas Cavalry. He
had a horse killed under him at Cane Hill, was taken
prisoner and sent to Little Rock, There some resi
dent asked the privUege of keeping him. Lieuten
ant CampbeU asked him on his release why he was
so kind to him. He rephed that a nephew recog
nized him as a captor of his, the nephew, in an ear
lier skirmish. In the morning Lieut. Campbell,
passing the squad of prisoners asked them if they
had had any breakfast. On their reply in the nega
tive, Lieut. Campbell said, "All right I will see that
86

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
you get some,"-cast your bread upon the waters.
One night while in Little Rock, his host asked
Lieut. Campbell if he might put another person in
his room for the night. He made a pallet on the
floor and brought in, much to Lieut. Campbell's
surprise, Quantrell. The recognition was mutual.
Quantrell said: "If I had taken you prisoner, I
would have had you shot." Lieut. Campbell said:
"O, you are joking." Quantrell replied very em
phatically, "Yes I would."
In 1863 Lieut. Campbell raised a company, which
was joined to the 14th Kansas Cavalry. Later he
was placed on Gen. Thayer's staff at Fort Smith,
as assistant Inspector of the Frontier District. He
was living at the time of his death on part of the
land homesteaded by his father, and was carrying
on his father's work, fruit farming.
Mr. Campbell and B. P. McDonald built a one-
room house, about where the Berner Building now
stands. They were to do the work, and C. W. Good
lander was to do the "bossing." Both of them were
afraid to climb a ladder, Mr. Goodlander says he
had to do most of the work, and they the "bossing."
Wm. Smith lived in this house, while he was buUd
ing his owfa house on Scott Avenue. Mr. CampbeU's
three children, Robert B., George, and Alberta, are
now living in Fort Scott.
ALFRED COSTON.
Mr. Coston came first to Mound City, in 1859,
with all his famUy and goods loaded in one one-
horse and one two horse wagon. The drough
making the claim he had pre-empted almost worth
less, he came to Fort Scott the next year. One of
the first things he found to do, was the plastering of
Wm. Smith's house. He did any and everything he
87

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
could find to do, and succeeded so weU that he was
soon able to buy a home. At that time, he wrote to
his brother that he thought, to be a good American
one must own a bit of a home. WhUe living near
where the Frisco station now is a company of sol
diers came in after a skirmish, tired and hungry.
The townspeople undertook to satisfy their hunger,
and minister to their comforts. Mrs. Coston baked
biscuits for a squad, and Mrs. D. Bayless says she
remembers hearing her mother say, "Now these
are the last. I have baked up a whole sack of flour
and there is the empty sack."
Five of Mr. Coston's chUdren are now Hving:
Porter, of Seattie; Dr. Wm. A., of Topeka; Mrs. D.
Bayless, of Springfield, Mo.; Frank, of Aspin, Colo.;
and Frederick, of CoffeyviUe, Kansas.
Dr. J. H. COUCH.
Dr. Couch, wife and two chUdren, came here in
1857, accompanied by his father-in-law, J. Andrick,
wife and four children. They came in two wagons
and a carriage, from Wisconsin. D. Andrick, a son,
opened the first drug store in town, in a small frame
house, second door north from the northeast corner
of Weir and Wilhams streets. The doctor and fam
Uy first lived in the old Post barracks next the hos
pital. The first thing Mrs. Couch did, was to burn
the bunks, a leftover from the old barrack days.
She then proceeded to make beds on the floor, for
the family. The doctor homesteaded 160 acres
which covered in part Bridalveil Park, and put up,
at first, a one-room log house near Potters Grove.
For a long time he and Dr. A. G. Osbun were the
only physicians for miles around. Sometimes they
rode as far as Nevada, Mo., to see a patient. During
the Border Troubles, some of the turbulent element

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
threatened "to get" Dr. Couch, but he went on visit
ing his patients in both factions, unafraid, as all
these pioneer men were. During this time, any man
who arrayed himself positively on either side, took
his hfe in his hands.
Two daughters, Mrs. Maida Chapman and Mrs.
V. Harkey, and one son, O. D. Couch, are still living.
G. A. CRAWFORD.
G. A. Crawford came west from Washington, D.
C, in 1857, and at Lawrence met N. Eddy, D. H.
Weir and E. W. Holbrook. All of these men were
looking for a promising location for a town-site.
Hearing of Fort Scott and the number of new arri
vals since its abandonment as a fort, they concluded
to visit the place. Finding it a "likely" place, they
decided to form a Town Company and proceed to
business. Mr. Crawford allied himself with the
Free State party but made many and close friends
among those who were from the south, and who
were, of course, politically in sympathy with the
south. Mr. Crawford's acquaintances were among
the noted men of the country but he was as much
at home in a squatter's cabin as in the center of
Washington society; but his inclina tions were for
business and not pohtics, and the west offered a
good field in that line.
He was, during his residence here, one of the
leaders in keeping the town free as possible from
the rougher elements of both parties, and uphold
ing the hands of the conservative in both. He built
the first flour mill in southern Kansas. Later he
built a woolen mill for the manufacture of cloth,
perhaps the first one west of the Mississippi River.
Also, he built the first foundry and machine shop.
In 1876, President Grant appointed him Commis-
89

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
sioner from Kansas to the Centennial Fair in Phil
adelphia. Losing his woolen mill and flour mUl by
fire, and suffering losses in his other ventures, dur
ing the hard times in the 70's, he concluded to go
further west. He founded Grand Junction, Colo.,
and there retrieved his lost fortune. There he died
Jan. 29, 1891. For more about this able man, see
C. W. Goodlander's "Early Days of Fort Scott."
WILLIAM DOREY.
Mr. Dorey came to Pittsburg, Penn., by canal;
from there to Kansas City by boat. His intention
was to remain in Kansas City, but meeting Mr.
Goodlander and Mr. McDonald, they both told him
that there was great need of a blacksmith in the
little town of Fort Scott. He then concluded to
move down, and arrived here in 1859. His lot on
which he buUt his blacksmith shop ran from the
alley northwest of the junction of Bigler and Weir
streets to a little past the middle of what is now the
Y. M. C. A. Building. Shortly after Weir street was
opened to the east. Before this, Locust (First) St.
was the only street opened across Buck Run. When
the street was opened, Mr. Dorey's shop faced Weir
about where the Herbert paint shop is.
After his marriage to Miss Eunice
Tincher he built a house on the same lot
facing northwest. From their front door they
could see the soldiers drilling on tiie Plaza.
When the war opened, the Government
requisitioned his shop, and during the rest of
the war, he worked for the Government. In 1864,
he moved into a house which stood where the
Dorey duplex now stands. When they moved in,
most of the window panes were shattered or
cracked from the firing of the cannon in the block
90

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
house (Fort Henning) which stood on the corner
of National Avenue and Second street. He left one
son, C. Dorey, of this city.
C. F. DRAKE.
In 1858, a young man came into town on foot,
dusty and worn. Liking the looks of the town, he
decided to stay and open a tin shop. His only pos
sessions were $100.00 in silver, a heavy gold chain
given him by his brother, and a big sUver watch.
He was a slender, rather dapper-looking young man
and the boys looked upon him as something of a
tender-foot, until one day, he outdid the huskiest
of them in holding an iron bar at arm's length.
That feat gave him entrance into their circle of
"the boys." There were two ways of "winning in"
to society — money and muscle, and Mr. Drake took
the latter way.
From the first, he worked to make this a good
town; his ideas were sound and well-balanced — a
man always to be depended upon. While on the
school board, he was the means of having the Post
hospital fitted up for school purposes. He intro
duced and pushed through the Legislature, the act
allowing the location of a county seat by the vote
of the people. He built the first cement works; was
one of the men to establish the First National Bank,
in fact, he was active in all forward movements for
the betterment of the town. Mr. Drake lived in a
small house that he had moved to his lot on Wil
liams (Main) St., and where he later built the
Drake Building. Mr. Drake left no children.
H. ERNICH.
H. Ernich, with his wife and one son, came in
91

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
1863. He entered the grocery business, upon his
arrival, and also did contracting for the quarter
master's department of the army. His son, H. C.
Ernich, is one of our prominent business men.
S. B. FAREWELL.
Mr. Farewell came here the same year that Rich
ard Stadden came, and went into partnership with
him, in both law office and the saw mill in Rock
ford Valley. He was the second County Attorney,
1861. He was the Grandfather of Mrs. 0. A.
Cheney, Sr. WILLIAM GALLEGHER.
Mr. Gallegher was one of the early settlers, com
ing in 1857, and was one of Fort Scott's most ac
tive young men. He was post master, and while
in office, moved the post office from the lobby of
the Free State Hotel to the Town Company's build
ing on Bigler St. It was while fixing these rooms
for the office, that C. W. Goodlander earned $3.00
a day for ten days, and felt rich when pay day came
around. Mr. Gallegher gave five acres of land outside the
town limits to the Catholic Church, the Town Com
pany having given the same amount within these
limits. He was a war democrat, and served his post
mastership under President Buchanan.
C. W. GOODLANDER.
The year 1858, that brought C. W. Goodlander
to Fort Scott, was one long to be remembered by the
early residents. It marked the beginning of stage
travel between Kansas City and Fort Scott, and Mr.
92

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
Goodlander was one of the first passengers landed
at the Free State Hotel, by that route. We, in this
day of fast travel by raU, etc., can hardly conceive
of what an event it was in this httle town of south
eastern Kansas; it opened the outside world to the
people, and put them ahead twenty-five years. Let
ters came from "back home" three times a week,
newspapers were only three days old. Fort Scott
must have felt herself in the seventh heaven. I
wonder if any one of us would like to take that trip
as Mr. Goodlander describes it in his "Early Days
of Fort Scott."
Right here, we Fort Scotters, have never been
grateful enough for his little book. Written in a
happy-go-lucky style, (very typical of its author) it
puts one right back into the atmosphere of the old
town; it shows us the nerve and push of all those
young men, whom we later knew as staid and digni
fied business men. His Trip.
He started from the stage office in Kansas City,
drove along Main St., to 13th St., then cross-lots to
Grand Avenue, on to Westport, thence to Shaw
nee. There they must have crossed the river
at Grinter's Ferry, thence over the prairie to
Squiresville, where they stopped for a dinner of salt
pork, beans, dried apples and coffee. Then on to
Osawatomie, where they stayed over night. Next
morning they started early and reached Moneka, in
time for another dinner, this time all of vegetables,
as this was a vegetarian community. Then on to
Fort Scott, crossing the Marmaton River at the Mil
itary Ford. When the stage drew up in front of the
hotel, everyone Was out to see the new arrivals and
the wonderful stage that brought them.
93

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
Mr. Goodlander did almost any kind of work at
first, but mostly in the carpentry line. Soon, he
was able to build himself a shop, and to branch out
as a contractor. From then on, he had a hand in
most of the buildings erected in the next few years.
The three most notable ones were a house for A.
McDonald on the corner of Wilhams and Locust
streets, the Presbyterian church, and the City Hall.
He was interested and identified in many of the
business undertakings, and later became one of our
leading financiers. In 1901, Mr. Goodlander, among
the many other things he did for the improvement
of the town, gave the east half of the house in which
the Wilson family had lived ever since Mr. Wilson
had bought it at Government sale in 1855, to the
trustees of the "Children's Home" for their use.
The foUowing year, an entertainment was given
from which $1,000.00 were realized and the west
half of the building was purchased, thus giving the
children a large roomy home. The Home is non-
sectarian, and is supported by an appropriation
from the state, and monthly donations from the
merchants, and others of the town. Their charter
is dated January 17, 1903.
His widow, Mrs. Elizabeth Goodlander, was the
second child born on the Plaza. She has always
been an active worker in the D. A. R.'s and in every
thing pertaining to the history of the town. The
compiler is indebted to her for much of the mater
ial in this little book, giving locations, and for illu
minating incidents in the early life of the commu
nity, and much other help.
CAPT. JOHN HAMILTON.
In 1842, Serg. Hamilton, of the 1st U. S. Dragoons,
then stationed at Fort Wayne, Cherokee Nation,
94

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
(Arkansas) came with a contingent of one
hundred and twenty men and three officers
in search of a location for a cantonment
to be placed on the newly surveyed Mil
iary Road running from Fort Leavenworth to Fort
Gibson. The contingent left Fort Wayne May 26,
1842, under the command of Capt. B. D. Moore,
and reached a point just across the Missouri border,
and camped for the night on Col. Wm. Douglas'
farm. Next morning the officers mounted their
horses, and, guided by Col Douglas, came to view
the ideal spot for a cantonment, as described to
them the evening before, by the Colonel.
The httle company was marched over, and
pitched camp at once, May 30, 1842, on
the "ideal spot," the point of the Plaza. Capt.
Moore and the other officers left at once to bring
two more companies of 1st Dragoons, (likely sta
tioned at Fort Leavenworth) to assist in building the
cantonment. They left Serg. Hamilton in charge.
On Capt. Moore's return he assumed command of
the Post. The second commandant was. Maj or Wm.
M. Graham. The honor of felling the first tree for
their log barracks, fell to Serg. Hamilton. He su
perintended the erection of the permanent buildings
also, completed in 1843. At this time the name was
changed from Camp Scott to Fort Scott.
Later, Serg. Hamilton was ordered to Jassup, La.
On the expiration of his term of service, 1855, he
returned, to reside permanently in Fort Scott. In
1859, he was made captain of the first company of
militia that was raised during the "Border Trouble."
In 1865, he moved to Sheridan Township, Craw
ford county, Kansas, and was sent from there to
the Legislature in 1868. He died in Independence,
Kansas, February 26, 1876. 95

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
C. H. HAYNES.
C. H. Haynes and family came to Fort Scott in
1858. His first interest was in the saw mill at the
foot of Birch street, which he later moved to the
north bank of the Marmaton River. Later he en
gaged in the grocery business, in which he contin
ued till his death. Farming also attracted him,
later in life, though he continued to reside in town,
running the farm on the shares.
MRS. C. H. HAYNES.
Mrs. Haynes and her husband started from Ohio,
to make a home for themselves in southwest Mis
souri, but while stopping at Springfield, Mo., they
witnessed a public auction of slaves. They at once
decided to go on to Kansas, where there was more
likelihood of finding a state free from the incubus
of slavery. They were overjoyed at their first sight
of the Plaza, and thankful that they had changed
their minds and come further west. At a meeting
held the evening after their arrival, "noses were
counted" and it was found that there was an equal
number of Free State and Pro-Slavery men in the
town. There were only 150 people in Fort Scott at
that time.
Their first home was an unfinished frame house
on the corner of Bigler St. and Lincoln Avenue, with
no windows, doors or chimney, and they had to put
the cook stove in the yard. Mr. Haynes had
to hold an umbrella over the stove to protect the
cooking food when it rained. They heard of a box
of glass that could be had at Osage Mission, and sent
for it. All the glass was too large, and had to be cut
down. Later they moved to a log house on the east
side of Buck Run, near what is now First and Mar-
96

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
grave streets. Mrs. A. Campbell teUs of a time when
Mr. and Mrs. Haynes and the baby were all sick
with malaria. It had been arranged that if neither
of them was able to be up, they were to hang out a
signal, a white cloth, which would be seen from the
Smith home on Scott Avenue, and some of them
would go over and assist them. Mrs. Campbell,
then so small that she had to stand on a stool to
work at the table, would go over and wash dishes
and help with the baby. In those days neighbors
were neighbors in deed as well as in propinquity.
At one time Mrs. Haynes was in bed too ill to move
about the room, she saw a rattiesnake in the chinks
of the wall, but much to her relief it decided to
come no further, and turned and crawled away.
Mrs. Haynes taught one of the first schools in an
upstairs room of the Calkins building on Bigler St.
There was just a pathway leading from her house
through the brush to the Plaza and Bigler St. Mrs.
Haynes had come from a family where books were
plentiful, and intellectual pursuits were a matter of
course, and she continued to be interested in all
things pertaining to education. She was one of the
organizers of the first club in the city. Being as en
thusiastic in her church work, she was one of the
first members of the Episcopal Church, and often
acted as lay-reader, when no rector was in charge,
and thus kept the interest in the church and Sunday
School from lagging.
Two daughters, Mrs. Redd, of California, and
Mrs. B. PhUhps of Springfield, Mo., are hving.
LIEUT. COL. L. B. JEWELL.
Colonel Jewell came to Kansas, settling on a claim
near Arcadia and began his farm hfe in 1859. His
plans for a large colonization on these claims came
97

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
to naught when the CivU war broke out and absorb
ed all of his attention. He was elected captain of
Co. D of the Frontier Battalion in 1861. In Au
gust he was mustered into service as Lieut. Col. of
the Sixth Kansas Cavalry, then stationed at Fort
Scott. It was while commanding the Sixth Kansas Cav
alry after the Drywood skirmish that Gen. J. Lane,
leaving him in command of Fort Scott, gave him
the order to burn the town. Colonel Jewell's reply
was very characteristic of him. He said: "When
General Price begins the occupancy of the town, it
shaU be burned."
During the winter of 1861-62 the Sixth maintain
ed their headquarters in the town. In the spring the
Sixth Kansas Cavalry took part in the Baxter
Springs, Grand River, Fort Gibson, and Tahlequah
campaigns. In November the Sixth took part in the Cane HiU
battle. Near the close of the day, General Blunt
called for volunteer officers to lead a cavalry charge.
Colonel Jewell promptly responded. They captur
ed the battery but for want of infantry support, the
enemy recaptured it. It was then that the Colonel
had his horse shot from under him and was mor
tally wounded and taken prisoner.
He died November 30th, 1862, and his remains
were buried in the National cemetery, with all mil
itary honors. In 1903 they were removed to the
Arcadia cemetery. B. LITTLE.
The year after Fort Scott was abandoned as a
government post, B. Little decided to add himself
and family to the then very small town. He came
in November, 1854. Just across Marmaton Avenue
98

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
from the Free State Hotel where the H. R. Roberts
cottage now stands, was a long frame house built
for quartermaster's stores, and used in 1854 for a
store, owned by a Kansas City firm, and run by a
man by the name of Myers. Mr. Little bought out
the store soon after his arrival, paying $1,200.00. A
few days after the purchase, Myers gave out that the
purchase money had been stolen from him, while
he was at a dance at the Free State Hotel. When
asked by Mr. Little, whether he knew who stole it,
Myers replied, "Yes." naming a man, Jones, a
blacksmith, and showed Little the tracks in the
snow. Jones had been past that place, to get his
washing from a cabin nearby. Myers persuaded
some of his friends to take Jones out and string him
up to make him confess. Jones reiterated his de
nial of the theft. The third time the men started
to run him up, John Little took out his pistol and
said: "The first man who touches Jones, I wiU
shoot dead. He never stole that money, I am con
vinced." Little wrote to the Kansas City owner of
the store about the theft and asked him to send an
officer to meet this Myers and search him. He,
Myers, was leaving with his wife, and they could be
intercepted on the Military Road. This was done,
and the money was found, sewed up in Mrs. Myer's
quUted petticoat.
Mr. Little continued in this store until the war
broke out, when he moved back to Alabama where
he died. It was in this store that John Little, a son,
was killed at the time of the Rice trouble, as told
under the caption, "Border Troubles." John Little
was the first U. S. Marshall
Mrs. Mary Brumley, a daughter of B. Littte, was
just buried in Fort Scott, aged 82 years.

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
J. G. MILLER.
Mr. Miller had made a visit here in 1858, and find
ing Fort Scott all that was to be desired, decided to
come back, make a home, and start in business. The
fall of the next year, 1859, saw his project realized.
He first hved in one of the officer's quarters on the
Plaza. In 1863, he put up the MUler Block, corner
of Williams and Weir Sts. This was then consid
ered one of the finest business houses in the state.
He was a member of the Legislature in 1863. His
ideas on temperance were very strong and he would
often stand on the street corner and give a talk on
the subject. It took considerable courage in those
days to take such a stand. Once whUe talking to
rather a rougher group than usual, they threatened
to hang him, indeed starting off with him, when
some of the more conservative element interferred.
His wife, Sarah, was probably the fourth member
of the Presbyterian Church, as she came here in
September and the church was organized in Novem
ber, and she joined a few months after. She was
active with Mrs. A. McDonald and Mrs. Wm. Smith
in the organization of the Union Sunday School.
She would go after the children and bring them to
the Sunday School room in the Post hospital to
make sure of their attendance.
Two children, Mary, and Charles F., are now res
idents of Fort Scott. J. S. MILLER.
1860 was the date of arrival of Mr. Miller, and his
family of seven. A house on Williams St., about
where the Liepman Clothing store now stands was
their first home. He went at once into the hardware
business, opening a store on Bigler street. He was
100

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
at one time mayor of the town.
His daughter, Mrs. Ella Henderson, of Pendleton,
Oregon, and a step daughter, Mrs. Anna E. Baldwin,
of this city, are still living.
a. Mcdonald.
A. McDonald was probably, with the exception
of H. T. Wilson, the most prominent business man
of early Fort Scott. One of his earliest ventures,
was to build his own store building, a long frame
structure, running from Scott Avenue back to the
alley. One room faced Scott Avenue, the other
faced Weir Street. In the Scott Avenue room he
opened a general store, in the other a bank. He
did freighting in connection with his mercantile
business. The "McDonald Bank" was later organ
ized as the "First National Bank." He buUt the
second residence to be erected outside the Plaza,
corner of Williams and Locust Sts. Mr. McDonald
went from here to Little Rock, Ark., in 1867. Later
he was congressman from that state.
b. p. Mcdonald.
B. P. McDonald was only seventeen when he
came with his two brothers, A. and J. McDonald, to
Fort Scott to try his fortune and to grow up with
the country. He took up a timber claim at once, sell
ing the logs to the saw mill where he worked part of
the time. The lumber business proved profitable and
he was soon able to get into the mercantile busi
ness with his brother, and was associated with him
in the second bank that was formed. He was also
interested in railroad promotion and building and
followed that hne in his later years. He was con
nected with a railroad in connection with Fort
101

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
Scott, but later sold it to the Fort Scott and Gulf
Rairoad. He served in most of the companies
raised for the protection of the town during the
border troubles, and later during the Civil War.
His marriage to Miss Emma Johnson, and that
of Miss Anna Johnson to Mr. C. Judson were the
first weddings to take place among the prominent
people of the community. As they wanted to be
married by a minister and as there was none here at
that time, they , with J. Ray and Miss Sallie Wil
liams Allison, drove over to Squire Redfield's
(about 12 miles east) and were married by Dr. Mel-
lick. Mr. McDonald left three sons, now hving:
Charles and Benjamin, of Kansas City, and Wil
liam, of Cleburne, Texas.
john Mcdonald.
J. McDonald came to Fort Scott with his two
brothers in 1857, but remained only a short time,
returning to St. Louis, to a farm of an uncle.
Later, he bought a farm near there, but sold it
and came to Fort Scott in 1864, and went into the
cattle business. In 1865, he bought the house on
the corner of Wilhams and Hickory Sts., where his
daughter, Miss Fannie McDonald still lives. The
front rooms and hall were added later.
He was mayor of this city, in 1868. He left two
daughters, Mrs. Jas. Moulton and Miss Fannie,
both residents of this city.
E. L. MARBLE.
Mr. Marble's coming to Fort Scott is described
under the heading "Modes of Travel." Mr. Marble
still makes this city his home, as do his two sons,
Frank and George, and his daughter, Alice W. Mar-
102

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
ble. George W. Marble is and has been for a number
of years, editor and owner of the Fort Scott Trib
une. One son, Edward, hves in Oklahoma.
JUDGE WILLIAM MARGRAVE.
Judge Margrave came to Fort Scott, November
7, 1854. He was appointed Justice of the Peace, by
Gov. A. H. Reeder — the first appointment issued in
the Territory of Kansas. He died, September 29,
1904. Had he hved until December, he would have
held the office for fifty consecutive years. In his ca
pacity, he administered justice impartially and una
fraid, but the decisions were always prompted by a
kind heart and much human sympathy. At one
time he held four offices — Justice of the Peace,
Clerk of the Court, Probate Judge and Police Judge.
These offices sought him and not he the office. He
seemed peculiarly fitted to fill such offices and the
growing town has well appreciated his services.
He lived first, in a log house that stood near the
Plaza School, one of the original houses built as
temporary quarters by the soldiers, when they came
in 1842. This house was the only one not burned
when the soldiers moved into their permanent
quarters on the Plaza. Mrs. E. J. Rollings of this city
was born in that house. The Judge later bought
the Free State Hotel and lived there until his death.
Mrs. Rollings has the parlor furniture of the hotel,
acquired with the house. The furniture consists of a
walnut tete-a-tete, a rocking chair, and six smaller
chairs. Two daughters, Mrs. E. J. RoUings of this city,
and Mrs. M. F. Gregg, of Wichita, Kansas, are stiU
living.
R. H. MOFFETT.
R. H. Moffett came, with his mother, to Kansas
103

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
City from Ohio, in 1859, and in the spring of 1860
came on down to Fort Scott. He homesteaded a
farm eight miles northeast of town where he hved
until his death in April, 1919. He enlisted in 1861
in Campany B, 6th Kansas Cavalry and served
during the war.
The four chUdren now living are : W. W. Moffett,
Jesse, and Mrs. A. West, of Fort Scott, and J. A.
Moffett, of Fulton, Kansas.
A. J. OSBUN.
Dr. Osbun, while on a visit to Gov. Shannon, his
brother-in-law, at Topeka, came down to Fort Scott
to visit Judge Williams, and liking the looks of the
httle village, consisting then of the buildings around
the Plaza, concluded to come back the next spring
and make a home. When he came, in the spring of
1858, two sons, Samuel and Charles, came with him.
The next year, his dauhter, Salhe, and a son, Albert,
came; and in 1860, Mrs. Osbun, a daughter, Fannie,
and a son, William, joined him. He bought a claim
of 160 acres from a squatter, on which the famUy
are still living. He also took up a claim on Dry-
wood and later bought the farm, now the Glen
Campbell farm, adjoining the home place. He prac
ticed medicine, besides the farming, as his boys were
large enough to help with the latter.
Dr. Osbun died in 1862. Four children are now
living: Sallie and William of the home place, Sam
uel of Garden City, Kansas, and Mrs. Fannie Garrett
of Salt Lake, Utah. HOMER POND.
Homer Pond came here in 1862 with the 3rd Wis
consin Cavalry, in which Were also his two brothers.
104

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
He was here during the rest of the war and on being
mustered out, a lieutenant, remained in Fort Scott.
He went into a saw mill with J. Ury, down on Dry-
wood, later going into other business. He was post
master in 1891. His widow and one son, Elmer,
live in Muskogee, Okla., a daughter, Mrs. Barsfield,
in Kansas City, Mo.; Wilham, in Wichita, Kansas;
and Charles in Peoria, 111.
GEORGE F. POND.
In 1862, the three Pond brothers, J. B., Homer
W., and George F., came here with the Third Wis
consin Cavalry. J. B. was mustered in as captain,
and mustered out as major. Homer, as sergeant,
and discharged as lieutenant. George preferred the
varied life of a scout and of course missed promo
tion. He often rode from Fort Scott to Fort Gib
son, 175 miles, carrying his own provisions, there
being no place between the two forts where he could
get supplies of any kind.
It was he and his comrades who saw the 19 Un
ion prisoners that H. Taylor, the bushwhacker, held
while trying to rob and burn L. L. Ury's house on
Drywood. Taylor, seeing these scouts coming up,
abandoned his prisoners and fled, but not before he
had fatally wounded Mr. Ury. Mr. Pond and his
two comrades were publicly cited for bravery by
General Blair. His chUdren are: Mrs. Dr. PoweU,
Sacramento, Calif.; Mrs. E. A. Farrington, Barstow,
Calif.; Mrs. J. Lynn, San Pedro, Calif.; Herbert,
Fresno, Calif.; Dr. Gene, of Kansas City, Mo. His
widow and son, Frank live in Fort Scott.
JOSEPH RAY.
Mr. Ray first saw Fort Scott, in 1857, a little vU-
105

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
lage built around the four sides of a square. He
must have been somewhat astonished to see, not
ordinary log-cabins, incident to a far-western town,
but large substantial two-story houses, fronted with
wide balconies, and facing a grassy square.
He was the first Mayor of the town, and to him,
as Mayor, in 1860, was sent the land-patent for Fort
Scott. This patent was signed by Abraham Lincoln.
When first here, he clerked for H. T. Wilson, and
later Mr. Wilson took him and S. B. Gordon into
partnership. Their store was on Bigler street, and
the firm was known as Wilson, Gordon & Ray.
These two young men were twins, as to age, and
were close friends till Mr. Ray's death in 1869. After
his marriage with Virginia Wilson, daughter of his
partner, he built a house on the lot where the Ma
sonic Temple now stands.
DR. J. S. REDFIELD.
Dr. J. S. Redfield came here with his wife and
one daughter in 1859. Soon after his coming he
built a two-story frame house on the lot where the
Marble building now stands. In the front room of
this building he opened the third drug store and set
tled his family on the second floor. He began the
practice of medicine, the drug store being a side
line. Later he bought the house at the corner of
Third and Main streets, in which he died and where
his wife hved until she died in 1916. There is an
adopted son still living.
WILLIAM SMITH.
With his wife and two children, Mr. Smith left
Lockhaven, Pa., in May, 1858, for their long jour
ney to the then Territory of Kansas. They came by
106

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
rail to Pittsburgh, Pa., from there down the Ohio,
and up the Missouri rivers by boat to Kansas City,
and by stage from there to Fort Scott. They saw a
famihar, welcoming face, when they stepped from
the stage in front of the Free State Hotel, that of E.
A. Smith, their son, who had come the year before.
Mr Smith and son edited the Fort Scott "Demo
crat" and continued the editorship until the break
ing out of the Civil War. It was at that time that
the announcement was made that "Hereafter aU
party politics would be dropped and the paper de
voted to the upholding of the administration at
Washington." When the Smiths first came, they lived in the one-
room house on Wilhams street, buUt by A. Camp
bell and B. P. McDonald. Afterwards, Mr. Smith
built the first house outside of the Plaza, on the cor
ner of Locust and Scott Avenue, doing the work
himself. As they could find no one to do the plas
tering, they put their carpents, which they had
brought with them, on the walls instead of the
floors, and thus were enabled to live with compar
ative comfort throughout the winter. Mr. A. Coston
coming the next summer, plastered the house for
Mr. Smith. The winter, 1859-60, was a warm one.
Mrs. A. Campbell, nee Smith, says they ate Christ
mas dinner with the doors and windows open.
After the war, Mr. Smith bought from the Gov
ernment, the block house, Fort Blair, and moved it
onto the rear of his lot, for a carpenter shop, where
it stood until Dr. W. S. McDonald (who is much in
terested in everything connected with the earlier
days) in the true spirt of patriotism, had il moved to
his lots on National Avenue, to preserve it to the
town. The other two forts had been allowed to go
to rack and ruin. They were so intimately connect
ed with the defense of Fort Scott during the Civil
War, this remaining one should be preserved for
107

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
all time, and we should all be very grateful to Dr.
McDonald for his foresight in having it preserved.
Mr. Smith held positions of trust, and was among
the workers who foresaw the importance of the
town, and worked hard for its upbuUding.
MRS. WM. SMITH.
Mrs. Jane Smith, lovingly known by all the town
as Aunt Jane, was as good and devoted worker in
her church and all the things pertaining to the moral
religious and social upgrowth of the town, as was
her husband along his special lines, and loyally and
ably supported him, as did all the women of this
little community. Her sobriquet of Aunt Jane tells
worlds in her favor. Mrs. Smith was one of the
three organizers of the Presbyterian Church.
E. A. SMITH.
Mr. Smith reached Fort Scott in 1857, nearly a
year before his father, Wm. Smith, came. He was
a civil engineer and had just finished surveying a
railroad in Wisconsin. Almost his first work here
was with the Town Company, laying out the town-
site. July 14, 1859, with his father, he began the
editorship of the Fort Scott "Democrat," and contin
ued until the summer of 1861, when he entered the
Frontier Guards. It was at this time thai the name
of the paper was changed to "The Western Volun
teer." Enlisting in the army, he served on Gen.
J. Lane's staff, and was later Captain of the 2nd
Kansas Battery, raised by C. W. Blair in 1862. He
continued in the army until the close of the war, af
ter which he took up engineering again. In 1873
he went to California, where he died in San Ber
nardino, in 1902. 108

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT

I. STADDEN.

With his father, Richard Stadden, he came to
Fort Scott in 1857 . The father served in the Mex
ican War, and I. Stadden, being then 12 years old
enlisted in the same regiment, 2nd Ohio. He was
appointed drum-major ,and served under Gen. Scott
from Vera Cruz to City of Mexico. After coming
to Fort Scott, R. Stadden and S. B. Farewell opened
a law office and also operated a saw mill in Rock
ford VaUey. R. Stadden was county surveyor
1860-64. After the war broke out, I. Stadden enlisted in the
Home Guards and was later in the 6th Kansas Cav
alry as lieutenant. At the time of Price's raid, he
raised a regiment, 24th Kansas MUitia, being ap
pointed Colonel of this regiment. At the close of
the war, he went into the retail grocery business and
later into the wholesale business. He was mayor
in 1864. Of his three children, Leo, Lillian and
Nellie (Mrs. L. Hart) LUlian, (Mrs. Wm. Prager) is
the only one living and she still resides in this city.
J. J. STEWART.
In 1856, J. J. Stewart came here and took up a
claim on Mill Creek. He belonged to the famous 6th
Kansas Cavalry, and later raised a company, which
he led through the Price raid. After the war, he
represented Mill Creek district in the Kansas Legis
lature. Later, while county treasurer, he moved to
Fort Scott and was interested in the State Bank. His
three children, now hving, are: Mrs. J. S. Turley,
of this city; Mrs. Fronia Harley, of Portland, Ore.;
and Mrs. Emma Dunkerton, of Bronson, Kansas.
J. G. STUART.
When Mr. Stuart came to Fort Scott, in 1857, the
109

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
Plaza constituted the town, the only house outside
that place being Fort Roach, a log house which stood
on what is now National Avenue, near the corner of
First street.
Mr. Stuart buUt the first wagon shop. It was of
walnut lumber, which he cut on his farm. He had
taken up a claim before this, to which he returned
after giving up the wagon shop, in 1862. Stuart's
dam is on this claim. It was he, who swam across
the Marmaton River, on a mule, when the river was
running bankful, to get. the mail. The carrier
had brought the maU from Balltown, Bates county,
Mo., the nearest post office, and was unable to bring
it across the river, so Mr. Stuart volunteered to go
after it. During the war, Mr. Stuart was engaged in
contracting for the government for the Commissary
Department. He followed John Little as Deputy
U. S. Marshal, and was Mayor of the city, in 1873.
Mr. Stuart built the house that stands on the
southwest corner of Main and Second sts., in 1861.
Four of his children are now living: J. E., of this
city; Charles, of Rapid City, S. D.; Frank, of Casper,
Wyo.; and Mrs. G. Erway, of Chadron.
JOHN WARNEKE.
John Warneke's father belonged to the company
that came here in 1842 from Fort Wayne. He was
a stone mason and worked on the foundations of
the government houses.
He brought his wife to the fort and as no women
were allowed to live in the barracks, he was per
mitted to put up a tent and his son John was born
in the tent, 1849. Mr. Warneke Uves now in
Pleasanton. E. WIGGIN.
Mr. Wiggin passed away February 2, 1918, at the
110

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
age of 97. A year before his death he was as
straight as an arrow, and did not look his years.
His experience in the U, S. Army accounted for hisi
erect carriage, and fine physique. He was with the
Government surveying party sent out to survey and
establish the boundaries of Kansas. Stopping here
after he was mustered out, 1854, he thought Fort
Scott a good, place to locate, so stayed. When he
was married, there was not a house to be had ex
cept a log "cabin" (as he expressed it,) the windows
of Which were stUl in the making; but they moved
in and made the best of it. They carried aU their
water from a spring about where Tenth street now
is, or from the spring on the slope of the Plaza.
He left five children, one of whom, Charles, lives
on a farm just north of town.
J. WILLIAMS.
In 1857, Judge Wilhams was appointed Associate
Justice of the Territorial Court, and sent to Fort
Scott. His famUy consisted of wife and four sons.
He was transferred to Memphis, Tenn., but during
his last days returned to Fort Scott, where he died
at the home of his son, K. Williams. Judge Wil
hams was something of a musician. With a fife he
led the first Frontier Guards as far as Military Ford,
on their way to Wyandotte, a bass drum adding a
second to his efforts at martial music. He also
played the fife for the first companies raised here,
when they gathered for 4th of July parade, and
drill in 1861. S. A. WILLIAMS.
The subject of this sketch came to Fort Scott in
May, 1855. His conveyance for family and house-
ill

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
hold goods was a wagon, drawn by an ox-team. He
had visited the town a month or two before, and had
bought one of the officer's quarters on the Plaza.
The year of his coming, he was elected to the Ter
ritorial Legislature from Bourbon County and was
also elected by the Legislature, the first Probate
Judge. In 1857, he was appointed Clerk of the U.
S. District Court and served in that capacity as long
as Kansas was a territory. He was incorporator in
the first Town Company. About 1861, he moved
to Leavenworth, and entered military service from
there, but later came back to Fort Scott.
His was one of the claims bought by the Town
Company for the site of Fort Scott, and WUhams
(Main) street was named for him. He helped to
form the Odd Fellow's Lodge, in 1866, and was the
first presiding officer. He was president of the
Osage Mission Town Company. Before coming to
this town, he had joined the Doniphan Expedition,
and with this company, made that famous march.
Four of his children are now living: Mrs. A. R. Al
lison, and Charles, of Beloit, Kansas; John, of Col
orado; and Mrs. George Dulany, Hannibal, Mo.
H. T. WILSON.
Col. Hiero T. Wilson came to Fort Scott, Sept. 13,
1843, from Fort Gibson, Cherokee Nation, where he
had been in business as post sutler since 1834. He
bought an interest in the sutler's store here for
$5,000.00, from J. Bugg, sole owner. Fort Gibson
was then the only large fort south of Fort Leaven
worth; a full regiment of U. S. Infantry was station
ed there and it was the western terminus of the Mil
itary Road. This road branched at Fort Scott, run
ning west to Fort Gibson, and east to Fort Coffee,
Arkansas. In an account, written for his children
112

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
of his coming to Fort Scott, he says: "I found the
officers and men quartered in one-story log houses,
the chinks stopped with mud, the roofs of 3-foot
clapboards, puncheon floors. They were all busy
preparing to build permanent quarters." These
temporary houses were back of the Plaza near
where the Plaza school now stands. The Post was
commanded by Maj. W. H. Graham.
Col. Wilson had his bachelor quarters in a log
house just across the ravine from the sutler's store.
This establishment Was presided over by his negro
man who saw that he did not suffer for any of the
luxuries that this frontier post could supply. Col.
Wilson says: "The post was a pleasant place, and
the officers' famUies, though few, were sociable
and neighborly."
Mrs. Wilson came to the Post, as a bride, in Sep
tember, 1847. Col. Wilson had made her acquain
tance at one of his stopping places in Missouri, on
his way to Philadelphia to buy supplies for his store.
After the soldiers left the fort, it was some time be
fore there was a dentist nearer than Fort Leaven
worth, or St. Louis. Mrs. Wilson, at one time, was
suffering with what the doctor called "tic dolor-
eaux," (neuralgia) and was advised by the doctor
to have her teeth extracted. Thinking to get the
best dentist in St. Louis Mr. Wilson set out on his
journey — rode horseback to Booneville, took a boat
there to St. Louis, got a dentist and returned the
same way. After reaching here, the dentist asked
to have plenty of ice on hand before he began his
work. There was none to be had at the fort, (the
foregoing winter was mild and no ice had been
packed) so he sent to Leavenworth for it. Think of
it, a four day's journey for ice. At one time there
was no doctor within 25 miles, one of their slave
boys met with an accident. Mrs. Wilson gave him
113

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
emergency treatment untU a doctor could ;ome.
When the doctor arrived he said: "WeU Mr^ Wil
son, you have done aU there is to be done." Peo
ple in the faraway frontier countries learned "first-
aid treatment" from the necessity of the moment.
When the government sold the Post houses, Col.
Wilson bought the one where the "Goodlander
Home" now is, for $300.00, sold the western half for
$150.00 and moved into the east half where he hved
until his death. His oldest daughter, Virginia, was
the first white chUd born in Fort Scott. She mar
ried J. Ray, and, after his death, Wm. R. Robinson.
They both died some years ago. Mr. Wilson's other
daughters, both born here, Mrs. C. W. Goodlander
and Mrs. T. F. Robley, are stiU residents of this city.
MRS. JOHN THORNBURGH.
Mrs. J. Thornburgh came here in 1860. Mr.
Thornburgh died shortly afterwards, but his widow
remained in Fort Scott. The oldest daughter, Eunice,
married Mr. Wm. Dorey and the family hved with
them in a house that Mr. Dorey buUt near his black
smith shop on Bigler street, between Lincoln Ave
nue and Weir street. Of the three daughters com
ing here with the mother, Mrs. Amada T. Hartman
is the only one now hving.
L. L. URY.
Lewis L. Ury came here in 1858, and settled on a
farm in Drywood, then moved to a farm where
Garland now stands, on which farm he was killed,
(see "War Happenings, 1864.") Three of his chU
dren are now living: Mrs. Homer Pond, of Musgo-
gee, Okla.; Mrs. O. Morris, Tecumsech, Kansas; Mrs.
J. W. Withers, of Los Angeles, Calif, and I. N. Ury,
114

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
of Bedford, Va. Joseph, the oldest child was a Gov
ernment scout during the war. His sister, Mrs.
Pond, then a young girl, often accompanied him on
his scouting expeditions, meeting him at appointed
rendevous with horses and provisions and helping
him in many other ways.
R. R. WOOD.
Mr. Wood came to Fort Scott in the fall of 1859.
They brought their belongings in two ox-team
wagons, the wife and daughter, Mrs. W. W. Padgett,
making the journey in a one horse chaise. The
first winter he lived on a farm adjoining Redfield.
He spent the winter cutting trees and hauling them
to the saw mill to be made into lumber for his two-
room house that he built on the land he homestead
ed, 10 miles from Fort Scott, on the Humboldt
road. He gave two acres for a burial ground,
"Woodson's Cemetery," and his Wife was the first
to be buried there in 1861.
He was County Commissioner in 1872-4. Mrs.
Padgett remembers going with an ox-team to
make a visit — rapid traveling. No danger of being
hurled into the gutter with the vehicle on top.
When they "came to town," Fort Scott, they forded
the Marmaton a little east of the present bridge, and,
oh ! the steep muddy bank on either side. The three
children are Mrs. W. W. Padgett, of this city, J. G.
Wood, of Visalia, Calif.; and Miss Adda Ross, who
lives on a farm near Redfield, homesteaded by her
mother in 1858.
Most of these men were young when they came
to Fort Scott. They came to make homes for them
selves; they stayed through the dark and depressing
period of the border troubles; they faced the tribu
lations of the drouth; they answered the call to arms
115

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
in '61, and they kept their faith in the town, through
all the trials and setbacks incident to pioneer life;
and most of them hved to see the httle hamlet grow
into a solid and prosperous town. They put Fort
Scott on the map, and she seems likely to stay there
if the push, the energy, and the go-after-and-get-it
quahties of our young men of the present — 1921 —
continue into the future generations.
B. F. OTHICK.
I feel that Mr. Othick should have a place among
these biographical sketches as a reminder of what
he did to restore the dear old Plaza and make it a
pleasure ground for all of Fort Scott.
In 1910 it was in a weed infested condition and
an eyesore to the whole town, also a constant re
minder that the people had begun to forget its his
toric value. In places the weeds were as high as
one's head, the trees untrimmed for years, were a
ragged mass; the band stand gone to ruin and not
a path within the whole enclosure.
His first work was to get the council to let him
have the prisoners in the calaboose to help him, and
Mr. P. A. Willsey consented to guard them while
they worked. He trimmed up the young trees, cut
down the old decayed ones and planted many new
ones. He grubbed out the weeds, leveled the ground,
laid out paths, sowed bushels of blue grass seed
and made fourteen flower beds and bordered them
as well as the walk with brick which he begged for
the purpose. He got from Washington five "hudred
pounds of plants to set out in these beds. He re
built the band stand and did a thousand other
things necessary to make it the beautiful little park
it is. Through the help of Mr. Grant of the lumber
116

THE WHY OF FORT SCOTT
yard, he had some financial help from generous
handed citizens.
Some of the ladies volunteered help in setting out
the plants in the newly made flower beds.
It was Mr. Othick who first thought of marking
the historic places of interest within the city. He
called in for consultation, Mrs. C. W. Goodlander,
Mrs. C. Haynes and Mr. Ed Marble. They located the
different places and the D. A. R. ladies took up the
matter with the result that all the historic places are
properly marked.
Mr. Othick put in many hours of thought, hard la
bor and a great deal of his own money into the un
dertaking. It cost the city absolutely nothing.
Truly Mr. Othick was one of our most public mind
ed citizens and there should be a tablet put up to
his memory in some suitable place on this historic
Plaza.

117

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SOLDIERS' BARRACKS 1843