First settlements: Kirwin township, 1869; Solomon township, 1871, by W.R. SHLEPPEY; Logan township, 1872, William ROBERTS; Phillipsburg township, 1871, John MERCER; Plum township, 1871; James FORBES; Crystal township, 1872; Donald McDONALD; Long Island township, 1871, John WHEELER. - No churches have yet been erected in the county; school houses are used for religious purposes.- First school houses: Kirwin township, at Kirwin, by district No. 2: Phillipsburg township, two and a half miles west of Phillipsburg, district No. 1. - First business established: Kirwin, general store, by WEAVER & WEAVER; Phillipsburg, general store, F.A. DUTTON and J.H. CLOSE; Logan township, general store, Judge SURTZE; flour and saw mill,ATCHISON & HANSEN. - First marriages: Logan township, Frank GRAY and Samantha J. SHLEPPEY, March 9, 1872; Phillipsburg township, Milton A. HITCHCOCK and Carrie A. SMITH, November 9, 1873. - First births: Logan township, John Logan GRAFF, April 1872; Phillipsburg township, Ida BOOZE, 1872. - First post office: Kirwin, at Kirwin.
Phillips county was organized in 1872.
Population in 1875, 2,813; in 1878, 5,436; increase in three years, 2,623. Rural population, 4,621; city or town population, 815; per cent. of rural to city or town population, 85.
POPULATION of 1878, by Townships and Cities.
| Townships and Cities. |
Pop. | Townships and Cities. |
Pop. | Townships and Cities. |
Pop. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crystal | 483 | Kirwin | 1,118 | Logan | 481 |
| Long Island | 800 | Phillipsburg | 1287 | Plum | 818 |
| Solomon | 449 | ------- | ----- | ------- | ----- |
Face of the Country. - Bottom land, 15 per cent.; upland, 85 per cent.; forest (Government survey) 2 per cent.; prairie, 98 per cent. Average width of bottoms, 1 1/2 miles; general surface of the country, undulating, with limestone bluffs on the southern bank of streams.
Timber. - Average width of timber belts, one-eighth mile. Varieties: cottonwood, box elder and white ash. The older trees that have been cultivated are doing finely, but most of the plantings are very new, being on the recently taken timber claims. It is estimated that there are about 3,000 acres of growing trees in the county, mostly on the timber claims. The varieties are cottonwood, soft maple, black walnut, elm, willow, box elder, etc.
Principal Streams. - The north folk of the Solomon enteres the county near the southwest corner, and flows nearly directly east through the south part of the county. Deer creek runs through the central part of the county from west to southeast; it is about 35 miles in length and has numerous tributaries, affording excellent water the entire year. Prairie Dog creek flows northeast across the northwestern corner of the county. Bow creek crosses the south line in a northeasterly direction, and empties into the Solomon near the east line of the county. There are some springs on the hillsides, but they are mainly confined to the banks of the streams.
Coal. - None has been discovered.
Building Stone, etc - Good limestone is found in almost all parts of the county, suitable for building purposes and for the manufacture of lime. Fire clay reported plenty in all parts of the county, and pottery clay in small quantities in various localities. Hydraulic cement said to abound in Phillipsburg, Long Island, Solomon and Logan townships.
Railroad Connections. - No railroads have yet been built in the county.
Agricultural Statistics. - Acres in the county,576,000; taxable acres, 43,999; under cultivation, 38,922; cultivated to taxable acres, 88.46 per cent.; increase of cultivated acres during the year, 11,680.37.
Value of Garden Produce, Poultry and Eggs Sold during the Year. - Garden produce, $326; poultry and eggs, $3,369.90.
Old Corn on Hand. - Old corn on hand March 1, 1878, 39,493 bushels, or an average of 36 bushels to each family.
STATEMENT showing the Acreage of Field Crops named from 1872 to 1878, inclusive.
| CROPS. | 1872 | 1873 | 1874 | 1875 | 1876 | 1877 | 1878 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Wheat | -------- | -------- | 13 00 | 65 00 | 559 00 | 2,614 00 | 7,542 00 | |
| Rye | ------ | ------ | 140 00 | 408 25 | 2,438 00 | 3,173 00 | 4,141 00 | |
| Spring Wheat | ...... | ...... | 2,073 00 | 5,921 50 | 7,952 00 | 6,192 00 | 11,498 00 | |
| Corn | ......... | ......... | 8,092 00 | 8,309 00 | 13,177 00 | 11,261 00 | 10,268 00 | |
| Barley | ...... | ...... | 14 00 | 283 00 | 55300 | 725 00 | 1,177 00 | |
| Oats | ........ | ........ | 503 00 | 1,154.75 50 | 1,268 00 | 1,144 00 | 1,258 00 | |
| Buckwheat | ...... | ...... | ...... | 8 25 | 40 00 | 22 50 | 15 00 | |
| Irish Potatoes | ...... | ...... | 207 00 | 135 94 | 309 75 | 306 00 | 461 00 | |
| Sweet Potatoes | ...... | ...... | 2 00 | 38 | 1 00 | ...... | ...... | |
| Sorghum | ....... | ....... | 92 00 | 155 75 | 269 45 | 244 00 | 310 50 | |
| Castor Beans | ...... | ...... | ...... | 6 12 | 43 75 | 13 00 | 1 00 | |
| Cotton | ..... | ..... | ..... | ..... | 1 37 | ..... | 50 | |
| Flax | ..... | ..... | ..... | 2 75 | 14 00 | 11 25 | 8 25 | |
| Hemp | ...... | ...... | ...... | 50 | 2 00 | 38 | 50 | |
| Tobacco | ..... | ..... | 2 00 | ...... | 9 12 | 2 00 | 5 00 | |
| Broom Corn | ...... | ...... | ...... | 7 25 | 52 55 | 9 50 | 60 00 | |
| Millet and Hungarian | ...... | ...... | 93 00 | 120 75 | 436 00 | 1,320 00 | 1,368 00 | |
| Timothy Meadow | ...... | ...... | ...... | 10 25 | 3 50 | 70 00 | 300 | |
| Clover Meadow | ...... | ...... | ...... | 5 25 | 25 | ...... | 25 | |
| Prairie Meadow | ...... | ...... | 30 00 | ...... | ...... | ...... | 58 00 | |
| Timothy Pasture | ...... | ...... | ...... | ...... | ...... | ...... | 3 00 | |
| Clover Pasture | ...... | ...... | ...... | ...... | 25 | ...... | ...... | |
| Blue-Grass Pasture | ...... | ...... | ...... | ...... | ...... | ...... | ...... | |
| Prairie Pasture | ....... | ....... | 187 00 | 104 00 | 565 00 | 135 00 | 744 00 | |
| Total | .......... | .......... | 11,448 00 | 16,698 69 | 27,694 99 | 27,242 63 | 38,922 00 |
Increase in four years, 240 - per cent.
Average increase per annum. 60 - per cent.
RANK of Phillips County in the Crops named below, as to Acreage, and in Cultivated Acreage for the years mentioned in the foregoing table.
| CROPS. | 1872 | 1873 | 1874 | 1875 | 1876 | 1877 | 1878 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wheat | ...... | ...... | 57 | 44 | 48 | 39 | 33 |
| Corn | ...... | ...... | 53 | 56 | 49 | 58 | 60 |
| Total Acreage in all Crops | ...... | ...... | 58 | 58 | 59 | 60 | 60 |
STATEMENT showing the Acres, Product and Value of Principal Crops for 1878, together with the Increase and Decrease as compared with 1877.
| CROPS. | ACRES IN 1878. |
INCREASE OR DECREASE FROM 1877. |
PRODUCT IN 1878. |
INCREASE OR DECREASE FROM 1877. |
VALUE OF PRODUCT IN 1878. |
INCREASE OR DECREASE FROM 1877. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Wheat - bu. | 7,542 00 | 4,928 00 in. | 150,840 00 | 109,016 00 in. | $72,403 20 | $45,217 60 in. |
| Rye - bu. | 4,141 00 | 968 00 in. | 95,243 00 | 6,399 00 in. | 28,572 90 | 1,919 70 in. |
| Spring Wheat - bu. | 11,498 00 | 5,306 00 de. | 183,968 00 | 91,108 00 de. | 73,587 20 | 17,868 20 de. |
| Corn - bu. | 10,268 00 | 993 00 de. | 410,720 00 | 39,107 00 in. | 82,144 00 | 26,402 05 in. |
| Barley - bu. | 1,177 00 | 452 00 in. | 35,310 00 | 16,460 00 in. | 10,593 00 | 5,503 50 in. |
| Oats - bu. | 1,258 00 | 114 00 in. | 50,320 00 | 1,160 00 in. | 10,064 00 | 2,342 00 in. |
| Buckwheat - bu. | 15 00 | 7 50 de. | 210 00 | 82 50 de. | 168 00 | 66 de. |
| Irish Potatoes - bu. | 461 00 | 155 00 in. | 50,710 00 | 32,350 00 in. | 15,213 00 | 6,033 00 in. |
| Sweet Potatoes - bu. | ........ | ........ | ........ | ........ | ........ | ........ |
| Sorghum - gall. | 310 50 | 66 50 in. | 35,707 50 | 7,647 50 in. | 17,853 75 | 3,823 75 in. |
| Castor Beans - bu. | 1 00 | 12 00 de. | 9 00 | 134 00 de. | 11 25 | 131 75 in. |
| Cotton - lbs | 50 | 50 in. | 85 00 | 85 00 in. | 7 65 | 7 65 in. |
| Flax - bu. | 8 25 | 3 00 de. | 82 50 | 18 75 de. | 82 50 | 23 81 de. |
| Hemp - lbs. | 50 | 12 in. | 460 00 | 110 40 de | 27 60 | 6 62 in. |
| Tobacco - lbs. | 5 00 | 3 00 in. | 3,700 00 | 2,220 00 in. | 370 00 | 962. 00 in. |
| Broom Corn - lbs | 60 00 | 50 50 in. | 46,500 00 | 38,900 00 in. | 1,743 75 | 1,458 75 in. |
| Millet and Hungarian - tons | 1,368 00 | 48 00 in. | 4,104 00 | 144 00 in. | 15,595 20 | 547 20 in. |
| Timothy Meadow - tons | 3 00 | 67 00 in. | 3 60 | 80 40 de. | 16 20 | 361 80 de. |
| Clover Meadow - tons | 25 | 25 in. | 37 | 37 in. | 1 66 | 1 66 in. |
| Prairie Meadow - tons | 58 00 | 58 00 in. | 87 00 | 87 00 in. | 217 50 | 217 50 in. |
| Timothy Pasture - acres | 3 00 | 3 00 in. | ...... | ...... | ...... | ...... |
| Clover Pasture - acres | ...... | ...... | ...... | ...... | ...... | ...... |
| Blue-Grass Pasture - acres | ....... | ....... | ...... | ...... | ...... | ...... |
| Prairie Pasture - acres | 744 00 | 609 00 in. | ...... | ...... | ...... | ...... |
| Total - | 38,922 00 | 11,680 37 in. | ...... | ...... | $ 328,672 36 | $110,987 82 in. |
Dairy Products. - Cheese manufactured in 1875, 400 lbs.; in 1878, 200 lbs; decrease, 200 lbs. Butter manufactured in 1875, 18, 082 lbs.; in 1878, 71,778 lbs.; increase, 53,696 lbs.
Farm Animals. - Number of horses, in 1877, 1,327; in 1878, 1,782; increase, 455. Mules and asses, in 1877, 172; in 1878, 259; increase, 87. Milch cows, in 1877, 1,416; in 1878, 1,642; increase, 226. Other cattle, in 1877, 2574; in 1878, 2,943; increase, 369. Sheep, in 1877, 759; in 1878, 1,632; increase, 873. Swine, in 1877, 9,955; in 1878, 5,657; decrease, 4,298.
Sheep Killed by Dogs. - Only one reported.
Wool.- Clip of 1877, 1,106 lbs.
Value of Animals Slaughtered. - Value of Animals slaughtered and sold for slaughter during the year, $10,353.60.
Horticulture. - Number of acres nurseries, .... . Number of trees in bearing: apple, 13; pear, 26; peach, 228; plum, 50; cherry, 17. Number of trees not in bearing: apple, 1,553; pear, 39; peach, 11,564; plum, 226; cherry, 150.
Herd Law. - The herd law has been in force since 1874, and is very generally favored as the best that can be done at present. It seems to retard fencing and hedge growing, and stimulates the raising of grain, but as yet is no hindrance to stock raising, as there is plenty of vacant land for grazing. The law is favored on the ground that it is the only thing practicable with the scarcity of timber. Very little is said against it, as the county is principally settled with farmers, and there are few stock raisers.
Fences. - Stone, 100 rods; cost, $200; Rail, 2,777 rods; cost, $4,304.35; Board, 4 rods; cost, $6; Wire, 200 rods; cost, $16; Hedge, 80 rods; cost, $56. Total rods of fence, 3,161; total cost, $4,582.35.
Apiaculture. - Bees, none reported.
Value of Agricultural Implements. - Amount invested in agricultural implements, $20,461.
Manufactures. - Kirwin township: steam saw mill, capital, $400; water-power flouring mill, capital, $4,200. Logan township: water-power flouring mill, capital, $2,000. Long Island township: water-power flouring mill, capital, $3,000; portable steam saw mills, 2 - the post office of one is Kirwin; the other, Logan - combined capital, $850.
Valuation and Indebtedness. - Assessed valuation of personal property, $115,107; total assessed valuation of all property, $258,534.90; true valuation of all property, $430,891.50. Total indebtedness of county, township, city and school districts, $24,939.82; per cent. of indebtedness to assessed valuation, 10-.
Newspaper History. - The Kirwin Chief was established in August, 1873, by W.D. JENKINS, under the direction of the Kirwin Town Company. It was continued under that management until the winter of 1874, when the press was purchased by A.A. THOMAS, then of the United States Land Office, located there. In the fall of 1876, it passed into the hands of A.G. McBRIDE, and was removed to Phillipsburg, but in the following spring was returned to Kirwin, where it is still published. It is Republican in politics.
The Sentinel, a Republican paper, was removed from Cawker City, in the summer of 1874, to Phillipsburg, but discontinued in a few weeks.
The Kirwin Progress was established by Prof. ROBINSON, in the fall of 1876. It is still continued under the editorial management of George O. BLAKE, and is Republican in politics.
The Phillipsburg Advance, a five-column Republican paper, was started in the spring of 1877, by C. DICKEY, and continued until July, 1878, when it was purchased by J.D. BRADLEY.
The Phillips County Democrat succeeded to the Advance in July, 1878, and is still continued - the first Democratic paper published in Northwestern Kansas.
The Phillips County Herald was established at Phillipsburg in the early part of 1878, and is still continued. It is Republican in politics. Charles F. JENKINS, editor.
Schools. - Number of organized districts, 63; school population, 1,648; average salary of teachers, per month, males, $20.60; females, $13.47. School houses built during 1878,5; frame, 4; stone, 1. Total number of school houses, 23; log, 10; frame, 9; stone, 4. Value of all school property, $5,165. School grounds are not ornamented to any extent as yet.
Churches. - Baptist: organizations, 3; membership, 141. Congregational: organizations, 3; membership, 50. Methodist Episcopal, organizations, 17; membership, 275; Presbyterian: organizations, 2; membership, 30; Roman Catholic: organizations, 2; membership, 100.
