Stockton

, the county seat of Rooks county, is an incorporated city of the third class, centrally located, and is on the south fork of the Solomon river at the terminus of a branch of the Missouri Pacific R. R. It is the shipping point for about half the county, which is a prosperous agricultural area. There are 2 banks, a public library, waterworks, fire department, an opera house, hotels, flour mill, a feed mill, 2 grain elevators, 2 weekly newspapers (the Record and the Western News), daily stages to Alcona, Nicodemus and Bogue, telegraph and express offices, and an international money order postoffice with five rural routes. The population in 1910 was 1,317. The town was founded in 1872 by cattle men, who named it "Stocktown." The first house was erected and the first store opened by George Beebe. The first town officers were elected in 1873 and were as follows: Trustee, Charles Stuart; clerk, D. K. Dibble; treasurer, John Park; justices, G. W. Patterson and P. G. Green; constables, G. W. Norcutt and W. Dickson. The first school was taught in 1872 by W. H. Barnes. The first mail was brought by horseback from Cawker City. The first white child born in the new town belonged to the family of George W. Norcutt and was born in 1874. In 1879 the town was incorporated as a city of the third class and the following were the first officers under the new form of government: Mayor, C. E. Maynard; councilmen, C. E. McDaniel, Jewell Elliott, M. M. Stewart. James Moore and John Saver; marshal, D. Washburn; police judge, W. A. Ecker; clerk, T. C. McBreen. The high school was established in 1891.

Page 767 from volume II of Kansas: a cyclopedia of state history, embracing events, institutions, industries, counties, cities, towns, prominent persons, etc. ... / with a supplementary volume devoted to selected personal history and reminiscence. Standard Pub. Co. Chicago : 1912. 3 v. in 4. : front., ill., ports.; 28 cm. Vols. I-II edited by Frank W. Blackmar. Transcribed July 2002 by Carolyn Ward.