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Sketches of Early History
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Sketches of Early History
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The KSGenWeb Project logo Copyright©1996- by Tom & Carolyn Ward, All Rights
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For the limited use of the KSGenWeb Project. Permission is granted for use
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Transcribed by
J. Richardson, 04-July-2000
Originally published in the Humboldt Union, Humboldt, Allen County, Kansas
07-Mar-1918
Sketches of
Early History - Part 1
In the Settlement of Humboldt and Allen County
By Watson Stewart
Mr. Watson Stewart, one of the earlier pioneers of this region, who passed away
a few years ago, read the following paper at the celebration in Humboldt July 4,
1876. The Union published the address on the 15th of July in the same year.
Knowing that it will be read with much interest by many of the older residents
of the community and that the boys and girls of this generation will find in it
historical facts of value that are not recorded in their school books, we are
publishing the address in full, as a continued story, which will run through
several issues in this month:
-----------
The history of the settlement of Kansas possesses peculiar interest, not
attaching to that of any other state in the union.
Congress in May, 1854, passed the "Kansas-Nebraska Bill," in which the principle
of "Squatter Sovereignty" was adopted and the old Missouri compromise of 1820,
restricting slavery to territory south of latitude 33-30 was repealed -- leaving
the people of these territories free to establish or exclude slavery.
The field being thus open, the south determined to establish the "peculiar
institution" on Kansas soil; the people of the northern states as persistently
determined to dedicate Kansas to freedom.
And thus the "irrepressibile conflict" was INTENSIFIED on Kansas soil.
The slave power relied upon being able to settle Kansas from the contiguous
slave states of Missouri and Arkansas. And in 1855 large numbers came into the
territory from those states, and by carrying the elections, obtained possession
of the government of the territory.
To counteract this movement measures were adopted in several of the New England
state to organize companies for settlement in the new territory. Aid societies
were formed, and those desiring to emigrate to Kansas were aided to reach their
destination.
The stimulus thus given to northern emigration began to give the Free State
party of the territory the ascendency in power. To prevent this emigration,
efforts were made in Missouri, and along the Kansas border, to turn it back, or
drive it from the territory; and this led to bloody conflicts in different parts
of the territory.
Allen county, however, was settled without any of those armed collisions so
common in some other parts of the territory.
------------
Early Settlements.
The first white settlement was made in Allen county in the spring of 1855.
On the 24th of April of that years H.H. Hayward, with his family, reached the
Neosho and camped that night near a spring, on the land where he now resides,
some four miles north of Humboldt.
At that time there was not a house in the county. B.W. Cowden and H.D. Parsons
were in camp a short distance above, and Barnett Owen and Gaston Reeves, with
their families were below.
During that summer and fall other families settled in the county, among whom in
the north part of the county were the Fuquas Anderson Wray, A.W.J. Brown, Henry
and Giles Sator, Jas. S. Barbee, Jas. Johnson, Charles Passmore, Jas Gillraith,
Dunban, Hurtston. In this part of the country cam Dr. Burgess, David Dotson, E.H.
Young, Elias Copelin and Henry Bennet.
The only persons named who are now living in the county are H.D. Parsons, H.H.
Hayward and family and E.H. Young. Mrs. Hayward has resided in Allen county
longer than any other white woman in it.
The territorial legislature of 1855 designated the boundaries of the county, and
provided for its organization by appointed B.M. Cowden and Barnett Owen as
commissioners, who with Charles Passmoer, probate judge, constituted the board
for the transaction of county business.
Wm. Godfrey was appointed sheriff. He was a trader with the Osage Indians near
the mouth of Big creek, and had for a wife a full blood Osage Indian woman.
Cofachiqui was designated as the county seat; it was the first town laid out in
the county. Its location was about two miles south of where Iola now is. It was
authorized, under its charter, to lay out as a town site a tract of land not
exceeding 900 acres. But it never had use for near so much land. Nothing now
remains to show the location.
-------------
Vegetarian Settlement.
In 1855 a company of vegetarians was organized in several of the northern
states, with the purpose of settling a colony at some point in Kansas. C.H.
DeWolfe of Philadelphia was its president, Dr. McLauren, treasurer, and H.S.
Clubb of New York, secretary.
The distinctive features of this organization were abstinence from the use of a
flesh diet, intoxicating drink and tobacco. It was co-operative to a certain
extent -- yet each member held his own property in severalty.
In the fall of 1855, this company sent out its agent (Dr. McLauren) who selected
a location in Allen county about six miles south from the present site of
Humboldt.
In the spring of 1856, the secretary with a considerable number of the company
came on, arriving on the ground during the months of April, May and June.
The writer with his family and brother, S.J. Stewart, were members of this
company, and reached the Neosho on the 19th of May, 1856, camping that night on
the edge of the timber, near where Col. Smith now lives, and on land now owned
by Capt. O.S. Coffin. On the next day we joined our company, finding them mostly
in tents.
There were probably nearly one hundred persons upon the ground, representing
many nationalities and occupations. The greater part of them were from the
eastern cities and manufactories, and but few had any conception of frontier
life. We were not pleased with the prospects of the colony, and in a few days
bought a claim outside their settlement and moved upon it. It is the place now
occupied by S.J. Stewart.
The summer and fall of 1856 was very sickly -- the streams had all overflowed
the bottom lands, and fevers and ague prevailed, sickness was the rule, health
the exception. The new settlers were not acclimated, and badly housed, so that
many died, and many more became discouraged and left the country; by fall but
few of the company remained, and all the remain in the country now are Z.J.
Wisner on Deer creek, Charles Baland, S.J. Stewart, myself and family.
------------
Other Settlements.
In this year, also, considerable settlement was made in the north part of the
county. Along down the river came Z.F.l DeMoss, S.F. Hubbard, Isaac Tibbetts,
Wm. Mayberry, Thos. J. Bashaw and son, James, with Wm. Campbell, and a Mr.
McElroy, James Brady and sons, G.A. Winborn and the Morris boys.
In April of this year a company of Georgians, twenty-sever in number, came and
went into camp near Cofachiqui. They were said to be a company of Buford's men;
they had no families and were well armed.
During the trouble about Lawrence that spring, word came that these men were
called upon to join the pro-slavery friends about Lawrence.
A meeting of the Free State men of the county was called and after consultation
these men were waited upon and informed that if they wished to take claims and
become citizens, they would be welcome, but that if they proposed to join their
armed friends north, they would not be permitted to do so. They remained for a
time, but during the summer quietly left the country, not one of them becoming a
settler.
On the 7th of May, 1856, B.W. Cowden and Barnett Owen, county commissioners, met
at Cofachiqui. The probate judge, Passmore, had left the county and was reported
dead.
They made the following record: Know all men by these presents. That in
pursuance of an Act passed by the Legislature of the Territory of Kansas, B.W.
Cowden and Barnett Owen, two members of the Board of County Commissioners
appointed by the said Legislature in and for the County of Allen, in said
Territory, met and after having been duly sworn proceeded to organize and open
court.
They appoint Jas. S. Barbee clerk. At a meeting in June, Jas. Johnston was
appointed sheriff, H.D. Parsons, corner; H.H. Hayward, treasurer, and A.W.J.
Brown probate judge. Hayward was a Free State man and would not qualify. Brown
was also a Free State man, and would not accept the position until after
consultation with the leading Free State men in the county. It was though
advisable to do so, from the fact that the probate court under the law was
clothed with about the same judicial powers as our district courts now are in
civil cases; and it was believed better to have that power vested in a friend.
Brown was appointed to fill the vacancy of Charles Passmore, deceased. But one
of our oldest citizens has seen Mr. Passmore alive and well in southern Illinois
within the past three years.
At the commissioners meeting in August it was ordered "that there be a court
house erected in the town of Cofachique, 18 feet wide, 20 feet long, 11 feet
high, 7 feet between the floor and joists for lower room, etc., etc." Two
hundred and ten dollars were appropriated for the building.
But as Cofachiqui was intensely pro-slavery, the Free State element of the
county was getting to strong to permit such an expenditure from the public funds
for the benefit of Cofachiqui; the order for the building was revoged (sic) by
the board at their session in January, 1857.
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only on an Official KSGenWeb Project page.
The Official USGenWeb Project logo designed by Linda Cole.