1912 Biographical History of Barton County, Kansas
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Marker on Santa Fe Trail Near Pawnee Rock
attract the eyes of countless thousands yet to come.
F. C. Woodbury, one of the leading citizens of Pawnee Rock and to whom great credit is due for arranging and carrying out the celebration program gave the address of welcome. He paid a beautiful tribute to the pioneers and welcomed the people to the city in a way that made a deep impression.
Mr. Woodbury introduced Mrs. George Barker of Lawrence, Kansas, who told in an interesting manner the part the women had played in securing the ground for the park and the money for the monument. She compared the old and the new Pawnee Rock, and while she spoke the words that made this historic spot and the beautiful monument the property of the State of Kansas, the ropes were pulled that released the flag and it fell away.
Lieutenant Governor Richard Hopkins followed Mrs. Barker and accepted the park and monument on behalf of the people of the state. He painted a beautiful word picture that made a lasting impression on those who heard it.
The young people were afforded all kinds of entertainment. There was a Ferris wheel, a merry-go-round, a balloon ascension, a base ball game and dozens of other features to make the day one of fun and frolic.
The speech of Mrs. Milo D. McKee of Independence, who acted in lieu of Mrs. George Guensey, state president of the D. A. R. of Kansas who followed Governor Hopkins was especially fine. She brought greetings from 1,500 women, and she asserted that in the history of battle fields, there was record of no greater one than Kansas. The best money a state can spend, she said, in closing, is that used in inculcating patriotism and reverence.
Mrs. Cora Deputy, a past state president of the Womens' Relief Corps, speaking in behalf of Mrs. L. A. Mendricks, the president, gave a patriotic address and presented a flag to the city, a gift of the state W. R. C.
Perhaps no speech of the afternoon was better received than that made by Mrs. W. D. Atkinson of Parsons, President of the State Federation of Womens' Clubs. Six thousand women she represented, and as a native Kansan she spoke with feeling and authority on pioneer life as lived by her parents. The keynote of her speech was the keynote of the afternoon: "We necessarily are living largely in the past today, with Coronado, in Quivera, with Pike, the emigrants, the '74ers, the pioneers."
Mrs. C. W. Mitchner, state president of the W. C. T. U., told how proud she was to bring the best wishes of the 10,000 women of the state union to Kansas, "higher in per capita, lowest in death rate, lowest in illiteracy, highest in college education; the state where 25,000 school children never saw an open saloon."
History and reminiscences of remarkable interest filled the remarks of Mike Sweeney of Pawnee Rock, who has lived 4 years in the western land, and saw the Rock in all its original highness. He introduced ex-Gov. E. W. Hoch, who gave the address of the afternoon.
In the beginning Governor Hoch took occasion to say how much he disliked the task of following his feminine predecessors, and trying to "live up to them."
"If I had not been for suffrage before (as I always have been,") he asserted, "I should certainly have been converted this afternoon, for such eloquent speeches argue as intelligent use of the ballot as man can exercise."
Judge D. A. Banta of Great Bend closed the speaking program with a few remarks which were well received. He told how the men should feel ashamed that they had allowed the women of the state to accomplish sometiming in the way of preserving the Rock which should have been done before it had been despoiled of a great deal of its beauty and histortic features.
JIM GIBSON'S THRILLING
EXPERIENCE
From Inman's Tales of the Trail
IT was old Jim Gibson—poor fellow—he went under in a fight with the Utes over twenty years ago, and his bones are bleaching somewhere in the dark canyons of the range, or on the slopes of the Spanish Peaks. He used to tell of a skirmish he and another fellow had on the Arkansas with the
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Kiowas in 1836. Jim and his partner, Bill—other name unknown—had been trapping up in the Powder river country during the winter, with unusual good luck. The beaver were mighty thick in the whole Yellowstone region, in those days. Jim and Bill got an early start on their journey for the river in the early spring. You see they expected to sell their stuff in western Missouri, which was the principal trading point on the river then. They walked the whole distance—over fifteen hundred miles—driving three good mules before them, on which their plunder was packed, and they got along well until they struck the Arkansas river at Pawnee Rock. Here they met a war party of about sixty Kiowas, who treed them on the Rock. Jim and Bill were brave and dead shots.
"Before they reached the Rock to which they were driven they killed ten of the Kiowas, and had not received a scratch. They had plenty of powder and two pouches full of bullets. They also had a couple of Jack rabbits for food in case of siege, and the perpendicular walls of the Rock made them a natural fortification, and one that was almost impregnable. They succeeded in securely picketing their animals on the west side of the Rock, where they could protect them by their unerring rifles, but the story of the fight must be told in Jim's own way. He was a pretty well educated fellow and had been to college. I believe in his younger days he lost the girl he was going to marry, or had some bad luck or other and took to the prairie when he was about twenty years of age. I will try to tell it as near as possible as he told it to me.
[IMAGE]O-Ton-Sone-Var, Chief of Kiowa
[IMAGE]
WM. F. C0DY. (Buffalo Bill)
He Scouted This Country for the U. S. A.
"After the derned red cusses had treed us, they picked up their dead and packed them to their camp, at the mouth of the creek a little piece off. In a few minutes, back they all came, mounted with their fixings and war paint on. Then, they commenced to circle around us coming closer, Indian fashion every time, until they got within easy rifle range, when they slung themselves on the far sides of their ponies and in that position opened on us. Their arrows fell like a hail storm around us for a few minutes, but as good luck would have it none cf them struck. I was afraid that first of all they would attempt to kill our mules, but I suppose they thought they had the dead wood on us and the mules would come mighty handy for their own use, after our scalps were dangling at their belts. We were taking in all the chances and whenever we saw a leg or head we would draw a bead on it and would tumble its owner over every time, with a yell of rage. Whenever they attempted to carry off their dead, that was the moment we took the advantage, and we poured it into them as they rallied for that purpose, with telling effect. We wasted no shots, and we now had only about twenty bullets between us, and the miserable cusses seemed as thick as ever. The sun was nearly down by this time, and at dark they did not seem anxious to renew fight. I could see their mounted patrols at a respectful distance watching to prevent our escape. I took advantage of the darkness to go down
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and get a few buffalo chips to cook our supper as we were mighty hungry, and we changed the animals to where they could get a little more grass. I got to our camp on top without any trouble, when we made a little fire and cooked a rabbit. We had to go without water and so did the animals, though we did not mind the want of it ourselves. We pitied the mules which had had no water since we broke camp that morning. It was no use to worry about it as the nearest water was the spring at the Indians' camp, and it would be certain death to attempt to get there. I was afraid the red devils would fire the prairie the next marning, and endeavor to burn us out. The grass was in a condition to make a lively blaze. We might escape the flames and we might not. We watched with eager eyes the first gray streaks of dawn, that would usher in another day. Perhaps the last one for us. The next morning the sun had scarcely got above the horizon when, with an infernal yell the Indians broke for the Rock and we knew that some new idea had entered into their heads. The wind was springing up fresh and nature seemed to conspire with the red devils if they really meant to burn us out, and I had no doubt from their movements that that was what they intended doing. The derned cusses kept at such a respectful distance from our rifles that it chafed us to know that we could not stop the infernal throats of some of them with our bullets. We had to choke our rage and watch events closely. I took occasion during the lull in hostilities to crawl down to where the mules were and shift them to the east side of the Rock where the wall was the highest, so that the flames of the smoke might possibly pass by them without so much danger as on the exposed other side. I succeeded in doing this and also in tearing away the grass for several yards around the animals, and was just starting back when Bill called out, "They have fired the prairie." I reached the top of the rock in a moment and took in at a glance what was coming. The spectacle for a short interval was indescribable. The sun was shining with all its power on a huge cloud of smoke as it rolled down from the north. I had barely time to get under the shelter of the Rock when the wind and smoke swept down to the ground and incidentally we were enveloped in the darkness of midnight. We could not see a single object, neither Indian, horses, prairie or sun and what a terrible wind. I have never experienced its equal in violence since. We stood breathless, clinging to the mass of rock and did not realize that the fire was so near until we were struck in the face by the burning buffalo chips that were carried towards us with the rapidity of the wind. I was really scared as it seemed we must suffocate, but we were saved, the sheet of flame passed us twenty yards away, as the wind fortunately shifted when the fire reached the Rock. Yet the darkness was so perfect that we did not see the flames. We only knew that we were safe as the clear sky greeted us behind the dense cloud of smoke. Two of the Indians and their horses were caught in their own trap and perished miserably. They had attempted to reach the east side of the Rock where the mules were, either to cut them loose or crawl up on us while we were bewildered in the smoke. They had proceeded only a few yards when the terrible darkness of the smoke cloud overtook them. The fire assumed such gigantic praportions and moved with such rapidity before the terrible wind that even the Arkansas river did not stop it for a moment, and we watched it carried across the water.
"My first thought after the danger had passed was of the poor mules. I crawled down to where they were and found them badly singed. They were not seriously injured however, and I thought so far so good. Our traps and things were all right so we took courage and began to think that we could get out of the nasty scrape. In the meantime the Indians with the exception of four or five, left to guard the Rock, had gone back to their camp on the creek, and were evidently concocting some new scheme to capture or kill us. We waited patiently for two or three hours for the development of events, snatching a little sleep by turns until the sun was about four hours high, when the Indians commenced their yelling again, and we knew they had hit upon something, so we were on the alert. The devils this time had tied all their horses together, covered them with branches of trees that they had cut on the creek, packed all the lodge skins on these and then driving the living breast works towards us themselves followed close behind on foot. They kept moving in the direction of the Rock and matters began to look serious.
"Bill put his hand in mine and said, "Jim boy, we gat to fight, we aint done nothin' yet, but this means business." I said, 'Bill, you are right, old fellow, but they cannot get us alive. Our plan was to kill their ponies and make them halt. As I spoke, Bill, who was one of the best shots on the plains, threw his eye along the barrel of his rifle and one of the ponies tumbled over in the blackened sad. One of the Indians ran out to cut him loose, as I suspected, and I took him clean off his feet without a groan. Quicker than it takes to tell it we stretched out twelve of them on the plains and then they began a council of war. We watched the devils' movements far we knew they would soon be busy again. The others did not make their appearance immediately from behind their living breastworks, so we fired and killed some of the horses. The Indians drew away and after holding a consultation we saw one of their number approaching. He held aloft a part of his white blanket, in token of peace. He came within hearing and asked us to talk with him. We answered yes. We could expect very little and were surprised at the proposition made to us.
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Christian Church Pawnee Rock
He came nearer and said the war chief leading them was old O'Ton-Sone-Var and "wants you to come to their camp, and the tribe will adopt you as you are brave men." He also added that they were on their way to the Sioux country north of the Platte and were going there to steal horses from the Sioux. They expected a fight and wanted us to help them. Bill and I knew them too well to swallow their chaff so we told him we could not think of accepting their terms. We told him to go back and tell his chief to begin the fight again as soon as they pleased. He started back and before he had reached the creek they came out and met him, had a confab and then began the attack on us at once. We made each of our four leads tell and then stood at bay almost helpless. We were at their mercy. We began throwing stones and held them off for a short time. Then another white flag appeared and they wanted to talk some more.
"We knew that we must accept most anything they offered. One of their number spoke and told us that the Kiowas were not prisoners and they know brave men. 'We will not kill you, though the grass is red with the blood of our warriors who died at your hands. We will give you a chance for your lives and let you prove that the Great Spirit of the white man is powerful and can save you.' 'Behold,' said the Indian pointing to a cottonwood tree that stood on the bank of the river, a mile or more away. 'You must go there and one of you shall run the knife gauntlet from that tree two hundred steps of the chief towards the prairie. If the one who runs escapes both are free, for the Great Spirit has willed it.
O'Ton-Sone-Var has. said it and the word of the Kiowa is true.' 'When must the trial take place," said I. "When the sun begins to shine upon the western edge of the Rock,' replied the Indian. 'Say to your chief we will accept the challenge and will be ready," said Bill, motioning the warrior away.
"'I am sure I can win, said Bill and can save our lives, O'Ton-Sone-Var will keep his word.' 'I know him.' 'Bill, said I,' 'I shall run that race' and taking him by the hand I told him that if he saw I was going to fail to watch his chance and in the excitement of the morent mount one of their horses and fly to Bent's Fort. He could escape. He was young, it made no difference with my life as it was not worth much, but he had all before him. 'No,' replied Bill, 'my heart is set on this. I traveled the same race once before when the Apaches got me, and their knives never struck me once. I asked this favor for I know how to take advantage of them and can win.' The sun had scarcely gilded that portion of the Rock that puts out toward the west before all the warriors with O'Ton-Sone-Var at their head marched silently towards the tree and beckoned us to come. We soon were beside them when they opened a space and we walked in their center without saying a word. There were only thirty left of the band of warriors. The Indians were worked up to an awful pitch and wanted to avenge their dead but the chief kept them from it. As soon as we reached the tree, the chief paced the two hundred steps and arranged his warriors on either side who in a moment stripped themselves to the waist and each seizing his long
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scalping knife and bracing himself held it high over his head so as to strike a hard blow. The question of who should be their victims was settled immediately, for as I stepped forward, the chief signalled me back and pointing to Bill told him he should make the trial. I protested but the chief was firm. The two rows of savages stood firm, their knives held high with vengeance gleaming in their eyes. It looked almost hopeless. It was truly a race for life. As Bill prepared himself I wished ourselves back on the Rock. Bill was cool and collected and had a perfect faith in the result. The chief motioned Bill to start. Bill tightened his belt and looked down the double row of Indians with their upheld knives. It seemed an age to me and when Bill started I was forced by an irresistible power to look upon the scene. At the instant Bill darted like a streak of lightning from the base of the tree and cutting at poor Bill the Indians tried their hardest to kill him. Bill evaded their efforts. He tossed savages here and there and now creeping like a snake he squirmed through the lines for a distance, then leaping like a wild-cat he passed more of the red men who were bent on taking his life and finally he reached the place where the chief stood and passed through the terrible ordeal unharmed. I threw myself into his arms and gave thanks. The chief motioned the warriors away and with sullen footsteps followed them. In a few moments we retraced our way to the Rock where our mules still were. We then passed on in the direction of the Missouri. We camped on the banks of the river that night only a few miles from the Rock and while we were resting we could still hear the Kiowas chanting the death song as they buried their lost warriors under the sod of the prairie."
WILLIAM S. M'DOUGAL
WILLIAM S. M'DOUGAL was born in Wood County, West Virginia, September 5, 1841, and came to Pawnee County when he was thirty-three years of age. He located a homestead in section 18-22-14, which is on the line dividing Pawnee and Stafford counties. He farmed this land for eight years and then came to Barton county and located at Pawnee Rock. He was in the livery business in Pawnee Rock for sixteen years. He sold out and retired about twelve years ago. Since that time he has looked after his farming interests, owning 400 acres of land in Pawnee and Barton counties. He was married in 1872 in West Virginia to Miss Maggie Uhl and they are the parents of three children as follows: Romey, 42 years of age, is engaged in the hack line business in Great Bend; Dora, 32 years of age, is now Mrs. Henry T. Ratcliff of Hutchinson and Goldie, 22 years of age, resides at home. Mr. McDougal is one of those men who made up the pioneers of this section of Kansas as he came here at a time when the Indians and buffalo were still disputing the advance of the white man and he has seen this section grow from an almost barren waste to its present high state of cultivation. Mr. McDougal has always been identified with the progressive element in this part of the state and is one of the best known men in Barton County where he has lived for twenty-seven years. All of his farming land is be-
[IMAGE]Going and Coming of Autos, Pawnee Rock, May 24, 1912
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ing worked by renters and in addition to these holdings he has a fine ten room residence in a most desirable location in Pawnee Rock. He is one of the boosters of the town who never tires of speaking a good word for Pawnee Rock and Barton County. He has served the town as councilman and always taken an active part in all public matters and is an enterprising and progressive citizen. Mr. McDougal is one of the men who came to this section at a time when it required nerve to stay and battle it out with the many adverse conditions with which the old timers had to contend. He did so however and his success is due to good management and an unfailing faith in the future of this section and could see this county where it is today, one of the best in the State of Kansas.
FARMERS AND MERCHANTS STATE BANK
[IMAGE]Farmers and Merchants State Bank
BOWNS[sic] and cities are often judged by their their banking institutions, and in the Farmers and Merchants State Bank of Pawnee Rock, the people of that section of the county have an institution that meets every demand made upon it, and by straightforward business methods has gained a most enviable reputation in all parts of Barton County. This bank was organized in 1908 by gentlemen who have had a great deal to do with the development of the county's resources and the upbuilding of Pawnee Rock. This bank was organized with a capital of $15,000 and the deposits have grown larger each year and when the April, 1912 statement was issued it showed a total of approximately $132,000, the capital and surplus at the same time being $20,000. This bank occupies a fine brick building in the center of town. The building was arranged especially for banking purposes and contains modern, up-to-date fixtures. The latest style Manganese steel vault assures the safety of all money and valuables left at this bank. All the safeguards that are usually found in a progressive banking establishment are maintained by this establislhnent, and in addition to this the deposits are guaranteed by the Bank Depositors' Guaranty Fund of the State of Kansas. This is a strictly home institution, all the stock in the bank being owned by men who have made this section of Kansas one of the most important in the state. The officers of this bank are men who stand high in the commercial and financial life of Barton County and are known for their progressive methods and public spiritedness. Customers of this bank are granted every accommodation that is consistent with safe banking methods. The officers of this bank are: H. H. Woodbury, president; D. R. Logan, vice-president; F. C. Woodbury, cashier. The directors are: W. H. Bowman, T. H. Brewer, G. F. Spreier, George Smith, George Washer, D. R. Logan, and H. H. Woodbury. This bank has won its high standing in the county by conducting a general banking business according to the most approved methods, and by making of the establishment a bank for all the people of the territory adjacent to Pawnee Rock.
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PAWNEE ROCK STATE BANK
[IMAGE]Pawnee Rock State Bank
BARTON County is noted for its sound, substantial banking institutions and there is none that stands better with the people of the county than the Pawnee Rock State Bank which was organized in August, 1901. It was the first bank in the town and was made possible by E. R. and G. N. Moses, Robert Merten, Peter Bloom, Charles Gano, J. T. Kell, M. E. Heynes and other well men who took a leading part in the commercial life of the county. All of the organizers with the exception of the first two named are pioneers of Pawnee Rock while the Moses Brothers helped develop that part of the county lying closely adjacent to Great Bend. The bank was organized with a capital of $5,000, which has been increased to $25,000 from the earnings and not by assessment of the stockholders. It now has a surplus of $3,000 and deposits of approximately $95,000. The bank has grown steadily since it was organized and has galned the confidence of its patrons by square deal methods and untiring efforts in meeting every demand made upon it by customers. The bank occupies a fine brick building on the Main street. It has a modern steel lined vault, which contains the latest improved Manganese steel safe and as additional protection the bank is equipped with an electric burglar alarm system which renders it absolutely impregnable to burglars. On top of all this the depositors in this bank are secured by the Bank Depositors' Guaranty Fund of the State of Kansas. This bank offers exceptional advantages to new depositors. It pays liberal interest on savings and time deposits and grants to customers every favor that is in keeping with safe banking methods. These features have made this bank popular with the people of Pawnee Rock and vicinity and is a great aid in teaching the young people that the only dollars worth two hundred cents are those saved in youth. The officers of this bank are: E. R. Moses, president; Peter Bloom, vice-president; A. Dring, cashier and A. S. Gross, assistant cashier. The directors are E. R. Moses, Jr., J. T. Kell, E. R. Moses, Peter Bloom and Robert Merten. All of these are men who enjoy the utmost confidence of the people of Barton County as they are among the men who made this county one of the best in the State of Kansas and are well and favorably known in the commercial and financial life of the state. This bank has en-
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joyed its growth from the fact that it is a home institution officered and owned by home people and conducted for the people of Pawnee Rock and this section of the county. The success of this bank is due to the enterprise of its stockholders and officers who have gained the confidence of the people.
GRANT LIPPINCOTT
ONE of the well known newspaper men of Western Kansas, and one who is always working for the interests of his paper and the town in which it is published is Grant Lippincott, publisher and proprietor of the Pawnee Rock Herald. Grant, as he is best known, was born in Atchison County, Kansas, February 7, 1884; his father being J. H. Lippincott who had a great deal to do with making the history of Grant's home county until 1893 when he went to Oklahoma where he now resides. Grant came to Barton County in 1904 and established the paper known as the Herald, in Pawnee Rock and s!nce that time has taken an active part in the affairs of his town and county. He learned the printing trade in Hutchinson where he spent four years as an employee of the Hutchinson News. He is an expert printer, a brilliant writer and stands for the principles which he thinks are best for the majority. He was married September 2, 1908, to Miss Myrtle L. Woelk whose parents live seven miles southeast of Pawnee Rock and are old timers of that section of the state.
[IMAGE]The Editorial Twins
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Grant Lippincott, Proprietor of The Pawnee Rock Herald
Grant and his wife are naturally proud of their twin boys, Virgil Alvus and Wilbur Alfred. They were born August 25, 1910, and are children of whom anybody could be proud. Mr. Lippincott has been a member of the city council and has also served the town as clerk for two terms. He is a prominent member of the Masonic order, and belongs to the lodge at Larned. He is also a member of the Great Bend Lodge of Elks, is a Knight of Pythias and a member of the Yeoman lodge. He is an enterprising and progressive citizen and took an active part in the work that finally resulted in having Pawnee Rock, or what remains of it, in 1912, preserved as a historic point on the old Santa Fe Trail. Since he came to Pawnee Rock he has done a great deal to further the interests of the town not only through the columns of his newspaper but by his personal efforts.
THOMAS HENDERSON BREWER
THOMAS HENDERSON BREWER was born October 5, 1844, in Morgan County, Indiana. He left there when he was twelve years of age and went to Iowa with his parents where he remained until the family came to Kansas in 1857. They first located in Nemaha County where the elder Brewer engaged in farming. In September, 1862 Mr. Brewer enlisted in the 13th Kansas regiment and was a member of Co. G. He served throughout the war and in addition to service that was most active in Arkansas and Missouri he took part in the battle of Prairie Grove one of the big engagements in the State of Arkansas. Shortly after the war he went to Nebraska where he remained for seven years. In the fall of 1876 he came to Barton County and located at Great Bend where he engaged in the blacksmlthing business. He was there for two years and in the spring of 1878 he purchased railroad land in Pawnee Rock township, buying the southeast quarter of section 23. He farmed until a short time ago when he retired and now occupies one of the nicest residences in Pawnee Rock. He was married December 22, 1867 to Miss Margaret E. Cummins of Nemaha County and they are the parents of six children: Ora A., 41 years of age, is now in Helena, Ok.; Eunice, 39 years of age, is now Mrs. Albert Lile of Pawnee Rock; Emma, 38 years of age, is now Mrs. Charles Ross also of Pawnee Rock; Charles, 36 years of age, is living at Pryor, Oklahoma; Maggie, 31 years of age is now Mrs. H. E. Purlee of Red Bluff, California; Jessie, 29 years of age, is Mrs. C. T. Belt and resides a short distance north of Pawnee Rock. Mr. Brewer owns a half section of land well improved in this county and a half interest in a half section in Hodgeman County. He is one of the directors of the Farmers and Merchants Bank and owns in addition to his residence another house and lot in the west part of town. Mr. Brewer takes an active part in all public matters and was probate judge of this county from 1890 to 1895. His residence contains eight rooms in addition to bath, closets, pantries, etc. Mr. Brewer is one of the best known men in this part of the state and has done a great deal in developing the resources of the county and making of Pawnee Rock one of the important towns of the county. He is one of the really old timers who saw this county grow from an almost barren waste to its present high state of cultivation.
NEWTON PHILLIP SMITH
[IMAGE]Threshing Outfit of Newt. Smith, Taken in the Early 8O's
NEWTON PHILLIP SMITH was born September 7, 1856, in Woodford County, Kentucky. He remained in his native state until he was fifteen years of age at which time he came to Barton County. This was in 1872 and he saw the county grow from an abode of buffalo and Indians to its present high state of cultivation. After he had been here a few years be pre-empted a claim of 80 acres in section 10, Pawnee Rock township and also the same amount of land in section 25 of the same township. He ran a threshing machine and farmed for a number of years and in 1890 established a blacksmithing and repairing shop in Pawnee Rock. This is the pioneer shop of that section of the county and the work that is turned out there is known all over the county as the best that can be obtained. It was while he was constable, an office that he held for several years that he broke up the Taylor gang of outlaws and horse thieves. This gang, led by George Taylor,
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terrorized this section of the country for a long time until Mr. Smith took up their trail, and finally located them south of Fort Supply where he rounded up the gang and recovered a number of horses belonging near Pawnee Rock. This was one of the most desperate gangs that ever infested this part of the state and before they were captured it was necessary to kill their leader. For this excellent work Mr. Smith received many words of praise and the heartfelt thanks of the entire community. He also served as city marshal of Pawnee Rock an office in which he made a most enviable record. He was married in 1878 to Miss Mary Jane Lile and they are the parents of four children: Edwin G., 33 years of age, a contractor and builder who has built some of the finest buildings in Pawnee Rock among them being the school building and all the good buildings in the town; Garfield, 32 years of age, aids his father in the blacksmith shop and is a skilled workman; Earl, 25 years of age, is manager of the Rock Mill and Elevator Company's interests in Great Bend; Blaine, 28 years of age, is a clerk in one of the biggest stores in Pawnee Rock. Mr. Smith has always been an enterprising and progressive citizen and is one of the really old timers of this section of the state and has had no small part in making of Barton County one of the best in the State of Kansas.
JAMES H. FLICK
IF the men who have taken an active part in the upbuilding of Pawnee Rock and the development of Barton County none is better known than the subject of this sketch, James H. Flick. Mr. Flick was born October 10, 1851, in Lycoming County, Pa. When he was thirteen years old the family moved to Illinois where James remained for twenty years. He came from there to Barton County in 1887. He took up a homestead and bought land near Pawnee Rock and at once took a part in the development of the county's resources. His old home is now known as the Fish place, he having disposed of all his farming interests several years ago when he moved to Pawnee Rock and went into the hotel business, and it is safe to say that there is no hotel in the state that is better known than the Rock Hotel of Pawnee Rock. He still owns the hotel building but gave up the operating of it six years ago. In addition to the hotel Mr. Flick owns a nice residence and considerable other town property. He was married in Illinois to Miss Sarah Keith. They had two children, Daniel and Florence, the latter of whom is dead. Mr. Flick survived his first wife and in 1884 was married to Miss Sarah David and to this union there were born seven children all of whom are deceased except Jessie who is now living in Pawnee Rock. Mr. Flick has always been one of the leading citizens of Pawnee Rock and has had a great deal to do with its upbuilding and making it one
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Transcribed from Biographical history of Barton County, Kansas. ; Illustrated. Published by Great Bend Tribune, Great Bend, KS : 1912. 318 p. : ill. ; 28 cm. Transcribed by Carolyn Ward, July 2006.
