A Century of Greenwood County, KS History - Eureka Herald, 1968

1880

Pleasant Grove township was divided in 1880. The north township was known as Pleasant Grove and the south township was Walnut.

A team was left standing unhitched on Main street while a strong wind was blowing from the south. A pine board extending across the bed of the wagon was used as a seat. The board was loose and a strong puff of wind lifted it and it landed on the back of the animal which was a pony. The other member of the team was a mule. The pony didn't look like he wanted to be surprised but the fact that the salute was so sudden, unexpected and abrupt that he couldn't help it so he struck out. The pony wanted to go up the street while the mule insisted upon the opposite course so there was a conflict of counsel and muscle. The team was finally stopped by onlookers. Moral - always hitch your seat.

Money was plentiful in Greenwood County. Nye and Seidle were loaning it at eight and nine per cent interest.

The Wool Growers Association of Greenwood County was organized in April.

Severy was organized as a city of the third class in March and changed the name to Gould City. The newspaper was changed to the Could City News from the Severy Leader.

Emporia celebrated the formal opening of its new Holly Water Works in June, the first in the state. We hope Emporia may find her $50,000 a profitable investment. When Eureka gets old enough and big enough and strong enough, we hope we may go and do likewise.

In July, 1880, a freight train of 22 cars loaded with coal and ties on the was from Gould City (Severy) to Emporia got beyond the control of the engineer while coming down a grade 12 miles south of Eureka, resulting in the demolition of 11 cars and contents, breaking cross ties and fails for a distance of a mile. There was some intimations that the engineer was drunk, but is was later ascertained that he was a sober, temperate man of good standing.

The Chicago Lumber Co. was selling coal for 20 cents per bushel.

The Republicans of Eureka organized a club known as the "Garfield and Arthur Club of Eureka."

Gould City had four saloons whose receipts were from $15 to $40 per day.

A large number of cattle had died from what was thought to be Texas fever.

B.B. Finch moved his store to Gould City in September.

The post office at Climax was re-established in October with George Mitchell as postmaster.

A Republican rally was held in Gould City in October. Two large passenger coaches loaded to capacity left Eureka for the 40-minute train ride to Gould City. The engine was decorated with flags and the colored band freely tested its power and tone enroute to the rally. The drum and fife bank of Eureka also enlivened matters.

The colored ladies of Eureka gave a supper at the courthouse for the purpose of raising funds to buy uniforms for the colored brass band.

Several antelope hunts were held in Greenwood County.

A telegraph line from Emporia was completed to Eureka and the first message was sent on November 27, 1779.

Ice houses were being filled during the winter with clear slabs of ice, six inches thick. The winter was generous in its frigid contribution.

There was an extreme shortage of coal during the winter.

Title Page
1881


You are the reader since 28 April 1997

Used by permission of the Eureka Herald 1997, for the KSGenWeb Project

Copyright ©1997  Debbie Wafford / SLC, Utah   drwaff@mail.aros.net

The KSGenWeb logo is copyrighted for the exclusive use of the KSGenWeb Project for display on official KSGenWeb Pages only. Unauthorized use of the contents of this page for profit/commercial ventures is expressly prohibited.

Home to Greenwood County


Home Page for the
Kansas State Library
Search all of Blue Skyways
including
The KSGenWeb Project