A Century of Greenwood County, KS History

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

1896

Nine churches in Eureka were reporting their services - Catholic, Presbyterian, Seventh-Day Adventists, Norwegian Lutheran, Congregational, Lutheran, Christian, Methodist and Episcopal. An News came in from Neal, Rising Star, Highland, South Salem, Climax, Union, Utopia, High Valley, Upper Slate, Pleasant View, Fall River, Madison, Ivanpah, Virgil, Severy, Coyville - of course, correspondence was not very regular.

The city jail was fitted for the accommodation of bums who applied for lodging. Previous lodgers had left a few insects known in tramp parlance as "curms." This was more than the regular boarders could stand and they reared and also burned up all the bedding in the jail to rid themselves of the pests.

There were five platform scales on Main street with one more going in - three hay and hog scales in the busiest part of town - all within a space of 400 feet. People were beginning to complain.

The latest business in Eureka was offering a large line of vehicles of every description and an elegant line of harness, saddles, pianos, organs and sewing machines. The Christian Church in Reece was dedicated on August 2. New iron hitch racks were placed around the courthouse square. The prisoners were brought out and given a chance to breathe fresh air while assisting at the work.

1897

The electric light company had removed the two north arc lights on Main street. The council was likely to order the remaining two, north of the Methodist Church, also removed. Frazier's bus was a sure way to reach the depot on time - or so was advertised. Wes Reno had a freight wagon for carefully-done hauling for the public. The Santa Fe ticket office was remodeled and made more commodious. The Eureka Water Mill was running full time, largely due to new machinery purchased by its owner, Mr. Richards.

A new sidewalk was planned to be laid in front of the four lots south of the First National, making a solid cement walk from bank corner to bank corner. The superintendent of schools received $800 per year. The principal of the high school $50 per month. Other teachers received $40 per month - for eight months of school. enrollment for all Eureka schools was 633. Edith Random had 71 in her classroom.

Eureka Lyceum Association was organized in June. The Eureka Creamery opened in June. Hamilton had a new paper, the Hamilton Enterprise. The first issue was published on July 2. A camp of Modern Woodmen was established in Fall River with a membership of 32.

1898

The Severyite had taken over the Fall River Citizen. A couple of printers swapped places in March. George Wood, who had been with the Herald for several months, was setting type at the Union office and Austin Butcher, who had been holding cases at the Union office, was at the Herald. The water trough on the south side of the courthouse square was becoming a financial hazard. Several farmers were filling their barrels from the water available.

Recruits were being solicited to represent Eureka in the U.S. Army in the war against Spain. 125,000 volunteers were called by President McKinley to serve two years. Twenty-nine men went from Eureka with Company H 21st Kansas Infantry and many more were with the 20th Regiment.

The Baptist Church in Hamilton was dedicated April 17. The Christian Church building was sold at auction in June and the new edifice started. Church services were held in the courthouse until its completion.

Two cents would buy a can opener, 25 envelopes, a dozen hair crimpers, a potato masher, a meat fork or a pie pan; and three cents would get you a bottle of ink, a yard of print, a box of face powder, a tooth brush or a dozen hat pins. The Baptist Church was organized in August. A building was erected at Fifth and Elm and dedicated on January 8, 1899.

The Herald went back to an eight-column paper in September. Fall River launched another paper in October "The News." The Severyite had been changed to a seven-column folio. The new Christian Church was dedicated November 27. There were 5,406 children of school age in the county.

Title Page
1899 - 1900

You are the reader since 28 April 1997

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

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