In the spring of 1883 the Baptists organized a Sunday-school at the Hawkins school-house, in District No. 92, where it was conducted until their church building was erected at Kingston, when it was removed to that place. In 1887 the church was moved to Edna, and of course the Sunday-school with it. The school has had the following superintendents: J. Reasor, Rev. G.H. Goodwin, Julius Goodwin, J.H. Reasor, J. Reasor, Rev. T.M. Cooper, G.W. Reasor and Lewis Goodwin.
History of Labette County and Representative Citizens; Edited and Compiled by Hon. Nelson Case; Chicago, Illinois: 1901, p. 313-4

On Feb. 2, 1872, Rev. F. L. Walker, of Oswego. assisted in organizing what was then called the Mount Zion Baptist church. Services were held in the Lieb schoolhouse in District No. 85, and also in other of the school-houses in that part of the county. In the fall of 1883 work was commenced on a church building in Kingston; the following summer it was finished and dedicated. The town of Kingston having been abandoned and the business consolidated with Edna on the completion of the railroad, in 1886, this church building was removed to Edna. The following have served as pastors of this church: George Richardson, four years; George H. Goodwin, four years; W.G. Slinker, sixteen years; C.T. Floyd, two years; -----Foster, one year; J.S. Harvey, since 1899.
History of Labette County and Representative Citizens; Edited and Compiled by Hon. Nelson Case; Chicago, Illinois: 1901, p.332-3

Kingston
Kingston was located on sections 31 and 32, in township 34, and sections 5 and 6, in township 35, range 19. It was started in the summer of 1877 by the erection of a flour mill by Eastwood and Reamer. Soon after Mr. Jones started a blacksmith shop; Thomas Bruner put in a drug store; Aaron Humes a broom factory; Anderson & Weaver a general merchandise store; C.W. Campbell was postmaster, as well as physician; S.E. Ball was the only lawyer. In 1879 the engine was sold out of the mill, and thereafter was not put in again. The place continued more or less prosperous until the construction of the railroad through the southern portion of the county, in 1886, when it was abandoned and united with Edna.
History of Labette County and Representative Citizens; Edited and Compiled by Hon. Nelson Case; Chicago, Illinois: 1901, page 120

Edna
On June 20, 1876, Mr. Booth and Alex. Patterson opened a general store in a claim shanty 11 by 14 feet, belonging to Jeptha Lackey, on the northeast one-fourth of a section 30, in Elm Grove township. This was the first start of the town of Edna. The same fall this firm brought from the town of Chanute the material of a frame building which they had torn down, and with it they put up at Edna, on the same quarter, the first store building in the place. This building still stands. They continued to conduct the business until 1879, when they sold to Frank Clark. Other stores were opened from time to time. In 1883 Dunlap & Co. started a hardware store, but there were no very important enterprises started or any large amount of building done until construction of the railroad through there in 1886, with the exception of the flour mill, which was erected in 1883 by H.S. Wimmer and William Gear. This mill was put in operation in the spring of 1884, and has ever been one of the most substantial features of Edna's prosperity. The town was not regularly laid off until the location of the railroad, in the summer of 1886. A plat of the town embracing a portion of sections 29 and 30, township 34, range 19, was filed August 21, 1886.

Fires
There have two quite extensive fires in Edna: one on February 13, 1889, on the west side of Delaware street, burning out the business houses of G.W. Reasor, W.P. Dollar and Josiah Arnold; the other in December, 1891, on the east side of Delaware street, consuming the business houses of Frank Martin, Frank Holton, L. Powell, Alexander Dunlap and C.M. Rinker.

Stone and Brick Buildings
There are two stone buildings in Edna, the first being the two-story bank building erected by C.T. Ewing in 1887, and the second, a one-story structure adjoining it, erected by G.W. Reasor in 1891. There have also been erected three fine brick store buildings, on in 1894, and two in 1899, two of them being two stories in height, and the other one-story.

Elevator and Mill
As previously stated, a flouring mill was located here about the time the town was started. In 1899 a large elevator was erected.

Government
On the application of its citizens an order was made by the board of county commissioners on July 3, 1892, incorporating the town as a city of the third class, and on July 20 its first election was held, at which the following officers were elected: Mayor, J.H. Hoole; police judge, J.H. Reasor; councilmen G.W. Reasor, T.G. Harris, H.H. Clark, A.C. Veach and J.C. Arnold. The first meeting of the mayor and council was held July 25, 1892, at which J.E. Blunk was appointed and confirmed as city clerk.

On August 9 four ordinances were passed. The first levied an occupation tax on all the various kinds of business conducted there; the second provided for the maintenance of the peace; the third prohibited stock from running at large; and the fourth provided for licensing of dogs.

Since its organization Edna has had the following mayors and city clerks:
Mayors-1892, J.H. Hoole; 1893-96, F.E. Hamilton; 1897, J.E. Blunk; 1898-99, J. H. Hughes; 1900, Dr. J.H. Woodul.
Clerks-1892, J.E. Blunk; 1893-94, A.C. Veach; 1895, W.E. Staige; 1896, E.H. Hughes; 1897, H.H. Clark; 1898, E.C. Fair; 1899, H.H. Clark; 1900, W.E. Staige.

Banks
On January 25, 1887, C.T. Ewing, who was in the banking business at Thayer and Cherryvale, opened the International Bank at Edna, with J.M. Berry, cashier. C.H. Zabriski succeeded Mr. Berry as cashier on November 1, 1888, and continued in charge of the bank until it failed, in May 1892. A state bank under the management of J.H. Lount was opened in September, 1897; in the following June it went into voluntary liquidation. The State Bank of Edna was opened July 21, 1899, with $5,000 capital stock and is doing a prosperous business.
History of Labette County and RepresentativeCitizens; Edited and Compiled by Hon. Nelson Case; Chicago, Illinois: 1901, p.125-126

Thanks to Julie Jack for submitting these historical sketches.   jpjack1@juno.com

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