Barber County Kansas

Journal of Samuel Slack, Jr.

Transcribed and contributed by C.J. Laird

"Taken from a photocopy of the Samuel Slack journal. Journal kept from about 1827 with backdated entries between 1827 and 1845, and was continued until Slack passed in 1909. Entries pertinent to Barber county are included - these are dates from the time frame of about 1880 to 1887 (1887 is the place where I have stopped transcribing temporarily). Entries continue for Barber co. until sometime around 1892-1895.

Excerpts from Journal of Samuel Slack Jr. (1827-1909) Transcribed mostly "as writ" by the keeper of the journal, complete with spelling errors - illegible entries are noted with "??" or "___?" Entries I have guessed at are in ( ) brackets.

April 1873 - Slack's family arrived in Reno county kansas from iowa. (Note, along with T. S. Scoresby, Slack was one of 1st 2 families to settle in Troy Township, Reno county KS.)"

-- C.J. Laird, posted on the RootsWeb message board: Barber County, Kansas, 01 July 2007.

1886 map of Barber County, Kansas
Shown are: Amber, Canema, Elm Mills, Kiowa, Lake City,
Lodi, Medicine Lodge, Painted Post, Sexton and Sun City.

Excerpts from the Journal of Samuel Slack, Jr.

Annotations by Jerry Ferrin

3-27-1880 I tuck a claim in Barber co. Kans

Barber County was NOT settled under the provisions of the Homestead Act. Barber County is part of the Osage Diminished Reserve Lands. For more information, see: The Osage Diminished Reserve Lands.

4-30-1880 I moved to Barber co Kans

11-14-1880 I moved to the big dug out

6 26-1880 Edith Scorsbey born

4-22-1881 Even Slack of Spring Creek born

5-16-1881 C W Slack and Lizey Rose married

7-2-1881 Garfield shot

"On July 2, 1881, President James Garfield was shot two times while waiting for a train at a train station. His assassin, Charles Guiteau, a lawyer who’s application to be the U. S. ambassador to France was denied, turned himself in immediately after the shooting." -- americanhistory.about.com

7-4-1881 Celebrated the 4th in (faxans grase)

7-28-1881 Edney Slack of Barber co Kansas born

11-21-1881 William King and Sarah Slack married

12-9-1881 Grace Scorsbey of Troy (twp) Kansas died

1-1-1882 Wm Graves and wife WM King and wife were here

1-16-1882 two inches of sno high wind

Samuel Slack, Jr. made many references to "sno" (snow) in his journal. For a collection of news articles and personal accounts of blizzards in the area, see Blizzards in Barber County and Comanche County, Kansas

1-30-1882 big sno in barber co kansas

2-2-1882 to graves birthday party in barber co. Kansas

2-8-1882 Charles and Lee Briley traded horses

2-18-1882 big sno and sleet thunder and lightning Barber co

3-8-1882 sno storm 3 inches in barber co. Kansas

3-17-1882 Hank Graves got shot in the thigh

3-31-1882 Logans prairire fier

4-5-1882 Big rain, high wind from the south

4-14-1882 North wind, rain and some ice, froze 1/2 inch

4-15-1882 But littel grass white frost

4-28-1882 Big rain, hard wind

5-2-1882 sold, Mr. Cox a timber claim

5-8-1882 thunderstorm, hard wind

5-11-1882 Mr. Cox of langdon Reno co. Kansas killed

5-18-1882 sold miet on sod southe east

6-7-1882 planted corne on sod south east

6-12-1882 Big rain, high watter

6-15-1882 Charles and Lizey's, Slack's first baby born

6-17-1882 Warm day, thermometer 93 deg's

6-29-1882 the Roundup at Logans

7-1-1882 planted potatoes the secent crop

7-13-1882 stock dance in the lodge

7-14-1882 Clintey Jenks Goerge of Netherland berried

7-15-1882 Big storm, sum hail, wind northeast

6-17-1882 Big storm, hi watter, sum hail

8-5-1882 Big show in hutchinson kansas

9-1-1882 John Tharp came to Barber co. for me

9-8-1882 to hutchinson on mares trial as a witness

9-12-1882 George Scoresby was berried in hutchinson

10-2-1882 ulu maxson of barber co. killed by lighting

The Work of Lightning, Barber County Index, 6 Oct 1882. (Ulysses G. Maxon, a 19 year old cowboy, was struck and killed by lightning.)

10-18-1882 Blazing star or comet 60 days in the east

"The Great Comet of 1882 formally designated C/1882 R1, 1882 II, and 1882b, was a comet which became very bright in September 1882. It was a member of the Kreutz Sungrazers, a family of comets which pass very close to the Sun's surface at perihelion. The comet was bright enough to be visible next to the sun in the daytime sky at its perihelion." -- The Great Comet of 1882, Wikipedia.

11-16-1882 Sno storm in Barber co. kan

11-28-1882 Sarah Kings first born

12-6-1882 A transet of venus through the sun, cold wind in afternoon

1-4-1883 the turkey diner and dance in barber

1-8-1883 Lizey went to iowa to see her father

1-21-1883 uncle charley went to charles slacks to stay

1-27-1883 moved colcord's house to prat co. kansas

1-20-1883 cold stormey day, thermometer 17

1-27-1883 caner brown moved to kingman from barber co.

1-30-1883 Big sno storm in barber co, kansas

2-3-1883 Sno storm, high wind, Nort

2-4-1883 thermomater 20, wind in the north

2-9-1883 craven sold his cattel to colcord for $2,2.50

2-25-1883 Scot Briley moved to barber from Iowa

3-2-1883 Surveyed for Brileys at the holcum mound

3-4-1883 clintey jenks wife beried in Reno co. Kansas

3-16-1883 Big prarie fier north of sand creek

3-18-1883 Storm of ashes, high wind in the north

3-19-1883 Lizey got home from iowa

3-24-1883 Sno storm, wind in the north

3-29-1883 a Dance in the Lodge

3-31-1883 planted potatoes in Barber co.

4-1-1883 James warrens boy was born

4-4-1883 Peter Cooper was 92 years old and died

4-13-1883 hevey thunder, big rain

4-15-1883 grass

4-21-1883 syclone at sun city kansas

WORK OF THE STORM FIEND: Three Mangled and Lifeless Bodies left as mute witnesses of the fury of the Elements. Sun City Swept by a Cyclone., Medicine Lodge Cresset, April 26, 1883.

4-29-1883 rebuilt charley browns house in prat

5-7-1883 moved brown to prat

5-9-1883 closed my field fence, Israel helped

5-12-1883 planted the first corn in barber

5-16-1883 holcum was shot on sand creek

5-26-1883 Scot and Lee Brileys triel with with holcum

5-17-1883 holcum moved to medicine lodge

5-13-1883 syclone in kansas city

5-11-1883 oil fier in jersy city New jersey, loss $1,500.00

6-4-1883 the cane planting day for jeff logan

6-5-1883 Crouch struck with lightning

6-7-1883 mended fence for Brileys

6-12-1883 Scot and Lee Brileys triel

6-13-1883 John Beleys wife of medicine lodge berried

6-13-1883 Jeff Logan was halled to the lodge

6-23-1883 went to Iuka with Brown to prove up

7-4-1883 to Sam Fergusons celebraty on Elum creek

7-8-1883 Mrs Chraughs girl of spring creek born

7-11-1883 juror on the whisky triel of smith in the lodge

7-12-1883 the hot wind in morning, in barber co.

7-13-1883 to kingman with Brown

7-19-1883 Chrauts child died

7-21-1883 Charles brown and wife left kans for Cal

7-23-1883 at hutchinson

7-27-1883 sold turnips

Jef logan of spring creek died

8-1-1883 mason the tree pedler was here

8-16-1883 the birthday partey arived from Reno county

8-17-1883 Birth day and anaversary day in barber co

8-18-1883 in medicine lodge giting pictures taken

9-1-1883 i went to Reno with huldey and Saray

9-2-1883 to troy to graves for diner

9-3-1883 to hom Will King all night

9-4-1883 back to Barber co.

9-11-1883 the logan sail

9-17-1883 paid mrs. logan

10-11-1883 Orlo jenks son charley was born

10-14-1883 first frost in barber co. kans

10-18-1883 ruth graves 3d girl huldey born

11-14-1883 Scot Brileys triel lay over for Holcom

11-18-1883 stayed in hutchinson wteing wateing for uncle

11-20-1883 stayed in hutchinson wteing wateing for uncle

11-21-1883 stayed in hutchinson wteing wateing for uncle

11-22-1883 stayed in hutchinson wteing wateing for uncle

11-23-1883 stayed in hutchinson wteing wateing for uncle

11-24-1883 stayed in hutchinson wteing wateing for uncle

11-25 1883 big low from the north

12-8-1883 Mat and Elmer Jenks married

12-13-1883 the first dance in the Amber schoolhouse

12-16-1883 hester slack my mother, of philipsville canada died

12-19-1883 the first sno in Barber co. kans

12-25-1883 the first festival in the Amber school house

1-1-1884 cold day, north wind, thermometer 20

1-4-1884 big lady dance in the lodge kansas

1-5-184 the first school meeting in Amber, and lee Briley married

1-14-1884 the first school in the Amber school house

1-18-1884 the first sno in Barber co. kans

1-19-1884 Big Blow in the night time

1-20-1884 Israel Slacks secent son Freddy born

1-22-1884 at israels birth day party at the logan house

1-23-1884 big fier west of spring creek, Israel in the both

2-3-1884 hevey thunder, big rain, wind northeast

2-4-1884 snakes and spring birds was seen

2-6-1884 straing sunset a crimson sky for many days

The Great Explosion of the Krakatau ("Krakatoa") Volcano of 26 August 1883 in Indonesia. Dust from the explosion was carried around the world several times by air currents, and created spectacular sunsets reported all around the world.

2-7-1884 one inch of sno

3-1-1884 high wind northeast, Arth mcgoff came to hunt lime

3-3-1884 Arth mcgoff went to town for lumber to bild house

3-5-1884 Elmer Jenks brought some cattel from Reo to Barber

3-7-1884 Scot briley and holcoms trial at the lodge

3-17-1884 surveyed for Mrs. Rose, Chariton Iowa

3-27-1884 A big wind, North west, blu down 2 houses

4-6-1884 suden chaing, a cold wind

4-9-1884 still and cold, a littel gras

4-10-1884 planted potatoes, ice in a tub half inch

4-15-1884 Charles Brown from California to Barber co kans

4-19-1884 Big rain in Barber

4-20-1884 grass for cattel

4-23-1884 frost

4-30-1884 gephart and pain was shot and 4 robers hung in the lodge, Kansas

Attempted Bank Robbery in Medicine Lodge, The Hazelton Express, May 8, 1884.

5-2-1884 pain and 4 robers berried in the lodge Barber co. kan

Biography of E.W. "Wylie" Payne, -- History of the State of Kansas: Counties, Towns and Villages, A.T. Andreas, Chicago, 1883.

Memoirs of Phoebe (Rogers) Gibson: The Early Days of Barber County, Kansas, Barber County Index, May 16, 1929. (Includes her account of the capture of the robbers.)

5-4-1884 gephart of medicine lodge was berried

5-6-1884 filed on my land in Barber

5-8-1884 Scot briley's baby was berried

5-30-1884 Bob Manley proved up on his land in prat kans

6-2-1884 the first train of carrs to kingman

6-7-1884 Enos Gilley of Reno co. was kild by lightning

6-21-1884 William Walis of caselton kansas was berried

6-30-1884 uncle Charley Brown moved to his new house sec 25 t 30 r 12

7-4-1884 hester and arlo jenks came with a sick baby

7-8-1884 israel and El and huldey went to Reno co.

7-15-1884 Charley Jenks son of O S Jenks was berried

8-22-1884 i proved up on my land in barber co kan

For an example of a published legal notice of final proof having been filed for Osage Diminished Reserve Lands, see: LAND RECORDS: Published Notices of Various 1886 & 1887 Transactions in Comanche County, Kansas

8-30-1884 i bought 2 lots of atwood in hutchinson

9-4-1884 i bought 2 lots of freeman in hutchinson

9-16-1884 William Young of Elum mills and Eley Brown married

9-17-1884 Big sho in Hutchinson kan

9-27-1884 George Beyers of Barber co. died

10-4-1884 sold my cows and calfs to Dicken

10-9-1884 frost in Barber, Elmer tuck his cattel to Reno co.

10-10-1884 the fair in hutchinson

11-3-1884 Lee Briley's first boy born

11-4-1884 Finley's girl of barber co born

11-5-1884 Collens of prat co. was shot by Dillen

11-8-1884 Arth McGoff proved up in barber co.

11-9-1884 Collen of prat co. berried

11-18-1884 first sno 1 inch

11-21-1884 Charles tuck my favrite trees to Reno co.

11-22-1884 sno

12-18-1884 Ruth Graves 4th girl born

12-28-1884 to hesters birth day party at Buffalo city

12-30-1884 stayed to jim graves in a big sno storm

1-1-1885 went to Scoresbys in Troy, thermometer 32

1-4-1885 came home to Barber county kansas

1-11-1885 sold the molley mair to Charles Slack

1-15-1885 big sno and high wind in the north Barber co.

1-25-1885 Mrs. White of Barber co. died

1-27-1885 Mrs. Finely of Sand Creek Barber co. died

2-16-1885 Haze of medicine lodge froze, died

2-16-1885 John Huffman of Troy died

2-17-1885 Tom McCollum of troy, reno co. died

2-18-1885 William Jenks of Lerado died

3-28-1885 Jim Warrens first girl born

4-2-1885 Charles slacks secent girl born

4-19-1885 Dianthy Slack of Canada died

4-20-1885 the flood of Barber co. Kan, 22 persons found and berried

The Great Flood of April 21, 1885, Barber County, Kansas. A collection of news articles and a poem about the flood in which 18 people are known to have died.

The Flood, a poem by Scott Cummins, written on April 23, 1885, about the flood of Elm Creek and Medicine River on April 21st, 1885, Barber County, Kansas.

5-7-1885 sno fell 2 inches deep in Barber co

5-10-1885 white frost in Barber co.

5-11-1885 T S Scoresby went to the lodge to prove up

6-16-1885 Hagard's third son was born

6-18-1885 it hailed for 4 hours, some hail was 7 inches round

7-4-1885 i spent the day at T S Scoresby's in Reno county

7-7-1885 Big indian scare in southwestern kansas

Cleveland's proclamation for the cattelmen to leave the country

7-8-1885 Albert Jenks of Lerado Kansas died

7-15-1885 i stay all night at Frank Martens, Lerado

7-16-1885 brought out Nancy to Will Slacks

8-10-1885 Frank Marten sold out to the Lerado Company

8-10-1885 at Jim Graves birth day partey

8-12-1885 i brought Mr. Alerton from Hutchinson to Lerado

8-17-1885 i spent my birth day of 58 years at Orlo Jenks

8-18-1885 Jim Graves got his arm broke shuing a horse

8-19-1885 i took Mr. and Mrs. Alerton to Hutchinson

9-5-1885 Charles and Hester Brown sold their house at Barber

9-11-1885 Old Mrs. Shepler of Medicine Lodge Kans died

9-30-1885 Manervey Chambelin of Canada died

9-17-1885 I bought one ____ of time of Wm King in Hutchinson

9-21-1885 Broght Sarah and Aunt from Troy to Buffalo

10-1-1885 bought 2 lots in Lerado kansas

10-1-1885 Rice? King boy of Buffalo was born

10-9-1885 I moved a house from buffalo to lerado kan

10-11-1885 I moved aunt and uncle Brown's things to Lerado

10-11-1885 Mattie Jenks baby born in Barber co Kan

10-17-1885 Hervey Downings secent boy baby born

10-20-1885 I moved to lerado from Barber co. kansas

10-24-1885 hard rain, high wind, big hail from the sw and thunder

10-29-1885 I moved the post office from Buffalo to Lerado kan

11-11-1885 Will King and Sarah, mother and I came from Barber co.

11-13-1885 mat and elmer with the little babe huldey came ????

12-8-1885 Elmer brought his cattle from Barber to Lerado Kansas

12-8-1885 the first sno storm of the season 6 ins, wind in north

12-4-1885 the bigist blow ever known in Reno co, high winds west

12-23-1885 Charles and Lizzy came from troy to lerado kan

12-24-1885 our children all home to diner in Lerado

12-25-1885 Shober of Hutchinson died

12-25-1885 El merreys child berried in Lerado

12-24-1885 Big dance at Lerado, ???? was there

1-1-1886 the first R__? pr to the lodge, barber co kans

1-1-1886 big storm, the children came from sterling to Lerado

1-3-1886 high wind in the north, drifting sno

1-4-1886 clear and cold, wind in the north

1--1886 wonderful blow and sno storm all the day and night

1-8-1886 thermometer 9 below zero, wind in the north, left for Barber

1-9-1886 thermometer 8 below zero, Israel??, Will, Elmer left

1-10-1886 thermomeber 4, meeting in the hall Pier Cole

1-11-1886 cold, wind s-e, 2 inches of sno this morning, zero vis

1-12-1886 at O S Jenks for O Jins birth day partey, clear cold

1-14-1886 wind 2-e-rain and sleet, then sno 3 inches

1-15-1886 north wind - snoing fast, thermometer 4 below z

1-21-1886 Harvey Downings boy of Lerado died

1-28-1886 I stayed to Halkins all night in Prat county

1-29-1886 I got to Israel Slacks in Barber county kan

2-2-1886 a wonderful sno and blo in barber co.

2-8-1886 william king settled a difacultey with stiles

2-20-1886 israel's babe Caroline, born, barber co. kans

2-20-1886 spring birds

3-5-1886 big ecips on the sun

12-15-1885 Haneret and orens boy born

3-22-1886 howerd fetty filed on 40 acres of land in barber

3-12-1886 will king and sarah went to Reno co kans

3-25-1886 gorge fett's boy mike born

april 1886 Viney McCallum died

5-31-1886 Deceration Day I was in hutchinson

6-3-1886 I went to Mt. hope in Sedgwick co kans

6-5-1886 went to Lerado witn minnerva Dudley

6-8-1886 tuck diner with james Ranels of Arlington

6-12-1886 I went to Mcpherson with O S Jenks

6-16-1886 got back to lerado with Jenks

6-21-1886 I went to Charles Slacks in barber co. Kans

6-30-1886 mother's birth day partey at Charles Slacks barber co.

7-4-1886 I spent the day in medicine lodge kans

7-10-1886 Charles Slacks boy Guy born

7-10-1886 Scoresby's house burnt

8-31-1886 Railroad election in Lerado Kan

9-6-1886 mother went to Troy with Fred Scoresby

9-7-1886 Lerado bank started

9-10-1886 two men killed falling from a watter tower

9-3-1886 Israel's babe was berried in barber co

9-27-1886 big wind and rain, did some damage in Barber

9-28-1886 a light frost in Barber co.

10-25-1886 ice froze in Decater co (Iowa)

10-16-1886 Rosey Ely and Mattie's babe berried

11-3-1886 I moved from Lerado to Hutchinson Kan

11-11-1886 first sno 2 ins in Hutchinson, Sam Teters here

11-12-1886 my pension papers and discharge was burt in lerado

11-16-1886 I plastered my house in Hutchinson

11-22-1886 Mam King got to Hutchinson from moun city

11-24-1886 Will King and sarey moved from Lerado to Hutchinson

11-25-1886 I sold 2 lots in hutchinson to W M Stover

11-5-1886 Lodema Gedson of Canada died

11-29-1886 the oil house in Hutchinson burnt

12-8-1886 I applied for a pension, and commenced to build a house in Hutchinson

The type of pension commonly being applied for at the time was for Civil War service. It would be interesting to learn if Samuel Sharp, Jr., was a Civil War veteran.

12-14-1886 Uncle Charley and Aunt went to Butler co.

1-4-1887 Israel and Elly came from Barber to Hutchinson

1-5-1886 Israel went to Recksroads dance

1-5-1887 Uncle and aunt came to Hutchinson from Butler co.

1-7-1887 Big storm, north wind, israel went to Scoresbys

1-11-1887 Left hutchinson for Barber co, stayed at troy and lerado

1-13-1887 Will Depenbaugh and Suse Eley married
*transcription to be continued as time allows*

Also see:

Elm Mills Township Map, Barber County, Kansas
From Standard Atlas of Barber County, Kansas, 1905. Courtesy of Kim Fowles.

Samuel Slack, Jr., KSHS reference

"Married: Last Saturday Judge Hardy issued a license for the marriage of Lee Briley to Lucy Provin and on Sunday, October 3rd, performed the ceremony at his - the Judge's - residence." -- The Medicine Lodge Cresset, 22 October 1886.

The death of James E. Slack of Elm Mills Township, aged 19, of consumption, took place between March 1, 1896 and March 1, 1897. Reported in The Medicine Lodge Cresset, 4 June 1897.

Sam. Slack came to Barber County, Kansas, in 1879, according to “Old Timers’ Picnic", an article in The Medicine Lodge Cresset on 11 August 1887.

"A big time is expected at the old settlers’ picnic at Furgason’s grove, on Friday, September 16th, 1887. Everybody invited. The following is a list of those in attendance last year, and at the coming meeting everyone in attendance will be expected to sign the roll."

The following list includes the year each settler arrived in Barber County, Kansas:

J.R. Brown - 1879, Ellen Butcher - 1879, P. Butcher - 1879, E.P. Caruthers - 1882, Alice Chadwick - 1875, J.A. Chadwick - 1875, Jas. Chadwick - 1886, Jas. Crouch - 1876, J.A. Dentoff - 1877, S.T. Dickerson - 1875, E.J. Douglass - 1884, W.C. Douglass - 1884, H.P. Ebert - 1884, L.M. Field - 1879, S.K.W. Field - 1879, Jacob Fishback - 1885, Jennie Furgason - 1874, S.A. Furgason - 1874, E.C. Grigsby - 1885, J.W. Kerr - 1884, Isabella A. Lee - 1879, Jas. H. Lee - 1879, A.B. McCormick - 1885, Jerome McVay - 1875, J.G. Moore - 1872, S. Palmer - 1885, S.F. Patton - 1878, J.M. Regin - 1875, Sam. Slack - 1879, I.W. Stout - 1880, C.C. Teagle - 1884, James Tufts - 1883, J.W. Upperman - 1872, J.H. Wheat - 1879, Mary H. Wheat - 1879, Ed. Williams - 1878, Mattie Williams - 1878, W.H. Zenor - 1881.

"Married: Ethan A. Pryor, of Kingman county, and Laura I. Logan, of Barber county, secured a license to marry from Probate Judge Edwards on last Saturday and on Sunday, November 16th, were legally wed by Judge W.H. Slack. May joy keep them companion through life." -- The Medicine Lodge Cresset, 21 November 1890.

"Married: At the home of the bride in Elm Mills township, on Sunday, March 10, Frank L. Gordon and Myrtle Riggins were joined in wedlock by Probate Judge Lacy. Mr. Gordon is a young school teacher of the county, and his bride is the second daughter of William Riggins. The Cresset joins their friends in wishing them every joy. After the ceremony, forty-three guests partook of the bountiful dinner provided for the occasion. The young couple will reside in Attica where Mr. Gordon will engage in the mercantile business. Among the testimonials of regard given them were a table cloth by Alex and Mrs. Means; cake stand, Alfred Jackson; fruit and sauce dishes, Lola McCullough; syrup pitcher, Ethel Slack; tureen, W.M. Riggins; salt box, Edgar Jackson; knives and forks, Mr. and Mrs. Mather; set of hand painted sauce dishes, Clara and Harry Means; berry dish, Romie Jackson; bread plate, Ervin Slack; lamp, George Riggins; linen towels, Mr. and Mrs. James Chadwick; butter dish, Annie Riggins; toothpick holder, Carrie Jackson; set of glasses, Maudie and Roy Riggins; sauce dishes, Mr. and Mrs. J.O. Warren; cups and saucers, Lola Riggins; orange dish, Clarence Means; set of plates, Mr. and Mrs. D. Jackson." -- The Medicine Lodge Cresset, 15 March 1901.

Message posted by C.J. Laird on Barber County, Kansas, Rootsweb message board, approx. 30 July 2007:

A family diary kept by an ancestor of my husband (who lived in Medicine Lodge area 1880-1888) has some interesting entries:

Diary has references to (1) doing a survey on March 2nd 1883 for Briley at "Holcom Mound", (2) on May 16, 1883 a note that "Holcum" was shot, and (3) on May 26, 1883, Scot and Lee Briley were accused of the shooting and taken to trial. There are trial references in the diary until sometime around 7 March 1884 or after. How was that resolved? Were the Briley family associated with the Comanche Pool?

Diary also shows a date of 20 Apr 1885, "the flood of Barber county Kansas, 22 persons found and buried." Were any of these flood victims identified? Where were the burials conducted?

Looking for marriage or area records of residence on John Middleton & Maria or Louise Colcord in December 1879, and for anyone named Briley to a spouse named Colcord between 1880 and 1886.

Is there anyone who has any way to help prove these diary notes and verify marriages in the area? Thank you.

===============

To C.J. Laird from Jerry Ferrin 01 July 2007:

For news articles and a list of the 18 people who died in Barber County, Kansas, in the Great Flood of 1885, see: ~RW Files//flood_1885.html The Paddock family who perished in the flood are buried in the Paddock cemetery: ~RW Files//cem_paddock.html

Other flood victims are buried in Highland Cemetery in Medicine Lodge.

For information on the Comanche Pool, see:

~https://usgenwebsites.org/KSComanche/ comanche_pool.html

I don't recall seeing a reference to a Briley in connection with the Comanche Pool, but I have never seen a listing of all the many, many men employed by or associated with the pool. Note the links on the preceding page to pages about the Colcord who was a cattleman.

For information on locating records in Barber County, Kansas, see:

~RW Files//records.html

You may want to contact the author of this book: "Born, Married, Died or Buried in Barber County, Kansas." This book is being written by Karen McClellan based on her database of 32,000 people connected with Barber County. Karen McClellan's e-mail address is cootsmail@aol.com .

I do not know for certain, but suspect that Holcom Mound is a feature in the Red Hills near Medicine Lodge.

A listing of microfilmed newspapers from the time period of interest to you is available on the following page:

~RW Files//newspapers.html The microfilms are available through interlibrary loan from the Kansas State Historical Society.

Would you be interested in contributing a transcription of the diary for use on the Barber County, Kansas: History and Genealogy website?

If so, please see the Contributor's Guidelines for the site:

~RW Files//guide_contributors.html

You can find my e-mail address on the following page:

~RW Files//ferrin.html

Jerry Ferrin

===============

from C.J. Laird to Jerry Ferrin, 01 July 07.

I only did a copy-paste & sent you what pertained to Barber co. - complete up to the last entry when my fingers finally wore out earlier (there's still more to do). I'd been at it for over two hours when I quit to go help work on a rental cleanup. There's more of the earlier dates of the journal posted on my worldconnect gedcom page. Easiest way to find it is to go straight to the file name - cjlaird - and navigate through the index. As I continue with transcribing, I will upload changes from time to time.

Some other names that I've been working on have also turned up in Barber co. - Scoresby, Slack, Jenks, Graves, Colcord, Middleton, etc. Two of T.S. & Caroline Scoresby's kids married 2 of Samuel & Lousia Slack's kids - my husband is desc. from a 3rd Slack sibling. A Scoresby daughter (Harriet or Hattie) married Charlie Colcord, possibly in Barber county, so I've acquired quite a bit on Wm R Colcord and his children as well, in my attempt to build a research base & try to document the who-where-when (b-m-d vitals & names of spouse & children) pertaining to the Scoresby & Slack descendants. What I hadn't counted on was getting so interested in the Comanche Pool.

Presently I'm curious about whether I can find anyone who really knows what happened to this John Middleton, a guy with a reputation of being a Texan who cowboy'd for the Pool for a while & reportedly was chummy with Billy the Kid. He is supposed to have married Mariah Louise Colcord (Mariah H Colcord?) in Dec. 1879 when she was 15 or 16 - and then later she's listed in 1885 on the census with the name Briley, living in Kingman with her parents, which is why I'm interested in the Briley family.

Thanks for the information you've sent - I'll look forward to hearing from you again. My other e-mail is jglass7 (at) cox (dot) net if you want to contact me directly.

===============

1895 Kansas State Census, Barber County, Elm Mills Township,
Volume 14, page 6:
Slack, Ethel M - Age 8, Female, White, Birthplace: Kansas

Slack, James E - Age 17, Male, White, Birthplace: Kansas

Slack, Julia E - Age 37, Female, White, Birthplace: Tennessee

Slack, William H - Age 48, Male, White, Birthplace: Iowa

Slack, William I - Age 13, Male, White, Birthplace: Kansas

Thanks to C.J. Laird for transcribing this journal and contributing it to this web site.

Last Updated:

Barber County Kansas

Journal of Samuel Slack, Jr.

Excerpts from the Journal of Samuel Slack, Jr.

Barber County Home page