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Chase County Kansas Historical
Sketches
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HOMESTEAD
Homestead is one of the smallest townships
located in the southwest corner of Chase County.
It's surface slopes to the south being 10 miles from
north to south, six miles wide at the north end and
five miles at the south end. The jog of one mile
being just half way down its western border. It's
never failing springs head three creeks; Brush,
Cedar, and Coon. Approximately 20% of the land
is under cultivation and 80% is still grass land.
.Many Cattle graze these beautiful flint hills. Most
of the township is owned by local residents and
many are descendants of pioneer settlers here.
Its name is derived from the Homestead Post
Office, which was established in this community
in 1872. This office was located at S16-T21-Range
6 and was first known as the Walnut Hill office.
Mail was brought every other day out of Cottonwood
Falls. Mrs. Hattie Brown was postmaster in 1877
and also had a small grocery store at this location.
Today our mail is brought to our doors from
Cedar Point at an early hour delivery each day
excluding Sunday.
The first school, district 50, organized in
1885 was named Homestead. The first teacher was
Emmie Harrison. Salary for three months of school
was $33.33 a month or $100 for the term. It consolidated with the Clements school district in 1952.
The last teacher was Floyd Dunlap.
Mars Hill School organized in 1888 was originally a part of Homestead District. They put up a
stiff fight to get the district divided and came out
victorious with the original number of the school
District 27. G.B. Seaman taught the first term of
4 months with a $35.00 per month salary.
Jessie Buchman was the last teacher.
Look Out, District 29, was built on a hill and
commanded a splendid view in all directions. It was
also organized in 1888. Carrie Burnett was the
first teacher with $35.00 a month salary. Mars Hill
and Look Out dissolved into the school of Cozy
Nook: Francis (Mounkes) Thompson, who resides in
the Homestead community today, was the last teacher of Cozy Nook. Then the school consolidated in
Matfield Green system on March 3, 1947.
Morris School District 29, was named for William Morris, one of the oldest settlers in this township. It consolidated with Matfield Green on May
9, 1949. Mary Coryell received $30.00 per month
for the four months term. Mrs. Hazel (Walker) Mercer was the last teacher. She resides in the township today.
One school building remains. It is District
50, Homestead. This building is taken care of by
the township and is used by the people of the area
as a community building.
It was our privilege to have two churches in
the community. Church services have been held in
the community ever since our forefathers settled
here, but no official church was organized until
1886 when the Society of Friends established a
meeting. The meetings were usually held in the
school house until the summer of 1924 when the
church edifice was dedicated. Tom Mercer donated the land for the building and the parsonage located just across the road was erected on land donated by Mr. and Mrs. E. J.
Mayer. This church still stands and continues
as a strong influence for good in the community.
The Cedar Valley Baptist Church was completed and dedicated on August 25, 1907. This
meeting was disbanded and sale of contents
held on April 14, 1962.
Homestead Cemetery is a serene quiet spot
in this vicinity. This land was given as a burial
spot and the doner requested that no lots on it
were ever to be sold. This request is still honored
today; the burial is free. The cemetery is cared for
lovingly by Mr. and Mrs. Clinton Deering and is
funded by the township.
The population of Homestead numbers 113
and we are living on approximately 35,000 acres
of land. The David Mercer family is the only family
here who are now living on the land that was homesteaded by a pioneer family 100 years ago. Yes,
what was once a remote area in Chase County is
now today one of the most treasured spots. It has
no village, no railroad, no river, and no marked
highway to interrupt its lovely rolling hills and
valleys. Homestead is a beautiful, quiet, serene
place to live. Everyone seems to just live together
as part of God's big family.
Chase County Centennial, 1872 - 1972
by Lorna Marvin
Please submit your historical sketches.
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Tom & Carolyn Ward
for the limited use of the KSGenWeb Project.
Permission is granted for use only on an official KSGenWeb page.
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