Bibliography, Comanche County, Kansas
Coldwater Centennial Notebook, 1884 - 1984 by Evelyn Reed
Comanche Steal: The Fraudulent Organization in 1873 of Comanche County, Kansas
by Thomas Allen McNeal from When Kansas Was Young.
A Chronology of the Life and Times of Christopher Carson Pepperd:
Confederate Civil War Veteran, Cowboy, Bronc Buster, Trail Driver
& early (1874) Comanche County rancher. Founder of the city of Wilmore, Kansas.
PERILS OF THE PLAINS:
A first person account by Hattie Pierce Wimmer of how the curly-headed girl met and married the handsome young Comanche Pool cowboy whom everyone knew only as "The Kid". She tells of the Great Flood, The Blizzard of 1885, a prairie fire, the last great cattle roundup by the Comanche Pool and much more.
TIGER 1953: The Wilmore School Yearbook, 1952-1953
Images of all 32 pages of the year book: Wilmore students, Seniors to First Graders, Administration members and Activities, courtesy of Doug
& Rhonda Nickel..
The Eagle 1955: The Coldwater School Yearbook, 1955.
Courtesy of Buddy M. Bardot.
TIGER: The Wilmore School Yearbook 1958 - 1959
Images of all 23 pages of photographs of Wilmore students, Seniors to First Graders, Board of Education, Faculty and other school staff members, courtesy of Nancy Smith.
The Wilmore, Kansas, School Attendance Center Yearbook, 1969
Images of all 5 pages of photographs of Wilmore students, Eighth Graders to First Graders, Faculty and other school staff members, courtesy of Nancy Smith.
Archeological Excavations
by Kansas Anthropological Association
in Comanche County: A Bibliography
Compiled and contributed by Evelyn Reed.
The Little Grey Stone Church by Velma (Ridge) Smith, privately published by her grandson, Tony Harrison, who was a member of the Cordova Church, 10577 Coloma Rd. Rancho Cordova, CA 95670 at the time. "The little stone church, which was located in rural Wilmore, Kansas, had been built by Tony's great-grandfather and others, and was the center of the life of the community and of the life of the Smith family and their brood of five active children." Source This book is undoubtably about the Christian Church in Wilmore. A copy of the book was donated to the Cordova Church Library.
Through the Shadows with O. Henry by Al Jennings.
Al was the son of Judge J.D.F. Jennings of Comanche, County, Kansas, and played in a lively band, comprised mostly of the Jennings brothers, in Coldwater, Kansas, on Christmas Eve 1884. (Source: Coldwater Centennial Notebook, 1884 - 1894) Later, Al Jennings became a lawyer and the leader of the Al Jennings Gang which committed one or two train robberies, after which Al was incarcerated with Sidney Porter, who was to become known under the pen name of O. Henry. Al got out of prison after serving 5 years of his 50 year sentence and went on to write two books and see a movie made from one of them about his life. He ran for election in 1914 to be Governor of Oklahoma. (He came in third in the Democratic primary election.)
The Tether: Una Grey's Story by Kunigunde Duncan was published in 1953 by L.C. Page
& Company, Boston, and has 393 pages. It is described as fiction, but is actually written about the town of Nescatunga and the author's mother. A disclaimer in the preface states, The characters in this story are entirely fictional, and have no relation to any person in real life, which would have allowed to author to add to the story to 'fill in the gaps'. The book's dedication is: For My Mother, Kunigunde Keen Duncan. The story is known to be about Nescatunga because it identifies the town they "went west" to as Nescatunga. It is direct. It also talks a lot about Coldwater." -- Note from Phyllis Scherich to Jerry Ferrin.
SEARCH for a copy of The Tether: Una Grey's Story
Bluff Creek Stories by B.J. Miller.
"Bluff Creek Stories introduces the many adventures, hard times,
and the memories of B.J. Miller and his family.
B.J., his brothers and sisters, and his parents had many
adventures at Bluff Creek and the surrounding area. Many of there
activities included mostly cat fishing and swimming they at one
point had visited a bat cave and also spent much time on wild
animals mostly because the county would give $1.00 for a set
of coyote ears. To do this they mostly set traps however that
wasn't all they did the occasionally would hunt for them at
times. Certain times were hard the family had large amounts
of land, however they always had plenty of food but they didn't
waste much this lead to the siblings of the house occasionally
fighting for the gizzard. B.J. didn't spend much time in the
friendly arguments he himself was hooked on the chicken feet.
Along with these adventures the Miller's were very religious
people and frequently attended Protection Mennonite Church.
I personally enjoyed the book and also enjoyed B.J. telling
his life and enjoyed reading the many events of his life.
Do(sic) to my judgment of these amusing stories I would recommend
this book to anyone.
Information given of the life of B.J. Miller and his
family is introduced through the novel Bluff Creek Stories."
Source: http://www.lagrange.lib.in.us/teens/teenReviews.html.
Following is a listing of the historical material on file at the Kansas State Historical Society, from their Bibliographic List of Kansas County Histories.
Board of Councilmen Coldwater City. Some Plain Facts Concerning the City of Coldwater & Comanche County, Kansas. Coldwater, KS: Review Publishing Co., 1887. (K978.1/-C73/Pam.v.1/no. 2).
Brooke, Lisa & Denise Reidel. Comanche County in Pictures. Dallas, TX: Taylor Publishing Co., 1988. (K978.1./-C73/B791).
Coldwater Diamond Jubilee Committee. Diamond Jubilee, Coldwater, Kansas, Aug. 30-Sept. 2, 1959. Historical Souvenir Program. Coldwater, KS: Western Star, 1959. (K978.1/-C73/Pam.v.1/no. 7).
Comanche County Historical Society. Comanche County History, Comanche County, Kansas. Dallas, TX: Taylor Publishing Co., 1981. (K978.1/-C73/C73). (Copies of this book are still available through the Comanche County Museum, 105 W. Main, Coldwater, Kansas, 67029. Phone: (620) 582-2108.)
"Comanche County Was Organized in a Fraud", Dodge City Daily Globe. Mar. 7, 1933. [1 p.] (Reel: D558).
Dappert, James W. "My First Trip to Stevens County, Kansas". Hugoton Hermes. Feb. 16, 1940. [1 p.]. (Reel: H1272).
________. "Reminiscences of Early Days". Protection Post. May 26, June 2, 9, 16, 23 & 30, July 7, 14, 21 & 28, & Aug. 4, 1932. [11 pp.]. (Reel: P818).
Ely, James E. History, Resources & Opportunities of Comanche County, Kansas. N.p.: n.d. (K978.1/-C73 /Pam.v.1/no. 3).
Jackson, W.V. "Some Memoirs of Pioneer Days in the Southwest". Hutchison Herald (Daily). Nov. 17, 1932. [1 p.]. (Reel: H811).
Kansas State Historical Society. Comanche County Clippings, 1885-1988. (2 vols.). Topeka, KS: KSHS, n.d. (K978.1/-C73/Clipp.).
Newton, G.W. A Sketch of Comanche County, Kansas. Kansas City, MO: Ramsey, Millett & Hudson, n.d. (Reel: LM 38, no. 3).
"Satanta's First Building Was Moved Here From Santa Fe 21 Years Ago", Satanta Chief. Oct. 26, 1933. [2 pp.]. (Reel: S793).
Webb, David. Protection Photographs: A Scrapbook of Historical Highlights. Protection, KS: Comanche Press, 1984. (*Oversize/K978.1/-C73/W381).
Wickersham, E.T. "A Few Pioneer Sketches". [Coldwater] Western Star. Feb. 5, 19 & 26, 1932. [3 pp.]. (Reel: C1135).
"Writers of Early Days Here--The J.W. Harding Family", [Coldwater] Western Star. July 21, 1933. [1 p.]. (Reel: C1135).
The Kansas Genealogical Society has the following reports in their collection:
- Comanche County Cemeteries: Comanche, Protection Mennonite, Protection & Wilmore Cemeteries
Compiled by Research Club, Coldwater, KS, 1999. 74 pages. - Crown Hill Cemetery, Coldwater, KS, 1 Jan 1888 to 22 May 1993
Compiled by Mrs James W Byram, 44 pages, alphabetical order. - Deaths & Obituaries - Comanche Co, KS , from The Western Star,
Coldwater, KS, 1980-1988. (9 Folders).
Compiled by Mr. & Mrs. Leo Shoemaker. Indexed. - Comanche Co, KS Birth Records, 1892-1908; Index of Wills, 1872-1904, Bk No 1 & Copy of Deaths from county records.
- Anniversaries & Birthdays - 1986, 1987, 1988 - Comanche Co, KS, taken from Western Star, Coldwater, KS
& Protection Press, Protection, KS
Compiled by Rose Mary Shoemaker, Medicine Lodge, Ks. 33 pages, 30 pages and 37 pages. Indexed. - United Methodist Church, Coldwater, KS: Centennial Directory 1884-1984
Compiled by History Committee; Betty Jackson, Chair, Lloyd Swindler, pastor. - Comanche County History, Comanche Co, KS
Comanche County Historial Society, Coldwater, Kansas, 816 pages, alphabetical order, 1981. - Index to Marriages of Comanche Co, KS: Bk 1 (1885-1917); Bk 2 (1917-1939), Office of the Clerk of District Court, Comanche Co
- Marriage License Record No 1, 5 Dec 1885 - 31 Dec 1891,
Clerk of District Court, Comanche Co, KS
Compiled by Mrs Wm D Daniels, Dodge City, KS 1987 - National Record No 1, First papers, District Court, Comanche Co, KS;
Final Naturalization No 1, District Court, Comanche Co, KS
Declaration of Intention Comanche Co, KS; District Court Abstracts of Original Book; compiled by Mrs Wm D Daniels - Protection Paragraphs, A Scrapbook of Historical Highlights
by Dave Webb, Comanche Press, Protection, Kansas. - Obituaries & Other Stories, 1963, 14 pages.
"A Few Reminiscenses," a column by H. V. Butcher, ran serially in The Western Star, Coldwater, during July and August, 1933.
A brief sketch of the John W. Harding family, as prepared by Mabel Harding, of San Diego, Calif., was printed in The Western Star, Coldwater, July 21, 1933. Miss Harding also contributed a column of reminiscences to the Star in the August 18 issue.
http://www.kancoll.org/khq/1933/33_4_offthepress.htm
At left: Front Cover artwork: Coldwater Diamond Jubilee Committee. Diamond Jubilee, Coldwater, Kansas, Aug. 30-Sept. 2, 1959. Historical Souvenir Program. Coldwater, KS: Western Star, 1959.
The copy of the booklet shown at left belonged to Jean Hackney and is from the collection of Robert Hackney.
Thanks to Bobbi (Hackney) Huck for creating & providing this image for the website.