Arkansas City was first conceived in the minds of fifteen men in Eporia. These men were prominent in business and politics and were aware of the financial rewards possible. Among these men were the Norton brothers and E. C. Manning
.

E.C. Manning came to Cowley County and constructed a log cabin below the junction of Tiber Creek and the Walnut River in October 1869.

Christmas Day, 1869, the Norton Brothers and their party arrived at Manning's cabin with a letter addressed to hi from men in Eporia suggesting he should cooperate with the party in establishing a town at the outh of the Walnut River in Cowley County. Manning did so although he had previously visited the area and was convinced that the ]unction of the Walnut and Arkansas Rivers was too far south for the location of a county seat.

The men from Eporia, however, decided to locate their town where Arkansas City is currently situated. They decided to call it Delphi, located their claims and returned to Eporia. On January 8, 1870, they formed the Cresswell Town Company (having decided to change the nae) and had it incorporated in Topeka on January 10, 1870.

r. Manning
 formed the Winfield Town Company on January 22, 1870, and arranged to keep in touch with happenings in the Kansas Legislature.

In February, 1870, the Kansas Legislature was in session and a bill was introduced to organize Cowley County with Cresswell as the temporary County seat. The Lieutenant Governor, who presided over the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives were both members of the Cresswell Town Company

The story of how this bill was thwarted is told in the overview of Cowley County.

from Arkansas City Town Company. Filed in Topeka July 15, 1871.

"The following naed persons residents of Cowley County, Kansas, have associated themselves together in conformity to the laws of the State of Kansas, for the purposes herein specified, to wit: C.R. Sipes, .A. Leonard, H.B. Norton, G.W. Norton, W.. Sleeth, G.O. eigs, David Beedy, L.B. Kellogg and A.A. Newan.

1st. The name of this corporation is the Arkansas City Town Company.

2nd. It is formed for the purpose of selecting, laying out and platting a town site into lots, Blocks, streets, alleys, and parks and for the occupation, sale and disposal of the m, upon the West half of section (30) thirty, township (34) thirty-four, of range four east (4) and the southeast quarter of section twenty-five (25), of township thirty-four (34) of range three (3) east, of the sixth principal eridian.

3rd. Its place of business is at Arkansas City in Cowley County, Kansas.

4th. The term of its existence shall be ten years.

5th. The nuber of directors are five of which the following are the names and place of Residence, of those chosen for the first year. H. B. Norton, H. 0. eigs, W. . Sleeth, A. R. Sipes and G. H. Norton of Arkansas City.

6th. The aount of its capital Stock is fifteen thousand dollars, which is divided into three hundred shares of fifty dollars each.

The State of Kansas-Butler County SS

Before e a Notary Public in and for the County and State aforesaid, personally appeared W.. Sleeth, G.H. Norton, C.R. Sip .R. Leonard, and A.A. Newan, known me to be the persons whose names are her entioned, and acknowledged the with instrument to be their own act and deed for the purposes therein Specified.

W.M. Sleeth

G.H. Norton

C.R. Sipes

.R.Leonard

A.A. Newan

Witness my hand and Notarial seal, the 15th day of July AD. 1871.

(Seal) G. H. Lafetia, Notary Public

The above is from
 records in the Secretary of State's office in Topeka, Kansas.

IMPORTANT EVENTS IN THE HISTORY OF ARKANSAS CITY

1872-Arkansas City delegates traveled Eporia by stagecoach, to urge railways to track to Arkansas City.

1878-The first fire-station was constructed.

1879-The first train arrived on Atchinson, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad.

1883-The first telephones were put�in use.

1884-Chilocco Indian School opened.

1885-The city started laying pipes for city waterworks.

1886-The first property annexation took place. The south east 40 acres of the far Henry Endicott was taken into the Town Company.

1890-The first bridge was built over Walnut River. The city started acadaizing the streets. The city started laying the first sewer lines.

1892-The Arkansas City Gas and Light�Company offered to furnish the�City with twelve�streetlights.

1893-Boo days. The Cherokee Strip land rush took place on Septeber 12.

1902-The first auto appeared. (Owned by Willia Rowan.)

1903-Heneberry Packing Company opened.

1907-Electricity replaced ules on city trolley.

1908-Purity Cafe opened at 309 South Suit. Public Library opened. Paris Park created.

1909-Salvation Ary organized in Arkansas City.

1910-Oil is discovered in Cowley County Arkansas City Population is 7,508.

1911-First Chautauqua was held.

1914-Wilson Park Rotunda built.

1915-Arkansas City Country Club founded.

1917-America enters into World War I.

1918-World War I ends. Purity Cafe bought by Gochis Brothers.

1919-American Legion Post 18 started.

1920-Arkansas City Population is 11,253. Construction started on Osage Hotel.

1923-Flood.

1924-Burford Theater opened.

1925-Gas Service Company started using natural gas. Farers State Bank robbed of $75,000. Explosion at illikin Refinery killed two men
.

1926-First Arkalalah.

1927-Heliu was discovered in Dexter. Spencer-Ralston V.F.W. Post 1254 founded.

1935-Dust bowl days arrived.

1936-Auditorium-Gymnasium opened.

1938-Purity Cafe oved to north of Home National Bank.

1940-Strother Ary Air Force field was started. Noran Austin pioneered frozen foods with Zero Lockers.

1941-aurer-Neuer bought Keefe-LeStourgeon Packing Co.

1942-Acton Manufacturing started.

1945-World War II ended. �Strother Ary Air Force field was deactivated. The properties were turned over to Arkansas City and Winfield jointly. �Fairchild Aircraft was the first coercial tenant.

1946-Arkansas City purchases Mercy Hospital. �Kiwanis hold first Pancake feed at Arkaialah.

1947-Deibel's started cafe downtown on Suit Street.

1951-General Electric started operation at Strother Field.

1952-Arkansas City experienced its first earthquake.

1955-Skyline Corporation started producing mobile homes.

1957-Deibel's restaurant moved to North Suit Street.

1958-City builds first Sewage Treatent Plant.

1960-John Morrell and Company acquired aurer-Neuer Meat Packers.

1964-Middle School opened.

1965-Spooksville was started.

1966-Cherokee Strip Land Rush Museum opened.

1968-Purity Cafe burned down.

1970-January 1. Arkansas City High School band played in the Rose bowl parade and the announcer mispronounced the name.

1971-APCO refinery fire.

1973-City builds Water Treatent plant.

1980-Chilocco Indian School closed.

1981-School District sells Auditorium-Gymnasium to Cowley County Community College.

1982-John Morrell Packing Co. closed.

1983-Ark City Packing Co. opened. New Senior High School opened.

1989-Ark City Packing Co. closed

Subitted by Richard Kay Wortan.
As Printed in the Cowley County Heritage Book, 1990

February 22, 2000 from the Arkansas City Traveler:

Firsts in Ark City are unique and many
Shantell Schweer
AC Convention and Visitors Bureau

Arkansas City is full of interesting history and unique secrets.

• For instance, our city's name might still be Walnut City if another town hadn't had the same name. The name was then changed to Delphi and later Creswell in honor of the Postmaster General in the
• President's Cabinet.
• Our town was renamed Arkansas City by Kansas Senator Edmund G. Ross.
• What about other firsts in Arkansas City history?
• The first mayor was H.O. Meigs.
• The first ordinance concerned dogs -- $2 per license.
• The first tight rope walker in Arkansas City was Buckskin Joe.
• The first city limits were Birch Avenue, Madison Avenue, Eighth Street and F Street.
• In 1871, Professor H. B. Norton started the first school in his home. Miss Mary E. Swartz was the teacher and there were seven students in her class.
• The first city band was started by Edward Jonathan Hoyt (Buckskin Joe) in 1872. The band, known as the Buckskin Border Band, consisted of 12 players.
• The first type of transportation in Arkansas City was a stage line which operated from the 1870s to the late 1880s.
• The first steam boat to come up the river was the Aunt Sally on Sunday morning, June 30, 1878.
• The first Arkalalah was held in October of 1928.
• The first Kansas woman to enter a U.S. Military Academy was Jan Marie (Knocke) Van Hoomissen, from Arkansas City, in 1976. She was one of 150 women nationwide, the first in Kansas, to graduatefrom the Air Force Academy in 1980.
• Arkansas City was the staging area for the Cherokee Strip Run and for Oklahoma land runs.
• It was a former hiding place for famous, wild west outlaws: the Daulton Gang, Billy the Kid and Younger.
• It has been the home of famous photographers: W.S. Prettyman, George Cornish, Thomas Croft and I.H. Bonsall.
• It has been the home of famous stars and famous government officials.
• It was the meeting place and supply center for famous wild west characters, Native Americans Chiefs and area Native Americans.
• Plus, it is still the home of the last original hardware store built by C.R. Sipes in 1870. Can you guess the name of this existing store on Summit Street?

Contents © Copyright The Ark City Traveler

State Coordinators Tom & Carolyn Ward, Columbus, KS tcward@columbus-ks.com