Neosho County
KSGenWeb
Neosho County, in the southeastern part of the state, is located in the
second tier of counties from Missouri, and the second from Oklahoma on the
south. It is bounded on the north by Allen county; on the east by Bourbon and
Crawford; on the south by Labette, and on the west by Wilson. It was founded
from the northern part of Dorn county (q. v.), which was changed to Neosho, by
the first state territorial legislature in 1861. The actual organization of the
county was in 1864. In 1866 the boundaries were fixed to include the territory
of what is now Neosho and Labette counties. In 1867 it was diminished by the
territory included in Labette county. It took its present boundaries in 1870.
The lands of Neosho county were occupied by the Osage Indians until the
treaty of 1865, and were known as the "Osage Ceded Lands." There were a number
of early missions among the Osages in this locality. The first missionary was
Rev. Charles De La Croix, who came to Neosho county in May, 1822, and
established the Osage Mission. Upon the death of La Croix, two years later, he
was succeeded by Rev. Charles Van Quickenborn, who in 1828 performed the first
Christian marriage ceremony in the state. Trading posts were established among
the Osages in 1837 by Edward Chouteau and Gerald Papin. A half-breed settlement
was established between Canville and Flat Rock creeks. A. B. Canville, for whom
the creek was named, started a trading post among the Indians in 1844, married
the next year and settled on Canville creek in 1847.
The first
settlements in the various townships were as follows: Grant township—Dr. W. W.
Hill in 1851, killed by a mob in his own dooryard in 1866; Levi Hadden in 1858,
and in 1859, Simeon W. and James A. Hadden, and Solomon Markham and his four
sons. Big Creek township—J. L. Fletcher, S. Barbee, H. Schooley, S. and L.
Hadden in 1859; in Tioga township in the same year—Darius Rodgers, Thomas
Jackson, Benjamin Smith and S. E. Beach. The first settler in Canville township
was T. R. Peters in 1859, followed by M. Kitterman, William Dox, David Lowery
and J. C. Comstock in 1865. Walnut Grove township was settled in 1865 by E. J.
Pierce and W. I. Brewer. Centerville in the same year by Reuben Lake, Joseph
Cummings, Henry and John Wilkie and John Blair. Chetopa was settled in 1864 by
George T. Shepard and A. A. Ashback, who were followed the next year by M. J.
Salter and John Post. Ladore was settled in 1865 by I. N. Roach and family, W.
C. Dickerson and S. Rosa; Lincoln in the same year by M. L. and Frank McCashu,
Dr. Dement, M. A. Patterson and J. L. Evans; Erie was settled by I. M. Allen,
John Johnson, D. T. Mitchell, P. Walters, R. Leppo, E. F. Williams, P. McCarthy
and John C. Weibley in 1865. The first settlers in Mission township were S. J.
Gilmore, J. M. Roycroft, D. Bronson, B. P. Ayres, J. P. Williams, Solon Marston,
S. H. Ulmer and M. Barnes, all of whom had taken claims before 1866. The first
postoffice was established in 1851 at the Osage Mission and the first church and
first school buildings erected at that place in 1847.
On the organization
of the county in Nov., 1864, the governor appointed three commissioners: R. W.
Hadden, S. E. Beach and S. W. Hadden; declared the county seat at Osage City
(Rodger's Mill), located 3 miles northeast of the present city of Chanute. The
first election for county officers was held in Dec., 1864, and resulted as
follows: Commissioners, R. W. Jackson, S. W. Hadden, T. Jackson; clerk, J. L.
Fletcher; treasurer, William Jackson; surveyor, S. Jackson; county attorney,
Darius Rodgers; probate judge, H. Woodard; sheriff, B. Vaughn; coroner, W. H.
Davis; assessor, Wiley Evans; superintendent of public instruction, S. E. Beach.
The county was first divided into four townships, Neosho, Big Creek, Canville
and Mission. Changes took place at intervals until in 1871, when the present
division into 12 townships was made. The names as they now stand are Big Creek,
Canville, Centerville, Chetopa, Erie, Grant, Ladore, Lincoln, Mission, Shiloh,
Tioga and Walnut Grove.
At an election held in June, 1867, the county
seat was located at the geographical center of the county. The next year another
election was held, in which factional feeling ran very high. The fight was
between Osage Mission and Erie. Life-long enemies were made and business
sacrificed in the struggle. Erie was declared successful by the commissioners.
Court proceedings were brought to compel a recount of the vote, which was done
in 1870, when it was found that Osage Mission had the majority. Considerable
excitement was caused by the county records being stolen from Erie and conveyed
to the Mission. They were never found, and the county lost several thousand
dollars by the incident. No legal proceedings were brought to regain them, as
Erie regained the county seat and the people there were willing to let it pass.
In 1872 another election was held in which no choice was made, and another
election was held a few days later to settle the matter. On the face of the
returns, Erie received the most votes. Charges of fraud led to litigation which
was settled in 1874 by the supreme court in favor of Erie.
A great deal
of trouble was occasioned by a complication in land titles. After the treaty
with the Osages, made at Canville trading post in 1865, it was supposed by the
settlers that the lands were opened to settlement and 144 persons took claims
with this understanding. However, when President Andrew Johnson declared a sale
of the Osage lands in May, 1868, the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railroad company
came forward claiming every other section for ten miles on each side of its
road, according to a grant approved by the president of the United States in
1866, and the Leavenworth, Lawrence & Galveston made a similar claim according
to a grant of Congress in 1863. Joseph S. Wilson, commissioner of the general
land office, repeatedly refused the claims of the railroads, but O. H. Browning,
secretary of the interior, reversed his decision and the lands were withdrawn
from sale. Fearful lest they should be deprived of their homes and be obliged to
buy of the railroad companies at high prices, the citizens formed an
organization in 1868 known as the "Osage Settlers' Rights Society," through
which they worked to get legislation in their behalf. They succeeded in 1869 in
getting an act through Congress allowing bona fide settlers to buy any of the
lands, but the act also protected "vested rights." A question arose as to what
"vested rights" were. The matter was taken into the courts where the settlers
finally won.
Neosho county is noted for its oil and gas wells. They were
first discovered in 1885 at Osage Mission in drilling for coal. Not thinking
that the gas was of value, the first wells were not turned to account, and it
was not until 1897-98, when the Standard Oil company put in a pipe line that
started an interest in the industry. (See Natural Gas.)
On account of the
occasional overflow of the Neosho river and its branches, it was found necessary
to construct levees along the banks of the streams. These levees were begun in
1890 by private enterprise. When it was found that, although rude in
construction, they protected the wheat fields from submersion, legislation was
secured (in 1893) to authorize the public officials to build levees from public
funds. The cost of this protection has been about $5 per acre, and the increased
value of protected lands from $10 to $20 per acre. The benefit from a sanitary
point is also a great consideration.
During the Civil war Neosho county
did her full part in furnishing soldiers for the front. She also had
considerable trouble of her own with border raids and depredations of various
sorts. The Osage Indians, who were being taught farming, met with so many
discouragements in the way of the destruction of their crops and newly built
houses by raiders who also drove off their live stock, that they ceded their
lands to the government.
Thirty-five Neosho county boys enlisted in the
Spanish-American war, five of whom were officers, viz: Clay Allen, adjutant and
first lieutenant; Joseph E. Knight, first lieutenant; Logan H. Wells, second
lieutenant; Albertus Priest, sergeant; Edward E. Berry, corporal. All the men
except Allen were members of Company A, Twenty-second regiment. More than 20
Neosho county boys saw service in the Philippines.
Among the extinct
towns, Jacksonville, on the corner where Neosho, Labette, Crawford and Cherokee
counties join, had the distinction of having the first newspaper and printing
office in the county. The paper was called the Neosho County Eagle and was
printed in 1868. Later the office was moved to Erie.
The first schools in
the county, outside of the missionary schools for Indians, were established in
the latter '60s and the early '70s. They were taught in log buildings, sometimes
stores and dwelling houses. In 1910 there were over 100 organized districts, and
the school property was valued in the neighborhood of $200,000. In the same year
there were 24 rural mail routes emanating from the different towns in the
county, and several entering from other counties, so that the country people are
well supplied with daily mail.
The first railroad lines built through the
county were the Leavenworth, Lawrence & Galveston, now the Atchison, Topeka &
Santa Fe, and the Missouri, Kansas & Texas, both in 1870. The line built at that
time by the latter road enters the county on the east, crossing the line about 2
miles north of the center, and runs in a southwesterly direction, crossing the
southern line about 3 miles east of the center. The stations on this line are
St. Paul and South Mound. The road built first by the Atchison, Topeka & Santa
Fe crosses the county line and the Neosho river just north of Chanute, passes
through that city, proceeds in a southeasterly direction through Erie, and out
on the east line of the county. The line was built in 1883. A second line of the
Missouri, Kansas & Texas R. R., also built in 1870, enters on the north line,
runs in a southeasterly direction and crosses the southern line near the center.
The third line of this system was built by the Kansas City & Pacific company in
1886. It crosses the southern line about 2 miles east of the center, runs
northeasterly, leaving the county near the northeast corner. The total mileage
of the two systems in the county is 123.
The general surface of Neosho
county is a gently undulating prairie, about 20 per cent. bottom land, which
along the Neosho river averages over 2 miles in width, and along the smaller
streams about a quarter to half a mile. There is an abundance of native timber
and many groves of artificial forest. The Neosho, the principal stream, enters
in the northeast and flows southwest through the county. Its principal
tributaries are Rock, Canville and Big creeks. Limestone and sandstone of a
superior quality are found in abundance. A stone resembling black marble has
been found near Erie. Brick clay is plentiful.
The area of the county is
576 square miles or 368,640 acres, of which 252,000 acres have been brought
under cultivation. The farm produce for 1910 amounted to about $2,500,000, of
which corn, the most valuable crop, contributed $500,000; oats, $150,000, and
wheat, $100,000. Other leading field crops are Irish potatoes, flax, Kafir corn
and prairie grass. Animals sold for slaughter in 1910 brought $500,000. The
assessed valuation of property was nearly $30,000,000, and the population was
23,754, a gain of 4,500 over that of 1900.
Pages 346-350 from volume II of Kansas: A Cyclopedia of State History, embracing events, institutions, industries, counties, cities, towns, prominent persons, etc. ... / with a supplementary volume devoted to selected personal history and reminiscence. Standard Pub. Co. Chicago : 1912. 3 v. in 4. : front., ill., ports.; 28 cm. Vols. I-II edited by Frank W. Blackmar. Transcribed July 2002 by Carolyn Ward.
All old soldiers are requested to attend the funeral of Comrade Samuel Stanfield tomorrow
(Sunday, May 17.) It will be at 4:30 o'clock from his late home, 1204 South Central avenue, and will
be conducted by the Grand Army of the Republic --- F. M. Abbott, P. C.
The city court case of Wilson & Barnes against Charles Mayers of the Oxford
restaurant, has been set for hearing at 9 o'clock, Monday morning. Smith &
Probst are attorneys for the plaintiff.
Rev. A. H. Coffield came up from Thayer this afternoon to conduct funeral services for the child of Mr. and Mrs.
Charles Udine, living northwest of Chanute.
Attorney H. P. Farrelly went to Howard this afternoon to attend the Elk county Democratic banquet, which was held there tonight.
Mrs. J. K. Cone of Cedar Rapids, Ia., who has been the guest of Mr. and Mrs. L. Cone, left this afternoon for a visit to Lawrence.
Miss Florence Blessing left this afternoon for Kansas City. She will go from there to Iowa and Illinois for visits.
Mr. and Mrs. John Switzer went to Argonia this afternoon for a week’s visit with their brother and sister.
Mrs. Jewett arrived from Himboldt this afternoon to visit her daughter, Mrs. S. B. Yount.
Mrs. Whiter Barkley arrived from Cherryvale this afternoon to visit Mrs. R. J. Barkley.
Mrs. J. W. Fuller and daughter arrived from Iola this afternoon to visit Mrs. E. S. Myers.
Mrs. J. E. Ryan returned to Shaw today after a visit with her sister, Mrs. N. Dannefer.
Benjamin Hooper went to Humboldt this afternoon to visit his grandfather.
Mrs. A. G. Blatcher returned to Coffeyville today, after a visit with Mrs. M. Somer.
Mrs. J. M. Jones and children went to Earlton this afternoon to visit over Sunday.
F. H. Graddy, the Western Union clerk inspector, was in Chanute today.
John L. Peterson returned this morning from a visit in Kansas City.
Mrs. C. I. Foote went to Neodesha City this afternoon for a visit.
John H. Glazier came down from Kansas City this afternoon.
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10/06/2024