Osage County
KSGenWeb
There were a few whites among them -- one white man by the name of John Goodall, who was the father-in-law of William Miller, who has been one of our Representatives. A stoe was opened by men named Baker and Street, of Westport, Missouri. This tribe of Indians continued to occupy the ocunty, or a portion of it, until about 1869 or 1870, when they were removed to the Indian Territory.
The first white settler, outside of the tribe, was named John Frele, who in about April or May, 1854, bout out a Shawnee Indian, living where the north part of the site of Burlingame now is. He built a cabin in addition to thw wigwam, and his wife soon after gave birth to a boy, who was the first white chiled born in the county, outside of the agency.
About August, Henry Harvey and his sons (Henry was formerly agent for the Shawnees) and Charles L. Linkenanger, James, William and John Aiken, and a few other pro-slavery men, came in and settled near Burlingame.
On the 9th of December, 1854, about one hundred settlers came to the neighborhood of Burlingame. They were partly from the neighborhood of Pittsburgh, PA., and partly from Eastern New York. They laid out a town, which they called Eureka.
Among the leading men who came at that time, were Joseph McDonald, Absalom Hoover, William Cable, G.M. Barns, Joseph W. Kerr, Loton Smith and George Bratton. A good part of these went to Missouri to spend that winter; a portion remained and erected cabins, and dug caves in the banks of the creek, which they occupied.
In the following spring, an election was held on the 30th March, at which the Border Ruffians took charge of the polls, drove away all the Free-State men and voted for a man by the name of Mobilon McGee, of Westport. They were a drunken rabble from Missouri. They took their ballot-boxes about dark, and moved to One-Hundred-and-Ten creek, where one F.P. McGee resided. There they counted up the number of ballots (the election was viva voce) and found about 250 votes cast, all for McGee.
Gov. Reeder set aside the election, ordered a new one, and H. Rice received the unanimous vote of the settlers; he failed to get his seat notwithstanding. On the day of this election, Albert Strike was born in the same cabin that Frele had occupied, Strike being the second white child born in the county.
In the spring of 1864, J.M. Winchell, since President of the Wyandotte Constitutional Convention, came in from Westchester county, N.Y., and took a leading part in building a town west of where Eureka had been laid out, and between Dragoon and Switzler creeks. This town was called Council City.
A large two-story block bulding was erected by the town company, and a town was surveyed, of about three miles square. Emigrants were forwarded to the settlement by a company in New York, known as the Liberal League and Emigration Aid Society, of which Timothy Dwight was President and George Walters Secretary. About $30,000 worth of shares were sold in New York; very little, however, was ever used for the benefit of the place. -- This same spring, a post office was established at this point and J.M. Winchell appointed postmaster. First mail was monthly; the second semi-weekly, and the third weekly. The mail was carried over the old Santa Fe road, running from Westport to Santa Fe, which was the great thoroughfare to the West, millions of dollars of goods being transported in wagons over it every season. This same spring, Philip C. Schuyler, Esq., who was elected Secretary of State under the Lecomption Constitution, and also elected under the Free-State Constitution, and Samuel R. Cuniff, afterwards elected a member of both the State and Territorial Legislatures, came in and bought out claims where the city of Burlingame now is.
In the spring of 1856, Winchell brought in a mill and located it on Dragoon creek, at the south end of the large city site, and, the same spring, Schuyler & Cuniff brought in a large mill, and located it at the north end of the site, and contemplated laying off a town where they had their mill, as Winchell did near where he had located his. In the fall of 1856, Schuyler & Cuniff surveyed their town and called it Council City. Winchell surveyed his, and called it Fremont. Schuyler & Cuniff's town was changed to Burlingame in 1857, the name of Council City having become odious on account of frauds perpetrated by the New York Company on the shareholders. In 1857, Fremont was changed to Carbondale, and a new company was formed, the principal men of which were A.B. Bartlett, of Wyandotte, Prof. Daniels, then State Geologist of Wisconsin, J.R. Shurtliff, a Methodist preacher from Buffalo, and J.M. Winchell.
In 1858, Carbondale was changed to Superior. In 1859, a tornado blew down some buildings in Burlingame, and left but little more than a name to Superior, which was virtually the end of its existence. Burlingame was incorporated by an act of the Legislature in 1858, the corporators consisting of P.C. Schuyler, S.R. Cuniff, James Rogers, John Drew and George Bratton. A town was laid off four miles west of Burlingame, in 1858, called Havanna, by Germans from Chicago and St. Louis -- about fifty families moved in. A large distillery was erected in 1860, and a large hotel, and a large brewery was commenced; some stores were opened. In 1861, a leading merchant failed, and the settlers from the cities, becoming disgusted with rural life, moved away. The distillery is now used as a flouring mill, the hotel as a barn, and most of the other buildings have been torn down or moved away, and there is not now a single one remaining except that of August Wehrli Meyers, who was a leading man in the enterprise, and is now keeping store at Alma.
About 1857-8, several other towns were laid off along the old Santa Fe road, one named Indiana City; one, Versailles, by H.P. Throop and D.T. Mitchell, and another named Prairie City. A post office was established at the crossing of One-Hundred-and-Ten creek, called Richardson. Two towns were laid out near the northeast part of the county -- one called Georgetown and the other Ridgeway -- neither of which ever amounted to anything. In 1867, the atchison raod reached Osage county, and Carbondale was laid off by John F. Dodds and others interested in the road. In 1870, the road reached Osage City, just laod off by Dodds, Peters, and Witherill, The sam eyear Arvonia was surveyed and settled by a company of Welsh from Utica, N.Y., headed by J.M. Jones, of Utica, and Joseph Whitaker, of Chicago.
In 1870, about April, Lyndon was surveyed by L.D. Bailey and Samuel Gilliand, and, in about six months, the precinct was able to poll over 300 votes on the county seat question. In six months the town had about 120 houses.
About the same time a town was laid off at Quenemo, where was previously the Sac and Fox agency. A town was started in 1870, onthe Marias des Cygnes, caled Melvern and another named Olivet, on the same stream. A few years ago a prairie fire swept all of it away. Melvern is now a thriving town of some 400 or 500 inhabitants; Arvonia, 300; Osage City, 2,000; Lyndon, 300 and the county seat (Burlingame), 1,200; Carbondale, 500. The past season Quenemo was destroyed fire. The youngest town in the county is Scranton, laod off about 1872. It numbers now about 500.
Population in 1860, 1,113; in 1870, 7,648; increase in ten years, 6,535; population in 1875, 10,268; increase in five year, 2,620; population in 1878, 12,618; increase in eighteen years, 11,505. Rural population, 8,833; city or town population, 3,885; per cent of rural to city or town population, 70.
| Townships and Cities. | Pop. | Townships and Cities. | Pop. | Townships and Cities. | Pop. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agency | 1350 | Arvonia | 842 | Burlingame | 2056 |
| Dragoon | 620 | Fairfax | 497 | Junction | 1090 |
| Melvern | 1074 | Olivet | 858 | Osage City | 1,886 |
| Ridgeway | 1,448 | Superior | 926 | Valley Brook | 962 |
Timber. -- Average width of timber belts, from 20 to 100 rods. Varieties; walnut, oak, elm, cottonwood, hackberry, coffee bean, hickory and mulberry.
Principal Steams. -- Marais des Cygnes, in the south part of the county, flows east. Tributaries on the south, Coal, Long and Rock creeks; on the north, Cherry creek. Salt crrek, in the centre of the county, runs due east, and has a few small tributaries. Dragoon creek, in the north part of the county, flows southeast and joins One-Hundred-and_Ten near the east line of the county. One-Hundred-and-Ten creek, in the east part of the county, flows southeast. The county is not well supplied with springs; good well water is obtained at a depth of from 15 to 40 feet.
Coal. -- Coal underlies 25 per cent. of the area of the county. Veins from 14 to 18 inches; depth below surface, 5 to 50 feet; quality, good. Used by the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad Company, and for local, domestic and manufacturing purposes.
Building Stone, etc. -- Limestone is found on almost every section; yellow ochre is found in great abundance; also fire and pottery clay.
Railroad Connections. -- The Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad crosses the northern line of the county, near the centre, and runs diagonally through the county in a southwesterly direction. Stations: Carbondale, Burlingame and Osage City. The Lawrence & Southwestern Railroad, connecting Lawrence and Carbondale, runs through the extreme northeastern corner of the county.
Agricultural Statistics. -- Acres in the county, 460,800; taxable acres, 441,741; under cultivation, 107,616.56; cultivated to taxable acres, 24.36 per cent.; increase of cultivated acres during the year, 4,356.56.
Value of Garden Produce. -- Poultry and Eggs Sold during the Year. -- Garden produce, $4,979; poultry and eggs, $10,185.
Old Corn on Hand. -- Old corn on hand March 1st, 1878, 457365 bushels, or an average of 181 bushels to each family.
Dairy Products. -- Number of cheese factories, 4; capital invested, $10,000; manufactured in 1875, 49547 lbs.; in 1878, 31,466 lbs.; decrease, 18,081 libs. Butter manufactured in 1875, 197,961 lbs.; in 1878, 305917 lbs.; increase, 107,956 lbs.
Farm Animals. -- Number of horses, in 1877, 5473; in 1878, 5229; decrease, 244. Ules and asses, in 1877, 363; in 1878, 419; increase, 56. Milch cows in 1877, 7,017; in 1878, 6558; decrease, 459. Other cattle, in 1877, 11645; in 1878, 14617; increase 2,972. Sheep, in 1877, 2042; in 1878, 3,135; increase, 1098. Swine, in 1877, 10,159; in 1878, 17252; increase, 7,093.
Sheep Killed by Dogs. -- Number of sheep killed by dogs, 50; value of sheep killed by dogs, $150.
STATEMENT showing the Acreage of Field Crops named from 1872 to 1878, inclusive.
| CROPS. | 1872 | 1873 | 1874 | 1875 | 1876 | 1877 | 1878 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Wheat | 6,372 00 | 6,372 00 | 12,987 00 | 9,735 50 | 10,780 00 | 10,053 00 | 6,727 00 | |
| Rye | 576 00 | 577 00 | 744 00 | 1,418 00 | 2,949 00 | 700 00 | 1,505 00 | |
| Spring Wheat | 163 00 | 1,245 00 | 1,260 00 | 128 00 | 239 00 | 139 00 | 638 00 | |
| Corn | 28,291 00 | 32,072 00 | 32,349 00 | 32,685 00 | 35,031 00 | 53,032 00 | 48,742 00 | |
| Barley | 28 00 | 172 00 | 458 00 | 101 00 | 46 00 | 136 00 | 175 00 | |
| Oats | 4,775 00 | 5,520 00 | 5,819 00 | 6,777 25 | 7,167 00 | 3,908 00 | 5,802 00 | |
| Buckwheat | 442 00 | 247 00 | 165 00 | 71 00 | 209 25 | 200 00 | 192 00 | |
| Irish Potatoes | 860 00 | 1,164 00 | 1,078 00 | 781 66 | 1000 00 | 814 00 | 782 00 | |
| Sweet Potatoes | 8 00 | 18 00 | 16 00 | 48 83 | 17 75 | 27 00 | 22 12 | |
| Sorghum | 157 00 | 213 00 | 829 00 | 599 56 | 299 75 | 853 00 | 825 12 | |
| Castor Beans | 14 00 | 133.00 | 401 00 | 695 75 | 613 00 | 2,773 00 | 2,956 75 | |
| Cotton | 60 | 2 00 | 17 00 | 95 00 | 50 | ...... | 75 | |
| Flax | 6 00 | 133 00 | 185 00 | 1,721 00 | 1,675 25 | 608 00 | 286 75 | |
| Hemp | 25 00 | 15 00 | 9 00 | 1 00 | 10 00 | 21 00 | ...... | |
| Tobacco | 9 00 | 29 00 | 15 00 | 10 50 | 48 50 | 48 00 | 7 37 | |
| Broom Corn | ...... | ...... | 47 00 | 126 21 | 213 00 | 710 00 | 864 00 | |
| Millet and Hungarian | 591 00 | 1,484 00 | 1,702 00 | 2,194 56 | 2,849 50 | 5,165 00 | 3,404 00 | |
| Timothy Meadow | 187 00 | 188 00 | 290 00 | 148 00 | 92 00 | 241 00 | 259 95 | |
| Clover Meadow | 219 00 | 221 00 | 293 00 | 94 73 | 67 13 | 155 00 | 116 75 | |
| Prairie Meadow | 21,145 00 | 20,115 00 | 21,510 00 | 22,493 00 | 27,409 00 | 21,261 00 | 21,609 00 | |
| Timothy Pasture | ...... | ...... | 22 00 | 25 00 | 12 00 | ...... | 18 50 | |
| Clover Pasture | 44 00 | 44 00 | 41 00 | ...... | 50 | 2 00 | 6 75 | |
| Blue-Grass Pasture | 65 00 | 65 00 | 193 00 | 86 00 | 21 50 | 50 00 | 153 75 | |
| Prairie Pasture | 42,013 00 | 42,013 00 | 7,601 00 | 11,546 00 | 12,302 00 | 11,209 00 | 14,021 00 | |
| Total | 105,090 00 | 112,039 00 | 87,531 00 | 91,577 04 | 104,898 63 | 106,200 00 | 107,616 56 |
Increase in 6 years, 1.58+ per cent.
Average increase per annum. .25- per cent.
RANK of Osage County in the Crops named below, as to Acreage, and in Cultivated Acreage for the years mentioned in the foregoing table.
| CROPS. | 1872 | 1873 | 1874 | 1875 | 1876 | 1877 | 1878 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wheat | 19 | 10 | 15 | 20 | 36 | 68 | 59 |
| Corn | 18 | 17 | 18 | 24 | 20 | 18 | 20 |
| Total Acreage in all Crops | 6 | 3 | 17 | 20 | 17 | 25 | 28 |
STATEMENT showing the Acres, Product and Value of Principal Crops for 1878, together with the Increase and Decrease as compared with 1877.
| CROPS. | ACRES IN 1878. |
INCREASE OR DECREASE FROM 1877. |
PRODUCT IN 1878 |
INCREASE OR DECREASE FROM 1877. |
VALUE OF PRODUCT IN 1878. |
INCREASE OR DECREASE FROM 1877. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Wheat - bu. | 19,251 00 | 3,816 00 in. | 231,012 00 | 107,532 00 in. | $154,778 04 | $31,298 04 in. |
| Rye - bu. | 300 00 | 187 00 in. | 4,200 00 | 2,618 00 in. | 1,260 00 | 706 30 in. |
| Spring Wheat - bu. | 26 00 | 20 00 de. | 234 00 | 272 00 de. | 117 00 | 338 40 de. |
| Corn - bu. | 68,244 00 | 5,789 00 in. | 2,388,540 00 | 15,250 00 in. | 477,708 00 | 3,050 00 in. |
| Barley - bu. | 225 00 | 179 00 in. | 5,625 00 | 4,613 00 in. | 2,250 00 | 1,946 40 in. |
| Oats - bu. | 15,512 00 | 4,649 00 in. | 573,944 00 | 139,424 00 in. | 86,091 60 | 20,913 60 In. |
| Buckwheat - bu. | 273 00 | 173 00 in. | 4,914 00 | 3,414 00 in. | 3,931 20 | 2,731 20 In. |
| Irish Potatoes - bu. | 1,065 00 | 375 00 in. | 58.575 00 | 17,175 00 in. | 23,430 00 | 2,730 00 in. |
| Sweet Potatoes - bu. | 139 00 | 72 00 in. | 13,900 00 | 6,195 00 in. | 11,120 00 | 3,415 00 in. |
| Sorghum - gall. | 1,040 00 | 202 00 in. | 119,600 00 | 23,230 00 in. | 59.800 00 | 11,615 00 in. |
| Castor Beans - bu. | 723 00 | 431 00 de. | 9,399 00 | 987 00 de. | 11,748 75 | 1,362 75 in. |
| Cotton - lbs | 29 00 | 67 00 de. | 4,930 00 | 11,390 00 de. | 443 70 | 1,188 30 de. |
| Flax - bu. | 3,778 00 | 1,931 00 in. | 34,102 00 | 15,632 00 in. | 34,102 00 | 4,708 50 in. |
| Hemp - lbs. | ...... | 90 33 de | ...... | 83,103 60 de | ...... | 4,986 22 de. |
| Tobacco - lbs. | 28 00 | 13 00 in. | 20,720 00 | 9,620 00 in. | 2 072 00 | 962. 00 in. |
| Broom Corn - lbs | 425 00 | 128 00 in. | 340,000 00 | 102,400 00 in. | 12,750 00 | 3,840 00 in. |
| Millet and Hungarian - tons | 3,103 00 | 1,007 00 de. | 9,309 00 | 61 50 in. | 37,236 00 | 246 00 in. |
| Timothy Meadow - tons | 387 00 | 37 00 in. | 580 50 | 55 50 in. | 2902 50 | 277 50 in. |
| Clover Meadow - tons | 123 00 | 92 00 in. | 184 50 | 133 00 ill. | 922 5 | 690 00 in. |
| Prairie Meadow - tons | 10,469 00 | 179 00 de. | 14,657 00 | 250 20 de. | 43,971 00 | 750 60 de. |
| Timothy Pasture - acres | 113 00 | 83 00 in. | ...... | ...... | ...... | ...... |
| Clover Pasture - acres | 26 00 | 25 00 in. | ...... | ...... | ...... | ...... |
| Blue-Grass Pasture - acres | 383 00 | 311.00 in. | ...... | ...... | ...... | ...... |
| Prairie Pasture - acres | 22,114 00 | 1,926 00 in. | ...... | ...... | ...... | ...... |
| Total - | 147,776 00 | 18,193 67 in. | ...... | ...... | $ 966,634 29 | $93,228 17 in. |
Contributed by Cathy St.Walley
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