Scott County, Kansas
Scott Community High School newspaper,
"The Beaverette", Feb. 1, 1926
*note by transcriber, Kathy Hoeme: The spellings were left the
way they were published. When part of a story was
transcribed . . . was used to show parts
were left out at that location in the article.*
This issue was dedicated to the history of Scott County, Kansas.
Business and Professional Men of Scott City in 1887:
CHARLES CLARK - Manager Chicago Lumber Co.
HORACE MIESELL- Manager Buffalo Drug House
W. MEISENHEIMER- Hardware Merchant
CRANE & CRABTREE - Flour and Feed Merchants
BRADLEY BROS.- General Merchandise
WEST & WRIGHT- General Merchandise
JOHNSON BROS & SERVICE- Bankers
FRANK H. MILLER- Banker and Real Estate Agent
DR. HALL- President of "The Town Company"
FRANK CAPPS- President of Scott City Real Estate Co, Local Editor &
Business Manager of Scott County Herald.
THOMPSON, McNABB & LANDIS- Real estate and Loan Agents
JAMES H. CAMFILL- President of Western Kansas Land & Loan Co.
TOM KENNEDY - Manager of Western Kansas Land & Loan Co.
SMITH, McLAIN & CO. - Land and Loan Agents and Land Attorneys
W. O. BOURNE - Land Agent
MORSE AND PERRY - Real Estate and Loan Agents
SAMUEL H. KELLY - Editor and Proprietor of "The News"
S.W. CASE - Proprietor of Scott Co. Herald
F. A. PARSON - Cashier of the Scott County Bank
S. M. JARVIS - Banker
McKNIGHT & NICHOLSON- Bankers
TRAVERSE MORSE - Attorney
MR. HADLEY - County Attorney
MR. HUBBELL - County Superintendent
DR. J. F. BOND - Physican
DR. IRA W. BOULDIN - Physican
M. J. KEYS - Editor & Publisher of Western Times
REV. MOORE - Presbyterian Minister
GIBSON & GILLESPIE - Lumber Merchants
MR. THRELKILL - Postmaster
DR. ARBUTHNOT- Physician & Druggist
MR. EGGLESTON - Druggist
CHARLEY WHITE - Civil Engineer and Farmer
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The following are excerpts from "Handbook of Scott County", published
in 1887:
*note, this is still from "The Beaverette".
Scott City - the capital and chief commercial town of the
county.
This bright, busy, bustling, bouyant and brave young city was
formally founded in September, 1885 by the Scott City Town Company,
composed of Dr. D.F. HALL, F.A. PARSONS, S.W. CASE,
MRS. Me. E. DeGEER, MRS. F. A. PARSONS, MRS. EASTON *(Eastman is
correct)*,
W. E. McLAIN, MRS. D. F. HALL, and MESSRS. SANGSTER AND
SWAN, who filed their charter in that month and soon laid out the town.
As
already noted in the foregoing pages, MRS. DeGEER built the first
house on the present town site in October 1884. Her daughter,
MRS. I. L. EASTMAN, and HON. S. W. CASE filed on adjoining
claims the same month. FRANK H. MILLER came in October also and
was followed in February by CHARLEY WAITE and JOHNNY KEEVE.
W. E. McLAIN came early the following March and a good number of
other settlers about the same time.
. . .
S. W. CASE was the first mayor of Scott City.
The W. C. T. U. built a hall in 1886. The lower story
was used for
official and clerical use. Upstairs was a free library and public
reading room.
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When Western Kansas Had a Spanish Capitol
El Quartelejo, Capital of State of Son Luis, New Spain, 400 Years
Ago was a city
in what is now Scott County, Kansas.
Four hundred years ago, long before Kansas was settled by
white man, as the state is now
known, there was a capital of a Spanish state in what is now western
Kansas.
It was the city of El Quartelejo, which stood in what is
now Scott County, and which
the old Spanish maps designate as capital of the state of San Luis, in
the Spanish
province of Mexico.
An Ancient Pueblo
But El Quartelejo dates back into much more ancient history
than the Spanish, for
hundreds of years before the Spaniards came to America, this was thriving
city of the
ancient pueblo races, it develops.
El Quartelejo was established in what historians now definitely
assert was the most
northerly of all Indian pueblos, another feature of historic interest.
. . . HERBERT STEELE, rancher of Scott County,
owns the land 12 miles north
of Scott City where the ruins of the old Indian pueblo were found.
. . . STEELE, who owns the ground, has given
it to the D.A.R. , on the condition that it
be marked fittingly. The D.A.R. has plans under way now to erect
an impressive
monumnet on the site.
Fort Wallace Head of Ruins
*note;
probably should have read "heap of ruins". KH*
Beaver creek, in which is located the site
of the pueblo, is not far from old FORT WALLACE,
now a heap of ruins.
A mile or two from the Steele ranch is the Thomas
Lamb ranch.
THOMAS LAMB, who died last summer, was considered
in that part of the country the last
surviver of the regular army of soldiers who fought Indians in Kansas
and who lived in this
sate subsequent to his term of service in the army.
THOMAS LAMB was a soldier in troop A, of the
Seventh calavary, Custer's regiment, and was
stationed at Fort Wallace in 1867, 1868, and 1869. He served
five years in the cavalry and
a year and a half in eastern Kansas on detail, guarding railroad building
before he was sent
to Fort Wallace. He was 81 years old at the time of his death.
Settlers Tell of Indian Battle
LAMB was with CUSTER on the expedition to release
SARAH WHITE and MRS. MORGAN
from the Cheyennes, an incident famous in the annals of the Seventh cavalry
and of the
Eighteenth Kansas, which participated in that expedition and was on many
expeditions to
the Platte and around old Fort Wallace.
All of the old settlers in that neighborhood tell
of a battle fought with Indians in Battle Canyon,
a day *note: probably should have read "dry" KH* wash
from the Beaver creek, a short distance
from El Quartelejo.
STEELE, whose wife's people were also pioneers of
the region, says he has always heard a big
Indian battle was fought at one time in Battle Canyon between troops
and runaway Indians
from Oklahoma agencies. MRS. STEELE corroborates this story. The
CHRISTYS, who
lived nearby, long have told of the same event.
. . .
Established prior to 1706
"It is situated a short distance from the town
of Christy and twelve miles due north of Scott City,
in the valley of Beaver creek, sometimes called Ladder Creek.
"This ancient Indian dwelling place was established
by the Picuries prior to 1706. The exact date
is uncertain."
About the official designation of the place and its
being mapped by the Spaniards, MISS FRANCIS
writes: [*note:Clara V. FRANCIS of Kansas State Historical Society,
who studied El Quartelejo site]
"Bancroft says that in 1706, CAPTAIN URIBARRI, on
an expedition to friendly Apaches, took
possession of El Quartelejo, naming the province SAN LUIS and the pueblo
SANTO DOMINGO." . . .
Used Pueblo as Rest Camp
There was a discussion in Santa Fe of establishing
a Spanish garrison at El Quaetelejo, but I have
found no record of its having been done. However, VILLAZUR and
his command used the Pueblo as a rest
camp on their way north.
Even the French knew of the existence of the pueblo and
MISS FRANCIS recounts a statement made by
JACARILLA in his narrative that "in 1727 BUSTAMENTE notified the Spanish
viceroy at Santa Fe that
the French had settled here at El Quartelejo)." They probably were
traders. . . .
*Note: at the end of the article, authorship was granted to Hutchinson
News, Nov. 3, 1923*
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First
County Officers
The first commissioners meeting was held July 5, 1886
in the office of C. C. HADLEY. Commissioners
EUGENE McDANIEL, A. H. KILKPATRICK and CHARLES REED, county clerk
were present. The
other commissioner was MANOW CUNNINGHAM. These were all
appointed officers.
The same members met the following day to divide
the county into Commissioners districts and voting
precincts. They also ordered a special election for Aug. 10, 1885
to elect the county and township officers.
On August 10, these officers were elected:
County Clerk
CHAS. REED
County Treasurer W.R. HADLEY
Register of Deeds B. F. GRIFFITH
Districk Clerk
S. T. BURGESS
Probate Judge
THOMAS PAULEN
County Attorney C. C. HADLEY
County Supt.
LULU BOLING
County Surveyor W. E. DAUGHERTY
Sheriff
J. F. DANIELS
County Coroner G. F.
B. BOND
Commissioners
Distric No. 1 EUGENE
McDANIEL
District No 2 H.
M. CRANOR
District No 3 C.
GARRETT
Justices of Peace :
Scott Township - A. B. GRABLE
M. R. HOPKINS
(Mr. Grable did not fill his office and S. W. CASE was appointed by the
Board to fill the vacancy.)
Mr. Griffith, the register of deeds, died in September and J.C. MILKEN
was appointed
to fill the vacancy.
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R.M. SUTCLIFF, (the father of H.O. SUTCLIFF) was the first constable to
be elected
in Keystone township. E. H. EPPERSON in the same electrion
was made township clerk.
Scott City was duly incorporated as a city of the third class, Jan 10,
1887.
May 12, 1894, the commissioniers met in special session to consider
the proposition of
GEO. G. MATHEWS, of Wichita, Kansas rainmaker, to make it rain. MATHEWS
was to
receive $200.00 if he produced a good rain in Scott County within 70 hours;
otherwise he
should receive no money.
There is no record of the money being paid but there is a
record of two successive very
dry years.
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The First Railroads and
Courthouse
In the summer of 1887 the railroads were put through Scott
City. The Santa Fe and
Missouri Pacific lines were both started at the same time. About
a mile east of town where
the Missouri Pacific and the Santa Fe cross they had a big fight to see
which would get to
lay the track first and to see who would pay the expenses of fixing a
crossing place. The
Missouri Pacific won out. When the first train came through Scott
City people a great number
of miles away came to see it. Before the railroads were put in,
supplies were shipped to Garden
City and brought across to Scott in wagons. The people who came
to Scott came to Garden
and came across in wagons. . . .
The first school was held in the U.G. RUTH store. It
was situated where FINKENBINDER
store is now. District Number One built a grade school in 1892,
which is the High School now.
The District gave the county permission to have High School in the upstairs.
The courthouse was located where the Golden Rule Garage
is now. The commissioners just
rented this building, and later on they bought a building on Main Street.
This burned down
and they bought the building which was the courthouse until just recently.
This was situated
where ROARK'S store is now and they moved it to where the new courthouse
now stands and
built a courtroom on to it. . . .
*(information furnished by Mr. GROSJEAN.)
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Eighteen Years ago
from High School Notes 1907-1908
*NOTE [Just a few of the items from this column are included on
this web page]*
The High School has an enrollment of 47.
The eleventh grade were glad to receive ARTHUR PURCELL into
their class, Monday morning. He has
been attending high school at Trenton, Missouri.
A special meeting of the Athenial Literary Society was called Tuesday
evening for the purpose of electing
new officers. The result of the election was as follows:
President MARY
WILLIAMS
Vice-President ETHEL CHRISTY
Secretary ELSIE
HELFRICK
Organist
EDNA HALE
Sgt-at-Arms LEE OLDMAN
The first track meet in Western Kansas was held in April 1908 at
Dighton. Scott won with 77 points.
Dighton and Ness combined received 33. ELMER EPPERSON won first in
oration: MISS FAY LOCKE,
first i Declamation. First in track was made by WALTER POST, ELMER
EPPERSON, ARTHUR PURCELL,
CLARENCE DICKHUT.
Because of the poor arrangement in the heating in the high school,
the change in weather makes it
very uncomfortable.
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Following is a list of teachers in Scott County during the year 1900.
E.A. WYATT
LAURA ATER
MRS. A. L. MAUST
W. I. SILVEY
ANNA M. WOOD E.
A. BABCOCK ELIZ. HATHAWAY
MINNIE LUDLOW
BERTHA M. ROYER LILIAN DAVIS
EMMA JOHNSON
C. A. KING
S. J. STEELE
MERTIE BUSH
W. E CURTIS
BESSIE OPDYKE
O. D. CARD
NIDA SMITH
ADA NORMAN
MRS. N. C. IRVIN
CHAS. NORMAN RALPH LLOYD
ALLIE NORMAN
W. O. FALLIS
MARY HARKNESS W. R. GORDON
LOTTIE REAM
R. H. CRABTREE
FANNIE BENTSON H. S. RECTOR
ALICE M. BENTSON FRANK
PETEFISH
CAZZIE DURHAM IDA
HYLAND
H.S. RECTOR, Co. Supt.
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*note. The following was taken from "Scott Republican", Febuary
23, 1911.
The Coyote
Early this year a school paper was established in the
High School. The paper was named "The Coyote," and
is published monthly by the students. The first issue made its appearance
in October, and has appeared regularly
since then. MISS CARRIE STARR is the editor, and has MISS SARAH VANANTWERP
and MISS NELLIE
PETEFISH for assistants. MISS GENEVIEVE LANCASTER is the business
manager and is assisted by
MISS ETHEL CHRISTY. The copy is furnished by the students and the
paper has been a credit to the school.
MISS PETEFISH has furnished a umber of drawings that have added to the
appearane and interest of the paper.
The business men of the city have responded generously in their support
of this worthy enterprise, and have
furnished several pages of advertizing each month. The subscription
list is gradually growing, and it is hoped that
"The Coyote" will find its way into every home in the county. Should
any desire to obtain this paper from the
High School regularly, fifty cents sent to MISS LANCASTER will pay for
it for a year. The editors are planning to
make each edition better than preceding, and thus far have succeeded admirably
in their efforts.
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*note. The following from information furnished by MRS. H. STEELE
The trail from Garden was blazed by Joe Griffith, a cattle man who drove
the first herd of cattle across to his
ranch on the Beaver.
Scott County also has the largest spring in the state. This
with its surrounding promise to become a state fishery
and park. (Gov. Paulen, the state fish and game warden, and others
were here last fall looking it over.)
The settlers came in '86. Such crops as were planted
were good that year. The people were happy with their
prospects. They still had a little money, which they had brought
with them, but the next season brought drought,
money was gone, and the mountain fever claimed many, especially the young
men. Consequently many returned,
after having proved up and put mortgages on their land.
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The
Hummer
The second paper to be edited at S.C.H.S. was "The Hummer",
the first number of which appeard October 28, 1916.
It was published every alternate Monday by the Student - - Teacher's Association.
The staff members were:
JACOB DAGUE, Editor; ELTON NEESE, Business Manager; FLOYD STANTON
and GLENN MORRIS, Advertising;
G. E. ANDERSON, Managing Editor. The reportorial staff consisted
of LEONA GILLILAND, ELOZIA STANTON,
CATHERINE CRETCHER, MERNA CRABTREE, ESTHER KELSON, HILLIARD GAMBLE, and
ESTHER
CHAMBERLAIN.
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The first steam plow was in Garden City April 21, 1892.
Sentinel Herald was the official county paper in 1890.
D.F. HALL was the editor and publisher and FRANK A. CAPPS,
managing editor.
In 1892 - The Scott County News was being published
with N.D. ADAMS, editor and publisher.
At the begining of the school year of 1911 in the fall, it
was decided to orginize classes in shorthand and typewriting. A
new Underwood typewriter was purchased and work begun.
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copyright 2005 Kathy Hoeme
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