1870 SUMNER COUNTY CENSUS

 
(with follow-up research by Della Shafer)

The first Federal census for Sumner Co., P.O. Wichita, was taken on July 20, 1870 by Zinni Stubbs, Ass't Marshal. There were only 16 dwellings and families listed and only one with children. They record:

  1. GREAVES, Ric, 50, Male, White, Farmer, Real estate value 600, Personal property value, 300, Born Indiana, Eligible to vote. With him, all named Greaves, were Wm, 20, M, W, Farmer, Born Missouri; Ruama, 18, F, W, Born Missouri; Nancy, 16, F, W, Born Missouri, Att. school in year; Docey, 11, F, W, Born Kansas, School in year; Elizabeth, 7, F, W, Born Kansas, School in year.

  2. MORGAN, Ben, 25, M, W, Farmer, RE value 300, PP value 2000, Born Indiana, Elig to vote.

  3. CONROY, P S, 40, M, W, Farmer, RE value 300, PP value 500, Born Ireland, Parents foreign born, Elig to vote.

  4. HAHN, D G, 26, M, W, Physician, RE value 300, PP value 100, Born Ohio, Elig to vote.

  5. EWING, Ed, 29, M, W, Farmer, RE value 300, PP value 100, Born Ohio, Elig to vote.

  6. COOPER, Wm, 21, M, W, Laborer, RE value 300, Born Maine, Elig to vote.

  7. ELLSWORTH, R.A., 27, M, W, Drover, PP value 1500, Born Maryland, Elig to vote.

  8. S? or L?EGAT, J.H., 24, M, W, Merchant, RE value 300, PP value 400, Born Missouri, Elig to vote.

  9. SANDIFORD, Jas, 25, M, W, Laborer, RE value 300, PP value 150, Born Indiana, Elig to vote.

  10. HOPKINS, L, 23, M, W, Laborer, RE value 300, PP value 50, Born Missouri, Elig to vote.
    • CRAIG, Chas, 21, M, W, Laborer, Born Missouri, Elig to vote.

  11. DOYLE, Wm, 26, M, W, Stone Cutter, RE value 300, PP value 300, Born Ireland, Parents foreign born, Elig to vote.

  12. WELCHERN, Chas, 28, M, W, Farmer, RE value 300, PP value 100, Born Hamburg, Parents foreign born, Elig to vote.

  13. HOLMES, Jno, 35, M, W, Farmer, RE value 300, PP value 300, Born New York, Elig to vote.

  14. HOLMES, M, 27, M, W, Farmer, RE value 300, PP value 300, Born New York, Elig to vote.

  15. PRESTON, Silas, 34, M, W, Farmer, RE value 300, Born Ohio, Elig to vote.

  16. De GOLIA, Jno, 30, M, W, Farmer, RE value 300, PP value 500, Born Indiana, Elig to vote.
A FOLLOW UP ON THESE FAMILIES
(Researched by Della Shafer)
  1. GREAVES - I believe this name was mistakenly spelled on the census and should have been GRAVES. A Richard and a William Graves filed for one of the early patents on land in Gore Twp. They both got receipts but only William is recorded as actually receiving a patent. However, there were no GREAVES' or GRAVES' listed in the 1875 census.

  2. MORGAN - Hugh B. Morgan homesteaded on Sec. 17 in Illinois Twp. but he must have moved on because he isn't listed in the 1875 census, either.

  3. CONROY - Patrick got a patent for the NW 4 of Sec. 7 in Gore Twp. and is listed on that land in the 1883 atlas. If he died and is buried in Sumner Co., his grave is probably in the Mulvane Cemetery, which cemetery has not been read and recorded as yet.

  4. HAHN - Dr. Hahn obtained a land patent for 80 acres in Sec. 26 in Chikaskia Twp. and was still listed there in the 1875 census, but he was not listed as a land owner in the 1883 atlas. In a history of the county written by Albert A. Richards and printed at the front of the atlas is this quote: "June 3, 1870 Dr. D. G. Hahn settled in Falls township". Some of his relatives may have stayed in the county, however, because there are several Hahns buried in the Oxford Cemetery.

  5. EWING - George got a patent for land in Sec. 20 of Jackson Twp., but is not listed in the 1883 atlas or in other records I've found.

  6. COOPER - Spencer's homestead was on Sec. 26 of South Belle Plaine (now Harmon) Twp., but he evidently left before the 1883 atlas.

  7. ELLSWORTH - I found no R. A. Ellsworth in the other Sumner Co. records I searched.

  8. S?/L?EGALT - No name similar to this was found in the records searched.

  9. SANDIFORD - I found no records found for the Sandiford surname.

  10. HOPKINS - L. C. Hopkins got land in Sec. 31 of Seventy Six Twp. but was not on it by the 1883 atlas. It is unknown if this is the same man as the one in the census.
    • CRAIG - No Charles Craig was found.

  11. DOYLE - William obtained a patent for the NW quarter of Sec. 12 in Ryan Twp. but by the 1883 atlas he wasn't on that land. However, a W. and a Wm. Doyle had land in London and Belle Plaine Twps. Other families with the Doyle surname came to Ryan Twp. and remained through the years.

  12. WELCHERN - This surname was not found in the records searched.

  13. HOLMES - John Holmes got original land in Sec. 1 of London Twp. He was still on that land in the 1883 atlas. The history by Albert A Richards at the front of the atlas states: "June 20, 1870, J. D. Holmes settled on the Nennescah (sic) in the north part of London township." Evidently, he remained in this area in the county, because in the Council Hill Cemetery in Belle Plaine Twp. is a tombstone with the name and dates: John D. Holmes, born 9 Dec 1834, died 6 Apr 1905. On the same stone are the names of Hattie, born 18 Nov 1877, died 14 Sep 1887 and Lillie, born 5 Jun 1881, died Nov 1881.

  14. HOLMES - The only M. Holmes I could find was a Moses M. Holmes who got original land in Sumner Twp. but no further records were found.

  15. PRESTON - Silas obtained a land patent for a quarter section in London Twp. but he wasn't listed as owning that land in the 1883 atlas. However, in the Albert A. Richards history, he is mentioned as one of the signers of a petition presented to Governor James M. Harvey on November 2, 1870, asking him to organize Sumner county and to make Union City a temporary county seat. The petition stated that the county contained a population of not less than six hundred inhabitants, but the law required that a census of the county be taken and a list of its residents be forwarded with the petition. This census was not taken by the Union City people and their petition was never considered by the governer. The Belle Plaine project was started the following January and "Union City vanished from the face of the earth." When the county was permanently organized in 1871, Silas was elected Justice of the Peace from the 1st precinct, which included the townships of Gore, Palestine, Belle Plaine, London, Illinois, Conway and Eden.

  16. De GOLIA - A quote from the history in the front of the 1883 atlas states: "The first building within the limits of Sumner county was a stockade ranche erected early in 1869 by John Degolia and a Mr. Cadou on the old Chisholm cattle trail at the Slate creek crossing. It was a mere trading post and Messrs Degolia and Cadou never became permanent citizens of the county, but Frank H. Barrington and others who helped to build this range remained within the county until the next year and then settled on the Chikaskia at Barrington's Ford. This ranche was general headquarters for this section of the trail during 1869. The first marriage ceremony performed within the county was celebrated in this ranche in the fall of 1869, Esquire J. M. Steele, of Wichita, officiating, supported by Hon. H. C. Sluss, but the names of the contracting parties are unknown."