KANSAS COLLECTION BOOKS
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[Old Settlers' Tales] by F.F. Crevecoeur, Part 2
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OLD SETTLERS' TALES, BY F.F. CREVECOEUR, 1902:  Transcribed and edited          
by Fred Bonjour and Teresa Lindquist for KanColl (The Kansas Collection), in the Early Kansas
Imprint Scanners (EKIS) workshop.  A fully indexed, HTML version is available at the KanColl
website (http://history.cc.ukans.edu/carrie/kancoll/books/crevecoeur/); this text version is
provided with KanColl's permission.  For more information about KanColl, please visit:                
http://history.cc.ukans.edu/carrie/kancoll/.  For more  information  about EKIS, please visit:
http://history.cc.ukans.edu/carrie/ekis/.  For any other questions, please contact Teresa Lindquist   
(merope@access.digex.net).                                                      

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 Moses Day, sr., who was the first settler in what is now Vienna township, was a native of
France, coming to the United States when he was 5 years old. He lived in Ohio a while, then
moved to Illinois, coming here from Boone county, Iowa, and arriving coming here from Boone
county, Iowa, and arriving at his farm, on the Vermillion, the 11th day of May, 1857. His nearest
neighbor the first summer was Obit Beach, of Lincoln township. He came with his wife, Mary
Jane, and his oldest son, Charles, who was born in Illinois. His other children were all born on
the old home place. Of these, Mary Ann was the first white child born in that township. She was
born on the 20th of September, 1857; then followed Thomas, Mattie (Mrs. Henry Schwarz),
Frank, Moses, jr., and Fred. Mary Ann was married to Daniel Lewis, who came here from Platte
county, Missouri. Dick, another son, was born in 1867, and died when two years of age. Mr. Day
drove through from Iowa, like nearly all the earliest settlers, with a yoke of cattle. He brought
everything in the way of provisions, such as flour, meat, lard, and soap, with him , besides
agricultural tools, such as plows, etc. He had one ox, one cow, and three horses. Mr. Day and his
family lived in their wagon through the summer, and towards fall he built his first house of logs.
The floor was made of puncheons, and there were openings left for windows which were left
open until he could make a trip to Leavenworth to get the glass to place in them. Mrs. Day says
that from the time they left Iowa, in April, until September, she did not get to cook a meal inside
a house, she doing all her cooking outdoors. When the new house was built the old one was sold
to J. B. Mumaw, who turned mallets out of some of the logs and presented Mrs. Day and each of
her children with a specimen as a memento of their first home. Mr. Day used to provide his
family with meat by going out west and killing buffalo, which were quite plentiful there. He and
Robert Wooley had succeeded in capturing each a couple of buffalo calves, which they intended
to break and yoke up when grown, but during the war the men had to be gone, as they belonged
to the state militia, and the buffalo having reached the age of three or four years they became too
mischievous and were continually breaking down fences and getting into the crops, which
necessitated their being killed and used for beef, Mr. Day's boys being too small to care for them.
The first year of Mr. Day's residence here Mrs. Day was subjected to a severe scare. There was an
Indian reservation just south of them then, as it reached to and took in the southern border of the
present Vienna township. Mr. Day had gone off on a buffalo hunt, and one evening while Mrs.
Day was gone after the cows she heard in the direction of her house an Indian horse bell, for the
Indians were in the custom of putting bells on their horses. She had left the children at home, but
she hoped there would be no Indians about to molest her dear ones. Anyway she hurried towards
home to see and make sure of it. As she got nearer home the bell sounded clearer, so that the
nearer she got the more convinced she was that Indians were about, and she quickened her pace,
only to become more alarmed, for as she got nearer she was not left to doubt the proximity of
Indians. She finally started to run, to see if the worst had happened and her children had been
killed. What was her suprise (sic) when she got in sight of the house to see a very dark Indian
sitting on the wood pile holding her baby (Mrs. Lewis) in his arms, while Charlie was seated
beside him talking to him like a little man. She felt immensely relieved when she saw her
children alive, and coming nearer she was asked where the smoke man was, meaning Mr. Day, as
he was addicted to the habit. They had learned he smoked in their presence. He was told that he
had gone buffalo hunting. When asked what he wanted of him, he said he wanted to swap. Then
he was asked what he wanted to swap, and he replied, "Buck," meaning venison, for flour. Partly
by talk and partly by signs, he made her understand that he had brought no meat with him, but
that his sons were gone on a deer hunt, and that when they would return the next day with some
he would bring it to her. So she gave him some flour-some that had been brought from Iowa-and
sure enough the next day when the son went down he brought her a choice ham of venison. On
another occasion, several years afterwards, an Indian came to Mrs. Day to buy a chicken of her,
but she told him she did not care to part with her chickens. He then said he would take a man
chicken (a rooster), and Tom, who was a little boy then and full of mischief as he could be, burst
out laughing and made all manner of fun of the Indian, but the later took it good-humoredly and
was rewarded by having gained his point , for he took a rooster home with him. This incident
recalls to the writer some amusing remarks made by foreigners before they had mastered much of
the English language, two of which he will recite. One was by a Belgian, who was trying to make
a chicken trade with Ben White when he was living on the Hall farm. Among the poultry that
was being dickered for was a turkey that Ben had for which the Belgian wished to trade a rooster.
It happened the Belgian didn't know what the word in English was for the male of a chicken, so,
to make Ben understand, he imitated a rooster's crowing as best he could. This excited Ben's
risibles so that he laughed and appeared as if he was about to take a fit. It was some time before
Ben got calmed down again so he regained his speech, when he requested the imitation crow be
repeated; but once was enough, for it was perceived Ben knew what was meant. Another time a
Frenchman was at the sawmill which was running near Cedar Bluffs, in the early 70's, who
wished to trade for a sow. He didn't know the word for a female hog, but knew what the female
of the horse was called, so he asked if someone had a mare pig to trade. Mr. Day's death, which
occurred a few years ago, and that of his son, Frank, who was killed in an accident in
Washington, are of so recent date that they are still fresh in the memories of our citizens.

  Frank Day, sr., his wife, Harriet, and children, John, Lewis, Ham, and Martin (who were born in
Illinois), came from that state about 1861, and settled on the place now occupied by William Day
and his mother. At this farm were born to him Moses F., William, and Rhetta.

  On July 3, 1869, several of the settlers had decided, as there was to be no celebration of
Independence day that year, to have a picnic together. Mesdames M. Day, Blain, and Benedict
were among those who had got together to settle the question of the dinner, which was agreed to.
It happened that John Day was at his Uncle's, Moses Day's. When the dinner had been agreed
upon, John, his cousin, Charlie, and Oliver Meskimens were sent to Frank Day's to see about
procuring a sheep for the dinner. It was getting pretty well towards evening, and the several
persons got on horses to cross the Vermillion, which was swollen by recent rains at the Day ford.
When they got in the water it was found to be pretty deep, and care was taken that no accident
should occur; but the water proved too deep for the horses, and John, who was a young man
nearly 21 years of age, was drowned, as he could not swim, while Charles, who was a good
swimmer, and Mr. Meskimens managed to save themselves. This incident put a damper on the
preparations for the next day, which was one of the saddest anniversaries the pioneers
experienced. Mr. Day died about 1873 or 1874, and is buried in the Jenkins cemetery.

  Samuel W. Blain, his wife, Elmira, and children, James, George, and Anna (Mrs. W. A. Heald)
came to Vienna in 1857, from Des Moines, Iowa, and settled where Major Jenkins and his son,
John, now live. Mr. Blain died in 1867, and his wife died in 1880. George passed away, in
Onaga, in 1882. Anna married Mr. Heald in 1875, while James married Miss Mary Ellison, who
was a daughter of Mrs. Miles Furman, in 1872. James had two children, Emma and Frank, born
to him while living here. He is now running a sawmill at Hill City, S. D., and having moved there
in the 80's. Albert Blain was born in Vienna, in 1862, and died the same day his mother did, in
1880. During the famine year of 1860 Samuel Blain returned to Iowa with his family to tide over
the hard times of that winter, and returned to Kansas the following spring. As a sample of what
the pioneers had to go through, Mrs. Heald says that she was bought a calico dress at 25 cents a
yard, which her mother said was the first cheap dress her daughter had. This occurred in the early
60's. The Indians used to gather rushes that grew at a spring near where Mr. Blain lived, which
they wove into mats, trading them to the settlers for flour, bacon, and other substantials. They
also used to buy calico and such things at St. Marys when they received their government
allowance, which they traded to their white neighbors for something to eat. Mrs. Heald says that
in their dealings with the Indians, who lived but a little way off, they were always well treated,
and, and her testimony is corroborated by others, who say that the red man was always perfectly
honest with his white brother. As an instance of their integrity, the following is given: Mrs. Heald
says that one time an Indian squaw came to her mother with two pails of grapes, which she tried
to induce Mrs. Blain to take, but as Mrs. Blain could get all the wild fruit she wished without
buying she would not take them. The squaw could not make Mrs. Blain understand what she
wanted to part with the grapes for, so she went away. A few days afterwards she returned with a
number of Indian companions. Among these were some that could talk considerable English, and
they informed Mrs. Blain that the squaw wished to pay her for something she had got of Mr.
Blain some time before , which Mrs. Blain knew nothing of, as it was some trifling favor which
Mr. Blain did not think worth while informing his wife about, and which was why the squaw
wished her to take the grapes, as Mrs. Blain refused to accept them, she thought money instead of
grapes was wanted.

  Charles Myers, his wife, Susan (who was a sister of Mrs. Blain), and their children, Lovilla and
Mary, came from Des Moines, Iowa, in 1857, and settled where George McVicar now lives. Mrs.
Myers died in 1862, and Mr. Myers enlisted in the 11th Kansas Volunteer Infantry. The children
were left with Mr. Blain, with whom they lived a year. They then returned to Iowa to live with
their grandparents. At the close of the war Mr. Myers sold out to Major Jenkins and went back to
Iowa. Mr. Myers and family spent the winter of 1860-61 in Iowa, and returned to Kansas the
following spring.

  Almon Benton and his wife, Betsey, were natives of New York. They moved to Illinois in the
50's. From there they went to Wisconsin. In 1858 they started for Kansas, stopping over the
winter near Pella, Iowa. They drove through with oxen. Next spring they resumed their journey,
landing at Oskaloosa, Jefferson county, in June, in company with R. W. Jenkins and L. M.
Benedict. The next year Mr. Benton, his wife, and children, C. Othello, Lucia (Mrs. A. Case of
Topeka), J. Ordo, and Lewis O., came to Vienna in November, and lived a year on the George
McVicar place, which then belonged to Charles Myers. The next fall he moved to his own farm,
now owned by William Kolterman and occupied by James Burnison. Here his son, Otis L., was
born. Mr. Benton moved with his family to Louisville, this county, in 1867. Lucia was married to
Mr. Case in August, 1873. J. O. married Belle Walker the 22d of August. C. O. is at St. Marys.
Otis is in Decatur county, this state. Lewis died about twenty years ago. Mrs. Benton is living in
Topeka with her daughter, Mrs. Case. Mr. Benton acted as county superintendent of schools in
1862. He died at Topeka a year ago.           Robert Woolley came here from Iowa in 1857. He
owned the John Grossnickle farm (the Anthony farm). He married Emma Rosecrants in 1861;
sold out to George T. Anthony about 1876, and went south-probably to Texas. He was interested
in a number of enterprises, which will be mentioned in their places.

  L. M. Benedict came to Oskaloosa, Kan., from New York, in 1859. He came to Vienna in 1861,
with his wife, Ann, and daughter, Flora, and settled just west of the Ed Schwartz farm
(Huffman's). Mrs. Benedict died in 1869. Flora was married to William Zimmerman, of Laclede,
who was county clerk of this county in 1876. Mr. Benedict sold out to A. E. Landon about 1873,
and moved to Wabaunsee county, where he is still living.

  James Guffy came to Kansas about 1860. He settled on the farm just west of where Andy Guffy
lives. In the fall of 1867 he went back to Pennsylvania, where he got married, and returned to
Kansas soon after. He occupied his farm until after the town was started, when he removed to
town to live. His wife died on the farm. He died at his home in town ten years ago. Mr. Guffy
took Andy, a nephew, to raise.

  Christian B. Huffman came to Kansas from Ohio, and settled on the Wakarusa river, near
Lawrence. In the fall of 1862 he removed to Vienna, with his wife and three children, Maggie
(Mrs. Frank Alvord, of Oklahoma), Lawrence (of Oregon), and Eldora, settling on the farm now
owned by Ed Schwartz. Mr. Huffman was a carpenter, and many of the first frame houses built in
this locality were erected by him. Mr. Huffman was elected justice of the peace of his township.
Wheat used to be a good crop when Mr. Huffman first moved here, and he and others of the
earlier settlers who were his neighbors raised much of it., which they sold to the Indians; and this
was practically the only way they had of making money. What they wanted for flour they took to
Circleville to get ground, that being their nearest mill. Most of their trading was done at
Louisville.

  Adget McGuire was a native of Ohio; his wife, Polly, a native of Pennsylvania. They came to
Vienna in 1863, from Indiana, with their children, Levi, Mattie (wife of J. K. Whims, who was
register of deeds in the early 70's), of Wichita, Kan., Isabel (Mrs. Frank Degraft, now of Beverly,
Mass.), and Ella, an adopted daughter, who is a niece of Mr. McGuire's children. Mr. McGuire
settled on 80 acres of land, of which one 40 is now home of Moses McGuire's family. Isabel was
married about 1869 to Mr. Degraft. Levi married Miss Nancy Nivens, of Valley Falls, in 1870.
Mattie married Mr. Whims about 1871. Mr. Whims lived at Louisville until the early 80's, when
he moved to a part of his father-in-law's farm, 40 acres of which he bought and later sold to Levi.
One of Mr. Whim's sons (Levi), who fought in the Philippine war, drowned on the 20th of June,
1899, in those islands, while crossing a stream on a raft. He was heavily loaded with arms and
accouterments, and was unable to save himself. Five of his comrades were drowned with him.
Another son of Mr. Whims (Wilbert) started about the 1st of last June for Alaska, in the interests
of his brother-in-law, who is interested in gold mines in that territory. Wilbert was given $600
with which to equip himself for the trip. He is to receive a certain percentage of the profits made
in managing the mines. When he started on the expedition he met thirty others at Kansas City
who were bound for the same place and on the same mission. The band then elected a leader,
who had each member turn over to him the $600 each had received, for safe keeping, amounting
in all to about $18,000. A day or two afterwards the leader claimed he had been robbed. The boys
would not believe it and had him arrested. He was not slow, after this, to produce the money he
said he'd lost.

  After he was married, Levi homesteaded 80 acres, on which he lived and which he still owns,
until 1882, when he moved the 40 acres bought of his brother-in-law, Mr. Whims. To him were
born, Frank, Belle (Mrs. George Walker, now of Elk county, this state), and Ida (Mrs. Clark
Mumaw). Frank is now in Texas, where he is getting rich in the general merchandise business.
Ella was sent as a missionary to Japan, under the auspices of the Presbyterian church, about 10
years ago. She taught Greek and Latin in the schools at Dayton, Ohio, and is now delivering
lectures under the management of a company, who pay her $25 per lecture. John, a brother of
Levi, did not come here until 1864. Moses McGuire, another brother of Levi, and his wife,
Dianna, came to Vienna in 1869. He held a first-grade teacher's certificate, and taught school in
Leavenworth, Lawrence, and Franklin counties before coming here. He served during the civil
war in Company C, 15th Kansas Cavalry. As has been mentioned before, he lived on a part of his
father's farm, where his family now is, but he is in California at present. His children, born on the
homestead, are Will, Acy, and Ruth. Adget McGuire taught school during his residence here,
which will again be referred to later. He died in 1880, and his wife died in 1881. John is in
California, where he went about eight years ago.

  Major Richard W. Jenkins is a native of Kentucky. In April, 1864, he came to Vienna on a visit
to his brother-in-law, L. M. Benedict, for Mrs. Jenkins and Mrs. Benedict were sisters. The next
spring he came back with his wife, Emily M., from Denver, Colo.., where he was staying then,
and purchased the farm where George McVicar lives of Charles Myers. He was a member of the
2d Colorado Cavalry at this time, and returned to that state. He was mustered out of service the
next spring, and in March, 1866, he moved with his family, consisting of his wife and daughter,
Allie Dell, to the farm bought the year before. He was elected to the state legislature in the fall of
1866 and re-elected the next year, for the term of the legislators then was but one year. He served
as a commissioner of the Kansas penitentiary during the years 1867-8. In 1868 he was
commissioned by the governor as major of the 19th Kansas Cavalry, and was with General
Custer in the march against the Comanches and Kiowas and helped rescue two woman held in
captivity by them-Mrs. Morgan and Mrs. White. His daughter, Allie Dell, died Feb. 16, 1867.

  Another daughter, Minnie, was born on the McVicar farm, who died in infancy. His son, John,
also, was born on the McVicar farm. In 1867 or 1868 he built a frame house, the present George
McVicar residence. He helped secure the extension of the Kansas Central narrow gauge railroad
from Holton to Onaga, in 1877, and after this became engaged in railroad building exclusively
for several years, necessitating a change in residence. As the house in which he was then living
was considered by Mr. Jenkins to be too good to be left in care of tenants, it was decided to sell a
portion of the farm where the house stood, which accordingly was done, Mr. Vicar becoming the
purchaser. The following article, which will be of more or less interest to our readers, was copied
from the "Soldier's Letter" of July 8, 1863, printed at Fort Riley, Kan., a publication which was
published in the field wherever the regiment happened to be. Cow Creek station was near what is
now Great Bend. For the act of bravery mentioned therein Mr. Jenkins was promoted to the
captaincy of Company II, 2d Colorado Cavalry, over nine first lieutenants:

  "Headquarters District Upper Arkansas - Fort Riley, Kan., June 29, 1865-General Orders No.
22. -Lieutenant Richard W. Jenkins, 2d Colorado Cavalry and 7th Iowa Cavalry, while escorting
the mail coach from Cow Creek station to Fort Zarah, Kan., on the 11th inst., and when about
four miles from the former station, was attacked by more than one hundred Indians, who rushed
in upon him from all sides, wounding two of his men with their lances. With his small force,
Lieutenant Jenkins succeeded in keeping the Indians at bay until the coach returned to Cow
Creek station and reinforcements arrived, with whom Lieutenant Jenkins gave chase to the
Indians, following them for twenty miles, crossing the Arkansas river, and pursuing them for five
miles on the other side. Two of the Indians were killed when the attack was first made on the
coach, and fifteen at the crossing of the river, besides a number killed and wounded whom the
Indians succeeded in carrying away with them. A large number of ponies were killed or captured,
also a large amount of blankets, robes, etc., and the enemy's camp with all its equipage.
Lieutenant Jenkins' entire loss was two men wounded. Following are the names of the men who,
with Lieutenant Jenkins, so honorably held their ground until reinforcements arrived, viz.:
Quartermaster Sergeant True, Privates Chaffee, Day, and Heycus, of Company I, 2d Colorado
Cavalry, and Cudding, Platte, and Couburn, of Company G, 7th Iowa Cavalry. Great credit is due
Lieutenant Jenkins and these seven men for the bravery and coolness displayed by them when
attacked by such unequal odds. This order will be published to all the troops of the district, and it
is hoped that the same sprit and courage may be displayed by all when the exigency requires it.
    By Com. Brevt. Brig. Gen. Ford,
    Robert S. Roe,        Act. Asst. Adjt. Gen."

  Major Jenkins served as a member of the Kansas State Board of Agriculture for 16 years from
1873. His wife died March 29, 1899, at his present home.

  Edgar S. Lewis, who is a native of New York, came to Vienna in April, 1855. The next spring
he bought his present home place of a party living in the east by name of Cope. In 1875 he was
married to Minnie Michaels. His daughter, Jennie, was born the next year. Before he was
married, like most single men, Mr. Lewis worked around for his neighboring farmers. He tells us
that during the 60's all the country north of the Pottawatomie Indian reserve was organized into
one township, known as Vienna. This is now divided into Lincoln, Grant, Mill creek, Vienna,
Sherman, and Lone Tree. Mr. Lewis once owned a tax deed to the present site of Onaga. Mrs.
Abigail Lewis, mother of Ed, and Lemira and Chloe Estella, sisters, came to Vienna with him
and made their home with him. Lemira died March 7, 1872, and his mother passed away January
9, 1888.

  Orin Foote was a native of Michigan, and came from that state to Kansas in 1866. He
homesteaded the farm now owned by James Slater. He was married to Chloe Estella Lewis, Nov.
5, 1868. His children born on the farm are Minnie (Mrs. Guy Foster, of Idaho), Charles (who
died in infancy), and Foote moved to Onaga soon after the town started, where his daughter,
Grace, was born, she being the first child born in the city. Grace is now Mrs. A. L. Truman, of
Salt Lake City, Utah. Mrs. Foote died Nov. 12, 1880. Mr. Foote is now in Topeka.

  Mr. Points settled on the Steve Ellis farm, north of Havensville, in Grant township. He had a
brick house, built in 1859, which was headquarters for the distribution of aid next year. The
bricks for his house were made and burned by a man by name of William Blankley, who lived
near America City. After the bricks were burned, but before the house was completed, Blankley's
body was found in the river. It was ascertained that he had been murdered. A man by the name of
Cornelius Reed, who lived on the Warren Fulton place, near Onaga, had been helping Mr.
Blankley make the bricks, and he was suspected of being the murderer. Accordingly, a lynching
party was formed, who were going to hang him for the deed, but he protested his innocence so
strongly that he was released. It was supposed that Mr. Blankley had been paid off for his work,
and that this was the incentive for his murder, and that Mr. Reed, who was much in Mr.
Blankley's company, would be about the only one who would know anything about his having
any money. As it is, the murderer was never discovered, and there have been many rumors that
the house built with those bricks has been haunted since, the inference being that the murdered
man's blood is crying for revenge. We will have more to say in this connection in the sketch of
Mr. Reed. Mr. Points' widow is still living, in Havensville, one of the few who are yet living here
who came so early. Charles Points settled on a place just east of T. I. Eddy's place. Mrs. Henry
Hamar and Mrs. Thomas Giles are his daughters. He came here about 1857, and died on his farm
in 1876 or 1877. James Points came with his brother, Charles, and bought the McBride farm of
one Jack Price, and later owned the Amos Regar place. He had a house and lived near where the
Savannah school house stands. He sold out to Mr. Regar about 1865. He died in Havensville, in
1882. Daniel Points came, also, in 1857, and settled on some land east of the T. I. Eddy farm. He
then moved to near Arispie, where he died about 1865. He had a son, Charles, who married
Martha Hinshaw, while a daughter is living in Junction City with his widow.

  Tunis J. Roosa, sr., came to Vienna from Jeffer- (sic) county in July, 1865, as has already been
mentioned in the sketch of B. F. Buzbee. He came with his wife and two sons, Tunis, jr., and
Herman. The elder Tunis settled on the DeGraw farm, which is opposite J. T. Smith's. He ran a
sawmill for some time, and later traded his farm to George DeGraw for the D. J. Howard farm,
which George had homesteaded and on which he was living at the time. Tunis, sr., died in
Topeka about seven years ago. His two sons both served in the civil war. Tunis, jr., married
Mollie Cross, of America City, about 1868, and they had two or three children. He is now living
near Louisville. He became blind in the early 70's, and has never regained his sight. Herman died
in the Soldiers' Home five or six years ago.

  James Gorman, who is a native of Belfast, Ireland, and who was brought by his parents to the
United States, in 1840, at the age of 16 months, came to Vienna from Mercer county, Illinois, in
1866, and took a homestead, which is now owned by Frank Lieb. He drove through with a mule
team in company with Lemuel Guffy. He went back to Illinois in 1868, on a visit, returning soon
after. In 1869 he broke 82 acres of land for his neighbors, using three yoke of oxen, and was
helped by Frank Huston, who drive the oxen. It seems rattlesnakes were rather plentiful that year,
as he turned up and killed thirty- two of them that summer while breaking prairie. He married
Mary A. Auld, of Frankfort, Kan., in June, 1870. The grasshopper and drouthy (sic) times of
1873_4 were two much for him, so he hitched up to a wagon and he and his wife drove back to
Illinois in the fall of 1874. While there he received a letter from a neighbor here, saying that he
(the neighbor) had been eating walnuts the day he wrote, and it was the first time he had his
throat greased that winter. Jim says he used to pick up bones on the prairie these hard times and
extract the marrow with which to grease his boots. The writer had a similar experience, and while
he was breaking the bones and saving the marrow his dog would sit close by on his haunches and
longingly wait for the discarded bones, which were pretty dry licking by the time his master was
through with them. Mr. Gorman returned to Kansas in the spring of 1875, and has been living
here since. He served in the war in Company C 102d Illinois Infantry. Mr. Gorman's friend,
Lemuel Guffy, who served in the war in Company G of the same regiment as himself, settled on
the place now owned by Mrs. R. A. Guffy. He built a frame house on his farm. He died June 28,
1868, and was buried at Louisville.

  William A. Heald, who is a native of Pennsylvania, came to Vienna from Colorado in the fall of
1867. He had heard about the mill on the Vermillion, and thought the prospect good for a
thriving community at that place, which induced him to cast his fortune with the people of
Vienna. He did not conclude to stay here, though, until 1868, when he turned his attention to
farming, which he interspersed with railroading. He made his home with Mr. Butts all this time,
and was married to Anna Blain in 1875. In 1877 he bought out Mr. Buzbee, and lived on his farm
for several years. Mr. Heald served in Company B, 1st Ohio Cavalry, during the war.           J.
Albert Butts came to Vienna from Illinois in 1867, with his wife, Emma, and children, Jerome
(who is now in Phillips county, this state), Levi (who returned to Illinois and died there about ten
years ago), Ida (wife of Obil Beach, of Lincoln township, now dead about three years), George
(now of Cross Creek, Jackson county), and John (who died in Lincoln township about 10 years
ago). Mr. Butts and his wife were natives of New York. Mr. Butts is living at Bucks Grove. His
wife died there last winter.

  Samuel Leinbach came here March 20, 1867, from Pennsylvania. He did not do much that first
year, so the next he had his carpenter tools shipped to him and followed that occupation. For five
years he worked in company with Judge Huffman, and about all the frame houses built about
here following that date were built by them. He homesteaded where he now lives, and eighteen
months afterward built a frame house on it, as his first was only a temporary affair. With the
proceeds of his trade he gradually improved his farm. He recalls having worked two weeks at his
trade for $24, as he got $2 a day for his work, and with the money bought three kegs of nails at
$8 a keg, with which he built a board fence. He also recalls that the first barbed wire offered for
sale at Wamego, in 1875 or 1876, sold for 18 cents a pound. He married Lucy Fulton, daughter of
Joe Fulton, in 1872. His oldest child, Mary, is now Mrs. Lee O'Meara, of Rock Creek township.

  Joseph Fulton, his wife, Mary, and children, Warren and Lucy (Mrs. S. E. Leinbach), came here
from Clark county, Illinois, in 1868. He bought a farm (the E. S. Johnson place) of an Indian
named Jim Cu Wadnum, and built a frame house for his home.

  Mr. Fulton died seven or eight years ago.

  Lewis Fulton, brother to Joseph, and his wife, Rosetta, came here from Clark county, Illinois.
He brought with him his children, Robert, Sherman, Cornelia, and Mary (Mrs. Clark, of near
Havensville), about 1869. Cornelia married William Stricker about 1873. She is living in Oregon
since her husband died. Robert married a daughter of Thomas Points, about 1874, and lives south
of Havensville.

  Frank Huston, his wife, Amy, and daughter, Minnie, came here from Clark county, Illinois, in
the fall of 1868. He homesteaded the farm on which he lived until recently, and taught the
Schneider school the first winter he was here. Mr. Huston, his wife (who is a sister of Al
Meskimens), and daughter (Mrs. Colder) are now residents of Stafford county, this state.

  J. B. Mumaw and his wife, Susan, who are natives of Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania,
came here soon after they were married, in March, 1869. They lived with Moses Day until Mr.
Huffman and Mr. Leinbach could build them a home-a small frame house, 14x26 feet-on the
homestead now occupied by Mrs. Mumaw. Here Mr. Mumaw began to make a home on the raw
prairie, with the experience of thousands of others in a new country, in strong contrast to the
homes they left in the old states, where every foot of land was improved and where the farms had
their fine old orchards, good houses, and barns to shelter the stock. One of their memories of
early life on the farm, never to be forgotten, was the music made by a neighbor's horse that
carried a bell, and that rubbed, rubbed all night long on the northwest corner of the house, while
the occupants tried to rest their weary bodies and get some sleep after their day's labor was done.
To drive the horses away was only to be followed back by them, to be repeated over and over
again. About the time Mr. Mumaw got fairly started his health failed, and in the spring of 1874
he moved with his family, in company with Mr. Emery and family, of America City, and Joe
Stout, to Denver, Colo.. They all went in wagons. Mr. Mumaw hauled lime out there from Platte
canyon, a distance of twenty miles. He had the misfortune to lose his best horse, and it required
$125 to replace him. One of the proprietors of the lime kilns gathered all the money he could lay
his hands on and skipped for parts unknown, leaving his partner to settle the debts of the firm as
best he could. His partner was honest, but had nothing left save the kilns, shanty, and cooking
utensils. Mr. Mumaw had $107 due him, and received in payment a dishpan and a hoe, which
were highly prized as long as they did service. The second year (sic) he was there he gardened,
but the grasshoppers took everything. The third summer he managed to save over a hundred
bushels of onions by going over the garden from sunrise until four o'clock in the afternoon, when
the grasshoppers would settle on near-by bushes for the night. That fall he started back for his
Kansas home. Mr. Heald was living on his farm that year, and the grasshoppers were here, too, as
a swarm. The last one seen here had come that fall (1876). Mr. Heald did not realize much for his
summers work, either. Mr. Mumaw borrowed money, paying 15 per cent interest on it, but after
years of work and economy paid off the mortgage on his place. Of his children born since he
came from Pennsylvania, Flora died in 1887, aged 17 years; Emma was buried in Colorado, in
August of 1875, aged 2 years; Mary Grace died in 1887, aged 11 years; Clark is living on Kate
Hutchinson farm. Mr. Mumaw was superintendent of the Vienna Sunday school for many years;
he was, also, a deacon of Congregational church at that place.

  Richard A. Guffy, cousin to James Guffy, and Elizabeth, his wife, came here in 1868, and
homesteaded the place where Charles Guffy lives. His children, who came to live with him, are:
Hattie (Mrs. James A. Taylor, now dead), May (Mrs. Frank Day), Ella (Mrs. W. O. DeGraw). His
other children, born here, are: Cora (Mrs. Fred Brown), Grant, Charles, and Etta (Mrs. George
Newlin).

  Charles Lieb came here the spring of 1867, and bought 160 acres of land in partnership with S.
E. Leinbach. In 1871 he married Mattie J. Auld, and lived a year with Sam Leinbach, when he
built a house of his own on the land they had bought. Soon after they divided the land. His sons,
Frank and Charles, were born on this farm. Mr. Lieb served in a Pennsylvania regiment during
the war. He died in March, 1873.

  Isaac H. Furman, who came to this locality with his parents in 1869, went back to New York in
1874, where he got married, returning immediately and homesteading the farm where he now
lives. His son, Jared, was born long enough ago to receive mention here.

  Amos E. Landon is a native of New York, while his wife, Harriet, was born in Canada. They
came to Circleville, in Jackson county, from New York, 1n 1858. He kept store at that place until
1870, when he moved his store goods (some four or five loads) to Vienna. He had come here
with intention of securing the grist mill on the Vermillion and setting up a store near it. The mill
was washed out soon after he located there. He kept store at that place three years, when he
moved his stored to west of the Huffman farm. The merchandise for his store was hauled from
Wamego, St. Marys, Holton, and Corning, and roads were rather scarce then, so much of the
teaming was done over the untracked prairie. He kept store at the latter place until 1877, when he
removed to Onaga, where he was the first postmaster. He says he could have made his fortune
while at Vienna if he could have foreseen and better understood the conditions of those times.
Mr. Landon's children who came with him to Vienna are : Frank B., Florence F., Kate I. (Mrs. H.
C. Rushmore, now deceased).

  Rev. Lewis E. Sikes, a Congregational minister, his wife, Lucretia, and children, Melva,
William, and Ernest, came to Vienna, in 1870, from Louisville. He bought railroad land, now
owned by Josiah Davis. Rev. Sikes removed to Leonardville, Riley county, where he and his wife
died. His two sons are living there now. Melva married a Mr. Gales, of Manhattan. She died
there soon after she was married.           Theodore D. Leinbach came to Vienna in 1872, arriving
here Sept. 16. He made his home with his brother, Sam, for a number of years. During the civil
war he enlisted in the 9th Michigan Cavalry.

  David A. Cook came to Kansas from New York. He located at Big Springs, in Douglas county,
where he was married to Lydia A. Thompson. In 1872 he moved to Vienna, where he bought his
present home place, 160 acres, of Sydney A. Clark. He built a small frame house on his purchase,
partly of native lumber and partly of some bought at Wamego. He had a son, George, who died in
August, 1874, at the age of 6 months. His oldest living child is Mabel. Mr. Cook enlisted in
Company I, 33d New York infantry, in 1861. He was mustered out the 22d of May, 1860, and
re-enlisted in Company M, 22d New York Cavalry, and was mustered out the second time Aug.
1, 1865. He and about thirty of his comrades were captured by Mosby, who had about four
hundred men with him , but soon heard firing, when a body of Union troops bore down on their
captors, and rescued them after having been rebel prisoners only about ten minutes. In 1869 Mr.
Cook and a gentleman named Dave Kirk made a trip up the Kaw river, where they had been
looking for land to take. On their way back they came to the Vermillion, which was up, at the
Vienna bridge. The bridge consisted only of a plank thrown across the stream, so that only foot
passengers could cross it. Those on horseback would take the saddles off their horses and carry
them across, while the horses swam over. While crossing they were joined by five other
horsemen, who also made preparations for crossing. They were fine specimens of manhood, and
each wore a belt containing two revolvers. They would give orders to one another, and the names
"Bob" and "Cole" were mentioned. Mr. Cook, at first sight of them, decided they were men
whom it would be as well to leave altogether alone, but Mr. Kirk was not so far-seeing, and
thought he would have a little chat with them. He walked up to the nearest one and asked him
where he was going. The answer was a couple of significant pats on his revolver, while not a
word was said. Mr. Kirk concluded he knew enough, and was glad to get away alive. It was
afterward learned that the five men were four of the Younger brothers and one of the James boys,
who were returning to their rendezvous in Missouri from a robbery they had committed in Texas.

  Dr. Telfer came to Vienna from Circleville, in 1874. He married Mrs. Blain the same year, and
then lived a couple of years on the Benedict farm. His wife died in 1880, and he went to
Washington territory, where he died a few years ago.

  In 1867 Dr. Angle came to Vienna from St. Marys. He built a grist mill on what is called the
"Anthony" farm, now owned by John Grossnickle. Bob Wooley was associated with him in this
enterprise. As has already been mentioned, the mill was swept away by a freshet in 1870, and Dr.
Angle moved away from here.

  About 1868 or 1869 a Mr. Curliss came to Vienna from Dakota, accompanied by his wife and
her five children, as she was a widow by the name of Hill before Mr. Curliss married her. One of
the children (Belle) became James McKowen's wife, while another married Chapel Foote. A
third (Nora) made her home a number of years with Major Jenkins after her folks moved away,
which was about 1870. She died at Louisville. The others were young children at the time, whose
names have been long forgotten. Mr. Curlis was boat-wrecked on his way here on the Missouri
river. A young man by the name of Sydney Lake provided funds so he could finish his journey.
Mr. Curliss lived on the Anthony farm and worked in the Grist mill there. His wife died in 1870,
and was buried in the Jenkins cemetery.

  Gov. George T. Anthony, his wife, Rosa, and son, George, jr., came to Vienna in 1876,, when
Mr. Anthony bought the present John Grossnickle farm of Robert Woolley. He also bought the
adjoining farm on the west, now belonging to Henry Schwarz. As is well known, the governor
died a number of years ago and his widow and son went away.

  Before the early 60's the people of Vienna and surrounding country got their mail at various
remote postoffices, (sic) one of which was St. Marys. In the early 60's the Vienna postoffice (sic)
was established, kept by Jack Minch, on the August Wegner farm. Afterward Almon Benton, sr.,
kept it about 1867, when he was succeeded by Mr. Butts.

  The early settlers were widely awake to the many advantages of education, and early
commenced to look about them to see what could be done in the matter of having their children
taught the first requisites of an education. They met and organized the Vienna school district (No.
13) on Dec. 6, 1862. John Gibson was elected director, S. W. Blain, clerk, and Moses Day, sr.,
treasurer. Arrangements were made to have a term of school taught as soon as could be done. A
term of school was arranged for early in 1863, which was kept in a room of Almon Benton's
house, Mrs. Benton being the teacher. Among some of the children who attended this primitive
school were Day's, Benton's, and Blain's. Another term of school, taught in a private house, was
taught by Mrs. Benedict in her own house. Judge Huffman had been elected director of the
district by this time, and in the fall of the year 1863 a school house was built. It was a frame one,
and Judge Huffman was the architect. Some of the early teachers in this district have been
forgotten, but we give below the names of those whose names are still remembered, or which the
school records still in existence show to have taught here, with the year in which they taught:
Miss Cheney, of Manhattan, who taught school in the fall of 1866 or 1867, and Miss Kate White,
who taught during the summer of 1867 or 1868, and boarded at Major Jenkins'. Prof. J. J.
Hostutler taught the school in the spring of 1870. The schoolhouse was enlarged in 1870, and
turned around, as it had been standing north and south before this. The first teacher to teach after
the above change was E. T. Robinson, who taught the winter of 1870-1. The next was C. O.
Benton, in the fall of 1873; Miss Addie Points, the fall of 1874; Jerome A. Buts, the winter of
1874-5; Amelia Resing, the summer of 1875; Mrs. Flora Benedict, the summer of 1876.

  Matters of religion were also considered of prime importance by the pioneers, and a Sunday
school (perhaps the first in the county) was organized as early as 1862. This was a union school,
and was held in private houses until the school house was built. This like the district school, was
first held in the Benton house and taught by Mrs. Betsey Benton in the spring of the above year.
The Sunday school was soon followed by religious services, which, like the Sunday school, were
held in private houses, being held in different houses by turn. Rev. Knipe was was (sic) about the
first preacher who preached here, and he held services once in from one to two months. The
Sunday school and other religious services led to the organization of a church-the Vienna
Congregational -in 1868. Rev. Alfred Conant organized the church, with the help of Mr. and
Mrs. Butts, Mr. and Mrs. Jenkins, Mrs. Benedict, Mrs. Mason, Ben Menkinson, and Miss Mary
Auld (Mrs. James Gorman), who became charter members. Rev. Conant was succeeded in the
pastorate by Rev. L. E. Sikes, in 1870. When Onaga was built the church headquarters were
removed to the city. The present Congregational church of Onaga is the outcome of the early
Vienna church.

  In June, 1873, L. M. Benedict, Frank Alvord, Sarah J. Grossnickle, and Lenora Hill were
baptized by immersion in the Vermillion river, about half a mile west of the Vienna school
house, by Rev. Peter McVicar, president of Washburn college. This baptism by immersion, like
the Vienna Sunday school, is considered to have been the first to take place in the country.

  When Major Jenkins' daughter, Alla Dell, died, in February, 1867, it was found necessary by the
people of Vienna to locate a cemetery. Accordingly, Messrs. Benedict, Benton, Blain, and Day
met Mr. Jenkins, who agreed to give a piece of land to be set aside for a burial ground. The five
men proceeded to walk over Mr. Jenkins' farm to select a suitable site, when Mr. Blain, who was
carrying a stick in his hand, using it as a cane, stopped, said: "This place suits me." So it was
decided, and Major Jenkins' little daughter was interred twelve feet north of where Mr. Blain had
put his stick. A few months later Mr. Blain died, and he was buried in the exact locality which he
had selected as suitable. The cemetery was chartered under the name of the "Jenkins Cemetery,"
though it is usually called the "Vienna Cemetery."

  The 12th of August, 1873, there occurred a heavy hail storm at Vienna, which cut some fields of
corn all up. Mr. Bellows was a heavy loser by this storm.

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