Chellis Post Office Contributed and transcribed by Cousin Don Henkle. ------------------------------------------------------------------- KSGENWEB INTERNET GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY COPYRIGHT NOTICE: In keeping with the KSGenWeb policy of providing free information on the Internet, this data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages cannot be reproduced in any format for profit or other gain. Copying of the files within by non-commercial individuals and libraries is encouraged. Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other means requires the written approval of the file's author. -------------------------------------------------------------- CHELLIS Post Office On 14 January 1869, the townsite of Chellis was plotted, surveyed into blocks, streets & alleys on the southeast quarter of the northeast quarter of section 24-25-15, the entire 40 acres being surveyed into the townsite by Grasson, Dermott and W.B. Stines, surveyors. On 17 May 1869, H.T. Chellis and Sarah Chellis opened to the public the townsite of Chellis. On 15 July 1869, the first post office was established at Chellis with John D. Lopp as postmaster. Wm. F. Girdner, who bought the first lots in the new town also built the first residence. He was also the first doctor or physician in the town. The new settlement grew fast; besides the post office there was a general store and a hotel. Mr. Chellis was a carpenter and a cabinet maker. He also built caskets for burial purposes over the surrounding territory. Chellis was a lover of fine horses of which he owned. He would make trips to Kansas City for supplies as his horses were so much faster than the oxen used for this purpose. When the postoffice of Chellis was discontinued it was re-opened on the same day and the same site and named for the new town of Kalida on 29 March 1871. The Kalida postoffice was discontinued on 12 June 1876 and on the same day the mail was changed to Yates Center. Thomas W. Wilson, one of the postmasters of Kalida, became the first post master at Yates Center. The Thomas Davidson family came to Chellis in the spring of 1870 and in September of that year purchased a controlling interest in the townsite of Chellis, and on 24 September the townsite was again platted, this time by D.V. Dow, who was the surveyor for Woodson county; also on this day Mr Davidson changed the name of the little town to KALIDA, a Greek name meaning Beautiful. The next few years were very trying and exciting ones for the new town of Kalida.