"In the Beginnings" Contributed and transcribed by Woodson County Commissioner Bill Linde. ------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. -------------------------------------------------------------- WOODSON COUNTY KANSAS "In the Beginning About Woodson County" The Kansas Territorial Legislature known as the "Bogus" Legislature, meeting at Pawnee, Kansas in 1855, created Woodson County, along with other counties. According to Andreas "History of Kansas" the name came from Governor Silas Woodson of Missouri, while the "Annals of Kansas" claim the county was named in honor of Daniel Woodson who was the first secretary of the Territory of Kansas from 1855 into 1857, the later being accepted as the correct one. The "Bogus" Legislature of 1855 conferred the name of Woodson County upon an unsettled and almost unknown tract of land. A strip of land running east and west from the Missouri state line west which included a portion of Woodson County that had, at an early date, been set aside as a reserve for the New York Indian tribes. The Woodson County part of the reserve was never occupied by any of these tribes. Finding that these Indians would not settle on this reserve, the U.S. Government in 1860, had this land offered for sale and opened for preemption. The settlers then had to go to the land office at Fort Scott to establish their claim to the homes they had built. The land office was moved to Humboldt not long after this. DANIEL WOODSON County Namesake: Daniel Woodson was born in Albemarle County, Virginia, on the 24th of May, 1824. His boyhood days were spent on a plantation in Virginia. He obtained his education in a printing office, and attained so high a rank in this profession that he became one of the best known editors and printers in Virginia. On June 29th, 1854, at the age of 30, he was appointed by President Franklin Pierce, as the Secretary of the Kansas Territory at a salary of $2,000. Per year. At different times during his term as secretary, Mr. Woodson had given to him the powers of the governor. The first brief term was from April 17 to June 23, 1855, during a temporary absence of Governor Reeder. The executive minutes show only two official acts during this period. On the removal of Governor Reeder from office August 16, Secretary Woodson acted as governor until September 7, when Governor Shannon entered upon his duties. From June 24 to September 11, 1856, secretary Woodson acted as Governor between times as governor of Shannon and Geary. As a southern man, Governor Woodson’s sympathies were with the south. He was faithful to the policy of the pro-slavery party in Kansas. In April, 1857, he was appointed receiver of the Delaware (Indian) land office. He died at the home of his son at Claremore, Indian Territory, October 5, 1894.