NEOSHO FALLS 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. -------------------------------------------------------------- NEOSHO FALLS Post Office Considered one of the first settlers in Neosho Falls, Isaac W. Dow & Nathaniel Goss are the founders of Neosho Falls. John Woolman & his wife, Mary Jane are the first settlers in that area. 2 miles northeast of the falls John Chapman & his wife, Kitty lived in a log cabin along a crooked stream known as Spring Creek. Nathaniel had a large collection of stuffed birds. The Neosho River was called La Grande Rivieri, or just La Grande by the French. The source for this name was most likely the name of the Grand Osages. The 1757 map of Le Page du Pratz, names the Neosho the R. Blanche, the "white" river. The La Paz map of 1783, listed the Neosho in Spanish as R. Blanca. Zebulon Pike called it both the Grand and the White River. Elliot Coues explained that, "this White or Grand River of Pike is the Neosho." and he assumed that Pike called it the Grand because it was the site of the Grand Osage settlement. The dual descriptive name of Grand Neosho was divided, the upper part retaining the name of Neosho and the lower part flowing into Oklahoma, as the Grand River. Several Indian tribes knew the Neosho River as the "Six Bulls" river. The Neosho River was the birthplace of Neosho Falls, due to the two founders, Nathaniel S. Goss and Isaac W. Dow, who left Waverly, Iowa, looking for a site to build a flour mill. At the present site of Neosho Falls, the two weary horse & buggy travelers discovered a broad ledge of rock that went across the river, making a falls, and making the stream swifter. Here the river had made a gradual fall of around nine feet in over a two mile course. The men decided this was the place for their mill . This was the beginning of Neosho Falls, Kansas. The two founders of Neosho Falls had the town surveyed in 1860. The first town lots & blocks were sold or recorded on 24 November 1860. At this time the two founders set aside a few acres a short distance northeast of the town site for a city park. In the beginning the park was named Goss's Park .. later was changed to Riverside Park. The most famous event to take place in this park was the Neosho Valley Fair the fall of 1879. Many notable people attended this fair. Among them were: President Rutherford B. Hayes, the nineteenth President of the United States. It is estimated there were 30,000 people at the fair grounds. For many years the park was not kept up or used and grew back to a wilderness. In the spring of 1972 the "Hayseeds", a camping club from Yates Center, decided To clean up this park as a project, and start a camping area. Later a camping club was formed at Neosho Falls called the "Channel Cats". Now many campers enjoy camping in this beautiful park. The Neosho River is directly across the road west of the park which is added beauty to the park. The Neosho River was truly the beginning of Neosho Falls, Kansas in 1857, and the beginning of the demise of the town, due to the constant flooding until the John Redmond Dam was built north of Burlington, Kansas. The Neosho River flooded in 1951 to the extent that Neosho Falls became a "Ghost Town:' 157 inhabitants now live in Neosho Falls. They have an active Senior Center and the Neosho River is well-known for the excellent fishing provided by this beautiful Kansas River.