PIQUA 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. -------------------------------------------------------------- PIQUA Post Office After several unsuccessful attempts by different railway companies to build a railroad east and west through Woodson County dating from 1867, the first successful attempt was in 1881 when the St. Louis Fort Scott and Wichita Railway obtained a right-of-way across the country. The Missouri, Kansas and Texas (Katy) Railway was the first railroad to be built in Woodson county. As it was built from Junction City to Parsons, it crossed the northeast corner of the county, going thru Neosho Falls. About three-quarters of a mile south of where Piqua now is, the M.K.T. railway put in a siding called Bramlette. However, the St. Louis, Fort Scott and Wichita Western Company just asked two townships for bonds... Center and Toronto. The voters passed the bonds by quite a majority as this was the first railroad for either township or cities of Yates Center and Toronto. The construction gang building the road came from Fort Scott through Iola. About a mile inside Woodson County this railroad crossed the M.K.T. track about six miles down the track from Neosho Falls. Here a depot was built, the station to serve both railroads. One Y was built on the east side of the depot, and one on the west side. Besides the depot a section house was built to be used as a residence, a short distance to the northwest of the depot where a grove of oak trees now stand. The superintendent of construction was from Piqua, Ohio, and so gave the new junction the name of Piqua Kansas. Patrick O'Donnell had joined the construction gang at Iola, but when the station was built at Piqua, Mr. O'Donnell was appointed as section foreman and with his family took up residence in the section house, thus being the first family to occupy the first house in Piqua. By 1883 Piqua became quite a railway center with four daily passenger trains and four freights with many extra freights The engines were small and the trains contained from 12 to 20 cars. The townsite of Piqua was surveyed and plotted into streets, alleys and lots 16 March 1882 and was recorde as the townsite of Piqua, 01 April 1882, the north side of the main street being in one section and the south side in another section. The first church in Piqua was the Methodist. It was built in the east part of the new town in December of 1882. At that time it had about twenty members. We are of the opinion that this is the congregation that held services in the Bramlette school house. A Baptist group was also organized under the leadership of Dr. Huff and their services were held in the Methodist Church. The second church built in Piqua was the Catholic Church that was built in 1885 and was named St. Martin's. The church was named in an interesting way. The ladies of the parish held a contest to see who could raise the most money to defray expenses in the building of the church. Mrs. Martin Klocky was the winner and named the church St. Martin. The church was built in the west part of the town. A twostory rectory was built next to the church and the first resident priest was Father Buchler and the next was Father Fowler and the third was Father Heiman, who was pastor when the present Catholic Church was built on the hill south of Piqua. The cornerstone was dated 1920 but the church was completed in 1922. This brief history of Piqua that, during its first twenty years had grown to a thriving little city with a number of stores, a lumber yard, blacksmith shop, two hotels, a restaurant, a livery stable, and the railroads were doing a good business. Piqua is a Pawnee Indian word meaning "Men who arose from the ashes". The correct pronuncation is PICK-WA. However, the locals pronounce it "Pickway". Buster Keaton was born in Piqua on the 4th of October, 1895. Keaton was an early vaudville star who became a silent film comedian. On the 25th of September, 1993, a museum was dedicated in Piqua, called "The Buster Keaton Memorial Museum. The museum will house, not only Buster Keaton Memorabilia, but also show early Piqua & Woodson County Historical Artifacts. You will notice the beautiful ceramic-tile image of Buster Keaton as you enter the museum. This hand-made memorial to Buster Keaton, was donated by the Woodson County Preservation Fred Kipp, baseball player, was also born in Piqua, Ks.