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THE HISTORY OF ANDERSON COUNTY, KANSAS, BY W.A. JOHNSON


TABLE OF CONTENTS.

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CHAPTER I.

FIRST SETTLEMENTS.

History of the First Settlement by the Pottawatomie
Indians in 1837--Their Removal in 1854--First Settle-
ment by Whites in 1854, ...17

CHAPTER II.

ORGANIZATION.

Organization of the Territory--The several Elections
in 1855-6--Organization of Anderson County, ...22

CHAPTER III.

EARLY INCIDENTS.

Appointment of County Officers--Locating First
County Road--Locating Permanent County Seat--
First Term of District Court--Organization of Potto-
watomie Rifle Company--They Break up Cato's Court
at Shermanville, ...29

CHAPTER IV.

NOTED SETTLERS, ELECTIONS, BORDER RUFFIANS.

Noted Settlers of 1855--Election of Delegates to To-
peka Constitutional Convention--Election on Adop-
tion of Constitution--Election of State Officers under
Topeka Constitution--Noted Settlers of 1856--Terri
tory Overrun with Border Ruffians--The Probate
Judge, County Commissioners and Sherriff Flee the
Country--John Brown with his Company Marching
to the Rescue of Lawrence--United States Troops
Sent to Pottawatomie, ...35


8             CONTENTS.

CHAPTER V.

POTTOWATAMIE GUARDS, FIRST CELEBRATION, BATTLES,
SUFFERING.

Organization of Pottowatomie Guards--Celebration of
Fourth of July, 1856--Struggle between Free State
Men and Border Ruffians--Battle of Middle Creek--
How a Ruffian Lost his Nose--Raid on Pottowatomie
--Battle of Osawatomie--Great Suffering among
Settlers, ...46

CHAPTER VI.

NEW SETTLERS, TOWNSITES, STEAM MILL.

Arrival of C.E. Dewey and Party from Ohio--First
Settlement on South Pottawatomie--Death of Bear--
Survey of Government Land--Location of Kansas
City, or Ianthe, Townsite--Selection of Garnett Town-
site--Arrival of Louisville Colony, with Machinery
for Steam Mill--Prominent Settlers of Garnett in
1858-9, ...56

CHAPTER VII.

POLITICAL MEETINGS, COUNTY OFFICERS, ELECTIONS,
CELEBRATION, SICKNESS.

Mass Meeting at Hyatt--First Meeting in Garnett--
County Officers Appointed--Election of Delegates
to Lecompton Constitutional Convention--Free State
Convention at Sac and Fox Agency--Celebration of
the Fourth of July at Greeley--Dividing the County
into Municipal Townships--Free State Conventions at
Simons' and at Hyatt--First Election for County
Officers--Vote of the Precincts, except Shannon,
thrown out by Probate Judge--Letter Giving
Reasons for Same--Free State Convention at Grass-
hopper Falls--Sickness in the Fall of 1857, ...67


CONTENTS.             9

CHAPTER VIII.

ELECTIONS, PROBATE COURT, PUBLIC BUILDINGS.

Commissioners to Attend Voting Precincts--Election
under Lecompton Constitution--Resignation of
County Officers--Appointment of Agent to Contest
Claim--Election of Delegates to Leavenworth Con-
stitutional Convention--Election of County Officers
--Election on Leavenworth Constitution--Jurisdic-
tion of Probate Courts--Troubles in West Part of
the County--Contract to Erect Public Buildings--
Vote on Lecompton Constitution, ...83

CHAPTER IX.

CONVENTIONS, ELECTIONS, MAIL ROUTES, BORDER
TROUBLES, REPUBLICAN MEETING.

Convention at Ottumwa--Election of Members of Ter-
ritorial Legislature--Establishing Mail Routes in
Southern Kansas--Free State Men Called on to De-
fend Settlers in the Border Counties--Posse from
Coffey County Arrests Settlers of Anderson County--
Burning of Painter's and Fox's Cabin by a Mob--
Marais des Cygne Massacre--John Brown's Parallels
--Liberation of Slaves--Squatters' court Organized
in Anderson, Linn and other Counties--First Meet-
ing of the Republicans of Anderson County, ...97

CHAPTER X.

POISONING, HORSE STEALING, MURDERS, TRIALS.

Attempt to Poison Banta--Trial of Theodore Royer for
Horse Stealing--His Suspicious Disappearance--Mar-
riage of Leon Phillips and Sarah Potter--His Death--
Her Arrest for Murder--Examination, Escape, Re-
turn, Re-arrest and Trial--Murder of James Lowry--
Trial of his Murderers--Conviction of Ford--His Par-
don by the Governor--Trial and Acquittal of Tuste-
son and Knouff--Murder of Mrs. Adaline Duren--
Capture and Execution of the Murderer, ...112


10             CONTENTS.

CHAPTER XI.

TAX, VALUATIONS, ROADS, ELECTIONS, POLITICAL,
DROUTH.

First Tax Levy--Valuation on First Assessment--Ap-
pointment of County Superintendentof Public In-
struction--Location of Territorial Roads--Election of
Delegates to the Wyandotte Constitutional Conven-
tion--Adoption of the Constitution--Organization of
Political Parties--Election of State and County Offi-
cers--Drouth of 1860, &c., ...123

CHAPTER XII.

THE WEATHER, FIRES, INDIANS.

Severity of the Winters of 1855-6 and 1856-7, and Mild-
ness of those of 1857-8 and 1858-9--Prairie Fires--Sac
and Fox Indians, ...136

CHAPTER XIII.

BRIGHT AND GLOOMY PROSPECTS, RAILROAD COMPAN--
IES, VOLUNTEERS, NEW PARTY.

Bright Prospects of 1858-8--Organization of Railroad
Companies--Gloomy Forebodings of 1860--Relief
Committees--Organization of Volunteer Companies
--Hardships Endured by the Women of the County--
Organization of New Party, Called "Farmers' and
Mechanics' Union Association"--Election in 1861, ...139

CHAPTER XIV.

SENATORS, REPRESENTATIVES, JUDGES, COUNTY OFFICERS.

Successive State Senators--Members of the House of
Representatives--Judges of the District Court--
County Officers, ...149


CONTENTS.             11

CHAPTER XV.

ACCIDENTS AN MISFORTUNES.

Shooting of Tipsword--Drowning of Lester Dart--
Christian Feuerborn Killed by Indians--Josiah Kel-
lerman, his Wife and two Children Burned to Death
in a Prairie Fire--James A. Town and Son Drowned
in Pottowatomie Creek--Levi L. Hayden frozen to
Death, &c., ...152

CHAPTER XVI.

AID TO RAILROADS.

Various Bond Propositions to Aid Railroad Compan-
ies to Build Railroads--The Orders for Submission
and the Result of the Election thereon, ...160

CHAPTER XVII.

GARNETT, PUBLIC BUILDINGS, BUSINESS MEN, OFFICERS.

Contest over Townsite--Removal of J.Y. Campbell,
Probate Judge--Appointment of Charles Hidden--
Pre-emption of Townsite--Public Buildings--Bus-
iness Houses--Business Men--Successive City Officers
and Postmasters, ...169

CHAPTER XVIII.

NEWSPAPERS, FAIR ASSOCIATION, RAILWAYS, SOCIETIES,
POSTOFFICES.

The Garnett Plaindealer, the First Paper in the County
--Garnett Courant, Established in 1868--Garnett
Journal, Established in 1873--Organization of Ander-
son County Fair Association--Organization of the
Paola & Fall River Railway Company--Charitable
Societies--Postoffices and Postmasters, ...188


12             CONTENTS.

CHAPTER XIX.

CATTLE DISEASE, GRASSHOPPERS, THE SEASONS.

Spanish Fever among Cattle--Locusts, or Grasshop-
pers--Synopsis of the Seasons, ...194

CHAPTER XX.

CHURCHES, SCHOOLS.

Religious Zeal of the Early Settlers--Churches--Educa-
tional Interests--Formation of School Districts--
Building School Houses--Value of School Buildings,
&c., ...201

CHAPTER XXI.

PROMINENT MEN.

Names of Prominent Men, and Incidents, ...205

CHAPTER XXII.

MURDERS AND TRIALS.

Murder of Allen G. Poteet--Escape of his Murderer--
Murder of James Jackson by D.R. Pattee--Murder
of James Day by David Stewart--Murder of William
Hamilton by John W. Chamberlain--Trial of Dr.
Medlicott for the Murder of I.M. Ruth, ...222

CHAPTER XXIII.

THE ARMY.

Names of Soldiers who Served in the Army for the Sup-
pression of the Rebellion--Names of the Heroic
Dead who Sacrificed their Lives in the cause of their
Country, ...229

CHAPTER XXIV.

FELONIES.

Trials of Felonies, less than Murder, ...239


CONTENTS.             13

CHAPTER XXV.

WALKER TOWNSHIP.

Organization--Settlement--Prominent Men--Elections
--Successive Officers, ...245

CHAPTER XXVI.

MONROE TOWNSHIP.

Organization--Settlement--Towns--Elections--Suc-
cessive Officers, ...255

CHAPTER XXVII.

JACKSON TOWSHIP.

Boundaries--Organization--Streams--Soil--Timber--
Prominent Settlers from 1855 to 1860--First School--
First Marriages--First Deaths--Successive Officers, ...259

CHAPTER XXVIII.

REEDER TOWNSHIP.

Early Settlements--Boundaries--Organization--Offi-
cers, etc., ...263

CHAPTER XXIX.

WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP.

Organization--Streams--Timber--Settlement--Suc-
cessive Officers, ...274

CHAPTER XXX.

PUTNAM TOWNSHIP.

Organization--Prominent Settlers--First School Dis-
trict--First Church Building--Mount Carmel College
--Successive Officers, ...279


14             CONTENTS.

CHAPTER XXXI.

LINCOLN TOWNSHIP.

Boundaries--Organization--Prominent Settlers--Elba
Town Company--Successive Officers, ...281

CHAPTER XXXII.

OZARK TOWNSHIP.

Organization--Streams--First Election--Town of Col-
ony--Ohio and Indiana Company--Successive Officers, ...283

CHAPTER XXXIII.

RICH TOWNSHIP.

Boundaries--Soil--Streams--Timber--Coal--Early Set-
tlers--First Election--Successive Officers, ...286

CHAPTER XXXIV.
INDIAN CREEK TOWNSHIP.

Organization--First Settlement--Soil--Streams--Suc-
cessive Officers, ...288