Kansas History and Heritage Project-Bourbon County

Bourbon County History
"A New Centennial History of Kansas," Charles Tuttle, 1876

BOURBON COUNTY is one of the earliest organizations, dating from 1855. There are 637 square miles of territory, with a population of 15,076, which has increased within the last five years 1,753. Rather more than half the population is engaged in farming, and about one-eighth in mining and manufactures. The capital of the county is at Fort Scott, 100 miles from Topeka to the southeast. There is about 10 per cent, of forest in the county, and the bottom lands are about 17 per cent., with an average breadth of one mile. The timber is usually of valuable varieties. The principal streams are the Osage river, with Limestone creek, its tributary ; Marmaton river, with Mill, Wolverine and Shiloh as its northern, and Yellow Paint, Pawnee, Rock and Moore's Branch as its southern tributaries. Drywood is another stream on the south line, with Walnut creek as its northern tributary. Springs are numerous, as usually is the case near woodlands, and well-water varies from five to twenty-five feet in depth. Coal has been found under about one- third of the county, varying in depth from one foot to fifty, and in thickness of vein from six inches to three feet. This deposit must materially affect the future of the county. During 1874-5, the mines were worked to the extent of about 150,000 tons, and the quality is moderately good bituminous. The expense of working is very light, as the coal can be supplied at the pit mouth for $1.90 per ton. Limestone, sandstone, hydraulic cement, mineral paint, fire clay and pottery clay are all plentiful, and lead has been found, but not in paying quantities. Fort Scott, the capital of the county, has stations on the Missouri River, Fort Scott and Gulf, and on the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railroads, which bisect each other at that point, and traverse the county completely. This city is 380 miles west of St. Louis, Mo., and 98 miles south of Kansas City, and is situated on the Marmiton river. There are three newspapers published here, one daily (the Fort Scott Monitor), and two weekly. The mines and mineral paints and ochres lead to many important industries already, but they are yet in the infancy of their development. The hydraulic cement works must become very extensive, as the quality of the article supplied is excellent.

Among the enterprises now flourishing in the city of Fort Scott are a steam brewery, two steam flouring mills, steam paint and cement works, steam planing mill and cabinet works, steam flouring mill and elevator, steam foundry and machine shops, steam castor oil works, steam woolen mills, wagon and carriage factories, marble works, several cabinet factories, fire, pressed and building brick manufactories, breweries, soap factories, cigar and tobacco factories, and in addition the state grange has recently erected valuable works, so that the aggregate of capital invested is already more than $400,000 in industries which are certain to grow with increase of population. Many businesses of great importance have not been enumerated, and the population of Fort Scott is 4,572. The county of Bourbon did not require help during the locust plague. There are no water powers utilized in Fort Scott, nor more than one in the county of Bourbon, although many such could be made available at little cost; but steam power is preferred because it is so steady in its operation, and, therefore, more economical in the main. The other principal manufactures in the county are in Freedom township, where there is a steam saw and flouring mill; at Timber Hill township, similar works; at Scott township, a steam flouring mill; in Franklin township, a saw mill; at Xenia, a flouring mill; in Marion township, two steam saw mills and one flour and saw mill, driven by water power; and at Cato, one flour mill and one saw mill. There are only two banks in the county, those at Fort Scott, the First National and the Merchants' National, with an aggregate capital of $250,000.

There are in the county eigty-seven organized school districts and eighty-six school houses, valued, with furniture and appurtenances, at $63,216, besides which the Catholic Church has established a school for young ladies. Seven townships only have made returns as to libraries, in which are included one public and eighty-seven private collections, of 13,087 volumes altogether. Dogs are numerous and destructive, as more sheep have been destroyed by dogs than by wolves by more than three to one. Butter and cheese are largely made in this county, and there are nearly 5,000 acres planted in vineyards, nurseries and orchards.

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