History of Reno County, Kansas
Sheridan Ploughe, 1917
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Table of Contents
CHAPTER I – EARLY EXPLORATIONS OF THE WEST------------------------------- 33
Opposition to Louisiana Purchase - Lewis-Clark Expedition – Major Long's
Expedition and Noteworthy Incidents Connected with it – Other Explorers –
Jacob Fowler’s Explorations and His “Journal of Travels” – Lieutenant Wilkinson.
CHAPTER II – PHYSICAL APPEARANCE AND EARLY CONDITIONS ----------- 42
Conditions in Reno County Similar to Those in Other States – Characteristics
of the Early Settlers – Lack of Transportation Facilities – Wild Geese – Wild
Game – Buffalo Grass, a Wonderful Forage – Monotony of the Scene in Early
Days—A Wonderful Transformation.
CHAPTER III –THE ARKANSAS RIVER AND OTHER STREAMS ------------------ 45
Coronado, the First Explorer of the West—Naming the Arkansas River –
Description of the River—Exploration of Zebulon Pike—Jacob Fowler’s
Journeyings—Cow Creek and Some Queries Concerning It—Disastrous
Floods—Flood Prevention Work—Straightening of the Channel—The Drainage
Canal—The Ninnescah and Salt Creek.
CHAPTER IV—THE OSAGE INDIANS ----------------------------------------------------- 54
Few Indians in Kansas After the Advent of the White Man – Osage Indians,
Original Owner of Reno County Territory—Original Indian Claims to the Land
--The Osage Treaties—The Osage Trust Lands—Indian Habits and Customs.
CHAPTER V—THE BUFFALO ----------------------------------------------------------------60
Physical Pecularities of the American Buffalo, or Bison – The Buffalo Range
--Probable Age of the Species—Immense Size of Herds—The Buffalo Grass
--Condition of the Soil After the Herds Had Passed and Its Effect on Drainage
--Habits of the Buffalo—Buffalo as Food—Disappearance of the Buffalo a
Chief Cause of the Breaking Up of the Tribal Relations of the Indians—
Extermination of the Buffalo in the Interest of Peace—Buffalo Bones—
Hide Hunters—Buffalo Wallows.
CHAPTER VI—EARLY TRAILS ACROSS THE COUNTRY --------------------------- 67
The Tide of Emigration Westward After the Civil War—The Cattle Business
--Immense Herds of Texas Cattle Driven North—Some of the Early Cattle
Men—The Cattle Trails—The Romance of the “Trail” and the “Round Up”.
CHAPTER VII—BOUNDARY LINES ------------------------------------------------------- 71
Legislative Acts of 1855, Creating Counties – Only Meager Descriptions Poss-
ible – Descriptions Simplified by survey of 1857 – Numerous Changes in County
Boundaries – Creation of Reno County – C.C. Hutchinson and His Influence
On Early Development of the County – His Choice of a Townsite – Reno Given
Its Present Form – Attempts to Divide the County.
CHAPTER VIII—THE EARLY SETTLERS ------------------------------------------------ 76
First Settler in Reno County – Other Earliest Settlements and Those Who
Immediately Followed – First Settlements Along Water Courses – Early Game-
An Indian Scare – Early Land Surveys – Many Inaccuracies – Official Record
Of the Complete Survey of Reno County
CHAPTER IX—SOME FIRST THINGS ----------------------------------------------------- 82
First Marriage – First Birth – First Threshing Machine – First Political Conven-
tion – First Death –First Cemetery – First “Joint” Raid – First Alfalfa –
Building of the First Silo – The Last Buffalo – Building of the Rock Island
Railroad – A Big Powder Explosion – The Water and Light Plant in Sherman
Street, West
CHAPTER X—A YEAR OF DISASTER ----------------------------------------------------- 94
The Year 1874, a Dismal One for the Pioneers of Reno County – A Hot Year
And Extended Drought – The Locust Scourge – The Kansas Relief Fund –
Pioneers Refuse to Be Discouraged, and Their Ultimate Triumph
CHAPTER XI—ORGANIZING THE COUNTY--------------------------------------------- 98
Petition for Creation of Reno County, Its Approval By the Governor, and His
Order for the Organization of the County — The First Election – C.C. Hutchinson
The First Representative in the Legislature – First Election for County Officers –
Some of These Officers – Hutchinson to be a Temperance Town –
The Herd Law and Its Importance to the Early Settlers – Census Roll of Reno
County, January 18, 1872.
CHAPTER XII—TOWNSHIP ORGANIZATIONS --------------------------------------- 110
Reno, the First Township – Creation, First Officers and Other Items of Interest
Concerning the Townships of Valley, Little River, Haven, Clay, Castleton,
Center, Lincoln, Nickerson (Grant), Salt Creek, Troy, Langdon, Medford,
Miami, Grove, North Hays, Yoder, Grove, Loda, Hayes, Bell, Albion, Roscoe,
Enterprise, Plevna, Huntsville, Walnut, Sylvia, Medora, Arlington and
Ninnescah
CHAPTER XIII—POLITICAL PARTIES --------------------------------------------------- 124
Reno County Settled Largely by Old Soldiers – Republican Party Dominant
Throughout the History of the County – Relative Party Strength – The
Prohibition Question – Notable Political Contest – The Largest Political
Meeting Ever Held in the County – Management of Political Parties – Protest
Against the Convention System, Resulting in the Primary Law – Present
Political Independence of the Voters
CHAPTER XIV—THE COUNTY COMMIONERS --------------------------------------- 129
Management of the County’s Finances – The First Board of Commissioners –
Commissioners Districts – Notable Political Row of 1873 – Personnel of the
Board During the Eighties – Change in the Election Laws – Pioneer Officials
Lacked “Vision”
CHAPTER XV—PROBATE JUDGES OF RENO COUNTY --------------------------- 135
An Important Office—Statistics Showing the Growth of the Office – Foreign
Wills and Guardianships – Appointment of Administration – Department of
Domestic Wills – Adoption Cases and Juvenile Court Work – Marriage Licenses-
List of Probate Judges
CHAPTER XVI—CLERKS OF THE DISTRICT COURT ------------------------------- 142
Office Noted for Long Tenure of Officials – Women Elected to Office – First
Case in District Court – Separation of the Criminal and Civil Cases
.
CHAPTER XVII—COUNTY CLERKS ----------------------------------------------------- 146
The First County Clerk and His Successors – Growth of Office in Importance –
Duties of the Clerk – Conviction for Embezzlement – Present Records Complete
And Accurate
CHAPTER XVIII – COUNTY ATTORNEYS --------------------------------------------- 151
One of the Most Important Offices in the County – Incumbents of the Office
Since Creation of Same – Influence of the Populists – Vote Indicates Growth
of County.
CHAPTER XIX—REGISTER OF DEEDS ------------------------------------------------- 156
The First Register of Deeds and Those Who Have Followed Him – Important
Functions of the Office – Statistics for 1916
CHAPTER XX - SURVEYORS AND CORONERS -------------------------------------- 160
Strange Groupings of These Two Offices – First Surveyors of the County
-- The County Coroner and His Duties and Status – Those Who Held the Office.
CHAPTER XXI – REPRESENTATIVES AND STATE SENATORS ----------------- 165
C.C. Hutchinson, Reno’s First Representative in the Lower House – Resume
of the Ensuing Elections – Rivalry Between County and Town – State Senators
CHAPTER XXII – SOME EARLY BOND ELECTIONS -------------------------------- 172
Absence of Money in Early Days an Embarrassment – Small List of Personal
Property Taxpayers – Unequality of the Burden – Bonds Necessary – First Bond
Election – The Building of Bridges and of a Court House – Road-making, An
Important Question – C.C. Hutchinson’s Vision of Future Reno County.
CHAPTER XXII – BONDS OF THE COUNTY AND ITS SUBDIVISIONS --------- 177
Early Necessity for Public Improvements – County Compelled to Borrow Money
and Issue Bonds – Bonded Indebtedness, 1916 – Bonded Indebtedness of the
Townships
CHAPTER XXIV – RENO COUNTY’S FINANCIAL MATTERS --------------------- 181
Trouble in Providing for the Early Expenses of the County – Necessity for Bond
Issue – Little Market Demand for the Bonds – The Tax Rolls in 1872 – Railroad
Injunction Suit Against the County Against Levying Taxes – Compromise With
The Railroad – Statistics Concerning the Increase in the Value of Taxable
Property – County’s Bonded Indebtedness – Office of County Assessor – The
County’s Progress.
CHAPTER XXV – BUILDING THE MISSOUI PACIFIC ------------------------------ 188
Early Rivalry Between Towns for Railroads – The Wichita-Hutchinson
Connection – Final Triumph of the Hutchinson Crowd in Their Efforts to Bring
The Missouri Pacific Here
CHAPTER XXVI – THE HUTCHINSON & SOUTHERN RAILROAD -------------- 193
Originally a Union Pacific Project – Controversy among the Projectors of the
Road as to its Route – Its Eventual building to Reno County – A Profitable
Transaction for the Promoters
CHAPTER XXVII – EARLY FARMING --------------------------------------------------- 199
Crude Methods of the Pioneer Farmer – Importance of the Early Hay and Corn
Market – Favorable Effect of the Herd Law – First Grist-mills – Prairie Fires
And Their Effect on Timber Growth – Diversity in Farming – Pioneer Orchards –
Milk and Eggs
CHAPTER XXVIII – RENO COUNTY FAIRS -------------------------------------------- 206
The First Reno County Fair – Splendid Growth of Later Fairs – Beginning of the
Present State Fair as an Institution – The Phenomenal Success and Present Status
CHAPTER XXIX – THE GRAIN BUSINESS ---------------------------------------------- 211
First Grain Buyer of Reno County – Board of Trade – Present Vast Proportions
Of the Traffic – Flouring Mills
CHAPTER XXX – POSTOFFICES AND MAIL ROUTES ------------------------------ 214
First Overland Mail – Hutchinson a Mail Distributing Point – Star Routes –
Postmasters in Reno County – Free Delivery in Hutchinson – Postal Receipts –
Rural Free Delivery
CHAPTER XXXI – SCHOOLS, RENO COUNTY ---------------------------------------- 225
Incomplete Records of the Early Schools – Unpractical Methods of Forming
First School Districts – First District Organized in 1872 – Later Ones – Bonded
Indebtedness of School Districts – Later Bond Issues – Consolidated Rural
Schools – Rural high Schools – The Standardized School – School Statistics –
County superintendents – Reno County High School
CHAPTER XXXII – NEWSPAPERS OF THE COUNTY -------------------------------- 237
Reno County Fortunate in an Abundant Supply of Newspapers – Zeno Tharp
Optimist – First Newspaper in the County – A “Boomer” on the Job – Later
Newspaper Developments – Some Short-lived Papers – Other Papers –
Newspapers as an Asset to the Community
CHAPTER XXXIII – FIRST CHURCHES IN THE COUNTY -------------------------- 243
First Public Religious Service in the County—Early Baptist and Methodist
Societies – Congregationalist Church – The Presbyterian Church – Christian
Church – Catholic Church – The Universalist Society – Church Growth
Keeping Pace with the Growth of the County
CHAPTER XXXIV – EARLY DOCTORS OF RENO COUNTY ----------------------- 247
Strenuous Lives of the Early Doctors – First Doctor in Hutchinson – Other
Physicians Who Looked After the Health of the Pioneers – County Medical
Society – Hospitals – The Red Cross Society
CHAPTER XXXV – BANKS OF RENO COUNTY --------------------------------------- 250
The first Bank and Other Early Financial Institutions – Other Banks Which
Have Been Started in the County – Financial Standing of the Banks
CHAPTER XXXVI – THE RENO COUNTY BAR ---------------------------------------- 254
Lawyers of Reno County Men of Ability and High Character – Nature of
Early Legal Business – Early Lawyers of Reno County – Bachelors Argue for
Woman Suffrage – Some Present Members of the Bar – Younger Members of the
Bar – Convicted Lawyer Disbarred
CHAPTER XXXVII – THE NINTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT ----------------------------- 263
Creation of the Ninth Judicial District – Counties in the Original District and
Changes in the District Boundaries – Judges of the District Court
CHAPTER XXXVIII – CIVIL WAR SOLDIERS IN RENO COUNTY ---------------- 269
Complete List of Union Soldiers Living in Reno county in 1890, with the
Number From Each State
CHAPTER XXXIX – STATE MILITIA –COMPANY E -------------------------------- 299
First Military Company in Reno County – Indian Scare – Home Guard Company
- Organization of Company E – Roster of the Company During the
Spanish-American War and at the Time of its Second Call to Service in 1916 –
Machine Gun Company
CHAPTER XL – COMMUNITY MUSIC -------------------------------------------------- 306
Social Gatherings Among the Pioneers – Music One of the Features of All
Public Occasions – Some Pioneer Singers – An Early Music Teacher – First
Public Concert – State Music Teachers Association – The Musical Jubliee –
The Municipal Band
CHAPTER XLI – SMALLER TOWNS IN RENO COUNTY --------------------------- 310
Brief Description of Nickerson, Arlington, Castleton, Haven, Partridge,
Abbyville, Plevna, Langdon, Medora, Buhler, Elmer, Turon
CHAPTER XLII – FORTY FIVE YEARS IN RENO ------------------------------------- 316
Phenomenal Progress of the County Since Its Organization – Comparative
Statistics – A Brief Contrast of Conditions – Growth of the City and Villages –
Public Utilities
CHAPTER XLIII – THE BEGINNING OF HUTCHINSON ---------------------------- 319
C.C. Hutchinson’s Contract With the Railroad to Build a Town - Obstacles –
Hutchinson’s Preserverance and Untiring Zeal – Beginning of the Town -
First Buildings and Business Concerns
CHAPTER XLIV – HUTCHINSON, A CITY OF THE THIRD CLASS --------------- 324
Incorporated as a City – First City Election – First City Ordinance – First
Boundaries – Protection From Prairie Fires – Early City Ordinances – Hitching
Post Questions – By Way of Contrast – Various City Elections – The Saloon
Question – Promotion of Public Improvements – Census Taken – Development
Of Public Utilities – Fire Protection – City Finances – Permanent Improvements
CHAPTER XLV – HUTCHINSON, A CITY OF THE SECOND CLASS ------------- 336
Governor Marin Proclaims Hutchinson a City of the Second Class in 1886 –
City Divided Into Wards – Street Car Line Franchise – Aid to Railroads – City
Elections – City Boundary Line Extended – A city Boom – Construction of a
Sewer System – An Enterprising Editor – Council and Mayor at Outs – City
Warrants Discounted – More Aid Granted Railroads – City Building Purchased-
The Coming of Natural Gas – City Finances – Carnegie Library Offer Accepted-
Interesting Financial Expedients – Street Paving – Drainage Ditch - Street Car
Line Franchise – Commission Form of Government
CHAPTER XLVI – HUTCHINSON AS A CITY OF THE FIRST CLASS ------------ 350
New Form of City Government – First Meeting of the Commissioners – Early
Acts of the Board – Internal Improvement Bonds Ordered by Popular Election –
Street Improvements – Move to Make Hutchinson a City of the First Class – The
Convention Hall – Public Band Concerts – Recent City Elections – Automobile
Parking – Sunday Closing – Further Improvements Ordered
CHAPTER XLVII – THE SALT INDUSTRY ---------------------------------------------- 356
The Rock Salt Deposit in Reno County – First Knowledge and Use of Native
Salt – Later Discovery of the Rock Salt and Quick Development of Its
Production – The First Salt Plants – Expansion of the Salt Market – Yearly
Output of the Field – Consolidation of the Industry – Log of the Drill –
Analysis of the Brine
CHAPTER XLVIII – BUILDING UP THE SALT INDUSTRY ------------------------- 366
Rebates on Freights Shipments – Investigation by Interstate Commerce
Commission – Judgment of the Commission – Healthy Growth of the Salt
Business, which is now an Important Factor in the Business Life of the City
CHAPTER XLIX – LOCATING THE PACKING HOUSE ------------------------------ 372
Subsistence of the Boom Left Hutchinson in a Bad Way – R. M. Easley Makes
“Ten-strike” in Contracting with Packing House to Come to Hutchinson –
Overcoming Many Obstacles – Tremendous Efforts of Local Committee Finally
Rewarded with Success
CHAPTER L – SODA-ASH PLANT AND STRAWBOARD WORKS ----------------- 377
First Soda-Ash Plant and Its Subsequent Development – The Strawboard Works –
Other Industries
CHAPTER LX – THE SCHOOLS OF HUTCHINSON ------------------------------------ 381
First School in Reno County and the First Teachers – School District No. 1
Organized – Issue of Bonds for School Purposes – Gradual Growth of the
Schools – Buildings – Complete System of Records – The Alumni Association-
Superintendents of City Schools – Notable Record of Teaching Service
CHAPTER LII – THE Y.M.C.A. AND Y.W.C.A. ------------------------------------------ 486
First Young Men’s Christian Association in 1876 – Another Attempt in 1885 –
Organization of the Present Association in 1909 – Splendid Work of the
Organization and Its Present Healthy Condition – The Young Women’s
Christian Association
CHAPTER LIII – THE WEATHER ---------------------------------------------------------- 490
Complete Weather Records of Reno County from January, 1874
Table of Contents typed by Karen Burgess