The Kansas Pilot from Blue Rapids, Kansas • 1

i i VOL. I. 0 BLUE RAPIDS, MARSHAL COUNTY, KANSAS. NO. 2.

which we have data, was that of an infant of Hugh Morrison, in 185(3, or THE KANSAS PILOT. Published Monthly, monly supposed, the first white mini in whom he was endeavoring to arrest, the county. M. L. Dunctn, one of the County In 1855, John D.

Wells, with his Cotqniioneis, was appointed and family from Kentucky, settled in 'the served out Clarke's time. James Mc-southeastern part of the county, on the Closlley was the first County Clerk, Vermillion, and near the present vil- W. Glenn, John I). Wells and M. lage of Burett, Wells took a claim, L.

Duncan were the first County Com-permanlly settled, and is there now, missionere. D. Brumbaugh was one of the most successful farmers in commissioned Notary Public in 1858. This commissi on is the oldest record in 1857. The first marriage was that of R.

T. Middleton and Ann Bmde, in 1859. In l863, E. Lewis was ap pointed the first postmaster here, (on Section 11), and the post-ofiice called Lanesburjr. In 1857, James WalUr settled on Elm creek, in tho territory of wimt i.

now Blue Rapids City township, three miles northeast of Bl Rapids City. In the summer of that year, Waller, L. Duncan and Jlenry Po.ir laid off a town on the south bank of the Big Blue, where the city of Bkie Rapids now is. Soon after, Waller took sick and died. Poor became involved in an amorous affair with an officer of the army then encamped at.

Marysville, and killed him. To sav; himself from the vengeance of tho soldiers Poor fled the country. Duncan then abandoned the enterprise. The town site slumbered, and the tine water power at the Rapids wasted away till 870, when a colony from Genessee county, N. dropped down and utilized them.

In the meantime W. B. Thompson settled just above the Rapids in 1858. About the same time Andrew Scott, Henry Miller and others came in on the north bunk of the river; Jfimes Lane a few miles below, James Parker and others, establishing a permanent neighborhood. Up and down the Big and Little Blue, settlements were made during the years '58 and V9 The Horse shoe.

Spring and Walnut creeks were also settled at that time. Isaac Walker settled on the west fork of the Vermillion in '50 or '57, in the eastern part of the county; Joseph Guittard, in the northeast part in 1858; so that Marshall county was fairly fixed in legal, Rocial and municipal regulations by 18(30. In the spring of 1861 'he war of the Rebellion came on. and the current of her progress stayed measurably till peace and quietude again brooded over the country. Population in I860, in 1870, 0,901 increase in ten years, population in 1875, 10,822 increase in five years, population in 1878, 12,270 increase in eighteen years, yyu.

Kural population, w.w.jri city or town population, per cent, of rural to city or town population, 72 80 THE TO-MORROW OI' KANSAS. Whatever the to-morrow of Kansas will be it is hard to estimate, but if the present rate of immigration continues until 1880, it will give us close to million ot people. I he present rate of increaso of wheat and corn grow ing will make her the first wheat state and the second corn state in the union. By the same rule of increase Kansas will have become, at that date, the fourth state in cattlu growing, the third in her swine product, and one of the most foremost in wool gathering The remarkable development of agri cultur3. the wonderful increase of the fruit interests, the unexampled in crease in quantity and improvement in quality of live stock, not less than the social, intelligent and moral standing her people certainly indicate i bright to-rnorrow.

Kansas Monthly. Musty hay and damaged grain can not be fed to stock with impunity. In tlio interest ef Immigration and bettoinent Tehmh or SUH8CRIPT10N, 50 Cent it ear. Strictly in advmioo. AddrcBf, C.

12. TIIJliKTtf. Pnru r'etor. Elite Rnpids, Kan. From lie Fhat liiciiuial Report i' the State Hoard of Agriculture tur 187T 8.

FIRST Ol.NTY. IX SHALL Whether any of the half-crazed ad-enturers of the Old World, in search for gold or the famed youth-resioring waters of those days of discoveries, eer left fooi-prints in the soil cf what is now Marshall county, is of no consequence to the present generation. Nobody ever knew; nobody will ever care. But the factors of the lAmeri-can Fur Company did, at a very early day, in their trailing with the Aborigines, traverse the country often. In 1639, James McHoskey, a Scotchman by birih, went into the Rocky Mountains as an Indian trader, located amoiur the Sioux on the Upper Platte, dopted the Indian habits, and married Sioux wuinan.

Captain McCluskey i .1 i fir remained in tne mountains until iooi. On the passage of the Kansas-Nebras ka bill, in the spring of 1854, he came down immediately, and set.led on the banks of the Big ue, just below the iresent city of Marysville Anticipat ed, however, was this llocky tain Indian trader in locating here 'jy J. Marshall, by a few mon'hs Fremont passed this way in 1S12 or 1814, and mentions in his travels, of Missing train or two of emigrants to Oregon. In 1817, the great Mormon exodus from Illinois, opened the way through this county, crossing the Big Blue at the old "Mormon," "Independence," or "California crossing," six miles below the present town of iarysville. During 1817 and 1818.

the exiled Latter Day rolled along this route by tho thousands, increased during 1819, by th! gold discoveries, to lens of thousands. To accommodate tit is vast iss of moving humanity, Frank Marshall, a Virgin ian by birth, but now a citizen of Wes ton, Missouri, came out and eslatilisn-ed a little ferry across the Blue, re maining here during the season of travel, and then returning to Missouri -couiinr out in the spring and re turning in the fall. In the meantime. Lieutenant Standberry, surveying the route from Fort Leavenworth to the Great Suit Lake, in 1819, located the more practical crossing of tho Blue, nix miles higher up, By 1851 and 18-52. the upper route became tho favor ite with tliH traveling public, where upon Marshall pulled up stakes at the lower and stuck them down at the upper crossing.

From this on, till 1851 during the winter, Marshall was in Missouri, and in summer on the banks of the Blue. Here with a tent pitched or in a rude cabin, he kept a ferry, had a rude blacksmith shop, and a timall stock of goods, of which low grade tobacco and rot-gut whiskey were the principal bo ight up worn-out oxen and traded with the Indians. In the early season of 1851, the country being thrown open to the occupancy of the while man by the passing of the Kansas-Nebraska bill, Marshall brought on his family with him, and settled permanently, as is com- the county, as well as a public spirited patriotic citizen. In the spring ot 1S55, A. Barrett, present County Treasurer, settled on the Vermillion, near Wells.

Soon came in Walker and others; a settlement of pioneers was soon there, and civilization found a home on these vast plains, fron. lime immemorial the home of the coyote and th Indian, and the herding ground of the buO'alo. In 1855, a South Carolina colony squatted down at the old Mormon crossing recently abandoned by Marshall. These adventurous colonists laid off a paper town, and called it Palmetto, opening up as a rival, rather, to Marshall, for the trade and commerce of travel. Marshall did the same, which, in honor to his wife, he called Marysville.

Here, now, were two little antagonistic towns, with a pretty rough citizenship in each; out on the frontiers, or rather beyond civilization generally. Bad blood soon got up; shot guns were loaded and bowie knives sharpened. In the ab-seiice of civil tribunals, it was the custom in tno-c days to extompori7 i border court, and settle disputes a la vigilaiitc But two communities were at variance, and nobody left to form such a court. The pop of the revolver aod the clank of pure steel were familiar sounds anyhow to settle this affair in that way was, therefore, tho shorter, and, by common consent, the more sutisiac'o y. Marshall, however was uot a man of blood.

Keen and shrewd he brought diplomacy to bear, and succeeded. It was agreed that the Palmetto Company should n-movo their town site up, and lay right along side Marshall, that one should be called Marysville, and the other Palmetto, and luave the fates of each to the whim of public sentiment in the future. Marysville is now a flourishing liidu city, while Palmetto is for-go'ten. The reader must not imagine that in all this bad blood politics had anything to do. Not at all.

Both parties to the difficulty were on the same side of National politics. One represented South Carolina, the oth Old Virginia. It was simply a question of i dollars and cents. In the autumn of 1855, quite a settlement had been formed in and around Marysville, and also one in and about Barrett, and the Vermillion. To meet the demands of this condition of (lungs a municipal organization was needed ami the county was duly organized in 1855.

We have no means of knowing ih exact voting strength of the county at the time, but.frcm data incidently gathered, it could not have ben over sixtv. Judtre Doninhan was the lirst Probate Judfre. Ho held his first court on the 10th day of October of that year. But what business came before him is not left on record. Alexander Clarke was the first Sheriff.

Clarke was commis-ioned in October, 1855, and served till June, 1S5G, when ho was killed by a horse-thief I i I i i the Recorder's office of tho county. Of all of these, McCloskey, Duncan snd Wells remain, and ar yet citizens of the County. Duncan is now chairman of the Board of County lives in the country, and man-agesta' large farm. Wells is perhaps the heaviest farmer in the county, and McCloikey is a reputable citizen, retired' measurably from active life. Glenn has sunk out of fight, perhaps dead and Judge Brumbaugh died a few months ago, universally respected as one of the most biilliant lawyers of the "Hate, and estimable a man.

A'. G. Barrett, who first settled at Ihrtett, in 1S56, after all these years of devotion to the best interests of Kansas, and Marshall county particularly, reoeived an expression of public confidence last November in being elected Treasurer of the county, and will in a few days now, enter on the discharge of the duties of the office. Settlement of Other Parts of the County, March, 1857, Smith Martin settled in that section of the county no mhracHil in the limits of Centre iownship. and near the centre of the county.

Others came in, in a short time, forming the nucleus of a future prosperous neighborhood. James Goldsberry and Isabella Fletcher were the first persons married in this sec tion which occurred some time during the year 1859. Ilazelville was the first post-office here, established in 1S70, A. W. Thomas postmaster.

This office, subsequently, was called Cen-treville, and now Reedsvile lion Al- len Reed, postmaster. In 1857, Stearns and William Reedy settled on Coon creek, near its mouth, in the southwest corner of the county. About the same lime, or soon after, M. T. Dennet settled on Coon creek, a few miles higher up.

In a year or two, others came in, making quite a settle- meut. The first marriage that took place in what is now Waterville township was that of Jefferson Cox and Mary Elizabeth More, in 1859. The first birth was Ezekiel, son of Wood- ford Reedy, November 7, 1858. The first post-office established in this see- ion was Waterville located at first in a railroad car, afterwards removed into the deput. Fred.

Spaulding was the first postmaster. In 1S57, Ambrose, East, Martin and James Shipp, four brothers, settled on the south of the Big Blue, in what is now Blue Rapids township, and not a great way from the present village of first birth in this pioneer settlement was that of Emma uaugnter ot one oi mese iour Mothers, which occurred in the month Ul wujui ii, iti m3i was that of Joseph Hahn and Susan Slater, sometime in 1859, TLe first post-office, at Irving, was established in 1800, M. I). Abbott postmaster. Tho first settlement made in the south east section of tho county, in what is now Noble township, was by Samuel Smith, in 1855.

The first dhath of i.