Osage County

About the year 1844, the Sac and Fox tribes of Indians were removed by the United States Government from Des Moines river, Iowa, and settled on the Marais des Cygnes river, in what is now Osage County.

There were a few whites among them -- one white man by the name of John Goodall, who was the father-in-law of William Miller, who has been one of our Representatives. A store was opened by men named Baker and Street, of Westport, Missouri. This tribe of Indians continued to occupy the county, or a portion of it, until about 1869 or 1870, when they were removed to the Indian Territory.

The first white settler, outside of the tribe, was named John Frele, who in about April or May, 1854, bought out a Shawnee Indian, living where the north part of the site of Burlingame now is. He built a cabin in addition to the wigwam, and his wife soon after gave birth to a boy, who was the first white child born in the county, outside of the agency.

About August, Henry Harvey and his sons (Henry was formerly agent for the Shawnees) and Charles L. Linkenanger, James, William and John Aiken, and a few other pro-slavery men, came in and settled near Burlingame.

On the 9th of December, 1854, about one hundred settlers came to the neighborhood of Burlingame. They were partly from the neighborhood of Pittsburgh, PA., and partly from Eastern New York. They laid out a town, which they called Eureka.

Among the leading men who came at that time, were Joseph McDonald, Absalom Hoover, William Cable, G.M. Barns, Joseph W. Kerr, Loton Smith and George Bratton. A good part of these went to Missouri to spend that winter; a portion remained and erected cabins, and dug caves in the banks of the creek, which they occupied.

In the following spring, an election was held on the 30th March, at which the Border Ruffians took charge of the polls, drove away all the Free-State men and voted for a man by the name of Mobilon McGee, of Westport. They were a drunken rabble from Missouri. They took their ballot-boxes about dark, and moved to One-Hundred-and-Ten creek, where one F.P. McGee resided. There they counted up the number of ballots (the election was viva voce) and found about 250 votes cast, all for McGee.

Gov. Reeder set aside the election, ordered a new one, and H. Rice received the unanimous vote of the settlers; he failed to get his seat notwithstanding. On the day of this election, Albert Strike was born in the same cabin that Frele had occupied, Strike being the second white child born in the county.

In the spring of 1864, J.M. Winchell, since President of the Wyandotte Constitutional Convention, came in from Westchester county, N.Y., and took a leading part in building a town west of where Eureka had been laid out, and between Dragoon and Switzler creeks. This town was called Council City.

A large two-story block bulding was erected by the town company, and a town was surveyed, of about three miles square. Emigrants were forwarded to the settlement by a company in New York, known as the Liberal League and Emigration Aid Society, of which Timothy Dwight was President and George Walters Secretary. About $30,000 worth of shares were sold in New York; very little, however, was ever used for the benefit of the place. -- This same spring, a post office was established at this point and J.M. Winchell appointed postmaster. First mail was monthly; the second semi-weekly, and the third weekly. The mail was carried over the old Santa Fe road, running from Westport to Santa Fe, which was the great thoroughfare to the West, millions of dollars of goods being transported in wagons over it every season. This same spring, Philip C. Schuyler, Esq., who was elected Secretary of State under the Lecomption Constitution, and also elected under the Free-State Constitution, and Samuel R. Cuniff, afterwards elected a member of both the State and Territorial Legislatures, came in and bought out claims where the city of Burlingame now is.

In the spring of 1856, Winchell brought in a mill and located it on Dragoon creek, at the south end of the large city site, and, the same spring, Schuyler & Cuniff brought in a large mill, and located it at the north end of the site, and contemplated laying off a town where they had their mill, as Winchell did near where he had located his. In the fall of 1856, Schuyler & Cuniff surveyed their town and called it Council City. Winchell surveyed his, and called it Fremont. Schuyler & Cuniff's town was changed to Burlingame in 1857, the name of Council City having become odious on account of frauds perpetrated by the New York Company on the shareholders. In 1857, Fremont was changed to Carbondale, and a new company was formed, the principal men of which were A.B. Bartlett, of Wyandotte, Prof. Daniels, then State Geologist of Wisconsin, J.R. Shurtliff, a Methodist preacher from Buffalo, and J.M. Winchell.

In 1858, Carbondale was changed to Superior. In 1859, a tornado blew down some buildings in Burlingame, and left but little more than a name to Superior, which was virtually the end of its existence. Burlingame was incorporated by an act of the Legislature in 1858, the corporators consisting of P.C. Schuyler, S.R. Cuniff, James Rogers, John Drew and George Bratton. A town was laid off four miles west of Burlingame, in 1858, called Havanna, by Germans from Chicago and St. Louis -- about fifty families moved in. A large distillery was erected in 1860, and a large hotel, and a large brewery was commenced; some stores were opened. In 1861, a leading merchant failed, and the settlers from the cities, becoming disgusted with rural life, moved away. The distillery is now used as a flouring mill, the hotel as a barn, and most of the other buildings have been torn down or moved away, and there is not now a single one remaining except that of August Wehrli(sic) Meyers, who was a leading man in the enterprise, and is now keeping store at Alma.

About 1857-8, several other towns were laid off along the old Santa Fe road, one named Indiana City; one, Versailles, by H.P. Throop and D.T. Mitchell, and another named Prairie City. A post office was established at the crossing of One-Hundred-and-Ten creek, called Richardson. Two towns were laid out near the northeast part of the county -- one called Georgetown and the other Ridgeway -- neither of which ever amounted to anything. In 1867, the atchison road reached Osage county, and Carbondale was laid off by John F. Dodds and others interested in the road. In 1870, the road reached Osage City, just laid off by Dodds, Peters, and Witherill, The same year Arvonia was surveyed and settled by a company of Welsh from Utica, N.Y., headed by J.M. Jones, of Utica, and Joseph Whitaker, of Chicago.

In 1870, about April, Lyndon was surveyed by L.D. Bailey and Samuel Gilliand, and, in about six months, the precinct was able to poll over 300 votes on the county seat question. In six months the town had about 120 houses.

About the same time a town was laid off at Quenemo, where was previously the Sac and Fox agency. A town was started in 1870, on the Marias des Cygnes, caled Melvern and another named Olivet, on the same stream. A few years ago a prairie fire swept all of it away. Melvern is now a thriving town of some 400 or 500 inhabitants; Arvonia, 300; Osage City, 2,000; Lyndon, 300 and the county seat (Burlingame), 1,200; Carbondale, 500. The past season Quenemo was destroyed fire. The youngest town in the county is Scranton, laid off about 1872. It numbers now about 500.

Population in 1860, 1,113; in 1870, 7,648; increase in ten years, 6,535; population in 1875, 10,268; increase in five year, 2,620; population in 1878, 12,618; increase in eighteen years, 11,505. Rural population, 8,833; city or town population, 3,885; per cent of rural to city or town population, 70.

Face of the Country. -- Bottom land, 10 per cent.; upland, 90 per cent.; forest (Government survey), 8 per cent.; prairie, 92 per cent. Average width of bottoms, from one-quarter to one-half of a mile; general surface of the country, undulating.

Timber. -- Average width of timber belts, from 20 to 100 rods. Varieties; walnut, oak, elm, cottonwood, hackberry, coffee bean, hickory and mulberry.

Principal Streams. -- Marais des Cygnes, in the south part of the county, flows east. Tributaries on the south, Coal, Long and Rock creeks; on the north, Cherry creek. Salt creek, in the centre of the county, runs due east, and has a few small tributaries. Dragoon creek, in the north part of the county, flows southeast and joins One-Hundred-and-Ten near the east line of the county. One-Hundred-and-Ten creek, in the east part of the county, flows southeast. The county is not well supplied with springs; good well water is obtained at a depth of from 15 to 40 feet.

Coal. -- Coal underlies 25 per cent. of the area of the county. Veins from 14 to 18 inches; depth below surface, 5 to 50 feet; quality, good. Used by the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad Company, and for local, domestic and manufacturing purposes.

Building Stone, etc. -- Limestone is found on almost every section; yellow ochre is found in great abundance; also fire and pottery clay.

Railroad Connections. -- The Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad crosses the northern line of the county, near the centre, and runs diagonally through the county in a southwesterly direction. Stations: Carbondale, Burlingame and Osage City. The Lawrence & Southwestern Railroad, connecting Lawrence and Carbondale, runs through the extreme northeastern corner of the county.

Agricultural Statistics. -- Acres in the county, 460,800; taxable acres, 441,741; under cultivation, 107,616.56; cultivated to taxable acres, 24.36 per cent.; increase of cultivated acres during the year, 4,356.56.

Value of Garden Produce, Poultry and Eggs Sold during the Year. -- Garden produce, $4,979; poultry and eggs, $10,185.

Old Corn on Hand. -- Old corn on hand March 1st, 1878, 457365 bushels, or an average of 181 bushels to each family.

Dairy Products. -- Number of cheese factories, 4; capital invested, $10,000; manufactured in 1875, 49,547 lbs.; in 1878, 31,466 lbs.; decrease, 18,081 lbs. Butter manufactured in 1875, 197,961 lbs.; in 1878, 30,5917 lbs.; increase, 107,956 lbs.

Farm Animals. -- Number of horses, in 1877, 5,473; in 1878, 5,229; decrease, 244. Mules and asses, in 1877, 363; in 1878, 419; increase, 56. Milch cows in 1877, 7,017; in 1878, 6,558; decrease, 459. Other cattle, in 1877, 11,645; in 1878, 14,617; increase 2,972. Sheep, in 1877, 2,042; in 1878, 3,135; increase, 1,098. Swine, in 1877, 10,159; in 1878, 17,252; increase, 7,093.

Sheep Killed by Dogs. -- Number of sheep killed by dogs, 50; value of sheep killed by dogs, $150.

STATEMENT showing the Acreage of Field Crops named from 1872 to 1878, inclusive.

Increase in 6 years, 1.58+ per cent.

Average increase per annum. .25- per cent.

RANK of Osage County in the Crops named below, as to Acreage, and in Cultivated Acreage for the years mentioned in the foregoing table.

STATEMENT showing the Acres, Product and Value of Principal Crops for 1878, together with the Increase and Decrease as compared with 1877.

Wool. -- Clip of 1877, 8,200 pounds.

Value of Animals Slaughtered. -- Value of animals slaughtered and sold for slaughter during the year, $131,210.88.

Horticulture. -- Number of acres nurseries, 147.50. Number of trees in bearing: apple, 32,931; pear, 312; peach, 128,233; plum, 1,377; cherry, 11,434. Number of trees not in bearing: apple, 82,042; pear, 2,276; peach, 57,007; plum, 4,345; cherry, 12,118.

Herd Law. -- The herd law is not in force in the county, and public sentiment is against. The argument in its favor is that it is cheaper to fence than to herd; and against it, that the cost of herding makes it impracticable.

Fences. -- Stone, 53,657 rods; cost, $80,485.50. Rail, 195,968 rods; costs, $265,536.80. Board, 48,239 rods; cost, $68,981.77. Wire, 55,297 rods; cost, $40,315.71. Hedge, 228,718 rods; cost, $114,359. Total rods of fence, 581,800, total cost $569,698.78.

Apiaculture. -- Number of stands of bees, 242; pounds of honey, 2,432; wax, 80. Value of Agricultural Implements. -- Amount invested in agricultural implements, $56,868. Manufactures. -- Agency township: steam saw mill, capital, $300. Arvonia township: steam flouring mill, capital, $8,000; cheese factories, 2, capital employed, $2,700. Burlingame township: steam flouring mills, 2, capital invested, $27,000; steam cheese factory, capital, $7,000. Junction township: water-power saw and grist mill, capital, $1,000. Melvern township: steam saw mill, capital, $850. Superior township: steam flouring mill, capital, $6,000; cheese factory, capital, $300. Valley Brook township: steam flouring mill, capital, $4,000.

Valuation and Indebtedness. -- Assessed valuation of personal property, $448,155; railroad property, $286,162; total assessed valuation of all property, $2,730,269; true valuation of all property, $4,550,448.83. Total indebtedness of county, township, city and school districts, $304,281.39; per cent. of indebtedness to assessed valuation, 11+.