Greenwood County
KSGenWeb
Eureka Building & Loan Association, after a little more than five years of existence, closed, the shares having reached a par value of $100. Over $12,000 in the treasury was distributed among shareholders. Coal has been found in Salem township. Although the real thickness of the vein had not been ascertained, some figured it to be 37 inches. Those seeing the coal said it was of first class quality, burned freely and almost entirely. Hopes for Eureka's and the county's future were bright for this vein promised to be the thickest yet in Kansas so close to the surface. Some Wichita parties were trying to lease the land.
Dedication of the Presbyterian Church in Madison was conducted by Rev. J.F. Hendy. The church had a seating capacity of 225 persons. The most destructive fire in the history of the city occurred March 29 when $25,000 worth of property on Main street was destroyed in a few minutes.
H.S. Kline sold the Hamilton Broadaxe to an organized company of gentlemen. The plant was to be moved to Eureka and efforts were to be made to get the Alliance to adapt the paper as its official organ. The fire department announced a change in the manner of ringing the bell for fires so that the alarm would be sounded first and taps to indicate the ward, after the alarm had sounded several minutes.
Eureka was to have electricity. The Electric Company purchased the lot directly east of Hotel Greenwood on which to erect buildings for dynamos, etc. The company was assured of 350 incandescent lamps, 16 candle power, the city taking 75 of them. The manager ordered work to begin on the buildings, to be completed by mid-July. Poles were being erected and wires stretched. At a council meeting, it was decided to change to arc lights, agreeing to take ten of 2000 candle power each, and pay the sum of $83.33 per month. A 100-horsepower boiler was brought here from the sugar works at Douglass.
Crebo was building another building east of the new bank. It cost $1.50 to join the Herald family of readers. The Herald "clubbed" the weekly Topeka Capital and the Herald for $2.00 for one year.
The Howard branch of the A T & SF had two northbound trains daily and two southbound. The Missouri-Pacific had three eastbound trains and four westbound. The Eureka Herald was $1.50 per year through January 1, 1893 - through two elections. The Topeka Weekly Capital and the Herald were sent, postage paid for $1.75 for one year (a Republican paper with unswerving loyalty to the grand old party.)
the Virgil Church of United Brethren in Christ was dedicated on Sunday, October 1.
The phonograph at Kendricks was proving attractive. It would take a great many dollars to go east and hear the famous "Marine Band," "The 1st Regiment Band of New Jersey," or Mr. Gaskin, the finest tenor singer in the world, and yet, by stepping into Kendricks and investing a nickel, one could hear any of the above.
The Santa Fe was offering excursion rates from all stations in Kansas to all points in Oklahoma for those who desired to see "The Promised Land" before the official notice of the opening to settlement of the Cherokee Strip and the Cheyenne and Arapaho country.
In February, a small party of citizens met to consider the depressed conditions of general affairs and to see if ways and means could be discovered to better economic conditions. In a second meeting, the Greenwood County Improvement Club was organized with Edwin Tucker as president. The object of the club was to stimulate and develop industrial pursuits of Greenwood County. Searches for information for possible industries in this area were conducted.
J.E. Evans of the electric light plant was working on a storage batter by which he expected to be able to light private residences nearly as cheaply as the cost of coal oil lighting. Severy was building a new depot. The Greenwood County Improvement Club designated May 21 as Market Day with auctioneer's service, yardage hay and water free. It was a sale of stock or anything else to help promote a regular day for the sale. It was a success. Cattlemen of the county held a meeting to take a decided step toward enforcement of laws regarding the shipping of foreign cattle. As thousands of cattle were arriving, it was felt they should be taxed, in justice to resident cattlemen.
The fire bell had a crack. Hitting it sounded like hitting and old shovel with a club. The fire boys, "The Maroons," had returned from Springfield, Mo., where they won second place in all the races. They were given a royal reception at the depot headed by the city dads, the band and several hundred admirers. Later, in Abilene they won first in the running race, the couplers contest and the ladder-climbing contest. Lunches at Charley Jacks were five cents and upwards, any kind you wanted. A new band was formed at Climax with H.M. Morris as instructor. Charles Leedy was selling straw matting for 25 and 32 cents per yard and ladies' gaiters for 50 cents per pair.
A huge circus visited Eureka in August, complete with six bands, 24 horses, elephants, camels, water buffalo, zebras, lions, tigers, leopards - and "long skirt" dancers. The attendance in the afternoon was 3000. The Virgil Review was moved to Madison. It takes nearly five years to tan an elephant's skin but a kid's skin can be tanned successfully in less than a minute.
The Herald editor, Z. Harlan, purchased the Greenwood County Republican from W.E. doud in September, 1892, and consolidated the two papers. The electric light plant was sold in October to a company incorporated under the name of the Eureka Power & Light Co. The new Methodist Church building at Thrall was dedicated November 13. The first issue of the Kansas Advocate was published in Fall River in November. Lowry Gilmore was the editor. The county asylum had 12 inmates. A disastrous fire occurred in Fall River in December resulting in a $10,000 damage.
A valuable deposit of clay existed on the Mann ranch in South Salem township. Many carloads had been shipped to New York. Santa Fe erected a 40,000 gallon tank at the north end of the depot and paid $160 a year to the city for water. The fire department paraded on Washington's birthday and was reviewed by members of the city council. Eureka merchants "took in" 2700 dozen eggs on one Saturday and paid 12 cents per dozen. Ordinance No. 124 regulated the sale of Hop Tea Tonic and all other liquids containing alcohol.
The Herald changed from a nine-column folio to six-column quarto on June 26 when the 16th year of its existence began. The legislature authorized Janesville township to issue $800 in bonds for the purpose of building or buying a town hall, subject to an election. The special election resulted in a negative vote.
Three Indians, all bucks, and a lot of ponies, passed through Eureka in July. Ordinance No. 130 provided a penalty for any barber who operated his business on Sunday. The Ozark Land & Mineral Company's factory building was completed in August and the machinery all set. A steam heater was installed in the Westside school in August. The Eureka Lumber Company was organized for the purpose of doing business in the Strip. They had two yards - one at Enid and the other at Pond Creek, Okla.
The Strip was open for settlement on September 16. The road was lined with covered wagons, containing men, women and children. They expected about one home seeker for each acre of land. Several men from Eureka made the run and a few made claims.
Greenwood's National Guard membership was 50 enlisted men. In 1893 there were 15 townships in the county and 29 postoffices - Eureka, Madison, Fall River, Severy, Climax, Derry, Fame, Flint Ridge, Hamilton, Hickman, Hill Top, Ivanpah, Lapland, Lena Valley, Neal, Piedmont, Quincy, Reece, Twin Falls, Utopia, Tonovay, Virgil, Willow Valley, Carroll, Lamont, Ruweda, Thrall, Star and Brigham. It cost Kansas $8000 per month to pay the salaries of state house officials and their employees.
A new paper, "The Leader," was originated in Virgil, A.J. Howell, editor. J.A. McCoy was operating a dray and cab service. A burial vault was being erected in Greenwood Cemetery at a cost of $1500. The foundation was to be four feet thick with the floor of cut jointed stone. The walls were to be white limestone and the arched roof was to be covered with tiling.
The Lapland mail carrier had a tough time because of snow. It took him two days to make the trip which he could easily make in one day in good weather. The Missouri Pacific was putting in a side-track west of Eureka about three miles near the Landergin residence. A stockyard and cattle chute would be added. The Citizens Building & Loan Association met to adopt by-laws for the new organization. A 50 cent penalty was charged for members not present at the annual meeting.
New York Weekly Tribune and the Eureka Herald were offered for one year at $1.50. The Star Grocery, T.J. Sauders & Sons, was ready for business, located in the White building.
New sidewalks were being laid in different parts of the city. The Christian Church people decided to erect a new church, to be completed within the next two years, and to occupy the same site as the present church. Water pumps at the pumping station, which had been in bad order for months, were repaired and the city was boasting a water pressure equal to any in the state.
The Missouri-Pacific offered special Fourth of July rates to all points within 200 miles. One lowest standard first class fare for round trip. No ticket sold at a rate less than 50 cents. The Herald never was in better health as it went into its 28th year. Its secret - "The people like a newspaper, one that has news in it; give them a paper of that kind and you can safely trust them to do the rest." One dollar pulled the latch-string for 52 weeks.
Nine churches in Eureka were reporting their services - Catholic, Presbyterian, Seventh-Day Adventists, Norwegian Lutheran, Congregational, Lutheran, Christian, Methodist and Episcopal. An News came in from Neal, Rising Star, Highland, South Salem, Climax, Union, Utopia, High Valley, Upper Slate, Pleasant View, Fall River, Madison, Ivanpah, Virgil, Severy, Coyville - of course, correspondence was not very regular.
The city jail was fitted for the accommodation of bums who applied for lodging. Previous lodgers had left a few insects known in tramp parlance as "curms." This was more than the regular boarders could stand and they reared and also burned up all the bedding in the jail to rid themselves of the pests.
There were five platform scales on Main street with one more going in - three hay and hog scales in the busiest part of town - all within a space of 400 feet. People were beginning to complain.
The latest business in Eureka was offering a large line of vehicles of every description and an elegant line of harness, saddles, pianos, organs and sewing machines. The Christian Church in Reece was dedicated on August 2. New iron hitch racks were placed around the courthouse square. The prisoners were brought out and given a chance to breathe fresh air while assisting at the work.
The electric light company had removed the two north arc lights on Main street. The council was likely to order the remaining two, north of the Methodist Church, also removed. Frazier's bus was a sure way to reach the depot on time - or so was advertised. Wes Reno had a freight wagon for carefully-done hauling for the public. The Santa Fe ticket office was remodeled and made more commodious. The Eureka Water Mill was running full time, largely due to new machinery purchased by its owner, Mr. Richards.
A new sidewalk was planned to be laid in front of the four lots south of the First National, making a solid cement walk from bank corner to bank corner. The superintendent of schools received $800 per year. The principal of the high school $50 per month. Other teachers received $40 per month - for eight months of school. enrollment for all Eureka schools was 633. Edith Random had 71 in her classroom.
Eureka Lyceum Association was organized in June. The Eureka Creamery opened in June. Hamilton had a new paper, the Hamilton Enterprise. The first issue was published on July 2. A camp of Modern Woodmen was established in Fall River with a membership of 32.
The Severyite had taken over the Fall River Citizen. A couple of printers swapped places in March. George Wood, who had been with the Herald for several months, was setting type at the Union office and Austin Butcher, who had been holding cases at the Union office, was at the Herald. The water trough on the south side of the courthouse square was becoming a financial hazard. Several farmers were filling their barrels from the water available.
Recruits were being solicited to represent Eureka in the U.S. Army in the war against Spain. 125,000 volunteers were called by President McKinley to serve two years. Twenty-nine men went from Eureka with Company H 21st Kansas Infantry and many more were with the 20th Regiment.
The Baptist Church in Hamilton was dedicated April 17. The Christian Church building was sold at auction in June and the new edifice started. Church services were held in the courthouse until its completion.
Two cents would buy a can opener, 25 envelopes, a dozen hair crimpers, a potato masher, a meat fork or a pie pan; and three cents would get you a bottle of ink, a yard of print, a box of face powder, a tooth brush or a dozen hat pins. The Baptist Church was organized in August. A building was erected at Fifth and Elm and dedicated on January 8, 1899.
The Herald went back to an eight-column paper in September. Fall River launched another paper in October "The News." The Severyite had been changed to a seven-column folio. The new Christian Church was dedicated November 27. There were 5,406 children of school age in the county.
Thirty-nine Greenwood boys were among those who left for Manila in January. There were 100 telephones in operation in eureka. The People's Bank was organized in Madison. Dr. C.C. Cheney and his son, Dr. R.E. Cheney had opened a dental office in Eureka over the Clark Drug Store. Many problems were in existence in Eureka - such as stray cattle, mad dogs, odors from smelly livery barns and feed lots, army worms, medicine shows, fights, team runaways, loafers spitting tobacco juice on the sidewalks (especially bad for the ladies passing in their long skirts), many suicides and murders and a sprinkling of "wife-beatings."
The total assessed valuation of Greenwood County was $3,941.288. A military company had been formed at the Academy.
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