1914 Early Reminiscences, Jackson County Historical Society

JACKSON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
"Preserving the past . . . to serve the future"

HISTORIC PLACES IN JACKSON COUNTY
and
EARLY REMINISCENCES OF HOLTON AND JACKSON COUNTY
The Holton Recorder - 5 and 19 March 1914

Copied from Microfilm H493 at the Kansas State Historical Society Research Center in Topeka, Kansas by Anna (FERNKOPF) WILHELM.
A special thank you to Mildred FRANCIS for suggesting this research.This article can be searched with the edit/find key.

Advance of the Emigrants | Jim LANE’s Trail | First Building Operations | Helping Runaway Slaves | “Battle of The Spurs” | John BROWN’s Method | A Visit From Jessie James | A Pioneer’s Story | Early Enterprises | First Schools and Churches | Political Strife Develops | The Richness of the Prairie

The Holton Recorder, Thursday, 5 March 1914, Volume 47, Number 3, Page 15.
HISTORIC PLACES IN JACKSON COUNTY
(By Miss Ellie PRICE)
(Paper read before the Samuel LINSCOTT Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.)

We will turn back the pages of history in search of historic places in the county--back to the summer of 1855 when a train of wagons crossed what is now the north line of Jackson county. They traveled along a deeply cut Indian trail south, to where the town of Netawaka now is, and on to the north bank of Straight Creek, which was badly swollen by heavy rains. Fording the stream was hazardous but a still greater difficulty presented itself on the other side. Its south bank rose before them in a steep, muddy hill, which proved so slippery that the feet of the oxen could not hold them on it. But difficulties must be overcome on this journey, so the men of the party set to work making hawsers (heavy cables.) By means of these contrivances the oxen and their loads were drawn up the hill. The train consisted of several companies of emigrants, 82 wagons in all, traveling together for better protection, and as they neared the State line they had been met by Jim LANE and his men, who escorted them to their destination to further insure their safety. So taking it all in all, there was the ingenuity, strength, and undying determination with which to accomplish the seemingly impossible.

Advance of the Emigrants.

On the top of this steep hill they found a squatter’s cabin which later became a rendezvous of John BROWN and Jim LANE in their passage through that part of the country, and a place of some historical interest. From this point they moved on to the next creek, (our Elk) north of town, but they found it could not be crossed without bridging it, so camped in the bottom for the night. It rained very hard and the next morning there was six inches of water about them, so it was under great difficulties that they took teams and hauled from along the creek timber with which to build a bridge. By three o’clock that afternoon the bridge was completed and that night the train crossed it.

A company from Milwaukee and one from Bloomington went into camp where our L. K. & W. depot now stands, but the place did not appear safe, so the next day they moved up the hill and camped permanently near where our Central school building now is. This location pleased them so much that they began the survey of a town which they named Holton, after the Hon. E. D. HOLTON, of Milwaukee, who had befriended the Milwaukee party in time of need, just before their departure from that city.

They also began to dig a well and build a house in which to store the company’s goods and protect their families against attacks from border ruffians which were prevalent in those times. The house was to be 20X30 feet, built of hewn logs laid close together, but before it was well begun General LANE and one man came into camp one morning and advised them to take their families to Topeka and leave them there for a while, saying that he did not consider it safe for them where they were. He wanted some of the men to return, however, and keep the road open to Free State emigrants at that point, since it was the only road over which emigrants and provisions could be passed then. Whether or not any of that party did return is not known; but subsequent history shows that the road was kept wide open.

Jim LANE’s Trail.

This road was known as Jim LANE’s trail and the house begun by the Holton settlers, when completed, was called the Jim LANE fort, until it was pulled down, which must have been not many years after it was built. The trail extended north through Nebraska City and Council Bluffs, and south along what is now the east line of the Pottawatomie Indian Reservation to Topeka. It was over this northern trail that our Holton pioneers had traveled. There were numerous trails branching from the main one at different points but all of them were closed now by the vigilance of the pro-slavery men or the border ruffians, as those actively engaged in the fight were called. This trail was one of the mains lines of the Underground Railway and remained open during the whole of the Kansas war. One old pioneer of that time recently described the conditions of this road then as follows: “It was just run over by marauders all the time. They would come up from the south, then down from the north to drive them back, then up from the south to drive the northerners back, and so it was just back and forth they ran over us all the time.”

Gen. LANE left the next morning and two hours after his departure the party was moving south toward Topeka. On the hills south of their prospective town they stopped and looked back. “What a beautiful site for a town, and what a pity to leave it!” one exclaimed, “but we will come back.” Few of this company, however, did come back; but it may be safely said that there was hardly a skirmish in the territory afterward in which some member of the party was not engaged.

First Building Operations.

During the troublesome times that followed, the idea of making a town of Holton was not given up. In December, 1856, a number of people met in the old "Constitution Hall” at Topeka and re-organized with few of the original company. A committee was sent to look over the ground and see that no one else had taken possession of that site. They found it clear and reported so. The land was filed upon as a town site and in February, 1857, the first building was erected by W.F. CREITZ and his brother on Lot No. 1, Park. In it a small grocery store was opened.

During the summer following, Thomas G. WATERS had a house built on the corner where now stands the LINSCOTT building, occupied by the post office. It was known as the “Holton House,” a hotel, and Thomas WATERS, its proprietor, became a prominent figure in the early history of the town. By taxing themselves heavily the little community built a school house soon after this, or they managed to get the outside built. It was located on the lot where Dr. THOMPSON’s residence now is, at 415 Wisconsin Ave. In this building school was taught, and church was held, when a preacher strayed into the vicinity. As the town grew and solidified into an organized community, elections were held in the building.

For a number of years the Republicans occupied the north side of the square and the Democrats the south side. Each side had a flag, the Republicans’ flag pole standing on the corner where our City Hotel is, and the Democrats’ pole on the corner now occupied by the BENNETT block. In the relations between the two parties, conditions were somewhat riotous at times and occasionally one of the poles was cut down in the night. One morning both poles were down. After that they were not raised again.

Helping Runaway Slaves.

One evening just at dusk, in the spring of 1859, three wagons stopped near the little cabin on the hill south of Holton, at the place now known as the COWELL farm, and the man of the house went out to greet the travelers. An old man in one of the wagons inquired the way to the cabin of a certain settler, naming him. It was impossible to mistake the man or his mission. “My friend, you have no need to find him,” was the reply; “go right into town, to Tom WATERS’. You will be as safe there as any place.” And so, after dark that night, the wagons drew up in front of the Holton House, and their owners asked for supper and lodgings for the night at the hotel, but cared for their own teams. Through the night an inmate of the hotel heard a child cry in one of the wagons, and surmised that a party of runaway slaves was being conducted by the guests of the night. Before daylight the wagons and their owners were gone. About nine o’clock that morning several men rode up to the hotel, each one armed with two navies. They inquired if such wagons or teams had passed that way, saying there were “runaway niggers” in the wagons and they were after them.

The men were highly entertained at the hotel while a messenger was sent to warn the runaways. He found them at Straight Creek and the waters too high to be crossed. There were eleven Negroes in the little old cabin near the creek, mentioned as the squatter’s cabin passed by the Holton company when they arrived. John BROWN and Col. WHIPPLE were cared for by Mr. FULLER in his house a few rods south of the cabin. John BROWN assured the messenger that they could hold the slaves against attack, but asked for men from Holton to help him. When his message was carried to town, five or six men armed themselves and went to his assistance.

Col. WHIPPLE was watering his horse when ruffians reached the creek. He asked them their business, and on being told, said he would go up to the house with them and fix things. When they reached the house he got a Sharpe’s rifle and turning it on one of the men, declared, “If you move you are a dead man!” The rest of the party quickly rode off to a safe distance. Col. WHIPPLE took his captive in and kept him until they were ready to leave, when he paroled the man on the promise that he would not leave Holton for three days, and the promise was kept.

“Battle of The Spurs.”

It seems that news in those days carried almost as rapidly as now. Messengers on horseback traveled by night as well as day. While John BROWN and his party were detained by high waters, news of his plight spread over the country and the United States marshal appeared in Holton. He notified the people of the place that any one who refused to respond to his call would be reported. In this manner he collected from town and country about, a posse of men who were not at all enthusiastic about capturing John BROWN, and they proceeded to FULLER’s house where he was. There they called Mr. FULLER out and advised him to take his family out of the house as they were going to take John BROWN. The family was removed to the barn and the marshal called on John BROWN to come out, but he made reply, “We will defend ourselves at all hazards,” whereupon the marshal and his men withdrew for consultation.

They withdrew, in fact, to the place now called Eureka, where they went into camp to wait until they could send to Atchison for men to help them, and the men he had already collected were set to patrolling the country about to prevent any possible reinforcement of John BROWN’s party, which was wise since volunteers were collecting at Topeka and different parts of the county to come to his rescue.

When he decided to leave his place of refuge after a three days’ sojourn there, John BROWN led his little party in a roundabout way along Straight Creek to where Spring Creek joined it, and then along that branch to keep in shelter of the timber skirting the streams. When they reached the ford across Spring Creek at the place where the bridge on the Netawaka road crosses it now, they were met by the U.S. marshal and a dozen or more men--half of his posse, which consisted of about twenty-five men altogether, twelve recruits from Atchison having joined them. The others of the posse were still on patrol. In John BROWN’s party there were at that time only four men.

But the grim old man seemed to have a reputation for gunning. When he appeared in the open, ready for battle, the attacking party, except four men, put spurs to their horses and fled. Some claimed afterward that BROWN had a cannon, but no traces of such thing was ever discovered. A pioneer of that time, well informed as to the affair, suggests that it might have been a log instead of a cannon. This incident was known in history as “The Battle of the Spurs.”

John BROWN’s Method.

The four men from the marshal’s party were taken by John BROWN. When he ordered them to dismount they swore. He compelled them to get off their horses at the point of the rifle and then to kneel and pray. During their stay with the old man and his party they were made to pray every night and morning for the slaves. This was not exactly constitutional, being a restriction of freedom in religious worship, but it was one of John BROWN’s ways. In a few days the men were set free and sent across the prairies afoot to Atchison. Their horses and guns were confiscated and, it is said, their overcoats taken for the Negroes. The runaway party proceeded in safety during the rest of the journey over the Underground Railway.

General LANE and his army of probably 200 men camped north of town in its very early history. The spectacle of LANE’s army marching up COWELL’s hill on its departure impressed the beholders deeply. It was then that “LANE’s road” along the eastern line of the reservation was made by these troops. It is still known as such.

The first flag that waved in Jackson county was made by Mrs. COFFIN and Mrs. WEST, with some help from Mrs. DAVIS and probably others, at the FULTZ place on Banner, and carried to Holton in a Fourth of July celebration, in 1857. The women were loaded onto a rude conveyance of some kind and drawn by a great number of oxen. What finally became of this flag no one seems to know.

The Holton Recorder, Thursday, 19 March 1914, Volume 47, Number 5, Page 11.
EARLY REMINISCENCES OF HOLTON AND JACKSON COUNTY
by Mrs. Edith HAVENS-FAIRCHILD
(Paper read before the Samuel LINSCOTT Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution).

Jackson County was organized under the name of Calhoun in 1855, and originally extended south to the Kaw river. When the state came under the control of the “Free State” party the name was changed to Jackson. In 1868 the county took its present form.

An interesting landmark of old Calhoun is a log house erected on the bank of Silver Lake, where Horace GREELEY stopped in 1859, and which still remains. The same year Gen. W. T. SHERMAN took up a claim a few miles north of North Topeka, and had a cabin built on it. He remained there but a few months. Gen. FREEMONT, the “Pathfinder”, made a trail across CALHOUN in 1843, while on his first exploring expedition to the Rocky Mountains.

Much historical interest centers in the county by reason of John BROWN’s association with it. On many farms today, where unusual earth formations exist, or a resemblance to a cave,the owners imagine them to be remains of underground stations of BROWN’s “railway” for escaping slaves. It is more probable some of these caves were the underground stations of a band of horse thieves who operated across Kansas, from Nebraska to the Indian Territory.

A Visit From Jessie James.

It is perhaps not generally known that in the early 70’s Jackson county was visited by the notorious Jesse JAMES. It is said he spent a few days with some parties south of Holton, whom he had formerly known in Missouri, and it is supposed was looking over the bank situation to ascertain if it were advisable to bring his gang and make a raid on this place. Evidently the situation was not favorable for his operations, as no results came from his visits.

Pioneers began coming in the early 50’s. N. D. LEWIS, in 1853, took up a claim where is now the H. O. TUDOR farm and in 1854 brought his family. Many early settlements were made on Bill’s creek, also along Groomer, now known as Banner creek. The first town, called Elk City, was founded by Phinneas SKINNER, in 1856, who brought a colony from Missouri, and organized it on a co-operative plan. He built a store and stocked it with goods. His untimely death by drowning broke up the colony. Much of the stock of the store was taken for LANE’s troops. The rest was sold to Henry D. ODEN, some of whose descendants still reside in this community. Elk City was built on what is now Henry SCHIRMER’s farm.

A Pioneer’s Story.

The following sketch, prepared by Mrs. Elizabeth FAIRCHILD for an Old Settler’s meeting, described a common experience of many of the early pioneers. “In the early spring of 1857 we left Ringold county, Iowa, for Kansas, with an ox team. We were accompanied by another family , also with ox team. We slept in our wagons. We crossed the Missouri river at St. Joe. At Ozawkie we stopped, expecting to spend the night there in a large, comfortable house used as a hotel, but it was so full we decided to sleep in our wagon. Here I had my first experience of Kansas winds. We put the children between us and Mr. FAIRCHILD and myself spent the night holding down the covers. We had started for Topeka , but at this place we met a man named RAYNOR, living on South Banner creek, who persuaded us to come to Holton, saying it was very unhealthy south of the Kaw river. When we reached Holton all we found was a city of stakes, cold and bleak. We camped on Banner creek with Mr. RAYNOR’s family in a log house for neighbors. We located as near the townsite as possible, our claim joining Holton on the west. Mr. FAIRCHILD put up a log cabin as quickly as possible, which stood on the site now occupied by Mr. VETTER’s home. Almost the whole of the 160 acres of land pre-empted at that time has been added to and become a part of the city of Holton. For the flooring of our house he hauled logs to a saw mill four miles west, at Elk City. He paid $4.00 for sawing 100 feet, but we had a floor, which was considered a great luxury, many of the homes of the early settlers having only earth floors. We also had doors and a table made from this lumber.For roofing Mr. FAIRCHILD split clap-boards and I handed them up to him to nail on the roof. A chimney he built on the outside of the cabin, with a fire place inside. He made a couch of boards which he had left, and cut grass to fill a mattress. We had two chairs we brought with us, and a rag carpet, so we felt quite well fixed. We had some scares from the Indians, the children being very much afraid of them, but they would say “me no hurt”. They were frequent callers and entered without the ceremony of knocking. and were always hungry. One evening a party of twenty stopped before the house, all got off their ponies, the squaws came in, supper was just ready and they helped themselves to all the food in sight, and took biscuit from the oven, also took salt and molasses, which they put in a cup. Another time when the ground was covered with snow, three men with a bottle of whisky came in and sat by the fire place to warm themselves. After a while one of them pulled out a long knife and began to draw it up and down his leg. I was alone with the children, so wrapped up Frankie and sent her to our nearest neighbor, who lived about where Hickory Hill stable stands. A young man came back with her who could talk to the Indians. The man with the knife told him he did not want to frighten the woman, he was only showing the others how something was done. I would tell the children, “some day a town will be built,” and when the frame of the first building went up,erected by Mr. W. F. CREITZ, where the State Bank now stands, the children were very much excited, saying “they are building up the town.” There was not so much as a switch on the prairie around us, and where once the jack rabbit and coyote held sway, now we see beautiful groves and handsome homes. We made good use of our oxen. After hauling logs and breaking up some prairie, we turned them on the grass and fattened them and sold them for beef. Then came the drought of ‘60. Mr. FAIRCHILD being a careful observer decided it advisable to lay in a good supply of the necessities of life, so we fared very well, and had some to spare for our less fortunate neighbors.” In concluding her story, Mrs. FAIRCHILD says: “Yet I must say with all our privations and fears we were very happy.”

Early Enterprises.

During the first few years of the settlement of Jackson County there were no flouring mills in this part of the state. At several places were mills where corn was ground into meal, one of these being at New Brighton, now Circleville, which was patronized by the settlers in this part of the county. Flour and all other merchandise was transported by teams from the Missouri river points, Atchison and Leavenworth. Many of the early settlers would haul a load of grain or produce to one of these points and bring back supplies for the family, the trip requiring from four to six days. Until a post office was established in Holton, the settlers were compelled to go to Grasshopper Falls for their mail. It is said the Banner settlement sent a messenger to Topeka for theirs, the trip being made on foot. In 1858 a post office was established, with Dr. James WATTERS as first postmaster. The office was kept in his home, on the corner of Wisconsin Avenue and Fifth Street, where Mrs. Cora McGREW’s house now stands. The mail was brought from Atchison once a week by Uncle Johnnie THOMPSON.

Thos. G. WATTERS, who during the summer of ‘57 erected the first hotel in Holton, where the LINSCOTT building occupied by the post office now stands, enjoyed the distinction of being the father of the first child, a son, born on the townsite, who was named Holton, and who was presented with a town lot by the Town Company. Mr. WATTERS in 1858 issued the first paper, called “The Cricket,” without type or press. It was written in ink and embellished with cartoons done with colored pencils. The first marriage, that of Mr. E. A. SQUIRE and Miss Charlotte E. LONGENECKER took place August 30, 1858, the ceremony being performed by George SMITH, justice of the peace. The boys wanting some fun went to the house that evening, but when confronted with a shot gun, the story goes, that the hazel brush was not thick enough to hide them. The next morning “The Cricket” came out with highly illustrated scenes of the previous night.

First Schools and Churches.

As has always been the case with all American pioneers, the matter of a school was one of first importance. The earliest schools were taught in various townships on the subscription plan. The first real school house was built south of Holton of logs in 1858. Soon after this one was built in town, being located on Wisconsin avenue, on the lot now occupied by the residence of I.O. ARMEL. The first teacher was Miss Anna PARROTT, who in 1862 was married to John N. WALTON. A union Sabbath school was held in this building. As there were neither doors or windows, the school was only held in pleasant weather. This building was used for church services and public meetings. Among the early preachers were Rev. STEWARD, who settled in Douglas township in 1855; Rev. Eli ROBINSON, who preached in that township the same year; Rev. Christian ZOOK, and Rev. William KNIPE held services in 1858; Rev. J.A. WOODBURN and Rev. R.P. HAMM were early preachers in this county, both of whom are now living in Holton. The Methodist Episcopal church of Holton was the first organized; the next the United Brethren, after this the Christian, and in 1867 the Presbyterian. Mr. E. D. HOLTON, for whom the town was named, offered to donate a bell to the first church built. A friendly contest resulted in the Presbyterians securing it, and it is still in use by that denomination.

Political Strife Develops.

Political feeling was intense at this time, resulting occasionally in physical encounters and bloodshed. The pro-slavery men occupied the south side of the square, and the anti-slavery party the north side. Each had a flag pole. One morning both were found cut close to the ground, and no clue to the perpetrators of the deed.

The beginning of the Civil war found many warm supporters of the Union side among the early settlers. Upon the first call for troops in 1861, a company was recruited in Jackson county, with W.F. CREITZ as captain. On the day they were to leave to join the Union army, the company was drawn up in front of the door of the school house and presented with a flag made by the women of Holton. The presentation speech being made by Miss MORGAN, a school teacher. A year later part of another company was recruited in this vicinity, which reduced the number of men remaining at home to those either too old, or on account of some physical disability unfit for military service.

There is an early tradition of a large company of pioneers traveling west to the Pacific coast, who camped near the spring in what is now RAFTER’s park. In the party was “A sweet, young girl, but pale and weak, With fevered brow and hectic cheek,” who the next morning died, and was buried at the foot of a large oak which stood on the brow of the hill west of RAFTER’s pond. This spot was afterward the burial place of the early settlement. The incident was woven into a poem called the “Old Oak’s Story,” written a few years ago by Mr. Peter BRYANT.

The Richness of the Prairie.

While Jackson county may not have been a “land flowing with milk and honey,” yet if we may believe the tales we hear, it surely must have a been a country of much beauty and fruitfulness. The prairies were covered with a luxuriant growth of grass, and brilliant with flowers of every hue, the most beautiful of which was the sensitive rose, whose fragrance is said to resemble honey. Strawberries grew plentifully on the slopes of the prairie; in the timber were found the wild grape, elderberry, gooseberry, blackberry and raspberry; along the sides of the hollows grew plum, cherry and crabapple trees; walnuts, hickory and hazel nuts also grew in abundance.

When we see the descendants of the early pioneers speeding over the excellent roads of Jackson county in their luxurious motor cars, the thought arises, do they ever look back to those, who coming to Kansas over a rough trail, with their slow and weary method of transportation, have, after years of untiring courage, patient industry and frugality, made possible for them all the comforts of civilization. Those sturdy men and women who--
“Crossed the prairies as of old
Our fathers cross the sea,
To make the West, as they the East,
The homestead of the free.”
Leaving comfortable homes, traveling the long weary miles with their slow-going ox teams, the few necessary household goods stored in the prairie schooner, in which there was often an overflow of children. At a recent gathering of ladies, the daughter of an early pioneer, laughingly remarked that she had walked the most of the way from Indiana for this reason. Some of the early pioneers doubtless were called here by the “lure of the West,” but they mostly came for a purpose, with an object in view, the prevention of the extension of slavery. The residents of Jackson county today honor themselves by honoring those who remain of the old settlers, and revering the memory of those who have passed away.

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