by George A. Root
August 1936 (Vol. 5, No. 3), pages
319 to 324
Transcribed by Gardner Smith; digitized with permission of the Kansas
State Historical Society.
NOTE: The numbers in brackets are links to footnotes for this
text.
GRASSHOPPER
(now called Delaware) river is the largest affluent of the
Kaw between the Blue river and the Kansas-Missouri border,
and has its source in the eastern part of Rock Creek
township, Nemaha county, about one and one half miles west
of Sabetha. At its head the stream is designated as
Grasshopper creek, attaining the dignity of river after it
crosses the Brown county line. Its course is to the
southeast from Nemaha county, across the southwest corner of
Brown, the northeast corner of Jackson, across the southwest
portion of Atchison and then south across Jefferson county
from north to south, entering the Kaw river on Kaw Half
Breed land, Tract No. 20, about one mile due south of Perry.
The stream originally was about 91 miles long, of which
approximately six and one half miles are in Nemaha, eighteen
in Brown, nineteen in Atchison, six and one half in Jackson
and forty-one in Jefferson counties. This river has few
tributaries of any importance, the principal ones being the
Little Grasshopper, in Atchison county, and Cedar, Slough
and Rock creeks in Jefferson county. The Delaware drains a
section of the state rarely affected by drought. The banks
of the stream in some places are low, and the rich bottom
lands along its course are easily flooded. In one locality
land was flooded every year from 1902 to 1912 and again in
1914. In the latter year, however, the channel in places was
straightened, and approximately ten miles of the river's
length eliminated.[1]
It
is common belief that the stream took its name from some
visitation of grasshoppers many years ago. The first printed
reference to the stream the writer has been able to locate
is a mention by Prof. Thomas Say, of the Long expedition,
who camped on its headwaters the night of August 27, 1819.
His comment of the stream was that "About Grasshopper creek
the soil is fertile, the grass dense and luxuriant."
[2]
No doubt the name attached long before his visit.
The
stream has been known by a number of names during the past
100 years. John C. McCoy, in a reminiscent article published
many years ago, says:
Delaware
Indians, according to William E. Connelley, in a letter to
George J. Remsburg, called the river the "Chuck-kan-no,"
meaning "they stopped here." Remsburg wrote an excellent
account of the river, which was printed in the Atchison
Daily Globe, November 29, 1907. He mentions that
William P. Badger, agent for the Kickapoos, stated that the
stream was called for a Frenchman named Sautrelle, whose
name in English signified Grasshopper. The Delawares called
the lower part of the river "Hing-gwi-men-o-ken," signifying
"Big Muddy." The names "Martin" and "Swallow" river,
according to Remsburg, probably originated from the cliff
swallows or martins that frequent the banks of the stream.
Kaw Indians may have given the stream its name. Bourgmont,
the French explorer, camped on the stream a few miles below
the site of present Muscotah on the night of July 27, 1724,
while en route from the Kanza nation (present Doniphan) to
the Padouca nation, in north central Kansas. From an
examination of various old maps, atlases and narratives, it
would seem that the name Grasshopper river, antedates that
of Sautrelle, but from 1830 to well in the 1850's, one name
was used about as frequently as the other.
Falls
on the river were unknown to the whites until 1852. That
year a military train under command of Maj. E.A. Ogden was
conveying workmen, mechanics and supplies to Fort Riley,
when a Kickapoo Indian informed the major that there was a
much better road than the one by the way of Osawkee they
were then using. The major tried the route once, but not a
second time. Henry Sen accompanied the expedition as a
mechanic, and on this trip made the accidental discovery of
the falls. The expedition crossed the river at the location
where the old road crossed in 1857 and
1858.[5]
In 1859 a town was laid out at this point, and named
Grasshopper Falls for the river.[6]
Following a number of grasshopper visitations which started
as early as 1820 and recurred in 1855, 1860, and
1861,[7]
the residents of Jefferson county became "fed up" with the
name grasshopper, and asked the legislature to
change the name of the township; river and city,
substituting Sautrelle in place of the despised name. This
was done in 1863.[8]
This discarding of an ancient name furnished Sol Miller,
editor and publisher of The Kansas Chief, at White
Cloud, with an excuse to have some fun, and he promptly
substituted "Sowtail" for Sautrelle, when speaking of the
town, river or township. Ridicule is a hard thing to combat,
and the populace did not relish being spoken of as residents
of a community with such a ridiculous nickname, so the
legislature in 1864[9]
restored the old name, which was used for the next eleven
years. By the irony of fate the worst visitation of
grasshoppers came during the summer of 1874, and mention of
hoppers was not a popular subject for discussion with the
residents of this county, so with the meeting of the
legislature of 1875 a bill was introduced in that body, and
passed, changing the name of the town to Valley Falls and
the township and river to Delaware.[10]
The
first ferry location on ascending the river is a matter of
speculation. However, a ferry was contemplated and
authorized by the legislature of 1861, to be located at or
near the junction with the Kansas river. This act gave John
C. Bailey the right to maintain a ferry at that point for
ten years and have exclusive privilege for a distance of
three miles from the mouth of the
river.[11]
This must have been close to Perryville of later
date.
In
1867 Klews & McHenry were granted a license for a ferry
over the Grasshopper at or near where the Union Pacific
Railway, Eastern division, crosses that stream. Their
license was to date from May 1, 1867, and was to continue in
force for one year on payment of $10. Ferriage rates
established by the commissioners were:
This location was at or close to
present Perry, on the river road running west from Jefferson
county.
From
Wyandotte and the Missouri river points the bulk of travel
and freighting of course went over the military road, but a
considerable portion of it took the river road. Just how
long this ferry was operated is uncertain, no further
mention having been located.
The
next ferry licensed for this location was on November 11,
1876, when Wm. M. McKinney was granted a license to keep a
ferry across the Grasshopper at Perry; also a license for
the Lecompton Bridge Company for a bridge across the Kaw
river upon the payment of the clerk's
fees.[13]
McKinney was an old hand at the business, having been
engaged in ferrying at Lecompton from 1868 to
1870.[14]
On
the morning of October 11 [1856], we reached a
stream thirty-four and one-half miles from the military
reservation, which the Indians called
Nesh-cosh-cosh-che-ba [3]
or Swallow river, seventy-six links wide about which
there was a large timber. Another mode of rendering the
sounds of this Indian name of this river is
Nach-uch-u-te-be, and this is the orthography given on
the map which we made of the Delaware reservation. The
stream was also called Sautrelle river and also Martin's
river, in 1830. In the field notes of our survey it is
given as Nesh-cosh-cosh-che-be.[4]
Two
horses and wagon, over, 25 cents; two horses and wagon,
over and back on same day, 40 cents. Four horses and
wagon, over, 40 cents; four horses and wagon, over and
back on same day 40 [50?] cents. One yoke of
oxen, over, 25 cents; one yoke of oxen, over and back on
same day, 40 cents. For each additional yoke of cattle,
10 cents. A man and horse, both ways, 15 cents. Footman,
.05 cents. Sheep and swine per head, .02 cents. Loose
horses per head, .05 cents. Loose cattle, .03
cents.[12]
In 1857 a bill was introduced in the council to authorize the building of a bridge at or near the mouth of the Delaware river, but this failed of passage.[15] Early in 1872 travel must have been sufficient to warrant the installation of a pontoon bridge at this point, since Thomas G. Smith in March, 1872, applied to the board of county commissioners to grant him a license for a private pontoon bridge on payment of $10.[16] Apparently this was the last license issued at this point. The next ferry location upstream was at Osawkee. In March, 1856, Jefferson Riddle[17] was granted the first license issued by the board of county commissioners to maintain a ferry at that point, paying $10 for the privilege for one year.[18] This ferry was located at the crossing of the military road, and probably did not operate for more than a year, as W.F. and G.M. Dyer took steps to establish a bridge at this point, Doctor Tebbs introducing a bill in the legislature asking that privilege for them, which became a law.[19] Osawkee is the oldest town in Jefferson county, and in its early days was settled by Southerners. During the troublous days in 1856 the town was raided by a Free-state party. It was the first county seat, and for a few years was accounted one of the most important towns in the county. The Delaware land sales were held at this point. During the legislature of 1857-1858 Mr. Owens introduced House bill No. 312,[20] for the establishment of a ferry over the Grasshopper. This bill passed both houses, but was vetoed by the governor, who sent the following message to the House, giving his reasons for so doing: To the House of Representatives: February 11, 1858. J.W. Denver, Acting Governor.[21] At this same session Council bill No. 5 was introduced to incorporate the Grasshopper Bridge Company. A similar measure, House bill 453, was introduced in the House of Representatives, but neither measure passed.[22] A toll bridge was constructed at Osawkee some time in the 1860's and must have been a paying proposition. No names of anyone connected with the enterprise have been found, and the only reference we have located is that a petition was presented to the board of county commissioners asking for an appropriation of $500 for the purchase of the toll bridge across the Grasshopper at this point.[23] Grasshopper Falls was the next ferry location, one being in operation at this point in 1859. No mention of a license was found for this enterprise, but a Leavenworth paper refers to a ferry in connection with the relocation of a road from Fort Leavenworth to Fort Riley via Grasshopper Falls.[24] No further notice of this ferry has been located. Late in the fall of 1862 a bridge had been constructed at this point having a span of 123 feet in the clear. C.G. Waite, formerly of Tecumseh, was the architect and builder.[25] As early as 1855 Grasshopper Falls took steps towards getting roads, the legislature that year establishing one from Leavenworth to Indianola, by way of Money creek and Grasshopper Falls. James Frazer, J.B. Ross and Geo. H. Perrin were appointed commissioners to survey and establish the road.[26] At the same session a road was also established from Osawkee to Grasshopper Falls.[27] In 1872 a road was laid out from Grasshopper Falls to Leavenworth, via Winchester.[28] Probably the uppermost ferry on the Grasshopper was one thought to have been located on S. 28, T. 5, R. 18, five miles north of Effingham, on the military road.[29] 1. Topeka Daily Capital, November 30, 1914. 2. Kansas Historic Collections, v. 1-2, p. 297. 3. McCoy's map, survey of 1830, gives spelling as Neesh-cosh-cosh-che-bah. 4. Kansas Historical Collections, v. 4, p. 305. 5. Valley Falls New Era, May 18, 1878. 6. Laws, Kansas, 1859, p. 141. 11. Private Laws, Kansas, 1861, pp. 34, 35. 12. Jefferson county, "Commissioners' Journal," 1863-1869-1869, pp. 406, 407. 14. Kansas Historical Quarterly, v. 2, p. 345. 15. Council Journal, 1857, pp. 196, 220, 230, 243. 16. Jefferson county, "Commissioners' Journal," Book D, p. 41. 17. Mr. Riddle was a wealthy Southerner who settled at Osawkee and engaged in business -- operating a ferry on the side. He attended the land sales at that point when the Delaware lands were sold, and bought several farms. On the breaking out of the Civil War he took his family and left for the South, joining the Confederate army. Returning to his old neighborhood in Kansas after the war was over, he had a feeling that he might be taken into custody on account of his Southern sympathies. All his farms with the exception of one were in the possession of others. A daughter of Mr. Riddle, Mrs. Maude DeLong, now resides at Silver Lake, Shawnee county. She was reared by grandparents on her mother's side, who were strong unionists. 18. State Board of Agriculture, Report, 1877-1878, p. 240. 19. House Journal, 1857, pp. 75, 196, 212; Council Journal, 1857. pp. 75, 169, 174, 184, 201; Laws, 1857, p. 145. 20. House Journal, 1857-1858, pp. 191, 217; Council Journal, 1857-1858. 21. House Journal, 1858, p. 388. 22. Ibid., 1858-1859, pp. 221, 261, 327. 23. Jefferson county, "Commissioner's Journal," January 11, 1867. 24. Kansas Weekly Herald, Leavenworth, March 26, 1859. 25. Kansas State Journal, Lawrence, November 27, 1862. 26. General Statutes, Kansas, 1855, p. 977. 28. Jefferson county, "Commissioners' Journal," Book D, p. 244. 29. This ferry was marked on a map of historic spots in Atchison county, prepared by the late Franklin J. Hole, of Effingham. (Map in Archives division of Kansas State Historical Society.) Mrs. Agnes C. (Franklin J.) Hole was not certain about its existence, however, and under date of June 30, 1936, wrote as follows: "I have talked with James Snyder here in Effingham, who has resided here 68 years. He said the river five miles north of Effingham is the Little Grasshopper, running into the Grasshopper farther west; a very small stream now, even dry at times, but showing evidence that it was larger formerly. He is sure that there was never a ferry at this point, though remembers something of a ford west of Effingham. The military road from Leavenworth to Fort Kearney is about at that point and he remembers much traffic, both military and immigrants, going farther west. There are deep ruts all along this old road that can yet be seen, especially near old Huron. There seems to be some confusion regarding the military road and the Oregon trail; some say they are the same and others say they are separate, but they were at least both near this county. |