Kancoll: The Kansas Historical Quarterlies




Kansas Historical Notes


November, 1937 (vol. 6, no. 4), pages 404 to 417.
Transcribed by lhn; digitized with permission of
the Kansas State Historical Society.

     A Pony Express marker was placed in the Troy courthouse square late in November, 1936, stating that the express passed near the city. The marker, a gift from the American Legion, was mounted on a large granite boulder.

     The Chase County Historical Society held its annual meeting in Cottonwood Falls, September 4, 1937. Officers of the society are: Claude W. Hawkins, president; C. A. Sayre, first vice-president; George Starkey, second vice-president; Mrs. Walter Austin, secretary, and S. H. Baker, treasurer. The board of directors and the townships they represent are: George Starkey, Falls; W. R. Sayre, Cedar; Court Crouch, Toledo; J. E. Stout, Strong; Mrs. Charles Thompson, Homestead; L. E. Rogler, Bazaar; T. R. Wells, Diamond; Edwin Jackson, Cottonwood, and Mrs. Clara Hildebrand, Matfield. William Harris' log cabin, built within the present boundaries of Chase county eighty-two years ago, was removed the past summer to Swope park in Cottonwood Falls by the historical society. Miss Kittie Houghton, of California, owner of the cabin, was the donor. It had been located on her farm near Elmdale. On August 27 the society held its third annual picnic in the park.

     Mrs. J. W. King is the new recording secretary of the Franklin County Historical Society. She was selected to succeed Howard Rounds. Asa F. Converse delivered a paper on "Historical Records" at the meeting of the executive committee September 11, 1937.

     A bronze tablet placed on the south side of First street bridge in Abilene marking Mud creek ford of the Overland trail was dedicated September 23, 1937. The plaque was presented by the Daughters of the American Revolution to the Dickinson County Historical Society. C. M. Harger gave the dedicatory address and W. A. Stacey represented the historical society. Miss Helen Seelye, regent of the D. A. R., presided.

     Prof. C. M. Correll, of the department of history and government at Kansas State College, was reelected president of the Riley County Historical Society at a meeting in Manhattan, October 4, 1937. Other officers elected are: Mrs. Medora Flick, vice-president; Mrs. G. H. Failyer, secretary; Grace Given, treasurer; G. H. Failyer, historian and director of the cabin in the city park, and W. D.

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Haines, assistant historian. Others on the board of directors, which includes the above officers excepting Mrs. Failyer, are: Charles Emmons, Mrs. F. L. Murdock, Mrs. Loyal Payne, and Mrs. Carolyn Smith.

     Frank B. Dodds, of Lawrence, was elected president of the Twentieth Kansas Regiment Association at the closing session of the annual two-day reunion held in Topeka, October 10 and 11, 1937. C. E. Steele, of Pomona, is vice-president; Harry Brent, Topeka, secretary-treasurer, and Jerry C. Springstead, Topeka, historian.

     The Kiowa County Historical Society designated the last week in October, 1937, as "Historical Week," during which a membership campaign was sponsored and relics were collected. Officers and directors of the society who will serve during the coming year are: Bruce Kennedy, Mullinville, president; J. H. Olinger, Greensburg, first vice-president; Frank Dowell, Wellsford, second vice-president; Sam Booth, Wilmore, third vicepresident; Mrs. Benj. 0. Weaver, Mullinville, secretary; Mrs. Chas. T. Johnson, Greensburg, treasurer; directors, W. A. Woodward, A. R. Kendall, Mrs. S. R. Lanier, Haviland; Herbert Parkin, Ed Brown, Greensburg; John Bowers, Mrs. Lina Anderson, Wellsford; Bert Barnes, Mrs. Oren Johnson, Mullinville, and Mrs. Frank McQuey, Belvidere.

     New officers of the Shawnee Mission Indian Historical Society elected at its regular meeting in Overland Park, October 25, 1937, are: Mrs. Carl Harder, president; Mrs. M. Y. Griffin, vice-president; Mrs. George L. Davis, recording secretary; Mrs. A. V. Fuller, corresponding secretary; Mrs. J. C. Hill, treasurer; Mrs. Frank A. Hardesty, historian, and Mrs. A. L. Cross, custodian. Mrs. Ross Smith was reappointed parliamentarian. Mrs. John Sanders, the retiring president, was presented with a past-president's pin, Mrs. R. R. Sandmeyer making the presentation. The society now has ninety active members.

     A memorial to Jed Smith, famous trader and explorer, was recently erected in Grant county near Wagon Bed Springs, where it is thought he met his death. The monument, which is located twelve miles south of Ulysses on highway No. 25, was unveiled October 29,1937. Erected by the Grant county 4-H clubs, the marker reads: "In Commemoration of Jedediah Strong Smith, 1798-1831, a Great Plainsman Who Was Killed Near This Spot by Comanche Indians."

416 KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY

     The Lyon County Historical Society was organized November 1, 1937, at a dinner meeting sponsored by the Emporia chapter of the D. A. R. Mrs. Clyde E. Partridge, regent of the chapter, presided. The following officers were elected: William L. Huggins, president; Harry A. Wayman, vicepresident; Charles E. Ryan, secretary, and John Langley, treasurer. Kirke Mechem, representing the Kansas State Historical Society, spoke at the meeting.

     Members of the Thirty-fifth division, World War unit composed largely of Missouri and Kansas men, held their annual reunion in Lawrence, November 11, 1937. Newly elected officers are: M. C. Sullivan, Kansas City, Mo., president; Col. Charles H. Browne, Horton, first vice-president; Sen. Harry S. Truman, Independence, Mo., second vice-president; Capt. Mahlon Weed, Kansas City, third vice-president, and Col. Edward McMahan, St. Louis, fourth vice-president.

     The Douglas County Historical Society held its annual meeting at Lawrence, November 15, 1937. Officers for the coming year are: Mrs. E. M. Owen, president; Ida Lyons, first vice-president; F. N. Raymond, second vice-president; A. E. Huddleston, secretary, and Walter Varnum, treasurer. Approximately eighty persons traveling in thirty automobiles participated in the society's tour of historic points of interest in eastern Douglas county on October 10.

     An illustrated History of the Kansas Editorial Golf Association compiled by J. C. Mohler, of Topeka, and published by S. R. Knox and H. E. Sheldon, of Manhattan, was distributed at the fall tournament in Herington. The book was dedicated to H. L. "Bert" Harris, official host of the Herington meet.

     Quivira, the popular book of Coronado and his journeys, by Paul A. Jones, of Lyons, which went through two editions, has been considerably enlarged and was republished this year under the title Coronado and Quivira. The new volume, which is abundantly illustrated, incorporates a bibliography and much new material on Coronado which Mr. Jones has gathered through travels and research during the past several years. The book was printed by the McCormick-Armstrong Co., of Wichita, and is distributed by the Lyons Publishing Co., of Lyons.

     Howard Ruede's account of life in Osborne county in 1877-1878, edited by John Ise, of Lawrence, was published by the Columbia University Studies in the History of American Agriculture (N. Y.,

ORICAL NOTES 417

Columbia University Press, 1937) under the title Sod-House Days. Mr. Ruede came to Kansas in March, 1877, and settled near Kill creek, about fifteen miles southwest of Osborne. His letters to relatives in Bethlehem, Pa., before they joined him in Kansas, entries from his diary and stories he later contributed to the Osborne County Farmer, of Osborne, make up the volume.

     The Sod-House Frontier, a social history of the northern plains, comprising the states of Kansas, Nebraska, North and South Dakota, 1854 to 1890, written by Everett Dick, of Lincoln, Neb., and published by D. Appleton-Century Co., of New York, is a recent book of general interest. Mr. Dick was concerned with the settlers' business of living. He describes in detail frontier homes and recalls numerous specific problems encountered by first settlers of the region. Many incidents happening in early Kansas history are featured in the narrative. Much of this material was gathered from the Kansas State Historical Society's publications and collections of newspapers, pictures, county histories and manuscripts which were available to the author on his numerous visits to Topeka. Mr. Dick is a native Kansan and a life member of the Society.

     A Son of John Brown, a story based upon the Brown family's participation in Kansas affairs and the nation's slavery controversy of the 1850's, was published September 15, 1937, by Thomas Nelson and Sons, of New York. Dr. Charles Henry Lerrigo, of Topeka, is the author.

     The Story of Maj. David McKee, Founder of the Anti-Horse Thief Association, is the title of an eighty-page booklet by Hugh C. Gresham, of Cheney. Included in the volume are copies and excerpts from speeches, documents, newspapers and manuscripts relating to the history of the Anti-Horse Thief Association and its successor, the Anti-Thief Association.



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