"Wild Bill could draw a gun in less time and fire with surrender aim than any man in the West." He could kill a man without blinking an eye—needless to say he kept the gamblers and drifters jumping.
preserved the tales of foregone days for the enjoyment and education of their children. Seldom, however, is found a combination as complete, historically as the one which the fates decreed should be in Abilene."
J. B. Edwards, well known Abilene resident, once said, "There have been towns with more romantic pasts and their love of story telling and their flare for the historic, have
The story is told that in the summer of 1870 Wild Bill (James B. Hickok) came to Abilene. He was a fearless gambler—a general bad-gun—deadly feared by the cowboys, who was also elephant him city marshal—and that exactly what the people of Abilene did.
From 1867-72 Abilene, Kan., was an out-and-out cowboy town, it had embarked on as wild a period as a civilized town ever saw.
Abilene Famed As Kansas Top Cow Town
By TOM LYONS
And that is where his grave rests, bearing the inscription, "James B Hickok (Wild Bill) killed by an assassin, Jack McCall, July 4, 1876 Pard we shall meet again in the happy hunting ground to part no more."
In 1869 Abilene was incorporated into a third class city—business was growing and flourishing, but morals were getting worse.
In 1872 the cattle trade left Abilene and moved west, taking the gambler and the element that had made Abilene the terror of the prairies.
Then began a steady, healthy cycle. Then years Abilene, beeked in prosperity.
But on the morning of Jan. 17, 1882, the courthouse was discovered to be on fire. In a short time the fire was beyond control and the flames destroyed nearly two blocks of the best businesses in town. The loss was over $100,000 and nearly all the county records were destroyed. The loss was a setback to the prosperous town but the people went bravely to work.
In the spring of 1876 he was in Deadwood, S.D. There, Jack McCall for some unknown reason, entered Bill's cabin and shot him in the head.
After leaving Abilene as marshal Wild Bill spent most of his time in Kansas City, appearing on the stage as a crack pistol shot. When the boom started in the Black hills of South Dakota, he could not resist the lure of excitement.
"Thus the spirit which the city has always had, the push that came with the old cowboy days and has disappeared down, carried it over its first setback
Establishment, Growth of Lawrence Credited to Zeal of Early Settlers
By VALERA TEBBEN
The story of Lawrence is that of a determined group with Free State ideals who established a thriving industrial town in the heart of a fertile valley—a group whose efforts often were thwarted and nearly destroyed by the reprisals resulting from Free State and pro-slavery dissensions during the Civil war era.
Both by its location and its character, Lawrence became the headquarters of the Free State people. Here were those first to welcome the Free State settlers, and first to oppose the pro-slavery invader. This character was maintained during the entire Free State struggle and until the state was admitted to the Union in 1861
Lawrence had more than its share of sieges and massacres during the days when the state was known as 'bleeding Kansas.' In March, 1855, at the territorial election, the town was invaded by about 1,000 armed Missourians.
Since the early records and documents of Lawrence were destroyed during Quantrill's raid, the following facts were established in a paper based on the diary of Charles W. Smith, secretary of the Old Settlers' association from '1860-79.
Early immigration to Kansas was mostly by way of the Missouri river, known as the Kaw valley, known as Doeon Valley, was the first land open to settlement.
The first party of eastern settlers for Kansas was organized under the auspices of the New England Aid society of Boston. The party consisted of 20 persons, and it was joined enroute by others until on its arrival in the territory it numbered 29. The party located on the present site of Lawrence, having left Massachusetts on the 17th and arrived in the Kansas territory on July 29, 1854.
The first settlement in Lawrence was the foundation of a cabin for Clark Sterns near the head of what is now Massachusetts street, on May 15. 1854. Mr. Sterns, who came from Michigan, was accompanied by the three Corel brothers, who located claims in Douglas county. William Lukins and the Wades settled a few days later.
On Sept. 18, 1854, the first meeting of the town association was held The company was organized on Sept. 20.
The second party from Massachusetts arrived Sept. 15, and after a conference with members of the first party decided to form a town company. The site was called New Boston, Wakarusa—and perhaps other names—but was finally named Lawrence, in honor of Amos A. Lawrence of Boston.
The first school, which opened Jan. 10, 1855, was a free school and supported by contributions from various persons. Old Plymouth Congregational church was founded Oct. 15, 1854, only a few weeks after the first immigrants arrived. They worshipped in a hay tent, made of two rows of poles set in the ground about' 20 feet apart and brought together at the top..
200 of its citizens murdered by Confederate guerillas under Quantrill on Aug. 21, 1863.
The calibre of the people of Lawrence is proved by their adjustment and reactions to adverse circumstances. Paul Brooks arrived in Lawrence in 1854 and started the first store in Lawrence in the first building—a log cabin—which he clinked and daubed for the first winter. In 1856, his goods were captured by the pro-slavery party, leaving him utterly bankrupt. His pluck and credit helped him revive his business.
Eldridge House (now Eldridge hotel), one of the most historic buildings in Kansas, built in 1855 upon its present site, was the first hotel in the state. Destroyed by the border ruffians, it was rebuilt—only to be burned by Quantrill and his raiders. It was again rebuilt to larger proportions.
The final wreaking of pro-slavery vengeance upon the city occurred during the Civil war, when the town was sacked and burned and nearly
On May 21, 1856, the town was attacked by 809 Missourians, under command of U.S. Marshal Donaldson. Another invasion from Missouri occurred the following September, under the leadership of Gen. John W. Reid and assisted by Atchison, Stringfellow, and other proslavery leaders, who brought 2,700 armed men within a short distance of Lawrence with the avowed purpose of destroying the town.
183 Killed in Now-Famous Raid of Quantrill's Forces
Bv DANA LEIBENGOOD
On Aug. 21, 1863, the most spectacular and probably the most famous event in the history of Lawrence occurred, for on that day Quantrill made his attack on Lawrence in which 183 people were killed and about $1,500,000 worth of property damage was done.
This attack was the result of the War department's failure to protect the citizens on both sides of the state boundary. With little or no protection by the government, thieves like Quantrill and Jim Lane,
After destroying the biggest part of the town, Quantrill's men returned to the Whitney house and had lunch before leaving. By this time the residents who had managed to escape about 300—had organized with about 100 federal troops, and they escorted the raiders to the Missouri line.
After the tragic attack, general order No. 11 was issued depopulating some of the Missouri border counties. Loyal and disloyal citizens alike had to leave their homes to the mercy of thieves and despoilers who left only the chimney stacks as monuments of the desolation.
of Kansas looted freely in the towns along the border.
The attack came as a complete surprise, even though the citizens had been expecting a raid of some kind in retaliation to the raids which Lane had made on Missouri. Lane had been stealing horses and other property for some time and used Lawrence as his headquarters.
The men then looted the town and burned almost every house and killed every man they could find.
Early in January 1863, Quantrill had attacked the Kansas border towns of Olathe, Shawnee, and Aubrey. At that time a civilian defense force was organized in Lawrence, and alarms were set up in case of attack. However, the attack never came, so the people became careless' and were completely unprepared when it came.
On Aug. 20 Quantrill's force had been seen at Aubrey about a sunset by Capt. J. A. Pike, who had a force of 100 federal troops. However, he didn't warn Lawrence, and he didn't enter into pursuit of the raiders. Instead, he sent a messenger to Kansas City.
Quantrill had a personal motive involved in the attack on Lawrence, for he had lived here as a boy. He was constantly involved in trouble. After committing serious misbehavior he was driven out of town, and he joined the Missouri guerrillas. He had no mercy on the people when the attack was made.
The raiders first went to the Eldridge house, where they expected to meet some opposition, and took control of the building without firing a shot. The owners of the house asked for mercy for the persons who were strangers in town; so they were taken to the Whitney house, Quantrill's headquarters.
The raiders, 175 strong, entered Lawrence just after sunrise, and completely surprised the town. The fussy major had demanded that all arms be locked in the armory, and so the town was completely defenseless.
By the time the messenger reached Kansas City and another was sent to Lawrence it was too late, since the attack had already started.
Exiled Indians Helped Start City of Wichita
By LEO HACK
The history of Wichita is a dramatic chapter in the saga of Kansas which began when a tribe of Indians was driven from Indian Territory, Oklahoma, and which is still being written today
When the Wichita Indians were driven from Oklahoma territory because they remained loyal to the Union, they moved first to Woodson county, Kansas, but Jesse Chisholm, an adopted member of the tribe, whose name later was given to the cattle trail from Texas, led the Wichitas to the townsite during the closing years of the Civil war.
In 1868 Mr. Chisholm opened a trading post and a year later, the Durfee and Ledrick trading post also was opened. In 1868, a detachment of United States 5th infantry and 25 private citizens moved to Wichita.
William Greffenstein gave up trading with the Indians to help establish a city. With the help of N. A. English, he laid out Douglas avenue and erected hotels, business buildings, and homes.
James R. Reed built Wichita southward and encouraged business to move to the city. Mr Mead's home was the first mansion in Wichita.
The governor of Kansas appointed three commissioners to organize the county for voting in 1863. At that time there were 260 qualified voters. The year 1870 saw Wichita incorporated as a village F. A. Sowers started the town's first newspaper, the "Vidette."
The government land office was moved to Wichita from Augusta in 1872 and the railway to Newton was completed. Wichita, at the end of the railroad, became the principal headquarters of the Texas cattle business. James G. Hope was elected mayor and his city with its saloons, gambling houses, "variety" theaters, and clashes between cattemen became one of the livestest in the West.
Wichita became a third class city in 1871, and stores were first constructed along Main street and Douglas avenue. A year later Col. M. M. Murdock founded the Wichita Eagle and F. A. Sowers and F. G. Millison started publication of the Beacon.
As the railroad extended farther west, Wichita calmed down a bit but continued to build.
In 1874 a Mr. Stewart established a packing house. In 1877 gasoline street lamps were first installed, Telephones and natural gas came in 1881 and the town's first water tower quickly followed.
Today Wichita is the location of Beech, Boeing and Cessna plane manufacturing plants and is a major meat-packing, oil producing and refining center, home of the Coleman lighting and heat company.