De Soto, Kan., is situated in the northern part of Lexington township, on the Santa Fe railroad, sixteen miles east of Lawrence. It is a thriving little city, and is surrounded by a good farming territory. It has a city light plant, a grain elevator, and Hodge Brothers have a large lumber yard there of which J. E. Dewees is manager. The Kaw Valley Mercantile Company and the Taylor Mercantile Company have large establishments carrying full lines of general merchandise.
All lines of business are well represented.
B. S. Taylor is president and Andrew Smith, cashier. De Soto was organized in the spring of 1857 by a town company, composed of B. W. Woodward, James F. Ligate, James Findley and G. W. Hutchinson. Two or three buildings were erected in 1857. The first hotel was built in 1858 and Mr. Rolfe moved into it that year. John Van Rankin started a general store in 1859.