The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1868-02-14
MARION AND CHASE COUNTIES.
Lands, Towns, Schools, Churches,
Railroad Prospects, Etc.
CEDAE Po1sT, Chase Co., Kan,


January %, 1868.
EDITOR NEWS: Learning, through the
columns of your excellent paper. that
you arc DESTROYS of receiving commune |
cations from all parts of Southwestern
Kansas, giving information that will be
valuable to those contemplating COM
ing to the West, with view of selecting
homes for themselves and families, /
concluded that, perhaps, a brief descrip
ton of the Upper Cottonwood country
might be acceptable to some, and be of
some service to such persons as nave al
ready made up their minds to seek
homes i'll Southern Kansas.
belive that it is universally conceded
by all travellers who have visited it,
that the NeOsho Valley, as q whole. is
not surpassed in miltlness of climate, fer
tility of soil, abundance and purity of
water, tim Der, stone, and all the natural
advantages for an agricultural and stock
growing country. by any portion of the
west. The Cottonwood is one of the
principle tributaries of the Upper Neo-
sho. 1t is in fact the Neosho proper;
being longer and larger than the stream
which retains the name above the con-
| fiuence of the two branches, on account
of its more direct course with the main
stream below their junction.
This stream heads in Marion county,
near the sixth principal meridian of the
Government survey, in latitude 81 2.
longitude west from Washington. and
flows through Marion, Chase, and Lyon
counties, forming its junction with the
NeOshO in Lyon county, about six
miles from Emporia, the county seat of
that county being between sevcnty-five
and one hundred miles in length from
head to mouth, and watering one OF the
finest valleys in the whole west. The
general course of the stream from head
to mouth is nearly northeast, and being
directly on the line of the Atchison, To-
pcka, and Santa Fe Railroad will soon
be traverscd by one of the most impor-
tant thoroughfarcs Of the western con-
tinent.
MARION COUNTY,
| the first county watered by the Cotton
wood, is a good county of land, but ow-
| ing to its location on the extreme head
of the stream, is not as well tim berCd as
| Chase or Lyon. 1t is nevertheless
very desirable location, and possesses
many natural advantages to the farmer
and stock grower. The valley of the
main stream will average one mile in
width through the entire county. Mud
| dy, Clear, Doyle, Martin, and Brenot
| Greeks, are the principle tributaries,
varying in length from ten to twenty
five miles, and atiording valleys gener-
ally from one-half to one mile i'll width.
The soil of all these valleys is equal to
the best i'll fertility, and will produce in
perfection and abundance all the cereals
adapted to this latitude. Wild grapes
and piums grow i'll abundance along the
margin of the streams.
! TilpbpIs * scarce end confined pntircIV
to the margin Of the streams. but there
is sufficient, with economy, to supply
! the wants of large population.
This is new county and but thlnly
settled but there are already few
bearing peach and apple orchards, and
no reason has yet been discovered why
fruit of all kinds, adapted to this lati-
tudc, cannot be grown as easily and
surely III this county as in any portion
of Kansas or the west.
I There are no sWamps or marshes OF
any considerable extent III this county.
The streams are fed by numerous and
ncycr-failing springs of pure water, and
never dry up or become stagnant like
the waters III many portions of the west
Stock raising has been the principle oc-
cupatiOn heretofore, but the great de-
mand for and high prices of grain of all
kinds for the western market. and the
: consumption, are stimulating farmers tC
devote more of their time and energies
to the production of these articles.
Land is cheap and plenty. Good
! prairie, with water and stone conve-
nicnt, can be had at from 81 % to 50 0t
per acre. Improved farms. with timber
can be had at from So 90 to So 90 pei
acre. The population is of the enter,
} prising, go-ahead sort.
. Schools are established throughout
the county.
Marion Centre, located at the junction
of Clear and Muddy Greeks with the
Cottonw ood, is the county seat. 1t con
, tains two stores. a blacksmith shop, ;
l cabinet shop, and one of the best stone
, school houses in Southwestern Kansas
The Methodist, Baptist, and Other
churches arc well represented here, bu
I no churches have been built. TIL;
I Methodists hold weekly services at Ma
rion Centre, and in other parts of the
;. county.
The Cottonwood affords excellent
- water privileges" and Il saw and girls
mill is now in process of building a
i Cedar Point, on the county line between
: Marion and Chase, with fair prospcc
S of an early completion.
6 Cedar Point is located at the moutl
of Cedar Greek, tributary of the Cot
tOnWOOQ. ana one OF the uneSt stream!
: of the whole valley.
/, The geographical position of thi:
4 place renders it the most probable poin
of divergence from the valley of thu
d Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Rail
C road. 1t is situated seventeen miles be
t low Marion Centre, midway between
h the same and Cottonwood Falls-th,
:, county seat of Chase county.
The town site was only selected in tn,
i spring of 1867, and of course makes bu
l. little show as a town as yet: but Their
= is. as before stated. water mill in proc
:. cess of construction which will be com
pleted for saving and grinding durin,
lie the coming spring. a twelve horse
e power saw mill with corn burrs attach
j. ed. is now in operation here. sawin
! lumber and grinding corn, which vii
supply the Immediate wants of the com
munity until the water mill is complet
OF ed.
el a blacksmith and wagon shop viii b
i, opened early in the spring of 1868, an
s. a school house win be built during tn
nc summer.
lie All that has been said of Mario
D. county in regard TO climate, soil, nature
er productions, prices of land, &c, viii ar
s. DIV with equal force to the countr
IL about Cedar Point, with the additions
re advantage of far greater abundance {
ne timber and valley lands. AS stoc
y. county, the abundance of rich naflv
n grasses, free to all, the mildness OF on
wintcrs. the abundance and purity