The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1879-07-31
Early History Of Saline County.
SALINA, July -, 1879.

Early History Of Saline County.
SALIVA. July 10, 1879.
EDS. JOURNAL IL was interested in
the very clever article OF "a. G. s."
who Is, no doubt, as well qualified to
write tho early history of Saline county
as any ono. His lctter suggests few
items may a. well put IN print, and
which l will confine to the necessary
limits of newspaper article.
The question as to who first settled
in Saline county is about as difficult to
answer as "who struck Billy Patter-
son Z" have no doubt but what there
NAV have boon unrecorded settlements,
ending in disaster and embarrassment
| will give those:known or that had any
result. First party of which Hon. l..
b. Plumb, Major Pierce and Hunter,
nov receiver at Hays were members,
IN 1865 came in with the emigrants who
marched under arms that year and vent
ured up the Smoky Hill As far - the
Saline. An attempt Was made 10 stop
them at Fl. Riley BY some OF the pro-
slavery Democrats there. They pro-
iected q town on the south west bank
of the Saline, . short distance from
where the government bridge then
stood, and called it "Mariposs." About
all they did was to build . good-si1ed
hewed log house, snd Dig . we'll; after
which the entire party abandoned the
enterprise.
At the second session of the Miss0ur
bogus legislature, which assembled ut
Lecomptou, among many other things
good and bad, they chartered town
company called the buchanan Town
Company" after the iIlustrious"J smes,"
who was then President. The powers
of that corporation were truly wonder
ful. They were to be able to enter for
town site and salt manufacturing pur-
poses several thousand acres of land,
the United States statutes to the con.
trary notwithstanding, and 10 make a.
most everything including city, salt
and railroads. 1 was present during the
debate and remember that the Border
Ruffian orators dilated on the point that
the name OF the town would carry 1t
over all difficulties. During tho sum
mer OF 1857 q settlement was made for
the place near where the salt works Of
Sabra now arc. The town site was
partially surveyed, and eight hewed log
houses were built by contract, and
stood two on q side around q large
square, the place being laid off after the
model of q southern town. do not
think that more than two of the houses
were ever occupie d-the chief resident
being q brother Of Hon. Richard No.
blew, who had resided in Ogden, and
who was q member Of tho Lecompton
Constitutional Convention. He had bis
wife and family with him, and while
there his child died, and was buried
under circumstances of great hardship.
The town was abandoned in the same
year. No attempt was ever made to SO
c ure title to any OF it. The prairie fires
burned up the houses, and buchanan,
the first thing that ever looked like
town in what is now Saline county,
W ent to the moles and the bats like it,
illustrious namesake.
Having travelled over the greater
portion Of settled Kansas previously,
planned tour on foot in the spring Of
1857, tor the purpose OF selecting :
town site. engaged the services q
an Englishman named Smith, as . com
panion. lie was q very clever fellow
and boosted of bis great powers as 6
"walkist." "Hi ham sure you CAM
keep hup with me" he said. thought
would try. Equipped with blanket
apiece, arms, and stOwage for several
days provisions, we took conveyance tc
the neighborhood of Fl. Riley, and there
swung out on our travels. We went
up Smoky Hill river to the Saline fol
10 wed that stream short distance, and
crossed to the Solomon, which We par.
tally examined, and then had 70. make
quick time to the Republican to gel
something to eat. We then followed
down that river and the Kansas to Man
haitian. Thence We walked up the Blue
to the forks and then We drove . few
stakes near where Blue Rapids now
stands, and bsptlsed it Doudsburgh
We went up the western branch of the
Blue until We met the military road
along which We marched to Msrysvills.
Our longest days march Was from
Marysvilie TO Richmond, which wa
fifty-one measured miles along the road
Our journey lasted about two weeks,
and We averaged rather better than
forty miles day. During that journey
| was divided in opinion between set-
Element somewhere near the spot it VA
made or at the one on Blue River. !
could not see probable Pacific railroad
on the latter, and determined to make
. location on Smoky Hill river early in
1858. FEF 3F
l In February Of that yssF With Alex.
NJ. Campbell and James Muir, again
entered the Smoky Hill valley. The
houses ut Buchanan had been built and
were then standing, but vacant. A
German, Gothnrt SchIppel, had erected
a cabin on the northeast bank OF the
Saline river, near the bridge, and cut 9
hay stack, on which IN old buffalo was
grazing when We reached the place. Al
Mr.. Schippel returned that spring, and
has been o permanent settler, | pre-
sumo his claim To be the first settler oi
the county is little better than mine.
And here let me state that at that time
there was no Saline county. The Dor
der Ruffian Legislature IN 1885, si
Shawnee, Missouri, laid of oil the ter
riiory east of the sixth Principal Me-