Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1888-04-04
BARBER COUNTY TOWNS.

Wnlle Medicine Lodge is the cOu unity
seat and the oldest and largest city in
Barber county, it has satellites of no
small magnitude.
Kiowa, in the southern part of the
county ON the line of the Indian Ter
ritory, is a town of which any county
might be proud. 1t has the Santa Fe
and the st. Louis, Fort Scott and Wichi-
tn railroads it is built up with substan
tial brick blocks; it has a magnificent
school building; two banks two
newspapers; good hotels; handsome
residences; well-kept streets and side
walks and thrifty, energetic popula-
ton. This city promises to be one of
considerable commercial Importance
when the Indian Territory is opened to
settlement, for it is geographically locat-
ed so rs command trade from the very
heart of that rich country. Kiowa is
surrounded on the east, north and west
by good agricultural lands that are be-
ing cultivated by an energetic lot Of
iarmers.
HaZeltOn. located i'm the south-wes
ern part of the county, eighteen miles
from the county-seat, is another we'll
built and substantial town, reached by
the a. I. & s. F. and the st. l.. F. s.
and w. railroads. Ithas bank, a news
paper, good schools and churches. a
steam Touring mill and necessary mer-
camille institutions. The population is
made up largely OF people from the
states of New York, Pennsylvania and
Ohio, and there is that thrift and pros
perity always TO be seen communities
made up of such citizenship. Hazelton
and vicinity is interested in agriculture,
live stock, and creamery; a vegetable
and fruit canning factory is talked of
there. Small fruits are successfully
cultivated there and the time is not far
distant when the eastern markets will
be in direct communication with Hazel
ton orchards and gardens.
Sharon, ten miles east of Medicine
Lodge, is a substantial town, in the
heart of one of the richest and most
productive valleys in Barber county.
The town has large hotel, substantial
store buildings and residences, a COM
modiOus two-story schOol-hOuse and a
large church building. Its people are
moral, upright and energetic, and take
pains to impress on visitors the fact
that theirs is not wild and frontier
community, but established and law
respecting. Sharon promises to he n
grain and feeding center and far-sight-
ed men have already calculated on es-
tablishing extensive feed lots, and even
a pOrk-packing establishment, on a linn
tied scale. is among the institutions
Sharon will boast of before long.
Aetna is in the extreme south western
town, but it is controlled by a substan-
tial class of citizens, and legitimate busi-
ness, in all its branches, is successfully
carried on there. Any railroad that
goes southwest from Medicine Lodge
or west from KiOwa, must necessarily
reach Aetna and junction there of
two great systems is among the proba-
| bilities.
Mingona is ten miles west of Medi-
cine Lodge, occupying lovely site over
looking the beautiful Medicine river.
1t will be station on the extension of
the G. X. IL w. railroad from this city
west, and will always be good trading
point. a colony of Dunkards last year
purchased large tracts of land surround
ing Mingona and their well-known en-
ergy, thrift and economy has already
left mark on the fields of their labors.
They have a church organization at
Mingona and are doing much to incul-
cate sound system of morality and
education into the community.
Lake City is eighteen miles northwest
of the county-seat, on the Medicine
river, and the railroad is graded to that
point from Medicine Lodge. The town
has number of extensive store build
ings, large public hall, church and
school buildings and a newspaper. The
town is surrounded by combined ag-
ricultural and stock country, and is in
the heart of wealthy community. Its
people are awake to the importance of
securing an increased population and
liberal inducements are offered to per-
sons who desire to settle there. Good
building material may be had at Lake
City; the townsite is advantageously
located and in time it must be very
pretty town. The Masonic and Odd
Fellows orders have good memberships
at Lake City and many substantial
farmers and stOckmen make their head
quarters there.
Sun City is twenty-five miles north
west of Medicine Lodge. 1t is sub
stantial town and is growing in popula-
tiOn and wealth. Adjacent to it the
rich valleys of the Medicine river and
Turkey and Mulberry creeks support a
good population. The town has good
buildings, several of them brick, two
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