Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1893-02-04
@. @. YRTTER.

&. y. Yetter has been resident or
Ogallah since the organization of Trego
county, and was one to help survey and
start that town. He first visited the
county in September, 1878, and returned
to the county in February, 1879. He fell
in with the Baldwin Brothers at Kansas
City. They were on their way out to
survey a TOWNSHIP at what was then
known as the Ogsllsh siding in Trego
county. W. F. Baldwin had, few
months prior to this time, purchased the
east half of section IS, township IL, range
%. and upon the west half Of the north.
west quarter Of this section the first sur
veying for TOWNSHIP was made in the the
latter part Of February, 1879. B. @. Rich
did the surveying. The work of survey
ing and plating had nearly been com.
pleted when the Baldwin company be-
came aware Of the fact that an effort was
being made to "head them Off" One d.
F. Keeney was at the head of this prof.
ect, and appeared upon the scene about
the third of March 1879 with surveying
party headed by deputy surveyor Peck,
of Ellis county. Mr.. Peck was not long
in demonstrating to the Baldwin Co.
that they we're off their lines. It thus
became apparent that the entire work
would have to be gone over again before
the plating could be recorded, thus
giving Keeney the inside track in the
race. Keeney was sanguine and pushed
forward with vigor on the present site,
sec. 23-12-22. w. F. Baldwin, upon the
the other hand, was very much detected
over this sudden turn Of affairs. The
circumstances were made more annoying
to him from the fact that he had been
promised substantial assistance in this
enterprise by some of his eastern friends
when he succeeded in getting all the de-
tails settled.
The prospect of two rival towns where
one (by reason Of the sparely settled
neighborhoo0 could hardly exist, caused
much interest to be centered upon the
subject by the claim-holders near by.
j common sense plan was finally agreed
opon which would settle the matter as to
Who should hold the town site. The
superintendent of the Denver division of
the q. P. railway company was to be con-
suited. Should he move the siding esst
one fourth of mile and build the depot
there, Baldwin would hold the town site.
Should he prefer to take the siding west,
Keeney would get it. The superintend-
emit decided to build the depot on the
Keeney TOWNSHIP. This put q sudden
check to any further controversy.
D.F. Keeney had, in the meantime,
completed his survey, had plated and
recorded the same, and in every way pos
sible tried to impress the idea that the
work Of building up the town should
move right forward and that he, himself,
would build a large hotel. A nicely laid
ont park was also to be one OF the at
fractions of the new town, together with
many other grand schemes which, In the
main, never materialized.
Ormrod 4 Kelly moved building on
the ground in February 1879, near where
the Hull building now stands. This was
at once used as a postofice and William
Kelly was appointed postmaster. The
Keeney l. Britton land Office was the first
building erected. This was about the
10Th of March 1879. A few days after
tbis q car of lumber arrived, already
framed, for Mir. Yetter, which was put up
at once and, at the same time, the store
building of Armrod l. Kelly was put up.
the stone was being rapidly hauled for
the Baldwin block. which was pushed