The Globe-republican. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1889-1910, 1895-09-05

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Ford county was named for Col. james
H. Ford, of heSecond Colorado Cavalry.
The county was organized on April 5th,
1873. The first.election of county officers
was was held JEne 6, 1873. Fort Dodge
was established in 1868. by Colonel Hen
ry Dodge, in whose honor it was named.
The Dodge City Town Company was or
ganized in 1877.
In 1874 there were 81 acres in sod corn,
8 in Irish potatoes, ) in oats. This was
the extent of Ford county agriculture 81
years ago--S5 acres according to official
records. The value of the crop was es-
timated at $3.50. There were l2O,O6l
acres Of taxable lands.
The people were short of breadstuffs
that year. They had a surplus of buffalo
meat. No fall wheat was sown for fear
of grasshoppers and drought. There
were 81 families. numbering $50 persons,
who might require assistance, but would
get along if buffaloss would remain and
Indians stay away. In that event the
settlers were free and happy.
These few settlers were located near
Dodge City and along some of the creeks
in the county. They were not agricultu-
rists in any sense, but depended Oh stock
raising and buffalo hunting. The first
settlement of farmers was made in the
eastern part of the county in the spring
of 1876 j. w. Sidlow filed the first SOL
dier's homestead entry in the land office
at Larned, on March 10th, 1876. Other
settlers that spring were August Crumrie.
Joseph Mellicker and brother. August
Q,asbarth, D. E. Baldwin, Lester Marks,
f. P. OFT and others. Few of these first |
settlers remain--Sidlow, Crumrie, Melli- !
ker, Quasbarth and OFT remain; but the |
majority of the settlers of '76 and II
have removed or have gone hence.
The favorable crop of those years slim
ulated emigration, and in 1873 and 1879,
emigrants came in larger numbers and
settled in various portions of the county.
The exodus occurred some time later;
though many Of the 79ers remain.
~
The Board of County Commissioners
Of the first appointment passed 4 resOlu-
ion that might be termed an edict--an
imperial ukase. The order would have
been all right, but its enforcement was
hardly possible. The board directed the
of fire arms by those only in
legitimate business. Intoxicated people {
md men who bore arms against the gov
were not allowed to carry arms
Under penalty of 500 90 fine or three
months Imprisonment in the county jail.
Prisoners were then taken to the Jail at
armed. {
What constituted Legitimate" business
wenty years ago would not bear tine dis
elimination of today. The board had l
inc sense of patriotism in the issuance ,
# the order. Associated with the mill
airy so long our pioneers were patriots s
nd sustained the government. The mil
tary were their natural protectors, and S
he protection by the civil law was not
asily available; hence, the board had '
ONE of the spirit of military arrogance. =
The board did not carry.Out its order
With the military eXactness, and its laXi-
y in enforcement was painfully evident
a the years following.
~
The annual .'cattle drive from Texas
'as the big business at Dodge. These
attic were driven from the Texas ranges
in February, at the early
arting of grass, and reaching this point Il
/ time for grass. The ''drive' would !:
lst all summer, some of the herds being Il
riven to ranches farther north, but the Il
reat bulk of the cattle were contracted i
} be delivered here. This brought a 81
lumber of cattle buyers every season, q
no received the cattle for ''stOcking" 2!
leir ranches in different parts of the wild p
nd woody west. Sometimes the number -
scattle driven here ran into the hum 81
reds of thousands. One year it was IS
timated 100000 were driven here. The 3.
title were mostly ones and twos, with ssss
me threes. Texas was regarded fine 10
'untry for the production of cattle, but - -
e northern ranges with nutritive grass q
and moderate climate were considered IS
tier for the growing of cattle. There -
as "a long line of march from the Texas 81
'ast border to Dodge, and many days 81
ere consumed in the march. 1t was %
id that tile long drive was the cause of g
e cattle fever; but cattle shipped in cars s.
the disease as readily as do - 81
use driven OH foot. The cause Of the g.
sease remains mystery, and it has a
filed the skill of veterinary science. %
Cattle on the Texas plains show nOsign 6!
disease, nor do the same cattle on the =
rthern ranges. 1t is one of those mys-