People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1897-06-24
A SKETCH OF ITS EARLY DAYS, ITS
PROGRESS "TO THE STARS"
ITS PRESENT ATTAINMENTS
ANDFUTURE PROSPECTS.
A PEW OF THE OLD PIONEERS ARE STILL
HERE, MANY HAVE FLED TO OTHER
PASTURES, SOME HAVE CROSSED
OVER INTO THE SILENT BEYOND.
ORGANIZATION.

ORGANIZATION.
The present township of Avon was
organized by order Of the board Of
county commissioners January %,
1873, on petition OF VIM. Funk ct al.
It's present territory comprises only
congressional township No, 81 in
range east. When it was organized,
however, it included the three north
tiers of sections Of what's now Greene
township, then a part Of old Slate
Creek township, now extinct. Slate
Creek township comprised all the ter.
ritory Of the present townships Of
Greene, ValVerde and Walton. At
that time the east half Of the present
Avon township belonged to Oxford,
and the west half to Wellington. The
organization OF Greene township in
1879 cut Avon territory to its present
dimensions. The board OF commits
toners appointed, Geo. D. Armstrong
6ustee, VIM. Funk clerk and Ma
\ aLOOfbOurrOw as treasurer. Funk
lsmpted and was then living on
me southeast quarter Of section 80,
the present farm of Nathan Pitts.
He sold the land to Mr.. Pitts more
than ten years ago and is now living
somewhere in California. Armstrong,
as is well known, now resides in Jack
son township. LOofbOuTrOw still
lives in Avon on an adjoining farm to
his old homestead.
The first election in the township
was held at the house Of Coed. Arm
strong on the northeast quarter of
section 80 now owned and occupied by
Mrs. Mary McClaskY. The following
officers were elected: Trustee, A.
Skinner: clerk, Geo. Armstrong; trea.
surer, n. LoOfbJurrOw.
January, 1877, a township house
was ordered built on the site of the
present Whaley or Prairie Home
school house. 1t appears by the rec
Ords that the contract price for its
construction was $l1.55, paid to VIC.
Whaley. The Chicago Lumber com.
pany Of Wellington came 10 for a
share of the rake-Off in the sum Of
$7S.75 for lumber.
The present township board is az
follows: Trustee, Jacob Lynch; clerk
D. NJ. Blair; treasurer, H. C. Mcleod
EARLY SETTLERS.
Emigration had been flowing into
tShe counties east of Sumner in 1869
The act Of the legislature of March
3, 1867 opening to settlement the
Usage Diminished Reserve, haC
attracted settlers from the east il
large numbers but it was not unit
1870 that real settlers commenced
coming into Sumner county, TIT
Arkansas river was looked upon a.
possessing treacherOuS quicksandS
and held many at hey. This, coupled
with the impressions disseminated
by the cattlemen that all the cOuntr!
west of the Arkansas was a barreI
waste of sand hills, checked the on
ward march Of the "Star of empire
temporarily; but soon they brOk,
over and the reports of the frs
"spieS" concerning the countr!
brought tide of humanity ate
them. Edwards Historical Atlas o
Sumner county, published in 1SS
gives the honor Of the first settlement
in Sumner county to D. W. and G. +
Horner near Belle PLANE March 18th
followed by J. NJ. Burlington at Oxford
April 10, 1870. If there were no
others earlier than these Avon town
ship can contest this claim. 5. c
Taylor informs the writer that hi
settled on his place on section range
SO, on the south bank of Slate creel
in January, 1870. His land was in
cl8ded in Avon township until tn,
organization of Greene. He knew o
no other settlers near him at tina
time. A considerable camp Of Little
Usage Indians occupied the banks o
the creek near him. They were
friendly and never gave him an
trouble. They learned to respect Mr.
Taylor very highly, and often stopped
in passing afterwards to pay thei