The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-05-17
KAY COUNTY 80. ~
About County Just Over
the Line.

To the Editor of the State Journal
Thinking that the readers of your pa
per would like to know of the condition
of the country just south of the state
Hnee, we will venture to write you
short letter.
Kay county Oklahoma, is the eastern
county in the Cherokee Strip, opened
five years ago for settlement and lies
just south of the state line. 1t is
bounded on the east by the Arkansas
river, and extends 80 miles to the west
and 80 miles to the south. There is
probably no county in the Territory
with so many acres of tillable land as
in this county, and it is remarkable the
improvement that has been made on
this land in the five years that it has
been opened for settlement. On every
quarter section of land you will find
a well improved farm, with from so to
40 acres in cultivation Many of the
farmers have built large and beautiful
farm houses that would do justice to a
county % or 80 years old. And there
probably never was country settled
with as enterprising and industrious
class of people as you will find in this
Territory.
The ground has proved so very fertile
that it has very materially added to the
improvement of these farms. 1t is eSti-
mated that the farms of this county in
1897 yielded 1000, 900 bushels of wheat,
besides a good crop of corn. This year
the wheat fields are showing a good
growth of wheat, while just north of
will not produce over one-half crop.
You will find in Kay county many
farms that will yield from 20 to 80
bushels of wheat to the acre, if no hail
storms or other unseen causes come to
ruin the crop. And it is believed by
those who are familiar with the cOndi-
ton of the wheat crop that this county
will produce more than 1900, 900 bushels
this year. This taken with the outlook
for a good price makes a very bright
future for the farmers and merchants
of this county. Besides extensive wheat
fields we produce good quantity of
corn and other farm products. Then
there is a large number of cattle that
are being raised and fattened for the
market in this county.
The towns in this county have not
kept pace in the way of improvement
with the country, yet we find three very
substantial little cities, Newkirk, Ponca
City and Blackwell.
Newkirk is the county seat of Kay
county, and is a beautiful little town
of about $500 population; it is located
in the heart of as fertile a belt of
country as can be found anywhere in
the United States.
1t receives a large amount of business
from the country east, which extends
across the Arkansas river in what is
known as the Kaw Indian reservation.
Its merchants are as prosperous a set
of businessmen as was ever found in a
small town, almost every merchant or
business man owns his own building
and property. There are quite a num-
Der of stone buildings being built here
now, which adds very materially to the
stability of the county seat.
South of us 16 miles is Ponca City,
which receives a large amount of bust
ness from the Usage reservation, and
no more enterprising little city can be
found west of the Mississippi. Then in
the western part of the county will be
found the beautiful city of Blackwell
that is no SLOW poke by any means.
Almost all the people in this county
were formerly KanSans, and we are all
delighted to read the Kansas news. A
number of us receive the news and in
formation from our former state
through your paper; it is looked upon
as one of the most reliable news jour-
nails that is published in the west.
Yours truly,
c. A. JOHNSON.
Newkirk. Oklahoma, May II. 1899.