People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1900-02-22
How Wellington Was Founded.


sas City Star Oh How We Founded a
Town." The aTtlcle was really writ
zen by f. ". Sharp Uf Hartford City,
lnd., a sOn-iu-.aw Uf Fargo. IL tells
mucn OF TUE eaiJ history Of Welilng-
ton, few extracts from winch follow:
The town U, Wellington, Kas., was
located 10 Apui, 1871. Looking back
ward, after period OF twenty uine
years, REGAL. many Incidents cOu-
necUed with the OlrJh OF that now
thriving CITY, which Ouly the oldest
inhabtant will remember.
la the winter Of lS1O-7l, party was
formed for the purpose Of making a
settlement III one Of the new cUuu-
Ties lately opened 10 settlers on what
was then known as the Twenty miie
STRIP. Besides the writer and his
Dung wife, VINO Was the only woman
10 the party, there were Clark God
frey, DR.. Wood, George Randall,
doc" Murlin, Congregational min
lister named Shaffer aud several others
With six prairie schOoners, we left
our homes at PaUla, Kas., 10 the early
spring TO build for ourselves &c "
homes on the extreme southwestern
frontier OF the state.
On Tie evening or the tenth day we
arrived al our destination, on the
north bank OF Slate creek. This was
tile last day Of March, and within the
next three days town site was
located. 1t consisted Of two quarter
sections Of fine, high, rolling prairie
land we'll suited for the purpose.
At this Time Captain Myers, prac-
tical surveyor, joined the party. and
proved TO be a valuable adjunct
Within short time we had our town
lald out into lots and christened Wei
lingtOn. In the meantime, each had
taken a claim adjoining the towDsite
aud began 10 set up hOnSeRe1 ping. Ny
house was The first. and was made by
setting four posts with forks at the
top, which | brought from the timber
along the creek.
Our supply of cash was extremely
limited aud it was necessary to d.
some "hustling" in order 10 earn
money to build rs more permanent
mouse. About this lime Mr.. Shef-
man (Ab Snearmanl, having heard OF
our party, had followed aud joined US.
He became our first merchant, and for
many years a leading citiz"n. For
him performed my FIRST labor for
which | received pay.
Leaving my wife ard my brother
Frank TO hold the fort, Shearmsn and
| started for Wichita, thirty mnes
distant, for lumber with which D.
build his store room. Twenty-Five
miles OF this distance was an un-
broken eXpanse of rolling prairie with
no road or even a path TO guide the
traveller. Ia order TO find our way
home again.we cut a load Of green
poles about the SIZE Of mans arm to
mark the way. Starting out We drove
until almost out OF sight OF camp,
then setting poe drove on again
until we could barely see the last 0ns
sci. This we repeated all day until,
10 the late afternoon, we came 60 u
light trail which lea Us to our dPSti-
nation. Loading the wagon with as
much as the four hOurseS could con-
veDiently draw We started for home,
arriving there on the second day. For
this trip my friend Sherman paid me
s25.
We then built US a house. In the
meantime the other members Of the
party had been active. Mr.. Sherman
had his stOreroOm enclosed. Mr.. God
frey had begun log building for a
drug store. By the end IT week our
town began 10 make good showing
OF bulldogs above the tall grass.
While we were at work other towns
sprung up around Us, promoted by
men who were hard TO beat at "hust-
ling" There was Belle PLANE on the
north, Oxford On the east and Sumner
City 90 the west, all we'll advertised
and each trying for the county seal.
The county commissioners had been
appointed by Governor Harvey the
Year previous tn our arrival. They
pitched Il tent on the banks Of Slate
creek, some two miles from VI. Here
they spent their time 10 lOaaOg and
playing cards, living principally by
hunting and fishing. They had the
county books, aun thereby held the
key TO the situation. An election
was held for the purpose Of locating
tae county seat, and Wellington was
found TO have cast the greatest num-
Der OF v0tes, with Oxford close
second. By the laws Of the state,
these Two t0Nrs were r quirrd 10 bold
a second election the following week
to decide the Contest between them.
The county commissioners were still
encamprd in their old tent. hut ss far
as We cnnld learn, were favOra1lc 10
US, and were already prospective own
ers u real estate in uur town. While
waiting for the second election, We
decided TO take time by the forelnCk
and move the commissioners with the
COT MY books. no records yet having
been made. We believed 10 the nld
saying that possession is nine points
in law"
Selecting a dozen OF our best men N
act AS persuaders, We loaded them
iuio twn-hurse wagon and started
for the commissioners camp. Jus; aS
we pspied strong party from Oxford
coming over rise in the prairie, tent
on fxactly the same Prrand. When
they saw IL they gave veil. whipped
up their horses and came up just a. we
had thrnwn the bonks into oHr wagon.
Then there was a lively time.
Our n n threw One commissioner
into the wagon bodily on top OF the
books, and three or four men sat on
him while the rest went after the
| other two Fortunately neither marty