The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-08-19
THIRTY YEARS AGO
Wichita as 1t Appeared in Its
Very First Days. \
STORES BUILT ON Stills
William Ross Writes a Highly
Entertaining Letter.
To the Editor of the Eagle.

that it is just thirty years ago TO-DAY
since, after a Journey of some SIX hun
dred miles by emigrant wagon, from the
northern part of Illinois. we halted our
teams on an eminence, to take our first
view Of the great Arkansas valley that
lay spread out before US in all its virgin
beauty.
A vast uncultivated plain
Where yet no fields of waving grain
or farmers lone abode, or harvest sheen
Had narr'd the seeming boundless ocean,
green.
On the level plain below was a long,
Struggling row of nondescript buildings,
erected in haste out Of fine and rough
cottonwood boards, logs, puncheons and
canvas That was Wichita, THE Peer
less Princess Of the Plains" "The Queen
City on the ragged edge Of civilization"
I can tell you, as an eye witness, she did
not have a very queenly appearances on
that day
On entering the city CD the first OBJ
iect to attract the attention of the new
arrival was the church, which showed
that some Of the population. at least
had brought their religion along. It was
a long, wide structure with cottonwood
puncheOns for walls, a dirt roof with a
fiourishing crop of sunflowers on it by
way Of decoration, and a good sized
cross surrounding the front, Desiring to
mail letter / was shown the new post
office" It seems that the old one. Mr.
Nlunger's hat, had been lately discarded.
Int clso Nj m
the end Of a small counter, next to the
window, q box about two feet square
divided into a number Of pigeon holes,
lettered in alphabetical order. That was
the Wichita postoffice. Years after Jim
Tracy got hold of it somewhere and used
1t for the same purpose at Clearwater.
Following on down the only street in
town, which was paved with the native
sod Of the valley, the prairie grass be-
ing yet much in evidence. we crossed
slough that angled across the street with
about a foot of water running in it, It
being raining we gee'd off and hauled up
on the south side Of Charlie Garrison's
little harness shop to rest our teams.
make some inquiries and take observa-
tons. I crossed over the street TO Prices
grocery store. I had to walk a plank to
reached the door as the building was rails
ed on suits over part OF the slough As 1
entered some one asked me if I was look
ing for land. ] said that was what 1
was there for. I was informed that the
choice claims had all been taken up along
the rivers. but that there was plenty OF
upland just east of town that could be
taken. I had heard in Illinois that all
rs-ar- 70 a. E
the streams. and I wanted to get farm
with bottom land and timber and water
+ it was to be had.
1t was during the Franco Prussian
war aad was trying to keep track Of
the battles. The last paper I had got
was the FL Dorado Times, as 1 came
through that place. When I asked if I
could get a newspaper in town 1 was
shown the printing Office and I went
there and bought one of the first papers
ever published in the Arkansas valley. in
Kansas. While in the Office a man nam
ed Cresswell, from somewhere IN he
tween the rivers brought in a big stalk
OF corn, with two huge ears hanging on
Il 10 show the editor some Of the first
products Of the valley I noticed thar
about every man 1 met had one or two
big navy revoIyers sluug to his belt and
found out later that both town and sur
rounding country was pretty much I'M
der the control Of reckless frontiersmen.
among, whom We're Curly Walker. Curly
Marshall, Jack Ledford and many others
whose profession was gambling and il
hcit horse and cattle traffic.
Returning TO Prices store 7 was IN
PRODUCED to Captain Cha2le. who kept a
little store ranch at the crossing Of The
Teas cattle trai} on the Cowsldn who
said If we would so with him some miles
out he would show US some good claims.
50 we started with him over the river
towards the Cowslin. He was located |
on what was afterwards the Jerome York
place. and man called "OId Jesse" was |
shot a few days before in a hrht about
the claim and was buried on the bank /
Of the creek.
We camped there two 6avs but found 4
that the hest claims had already been
taken, and being told that there was an
other river called the Ninnoscah. ahoit /
twelve miles farther on. but that il was
not very safe to go en- there as tbe~a
were no settlers as yet. and the Indians
T@re liable to be troublesome ar any
time, We thought as We had cut loose
from al creation anyway it didn't mar
Ter much where we located so long IS
we made good selection FOR 4 home
and that we would so and see It ANYHOW.
W men we reached the divide. about dva
or slA miles from the river. We had "a
sight before rs that IS granted tn aut
rev az the human family. As far as the
eye could reach mp and down IN, valley.
there was not a sign OF human b7hit,-
lion, land stretched ont in an its ma
i've N.-'dness. 5ust rs It came from rha
l-haS OK tHe creator. I had been st-iv-
ms hard Tor many years to secu-a a
nome ard here was the ouo,-tnnft,- ~
my lie. We drove 70 the rivers So
and won't into comp, myself AMI CONT.
IN one wagon and Tenn Tom Rrsr~a,ia
ana Lem Jomiscn in another We fol,,7
TIE river Wei stocked with fish signs ,e
oafid.o were plentiful snd many dse-
ana Wild turkeys and everything else be-
ms satisfactory we concluded TO settle
There Fog the next three DAYS and
fiEAtS. with aut slisht Intervals. II
NED III torrents. and we had The con-
F'eton pretty thoroughly soaked into rs
'nat u wasn't the "d-outhv Kansas
ta-t II was cracked ND On be.
II was a slow, Joilsome ard extensive
BUSINESS making beginning in those
GAYS although net alt ratAer urn,xsa
Vith SEINE romantic eu5syaaerA. one
hundred ard twenty mlles 10 lie ne--est
o. - ~