The Topeka state journal., 1901-11-30
Twenty-three Men Who Have
Been at the Helm.
MAJORITY ARE GONE.
Only a Few Left to Tell of the
Early Struggles.
Loring Farnsworth Was Elect
ed i'm 1858.
During His Term First Kansas
River Bridge Was Built.

When Guilford Dudley was the land
lord of the Pioneer hotel. and the tract
at Tenth and Kansas avenue was Il
cemetery, and capitol square was a
bowling wilderness. the people who
were living in log houses on Kansas
avenue decided to incorporate Topeka
as city, and elect mayor
The population of Topeka was about
900 at this time. The best lots on Kan
sas avenue We're selling for about 800
apiece. Farm land. now inside the city
limits was worth five or ten dollars an
acre. There were two hotels. one news
paper. five stores, four doctors. There
was a school house and a law firm. A
Methodist church was talked of, but
the site selected for the church was oc-
cupied by a fort prepared for the re-
ception of the border rutfians. Then
was the time when the wolf was literal
ly bowling at the doors of Topeka
But Topeka wanted a mayor, and ac-
cording to the custom which exists
even into this day, it got what it want
ed. Loring Farnsworth. who died sew
eral years ago at Fort Scott, Kan, was
elected mayor on January IS, 1853 Mr.
FarnSWorth lived in Topeka for Il long
time, and then moved to Boston, but
returned to Kansas late in life and re-
sided at Fort Scott until his death
A great many first things happened
during the administration of Loring
Farnsworth. The first dramatic pro
duction was given in Topeka by local
talent. The play was entitled The
Drunkdrd,' and the solemn and aW1ul
warning handed out to the infant mum
icipality seems to have been passed
down from generation to genera tion, for
Topeka is still a temperance town.
The first Kansas river bridge was
built in 1858. 1t was made of oak and
cottonwood timber cut on the banks OF
the stream. 1t cost $4,000, and was
paid for with city script. 1t was wash
ed away a year or so later, much to the
joy of the people at the rival town of
LecOmptOn, who stood on the banks
and cheered as the debris f1oated past
1t was during LOring F'arnsworth'S
administration that Washburn college
and Bethany college were founded, one
in 1858 and one in 1859. Washburn, by
dint OF solicitation among eastern
philanthropiStS, got enough money in
the course of the next seven or eight
years to build the stone fortress at
Tenth and Jackson street, now used as
a public school.
In 1858 Topeka spent $500 of public
money first public money it ever
had-tO help along a proposed road
from Topeka 10 Pixies Peak. Not
railroad, of course, nor even an electric
line. but sort of a trail through the
wilderness which might be traversed by
the stream of emigration which was
gold excitement 1t is interesting to
note that these early pioneers must
have passed right over the Ellis county
gold fields without SuSpecting a thing.
There was no city dump to worry
Mayor Loring Farnsworth. and no su-
preme court to dig up the history of his
race for the office, and so Topeka's first
mayor was left free to shoot buffaloeS
and catamOuntS in the vicinity of Bur-
nett'S mound.
In 1859 Lorenzo Dow was elected
mayor to succeed Mr. Farnsworth-
But they found out after Mr.. Dow had
been in office for several months that
his title to the job was not good, and so
a special election was held at which G.
X. Holiday was chosen to fill the posi-
ton Mr. Holiday had been prominent
in the organization of the new town,
and the only wonder is that he was not
Its first mayor At various times in the
city's history MIR. Holiday has served
the city as mayor, the dates being
1859 to 1860, 1867 to 1868. 1869 to 1870.
Mr.. Holiday lived in Topeka all his
life. and was prominently identified
with many public enterprises. He died
In 1900.
H. w F'arnsworth, another we'll
known citizen, was the third mayor of
Topeka, serving from 1860 to 1861 Mr.
F'arnsworth died in Topeka a year ago,
after a long and honorable career in
Topeka affairs
Harris T. Otis was mayor from 1861
to 1862, and is the only mayor of To-
peka who died while in office He was
killed by a fall from a building, and
F. l.. Crane. chairman of the council
served out his term.
N. w. Cox, q butcher next took up
the reins of office 1t was about this
time that the last steam boat came up
the Kansas river to Topeka, and the
first murder and subsequent lynching
occurred. Ike Edwards, a member of a
tough gang, stabbed a half breed In
dian in the back without prOvocation.
Three citizens, whose identity is more
nh -, \, ,1e-- i
ed Mr.. Edwards in the lookup one dark
night and in the morning the mortal
remains of the murderer were found
hanging to one of the rafters The
spirit had hied itself hence Mr.. Cox
died in Topeka many years ago, and
no blame should attach to him for the
existence of sand bars which stopped
the navigation of all craft in the Kan
sas river except ducks
From 1853 to 1864 T. F. Cummings
was mayor Mr. Cummings admins
tration was emphasized by the con-
struction of the first sidewalks in To-
peka- Oak planfxs were laid on Kansas
avenue between Fourth and Seventh
streets. and Topeka started on a BOOM
In spite of the civil war. which was
then at its height. In the next five
years Topeka increased it's population
from 500 to 5000. Mr.. Cummings died
in Topeka ten years ago.
Samuel H Fletcher. mayor from 1864
to 1865. was in command of the mu-
nicipal affairs when the Union Pacific
opened up the first telegrap phic coTnmu-
nicatiOn between Topeka and the rest
of the world Work on the construc-
ton of a state house in capitol square
was also commenced about this time
Mr.. Fletcher died in Topeka some years
ago.
w. w. Ross was mayor from 1865 to
1856, and died some time ago at Albu-
querque. N NJ North Topeka then
called Eugene, was established about
this time as a Union Pacific station. Tt
was not annexed to Topeka till two
years later.
Ross Burns. p lawyer. was mayor