The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-03-29

First HomeSteader on Site of
Wichita Passes Away
AT AGE OF ElGHEY-SEVEN
How His Farm Became the
Business Center of Town.

On March .. at Craig. Arizona terri
tory, z P Waterman. the man who first
pre-empted quarter section where the
city Of wichita now stands, died. He was
buried March g. He was the man who
axed the location Of the present buzi-
ness center OF wichita.
The news Of the death Of the wichita
pioneer was received yesterday in a let
ter from the late Mr.. waterman.s son-in-
law. =. A. Moore, known IN wichita as
! .Lank' Moore, TO Mr.. James R. Mead.
II his letter 10 Mr.. Mead he says. II
write TO you with q sad heart. for We
have this day buried Father Waterman
at the good old age OF ST years Three
+ years ago last October we buried Mothet
f Waterman, AID one month ago our dear
4 daughter Ada She left three children.
+ one girl and two boys. all fine children. %
+ Father Waterman built the first brick
house il Wichita II is stiu stand
Ing. being the residence on the southwest
corner Of Central and Waco avenues
IL 1868 Father Waterman took his claim
and 1t is on this spot that he built the
hrst home of cottonwood SLABS. His farm
extended from Waco avenue to Lawrence
and from Central 10 Douglas avenues
and on the ground which is now covered
with business blocks and residences. he
worked as a farmer. BE fled on the
land ia Humboldt, where the land Office
was then. The land was Usage Indian
land, and the settlers had 70 pay So
per acre for it. That is what Waterman
paid for all the real estate which Is now
included in line drawn from the corner
Of waco and Douglas east To Lawrence.
north TO Central, west 10 Waco and
south TO the place Of beginni1g-s209.
North Of Waterman s. the quarter sec
ton there, taken for t0wn-site purposes.
was held by Dr.. Munger. deceased. East
Of Dir. Waterman was the quarter sec
ton taken by J. r. Mead, running from
Lawrence to Washington avenue and
from Douglas to Central. BLr. Mead
original home was where Aibertus Mag
nus college now IS. North Of Dir. Mead
was another neighbOr. Or. Holt0n. de-
ceased. South OF Mr.. Mead was n. A
English on a quarter section.
IN the course Of Wichitas history. and
when the town was located on North
Waco avenue Dir. Waterman was the
first man TO prove up and made it pos
sible 10 give deeds For this reason
William Grinenstein purchased the east
eighty OF Waterman 10 lay out town.
and from this transaction grew Wich-
Itas great fight. the south against the
north
Mr. and Mrs Waterman were fine pee
PIE. They ycame here from Morris coun-
u. 4Ir. Waterman was . good. honest.
sensible. broad minded man. and Mrs.
Waterman was kindly and religious.
When they settled here, what is now
Wichita was a vast prairie leading up
to the Big Arkansas river then fringed
by immense cottonwood trees. The
water-owrks island was little forest.
and it was from this that the cotton
wood lumber came for the settlers
houses. Mr.. waterman plow has turned
MP most Of the real estate for corn plant
ing which is now the sire covered with
asphalt pavement. brick buildings and
churches and residences This change
he never saw.
The Watermans moved away from
Wichita in 1876 when the city was sciu
small.
'Lank" Moore. who writes Mr.. Mead,
married Miss Waterman. Mr.. Moore
was a prominent Democrat. and was the
Democratic candidate 10 an early day
for the state senate. when his opponent
was r Mead, then living in what is
Butter county. That was the first roli-
tlcaI conflict of this section and SIR
Mead said yesterday thar 3Er. Moore was
sick during the campaign and be called
70 see him. and Mr. Moore conceded he
was Beaten. which is little different
from the modus vivsndf practiced by the
candidates III the present day
OF the original homesteads If land
now the site of Wichita, none had COM
tests except Mr.. Mead. While he was in
the legislature the Democrats got one
named vhitconb TO squat on SIR. Meats
claim Mr.. Mead heard of e and came
home from Topeka. got on his land ana
remained. The clalm-5amper son rau out
II provisions and liquor aud became rest
less. Dr. Allen, brother q j z. Allen.
Z friend Of 2Ir Mead proposed arhitra-
ti1n. which Whircomb accepted The
4rhttratars. realizing that thav had
bard ease on their hands 81 Whitcou5.
dec.ssd that tire claim was ar Mead
~ should pay Mr. Warcom6 90 va
moose This was a fortune 10 Nhitc-ub.
and after TIE settlement he called % ar
Mead explained that his g was
conspiracy. and asked that 1tr Mead
hal5 nothing aesfnt hLu. IS he voulda
haee done It had he klo7l h,u- 2lr
Mead however PAID over the money ard
we,t BACK to Topeza- Nhiecomb t1ere-
area -=a % shoot up What raere was