The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-07-30
First Topeka City Directory Is
Now Historical Volume.
Was Called Cuisines Mirror, .
Published in 1868.
TWO BASEBALL CLUBS.
Maj. Tom Anderson Was Presi-
dent of ShaWnees.
George W. Crane Played in To-
peka Brass Band.

When Topeka was not quite fourteen
years of age the enterprising firm of
ID. C. Millison & Co., book and job
printers. placed before the public a
pasteboard covered publication. the
title page Of which read:
Topeka City Directory and Business
Misror for 1s6S-'69. containing every
sort of desirable information for citi-
gems and strangers"
.- The publishers introduction con-
tanned an apology for the shortcomings
of the little book and expressed a hope
that the citizens of the town would be
freer in giving assistance in the COM
pilation of the next edition. Yet. with
a touch of pride, it concluded:
I'VE present the public with the first
volume of the Topeka City Directory
IN accordance with the wishes and in
view of the wants of the community
in General"
The first Topeka city directory, which
made It's appearance thirty-fiVe years
ago, was indeed a creditable compila-
ton, one in which the publishers might
reasonably find satisfaction. 1t was
comprehensive and well arranged and
full of facts about the town which are
as interesting today as they were. use
full then. Advertisements crowded IT'S
pages in an imposing array. Ten pages
were consumed in the classified enumer-
alton of business and professional men.
while 81 pages We're required for the
directory of population. OF the las
pages about one-half were devoted to
ADVERTISING
. For the first part of the book a short
historical sketch of Topeka was pre-
pared by Joseph c. Miller. The town
was still so young that historical facts
were easily procured, and the account
Is PROBABLY one of the most reliable
records now available. Among other
items of history are given the first
marriage. that of S. J. Thomas and
Miss Harriet N. Hurd, in May. 1855
Ihe first native born Topekan was
called Topeka Zimmerman He made
MS appearance in October of the same
year. and was presented with a town
lot, 75xl00 feet, by the Topeka Town
site company.
OLD SYSTEM OF NUMBERING.
When Topeka was first laid out an in
genious method of lot numbering was
adopted, the city lots being numbered
east and west from Topeka avenue and
north and south from First street with
out regard to other streets They were
numbered in close succession and not.
as now. by beginning a new hundred
with each succeeding block. The result
was not satisfactory although the origi-
majors of the scheme saw much in it 70
praise In the opening pages of the di-
rectory DR.. F. L. Crane gave a state
ment of the system of naming streets
and numbering city lots. Also he gave
the following account of the country
roads that gave access to Topeka:
The principal roads out of the CITY
are as follows: To Grasshopper Falls.
Kansas avenue due north across Sol
der creek. To Tecumseh, Sixth avenue
east To Clinton. Tenth avenue 10
bridge across the Shunganunga, then
south To Auburn, Tenth avenue west
10 Fillmore street and then in a south
westerly direction To Mission creek. on
the Auburn road, to crossing of Elev-
enth street and then branching off to the
west. To Wabaunsee. Sixth avenue
west"
In the list of city officials in 1868 were
number of familiar names. They
were Orrin T. WEIGH. mayor; George
Q. Wilmarth, clerk; G. F. Merriam,
treasurer: J. II. Putnam. police Judge:
A. l.. Williams. city attorney; Joel Hun
toon engineer; F. l. Crane, assessor;
o. F. Reed. marshal; John Armstrong,
street commissioner. The councilmen
were; First ward, j. G. Gordon, TheO-
dore Mills; Second ward. F. G. Moon,
John Branner: Third ward, w. E. Bow
ker. Edwin Bodwell.
As for churches the town was fairly
we'll supplied, although most of the
congregations were yet in their early
Infancy. There were the First Baptist
the Grace church. Episcopal the First
M. F., the First Congregational. the
First Presbyterian the Lutheran the
colored. Masonic lodges, Good Templars
and Odd Fellows had become establish
ed, although the state headquarters of
the last named were located at AtchisOn.
There were two or three colored lodges
SHAWNEE BASEBALL CLUB
Among other public enterprises two
baseball teams claimed the support of
the town OF the Shawnee baseball
club 7. J. Anderson was president. The
other team was known as the Capital
baseball club but at that time it claim
ed none in its membership who were to
be so long connected with the subse-
quent upbuilding of the town. George
Crane played the second tenor in the
Topeka brass band. George O. Will
narth is credited with occupying first
base" while w. J. Stage played second
tRlto.
An interesting feature of the Topeka
directory of 1868 with which there is
nothing to correspond in the directory
of 1903, is the list of saloons. In defer
ence to the valuable patronage of the
statesmen who even then gathered in
Topeka for the consideration of things
political there was the Senate The
ytFarmers' hoteP' bar was prepared to
care for the thirst of those who happen