Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-03-29
DEAD CITIES ON PLAINS.
Kansas Abounds in Landmarks That
Recall Once Flourishing Places.
From the New York Herald.

From the New York Herald.
An old settler of forty or more years ago,
as he travels over the eastern part of
Kansas, passes by many historic landmarks.
Cities and towns that were staked off on
the virgin soil and given some classic name
while flaming circulars describing the en-
bryo metropolis were sent east to draw the
people and the dollars, are now well Gull
tivated fields, producing fair harvests
The site of Ohio City, once the county seat
of Franklin county, is one of these land
marks. In April, 1850. it contained few
general stores, two fair hotels. a blacksmity
shop, schoolhouse and a dozen or more
dwelling houses. Business was good and
everything lively with a prospect of a
great boom. Men stood on the street cor
ners and painted in glowing colors the
coming glories. One of the great roads
leading into the southern part of the Ter
ritory ran through the principal street of
this young city, and an almost endless pro-
cession of wagons was constantly passing,
some going back and others bound for
newer fields. The Indians from the Ottawa
reserve a few miles north, were often
seen trailing through the place on some Wis
iting or trading expedition.
The awaited glory of Ohio City passed
to the beautiful Ottawa, on the banks OF
the Marias des Cygnes. in the winter Of
1s64-1S65, and its destiny was forever
eclipsed
Many of it's buildings and the county Of
noes were removed TO ottawa and the Few
that were left became the abodes of owls
bats and creeping vermin. The town plot
once so full of promise, is now inclosed
in good farms and the only respectable
house left standing is on one of the well
titled farms of P. P. Elder of Ottawa Two
miles SOUTH at the old emigrant crossing
on Middle creek and near the present town
of Princeton, stands another old landmark.
Bolman's tavern. a great square, weather
stained signboard swung from pole in
the front yard and informed the dust-cov-
cred or mud-bespattered pilgrim that this
was 1.-The Travellers Home" There was
scarcely a night in those early days but
the old house was well filled with persons
in search of some new Eldorado or going
and coming with supplies of goods
Since the days of railroads have come
the old Travellers Home has been con-
verted into a comfortable farm house. Cen
trail City in the west part of Anderson
county was staked off on a beautiful plot
of prairie along the Pottawatomie in 1858.
by Steven Marsh and his son. Like many
other western towns that sprang up on the
frontier in an early day, II was designed
to become a iourishing city. Large results
were looked for by those who invested
their money in this new place, as good land
surrounded the city that was thought
would soon be settled by energetic people,
while eastern capital would seek the enter
prising center
A large hotel was erected. Two general
stores, carrying a fair stock of goods, Gid
a large business for a new settlement,
while blacksmith shop and saw mill
were added to the industries of the place.
Several houses were built, among them a
school house, and many farmers were set
Ting on the new lands and opening good
farms along the streams. But somehow
things did not boom with that speed char
acteristic of the west. The city came to
standstin in the spring of 1860 Some
moved away while others came and filed
their places. A few were of that restless
class of Americans who never satisfied
to remain long in any ore place For
several years the city had a name of be-
ing alive, but ii was gradually dying and
the hand of destiny has almost stricken
it from the map of Kansas.