The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-03-24
WAGON TRAIN as YEARS AGO.
Some interesting Pioneer History of
Mcpherson County Recalled.


The Mcpherson Republican of Thursday
says:
Today is the thirty-ffth anniversary of
Mcpherson county and to celebrate this
event a short sketch or the early history
Coronado, the Spanish explorer. who
made an expedition from Mexico to the
northern boundary of Kansas in 1912 was
the first white man to set foot on what is
now Mcpherson county. He entered at the
southwestern corner of the county, passed
by Big Lake, up Turkey creek and north
ward until he reached Gypsum creek,
which he followed down until he reached
the Smoky river. On Gypsum creek he
is said to have located the Diamond
fields of Quivera,' the diamonds being
According to the Mcpherson Independ-
ent (now the Republican, of January "a
1873, the first wa gon train from Missouri
to Santa Fe passed through Kansas in
1928 In 1925 was established by Major Sill
by under an act of congress the Santa Re
trail, traces of which can yet be seen
three miles south of this city. Along this
trail were fortified ranches, of which Full
ler's ranch on Turkey creek was one.
John N. Corgan who was one of the best
citizens Ct the county, passed through
here with an expedition under Gen. Joe
johnson in 1856 At that time Fullers
ranch was the only white settlement IN
The first settler in the county who re-
manned long enough to be called a settler
was Isaac Sharp, who lived during the
winter of 1859 on SharpS creek. He then
settled on what was later known as the ].
G. Maxwell estate. He hunted and trapped
then very numerous He brought with
him from Pennsylvania his father and
mother, the latter dled ana was puTleo on
the creek She was without doubt the
first white woman in the county.
In 1865 the stone corral was built on the
Little Arkansas by a man named Wheeler
Here Col. Grierson with the Seventh cav
airy encamped during the next year. The
officer in command c under Soio e,lfe
was killed with the same cavalry troop at
Clusters charge. In the year 1866 the set
flErc f7r,r mo nd
Among the first were Sol and David Ste
phenson. In this year ten Swedes, the
first in the country, settled on the Smoky
river. In March of the next year John
F. Hughes, ]. NJ. Claypool and H. Weber
settled on the Smoky. In the fall of this
the county with disastrous results.
Later the Osages made raid on the
county In this year also the Swedish col
onies of Marquette and Lindsborg were
founded.
on August 16 1869. was born Andrew
Brown, son of William Brown of Sharps
county. In September Louis Stephenson
was born. The second woman in the
county was Mrs.J.G. Maxwell. Mcpherson
was regularly organized as a county on
the county seat at Swedal, which was
a mile and a half southwest of Lindsborg.
eoil13t r1ere + f5ege SolosnoD ste
phens, John F. Hughes, J. G. Maxwell.
IN In June 1872 TINS city was surveyed IN
1873 the first Mennonite settlement was
made in the southern part Of the county,
and III February colony from Ashland,
KY, located three miles east of McPher-
SON.
These events may be said to close the
early history of the county, from this
time settlers began pouring in very fast
and the large stretches of prairie land
was soon converted into fertile farms.
The growth of the county, while some
may think has been slow. has been ex-
ceedingly fast. In thirty-five years 1t has
grown to be one ofstheh richest and most
Progressive counties IN the state. As an
AGRICULTURAL county it has no equal. IN
like many other counties, its growth has
never ceased nor even Wavered