The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-12-06
"A. B. WHITING PRESIDENT
Shawnee County Old Settlers Hold a
Reunion and Election.

A. B. Whiting of Topeka was elected
president of the Shawnee County Old
settlers association at it's annual
meeting held Thursday afternoon at the
First Christian church. Other officers
chosen were: Vice president. Mrs
Esther Youngs; secretary, John Doane,
ana treasurer, J. A. Hickey. The meet
ing was formally opened with prayer
by the Rev. John D. Knox and closed
with vote of thanks to Charles F.
Spencer, the secretary.
Struggles and hardships, thrilling adj
ventures and hair-breadth escapes
from border dangers were retold in
terestingly. The attendance was prob
ably the largest in recent years. The
time was taken up with a business
meeting, the serving of basket din
joyable program of speech making and
music. Throughout the session there
was the greatest informally among
the pioneers. They gathered in groups
and discussed the incidents of the early
days with evident delight.
c. o. Knowles, president, was in the
chair. L. M. Crawford invited the early
settlers to attend the Majestic theater
last night as his guests. Robert Stone
read number of chapters from Giles
History of Topeka. The crossing of the
Kaw near the present site of Topeka
by John G. Fremont and his men in
1912 and the Hummer-Ward contro-
versy were rehearsed; the first using of
bricks in Topeka, the arrival of Mr.
Jones from Missouri and the donation
to him of several lots of the city Of To-
peka were perhaps the more interesting
of the history read.
The persecution of Kansas and the
difficulties of getting merchandise from
the eastern markets were detailed. On
March r. 1855, there was whisky riot
in Topeka and on July IL of the same
year a saloon was smashed in the lower
part of the city. John Richie, who af-
terward, as a member of the Wyan-
dotte constitutional convention, intro
duced a prohibitory resolution, took
leading part in the saloon smashing.
County-seat fights were mentioned
briefly and the outcome of one of these
was the selection of Topeka as the
county seat of Shawnee county and the
which was located Burlingame
and lacking taht on to Usage
county Samuel Dolman told
of prison conditions in the new
state when he and more than one hun
bred others were behind the bars at
Lecompton. Mr.. Dolman said that the
prisoners were compelled to subsiSt on
horse feed, but that charges brought
against them which were mostly or
political character were never tried.
Mrs. Noble Prentis spoke briefly on |
the coming in to the union OF, Kansas |
as a free state. The Acme quartette |
sang some appropriate selections. Re-
freshments were served by the Lanes
are the names of the old settlers who
registered at yesterdays reunion and
the dates of their arrival in Kansas:
George NJ Kellam, 1857; George w.
A. Root, 1857; Samuel Dolman. 1856;
Peter Fisher. 1857; John F. Garter
1859; r. ]. Blazo, 1868; Mrs. r. j.
Blazo, 1861 A. B. Whiting, 1855; Mrs.
1870; Mrs. J. G. Rogers. 1868; G P:
Baker. 1868; Mrs. C. P. Baker, 1868; II
Faustina Baker seery. 1868; Thomas
Archer, 1857; e. s. Gordon ls6e: j.
1857; John D. Knox, 1865; A. P: Ben
son, 1865; Mary Benson, 1868; George
H. Benson, 1868; Mrs. H. A. Bunker,
1855; Mrs. M. K. Dolman. 1854; J. J.
5. Gordon. 1857; CarPer D; Shields.
mar, 1873; Emma S. Bolmar' 1874;
Mrs. NJ: H Adams. ISL; Mary
1855; Emily T. Thompson. 1859: Mrs.
81. Nj. Fletcher, 1859; Vena Thomp-
son, 1861; Harriet L. Bowman. lS5S;
Anna H. Foster. 1864; Mrs. F; II.
NJ. A. Saunders, 1868; Joseph Hook,
1855: Homer Boughton, 1863; Bessie
Boughton, 1863; J. E. Stewart, 1859;
Mrs: E. F; Ritchie' 1885; Mrs: w. 1ss E:
Mrs. A K. Rodgers, 1869; A: K.
Rodgers. 1869; A. H. Slayton. 1865:
Alex. r. Banks. 1855; Mrs. A. r.
BANKS 1863; Anna B. Banks, John F.
Doane' 1874; r. A. Wallace. 1868; NJ.
M Wallace, 1868; Lucy B. Johnston,
1873: Mary Vance Humphrey, 1861:
Clara c. Goddard. 1855; Mrs. H. l..
1873; Mrs. Emma Brown
simmons. 1868; S. A. Thurston, 1871;
81 f. O. Garvey. 1860; F. M. Washburn.
1853: S. r. Boyer, 1861; T. Gordon.
1882 P. 1. Bonebrake. 1853; j. b.
rarimer and Mrs. Larimer, 1872;
Rohert stone and Mrs Stone, 1866;
7, W. Benham. 1855; L. M. Crawford,
1888: Mrs. A. D. McGiffert. 1863: Miss
sarah Ogden, 1860; James A. Trout
80 1S65. Marcia G. Troutman,
$50. H. G. Larimer. 1872; Mrs. Cath-
Tho digestive impulse