Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1910-02-10
THE BEGINNING OF MEADE
CENTER, NOW MEADE
A Short Sketch Of The Life Of
J.R. Graves
By E. d. Smith
An accidental Meeting Which
Founded A City.
Continued from last week. }


Sam Bunch is now located and a
party by name Story put a stock OF
general merchandise into one while
McDaniels did the same in the 9TH
er and the upper floor being all in
one room except two officers was
used as an assembly room and later
for court room where the district
court met. Ed McDaniels, broth
er of Ash, built building now used
by Frank Byrns as Pantatorium
and which was used as a bank office
for years before the Meade State
Bank was built. This was at once
occupied by Captain w. c. Osgood
as hotel, the first sure enough hotel
In the town. However Hoodo
Brown and young man by name
Edwards had built and was running
a hotel where Jim Woods lumber
office now is or on tie lot north of
it, just about the same time. The
writer has heard priority claimed
for each one. While things were
moving in this lively manner in the
town the country was being settled
with great rapidity and Graves and
Twist were not idle by any means.
Their trade increased rapidly, the
room as soon too small and they
enlarged it. At this time there were
three postoffices in the county, pos
sibly four, Pearlette, Belle Meade
and Carthage with Odee In the low
er valley. Fowler may have had an
Office by this time but if so it was
very recent. Meade had no office
during all of the first part of 1885
and Graves and Twist by common
consent opened private post Office
in their store. Mail was directed to
Meade via Carthage, messenger
went up every day and brought it
down. A set of pigeon holes was
rugged up in packing case where
the mail was alphabetically arrang-
ed and delivered as an accomoda-
ton by Graves and Twist.
By the spring of 1886 the town
having secured the permanent To-
cation of the county seat, was hav-
ing boom, the towns located near,
Belle Meade, Touzlin, Carthage and
Rainbelt, were moving their houses
to Meade, or finished in the spring.
A square had been originally located
in the center of the town and busl-
ness houses were in operation all
around it. Graves and Twist were
as the oldest grocers, doing an i'm
mense business selling goods to the
to- IN, the settlers around and the
ranches as far away as the Texas
Panhandle. Some time in March
1886 the writer was on the platform
in front of the Osgood hotel, when
the Stage from Cimarron arrived.
1t was very muddy and we helped
the occupants of the stage to allight
they consisted of an oldish gentle
man, his wife, two daughters in
blooming young womanhood, and
little boy. The old gentleman
stated that his name was Gerow,
Dan Gerow and the others his fam
lily. No one waited for formal in.
PRODUCTION in Meade In those days,
but at once introduced themselves
and proceeded to be old friends,
from the jump. One of the young
ladies asked US if there was man
by the name Graves, John R. Graves
in town and the blush with which
the enquiry was accompanied told
that Mr.. Graves was neither
stranger or uncle of the lady maxi
ing the enquiry. On the place of
business being pointed out where
Mr.. Graves could be found the two
young ladies at once started to call