The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-09-14
Wilson, Ellsworth County, Large
Grain Shipping Point.
Town Founded in 1879 BY
Pennsylvania Colonies.
WATER, ELECTRICITY.
Both These Enterprises Now
Being Under Construction.
Fine Business Houses, Good
Schools, Substantial Banks.

Wilson. Kan, Sept 14-This town is
the second in business and population
in Ellsworth county 1t is one of the
largest grain shipping points on the
Union Pacific road, there being four
large elevators, and all of them doing
business, besides the Yost milling COM
pany operate FIGURING plant with a
capacity of 300 barrels daily. It is sit
uated in the wheat raising belt, many
or whose farmers have grown indie
pendent from the products of their
Fields. The town is said to have been
founded in 1872 by colonies from Penn
sylvania and Wisconsin, and whose
descendants now. constitute the aristo-
crazy OF the community In late years
many of the early settlers have been
displaced by the more thrifty b.
hemian immigrants, who at present
hold large part of the wheat pro-
ducing lands and constitute about one
halt of the community. 1t might safe
ly be said that no other community
anywhere has received a greater share
of the general prosperity than that
tributary to Wilson.
One thing that can be said of Will
son: There is perhaps not a town in
the state of the same size that has
shown smaller percentage of business
reverses. The business men are known
lar ana WlQ6 LOT their HIldlCldl SIdDll-
ity. 1t has some of the best business
blocks constructed of brick and stone.
Those of the Weber hardware and inn
plement company, the Schermerhorn &
Sons general store, and the Daylight
dry goods store would be a credit to
any city of ten times it's size. Most OF
the business houses are built OF brick
and stone.
Has Two Substantial Banks.
Wilson has two banks, the Wilson
State bank with deposits aggregating
close to $400, 900, and the Farmers State
bank with deposits about $1O5OOO. j. r.
Tobias is cashier of the first named,
while H. w. Weber fills a like position
in the latter.
The population of Wilson is about
1000. 1t has an up-to-date telephone
exchange building. 1t has voted bonds
to the amount of $4,000 for water
works and electric lighting, and work
is in progress on both of these enter
prises, which will be in operation on or
before the first of the year, 1911. The
Presbyterians are erecting modcl
church, which for attractiveness and
every modern convenience Will nave
no superior in this section of the state.
During the last summer many new resi-
denees, modern in every respect, have
been erected. ,.s.....
Proud of Their Public schools.
The people of Wilson are proud of
the public school building. built at a
cost of $4,000. Eastern visitors who
have visited it speak in the highest
terms of it's architecture, the ventilat
ing and heating arrangements AMI
lighting. The means of exit are SO ar
ranged that the entire building of
eight rooms can be emptied of the
scholars in minute from the time the
alarm is sounded. The school has a
fine corps of able teachers. H. Coover
is superintendent. assisted by Miss
Mary Thomas, Miss Daisy Porter, Miss
Vera George, Mrs. Minnie Frantz,
Miss Maggie McKittrick, Miss Lena
Rice and Miss Edna Keyser. Prof.
Coover has taught school for about 25
years, and has served as institute in
structor in several counties. Since his
work in Wilson the new school house
has been completed and over 700 vol
umes have been added to the school
library He is the nominee of the Re-
publicans of Ellsworth county for
school superintendent.
Many more good things can be said
of Wilson, the bad things are so few
that her people long ago forgot all
about them. The town will keep on
growing because it IS surrounded with
a country rich in agriculture and
growing wheat. and it is a town where
all the elements exist to build it up and
make it better.