The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-07-07

sengers were treated to the noval sight
of a woman driving a span OF mules
to a ploW.
Big Crowd at Onaga.
At Onaga a large crowd of people
were at the depot to meet the train-
Among them was J. w. Dunn, ex-
state representative, who lives there.
Onaga by the way was founded IN 1913
by the Central Townsite company. Paul
z. HavenS, of LeavenWorth, was pres
ident of the company. Len Smith and
James Merritt, of Wamego, prominent
members of the early Kansas legisia-
ture, were also members of the conf
pany. The town was named after
O-Na-Ga, a Pottawatomie Indian CHIEF
and a friend of Mr.. Merit The L.
K. & w. railroad reached the site IT
the town in the spring Of 1873 lust IN
time to save the bonds but was nelo
there for some time by the excessive
rain of the period. The road had a
narrow gauge at first, but is now Of
standard width. Onaga has just i'm
ished a new electric light plant.
On the way between Onagd ana
Marysville several cots were seen in
the farm yards indicating that the
people had been sleeping out of doors
on account of the warm weather the
sight caused several passengers to ten
how they had tried the fresh air cure
for heat. One Of them, man, said
that he had been sleeping on his back
porch with nothing between him ana
the stars except the air and ether.
All along the way corn looked fairly
good, but wasn't up to any startling
height.
At Frankfort about hundred peo-
pie greeted the train at the depot with
cheers A like demonstration was
made when the train pulled in at
Marysvil1e, the terminus OF the branch.
MarysyiIIe First Postohice.
Marysville is the first postoffice to
/ I,o q fo Kansas and is of
the oldest towns in the state. 1t IS
true that a postoffice had been estab-
Iished at Leavenworth, but 1t was Still
credited to Missouri, after the post
office station of Marysville, KAN, had
been recorded at Washington rms
was in the ffties.
The town originated partly through
| the California gold rush and partly
| through efforts of southern sympa-
thizers to establish a colony in Kansas
In 1S49 Francis J. Marshall. prom
nent early Kansas politician, establish
| ed a ferry across creek near the
town. He charged $3 to take loaoeu
wagon across and half for an empty
one. People laid SO cents apiece. The
ferry was on the old overland trail to
| California, so the ferry trade was
brisk during the gold fever. In 1851
the town named Marysville after Mr..
MarshalPs wife, was incorporated.
/ Meanwhile a Palmetto colony or
southern people from LeavenWorth
had been established, but after some
bitter rivalry the Marysville people
won out. A drug store built in 1863
still stands.
And on the site of an old court
house, built in 1862, where Bale
Waggener, now general attorney for
the Missouri Pacific at Atchison, and
the late John J. ingalls,, the famous
Kansas poet, orator and statesman, at
tended court, a new three story brick
building is being erected.
The old court house referred to was
originally built for a Southern Metho-
dist church, but on account of q debt
It was moved without recourse to law
4 from Palmetto to Marysyiue, and used
as a court house until it was Destroy
ed many years ago. Its successor was
burned but a third one has been built.
One of the industries of MarysV1lle
is it's tobacco factories. There are
eight of the plants in the town and
it is said that over 5000, 600 cigars
lannuaIly are sent out from the place
The first cigar man was John Pusch.
(He ran against Judge Glass last
spring for mayor of Marysville.) Mr.
Pusch started making cigars on
barrel head in 1872. Now his factory
occupies a three-story building.
other cigar people followed. Marys-
VILE now claims 2,400 people.
A new modern hotel to cost $4,000
is to be built by a business mems
stock conopanv within this year.