The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-01-10
HISTORY BY FALL.
PlOughe Will Tell Entire Story
Of Reno County.
Kansan Has Spent Several Years
in Research.
CHAPTER ON INDIANS.
Data to Be Compiled Down to
Present Time.
Book Will Treat of Exploration
by the Spanish.

Hutchinson. Kan, Jan. lot is the
great southwest territory. west of the
Mississippi river and extending to the
foothills of the Rockies, that should
be getting credit in the histories as
the scenes of the earliest explorations
of our country and not alone the east
ern shores around the spot Where lne
Pilgrim Fathers landed and struggled.
That is the opinion of Sheridan
PIoughe. an exnewspaper editor and old
settler of Reno county, VINO is Wit
ing a complete history of the county.
which he expects to have completed
by next fall.
Mr.. Ploughe has spent several
years in research work in prepara-
lion for a historical volume, and he
is inclined to think that the south
west of which Reno county Is almost
the center, has been neglected by tne
men who write about matters historl-
cal
OF course, he admits, the early
SPANISH and French settlers did not
display the colonization spirit as
strongly as the English pilgrims VINO
chung to their New England rocks IN
til a colony prospered there. but ne
asserts that the men who first trod
the plains endured equal. II not great
er hardships and displayed as mighty
q spirit of adventure.
Didn't Want to Stay.
Coronado and his Spaniards who
tramped along the banks of the Ar
kansas as early as 1912 were not in
search of land to colOniZe, according
to Mr. Ploughe. They were hunting
rather for riches that would rival the
treasure stores of the Incas of the
Seven Cities of Gold, or like Ponce
de Leon, searching for the tabled
fountain of youth.
Although the Spaniards preceded the
French into the territory the latter
left a more definite imprint of their
explorations on the land. especially in
the way of naming of rivers and To-
calities The French, through their
priesthood, were more congenial with
the Indian occupants and stayed here
longer. For instance, the first name
given the Arkansas river was by the
Spaniards, who called it st. Peter and
st Paul river in honor Of the days
upon which Coronado and his fol-
lowers reached the stream near where
Dodge City now stands.
called River Arkansas.
Later the French changed the name
to the Arkansas. Cow creek was men,
toned in the annals of one of these
ancient explorers as that little stream
from the north. the first one west OF
the Little Arkansas Mr.. Ploughe be-
lieves the course of this stream was
changed. as was the topography of the
whole section, by the great flood OF
1914. The extent of this food is de-
scribed by magazine writer on those
times as being from hill to HILL
In 1904 an expedition under jacob
Fowler camped on what is now the
townsite of Hutchinson. In 1919 ar
expedition sent out by the government
under the command of Major Long
Travelled over this same territory.
A Complete History.
Mr.. Ploughe's history will start with
q complete history of the Usage In.
dians who were the first occupants OF
this territory. Then will follow the
Spanish explorations, and the discov.
cries of the French. Several chapter:
will be devoted to the hunting ant
trading expeditions sent on. from Fl
Leavenworth and other military posts
The history will be complete dowr
to the present time with a wealth O.
details about the early white settler,
in the county, who developed the coun
ty He expects to devote the summer