The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-05-22

emlgrantS le1t their MONIES III Olilo ~
come to the unsettled territory OF
Kansas to help in its upbuiIdin3.
These men were John Porter, Vale ana
Gill. They stopped at the voting pre-
cinct and cast their ballots and then
started for Kansas One evening III
Missouri they stopped at a farm house
to get feed for their horses and shelter
for the night. The farmer was a
southern sympathiZer and questioned
them closely as to their position on the
sWered that he never was in a slave
state until he reached Missouri anu
that he was going to Kansas to make
his home, and if there were any bene-
fits or detrimentS to slavery, the
southerners We're welcome to them.
This diplomatic answer was all that
allowed these men to get out of Mis-
souri, in safety.
Even when Mr.. Porter reached Kan
sas his troubles with the slavery men
were not over. For he had to stand
guard in his house at night and take
his horses to the timber for safe keep
ing. In early times Mr.. Porter served
on the jury in Topeka. He would ride
a pony every day to a point near the
Dickey house, lariat it, stay on the
jury all day and ride it home in the
evening. One day he left the pony
on the lots now occupied by the post
office building. When he started for
home a man wanted to trade him the
lots for the pony. But Porter thought
the taxes were less on the pony than
on the lots and did not trade.
First Railroad Survey
The first A. T. & S. F. survey went
through the Porter farm a little west
of the old house and crossed the
Wakarusa almost exactly at the Bur-
Hngame road ford.
This survey was also abandoned for
one that would reach the coal at Car
bondale. Mr.. Porter rented the Sim
erwell farm in 1880 and the Bob
Gault place, where Jim Sim now lives,
IN 1861 for one and one-half years.
Then he moved into the stone house
which he had completed on his own
place.
The old road was changed to it's
present location past the Farnsworth
place in 1869. From the Porter place
to the Carter place IN 1897. Tom
Mabbit worked on the old Shawnee
county court house in 1868. Some
time in the fifties there was built just
across the road from the present
building, from lumber sawed at Au-
burn or Brownville. This was used
as a school house and Mr.. Price, a
there. The Carriger family attended
and also the Porters.
The name of Waveland was given
to the postoffice and school by Mr..
and Mrs. Smock and Mrs. Todd be-
home town in Indiana.
Up the Slope.
Now we are going up the slope
toward the old Josh Clark place. This
is a stretch of the old road that never
was changed; because of. the costly
made by Mr.. Clark with
his nursery. On Fountain Ridge is
another stretch of the old road and
here we are at the Welsh place, now
owned by Mrs. JAS Nawter- There
were stirring times on this place dur
ing border ruffian days. Mr.. Welsh
a stone barn, with port
holes, soon after coming on the place,
and he and his four sons slept in this
barn and took turns standing guard.
They had a dog that was a good SEN
was about; and then there was some
thing doing in the stone barn behind
the portfolios. Southern sympathizers
provided around this place several
times, but they had a wholesome re-
spect for the portfolios.
Now we are going to take a swift
ride to Burlingame over some new
parts of the road and some old ones.
We will pass the old Haymaker place
0n the way.
The road does not enter Burlingame
now by the old trail, which was the
same as the Santa Fee trail for a short
distance before it crossed Switzer
creek and came in a westerly direc-
ion through the town The old cross
ng was where the A. T. & S. f. bridge
now stands.
The trail came past the old we'll that
was dug in the middle of it in early
times. This old we'll is still there but
not in use. Around this well in early
times there was built a circular stone
fort with the well in the center. The
walls of this fort were four feet thick
and many times the people crowded
into it for protection from border ruff
fans. Three attacks were brought on
by a few families of southern sympa-
thizers who lived in the neighborhood.
Once Council City.
In the beginning Burlingame was
called Council City by a United States
because that was where
the Indians met for their councils
around a spring that is still running
and has never been known to go dry
since the earliest traditions among the
Indians. The name Burlingame was
afterward given to the place in honor
of Arson Burlingame, who was at one
time United States minister to China
and because he denounced Bully
Brook in congress.
The first school taught in Usage
county was taught under a canvas
and by Louisa Todd, IL
years old.
In early days the travel through
because it was the juno
ton of the two roads, was enormous.
The trail at this point was 1 u miles
wide and was literally covered with
teams going both ways. The stock
was all watered at the old well and
spring but was taken farther out to
camp on account of pasture
The travel was so great that J. B.
Titus was making 500 a day charS-
ing teams to cross his bridge over
Switzer creek. He charged fifty
cents for two horse team and one
dollar for six woke of oxen