The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-06-03
PALCO IS GROWING
Created by Railroad, Absorbed
Two Other Towns.
Almost Destroyed by Prairie
Fire in 1898. I
HAS GROWN STEADILY SINCE
Waterworks and Light Plant To
Be Installed.
Active Commercial Club Pushes
Town Steadily Forward.

Palco, Kan, June Sit was in the
early sos the State Journal CORE
spondent first visited the country now
tributary to Palco. Two towns, Cres-
son and New Cresson, about two miles
apart, were aspiring for permanency.
Four families took homesteads in this
vicinity, and the farms cornered. They
laid out Cresson- Both the towns
thrived until 1883 when the Union
Pacific road came along and located
another town and called it Palco,
about two miles from either of the
Cressons, and the buildings were
moved to the railroad town.
Growth Was Slow
PaIco is in Rocks county It has
grown slowly. There is not an empty
building in town. while the past year
from twelve to fifteen new buildings
were erected. The town has three
elevators with total capacity of So
00e bushels One of the business men,
George Tribe, says his sales in 1918
aggregated 100000. while the eieva-
tors did a shipping business in the
same time Of 750,0o0 bushels of wheat
and corn
The Stull family came to Palco in
1878, and took up farms near the
town. They hauled the lumber from
Hays City, Is miles E NJ Stull is
buying grain. He has confidence in
Rocks county and Palco. and believes
the town will keep growing and double
its population in the next few years
The country is here to build up
town. said Mr.. Stuu-
Almost Wiped Out
The destructive prairie fire in
March. 1893. came close to wiping up
the town. 1t is said only two build
ings remained. The rest of them were
spondent was Hospitality entertained at
the country home of Israel Morris,
who homesteaded near Palco in 1878.
In the prairie fire Mr.. Morris had
enough wheat burned up to load two
cars He has watched the ups and
downs of this section, and every year
has raised enough to tide the family
through the bad years He is the pos
SCISSOR of $50 acres of land He has
200 acres of wheat and 100 acres
planted to corn He has several acres
of timber. planting the seed himself.
and now he has trees large enough to
make good saw logs. Besides he has
20 head of cattle, herd of white
faced thoroughbreds, and has hogs,
horses and mules Mrs Morris has
her work to do in raising poultry and
turkeys, and marketing the surplus
cream Mr.. Morris is an old c. A r.
comrade, and served in the Fourth
Missouri cavalry. and later in the
EOrty-thIrd missouri infantry.
A Business Family.
The Northrups are good citizens and
business men of Palco. One of the
sons is r. l. Northrup, who carries on
the drug trade in Palco- Another son
is DR.. x B. Northrup, practicing ply
sician. The father was Dr. Lorenzo
Northrup, who came to Kansas in
1855, and located in Leavenworth.
Later he moved to Valley Falls, where
he died several years ago He built
the first school house there, equipped
it, and boarded the teacher all free
of charge.
Building WaterEorks.
In the next few weeks this town
expects to have a good system of wa
terworks and electric lights An en-
gineer has been here and made the
survey, for the purpose of installing a
municipal light and water plant. The
cost will be from $4,000 to $4,000.
A transmission line of service from
Plainville seems to be the most ad-
visable among the Palco people.
Bonds to the amount of $1,000 have
been voted for township hall 1t
will be built of brick, and two stories
high. Work will begin on this i'm
provement at once
Commercial Club Is Active.
Since the organization of the Com
mercial club Palco has been pushing
ahead. It has membership of about
40 of the representative business men
and citizens of the town, and they are
live wires. On the organization more
than $500 was subscribed, which will
be put into the light and water serv-
ice fund. On the day of the bond
election the Commercial club fur
nished a free dinner at which about
l500 were fed. The officers of the club
are: President, j. E. Robson; vice
| president, W. R. Franks; secretary, r.
/ L. Northrup: treasurer, ]. o. Miller.