The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-09-18
BY HARRY ROOT.


In the list of lost towns" in Raw
Inns county the names of Kelso, claim
ed to be the oldest town in the county,
occurs. Another town was named
Rawins Center, which in November,
1879, had only four buildings, all built
of sod. There was a store in one OF
the "soddies," and about the time it
for a postoffice. And still another
town was named Best. but the best
part of il is that it never got very
far. 1t was started on one of the
Beaver creeks. Then there was Laing
and -Greenback City. The Beaver
town Town Co. got farther along than
either of the others 1t vas chartered
in August, 1880 with a capital stock
of $4,000 The incorporates were:
Alex Bird. r. H. Sterling, August
Stockmann, A B. Stoddard and Fri
Higgins, of st. Joseph, Mo. Stock
mann and Stoddard were from Kirwin,
Beavertown- had eyes on the county
seat, and in an advertisement sent out
by some of the promoters of this
town an offer of 100000 was ten
dered If the voters would cast their
ballots for that town 1t also aspired
her "pushers" seemeI to think the
Missouri Pacific was certainty.
Later on it was an agreeable pleasure
to your correspondent to drive over
the townsite and all he discovered was
a few holes in the ground, noNbuiid-
ings except here and there a, sod
house And Atwood has remained the
county seat from first to last and de-
servedly so. There is so much money
floating around Rawlins country trio-
utary to Atwood support three
banks in a town of less than 900 in
habitants.
Geo. W. Holland, of Russell, attend
ed the Democrat party council meet
ing and shook hands with friends He
is the party nomineesfor state senator
in the Thirty-fourth district He will
make an active campaign. He has
served his county in the lower house
of the legislature, and proved himself
a valuable member and hard work
er. Since his residence in Russell he
has made a success in law practlce'
as well as other business pursuits. AS
a monument to his success one need
to- look what he has done for his nome
town, in the erection and completion
of the block of substantial brick bust
mes buildings.
Bird City, Cheyenne county. is older
in years than St. Francis. the county
seat. 1t was chartered by the North
west Townsite company in May, 1886
with a capital stock OF $4,000. The
incorporators were H. 3. Ketchan. E
l. Marney, ]. B. Hundief, c. H. Darby
and Thomas z. Tootle, all OF st
Joseph, Mo-. also millionaire business
man, and Benjamin Bird, of Benkle-
man, Neb.; Frank B. Coombs and D.
w. Gave, of Bird City. and w. n
Dinannick, of Ludell, Rawlins county
the latter being an oId-time Republi-
can politician OF northwest Kansas
when there was any fences" needing
fixing Dimmicks was always Johnny
on the lob" like many others in that
section of the state whom your cor
respondent knew so well. He was q
hail fellow well met" and he could
political Jobs. He died several years
ago. In the early days of Bird City,
and while it remained the countyseai
of cheyenne county. one couldn't visit
the town without meeting and getting
acquainted with Dan" Cave He was
town incorporation a boomer in every
sense. and if he didn't have bottle OF
booze in his pocket he knew where he
could find one. When the countyseat
moved to St. Francis Cave lost his hold
and left the town and county. In his
day he was the biggest boomer" Bird
City ever had. He. too, was a friend
of the writer OF this item. It is good
to revisit the town, yet one will miss
the old familiar faces-of the pioneer
times when the county seat was there
and 500 people lived on the townsite
Two large hotels, three business
houses, two lumber yards and the sigr
on many offices: Homestead papers
made out here" was a reality in the
early pioneer days. In the last few
years the town has recuperated a.
! much as has many towns in the north
west corner of Kansas. and building
improvements are in order on ever.