The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-08-14

peopIe who have been passing thru
Wallace in autosShave stopped in from.
of the Robidoux building and lookel
thru the windows TO see what was leIt
of the pioneer times in wallace II
was a good building in its day. but IN
later years it was left to decay. L ne
hundreds of dollars worth of canned
goods were rotting on the shelves. ana
many valuable shelf articles, SHOES
and dress goods, were carried away oy
relic hunters as souvenirs. Many OF
the articles taken out of this store Dy
visitors and sightseers have oeen sem en-
to other states as souvenir rellcs OF the
pioneer times in Wallace
In March. 1885, the first building
was erected on the town site OF Hoxle'
The Union Pacific was building thelr
branch line west OF PlalnVili es a.,
meth was the county seat OF Sherloali
county It was known that the road
would leave Kenneth about two or
three miles off, so a number OF town
| "hoomers'' laid out another town A
town company was organized anu E.
E. Parker, of Cawker City, DanKer,
was chosen president, ]. w. Hut. OF
Downs. treasurer, and ]. H. Huff OF
Clyde, secretary. Directors were
chosen as follows: H. P. Churchill
and H. P Stimson, of Kansas City
bankers; W. Price, of Clyde, banker,
and VIM. Melen, Downs, and Isaac
Mulholland, of Sheridan county Some
contention followed the naming OF the
new town. The name of Rovena was
suggested in honor of the wife OF j
H. Huff. This was voted down SO the
new town was named HoXie. for H. M.
Hoxie, general superintendent OF the
Missouri Pacific road. The boomers
were so fair to the Kenneth folks her
business houses and residences were
soon on wheels moving to the ne"
town. And that town went back TO
the farm. Hoxie depot is three-quar-
ters of a mile away from the town
business. 1t has a substantial lot OF
business men, one of the most sub
| stantial court houses in the district
two banks, newspapers, good schools
and churches, and the county seat of a
county whose wheat crop this year Is
100 per cent to the good.
The first visit your correspondent
made to Burr Oak. Jewell county, was
over forty years ago, for the Atchison
Champion, and several years before
/ the town or county got a railroad
Now the town is the terminus Of the
Jewell branch of the Missouri Pacific
It was a thrifty business center then
and remains so now. 1t was the home
of T. B. Carpenter, who represented
the county in the state senate. A. ]
Godfrey was there. he being the frs
man to settle on the town site. Among
other settlers who were there, anc
others who located a few years later
were Frank Gilbert, J. H McLain, Q
F. Roberts, Col. A. w. Mann. E. S
Blake, Quigley Bros. & Burton, james
Mccormick, w. B. Greensides, A
Sears and J. E. Faidley. Few of then
are living in Burr Oak now, and sew
eral of them passed on years ago. Thu
town was without a newspaper then
nor did it have a bank.
The prairie schooners were plentiful
in the pioneer days and sod houses
| were in a large majority. Now on
will drive many miles and not see one
They have given way to the modern
roomy homes and commodious BARN
and well cultivated farms. In Sep
TENDER, 1888, Jewell county had seve'
| newspapers, while there are five now
Many rumors have been printed tina
the Jewell branch road would b.
pushed farther west. Burr Oak re
| mains the terminus where it has beef