The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-09-07
Sixth District NeaOs Notes
Items and "reminiscences by An Old Timer With His
Ear to the Grass Roots.
BY HARRY ROOT.

It was in July. 1886. when the Eus-
| tbs, Sherman county, town company
was organized and chartered for $780,
600. P. S. Eustis, of Omaha, Neb.,
general passenger agent of the B. &
NJ. railroad. A. L. Tomblin, of Stan
berry, Mo-; ]. W. Allen, of Oberlin;
W. H. Copeland, of Colby, and Frank
Musselman, of Eustis, are the char
ter members. Two other towns seemed
TO have the right of way, the town of
Leonard, named in honor of Il. P.
Leonard, now living in Goodland, be-
ing the first, the organization and
charter dating from April, 1886, and
a capital stock of $4,000. The direc-
tors were: John D. Hayes, c. c.
Reynolds and w. B. Swiggart, of ODER
| lin, and T. P. Leonard and R. R. Fris-
bee, of the Lenoard Building associa-
ton. In May, 1886, the Sherman Cen
ter Town company was organized and
chartered for s35, 600, and the follow
ing directors chosen: n. V. Harlan,
E. o. Wright, C. NJ. Cowan, ]. n. Da-
Wis, York. Neb., and L. J. Candy, ].
K. Warrington and Ray G. Codding,
Sherman county people. There were
lively times in the old pioneer days of
Sherman county, no less than six
towns aspiring for permanent county
seat. The names of the several towns
are: Voltaire, Sherman Center,
(
The seat of government was at Eustis.
Later another crowd came to the
county with plenty of capital, pur-
chased the vacant lands inside the
limits of these towns, land out a new
site, named it Goodland, and entered
the fight for permanent county seat,
and won the victory. With the excep-
ton of Eustis the other towns sur
rendered without firing a gun, altho
the Eustis people dug rifle pits to pre-
i
ing in and carting away the court
house records. Your correspondent
well remembers his first visit to Eus-
| tbs. Our horses arrived there about 8
O'Clock Sunday night A late supper
and We were soon to bed Calling on
/ the business men the following day,
and among them was the wife of the
manager of the lumber yard. She was
enthusiastic for Eustis, lots of build
| ing was going on, and the lady be-
/ lieved there wasn't a healthier climate
anywhere equal to Sherman county
see the Rocky mountains most every
morning, she said. Goodland won the
county seat by a decisive major
lily, Eustis people also followed suit
and threw up the sponge and moved
to Goodland. Now all that is left OF
1.-THE half dozen pioneer towns are the
names, while the townsites have gone
back to the farms. In their day each
of them supported a newspaper. some
of them two. and two of them had
their eyes set on the county seat.
Bird City held the county seat OF
Cheyenne county until the Lincoln
Neb. land company assisted by the B
& NJ. railroad came along and moved
it about 90 miles west, and started the
new town of st. Francis. They ever
wouldn't stop at the thrifty town OF
Wano, jumping clear over that town
not even stopping for water. In the
pioneer times Bird City was as lively
as they made county seats in north
west Kansas, and at one time it had {
population close to 500. With thu
moving of the records to st. Franci:
the town went back, and many of the
buildings were sold to the farmers and
moved to the country. Your CORE.
lspondent remembers the town wheI
lit had three newspapers and three
banks, two large hotels, and severa
big business firms. For several year:
the town almost quit business, many o.
the merchants going elsewhere. The
court house and grounds were sold Il
the county and now occupied as the
poor farm. The location of Bird CITY
is level as a floor, and a magnificent
view is afforded in all directions. Tht
town has been picking up the last
few years. many improvements having
been made in building and trade A
this time one can count no less thar
ithirty-five new residences under way