The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-03-05
BY HARRY ROOT.


| In the early development of Cove
county the subject of bridge building
was one of the main factors. The
Smoky Hill river has a thirty-fiye
mile water course in the county. The
first bridge was built in 1910, and at
the close of 1920 five bridges spanned
the river in the county. They are all
of the low water type, which seem to
be more satisfactory for the streams
| of the plains, because it is claimed
they are substantial and inexpensive.
When Cove county began to figure on
bridges, one of her citizens, W. P.
Harrington, now member of the legis-
lature from that county, was pushing
with all his might for good and cheap
bridges Some of the bridge COM
panies tried to take advantage of her
| people in the matter OF prices, and put
in bids for $4,000 each for the five
bridges. The Cove county farmers
institute had organized, and an engi-
neer from the Agricultural college was
sent for to consult with the commits
sioners and make estimates Soon the
! big bridge companies were appriSed of
the fact, revised their figures, and the
first bridge across the Smoky Hill
river in Cove county was built for
| $4,000.
| One of the early townsites to locate
in Phillips county, near the north line,
was Sod Town. This name seemed to
be appropriate for the fact that the
boosters had laid out the town, and
went to work at once starting store
or two, blacksmith shop. hotel and
several residences, and the only ma
terial used in their construction was
the buffalo sod. The town did con-
siderable business, as the prairies were
lined with the white covered prairie
lschooners," many of them with stove
pipes protruding thru the tops of them,
and in many cases the canvas-topped
wagons would catch fire from the
I overheated stoves in the wagons. Many
miraculous escapes from fires of this
kind are told by the pioneer immi-
grants. Sod Town built up like the
growth of a mushroom, years before
the building of the Central Branch
(Missouri Pacific) and Rock Island
railroads. 1t was community center,
and many interesting tales are yet told
of the social gatherings that were held
| in the old sod school house in Sod
Town.
| Along with other now silent" towns
lin the early days of Phillips county,
and doomed by aspiring TOWNSHIP COM
panies, which became more or less
prominent in the early development
when~the buffalo and antelope had a
wide range, and the prairie schoon-
ters' could be seen coming in from the
least as far as the eye could observe,
was Truesdale, located on Deer creek,
town appears to have been named for
"a man of the same name. 1t was
started for the purpose of winning the
county seat. Being defeated in their
ambition the population moved to
iPhillipsburg, but not until Truesdale
had three stores, two blacksmith shops,
hotel and livery stable. Today the
townsite is wheat field.
! Handyville was another inland town.
1t was named in memory of a man
named Handy, but for what purpose
the willie" part of the name was at
tached, it was never known, because
1.-THE town didn't live long enough Some
of the people, boomers" to be sure.
claim the town would have been on
1.-THE map now if 1t hadn't been for the
automobiles.
Kildare was another paper town, but
her boomers said they did not expect
County seat honors to be given them
They hoped to get railroad and
depot The Central Branch (now Mis-
souri, Pacific) would some day build
up the north Solomon valley to Denver
In fact, all the papers in that section
Iprinted this information every spring
The road was finally built thru that
section. on the other side OF the river
land Big Bend (now Speed. was
Launched, and the kildare followers
land moved to the railroad town. The
toriginal name of Big Bend was giver
1.-THE town because of the big bend II
1.-The Solomon river near this point
Many pasSer gers on the trains havs
been heard to say that trains runnins
around this curve could reach out the
car windows and shake hands with thu
tengineer and fireman
TT Keraus or Wakeenev vho ran