The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-04-09
Sixth District Metus Notes
Items and "reminiscences by An Old Timer With His
Ear to the Grass Roots.

backing Dan Dyer. Other candidates
are John Moorhead and Art Nelson.
1t is said there are others wanting the
job who are waiting on the anxious
seat. The congressman had fine sled
ding his first term. Now the woods
are full of aspirants for postmasters.
Trouble begins.
There is talk of putting on some
kind of program comm emorating the
fiftieth birthday of Russell, April II.
On that date fifty years ago the first
landed on the town site. Only one of
the original colony, Everett Went
worth, is now living in Russell.
The name of Tim Hersey will never
be forgotten SO long as Beloit exists.
He was one of the original pioneer
settlers. The place was first named
Willow Springs by reason of the
growth of willows, and fine spring
Of water. On the arrival of Hersey
to Mitchell county, from Wisconsin,
he located in Willow Springs (now
BeloiD, and liking the location and
country, he built FIGURING mill. He
brought with him some money and
with ample nerve he pushed matters
along. The name of Willow Springs
was changed to Beloit after city OF
the same name in his state of Wis
consin. Help was scarce and he
hired all he could get to push the
mill to completion. In the meantime
the election for county seat was called
and Beloit was selected. Before he
became interested in newspaper work
George w. Anderson taught school in
town, and ex-Congressman w. A
Reeder was one of the pupils. He
also recalls one incident that he Wv
idly remembers, when the school was
disturbed by large herd of buffalos
running close by on the town site,
going north. The pupils were so ex-
cited, they climbed to the top of the
building while the teacher seized
gun and followed in the chase for the
buffalo. One of them was killed on
the site where now stands the home
of r. NJ Anderson. The visitors to
Beloit can yet see the site of Willow
Springs. which is occupied by one of
the largest Touring mills in north
central Kansas, and the city water
plant. Many incidents of the early
settlers of northwest Kansas are in
termingled with the history of Beloit.
The first settlement of any size in
that locality was at Solomon Rapids,
in 1870, where John Smith, now lly-
ing in Beloit; SyI. Wells, Geo. Nv.
Anderson and Chas. Brown, all dead,
maintained a stockade for protection
against Indians. Anderson was slow
in arriving at the stockade, SO Brown
started to hunt for him, and found
now Mrs. Caddie Schneider, of To-
peka, and their team marooned in
present site of Solomon Rapids.
Among the improvements that fall
was the log house built by Anderson
with port holes on each side. near the
stockade on his homestead. w. c.
Cochran, also living in Beloit, and
former sheriff of Mitchell county.
was also one of the early pioneers.
and he never tires of telling thrilling
III %F,n -x1 Il
ade. and the Indian raids in which he
took an active part to help put down.
John Smith and James Duff. it is
claimed, are the oldest settlers now
living in Beloit and Mitchell county,
having gone there as early as 1858.
Both are living there yet. Mrs. Mary
Anderson, widow of Geo. w. Ander-
son, lives in the same block and the
identical house they moved to when
they first came to Beloit, and where
the son, Max was born, in June
1879. James Duff is living in a nice
cottage where in his declining years
he can watch the glowing of the sun
sets so dear to the hearts of those
whose sacrifices in the early days of
Kansas endear them in their hearts.
He walked to his homestead from
Manhattan, his only companion being
a dog, and the difficulty of establish
ing home in those days is shown by
the fact that alone and unaided it re-
quired him three days to move a log
cut for the ridge pole of the dugout
he was building on Plum creek from
trees growing a quarter Of a mile
near where Number school house
is now located. He was one of the.
pony soldiers as the Indians called
them, who took part in the pursuit
of the band that had stolen the Bell
girls from a cabin on the Solomon
river, a mile west Of -Beloit. The