The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-01-08
BY HARRY ROOT.

/
| IN the almost half century Your cor
respondent chased around northwest
Kansas for subscribers for the Atchf-
son Champion and The Topeka State
Journal, no less than half a dozen
counties were organized in what is now
known as the Sixth district. All of
them were west of Mitchell county.
That county was organized in 1870, a
few years before he put in his appear
ance- The first commissioners chosen
| by the vote Of the people were C. L.
Brown, W. E SchooIey and L. J. Best
In this election three towns were
aspiring for first and permanent coun-
! ty seat, BeIoit being chosen by a vote
tof 143; Solomon R: lids. AZ; Glen
Elder, So. IN the first election county
| Officers were chosen as follows: Rep
resentative, E Harrison Cawker; clerk,
L. C. Smith: probate judge. James
! Britt; sheriff, w. B. Smith; county at
/ torney, Don A Peaslee; treasurer, H
T. Messenger; superintendent of pub
lie instruction. j. w. Elliott: coroner
lJ. W. Clark. Few if any of these men
are now living. The first postofffce
for BeIoit was established July l, 1870
] The first postmaster was A A Ben:
the salary being 81 year 1t IS salu
most of the buildings erected IN the
town In 1S7o-TI the owners put on
dance The town made such rapid
! growth there never was a chance Ior
another county seat election, until d
few years ago Glen Elder got Disguised
with the then dila pidated shack called
/ A court house. and scared Beio1t into
! doing something which resulted In the
direction of one OF the best court houses
lin northwest Kansas
An attractive business sign IN plo-
/ neer times to the buffalo hunters was
/ PAINTED on window of q business
house reading: ''StaIey & Freeman,
| billiard hall, best OF liquors and CT
| gars'' In this day some OF the oooze
sold kill people easily. IN pioneer
times one seldom heard of Fellow
uniting this earth from drinking IN
toxicants hence it is presumed the
i stuff this firm sold didn't kill SO
| quickly as some of the bootleg poison
/ manufactured these times. In pioneer
/ times the names of some OF the rlrst
| business men appear as follows:
| Williams & Finnigan. and Valentine q
\ Ingram. general merchants; Campoeil
! & Bro, implements; C. j.. Wyncoop
/ & Bro. and J. * j. Barber. hardware
/ c. H. Morrill, and D. NJ Crowen & Co.
harness; NIilt R. Nudge. drugs; T F.
Jersey flour cornmeal and feed;
| Christian PfoSe. boots and shoes; D
| F. Eakin. physician and surgeon; L
]. Best. Levi Cooper, c. j. Brown and
I 7 A. Bell land agents The Gazette
was started April II. 1871, by J. ].
Johnson and A. B. Chafree- A yesr
! later a new set Of officers were chosen.
as follows: John Nave, c. w. Culp.
/ VIM. SehooIey, commissioners; MEM
Der of legislature, John Rees; county
3! clerk and register of deeds. L. J. Best;
treasurer, H + Messenger; probate
Judge S. B. Floyd; sheriff Edward
Abbott: Coroner. A NJ. Clark; county
j attorney. D. c. kepier; clerk OF court
+ A Nelson: surveyor, c. J. Brown;
I county SUPERINTENDENT. John Mitchell.
The two hotels were operated by Capt.
w H Mitchell. who kept the Hersey
hotel. and J. NJ. Myers. the Pioneer
/ hotel Horace Cooper, John Foster,
I'D. G.. Kepler and ElaviuS Mcmillan
carried law advertisements in the first
issue of the Gazette It is believed
all these settlers are now dead one
of the early timers to Kansas seeking
a location was ". c. Hoffmeistsr, who
Handed in the state in August 1866. in
Junction City, at which time the q P.
ii road was finished as far west as Man.
III haitian He walked from that town to
his trunk. He worked at the trade OF
harness making for three years. then
came farther west to Abilene, where
he worked two years. which was dur
ling the big years of the Texas cattle
drive IST0-T1. Later he was working
in Topeka. and in June, 1872, he
( moved to Beioit where he has lived
ever since He was in Abilene at the
time the cowboys and gamblers made
Ian attack on VIM Hikok wild Bid,
lthen marshal of Abilene In this
/ scrap thirIy-five or forty shots were
fired. resulting seriously to a gambler
named Phil Cox. and slightly wound
ing several others From a business
building Hoffu1eister witnessed the