As Published - February 1941
February 1941 (Vol. 10, No. 1), pages 105 to 107
Transcribed by Susan Stafford;
digitized with permission of the Kansas Historical Society.
A concise review of the origin and laying out of the Chisholm trail, written by George Rainey of Enid, Okla., appeared in the October, 1940, number of The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, published at Austin, Tex., by the Texas State Historical Society. This famous trail, laid out in 1865 by the Indian trader Jesse Chisholm, ran from Wichita to Anadarko in present Oklahoma, a distance of approximately two hundred miles, and later was extended farther south to Fort Sill. Joseph McCoy's cattle trail, projected in 1867 from Abilene to the Red river, followed Chisholm's trail from Wichita to a place south of Kingfisher, Okla. This Texas cattle trail came to be known as the Chisholm trail even beyond the Red river, though most of its distance was an original route and not part of the true Chisholm trail.
On October 3, 1940, the story of Mrs. John Verhoeff, as told to Mildred Cass Beason, began in the Gove County RepublicanGazette, of Gove City. Mrs. Verhoeff's grandfather came from Holland to Pella, Iowa, with Dominic Scholte in the late 1840's. Mrs. Verhoeff was born in Pella and lived there until her marriage. In 1879 she and her husband came to Kansas and settled near Grainfield. In January, 1880, a son was born, the first white boy, she believes, to be born in what is now Cove county. The pioneer reminiscences of Mrs. Geo. S. Tustin were also recorded by Mrs. Beason, the first installment appearing November 21. The Grinnell Record-Leader reprinted the articles.
Historical articles printed recently in the Kansas City (Mo.) Times include: "Cattle Rustlers Still Are Active-Livestock Men Declare a New War," November 1, 1940, and "Dodge City's First Bond Issue Gave a Novel Cowboy Twist to Financing," by Paul I. Wellman, December 24; "Funston's Life Was an Adventure Story in the American Tradition," by E. R. Schauffier, February 7, 1941.
Among Victor Murdock's historical feature articles appearing in the Wichita (Evening) Eagle during the past few months were: "Memories of Wichitans of Day [fifty years ago] Much Enlivened by a Host of Newcomers," November 2, 1940; "How Primeval Prairie Beckoned Pioneer Spirit to Frontier Adventure," November 7; "Looking Into Childhood Through the Vivid Pages of Dr. [Arthur E.] Hertzler's New Book [The Doctor and His Patients]," Novem-
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ber 9; contribution of Kansas to the world through Barber county's "Mine of Pure Gypsum," November 13 and 14; "Memories of Mr. Knight, Once Conductor on Line, Attica to Medicine Lodge," November 18; "Of Candied Grasshoppers and of a Kansan's [Steve Balch's] Ability to Make Most of Misfortune," November 22; "Very Earliest of the Origins of the Chisholm Trail, First of the NorthSouth Arteries in the Country Between This City and the Gulf," November 25; "When City of Wichita Gave Santa Fe Railroad Bulk of Cattle Shipment," November 26; "Memorial to Kansans, Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Blood, at Arkansas Institution [John Brown University at Siloam Springs]," December 7; "Getting the Lowdown on Buffalo Bone Prices When Market Here Boomed," December 11; "Old Missouri Document Showing Sale of Slaves Brings Back Memories," December 18; "Prairie Stockade Corral That Changed in Aspect When It Happened to Rain," December 20; "First of Christmases Observed on Prairies Just Ninety Years Ago," December 24; "Most Colorful Party Ever Given in Wichita Not a Christmas Event [gathering of Indian tribes in fall of 1865]," December 28; ". . . an Incident Out of the Past Which Presents the Perils of the Early Prairies [Indian battles after the Civil War]," December 30; "One Prairie Business [Trade in Buffalo Bones] That Closed Financially in a Big Blaze of Glory," January 3, 1941; "First Scheduled Trips Into a Little Wichita Three Times a Week," January 17; "Evidence Now Offered Is That Ton of Buffalo Bone Was Carried in a Wagon," February 3; "Prophet From Emporia Over Wichita's Cradle Foretold Town's Future," February 4; "Trio of Famous Women Who Were Responsible for a Notable Luncheon," the guests being Susan B. Anthony, Anna B. Shaw and Carrie Chapman Catt, February 6; "Barter Under July Moon Westward of Wichita Put an End to a War [100 years ago between the Comanches and Osages]," February 8; "Spotlight Was Seized by Wichita Nationally First Sixty Years Ago," February 21; "Some of the Air Pilots First to Fly in This City Recalled by Bert L. Jones," a few facts relating to the start of aviation in Wichita after the arrival of the first army Jenny, February 28.
The Clark County Clipper, of Ashland, is continuing its Clark County Historical Society notes started in July, 1939. Articles which have been printed since November 1, 1940, include the story of Sam Kyger, for whom Kyger creek was named, November 7; a history of the Englewood Methodist Church, which was organized in 1885, November 14; a history of the Methodist Church at
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Minneola, organized in December, 1886, November 21; "Fred Tainter," the story of a pioneer cattleman by the late M. W. Anshutz, November 28; a history of the Ashland Methodist Church, December 5; "A Brief Family History of Gamaliel Rogers as Compiled by Tena Rogers-Schwoerke," contributed by Ida Bare, December 12; "Merit Morton Cosby," by Ida Bare, in two installments, December 19 and 26. Editors of the Clark County Historical Society notes are Mrs. Jesse C. Harper, secretary of the society and Mrs. R. V. Shrewder, chairman of the historical committee.
An account of "Startling Changes In the Small Town Scene Since Sinclair Lewis Wrote of It . . . Kansas Communities Cited as Examples," appeared in the Kansas City (Mo.) Star, November 7, 1940. Other articles of historical interest to Kansans include: "Tide of Civil War Carried Kansas Into Federal Union 80 Years Ago," January 29, 1941, and "Kansas Legend Is Hard to Down in Dispute Over the Flag Pledge," by Cecil Howes, February 8.
In observance of the fiftieth anniversary of the Bison Methodist Church, William Crotinger reviewed the history of Methodism in Rush county from the first religious service on May 18, 1873. His paper, which was read November 3, 1940, during the anniversary meetings, was published in the La Crosse Republican, November 14.
Nearly forty corporations, not including oil and railroad companies, have been chartered in Russell county during its history, J. C. Ruppenthal recalled in the Russell Record, November 14, 1940. One charter, which was issued June 15, 1871, before the county was organized, authorized the Russell County Live Stock Company to engage in buying, selling and herding livestock.
"A Pioneer Story of Early Days," by Mrs. Naoma SeymourPrather, was printed in the Leon News, November 15, 1940. Mrs. Prather came to Kansas in 1883 from Iowa and remembers many incidents of pioneer life on the frontier.
Frankfort's First Presbyterian Church observed its seventieth anniversary November 16, 1940, reported the Frankfort Daily Index of the same date in an article which included a brief history of the church from its organization.
A note on the first services for Methodists in Wilson and vicinity, prepared from original church records by the Rev. Joseph A. McClellan, was published in the Wilson World, November 20, 1940.
