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As Published - May 1933

May 1933 (Vol. 2, No. 2), pages 220 to 222
Transcribed by lhn;
digitized with permission of the Kansas State HistoricalSociety.

Fifty-years-ago items published regularly in the Osborne County Farmer, Osborne, under the heading "Ancient History in Osborne," are annotated by the editor and related with present-day facts.

The "History of White Cloud," by Mrs. M. E. Zimmerman, was published weekly in the White Cloud Globe-Tribune, commencing with its issue of January 30, 1931. The series ran, with a few omissions, until the middle of 1932.

A brief historical sketch of Wabaunsee and a cut of the old stone church which was built in 1861 were published in the August, 1932, issue of the Wabaunsee County Truth, Wabaunsee. Succeeding issues printed biographical sketches of pioneers and located points of interest on a city map of 1872.

Letters and interviews relating the experiences of old settlers of Cheyenne county have provided the Bird City Times with news items for a regular weekly feature under the heading, "Old Timer's Column." The series started with the issue of December 15, 1932.

The story of three pioneers who settled in Crawford county in 1868 was told by two descendants in the Pittsburg Headlight, December 20, 1932. The men, John Waggoner, Stephen Alberty and E. B. Holden, journeyed overland from Rolla, Mo., and took up their claims near the present town of Chicopee.

Butler county in 1869 was described by W. F. McGinnis, Sr., a pioneer, in a two-column article in The Butler County News, El Dorado, December 23, 1932. Other reminiscences of Mr. McGinnis were continued in succeeding issues.

The forty-fifth anniversary of the Padonia Methodist church was celebrated January 1, 1933. A history of the church appeared in the Hiawatha Daily World, January 4, 1933.

"Early Days of Baldwin Territory Are Recounted by Old Settler," was the title of a front-page feature article published in the Baldwin Ledger, January 5, 1933. Joseph Dexter, of Oak Valley, was the narrator. He came to Kansas from Illinois in June, 1855, and witnessed the burning of Lawrence in 1856 and in 1863. His father was a captain under Jim Lane.

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KANSAS HISTORY IN THE KANSAS PRESS 221

A history of Sedgwick county, by Asa F. Rankin, is being published in the Clearwater News. The chapters and dates of publication are "Explorers," in the issue of January 5, 1933; "How Wichita Was Named," January 19, and "Old Boom Days Exciting Era," February 9.

"Scott County Historical Society Notes," regularly printed in The News Chronicle, Scott City, featured the first schools in Scott county, January 5, 1933; "District No. 9, the Old Friend School," by Matilda Freed, January 12 and 19; "The Texas Cattle Trails of Western Kansas," by J. W. Chaffin, January 26; the first deaths in Scott City, February 2; "Saddle-Days Souvenirs," from the narrative of Frank Murphy, who herded cattle over the Chisholm and Texas trails, a reprint from Touring Topics (Calif.), February 9 and 23; Pueblo Indian ruins in Scott county, March 2; "Kansas Prairie Fires," by J. W. Chaffin, March 9 and 16; Henry Hubbell, famous artist, who was an early-day sign painter in Scott City, March 23. Another article of historical interest published in The Scott County Record, Scott City, February 16, and not included in the News Chronicle series, is "Notes Concerning Early Days in Scott County by the Render Family."

The Southwest Historical Society of Dodge City recently compiled a resume of sixteen Indian battles that were fought in western Kansas and vicinity during its early history. The list was published in the Dodge City Daily Globe, January 6, 1933.

Historical places of interest in Kansas were reviewed in three articles published in the Wichita Sunday Eagle, January 8, 15 and 22, 1933. Brief paragraphs describing the famous Kansas landmarks were printed.

Christ's Lutheran church, four miles north of Gaylord, observed its fiftieth anniversary January 15, 1933. A history of the organization was published in the Athol-Gaylord-Cedar Review, January 11. Rev. F. Schedtler was the first pastor.

Franklin Playter, 91, for many years a resident of Crawford county, at Girard and Pittsburg, died at his home southwest of Galena on January 11, 1933. The Pittsburg Sun of January 12 contained an obituary of Mr. Playter and stated that he platted and named Pittsburg and erected the first business building on the townsite

222 THE KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY

Some of the early business enterprises of Summerfield were named in the fifty- sixth anniversary edition of the Summerfield Sun, January 12, 1933.

Frank L. Randolph's experiences in early-day Potwin were related in the Potwin Ledger, January 12, 1933. Mr. Randolph, who now resides in California, lived in Potwin from 1881 to 1888.

The sixtieth anniversary of the Winfield Daily Courier was observed January 13, 1933, with the issuance of a 24-page illustrated historical edition. Notes on the founding, and incorporation of Winfield, history of the city's newspapers, a review of the first churches, first marriage, etc., the organization of a grange in the South Bend area, and a reproduction of a page of the first issue of the Courier which was dated January 11, 1873, were high-lights of the edition.

Official records of Hamilton county provide C. W. Noell, register of deeds, with source material for a series of historical articles which are being published in the Syracuse Journal. Mr. Noell wrote of the organization of the county in the issue of January 13, 1933; early towns of the county were located and described, January 27, and the county seat war was discussed, February 24 and March 17.

The Baker Orange, student publication of Baker University, Baldwin, is publishing historical articles in observance of the seventy-fifth anniversary of the granting of the charter to the university. The series started with the issue of January 16, 1933.

Judge J. C. Ruppenthal, in his "Rustlings" column which has been published weekly in several western Kansas newspapers for the past few years, has contributed historical notes of considerable value to the state. In his column of January 18, 1933, he inquired for more information about a Mr. Matthews who was reputed to be the first permanent settler on Coal creek, Russell county, in 1869. He was answered in the Wilson World, January 25, by William Games, who recalled E. W. Matthews and the operation of his lime kilns in 1870.

Historical notes published in the Seneca Courier-Tribune include the origin of the name "Turkey" creek, by Joe Rilinger, January 19, 1933, and the location of the old townsite of Pacific City, by J. L. Firkins, February 20.