The Iola Register from Iola, Kansas • Page 29

lOLA. KANSAS CENTENNIAL EDITION. THE lOLA RECTlSTER, MAY 30. 1955. PAGE 1-B Railroads Open New Era In County Race To Border During its first 15 years, Allen County's development was geared to the covered wagon and stage coach.

Those who wished to settle on its rich lands could reach them only by trudging long and weary miles over prairie trails, heavy with mud in wet seasons and choked with dust in times oi drought; But in 1870 the railroads came; bringing with them "a Sew niode -which "Was to transform the easy going, primitive, frontier villages into thriving centers of trade. This was an intoxicating prospect for men who had been earth bound for so long. Perhaps that explains why 1870 was a year both of rejoicing and bitter fighting for Allen Coimtians. The railroads sped the arrival of new they provided the farmer with surer markets for his cliantTo ly when sales were brisk; they made industrial development possible. But if they brought prosperity, the railroads also brought perplexing problems and ignited bitter antagonisms in Allen County.

The towns and hamlets correctly believed that only those located on the railroads would survive. They also figured that if one railroad was gqpd, two were better and three- would; be Utopia. The towns soon found themselves in wild scramble to secure more and' more railroads. It was a field day for promoters. This'fever reached its peak in 1870 the year that two roads laid tracks in the county.

Simultaneously two others were being vigorously promoted and a third was iji' the dream stage. Contrary to the town folks the farmers were rather indifferent to the advent of-steam trains. A few of them actively opposed the lines. A handful tried to block the tracks by legal means. To fully understand these-con flicts, it is necessary te review briefly whx the railroads laid their routes through Allen County and how they were financed.

The first offer to build a railroad through Allen County- was made in 1864 by the Leavenworth, Lawrence and Galveston Railroad Company (later merged with the Santa Fe). The construction of its tracks was to be financed by lands given the federal government, additional acres from the state of Kansas, and the purchase of stock by the counties and cities through which it would pass. National and state lands to be donated to the road amounted to nearly 10 squire miles for every mile of track. The L. L.

asked Allen County to invest $125,000 in its capital stock. The fund was to be obtained by issuing bonds, bearing seven per cent interest, with the principal due in 30 years. In 1865 the citizens.approved the proposition although it was opposed by every township with the exception of lola Humboldt. In the same year a now railroad company, now the Katy, was organized in Emporia with announced plans to biiild a rail line from to points sotfth. Its ultimate destination was Dennison, Texas.

Still a third railroad, the Missouri River. Ft. Scott and GalYcston, now the Frisco, was planning a road down the eastern tier of counties. Its route lay through Ft. Scott," But for five years, nothing happened.

Although it had pledged $125,000 of its money, Allen County had no railroad. In the Osage Indians began moving out of their lands immediately south of Humboldt and extending to the Oklahoma line. The. Five Nations decreed that they would give a right of way across Indian Territory (now OklahOiTia) 'to Texas to the first railroad to reach their border to no other. The Katy, the L.

L. and and the Q. were the only companies in position tackle AH three re-, organized and had newly filled money chests. In 1870 they started Okiahpnia-line. possession of oyer ttree millibri acreis of land as well as' access to So local citizena had little to do nj-with bringing the first to Allen County.

They came because the shortest route to Oklahoma, fqrjboth the Katy alid the L. L. and lay through this arear-s Newspaper accounts of the day indicate that the citizens of sotlth- wose BOtcoctpleto- ly aware of the race between the "rlTilroaa titans; might not hJave been so to strain their own credit to financial assistance to Hiimlwrdt, early lii ap REPLICA CYRUS K. In the "ISTO'S locomotives of this type were used by railroiuls In the midwest ana the early trains of the L. L.

G. may have appeared much as this one as they crossed Allen County, years ago the Santa Fe built fui-nushcd -7 lU- proved a $75,000 bond issue with which to assist the Katy. The town also bought for $1,300 a quarter section of land on the west side of the Neosho, giving the railroad company 10 acres for depot grounds and right of way. The renrainder was divided into lots, of which the railroad company received one half. For a time, at least, this community was known as Chicago.

The, first train, entered. Humboldt on April 2, 1870, and within a short time regular service was provided to points The, advent of the rail service sparked the first big real estate boom' in Allen County, The prices of lots, buildings and nearby farms skyrocketed. The Katy was nol only the first railroad to enter Allen County, it also won the race to the state line. This dramatic story is vividly told in a recently published book; "The Katy Railroad and the Last Frontier" written by V. Masterson.

In the meantime, the L. L. and G. asked Allen County to authorize $25,000 in. bonds to be added to the $125,000 approved in 1865.

They also demanded that the county aKroc to sell its slock in the company to James J. Joy, president of L. for $1 thus making the bond issue an outright subsidy. The transaction was to be completed when the tracks readied the south boimdary of the county, passing through both lola and Humboldt. were, given a rousing welcome in both towns.

Their reception in the other parts of the county was chilly. When the election was held, Jan. 4, 1870, the bonds carried hy a vote of ,590 to 282. They won only because the ma.jority of voters lived in lola and Huinlioldl townships other township voted against the proposal. The tracks of the Lawrence and Gjilve.s-ton railroad reached lola on Oct.

1870, and Vliimholdt 10 da.vs later. Before the end of that year the county line had been passed; the bonds delivered to the company and the in stock sold to Joy for SI. of increased taxes was one rca.son why many peo.nle opposed the' railroad bonds, in the the coun ty was the levy for county purposes was $1 per $100 raising The interest on the railroad bonds was $10,.500 per year. The county's annual budget was more than doujaled! However, those who favored the bonds believed the railroads, themselves, would pay the larger part of the increase in county taxes. They estimated that the assessment on the tracks would average 811,000 This plus the as- ses.smcnt' on depots and yards WBuld increase the county's assessed valuation by at least $.500,000, it was claimed.

They also argued that business would increase so rapidly, that real estate and other prices would zoom lo such heights that the hike in taxes would never be noticed. The raitr'oads did lake heavy loll. In its i.ssiie of April Vi, 1870, the Neosho Valley Kegisler staled: "The Leavenworth. Lawrence and Galvc.iton R. R.

will 450.000 acres of land from the federal government, 125.000 acres from the stale and 51,4.50,000 in- bonds, do nalcd by the counties and' cities along its route in Kansas." But "in spite of this, Humboldt, lola and other communities were cauer for more railroads and foiitiht with each other almost sav- over plans which competed with one another. All favored the conslrucUon of a railroad running east and west across the county and all wanted the line to pass through their respective towns. The objective was to connect the L. and G. and the Katy with the' lines of the Mi.s.souri, Fort Scott and Galveston at Fort Scott.

The dream was lo make some Allen County city Ihc railroad center of southeastern Kansas. Both lola and Humboldt htmuered for. this juicy plum, Idia proposed the co.nstruelion of Ihe Fort Scott, lola and Neosho Valley railroad which would idiiijlily parallel today's US-54 and wdulfl extend past lola to Neosho FalLs via Geneva, lliiinboldt sponsored the Fort Sfoit and Allen County Railroad which would bend soilth near the pre.sciit site of Bronsori, llirtjugh Elsmorc township and on to lis terminus at Ilurnboldl. The promoters of the Fort Scott, Jolif Neosho Valley Railroad (Co'iilinued'on Next Page) Land Fights Lasted for Many Years The bitterest Allen County's the year war over the lands granted lo the railroads when they laid their lines across Kansas to the Oklahoma bopder. JIosl of these battles were legal duels fought in dusty courtrooms l)ul others were staged along fence rows with pistols, rifles and shotguns.

A few men killed, others wounded and scoresi of families sadly fled the community, stripped of their possessions. When the railroads' first proposed crossing Kansas, Congress offered to a.ssist in financing the venture by granting them large, tracts of huul. The Katy, for example, was (o receive 10 square of tantt' for each mile of track which, was eoinpleled. In addition, the state offered additional acreage. These grants however, were burdened with several conditions Viui'in some instances the land was already occupied by settlers from the east.

the government was selling other lands for as low as $1,25 per acre. The railroads were asking from $6 to $10 for similar property. Moreover, they were not always able to give a clear title. Time after time an eastern farmer and his family purchased Kansas railroad land, only to discover upon arrival, thai ij. was already occupied Knraued by the confii.sion and threatened with the loss of llieir savings, the citizens foiiiiefi various associations which were commonly known as Land The first in Allen Counly was organized May 21, 187:5, with the following officers: .1.

W. Pine, president, J. P. Sproiil, vice-president, and A. Fronk, Citizens living in Woodson, Bourbon, Franklin and other counties were invited to Their main charges against the railroads were: 1.

The first settlers were induced to buy the land when times were good; the panic of 1873 had so reduced produce prices that the farmers had no hope of ever paying their mortgages. 2. The railroads were not giving clear titles-to the purchasers and perhaps would never be able to do so. The objective was to obtain a reduction in the purchase price of railroad lands and legal clarifica- tionof titles. The organizatitin did not attempt to help settle the disputes Which dcvHdped behveen' new settlors and squalters.

This first Land League was con ccrned with the lancis which Ihe Katy and the Leavenworth, Lawrence and Galveston Rail (-nni- panics held. In 1880 the Missouri Pacific also laid lis lines and re ceived. similar-laiul These added fuel tothe quarrel. The legal aspects Of the land fights wore extremely complicated and finally hinged upon the original acts passed by Congress, a determination of whether or nol the roads had fulfilled the conditions upon which- they were lo and whether or not the In- jdians owned the land at the time Congress made the agreement. These legal questions were not finally settled in full until 1914.

However, most of the lilies-in Allen County were cleared shoflly after the turn of the years after the first Land League was formed. Hut (luring those three decides, there were several raids, killings and peihnps a lynching when groups of men, WeaVy of waiting for courts lo decide the issue, to take the enforcement of the law into their own hands. Perhaps the most noted of these ca.s.es was the killing of James Ilarclerofic and Robert McFarland by Hugh, and William Guillilahd; occurred in 18ii4. All of. these men members of the League.

Harclerode and McFarland were building a house on land which the GiiiUilands, father and sons, claimed. The latter went lo the place where Harclerode and McFarland. were working, attempted drive Uiein away, and in the quarrel u-TiTch followed killed them. The'Guillilands were brought to trial and convicted. Hugh and his two older sons sentenced to life imprisonment in the slate penitentiary; the third son got three years.

After serving a relatively short term all were released ifhd Shortly after this shooting, Columbus who lived in the same community, quarrelled with a man hy the name of Grisham and in the following fight gouged out one of his eyes. A few days later, Carter, was shot and killqd from ambush. No arrests were made. wsascm lOLA 'S OLDEST DRYJXEANING GRANDMA and GRANDPA haid much id be ihankful for they Jived But Ihey dfd not havrihe to its patrons giving tliein tlie exciting exferience iHJiiitiW THERE IS A DfIFERE NCE im IT HAS BEEN A PLEASURE TO HAVE BEEN OF SERVICE AND TO LOOK AHEAttTi) WANT ELLIS 112 SOUTH WASHINGTON "Your Clothes. Be.st Friend" PHONE 105 Continuously Operated Since T904 Still IMCO FARM FEEDS 502 WEST ST.

-r. PHONE.