Peter Kearns is reported to have been the only settler to stay for the winter of 1869-70 in Jewell County. The Kearns homestead was located somewhere along White Rock Creek. Kearns, born in France, lived the rest of his life in Jewell County in the Webber area. As a Civil War veteran, he was part of the GAR (Grand Army of the Republic) Post there. He died in 1901 and is buried in the Webber Cemetery.
It was in the Spring of 1870, especially in the month of April, when settlers started arriving in groups in the area around the future site of Jewell. Several intrepid settlers were credited with arriving “early in 1870.” Homesteaders A. J. Davis, Jerry Burnett (likely George Barnett), L. M. Shultz (Stultz?) along with father, Benjamin, and son, Charles Lewis, located claims along Buffalo Creek. George Lewis, another son, was also to come to Jewell County.
Cited as the “first permanent settlers of the Buffalo Valley” were a group of seven who took claims in the “immediate vicinity” of what was to be Jewell City. Arriving on April 8, were brothers Henry and George Sorick and their cousin ,John Sorick. In the group also was R. F. Hutsonpillar. His sister, Adaline, was married to Henry Sorick. Completing the group was George Waters, Thomas B. Hart and William Cox.
On April 12, a contingent arrived at the forks of the Buffalo Creek. This group also located in “the vicinity of Jewell.” Names associated with this contingent were Andrew J. Wise, C.A. Belknap (John Belknap?), William H. Cameron, Christopher Bender (Benton?), David Rockney (Bocker?), Cyrus Richart, John Hoffer, Samuel Krape, Joseph Fogel, and brothers, George and Samuel Worick. Though identified as the “Illinois Colony,” all were born in Pennsylvania save Belknap.
James A. Scarbrough, a familiar name in the history of Jewell and Jewell County, homesteaded four miles northeast of the future Jewell City on April 24. Though Scarbrough was influential in the founding of both Jewell City and Jewell County, he lived only 10 years after homesteading. He died in 1880 and is buried in Athens Cemetery.
Joining Scarbrough in the area northwest of Jewell was William Queen. Another early settler was William D. “Billy” Street. He homesteaded in Prairie Township in May of 1969 but unlike Kearns, did not stay for the winter on his claim. Also, unlike Kearns, he did not stay long in the Jewell or Jewell County area.
Settling “later in April” were a group who took claims in the “southern part of the county.” Charles Seely, Isaac A Sawin (Irwin?), Allen Lightner, Wm M. Jones, James W. Hall, Richard D Fardy.
Several of these early Jewell area settlers did not live out their lives or even very much of their lives in Jewell County. Though they were part of the Buffalo Militia who built Fort Jewell, they didn’t settle permanently.
Ones like Richard Fardy, Frederick May, George Waters, L. M. “Luther” Stultz, Christopher Benton, David Bocker, Calvin Belknap, Andrew Wise, Isaac Irwin and John Hoffer are found in the early 1870 and 1875 censuses and then are not found again in Jewell County. In fact. L. J. Calvin and John R. Wilson are only named in Windsor and Scarbrough’s history of Jewell County.
Allen Lightener proved up on his claim but left after 1885. William Jones, the only Canadian among the 1870 settlers, was only 22 when he came to Jewell County. He left before 1885.
Decatur County was a destination for John Sorick and R.F. Hutsonpillar. William Cox settled in Smith County and James W. Hall ended up in Republic County. John Worick went back east to Washington County and John Fogel made his permanent home in Topeka.
Some of these early Jewell Countians went farther afield. Cyrus Richart left Jewell County for Phillips County but eventually lived and died in Oregon. Samuel Krape stayed only a short time in Jewell County. He was in Oregon by 1880.
Charles Lewis went to Alabama and his brother, George, went to Montana. George Barnett went all the way to California.
Others did stay and make the Jewell area their permanent home. Benjamin Lewis was 63 years old and a widower when he came to homestead. Lewis died in 1883 and is buried in Wallace Cemetery. Also buried in Wallace Cemetery is William Queen who died in 1899.
Two other early settlers, Charles Seely and Samuel Worick were buried in Wallace Cemetery. Seely in 1929 and Worick in 1925.
Brothers, George and Henry Sorick, both died in 1898 and were buried in the Jewell City Cemetery. George’s wife, Ellen, lived until 1935 and is buried beside her husband. Henry’s wife, Adaline, left Jewell County and died in 1921 in Sarpy County, Neb.
Thomas Hart, remained in Jewell County until his death in 1915. He is buried in the Randall Cemetery. The first teacher in Jewell County, William Cameron, also lived out his life in Jewell County. He was buried in Wallace Cemetery in 1925. Members of his extended family still live in the Jewell area.
Information for this article was obtained on Ancestry.com, “Story of the Old Home Town Jewell City, Kansas” by Everett Palmer and M. Windsor and James A. Scarbrough’s 1878 pamphlet of the History of Jewell County.
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