Jewell County, Kansas, is celebrating it’s 150th Anniversary. Out of the pages of its past comes many interesting and historical stories. The first settlers began to arrive in the early 1860s. They were encouraged to migrate west mostly because of the Homestead Act that was made law in 1862 by President Lincoln. The settlers could acquire 160 acres of public land in exchange for a small fee and they were required to complete five years of continuous residence before receiving ownership of the land.
Jewell County had all the qualifications to draw the settlers, plenty of wild game, and also rich soil from three to 20 feet deep. It had numerous streams, creeks and flowing streams of much needed waters. The principle streams were the Limestone, Buffalo, Marsh, Browns Creek and White Rock. The timber was abundant along these streams and included Burr Oak, Ash, Hackberry, Walnut, Red and White Elm, Box Cider, Red Cedar and Cottonwood.
The first settlers drawn to the area came in the spring of 1862, William Harshberger and John Furrows,with wives and a child, from Knox County, Ill. They settled along the White Rock near what would later become the town White Rock. The Cheyenne Indian raids, and warnings of an Indian War between the Pawnees and the Sioux, made the settlers decide to leave. A second settlement occurred in 1866 around the same area. An Indian raid took the lives of some of the settlers and the capture of a woman. Those who were spared, left. A third settlement was made on claims in 1868 and 1869, also in the same White Rock Creek area. Once again Indians attacked eventually causing the settlers to leave.
In the fall of 1869, a colony of Scandiavians came, and the Excelsior Colony from New York arrived. The colony made a fort further up the White Rock Creek, to the west, but once again Indian attacks drove the settlers out of what later would become Jewell County.
In 1870 more settlers began to arrive and many claims were made once again along the White Rock Creek but also in the area that would later become Jewell City. A few Indian raids were still occurring in this area. Three men were killed by Indians while working on a dam along the Solomon River. The settlers decided to take action to construct a sod fort and work began on the fort on May 13, 1870. It took them two days to complete the project. The walls of the fort were four feet thick and seven feet high. Twenty-eight settlers along the Buffalo Creek formed the Buffalo Militia that would go out from the fort making protective rounds at night. Scouts guarded during the day. Most of these men were Civil War Veterans. Unless on patrol, all stayed within the fort for protection at night and during the day. The Buffalo Militia were relieved from duty on June 28, 1870 when a company of soldiers came and remained at the fort until that fall.
Before the county was established, the first store in Jewell County would be erected by James Scarbrough. It was used not only as a general store but a post office for Jewell City.
Other settlers who came during 1870 took claims not only along the eastern banks of the White Rock Creek but also up the creek west, where the Burr Oak Oak Creek joined the White Rock Creek, that would later become Burr Oak. A post office was petitioned for in the fall of 1870 and was granted the following year. The first settler there was A.J. Godfrey. The post office was opened in his log cabin with McCormick as the first postmaster. Cal Lewis came and filed a claim. He built a cabin. John Faidley established the first store in 1871 in what was named Burr Oak because that was the name chosen for the post office. Of course the name came from the Burr Oak trees that grew in abundance along the two creeks that flowed through.
A petition was circulated in July 1870. It held numerous signatures to allow a county to be formed here. The petition was taken to Topeka, and it was approved. Gov. James Harvey made county commission appointments; Seeley, Gandy and Davis. Jewell City was designated as the county seat. On July 20, the commissioners were presented the appointments. At that time the county population was 205. The county was named in honor of Lt. Col. Lewis R. Jewell, of the Sixth Kansas Calvary, who died of wounds received at the Battle of Cane Hill, Ark., Nov. 28, 1862.
Over the next three years, the population in the newly formed county would considerably grow as settlers arrived daily. By 1875 the population had grown to 7,650 and in another five years it became a whopping 12,000. It hadn’t yet reached its peak. The main towns during this time not only included Jewell City, but also Burr Oak, White Rock, Salem and Jewell Center (later became Mankato).
About June 1872, Jewell Center Town Company was formed. Erected on the town site was David Black’s blacksmith shop. The town company then erected a building that was later presented to the county as a courthouse. The first store was opened by Charles W. Pettigrew, Nov. 29, 1872.
Around 1871, another settlement was formed on the western White Rock Creek, and a year or two later a town was established called Salem. Ionia was settled in 1869 to 1870 and had its first post office in 1871. There were other villages and post offices established early in the county such as Northbranch, Omio, Steuben, Reubens, Dispatch, Dentonia, Holmwood (Gregory) within the 1870s, but some of the other towns were not established until the railroad lines came through the county, such as Randall, Montrose, Esbon, Formoso, Lovewell and Otego.
Information from “What Price White Rock,” “History of Jewell County, Kansas” and Kansas Historical Society.
Reader Comments(0)