Shin-Plasters: Civil War Scrip

From the Oskaloosa Independent, March 9, 1933

By Francis Henry Roberts

While I have before told the story of the script used in Oskaloosa during the scarcity of currency during the Civil War, I am asked to tell it again now because of the situation on hand, with banks closing for a breathing spell, produce houses closing for lack of money to pay farmers, and all that. “We never miss the water till the well runs dry” is an old adage that applies right now to the banks.

The old office of the Oskaloosa Independent, burned down.

During the war of the rebellion Moore & McClellan were running a general merchandise store on the corner where the Simon-Webber auto establishment now stands. Small currency ran very short and caused great inconvenience, as most dealings in those days were “small change” matters. This firm was sound financially and when it put out certificates everybody took them at face value and no questions asked. The Independent office was the “mint,” so to speak. All the brass rule curleycues and fancy border type were brought into use and quite a swell bit of printing put forth. The pieces as I remember them were about one-third the size of a business envelope and were in denominations of 5c, 10c, 25c and 50cents, “redeemable on demand at the store of Moore & McClellan in sums of five dollars.”

I do not know how long this script, which was alluded to as “shin-plasters,” was in use but it was for a year or two or three and served the purpose nicely being taken by everybody in Oskaloosa and some of the nearby towns without cavil and at face value.

The same thing is being done now in many parts of the country and can be done here for local trade beyond a doubt.

F.H. Roberts is offering double the face value of any piece of this old script and will be paid at the Independent Office. It is wanted as a historical souvenir.

This article appeared in “Yesteryears” in April 2010.

Winchester Cornet Band Reorganized

From the Winchester Argus, August 14, 1879

The Winchester Cornet Band* has lately been reorganized with the following charter members: Edward Graham, bass drum and cym.; Otto Sterrett, tenor; John Sterrett, tuba; Jos. Green, baritone; Lin McDermond, tenor; J.R. McDermond, alto; Geo. Elson, B flat cornet; Frank Kirkpatrick, B flat cornet; J.D. Adams, E flat cornet. The organization is now in full working order, and Prof. Cramer, of Valley Falls, has been engaged as teacher. We hope to hear them discoursing some good music ere long.

* “Cornet Band” was a common name for brass and wind bands organized in the late 1800s. Most of them included local volunteer musicians and performed in parades and on holidays.

This story appeared in “Yesteryears” in April 1988.

(Does anyone know if the musicians in the photo include the ones named in the article?)

Mr. Jack Daniel's Original Silver Cornet Band performs "We Wish You a Merry Christmas."

Price's Raid — Local Civil War Coverage

The Militia Called Out

From The Independent, Oskaloosa, Kansas, October 15, 1864

The recent call for the entire militia of the State to turn out for the defense of Kansas against threatened invasion, has been promptly responded to by the loyal masses of the State; and as we now write, thousands of brave men are on their way to meet any invador who may venture to enter our territory. Whether Price* will try coming to Kansas or not, remains to be seen; if he does there will be hot times.

Most of the men thus suddenly called away, have left everything at home in an unsettled condition. Many families are left without provisions; crops are unprotected, and business everywhere suspended. We trust that long before the 30 days are ended, old Price will be thoroughly whipped, and his horde of murderers be cut to pieces.

The rebels even at Richmond, are expecting much from this invasion of Missouri by Price, but we hope they will all be signally disappointed, and old Price himself come to the miserable end of a traitor.

*Confederate Major General Sterling Price, former governor of Missouri, commanded the Missouri State Guard in 1861 and was commissioned by the Confederacy in 1862. In fall 1864, he launched a major cavalry raid into Missouri from Arkansas. He was defeated at the Battle of Westport, October 23, 1864. He retreated through Kansas, pursued by Union forces and meeting defeats at Marais des Cygnes, Mine Creek, Marmiton River, and Newtonia.

 

Price’s Defeat — Its Results

From The Independent, Oskaloosa, Kansas, October 29, 1864

The strategic situation in the west in 1864.

Most of our readers have learned of the defeat of Price already, and we need only say that he was badly whipped, that his plunder had to be abandoned; his cannon were captured, his trains were taken or burned; and he and his followers had to make their escape as best they could, minus the booty they had loaded themselves with, and expected to carry off. Our troops, regulars and militia, did glorious fighting. Cols. Jennison and Moonlight were the heroes of the volunteers on our side, and Gen. Pleasanton on the part of Rosecrans army.** All our officers and men did nobly. At latest advices Price was making for the lower country with all the speed he could, followed by our men, who were continually slaughtering the rebels.

This is all glorious news, but the best of it is, that the defeat of Price will send dismay to Richmond, and all through rebeldom. The rebel leaders expected much from the invasion of Missouri. It was confidently believed that tens of thousands would flock to the standard of Price from Missouri, Illinois and other States, members of the secret order of treason known as Sons of Liberty. But they didn’t come, and the rebels will see that their Northern allies are too cowardly to depend upon — that their treason is all in the heart and the word, and not with the sword; and their great hopes will fall. Good.

**Colonels Charles Jennison and Thomas Moonlight led brigades under Major General Samuel R. Curtis, who commanded the forces of the Department of Kansas. Union Major General Alfred Pleasonton commanded the District of Central Missouri under Union Major General William S. Rosecrans, overall commander of the forces of the Department of the Missouri.

(“Despite the misspellings, the cities of Pleasanton, California, and Pleasanton, Kansas, are both named after Alfred Pleasonton.”)

For more information about the Kansas militia and the role of Jefferson County residents in the Civil War, see Jefferson County Jayhawkers and Forgotten Freestaters.

These articles appeared in “Yesteryears” in October 1989.

The Selection of the Winchester Site

Compiled by Karen M. Heady

In June of 1854, a man named William Gardiner was heading west on the Military Road from Fort Leavenworth to Fort Riley with homesteading in mind. About a day’s journey (18 miles) out of Leavenworth, he came to a place where he was at once impressed. Nearby was a very fine spring, a natural stopping place for weary, thirsty travelers.

Mr. Gardiner staked two claims, one on a river (Walnut Creek — marked in Section One on the map with a “dwelling,” which was quite probably the log cabin he built for his family in 1855); the other claim was right near the road, a quarter section he planted, which yielded an excellent crop of corn. This good farming, in all likelihood, drew other farmers to the area, creating a small settlement, which in turn drew “city” businesses.

Mr. Gardiner sold his claim nearer the Military Road to Joseph Best. Mr. Best built two log cabins that were connected to form a hotel. This first business flourished with both military and civilian travelers. This drew more people to the area to settle.

In 1857, the settlers decided to choose a site for their town. They chose a site near a spring (about 1 ½ miles further south along the Military Road than the present Winchester) and called it Savannah. However, the oldest settler wished to have a different location named Winchester, after his old home town in Virginia. They agreed to go along with him. So the present town of Winchester is where it is because of the oldest settler of that year — Alvin Best.

For water, the settlers hauled tubs on buckboards to the Walnut Creek Spring. It was said in 1938 that, “Men may come and men may go, but the spring will flow forever.” So far, it is true. In 1981, it was still one of Winchester’s main sources of water.

There is still only a small portion of the Military Road intact in Winchester today. It is the diagonal road just south of the Jefferson County North School Complex. My guess is that the settlers phased out the “road” soon after the government land survey “squared off” the land. The main businesses had been located on Main Street. As fires destroyed the frame structures and businesses prospered, many relocated into more permanent buildings along Third Street and Winchester Street, putting them closer to the railroad.

The railroad came through in 1872, running east and west between Delaware Street and Grasshopper Street. This made Winchester a thriving community, especially in the first quarter of the 1900s. When the railroad left in the 1930s, the town’s population started slipping. This was shortly after the depression years.

Sources: Kansas Historical Society Library and Maps Section in Topeka

Jefferson County Department of Engineers in Oskaloosa

Finley Abstract Office in Oskaloosa

 

The old Winchester Railroad Station and the Midland Elevator Co.
These buildings as well as the railroad itself, have been gone for many years. The occasion pictured above by Charles Forsyth was the arrival of the Leavenworth “Booster” train.
The following short notation is found in the Winchester Star, 21 October 1910 (page 4) — “The Leavenworth ‘Booster’ train made up of 110 passengers, representing different business firms of Leavenworth, arrived in Winchester on schedule time Wednesday morning. The band played and the passengers got busy and made the acquaintance of a number of our people. They left numerous souvenirs with our people.”

In this same issue of the Star (page 1) is the following advertisement: “Chas. Forsyth, Photographer; View, Portraits; Amatur Work and Supplies; Permanency Guaranteed; Phone No. 29.” Mr. Forsyth changed his ad for the next week’s paper to read: “Having secured the agency for the well known, popular Seneca Cameras, for both plates and film packs, I can now supply you with anything in that line. Call or write for latest illustrated catalogue and prices; Chas. Forsyth, Photographer, Winchester, Phone No. 29.”

This story appeared in “Yesteryears” in April 1981.

Elizabeth Slade Knew Our Old Courthouse as a Place of Many Community Gatherings

By John Wilkins Roberts

From the Oskaloosa Independent, August 25, 1960

Elizabeth B. Slade brought to the Old Settlers reunion a well-organized account of her recollections of social events which were held in the courthouse during the ’seventies and ’eighties before Oskaloosa could boast another gathering place of equal size. Within two months of her 92^nd birthday Mrs. Slade retains in a remarkable degree her exceptional ability to speak from a public platform.

At a shady spot in the park Saturday, Aug. 13, she addressed an audience of fewer than a dozen persons with stories of the courthouse when it was new.

Jefferson County courthouse, 1870s.

Banquets were held in the long corridor of the first floor, the banqueters being served from adjoining offices. Upper floor was all one big room, it was provided with a stage and there were held political conventions, public addresses of many kinds, dramatic performances, costume parties, public dances. This last-named item had to be discontinued when it was found the building would be damaged.

Related in detail was Mrs. Slade’s recollection of the dramatized version of “Ten Nights in a Barroom” in which she played the part of “Little Angel” when she was about eight years of age. So successful was this tear-jerking drammer that it had to be repeated to satisfy public demand.

Mrs. Slade was fourth child and elder daughter of William and Martha Chandler Blevins. He was born in Ireland; at Ft. Leavenworth in 1854 became master of a wagon train whose crew went to build Fort Riley; later was with troops sent to quell a Mormon uprising; became a trail scout whose function was to “direct traffic” of the wagon trains across the prairie-Indian country. At Plum Grove he made his headquarters with J.H.C. Hopewell, a settler of 1854; met the daughter of a Hickory Point neighbor, Richard Chandler. At the Osawkee sales of Delaware lands in 1857, Blevins bought the acreage adjoining the new town of Oskaloosa which was to become the Blevins family home. That home, often remodeled and beautified, yet stands. A portion of the original house built on this Blevins estate yet remains in 1960, particularly the small window frames of the old kitchen. Here William and Martha went to housekeeping in 1860. Came William N., James, C and John M., then Elizabeth and Sara Esther (Hannsen).

Oskaloosa Grade School, District No., 29, 1922-23, First- and Second Grades

Teacher: Mrs. Elizabeth Blevins Slade

Girls: Violet Thompson, Leona Grant, Martha Brown, Helen May, Juanita Duffield, Doris Ratliff, Louis Shaw, Agnes Guest, Sylviamae Rice, Pauline Laster, _____ _____, Marie Stevens, Mrs. Slade with hands on Mabel Brown and Alice Daniels, Ida English, Leopa Gaines, Emma Lou Todd, Clasteen Holland, Roxie Lee Nichols

Boys kneeling: John Rice, Robert Barr, Roger Simon, Frankie Daniels

Boys seated: James Brown, Marvin Icks, Joe Godwin, Blair Howard, Lewis Metzger, Funston Inverarity, Richard Sutton, William Leech, Philip Inverarity, Harlan Brown, Jim Cotton, Edward Bell, Ben English

Elizabeth tells this of her own schooling: A year or two at the school on Herkimer street, then at the township school and the Marvin College preparatory department (on Madison west of Liberty), a year in Julius Cook’s upper class at the frame schoolhouse (north of Leavenworth and east of Union), thence to Sisters of Bethany, the Episcopalian college at Topeka, where she graduated. In California, seeking employment after the tragic death of her husband by drowning, Elizabeth Slade secured a California certificate, taught at Santa Maria. Returning to Jefferson County she began that long term of teaching in Oskaloosa public school which lasted more than 30 years and during which she started on their academic way scores and scores of children who yet remember her with deep affection.

But beside Elizabeth’s class room work she had the imagination, the energy and willingness to work to do many kinds of creative undertakings. These paragraphs will mention only her relation to Old Settlers reunions.

The Jefferson County courthouse was destroyed in a tornado, May 19, 1960.

The Old Settlers reunions began with the first year of the century, August 1901, and have continued with only two interruptions due to stringencies of the war years, so that the reunion just completed [in 1960] was the 58^th in series.

Old Settlers' parade, circa 1900.

In 1904, the “Old Settlers Central Union” was organized with an established membership, fees and dues; a leather-bound volume having 360 pages 12 x 18 in size was printed with suitable form for record of visitors. First entries following “Constitution and By-laws” are names of 156 registrants at the “4^th Annual” old settlers, Aug. 1904. First name in the list is that of James C. Blevins. Elizabeth was not old enough to “belong” (at the outset forty years was the minimum) but it is likely she was there, helping with one of the elaborate parades of those early years which involved nearly the entire community, both old and young. For many years thereafter, Elizabeth did creative work, both in the parades and the platform programs, usually by way of presenting groups of school pupils in some unique manner.

From the Oskaloosa Independent, May 26, 1960

This bound record of old settler visitors has been kept in the vault of clerk of district court. When that vault was cleared on permanent records after the tornado [May 1960], Mrs. Myrtle Kimmel “rescued” the old settler record and it is yet in her possession in her temporary office at the Ratliff building. Since the 40^th reunion, registration has been made on 5 x 8 cards, which are kept a the Independent office.

This story appeared in “Yesteryears” in October 1986.

Nortonville, 1882

From the Oskaloosa Independent, October 7, 1882

There is probably greater lack of information among the citizens of this county about Nortonville than about any other town in the county. It has grown so rapidly that it has outstripped all calculation, and now stands third, probably, in point of population among the county towns. We confess we were much surprised a few days since when, after an absence of some three years, we again looked in upon our neighbors. They have grown in that time from a score or so of straggling houses to a well built town of, it is claimed, 700 inhabitants; and the new clean look of its buildings, its four spires of churches and school house, and the life and energy of its business men, all strike a visitor very favorably indeed. A town ought to grow, though, when it is surrounded by such a magnificent country and so many solid, well-to-do farmers as is Nortonville.

Santa Fe depot, Nortonville, Kansas

To get an idea of the size of the place, we asked a few questions of our friend John Taggart, who knows everybody and whom everybody knows in that region. John began there when, if we remember aright, there was not another building to keep his company, and he has remained to see three church buildings, a commodious school house, two hotels, a livery stable, mill, steam elevator, two lumber yards, two general stores, a drug store, a drug and grocery store, two milliners, two butchers, as many tinners, harness makers, blacksmiths and shoe-makers — all those and never a saloon.

The M.E., the Presbyterian and the United Presbyterians have churches and the Christians, or Campbellites, are talking of building. There are four Sunday Schools. The Odd Fellows is the only secret order, and they have a hall.

In the school there were 120 scholars enrolled and more coming in, with M.J. Foster as principal and Miss Lillie as class assistant.

This comparatively new town that is doing such a lively grain and lumber trade on our northern border, is 17 miles from Atchison, on the A.T. & S.F., 10 miles from the Falls, the same from Winchester and 16 from the hub — Oskaloosa.

Rev. A.S. Embree is pastor of the M.E. Church, and during our visit was in Indiana, whither he had gone to be united in marriage to Miss Mary Cooper, of Stockwell — and may their lot be a happy one. Rev. F.E. Sheldon is pastor of the Presbyterian and Rev. Jos. Alter of the U.P., while Elder Brown of Emporia preaches for the Campbellites.

We took occasion while there to visit the mill of Hart & Worswick, the latter being our former well-known citizen, Ed. L. Worswick. Under Mr. W.’s management this mill is rapidly growing in popular favor and its flour finding a ready market in the surrounding towns. The mill cost, all told, about $7,000, has two wheat burrs and one for corn, and is running day and night to fill orders.  The flour is made by the patent process and no poor wheat is used. Increased facilities are to be added to the mill to meet its growing business.

Altogether, with its mills, its lumber yards, grain buyers, and active business men, we came to the conclusion that Norton is a good town and bound to grow.

This story appeared in “Yesteryears” in April 1992.

Land Sales at Osawkee

From the Prairie City Freeman’s Champion, August 13, 1857

(Prairie City was an early town about a mile west of present-day Baldwin City, Kansas.)

The rush to Osawkee for the past week or so, has exceeded anything of the kind that ever occurred in the country — almost excelling California. The scene at Osawkee beggars description — resembling another Saturnalia or Pandemonium. Drinking, gambling and spreeing are the order of the day and night. Still we have heard of no serious difficulties and presume that everything is going on “as well as might be expected.” Most of the settlers, we are glad to learn, have secured their claims, which we hope they will go to work improving at once. The sales will probably continue some two or three weeks longer.

This story appeared in “Yesteryears” in October 2002.

Also from the Prairie City Freeman’s Champion, August 13, 1857