Community Christmas Tree

  From the Winchester Star, Dec. 26, 1924

The Community Christmas tree given by the P.T.A. at the high school auditorium, Thursday eve, Dec. 18, was a success. Although the weather was cold and stormy, a large number of people braved the inclemency and came out for the good time, which everyone present seemed to enjoy. To start the entertainment, the lights were turned off, the curtains opened and the audience were given a view of the stage and its decorations. The living room scene was used. There stood the tree ablaze with the electric lights, small odd shaped bulbs of every color of the rainbow glowed softly and shown merrily from and behind the branches of the beautiful green tree. Tinsel and ornaments dazzeled and sparkled, a mound of snow glittering with frost formed the base. And beside the tree the old-fashioned brick fireplace, with its mantle and old brass candlesticks, with candles burning brightly, children’s stockings of three different sizes were hanging on the mantle, showed that Saint Nicholas was expected. Words fail us; we cannot describe the beautiful scene. For a few moments after the curtain opened, all were silent, then exclamations of wonder and approval came to our ears, and then a roar of applause, lasting until after the curtain had closed. The following program was then given:

• Exercise, “The Birth of Peace,” third and fourth grades, District No, 7.
• Reading, “The Little Match Girl,” Beth Snyder.
• Exercise, “The Gift of the Stars,” District No. 9.
• Music, Girls Glee Club, W.H.S.
• Exercise, “Christmas Letters,” first and second grades, District No, 7.
• Reading, “Mrs. Santa Claus,” Ida Curry.
• Exercise, “The Gift of the Stars,” fifth and sixth grades, District. No. 7.
• Jingle Bells, all the children.

From the Winchester Star, Dec. 15, 1922

 

As the chorus of Jingle Bells finished, the bells of Santa Claus were heard, as he came down the chimney. Yes, he came down the chimney and crawled out of the fireplace, dragging behind him two great baskets, one filled with popcorn balls, the other with all-day suckers. He filled all the stockings hanging to the mantle and then turned and asked the children to sing Jingle Bells again. They sang it with a spirit. Then he called for everybody to sing and they did, with a whallop. The children were asked to come in a long line to receive their treats. The youngest first, and after them, according to age. Santa gave to each a ball of popcorn and an all-day sucker. As the children passed across the stage the audience burst into song, “Silent Night.” After the song, as they saw the popcorn balls and suckers dropping down the chimney and keeping a constant supply in the baskets they came back with another hearty applause. Handclapping that showed co-operation. After which someone started, “It Ain’t Gonna Rain No More.” Then came the noisy high school, with their yells and cheers for Santa Claus and The P.T.A. 

 

After the line had been supplied, Santa started the song, “Jingle Bells,” again, keeping time with the bells. As the last word of the chorus died away, up the chimney he rose, going back the way he came. The treats were then passed to everybody and there was enough and to spare.

Come again next year, it’s an annual affair. 

 

 Watch for the announcement of the Chautaqua to be given by the P.T.A. some time in January.

 

School Teacher Duties Questioned

  The Winchester Star, Nov. 16, 1945

A puzzling problem has been tossed into the lap of J.D. Everett, county superintendent. The question asked him by one of the school districts of the county is thus: “Is it the duty of the teacher or the janitor to ring the school bell?” It seems the two are loggerheads over which one should perform this task, and Mr. Everett is now studying the situation, preparatory to making his decision.

 

The Winchester Star, Nov. 30, 1945

J.D. Everett, county superintendent, has announced a solution of the bell ringing problem, tossed in his lap a few days earlier by a school district in the eastern part of the county. The problem arose when the teacher and janitor each refused to ring the bell, stating the job should be done by the other. Everett met with the school board, and after hearing, it was announced that the janitor hereafter would ring the bell. The decision was that the ringing chore is not a part of the teacher’s duties.

 

This story appeared in “Yesteryears” in October 2014.

The Threshing Crew, 1881

By Clara Agnes Luse Koenig, from the Luse Family History

The following is an excerpt from the Luse Family History and journal kept by Clara Agnes Luse Koenig, daughter of Allen Timothy Luse and Maria Allen Luse. Allen and Maria Luse came to Kansas in 1859, settling near Mound City, Linn County. They then moved several times in and around Jefferson County.They moved to a farm near Winchester in 1863, then to Nortonville in 1891. This was submitted by Linda Lloyd Kaiser, granddaughter of Clara Luse Koenig, Great Bend.

1881: This is the year my father and brother Charlie bought a threshing outfit which consisted of a separator and a ten horse power unit. This meant that the ten horses turned the power unit that turned the separator that threshed the grain. The power unit consisted of a circular middle section of machinery, cog wheels, etc., from which extended five removable levers to which the five teams were hitched. A platform was placed over the center machinery on which the driver stood with his long whip keeping the teams moving steadily around in a circle. A long rod was attached to this cogwheel machinery, near the ground, and was extended to other cogwheels on the separator. This was called the tumbling rod and was in sections. Driving the teams was a dizzy job as the platform on which the driver stood kept turning as the machinery turned and after hours of steady work relief was necessary.

Drawing of a horse-powered thresher from a French dictionary
(published in 1881) from WikiMedia Commons.

Bundle wagons brought the grain to the separator and tossed them onto the band shelf at the front end where a man with a band cutter, a large sharp knife, cut the bands on the bundles and shoved them over to the feeder. The man feeding the machine had to pull the bundle apart and feed it evenly into the feed cylinder for if too large a bunch was fed in, it might clog the cylinder and cause delay or even a break in the machinery. As the grain passed through the machine, the kernels were threshed out, the straw was carried on through and into the straw carrier at the back end. This carrier was an endless belt of canvas the full width of the machine, operated by a belt that moved it up and out. The grain flowed into a covered box and downspout on the side of the separator into receptacles. Father spread a canvas on the ground and then set his half-bushel measure under the spout to catch the grain. Father kept tally of the number of measures of grain on a tally sheet. When they threshed at home, I stood near Father and held a grain sack open so he could pour the grain in. All our grain was sacked, as grain-tight wagons were few and we had none. The straw carrier was stationary so there had to be pitchers there to pitch the straw away and build a stack. It was a very dusty job with chaff getting all through their clothes and the men all fought shy of being on the straw stack. It usually took three to handle it. It was a slow process all the way through and took thirty or more men to do the work. Father, Charlie, Will, Frank (brothers of Clara) and Jim McClure, a neighbor, was the crew that went along with the machine. Frank was band-cutter, Will was feeder, Father tallied and Jim was driver on the horsepower. Charlie was relief man to keep the machinery running or on errands.

There were not many threshing outfits around as they were quite expensive so they traveled all around over the country from early July until October. Separators were huge clumsy affairs and required two teams to move them, especially over rough roads that were common at that time. Moving from one job to another was quite a process, special care being taken in crossing bridges or fording small creeks. They had many funny experiences as they traveled from place to place threshing. The farmers’ wives had varied reputations as to feeding threshers and it sometimes took considerable ingenuity to make a job terminate or last long enough to get to a certain place for the next meal. The crew stayed with the machine all week, coming home for Sunday if there wasn’t repairs to make on the rig. 

The Rumely company was known for steam-powered threshers.
Photo from Jefferson County Genealogical Society Library.

One family was noted for being slack and dirty about the house, so they had a hard time getting threshers to come there. Finally Father couldn’t get out of it any longer and had to go there. They had quite a lot of grain and they had to stay for two nights. The boys insisted on sleeping out on the straw stack, but Father was the big boss and must have the courtesy of sleeping in the house. Well about ten minutes after he went to bed he found he was not alone, in fact a whole regiment of company had moved in to dine on him. He fought and killed relentlessly for a couple of hours then gave up, put on his clothes, stole out of the house and joined the boys on the straw stack. There was considerable activity around the house the next day and that night when Father was refusing to sleep indoors, they insisted strongly that he sleep inside so he finally went in to bed. He found the room had been thoroughly cleaned and not a bed bug showed up that night. It rained that night and the boys had to forsake the straw stack and sleep under the separator.

Horses thresh wheat in Denton, North Carolina.

The wife of the wealthiest farmer in the community was the stingiest provider and they hated to eat there. Threshing is hard work and the men always have enormous appetites, but one time she gave them mush and milk for dinner. Another time when they were eating, she came in with a pie and said, “Pie, pie, anyone want pie, if you don’t, I won’t cut it,” and never giving anyone a chance to say anything took it back to the kitchen.

It was always hot at threshing time and with a wood stove going in the kitchen they often set the table out in the yard where there might be some breeze. Then it took a couple of little girls with peach tree switches to shoo the flies off of the table during dinner. It took a mountain of food to appease their hunger and pies were stacked three deep on a plate and cut in quarters for a serving.

 

Horse-powered threshing on YouTube

Get updates about the 2020 McLouthThreshing Bee, September 18-20.

The McLouth Threshing Bee website has event information and updates.

This article appeared in “Yesteryears” in October 1985.

History of Winchester

(Its 150^th year in 2007) 

Raymond Riley

In Memory of Raymond Riley (1932-2020)

From the Winchester Star, Dec. 29, 1950

The following article was sent to us by Mrs. Cora Charles, Berkeley, Calif., which she had received from the Kansas State Historical Soc. She wonders why not a centennial celebration in 1957? This is the only town in Jefferson Township, and is situated on the line of the Kansas Central Railroad. It is one of the oldest towns of the county, pleasantly located and is a thriving business point, with a population numbering about six hundred. Scattered over a large area, with large residence and business lots, ornamented with shade and fruit trees, and with a staid and moral population this is one of the neatest, quietest and most attractive villages of the county.

The history of the town begins with the date of June 19, 1854, when William M. Gardiner made a land claim there. He drove his stake near the present Winchester Hotel, then returned East. He returned with his family in March 1855, and built a cabin on his claim on Walnut Creek. He, on his prairie claim fenced a one-quarter section of land, about where the Academy addition to the town now is, and planted a few acres of corn, of which he received an abundant crop yield. After the government land survey he sold his claim to Joseph Best, who continued opening out the claim. He soon built a cabin, and not long after another was built and they were joined together and occupied as a hotel. It will be remembered that the location was on the line of the old military freight road. For this reason the hotel did a thriving business. Best’s first cabin was built of rough logs, and except for a few nails, it cost nothing but his own labor.

Central Hotel (Forsyth)

Though quite a large settlement has been formed in the vicinity, no move was made to lay off a town until early in the year 1857. About this time the project was taken under serious consideration. There was a question as to where the site should be located. The place first chosen was at the big spring, about one and one half miles further west, and it was to be named Savannah. But Alvin Best, who had formerly lived at Winchester, Va., chose the present location, and gave it the name of Winchester. He being the oldest man in the settlement, his wishes were cheerfully acceded to by the others.

A town site was at once surveyed, which was the northeast quarter of Section 26, Town 8, Range 19 east. Since that time several additions have been made to the original town. They are, Trower’s, Dodd’s, Marlett’s, Academy and Hinchman’s. As soon as the town was laid out, William Reboe located there, built a small frame building not far from what is now known as the “Old Stone Store,” and opened a store with a stock of dry goods and groceries.

During the summer of 1857, Reboe built the “Stone Store,” which is a small building, still standing, near the Winchester Hotel. For several years this was the big store of the village, though it changed owners several times. About the time the town was surveyed, Best sold his claim to Jess Yokum, and built a frame building a short distance east of where the hotel now is.

In 1857, Joseph Head opened a grocery and whisky shop, near the same store. He soon sold out and built a larger house. After a few months he sold to William M. Gardiner, who continued the grocery business until 1858, when he sold to D.H. Wright, who died the following year.

3rd Street, looking north

The village increased in population and business but slowly until the advent of the Kansas Central Railroad, in 1872. But during that and the succeeding year it grew rapidly, since which time it has grown steadily but slowly until the present time. It is a quiet and home-like village, with little transpiring out of the usual order of events. The first physician who located there was Dr. A.R. Cantwell in 1858; first child, Ella Simmons (daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Alpha Simmons) born June 19, 1855; first minister to the gospel, Stephens Stiers; first school teacher, D.H. Wright; Christian Church, 1869, Jefferson Lodge No. 84, A.F.&A.M organized in 1869; The Winchester Argus was established in 1877 by Thomas W. Gardiner.

Other churches established here in the early days were the Methodist in 1863 and the Reformed Presbyterian in 1868.

Reformed Presbyterian Church (Forsyth)

By Prof. Blackman:

From the Statutes of the Territory of Kansas, 1855, Chapter 30, Sec. 29.

That the county of Jefferson shall be bounded as follows: Beginning at the north-west corner of the county of Leavenworth; thence west to the south-west corner of Atchison county, thence north to the south-east corner of Browne county; thence west along the said county of Browne, opposite a point twenty-two (22) miles west from the western boundary line of the county of Leavenworth; thence south to the main channel of the Kaw or Kansas river; thence down said channel to the south-west corner of the county of Leavenworth; thence north to the place of beginning.

This story appeared in “Yesteryears” in October 2007.

Steamboat Excursion on the Delaware, 1896

From the Valley Falls New Era, June 6, 1896

The steamer Delaware is proving a bonanza to young people who want to go picnicing and have a pleasant ride up the majestic Delaware. Captain Lungstrum knows how to take care of a merry party of young people, and steamboat excursions are getting to be the thing. Beautiful grounds have been laid out up the river, nice shade trees, places for swings and hammocks and croquet grounds, and it will pay you to take a day’s outing and enjoy a trip on the steamer.

Last Friday a merry party of young people from Winchester and vicinity enjoyed themselves up the river, and were well pleased with their trip on the steamer. The party was a jolly one and consisted of Ella Logan, Dr. Maggie McCrea, Cloud McCrea, Ethel French, Will French, Eva Houston, John McCrea, Irene Adams, Aggie Curry, Mary Weir, May Steuart, Anna Dill, Myrtle French, Weir Steuart, Ira Stewart, Lorena Houston, Mr. and Mrs. O.H. Curry, Laura Weir, Will Weir, Alice Thrusby, Cloud French, Lizzie Dill, Annie Cole, Renwick Steuart, Beckie Logan, James Logan, Anna McKemey, Maggie McKemey, Will McCrea, Lulu Dill, Lizzie Mitchell, Will Mitchell, Bruce French, John French, John Dill, Harvy Curry, Will Cathcart. 

Saturday Night

Saturday night the steamer had a happy crowd of our young people for passengers to the picnic grounds. Captain Lungstrum proved himself equal to the occasion, and made the trip a delightful one to the following young people of this city: The Misses Frances and Maud Johnson, Allie Gardiner, Metta and Grace Legler, Gertie Goodrich, Jessie Townsend, Maggie Tischhauser, Lestia Aitken, Louisa Schuhmacher, Fannie Marsh, Minnie Clark, Erma Spencer, Adda Falls, Henrietta Hughan, Nellie Murray, Flora Lewis, Maud Diehl, Adah Myers, Pearl Hubbard, Hortense Harman. 

from the Meriden Tribune, May 6, 1893

The Messrs. A.B. Schaeffer, L.E. Dort, Wallace Aitken, Harry Goodrich, Charles Kemper, Walter Kauffman, Guy Dort, Louis Schuhmacher, John Murray, Sam Dornblaser, Camil Flacey, Ed. Burkert, Roscoe Booth, Curtis Gephart, Leigh Myers, Everett Mitchell, Albert Myers, Russell Hubbard and Hale Bliss.

This story appeared in “Yesteryears” in April 1988.

Oskaloosa Telephone Exchange

From the Oskaloosa Independent, July 7, 1899

To the Public

We wish to announce that we have the telephone exchange in running order and will be ready by the 12^th to put in telephones for any who want them.

Telephone switchboard in Old Jefferson Town, Oskaloosa, Kansas.

In getting up the exchange we have tried to get the best of material and have put it up in the very best possible manner in order that perfect service may be given. The telephones that have been adopted are the long distance pattern, equipped with very loud ringers, and will talk through any distance. In using them locally care must be taken not to speak too loud, and thus avoid all “cross talk” (by “cross talk” is meant the talk that is heard on other wires when some person using the ’phone is talking too loud). Each telephone has a separate wire running to the switchboard, so when two parties are talking they have a private wire running from one instrument to the other.

The exchange now numbers fifty-seven and is large enough so those having ’phones can talk with a large number of their friends, and can order meat, groceries and dry goods, and have them delivered immediately. They can call a hack, or enquire about freight and trains at the depot. They can call their physician to their home, or talk with their attorney or banker, and in fact transact almost any business with the utmost secrecy and dispatch without leaving their home.

While we have solicited some there are a great many who haven’t been asked to take a telephone, as we stopped soliciting and began active work on the exchange when we had a sufficient number of ’phones taken to assure success, thinking we could best show the advantage and use of a telephone by having the exchange in operation.

So we take this occasion to invite every one to come and see our switchboard and exchange in operation, and we would be pleased to talk with any who are interested about putting in a ’phone.

From the Winchester Star, October 21, 1910

The rates, we think, are very low. They are much cheaper than the rates charged in surrounding towns, and are as follows: Residence or office $1.00 per month; Business ’phones $2.00 per month; where one person takes two ’phones, one for business and one for residence, the rate for both is $2.50 per month; when a ’phone is not in use for one month or more no charge will be made for time the telephone was not being used.

— Clarke & Buck

This story appeared in “Yesteryears” in October 2001.

Braved Blizzard to Attend Dance

Thirty Below Zero Did Not Daunt Wm. Kirkpatrick and Steve Talcott, Then Boys

From the Winchester Star, January 18, 1918 

The severe cold weather the past week, when the mercury descended to 22 degrees below zero, was an incentive to some of our older inhabitants to grow reminiscent and to recall with interest times long ago, when the winters, as a usual thing, were decidedly more severe than any of recent years.

Jefferson County Courthouse, 1867-1960

W.F. Kirkpatrick recited a story of some 40 years ago, when he, in company with S.A. Talcott, rode in a buggy from Oskaloosa to Winchester in the biting cold. At that time it was the custom to occasionally give dances in the second story of the court house in Oskaloosa, which was practically a new building then. These dances always were well attended by young people from far and near, and were a source of much enjoyment to all of the participants. No orchestra was available in those days, of course, the faithful old fiddle being the only dependence for music by which to dance.

William Kirkpatrick and Steve Talcott were only boys then, and they enjoyed attending these social hops so much that the most severe blizzard tended not to temper their ardor for the sport. It was on a New Year’s eve that they braved a blizzard to attend one of these dances in the county court house. The storm was raging “after the ball,” but the boys were not daunted by its fury and took up their journey homeward in a temperature of 30 degrees below zero. They finally reached their destination, about daybreak next morning, but narrowly escaped freezing to death as a result of their 10-mile ride in the stinging cold.

This story appeared in “Yesteryears” in October 2011.

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."

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.