Kansas Archives – Page 2 of 151

The Seminole War of 1816 and 1817 – Indian Wars

After the close of the war with Great Britain, in 1815, when the British forces were withdrawn from the Florida’s, Edward Nicholls, formerly a colonel, and James Woodbine, a captain in the British service, who had both been engaged in exciting the Indians and Blacks to hostility, remained in the territory for the purpose of forming combinations against the southwestern frontier of the United States. Nicholls even went so far as to assume the character of a British agent, promising the Creeks the assistance of the British forces if they would rise and assert their claim to the land which … Read more

Great Osage Village of Kansas – White Hair

The one village of the Great Osages on the Neosho mentioned by Colonel Sibley was that of White Hair. It was established about the year 1815, as noted before. In 1796 when the Arkansas band was induced to settle on the Lower Verdigris by Chouteau a trail from these Lower Towns to the old home on the Little Osages, in Vernon County, Missouri, where Pike had found the Osage Nation, was marked, and thenceforth used by traders and Indians alike. This trail followed up the Marmaton, in what is now Bourbon County, Kansas. It crossed over to the waters of … Read more

History of Arapaho and Cheyenne Treaties

These treaties were instrumental in establishing and defining the relationship between the United States and the Arapaho and Cheyenne Confederation. They also impacted the history of the tribe after it signed the initial treaty of 1825. Each succeeding treaty will show the historian a shrinking land mass controlled by the Arapaho and Cheyenne. Includes land cession maps detailing the land ceded by the Arapaho and Cheyenne.

Fort Leavenworth

On the next morning we rode to Fort Leavenworth. Colonel, now General, Kearny, to whom I had had the honor of an introduction when at St. Louis, was just arrived, and received us at his headquarters with the high-bred courtesy habitual to him. Fort Leavenworth is in fact no fort, being without defensive works, except two block-houses. No rumors of war had as yet disturbed its tranquillity. In the square grassy area, surrounded by barracks and the quarters of the officers, the men were passing and repassing, or lounging among the trees; although not many weeks afterward it presented a … Read more

Clay County Kansas Veterans of World War 1

1917 – 1918 Compiled and arranged by Frederick W. Hood From the official reports of General John J. Pershing, Commander in Chief Colonel Leonard P. Ayers, Chief of Statistics Branch and other reliable writers Dedication To the soldiers, sailors, marines and army nurses of Clay County, who served in the cause of our country, willing to give their lives for the freedom of the word from the most dreadful menace of all time, this volume is dedicated. The Telescope Publishing Company Belleville, Kansas The great war drama ended, our fighting men have returned home. The sound of the giant cannon … Read more

Brown County, Kansas Spanish American War Soldiers

Brown county men enlisted in Spanish American war. They are listed first by town and then alphabetically. If you can provide further details on the enlistment information of any of these people, we’d be happy to share it with our readers. Baker Samuel P. Bachar Everest Orville E. Atwood David K. Sharp Fairview Alfred C. Pouts Samuel S. Garland Horace L. Tripp Hiawatha R. H. Bates Wm. Brown Herman Brown W. W. Beymer Perry C. Chase Homer O. Cunningham John J. Chandler Frank Clark Elliot A Davis James B. Eaton Amos E. Embrie Chas. L Finley Frederick J. Gaston Dane … Read more

Post Civil War Times at Dragoon Creek

The settlers along Dragoon creek received their mail at the post office of Wilmington until the fall of 1869, when a new mail route was established from Burlingame, running up Dragoon creek, to Alma, the county seat of Wabaunsee county, a distance of about thirty-eight miles. A post office was located on the northeast quarter of section 28, township 14 south, range 13 east. The Post-office Department at Washington, D. C, requested the settlers to designate a name for the post office and nominate a postmaster. At a called meeting of the settlers the name New Lexington was selected for … Read more

Emigration to Kansas

I kept in correspondence with Thompson Blair, and in one of his letters he minutely described the trail from Leavenworth to the settlement where he and his brother Willard were located, and I determined to join them at my first opportunity. After earning a little more than one hundred dollars above expenses, I left my home in Iowa for Kansas, on the morning of September 1, 1857. The nearest railroad station was Dyersville, distant about thirty-five miles west from Dubuque, so father hitched up his team and took me and my trunk some ten miles from home to a point … Read more

Gold Digger’s, Indians, and the Santa Fe Trail

In 1858 and 1859, during the period of the Pike’s Peak gold excitement, large numbers of gold hunters passed over the trail for the new diggings. Some of these were driving good teams and wagons, some were on horseback, others had small push carts, and some even wheelbarrows, loaded with all their earthly possessions tied in a small roll. During one day in 1859 three hundred and twenty-five vehicles by actual count crossed at the ford on Elm creek, near the old mail station. At the height of the gold excitement it was not unusual thing for five hundred vehicles … Read more

Early Vital Records of Dragoon Creek

Early births in our settlement were Samuel M., son of Isaiah and Nancy J. Harris, born August 11, 1858; Frank L., son of Jehu and Mary A. Hodgson; Mary E., daughter of Samuel and Dency E. Woods: Lincoln, son of Allen and Joanna Hodgson. Early marriages as I remember them were Edward B. Murrell and Mary J. Harris, married by Allen Hodgson, justice of the peace, January 26, 1860; Burgess Vanness and Eliza Spencer; Ephraim (?) Jellison and Eliza Bailey. After the rejection of the Lecompton constitution, as previously mentioned, the legislature of 1859 provided for the framing of another … Read more

Dragoon Creek During the Civil War

As a result of the admission of Kansas as a free state and the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, seven of the southern states seceded and organized an army in rebellion against the United States government. April 15, 1861, President Lincoln made the first call for soldiers to put down the rebellion, and for the war which followed Kansas furnished more troops according to her population than any other state in the Union. Dragoon creek settlement furnished a large proportion. All the able-bodied men were in the volunteer service, the militia against Price and his … Read more

Settlers at Dragoon Creek after 1865

Among the families coming into the Dragoon creek settlement after the spring of 1865 may be mentioned Jeremiah Fields and wife Betsey, with their two married sons and son-in-law: Joseph Fields and family of six persons; John L. Fields and family of five persons; James M. Johnson and family of four persons; they all came from Ohio in September, 1865. Caleb J. Harvey, formerly of Ohio, but later a teacher at the Quaker Shawnee Indian mission, came in December, 1865. Squire Cantrill, unmarried, came from Ohio in 1867; he later married a Miss Burroughs. Upon her death he married her … Read more

History of Dragoon Creek Cemeteries

In 1860 Jehu Hodgson and wife had a tract of land surveyed and platted for cemetery purposes, James B. Ingersoll and assistants doing the work. This tract as finally platted consisted of eighty burial lots, each twelve by forty feet in size, ample for eight graves. The tract was deeded in trust to the County Commissioners of Wabaunsee County, and their successors in office, for a free cemetery. Eight conditions were named; the first provided that the cemetery should be under the care of a superintendent who might be appointed by the county commissioners, or by friends of the deceased. … Read more

Kansas Genealogy at Ancestry

Ancestry is the largest provider of genealogy data online. The billions of records they provide have advanced genealogy online beyond imagination just a decade ago. The following is but a small sample of what they provide for Kansas genealogy at Ancestry. While some of these databases are free, many require a subscription. You can try a 14 day free trial and see if you can find any of your Kansas genealogy at Ancestry! Kansas Genealogy Databases – Subscription May be Required Ancestry Free Trial Kansas Statewide Genealogy at Ancestry Conquest of southwest Kansas History of Kansas and Kansans Kansas and Kansans, Vol. … Read more

1910 Kansas Census Map

Biographies of Jewell County Kansas

The following 82 biographies were extracted from the History of the State of Kansas, 1883 and pertain specifically to Jewell County. To view the entire history of Jewell County, Kansas visit Jewell County, Kansas History and Genealogy. Jewell County is located in the northernmost tier of counties, 150 miles from the Missouri River. The county is thirty miles square, divided into twenty-five Congressional townships, and contains 900 square miles, or 576,000 acres of land. The county is among the first in the State in agricultural resources. Its central portion is rolling, and in places somewhat broken, but contains many fine … Read more

Biographical Sketch of J.C. and J. E. Baggott

J. E. and J. C. Baggott, farmers, P. O. Ionia. J. E. was born in Bradford, Pennsylvania, June 29, 1852. Came to Doniphan County, Kan., in 1869, and to Jewell County in 1873, and took a homestead ten miles southwest of Mankato, and the three Baggott brothers own 1,080 acres of land. J. C. was born in Pennsylvania, May 28, 1855. Came to Kansas at the same time his brother, J. E., came. The brothers have made most of their money by their diligent efforts, and are bound to be among the rich men of Western Kansas.

Biographies of Ford County Kansas

The following 22 biographies were extracted from the History of the State of Kansas, 1883 and pertain specifically to Ford County. To view the entire history of Ford County, Kansas visit Ford County, Kansas History and Genealogy Ford County is the southwestern most organized county of Kansas, embracing Townships 25, 26, 27, 28 and 29 of Ranges 21, 22, 23, 24, 25 and 26, being thirty miles from north to south and thirty-six miles from east to west, possessing an area of 1,080 square miles. The country is comparatively level, 20 per cent of the land, being bottom-land, which along … Read more

Biographies of Russell County Kansas

The following 31 biographies were extracted from the History of the State of Kansas, 1883 and pertain specifically to Russell County. To view the entire history of Russell County visit Russell County, Kansas History and Genealogy Russell County is one of the central counties of Kansas, it being two hundred and forty-four miles from the Missouri River to the east line of the county, and one hundred and ninty-two (sic) miles from the east line of the county to the west line of the State. A line drawn through the center of the State, from east to west, would pass … Read more

Colorado, Idaho, Kansas and Louisiana Indians Wounded in Action

The following Indians Wounded in Action, are listed by Name, Tribe and Location of death. The name under the photograph is the person shown. No additional information was provided in the book. Colorado Anthony Burch, Ute, Belgium Allen Carel, Ute, Holland John Werito, Navajo, Pacific Curtis Toledo, Navajo, Pacific Raymond Lopez, Navajo, Pacific Idaho Lawrence Bagley, Shoshone, Europe Eldon Blackhawk, Shoshone, Europe Waimmie Chedahap, Shoshone, Bannock, Europe Kenneth Cosgrove, Shoshone-Bannock, Europe Roger E. Gallaway, Shoshone, Europe Franklin Hootchew, Shoshone-Bannock, Europe Orlin Judson, Sioux, Europe Kenneth Kutch, Shoshone-Bannock, Europe Herbert LeClair, Shoshone, Europe Thomas LaVatta, Shoshone, Europe Layton Littlejohn, Bannock, Europe … Read more