Anderson County KS Archives History - Books .....Introduction 1877
************************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/ks/ksfiles.htm
************************************************

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Joy Fisher sdgenweb@gmail.com August 4, 2005, 11:35 pm

Book Title: THE HISTORY OF ANDERSON COUNTY, FROM ITS FIRST SETTLEMENT TO THE FOURTH OF JULY, 1876.

INTRODUCTION.

  On the 24th of June, 1876, I was selected by the historical committee to write
out and prepare for publication a history of the county from its first
settlement to the present time. I accepted the appointment, and at once entered
upon the work of collecting the incidents connected with the settlement of the
territory now embraced within the limits of Anderson county. The settlement of
this portion of the Territory followed so closely on the passage by Congress of
the Kansas-Nebraska bill, with the repeal of the Missouri compromise, that many
incidents of the early struggles of this section have Undergone Congressional
investigations, and have consequently already passed into our national history.

  In order to give a full and complete history of the first settlement of the
county, I commenced with the settlement of the Pottowatomie Indians, in 1837,
and their numerous settlements along the Pottowatomies since, with their
removal, and the first white settlements, in 1854, and have carefully written up
the many thrilling adventures and hardships encountered by the bold and hardy
pioneers who left their homes in civilized communities and took up their line of
march in covered wagons, across the pathless prairies and through the wild
jungles that lay in their course, until their arrival at their new and romantic
settlements, where they intended to make their future homes, and to help open up
the wild prairies and beautiful valleys and establish freedom, and make it a
civilized community and a desirable country for future generations. The bitter
controversy between contending parties in the first settlement of the
Territory—one intent upon establishing a government for the new State
recognizing and sustaining the institution of slavery; the other contending for
a government recognizing the freedom of all mankind, as free and equal under the
law—has been touched upon. I have also given the first settlements in the
different portions of the county; the selection of townsites, their settlement
and progress, or decline, as the facts required; the location and settlement of
different colonies, with a brief sketch of the more noted settlers prior to
1860; the many elections in Territorial days: mass meetings, political
conventions, railroad meetings, organization of rail read companies, locating
roads and postoffices. location of county seats, first term of court, and the
manner in which business was conducted in the courts for several years; dividing
the county into municipal townships and school districts, the building of school
houses, church organizations and building church edifices, giving names of the
successive state senators, representatives, judges of the district court and
county officers, from the organization of the county to the present time, with
dates of election or appointment, and the time served by each; a brief statement
of the organization of each township, its settlements and successive township
officers; also, a synopsis of seasons, crops, visitation of locusts or
grasshoppers, Spanish fever among cattle, and the full particulars of all the
murders and murder trials in the county. I have carefully prepared a list of the
names of the brave men who served in the army for the suppression of the
rebellion, giving the company and regiment in which each served; also the names
of the heroic dead who sacrificed their lives in the service of their country.

  I have endeavored to furnish a true and impartial history of the county from
its first settlement to the present, and in as brief a manner as possible to .do
justice to all. In the preparation of this history, I collected the facts from
the imperfect and partial records of the county, and detached papers in the
county offices, from files of old newspapers, old letters, and from the
recollection of many of the early settlers, as well as my own recollection.

  The design of this history is to preserve for the people of Anderson county an
imperishable record of its early history, now existing only in the memory of its
earliest settlers and in scattered and. detached papers and records, which are
now fast wasting away.

  I have tried to avoid partiality or favor to any particular person or place.
What I have written has been with a desire to present the facts, and I now
present these matters to the public for their candid perusal and unbiased
judgment, hoping that it will meet the approval of my fellow citizens who have
helped contribute to the transactions? that go to make up this history. 
                                            W. A. JOHNSON.


Additional Comments:
THE HISTORY OF ANDERSON COUNTY,
FROM ITS FIRST SETTLEMENT TO THE FOURTH OF JULY, 1876.
BY
W. A. JOHNSON,
CHAIRMAN OF HISTORICAL COMMITTEE.

PUBLISHED BY KAUFFMAN & ILER, GARNETT PLAINDEALER,
1877.

Entered according to act of Congress, in the year 1877, by
KAUFFMAN & ILER, In the office of the Librarian of Congress,Washington, D. C.


File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ks/anderson/history/1877/anderson/introduc52ms.txt

This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/ksfiles/

File size: 5.6 Kb