Barton County KS Archives History - Books .....Early Political History 1912 ************************************************ 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@yahoo.com October 3, 2005, 1:33 am Book Title: Biographical History Of Barton County EARLY POLITICAL HISTORY AMID the hurry and bustle of business in the spring of 1872, men did not altogether forget their political duties and privileges and, it being the year of a presidential election, the duty of "saving the country" rested with scarcely less weight on the minds of the pioneers of Barton County than on those nearer the center of civilization and political corruption. Meetings were held by the Republicans in each of the three townships—Lakin, Great Bend and Buffalo—in the month of July, to select members of the Republican central committee. At the meeting in Great Bend A. J. Buckland, who had arrived here a short time before from New York state, was chosen chairman of the first political caucus in Great Bend and probably was first one in the county. The committee thus selected soon after met and organized by electing W. H. Odell as chairman and D. N. Heizer, secretary. The time of holding the county convention was set. It was to consist of twenty members, five from Lakin township, five from Buffalo township, and ten from Great Bend township. The convention assembled in a building then standing at the corner of the court house square. M. V. Halsey of Lakin was elected township chairman. In addition to the delegates already mentioned, five delegates not in the call were sent down from the colony at Pawnee Rock and claimed admission. An angry discussion arose on the question of admitting them, when a large number of delegates, including the chairman, withdrew from the convention. Those remaining reorganized by electing A. A. Hurd, chairman, and proceeded to nominate a county ticket. During the campaign of that year—1872— Hon. W. H. Smallwood, candidate for secretary of state; Hon. S. A. Cobb, candidate for congress, and Hon. S. C. Pomeroy, candidate for United States senator, addressed the citizens of Great Bend on the issues of the campaign. The first political discussion in Great Bend was between G. W. Nimocks, a young lawyer from Iowa, on the Republican side and D. S. Copeland, also a lawyer, from New York, on the side of the Liberals. This discussion took place in the old Holland building which, at that time, stood on the north side of the square. The vote for president in that year was as follows: U. S. Grant, 160; Horace Greeley, 64. The county election was held without much friction and resulted, as shown in the table to be found in another part of this book under the heading of "County Officials of Barton County." The delegates to the state convention at Topeka that year were: T. S. Morton and G. W. Nimocks; and to the congressional convention at Lawrence, J. B. Howard and Amerine. During the following winter Barton County was detached from the county of Ellsworth and the Fourteenth judicial district, and became a part of the Ninth judicial district. FIRST TOWNSHIP ELECTIONS. (In the following article the following abbreviations are used: Tre—trustee; C—clerk; T—treasurer; J—justice;—Ces—constables.) Independent township was organized in 1875 and originally comprised all that portion of Lakin township north of a line between townships 18 and 19. The following officers were chosen at the first election held in the fall of that year: Tre., J. L. Bangrover; C., A. C. Schermerhorn; T., J. T. Soring; Jus., H. E. Barugrover and Chas. O. Blennis. South Bend township was organized in 1876 and comprised all that portion of Great Bend and Buffalo townships south of the river except range 23. The officers chosen at the first election in November of that year were: Tre., Ira Brougher; C., George C. Kinkaid; T., S. Mitchell and Jus., Wm. Hood and O. Powell. Walnut township was organized in 1876 and comprised all that portion of Buffalo township north of the line between townships 18 and 19. The first election was held in November of that year and resulted as follows: Tre., B. I. Dawson; C., Peter Fox; T., T. Harper; Jus., John Pascoe and H. White; Ces., John Westover and H. Nordmann. Homestead township was organized in the fall of 1876 and comprised originally all that portion of Great Bend township north of the line between townships 18 and 19. The first election resulted in the election of the following officers: Tre., Marsh Meeker; T., D. B. Linder; C., F. Hall; Jus., J. Humphrey and J. Gere. Union township was organized in July, 1878, and comprised all that portion of land included in township 16, range 13. The first election held in that year resulted in the selection of the following officers: Tre., B. H. Downing; C., Oliver A. Verity; T., Joseph Weatherby; Jus., Jacob Sessler and A. S. Verbeck. Pawnee Rock township was organized in 1878, but previous to this, in 1872, it had been made a voting precinct. It comprised township 20, range 15. The election resulted in the selection of the following officers: Tre., Geo. Pool; C., Chas. Lewis; T., Reuben Kemmerling; Jus., Joseph Hannon and James M. Depew; C., Frank Hallowell and W. C. Hatter, ter. Beaver township was organized in August, 1878, and comprised township 16 of range 12. The first election was held in that year and the following officers were elected: Tre., R. Bruce; C., Willis H. Norton; T., P. B. Freeman; Jus., C. Norton and C. W. Hoffmeister. Cheyenne township was organized in August, 1878, and comprised townships 17 and 18 of range 12. The officers elected were: Tre., C. B. Gillis; C., J. N. Reading; T., Wm. Linder; Jus., Albert Lent and S. S. O. Warren. Wheatland township was organized in August, 1878, and comprised township 16 of range 14. The officers elected at the first election were: Tre., Chas. Hall; C., E. J. Hat-ton; T., M. Sauser; Jus., N. S. Hayes and Fred J. Spencer; Ces., Henry J. Whipple and O. T. Shook. Fairview township was organized in October, 1878, and comprised township 16 of range 15. At the first election held in November of that year the following were chosen as officers of the township: Tre., J. W. Brown; C., D. C. Barrows; T., John Johnson; Jus., Will H. Clark and Henry Webb; Ces., Robert Jordan and W. A. Brown. Clarence township was organized in October, 1878, and consisted of congressional township 19 of range 15. The first election was held in November of that year and resulted as follows: Tre., M. F. Campbell; C.. John W. Slinn; T., L. S. Pursell; Jus., A. M. Button and T. F. Craig; Ces., J. H. Rhoades and W. H. Allison. Eureka township was organized in 1878 and comprised township 18 of range 18. The first officers elected in November of that year were: Tre., Frank Patterson; C., John R. Harris ;T., Alex. Dennis; Jus., Aaron P. Jones and James Cummins; C., J. F. Smith and C. Plaisted. Hayes, Seward, Lincoln and Zion Valley townships were organized in 1878 from the territory that originally was a portion of the unorganized county of Stafford. Hayes comprised congressional townships 22 and 23 of ranges 11 and 12. Seward, which was at first called Warren township, comprised comprised townships 21 and 22 of range 13. Lincoln comprised townships 21 and 22 of range 14; and Zion Valley comprised township 23 of ranges 13 and 14. Later they were all included in the organization of Stafford County, county. Grant township was organized in July, 1879, and was composed of township 18 of range 15. At the first election held in November the following were chosen for officers: Tre., Chas. P. Wunderlich; C., John W. Burke; T., C. Cox; Jus., W. M. Butler and C. Ramsier; Ces., Joseph Gleissner and J. W. Brown. Logan township was organized in July, 1879, under the name of Calumet. In November the name was changed to Logan. It was composed of township 18 of range 11. No election for officers was held in this township, it being governed by the officers of Independent township. Comanche township was organized in July, 1879, out of territory formerly in Lakin township and was composed of township 20 of range 11 and 12, south of the Arkansas river. The first officers, elected in November of that year were: Tre., J. Brewer; C., W. H. Grant; T., J. W. Wilson; Jus., J. S. Province and C. Fields; Ces., Noah Province and D. Hagan. Albion township was organized in July, 1879, and was composed of township 17 of range 14 and the first officers who were selected at the election held in November of the same year, were: Tre., C. G. Smith; C., C. W. McMasters; T., D. W. Linder; Jus., G. L. Murdock and John W. Linder; Ces., Thomas Murphy and Joseph Shields. Liberty township was organized in October, 1879, and was composed of township 20 of range 14. The first officers were: Tre., Wm. Howerton; C., Wm. Brady; Ces., Milton Mossberger. The commissioners districts as arranged in 1878 were as follows: First: Independent, Cheyenne, Lakin and Hayes townships; second: Beaver, Unian, Homestead, Great Bend, Seward and Zion Valley; third: Wheatland, Fairview, Walnut, Clarence, Pawnee Rock, Buffalo and Lincoln. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ks/barton/history/1912/biograph/earlypol25gms.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/ksfiles/ File size: 9.5 Kb