Gove County KS Archives History - Books .....Organizing The County 1930 ************************************************ 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 July 22, 2005, 6:15 pm Book Title: History Of Gove County, Kansas CHAPTER XIII ORGANIZING THE COUNTY During the boom times of the seventies a number of western Kansas counties were organized which, when the boom bursted, had difficulty in keeping up their organization. Some went completely broke and had to ba disorganized, and others were left to struggle along with a depleted population, 'shattered finances and a burden of debt; Gove county had escaped some such fate by being a little short of population in 1880. The law had now been changed, making it much more difficult to organize a new county. Instead of the fifteen hundred population required in 1880 a new county must now have twenty five hundred inhabitants, of whom four hundred must be householders, and a certain specified amount of taxable property ($150,000 above exemptions, of which $75,000 must be real estate). As soon as it was felt that Gove county had enough in the way of population and property to fill the requirements a movement began for organization. In 1880 it was a Buffalo Park move, with Grainfield opposing. There was no opposition now; all pulled together for organization; here is the argument advanced by the county papers. Says the Grainfield Cap Sheaf, May 14, 1886: "During the past year our population has increased four fold. As for taxable property we are in better condition than any unorganized county in the state and better than many counties organized years ago. We undoubtedly have $1,000,000 of taxable property in the county, if valued on the same basis as other counties around us. The question with us is, shall we pay our taxes longer to Trego county and still be without the benefits of organization. "The laws of the state controlling-unorganized counties are most unjust. They are infamous. We are compelled to pay taxes the same as if we were a part of the county to which we are attached. We can have no voice in the election of county officers, but are subject in all matters to their dictation. We cannot vote on representative to the state legislature who is supposed to represent us, and it is not strange that in the legislature the unorganized counties have been "sat down on" in every possible way. Trego county has paid off its debt with the taxes of Gove, Logan and Wallace counties, and grown rich. Organization will benefit us in many ways. It will give us schools and school houses. It will save the expense and inconvenience of having to go to WaKeeney to do our county business. It means a saving of ten to fifteen dollars to every settler who proves up on his claim; as by making proof before county officers he can save the large expense necessary to take witnesses to WaKeeney. Above all it will give us self government. "If we organize at all this year it should be done very soon. In this connection is a point we must not lose sight of. If our organization is not completed "before August 1st, the commissioners of Trego county will have levied their tax for us this year, and this county, if organized after that date, will be without money in its treasury for more than a year." The Buffalo Park Pioneer puts the case thus: "Those who oppose organization are disposed to refer to Sheridan county with a bonded debt of some $12,000. The comparison is far fetched. Gove has forty miles of rail road bed in the county, excluding switches, side tracks, etc. Sheridan hasn't a mile. When Sheridan county was organized there was not to exceed a thousand acres of taxable real estate in the county, while Gove has at this time nearly a million dollars of taxable real estate, something that will not run away when the hot weather comes, if it should. When Sheridan was organized no property qualifications were required, only so much population. The legislature in its wisdom saw the evil of this and required a property qualification, and this not to consist of chattels but substantial real estate. Gove county has nearly double the property qualification to become a full-fledged county." When it was finally decided to start the ball the following notice was published simultaneously in all the county papers: Organization. A meeting has been called to be held at Grainfield on Monday, May 31, 1886, after Decoration Day exercises, for consultation in regard to the organization of Gove county. It is desired that every section of this county be represented. Here are the minutes of this meeting, which tell in concise form what was done: Organization Meeting. S. S. Reynolds chosen chairman, E. A. McMath secretary. Following resolution offered, discussed and adopted: Resolved, as the sense of this meeting that the time has arrived when the best interests of Gove county require that it be organized. H. H. Benson moved that a committee of five be appointed, consisting of the chairman of the meeting, J. B. McClanahan, Thomas H. Moore, George Platz and Bruce Sanders to divide the county into not less than ten canvassing districts and to report to this meeting the name of one resident of each district to circulate a petition with a view to the organization of the county. Carried. Committee so appointed reported, following names: J. H. Baker, D. A. Drake, Thomas H. Moore, Bruce Sanders, Van Smith, F. W. Martin, Willis Walkey, ____ Delyea, Richman Hart, S. S. Howe and Frank Wright. Committee of three also appointed to prepare the proper memorials to the governor, to be circulated by the (10) appointed as canvassers. E. A. McMath. J. Q. A. Weller and H. H. Benson were appointed that committee. Committee of 11 were instructed to ascertain whether a majority of the legal voters of Gove county want organization or not, and to report to an adjourned meeting. Adjourned, subject to call. The next meeting was held at Gove City June 14. S. S. Reynolds presided and in the absence of Mr. McMath L. F. Jones was elected secretary. Rev. J. Q. A. Weller of the committee of three reported that he had heard from nine of the committee of eleven, their reports showing that 344 had signed the memorial, with two districts to hear from. The meeting voted that the committee of three be increased to seven by the chairman appointing representative men from different parts of the county, and that this committee take charge of the memorial and complete the organization. The chairman appointed A. P. Duryea for the southeast part of the county, Richman Hart for the south center and Bruce Sanders for the northwest. The fourth place was left vacant for the time being with the understanding that some "representive Swede" should be selected. Before adjournment the meeting took a vote on the question of organization, showing seventy two for organization and eighteen opposed. The organization committee met at Grainfield June 25. The total number of names reported was 353, one district yet to be heard from. L. F. Jones was recommended to the governor for appointment as census taker, and the following assistant census takers were agreed on: G. F. Roberts for Buffalo Park, A. P. Duryea for the southeast part of the county, George Platz for Gove City, F. W. Wright for the southwest part of the county; N. H. Allison, south center; Sam Smith, Grainfield; .and Bruce Sanders, Grinnell. The following resolution, offered by Mr. Weller, was adopted unanimously: "Resolved, that this committee does not consider itself authorized, either by law or otherwise, to take any action whatever in the matter of recommending the temporary county seat." July 7 the governor appointed L. F. Jones census taker. August 13 the organization committee met again at Grainfield to make recommendations to the governor for temporary officers for the county. They recommended for county commissioners J. B. McClanahan of Buffalo Park, T. M. Stokes of Grinnell and Lyman Raymond of Jerome, and for county clerk D. A. Borah of Grinnell. Next week the Gove City Gazette said, "F. G. Bliss of Buffalo Park was suggested for county clerk. E. A. McMath, chairman of the committee, immediately objected to Mr. Bliss because he is a Democrat. McMath said that if the committee recommended Mr. Bliss he would go before the governor and make a personal fight against his appointment on the ground that he is a Democrat. In order to avoid such work Mr. B's name was withdrawn." We give this item from the Gazette for what it is worth. This is the first discordant note sounded in the organization campaign. The editor of the Gazette was a young man new to the country and did not know the people very well, for he refers to the new county clerk as "Al Borough." Thus far everything has been lovely, but now the county seat fight breaks out. Gove City is first in the field. Those old time rivals, Buffalo Park and Grainfield, make an effort to get together. The Buffalo Park Pioneer of September 2 has an account of it. Buffalo Park sent a committee to Grainfield, consisting of J. W. Ellithorpe, John Morgan and D. L. Greenfield. This committee offered to deposit $10,000 in the bank at Grainfield as a guarantee, to move the town of Grainfield to Buffalo Park and to give Grainfield property holders two lots in Buffalo Park for every one they had in Grainfield. Grainfield made a counter proposition to put up $3,000 to move Buffalo Park to Grainfield and give lot for lot. Nothing comes of it all and "the fight for the county seat is triangular" says the Pioneer. Buffalo Park does not enter the fight for temporary county seat. That fight is between Gove City and Grainfield. Each of these ambitious towns circulates petitions, remonstrances, etcetera, and each one sends a delegation to Topeka to see the governor. At last, Sept. 2, 1886, Gov. Martin issues his proclamation organizing Gove county. He appointed the officers recommended by the organization committee and designated Gove City as the temporary county seat. The part of his proclamation referring to the county seat dispute we will quote entire: "The following facts are shown touching the organization of Gove Co.: "First—The official returns of the census taker enroll the names of 3,032 bona fide inhabitants, 851 householders, and 757 legal voters. "Second—Memorials are presented, numerously signed, one asking that Gove City be declared the temporary county seat, and another asking that Grainfield be designated the temporary county seat. "The memorial in favor of Gove City is signed by 636 persons, who represent themselves as legal voters of the unorganized county of Gove. This is supplemented by a memorial signed by nineteen persons, who say that they had signed the memorial asking that Grainfield be designated as the temporary county seat, but now withdraw their names from such memorial and ask that Gove City be designated as the temporary county seat. "The memorial in favor of Grainfield is signed by 282 persons, who represent themselves as legal voters of the unorganized county of Gove. This is supplemented by memorials, signed by 43 persons, who say that they had signed the memorial asking that Gove City be designated as the temporary county seat, but now withdraw their names from such memorial and ask that Grainfield be designated as the temporary county seat. A supplemental memorial, favoring Grainfield, is filed, signed by 30 names, purporting to be those of legal voters. "Making the changes required by these supplemental memorials, and the memorialists of the unorganized county of Gove express preferences as follows: For Gove City, 612; for Grainfield, 336; majority for Gove City, 276. "Representatives of Grainfield, appearing before me, allege that the names of 118 signers of the Gove City petition do not appear on the census taker's rolls; that 74 names on the same petition are not the names of legal voters; that three names are those of persons living in Sheridan county; and that 10 names are repeated making a total of 205 names that are challenged. "In so far as the census taker's returns are concerned, it may fairly be assumed that he has failed to enroll the names of all legal voters. The object of the census taken by him was to ascertain whether the county has 2,500 bona fide inhabitants, and 400 householders, as required for organization. Hence, the enrollment is not necessarily a complete enrollment of 'either the bona fide inhabitants or of the legal voters. "But if the 205 names thus challenged should be stricken from the memorial favoring Gove City, the preferences of the legal voters would then be: for Gove City, 407; for Grainfield; 336; majority for Gove City, 71. "The representatives of Gove City appearing before me allege that the names of 137 signers of the Grainfield petition are not legal voters of the county of Gove, and that eight names appear twice on said Grainfield memorial, and these allegations are supported by affidavits of citizens of the county of Gove. "If the 145 names thus challenged should be stricken from the memorial favoring Grainfield, the preferences of the legal voters would then be: For Gove City, 407; for Grainfield, 191; majority for Gove City, 216. "It will thus be seen that, in any view of the case that may be presented, a fair majority of the legal voters of Gove county who have expressed a preference on the question of locating the temporary county seat, are for Gove City. "The case may also be stated in another form. The census taker's enrollment includes the names of 757 legal voters. A majority of the number would be 379. There are 612 names on the Gove City memorial (after deducting and adding those who petition to be changed) and of these 205 are challenged. Without passing upon the question whether these challenges are or are not valid, but deducting all the names challenged from the Gove City memorial, the remainder, 407, constitute a majority of the total number returned as legal voters by the census taker. "Again, there are 336 names on the Grainfield memorial (after deducting those who petition to be changed) and of these 145 are challenged. Without considering the question whether these challenges are or are not valid, but counting them as valid, the total of the signatures to the Grainfield memorial, 336, lack 43 of being a majority of the legal voters as returned by census taker. "In view of these facts, it seems to me that there can be no doubt concerning the preferences of the legal voters of Gove county on the question of locating the temporary county seat. Hence, I designated Gove City as the temporary county seat of said county of Gove. John A. Martin, Governor of Kansas." The county commissioners met at Gove City Sept. 9th and 10th. This first session was a very busy one. The board bought books and supplies for the county to the amount of $1,-440.20, subject to a cash discount of twenty five per cent if paid before Jan. 1, 1887. The county was divided into townships and commissioner districts, an election called for October 19th to choose county officers and a permanent county seat, and election boards were appointed. Eight townships were provided for -Baker, Larrabee and Jerome in the first commissioner district, Grainfield, Gove and Payne in the second and Grinnell and Lewis in the third. Grainfield, Grinnell, Gove and Jerome townships were named after the towns of the same name within their boundaries. Payne was named after Captain David L. Payne, the Oklahoma boomer, who was very much in the public eye just at that time through his efforts to get the Oklahoma territory opened to settlement. Larrabee was named for Governor Larrabee of Iowa; a good number of Gove county citizens were natives of Iowa, and besides, the governor himself had financial interests in the county and was a stockholder in the bank at Grainfield. Baker township was so called as a compliment to J. H. Baker, a prominent citizen of Quinter and editor of the Settlers Guide. Every ambitious town in the county had to have a township carved out for it and this resulted in some curiously shaped townships and a great difference in size, running all the way from Grainfield township with seventy two square miles to Grinnell township with a hundred and eighty. The commissioner districts were so shaped also as to put Buffalo Park, Grinnell and Jerome in different districts and give each commissioner a territory of his own. Nevertheless, the lines as drawn in 1886 by this first board of commissioners have stood unchanged to this day except that in 1903 Gaeland township was formed out of parts of Grinnell and Gove townships and in 1916 Payne township was placed in the first commissioners district and Jerome in the second. There was no lack of candidates for the offices. Three tickets were in the field. Besides the Republican and Democratic tickets another one was nominated at a convention at Gove City, Oct. 7, which went on the ballot as the People's Ticket but which was called by various other names. The county papers abused it, and the Cap Sheaf said "The mugwumps and Gove Cityites held their wondrous convention." The Pioneer called it the "Gove City ticket," "Benson-Davenport Land Syndicate ticket," etc. I have also heard it spoken of as the "Homesteader's ticket." But the real fight was for the county seat. It can readily be imagined that candidates for office had to be very careful what they said about that matter, and that the voter's choice of candidates was often governed by his preference for the county seat. The Bank of Grainfield announced, "The citizens of Grainfield have deposited in this bank Seventy Two Hundred Dollars, payable to the order of the county commissioners of Gove county, thirty days after Grainfield is duly designated or declared the permanent county seat of Gove county, in current funds, on the return of this certificate properly indorsed, Six Thousand Dollars of said money to be used in the erection of a court house and Twelve Hundred dollars, to pay for the county books." This offer was supplemented by the offer of a block of land for a court house site. Gove City's offer was, a block of land for a court house site, the use of the Benson House for a court house for "the term of ten years or as long as it may be used for court house purposes." Also, the Gove City Improvement Co. would deed the county fifty business lots in Gove City. The Gazette figures it out that this offer is worth "$25,000 to $50,000." I have not been able to find the particulars of Buffalo Park's offer, if she made any. The happy family that had worked together so nicely for organization was all broke up over the county seat fight. Crimination and recrimination, charge and countercharge flew back and forth. But why recall the unkind things that were said of this or that citizen who was prominent in the advocacy of the claims of his favorite city—why mention that it was said that Buffalo Park was the kind of a town that had "joints" but no church buildings, that Grainfield was "Bealsburg" and the candidate for county seat of that hated corporation, the Union Pacific railroad, that Gove City had no railroad and never would have any and was a land speculation engineered by a "carpet bag" outfit of non-residents and that their title to the townsite was fraudulent and defective—why speak of these things here, for are they not written in the files of the county papers, of that day? Election day came at last and Cove City was chosen as permanent county seat. Here are the returns of this election, by precincts: Gove Buffalo Grain- Jer- City Park field ome Baker 25 48 27 Payne 38 91 1 Grainneld 10 97 Grinnell 60 51 27 Gove 106 1 6 Larrabee 73 16 Jerome 132 10 6 1 Lewis 36 1 10 Total 480 218 174 1 In the election for county officers the Democrats elected one commissioner, Hamilton, in the third district and the People's ticket elected L. F. Jones register of deeds and Campbell commissioner in the second district. The rest went Republican. All three of the temporary commissioners were candidates at the election but Commissioner Raymond was the only one to be successful. And after all this fuss the newly elected officials could only serve a brief time, the regular November election was coming on in three weeks and it would all have to be done over again. And thus Gove county entered upon its career as a fully organized and self governing body. Here for the present our history must come to a close. As was said in the beginning, the writer hopes some time to be able to take up the work again and bring the History of Gove County down to the present time. Additional Comments: History of Gove County, Kansas by W. P. Harrington Gove City, Kan. 1930 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ks/gove/history/1930/historyo/organizi15ms.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/ksfiles/ File size: 21.4 Kb