Shawnee County KS Archives History - Books .....Chapter XV 1905 ************************************************ 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 September 25, 2006, 11:08 pm Book Title: History Of Shawnee County, Kansas CHAPTER XV. The Decade from 1880 to 1890—Results of the Boom—Territory Added to the City—Population for Fifty Years—Immigration from the South— Prohibitory Liquor Laws and Their Enforcement—Early Work in Behalf of Temperance—Activity of Women in Civic Affairs. From 1880 to 1890 was another very prosperous decade in the history of Topeka. During that period an era of unexampled activity in real estate transactions and all branches of business set in, culminating in the great boom of 1886-88. The boom proved to be a splendid thing for Topeka, but a very unfortunate one for the private fortunes of most of her citizens. Property values soared far beyond reasonable bounds, and the collapse of it all at the end not only caused the failure of many enterprising firms and individuals but gave the city a temporary setback from which it was slow in recovering. In the year 1886 there were 23 new additions platted and thrown upon the market, some of them two miles distant from the former extreme limits of the city. The real estate transfers averaged $30,000 a day, or $600,000 a month, and were more than those of any other Western city. The bank clearings averaged more than $1,000,000 a month. This period of advancement continued through the years 1887 and 1888, with a steady increase. In the year 1888 it is estimated that 3,000 new buildings were erected, at a total cost of $3,000,000. One firm, Bartholomew & Norton, built 315 residences in the several additions which they laid out. Forty-five blocks of street pavement, equivalent to four miles, were laid in that year, at an expense of $375,000. Twelve miles of sewers and five miles of brick sidewalks were laid, a $35,000 viaduct built, and an electric light plant installed, the total expenditure for public improvements being $598,000. The bank clearings for the year reached the high figure of $17,000,000 and the real estate transfers aggregated $7,879,569. Some of the prominent buildings erected in that year were: The Joseph Black building (Oxford Hotel), electric power station, Hotel Throop, Para-more Block (North Topeka), Crawford's Flats, Clugston's residence block, George H. Evans' residence block, Sells Building, Chesterfield Hotel, Edison electric light plant, Crawford office block, Columbian Building, Episcopal Guild Hall, First Presbyterian Manse, Hammatt Building, Thompson Block, Thatcher Building, and the private residences of Joseph C. Wilson, M. Snat-tinger, David L. Lakin, John Brier, J. W. Davis and John E. Frost. The cotton mill and the sugar works were also Topeka enterprises of 1888, and the Martin's Hill investment by Boston capitalists was made in the same year. A GROWING CITY. The number of city additions platted in that year was 69, most of which were rapidly settled. It was in that year that the greater part of the lots in Potwin Place and Oakland were disposed of. Potwin Place was bought in 1869 by Charles W. Potwin, of Zanesville, Ohio, for $14,400. It comprised a tract of 70 acres northwest from the central part of Topeka. He platted it into 80 lots, each 122 feet front by 205 feet deep, laid out beautiful drives with circular parks, and planted a large number of shade trees. In selling lots, he made a condition that no residence should be built costing less than $2,000. Most of the lots were disposed of in 1888, and most of the residences cost much more than the stipulated figure. It is estimated that Mr. Potwin made $140,000 profit on his investment. There are probably 600 persons living in Potwin Place at this time, and it is a most attractive and desirable suburb. Oakland is in the northeastern part of the city, in the railroad shop district, and contains a population of 500, a majority of them owning their own houses, ranging in cost from $1,500 to $5,000. Oakland now has a separate municipal organization, having been incorporated as a city of the third class in 1903. The present city officers are: Mayor, F. A. Brigham; treasurer, F. E. Jordan; clerk, B. W. Steinhour; police judge, B. P. Williams; marshal, Egbert B. Wilson; street commissioner, C. G. Sherer; assistant marshal, A. W. Sherer; councilmen,—G. H. Ensign, Charles M. Stockham, A. J. VanSant, Oscar W. Neil and N. E. Copeland. Other additions which were active in the year 1887-88 were: Lowman Hill, Highland Park, Ouinton Heights, Euclid Park, Ladies' Addition, Veal's Addition, Orchard Hill, College Hill, Martin & Dennis' Addition,' West Side, Washburn Place, Cottage Grove, Auburndale, Knox' Addition, Fair View, Wilder's Addition, Boston Heights, Seabrook, Brooklyn Heights, Steele's Addition, Franklin Park, Orchard Highlands, Bell View, Crystal Springs, Deer Park, Brentwood, Kaw Reserve, East Hill, South Park and Chicago Heights—the last named "heights" being a flat piece of raw prairie, nine miles out. Some of these additions eventually came into neighborly affinity with the city of Topeka, but many of them lapsed with alacrity into aromatic clover beds and fields of forgiving daisies. POPULATION BY YEARS. Following the experience of boom days, Topeka settled down to legitimate business, and there has been no reverse or cessation of growth in any of the succeeding years. The population of the city is shown in the following statement covering a period of 50 years: 1855 408 1880 15,528 1856 432 1881 16,240 1857 507 1882 21,562 1858 512 1883 22,425 1859 700 1884 22,693 i860 759 1885 23,499 1861 600 1886 25,005 1862 670 1887 29,973 1863 865 1888 34,199 1864 990 1889 35,622 1865 1,310 1890 31,809 1866 2,020 1891 33,247 1867 2,810 1892 33,685 1868 3,120 1893 31,422 1869 3,465 1894 30,724 1870 5,790 1895 30,151 1871 7,355 1896 31,612 1872 9,220 1897 31,842 1873 8,770 1898 32,651 1874 6,865 1899 35,365 1875 7,272 1900 36,782 1876 7,863 1901 38,067 1877 8,496 1902 38,809 1878 9,003 1903 38,952 1879 11,204 1904 39,149 The effect of the unhealthy boom to which reference has been made is shown in the loss of population in the year 1890. A partial recovery of this loss was made in the two succeeding years, when the depression of 1893 set in, and during the ensuing three years there was another slump in population. One of the principal causes of the decrease in the years 1893, 1894 and 1895 was the removal of several hundred of the citizens of Topeka to the new Territory of Oklahoma, then being thrown open to settlement. This new field was especially attractive to the colored people, who at that time constituted a large factor in the population of Topeka. In the year 1880 it was estimated that one-third of the population of the city was of the colored race, a proportion much larger than obtained in most of the leading cities of the South. THE EXODUS. In explanation of this fact, it should be stated that for many years various inducements had been held out to the negro of the South to find homes in Kansas. Conventions were held in different sections of the South in 1878 and 1879, at which the proposition of removal to the North and West was earnestly considered by the blacks. The result was a general hegira to Kansas. It started in April, 1879, and by August 1st fully 7,000 refugees had arrived in this State, many of them stopping at Topeka. It became necessary to establish barracks in North Topeka for the purpose of sheltering and caring for the refugees. To meet this condition the Kansas Freedmen's Relief Association was formed, composed of Governor John P. St. John, president; John Francis, P. I. Bonebrake, Albert H*. Horton, Cassius G. Foster, James Smith, J. C. Hebbard, Willard Davis, Noah C. McFarland, Thomas W. Henderson and A. B. Jetmore. Under the direction of this organization, colonies were located in Wabaunsee, Graham, Morris and Hodgeman counties, but at least 3,000 of the refugees remained in Topeka. The exodus movement continued through the years 1879 and 1880, adding at least 40,000 men, women and children to the population of Kansas. During the first year of their residence the sum of $150,000 was contributed from different parts of the country for their support. The refugees came from Mississippi, Texas, Tennessee, Louisiana, Georgia and Alabama. Those who settled in Topeka were principally from Mississippi and Tennessee. Additional school buildings were constructed for the accommodation of the children, and night schools were established for the benefit of the adults. Most of them were field hands, but they adapted themselves to their new condition and found employment as mechanics, laborers, teamsters, and in various other branches of industry. A settlement was built up in the western part of the city called "Tennesseetown," where many of them continue to reside, although a considerable number emigrated to Oklahoma at the time of the opening. PROHIBITION. It is not an extravagant claim to make that there are young men in Topeka of voting age who can truthfully declare that they have never seen a saloon sign, a public bar or any other evidence of a place where intoxicating liquor is sold. There is not at this time, nor has there been since 1885, a single open saloon in the city of Topeka. The amendment to the State constitution prohibiting the manufacture and sale of liquor was submitted by the Legislature of 1879 to a vote of the People, which was had at the general election of 1880. It was adopted by a majority of 8,998, the vote for the amendment being 93,302, and against, 84,304. The amendment, as adopted, was written by a citizen of Topeka, Noah C. McFarland, at the request of a mass meeting of temperance workers held on February 7, 1879, m Topeka. Upon the adoption of the amendment, the Legislature of 1881 enacted a law making it effective May 1, 1881. There was considerable difficulty in enforcing the constitutional provision at first, and succeeding Legislatures enacted several laws to carry it into effect, notably the Murray drug-store law, the metropolitan police law and the Hurrell search and seizure law. The metropolitan police law was subsequently repealed. It is undeniable that there have been many infractions of the law throughout the State, and in some localities it is totally ignored, but in Topeka it has been as well enforced as most other statutes of restraint. It was not until 1885 that its strict enforcement was accomplished in Topeka. At the beginning of that year there were probably 100 saloons in the city. All were closed within 60 days, and since that time no open saloons have existed. The question of prohibition has been a source of endless contention and litigation, both in the city and the State, and several attempts have been made to have the amendment submitted, so that the people might have an opportunity to express themselves as to its wisdom, but all such efforts have thus far proved futile. EARLY TEMPERANCE WORK. Topeka was the foe of liquor from the very beginning. A majority of its founders were strong advocates of temperance. When the Topeka Town Association adopted its first code of by-laws, March 12, 1855, the following provision was incorporated therein: "No member of this association shall be permitted to buy, sell or give away, where profit accrues, any intoxicating liquors of whatever kind, nor permit them to be bought, sold or given away, where profit accrues, upon his premises; and the full force of this article shall attach in all its particulars to the entire shares which any member may sell, exchange, transfer, give away or make over by any process, to any other person whatever, and shall be so mentioned in any article or deed of sale which may hereafter be made in the exchange of city shares or parts of shares; and further, the full force of this article shall attach in all its particulars to the city lots to be donated to actual settlers, and also to any interest now held by the Emigrant Aid Company in this city property: Provided, That nothing in this article shall be construed to prevent the sale and use of such liquors for medical, mechanical or sacramental purposes, under penalty of the forfeiture of the premises on which such sale, use or gift of liquors may be made, to the Topeka Association." In violation of this agreement, and in defiance of the well-known sentiment of the little community, a saloon was opened on lower Kansas avenue in the spring of 1857, with all the necessary goods and appurtenances and sales were made for several days to Indians and whites without interruption. Finally, a mass meeting was called, presided over by Dr. S. E. Martin, at which resolutions of protest were passed, and a committee appointed to wait upon the offender and request him to discontinue the dramshop. The resolutions failed to produce the desired result and more rigorous measures were resorted to. The committee seized the barrels and kegs of liquors and rolled them out into the street, where they were destroyed. Not satisfied with this, the committee and their abettors visited other places in the town where it was suspected that liquor was kept for sale, and a wholesale destruction of the inhibited article ensued. Liquors to the amount of $1,500 in value were disposed of in this way. The local paper, the Kansas Tribune, in commenting upon the affair, said: "The liquor spilling was participated in by a large number of our most prominent and highly respected citizens, and, what is equally important, with the entire approval of the ladies." The above incident transpired July 11, 1857. On the occasion of the first picnic in Topeka, held May 17, 1855, when a number of toasts were given and responded to, this one is recorded: "The Maine Law—May it be to Topeka what the main pillar is to the Temple of Liberty; having its foundation in the hearts of the people; may the superstructure be such as shall withstand the shafts of adversity until its topmost stone shall be laid in triumph, crying grace! grace! unto it!" Harking back to 1855 and 1857, it is easy to discover the source from which Topeka inherited its intense prohibitory proclivities and its zeal for "smashing". Regular organizations are now maintained for the enforcement of the prohibitory liquor law, and to bring the offenders to punishment. Foremost in this movement is the Kansas State Temperance Union, which has its headquarters in Topeka, and employs lecturers to stimulate the moral sentiment, and attorneys to conduct the militant campaign. The officers of this organization are: President, E. B. Cowgill; vice-president, A. C. Pearce; secretary, Rev. W. L. Dexter; treasurer, William Macferran. HELP OF THE WOMEN. The women of Topeka play an important part in supporting prohibition and advancing the cause of temperance. They have the privilege of voting at municipal and school elections, and in most instances take an active interest in the campaigns for municipal officers, their influence often controlling the result. The women have always been a power in the governmental affairs of Topeka, and many of the local reforms and public improvements are due to their efforts. The beautifying and decorating of school rooms, the inauguration of manual training, the preservation of historic landmarks, the promotion of the musical and artistic interests of the city, the establishing of traveling libraries and traveling art displays, and many kindred movements for civic betterment, are due to the wisdom and perseverance of the women of Topeka. Additional Comments: Extracted from: HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY, KANSAS AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS EDITED AND COMPILED BY JAMES L. KING TOPEKA, KANSAS "History is Philosophy Teaching by Examples" PUBLISHED BY RICHMOND & ARNOLD, GEORGE RICHMOND; C. R. ARNOLD. CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, 1905. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ks/shawnee/history/1905/historyo/chapterx17nms.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/ksfiles/ File size: 17.0 Kb