City of Axtell, Kansas Webpage
City of Axtell, Kansas Webpage
People are so constituted that at stated periods in life a spirit of unrest lays hold upon them, and drawn by an unseen power, they move out and away, seeking fame and fortune elsewhere. It was in the early '70's that this section of the country begun to electrify different individuals of the eastern and middle states, and hold out to them such inducements as to render their locating here inevitable.
In 1871 a plat of about eighty acres was laid out by what was then known as the Kansas Land and Town company, Thomas Tootle, of St. Joseph, being the president. Frank White at that time owned a large ranch joining the site, which is known to this day as the White ranch, although owned and occupied by Dick Bird. Just previous to the laying out of the town, Frank White, Col. Harbin and Dr. Axtell were away on a hunting trip northwest of Home City. While seated around the campfire one night and actively engaged in conversation, the question of locating a town here came up.
"You have plenty of land, so lay us off a town site," said Mr. White to Col. Harbin, who represented the land company.
"What would we call it if I do lay one off?" came the response.
"Well," said Mr. White, "here is Dr. Axtell, and everybody likes him, so I suggest that we name it Axtell."
Thus we date our beginning here, and thus we derived our name.
Frank White was the first to erect a building, it being a frame, 20'x40', which be used for merchandise purposes. But reverses came, and a few years later he failed in business. The store was then sold and moved to Seneca, where it now stands. John Livingston, our present county treasurer, was next to engage in the mercantile business, which he conducted very successfully. Then came a Mr. Shoestring and opened with a stock of groceries. Following him was Mike Murray, who moved over from St. Bridget with a stock of goods in '74. In the summer of '75 Thomas Hypes erected a law and real estate office, which today embraces a portion of the Hynes block. December 6, 1875, N. H. Cone located here and erected a two story building on the foundation from which the White building had been moved. At this juncture there seemed to be a lull in the building business, and it was not until 1877 that any marked change or increase in momentum was noticeable. Then it was that Mr. Cone purchased all the town site laying south of the railroad track, from Thomas Tootle, the land company, in the meantime having become disorganized and the property divided among the individual members composing the company. A real estate company was at once formed, known as Cone Bros. & Hynes, and realizing the true value in a judicious display of printer's ink, they made use of some, and they went about it intelligently. Some large cards, setting forth to the world some of the advantages to be derived here, were printed and put up in every depot between here and Chicago, Des Moines and St. Louis. They realized that Samson, of Biblical times, by taking two columns brought down the house, but as they had no newspaper here they employed the next best means, and it was not without its effect, for like casting bread upon the water, it returned to them not many days later. Business men who were on the alert for a good location began an investigation; agriculturalists who were looking for a larger scope of usefulness earnestly pondered over the situation. The year following recorded the eager tramping of many feet, and first one and then another landed here, all being more than pleased with the country. In 1879, Jesse Axtell, seeing one of the advertisements, headed this way, located, erected a store building and residence, and embarked in the mercantile business. Prior to this M.H. Cone finished a residence, which today is owned by Mrs. Effie Hurlbut. A. R. Shumway, in connection with his mother-in-law, Mrs. Watkins, also put up the west portion of what is now the Summit House, running the same for several years. J.T. Ely then came over from Iowa and erected a store, putting in a stock of hardware. At about the same time W.J. Moore arrived and put up a building on the corner where the Citizen Bank now stands, likewise engaging in the hardware business. In the fall of the same year Nelson Hallum opened a lumber yard.
Thus the town prospered and thus it grew until 1886, when the Citizen's Bank was launched, the State Bank following a few years later. To meet the demands of the farmers, an elevator, now owned by D.C. O'Neil, was put up in 1886, and another in 1891 by the Brunswig Elevator company, both of which made possible the successful handling of the mammoth crops grown here.
In the winter of '89-90 a creamery was erected by a stock company, and it was run for four or five years. It was then sold to P. Johnson and Son, who converted it into a feed mill. Its burning early last spring ended its usefulness.
Going back a few years we desire to give the names of those, so far as they can be remembered, who were present here or within a radius of two miles of here, in 1875. They are: David Smith, N.H. Cone, Dennis Ryan, Patrick Kennedy, J.L. Shumway, Almond Shumway, Jasper N. Smith, James Brawner, J.F. Sharp, and Theodore Casterline. As evidence that the country was sparsely settled can be seen by the fact that there were but two houses between here and Beattie at that time and only two between here and Seneca. Fences were decidedly an unknown quantity, hence the travelers were not confined to section lines, but could choose their pathway at will. The people who settled here were mixed, so far as nationality, politics and religion were concerned, but they were of the more intelligent class, hence there was no wide gulf between them.
The Swede settlement, situated between here and Frankfort, sprang into existence about this time, and marked in no small degree a portion of the country's progress. Those living there at that time were John Bork, Fred Johnson, Capt. Benson, John Benson, Swan Olson, Charles Swanson, N.E. Johnson, Mr. Bloomberg, and others. Also six miles north of Axtell was formed what is known as the Irish settlement, St. Bridget being in the very midst of this interesting section. Those who had pushed out to the frontier and located in the early '70's were Mike Shaughnessy, John Coughlin, Pat Riley, Pat McGrath, John Smith, Thomas Smith, John Mitchell, Barney Gallagher, Tom Plunkett, James Carroll, Phillip Coffey, Tom Loob, Mike Fenaughty, Mike Shelley, John, Tom, Mike and Pat Minnehan, Pat and Mike Hughes, and Pat and Peter Lynch.
The first newspaper published here was a decidedly interesting affair, but no more so than its editor Charles Peltier. It was called the "Axtell Broadaxe." No type was used, it being written instead, and read every two weeks at the literary society, where some of the largest times on record are recorded. The paper chose as its motto, "Hew to the line, let the chips fall where they may." And they fell.
We must not fail to mention Mr. Stout who, in the early days, bought a 240 acre farm southeast of town, started a nursery, besides indulging somewhat in farming and fruit raising. He is still there and is comfortably situated, so far as this world's goods are concerned. Phillips Brothers came here in '85 and began the improvement of their mammoth tracts of land, the number of acres running up into the thousands. But they have since died, their heirs, however, remaining and living two miles north of town.
John Livingston set out the first shade trees here, with N.H. Cone a close second. Many others have followed their example, until today Axtell is a "thing of beauty and a joy forever."
The first real newspaper here was the "Visitor", edited by L.C. McCarne. But he tried to stand in with himself rather than with the people, which fact proved his downfall. The question of incorporation came up and, while sentiment was divided, the majority were against the proposition. Voting day came and a fight was the result. The non-incorporators won a victory, and to celebrate the event they gave a bonfire. In the next issue of the Visitor the editor, in order to relieve himself of an overdose of bile, took the citizens to task for defeating the movement and employed language not found in Paul's letter to the Phillippians. Of course the people had no means of defense, which fact marked the establishment of The Anchor. The paper, from the very start, showed signs of great activity, and in point of growth eclipsed the story of Jonah's gourd by several degrees, and the Visitor was soon known only as a matter of history. And we might suggest, by way of inference, that The Anchor is still in the ring, and no man has ever yet been able to land on it solar plexus.
But the growth of the town was so rapid that it was finally incorporated in 1886, Charles Russell being the first mayor. Today the town is officered as follows:
The secret societies are composed of Masons, Eastern Star, Odd Fellows, Rebekahs, Knights of Pythias, Woodmen, Workmen, Knights and Ladies of Security and Grand Army of the Republic, all of which are ably directed and in a flourishing condition.
The united and sole aim of our people has always been to legislate economically and conservatively in municipal affairs, and the same opportunities that have made our city prosperous in the past are still here, and the one looking for his portion of this world's goods will come as near meeting the desire of his heart in Axtell as any place we know of.
But looking into the future with prophetic eye we see a still larger city, a more wealthy class of people, and educational, social and religious advantages that carry still greater weight - all this because we
One might search through all Arcadia and not find a more ideal community, a simpler, happier, purer home-life than prevails in this baeutiful town and surrounding country. Dissensions, strife, jealousy, unrighteous ambitions are as far removed as drough.
This is a day of evolution at home as well as evolution abroad, and scarce a day passes but some progress is made toward a higher plane of existence than the day before. Growth and activity have been the watchword; tendencies have been upward, and all advancement has been for the betterment of society. As high an average degree of intelligence exists here as in any place in the land.
When communities are settled by colonies from a single locality, there you will find narrowness and bigotry. Axtell is cosmopolitan in the sense that the people represent nearly every state in the Union, each having brought the better characteristics of his native community, to become part of the bone and sinew of the place of his adoption.
A beautiful spirit of fellowship exists between the communicants of the different churches, and not less, though in a different sense, with the few outside the church. It would surprise an Easterner to find in a town of less than a thousand inhabitants ministers of such pronounced ability as Revs. Hamilton, Dametz and Father Burk. The people demand the best of everything, pay for it and get it.
Strong adjuncts to the Methodist society are the Sabbath School, (the banner school in the county for attendane) the Ladies Aid Society, The Women's Foreign Missionary society, the Epworth League of over forty members, and the Junior League of over 100 members. In the Presbyterian church the Christian Endeavor society has a strong and influential membership; its Sabbath school also takes a high rank in the county.
A city that lacks the prophetic vision and fails to see that the hope of the country lies in the public schools is well on the way to decadence. Axtell is not that city. Her schools are the peer of any in the county, and probably in the state. She demands good teachers and thorough work in every grade. Educators of today concede that satisfactory development of the child mind depends largely on the foundation laid in the primary department; that primary work is a distinct profession requiring specialfitness, supplemented by special training, and worthy of proportionate remuneration. That Axtell is abreast with the times is demonstrated by the fact that she pays her primary teacher the highest salary paid in the county for the same grade. There are no greater factors for developing intellect, moulding character, marshalling the forces of good against the evil than well equipted Christian school teachers.
"Public Sentiment" is the atmosphere of community life; it breathes health or it carries disease. Public sentiment will not tolerate the licensed saloon or the unlicensed "joint" within her borders. "Business stagnation," as a result of prohibition, or "municipal prosperity" as a reward of license, are arguments that do not obtain here. The morality of our youth is not for barter.
Nor is the esthetic side of life neglected; music, art and literature find a congenial environment. A public library is a dream of a number of persons who have energy and enterprise commensurate with their faith.
The Woman's Club -- exotic flower of our civilization! In the sense of the nervous prostration, encyclopedia racked victim of social science, we have none. We have a band of women ignoring exclusiveness, and inviting co-operation of all thoughtful women who have been studying "our new possessions." They write papers, discuss national questions and are fearlessly attacking a subject which has staggered the whole civilized world - "What shall be done with China?"
Another band of women meet together as a club with unalloyed friendliness and good fellowship, the savor of life, for their object. Who shall say that there is not more honesty and less affectation in these modest efforts than are the futile vaporings about the " phenomena of the occult" and kindred subjects occupying the time of women in our sister cities?
The benevolent side of club work is being ably executed by our different fraternal organizations, none of which have exceeded in good works the Rebekah and I.O.O.F. lodges. The Masonic order and its better half, O.E.S. are strong institutions. The M.W. of A. and its consort, the R.N. of A. are probably the strongest numerically, of any; together with the A.O.U.W.
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