As Published - February 1940
February 1940 (Vol. 9, No. 1), pages 106 to 109
Transcribed by lhn;
digitized with permission of the Kansas Historical Society.
"The Mallet Expedition of 1739 Through Nebraska, Kansas and Colorado to Santa Fe," by Henri Folmer, was published in The Colorado Magazine (V. XVI, No. 5), of Denver, in September, 1939. This expedition, the. author surmises, was the first successfully undertaken by white men across the unknown country between New Mexico and the Missouri region. Although the detailed itinerary is lost, the route probably led up the Missouri river to the land of the Arikara Indians in present South Dakota, southwestward overland through the central part of Kansas, west along the north bank of the Arkansas river, southwest to Santa Fe, east along the Canadian and Arkansas rivers to the Mississippi, and down the Mississippi to New Orleans.
Of interest to historically-minded Kansans are the following articles by Victor Murdock appearing in his front-page column in recent issues of the Wichita (Evening) Eagle: "One Trail Across Kansas, Leavenworth to Wichita, Has Been Long Traveled," October 6, 1939; "Hosts of Kansans to Find Coronado Show Next Year Top New Mexican Effort," October 7; "Holster From Frontier in the Indian Territory an Heirloom in Wichita," October 16 ; "Mem-ories of Carl Meeker of a Picturesque Spot on Banks of the Ninnescah," October 24; "Farm Produce Sales Here Which Helped to Anchor the Pioneer Population," October 27; "West Douglas Ave. Lots Near Banks of Big River Have Had a Real History," November 22; "Newly Discovered Diary of a Pioneer, C. C. Fees, Revives Settler's Vision," November 23.
Among the historical articles featured in the Kansas City (Mo.) Star during October and November, 1939, were: "General [Leonard] Wood's Battle For Lives Continues on the Medical Front," October 9; "William Allen White Remembers a Man [Herbert S. Hadley] Who Did Everything Well," October 11; reviews of books by two Kansas writers, Kirke Mechem and Bliss Isely, and by a onetime Kansas cowpuncher, Paul I. Wellman, now a feature writer on the Star's staff, October 14; "Two New `Dorothys' From Kansas [the William Allen Whites] Explore the Modern Land of Oz," November 10 [this article written by Mr. White, entitled " `Dorothy' Comes Home," appeared originally in the Emporia Gazette of November 6] ; "Thanksgiving Day in Kansas Has Had a History of Roving," by Cecil Howes, November 18.
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KANSAS HISTORY IN THE PRESS 107
Kansas history items appearing in recent issues of the Kansas City (Mo.) Times include: "John Brown and His Strange Army Raided Harpers Ferry 80 Years Ago," by Paul I. Wellman, October 16, 1939; "A Rich Store of Kansas Records Collected [by the Kansas Historical Society] Over Sixty-four Years," by Cecil Howes, October 17; "Paintings of John Noble [first Kansas artist to gain an international reputation] Stir Memories of a Romantic Quest," by J. D. W., October 18; "Dr. Cady Passes 40 Years at K. U., Continues Work on Something New," by T. M. O., October 26; "October in Kansas, the Season When All True Natives Are Poets," by Cecil Howes, October 27; "[John W. Haussermann, the `Boy City Attorney' of Leavenworth and the Gold Mine King in Philippines Arrived with Funston's Kansans," by Lowell Thomas, November 6; "Nearly Half the Kansas Counties Named in Honor of War Heroes," by Cecil Howes, November 8; "Mennonites Were Lured to Kansas by a Shrewd Immigration Agent," by Cecil Howes, November 24; "Middle West Owes Special Debt to [Dr. James A. Naismith] the Inventor of Basketball," by T. M. O., November 30.
Mrs. Christie Campbell-Loomis, the first white child born in Salina, recalled some events of her girlhood during the log-cabin days of that region, in the Salina Journal, October 25, 1939. Mrs. Loomis is a niece of Col. William A. Phillips, a prominent Kansas pioneer.
In a special edition of the Independence Daily Reporter of October 28, 1939, city and county attractions were featured. Among the articles was one entitled, "Early History of Montgomery County and Independence."
A thirty-six page booklet was published in November, I939, in observance of the seventieth anniversary of the First Presbyterian Church of Abilene. The pamphlet was compiled by C. C. Wyandt, a member of the church for fifty-one years, from minutes of the church session and reminiscences of older members.
The history of Simpson, written by members of the sophomore class of the high school in 1919, was reprinted in the Simpson News, November 2, 1939, from its issue of February 6, 19I9.
Ashland's Clark County Clipper on November 2, 1939, published reminiscences of C. W. Evans, a pioneer settler and former resident of the county, and an article on early postoffices in Clark county by John R. Walden of Winfield, which supplemented a review on the same subject in the Clipper of September 28.
108 KANSAS HISTORICAL QUARTERLY
Mrs. Maggie Goss, of Dwight, read a paper on the history of the community prepared by herself and Mrs. Roman Goss, as part of the program of the Morris County Pioneer Kansan Club at its meeting at Parkerville on October 21, I939. Her paper was printed in the White City Register, November 2.
A brief statement of the history of Wetmore, taken from a Methodist church record book, was featured in the Wetmore Spectator, November 3, 1939.
The following historical articles were published recently in the Wichita Sunday Eagle: "John Brown's Hanging Recalled by ExWichitan," and "Wichita Postal Veteran [C. H. Bracken] Quits After 43 Years," November 5, 1939; "St. Francis [Hospital] Has 50 Year Record of Wichita Service," by Father William Schaefers, "13 Catholic Hospitals Serve Wichita Territory," and "St. Francis Nursing School Serves Hospital Need," November 19.
Mankato's city library, which has been housed in the community building since September, 1939, formally opened its new rooms with a program and open house on November 15. The Western Advocate on November 16 reviewed the history of the library from its organization in 1901.
In its issue of November 23, 1939, the Kansas Chief, of Troy, printed a letter written by Cyrus Leland, Sr., in 1866. Because of the important role played by Colonel Leland in early Doniphan county history, the autobiographical material in the letter relating to his attendance at Harvard University and his military service is of particular interest. A tintype of the colonel, made shortly before the Civil war, was reproduced. Letter and portrait came from Bartlett Boder, of St. Joseph, Mo., a great grandson of Colonel Leland.
A story of the first settlers of Twelve Mile, a community northwest of Downs, has been prepared by Alfred E. Gledhill, son of a pioneer family. His father, Joseph Gledhill, was one of a party of sixty-five which emigrated in 1872 from Connecticut, and the narrative, according to the Downs News of December 7, 1939, gives a full account of the Gledhill family.
In preparation for the dedication of the new Republic county courthouse in Belleville on December 18, 1939, the Belleville Tele-
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scope on December 7 issued a special twenty-four page "Court House Dedication Edition." Articles of historical interest included a list of Republic county officials since 1868, stories of the organization of the county and the first county election in 1868, the creation of the twelfth judicial district and the meeting of the first district court in 187I, and a sketch history of county buildings constructed from 1872 to the present.
The Kinsley Graphic on December 14, 1939, announced the publication of a book by Col. William Payton, of Garfield, entitled The Last Man Over the Trail. It is divided into two sections, one dealing with the old Santa Fe trail and the famous men who traveled it, and the other telling the story of William Drannan, a boy who was reared by Kit Carson, the Indian scout. Among the incidents related in the book is the uprising of the Sioux Indians under Sitting Bull in 1890, which occurred in South Dakota shortly after Payton and his father had purchased a ranch there. In the same issue the Graphic featured other articles of historical importance: "Some Early-Day Reminiscences" written by Mrs. Alice Loring Humphrey Erwin and first published in the Graphic on May 19, 1905, and "Shelter Belts Will Save Edwards County Soil" which reviewed in words and pictures what is being done in the county to conserve the soil.
A reunion of some of the old pupils of Ritchey school district, three miles west of Cheney in Kingman county, was held recently, according to the Cheney Sentinel, December 21, 1939. The Sentinel featured a brief history of the school from its organization in 1879 to 1910, compiled by two of the early-day pupils, E. J. Goldsborough and Mrs. Ora Rollins.
In celebration of the completion of a new post-offIce building at Council Grove, the Republican on December 29, 1939, published a "Post Office Cornerstone and Dedication Edition." Historical articles dealing with early postmasters and the early postal service in the city were printed. A partial directory of the local civic, service and study clubs, a directory of Council Grove professional men, and photographs and biographical sketches of early settlers were also included.
