GRAHAM COUNTY.

LOCATION.

The principal timbered stream is Bow Creek, consisting of oak, ash, box elder, cottonwood and elm; with occasional groves on Brush and Coon creeks. 

Sandstone and lime for building are found in abundance along most of the streams. The stone is a white magnesian limestone, which upon first being taken from the quarry can be planed or sawed very easily, but hardens by exposure. The sand is of various kinds and qualities, suitable for any kind of mechanical work, and what is termed native lime is found in abundance, an excellent article for all indoor work, but will not stand the action of the elements, water dissolving it very readily. The soil is a dark loam, sometimes a little sandy, and well adapted for corn, wheat, rye, millet, and all kinds of vegetables. The natural grasses are buffalo and blue stem. Tame grass is being put out, and does as well as in any other section of the country. 

MAP of GRAHAM COUNTY 1883

EARLY HISTORY.

From the summer of 1879, until April 1, 1880, the county was attached to Rooks County as a municipal organization, and April 1, 1880, by a proclamation of Gov. John P. St. John, an organization was established with Millbrook as the county-seat, temporarily, and John P. Inlow, O. G. Nevins and A. E. Moses as Commissioners, and E. P. McCabe as County Clerk. 

On June 1, 1880, the first election was held in the county, and the following officers were elected: Representative, J. L. Walton; Commissioners, A. Mort, G. W. Morehouse and J. N. Glover; County Clerk, John Deprad; County Attorney, J. R. McCowen; Register of Deeds, J. J. Harrvi; Treasurer, L. Thoman; Surveyor, L. Pritchard; Sheriff, E. A. Moses; Coroner, Dr. Butterfield; Probate Judge, James Gordan. The first crops raised in the county were by Messrs. Ridgely, Wilkinson and Poole, in 1873, and consisted wholly of corn. The first post-office established was on Bow Creek, in 1874, at H. M. Wisdom's place, he being the postmaster. 

The first Sabbath-school in the county was held at J. A. Holloway's place, May 10, 1874. Nett Spencer as Superintendent, and the first church society was organized by J. M. Brown, near the Houston post-office, July 30, 1876, as the First Presbyterian Church of Graham county. The first marriage in the county was between Paris Stevens and Miss Morrison, in the spring of 1874, by Judge Schurz, of Phillips County. 

The first death was that of a daughter of A. Coleman, November, 1882, buried in Coleman cemetery, the first one organized in the county, April, 1879. The first school held in the county was in what was called Nevins District No. 45, in 1874, with Miss Anna Smith as teacher. 

The first child born in the county was Thaddeus Beaumont. The first Notary Public was Osen G. Nevins, commission dated June 28, 1878. N. C. Terrell settled on Millbrook town site July 29, 1878, and in the fall of the same year laid out the town of Millbrook--now composed of the following business houses: N. C. Terrell, general merchandise; W. A. Cox & Co., drugs; H. J. Fuller, drugs; C. Tillotson, general merchandise; Thomas Nesbitt, boots and shoes; J. N. Boyles, hotel; N. C. Terrell, postmaster, Samuel Stevens, blacksmith. In the fall of 1876, W. R. Hill located the town site of Hill City--John W. Ferrow, general merchandise. A. J. Wheeler settled August 17, 1878, on town site of Gettysburg, where now are the following business houses: Willis Ellsworth, hotel; Shearer Bros., boot and shoemakers; H. S. Hogue, livery stable; Sam Sharer, blacksmith; Willis Ellsworth, postmaster; H. S. Clubb, general merchandise; T. F. Goff, drugs and general merchandise. In July, 1878, G. E. Higinbotham settled where Roscoe now is, and in the fall of same year laid out the town of Roscoe--Samuel Coder, general merchandise; W. H. Hughes, blacksmith, and Higinbotham & Van Slyck, general merchandise, Barent Van Slyck, postmaster. Four miles southeast on Spring Creek, Higinbotham & Van Slyck have a flouring-mill, with two run of buhrs. This is the only grist mill in Graham County. Nicodemus was first settled July 30, 1877, the Town Company being W. H. Smith, President; Berry Clark, Vice-President; S. P. Roundtree, Secretary, and Jerry Alsup, Jeff Lindsey and William Edmonds, Trustees. It now contains W. Green's general store, and S. G. Wilson's store, Z. T. Fletcher, postmaster. The first newspaper published in the county was the Western Star at Hill City, May 15, 1879, Beaumont & McGill, editors. Later McGill was its, and later still its editor; it expired June 17, 1880. The Millbrook Times came next on the list by B. F. Graves, July 11, 1879; Greenback in politics. It is still being issued. Next the Graham County Lever, August 2, 1879, H. S. Hogue, editor and proprietor; Republican in politics; discontinued December, 1881. Next in order is the Roscoe Tribune, May 12, 1880, Worcester & Kellogg, editors and publishers; discontinued. Then the Millbrook Herald, established January 3, 1882, by N. C. Terrell, proprietor; circulation about 300. Republican in politics. The attorneys in the county are R. H. Litson, H. J. Harrvi, T. T. Tilitson and F. B. Turk. 

County Officers.--Rep. A Woodin, County Attorney; R. H. Litson, Probate Judge; E. Sanford, Clerk of the District Court; John H. Currie, County Clerk; E. P. McCabe (now State Auditor), County Treasurer; H. C. Mosely, Superintendent of Schools; John Malony, Sheriff; G. P. Turner, Register of Deeds; C. Fountain, Surveyor; T. J. Gardiner, Coroner; Daniel Hickman, Commissioner of the First District; Woodard, Commissioner of the Second District; Lewis Welton, Commissioner of the Third District. R. W. McGrew built the first store in the county, which was opened by J. D. Egleston in the spring of 1878, on Bow Creek. 

There are ten church organizations in the county: Presbyterian, 2; Methodist, 4; Baptist, 2; Campbellites, 1; Congregational, 1. 

INDIAN TROUBLES.

The second by violence was on the 24th of October, 1882. Mitchell Hopson (colored) killed Theodore Rudman by shooting him with a Colt's pistol, one shot killing him instantly, the ball penetrating the heart. The difficulty arose from Mr. Rudman putting up some of Hopson's hogs. Hopson was arrested by Special Constable, tried before Justice Currie, and bound over to the next term of the District Court of Graham County, and confined in jail of Ellis County, Kan. On the 4th of December, 1882, while trying to make his escape from the officers at the jail, he was struck in the head with a hammer, by one of the officers, from which he died the same day. The hammer, a large knife and quite a large package of red pepper were in possession of the prisoner, given him by outside friends to assist him in making his escape. 

The population of Graham County, in March, 1882, was 3,328. 

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

HENRY J. FULLER, physician and druggist, Millbrook, was born in Vergennes, Vt., June 30, 1852. In infancy his parents moved to St. Lawrence County, N. Y., where he lived until 1868, when he went to McComb County, Mich., where he worked on a farm until 1870, when he moved to McDonough county, Ill., where he read medicine with Dr. Scroggs for nearly three years; then he attended the Louisville Medical College until he graduated during the winter of 1876-77; then in the spring of 1877, he moved to Fremont County, Iowa, where he practiced medicine until 1879, when he came to Graham County, Kan., where he, in connection with his practice of medicine, established his drug store. He was married to Miss Ella Hushaw of McDonough County, Ill., March 14, 1874. They have two children--Leroy W. and Katie N. (George died at one year of age, in 1876.) He is a member of the Knights of Pythias. Was Justice of the Peace for Rooks County while Graham was attached as a municipal organization. Was United States Examining Surgeon, appointed 1881. 

R. H. LITSON, Section 16, Township 8, Range 23, farmer and County Attorney, P. O. Gettysburg, was born in Barnstable, England, April 13, 1831, and at eleven years of age came to America and located at Syracuse, N. Y., where he lived until 1845, when his mother returned to England, and he, at fourteen years of age, went to Madison, Ind., where he was apprenticed in a shoe shop for three years; he then worked at the same business as a practical shoemaker until the spring of 1856; also during the years from 1848 to 1856 studied law with J. C. Thom and J. Y. Allison, and was admitted to the bar of the First Judicial Circuit of Indiana. In March, 1856, and from then until April, 1861, he practiced law at Madison, Ind. At the breaking out of the war he raised a company, and was mustered in as Captain of the twenty-second Indiana Volunteer Infantry, July 14, 1861. He was discharged as Major of the Twenty-second Indiana Volunteer Infantry, August 1, 1865, under special order of the War Department, when he returned to Madison, Ind., and practiced law until the fall of 1868. He moved to Syracuse and remained there until 1872, when he moved to Parsons, Kan., looking at the West, and the same year returned to Madison, Ind. He resided there until 1875, when he moved to Indianapolis, Ind., remaining until the spring of 1878, when he moved to La Fayette, Ind. He lived there until March, 1880, when he came to Graham County, Kan., where he has since been engaged as a farmer and in the practice of law. He was married to Miss Maria Eudaily, December 7, 1851. They have had born to them five children, of whom are living--Mary E. and Richard E. He was Justice of the Peace of Randolph Township, Tippecanoe County, Ind., for two years; was member of the House that elected O. P. Morton, Untied States Senator; was elected in 1858 District Attorney of Common Pleas Court of counties of Hendricks and Putnam, for two years; was Chief of Military Conductors of Military Division of Mississippi Headquarters at Nashville, Tenn., appointed in the spring of 1865. He was wounded at Stone River, December 30, 1862, in left knee; was also wounded at the battle of Pea Ridge, Ark., March 6, 1862, on the left cheek; is on pension roll. He is a member of the G.A.R.; was elected County Attorney of Graham County, Kan., in the fall of 1880, and re-elected in the fall of 1882. 

H. C. MOSELY, farmer, Section 20, Township 10, Range 23, P. O. Millbrook, was born in Jessamine County, Ky., October 28, 1823, where he resided as a farmer until October 10, 1865, when he moved to Clay County, Mo., where he again engaged in farming until March 13, 1872, when he moved to Johnson County, Kan., and farmed until April, 1879, when he came to Graham county and homesteaded his present farm, October, 1878, and where he has since lived as a farmer. He was married May 1, 1850 to Miss Theresa M. Walker, of Henry County, Ky. they have one child--George H. His wife died July 20, 1853, and was again married to Miss Margaret Hunt, October 18, 1854. They have two children--Albert J. and Maggie T. A. He was elected County Treasurer of Graham County in the fall of 1881. Elected Sheriff of Jessamine County, Ky., in 1854, for two years. He is a member of the I.O.O.F. 

N. C. TERRELL, merchant and postmaster, Millbrook, was born in West Haven, Vt., November 17, 1830, where he resided and followed carpentering until 1855, when he moved to Kankakee, Ill., where he engaged as a contractor until 1878, when he came to Millbrook, Kan., where he homesteaded his farm on Section 27, Township 8, Range 23, where he has since resided. In the fall of 1878 he established a general store, which business he is still following. He was married September 27, 1855 to Miss Maria L. Fuller. They have four children--Kate, Mary E., Jennie, and Willie. Charles R., an infant, died in the spring of 1875. He is a member of the A., F. & A. M., and K. of P. Was appointed postmaster at Millbrook in February, 1882. He built the first house in Millbrook. Was City Assessor in Kankakee, Ill., for four years; City Alderman two years, and City Collector two years. 

ALBERT WOODIN, farmer, Section 32, Township 8, Range 22. P.O. Millbrook, was born in Saratoga County, N.Y., July 19, 1844, where he resided as a farmer until he was twenty years of age, when his health failing, he went to Ann Arbor, Mich., where he resided for eighteen months, most of the time attending Ann Arbor University, and on leaving Michigan, he moved to Lexington County, Mo., where he engaged as a farmer until 1878; also for four years of the time he lived in Missouri he was an active minister of the Christian Church, and in the fall of 1878 he came to Graham County, where he homesteaded his present farm and where he has since resided as a farmer. He was married to Miss Rebecca Rapp, February 28, 1866. They have six children--Carrie, Allie, Ida R., John, Mason and Florence M. He enlisted as private in Company F, Thirteenth New York Volunteer Heavy Artillery, January 13, 1864, and discharged as a private February 13, 1865, on Surgeon's Certificate of Disability--"Heart Disease." He was elected Representative for Graham County, Kan., in the fall of 1882. Is a member of the G.A.R.