Lenora, Kansas

Taken from The Norton County News 1870-1916  Historical Number.    
Transcribed by Joann Wolf   

LENORA

A history of Lenora, by G. N. Cheeseman, one of its oldest settlers.

The town of Lenora was named by J. S. Peak for Mrs. Lenora Harrison, the only white woman living on the Solomon west of Kirwin during the winter of 1872 and 1873.

In June, 1874, a meeting for the purpose of starting a town was held in a small log hut on the bank of the Solomon just west of where the Lenora mill now stands.  Rue Bros., of Cawker City, promised to put in a stock of goods if a building was erected.  It was decided to erect a building 30 X40 feet, and in order to accomplish this a Stock company was formed of the following members: G. N. Cheeseman, O. J. Burwell, G. W. Hood, C. H. Lansing and A. S. Burroughs.  They had not much money but were made of good old pioneer material which has built up western Kansas.  The shares in the stock company were sold at $ 5.00 each and the building erected.  It was built of logs and was the only building, with a shingle roof, west of Kirwin.  It stood where the Lenora News is now located.

In the fall of 1877 the log store was moved south across the street from Booth Bros. Store and used for a school building until 1884, when a two-story building replaced it.  In the fall of 1911, the school having outgrown the building, bonds amounting to $ 12,000 were voted for a brick building which was erected on the old site, and would have done credit to a much larger city.

Dr. Smith was the first physician to locate, coming in 1878.

In 1881 W. L. Johnson and Co. started the first hardware store.

The first livery and feed barn was started in 1878 by Ryan and Decker, in; the block west of where the Exchange Bank now stands.

The first hotel, The commercial House, was built in 1879.  The same year Dr. Thomas started a drug store, and Charles Lathrop started the Lenora mill.

The city was platted on June 28, 1879, and recorded  the same day; L. K. Pratt, recorder.

The first death in the community occurred October 15, 1877, a child of Mr. And Mrs. J. McGearie, and a little two year old daughter of Mr. And Mrs. G. N. Cheeseman, both deaths occurring on the same day.  The southwest corner of southwest  corner of the Hendricks quarter was chosen for a burying ground and on October 16, 1877 the first funeral, a double one, was held and these two little bodies were laid to rest in what is now the East Lenora cemetery.  The South cemetery was started several years later.

In 1881 the Missouri Pacific extended their line from Logan to Lenora, and on January 1, 1882, the first passenger train was run into Lenora.

The First State Bank was started by Mr. Moody, in 1884.  The Union State Bank was started in 1905 with Prof Larrick as cashier.  During the panic of 1907 these two banks were consolidated.  The Farmers State Bank was started in 1909.

The first lumber yard, The Howell Lumber company, came with the railroad in 1882.

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