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This article was taken from Allison Times dated Friday, June 1,
1888.
Thanks to Darrell Jepson for
donating the article.
ALLISON AND Decatur County
CHEAP HOMES FOR THE HOMELESS
As we propose to give this county, and town a write-up, not as a fashion
of other papers, nor as a land agent would picture the country for self
aggrandizement; but shall make as plain unvarnished discription of the
country as possible, that all who may read can understand exactly the
situation as near as can be without being present, and getting personal
knowledge.
Politically, Decatur county is Republican, by a majority of 400: yet there
is considerable liberallity, and often good men of other Parties fill
office�s in the County.
The religion of the county is diversified as much so as any country, and a
greater amount of liberality than will be found in the east.
The people are friendly, and much more sociable than in eastern
states: all thinking people
will see the cause for this at once.
The people here are all upon a more equal footing:
not saying that all are poor:
but the great majority are about equal in circumstance�s and
being a selection of all the resolute, high spirited poor people, of
almost all other states, they naturally are congenial spirits.
It takes no philosopher to see the situation in this direction.
The soil is a dark loam, and very productive, the only requirement for a
bountiful yield, is sufficiency of rain, of which we are inclined to think
will get better as the country is broken out, and subdued.
Almost all crops do well here but the most prolific is corn, wheat,
rye and sorghum; vegetable�s of all kinds do exceptionally well, fruits
are succeeding well, the small fruits have been thoroughly tested, and
yield well, apples, pears and peaches are getting a start, some orchards
getting old enough to begin bearing, and every indication will convince
you that in a few years Decatur county will produce as fine fruit as any
country, the advance of the County is wonderful for the past four years.
Portions of the county that four years ago, you would drive for
miles without seeing a habitation: at
this time it is settled, and improved to a degree that is wonderful, good
substantial frame houses, and any amount of good pasture inclosed with
good fencing, the improvement in this short a time is greater than would
be made in settling up in an eastern state in twenty years.
Decatur county is especially blessed with water, the four streams;
the Beaver, Sappie, Prairie Dog and the Solomon running diagonally
across the county. The
Beaver, Sappie, and Prairie Dog each have a Railroad transversing their
Valley�s and soon the Solomon will have a road following this beautiful,
and productive valley, and especially is Decatur county blessed, as she
has those three roads without one cent of Bonds.
Allison is situated on the Solomon in the southeast corner of the county:
being 30 miles from Oberlin, the county Seat, 28 mile from Hoxie,
the county Seat of Sheridan county, 33 mile from Hill City, county Seat of
Graham county and about 40 mile from Norton Center, county Seat of Norton.
There could be no better location as regards a relative
position to other towns. Lenora,
18 miles east, and the present terminus of the Central Branch Railroad.
By consulting the maps, you will see at once the beautiful
location, and that Allison is one of the very best points for the location
of any business. We have at
the present, one Hardware store, one General store, two Grocery stores,
one Drug store, two Hotel�s, two Livery barns, Blacksmith and wagon
shop, A flouring Mill, 25 barrell capacity, Brick yard, and many of our
residences are composed of that solid material.
The town, and country surrounding is composed of as intelligent
industrious and honest a class of people as can be found anywhere, the
great majority of course are men that have come here within the last three
or four years, yet there are a few who have been located along the River
for ten years, and we are glad to say without a single exception they are
in good circumstances: all of
those that had the nerve to stay are far ahead of the fainthearted, who
ran back to their wife�s people upon the first failure of a crop.
But why why bother those details?
All pioneer people know what it takes to make a country, and those
that are coming in, are not coming to battle with what the first settler
did, for now although in the short space of four or five years.
Those arid plains have been transformed from a wild desolate
sparsely settled country to a well developed, and well organized country,
with churches, school houses of a better grade than many localities we
could name far beyond the rolling Mississipie.
In conclusion, if anyone should wish for more particular information as
regards to the town, and country, write to our Board of Trade, who will be
glad to give any information desired.
Another article in the Allison Times Friday, June
1, 1888
ALLISON
As it is at this time, we have the following businesses; A first class
hardware store, implements and undertakers establishment; a general dry goods, boot and shoe store; two grocery stores; one drugstore;
blacksmith shop; two hotels, two livery and feed barns; a grist mill; and
all are doing a good business; a land and loan agency with our own modest
enterprise, in the newspaper business.
Now think for a moment, this town is but three years old, has never had a
town C??? boom it, and never had a railroad company sell lots at big
prices; but has been the
outgrowth of a natural force of circumstances, viz: The development of a good country, and unparalleled location,
and beautiful situation for a town.
To show that Allison is one of the substantial growths that makes
permanent towns: we have but
to say look around on the good substantial brick buildings.
Take into consideration the failures in business, in towns that
have been boomed, beyond the natural development of the country.
For illustration, Lenora, a Railroad town:
we can count no less than eight firms who have failed in the past
three years, other towns have done as bad; but Allison has her first
assignment to make. Those cool facts speak volumes; and those that are looking
for location in business should heed them.
At present, times are dull, generally over the country.
Now would be a good time to invest, and we think Allison can give
as many advantages as any town in Northwest Kansas today.
We have no jealousy of any rival town, in fact do not consider that
we have any and merely speak of Lenora as an illustration, being
personally known to the facts as named.
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�Sharleen
Wurm
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