Reno County History Page
Earliest Settlers in Reno County
From the "Anniversary Edition" of the "Hutchinson News,", July 4, 1893
There is some little dispute as to who was the first settler in Reno county, but Judge Houk's article having been published in 1876 and gone unchallenged, at the time, it must be accepted now as the most accurate data bearing upon that point. He concedes the honor of being the first settler to Lewis M. Thomas, who came to Kansas from Iowa in 1870. In November of that year Mr. Thomas selected as his future abiding place a part of section eight, township twentytwo south of range five west. Mr. Thomas shortly afterward visited Lawrence, where he purchased supplies, returning to his claim in December. Here he continued to reside for a number of years. On his return from Lawrence he was accompanied by Mr. John Hunt, an Englishman, who unfortunately for himself located on a section reserved to the Santa Fe railroad by a land grant of congress. The company's claims were sustained by the commissioners of the general land office, and in 1872 Mr. Hunt, in common with others who had inadvertently selected claims in odd numbered sections, was ousted.
In January, 1871, J. H. P. Rosan, while looking up a suitable cattle ranch, visited the section of country lying between Cow creek and the sand hills. Being struck with the unequaled advantages for both grazing and agricultural purposes, he at once made arrangements for a settlement for himself and friends, who were to follow. With him came James Burnett. The Messrs. Rosan "ranched," in the parlance of the day, with Mr. Thomas at his place, known as Thomas' Grove, until February 1st, when they moved across the sand hills into Cow creek valley. They established a ranche known as Rosan's grove. In April these first settlers secured a surveyor from Salina and had their claims surveyed.
On March 20, 1871, a band of settlers arrived at the mouth of Cow creek
and at once decided to locate. A surveyor was secured from Wichita, and claims located. This party consisted of William Bell, Robert Bell, William Caldwell, Havelin, John Butcher, P.
Welch, William Lacy, John Foley, John Shahan, Isaac Ijams and wife, Wesley Ijams, William Shupe and wife, James Frees, James Scaw, Hannah and Mary Frees. Some of these first settlers are still residents of Reno county and are well and favorably known. Mr. John Shahan, writing of the experience of this colony, in an article in the News, August 1, 1872, said: "At first we had a hard time of it, with no town, no railroad, no timber or coal; had no way to communicate with friends. But knowing that a splendid country soon has railroads, towns and cities, we 'toughed it out,' and worked like men." Their hopes have, indeed, been realized, and from those claims, now beautiful farms, may be heard the locomotive whistles of five railroads, or seen the smoke from a score of great manufacturing establishments, the spires of churches and the domes of public buildings in a city of over ten thousand inhabitants.
Judge Houk, in his article of 1876, mentions the Shahan settlement as follows: "In the meantime other settlers had arrived and established themselves in the eastern part of the county. Among them were A. S. Dimock, Luther Dodge, W. H. Caldwell, John N. Shahan, Wm. H. and Robert Bell, Isaac and Wesley Ijams, Wm. Casey, John Foley, Wm. Shupe, F. Walker, and John Swanson. Of these Mr. Dimock, coming on the 9th of February, 1871, was the earliest. He was, however, at the time in the Sedgwick strip and not attached to Reno county until the following year. Mr. Dodge was next in order, coming February 19th, and to him, as the boundaries then stood, must be allotted the honorof making the first settlement. Shahan and others followed soon after in a body, arriving March 20th. Mr. Watson also came some time in the spring and made his home in Cow creek valley. Several Swedes and a brother of Lewis Thomas were among the comers during the season." Tne first crops were planted in the spring of 1871, and consisted chiefly of sod corn. The first harvest was not very bountiful, for the buffaloes looked upon the corn when
it was green, and they trampled upon it, wallowed upon it and grazed upon it. It may seem
incredible that only twenty-one years ago crops in Reno county were destroyed by the bison,
but we are assured such was a fact.
One of the landmarks of the first year of settlement of Reno county was an inn built of prairie sods, near the mouth of Cow Creek, by W. H. Caldwell. A sign bearing the words, "Pro Bono Publico," bade the weary traveler tarry and enjoy the hospitality of "mine host." Here was established the first postoffice in Reno county, called Queen Valley. It was expected that the Santa Fe railway would strike the Arkansas river at that point, and convert Queen Valley into the metropolis of the west. But, alas for the fatuity of human schemes, the road ran farther north and Queen Valley now exists only in the annals of history.
The historian of 1876 notes that among the arrivals of the summer of 1871 were Mr. Charles Collins, still a resident of Hutchinson, D. B. Miller, Amasa Smith and others.
Mr. Collins located in the sand hills north of here, while Mr. Miller and family were so fortunate as to locate on section twelve, now constituting the northern portion of this city.
Early in August of 1871, a number of valuable citizens came into the new community, among them being L. S. Shields, with his sons-in-law Holcomb and Taylor and his two sons Samuel and George. A few days later Peter Shafer, George Mills, E. Shafer and Mr. Swearin arrived and located. In the latter part of the month B. F. Evarts and George Laverty arrived. These parties were accompanied by their wives, mothers and sisters, and no small part of the great work of wresting the soil from the grasp of nature has been due to the abiding faith and encouragement of these women.
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This website created Dec. 13, 2011 by Sheryl McClure.
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