Shawnee County History
Menoken Twp.
"History of Shawnee County and Representative Citizens," James L. King, 1905
Menoken Township � This is the youngest township in the county,
having been established July 18, 1879. It is located in the center of the
northern half of the county, and was formerly a part of Silver Lake township. Robert Forbes lived on one of the Menoken farms in 1868, and the
new settlers in 1869 were B. T. Payne. W. K. Elliott and H. E. Close. E. T.
Matthews bought the Payne farm in 1870, and in the same year property was
bought and improvements made by S. M. Allen, Frank Workman, E. B.
Robinson, F. A. Diffenbacher, R. Wells, M. Kiernan, Priddy brothers and
P. Madden. Later in the same year homes were established by W. D.
McCormick, G. P. Mitchell, H. Sharper, J. Blackler, J. P. Bowser, J. P.
Cole, J. R. Insley. H. Ausherman, and G. W. R. Ward. In 1871 other
farms were opened and homes built by W. T. Pence, W. T. Prewitt, W. Canfield and D. B. Groshong. The first settlers endured many hardships, as the
only crop they could raise the first year was corn on newly-broken sod. Many
additional farms were occupied in 1872 and 1873, and considerable trouble
resulted from contests with squatters.
A CATTLE GROWING DISTRICT.
The increased population and development of the district in the next
five years induced the formation of the separate township. The two branches
of Soldier Creek, called Big and Little Soldier, supply the township with
water. There are several large cattle ranches, and the farming and stock
operations are extensive. Good schools and church buildings are to be found
in all parts of the township. On the Union Pacific Railroad, five miles north-
west from Topeka, the station of Menoken is located. It is a small village,
with a few of the customary stores and shops, and affords a central point for
trading and shipping.
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