Riley County, Kansas--Trails to the Past

Cities and Towns of Linn County, Kansas

Trails to the Past

Manhattan

The forerunner of the city of Manhattan was established in the form of two communities in 1854: Polistra, founded by George D. Park; and Canton, founded by Samuel Houston and four other pioneers. Both of these communities were established within the borders of the current city. In March of 1855, a group of New England Free Staters, led by Isaac Goodnow and traveling under the name of "The New England Aid Company," arrived in the area with the intent of forming a free-state town. Together with the settlers of Polistra and Canton, it was decided to form one settlement and name it Boston. A few months later a paddle steamer carrying 75 passengers from Ohio ran aground in the Kansas River near the settlement. They received an invitation to join the new town, and agreed to do so if the town would be renamed to "Manhattan," after the company they represented to help settle an area further west in Kansas. Manhattan was incorporated on May 30, 1857.

Along with most of the state, Manhattan suffered its share of problems with the pro-slavery group during the Civil War, but because of their proximity to Fort Riley, they were somewhat protected from the major violence that other towns suffered. In 1859 gold was discovered in the Rocky Mountains, and Manhattan received a boost by the miners heading to the gold fields, who bought supplies from Manhattan merchants.

The first school was taught in 1855 by the wife of Rev. C. E. Blood. The first schoolhouse was erected in 1858. The first church, Methodist Episcopalian, was also constructed in 1858. The first birth in Manhattan was that of Irvine Lovejoy, son of the Rev. C. F. Lovejoy. The first death was that of G. W. Barnes, son of Charles Barnes. The first marriage in Manhattan was that of Thomas Platt and Sally Pipher, in January 1856. John Pipher was the first postmaster, appointed in 1856.

Manhattan Links

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March 24, 2011