Woodson County
1876 History
From "An New Centennial History of Kansas," Charles Tuttle
Woodson County was one of the first organized in 1855,
having been named in honor of the secretary of the territory and
several times acting governor. The area comprises 504 square
miles, and the population in 1875 was 4,476, of which number
2,396 were males. Farming employs 80 per cent, of the settlers,
miners and manufacturers engage 8 per cent. Defiance, the county seat*, is 82 miles south from
Topeka. The area offers a favorable compromise as to surface and soil, as there is 6 per cent, of
forest and 10 per cent, of bottom land of great fertility, and the
wood is of good descriptions for manufacturing purposes. The
principal streams are the Neosho and the Verdigris rivers, with
their tributaries, Owl, Cherry and Big Sandy creeks, with many
smaller streams. Springs are few but good well water is found
at from 20 to 40 feet. Coal has been found, but not enough to
pay for mining in a systematic way. Building stone abounds in
all parts of the county. The Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railroad follows the valley of the Neosho, so that the region is joined
to the railroad svstem of the continent. Dogs are more destructive than wolves to sheep farmers, but that experience is common
to most counties in Kansas. There are fine water powers on the
Neosho river at Neosho Falls, and a dam has prepared the way
for complete utilization of the stream. The manufactures of the
county include a water power flouring and saw mill, a water
power woolen mill, a steam saw mill, a wagon and implement factory, and a water power furniture factory at Neosho Falls ; a
grist and saw mill, and a furniture factory at Toronto; a grist
and saw mill at Centre ; and a steam saw mill at Owl Creek
township. There are no banking houses in the county, and only
one weekly paper, the Woodson Post, published at the business
centre, Neosho Falls. There are 54 districts, and 53 school
houses, valued at $36,905 ; two churches valued at $5,400, and
libraries in five townships, numbering, in public and private collections, 4,695 volumes. The locusts fell lightly on this county,
as we find only 325 persons in want in the winter of 1874-5.
*The county seat was later moved to Yates Center.
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This website created Nov. 16, 2011 by Sheryl McClure.
� 2011 Kansas History and Heritage Project
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