On the county map Stranger ( Linwood ) cand be found in Township 12-south and Range 21-east. On the township map Stanger ( Linwood ) can be found in sections 13 & 23.
Stanger post office open Auguat 26, 1867 and ran to December 20, 1877, First Postmaster Heroules Carroll, name changed to Linwood.
Linwood post office open December 20, 1877 and ran to ?, First Postmaster Thomas Harbaugh.
Starger Station, on the Kansas Pacfic Railroad, at the mount of Stanger Creek, is the largest village in the township, and a place of considerable trade; has several fine houses, Church, Stores Shops, Station and a fine School House.
Business men who used Linwood as their P. O. address as of 1878.
F. M. Adams, Teacher, from Ohio, came to county 1868.
J. M. Burdick, Farmer, from New York, came to county 1875.
T. N. Beezley, Farmer, from Tennessee, came to county 1875.
A. Corothers, Farmer, from Indiana, came to county 1866.
G. P. Clay, Farmer, from Virginia, came to county 1872.
J. M. Davenport, Farmer, from Kentucky, came to county 1865.
I. G. Hanway, Farmer and Painter, from Indiana came to county 1868.
J. W. Kinghter, Farmer, from Indiana, came to county 1858.
Martin Kapp, Farmer and Stock Raiser, from Pennsylvania, came to county 1858.
Linwood Kansas, 1883.
This is a thriving village of 125 inhabitants, on the main line of the Kansas
Pacific. It has several excellent stores, which do a very good business as
tributary to the prosperous farming country surrounding it. The site of the
village is very beautiful, being at the confluence of the Stranger and Nine-mile
creeks with the waters of the Kansas River, better known to inhabitants of that
locality as the Kaw. Sherman Township was one of the latest townships of the
county to be settled, yet now no farming district therein surpasses it in
prosperity.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES - SHERMAN TOWNSHIP, POST OFFICE LINWOOD, 1883.
THOMAS N. BEEZLEY, farmer and stock raiser, P. O. Linwood, came to Kansas in
1857 and located in Barbour County, and lived there from July till May of the
following year. Then he moved to Lawrence and lived there till 1868, when he
located in Sherman Township, Leavenworth County. He was born in Tennessee in
1820, and removed with his parents when quite young to Sinclair County, Ill.,
and remained there till seventeen years of age, then enlisted in the army and
went to Mexico and served with the Rangers during that war, and was discharged
at the close of the war and returned to Illinois. He was two years a pilot on
the Mississippi River, and crossed the plains to California, and remained there
two years. He returned to Illinois and came to Kansas in 1857. Mr. Beezley was
first married in Kansas, in 1843, to Miss Hannah Huffsey, a native of
Philadelphia, and had four children, none now living. He married his second wife
in 1856-Miss Tabitha Edds, a native of Missouri. They had five children, one
living - Thomas N.; was married again in Lawrence, in 1865, to Mrs. Catherine
Stopher; had one child - James N.; was married again in 1872, to Eliza Jane
Ford, a native of Ohio. Mr. Beezley was City Marshal of Lawrence for seventeen
years and Constable four years. Is a member of the Odd Fellows' Society.
E. E. BRUNK, farmer, Section 18, P. O. Linwood, came to Kansas, April, 1856;
settled near Centropolis, Franklin County. Has engaged in farming and teaming
ever since. Has served as Constable six years. Enlisted in Company I, Thirteenth
Missouri Volunteer Infantry, May 2, 1861. Was under the command of the Gallant
Mulligan, and was taken prisoner at Lexington, Mo.; after a stubborn defense of
eleven days, and when starvation compelled it, his whole command surrendered.
The opportunity affording, he was mustered into the Twenty-fifth Missouri
Infantry the same fall. He was never sick nor absent a day from his command
until wounded at Shiloh. He was in all the engagements of his command until he
was wounded a second time at Peach Tree, Ga., during the famous Sherman raid. He
was sent from the hospital home, and before he had fully recovered he took his
buggy and recruited another company, while yet his leave of absence had not
expired. He was then transferred to the Forty-Third Missouri Volunteer Infantry.
Was in an engagement with Price at Glasgow, Mo., and was taken prisoner, held
twenty-four hours and paroled; marched to Boonville, and from there ordered to
Jefferson City. He continued in Government service till close of war, and was
mustered out at Benton Barracks, July, 1865. He was commissioned as Second
Lieutenant, Company H, and commanded Company D during engagement at Glasgow. He
was born in Franklin County, Ohio, April, 18, 1844, son of Samuel and Emma
Brunk. While only two years old his parents moved to Davis County, Mo., where he
remained till he enlisted. After close of war he traveled extensively in
Colorado, Oregon, Washington Territory and California; finally settled in
Kansas. He was married in Davis County, Mo., April 28, 1865, to Nancy C.
Creekmore. She was a native of Missouri. The children are-Margaret Emiline,
William Edward, Emmett Edson, David Edwin and Samuel Edson.
FRANK M. DUNCAN, merchant, block 2, in Linwood, came to Kansas in the fall of
1867. First located in Linwood, then called "Stranger" (and formerly Journey
Cake), on the Delaware Indian Reserve. He was born near Keokuk, Iowa, November
17, 1856. He is the son of John S. and Annie Duncan. In 1859 his parents removed
to Memphis, Tenn., and thence to Kansas City one year afterward. Remained at
Kansas City seven years and then moved to Linwood. The summer of 1873 was spent
at Grand Tower, Ill., and part of the year of 1875, at Oberlin Ohio, where he
learned telegraphy at college. He has been engaged in the railroad service for
seven years; was with the K. P. road in Kansas until March, 1881, when he went
to Colorado and engaged as Chief Clerk in the "Resident-Engineers" office, of
the Denver and Rio Grande R. R. Served in this capacity thirteen months and then
returned to Linwood, and went to merchandising. He was married at Linwood,
September 15, 1880 to Viola Tudhope, daughter of John and Mary Tudhope. She died
October 31, same fall. She was a native of Ohio, and was twenty-three years of
age at the time of her death. Mr. Duncan's father, John S. Duncan, deserves some
mention in connection with this sketch. He was a man of unusual vigor and force
of character. Was a native of Ohio; ran a saw mill in Kansas City five years,
and from 1865 until the time of his death at Grand Tower, Ill., in 1873, lived
at Linwood, Kansas.
JOHN B. FREDERICK, farmer, Section 14, P. O. Linwood, came to Kansas City
spring of 1848. Purchased fifteen acres of land at or near the mouth of Kansas
River, at $10 per acre, farmed it here for a few years, and sold fourteen (14)
acres for $3,000, and afterward sold the remaining one acre for $4,400. In 1862
moved into Wyandotte County, Kan., and in 1881 came to present location. In 1854
went with an ox train from Fort Leavenworth to Fort Union. Was about four months
making the round trip. They were two months out of sight of any white
settlement. In going out found no white settlement between Leavenworth and
Council Grove, but on return found the country between these points settling
rapidly. In 1859, Mr. Frederick, in company with seven others, was employed by
two French noblemen to accompany them as guides and bodyguard on a pleasure and
hunting excursion, across the plains to Mexico. They proceeded as far as Salt
Creek, fifty miles beyond Fort Riley. The company were supplied with a very
costly outfit, and every luxury was afforded that money could procure. Buffalo
were found in abundance. After several futile efforts on the part of the
noblemen to bring down a buffalo, a Mr. Eno, one of the guides and an old
hunter, killed three in a few minutes. But the evening after the first hunt, a
few suspicious acting Indians were prowling near camp, and our brave lords
suddenly abandoned the idea of going to Mexico, and decided to return by the
shortest route to Kansas City. Mr. Frederick was born in Germany, December 2,
1832, son of Henry and Mary Ann Frederick. When five years old his parents moved
to America, and settled in Henry County, Mo., 1837, remaining there till he
moved to Kansas City in 1848. He was married in Kansas City, November, 6, 1860,
to Margaret Gittens, daughter of Patrick and Catherine Gittens. She is a native
of Ireland. They have eight children - Catherine, William H., John E., Francis
E., Thomas, Mary Ann, Allen.
JOHN JEWETT, farmer, Section 5, P. O. Linwood, came to Kansas June 16, 1857.
He first located in Leavenworth City, and engaged in drilling wells till 1869,
since when he has been engaged in farming. He was the first County Commissioner
elected from Sherman Township-served two years. Was Sergeant in Kansas State
Militia. He was born in Richmond, Ontario Co., N. Y., July 13, 1834. Son of
Stephen S. and Jemima Jewett. At an early age his parents moved to Kendall,
Orleans County. He remained at home till he was of age, by which time he had
accumulated a little money of his own, by teaching school, and taking Greeley's
advice to young men, he came west as far as Illinois. Here, in the fall of 1856,
he cast his first vote, for James Buchanan. Taught school while in Illinois. In
May, 1857, with a train of eleven migrant wagons, he started for Kansas, and
reached Fort Leavenworth June 16, 1857. He was married in Lawrence, March 5,
1861, to Ellen A. Turman, who was born in Perrysville, Vermillion Co., Ind.,
daughter of Benjamin Turman. Their children are Sarah Maud, Stephen B., John,
William G., Joseph A., Emily P. and Lena V.
CHARLES PETERSON, farmer, Section 6, P. O. Linwood. He was born in Sweden,
January 28, 1842. Son of Peter and Mary A. Peterson. He left his native home in
1868 and went to San Francisco, Cal., where he remained five years. He then
returned to Sweden, but again sought a home in the Western Continent and came to
Illinois, and after remaining there two years he came to Kansas, November, 1878.
He was married in Sherman Township, spring of 1882, to Jennie Tousin, a native
of Sweden. He has adopted Kansas as his home, and proposes to thoroughly inform
himself as to the geography, history and resources of our thriving young State,
and thus to become an intelligent and useful citizen.
JAMES PICKENS, farmer, Section 11, P. O. Linwood, came to Kansas, fall of
1854, and was engaged for two years following, freighting for Government. Made
his first trip from Fort Leavenworth to Fort Riley with mule train. The second
journey was made in about five months from the same initial point to Fort Union,
N. M., and return. There were very few houses in Leavenworth City when he left
for New Mexico, and the country along the extreme eastern border of Kansas was
just then receiving its first emigrants. A few days' drive took him entirely
away from all white settlements, but on his return he found that during the
short period of five months the pioneer settlers had pushed their way far into
the interior of the State, and Leavenworth had grown to very respectable
dimensions as a city. His next trip in the Government service was to Fort
Kearney, Neb. He remained at that post four or five months, and was there when
Gen. Harney had his famous engagement with Indians at Ash Hollow. On his return
from Fort Kearney he went to Parkville, Mo., and there carried on the mercantile
business from 1856 till spring of 1861, when he moved to the old Indian village
of Sicoxisville, Leavenworth Co., Kas. But in 1865 he returned to Missouri,
remained two years, and in 1867 again moved to Kansas, settled where he now
lives, and has engaged in farming ever since. He is an old veteran of the
Mexican war, having served under Gen. Paterson, and was in all the engagements
of his command. He has been elected County Commissioner of his county three
times and has served two terms. Has frequently represented his district in
County Conventions. He was born in Tennessee, August 17, 1833. Son of William
and Annie Pickens. His parents both died when he was quite young. He came from
Tennessee to Platte County in 1853. He was married in Leavenworth City, June 3,
1861, to Kansas Bingley, daughter of Mr. Charles Bingley. She is a native of
Missouri. They have five children, Charles O., James R. M., Lilly C., Sarah M.,
and Oliver J.
ORRIN W. SHEPHERD, merchant, Lot 3, Block 31, Linwood, came to Kansas spring
of 1870; first located at Edwardsville. He was born in Liberty, Cal., November
19, 1858, son of Adam and Mary Shepherd. Left California, February, 1869, and
moved to Harrison County, Mo., and for a few months engaged in farming, and then
moved to Edwardsville, Kan. Has served the Union Pacific Railroad as operator at
Linwood, Solomon City, Manhattan and other places. Was also in employ of K. C.
L. & S. R. R., as agent and operator, at Burden, Cowley Co., Kan., until
August 19, 1881, when he opened a store at Linwood, and has already found it
necessary to enlarge his store room, and is now building a new business house,
22,50 feet, where, in company with F. M Duncan, he will keep a full assortment
of general merchandise.
J. W. WARRING, farmer and physician, Section 6, P. O. Linwood, came to Kansas
January 2, 1870, settled where he now lives, and has practiced medicine and
engaged in farming ever since. He takes considerable interest in educational
matters, being a member of the School Board, and has also served as Township
Clerk and Trustee. He was born in Scott County, Ky., August 4, 1847, the son of
William and Martha Warring. He left Kentucky in 1869, and moved to Platte City,
Mo., where he remained about seven months, and then came to his present
location. He was married in Sherman Township, May 9, 1870, to Lydia F. Harness,
daughter of Thomas and Mary Harness. She is a native of Kentucky. They have four
children - Carrie M., Ray, E. Cobb and Oley Otto. Dr. Warring is a successful
farmer and a good physician; has a lucrative practice. He is a worthy member of
Advent Church.
Linwood, an incorporated town of Leavenworth county, is situated at the confluence of Stranger river with the Kansas river and on the Union Pacific R. R. about 30 miles southwest of Kansas City. It has several excellent stores, a hardware and implement house, school, churches, money order postoffice, telegraph and express facilities, and is the supply and shipping point for the prosperous farming country by which it is surrounded. In 1910 the population of the town was 323.
