Monday, June 25, 2012

Pop Corn Kansas?

The Pop Corn Post Office open June 23, 1874 and ran to July31, 1890.  Postmaster was George Cowen.

The town of Pop Corn sat on land own by G. Cowun or Cowen?, some time after 1891, the town was no more.  In 1899, the town site was still own by George Cowen.

George Cowen.

Birth: Oct. 7, 1833.
Death: Dec. 18, 1904.

Son of John Cowen and Mariah Cory. Married Sarah Ann Palmer on Dec. 4, 1866.

Children: Ida C. Cowen McPhail (1868 - 1963), Eve, John, Orel and Henry Cowen.

Burial: Highland Cemetery, Scranton, Osage County, Kansas.

I have been stating that Pop Corn was a town, but in fact it may have been only one house.  As the Post office was in the home of George Cowen.  I have read the History of Osage County and been to a couple libraries but couldn't find anything on Pop Corn.  Pop Corn Creek runs through part of Mr. Cowen's land.  It is stated that Pop Corn got it's name be cause you couldn't raise any Pop Corn there as the Kansas summers were so hot that the corn would "POP", before it could be harvest.

I was finely able to get in touch with the Osage County, Historical society, they didn't have any more then I did.  But the nice lady there said that more then likely that Pop Corn was just a dropping off point for the mail of the surounding area.  Because of the mines opening up throught out the county many post offices opened up, then after the mail stared to fall off the post office was closed.  The society thought this was the case of Pop Corn.   

In 1883, it's stated that Samuel M. Hatfield was on section 28, this is true although he didn't show up on the township map till 1899.  The land was owned by G. D. Patton.  Mr. Patton must of sold the land to Mr. Hatfield between 1879 and 1883.  Mr. Hatfield's P. O., address was Pop  Corn.

SAMUEL M. HATFIELD. farmer, Section 28, P. O. Pop Corn; born in Dublin, Ind., December 7, 1841; son of George C. Hatfield and Lydia Dunbar. He grew up in Wabash County, Ind. Enlisted October 24, 1861, in Company D, Forty-seventh Regiment Indiana Volunteer Infantry, and on December 4, 1863, was transferred to Forty-seventh Regiment, Indiana Veterans, and discharged October 23, 1865. He came to Kansas in 1869; settled in Topeka, where he remained two years and then settled in Osage City and was engaged in the grocery business. In 1879, he bought a farm in Dragoon township, containing 160 acres of improved land. Besides his own farm, he is farming on a large scale and owns a coal mine on his farm which is being worked to good advantage. He was married in Osage City, June 8, 1871, to Miss Mary O., daughter of John C. Williams and Mary Wilson. They have three children - Ernest E., born April 12, 1874; Olive A., born December 28, 1876; and Eva M., born September 21, 1882. Mr. Hatfield is an Odd Fellow and a member of the G. A. R.

Note. He was 19 years when he enlisted and 22, when he was transferred to the Veteran Volunteers.

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