Corning Kansas.

Business men who used Corning as their P. O., address as of 1887.

 

Josepn Brooks, Farmer and Stock Raiser, from Canada, came to county 1884.

 

R. H. Bowron, Livery, Feed & Sale Atable, from Wisconsin, came to county 1884.

 

L. John Baker, General Merchandise, from Pennsylvania, came to county 1879.

 

George Carter, Farmer and Stock Raiser, from England, came to county 1881.

 

J. W. Derero, Blacksmith and Wagon Work, from England, came to county 1880.

 

John B. Dam, farmer and Stock Raiser, from Denmark, came to county 1879.

 

B. C. Dickinson, Farming, from Michidan, came to county 1886.

 

Henry Earl, Farmer and Stock Raiser, from Canada, came to county 1871.

 

Charles Furst, Farmer and Stock Raiser, from Germany, came to county 1880.

 

D. Foster, Farmer and Stock Raiser from Indiana, came to county 1877.

 

W. E. Geer, Farmer and Stock Raiser, from Ohio, came to county 1884.

 

S. A. Goldsmith, Farmer and Stock Raiser, from Illinois, came to county 1879.

 

A. L. Holsapple, Farmer and Stock Raiser, from Virginia, came to county 1880.

 

George R. Hunt, Farmer and Stock Raiser, from Michigan, came to county 1881.

 

Ole Johnson, Farmer and Stock Raiser, from Denmark, came to county 1880.

 

G. H. Johnson, Drugs and Groceries, from New York, came to county 1879.

 

N. H. Loomis, Farmer and Stock Raiser, from Illinois, came to county 1879.

 

C. A. McCollom, Farmer and Stock Raiser, from Canada, came to county 11871.

 

Charles L. Payne, Farmer and Stock Raiser, from Indiana, came to county 1882.

 

J. L. Payne, Farmer and Stock Raiser, from Indiana, came to county 1882.

 

D. Peck, Blacksmith, from New York, came to county 1878.

 

George Tineklin, Farmer and Stock Raiser, from England, came to county 1878.

 

J. W. Vernon, Farmer and Stock Raiser, from Ohio, came to county 1877.

 

Mrs. J. C. Warringt'n, Prop., City Hotel, from Massachusetts, came to county 1880.

 

Fred Warrenburgh, Farmer and Stock Raiser, from Ohio, came to county 1878.

 

A. B. Wells, Farmer and Stock Raiser, from Pennsylvania 1857.

 

CORNING KANSAS 1883.

 

What is now known as Old Corning, was situated one and one-half miles west of the present town of the same name. It was established as a Post-office in 1867, wit Dr. N. B. McKay as postmaster, and named in honor of Erastus Corning, of New York. N. B. McKay at tis time opened a general stock of merchandise, in a small frame building which he erected; and another store was soon after opened by W. H. Dixon, the two business houses, with one or two dwellings, being all there was of the place.

 

The present town of Corning is located on the Central Branch of the Union Pacific, about half way between Centralia and Wetmore. Its site was originally school land, bid in by Dr. N. B. McKay, who gave one-half section to the railroad in 1870, in consideration of its locating a station at that point. The first building was the store of Dr. N. B. McKay, removed from its former site; the second, a dwelling erected by J. S. Henry. Dr. McKay then built a small frame hotel, which he conducted for a year or two, since which time it has passed through various hands, its latest proprietor being T. J. Peters. In 1874 another store building, now occupied by M. T. Baker & Co., was erected by McKay, and during the few succeeding years, quite a number of dwelling houses and store buildings have been added to the settlement, the most of them being moved in from the surrounding farms and cross-roads.

 

The first religious exercises held in the new town, were conducted by Rev. J. S. Henry, a Baptist minister, who for a number of years preached the word of God to all sects; there being no attempt made by other denominations to institute services. No Baptist organization, however, was affected.

 

A Methodist Episcopal Society was organized in 1878, the schoolhouse being used as a place of worship. The original membership was twenty-six, the first minister, Rev. J. Biddison who retained the pastorate, in connection with other duties, until 1880. In the fall of 1879, a frame church edifice was erected, at a cost of $700. Succeeding Rev. J. Biddison, Rev. J. A. Amos and Rev. C. Holman have successively assumed the pastoral relation. The membership in 1882 is about seventy, and the church is in a fairly prosperous condition.

 

A Presbyterian Society was instituted in 1878, through the efforts of Rev. J. Todd, who retains the incumbency he assumed. The congregation make occasional use of the Methodist building.

 

In 1872 a small district schoolhouse was built, replaced by a larger one, at an expense of $800, in the fall of 1878. The first teacher was Minnie Bracken, the present one, N. H. Walters, who instructs a daily average of sixty pupils.

 

The first postmaster was Dr. N. B. McKay, appointed in 1870; succeeding him, the position has been filled successively by Thomas McKay, H. W. Hazen, Edward C. Dennett, Jacob Stiger and G. H. Johnson, the last named being the present incumbent.

 

Corning, in 1882, has two general stores, two grocery stores, one hardware, and one drug store; one hotel, one lumber yard, and various minor business industries. Its population is about one hundred.

Corning Kansas 1912.

Corning, an incorporated town of Nemaha county, is located on the Missouri Pacific R. R. about half way between Centralia and Wetmore, in Illinois township, 14 miles south of Seneca. It has a bank, a weekly newspaper (the Gazette), telegraph and express offices, and a money order postoffice with two rural routes. The population in 1910 was 441.

Old Corning was settled in 1867, about a mile and a half west of the present site. A postofiice was established in that year, with N. B. McKay as postmaster, and the place was named for Erastus Corning of New York. Two stores and two dwellings were all there was to the town when it was moved to the railroad by McKa3^ who bid in some school land and gave the railroad company half a section in consideration of its locating a station at this point. The first school was taught

by Minnie Bracken in a small frame building in 1872.

History of Corning Kansas as stated in 1916.

Each town has its peculiarities and specialties. Seneca is famous for its social gaieties, its entertainments for the young, amateur theatricals, fine band. Community church and fine baseball team. Sabetha points with pride to its modern business buildings, musical organizations and municipally owned public works.

So Corning is designated as the town of solid foundation of Nemaha county. At the time this history was written a neighboring newspaper, the Troy "Chief," was running a sixty years ago column. A timely quotation from this column was to the effect that "Nemaha county is making a large and desirable accession to her population. A company from the vicinity of Galesburg, Ill., has recently located an entire township of land in that county, every quarter section of which is to be speedily enclosed and occupied by a settler. They also contemplate laying off a town. That is the way to come. Take up land by the township and cultivate it and speculators will find their occupation gone."

The man who brought this delegation from Galesburg, Ill., was Dr. N.. B. McKay, a practicing physician of the Illinois city. Dr. McKay and two other men came to Nemaha county to locate a site for a colony. This is the expedition referred to in the quotation above. The result was the Home Association which was established in June, 1858, and became a noted organization which had nothing to blush for in their accomplishments, more than can be said for many early day similar organizations. The settlers were given their quarter sections of land and the village established was America City, which has grown but little from that day to this. But Dr. McKay, not content with establishing happy settlers on fine land and starting one village, must needs build another, which is a more lasting monument to his genius, in numbers at least. Before Dr. McKay left New York for Illinois, he was in partnership with Erasmus Corning. Dr. McKay named his second town in the county of the "No Papoose" in honor of Mr. Corning. He did not desert America City, however, for the newer and more prosperous town. For years Dr. McKay remained the beloved country doctor of America City, filling in spare moments as postmaster of the town.

Corning was established as a postoffice in 1867 with Dr. McKay, at the helm, or grated window rather. A small frame building was erected and a line of merchandise installed. Later W. H. Dixon erected another building and started a second store. This was about all there was to the original Corning. When the Central Branch of the Missouri Pacific railroad was extended through Nemaha county. Corning too, had to move to the railroad. Dr. McKay owned school land, one half of

which he gave to the railway company for locating a station thereon. So in 1870 Dr. McKay moved his store from the Old Corning to the new site and the thriving town was the third to be started by the enterprising M. D. J. S. Henry built the first dwelling in the new town. Dr. McKay built a frame hotel which he conducted for two or three years and which has passed through various hands. Three years later another building was erected, and sundry buildings were added from time to time which were largely moved into the settlement from neighboring settlements anxious to be near the railroad, or from farms. As the eighties advanced. Corning progressed and acquired a fine line of citizens, most of them being men of brains and genius and a few blue blooded aristocrats, whose lines extended back to the English nobility

Jacob Jacobia was one of the early day Corning men who helped to build up the communitj' and strengthen it. His life was one of activity and interest. He settled in America City in 1857, and was one of the original pioneers of the county. He was mail carrier from Atchison to Louisville in Pottawatomie count}- and through his own district for years. Then he freighted across the plains to Denver with his own train. Mr. Jacobia's stories of those days were always thrilling. Once,

he said, he encountered a herd of buffalo, which covered the country in a solid mass so the ground was invisible for thirty miles. Once his train was attacked by the Indians, and 100 men, 300 head of cattle and fifty teams were corralled. Finally the men managed to collect under the leadership of Captain Jacobia, surprised their captors in a night attack and made their. escape. Mr. Jacobia bought the Corning Hotel, where he was for several years the entertaining host to the increasing trade Corning was drawing. He was the father of "Billy" Jacobia, who for several years was the banker of Corning, as well as mayor of the town, while his wife was bank cashier and town treasurer. Billy Jacobia's death by suicide, after they removed to Kansas City in 1905, was one of the rare tragedies that have shocked the county.

The first school of Corning was especially distinguished. It was not simply started in any old room but a building was erected for the sole purpose. It is doubtful if many pioneer villages can make this boast. In 1872 a small district school house was erected, with Miss Minnie Bracken as the teacher. Six years later $800 was expended to improve the school house and N. H. Walters, who was in charge, had six-ty pupils beneath his watchful and experienced eye. Mr. Walters was a teacher of twentj' years' experience before he came to Kansas. For over ten years directly following he was head of the Corning school. Now there are over 200 pupils enrolled in Coming's graded school. The school is divided into primary, intermediate, grammar and high school departments, with F. J. Whittaker at the head as superintendent. Miss Etta Burdette as principal, \\'illiam Newlove in the grammar department.Miss Edna Baldwin, the intermediate, and ]\Iiss Sybil Robinson, primary teacher. Corning has a splendid high school with the full course. The building cost over $8,000 and has been standing over twenty years, giving satisfactory service. It was built to endure. Some one with rare

perspicacity must have planned the building, for its lighting is remarkable for that period of architecture. The windows alone comprise most of the frame work. Four and five windows are connected on one wall space, a method that is ordinarily followed toda}', but twenty years ago was neglected.

A resident of Corning who has done much for its furtherance should be mentioned, although his health is keeping him now in San Diego. Dr. Isaac Magill was one of Nemaha county's first born citizens. He grew up on the farm of his father, Samuel Magill, in the Capioma neighborhood, one of the first farms preempted in Nemaha county. Dr. Magill still votes in Corning. He owned the telephone company there and erected the attractive building which is its home. He always promoted baseball and all other healthful sports, and was invariably depended upon to push every movement for the good of the town, ^\'hen Dr. Alagill was mayor of Corning he ding-donged at his fellow citizens until every board or worthless, brick sidewalk was removed and cement walks put in their places. Corning considers her cement walks a monument to Dr. Magill. A memorial to O. W Ort, E. S. Vernon and V. Broadbent, other progressive citizens, Corning states, is the sidewalk laid from the city to the cemetery. The new electric lights Corning regards as a monument in her present mayor, C. L. Payne.

Corning has still another distinction. It is tlie highest point in Nemaha county.