Main Street of Towanda.
Date not stated.
Push to enlarge.
Towando Kansas, 1867.
Towanda is the name of a small place in Otoe County, about 138 miles west of the Missouri and 58 miles , south of Solomon's fork of the Kansas river, and 105 miles souyh-west of Topeka. Population 80.
Business men of Towanda, 1867.
Samuel Fulton, Post Master
Gookins, Indian Agent.
Jack Lawton, Indian Agent.
James Mead, General Store
Otoe County becomes Bulter Couny.
Otoe became a County in February 16, 1860. In 1864, Butler county enlarged its boundaries and all the territory within Otoe County became part of Butler, and Otoe County was no more.
Towanda Kansas as stated in 1883.
Towanda is a live little town of seventy-five inhabitants, located on the Whitewater, about eight miles west of El Dorado. It was laid out in June, 1870, by Rev. Isaac Mooney. The town consisted of eight blocks of twelve lots each. Streets were sixty-six feet wide except Main street, which was 100. The first house on the town site was erected by G. W. Baker, and used as a store. During 1871 Mr. Mooney built a large hotel and barn, and the other settlers put up residences. A fine schoolhouse was put up this year at a cost of $1,500. Since the building of the St. Louis, Ft. Scott & Wichita Railway, the town has grown rapidly, and bids fair to attain considerable size.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES, 1883.
Business men who used Towanda as their P.O., addreess as of 1905.
A. J. Bayles, Farmer and Stock Raiser, came to county 1875.
M. Braley, Farmer and Stock Raiser, came to county 1873.
Patrick Culhane, Farmer and Stock Raiser, came to county 1878.
J. A. Elrick, Farmer and Stock Raiser, came to county 1902.
H. T. Foskett, Farmer and Stock Raiser, came to county 1871.
Dr. S. S. Gross, Physician, came to county 1899.
I. Hammond, Farmer and Stock Raiser, came to county 1871.
E. E. Hanes, Farmer and Stock Raiser, came to county 1885.
Hess Bros, Livery Feed and Sale Stables, came to county 1894.
E. H. Horton, Farmer and Stock Raiser, came to county 1876
J. H. McCulloeh, Farmer and Stock Raiser, came to county 1902.
John Manor, Farmer and Stock Raiser, came to county 1879.
Fred Manor, Farmer and Stock Raiser, came to county 1871.
Walter Mooney, Post Master, came to county 1870.
G. H. Morrow, Meat Mareket, came to county 1886.
D. Jr., Moster, Farmer and Dairyman, came to county 1868.
Miles Mosier, Farmer and Breeder of Norman Horses, came to county 1868.
Jas. T. Nye, Farmer and Stock Raiser, came to county 1870.
George Phillips, Farmer and Stock Raiser, came to county 1872.
A. J. Ralston, Farmer and Stock Raiser, came to county 1868.
R. J. Ratts, Farmer and Stock Raiser, came to county 1876.
J. C. Robison, Breeder of Percheron Horses, came to county 1884.
W. B. Royer, Farmer and Stock Raiser, came to county 1870.
C. F. Shriver, Farmer and Stock Raiser, came to county 1871.
A. J. Shumway, Farmer and Stock Raiser, came to county 1890.
T. C. Sortor, Farmer and Stock Raiser, came to county 1881.
Joseph Sparks, Farmer and Stock Raiser, came to county 1896.
P. M. Stansbury, Farmer and Stock Raiser, came to county 1882.
F. C. Symons, Farmer and Stock Raiser, came to county 1872.
M. A. Wait, Farmer and Stock Raiser, came to county 1872
Towando Kansas 1912.
Towanda, an incorporated city of the third class in Butler county, is located in the township of the same name on the Missouri Pacific R. R., 8 miles west of Eldorado, the county seat. It has a weekly newspaper (the News), a number of retail establishments, express and telegraph offices, and a money order postoffice with two rural routes. The population in 1910 was 275. There is a stone quarr}' and a number of live stock farms in the vicinit)'. It is the receiving and shipping point for a large agricultural area.
Towanda Kansas as stated in 1916.
Note. There will be some miss spelling.
Situated nine miles west and south of El Dorado, on a slightly elevated tract overlooking the AVhitewater river, is Towanda, an incorporated town. It can be truthfully said that it is one of the best trading points, one of the nicest little towns, and has some of the most enterprising citizens to be found in Butler county or in Kansas.
In 1870 Rev. Isaac Alooney had surveyed and laid out in town lots, ten acres of what is now the southwest corner of Towanda and thereby became the father of the present bustling little village. Before this date J. B. Alead had established a trading post in the W'^hitewater valley about a quarter of a mile w^est of the present town site. At that time Towanda was what might be called the trade center for the country within twent}- miles, and stirring indeed were the doings of the old trading post of long ago. It was at that time the division point for two stage lines running over the western plain with headquarters at Emporia and Humboldt. It was also the camping ground for government trains and immigrant w^agons on account of the beautiful spring bubbling out of the hill on the west side of town.
The first store building erected on the present town site of Towanda was built by G. AV. Baker, in 1871, upon a lot south of the present M. E. church. The lot was given Baker by Isaac Moone};, who was engaged in the same business, as Baker expected to enter in the log house shown elsewhere in this work. The only instance on record where one man furnished another with means of entering into competition with the donor.
The next building was by L. Viets, father of C. L. Viets, of Wichita, and Allie Viets, of Augusta. He afterward sold his stock of goods to William McDowell and moved the building to Augusta. Then came R. S. Miller and J. H. Dickey, handling hardware and drugs, followed b}^ II. Taylor & Son, general merchandise; J. M. Reed, A. Aikman, G. W. Stewart, blacksmiths and woodworkers, and many others.
Good business buildings have been erected in the past few years. In the residence section wonderful improvement has been made, new houses erected and a general prosperity seems to have taken the town. There is a full two-story building built by the Masons of Towanda. They occupy the upper story for a lodge room, which is nicely furnished 'for the purpose. The lower story is occupied by Shriver & Glass with a large stock of hardware and implmenets, buggies and wagons, etc. G. W. Moore is the owner and editor of The Towanda News, a newsy home paper. The Knights of Pythias hall is a good
brick building, the first floor of wdiich is used for a storeroom and the second for a lodge room. It is owned by the order. The State Bank of Towanda, F. W. Robinson, cashier, and J. C. Kullman, president, is one of the solid institutions of the coun^^^^ and is doing a thriving Imsiness. J. C. Kullman, C. B. Sewart and L. C. Hill, general merchandise, and many other lines of business are represented, and all are prosperous.
Towanda township has about ten miles of the Missouri Pacific railway system, a good depot and shipping facilities. More fine draft horses, Holstein cows and other live stock are loaded and unloaded at this station for the Robinsons, Bishops, Girards and oth.crs than any other point in the county. Wichita, a town of some note, lies about twenty-five miles south of Towanda. Towanda has always been a Good trading- point. It grew slowly. Once it received votes for the county seat. Its early social life was of that limited sort peculiar to people coming together from almost every point of the compass. The first school, the first church organization and other firsts are like unto the beginnings of all new countries. Rev. Isaac Mooney began preaching on his arrival at his new home and kept it up steadily until his death. He bought the splendid valley west of the village from Mead, filed on the one hiuidred and sixty acres east of it as his homtestead, donated the cem.etery, platted the town, and gave away lots in encouragement of new comers. He has been fruitful in good works and faithful in every relation
From the camping place of the Indian and from a trading post, Towanda has grown to a tidy little village. In 1892 it was largely razed by a c}clone. but its people built it anew and better than before. It lias two substantial churches; some fine and several substantial resi- dences and many comfortable cottages. It is surrounded by a neat, beautiful and most fertile country. It has a fine brick school building with four departments, is one of the high schools in the county. The Masonic lodge. No. 30, shows it to be one of the very oldest in the State; the G. A. R. and its auxiliary, the \A'. R. C, are represented. Towanda citizens have been active and prominent in county affairs. Hon. Isaac Mooney and his son, V. P. Mooney, Andy Swigett. M. D. Ellis and S. C. Fulton and R. B. Ralston and M. A. Wait have been called to official positions and performed their duties with fidelity and zeal.
In 1870 Rev. Isaac Alooney had surveyed and laid out in town lots, ten acres of what is now the southwest corner of Towanda and thereby became the father of the present bustling little village. Before this date J. B. Alead had established a trading post in the W'^hitewater valley about a quarter of a mile w^est of the present town site. At that time Towanda was what might be called the trade center for the country within twent}- miles, and stirring indeed were the doings of the old trading post of long ago. It was at that time the division point for two stage lines running over the western plain with headquarters at Emporia and Humboldt. It was also the camping ground for government trains and immigrant w^agons on account of the beautiful spring bubbling out of the hill on the west side of town.
The first store building erected on the present town site of Towanda was built by G. AV. Baker, in 1871, upon a lot south of the present M. E. church. The lot was given Baker by Isaac Moone};, who was engaged in the same business, as Baker expected to enter in the log house shown elsewhere in this work. The only instance on record where one man furnished another with means of entering into competition with the donor.
The next building was by L. Viets, father of C. L. Viets, of Wichita, and Allie Viets, of Augusta. He afterward sold his stock of goods to William McDowell and moved the building to Augusta. Then came R. S. Miller and J. H. Dickey, handling hardware and drugs, followed b}^ II. Taylor & Son, general merchandise; J. M. Reed, A. Aikman, G. W. Stewart, blacksmiths and woodworkers, and many others.
Good business buildings have been erected in the past few years. In the residence section wonderful improvement has been made, new houses erected and a general prosperity seems to have taken the town. There is a full two-story building built by the Masons of Towanda. They occupy the upper story for a lodge room, which is nicely furnished 'for the purpose. The lower story is occupied by Shriver & Glass with a large stock of hardware and implmenets, buggies and wagons, etc. G. W. Moore is the owner and editor of The Towanda News, a newsy home paper. The Knights of Pythias hall is a good
brick building, the first floor of wdiich is used for a storeroom and the second for a lodge room. It is owned by the order. The State Bank of Towanda, F. W. Robinson, cashier, and J. C. Kullman, president, is one of the solid institutions of the coun^^^^ and is doing a thriving Imsiness. J. C. Kullman, C. B. Sewart and L. C. Hill, general merchandise, and many other lines of business are represented, and all are prosperous.
Towanda township has about ten miles of the Missouri Pacific railway system, a good depot and shipping facilities. More fine draft horses, Holstein cows and other live stock are loaded and unloaded at this station for the Robinsons, Bishops, Girards and oth.crs than any other point in the county. Wichita, a town of some note, lies about twenty-five miles south of Towanda. Towanda has always been a Good trading- point. It grew slowly. Once it received votes for the county seat. Its early social life was of that limited sort peculiar to people coming together from almost every point of the compass. The first school, the first church organization and other firsts are like unto the beginnings of all new countries. Rev. Isaac Mooney began preaching on his arrival at his new home and kept it up steadily until his death. He bought the splendid valley west of the village from Mead, filed on the one hiuidred and sixty acres east of it as his homtestead, donated the cem.etery, platted the town, and gave away lots in encouragement of new comers. He has been fruitful in good works and faithful in every relation
From the camping place of the Indian and from a trading post, Towanda has grown to a tidy little village. In 1892 it was largely razed by a c}clone. but its people built it anew and better than before. It lias two substantial churches; some fine and several substantial resi- dences and many comfortable cottages. It is surrounded by a neat, beautiful and most fertile country. It has a fine brick school building with four departments, is one of the high schools in the county. The Masonic lodge. No. 30, shows it to be one of the very oldest in the State; the G. A. R. and its auxiliary, the \A'. R. C, are represented. Towanda citizens have been active and prominent in county affairs. Hon. Isaac Mooney and his son, V. P. Mooney, Andy Swigett. M. D. Ellis and S. C. Fulton and R. B. Ralston and M. A. Wait have been called to official positions and performed their duties with fidelity and zeal.
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