Labette County.
Osage Township Map, 1906.
On the county map Dennis can be found in township 21-South and Range 18-East. On the township may Dennis can be found in sections 14 & 15.
Dennis Post Office.
Dennis post office open May 31, 1881 and ran to ? *William Curry, was first post master.
Post Masters appointed to Dennis, Kansas.
* Although history records that William Curry, as first post master, appointed May 31, 1881. He is not found on the Appointed post masters list.
John S. Milligan, June 8, 1881.
John N. Webb, November 21, 1881.
James L. Wilson, September 1, 1885.
Louis R. Powell, December 16, 1887.
John Raney, July 24, 1889.
Samuel C. Rickart, September 2, 1893.
Cyrenius W. Gragg, April 2, 1897.
Business men of Osage Township who used Dennis as their P. O. address as of 1883.
JACOB H. BEATTY, farmer, in Section 15, Township 31, Range
18, P. O. Dennis. May 22, 1869, he came to Labette County, Kan., and took a
claim in Section 22, Osage Township, improved same, and sold out in 1870, and
purchased 160 acres, where he now resides, it being well improved. He was born
in Centre County, Pa., August 29, 1831, a son of Samuel and Mary A. (Haller).
When Jacob was eight years of age, with his parents, moved to Pickaway Co.,
Ohio, and settled on a farm and remained till 1848, then moved to Montgomery
County, Ill., and in 1858 to Macon County, Ill. Jacob commenced life as a
farmer. He has been twice married. The first time in 1852 to Miss Elizabeth
Frazee, born in 1836, died in 1854, leaving a family of two children - Mary and
Cassious. He was married the second time to Miss Mary E. Austin, a native of
Macoupin County, Ill., born in 1844. They have a family of eight children -
Fremont, Richard, Elsworth, Nora, Alta, Lettie, Annie and Bertie. Mr. Beatty and
wife are both members of the N. B. C. During the late war he served in Company
B. Eighth Illinois Volunteer Infantry.
WILLIAM DICK, farmer and stock raiser, came to Labette County, known as the Osage ceded lands, May 9, 1869, took a claim in the northeast quarter, Section 20, Town 31, Range 18 (now in Osage Township) P. O. Dennis; built a cabin and batched until September 18, 1869, then went to Hamilton County, Ind., after his family, and with his family returned to Kansas, October 19, where he has since remained. His farm is nicely improved with good buildings, and devoted to fruit of all kinds, suited to this climate, about fifteen acres. He was born in Millersville, Lancaster Co., Pa., November 1, 1817, is the oldest son of William and Catherine Dick. The father was born in Germany, and when quite a young man came to America in 1810. He married the mother in Lancaster County, Pa., but she was born in Culpepper County, Va.; maiden name, Vondarou. William with his parents and two younger brothers, moved to Wayne County, Ind., in 1834, and the spring of 1837 to Hamilton County, Ind.; there improved a farm. During many years, William devoted much time to freighting between Hamilton County, Ind., and Cincinnati, Ohio. March 25, 1841, he married Miss Gula Elma Beeson, a native of Wayne County, Ind., born August 20, 1820, a daughter of Benjamin and Dorcas (maiden name, Starbuck) Beeson, both of North Carolina. The mother, a distant relative of Benjamin Franklin, settled in Wayne County in 1812. William and his wife settled in the woods in said Hamilton County, opened a small farm and remained there until they came to Kansas. They have a family of eight children living - Leroy F., Delilah E., Temple C., Sarah C., Viena E., Gula E., Lola E., and William O.; having lost Mary D., Elizabeth M., Jacob B., and Louisa E. Both Mr. and Mrs. Dick , are members of the Evangelical Association. He has served one term as Justice of the Peace in the township, and one term as Commissioner from third district of Labette County, and during the land troubles of the said Osage ceded lands with the L. L. & G., the M. K. & T. Railroad Companies. He took a very active part in organizing the Settlers Protective Association; was a member of the Grand Council; also Chief Councilor of the Osage Subordinate Council, and served as Grand Treasurer from beginning to the end of this great law suit.
J. T. McKEE, farmer and stock raiser, Section 24, Township 31, Range 17, P. O. Dennis, came to the State and took a claim in Lincoln Township, Neosho County, October, 1870. Improved 160 acres. Some time later sold out and settled where he now resides, on a farm of 160 acres of fine improved land. He is a native of Sullivan County, Ind., born August 31, 1842. He grew up on a farm and received a good education. When the late war broke out he enlisted in Company E. Forty-Third Regiment, Indiana Volunteer Infantry, and served three years. He was taken prisoner at Mark's Mill and confined some ten months at Tyler, Tex. When twenty-four years of age he married Miss Mary Ridgeway. She is a native of and was raised in Sullivan County, Ind., born September 10, 1842. They have the following family; Emory L., Emma L., Gracie V., Arthur H. A., J. C., Anna Gertrude, and Winfred. Both Mr. and Mrs. McKee are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
FRANCIS M. WEBB, farmer and stock dealer, in Section 22, Township 31, Range 18, P. O. Dennis, located where he now resides, May 12, 1868, now having a fine improved farm of 240 acres. He is a native of Fountain county, Ind., born February 7, 1841, a son of Harrison and Carlinda (Reddin). The father of Ohio, and the mother of Kentucky. Francis M., when six years of age, with his parents moved to Carroll County, Ind., where he grew to manhood, and was educated. In the spring of 1861, he enlisted in Captain Fry's Light Artillery, and served some six weeks, then enlisted in Company A. Forty-first Regiment Indiana Volunteer Cavalry, being in the battles of Shilo, Corinth, Perrysville, Ky., Stone River, Siege of Knoxville, and Atlanta. Discharge, 1864. He married, in Carroll County, Ind., January 22, 1866, to Miss Sarah J. Metzgar, a native of Henry County, Ind., born February 22, 1847; a daughter of Andrew and Sarah J. Metzgar, both of Pennsylvania. Mr. and Mrs. Webb have a family of two children - Anna M., and Curtis F. Mrs. W. is a member of U. B. C. Mr. W., a Sir Knight.
WILLIAM H. WEBB, farmer and stock raiser in Section 16, Township 31, Range 18, P. O. Dennis, came to Labette County, May 12, 1868, and took a claim of 160 acres. He is a native of Indiana, born September 25, 1847, a son of Harrison and Carlinda (Reddin). William grew to manhood in his native State, and during the late war was a member of the Sixtieth Regiment Indiana Volunteer Infantry. He was married in Bourbon County, Kan., in 1872, to Miss Lenicet Stith, native of Illinois, a daughter of Jourdin and Sarah Stith, who settled in Kansas in 1859. Mr. and Mrs. Webb have a family of six children - M. B., Emma F., Ella B., F. M., Gracie, Joseph C. Mr. W. is a member of the Parsons Lodge, I. O. O. F.
Dennis Kansas, 1901.
The first house in Dennis was the railroad depot, erected in the fall of 1880. In the spring of 1881 William Current put up a store building, in which he placed a stock of groceries; this was the first store in town. John Webb and John Milligan put in another store in the spring of 1882, their stock consisting of general merchandise. A second stock of general merchandise was put in by W. H. Thorne, in the fall of 1883. Mr. Thorne also put in a corn elevator and shipped grain, and put up the first substantial residence house in town. Subsequently John Mason put in a harness shop, L. Pedan a lumber yard, Wm. Cline a drug store, J. L. Wilson a hardware store, and Nelson Dunn a livery stable. The first hotel was put up by Mr. Acre, in the summer of 1885. It was not till December 21, 1883, that the plat of the town was filed in the office of the register of deeds, locating the town on sections 14 and 15, on the line of the Gulf Railroad, in Osage township. Lee Wilson was born to L. J. Wilson and wife December 24, 1884, — the first child born in town. Two newspapers have been started in Dennis, but neither was able to maintain an existence, and they were moved away. One of the substantial business plants of this town is its flouring mill.
Dennis Kansas, 1912.
Dennis, a village of Labette county, is located in Osage township on the St. Louis & San Francisco R. R., 25 miles north of Oswego, the county seat, and 8 miles from Parsons. It has an express office and a money order postoffice with one rural route. The population in 1910 was 175. The first building in Dennis was a railroad depot erected in 1880. In the spring of 1881 William Current opened the first grocery store. John Webb and John Milligan put in a stock of general merchandise in 1882. At the time the town was platted in Dec, 1883, there were two general stores, a grain elevator, harness shop, lumber yard, drug store, hardware store and livery stable. The first hotel was put up by Mr. Acre in 1885. The first dwelling house was erected by Mr. Thorne
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