WINFIELD!
The Coming Metropolis of Sunny Southern Kansas.
A Brief Description of the City. Its History and Marvelous
Growth.
Its Location-—Population, Class
of People--Principal Industries. Its Public Buildings—Its Banks
and Business Houses in
General.
Its Unparalleled Resources
and Untold Advantages
of all Kinds.

The City as a Railway Center-Its Roads Actual and Prospective--Other Facts.

Probably no city in Kansas is more picturesquely situated, or has a more prosperous and fertile country tributary than has Winfield, frequently called the Queen of the Valley, the Gem of the Prairies and the Winning Wonder of the Walnut by its people, in order to more fittingly express their admiration and love r their beautiful home city. And none arc in the least too extravagant. They only feebly express the beauties, advantages and marvelous Progress of Winfield.

Little more than a decade and a half have rolled away since the “noble red man” held undisputed sway over this portion of the Osage Indian Diminished Reserve, and these sons of the prairie and forest reluctantly gave way before the encroachments of the white man. The bill opening the Osage Diminish Reserve, received the signature of President Grant in 1870 and settlers then began to flock in.

The city is located in the beautiful valley of the Walnut river and a lovelier site on which to build a city is not to be build. Tile Walnut river with its clear, blue, sparkling waters, winds along its West side furnishing unlimited power for hr mills and manufactories, while oh the east lies a low range of hills with occasional buttes rising high above the surrounding range locally known as mounds. On one of these the beautiful and stately building of the Southwest Kansas Methodist College stands. Half a mile north upon another butte, rises the tall and handsome buildings of the State Asylum for feeble minded youth. South of these another butte is crowned with the huge reservoir of the Winfield Water Co.

The buildings that were first erected, although considered costly at the time are rapidly being replaced with solid and superb stone buildings neat in design and handsome in finish. The main streets were laid out with reference to the future needs, Main street having a width of one-hundred and twenty feet, being ninety-six from curb to curb while the avenues which runs east and west, are eighty feet in width. Upon each side of these streets, wide pavements of stone have been laid, upon the sides of which shade trees have been planted, and already the city, from any of the high points around, presents the appearance of one vast grove, with here and there a neat residence peeping out. The business portion of the city is now lined with two, three and four story brick and stone buildings and are constructed upon the latest and most approved designs, as can readily be seen by a glance at the cuts elsewhere in this issue. Such buildings would do credit to a much larger city and indeed are not surpassed anywhere west of the Mississippi river.
The city is supplied with gas, and a fine system of water works supplies an abundance of pure, fresh water, while any amount of water can be obtained by digging a well twenty to twenty-five feet.

•Inside the next thirty days electric light will illuminate the city, workmen now being busily engaged in Jutting in the plans. The population will exceed 8,500 and the c1tiens are intelligent and refined as can be found anywhere In the east, Indeed the principal population comes from eastern points; in matters of education they will not yield the palm to any city in the west and In this respect far excel the majority of western cities. In all matters pertaining to education they take a deep interest. One of the first buildings erected on the town site was a school house and they have kept pace with the increasing demand. The central school building, a mammoth structure of stone, was completed last year at a coat of $25 000 and three other buildings almost as large are located in different portions of the city. The enrollment last year was over one thousand children. Every child of proper age is sent to school. The energy and liberality of the citizens cannot be better shown than was exemplified in the contest for the location of the Methodist College. Rival towns were up and bidding but Winfield had the longest pole and accordingly secured the persimmons. The same energetic spirit was manifested in the location of the State Asylum at this place. It has become proverbial that the citizens of Winfield cannot be outdone in anything calculated to benefit their city. An active and energetic board of trade looks after the interests of the city and among the monuments to their energy is the new hoard of trade rooms and opera house on Eleventh and Main, which is now being constructed at a cost of $60,000.

Another enterprise which is worth of special note is the Union street railway company, now in operation from Island Park to the Santa Fe depot, a distance of about two miles, extensions of which will be built to the Methodist college and State Asylum; the track and equipment are first-class, the cars being large and spacious and of handsome finish and design. The officers of this company are A. J. Thompson, president; J. R. Clark secretary; T. J. Eaton, treasurer, and Cal. Ferguson, superintendent, while the board of directors and stock holders number on their list some of the most substantial business men of the city.

Winfield has two good hotels which are not surpassed anywhere in the State. These are the Brettun, C. L. Harter, proprietor, and the St. James, Geo. R. Cole, proprietor. The hotels are not only large, ample and handsome, but are fitted tip with a richness and elegance shown but by few hotels anywhere.

One thing is especially noticeable in the buildings lately constructed and now under construction - and that is the exceptionally good taste manifested in the style of architecture this improvement is largely due to the work of W. A. Ritchie & Co. This firm came here from Lima, Ohio, where they left a lucrative business for the broader field opened to them by Winfield and the southwest Until they came here no one seemed to have any idea of the best way to utilize the magnificent stone that surrounds the city. They at once introduced the rough ashlar style of work and their designs show them to be professionals of the higher rank. There is no question as to their ability to add beauty to the simplest design. Among samples of their work we present in this Issue cuts of the First National flank, the Farmers Bank, W. P. Hackney’s residence, the Winfield Savings Bank. John A. Eaton’s residence and the Methodist college.

There is one advantage in building in Winfield and that is the magnificent stone which is found in inexhaustible quantities. It comes out in layers from four inches to two feet in thickness and any desirable width and when first quarried can be sawe4 into any shape. After exposure to the atmosphere it becomes very hard and consequently very durable. Over sixty-one miles of sidewalk are laid with this stone.

Our Railways.

There are now five lines of railway centering at this city which give us outlets in nine different directions. These are all trunk lines and embrace three of the greatest systems in the Union: Santa Fe, Missouri Pacific and “Frisco.”

THE ATCHISON, TOPEKA AND SANTA FE.

This line comes from the main line at Newton. It was built under the name of the Wichita & Southern. From Newton the line runs in a general southeasterly direction to Winfield and thence almost south to Gainesville: the Indian Territory extension having been completed only a few weeks since. The Santa Fe reached this city in 1879 and was the first railway to reach Winfield. It gives us an outlet to Kansas City on the northeast and Western Kansas and Colorado on the west.

THE SOUTHERN KANSAS.

This road was chartered as the Southern Kansas & Western, an extension of the Leavenworth Lawrence & Galveston. It reached Winfield in 1880, shortly alter the Santa Fe. Its name was changed to the Kansas City, Lawrence & Southern Kansas, and afterwards the first two names were dropped and it became the Southern Kansas. This road gives us an outlet to Kansas City and Eastern Kansas and to Medicine Lodge and Southwestern Kansas and Kiowa and the Panhandle on the southwest. The road has done a heavy traffic since the time it was opened for business, and has always been the popular route with Winfield people. This company has also taken great interest in Winfield and has aided our citizens wonderfully in their efforts to build up a city here. It is one of the best roads in the west.

THE ST. LOUIS AND SAN FRANCISCO.

This road, more familiarly known as the “Frisco,” reached the city in November, 1885. It was chartered as the Kansas City & Southwestern by a number of Winfield people, among them Henry E. Asp, who worked very hard to make the enterprise a success, and to his indomitable pluck and perseverance is duo in a great measure, the success of the enterprise. Shortly after the completion of the road by L. D. Latham& Co., the contractors, and its acceptance by the company, it was leased to the St. Louis & San Francisco railway company, who is now operating it. This road gives us an out1et to St. Louis and the east, and to Geuda Springs and Caldwell on the southwest. It has had a good traffic from the time it was opened for business. Two passenger trains now run each way daily.

THE DENVER, MEMPHIS AND ATLANTIC.

This road was chartered in 1883 as the Denver, Memphis & Atlantic Narrow Gauge railway and bonds were voted in aid of the project all along the line. Arrangements had all been completed for the construction of the road when the financial flurry in Wall Street in the spring of 1884, and the consequent depreciation of narrow gauge property all over the country pinched the financial backers of the company so severely they were unable to build. The company was reorganized in 1884, as the Denver, Memphis & Atlantic railway, dropping the words narrow gauge. The company at once proceeded to secure aid along the line and the people responded liberally, nearly a million dollars having been Voted, The Fitzgerald & Mallory construction company was then organized and they proceeded to the work of construction. They managed to secure control of the stock and then sold the road to the Missouri Pacific railway company for $10,000 a mile. The work of construction was pushed rapidly, and on Sunday, May 15th, track was laid through the city from the west. Regular trains are now running from this city and Stafford on the west, and the line will be completed on or before the 10th Inst. This road is now known as the Denver, Memphis & Atlantic division of the Missouri Pacific, and the headquarters of this company are located in this city. The D., M. & A. is a pet of Cowley county people and all rejoice at its early completion.

PROJECTED RAILWAYS.

Among these may be briefly mentioned the following:

1. The Winfield & Wichita which is now in the hands of the construction company who are building it for the Rock Island, connection being made at Wichita.

2. The Winfield, Geuda Springs & Southern. This is an extension of the D., M. & A. from Winfield to Sweetwater, Texas. The right of way is now being secured from this city to Geuda Spnngs and the road will soon be under construction.

3. The Winfield & Ft. Smith. This Is an extension of the D., M. & A. from this city to the southeast to meet the Arkansas Valley railway now building up the Arkansas Valley. It will also be put under construction during the coming summer.

4. The Missouri & Central Kansas. This Is an extension of the Chicago & Alton from Odessa, Mo., to Winfield, and aid has been voted along the line to this city. Construction has already commenced on this line at Odessa.

5. The Wichita Falls & Winfield. This line is already chartered in Texas and work is going ahead rapidly. This road was a pet scheme of the late M. L. Robinson. His untimely demise has, however, proved a check upon the company and we have not heard anything definite regarding the enterprise of very recent date.

6. The Chicago, Kansas & Arkansas. This road is projected from St. Joseph to this city and matters are now in such a shape that it is considered almost beyond a doubt that construction will commence this month. It is an extension of one of the Chicago systems and has abundant capital. It is the intention of the company to have the Winfield division completed by December 1888 at the farthest.

Winfield’s Business College.

Among the many institutions of this city which commends special notice is the Winfield Business College. Modern, practical and progressive It enjoys a reputation second to no like Institution in the country. Established upon a sound financial basis, run by a faculty of wide awake and energetic teachers, located in one of the healthiest and moat beautiful cities in the west, occupying one of the moat attractive buildings in the heart of the city, and surrounded by our atmosphere of the highest moral and social influences it is destined to make its presence felt throughout the southwest and the good work that it has already done and expects to continue to do, will carry its name to many a distant state and country, and secure for it the patronage of thousands who must feel the need of a thorough practical business education.

The course of instructions is of its nature general, including every branch of study that one would need in carrying on a wholesale, retail, manufacturing, shipping, mining, banking or railroad business.

Here the theory and practice of bookkeeping as used in its various applications is beautifully combined. After a student has acquired a thorough knowledge of the theory of book-keeping he is admitted into the actual business department, where he is provided with all the necessary articles for carrying on a regular wholesale merchandise business, including books, stores, merchandise, currency, clerks and assistants.

In this department a student becomes a bill clerk, a salesman, book-keeper, a shipping and receiving clerk, a wholesale and retail merchant and a banker, and no student can receive a diploma as matter of commerce, unless he understands thoroughly the workings of each department through which he has passed; understanding these, he is prepared to take charge of any position of honor and trust in the business world.

Winfield National Bank.

The Winfield National Bank is the oldest banking institution in Cowley County; it originated in 1871 as a private; in 1879 it became a State bank under the law of Kansas, with a paid up capital of $50,000. In 1884 Mr. H. Schuler bought up the entire stock of the bank and it 1885 converted it into a National Bank, the capital being at the same time increased to $500,000 of which $100,000 was paid up. Mr. Schuler is a gentleman of many years experience in banking, having formerly been cashier and manager of the First National Bank of Lincoln, Ill., and was at the time he located in Winfield, vice-president and one of the principal stockholders of the Laclede Bank of St. Louis. The affairs of their bank have, under its new management been conducted with wisdom and circumspection. The statement of their bank on the first of January, 1887, shows its deposits $204,000, and the surplus and undivided profits of Eighteen months business amounts to $27,000 net.

The officers are H. B. Schuler, president, Wm. S. Kinney vice-president E. T. Schuler, cashier, G. A. Schuler, assistant cashier. The board of directors consist of: H. B. Schuler Arthur H. Greene Geo. Emerson, J. B. Lynn, C. Perry, Geo. H. Williams, H. R. Branson, Wm. S. Kinney and E. T. Schuler, all influential citizens of Winfield and Cowley County. The bank conducts a general banking business on. conservative principles. The two story and basement building in which the offices are located is the property of the bank.