MEANOR OR MENOR FAMILY.

Armstrong A. Meanor (Menor).

Today I went over every single file I had in Winfield Courier to see if I could find anything further than what had already been compiled on MENOR or MEANOR.

I found very little in the way of new information since I first worked on this family.

Work done by members of the Cowley County Genealogical Society, which produced “Cowley County, Kansas, Early Day Residents 21 & Over,” Volume 2, showed the following.

Winfield 1873: A. Menor, 59; spouse, Rosan, 42.

Winfield 1874: A. Menor, 60; spouse, Rosina, 40.

FROM NEWSPAPERS.

Winfield Messenger, Friday, July 19, 1872.

The Agricultural Society has been successful in obtaining grounds from H. C. Loomis and A. Meanor. Mr. Meanor has truly shown the proper spirit toward the Society by giving 3 and 6/10ths acres for a nominal price, believing that his valuable land will be made more valuable by the liberal terms given the Society.

Winfield Messenger, August 30, 1872.

Messrs. Smiley & Randall are each building fine residences on Menor’s addition. We don’t know what Mr. Randall is building for but suppose he means business. Two or three other buildings are being erected on Menor’s addition, but we are unable to give the names of the proprietors.

[THE FAIR—LIST OF PREMIUMS AWARDED.]

Winfield Messenger, October 4, 1872.

THE FAIR—LIST OF PREMIUMS AWARDED.

Class H—Lot 21—Poultry—Ten Entries.

Premiums to Mrs. W. Q. Mansfield, Mrs. Mary M. Voris, J. A. Churchill, A. Menor.

Class L—Grains and Seeds—Eleven Entries.

Premiums to John Lowrey, A. Menor, J. H. Curfman, A. S. Williams, C. M. Wood.

Class N—Vegetables—Thirty-Four Entries.

Premiums to J. Nixon, J. A. Churchill, J. D. Cochran, John Lowrey, A. Menor, Samuel Waugh, N. R. Churchill.

Winfield Courier, Saturday, February 1, 1873.

Teacher’s Report. To the Clerk of Public School Board of Winfield, Kansas, for the month ending Jan. 25th, 1873.

Whole number enrolled, 104.

UPPER ROOM.

Average daily attendance, 31.

Present every day. Ella Freeland, Lydia A. Kenworthy, Mary L. Koehler, Jessie Millington, Annie Newman, R. W. Dever, I. E. Johnson, H. E. Likowski, Walter A. Lewis, Harold H. Mansfield, O. Orlando Menor, W. D. Menor, Richard S. Whitaker, Charles E. Weathers.

Roll of Honor. Cora E. Andrews, Luella Blandin, M. Callie Blandin, Adida V. Boucher, P. Nellie Covert, C. Louis Crapster, F. Ella Freeland, Lydia A. Kenworthy, Mary L. Koehler, Jessie Millington, Anna Newman, Nettie C. Quarles, Ida B. Weir, R. Nellie Wiggan, Fred C. Hunt, Frank E. Howard, Frank A. Howland, I. Ernest Johnson, H. Eddie Likowski, Wm. Dean Menor, Holiday H. Menor, O. Orlando Menor, Harold H. Mansfield, Addison F. Powers, Charles E. Weathers. J. B. PARMELEE, Miss E. A. TUCKER, Teachers.

Winfield Courier, Thursday, April 24, 1873.

The many new houses just erected on Meanor addition add much to the appearance to the south side of our young City.

May 7, 1873, a marriage license was issued for Armstrong Minor, 59 and Rosina A. Morningstar, 41. This is in marriage book A. Page 68.

Winfield Courier, Thursday, May 15, 1873.

MARRIED. All hands were made happy last Tuesday morning when we found two splendid large cakes on our table, the gift of Mr. and Mrs. Meanor, who departed this life a few days ago and launched their bark on the boisterous and tempestuous sea of matrimony. We heartily wish our friend Meanor much joy in his “new addition to Winfield.”

Winfield Courier, August 28, 1873. Editorial Page.

THE EDITOR REALLY BLASTED THE TELEGRAM EDITOR AND JAMES F. PAUL, PRESENT REGISTER OF DEEDS, RE FARMERS’ MASS MEETING HELD IN WINFIELD ON THE PREVIOUS SATURDAY.

“They had their posters printed at St. Louis, and announced in flaming type the most noted speakers of our state to be present, without, to our certain knowledge, previously inviting them. They held a meeting composed almost entirely of Copperheads and Liberal Republicans. A few straight Republicans being in the meeting secured for C. M. Scott, of the Traveler and the Editor of this paper, a place on the committee on Resolutions.

“There was not a single person present at that meeting engaged in agricultural pursuits for a livelihood that we can think of just now, with one solitary exception. We know of a good many substantial farmers in and about town who were not there. We enumerate: J. D. Cochran, A. T. Stewart, John Lowery; C. M. Wood, A. Meanor, J. H. Land, Mr. Roberts, and several others whose names we cannot now recall, farmers in about town, of all political groups, that were not present and had no voice in the meeting at all.

“Who did manage it? Farmer Allison and Farmer Paul, gentlemen who perhaps never turned an acre of ground in all their lives, and who are certainly not now for years past been engaged in agriculture. . . .”

Winfield Courier, Thursday, September 18, 1873.

Wheat in this section of the county is an excellent crop this season. Mr. Menor threshed 380 bushels from 12 acres and 30 rods besides a lot that was spoiled by bad stacking which he estimates at 40 bu., so that the crop averages about 84 bu. per acre. Mr. Stewart’s winter wheat averaged 31, and the spring wheat 25 bu. per acre, not considering the damage caused by poor stacking, which was considerable.

[COMMISSIONERS’ PROCEEDINGS.]

Winfield Courier, Thursday, October 9, 1873.

Board of County Commissioners met at the County Clerk’s office Oct. 6th, 1873. Present: Frank Cox, J. D. Maurer, and O. C. Smith.

Petition of Menor for County Road was granted, with J. H. Land, A. J. Thompson, and W. D. Roberts as viewers. Survey ordered on the 16th of Oct., 1873, to meet at the county Clerk’s office.

The Winfield census of 1874 lists A. Menor, age 60, and his wife, Rosina Menor, age 40.

[DISTRICT COURT DOCKET FOR MARCH TERM.]

Winfield Courier, February 27, 1874.

The following are the cases which stand for trial at the March term A. D. 1874, of the Cowley County District Court, and have been placed on the docket in the following order.

CIVIL DOCKET. FIFTH DAY.

43. Samuel Mullen vs. Armstrong Menor.

[REAL ESTATE TRANSFERS.]

Winfield Courier, July 10, 1874.

We are indebted to Curns & Manser, real estate agents and proprietors of Abstracts of Titles to all lands in Cowley County, for the following transfers of real estate.

Armstrong Menor and wife to Alvin Bisbee, L 1, Blk 92, Menor’s Addition to Winfield, $100.

Winfield Courier, August 7, 1874.

The C. S. Smith Road.

One of the most important roads in the county, petitioned for by C. S. Smith, and two or three hundred others, was located last Friday by Messrs. Lucius Walton, E. G. Willett, and Jas. Vanorsdol as viewers, and W. W. Walton, as Surveyor, from the Arkansas River eight miles east via the brewery, and Lowrey’s ford, on the Walnut River, to the West end of Court House Street in Menor’s addition to Winfield.

This road has put the county to considerable expense, there having been two surveys during Mr. Hemenway’s term of office, the report of each irregular. Not being discouraged, however, the petitioners employed A. H. Green as counsel and commenced again, the result being the order for a new survey.

Winfield Courier, October 22, 1874.

A. Menor and wife started the other day for the Territory, where they expect to remain a few weeks.

Winfield Courier, November 5, 1874.

Bob Drummond, a late employee of Darrah & Doty’s, has sold his house and lot in Menor’s Addition to Burt Covert, and gone back to Illinois.

Winfield Courier, December 24, 1874.

A Free Supper.

The citizens of Winfield are invited to partake of a free supper given by the brethren, sisters, and friends of the Christian church at their new meeting house Thursday evening, Dec. 31st, 1874.

Committee of Arrangements: Mr. and Mrs. J. Newman, Mr. and Mrs. W. Maris, Mr. and Mrs. Meanor, Mr. and Mrs. McClelland.

Committee on Tables: Mesdames South, McKaw, Miller, Wilkinson, Sr. Barnes, W. L. Mullen, C. A. Bliss, Cochran, and Mansfield.

Committee on Reception: Miss Jennie Hawkins, J. Lipscomb, Annie Newman, J. Cochran, Charlie McClellan.

Committee on Music: Misses Stewart, Bryant, Hawkins, Newman, Mrs. Swain, Mrs. W. Maris, Messrs. Swain, W. Maris, and Cochran. ELDER HENRY HAWKINS, Moderator.

The enumerator really made some funny squiggles on the last name. I could not tell if the last name should be “Meanor” or “Manor” or “Menor.” MAW

KANSAS CENSUS.

WINFIELD TOWNSHIP, COWLEY COUNTY, MARCH 1, 1875.

Name age sex color Place/birth Where from

A. Meanor? 55 m w Ohio Ohio

Susan Meanor? 41 f w Ohio Illinois

Orlando Meanor? 17? m w Ohio Ohio

Holiday Meanor? 15 m w Ohio Ohio

Fr. Wm. Meanor? 9? m w Illinois Illinois

[OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS: TEACHERS REPORT.]

Winfield Courier, February 4, 1875.

A report was given relative to pupils attending grammar and intermediate departments of Winfield schools by W. C. Robinson. “The efficiency of our schools is much hindered by tardiness and irregular attendance. Parents will oblige us by aiding in overcoming this difficulty.” Students in different departments were listed.

Grammar Department.

Holiday Menor

[WINFIELD CEMETERY ASSOCIATION.]

Winfield Courier, March 25, 1875.

Notice.

There will be a meeting of the stockholders of the Winfield Cemetery Association on Wednesday, March 31, 1875, at W. H. H. Maris’ store. All persons owning a lot in the Winfield Cemetery are stockholders, and entitled to vote at the meeting. A full attendance is requested. The following is a list of the said stockholders.

JOHN B. FAIRBANKS, Secretary.

John Lowrey, C. A. Bliss, Mrs. Clara Flint, Robert Hudson, W. L. Fortner, W. H. Dunn, Mallard, Dr. D. N. Egbert, J. H. Land, W. M. Boyer, A. Menor, S. J. Swanson, Mrs. Eliza Davis, M. L. Read. S. C. Smith, Kenton, Marshall, Henry Martin, W. H. H. Maris, Mrs. K. Maris, E. Maris, J. Newman, L. J. Webb, J. W. Smiley, George W. Brown, John Rhoads, H. H. Lacy, L. T. Michner, George Gray, N. H. Holmes, John Mentch, M. Steward, J. J. Barrett, J. W. Johnson, J. Evans, Cutting, W. G. Graham, S. W. Greer, Dr. W. Q. Mansfield, J. D. Cochran, C. C. Stephens, W. H. South, J. C. Weathers, Mrs. Joseph Foos, G. S. Manser, Mrs. Southworth, A. A. Jackson, J. F. Graham, Mrs. H. McMasters, S. H. Myton, S. H. Darrah, M. L. Robinson, D. H. Rodocker, R. H. Tucker, James Kelly, W. Dibble, D. F. Best, Z. T. Swigart, R. Rogers.

Winfield Courier, April 8, 1875.

Armstrong Menor and son have gone to the Black Hills.

Winfield Courier, June 17, 1875.

A. Menor has returned from the Black Hills. His party was turned back by the military after having their arms taken from them and their transportation burned.

Winfield Courier, July 1, 1875.

There is hanging in the Post Office a potato of this year’s growth, which was raised on the farm of A. Menor, just south of town, and weighs within a fraction of a pound, and is sound to the core.

THE WINFIELD COURIER.

CENTENNIAL ISSUE.

Winfield Courier, Thursday, January 6, 1876.

HISTORY OF COWLEY COUNTY.

In the month of November, 1869, several families crept down along the valley and settled on claims in the vicinity of where Winfield now stands. These settlers each paid the Osage chief $5 for the privilege of remaining in peace. These early pioneers were W. G. Graham and family, who came the last of October, and whose wife was the first white woman that settled on Timber (then known as Dutch) Creek. During the next week P. Knowles, J. H. Land, J. C. Monforte, and C. M. Wood came with their families.

A. Howland, W. W. Andrews, Joel Mack, H. C. Loomis, A. Menor, and others took claims during the winter in this vicinity, and the families of those who were married soon followed. They all settled on the claims where they now reside. Mr. Howland built the first frame house in the county. It is his present residence.

About January 10th, 1870, the preliminary steps were taken for organizing a town company and starting a town upon the claim of E. C. Manning. A. A. Jackson owned the claim adjoining Manning’s on the east, W. W. Andrews, H. C. Loomis, A. Menor, and P. Knowles held claims adjoining and upon which they still reside. The farm owned by John Lowrey to the west was held by one G. Green.

1870.

Oct. 8th, a call for a “People’s Convention” was issued, signed by W. Q. Mansfield, T. H. Johnson, T. A. Blanchard, James Renfro, James Land, D. A. Millington, Wm. Craig, F. A. Hunt, A. Menor, J. Mentch, T. B. Ross, and H. Wolf.

Winfield Courier, June 1, 1876.

It is thought by some that Mr. Menor, who left here for the Black Hills last fall, was one of the forty killed by the Indians lately. Nothing definite is known of him since the last of March.

Winfield Courier, June 15, 1876.

It has been reported here for some time that A. Menor and wife, of this place, who went to the Black Hills some time since, were killed by Indians.

Winfield Courier, June 22, 1876.

The friends of Jack Cottingham, of Timber Creek, will be glad to learn that he has arrived safely at Dead Wood Gulch, in north Black Hills. He reports provisions very high and gold tolerable plenty. From Mr. Lit. Cottingham we learn that all the Timber Creek boys have got through safe; also that Mr. Menor and wife, of this place, are safe at Dead Wood.

Cowley County Democrat, Winfield, Kansas, Thursday, July 13, 1876.

HISTORY OF COWLEY COUNTY.

Read at the Centennial Celebration, July 4th, 1876, at Winfield, Kansas.

BY WIRT W. WALTON

During the Winter of 1869, Alonzo Howland, W. W. Andrews, Joel Mack, H. C. Loomis, A. Meanor, and others took the claims upon which the most of them reside. Mr. Howland built the first frame house in the county—his present residence—which was considered at the time a herculean task, having to haul the lumber over 100 miles without the sign of a road. About this time E. C. Manning erected a small log building on the claim south of C. M. Wood’s. In this Baker & Manning kept a small stock of goods, which they sold to the settlers and traded to the Indians.

Winfield Courier, January 18, 1877.

From the Black Hills.

We are permitted to make the following extracts from private letters—the first from J. T. Richmond, of Oxford, to Wm. Rodgers of this place; the second, from W. W. Andrews to Dr. Mansfield, both of this place.

DEADWOOD CITY, Dec. 25, 1876.

WM. RODGERS:

The quartz mills are doing big business. There are two running day and night and another ten stamp mill is nearly ready and five more on the road. There has been some good leads struck since you left. The new town, Central City, reaches from Gayville to Golden Gate and runs up Saw Pit one block. We managed to get three lots by running for them. They were all taken in less than two hours after the survey. It is now about half built up with log cabins, and next summer will see a solid town from Gayville to Golden Gate. Menors are still living where they did.

Winfield Courier, April 11, 1878.

[DIED ???] A. Menor is supposed to have been killed at Brozeman about a month ago.

District Court Proceedings.

Winfield Courier, May 16, 1878.

The Sheriff’s Sales of real estate in the following cases were confirmed by the court and deeds ordered to be made by the sheriff to the purchasers.

M. L. Read vs. A. Menor, et al.

M. L. Read vs. O. Menor et al.

M. L. Read vs. A. Menor and R. Menor.

Winfield Courier, October 24, 1878.

STEALING THE TOWN SITE.

A SCRAP OF HISTORY.

The settlement of this county commenced in 1869, before the treaty for the removal of the Indians was made; before there was any survey of the lands or any steps taken to open these lands up for settlement, by settlers coming in and making claims of 160 acres each and improving them, which claims were afterward secured to these settlers by law. Among these claimants were E. C. Manning and A. A. Jackson, who made claims on what is now the north half of section 28. A. Menor and H. C. Loomis laid claims on the south half of same section, and C. M. Wood and W. W. Andrews claimed the half section next north of this section. Each of these claimants proceeded to occupy and improve his claim, and had as good a right to his claim as any man had on this reserve. Each had the undisputed right to prove up and enter his claim when the land should be ready to be offered.

In 1870 these several parties and others formed the project of making a town site. A town company was formed and Manning was to give the town company a certain 40 acres of his claim when he had entered it, for which the company was to pay one-half of the expense of building the old log store. Jackson, Wood, Andrews, Loomis, and Menor were all to sell portions of their claims to the town company at about seven dollars per acre, so that in the aggregate the town site should be 160 acres.

Winfield Courier, July 31, 1879.

Armstrong Menor, one of the original preemptors of what is now the city of Winfield has again made his appearance on our streets after an absence of some years.

Cowley County Courant, November 17, 1881.

Years ago when Menor’s addition was laid out a block was set apart on which to build the Court House, and the street on the south side of the block was called Court House street. The Court House was not built on the block, and the name of the street has ever since been a misnomer. The street runs from the east side of Loomis’ addition due west across Main, past the depot to River Side park, and we propose the changing of its name to Park street, which is much more appropriate than Court House. Will the Courier help us out in it.

Excerpt...

Winfield Courier, February 22, 1883.

Echoes From the Past.

We have before us bound files of the COURIER from the first copy, issued ten years ago. They contain an ever-varying panorama of the life and growth of Cowley and her people, of peculiar interest to the old residents, and replete with incidents and anecdotes of early life for the new-comers.

September 18, 1873, “Richland Township wants a threshing machine.” That was before she got Sam Phenix. We also learn that “Mr. Menor threshed 380 bushels of wheat from twelve acres.”