Another glimpse of early Winfield is told
by George G. Gentry in a letter to the Winfield Courier editor, which
was published June 2, 1928.
Fifty years ago the past week was the
first week I spent in the city, then but a settling of a few stores and
homes. I accompanied my parents and several brothers and sisters. We arrived
in the city on May 20 after six weeks traveling in an overland Pullman (covered
wagon) from Sangamon County, Illinois.
“Go west, young man, and grow up
with the country,” was the advice of Horace Greeley to his audiences
in his many lectures. My parents decided to follow his advice and start
their youngsters right. Of course, they also had thought out the economic
advantages and wanted to try for a homestead for our future home. At Fort
Scott the head of the house met a man who had been to Winfield and thought
it the best place to start expanding and so for Winfield we headed to expand
with the town. Our informant believed that railroads would reach Winfield
by fall.
His presumption proved true for the Southern
Kansas pounded its way into Winfield just 10 days after the Santa Fe in
October 1878.
However, we arrived in Winfield by driving
our team between the two asylum mounds on which the state oil-fields are
now located. From there we drove west to the cemetery and to Third Avenue
on which was located Frank Manny’s brewery. The road led west to Schmidt’s
greenhouse, then south to Fifth Avenue to the home of the late Dr. Graham,
father of Alva and Erney of this city, and west to Main street. Then we
were told to go north to the creek and did so, making our camp just east
of where the office building of the Rogers nursery now stands. We camped
under a black oak tree which is still standing.
The next day we moved into a house located
on the lot where the Brettun park now is. The lot which the hotel is standing
on was then a corral for roping wild ponies and a livery stable. The spot
was also the collecting and distributing point for the town herd of cows
and the herd usually consisted of about 80 head. Joe Hudson was manager
of the establishment.
On down the street where Noah Davis now
has his business of car top repairing was the Rodocker photograph gallery.
The hotel was located where Goodman’s store now is and just south of
the hotel was a saloon. A livery stable was on the plot where the Calvert-Cheek
department store is now and just south of it was Jackson’s bakery and
restaurant. In the same block were Wallace’s and Wallace’s grocery,
a pool room, and on the corner was Joe Harter’s drug store with the
offices of the chief of police and Dr. George Emerson on the second floor.
The White Way café holds the location
then occupied by Jim Fakay’s saloon; Fakay also built the house now
being remodeled for the Durrin and Swisher funeral home. John McGuire had
a grocery store on the corner where the First National bank now stands,
and just east on the alley was the shop of Douglass and Wilson, colored
barbers. Where King’s confectionary now is was a carpenter and washing
machine shop and the proprietors were Jake Crawford, Mr. Gary, and S. S.
Gentry. On the corner east was Dr. Mendenhall’s office. His residence
was located on the lot occupied by the Courier building recently vacated
and if the doctor had a patient or was wanted on a call, said patient pulled
the rope at the office door ringing a dinner bell and calling the doctor
to his duties.
The first door south of the First National
bank building was Joe Sea Kisky’s saloon and 50 feet west of the west
side of Main street on West Ninth was the public well. A small white frame
building occupied the corner where the Winfield National bank now stands.
The original home of the Winfield National Bank occupied the corner across
the street from the Brettun Hotel east. The plot occupied by the Shenneman
meat market was occupied by a meat market then and has been a meat market
owned by various parties since the early days. The Davenport café
was then a bakery and restaurant and has been through the years. At the
corner where the Wallace store now is was the William hotel or Williams
house and was the headquarters of all the stage lines which came from many
points. The hotel was in (a) constant war zone for it was the Mecca of all
the bootblacks of the town. The rightful owner of said territory being William,
or Billy, Farringer, boot polisher. The regular price was five cents but
occasions have been known when one boot polished, the bootblack would demand
a dime before he would complete the other boot.
The Farringer residence was situated on
the lot now occupied by the L. Moore Implement company and was Winfield’s
first Conservatory of Music. The well in the jail yard was at that time
the Winfield water works. The constable, Ed Nickelson, was engineer and
sprinkler, and as the pavement was 8 or 9 inches deep it took constant care.
Mr. Nickelson would drive his sprinkler under the filler pipe and then unhitch
one of his horses, put on the power and pump the tank of water.
History tells a story of a prisoner who
escaped from the jail when sent for water at the well. This well was located
just north on the sidewalk going west from the sidewalk to the alley in
the court house lawn. By the well was also a coal house for fuel for the
court house and jail. The jail was on Ninth avenue due north of the court
house and was also the sheriff’s home. The first school house was recently
torn down on the old Central grounds. The primary grades were taught in
the Alexander Milling company office.
The yard on which the Jarvis-Thompson
lumber yard now is was then a lumber yard and has continued such.
I helped cut wheat on land east of Andrews
and north of Ninth avenue. A Mr. Thompson owned the land. He was the original
owner, and built the present Courier building. We also cut three crops of
flax on Southwestern campus which was owned by Dr. Davis, a doctor with
Cherokee blood in his veins.
Just north of the fair grounds was Captain
Lowery’s corn field and hog pound. The Consolidated Mills (dam) was
built of log and a dirt, stone and brush dam was later replaced by the present
one (concrete). Fish in trying to get down stream would get stranded in
brush and the boy who got up earliest would be sure of a mess of fish if
he arrived soon enough.
Year by year the old town has changed
but the change has been so gradual that it has not been so pronounced.
Signed
“George G. Gentry.”
RKW obtained the Gentry letter when doing
research. MAW
I am not about to correct it as it is
priceless, in my opinion.
However, I did notice several things.
Wallace’s and Wallace’s grocery.
Believe he meant Wallis Bros.
Jim Fakay’s saloon. Believe he meant
Jim Fahey.
Joe Sea Kisky’s saloon. Believe he
meant Jo Likowski.
SOME WINFIELD BURIALS:
Gentry, son, to Eugene, May 11, 1897.
Gentry, daughter, born July 15, 1905,
to George, July 17, 1905.
Gentry, Roger Eugene, born February 20,
1927 to O. D. February 21, 1927.
FROM
THE NEWSPAPERS.
Cowley County Courant, March 2, 1882.
S. S. Gentry, contractor and builder on
10th avenue, has just made for the COURANT office an improved miter box,
which proclaims Mr. Gentry as a first-class workman. Anyone in need of good
work in his line at reasonable prices should call on him.
[OLD VETERANS’ REUNION.]
Winfield Courier, September 7, 1882.
VETERANS OF THE LATE WAR WHO WISH TRANSPORTATION
TO TOPEKA DURING THE REUNION IN SEPTEMBER, 1882.
S.
S. Gentry, Co. F, 87th Illinois Infantry
Mary Gentry marries T. J. Rude...
Winfield Courier, September 28, 1882.
MARRIED. T. J. Rude surprised his many
friends Sunday evening by appearing at the Christian Church with Miss Mary
Gentry, and they were then and there united in marriage. T. J. and his bride
have both engaged the Burden school, and will double team on the young folks.
We congratulate them.
Ella Gentry...
Winfield Courier, July 12, 1883.
Sunday
School Report.
The Secretary of the Baptist Sunday School
furnishes us with the following report.
No. of teachers and officers: 23.
Average attendance: 19.
Total attendance of the school: 187.
The following named teachers have been
present every Sunday this year: B. F. Wood, J. S. Mann, and Miss Mary E.
Miller.
Roll
of Honor.
The following named scholars have been
present every Sunday this year.
Adult Department: J. M. Fahnestock, Mrs.
Deacon Sherrard, Mrs. Dora Coe, Deacon Miller, and A. B. Arment.
Intermediate Department: Charlie Plank,
Harry Hunt, Abbie Rowland, Ella Gentry, Laura Herpich, and Johnny Trezise.
The last named scholar has been present every Sunday for more than three
years.
Primary Department: Otis Wood.
The financial account for six months shows
a total received of $115.91, with $89.77 paid out, leaving a balance of
$26.14.
Dora Gentry...
[FAIR.]
Winfield Courier, October 4, 1883.
CLASS
M. FANCY WORK.
Linen or cotton flowers, Miss Minnie Andrews,
city, 1st premium; Miss Dora Gentry, city, 2nd.
MISCELLANEOUS.
Best
paper flowers, Dora Gentry, city, 1st premium.
Ella L. Gentry, nine years old...
SCHOOL COMPOSITIONS.
Winfield Courier, December 6, 1883.
The pupils in Miss Crippen’s room,
West Ward schoolhouse, were shown a picture of a boy and rabbits and requested
to each write a composition on the picture. The following are some of the
results. The compositions are given verbatim et literatim et “punctuatim.”
THE.
PET. RABBITS.
These is a little boy with his pet rabbits.
There are seven of them. They are white as they can be. I think his mother
has sent him one to feed them. He is feeding them carrots. He has very curley
hair. And blue eyes And red cheeks. He is not more than two years old. The
rabbits have very pink eyes. The little boys name is Frank.
Ella
L. Gentry, Age 9 years.
[DISTRICT COURT.]
Winfield Courier, September 25, 1884.
TRIAL DOCKET.
Cowley
County District Court, First Tuesday, October 7th, 1884.
CIVIL DOCKET. SIXTH DAY.
91.
J. A. Bullen & Co. vs. S. S. Gentry, et al.
S. S. Gentry, Eliza A. Gentry, and C.
G. Oliver...
Winfield Courier, December 4, 1884.
RECAP. Sheriff Sale to be held Jan. 5,
1885. James H. Bullen and C. A. Bullen, partners as James H. Bullen &
Co., Plaintiffs, vs. S. S. Gentry, Eliza A. Gentry, and C. G. Oliver, Defendants.
Property involved: Lot 13, block 48, Manning’s addition to City of
Winfield. Appraised at $900.
Dora B. Gentry passes away...
Winfield Courier, Thursday, July 9, 1885.
Miss Dora B., aged seventeen, daughter
of Mr. and Mrs. Gentry, was laid away in South cemetery yesterday afternoon.
The funeral took place from the residence, conducted by Rev. B. Kelly. She
had been a victim of white swelling from her early childhood.
The following “Gentry” is definitely
not related to Winfield family...
BASTILLED
FOR NINETY DAYS.
John
Frost Gets Full of Liquid Hell and Raises the Dickens.
Winfield Courier, Thursday, February 18, 1886.
Sam Leffler, city marshal of Burden, came
down Thursday and took Jack Frost, whose real name is John, to Burden for
a trial before Justice Harvey Smith. Frost is a tough case about thirty
years old. The other night Frost and a chum got a rig at Burden and went
to a lyceum between Burden and Atlanta. They were pretty well boozed up
and when they started home, met a rig in the road, and refusing to give
an inch of the road, had a square collision. Frost swore that the other
rig would get out of the road or he’d “blow h
out of it!” The other fellows
weren’t to be bulldozed, and Frost jumped out, knocked one of the opposition
horses down with his six shooter, fired a few shots on the desert air, and
made the air blue with profanity. The other fellows were Wm. Gentry and
G. L. Burril, and they got up and dusted as soon as possible. Frost and
“pard” went on and soon made another malicious, unlawful, and
felonious attack—on a schoolhouse, smashing in the windows, kicking
down the stove, and doing other deviltry. Gentry and Burril swore vengeance
and went to work to bring the penalty of outraged law, peace, and quiet.
Frost was raked in first, but his “pard” got “wind”
and skipped for Colorado or some other foreign clime. There were two counts,
one for an attack on Gentry and one on Burril, and Justice Smith gave Frost
thirty days in the county bastille on one count and sixty days on the other—a
nice little dose of ninety days in durance vile. Mr. Frost is undoubtedly
convinced that he can’t nip everything he runs across and that the
way of the transgressor is harder to get over than a barbed wire fence.
Both Frost and pal were peregrinating individuals, who imagined that, accompanied
by a little rot-gut and a wicked “gun,” they could rule with high-handed
despotism.
[Note: I have checked through mid-April
1886, which is as far as I have gone with the Winfield Courier. I
did not see any reason to check the Arkansas City papers since it was apparent
family basically stayed in Winfield. MAW]
SOME MORE ENTRIES FROM A LATER DATE...
[Note: Winfield Monthly Herald was a publication by Winfield Baptist
Church.]
Winfield Monthly Herald, March, 1892.
New members received since our last publication.
KEY: B - RECEIVED BY BAPTISM. L - BY LETTER.
E - EXPERIENCE.
Ella L. Gentry, B.
Ethel Gentry, B.
Winfield Monthly Herald, June, 1892.
Ella Gentry has been spending a few weeks
with her sister, in Burden.