LETTER TO XXXX/BILL BOTTORFF: April 28, 1997.

Dear XXXX:

I checked on the "Powell" family and gathered up a number for you. While I was at it, found various items that I believe will interest Bill Bottorff as well, even though he will get most of this material again re zip drive of newspapers covered in research for history. Felt sure that Floral Cyclone might uncover some of your relatives, but it does not appear that any Powell was hurt or killed. Very first entry concerned a Powell giving out Indian names. Bill has a friend, Mike Smith, Farmington, NM, known as "redman" who is interested in Indians <1mikes@infoway.lib.nm.us> who has started a Home Page re Indians, etc., that he said can be viewed on the URL: http://www. ausbcomp/redman/index.htm

XXXX, this dummy is still having problems understanding the E-mail as well as the web. Kay never taught me: both of us saw no need for me using his machine when I was so durned busy on mine. After surgery January 31, 1997, he went downhill fast and was unable to teach me...he even put a Hospice social worker to work to teach me about E-mail toward the end and I learned a wee bit from her during the short time she had to teach. Then my son, Kevin, and his Navy Chief wife, Jana, told me they would teach me. Ha! Most of the time they were using the computer for their own benefit...even the oldest boy took over and the youngest was dying to get on it. I got instructions from Kevin totaling about 5 minutes and from Jana totaling 3 minutes...."It is so easy, each of them said. Ha!"

Finally found out that Horizon Internet Technologies, our access, has changed their security system, making it impossible for me to receive items via web and for all I know any E-mail. Took a beginning course in computers from a Southwestern College man, who informed me that he went to school with Bill Bottorff in Winfield, Gary H. King. Session did not last long, but I learned that Southwestern has been in big trouble due to a "hacker" getting into their system. He could not even bring up some of the programs he called for on demo set-up with windows 95. Could tell he was embarrassed that he still did not have access to items. Am supposed to take a course in about a month about E-mail.

This morning I have to go to Winfield and give blood, as usual, preliminary to seeing the cancer doctor on Thursday...every three months he checks me over...and so far all is well! Am going to call HIT and see if they can help me lick security problem.

XXXX, I believe Bill Bottorff is going to change the whole scope of our work. Diane Kelly is most excited about his outline re getting into the web. Learned recently that the school systems have started a home page or some such. I get more and more confused as to how it will work. Called Jana Brown, who has been such a dear friend to both Kay and I during our ordeal with first book, and told her about Bill. Like me, she does not understand this modern world but believes it might be a sound idea to use it to broadcast Cowley County history. We are going to have lunch Wednesday with the computer gal from Home National Bank, who I hope will contact Bill first. If project looks good, she will set up an appointment with Dr. Snell, head honcho for USD 470 [Arkansas City school system] and we will see what can be done. Am still utterly lost. Told her I could not make a proper presentation to anyone.

Diane Kelly, who works for the local college, is most excited about the possibility of presenting history through web. Figure she knows a wee bit more about it than I do. So, for the time being I am not proceeding with book #2 [Indians] until decisions are made as to the course Arkansas City Historical Society should follow. Diane is going to help me use the zip drive Kay had Kevin get shortly before he died so that I can send newspaper items to Bill. You should see the poster-size colored photos he has sent! He used the Winfield depot as an example and is sending me one of Arkansas City taken from a black and white photograph taken years ago of the old depot here. So much of our old data is in such horrible shape thanks to old systems Kay had me on that I am quite embarrassed to pass them on as such...especially with all my comments about people’s names, etc., but hopefully Bill will cull out the garbage I put in. Later on, will probably send stories on people that Kay and I covered who did not appear in book #1. So many of these stories are incomplete as I have had not had time to work forward...took us about six months to get book #1 ready and during that time I was unable to forge ahead.

My last project before Kay died was to go back and get early data on Emporia Land Company and events happening in Arkansas City and Winfield during the early years since the Traveler issues for about the first five years are gone with the dust forever. Really learned a lot about A. A. Newman and his relatives making this sandhill into a city. Norton Brothers were never in Arkansas City long enough to accomplish much. Kay sent off for information as to belonged to Emporia group. A diligent search was made of papers of the Kansas governor at that time and no record could be found of their charter. Drat!

It was so good to hear from you XXXX. Once you have solved your problems, you might want to exchange ideas with Bill Bottorff. Only had time to search for Powell. In time I may be able to look for others. Please advise again which families you are looking for...lost my notes. In trying to clean house, work on computer, etc., beginning to think I am losing my mind. Found out I lost some old postcards somewhere! Surely I did not put them in file 13 along with other things. Kevin swirled through house removing items or changing location. I think he even threw out marriage certificate Kay and I had. Had to get a copy of our license from courthouse to satisfy social security. Thought they would want a death certificate like everyone else, but all they wanted was proof that I was born and that I was married.

Enough! Hope you enjoy reading items being sent to you. Am making two disks: one for you and one for Bill.

Mary Ann Wortman

Winfield Courier, January 21, 1875.

The Origin of Indian Names.

A member of Major Powell's expedition, which has been engaged in the Government survey of the Territories, furnished the New York Tribune some interesting notes of the discoveries made in the origin of Indian names.

It seems that each tribe or primary organization of Indians, rarely including more than 200 souls, is, in obedience to the traditional laws of these people, attached to some well-defined territory or district, and the tribe takes the name of such district. Thus the U-in-tats, known to white men as a branch of the Utes, belonged to the Uintah Valley.

U-imp is the name for pine; too-meap, for land or country; U-im-too-meap, pine land; but this has been contracted to U-in-tah, and the tribe inhabiting the valley were called

U-in-tata.

The origin of the term Ute is as follows: U is the term signifying arrow; U-too-meap, arrow land. The region of country bordering on Utah Lake is called U-too-meap because of the great number of reeds growing there, from which their arrow-shafts were made.

The tribe formerly inhabiting Utah Valley was called U-tah-ats, which has been corrupted into the term Ute by the white people of the country.

The name U-tah-ats belonged only to a small tribe living in the vicinity of the lake, but it has been extended so as to include the greater part of the Indians of Utah and Colorado. Another general name used by white men is Piutes. A tribe of U-tah-ats being defeated and driven away by a stronger tribe, who occupied their country and took their name, were obliged to take a new name corresponding to the new home in which they settled themselves. But they also called themselves Pai U-tah-ats, or true U-tah-ats. The corrupted name Piutes is now applied to the Indians of a large section of country. Several of these tribes have numerous names, and in this way the number of individual tribes has probably been much overestimated.

Galaxy for February.

Winfield Courier, October 28, 1875.

MARRIED.

GRAHAM - POWELL. At the residence of the bride's father, in Coshocton county, Ohio, on the 23rd day of September, T. M. Graham to Carrie L. Powell.

The groom is one of our boys. Everybody in this section knows the modest Mell Graham, and none can be more surprised than we to know that he has got a life divorce from his old bachelor rooms in district 45. Mell showed his usual good sense by bringing back with him one of the fairest of the "Buckeye" daughters to help boss his ranche here in the valley. "One by one," they leave us. Winfield bachelors please take warning.

Winfield Courier, September 28, 1876.

A meeting of the stockholders and directors of the Commercial Agency will be held at Wichita, Thursday, Oct. 5th.

E. R. POWELL, Secretary.

Winfield Courier, October 12, 1876.

List of letters remaining unclaimed in the Post Office at Winfield, Cowley county, Kansas, on the 11th day of Oct., 1876.

GENT'S LIST - FIRST COLUMN:

Anderson, Mathers; Adams, J. W.; Burlington, Albert; Barton, Wm. T.; Boyd, A. F.; Carter, Hyram; Colkins, William; Courtney, J. S.; Croco, Rev. A. H.; Dacoing, W. A.; Daniel, Hiram; Elder, Henry; Elliott, Solomon; Fearniture, H.; Foster, James; Frew, B. W.; Geer, Joseph; Gould, Seth; Hood, James H.; Harris, Thomas; Harrington, J.; Hamlin, J. D.; Haight, Edward; Jenkins, J.; Koons, Issac.

GENT'S LIST - SECOND COLUMN:

Kimble, Nathan; Logan, N.; Lynch, Joseph; Long, Benjamin; Mathias, George O.; Miller, A. H.; Molleynolds, Fred; North, Mr.; Orson, Geo. B.; Pritchan, John; Painter, Robert M.; Powell, Thos. F.; Ritzer, Lawrence; Ross, James; Reid Brothers; Rogers, C. C.; Rex, George W.; Stover, Geo.; Testerman, Jacob; Wheeler, S. P.; Watle, T. F.; White, Joseph; White, J.; Whitehead, Henry F.; Wallis, James.

Winfield Courier, August 29, 1878.

District Court.

Met Monday morning, August 26th, 1878.

Present: Judge W. P. Campbell, Sheriff C. L. Harter, Clerk E. S. Bedilion, Attorneys McDermott, Torrance, C. Coldwell, N. C. Coldwell, Hackney, McDonald, Pryor, Pyburn, Allen, Jennings, Buckman, Black, Webb, Alexander, Beach, Troup, Jarvis, Asp, of Winfield; and Dennison, of Osage Mission.

The following cases were continued: McMasters vs. Hughes, Brettun vs. Phenis.

The following were dismissed: Buck vs. Bright; Bliss vs. Bradfield; Maris vs. Gant; Nichols vs. Barton—appeal; Fonda & Gump vs. Walkers; J. P. Campbell & Co. vs. Walkers; Winfield vs. Lee—appeal; Cochran, Carroll & Co. vs. Walkers; Powell vs. Stout.

Winfield Courier, September 26. 1878.

Stockholders' Meeting.

There will be a meeting of the stockholders of the Patron's Commercial Agency, Friday, October 4th, 1878, at the Agency Elevator in Wichita. E. R. POWELL, Secretary.

Winfield Courier, December 12, 1878.

OMNIA TOWNSHIP, Dec. 6, 1878.

Everybody is talking railroad, and a warm time is expected on the 24th. Everybody is going to the election and take all their neighbors, and you may expect Omnia to poll the largest vote ever cast in the township.

We had a very destructive prairie fire last week. The fire started north of Mr. Daggett's on Thursday night, and the first damage it did was burning a hay stack for Steve Elkins. It then ran north and burned some hedge and a part of Mr. Davis' orchard. On Friday morning the wind changed and drove it west, burning some hedge for Amos and A. J. Henthorn, and eight or ten tons of hay for William Lewis. We hear Mr. Phenix suffered considerable loss, but have been unable to get the particulars. If somebody gets a free pass to Leavenworth, perhaps they will stop setting the prairie on fire every year just to see it burn.

Mr. George Blue moved into his fine residence in Omnia. He has been living in Richland while building his new house.

Mr. Joseph Powell has sold out in Omnia and bought a farm from Mr. Edwards, in Richland. Mr. Doty, of Iowa, attorney at law, bought one quarter from Mr. Powell and Mr. Davis bought an 80. Mr. Powell intends keeping an 80. We now boast of a lawyer in Omnia.

Winfield Courier, June 12, 1879.

Charles Powell has accepted an agency from Van Antwerp, Bragg & Co., publishers of the widely known Eclectic series of school books. Charley is a responsible representative of a responsible firm.

Winfield Courier, December 2, 1880.

Major Powell has eight parties in the field engaged in making a study of the North American Indians: their condition, their habits of life, their languages, their history, etc., as well as taking a census of them. These parties, who are roughing it with tents, mule teams, etc., are scattered throughout California, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona, and Major Powell is going to visit them all to ascertain personally how they are progressing with their work; he will probably be absent about two months. The taking of the Indian census was begun October 1st, and will probably not be finished until next spring, owing to the scattered locations of the various tribes. The name of every Indian is written out in full, together with his age, sex, etc., and other statistics are obtained, just the same as of the civilized citizens of the United States, as far as practicable. Besides these eight ethnological parties who are doing this work, there are special agents of the census bureau, who are assisting with the various Indian agents. It is estimated that the total number of Indians in the United States will foot up over 300,000. One of Major Powell's parties has just discovered in New Mexico and Arizona a number of old ruins and pueblos, which means old Indian villages. These are now being carefully explored. In New Mexico they have discovered, west of Santa Fe, the largest collection of ruins ever found on this continent.

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