10 10 1856 http://recollectionsks.org/files/original/d2923c3f90844c210921849bbb0907cc.jpg 1ea2915dc8607d164b835783ba7f008f Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Rossville Agricultural History Subject The topic of the resource Farming/Ranching Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rossville Community Library Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Rossville Centennial Booklet, 1971 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Rossville Community Library Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Public Domain due to copyright expiration. Original narrative content by RCL is available for use by public. Description An account of the resource Rossville is fortunately situated in many ways—we are near a large city, Topeka, but far enough away to retain our own identity; we can be considered a bedroom community to Topeka since so many residents commute to work to the larger city; we are just north of the Kansas River and enjoy the fertile “Kaw River Valley,” which has benefited agriculture in our community since its very beginnings. From the early days, Rossville Township was blessed with fertile creek and river-bottom land, combined with the upland, which consisted of bluestem grass. The early settlers broke and cleared the bottom lands and part of the upland prairie. The settlers of the 1860-70s began farming and found the soil fertile and productive. However, the task of clearing the timberland and breaking prairie sod must have seemed insurmountable. Corn and wheat, the main crops, and cattle, hogs and other livestock-raising, became the basic agriculture of Rossville township. Many of these early farmers came to Kansas seeking land. They traveled by ox cart and wagon before the railroad went through, following the Oregon and other trails. Settlers bought land from the Santa Fe Railroad or from members of the Citizen Potawatomi Band, who were selling their allotment land. The first mention of early agriculture in Rossville comes from Dr. Gabbey’s account, written in 1886: “The Pottawatomi as a tribe never took kindly to agriculture, four or five acres in corn was a large field. Their fields were usually cleared up from the edge of the timber along the streams, as the Indian had little use for the Prairie kind.” One account gives the cost of prairie in the early days from $2.50 to $4.00 per acre. Lumber was worth from $25.00 to $39.00 dollars per thousand feet. Oxen cost $100.00 a yoke, mules from $100.00 to $200.00, horses $75.00 to $150.00, sheep $2.00 a head and chickens 25¢ each. Masons and carpenters received $2.00 to $3.00 per day in wages. Wheat was worth $1.50 per bushel and flour $4.50 per hundred pounds. From newspapers of 1877: “New corn brought in for shipment is getting 18¢ to 20¢ and corn huskers have been in demand at $1.00 per day and board; 2.5¢ per bushel thrown on the ground or 3.5¢ in the crib.” “Mr. Lambert James, a farmer living a few miles west of town has this season manufactured 1,500 gallon of sorghum molasses, which he readily disposed of at 50¢ per gallon.” But challenges persisted for early settlers. Although this was an extremely desirable area for agriculture and the raising of livestock, it was not possible for the early settlers to procure manufactured goods from the East without paying an extremely high freight bill. It was also impossible to ship their grain and produce economically. River freight was tried but the Kaw River often times did not have enough water to make shipping dependable so the answer to this problem was the railroad. Rossville’s answer came May 18, 1866, when the first train passed through the town. Corn was the main crop and early editors gave much space extolling its excellence. Corn cribs were numerous along the south side of the railroad tracks and on the east side of north Main. A water powered grist mill was located on Cross Creek north of town. Mulvane Bros. built a steam powered mill south of the railroad tracks. One of the earliest farmers was Henry Ford, who acquired 80 acres southwest of Rossville in 1864. His wife was the former Mary Nadeau, who came to Rossville from Indiana in 1862. Henry Ford came to Kansas in 1863 and was a stage coach driver for the Overland Stage Company between Topeka and Manhattan. He met his wife at “Buttermilk Station” where she worked for her brother, Big Alex Nadeau. While working to clear their land of timber and build a log house, they lived in one room of a three room house, west of Cross Creek, north of the old Oregon and California trails. The other two rooms were occupied by Dr. and Mrs. R.S. Gabbey and Mr. and Mrs. C.W. Higginbotham. After the Fords moved into their log cabin, Mrs. Ford often rode horseback nine miles with her baby to the mission in St. Marys. The first flowers she had to plant by the cabin were given to her by the nuns at the Mission. Another early farmer, John DeGraff settled south of Rossville in 1865. He and his wife, the former Frances Navarre, lived in a small dugout until their house was built. The following is a list of early farmers: Name | Year to Rossville | Origin Archibald Abbott 1870 Kingston, Canada West Joseph Andrews Westmoreland County, Pa. W. Thomas Andrews 1879 McKay, Ohio Joseph Beseau 1875 Monroe County, Michigan John A. Bond 1872 Tyler County, W. Virginia William Bond 1873 Tyler County, W. Virginia John DeGraff 1865 James DeVinney 1880 Ross County, Ohio Benjamin Franklin 1869 Ross County, Ohio John Fritz 1877 Somerset County, Pa. Martin Hass 1877 Richland County, Ohio Henry Kassabaum 1877 Brookmell, Prussia T.J. Kiernan 1868 Elzey E. Kinsey 1877 Ohio Henry Lipp 1868 South Germany Isaac McCollough 1873 Holmes County, Ohio R. McCollough 1878 Holmes County, Ohio Michael O’halaron 1880 Samuel Oldfield 1878 Derbyshire, England S.J. Oliver 1876 Edward Partelow 1868 Newport, Kentucky Thomas L. Ross 1882 Cincinnati, Ohio M.M. Standley 1874 Carroll County, Indiana Bennett Swearingen 1868 Meigs County, Ohio Isaac B. Trostel 1877 Perry County, Pa. Frank Van Vleck 1878 William Wax 1878 Juniata County, Pa. Daniel Wilt 1876 York County, Pa. Henry York 1869 Zurich, Switzerland Peter H. Zickefoose 1874 Highland County, W. Virginia Samuel Beals 1867 E.S. Doud 1869 W.L. James Wm. Kirkpatrick 1871 Frank L. Sanders John Heslet Noel Graves W.W. Janes J.K. Conley 1870 Yates County, New York Startup, Ab Thomas Attebury 1877 George Hejtmanek 1880 Wisowitz, Moravia, Austria D. Hartzell 1872 Francis E. Williams 1876 New York Captain John Gutshall Col. A.S. Stanley 1880 Meigs Co., Ohio Martin Nason 1872 Jos. Van Vleck 1878 M.L. Cless 1876 B.W. Higginbotham 1861 Thomas Moss 1877 J.M. Parr Clay Co. Indiana J.A. Parr Clay Co. Indiana H.W. Lipp 1878 Illinois Samuel B. Zickefoose 1869 West Virginia Mrs. Jane Jackson 1875 Scotland Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1945-1948 4-H Banquet, Awards & Meetings, Rossville, Kansas Description An account of the resource ROSSVILLE RUSTLERS 4-H CLUB January 25, 1945 The regular monthly meeting of the Rossville Rustlers 4-H club was held at the Rossville grade school at 8 p. m. Tuesday, January 16, 1945. The meeting was called to order by the president, all repeating the flag salute followed by the song "America." Roll call was answered by a name of a Kansas bird, tree or flower. The program consisted of the song, "Flow Gently Sweet Alton" by the club; a talk by Howard McMahan on "Cattle"; a talk on "Food Preparation" by Betty Trubey a demonstration on "Cattle Grubs" by Everett Hoobler and Billy Hesse; music appreciation by Phyllis Page on "Home, Sweet Home"; a health talk on "Tuberculosis" by Ruth Spears; and recreation was led by Evelyn Trubey The Silver Lake 4-H club will be guests of Rossville Rustlers 4-H club January 31, at the Rossville grade school. The model club contest is being held between all the clubs in Shawnee County. These two clubs will give their model club at this meeting. We, the club, cordially invite the public to attend our meetings. — Reporter, Helen Spears February 1, 1945 The following was omitted last week in the list of 4- H winners. Gene Pelfrey also was a winner, taking 3rd in 2nd Division Poultry. March 8, 1945 At a tryout held recently for the County 4-H chorus of twenty-two voices to enter at Manhattan, April 7, Billy Hesse and Howard McMahan of Rossville were among the group chosen. March 29, 1945 Twelve Shawnee County 4-H clubs participated in the County model 4-H club contest recently and Rossville placed first. The Rossville leaders are Mrs. Harley McCoid, Mrs. Wm. Hesse, Owen McMahan, and V. P. Hoobler. A county team of fifteen was chosen and will compete with other counties at Manhattan, April 7. Billy Hesse, Everett Hoobler, Betty Trubey, and Barbara McCoid were among the fifteen chosen. January 25, 1945 A gala celebration for the 4-H club boys and girls of Shawnee County was enjoyed Monday night at the Topeka auditorium, when they met for the annual achievement banquet given by the Topeka Chamber of Commerce. Several hundred dollars were awarded for outstanding achievements in some type of farm competition to Shawnee county 4-H club members. Prize winners honored at this dinner were: Swine—James McCoid, 3rd. Kafir Corn—4th, Betty Trubey. General Crops—3rd, Betty Trubey Poultry, 1st Div. — 2nd, Burns Hesse Poultry, 2nd Div.—3rd, Barbara McCoid. Clothing 1st Div. – 1st Barbara McCoid Clothing 2nd Div. – 2nd, Betty Trubey Project Demonstration, 2nd Div. —1st, Betty Trubey; 2nd, Barbara McCoid Winners in Model Club Meeting contest—2nd, Rossville 4-H Club Club with largest enrollment—1st, Rossville 4-H club ROSSVILLE RUSTLERS 4-H NOTES February 22, 1945 The regular monthly meeting of the Rossville Rustlers 4-H Club was held February 19, at the Rossville grade school. The meeting was called to order by the president, Forest Hoobler, by repeating the Flag Salute, followed by the song, "A Plowing Song." Roll call was answered by "What a 4-H member can do to make his home look better." The program consisted of a piano solo by June Hartzell; a flute duet by Ruth Spears and Phyllis Page; a talk on "Feeding and Caring for a baby beef calf," by Forest Hoobler; a demonstration by Howard McMahan on "Mixing a dairy feed"; a demonstration on "Folding and care of clothes", by Rosemary Lambert; music appreciation by Burns Hesse on "Old Folks at Home"; a health talk on "Muscle Building Foods" by James McCoid; song, "Dixie" by the Club; a talk by Miss Lambotte; and recreation by Shirley Lambert. — Reporter, Helen Spears December 4, 1947 Everett Hoobler, son of Mr. and Mrs. Vernon Hoobler, and Pauline Bundy of Six Mile, were crowned King and Queen of the Shawnee County 4-H Fall Festival at Garfield Park Shelterhouse. March 4, 1948 Robert Gentry, son of Mr. and Mrs. Roy Gentry of the Kingville neighborhood, for a number of years a 4-H worker in Mitchell County and lately in this county, has a record of achievement to inspire all 4-H'ers. During the 10 years Gentry has been in the 4-H Club work, he has carried 41 projects and won 100 ribbons. He was Kansas general livestock champion in 1946. September 1948 James McCoid of Rossville was judged the best groomed boy in the county. He has been a 4-H club member for five years. November 1948 Bob Gentry was named by J. Harold Johnson state 4-H club leader, as the boy leadership winner in Kansas club work this year. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource The Rossville Reporter, Rossville, Kansas This work is copyrighted; the copyright holder has granted permission for this item to be used by the Rossville Community Library. This permission does not extend to third parties. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1945, 1947, 1948 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights reserved Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RCL0654 http://recollectionsks.org/files/original/6673a3ce41f34d99c821065ce9b9b894.jpg 23514be45fc0c9071a3f43449f409d3d Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Rossville Agricultural History Subject The topic of the resource Farming/Ranching Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rossville Community Library Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Rossville Centennial Booklet, 1971 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Rossville Community Library Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Public Domain due to copyright expiration. Original narrative content by RCL is available for use by public. Description An account of the resource Rossville is fortunately situated in many ways—we are near a large city, Topeka, but far enough away to retain our own identity; we can be considered a bedroom community to Topeka since so many residents commute to work to the larger city; we are just north of the Kansas River and enjoy the fertile “Kaw River Valley,” which has benefited agriculture in our community since its very beginnings. From the early days, Rossville Township was blessed with fertile creek and river-bottom land, combined with the upland, which consisted of bluestem grass. The early settlers broke and cleared the bottom lands and part of the upland prairie. The settlers of the 1860-70s began farming and found the soil fertile and productive. However, the task of clearing the timberland and breaking prairie sod must have seemed insurmountable. Corn and wheat, the main crops, and cattle, hogs and other livestock-raising, became the basic agriculture of Rossville township. Many of these early farmers came to Kansas seeking land. They traveled by ox cart and wagon before the railroad went through, following the Oregon and other trails. Settlers bought land from the Santa Fe Railroad or from members of the Citizen Potawatomi Band, who were selling their allotment land. The first mention of early agriculture in Rossville comes from Dr. Gabbey’s account, written in 1886: “The Pottawatomi as a tribe never took kindly to agriculture, four or five acres in corn was a large field. Their fields were usually cleared up from the edge of the timber along the streams, as the Indian had little use for the Prairie kind.” One account gives the cost of prairie in the early days from $2.50 to $4.00 per acre. Lumber was worth from $25.00 to $39.00 dollars per thousand feet. Oxen cost $100.00 a yoke, mules from $100.00 to $200.00, horses $75.00 to $150.00, sheep $2.00 a head and chickens 25¢ each. Masons and carpenters received $2.00 to $3.00 per day in wages. Wheat was worth $1.50 per bushel and flour $4.50 per hundred pounds. From newspapers of 1877: “New corn brought in for shipment is getting 18¢ to 20¢ and corn huskers have been in demand at $1.00 per day and board; 2.5¢ per bushel thrown on the ground or 3.5¢ in the crib.” “Mr. Lambert James, a farmer living a few miles west of town has this season manufactured 1,500 gallon of sorghum molasses, which he readily disposed of at 50¢ per gallon.” But challenges persisted for early settlers. Although this was an extremely desirable area for agriculture and the raising of livestock, it was not possible for the early settlers to procure manufactured goods from the East without paying an extremely high freight bill. It was also impossible to ship their grain and produce economically. River freight was tried but the Kaw River often times did not have enough water to make shipping dependable so the answer to this problem was the railroad. Rossville’s answer came May 18, 1866, when the first train passed through the town. Corn was the main crop and early editors gave much space extolling its excellence. Corn cribs were numerous along the south side of the railroad tracks and on the east side of north Main. A water powered grist mill was located on Cross Creek north of town. Mulvane Bros. built a steam powered mill south of the railroad tracks. One of the earliest farmers was Henry Ford, who acquired 80 acres southwest of Rossville in 1864. His wife was the former Mary Nadeau, who came to Rossville from Indiana in 1862. Henry Ford came to Kansas in 1863 and was a stage coach driver for the Overland Stage Company between Topeka and Manhattan. He met his wife at “Buttermilk Station” where she worked for her brother, Big Alex Nadeau. While working to clear their land of timber and build a log house, they lived in one room of a three room house, west of Cross Creek, north of the old Oregon and California trails. The other two rooms were occupied by Dr. and Mrs. R.S. Gabbey and Mr. and Mrs. C.W. Higginbotham. After the Fords moved into their log cabin, Mrs. Ford often rode horseback nine miles with her baby to the mission in St. Marys. The first flowers she had to plant by the cabin were given to her by the nuns at the Mission. Another early farmer, John DeGraff settled south of Rossville in 1865. He and his wife, the former Frances Navarre, lived in a small dugout until their house was built. The following is a list of early farmers: Name | Year to Rossville | Origin Archibald Abbott 1870 Kingston, Canada West Joseph Andrews Westmoreland County, Pa. W. Thomas Andrews 1879 McKay, Ohio Joseph Beseau 1875 Monroe County, Michigan John A. Bond 1872 Tyler County, W. Virginia William Bond 1873 Tyler County, W. Virginia John DeGraff 1865 James DeVinney 1880 Ross County, Ohio Benjamin Franklin 1869 Ross County, Ohio John Fritz 1877 Somerset County, Pa. Martin Hass 1877 Richland County, Ohio Henry Kassabaum 1877 Brookmell, Prussia T.J. Kiernan 1868 Elzey E. Kinsey 1877 Ohio Henry Lipp 1868 South Germany Isaac McCollough 1873 Holmes County, Ohio R. McCollough 1878 Holmes County, Ohio Michael O’halaron 1880 Samuel Oldfield 1878 Derbyshire, England S.J. Oliver 1876 Edward Partelow 1868 Newport, Kentucky Thomas L. Ross 1882 Cincinnati, Ohio M.M. Standley 1874 Carroll County, Indiana Bennett Swearingen 1868 Meigs County, Ohio Isaac B. Trostel 1877 Perry County, Pa. Frank Van Vleck 1878 William Wax 1878 Juniata County, Pa. Daniel Wilt 1876 York County, Pa. Henry York 1869 Zurich, Switzerland Peter H. Zickefoose 1874 Highland County, W. Virginia Samuel Beals 1867 E.S. Doud 1869 W.L. James Wm. Kirkpatrick 1871 Frank L. Sanders John Heslet Noel Graves W.W. Janes J.K. Conley 1870 Yates County, New York Startup, Ab Thomas Attebury 1877 George Hejtmanek 1880 Wisowitz, Moravia, Austria D. Hartzell 1872 Francis E. Williams 1876 New York Captain John Gutshall Col. A.S. Stanley 1880 Meigs Co., Ohio Martin Nason 1872 Jos. Van Vleck 1878 M.L. Cless 1876 B.W. Higginbotham 1861 Thomas Moss 1877 J.M. Parr Clay Co. Indiana J.A. Parr Clay Co. Indiana H.W. Lipp 1878 Illinois Samuel B. Zickefoose 1869 West Virginia Mrs. Jane Jackson 1875 Scotland Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1949 4-H Rossville Rustlers & West Union Wildcats, Rossville, Kansas Description An account of the resource February 12, 1959 Way Back When 10 YEARS AGO February 10. 1949 Bob Gentry was one of four 4-H members awarded the Arthur Cap¬per scholarships for leadership in 4-H club work and applies only at Kansas State College. November 5, 1959 10 YEARS AGO November 10, 1949 Everett Hoobler, Rossville 4-H club member, was named state field crops champion. As a reward for his achievement he will be awarded a trip to the National 4-H Club Congress in Chicago. 4-H CLUB NEWS December 8, 1949 The Rossville Rustlers 4-H club met Monday, November 21, in the grade school gym for the regular meeting. Everett Hoobler called the meeting to order and roll was taken by naming something we were thankful for. Old and new business was then discussed We voted to start the meeting at 7:31 instead of 8 during the winter. We also voted to take up a penny col¬lection after the meetings. The club will have a basket supper on December 19, the regular meeting night, at 6:30 p. m., in the grade school gym. The members will also exchange Christmas gifts, boys bring boys gifts and girls bring girls. Bob Gentry gave out the ribbons and check awards to the 4-H mem¬bers. Those receiving awards were asked to write a letter of appreciation to the sponsor. He also reminded us to fill out enrollment cards and return them next meeting. After business meeting was over installation of officers was held. Reporter—Shirley Mesmer. WEST UNION WILDCATS 4-H Meeting December 15, 1949 The West Union Wildcats held their regular monthly meeting Wednesday, December 14, at the West Union school. For business we discussed a Christ¬mas party which is to be held December 19 at the West Union school house Also on the business we voted in two new members, Leroy VanHorn and Marlin Jontra. The program consisted of a demonstration on "How to Wrap Christmas Packages," by Connie Stevens and Wynne Jo Sum¬mers. Next was a monologue on "The Real Christmas Spirit" by Glen Van Horn. Next was a piano duet "Chop Sticks" by Rebecca and Smithena Fouts. The meeting was adjourned by Don Viergever, president. — Glen VanHorn, Reporter. West Union Wildcats Achievement Party The West Union Wildcats had an annual achievement party Nov. 27th at the West Union school house. The program consisted of a piano solo by Marcia Stevens; a vocal solo by Wyn¬ne Jo Summers; a special performer, Larry Heil, magician; talks from sev¬eral members and parents on trips taken for 4-H; a style revue and pre¬sentation of awards. For refreshments we had ice cream and cake. After everyone had gone home and we were cleaning up, we discovered the hot cocoa which we had forgotten and left on the stove.—Glen VanHorn Reporter. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource The Rossville Reporter, Rossville, Kansas This work is copyrighted; the copyright holder has granted permission for this item to be used by the Rossville Community Library. This permission does not extend to third parties. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1949 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights reserved Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RCL0655 http://recollectionsks.org/files/original/e70d4a216ff06f0bf7916a80fddf1cbf.jpg d7a30d98db6f4dc9ebe65b5e2f223bfd Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Rossville Churches History Subject The topic of the resource Churches in the Rossville, Kansas, area. Description An account of the resource Among the various cultural developments in Rossville none was more important than the establishment and growth of organized religions. Shortly after the village of Rossville was started in 1871, some of the settlers felt the need for a church. The first known organized church was the Baptist Church started in August 1871 with nine members. A newspaper account, dated May 1879, about the school house in town says, “…at this time the building is used on Sunday by various church denominations as they are not supplied with church buildings. Six denominations have organized: The Baptist, Presbyterian, Christian, Methodist, Episcopal, Methodist Southern and Advent. The Baptist have begun to erect a neat frame church building.” The Baptists built a small church on the approximate site of the Joe Navarre home on Spruce Street and dedicated this church on February 29, 1880. For a few years after that the Baptist, Christian, Presbyterian and Methodist shared this building—each having the use of it one Sunday a month, morning and evening. The Baptist church disbanded in 1910 and was torn down soon afterwards. Organization of the United Brethren was soon followed by the United Brethren Church, also known as the Olive Branch Church. The first church building in the community was built by its members in about 1877. The old landmark, five miles north of Rossville, was torn down about 1952. Some of the farm folk responsible for its organization and erection were Mr. and Mrs. Joe Franklin, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Franklin, Mr. and Mrs. Marion Lasswell, Mr. and Mrs. Lambert James and their sons, Robert and James, Mr. and Mrs. W.V. Hook, who donated land for the church. A decline in membership prompted the church officials to sell the building to the Czech Christian organization and it served as a worship center for many years. Other denominations organized early, which have little recorded history, including the Colored Baptist, also called Second Baptist. A news clipping shows the Colored Baptist Church was in existence in 1885 and meetings were held at the old school house. At that time they were endeavoring to raise funds for a structure of their own. It was later erected in the southeast part of town on Orange Street. Their building was repaired in December 1904, but soon after the church disbanded. The only information available about the Cambellites, followers of Alexander Cambell, shows that they gathered regularly early in the city’s history. The Cambellites here and in other localities were the forerunners of the early Christian Church. A church was organized with the name Church of Christ in 1872 with Bennet Swearingen, an elder. In 1879 a group was meeting in the school. Between 1880 and when it was decided to build a church, it is believed the members met in the Baptist Church. A deed was recorded on June 29, 1887, for three lots for which they paid $50.00. The exact date of the erection of the present church is not known. Revered Alex Montgomery was a stone mason and laid the church foundation. Charles Bixby, father of the late Albert Bixby, was a carpenter and supervised the building of the church. Lumber was hauled from Topeka by Alex Nadeau and others. The supplies were purchased from the Thomas Lumber Company at Topeka. The first funeral held in the church was for William Lacock, grandfather of the late Albert Bixby. The oldest Sunday School record is dated September 7, 1884, with May Parker its first secretary. Due to an increase in the Christian Church's membership, in 1949 a large room was added to the north side of the building. Other improvements included new colored glass in the windows, and pews from the old United Brethren Church. In December 1960, another addition to the building was completed. As more settlers moved to this community, those who were of the Presbyterian faith organized their group in 1878 and met in the school in town. Reverend E.P. Sempel was the first pastor. A.C. Sherman, Richard Binns, Daniel Wilt, J.C. Bradley, William Bond, Henry Kassebaum, W.M. Mitchner, Sam Kerr, Dr. H.H. Miller and Isaac Trostle were the founders of the church. Later the Presbyterians met in the Baptist Church. In 1883, the Presbyterian group purchased the land on which the present church stands and began to build. The first church was built of red bricks which were made at a brick kiln located at the east edge of town. As the years passed a crack appeared between the bricks in the east end of the building. This fault was used as the reason for tearing town the old building. The present structure was constructed in 1917. The Reverend J.H. Naismith, the originator of the game of basketball, served as pastor in 1922 and 1923. Mr. Gus Kassebaum served as a Trustee for 39 years, from 1915 to 1954. His wife, Mrs. Lula Kassebaum served most of these years as president of the Ladies Missionary Society. The Rossville Charge was organized in the James School House, three miles west of Rossville in the year 1872 under the leadership of Mr. Paul Strimple, a local lay preacher. Shortly afterwards, another group of Methodists (Southern Methodists) met in Rossville and had services at the school in town. These two groups joined in planning construction of a church. Since the Baptists were the first to build a church, the two Methodist groups shared the building. The Methodist Church was chartered and registered with the Secretary of State, June 13, 1881. The first trustees and signers of the charter were: W.G. Gilbert, Isaac Larrance, Joseph Andrews, J.W. Miller, A.E. Strimple, J.T. Heslet, and T.M. Attebury. Building of the new church began in 1884, and it was dedicated on March 1, 1885. Nine years later the south room was added, and it was used as a dining room and meeting room. The Sunday School addition was added in 1960. The name was changed from Methodist Episcopal to Methodist, October 11, 1939. It was again changed in 1968 to United Methodist when the United Brethren and Methodist merged. The Election Day dinner was first served in 1882 and has become an established tradition. Dinner and supper were served to over 175 persons at a cost of 25 cents per person. Some of the men who took an active part in the life of the church were C.E. Gresser, E.G. Griswold and Frank Strimple. Before St. Stanislaus became a reality, according to Ellen Leonhardt of St. Marys, Kansas, Mass was held monthly sometime before 1894 in the Fritz Hall. She remembers accompanying Father Krier, a Jesuit priest, from St. Marys to Rossville along with other girls to sing in the choir. The first St. Stanislaus Church was built under the auspices of Father John B. Kokenge, S.J., who collected about eleven hundred dollars to procure the ground and put up the structure. It measured 42 x 30 feet with a sanctuary that added twelve feet to its length. The corner stone of this mission church was laid by Bishop Fink on June 18, 1899. Many notables from the St. Marys College were present as well as Reverend H.A. Schapman, S.J., former president of Detroit College. The document placed in the stone contained the following: “Leo XIII being Pope, William McKinley being President of the United States, W.E. Stanley being the Governor of Kansas, Joseph Calvin Bradley being Mayor of the city of Rossville, this church to be erected to the honor of God under the invocation of St. Stanislaus Kastka was begun today when the corner stone was laid this the eighteenth day of June in the year of our Lord Eighteen hundred and ninety-nine.” The dedication of the completed church took place on October 29, 1899. In 1967, the parish purchased the home across the street from the church, so that the expanding catechetical classes would have a better place to meet. A $20,000 renovation project in 1975-1976 added a brick extension to the front of the church and a full basement. In 1998 Dekat Hall was dedicated and the mortgage was paid off. By 2009 the parish, which encompassed Rossville, Silver Lake, Willard, and Maple Hill, was in need of a bigger building so Don & Kathleen Damon donated a $1.1 million gift for the building of a new church. After raising the additional needed funds, the new worship space for 400 people was built in 2012 near the former church. In the early 1950s a group of believers who met together for weekly Bible Study grew in number so that they were encouraged to secure a property, call a pastor and organize a church. The Stewart property on the corner of Main and Pottawatomie was purchased in June 1952. After renovation, the first services of the Rossville Bible Church were held on September 7, 1952, with Reverend Clarence Swihart as pastor. Reverend Floyd Gee became the second pastor in June 1954. The church purchased a building site from the Hesse family that adjoins the Grade School in August 1960. Reverend Hugh Gardner, Wichita, superintended the construction of a basement to be used for an auditorium. A building was moved from Forbes Air Force Base and set on the basement. June 7, 1970, was a day of rejoicing for the congregation as they had a mortgage-burning service with Reverend Joe Arnedd, Des Moines, Iowa, evangelist, as speaker. Thus is the history of the early churches which no longer exist in the community and the churches which continue to function--though in somewhat different roles than in the early years. Once, the church, as well as the school, was the center of most family activities. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rossville Community Library Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Rossville Centennial Booklet, 1971 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Rossville Community Library Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Public Domain due to copyright expiration. Original narrative content by RCL is available for use by public. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1949 UMC Rummage Sale/W.S.C.S./Friendly Circle, Rossville, Kansas Description An account of the resource The W. S. C. S of the Methodist church met Thursday, Nov . 17, at the home of Mrs. C. S. Smith for an afternoon meeting. The president, Mrs. Vina McCoid, called the meeting to order and all repeated the Lords Prayer. A vocal solo was sung by Ann Boyd. Roll call was taken and minutes of last meeting read. The treasurer's report given by Irene Campbell. Leader of the worship service was Mrs. O'Donnell and Mrs. Moyer led the program. Special music was furnished by Mrs. Pauline Swenson and Mrs. Babicki. Those assisting the hostess were Mrs. Lenora Gresser, Ruth Gresser, Winifred Fawl, Inez Richardson. Lovely refreshments of pumpkin pie with whipped cream and coffee were served to, Mae Moyer, Velda O'Donnell, Comella Stevens, Stella Page, Vina McCoid, Myrtle Lillard, Ethelyn Ferguson, Linda Barney, Minnie Ellis, Grace Hartzell, Elsa Rasch, Adelle Bills, Vida Whitney, Ellen Steffee, Inez Richardson, Amy Meade, Winifred Fawl, Minnie Bird, Mrs. Alvin Perry, Pauline Swenson and Joyce, Mrs. Babicki, Marcia and Carolyn, Mrs. Don Jones and baby, Alice Boyd and Ann, Irene Campbell, Ruth Gresser, Mrs. C. E. Gresser and the hostess, Mrs. Smith. The next meeting will be at the home of Mrs. Comella Stevens, on December 22, for a Christmas party and gift exchange. Gifts not to exceed 50c in price. RUMMAGE SALE The Methodist Rummage Sale will be held Tuesday, December 27th. Please bring in your rummage. Criss Viergever completed the job of painting the residence of Mrs. Bertha Cless this week. The Friendly Circle class of the Methodist church met at the home of Mrs. Comelia Stevens, last Thursday, for an all day meeting and a Christmas exchange. Mrs. Ethelyn Ferguson was the assisting hostess. A covered dish luncheon was served at noon to the following members: Mrs. Stella Page, Mrs. Lulu James, Mrs. Myrtle Lillard, Mrs. Minnie Ellis, Mrs. Bird Vorhies, Grace Hartzell, Mrs. Ella Whearty, Mrs. Bills, Mrs. Daisy Crow, Mrs. Amy Meade, Mrs. Golda Cottle. Afternoon guests were: Vida Whitney, Mrs. Myrtle Stone, Mrs. Ellwood, Mrs. Mae Moyer and Mrs Stevens and Mrs. Ferguson. The W. S. C. S. of the Methodist church met at the home of Mrs. John Stevens, Dec. 22. with a Christmas program. Worship service was by Mrs. Fern Rogers. The program was led by Mrs. Irene Campbell; Jane Rogers played a piano solo, 'Jingle Bells." Irene Campbell gave a Christmas melody; Mrs. Hertha Coberly had the song, "Dear Heart and Gentle People," dedicated to the W. S. C. S. and sung by Mrs. Elmora Jones. A group of songs sang were: "Joy to The World," "Silent Night," following a lovely Christmas Story of the World, by Irene Campbell. The meeting closed and all gathered around a beautiful decorated table for a gift hunt. At the social hour lovely refreshments of ice cream, cake and coffee were served by the committee, Maxine Rawlings, Mildred Irwin, Minnie Ellis and Cormelia Stevens to the following present, Bird Vorhies, Velda O'Donnell, Velda Pardee, Fern Rogers and Jane, Mrs. Joe Babicki, Irene Campbell, Cora Mercer, Linda Barney, Mrs. Alvin Perry and daughter, Grace Hartzell, Inez Richardson, Ruth Gresser, Elsie Rasch and daughter, Daisy Crow, Stella Page, Lulu James, Vina McCoid Bess Conley, Amy Meade, Mrs. Smith and the hostesses. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource The Rossville Reporter, Rossville, Kansas This work is copyrighted; the copyright holder has granted permission for this item to be used by the Rossville Community Library. This permission does not extend to third parties. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1949 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights reserved Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RCL0605 http://recollectionsks.org/files/original/a5dadb39a6d009b7689e085be8c07fdc.jpeg f8685b8296961ccaae96661be4e2cc08 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Rossville Churches History Subject The topic of the resource Churches in the Rossville, Kansas, area. Description An account of the resource Among the various cultural developments in Rossville none was more important than the establishment and growth of organized religions. Shortly after the village of Rossville was started in 1871, some of the settlers felt the need for a church. The first known organized church was the Baptist Church started in August 1871 with nine members. A newspaper account, dated May 1879, about the school house in town says, “…at this time the building is used on Sunday by various church denominations as they are not supplied with church buildings. Six denominations have organized: The Baptist, Presbyterian, Christian, Methodist, Episcopal, Methodist Southern and Advent. The Baptist have begun to erect a neat frame church building.” The Baptists built a small church on the approximate site of the Joe Navarre home on Spruce Street and dedicated this church on February 29, 1880. For a few years after that the Baptist, Christian, Presbyterian and Methodist shared this building—each having the use of it one Sunday a month, morning and evening. The Baptist church disbanded in 1910 and was torn down soon afterwards. Organization of the United Brethren was soon followed by the United Brethren Church, also known as the Olive Branch Church. The first church building in the community was built by its members in about 1877. The old landmark, five miles north of Rossville, was torn down about 1952. Some of the farm folk responsible for its organization and erection were Mr. and Mrs. Joe Franklin, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Franklin, Mr. and Mrs. Marion Lasswell, Mr. and Mrs. Lambert James and their sons, Robert and James, Mr. and Mrs. W.V. Hook, who donated land for the church. A decline in membership prompted the church officials to sell the building to the Czech Christian organization and it served as a worship center for many years. Other denominations organized early, which have little recorded history, including the Colored Baptist, also called Second Baptist. A news clipping shows the Colored Baptist Church was in existence in 1885 and meetings were held at the old school house. At that time they were endeavoring to raise funds for a structure of their own. It was later erected in the southeast part of town on Orange Street. Their building was repaired in December 1904, but soon after the church disbanded. The only information available about the Cambellites, followers of Alexander Cambell, shows that they gathered regularly early in the city’s history. The Cambellites here and in other localities were the forerunners of the early Christian Church. A church was organized with the name Church of Christ in 1872 with Bennet Swearingen, an elder. In 1879 a group was meeting in the school. Between 1880 and when it was decided to build a church, it is believed the members met in the Baptist Church. A deed was recorded on June 29, 1887, for three lots for which they paid $50.00. The exact date of the erection of the present church is not known. Revered Alex Montgomery was a stone mason and laid the church foundation. Charles Bixby, father of the late Albert Bixby, was a carpenter and supervised the building of the church. Lumber was hauled from Topeka by Alex Nadeau and others. The supplies were purchased from the Thomas Lumber Company at Topeka. The first funeral held in the church was for William Lacock, grandfather of the late Albert Bixby. The oldest Sunday School record is dated September 7, 1884, with May Parker its first secretary. Due to an increase in the Christian Church's membership, in 1949 a large room was added to the north side of the building. Other improvements included new colored glass in the windows, and pews from the old United Brethren Church. In December 1960, another addition to the building was completed. As more settlers moved to this community, those who were of the Presbyterian faith organized their group in 1878 and met in the school in town. Reverend E.P. Sempel was the first pastor. A.C. Sherman, Richard Binns, Daniel Wilt, J.C. Bradley, William Bond, Henry Kassebaum, W.M. Mitchner, Sam Kerr, Dr. H.H. Miller and Isaac Trostle were the founders of the church. Later the Presbyterians met in the Baptist Church. In 1883, the Presbyterian group purchased the land on which the present church stands and began to build. The first church was built of red bricks which were made at a brick kiln located at the east edge of town. As the years passed a crack appeared between the bricks in the east end of the building. This fault was used as the reason for tearing town the old building. The present structure was constructed in 1917. The Reverend J.H. Naismith, the originator of the game of basketball, served as pastor in 1922 and 1923. Mr. Gus Kassebaum served as a Trustee for 39 years, from 1915 to 1954. His wife, Mrs. Lula Kassebaum served most of these years as president of the Ladies Missionary Society. The Rossville Charge was organized in the James School House, three miles west of Rossville in the year 1872 under the leadership of Mr. Paul Strimple, a local lay preacher. Shortly afterwards, another group of Methodists (Southern Methodists) met in Rossville and had services at the school in town. These two groups joined in planning construction of a church. Since the Baptists were the first to build a church, the two Methodist groups shared the building. The Methodist Church was chartered and registered with the Secretary of State, June 13, 1881. The first trustees and signers of the charter were: W.G. Gilbert, Isaac Larrance, Joseph Andrews, J.W. Miller, A.E. Strimple, J.T. Heslet, and T.M. Attebury. Building of the new church began in 1884, and it was dedicated on March 1, 1885. Nine years later the south room was added, and it was used as a dining room and meeting room. The Sunday School addition was added in 1960. The name was changed from Methodist Episcopal to Methodist, October 11, 1939. It was again changed in 1968 to United Methodist when the United Brethren and Methodist merged. The Election Day dinner was first served in 1882 and has become an established tradition. Dinner and supper were served to over 175 persons at a cost of 25 cents per person. Some of the men who took an active part in the life of the church were C.E. Gresser, E.G. Griswold and Frank Strimple. Before St. Stanislaus became a reality, according to Ellen Leonhardt of St. Marys, Kansas, Mass was held monthly sometime before 1894 in the Fritz Hall. She remembers accompanying Father Krier, a Jesuit priest, from St. Marys to Rossville along with other girls to sing in the choir. The first St. Stanislaus Church was built under the auspices of Father John B. Kokenge, S.J., who collected about eleven hundred dollars to procure the ground and put up the structure. It measured 42 x 30 feet with a sanctuary that added twelve feet to its length. The corner stone of this mission church was laid by Bishop Fink on June 18, 1899. Many notables from the St. Marys College were present as well as Reverend H.A. Schapman, S.J., former president of Detroit College. The document placed in the stone contained the following: “Leo XIII being Pope, William McKinley being President of the United States, W.E. Stanley being the Governor of Kansas, Joseph Calvin Bradley being Mayor of the city of Rossville, this church to be erected to the honor of God under the invocation of St. Stanislaus Kastka was begun today when the corner stone was laid this the eighteenth day of June in the year of our Lord Eighteen hundred and ninety-nine.” The dedication of the completed church took place on October 29, 1899. In 1967, the parish purchased the home across the street from the church, so that the expanding catechetical classes would have a better place to meet. A $20,000 renovation project in 1975-1976 added a brick extension to the front of the church and a full basement. In 1998 Dekat Hall was dedicated and the mortgage was paid off. By 2009 the parish, which encompassed Rossville, Silver Lake, Willard, and Maple Hill, was in need of a bigger building so Don & Kathleen Damon donated a $1.1 million gift for the building of a new church. After raising the additional needed funds, the new worship space for 400 people was built in 2012 near the former church. In the early 1950s a group of believers who met together for weekly Bible Study grew in number so that they were encouraged to secure a property, call a pastor and organize a church. The Stewart property on the corner of Main and Pottawatomie was purchased in June 1952. After renovation, the first services of the Rossville Bible Church were held on September 7, 1952, with Reverend Clarence Swihart as pastor. Reverend Floyd Gee became the second pastor in June 1954. The church purchased a building site from the Hesse family that adjoins the Grade School in August 1960. Reverend Hugh Gardner, Wichita, superintended the construction of a basement to be used for an auditorium. A building was moved from Forbes Air Force Base and set on the basement. June 7, 1970, was a day of rejoicing for the congregation as they had a mortgage-burning service with Reverend Joe Arnedd, Des Moines, Iowa, evangelist, as speaker. Thus is the history of the early churches which no longer exist in the community and the churches which continue to function--though in somewhat different roles than in the early years. Once, the church, as well as the school, was the center of most family activities. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rossville Community Library Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Rossville Centennial Booklet, 1971 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Rossville Community Library Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Public Domain due to copyright expiration. Original narrative content by RCL is available for use by public. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1949-12-22 Church schedules/events, Rossville, Kansas Description An account of the resource See you in Church Sunday CHRISTIAN CHURCH MAURICE GRAHAM, Minister Maxine Trimble, S. S Supt., Marvin Stoner, Asst. S. S. Supt Bible School at 10:00 a. m. Communion service at 11 a. m. Candle Lighting service Saturday evening, at 8 o'clock. PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH ROSSVILLE— Sunday School at 9:45, Owen McMahan, S. S. Supt Slides of the "Christmas Story" will be shown instead of the regular class teaching. Morning Worship at 11:00 a. m. DELIA— Sunday School at 10 a. m., Anthony Zlatnik, S. S. Supt. Christmas program Saturday evening, Dec. 24, at 8 o'clock "For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord."—Luke 2:11 BENJ. A. RUNDUS, Minister CATHOLIC CHURCH Mass at 8:00 a. m. METHODIST CHURCH DON JONES, Minister Joseph A. Babicki, SS Supt., Mrs. O. S. Boyd, Supt. Primary Dept, Mrs. Irene Campbell, Pianist Morning worship at 11 Sermon subject—"And His Name Shall Be Called Wonderful." Special Music by the Choir—"What Child is This?" There will be no Sunday school for the Primary Department this week. All other classes will meet as usual. Due to the outbreak of a few cases of scarlet fever, our Christmas program, scheduled for Friday evening has been cancelled as a precautionary measure. Youth Fellowship will meet at 6:30 The choir will practice at 7:30 Wednesday in the church. Jan. 1, is Student Recognition Day The Young Adults will, hold a basket supper at the church Sunday evening, Jan 1, at 6:30. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource The Rossville Reporter, Rossville, Kansas This work is copyrighted; the copyright holder has granted permission for this item to be used by the Rossville Community Library. This permission does not extend to third parties. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource December 22, 1949 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights reserved Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RCL0639 http://recollectionsks.org/files/original/6f233832796309b9bdabeb59c63cc7eb.jpeg 04c7a924689a2fdb01110b0b1e735a2a Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Rossville Agricultural History Subject The topic of the resource Farming/Ranching Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rossville Community Library Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Rossville Centennial Booklet, 1971 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Rossville Community Library Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Public Domain due to copyright expiration. Original narrative content by RCL is available for use by public. Description An account of the resource Rossville is fortunately situated in many ways—we are near a large city, Topeka, but far enough away to retain our own identity; we can be considered a bedroom community to Topeka since so many residents commute to work to the larger city; we are just north of the Kansas River and enjoy the fertile “Kaw River Valley,” which has benefited agriculture in our community since its very beginnings. From the early days, Rossville Township was blessed with fertile creek and river-bottom land, combined with the upland, which consisted of bluestem grass. The early settlers broke and cleared the bottom lands and part of the upland prairie. The settlers of the 1860-70s began farming and found the soil fertile and productive. However, the task of clearing the timberland and breaking prairie sod must have seemed insurmountable. Corn and wheat, the main crops, and cattle, hogs and other livestock-raising, became the basic agriculture of Rossville township. Many of these early farmers came to Kansas seeking land. They traveled by ox cart and wagon before the railroad went through, following the Oregon and other trails. Settlers bought land from the Santa Fe Railroad or from members of the Citizen Potawatomi Band, who were selling their allotment land. The first mention of early agriculture in Rossville comes from Dr. Gabbey’s account, written in 1886: “The Pottawatomi as a tribe never took kindly to agriculture, four or five acres in corn was a large field. Their fields were usually cleared up from the edge of the timber along the streams, as the Indian had little use for the Prairie kind.” One account gives the cost of prairie in the early days from $2.50 to $4.00 per acre. Lumber was worth from $25.00 to $39.00 dollars per thousand feet. Oxen cost $100.00 a yoke, mules from $100.00 to $200.00, horses $75.00 to $150.00, sheep $2.00 a head and chickens 25¢ each. Masons and carpenters received $2.00 to $3.00 per day in wages. Wheat was worth $1.50 per bushel and flour $4.50 per hundred pounds. From newspapers of 1877: “New corn brought in for shipment is getting 18¢ to 20¢ and corn huskers have been in demand at $1.00 per day and board; 2.5¢ per bushel thrown on the ground or 3.5¢ in the crib.” “Mr. Lambert James, a farmer living a few miles west of town has this season manufactured 1,500 gallon of sorghum molasses, which he readily disposed of at 50¢ per gallon.” But challenges persisted for early settlers. Although this was an extremely desirable area for agriculture and the raising of livestock, it was not possible for the early settlers to procure manufactured goods from the East without paying an extremely high freight bill. It was also impossible to ship their grain and produce economically. River freight was tried but the Kaw River often times did not have enough water to make shipping dependable so the answer to this problem was the railroad. Rossville’s answer came May 18, 1866, when the first train passed through the town. Corn was the main crop and early editors gave much space extolling its excellence. Corn cribs were numerous along the south side of the railroad tracks and on the east side of north Main. A water powered grist mill was located on Cross Creek north of town. Mulvane Bros. built a steam powered mill south of the railroad tracks. One of the earliest farmers was Henry Ford, who acquired 80 acres southwest of Rossville in 1864. His wife was the former Mary Nadeau, who came to Rossville from Indiana in 1862. Henry Ford came to Kansas in 1863 and was a stage coach driver for the Overland Stage Company between Topeka and Manhattan. He met his wife at “Buttermilk Station” where she worked for her brother, Big Alex Nadeau. While working to clear their land of timber and build a log house, they lived in one room of a three room house, west of Cross Creek, north of the old Oregon and California trails. The other two rooms were occupied by Dr. and Mrs. R.S. Gabbey and Mr. and Mrs. C.W. Higginbotham. After the Fords moved into their log cabin, Mrs. Ford often rode horseback nine miles with her baby to the mission in St. Marys. The first flowers she had to plant by the cabin were given to her by the nuns at the Mission. Another early farmer, John DeGraff settled south of Rossville in 1865. He and his wife, the former Frances Navarre, lived in a small dugout until their house was built. The following is a list of early farmers: Name | Year to Rossville | Origin Archibald Abbott 1870 Kingston, Canada West Joseph Andrews Westmoreland County, Pa. W. Thomas Andrews 1879 McKay, Ohio Joseph Beseau 1875 Monroe County, Michigan John A. Bond 1872 Tyler County, W. Virginia William Bond 1873 Tyler County, W. Virginia John DeGraff 1865 James DeVinney 1880 Ross County, Ohio Benjamin Franklin 1869 Ross County, Ohio John Fritz 1877 Somerset County, Pa. Martin Hass 1877 Richland County, Ohio Henry Kassabaum 1877 Brookmell, Prussia T.J. Kiernan 1868 Elzey E. Kinsey 1877 Ohio Henry Lipp 1868 South Germany Isaac McCollough 1873 Holmes County, Ohio R. McCollough 1878 Holmes County, Ohio Michael O’halaron 1880 Samuel Oldfield 1878 Derbyshire, England S.J. Oliver 1876 Edward Partelow 1868 Newport, Kentucky Thomas L. Ross 1882 Cincinnati, Ohio M.M. Standley 1874 Carroll County, Indiana Bennett Swearingen 1868 Meigs County, Ohio Isaac B. Trostel 1877 Perry County, Pa. Frank Van Vleck 1878 William Wax 1878 Juniata County, Pa. Daniel Wilt 1876 York County, Pa. Henry York 1869 Zurich, Switzerland Peter H. Zickefoose 1874 Highland County, W. Virginia Samuel Beals 1867 E.S. Doud 1869 W.L. James Wm. Kirkpatrick 1871 Frank L. Sanders John Heslet Noel Graves W.W. Janes J.K. Conley 1870 Yates County, New York Startup, Ab Thomas Attebury 1877 George Hejtmanek 1880 Wisowitz, Moravia, Austria D. Hartzell 1872 Francis E. Williams 1876 New York Captain John Gutshall Col. A.S. Stanley 1880 Meigs Co., Ohio Martin Nason 1872 Jos. Van Vleck 1878 M.L. Cless 1876 B.W. Higginbotham 1861 Thomas Moss 1877 J.M. Parr Clay Co. Indiana J.A. Parr Clay Co. Indiana H.W. Lipp 1878 Illinois Samuel B. Zickefoose 1869 West Virginia Mrs. Jane Jackson 1875 Scotland Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1950 4-H Annual Picnic, Meetings & Programs, Rossville, Kansas Description An account of the resource 4-H CLUB NOTES January 19, 1950 The Rossville Rustlers met Monday, January 16, in the grade school gym for the regular meeting. The president called the meeting to order, and it was opened by members repeating the flag salute and singing "America the Beautiful." Roll call was answered by the special topics. We discussed and voted to pay the rest of our bills. We voted to give a model meeting in 4-H club day activities. Mrs. Ruth Hesse will help us with this meeting. We talked of other possibilities for the day. They include a demonstration, sextet or a talk. The program was given by the officers. Robert Reid gave a health talk on Athlete's Foot; a brief history of the song "America" was given by Shirley Mesmer, and Teresa Bixby gave moving a motion for parliamentary problems and practice. Robert Rafferty demonstrated how to clean a gun, and James McCoid gave a report on hunting safety. Joe Conley had recreation. The meeting was adjourned by repeating the club pledge. —Shirley Mesmer, Reporter 4-H CLUB NOTES March 16, 1950 The Rossville Rustlers 4-H club met February 26, at the grade school gym for their regular meeting which had been postponed to this date. James McCoid called the meeting to order and it was opened by roll call. They decided to have both a boys and a girls basketball team to compete in the tournament. Mrs. Pitts will coach the girls and Bob Gentry will coach the boys. On the program was a foods demonstration by Linda and Shirley Pitts; conservation number, Feeding the Birds, by Roy D. Davis; and Care of the Cold, by Jeanette Nadeau. After the regular meeting was adjourned, practice for our model meeting was held.—Shirley Mesmer, Reporter. 4-H NOTES June 15, 1950 The Rossville 4-H club visited the West Union 4-H at their regular meeting on June 14, in the West Union school house. After the Wildcat's business meeting, the Rossville Rustlers presented the program. Shirley Mesmer, gave a health talk on polio; Jeanette Nadeau give a music appreciation on "Dixie"; Joe Conley played "Red Wing and "Red River Valley" on his harmonica. The Wildcats had recreation and refreshments after the meeting was dismissed. The Rustlers had a good time and wish to thank West Union for inviting them.—Shirley Mesmer, Reporter 4-H CLUB NEWS March 23, 1950 Mrs. Lorene Harth, Mrs. Helen Wilt and Mrs Margaret Hejtmanek, home- town registered nurses, attended the meeting of the Rossville Rustlers 4-H Club last Monday, March 20, at the grade school and were special speakers on the program. Mrs. Wilt gave a brief history on the beginning of nurses. Here are some of the interesting facts brought out: The first nursing began around 380 A. D. Then nursing dropped out until the 18th century when Florence Nightingale, the world's most outstanding nurse, appeared. The next interest started the science of nursing. Mrs. Harth told about the services of the Public Health department and what they did to better health. Mrs. Hejtmanek then showed an educational picture on teeth. Other numbers on the program were group singing. Joe Conley and Jerry Pearl gave a demonstration on different bandages and their use. Mrs Vina McCoid had charge of recreation which included a race and singing stunt. We opened the meeting by singing "Billy Boy" and roll call was answered by individual topics. The club voted to send a leader to Leaders' Conference, and to pay the conference expense. Mrs. McCoid read the criticism about our activities on 4-H Day. The next meeting will be April 17.— Shirley Mesmer, Reporter. 4-H CLUB NEWS May 25, 1950 Bill Garden and Trooper McCabe attended the regular meeting of the Rossville Rustlers 4-H club, which had been postponed until May 22, at the grade school and participated in our annual safety program. On the first part of the program Bill Garden gave an interesting talk on safety. Then Trooper McCabe showed some films. The first was "Danny Boy," a story of a boy and his dog. The other two were safety pictures. "Driven to Kill" and "Traffic with the Devil." Other numbers on the program were "Glow Worm," sung by the girls and "Ploughing Song" sung by the boys. Jeanette Nadeau gave a music appreciation on "Dixie." Burns gave a safety talk on fluorescent lights. Instead of recreation, pictures of the grade school children, which were taken this spring were shown. The club discussed exchanging programs with West Union 4-H club and Joe Conley, Shirley Trahoon and Linda Pitts were appointed to make plans for the program Jerry Pearl, Barbara Gentry and Jean Nadeau were appointed to work out transportation and stops for the 4-H tour. Mr Eyestone checked the club projects. Mr. and Mrs. Merle Eyestone were guests at our meeting. There were also a number of parents and friends visiting.—Shirley Mesmer, Reporter. The Rossville Reporter THURSDAY, APRIL 20, 1950 4-H CLUB NEWS A stunt show in which all the members participated, took the place of the regular program in the Rossville Rustlers’ meeting on April 17, at the grade school. First on the program was Joe Conley and Burns Hesse with their ukeleles, James McCoid and his banjo, and Robert Rafferty. They played and sang "My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean," "Red River Valley," "Home on the Range," and "Goodnight, Ladies." Joe Conley played "Music, Music, Music," "Red Wing," and "Quick Silver" on his harmonica. Anita Rundus brought us back to our childhood days by reciting "Little Orphan Annie." Ruth Olson, Genevieve Bixby, Elzora Marney, and Teresa Bixby sang "My Happiness." Robert Reid, Jerry Pearl and Melvin Ketter sang "Powder Your Face with Sunshine," and Jeanette Nadeau, Shirley Pitts, Shirley Trahoon and Darlene Allen sang "I've Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts." Robert Lambert entertained us with some riddles, and Shirley Mesmer gave a little poem which told what happens to curious people. Linda Pitts, Linda Wilt, Jean Nadeau and Ruth Kovar sang a late hit parade number, "Dear Hearts and Gentle People." Roy D. Davis sang "Chautauqua Shoe Shine Boy." Bob Gentry and Robert Reid sang "Maybe You'll Be There." Mrs. McCoid concluded our program by directing a little play. The cast, composed of the members, included trees, curtains, benches, chairs, a mother and father, some children, two nurses, a villain and a hero. O yes, the title of the play was "Gathering Nuts." The meeting was opened by the club singing "Sweetly Sings the Donkey." Shirley Trahoon will represent our club in the health contest. The delegates selected for 4-H Round-up are Genevieve Bixy [sic; Bixby] and Burns Hesse. —Shirley Mesmer, Reporter 4-H CLUB PICNIC The 4-H Club members and their families will enjoy the annual picnic Wednesday July 28, at River Side park, at St. Marys at 6:30. Bring basket supper and table service for your family.—Shirley Mesmer, Reporter 4-H NEWS July 27, 1950 Parents and 4-Hers enjoyed the annual picnic of the Rossville Rustlers on July 26, at St. Marys park. After serving a short business meeting was held. It was voted to pay the bills for pop, paper plates, etc. There was a short discussion about the Northwestern Kansas Judging school. Recreation was swimming.—Shirley Mesmer, Reporter. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource The Rossville Reporter, Rossville, Kansas This work is copyrighted; the copyright holder has granted permission for this item to be used by the Rossville Community Library. This permission does not extend to third parties. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1950 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights reserved Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RCL0657 http://recollectionsks.org/files/original/102456d384a6ed5dbae229e11ce58f4f.jpeg db17600f81e391b6c60bcb32dba6953f Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Rossville Agricultural History Subject The topic of the resource Farming/Ranching Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rossville Community Library Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Rossville Centennial Booklet, 1971 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Rossville Community Library Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Public Domain due to copyright expiration. Original narrative content by RCL is available for use by public. Description An account of the resource Rossville is fortunately situated in many ways—we are near a large city, Topeka, but far enough away to retain our own identity; we can be considered a bedroom community to Topeka since so many residents commute to work to the larger city; we are just north of the Kansas River and enjoy the fertile “Kaw River Valley,” which has benefited agriculture in our community since its very beginnings. From the early days, Rossville Township was blessed with fertile creek and river-bottom land, combined with the upland, which consisted of bluestem grass. The early settlers broke and cleared the bottom lands and part of the upland prairie. The settlers of the 1860-70s began farming and found the soil fertile and productive. However, the task of clearing the timberland and breaking prairie sod must have seemed insurmountable. Corn and wheat, the main crops, and cattle, hogs and other livestock-raising, became the basic agriculture of Rossville township. Many of these early farmers came to Kansas seeking land. They traveled by ox cart and wagon before the railroad went through, following the Oregon and other trails. Settlers bought land from the Santa Fe Railroad or from members of the Citizen Potawatomi Band, who were selling their allotment land. The first mention of early agriculture in Rossville comes from Dr. Gabbey’s account, written in 1886: “The Pottawatomi as a tribe never took kindly to agriculture, four or five acres in corn was a large field. Their fields were usually cleared up from the edge of the timber along the streams, as the Indian had little use for the Prairie kind.” One account gives the cost of prairie in the early days from $2.50 to $4.00 per acre. Lumber was worth from $25.00 to $39.00 dollars per thousand feet. Oxen cost $100.00 a yoke, mules from $100.00 to $200.00, horses $75.00 to $150.00, sheep $2.00 a head and chickens 25¢ each. Masons and carpenters received $2.00 to $3.00 per day in wages. Wheat was worth $1.50 per bushel and flour $4.50 per hundred pounds. From newspapers of 1877: “New corn brought in for shipment is getting 18¢ to 20¢ and corn huskers have been in demand at $1.00 per day and board; 2.5¢ per bushel thrown on the ground or 3.5¢ in the crib.” “Mr. Lambert James, a farmer living a few miles west of town has this season manufactured 1,500 gallon of sorghum molasses, which he readily disposed of at 50¢ per gallon.” But challenges persisted for early settlers. Although this was an extremely desirable area for agriculture and the raising of livestock, it was not possible for the early settlers to procure manufactured goods from the East without paying an extremely high freight bill. It was also impossible to ship their grain and produce economically. River freight was tried but the Kaw River often times did not have enough water to make shipping dependable so the answer to this problem was the railroad. Rossville’s answer came May 18, 1866, when the first train passed through the town. Corn was the main crop and early editors gave much space extolling its excellence. Corn cribs were numerous along the south side of the railroad tracks and on the east side of north Main. A water powered grist mill was located on Cross Creek north of town. Mulvane Bros. built a steam powered mill south of the railroad tracks. One of the earliest farmers was Henry Ford, who acquired 80 acres southwest of Rossville in 1864. His wife was the former Mary Nadeau, who came to Rossville from Indiana in 1862. Henry Ford came to Kansas in 1863 and was a stage coach driver for the Overland Stage Company between Topeka and Manhattan. He met his wife at “Buttermilk Station” where she worked for her brother, Big Alex Nadeau. While working to clear their land of timber and build a log house, they lived in one room of a three room house, west of Cross Creek, north of the old Oregon and California trails. The other two rooms were occupied by Dr. and Mrs. R.S. Gabbey and Mr. and Mrs. C.W. Higginbotham. After the Fords moved into their log cabin, Mrs. Ford often rode horseback nine miles with her baby to the mission in St. Marys. The first flowers she had to plant by the cabin were given to her by the nuns at the Mission. Another early farmer, John DeGraff settled south of Rossville in 1865. He and his wife, the former Frances Navarre, lived in a small dugout until their house was built. The following is a list of early farmers: Name | Year to Rossville | Origin Archibald Abbott 1870 Kingston, Canada West Joseph Andrews Westmoreland County, Pa. W. Thomas Andrews 1879 McKay, Ohio Joseph Beseau 1875 Monroe County, Michigan John A. Bond 1872 Tyler County, W. Virginia William Bond 1873 Tyler County, W. Virginia John DeGraff 1865 James DeVinney 1880 Ross County, Ohio Benjamin Franklin 1869 Ross County, Ohio John Fritz 1877 Somerset County, Pa. Martin Hass 1877 Richland County, Ohio Henry Kassabaum 1877 Brookmell, Prussia T.J. Kiernan 1868 Elzey E. Kinsey 1877 Ohio Henry Lipp 1868 South Germany Isaac McCollough 1873 Holmes County, Ohio R. McCollough 1878 Holmes County, Ohio Michael O’halaron 1880 Samuel Oldfield 1878 Derbyshire, England S.J. Oliver 1876 Edward Partelow 1868 Newport, Kentucky Thomas L. Ross 1882 Cincinnati, Ohio M.M. Standley 1874 Carroll County, Indiana Bennett Swearingen 1868 Meigs County, Ohio Isaac B. Trostel 1877 Perry County, Pa. Frank Van Vleck 1878 William Wax 1878 Juniata County, Pa. Daniel Wilt 1876 York County, Pa. Henry York 1869 Zurich, Switzerland Peter H. Zickefoose 1874 Highland County, W. Virginia Samuel Beals 1867 E.S. Doud 1869 W.L. James Wm. Kirkpatrick 1871 Frank L. Sanders John Heslet Noel Graves W.W. Janes J.K. Conley 1870 Yates County, New York Startup, Ab Thomas Attebury 1877 George Hejtmanek 1880 Wisowitz, Moravia, Austria D. Hartzell 1872 Francis E. Williams 1876 New York Captain John Gutshall Col. A.S. Stanley 1880 Meigs Co., Ohio Martin Nason 1872 Jos. Van Vleck 1878 M.L. Cless 1876 B.W. Higginbotham 1861 Thomas Moss 1877 J.M. Parr Clay Co. Indiana J.A. Parr Clay Co. Indiana H.W. Lipp 1878 Illinois Samuel B. Zickefoose 1869 West Virginia Mrs. Jane Jackson 1875 Scotland Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1950 4-H State Fair results, Meetings & Events, Rossville, Kansas Description An account of the resource 4-H CLUB NOTES August 24, 1950 The Rossville Rustlers 4-H Club met Monday night, August 21, at the Community Center for their regular monthly meeting. Roll call was answered by "Topics," followed by a short business meeting. A demonstration on "Fruit Drinks," was given by Jean and Jeanette Nadeau. Shirley Pitts gave the Parliamentary problems and practices. Recreation was led by Barbara Gentry. The next meeting will be September 18, at 8 pm 4-H NEWS September 21, 1950 The Rossville Rustlers 4-H club, which met September 18, in the community building for the regular meeting, decided to sponsor a food sale on September 23, at the Community building, for their money making project of the year. The Rustlers will also be host to the next County Wide 4-H Party which will be at the Community building on October 9 from 8 to 10 p. m. Barbara Gentry. Ruth Olson and Shirley Mesmer are on the foods committee and Jeanette Nadeau is publicity chairman for the food sale. Mrs. Vina McCoid handed out enrollment cards for next year. She also reported that all the record sheets had been handed in but one. Those on the nominating committee for new 4-H officers are, Roy D. Davis, Genevieve Bixby and Melvin Ketter. The club opened the program by singing "Battle Hymn of Republic." Robert Lambert gave a historian talk on Crocodiles. A spelling bee and games were enjoyed for recreation —Reporter, Shirley Mesmer. 4-H CARD OF THANKS September 28, 1950 The Rossville Rustlers 4-H Club wants to thank the parents who donated so generously to the Food Sale and those who patronized it. We also thank Mr. Navarre for his free advertising—Rossville Rustlers. 4-H CLUB ENTERTAINS AT COUNTY-WIDE PARTY October 12, 1950 Monday evening the Rossville Rustlers 4-H Club was host to a county-wide 4-H party at the community building. Mr. Merle Eyestone was in charge. There were 165 members and leaders present. Under the capable leadership of Mr. Eyestone the 150 members were kept busy for two hours playing the musical folk games he provided. After refreshments of cider and doughnuts the party broke up at 9:30 all saying they had a wonderful time and expressing admiration for Rossville's beautiful community center. SHAWNEE 4-Hers WIN AT FAIR September 28, 1950 Shawnee County 4-Hers came home from the state fair in Hutchinson with three grand championships and a lot of blue ribbons. Club Agent Merle Eyestone reported Saturday. The Shawnee County 4-H booth on "Better Wiring for Better Living," constructed by Joe Conley of Rossville won the trophy for the best booth. The Shawnee poultry team of Melvin Martinek, Gerhard Malm and Norman Oberhelman won first place over 15 other teams and earned a trip to the national contest to be held in Chicago in December. Martinek was the second high individual in the contest. Oberhelman was seventh and Malm was eighth. Adding to honors won was the crops judging team of James McCoid Joe Conley and Bob Reid which took first place over 14 other county teams. McCoid was second high individual in the contest and Reid was seventh. Marilyn Brown and Reid both won blue ribbons in the style show and best groomed boy's contest. Mary Simpson was chosen from the 800 delegates to the camp to conduct the organizations and functioning of the camp. Robert Engler's baby beef won a blue ribbon as did the Chester White pigs of Phyllis Cole. The dairy team won sixth place competing with 23 teams and the livestock team was thirtieth among 63 teams. In the home economics judging and food preparation the Shawnee County team of Ruth Simpson, Rosaline Bosworth and Lois Perry was third out of 51 teams. ROSSVILLE RUSTLERS 4-H CLUB October 26, 1950 The regular monthly meeting of the Rossville 4-H Rustlers was held Monday night, Oct. 23, at the Community Center, with 26 members, 4 guests and two leaders present. The meeting was opened by giving the Flag Salute. The business session followed in which it was decided to contribute the money taken in at 4-H Sunday to the new Community Center. The president announced that the club made $31.17 from the Food Sale held two weeks ago. The election of officers followed. They are President, Burns Hesse; vice-president , Joe Conley; treasurer, Shirley Mesmer; reporter, Shirley Pitts; song leader, Barbara Gentry; council members, Robert Reid and Barbara Gentry; pianist, Shirley Mesmer; community club leaders, Mr. and Mrs. Marvin Davis with Mrs. Frederic Zickefoose as assistant. The following program was given: Health Talk, Roy Davis; Current Events, Barbara Gentry; Music Appreciation, Ruth Olson. Recreation consisting of games was enjoyed by all. Refreshments of candy bars were served. — Shirley Pitts, Reporter. ROSSVILLE RUSTLERS 4-H NEWS November 16, 1950 Burns Hesse, Joe Conley, Robert Reid, Barbara Gentry, Shirley Mesmer, Shirley Pitts, Mr. and Mrs. Marvin Davis and Mrs. Frederic Zickefoose attended the 4-H officers' training school at YWCA in Topeka Thursday night, November 9. "Guest Night" will be observed at the regular monthly meeting of the Rossville 4-H club Monday night, November 20, at 8 o'clock at the Community Center. Each 4-H club family will present their guest who in turn will appear on the program. Let's have more parents present. Help support your Rossville 4-H club by attending all club meetings. The meetings are held every 4th Monday night in the month. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource The Rossville Reporter, Rossville, Kansas This work is copyrighted; the copyright holder has granted permission for this item to be used by the Rossville Community Library. This permission does not extend to third parties. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1950 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights reserved Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RCL0656 http://recollectionsks.org/files/original/06d42c27bf40120caa245921d2ad44a5.jpeg 54d0f05661aba3098c3b44d50a47e645 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Rossville Churches History Subject The topic of the resource Churches in the Rossville, Kansas, area. Description An account of the resource Among the various cultural developments in Rossville none was more important than the establishment and growth of organized religions. Shortly after the village of Rossville was started in 1871, some of the settlers felt the need for a church. The first known organized church was the Baptist Church started in August 1871 with nine members. A newspaper account, dated May 1879, about the school house in town says, “…at this time the building is used on Sunday by various church denominations as they are not supplied with church buildings. Six denominations have organized: The Baptist, Presbyterian, Christian, Methodist, Episcopal, Methodist Southern and Advent. The Baptist have begun to erect a neat frame church building.” The Baptists built a small church on the approximate site of the Joe Navarre home on Spruce Street and dedicated this church on February 29, 1880. For a few years after that the Baptist, Christian, Presbyterian and Methodist shared this building—each having the use of it one Sunday a month, morning and evening. The Baptist church disbanded in 1910 and was torn down soon afterwards. Organization of the United Brethren was soon followed by the United Brethren Church, also known as the Olive Branch Church. The first church building in the community was built by its members in about 1877. The old landmark, five miles north of Rossville, was torn down about 1952. Some of the farm folk responsible for its organization and erection were Mr. and Mrs. Joe Franklin, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Franklin, Mr. and Mrs. Marion Lasswell, Mr. and Mrs. Lambert James and their sons, Robert and James, Mr. and Mrs. W.V. Hook, who donated land for the church. A decline in membership prompted the church officials to sell the building to the Czech Christian organization and it served as a worship center for many years. Other denominations organized early, which have little recorded history, including the Colored Baptist, also called Second Baptist. A news clipping shows the Colored Baptist Church was in existence in 1885 and meetings were held at the old school house. At that time they were endeavoring to raise funds for a structure of their own. It was later erected in the southeast part of town on Orange Street. Their building was repaired in December 1904, but soon after the church disbanded. The only information available about the Cambellites, followers of Alexander Cambell, shows that they gathered regularly early in the city’s history. The Cambellites here and in other localities were the forerunners of the early Christian Church. A church was organized with the name Church of Christ in 1872 with Bennet Swearingen, an elder. In 1879 a group was meeting in the school. Between 1880 and when it was decided to build a church, it is believed the members met in the Baptist Church. A deed was recorded on June 29, 1887, for three lots for which they paid $50.00. The exact date of the erection of the present church is not known. Revered Alex Montgomery was a stone mason and laid the church foundation. Charles Bixby, father of the late Albert Bixby, was a carpenter and supervised the building of the church. Lumber was hauled from Topeka by Alex Nadeau and others. The supplies were purchased from the Thomas Lumber Company at Topeka. The first funeral held in the church was for William Lacock, grandfather of the late Albert Bixby. The oldest Sunday School record is dated September 7, 1884, with May Parker its first secretary. Due to an increase in the Christian Church's membership, in 1949 a large room was added to the north side of the building. Other improvements included new colored glass in the windows, and pews from the old United Brethren Church. In December 1960, another addition to the building was completed. As more settlers moved to this community, those who were of the Presbyterian faith organized their group in 1878 and met in the school in town. Reverend E.P. Sempel was the first pastor. A.C. Sherman, Richard Binns, Daniel Wilt, J.C. Bradley, William Bond, Henry Kassebaum, W.M. Mitchner, Sam Kerr, Dr. H.H. Miller and Isaac Trostle were the founders of the church. Later the Presbyterians met in the Baptist Church. In 1883, the Presbyterian group purchased the land on which the present church stands and began to build. The first church was built of red bricks which were made at a brick kiln located at the east edge of town. As the years passed a crack appeared between the bricks in the east end of the building. This fault was used as the reason for tearing town the old building. The present structure was constructed in 1917. The Reverend J.H. Naismith, the originator of the game of basketball, served as pastor in 1922 and 1923. Mr. Gus Kassebaum served as a Trustee for 39 years, from 1915 to 1954. His wife, Mrs. Lula Kassebaum served most of these years as president of the Ladies Missionary Society. The Rossville Charge was organized in the James School House, three miles west of Rossville in the year 1872 under the leadership of Mr. Paul Strimple, a local lay preacher. Shortly afterwards, another group of Methodists (Southern Methodists) met in Rossville and had services at the school in town. These two groups joined in planning construction of a church. Since the Baptists were the first to build a church, the two Methodist groups shared the building. The Methodist Church was chartered and registered with the Secretary of State, June 13, 1881. The first trustees and signers of the charter were: W.G. Gilbert, Isaac Larrance, Joseph Andrews, J.W. Miller, A.E. Strimple, J.T. Heslet, and T.M. Attebury. Building of the new church began in 1884, and it was dedicated on March 1, 1885. Nine years later the south room was added, and it was used as a dining room and meeting room. The Sunday School addition was added in 1960. The name was changed from Methodist Episcopal to Methodist, October 11, 1939. It was again changed in 1968 to United Methodist when the United Brethren and Methodist merged. The Election Day dinner was first served in 1882 and has become an established tradition. Dinner and supper were served to over 175 persons at a cost of 25 cents per person. Some of the men who took an active part in the life of the church were C.E. Gresser, E.G. Griswold and Frank Strimple. Before St. Stanislaus became a reality, according to Ellen Leonhardt of St. Marys, Kansas, Mass was held monthly sometime before 1894 in the Fritz Hall. She remembers accompanying Father Krier, a Jesuit priest, from St. Marys to Rossville along with other girls to sing in the choir. The first St. Stanislaus Church was built under the auspices of Father John B. Kokenge, S.J., who collected about eleven hundred dollars to procure the ground and put up the structure. It measured 42 x 30 feet with a sanctuary that added twelve feet to its length. The corner stone of this mission church was laid by Bishop Fink on June 18, 1899. Many notables from the St. Marys College were present as well as Reverend H.A. Schapman, S.J., former president of Detroit College. The document placed in the stone contained the following: “Leo XIII being Pope, William McKinley being President of the United States, W.E. Stanley being the Governor of Kansas, Joseph Calvin Bradley being Mayor of the city of Rossville, this church to be erected to the honor of God under the invocation of St. Stanislaus Kastka was begun today when the corner stone was laid this the eighteenth day of June in the year of our Lord Eighteen hundred and ninety-nine.” The dedication of the completed church took place on October 29, 1899. In 1967, the parish purchased the home across the street from the church, so that the expanding catechetical classes would have a better place to meet. A $20,000 renovation project in 1975-1976 added a brick extension to the front of the church and a full basement. In 1998 Dekat Hall was dedicated and the mortgage was paid off. By 2009 the parish, which encompassed Rossville, Silver Lake, Willard, and Maple Hill, was in need of a bigger building so Don & Kathleen Damon donated a $1.1 million gift for the building of a new church. After raising the additional needed funds, the new worship space for 400 people was built in 2012 near the former church. In the early 1950s a group of believers who met together for weekly Bible Study grew in number so that they were encouraged to secure a property, call a pastor and organize a church. The Stewart property on the corner of Main and Pottawatomie was purchased in June 1952. After renovation, the first services of the Rossville Bible Church were held on September 7, 1952, with Reverend Clarence Swihart as pastor. Reverend Floyd Gee became the second pastor in June 1954. The church purchased a building site from the Hesse family that adjoins the Grade School in August 1960. Reverend Hugh Gardner, Wichita, superintended the construction of a basement to be used for an auditorium. A building was moved from Forbes Air Force Base and set on the basement. June 7, 1970, was a day of rejoicing for the congregation as they had a mortgage-burning service with Reverend Joe Arnedd, Des Moines, Iowa, evangelist, as speaker. Thus is the history of the early churches which no longer exist in the community and the churches which continue to function--though in somewhat different roles than in the early years. Once, the church, as well as the school, was the center of most family activities. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rossville Community Library Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Rossville Centennial Booklet, 1971 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Rossville Community Library Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Public Domain due to copyright expiration. Original narrative content by RCL is available for use by public. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1950 Palm Sunday/Easter church services, VBS, Rossville, Kansas Description An account of the resource The Rossville Reporter THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12, 1950 See you in Church Sunday METHODIST CHURCH DON JONES, Minister Joseph A. Babicki, SS Supt. Primary Superintendent—Mrs. Clyde Rogers Mrs. Irene Campbell, Pianist There will be a reception for all Rossville school teachers at the church Sunday evening at 7:00 o'clock. Refreshments will be served and a musical program has been planned. All teachers are most cordially invited to attend. Susannah Circle of WSCS is in charge of arrangements. The Teachers to be honored include Mrs. Edwards, Mrs Devine, Miss Loughmiller, Mrs. Redding, Miss Sebring, Mr. Shaner, Mrs. Ira Williams, Mr. Jack Larkin, Mrs. Lloyd Simmers, Miss Billie Schultz, Miss Carol Francis, Mr. Oursler, Mr. Babicki, and Mr. Richardson. Arrangements are being made by the Susannah Circle. CHRISTIAN CHURCH MAURICE GRAHAM, Minister Supt., Mrs. Lucy Redding, Marvin Stoner, Asst. S. S. Supt Bible School at 10:00 a. m., 11 a. m. Morning worship. CATHOLIC CHURCH Mass at 8:00 a. m. PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH DELIA—Sunday school at 10:00 a. m., Anthony Zlatnik, S. S. Supt Morning worship at 11 a. m. ROSSVILLE—Primary Sunday School at 9:45 a. m., Owen McMahan, S. S. Supt. Morning worship at 9:45 a. m. The Missionary society will meet at the home of Ethel Berry, Oct. 19 PALM SUNDAY COMMUNITY SERVICE March 30, 1950 The combined Rossville churches will present a cantata, "The Divine Redeemer" by Charles F. Gounod, in the high school auditorium, next Sunday, April 2 at 7:30 p. m. Everyone in the community is invited. The presentation is directed by Mrs. H. D. Richardson and Mrs. Joe Campbell is the accompanist. The program will include: Instrumental Invocation "THE DIVINE REDEEMER" by Charles F. Gounod Benedictus Soprano Solo, Mrs. Don Berkey, Choir Hosanna, Choir Calvary, Choir "There Is a Green Hill Far Away", Alto Solo, Mrs. Maurice Graham O Divine Redeemer....Women's Choir Resurrection, Choir All Hail, Mr. Freeman G. French, Baritone Solo Unfold, Ye Portals.....Choir Redemption, Mrs. Don Berkey, Soprano Solo, Choir Offertory, Benediction PALM SERVICES IN ALL CHURCHES LAST SUNDAY April 6, 1950 The traditional Palm Sunday services opened with special services for Holy week, in all Rossville churches, and was climaxed with the rendition of a beautiful cantata, "The Divine Redeemer,' by Charles Gounod, Sunday night at the high school auditorium. Directed by Mrs. H. D. Richardson, with Mrs. Irene Campbell as accompanist, a mixed chorus of over twenty voices gave one of the most gratifying and inspiring Easter programs Rossville people have been privileged to hear in a long time. There was a large audience and all agreed the excellent program was all too short. Rossville can boast of some fine talent and it is hoped they can be brought together for another musical treat in the near future. Soloists on the program were Mrs. Don Berkey, Mrs. Maurice Graham, and Mr. Freeman G. French. Members of the choir included Betty Tripp, Mrs. Anna Lemon, Mrs. Joe Babicki, B. A Rundus, Rosemary Lambert, Marcia Cerny, Mrs. B. A. Rundus, Mrs O. S. Boyd, Ruthie Olson, Elzora Marney, Mrs. Don Berkey, Mrs. Lorene Harth, Mrs. Maxine Trimble, Mrs. Maurice Graham, Mrs. Don Jones, Harold Irwin, Shirley Lambert, Mr. Don Jones, Mr. Freemen French, Mrs. Gail Hamilton, Nancy Adams and Winslow Rundus. EASTER SUNRISE BREAKFAST AND PRAISE SERVICE April 6, 1950 Breakfast will be served at the Presbyterian Church basement at 6:30 a. m. Praise service at the Methodist Church at 7:30 a. m. All Protestant churches, and ministers will cooperate and be represented. All young people of grade school, high school, college and young adults are cordially invited to the breakfast. The general public is invited to join in the Special Praise service which will be held at the Methodist Church at 7:30. A free will offering will be taken up to defray the expenses of the breakfast. There will be special music and short Easter messages by the ministers. VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL June 8, 1950 Vacation Bible school begins on Monday, June 12, and will continue for two weeks. The hours will be 9 to 11:30 a. m. Monday through Friday. Each child is asked to bring 25c on Monday to help cover the cost of books and supplies. It will be sponsored by all three Protestant churches, with Mrs. Joe Babicki as chairman of the committee. Miss Virginia Albert, who is a student at Manhattan Bible college, will act as supervisor. All children three and over through the eighth grade are urged to attend. VACATION SCHOOL OPENS June 15, 1950 The Vacation Bible School sponsored by the Presbyterian, Christian, and Methodist Churches started Monday with an enrollment of 65. The beginners class has the largest number with 31 enrolled. Miss Virginia Albert, of Manhattan Bible College, is supervisor. Mrs. Junior Dannefer is music director. Opening exercises are held at the Christian Church at 9 o'clock. Classes are held in the grade school until 11:30. Any children wishing to attend may enroll for next week. There is a fee of 25c for the work book. There will be a program Friday evening, June 23 at the Christian Church to which all friends are invited. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource The Rossville Reporter, Rossville, Kansas This work is copyrighted; the copyright holder has granted permission for this item to be used by the Rossville Community Library. This permission does not extend to third parties. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1950 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights reserved Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RCL0640 http://recollectionsks.org/files/original/5446879c4553ffc5ce792eddcadde60f.jpg deb923f0369fc878b2065283bcf644af Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Rossville Churches History Subject The topic of the resource Churches in the Rossville, Kansas, area. Description An account of the resource Among the various cultural developments in Rossville none was more important than the establishment and growth of organized religions. Shortly after the village of Rossville was started in 1871, some of the settlers felt the need for a church. The first known organized church was the Baptist Church started in August 1871 with nine members. A newspaper account, dated May 1879, about the school house in town says, “…at this time the building is used on Sunday by various church denominations as they are not supplied with church buildings. Six denominations have organized: The Baptist, Presbyterian, Christian, Methodist, Episcopal, Methodist Southern and Advent. The Baptist have begun to erect a neat frame church building.” The Baptists built a small church on the approximate site of the Joe Navarre home on Spruce Street and dedicated this church on February 29, 1880. For a few years after that the Baptist, Christian, Presbyterian and Methodist shared this building—each having the use of it one Sunday a month, morning and evening. The Baptist church disbanded in 1910 and was torn down soon afterwards. Organization of the United Brethren was soon followed by the United Brethren Church, also known as the Olive Branch Church. The first church building in the community was built by its members in about 1877. The old landmark, five miles north of Rossville, was torn down about 1952. Some of the farm folk responsible for its organization and erection were Mr. and Mrs. Joe Franklin, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Franklin, Mr. and Mrs. Marion Lasswell, Mr. and Mrs. Lambert James and their sons, Robert and James, Mr. and Mrs. W.V. Hook, who donated land for the church. A decline in membership prompted the church officials to sell the building to the Czech Christian organization and it served as a worship center for many years. Other denominations organized early, which have little recorded history, including the Colored Baptist, also called Second Baptist. A news clipping shows the Colored Baptist Church was in existence in 1885 and meetings were held at the old school house. At that time they were endeavoring to raise funds for a structure of their own. It was later erected in the southeast part of town on Orange Street. Their building was repaired in December 1904, but soon after the church disbanded. The only information available about the Cambellites, followers of Alexander Cambell, shows that they gathered regularly early in the city’s history. The Cambellites here and in other localities were the forerunners of the early Christian Church. A church was organized with the name Church of Christ in 1872 with Bennet Swearingen, an elder. In 1879 a group was meeting in the school. Between 1880 and when it was decided to build a church, it is believed the members met in the Baptist Church. A deed was recorded on June 29, 1887, for three lots for which they paid $50.00. The exact date of the erection of the present church is not known. Revered Alex Montgomery was a stone mason and laid the church foundation. Charles Bixby, father of the late Albert Bixby, was a carpenter and supervised the building of the church. Lumber was hauled from Topeka by Alex Nadeau and others. The supplies were purchased from the Thomas Lumber Company at Topeka. The first funeral held in the church was for William Lacock, grandfather of the late Albert Bixby. The oldest Sunday School record is dated September 7, 1884, with May Parker its first secretary. Due to an increase in the Christian Church's membership, in 1949 a large room was added to the north side of the building. Other improvements included new colored glass in the windows, and pews from the old United Brethren Church. In December 1960, another addition to the building was completed. As more settlers moved to this community, those who were of the Presbyterian faith organized their group in 1878 and met in the school in town. Reverend E.P. Sempel was the first pastor. A.C. Sherman, Richard Binns, Daniel Wilt, J.C. Bradley, William Bond, Henry Kassebaum, W.M. Mitchner, Sam Kerr, Dr. H.H. Miller and Isaac Trostle were the founders of the church. Later the Presbyterians met in the Baptist Church. In 1883, the Presbyterian group purchased the land on which the present church stands and began to build. The first church was built of red bricks which were made at a brick kiln located at the east edge of town. As the years passed a crack appeared between the bricks in the east end of the building. This fault was used as the reason for tearing town the old building. The present structure was constructed in 1917. The Reverend J.H. Naismith, the originator of the game of basketball, served as pastor in 1922 and 1923. Mr. Gus Kassebaum served as a Trustee for 39 years, from 1915 to 1954. His wife, Mrs. Lula Kassebaum served most of these years as president of the Ladies Missionary Society. The Rossville Charge was organized in the James School House, three miles west of Rossville in the year 1872 under the leadership of Mr. Paul Strimple, a local lay preacher. Shortly afterwards, another group of Methodists (Southern Methodists) met in Rossville and had services at the school in town. These two groups joined in planning construction of a church. Since the Baptists were the first to build a church, the two Methodist groups shared the building. The Methodist Church was chartered and registered with the Secretary of State, June 13, 1881. The first trustees and signers of the charter were: W.G. Gilbert, Isaac Larrance, Joseph Andrews, J.W. Miller, A.E. Strimple, J.T. Heslet, and T.M. Attebury. Building of the new church began in 1884, and it was dedicated on March 1, 1885. Nine years later the south room was added, and it was used as a dining room and meeting room. The Sunday School addition was added in 1960. The name was changed from Methodist Episcopal to Methodist, October 11, 1939. It was again changed in 1968 to United Methodist when the United Brethren and Methodist merged. The Election Day dinner was first served in 1882 and has become an established tradition. Dinner and supper were served to over 175 persons at a cost of 25 cents per person. Some of the men who took an active part in the life of the church were C.E. Gresser, E.G. Griswold and Frank Strimple. Before St. Stanislaus became a reality, according to Ellen Leonhardt of St. Marys, Kansas, Mass was held monthly sometime before 1894 in the Fritz Hall. She remembers accompanying Father Krier, a Jesuit priest, from St. Marys to Rossville along with other girls to sing in the choir. The first St. Stanislaus Church was built under the auspices of Father John B. Kokenge, S.J., who collected about eleven hundred dollars to procure the ground and put up the structure. It measured 42 x 30 feet with a sanctuary that added twelve feet to its length. The corner stone of this mission church was laid by Bishop Fink on June 18, 1899. Many notables from the St. Marys College were present as well as Reverend H.A. Schapman, S.J., former president of Detroit College. The document placed in the stone contained the following: “Leo XIII being Pope, William McKinley being President of the United States, W.E. Stanley being the Governor of Kansas, Joseph Calvin Bradley being Mayor of the city of Rossville, this church to be erected to the honor of God under the invocation of St. Stanislaus Kastka was begun today when the corner stone was laid this the eighteenth day of June in the year of our Lord Eighteen hundred and ninety-nine.” The dedication of the completed church took place on October 29, 1899. In 1967, the parish purchased the home across the street from the church, so that the expanding catechetical classes would have a better place to meet. A $20,000 renovation project in 1975-1976 added a brick extension to the front of the church and a full basement. In 1998 Dekat Hall was dedicated and the mortgage was paid off. By 2009 the parish, which encompassed Rossville, Silver Lake, Willard, and Maple Hill, was in need of a bigger building so Don & Kathleen Damon donated a $1.1 million gift for the building of a new church. After raising the additional needed funds, the new worship space for 400 people was built in 2012 near the former church. In the early 1950s a group of believers who met together for weekly Bible Study grew in number so that they were encouraged to secure a property, call a pastor and organize a church. The Stewart property on the corner of Main and Pottawatomie was purchased in June 1952. After renovation, the first services of the Rossville Bible Church were held on September 7, 1952, with Reverend Clarence Swihart as pastor. Reverend Floyd Gee became the second pastor in June 1954. The church purchased a building site from the Hesse family that adjoins the Grade School in August 1960. Reverend Hugh Gardner, Wichita, superintended the construction of a basement to be used for an auditorium. A building was moved from Forbes Air Force Base and set on the basement. June 7, 1970, was a day of rejoicing for the congregation as they had a mortgage-burning service with Reverend Joe Arnedd, Des Moines, Iowa, evangelist, as speaker. Thus is the history of the early churches which no longer exist in the community and the churches which continue to function--though in somewhat different roles than in the early years. Once, the church, as well as the school, was the center of most family activities. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rossville Community Library Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Rossville Centennial Booklet, 1971 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Rossville Community Library Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Public Domain due to copyright expiration. Original narrative content by RCL is available for use by public. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1950 UMC Friendly Circle, Rossville, Kansas Description An account of the resource The Friendly Circle class of the Methodist church met on Wednesday at the home of Mrs. Cormelia Stevens with Amy Meade, Mrs. Adelle Bills and Grace Hartzell as hostesses for the month. The day was spent quilting. A covered dish luncheon was served at noon to the following, Rose Myers, Stella Page, Ethelyn Ferguson Lula James, Daisy Crow, May Moyer, Bird Vorhies, Golda Cottle, Myrtle Lillard and the hostesses. Those attending the afternoon meeting were Myrtle Stone, Minnie Ellis and Lenora Gresser. The Friendly Circle class of the Methodist church, met Wednesday at the home of Mrs. John Stevens with Mrs. Myrtle Lillard and Mrs. Mae Moyer as acting hostesses. The day was spent quilting. A covered dish luncheon was served at noon. Members present included: Vida Whitney, Stella Page, Ella Whearty, Lula James, Daisy Crow, Bird Vorhies, Lena Elwood, Golda Cottle, Mae Moyer, Janet and Sue Marks, Myrtle Lillard and Mrs. Stevens. The Friendly Circle Class of the Methodist Church met for an all-day meeting Wednesday with a covered dish luncheon at Noon. The day was spent quilting. Mrs. Daisy Crow was hostess for the month, assisted by Myrtle Lillard. Those present were Ethelyn Ferguson, Stella Page, Lula James, Comelia Stevens, Bird Vorhies, Mae Moyer, Vida Whitney, Amy Meade, Golda Cottle, Mrs. Ellwood, Mrs. Crow and Mrs. Lillard. Lyda Zickefoose was a visitor. The Friendly Circle class of the Methodist church met Wednesday April 12, for an all day meeting. The day was spent quilting. A covered dish luncheon was served at noon to the following: Mrs. Lenora Gresser, Lena Elwood, Comelia Stevens, Bird Vorhies, Adelle Bills, Ethelyn Ferguson, Daisy Crow, Amy Meade, Stella Page, and Myrtle Lillard. Golda Cottle, Myrtle Stone, and Vida Whitney were present for the afternoon meeting. The Friendly Circle Class of the Methodist Church met at the church Wednesday. A covered dish luncheon was served and the day was spent quilting. New officers elected were: Mrs. Amy Meade, president; Vida Whitney, secretary-treasurer; Lulu James, program chairman. Vida Whitney and Mrs. Ellwood were hostesses. Members present were: Mrs. Ella Whearty, Mrs. Lulu James, Mrs. Amy Meade, Mrs. Stella Page, Mrs. Comelia Stevens, Mrs. Daisy Crow, Mrs. Bird Vorhies, Mrs. Ellwood, Mrs. Adelle Bills, Mrs. Ethelyn Ferguson, Mrs. Edna Spears, Miss Vida Whitney. The Friendly Circle class of the Methodist church met Wednesday at the church with a covered dish luncheon and quilting. Meeting was called to order by president, Amy Meade. Lulu James read a poem, "Who Will Work today for Christ." Roll call minutes and secretaries report was given and approved. The members present included, Mrs. Bird Vorhies Miss Vida Whitney, Mrs. Comelia Stevens, Mrs. Lulu James, Mrs. Stella Page, Mrs. Ethelyn Ferguson, Mrs. Daisy Crow, Mrs. Amy Meade, Mrs. Selba Baird, and Mrs. Lena Gresser. Visitors were, Mrs. Lyda Zickefoose, and Ellen Coleman. The Friendly Circle class of the Methodist church met Wednesday at the church for an all day meeting. A covered dish luncheon was served at noon. Mrs. Stella Page and Mrs. Golda Cottle were hostesses for the month. Those attending the dinner and quilting were, Mrs. Rose Myers, Ella Whearty, Ethelyn Ferguson, Mrs. C. L. Baird, Mrs. Comelia Stevens, Mrs. Daisy Crow, Mrs. Lena Wood, Mrs. Lulu James, Mrs. Jim Lillard, Mrs. Myrtle Stone, Mrs. Bird Vorhies, Mrs. Bills, Mrs. Amy Meade, and Miss Vida Whitney. During the business hour two of the members received letters and birthday packages from their Secret Sisters, Mrs. E. D. Hartzell and Mrs. Stella Henderson, which were enjoyed very much by the class. The Friendly Circle class of the Methodist church met Wednesday, for an all day meeting. The day was spent quilting and a covered dish luncheon was served at noon. The hostesses for the month were Myrtle Stone and Golda Cottle. Members present were, Ella Whearty, Amy Meade, Bird Vorhies, Stella Page, Comelia Stevens, Myrtle Lillard, Daisy Crow, Ethelyn Ferguson, Vida Whitney and the hostesses. June Wehner was a visitor. The Friendly Circle class of the Methodist church met Wednesday, Oct. 18, for a covered dish luncheon at the church. The time was spent in quilting. A short business session was held in the afternoon. Mrs. Henry Silvius of Wellsville, was a guest. Members present were, Mrs. Amy Meade, Lulu James, Stella Page, Mae Moyer, Adelle Bills, Ethelyn Ferguson Myrtle Lillard, Stella Henderson, Comelia Stevens, Minnie Ellis, Bird Vorhies, Myrtle Stone, Daisy Crow, Seba Baird, Lena Ellwood, Vida Whitney, Golda Cottle, Mildred Stovall, Ella Whearty. The birthdays of Daisy Crow Stella Page and Adelle Bills were honored. Names were drawn for next years Mystery friend. C. E. J. dropped in for a piece of pie. Hostesses were Mrs. Comelia Stevens and Ethlyn Ferguson. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource The Rossville Reporter, Rossville, Kansas This work is copyrighted; the copyright holder has granted permission for this item to be used by the Rossville Community Library. This permission does not extend to third parties. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1950 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights reserved Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RCL0607 http://recollectionsks.org/files/original/c61a8528d1066a0eb7f255c67356ac88.jpg e65e2b29def0465316b54e9597b845e9 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Rossville Churches History Subject The topic of the resource Churches in the Rossville, Kansas, area. Description An account of the resource Among the various cultural developments in Rossville none was more important than the establishment and growth of organized religions. Shortly after the village of Rossville was started in 1871, some of the settlers felt the need for a church. The first known organized church was the Baptist Church started in August 1871 with nine members. A newspaper account, dated May 1879, about the school house in town says, “…at this time the building is used on Sunday by various church denominations as they are not supplied with church buildings. Six denominations have organized: The Baptist, Presbyterian, Christian, Methodist, Episcopal, Methodist Southern and Advent. The Baptist have begun to erect a neat frame church building.” The Baptists built a small church on the approximate site of the Joe Navarre home on Spruce Street and dedicated this church on February 29, 1880. For a few years after that the Baptist, Christian, Presbyterian and Methodist shared this building—each having the use of it one Sunday a month, morning and evening. The Baptist church disbanded in 1910 and was torn down soon afterwards. Organization of the United Brethren was soon followed by the United Brethren Church, also known as the Olive Branch Church. The first church building in the community was built by its members in about 1877. The old landmark, five miles north of Rossville, was torn down about 1952. Some of the farm folk responsible for its organization and erection were Mr. and Mrs. Joe Franklin, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Franklin, Mr. and Mrs. Marion Lasswell, Mr. and Mrs. Lambert James and their sons, Robert and James, Mr. and Mrs. W.V. Hook, who donated land for the church. A decline in membership prompted the church officials to sell the building to the Czech Christian organization and it served as a worship center for many years. Other denominations organized early, which have little recorded history, including the Colored Baptist, also called Second Baptist. A news clipping shows the Colored Baptist Church was in existence in 1885 and meetings were held at the old school house. At that time they were endeavoring to raise funds for a structure of their own. It was later erected in the southeast part of town on Orange Street. Their building was repaired in December 1904, but soon after the church disbanded. The only information available about the Cambellites, followers of Alexander Cambell, shows that they gathered regularly early in the city’s history. The Cambellites here and in other localities were the forerunners of the early Christian Church. A church was organized with the name Church of Christ in 1872 with Bennet Swearingen, an elder. In 1879 a group was meeting in the school. Between 1880 and when it was decided to build a church, it is believed the members met in the Baptist Church. A deed was recorded on June 29, 1887, for three lots for which they paid $50.00. The exact date of the erection of the present church is not known. Revered Alex Montgomery was a stone mason and laid the church foundation. Charles Bixby, father of the late Albert Bixby, was a carpenter and supervised the building of the church. Lumber was hauled from Topeka by Alex Nadeau and others. The supplies were purchased from the Thomas Lumber Company at Topeka. The first funeral held in the church was for William Lacock, grandfather of the late Albert Bixby. The oldest Sunday School record is dated September 7, 1884, with May Parker its first secretary. Due to an increase in the Christian Church's membership, in 1949 a large room was added to the north side of the building. Other improvements included new colored glass in the windows, and pews from the old United Brethren Church. In December 1960, another addition to the building was completed. As more settlers moved to this community, those who were of the Presbyterian faith organized their group in 1878 and met in the school in town. Reverend E.P. Sempel was the first pastor. A.C. Sherman, Richard Binns, Daniel Wilt, J.C. Bradley, William Bond, Henry Kassebaum, W.M. Mitchner, Sam Kerr, Dr. H.H. Miller and Isaac Trostle were the founders of the church. Later the Presbyterians met in the Baptist Church. In 1883, the Presbyterian group purchased the land on which the present church stands and began to build. The first church was built of red bricks which were made at a brick kiln located at the east edge of town. As the years passed a crack appeared between the bricks in the east end of the building. This fault was used as the reason for tearing town the old building. The present structure was constructed in 1917. The Reverend J.H. Naismith, the originator of the game of basketball, served as pastor in 1922 and 1923. Mr. Gus Kassebaum served as a Trustee for 39 years, from 1915 to 1954. His wife, Mrs. Lula Kassebaum served most of these years as president of the Ladies Missionary Society. The Rossville Charge was organized in the James School House, three miles west of Rossville in the year 1872 under the leadership of Mr. Paul Strimple, a local lay preacher. Shortly afterwards, another group of Methodists (Southern Methodists) met in Rossville and had services at the school in town. These two groups joined in planning construction of a church. Since the Baptists were the first to build a church, the two Methodist groups shared the building. The Methodist Church was chartered and registered with the Secretary of State, June 13, 1881. The first trustees and signers of the charter were: W.G. Gilbert, Isaac Larrance, Joseph Andrews, J.W. Miller, A.E. Strimple, J.T. Heslet, and T.M. Attebury. Building of the new church began in 1884, and it was dedicated on March 1, 1885. Nine years later the south room was added, and it was used as a dining room and meeting room. The Sunday School addition was added in 1960. The name was changed from Methodist Episcopal to Methodist, October 11, 1939. It was again changed in 1968 to United Methodist when the United Brethren and Methodist merged. The Election Day dinner was first served in 1882 and has become an established tradition. Dinner and supper were served to over 175 persons at a cost of 25 cents per person. Some of the men who took an active part in the life of the church were C.E. Gresser, E.G. Griswold and Frank Strimple. Before St. Stanislaus became a reality, according to Ellen Leonhardt of St. Marys, Kansas, Mass was held monthly sometime before 1894 in the Fritz Hall. She remembers accompanying Father Krier, a Jesuit priest, from St. Marys to Rossville along with other girls to sing in the choir. The first St. Stanislaus Church was built under the auspices of Father John B. Kokenge, S.J., who collected about eleven hundred dollars to procure the ground and put up the structure. It measured 42 x 30 feet with a sanctuary that added twelve feet to its length. The corner stone of this mission church was laid by Bishop Fink on June 18, 1899. Many notables from the St. Marys College were present as well as Reverend H.A. Schapman, S.J., former president of Detroit College. The document placed in the stone contained the following: “Leo XIII being Pope, William McKinley being President of the United States, W.E. Stanley being the Governor of Kansas, Joseph Calvin Bradley being Mayor of the city of Rossville, this church to be erected to the honor of God under the invocation of St. Stanislaus Kastka was begun today when the corner stone was laid this the eighteenth day of June in the year of our Lord Eighteen hundred and ninety-nine.” The dedication of the completed church took place on October 29, 1899. In 1967, the parish purchased the home across the street from the church, so that the expanding catechetical classes would have a better place to meet. A $20,000 renovation project in 1975-1976 added a brick extension to the front of the church and a full basement. In 1998 Dekat Hall was dedicated and the mortgage was paid off. By 2009 the parish, which encompassed Rossville, Silver Lake, Willard, and Maple Hill, was in need of a bigger building so Don & Kathleen Damon donated a $1.1 million gift for the building of a new church. After raising the additional needed funds, the new worship space for 400 people was built in 2012 near the former church. In the early 1950s a group of believers who met together for weekly Bible Study grew in number so that they were encouraged to secure a property, call a pastor and organize a church. The Stewart property on the corner of Main and Pottawatomie was purchased in June 1952. After renovation, the first services of the Rossville Bible Church were held on September 7, 1952, with Reverend Clarence Swihart as pastor. Reverend Floyd Gee became the second pastor in June 1954. The church purchased a building site from the Hesse family that adjoins the Grade School in August 1960. Reverend Hugh Gardner, Wichita, superintended the construction of a basement to be used for an auditorium. A building was moved from Forbes Air Force Base and set on the basement. June 7, 1970, was a day of rejoicing for the congregation as they had a mortgage-burning service with Reverend Joe Arnedd, Des Moines, Iowa, evangelist, as speaker. Thus is the history of the early churches which no longer exist in the community and the churches which continue to function--though in somewhat different roles than in the early years. Once, the church, as well as the school, was the center of most family activities. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rossville Community Library Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Rossville Centennial Booklet, 1971 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Rossville Community Library Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Public Domain due to copyright expiration. Original narrative content by RCL is available for use by public. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1950 UMC Sunday School, Rossville, Kansas Description An account of the resource The Young Adult Sunday School class of the Methodist Church met last Sunday for a supper and program. There were 22 adults and 9 children present. Jane Rogers won first prize and Don Jones the second prize in a game. Francis Pardee got "the boot" for being low man. The program was presented by the "Local Yokels" with a dashing master of ceremonies. The French singers received a fine round of applause for the rendition of a classic number. The sport fans appreciated the account of a famous baseball event, (prompted by Miss Maudie of Rossville). The versatile, fellow with the rheumatism was a hit as a pianist. Harry and Roberta stole the show with "Playmates." Roberta's sweet little face and bonnet will long be remembered. The hosts for the next supper will be the Francis Pardees and the Bill Hesses. The Mary and Martha group of Methodist Women met Wednesday at the home of Mrs. Ned Engler. Plans were made for the Chili Supper and Parcel Post Sale to be held Saturday, Dec. 9, in the Community Building. Refreshments in keeping with the season were served to Mrs. Frank Page, Mrs. Sam Cottle, Mrs. Luther Stone, Mrs. Joe Campbell Mrs. Lavern Spears, Mrs. Harley McCoid, Mrs. Joe Gresser, Mrs. Lulu James, Mrs. Lena Ellwood, Mrs. Walter Swenson, Mrs. Minnie Ellis, Mrs. Robt. Whitlock, Mrs. A. E. Stovall, Mrs. Alvin Perry and Myrna and Mrs. Scott Kelsey and Douglas. Miss Nellie Countryman, teacher of the Intermediate class of the Methodist Sunday school, entertained the group with a social time at her home Sunday evening The time was spent in playing dominoes and other games and contests. Refreshments were served. Members of the class include, Jeannette Nadeau, Shirley Pitts Joan Swenson, Barbara Gentry Grace Dick, Betty Pendleton, Emmett Foster and Raymond Bush. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource The Rossville Reporter, Rossville, Kansas This work is copyrighted; the copyright holder has granted permission for this item to be used by the Rossville Community Library. This permission does not extend to third parties. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1950 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights reserved Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RCL0608 http://recollectionsks.org/files/original/fdf6d61b64599291c169729e1f693dcb.jpg 48c2e13ae2779ee5c49ac1fdf9f26254 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Rossville Churches History Subject The topic of the resource Churches in the Rossville, Kansas, area. Description An account of the resource Among the various cultural developments in Rossville none was more important than the establishment and growth of organized religions. Shortly after the village of Rossville was started in 1871, some of the settlers felt the need for a church. The first known organized church was the Baptist Church started in August 1871 with nine members. A newspaper account, dated May 1879, about the school house in town says, “…at this time the building is used on Sunday by various church denominations as they are not supplied with church buildings. Six denominations have organized: The Baptist, Presbyterian, Christian, Methodist, Episcopal, Methodist Southern and Advent. The Baptist have begun to erect a neat frame church building.” The Baptists built a small church on the approximate site of the Joe Navarre home on Spruce Street and dedicated this church on February 29, 1880. For a few years after that the Baptist, Christian, Presbyterian and Methodist shared this building—each having the use of it one Sunday a month, morning and evening. The Baptist church disbanded in 1910 and was torn down soon afterwards. Organization of the United Brethren was soon followed by the United Brethren Church, also known as the Olive Branch Church. The first church building in the community was built by its members in about 1877. The old landmark, five miles north of Rossville, was torn down about 1952. Some of the farm folk responsible for its organization and erection were Mr. and Mrs. Joe Franklin, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Franklin, Mr. and Mrs. Marion Lasswell, Mr. and Mrs. Lambert James and their sons, Robert and James, Mr. and Mrs. W.V. Hook, who donated land for the church. A decline in membership prompted the church officials to sell the building to the Czech Christian organization and it served as a worship center for many years. Other denominations organized early, which have little recorded history, including the Colored Baptist, also called Second Baptist. A news clipping shows the Colored Baptist Church was in existence in 1885 and meetings were held at the old school house. At that time they were endeavoring to raise funds for a structure of their own. It was later erected in the southeast part of town on Orange Street. Their building was repaired in December 1904, but soon after the church disbanded. The only information available about the Cambellites, followers of Alexander Cambell, shows that they gathered regularly early in the city’s history. The Cambellites here and in other localities were the forerunners of the early Christian Church. A church was organized with the name Church of Christ in 1872 with Bennet Swearingen, an elder. In 1879 a group was meeting in the school. Between 1880 and when it was decided to build a church, it is believed the members met in the Baptist Church. A deed was recorded on June 29, 1887, for three lots for which they paid $50.00. The exact date of the erection of the present church is not known. Revered Alex Montgomery was a stone mason and laid the church foundation. Charles Bixby, father of the late Albert Bixby, was a carpenter and supervised the building of the church. Lumber was hauled from Topeka by Alex Nadeau and others. The supplies were purchased from the Thomas Lumber Company at Topeka. The first funeral held in the church was for William Lacock, grandfather of the late Albert Bixby. The oldest Sunday School record is dated September 7, 1884, with May Parker its first secretary. Due to an increase in the Christian Church's membership, in 1949 a large room was added to the north side of the building. Other improvements included new colored glass in the windows, and pews from the old United Brethren Church. In December 1960, another addition to the building was completed. As more settlers moved to this community, those who were of the Presbyterian faith organized their group in 1878 and met in the school in town. Reverend E.P. Sempel was the first pastor. A.C. Sherman, Richard Binns, Daniel Wilt, J.C. Bradley, William Bond, Henry Kassebaum, W.M. Mitchner, Sam Kerr, Dr. H.H. Miller and Isaac Trostle were the founders of the church. Later the Presbyterians met in the Baptist Church. In 1883, the Presbyterian group purchased the land on which the present church stands and began to build. The first church was built of red bricks which were made at a brick kiln located at the east edge of town. As the years passed a crack appeared between the bricks in the east end of the building. This fault was used as the reason for tearing town the old building. The present structure was constructed in 1917. The Reverend J.H. Naismith, the originator of the game of basketball, served as pastor in 1922 and 1923. Mr. Gus Kassebaum served as a Trustee for 39 years, from 1915 to 1954. His wife, Mrs. Lula Kassebaum served most of these years as president of the Ladies Missionary Society. The Rossville Charge was organized in the James School House, three miles west of Rossville in the year 1872 under the leadership of Mr. Paul Strimple, a local lay preacher. Shortly afterwards, another group of Methodists (Southern Methodists) met in Rossville and had services at the school in town. These two groups joined in planning construction of a church. Since the Baptists were the first to build a church, the two Methodist groups shared the building. The Methodist Church was chartered and registered with the Secretary of State, June 13, 1881. The first trustees and signers of the charter were: W.G. Gilbert, Isaac Larrance, Joseph Andrews, J.W. Miller, A.E. Strimple, J.T. Heslet, and T.M. Attebury. Building of the new church began in 1884, and it was dedicated on March 1, 1885. Nine years later the south room was added, and it was used as a dining room and meeting room. The Sunday School addition was added in 1960. The name was changed from Methodist Episcopal to Methodist, October 11, 1939. It was again changed in 1968 to United Methodist when the United Brethren and Methodist merged. The Election Day dinner was first served in 1882 and has become an established tradition. Dinner and supper were served to over 175 persons at a cost of 25 cents per person. Some of the men who took an active part in the life of the church were C.E. Gresser, E.G. Griswold and Frank Strimple. Before St. Stanislaus became a reality, according to Ellen Leonhardt of St. Marys, Kansas, Mass was held monthly sometime before 1894 in the Fritz Hall. She remembers accompanying Father Krier, a Jesuit priest, from St. Marys to Rossville along with other girls to sing in the choir. The first St. Stanislaus Church was built under the auspices of Father John B. Kokenge, S.J., who collected about eleven hundred dollars to procure the ground and put up the structure. It measured 42 x 30 feet with a sanctuary that added twelve feet to its length. The corner stone of this mission church was laid by Bishop Fink on June 18, 1899. Many notables from the St. Marys College were present as well as Reverend H.A. Schapman, S.J., former president of Detroit College. The document placed in the stone contained the following: “Leo XIII being Pope, William McKinley being President of the United States, W.E. Stanley being the Governor of Kansas, Joseph Calvin Bradley being Mayor of the city of Rossville, this church to be erected to the honor of God under the invocation of St. Stanislaus Kastka was begun today when the corner stone was laid this the eighteenth day of June in the year of our Lord Eighteen hundred and ninety-nine.” The dedication of the completed church took place on October 29, 1899. In 1967, the parish purchased the home across the street from the church, so that the expanding catechetical classes would have a better place to meet. A $20,000 renovation project in 1975-1976 added a brick extension to the front of the church and a full basement. In 1998 Dekat Hall was dedicated and the mortgage was paid off. By 2009 the parish, which encompassed Rossville, Silver Lake, Willard, and Maple Hill, was in need of a bigger building so Don & Kathleen Damon donated a $1.1 million gift for the building of a new church. After raising the additional needed funds, the new worship space for 400 people was built in 2012 near the former church. In the early 1950s a group of believers who met together for weekly Bible Study grew in number so that they were encouraged to secure a property, call a pastor and organize a church. The Stewart property on the corner of Main and Pottawatomie was purchased in June 1952. After renovation, the first services of the Rossville Bible Church were held on September 7, 1952, with Reverend Clarence Swihart as pastor. Reverend Floyd Gee became the second pastor in June 1954. The church purchased a building site from the Hesse family that adjoins the Grade School in August 1960. Reverend Hugh Gardner, Wichita, superintended the construction of a basement to be used for an auditorium. A building was moved from Forbes Air Force Base and set on the basement. June 7, 1970, was a day of rejoicing for the congregation as they had a mortgage-burning service with Reverend Joe Arnedd, Des Moines, Iowa, evangelist, as speaker. Thus is the history of the early churches which no longer exist in the community and the churches which continue to function--though in somewhat different roles than in the early years. Once, the church, as well as the school, was the center of most family activities. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rossville Community Library Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Rossville Centennial Booklet, 1971 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Rossville Community Library Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Public Domain due to copyright expiration. Original narrative content by RCL is available for use by public. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1950 UMC Vanishing Teas, Rossville, Kansas Description An account of the resource THE ROSSVILLE REPORTER VANISHING TEAS Vanishing Teas continue in favor as fall events around Rossville. Mrs. Velda O'Donnell entertained at tea for Mrs. Roxie Nadeau, Christina Olejnik and Greta Olejnik. Mrs. Wm. Olejnik gave a tea party for Mrs. Ellis Polson and Mrs. George Mitchell. Mrs. Ellis Polson entertained Mrs. Cecilia Wilboit and Mrs. George Mitchell completed the chair by entertaining Mrs.Ted Mitchell. Mrs. Joe Campbell's guests at tea were Mrs. Bud Rasch, Mrs. Harley McCoid, Mrs. Clyde Rogers, and Mrs. Roy Wilt. Tuesday guests of Mrs. Ned Engler were, Mrs. Wm. Hesse, Mrs. Clyde Rogers, Mrs. Harley McCoid and Mrs. Joe Campbell. VANISHING TEAS Mrs. Velda O'Donnell entertained guests at tea for her sister, Mrs. Roxie Nadeau and nieces, Mrs. Christina Olejnik and Mrs. Greta Olejnik. . Mrs. Christina Olejnik's guests were her mother, Mrs. Ellis Polson and grandmother, Mrs. George Mitchell. Mrs. Polson and Mrs. Mitchell completed the chain by inviting Mrs. Cecelia Wilhoit and Mrs. Ted Mitchell to their parties. Mrs. Velda Pardee was hostess at a Tea for Miss Virginia Parr, and Mr. Francis Pardee. Mr. Pardee, in turn entertained as his guest, Master Steven Pardee. Mrs. Stanley Smith was a Tea guest of her daughter, Thelma at their home on North Main Street. Mrs. Irene Campbell entertained the following guests at Tea: Mrs. Fern Rogers, Mrs. Vina McCoid, Mrs. Helen Wilt and Mrs. Elsie Rasch Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource The Rossville Reporter, Rossville, Kansas This work is copyrighted; the copyright holder has granted permission for this item to be used by the Rossville Community Library. This permission does not extend to third parties. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1950 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights reserved Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RCL0606