6 10 1856 http://recollectionsks.org/files/original/a3a3f382c56f6b4aa44a4791919cbae9.jpg 9d16965f3283f73b4ba20fb1771906be 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 Profiles of Local Persons, Rossville, Kansas 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 Lola Marie Boyles, Rossville, Kansas Description An account of the resource Miss Lola Marie Boyles is eight months old in this portrait. She was born March 7, 1908. It is from the collection of Mabel Boyles, who was from Rossville, Kansas. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Unknown Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Rossville Community Library Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1908 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Public domain Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource original photograph Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RCL0001 Kansas Memory Project http://recollectionsks.org/files/original/d5f455e6f0d0a9b7cdfe1cacab1bd8d6.jpeg 3d19224b46bbcf221aa3c71eabea62fe 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 Transportation and Accidents History Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Rossville Community Library 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 Death Ends It, Honeymoon of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Smith Is Over, Rossville, Kansas Description An account of the resource DEATH ENDS IT Honeymoon of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Smith is Over. He With Two Others Killed at Crossing. STOPS A MARRIAGE. Other Two Victims to Have Been United Sunday. Maggie Marney and Edward Smith Find Union in Death. ONLY ONE IS ALIVE. Mrs. Fred Smith Tells How Accident Happened. Young People Returning From Dance at St. Marys. Three persons were instantly killed and another perhaps fatally injured shortly after 1 o’clock this morning at bond’s crossing, about two miles west of Rossville, by the Union Pacific passenger train No. 3, west-bound. The killed are: FRED SMITH, EDWARD D. SMITH AND MISS MAGGIE MARNEY. Mrs. Fred Smith may recover, although at noon today she was still unconscious and was in a delirious condition. Mrs. Smith was a bride of less than a week, having been married on Sunday, and Miss Maggie Marney was to have been married next Sunday to Edward Smith, one of the unfortunate men. Edward and Fred Smith were brothers, both prosperous young farmers who parents also live near Rossville. They had been to St. Marys to attend a Woodman dance and were returning home when the accident occurred. They were driving a team of horses attached to a double-seated carriage, when they crossed the Union Pacific at Bond’s crossing, and the engine of the Union Pacific passenger train crashed into them. The bodies of the killed were terribly mangled, and Miss Marney’s head was completely severed from her body. Both the horses were instantly killed, and the carriage was smashed. The engineer did not see the carriage until after the engine had struck it. He immediately brought his train to a standstill and the bodies of the dead and Mrs. Smith, who was unconscious, were taken on board and were carried to St. Marys. They were taken to Rossville early this morning, accompanied by Dr. Miller and a Catholic priest, Father DeSmedt, and an inquest was held at 9 o’clock. Mrs. Fred Smith is receiving the best of medical care and attention. She talks in a rambling manner and knows nothing of what has occurred. She is aware that her husband was killed. She suffered a severe shock and one arm and an ankle were broken. The doctors hold out hopes of her ultimate recovery. Miss Maggie Marney was the daughter of William Marney, a well known farmer of that vicinity. She was to have been married to Edward Smith next Sunday. Mrs. Fred Smith, the bride of two days, whose husband met a horrible death at the Bond crossing, gave the first coherent account of the accident to a State Journal reporter this afternoon. “We were married in Topeka at the home of my sister, Mrs. H.E. VanVleck, at 220 East Fifth street,” said she. “We went down to Topeka on Saturday and were married Saturday evening. We were at the home of my sister until Monday afternoon when we went to Rossville. Ed met us at the train. He asked his father for a team and got a double seated carriage in Rossville and we went to the Mulvane ranch where we got Maggie Marney and we then went to the dance at St. Marys. “When we were coming home Fred and I were on the front seat and Fred was driving. We had the side curtains on. We got on the wrong road and we had to turn north and were compelled to cross the tracks again. We had already crossed them once. As we drove onto the tracks the train hit us and I don’t remember anything more. The engineer did not whistle.” Mrs. Smith was Miss Vina Vieu. She is a young woman of prepossessing appearance. She appears to scarcely realize the terrible fate of her husband, brother-in-law and friend. It was at first thought that her ankle had been broken but it now appears that this is a mistake. She is not seriously injured and will be able to be out in a few days. Engineer Emmett Lewis of the Union Pacific train that caused the death of the three young people was prostrated. He went with the train as far as Junction City where he turned the engine over to a substitute, being unable to go farther. The conductor of the train was F.S. Fields and both the engineer and conductor are attending the inquest this afternoon. The parents of Fred and Ed Smith, the two young men who were killed, live two miles from Rossville. They were worried over the non-appearance of their sons but did not know of the accident until this forenoon when Floyd McPherson drove out and informed them. Mrs. Smith fainted and was in a serious condition but is better this afternoon. Neither the father nor mother knew that the young people had been married. The bodies of the dead were all frightfully crushed. Fred Smith’s legs and one arm were broken, his neck was also broken and one side was crushed. Ed Smith’s side was crushed and his legs were broken. The car wheels had passed directly over Maggie Marney’s head and face and the top of her skull was found lying beside the track. Claim Agent Peterson, of the Union Pacific is on the ground and with him is Photographer John Strickrott who took photographs of the scene of the accident to be used in the event of a suit for damages. Coroner Hogeboom went to Rossville on an early morning train and is holding an inquest this afternoon. The people of Rossville are greatly excited over the frightful accident. (published, April 1, 1902 ?) Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Probably in the Rossville newspaper Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Rossville Community Library Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource April 1902 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Public domain Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource newspaper clipping Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RCL0400 http://recollectionsks.org/files/original/391ea30f346a15971ce3794d786c10e5.jpeg a1fa879e6dbb05204f6fec030acad6cc 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 Profiles of Local Persons, Rossville, Kansas 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 Fighter Jess Willard's retirement Description An account of the resource SHAWNEE COUNTY REPORTER Thursday, April 2, 1959, Page 9 Fighter Jess Willard’s retirement Jess Willard who was born in St. Clere, Kansas, and is remembered by some of the old-timers here as a horse-trader and livery stable operator at Delis and Emmett, is now living a quiet life in La Cresenta, California. Now in his 77th year the “Pottawatomie Giant” and his wife live very comfortably in their California home and just “take life easy”. They have five children, two sons and three daughters, and seven grandchildren. In a recent interview with a Los Angeles Herald-Express writer, Willard spoke with a keen memory of his fights with Jack Johnson, Jim Jeffries, Jim Corbett, and Jack Dempsey. It will be exactly 40 years ago on July 4 that Willard lost his heavy-weight boxing championship to Jack Dempsey in Toledo, Ohio. He says he can remember the fight as if it were yesterday and says of the fight that “mobsters took my title that afternoon and I hope to one day complete the true story of what happened. Dempsey had more in his gloves that afternoon than his fist!” He says Johnson was the greatest fighter of them all. Willard knocked him out in the 26th round to win the championship in Havana in 1915 on April 5 when the temperature was 115. It’s interesting to learn that Jess says if he had it to do all over again he’d choose another road. He says, “Knowing what I know now I guess I would have just kept on busting broncos instead of becoming a fighter. I got suckered into fighting in the first place. I used to ride herd on horses in Montana, round ‘em up and bring them to Kansas. After breaking “em I’d sell them to the farmers. “When automobiles came in the horse lost his popularity and when a friend suggested that a big strong guy like me should be a fighter I decided to take a crack at it.” This retired “man of leisure” is described as a “great guy” by his neighbors and the kids love him. He stands six fee six inches in his stocking feet and weighs in today at 255, just five pounds over his usual fighting weight. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Shawnee County Reporter, Rossville, Kansas Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Rossville Community Library Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource April 2, 1959 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource 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. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource copy of newspaper clipping Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RCL0536 http://recollectionsks.org/files/original/52b294266d66e62938dc492e489b94af.jpeg 3ec502660854ce4317ab47655a83c025 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 Agriculture from 1962, Rossville, Kansas Description An account of the resource The Shawnee County Reporter, Rossville, Kansas March 15, 1962, Page 15 Shawnee County Beef Tour Scheduled Beef cattle in Shawnee County have a value of approximately four million dollars. Anyone would agree that this is a sizable industry. We would like to present representative samples of the operation of this industry on Thursday, March 22. This is the date that has been set for the beef cattle tour that should prove beneficial to anyone interested in beef cattle production. The tour will begin at 9:00 a.m. at the Joe Campbell farm about three miles west of Rossville on highway 24 and then one-half mile south. Here the group will see a sizable number of cattle that Joe is wintering, in addition to a good set of working corrals. From here the group will go to the Clyde Rogers farm and meet there at about 9:45. This farm is located about one mile south of Rossville. Clyde has heifers on full feed and also heifer calves that were purchased last fall that he is wintering. The third stop will be at the A.J. Thomas and Sons farm located on the west edge of Silver Lake. This stop will be at approximately 10:30 and here the group may see the herd of stock cows and the creep feeding system that the Thomas’ practice. At about 11:20 a stop will be made at the farm of Eugene Smith at 6215 West 21st Street, Topeka. This is about ¾ of a mile west of the junction of 21st Street and Wanamaker Road. Gene Smith and Joe White have a sizable cow herd, both registered and commercial. After this stop, the last stop will be at Roy Engler’s located just one mile south of the Smith farm. After this the group will gather at the Oak Grange Hall which is located by the Roy Engler farm. A free lunch will be served at noon to all those who participate. Wendell Moyer, Extension Livestock Specialist from Kansas State University, will be on the tour to assist with the discussion. A summary will be held after the noon lunch and an early adjournment will follow. Come out all you beef men and bring your neighbor. (pictured Wendell Moyer, speaker) ------------------ WIN BANKERS AWARDS Winners of the 1961 Soil Conservation Bankers Awards are pictured below. They were present Monday evening, February 5, at the annual meeting held at Garfield Park Shelterhouse, Topeka. (pictured) Mr. and Mrs. Bennie Martinek (published, February 15, 1962) ------------------- “JACK AND THE CORN STALKS”… almost looks that way with the little trick photography by the Shawnee County Agent, Herb Bulk. Agent Bulk took the picture to show how tall the corn is in the Kaw Valley. It’s nearly as tall as the picture appears, too. (picture shows child looking up standing in the middle of a corn field) (published, August 2, 1962) Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Shawnee County Reporter, Rossville, Kansas Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Rossville Community Library Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource March 15, 1962 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource 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. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource newspaper clippings Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RCL0436 http://recollectionsks.org/files/original/1c5324881ed616506ba7735172f13ef5.tif a5904f996b1d57095fe92942bac23d95 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 Community Library History 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 The Rossville Community Library, A Look at its Past, the Present, and its Future, 1993 Description An account of the resource The Rossville Community Library- A Look at Its Past, the Present, and its Future Page 5 St. Marys Star October 5, 1993 PART I by Dorothy N. Hoobler When the Rossville Community Library at 407 Main was dedicated in late November 1968, no one dreamed that 25 years later, its services would have grown so much that an addition would be necessary. That, however, is exactly what has happened. Consequently, plans are being made to correct the “too small” problem. The land just north of the building has been generously donated by Ron and Joyce Lutz. The proposed addition will be approximately 24 by 50 feet. Along with providing for the pa¬trons it serves and the services it gives, two handicapped re¬strooms will be added to meet federal requirements. No target date has for completion, but the library board has decided to establish two separate building funds. A plaque will list the names of all donors of $100 or more, either to a regular building fund, or to a memorial fund. Those two plaques are already hanging on the wall. Other fund and financial plans will be announced later by the Library Board — President Scott Kelsey, Larry Anderson, Marie Sullivan, Shelly Braden, and Mary Jane Berkey. As the name, Rossville Community Library, implies, this is a township, not a city library. It is supported by a small tax levy. The Rossville Town¬ship Board, currently Helen Horton, Richard Langworthy, and Tom Schuetz, supervises the library and appoints the library board. They, in turn, hire the library staff. Mary Brennan is the present librarian and Ruth Godbey is the assistant. [caption to photograph] Scott Kelsey, President of the Rossville Library Board, and Richard Langworthy, Trustee of the Rossville Township Board, are shown the deed to the lot north of the library where they anticipate enlarging the building, by Ron and Joyce Lutz. Photo by Carla Opliger Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource St. Marys Star, St. Marys, Kansas Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Rossville Community Library Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource October 5, 1993 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource 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. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource newspaper clipping Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RCL0539 Rossville Community Library http://recollectionsks.org/files/original/ac06c32fa5d6802608646c636c84cc15.png 81743106410b607527cc26e5b56c24f0 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 Community Library History 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 The Rossville Community Library, A Look at its Past, the Present, and its Future, 1993 Description An account of the resource The Rossville Community Library- A Look at Its Past, the Present, and its Future Page 5 St. Marys Star October 5, 1993 PART I by Dorothy N. Hoobler When the Rossville Community Library at 407 Main was dedicated in late November 1968, no one dreamed that 25 years later, its services would have grown so much that an addition would be necessary. That, however, is exactly what has happened. Consequently, plans are being made to correct the “too small” problem. The land just north of the building has been generously donated by Ron and Joyce Lutz. The proposed addition will be approximately 24 by 50 feet. Along with providing for the pa¬trons it serves and the services it gives, two handicapped re¬strooms will be added to meet federal requirements. No target date has for completion, but the library board has decided to establish two separate building funds. A plaque will list the names of all donors of $100 or more, either to a regular building fund, or to a memorial fund. Those two plaques are already hanging on the wall. Other fund and financial plans will be announced later by the Library Board — President Scott Kelsey, Larry Anderson, Marie Sullivan, Shelly Braden, and Mary Jane Berkey. As the name, Rossville Community Library, implies, this is a township, not a city library. It is supported by a small tax levy. The Rossville Town¬ship Board, currently Helen Horton, Richard Langworthy, and Tom Schuetz, supervises the library and appoints the library board. They, in turn, hire the library staff. Mary Brennan is the present librarian and Ruth Godbey is the assistant. [caption to photograph] Scott Kelsey, President of the Rossville Library Board, and Richard Langworthy, Trustee of the Rossville Township Board, are shown the deed to the lot north of the library where they anticipate enlarging the building, by Ron and Joyce Lutz. Photo by Carla Opliger Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource St. Marys Star, St. Marys, Kansas Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Rossville Community Library Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource October 5, 1993 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource 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. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource newspaper clipping Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RCL0539 Rossville Community Library http://recollectionsks.org/files/original/e861bb436ad09287f95805bd3f0f6835.png 519d9e72516d5950a8291d32fcce0692 http://recollectionsks.org/files/original/2b45ab276ed3b7c9dda586149adaab98.png e0ffc7b630796bfbe7a7be4e29f8cc67 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 St. Stanislaus Church Remodeled, 1970s, Rossville, Kansas Description An account of the resource [Caption] TOP PHOTO - St. Stanislaus Church in Rossville has a new brick extension on the front of the building. During the recent renovation of the building, a 2,000 square foot basement was also added. The remodeled interior of the building is shown in the lower photo. Photos by Lou Mahan St. Stanislaus Church is Remodeled In early June of 1975, the building committee: George Sullivan, Paul Dultmeier and Bob Parnell met with the Rev. Ignatius J. Strecker in Kansas City and had him approve plans to build an addition and renovate St. Stanislaus Church in Rossville. Later in the month, under the direction of Paul Dultmeier, building contractor in Silver Lake, several of the parishioners started tearing off the porch and siding from the church’s east end. Vern Atkins of Maple Hill dug a basement hole for a twenty-two foot addition. Then the building committee decided to dig out from under the entire church for a full basement. This would make 2,000 square foot of basement floor space. A few mornings later, someone discovered that 14 feet of the southeast foundation had collapsed, leaving the corner of the church sagging in mid-air. A work crew was quickly assembled to jack it up and they proceeded to form up a wall and pour a new wall themselves without waiting for the cement contractor. Only slight damage was done to the church. Jack Clark donated the beam to support the floor. New white acoustic tiles were nailed to the ceiling in the old church. The walls were painted white and all the woodwork was restained and varnished. After the new addition was constructed, Don Denton was hired to face the outside with brick. The parishioners painted the outside with two coats of white paint. John A. Wehner donated all the paint for the inside and outside walls. Mr. DeBacker installed the furnace and air-conditioning unit. Air-conditioning was not in the original plans, but so many people in the parish asked that it be included that a special plea for donations was put out, and the additional $2,000 was soon collected. The basement contains two rest rooms, and a kitchen is being installed. There will still be space for a large meeting room. The new addition has a stairway leading to the basement on the north side of the entrance. On the south side is a room for vestments. It has a large window on the west side so it can double as a “crying room” for the babies. The beautiful blue carpeting on the floor and the yellow and brown carpeting of the old pews was all done by the parishioners under the direction of Mr. Dultmeier. Some of the women sanded and revarnished the old pews. The middle railing and supports were removed and Timothy Lynde, St. Marys, built new supports for the 22 pews. Several years ago, Timothy donated his time and talent to design and build a new altar, baptismal font and lecturn. Afer [sic] the Jesuits removed the old historic altar, he also built a pedestal for the tabernacle. A very new type of mercury light will be installed in the old area of the church as soon as they arrive from the factory. Chairs with kneelers have been ordered and new kneelers will be installed on the pews. Then, if there is money left, the yard will be asphalted for a better parking area. The church is completely surrounded by a wide sidewalk. The yard was cut back on the north side and curbed and asphalted for additional parking. We had $20,000 to finance this project but it definitely could not have been done for this without the help from so many of the parishioners and the donation of materials from others. While the renovating of the church was in progress, services were being held under the trees in the yard, in the shelterhouse in the park, and at the Community Center. One Sunday, Mr. and Mrs. Harold Michael’s daughter, Megan, was baptized under the trees in the yard. Not many babies have this unique experience. The original church building was built under the auspicies of Fr. John Kokenge, S.J., who collected about $1,100 to procure the ground and put up the structure. It was 42 x 30 feet, with a sanctuary that added 12 feet to its length. Names on the stained glass windows in the sanctuary are: Anthony Dolezilek, Fr. John B. Kokenge, S.J., and Frank Fauerbach. The stained glass windows in the body of the church were purchased by individuals in the parish in the 1950s. The cornerstone was laid June 18, 1899. The document placed in the stone contained the following: “Leo XIII being Pope, William McKinley being President of the U.S., W. E. Stanley being 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 Kistka was begun today when the cornerstone was laid this the eighteenth of June in the year of our Lord eighteen hundred and ninety-nine.” When the cornerstone was removed and opened for the remodeling, nothing was found except some dust and unrecognizable scraps. The stone was replaced at the northeast corner but nothing was enclosed in it. This parish has grown from about twenty-five families to over one hundred. It includes the Silver Lake area, Willard and Maple Hill as well as Rossville. Until recently, we were considered a mission of St. Marys. When the Jesuits left St. Marys, our parish was combined with seven others. The new team of priests came in 1971. Three priests serve the parish. - written by Mrs. Elmer Lynde Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource St. Marys Star, St. Marys, Kansas Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Rossville Community Library Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource mid-1970s Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource 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. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource newspaper clipping Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RCL0537 St. Stanislaus Catholic Church http://recollectionsks.org/files/original/1db4ffcbb0d13209e44a1d9c31a0a11b.jpg d7ed1293de06be429e31716dd95773d9 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 Profiles of Local Persons, Rossville, Kansas Photo A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. 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 Portrait of an unknown woman and man Description An account of the resource This portrait is of a woman and a man wearing dress clothes. It is from the collection of Mabel Boyles, who was from Rossville, Kansas. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Unknown Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Rossville Community Library Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource ca. 1900-1930 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Public domain Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource original photograph Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RCL0002 History Mystery Kansas Memory Project http://recollectionsks.org/files/original/30690c1289e354d353f902edc45c18cb.jpg 47fb05f5573157b06a72b6094d22ceba 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 Profiles of Local Persons, Rossville, Kansas Photo A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. 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 Unknown family portrait Description An account of the resource This family portrait is of eleven people wearing dress clothes. It is from the collection of Mabel Boyles, who was from Rossville, Kansas. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Unknown Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Rossville Community Library Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource ca. 1900-1930 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Public domain Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource original photograph Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RCL0003 History Mystery Kansas Memory Project http://recollectionsks.org/files/original/cacbeccf98ecffe613fa52bcc465b04b.jpg 0530320054e5d169a803f458555ffba2 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 Profiles of Local Persons, Rossville, Kansas Photo A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. 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 Portrait of a woman Description An account of the resource This portrait is of an elderly woman whose family is pictured in RCL0003. It is from the collection of Mabel Boyles, who was from Rossville, Kansas. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Unknown Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Rossville Community Library Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource ca. 1900-1930 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Public domain Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource original photograph Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RCL0004 History Mystery Kansas Memory Project