76 10 1856 http://recollectionsks.org/files/original/f2e5f712373739ae0163641f4acbdaae.jpg 26823619289e3b9b1ccb6690dd85dac1 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 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 Frances Martinek shocking oats, Rossville, Kansas Description An account of the resource This picture shows Frances Martinek (Mrs. Albert) shocking oats on July 5, 1920. 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 1920 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Public domain Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource photograph Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RCL0100 Kansas Memory Project http://recollectionsks.org/files/original/ecaf506f07e52961412c100f1108e657.mp3 1c4f5ae4d1b1c1fdf846b68ce9e6fdf9 http://recollectionsks.org/files/original/1e32c892f945c5a47edb8922ab4514c3.mp3 dcb934525e5b8ed5ab8e1b47b2e0e7c1 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 Recollections of Republic County History Subject The topic of the resource "Preserving Our Past: Oral Histories of Republic County Kansas" Description An account of the resource Oral History Interviews with Republic County Residents Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Belleville Public Library Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Belleville Public Library Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Sound file (wav) Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral History Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. 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 Frank J. Jehlik Interview, Side A Subject The topic of the resource Oral History of Republic County, Kansas Description An account of the resource Republic County, Kansas, citizens were asked to tell stories of their lives as they lived and remembered them. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Belleville Public Library Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Belleville Public Library Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Recorded on June 1, 1973 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Georgia Griffith Kenyon, Interviewer Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Attribution (required) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource MP3 File (.mp3) Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral History Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context BPL75-60.sideA http://recollectionsks.org/files/original/5b5e909b24ebc008295df3701ee0c621.mp3 b99c2f49aea4f110f8db1695cd6d41ce http://recollectionsks.org/files/original/a810edb03e7daf08005a0e0263eafb1f.mp3 8bb9f0ab8de1b1a2b2c465517626011c 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 Recollections of Republic County History Subject The topic of the resource "Preserving Our Past: Oral Histories of Republic County Kansas" Description An account of the resource Oral History Interviews with Republic County Residents Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Belleville Public Library Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Belleville Public Library Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Sound file (wav) Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral History Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. 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 Frank McNealy & Al Fleming Interview Subject The topic of the resource Oral History of Republic County, Kansas Description An account of the resource Republic County, Kansas, citizens were asked to tell stories of their lives as they lived and remembered them. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Belleville Public Library Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Belleville Public Library Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Recorded on July 3, 1973 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Georgia Griffith Kenyon, Interviewer Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Attribution (required) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Mp3 Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral History Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context BPL76-178.SideA BPL76-178.SideB 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 Baldwin City Public 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 Frank Messinger 1103 8th Baldwin Cit, Ks 66006 Subject The topic of the resource This tract was unimproved in 1890. By 1894, the property was valued at $650.00 indicating the construction of this house. Frank Messinger was the owner. J.H. Allerdice acquired the property c. 1906 and it was illustrated as his residence in the Souvenir. Description An account of the resource Detached residence, irregular plan with side entrance, two stories, wood frame construction with asbestos shingles first floor and ornamental wood shingles second floor, coursed rough-cut stone foundation, main hipped roof with pent gable bays. Hipped ell porch on columns, open railing, pedimented corner entrance, 1/1 double-hung wooden windows, glazed wooden entrance door with ornamental transom, central interior brick chimney. Decorative shaped returns on gable bays, ornamental round-arched front second floor window. Modern concrete block addition SSE. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Lance Rider, photographer Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Baldwin City Public Library Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Winter, 1988 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Douglas County assessment rolls, 1890-1928 Baldwin Souvenir, (1908) Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights reserved Language A language of the resource English 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 Baldwin City Public 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 Frank Rhoades farm NW4 16-15-21 Subject The topic of the resource This farmhouse was built in 1882 and the barn was eredted two years later by the grandfather of present resident, Frank Rhoades. Description An account of the resource Detached residence, ell plan with central entrance in each block, 2/3 front bays, wood frame and weatherboard construction with stone foundation, gable roof. Shed porch in ell, one story rear hipped addition, cellar entrance W end, 1/1 wooden double-hung windows, one paneled entrance door and one glazed paneled door in ell, interior brick chimney E. Metal storm windows installed. Timber frame center section with vertical tongue and grooved sheathing, stone foundations; one shed addition N and two S with concrete foundations. Hipped addition W end. End aisles in additions. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Dale Nimz, photographer Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Baldwin City Public Library Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Fall 1988 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Interview: Frank Rhoades 11-1-1988 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights reserved Language A language of the resource English 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 Baldwin City Public 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 Frank Sheppard House 1305 10th Street Baldwin City, Ks 66006 Subject The topic of the resource Frank Sheppard purchased a twenty acre tract in this location south of Jersey Street and west of Tenth Street in 1899. The assessed value was only $200.00. Sheppard and his wife Emma were listed as residing on Tenth Street at the corner of Monroe in 1902. This indicated that the existing buildings were constructed by that time. However, Sheppard sold to Samuel J. Molby in 1902. The property's assessed value increased to $275.00 in 1905 and to $350.00 in 1906 suggesting some improvement. Sheppard was again recorded as the owner in 1909; Walter Kennedy owned a reduced tract of 13.3 acres in this location in 1921. Description An account of the resource Detached residence, ell plan with two front entrances, two stories with one-story rear hipped wing, wood frame and weatherboard, coursed rough-cut stone foundation, main roof gable. Ell porch on turned posts, projecting paired windows NE, front gable wall dormer. Decorative elements--window brackets and hipped hood, pierced porch friezeboard. Alterations--steel siding, modern windows and doors. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Lance Rider, photographer Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Baldwin City Public Library Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Winter, 1988 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource County assessment rolls, 1898-1908 City directory, 1902-03 Standard Atlas of Douglas County 1902, 1921 Plat-book & Survey of Douglas County, 1909 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights reserved Language A language of the resource English http://recollectionsks.org/files/original/932093ec843de5142ce61c12fb6d9e87.JPG 68a103f98860b1b95e6a986a4f92db08 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 Bob McEnulty 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. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data black & white photo Physical Dimensions The actual physical size of the original image 8" x 10" 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 Franklin Employees Subject The topic of the resource Franklin Employees Description An account of the resource Franklin Employees lined up on the loading ramp south of the Franklin Ice Cream plant which was located at approximately 850 East First St. Standing L to R: Mr Quigley from Kansas City plant, Ed Hunt, ??, Leo Kramer, Chancy Angell, Charley Castell, Ed Campbell, Bill Woods, Leonard Deaton, ?? , Bob Campbell, Red Davis, ??, Mary Ann Landau, ??, ??, Hack McEnulty, ?? Front Row L to R: Chan Redding, Bert Grems, Bill Cox, Urel Harding, Alton Grems, ??, ??, ??, ??, ?? Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Unknown Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Tonganoxie Public Library Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource October 8, 1935 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Bob McEnulty Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Never Copyrighted Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Scanned 8" x 10" black and white photograph -- .jpg Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context TPL 4-0100 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 Baldwin City Public 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 Frederick Breithaupt farm Subject The topic of the resource Frederick Breithaupt, an emigrant from Baden, Germany, married Salome Weber in Illinois in 1854. The couple arrived in Kansas on April 15, 1856. Breithaupt served in the union Army. After he returned, this house was constructed c. 1870 for the family which included eleven children. Breithaupt's son, Martin, later operated the farm. It was sold out of the family in 1955. Description An account of the resource Farm residence, T-plan with central entrance E., two stories, wood frame and weather board construction, rubble stone foundation (parged), gable roff. Rear shed enclosed porch, SW and hipped enclosed porch NW. 4/4 and 6/6 wooden double-hung windows, wooden entrance doors. Interior altered--partially demolished and remodeled . Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Dale Nimz, photographer Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Baldwin City Public Library Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Eudora Community Heritage (1977) Atlas of Douglas County (1873) Standard Atlas of Douglas County (1902, 1921) http://recollectionsks.org/files/original/7758c80a1bef308b6638e99297da4be9.jpg 1f4a45c8f4a6ba3dce3a14197fe0ff26 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 Businesses 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 French Trucking, Rossville, Kansas Description An account of the resource Two men haul a load for French Trucking in Rossville, Kansas. Howard French is on the left. 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. 1940-1965 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Public domain due to copyright expiration Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource photograph Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RCL0224 French Trucking History Mystery Kansas Memory Project http://recollectionsks.org/files/original/ee21f6ac85267a71660a343571171e15.jpg 7cb1ee6371ea71c71eb223b564b60d9d 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. 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 Friendly Circle Class quilters, Rossville, Kansas Description An account of the resource The quilters in the back row are (left to right) Minnie Ellis, Grace Hartzell, Daisy Crow, Amy Meade, Ethelyn Fergeson, Myrtle Lillard, Seba Baird, Stella Page, and Edith Word. Pictured sitting down left to right are Vida Whitney, Ella Whearty, Comella Stevens, and Lulu James. We believe this picture is the Friendly Circle Class. 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. 1955-1970 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Public domain due to copyright expiration Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource photograph Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RCL0230 Kansas Memory Project Rossville United Methodist Church