Early history

Arkansas City has a fascinating history. Founded in 1870, the town in some ways was typical of many frontier, "western" towns. In other ways, it was -- and remains, I think -- unique. The Cherokee Strip Land Rush of 1893 was the biggest historical event to happen near Ark City and the town's population swelled to 50,000 to 100,000 in the days surrounding the run -- I've seen various estimates, but more than 100,000 participated in the run from various towns, Ark City being the largest.

What I want to share in this first posting is description of the town from a "Handbook of Arkansas City," published in 1887 by a Chicago publishing house. I don't know the author's name, but he identifies himself as a periodic visitor, not a resident.

The handbook calls Ark City "the canal city of mills and factories, solid and fast growing trade -- the coming railway and manufacturing center of Southern Kansas."

According to the handbook: In the summer of 1869, several pioneers settled near the present site of Ark City. It is said these settlers and traders were obliged to pay $5 per capita tribute to Chetopa, the head chief of the Osages. (One name among the pioneers I recognize is (H.C. and Pat) Endicott. I grew up in the 1200-1300 block of North A Street and we had Endicotts as neighbors -- don't know if they were descendants of the pioneers. There are Endicotts today listed in the Ark City telephone book.)

Anyway, the author is optimistic in his description of Ark City and Cowley County in general. He praises the people: "A county whose 36,000 people hail from every civilized land and represent the best blood, heart, brain, skill, experience, working power and ambition of the older states ..."

He goes on: "Arkansas City is the chief commerical town of the county and with a single exception, the most promising city in the great State of Kansas."

"The pioneer settlement of the lands upon which Arkansas City now stands ... was made by John Brown, John Strain. T.A. Wilkinson and G.H. Norton, on the first of January, 1870. A little later, came a party of well-known Emporia gentlemen and formally laid out Walnut City. the name of the new town was subsequently changed to Delphi, and a few months later, to Cresswell, in honor of the late Postmaster General. Still later, the founders adopted the name of Arkansas City ..."

Speaking of the culture of people in 1880s Ark City, the author states: "They have too, much more than the average mental and social culture of western towns, and make the finest practical display of UNITY AND PUBLIC ENTERPRISE (these words are capitalized in the handbook) that I have found anywhere in the west."

He goes on: "The internal spirit of clique and division and discord that has blighted the fair prospects of many a western town, has never entered Arkansas City. The people are a unit on anything and everything that promises the material advancement of their favorite town. Every good enterprise meets a ready and hearty response from the stalwart workers of this brave, bustling, buoyant, busy and booming young city."

Let's look at those words in terms of Ark City today. Readers, you can make your own comparisons in regards to the unity level of the current Ark City, and where we fall on the optimism-pessimism scale.

Of course, we live in a changed world and face economic obstacles that were not there in the 1880s. The question is: Where do we go from here?