History of Atchison County, Kansas. Sheffield Ingalls
Arkansas and built and operated a horse car line in Hot Springs. He finally got into a quarrel with one of his employees, who struck him with a neck yoke, from the effects of which he died.
OTHER ROUTES.
Atchison was an important point for stage routes as early as 1859. There was a line of hacks which ran daily from Atchison to Leavenworth, and another to Lawrence, and still another by Oskaloosa and Valley Falls across the Kansas river to Lecompton, Big Springs, Tecumseh and Topeka. To reach Lawrence from Atchison in those days, passengers were compelled to go by Leavenworth, until a line was opened by Mount Pleasant and Oskaloosa, reducing the distance to forty-five miles, and the fare to $4.50. There was a line north to Doniphan, Troy, Highland and Iowa Point. A line was also operated by Doniphan to Geary City, Troy and St. Joseph, and still another ran by Hiawatha to Falls City, Neb. The most important route, which had its headquarters at that time in Atchison, was a four mule line. The Central Overland California and Pike’s Peak Express, which with its speedy Concord stages, crossed the plains twice a week. This was the Holladay line. The Kansas Stage Company operated a line to Leavenworth, which made stops at Sumner and Kickapoo. A daily line, operated by the Kansas Stage Company, ran to Junction City by way of Mount Pleasant, Winchester, Osawkie, Mt. Florence, Indianola, Topeka, Silver Lake, St. Marys, Louisville, Ogden and Ft. Riley. The distance over this route was 120 miles and the fare was $10.00. There was also a two-horse stage line carrying the mail from Atchison to Louisville, Kan. Louisville was one of the most important towns in Pottawatomie county, and in 1859 was an important station on the route of the Leavenworth & Pike’s Peak Express. The mail line as then operated ran through Monrovia, Arrington, Holton and other points to its destination in the West. J. H. Thompson, who was an old man then, was the contractor for carrying the mail and was well known along the whole route, being familiarly known as “Uncle Johnny” Thompson. His stage left Atchison every Saturday morning at 8 o’clock and arrived from Louisville on Friday evening at 6. The fare from Atchison to Louisville was $8.00.
“ST. JOSEPH, ATCHISON AND LECOMPTON STAGE LINE.
“Passing through Geary City, Doniphan, Atchison, Manchester, Hickory Point, and Oscaloosa, connecting at Lecompton with lines to Topeka, Grasshopper Falls, Fort Riley, Lawrence, Kansas City, and the Railroad at St. Joseph for the East.
“Offices—Massasoit House, Atchison. K. T., and Planter’s House, St. Joseph, Mo.”
(From Freedom’s Champion, Atchison, February 12, 1859.)
LAST DAYS OF THE STAGING BUSINESS.
The people of Atchison in the sixties little realized the advantages the town gained by being the starting point for the California mail. They became used to it, the same as we have this day been accustomed to the daily arrival and departure of trains, but it was a gloomy day for Atchison when “the overland” finally pulled out of the town for good, after having run its stages out of the city almost daily for five years. The advance of the Union Pacific railroad from Omaha west along the Platte to Ft. Kearney, and the completion of the Kansas Pacific railway was the cause of the abandonment of Atchison by the “overland” as a point of departure for the mail. The company for many weeks before its final departure had been taking both stock and coaches off of the eastern division from the Missouri river to Rock creek, and other steps in preparation for moving the point of departure further west were taken. It was a little after 11 o’clock in the morning of December 19, 1866, that the long train of Concord stages, express coaches, hacks and other rolling stock started from their stables and yards on Second street to leave Atchison forever. The procession went west out of Atchison along Commercial street. Alex Benham and David Street, both faithful employees of “The Overland,” were in charge of the procession and they rode out of town in a Concord buggy. Other employees followed in buggies and coaches, and then the canvas covered stages, followed by over forty teams and loose horses, slowly moved out of town, headed for Fort Riley and Junction City.
ROUTE FROM ATCHISON
via the
SMOKY HILL FORK ROUTE.
| From Atchison to | Miles | Total | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mormon Grove | 3½ | Junction of the Great Military Road. | |
| Monrovia | 8½ | 12 | Provisions, entertainment and grass. |
| Mouth of Bill’s Creek | 13 | 25 | On the Grasshopper, wood and grass. |
| Ter. Road from Nebraska | 15 | 40 | Wood, water and grass. |
| Soldier Creek | 10 | 50 | Wood and grass. |
| Lost Creek | 15 | 65 | Wood and grass. |
| Louisville | 10 | 75 | Wood and grass. |
| Manhattan City | 12 | 87 | Water, wood and grass. |
| Fort Riley | 15 | 102 | Water, wood and grass. |
| Salina | 52 | 154 | Wood, water and grass. |
| Pawnee Trail-Smoky Hill | 130 | 284 | Grass and buffalo chips. |
| Pawnee Fork | 35 | 319 | Grass and buffalo chips. |
| Arkansas Crossing | 35 | 354 | Wood, water and grass. |
| Bent’s Fort | 150 | 504 | Wood, water and grass. |
| Bent’s Old Fort | 40 | 544 | Water and grass. |
| Huerfano | 40 | 584 | Water and grass. |
| Fontaine qui Bouille | 15 | 599 | Wood, water and grass. |
| Crossing of same | 18 | 617 | Wood, water and grass. |
| Jim’s Camp | 15 | 632 | Water and grass. |
| Brush Corral | 12 | 644 | Wood, water and grass. |
| Head of Cherry Creek | 26 | 670 | Wood, water and grass. |
| Crossing of Same | 35 | 705 | From this point to the mines there is heavy timber, and grass and water in abundance. |
| Mines | 6 | 711 |
From Freedom’s Champion, February 12, 1859.
ROUTE FROM ATCHISON
via
The Great Military Road to Salt Lake, and Col. Fremont’s Route in 1841.
| From Atchison to | Miles | Total | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marmon Grove | 3½ | Junction of the Great Military Road. | |
| Lancaster | 5½ | 9 | Provisions and grass. |
| Huron (Cross. Grasshopper) | 4 | 13 | Provisions and grass. First Salt Lake Mail Station. |
| Kennekuk, do main do | 10 | 23 | Provisions, timber, and grass. |
| Capioma (Walnut Creek) | 17 | 40 | Provisions, timber, and grass. |
| Richmond (head of Nemaha) | 15 | 55 | Salt Lake Mail Station and provisions. |
| Marysville | 40 | 95 | Water and Grass. |
| Small Creek on Prairie | 10 | 105 | Luxuriant grass. |
| Small Creek | 10 | 115 | Water and grass. |
| Small Creek | 7 | 122 | Wood and grass. |
| Wyth Creek | 7 | 129 | Wood and grass. |
| Big Sandy Creek | 13 | 142 | Wood and luxuriant grass. |
| Dry Sandy Creek | 17 | 159 | Heavy timber. |
| Little Blue River | 12 | 171 | Wood and grass. |
| Road leaves Little Blue | 44 | 215 | Wood and grass. |
| Small Creek | 7 | 222 | Wood, grass and buffalo. |
| Platte River | 17 | 239 | Salt Lake Mail Station and provisions. |
| Ft. Kearney | 10 | 249 | |
| 17 Mile point | 17 | 26 | Wood, water and grass. |
| Plum Creek | 18 | 284 | Wood and grass. |
| Cottonwood Spring | 40 | 324 | Wood and grass. |
| Fremont’s Springs | 40 | 364 | Luxuriant grass. |
| O’Fallon’s Bluffs | 5 | 369 | Wood, water and grass. |
| Crossing |