The following article was one of the earliest written about A.S. "Sam" Morgan. Although the main thrust concerns the early history of Sheridan County, the article does contain some history on Sam Morgan. •
Some Early Day History Concerning This County: Sheridan
By way of introduction, I will say my father settled at Museum in '71, so named because of Indian and other relics found there - now the home of George Pratt. This county had not been surveyed at this time. Supplies were brought from Fort Hays. He was handling cattle on shares for a man at Brookville, whose name I have forgotten. At that time, only four men lived on the south Solomon in what was to be Sheridan County. Cattle were marketed at Hays or Abilene, being driven to one of those points in late summer. Father had been over considerable of this county before with buffalo hunters. The buffalo hides were sold at Hays and Wallace at a dollar each. The Dodge City and Black Hills trail struck at what is now Buffalo Park, a half-way place between Hays and Wallace. Signs of this trail may be seen on the Hardy Bradbury ranch east of Hoxie. Near there was Camp Scripture where cowboys might quench their thirst and also try their luck on the green cloth. The trail struck north Solomon near the George Kious place. To the Kious family was born the first white child in Sheridan County. It was just south of Buffalo on Big Creek where they were camped for dinner that Joel Collins and one of his cowboys were killed by cavalry troops from Hays. Collins and seven of his cowboys who had taken a herd of beeves to the Black Hills from Texas, had sold the cattle and during a carousel had lost the money. Starting home they robbed the U.S. Mail at Big Springs, splitting in pairs and Collins and one of the cowboys returned by the trail, the others going in other directions. Considerable money was found sewed in their slickers. An acquaintance of Collins at Buffalo sent the news to Hays and a special engine and car brought the soldiers to Buffalo, but the informant did not get the reward. In the Indian raid of 78, the Indians crossed this part of the county along this trail. One white man was killed on south Solomon. Several people were killed on the north Solomon, two women were tortured to death with red hot king bolts. The people here had trouble keeping away from the Indians and watching prairie fires. When the Indians found freight wagons, they tore cloth into strips and tied the strips to their ponies' tails, then they would race about. In the "Price of the Prairie" is a very good description of this raid. Among the people I have heard my father speak of as living in this country in the earlier days was Pete Ribidoux, of Wallace, who traded goods for buffalo hides; Tom Duly and Pat Hickey, who operated a trading place at Hays, later at Ellis; Ace Adair, latest marshall at Ellis; Jim Steerman, near what is now Moreland; Sol Reece, Bill Simpson and S. Larrick on the north Solomon; Bob Fowler, of Brookville; Hays Bros., of Bull City, now Alton. Father came to Osborne from Nebraska with these boys. Ones neighbors were very far apart at that time. Camps, as homes were called, were never locked, provisions were kept there whether at home of not, so that the traveler might find shelter and food, if necessary. No questions were asked of strangers. If he told his name, allright; if not, allright. It was not considered healthy to ask a man his name. Many things happened that he did not investigate. About the only law was a pair of six-shooters. A very large majority of the people were doing right. A horse thief was promptly disposed of, if caught, as a man's horse was an absolute necessity. Occasional bands of rusuers went through the county.
After Buffalo Park was established, a freight trail was made from Lenora to Buffalo. The settlers of the late '70's and early '80's used the trail considerably. Among the people that settled in this county during that time to become identified with the development of this county were : C A. Pearson from the Shafers on the Saline; Abram andJ.F. Pratt, the George Pratt family, of Museum; F.H. Phelps, Dick Lynam, G.W. Taylor, the Waldens, Cresslers, Hopkins, and Charley Johnson, who claims to have helped celebrate my birth, and many others whose names I do not recall at this time. The Wm. T. Holmes family, of which my mother is a member, settled about five miles south of what was Guy in '80, coming from Canada. Grandfather Holmes broke a small piece of ground and planted wheat. In harvesting this wheat, father's acquaintance with my mother began. He had rounded up some wild cattle and was driving them home past this field where grandfather and two girls were pulling up this wheat by hand. He was obliged to gather cattle for several days afterwards. Father and Mother were married in October 1881. In '80, an earthquake shock was felt in the country. Two brothers named Martin lived on Martin Creek, one a sort of half-wit, shot Into a tree in front of their dugout, thinking someone was trying to pull the ridge pole of their dugout, so noticeable was the quake here. Father sold out at Museum in '81 and settled at the mouth of Sand Creek. My first recollections are of the hard winters of '85 and '86. No food was provided for wintering stock. Cow hides were plentiful the spring of '86, many people losing all of their cattle. Up to the '90's, stock was run on grass. When storms came, the cattle drifted with them. The length of the storm determined how far they would drift - sometimes as far as the Smoky. Weak ones would be found sticking in the snow drifts all along the way. After the storm, men went out on their trail looking for his own and neighbor's stock to get them back before another storm, if he could. Most ranchers brought in some ear corn in the fall when the snow was on the ground. They would sack this, going through the herd handing out an ear at a time to the weaker ones. Many range horses were here during the '80's. These horses were rounded up when wanted by several men. One or more would start the bunch, which would run, being turned at intervals by riders until they were running in a sort of a circle for several miles, gradually drawing nearer to the corral by a broked horse. There he would be roped, usually by the forefoot and thrown to be branded or haltered. Among my first recollections in watching this work, it required much hard riding. One of the worst troubles of the stockmen was Texas itch. In winter, cattle developed great sores, often most of the hair coming off their backs. After '80 and '85, people began to provide some food for storms, also some shelter. At this time, the country was settling very fast. Most land open to entry being taken up, speculators buying desirable railroad land in large quantities. The settlers were mostly single men or young couples, most of whom abandoned their claims in a few years, some without making proof, others as soon as proof could be made and the land mortgaged for enough to get away on. During this time, most of these people would go east to work, returning to live on their land or claims only as much as die law required. Many hired their homestead work done, having neither the tools nor work horses. Many timber claims were filed, proof on which required a certain number of live trees. Very few were made. Tom L. Pratt was one of the few who really raised a grove. Most of the claims were plowed yearly and planted with locust seed - rows about twelve feet apart. I believe sometimes corn was planted between the rows, usually to be destroyed by range cattle or horses. Later, by act of Congress, die claims were allowed entry as homesteads. About '91, some barley, corn, wheat and broom corn was being raised. T.M. Walker did much to encourage the raising of broom corn, having a great deal planted on his own account, but the low prices of the '90's put an end to the broom corn industry.
A steam threshing rig was operated in the early '90's, east and northeast of Hoxie, by John Thompson and John Talbot - the first in the country., I think. I believe it was in '92. About 1890, alfalfa was introduced in this country by Harry Williamson, or the Moses ranch near Grainfield. Uncle Jim Grinnell had a small field east of Hoxie. After '96, this became a very popular forage crop. A child's memories are naturally limited, but I believe the crops of '91 and '92 were very good, considering acreage. "93 and '94 were very lean years. Speaking of our family, our diet was chiefly beans, fat bacon and corn meal. I have not cared much for mush or boiled beans since. Several cars of "aid" were shipped to this county from the east in '94. One car sent by Lew Blakely and others, of Carrolton, Missouri, was distributed by my father, E.H. McCracken and J.S. Turner. It consisted mostly of clothing and flour, some dried fruits this fruit tasted mighty good even though only a few pounds to a family. Blakely owned some land near Guy. About this time, the Salina-Colby railroad was built, he and others organized a company to build a water-power flour mill at Guy. Work progressed as far as quarrying a considerable amount of rock and hauling them down to the mill site. Quite a large town-site was laid out at Guy by Hopkins and his son-in-law, C.E. Perkins, the father of John Hopkins, of Grainfield, had a store and post office where F.W. Houseworth now lives. The misses Gertrude Pratt and Annie Pratt (now Mrs. C.A. Taylor) both of Hoxie, were both expert riders and carried mail from Museum to Guy and Hoxie on ponies; later by buck-board. On one of her trips from Hoxie, Mrs. Taylor's pony ran away throwing her from the cart and she received a broken collar bone. Father found the unconscious woman and brought her to our house. The railroad was built in '87 and '88, but did not operate much until about '98. During '93 and '94, some of the cuts were filled with drifting dirt from two to four feet deep. Not enough rain fell during '93 and '94 to sprout seeds. Fourteen months without moisture, the drouth, not really being broken until Decoration Day '95, when a cloudburst struck this country. This was followed by several years of very good crops. The winter of '97 and '98, corn was hauled to Guy, where Bonfield was feeding cattle, at 11 to 14 cents per bushel. Some of this corn was hauled from near the north of Solomon. A sod school house was built a few rods from where J.R. Conard's blacksmith shop now stands. L.M. Grant lived there in '88. Our first school consisted of some twenty or more pupils. Mrs. Viola Draper was the teacher of the pupils, my brother, Charles and I were the only ones here now who entered the first term of school. Prairie fires were a great source of worry for the settlers during the '80's and '90's. One fire in '89 started near the north Solomon and burned to the Smoky River. A very high wind was blowing, making it impossible to stop the fire. Homes were saved by backfires, splitting the main fire. Many piles of cow chips that had been gathered for winter fuel caught fire and smoldered for many months afterwards. Women and children did very little going to town in those days. My first trip to town that I remember was in '91 and/or '92. My principle memory of that trip was seeing E.P. Werda, then druggist at Hoxie, riding a bicycle with a high wheel and a very low one. I took my first train ride after I was 18. My father did very little farming. I did no farm work until I was past fourteen. The tools then in use would not be very desirable now. Many children have followed the plow, dropping corn in every third row. One spring, father broke about ten acres of prairie. Charles and I followed, making holes in the sod with hatchets and dropped seed in these holes, covering them by stepping on them.
The grass hook was a tool that was hard on ankles if you struck with instead of pulling. Cane seed was threshed with a flail or raked off the head with a curry comb. We boys would much rather herd than do this work. About '96, large pastures were being built with little attention being given to the section lines. Large herds were summered in these pastures and shipped in the fall. Four pastures controlled by Tom L. Pratt, George H. Pratt, Benton & Hopkins, Fowler and Marshall, occupied a large part of the valley, Saline and Springbrook townships. After 1900, the county was setded very fast. Quite a contrast are the many modern homes of today to the dugouts and sod houses of what seems but a few days ago. Saddle pony to buggy to automobile. Pony mail routes to radio. As I look back, it seems unreal. Thus has gone more than 41 years in Sheridan County. May I see the changes of 41 more. -J.F. Morgan (John Franklin Morgan, eldest of seven Morgan children, 1882-1937.)