Today, we think of urban centers as cities and sometimes refer specifically to downtown or most heavily populated portions of the city as urban areas. Life, however, in the last half of the 1800s and early 1900s was a little different than it is today, especially for areas in newly opened territory. What we think of today as a very small town that we speed right past was everything to people in wide open spaces.
What did Hiattville have to offer?
One creative writer wrote to the Fort Scott newspaper in 1877, describing Hiattville as “located about half way between the sandy banks of the classic Pawnee and the amorous vales of the romantic ‘Happy Hallow’.” Now, one of the men in town took issue with that description, particularly the part about the amorous vales. He thought the reference was inappropriate and added no value to defining Hiattville’s location.
The author of the letter to the newspaper, which was unsigned, went on to say, “The inhabitants are . . . noted for their enterprise, virtue, and refinement.” The gentleman that objected to the description of the location did not disagree with this statement. Likely, he agreed.
In addition to fine people in a good location, Hiattville had all the basic elements required for the development of a city that was located in newly opened territory that was primarily rural.
By 1875, Hiattville had 35 inhabitants, including three blacksmiths, a miller, a painter, a coal dealer, a carpenter, and three merchants. Ten years later, the town included 2 blacksmiths, a plasterer, a shoemaker, a druggist, a hotel proprietor, a minister, a doctor, a teacher, a tailor, three carpenters, seven merchants, and a railroad agent. The town was growing!
Connection To The Outside World
The first key to growing a town in the late 1800s was having connections to the outside world.
Post Office
A post office was the first step in establishing a town and connecting to the outside world. Hiattville, or actually the Pawnee Post Office was relocated a mile or so to the north when the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railroad (MKT or Katy) determined where they were going to place their tracks. The name was changed to Hiattville in honor of James M. Hiatt, who gave land for the town.
The post office wasn’t initially a separate building. Instead, it was located inside one of the stores. Despite being co-located with goods for sale, by 1902, not only did Hiattville’s post office serve the growing town, but it also provided rural mail delivery. In 1905 it was inside A.M. Routh’s store. In 1910 the post office was in Strode Brothers’ Store. After the 1910 fire, it moved to Yager’s. However, at times, the post office was in a separate facility.
Many people served as postmaster or postal carriers over the years. When it was called Pawnee, Hezekiah Harryman was the postmaster. In 1873, Robert A. Cunningham was appointed postmaster. Prior to his appointment E.B. Rall was the postmaster. It is unclear if Mr. Harryman continued to serve in that capacity between the time the post office moved and E. B. Rall was appointed. R. M. Wallace also served as postmaster for several years, followed by L. C. Ward. Other postmasters in the early days included: Mr. Strode (1911), J. D. Warren (1914), and George Chilcote (1921).
Many years later, Grandmother Dessie Mae (Thomas) Pellett’s brother Theo “Bud” Thomas was postmaster of Hiattville for over 20 years. Read about the post office and Bud’s time as postmaster in A Thousand Memories.
Railroad
Every town required at least one rail line with a depot located close by. Without a railroad most towns died out before they got started as they needed a way to efficiently move goods being purchased and sold. Also, train travel at the time was the most efficient way to go any distance, even to Ft. Scott.
Hiattville had a small depot, which for a time was painted yellow. Besides managing railroad passengers and shipments, the agent, one of whom was F. J. Showalte, was also responsible for the telegraph office. In 1878-1879, C. R. Teas was the telegraph operator while the night operator in 1888-1889 was R.F. Gale. Other agents included: M. L. Harris, Mr. Rhodes, and Mr. Long.
At one time six passenger trains a day stopped in Hiattville with freight trains running hourly. Freight was very important as farmers in the area would ship cattle, sheep, hogs, hay and more to Kansas City or other locations for sale. In 1908. Strode and Williams, a local store, shipped out 19,905 pounds of poultry, 1,326 cases of eggs, 3,189 pounds of butter, 1,956 pounds of hides, 12,152 rabbits, 1,093 cans of cream and 25,972 pounds of butter fat.
Boarding Houses & Hotels
Once people arrived in town, they needed a place to stay.
In 1875, the Hartnett household included Thomas’ brother and two people who do not appear to be related to the family. Then in 1880, Hiattiville only had 35 inhabitants. Nearly a third of them lived in the Hartnett household, which included a total of eleven people. Besides the family, there were three railroad workers, a doctor, two brothers who were telegraph operators, and a servant. It is yet unknown if this was considered a hotel or a boarding house.
Then in 1884, the Arlington Hotel, which had been built sometime prior, sold to J. L. Thomas. The following year, the state census listed Jesse Stine as hotel keeper. Interestingly, No guests were listed in the household. However, the Harnett household is listed next to the Stine household. Again, it had extras in the household.
Around 1890, the Hartnett family moved to a farm. About this time, T. M. Arthur became the manager of the hotel. This seems to support the idea that Thomas and Ellen Hartnett had previously been managing the hotel. Note: several sources, erroneously report the name Hartnett as Hartwell.
W.S. Wallace owned or ran the Arlington House in the early 1890s. Then, the hotel closed for a time and reopened in April 1893 with Ide Routh as owner. Mr. Routh also had a livery and stable associated with the hotel. In 1896 as a gentleman planned to spend the night, but found the hotel closed and had to ride to Ft. Scott to find accommodations. I am not sure why he didn’t just go to Pawnee as it also had a hotel. Alternately, the man could have asked a local to accommodate him for the night. It is unclear if it was a temporary closure or if it changed hands again.
The Arlington Hotel continued to serve travelers until 1905 when it burnt. At that time, it was owned by George Howell. Later, Charles Yager ran a hotel in addition to his other businesses.
Livery
People visiting also needed a way to get around if they were traveling very far. Also, if they arrived with a horse, they needed a place to bed the horse. Thus, before cars became commonplace, a livery was a necessity.
Over the years, various men owned a livery, which often included a stable or feed store. R.M. Wallace, Mr. Hall, John Fox, George Howell, J. T. Hays, Pat Gibbons, S. C. Potter, and C. Beal all ran a livery at one time or another. However, they didn’t all use the same facility for the livery.
When cars started getting popular, a livery was still a necessity. However, people also needed mechanics. Thus, C. C. Sawyer opened the Sawyer Garage. Among other services, Mr. Sawyer sold United States Tires made by the United States Rubber Company.
Restaurant
In 1884, Jesse Stein opened a restaurant just north of the Katy depot. Meals cost 25 cents. In 1891, Mr. Stine’s restaurant included an ice cream parlor.
In 1889, Dr. Boyd of Walnut added a confectionary and ice cream parlor to Hiattville’s offerings.
Later, Mr. Wallace had a restaurant and also sold pop and fruit. Mr. Yager’s drugstore also expanded to include a soda fountain. Eventually, he added a lunch counter and a restaurant.
Phone Company
Around 1905, the Hiattville Mutual Telephone Company was formed. It was a party line phone system, but did provide a few single-party lines which were used by businesses. By the late 1940s, Hiattville Mutual Telephone Company had $1,827 in revenues and $1,142 in expenses. They operated 89 telephones and had different rates for rural and city dwellers.
Investors & Merchants
Some of the people that moved to Hiattville and the surrounding area left after a brief time. For some, it was more of a stopping point before they decided to move further west. For others, they arrived and found the living conditions weren’t for them. They sold out and moved back to their previous location. However, there were the ones that stayed. More importantly, some of them provided the second key to a city; they wanted to invest in the town. These men were also very active in organizations, schools, and politics. Big investors in Hiattville were: E. B. Rall, R. T. Williams, R. M. Wallace, A. M. Routh, Charles Yager, and John Landers.
E. B. Rall
E. B. Rall got the town off the ground by starting the first store in Hiattville. The store opened around the time the town was formed. He sold dry goods, groceries, hardware, medicine, boots, and shoes. In addition, he both bought and sold produce, grain, and game. He also took over running the post office, which was likely located in his store.
In Dec 1876, he built an addition to his storehouse, including a granary and wareroom with part of the space to be used by Mr. Cooonradt, a railroad agent. Then, in February 1877, E. B. Rall shipped 400 dozen eggs to Kansas City. He also had 8,000 bushels of corn on hand. Around the same time he apparently bought up various available lots in town. By 1879, he was also dealing in cattle and hogs.
Mr. Rall was very involved in local politics and was widely known in the county. However, in January 1886, he sold out to Elledge and Sons. After that E. B. Rall lived in various locations. He had at least two stores after that, but mostly seemed to be involved in an investment company. He had lived in Pawnee Township since 1859.
R. M. Wallace
Stores
Richard, who was typically documented as R.M., appears to have started the firm of Wallace, Potter, and Shriver (G.W.) in 1884. It isn’t clear if this association lasted long-term or not. However, his wife’s maiden name was Potter. Thus, it is assumed the Potter who was a part of his business was from her family.
In any case, R. M.’s businesses seemed to be under his name. He had a store that sold a variety of goods: hats, caps, groceries, boots, shoes, and even toboggans. At one point, R.M. owned “The Meat Market,” which sold fruit and canned goods in addition to meat. In 1889, he had a new store and may have been in business with a Mr. Love. By 1891, R. M. Wallace & Co. was competing with Haines & Co. and Gibbs, Routh & Co., who also had general merchandising stores.
In addition to his mercantile and meat market, R. M. owned a livery and stable in the early 1890s.
J. H. Wallace and Sons was a drug store in Hiattville in the late 1880s. They carried a variety of items, even valentines. I have not yet found any relationship between this family and R.M. Wallace.
Creamery
Richard Wallace was also a key player in starting the Hiattville Creamery Company, which was chartered on December 1, 1886 with a plan to open by March 1, 1887. He was president of the company and a member of the board of directors for the company, which had $8,000 in capital stock.
By mid-June 1887, the company was making 1,500 pounds of butter and 500 pounds of cheese each day. They had plans in place to increase production. They had seven men working at the creamery and fourteen running routes to get milk for the creamery. At one point, Mr. Huntington was selling 650 gallons of milk to the creamery each day.
The butter and cheese was shipped out on the train to various points, including Topeka, Wichita, Texas, and New York City. Some changes in staff, such a, W. H. Deesler taking over management of the operation from a man from out of the area who initially ran the day to day operations, occurred over the coming few years. Despite doing seemingly good business, they sold the company on August 31, 1889 for a mere $1,600 to Dr. Kennel, who continued the operation.
Other roles
On August 31, 1885, R. M. was appointed postmaster, a role he held for several years. R. M. was also an agent for C. W.Goodlander’s undertaking business in Ft. Scott.
W.S. Wallace, who ran the Arlington Hotel for a time in the 1890s, was Richard’s son.
Williams Family
J. H. Williams
James Hinson Williams and part of his family moved to Kansas in 1874. The family made their way to Hiattville in 1882. James, his wife, his daughter Mary (Williams) Pool, his daughter’s husband, and his son Rice (Tillard) all lived in the area.
The same year that they moved, J. H. opened J. H. Williams & Son Agriculture Implements. By the late 1880s, the store carried lumber, hardware, cutlery, sand, buggies, carts, and implements. No other hardware company existed in Hiattville during this time. In addition to the store, the family also owned a grain elevator.
R. T. Williams
By the 1890s, James’ son Rice, or Tillard as he was often called, took over running the business. The business became known as Williams Hardware Company.
R.T. continued to run the business and was quite influential in town. He was involved in many activities and businesses. When the Hiattville State Bank was formed, he was vice-president and was also a member of the board of directors.
For a very long time, Tillard dreamed of creating a very large grain elevator. He believed that it would promote the grain business in the area. Hence, it would grow the local economy and also grow his business. After being in business for many years, he finally decided that he was in a position to make it happen. Thus, the planning began.
Investment In Mexico
In 1909, Rice went to Old Mexico to inspect the mining operation of Sonora Mining and Smelting Company. He, along with George W. Blinco were considering investing in the company. However, upon his return he became ill. It was said to be typhoid pneumonia. He died withing days. He was only 55.
At the time of his death, the elevator of his dreams was under construction and had risen to 60 feet. After his death, R. T.’s son Columbus (Earl), who had previously started running the family business, continued in that role, although his wife inherited all of his real estate.
His son Columbus (Earl) ran the family’s hardware store after his death. In the fall of 1920, Earl sold the Williams Hardware Co.’s stock of harnesses to Frank Barringer. He focused his business on selling horse supplies, including harnesses. His business also included repairing of harnesses.
There were various other Williams in the area. More research is required to determine if they are related to R.T. or are completely separate families.
Charles Yager
O. L. Settles purchased the stock of a drug store in Fort Scott. He moved the stock to Hiattville and opened City Drug Store. Among other things, he offered a service in conjunction with Fort Scott Steam Laundry where people could drop clothes off at the drug store and he had them sent to Fort Scott for cleaning. Then, the freshly cleaned clothes could be picked up at his store.
When he moved out of Hiattville, Mr. Settles sold his stock of drugs to A. Fellows & Co. After Fellows, the Wallace family owned a drug store. Then in November 1901, H.S. Wallace sold the drugstore and fixtures to Charles Yager.
Mr. Yager dealt not only in medicines and related products, but in a wide variety of products, including clocks, school supplies and more. Over time, he added a soda fountain, lunch counter, and dining room to his facility. He eventually had sleeping rooms on the second floor of the building. These sleeping rooms may be what was referred to as the Hiattville Hotel.
Possibly the most unusual of Charles’ businesses was his jewelry store. Of all the businesses that I would expect in a small rural town in the early 1900s, a jewelry store would be nowhere close to the top of the list. However, Hiattville had one. And, in 1904 it was robbed. The thieves took jewelry, harmonicas, and cigars.
The next year Yager lost businesses in the fire. He immediately built new facilities and continued to carry on his business.
In addition to his retail business, he was an agent for an undertaker in Fort Scott. He had people covered from every angle. He could feed a person if they were hungry. Then, if a person was sick, Mr. Yager would provide medicines to help heal the person, but if the person didn’t make it, he could turn around and help with their burial.
Yager’s businesses were later known as Yager and Son.
Routh Family
Andrew M. Routh
The Early Days
In 1888, A.M. Routh (a.k.a. Coy) moved to the Hiattville area on property formerly owned by the Patrick family. In 1890, he rented the farm land and sold the residence. As he was planning to become a “city” man, he also sold his farm equipment and animals.
In October 1890, A. M. bought an interest in Mr. Gibbs’ general merchandise store in Hiattville. Two years later, he bought out Gibbs stock and formed Routh Brothers with his brother I.P. Routh. They decided to run the business on a cash only basis. It is unclear how long that lasted. However, I suspect that they began offering credit at some point.
That same year he bought Pat Gibbons property just west of the Arlington Hotel. He also purchased six lots in block one of the Wallace Addition, which means he was close neighbors of my great-grandparents William J. and Matilda (Jury) Peelle, my great-great-grandparents Passco and Martha (Johnson) Peelle, and Matilda’s brother Walter Jury.
In 1906, A.M. made the decision to venture to Colorado to work. When he did, Donald C. Williams and Mr. Strode bought out his goods and started Strode and Williams, a general merchandise store. By 1909, Mr. Strode had bought out his brother-in-law Donald, who moved out of the area. Business, however, was brisk and he added a delivery boy to his staff to serve their customers.
Interests in Colorado
When A.M. went to Colorado in 1907, he left his family in Kansas as his children were attending Baker University in Baldwin, Kansas. Thus, his wife moved to Baldwin to be with their kids while he went west.
A. M. headed to Canon City in southeastern Colorado. He was working with his brother-in-law J. J. Hollingsworth. He was to be in charge of the Montrose office of Hollingsworth Realty Company. They had 30,000 acres of land in the Uncompahgre Valley that were open to immigration. A. M. was back and forth between Kansas and Colorado. However, his work in Colorado was short-lived. It was not long before A.M. returned to Kansas to live.
In April 1910, A. M. bought goods and moved them into a building in Hiattville. He also moved his family back to Hiattville. He was back in the mercantile business, but he returned to Colorado occasionally as he continued to have business interests near Montrose.
The New store
The Opening
After the 1910 fire, A.M. continued to be in business. However, a new big store was in order. Thus, he put together plans for a two-story building that was approximately 40 feet by 96 feet (or thereabouts as every report gives a slightly different measurement). The new store was “modern” as it had a concrete cellar and a concrete floor on the main level. It also had a facility to sterilize milk cans, an oil room, a large storage room, and a cream room with a cream tester.
He worked with the lodges and they were responsible for the hall on the upper floor.
The Anniversaries
For at least three years after the store opened, A.M. held an anniversary celebration that mimicked the grand opening celebration. In 1913, bad weather tried to dampen the celebration. Yet, 611 people registered for the drawing with winners receiving flour or coffee. Ladies in attendance received decorated cups, saucers, and plates. The men and boys received pocketbooks and combs. The crowd was treated to lunch and Hiattville’s own Freedman Orchestra provided the entertainment.
Two years later, 600 people had registered by the 3 p.m. drawing time. However, 800 were expected to attend before the event drew to a close. This year, music played from a Victrola. Again, lunch was provided, a drawing was held for coffee and flour, and the guests received souvenirs. In addition, a bread contest was held. And, like on earlier anniversary celebrations, A. M. Routh offered specials and discounts, which led to a huge sales day!
Doing Business
In 1913, his son J. V. (Vivian) Routh bought half-interest in the store. He was very familiar with the operation as he had worked in his father’s store since he was a child. The following year D. D. Land, A. M.’s son-in-law bought a 1/3 interest in the business. However, the business continued to use the Routh name for the store. This latter association only lasted until the following year.
His son, however, worked with him long-term. In addition to selling general store items, Routh and his son purchased products from farmers, excluding hay and grain. They were successful and very dedicated. In one month they shipped 282 cases of eggs. That isn’t counting the eggs that they sold locally or the orders they filled for the railroad men.
In 1920, they sold over $75,000 of goods, which included a car (railroad car) of apples. Another time, they received a car of potatoes. However, sometimes the car contained things other than food, such as, coal because in addition to the standard mercantile products they sold, A. M. was also a coal dealer.
A. M. was also very active in politics and ran for office. He was said to be progressive when it came to business, but not when it came to politics. When writing about A. M. and his son, the Fort Scott Republican stated “[T] they believe in Hiattville and Hiattville believes in them.”
William H. Routh
William, Andrew’s brother, spent some years farming in Pawnee Township of Bourbon County. He had a good-sized operation. However, in 1903 he decided to move into Hiattville. Thus, he rented out his farm and sold off his livestock and farm implements. His plan was to run a grist mill. Hiattville had a mill starting in 1892. However, it was no longer in operation. So, W. H. bought the old mill equipment from Mr. Beale and added new equipment to update it to a much more improved mill. Unfortunately, his milling operation was wiped out by the 1905 fire. Some years later, he moved to Colorado to become a rancher.
Isaac P. Routh
Isaac (a.k.a. Ida) was another of the Routh brothers. He was in business with Andrew. However, Andrew managed the day to day operations of the business. I. P. was involved with the telephone company and appears to have likely had other unknown business ventures. He was also the postmaster and constable for a period of time. When A. M. took the position in real estate in Colorado, I. P. continued to own the building where Strode and Williams now did business.
Medical & Financial
Doctors
Doctors seemed to love to come to Hiattville. Some came and went quickly. Others, stayed for many years.
E. P. Davis of Boone County, Indiana and O.C. Bender were two of the early physicians and surgeons in Hiattville. In 1877, Mr. Brock joined them in serving Hiattville. It is unclear how such a small town could support three doctors at one time. Some of the other doctors were W. K. Johnson, Belle R. Johnson, J. L. Daugherty, C. A. Culver, Dr. Adamson, J. F. Clark, Dr. Cornell, and L. W. Griffin.
Grandpa Joe and Grandma Nellie (Peelle) McCracken tried to avoid doctors as much as possible. However, in the early days, when they needed a doctor, they contacted Dr. J. B. Robinson. That was the case when Aunt Ruby Faye (McCracken) Niemeir was around a year old. Both Grandma and her were very ill. Dr. Robinson cared for them. He was a doctor in was one of the doctors that served Hiattville the longest. He had a practice in Hiattville for 23 years.
It is also important in a farming community to have a veterinary. As early as 1892, the Hiattville area had a vet. Dr. Burns was the local vet at that time.
Financial
Banking
The community was looking for a bank to locate in Hiattville in the early 1890s. Matter of fact, they were offering a prime business lot for the bank if someone would locate to the town. However, it wasn’t until May 15, 1907 that the Hiattville State Bank was chartered.
Mr. Hornaday was president and R. T. Williams was vice-president. Also among the directors were C. W. Thompson, Jacob Neth, William Kidney, John Landers, and a gentleman from Oklahoma.
They built a new building for the bank. It was 22 feet by 40 feet with a vault. A strong building with a vault did not stop it from being robbed. On at least three occasions, robbers got away with cash.
My Grandpa McCracken had money in the Hiattville State Bank. The last entry in his bank book was on October 7, 1931. The balance was $2.04.
Insurance & Real Estate
L. E. Potter was the primary insurance man for Hiattville for many years. He also dealt in real estate and loans. D.D. Land was involved in oil and gas exploration around Hiattville. For a time, there were hopes that oil would be discovered and Hiattville would become a boom town.
Supporting Cast
The third key to growing a town in this era is to have people in other occupations that support the people of the town
Blacksmiths
Jacob Dockter, from Franklin County, Pennsylvania was one of the first blacksmiths in Hiattville. In 1876, Jacob went into business with D. P. Horning, who was a wagon maker. Of the first 35 people to live in the town, three were blacksmiths. Along with Jacob Dockter, were William Smith and Mr. Rhoden.
In the 1880s, Mr. Johnson, Charles Petit, W. F. Smith, and Dr. Davis were Hiattville blacksmiths. Dr. Davis was also a dentist and livery man. He retired in 1889 due to health issues and sold his interests to Lester McNaughton.
Mr. McNaughton was working with W. F. Aidlott. Many businessmen at the time were offering lower prices to people that paid cash. McNaughton and Aidlott made the decision to work on a cash only basis. It is unclear how long McNaughton stayed in Hiattville. However in 1891 Mr. Aidlott was in business with Lou Synott. They built a new shop on St. John Street. Mr. Aidlott was the blacksmith that stayed in Hiattville the longest, having a business for 58 years.
They did have competition. Around 1903 Mr. McCord and one of the members of the Routh family also had a blacksmith shop. It is unclear how long that shop remained in business.
Carpenters
CarpentersMy great-grandfather William J. Peelle was a carpenter and farmer in the Hiattville area from 1879-1911. He initially lived near the Schoefield School House north of town, working for anyone in the area that had a need. He built and repaired buildings and made all kinds of object, including crutches, wagons, and the post office box for the Marmaton Post Office. Then, in the fall of 1891, he moved into Hiattville and opened a shop. He continued doing the same work.
In the spring of 1894 just prior to the birth of his daughter Nellie (Peelle) McCracken, my grandmother, he moved his family out of Hiattville to a farm later owned by Don and Kay (McCracken) Davis. He continued to do carpentry and farm in the area until his death in 1911. A Carpenter and A Farmer tells more of his story.
It is interesting to note that William J. was from Randolph County, Indiana. This was the same location that the Hiatt family, for which the town was named, originated.
Other carpenters in Hiattville include: Andrew Liddle, Frank Huntington, and D. O. Murray.
Barbers
The town had a barber shop by 1889. It opened across from the “old” post office.
The town had various barbers over the years. R. L. Newton was the barber for several years before moving his business to Parsons, Kansas in 1909. After he left, W. Sherman took over the barbering duties. F. S. Goldsberry and Lawrence Perry were other barbers that served Hiattville.
Other Merchants and Tradesmen
Other merchants in Hiattville included: Mr. Hubbard, H. B. Brown, R. A. Cunningham, Mr. Gibbs, L. E. Potter, Charles Bader, Shriver & Son, and J. J. Stockton. At one time, there was talk that Mr. Beck was going to open a department store in town. However, that store never seems to have come to fruition.
As early as 1886, Hiattville boasted a harness shop, a butcher shop, and a shoemaker. Henry Chimpky and Shinkley & Son were two of the companies that dealt in harnesses and related items. By 1889, Mr. Chimpky’s business had outgrown its quarters and he moved to a new building located a block north of the drug store.
Those early days also brought wagon makers, millers, painters, and plasterers to the town. The earliest miller was Mr. Humphrey and the earliest painter was Mr. Botsford. In 1891, Mr. Ellis was the owner of the grist mill. And, of course, railroad men lived in Hiattville or stayed there while working on railroad projects.
The town even had businesswomen. In 1892, Mrs. A. H. Gibbs opened a millinery store with Mrs. Heaton as the dressmaker. After the 1905 fire, Bertha Wallace and Mrs. J. C. Landers opened another millinery store.
The railroad also shipped livestock and products from the local farmers and rock from a local quarry. In 1889, the quarry was loading out rock at 4 rail cars per day. Later, C. W. Strode and J. A. Killion were owners of the Hiattville Flagstone Company.
Education & Social Life
Schools
Hiattville didn’t have a school in town until 1881. Before 1881, students wanting to attend school had to go out of the village. John Hartnett, my Grandma McCracken’s first cousin once removed and the first child born in Hiattville, initially went to the school northeast of town. It was one of the closest schools to Hiattville and it became known as “Old Hiattville.” Mount Hope to the south of Hiattville was another option for students.
By 1884, a new school had been built. It measured 40 feet by 32 feet wide and was two stories high. When the new building opened, fifty students were enrolled with several more expected in the coming days.
Churches
Hiattville was once the home to four different religious denominations: Catholic, Baptist, Christian, and Methodist. The Christian Church existed by 1884. Services had stopped being held there sometime prior to 1906. The Baptist Church does not seem to be formed until around 1900. Additionally, there was talk of opening an Orthodox Church. However, I have not found evidence of services for this denomination. To my knowledge our family did not have ties to any of these churches.
However, our family did have ties to the Hiattville Catholic and Methodist churches. Both of these churches were formed in 1884 and were long lasting. However, Methodist ministers had been holding services in Hiattville since 1877. The Catholic Church closed sometime after 1950 and the Methodist Church remains in operation today.
The churches were located on the opposite sides of town. The Catholic Church was located on the west side of town to the north of the main road and the Methodist Church (Methodist, Methodist Episcopal, United Methodist) located at the east entrance to town.
The Methodist Church had several organizations within it. Included were the Epworth League, a youth organization focused on fellowship, education, and Christian service, and the Ladies Aid Society.
Some of the Methodist minsters included: Rev. Dolson (1889), Rev. Taylor (1905), Rev. Roy Tillotson (1921), and T. E. Lacy. Father Davern(?) was in charge of the Catholic Church in 1921.
An interesting twist is that Rev. J. H. Williams bought the Christian Church becoming the only minister in Kansas to own the church where he was the minister. This came to be because the mortgage on the church had not been paid in full. Thus, the church was sold. At the auction in 1893, Rev. Williams purchased the church. Two years later, he was arguing over the county taxing the church as his personal property. He believed it should not be taxed because it was still an active church with regular Sunday services.
Clubs and Secret Societies
In the early 1900s, several secret societies sprang up in Hiattville.
The Modern Woodman of America #1364 was established in Hiattville. It focused on helping families who faced hardship due to the loss of the family’s bread-winner. Evergreen Camp Royal Neighbors of America was a women’s auxiliary that likely worked hand-in-hand with the Modern Woodman of America. Great-Grandfather William J. Peelle, who had a carpentry shop in Hiattville, was a member of the Modern Woodman of America. In 1895, the Hiattville MWofA had over 100 members.
The Ancient Order of United Workmen #182 had similar goals. It provided for families if the bread-winner became disabled or died.
Hiattville also had Lodge #462 for the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. This group focused on friendship and charitable aid.
Hiattville Lodge No. 216, Ancient Free & Accepted Masons was chartered on February 19, 1908. It focused on brotherhood, moral character, and charity. The Order of Eastern Star was associated with it and allowed women to participate in similar ceremonies and events.
One of the most interesting groups, although likely not a secret society, is the Anti-Horse Theft Association. It required membership dues and a pledge to assist when any member’s property was stolen. The group would circulate information about the theft to other nearby groups. They also created posses to pursue thieves.
Another group of interest was the Good Templar Lodge, alternately called the Independent Order of Good Templars. Although a social group, its goals were to get people to completely abstain from alcohol and illicit drugs. Thus, they actively held lectures and events in support of temperance.
The Home Builders Lodge No. 36 was located in Hiattville. The elected roles of the lodge included master builder, vice-builder, architect, and banker.
Additional clubs existed for a variety of topics. Some of them included the following. The ladies had a sewing society. A poultry club met in town. In 1888, the Tippecanoe Club met. And, in 1922 the Homemaker’s Club, which was really the Women’s Auxiliary of the Farmer’s Institute, was quite active.
Events
Politics
Almost as soon as Hiattville was a town, it became a political hub. Conventions, the selection of delegates, and other activities started as early and August 17, 1874. Local men ran for positions at various levels of government. Years later Dad would be elected to the Pawnee Township Board, which serves Hiattville. When he went to work for the state, he was no longer eligible to hold the position. At that point, Mom moved into the role.
The Fair
1915 brought the fair to Hiattville. The three day event was held at new fair grounds one-half mile west of Hiattville. The event included competition for best livestock, fruit, vegetables, knitting, embroidery, etc. Various races were also held including running races and mule races. It also featured a football game between the Hiattville boys and the Walnut boys. The MK&T was even convinced to add stops to accommodate the fair crowd.
The fair was arranged by the Fair Association, which had 60 stockholders, including Clate Farmer and Loran Potter, Grandma Nellie (Peelle) McCracken’s cousins. Ray and John Harnett, Grandma’s first cousins once removed, were also stockholders.
The following year the Hiattville Farmers Institute had 300 people for an event that sounded similar to a fair, but only including judging of food, livestock, etc. without the other events.
Music & Dance
Hiattville was a hub of musical activity. The town had a cornet band and later another band, which may have been associated with the high school. They played at various events in Hiattville and surrounding towns. In addition, bands from other towns came to Hiattville to play.
The lodges, Hiattville Dancing Club, and other groups held balls, dances, and parties. They even held parties for “old maids” looking to find love or at least a date.
Sports
Hiattville had both baseball and football teams. Some of the teams seemed to be made up of young local men while others seemed to be associated with Hiattville High School. The baseball club was formed as early as 1889. Some of the teams Hiattville played against included: Hepler, Tubtown, Girard, Ft. Scott, and Arcadia. When the baseball team played Tubtown, the home team was known as the Hiattville Rooters. It seems that would be the name for the booster club instead of the team.
One game that gained a lot of interest was when the town’s businessmen played baseball against Hiattville High School. The game was quite lopsided. However, it kept the audience engaged throughout. Yes, the high school boys won.
Literary
For those not into music or sports, intellectual groups sprung up. The first known debate society in Hiattville was organized in December 1876. By 1879, there were literary societies at Hiattville and also at Mt. Hope School only a mile or so south of Hiattville.
Quick Notes on other events
The following other events also occurred in Hiattville
- The first Homecoming event didn’t occur until the first Sunday in August in 1933.
- Multiple ice cream festivals or ice cream socials were held. The earliest I noted was in 1889.
- In 1913 a merry-go-round came to town and was located across the street from Yager’s for two weeks.
- In 1888, they held a shooting competition.
- Various entertainers or shows came to town for multiple days at a time.
Newspapers
NewspapersWith societies, events, and activities in the area, a newspaper was of the upmost necessity. A local paper could tell of happenings that newspapers in a distant location might not publish. And, Hiattville seemed to have plenty of happenings.
Hiattville Happenings
Hiattville wasn’t always a quiet small boring town. It was the site of robberies, altercations, and plenty of court cases. Matter of fact, at one time there were so many court cases that people were saying that they might need to build their own courthouse instead of having to go to Ft. Scott.
Marital Troubles
The court cases consisted of business transactions where someone didn’t pay or there was a misunderstanding of terms. More interesting, perhaps, were some of the personal cases.
In one case, one of the leading businessmen in town was accused of causing alienation of affection of his wife. That had to be big news in a small town.
In another case, a couple who did not live at Hiattville, were having martial difficulty. The woman left and went to stay with a friend at Hiattville. The man found her and insisted that the woman that she was living with was in fact a man. In that case, they finally had a doctor and two women examine the woman and testify that she was indeed a woman. This would be a lot more complicated today.
Physical Altercations
For unknown reasons, fist fights seemed to break out. At least one occurred in one of the general stores. However, the most intriguing one occurred after a baptism. I am not sure what it was about.
At least two shootings occurred near Hiattville. One of them was the result of trouble within a family. The other shooting was a young man’s affection for a young lady. Read more about the latter here.
Thieves
In 1923, thieves stole liberty bonds, silver and cash from two businesses in town. The same night similar break-ins occurred in Garland. It was believed that it was someone who was familiar with the places of business as they knew where the safes were and had no trouble accessing them. The thieves appeared to have a key to one of the businesses in Garland. In the other cases, a window near the door knob was broken or a door panel in the same location was cut out.
Previously, in 1919, thieves with two large vehicles stole around $1,500 worth of goods from A. M. Routh’s store. The stolen items included 50 to 60 pairs of shoes, 45 yards of silk, dress goods, two dozen pair of overalls, hosiery, underwear, work trousers, gloves, and 8 Ford tires.
Temperance & More
A group in Hiattville decided to take temperance and other laws into their own hands. Multiple well-respected businessmen in town were arrested for selling alcohol. The group, however, didn’t just enforce alcohol laws, they also enforced laws that prohibited playing of cards, baseball, and other games on Sunday. And, of course, gambling was prohibited on any day of the week. You can imagine that strict enforcement caused quite a ruckus.
The Hiattville Weekly Optic
Hiattville’s first newspaper was the The Hiattville Weekly Optic. It debuted in 1892. However, it had a short run with the last known issue the following May. It generally ran four pages, contained local notes, stories from out of the area, and ran ads for businesses with most being located in Hiattville or Ft. Scott.
In addition, the Optic, as it was generally called, did printing for other businesses. The short run of the Optic was likely due to the founder H. E. Bird’s move to Coffeyville, Kansas at the end of 1892.
The Hiattville News
Then in February 1908, the Hiattville News was established. It lasted one year with the last issue printed February 25, 1910. The newspaper carried a bit of local news, but mostly focused on other information. It ended because the company making it decided having a bit of local flare in a separately branded newspaper was not worth the costs involved.
Sadly, these newspapers were short-lived. Had they survived for an extended period, it would have enhanced our view of life in Hiattville during this period.
Afterward
This is only a small piece of what I have learned about Hiattville and much more research remains to be done. At a later date, I plan to write more about other businesses and activities in Hiattville, along with the various events that led to it decreasing in population. I am also working on determining where businesses and key homes were located.
While researching for this article I found a newspaper mention of Wm. Peale buying I. P. Routh’s home and his stock of goods. Although the name is spelled incorrectly, it would seem to refer to William J. Peelle. I could not substantiate this claim. The family did move out of the “big house” around this time. However, I never saw anything to substantiate this claim. I did find an article a couple of years later where I. P. sold his stock. It is possible that the deal fell through or that it was simply a rumor that wasn’t true.
While doing this research, I also uncovered more fires, but none of them did major damage to the town.
Advertisements are from the Hiattville newspapers mentioned herein and were obtained via newspapers.com.
#Prompt: Urban, Rural
#52ancestors52weeks