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.

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      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.

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      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.
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