Seeley

                                                       Ninnescah Township.
                                             [Town previously called “Hall.”]
From Volume I, History of Cowley County, Kansas.
“Seeley. The post office opened March 4, 1880, with James W. Hall as postmaster. The town name previously had been Hall. The office remained open until May 31, 1911.”
                                               FROM THE NEWSPAPERS.
[HALL, NINNESCAH TOWNSHIP, CORRESPONDENT: “CITIZEN.”]
Winfield Courier, February 12, 1880.
Hall “boometh” in spite of its youth.
We were aroused on Wednesday of last week by the sweeping down through the city limits of a gentle zephyr from the north, bringing with it the horrors of a prairie fire, which called out all available force to fight it and save our little city, which is built in tall grass. The section men with their shovels, the station agent and operator with pen and message in hand, the merchant and the retiring proprietor of the farm on which we are located, all came nobly to the defense, and stayed the hand of the fell destroyer without the loss of a single man. “The colored troops fought nobly.”
Mr. J. W. Peabody, having sold his farm to the A. T. & S. F. R. R. Co., is making preparations to leave us. We regret much to lose so good a citizen. Mr. Peabody is an honest, upright, straightforward man. The good old republican party of this township loses its main prop by his exit. In his new home we hope he and his most excellent family may live long and prosper.
James W. Hall, for whom our town is named, received his post-office commission last week, and will have his office open for the reception of mail matters in a day or two.
James W. Hall, for whom our town is named, received his post-office commission last week, and will have his office open for the reception of mail matters in a day or two.
Mr. Hall has also brought on a stock of groceries and provisions, of which he keeps a full line, and is building up an extensive little trade.
The Hollister Brothers of this township shipped a car load of cattle and a car load of hogs on Tuesday last, which was quite encouraging to the station agent.
Hall and vicinity supports quite an interesting literary society, known as “Crooked Creek Lyceum.”
The library association of this place is making preparations to give an entertainment, the proceeds of which will be used for the purchase of more books.
Mr. F. D. Davis has sold his farm adjoining our town site to a Mr. Jones, from Iowa, and gives possession in a few weeks.
Mr. Jackson, our station agent, has purchased lumber to build thirteen large corn pens, with a view to buying up corn, as he expects to engage extensively in the hog business.
Dr. Rothrock and lady, of Winfield, spent Saturday and Sunday with Mr. J. W. Peabody and family.
B. J. Downing, of Winfield, gave our little city a friendly call on Wednesday last.
Mr. D. A. Millington, of the COURIER, passed through this place on Saturday, en route for New Mexico.

As our little city grows and business increases, we will write again. CITIZEN.
Feb. 9th, 1880.
[HALL, NINNESCAH TOWNSHIP, CORRESPONDENT: NAME NOT GIVEN.]
Winfield Courier, February 26, 1880.
At a meeting of the council last week, it was decided by a unanimous vote of the board not to admit any saloons to our peaceful little city.
Public necessity demands a bridge over the Walnut river at Morton & Picket’s mills. Said mills are now ready for grinding both wheat and corn.
Mr. Reader is erecting a large blacksmith and wagon shop on Johnson’s addition.
Mr. Henry Ireton is excavating the cellar for a business block on the same addition.
Mr. James Hollister, of this township, recently gained ten pounds in one day. It was a boy.
Mr. R. F. Kimbrough of Goldore, took in this city Friday last. He declares “all bets off.”
Mr. and Mrs. H. C. Martin, of Cowley, were in the city Sunday last, the guests of Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Hall.
Mr. James Rothrock, of Winfield Township, gave our town a friendly call on Sunday.
MARRIED: At the residence of D. W. Pierce, on Sunday last, by Squire G. L. Cole, Mr. Sherman Thompson and Miss Maggie Seehorn, all of this township.
SEELEY.
Next item is the first reference that I found showing “Seeley” rather than “Hall.”
Arkansas City Traveler, August 11, 1880.
An accident occurred to Mr. M. L. Lee while coupling cars at Seeley Station, on the A., T. & S. F. road, last Monday evening, resulting in his left leg being badly bruised. The injured man was brought to this city and taken to his boarding house, where he is doing as well as can be expected.
Winfield Courier, August 19, 1880.
M. L. Lee got a leg broken at Seeley, while switching cars last week.
Winfield Courier, September 9, 1880.
Judge Coldwell thinks it terribly mean for Hackney or anyone else to write to Texas inquiring about the standing of the Judge in his old “stamping ground,” but Hackney does not seem to feel any alarm when anyone writes to Illinois for his record. All his old Illinois acquaintances seem to feel just as John Adams does. Hear him.
                       (MAPLE TOWNSHIP, Cowley Co., Kansas, Sept. 6th, 1880. )
EDS. COURIER: On last Friday two men called at my home in my absence, and inquired for me, saying that they had learned that I was from Logan County, Illinois, and knew W. P. Hackney, and that they wanted to get an affidavit from me as to the bad character of Mr. Hackney in Illinois. They left leaving word for me to go down to Seeley, and they would leave an affidavit for me to sign, there. Now I will inform those gentry that I knew Mr. Hackney well at his old home in Illinois, and that if these gentlemen stood half as well in Kansas as he does in Illinois, they would be in better business than they are. I will support Mr. Hackney for the State Senate, as will all his old acquain­tances from Illinois, the slime of the mud-slingers to the contrary notwithstanding. JOHN ADAMS.
Winfield Courier, September 16, 1880.

Capt. A. D. Lee has finally decided to go to Seeley, Cowley County, and open up a store there, taking with him his stock of goods he purchased here. We wish him success.
Douglass Index.
Winfield Courier, September 23, 1880.
Capt. A. D. Lee is buying wheat and selling goods at Seeley.
Winfield Courier, November 4, 1880.
Mr. Jones, on the D. Davis place, near Seeley, lost his house and contents by fire last Friday morning about four o’clock. The fire was not discovered until it got such headway that very little of its contents could be saved.
Arkansas City Traveler, December 1, 1880.
Last Wednesday morning J. E. Miller, the genial Santa Fe conductor, met with a rather severe accident while coupling cars at Seeley, crushing two fingers on his right hand. They were running an early stock train, and thinking to facilitate matters, he stepped between the cars for the above purpose, with the result stated. It was at first feared that he would lose the injured members, but fortunately such a course will not be  necessary.
Winfield Courier, December 23, 1880.
Captain Lee has sold out his store at Seeley.
[THE MONITOR’S LOCALS.]
Winfield Courier, December 23, 1880.
A. D. Lee, of Seeley, has sold his entire stock of goods and real estate to George W. Maxfield, late of Indiana, who will continue the business. Mr. Maxfield came splendidly recommended. He has had many years’ experience as a merchant, both in the store and on the road, and he will make a valuable acquisition to the merchants of Cowley County.
Winfield Courier, January 13, 1881.
Geo. Maxfield is the gentleman who bought out the store of A. D. Lee at Seeley.
[UDALL, NINNESCAH TOWNSHIP, CORRESPONDENT: “C. A. P.”]
Winfield Courier, January 27, 1881.
Napier & Dale, of this place, have several lots of hogs to ship which they will have to take to Seeley to ship. The majori­ty of the shipping business of Seeley goes from men who are much nearer to Udall, but have no shipping facilities. It is a wonder that men doing business could make such mistakes as have been made in the locating of depots in this country; that is, if they take the interests of the people into consideration.
[THE MONITOR’S LOCALS.]
Winfield Courier, January 27, 1881.
Last Saturday was an unusually bad day for Winfield. Many men appeared to think it was the last day that a drink of whiskey could ever be procured; and in consequence, those drank who never drank before, and those who were in the habit of drinking, drank the more. The natural result was, lots of fellows got full. One would naturally, under such circumstances, have anticipated many accidents, but there was, as far as we know, but one serious one, and that was to George McIntire, who lives on the farm of his mother-in-law near Seeley.

George got blind drunk and started home about six o’clock Saturday evening: he started his horses on a dead run and instead of taking the road south, to cross the west bridge, the team made for what was the Bliss bridge, that being their old familiar road. In making the turn McIntire was thrown out without injuring himself. The team ran madly down the blind road and plunged down from the abutment fully twenty-five feet to the ice below; one horse fell on top of the other. The horse under­neath had his leg broken and laid on the ice and suffered for upwards of twenty hours before he was killed. The other horse loosened himself from the harness and went home. The wagon made a complete somersault. A man saw the team go over and he rushed uptown for Dr. Graham, taking it for granted there was a dead man down on the ice. The doctor came, the man was found, taken into the office of Bliss & Wood, and our worthy coroner reported the man dead-drunk. The horse, the nobler animal of the two, suf­fered and was killed, while the man still lives. The ways of Providence are indeed inscrutable and past finding out.
Winfield Courier, February 3, 1881.
Among our visitors and paying subscribers who called last week: J. A. Hood of Seeley.
Winfield Courier, March 24, 1881.
District No. 13, at Seeley, want a $1,200 schoolhouse built and desire bids for the erecting thereof.
Winfield Courier, May 26, 1881.
Maxwell and Doty, of Seeley, got into a row between them­selves, and their differences were brought before Judge Gans, who appointed J. L. Horning receiver, and the goods were on Monday removed to Winfield, and will be disposed of there. It would pay parties to adjust their little differences between themselves.
[UDALL, NINNESCAH TOWNSHIP, CORRESPONDENT: “LADY CLACK.”]
Winfield Courier, June 16, 1881.
There is talk of a cross railroad at Seeley, and we hope it will come to Udall.
[FLORAL CYCLONE: “SPECIAL REPORTER.”]
Winfield Courier, June 16, 1881.
Last Sunday evening at about 5 o’clock when all the southern part of the heavens was clear, the citizens of Winfield observed that a fresh strong wind from the south had suddenly started up. This directed their attention to the northwest where were gathering clouds in great agitation. Soon these clouds assumed form and in close proximity to Seeley, seven miles to the north­west, the clouds sagged downward like a great hopper and from the lower extremity hung down first a rope looking form, which writhed sinuously and expanded rapidly, assuming much the appear­ance of an elephant’s trunk.
This writhing trunk was whirling rapidly in the direction opposite to that of the movements of a watch face up, and moved slowly in an E. N. E. direction toward Floral. Our citizens watched it for a full half hour, the trunk sometimes reaching down to the earth and sometimes rising, but always in intense rotation and gyration.
[SALT CITY CORRESPONDENT: “GEUDA.”]
Arkansas City Traveler, August 10, 1881.
The following is a list of the visitors at the Geuda Springs Bath House for the week ending August 7, 1881:
A. A. Jackson and family, Seeley.
Winfield Courier, November 3, 1881.

SEELEY, KAS, Oct. 29, 1881. We, the veterans and old soldiers of the late war, met at Seeley for the purpose of organizing a company to attend the Regimental Drill at Winfield Nov. 12th, 1881. The following officers were elected: Captain, A. A. Jackson; 1st Lieutenant, H. H. Martin; 2nd Lieutenant, G. S. Cole; 1st Sergeant, D. W. Pierce; 2nd Sergeant, Jeff Hammond; 3rd Sergeant, Henry Reidell; 4th Sergeant, H. H. Crick; 5th Sergeant, Jacob Wolgamott; 1st Corporal, J. A. Hood; 2nd Corporal, Will Ratliff; 3rd Corporal, L. B. Goodrich; 4th Corporal, Jim Hubbard; 5th Corporal, J. H. Roach.
A meeting was appointed for Saturday, Nov. 5th, at 2 o’clock p.m.; all the veterans in the township are cordially pressed to be present. WM. SENSENEY, Clerk.
[NORTH FAIRVIEW TOWNSHIP CORRESPONDENT: “LASSES TAFFY.”]
Cowley County Courant, December 1, 1881.
Miss Fannie McKinley, of Seeley, is instructing the urchins of Darien school, district 25.
[NINNESCAH TOWNSHIP CORRESPONDENT: “P. J.”]
Winfield Courier, November 24, 1881.
Mr. Albert Brookshire is expounder of truths at the Blue schoolhouse and wields the birch so heartily that it is rumored that several of his large scholars (mostly young ladies) have turned their footsteps to the schoolhouse at Seeley over which Mrs. L. C. Turner presides with a gentle dignity and grace that wins the hearts of all her pupils.
Winfield Courier, December 22, 1881.
The new schoolhouse in Seeley is a model building, large, convenient, and well arranged. It is well filled with pupils, a most important factor in a good school.
[SEELEY, NINNESCAH TOWNSHIP, CORRESPONDENT: “MINNIE MENTOR.”]
Winfield Courier, January 5, 1882.
EDS. COURIER: As J. P. has decided to retire from journalistic effort, I will take the vacant post, that is if you will accept me.
Christmas at Seeley was celebrated by a Christmas tree, or trees, well filled with choice and elegant gifts. All seemed to enjoy themselves hugely. The music and recitations were good, comic song also, and of all the vast assembly but few were forgotten, and their disappointment was forgotten in the joys of others. Many were the jokes indulged in, but all were of a nature that none were offended.
Church and Sabbath school every Sabbath, at the Seeley schoolhouse at 10 p.m., all are invited to attend.
Messrs. Hall and James have opened a store at Seeley, where they will be pleased to see their many friends.
The scholars of district No. 27 have had a holiday for the week just past, but today have returned to books.
During the past week the M. E. Brethren have been holding a revival at Ninnescah schoolhouse with great success.
Many have said that though 1881 was spent in sin, 1882 shall be spent in the service of the Lord.
The watch meeting here was largely attended on New Year’s eve. New Year’s night the house was packed, scarcely standing room for many.

I wish to compliment you on your success in securing so spicy a correspondent in Western Ninnescah as Lady Madge; long may she live and often may she wield her pen for the edification of your many readers.
I agree with you that envy, malice, tattling, hypocrisy, and all mischief making should not only be avoided, but should be rooted out of the heart, and the only way this can be done is by the help of God, who is ever ready to help us poor, weak mortals to come off more than conqueror over sin. MINNIE MENTOR. January 1st, 1882.
Winfield Courier, January 5, 1882.
The following is the report of the standing of scholars of Seeley School, District 31, for the month of December.
In the “A” class: Fred Lehrmann stood 100 in three branches; Bert Copple 100 in four branches; Reuben Crick 100 in five branches; Lillie Perrin, 100 in two branches; Lola  Whitman and Benton Cunningham 100 in one branch.
In the “B” class: Bert Crick and Louise Lehrmann stood 100 in one branch; Isaac Senseney, Florence Barnes, and Leona Cunningham stood ninety in one branch.
The number of pupils enrolled during the month of December, 41; averaged daily attendance 36; No. Of visits from patrons of school 9. L. C. TURNER, Teacher.
[TEACHERS DIRECTORY: 1881-1882.]
Winfield Courier, January 12, 1882.
Seeley. Mrs. Lizzie Turner, District 13, $37.50 monthly salary; L. McKinley, District 91, $37.50 monthly salary; Nannie McKinley, District 25, $30.00 monthly salary.
Winfield Courier, January 19, 1882.
SEELEY, KANSAS, January 13, 1882. The Crooked Creek Library Association held their third annual meeting January 4th. House called to order by the Secretary, Mr. D. W. Pierce, chosen Chairman pro tem. Treasurer’s report read and adopted, and Librarian’s report read and approved.
Officers elected for the coming year: Mr. D. W. Pierce, President; Mr. George S. Cole, Vice President; Bert Copple, Secretary; Mr. S. A. Hood, Treasurer; Mrs. J. N. Hood, Librarian; Mr. Geo. B. Cole, P. J. Copple, and Jacob Hopkins, Library Committee; and Albert Pierce, L. H. Senseny, and Mr. T. Thompson, Trustees.
Adjourned to meet the first Wednesday after the first Monday in April.
BERT COPPLE, Secretary.
Winfield Courier, January 19, 1882.
FARM FOR SALE. 160 acres, 60 acres broke, good story and a half house, frame, of three rooms, plenty of fruit, peaches, apple, and cherry trees bearing, three wells of water. Farm situated about 2 miles South West of Seeley Station on A. T. & S. F. R. R., soil equal to any bottom land, price $1,000, $700 down and $300 on 2 years time. Enquire or address Ira L. McCommon, Winfield, Cowley County, Kansas.
[Note: I quit coverage on Seeley after last item. MAW]