Cowley County Historical Society Museum

                       [First Service handled Sheep. He then became a cattleman.]
J. H. Service, Dexter...
[COUNTY CONVENTION.]
Winfield Courier, August 17, 1876. Editorial Page.
Dexter: Delegates, J. D. Maurer, T. R. Bryan, Jno. Wallace, and G. P. Wagner. Alternates, W. W. Underwood, J. H. Service, T. A. Creager, and O. P. Darst.
J. H. Service road...
Arkansas City Traveler, April 19, 1876. Front Page.
Full Report of All the Business Transacted by the Board of County Commissioners Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, April 10, 11, and 12.
Board met in regular session. Present, R. F. Burden, W. M. Sleeth, Commissioners; A. J. Pyburn, County Attorney, and M. G. Troup, County Clerk. Journal of last regular session read and adopted.
Report of viewers on J. H. Service County road approved; and there being no legal objections thereto, and being satisfied that said road is practicable, the same is hereby ordered opened, recorded, and platted.
Service and Darts [J. H. Service]...
[COMMUNICATION FROM “H. S.”—DEXTER.]
Arkansas City Traveler, May 3, 1876.
                                                    DEXTER, April 27, 1876.
Service and Darts have bought the Dexter mills, and those who have been fasting so long, on account of not getting their grists ground, have assumed more cheerful countenances. When such substantial businessmen as Service & Darst take hold of such an enterprise, we have room to rejoice. They will commence grinding on Monday. Come on, farmers; you needn’t be afraid of losing your sacks now.
Arkansas City Traveler, November 29, 1876.
                                                                DEXTER.
One week from last Monday the boiler in Service & Dart’s mill cracked, but no accident resulted to the employees. Mr. Graham, the village blacksmith, repaired it, and the mill is running again, and doing a good trade.
[NEWS FROM DEXTER CORRESPONDENT: “NASBY.”]
Winfield Courier, February 22, 1877.
                                               From Dexter. February 15, 1877.
The town and county is in a prospering condition. Business good.
The mill has changed hands, Messrs. Service and Darst having sold out to a Mr. Stump and Co. We hope by the change to see improvements in that line.
J. H. Service...
Winfield Courier, July 12, 1877.
                                            County Commissioners’ Proceedings.
                                              Witness Fee: J. H. Service, $9.20.
J. H. Service...
Winfield Courier, July 26, 1877.

MARRIED. J. H. Service, of Dexter, has married a daughter of R. R. Turner’s and moved to the vicinity of Cedarvale. Mr. Service is one of Cowley’s best citizens.
Service (?) and Merydith...
Winfield Courier, December 6, 1877.
ITEMS FROM DEXTER.
Messrs. Service and Merydith have started their threshing machine again. They have about 2,000 bushels to thresh.
J. H. Service...
[REPUBLICAN CONVENTION.]
Winfield Courier, September 11, 1879.
Committee on credentials reported the following named delegates entitled to vote in this convention; which report was adopted.
Otter: James Shaffer, J. H. Service.
[THE WOOL GROWERS’ ASSOCIATION.]
Winfield Courier, January 13, 1881.
At an adjourned meeting of the Cowley Co. Wool Growers’ Association, held at Winfield January 8th, 1881, the following business was transacted.
Mr. Service being temporary chairman, secretary’s report of last meeting was read and adopted.
Names of members read and fourteen others added.
The following officers were elected by ballot for the ensuing year.
President: N. L. Rigby.
First Vice President: S. P. Strong.
Second Vice President: John Stalter.
Recording Secretary: A. D. Crowell.
Corresponding Secretary: S. C. Smith.
Treasurer: A. H. Doane.
Messrs. Smith, Silliman, and Chafey were appointed by the chair to act as a committee to select one from each township in the county to act as an executive committee.
Winfield Courier, February 17, 1881.
J. H. Service lost about forty head of sheep during the late storm.
Cowley County Courant, December 22, 1881.
An important sheep deal has just been completed, James Service having sold his flock of one thousand to J. H. Saunders, the price paid being about three dollars per head. Henry had already nearly as many more, and with these can come out as one of Cowley’s heavy sheep men.
Winfield Courier, December 22, 1881.
James Service sold his flock of one thousand sheep to J. H. Saunders, of Tisdale Township, last week. The price was $3.00 per head. J. H. is getting to be a big sheep man.
J. H. Service starts handling cattle instead of sheep...
[CEDAR CREEK CORRESPONDENT: NAME NOT GIVEN.]
Winfield Courier, February 15, 1883.

Mr. Montgomery, who is feeding cattle on the J. H. Service place, is using up the most of the surplus corn in these parts. He is feeding 250 head, and they are looking fine.
Winfield Courier, Thursday, February 5, 1885.
             THE PROCEEDINGS IN DETAIL OF THE FARMERS’ INSTITUTE
                                     HELD IN WINFIELD ON JAN. 29 & 30.
The full township committee was made up as follows.
                                         From Cedar Township: J. H. Service.
                                         A PERMANENT ORGANIZATION.
                 A Number of Enterprising Farmers Meet at the Courier Office and
                     Permanently Organize the Cowley County Farmers’ Institute.
Winfield Courier, Thursday, February 19, 1885.
Cowley’s Farmer’s Institute is now a permanency. A good number of our wide-awake farmers met at the COURIER office Saturday last with Mr. J. S. Baker, of Tisdale, in the chair and Mr. F. A. A. Williams, of Winfield, Secretary.
Dr. C. Perry, chairman of the committee on organization, submitted a plan of organization, which was discussed and adopted as follows.
WHEREAS, Everyone engaged in the business of agriculture can be benefitted by having at command the combined experiences of practical men engaged in said business, and more particularly so where the peculiarities of climate and soil have to be learned before successful results can be obtained; and
WHEREAS, That if a proper spirit of emulation can be excited among us the result will be that the standing of the agricultural profession will be raised in the estimation of the whole community in this region and that values of agricultural property will be greatly enhanced.
Therefore, we, the undersigned farmers in Cowley County, do hereby organize ourselves into an association to be called The Farmers Institute of Cowley County, Kansas.
The objects of this association will be to hold regular meetings for the discussion of agricultural topics and the dissemination of facts, which shall tend to produce the results before stated.
Anyone interested in the cultivation of the soil or the raising of livestock can become a member of this association by the annual payment of the sum of fifty cents.
The officers of this Association shall be a President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer, who shall be elected annually and who shall perform the duties usually required of such officers.
There shall be a Board of Directors, which shall be composed of the aforesaid officers, ex-officio and one member in each township, who shall take in charge the interests of the Association, each in his respective township, and to have for a part of his duty the organization of a local Farmers Club auxiliary to this Association. The before named Board of Directors to have the complete management of the affairs of this Association.
The officers of the Association shall be the officers of the Board who, with two directors shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.
There shall be an annual meeting of this society continuing two or more days for the election of officers and for the discussion of agricultural topics in accordance with a program arranged by said Board of Directors, and there shall also be such other meetings as the Board of Directors shall call.

Any other rules and regulations can be added to these articles of association by a majority vote of members present at the annual meeting.
After the adoption of the plan of organization, the following members were enrolled, and paid their admission fee.
G. L. Gale, M. H. Markum, R. J. Yeoman, J. S. Baker, J. F. Martin, F. W. McClellan, W. E. Meredith, F. H. Burton, Dr. C. Perry, R. T. Thirsk, A. H. Broadwell, D. C. Stevens, H. McKibben, S. P. Strong, and F. A. A. Williams.
The officers of the Institute were selected as follows.
Mr. S. P. Strong, of Rock township, President; Mr. F. W. McClellan, of Walnut, Vice President; Mr. F. A. A. Williams, of Winfield, Secretary; Mr. M. H. Markum, of Pleasant Valley, Treasurer.
The following board of township directors was elected, conditioned on their becoming members of the organization.
Bolton, Amos Walton; Beaver, F. H. Burton; Vernon, R. J. Yeoman; Ninnescah, L. Stout; Rock, E. J. Wilber; Fairview, T. S. Green; Walnut, R. T. Thirsk; Pleasant Valley, A. H. Broadwell; Silverdale, George Green; Tisdale, J. S. Baker; Winfield, Dr. Perry; Liberty, J. C. McCoy; Richland, D. C. Stevens; Omnia, W. R. Stolp; Silver Creek, John Stout; Harvey, R. S. Strother; Windsor, Samuel Fall; Dexter, W. E. Meredith; Cedar, J. H. Service; Otter, Mr. Mills; Sheridan, J. R. Smith; Maple, Mr. Fitzsimmons, Creswell, Ed. Green; Spring Creek, H. S. Libby.
On motion, M. H. Markum, F. W. McClellan, and Dr. C. Perry were appointed a committee on plan of work.
Jas. F. Martin was elected honorary vice president of the Institute by a unanimous rising vote.
J. H. Service, director, Dexter Building and Improvement Association...
DEXTER TO BOOM.
Winfield Courier, Thursday, June 25, 1885.
Dexter is wide-awake and looking forward to a season of unexampled prosperity. Her people have determined that her boom shall not die for want of harmonious effort. A number of her citizens have formed the Dexter Building and Improvement Association with a capital stock of $100,000. A board of nine directors were elected to serve for the first year. They are: J. V. Hines. W. E. Merydith, R. Hite, W. G. Seaver, G. F. Wagner, J. W. Oliver, J. H. Service, A. S. Gray, and C. A. Peabody. They elected the following officers: President, W. E. Merydith; Vice-President, A. S. Gray; Secretary, W. G. Seaver; Treasurer, C. A. Peabody; Solicitor. J. V. Hines. A constitution and code of by-laws were adopted and a charter drawn up and forwarded to the Secretary of State. A meeting will be held at A. O. U. W. hall in Dexter on Friday evening, June 26th, for the subscription of stock. The association think they will be able to begin building operations by July 5th.