John Strain

                       [Member of Emporia Group Which Started Arkansas City.]
Strain does not appear in the February, 1870, county census.
Winfield Courier, Thursday, January 6, 1876.
On January 1st, 1870, T. A. Wilkinson, John Brown, G. H. Norton, and John Strain staked out and claimed the four claims upon which Arkansas City now stands, as the location of the new town. H. B. Norton took a claim adjoining the town site on the north, H. D. Kellogg took a claim south of the town site.
Above item by COURIER has mistakes. Correct rendition follows...
On January 1, 1870, T. A. Wilkinson, John Brown, Capt. Gould Hyde Norton, John Strain, and Silas A. Moore staked out their claim and laid the rude log foundations of the town they then called “Delphi.” Professor Henry Brace Norton took a claim adjoining the townsite on the north, and Hiram D. Kellogg took a claim south of the townsite.
When this party arrived at the mouth of the Walnut, they found the bottom and timber claims taken by H. Endicott and his son, Pad, and G. Harmon, Ed Chapin, Pat Somers, Mr. Carr, Mr. Hughes, and one or two others.
C. R. Sipes put in a stock of hardware and tinware in April or May 1870. Mr. Sipes came from El Dorado. He bought John Strain’s claim.
Arkansas City Traveler, August 27, 1879.
We received a pleasant call from Mr. John Strain, of Empo­ria, last Saturday. Mr. Strain was one of the original town company of Arkansas City, but sold his shares to C. R. Sipes, and for the past eight years has been farming at his present home, some three miles from Emporia. He still owns a number of lots in this city, however, and the coming of the railroad caused him to pay us a visit in order to look up his interests at this place.
Arkansas City Republican, October 4, 1884.
John Strain came down from Emporia Monday to pay a visit to his former home. When Mr. Strain first came into Cowley County, but two log huts stood on the site of Winfield. He helped to erect the first hut built in Arkansas City. Mr. Strain lived here a number of years and then moved up near Emporia, where he now resides.