Alexander Tolles

                                                          Cedar Township.
[CEDAR TOWNSHIP CORRESPONDENT: “I GUESS.”]
Winfield Courier, January 10, 1878.
Robert Howe and Alex. Tolles are building 100 rods of stone fence for Donald Jay.
                                                   ALEXANDER TOLLES.
                                          Maple City, Spring Creek Township.
Arkansas City Traveler, May 14, 1879.
The following is a list of new subscribers to the TRAVELER since our last issue:
MAPLE CITY. A. O. Tolles.
                                                    Spring Creek Township.
[REPORT FROM “CHRISTMAS” - SPRING CREEK TOWNSHIP.]
Arkansas City Traveler, June 11, 1879.
MR. EDITOR: I took a flying trip through this township some days ago, and was very much pleased with what I observed. Geographically, this township is centrally located east and west, and is one of the southern tier of townships, bordering on the Indian Territory, bounded on the north by Dexter Township, east by Cedar, and west by Silverdale. It is nine miles north and south and six miles east and west. It is also well watered by such streams as the Grouse, Little Beaver, Spring, Crab, and Skull creeks; well adapted to stock raising and farming.
I made my first appearance in this township near the junc­tion of Skull Creek with Little Beaver, in the southwest corner. Mr. Eaton and A. A. Wiley have fine farms at this point, and are engaged in the stock business largely, as well as all the farmers along the State line. It rather excited my curiosity to know how Skull Creek received its name, and by inquiring I was soon satisfied.
Skull Creek was named by Mr. Alexander Tolles, he being the first to settle on the creek, taking this claim in 1870. One day while traveling across the creek bottom, he observed a skull, supposed to be the skull of an Indian, thereby the name came; what became of the skull I know not, but Tolles still lives here.
Maple City is the post village of this township, and is a thriving little place. It is situated on the headwaters of Skull Creek, 4½ miles north of State line. It is 16 miles east of Arkansas City. It is built on a rise in the prairie, in a good farming community. It contains a good store well filled with a general assortment of goods of all kinds. Mr. J. B. Schofield attends on all occasions, and solicits the patronage of the farming community. There is also a hotel, blacksmith shop, paint shop, and carpenter shop. Dr. N. M. Schofield is the physician of this place, and is also postmaster.
Grouse Creek runs through a small corner of this township in the northwest. Here we found Mr. J. N. Clayton hoeing corn among the stumps. This is the only Grouse Creek farm in the township.