SAFFORDVILLE'SINTERESTING

CAREER

ThetownofSaffordvill.ewasonceavastplainwithbuffaloes roamingabout.Intheyear·of

1871,

thegradingfortheSantaFe .Railroadwascompleted,andsteelforitwas·laidin

1872.

Asmalldepotwasthenbuilt~andthefirstJigentwasMr.Pents.Thesecond trackwaslaidin

1897,

a~ditranfromEmporiatoNewton.Thethird trackwaseomp18ted.in

1926.

Therailroadran·alongthenorthern bound-ary

c:t'

tue

own,

thenuninhabited.Thepl&eewber9·thetownnowstandsvmsafortyacrepieceof landjointly

owned

bythreemen--CourtWright

whoownedhalf,andBlasdaleandScott,whoownedone-fourtheach,thoughnowitwas definitelydivided.Scottwasadrunkard,andthelastpartofhislifehewasn'teversober.Wheneveranyonetriedtobuythelots,he wouldneversignhisname;andWithoutsignature,thedeedswere' nogood.Afterseveralyears,BenScottdied;andasitwasnotsup- posedthathehadanyheirs,tholotsweresold.Theownerssecured deeds,andhousesbegantobebuilt.LateritwasdiscoveredthatBen Scotthadabrotherwhohadafamily;thusallthedeedsweroworth-. less.Afterseveraltrials,thecasewassottludatCottonwoodFalls. ThefirstnameofthetownwasSafford,namedafterJudgeSafford supremejudgeofthedistrictcourtofKansas,vmohaddoneanotable actpertainingtotheHomesteadAct.Themailbecamemixedwiththe mailforStafford;sothoname

was

changedtoKanyonatameetingof thosottlers.ThistimethemailwasmixedwiththemailforCanyon Ci

'ty,

CoLo

r-ado,

and

t.he

namc,Safford,wasagai.nused.Agroupof railroodpaintersPQintelithenameSaffordvilleonthedepot.The mailcumeaddressedtoSaffordvillo,andthatnmnehasbeenretained. NorthofthE:presontlocationofthe.implementstoreWc.snsmall throe

cor-ne

rodpLccoofLandwhich

vase

deodedto

t.ho

publicfor

park.Thetrusteeatthattimeassessedthislend,Gndthecountry tookitfortaxes.Asettler,DaveAllen"boughtthislendendInter soldittohe

OrciGRt

Railroadeompany,towhomitstillbelongs. Thegrasshopperinvnsionwosin·theyeGrof

IB7~

aboutthefirst ofSeptember.Thogrnsshoppers

cr'me

inmillionsendworehighinthe air.Thoyweresothickt.hc

thesun

was

hazya

times.Oneofthe settlorsovmedsomoturkeysthc.tworeRlwQyshungryandwould8<.t::..ny- thing.~tfirstthegrasshoppersbegantoalightonaGt

timo. Vfu'Jn<~vGrheturkeyswouldseeono,theywouLda

Ll,

makenrushfor

it,

rnditwr:s

V-lOO

tothegrasshoppers.Thegrr.sshopperscomorr.atend thuturkoyswouldsopnrntoendthanitwas8cchoneforhimself. Finally,theycouldcctnomorcendwereleda\·\h~yithdisgust.Tho grasshoppersdidn'tstaymorethenthreeorfourdays,buttheykillod ovorything.

SomeofthefirstsettlersofSaffordvillewereJoeStone, JoshuaHoffat,DaveJones,RaffeJones,SafJones,JewMurphy,Dee Miller,M.D.LylesandamanbythenameofWinchild.

Therewasadrouthinthefallof1867;andnorainfellfor fourmonths.Allofthecropswerekilled,andlargecrackswere formed'intheground.Ifasmallanimalfellintooneofthese cracks,itwoulddieifnottakenout.Twoorthreehousesburned inthisdrouthperiod.Thewallshad'

dr-i

cdupandnotenoughwater couldbesecurodtoputoutthofires. Thefirststorewasbuiltin1872,andwaslocatedjustwest of,wheretheScribner'sstorenowstands.Threemenbuiltthis' storetorent.Theywere:CourtWright,BlasdaleandBennScott. Noonewouldrentthestore,sothebackpartwaspartitionedof andwasrentedtoasectionhandandhisfamily.

cyclone'de- stroyedthisstorelater.Nooneofthefamilywasinjured,al- though'hiswifeundlittlechildwereinthehousewhenthecyclone struck.Thus,therewasnGveranygoodssoldfromthefirststoro building.ThGnextstorewasestablishedinthefreightroomofthe depot.ThostarsJohnScribn&rnowowns,wasoncelocatedsouthof the

hot.e.l.,

andwas

o.rmovedtoitspresent

Loc

ati.on,Thefirst owner-softhis'storeworo

Al.Lsn

andMills.Allenlator'bought- Millsinterest,Gnlargedthestoreandbuiltthopresenthotel. The'salewasthenmadetoN.B.Scribner;whointurnsoldtohis son,JohnC.Scribner,whostillownsit.In1899theWoolwine brothetsestablishodastore

thespotwhereSlQtor'sstorQnow' stands.WoolwinebrotherssoldouttoSlaterandVmipkeyin1916, andV~ipkQYinturnsoldouttoSInterin1927.Thefirstblack- smithshopwasbuilt

TomJohnsonatthe'sitgwhorQtheSlater storenowstQ.nds.JohnsonsoldtoIngmire,~ndIngmiresoldto Church;ChurchsoldouttoBenJon&s,cndl&terJonessoldto Nevitt,whonowisthepresentblacksmith,TheprGsentstatebank -wasbuiltin1904.Among

hsfirsthouses

<buf.I

t-inSnffordville werethoA.E.Bentley,thoSa.undershouse,RiggonburghOUSGand theShilbuickshouse.Tho'post-officewasestablishedinthedepot andatthattimetheagent,FrankGills,wuspostmaster.Th8 sce

ond

cpostmistress,wc.sMrs.Bails.Sh8wassuccooded

J'oshun', Moffat,andfourthwasB.H.Garth.HowassucceededbyM.D.Lyle., Garthagainbeccmepostmaster.JohnScribner,thepresentpost- master,succeededGartheThefirstruralrout~was0stablishedin 190,5.Thefirstmail

cr.r-r-Lo

rwasJohnHusband.Thepresentma

i.L

cQrrierisArthurSelves. AsthGtowngrew,thenoedfordoctorsbecc:moevident.The firstdoctorinSuffordvillewasMiller.0therdoctorsSafford- villehashadare:Sax;Ravenscrof,Conway,~ndGrubbs.The' prosentdoctorisC.F.Hoovor,whohRSbgenhoresincB'1897.In thatye-ar,