xt77d795b44j https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt77d795b44j/data/mets.xml Kansas Historical Records Survey United States Works Progress Administration. Division of Women's and Professional Projects Kansas Kansas Historical Records Survey United States Works Progress Administration. Division of Women's and Professional Projects 1938 v, 186 l. 27 cm. UK holds archival copy for ASERL Collaborative Federal Depository Program libraries. Call Number: Y 3.W 89/2:43 K 133/no.88 books  English Topeka, Kan.: the Survey  This digital resource may be freely searched and displayed in accordance with U. S. copyright laws. Kansas Works Progress Administration Publications Archives -- Kansas -- Seward County -- Catalogs Genealogy -- Sources -- Kansas -- Seward County Seward County (Kan.) -- Archives Seward County (Kan.) -- History -- Sources Inventory of the County Archives of Kansas. No. 88. Seward County (Liberal), 1938 text Inventory of the County Archives of Kansas. No. 88. Seward County (Liberal), 1938 1938 1938 2021 true xt77d795b44j section xt77d795b44j UNIVERSITV OF KENTU

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INVENTORY OF
THE COUNIY ARCHI V
OF KAZSAS

_ N6. 88
SEWARD COUNTY
(LIBERAL)

HISTORICAL RECO I33 SNDVLY

 

 

 

 

 Jrepared by

Topeka, Kansas

The Historical Lecords Survey
December 1938

 

 m

ho Historical Records Survey

Luther 5 Evans, National Director

Harold hendcrson, State Director

Division of Wbmcn's anl Professional Projects

Ellen S.’Woodwurd, Lssi ‘ Ldninistratcr
hrs. harrison Parkman, A Director

WORKS ‘ROGRESS ADLITISKILTIJ”

Larry L. Hopkins, Admiri trator
n

.1.

s
Clarence G. Nevins, S 0 Administrator

 

 

 

 

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istrapors

 

 PREFACE

The Historical Records Sur1Jey wcs '1‘ :~ . u Fobrus
1956, under the stste directfor 01 I. Q. g . » cc Octoow
956, when it become an indel iendent pa rt 01 Fed; jc ct 1M0 1 has

been under ,he supervision of harold J. Hende erson ‘ state director.

ry

When completed the Inventory of the County Archives
will consist of a separate volume for 0: ch :ounty.
in alphabetical order. Thus, the inventory here.
Seward County is number 88. ilthough a condensco

used, a brief descr'1 ption of the nature, gene rCl conte

dates of all extant records is given, together with t‘
the time of the survey.

The Historic
itncc to county ~
and mode more ‘ ~ ' ’~ mat ri_L1 oeli evcd
liscororei Lnd L county oi1iciols have
greater interest in proper preservurion of
Jettcr storage space. Sincc administrhtion constantly

provide new officials rdth u 1 ’ guide to records
own offices or which may be stored in
supplying the public gene oily 171th
ant public archives of the county.

County the Survey begs 11 October 1,1956, with an inven-
ounty records which was completed December 31, 1957. The

then13 checlzed against the records, which work

was
1 Se eptcmber 19381he Survey was directed by Harold J. Henderson,
with His iuude Whitehousc as s The research work
Lied by1111s. Esther haupin, with Miss Eelcn walker as co—werker
time, and some cssistance by National Youth Administration
_hc editorial rvork “rs pc r ormed under the supervision of
Lerkley.

County officiu1.s were helpful to tve workers throughout tie

irr Survey. 111e janitor suprlied light cs, tables and chairs,

”ided in moving. heavy boxes and books. 'he Survey has attempted to

bring to the attention 0? the county officials the importance of the

' p‘cscrvat ion aid housing of county records, and their accessibility
public. t is to be hOI}€d th at the cfiicials rill take full

of the work by a proprr reclassification and storage of valuable

_w._.——— ..._'—_._
. ___4__.“7__ ___,‘-__.~_i...—~

 

 tory of

The various units of the lnvc1

'13:; will be issued in mimeogrcph form for
and local public officials and public li
a listed munber 0:" librarias and govcrnm
state. Requests for particular units of
'0 Furold J. llcndchOL, State Director,

'0
.00

(31'

1-1

l0 the public official: Seward County and
mop-ration was received in t reparation of this volt"
«or and his staff extend .cir gratitude.

 

 TIBLE 075‘ C 11 TEE-"ES

fart L. ?0wnrd COU.:WyCm31 its

y

f)
‘.
O

1'15 mt r10 CCl Sketch . . . . . . .
Cc.err:cntcl Or:. an1zat1cn and
Chart . . . . .
“gus11g, Care CXW
'1st of jbbrcviatiov

Cr: m 03
CI: (N m to 01F

CCULty Iroyerty
Contrzcts. County Ci

__a.1~ ___»_‘._-_l‘ A...“ .0.“

COULty Clerk . .
Taxat1on: assesayc
felinqucncy.
school lunds.
ceipts and Tisbursenehts.

Jurors. Liquor *ccordso

zistrict Co urt
C1vil Cases:
End execut1cn.
Losses. Jurors.
Jublic.

. " r5 3 » files; wills; lctt
bends; 1n‘uc1 tch -' (721611 1:; 011.1115 1:11
LU mm c3° h1L.T

v.1rOthC Court
Irocecdin 3

1.1191: 1.15 n

11111:: 111 lo C ourt

 

 Table of Contents

Justice of Peace .
Cczstable . . . .

Sheriff . . . . .
CiVil Processes. Records
C ereno 1‘ . . . . .

County Attorney .

County Assessor . . . . . .

Tax Assessment. Census

1‘

Czunty Board of :qualizatien.

County Treasurer . . . . . .
Taxation: tax rolls;
tion and refund; di
Lcceunts: lodgers; w:
scoounts. Schoal Lard

Viscal B

rflent

VA“

0 TY 4,1
.L [Galen . .

vcurd 0

County Social welfare Tcard . . .

Iroceedints. Indexes.

Issistance. Old Age fssistance.

hildren. Aid to the Zlind.
and Disbursements.

Aid to
Ccmmoditie

County Engineer . . . . . . . .
Roads an Bridges. jerk Iroject
”r Supplies. Disbursements.

L“;

cellanecus.

County Farm Bureau . . . . . . .
T Finances. fctivitics.

rentership.
‘ hiscelleneous.

oursements.

General Ecocrdin’

o o n n o c

‘or; delinquezcy; redenp—

ends.

enerol
Dependent

icccifts

(CS- (7

C

u.

a

 

 HIST I CAL SKETCH

Seward County wrs one of twefi -vV’ ' by the le isla—
“-jch divided into ix: yu"» L ‘ a 'v Ml ized portion of
rouge 25, West \ , ,. , Seward County
of Oklahoma 1;. ' ' shy ‘» of ' a from
It was named I '
of state

 

The legislature of T‘ '1 C the boundL
enty—four lll(S wide E;' .r - ' ' miles
s]z_ell) Count;’ on the ~ cvl 7 873, ch.
giletqu placed Seward fithf_-1th fill
the fourth St N d par llel. and west of thc
Clark, in thr 'H' juliciLl district Lnd attc
Ford for qu1 ;':1 purposes (ibid., ch. 79, secs.

 

.1_1,.

olAvawa judi-‘dl distric: was erected
Lnd rcmaiz ed u 1.0hed to

istriot (L. 1881

"tended '1 -L -' u - ; Seward east
m‘1d exte; :dod the western ' 1 r 4 Tu; olorade line.
the county to embrace the 1- 1 _ 'w ,‘townships of
which was eliminated by the _A L “ included in
of Stevens Fr“ Y w e ,' -: the county
imLtely ninety miles f ». , , r- . , l885, ch. 70,

Among the first settltrs * e* ' “ IN. J. Ti pto on, woo
0C thd in the county in 1884, Lhe Iollowir who settled there in 1885;
lllfef leisure, L. J. FLHltOE, L. 7. Roberts, Harry C. Nelson, A T. Regland,
I} 1. Catpbcll: A. H. Saunders, L. A. Etzold, J. L. Adams , ,_, T Lunds-
Vord. The Springfield Town Company WLs or.':anized in tli= ‘
to town was not laid out until about three weeks before tn
-6 county in 1886. (F. I. Blackmar, A Kansas Cyclopedia

9-1.2,

 

legislature of 1885 derLched Sc-ward from Ford v u
. soy for judicial purposes, effective March 17 (L.
3)
3 a

local Levcrnrcht wcs estzolis hed in Seward County OL June l0 of that
thr tho board 0; county commissioners of Finns» (ounti organized

§ {511 Count" 02;.& municipnl township of Fizney and iesionatod Sunset City,
thd.inct101106 of tommshi_p 52, range 4-1, rest, es the place of

 

 listelico 1 Sketch

trgnsg‘t"lg itho townshi_ ousjnoss (Firnr . ‘ , Comrissionors' Journal,
vol. A, p. 55). This wcs in compliance " "1 law on which required
thut whencvor an unorganized cour y WfLS .' 1 for ' " 'fil purposes to

organized county, the county conmu ssionors the or;' c.1ized county were
to appoint township officers f; r the unorgenized county until the election
of olficers at a called s>ecicl election (L. 1885 ch sec. 1). The
following officers were appointed: John W. Ea ines, ‘ . -« J. E. Lesher,
treasurer; Bill Chapman, clerk; George Bowman, con . = ;nd Bill Barney,
roud overs: er.

 

vms divided into two voting precin
l of the township west of the range
other Fargo Springs, embracing the r
o conmunit o' Fargo Spri‘igs was located
36, township 2, range 33. (Finn y Courty, Com
. 55.)

 

August 3 tie Tinney Countyconmvs51cnc1<
st election of SeWord township eificer s and
‘ Stopcr, trustee; Grant Pauley, clerk;

and A. B. Cirr, justic es of pace
Cnd W. Green, treesurc or (ibid.,

1886, the Finney county
oputy county suprrintendc _
(ibid., p. 102), un ior tlic law of l8Q4 _
ucrs of c: .01 organized county should apps; u d :‘t' school
the purpose of separately describi v numb»:ring the
on unorganized county (L. 1884, H v 1).
the bou.ndar ,~ : '~vc wire restored to their original
L. 1886, ch. 57,‘ . - : county was organized on June 17 of
. c ye: r by pro 0 ~ ' 1 ; _ John A. léfrtin, who designate d
%.r1n1f1~l es the tempo or -, - and named t1_e following temporary
' clfic ie.ls; Commiss " '2 COIHprll, Edward A. Lctsor and
rvmod; county clerlc :. Wilson. The prre— —orrorizction census,
mon‘h the proclamation YCS issued, gave the nuiber of inhabitants
th’ cpproximcie worth CJ tc.x able :ropc1ty in excess of the
mption as $421, 895. (Commiss si011ers' Journal, vol. 1,
Sprincfield was located 'n the southwest quarter of
Mrt nest quo rter of section 13 of township 52, south, range
Of‘Deeds, Plot nook,1886-—, p. 15; see entry129)a

c,
\

 

Th6 legisle.ture of e 0,4? d to hoade County for judicial
fiurposes (L. 1886, ch. 86, - Meade was enbrecod in the twenty—fourth
udioiol districto rgm 120d ’n~ . - ”Lu (ibi'.. ch. 121, sec. 1).
In thc year tic countv wcs organized for :dministrutive purposes five
Clool districts were csto bl.ishcd (County Superii mldolt of Iublic Instruc—
lOn, School} District boundaries, 1886-195Q, pp. 1

seu entry'2€,r

 

 

 Sketch

first neebinL
July 5 , 1&116,
votint gr
5 for U
2cnt counW

01“.

{1

nr»

'1; NA.

votcs
the duly
pp. 6-H.)

_ a
0.1

cxcluc1n

r~
m

jucl rc

17\

01131

'mere

suprcmc court ordered
from the cells in
canvtss
at Sprinfliicl

gave
dcclcrcd

SP1 1 7.1‘

1, ~r‘ n fl 4-) _ 1
11 1 L :11 UK:

(2‘51 LA

1 '1

201.11% , ' ‘icj
c 01111th
f111d :Mcrc

<( 01211113.." 0 Si<

S op I" ll"

'-1»(

Lu P

o (.1

JG 1
1

«7

H1018

“ days bcfc
tzci yon

5‘0Wurd for jUC1C11'

, .

"u 0’. CV

':93
.3 county

k;

L C‘V1

1“.)

qur

q
14

(Fir

.‘_

U

entry, p. 44)

151n1zcd EOI'

0L3

scat
oohrd
complete

011117; ‘7

The

TILL S

(.113

.L.
LCI‘S,

r‘.
(.1

orLarizcd
Euildin

139

65 ballot.

5:

H1 ir;- 111$

5“” n , _
111.2. cmw"

C \-»$ u

Supreme

'0 county can

fiuildin:

1%:tviuas
Vrch

18, in

C 011

n 1
49b votes
“at.

County
board of ccmL
vol.

if; _,
courtv
Lty-scventh jiu
" creatil thu

fihc
1

1c
Sew

L t“
L

31 distri C
ard County district

 

 

 

 urt, With the provisions for us gq fihg' third Tues
wmbor. Thus Seward wr
A 1887, ch. 147, secs.

Lhc 1C,1_slzturc of 1887 appropriatcda
1)r services and mileage in -g thc pro-org.
k’éCouIttjf (j. bil., Ch. 55, 390,

r1n;f10].d 5&5 incorporstcd by
on July 30, 1887 (C omm1ssion;rs’
The FOtS of Lao
H312r ;
«xl‘ns (ibid., SOC. 18), ENG
elective for,u tWOuycar torn

  

 

decisions on
the bcard was made

 

 

the name 3f thc tribunal back to
3 n'ss13 hers” an] it consist Cf thr001120mbcrs, one to be
eljctes synu:lly by trc voters of the i

, ignptod ai.str rint, for & throe-ycsr tori (G.L.T.K. lBGO, ch. 28, secs.

5: 10,. Lb icelst f0 one 31 fwo instances of variation in thc lergth of their
ferns and cx+ent of disiricts repres 3: tea, “3 TundamenLal changes hsve since
been mfde in the 03unwy briounll 31 its fun-3ti3ns (See EwSB. ) Since 1905
the board consists of thlce nsmbezs elected by tbs vs S 1? W81 mlted dis-
tricts t3 servo ferns Cf Four ycrrs (L. 1905 ch. 255,b sec. 1).

W

 

 

 

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road

 

 

 

 

     
         
     

1855 to 1
331 L9 or
f the 00

power t;

night loquirc
'Lnizcd trkuuip
1‘t :11 C‘Tfls

» u

1
sec. 34

I
L
r

 

«v ' v"
C‘ UT 8:1an

 

torrit;ric1
b cadcned

      
       
         
       

 

Clcrk.
the tax

wuswovm
yrs§ip, keep

oversecr
Cormissi'3nc
1q11slacurc
ionic any highway,
required *0 be
thenccforth
or constable were

 

first territcrit

  
  
 
 

untios
sub—diviuc

5
1d57 _, soc. N4, pp.

(7‘?
d4 (3‘ 0

d4“ Him

('r‘

treasurer

 
  

thc ccunty

treasurer

U)

 

P1

districts, receive
wrotafare

01’1‘: '1‘7 J\
Li '1‘ Lu T.

”.C SUP: I'ViSCl"S,

    
  
 

 

 

OVGI‘S SLIPCT11JQCI F1 UCCUl’lli‘T"

ocucurrcncu

 

and with
township CR

4"

 

>1

,
,J

 

the counfiy

1.u11y (1b1u., se cs.

,1

It was sp:ciiied

 

 

   
 

 

     
 

  
  

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Governmentfll OTC”‘d

In 1868 the legislc .turc restored the offices 2-? t cwrsh'p‘clerk and
trcpgurgr, but continued tn't e1 trustee (G. S. 868, ch. 110, sec. 5).

 

    
    
  
  
   
  
   
       
 
    
       
  
    
  
   
       
          

Recording

 

5 one writte: 1:3:rugtnt: or

Th? first tcrritorifl

FCC; C 11.1. 131-, (lS—ElojL—u— 105;)

attuli TCCJIdT in selcrrt b 91:5 he
C‘

or that purse ncrtg:"es,

  

1
can? jances, CCVQnths, ,:;mssions Chi official bun‘ be rcccrd—
1 Off ice (11:18., secs. 10,11). He also w“ to acknow-

“" Othfilfl liojvd ants (ibic., sec. 22). provided
-: ' “ a clerk by tgzflcsunty tri‘ 44, sec.
0

(

110' . . -n .c probate

    
  

tnc clerk should b. ex
1 rk

1- --—-—___.i,_,._4___ ~._,‘-..__..ii._.__..__ -W-

in on
,thsr dezds

  
 

'in the d
romirwl conve t0 the
reocrders of a Cd i

 

U
n= 3 862, ,licl rtcuirec FCCquS c 511 instr effecting
lav” th C: t e trar scrit: d infl tiunsnitted to EEC rcgi of doses in
flmaceuntics in WfilCY tnc land Wis located (L, 1862, ch. N; important
charges have since bee n uric. ,‘ i

49.

 

E one re 0

i’all 13nd tron

 

T15 duties iall ulc on the county Clerk. is k

   

 

 

 

e c
Sicrs in too county (L. 1877, ch. 115, sec. 1), are records 1 u
Ifihc liconscs of physicians and sur1c mils _(l— 1901, ch. 35%, “cc. 2), onbclm— i
»:crs (L. 1909, ch. 225, soc. 5), nurscs (L. 1915, ch. ZSl, 306. 4), osteo—
gét‘wc'11y31c'.1s (1::id., c} 290, sec. 6 , and optometrists (L1 1925, 01.
110, 800- 3). CilT’PILeLGIS record their licenses with the register of
deeds (L. 1913, ch. 291, sec. 9). Recordinb 31 n:1rl:s and 1‘1‘"nds fcr l1ve—
stock, UllLlUully o function of the register of floods 1 1857, D. 81),
Tie Hrlel by tho countf clerk (G.S. 1868, ch. 105, .

 

 

 

  

 

  

«p(pnn11rrl OILrnization an hacards LTSUGQ

 

Administraticu c1 Just cc

 

 

TLC QI'LuniC act provided that thc
:0 Tested in a supreme court, distr1ct c
of bk pscoc (10 U.s. Stat. 286, sec. 2 ).
Cjntains th; s~TE”IECV1sicr, but p rm'ts "sucn ot-cr cgur:s, infc riir to the

c 1

, .- I , -.
sunrcmc Ciurt, Ls nay be CFQYldCd by law’ (C.S.K., alt. 3, scc. l).
"L l “ ——.———-

   
 

(-1.

Ls organic act divide” thc

crlit21y 'ntc three
SI'CL‘lld ‘
Ch tincs

 
 
       
 
   
   
      
   
 

 

fiLCd tLe

district cgurt W110;
criL'nal jurisdictiofi 1L
,irwisc Lrovided by law), CL
_, all inferior c urts

supervisicn an: contrcl 2f :11 such
prcvcxt and carrcct errors and Cb“-C.
,r t5 Lrart d.ivcrccs Is rostcd in
:3 regulation by law (C.S.K., art. 2, sec.

  

  

 

 
 
 
  

1862, ch. 28,

   

 

islsturo WLiCh laid cut tho bcundcrics cf Sew;rd County 11 1875
ior Judici?.l gurgcscs to Ford Countv in the 131 i 1
311. 79, 5005. l, 6), and it rc::cincd so atta 1C _
1:1:n?fcrro ' ' . he countr conLissioners

3f Sewerdt County January 6, ~ 1 ' :./' vol. 2, p. 409),
but served only until July 6 of E d a ' '4 . 1” Beeinning in
Jenurry 1911 the legislature LE} - p.‘ ‘1*‘:T?ice e, wit; the
PTQVision that it should exist 1 “‘1 .21 cne only in counties of more
than 12,000 >opu1: tion, and '11 " 1 2' . with 12 ,000 inhabitants or

*, which included Sewer: C' =' or mty cl rk should serve as

Cc

Ossor ex efIicio (L. 1909, .- V 1 5). In 1915 the legislature

 

 

 

 

 _ 19 _
chcrnnentsl Organization and Records System (First entry, p. 4Q)

pcsscd or act limiting tlie offi: e as a separate one counties of more

than 55,000 population (L. l915, ch. 251, sec. 1). s,it sto'utes

prgride that on assessor 1m elect ted in all counties 65 ,009 or more
1: county clerk

,.
J
1

1

tion, and that in counties with less pepulftion th
r

u
1.1 serve us assessor ex officio. The office may be st fielis bed or
ml lishod as a sepamr to BEE’EE‘EEE smaller counties upon a majority

xo e $5 the electors (L. 1951, ch. l56, sec. 1.) Zewever, Seward
C; m1ty never has to ken “ovcntggt of this clause.

The county assessor, with the consent of ; .‘- f county commis-
sion\:rs, appoints in each assessment district 1 '" ~ ' ."1 cities such
number or deputies as he decr.s necessrry, anv
the t31inshi p trustee cs 1eputy, thou Oh if th

sub—iivide it and appoint cdditi onal deputies

who card of county commissioners constitutes the county
equalization, with tho county clerk as its clerk,
" ‘ in Lmo: to make su.ch chCnges in valuations as May
the tax burden (L. 1876, ch. 34, sees. 75,
then makes an abstract of the equalized assossn
it to the state ex cormfission (L. 1876, ch. 56, sec. 76 -
’ 1909, ch. 245, sec. 8). The tax commission, constituting the state
of equalization, equolizod assessments throughout the state, and any
“3 feeling aggrieved W the action of the county board may appeal to
the st-: to orrd ior relief (L. 1955, ch. 117, sec. 1, Special Session).
" ilroc .ds make returns of their capito 1 stock, track, rolling stock, and
per sons 1 property and equipment to the state tax commission, which certi—
fies to etch county clerk the cssesSed value of such railroad property
within his county (L. 1909, ch. 243, secs. 2, 5). The same procedure is
followed in the case—3T_tElepraph, telephone, pipe line and electric
power companies (L. 1919, ch. 304, secs. 2, 10).

The board of county conui.sioners, and the governing bodies of cities
townships, city boards of educatior, and rural school districts certify
their respective levies to the county clerk in August of each year, and