Howard, Kansas 1879

[W. Gray]

On the home page is an 1879 photograph of a Howard, Kansas business street.



I am guessing the photo is of Wabash Street with the camera facing in a northwesterly direction from Randolph Street.  I am futher guessing that the large building at the end of the street is the first courthouse.

Can anyone provide their thoughts or confirm?


Waldo E. Gray

[Janet Harrington]

Well, Mr. Gray, you could be right.  The very, very first courthouse was on the west side of Wabash, was a two story building.  The commissioners, after the courthouse was built on the square, traded the courthouse on Wabash to J W Burchfield, who was our first elected sheriff.  Mr. Burchfield had land north of Howard, that he traded for the old courthouse.  The land was then used for the Elk County poor farm.  Many of our old newspapers talk about the poor farm and the activities that took place out there such as a few robberies and a rape or two.  The old courthouse was made into a farm equipment store.  Can't think of what it was called at the moment.  It survived for quite a few years before a fire burned it to the ground.  J W Burchfield's son, I think his name was Ulrich Burchfield, escaped from the burning building by climbing down a ladder that had been left up against the building.  I'll have to get some of those old reports out and share them once in awhile on this forum.  Thanks for making me remember.

[W. Gray]

I am going to stick my neck out say I am 99.9% sure that is the courthouse, which was completed at the end of 1878.  The sheriff's office was at the rear of the first floor and he shared his office with the Kansas Thirteenth Judicial District court clerk.   

J. W. Burchfield's store was called the Temple of Justice and burned in 1899.   I thought it was a hardware but those stores probably carried farm equipment in those days.

Are you aware of any Howard County sheriff's records?

Waldo E. Gray

[W. Gray]

Glad there seems to be a reprieve for this site. I am not sure if there are many other towns with this kind of setup.

Howard City became Howard in October 1877 at which time it became a third class city rather than a village. A. B. Steinbarger was the first mayor with the new name. The Howard street scene on the homepage seems to be looking north towards Washington Street.

The first Elk County courthouse, a flattop two story stone building completed at the end of 1878, could be the second from last building at the far end of the street. The courthouse was not on the corner. The large building to this side with the hip roof could be the Howard House, a hotel known to be located adjacent to the courthouse. The Howard House later became the Welbourn House renamed for the owner's son who died on his way to Kansas.

The courthouse became a hardware store in 1886 in trade for a farm, which became the county poor farm which went away around 1967. The well-stocked hardware store went by the name of the Temple of Justice. A huge $50,000 fire destroyed both the Welbourn House and the Temple of Justice in 1896.

Elk County, a Narrative History of Elk County and Its People, shows a front view photograph of the former first courthouse. In the photograph is a building to the left which has a lower profile flattop roof rather than a hip roof. So the book photograph does not agree with the home page 1879 photograph.

However, I am guessing the picture may have been taken after rebuilding from the fire. The hardware store bears no identification as the Temple of Justice and the adjacent building appears to be a new retail store complete with show windows and has stairs leading up between the two buildings.

The first courthouse was originally designated to be on the southeast side of Wabash where Doug's place is currently located.  The Howard Town Company donated the lots for the courthouse and the citizens of Howard pledged in August 1875 to build it but the effort ran into three and one half years of trouble. Chautauqua County citizens built their donated courthouse in six months.

Elk County finished the donated courthouse on the inside and the second floor courtroom was carpeted.

Around 1878 to 1880 the Howard Town Company gave Howard town lots away free provided the owner agreed to build a residence and live on the lot for a minimum number of years.

I found a book store on the internet that had a copy of Elk County, a Narrative History of Elk County and Its People for sale.  The store wanted $137.50. I think they are still available at the musuem for around $30.

[Janet Harrington]

The old Howard County records were allowed to stay in Chautauqua County when the Kansas legislature decided to allow Howard County to split into Elk County and Chautauqua County.  Whether or not those records are available for the public to look at is beyond me.  It's probably like most counties, unless there is an extremely strong historicial society, the records may have been destroyed or shipped to the State Historicial Society.  Who knows? 

If our forum will stay, I'll get some of my research out and share some stories.  My mother is in the process of burning disks of my research so that I'll have it forever.  I'm still planning on writing a book about the Elk County Sheriff's Office and will start with the information that I have or can find when we are Howard County.

[plowboy]

I would think more members would be writing on this to try to keep it here!!!
I was born in Howard some 70 some years ago my Great Grand parents came to Elk County in 1880, also my Grandpa.I was raised on a farm in Elk County.
Things sure have changed , there were 4 Grocery, 3 Drug , 6 Service Stations, 3 Doctors, when I was A boy.
I like to read when things about the old  days in Howard are put on here.
Please keep it up, but it will take all the members to be more on the forum.