Walter R. Arndt: Marriage 02 April 1913

[mobarbq]

For information... a gentleman I have been doing research on in a totally separate area of inquiry turns out to have been married in Howard, on April 2, 1913 by a Rev. Nichols, pastor of the Howard Baptist Church. This appeared in a publication of the Steam Traction Association in 1973, a group of steam thresher and boiler enthusiasts.  Arndt was an engineer who used to work for Armour, the meat company, and later retired to Noel, Mo. in 1948. There they purchased and ran a jewelry store and watch repair shop.  He was the county surveyor for McDonald County, Missouri for 23 years. Interestingly, or by coincidence if you believe in that kind of thing... McDonald County also has an Elk River!   How about that?

In the Coffee Shop section of this forum, under a thread entitled secession there is information about an event that happened in 1961 of which Arndt was a vital member.  McDonald County renamed itself McDonald Territory and attempted to secede from the State of Missouri.  Arndt was appointed as the Postmaster General of McDonald Territory in addition to serving as the Chief Justice.  It was a very interesting episode in Missouri history and I would like any further information that anyone there in Elk County might be able to add.  I doubt I can get over to the courthouse or records center to do any hands-on research, but I would be especially interested in knowing the name of his wife.  Are there any local genealogists who might be able to help me with that bit of information? I would appreciate it.  My webpage about Mr. Arndt for any genealogists or history buffs is http://www.qsl.net/kg0yh/arndt.htm

[W. Gray]

I checked the Elk County history book index and there is no reference to an Arndt.

There are several Arndt names listed in the Howard Grace Lawn cemetery at http://www.ksgennet.org/ks/ek/cem/graceab.html#A

[pocketseddie]

Walter R. Arndt--Noel, Missouri was born February 10, 1893,
at Alta Vista, Kansas He married April 2, 1913, at
Howard, Kansas, To Lottie J. Tilton, who was born October
2, 1889, at Altamont, Kansas. They had an only son (born March 25, 1915 in Moline, Elk County) who
passed away September 3rd, 1972. He was buried Corinth
Cemetery in Kansas City, Kansas. [Leawood]

[mobarbq]

Walter R. Arndt--Noel, Missouri was born February 10, 1893,
at Alta Vista, Kansas He married April 2, 1913, at
Howard, Kansas, To Lottie J. Tilton, who was born October
2, 1889, at Altamont, Kansas. They had an only son (born March 25, 1915 in Moline, Elk County) who
passed away September 3rd, 1972. He was buried Corinth
Cemetery in Kansas City, Kansas. [Leawood]

pocketseddie:

Thank you so much for such a quick response! I appreciate it. Another piece added to the puzzle.

[Janet Harrington]

Mobargq, I believe that the Elk River that flows through McDonald County is the same Elk River that comes from Elk County in Kansas.

[jpbill]

Sorry Janet, the Elk River that runs through Elk county KS begins in the Flint Hills and ends when it empties into the Verdigris River near Independence, KS.

[Diane Amberg]

Now I'm curious. Do you know what the actual source is? A spring or a bunch of little creeks or what?

[Wilma]

The Elk River in Elk County comes roaring down the valleys of the Northwest corner of Elk County after heavy rains, seeking a lower level, which is easy to find on the east side of our part of the hills.  It collects from many slopes and forms many small branches before it settles into what is sometimes laughingly called a river.  Before some watersheds were put in, it would often stop running during dry weather.  I don't think it ever dried up entirely, but there could be found stretches of dry land between pools of water.  However, before it leaves Elk County, it has become respectable and does resemble a river.  It flows into the Elk City Reservoir before it continues on it's merry way to the Verdigris.  I wouldn't trade Elk County, KS's Elk River for any other river in the country.  Not even the beautiful crystal clear streams of Missouri and Arkansas.

[W. Gray]

Wilma, this is a much more interesting subject than some want to pursue.

Roaring down out of the northwest, to me, is a very good description. Especially after seeing some of the flotsam and junk that have been pushed down and then deposited on the banks in that part of the county.

I see where American Whitewater rates a one mile section of Elk River around Elk Falls as a Class III rafting event. Class III is "difficult."

Somewhere near Independence is a fifteen mile Elk River Hiking Trail, which one web site says is nationally recognized.

I never thought about the Elk being laughingly called a river, but have wondered about it several times. I have also always wondered how the Big Caney made river status—although it must get bigger somewhere around Oklahoma. That river starts north of Grenola and is 55 miles in length before it enters the Verdigris.

If one looks over the southwest fence at the cemetery, Rock Creek looks much more like a river than the Elk does--maybe not all the time though.

The Elk River flows 81 miles before it hits the Verdigris. In that 81 miles it starts at about 1587 feet elevation and drops to 800 feet where it enters Elk City Lake or Reservoir. After leaving the lake, it drops to 765 feet where it enters the Verdigris.

Fall River is the other river flowing in Elk County and it just passes through in the northeast.

[Wilma]

Here are, I hope, two pictures of Elk River.  I don't seem to take pictures of the river unless the water is up.  However, the first one is looking upstream from a low water bridge about 7 miles west and north of Howard.  The white strips across the upper part of the water indicates small falls in the river.  The second one is looking downstream from the bridge on Highway 99 on another day.  The water was just barely below the bridge that day.  On a normal day, parts of the river bed can be seen beside the water.  The year was 2007 and there had been a lot of heavy rain.

Waldo, you are right about the Big Caney.  I think it was probably named after one of our cloudbursts.