Jackson County, Missouri - Chapter 5: The Founding of Kansas City, 1881

Chapter 5: The Founding of Kansas City

The Situation in 1S3S - The First Ferry - The Santa Fe and Indian Trade Tend to Kansas City - Purchase of the Prudhomme Estate for a Town Site - The Survey and Sale of zS^g - Troubles of the Company Retard the Town - What Was Thought of It - Its Early Trade - A Description of Early Kansas City - Efforts to Divert the Santa Fe Trade - Its Suppression in 184.3 - Statistics - Situation in 1843 - The Great Flood of 1844 - The Events of 18 4j to 1846 - The Mexican War.

Having now briefly sketched the history of the three principal elements that entered into the commercial foundation of Kansas City, it comes next in order to set down the circumstances under which the town originated, the manner in which it was founded, and the course of events entering into its development.

The Situation In 1 838

At the time to which each of the preceding chapters brought this record, to 1838, the entire country west of the Missouri River and the State line of Missouri and Arkansas was in the possession of the Indians. The tribes on these borders were all in receipt of large annuities from the Government which gave rise to .a rich and profitable trade with them. There was in existence a trade of about equal volume between this western border and southern Mexico, crossing the intervening Indian country, and there was still in existence a large volume of the old French, Indian and Fur trade. These three elements of trade gathered at this angle of the river as at a focus, for the reason already stated, that this was the nearest point toward the scene of each of them that could be reached by water transportation. To stop lower down the river, or advance higher, were ahke detrimental.

At that time Missouri was still quite a sparsely settled State. The western half of it had been settled in part for not exceeding twenty years, and the tide of immigration into it, though considered large in these times, was trifling when compared with the immense movements of population since witnessed into other States. What is called the " Platte Purchase," that is, the territory embraced in Platte, Buchanan, Andrew, Holt, Nodaway and Atchison counties, had been added to the State in 1836, the State line prior to that time having run directly north from the mouth of the Kaw River. This country was not opened for settlement until 1837, and though its settlement was rapid for those days, it was still an unorganized country.

The First Ferry

The settlement of this Platte purchase had an important effect upon the future city. Up to that time there had been no ferry across the river here, other than the canoes heretofore referred to, but with the opening of this new country there was a spasmodic movement into it from the south side of the river. To accommodate this movement Peter Roy, a son of Louis Roy, who settled at the foot of Grand avenue during 1826, estabHshed a flat-boat ferry, and in order to provide better acces'S to it than the old road heretofore mentioned, he cut a new road through the woods from about where Walnut street crosses Fifteenth street down by the present junction of Main and Delaware streets, and thence down a deep ravine which followed down Delaware street to Sixth, thence across by the corner of Main and Fifth streets, diagonally across the Public Square and thence to the river a little east of the present line of Grand avenue from Third street down. This road afterward became a factor in the concentration of the Indian and Santa Fe trade at this place. The ferry, thus established by Mr. Roy, was conducted by him but a short time when he sold it to James H. McGee, who then lived on a farm south of Sixteenth street. McGee sold the ferry in less than a year to Rev. Isaac McCoy, of whom mention has already been made, who conducted it until 1843, when he sold it to his son, John C. McCoy. Mr. McCoy subsequently sold a half interest in it to John Campbell, and in 1854 the other half to Messrs. Northrup and Chick.

The Santa Fe And Indian Trades Tend To Kansas City

At this time, 1837 and 1838, many of the Santa Fe traders had adopted the custom heretofore mentioned of stopping at Westport to await the arrival of their goods at Blue Mills. To them, and to the Indian traders at Westport, a new landing only four miles distant, at the French Settlement, offered great advantages over one eighteen miles distant, at Blue Mills. Hence, with the facilities afforded by the new road cut by Petite Roy, there arose a strong tendency to receive their goods at this point. It then became manifest that the best landing point was higher up than Chouteau's house, on the property belonging to the estate of Gabriel Prudhomme, who died about this time. This point was at the foot of Grand avenue, Walnut, Main, and Delaware streets, and the new road gave access to this new locality. Here there was a natural rock landing superior, by nature, to those of Blue Mills and Wayne City, notwithstanding all the improvements that had been made upon them. It was this fact that determined the site of Kansas City, by determining the exact spot of transfer between boats and wagons of these two great branches of trade.

Purchase Of The Prudhomme Estate

The Prudhomme estate, upon which existed this natural landing, is described as the south fractional half of section thirty, township fifty, and includes the land lying between Broadway and Troost avenue, from the river back to the township line, which runs along Independence avenue.

On the 30th of October, 1837, Prosper Mercier and wife, his. wife being a daughter of Gabriel Prudhomme, and one of the heirs of the estate, petitioned the Circuit Court of Jackson county for an allotment of dower to Prudhomme's widow, and a division of the land among the heirs. On the 9th of December, the court made an order appointing Wm. M. Chick, Peter Booth and Samuel Johnson commissioners to make such allotment of dower and division of the land among the heirs. On the 3d of April, 1838, these commissioners reported to the court that after viewing the land they were satisfied that such allotment of dower and division of land could not be made without great injustice to the parties. On the next day, April 4th, the court made an order for the sale of the land, and releasing from the commission Messrs. Chick and Johnson at their request, appointed James P. Davenport and Elliott Johnson in their stead. These commissioners were instructed by the court to advertise the sale of the land for six weeks prior to day of sale by notice in a paper in Liberty, Clay county, and one in St. Louis, and by hand bills, and to make the sale on twelve months' credit. They made the sale July 7th, 1838, and reported it to the court on the loth of August. At this sale James H. McGee, who, on the 21st of August, 1837, had been appointed guardian of the minor heirs, acted as crier. In fact, it appears that he had conducted the whole business, and that the advertising had been inadequately done. At the sale there were present only Mr. McGee, Abraham Fonda and a Mr. Clark, who came with him; and William Gillis and Michael Auther besides, perhaps, some few others who had dropped in merely as spectators. Fonda was bidding and offering such low prices that Gilhs and Auther asked for time to consult, with a view to bidding. They retired for this purpose, and while absent the sale was made to Fonda for $i, 800. A remonstrance against this sale was filed with the court on the 8th of August, two days before the filing of the report of the sale. It was sef up that McGee, Fonda and Clark were interested together in the purchase of the land, and that the sale had been conducted fraudulently in not allowing time for bidders (Gillis and Anther) to make bids. A new sale was asked for, and on the nth of October, the court made an order setting aside the sale and directing that another be made, the advertising to be as before, and the sheriff of Jackson county, to act as crier. This sale was made November 14, 1838, for $4,220.

At the time these events were transpiring, there was much discussion among certain men, who had observed the tendency of the Santa Fe and Indian trade to effect transfers at this point, concerning the feasibility of building a town here. In fact, it was supposed that McGee, Clark and Fonda were interested together, and had that in view in the first sale. Wm. L. Sublett, of St. Louis, who had become well acquainted with the place during the operations with the Rocky Mountain Fur Company regarded it as a feasible enterprise, and wanted to take an interest in such a movement. This idea took shape pending the advertising for the several sales, and a company was formed for the purpose.

This company consisted of Wm. L. Sublett, Moses G. Wilson John C. Mc- Coy, Wm. Gillis, Fry P. McGee, Abraham Fonda, Wm. M. Chick, Oliver Caldwell, Geo. W. Tate, Jacob Ragan, Wm. Collins, James Smart, Samuel COwens, and Russell Hicks. The last two gentlemen lived in Independence, the first being the leading merchant, and the other the leading lawyer of the county. Independence and Westport were jealous of the enterprise, foreseeing the danger of its absorbing the trade of the Indians from the one, and the Santa Fe trade from the other. Hence, Hicks and Owens were taken into the company with a view of placating the jealousy of Independence. Messrs. McCoy and Chick were of Westport, and were prominent there, but they went into the enterprise on its merits. The addition of the two Independence gentlemen was no advantage to the company, but rather the reverse.

The sale was set for November 14, 1838, at which time it occurred, the sum realized at this time being four thousand two hundred and twenty dollars, and the company bought it, and proceeded at once to lay out the town, which they called Kansas.

The Survey And Sale Of 1839

Mr. McCoy was the surveyor of the party, but being engaged at that time in government surveys, he could not attend to laying off the town. Accordingly, he drew up a plat for about fifteen acres of it, and employed W. S. Donahue to make the survey; This survey included that part of the city bounded by Wyandotte street and Grand avenue, and extending from the river back to Second street. From the old records of the company, now in the hands of John Campbell, Esq., of this city, it is learned that a sale of lots was had in May, 1837, at which lots were sold as follows :

These sales were made on one year's time, at ten per cent, interest; and the company, anxious to give the town a start, built a log warehouse for the accommodation of the Santa Fe and Indian trade, which was kept by W. B Evans.

Troubles Of The Company Retarded The Town

But just at this point the company met with difficulties which checked this enterprise and held it in statu quo for eight years. The first of these was that the law required that every member of the company should sign and acknowled the plat, and that it should be filed for record with the county clerk before the company could give a title to lots. It had been arranged that this should be done at a meeting to be held on the morning of the sale of lots, but it so happened that less than a majority of the company attended the meeting ; hence, after the sale titles could not be given, but the company got over this difficulty by giving title bonds to purchasers. It was then observed also that two of the commissioners appointed to sell the estate, Peter Booth and Elliott Johnson, had died before the sale of the land, leaving a minority of the commissioners to do the business. The legality of this sale was called into question on this account, and this question was not settled until in 1846. The method employed by the company to procure a settlement of the question was unique. It was a question for judicial decision, and to get it into the courts for that purpose required that a case should be made up. To do this was the trouble, but the company finally decided to dispute the legality of the sale thus made by one of the commissioners, refuse to pay him the purchase money, and compelled him to sue for it. This they did ; the suit was brought and the members of the company appeared as defendents in a case they really much desired to have decided against them. The decision was finally made in 1846, the legality of the action of the commissioners was confirmed and executions were made against the members of the company for the purchase money. It is needless to say that these executions were cheerfully paid. In the situation in which it was placed pending the litigation, the company could not, of course, sell lots nor make titles to those already sold nor even collect from the purchasers. However those who had bought lots made some improvements on them and a few trading houses were opened. Among these early trading houses Messrs. Cohn & Block appear to have been the first to offer a stock of general merchandise. This was in 1839, and about the same time A. B. Canville, Anthony Richter and Thos. A. Smart, opened houses. The latter being what was then called a grocery.

What Was Thought Of The Town

There were many different opinions about the prospects for the new town prior to the difficulties just mentioned. Independence and Westport nick-named it "Westport Landing" in derision, and, owing to its non-development, for so many years, it came to be generally known by this name. However, there were others who regarded it differently. Senator Benton, than whom none better knew the controlling facts of trade, while visiting Randolph, nearly opposite three miles below the city at this time, pointed to it and remarked that it was destined to become the greatest commercial center west of St Louis. Senator Benton afterward repeated this prophecy in Kansas City.

Early Trade

" The great portion of this early trade of the city was a trade similar to that of all new towns, and was what our Yankee neighbors would consider, in their vernacular, as a "truck and dicker trade," mainly done with the neighboring Indians, and employees of the mountain traders and freighters, and Mackinaw boatmen, etc., etc. Ponies, pelts, furs, trinkets and annuity moneys, were receiv- ed by early traders in exchange for powder ,lead, tobacco, sugar, coffee, candies, beads, and as there was at that time no temperance orders among these buyers and sellers, a little bad whisky was also sold by 'the large and small.' We are happy to announce, however, that in this border ruffian era, a reform has taken place in the sale and use of this 'large and small' commodity. In 1839 and 1840, the Indian tribes trading at Kansas City were the Delawares, Munsas, Stockbridges, Shawnees, Kansas (or Kaws), Kickapoos, Osages, Pottawatomies, Weas, Peorias. In addition to articles already enumerated, these Indians bought of our traders, calicoes, blankets, very many saddles, bridles and ribbons; and rings, costing ten cents in St. Louis were frequently sold to them for five and six dollars ; and large profits were made on every thing. As a general thing, the Indians paid cash for goods ; and when they had no money they would freely pledge anything in their possession, such' as ponies, silver arm-bands, ear ornaments, etc. Bacon was sold to them as high as from thirty to forty cents per pound ; and salt for fifteen and twenty cents per tin cup full. As early as 1840 it was not uncommon, on the arrival of Mackinaw boats, to see as many as three or four hundred men on the levee at one time, and all of them buying, more or less from our traders "

A Description Of Early Kansas City

In a paper read before the Old Settlers' Association in January, 1872, John C. McCoy thus describes the appearance of the place at that time :

"A clearing, or old field, of a few acres, lying on the high ridge between Main and Wyandotte and Second and Fifth streets, made and abandoned by a mountain trapper, a few old girdled dead trees standing in the field, surrounded by a dilapidated rail ffence ; all around on all sides a dense forest, the ground -covered with impenetrable underbrush and fallen timber, and deep, impassable gorges; a narrow, crooked roadway winding from Twelfth and Walnut streets along down on the west side of the deep ravine toward the river, across the public square, to the river at the foot of Grand avenue; a narrow, difficult path, barely wide enough for a single horseman, running up and down the river under the bluffs, winding its crooked way around fallen timber and deep ravines ; an old log house on the river bank, occupied by a lank, cadaverous specimen of humanity named Ellis, with one blind eye and the other on a sharp lookout for stray horses, straggling Ir^dians and squatters with whom to swap a tin cup of whisky for a coon skin; another old dilapidated log cabin on the point below the Pacific depot; two or three small dwelings and cabins in the Kaw bottom, now called West Kansas, which were houses of French mountain trappers, engaged principally in raising young half breeds. The rest of the surroundings were the still solitude of the native forest, broken only by the snort of the startled deer, the bark of the squirrel, the howl of the wolf, the settler's cow bell, and mayhap the distant baying of the hunter's dog or the sharp report of his rifle."

The man Ellis mentioned in the above description of Kansas City; by Mr. McCoy, was, at the time he speaks of, living in the house built originally by Louis Uneau, at the foot of Main street, and was the first Justice of the Peace ever officiating at Kansas City.

The difficulties surrounding the Kansas Town Company prevented town development and retarded the tendency of trade to concentrate here. Still, however, the Indian trade continued to flourish at both Westport and Kansas City, and the Santa Fe trade at Independence until 1843, when it was temporarily suppressed by order of General Santa Anna.

Two efforts were made to divert this trade from the Missouri frontier, but without success, because of the superior advantages afforded by this point. In 1839, Dr. Josiah Gregg, after nine years' experience with this route, and a pretty thorough acquaintance with the. plains and with Northern Mexico, undertook to open a river route from Van Buren on the Arkansas River. Finding that a good point for steamboats to ascend to, considerably nearer Santa Fe, and with a season nearly a month earlier in spring and a month later in the fall, he thought it much more desirable, and undertook to conduct an expedition from that point and open a new route. He was successful in getting through with less hardships than the early explorers had experienced on the route from Missouri, but he found that the old route had some advantages that the new one could not equal, and no further attempt was made. The trade from the Missouri border had been extended to Chihuahua, and so large a part of the imports of that place had come to be received from that source via Santa Fe, that in 1840 the Mexican government undertook to open a new and shorter route from that country to the United States. Some point on Red River, at the American border, was selected, and the party, with a concession of special advantages, as to imposts, duties, etc., started from Chihuahua April 3, 1839. It succeeded in getting through to Red River that year, and the next year, 1840, took back a large amount of goods. This expedition, however, failed to discover any advantage in the new route, though much nearer for Chihuahua than the old route from Missouri, and no further effort was ever made to develop it. These two attempts to divert the trade from the Missouri border were of importance in this connection, as showing the superior command of the country, even to Chihuahua, held by the locality of Kansas City.

Its Suppression In 1 843

On the 7th of August, 1843, Santa Anna, then President of Mexico, issued a decree closing the ports of Taos, in New Mexico, and Paso del Norte and Presido del Norte, in Chihuahua. As these were the only ports at which goods were passed through the custom-house into northern Mexico, it nearly suppressed the trade. This was done in consequence of the sympathy and co-operation of Americans with the people of Texas, who, although they had previously', in 1838, achieved their independence, were still subject to the hostihties -of Mexico, and were practically in a state of war. Prior to this decree, the hostile attitude of Texas and Mexico toward each other had made the trade peculiarly hazardous. Two expeditions had been fitted out in Texas to raid it, the Texans not regarding the fact that a large part of those engaged in it were citizens of the United States - a friendly power. Santa Anna's decree was issued with equal injustice to the large number of his own subjects who were engaged in it, and with no less injustice to the large sections of his country which were accommodated by it. This decree so far caused the abandonment of the trade that, although another decree was issued March ii, 1844, raising the embargo, not over ninety wagons, with not over two hundred men and $200,000 worth of goods crossed the plains to Santa Fe in 1844. The Mexican war coming on soon afterward further embarrassed and restricted it until the close of that struggle.

We are indebted to Dr. Gregg's admirable " History of the Commerce of the Prairies," for the following statistics of the trade prior to its suppression in 1843 -*

*=* Although this table is given by Dr. Gregg as representing the entire trade, we are inclined to think it is far short of the actual aggregates. The year 1840, for instance, appears to include only the Chihuahua expedition from Red River.

At the time the Mexican trade was temporarily suppressed by order of Gen. Santa Anna in 1843, Blue Mills was the principal landing point for Independence, the effort to divert it to Wayne City having proved ineffectual. Independence enjoyed a monopoly of the outfitting business. Westport had attained much importance as an Indian trading post and was rapidly becoming the headquarters for the Mexican traders, who stopped there to graze their teams on the prairies, and await the arrival of their goods at Blue Mills ; Liberty had grown to be quite a town; a town had been established at Randolph Bluffs, and at this time contained one or more quite respectable mercantile houses, and a number of residences, and had macadamized one short street. The town of Barry, which came into existence prior to the openmg of the Platte purchase to settlement, had became quite an important place, as had the town of Weston. A town had been started at Parkville, an Indian trading post, and was doing a large trade with the new settlers in the adjacent country and with the Indians across the river. Parkville then contained several trading houses. At this time Kansas City was much smaller than any of these places, and was not perceptibly growing, owing to the inability of the Town Company to make titles to ground. Kansas City then contained three warehouses, those of the Town Company, Francis Chouteau, or rather the American Fur Company, and that of W. G. and G. W. Ewing, of Westport, two or three small trading houses and a few log cabins, mostly occupied by Frenchmen. It was then known only as Westport Landing, but as a landing place for Westport was beginning to attract some attention from Mexican traders, who saw the advantage of receiving their goods at this place rather than at Blue Mills. Still, however, it continued the headquarters of the fur and Indian traders established by the old St. Louis guild of French traders, and conducted by the American Company or their successors. This trade was then, as it had been from the first, distributive, and though it made much less local show, and was probably less in volume than the Indian trade done at Westport, it covered a much greater area of country.

In 1840 W. G. and G. W. Ewing, already referred to as having become prominent Indian traders, at Westport, in about 1836, determined to build themselves a warehouse at Kansas City. They had received goods at Blue Mills, and at Chouteau's Warehouse just below Kansas City, but their trade had become so large that they desired to avoid this warehouse tax and so built a warehouse as above stated.

In June, 1842, Gen. John C. Fremont came to Kansas City on his first expedition across the plains. At this time he made his headquarters at Cyprian Chouteau's house, six miles west, but outfitted here at Kansas City. In his subsequent expeditions he made his headquarters with Wm. M. Chick, at Kansas City, while outfitting.

During the year of 1843, Wm. M. Chick, father of Jos. S. Chick, now President of the Bank of Kansas City, who was then Hving at Westport, saw the tendency of trade to concentrate at Kansas City, and removed to this place and built a warehouse here.

From 1843 To 1846

The suppression of the Mexican trade in 1843 was a severe blow to Independence and damaged Westport somewhat. The former was thrown back upon its resources of local trade with the adjacent country, and the latter was left dependent mainly upon its Indian trade Aside from the loss by the warehousemen of the few cargoes they had been receiving, on account of this trade, Kansas City was not affected.

The Great Floods

In 1843-4 events transpired here which have furnished material for many a fireside story among the old settlers. These were the great floods and attendant adventures of these two years. That of 1843 was not so great as that of 1844, which was the greatest ever known in these rivers.

During the past Spring of 188 1, the United States Engineer, having charge of the river improvements at this point, J. W. Nier, Esq., informed the press that he had information of great snows and large accumulations of water in the Upper Missouri and its tributaries, which rendered a recurrence of these floods not improbable. This called forth from John C. McCoy, Esq., the following graphic historical sketch of the great flood, which will be interesting in this connection :

" The subject of floods in the Missouri and Kansas River in the past, and the probabilities of their recurrence in the future, is neither a pleasant or popular theme to talk or write about just now, and those who indulge in speculations or predictions of danger are looked upon as croakers and birds of evil omen, especially by those whose interests would be in jeopardy in the event of their fulfillment. This is very plainly shown by the way many persons interested in West Kansas City and the bottom lands of the river have received warnings and statements of the United States engineer as to the probable danger of a devastating flood in the Missouri River, and which appeared in the Journal a few days ago. His statements have, I think, provoked a good deal of unjust and unnecessary criticism and comment. He is a stranger to me, but holding the position of trust and responsibility he does in the engineer service of the Government, we may safely conclude that he is at least theoretically competent, and certainly possesses the most correct information obtainable to enable him to form a proper estimate of the danger to be apprehended. Not only this, but it is his special business to titudy the situation. He is in possession of all the facts and facilities requisite to form a correct conclusion in the premises.

"Now, granting that it is his deliberate judgment, formed from these sources, that the dire calamity of a devastating flood was likely to sweep over the West Kansas City bottoms, causing the loss of millions of dollars value in property, and perhaps many lives, his failure to give timely warning, would, under the circumstances, be looked upon as little short of murder; and then, if his predictions fail and the elements over which he has no control are propitious, why then he subjects himself to ungenerous flings and jeers. His situation in the^premises is one of great responsibility and certainly by no means to be envied. Having some knowledge of facts connected with floods in the Missouri River, I will venture, disagreeable as the subject may be to many, to briefly state them. Physic, albeit nauseating, is sometimes very beneficial to general health. We may sincerely hope the general health in this case is in no danger at present. The records of the past tell us of only three floods that may be regarded as devasting, viz: In 1782, 1826 and 1844. (One other in 1843 only partially so, and many others where the overflows caused little or no dimage.) According to my recollection, the overflow of 1843 occurring the last of May and the first of June, reached a height about six feet lower than that of the succeeding year of June, 1844, and the damage was correspondingly less. The winter of 1842-3 was along, hard one with much snow toward the mountains. In January there was a general thaw and break up with fine wetaher lasting nearly three weeks and the steamer "lone" ascended the river to Kansas City. On the diy of her arrival it turned suddenly cold, the river froze up again and so remained until near the ist of May, during which time the boat remained near the foot of Grand avenue.

"The rise of water in 1843 was high enough to wash away some heavy new one-story log houses stariding near the river bank at the lower end of Harlem, which I had put up at the beginning of winter. I stood on the levee one day and witnessed their departure with sudden lurch and a graceful sweep of the upper end toward the river that mingled and melted away in the boiling flood. - Have I told this story so often that I really believe it was an actual occurrence, and that rumors of the snowfields to the northwest, caused me as soon as the ice was out of the river, to vamose the imperiled ranch? Nay, even before that occurred that I pulled down one house and hauled the hewed logs across on the ice and put them uptoUve in near the foot of William street? Does any one doubt the correctness of this statement? And that this occurred in 1843, the year before the great flood? I hope not, for I am now going to say something of another flood that far exceeded this one in its desolating effects - that which occurred from the 13th to the i6th of June, 1844. The water rose to a height of six feet or more above that of the previous year. The Missouri River at about the 13th was only a few feet over the bottom lands, but the great volume of water that came down the Kansas River madly rushing against the mighty Missouri caused the seething waters to pile up at the mouth, no doubt several feet higher than they would have done had they met at the point of junction more obliquely..

"On the morning of the 14th, Col. Wm. M. Chick, who was temporarily occupying with his family a house he owned, which stood on the east side of Turkey Creek, not far southeast of the State Line house, was surprised to find the water just rising above the banks of the creek. By 9 o'clock it had reached the door step, and as the ground was lower toward the hills eastward, he deemed it advisable to seek a place of safety on higher ground, which they succeeded in doing with the aid of a canoe or small boat. His daughter, Mrs. Peery, went to the hills near Twelfth Street on a horse, the water being then about mid-side to the horse near the hills. From thence she made her way to my house, two miles south of the city, and astonished me by her statement of facts. I galloped down to the ferry across the river, which I owned, and ran at that time, and taking a skiff with Col. John Polk, we made our way, with great difficulty and danger, up through the woods to the house, where we arrived at about twelve o'clock, and found the water about waist deep on the lower floor. We secured as many articles as our skiff would carry, placed the balance out of the reach of the water, and made our way back to the ferry, where I immediately secu'ed a party of about ten persons to take up the ferry flat to secure that which was left.

" The seething, foaming flood of water was not only dashing madly onward in the river channel, but it swept across the heavily timbered bottom of West Kansas, from bluff to bluff, with a roar almost deafening. With the aid of twenty or more men in rounding the rocky headland above the bridge, we finally reached the building about four o'clock p. m., when we found the water had reached nearly to the upper floor. Placing the boat beside the house we tore off a portion of the roof, the eaves of which was probably five feet above the boat - the upper window being too small to pass out the furniture. Being now nearly dark we held a council, and decided to tie up for the night, deeming it unsafe to venture into the river in the dark. So we ran up to the smoke-house, built of heavy logs, in which about 5,000 pounds of bacon was floating about, and there spent the long, dreary hours of the night in roasting bacon and haras and telling marvelous tales of blood-curdling scenes that never happened, probably.

" Now, those who feel disposed to believe the above statements of facts can make their own estimate of the rapidity of the rise of water in twelve hours from the morning of June 14. I make it from eight to ten feet. Is this incredible? If so, ask Col. Polk, Allen McGee, William Mulkey, and others who spent the night with me in that flood of waters.

"I will now mention only one other episode of that eventful day in West Kansas. During the night of the isth, and the next morning, from time to time loud cries of distress were heard over at Wyandotte, in the direction of the residence of Louis Tromley, who then lived near the Missouri south bank, just east of the State line. Those who listened to those cries knew full well that the old man was in deep trouble, as well as deep waters, but the impetuous Kaw forced its mad waters into the broad sea of the Missouri with a current so rapid that it was impossible to get the ferry flat across to the opposite woods (for there were no banks then) without cordeling the boat some distance up the Kaw, and before this could be done darkness had overspread the desolate scene. At early dawn brave hearts and strong arms were ready for the rescue. Isaiah Walker, Ethan Long, Russell Garret, David Froman, and Tall Charles, of Wyandott, soon made their way with the boat, cutting their way through the woods, to poor old Tromley, whom they found perched in a tree, and a few hundred yards farther on his wife in another tree, and a short distance further his boy sitting astraddle of the comb of the house which was just beginning to sway into the seething waters of the river.

"Tromley had tried to make his way to Wyandotte on a log, in order to procure a boat and help, but finding he would be inevitably swept into the Missouri, he desisted from his effort and betook himself to his perch in the tree, and thus passed the long vigils of that dreary, desolate night to those three heipless persons. Poor Tromley meanwhile trying throughout its long watches to cheer and comfort his terrified wife and boy, whom he was unable to reach. The rescuers took them to the hills, near Twelfth street, on their way, picking up some others as they went. Soon afterward old Tromley's house, with his favorite dog perched upon its top, was seen by the hundreds gathered on the hillsides passing rapidly down in mid current and Poor Tromley, who had just arrived, called to his dog by name, who set up a mournful wail, and the old man seemed disposed to dash in to its rescue. During this day, the isth, the Wyandotte rescuers, were busy saving persons and property in the West Kansas bottom until darkness closed their labors, theirs being the only boat that operated on that day, and after that none was needed for nothing was left to save of life or property. On the same day I went down with an old horse boat I had and brought up Mrs. Chouteau and her household goods from her homestead below East Kansas, to the high grounds above.

"Now, Mr. Editor, I have written these few incidents of the great flood of 1844 not as a sensation, for the facts are just as I have related them without any undue coloring. Neither have I done so to create any unnecessary alarm, for I don't know that there are any grounds for any, but simply to communicate some facts that everyone having interests in the river bottoms ought to know. But smart people may laugh me to scorn, and so they would have done to old Tromley a day or two before he went to roost in that, hackberry tree, had he been guilty of the same indiscretion. I have seen times when I would have felt supremely happy to be sitting astraddle of a good dry log with my neither extremities dangling in the waters beneath."

The great flood of 1826 has already been mentioned in this history as having washed away the house of Mr. Chouteau, opposite Randolph Bluffs, which caused him to remove higher up the river and to higher ground. Little is known of this flood, but it doubtless was not such as' to cover the ground to which Mr. Chouteau removed; for it is not probable that after being washed away once he would rebuild below the high water line. However, the flood of 1844 proved that he made a mistake,, for it washed away this second house which he had built. It also washed away the warehouse built by W. G. & G. W. Ewing, which was in the same vicinity, both being below the limits of the land of the Prudhomme estate, which had been partly laid off" into town lots in 1839. It also washed away the warehouse built by the town company in 1839, and rose to the door of Wm. M. Chick's warehouse. This latter warehouse stood at the corner of Main street and the levee, and on ground fully six feet higher than the ground at that place at this time. The old log cabins built by the Frenchmen in 1826, on the river front and in the West Kansas bottoms, were all washed away, and that was about all there was of Kansas City at that time. During the flood steamboats ran up to Mr. Chick's warehouse door, which shows that they were floated over our present levee at an altitude fully, six feet above the present level of the street.

This flood had no material effect on the course of trade, as it did no damage at Blue Mills, at which point most of the Indian and Santa Fe trade was then effecting its exchange between boats and wagons, and it did not cause any of the warehouse business that was being done here, to drift away. It was of material advantage, however, in a local way, for two of the leading warehouses were below what was then the town, which diverted trade to that point. These were Chouteau's and Ewing's, and by the washing away of these, the trade was drawn to Chick's warehouse, which was in town. Thus this great calamity was an advantage to what was then Kansas City, and every great calamity since, except the war, has equally redounded to her advantage, as the sequel will show.

Other Events Of 1843 To 1846

In 1844, H. M. Northrup, now a banker at Wyandotte, Kansas, came to Kansas City with the largest stock of merchandise that had yet been offered here, if not, in fact, the largest stock that had yet been offered at any place near this angle of the river. He made an effort at once to do a jobbing trade with the tradeis in western and southwestern Missouri and the Indian country, and was very successful in establishing that kind of a trade ; so much so that he soon became an important jobbing merchant, and shipped goods to local traders two hundred miles down the border of Missouri. This was the first attempt at a jobbing trade in Kansas City or on this border, and was the fitting super-position of a civilized distributive trade upon the old distributive trade of the French with the Indians ; and preserved that distinctive feature of trade as Kansas City passed from the French- Indian era into an era of civilized commerce. Mr. Northrup was a most important element in the early development of Kansas City, and in the building up of his business did more than any other man of that time, to build up the town.

In 1845, James H. McGee made some brick on his farm south of the then town, and built the first brick house ever built in Kansas City. From this lot of brick J. C. McCoy, who then conducted the ferry at this place, built the L part of a brick house, which still stands on the bluff, between Grand avenue and Walnut street. These were the first brick made in Kansas City, and the first laid here.

Renewal Of The Mexican Trade

In 1845 the Santa Fe trade was resumed with larger proportions than before, and with many new men engaged in it. By this time steamboatmen had become better acquainted with the river and had come to appreciate the natural rock landing at the town of Kansas, which was then superior to that of Blue Mills or Wayne City. The traders had also come to appreciate the advantages of this as a starting point. Before the suppression of the trade in 1843 they had learned the advantage of herding their teams on the-prairie across the line in the Indian country, and to a considerable extent had adopted the custom of keeping their teams there, making their own headquarters at Westport, then the nearest town, and waiting until their goods arrived at Blue Mills, when they would hitch up and go after them. To this fact Westport owed whatever share of the trade she enjoyed prior to that suppression. This custom was established with the re-establishment of the trade in 1845, and then the hardship of going twelve miles after their goods through a wooded country had been greatly increased by the settlements and cutting up of the country into farms, hence there arose a more urgent necessity for a nearer landing. Messrs. Bent and St. Vrain, who were among the oldest Indian traders on the plains, and who understood the advantages of th?s point better than many others who had engaged in the Santa Fe trade, landed a cargo of goods here this year, which, it is stated in Spalding's "Annals of Kansas City," published in 1858, was the first cargo of goods that ever went from this point in a train to Santa Fe. Others followed their example, so that in 1846 the people of Kansas City had what they regarded as a fair show of the trade

The Effect Of The Mexican War

During the winter of 1845 ^'^'^ 1846, the Mexican war was impending, and preparations were being made at Fort Leavenworth and all along the border, for the expeditions that were to be started out in the spring. This gave a great impulse to the trade and prosperity of the border towns; for now, more than ever was the advantages of this angle of the river as a point of departure for the southwest appreciated. It was the nearest point, to the scene of the struggle, that could be reached by water. To stop below was to increase the wagon transportation over bad roads, and to go above was to increase the distance. Besides, at this angle of the river was the best landing and the best roads leading to Mexican territory. This locality, therefore, became the focus of outfitting and departure. Recruiting offices were opened in the border towns, and suttlers and quartermasters outfitted at them. Westport landing then became much more important than it ever had been before, as a place for transferring goods from steamboats to wagons, though it was not enough of a place to do much in the way of outfitting. Weston, Parkville and Liberty, but more particularly Independence and Westport, were greatly benefited by this trade ; the latter two places enjoying the lafgest part of the outfitting business Westport was chiefly benefited, and at that time got an impulse that speedily raised it to rank with Independence. However, Kansas City felt the impulse of the preparations that were being made during the winter, and from the anticipation of the large amount of warehousing, and receiving and forwarding of military and suttler's goods, outfits and supplies, soon to occur, it acquired new and improved prospects. These facts, united with the tendency the M&xican trade had shown the previous year to come to this place, led the town company to adjust their differences, and lay anew the foundation of the future city.