Norton, Kansas

Taken from Seventy Years in Norton County 1872-1942 by D. N. Bowers.  
Transcribed by Joann Wolf

Pictures of Early Norton

The city of Norton, [alt.2272 Ft.; population 2703, 1941], is situated in the Prairie Dog Valley in the center of the county approximately half way between Denver and Kansas City.  It is situated on the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific and the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy railroads, 3 US and 4 County Highways giving excellent transportation facilities.

The town was laid out on a section of a State Road projecting from Belleville to Norton, and State Street extending from north to south through the city marks the course of the old road.  This road was the dividing line between two additions when the town was platted, and made historic by the spirited fight between the sponsors.  As finally established the city lies on both the east and west of State Street. 

The courthouse stands a block east of State Street and on the block adjoining Main Street on the south.  This block was designated the Public Square at a time when the town site was a broad expanse of vacant prairie land.  Business houses surround the public square and line the business streets.  The Government post office stands on the southeast corner opposite the courthouse, and Elmwood Park extends along the Prairie Dog in the southeast part of the city.

EARLY HISTORY.

The history of Norton dates from the winter of 1870-71.  It was about this time that hunters and trappers, slowly moving westward along the streams, reached Norton County.  There were others who came seeking new homes, and still another class who came for the purpose of speculating, looking for easy money and office.  Among this class was N. H. Billings.  We quote from F. M. Lockard in his History of the Early Settlement of Norton County “In February, 1872 N. H. Billings came here from Cloud county, he at once commenced to make preparation to start a town and organize the county.  He represented to Coleman and Jim Hall, the only settlers here at that time, to be at the head of a syndicate of capitalists who would spend their money liberally in building a city.  Billings was a man of over weaning vanity and succeeded in convincing them that he was their Moses.  In a historical sketch written by J. H. Simmons and published in the Norton County Bee, {Published by A. F. Harmer at Norton} under date of March 12, 1877, he says of Billings:  ‘About this time a long, lank specimen of the genus homo made his appearance in the county introducing himself as Col. N. H. Billings.  He was a character possessed of fair education, some legal lore, a deal of egotism, and some degree of cunning.  Chiefly through his exertions the county was hurried into a decidedly premature organization.  He formed an alliance with Coleman in the locating business in which Coleman did the principal work and Billings eagerly shared the profits.’

In the organization of new towns the first thing was to organize a town association to promote the town in advertising and the sale of lots and encouraging new enterprises to be established within the city.  Norton was no exception to this rule and instead of one town association there were two organized in the early history of the town.  Since the names were the same, “Norton Town Association”, they must not be confused.

James M. Maggard proved up on the land where the court house now stands in 1873 and sold approximately sixty acres to Richard Williams September 26, 1873.  While the Norton Town Association began operating as a corporation in November 1873 and were issuing deeds as early as 1874, the title of the town site remained in the name of Richard Williams until August 31, 1878.As president of the Company he held the title in trust.  The deed was acknowledged March 19, 1880 and filed for record on that date.

The site was platted while the title was in the name of James M. Maggard or some time before July 17,1873.

This fact is established from and entry in the “Record of County Commissioners” as follows:  “At a meeting of the board July 17, 1873, the board rented from S. B. and E. M Newell a building, twelve by twenty feet, located on the northeast corner of the Public Square.”  This shows that the town was platted and the Public Square established at that time.

In the year 1877 a case came up in court where a man was accused of selling intoxicants, and to prove the place where the alleged crime was committed, the plat of the town was introduced as evidence.  The defense objected to the plat being introduced as evidence on the ground that it had not been properly certified.  The objection was sustained by the court and the plat declared worthless.  From this time on for a year or two the Norton Town Association met with some legal reverses in establishing their Addition to the town of Norton.

W. B. Rogers, who was well known to many of the citizens of Norton today, secured relinquishment on eighty acres of land adjoining State Street on the west.  He platted four blocks of this land that was included in the Charter granted the Norton Town Association in the year of 1872.  This led to a fight between Mr. Rogers and the Association.  It was fought in the court, according to Mr. Lockard.  There are no records that throw any light on the subject.  Some of the earliest Court Records are complete, and this may account for the omission.  The nature of the fight would depend upon the relationship existing between the two Town Associations.  If they were separated and distinct as the charters indicate it is difficult to see where there was ground for legal action on the part of the Town Association. If, however, the new company was simply a reorganization of the old, they might have claimed some rights granted by the first charter.  Whatever the trouble was, it is reported that the Association lost and Mr. Rogers plat still stands.

Mr. Rogers filed his plat in the office of Register of Deeds at 3 o’clock P.M. on December 7, 1878.  In the meantime the Association was busy reorganizing their company and refilling their plat.  The plat book shows that on the same day that Mr. Rogers filed his plat, J. R. Case, president of the Norton Town Association, made the following acknowledgment:  “I, J. R. Case, president of the Norton Town Association of Norton, County of Norton, State of Kansas, do herby acknowledge that the within plat is a true and correct plat of the Addition to the town of Norton.”  Signed, J. R. Case, President.  He appeared before the County Clerk, M. J. FitzPatrick February 18, 1879 and acknowledged the execution of the same.  Filed for record on December 28, 1878, at 10 o’clock A. M.  Refiled October 20, 1886 at 12 P. M. by request of Albert Graves, president of the Association; William Simpson, secretary of the Association; L. H. Thompson, county attorney; and L. K. Pratt, Judge of the Circuit Court.

For some time there was a bitter fight between Mr. Rogers and the Norton Town Association.  State Street was entirely closed, the east side being used as an alley by the Association; backhouses were lined up against the street, as well as other buildings.

While the reason for the Norton Town Association establishing Kansas Avenue so close to State Street is a matter of opinion, it does account for the short block and the fact that business houses face both streets.  Legend has it that this was done deliberately to shut off State Street from the courthouse square.

The row of buildings lining State Street on the west and extending from where the First State Bank is now situated north to Main Street, constituted what was termed “Banana Row.”  Some old timers insist that the name originated from the tendency of the proprietors of stores fronting Kansas Avenue to throw old banana crates and the refuse out of their back doors, thus creating an unfavorable atmosphere for the struggling State Street proprietors. 

The fight with Leota for the permanent county seat had been long and spirited; it had divided the people of the entire county into two groups.  Norton and Leota.  Political questions on any other issues that came up were divided along that line and were bitterly fought out.  One effect of this struggle was to unite the people of  Norton, they had banded together and fought hard to hold the county seat.  The Norton Town Association took a leading part in the battle, and through the leadership of such men as Richard Williams, J. R. Thompson and others, won out.  The fight of organizing and platting the town was of short duration; they soon forgot it and have since worked harmoniously to build a large and better Norton.  The town has continued to grow and now comprises a city of twenty-four additions. 

In the spring of 1878 emigration poured in from all points of the compass, new building were erected and new business houses opened.  On March 1, 1880 there were over seven thousand inhabitants in the county and about two hundred in Norton.  The real growth of the town began in 1885 when the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy railroad was built through the county.

Norton was named in Orliff Norton honor.  Orliff Norton was a Civil War Soldier and his name was suggested by Preston B. Plumb who was Speaker of the House of Representatives in the year 1867.  Many counties in the state were given names of soldiers.

The Kansas Territorial Legislature if 1859 had given the name of Oro to the territory now comprising Norton County.

Then in 1867 an act was passed and Norton was designated a county defining the boundaries of the new County , and as I said above, it was given the name in honor of Capt. Orliff as Norton.

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