E. C. McCarty, Hiram M. Northrup, H. H. King, J. M. Ashburn, William Gillis, Dr. Benoist Troost, John Campbell and R. G. Stephens. Afterwards R. T. Van Horn, T. S. Case, Dr. D. Y. Chalfant, Ermine Case and several others became interested in the association. The Chamber of Commerce occupied an important part in the commercial development of Kansas City previous to the Civil war. The association was disorganized by the war. The city charter was amended January 29, 1857, to extend the city limits to the west state line, south to Twelfth street and east to the half section line. in the alley between McGee and Oak streets. The growth of the city within the next year made another amendment to the charter necessary. The legislature again enlarged the corporate limits in 1859, extending the boundary south to Twentieth street and east along that street to Troost avenue; thence north to Twelfth street and then east to Lydia avenue, north to Independence avenue; thence west to the quarter section line just west of Lydia avenue, and then north to the Missouri river. In the same act the city council was divided into two branches, but the division was repealed the following December. The city council was directed to divide the city into three wards. An ordinance was passed, March 5, 1858, making all of the city east of Grand avenue the First ward: the district between Grand avenue and Delaware street, and Main street south of the Junction, the Second ward; all of the territory west of Delaware street and Main street, south of the Junction, the Third ward. The population of Kansas City in 1855 was 478; in 1857, 3,224; in 1859, 7,180. The assessed valuation of taxable property was $54,000 in 1855; $1,200,000 in 1857, and $3.311,730 in 1859. The more important additions to Kansas City previous to the Civil war were: McGee addition, one hundred and sixty acres lying south of Twelfth street, between Main street and Holmes street, platted in the summer of 1855; Swope's addition joined McGee's addition on the north. Ross and Searritt's addition of forty acres; north of Ross and Searritt's addition, Peery place; McGee & Holmes' addition, King's addition, Bellvue place, Lykin's addition, Coates' addition, Bouton's addition, Ransom's addition, Lawrence's addition, Guinotte's addition and McDaniel's addition. A correspondent for the New York Herald came to Kansas City in 1860 and made the following report of the city's commerce with the great plains for the year in comparison with that of rival towns: Kansas City, 7,084 men and 3,033 wagons; Leavenworth, 1,216 men and 1,003 wagons; Atchison, 1,591 men and 1.280 wagons; St. Joseph, 490 men and 418 wagons. Quantity of freight in pounds: Kansas City, 16,439,134; Leavenworth, 5,656,082; Atchison, 6,097,943: St. Joseph, 1,672,000. The Western Journal of Commerce estimated in November, 1857, that $5,100,000 was in circulation on the Missouri border, divided as follows: United States army expenditures, $2,000,000; amount derived from the trade with New Mexico, $1,500,000; Indian annuity money, $1,100,000; cash spent by immigrants $300,000; paid for delivering the United States mail, $200,000. At the close of the year 1860 Kansas City had three Masonic lodges, two Odd Fellows lodges, one Good Templars lodge, a Turnverein, a Shamrock society, the Orpheus singing society, a chess club and a Bible society. Sutherland's directory of Kansas City for 1860-61 gives these newspapers and periodicals: The Western Journal of Commerce, daily, tri-weekly and weekly, D K. Abeel, proprietor, corner of Main and Commercial streets; Enquirer, weekly, Hodgson & McMurry, owners, Main street, between Second and Third streets; Missouri Post, German, weekly, August Wuerz, editor and owner, Main street, between Second and Third streets; Free State Republican, N. T. Doane, editor, Main street, between Second and Third streets; Kansas City Medical and Surgical Review, edited and published by Dr. G. M. B. Maughs and Dr. Theodore S. Case. The following churches were given in the directory: Methodist church, South, Fifth street, between Delaware and Wyandotte streets, the Rev. W. M. Leftwich, pastor; Methodist church, North, in Concert Hall; Episcopal church, at Concert Hall, the Rev. J. I. Corbyn, pastor; Reformed church, Main and Ottawa streets, the Rev. John O'Kane, pastor; Catholic church, corner Broadway and Chouteau avenue (now Eleventh street), the Rev. Father Bernard Donnelly, priest; Presbyterian church, Third and Main streets; Cumberland Presbyterian church, no regular house of worship; Baptist church, on May street. CHAPTER VII. ON THE ROAD TO SANTA FE. Santa Fe is a name steeped in romance. Its historic setting has made the town the Mecca for the antiquarian. Santa Fe rests in the shadowy mystery and ancient glory of the pre-historic Aztecs, the people of tradition and myths, discovered by the wandering Spanish explorers. To these adventurers and their followers "New Mexico was the Egypt of America and Santa Fe its Thebes." Few pages of history are so full of dramatic incident and weighty consequence as those pages that tell of the discovery and conquest of the Aztecs by the Castilians. The Spanish explorers were followed by the mission |