one water tower, a tool wagon and a fuel wagon. The present officers are: Chief, J. C. Egner; first assistant, Alex Henderson, second assistant, D. S. Donovan; third assistant, Edward Cassidy; fourth assistant, John Leonard; fifth assistant, G. E. Hughes; sixth assistant, M. M. Mahoney; chief of utilities, Maurice O'Connor; master mechanic, L. E. Hale; superintendent of fire alarms, B. C. Haldeman; veterinary, C. R. Treadway; secretary, W. R. Smith; assistant secretary, Leo McGuire; fire warden, Edward Trickett. R. T. Van Horn bought the Western Journal of Commerce in May, 1865, and began publishing a series of inspiring articles. This editorial is from the issue of August 3, 1865: "There is a tide in the affairs of men-and the same is true of cities. We are now approaching the flood. If taken advantage of, we shall be carried on to fortune. If we do not act at the tide of our opportunities our future history will be a record of failure and humiliation. "The present is bright; we can, if we will, be the architects of our own fortune. To be so, we must be earnest, industrious and enterprising. Visions of the future show half a dozen railroads coverging at this point; it shows the river port for the plains; a point of trans-shipment for the minerals, the wool and other products of the South, Southwest and West, as also the articles from the East and foreign countries. It shows us the great central mart for the distribution of the wealth of half a continent-rich, powerful and magnificent. Providence never assisted a lazy man-fortune never smiled on an indolent community. The price paid for prosperity is labor, energy, enterprise. With a lively policy-by throwing old fogy notions to the winds-by placing our mark high and working up to it, we shall become in two or three years all that we have described." The citizens heeded the call of the enthusiasts and began at once the work of building a great city at the Kaw's mouth. From 1865 to 1870 the population increased from about three thousand five hundred to thirty two thousand, two hundred and sixty, as shown by the government census; seven railroads and the Hannibal bridge were completed; gas works built, the Board of Trade established, the first stock yards built, first packing house built, public school system established, Kansas City Times founded, First National bank established, Coates Opera house begun, Twelfth street widened and graded, and other improvements made. The city spent one million, five hundred thousand dollars for street improvements between 1865 and 1874. Bernard & Mastin organized a bank in February, 1866, that was succeeded by the Mastin bank. The First National bank was established about the same time with G. W. Branham as president. The firm of Marsh, Hilliker & Co. constructed a bridge across the Kaw river between Kansas City and Wyandotte, Kansas, that was completed in December, 1866, with much rejoicing. The city council appointed a committee early in 1867 to compile a statement of the city's trade and progress for the year 1863. This report was submitted: Population, fifteen thousand, sixty-four; buildings erected seven hundred and sixty-eight at a cost of $2,166,500; amount of total trade in all lines, $33,006,827. At the time of the report there were in Kansas City: Fourteen churches, two colleges, two academies, twelve primary schools, twenty-one dry goods stores, eight grocery stores, thirteen clothing establishments, eight saloons, fifteen boot and shoe stores, eight hotels, two daily and three weekly newspapers, seven miles of macadamized streets, and three railroads in operation, all terminating here-the Missouri Pacific; Union Pacific, eastern division; and the Missouri river railroad. The latter. line connected Kansas City and Leavenworth, and later became a part of the Missouri Pacific system. The Missouri legislature amended the city charter, March 12, 1865, and defined the wards as follows: First ward, east of Delaware street and north of Ninth street; Second ward, east of Main street and south of Ninth street; Third ward, all territory west of Main and Delaware streets. The Missouri legislature enacted a law in March, 1865, providing for the establishment of public schools in the cities and towns of the state. The Kansas City Board of Education was organized in August, 1867, under the authority of the new law. These were the members of the first board: President, W. E. Sheffield; secretary, H. C. Kumpf; treasurer, J. A. Bachman; E. II. Allen, T. B. Lester and E. H. Spalding. J. B. Brady was appointed superintendent of schools. Immediately after the organization of the board, Mr. Kumpf retired and A. A. Bainbridge was chosen to fill the vacancy. When the public school system was established there were about two thousand children of school age in Kansas City. The old Chamber of Commerce, organized in 1857 having lost its usefulness after the Civil war, the Board of Trade was organized, February 6, 1869, with a membership of sixty-seven. The following officers were elected: President, T. K. Hanna; first vice-president, M. Dively; second vice-president, S. S. Mathews; secretary, D. M. Keen; and treasurer, H. M. Holden. The organization at once became active in promoting enterprises for the benefit of the town. The gas company was incorporated in February 1865, and permanently organized, October 26, 1867. The Union Stock Yards company was formed early in 1871, and opened its yards for business, June 1, 1871. At the close of 1870, Kansas City had eight railroads and seven banks, and had built during the year nine hundred and twenty-seven houses at an aggregate cost of $3,454,500. The jobbing trade for the year was estimated as follows: Dry goods, $2,511,840; groceries, $2,614,425; liquors, $618,108; miscellaneous lines, $3,004,320; making a total of $8,748,693. The whole volume for the year was estimated at $34,794,880. The extraordinary expansion of the city immediately after the Civil war made it necessary to plat many additions to accommodate the new residents. The following new additions were platted in the period between 1865 and 1870: Resurvey of Reed's addition, January 12, 1865; McElroy's subdivision, June 3, 1865; T. S. Case's sub-division, October 4, 1865; Pacific Place addition, October 5, 1865; S. S. Smith's sub-division, October 17, 1865; Cottage Place addition, December 15, McGee Place addition, December 18, 1865; Vineyard's Second addition, February 19, 1866; Rice's addition, February 27, 1866; West Kansas addition, No. 2, April 9, 1866; Bailis Place addition, May 2, 1866; Krey's sub-division, May 21, 1866; A. J. Lloyd's sub-division, May 24, 1866; T. A. Smart's Second addition, May 30, 1866; McLane's sub-division, August 7, 1866; Smart's Place addition, October 1, 1866; Long & White's sub-division, December 11, 1866; T. S. Case's addition, January 9, 1867; Guinotte Bluff addition, April 22, 1867; Gillis' addition, October 8, 1867; Case & Bailis' sub-division, November 18, 1867, T. A. Smart's Third addition, May 11, 1868; E. M. McGee's subdivision, May 22, 1868; extension to West Kansas addition, No. 1, June 11, 1868; B. F. Evans' addition, July 24, 1868; Bidwell's sub-division, August 19, 1868; William Toms' addition, October 2, 1868; Seegar's addition, October 30, 1868; Armfield's addition, November 2, 1868; Broadway addition, November 5, 1868; Mulkey's addition, December 1, 1868; Second Resurvey of Reed's addition, April 21, 1869; Hammerslough's sub-division, May 4, 1869; Hurck's sub-division of Guinotte's Bluff addition, May 21, 1869; Matthew & Hill's sub-division, June 29, 1869; Thomas Green's sub-division of lot 116, Hurck's sub-division, July 29, 1869; Lykin's Place addition, September 12, 1869; Branham's sub-division, September 12, 1869; Gallfly's addition, September 18, 1869; and Bank Street Block addition, October 5, 1869. Campbell's gazetteer of Missouri, published in 1875, says this of Kansas City: "In 1866 actual recuperation commenced, and in the rapid increase of the city in population, in the immense amount of public and private improvements, and in all the substantial and important interests which go to build up a great city, it has, perhaps, no parallel in the history of the continent. In four years from that time (viz. 1870) the official census shows a population of 32,268, being an increase of more than 400 per cent in four years. The number and cost of public schools and churches, the magnificent railroad and passenger bridge spanning the Missouri, the Exposition |