Hodgeman County was organized by an act of the Legislature of 1868, but was not organized until 1879. In the spring of 1877, settlements were commenced. Hodgeman County has 84,320 acres of public lands. Jetmore, its permanent county seat, is situated just about in the center of the county from north to south and from east to west. It is accessible from the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad from the county seats of Pawnee, Edwards and Ford Counties, Larned, Kinsley and Dodge City. The Hodgeman Center Post Office, two and a half miles distant from Jetmore, was absorbed by the latter office June 10, 1880.

The Celestian C. Corbet family lived for four years in a dugout and then a sod house was built next to it before Susie’s sister, Dora Elmira Corbet, was born on 23 Mar 1888 at Pawnee Valley.

The life Samuel Brady Howell and Susie Helen Corbet experienced in Hodgeman and Ness counties can best be visualized in the following accounts from the book Ness, Western County Kansas .

"In 1870 the hunting of buffalo for their hides began in full force and no doubt the Dodge-Hays trail was the take-off point for the hunters. During this period also, many buffalo hunters built dugouts along the bank of the Walnut (River) and lived in them a month at a time hunting the country round-about. By 1872 the buffalo hunting had moved west to the Ness-Lane county line. After the buffalo were all gone, there was little to fear from the Indians and settlement began along the Walnut.

The first settlers in Ness county were principally cattlemen who located along the Walnut, sometimes homesteading the home ranch, but allowing their cattle to roam all over the back country on the unclaimed grass. Other ranchers for to the south of Ness county also often drove their herds north in the spring and left them to drift all over western Kansas until round-up time. When the homesteaders came in great numbers through the years of 1878 and 1879, putting up sod houses and plowing up grass, there was immediate conflict with the cattlemen. The cattle running loose got into the fields so laboriously planted by the homesteader and destroyed the whole crop in a few hours. The rubbed and hooked at the corners of the sod houses, damaging them permanently. The homesteader hardly dared to leave the place. When the county was organized in 1880, one of the first orders passed by the county commissioners was the herd law forbidding stock from running at large and allowing damages to the farmers whose crops were damaged by such stock. This did not solve the problem although it gave the homesteader some recourse. The dry years had driven many of the homesteaders from the county. The farmers who succeeded in staying began turning more and more to cattle-growing as fast as they could gather a few cattle together.

The rush continued in 1879 and it has been said that by the end of this year every available quarter of land had been filed upon by someone. While this is not literally true there were some settlers clear out to the western boundary of the county. In these days there was no waiting by the settlers before filing on their land. From all reports, the first great wave of immigration into Ness county reached its peak late in 1879 or early 1880.

After the sod house or dugout was built and the well dug, a few acres of land were broken out. This was apt to be done with a borrowed plow since the sod was too tough for an ordinary plow. Corn was then planted by hand with a spade or in some cases an ax. Wheat was sown broadcast.

The darkness of the walls of the sod house was also unpleasant, but this was fairly easy of remedy. Native lime dung out of a bank, mixed with water and plastered on the walls, not only mad the room lighter and pleasanter but cleaner. Muslin stretched across from one side of the room to another made a light ceiling and eliminated the dropping of sand and insects from the roof at odd times. The dirt floor was especially obnoxious to the housewife. There was no way to clean such floors. They were swept with brooms, sprinkled with water to lay the dust and sometime sprinkled with salt to discourage the fleas. The roof of the sod house was its weakest point. After a hard or long rain the water came trickling through the sod on the roof and the whole ceiling began to drip. The equipment of the sod house was meager. The stove provided heat for the cooking and heating with much less fuel than the fireplace and in this land where fuel was very, very scarce, stoves were an absolute necessity. The cow chip might have been scorned by a fastidious lady in the beginning, but like the sod house, it qualities were soon appreciated. This fuel mad a hot, quick fire and many homes depended on it entirely. The chips were accumulated for winter use and stored in an old dugout or building or stacked in great piles near the door. One family gathered 13 wagon loads for the winter. On any expedition, sacks were taken along so this fuel might be gathered along the way. Gathering chips on the prairie was a chore often assigned to children. Many folk tales have grown up concerning this activity. The privilege of picking the chips on the ranches was eagerly sought. There were even quarrels over the allotment of these territories and quarrels when on encroached on another settler’s space. One man is said to have initialed the chips while they were still green in order to reserve them for himself.

The gathering momentum of business development and the rise of enthusiasm as it accelerated, may be portrayed by a simple chronology of newspapers items of that summer. "May 23, 1885: New town of Nonchalanta laid out." By September lots at Nonchalanta were reported to be selling for $15 to $85.

But the greatest blizzard of them all was the one that began on January 1, 1886 with heavy snow and below zero temperature. The storm continued for three days and after moderating somewhat for two days, returned in full force on January 6^th. Great suffering was caused by this storm since many people ran low on fuel and provisions, being isolated by the heavy snow and the length of the blizzard. Men caught away from home sought refuge in abandoned dugouts or school houses. Some froze their hands, feet and ears. Men going out to tend stock tied a rope to the door knob and never let go of the rope. Some took cows and horses into the house. Some stayed in bed to keep warm and conserve their fuel. Dugouts proved their worth as when the snow completely covered them, they became insulated from the cold. Most of the cattle without shelter died in the storm but no lives were lost in Ness county.

In population Johnson has always been the smallest township in the county, but with the exception of the period of the boom at Nonchalanta, the population has shown less fluctuation. In 1880 there were 170 people; in 1881, 130 people; 1887, 653 people; 1895, 157 people. Lewis Odom platted the town of Nonchalanta on July 30, 1885. He asked Dr. Yingling to suggest a name for the town, stating he didn’t care for what it was as long as it sounded good. Thus the word "nonchalant" came into the doctor’s mind. This with and extra "a" on the end sounded good to Mr. Odom and so the town was named.

In 1887 the newspaper of the town advertised it as "the magic young city of the plains, with six public wells with pure water, a hundred houses to be guilt in early spring and a railroad to be built during the coming summer. A number of stone buildings were put up, among them a two-story school house, a hotel and a Methodist church. The hotel was for a time presided over by John R. Rogers, who later became governor of Washington. James Case had the lumber yard.

The first teacher at Nonchalanta was Laura Muldrow in December 1887. The fine new school building was finished in October 1888. Nonchalanta lasted longer than some of the other boom towns. The newspaper did not cease publication until February 1889. When the railroad failed to come, by 1890 little was left of Nonchalanta, but the ghostly stone buildings.

One of the handicaps of the settlement of western Kansas was the expectation that the country would spring into maturity immediately; land without trees or rocks would produce crops at the first plowing and planting; towns would become cities and men would become wealthy over-night. The gift of land by the federal government to the settler that sounded so munificent, meant nothing until the land could be plowed and planted. The sod was mighty tough and the ordinary plow brought from the east would not break it. The farmer had to leave his land and go away to work and such wages as he earned when to support his family, with very little left over to develop and enlarge his farming operation. In the five years beginning with 1885, mortgages covering 402,569 acres of land had been recorded. While there were duplications-some land carrying several mortgages-this was more land than was at the time on the tax rolls of the county. While crops had been good, prices were very low and so, although the farmer had more to sell, he got little more than when e had little to sell. The mortgage money now having been spent, business in the towns slowed.

The Harold Record and the Nonchalanta Herald lost hope of a railroad and also succumbed early in 1889. Nonchalanta, Riverside and Harold were entirely depopulated. The little towns on the railroads held on but in nearly every case the original merchants and business men went bankrupt and business dwindled to perhaps one store, a post office and a blacksmith ship. and the Nonchalanta Herald lost hope of a railroad and also succumbed early in 1889. Nonchalanta, Riverside and Harold were entirely depopulated. The little towns on the railroads held on but in nearly every case the original merchants and business men went bankrupt and business dwindled to perhaps one store, a post office and a blacksmith ship.

Many of the early settlers were poor. Some came in their wagons with horses and plows but many came in on the train with no equipment whatever. These people had to live and at the same time get started on their farms. There was little employment to be found in the county. Some found occasional employment freighting for the country stores.

The Nonchalanta Herald was first issued on May 20, 1987 with H.C. Notson and P.H Loomis publishers, but by August of that year Mr. Notson continued alone. Losing hope that the Nonchalanta could exist without the railroad, that had been promised so long but never came, the newspaper went out of business with the February 8, 1889 issue.

The Nonchalanta school was organized in 1887. In 1888, the new school building at Nonchalanta was finished at a cost of $3,500. Next to the Ness City one, this was the finest school building in the country. The two-story structure was destroyed by a tornado in 1899.

Nonchalanta also had a fine, much loved physician in Dr. W. W. Yingling, who was not only a doctor but also a minister who preached on Sunday and was a man of great influence in the community.

At other times, the press was openly derisive as in the Walnut Valley Sentinel of February 26, 1987. The following was sent in by the Nonchalanta correspondent, "Wanted at Pawnee Valley, on the Pawnee River, a preacher. Must be able to sling genuine gospel square from the chin, and strong enough to baptize converts weighing up to 300 pounds with safety and dispatch. Big pay an a fine field that has never been worked. Pick up and come along at once. By order of the Salvation Committee."

In July 1899, a cloud, funnel-shaped with a green edge came and finished the towns of Riverside and Nonchalanta. This storm covered a swath four miles wide and the accompanying hail killed sheep and drove horses into wire fences where they were cut."

The Beginning of the Howell Family in Doniphan County 

Doniphan County  
William G. Cutler's History of the State of Kansas: Doniphan County  [ 1883 Map ]

Mrs. Corbett and eight children, Minnie, Frank, Will, Lou, Callie, Herbert, Harve and Dora, returned to Doniphan County by covered wagon in July of 1888. Susie took a train back to Leona, in Doniphan County, on 18-Sep 1888. Sam and Mr. Corbet followed in October or November with the livestock. Sam and Susie lived with her parents that winter in Doniphan County.

They had the following children [Click on photo to enlarge]:

1. Mahala Ellen Howell, or "Ella", was born 21-Jan 1889 at Leona. Susie did house work and cooked for six or eight men near White Cloud for man named Winkler. Susie worked for him for six months got $23 month and board. Sam got job one mile from there with Mr. Winkler in August of 1890.

2. James Madison Howell, the second child of Samel Brady & Susie Helen (Corbet) Howell, was born 24-Sep 1890 at White Cloud. He was named after Sam’s father, James Madison Howell, of Lincoln County, Missouri.

3. Eliza Winkler Howell, the third child, was born 12-Nov 1892 but died 4-Mar 1893. I would assume Eliza got her middle name from the Winkler family of White Cloud, KS. , the third child, was born 12-Nov 1892 but died 4-Mar 1893. I would assume Eliza got her middle name from the Winkler family of White Cloud, KS.

In the same year of 1893, Susie’s older brother, William Hastings Corbet, ran in the Cherokee Strip land rush  in Oklahoma and claimed a homestead five miles north and five miles west of Stillwater, OK. On September 16, 1893, the Cherokee strip was open for settlement. One of the greatest races in history, with an estimated 100,000 persons taking part. Men, women and children traveled by train and horseback, and in all types of horse-drawn vehicles, and many were afoot. Home seekers and opportunists had been gathering for several days along 165 miles of the southern borders of Kansas. They were there to race for approximately 6 million acres of land, extending 58 miles to the south. The strip lay between Kansas and Oklahoma territory, opened to settlement four years earlier. The Cherokee tribe was loath to part with it, having leased it to the Cherokee Strip Cattlemen's association for $100,000 annually. The association had agreed to double its rental. Three railroads and countless politicians, opportunists and land-hungry farmers wanted it opened. Finally a law was passed saying no more cattle could be grazed in the strip. The Cherokees sold. The opening was announced with a great fanfare. The race lasted about two hours, when those from the north began to meet those from the south. Places that had consisted of one building, there to serve as a land office, or even bare spots on the prairie, became cities before night.

4. Ada Fern Howell, the fourth child, was born 27-Jun 1894 at White Cloud. Sam Howell rented a farm from Mr. Winkler then various other farms. , the fourth child, was born 27-Jun 1894 at White Cloud. Sam Howell rented a farm from Mr. Winkler then various other farms.

5. Frank Celestian Howell was born 11-Jun 1896 at White Cloud. He was named after Susie’s younger brother, Frank Celestian Corbet, who fought in the Spanish American War the very same year.

6. Clara Helen Howell was born 9-Mar 1899 at White Cloud but died shortly thereafter on 9-Apr 1899.

After ten years in Doniphan County, plans were underway for the final destination of the Samuel Brady Howell family. In 1899, Samuel Brady Howell acquired 160 acres in southwest Pratt County near Croft in the Springvale Township and began plans to move his family, livestock and farming essentials.

William Henry Howell Family of Chautauqua County
1883 Map
County History
Settlements of Chautauqua Co., KS

William Henry Howell

Pedigree Chart

William Henry Howell [Click on photo to enlarge] as born 6 Oct 1856 in Allen Co., Ky. He was the 1st child of James D. Howell, Sr.

William married Laura E. WILSON, daughter of Joseph A. WILSON and Barbara A. MILLER, on 13 Oct 1880 in Allen Co., Ky. Laura was born 10 Jan 1862 in Scottsville, Allen Co., Ky.

They moved to Chautauqua Co., KS in 1884. 

They had the following children:

1. Iva Mae HOWELL

2. W. Oscar HOWELL was born about 1884.

3. Verna C. HOWELL was born about 1890 in Elgin, Chautauqua Co., KS. She died before 1951. was born about 1890 in Elgin, Chautauqua Co., KS. She died before 1951.

4. M. Blanche HOWELL was born about 1891 in Elgin, Chautauqua Co., KS. She died 1907 in Elgin, Chautauqua Co., Ks and was buried in Orzo Falls Cemetery, Hewins, Chautauqua Co, Ks. was born about 1891 in Elgin, Chautauqua Co., KS. She died 1907 in Elgin, Chautauqua Co., Ks and was buried in Orzo Falls Cemetery, Hewins, Chautauqua Co, Ks.

5. Orval Lester HOWELL was born 13 Feb 1893 in Elgin, Chautauqua Co., Ks. He died 20 Jun 1980 in Coffeyville, Montgomery Co., Ks and was buried in Orzo Falls Cemetery, Hewins, Chautauqua Co, Ks.

William Henry HOWELL died 19 Sep 1951 in Elgin, Chautauqua Co., Ks and was buried in Orzo Falls Cemetery, Hewins, Chautauqua Co, Ks.  Laura E. (Wilson) Howell died 27 Feb 1893 in Elgin, Chautauqua Co., Ks and was buried in Orzo Falls Cemetery, Hewins, Chautauqua Co, Ks.

Orzo Falls Cemetery Transcribed from Mr. G. Herman Guy's Cemeteries in Chautauqua County, Kansas. The Ozro Falls Cemetery is located in S28 - T34 - R9 in Harrison Township. It is approximately one mile north of the village of Hewins and a mile west.

   HOWELL, Blanche 1891 1907
    HOWELL, Iva M. 06 Dec 1881 03 May 1961
    HOWELL, Laura 10 Jan 1860 27 Feb 1893
    HOWELL, Orval L. 1893 1980 Vet.
    HOWELL, William H. 06 Oct 1856 08 Sep 1951

 
Kansas State Census

The following is courtesy of James and Willma Hahn, Boulder, CO:

1895 Kansas State Census: Ely, in Jefferson Township, Post Office Leeds. Chautauqua Co., KS
1898 Atlas shows Leeds about 7 miles east of the Cowley County line and 5 miles south of the Elk County line.  Ely is not on that map.
The census page shows Dwelling 1, Family 4:

On this page there are 32 names in 5 families all listed as in dwelling No. 1

1905 Kansas State Census:
Jefferson Township, Chautauqua Co., KS
Rent, Mortgaged House #86 Family #88

Iva Mae "Irene" HOWELL (William Henry , James D. , James , Raleigh ) was born 6 Dec 1881 in Scottsville, Allen Co., Ky. She died 3 May 1961 in Sedan, Chautauqua Co., KS and was buried in Orzo Falls Cemetery, Hewins, Chautauqua Co, KS.

Irene married (1) Edward E. WALDEN on 20 May 1900 in Chautauqua Co., KS. Edward was born Jun 1879 in IL.

They had the following children:

1. Marie Arie WALDEN was born 4 Nov 1902 in Cherokee, Crawford County, Ks. She died 15 Aug 1935 in Trinidad, Humboldt County, Ca and was buried in Mt. Hope Cemetery, Kansas City, KS.

2. Muriel Lola WALDEN was born 1905. She died 14 Nov 1928 in Joplin, Jasper Co., MO and was buried in Ozark Memorial Park, Joplin, MO.

3. Gerald M. WALDEN was born 13 Jul 1908 in Ks. He died 16 Jan 1991 in Frederick, Wayne Co., MI.

Irene also married (2) Charles H. JENNINGS on 30 Sep 1918. Charles was born 1882 in MO.

Martha Ann (Perdue) Bryant (See Missouri, Part I Chapter)

Pedigree Chart

Martha Ann Perdue [Click on photo to enlarge] 4 Oct 1837 in Lafayette, Macon Co., TN; Married Daniel C. Bryant [Photo] , twin brother of Charles Bryant. They moved to Pratt Co., KS in 1884. Martha died 3 July 1921 and buried in Haviland, Pratt Co., KS.  Photos courtesy of Betty Bryant Barker, Phoenix, AZ.

Bryant,    Daniel Charles   b. 26 Aug 1838, Galletin, Sumner, Tennessee
Bryant,    Martha Ann    b. 4 Oct 1837, Lafayette, Macon, Tennessee
Bryant,    James Henderson    b. 14 Aug 1871, Troy, Lincoln, Missouri
Bryant,    Sara Eliza    b. 3 Sep 1876, Troy, Lincoln, Missouri
Bryant,    Bertain Yancey    b. 12 Oct 1879, Troy, Lincoln, Missouri
Bryant,    Allan Edward   b.  14 Dec 1881, Troy, Lincoln, Missouri
Bryant,    George W.    b. 28 Mar 1885, Springvale, Pratt, Kansas

Link to Mark DiVecchio's website on the Bryant & Snider families. Great pictures and memorabilia of these families!

Kansas Census-1895, Pratt County, McClelland Township

Two sons of Daniel C. and Martha Ann Bryant appeared in the Banner Township in 1895:

Bryant,    John Mentlow      b. 27 May 1867, Troy, Lincoln, Missouri  
Bryant,    William Bradford     b. 24 Oct 1873, Troy, Lincoln, Missouri  

Federal Census 1920, Kiowa County, Haviland City

1920 Census  Martha Ann (Perdue) & Daniel C. Bryant; Bertain Yancey Bryant

Francis Marion Howell (See Missouri, Part I Chapter)

Francis Marion Howell was the first child of Young Howell (1806-1881).  Francis Marion Howell and his brother, Elisha Welty Howell, both survived the Massacre of the Third M.S.M. Cavalry (see Military page) which involved a Confederate attack including Frank and Jessie James who would become bank robbers and outlaws after the war.

Most of the information we currently know is from his obituary in the Coldwater, KS newspaper below. See the Military page for more of his Civil War information. I have not connected with any of his descendants at this point.

He appears in the 1880 census in Lincoln County, Missouri and moved to Kansas in 1893. He and his family were residing in the Reeder Township of Kiowa County, Kansas in 1895.  He moved to Oklahoma in 1895 and then on to Coldwater, Comanche County, Kansas in 1896. The 1900 Federal Census of Kansas, Comanche County, Town of Coldwater, lists him solely as head of household,  age 67 and notes his occupation as the City Marshall.  Full page  Census Detail Image  Line 92 Page B. He resided there until his death in 1906.  I found three of his sons in the 1920 and 1930 Oklahoma census. Elbert F. Howell as a farmer in Woods County; Clifton A. Howell, Sr. as a physician in Oklahoma City; O.D. Howell, an Engineer/Electric in Enid, Woods County, OK.

1880 Federal Census
Missouri, Lincoln County, Bedford Township

1895 Kansas State Census
Kiowa County, Reeder Township

1897 University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK

The University of Oklahoma was founded in 1890 roughly a half mile southwest of Norman.  The town of Norman was just six years old, having been settled by mostly Texans during the Oklahoma land rush of 1889. The enrollment at OU in 1895 was 148 students. Oklahoma Football was born in 1895.

Clifton A. Howell, Sr. was on the 1897 University of Oklahoma football team, Oklahoma's second undefeated season. 

The 1897 OU team consisted of:
Jasper "Jap" Clapham, END (, 
Bill McCutcheon, END, (Enid)
Joe Merkle, TACKLE, 
Ed Barrow, TACKLE, (Chickasha Nation)
John Hefley, GUARD, 
Clifton Howell, GUARD, 
Harry Ford, QB, (Perry)
Paul Mackey, HB, 
Hugh Maycroft, HB,
and Lum Roberts, FB & Captain. 

1899: This was the first year that OU was scheduled to play KU. The game was cancelled. Kansas notified OU that the KU football team had disbanded. There was considerable national furor over football because the game was so violent. A number of schools had stopped playing football (Stanford and California, and other colleges) because there had been a number of deaths and severe injuries. More schools would stop football until a number of rule changes occurred in 1905. 

Our old student records indicate that Clifton A Howell was born July 2, 1875.  He entered the University of Oklahoma in the fall of 1908 and attended through the spring of 1909.  His major was medicine, but we have no record that he received a degree from OU.  He lived in Alva, OK.
I hope this helps complete your records.  Please let me know if we may be of further assistance. Boomer Sooner.
Source: 
Jerry W. Snow
The University of Oklahoma
Alumni Records
Whitehand Hall
Norman, OK  73019

Clifton A. Howell, Sr. was in Louisiana around 1912 as his son, Clifton A. Howell, Jr. was born there.

1900 Federal Census
City of Coldwater, Comanche County, Kansas

From early post office records, Clifton A. Howell, Sr. was in Bickford, Blaine County, OK in 1904 as their first Postmaster.
Source: 
Chronicles of Oklahoma
Volume 6, No. 4
December, 1928
EARLY POST OFFICES OF OKLAHOMA
Blaine County
Page 414

State of Oklahoma 
Ghost Towns that Begin with the Letter "B"

1920 Federal Census
Cedar Township, Woods County, Oklahoma 

1920 Federal Census
Oklahoma Township, Oklahoma County, Oklahoma 

1930 Federal Census
Alva, Woods, Oklahoma; Roll: T626_1927; Page: 4B; Enumeration District: 1; Image: 0713.

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