Nearly a decade after James Frazier, Robert Riddle, Andrew J. Whitney, and Hozea B. Jolley drove stakes for their claim, Grasshopper Falls continued to grow.
Sometimes evidence of growing pains prevailed while periods of lethargy at other times seemed painfully lengthy. A sundry of items from the Kansas Jeffersonian and the Grasshopper Falls Jefferson best describe daily life in the pioneer village.
A loyal local citizen once stated, "We are located about right to become somewhat a city being about the center of a circle of larger towns, Topeka 26 miles southwest, Atchison 26 miles northeast Holton 20 miles west, and Horton 25 miles northwest. Lawrence and Leavenworth 30 to 35 miles southeast."
A school meeting in July of 1863 resulted in the following report:
"The school meeting Monday evening was the best attended and manifested the most interest of any one kind we ever participated in.
"Wm. Crosby was chosen president and Jas. A. Mann, secretary. A new district board was elected who voted to raise a tax of one half percent toward a new school house; one half percent for teachers' wages and a quarter percent for a contingent fund.
"All agree that we must have a good school house commenced as soon as next spring — building to be of stone, two stories high and suitable for a graded school. There are about 50 scholars in the district now.
"Meeting adjourned to meet first Monday in September. The disposition to have more school houses and less whiskey shops is a commendable feature in our village."
The contrasting items appeared in the same publication July 8, 1863, "All the sober people of Grasshopper Falls have been greatly outraged by the course pursued by the fummies in obtaining a permit to disgrace our thriving village with a whiskey shop. The law requires that before a license can be granted, a petitioner for the same must represent the willingness of a majority of the householders of the township. But how was it here? A majority of our citizens, the most substantial householders in the township knew nothing about it, until the license was secured, so slyly was the thing smuggled through by the liquor parties!
"And now we have heard them definantly boasting that they will sell liquor to whom they please regardless of the wholesome sentiment of the community! Shall such unscrupulous proceedings
be longer tolerated?"
The Valley Falls Historical Society museum will be open at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 3. Admission is free.
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