Potter: Its History, Its Business and Its People, part 1 of 5

Potter Kansan, 7 January 1909, page 1, columns 1, 2 & 3.
POTTER
ITS HISTORY, ITS BUSINESS AND ITS PEOPLE

The building of Potter is the third and most successful attempt to establish a town in this vicinity. The first attempt was at Mount Pleasant. This was one of the first towns started in Kansas and here was located the first post office in Atchison county. It prospered for a time and was a candidate for the county seat. It gradually declined and since the establishment of Potter has been little more than a memory. In the early days, some say before Mount Pleasant was started, a town was laid out near the big spring, a half mile northeast of the present site of Potter, and called Martinsburg. It was extensively boomed, but never advanced beyond the paper stage. Will Young who has seen a printed plat of it says that streams of fresh water were represented as running alongside the principal streets.

Early in 1886 the Pollywog was built and a station located here. A town was platted and called Bennett Springs. It was named for James Gordon Bennett of the New York Herald. The springs on the Masterson farm, east of here, were attracting considerable attention at the time and it was thought that a popular resort could be built up here. The railroad people, however, christened it Potter in honor of Hon. Joseph Potter, who owned a part of the land on which the town [was built]. The northern and western portions of the town have been built on land owned by Fred Poos.

The first settler here was T.J. Potter, our present postmaster. He built the house now occupied by Mrs. Mary Hundley in 1882, four years before the town was started.

The first business house in Potter was erected by Charles Klein, a son of Mrs. X. Klein and a brother of Mrs. W.J. Rumley. This was the building now occupied by Martin Decker as a dwelling. Mr. Klein kept a store here until his death when Mr. Owens operated it for a short time and was succeeded by W.B. White who remained in business here until a year ago.

In 1886, Weir and Scrivener, brothers-in-law of Mr. Klein, opened a store on the corner now occupied by L.M. Jewell. Later Mr. Weir became sole owner and after running the store a few years sold it to Kemper and Paxton, of Kansas City, who in turn sold it to L.M. Jewell. Mr. Jewell took possession in March, 1802--nearly seventeen years ago. The names of Jewell and Potter are intimately associated. Mr. Jewell is recognized as one of the most successful merchants of Atchison county and to his enterprise is largely due the enviable reputation that Potter enjoys as a business center.

T.J. Potter ran a store in the post office building for several years. Following Mr. Potter, Clarence Binkley, T.J. Highfill and W.A. Hodge successively operated the store. Mr. Potter now has a stock of groceries here.

About eight years ago C. Hudson built the store now occupied by Beard and Hodge. M.T. Kemper, who had previously been associated with L.M. Jewell in the mercantile business for a short time, did a successful business here for a few years. Frank White, J.E. Collins, White and Hodge, and Glenn Hawley had stores here after Mr. Kemper quit. Last spring Frank Beard and W.A. Hodge bought Glenn Hawley's stock of goods and the firm of Beard and Hodge was launched. This firm is doing a splendid business and their trade is growing. Mr. Beard belongs to one of the pioneer families of Kansas and has lived in this vicinity nearly all his life; while Mr. Hodge has been identified with the town for twenty years.
(To be continued)

Death of Gabriel Mayfield

Gabriel's grave

Potter Kansan, 8 July 1920, page 1, column 3

OBITUARY

Gabriel Thomas Mayfield was born April 19, 1889 in St. Joseph, Mo. He was twenty-one years, two months and seven days of age. When about four weeks of age he was brought by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Isaac Mayfield to the home of his grandparents Mr. and Mrs. J. R. Mayfield, where they resided until May 5, 1906, when they moved to this place, leaving Gabriel Thomas with his grandparents for company.

The grandfather died July 21, 1908, but Gabriel still stayed on with his grandmother until May 19, 1913, when he came to this place, (his real home), and his place at his grandmother's being taken by his older sister, Viola who remained there until the death of said grandmother, Feb 9, 1919.--Thomas having assisted his father with the farm work during the seven years of his stay here at this place. Gabriel Thomas is survived by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Isaac Mayfield, four sisters; Viola, Ellen, Beatrice and Gladys; four brothers; Isaac, Jr., Curtis, Bennie and Aaron.

Mrs. Elzira (Bedwell) Pierce of Potter

Elzira's grave

Potter Kansan, 27 April 1910, page 1, columns 3 & 4

One of Potter's First Residents
L.M. Jewell, the retired merchant of Potter, began this week to tear down his old residence for the purpose of erecting a new one on its site. This house is one of the landmarks of Potter -- the third building erected in the town.

It was built by Mrs. Elzira Pierce, who is now living with her granddaughter, Miss Georgie Shaw, at the age of 80 years. Mrs. Pierce kept a boarding house in this house for twelve years.

She is one of the pioneers of this section. She came with her parents to Platte county, Mo., in 1838. Here she grew to womanhood and married Henry Nelson. One child was born to them, the late Mrs. Martha Shaw, wife of Henry Shaw, and mother of Mrs. Robert Bishop, Mrs Samuel Ellerman, Mrs. L.M. Jewell, Mrs. Herman Jewell, B.F. Shaw and Miss Georgie Shaw. Soon afterwards Mr. Nelson was thrown from a horse and instantly killed.

In 1855[sic, 1852] Mrs. Nelson was married to Elijah Pierce of Platte county, and they came to Kansas that year, settling on what is now the Highfill farm near Potter. Two children were born to them. One died in infancy, and the other, Miss Sinnie Pierce, grew up and married Ben Shaw, a brother of Henry Shaw. In June 1875 she was struck by lightning and killed. Mr. Pierce died of cholera in the late '50s.

After the death of her husband Mrs. Pierce lived with her parents, who occupied the Bedwell farm, now owned by Leon Calhoun, later moving to Potter.

Several years ago she fell and sustained injuries which compel her to use a crutch. Death has been a frequent and a sudden visitor in her home. Her life, in this aspect, presents a striking contrast to that of her old neighbor the late Mrs. Joseph Potter. With the exception of a child that died in infancy, Mrs. Potter did not have a death in her family during a married life of nearly sixty years. Mrs. Pierce, on the other hand, has buried two husbands and all of her children.

 -- Geo Remsburg, in Globe