Our Past Is Present January 4, 2019

January 4, 2019

            This is “Our Past Is Present” from the Geary County Historical Society.

            Today’s story is about the Dixon Brothers’ Land War and comes from an article written by Gaylynn Childs and found on page 21 of the book Set In Stone.  If Santa didn’t bring you this book for Christmas, we still have some available for purchase at our Museum at the corner of Sixth and Adams Streets.  By the way, this story is so complex and involved that for a better understanding – it WOULD be good to read the entire article.

            The Dixon brothers located claims on land along Three-mile Creek just outside the boundary of Fort Riley. The Pawnee Town Company had organized and a site was selected in the same area for the new capital city of Kansas. One day the Dixons were visited by a detail of soldiers from Fort Riley who ordered the party to move on, saying the land was already claimed.  The brothers maintained their ground and continued to put up their house.  A short time later, a Captain Lowe appeared at the site with government lumber and a crew of carpenters.  They put up a house on the same claim. 

            The Commanding Officer at the Post, notified the Dixons that they were intruding upon the claim of Mr. Lowe and must move.  The Dixon’s paid Mr. Lowe $300 to leave – and so he did.  One day after the Dixon house was completed, the brothers were visited by Judge Ed Johnson.  He urged the family to leave their claim peaceably, because the land was wanted for the military reserve.  However, in reality it was wanted by private individuals.

            That wasn’t the end of the land war, which involved others wanting the Dixon’s to move.  Jefferson Davis even got involved.  He wanted the land where the town of Pawnee was and the Dixon claim to belong to Fort Riley.  The residents at both sites were ordered out and mounted troops tore down the buildings with grappling hooks. 

            The Dixon’s went on to make the most of their bad beginnings.  They eventually moved to homesteads in the vicinity and became prosperous and successful. 

            And…. that’s today’s story on “Our Past Is Present” from the Geary County Historical Society.