A Study of some of the problems of settlement of Crawford County, Kansas

The background of the settlement of Crawford County Kansas may be said to begin with the purchase of the Louisiana territory. The Indian migrations and settlement, the territorial government, Kansas in her early period of statehood are included bringing the study to the first white settlers of Crawford County. The story of the organization of Crawford County involving, its first county officers is mentioned. The difficulty of the early settlers in securing land titles, and the methods adopted to secure titles from the Indians follows the usual course. The account of immigration from 1860 to 1865 was necessarily affected by border warfare in Crawford County during the war period. The type, race, and origin of settlers is of interest. The account of the economic activities of Crawford County, the enforcement of prohibitory laws and the relation of the later immigrants to the effective enforcement of those laws is a part of the study. Crawford County life has inevitably been affected by the immigrant and his naturalization, and the illiteracy among the foreign born and efforts made to Americanize these immigrants. Materials used in making this study were found in the Kansas State Historical Society of Topeka, Kansas. Records of the Federal District Court sitting at Fort Scott, Kansas were used. The county clerk\u27s statistical records, the naturalization records, register of deeds records and the Crawford County District Court records of Girard and Pittsburg were used. Also, police court records of these cities were used in preparing this study. Newspapers of this district were used and found to throw much light on the subject. The more important general works used are W. E. Connelley, Kansas and Kansans, Home Authors, Crawford County, Kansas, T. V. Robley, History of Bourbon County, Samuel J. Crawford, Kansas in the Sixties, and Frank Blackmar, History of Kansas