History

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Although Buffalo had its beginning in 1857 and was a thriving community, it did not become incorporated until October 6, 1898. Forty votes were cast in the first city election.

Kansas was admitted to the Union as a free state on January 29, 1861. In April of that year, the Civil War broke out.

In the early eighteen-sixties, the land that is now Wilson County belonged to the Osage Indians.

The Canfield Treaty was negotiated in September, 1865, between the Osage Indians and the United States government. President Andrew Johnson proclaimed the Treaty and it went into effect on January 21, 1867. This Treaty sold land in amounts not to exceed 160 acres, at $1.25 per acre to actual settlers, for the benefit of the Osage.

After the Civil War ended in 1865, battle-weary men and their families looked Westward to the sparsely settled lands of Kansas.

The present location of Buffalo is its third. The first being east of where Buffalo Creek and Bloody Run Creek join. This location had a grocery store and a post office established by Chester Gould in 1867.

Bloody Run Creek got its name during those early years when a man caught stealing a horse was hung from a limb overhanging the creek.

The second location of Buffalo was two blocks north of Main and Depot in what was known as the Opera Block. Built in 1884, it burned in 1908.

The third location is present-day Buffalo. It is no longer the thriving community that many of us remember as children, but with faith and perseverance, it will survive.

Chronology

1857.. David Johnson and David Pointer took claims near the town of Buffalo Village, ¼ mile north and 1 mile west. In the spring of 1858 they built cabins. The Elder family settled on what became known as the Elder Branch.

1858.. Peter Welch, Bud Ledbetter, Tom Gunby, Henry Pearmain, John Circle, George Gould and Philip Hedrick families settled near Buffalo Creek, southwest of town. L. F. Woodruf settled on the creek that bears the family name.

1863.. George Gould and Chester Gould settled north of the first families on Buffalo Creek.

1864 to 68.. Van Meter family, John Thomas family, Henry Brown came to stake claims.

1870.. Cowderry family came from Wisconsin via Brighten, Iowa. Quisenberrys, Andersons and Johnsons arrived.

1871.. Mosley, Hodges, Carr, Mayes and Halls lived farther down, near the Verdigris River ford. John Endsley and Andrew Sharp took claims east of West Buffalo Creek.

1872.. Elli Neff, a cattle and grain man, and the Noah Runyon family settled.

1873.. The Knaus family settled. William Knaus was known as a singing school teacher.

1874.. The Stanfield, Waddle, Cockerell, Fleming, Lacy, Follmer, Lance, Nichols, Hatch, Jamison, Butcher, Hisey, Bushfield, Canty, and Kahl families joined their neighbors.

Others who joined the community in no particular order before Buffalo became a third class city were Ashby, Apt, Brock, Beck, Blumes, Bentley, Bowman, Blair, Bradford, Browning, Blackwood, Bideau, Cohoe, Cox, Coon, Close, Carley, Craig, Clough, Colaw, Carlson, Carlburg, Callarman, Crumrine, Childs, Chapman, Cutler, Dreden, Darst, Daniel, Ellis, Eagle, Green, Hensley, Hanson, Jones, Jorgeson, Kamm, Lee, Lenden, Matthews, Moffaft, McCann, McAdams, Markham, Mannen, McGill, Malin, Nelson, Nabb, Orr, Orendorff, Pool, Preston, Pfeifer, Puckett, Quinby, Rice, Robinson, Shinn, Steele, Stone, Stevens, Swinney, Shoop, Thompson, Uden, Wolfe, White, Whitaker, Ward, Walker and Young.

1884.. Services began at the Friends Church.

1888.. Work began on the Methodist Church.

1898.. Buffalo became an incorporated city.

1901.. Christian Church was dedicated

1902.. The first brick was made by the Buffalo Brick Company.

1922.. Nazarene Church was built

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