2021 Fall Newsletter

TO: MIAMI CO HISTORICAL MUSEUM FROM : LLOYD L. PECKMAN SUBJECT: NORTH UP HISTORIC PEARL STREET: As I leave our museum, I often take a right up Pearl Street. Many young and new people to our area have no idea that it was the first road into Paola and a very historic area. Paola is most certainly located here be cause the ever- running Big Spring just north of the now Dengel Funeral Home. Before the white man came here, it had to have been used by the Osage, Kansas {Kaws} as welt as-dther Western tribes such as the Wichita. Most information for this report comes from our “Paola, Kansas A 150 Year Timeline” pub lished in 2006 by a group of 6 from our Museum. See page 384 for names of the group and pages 12 to 18 for most early history written by Phil Reaka and Har old Long. In 1871, an 18- foot deep cistern was dug at the North east corner of the square, with a pipe line from the Big Spring. It was a public drinking source for many years, see page 58. At the top of the hill on the west side at what is now the 312- 314 address, Baptiste Peoria had the first Trading Post where He traded for animal furs for sta ples purchased in barrel lots from Westport Landing. He may have started this Post in the Mid 1830s, as the General Clark Treaties of October 1832 required the Algonquin to move to Kansas. In another report, Bap tiste reports in 1866 as living in Kansas for 35 years. Another important site is the early cemetery located just north of the Trading Post at 402 North Pearl Street where nine burial took place between 1859 and 1867. That included at least 3 of Baptiste’s children. Amanda his daughter died In 1859 and his son, Samuel died in 1861. The 150 Year book reports on page 87, that “On petition of David Lykins Peery, the ten bodies in the Indian burying ground at the rear of the lot at 402 North Pearl were moved to the Elmwood division of the Paola Cemetery by order of the Paola City Coun cil September 16, 1891”. The report stating this was done in 1910 is incorrect. Dr. Floyd Grimes cleaned and restored these gravestones inn about 1991 and pictures were taken.

Just across the street along Tower Street was located the First Wea Village and Indian Government Agency, see page 14- 16. Also, a blacksmith shop and an In dian Chapel and several log cabins, marked the first location of Paola. About 1,000 feet east was located the big dug out Fort to protect the 11th Kansas Cav alry and Supplies stored here from the Rebel General Price’s invasion. The Cavalry and Supplies were locat ed on both sides of what is now the Dengel Funeral Home on Pearl street. Roger Shipman created a model of this Fort located in our Museum. That Fort was located just northwest of the present Paola Water Tower, the highest point on the hill. Another very interesting site I ‘ye never read about before is this one, that was shown on Wea Mission map and located northeast of Miami Co. Hospital. It was the first Catholic Cemetery. A short newspaper clipping dated 1894 states this. [“The first Catholic cemetery of the Paola Parish was on the Point of a wooded hill, north of the old homestead of Robert McGrath, and now his heirs, on Wea Creek east of town. It was acquired in 1868, and in 1886, when the present burial ground was purchased, near the Wea Bridge. The few bodies were removed from the hill side to the new cemetery’, three-quarters Miami Co. Hospital. It was the first Catholic Cemetery. A short newspaper clipping dated “Forty Years Ago, September 30,1934” given to me several years ago by Vera Dakin states this. [“The first Catholic cemetery of the Paola Parish was on the Point of a wooded hill, north of the old homestead of Robert McGrath, and now his heirs, on Wea Creek east of town. It was ac quired in 1868, and in 1886, when the present burial ground was purchased, near the Wea Bridge, the few bodies were removed from the hillside to the new cemetery’, three-quarters of a mile south. Over half of the coffins were decayed, as were many of the bones, and there was not one stone, marble or granite mark er. Tom McGrath and B. J. Sheridan helped with the removal.”; Kenny Northern though at one time that He had destroyed this site with a bulldozer. It is notable that except for the Park Square no histor ical signs are in the old part of Paola. Lloyd Peckman 10/21/2021

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