County of site: Sumner County
Location of city hall: 14 W. Central Ave., Caldwell
"With the railroad coming in 1880, and permanent buildings going up along Main Street, local folks demanded more services than either the township or county could provide. If Caldwell were a municipality, citizens would benefit from fire and police protection, health codes, a water system, sidewalks, streets and a cemetery. In July 1879, the county's district court approved Caldwell to join the growing list of official Kansas cities. A mayor and 5 councilmen were quickly elected, and new city employees were paid an average of $20 a month.
However, factionalism dominated local politics. The "southerners" supported the cattle trade, and enjoyed the policy of little city interference with the influx of Texas cowboys and their money. The "northerners," however, tended to be general retailers who wished less violence and a more stable and socially ~ acceptable population. In 1884, the two groups finally agreed to build this city hall, not to the north or south, but here on Central (then 5th Avenue), the street that geographically divided the political groups. Later, by backroom agreement, city offices began alternating annually between the parties.
The original city offices and women's jail were upstairs. The city's fire wagons and men's jail were housed on the ground floor. The town's bills were paid with a combination of high police court fines, merchant and professional taxes, and a street tax interestingly, though liquor, gambling and prostitution were all illegal; the associated fines appear to have been more a regularly paid tax than a punishment to deter the crimes. Other fines included cussing $5, drunk $5, working on Sunday $1. The street tax required every male resident of the city to either work 2 days a year personally repairing the dirt streets, or to pay the tax in cash." ~ The Caldwell Historical Society
"Caldwell, Kansas, known as the Border Queen, saw wild days as a Kansas cowtown, as well as serving as a jumping off point to the Oklahoma Land Rush days.
"Located just north of the Oklahoma border, the town was established in 1871 and named in honor of United States Senator Alexander T. Caldwell, of Leavenworth, Kansas. The first building was erected by Captain C. H. Stone, one of the founders of the town site, who built a log house which was used as a store and the first post office. Stone became the fledgling city’s first postmaster. Other buildings soon followed including a hotel, other businesses, and the Red Light Saloon, which thrived with both Indian and cowboy customers.
"Situated along the Chisholm Trail, the town catered to the many cowboys who passed by with their large cattle herds on their way to Abilene and Wichita. However, it remained little more than a trading post up until 1879, when it had about 260 residents.
"However, when the Santa Fe Railroad extended its line to Caldwell, Wichita investors soon took notice and formed a town company in 1879, selling lots for $125 . The city was soon incorporated and quickly promoted its opportunity as a cattle shipping point. The town grew quickly and soon boasted some 1,500 people.
"As the cowboys began to drive the cattle up the Chisholm Trail to Caldwell, the town took on all of the elements of a lawless frontier settlement. These many drovers gave the town its nickname, the "Border Queen."
"As the town sprouted saloons, gambling dens, and brothels, the first town north of Indian Territory, provided a place where the cowboys could go wild after months on the dusty and treacherous trail. Gunfights, showdowns, general hell raising and hangings soon became commonplace.
"During its reckless cowtown period between 1879 and 1885, Caldwell "boasted” a higher murder rate, and loss of more law enforcement officers than other more famous cowtowns. During this period, violence claimed the lives of 18 city marshals, leading a Wichita editor to write, "As we go to press hell is again in session in Caldwell."
"One of the first incidents occurred at the Moreland Saloon on July 7, 1879, when Deputy Constable James Wilson and a citizen, George Flatt, cornered two cowboys named Woods and Adams, who had been firing their guns outside the saloon in celebration of being paid for a Texas cattle drive earlier in the day. The confrontation; however, soon led to gunplay and when the smoke cleared, Woods and Adams were dead. In the melee, an innocent bystander by the name of Kiser was wounded. Having now made a reputation for himself, Flatt was soon made Caldwell’s first City Marshal. He gladly took credit for shooting the cowboys, but no one ever came forward to accept responsibility for wounding Mr. Kiser.
"However, Flatt was not well liked by local citizens and on April 5, 1880, a new mayor was elected in Caldwell, namely one Mike Meagher. One of the first things Meagher did was discharge City Marshal George Flatt because he disapproved of Flatt's confrontational way of law enforcement.
"He then appointed William Horseman as the new marshal; Frank Hunt and Dan Jones as deputies, and James Johnson stayed on as constable. Flatt was none to happy about this event and wasted no time voicing his complaints about town." ~ Legends of America