Written by Lynn Marie Allen
The fabric of Brown County history utterly transformed with the Rock Island Railroad both its arrival and departure! The departure begins as a result of the industry attempting to cut costs and maximize profit! The route changes affect many of the towns in Brown County, Kansas. This week happens to be about some of Horton, and the townspeople’s ways are affected by the transformation and reroute previously mentioned. Horton referred to as the “Magic City.” The reason for this is that the city, almost overnight, is utterly transformed from a vast sprawling cornfield into a thriving business community in a very short period. Rock Island depot and shops will become the most significant site west of Chicago.
M. A. Low, who was President of the Chicago, Kansas, and Nebraska Town Company, selected the location, and the Rock Island Railroad will purchase 620 Acres for the depot and railroad shops. The first town lots of lands publicly sold on September 20, 1886. On October 29, 1886, the first issue of what will later be known as the Horton Headlight began distributing the paper. On November 12, 1886, the first train arrived in Horton at the Rock Island Depot. Three days later, the post office opens, and in March 1887, The Bank of Horton opened. Horton will reach its peak population in 1923.
Today there are very few visible pieces of the “magic city” historical treasures for a person to admire. As an individual who has a profound appreciation for all things history, this saddens me. I sincerely hope that if you have people that have history treasures to share, you will take the time to ask them and preserve them! Every story demonstrates the fabric of Brown County having the remarkable ability to thrive. These stories, albeit priceless, cannot be lost! If you have a precious memory, perhaps it has been told you millions of times, but maybe it is your favorite. Record it; share it, and in this way, we keep the imprint of what happened a part of yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Please, don’t let these history treasures fade away! As always, there is so much more to the story! Find it! Be sure to stop by and share with me what you discover. #HistoryMysteries
Forest of Words 