Shotgun Killing at Ash Point 1861.
Parts
taken from an early Courier-Tribune,
The Courier-Tribune had reprinted from
the Axtell Standard. date unknown.
Ash Point was an early stop on the trials in the western part of Nemaha County. The story is it was named because of Ash trees at this location. Ash Point, this being five miles north and one and a half west of Baileyville. There was likely little more than a store and tavern and perhaps a blacksmith there at it prime time. The two trails joined here, the one being out of St. Joseph which crossed the Nemaha at Baker’s Ford and the south trail out of Leavenworth which crossed the Nemaha at Richmond and later at Seneca after about 1959 and joined at Ash Point. There was another trail which split off the north trail and crossed the Clear Creek some six miles north of Baileyville. My Grandmother told of her father, John Mitchell drove cattle in the early day this way to the Indian Reservation for summer pasture. The trails were the highways for the early settlers. Open Range Laws were in effect and this meant you had to fence livestock out of your crops or yard, etc,
The Shotgun killing at Ash point
was over the effort to control the traffic and divert wagon trains to
the desired area. It was the killing of a man by the name of Wilson
at the old trading post of Ash Point This was to have happen in 1861,
at a time when the crossing of the Nemaha had been changed from Richmond
to Seneca also about the time of the Pony Express which lasted only about 18
months. It was also after the trail traffic was bypassing Clear Creek
to avoid one more creek to cross. This diverted traffic away from
Oketo, KS which was north of Marysville on the Blue River. The town
depended on some wagon trains to sell products to.
Trail bosses were treated royally when they arrived at a place like Ash Point as they brought trade
to the village. There were stories of such things as furniture, stoves, and even pianos
being traded for food or hay or grain for the animals. Many of these items
were brought along because grandma would not go if she had to leave her
belongings behind. By the time they were on the trail for a few days it meant
life
or death to keep up with rest of the caravan. To lighten the load for the
animals was important so they could keep up with the group. Falling to keep
up and being alone on the trail was
disaster.
Below is
a map of the NW corner of Nemaha County with the trials marked over a later
map. There was no Marion Township at that time. Clear Creek township
also covered Marion Township at that time.. The trials have
been added to this map so one may locate there path. Ash point and Richmond
crossing have been are marked on the map also.
Click on the map below to see the map of 1857-59 when first surveyed and the
trails were marked out on the map. The small arrows so the later
trail.
.
Click on map above to see 1858 surveyors map of what is now
The trail is marked with grey, the new trail through Seneca is marked with blue, and the word (oats) is where Capt John Smith sowed oats or millet to divert the trail through Seneca, this being another story soon. The following is direct quote from the Courier-Tribune. (The clipping is not dated and most certainly is quite old. Date will be added if found. Blanchard at Ash Point got all the trade on the trail without the effort, but there was quite a rivalry between Oketo and Marysville and Blanchard was said to be working to turn traveler by the latter place. Wilson, his first name is forgotten, lived with his brother and family three miles north of here on the west side of the road. A lone locust tree standing back in the field a ways marks the place were the house stood. He was employed by the Oketo trader to divert the travel from Marysville to Oketo and was in the habit of going to Ash Point to do so. Hot words passed between him and Blachard frequently, and one day while each was trying to convince the leader of an immigrant train that his particular rout was the best, anger knew no bounds and Bachard went into the house and brought out his Shotgun and threatened to shoot. Wilson walked toward him and dared him to shoot. But anger and liquor made a bad mixture, and Blachard was under the influence of both. He pulled the trigger, some say both triggers and they took Wilson home that night a dead man. They buried him north of his house in what is now a pasture, just before you begin to go down the Clear Creek hill. A Casual observer might miss the grave but a pioneer from anywhere would soon locate the spot. (This spot had disappeared long ago. Blanchard fled and it was well that he did so, for excitement ran high for a while. Thinking he would go to Marysville, the road there was watched hut Blanchard gave them the slip and reached there in safely. A number of settlers from this neighborhood went there and demanded that he be up to being turned over to the legal authorities of Nemaha County; but he was all to blame and the searchers were given a limited time to leave town, which they did as they were not seeking trouble of the kind that seemed to be brewing. Blancher’s family conducted the store until his return some months later when he gave himself up to the mercy of the law and was tried and acquitted. Events peculiar to the setting up of a new county only were crowed upon one anther fast; everyone had enough to do to take care of their own affairs; and, after the first excitement was over people were inclined to be lenient rather than persevere for prosecution. Both families moved away soon after going west, Blanchard’s family left him. He was heard of years afterwards as an aged and lonely man in a western town without means or ambition and few there are who doubt but that he paid the penalty of his rash act and fully as if he been severely dealt with at the time of its execution. |
