counter with .....I.:."'f"iin laminate. and Dr. Western See Western" pg...... r» ...... ,.... Western continuedfrompg.lG yet-to-be-restored sitting room. . plaid sora and pale-rust tweedy Pennsylvania. ern will stencil the upper partsin The couple bought a side-loading rug. Tworockers, a bar made Mark's nursery also looks the Victorian manner. The hand­ 11"0n stovetbat burns wood or frombarn wood and several toy cheerful, blending shades of hewn bannister upstairs has the coal. It's labeled P.D. Beckwith, boxes enhance the "lived-in brown, cinnamon, beige and yel- . original finish, Dr. Western said. 1916. look." 'low.Itrequiredonly nine months Generally, Mrs. Western was The 1895 Kimball upright piano The basement contains more of the dentist'swork-ahurry-up the "woodworkstainer," and she has.acorn-leaf ornamentation. A play space and a home for Me, job after the Westerns learned laid the bricksidewalkand patio. tin-sided pie safe is another gan's pet rabbit, as well as Dr. they were on the adoption list. She also wallpapered and did the treasure, One of the heirloom Western's workshop. Delicately striped paper re­ stripping, but said: "Idon't have clocks came from Mrs. West- On the second floor, both of the places the old enamel paint, and so much time now with the small ern'sparents, Maybelle and Rus- children's rooms have been re- a long bookshelf holds toys. The child." sell Hallberg (If St. Joseph. The stored, but the ' bedroom baby cabinet was Mrs. West­ However, she is a Girl Scout carved settee and armchair with remains on the "todo" list. ern's, and the washstand and troop leader at EastAntiochEle­ red velvet seats were gifts from Megan's flowered room, with pitcher arefrom an earlierera. mentarySchool. Dr. Western's parents, Ann and blue-painted iron bed under the The couple'S green-papered The couple met at the Univer­ Paul Western. eave, took Dr. Western 2% years room has a queen-size bed that sity of Missouri-Kansas City be­ "We plan to restore the origi- to refinish in spare time. The Dr. Western built and a patch­ fore Mrs. Western attended the naIfioors and use a natural fin- woodwork and walls had been work quilt by Mrs. Western. Sev­ nursing school at Columbia. Dr. ish on the woodwork," Dr. West- solid blue, making the tiny room eral furnishings look old-rash­ Western, a Southwest High ernsaid. "We also want to have a dark. The original paint was ioned. For example, a roll-top School alumnus, completed den­ chandelier, Victorian wallpaper milk paint, which wa4difficult to desk was used by herfather from tal school at UMKC after the two and all antique furnishings." remove. The couple used steel 1942 to 1971 when he was a cattle were married. In contrast, the modernfamily wool on the floor, preferring not buyer for Armour & Co. in the St. Along with handyman proj­ room features two paneled walls to sandthe old linseed oil finish, JosephStock Exchange building. ects, he finds special satisfaction and two white stucco walls, Mrs. Western painted the dou- The hallways reveal interest- in two church assignments, he rough-hewn woodwork, a simu- ble bed, and she had eyelet ruf- ing examples of early-day car­ said. He leads the high-school lated brickfloor, .contemporary fled curtains made because the pentry. There is fir tongue-and­ youth group and teaches Sunday fireplace and big .windows•.The windowsweren'ta standard size...groove wainscoting .. 'below the school at Immanuel Lutheran child-proof decor includes a rust The oak dresser originated in painted yellow walls. Mrs. West. Church, 4244 Genesee St.

RARE JOHNSON COUNTY FARM ..]1-1' STARTS SECOND CENTURY s., OF EXISTENCE. Just East of Antioch on 72nd Street sits a wonderfully preserved example ofprairie elegance. Nestled in a tiny enclave of a'ncient trees andshrubs, the Chase Prairiehomeis' almost unchanged from its erection in 1869. It's new owners, Jim and Lyn Barrie, have proceeded carefullyJn their restoration. In an era of swift when old dence of Elijah Corneli Chase, which PUBLISHER'S landmarks are falling a prey to the stands at what was formerly known as NOTE wrecking crew to make way for the 7125 Antioch Road. Now that 72nd . new, it is refreshing and sa tisfying to street has been opened by the Elizabeth Barnes, in her series lovers of sentiment and traditionwhen developers, the number will be 7201 "Historic Johnson County" wrote of one of these is spared. Antioch Road. the Chase home in 1963. Her story Recently the announcement was The home stands on the 47acre tract was so masterly_ and informative made that one of these old homes, which is being developed Into home that Johnson County Homes & which has seen so much history of the sites by the builders, Wilmer Gardens reprints.her reporting as a area pass its doors, is to be preserved Holsinger and Charles Truders, They service to area historians. in much of its original condition, It is are pianning to use the old home as a the almost-one-hundred-year-old resl- ecntlnued on page-6

While the frontal appearance of the Chase home was left unchanged, Lyn and Jim Barrie gained needed rcom boy adding on at the east rear. Mr. Barrie used a novel touch in shingling the new chimney. 4 July 24, 1975 TED GARRETT & ASSOCIATES 432-3546

/" OWNER WANTS FAST SALE 3 bClr ranch, formal dining and living rooms, woodhurning fireplace, family room, screened porch. Ted Garrett, Jr. 631·6927.

VALUE PACKED RANCH WESTWOOD Owner financing available on this 2 bdrm., 1 ~ bath home, cenlral air, Only 5 minutes to the Plaza from this sharp 3 bdrm home. Newly decorated paneled family room, large fenced yard. Greg Garrett 4~2-8693. thruout. Fireplace, central air, shag carpet. $24,750. Ron Field 262-0780.

s a Ir-s promotion offic e while Sarah Arnie' Chase Watson. Thoy are other Quakers, their destination tho construction is in progress. Eventually Helen Watson Eppler, Overland Park, Quaker Mission." it will bo placed on the market and and Robert Watson ofEdgerton, There Work AI Uw Mission onco again become' a homo, to stand is one gr~at·granddaughter. throe "He stayed some .timo at tho perhaps for another hundred years. groat-grandsons, and onr- grr-at-groat­ Misslon., whore hr- taught tho Indian The prescrvalion of the old mansion grandson. boys agriculture. H~ used to toll brings back many fond momorlos of "Elijah Cornell Chase was born In Intorcstmg tales of what happened tales related about the old Quak~r 1837 into a Quak~r family in there. It seems the Indian boys Were Mission which occupied 320 acres of Providence, RJ. His father was not overly fond of working. So, to the area's best land. The Mission Thomas Chase. His mother. was a reward them for a hard day in the buildings W0r~ located at what is now sister of Ezra Cornell. who later fields, he used to take them for a swim 6]st and Hemlock Streets. It was to founded Cornell University. in Turkey Creek, not far from tho Mission that in the late ]850's caine "As a young man, Grandfather was Mission." Elijah Cornell Chase. to teach sent by his Uncle Ezra to try to locatra Elijah Chase 10ft a revealing agriculture to tho Indian boys of the suitable place in Kansas for a account of OTIC' day at th(' Mission. school. university. He came to tho aroa in JR59, "Tho boys and girls," he wrote, Some of his descendants are still settling in -Walnut Grove (location seldom quarreled. The teacher never living in the area close by. Ono of these unknown). AU his provisions he punished anyone. But, when a boyar is a granddaughter of Elijah Cornell carried in his wagon. However, when girl would not mind in the schoolroom. Chase. Allene Chase Bell (Mrs..James neighbors began to borrow from him. he was sent in to me, and] set him to Glenn Bell). 10218 West 69th Street. he pulled up stakes and loft. H~ started work, and kept him there till he was Very close to her heart is the memory back east and got as far as Oskaloosa, ready to go back to school and behave _. of life in that old home. This is her own Iowa. While there he stopped at a himself. 'ccount of those who lived there. Quaker colony. Among those ho met "I remember one morning I had the -~ -f" "In tho 31'p3 around here are four was a young iady, Abigail Ellis. That boys working ln the garden. Peter grandchildren ofElijah Cornell Chase, put an end to his return back home, for Blackhoof sat sullenly on the fence. builder of the house. Two of them, John later the two were married. Their Whcn I handed him thi> hoe, he refused E. Chase and Allene Chase Bell. arc oldest son. Thomas, was born there.In to work. We made one round without the children of a son.Jesse Albert Bell. ]86] he decided to take his wife and son him, and my request was repeated. Two others are children of a daughter. to Kansas. He came with a group of cont~nue~ en page '4 6 July 24,1975 - 7fT' =

refusing to fight (Quakers did not believe in war), he spent most of the time in jail in Olathe. . "On the day of the Battle of Westport, the cannons could be heard boornlnz and the reverberations rattled j1....f>~-·}_ dishes on the shelves in the cabin: J 10100 Santa Fe Drive was a sad period of Kansas history, the Border Warfare, which left no farm or Mark I Bldg., Suite 101 family free of its terrors. "Grandmotherstayed alone with the Overland Park, Kansas two children. The second son, Ezra, was born there. She saw the crops (913) 649-9000 ruined, live stock stolen or driven away by gangs of desperadoes that roamed the land. They killed and plundered at will. To Antioch Road "After the war, Grandfather bought the farm on Antioch Road where he first built a house of walnut timbers. Later, in 1869, he added the brlck part, which is standing now. Jesse Albert, his third son (my father), was born there, as were the otherthreechildren, 1 ACRE - WEST OF LENEXA .LEAWOCiD SOUTH- ASSUME 7lh% LOAN Arnie, Clara and Elijah Ellis. Near Shawnee Mission Park and Lake, 5 4 bedroom, 1Y.z story, 31h baths, family room and In the meantime, Uncle Ezra Cornell bedroom, 4 baths, 1st floor family room, game reerectlen room. Two fireplaces, central oir, had decided that he was not going to room, exercise rm, 1st fJoorutility rm. on wooded microwave oven, trash compactor, central hear from his nephew, Elijah Chase, in acre. Circle drive and much, much more. vacuum and much more. 70's. Robert "Bob" regard to a spot in Kansas for his $477.00 Taxes. $98,500 lynn Chaffee Res. Richley. Res. 942-5694. university, so he located it at Ithaca, 262-41S3. New York, in 1865. That is how close we came to having Cornell University in Kansas. "On his farm with its deep virgin soil Grandfather grew wonderful crops. He was interested in proving that sweet pota toes were good to grow on farms, and proceeded to demonstrat- . his point. He soon built up a lar~, ..J thriving business in selling and shl,,'" ping sweet potato plants and select 80 ACRES - SOUTH OF OVERLAND PARK NORTHEAST JO. CO. seed potato plants. He also grew­ On rurul water, fenced, 3 ponds, out buildings. Entire Duplex building $38,000. Each side tents hundreds of bushels of onions from "The brkk-frent home has 3 bedr.ooms, 2 baths, for $190 {$380 tetel]. Each unit has 2 bedrooms, seed, rather than by·the general cheerlul country kitchen, 2 fireplaces, large llh bath, fmaily rm., range, refrigerator, C/A, practice of using onion sets. " basement, plenty of storage. lynn Chaffee, Res. disposal. Excellel)t assumption or try FHA, VA, "Another plant he brought here was 2624153 Arlen E. Flanagan 341-8383 . the Osage orange. His plants were INVESTME!'lT PROPERTY -NORTHEAST JO. CO. grown from the seeds of the hedge balis. His young hedge trees were in demand by farmers. They made fine fences on the then-unfenced countryside. I still have about 264 feet of hedge, grown from his plants, on the west side of my house. . "I have many precious memories of this old house. As a little girl, I loved to go there. Along the driveway Grandmother had planted early June K:anch Duplex' Plan Split Duplex Plan roses. I never smell roses blooming in 2 bedroom, garage, bsmt, central air, each side, 2 bedroom, garage, bsmt, central air, each side the spring that I do not remember how leased for $165 per mo. per side. leesed f~r.,$165 per .mo. I?er .side. sweet those roses were, wet with the 80TH BUILDINGS (ranch and split - 4 units) must be sold together. Price is dew of early morning. only $66AOO (for 2 buildings - 4 units). Arlen. E. Flan.ag~n, Res. 341-8383. "Grandmother also had a garden all around the house. On the north she planted and tended flowering tobacco, Still he sat obdurate. Another round, each Sunday and, having no preacher, sweet Williams, pinks, phlox, four and I had a hickory sprout tucked each spoke as he was moved by the o'clocks and cox combs. - to name a under my arm, and when I was done 'Inner Light.' Sometimes, few of them. The gates were covered with it, he was up with his hoe and at Grandfather said, when the day was with Maderia vines with their many work. warm and the bees could be heard sweet-scented flowers. There was also "We finished the garden, put our humming around the flowers, nobody the ferny cypress with its star-like hoes away and ali of us madeoff across would speak and, after a quiet time, blooms, .some red and some-white. the plowed gound to the swimming they would get up and go home - a wh,,_~. ~rA· along with blue morning glories 0 hole in Turkey Creek. The dinner horn perfect Quaker meeting. covered the fences that surround t~ blew just as we reached home. This "After living a while at the Mission, house. was our Saturday program. and now Grandfather rented a cabin from an "There were many old fashioned the boys had the afternoon to hunt Indian woman. It was in the vicinity of roses, too.l still have starts taken from squirrels in the timber." 75th Street and Highway 69,which was them years ago, which each spring put "The Quakers," continued Mrs. Beli then the Santa Fe Trail. This was forth their lovely hlooms - the pink in her reminiscences, "held church during the Civil War period, and, continued on page 22 14 July 24, 1975 Marty Thoennes' :~ H ETOWN REALTORS -362-9898- Try our "HOME TOWN" brand of sales SERVICE!

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,. . in this newly remodeled ranch home in dose-in Overland Park.Three . .. close to the Sun'n Surf Club in the Merriam/Shawnee area. When we bedrooms, and spacious living area mcke thts a homeworth the money. We first saw this home we just couldn't wait to tell you about it. The interior is tried to get a better picture, but too many trees make too much shade and like you've seen in all the new expensive _homes. Extensive use of lower cooling bills too! First home or last home this could be it for you. Call wallpaper. Three bedrooms, one and a half baths, formal living and dining 362-9898 for more details. 20's! and family room and separate utility/storage room. We're located in "friendly Mission" at 5920 Noll Avenue, Rm. 110!

cabbage rose, the old velvet along with flour, and perhaps a few other things, year Uncle Ellis would start the day a ground creeper, a very small single were all that was needed to buy. The with a loud blast of black powder from rose. Red raspberries, too, which have cellar under the brick part ofthe house the anvil in the'engine' room' where all survived these many years with no contained rows and rows of canned the things needed to mend extra care. fruit of all kinds. No need to spray trees machinery and almost everythingelse A little back of the garden to the then, for everything in the land was were stored. Gran:Jmotherwould pack north," continued Mrs. Bell In TIPW and clean. a lunch of fried chicken and home­ recalling her visits to Grandfather J am sure Grandmother would have made ice cream with ice from Chase's home, was the apiary. There loved the pressure canners we have the ice house north of the house. In the were at least fifty hives. It was quite a now. She tried so many ways, with out winter time the ice was cut at the time job to take care of them and 'rob the success, to can corn and beans. Corn it was the thickest, and stored in layers bees' as Grandmother called the job of was dried along with peaches and with sawdust packed between and taking honey from the hives. It was apples. The entire summer was spent around it. always a hot summer day when this in growing and storing up food enough "Grandfather always gave us a task was undertaken. Many to last the long winter through. package of firecrackers to celebrate afternoons were .spont, equipped with "I remember that my Aunt Arnie with. Then we piled into the spring 'bee bonnets' and smokers to subdue had a doll that I dearly loved. wagon and were off to a picnic at the bees as the 'robbing' progressed. Sometimes she would let me get it out Indian Creek. Falls, a little south of "As we worked, Grandmother would of the closet along with its trunk of 103rd Street. After iunch we went tell us about the bees, their habits, etc. clothes. The doll had a china head, blue fishing, always catching crawdads, at The superswherethe honey was stored painted eyes and painted black hair. least. Then came the long ridge home. had to be uncapped with a sharp knife How 1 loved to play with it, dressing it Wewere tired but veryhappy over this and the combs whirled around in the up in its many ptretty dresses and never-lo-be-forgotten red letter day. extractor. The thick, clean honey was petticoats! Uncle Ellis liked to tease "Neither could I ever forget the then sold for twenty-five cents for me and would say, "My, my. and the dinners at Thanksgiving and family '- three pourids, just what a quart jar baby is older than its mamma!" I wept reunion times. Back east Grandfather ~7would hold. bitter tears, though now] cannot recall had learned to love oyster soup. A "The granary was always full of how that fact could have been such a . special dinner was not to be thought of wheat, and what fun to play in the tragedy. wlthout this particular dish. He always golden grain! Almost all the food that Picnics am Holidays sent for fresh oysters tor : these went on the table was grown on the "How well] recall those Fourth of occasions. And when it came to farm In typical pIoneer fashion. Sugar, July's spent out at the old home. Every continued on page '26 22. July 24, 1975 THE S/GNTHAT SELLS FISHMAN &CO. REALTORS 1310 E.. Park Olathe, Kansas 782·2800

2VI Acres with lakeview. Attractive ranch, More thcln Meets the Eye! 3 Bdr. Ranch near fabulous home for raising family end BEAUTIFUL HAVENCROFT high school. Full basement, 116 behs, well kept entertain}"g friends. Great room, extra lerge 2 Story, 4 bedreems 216 baths, formal living inside and eut. Priced to Sell. Jim Walton 764­ country kitchen, 2 fireplaces, finished basement room & dining, large kitchen, den with wet bar. 1599 60's Jim Walton 764-1599 . Many. many extras. Larry Beaver 782-1546 making the'soup, well nobody else tightly to prevent any fading of carpets could ever get it. just right but or wall paper. Grandfather, and it was his particular "I remember the green paper on pride and to prepare the delicacy. those parlor walls and the green­ There was just a certain temperature flowered carpet on the floor. The the milk had to be before the oysters carpet was taken up religiousiy twice a were added, and the oysters were to be year, given a thorough cleaning, then \ cooked only until they 'plumped out' new straw was laid on the floor before and when that moment arrived it was a the carpet was replaced. This was the dish fit to set before a king. process carried out at 'housecleaning "Then there was Grandmother's time' which took place every spring famous. chicken pie. I remember, and fall. when we were all seated at the dining "Nor can I forget the high, shuttered room table, a hush would come over windows, lined with Nottingham lace the room. We all bowed our heads and, curtains. I just loved them and stlll do. in Quaker fashion, had silent prayers And the huge bay window in the room for our blessing. on the south side of the house which "We werenot supposed to move until Grandfather built to accommodate Grandfather picked up his napkin. Grandmother's house plants. That was a long time, we children "The south room in the brick part of thought, as we looked about and saw the house was the sitting room' and all the good things to eat. Such a was one 'of the oniy two rooms in the .wonderful assortmentit was, not only home which were heated in winter. one kInd of jelly or preserves but The other was the kitchen with its several. large range with a reservoir on the "All the family was there at these side. special feasts, and at "reunion time "Grandmother always had the big there were also relatives whom we bay window filled with flowers. There scarcely knew. were Japanese lace ferns, begonias, "I have now in my home some of the Christmas cactus, a large-leafed furniture that was used in rubber plant, together with blooming Grandfather's house.' There is a lemon and orange trees brought back walnut dresser and bed that came to from her winters spent in sunny south Kansas in the covered wagons from Florida. Iowa. I have the setot brown and white "A heating stovewas kept burning in dishes that was used atour bigdinners. the winter time, with tea kettle full of Occupying an honored place in our water on top to put humidity in the air home is the center table and lamp that for the plants. The walls of the sitting once had its place in Grandmother's room were lined wlth shelves filled parlor, which was the north room with books. downstairs in the brick part. I have, "The northeast room upstairs was also, the settee and chairs that 'were the guest room. I have in my home a used there. dresser of white oak with marble top "That parlor was never opened tha t was used in that room. except on special days. Not even the "I have pictures that hung on the outside tight was permitted to come in, walls of that old house, and a Set the shutters always being. closed Thomas clock that sat on a shelf in the continued on page 3-1 26 July 24, 1975 _._------

SERVING JOHNSON ALWAYS COUNTY THE SIGN FOR 24 OF THE YEARS!! "KING SIZE BUY!!" :t;150 W. 75th .Overland Park. Kansas 432-5707

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I . Quality built 2 story duplex in prestigious Havencrefr. Each side has 210rge Just found our-dream home and anxious to have you see this spacious 4 bedrooms, family room, full basement,l ~ baths, air, court yard and bedreem ranch, 2 baths, 19x22 family room/fireplace, lovelyequip~ privacy fence around patio. Call Rex 381·9370 kitchen, huge 2408' basement/fireplace, 3 car basement garage, 2-(/0 units, furnaces, Dnd humidifiers. Get here fast so Rex can show it to you Everything we have always wanted. 381-9370

kitchen and still strikes the hour. holds a furnace and modern water "This is a picture of a day that is heating equtpment, rather than the gone. I am happy the aid house is to assortment of canned fruits and stand as a memorial to the lives that "vittles" that Grandmother stored were lived within it." there. The old house still stands in sta tely The white shutters, open now to full dignity. in its beautiful setting of trees sunlight, seem to be sending out an and shrubbery. Gone is the original invitation to enter and partake of the ;. back room of walnut timbers, but the hospitality which has always been a ~;fJ cellar beneath that room, which was part of that dwelling. used for storage of fruits and Along the circling driveways still vegetables. is still there, roofed now grows the shrubbery that has graced with- a concrete cover, which serves the place so long. While in the yard are Get on the right trail, the place as a back patio. A full still some of the evergreen trees, . aska REAL TOR basement extends below the present planted there by Elijah Cornell Chase, part of the house, just as Ithas been for when he enlarged the home for his close to a century, except that now it family. 'Julv 24: lQ7" ~1 -"'.' . .... - -- ~-_ .." JOHN ION COUNTY H'~A~A.· SHAL INS K.Y,.' ferr,: P., r~;s (rip t ion s REX ALL DR UGS}-(;;·;·~;·,,::'·~02' ~ANTAf. Pr,~ PVfR~4NP PARK HI 2-5353 Photos ofthe Elijah Cornell Chase House Prairie Village, Kansas

Original structure mentioned in March 4. 1866 letter. (click the photo for a largerphoto andmore info) Hou~e lIS it now appears - January 2003.

http://home.wanadoo.nL!j.b.chace!ECCHousePhotos·.html 1111112004 rage 1 or L.

Original Elijah Cornell Chase House

Recently, I received an email from the current owners ofthe Elijah Cornell Chase House. They have done some research into thehistory ofthe house and were kind enough to provide me with some ofthe historical information and sent me a photograph taken ofthe Elijah Cornell Chase family. It appears that the house mentioned in Elijah's March 4. 1866 letter to his uncle Ezra Cornell was indeed on the same property as the current brick structure and became the kitchen ofthe house afteritwas expanded. .

From the email:

"We don't have any letters, but we do have a copy ofthe original deed to the land, and someinfo that was published in a local magazine years ago written by a grandaughter ofElijah and Abigail's. We have not kept in contact with the great grandaughter, butI will check into it for you."

"The smaller home Elijah mentioned building in 1866 was the original kitchen, whichwas built ofwalnut timbers. Thebrick portion ofthe house was added in 1869, according to the grandaughter's account. The kitchen burned down sometime around the tum ofthe century, and a patio was put over the foundation. Nowthere is an addition and the kitchen is back where it started. Soon afterthe Daughters ofthe American Colonists placed their plaque, two other homes were found to be older than ours, so that claim has gone by the wayside, but the Daughters weren't about to redo the plaque!"

note: I have constrained the photo below so as to make itfit into the website nicely. It is largerand ifyou clickon it with yourright mouse button andselect "view image II or "open image, "you will be able to see the largerview. I am notsure yetwho is Elijah andwho is Abigail. My guess is that the guy in the middle with the blackhat on is Elijah and the woman to his left is Abigail.

http://home.wanadoo;nlJj.b.chacelElijahHome.html·· 11111/2004 rage 1 or L.

Elijah Cornell Chace Letters

. In May of2002, I became aware ofa house in Prairie Village, Kansas, which was built by thebrother ofmy Great Great Grandfather Thomas Bron Chace. His name was Elijah Cornell Chace and he was named after his maternal grandfather, Elijah Cornell.: Hewas born a Chace as census records and the last will and testament ofhis father attest, but later chan,ged the spelling ofhis last name, as did some ofhis siblings, to ChllS;g,. Why? I do not mow. Maybe he didn't want to be associated with the Quakerism that was prevalent in the Chace Family and to which his father and mother adamantly adhered. Maybe he didn't get along with some ofthe family and did not wish to be associated with them.

However, his letters, and particularly the one below which may be referring to the house in Johnson County, Kansas, are the subject ofthis page. According to a plaque placed on the house in 1993 by the Daughters ofthe American Colonists, Arbella Chapter, it was built circa 1869, and is the oldest continuous residence in Johnson County. My father recently stopped by there and talked lady ofthe house and she said that they are not exactly sure of the date ofconstruction, hence the "circa 1869", and that the date is supposedly based upon the purchase ofthe land.

The letter below was written to Ezra Cornell concerning placement ofcollege land scrip in Kansas. The original spelling has been maintained. At the end ofthe letter, Elijah tells his uncle ofa small house he is building "on my place." Then, he says that he will be unable to pay the balance ofhis note due Uncle Ezrauntil the following fall which would be fall of 1867. Ifhe was working on building a small home in Johnson County in 1866, hoping to have it finished by April of1866 as his letter says, then could this have been the house now honored as the oldest continuous residence?

A Chase-L mailing list member, Jim Locke, recently went by the house in Johnson County, and sent me some photos ofit which can be viewed here. The letter below mentions that the house being built is 14 ft x 18. The house in the pictures Jim sent me appears to be bigger than that. But, Elijah Cornell Chace could have changed his mind or expanded the house during or after building it. Furthermore, I know from the conversation my father had with the owner that the two white dormers on the second floor are not part ofthe original structure and were added at a later date. Ifthe house mentioned in the letteris not the house which is still to be found in Prairie Village, Kansas, then Elijah Cornell was an extremely busy man building one house for his family in the spring of1866 and then building another and moving them to the new house a short 2 1/2 years later in 1869. (Note: My suspicions have been conthwedin part by the current owners ofthe house.)

Shawnee Kansas March 4th 1866

My Dear Uncle

I recived a letter from you in Dec.Iast inquiring about entering lands and laying college land scrip. I answered your letter at that http://home.wanadoo;nl/j.b,chacelECChaceLetters.htmI 11/ll/2004 time.

Thereis a large quanty ofpub.landsbeing taken up by railroad Co. and appropriated bythe legislature for internal improvement &c. Thereis also a largeemmigration comingto Kansasin the springto settle on our cheaplands.

I wouldsuggestthat this springwouldbe the besttime proberably, for sometime to come, to locateyour co!lege land scrip. .

I am obliged to leavethe farmthatI now ocupythe first ofApril andam at workbuilding a small houseon my place 14fix 18and wantto get movedon to it by that time.

Onaccountof beingobligedto build this spring it wouldnot be conveniant for me to paythe ballence ofmy noteuntil next fall.

Myfamily are well,

TrulyYourNephew, Elijah C Chase

To Hon Ezra Cornell Ithaca. NY.

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http://home.wanadoo.n1zj.b.chacelECChaceLetters.htInl 11/11/2004 . SEPTEMBER 1'1,1963 '",s that they 'g side of Historic House to Be traffic ~ed." Kept by Developers

ALMOST HIDDEN BY'SHRUBS and trees, this old horne at 7125 Antioch road In Overland Park was the site of early agricultural crop experiments in Kansas. The. first sweet potatoes known to- h~lVe been grown in the state for distribu­ tion as seed were stored in the cellar by the builder, Elijah Chase. A house in Northeast Johnson then Dew ideas in agriculture, CountyI important to the his- including the value to farmers tory of Kansas and Regional ag· of raising sweet potatoes. rlculture, will be preserved as Watson believes that Indian a part ofa new homes develop- students from the old mission ment in Overland Park. at Fifty-third street and Mission Complete in the 'classic pet- road may have"helped make the tern of early Kansas construe- bricks in the house. The art was tlon with high and narrow win- taught at the mission. dows in solid walls of nand- The acreage will be, used for pressed brick, the old. Chase the new Milburn Estates devel- J home at 7125 Antioch road has opment of Wilmer Holsinger . survived a century of wear and and Charles T r u d e r s, who use. . . bought the .ground from the Records of 'construction are heirs of Mrs. May Jacobs. Mrs. indistinct, D'Qt Thomas watson, Jacobs purchased it in 1932. who farms near Dlathe, grew up Chase at one time tried to, in a nearby house. He said the buy some adjacent -land which' J Chase home was there when his he rented. Watson r e c a II edt father moved. to Johnson Coun- nearing stories, however, that ( ty .and settled in what is DOW the Indian owner was induced Overland Park in 1870. to sell to another purchaser for The structure was built, by an overcoat _and a big- drink of Elijah Chase, .a member of the whisky. The tract was 100 New York banking family and acres. 1 a cousin of the founder of Cor- 'I'oday, Northeast J 0 h n so D'I J Dellnnlversity. County land prices generally : t Chase brought with him, some are above $3 JooOan acre. _

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