Q and AUniontown once Indian trade postUpcoming guestsShe said, she

Topeka Capital-Journal, The, Oct 10, 2008

Question: I have heard of a ghost town, Union Town, in western Shawnee County. Can you give me some history about it? -- L.A., Topeka

Answer: Uniontown, official spelling, has the distinction of once being the largest city in Kansas, back when it was not even a territory.

The history was found by Jeff Imparato, research librarian at the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library, in "Ghost Towns of Kansas, Volume 2," by Daniel Fitzgerald, Topeka historian and author, which was published in 1979.

Uniontown traces its history to March1848 when it became a Potawatomi Indian trading post about a half-mile south of the present-day Rossville.

Uniontown was the official trading post from then until about 1853, and it reached a population of about 300 people and 60 buildings.

Practically all of the Western Trails in Kansas led to this point, and a ferry was built after a contract was signed on July 10, 1850.

"Union town not only became an important trading post," wrote Fitzgerald, "but also was the site of the Potawatomi annuity payment building, which operated until 1859."

The gatherings usually lasted 10 to 15 days, during which Indians enjoyed gambling and horse racing, along with tribal dancing.

By 1849, the town was booming wildly.

The St. Louis Republican wrote with advice for emigrants:

"Emigrants for California or Oregon, by the way of Independence, Kansas Landing or Westport, will find an excellent ford across the Kansas River at Uniontown, in the event of high water, and at Uniontown the traders have a good supply of all articles of provisions at reasonable rates."

Cholera hit the area hard in 1849 and 1850 and Indians died by the hundreds, according to Fitzgerald.

Before the surviving whites left Uniontown, they buried many Indians in a common grave and burned the entire town.

Uniontown recovered and in 1850, it again was established as a trading post with a physician, two blacksmiths, a wagon-maker, two gunsmiths and a saw mill.

A branch of the Oregon Trail passed through town and soon there were 60 buildings, 14 of them stores, with the largest settlement in the state.

In 1859, the remains of the town were burned and the largest city in Kansas was reduced to ashes.

If you have a question for retired Capital-Journal newsman Dick King, call 295-5610 and leave a message, e-mail page2@cjonline.com or write to The Topeka Capital-Journal, 616 S.E. Jefferson, Topeka 66607.10

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Boyda

At best, earmarks give communities a voice in federal spending. At worst, they're wasteful pork handed out to score political points.

So where does the problem arise? For decades, earmarks were handed out behind closed doors with zero transparency. Voters didn't know who had requested what earmark, so they could not hold accountable politicians who wasted tax dollars on projects like the "Bridge to Nowhere."

I have always believed that sunlight is the best antidote to government waste. One of my first votes in Congress required every earmark to disclose its sponsor. Under this rule, earmarks fell by a third in just one year.From C-J's Voters' Guide, on congressional earmarks ...Go to cjonline.activote.com for 2008 election news. The site offers local and national information on the candidates and issues.LynnJenkins

The whole earmark system is designed to do one thing: spend more money. It is a system that entices members of Congress to waste your tax dollars. While increased transparency is important, transparency does not address the single most important issue: spending. Many thought increased transparency would "shame" members of Congress into being more fiscally responsible, however many claim it has done the opposite.

Now, since members of Congress can easily see how much pork the guy next door is bringing to his district, it has turned into a competition to see who can earmark the most. Transparency certainly has a role in earmark reform, but it is by no means the end.