Mable Rachel (Jones) Clark, Correspondent

[This article was written by my paternal grandmother, Mable Clark, who was the Maple Hill News correspondent for both the Alma Signal and the Alma Enterprise in 1929 and for several other years. Mable Clark was also the Maple Hill Central Office chief operator from 1914 to 1958 and would have had the opportunity to interview many people and take their information. I found the article very interesting and I want to share it with you.]

Mr. Cal Whan laid out the town of Maple Hill prior to the big land auction. This was done 42 years ago when the Rock Island Railroad built the railroad lines through the area. The first train arrived in March 1887.

The oldest dwelling standing in town, is the one that the Lee Raine Family lives in now. The first church built was the Methodist Church. Mr. George A. Fowler gave the land and $2,000 for the church. The only older church, was the Old Stone Church, which was dedicated in August 1882. The land was given by Mr. Charles A Pierce and his son, William A Pierce, who owned the Millbrae Ranch southwest of town. The cemetery was actually fenced off and used five years before the church was completed.

The first school house, which was also used for Sunday School and Church, still stands on the H. G. Adams Ranch. It has been remodeled and is used as a dwelling for ranch families. Earl Smith lives in it at present.

The Main Street, which has suffered from many disasterous fires, was completed wiped out 19 years ago, so there are really no old business buildings or original buildings left. Among the oldest houses in the area are those occupied by Philip Deiter, Oscar Hammarland, Bert Singer, Paul McClelland, Mr. Reiser, Barney Flannary, Sr. and E. L. Knapp. The Knapp house was built in 1870 and is probably the oldest in Maple Hill Township.

Mr. and Mrs. Cal Whan hold the record for having lived in the Maple Hill Community longer than any other living. They came here fifty years ago. They did leave and lived in Minnesota for a couple of years but returned and have been here since. [Cal What was the manager and farmer on the Warren Farm at that time.]

Since the recent death of Mrs. Mary C. Beaubien, who arrived in 1871, John Turnbull, Sr. is our oldest citizen. He came to Maple Hill in 1886. We dont think there are any Civil War Veterans living in the community today.

Among the early day teachers in Maple Hill Schools are Ms. Kate (Griswold) Thompson, who taught Vera School 50 years ago and Mrs. Mattie (Frank) McClelland who taught in the first District #39 School forty-two years ago. This is the first school and is now a tenant house on the H. G. Adams Ranch.

Mr. Ed Knapp is the longest living resident of Maple Hill Township having settled here in 1870. Mr. William Warren came to Maple Hill with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. William H. Warren in 1874. Frank McClelland settled with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Robert McClelland in 1876. E. L. Knapp was born November 1, 1870 in his parents newly completed farm house south of Maple Hill. Mr. Knapp told me, All of my children have been born in this house. The state road from Alma to Topeka went by our house and people often stopped here for dinner or to stay the night. The bridge over Dry Creek near our house was the first baridge between Alma and Topeka. My first memories are of only a few houses and no fenced prairie. That certainly changed in the late 1870s.

Photo One -Mable R. Clark, 1914
Photo Two – Mable R. Clark, 1958
Photo Three – District #39 School – H.G. Adams Ranch
Photo Four – Katie Griswold Thompson (Mrs. James)
Photo Five – The Maple Hill Methodist Church
Photo Six – The Old Stone Church, built 1882
Photo Seven – Mrs. Mary C. (Blanchett) Beaubien
Photo Eight – 1910 Birdseye View of Maple Hill taken from the Fowler/Tod Elevator.