History
of Neuchatel, Kansas...
Neuchatel, by Susan Dodds
Geography of Kansas
S. L. Stover
November 24, 1986
NEUCHATEL
(Picture
by Nicolas Junod - July 2010 - click for full size)
Neuchatel
is set in the rolling hills of northeastern Kansas. Thick
stands of timber line the banks of
French Creek as
it curves around the south and west side of the Neuchatel
community.
The
famous Parallel road runs on the south side of Neuchatel
and is still used by many drivers. It
is now
officially labeled Pottawatomie county road number
752 and it is in the dividing line between Nemaha and
Pottawatomie
counties.
The
Neuchatel area is a favorite of sportsmen as it abounds
with quail, pheasant, deer, bobcats,
raccoons,
squirrels, doves and coyotes. This area is part of
the glaciated area of Kansas and many of the red, brownish-red,
and purple
quartzite rocks left by the glaciers are found in
the pastures, fields, and timbers of the Neuchatel community.
The
Neuchatel area of Kansas is primarily pasture land with
some fields of milo, corn and soybeans: Most
of the farms
of this area are diversified, raising both livestock
and grains. Farmers practice dryland farming with
some irrigation
where French Creek and man-made ponds are available.
The livestock produced are cattle and hogs, with
a few sheep.
Approximately fifty percent of the present day
Neuchatel farmers hold off farm jobs to survive in the
present
economic situation.
The
town of Neuchatel today consists of a community hall, a
school house , a church
and a cemetery.
The community
is composed of farm homes separated by miles
instead of the
many homes that composed the community in the
1800’s.
Many houses are deserted, vacant, dreaming of
the past, the times when Neuchatel was alive and a
part of the great American
westward movement.
Neuchatel – 1856
The
prairies of the Neuchatel areas were covered with scant,
sparse growth of grass. The grass
grew in remote
clumps.
The constant prairie winds blew away the
soil, leaving the grass clumps much higher than the
rest of the
soil. The
Whitman and Searl Map of Eastern Kansas,
1856,
shows the locations of several early historical cities
and
villages but
none in the Neuchatel area. This map was
the first accurate
source used after Kansas became a territory
in 1854.
The
map shows the Pottawatomie Indian Reservation to the south
of the Neuchatel area. The only
community northwest of Neuchatel area
is Marysville.
The
map shows that Marysville
had a post office at this time.
North
of the area the map lists no towns between Neuchatel
and the border of Nebraska
Territory.
To the east the
Kickapoo Reservation sets between the
Neuchatel area and the Missouri
River area around Atchison.
West
of the Neuchatel area in 1854, there were more prairies
stretching
to the
Blue River
Valley with
no towns listed
on the map. On the Whitman and Searl
map, Neuchatel is not listed nor
are any notes made about
settlers in this
area.
The official governmentsurvey
of this area was completed in the summer 1857.
(Picture
by Nicolas Junod - July 2010 - click for full size)
Neuchatel – the
settlers
Kansas
was a new territory when the first recorded settlers began
to claim land
in the Neuchatel
area. Ezra and Steve
Lot of the State of New York
settled in the area in 1856. Charles and
Ami (Bach) Bonjour
(Charles
Adolphe & Ami
Eugène Bonjour) arrived
in this locality in May 1857,
just after the government surveyors
had finished their official
survey of the territory.
The
Bonjour brothers arrived
in the US from Switzerland
in 1852,
first
settling
in Indiana
before moving
west to settle
on French Creek in northeast
Kansas. They were the first
French-speaking people to
arrive
in the Neuchatel
area.
These early settlers recruited
other French-speaking Swiss
settlers to the Neuchatel
area. Later,
in
July 1857, their brother
Frederic H. Bonjour
(Frédéric Henri
Bonjour), his wife Julia (Julie
Adèle Simon), and L.
August Zurcher (Louis
Auguste Zürcher)
took up claims in what was
to called Neuchatel.
Fred
and Julia Bonjour had the first white child born
in the Neuchatel
community
on September 21, 1857.
Ami,
Charles and Gustave Bonjour and L. August
Zurcher hired out to
the government that
first year to cut hay
using the common scythe method.
L. August
Zurcher left
the Neuchatel area in
1860 when he enlisted in Company
G, 4th Missouri
Cavalry to fight
in the Civil War. He
returned to Neuchatel in the spring
of 1867 after he married
Mrs Mary Dodds
in Indiana. They
were accompanied by her
two sons Milton and Newton Dodds.
(Newton
was the great great
grandfather of Susan
Dodds, the writer of this report).
Many
of the later Swiss settlers were relatives
of the early
Neuchatel settlers
named above.
Some of
the Swiss
settlers
immigrated directly
from cantons in Switzerland
and others came
to Neuchatel
after living
in other states
of the
United States.
This area also attracted
settlers from other
countries and areas
of the United
States. Henry
Labbe and
relatives immigrated
from France to Wisconsin
in 1856. Along with
August
Seigneur,
they
staked claims
in the
Neuchatel area
in 1866. A popular
figure in Neuchatel
history was Peter Dockler,
a
doctor of medicine.
He
was a native of France
who
was educated
around
and had practiced medicine
in Africa before coming
to the United
States.
He practiced medicine
in
the eastern
United
States before coming
to Neuchatel in 1862.
A
family group of
Belgians, who
had originally
settled in
Wisconsin, also
settled in the Neuchatel area.
Other
settlers were
from
other areas of
the United States including
Ohio,
Illinois, Indiana
and West Virginia.
The
people of homesteaded the
Neuchatel area
chose it for
its plentiful
water supply
and
fertile soil.
The
settler’s
farms raised
corn and some
wheat. The
first livestock
consisted of
cows, pigs,
and oxen. The
first
team of
horses were
brought to
this area
around 1860.
Early
settlers
lived in dugouts
and caves
until they
could later
build
log houses
and frame
homes. The
area was
noted for
the use of old
fashioned
rail worm fences.
Goods and
supplies
for the community
were hauled
from Leavenworth
and
Atchison.
Many
of the later
settlers
were tradesmen who
homesteaded
and either
built
businesses
in the town
of Neuchatel
or
operated
their
businesses
from
their homesteads.
The
Lot brothers
and L.
August Zurcher were
noted
for digging
a furrow
from their
claim
at Neuchatel
to the
settlement
of America
City (approximately
nine miles
east)
and panting
cuttings
of cottonwood
trees
so others
might
find their
way on
the wide prairie.
Another
thing of
note is
the fact
that Charles
Bonjour
bought
the
second
organ
in the
territory
in 1877
and his
house became
a gathering
place for
the
young
people
of
the area.
It is also
noted in
Neuchatel
history
that the
settlers
felt the
earthquake
of 1868.
Neuchatel – the
town
(Picture
by Nicolas Junod - July 2010 - click for full size)
The
settlers who came
to
Neuchatel area
were
not
strictly
farmers.
Many
of
them had
trades
that
were
of
use to
others
in
the
settling
of
the area.
Carpentry,
cabinet
making,
and
shoemaking are
just
a few
of
the
occupations of the
people
who
settled the
Neuchatel
area.
The
town
of
Neuchatel was formed
by
these talented
people.
Following
is
a description
of
Neuchatel on March
1,
1878.
Neuchatel
is
a
small trading
point
on
the
south
line
of
Nemaha
county,
the
headquarter
of
a
large
French
settlement,
who
have
a
fine
church
building,
controlled
by
the
Presbyterians
-
and the
Catholics
will
build
a
church north
of
Neuchatel
this
summer.
Also
there
is
a
fine stone
schoolhouse.
The
businesses of
the place
are :
Cooper:
Baptist Dulac
General
Merchandise: F.
H. Bonjour & Co
Physician:
Dr. A.
Henry
Saloon:
F. H.
Bonjour
Steam
Flour Mill:
Neuchatel Mill
Co.
(taken
from an
old newspaper
account in
the Kansas
Historical records).
The
Swiss settlers
of Neuchatel
were concerned
with establishing
a school
for the
community. Due
to a
lack of
funds, a
subscription list
was
circulated
in the
community to
raise money
for a
school and
a teacher.
School was
taught in
homes until
a log
house
was
erected in
the fall
of 1868.
The
school site
was changed
to the
present location
in Neuchatel
in 1871.
This stone
structure housed
District #5,
a joint
school system
for
Nemaha
and Pottawatomie counties,
until
it was
closed in
the winter
of 1951.
Alfred
Bonjour (Louis
Alfred Bonjour)
sent a
petition to
the United
States government
to establish
a post
office in
early 1864.
A post office was
established on
August 8th,
1864, and
at this
time the
town was
officially named
Neuchatel, in
honor of
the canton in Switzerland
that the
original settlers
immigrated from.
A
general store
was built
in Neuchatel
in 1867.
It was
a log
structure. This
store burned
in 1875
and a
frame building was erected.
Goods were
hauled from
Seneca and
from the
end of
the Central
railroad between
Corning and
Centralia to
the north. Store
goods
were primarily
sold on
credit. The
general store
was a
gathering place
of the
area.
A
French Presbyterian
church was
chartered and
a wood
structure built
in the
year of
1870.
The
Swiss people
in the
Neuchatel community
were noted
for their
religious fervor.
On December
13, 1905,
the present
church was
constructed. This
church conducted
weekly services
until 1932 and
is
now used
infrequently.
The
Catholics members
of the
Neuchatel community
built a
church at
Coal Creek,
a neighboring
area to
the northeast
of Neuchatel.
A
grist mill
was built
on the
Julia Bonjour
farm in
1874 (wife
of Frédéric
Henri Bonjour). It
was
a massive structure
made of stone and run
by the waters of French
Creek. The
mill was built by
funds
of several
Neuchatel farmers and
merchants.
Following
is a
description of
Neuchatel on
March 1,
1901
Neuchatel
is a
pleasant little
settlement of
about 50
souls, located
on the
parallel about
6 miles
north of
Onaga and
surrounded by
a
rich
and developed
country. It
has one
good general
store and
post office
(with a
public hall
above), a
blacksmith shop (fitted
with
woodworking and
plow polishing
departments),
and
a large
church. The
village has
an overland
daily mail
connecting with
the L.K.
and
W.
(railroad) at
Onaga, which
affords good
service. (Taken
from the
Onaga Republican,
April 23,
1901).
Neuchatel – death
of a town
Neuchatel
as a
town died
because of
four major
reasons. These
reasons were
the failure
of the
grist mill,
the closing
of the post office,
the building
of the
railroads and
the urge
of the
settlers to
move on.
The
Neuchatel
grist
mill, built
in 1874,
was a
community
endeavor
and several
families invested
heavily in
it. The
mill failed
due to
a lack
of area
wheat and
a short
supply of
water. Several
Neuchatel
farmers
lost their
land due
to the
mill’s
failure and other lost
their
savings.
On
May 15,
1901, the
postal facility
was closed
in Neuchatel
and area
residents began
picking up
their mail
in Centralia
and Onaga.
In
the late
1800’s,
the railroads were beginning
to make
an impact on the Kansas
economy. Neuchatel was missed
by the
railroads. One line, the
Central railroad,
went north from
Corning
to Centralia and
the L.K. and W.
railroad
went south and west
of Neuchatel,
through
Onaga and Duluth.
As the town of
Onaga grew around
the railroad,
many
of the Neuchatel
people
and their
offspring moved
to Onaga.
It
is ironic
that
one
of the
reasons
the
Neuchatel area was settled
is also
one
of
the reasons
the
community
died. The
urge to
move on
or go
west was
very
strong
in the
settlers of
this
community
so
when
the economy
of
Neuchatel failed,
the
people of
the community
moved on
to new
relatively unsettled
areas of
the west.
Colorado, South
Dakota, Oregon
and California
are all
homes of
the descendants
of the
Surdez, Dodds,
Bonjour, Labbe
and other
Neuchatel families
who called
the Neuchatel
area of
northeast Kansas their home.
References
- F.F.
Crevecoeur, “Old Settlers Tales”, printed
in the Onaga Republican during the Winter of 1901-1902
- Mil
Penner and Carol Schmidt, Kansas (Inman, K.S. :
Sounds
of Kansas, 1985)
- Marjorie
Labbe, “Neuchatel History and Heritage”
- Daniel
Fitzgerald, “Ghost Towns of Kansas”,
1976
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