HARPER COUNTY, Part 7

DANVILLE.

Danville is a live little town, of about 200 inhabitants, located on the K. C., L. & S. K. Railway, seven miles from Harper and about the same distance from the east line of the county. The town site of sixty acres was laid out by Mrs. E. J. Cole in 1880, and a post office known as Coleville established. Of this sixty acres, the town company purchased twelve, and made their improvements thereon, the name of Danville being substituted for Coleville. The town company's first officers were T. O. Moffett, President; J. A. Burke, Vice President; G. P. Pearl, Secretary; F. O. Mott, Treasurer. Its present officers are: J. A. Burke, President; Isaac Coslett, Vice President; John Finn, Secretary; F. O. Mott, Treasurer. The first building on the town site was a residence moved in from the country by F. O. Mott, the second was the blacksmith shop of E. Markey, the third the general store of T. O. Moffett. This was soon followed by the store of L. B. Ammerman.

The post office, both under the name of Coleville and Danville, has been in charge of Mrs. J. E. Wilson.

The press history of the town is summed up in that of the Danville Argus. This paper was started on November 10, 1882, by R. E. Hicks. After two months, it was sold to J. R. Horn, and in February, 1883, it passed into the hands of a stock company. It was started as a Republican sheet, but changed to Democratic views upon coming into the possession of J. R. Horn. Its form is that of a "patent" five-column quarto.

The first church building in the town was erected by the Presbyterian society in 1882, at a cost of about $800. This is used on alternate Sabbaths by the Methodist society. The Presbyterian society was formed in December, 1881, with eight members, and has now twenty-five. It has always been in charge of Rev. J. P. Fulton. A Union Sabbath school is attached to this church and has an average attendance of 100. It is in charge of H. H. Garland. The Methodist society was formed at about the same time as the Presbyterian, and has also about twenty-five members. Its first pastor, Rev. Mr. Walsh, and its present pastor, Rev. Mr. Anderson, both live at Harper and come down to perform service. The M. E. Church South has a number of members at this point, and occasional services by preachers of that denomination. The Roman Catholics also have many members and have secured funds for the erection of a chapel at a near point in the future.

The town now has three groceries, one drug store and grocery combined one drug store, one dry goods and one hardware store, a lumber yard, meat market, two blacksmith shops, one livery and one shoe shop. There are two coal dealers and two grain buyers and one hotel.

ALBION.

Albion is a small town on the K. C., L. & S. K. Railway just west of the east line of the county. It was laid out March 4, 1881, on land formerly owned by J. W. Shields, but purchased by a town company of which T. Shields was, and still is President. The town site is in the form of a rectangle 1,642x720 feet. The first building on the town land was put up by F. E. Beach, the second by Elder Bros., and the third by Portman & Maddy. The post office at this point was formerly known as Gourock, and was kept by Mrs. Seavey. Upon the laying-out of the town, the post office was moved to it but the name was not changed to Albion until the fall of 1882. Soon after the arrival of the Elder brothers, Robert Elder was made Postmaster and still retains the office. The town has no churches or secret societies. Its population is about 100 and it has the following industries: Four stores, one lumber yard, one hotel, two liveries, one meat market, two blacksmith shops. A flouring mill was built here some time ago but has never been put in operation.