Salina Post, in partnership with the Smoky Hill Museum, is proud to present Flashback Friday. Enjoy a weekly tidbit of local history from the staff at Salina Post and the Smoky Hill Museum as we present "Salina-Flashback Fridays"
By SALINA POST
In April of 1858, a group of men from Lawrence, Kansas, founded Salina and organized the Salina Town Company. These men were: Col. William A. Phillips, David Phillips, Alexander M. Campbell Sr., A.C. Spillman, and James Muir. It is interesting to note that all of these men were Scotch Presbyterians and with the exception of Muir, were all related.
Saline County was organized a year later, making both Salina and Saline County older than the state of Kansas, which was not admitted into the union until 1861.
Two townsite locations for the City of Salina were considered : one along the Blue River not far from Manhattan and the second on the banks of the Smoky Hill. Because the Blue River flooded the first site, William A. Phillips and his companions, James Muir, and Alexander Campbell, continued west and selected the Smoky Hill River site for their town.
Phillips liked this site for its natural advantages of water and timber, as well as its strategic location for future settlement. He also believed chances were favorable that a railroad might soon be routed through the region. Using a compass placed on Phillips’ stove top hat, the men drove stakes and made a rough survey of the town, noting in the Town Company minutes that adjustments would be made when the official government survey was completed.
A month later, Alexander Spilman and Robert Crawford arrived bringing the first load of provisions to the new townsite. In the middle of March, Spilman, Muir and Crawford completed a preliminary survey, marking off the streets, blocks, lots, squares and public ground.
The original boundaries of Salina consisted of Front Street on the east; Ninth Street on the west; North Street on the north; and South Street on the south. The main north-south street was called Santa Fe because it pointed south towards the Santa Fe Trail, a freight road that ran through present-day McPherson County. The main east-west street, Iron Avenue, ran down from the rise east of town known as Iron Mound.
Col. Phillips’ sister Christina and brother-in-law Alexander Campbell, Sr. started Salina’s first store, Campbell Dry Goods. It was located in a log house at the southwest corner of 5th Street and Iron Avenue. The store operated as a trading post and the first post office. It served both settlers and Native Americans needing supplies.
A natural gathering place, Campbell’s store was the only trading post and outfitting station between Salina and the Rocky Mountains from 1858 through most of 1859. Campbell never refused a customer, treating all equally and trading with both settlers and Native Americans. Fellow town founder Alexander Spilman said, “He is one the best and truest men I ever knew."
The log cabin home and store burned to the ground on March 4, 1861. This is the first recorded fire in the city of Salina.
In the 1860s, the Campbells built and moved their store to a new building at the southeast corner of Santa Fe and Iron Avenues. The Faulkner & Wildman real estate office was located next door. The Goddard Hotel was across the street.
In the late 1870s, Campbell partnered with Wallace C. Tuthill and Arthur C. Sloan. In 1883, Campbell & Tuthill replaced their building with a two-story brick structure for their store and the post office.
For nearly 30 years, this store served the community’s merchandising needs and encouraged the influx of new businesses to stimulate and sustain city growth.
No one worked harder for the interests of the town during that time than Alexander Campbell. In addition to running the store, Campbell also ran a free ferry across the Smoky Hill River, where Iron Avenue crosses the river today. He also served for more than 25 years as Salina’s postmaster and was elected register of deeds of Saline County.
Campbell and his wife Christena were life-long residents of Salina. The Campbells hold the distinction of being the first Salina settlers to be married and their daughter, Christina, was the first white child born in the county.