There was no Seneca at that time the first election in the area was March
30 1855 for the purpose of electing Council, and representatives to the
Territorial Legislature. Many who voted were pro-slavery who came to the
area for only the reason to vote. The Legislature convened on the first
Monday of July. Its acts took effect as soon as they were passed, being now
best known as the "Bogus laws of Kansas."
This map of Richmond Township is 155 years old this year in 2011. Seneca did come to exist in section 34 after 1859. This was before Seneca existed. The trail from Leavenworth to Ft. Kearney and points west crossed the Nemaha at Richmond some two miles north of Seneca. This election of March 1855 held at Richmond, the territorial County Seat and was taken over by pro-slavery people who had traveled into the area to vote.
John E. Smith came to the area in 1857 and settled at Seneca and changed the trail rout to go thought Seneca.
The story goes that the trail was changed to cross the river at Seneca through the efforts of John E. Smith. He accomplished this by sowing oats or millet on the trail to Richmond. This diverted the trail traffic through Seneca or Castle Rock as it was called at the time. The following appeared in the Anniversary Edition, of Courier-Tribune - 1938: “After coming to Kansas on a tour of inspection, John E. Smith returned to Seneca in 1857 with his brother, Stephen and C. B. Williams. He was followed by George Williams in August and by other members of the family: Mrs. Smith and sons. W. H. Smith and Frank E Smith, Eliza Williams and Abbie Smith.” John E. Smith had the title of “Capt." and this would lead one to believe that John Smith had been in the military. The fact that John Smith made a “Tour of Inspection” to this area which would seems to be a military term.
Add to this the fact that
Richmond was pro-slavery and the time being just prior to the Civil war
would lead one to think this could have been a covert action by the U. S.
government We have all heard of government officials being involved in many
covert action and keeping it a secret. One can even get into trouble
divulging a person name who worked for CIA. Capt. John Smith no doubt knew
from his previous "tour of inspection" about good spring that flowed on the
east side of the river near present day Seneca which is now called Maxwell
Springs. He would have known that this would be a good site for a town and a
crossing on the Nemaha. There were two Nemaha County Court Houses that
were destroyed by fire December. 1860. This may not have been an act of
God. He first built a mill on the east side of the Nemaha River. Built a
bridge over the Nemaha and later built in
the town on the west side of the river.
The fact is that Capt. John E. Smith admitted before he died in California Feb. 12, 1912 at the age of 83, that he had sowed oats on the trail to divert the traffic through Seneca. To quote the 1938 Courier-Tribune again: "A year before his death, Capt Smith confirmed the story about the sowing of millet -- some say oats -- along the Richmond road in order to diverted the travel from that trail to a new one which led directly into Seneca. The stage drivers seeing the grain green road to Richmond and seeing little used took the new road to which then became the established crossing of the Nemaha for the Overland Trail road to Ft. Kearney and later the rout of the Pony Express." It may not have been safe to admit such before that time.
There was speculation in the past that Capt John Smith may have been a undercover agent for the United States and succeeded in get the trail turned to Seneca without firing a shot. I was able to get this idea in the courier and it is included in this web page.
Capt. John E. smith was the first postmaster in Seneca and his picture was placed in the corner stone of the present day post office when it was built. I give you the fact and you decide. The Smith Hotel was in the south west corner of Fourth and Main where the Pony Express Rock is located. The Hotel was moved to the 700 Bock of Main before 1900 when the building was built at fourth and main.
By Ken Stallbaumer