J. K. Fical
His full name is Jim K. Fical.[1] He lived in Courtland, New York before moving to Kansas.[2] After Norman Ingraham abandoned his shed that was the start of Sherman, he moved into it, which was close to the river bank of the Ninnescah. There was no flooring in this shed, and there were big cracks in the walls.[3]
The first postmaster of Kingman, called Sherman at the time. He was appointed December 10th, 1872.[4] The original post office was located on the railroad line of the A. T. & S. F. Railway.[5]
He married Jennie Fical on February 5th, 1873, and brought her to the shed on the riverbank.[6] During December, she gave birth to a baby girl, named Ninnescah, the first child of Kingman County.[7]
He was a resident of Hutchinson, Kansas until he moved to Sherman, Kansas on February 14th, 1873.[8] However, according to A History of Kingman County, he moved into the shed in Sherman during the year of 1872.[9] After moving into Sherman, he was convinced by a couple of men to participate in a fraudulent scheme to register Kingman County with fake settlers, issue bonds for the county for large amounts, register the bonds, then sell them to people who did not know any better of the value of those bonds.[10][9] However, he did not seem to want to misuse those bonds in this way and held onto those bonds while hoping Kingman would develop rapidly. After the failure of Kingman to develop by 1875, he returned to Courtland, New York with his wife, child, and his brother, H. S. Fical.[2]
Dates
Week of June 28th, 1878
The Mercury wrote a passive aggressive statement about him: "J. K. Fical, the man who did not build the bridge across Smoots creek, and who owns property in this neighborhood, recently refused to permit parties to deposit money for him in the Reno County Bank, fearing that the attorney of this county would attach the same. 'The wicked flee when no man pursueth.'"[11]
Sherman Hotel
He ran the first hotel of Sherman.[12][13]
- ↑ Hurd, Fred. A History of Kingman County, 1871–1969. Mennonite Press, 1970, p. 8.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Hurd, Fred. A History of Kingman County, 1871–1969. Mennonite Press, 1970, p. 32.
- ↑ Hurd, Fred. A History of Kingman County, 1871–1969. Mennonite Press, 1970, p. 14.
- ↑ The Daily Commonwealth, 10 Dec. 1872, p. 4.
- ↑ The Daily Commonwealth, 29 Dec. 1872, p. 2.
- ↑ Hurd, Fred. A History of Kingman County, 1871–1969. Mennonite Press, 1970, p. 20.
- ↑ Hurd, Fred. A History of Kingman County, 1871–1969. Mennonite Press, 1970, p. 21.
- ↑ The Hutchinson News [Hutchinson, Kansas], 27 Mar. 1873, p. 2.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Hurd, Fred. A History of Kingman County, 1871–1969. Mennonite Press, 1970, p. 14.
- ↑ Hurd, Fred. A History of Kingman County, 1871–1969. Mennonite Press, 1970, p. 34.
- ↑ The Mercury, 28 June 1878, p. 2.
- ↑ The Hutchinson News [Hutchinson, Kansas], 13 Mar. 1873, p. 2.
- ↑ The Hutchinson News [Hutchinson, Kansas], 12 June 1873, p. 1.
