Luther Dickerson raised the first company of soldiers ever organized in the State of Kansas, in May, 1861. The first military order issued in the State was directed to him, signed by John A. Martin, assistant adjutant general.
But while his company was the first organized, it happened that Dickerson’s commission as captain was the second issued, and was signed by Governor Charles Robinson, before the State had an official seal. Afterwards, Mr. Dickerson served in the regular volunteer service, as first lieutenant.
He lived on his land, north of town, for many years, and died in Atchison on the thirteenth day of December, 1910.
LUTHER C. CHALLISS.
Luther C. Challiss came to Atchison in 1855 from Boonville, Mo., where he was engaged as a merchant. He remained here continuously until 1861 as merchant, banker, ferry operator and real estate owner. Luther C. Challiss’ addition, the east line of which is at the alley between Seventh and Eighth streets, was preëmpted by Mr. Challiss in 1857, and was originally composed of 198 acres.
As a member of the Territorial council, Mr. Challiss secured the first charter for a railroad west from Atchison, known as the Atchison Pike’s Peak railroad, now the Central Branch. He was the first president of the road, and originally owned every dollar of the stock. He also managed the Kickapoo treaty, which gave the road 150,000 acres of land, and made it prominent in Washington as a specific possibility. The original Government subsidy for this road was every other quarter section of land for ten miles on either side, in addition to $16,000 to $48,000 per mile, in Government bonds.
At the same time Mr. Challiss secured a charter for the Atchison-Pike’s Peak railroad, he secured a charter for the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe railroad, his original idea being a southern route to the Pacific, and that road has fulfilled all of his early expectations.
Mr. Challiss made a great deal of money in Atchison, and in 1864 drifted to New York and Washington, where he became an operator on the stock exchange. Mr. Challiss’ sympathies were with the South, and was generally a bull. As long as the South showed its ability to hold out Mr. Challiss made a great deal of money, and at one time he had on deposit in New York $960,000, but the tide turned against him when the South began to fail, and this fortune was reduced to nothing.
As an operator on Wall street at that time, Mr. Challiss outranked Jim Fisk and Jay Gould, and was the peer of Anthony Morse and the Jeromes. Jay Gould was a very common man at that time, compared to Mr. Challiss, and a very little thing might have made Mr. Challiss one of the great financial leaders in America. An incident in his career in New York was the attempt of Woodhull & Claflin to break him. He made a fight that is still remembered, and sent Woodhull and Claflin, Colonel Blood Stephen, Pearl Andrews and George Francis Train to jail, where they remained six months. Finally they left the country as a result of a compromise. Mr. Challiss’ lawyers were Roger A. Pryor and Judge Fullerton. Judge Fullerton received a quarter section of land in Atchison county as his fee. Mr. Challiss also brought the famous Pacific Mail suit, which was equally famous.
He returned to Atchison in 1878, looking after the wreck of his former possessions. For three years he edited the Atchison Champion, and bitterly opposed John J. Ingalls for United States senator in 1890.