Map of the Town of Hoxie, A subdivision of the west half of the southwest quarter of section 15

Uncommon cadastral map of Hoxie, Kansas.

This straightforward plat map of Hoxie, Kansas was issued the same year the town was first incorporated (1886). The Missouri Pacific Railroad, hoping to build a line through the area, offered to relocate the inhabitants of nearby Kenneth (plus its buildings). The resulting community, eventual seat of Sheridan County, was named after local politician and railroad official Herbert Melville Hoxie.

The image shows several square city blocks numbered around a large courthouse square and public school grounds. Descriptive text at the bottom of the sheet offer encouraging words about local amenities, climate, and economic opportunities available. “Her location in the center of the county, the fertility and extent of the country tributary, the large immigration now flowing in, and the absence of any rival towns of importance, all insure to Hoxie a rapid and permanent growth, and unmistakably designate her as the commercial center and metropolis of the county.” Printed in Kansas City, Missouri by Gerard Brothers & Woody in 1886, with support from the Hoxie State Bank.

The map is scarce, with only two entries noted in OCLC at the Library of Congress and Yale University. Additional examples have been identified as the Kansas State Historical Society and Wichita State University.

Sources: Fort Hays State University; Wichita State University;