Editing Holton, Kansas (section)

==History==
{{See also|History of Kansas}}

The party that chose the site of Holton started at [[Milwaukee, Wisconsin]], in May 1856.  A train of six covered wagons, each drawn by two yoke of oxen, started the long trek to take Free State settlers to Kansas. They were financed by the Kansas Society of Milwaukee which was headed by [[Edward Dwight Holton]], the Milwaukee [[Abolitionism in the United States|abolitionist]]. They met [[James Henry Lane (Union general)|General James H. Lane]] with two hundred men at [[Nebraska City, Nebraska]], a rendezvous for Free State men. They followed the ''Jim Lane Road'' into Kansas approximately thirty miles. They came to Elk Creek, {{frac|2|1|2}} miles west of Holton, where they cut timbers to make a bridge, crossed it and made camp where Central School now stands. They liked the two streams (later named Banner Creek and Elk Creek) and the pleasant grassy hills, so they decided to stay. A company was organized and a civil engineer who was with them commenced the survey. They named the new town in honor of Holton.<ref>{{cite news |title=Honorable E. D. Holton: He Visits our Young City Amid the Firing of Cannon, The Ringing of Bells, Playing of Bands, And Rejoicing Generally |url=http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/wlhba/articleView.asp?pg=1&id=1385 |newspaper=Holton Recorder |location=Holton, Kansas  |date=December 11, 1879 |access-date=February 18, 2013 }}</ref>

A log house {{convert|20|x|20|ft}} was erected; it was so planned that is could be used for a fort and was known as [[Jim Lane's Fort]].<ref>{{cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_o8X5krq3fP8C | title=Kansas: A Cyclopedia of State History, Embracing Events, Institutions, Industries, Counties, Cities, Towns, Prominent Persons, Etc. | publisher=Standard Publishing Company | author=Blackmar, Frank Wilson | year=1912 | pages=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_o8X5krq3fP8C/page/n861 865]}}</ref> In the spring of 1857, J. B. Ingerson surveyed the townsite lots.<ref name="Holton">{{cite web | url=http://www.holtonkansas.org/pView.aspx?id=1986&catid=26 | title=History of Holton | publisher=City of Holton, Kansas | access-date=11 June 2014}}</ref>

The county that contains Holton was previously named '''Calhoun County''' for the pro-slavery South Carolina Senator [[John C. Calhoun]]. In 1859 the name was changed to Jackson County. Holton was chosen as the county seat in 1858. A frame building served as the first courthouse on the east side of the square, near the middle of the block. The first courthouse was built in the center of the square in 1872. The present courthouse was completed in 1921.<ref name="Holton" />

In 1859, the abolitionist [[John Brown (abolitionist)|John Brown]] took a group of escaped slaves through Holton, leading to an incident known as the [[Battle of the Spurs (Kansas)|Battle of the Spurs]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20110723061813/http://www.holtonks.net/city/spurs.htm The Battle of the Spurs and the Underground Railroad in Jackson County]</ref>

In 1859, Holton had seven dwellings, one store, a blacksmith shop and a steam saw mill. The census taken in April, 1857, gave Holton 291 people; in 1860 the population was 1,936. In 1859 the city was incorporated.<ref name="Holton" />

In 1879, the residents of [[Jackson County, Kansas]] decided to form a university in Holton.  It was funded by mining magnate, [[A. C. Campbell]], a former resident who had moved to [[Utah]], and thus named Campbell University.  In 1902 it merged with [[Lane University]] and became [[Campbell College (Kansas)|Campbell College]].<ref>[http://skyways.lib.ks.us/genweb/archives/1912/c/campbell_college.html Campbell College Early History] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110504121831/http://skyways.lib.ks.us/genweb/archives/1912/c/campbell_college.html |date=2011-05-04 }}</ref>  In 1913, it merged with [[Kansas City University (1896–1933)|Kansas City University]], then later closed in 1933.  The former site of the college later became the location of [[Holton High School]].<ref>{{cite book|author=Federal Writers' Project|title=The WPA Guide to Kansas: The Sunflower State|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0VzpCAAAQBAJ&pg=PT369|date=31 October 2013|publisher=Trinity University Press|isbn=978-1-59534-214-0|pages=369–}}</ref>