A meeting of the citizens of Neosho County, Kansas, held at Old Erie, in said county, on the 28th day of December, 1867, for the purpose of selecting a Central Committee whose duty it should be to organize the different townships for the purpose of petitioning the Congress of the United States for the right of Pre-emption and Homesteads upon lands commonly known as the Osage Indian Lands was organized by selecting E.F. Williams, of Erie, as Chairman and J.L. Dennison, Secretary.
On mnotion of J.L. Dennison a Central Committee was chosen, consisting of one member from each township, viz: Maj. S.L. Coulter, Erie; Purphey Mencon, Centerville; E.A. Pierce, Walnut Grove; James Hudson, Canville; Washington Carpenter, Mission; John Bogard, Lincoln; Reuben Schooley, Big Creek; S.E. Beach, Neosho.
Motion was then made by J.L. Dennison, that such members of the Committee that were not present be immediately notified of the action of the meeting.
The following resolutions were submitted and adopted:
Resolved. That we, the people of Neosho County, in Convention assembled, in consideration of the many hardships endured while residing on the Osage Lands during the last two years, are entitled to 160 acres of land as a Homestead.
Resolved. That the proceedings of this meeting be published in The Allen County Courant and the Humbolt Union, and a copy of each said papers be presented to each of our Representatives in Congress.
On motion of Joel Barnhart the meeting adjourned. E.F. Williams, Chairman. The Allen County Courant, Iola, Kansas. Saturday, January 18, 1868. Page 2. (c) Transcribed by Darren McMannis for the Kansas Council of Genealogical Societies, Inc.
