By Beverly Clinkingbeard

A surety of today is that our world will change. Such was the case of Center Grove/Center Point.

It was a place in Atchison County and was adjacent to the north of the present Center Grove Cemetery and described as, “Center Point is situated on a beautiful prairie eight miles south of the Iowa line, 12 miles west of the Nodaway line and 12 miles northeast of Rock Port . . .” The first settlers were few and far between and couldn’t officially buy their land until after the 1836 Platte Purchase was made. However, following the Civil War and the migration west, it was described as, “Monday afternoon 4th . . . We took passage on the mail hack for Center Point. (H.W. Shackleford advertised, “Leaves Centre Point daily for Rock Port at 7 a.m.; returning, leaves Rock Port at 1:30 p.m. Fare each way 75 cents. Good, comfortable, two-seated, covered hack.”) Arriving in town about 4 o’clock in the afternoon and finding business … wide awake, thorough going little town . . . stores and shops . . .”

“One may stand upon the streets of this place and gaze upon fields of waving corn in any and every direction – corn that resembles great forests, hundreds of acres of it on all sides, and then he will not be at all surprised at the bustle and stir created by the busy farmers as they come rolling into town after supplies . . .”

From the “History of Holt and Atchison Co., 1882, Center Point was located on a part of lot 1, Northeast quarter of Section 1, Township 65 (that may be a misprint as all records have it as Township 66), Range 39, by William and Harriet Roberts. McKinley Wood and Frank Bachelor built the first house, intended for a store and dwelling. The next house was built by B.F. Dowdy. The town had a post office, two blacksmith shops, a shoe maker, drug store and possibly one or two other business houses. These, however, were all moved to Tarkio.”

In 1879, the Atchison County Journal said of Center Point, “A prosperous trading village of 100 people. Half a dozen business places and the usual complement of shops, with a good school and a capital trade make up the salient features of the situation. T.J. Emmert has a large and finely selected stock of general merchandise and is doing a $35,000 trade. Mr. Emmert is a Marylander, an accomplished trader, is brim full of business energy and is an inspiring, influential and public spirited gentleman. Dunlap, Gillet & Co. have a very fine stock of general merchandise which they are converting into cash and exchange to the extent of $25,000 a year. They are strong in financial and mercantile ability and have a growing trade. Mr. Dunlap is a genial and sociable Pennsylvanian. There are a score of first class men other than those named . . .”

There was a Center Point School and during the Civil War years, two brothers, Herschel and William Bartlett, held school and it became known as Bartlett School. They had as many as 50 pupils. There was also a Centerview School #37. It is described as “2½ miles northeast of Tarkio on the west side of the farm to market road.” It was not a part of Center Grove/Point.

“14 Aug. 1879 Camp-Meeting Notes – Are you going to the Greenback Rally?” (at Center Point/Grove) (Note: Greenback was a political movement and the editor of the Atchison Democrat had declared his newspaper for the Greenback party.) “Three tents 30 x 60 feet and a dozen or more smaller ones are prepared for the camp-meeting.” “Persons attending will not be allowed to fasten horses to the young timber at the Greenback Camp-meeting. Hitching places will be prepared.” “Holt & Nodaway counties will be largely represented at Center Grove on the 20th and 21st.”

Other notes of the prairie village was: “9 Sept. 1880 – The Center Point bus had to put on an extra team in order to get over the road last week.” Meanwhile, plans were being made that would change the area. “May 1880 – The Tarkio Valley Road (referencing the new railroad that was under construction) leaves Milton and Center Point out in the cold. The road passes Milton on the east side of the Tarkio, nearly three-quarters of a mile distant, and runs west of Center Point a mile or two. We are in a condition just at present to console with our unfortunate neighbors.” “June 1880 – We found Center Point quite lively last Saturday. It is almost a pity for that thriving little village to be swept away by the location of a new town on the TV (Tarkio Valley) railroad.” “29 July 1880 – We understand that Center Point is a very lively burg since the railroaders have pitched their tents in the vicinity of that place.” “Work is progressing on the Tarkio Valley road, and it will doubtless be completed long before snow falls.” “9 Oct. 1880 – The good people of Center Point are preparing to move to the new town of Tarkio.” “20 Nov. 1880 – Westboro is the name of a new railroad town in Lincoln township. It is situated near the Iowa line on the Tarkio Valley road. An auction sale of lots takes place there on Tuesday, November 23rd.” “2 Dec. 1880 – It is said that a portion of Center Point will go to the new town of Westboro, instead of Tarkio City.” “6 Jan. 1881 – The Center Point post-office is a thing of the past.”

As for Center Point, perhaps the only remains today are buried rock and concrete from the foundation of the Center Grove Church. “Nearly all of the grove itself, the beautiful oak and walnut trees, have long since fallen under the ax to make room for cultivated crops. Few landmarks remain of all those once so familiar. The old homes of James Roberts and Alfred Kime still stand, the former occupied now by Rolla Layden and the latter still of the other landmarks and pleasant places, until one had not observed the changes as they occurred, would scarcely be able to recognize the Center Grove of the early days.”

It’s now 2024 and the area has changed. However, the fields still grow corn, the houses are gone, the trail is a now State Highway O, the railroad that eclipsed the little village is no more, and the cemetery is probably larger than the founders ever dreamed. They would be astounded at the size of the old peony bushes and the iris that faithfully bloom each spring. Perhaps they’d be envious of the big mowers and clippers that make short work of keeping the cemetery grass (keeping it mowed a continual discussion per cemetery minutes) contained.

Surely the founders would be pleased that every Memorial Day, family and friends meet again at the flag pole. The Legion will present a short program and immediately following will be the annual Center Grove Cemetery Association meeting, and it is open to all. Refreshments are available in the shed. Check The Atchison County Mail for the Legion Memorial Day cemetery schedule.

In years past, there was a big picnic on the grounds. From the “History of Center Grove Cemetery,” the following: “But there remains one monument to those early pioneers which will always stand, the Center Grove Cemetery. Originally given through the generosity and devotion of one man and one woman, dedicated to the use of the public without thought of reward, and made sacred through the loving care of its sponsors, it stands today as an nonperishable reminder of the splendid, unselfish lives of those who have gone before.”

(My appreciation to researcher, Audrey VanLeuven, 1984, “The Country Schools of Atchison County,” and always, our Atchison County Library.)

’Til next time.