Do you know who the man is in the above picture? It happens to be a picture of A B Jetmore.
A long time ago, in fact it was 1878 a group of men formed a town, two miles east of the present location of Jetmore. They called this town Hodgeman Center. This name brought up a conflict since it wasn't actually the center of Hodgeman County. Many people wanted to call the present site of Jetmore, Hodgeman Center and to have it as the county. seat. Since Hodgeman Center was already the name of a town, it was decided to use the name, Buckner, after the river which ran through the location. This didn't settle the problem, though of which was to become the county seat.
To decide whether Hodgeman Center or Buckner would become the county seat and who would hold the public offices an election was held the fourth day of November, 1879. The commissioners threw out many votes and declared officers elected who didn't have the majority of the votes. Buckner, it was decided, though would be the county seat.
Not agreeing with the procedure that was used in putting men into office, the settlers decided to ask Mr. T S Haun to represent their case in court. Mr. Haun was a lawyer who had bought land in the Town Buckner. Mr. Haun, assisted by A B Jetmore a leading attorney of Topeka, took the case to Supreme Court. The outcome of the case was that the commissioners recount and declare the rightful results of the election. At the first large fourth of July in Jetmore in 1886, A B Jetmore was present and delivered an oration. Mrs. Jetmore called Jetmore "Our namesake of the plains".
Mr. Jetmore was not only a man of outstanding ability, but he also had a warm heart. This could be shown by another interesting but true story.
During the Civil War, Mr. Jetmore served as a colonel in the Union Army. At the same camp at which he was stationed, there was a young Negro lad whose name was "Blind Boon" and he had been blind all his life. He played the harmonica and Mr. Jetmore spent many enjoyable evenings listening to Blind Boon. Quite a fen [sic] years ago "Blind Boon" came to Jetmore because it was named after this great man he knew and loved. Colonel Jetmore had helped him further his education in music and he would always remember that Colonel Jetmore had helped him most.
Since the name of the town had to be registered, it was decided to change the name of Buckner to Jetmore in honor of A B Jetmore. (The river which runs through Jetmore is still called the Buckner).
In 1908, at the age of 61, Colonel A B Jetmore passed away in his home in Topeka, Kansas. Some years later, his family presented to the city a life size portrait which now hangs on the west hall of our courthouse. Under his picture are these words by Mr. Roscoe H. Wilson, "-There was a touch of sentiment in all Colonel Jetmore did, because his heart was large- had grown large in the doing of every duty when he owed to God, his country, his neighbor and himself."
From a newspaper article provided by Harvey A. Jetmore.
If you have any comments, corrections, or additional information, please contact Dick Hodgman through http://www.hodgman.org/contact/
Last modified on 2003 January 23
