Two separate articles appeared about the city of Arma in separate
publications (1959 & 1961) although they appear to be almost duplicates.
Since the articles have a few differences I have chosen to display
them both in their entirety. The other article appeared in the
booklet "Arma Golden Jubilee" dated August 7, 8 & 9, 1959 by Miss Loraine
Steele.
The following article appearing in the booklet
"Handbook on the Frontier Days of Southeast Kansas"
dated 1961 by Bernice Close Shackleton
Arma, Crawford County, Kansas -lying south of the
base line and east of the sixth principal meridian was incorporated as
a city of the third class May 18,1909. It is located 5 miles west of
the State line, 9 miles north of Pittsburg, and 7-1/2 miles east of Girard,
the county seat. The U.S. Highway (National road from New Orleans
to Winnipeg) passes through Arma.
The Missouri Pacific Railroad in 1870 and the Joplin and Pittsburg
Railroad in 1907 gave residents access to any portion of the county
carrying freight and passengers.
The land was originally in the Cherokee Strip (sold to the Cherokees
by the U.S. under provision of 2nd Article of Treaty of 1835) but was
taken over by the government in 1866, when U.S. Grant was president of
U.S. In 1867 through the Secretary of Interior, it passed into
the hands of J.F. Joy of the American Emigrant Co. (chartered in Conn.)
"All of section 5, township 29, range 25" which includes the
original townsite, was granted to the Missouri River, Fort Scott and
Gulf Railroad Co. under federal grant in 1870,. This included
640 acres. The original site contained less than 200 acres. In
1878 William F. Armacost acquired the land through mortgage closure on
the railroad which reserved the "right-of-way".
Before the incorporation of Arma, it was known as Rust, a small
coal camp laid out in 1886. Rust was platted on Ozark ridge where
a nice slope from the center of the town in all directions made perfect
drainage. It was situated in the midst of the most beautiful
agricultural portion of Crawford County. The site was an ideal one and
people were attracted from the desire for a healthy place to live.
It is about 200 feet higher than Pittsburg guaranteeing an abundance
of pure fresh air. Rust was about three blocks wide and four blocks
long, bounded on the east by the railroad. It had a population of
379 in 1909.
The name of Arma came from one of the owners of most of the land
north and east of the camp at the time of its incorporation - W. F.
Armacost.
Arma is situated in the center of a rich bituminous coal deposit,
of this section which is practically inexhaustible. Many of the
earlier mines of this district were located around Arma. Several
mines of the Western Coal and Mining Co., the Girard Fuel Co., and Hamilton
Coal Co., were in operation.
The first post office was located in Clem Brown's general store
about one mile east of Arma corner on the south side of the road. Mr.
Brown was the first postmaster when Arma was still known as Rust. Evans
Morgan, still living in Arma was one of the early mayors.
Arma is one of the few coal camps that was able to hold its own
through the coal strike in the year of 1921 and the years of depression
that soon followed the strike.
At present Arma has a population of 2010, the increase probably
due again to economic conditions. Many Arma people are employed
in Pittsburg and surrounding districts. They commute to their work
and still enjoy the advantages of cheaper living expenses and friendly
associations of a small city.
It is a neat town proud of its heritage. The new homes
built in recent years are evidence of the price the children of the
early settlers take in their city.
Each year a Homecoming is held the second week in August to encourage
newcomers and old timers to return.
The following is a list of a few of those early settlers: Elmer
Siple, Jess Fry, Tom Richardson, Sam Gardner, Ben F. Rhoda, W.A. Delapp,
E. Elliott, G. Forrester, Sam Haslam, Wm. Cote and Milton Siple.
Mr. William M. Close was one of the early settlers, bringing
his bride, Mrs. Clara Volk, to Arma when it was still known as Rust.
They settled on a farm, leased from the Western Coal Co., one-half
mile south of the ARma corner on the west side of the road.
The bride and groom moved into a "Squatter's Shack" in February
1902. (the shack is still on the farm). Mrs. Close speaks
of her honeymoon as being one hectic night spent in fighting bed bugs that
had infested the shack. The next morning the young couple drove to
Franklin and bought kerosene and white wash and soaked the walls.
The farm stretched north to the Arma corner and west to mine
51. When the coal camp showed signs of booming, Mr. Close left
the farm and built a home in town. He became the town carpenter
and contractor and built many homes during the boom. It was in
the new home that the author was born on June 30, 1908. Other children
of William(Bill) and Clara Close were: Orval H., Coy Edith, Virgil M.,
Gertrude L., Martha E., Raymond A., Bertha M. All children are living
except Bertha who died when two years old and is buried in the cemetery
in Mulberry where both Mr. and Mrs. CLose also are buried. Mr. Close
died October 14,1941.
Mr. Close was born in Terre Haute, Indiana on September 28,1868.
He came to Kansas in 1877 when he was nine years old with his
mother and four brothers and three sisters. They settled on a farm
near the Union Center community. This place was sold to the Western
Coal Company which ran shaft No. 50 where the home stood.
When a young man, Bill Close became a rover. He traveled
in a covered wagon over all Southeast Kansas showing the first COleman
Movies. His two shows were always welcomed in Opera Houses and
schoolhouses. They were "The famous train robbery" and the "Dancing
Lady".
As Bill Close was also a gifted fiddler, he was always
available to furnish music for the house and barn parties. He
prides himself in the Bass Violin he made for his little brother, Otis,
who played it with his bare feet dangling from the chair. There
were time when all five brothers were called upon to furnish music.
It is with great pride that the author speaks of Arma and the
surrounding coal camps, for after training in Missionary and Education
Work in Kansas City and Hartford, Conn. she returned and spent five years
as Director of Religious Education in the Crawford County Larger Parish.