The history of Eskridge begins with the establishment of what is now called East Eskridge, in 1861, two years after the county seat fight came up. With characteristic enterprise Eskridge at once got into the game, although she had only one house at the time. By an offer of a court house square and a building to be donated to the use of the county, Eskridge at the election, February 7th, 1871, polled 256 votes against 269 for Alma, 217 for Newbury, and 2 for Wabaunsee. The race was now between Eskridge and Alma. Another election was called three weeks later, and Eskridge lost to Alma by thirty-six votes.

It was in this year that Col. Ephraim H. Sanford, the founder of Eskridge, started a paper called the Landmark. This was the second paper established in the county. The press and other material was brought from Emporia and had been the property of a man by the name of Eskridge, for whom Sanford named his town. We have said his town, because he founded it on his own land, of which he owned six or seven hundred acres in the vicinity. He was a man of great energy and enterprise, and had apparently made a success of everything he undertook.

He held many offices of honor and won distinction in politics and war. His strenuous temperament is nowhere more prominent than in his loyalty to his own town. According to his idea, Eskridge was the central point of the whole globe-according to his map, all railroads lead to and from Eskridge, and according to the pictures in the Lank Mark, heavy steamers plied the Dragoon, and unloaded their commerce at Eskridge landing. Colonel Sanford was Postmaster for over twenty years and must have been appointed in the early '60s

In 1882 the first paper in the new town Home Weekly, was 'moved from Alma by W. W. Cone. This was the second of the six papers Eskridge has supported at different times. The rest are The Eskridge Star, issued in 1883 by Mitchell F. Fowd and owned at present by Dow Busenbark; Wabaunsee County Democrat, Dr. Platte, editor-which lasted a few weeks–a little longer than Democrats do in Kansas; The Eskridge Sun, A. A. Graham, editor, issued 1888; The Eskridge Tribune, Frank Hartman, editor, issued in 1900; The Wabaunsee County Tribune, 1900, by Seaman &: Carrol.

In 1890 Eskridge had the misfortune of being visited by a destructive fire. All the west side between Trusler's and Mudge's were burned. E. L. Shumate & Son, W. H. Mills, J. W. Taylor, and Parmiter & Son were the principal sharers in a $25,000 loss.

It was about this time that a new era of prosperity began. The hardships of pioneer life disappeared and people began to have all comforts of life. By this time nearly every farmer had a nice orchard. Fine new homes replaced the small houses put up when "getting a start." Large barns were built to accommodate the produce from improved farms. The effect was soon seen in the growth of the towns and in the volume of business transacted.

Today Eskridge is the second largest town in the county, and is known far and wide as a "fine town for business." About the only drawback to the place is the poor railroad accomrnodations. This condition promises to be remedied by the new railroad, the Topeka and Southwestern, which promises to go through before the close of 1907.