For news articles and a list of the 18 people who died in Barber County, Kansas, in the Great Flood of 1885, see:

http://www.rootsweb.com/~ksbarber/flood_1885.html

The Paddock family who perished in the flood are buried in the Paddock cemetery:

http://www.rootsweb.com/~ksbarber/cem_paddock.html

Other flood victims are buried in Highland Cemetery in Medicine Lodge.

For information on the Comanche Pool, see:

http://www.rootsweb.com/~kscomanc/comanche_pool.html

I don't recall seeing a reference to a Briley in connection with the Comanche Pool, but I have never seen a listing of all the many, many men employed by or associated with the pool. Note the links on the preceding page to pages about the Colcord who was a cattleman.

For information on locating records in Barber County, Kansas, see:

http://www.rootsweb.com/~ksbarber/records.html

You may want to contact the author of this book:
"Born, Married, Died or Buried in Barber County, Kansas." This book is being written by Karen McClellan based on her database of 32,000 people connected with Barber County. Karen McClellan's e-mail address is cootsmail@aol.com.

I do not know for certain, but suspect that Holcom Mound is a feature in the Red Hills near Medicine Lodge.

A listing of microfilmed newspapers from the time period of interest to you is available on the following page:

http://www.rootsweb.com/~ksbarber/newspapers_title.html

The microfilms are available through interlibrary loan from the Kansas State Historical Society.

Would you be interested in contributing a transcription of the diary for use on the Barber County, Kansas: History and Genealogy website?

If so, please see the Contributor's Guidelines for the site:

http://www.rootsweb.com/~ksbarber/guide_contributors.html

You can find my e-mail address on the following page:

http://www.rootsweb.com/~ksbarber/ferrin.html

Jerry Ferrin