Sixty-five years ago, communities all across Kansas were celebrating our state’s 100th birthday. Kearny County was no exception. Thursday, August 17th through Sunday, August 19th of 1961 was dubbed “Centennial Weekend” here, and residents had a full slate of activities to partake in.
A three-day arts, crafts and antique show was held at the Veterans Memorial Building. Elizabeth Edwards was in charge of the event, and everyone was invited to bring their handiwork and/or view the creations of their neighbors and friends. The display of local talent was a worthwhile project and attracted considerable attention.
Thursday and Friday were the final days of the annual Kearny County Free Fair, and residents were encouraged to attend the 4-H livestock sale as well as view the impressive exhibits. According to The Independent, the fair enjoyed even more exhibits and “the quality was tops.”
The rodeo, also held that weekend, took on a Kansas Centennial flavor and included the added attractions of a cutting horse demonstration and quarter horse show on Friday afternoon. Competitors vied on Saturday and Sunday evenings in front of estimated crowds of 1,500 persons each night. A rodeo dance was held at the fair building in Loucks park following Saturday’s competition. Rodeo Queen Pat Schulz reigned over the events, and her attendants were Linda Claar and Pat Bolinger.
Lakin business firms closed their doors from 12:30 until 3:30 on Saturday so that employees and customers could attend a buffalo barbecue and parade. More than 1,400 people turned out for the free barbecue served at Loucks Park. Plenty of western-style sides were served alongside the buffalo. Members of the Lakin Rotary Club, Deerfield Lions Club and VFW helped with serving and cleanup. Funds for the barbecue were contributed by many Kearny County folks. The buffalo came from the Garden City Game Preserve with Tom Wright and B.C. Nash making the kills, and Alvin Michel, Vernon Barnes, and Bob Coder assisting the two hunters in dressing them. A huge pit was dug to cook the main entrée with the fire being lit on Thursday at midnight. Jack Rice was the chairman for the Centennial Committee, and his son Earle D. Rice recalled, “Not being a very adventurous meat-eater, I was not sure if I was going to like this unfamiliar buffalo meat. However, I tried it, and it wasn’t too bad!” The paper reported the food as excellent and many compliments were received by those who prepared it.
The kiddie parade, which preceded the main parade on Saturday, left Earle with plenty of memories too. “My mother, Ruth Rice, and Bonnie Plummer, mother of Stan Plummer, planned the construction of a buffalo costume for us made mostly from a large cardboard box and dark brown burlap with Stan and me supplying the legs and power to walk down Main Street. Unfortunately, when we had a trial run on the curving sidewalk in front of our new house at 110 North Hamilton, we found that Stan and I couldn’t see a thing from inside the buffalo! It was decided to ask our neighbors and friends Kenny and Dennis Speer, sons of John and Jo Speer, to guide us down Main Street. They wore their blue Cub Scout shirts and cowboy hats to act as soldiers leading the buffalo in the parade. Jo Speer and Bonnie Plummer turned their daughters, Pam and Beverly, into sunflowers for the parade. I don’t know what they wore, but the mothers made something to surround the girls’ faces, causing them to look like sunflowers. These costumes were simple but very effective.” Pam and Beverly claimed second place while Earle and Stan’s buffalo costume took third. Earle said he and Stan divided their earnings four ways with the Speer’s boys getting an equal share each.
A band, composed of grade and high school musicians and directed by Kay Loeppke, led the main parade. Earle recalled, “My dad and grandpa were members of the Lakin Rotary Club as was John Plummer. The Rotary contribution to the parade was to be two couples riding on tandem bicycles dressed in period clothing. As I remember, Mr. and Mrs. Erickson, who lived in the Kansas-Nebraska plant housing on the river road between Lakin and Deerfield were one of the couples to ride the two-seater bikes representing the Lakin Rotary Club.” One of the floats in the rodeo parade that seemed to take the eye of many of the old timers was the Friendship Grange float which depicted an old-fashioned pioneer home. According the The Lakin Independent, “Cliff Moyer, besides doing the churning, kept the old topsy stove fired up with authentic cow and buffalo chips. Iman Wiatt made the remark that those were some of the most perfect chips he had seen since as a boy he scouted the prairies looking for fuel for the winter.” The paper reported the parade as the best one seen here since 1948’s Diamond Jubilee.
The Kearny County Historical Society served free coffee and doughnuts to 400 persons Saturday afternoon at the Memorial Building where they were also selling a limited supply of Volume I of the History of Kearny County and taking reservations for more. Virgil Patterson won the championship in a horseshoe pitching contest with Carl Jones placing second and Paul Gilleland, third. The contest was sponsored by the VFW on their newly installed horseshoe pitching court on the Tate lot north of the courthouse.
In other competition, Ralph Holden won the longest beard contest with Floyd Schwindt winning the most becoming and Russell Shankle the meanest looking. All men in the county were encouraged to grow a beard to get into the spirit of 1861. The official growing period began May 1, and as a fundraiser, a $2 shaving permit was sold to those who didn’t want to grow out their facial hair.
Capacity audiences participated in the activities which were pronounced as some of the best ever held in the community.
SOURCES: “The Kearny County Kernels” by Monte Canfield, Sr.; “Kansas Centennial”; Museum archives, and archives of The Lakin Independent. Special thanks to Earle D. Rice.