Category: News & Events

Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe completed through Lakin 150 years ago

Lakin began as a railroad town. The United States government made a grant of land to the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. By law the A,T&SF acquired the title to all their lands within the ten mile limits as fast as they could complete and operate the road, that is, taking it in subdivisions of twenty miles in length of the road. They also acquired the title to the indemnity land, which is outside of ten miles and within the twenty miles of the road on each side, when they completed and operated the road to the west line of the State of Kansas, provided they completed the road by March 3, 1873. In spite of human predators, bad weather, tight money, long supply lines, and innumerable other complications, the track of the railroad reached the true state line on Dec. 28, 1872.
J.D. Criley, Superintendent of Construction, announced the good news in a wire to the General Manager of the railroad, “We send you greeting over the completion of the road to the State line. Beyond us lie fertile valleys that invite us forward, and broad plains die away in the distance, dotted with mingling herds of bison, and cattle, awaiting our further advance … We send you three cheers over past successes, and three times three for that which is yet to come.”
The A,T&SF then established stations every 18 to 20 miles where a well was dug, a windmill and water tank erected, and coal bins built. A section house for the railroad workers and a box car equipped for a depot was included. The towns west from Dodge City located and named in 1872 by the railway company were: Dodge City, Cimarron, Pierceville, Sherlock (now known as Holcomb), Lakin, Aubrey (now known as Kendall), Holidaysburg (which became Syracuse) and Sargent (known now as Coolidge).
As Lakin enters its 150th year of existence, check in frequently here or on our Facebook page to learn more about the history of our community.
(Information from Kansas Historical Quarterly Collections Vol. 51 and Virginia Pierce Hicks, first president of the Kearny County Historical Society.)

Ansels reign as 2022 Historical Society King and Queen

A long-held Kearny County Historical Society tradition looked a little different this year when Curtis and Emily Ansel were selected to ride in the chariot of honor in the Frances Bostrom Memorial Lighted Christmas Parade. The Ansels are the youngest king and queen ever chosen. Curtis, the son of Bruce and Peggy Ansel, graduated from Lakin High School in 1999, and Emily, the daughter of Monte and Nancy Miller, graduated from Deerfield High School in 2001. They were married in 2002, have three children, and reside north of Deerfield.

After setting the Big 12 record for longest punt while playing for the University of Kansas, Curtis signed with the Detroit Lions as an undrafted rookie free agent. He played in two pre-season games then was released. The next summer he signed with the Houston Texans who later released him. He now works for Cross Bell Farms, and Emily is a math teacher for the fifth and sixth grades at Lakin Middle School.

Curtis and Emily’s roots in Kearny County are deep. Curtis’s maternal great-great-grandfather, Carl Coerber, came to Kearny County in 1892 and was known at one time as the Deerfield sugar beet king. Emily’s paternal great-great-grandfather, Willard Miller, settled with his family on a tree claim in northern Kearny County near Oanica in 1886. He was the first teacher at Columbia School (now on Museum grounds) and the one to suggest its name.

Congratulations to Curtis and Emily, our 2022 KCHS King and Queen.

Mrs. Bugbee’s 1876 Christmas Dinner

Thomas Bugbee, cattleman, settled about two miles west of Lakin near the railroad in 1872 in a commodious dugout on the banks of the Arkansas. His wife was the original pioneer lady of that section, furnishing the cook of the Santa Fe Railroad’s construction gang with her famous recipes for sour dough biscuits and pickling large quantities of buffalo tongues.

During the blizzard in January 1873 that followed the completion of the railroad, Mrs. Bugbee had ground corn in a small hand-turned coffee mill to make corn bread and mush for the family for three days. It seemed that her arm would become paralyzed, but the supplies ordered to be dropped at a nearby siding had not arrived so there was no better way to do it.

By 1876, neighbors had come to the little railroad station at Lakin. There was the operator, A.B. Boylan, and his family, and the storekeeper, John O’Loughlin, and a few others. Thus, the Bugbees decided to have an old-fashioned Christmas dinner with guests from town. Mrs. Bugbee, a very ambitious and capable woman, determined that the dinner should be as nearly like those “back home in Missouri” as her surroundings would permit.

The big table was set the full length of their one-room abode. From boxes and barrels she unpacked her precious store of snowy linen, glistening silver and dainty china. The center of the table was occupied by a few leaves of holly brightening the big fruit cake that was sent by her mother from Missouri six weeks prior.

All was ready. She paused to give a last basting to the pan of tempting juicy antelope meat browning in the oven, cast a satisfied glance at the inviting table, and started to the door to look down the road for the expected guests whom Mr. Bugbee was to bring out in his light farm wagon.

A heavy rumbling noise overhead startled her – a sort of clumsy, scrambling noise. Then cracks appeared in the ceiling paper, and dirt and clods began to sift down to the table and floor.

Hurrying to the door to see what was the cause of the commotion, she saw an immense buffalo standing in the front of the door. This made her so angry that she grabbed a gun and soon put an end to the career of the unmannerly beast. But, to her chagrin, the buffalo fell in the door across the steps and she had to wait for Mr. Bugbee and those with him to arrive and drag the animal away to clear the entrance. Then she greeted her guests, a somewhat flushed though triumphant hostess. Fortunately, all had a saving sense of humor. The damage was soon repaired, and the merry party enjoyed the entertainment none the less because of the unusual prelude.

Farmer White’s Turkey Operation was both Profitable and Beneficial

As if enduring the Dust Bowl Days and Great Depression were not enough, grasshoppers were an additional problem during the 1930s. To battle the pests and ultimately save his alfalfa crop, Orlie White began raising turkeys on his Kearny County farm located on the north shore of Lake McKinney. According to a story written by his wife, Prudence, “turkeys were the best grasshopper catchers in the world.”
Orlie had a dealership with Red Wing Hatcheries in California for ‘broad-breasted turkeys,’ an improved meat bird. The turkeys would arrive by freight train, each one taught to drink water, and then put in heated brooder houses for the first few months. The first year White built three brooder houses for 1,000 poults. These brooder houses were on skids so they could be pulled by horse or tractor to fresh ground and a new supply of grasshoppers every two to three days. Later three more houses were added, and the number of poults increased to 2,100. In summer, portable roosts were built as turkeys “have a yen” to be put out in the open at night. To keep coyotes, coons and other predators at bay, lighted lanterns and sometimes even flares were put around the turkeys and someone slept near the turkeys each night.
The World War II draft resulted in a shortage of hired help, and White’s turkey business ended by 1942. It had been a profitable enterprise with White marketing his birds for the Thanksgiving and Christmas season at Swift’s plant in Garden City.

Veteran’s Display Update

In commemoration of Veterans Day, Kearny County Museum will be closed Friday, November 11. We appreciate our veterans, and to honor these patriots and their sacrifices, the museum has renovated our military display. Amy Fontenot, our Assistant Director, spent countless hours on arranging, researching and identifying every artifact and cataloging each one correctly in our system. The military display includes artifacts from the Civil and Spanish Wars, World Wars I and II, Korean War and Vietnam War. Among the items are uniforms from each branch of service, newspaper articles announcing the end of World War II, hard tack dating back to the 1800s, Calvary saddles and bits, mess kits, souvenirs brought from overseas, German artifacts, photographs and more. Amy has included personal information and pictures when possible with each uniform on display.
We invite the public to come view the display and the rest of our museum during regular business hours. And once again, to our veterans, thank you for your service!
World War I officially ended when the Treaty of Versailles was signed June 28, 1919, outside the town of Versailles, France. However, fighting had ceased seven months earlier when an armistice between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. For that reason, November 11, 1918, is generally regarded as the end of “the war to end all wars.”
In 1919, President Wilson proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day. “To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…”
An Act approved May 13, 1938, made the 11th of November a legal holiday to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated and known as “Armistice Day.” Armistice Day was primarily a day set aside to honor veterans of World War I, but in 1954, after World War II had required the greatest mobilization of soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen in the Nation’s history; after American forces had fought aggression in Korea, the 83rd Congress, at the urging of the veterans service organizations, amended the Act of 1938 by striking out the word “Armistice” and inserting in its place the word “Veterans.” With the approval of this legislation on June 1, 1954, November 11th became a day to honor American veterans of all wars.
The Uniform Holiday Bill, signed June 28, 1968, was intended to ensure three-day weekends for Federal employees by celebrating four national holidays on Mondays: Washington’s Birthday, Memorial Day, Veterans Day, and Columbus Day. Many states did not agree with this decision and continued to celebrate the holidays on their original dates. The first Veterans Day under the new law was observed with much confusion on October 25, 1971. It was quite apparent that the commemoration of this day was a matter of historic and patriotic significance to a great number of Americans so on September 20th, 1975, President Gerald R. Ford returned the annual observance of Veterans Day to its original date of November 11. This action supported the desires of the overwhelming majority of state legislatures, all major veterans service organizations and citizens.
 The restoration of the observance of Veterans Day to November 11 not only preserves the historical significance of the date, but helps focus attention on the important purpose of Veterans Day: A celebration to honor America’s veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good.
Source: US Department of Veteran Affairs

Book Signing Oct. 20 at Cottonwood Coffeehouse

Kearny County Museum and Cottonwood Coffeehouse are pleased to present Stephen R. Morefield, author of the newly released novel, But the Blood, a true story based on America’s bloodiest county seat war in Wichita County, Kansas in the 1800s. This book signing will be Thursday, October 20, at 5 p.m. at Cottonwood Coffeehouse, Main Street, Lakin, Kansas.

Mr. Morefield will deliver a short talk about his book, share some artifacts from the fight and have books available to purchase. Refreshments will be served. So mark your calendar and plan to join us!

You can learn more about Morefield’s book by visiting: https://www.facebook.com/leotivscoronadobook.

Board members re-elected to two-year terms

With the cancellation of the 2020, 2021 and 2022 Annual Meetings, the Kearny County Historical Society has retained the same board members since the 2019 elections except for filling the spots of Dave Horner and Cary  Henderson after their resignations. The board decided this year that KCHS members should have the opportunity to vote and included a ballot in the spring newsletter. All ballots had to be returned by April 25.

The following board members were all re-elected for two-year terms: Karen Burden, Joe Eskelund, Robbie McCombs, Bob Price, John White and Marilyn Wolfe. The remaining board members will be up for re-election next year.

At the April board meeting, Donna Neff was appointed to complete the unexpired term of Ginger Hartman on the KCHS board. Ginger had served on the board since 2016.

Pioneer Day Returns to Kearny County Museum

What a fun day we had when the Kearny County Museum hosted Lakin’s 5th and 6th graders for Pioneer Day on April 14. There were nine stations ranging from branding to making butter, and each station was both fun and educational. This event has a long history at Kearny County Museum going back to the 1980s when former Museum director Lucile Dienst invited Carol Panzer’s and Barbara Broderick’s 5th graders for scavenger hunts to encourage students to learn about Kearny County’s history. The Museum was still located on Main Street at that time. When our current complex was opened, the students dressed up in pioneer fashion for the day, walking and touring our facility. In 1988, Sandy Wanklyn replaced Mrs. Broderick, and work began to make Pioneer Day a living history day with stations. The event continued to evolve through the years, often including mountain man presentations, dancing on the lawn while the local Fiddlers and Pickers played, and various demonstrations. Mrs. Wanklyn retired in 2016, and Wendy Anderson now has the monumental task of planning this activity and recruiting community, parent and student volunteers.