News, Events & County History

One hundred and forty years ago this month, two great blizzards descended upon Kansas. The first wave began New Year’s Day with heavy snowfalls, high winds and freezing temperatures. It arrived at Dodge City about noon and continued until the early morning hours of January 3. Although little snow accompanied the second blizzard which hit January 6, temperatures plummeted to well below zero with strong winds creating massive snow drifts. The wind combined with the brutally cold air made this one of the coldest periods on record.

Businesses were paralyzed, and passengers were stranded on trains. According to the January 9, 1886 Advocate, snow drifts along the railroad had to be removed with the slow process of pick and shovel. The train that came through Lakin on the 3^rd was drawn by three powerful engines and had a snow plow and a large number of laborers who had been “severely worked” clearing the track east of here. Several snow-bound trains stopped at Lakin, and local hotels and restaurants were kept busy. Over 100 people were served breakfast at the Commercial Hotel on January 5^th. Following the second storm, there were no trains here for two days. The January 16, 1886, Advocate reported that a call of arms went out to all available Lakin men to work on the snow drifts across the railroad tracks, and quite a number of these men got frostbit on their feet and ears.

An estimated 100 Kansans froze to death. Many of the dwellings on the open prairie had been quickly and cheaply built, and settlers were ill prepared to protect themselves from such cold. According to The Advocate, during the second storm, “the snow that fell the previous Saturday was taken up in one continuous cloud and blown into every crack and crevice of our houses and buildings” and for 24 hours, it was almost impossible to travel just 50 yards without getting bewildered and lost in the blinding snow. The Topeka Daily Capital gave accounts of the most harrowing of the snow stories: people who died within feet of their own homes which were obscured by snow, men and women who froze to death along with their horses, and people whose frostbitten limbs had to be amputated.

One amazing tale of survival involved George Hill and Charlie Nation who lived near Kendall. The twosome had decided to pick up a few dollars by gathering dry bones on the prairie as the weather was nice and the bone market was active. They hitched a team to a wagon with a large box and drove southeast to the vicinity of present-day Ulysses in Grant County where the blizzard came upon them. Realizing they would be unable to face the storm and reach home or other shelter, they did the next best thing. The men unhitched the team and tethered them securely then unloaded the wagon box. They turned it upside down on the ground with themselves and what supplies they had beneath it. George and Charlie remained there for 36 hours. When the storm abated, they emerged, put the box back on the wagon, hitched up the team which had miraculously survived the storm and proceeded homeward, little the worse for their experience.

Hogs being shipped by rail were froze solid as trains sat idle, prevented from moving forward by drifting snow. Animals out in the open with little to graze upon were caught hungry and without shelter. Alex Cross lost his entire herd of sheep, estimated at 1,300 head, at his ranch northeast of Lakin. An era of large, expansive cattle ranches was in full swing, and these businessmen felt the full wrath of the storm. Cattle wandered blindly in the terrific cold and finally dropped exhausted, perishing by the thousands. The Santa Fe Railroad had just completed fencing their right of way with heavy posts and six barbwires on each fence. Dead frozen cattle were piled against this fence on the north side so thick a person could supposedly walk from Dodge City to Deerfield on dead cattle, possibly even to the Colorado line. Some men were hired by the Santa Fe to dispose of the animals, but the task of removing the dead cattle was not an easy one and carcasses could be seen for months to come. That spring, W.H. Stutzman drove his team and wagon from about 25 miles northwest of Halstead to a homestead 15 miles north of Kendall. Later, his wife joined him with their one-year-old baby, coming by way of the Santa Fe. From the train’s windows, Mrs. Stutzman saw thousands of carcasses piled on top of each other in the river and along the north side of the railroad fence.

At Hartland, Nellie Cochran Tipton was safely held up during the blizzard in her grandmother’s unfinished hotel, the Madison House. She later wrote that she would never forget seeing those long-horned cattle crowded around the building for protection. They, too, froze to death piled up.

John Andress had better luck than most ranchers in the area. He and some other men on the south side of the Arkansas River had cut and stacked hay together. Their neighbors laughed at the storing up of feed, but when the blizzards arrived, Andress’ cattle stayed close to his shed. Because they had plenty to eat, all but one of John’s cows survived.

The storms wiped out at least 75% of the cattle population – the most unprecedented loss of livestock ever experienced on the plains. Cattle companies and most ranchers went bankrupt, but there was a silver lining for the hundreds of homesteaders who arrived in the area shortly afterwards. The enormous snows had left the soil soaked with moisture which led to the raising of bountiful, prosperous crops. These homesteaders felt they had reached paradise.

SOURCES: History of Kearny Co. Vols. I & II; Kansas State Historical Society; National Weather Service; Hathitrust.org; History.com; and archives of The Advocate.

 

Seventy-five years ago, Joe Eves was named as Speaker Pro Tem of the Kansas House of Representatives. Two years later, Eves was elected as the Majority Floor Leader. In all, he spent 16 years as a state representative and was largely responsible for much of the progressive legislation enacted during Governor Ed Arn’s two terms, and due in part to Joe’s efforts in the late 1940s, Lakin’s vo-ag program was approved by the State Board for Vocational Education which allowed USD 215 to receive federal and state funding.

Joe was politically minded from an early age. He was born in Holden, Missouri on January 1, 1900, the eldest child of David and Jessie (Potter) Eves. Joe’s father was a life-long Republican who ran for county recorder in Holden, but Missouri was primarily a Democratic state and the elder Eves’ bid was unsuccessful. When Joe was seven years old, the family moved to Kansas where Republicans did not so often get defeated. Joe’s dad got an “emigrant car” on the Missouri Pacific Railroad and loaded their household goods, together with two mares, a cow and calf, a dog, 50 chickens, a good new wagon and other farming equipment. The car cost him $125 and was unloaded at Leoti which was in closer proximity, though not much, to their homestead at Conquest nearly 30 miles northwest of Lakin.

As a boy, Joe attended political rallies nearby at the rural Prairie Center school. In 1912, his father sold his livestock and farming equipment and moved the family into Lakin. David Eves served as Kearny County Register of Deeds from 1917-1921 when the oil leasing was just getting started here. Many of the lease forms were not standard and had to be copied by pen in the records. Joe helped his father in this work and with his proofreading. From this time on and up until being elected to his first term in the Legislature, Joe Eves knew he wanted to be a state representative.

That opportunity came in 1942 when Ralph Miller decided not to run again for the office. On the last day to file, no candidates had filed by 9 a.m., and the deadline was noon. Joe approached the Republican County Chairman, Dr. Grant Hastings, who said he would be pleased if Eves filed and would back him all the way. Joe filed at 11 a.m., and his political career was on its way! That November, he defeated the Democratic candidate, Thomas Daniel of Deerfield, by more than 200 votes.

Lakinite Ed Stullken, a former representative, gave the newbie some words of advice. He said Joe might be somewhat disappointed in his first legislative session and that the legislators who had served a few terms did not care to have many opinions or speeches from “first-termers.” Stullken encouraged Eves to mainly listen, learn and build an appearance and reputation. Joe found Stullken’s gentle direction to be helpful. In 1949, Joe was given the chairmanship of the Fees and Salaries Committee. This committee turned out to be very successful and overhauled the entire salary structure of all county and state officers. At a night session of the Legislature during this time, Joe had the floor for three and one-half hours. He had a keen wit and “Missouri” drawl, both of which he used to persuade other lawmakers to follow his lead. After one of Joe’s more popular speeches, he was given a 15-minute standing ovation. He was referred to many times by his colleagues as “the much-loved barn-yard philosopher.”

The same year that Joe was named Speaker Pro-Tem, he was appointed to the Legislative Council. A seat on the council was a coveted position as only 15 members from the House and 10 from the Senate were chosen. As the Majority Floor Leader or Whip, Joe’s duties were to see that Republican policies and legislation were pushed through for action. He was appointed chairman of the Calendar Committee at that time too which enabled him to keep strict control of the House’s order of business. As a joke, the House presented Joe with a set of branding irons, one with a “Y’ and the other with an “N”, so that he would be able to separate the yes votes from the no votes. They had a lot of fun with those irons although Joe never used them. After serving as chairman on the committee to remodel the House Chamber, Rep. Eves was asked to overseer the work when the bill passed both the House and Senate in 1955 but Eves declined the offer because of the inconvenience of living so far from Topeka. He served 14 consecutive years before he made the decision to run instead for state senator. Joe failed in this bid, but in 1964, he secured another two-year term in the House. Eves became close with Governors Andy Schoeppel, Frank Carlson and Edward Arn, and while Joe was always a staunch Republican, some of his best friends in the Legislature were Democrats. Following his service in the Legislature, Joe maintained a strong interest in Republican politics and served as the Kearny County Republican chairman as well as other positions.

Joe was the Kearny County Farm Bureau Insurance agent for 25 years, and even after his retirement, he continued to handle hail and crop insurance. He also farmed. Joe was a member of the First Presbyterian Church where he served as an elder, deacon and treasurer. A member of the Emerald Lodge for over 50 years and a member of the Eastern Star, Joe served as District Deputy Grand Master for Kansas in 1951-52 and Grand Senior Steward in 1957. A World War I veteran, Eves served many years as an officer of the Shepherd-Moore Post.

Joe married Rosamond James in “a quiet wedding at the Methodist parsonage in Deerfield” in September of 1932. Rosamond’s parents, John and Elizabeth, had come to Kearny County with their family in 1910 settling north of Deerfield, and Mr. James eventually became a county commissioner. Rosamond attended school at Deerfield then Emporia College before teaching in rural schools and at Lakin. Like Joe, she was a member of the Presbyterian Church and was a past matron of the Lakin Chapter of the Order of Eastern Star. She was a life-long member of the 20^th Century Club and served as county chairman of the Kansas Republicans Women’s Club.

Joe and Rosamond had one daughter, Phyllis Hendrix, and four sons – Daryl, Raymond, Edgar and Donald. Don was killed on Christmas Day 1952 in an automobile accident nine miles west of Dodge City. The popular 17-year-old Lakin High School student was with his brother Daryl and three friends on their way to a Christmas party when their vehicle struck an icy spot on the highway, skidded out of control and hit a tree. The 1952-53 Bronc annual was dedicated in Don’s memory.

Rosamond Catherine James Eves died in 1978, and Joseph Milton Eves passed away in 1987. Their former home, a quaint cottage with gingerbread trim, is located on the northwest corner of Prairie and Western. Although the house was completed in 1904 for the Archibald Brooks family and was later owned by Clarence and Ella Thorpe, old-timers will always refer to the home as “the Eves house.”

SOURCES: Diggin’ Up Bones by Betty Barnes; History of Kearny County Vols. I & II; an article written by the late Phyllis Hendrix for Meadowlark Notes, newsletter of the Kearny County Senior Center; information provided by the late Dorothy Thorpe Weber; 1952-53 Bronc; property tax collection registers; Museum archives; and archives of the Lakin Investigator, Advocate, Independent, and Ulysses News.

This little angel is reaching out to say “Merry Christmas” and to let you know that the Kearny County Museum will be closed to the public from Dec. 24 until Dec. 30. Pictured is Donnie Bohl in 1945. Myrna Michel was to be the angel for the Christmas play at Columbia School, but she was sick with the flu so Donnie was her substitute. We think he looks pretty darling!

(This story was written by the late Helen Kysar and appeared in the December 7, 1975 Methodist LIFE. Helen Grusing Kysar was born in 1906 at Salem, Oregon, the daughter of John and Anna Grusing. She moved with her family to Kearny County as a child, and after graduating from Lakin High School, she attended Fort Hays State University. Helen taught school in Kearny County before marrying Preston Kysar in 1930. After a brief time in Ellis County, they moved back to the Lydia area in Kearny County and then into Lakin in 1971. Helen was a member of the Lydia United Methodist Church in rural Kearny County and attended the Lakin United Methodist Church after moving into town. She died at the age of 96 on Christmas Day 2002.)

Even though the times were hard and the going was rough in the early days on the plains, nearly twenty-five miles from town, there are many fond memories for me to remember. As I think back and remember how scant were the things which we now take for granted, it would seem we could not be as happy as children are today. But they were as happy (maybe, more so) than today. And, of course, Christmas time was the happiest time of the year.

One of the things that stands out in my memory of Christmas on the plains was the Christmas program at the small country church. The Christmas program was always on Christmas Eve. The church building set rather alone on the prairie and it seemed as if it could gather all the coldness there was to spare of the whole neighborhood. A large pot-bellied stove stood in the center of the building. When the day before Christmas arrived, my father would start the fire early in the morning so that the whole building could be warmed through and not have to have such a hot fire in the center of the room with the outer edges of the room freezing cold.

There would always be a tall Christmas tree decorated with a few beautiful ornaments (how they acquired them, I do not know), yards and yards of strung popcorn and real candles. While the candles were lit, two young men stood behind the tree equipped with long sticks, the tips covered with cotton. A bucket of water stood nearby. In case a candle burned down or caught the tree afire, the cotton tipped stick would be plunged hastily in the water and snuff out the candle. How beautiful was that tree to welcome the people in! Two kerosene hanging-lamps hanging from the tall ceiling and six bracket lamps on the walls, one at each window, added to the cheeriness and warmth of the welcome.

Because there was no other place to go, everybody went to church. The families came in lumber wagons and spring wagons, the father and mother and maybe a youngster or two on the front seat. Hay was put in the wagon bed and the rest of the children would sit on the hay with comforters put over them to keep them warm. The horses were tied to the long hitching rails near the church during the program and the comforters were put on their backs to keep them warm.

The Christmas programs were similar to today although in those days literature and program books were scarce and many times the recitations by the children were verses from the Bible pertaining to the birth of Christ. I remember one evening very distinctly when the whole program consisted of songs and reciting Bible verses. I was reciting some verses from Luke 2 in front of the Christmas tree when suddenly my father who was sitting in the front pew motioned to the boys behind the tree that a candle had gone rampant. I was just sure my hair had caught on fire, or worse yet, that my beautiful new ribbon bow on my hair was afire. I almost forgot what I was to say. Strangely, the next words were “Fear not -.” The songs sung to the accompaniment of a pump organ were some of the very songs we sing today. Always the program ended with all singing the song, “Silent Night.” How happy we children would be because we knew that now was the time we would get our sacks of candy and nuts and maybe an orange. This being the only time that we would ever get candy, it was a great expectation for us. Every one present got a sack, handed out from wash boilers carried around by two young men.

Even though the years have passed and times have changed very much, it always has been the same Christmas spirit and the same story of Jesus’ birth.

 

Hopes were high that Lakin’s Methodist Church would be completed by Christmas of 1907, but that was one wish that Santa could not fulfill. Instead, the church was completed and dedicated on March 1^st of 1908. The house of worship had been a long time in the making.

Just newly ordained, Rev. William V. Burns arrived in Lakin in time to preach the first Sunday of April 1886. The April 3^rd Kearny County Advocate announced the new pastor as “a young man, sent specially by the conference to this work and we trust our people will give him a warm welcome.” The first quarterly conference of the M.E. Church for this circuit was organized at the residence of B.C. Parcells later that month, and Rev. Burn’s salary was fixed at $600. In addition to his duties at Lakin, Deerfield and Hartland, Burns also often preached at Sherlock (Holcomb).

At Lakin, the fresh-faced man of God delivered his sermons in the town hall. On June 12, 1886, the Pioneer Democrat announced that “considerable interest is being manifested in the church services held by Rev. W.V. Burns, and the city hall is nearly always crowded when he holds service there.” That week’s Advocate reported that Rev. Burns had organized a Methodist Episcopal Sunday school with W.P. Haywood as superintendent. The school was to meet at 10 a.m. every Sunday, “and our Methodist friends will no doubt work energetically to build up a flourishing and promising school.”

After the town hall was destroyed by a cyclone that July, Methodists began meeting in Holmes Hall which was on the second story of the building at Main and Waterman that would later become the county court house. Later, services were held in the brick schoolhouse that was completed in the fall of 1886, but discussions were already taking place about building a church. According to the September 4, 1886 Advocate, “The necessity of erecting a building for church purposes is pressing itself upon the minds of the membership, and after discussing the matter the question was thought to be both advisable and practicable, and steps were inaugurated looking to that end. We feel confident that our church going people will render aid to such a desirable undertaking.” Still, by the following summer, no church building was in the making. The Pioneer Democrat reported, “Rev. A.P. George P.E. Methodist church passed through Lakin Thursday evening. He says when this county seat question is settled he will attempt to build a church here, as he could not get the minds of the people in harmony until that time. We hope he will take hold of the matter and push things forward. We need a church and must have one.”

An August 1895 Lakin Index noted that a Metodist church was going to be erected that fall as several hundred dollars had already been promised; however, that did not come to fruition. By the turn of the century, Lakin’s Methodist congregation had reached the 100 mark, but there was still no church even though members had long been hoping to build one of their own. Then, in 1901, two lots were purchased at the corner of Kansas Street and Prairie Avenue. Construction did not begin until the summer of 1907 with the cornerstone being laid on September 29.

Dedication Day was a red-letter day for Methodists. At 11 a.m. on the first Sunday in March 1908, the new church was filled to capacity. Other churches dismissed their services and joined in the festive occasion of dedicating the church. Excellent music was rendered by a large choir made up of members of all the church choirs of the community. Methodist pastor, Rev. H.A. Schneider, along with Rev. Thomas of Lakin’s Presbyterian Church, Pastor A.W. Yale of the Baptist Church, and Rev. Dr. F.E. Mossman of Southwest College at Winfield, addressed those in attendance. Three services were held, and Rev. J.F. Irwin, the Presiding Elder of the district, administered communion at the afternoon service.

The building committee reported the cost of the building to be $3,600. According to a history of the church compiled by the late Hazel Stullken, the church was built with donations from many sources and from all denominations.  The Ladies Aid Society adopted a novel method of helping raise money for the new building. “The idea was an exemplification of the old adage, ‘take care of the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves.’” The object was to gather a mile of pennies and to do that, each member was provided with a narrow strip of paper one foot in length. Each foot held 16 pennies. When the mile of pennies was received, the sum of $844.48 would be added to the building fund. A very large contingent from Deerfield also helped in a very material way in raising the necessary funds.  After footing up the pledges and contributions at the morning service on dedication day, the church was about $50 short of the necessary amount. “This was soon subscribed and the church was dedicated to the service of God.” There was no air conditioning and no plumbing, but Methodists believed it to be a splendid home for worship.

In 1927-28, the white frame building was raised and a full basement was put under it to provide kitchen and dining room space as well as additional Sunday school rooms. While this remodeling was being done, church and Sunday school were once again held in the building at Main and Waterman. By 1951, the Methodists had begun to think seriously of enlarging their facilities again. Times were good. Natural gas development in addition to greatly enlarged farming operations brought an unprecedented prosperity to the area. The last service in the old church was held on April 13, 1952. The building was sold, lifted off the basement and transported intact to north Buffalo Street where it was made into an apartment complex and where it still stands just across the street from the swimming pool.

 

SOURCES: “Lakin Methodist Church” by Nina Russell for History of Kearny County Vol. 1; “History of the M.E. Church Begins in ‘86” by Luella Stutzman; “Laity Sunday” by Hazel Stullken; Archives of Peabody Gazette-Herald, Garden City Telegram, Lakin Index, Pioneer Democrat, Kearny County Advocate, and Lakin Independent; and Museum archives.

 

Thank you Western Kansas Community Foundation for your generous grant of $5,000!

 

Rev. William V. Burns was sent to southwest Kansas in 1886 to serve the Methodists of Deerfield, Lakin and Hartland. It was his first charge as a missionary as he had just been granted a license to preach at the Annual Conference of the Methodist Church held at McPherson in the spring of 1886. The western part of Kansas was then being settled, and the church was ever mindful of the spiritual needs of new communities within its jurisdiction. Rev. Burns was sent with instructions to “Go Preach.” It was a large field with big responsibilities and even greater possibilities. The enthusiastic young preacher, not yet 21 years of age, met the challenge.

At Deerfield, Rev. Burns found five Methodists to organize a church. They were A.R. Downing, R.A. Beckett, Mrs. C.L. Beckett, “Grandma” Mary Keep and Mrs. Sam Barker. The first year the members met in the office of a lumber yard or the general store. The first trustees, five in number, were required to sign an official document upholding the Constitution of the United States and the State of Kansas. This was notarized August 17, 1895 by B.B. Bacon. A school house was built in 1887, and church services were held there until a church was erected.

In the fall of 1905, the United States Sugar and Land Company gave a building site and $100 towards the building of a church. The Methodist’s new church was dedicated to worship on Sunday morning, December 9, 1906. According to Garden City’s Reflector, the weather was a little threatening early in the day, but by 11 a.m. the church was well filled. Dr. F.E. Mossman, president of Southwest Kansas College at Winfield, delivered the address “after which, in a comparatively short time, nearly $1,400 were raised to cover the remaining indebtedness on the church building, its entire cost being about $3,000.”

In 1919, the church basement was begun. It was completed in 1920 and dedicated by the Rev. E.L. Nicholson. Services were held in the Baptist Church during construction. After completion, a community kitchen shower aided materially in furnishing the basement kitchen. A remodeling program was begun in 1949 under the leadership of Rev. W.A. Hawes, and on Easter Sunday 1950, a dedication program was held. The electric organ, a gift of the Ralph Miller Family, and other furnishings were dedicated by the district superintendent, Rev. J.R. Throckmorton.

On November 19, 1961, Deerfield Methodists celebrated their 75^th anniversary by dedicating a beautiful new educational building. The building and furnishings cost $34,434.44 plus donated labor. Designed by Howard Blanchard, the building was constructed by Richard Landon. The Rev. Bob Fleenor was the minister at that time, and Dr. Lester R.Templin, district superintendent, was guest speaker for dedication activities which included morning and afternoon worship services as well as a family basket dinner. The event brought to a close a successful three-year funds campaign.

On March 21, 1973, a building committee was elected to look into replacing the old church building. The last service was held in the old church on Sunday, March 3, 1974. The building was torn down starting on Monday, March 11 that year. This was done by men, women and children working together. Soon the workers razed the facility, cleared the site and made ready for the construction of a new church.

Groundbreaking ceremonies for the new brick structure were held on April 21 of 1974, and construction began the following day. The placing of the cornerstone was held March 2, 1975, following church services in the Lutheran Church where services had been held since March 10 of 1974. The placing of the cornerstone was done by Richard and Kent Landon and Anson Maddux. Some of the articles placed in the cornerstone included bulletins from special services; special anniversary bulletins; articles written about the Methodist Women, Men’s Brotherhood, choir, youth groups, ministers and church history; Bibles; hymnals; choir tape, Sears and Montgomery Ward catalogs and 1974 coins.

Consecration services were held April 20, 1975, and a record number of former pastors, members and friends came to participate. Then, on December 7, 1975, the Rev. Dr. Ruben Reyes, pastor of the church, was assisted by Bishop Earnest T. Dixon of Topeka at the dedication service. Rev. Charles Hadley was the pastor when the church initiated the building program, drew plans, and launched the successful financial campaign which raised sufficient funds to begin building. Designed by architect Keith Fillmore and constructed by Richard Landon, the beautiful new building at Eighth and Walnut was originally estimated to cost $139,000, but the cost at completion was $125,000. “It was the labor and love of this congregation for many previous years, that made this possible for us to have this beautiful sanctuary, fellowship hall and kitchen.”

On October 16, 1990, the decision was made to remodel and add on a second floor to the educational building. On November 4 that year, Jay Dean Landon, Dick Horton and others started removing the roof and soon the volunteers were in action. Richard and Kent Landon were the contractors for the remodeling and new addition, and they too volunteered many hours. The first Sunday School classes were held in the new addition in April of 1993 with the dedication taking place on October 17, 1993 under the leadership of then minister Rev. Don Koehn. The total cost for remodeling and the new addition was around $75,000. Memorial money helped fund the addition and furnishings, and two beautiful stained glass windows were designed and donated by Jay Dean and Joan Landon for the new addition. This addition would not have been possible without the hard work of all volunteers and the love, the skill, and dedication of the congregation. A VIP club (Volunteers In Painting) was formed and donated money to have both levels painted. The educational building was then named “The Hazel Shriver Educational Building” in honor of one of Deerfield’s own who gave immensely to the community as well as to the church to help it grow and reach its goals.

“We celebrate, however, not only the beauty and magnificence of this building, but the faith, the love, and the dedication of all those who worked, prayed and gave of their monies that we might have this house for the praise of Him who is the giver of the house itself, our lives, and all things.”

SOURCES: October 17, 1993 Deerfield UMC program; archived Deerfield UMC Congregation Directory; History of Kearny County Vol. I; Museum archives, and archives of the Harper Sentinel, Reflector, Garden City Telegram, Methodist LIFE, and Lakin Independent.

Congratulations to Martin and Donna Neff on being selected as the 2025 Kearny County Historical Society King and Queen!

This Saturday, a Kearny County couple will be honored with the title of Kearny County Historical Society King and Queen and ride in a carriage of honor down Lakin’s Main Street during the Frances Bostrom Memorial Lighted Christmas Parade. This tradition dates back to 1979 when Sam Boman and Vivian Thomas were crowned as the first KCHS royalty. Vivian Thomas, Henry and Emma Molz, and Norman and Ethel Simshauser were all bestowed with the honor twice, and there were junior and senior princesses a few years. Instead of a royal pair in 1987, several city officials and past officials rode down Main Street in convertibles to kick off the start of Kearny County’s centennial, and there was no parade or royalty in 2020 due to Covid. Who will this year’s royal couple be? Come to the parade Saturday at 6 p.m. and see for yourself!!!

 

The prospect of cheap land and owning something of their own led settlers to Kearny County in the 1800s. This area, once labeled as the Great American Desert, was promoted as the Garden of the West by land speculators and the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad.  From 1883 to 1888, extensive advertising campaigns and the passing of the Homestead and Tree Claim Acts brought in settlers in ever-increasing numbers. Then a seven-year drought and nation-wide economic depression set in. This led to a large number of settlers leaving the area. Only the hardiest remained, trudging ahead with faith and fortitude.

A new boom arrived in the early 1900s. Real estate companies like the Lakin Land & Immigration Company lured settlers to the area by touting the benefits of our county. In a large, multi-page brochure, the land company beckoned potential residents. “Kearny County wants people, thrifty, intelligent, law-abiding citizens to come and build homes, help develop our agricultural and industrial resources and share in the general prosperity . . . If you want to make an investment that will double in three years, come to Lakin and let us show you.”

Irrigation was Lakin Land & Immigration Company’s main drawing point. “The underflow, as it is called, furnishes an unlimited supply of water at all seasons of the year. This remarkable underground flow has been the marvel of government engineers. They have never been able to determine its exact area, but they have tested it for years, and have pronounced the supply practically inexhaustible.” The underflow referred to was the Ogallala Aquifer, the largest underground store of freshwater in the nation.

Our long-gone Lake McKinney was the largest body of water in the state at the time and also another benefit hailed by the company. Fed by the Arkansas River, it afforded the best fishing, duck and goose hunting, boating and swimming to be found within hundreds of miles.

“If you would share in the greatly increased prosperity, which this community is bound to enjoy, now is the time to come to Kearny County . . . Kearny County’s growth in the immediate future is assured.”

Things were looking pretty peachy here, but those real estate men had no idea that irrigation, their main talking point for moving to this region, could one day lead to the area’s downfall. They didn’t know how long the battles would go on between Kansas and Colorado over the waters of the Arkansas nor could they have predicted the Dirty 30s and the Great Depression that caused some to move away while others stayed and persevered.

The rains returned, the crops were bountiful once more, and the economy improved. Then the gas and oil industry arrived and changed our economic landscape even more. Although natural gas was discovered in the Hugoton gas field in 1922, very little was done in the way of development as there was no market for gas at that time. Lakin and Deerfield received their first gas for domestic use in 1936 when the Tri-County Gas Company laid lines here, and that fall we became a producer of natural gas. Then, on a Sunday morning in July of 1941, Stanolind hit pay dirt, striking oil on the G.O. Patterson farm northwest of Lakin.

Gas and oil brought prosperity to Kearny County, added greatly to our tax base, led to a leap in population and a frenzy of building activity. We have enjoyed amenities here for years that other small towns could only dream about. But now, gas and oil production is but a shadow of what it once was. According to the Kansas Geological Survey, Kearny County’s gas/oil production is at its lowest point in 30 years. The KGS also reported that the Ogallala fell more than a foot last year.

Without the monies that the gas and oil industry brought into our county, property owners are now shouldering a larger tax burden. Last year, members of the Historical Society’s board met with county commissioners and were told that funding may be affected for some of the quality of life programs/services that Kearny Countians benefit from. When we presented our budget to the commissioners in May this year, the forecast was even more bleak. Commissioners had tough decisions to make, and one of those decisions was to drastically reduce the historical society’s appropriation for 2026.

What will that mean for the Kearny County Museum? Fortunately, we have been good stewards of county appropriations and donations so there is some money in our reserves. However, those reserves are not endless nor are they likely to be replenished. Some of our donation money has also been earmarked to erect another building on museum grounds which means it cannot be used for other purposes. While the museum will continue to be conservative with our funds, we may need to start charging for programs and services that we have offered at no cost in the past. We have already started applying for grants, and the board is considering various fundraisers – like having a booth in the Finney County Museum’s Flea Market Festival this summer IF we have enough antiques donated specifically for this purpose. We will NOT get rid of nor sell any museum artifacts.

Our KCHS board and staff are thankful for all the support we have received and to all those who came before us. We are forever indebted to those 16 charter members who had the foresight, faith and fortitude to embark on this journey back in November of 1957. Nearly seven decades later, we have a fine museum, and with a little help, the Kearny County Museum can continue to grow, improve and give back to our community.

Photos from The Lakin Land & Immigration Co. flyer.