3 10 1803 https://kccarchives.cvlcollections.org/files/original/17/504/Families-N_O.pdf 2bb51e52a33f0af35b9262c16c590140 PDF Text Text moved into their soddy on the homestead, April 1, 1908. The frame house was built approximately 1919 and is being torn down now. They occupied the homestead until they held a farm sale in 1950, having sold their farm to W.B. Weaver of Larned. Kansas in December 1949. Coleman then moved to Flagler, Colorado where they built a home and resided until their deaths. Coleman purchased the pool there in 1950 and operated it. Due to his son Troy's health, he gave up farming and went into the pool hall with his and later was owner, Mattie died April 16, 1969 and Coleman remained in the home, until health caused him to go to the hospital, and after a two months stay in the hospital and the Prairie View Nursing Home in Limon, he passed away July 6, L974. Both are buried in the Flagler Cemetery at Flagler, Colorado. Lena (Murphy) Patterson, Grace Elaine Murphy, Loren Arthur Murphy and Florence (Murphy-McCart) Gibbs are all deceased. Lionel resides at Safford, Arizona, (Betty) Arvetta Rose Randall atTalihina, Oklahoma, Loyd and Troy both at Flagler, Colorado, Dale at Goodland, Kaneas and Twila Gorton at Seibert, Colorado. by Twila Gorton MYRICK - JESSEN FAMILY F478 road that year, for this day was her birthday. In Castle Rock, Keith owned his own concrete contractor business and before their marriage, on May, 29, t970, Yvonne was working at Porter Memorial Hospital, in Englewood, CO., as a Licensed Practical Nurge. Now they were about to live their dren-s of becoming ranchers. A small herd of cattle was purchased from Len Beeson and then Brenda Jean was born on Feb. L2, L975. Nine months later the Myricks moved to the Walter Herndon place, one mile west. This was their place of residence until Sept., 1980, when they moved back onto their ovm property, "the old Husenetter place", residing in a mobile home. Robbie attended K-6 at Stratton Elemen- tary and 7th grade, (at the time of this writing), at Stratton Junior/Senior High. She is an accomplished flutiest and enjoys mar- ching and concert band, volleyball and baeketball. Her plans for the future are to be a "secretary/receptionist". Brenda attended K-5, (at the time of this writing), and she is already an accomplished clarinetist and is looking forward to sports in Junior/Senior High School. Her future plans are still in the making. by Yvonne Myrick Keith won second place,($lO), for'Iongest beard', In the spring of 1974, George 'Keith' Myrick and a friend, Charles Miller, left on a journey from Castle Rock, CO., to southeast of Stratton, CO., to make the "old Husenetter place" livable. During the week a blizzard hit, but they kept up the work and at the end of the week, Keith was able to return to Castle Rock, where his wife, Yvonne Carol (Jesgen) Myrick and daughter Robbie Cay, were waiting his arrival. April 24, 1974, was spent moving from Castle Rock to the ranch/farm of Stratton. Robbies first birthday was celebrated on the cattle and we were always afraid, but they never took after us. Our first teacher was Eva White. Later she married a man from south of Kanorado and continued to make her home in this new country. After a few years she died and was buried in the Kanorado Cemetery. When papa and mamawould go to town for the monthly supplies in the wagon, my sister and I would be left at home to look after things. We always kept our eyes peeled for tramps who sometimes roamed around the country, begging for eats. We were always afraid one would come but none ever did. One thing we always did when mama was gone was to get into her mincemeat jar and pick out all the nice large raisins and eat all we could andthen finish up with brown sugar, which we seldom had otherwise. The raisins in those days were so much larger than they are now, and were real good, especially seasoned by the mincemeat. The next time mama went to bake a pie she missed the raisins but didn't say anything and just smiled because she knew her little girls didn't take them to be mischievous. but had to do something to while away the long hours that they had to spend alone. NEALLY FAMILY NEALLY FAMILY Charles Neally andLizzie Paul of Ceresco, Nebraska, were married February 1, 1888, and soon started by train from Haigler, Nebraska, which at that time was the farthest west the railroad cnme. There they unloaded their belongings and loaded a wagon drawn by a pair of muleg that they had bought and One time when I was about ten years old and was going to look for eggs, I saw a man F47g drove across country to the land they had homesteaded in Kit Carson County, Colorado. Here they had to build their home. At first they just put up a shelter to cover them till they could build a house. They had a neighbor, Jim Knapp, come and dig them a well. It had to be dug by hand in those days. Colorado CentenniellBicentenniel Celebration Stratton, CO. August 1, 1976. Keith holding Brenda and Robbie standing in front of Yvonne Myrick. Waiting for coetume and beard judging. Robbie won first place, ($15), on costume and we were always coming across some of their Most of the homegteaders built houses of sod but the Neallys built a freme house. A little later Charlee'father and two sisters and their husbands came out and homesteaded. They just stayed here long enough to prove up on their homesteads. When they left they sold out to Charles. They soon got three or four milk cows and another horse so as to make a three horse team, as they put the horse with the mules. Then they were able to break some ground and do a little farming. Then they began to get stock cattle to run on the open range. The old McCrillis Ranch line fence was on their west and north and the riders rode the fence every day so they had no trouble with their cattle. The Neallys got their own land fenced in as soon as they could. There were lots of wild antelope on the prairies at that time. Many settlers killed them for meat. In due time two daughters were born to this family. In 1898, they moved over to his brother Harry's place, which was the E. % 356-43 where they lived for several years. When we were old enough we went to a school about a mile and a half west of us. Haidee and I nearly always walked. Knapps didn't have their land fenced like we did and F480 coming down over the hill. I didn't think anything about it as I thought it was a neighbor coming, so I went about my business. About this time he saw some men and all at once he turned and took offover the hill as fast as he could go and that was the last I saw of him. Then, when the next week'g Kansas City Star came out, there was an item about a women down in Kansas who was hunting for her husband who had left home. We often thought about that man and wondered if it could have been him, but we never heard anything more about him and never heard if the woman ever found her husband, but.it gave us something to think about for a long time. We had very little sickness in our family, but some families suffered from smallpox and diphtheria. Doctors were so far away, so if anything went wrong we were doctored vrith home remedies and always got better. Our friends, the Reischs, had smallpox and we would take their mail and some food supplies to help them out. We were very careful and would circle around their place at a safe distance until we attracted the attention of the family. Then we left the things where they would find them and hurried on our way so as not to get the disease ourselves. I remember one time mema had to go to town to the dentist. She had 21 teeth pulled that day and then had to ride that long way home jolting in the lumber wagon. I sat on the floor of the wagon and rested my back between her knees. At first we didn't go to church as there was none around. After the Wallet Post Office and store were established and people went there for the mail, it becnme a meeting place for the people. Here a minist€r would come sometimes on Sunday, and we would have a �church service. Jim Knapp wan our close neighbor and friend. He dW nearly all the wells around the countryside by hand. He would be gone from home long periods at a time, but would get back whenever he got a chance and the family never knew when to expect him. One time he arived home late at night when all the children were in bed so they were not aware of it. The next morning early after they awakened one of them said: "Thete's a man in bed with mama." He had about two weeks growth of beard and the children did not recognize him at first. One time a big man hunt was on. Several horseback riders rode onto the place and said they were hunting for a man who had robbed the Zollinger home. Father left with the men. I only knew Jim Rhoades and Jim Barnett who were in the group. After much circling around, the man wag tracked down in the creek bed near the Wallet Store. Word was sent to Burlington for the sheriff to come aftpr him. It was later learned that this man who had robbed the Zollingers was a one time acquaintance of the Zollingers. He knew the Zollinger family when they had lived in Michigan. He had heard that the Zollingers had become wealthy after arriving in Colorado, so had decided he would come and get some of it. It must have been quite a disappointment to find how little they had, but he took what little cash they had. As he was armed the family wag afraid to refuse him. NEALLY FAMILY F481 Mr. Munter was at the Zollinger home at the time and as soon an he could get away he hunied to his home to see if his family had been molested. He told his wife and older children that night but when the younger ones started to school the nert morning he told them to tell the teacher to be on the lookout for the man as it was feared he might still be in the neighborhood. This robber had the Zollinger place well located in his mind by the way the wind was blowing and planned to get away as soon alt Sometimes we would have a new white dress for the occasion. I will never forget the free lemonade. It was in a big barrel on Main Street. As there were no paper cups then, they had a big tin cup fastened on a chain so it wouldn't get away, for the people to drink from. Sanitation was something we didn't think of then. Everyone could drink all they wanted until the barrel finally ran dry. On one of these occasions, when I was about six years old, was a day I'll never forget. I got separated from my parents. I knew they had planned to go to the races which were held just north of the railroad tracks, so that was where I headed in search of them. I was just a few feet from the track when a man on horseback rushed up in front of me and got me back just before a train went by. I finally made it to the races and was standing by the bleachers looking for them. All of a sudden I heard an awful crack and down went the bleachers. Many of the people had their legs hurt, but no other serious damage except to a baby that was in a buggy in the shade and it wae killed. Just the people who could afford the price of a ticket were seated. The ones that had been standing all felt that it was their lucky day. After the accident I finally found my parents. As time went by my father had increased his number of cattle and as they had all their land fenced they didn't have much trouble with them getting mixed with the range cattle, and they didn't have to herd them. They raised mostly white faces. They were nice looking cattle with nice long horns. They began to raige more feed crops, mostly millet so they always had plenty of feed when the weather was so bad they couldn't forage for themselves. The prairie fires in those days were very bad and would travel for twenty five miles at times. The men would have to plow furrows all night and if the wind changed sometimes the fire would jump the furrows. I, myself, remember one fire that came within twenty five feet of our barn before it could be stopped. Many hardships were there in those days but the ones who stayed put were the ones whopaid for their land and made comfortable homee for their families. His youngest daughter, Blanche - 1962. he had robbed them. But while he was tormenting the family the wind changed directions and he wasn't aware of it, so he lost hie way completely, thus enabling the neighbors to pick up this trail and capture him before he left the county. He didn't bother any other fanily. About the main recreation in those early days was for several families and neighbors to get together and go in lumber wagons to the Spring Valley Ranch and spend the day fishing. The Jim Knapp, WiI Reisch and Charles Neally families usually went together as they were close neighbors. Henry Goebel was the manager of the Spring Valley at that time and they always enjoyed visiting with him. On one of these fishing trips the men caught a large turtle, so when they got back to the Knapp home, Mrs. Knapp cooked the turtle and made turtle soup for all. The children didn't care much about it, but it was a change in the menu for the adults. The Fourth of July was always a big event in our lives, because we would go to Burlington where a big celebration would be held. NICHOLS, EUGENE AND DOROTIIY F4A2 existed. Dorothy was born in Arlington, Ks. Aug. 20, 1913 to John and Mary Teeter. Her father ran a hardware store. The family later moved to a farm and ranch near Ulysses, Ks. which he bought from his parents, Henry and Margaret Teeter. This ranch is still in the Teeter family with the fourth and fifth generations living there now. Gene and Dorothy are graduates of Mos- cow High School. Gene attended Salt City Business College in Hutchinson, Ks. one year and also began farming, breaking out a lot of sod and planting wheat. The first two crops made 28,000 bushels with a price of 33 to 18 cents a bushel. Dorothy took the Teacher's Examg, and taught in a country school 8 miles from her folks home in the next school district - salary $50.00 a month. These were years when folks were losing their property, etc. but life went on and love wins. We were maried Feb. 10, 1934; a family wedding at my grandparents in Ulysses, Ks., our favorite pastor performing the ceremony. Mother and Grandma fixed a big supper for' all present. Gene had rented an improved farm near Woods, Ks. After we painted and papered the house, we moved in the day my school was out. We thanked God for my bridal shower, our wedding presents, our parents' cast off furniture and the Montgomery Ward's catalog, also for the homemaking abilities our parents had taught us - we had a comfortable home. Selling our extra eggs and crenm kept us in food and whatever else we really needed. We were both raised in a large fanily and we loved children. Our four children are Richard (Dean), Karen Louise, Sharen Jean and John Henry. Dean married Dorothy Loutzenhiser of Flagler. They are farmers and ranchers near Walsh, Co. Their four children are Pamsls Sue (now Mrs. Max Smith) of Walsh; Patrica Ann (Mrs. Jim Haffner) of Walsh; Robin Jay (married Gina Wells) of Garden City, Ks.; Barbara Kay (Mrs. Gary Burson) of Walsh. Dean and Dorthy have seven grandchildren, making us gteat grandparents. Karen married Robert Best of Stinett, Tx. and have sons, Byron Dale of Emporia, Ks, Rodney Hale of Wichita, Ks. Karen lives in Walsh, Co. where she teaches in the Walsh High School. Sharen manied Raymond Miller of Denver. They now live near Two Buttes, Co. where they farm and ranch. Ray had a son Raymond Joseph Jr. who is married and lives in Loveland, Co. and a daughter Gail (Mrs. Wm. Barocsi) Long Beach, Ca. They made Ray and Sharen grandparents and us 3 more The Eugene (Gene) V. and Dorothy M. (Teeter) Nichols family (four children) came to Kit Carson County in Feb., 1950 from Meade, Ks. They settled on a farm and ranch great grandchildren. Their daughter Debra Jean married DeWayne Britton of Pritchett and now live in Lubbock where they attend college. Jenelle Louise is a junior in high rado, on Duck Creek. John Henry married Zerelda Eddy of Lamar. Their sons are Lance Anson, 8th they bought from the Fred Pages in 1948, located 8 miles northeast of Flagler, Colo- Gene was born in Texas County near Tyrone, Ok., July 3, 1909. His parents, Ralph and Bertha Nichols, had a homestead there. They moved to Moscow, Ks, to start their three older children in a good school. His parents ran a hardware store and sold machinery in Moscow. Gene's grandparents, Henry and Frances Fuller, lived on a farm, part homestead, near Liberal, Ks, before the railroad or Liberal school and Justin Ty is in 3rd grade in Springfield, Co. grade, Jason Roy, 6th, Michael Lane, 3rd, in the Arriba-Flagler Schools. The family farms and ranches on their place and our home place. The children of Gene and Dorothy all graduated from Flagler High School. Dean and John are graduates of CSU in Fort Collins. Karen is a graduate of PSU in Goodwell, OK. Sharen is a graduate of Parks �Life on the farm consisted of helping with the farm work, driving tractor, shocking wheat, shucking corn, milking, 4H, County Fairs, PTA,and walking to echool. In terribly bad weather, Claude took the children to gchool with a te'm and wagon, with bailg of straw in it. They always had homemade bread and summer Bausage sandwiches in their symp bucket for lunch. Tillie was a wonderful cook, baking a batch of bread weekly, and in earlier years twice a week, sharing her bread with family, friends, and neighbors. She made peppernuts at Christmas, grapenut ice cream, and peanut bars. They did their own butchering, canning the meat, and making summer sausage every winter. Ti[ie also did all the sewing for the family, making over clothes to fit the children. Claude and Tillie provided a happy home for their children. They loved to sing together as a family. The community could always hear Claude sing as he plowed the fields, or took a wagon load of wheat to town. "Work for the night is coming", was his favorite. He was also a story teller, enjoying this fellowship with friends. Claude was always plagued with hay fever, asthna, and decided to move the family to California in 1945. They moved to Redmond, Calif., where his sist€r Beeeie lived. Later they accepted an offer of a friend, Elmer Fasse, to lease his farm in Burlington, Colo. moving in 1948. This move accounted for the fanily separation. They moved to Burlington after a few years. They had 23 grandchildren. Claude died on Dec. 15, 1966 and Tillie Gene and Dorothy Nichol's 4fth wedding annivereary in their farm home, February L0,L974. Front row: died 14 years later July 23, 1980. Gene and Dorothy Nichole. Back row: John, Karen, Sharon and Dean. by Dorothy Penny Business College in Denver. The family has been very active in 4-H, Farm Bureau, Baptist Church and its organizations, school and community activities. Gene loves his horses and likes to plant and care for trees. Dorothy is a 50 year member of HD Clubs and likes to quilt, embroidery and sew. We moved to the outside edge of Flagler, July 1, 1982. We still have a cow-calf Nebraska on December 12, 1910. Her parents were Maggie K. and Frank H. Wilson. They manage. We have always owned some cowg and horses. We both have more time now for grandparents on her mother's side were Mary Rodaway from England & Jurgen F. Kramer Center and to shut-ins. We celebrated our 53rd Wedding Anniversary this year and have truly been blessed with a gpeat family. wagons to Nebraska City. Her grandparents on her father's side were Mr. and Mrs. Morris NOWAK, JIM AND RUTH F484 Ruth M. Wilson was born at Lexington, operation which the John Nichols' family lived on a farm north of Lexington. Her volunteer work and visits to the Senior from Germany. They traveled by oxen and F. Wilson from Scotland and lreland. Ruth started to school at the age of five. She went to a little country school and walked one mile each day to get there. At the age of ten she moved with her parents to Stratton, Colorado. They home- We look forward to their visits and our reunions. We are proud of their accomplishments. by Eugene Nichols steaded on a farm seven miles south of Stratton. The building where she attended church and Sunday school with her parents, NIDER - WOLTERS FAMILY F483 Claude Clarence Nider wag born to John and Eldora Harvey Nider, Feb. 15, 1893 near Fairbury, Neb. He attended the University of Nebraska. On January 14, L920, he married Mathilde Wolters, daughter of Henry and Johanna Wolters, born May 3, 1896. To them eight children were born; Maxine, Lucille, Arleen, Dorothy, Louis, Bette, Dale, and Marilyn. Claude was in farming all his life. He brothers and sisters was made of layers of sod with a dirt floor. Claude and Tillie Nider in 1950. worked for the AAA working out of Fairbury, Neb., to supplement his farming there. He had a stenm engine and separator, separating for the farmers in this community. When he would bring the rig home, he would start pulling the whistle, alerting the children for their run to meet him, to ride the rest of the way home. While harvesting, his wife Tillie and the children would run the farm and see that the chores were done. Ruth helped her father who was a carpenter as well as a farmer, make "Doby Blocks" to build their house. To made a doby block you plow a large circle ofsod leaving a ten foot circle in the center where you stand to lead horses around the circle to mix the doby. You keep putting straw and watcr in the mud until it is mixed up smooth like mud pies. Then you put it in a box 18-12 inches, smooth off the top,lift up the box very carefully and go to the next block. Leave the blocks dry a week and turn them over. After a few weeks they are ready to start building. You mix up �more mud to put them together with. Takes a lot of blocks and hard work. Ruth attended school with her three brothers and three sisters in a country school which was heated with a "pot belly stove". There were forty students and one teacher, who had all eight grades. The students all were required to help the teacher with cleaning the school, carrying out ashes and carrying in wood and coal. Classes staded at nine o'clock, at 10:30 we had a fifteen minute recess. Twelve o'clock to one was lunch time. School let out at four o'clock. We were taught reading, writing and arithmetic to the tune of a "hickory stick". Ruth got up early in the mornings along with the rest of the family. After breakfast, while mother packed school lunches, she would help carry in fuel and water for the day, feed chickens, calves and pigs, then walk two miles to school. As Ruth gtew older, she worked in the fields hoeing, plowing, shocking grain, putting up hay, pulling weeds, and shucking corn. Times were hard so when Ruth was thirteen ghe started working out in the summers. She saved her money for high school, and worked out in the summers while attending high school at Stratton. Sounds like a hard life but had wonderful parents, brothers and sisters and we had a very happy homelife. After graduating from high school in May 1929, Ruth went to work on a big ranch up on the Republican River about twenty-five miles northeast of Stratton. The hours were long and the work was hard, as washing, ironing, housecleaning and everything was done by hand. Day began at five in the morning and ended at ten p.m. The pay was $6.00 a week plus room and board or five cents an hour. On February 16th 1931 Ruth was united in marriage to James R. Nowak at Goodland, Kansas. They lived on a ranch north of Stratton where Mr. Nowak was employed. Wages were $45 per month and living quartere. Ruth and her husband had three sone munity activities. When Ray and Bob joined the Navy, she joined the Navy Mothers and is still a member. Besides being a homemaker and mother, Ruth worked as a waitress and bartender for thirty-two years. Ruth now lives with her son Bob at 1916 Miner. She has another son Ray and wife Jessica and grandsons Mike and Richard who live in Lakewood. So after seventy-four years and all my mileage you can see why I am walking with a cane but still get by on my own power. by Ruth M. Nowak NOWAK, MAX AND MARGARET F485 Passenger train Eight came steaming into Burlington on Thanksgiving morning of November, 1910. Coming, aboard that train, to their new home in Kit Carson County were Margaret Ann and five of the six Nowak children. Margaret's husband, Max, and the couple's oldest son, Archie, had come several load of hay to town to sell and was returning to his homestead. He agreed to take the Nowaks to their new home for one dollar. Margaret Ann and her daughter accepted this offer and were then taken to the depot to collect the children, suitcases, trunks, and boxes of canned and dried fruits and vegetables that they had been busily preparing at the old home in Seneca, Kansas, while Max and Archie were in Colorado building a two room house of adobe and sod. Taking a trail which angled northwestfrom Burlington, Mr. Mace and the Nowaks traveled out through the settlement to the long established ranches on the Republican River. It must have been rather warm for November since the children remember running along beside and behind the hayrack exploring the countryside as the group slowly journeyed to their new home. Max, the son of Bohemian immigrants, was born in St. Joseph, Missouri, in 1863. As a young boy Max moved with his family to the Seneca, Kansas, area. It was here that he received his formal education and learned the trade of a stone mason, MargaretAnn McQuid was born in Seneca, Kansas, in 1865. She was mainly of Irish ancestry. Her grandparents had immigrated to Canada in the 1840's and had then monthe earlier to stake out a homestead in the Tuttle community about fifteen miles northwest of Bethune. Due to miscommunications, Margaret Ann and the five children got off the train in Burlington while Max was left waiting for them in Stratton. After some migrated to Nemeha County, Kansas, in anxious moments Margaret Ann surmised Then, because of a farm related injury, Max returned to doing construction work such as what had happened. Consequently she either sent a telegram to her husband or used the railroad telephone to call him. Margaret Ann was given instructions to try to find transportation to the homestead, so she and my mother, Katie, who was the oldest child, went to the various livery barns in town, leaving the younger children to guard the family belongings at the train depot. At one of the barns Margaret Ann and Katie met a man by the nnme of Frank Mace who lived near the river north of Bethune. Frank had brought a 1857. Max and Margaret Ann were married in St. Mary's Church located in St. Benedict, Kansas, on May 8, 1894. They spent the next sixteen years farming in the Seneca area. plastering, stone masonry, and building cisterns. Due to Max's asthma, in 1910, a doctor advised the Nowaks to move to Colorado. Max had a sister, Vic Pike, living in the Tuttle community, and there was land available to homestead in the area, so the decision to relocate in Kit Carson County was made. Soon after the change of residence another sister, Ma4r LeRoy, homesteaded nearby. Even though the homesteaders of that era and a daughter. In July 1934, Ruth, her husband and two small sons Richard and Raymond packed their things in a Model A Ford coupe and moved to Newburg, Oregon. We stayed in cabins along the road at night for $2.00 per night. You had to furnish your own bedding, cooking utensils, towels, etc. The cabins weren't very clean and some were full of bed buge. While in Oregon we lived in a house without heat, water or lights; had to carry water up the hill side from a spring; boiled hops and made yeast to make bread; had lots of good fruit and fish. Jobs were hard to find and it rained dl the time, eo after a year we returned to Stratton, Colo. and back to work on the same ranch. In September, 1936, we moved to Limon, Colo. and lived in a house north of Limon. The rattlesnakes were go bad that one of them hung itsef in the coil bed springs. So back to Stratton in January, 1937. The dust bowl was eo bad that on July 4, 1937, Ruth and her husband Ja-es and three emall sons again packed up and moved to ldaho Springs. Times were hard in Idaho Springs, as Janes was a mill man. While the children were growing up Ruth was active in schools, P.T.A., church and Sunday School, Cub Scouts and other com- Mar and Margaret Ann Nowak with grandchildren. L. to R.: Doris Meade Gulley, Leslie A. Davis, Stanley Davis. Russell Davis and Jackie Meade Smith. �settled on land that had been the range for the ranches (Pugh, Wood, Davis & Corliss) along the Republican River, the Nowak children reported that no animosity was ever ehown. In fact, they all soon beca-e a part of the Tuttle community. The children attended the Tuttle school which at that time was located near the present-day Harvey Wood ranch. The school also served as a community center for Sunday school, for of German descent and her father's people were Scotch-Irish, living at Harisonville, Mo, Some paternal ancestors came from Kentucky. Clara graduated from high school in 1931 at Birch Tree, Mo., and from the University of Kansas at Lawrence in 198b. She taught English and Latin and other subjects at various Kansas high schools. In 1942, she asked for a release from her contract to start working for the Air Force to help win WW II. In 1944 she transferred to Washington, D.C. and worked in the Pentagon until the summer of 1946. She saw Gen. Eisenhower ride triumphantly into the Pen- church on occasion, for dances, for Christmag programs, for literaries, and for other affairs. All of the Nowak children graduated from the Tuttle school. After finishing school all of these children worked at one time or another tagon Concourse after the Allies won the war. She decided to return home to Arkansas, for ranches or businesses in the Tuttle, Hermas, and Kirk areas. The children were Katie, Archie, Alice, Helen, Gilbert, and Jnmes. Katie married Rosser Davis, and they lived in the Tuttle area until 1942, when they moved to Burlington. Katie passed away in 1967. Archie, who left the Tuttle community as a young man, eventually settled in Oregon. It was there that he died in 1974. Alice became the wife of Vida Davis. The couple farmed in the Kirk area for many years and moved to Englewood upon retirement. This is where Alice etill resides. Helen exchanged marriage vows with Gilbert Meade. The Meades lived most of their adult lives in Kirk where Helen passed away in 1977. Gilbert Nowak lived and worked in the Stratton and Tuttle communities before joining the U.S. Navy during World War II. After his discharge, Gilbert lived in Denver until his death in 1956. Jnmes worked on ranches in the Stratton area. He wed Ruth Wilson of Stratton, and in 1937, they moved to Idaho Springs where Jemes died in 1978. In 1937, Max and Margaret Ann moved from the Tuttle community to a Collins Hotel apartment in Stratton. Margaret Ann passed on in 1940, and Max died in 1945. They are both buried at the Calvary Cemetery in Stratton. where her parents had moved in 1g31. Clara's father worked as a Frisco depot operator for many years. Clara has one sister and no brothers. Clara then taught school at Swifton, Ark., and boarded in her sist€r's home 2 years. Then Clara taught in the Hulbert-West Memphis H.S. two years, in Arkansas. After her maniage in 1949, Clara had to help take the Senior class to Galveston and New Orleans in June. She made hotel Frank and Clara Nusser on wedding day, April 17, 1949 ley. Wanda taught kindergarten in the Catholic school at Floresville, Texas for 3 years. Then Wanda taught in a public school in San Antonio, Texas one year. Then she taught third grade at Concordia Lutheran Church School in San Antonio where she is still teaching in 1987. Wanda married Wil- by Russ Davis lia- P. Moody of San Antonio in June 1g82. Their son, Matthew Henry Moody, was born December 2, Lg8l. He will probably be very spoiled as both sets ofgrandparents will help NUSSER, FRANK H. AND CLARA I. spoil him. Sherry worked in Public Health at Myrtle Beach, S.C. She then received a grant to F486 The girls and their father Frank H. Nusser was born at Plevna, Reno County, Kansas on October 26, 1903. He graduated from Plevna High School in 1924. For several yeare he had farming interests with his mother and two sisters. Frank was one of eight children born to German parents, his mother having been born overseas and his father in the U.S.A. Frank was the youngest of five boys and three girls. Frank ceme out to Stratton in 1946 to farm on his brother Martin's two sections, one NE and one South of Stratton. Frank raised wheat by dry farming for 32 years. Frank married Clara lrene Bricken on Easter Sunday, April 17, 1949, in her sister's T\r'ine Shirley and Sherry, 3, with Wanda, 7, and mother reservations and rented a Greyhound bus for the trip. She didn't arrive in Stratton until June 17, 1949. Clara taught in the Blakeman country school that winter. She taught at Seibert one year but quit because the Nusser's first daughter was born October 19, 1952 Wanda Eileen Nusser. In 1956 on March -9 the Nussers beca-e the proud parents of twin daughters, Shirley Ann and Sherry Rose. Sherry was Valedictorian and Shirley was Salutatorian of their Senior class. Wanda and Sherry graduated from U.N.C. at Gree- home with her parents present, also her sister, her brother-in-law and their son Jan and daughter Kay as witnesses. Frank and Clara were married by the Methodist preacher of Swifton, Arkansas. Clara was born December 22,LSLB in Black Rock, Arkansas. Her mother's parents were attend the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, where she received her Master's Degree. Then she worked about 18 months at the Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation of North Dakota, setting up the first program of Public Health and Nutrition in the reservation. Sherry applied for a release from national Public Health so that she could work as a nutritionist for the state of Texas at Lubbock where she is still stationed in January 1987. Shirley Nusser attended Valparaiso University in Indiana for one year, then worked and took classes in Greeley. Later she worked in Colorado Springs. Shirley joined the Air Force in January 1983, taking training at Lackland A.F. Base, later at Keesler A.F. Base at Biloxi, Miss. She then transferred to Whiteman A.F. Base in Missouri where she is still stationed in 1987. Clara Nusser is the elder child born to James A. and Rosa W. Moser Bricken. The other child, Edythe Elizabeth, wag born on October 19, 1919. Edythe attended one summer at a college in Memphis,Tenn., one year at the University of Kansas at Lawrence �and one year at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville where she met and married Dudley Bullard of Swifton, Ark. They had one other son, Sjon, after Clara was married in Edythe's home. Dudley taught for many years at Swifton where he finally retired. As principal, he depended on his wife for any substitut€ teaching. When Clara taught there, she once had George Kell of the Detroit Tigers as her subgtitute. by Frank Nugser ORMSBEE - DAVIS FAMILY F487 Vi (Davis) Ormsbee in the 1920's. Hap with baby daughter Donna in front ofthe Busy Corner Drug Store. Notice the old Montuzuma Hotel in reflection in the window. the terrible red streak was just the coke syrup from the rim ofthe barrel. In those days coke had to be mixed from a syrup at the soda fountain. For most of Hap's life, he worked in law enforcement. He was a warm, friendly man - salty and outspoken, an unfailing champion of people, causes and principles he believed in. As a very young man, he served as undersheriff in the county. In the late 1930's Hap as in the first class of cadets to originate the Colorado State Patrol - then called "The Colorado Courtesy Patrol." In those days you went where the job was, so Hap was stationed in various cities around the state while Vi stayed in Burlington and taught school. Their summers were spent with their daughters, Donna and Bonnie, wherever Hap was stationed at the time. It was in the winter of 1938 that Hap rode a motorcycle for over ten hours through a severe snow storm to reach Bur- E.G. "Hap" Ormsbee in the 1920's. " . . it came to me that those old hardbitten patriots (Jefferson, Adams, Franklin laid the very foundations upon which our houses, schools, churches, yes, even our government stands today. If there is a crack or crumble in any of those old foundations, I'm sure with the little patience and time' those cracks will be reinforced and covered over and be just as strong and sturdy as they were the day Betsy Ross cut up a pair of somebody's old red drawers and sewed the first stitches in Old Glory . . So, I'm sure that if you will take along your patience and education and blend in a great big hunk of integrity, well, I know you will make it okay." This quote was taken from a speech given by Earl G. "Hap" Ormsbee to the graduating high school seniors. The precepts he was impressing upon those young folks "Patience, Education, and a Big Hunk of Integrity" were concepts that he and his wife "Vi" lived and worked with throughout their lives. Hap's parents, George and Mae (Luther) Ormsbee, moved from Smith County, Kansas to a ranch south of Burlington and, later, into town. Vi's Great-Grandfather, John Glass, lington. You see, the inoculation for di- Hap Ormsbee in 1962 when he was Sherriff of Kit Carson County. and Grandparents, E.G. Davis Sr. and Leah, came to Colorado from Wales by way of Macon County, Missouri. They settled on a ranch near the Republican River in 1887. Vi's father, Griff, grew up there. Hap and Violet May Davis were married on August 2L, L928, in Arriba. For several years after their marriage, Hap operated the Busy Corner Drug Store in Burlington. It was located on the corner of 14th and Senter streets where Standish Drug later stood and Marion Shoe Store now stands. The day his baby daughter, Donna, rode her kiddy-car down the basement steps and landed in a "Coke" barrel will never be forgotten. When Hap rushed down the steps and grabbed her up, he found a terrible steak of red running across her stomach. When Donna and Hap reached the daylight it was discovered that phtheria had just been invented and many had not taken advantage of its benefit. His youngest daughter, Bonnie, along with others in the county had contracted the disease. After he resigned from the Patrol, he was with the Division of Internal Security of the Federal Government until World War II ended. After the war, the family returned to Burlington. For awhile Hap owned a liquor store and Vi taught in the elementary school. As Sheriff of Kit Carson County, he especially tried to guide young people in the right direction for he knew the future ofour county and nation would depend on them. The proof of his ability is that he was one of the few Democratic candidates ever to be elected in Kit Carson County. Vi's grandfather Davis was a member of the first set of Kit Carson County officers and served as County Commissioner. Her father later served as sheriff as well as being a business man. Vi also believed in "Patience, Education and a a Big Hunk of Integrity". She taught school for many years. Her initial �position was teaching Reading in grades 3-8 in Stratton. She taught two years in a rural school where one of the duties listed in her contract wag to keep the etudent'e horses tied in the barn. One of her early salaries was for tional Tech School at Goodland, KS. in 1979, and graduated with a Kansas license in Cosmetology. Afterwards she returned to Omaha and worked as telephone operator at Teem Telephone Co. for a few months; also worked at Dellen Laboratories as Vetcrinary Technician. In 1981 she moved back to Denver, CO. and worked as hairdresger for one year at Michael of the Carlyle. After mariage Dennis andJean made their home in Burlington, CO. and both work at Orth's Dept. Store. He works as Aest. Manager (Buyer of men's wear), and she is also Asst. Manager (Buyer of ladies apparel and Clerk). Their son, Sterling David, was born August 12, 1986. Dennis enjoys sailing, goose and duck hunting, and yardwork. Jean enjoys sailing, English and West€rn horse riding, sewing, teaching dogs obedience, and training and judging show dogs. $800 a year. After Hap and Vi raised their two daughters, she went back to college and earned her M.A. in Adminietration and Supervision of the Elementary school. She did additional work in Special Education at the graduate level. Vi wae the first president of the Burlington Education Aesociation. She was a member of the Burlington Women's club and Garden Club, and served on the Burlington Public Library Board. Vi was a charter member of the local chapter of the Association for Children with Learning disabilitiee and served on the stat€ advisory board after she retired from teaching. Even though her chapter was at least a three hour drive each way, she never missed the monthly board meetings. One month she beco-e ill enroute home and finished the trip from Limon in an embulance. Even after urging from the state president to stay home and regain her strength, she was back again for the next meeting, "rearin'to go". Her only by Dennis Orth Dennis and Jean Orth, Jan. 15, 1983 ORTH, HELMUTH AND FRANCES comment was, "Listen young man, these meetings are important and you can't talk me out of being here. Besides I have a lot of fun." "Patience, Education, and a Big Hunk of Integrity". Yes, Hap and Vi were the children of their pioneer forebears. If the pioneers of the future can live by these precepts, and not fall victim to the, "Why not? Everyone elee does." trap - "Well, I know you will make it (LAMPE) F489 okay." Hap died on July 13, 1963, from a stroke. Vi died June 23, 1975, from heart failure. They have four grandchildren: Robbie Fearon is a teacher, Mike Vance is a farmer, Shelley Laudenschlager ig an attorney and Wade Laudenschlager is a pharmacist. Their three great-grandchildren are: Kacy Fealon, Annie Vance and Griff Vance. by Bonnie R. Laudenschlager ORTH, DENNIS AND JEAN Sterling David Orth, t year old F488 Dennis Deloy Orth was born in St. Francis, KS, on March 10, 1949, to Helmuth and Frances (Lampe) Orth. He has one sister, JoEllen (Mrs. Tim Beattie). Dennis attended elementary school in St. Francis until fifth grade, then moved to Burlington, CO. with his family, and graduated from Burlington High School in 1967. He attended Northeastern Junior College, Sterling, CO., for two years, graduated in 1969, with an L.A. degree in General Education, then continued his schooling at the University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, CO., graduated in 1972, with a B.A. degree in Education. In 1973 he and a friend traveled four months, January to April, in Europe through Greece, Turkey, Austria, Germany, Holland, France, England, and Belgium. For three years, 1973-76, he worked for his father at Orth's Dept. Store in Burlington. In 1977, Dennis, a cousin, and friend traveled for three months, January to March, in South America through Panama, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Jnmaica, and Bahamas. After the trip, he worked again at Orth's Dept. Store. In 1979 he went to Baha, Mexico, and sailed with his sister, JoEllen, and Tim Beattie for three weeks along the coast on Tim's 44 ft. boat. Dennis manied Jean Yvonne Heider on Januar5r 15, 1983, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Burlington. She was born Septem- ber 16, 1951, to Lou and Vera Heider, in Omaha, NE. She attended St. Paul's Lutheran School, grades 3-8, and North High School in Omaha, graduated in 1969. After graduation Jean attended the University of Neb. School of Technical Agriculture for two years at Curtis, NE. and received a certification in Veterinary Technology. She moved to Denver, CO. and worked for three years at the Golden Animal Hospital in Golden, CO. also worked at the Westminster Veterinary Clinic four years, L974-78, before moving to Burlington, CO. in 1978, and worked at the Burlington Industrial Bank for eight months. She attended the Northwest Kansas Voca- Helmuth and Frances Orth Oct. 23, 1984. Helmuth Karl Orth was born July 4,L922, son of Karl and Elizabeth (Heinie) Orth on a farm southwest of St. Francis, KS. He was the fourth child with three brothers: Richard, Oscar and Herbert, and two sisters: Alinda (Mrs. Ted Burr) and Waunita, all of whom are deceased. Helmuth was baptized and confirmed at Salem Lutheran Church northwest of St. Francis. He attended the Walker countrv school and graduated from the St. Francii High School in L942. He farmed with his father and brother-in-law, Ted Burr, until he was called to serve his country for eighteen months, 1946-47. Most of that time was spent in Germany. When he returned, he farmed again. On April 4, 1948, he married Frances Lampe at Trinity Lutheran Church in St. �Francie. Frances Emma La-pe was born December 16, 1923, to Henry and Lydia (Walz) Lampe on a farm twelve miles west and two south of St. Francis. She was the fourth child with two eisters: Ella (Mrs. Bus Johnson) and Nina (Mrs. Harold Raile), and two brothers: Leland and Harvey. She was baptized and confirmed at Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, fourteen miles southwest of St. Francis. She attended parochial school here, also Pleasant Hill and East Gurney schools, graduated in 1937. Later she earned her High School diploma by correspondence. Frances went to Denver, CO. after gradua- tion and worked for Montgomery Ward and Co. in the Mail Order transferring office. She later worked at Stapleton Airport as a Roto- Bin-Clerk, where they modified B-29 airplanes during the war. Her brother, Leland, was in the service and when Harvey was called to serve his country, she went back home to help her parents with the farmwork. After marriage, Hehnuth and Frances built a new home and lived at 521 S. Scott in St. Francis. They have two children: Dennis Deloy, born March 10, 1949; and JoEllen Sue, born November 2, L95L. Helmuth worked as a Laboratory Technician for the Bureau of Reclnmation from 1948 to 1951, while Bonny Dam, Hale, CO, was being built. It was completed in 1951. He then worked for P.M.A. until 1953, when he and Frances decided to go into business for themselves. They built and operated the Dairy King and two and one-half years later built the A.&W. Rootbeer, leasing it out. In the Spring of 1959, they sold both establishments and moved to Burlington, CO. In August they opened Orth's Skogmo Store, now Orth's Dept. Store, which they still own and operate. Their son Dennis, and wife Jean, are in the business with them. Dennis married Jean Yvonne Heider of Omaha, NE. They have one child, Sterling David, born August 12, 1986. JoEllen maried Timothy Beattie of Aukland, New Zealand. Helmuth and Frances both like, to play bridge, and enjoy fishing and golfing. Frances was the "Lucky Ace" to get the first "Holein-One" on Burlington's new golf course, July 31, 1973. No one will beat that! They both enjoy traveling, and have traveled the U.S. from East to West, North to South, including Hawaii, nine foreign countries and islands, New Zealand, Fiji, Australia, Africa, Canari Islands, Bahama Islands, Germany, Canada, and Mexico. They have been to some beautiful places, but still like the Good Old U.S.A. by Frances Orth OSTROWSKI, JOSEF AND FRANCES F490 1909 Homeetead Days ofJosefand Frances Ostrowski and family in Kit Carson County, Flagler, Colorado. Josef Ostrowski and Frances (Groffin) Ostrowski were born and raised in Jarnova, Poland. Josef learned the plumbing trade in Jarnova. Theycnme toBoston, Mass. in 1887, then on to the southern states to find work. They worked in the cotton fields picking cotton in Miesissippi, Alabo-a and Texas for several years. Later the family moved to St. Paul Minnesota where Josef worked with a plumber, digging trenches and laying pipe. He came to Flagler, Colorado in 1909 and took a homestead 1872 miles northwest of Flagler in Kit Carson County. His wife Frances and their two youngest sons, Vincent, age l0 years old and John, aged 12 years old made the trip to Colorado July 4, 1910 to their new home. Joeef worked in Denver during the winter months to buy a team of horses and two cows, also what machinery he needed to farm with. Josef and Frances lived on the farm until Frances passed away in 1935. Josef passed away in 1941. Vincent, the youngest son, spent his early years helping his father improve and farm the land. His father suffered a stroke while working in Denver in he early days, which left his arm paralyzed. Vincent married a neighbor girl, Cecilia Andrewjeski, on November 3, 1931. They bought the home place and raised their 5 children there. They have retired now and their sons Robert and Js-es have taken over the farm. by Cecilia Ostrowski Lorraine manied George A. Simon, son of George R. and Ruth Simon of Seibert on November 17, 1946. They moved from Flagler in 1955. Marian lived with D.V. Rowden fanily and graduated from Flagler High School. She died of leukemia in 1951. Fred and Agnes farmed with her father for five years before they bought what was to become Otteman's Cash Store in 1950. The brick building on Main Street in Flagler was built in about 1911 and has housed not only a store but the Flagler News, the Flagler Post Office, and later the First National Bank of Flagler. The building had apartments upstairs that many young couples started out in. The apartments are now closed and the bank has moved into their own building. The USDA Soil Conservation Service now is housed in the building. Fred continued to develop the locker and meat business by building the slaughter house in South Flagler in 1963. All four of their children, Gail, Carl, Marla and Mark, became familiar with the business, helping in all phases. Daughters, Gail and Marla, became school teachers and son, Carl,. graduated with a degree in Business Admin- istration and is the Business Manager at LaJunta Medical Center in Lalunta, Colorado. After Fred closed out the grocery business OTTEMAN FAMILY F491 Frederick A. Otteman and Lillian Rathert were married in Colorado Springs, May 19, 1921. Mr. Otteman was an immigrant from in 1978 and concentrated on the meat business, son Mark graduated from Colorado State University and joined his father in the family business becoming the third generation Otteman to become a Flagler businessman. When Fred died of cancer in 1980, Mark bought the family business and continues to Germany and his wife was born and raised in Kansas. They moved to Flagler soon after their marriage. They owned farmland in both Lincoln County and Kit Carson County. This land was rented out for farming. Mr. Otteman became a Flagler businessman when he opened a bakery with a partner by the nnme of Mr. Werner. Mr. Otteman had suffered a sunstroke at an earlier age and became a familiar sight walking downtown from the family home on Main Street carrying his black umbrella. The fanily was very active in Zion Lutheran Church in Flagler. Mrs. Otteman was a renowned cook and baker and during the 30's when the bakery closed, she maintained her family by baking in her home. operate it. Agnes worked as Public Health Nurse for Kit Carson County for thirteen years before she accepted the new position in 1979 with Centennial Mental Health Center to provide Elizabeth died in infancy. Daughters, The horse was so was the rider. It was 5fi) miles from -Peru, Nebraska to They were parents of four children. Mary Lorraine and Marian, not only helped their mother in the kitchen but delivered the baked goods to homes in Flagler. Son, Fred, also helped his mother in the kitchen. During the 30's Mr. Otteman bought seed wheat for his renters to plant back when they failed to raise enough for seed. The mother died in 1941, leaving a young family. The father died in 1943, leaving the youngest, Marian, still in high school. Lorraine and Fred had graduated from Flagler High School by that time. Lorraine entered St. Lukes Hospital School of Nursing in Denver. Fred (algo Frederick A. Otteman) joined the Navy during World War II and served in the Pacific aboard the destroyer U.S.S. Colohan as an Electrician's Mate. After the end of the war, Fred married Agnes Huntzinger, daughter of Sidney V. and Gerda Huntzinger on December 2, 1945. Fred's wife, Agnes, and sister, Lorraine, both graduated from St. Lukes Hospital School of Nursing in 1946. the geriatrics nursing for the Center for Region V, a position she still holds in 1986. by Agnes Otteman PAGE, FRED AND AGNES F4S2 jagged Flagler, Colorado, and Fred Page with all his property tied behind the saddle had followed the trail by the Rock Island Railroad to Rice's place in Flagler. There he had applied for a homestead, was to bring his bride - a school teacher also from Nebraska Agnes Black - and on that Blank - Page and that bleak prairie, write the story of their family. They would shove three homestead shacks together, plaster the out- side and build a house and a home for themselveg and the five children of their marriage - Betty, Margaret, Avis, Agnes and Don. But if the prairie and the structure of their house was bleak, their home was fun, warm, cultured and varied. Fred had been a semi-orphan, living with anyone who had work to do in exchange for board and room. He was immensely proud of his wife and family and constantly reminded them how lucky he felt to have them. Far � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Families of Kit Carson County Description An account of the resource Brief biographies of the founding families of Kit Carson County Colorado. Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Book Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Families- N&O Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1988 Description An account of the resource Briefs histories of founding families of Kit Carson County whose names start with "N" and "O." As told in the book, History of Kit Carson County Type The nature or genre of the resource text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Salmons, Janice Hasart, Marlyn Smith, Dorothy Language A language of the resource English Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. History of Kit Carson County Volume 1 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource text/pdf Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Curtis Media Subject The topic of the resource History Kit Carson County Biography Genealogy Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a> https://kccarchives.cvlcollections.org/files/original/17/505/Families-P_Q.pdf 1d2cd9f4732e71f40080e30b3e7ad2e7 PDF Text Text Francie. Frances Emma La-pe was born December 16, 1923, to Henry and Lydia (Walz) Lampe on a farm twelve miles west and two south of St. Francis. She was the fourth child with two eisters: Ella (Mrs. Bus Johnson) and Nina (Mrs. Harold Raile), and two brothers: Leland and Harvey. She was baptized and confirmed at Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, fourteen miles southwest of St. Francis. She attended parochial school here, also Pleasant Hill and East Gurney schools, graduated in 1937. Later she earned her High School diploma by correspondence. Frances went to Denver, CO. after gradua- tion and worked for Montgomery Ward and Co. in the Mail Order transferring office. She later worked at Stapleton Airport as a Roto- Bin-Clerk, where they modified B-29 airplanes during the war. Her brother, Leland, was in the service and when Harvey was called to serve his country, she went back home to help her parents with the farmwork. After marriage, Hehnuth and Frances built a new home and lived at 521 S. Scott in St. Francis. They have two children: Dennis Deloy, born March 10, 1949; and JoEllen Sue, born November 2, L95L. Helmuth worked as a Laboratory Technician for the Bureau of Reclnmation from 1948 to 1951, while Bonny Dam, Hale, CO, was being built. It was completed in 1951. He then worked for P.M.A. until 1953, when he and Frances decided to go into business for themselves. They built and operated the Dairy King and two and one-half years later built the A.&W. Rootbeer, leasing it out. In the Spring of 1959, they sold both establishments and moved to Burlington, CO. In August they opened Orth's Skogmo Store, now Orth's Dept. Store, which they still own and operate. Their son Dennis, and wife Jean, are in the business with them. Dennis married Jean Yvonne Heider of Omaha, NE. They have one child, Sterling David, born August 12, 1986. JoEllen maried Timothy Beattie of Aukland, New Zealand. Helmuth and Frances both like, to play bridge, and enjoy fishing and golfing. Frances was the "Lucky Ace" to get the first "Holein-One" on Burlington's new golf course, July 31, 1973. No one will beat that! They both enjoy traveling, and have traveled the U.S. from East to West, North to South, including Hawaii, nine foreign countries and islands, New Zealand, Fiji, Australia, Africa, Canari Islands, Bahama Islands, Germany, Canada, and Mexico. They have been to some beautiful places, but still like the Good Old U.S.A. by Frances Orth OSTROWSKI, JOSEF AND FRANCES F490 1909 Homeetead Days ofJosefand Frances Ostrowski and family in Kit Carson County, Flagler, Colorado. Josef Ostrowski and Frances (Groffin) Ostrowski were born and raised in Jarnova, Poland. Josef learned the plumbing trade in Jarnova. Theycnme toBoston, Mass. in 1887, then on to the southern states to find work. They worked in the cotton fields picking cotton in Miesissippi, Alabo-a and Texas for several years. Later the family moved to St. Paul Minnesota where Josef worked with a plumber, digging trenches and laying pipe. He came to Flagler, Colorado in 1909 and took a homestead 1872 miles northwest of Flagler in Kit Carson County. His wife Frances and their two youngest sons, Vincent, age l0 years old and John, aged 12 years old made the trip to Colorado July 4, 1910 to their new home. Joeef worked in Denver during the winter months to buy a team of horses and two cows, also what machinery he needed to farm with. Josef and Frances lived on the farm until Frances passed away in 1935. Josef passed away in 1941. Vincent, the youngest son, spent his early years helping his father improve and farm the land. His father suffered a stroke while working in Denver in he early days, which left his arm paralyzed. Vincent married a neighbor girl, Cecilia Andrewjeski, on November 3, 1931. They bought the home place and raised their 5 children there. They have retired now and their sons Robert and Js-es have taken over the farm. by Cecilia Ostrowski Lorraine manied George A. Simon, son of George R. and Ruth Simon of Seibert on November 17, 1946. They moved from Flagler in 1955. Marian lived with D.V. Rowden fanily and graduated from Flagler High School. She died of leukemia in 1951. Fred and Agnes farmed with her father for five years before they bought what was to become Otteman's Cash Store in 1950. The brick building on Main Street in Flagler was built in about 1911 and has housed not only a store but the Flagler News, the Flagler Post Office, and later the First National Bank of Flagler. The building had apartments upstairs that many young couples started out in. The apartments are now closed and the bank has moved into their own building. The USDA Soil Conservation Service now is housed in the building. Fred continued to develop the locker and meat business by building the slaughter house in South Flagler in 1963. All four of their children, Gail, Carl, Marla and Mark, became familiar with the business, helping in all phases. Daughters, Gail and Marla, became school teachers and son, Carl,. graduated with a degree in Business Admin- istration and is the Business Manager at LaJunta Medical Center in Lalunta, Colorado. After Fred closed out the grocery business OTTEMAN FAMILY F491 Frederick A. Otteman and Lillian Rathert were married in Colorado Springs, May 19, 1921. Mr. Otteman was an immigrant from in 1978 and concentrated on the meat business, son Mark graduated from Colorado State University and joined his father in the family business becoming the third generation Otteman to become a Flagler businessman. When Fred died of cancer in 1980, Mark bought the family business and continues to Germany and his wife was born and raised in Kansas. They moved to Flagler soon after their marriage. They owned farmland in both Lincoln County and Kit Carson County. This land was rented out for farming. Mr. Otteman became a Flagler businessman when he opened a bakery with a partner by the nnme of Mr. Werner. Mr. Otteman had suffered a sunstroke at an earlier age and became a familiar sight walking downtown from the family home on Main Street carrying his black umbrella. The fanily was very active in Zion Lutheran Church in Flagler. Mrs. Otteman was a renowned cook and baker and during the 30's when the bakery closed, she maintained her family by baking in her home. operate it. Agnes worked as Public Health Nurse for Kit Carson County for thirteen years before she accepted the new position in 1979 with Centennial Mental Health Center to provide Elizabeth died in infancy. Daughters, The horse was so was the rider. It was 5fi) miles from -Peru, Nebraska to They were parents of four children. Mary Lorraine and Marian, not only helped their mother in the kitchen but delivered the baked goods to homes in Flagler. Son, Fred, also helped his mother in the kitchen. During the 30's Mr. Otteman bought seed wheat for his renters to plant back when they failed to raise enough for seed. The mother died in 1941, leaving a young family. The father died in 1943, leaving the youngest, Marian, still in high school. Lorraine and Fred had graduated from Flagler High School by that time. Lorraine entered St. Lukes Hospital School of Nursing in Denver. Fred (algo Frederick A. Otteman) joined the Navy during World War II and served in the Pacific aboard the destroyer U.S.S. Colohan as an Electrician's Mate. After the end of the war, Fred married Agnes Huntzinger, daughter of Sidney V. and Gerda Huntzinger on December 2, 1945. Fred's wife, Agnes, and sister, Lorraine, both graduated from St. Lukes Hospital School of Nursing in 1946. the geriatrics nursing for the Center for Region V, a position she still holds in 1986. by Agnes Otteman PAGE, FRED AND AGNES F4S2 jagged Flagler, Colorado, and Fred Page with all his property tied behind the saddle had followed the trail by the Rock Island Railroad to Rice's place in Flagler. There he had applied for a homestead, was to bring his bride - a school teacher also from Nebraska Agnes Black - and on that Blank - Page and that bleak prairie, write the story of their family. They would shove three homestead shacks together, plaster the out- side and build a house and a home for themselveg and the five children of their marriage - Betty, Margaret, Avis, Agnes and Don. But if the prairie and the structure of their house was bleak, their home was fun, warm, cultured and varied. Fred had been a semi-orphan, living with anyone who had work to do in exchange for board and room. He was immensely proud of his wife and family and constantly reminded them how lucky he felt to have them. Far �from having the stereotyped upbringing we hear of the times, he taught his girls they could be anything they were willing to work @\t lilnitril frtuttx uf Arnlriru, to be. itro sll to nfion tlrrr yrurrrlt r$ull romr, 6nrting: I especially remember his sitting down at the head of the table, looking from face to face about it thoughtfully and saying, "How lucky is the man who can come home to this at the end of a day's work." Agnes, despite the grinding hard work of a ranch wife, the extremely meticulous care of a son with cardiac anomaly (who did far better than anyone dared to let them hope) maintained an atmosphere of joy and some time for music, literature and fun. This couples' interests were their family, Agnes'family, their ranch, and their community. They backed everything they felt was good for the community school, - church, recreation grounds, the country club (twelve farnilies who would eat and spend the day together once monthly 100 - sometimee persons). He the Democratic party, she the Republican. They were interested in friends and neighbors. The doctor's family, the teachers, the bankers, the immigrants who talked with a brogue and dressed funny, the new neighbors from Missouri that were so abrasive no other neighbors dealt with them, the "old maid" who struggled to farm alone, the man who advertised for a wife and got one as socially inadequate as he, the man who had had both legs cut off by a train yet was cheerful and independent. WHEREAS' a Certlffcate of the Reglster of the Land ofice at liuGo, 0oLORADot hs bosn deposilod In tho General Land ofrce' wh€reby it app0a,3 that' pursuant to the Act of Congro$ of ]{ry 20r 1862, ,'To S€cure Homcsteads to Actual Settlerc or tho Publlc Domaln"' and tho act! supplemontal th€f€tor the chlm of FilED TJ. PAGE har beon ostlbllsh€d rnd duly consummatodr In conformlty to law, for tho NORIHEAST QIJaRTER oF s€cTl ON Nl NE- TEEN I N TOWNSHI P EI GHT SUUTh OF RANGE FI FTY WEST Of IhE $I XTIT PRI NCI PAL ME- Bl0tAN, 0oLoRAoo, 0oNrAtNlNG oNE nuNDRE0 SIxTY A0riES, accordlng to the 0fficlal Plat of tho Survey of the.sld [rnd, returned to the GEIIERA! tAt{D OtFlCE by the Suneyor-ienenl: t{ow Kllow YE, That there ls, therefore, gnnted by the UNITED STATES unto th€ sld chlmant thc tnct of Land abovo dsr$lbsdi T0 IIAVE Al{D T0 tloLD the said tract of [and, with the appurienances lhereof' unto tho sld claimant and to the holrs and assigns of the sid claimant forever; subject to any vested and accrued wat6r rlghts for mining' agrlcultuml, manrfacturlnt, of oth€r pu.poselr and rights t0 ditch$ and resenolrs ussd In connection wlth such wator righls' a! may bo recognizod and acknowledgod bytho local customs' laws' and decislons 0f courtsi and lhero ls resened from tho lands hereby granted' a tight of way theroon for dltche8 0r canals conrtructod by tho authorlty of the United Statos, This couple who met in a graveyard at Peru, Nebraska, have met at one in Flagler, Colorado. I miss them when it's Sunday night calling time. I miss them when it storms and we'd be out rounding up the cattle. I misg ll{ TESTIM0I{Y WHERE0f' l, them when I'm disappointed and want a warm place to relax or when I'm proud and know if I brag it's o.k. a little, - they'll brag too. But that is not strange we are only allowed two parents apiece. rJ I LL I Alrt fi. TAFT Prcsldent 0t tho Unltod Siat$ of Amorlm, havc caused theso letisn to bo mrdo Pddf, ud th! sed oflts Crn.nl lr"i{ n6.. lo hci!ruto.Rr./ - GIYEN undor my hand, rr tho clty of Ytuhlngton, llvEt{TY'tlfTll In the yoar of our Lord ono thou&nd day of by Avis Bray M.D. the 'UI.Y nlne hundred and TWELVE Unitod states the one hundred rnd rnd of tho Indeosndonco of thc THIRTY-SEVEi{TH' PAGE, FRED J. AND AGNES F493 One of the reasons life was far simpler in the very early 1900's was that the range of choices in career planning (or any other planning, for that matter) was extremely limited. Therefore, when Margaret Agnes Blank, a native of Creighton (Knox County) Nebraska decided that it was time to improve her teaching skills with a college education her decision as to the location of the college was already made. Nebraska had only one state supported college and it was at Peru on the Missouri River south of Nebraska City Peru State Normal as teachers colleges were then called "Normals." She, as many others, had taught in one room country schools after completion of the 10th grade and had then gone back and finished high school. Now she was ready for an education that would make it possible to teach in "town" schools. In college at Peru she met a young man, a native of Peru, also attending but part-time as he was an orphan and, in addition to himself, was supporting a younger sister. By the year Agnes graduated, 1907, they were RECoRDED, Paton'rumber 286091 Fred J. Page Land Patent. engaged - but not in the near future for he, Fred Joseph Page, was leaving the same week of her graduation to go to Flagler, Colorado in order to look over possible homesteads. He found one about five miles northeast of town and promptly took out papers to improve and claim. She, in the meantime, taught in such "city" schools as Fremont and others in Nebraska, all the time saving (as this Scotswoman would always do) for the day they would marry and need start-up money very badly indeed. Meanwhile, back at the ranch between 1907 and 1913, Fred "improved" the 160 acre claim and built a 12 x 16 structure in which he "batched" when not going back to Nebraska to visit Agnes. Most of his time, however, was working (a) on his own place from early morning darkness to late evening darkness or (b) for neighbors, working the same hours for one dollar a day. He was pretty much a stand- by hired hand for the Robbs, Schwins, Kliewers and others - known, Among other reasons, for his strength and endurance. By the spring of 1913, Agnes had the magnificent sum of 9265 saved and they were married at Creighton on March 8th of that year. The Creighton newspaper carried the story under the heading, "Blank-Page Nuptials." Fred, whose sense of humor owed little to sophistication, would comment in future years that he had looked for a wife but drew a Blank. The honeymoon was the train ride from Creighton to Flagler where fellow homesteader Aubrey Walker, with tea- and buggy, met them at the station and drove them to the farm-house Fred had rented (the "improvements" on the homestead did not �yet include a livable dwelling) for his bride. This house, 3% milee due west of town still stands and is now owned by Monty Strodes. On arrival, the new Mrs. Page joined the Congregational Church - Fred had been a charter member a few years earlier and also, at that time. President of the Christian Endeavor, the young people's society. In their leased home, Bethayne (Betty), now Mrs. Lloyd Robinson of Sandpoint, Idaho, was born in 1914 and Margaret, now Mrs. Fred Nemoede of Cambria, Calif., was born in 1915. Shortly after Margaret's birth the house was completed on the homestead and they moved to what was to become their permanent home until 1949. This home, by the way, was built in the following manner: first, Fred's original bachelor shack, 12 x 16, was attached to an identical structure on their long, i.e., 16 foot sides. Then a kitchendining area was added across the east end and a bedroom across the west end and an attic above. Pretty basic but fully as good as most and somewhat better than others as far as livability was concerned. The building no longer stands. Here, however, Avis was born in 1917, now Dr. Avis Bray of Concordia, Kansas, and Agnes was born in 1919, now Mrs. Clair Loutzenhiser of Flagler. Not content with leaving well enough alone, thing holding this farm together is mortgages and baling wire and I think I just ran out of baling wire." It is difficult to find the slightest trace of self-pity there. In the 1940's crme war. came rains for the parched earth and came reasonable prices for cattle, land and farm products. They, like all of the others who had stuck it out. who had persevered, reached financial security bordering, in retrospect at least, prosperity. At the closing of the 1940's they moved into town, travelled a good deal and lived in comfort. Fred raised a garden that came near to supplying the entire town of Flagler. Agnes was on the Library Board until her death and they were in countless card and supper clubs. Fred, who had been born 2-10-85, died just two days before Thanksgiving in 1967. Agnes insisted on staying on and living alone, died on September 21, 1969. She had been born on 10-29-85. Their wish, now fulfilled, was to be buried side by side near old and dear friends in the Flagler Cemetery. by Donald Page PAINE, MARY F494 Paine, and her daughter, Bertha Gulley, and her family. My Grandma Paine never forgot her first morning on the prairie. She awoke early and went outside for a look at the country she was to call her home. She had never seen a mirage, as she had always lived in wooded areas. On this morning the mirage was very clear; trees and water appeared on the horizon. She had not noticed them the evening before and thought what a pretty place this was. She went back in the house to eat her breakfast and then went back outside to find that the trees and water had di- sappeared and only the sage, tall prairie grass and soap weeds remained, stretching into the far horizon. She wrote ofthis to her youngest daughter, Mary, in Missouri. Upon reading it, Aunt Mary burst into tears and said, "I knew poor old Ma would go crazy if she went way out there!" Far from going crazy, Mary soon becane known as a dear little old lady who knew a lot about cures and medicine. She had cures for most ailments such as, 6amphor for nervousness to different teas for "Summer Complaint". She assisted at the birth of many ' babies and with all childhood diseases. Grandma seemed to have a little ESP, although that erpression was unheard of then. Her daughters often told of their Donald (now of Placerville, Calif.) was born inL924. All five attended first through 12th grades in Flagler. Incidentally, Avis becnme the only female graduate of Flagler High School to go on to become an M.D. The Pages were unique in some respects. First of all, they were Democrats and while this did not actually qualify as a disgrace, it did prove unorthodox in the extreme. Secondly, Fred did not like to farm at all - his mother getting out of bed one night at involved 400 to 450 head of Herefords and around 75 Percherons and riding (Quarter) horses. Going back to the subject of Democrats for a moment, while it would be untrue to state that all Flagler Democrats could be wild geraniums reaching out as far as the road. This patch of ground, when in bloom, was a solid orange-red. Grandma never midnight and starting to dress. She explained that a neighbor lady, who had a three day old baby, had just died and she was going to get the baby. When they ask her how she knew, she said that the woman's soul had just passed over the house crying, "Take care of my baby", and that is just what she did. I spent many days with Grandma while my mom helped Dad with field work. She always had plenty of time for me and was never anything but kind. By then she was in her sixties and had given up most of her doctoring. My mother, Bertha Gulley, took her place in tending the sick. In Grandma's yard there grew a patch of love was raising Hereford cattle and Percheron horses. Farming was only a necessary evil to help keep mortgage payments made. From their basic 160 acre homestead, a ranch close to 5,000 acres evolved, some of it, of course, leased land. Peak production years probably wanted any of these flowers picked. She was as proud of them as she would have been of a garden of tame flowers. Not many flowers counted on one hand, you could count them on two hands with a finger or two left over. From up north there were the Ja-eses and Moores. Cloeer in were the Walkers, the Pages, the Robbs. In town, the Borlands and, later, the T. Guards and finally the one, the only and the inimitable Leroy Cuckow - and if you weren't already on somewhat shaky ground even being a Democrat, having Cuckow among your number pretty much were planted and grown in those days. However, the prairie was beautiful in the early summer with the wild pink phlox growing all over the sandhills, the clumps of purple sweet peas, the white sand lilies, and the tall spikes of bluebells. The blue-gray sage added it's fragrance to the land. Grandma and I would take longwalks and pickhugh bouquets. Mary Paine died on March 2,L935, during the "dust bowl" days. Inside our homes, dust fixed you. The 1930's with the double-wha-my of drought and depression, touched this family just as hard, but no harder, than countless other farmers and ranchers. They, like the others, lived nlmost devoid of cash income and hung on by the skin of their teeth for a very simple reason: there was virtually nothing else that could be done and pride in self-reliance would not tolerate quitters. But there were unusual aspects to those terribly, terribly hard days. There was damned little self-pity. People laughed, they cared for and about each other. There was a tremendous "we're all in the same boat" attitude among the people. Hardships could actually produce humor - I remember how frequently Fred quoted a neighbor's statement that "the only Bertha Gulley and her mother, Mary Paine, at the home of Opal Boger at Vona in 1930. covered everything; the food, furniture, clothing, etc. After the wind stilled, about My grandmother, Mary Eliza Castor, was born in Dublin, Indiana on March 28, L846. Before her 18th birthday she was a wife, a mother, and a widow. At the age of nineteen sundown, we would sweep down the walls and curtains and shake out the bedcovers getting as much ofthe dust as we could onto the floor then sweep it up into piles and scoop it out. At the time of my Grandma Paine's death, we had to hold a sheet across her bed to keep the she married Dr. John Paine. He was a country doctor and his practice extended many miles, centering around Hutton Valley, Missouri. After their marriage, Mary often accompanied him on his calls to visit the sick. Many times she remained in the patient's home to care for them. Dr. Paine died in 1900 and in 1909 Mary came to the Stratton area with her son, Oscar dust out of her eyes and mouth. At her funeral, the dirt was terrible and we could hardly see to leave the cemetery. She was buried at Kirk beside her two sons Oscar and Claude. by Opal Boger �PAINTIN, GAROLD AND JEAN F495 Garold is a native of Stratton but I was transplanted from Towner, Colorado to Bird City, Kansas and rural Cheyenne County, Kansas then back to Seibert, Colorado before my parents, Lawrence and Clara McGriff put down roots. Garold and I were married in the First Methodist Church at Colorado Springs, Colorado August 20, L949. Garolds parents, George and Agnes Paintin and my parents had instilled the knowledge ofhard work in both ofus. They gave us their blessings. Our first home for our ranching career was the little two room house across the river east Tony married Susie Knodel, daughter of Ruth and Lawrence Knodel of Burlington. They are the parents of Christina Elizabeth, Kathleen Renae, and Lisa Ann. Marilyn married David Cranmer of Colorado Springs and they have a daughter, Julie Marie and a son, Williem Scott. We are enjoying the privilege of being grandparents and look forward to years to come. by Jean Paintin PAINTIN, GEORGE AND AGNES F496 of the Paintin parents on the Elzy Newby property. We had no electricity or running water but we did have a battery operated radio. There were no clothes closets except the two nails on the back ofthe door. I vowed to change that. My knowledge of the carpentry trade began with the process of putting my closet together. Dad Paintin appeared and gave me some help along with some good advice. He said "it is never to expensive, if you do it yourself'. Garold served in the U.S. Army for two in the Army attached to the Air Force. Our daughter, Marilyn Sue was born while we the England Air Force Base at Alexandria, Louisiana. We cs-e home in February 1956. While we were traveling with the Army the cattle prices were down and the dirt wae blowing here. Joe Paintin had taken our 'cattle to his place north of Burlington. He put up thistles and anything else available for a feed supply but eventually had to sell most Waterwas piped in from the adobe wellhouse easier. A traveling salesman cnme with a new Home Comfort cookstove. This beauty was soon installed in the new kitchen. A new gas engine Deluxe Maytag washing machine caught Dad's eye. This machine served the Leo and Agnes Paintin Wedding picture, Oct. 14, were gone. We moved a mobile home in to be close by to help. After his death January 16, 1908, Hill City, Kansas. 1957, we purchased the home place and George Edward Paintin and Agnes Elizabeth Garner began their life together October 14, 1908 at Hill City, Kansas. Their first four years were spent near Morland, Kansas. Letters came to them from Agnes' brother, Joe Garner and his wife Susie. They had come to Colorado in August 1911 and settled on a claim ten miles north and two miles west of We started their music education early. Tony decided two years was long enough for him but Marilyn continued studying piano and organ with Lola Kechter for nine years. The flute was her band instrument. She participated with music in Church and school. She continues enjoying music by teaching. Marilyn and Tony both loved horses. Several years were spent as members of the Country 4-H Club. We were all members of the original Stratton Roping Club. I enjoyed the Stratton Homemakers Extension Club membership. Our carpentry skills learned over the years were put to use when we built our new home in 1977. catalog. Nothing was wasted. Quilt tops were made from new scraps and used material was made into braided rugs. This machine lasted her a life time. Trees were planted in the early years. Water was carried to them to insure their life. Some are still standing today. A large garden was planted yearly with the surplus being preserved for winter use. Butchering, curing and canning their meat was an annual event. to a gink with an outside drain to make life of them. two years. were purchased at the Fuller General Store in Stratton or from the Montgomery Ward and Doris. Leroy died at birth. About 1919 they had outgrown the little sod house so a new four room adobe house was built. A new kitchen with a basement was added in 1929. were there. Six weeks later we were sent to after each event. Marilyn and Tony are both graduates of the Stratton High School. Marilyn also went on to graduate from Northeastern Junior College at Sterling, Colorado. She received the Jack Petty's award to help her thru the sewing machine made the job easier. Supplies The family grew to a total of ten children. Joe was their first born in Colorado followed by Ivan, Gladys, Leona, Leroy, Wilda, Garold Force Base at Mineral Wells, Texas. He wae fire in June 1963 made us count our blessings Aydelot, come to stay in with them. Mending was a never ending job. A prized possession of a new twelve dollar treadle Prairie chicken and cottontail rabbits occa- to Ft. Ord, California, then to Wolters Air Mother Paintin moved to Stratton. Our son Tony Ray was born April 6, 1957. A car accident with injuries to Garold and Marilyn in September 1959 and a disastrous from the cook and heating stoves. She worried about leaving the small children alone so she had a neighbor girl, Cora sionally changed the menu. When a new supply of lard was rendered any from the previous year was made into soap. years. He was inducted May 24, 1954 and sent Dad Paintin's health had failed while we Uncle Joe and Aunt Susie helped them get settled. Work began before dawn and ended at dusk. George returned to Kansas in the fall to pick the corn crop they had left behind.Agnes stayed behind to keep the chores done. She had to milk the cows, feed and water horses, pigs, and the chickens besides doing her everyday outside chores of getting in wood, cobs, water and carry out the ashes Stratton. They wrote of property that was available for reclaiming which joined them to the east. Along with their small daughter Eva and baby son Guy, they let their pioneer spirit guide them to Colorado in the summer of 1912. Most of their possessions along with the chickens were in one covered wagon and the other carried their beds and clothing. They trailed their milk cows behind. As they approached the property, they were impressed with the view. Behind them to the east was the dry Republican River and to the west were slightly rolling hills covered with knee high grass. They settled on the reclaimed quarter section of land. The property had a good well, a two room sod house, a lean-to barn and one scrawny tree. They traded one covered wagon to the fellow that held the claim on the land and he headed back east. family faithfully for years. A big red barn with a hayloft replaced the little lean-to barn. Their cattle herd started with a variety of breeds but progressed to be predominantly Black Angus. They carried the Quarter Circle Triangle brand. A herd of horses were kept for work and pleasure. At one time Dad sold horses to the U.S. Cavalry for extra money to pay the property taxes. After a long life of ranching and enjoying his children and grandchildren, Dad went to his heavenly home Januar5r 16, 1957. Mother went to join him on November 25, 1961. The original quarter section ofland grew to 1440 acres and was purchased by Garold. Their beginning created ten children, twenty four grand-children, forty five great grand-chil- dren and four great-great-grand-children thru May 1986. by Jean Paintin �PALMER, EUGENE AND SYLVIA helped start Dakota Bible College at Ar- lington. Eugene taught classes and Sylvia took classes. During his ministry at Lamar, Nebraska, their son, Eugene Rogeray Palmer was born Jan. 30, 1946. During his ministry (ROGERS) F4g7 at Burlington their son, Paul Andrew Palmer was born April 13, 1948, at Vona at the home of Harry and Amelia Howell with Dr. V.M. Hewitt the attending physician assisted by his wife, Edith Hewitt. We moved back to Vona in June 1948 and again Eugene preached for the Vona Church of Christ. He also did other jobs: section crew, plumbing jobs, ran the creem station, and they operated the Vona & Joes Telephone Exchange in Vona for several years until it went dial in 1958. In 1951 Eugene started working with the Colorado Dept. of Highways with the survey crew and retired from it in L972. Eugene Palmer family. L. to R.: Rogeray, Sylvia, Eugene, and Paul. Taken on their 25th Anniversary open house celebration on August 28, 1966. January 3, 1955, we had the misfortune of losing our frnme house in Vona and all its contents by fire without any insurance. Vona didn't have any fire truck then but within a few days they purchased one. By pick and shovel and wheel barrow, Eugene dug a basement and built a concrete block house, even making the blocks. He did this mornings Eugene Raymond Palmer and Sylvia June Rogers met at a Tri-County Christian Endeavor Rally at the Flagler Congregational Church in June, 1940, and were married at the Church of Christ Church - Christian in Vona, August 31, 1941, where he was ministpr. Sylvia and younger sister, Beulah, and their parents, Claude W. and Jane (Brennan) Rogers moved from Syracuse, Nebraska March 6, 1925. Claude came by immigrant car on the Rock Island Railroad and family by p$Fenger train to Flagler to take up residency at their farm at Saugus west - 6inmiles of Flagler but one mile over Lincoln County north of the R.R. where there had formerly been the Saugus General Store and Saugus Post Office. Her mother died May 29, 1930 of cancer. Her father remarried July 30, 1931 to Hester Holmes. They had five children: Claude, Marilyn, Paul, Donna, and Betty. The children attended the Arriba School. The family all attended the Arriba Christian Church. Sylvia recalls one bad dust storm of this and evenings and days off work from the highway. He never worked a bit on the house on Sundays. That day was for the church and family. Starting in Sept. 1981 Sylvia served as a school bus driver for four school terms on a north route from Vona. Starting Dec. 1, 1981 Sylvia also started driving the Senior Citizens'Bus, "The Road Runner," for Vona and Seibert. Both of our sons are married and living in Nebraska. We have three granddaughters and one grandson. We made a home for Sylvia's dad his last ten years of his life with us, ending July 22, 1984, at the age of 91. Note: Eugene passed away 1986. by Sylvia Palmer PANGBORN, HERSCHELL NAPOLEON AND JANE ELVINA BLAKE F498 Herschell and Jane Pangborn were married the eleventh day of September, 1867, in Maquoketa, Iowa. To this union were born While our boys were growing up we had our own milk cow, pigs, rabbits, chickens, turkeys, cats, calves, and a dog. The boys were in 4-H with rabbits and gardening projects. They also had paper routes intown- Denver Post and Grit. They helped with the chores and activities around the home and church. three sons and two daughters. Their youngest child, RoyJason, was born in Aurora, Nebras- They enjoyed the church, Vacation Bible blacksmith. He was born March 29, 1842, and died in Flagler in 1919. His wife, Jane, was born the second of March, 1849, and died in Flagler in 1925. Schools, camps, and rallies and all the sports in school besides band. After graduating from high school they each attended Platte Valley Bible College at Scottsbluff, Nebraska. After Eugene retired from the Highway Dept. he held ministries at Meeker and Mesa, Colorado, and Deming, New Mexico, from 1972 through L977. In January, 1978, he started serving the Vona church again and continues now in that capacity. He has also enjoyed gardening. He has two lovely large well-producing apple trees he started from seeds he plantpd in a flower pot one day while area when echool was let out early. The school bus had stopped at the R.R. crossing at Arriba and just start€d to move to cross when Sylvia saw the light of an approaching passenger train, No. 8, from the west and hollered at the bus driver. He stopped in time to avoid being hit. Seconds do make a difference sometimes between life and death. Be watchful! She recalls her worst work of childhood days was shaking and picking gray beetles off potato vines into a pan of distillate. She and Beulah piled up several gallons at the ends ofthe patch during the eeason. It was worth it; they did have a good crop. Sylvia worked at the Soil Conservation Office in Hugo a number of years aftcr graduation from high school. Eugene was the oldest of seven children born to Eugene Allen and Jessie Maria (Parsons) Palmer at Stamford, Nebr. His father was also a minister of the Christian Church. He died in 1928 and his mother in 1963. Eugene and Sylvia moved to Blunt, South Dakota, March I, 1942, to minister and eating an apple. The amazing thing to us is the difference in the fruit from these two trees, both are very good but different in color and shape. The Pangborn Ranch at Thurman, Colorado. ka, October 16, 1886, and when he was a young boy, the family moved to Colorado and settled first in Thurman, Washington County, Colorado, and later in Flagler, Colorado. Herschell was a farmer and a by Mrs. William E. Pangborn �Roy and Faye originally resided in Thurman and then later moved to Flagler, Colorado, and stayed with Roy's mother to help out after the death of his father. In 1924, they moved to Burlington, Colorado. Roy Jason Pangborn was born October 16, 1886, at Aurora, Nebraska, the youngest child Hergchell and Jane Pangborn (seated). TWo of their children, Addie and Roy Jason (standing). PANGBORN, ROY JASON AND FANNY zooI( F499 of Herschell N. and Jane (Blake) Pangborn. He had two brothers and two sisters. In 1906, he went to work for the Rock Island Railroad as fireman. He continued in this work for two or three years until the wreck of the Rock Island Flyer near Omaha. He did not return to this job after the wreck. Roy was a skilled mechanic and in October of 1918, shortly after his marriage, he enlist€d in the Coast Guard Artillery as a mechanic and served until his discharge on January 21, 1919. Roy worked as a mechanic in Flagler and again later in Burlington for the Anderson Motor Company and the Victory Garage. He played the violin and enjoyed music. He died of a heart attack in 1953. Faye Pangborn Ferguson was born Fanny s -v outing in 1928. garden, and tended a herd of milk cows, as large as 21 head at one time. Each of the family members had their own jobs. Faye and her sisters were responsible for milking the school. Faye always enjoyed learning and her favorite subject was math. She used it too! In her mid eighties, she could still tell you down to the penny the balance in her checkbook. She was a good manager. She was very frugal and never wasted anything. She was a good neighbor and friend and always shared what she had with others. Her garden was a good sanmple of this. Her green thumb and hard work always produced a bounty of fruits and attest to her ability and are cherished heirlooms of the family. She also enjoyed crocheting and took up china painting in her later years. Music has always been a part of Faye's life. Her second husband, Maurice E. (Mack) Roy and Fanny (Faye) Pangborn were united in marriage at Hugo, Colorado, June 27, L9L7 .They grew up together and attended the same country school. To this union was born one son, Willinm E., on July 23, 1919, in the sod house of Faye's parents, Jonathan and Barbara 7,ook, aI Thurman, Colorado. F500 French, and German origin. They lived on a farm, planted wheat, corn, applique work and colorful, artistic quilts enjoyrng an evening of music in the 1950's. PANGBORN, WILLIAM E. AND ELEANOR M. PENNOCK Colorado. The second youngest of nine children born to Jonathan S. and Barbara (Reber) Zook, Faye was raised in a sod house with her two brothers and six sisters. The family was Amish Mennonite and of Swiss, vegetables, which she canned. There was always plenty for her friends and neighbors. Her family looked forward to the harvest of sweet corn and homemade jellies and jams. She was an excellent cook, and for a few years worked at Beatty's Cafe in Burlington. Faye was well rounded in her abilities. Her home was adorned with beautiful flowers. She was an excellent seamstress and applied this skill though her efforts while working in the Sewing Room during World War II. Her Mack and Faye Ferguson and BilI Pangborn by Mrs. William E. Pangborn homestead in Thurman, Washington County, cows and separating out the cream. The crenm was then sold. The children attended a one room country Roy and Faye Pangborn with their son Bill on an and raised chickens and hogs. Mack passed away at the age of 88 in August, 1980. Faye continued residence at her home for another couple years. At 92 years old, she now resides in Grace Manor Nursing Home in Burlington. Zook on April 14, 1895, on the family barley, and oats, raised chickens, had a family '.\ over forty years. For many years, they farmed Ferguson was a musician, and together with her son, Bill, the three of them spent many an evening singing and playing their various instruments. Faye was proficient at the mouth harp, ukelele, and guitar. Mack and Faye purchased an acreage north of Burlington during the war and built their home with the help of Bill when he returned from the service in 1945. Their "place" was their pride and joy, and they lived there for Bill and Penny Pangborn, newlyweds, 194?. William and Eleanor (Penny) Pangborn were married in Denver, Colorado, on June 23,L946,and settled in Burlington, Colorado, where Bill was employed as a pharmacist for Weinandt and Brown Drug Store. When the opportunity arose, Bill and Penny purchased Joe Brown's interest in the store, and they, in turn, sold out in 1958. Bill was employed by Standish Drug for eight years prior to opening his own store, Pangborn's Pharmacy, on February 4, 1966. Pangborn's Pharmacy located at 347 L4th Street, Burlington, Colorado, began as a family business and remained one. In 1975, following college graduation, their son, Thomas William (Tom), born May 15, 1951, returned to Burlington and expanded the electronic section into a full service Sound Center/Radio Shack. The business prospered and on April 1, 1987, twenty-one years after it began, Pangborn's Pharmacy, Photo and Sound Center, Inc. was sold. Their eldest child, Marcia Mae (Marcie) Smith, was born on July 14, 1949, and married John A. Smith on June 29, 1974. They own their own video production business, Media Resources, Inc., and reside in Littleton, Colorado. William Earl Pangborn was born in Thurman, Colorado, on July 23, 1919, the son of Roy Jason and Fanny (Zook) Pangborn. The family resided in Flagler, Colorado, until Bill was five years old. ln L924, they moved to Burlington, where Roy was employed as an auto mechanic. Bill was raised in Burlington and graduated with the Burlington High School Class of 1937. In school he enjoyed his studies and participated in dramatics. He also took part in the sports program and particularly enjoyed basketball. In later years, he became proficient at tennis and bowling. Prior to joining the service in 1941, Bill owned and operated a duck pin alley in Holly, Colorado. He served with the 440th Signal Battalion �attached to the 5th Air Force during his four years in the South Pacific during World War II. Upon returning to the U.S. in 1945, Bill PANKRATZ - HINTZ FAMILY attended and subsequently graduated from Capitol College of Pharmacy in Denver, Colorado. It was at this time that he met his future bride. Bill is a dedicated pharmacist, seldom completed a holiday meal without a call from someone needing medicine, but he never complained. He loves his work, and has F501 enjoyed the association with the people in the trade area. Bill's main passions are his work, his family, and sports! The entire family bowled, in the lung. and his business sponsored many teams over Dad and a few friends were in the process the years. He is a loyal fan of the Denver Bronco football team and has had season tickets for many years. Bronco season is always the highlight of every year, and the games are a fun family event. His other of building a duplex when on October 26, 1968 I was born. The three of us lived in a house on 17th Street until the duplex was finished. Three years later on May 12, 1971 Lorna was born. When I was six years old we moved a mile north into a house. I remember in the Spring of.L977 we had a terrible snow storm that left hobby, photography, was incorporated into his business, but he still is able to apply his skill on the family vacations. Eleanor Mae Pennock was born in Ft. Collins, Colorado, November 18, 1924, to us without electricity for about four days. The snow drifts were taller than some of the Arthur E. and Iola M. (Oglesby) Pennock. They had three daughters and Eleanor (Penny) was the middle child. When she was in high school the family moved to Walden, Colorado. They spent two years there, and in 1942, returned to Ft. Collins where Penny completed her senior year and graduated from Ft. Collins High School with the Class of L943. She attended college in Ft. Collins at Colorado A&M and worked parttime at Walgreens Drug Store. During summer break, Penny returned to Walden and spent the summer working in the local drug store there. In 1946, she met Bill Pangborn, married, and moved to Burlington. In her youth, Penny was an avid tennis player. She was also an accomplished pianist, Orin and Norma Pankratz, taken spring 1977. :,,.:'ai .,- having the rare distinction of possessing "perfect pitch". However, once she married and had a family, she had little time to continue these interests. When the children were growing up, she took up sewing and became proficient at it, much to the delight of her daughter. Penny worked at Weinandt and Brown Drug with Bill and later as a checker at SaveU Market on Rose Avenue. When Pangborn's the restoration of the Kit Carson County Carousel. The four of us helped with the Flea Market fund raiser held at the fair grounds. We helped sell and take tickets and sell souvenirs. As a family we also spent many hours opening and closing the carousel. Dad helped take the paintings down and he and Bob McClelland put them back in their places after they had been restored. In 1977 Ray Crouse painted original oil paintings of Lorna and I each on our favorite carousel wonderful parents and successful business people. They have much to be proud of. Their next challenge is their retirement, and we have the feeling they will work by Marcie Pangborn Smith that walking across the windbreak was not a wise idea because I fell in on top of one of the trees and we weren't sure how I was going to get out. All in all Lorna and I enjoyed the storm because that meant no school for a few days and that was definitely okay with us. Dad was a member of the Lions Club and every summer they held a fishing party out at Hale Ponds. So every summer, we looked foreward to a day of fishing with all the other families. The only things I hated was putting the worm on the hook, so I let Dad have the honor. One year, Lorna caught the largest fish, a sucker. In 1975 Mom was a member of the Kit Bill made an excellent team. They are dancing and golf, travel, work parttime, and enjoy their family and friends. trees in the windbreak next to our house. We had to put sheets over all the doorways to the livingroom so that the heat from the fireplace would keep us warm. The fireplace was used to cook and roast many, many marshmallows and served as a light in the evening. Most of the time was spent playing games and when things cleared up outside Lorna and I enjoyed playing outside in the snow drifts. We found Carson County Centennial, - Bi-Centennial Committee. Their main project was starting Pharmacy opened its doors for business in 1966 she worked side by side Bill and the kids, clerking, keeping the books, and managing the office. She was a very positive force behind the business, and together, she and together at enjoying it equally the same. They plan to remain in Burlington, resume square Extension Agent in Goodland when they met in 1964. They were manied a year later on June 12, 1965 - the year of the South Platte flood in Colorado - in Canton, Kansas at the First Baptist Church. For the first year they lived in Flagler where Dad taught Industrial Arts and Mon taught 6th grade. In 1966 they moved to Burlington. Mom had the position of Home Economics Extension Agent and Dad started to build a custom building business. That fall he started teaching Industrial Arts at the Bethune School. He was teaching there when he died November 11, 1978 from a blood clot Lorna (right) and Karla (left) Pankratz, taken spring 1977. My father, Orin Owen Pankratz, was born March 21, 1935 in a sod house south of the Smokey Hill School in Kit Carson County. The dust in the area kept everything covered for the first many months and you couldn't see the light of day. When he was about five years old his family moved to Kanarado Kansas. My mother, Norma Jean (Hintz) Pankratz, was born May 22,1939 in McPherson, Kansas. Dad was teaching Industrial Arts at the Flagler School and Mom was the animal. I was on the giraffe and Lorna was on the deer. In 1983 and 1984 Lorna and I helped out in hosting the American Carousel Association and the National Carousel Association. by Karla Pankratz �PARKE, MABEL WALTERS HUDSON F502 Mabel Walters Hudson Parke was manied to my uncle, Bert Hudson, for slightly less than a year, but she remained in the Hudson family until her death at age 90, in 1982. Bert (who "was known as one ofthe best threshers or custom harvesters, in eastern Colorado") and Mabel had a baby son who died from some kind of fever when he was only 3 weeks old and then within a month Bert also died (of "consumption") or tubercolsis) in 1921. Sixty years later when Mabel told me about this, she got tears in her eyes, saying it was such a shock to lose both of her dearest loved ones, that there were many things she couldn't remember from that period. Other- wise she had a exceedingly sharp memory up to the last. The very characteristics that made Aunt Mabel somewhat unyielding, no doubt were the same traits that made her able to survive the double deaths, and later, to get ahead financially in the man's world of ranching and farming. Mabel was practical, conservative and self-disciplined! And apparently she felt the need to amountto something, to shoulder her responsibilities and to be socially acceptable in the community. A few examples of her outstanding traits are the following: As an adult, she disciplined herself to practice the piano until finally arthritis prevented her from doing so. If a thing worked or wasn't worn out, she used it. whether or not it was old fashioned! (Thus she was able to leave quite a legacy to Burlington's Old Town.) When she was 21 and still single she had the courage to take out a homestead, having "to spend the night there six months of the year for five years in order to prove up on it," which she did by riding her pony several miles from her parents place, returning daily to help at home. "I had a telephone, the barbed wire type, so I was not completely alone . . One time after a bad storm at night the water in the creek was high and I wasn't able to cross it, so had to remain in my little shack until the water went down . . . I used to ride all over my homestead . . Whenever I would see a sunflower growing I would always get off my pony and pull it up so they would not spread so much ." When Mabel was a small girl with no nearby neighbor children, she made the best of it by playing with her dog, kitty and five dolls that she had accumulated over the years. "I would line up the family on a chair and pretend we did lots of traveling. I had quite an imagination . . . Grandma Walters gave Cornelia to me . . . Christmas 1895 . . . and cracked a chunk out of her head. Mama cemented it in some way and it is still holding 88. Mabel was born at her grandparent Shaw's home but she grew up in the "Flat-top," a large two-story house with a flat roof that her father had built. It later became a landmark in the county, used for giving directions. Mabel didn't go to a school, because there were none close by, so her mother, a school teacher, taught her at home through the first eight grades. "When I was ready for high school my parents sent me to Pennsylvania to live with my mother's parents. Here I remained until I was called home by the illness and death of my mother. I did not return to Pennsylvania to finish my schooling but went to Denver to take a business course." After nursing her mother during her final illness, Mabel lived with and cared for her widower father for many years, first at the ranch, then in Burlington at the north end of Main Street (562-14th) and finally in Wray, CO., where they had a dry goods store and where she met Cliff Parke. In 1937 Cliff and Mabel were married, living in Burlington, traveling extensively, and having a happy interesting life together until Cliff died in 1954. From then on Aunt Mabel was on her own here and there, often glancing at -herhustling watch, never wasting any time because she managed her ranch, did her own office work, was active in Garden Club, Cattleman's Association, Cowbelles, and the Methodist church. She had many friends much younger than herself, kept up with world affairs, had a good sense of humor, was generous with her friends and, last but not least, she had Brownie,- her much loved cat that lived to be more than 20 years old. "In 1975 she still has her own cattle, drives her own car. takes care of her own business and lives alone." She was 83 at the time of this quote and things were much the same, four or five years later when she entered the rest home as a "matter of practicality", since she Aunt Mabel came by her "do or die" pioneering spirit quite honestly, since she was the only child of W.A. (Albert) and Leila (Shaw) Walters. Both Albert and his neighbors, the Dana Shaws (parents of Leila) were homesteaders, south of Burlington, by 1887- 1911. slowed down by arthritis. However, she continued to conduct her own business - but she didn't enter into the home's recreation as they thought she should. They called me in to try to convince her to do so, but I told them "As long as she can conduct her own business, she has more than enough to keep her busy, keep her mind active, and to stay in touch with people. When she can no longer run her own affairs, then we'll worry about recreation. The problem never came up again, as she had a massive heart attack several months later. She died as she Iived - with decisiveness and no dilly-dallying around. And that's the way she wanted it! by Georgeanna Hudson Grusing, using excerpts from material written and gathered by Mabel's close friend, Avis Bader Schritter. . . . I got Dorothy at the OId Methodist Church when they had a Christmas tree in 1899 and Billy Boyles was Santa . . . Angelina was a rag doll. She wore out. . so Mama took pity on me and gave her a black stocking face which she still has (1968)." The happy couple is Frank Homer and Lona Fay Parmer, Woodston, Kansas, date approrimately PARMER - JOHNSON FAMILY F503 The parents of Ben F. Parmer were Frank Homer Parmer, born November 19, 1890, in Osborne County, Kansas, and Lona Fay Plumb, born February 3, 1893, in Russell, Kansas. They were married in Russell, Wedding picture of Ben F. Parmer and Mildred Helen Johnson at home on the ranch, April 1937. Kansas. Frank used his dray service to unload freight from railroad cars and haul it to the stores in Woodston, Kansas. In 1914 Frank and Fay loaded the children, Robert and Maxine, into a truck to relocate in Colorado. In 1915 they occupied a homestead 20 miles northeast of Burlington in what became the Happy Hollow School District. They lived in a two-room frame house which was moved onto the homestead. Later two more rooms were added. Sons, Ben and Don, were born in the home. Most of the food was either grown in the garden or raised on the farm. During the winter beef was kept in a cold building. [n the summer milk and butter were stored in cool water. Corn was cut off of the cob and dried. Other food was preserved by �received a teacher's life certificate from Colorado State Teachers College in Greeley. She came to eastern Colorado to begin her teaching career at Mount Pleasant, a oneroom school a few miles southeast of Hale. Her brother, older than she, drove her down in a car. She taught for five years at different schools, one in Kit Carson County. Mildred attended church at the Gospel Hall, 16 miles north of Kanorado, Kansas, where one night she accepted the Lord Jesus as her personal Savior. Ben and Mildred met at the Gospel Hall. They were married on April 23, 1937, in the home of Ben's parents, A severe snowstorm on their wedding day nearly delayed the ceremony. Immediately after saying their vows, Ben's younger brother, Don, and Mildred's younger sister, Elsie, followed suit and also were married. This was during the Depression and in an area that was part of the Ben F. Parmer with his daughter, Tony Helen Parmer, on his paint stallion after shooting 25 rabbits in one day's hunt. The two coyote hides were caught previously, winter 1940. infamous Dust Bowl. At that time most young couples moved in with their parents. However, Ben, having determined not to do this, took his wife to his home where he had bached for six months. He followed the Biblical instruction to leave father and w&g March 31, 1930, at the age of 60 years. Alna was born Novembet 20,1877 , in Ryd Almenoryd, Sweden. There is a mystery surrounding Alma's family. Her father began a trip in 1885 to the United States on board a ship but did not anive in New York. He apparently died at sea. He had planned to bring his family to America. At the age of eleven Alma sailed from Liverpool, England, g{.,:::.::.]:ti' Evangelists Ben F. Parmer and Joseph Balsan sharing an evangelistic crusade in Hartun, Colorado. June 1954. on a Cunard Line stenmship and arrived in New York on September 6, 1889. She went by train to Bertrand, Nebraska, to stay with her uncle, S.M. Alveen and family. Alma moved to Greeley, Colorado, when she was 18 years old to work as a uniformed maid. Alma was known in the community as a practical nurse. She cared for ex-governor George curing and canning. Frank started farming with 160 acres and built up his holdings to 1600 acres before retiring in 1946. During the first few years dl of the farming was done with horses. Frank was Fmong the first in the community to get a tractor. Then both the tractor and the horses were used. Frank and Fay moved to Burlington in 1947. From 1953 until his death of a heart attack on April 22,1968, Frank held public office as either Justice of the Peace or Police Magistrate. Fay had family dinners on Easter and Christmas. She crocheted tablecloths, pillowcases, dresser scarves, and afghans for her children and grandchildren. She taught Sunday School and visited people in the community. In later years she operated a card and gift business out of her home. Much like artist Grandma Moses, she learned how to paint when older, first by number, then by taking oil painting classes. She painted at least one scenic picture for each child and grandchild. One of her paintings is hanging in the Limon Bible Chapel, Limon, Colorado, in her memory. Fay died of a heart attack on May 25, L967. Mildred Helen Johnson's parents were Charles and Alna Johnson who immigrated from Sweden. Charles Johnson was born November 21, 1869, in Kronoberg, Sweden, and came to America at the age of 18 years. Charles married Alma Peterson and they lived in Weld County working on several farms. Charles died of cancer of the spleen on Carlson's mother, who lived west of Greeley, for several years. Alma died of a heart attack on October L7,1954. Gustaf, Mildred and Elsie were the offspring of Charles and Alma. Gustaf died of spinal meningitis in December 1938. Ben F. Parmer, his full name, was born August 29, 1916 on his parent's homestead. He walked Yz mile to the Happy Hollow School which at first was a one-room school. Later another room was added. As an eleven year old boy, he also attended evangelistic services there, and one night after going to bed, he trusted Jesus Christ as his personal Savior. When he was about 13 years old, he and his younger brother built an adobe house in which they slept. It had a door, two windows, a cement floor and plaster walls. It was about 8 ft. by 11 ft. inside, just large enough for a bed, a table and a few things. Ben hunted, trapped, and raised fowl and animals. He kept some of them in adobe houses. At the age of 17 he shucked 4,000 bushels of corn in one year, picking as much as 100 bushels in one day. He was known as one ofthe best hand corn huskers in the area. While continuing to help his father farm, he rented 240 acres ofhis own in 1935. The next year he moved to a farm 3%miles from his parents and rented 320 acres. Mildred Helen Johnson was born November 21, 1909, near Pierce, Colorado,and grew up in the area around Greeley. As a child she helped her father on the farm by hoeing beans and picking bugs off of potatoes. In 1930 she mother and cleave to his wife. The house was a very modest three-room cement basement with cold running water, furniture in two of the rooms, and was lit by kelossns Inmps. Ben built a cave with an entry-way at the bottom of the stairs in which to store canned meat, vegetables, fruit and dairy goods all produced on the farm. Hogs and cattle were butchered and the meat cured. Thus most of the food except flour and sugar was prepared on the farm. The first few years on the farm were sometimes discouraging because of poor crops, hail, dust storms. During some of the worst dust storms, so much dust filtered into the house that they swept the dust into a scoop shovel and emptied it into a pail in order to carry it out. During the first few years, the farming was done with both horses and tractors but tractors gradually replaced horse power for farming. Ben and Mildred participated in special school programs and box suppers held at the local school which also functioned as the community center. A box supper consisted of a lunch made by the girls and ladies which was put into a decorated box that was auctioned off to the men and boys. After the auction the girl or lady who prepared the lunch and the buyer ate it together. This was an exciting time when the bidding kept going up and up on some boxes and people were guessing whose box it was. The proceeds went to various projects, usually for the school. After a few discouraging years Ben and MIIdred began to prosper. Ben began buying land in 1942, eventually purchasing his father's homestead. He once owned about 10.000 acres. He ran a herd of commercialgrade Hereford cattle, as many as 500 head a year. His herd was known as one ofthe best in the area, often topping the market. Ben's brand was, and still is, -)7. Mildred did not do much field work but took care of chores such as raising chickens, milking cows, and gardening. By 1948 they wanted to devote more time to the work of the Lord so they built a house in Burlington and operated the ranch with hired help. In 1964 the farm equipment was sold and the land leased. For many years the ranch has operated under the name of Happy Hollow Ranch and is still in �the Parmer family. In February 1949, Ben founded the Burlington Gospel Church. The congregation had grown to about 100 by the time he resigned from his responsibilities. Ben then devoted more time to the Limon Bible Chapel, Limon, Colorado, a church he founded in 1967. He traveled extensively conducting evangelistic crusades from one to three weeks at a time in many states, holding several of them in a tent. For many years Ben accepted speaking engagements over a wide area; for example, during 1972 he spoke in over 50 churches in twenty-one states. Ben began a weekly Sunday radio progrnm entitled the FAMILY BIBLE HOUR on KLOE in Goodland, Kansas, in April 1965. As of January 1988, em6ng the many radio stations that carry the FAMILY BIBLE HOUR, about half are 50,000 watt stations, some of which reach foreign countries. Ben continues to speak at several $ills snmps in the summer and still accepts requests to speak in many states, as well as fulfill many other pastoral functions. Mildred was a faithful partner in these endeavors as well as providing leadership in Bible studies for women in the community. During the last 14 years of her life she remained active in helping with a church youth group, a boys and girls Bible club, daily vacation Bible school and a summer Bible gnmp. For many years she served others by Street and Frank Street which were named after Ben's parents. Ben has long been held in high esteem by all who have known him in the community for his great interest in the welfare of its residents, and for his many activities in the personal furtherance of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, whom he accepted as his personal Savior early in life. Mildred was held in high esteem by many who knew her throughout a large part of the country, and several spoke of her as a model Christian lady. Children born to Ben F. and Mildred Helen Parmer are Tony Helen, Judy Ellen and Paul B. Tony lives in Kansas City, Missouri. She has a master's degree in social work, is licensed and certified, and specializes in family counseling and psychotherapy. Judy married Phillip Sandley and they have three day dinner for Ben's mother and her family which Mildred hosted each year until her mother-in-law passed away. She was a commendable homemaker, excellent cook, and willingly helped others in the community. Ben and Mildred celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on April 23, L987. Mildred was hospitalized in Denver but their sales and service business. Judy also does volunteer work, especially in the schools. Paul lives in Burlington, Colorado. He attended Bible College and is active in the Lord's work. This includes leading a youth group and a boys and girls Bible club weekly during the school year. In the summer he speaks at several Bible camps and daily vacation Bible schools. He is in demand as a guest speaker at churches in various states. by Tony llelen Parmer PAUTLER, ARTHUR AND SUE F504 George Pautler made his first trip to Kit Carson County in 1911. He arrived by train from Crofton, Nebraska, to Burlington. He contacted a land agent in Burlington by the name of Winegar, who had an automobile. He had for sale a Yz section, 320 acres, 5 miles northeast of Stratton. The land had very modest improvements, an adobe 4 room house, 2 sod buildings and a freme grmdy, plus a very dilapidated barn. George signed a contract for the property and deposited corner where now Kenny Pottorff has a fertilizer plant. The hotel was raised in the Pautler Farme, Inc. Headquarters, 1987 Arthur Pautler and Sue Keller were homes. Included in this development are Fay F506 George and Louisa, his wife, and four children moved to Stratton in February 1913, landing here by train a few days before March lst. They could not get possession ofthe land until March 1, so they stayed at what was then the Commercial Hotel, located on the married August 2, 1938 and located on the farm 5 miles northeast of Stratton where they still live. The great depression was going on at that time; the means for a livelihood were adjacent to the Parmer Addition of fine PAUTLER, GEORGE $1000 as earnest money. He boarded the train Happy Hollow School District. For over Rockies Bible Camp and Conference and was chairman of its board. There is a seven-acre park in Burlington for which Ben donated the land. It is nnmed the Ben F. Parmer Municipal Park. It is one of the nicest, if not the nicest, park along highway I-70 between Kansas City, Kansas, and Denver, Colorado. The park is also adjacent to the high school which was built on land the Parmer family once owned and farmed. The park and high school are by Arthur Pautler the same day for Nebraska. twenty years he actively served on the board children. He also helped found Colorado Greeley, Co. The years ofthe 1940's were good years for farmers, then in the 1950's it was dry windy and dusty, and farming again was questionable. However about that time irrigation was economy reached a much higher level. Gary and Tim operate the farm at present. Kit Carson County Memorial Hospital in Burlington. The chapel in the hospital is dedicated to the memory of Mildred Helen Colorado Springs, Colorado. Most of these years he was president or treasurer. At times the Children's Home cared for fifty needy wife Janice and son Christopher live in Kansas. They own and operate an electronics 1987, in Burlington. After nearly a year of illness, Mildred died on September 12, L987 , of cancer while in the of the Christian Home for Children in grandfather) purchased in 1913, Leon Pautler, who lost his life in a tragic auto accident at the age of 35 in 1985, Timothy Pautler and his wife Elizabeth and their three daughters live in the house that Art and Sue lived in for 45 years, at present it is the Pautler Farms Inc. headquarters, and Paul Pautler with his introduced into the country and the farm children decorated her room and held a small reception for them which included staff and visitors. A public reception was given by their children and their grandchildren on May 9, Parmer and named after her. Years earlier it had been built by her husband. In the past Ben served as president of the Denver, Co., and four sons, Gary Pautler who with his wife Arlyne and two sons live on the original farm which George Pautler (his daughters, Philippa, Judith, and Rachel; and one son Phillip. They live in Mulvane, extending hospitality to ministers, mis- sionaries and many other house guests, some of whom stayed for weeks at a time. She also entertained on special family occasions. A prime exnmple of this was the annual birth- family of six children. Two daughters, Angela Pautler Beaner now of Billings, Mont., Elizabeth Pautler Meierotto now living in hard to come by. A dollar per day was about all one could earn working for neighbors in the busy season. The first two winters, Art worked for the Great Western Sugar Co. at Brush Co. during the sugar campaign. Somehow Art and Sue struggled through these times and in 1942 things took a turn for the better. Average rainfall brought a good crop ofbarley and feed. A loan was secured from Farmers Home Administration which made it possible to purchase ten milk cows and a small Model A John Deere tractor. It was from then on that times gradually got bett€r. It was here that Art and Sue raised their late 1920's. Skelly Oil had a service station on that corner until Pottorff removed se-e and put the fertilizer plant there. The four Pautler children ranged in age from 5 to 1 year. Two more were born later in the adobe house, for a total ofsix children, Louis, Arthur, Francis, Clara, Oswald, and Mary. Two years later George built a nice barn, 60'x40', which was enough to stall eight horses and stations for twelve milk cows. Milking was one of the main sources of income for many years. In 1918, the adobe house was replaced with an eight room, two story house, but still not modern. The outhouse was still the nain stay. Besides the milk cows, there were always about 100 other cattle. A car load of cattle were fattened each winter plus about 100 head of hogs. That is where the corn crop went. Corn was the main crop, some wheat, but that had second place; all dry land farming. The operation was truly family oriented. The four boys all worked on the farm. The three older boys did not go to high school, as they were needed on the farm. The entire labor was done by the family. The first dust storm hit on Thanksgiving �day, 1926. It was quite severe and we hardly knew what to make of it. It had been a summer with below normal moisture and the land was in condition to blow. However, the spring of 1927 was wet and a good crop of barley, oats, and corn were raised. Things went well until the 30's. No comment. Louisa passed away in 1937 and it is possible that the drought and low income was a big part of her problem as she was a very nervous person and could not adapt to the miserable conditions. Also because of the bad financial times the children, who were now adults, were forced to leave home and find was employed with the Rock Island Railroad, which he helped build in 1889. He had this land sowed to wheat, but he did not live to see a crop harvested. He died within a year from a kidney problem. They had the Cook Shack parked across the road from us, so they could have some water nearby. He could tell us interesting tales of life in those early times. We were in Colorado nine years at that time, and he would always mention thirty-three years ago, which went back, ofcourse, to 1889. Nice people. We worked and we kids went to school, and life went forward as always. I was 21 years old in 1929 and the future looked rosy. But by the employment elsewhere. In the 1940's when things returned to normal, George and the oldest son, Louis, lived on the home place and did very well. Louis married in 1948 and he took care of George until he passed away in 1970. Most of the land is still in the family and goes under the name of Pautler Farms. Inc. Arthur and Sue Pautler are owners and Gary and Tim, two of their sons, run the operation. headed for the severe drouth and dust storms of the mid-thirties. Our mother died on Easter Sunday of 1937, which was the worst blow of all. However, that year it began to rain again and we raised some feed for our livestock and the grass cErme back in two or three years so our economy improved. by Arthur Pautler gone from home by 1940, so my father and I end of the year the country was in an economic panic and worse yet, we were ourselves. Arthur married in August of 1938, and in early 1939, moved on the farm on which he and Sue now live and which they F506 bought a few years later. I did not become mature enough for marriage until I was 40 I was the oldest of six children. In 1913, our parents came from Nebraska and moved to years of age, which was in 1948. Catherine was 42 years of age at the time of our marriage. We were married a short 29 years when she Stratton. The house on this farm was fairly large and the walls were of adobe and about two feet wide; with walls so wide it was cool passed away. We were retired and living in a farm about seven miles northeast of in summer and warm in winter. We had two sod buildings and a Granery, also a frame barn and other sheds. all ofwhich were on the land when we came. Our father shipped a car from Nebraska, consisting of four horses, one cow, also a surry, wagon, furniture, and even some farm machinery, and a number of other items. In the fall of 1914 my brother, Arthur, and I enrolled in the district school, which was only Vz mile west of our home. There were ten students in all attending school. Our teacher was a young man by the name of Grover Tyler. In 1915, Father built a large barn with hay loft and in 1918, he built a new two-story house which pleased our mother and us kids very much. Very little land was fenced or farmed, so most of the livestock grazed on the free range. Father raised corn, feed and some small grains. We milked cows and fed hogs and sold some cattle off grass in the fall. It was not until 1918 that my father put cattle in the feed lot and fed them corn. We children were assigned the task of gathering corn cobs which were used for fuel in our home. Within 3/s mile east of our home was a hand dug well about 3% feet in diameter, and wells were dug to the 200 foot level before water could be had. There was a wagon trail from this well that made a bee line to Stratton. I have often wished I could know more about the history of this well. It was no longer in use when we came to Colorado. In 1922, a Mr. and Mrs. Ed Clother from Central City, Nebraska, very suddenly came on the scene, bringing a crew of three men who had a Coop Shack and a Rumley tractor, with a six bottom prairie breaker, and broke up some 300 acres of sod, which Mr. Clother had homesteaded and purchased while he pleasant. Paul and Janice now live in Greeley, Colorado. They have a little boy named Christopher Leon. Although they do not live in Kit Carson County anymore, they do enjoy occasional weekend visits with both sides of family who still reside in or near Stratton. One week of vacation time is spent during wheat harvest in Kit Carson Countv. by Paul Pautler My younger brothers and sisters had all operated the farm as well as we could by PAUTLER, LOUIS She attended a trade school in Denver and received a certificate in medical assisting. Janice then went to Lamar Community College in Lamar, Colorado and graduated in 1985 with an AAS degree. Paul and Janice met shortly after Paul got out of the Navy, but did not date until a few years later. They were married November 30, 1985, one ofthe coldest days ofthe year. The temperature recorded five below zero. The next Monday they flew to Jamaica where the temperature was 85 degrees, much more PAUTLER, TIM AND ELIZABETH F508 Stratton for 4Vz years at the time of her death. My father lived with us for 23 years until his death in 1970. I have my gardens on the old farm and in the sand land my brother and boys have north of Stratton. by Louis Pautler PAUTLER, PAUL AND JANICE F507 Paul John Pautler was born March 21. 1958, in the hospital at Burlington, Colorado. He is the sixth child of Art and Sue Pautler. He grew up five miles northeast of Stratton on the family farm. Paul attended St. Charles Catholic School until it closed, and then went to the Stratton Public Schools. He graduated in 1976. Paul joined the Navy in October, 1976. He was an electronics technician. He earned the rank of 1st Class Petty Officer, submarine qualified. Three and half years were spent aboard the USS Drum (SSN 677), where he was attached to the reactor controls division. Paul's job was to maintain and run the nuclear power plant. He was discharged September 1982. He then went home and helped his parents build their new home on the farm. Janice Christine Simon was born August 22, L963, at Cheyenne Wells, Colorado. She is the sixth of nine children born to Con and Serena Simon. She grew up on the family farm 16 % miles northwest of Cheyenne Wells. She attended the public schools in Cheyenne Wells through her sophomore year. On her 16th birthday, her family moved to the family farm, one mile north of Stratton. She graduated from Stratton High in 1981. Tim Pautler Family: Tim, Liz, Jesica, Kylee, and Nichole Tim Pautler. son of Art and Sue Keller Pautler and Elizabeth Stegman, daughter of Jerome and Dorothy Katz Stegman, were married August 2, 1975. We made our first home 5 miles northeast of Stratton in a mobile home on the Art Pautler farm. Tim worked with his father until December, 1975, when he went into partnership with his brother Gary forming Pautler Brothers. Art, semi-retired, and the two brothers took over the operating of the farm. Tim and Liz began their family in March of L977. They have three daughters, Jessica, Kylee and Nichole. The girls stay busy with chores, school activities.4-H. Girl Scouts and swimming during the summer. They all enjoy helping their dad with tasks around the farm. �In January of 1980 Liz went into a partnership with her sister-in-law. They purchased the local clothing store. For the first two years He is a sub-contractor building houses. Ralph has a son Brad who will graduate on May 17, 1987 from Ottawa University, Ottawa, Kan- they did very well, then due to the failing sas. He also has a daughter Theresa who will farm prices the business began to decline. So in the fall of 1984 the business was liquidated. Liz once again was a full time housewife. On March 9, 1983 we moved into the house that Art and Sue had lived in for 45 years. What a change! This is where the Pautler Brothers headquarters are. Tim serves on the District Soil Conservation board, is a member of the Knights of Columbus. and serves on the Church Council. Liz is active in 4-H as a leader, is a member of M.S.A., helps the local Girl Scouts, and is on the Home Ec Advisory Council. by Elizabeth Stegrran Pautler PEARCE, CARMIN A. F509 Carmen Pearce was born in Scotland county, Missouri, Jan. 20, 1856. In the year 18?9, he was married to Alice Valentine, and to this union was born a son Arthur J. Pearce. Mr. Pearce was married a second time on the 20th day of Jan. 1886, and to this union four children were born; Grace Pricilla, Edna Blanche, Tina, and Carl W. Two of the children Grace and Tina died in infancy. Mr. and Mrs. Pearce came to Colorado in 1886 and located on a farm, four miles south of Burlington. Mr. Pearce was of the sturdy pioneer stock that won and transformed the wild west into a land of homes. He was a lifeIong member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, a charter member of the Burlington church, and for many years a member of the official board. He helped to build the old parsonage and church, and was active in all affairs of the church. Having made his home in this community, he was known to all. by Janice Sahnans PEERY - WATSON FAMILY FSlO turn twenty-one on April 12, 1987. She is employed at a down town Denver bank. In the spring of 1945, Joe was helping one of our neighbors Kenneth Leighty and family moved from Johnson, Kansas to Flagler. Kenneth and family had purchased the house where Bob and Linda Perry and boys recently moved. While Joe was here with a load he decided he liked the country and purchased the farm from C.M. Smith, realtor. C.M. Smith was Jerry Smith's grandfather and had his business where Jerry is now located. In Sept of 1945 Joe moved his family to Flagler. Minnie about had a heart attack when she saw the place he'd bought. There was not a building you could call a house. Joe promised he would rent a house in town. There was not a house to rent. Anyway we lived in a granary that winter. We also spent the winter trying to drill a well one mile west of the old improvements. We spent the whole winter putting casing in the hole. There was no water as Joe had thought. (The casing is still in the hole as far as I know.) In Kansas if Joe and his brothers decided they needed a new well, they started drilling and had water by evening or at least by the next day. We were told there was probably no water to be found on the place except where the line across where the old well was. Joe wouldn't hire a well driller. Anyway several years after Joe had passed away the old well just had to be replaced. I hired a driller; he drilled one test hole and was satisfied he had water. He bored the home bigger and there is a good well about % mile from the old well on top of a hill where my renter wanted it. It is good water also at about 180 feet. Joe passed away suddenly May 18, 1965 of a massive heart attack. After Joe's death Minnie was very fortunate to get a job in Burlington at the Social Services Dept. The late Elmer Kueker, county commissioner, saw to it that someone from this end of the county got the job. Minnie moved to Burlington in August of 1968 and was employed there for nearly 16 years. After retiring in March of 1984 on account of health reasons, she moved back to Flagler in January of 1985. by Minnie E. Peery Joseph H. Peery born at Franklin, Nebras- ka and Minnie E. (Watson) Peery born at Jetmore, Kansas were married October 5, 1935 by the Methodist minister Roxie T. Powell at Ulysses, Kansas. They lived the first 10 years of their married life at Johnson and Syracuse, Kansas. Joe was engaged in farming with his brothers Howard and Vincent and their father Ernest A. Peery. Joe and Minnie became the parents ofthree sons. Lloyd, born Sept.6, 1936, is a Senior Electrical Engineer for AT&T. He and his wife Marilyn live in Middlesex, New Jersey. They have a son and three daughters. Warren, born May 2L, L942 is a diesel mechanic and also has his own semi-truck. He occasionally drives it but usually has a driver. He and his wife Judy live in Burlington, Colo. They have a son Joe, twenty-one, in the army in Calif. They also have a daughter Melody a junior at the high school in Burlington. Ralph, born October 7, 1944 lives with his wife Debra at Kiowa. Colo. Orin Penny Estella Penny PENNY - NESMITH FAMILY F51 1 Orin Painter Penny, was born Oct. 30, 1893, at Richmond, Mo. His life story is that of a young man, who by his own efforts, rose to a position of influence and trust among his associates and friends. He came to Burlington in 1916 and was employed in the hardware store of the late N.R. Brown. He enlisted in the Navy in World War I in 1917 and served until the close of the war. After his discharge he returned to Burlington, where his former employment awaited him. In 1920, he and C.H. Parke bought out the Tipton and Upton Hardware store which they conducted under the name of Parke and Penny until 1922, when Mr. Penny purchased Mr. Parke's interest. In 1934, he took his brother, Parvin, into the business and the firm was known as Penny Brothers. It was located on the N.E. corner of Main and Lowell St. Besides the hardware, implement, furniture, and undertaking business, Mr. Penny had successfully conducted a farm 6% miles south of town. He sold the undertaking business to Bill Hendricks in 1940. During his years of residence here he had contributed liberally to every venture that would help the Burlington community. He served as major ofBurlington in 1932 to 1934, and was a member of the local Masonic Lodge, Odd Fellow Lodge, and of Arthur H. Evans Post No. 60 of the American Legion. His business ability was unquestioned, and his deep devotion to his family and friends was perhaps his outstanding characteristic. On October 20, L920, he married Estella Nesmith. She had come to Colorado from �Atwood, Kansas, where she was born on September 11, 1889. She moved to Burlington in 1910 with her grandfather John Ratcliff, with whom ehe lived after her mother died. She attended Businese College and State Normal College. Three children were born to this union, John Curtis, Gene Willard, and Estella Eileen. Estella belonged to the Methodist Church, was a member of Eaet€rn Star, Inter Sese and was a member of the Library Board. She was a charter member of P.E.O. Orin passed away August 7, 1946, and Est€lla passed away January 23, 1972. Their home in Burlington was used for 11 years as the Burlington Museum. by Gene Penny PENNY. NIDER FAMILY Gene Willard Penny was born in Burlington, Colo., Feb. 7, L925, to Orin and Estelle Nesmith Penny. He had an older brother John, and younger sister Eileen. Gene received his early schooling in the Burlington Public Schools and finished at St. John's Military School in Salina, Kansas. After finishing high school, he joined the U.S. Navy during World War II, and was sent to school at Colorado College, and St. Mary's College in Calif. He was discharged in May 1946. After his father's death in August 1946, Gene took over management of the farm operation, and cattle business, located.6l/z miles southwest of Burlington. Gene has served on the Burlington School Board, town council, and the fire district. He is a past president of Rotary, past commander of the American Legion post, and past Master of the Masonic Lodge. He served as chairman of the F5l2 Burlington Country Club for 5 years, a director of Plaine Development Co., and member of Colo. Cattle Feeders, and Cattlemen's Assn. Gene's first love has been his farming and ranching business, building and teaching his family the same love. He was the first farmer to plant sugar beets in the area. He had given much time to the development of the sugar beet industry and irrigation in the county, putting in one of the first irrigation systems in this area. The Penny Ranch includes dry land, irrigated land, and a cattle feeding operation. On May 28, 1950, Gene married Dorothy Nider, daughter of Claude C. and Mathilde Wolters Nider. Dorothy was one of eight children. Born at Dille, Neb., on May 24, 1926. She attended school, and graduated in thie community. The family moved to Raymond, Calif., because of her father's health, two years later moving to Burlington, Colo. Dorothy's work at this time was in banking, At this writing, their son Kevin married Jeana Waters, from St. Frances, Kansas, on August 2, 1980. Jeana graduated from Hays State University in 1981, the same year as Kevin. They have two daughters, Noelle Page born May 3, 1983, and Abbey Lee born June 11, 1986. Gary married Teresa Errington from Goodland, Kansas on Feb. 18, 1984. She graduated from Manhattan, Kansas in 1983, with a Business degree. Norman was manied to Susanne Kreis of Kent, Wash., in 1987. Susanne graduated from Kent Meridian High School in 1975 and is now employed by The Wall Street Journal in Los Angeles, Ca. In 1968, our family started keeping exchange students from foreign countries, which through the years has brought learning, communication, and hopefully a better understanding of our country and we of theirs. We started with a Rotary exchange fellow from Switzerland, which in turn led to five others from that country, another from France, Australia, and one from Guymas, Mexico. As a family, we enjoyed trips to the mountains, fishing, skiing, hiking. Other trips were to Disneyland, and trips to visit relatives in Fresno, Houston, Seattle, Chicago. We enjoyed picnicing, boating, and water skiing at Bonny Dnm. 1ry" have spent many hours watching our children in their activitiee; football, baseball, basketball, twirling, and band . . . This is our life. by Dorothy Penny PETEFISII BRADSIIAW FAMILY F513 working in Burlington for the Bank of Burlington, which ended when their children Dorothy and Gene Penny at their wedding in 1950. were born. Five children were born to Gene and Dorothy. Norman, Gary, Gregory, Kevin, and Julie; all receiving their schooling in Burlington. Norman received his degree at CU in Businese and currently is working for Investors Daily in Los Angeles. Gary attended CSU, studying Agri-Bus, Greg received his AA at Sterling in Agri-Bus, Kevin attended Samuel Edward Petefish was born June 4, 1876 in Clyde Polk County, Iowa. From his obituary we learned that San went to Colorado with his widowed mother in 1887, at the age of eleven years. His mother died three vears later. He CSU, transferring and graduated with a degree in Agri-Bus, from Ft. Hays State University at Hays, Kansas. These three boys are agsociated with their father in the family ranching and farming businees. Julie attended Ft. Hays University in Hays for 2 years, then attended and graduated from the Hays Coemetology School in 1985, and is currently working in Denver. Dorothy's life has been taking care of her family and their interests, which took so much of her time in earlier years. Dorothy is Gene and Dorothy Penny in their backyard, 1983. amember of PEO, holding all offices, therein. She has a love for sewing, baking, painting, bridge, creating for a senee of accomplishment and sharing. Everyone in this community knows her love for golf and its association, and shares this interest with her husband. Gene and Dorothy have loved their community of Burlington; a very fine place to raise a family where their friends care and share for each other. They are members of the United Methodist Church, both working actively in this area. So-uel Petefrsh �returned to Iowa for one year, but again went to Colorado, naking his home with Charlie, his oldest brother and guardian. He remained in Colorado until sixteen and again returned to lowa to work. After one year he went back to Kit Carson Co. where he spent the remainder of his life except for the year 1912 which was spent in Denver becauee of his wife'e health. Sam wrote a letter to his sister tclling about a ranch job he had one half north of Claremont. The lettcr was dated December 12, 1898. After he returned to Colorado he worked at the old Bar T. Ranch and later at theJohn Pugh Ranch where he methis future wife Minnie. She was teaching school at the Tuttle School. Sn- married Minnie Est€lla Bradshaw, daughter of Charles Albert and Rebecca Ellen Bradehaw. To this union four children, Amy, Grace, Roy and Guy were born. After marriage they located on a homeetead 10 miles west of Burlington. The home is still standing and is located one mile west of Bethune, Colo. The Richard Guy family reside there. In 1912 she became ill and he took his family by wagon to Englewood, Colorado where she passed away in 1914. After his wife's death he along, with his four small children, Amy 13, Grace 12, Roy 10, Guy 8, cnme back to the family homestead. Here the children attended school and MiIIard and Sylvia Petersen on their Golden Wedding Anniversary, September 25, 1968. Millard and Sylvia Petersen on their wedding day, September 25, 1918. about a year and then moved to Haxtun, Colorado in the spring of 1920. Alma, mom's sister, had lost her husband and they moved to Haxtun and rented her place and farmed there for a year. They enjoyed a bountiful harvest and in the fall of 1921, they moved to Flagler. There they bought a quarter of land from Jack Molste and started up their farming once again. They planted both grain and feed crops and in the middle of the summer, a flash flood ca-e and washed out all the grain and feed and they lost a lot of their livestock at the snme time. They were quite disheartened by this experience, but they salvaged what they could, traded their quarter of land for 3 houses in Flagler which they fixed up for sale family to Littleton, Colorado where they spent the remainder of their lives. Son Roy had a dreem of a better life and he left the Minnesota where he married and went into the dime store business where he owned two stores for many years. Son Guy married Cora Armstrong and they moved to Englewood, Colorado. He was killed at an early age in a construction accident. Sam still has one grandson Jim McConnell, who was born in Kit Carson County and he and his family reeide south of Stratton, Colorado. by Florence McConnell PETERSEN FAMILY F6l4 Millard Petersen Millard and Sylvia Carie became husband and wife Sept. 25, 1918 at Hardy, Nebraska. Mom and Dad, following their marriage in 1918, lived on a farm in the Ruskin area for helped their father. He was a Methodist and a twenty-five year member of Knights of Pythias Lodge. In the years before his death he was road overseer in the county for some years. His children married and started homes of their own. He enjoyed his grandchildren. He passed away suddenly while on the job, in June of 1929 at the age of 53 years. Both Snm and Minnie are buried in the Fairview Cemetery, Burlington, Colorado. A long time friend and co-worker, Floyd Swogger, who resides in Stratton, Colorado still talks about the time he worked on the road with Snm. His oldest daughter Amy, married and resided in Kit Carson County, all of her 84 years. Grace married Peck Evans and lived here until hard times forced Peck to move hie county to seek work. He got a job working in a dime store. He later went to Minneapolis, a lasting maniage of over 50 years. Mr. and Mrs. Millard Petersen, wedding portrait. Millard had immigrated to America from Hjoring, Denmark in 1907 at the age of 10. The Petersen family of nine settled in Ruskin, Nuckols County, Nebraska. Millard adapted quickly to the new customs and the way of Americans and soon learned the English language quite well. His father had much more difficulty in learning English so he depended quite heavily on dad to be his spokesman. Dad had to translate the Danish into proper English expression in order to get many of the business transactions set out as they were supposed to be. Sylvia was born in Unionville, Missouri on August 19, 1895, the youngest of the family. Her mother died 3 years later so she and her older sister, Alma, went to live with an aunt in Malvern, Iowa. In 1917 Dad was invited to a party at mom's brother's place in Superior, Nebraska and itwas there that Mom and Dad first met. The courtship soon c rlminated into and traded them off, one at a time. They traded one of them for a cafe which they operated for some time and then traded the going business for another house, which they again remodeled and fixed up to sell. It took many jobs to get back on their feet following the flood. Dad undertook speculating in livestock and worked at the Mosier Elevator for some time, taking whatever job he could get. He then went intocustom sod breaking and custom farming. A little bit later, his brother, Arthur, moved out from Nebraska and joined him, helping him farm for about 3 years and then Arthur moved back to Nebraska. In November 1923. their first child was born. Dr. Neff, assisted by Mrs. Agnes Page, brought a son, Lowell Eugene, into the world. Mom and Dad were quite happy with this but their joy was short lived, for the baby died soon after. Dad continued in custom farming and whenever he had a little money to set aside, he would buy up option on different land around that was available for sale and speculated considerable in land. He broke out several hundred acres south of town in the immediate areas just north of Wild Horse. Norman Millard Petersen, a second child, �Millard Petersen was born to them on February LL, t925. Again, Mrs. Agnes Page assisted Dr. Neff in this birth. In 1928, Millard became a citizen by earning his naturalization papers, as did Sylvia. Because ghe had married an alien, she had been a citizen of Denmark for 8 years without actually realizing it. This procedure of naturalization began when he filed a declaration of intention called "The First Paper." Then he had the normal process that he had to go through to prove his lawful residence in the country and within the state. He had to prove that he was able to read and write and speak English. This was quite an experience for Mom to go through the same process, even though she was born in America to U.S. citizens. It was just one of those quirks of the law. On January 18,t929, another son, Richard Owen, was born to Mom and Dad. Again, Mrs. Page was called to help. A heavy snow storm was in progress at that time and many anxious moments were spent while waiting for Dr. Neff and Mrs. Page to come. by Richard Petersen Then in October 1929 with the news of the stock market crash, hundreds of banks folded. Among them was the Farmers State Bank, here in Flagler. Many people went broke and Mom and Dad were among the many who ended up with that problem. Some went bankrupt, some moved away, and others stuck it out and faced a bleak, debt ridden future. The assets of the Farmers State Bank were sold. One of the buyers hired Dad to make whatever settlement that he could make in a reasonable manner of the various notes and receivables that he had purchased at the sale. This was a great opportunity for Dad because jobs were scarce. This job took Dad to many different states and he spent much time away from home. But this was a means by which he could earn that much needed money to pay off his debts and feed his family. Mom and Dad were living in the Bernard house at this time, and to help fill in as far as income and to break the loneliness of Dad being gone so much, Mom took in lady school teachers and they had room and board there with Mom while Dad was off on this job. On December 30, 1930, Dr. Williams, PETERSEN FAMILY F515 assist€d by Jenny Beaman, delivered Lawrence Grant Petersen into the world. It was a joyous occasion and Dad ceme home very excited about the birth of his new son. It tore at his heart, having to be away from his family for so long, so in the fall of 1931, Dad gave up his job of collecting and working out settlements in order to be home with his family. New road work had begun on both North and South 40. Dad had an opportunity to place 2 trucks on, so he bought 2 fl u mp trucks The Petereen Tlucking business. and began hauling dirt, gravel, and rock for the road beds and fills for the bridges. This construction work was a Godsend for the people of this area and various communities adjacent to it. Jobs were terribly scarce but this did provide many needed jobs for a lot of people in the area. A new dentist, Dr. William O'Brian, was coming to town. He was moving into the Bernard house so the folks moved up to the Sherman property in the east part of town. Dad bought several cows, so we milked cows and tried to raise a few calves. But with the drought that was prevailing at the time, there was no feed and it was terribly erpensive to buy feed. The government came out with a program at which they would pay for the cattle if they were destroyed, but in doing so, you could not utilize the meat. I know of one morning when I came downstairs for breakfast and saw Mom and Dad sitting at the table, holding hands as they were crying. I really didn't understand a great lot about it and I wondered why the tears. They spoke very little about it but I did gather what was going to take place. They had decided they would have to go into the prograrn because they couldn't buy feed for the cattle. They were going to have them destroyed and the government had people designated throughout the different areas to come around to destroy the livestock and to be sure that they were destroyed. This was sure disheartening for Mom and Dad as well as many others in the area who went into the program. It seemed like one plague after another first the drought that we were in at that time and then an infestation of grasshoppers throughout a tremendously wide area. Many states were affected by it, especially here in eastern Colorado and western Kansas it was quite evident ofthe devastation ofthis. They had thought out ways to control them and had elected on a mixture of arsenic, bran, banana oil, and saw dust. Dad was given the job of hauling many, many loads of saw dust from the mills at Sedalia to Burlington, Cheyenne Wells and Kanorado and Goodland, Kansas and even as far east as Colby, Kansas. This program was instituted and was quite successful for several months. This was a pretty steady job for Dad. Dad saw the potential of a trucking business so he applied for the necessary permits and began a truck line here in Flagler. The folks moved from the Sherman property to the Madole house which they had just purchased. This house, being no different than the others, seemed to require some changing and some remodeling which was done in the spare time that they had from their trucking business. Mom helped Dad a lot, driving a truck on many occasions. The long, hard hours took their toll. Mom and Dad both required major surgery and due to the failing health of Dad, they sold the truck line to Van Goodwin in 1940. by Richard Petersen PETERSEN FAMILY F516 Millard Petersen As Dad recovered from his operation and gained his health back, he operated a sale barn for a short time and later bought the Epperson place just southwest oftown. There he kept his kids busy milking 25 cows, feeding out several bucket calves and utilizing the separated milk to fatten out a bunch of hogs. It too had long hours but it was of a different nature and not so binding. The family was all together and it was a good life. Norman graduated from high school in Norman Millard, Millard, Richard, Sylvia and Lawrence Petersen, 1939. 1943 and soon thereafter enlisted into the armed services. A week before he was to have �brick and stone mason. They thoroughly enjoyed this mountain home. by Richard Petersen PETERSEN FAMILY F617 The flooding of Buffalo Creek, 1922. The Petergen family. Standing L. to R.: Dovi Lynn, Virginia Mae and Lawrence, Richard and JoAnn, Mike Petersen. Seated: Roy Lee, Gayle Laureen, Millard, Sylvia, Janice Jo and Kris Delynn Petersen. been inducted, Norman and Cleveland Heid were both killed in a tragic auto accident near Rexford, Kangas. Disheartened by this loss, Mom and Dad sold the farm to Steve Leighty of Canon City and a short time later, they purchased Pearl's Garage in 1944. They changed the name to M&S Motor and obtained a Chrysler-Plymouth franchise to go along with the service station, cafe and garage operation. We move into the back of the garage where there were sleeping rooms and it was quite a comfortable place, cool in the summer and warm in the winter due to the adobe construction of the building. It was while we were there that a head-on train crash occurred in Flagler right in front of the depot during a also took his soh away from home. This too left its mark on Dad's hedth. Mom and Dad welcomed their first grandchild, Michael Lawrence Petersen. born to Richard and JoAnn on January 9, 1953. And then another welcomed time was Lawrence's discharge from the Army on July 1, 1953. On July 5, 1953, Lawrence was married to his fiance, Virginia Mae Dragoo. They lived at Flagler on the farm until moving on to Cheyenne, Wyomong. Dad's health had deteriorated to the point that it was necessary to get out of the garage, if at all possible. So he sold the garage to Rhynold Fager and William Bresser who operated it for the next 9 years. As Dad's health began to recover, they heavy snow storm. We slept through all of the noir,e and the commotion and didn't learn of it until early morning when many people cane in to drink coffee and discuss and talk traveled some. In their travels, they came about the incident. build a summer mountain cabin. They went back to purchase the land and then made plans of their new cabin. Before very much was done in the line of Richard graduated from high school in 1946 and then went to work for Dad in the garage and in the construction of a new cafe and motel units. Dad was needing a new show room for his new cars and a better shop for his mechanics. He converted the cafe portion into a showroom and then tore out the walls of the sleeping rooms in the rear, making that area into an enclosed shop and then continued on, building a new cafe across the street and an ll-unit motel. Lawrence graduated in 1948. It was a little different now for the folks having no one in school anymore. It was at this time that Richard took notice of a young lady, JoAnn Moody. After 2 years of courtship, Mom and Dad inherited a new daughter-in-law on June 30, 1950. Dad's dedication to the garage and car business involved many long, tiring hours and his health again was deteriorating. Lawrence's induction into the U.S. Army in 1951 took not only one of his help away but upon an attractive location near Grant, Colorado. After talking about it for some time, they decided it wold be a nice place to construction, there were two additions to the Petersen family. Dovi Lynn was born to Lawrence and Virginia on April 11, 1955 and Kris Delynn was born to Richard and JoAnn on May 28, 1955. This was a very exciting time for the parents as well as for the grandparents. They talked considerably as to what it would be like to have grandchildren up there to share with them when they got the mountain cabin built. They started their construction and completed a 7 room mountain cabin, completed with a guest house 3 years later. There was an interruption to its construction when Dad fell off my truck, breaking his leg. Mom and Dad built this cabin completely by themselves with the exception of a large fireplace that was put up by a professional Buffalo Creek leaves evidence of flood in L922 northeast of Flagler. Millard Petersen On June 27, L956, Roy Lee was born to the family of Lawrence and Virginia, this making grandchild number 4 for Mom and Dad. It was an exciting time for them as they witnessed the growth of the families of their kids and, of course, increasing numbers of grandkids. Grandchild number 5, Janice Jo, arrived July 12, 1959, also making child number 3 for Richard and JoAnn. Mom and Dad couldn't remain idle and in 1961, completed the purchase of the George Simon property here in Flagler and proceeded with the plans for remodeling it into their new Flagler home. They remodeled it entirely by themselves and made several changes to their liking and ended up with a beautiful home which they lived in until they left this world. September 1, 1961 was the first day in he life of Gayle Laureen Petersen, born to Lawrence and Virginia. She was the folks'6th grandchild and 3rd child for Lawrence and Virginia. In 1963, Dad went back into the garage which he operated with Lawrence and me and it was quite a time for him as business trends had changed and it was quite a thing after 9 years away from it to step right in where he had remembered thing leaving off. Dad's health continued to deteriorate and in 1965, he and I reached an agreement of purchase of the garage from Dad and Mom with me taking possession on January 1, 1966. As Dad recuperated, they would take short trips here and there but it was difficult for them to be gone any length of time. His health had deteriorated to the point that he just could not exert himself very much at a �time and continued to deteriorate until February 1971 when Dad passed away, just a few days short of his 74th birthday. Mom continued living in the house, taking care of the yard, the flowers and the garden. She enjoyed her many hours spent there, keeping the place beautiful both inside and out. She belonged to different card clubs and enjoyed these times. She enjoyed her many friends who co-e to visit and then as Mom's strength weakened, she was not able to get out as she had before and her eyesight began to fail. It was hard for her to go anywhere but she really enjoyed her visits from her many friends that she had gotten to know over the many years that she lived in Flagler. On January 1, 1981, Mom passed away. It was a sad time for the entire family but it was a joyous time in a way for we knew that Mom knew her Lord and Savior and we knew that peace now would abound. We continued on in our lives, holding many, many fond memories of Mom and Dad, of our childhood years, and of the years following up when Mom and Dad nurtured us in giving us counsel, giving us wisdom, giving us help and, above all, giving us love at all times. by Richard Petersen PETERSEN, LAWRENCE F6r8 The Lawrence Petersen family. hospital. In 1955 Lawrence and Virginia moved to Virginia's home place, the old Schwinn place, and began farm life there. The drought prevailed and it was fruitless in trying to farm when there was no rain. The dust storms co-e and it seemed impossible to get a dollar ahead. Lawrence and Virginia left the farm moved to Cheyenne, Wyoming where Lawrence took a job driving for Western Auto Transport. The name was changed a little later to Commercial Carriers. He joined up with Deb Coryell, hauling new cars all over the western United States. Business was good and because of this, Lawrence purchased 2 trucks of his own, hiring a driver to run one while he drove the other. A short time later there was a slow down in the automotive business and hauling came to a near etandstill in many areas. They returned to Flagler doing some trucking and farming. He bought a bulldozer and began working on soil conservation prograrns. He worked at this for 2 years and then learned to fly and became a spray pilot. He flew for Nelson Stake and Fred Hilt in their spraying operations. Virginia completed her nurses training at the University of Southern Colo- him to retire. Virginia accepted the offering of a job €rs m{rnager of The Pioneer Valley Housing Development as well as managing the housing program at Arriba. Lawrence took an interest in locksmithing and worked and studied to become a certified locksmith. It is probably as much a hobby as it is a business for he is quite intrigued by the many styles and makes of locks, especially the older ones. Lawrence and Virginia will celebrate their 35th wedding anniversary July 5, 1988. Dovi Lynn, their oldest daugher, married Robert Beal and live in Flagler with their 2 children, Jini Theresa and Robert Lee Beal. Bob drives an over the road truck for a transport company out of Cheyenne, Wyoming and is gone much of the time. Their son, Roy Lee and his wife Paula live in Durango, Colorado. Roy is the manager of the John Deere Industrial Store. Roy has 1 son, Randall Lawrence. Lawrence and Virginia's youngest daughter Gayle Laureen and her husband, Steve Pease also live in Durango where they are both employed. by Richard Petersen rado. Lawrence was also working for the U.S. Postal Service but resigned this position to go into business for himself in aerial crop spraying. He purchased 2 airplanes and began his spraying business. One of his pilots crashed one of his planes and a short time Lawrence and Virginia Mae Petersen Lawrence Petersen was born and raised in Flagler. Upon his discharge from the U.S. Army July 3, 1953 was joined together in marriage to Virginia Mae Dragoo on July 5, 1953. Virginia had moved here with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Roy Dragoo, from Springfield, Colorado in March of 1946. They first lived on the Fred Page farm 2 miles east after, the other one was destroyed by a small twister that hit where the plane was parked west of town. Discouragement didn't seem quite the term to use since "mother nature" had pounded them so heavy. Virginia had finished her nurses training and had begun working at the Burlington Hospital. Later, an opening came at the Lincoln Community Hospital. With less miles to travel, she took the job opportunity. Ruthie Jenkins came to their family as a foster child, living with them and 3 miles north of Flagler. They were until her graduation from high school 2 years engaged in a hog farm operation. 1954 was a dry year and the beginning ofa 3 year drought later. for this area. Like many others they had to turn to other sources of livelihood to make ends meet. Virginia worked at the local Virginia continued on with her nursing practice. In 1977 Lawrence purchased the Flagler Pool Hall which he operated for the next 2 years. Lawrence's health failed, forcing PETERSEN, RICHARD F5t9 In reviewing my maried life of 38 years to my good wife, JoAnn, our first source of livelihood was in trucking and salvage business and working part time for my dad at the M&S Motor Co. We moved to Grangeville, Idaho in July of 1951 for a short time working for my father-in-law, Bert Moody, in housing construction and remodeling. We returned to Flagler in January of 1952. I went to work for dad at the M&S until late summer of 1953 when we purchased the old LeRoy Cuckoo building on Main Street. We opened a glass and sporting good shop with a small auto repair shop and parts store. A drought had just begun and for 3 years there was little or no crops and likewise little or no business. In 1956 I accepted the J.I. Case dealership. Wow. what a time to take that on. I learned AEA �thought about building a new station across the interstate. We owned the property on the Denmark and his Mother was born in Wisconsin and was German and English seeking the necessary arrangements, we built a new gervice station with 2 service bays and descent. Charley was oldest son of Rudolph & Mary Peterson. Charley, his brother Edgar, and his parents moved to Kanorado, Kansas, where they homesteaded on 160 acres. They southwest corner of the interchange so fuel islands set up to serve both farm and truck diesel and 3 grades of gasoline. We left the old M&S building and moved to our new one celebrating open house July 23, L979. We were affiliated with the A.{A and Allstate Motor Clubs as their towing and service agent. Our good friends and Canadian family, Ken and Made Foss, from Pierceland, j ).,: ...'a:,.:a:: :l ,r', *.1 x , ::$ Richard and JoAnn Petersen a lot about the facts of business and lack of business in a short time. Had it not been for Saskatchewan, Canada drove down from Pierceland and blessed us with their presence at our open house. We leased out the old M&S Motor building to Mark Amos who operated a welding and machine shop until it was destroyed by fire in August 1985. My wife and I operate the station and between that, our 3 kids and 7 grandchildren and church, our time is pretty well taken up. The Lord and life has been good to us and we have been blessed. Mike, the oldest of our 3 kids, lives in Flagler. He has 2 boys, David Michael and Lance Allen. Mike owns and operates the Flagler Auto Salvage and is employed by the town of Flagler as town marshall. Kris, the second in line, lives in my friendly banker, I shudder to think of what could have happened at this crucial Flagler with her 3 children, Patrick Owen, Meggan Justine and Jonathan Dane. Kris, a registered nurse, has been employed by the time. Drought still in effect and sales almost nil. We put the truck to work hauling scrap iron, years. Our youngest daughter, Janice, and her ued on with trucking and some farming until May of 1963 when I went into business again with dad in the M&S Motor Co. Two and a half years later we purchased the business taking possession on January 1, 1966. We had ance Agency. coal and fruit. We closed out the Case dealership in the spring of 1960. We contin- Lincoln Community Hospital for several husband Dan Lackey, live in Elkhart, Kansas where they are both employed. Dan is the service manager for the John Deere and Ford dealership and Janice is the office manager of the Morton County Farm Bureau Insur- by Richard Petersen the Chrysler, Plymouth and Dodge dealerships along with the Massey Ferguson farm equipment line. The Massey Ferguson business wan housed in my building uptown. In early 1969 we moved Massey Ferguson down PETERSON FAMILY F520 to the M&S Motor building. In October of 1969 Continental Oil approached me to buy the M&S. They were looking for a location on which to put up a large service station along Interstate 70. They bought an option on the property which Charley E. Peterson was born in Mt. Etna, Iowa, on April 30, 1884. His Dad was from covered wagon set in the ground on the side of a hill. Years later there was a lovely home built on this site. In the year of 1909 (when Charley was about 25 years of age), he went by himself to where he homesteaded about 20 miles south of Burlington. He lived there as a bachelor for about thirty years. He had several hired hands helping him during that time. He married my mother, Mary Neus- chwanger Hicks, on April 25, 1933. She lost her husband, Russell Hicks, in March 1928, from measles that turned into pneumonia. I was only 4 at that time and I remember my Mother telling me how sick I was with the measles at the same time. Charley's sister was married to my Mother's brother, Dave Neus- chwanger so that was the way they got acquainted. Archie was 21 so he wasn't home long and went to work for the Matthies family that lived just 1 % miles north of my stepdad's place. Since Charley was a bachelor for a number of years, he was capable of doing his own cooking. I was the youngest girl in a family of nine and was 8 when my Mother married Charley, so I did not know much about cooking or how to clean a chicken so Charley taught me how to cut up a chicken and get it ready to cook. There were four of us girls and all of us learned how to milk cows and do all the chores there are on a farm. There were also five brothers, but it wasn't long before the two oldest ones left home to work for other people. My brother, Wayne, was a joy for all of us but at age of 12 he was working about 3 lz miles from home and when he was bringing the horse home, he wrapped the rope around his wrist and the horse got spooked and he was dragged. He died a few hours later in Burlington Hospital. Charley was known for training ofdogs and for raising horses and trading them. He was known as "horse trader" in Kit Carson County. I remember Charley telling about the dog he had trained before we were living at his place that could go after either the horse or cow that he would pick out by name, or he would just bring in the milk cows and would become due upon the completion of the overpass at the interchange. Everything looked so promising that they would exercise their option that I began phasing down leave rest of the cows in the pasture. I remember one dog he trained so well that he could holler out of the bedroom window to bring in the milk cows and when Charley got up, the cows were there ready to be milked. During the 30'g when we had the dust storms so bad, the jack rabbits were so thick, and were taking most of the farmer's crops so Charley formed several rabbit drives. I remember one drive he had, a dust storm came up so fast and in the middle of the afternoon it got as dark as night, so all the people at the hunt had to stay at Charley's place until the storm was over. During a few of these storms we were caught at school so our teacher (Mrs. Wigton) kept us at school and we played dominoes. The stove door had to be open so we would be able to see. Charley everything in preparation to vacate the premises so they could put up the new station. Shortly before the option matured, the Colorado State Highway Department traded the property between the M&S and the highway to another party and in so doing, moved my property from first to second access and Continental Oil didn't want it then and declined and surrendered their option. This was a great disappointment to us for we had looked forward so much to have and operate a new station. Since we had resigned our dealerships for Chrysler-Plymouth-Dodge and Massey Ferguson in preparation for the new station, we had to drop back and see whether to pass or punt. We operated the garage and station as best we could. Our son, Mike, graduated from high school in 1971 and Kris graduated in 1973. Janice was soon to have her graduation in 1977. We first live in a dugout which consisted of a Charley and Mary Peterson taken with their dog Tippy in front of schoolhouse that Charley bought and remodeled. They lived in it until they moved to Brulington. and my Mother lived on the place that Charley homesteaded until Charley was not able to keep up with farm work and my Mother had ill health. It forced them to move to town, where they bought a house just west of the park in Burlington. They were living �business in the care of some of his eight children and came and stayed with one of his two boys. One day, he borrowed a team and buggy from one of the boys and startpd out south of Bethune looking for a suitable homestead site. He always claimed that he found some blue grass growing right north of the Smokey River, 19 miles southwest of Bethune, and with this great find, he said this is it, and claimed this land as his homestead. Sometime during the snme year of 1909, another of Bill's sons, Martin, homestead a half section just northwest of his father's homestead. They both put up sod houses and sheds at first and drilled their own wells with a homemade drill. In 1910 or 1911, Bill's mother, Elizabeth Pfaffly and her daughter, Amelia, cane to Colorado and each homest€aded one mile north of Bill's. They each had their own ,._,:: "-*;_ -i This was taken close to chicken house on the place where Charley homesteaded. Front row; Nellie Carroll, Mabel Hawkins, Charley and Mary Peterson, Pearl Matthies, Archie Hicks. Back row; Viola Sullivan, Albert. Harold and Kenneth Hicks. there when my Mother had a heart attack and passed away at home on October 17, 1964. Charley lived there until 1968, when he entered Grace Manor Nursing Home. During that time he fell and broke his hip and spent a few weeks at St. Joseph Hospital in Denver. He passed away from pneumonia in hospital at Burlington on March L4,L977, at age of 94 years. There were seven of us children left. My oldest sister, Nellie, died from cancer on May 3, 1951, at age of 37. She had two girls and one boy. Viola married Robert Sullivan and live in Montrose. They have one girl and two boys. Mabel who married George Hawkins and live in Le-ar. They have two boys. Archie married Clara Matthies and live in Colorado Springs. They have one daughter and their son Roy and family live in Burlington. Harold manied a girl from Oregon and they live on a farm near McMinnville, Oregon and they have one son. Kenneth married a girl from Cheyenne Wells and they are living in Sterling. They have one girl and two boys. My youngest brother, Albert, went to high school in Meeker and married a girl from there. They had three sons but youngest one drowned after they moved to Canada' He has recently retired in 1984 and is living at Nakusp which is about 200 miles from Kamloops, BC. I married Charles Matthies in April 1945, and have lived in several places but have been in Colorado Springs for about 30 years. We have one daughter and two sons. by Pearl llicks Matthies PFAFFLY FAMILY F62r Jnmes Buchanan Pfaffly, born December 27, 1856, of Swiss parents near Columbus, Ohio, was the first Pfaffly to come out west to Colorado. When he was two years old, his parents, Elizabeth and John Pfaffly, moved with Jim and older brother, William Dexter, from Ohio to Wathena, Kansas, where they, and three more brothers grew to manhood. In 1879, when Jim was 22 years old, it's said that his mother sent him after a pound of coffee and she never saw him again for over a decade. He thought Wathena was too crowded and should be thinned out,so he came to Colorado looking for work, and the first place he went was Leadville. When he got off the train, the first thing he saw was a man get shot down in the street, and he had a notion to leave, but he decided to stick around for awhile, and maybe see if some of that gold couldn't find him. For the next ten years, Jim and his adventuresome spirit roamed the northwestern Unitcd States and Canada. On Christmas day in 1890, he married Maria Field in Omaha, Nebraska, and four years later, he moved his wife and two young daughters, Erma and Gladys, back to Colorado. They located in Seibert, where Jim beca-e the foreman of the track work on the Rock Island Railroad. In 1901, after seven years on the railroad, he decided he wanted to homestead, so the family moved to about 1% miles southwest of Bethune. where Jim remained until his retirement in 1916. His daughter, Erma, met and married Frank Cordonnier in Wathena, Kansas,and after moving back to Bethune, she was the postmistress there for a good many years. The other daughter, Gladys, married Jess McFarland, of Stratton, and after mostly raising their large family here, they moved to Washington state. The next Pfafflys to come to Colorado were the sons of Jim's older brother, William Dexter Pfaffly. Julius Ceasar Pfaffly (Jude) and James Edward Pfaffly (Ed) came out from Wathena around 1907. Jude homesteaded about three miles southwest of Bethune on what is now the Doyle and Harry Roberson place. Ed homesteaded about two miles southwest of Bethune on what is now called the "old" Dvorak place. He got married in Stratton and they had three children in Colorado. In 1909, the boys'father, William Dexter Pfaffly (Bill) came to Colorado. Having lost his wife in 1890, he left his blacksmith "soddy" not far from a common dividing line, and there they lived for the next five years until they had "proved-up" on the land. They always told about the vastness of this Great American Desert known as eastern Colorado, and Ed Pfaffly proved it at least once. He set out one day from his homestead near Bethune with his trusty dog and teoto go to his father Bill's homestead to get some straw. A blizzard came up when he was nearing Bill's and before he knew it, he could not see where he was or where he was going. Although he had been able to see his father's place earlier, he lost it in the blinding snow and missed his mark. He must have been about, Yz mile east of Bill's when his teem of horses fell into the Smokey and were highcentered. Struggling to loosen the horses, he took one horse and leading it, followed the dog, who he figured knew where he was going. Unknown to Ed, at the time, the dog was going east, farther and farther away from Bill's. After walking for what seemed an eternity, Ed found a fence and followed it looking for a place to shelter. He found a place, and although their nnrnes are unknown, the people took him in and then he found he was three or four miles east of Bill Pfaffly's homestead. Around 1912, when Ed had proved-up on his homestead and gotten title to it, he used his land as collateral to buy a steam engine and a plow, and he went to breaking up sod for other people. Business wasn't very good for very long, and he lost the tractor, the plow, and the land. He said to heck with eastern Colorado and moved his family back to eastern Kansas. His brother, Jude, stayed long enough to prove-up on his homestead and also ended up going back to the Wathena area. By 1914, Bill Pfaffly and his son Mart, had proved-up on their land down by the Smokey. Mart moved in with his father and together, they built a good little barn, mixing all the concrete by hand. Bill went back to Wathena, to see if his daughter, Ida, and another son, Alfred Joseph (A.J.) wanted to come out to Colorado to live. Ida and Alfred had been living on the Pfaffly home place in Wathena. Ida said she wasn't going anywhere unless there was a decent house to live in. She said she wasn't going to live in any "soddy" with the bed bugs, so the idea of one of the fust pre-fab houses was formed. They started to cut lumber for a house and a very large barn. When the boards were all cut for the exact size of the house and barn, the lumber was loaded on a train and shipped to Stratton, �where it was then hauled by wagon and tea-s out to the Bill Pfaffly homestead. The Pfafflys sold their 40-acre farm near Wathe- na, and Ida and Alfred cnme to Colorado with their father. They built a cement mixer and started to build the house in 1917. It was finished in 1918, and construction of the big barn was gtarted. Around this time, Alfred bought his first car, a 1916 Model-T Ford, which was used for many purposes; later on, he used it to haul kids to the First Central School. In 1918. A.J. parked his Model-T in the barn and took the train back to Wathena. In December of that year, he married Sarah Elizabeth Beutler at her parents'he6s irr flrrm[olt, Nebraska. His mother loaned them some money so they could buy the west half of Bill's homestead section. In 1919, A.J. brought his bride and their belongings by train back to Colorado. One of their wedding gifts was a Washburn upright piano, which has survived and is still in good working order in 1987. Sarah, who came from the forested lands of eastern Nebraska said she had never seen such a desolatc place. There were no trees, only grassland and rolling hills as far as the eye could see. They bought the half section just west of Bill's, which had a house on it, but before they could move into the little house, brother Martin got sick and decided to go back to Kansas so he could be close to a doctor. Ida decided to go with him, so A.J. and Sarah moved into the big new house with Bill. It was quite a house for it's day, and lots of people talked about it being a mansion on the plains. Construction on the big new barn was completed in this year of 1919. In 1920, Sarah and A.J. had a son, LaMonte Alfred Pfaffly, and a year later, their daughter, Mary Elizabeth was born. In the early twenties, A.J. bought a threshing machine and a 2-cylinder tractor and did a lot ofcustom threshing around the country. Things were starting to look up and then World War II came along and farmers started getting better prices for their products, but then, some of our boys had to go into the service. La Monte had to stay with his father, who was crippled, to help him farm, so he never got to go, although he was in the National Guard for awhile. In 1947 A.J. and Sarah moved to Burlington. A.J. passed away in 1958. In 1948, LaMonte married Mary Jo West, of Hale, Colorado, at the "big" house on the Pfaffly farm. They had three children, Laurence Wayne, Glenda Jo, and Terance LaMonte. In 1982 "Monte" and Mary Jo moved to Burlington so they could be near Monte's mother, Sarah, and help care for her. Sarah passed away in Burlington on Oct. 2, 1986 at the age of 91 years old. Larry has two boys, Darell Wayne and Allan Dale and lives with his wife, Brenda, in Hannibal, Missouri. Daughter Glenda Jo, is married to Martin Bauman of Stratton, and has step-children Denise Newman, and Devin Bauman, and daughter, Erin Michelle. Terry, after going to college, moved back to the farm with his wife, Carol Moore, of Manasquan, New Jersey, in 1975. They had two children: Jason Joseph and Brianne Emily. In 1978, Terry went into partnership with his father. Times are also trying for farmers in this day and age, and Terry decided, as some of his ancestors did before him, that eastern Colorado may not hold the key to his future. He is currently using his college education at a nursery in Palisade, Colorado. The farm is still a Pfaffly farm, and even though there is no longer a Pfaffly living on {rny farm in eastern Colorado, one of LaMonte's grandchildren may one day decide to carry on the challenge and move back to Grandpa William Dexter Pfaffly's homestead. He also broke up some prairie. They had by Mary Jo Pfaffly cows, hogs, horses and a Jack and they raised a lot of mules to sell. They milked cows and had some chickens and a large garden which they used for fresh and canned food, as did most of the farmers around this area. Times started to get hard. Just trying to gurvive was uppermost in the mind. Most people say the worst times were in the 30's, but Uncle Jim, who was now living in Bethune with his daughter, Erma Cordonnier, said the droughts started in 1923, and that was the worst. For recreation in the twenties and thirties, they had picnics and ice creq- socials with neighbors. Prices were low for cattle and hogs and then the drought and the dirt storms were fierce. Pfafflys had to send their livestock up north on the river to be boarded where some food was available; or else there wan no hope for an animal. Father Bill got sick and they took him to Colorado General Hospital in Denver where he passed away in September of 1934. When LaMonte was 17 years old, he went to work for John Sedman on what was called the old Bridegroom place, or it was also Birdie Kellog's place until the dirty 30's ran him out. He got 75 cents a day which was good wages for then, and he worked from sun-up to sun-down as a farm hand, Around 1938, when people started growing PIERSON, LESTER F522 Lester Pierson and his wife, Buelah Mae (Weston) Pierson, came to Burlington, Co. by immigrant train from Fremont County, Iowa. The farm wasn't big enough to support their family and there was no land available around them. They arrived in March, 1921. Six children came with them, Eva, 10; Lester, 8; Paul,6; Mary,4; Alice, 2; and baby Helen. Grant and Gene were born in Colorado. They moved Southwest of Burlington for 1 year and then moved to a place they purchased 15 miles south of Burlington. Lester traded his place of80 acres in Iowa and $7,000 difference for 320 acres here. They lived on this place till they moved to Burlington in 1948. Their daughter, Mary and husband Ernest McArthur, own the home place so it has been in the family for these years. Mary started to school at District #20 "Fairview" School and went there for her first 8 grades, then she completed her education at "Smokey Hill" School. It was a 10 grade school. Alice died from a ruptured appendix, Paul something again, or were able to grow died in 1934 in a runaway team accident. something again, La Monte came back home Gene, age 9, died of blood poisoning from a wood splinter in his foot from jumping into the wagon. Lester died at the age of 67. Mary and started farming with his dad,A.J. They bought a 1929 - 3236 International tractor. married her neighbor, Ernest McArthur. Mary's parents, Beulah Pierson died on January g, L974 at the age of 82 and Lester Pierson died on July 1, 1985 at the age of 101. by Ernest and Mary McArthur PISCHKE FAMILY F623 Gustave Adolf Pischke was born June g, 1874, in Mecan, Wisconsin, to Daniel and Wilhelmina Laper Pischke. Daniel and Wilhelmina had come to America from Germany in 1845. Daniel was a bridge builder and contractor in northern Germany, and bought a farm after coming to America. Ida Johanna Strube was born May 31, 1881, in Chicago to Williem and Augusta Gomoll Strube. Her father was a mail carrier, delivering at first with a horse and cart. Augusta helped support the family by working in a factory making button holes in men's suits. In the early 1900s, Gustave Pischke had a painting business in Princeton, Wis. Ted Pischke, Gustave's brother, had a livery stable and jitney business. He met the trains and took people to their hotels. A pretty young lady from Chicago (Ida) wanted to go to the Shade family, who had a boarding house. Ted told her he knew of no people by that name. She showed him a letter with the name on it. The name was pronounced Shoddy, the German way. After all this discussion about the name, Ted asked her for a date, and through him Ida met Gustave. Gustave and Ida were married March 1?. 1904, at the home of her parents in Chicago. They went immediately to Princeton, where he continued his job and profession asr a painter. He farmed a little also. Their first two children were born in Princeton, Ruth on Jan. 9, 1905, and Lewis on April 25, 1906. They moved to Chicago for three years where Gustave became ill. Their second son, George, was born there on Sept. 28, 1909. They moved to Auburndale, Flor- ida, for eight years, hoping to cure what Gustave thought was asthma. Another daughter, Evelyn, was born there on Oct. 18, 1914. They moved again, this time to South Dakota for several months. Ida helped out by cooking for threshers in that state. The family next moved to Stratton, Colorado, where their last child, Alice, was born on Feb. 18, 1921. After living here for two years and with no improvement in his health, Gustave with his sister, Ottelia, took a trip to Raton, New Mexico, where he died shortly, May 23, 1922, at age 47. His death was the result of tuberculosis. The family remained on the farm at Stratton until 1928, when they moved to Burlington, Colo. Lewis died in Burlington on May 21, 1932, of tuberculosis. Ida lived in Burlington until her death on Aptil21, L972. Ruth was married to Albert Wells on Sept. 25, L927; George was married to Aldine Farnsworth on Dec. 1, 1935; Evelyn was married to C.H. Bollwinkel on May 4, 1938; Alice was married to Charles C. Bovles on July 1, 1945. by Marilyn Wells Zimmerman �POOLE, JIM AND NORA F624 summer school. We went four summers back home in Oklahoma and attended Southeast- ern Oklahoma Statp University where Jim received his Master of Teaching graduate degree in 1964. The next summer was spent at Southern lllinois University and the summer of 1966 was spent at Oklahoma University. The children were good travelers and liked people. Therefore summer school was an enjoyable experience. Occasionally Nora would become weary of trying to keep the children quiet so Jim could study. She must have succeeded since the grades were always good. (Can't resist bragging a little so everyone would know I did a good job!) The summer at Southern Illinois was very hot but very beautiful. We stayed in a new dormitory along with many other families. It but the studies were was a good summer daughter Jessica who is 4 and Mick who is 2. Kristy and her husband Robin Liming from Kirk have no children. An interesting story about the two babies Sadie and Dex is that they were born on the Friday the 13th, February 1987. same day - David is in the Air Force, Presently stationed in Homestead, Florida, where he is training to be a fighter pilot in F-4 Phantoms. Janet and Bill farm and ranch near Bethune. Jan taught kindergarten in Burlington for four years. Sharon and Mike live in Simla where Mike is co-owner of their supermarket. Kristy and Robin farm near Kirk and in Kit Carson County. They raise horses and hogs. Jim has been superintendent of Schools in Bethune for 24 years - since 1964. It has been a good life here and we look forward to many more good years. very tough! At the Knowles school Jim had the privi- by Nora Poole lege of setting up their Industrial Arts department from scratch. It was fun getting all new equipment and designing the shop. He also enjoyed drawing plans for the school teacherages. I think he considered it more fun Nora and Jim Poole 198?. POTTORFF, CALVIN D. (C. D.) F625 than work. Our move to Bethune was not much of a change as far as climate was concerned. However, the challenge of being school superintendent was exciting and still is! We had to become used to the winter weather, if that is possible. As of this writing we are spending our 24th winter here and have mixed feelings about snow. Blizzards were new to the family. The good memories we have of them were when Mrs. Esther Daum would come to our house. Her house was not heated very well when the electricity went off so we would persuade her to come to our house. She would enjoy our warm fireplace and entertain us with stories of her early teaching days in Kit Carson Christmas 1966, Nora, Jim and children, Kristy, David. Janet and Sharon' Jim and Nora Poole with three small David, Janet, and Sharon children moved to -Bethune in August 1964. Jim had accepted the position as superintendent of schools in Bethune. Kristy was born March 25, 1965. Both Jim and Nora were raised at Cumberland, Oklahoma and graduated from Madill High School. Nora'g mother Berniece liveg in Madill and Jim's mother Nina livee in Cumberland. Both fathers died in 1982. Jim received his undergraduate degree in 1960 from Southeastern Oklahoma State University in Durant, Oklahoma. Nora and Jim then moved to several construction jobs in Oklahoma and Kansas where he worked for Dresser Engineering Company. They then moved to Knowles, Oklahoma where Jim started his career in education. That area was our home for 3 years. During this time Jim taught, became principal and acting superin- tendent. Every summer from 1961 through 1966 we would pack up the kids and dog and go to County and East€rn Kansas. The unpleasant memories of blizzards are well known to anyone who has had to decide whether or not to have echool, shoveled snow or pushed it around with a tractor. Jim and David have dug out the school with shovels and a small tractor many times. It was "a great day" when the school bought a scoop tractor and snow blowers. Nora has been very involved in raising the children, church work, Young Mothers and school activities. She enjoyed sewing for herself and the girls and always had a vegetable garden. Since the kids have gone she spends lots of time working in the yard and flowers. When David, Janet and Sharon were teenagers they farmed for Dale Hanna in the summer. Perhaps driving huge four-wheel drive tractors was not the usual job for teenage girls but Janet and Sharon enjoyed it very much. Kristy farmed only briefly for Dale when one of the other girls was off on vacation or some church triP. all 1983 was a very busy year for Nora three girls were married. A family friend suggested it made Jim a good friend of the local bankers (and others)! Presently we have Mr. and Mrs. C.D. Pottorff Calvin Pottorff is one of the leading farmers in Stratton, Kit Carson County, Colorado, where he and his sons own and operate an 8,960 acre farm under the "C.D. Pottorff and Sons". Main crops are wheat and milo. His brands include Bar X, his Kansas brand, and X Upside down F, his Colorado brand. Mr. Pottorff was reared on his parents farm. His first place on his own was a farm near Dodge City, Kansas. In 1933, he bought a cattle ranch near Healy, Kan., where he ran a herd of about five hundred head of cattle. In 1944, he bought several large wheat farms near Stratton, which he and his sons now operate. Calvin D. Pottorff was born July 16, 1890' in Ford County, Kansas, to William H. and Rosie Recknor Pottorff. His birth place was a sod dugout on his parents homestead. His parents, who were married in Iowa in 1877, came to Kansas via covered wagon and six adorable grandchildren. David and his wife Janet Miller from Seibert have two homesteaded fifteen miles southwest of Dodge City. Calvin attended the "Third daughters, Sara who is 5 years old and Sadie is one year old. Janet and her husband Bill Cure from Stratton have two sons, Luke who is 3 and Dexter who is 1. Sharon and her husband Mike Green from Simla have one site of the Boot Hill Cemetery. Calvin spent his boyhood days herding cattle, his father herded the town cows. In those early days every family owned a cow. Calvin recalls large Ward" school there, which was built on the �herds of cattle coming into Dodge from Texas for shipment and remembers that train robberies were not all that all uncommon. Mr. Pottorff owned one of the few large steam STRATTON, COLORADO. FRIDA\" ALCUST 19, I92I COLLINS HOTEL threshing machines and stenm plows in the area and with it helped to put in many of the town'g streets. Calvin maried Miss Emily Belle Anderson CAFE In October 1966 we sold the farm and purchased the old Collins Hotel. What a AN D surprise when we moved into the hotel! There LUNCH ROOM the daughter of Thomas F. and EllaRobineon Anderson, on Sept. 25, 19L2, in Dodge City. Mrs. Pottorffs parents were married in Now Open Wayndotte County, Kansas, in 1891, and she, herself, was born in what is now Kansas City. Mrs. Pottorff attended Kansas State Teachers College at Emporia, and taught school in FRANK A. THALER, MCR. former Mable Murray; Helen who is married former Darlene Taylor; Earnest, whose wife is the former Vanetta Langston; Doris who is now Mrs. Gene Thyne; Harley, who married the former June Kountz; Lela, who is married to Ed Wilkinson; Kenneth whose first wife is the former Marlyn Corwin, and now is married to Nancy Schwindt and Robert who married the former June Wittig. Mr. Pottorff served on the board of the livestock commissioners in Kansas City for sixteen years. He is a member of the Farmers Union, the Seibert Odd Fellows, and the Colorado Wheat Growers Association. Mr. happened in its early years came with the stayed one summer for his health. Others who certificates for long and distinguished service in Home Demonstration Club work. She has been a member since 1924 and was organizer and charter member of the Stratton Homemakers Club. She has also been a 4-H Club leader for many years, and all of the Pottorff children have been 4-H Club members. Mr. and Mrs. Pottorff are the parents of eleven children, and they have thirty-eight grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. Their children are Neva. who is married to Albert Wasson; Bill, who is a member of the to Joe Mclean; Loren, who married the many memories and lots of stories that llig Dinner 50 Cents A S5.25 Meal Ticket for $4.50 Winnie Cook; Homer, who married the were 80 small roons, each with a sink and there were 20 more doors with small closetsized rooms behind them. Little of the original furnishings were left, but there were hotel. One story said that Jack Dempsey stayed at the hotel at one time, as well as Paul in the Stat€ of Colorado to be awarded eight-man Wheat Administrative Board of Colorado, and who married the former engineer. Prices Reasonable Better Food and Service Wayndotte and Ford Countieg. Her parents brought their family to Dodge City in 1910. In 1959, Mrs. Pottorff was one of two women graduated from Colorado School of Mines in the fall of 1987 and resides in Ogden, Utah where he is employed as a mechanical The newspaper carried the Collins Hotel Cafe ads for many years. January 8th 1947 was the scene of the wedding of June Kountz, Flagler and Harley Pottorff, Stratton. After a short hone5rmoon we were at home on a little farm one-half mile south of Stratton, where we remained until 1966. In addition to farming, we had a dairy and raised four children: Connie (1949), Sherri (1952), Ed (1958), and Todd (1964). Connie married Will Volskis in 1973. She works for a Denver area airline and Will is employed as a chemist. They have one son Brandon. In 1971 Sherri married Van Lupher. Van's parents were living in Stratton at the time, after residing in Grand Junction for many years. Sherri and Van now live in Aurora where Sherri works as a beautician and Van is a general manager of a large vending machine company. They have three children: Brad, Travis, and Eric. Ed graduated from CSU in 1980 and finished his graduate degree in Hydro Geology in 1987. He currently lives in Reno, Nevada where he works as a geologist. Todd Harris, founder of Rotary of Chicago. He registered: Babe Ruth, Paul Whiteman, Marion Davies and Colorado Governor Johnson. This hotel was considered the best one between Kansas City and Denver. It had hot and cold water and electricity which were real luxuries at that time. One unique and interesting fact was that wires were strung in the attic so cowboys who came there could hang their blankets and sleep there. These wires still remain today. A beautiful sunken garden made it a favorite honeymoon hotel, also. The first month after we bought the hotel we worked extremely hard getting it cleaned up and ready for pheasant season which was almost right upon us. Harley painted all the rooms upstairs, the lobby, and the hallway down stairs. This took 80 gallons of paint and a truck load of carpet. We filled all those rooms that year at pheasant season at $3.00 per room. Around 1969 we remodeled for the first time. The south half was converted into motel units. In L977 we renovated the north end and made those units into 1 and 2 bedroom apartments. Some of these apartments were rented as offices and now house the Senior Citizens Center, The East Central Council of Governments and the Colorado East Community Action Agency. Harley and I converted what had been the Pottorff is well verged in all phases of farming. Ernest Pottorff POTTORFF, HARLEY AND JUNE F626 Cleaning up and remodeling on the old Colling Hotel . . now the Tbin Oaks. TVin Oaks Motel, Stratton, in 1988. Note the beautiful oak trees on the right, trademark for its present name. �Indiana. John B. Scotton was of English Old Hotel Kitchen into our personal living quarters. As this is written in 1988, we are excited that the Stratton Centennial observence will commemorate this building we chose to put so much into as one of the features on its commemorative belt buckle. descent whose father, Judge John J. Scotton (mill and land owner in Indiana) was second cousin to Queen Victoria. Katie Scotton was five years old when her mother died of small pox. Their father, Dr. Charles Greiss, a wounded veteran of the Civil War, was unable to care for the five children, and they were placed in an orphanage in Cincinnati, Ohio. Katie Greiss Scotton, whose name in German was Kathe, corres- by June Pottorff PRATT FAMILY During the 1880's, settlers from the eastern states began to arrive in eastern Colorado. In the year 1887, Rueben and Martha Kline came to Colorado from Marion county, Iowa. They came to what is now Yuma County and the little town of Kirk. They thought it to be the prettiest country they had ever seen; as they were emong the first settlers, the virgin prairie had never seen a plow and the knee deep prairie grass waved in the gentle breeze. Rueben Kline became the postmaster in 1890. The mail came from Claremont (which is now Stratton), to old Tuttle where it was picked up and brought to Kirk for local distribution. The first Kirk post office at its present location was far from fancy. It was literally run out of the bottom drawer of a chest of drawers brought from Iowa by Mrs. Kline in the covered wagon that was pulled by the oxen teams. During this period, many began carrying buffalo bones found in the area to Haigler, Nebraska, trading them for flour and staples. Haigler, Nebraska and Bird City, Kansas were the trading centers for the people of this region, as the Republican River was hard to get across with the wagons to get to Stratton or Burlington. James A. Pratt and Lina came to Colorado with her parents Rueben and Martha Kline in the year of 1887 and took up a homestead which part of the town now sets on. As the area began to fill up with more settlers, Mrs. Pratt taught school and they ran a store in Kirk. Mr. and Mrs. Pratt had three children: Rueben, Harlan, and Muriel. Harlan moved to Kit Carson County in the 1920's, where he married Nora Bolin. Nora's folk, Charlie and Bertie Bolin, came from Missouri in the early 1900's. Harlan and Nora had two children: Harold and Glen, who were born and raised up in Kit Carson Cunty, NW of Stratton where Harlan farmed. Harold Pratt was mauied to Wilda Paintin whose parents were George and Agnes Paintin. cane to Colorado from Kansas in the early years of the nineteen hundreds. Harold and Wilda farmed and ranched in Kit Carson County. They raised three boys; Randy, Ricky and Larry. At this time in the year of 1987, Harold and Wilda are both retired and living in Lamar, Colorado. by Harold and Wilda Pratt PRATT - SCOTTON FAMILY ponded with her relatives in Germany. A r527 F528 Early-Time Stories of Maynard and Katheryn Scotton Pratt As of 1988, Maynard Pratt and Katheryn Scotton Pratt together represent 140 years in Children having fun, Edgar on tractor seat holding Lois and Ellen on fender. 1930. letter from Uncle Johann Hauck in Permasans, Germany dated June 8, 1896, tells ofher grandmother's death and Katie's inheritance of 72 Marks, or 917.14 (a dollar was 4 Marks, 20 Pfennig in 1896). Katie met and married John B. Scotton in Indiana where she worked after leaving the orphanage. by Lois Havens Kit Carson County. They came with their parents, brothers, and sisters to the county in the early part of this century, and as the other members of their families left one by one, Kate and Maynard stayed behind to make a home and to provide for their five children. This says alot about their character. They held on through all the hardships and hard times - through the dirty 30s dustbowl, the grasshopper plagues, the devastating hail storms, and the hard, cold winters. I cannot recall my parents ever complaining about the dirt stacked high between window and screen after a dirt storm, the fences being covered by dirt, or having to start over year after year when the rains didn't come. As the other PRATT - SCOTTON FAMILY F529 neighbors moved away and others came to try their luck in farming, our parents stayed and saw it through. When it finally began to rain in the late 1930s, it also brought the hail storms. One particularly heavy hail storm came through one year that nearly wiped out all the wheat fields in a mile-wide strip northeast of town. We drove by the fields to see how bad the dn-age was to our parents'crops. The wheat fields, which were full of flowing, waving grain that looked to be the best of the crops since it had begun to rain, were bare stalks. The leaves and heads of grain had been pounded into the ground. The destruction, which took less than an hour, represented months of cultivating and planting - wheat that once was beautiful waving grain, was now bare stubs. I can remember wondering how my father still had the faith in the land and the will to plant again. But plant they did, again and again. They saw the county change from a grassland to a dust bowl, and then to an oasis. During the 1950s, the farmers around Burlington began irrigating quarter (or more) sections of ground by pumping the water from the Ogallala aquifer. And another era in Kit Carson County began. But that is only 35 years ago. We prefer to document the earlier history of our family by recording some of the events of the first half of the 20th century. Kit Carson County became the lifelong home of Maynard Pratt and Katheryn Scotton Pratt, each coming to the county when they were young - Maynard was seventeen years of age and Katheryn was eight. Our mother's parents were John Brecken- ridge Scotton and Katie (Kathe) Greiss Scotton, who were married in 1891 in Marion, Loading corn on trailer on farm northeast of Burlington. Maynard Pratt and children, Edgar and Ellen. Nine children were born to John and Katie, but only five came to Kit Carson County with their parents. Two babies died in infancy, Elmer died at the age of seven, and Charles was killed at the age of 23 in a farming accident in Gem, Kansas, while he was working his way to Colorado to join the family. Rachel, Glenn, Dorothy, Katheryn, and Geneva cnme with their parents from Bentonville, Arkansas in 1915 in a covered wagon pulled by 2 mules. The mules'n4mes were Kate and Maude. John Scotton swapped a 320-acre wooded farm with a 2-story house in Arkansas for 160 acres of grassland on the Smokey Hill River. Our mother remembers the beautiful waving prairie grasses and the abundant wildflowers as far as the eye could see when they carne across the prairies to Colorado. The family spent the first night in the Prairie School house. They then moved to the "Jones place" which had a cement house where they lived until John could build a sod house on the 160 acres. It took about a month for Henry Fanslau and John to build the "soddie." John plowed up forty acres of the grassland to grow feed and corn. Since the prairies had no trees, the only means that the Scottons had of heating the two-room soddie was with dry cow chips. �Kate and the family gathered them by the wagonfull. The chips furnished a hot fire but er, Flora, had died. His father, Ernest Pratt, was already living in Burlington, but Virgil also burned fast, so a large supply was always remained with Pleasant and Ellen, and they raised him as though he were one oftheir own. Pleasant brought a tenm of horses, two cows, and four sows, and all their household belongings on an "immigrant car" on the Rock Island Railroad. Ellen and the children needed. When the children found cow chips bhat were not quite dry enough, they turned bhem over so the sun would dry them faster. Kate and her brother and sisters walked 3 7z miles to attend grade school in a sod house donated by Nellie Burk'e grandfather, H.D. Holton. They then attended the Prairie View lchool before the Smokey Hill echool wag built. The teachers at Prairie View were Jessie Clark and Clarence Kennedy. The children later went to the new Smokey Hill School where there were clasges for the first bhrough the tenth grades. The teachers for Smokey Hill were Mr. and Mrs. Elvis Berry Rhoades (Mary) and Taylor K. McKane. McKane's brother-in-law was superintendent. Kate quit high school at Smokey Hill in 1923 to herd cattle on the free range, riding l saddle horse named "Min," Rachel moved Katie moved to Santa Ana, California, taking Glenn and Geneva with them. Dorothy married Harry Pettibone of Kanarado, Kanras, later moving to California with their two :hildren, Clarice and Jerald. Our father's parents were Pleasant Green Pratt born in Johnson County, Nebraska, rnd Ellen Johnson Pratt, both born in Otoe County, Nebraska. Pleasant Pratt's fanily were of lrish and English descent, according bo Kenneth Pratt, family genealogy expert, rho has researched records from a church in 0ngland and found ancestors back to the t2th century. Ellen Johnson Pratt's parents immigrated from Sweden in 1881 with two :hildren and settled in Nebraska. Ellen was lhe second of four more born here in America. Many of her mother's parents'relatives ceme irom Sweden to Nebraska. Many settled rround Syracuse in an area that was known rs the Swede Section. The Jacobsons of Burlington are also of the same descendants rs Ellen Johnson Pratt. by Lois Havens came on a passenger train, and Pleasant rode in the immigrant car to take care of the FAMILY F530 When hard times hit Nebragka in 1921, ;hey came to Kit Carson County with their lour children: Maynard, Victor, Esther, Doris, and their nephew Virgil, whoee moth- by the Citizen State Bank of Waterville, Kansas. Foster Farms of Rexford, Kansas bought the farm in 1939 and Maynard purchased the farm from the Foster Farm Estate in 1962. Pleagant rented the Bushart place, a grassland farm east of Burlington which is now known as the Rosser B. Davis family farm. Pleasant also rented the Reed section east of Burlington for farming. A third son, Kenneth, was born on the farm east of by Lois llavens PRATT - SCOTTON FAMILY Burlington. In August of 1922, our father Maynard, and Victor, his brother, were plowing a field one F53t mile west of their home. Both boys were riding on the tractor. When Maynard got off to open the gate, lightning struck the tractor killing Victor. In 1923, the family moved to a farm southeast of Smokey Hill. In 1925, they moved to Arapahoe to the Bill Howard farm where they lived until Pleasant died in 1933. After losing her husband, Ellen moved back to Syracuse, Nebraska, with her chil- dren, Doris and Kenneth, where they lived with her aging father, John Johnson. Esther married John Owens and moved to Oklahoma City, and Virgil married Ruth Murphy of Cheyenne Wells and later moved to the Colorado Springs area. When her father passed away in 1936 in Nebraska, Ellen moved to Colorado Springs area with Kenneth and Doris. She passed away in 1966 in Colorado Springs and is buried with Pleasant and Victor in Burlington. Kenneth attended Denver University after five years in the service during World War II, graduated with an engineering degree, and worked for Mountain Bell, and retired in Denver where he and his wife Jewel (nee Jones from Idaho) still live. Doris married Robert Higgins and they raised their family for the most part in Albuquerque. After Bob's death, Doris reMaynard Chesley Pratt and Katheryn May Scotton were married in L924 and lived at Smokey Hill school where Maynard was the bus driver and janitor at the school. From there they moved to Arapahoe and rented the Tom Howard place. First child, Edgar arrived while our parents were living northeast of Arapahoe and Kate made the long trek on dirt roads to Burlington in a Model T Ford where Edgar was born at the home of Mrs. Boyles. Ellen was born at the 2-room farmhouse near Arapahoe. In this vast grassland which was gradually becoming farm land, rattlesnakes were very common. Our mother recalls a time when on wash-day she had gone outside the house and left baby Edgar inside. When she returned, she found a rattlesnake in the home on a pile of clothes near Edgar. Maynard worked at Ordway picking cantaloupe and at an alfalfa mill. He also worked for Lloyd Jacobson (a relative of Ellen Johnson Pratt's mother) and Jack Chalfant Vlaynard Pratt, 19, worked as bus driver and anitor at Smokey Hill School, 1923. Maynard, Kate and their two children moved to the Adna Chapman farm in 1928 and rented from him until it was purchased animals. tired in Durango where she now lives. PRATT - SCOTTON Chapman farm. Henry's wife, Frances, is also a relative of Ellen Johnson Pratt's mother. in Burlington. It was there that he met Henry Genthe who lived on the Chapman farm northeast of Burlington. Henry was moving, and he suggested to Maynard that he rent the Maynard Pratt and son, Edgar, at Arapahoe farm, 3 horses and a mule pulling a disc, 1926. After moving to the farm in 1928, Maynard continued to work for Jack Chalfant on his farm and at his repair shop in Burlington - the Victory Garage, for 50 cents a day. When the rains were scarce and the county had become part of the vast dust bowl of central America, our parents moved in the fall of 1934 to Santa Ana, California and later to Sanger, California. Kate's parents were in Santa Ana and they had hopes of a better living in California. But the farming fever never left our father, and they came back to Colorado the following spring, to the same farm northeast of Burlington. The house wag just as they had left it, and they simply moved back in as though they had never been gone. Maynard worked for Foster Farms on the Republican River and Blondie Bollwinkel was the boss of the crew As children, we can remember the big flood of 1935 when the banks of the Republican River overflowed, causing severe demage along the river. Later we had a cloudburst in our neighborhood that washed out all the lister rows in the fields. Our house looked as though it were sitting in the middle of a huge lagoon; the roof leaked and we placed buckets and pans under the leaks to catch the rain. Water ceme in the kitchen door. Our mother swept it back out with a broom. After the storm passed, we children had great fun wading and playing in the cow lot. Maynard and Blondie Bollwinkel were partners in farming for several years before Blondie and Evelyn Pischke were married and moved to a farm of their own, also northeast of Burlington. Besides working together, Maynard, Blondie, and other neighbor farmers went deer hunting in the Rockies during the 1940s. Lois was born on the Chapman farm and �Well, needless to say, the fire was soon discovered and extinguished with the help of the neighbors before too much da-age was Ruby was born in Burlington at the Farnsworth home. The fifth and last child, Orville (Pete), was born on the farm in 1935. A German farnily nn-ed Shultz lived east of us before the Abe Ratzlaff family moved there. The Arnsmeiers lived on farther east and Mr. Arnsmeier died of a heart attack one day trying to push a car from a snowbank. Other neighbors were Howard and Raymond Kite northeast of us; John and Anna Buol with sons Kermit, Martin, and Russell, to the west of u8; the Hansens with two song Russell and Charles across the road from the Ratzlaffs; and two Winslow families southeast of us by the railroad tracks. The principal crop for Kit Carson County during the 30s and 40s was wheat. This was done. by Lois Havens PRATT - SCOTTON FAMILY F533 also before the days of the combine' The farmers would get together with one threshing machine, hire as many men as they could find, and help each other thresh their grain. The grain was cut in the fields and hauled to the threshing machine. This operation \ilas hard work and it took a large crew of men to keep the process moving from field to thresher. And. of course, all these men had to be fed. Our mother was a great cook, and she cooked and served the most bountiful, sumptuous meals which included fried chicken or roast beef, mashed potatoes and gravy, homemade bread and pies, with the rich farm creom and butter that we all enjoyed in those days. We girls helped with the meals, but when it came time for the men to come in for dinner, we had to retire to the bedroom - especially if we were wearing shorts, because this was unbecoming for your girls. One day when the threshing crew wan in our home eating, one ofthe hired men spat on the floor. Needless to say, we were short one man from the harvest crew from that day on. by Lois Havens PRATT - SCOTTON FAMILY F532 We stayed in contact with the people in the Smokey Hill area since our parents had both lived there at one time. The Smokey Hill area was well populated, with many families that are now gone. Among those living there in the 1930s were the families of Lester Beveridge; the Bartles with a son and daughter, Loyd and Cleo; Henry Fanslau; M.S. McCrarys with children, Will and Nellie; the Henry Dragers with Evelyn, June, and Kenneth; the Arnold Elders: the Carlsons with Beth, Doris, Bud, Inez, and Bonita; John and Mary Murphy ar.rd family; the Frank Murphy family; the Bassetts with son Earl; and the Bill Kelleys with Anna and Doris. Tillie Gord Maynard Pratt and Blondie Bollwinkel, partners in farming and good hunting buddids. Taken near Williams Creek, Colorado, 1940. In addition to the dances, there were neighborhood get-togethers on Sundays and holidays with pot-luck dinners at someone'g home in the Smokey Hill area. There were always huge amounts of luscious food, all kinds of desserts, and homemade ice cream. In our childhood, it was very unusual for children to stay overnight with other children. My mother relinquished her rule this one time and allowed me to stay at the home of Nellie McCrary Burk and Earl Burk (a "newcomer" from Nebraska) with their daughter, Helen. When we were napping, we heard a loud wind that became a roar at times. There had been a tornado that passed quite closely to the Burk home and had demolished several farms as well as the Smokey Hill school house. One farm had lost all their livestock and buildings. The house was in shambles with walls and windows gone, but there was a bowl of fruit sitting on the windowsill that was completely untouched. The mattress on the bed had been lifted and an accordion deposited beneath it. There were stories of people having seen straw sticking out of telephone poles and machinery that was carried aloft by the tornado and deposited several miles away, completely intact and undo-aged. We attended rocky mountain oyster fries in the Burlington area at different farmhomes. There were always lots of people there; the men would fry the "oysters" and the camaraderie would go on long into the night. Childhood pranks were not lacking in the also lived there and later moved to Kanarado Pratt family or with our friends in Burlington. One time when we Pratt children Evelyn. We attended many Saturday night dances at the Smokey Hill School and we all learned at a very early age to square dance as well as were still quite young, we were playing in the with her children, Leland, Jerald, and to waltz, schottische, and two-st€p. The music was a piano and violin, and someone would call the square dances. The long drive there and home again never seemed far because of the good times that were shared by all. haymow with some neighbor children. We were experimenting with that mystical little stick, the match. We caught some gtraw on fire and ran to the house, vowing to each other that we wouldn't tell anyone that there was a fire (that way our parents wouldn't think we did it!). We weren't concerned with the barn burning down, just about the licking we were going to get if our parents found out. Katheryn Pratt on the farm northeast of Burlington. The elevated road that runs by our farm northeast of Burlington was Highway 40 (becoming Highway 24 when it was later moved south of the tracks) during the 1930s and because of the hard times, there were many bums that walked past on this road. Some would stop and ask for a handout, and some would ask for something to do in exchange for a handout. Although we never had any trouble, our mother always cautioned us to come into the house when we saw a bum walking along the road. Hallowe'en was usually a time when the teenagers pulled more pranks than should have been allowed. But in those days, the members of the community felt that kids were kids and that they would eventually grow up to be responsible law-abiding citizens. But a couple of times during World War II, the teenagers pulled more pranks than the townspeople cared to absorb. Mr. Shook, who owned a store in northeast Burlington, shot at some boys who attempted to push over his outdoor toilet and they had to have the buckshot removed from their behinds at the local hospital. One activity that was a major achievement for the Hallowe'en regulars was the pushing over ofthe 3-holer that belonged to the Catholic Church. But that almost ended in disaster as well when several of the kids almost fell in. Another year some boys got a goat in the town marshall's car. The goat promptly proceeded to eat up all the upholstery, and by the time the marshall returned to his car, the seats were nearly gone. And by �some strange circumstance, a piece of farm machinery from a farm implement dealership mysteriously appeared on the school grounds. And, of course, Mr. Beezley's Midway Theatre was always peppered with eggs, rotten, if possible. Shivarees (a derivative of charivari, mean- ing headache) reflected the unwritten rule that newlyweds must have on hand enough refreshments for the participants of their shivaree or suffer grievous circumgtances, Shivarees were special affairs that took place geveral weeks after the married couple had settled into wedding bliss. All who wanted to join into the festivitieg met at home of the newlyweds where they were quickly roust€d out of bed and made to perform certain feats. The groom always had to push his bride down Main Street in a wheelbarrow. While this and other mischief was going on to keep the bride and groom occupied, more mischief was being performed in the living quarters of the newly married couple: The bed was "short-sheeted," clothes were tied in knots, salt shackers were emptied and filled with sugar, and sugar bowls were filled with galt, toilet paper was strewn all about, and the labels were removed from the cans of food. But it all ended in good spirits with the groom handing out cigars to all the men and candy bars to the women and children. The 1940s brought World War II and the war brought good prices for the farmer. It was also raining more and the farmers were able to make a good living. With the war, we also had rationing of tires, gasoline, and eugar. Since the farmers were rationed more tires and gasoline than the town folk, suddenly the farm kids were looked upon in a different light by the town kids. The farm kids were now the ones who had the cars and the gasoline to drive to a dance in neighboring towns when there wasn't one in Burlington. by Lois Havens PRATT - SCOTTON FAMILY F534 But along with the good fortune and better living standards the war brought, we also had the tough times, for our brothers and friends were going off to war. This left the farmers without their help to keep the fields cultivated and the crops planted and harvest€d. Our mother and we three girls helped in the fields as much as we could while our brother Edgar went to fight the Japanese in the Pacific. It was the saddest day ofour lives when we said good-bye to him before he was shipped overseas, not knowing whether we would ever see him again. Because our young men were all overseag fighting for our freedom and democracy, we were more than willing to help in the fields, grow Victory gardens, save and roll tinfoil into balls, and stamp the tin cans flat for the war effort. The story that materialized later was that all the tinfoil and tin cans were never recycled, it was just a way to get the nation involved in patriotism and to help keep the morale high. The entire Burlington area celebrated the end of the war with great elation and joy. A bonfire thirty feet in dinmeter was built at the Children of Maynard and Katheryn Pratt, L. to R.: Lois holding OrviIIe, Edgar holding Ruby and Ellen, 1936. intersection of Main Street and Senter. All manner of things were thrown into the fire. The men were throwing their shirts into the fire and when Mr. Beezley, owner of the Midway Theatre, refused to take his off and throw it in, several people "helped" him remove it and throw it into the fire. Jerry Penny, with the help of his buddies, pushed his car into the fire and let it burn. The celebration lasted until the wee hours of the morning. Our soldier brothers and friends came home one by one - Kermit Buol from a prisoner-of-way semp in Germany, and Edgar from Japan after serving as supply sergeant for the U.S. Air Force. World War II marked the end of the first fifty years of the twentieth century. This was also the beginning of a long period of prosperity for the farmer. By 1950, farm homes for the most part had running water, indoor pl rmfint, electricity, telephones, and central heating that didn't burn coal or cow chips. The farmers had cars, tractors instead of horses, and farm machinery that made farming a breeze compared to the "old days." Now in 1988, times have changed again and the farmers are meeting new difficulties, experiencing hard times but for different reasons: low commodity prices, extremely high production costs, and federal government regulations which stifle the farming industry. The supply of irrigation water from the Ogallala aquifer may be gone in twenty years and the supply of oil in the world will be depleted in twenty-five years. But the farmers of today who have perseverance and faith in the land will survive. But just as Maynard and Kate Pratt and the other early settlers of Kit Carson County did, these farmers will also find ways to overcome the difficulties that will face them in the future. by Lois Havens PRICE, WILLIS F635 Willis L. Price was born at Liverpool, New York, June 28th, L874. He spent his childhood in that vicinity and graduated from high school at Syracuse, New York. He then entered the Syracuse Medical College, having a great desire to become a physician, but in his second year of college life, his health began to fail and he was compelled to give up his educational career. In the spring of 1900, he came to Flagler, Co., where his cousins, W.H. Lavington and W.E. Weller, were Iocated. He spent the first summer on the Lavington ranch north of Vona, and after partly regaining his health, he took the position of teacher in the school in District 19, the school house then being located just east of Flagler, after which, he held the position of principal of the Flagler school for 2 years. The next two years Mr. Price spent as manager of the lumber yard owned by Mrs. Cornwell, later Mrs. S.A. Johnson. In the fall of 1906, he was elected county treasurer, serving one term. During this term of office the court house burned at Burlington, and Mr. Price broke in the window of his office and saved all the treasurer's books except one. But in doing so he becn-e so excited, and inhaled so much smoke that on his arrival home a physician was called. He rallied and was in pretty fair health until the following May, when he broke down again. He went back to New York and on Oct. 7, 1907, he was married to Florence Reese. They returned to Burlington where they resided until May, 1909, when they returned to Flagler. During the summer of 1909, he and his cousin, W.H. Lavington, built the Flagler Hotel, and a little later they erected an elevator here, which Mr. Price managed during the fall and winter. In the fall of 1910, he became associated with the Flagler State Bank, and was chosen as cashier. He served in this capacity until �June, 1918, when his tuberculosis had so impaired him, that he gave up active management of the bank. He was then elected vice president of the bank, a position he held until his death. The bank had been converted into the First National Bank of Flagler. Wiilis and Florence were the parents of two children; Jeanette and Willis. Mr. Price was a conscientious christian man, and devoted a great deal of his time in religious work, and work for the uplift of humanity. He was a member of the I.O.O.F. and Masonic lodges of Flagler. Friday morning, Nov. 3, 1922, Mr. Price was making his daily trip to the bank, but stopped at the Lemon blacksmith shop to visit with friends. It was presumed he felt uneasy and was taken with a fit of coughing. He start€d for home (a short distance away) and when reaching the yard called for his wife. She rushed to his side, medical aid was summoned to no avail and Mr. Price passed away. by Janice Salmane PROAPS, SIIEPARD L. F636 homestead with her husband. Edward Proaps, son of S.L. Proaps, was in World War I in the Army where he met Miss Carolyn Wittner, an American Red Cross nurse in France, who became his bride September 10, 1919, at Hugo, Colorado. He was an American soldier boy wounded by shrapnel. He cn-e home in the spring of 1918 with an honorable discharge. They raised two sons, Jackie and Lloyd. Both served in World War II; Jackie lost his life over Japan. Roy Proaps, son of Shepard and Mary Jane Proaps, was born August 31, 1888, at Logan, Kansas. In the spring of 1906 he came to Colorado with his parents to a homestead north of Flagler. He was married to Catherine Ruby at Wray, Colorado, January 15, 1914. There were 5 children born to this couple: Edna, Esther, Elma, Harold, and Sherman. The earlier part of his life was spent in the vicinity of Flagler and Thurman farming. In the fall of 1936, he and his family moved to the valley where they made their home Grandpa and Uncle Bob Proaps drilling a weII He lost his wife April26, 1913. On the 19th ofFebruary, 1918, he was united in a second marriage to Rose Ann Smith of Flagler. He and his son Robert drilled manv water wells with a team of horses. around Ordway and Rocky Ford. Robert H. Proaps, a son of S.L. Proaps, was born March 22, L893, at Logan, Kansas. He married Caroline A. Martin, October 18, 1916, in Genoa, Colorado. He farmed in the Genoa area for a short while and was in the well drilling business with his father for many years. He was a talented rhusician. He played many a night at the Flagler Hotel in years by Dorothy Ilarwood PROCTOR, SIGEL AND LULU gone by and all around the country. He moved to California in 1934 with his family and passed away on February 24, L984, at F538 Napa, California. by Dorothy Harwood PROAPS, SIIEPARD L. F637 ?,r:.i;.,- -. The Proctor twins first year at Smelker School: Front row: (l tn r) Ivan Smelker, Faye and Fern Proctor, ? Austin. Back row: Theodore and Westley Smelker, teacher Miss Anioner, and Jess Hardin. My parents, Sigel and Lulu Proctor, came west from Norton, Kansas in 1916. They traveled in an immigrant wagon to homestead 16 miles south-west of Stratton. My twin sister, Faye Byrne, and I, Fern Penick, were born on that homestead claim in a sod Edward Proaps in service, 191?, lower right. house. Mother said they built the barn first, Children Frank Proaps, when a young man, lived in and around Flagler for many years. He was the mail carrier on the star route to Thurman, Colorado. He was born near Centerville, Washington, on August 30, 1877. He moved partitioned it off with the horses on one half and they lived in the other half while they put up a two room sod house; later they added another room. This house was very cool in the summer and warm in the winter, and the Shepard L. Proaps to Flagler, Colorado, when his dad moved there. He was married to Bertha Cross, July 11, 1900. Three children blessed their home. Ella Proaps Dowd was born July 4, 1881, in Jewell County, Kangas to Shepard L. and Mary Jane Proaps. When but a gmall child, she moved with her parents to Phillips County, Kansas where she attended public school and was married to John Dowd, August 21, 1900. She was well known around Flagler, having lived north of town on a Shepard L. Proaps was born April 6, 1853, near Granville, Ohio. He was married December 18, 1871, to Mary Jane Judd who was kidnapped in Illinois in childhood and then raised in Montana. They moved to Colorado in 1906 and took up a homestead north of Flagler. There were twelve children born to this couple John, William, Charles, Frank, Albert, Ella, Mae, June, Sherman, Edward, Roy and Robert. windows were deep which served as a wonderful desk for the children's school work. Later a frame house was built with a full basement, running water and other super-great conveniences! Father drilled his own well with the help of neighbors and later helped with several others in the county. He worked hard in the field and chores; he had no sons to help him. However he always took time for my sister and I, to answer our questions, tell funny stories, and play games. We attended a one room small school �house, thru the 8th grade and went to High School in Stratton. When we first started to school in the first grade, we walked the 2Vz miles when the weather permitted. Our mother always sent our faithful dog along with us to school because she worried about the rattlesnakes. He would run along ahead of our path and sniff out the snakes, grab them and shake them to death. In the early spring he was kept busy. In those days we had what was called'free range'or'open range'. My father had several head of cattle; they could travel miles in the summer of 'fly time' as it was called. Sometimes it was my job to keep track of them and bring in the milk cows at night. That meant riding the range several hours a day and I enjoyed this assignment on my fast and gentle cutting horse. Sometimes all the milk cows were not found by dark and I would return without them. This meant my father had to get a fresh horse and go back for them; he was always understanding even tho it was sometimes late in the night before he got home again. My parents' days started early and they were long; Mother made her own soap, helped with the chores, churned butter and sold eggs. was She raised chickens and turkeys. always planned to have our first fried chicken on the 4th of July; what a treat! She planted It a huge garden and worked long hours in the summer in it. She always canned fruit and vegetables, made sausage and cured hnms from the butchered beef and pork. My father usually had help to butcher the animals and the helper always took meat home for his pay. Mother cooked on a coal-stove, sometimes it was with cow-chips; she made all our bread try his luck once again. He bought wheat land and enjoyed seeing Kit Carson County develop into the wheat area it is today. After suffering several strokes, he was a big care for Mother, who was by now making all the decisions and working long hours again. Our father passed away in 1968, at 78 years of age. Mother remained active and alert, living alone and keeping her yard and flowers. She loved working in the yard and driving her car for her pleasure and taking others to Burlington to the doctor's office orjust shopping and lunch. Her sense of humor was always there except for her last year when her arthritis made some of her days painful and kept her inside. She was 91 years when she passed away in 1981. There were struggles and hard times on the farm but she always referred to those times as her happiest years. My twin sister and husband now reside in Englewood, Co. I live in Cheyenne Wy. which has been home to me for forty years. I'm retired from Civil Service here. We continue to have our interest in wheat. tho I'm sure our parents never dreamed how depressed the market would be and how the property tax would double and triple. With time all that will change, too. by Mrs. Fern Penick returned to Stratton by team and wagon in April of 1910. Frank brought his family back to his homestead by immigrant train in April of 1910. Fred stayed on the J.W. Borders homestead northwest of Stratton while he to. The tin sided shack still stands on the F639 homestead. Our mother, Alta M. Miles, daughter of Louis Edward and Cora Ann (Scott) Miles, born October 17, 1904 in Tonganoxie, Kan- and ironing with 'flat' irons; she worked constantly! In the early days everyone more or less sas, was 1 of 9 children. Alta's mother passed away December 14, 1911 when Alta was 7 made their own amusement; Bocial life centered around church and the school house years old. Alta came to Colorado from with card playing, picnics and dinners; and barn dances which lasted until almost sunup at times. There were programs and box suppers and fun get togethers at the school Lawtence, Kansas with her father and younger sister, Ruth, in 1913 by covered wagon drawn by a tee'n of mules. Alta and her family lived on the Hell Creek River northeast of Stratton near Kirk. Alta attended school at the Hell Creek School. U.S.D. #53. Fred & Alta met at a "Barn Dance" and were maried November 13, 1919 at Stratton, Co. The evening they were married Fred picked Alta up in a sled as there had been a big snow and they could not use a car. They got stranded in town and had to spend the house and at church. Some days in the winter we were very much snowed in and isolated with no telephone in the earlier times. [t was necessaq/ for my father to drive a wagon and team of horsee to town for supplies. In deep snow it took 3 night at the "Collins Hotel". Walter, the oldest child of Fred and Alta was born in the little tin-sided shack. Ap- However, they managed to stay on the farm L to R: Clyde Pugh (Fred's brother) and Fred and Alta Pugh standing in front of tin sided shack on homestead in the summer of 1978. home place and moved to Stratton; my father's health was failing and taking life easier seemed the thing to do at that place and time. He soon realized he missed the Our father, Freddie Harrison Pugh, son of Jameg Kay and Zilpha Eliza (Craft) Pugh, born January 28, 1889 in Dighton, Kansas, was 1 of 13 children. Fred came to Stratton fields and needed to be in touch with his past. He had so much faith in the land, he had to from Grinnell, Grove County, Kansas with several years after the dust quit. It was sometime in the early forties they sold the Fred's sister, Daisy. Fred returned to Kansas to pick up his personal possessions and sided with tin cans. Later he built on a lean- and all our meals, not to mention the washing or 4 days. He was always glad to arrive home cold and hungry and we were glad to see him and have some goodies to eat again. The depression in the early thirties, grasshoppers and the drought were all difficulties, but the dust bowl days, as I recall, were my parents most trying times. It was at this time they discussed, for the first time, having a sale and leaving the farm. Forever highlighted in my memory was a day when a big black cloud of dust came rolling in just as Mother finished two long days of work cleaning our house. She sat down and cried. too tired and depressed to hang all those wet sheets to the windows and doors again. their homesteads northeast of Stratton in November of 1909. Frank was married to built a house on his homestead, Section 9 Township 7 South, Range 46 West of the 6th Principal Meridian. Fred's first house on the homestead was a little fra-e shack which he PUGH - MILES FAMILY Fred and Alta Pugh in front of convertible owned by son Louis, home visiting from California. Taken at 412 Iowa after building their home here. Frank Louis Beattie and thev filed claims on proximatcly late 1920 or early 1921 Fred built a big two story house on the homestead. This house had now been moved and added onto and is on the Gerald Lempp farm. Fred was a farmer, also having a threshing machine and corn sheller which he traveled from place to place with before his marriage to Alta. Fred had an unfortunate accident in 1915 when the steam engine blew up and he was thought dead for sometime. Fred and Alta had good crops and good luck until the beginning of the depression in 1929 when everything seemed to go wrong as it had with many others. Their crops failed on account of no rain, no snow, dust storms and etc. They lost most of their corn crop in 1934. Fred always did Blacksmith work for all the neighbors. In the spring of 1940 Fred started working in the W.O. Pickerill Welding Shop �for a few years. Later Fred opened a Blacksmith and Welding Shop of his own which was located Vz block west of Colorado St. on 2nd St. Later he moved his shop to their residence at 412 Iowa St. where he worked until his retirement. Fred also spend many years in different fields sharpening one-ways. In Fred's earlier years he did the calling at the Square Dances and enjoyed playing his harmonica. Alta always helped on the farm, raised big gardens and canned their fruits and vegetables. Alta sewed nearly all the clothes for herselfand the children and pieced quilts and had quilted them. She took in ironing and did wallpapering to help out and worked as a cook at the "Stratton Cafe" and for several years was a Stanley Home Products dealer. Alta was a sewing and cooking 4-H leader for several years and she belonged to the Helping Hand Club, Home Demonstration Club and Ladies Aide. Fred & Alta had 12 children - (7 sons & 5 daughters) - as follows: Walter Freddie born September 8, 1920, married Aileen McCorkle August 19, 1941 and have 9 children - (5 sons & 4 daughters), 26 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren. Walter now divorced resides in Goodland, Kansas. Ernest Ja-es born February 13, L922 and served in the Marines from 1944-45. From his lst marriage he has 2 children - (1 son & 1 daughter), 7 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren. From his 2nd marriage he has 1 daughter and 3 grandchildren. From his 3rd marriage he has 2 daughtcrs and 4 grandchildren. From his 4th marriage he has 1 son and 2 grandchildren. His 5th marriage gives him 3 sons and 3 grandchildren. Ernest and Linda reside in Byers, Colorado. Louis Joseph born September 20, 1922 served in the Navy from 1941-1946. He maried Martha Fishley November 24, L945 and they have 1 daughter. Louis now divorced resides in Stratton. Colorado. Rosalie Pickerill born Api122,1925, married William (Bill) Wayne Pickerill October 25, L94L. They had 1 daughter who lived only a few hours and have 2 sons and 4 grandchildren. Rosalie & Bill reside in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Orville Albert born September 21, 1927. Orville died in a house fire April L9, L947 at the age of 19 in Limon, Colorado. Evelyn Margie born December 2, L929 being stillborn. Virgil Harrison born February 23, L932 served in the Navy from 1951-1955. He married Canell Stull September 2, 1953. They have 2 sons and 1 grandchild. Virgil married Janice (Vanderloop) Davlin November 4, L967. They had 1 son who was killed in a car accident August 11, 1983 at the age of 14 in Cedar Rapids, Nebraska. Virgil & Jan reside in Cedar Rapids, Nebraska. LavinaAltaborn October 27, L933, married Ervin Carl Decker June 30, 1950 and they have 3 children (1 son & 2 daughters) and 8 grandchildren, 2 of these died in infancy. Lavina married Earl Rankin in 1969 and they have 2 children (1 son & l daughter). She married Duane Hall, September 29, 1976. Lavina & Duane reside in Anchorage, Alaska. Orilla Marie born April 27,L93l,married Don Doyle Harless October 21, 1956. They had 1 son who was killed in a car accident April 4, L976 at the age of 18 in Cheyenne Wells, Colorado and they have 5 daughters and 7 grandchildren. Orilla married Floyd Jestes July 17, 1982. Floyd adopted the 2 youngest girls in 1983. Orilla & Floyd reside in Cheyenne Wells, Colorado. Hazel Greeta Viola born June 24, 1936 passed away November 3, 1936 of double pneumonia. Grace Maxine born January 22, 1940 married Terry Kiefer July 20, 1958. They have 4 children (2 boys & 2 girls) and 7 grandchildren. Grace married Frank Mahaffey September27,L982. Grace & Frank reside in Goodland, Kansas. Jodell Elaine born January 9, L944 maried John Westen Fox June 3, 1962. They have 2 children (1 son & 1 daughter). Jodell married Robert LeRoy Musgrove May 8, 1974 and they have 1 daughter. Jodell now divorced resides in Wichita, Kansas. Fred & Alta's total number of grandchildten - 44; great grandchildren - 74; great great grandchildren - 5. All the children except Jodell spent part of their childhood days on the homestead. Fred moved his family into Stratton during the winter months starting in 1939 so the children could go to school then back to the homestead during the summer months. the winter of 1943-44 the family moved into town permanently living in two different apart- ments on Colorado St. then moving to a house on New York Avenue across from the old Foster Lumber Company Fred built their last home at 412 lowa St. in 1947 where they resided until February 5, 1983 when they both entered the Cheyenne Manor Nursing Home in Cheyenne Wells, Colorado and remained there until the time of their deaths. All 9 children returned home in 1969 to help celebrate Fred & Alta's 50th wedding anniversary and again in 1974 to help celebrate their 55th wedding anniversary and once again in 1979 to help celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary. Fred & Alta spent 63 loving years together. Fred & Alta were members of the Stratton United Methodist Church. Fred passed away May 23, 1983 at the age of 94. Alta passed away December 31, 1984 at the age of 80. Grace & Jodell hope to keep the home at 4L2lovta, Stratton, Colorado in the family by purchasing the shares of the other 7 brothers and sisters. This story was written by 3 of the girls Rosalie, Grace & Jodell with the help of their dear cousin, Blanche (Beattie) Dove. by Jodel Musgrove PUGH, JOHN John and Jane Pugh. his apprenticeship in the coal mines, but decided this was not to be his life. He went to Liverpool, planning to book passage to Canada or Australia; however, there was no steamer leaving for weeks and there was one leaving for New York the next day. John arrived in America in September of 1878. (It would be 33 years before he returned to Wales, with his oldest daughter, Leona, to visit his mother.) In America, he first went to a Welsh settlement in Pennsylvania, only to find that this was a coal mining community, so he went on to Iowa, where he found work on Jane's father's farm. John worked here as a farmhand for five years before he went to work on the Springer ranch in New Mexico. It was here that he learned the cattle business that was to be his way of life. He had not forgotten the little girl in the cornfield; he returned to marry Jane Richards in the Bethel Church, Columbus City, Iowa on February 22, L886. After their marriage, Jane and John went to Springer, New Mexico, where John had been working. Homestead land in eastern Colorado was available that year; and, on October of 1886, the Pughs decided to come to Colorado. Travelling with Mr. and Mrs. Jones, they came by railroad to Wray, where they bought F640 Jane E. Richards, born in Columbus City, Iowa, August 13, 1864, was one of seven children of John and Ann (Arthur) Richards. Her father, a Welch immigrant, had returned to his farm in lowa after serving in the Civil War. One autumn day in 1879 Jane and a group of schoolgirls went to her father's cornfield to meet the young immigrant from Wales - John J. Pugh. Many years later, Jane recalled that she "would never forget his shoes, for they had such thick soles. They made him even taller and his native trousers were so thick .-.-. his mother must have thought America a very cold country to have spun them so thick." John Pugh was born in Llanidloes, Powys County, Wales on Dec. 25, 1857. His father had been killed in a coal mine accident and his mother had remarried. John completed a horse and wagon. An early "northeaster" forced them to stop in Friend (near ldalia) where there were a few soddies. The first night, the horses broke loose from their tether. After three days walking to find the horses, it was decided to leave the women in Friend while the men went on to stake the claims. Here on the Colorado prairie, just before Christmas (Dec. 22, 1886) Leona Alice Pugh, the first white child in Kit Carson County was born. John staked his claim on the "divide" nean the Republican River. At this time it was as bleak on the river as on the upland; however, the grass was taller and water was available. He made a dugout about 10 by 14 feet, added a roof, and a window, a door, and went back to Friend to get Jane and his new baby. Jane Pugh later wrote (1911); We placed our all in 320 acres of land. We built a barn, chicken house, pig pen, and hand dug a well. We broke �land for corn fodder, and for several years, we had hopes, sometimes high and sometimes low. Again, was the vast wilderness of land, sky, Bun, wind, and mirage, our nearest neighbor was seven miles. After the railroad cnme through in 1900, settlers began coming and life was not so lonely. Then a wave of financial adversity struck and a great many left the best way they could. Many more would if they could (myself, for one), but we stayed put. We had considered ourselves good farmers in the east (Iowa), but dry land farming was different. We concluded we must have something besides hope to live on and turned in the direction of stock raising. We had gathered a few cows and could see the possibility of a living, as grass was plenty and good quality. It was a great deal of hard work, but we were young, well, and strong. Sometimes we thought it all a mistake. No church, no school, few neighbors, but quite congenial. Yet we couldn't see beyond. We, like many others, were obliged to go with out coal for years, and had only the bare necessities of life. Looking back, I find it has been worth the while. It has the means to bring out the best all that is in one, had fascination, independence, sorrows, and joy. John bought his first cow for thirty dollars; the second was a gift from Jane's father and a third was traded for plowing ten acres for a neighbor the Pugh Ranch was on its way. In 1891, the- Pughs bought the Tuttle Ranch on the Republican River, later adding the Six Mile and the Cox ranches to their holdings. house was built and just in time - Laura Helen was born in November of 1905 in the "big house". Twelve children, four died as babies, what a heartbreak pioneers endured! The Pughs were a h"ppy, close family. The children roamed the hills, looking for Indian beads, trinkets and arrow heads. They played in the "willows" and in the meadows. They played and they worked, the girls helped in the fields and in the house and the boys did a man's job. On April 13, 1913, tragedy struck. John Pugh had a stroke. He died April 23. Jane was left with six children under eighteen and a ranch to run. This she did, with the help of her family untilLg24.In 1937 Leona, who had been living in Iowa, lost her husband and returned to Colorado. Leona and Jane made their home together for the next twenty-five years. This was the "Grandma and Aunt Onie" I knew as a child. Grandma had long white hair held up by combs. She spent her time reading and writing and she loved the old hymns. In her bedroom was a big high feather bed that no one ever sat on. A quilting frame often took up most of the front room. There was always peppermint candy in the cupboard. Jane Pugh died October 18, 1961, at the age of 97. Her legacy was love. by Betty Roehr LLEWELLYN AND Landholdings included Six Mile (sold to Harry Cox in 1890) and Tuttle Ranches). By TRESSIE REBECCA 1913 the Pugh Ranch consisted of 2,000 acres; the herds numbered some 1400 head of cattle, (R.EZZEIr-) 80 to 100 horses, and a large number ofhogs, F541 (from obituary ofJ. Pugh, 1913). The brand The Pughs were active in the community. They were involved in the organization of the Tuttle school in 1890, a district about fifteen miles long. The first school was an old sod riding, shooting and roping in the best traditions of eastern Colorado boys. When World War I came along, he enlisted in the Air Force, with his mother's permission since he was under 18, and served until the armistice. Tressie Rebecca Rezzer was born in Beaver County, Oklahoma in 1905 to Will and Laura Rezzer. Will Rezzer,afarmer of Pennsylvania Dutch extraction, had migrated to Oklahoma with his mother, and Laura E. Reid of Scots and Irish descent, met and married in mines at Minden Mines, Kansas, and had followed her family when they had moved on however, he lost his herd with roving buffalo. raised. Ranch was located 18 miles northeast of Stratton in the valley ofthe South Fork ofthe Republican and Spring Creek. Lloyd grew up Oklahoma. Laura had "worked out" from the PUGH, LLOYD was P/9. John farmed, but it was an adjunct to the stock business; he fed most of what he parents, John J. and Jane E. Pugh. The P/9 age of twelve in the boarding houses near the (Tuttle first saw land while with U.S. Cal- vary. He returned in 1870 with cattle; Loyd and Tressie Pugh Lloyd Llewellyn Pugh, one of 12 children, was born October 4, 1898 in the sod house that was the predecessor of the proud Victorian home built in 1902 by Lloyd's to Oklahoma. Two children, Tressie Rebecca and Orville Winfield, were aged two and seven when the family moved by covered wagon to a quitclaim south and east of Kirk where Will built a soddy that still stands today. Tressie attended Clark school through eight grades and, there being no high school available, found a job working in the Joes store. She also farmed along with her brother and drove wheat trucks (Model A variety) to the elevator in Stratton. Her father, Will, contracted diabetes prior to the wide spread house with no window. William Arthur Richards (Jane Pugh's brother) taught the first three month term for $25.00 per month. Later, both Gladys and Mabel Pugh taught in the Tuttle School. Both Jane and John were active in the establishment of the Congregational Church in the Tuttle Community. John had a good voice and loved to lead group singing. The first Sunday School was in the home of Mr. E.G. Davis. Jane taught Sunday School. As the Pugh Ranch grew, so did the family, twelve children were born to John and Jane. Leona was not yet two when Arthur Lewis was born in July, 1888. In 1890 Evan Albert was born, but he lived only six weeks. In 1891 the family moved to the Tuttle Ranch. The house had been an army fort and the walls were three feet thick with an outside door in every room. It was here that John Jay (189f) was born. In 1893 the Pughs had another ilaughter, Mabel Ann. Two years later, Mary Gladys was born. The next year, John Jay who was five, died of cholera infantile. The little fort must have been filled to overflowing rs Lloyd Llewllyn and Richard Luther joined t'he family. Three years later, in 1903, Clara Amy was born. The next year a new large ' .+: 4 P:.ia Old original Pugh ranch; Lloyd the babe in arms . . before 1902 �use of insulin and died in 1932. Lloyd and Tressie were married March 7, L927. at Grant Methodist Church in Denver. Lloyd and Tressie set up housekeeping on the old Colonel Osborn place on the Kirk High- Lodge and Eastern Star, Boy Scouts, and the Kit Carson County Fair where Lloyd had charge of the horse barns during the 1940's all benefited from their labors. Tressie was -a committeewoman for the Republican Party way and, after a year there, moved to the location of the old Pugh Ranch, and established the XT Cross. A son, Robert Lloyd, was born in 1928. The Dirty Thirtiee began a little later for the valley, but by 1932 the grass was exhausted and Cressie Seal and Lloyd rented pasturage around the Limon Breaks to run for many years. In 1948, Swede Hornung and Lloyd built and operated the brick sale barn about 500 head of cattle through the summer. served as mayor of Stratton during the early Fall's arrival marked sale time for the cattle and they were loaded out on the railroad in Limon at 4 a.m. for Kansas City. Lloyd and Tressie's second son, William John was born the next day, September 8, 1932. Conditions improved through some leased grasslands closer to home but the drought really didn't break until Memorial Day, 1935, when 24 inches ofrain fell in less than t hours. Lloyd and Tressie awoke to find the house entirely surrounded with water lapping at the front doorstep. The Flood of 1935 deciminated the ranch including 40 head of cattle, all the corrals and fences, the hogs and pens, all the machinery and ruined the meadow hayfields. The snakes were particularly bad that summer, having washed down river to be caught in the willows and cottonwoods that lined Spring Creek. Lloyd and Tressie weathered the depression by trading eggs and cream for staples, marketing cattle during intolerable markets and butchering beef for the local butcher shop when prices were down. Laura Marie, born in 1938, completed the family. The late Thirties and early Forties brought better days. To quote Tressie's words, "We didn't have any money but we could get credit!" They used that privilege wisely and expanded the operation to nearly double the size of their holdings. About 500-700 cattle were wintered over in an average year. Late winter through spring was calving season and fence repair time. The fences crossing the creeks were particularly vulner- able and had to be restrung and weighted after almost every flood. Weaning the calves one slept during the fall was a sad time - nocalves were much that first night as the little penned in the corral separated from their mothers. Branding, beginning with the roun- dup and marking all the yearlings, was a community effort, shared by representatives the Woods, of most of the nearby families Corliss, Daffer, Whipple, Lucas,- Belt. Haying time brought large crews who boarded and slept at the ranch until the job was completed - usually about two weeks. The stacker, mower, bucks, rakes and wagons were powthe pitchered by horses - unfortunately, forks weren't! One of the fond memories of childhood was riding the stacker and being thrown onto the top ofthe stack. Second best was riding on top of the hay wagon as the horses, Beauty and Bette, plodded down the lane to the barn. Fall roundup for market meant either the long cattle drive to town to the railroad or trucking out the livestock to the various sale barns in the area. Despite the isolation of living on the ranch, Tressie and Lloyd were active members of the community and involved in all facets of its development. The Colorado Cattlemen's Association and its auxiliary, the Cowbelles, the American Legion and Auxiliary, Masonic north of the railroad tracks in Stratton. In 1951 Lloyd and Tressie built and moved into the first modern brick home in Stratton and "livin' in town". Lloyd served on the Board of Directors for the First National Bank and began a life of civic service. He 50's when a modern sewer system was installed and later as police magistrate. They both have been very active in the Evangelical United Brethren Church, now the United Methodist. Travelling has always been a "Pugh" characteristic and Lloyd and Tressie upheld that fine old tradition. Europe, Africa, Alaska, and every state in the nation as well as lots of Canada and Mexico beca-e places of fond remembrance. They owned one of the first sampers on the nation's highways and spent most of the winters in sunny climes nineteen of them in Port Isabel, Texas. They celebrated their fiftieth anniversary with their friends in Port Isabel in March of 1977 and again in June with their Colorado friends and relatives. Lloyd passed away on October 8, 1983, four days after his 85th birthday and is buried in Claremont Cemetery near Stratton. Tressie continues to live in their home in Stratton. by Marie Pugh Idler received a Golden Award (50 years) for animation from the Motion Picture Cartoonists Guild in 1987. He is retired and lives in New York City. He has also been doing fine art for many years and some of his paintings are being shown in some of the Madison Avenue galleries. Lorraine moved to California in 1939 where she first worked for an advertising agency, and then, first radio, and then television production in both Hollywood and New York City until 1978 when she retired. Ben Pyle died in 1970 at the age of 82. Maude Pyle Campbell lives in Leisure World at Long Beach, California. She is 95 years of age and still very active in bridge tournaments and other activities. Denver Pyle, the youngest of the three children, attended grade school in Bethune, and junior and senior high school in Boulder, later studying at the University of Colorado for two years. He supported himself and his education by playing the drums in the college band. After leaving the university, Denver became restless and decided to give Gene Krupa some competition in the drumming world. The gigs were few and money was tight. He soon hocked his drums and hit the road, hitchhiking. He worked as a roust-about in the oil fields of Oklahoma, a shrimp fisherman out of Galveston, and followed the wheat harvest from North Texas to Canada. After working for Mid-Continent Petroleum in Tulsa as a still cleaner, he hit the road again and hitchhiked to Hollywood to see his brother and sister in 1940. Soon after he arrived he worked for NBC as a page boy and tour guide. He tried to enlist but was rejected by the PYLE, DENVER F642 Ben H. Pyle, his wife Maude, and two children Lorraine age 4 and Willis age 3, moved to Bethune in 1917. They came by train from Smith Center, Kansas, and settled on a homestead located 9 miles south of Bethune, which they farmed until 1919, when they moved into Bethune. They built a house and Ben went into the real estate business. Denver was born in 1920. Until the new school was built, all three children attended school in the first white one-room schoolhouse and then the second one built later on. The whole family remembers those days in Bethune as very happy ones, and will always remember this as "home." They survived the great depression, always managing to have enough food and clothing as well as a home. Ben also managed a grain elevator in Bethune at this time. In 1933 the family moved to Boulder so the children could attend the University of Colorado. Maude Pyle had a boarding house for students and Ben worked with a grain company. Lorraine returned to this area in 1935 when she taught at the one-room school north of Burlington. She remembers staying with the William and Martha (Stutz) Schlichenmayers when their twin sons Roland and Raymond were born. The babies were so small they were put in shoe boxes and kept warm on the oven door. Wilis Pyle went to Hollywood, California in 1938, where he became an animator for the Walt Disney Studios for many years. He Army. He signed up as a Cadet Midshipman for the Maritime Commission and carried his 4F card throughout the South Pacific on his tour of duty. Following World War II he became inter- ested in acting. His first part in the play, "Out of the Frying Pan," was in a girls drama school in need of some boys for the play. The director encouraged him to study acting whereupon Denver took her advice and signed to study with Josephine Dillion, the teacher that launched Clark Gable. Following parts in several theater productions his first big part came in "The Man From Colorado" with Glenn Ford and Bill Holden, which was released in 1946. He made 4 motion pictures with John Wayne as well as many others. The advent of television helped his career immeasurably. "Tammy," "The Doris Day Show," "Grizzly Adams," and "The Dukes of Hazzard" were among the more popular roles he became known for. Following "The Dukes of Hazzard" series he no longer accepted personal appearance contracts. Instead, he and his wife, Tippi, whom he married in 1983, have travelled back and forth across the United States using 'Uncle Jesse' to raise millions of dollars for childrens'charities. His fee? A clean room, an airline ticket, or sometimes at his own expense. As he says, "A hug from a Special Olympic contender is a lot more rewarding than an envelope full of money." He feels as though he has accomplished what he set out to do. He has worked with most of the great actors of his time, and has �collect the eggs. Since I was the fastest runner, I always gathered more eggs than anyone elee and it made my brothers and sisters angry". Gladys met George in Flagler the year the Stratton School Dietrict shut down. Both were avid hunters and loved to dance. "Those were the only real types of entertainment in those days, and we used to dance until the wee hours of the morning. George always made sure they played the song, "My wild Irish Rose". It was his favorite song and he would always sing along with it. I also remember th6f, nlmsst, eysrybody rode horseback because automobiles were etill scarce in our atea." They were united 3 years after George returned from the service and Tony Dischner Kr:ti. was a witness at their wedding. The very next 1 day, Gladys took over duties as Postmaster and George as clerk and mail carrier of the Stratton Post Office, a position they held from 1922-1935. "In those days, the postmaster had to be of the snme political party as the President. We were lucky to have 3 Republican Presidents in a row before Roosevelt became president and we were replaced. I also remember the Post Office being constantly harassed by the Ku Klux Klan", Gladys says. After the Post Office, George held various jobs at the Lumber Yard, Snell Grain Elevator and the Rock Island Railroad, while Gladys began teaching. She taught in the Country Schools for 10 years and another 17 years in Stratton as an Elementary Teacher. She often jokes, "It took me 13 years to get out of the 1st grade". Many of the long-time residents ofStratton were once pupils ofhers, as a walk down the street attests to by the warm greetings she receives. The love and support of friendship is a very treasured gift ,:1.:' s .:' , f'j! t,{.1 j : to her. From this union 3 children were born; The popular character actor, Denver Pyle, spent his early years in Bethune. become one of the top character men in the businees. by Bonnie Witzel Lynn, Sheila, Cheryl Roehr; Brenda, hus- QUINN - PUGH FAMILY Betty Jo, Patrick George and Mary Margaret. In 1963 tragedy struck the Quinn's when their son, Patrick, was lost in the Sangre De Cristo Mountains near Westcliffe. Search efforts were unsuccessful and his fate was uncertain until 14 years later when his remains were found. Upon retirement, George and Gladys continued to live in Stratton, cherishing God, their Church, Family and Friends. George and Glady's family now includes: 2 daughters, Betty Jo and husband Paul Roehr of Fort Collins, Colo.; Mary Margaret and husband Norman Sandy of Granby, Colo.; 6 grand-daughters, Laura, husband Jim Pool, band Al Courtney; Lisa Sandy; one grandson, Brian Sandy and three great grandchildren. George passed away on March 13, 1984, at the age of 88 after a lingering illness, while F643 George Edward Quinn and Mary Gladys Pugh were maried in Cheyenne Wells, Colo., on January 2,1922. They lived all of their 62 married years in Stratton, Colorado. George and Gladys (right) at Eads, CO with good friende Jim and Ruby Hollowas (left) display their results of a successful day of their favorite sport, goose hunting. Back in those days, there was no limit to the "mount taken. George Edward Quinn was born on June 1, 1895, the llth of 13 children born to Michael First Lieutenant. and Anna Boyd Quinn, early pioneers from lreland who came to Eastern Colorado with bhe Rock Island Railroad. George lived in Flagler all of his childhood years and attended echool there. He joined the Army in May of 1917, and was commissioned as 2nd Lt. before serving in the 157th Regiment Infanbry Division in France in World War I. He was honorably discharged on October 3, 1919, as Mary Gladys Pugh Quinn was born October 14, 1895, the 6th of 12 children born to John and Jane Pugh, both of Welsh origin. Gladys was raised on the Republican River and attended school at Tuttle, 18 miles north of Stratton. Gladys recalls many fond memories of her childhood days; "Mother used to pay us I penny for every egg we gathered; so all of us kids would run home after school to Gladys continues to live in good health at her home in Stratton. by Mary Quinn Sandy �prairie while she did her washing. Of course, she had to keep a sharp lookout for snakes; there were many of them on the prairies. And there were thousands ofwild range cattle that would flock around our little sod shack at night and dig their horns into the walls and bellow. Then we would open the door and yell at them and when they were running away @.{ the noise oftheir hoofs sounded like thunder. Hundreds of antelope furnished meat for the settlers who were then coming in. There were plenty of coyotes, too. After proving up on this claim, they took T I a pre-emption one quarter of a mile south of Flagler and nearer to town. Anna's husband lived at home with them and helped more with the work, still doing his work as section foreman on the railroad. They went into the cattle business; the older children and Anna were running the ranch until the oldest son got old enough to help. Often times they would hear the wind blowing ahead of a blizzard and would go out at night and get the cattle rounded up and home before the blizzard struck and the cattle started to drift. Anna remembered one time an awful blizzatd, came and snowed them in their hundred men. Anna's husband, Michael dugout south of town. Her husband shoveled the snow back into the house and burrowed his way out. When the snow melted there was about a foot of water on the floor, and the children had to stay on the bed and chairs until we got the floor dried up. As time went on they were able to improve their place and when the children got older Quiirn, was Walking Boss, Bo they stayed in qnmp until our contract was finished. some years. After her husband's death she George and Gladys at their window in the Stratton Post Office, and later of Denver; Mary Green (Mrs. Charlies) Denver; Jim Quinn, Stratton; Jo Quinn, Lincoln, Nebr. There were two other women with small children and over one Anna's husband then became Section Foreman with headquarters in Flagler, so we then located on a claim two miles north of where the town now stands. We built a one room and house and as the walls were Gladys Pugh homestead houae "Quovadis" on the Arickaree River north of Stratton. QUINN, ANNA F644 Anna Quinn was born in Ohio on September 7, 1858, and cnme to Iowa with her parents when six years of age. She lived in Iowa twenty-two years, then came to Kansas in 1885. On March 28, 1888, they arrived in Kit Carson County and made eernp at the place where Flagler is now located. They had come west with the P.J. Murphy Grading Outfit to build the grade for the Rock Island Railroad from Goodland, Kansas to Colorado Springs. They unloaded the mules, horses and grading outfit at Kit Carson (Cheyenne County), Colorado, having shipped to that point via the Union Pacific Railroad. They then went overland to our location, Flagler, Colorado. Nothing before them on the stretch of lonesome prairie but one home where Grandma Doughty's girls later taught school after the settlement start€d and taught throughout the county for some years. They had no idea of the hardships they would meet, so were unprepared for blizzards or storms and had but one ton of coal with the outfit and were thirty milee from where they could get more. The men pitched camp, eetting up the tents, and feed racks, etc. Anna had five emall children, Margaret Epperson (Mrs. George), Flagler; Bess Miller, Stratton unplastered we were bothered terribly with the prairie fleas; they were so plentiful here they moved into town and lived there for stayed with her children for awhile, but she enjoyes her own little apartment now, and still gets a lot out of life. There were other children born to Anna and her husband; Bill Quinn, Sterling, Co.; Agnes Quinn, Cheyenne Wells, Co.; Hugh Quinn, also of Cheyenne Wells; George Anna, on the claim while her husband bached Quinn, Stratton, Co.; Grace Heid (Mrs. George), Burlington, Co. Mary Korbelik is the daughter of Grace Heid. All the other in town. On Saturday night he would walk children are deceased. in early days. Anna's five children lived, along with two miles to claim carrying the weeks supplies on his shoulder. We had no horse nor vehicle at that time and had but two milk cows. They were lariated out on the prairie and often times they would break loose and I would need to walk miles over the prairie looking for them, leaving the children alone in the sod shack. The town of Flagler began to be built by this time; a few shacks, a sod school house and a tent grocery store. Anna's two older girls, then being of school age, walked to town to school. Many a day of worry she put in, for the terrible blizzards would come up so suddenly and she would fear the girls would get confused in direction and become lost on the prairie; So she would leave the three small children in the shack alone and go out to meet the girls. She never stopped to think that she, too, could easily become confuged and lost as well as the girls. Anna caried water one-quarter of a mile from a well on the creek, always using buckets as we had no other means of hauling it. When washday crme, she would take her washing and wash boiler to the well, dig a hole in the ground, and make a fire with buffalo chips, set the wash boiler over the fire and do her washing. Often times she took her baby along and set the little fellow on a quilt on the by Mary Korbelik QUINN, MICIIAEL AND ANNA ISABEL BOYD F545 Michael Quinn was born April 13, 1842 in Tipperary, Ireland. There were ten children in his family. In the 1850's Michael's father decided to come to America. He and the two oldest boys went to Toronto, Canada. Later, his mother followed, bringing with her the other children. She had become ill on the long voyage from Ireland and died of pneumonia soon after they arrived in Toronto. Michael's father brought his large fanily to Wash- ington County, Iowa, where he worked on the railroad. He later filed a homestead claim and, with the help of the older children, he raised his family. Michael, one of the younger children, enlisted for service in the Civil War in Muscatine, Iowa in 1861. After the war, Michael (Mike) was not ready to settled �some stretch of prairie where Grandma Doughty lived with her son and his children. The railroaders had no idea of the hardships they would meet and were not prepared for the harsh Colorado climate. The grading contract was completed that fall and the Quinn family was still moving, one winter in Goodland, Kansas, and then to Limon where William Frances was born in 1889. Mike was made Section Foreman for the Rock Island and the Quinns finally settled down on a a little woman all spunk and gumption and rawhide and sharp tongue, who would have gone out and butchered a range steer, any one's steer, and dragged it home by the tail before she would have fed her family coyote meat. But when he talked about how they built the railroad, Mike Quinn was listened to with attention and respect. Mike died April 29, L929, at the age of 87. After his death, Anna lived in Flagler in an apartment, later moving to Denver. She died December the children lived on the claim while Mike by Betty Roehr homestead two miles north of Flagler where they built a one room sod house. Anna and batched in town, walking home each week with the week'g provisions on his shoulder. They had no horse, but they did have two cows. (Later, the children delivered milk to the people of Flagler). By 1890, the 165 miles of track had been completed. The town of Flagler was beginning to build as few houses, a sod school and a tent grocery store. Anna wrote in 1943: My two older girls walked to school. Many a day of worry I put in, for the blizzards would come Mike Quinn and Anna Boyd. down; and, for the next decade, he was a maverick. It was during this time that his love of railroads began. Mike traveled the United States and Mexico and was in Ogden, Utah when the golden spike was driven in 1869. Anna's parents, James Boyd (June 9, 1827) and Mary Jane Reid (htg. 27, 1837) were both born in County Down, Ireland. James had come to New York with his three brothers. Mary Jane, who had been his sweetheart in Ireland, came to New Jersey with her aunt. She and Michael were married in Urban, Ohio on August 5, 1855. It was here that Anna Boyd was born Sept. 7, 1858. The Boyds moved to Illinois then to Iowa in 1864, when Anna was six years old. The Boyds had nine children. On May 6, 1878, Anna Boyd and Michael Quinn were maried in Washington, Iowa. Mike farmed for seven years; and, it was here that Joanna Margaret (Maggie) was born in 1879. The next year, Stephen Andrew was born, but he lived only one year. Two more little girls were born in Iowa: Ellen Elizabeth (Bess) in 1882 and Mary Anastasia in 1883. Two years later, James Michael was born. At this time Mike decided that farmingwas not to be his life. The Quinns had a sale and Mike left his family in Iowa while he went to find a new home. Anna and the four children joined him in Kansas and the next two years were spent in construction camps int he summer and near Hanington, Kansas in the winter, where Mike worked in the railroad yards. PhiUip Joseph was born in a covered wagon in a construction camp. In the spring of 1888, the Quinns came to Colorado with the J.P. Murphy grading outfit. Mike was to be the grade foreman of the outfit that would build grade for laying track for the railroad through eastern Colorado. They ceme by Union Pacific to Kit Carson, unloading the mules and the grading equipment and went to the camp at Bowerville (1 7z miles east of Flagler). the c'mp consisted ofover one hundred men, Anna and her five children. and two other women. The women cooked for the men and the children played around the camp, sometimes riding the mules. There was no town then, not even the beginning of one, nothing but the lone- up so suddenly and I would fear the girls would become lost. I would leave the three small children in the shack alone and go out to meet the girls. I carried water one quarter mile from a well on the creek, always using buckets. I would take my washing and wash boiler over to the well, dig a hole in the ground and fire with buffalo chips, set the boiler over the fire to do my washing, drying the clothes on the grass. Often times I took my baby along and set the little fellow on a quilt. Between 1891 and 1900, six more children were born: John Samuel, Grace Ruth, George Edward, Agnes Annabel, John Paul, and Hugh Robert. Two babies, John Samuel and John Paul, died as infants. Thirteen children had been born to Michael and Anna, three died in infancy and ten would live out their lives in Colorado. After proving up on the homestead claim, the Quinns took up a pre-emption on quarter mile south of Flagler. This was nearer town and Mike lived at home. They bought some cattle and Anna and the children ran the ranch while Mike was working. In the time span between 1899 and 1920, the older children married. The Quinns moved to town where they lived in the railroad section house. The children had all attended school, and George and Hugh played on the high school basketball teams. George enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1917. Hugh, the youngest, was seventeen years old. Mike was now 78 and spent much of his time in the blacksmith shop. Hal Borland, in "Country Editor's Boy" wrote about the Flagler Blacksmith shop in the 1920s: Among them were old-timers who had been in that country when it was young, before the railroad was built. Mike Quinn qualified because he helped build the railroad. And 15, 1943 at the age of 95. RADCLIFF FAI\IILY F546 Earl Radcliff was born near Hale, Colorado, in Arapahoe County, on Nov. 15, 1893. He was a farmer and rancher by location and avocation. One of his early teachers was Nellie Grabb who lived north of Burlington, Colo. During the 1930's, he was feeding Hereford cattle on the Pugh Ranch north of Stratton, Kit Carson County, Colorado, when the awful flood of May 1935 hit, and took many of his Herefords downstream and ruined the hay land for many yeEus. He stayed here through the winter and beceme better acquainted with Maxine Messinger, the teacher at Tuttle School. By spring he had decided to move back to the Radcliff homestead near Hale, Colorado. During the summer of 1936, Earl worked in Denver in the building trade while Maxine was on leave from teaching. He asked Maxine to marry him and a Christmas wedding was planned. Maxine was then teaching at the Newton School on Highway 51 about 25 miles north of Burlington. On Dec. 23, 1936, Earl and she were married in the rectory of St. Charles Church at Stratton, Colo., Kit Carson County, with Jesse Messinger, Bonny Gaunt, and Mrs. Gaunt as witnesses. Earl continued to farm and raise cattle near Hale. Some of these years were poor for farming following the "dust bowl years". When the plans were made for the building of Bonny Dam, Earl and Maxine decided to sell everything on the Radcliff farm-including the buildings-and move to Denver in November, 1943. By this time four of their daughters (Earline, Helen, Sue, and Bonny) had been born in Burlington Hospital with Dr. Robinson in attendance. Four more daughters (Carmine, Kathy, Mary, and Jane) were born in St. Joseph's Hospital in Denver. Earl worked for Eaton Metal Products Company for fifteen years then he retired. He passed away in Denver on June 15, 1965. Mike was a veteran of the Civil War. He was full of stories about the old days, at least half of them true and all of them rich with Irish wit and Irish brogue. When he told a whopper, most of his listeners knew what it was. As the one he told about how he used to be a great foot racer, how he kept in trim by running down coyotes, which he butchered to keep his family in meat. That was a wheeze, first because nobody could picture Mike, a big, brawny, white-mustached and with a geme leg that needed a cane, as a foot racer; and second because everyone knew his wife, by Mrs. Earl Radcliff � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Families of Kit Carson County Description An account of the resource Brief biographies of the founding families of Kit Carson County Colorado. Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Book Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Families- P&Q Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1988 Description An account of the resource Brief histories of founding families of Kit Carson County with names starting with "P" and "Q." As told in the book, History of Kit Carson County Volume 1 Type The nature or genre of the resource text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Salmons, Janice Hasart, Marlyn Smith, Dorothy Language A language of the resource English Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. History of Kit Carson County Volume 1 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource text/pdf Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Curtis Media Subject The topic of the resource History Kit Carson County Biography Genealogy Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a> https://kccarchives.cvlcollections.org/files/original/17/506/Families-R.pdf 3f7a7c086e720bfd6d5aec4c65f4190a PDF Text Text some stretch of prairie where Grandma Doughty lived with her son and his children. The railroaders had no idea of the hardships they would meet and were not prepared for the harsh Colorado climate. The grading contract was completed that fall and the Quinn family was still moving, one winter in Goodland, Kansas, and then to Limon where William Frances was born in 1889. Mike was made Section Foreman for the Rock Island and the Quinns finally settled down on a a little woman all spunk and gumption and rawhide and sharp tongue, who would have gone out and butchered a range steer, any one's steer, and dragged it home by the tail before she would have fed her family coyote meat. But when he talked about how they built the railroad, Mike Quinn was listened to with attention and respect. Mike died April 29, L929, at the age of 87. After his death, Anna lived in Flagler in an apartment, later moving to Denver. She died December the children lived on the claim while Mike by Betty Roehr homestead two miles north of Flagler where they built a one room sod house. Anna and batched in town, walking home each week with the week'g provisions on his shoulder. They had no horse, but they did have two cows. (Later, the children delivered milk to the people of Flagler). By 1890, the 165 miles of track had been completed. The town of Flagler was beginning to build as few houses, a sod school and a tent grocery store. Anna wrote in 1943: My two older girls walked to school. Many a day of worry I put in, for the blizzards would come Mike Quinn and Anna Boyd. down; and, for the next decade, he was a maverick. It was during this time that his love of railroads began. Mike traveled the United States and Mexico and was in Ogden, Utah when the golden spike was driven in 1869. Anna's parents, James Boyd (June 9, 1827) and Mary Jane Reid (htg. 27, 1837) were both born in County Down, Ireland. James had come to New York with his three brothers. Mary Jane, who had been his sweetheart in Ireland, came to New Jersey with her aunt. She and Michael were married in Urban, Ohio on August 5, 1855. It was here that Anna Boyd was born Sept. 7, 1858. The Boyds moved to Illinois then to Iowa in 1864, when Anna was six years old. The Boyds had nine children. On May 6, 1878, Anna Boyd and Michael Quinn were maried in Washington, Iowa. Mike farmed for seven years; and, it was here that Joanna Margaret (Maggie) was born in 1879. The next year, Stephen Andrew was born, but he lived only one year. Two more little girls were born in Iowa: Ellen Elizabeth (Bess) in 1882 and Mary Anastasia in 1883. Two years later, James Michael was born. At this time Mike decided that farmingwas not to be his life. The Quinns had a sale and Mike left his family in Iowa while he went to find a new home. Anna and the four children joined him in Kansas and the next two years were spent in construction camps int he summer and near Hanington, Kansas in the winter, where Mike worked in the railroad yards. PhiUip Joseph was born in a covered wagon in a construction camp. In the spring of 1888, the Quinns came to Colorado with the J.P. Murphy grading outfit. Mike was to be the grade foreman of the outfit that would build grade for laying track for the railroad through eastern Colorado. They ceme by Union Pacific to Kit Carson, unloading the mules and the grading equipment and went to the camp at Bowerville (1 7z miles east of Flagler). the c'mp consisted ofover one hundred men, Anna and her five children. and two other women. The women cooked for the men and the children played around the camp, sometimes riding the mules. There was no town then, not even the beginning of one, nothing but the lone- up so suddenly and I would fear the girls would become lost. I would leave the three small children in the shack alone and go out to meet the girls. I carried water one quarter mile from a well on the creek, always using buckets. I would take my washing and wash boiler over to the well, dig a hole in the ground and fire with buffalo chips, set the boiler over the fire to do my washing, drying the clothes on the grass. Often times I took my baby along and set the little fellow on a quilt. Between 1891 and 1900, six more children were born: John Samuel, Grace Ruth, George Edward, Agnes Annabel, John Paul, and Hugh Robert. Two babies, John Samuel and John Paul, died as infants. Thirteen children had been born to Michael and Anna, three died in infancy and ten would live out their lives in Colorado. After proving up on the homestead claim, the Quinns took up a pre-emption on quarter mile south of Flagler. This was nearer town and Mike lived at home. They bought some cattle and Anna and the children ran the ranch while Mike was working. In the time span between 1899 and 1920, the older children married. The Quinns moved to town where they lived in the railroad section house. The children had all attended school, and George and Hugh played on the high school basketball teams. George enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1917. Hugh, the youngest, was seventeen years old. Mike was now 78 and spent much of his time in the blacksmith shop. Hal Borland, in "Country Editor's Boy" wrote about the Flagler Blacksmith shop in the 1920s: Among them were old-timers who had been in that country when it was young, before the railroad was built. Mike Quinn qualified because he helped build the railroad. And 15, 1943 at the age of 95. RADCLIFF FAI\IILY F546 Earl Radcliff was born near Hale, Colorado, in Arapahoe County, on Nov. 15, 1893. He was a farmer and rancher by location and avocation. One of his early teachers was Nellie Grabb who lived north of Burlington, Colo. During the 1930's, he was feeding Hereford cattle on the Pugh Ranch north of Stratton, Kit Carson County, Colorado, when the awful flood of May 1935 hit, and took many of his Herefords downstream and ruined the hay land for many yeEus. He stayed here through the winter and beceme better acquainted with Maxine Messinger, the teacher at Tuttle School. By spring he had decided to move back to the Radcliff homestead near Hale, Colorado. During the summer of 1936, Earl worked in Denver in the building trade while Maxine was on leave from teaching. He asked Maxine to marry him and a Christmas wedding was planned. Maxine was then teaching at the Newton School on Highway 51 about 25 miles north of Burlington. On Dec. 23, 1936, Earl and she were married in the rectory of St. Charles Church at Stratton, Colo., Kit Carson County, with Jesse Messinger, Bonny Gaunt, and Mrs. Gaunt as witnesses. Earl continued to farm and raise cattle near Hale. Some of these years were poor for farming following the "dust bowl years". When the plans were made for the building of Bonny Dam, Earl and Maxine decided to sell everything on the Radcliff farm-including the buildings-and move to Denver in November, 1943. By this time four of their daughters (Earline, Helen, Sue, and Bonny) had been born in Burlington Hospital with Dr. Robinson in attendance. Four more daughters (Carmine, Kathy, Mary, and Jane) were born in St. Joseph's Hospital in Denver. Earl worked for Eaton Metal Products Company for fifteen years then he retired. He passed away in Denver on June 15, 1965. Mike was a veteran of the Civil War. He was full of stories about the old days, at least half of them true and all of them rich with Irish wit and Irish brogue. When he told a whopper, most of his listeners knew what it was. As the one he told about how he used to be a great foot racer, how he kept in trim by running down coyotes, which he butchered to keep his family in meat. That was a wheeze, first because nobody could picture Mike, a big, brawny, white-mustached and with a geme leg that needed a cane, as a foot racer; and second because everyone knew his wife, by Mrs. Earl Radcliff �were laid to rest in Claremont Cemeterv in Stratton, Colorado. by Clara Argabright RAGAN, BURT F548 Burt Ragan taken about 1888 or 1889 soon after coming to Colorado. Earl and Maxine Radcliff and eight daughters at Eaton Metal Christmas party in 1952. RADSPINNER, ARTHUR AND LUCY Burt Ragan was the son of Collin and Katherine Ragan, who resided in Lancaster, Iowa. He was born March 31, 1868. Because of the death of his mother when he was four years old, he made his home with his F547 I was born in So. Dakota on Feb. 12, L907 and the folks moved to Colorado in March 1910. Doctors advised my Dad to move to a higher climate because of his asthma, so he decided to homestead in Eastern Colorado on 160 acres about 15 miles south of Stratton where, with help of neighbors, he built a sod house, then in later years built a nice frame house. Must have been about 1918 but I can't say for sure. The family cnme by train on the Rock Island railroad and lived in the sod house until the new house was built. We even had Carbide lights, such an improvement over the old kerosene lamps. Their five children were: Nina Henrietta - married Howard Hightower, Laurence - married Arthur Lowe, Lillian Agatha - married William Underwood, Clara Louise - married Gilbert Argabright. After the children were all married and in homes of their own and because of Dad's health, they sold the farm in 1937. They bought a house in Stratton where they resided until 1960 when it became necessary for them to move to the Rest Home in Burlington. Dad died in Oct. 1960 and Mother passed away Nov. 21, 1964. They Grandma and Grandad Radspinner. Taken August 16. 1950 in front of their Stratton home. Vivian Ragan holding dolls and wearing fur muff and scarf, fall of 1920. PQO �Lila and Homer Ragan about 1916. Part of the Ragan family taken in 1947. Back row, L. to R.; Helen Nelson, Fred and Vivian Kiefer, Mary Ragan, John Rule, Burt Ragan, Dorothy Jones, Lila Rule, Walt Jones, Ferrell Jones. Front Row; Kiefer children, Virginia holding Bill, Terry, Kathie, and Sheryl. Seated, Gary Kiefer and Kerwin Jones. grandparents, W.A.H. and Catherine Ragan. The Ragans were of Irish heritage. When sixteen years of age, he cnme by horseback to Oberlin, Kansas. The next year, at seventeen years of age, he walked into Colorado, traveling with a wagon train. At Burlington, then a small village, he learned that a large ranch to the north, on the Burt Ragan, left, taken while associated with the Stock Grower State Bank - around 1920. i,,.t:ta:i:lt:. r..i:.:. I, t:r!&iltl:r: f,rttili: Burt Ragan and daughter Cora riding their horses. Taken about 1906 or 1908. Burt Ragan, County Clerk about 1916. Notice the safe and ledgers to the right. Left to Right: Burt Ragan, Sr. and Burt Ragan Jr., Ethel, Adella Ragan, Burt Jr., Ethel, Burt Jr. and Cora. Burt Ragan - while serving in the Colorado State Senate. 1932-1940. �Republican River, needed cowboys' The next grandchildren, and nine great grandchildren. The next day he was hired by the Republican Cattle Company, owned by a group from England. In later years, this ranch was known as the Bar T Ranch. In time, Mr. Ragan beca-e the foreman of the ranch, which was at that time the largest made her home with her grandparents until she reached adulthood. Also raised in the Ragan home was Dorothea Nees Jones, daughter of Mary Ragan. Now, in January of 1987, Lila Rule and Vivian Kiefer, the two remaining children are happy to contribute this brief history of their father, Burt Ragan. A Postscript to Burt Ragan: night he camped on land that later became part of his home place and ranch. ranch in eastern Colorado. His ambition prompted him to attend Franklin Academy, in Franklin, Nebraska, for two winter terms of four months each. Burt, as he beca-e known in the community, rode in the last big round up in eastern Colorado, which extended from the Arkansas River on the south to the Republican River on the north: these are over a hundred miles apart. There were no fences and very few settlers. He also did freighting from Haigler, Nebraska to the ranches along the Republican River the first winter he was in Colorado. Burt was married to Adella Austin on March 18, 1892 in Friend, Colorado. At that time Adella's parents owned and operated the general store in Friend, which was located a little way south and west of the present town of ldalia. Nine children were born to this union, three dying in infancy. Mrs. Adella Ragan passed away February 2, L920, during the flu epidemic. In the fall of 1899, Mr. Ragan was elected to the office of County Clerk and Recorder of Kit Carson County. He resigned his position with the Republican Cattle Company to take over this new work. He served one term in this office. In 1903 he was selected as Assistant Postmaster of Burlington, and served one year in this capacity. He then returned to his home ranch to pursue his life as a cattleman. Burt moved back to Burlington in the fall of 1912, where he became identified with the Stock Growers State Bank for the next 16 years. He sold his interest in the bank in the spring of 1929 to devote his time to land brokerage and selling insurance. The many friends who were associated with Mr. Ragan, knowing of his unusual ability of understanding the many needs of this section of the state, decided he was needed in the State Senate. He was elected to that office in 1934 and re-elected in 1938, serving two four year terms. Because of his age and farming interests, he refused to run for a third term. Mr. Ragan was initiated into the Masonic Lodge No. 77, A.F. and A.M. of Burlington in 1904. He advanced to the 32nd degree. He had been present€d with his 50 year pin in the spring of 1954. During his long years of public service, Burt was always mindful of individuals needs, and in the depression years often gave a helping hand. On March 17, L926, he was united in marriage to Mary L. Nees at Cheyenne Wells, Colorado. When health permitted, Mr. Ragan worshipped in the First Christian Church. The six children of Burt and Adella Ragan who reached maturity were Cora Ragan Abbott, Ethel Ragan Stokes, Burt M. Ragan, Lila Ragan Rule, Homer E. Ragan, and Vivian Ragan Kiefer. At the time of his death on November 19, 1954, he was the grandfather of twelve One granddaughter, Helen Stokes Nelson, In reviewing the story of our Dad, a few more incidents came to mind which we thought should be included. As there was no school facility in the area, neighbors united and built their own on lots donated by Mr. Ragan, using native rock, adobe, cement and lumber. They built a one room school building and a small pony shed. J.T. Conger, a stone mason by trade, was a great help. Until this was ready, classes were held in a room of the Ragan home. Jenny Jones of Kirk was hired to teach the neighborhood children, including the Ragan, Evans, Conger, Milhoan, Mace, Grnmm and Richards families. Later JennyJones manied Ed Davis. They built the Davis Garage in Stratton. In the early 1900's Mr. Ragan was chosen as Justice of the Peace for the District where he lived. During this time he performed several marriage ceremonies. Both of the Ragan sons served in the service of our country, Burt Jr. in World War I, and Homer in World War II. This addition to our fathers story is submitted March 31, 1987, the anniversary of Dad's birthday. by Vivian Kiefer RAINBOLT, EDWIN F549 In the fall of 1945 Frank Rainbolt came to Burlington to visit some friends, the Glen Robbins, and to look for some land. He had sold his cattle and was looking for some land to invest in. He found that he could buy more land for his money in this area and bought a section northwest of Burlington. At this time Edwin and Ben were still in the service. The following spring of 1946 Richard Burd and Edwin got a couple of combines and cut their way from Protection, Kansas to Burlington, harvesting the first crop on the section Frank had purchased the year before. After harvest Edwin returned to Protection and in October married Norma Brown from Burdette, Kansas. Little did Norma know what she was getting into when they set out with all of their possessions loaded in a truck to live on the farm north of Burlington. By the time Norma arrived in Burlington it had been snowing for about two days and snow was piled everywhere. It was almost dark and they got about a mile north of the airport and buried the truck in a snowbank. Edwin and Norma walked back to town and got the last room at the hotel. They were stranded there for three days with it snowing most of the time. When the snow finally ended there was 28 inches on the level. Hap Rainbolt finally cnme acrogs country on a tractor to take Edwin and Norma out to the farm. The next day, with the help of Harold McArthur and a scoop tractor they pulled the truck out of the snow bank and back to town. It remained there for a couple of weeks, For the next two months the only transportation they had was a tractor. That left Norma pretty much housebound, which was pretty difficult for a former city girl. In March of 1947 they bought the old Bogart Ranch southeast of town, there to set up housekeeping and begin farming. In 1948 they began their family with the birth of Steve. Patricia followed in 1949 and Tom was born in 1955. Bogarts had homesteaded the place in the early 19(X)'s building the adobe house that is still on the place. It was built in 1910 along the Smoky River. Several changes have been made on that sturdy house and they are still making it their home for Steve, Judy and daughters Amy and Darla. The purchase down payment was $2000, and Edwin and Norma settled down to make it their home. When Steve and Patricia reached school age, they attended the Smoky Hill School. Among their teachers was Hazel Fromong, who still lives in Burlington. Raymond Woods was one of the janitors and lived at the school apartments. When the school was consolidated in 1958 the kids began attending the Burlington School. The Smoky Hill School was the center of many other community events, such as a Sunday School, parties, square dances, gun shoots and last but not least, the Smoky Hill 4H Club. In May of 1966 the family was saddened by the death of Norma. This brought many changes, but Edwin took on the added responsibilities of raising the kids by himself, and farming at the same time. Following high school graduation in 1967 Steve and Patricia went on to school. Patricia attended a business college in Denver and while there met and married Bill Shipman in December of 1967. They moved to Ohio where they live with their two children, Christopher and Stephanie. Steve went to NJC for a year and then transferred to Aims Jr. College in Greeley. In 1970 he joined the National Guard, then in 1971 he married Judi Hammer and moved back to the farm. Tom graduated from NJC then went to CSU where he graduated with a degree in farm and ranch management. From there he went to work for the Federal Land Bank. He has been in several different offices, including Burlington. In 1986 he married Carolyn Gasparovic and was transferred to the GreeIey Office. In 1976 Edwin was married to Neva Price, a friend he had known since the early years in Protection, Kansas where they both grew up. Edwin has turned the farm over to Steve and Judi and they continue to carry on with the family farm. Their two daughters, Amy and Darla are both in school in Burlington. by Bernice Eberhart "s\3:iills �RAMOS - KLOTZBACH FAMILY F560 My Great Grandparents, Leonard Klotzbach and Eva Holden Klotzbach, came from Washington. They csme to Kit Carson in 1910 with four kids (Louise, Ann, Leo, and John) and homesteaded north of Stratton for ten years. They then bought a farm three and a half miles southwest of Stratton. In 1920 Ann married Jesse Pugh and they moved to Oregon. Five years later, after having five kids, she died. In 1940 John and Louise also moved to Oregon. a year later Leonard and Eva moved into Stratton. In 1945, they too moved to Corvallis, Oregon. Eva died four years later and Leonard died in 1951. Leo stayed at the farm southwest of Stratton and was married to Leola Isom in 1938. A year later Leola's mother moved to Kit Carson from Arkansas by herself and lived with Leo and Leola. Leo and Leola had five kids between 1938 and 1942. Four had died in infancy and one, Lolita, survived. They sold stead. While proving up on his homestead, he built a three room sod house, a barn and dug a well. In 1910, he returned to Norborne, Missouri Burlington at age 64. Richard and Lelita moved from the farm in 1961 to Limon. Then in 1964 they moved back to Stratton where Richard opened up a Chiropractic Office at the north end of Main Street. They then had six kids (Dick, Mike, Jim, Tom, Ron, and Dan) between 1964 and 1973; Tommy died in infancy. Dad's office is now further south on Main Street, Dick and Mike are going to school and living in Denver, and Jim, Ron, and Dan are going to school in Stratton. by Jim Ramos READE FAMILY F66r James H. Reade was born at Hagerstown, Maryland on June 19, 1859. Emma Swatts was born at Kingston, Missouri on January 24, 1868. James H. and Emma were married on September L7,1882. To this union were born three children, Cledith, Zola and Beatress. Jemes and his parents, trying to escape the Civil War, came by covered wagon west to Missouri and settled near the town of Norborne, Missouri. In the early 1900's, the Homestead Act was passed. The Federal Government was giving away free land in the West. James and his nephew Emmitt Reade heeded the call to "come West, young man, come West." They left Missouri to homestead in Eastern Colorado. How they finally wound up in the FlaglerSeibert Area is very vague. We have in our possession a post card dated January 10th, 1913, from the Department of Interior, Hugo, Colorado for the patent of his Homestead. He filed on a quarter section in the year of 1909. From the little information that we have, it took three years "to prove" on the Home- F563 where he made arrangements to have his personal property shipped west by immigrant car on the Rock Island Railroad. This consisted of one team of horses, four cows, one wagon, several pieces of farm machinery, a wife and two children. The second house and barn still exists on the place. James and his family lived in the FlaglerSeibert area the rest of their lives. James and Emma were charter members of the First Baptist Church in Flagler. He was a member of the IOOF Lodge. James H. died in 1927. Emma made her home with her daughter, Zola Bryan. At the time of her death, she was 98 years young. All are buried in the Flagler cemetery. by Pauline F. Radebaugh READY FAMILY the farm in 1961. Leo and Leola were divorced in 1964, which is the same year that Lolita was married to Dr. Richard Ramos. Leola and her mother then moved to Burlington and Leo moved into Stratton. Leo then died in 1978 and Leola's mother, known as "Gram", died in 1983. Leola still lives in REAVIS, CLIFFORD E. F552 Born 1854 in Jackson County Ohio, parents -emigrated into Illinois when Mr. Ready was about a year old, and he was raised there. "I came to Colorado on July 4, 1886, with Bruno F. Kaiser, Wm. VanOsdal, Wm. Stout and Ed Hoskin (father of H.G. Hoskin, former State Representative from this District) on a "land excursion" which was put on by the Burlington railroad. We came from Illinois to Holdrege, Nebr. and then overland by covered wagon and a team of mules which belonged to me. We were located on tree claims by L.R. Baker (later lynched for murder) and then took out pre-emptions. We then returned to Illinois, and in the fall of 1886 came out and lived on our pre-emptions, which in each case joined the tree claims. At that time, a person could hold three quarters of land and prove up on it. I held my tree claim then homesteaded it. Mr. Kaiser's claim was about three miles south and west of Burlington, so we built a dugout soddy, then we lived with him for the winter. We hauled water from the Republican River, twenty-three miles north of us. When it was too stormy to go that far, we used water in the lagoons, and once in awhile we were fortunate enough to find a spring, and then we would have good water until someone else claimed it. We saw some buffalo, plenty of antelope and wild horses, coyotes and rattlesnakes. I was the only one in the bunch that had a team, so I did the breaking and plowing for those who wanted the tree claims plowed or crops started. Kaiser was a blacksmith, Stout a carpenter; VanOsdal did not stay long, he soon sold out and went east. We had plenty of discouragements; I went hungry and thirsty too lots of times, but everyone had a good time, and we were contented. We had a very severe winter in 1886, and our only fuel was "buffalo chips". But we were comfortable in our little dugout. by Winfield Scott Ready Clifford E. Reavis in front of the Second Central School bus, a Dodge Brothers Dodge which he drove in 1924 and 1925. The George Cook and Clifford E. Reavis families moved from Smith Center County, Kansas, to Flagler, Colorado, the 16th of April, 1916. The Cook family numbered twelve, George and Nora Cook with ten children. The children were Vernon, Lois, Vinnetta, Ruby, Christine, Howard, Marvin, Forest, and Arroll. The oldest daughter, Estella, was married to Clifford Reavis. It was a long journey for the two fanilies. The Reavis family consisted of Clifford and "Stella" with three small children, Verland, Bernadine, and 6-month old Maxine. One mode of travel was a Model T Ford touring car. The Reavis family, plus Arroll Cook, who was the same age as Bernadine, rode in the car. The rest of the Cook family drove a covered wagon, except Vernon, the oldest boy, who rode a train with the livestock. The Reavis family went into the restaurant business located on the Main Street of Flagler. Vinnetta Cook worked for them in the restaurant. The Reavis family moved to the Smith farm north of Flagler (a two-room house) after about 3 years in the restaurant. Clifford farmed and drove a school bus into Flagler. While here, Eugene Reavis was born in July 1919. The next residence for the Reavis family was on the Ranny Place southeast of town on the Republican River. The next move was to a farm two and one-half miles south of Kipling Railroad Crossing. While living there, the Reavis children attended Second Central County School until Verland and Bernadine went through the eighth grade. It is recalled that one winter the snow was so bad the bus could not get through. Clifford Reavis was driving the school bus at this time. The 6th, ?th, and 8th grade children stayed at the school with the teachers, Mr. and Mrs. Mathews. until the �bus could run again, which was about a month. It was necessary for them to stay with their studiers because county exerns were given in the spring. The school bus was not like the buses we think oftoday, but an openair Dodge-like panel truck. The only protection from the elements were curtains made of heavy canvas that dropped down on the sides and tied. To keep children warm were many comforters to cover them and soap stones which were heated in the oven and wrapped up for their feet. For entertainment we went to the school and had a school progrem and a box social followed. The girls and ladies all brought box lunches for two people. The boxes were gayly decorated with anything available to make them attractive. The men would bid on them and the purchaser would eat with the person that brought the box. When the Reavis's lived in the Second Central area, they went to barn dances held at the Wheeler Barn. Cliff Reavis would play the fiddle, someone played the piano, and sometimes there would be a banjo or mandolin. Square dancing, round dancing, and polka and other country dances were enjoyed. At midnight, the ladies served homemade cakes and coffee, and the kids (many who had been asleep on benches or floor) were bundled up and all went home. The mode of travel might be horseback, a wagon, maybe a car, and sometimes even a sled drawn by horses. On Sundays the men would get together and have a rabbit hunt, since the rabbits were so abundant. They could get 10 cents for a pair of rabbit ears. The women would have a quilting bee while the men were hunting the rabbits. Verland and Bernadine stayed in town for their first year of high school. The rest of the Reavis family moved into town in 1927. While residing in Flagler, the Reavis's had a grocery store just north of the Lavington Ford Garage. Verland, Bernadine, and Maxine all graduated from Flagler High School, and Eugene went through grade school. Bernadine and Maxine played on the basketball tenm that won State Qfuampionship in 1930 under the guidance and coaching of Mr. Bill McKinley. Upon Maxine's graduation in 1933, she was awarded a scholarship to Colorado State Teachers College, and the Reavis family moved to Greeley, and Bernadine attended college at Colorado University in Boulder. All three older children were teachers and Gene worked and retired from American Airlines in San Diego, California. Verland taught in Pueblo, Colorado, and Coos Bay, Oregon; Bernadine taught at Tesarado School, south of Flagler, and in Adams REED FAMILY F554 C.D. Reed, the first president of Burlington Rotary Club, was born in Montezuma, Iowa, on May 17, 1893. At the age of eight, Cece moved to Colorado and located at Fountain, Colorado, where his dad opened a general merchandise store which he operated until his death in February of 1906. In the fall of that year Cece with his mother and sister moved to Colorado Springs where he entered the 5th grade. He attended grade school and high school graduating in the class of 1912. After high school, Cece went to New York for a year and worked for the New York Telephone Co. In September of 1913 he returned to Colorado Springs and enrolled in Colorado College where he received a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering Degree in 1917. He graduated just in time to get in the Army for the conflict overseas and put in two years in World War I. He attended the third Officers Training Camp and was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in Field Artillery. He went overseas in 1918 and back to the United States in 1919 and was discharged that year. Soon after discharge he went to La Junta to work for the Intermountain Railway Light and Power Co. but soon decided he wanted to get into business for himself and picked the Ford business as a place to start and worked Ada Rehn (Kalb) at age 2 in 1886 for the Ford dealer in La Junta. He was married to Marie Moore on December 23, 1920 and in April of 1921 they moved to Burlington where he took on the Ford agency. To this marriage two children were born, Cecil David Reed, Jr. and Mary Janice. During the years in Burlington, Cece was quite active in civic affairs and other business ventures. He served as Mayor, president of the Chamber of Commerce, president of the hospital board during the time of its construction, commander of the American Le- gion, master of the Burlington Masonic Lodge and the usual honors and duties that befall the average businessman in a small community. There were 13 other Ford agencies that he either helped start or helped train the personnel that operated the agencies. He also was active in the formation and operation of other businesses in town and in agriculture. Emma Rehn. Ada Kalb's mother REHN - KALB FAMILY F555 County; Maxine taught in Las Animas and for 25 years in Englewood, Colorado. Clifford Reavis died August 5, 1965, and Estella Reavis died January 19, 1984. All four children are among the living, retired citizens. by Bernadine Reavis Kreiling Ada Rehn was born in Stanford, Nebraska, March 4, 1884. She homesteaded 6 miles south and 2 miles east of Stratton. Colorado in 1906. Her mother, Emma Rehn, lived on the homestead while Ada worked in Denver part time and then ran the Stratton Hotel in Stratton, Colorado. There she met Ed Kalb. They were married in Canton, Kansas, on January 18, 1913. Ada returned to the homestead in the summers and spent the winters in Canton. In the spring of 1917 she returned to her homestead and made her home there until her death in 1970. Ada and Ed had two sons: Kenneth, born December 31, 1913 and Walter born in 1916. Kenneth and his wife Dora were married 1920: Kenneth and Walter KaIb with their cousins, Ruth and Alton l4aricle. in a cart built in 1918 �moon thru New Mexico, Teras and just over the border into Mexico, we returned and made our home in the frnms house David grew up in. We lived there the next 24 years. The gang came to chivaree us. Someone took Betty in ajeep to the pasture to hide her. To compensate for not getting the treats right away, they ate everything they could. David {} had hung deer meat to dry on the windmill. We had cooked it for 3 days and still couldn't eat the tough stuff - but they did! We had the last laugh!! We had two children, Vickey Lynn, June 26,1951 and Ray Deon April 11, 1954. In the 1950's, when our children were a baby and 3 yr. old, we were having dirt storms day after day. It would sometimes blow all day then lay at night. We had to hang wet blankets at the #,'r'1* ffil ,I windows and sometimes over the babies basket for health reasons. It was literally hazy with dust in the rooms. After one such day, when the wind had quit, our little one was over by the east door with a toy truck playing in the mound of dirt that had sifted into the 'll:,14t t..,:,1;.;-" ::$': 3l e':i:1: ,.,,,1'll- .. :'l?;4&{. room past the rags, that had been stuck in the cracks. Ada Kalb's rock house built in the 1950's January 18, 1946 and Walter and his wife Faye were married on May L7, L942. Walter and Faye have two children, Ronni Sue and Cary. Ed Kalb died November 29, 1945. Kenny and Walt attended school at West Bethel. In the late 1950's, at the age of 70, Ada built a rock house. She used her Ford tractor and a trailer to gather native white rock which she used for the house. It has four rooms downstairs and two rooms upstairs. She did the work herself with some help from Dora, who handed rocks up to her. Ada lived on this sit€ until her death on December 2L,1970 at the age of86. She was truly a "pioneer woman". by Dleanor Herndon David lived in this home with a small addition to the north and west sides, until he was 45. He had 4 brothers and 1 sister. As he was growing up, he loved to work with horses, breaking many over the years. He and his brothers Orlen and Floyd drove a horse, pulling a homemade box type wagon to Prairie Gem school. When he later went to High School in Seibert, he rode a horse cross country 3 mi. to a point 4 mi. N of Seibert to catch a bus. 1 or 2 years he boarded part time with Paul Bramletts, who ran the Grocery Store and Locker. David worked in the store and also helped with the slaughtering and processing. The first half of his senior year, he was out of school a lot picking corn. He managed to get the needed grades to graduate, but was unable to attend the graduation due to the measles. While a senior, David met Betty Lou Hughes, a freshman who had moved to Seibert with her family in May of REID - HUGHES FAMILY 1945. Betty was born to Thelma Theadora F566 David Vinton Reid was born July 1, 1928, to Lewis and Lillian (Schermerhorn) Reid, 7 mi. N. and 2 mi. W of Seibert. He was born, assisted by "Doc" McBride, in the frnme home Reids had made from shipping crates that ceme in on the railroad. Sod had been put in all the outside walls for insulation. (Hobbs) and George Sylvester Hughes, at their home near Kismet, Ks., Mar. 22, L93L. She, her three sisters, 1 brother and parents moved to Masters, then to Greeley. Betty attended 2 years of school there. Her family moved back to Sublette, Ks. area where they were employed on a farm and ranch by Edwin Silas Gleason. Betty went to Banner country school, where she completed the 8th grade. Several of those years she would be taken to school in the morning, clean the school room after school for $.25, then walk the 3 mi. home, going to the pasture to take the cows or sheep home. When the menfolk were busy it was her job to milk the 7 cows. Later she had a horse nrmed "Patsy", that made the 3 mi. more pleasant. In May 1945, due to Mr. Gleasons purchase of land 5 mi. S. of Seibert, Betty, her parents and brother Clifford, moved to Colo. Betty completed 4 years ofhigh school and graduated Valedictorian of her class. We, David and Betty were married Dec24, 1949, in Colorado Springs, at the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Checking cattle on horses raised by David Reid on right of picture. Son-in-law Norman Eagleton is on the left. Elder J.D. Curtis performed the ceremony. David's brother Orlen and Dorthy Akers, a friend, stood up with us. After the honey- At this writing, Vickey, her husband Norman Eagleton and family, (Dawn, Carma and Jason) have joined in the family owned farming and ranching operation. Ray, his wife Julie (Nau) and two sons, Christopher Deon and Michael Ray are living in Glendora, Calif. Ray is employed in his Omni Chrome business owned with other partners. They build and merchandise Lasers in Chino, Calif. David and Betty have been active in 4-H, Church, Cattlemen's and Cowbelle's, ColoWyo. Polled Herford Assn., Western Polled Herford Assn., David served on the school board for 12 years, Arickaree Ground Water Board, Romoca Management Board, and the Kirk Cooperative Store Board. David holds the priesthood office of Elder in the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, of which Betty, their two children and 3 of the grandchildren are baptized members. We have served many years as District Youth leaders, and Local Youth leaders, both have taught Church school (Betty for 35 yrs.) and Skylark leader for 25 yrs. We were presented the World Church Distinguished Youth Service Award, denoting 20 or more years of serving youth. We will be the 1989 National Western Polled Herford Standard of Perfection Show Honorees. We have farmed, raised and shown cattle throughout our married life. Our goal, once we decided to stay in Co., was to try to acquire a quarter of land a year, establish tree belts to improve the landscape of the area and to raise the best cattle we possibly could. In Aug of 1973, we moved to the house on land we purchased 4 mi. N of Seibert, on Hwy. 59, (the location of the Old town of Ho5rt, so we're told). In August 1986, we moved into the sawed Cedar Log home that David's parents built in 1950, in Seibert. We continue farming and ranching and enjoying friends and relatives coming for visits. by Betty L. Reid �REID SCIIERMERHORN FAMILY and turkeys a year for about 10 years. They remember going out as a family to hunt rattlesnakes around prairie dog holes, just to kill them, they used sticks, hoes, or whatever was available. Lewis and Lillian would go to the Eads F557 David and Betty Reid's 25th wedding anniversar5r on December 24, L974. L. to R.: LiIIian Reid (David's mother), David and Betty, Thelma Gleason (Betty's mother). Lake once or twice a year and bring home as many "carp" as the back of the car would hold without a seat in it. They would sell a few and salt the rest down to eat later. Sometimes the Reid family was joined by their neighbors, the Ernest Akers fanily and together they would go to the Republican River to play in the water. They would catch bullfrogs. Fried frog legs would be added to their picnic. If a leg happened to jump out of the pan, they would grab it, wash it, and back in the pan it would go. Before electricity came in, Lewis would spend time in the winter whittlin' wooden propellers to mount on poles on the house and barn. He used generators out of old cars to go with the propellers. When the wind blew he had good lighls. For years they butchered beefand hogs and supplied many of the Seibert residents until Bramletts Locker Business was established. We always had ice to cool the meat and for Lewis McKinley Reid, son of Alexander Campbell and Sadie Ann (Mote) Reid was born June 29, 1896, at Altamont, Missouri. Alexander came by wagon to Colorado, in 1905. Lewis, his three sisters and mother, cnyne by train in 1907. They homesteaded on a farm 8 miles north and 2 miles west of Seibert. In 1919, the Reid family moved 1 mile south of their first home, where Lewis continued to farm with his mother, after the death of his father, in 1920. Lillian Eleanor Schermerhorn was born Oct.24,1903, in Phillipsburg, Ks. to Phillip Gordon and Mary Ella (Tree) Schermerhorn. In 1921, she moved with her parents and family to a two-room "soddy", 5 mi. north and 3 mi. west of Seibert. She and her family lived in several different places in that area during the next few years. Lillian graduated from Seibert High School in1923. She taught school at Shiloh, Je-es, and West Haven Schools from 1923-1926. While teaching at West Fair Haven, she boarded with the Sadie Reid family. One of Lillian's contracts was signed by J.A. Boren, President and Lewis Reid, Sec. Her contract was for District #8 in Kit Carson County, to teach from Aug. 31, 1925 thru May 1926, at a salary of $100.00 per month. While boarding with the Reid family she met Lewis and they were united in marriage June 27, 1926. This union was blessed with seven children; five sons and two daughters. One daughter preceded them in death. Their children were: Orlen Wayne, 1927, David Vinton. 1928, Floyd Elvin, 1933, Roger Landon, 1936, LaVada Ilene, 1938, and Raymond Rex, 1946. Their sons and daughter were later married, Orlen to Irene Fuller, David to Betty Lou Hughes, Floyd to Margaret Williamg, Roger to Barbara Hoakenson, LaVada to Muirl Robinson, Rex to Peggy Hanson, Lewis' sisters married: Mae to Dan Sears, Suzi to Roy Cruickshank, and Opal to Ed Woods. Lewis and Lillian lived in a freme house that was built partially with shipping crates that cqme in on the railroad. For insulation they put sod in the outside walls. Some memories in the life of the Reid's are of hatching, herding and raising a couple thous- homemade ice cream, as we had a large ice pit. Ice was taken from the pond, or made from snow, and put in this pit. We surrounded it with straw. It would keep until late summer. Lewis and Lillian were active and really enjoyed the community country club. The group took turns once a month, getting together at a different home for the noon meal. They would spend the day playing horseshoes, other games or just visiting. Leland L. Reinecker, He served as Erecutive Officer of the Bank of Burlington for 38 years. October. Housing was scarce. They rented the furnished house belonging to Ervin and Ruby Hoyt at 489 Eighth Street, now the home of Mr. and Mrs. Guy McArthur. In the spring of 1944 they bought a little house across the street which they remodeled and modernized (it did not have a bathroom). They lived there for two years, at which time Lewis, Lillian, their 6 children, their they purchased from Thornton and Hazel spouses, and most of their grandchildren are Thomas the house at 509 Tenth Street. This would be their home for thirty years. Their son Norman was born in September, 1946, two months after they moved in. Leland was born May 18, 1913 in Quinter, Kansas. His parents were Leslie and Ellen (Brubaker) Reinecker. He has three brothers and two sisters. His father died when he was seven years old. The family lived on a farm baptized members of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints. Lewis held the office ofteacher. then later priest. He was serving in this office at the time of his death in 1958. Four of their sons and their son-in-law are in the priesthood of the church, all of the immediate family are actively working in the church. In 1949, they moved into Seibert due to Lewis' failing health. Even then they established a good sized fruit orchard, owned and operated a Dairy Delite and maintained a large chicken business. They built a cedar log home in Seibert, near the school and water tower. They resided there until their deaths Lewis in 1958 and Lillian in 1986. They gave meaning to the phrase "As a day well lived gives joyful sleep so a life well lived gives joyful death." by Mrs. David Reid and the children attended country schools. After graduating from Quinter High School in 1931, Leland began working at the first National Bank in Quinter. On May 29, 1936, Leland married Dorothy Flora, daughter of Norman and Lizzie (Delp) Flora. Dorothy was born August 7, 1916 on a farm southwest of Quinter. She has four brothers and five sisters. She graduated at Quinter High School in 1934. They came to Colorado in 1937, living in Colorado Springs until January 1938 when Leland went to work for Charlie and Don Collins and Frank Jelinek at the Kit Carson REINECKER FAMILY F558 Leland Reinecker anived in Burlington in September of 1943, having accepted a job as Cashier at the Bank of Burlington. It was war time and John Ellis and Bob Montgomery were leaving soon to enter military service, at which time Leland took over the responsibilities of managing the bank. George D. Tubbs Sr. of Denver was president of the bank, and E.L. Weinandt, P.L. Bruner, and John Boggs were directors. Leland's wife Dorothy and daughters LeEtta and Mary Sue came to join him in State Bank in Kit Carson. During the five years they lived there, their two daughters were born at Eads, LeEtta in 1938 and Mary Sue in 1941. They lived in Lomar one year prior to coming to Burlington. During the years of World War II, Mr. Reinecker and the bank helped with the war effort by the handling of ration banking, the selling of bonds and providing financing of war production. Mr. Reinecker served as U.S. Savings Bond Chairman for Kit Carson County for 38 years. Following the war there were good times and years of drought, with rapid changes in agriculture and the economy of the area. There were many farm sales when families left the area. Then came the development of �deep well irrigation and the growing of sugar beets in Kit Carson County as well as improved production of corn, wheat, and beans. There was the development of commercial feed lots and the growth of the livestock industry. Mr. Reinecker and the bank tried to provide the financial backing necessary for his customers to remain in business. The family enjoyed the Rock Island passenger service of the 1940's, 50's and 60's. The last Rocket went through Burlington on October 16, 1966. One year there was a derailment of several cars loaded with new automobiles just west of the Co-Op Elevator. Leland helped organize and conduct an auction to sell the more than eighty damaged automobiles. Mr. Reinecker served on the Burlington School Board during the years when the Elementary and High School buildings were built. The Reinecker's three children graduated from Burlington High School. LeEtta graduated from Denver University, earning a degree in business. She lives in Denver with her husband Carl and four children, Charles, Michael, Mark, and Kristen. Mary Sue graduated from the University of Northern Colorado at Greeley with a degree in Home Economics. She lives in also one of Grandmother and Grandfather George Reinemer. by Mrs. Cliff Suffield RHOADES, HARLEY AND ESTHER F560 From covered wagon to jet planes is a far cry so far as modes of travel are concerned, yet Harley Rhoades, has experienced this marvelous advance in transportation. He was only 4 months old when his parents traveled by covered wagons from their farm in Rush County, Kansas to their homestead, the S.W. Vt, L9-6-42, in Kit Carson County, Colorado, northeast of Burlington. The fam- ily consisted of: father, mother, a daughter, Clara, (two years old), and Harley. Harley traveled through 7 European countries by jet air plane. In 1903, it took seven days with team and wagon to make the 210 mile trip, from Kansas to Colorado, and in 1961, it required 5 hours and 45 min. to fly from New York City to Glascow, Scotland, by jet. the home place until September, 1952, when they bought a home in town. Harley became a well known wheat farmer and was successful in the cattle business. The ranch is now in the 4th generation of management. Harley is best known for his happy disposition and his generosity, and willingness to accommodate his friends, in every possible way as well as his public spirit. He served 12 years as a county commissioner, and two terms as president of the Fifth District County Commissioner's Association. He also served about 12 years as the Sec-Treas. ofthe County Commissioner's Alumni Assn. He has been a prominent and active member of the Republican party, a member of the Bur- lington Rotary Club, President of the Kit Carson County Cattlemen's Association, which office he held for twenty-five years. He served five years as a member of the Colorado Fish and Gamg g.nrmission, and is the only member of the history of the commission that didn't miss a single meeting in the entire five years. The project of which he is most proud is his part in opening the Federal International Parks Highway No. 385, that reaches from Regina, Canada to Old Mexico. He was a board member of the C.P. school board. This school is in Denver, for the Cerebral Palsy and handicapped children. Harley's father was primarily a cattleman and when Kansas became so thickly settled, fencing and farming left little free range, so They have from 80 to 100 children in attendance. Kit Carson County Hospital was also built during the time he was a county Norman graduated from Western State he pushed further west, where there was College in Gunnison and served four years in the Navy. He is a banker, having worked six plenty of free range and grassland. The native buffalo grass was very nutritious and made especially fine feed for the cattle. The elder Rhoades usually ran between 80 to 100 head of cattle. Kanarado, Kansas was the family Market and trading place, it being nearer to commissioner and he deserves much credit for the building of this fine institution. He donated $4,000, which was his salary for four Burlington with her husband Phil Woodrick and sons Steve and David. years at the Bank of Burlington and seven years at the Saratoga State Bank in Saratoga, Wyoming. He, with his wife Beverly and daughters Kelly and Jill moved to Denver in 1986 where he is employed at Gates Rubber Company in the Credit Union. For recreation Leland spent much time playing golf. He helped with the organization of the golf club and the building of the new grass greens course. Mr. Reinecker served as Executive Officer of the Bank of Burlington for 38 years. In 1981 he received an Award from the Colorado Bankers Association for 50 years ofoutstand- ing service to banking. He and Dorothy are enjoying their retirement years in their home overlooking the ninth green ofthe golfcourse. by Dorothy Reinecker REINEMER FAMILY F559 My grandfather, George Reinemer, and his son George homesteaded in 1894 in Kit Carson County. George, the son, went back to Missouri, married and moved to Califor- nia. My grandparents are buried in the Flagler Cemetery. My father, Chris Reinemer, also took out a homestead. His brother Gus also homesteaded and remained in the area, farming. He is also buried in Flagler Cemetery. About 1918 my parents sold their homestead and moved away. My brother, Alvin, sister Lenora, and I were born on Dad's homestead. We moved around in Oregon and Idaho until around 1920 when we stayed at Nampa, Idaho, on an irrigated farm. My dad had a large oval landscape picture of his homest€ad which he kept. I now have that picture and them than Burlington. More land was acquired until they owned seven quarters, and in due time they "proved up" on their homestead. Harley says they burned some coal, but one oftheir chores was to gather cow chips for fuel. In the fall they would rake up the chips into piles, then with team and wagon they would haul them home. Harley went to Beaver Valley school and walked 2Vz miles there and back every day. The children would cut across the prairie years as commissioner. Through the years Harley's inspiration was his wife, Esther, who was a true helpmate. They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary December L4, L977 and 60th wedding anniversary on Dec. 14, 1987. They have thoroughly enjoyed their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Son, Ray and wife Sara Lee; daughter, Helen; grandchildren, Gary and wife Kendra, daughters, Karah and Kolby; Judy and husband Larry, Larae and Logan; and Bobby and Jay Rhoades. by Ray Rhoades since there were few fences and roads in those days. They seemed to develop a keen sense of direction and in spite of the storms, there were no records of anyone becoming lost. But Harley remembers many of the children in the cold winter weather would arrive at the school crying because their hands and feet were so cold. Today's mothers would be stricken with the thought of their children walking2l/z miles to school. Even a few blocks here in town seem too much and the parents usually take them by auto. When Harley was 9 years old, the family rented the farm and moved to Nampa, Idaho, where they lived for three years then moved back to their home here. The father died when Harley was 15 years old, leaving him to take over the management of the farm and care for the mother and the rest of the children. He was in the eighth grade at the time, and his teacher consented to tutor him in the evenings so he could finish the grade with his class. He not only completed the grade but graduated with the highest honors. On Dec. 14, L927, he married Miss Esther Barnhart. They have one son, Ray, and one daughter, Helen. They continued to live on RHOADES, JAMES AND MYRTLE F56r James Edward "Jim Ed" Rhoades was born Feb. 14, L875, the first child of David and Hannah Rhoades of Alexander, Kansas. His father fought in the Civil War. On November 23, 1898 at LaCrosse, Kansas he was married to Myrtle Irvin who was born on March 16, 1882. Eight children were born to this union; Clara who married Jesse B. Jemes; Harley who married Esther Barnhart; Lester who married Hazel Baker Esther Hender- - Lola Winfrey; son; Reuben who married Walter who married Velma Rice; and Fern who married Lowell Cowan. One daughter, Florence, died in 1909 at the age of 12 of pneumonia. A baby son, Ernest, died in 1916 of whooping cough at 3 months of age. It was in the spring of 1903 when James Rhoades and his brother-in-law. Frank Irvin came to Colorado to look the country over, and they apparently liked what they saw, as �October 8, 1903 Mr. Adams sold his property storms. there. The squlue part of the present home was then in eristance as well as a stone well house, sod barn, sod chicken house and a 48 ft. well which is still at the original site. After moving to the Adams place, Lester and every Sunday morning the men of the neighborhood would meet at a knoll r/z mile northeast of the Rhoades homestead to look for their cattle. In times past, the Indians had met at the same knoll to scan the prairie for buffalo and then go down into the sand creek and creep up on them. After people started fencing their land with barbed wire, Jim Ed and his neighbors got together and fixed a telephone line on the barbed wire fences. To help pass the time on long winter evenings, Jim Ed, Jim Barnett, and Charles Neeley, who was the father of Mrs. Lyle (Blanche) Jo-es and Mrs. Haidee to Jim Ed, and the Rhoades moved over and Reuben were born. There were no schools in the area but one soon built about 3 miles to the east of them, the Beaver Valley School. Clara and Harley attended school there for 4 months of the year, during the summer. Later the Happy Hollow School district was organized and a school house was built 3 miles to the west, so the children attended both schools alternately. Wedding pictures of James Edward and Myrtle Eva (Irvin) Rhoades, 1898. in the fall of that same year, Jim Ed, his wife Myrtle and 2little children left Rush County Kansas in a covered wagon, traveling the 210 miles in 7 days which was something of a record at that time. Clara was about 2 years old and Harley was just a baby about 4 months old. He was placed in a hammock under the wagon with the hammock hung on coupling poles so he'd be in the shade. Travel had to be carefully planned to allow time for the horses to rest and find grazing and water. There were no highways, and adequate provisions had to be carried not only for the trip but to meet any unexpected emergencies along the way. The present site of the Harley Rhoades farm was then occupied by another homesteader, Link and Mary Adams. Mary was a sister to Henry and Charley Teman. Jim Ed homesteaded a few hundred feet across the road south of the Adans on SW % L9-6-42. He bought an old school house and moved it onto his homestead. They carried water from the Adams homestead. The Adams family lived there a shorttime and on It was all open range country in those days Because of a severe drought, sometime around 1909 to 1910. Jim Ed and brother-inlaw, Charles Shryack, who was married to Myrtle's sister Minnie, went to Idaho by train to look over the irrigation land they had heard about. Jim bought 40 acres, 6 miles south of Nampa, Idaho. He then rented his homestead in Colorado to Mr. and Mrs. James Barnett, parents of George Barnett and Mabel Teman, for three years and moved his family to Idaho by train. Walter was born while in Idaho. Before three years had gone by, Jim Ed had decided he did not like the irrigation and the big mosquitos that went with it, so he sold out to Charles Shryack and the family returned to Colorado. The homestead is located 22 miles northeast of Burlington and 17 miles from Kanorado, Kansas and is still in the Rhoades family now owned by Harley and his son Ray. Gary Rhoades and his wife Kendra Weeden, would play a game of checkers over and family are now living there. Gary is a great Grandson of Jim Ed and a grandson of Walter 9. They took wagon loads of hogs to Burlington. It was cold when they left home Harley. The sand creek running through the property originates in Bethune and goes to the Republican River about 10 miles to the northeast of the homestead. Jim Ed and Myrtle raised barley, corn and feed for the livestock. They had Holstein milk cows and horses. They battled drought and dust the telephone. At those times the children had to be very quiet so they could concentrate on the plays. There was no radios or phonographs, so the highlight of many evenings would be Charles Neeley playing his violin over the telephone lines and everyone would take their turn at the receiver listening. Tunes of the day included "Red Wing", "Casey Jones", and "Turkey in the Straw". They only went to town once or twice a year. Food items and staples were in barrels or sacks or "cut offa chunk", and ofcourse, stick candy. Jim Ed passed away in February of 1918 at the age of 42 years. He came down with the measles and it went into pneumania. When he died, the homestead consisted of 1,120 acres. It now encompasses 8,000 acres. Harley remembers one particular trip to town when he wae about 18, Reuben, 14, and early that morning, and the ground was frozen. After unloading the hogs, they loaded the 3 wagons with coal and started the long trip home. In the meantime the ground had thawed, the horses were tired from the already long trip, and the heavily loaded wagons kept miring down in the mud. Part way home a snow storm set in and it was getting dark. The two older boys had some anxious moments and thoughts before they got home. They were never happier to see home and never hungrier. No doubt there was a very relieved mother waiting up for them. Myrtle stayed on the homestead till October 1927 when she manied Rell Morrow and moved to a farm a few miles southeast of the Rhoades place. They lived there till 1949 when they rented their farm to Clarence and Sarita Chandler and moved to Englewood, Colorado. She passed away August 19, 1960. Both James and Myrtle Rhoades are buried in the Beaver Valley Cemetery. by Lola Rhoades RHOADES, REUBEN AND LOLA F662 Reuben Edward Rhoades, the 4th child of James and Myrtle Rhoades was born on his father's homestead 23 miles northeast of Reuben and Harley Rhoades with their hounds and some of the coyotes hides, 1927. Burlington, Colorado on Dec. 22, 1907 and has lived in Kit Carson County all his life except for about 3 years when they lived in Idaho. He started his first year of school in Idaho and in Colorado he attended the �all helped out by milking cows or any other odd jobs they could do. Reuben quit school when he was 15 to shuck corn. Wages were 3 cents a bushel and 50 bu. a day was a good days work. For enjoyment he and his brothers played baseball in the summer and their sport for the winter was hunting coyotes with hounds in their spare time. They would skin them and sell the hides. When Reuben was 16 he went back to Idaho with his Uncle Charley and Aunt Minnie Shryack, and they thought he would stay with them and finish his schooling but before time for school in the fall, he had gotten homesick for family and Colorado so he boarded a train and came home. He stayed on the farm helping his mother and the other boys. Their mother remarried in the fall of L927 to Rell Morrow. In December of that same year Harley married Esther Barnhart and Reuben and Walter stayed on the farm with them for several years. In 1932 Reuben bought a farm consisting of 480 acres from Ralph Graybil for $5,500. It was located about 3 miles east of his fathers homestead. Sec. 26-642. Wedding picture of Reuben and Lola Winfrey Rhoades, April, 1936. Beaver Valley and Happy Hollow schools. Tressie Lola Winfrey, the 6th of 9 children born to James W. and Jessie Winfrey was born on her father's homestead about 25 miles north of Burlington on Jan. 9, 1920. She has lived her entire life in Kit Carson County. She attended school for 8 years at the Cook School - Dist. 86 in Yuma County, 2 years of high school at Happy Hollow and 1 year at Idalia. Reuben's father passed away in Feb. 1918 at the age of 42 following a bout with the measles and pneumonia. Reuben was only 10 at the time, Clara was 17, Harley 15, Lester 12, Walter 6 and baby Fern just 11 months, but with their mother's help and coaching, they were able to stay on the farm and they On April 12, 1936 Reuben and Lola Winfrey were married at the Christian Parsonage in Burlington by the Rev. J.T. Burlington where they still attend. Reuben loved good cattle and in 1932 he bought his first Registered Polled Hereford cow from Frank Brannon at Rozelle, Kansas. Over the years he built up a nice herd of registered Polled Herefords and was the second Polled Hereford Breeder in the state of Colorado. He helped otganize the Western Polled Hereford Association in 1947 and served as both secretary and sales manager for several years, Reuben and Lola were both 4-H leaders of Plainview 4-H. In 1955 Lola had the honor of being chosen as Top Homemaker of Kit Carson County in the top Homemaker pro- gram sponsored by the Western Farm Life Magazine's home department. They put their first irrigation well down in 1955 and another in 1963. Their five children attended school at Beaver Valley, Plainview and Burlington. Two sons Joe and Doyle served time in the U.S. Armed Forces, Joe in Germany in 1965 and '66 and Doyle in VietNam in 1966 and '67. Doyle later enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1973 and spent 2 Yz yearc aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise. The oldest son Paul was manied to Karon Deines in 1958. so Reuben and Lola Coulter and immediately moved to his farm. had a house built at 259 Cherry St. in Burlington and moved into it in May of 1959, turning the house on the farm over to Paul We refer to the 30's as the "dirty thirties" and the dust bowl days, so money was scarce and and Karon. They have 1 daughter, Lori, who is a legal secretary at Pryor, Carney and like most farmers they milked cows and depended on the cream check for grocery money. Things started getting a little better in 1937 and that year they raised a fairly good wheat crop. When the softball league was organized in Burlington, which was probably about 1937 or 38, "Happy Hollow" was one of the teams and Reuben played on that team for several years and later on he played on Ted Backlunds team called "Teds'Trojans". In 1938 or '39 a Sunday School was organized at Beaver Valley and Reuben and his family attended regularly till about 1954 when they quit having services there. They then started going to the Gospel Chapel in Johnson law firm in Aurora, CO. Joe is married to Valerie Rainbolt and lives in Burlington and has 2 children, Evonne and Coy. Doyle is married to Wendy Heyen and lives in Seward, Nebraska and has 4 children, Kimberley and Dustin; and 2 daughters from a former marriage, Lori and Shawna who live in California. Thelma is married to Dennis Clark and lives in Highland, Maryland and has 6 children; Jason, Joanna, Julia, Justin, Jonathan and Joy. Jean is married to Ron Weisshaar and they live in Burlington and have 4 children; Willie, Jeron, Tressie and Tyson. Reuben is still engaged in farming and drives out to the farm during farming season. Lola keeps busy making quilts for her children and grandchildren. by Lola Rhoades RICHARDS FAMILY F663 William Arthur and Wife Sara Richards The Reuben Rhoades Family, Standing: Joe, Reuben, Paul and Doyle. Seated: Thelma, Lola and Jean Rhoades, Dec. 1972. William Arthur Richards, also known as W.A. or Bill, was born in Coal Valley, Illinois, May 28, 1862. When a small child, his parents moved to Columbus City, Iowa where they farmed. During his growing years, Williem helped with the farming and went to school. Sara Daniels, who lived on a neighboring farm, became his wife. She was born December 11, 1866. They were married December 23, 1885. They were Welsh; both of their families cn'ne from Wales in the mid 1880's. In the late summer of 1886 William, Sara's father Henry Daniels, and four friends came to the great western country which was being opened to homesteaders. They came to explore with the possibility of locating in the new country. They came to Wray, Colorado �Davis, one of the pioneer families. There were no ministers, so there were not any church services on Sunday until a few years later. Rev. Petcr Rasmusgen and Mrs. Mary Bevier were two of the early preachers. The early settlers had to go to Wray for supplies, two or three neighbors going together for the sake of safety. The trip took four days. They bought supplies to last several months. Mail was brought to the Tuttle Post Office, by horseback or team and buggy, from St. Frances at first and later from Stratton and Bethune. The settlers had trouble with wild horses that would come and take away their horses. Mr. Richards followed the thieves one time, but was able to retrieve his two horses, after about three days. Sometime after 1895 Mr. Richards bought out a homesteader on the South Fork of the Republican River, which is now known as the Homm Hereford Ranch. Cattle, haying and farming were the means of making a living. Three more children were born to the family; Esther Lois, January 13, 1897. Esther William A. Richards and wife Sara. Their wedding picture taken December 1885. by train. Jim Dugeon, a Locator, met the men and the drove them in two covered wagons across the Plains some sixty miles or so south and some west. After looking things over, William decided on a place to stake his claim. It was on Spring Creek, which is now a part of the Tom Price Ranch. On September 16, 1886 he filed on a pre-emption and timber claim in Section 9 Twp. 6 Rge. 45S. After staking his claim, Mr. Daniels and William went to Iowa to get their families and bring them to their new home. Soon after their arrival back in Iowa, Williem snd $ars'. first child was born, a little girl, Edna Mae, November 28, 1886. In February 1887, both the Daniels and Richards families co-e by train to Wray. In an emigrant car they brought a span of mules, died of whooping cough in March 1898. Henry (Harry) Samuel, June 15, 1898; Sara Ann, December 7, 1900. William's wife Sara and the mother of his children passed away December 18, eleven days after little Sara was born. A wooden casket was made at the home in which the body was placed and then taken to Stratton for burial. After Edna and Ruth married, Mr. Ri- chards sent his little five year old daughter, Sara Ann, to Iowa to be cared for by her grandparents, John and Ann Richards. by Elva Richards Powell RICHARDS FAMILY F664 John and Mayne Richards On July 5, 1889, John Arthur Richards was born while the family still lived in the dugout in the Tuttle community. When John was seven or eight years old, the family moved to the South Fork of the Republican River. John attended school in the new rock school house which was built on an acre of land donated by Burt Ragan. The school district becane known as the Ritizus School District No. 48J. The district served pupils in both Kit Carson and Yuma counties. Mayme Ann Anderson was born at Husted, Colorado, August 28, 1891. Husted was a labor camp, which was located where the Air Force Academy is now near Colorado Springs. In her early childhood, the family moved to Iowa, but when she was about ten years old the family cq-e back to Colorado and settled in the Idalia area. She attended school in Idalia. Mayme and John were married December 21, 1910, at Wray, Colorado, When John was fourteen, he was exnmining an "unloaded gun", however, the car- tridge went off and the bullet lodged in the left leg below the knee. He was taken to the doctor in Burlington. The doctor did not remove the bullet and said it would not cause any trouble because it was lead. John always limped because one leg was shorter than the other. In the early 1900's the ranchers would take their cows with the little calves after they were branded, to summer pasture, open range. The cowboys and chuckwagon would follow the herd. It was very slow, taking most of a week. The chuckwagon and one or two cowboys would stay with the herds during the summer. The herds were brought back in the fall. The calves were bigger so the herds moved faster in the fall. During the early years of the Kit Carson Fair, John would bring three or four of his saddle horses to the Fair to enter them in the Relay Races. They were a fine string of horses in which he took a great deal of pride. John had some mighty nice buggy tenms as well. a mare, two cows and some household furniture. Upon arriving in Wray, they John and Mayme got their first car, a model T Ford, in 1917. John tried to drive his car as he did his horses, but it wouldn't stop when he hollered "Whoa!" John finally proved-up on his homestead which was about two miles west of the ranch purchased a covered wagon which was to become their home for several weeks. Aft€r traveling three or four days, they reached the place where they would make their home. They continued to live in the covered wagon until a dugout was finished (so called because it was dug out from a gide of a hill). When finished it was eleven by fifteen feet, plastered with native lime and it had a good wooden floor. Two children were born while living in the dugout; Ruth, January 23, 1888 and John, July 5, 1889. In 1890 a two-room and a mile north of the river. He built a two room sod house and a lean to, as well as a barn and a chicken house. He sold the homestead when the ranch was sold and it has become part of the ranch pasture. After the ranch was sold, John and Mayme lived on Bill Andrews's place for seven years. Burdine was born there August 25, 1926. The three older children were born on the ranch. sod house was built. Harry in 1920, David in 1912 and Elva in The first Election was held in the fall of 1888. William was one of the clerks who took 1,911. the Election returns by train from Bethune to Kiowa, the county seat of Elbert County. The voting Precinct was No. 88. The school district was organized in 1890. The first school was held in an old vacant dugout with one window. Mr. Richards wag In1927 John and Mayme moved from the Andrews place to the Burt Ragan place which is on the River. They lived there seventeen years. Robert, the last of the five children was born May 9, 1929. It was during this time that a very severe drought started. In the early 30's John did not have enough feed for his cattle. The Unitcd the teacher. He taught the first t€rm ofthree months for $25.00 a month. In 1892 a echool house was built. The desks and benches were all homemade. Mr. Richards taught a total of six terms in Kit Carson county, two of which were in Vona. Sunday School was in the home of E.G. States Government destroyed cattle because the farmers did not have feed for them. John and Mayme Richards, wedding picture December 21, 1910. Twenty six of John's cows were killed. He was paid thirteen dollars a head for them. It was during this time that he gave twenty-five �little weaning pigs for five bushels of apples. It seemed outlandish but there was no feed for the pigs. In the 1930's, depression years, Dad took an appointment with the Agricultural Adjustment Administration helping to administ€r the corn-hog progr4m. This was the forerunner of the present A.S.C. It was during the 1930's that John traded a truck load of horses, probably ten or more, for a new John Deere tractor. Times were changing, horses were being replaced for farming and transportation. After the drought cnme the dust storms. Black clouds of dirt cnme billowing over the hills and across the land. It was hard to breathe and many animals died of dust pneumonia. Wet sheets were hung over the windows to keep out some of the dust. to the weary A blessed re11ef, When upward lre pass To the kingdom of peace. hThen comes I^lhen free from the woes, That on earth we must bear, We'll say Good Night here And Good Morning there. --Wm. Richards Then came the flood after the dust storms. It was the last of May 1935, when twenty six inches of rain fell during the night, up and down the river it seemed to rain the hardest. The next morning the river was a mile from the south bank at the Ragan place to the north side. You could see cows, calves and horses floating down the river. The water was rolling which made it impossible for any of the animals to get out of the water. John lost fifteen cows and one horse in the flood. Not only was livestock washed down the river, huge chunks of fields and large trees were washed away. Trees would go into the water and not be seen for a quarter mile or so. The rain had stopped by morning. When the water receded sandbars had replaced the fields, all bridges across the river were gone for miles and miles and many roads washed out or gone. It was devastating. Grasshoppers were another menace. John fashioned a tin tank twelve feet long, eighteen inches wide and eighteen inches high in front. The back side ofthe tank was probably three ONCE A FRIEM - ALWAYS A FRTEND Frlends, what are they for? They do so much, and then some nore. Not only just for now' But they will always be somehow There; for always and forever, Cause a friend will not sav never' Because lf that friend is true, always be right there for you. There is so much ln a friendLy snlle, Even if it only lasts for awhile. Friends and dreams go hand in hand. For friends are dreams across the land. He will You will alvays have a place in my heart; l,le will never, ever grou apart. And behind the sefting sun, After all ls said and done, A friend to ne You wlLl aluavs be. --Kristi Raeann Homm Great-Creat Crandaughter of lJilliam A. Richards Hermes soon after it was established in 1908 until 1916, when she went to Grand Island to take a Business Course. Her first employment was with Carpenter and Schaffer Mercantile in Colby, Kansas. Ruth married Walter Andrews in December, 1905. They made their home on a farm and raised ten children. Harry, Arthur, Otto, Mabel, Albert and Melvin are all deceased. The living are Marvin, Dale, Elmer and Evelyn. John married Mayme Anderson in December, 1910. John remained a farmer all of his life. Their children are: Elva, David, Harry, Burdine and Robert. Harry married Ethel Reynolds in May, 1926. Harry attended school in Ft. Collins and St. Joseph, Missouri. He became a Veterinarian, primarily for small animals. Their children are John and Jane. Sara married Paul Smith. Two children were born to this union: Harry and Helen. Sara was a Bookkeeper for many years from which she retired a few years ago. Mr. Richards loved poetry and he has many short writings, which he left. by Elva Richards Powell Once a friend Always a friend. feet high to serve as a backboard. The grasshoppers would hit the backboard and fall into the tank which had several gallons of water and a gallon or so of kerosene. This tank was put on the front of a haybuck, and John would go out early in the morning and Mr. Richards sold the ranch to Elmer Scherrer in 1919. He made his home primarily with his son, John. The last few years he lived in Burlington. As long as his health permitted, he did volunteer work at the Kit Carson Memorial Hospital. Mr. Richards was 85 when he passed away in 1947. Bdna married William Andrews in February, 1904; however, the marriage did not last Iong. She then became Postmistress of Visibility was zero during these dust storms. The storm usually "rolled in" in mid-afternoon and lasted for a couple of hours, quite frequently it seemed. was used as a dance hall for several years. Music for dancing was usually provided by local fiddlers with Mr. Richards chording on a pump organ as accompaniment. Mr. Art Hill and his wife Daisy played for the dances many times, and there were others. RICHARDS FAMILY F566 "harvest" the grasshoppers. The yield was Iowa, at Burlington, as does her daughter, Helen Gerdner. Her son H€ury Smith makes good. his home in Arizona. John and Mayme Richards Much has been written about whatmen did In 1938, after going through the experience In June 1964 a meeting was held in of the flood, John and Mayrne purchased the Wise or also known as the Chase place. It was in the early days, but little has been said in later years) to organize a Telephone about the women's role in the settling of the West. I remember the days when the men on higher, flat ground. They stayed on the Ragan place until 1944 when they moved to the Wise place. Having lived on the river all of his life, John never got used to the flat lands, but the river had changed so much, it wasn't the same. John and Mayme lived on the Wise place until his death, January 2, 1959. Mayme continued living on the place a few years, then went to the Burlington Rest Home. Mayme passed away May 18, 1966. by Burdine Homm and Elva Powell RICHARDS FAMILY F565 William and Sara Richards Sara grew up in Iowa, married and had two children; Helen and Harry. Sara still lives in Claremont (which became known as Stratton Company. This new line was to be known as the Claremont and South Fork Telephone Company. W.A. Richards was elected as one of the directors. A line would operate from the C.S. Wellman Ranch south to Claremont and then to correct all the river ranches north of town as far as the W.A. Richards Ranch near Landsman. About 1905 Mr. Richards opened a general store as The Ranch Supply Company, which operated for several years. Along with the store the Hermes Post Office was established September 11, 1908. Mail was brought to the Post Office from Burlington by horse and buggy three times a week. Mr. H.O. Brown was one of the carriers from Burlington. Mail was distributed from Hermes until it closed November 15, 1919. A two-story rock and frame building housed the Post Office and Store. The Store and Post Office were in the lower part which was rock. The second story, which was frame, were stacking hay on the lower end ofthe Bar T, several miles from home. They didn'tcome home for dinner because of the distance and the time it would take them. A neighbor lady, Ginny Burrious who lived quite close, would come and go with my mother and us kids to take dinner in the old Model T to the hay field. Some of these deeds have been long forgotten, but were very important. Another important task of the pioneer woman was the role of mid-wife. Doctors were few and were not always available. It was left to the women in the neighborhood to perform the task. Mom went and did all she could at times like these. Mrs. Charlie With, a neighbor a few miles south, would also come and help. I remember one time when they cnms home very discouraged. The baby had died and the husband was very unhappy, thinking that more should have been done. It was all very sad. The husband made a homemade coffin and the baby was buried on the �RICIIARDS - LEGEL FAMILY F567 Harry was born February 6, 1920 at Hermes, Colo. Was the third child of John and Mayme Richards. He grew to manhood in the area, with his folks two brothers and two sisters. The teacher usually boarded at our folk place. Family intertainment was mostly literary, box and pie suppers all held at the school house. He loved horses, broke many horses for people around the country, picked corn and milo with team and wagon. His Dad bought a John Deere D tractor in 1932. That helped farming, but they still farmed with horses too. He remembers going through the Depression and Dust Bowl days. They would have big rabbit hunts starting at the Republican River, everyone would walk with clubs and John and Mayme Richards. farmstead. The pioneer woman was called upon many times to act as nurse. Mom told many times about the times she stayed with a neighbor lady, named Mrs. Wilson, who lived a couple of miles north. Mrs. Wilson eventually died of cancer. Mom and other neighbors stayed and helped doctor her, often staying for three or four days at a time before her death. Another thing that happened at our house that is well remembered was the time when one of our neighbors, Alvin Bardwell, came to visit. Bardwell was a bachelor who lived with his brother and sister, Earl and Helen a couple of miles up the river. It was in the spring and had rained for about three days. The roads were very muddy; Alvin came sticks working about 500 rabbits into a large pen. They would put kids in the pen to kill the rabbits. The coyotes were all killed off, that's why there were so many jack rabbits and they were destroying the crops for the farmers. Living through the terrible flood of 1935, seeing cattle, horses, bridges and debris going by, they were thankful they were on high ground. His folks lived just south of the Republican River one half miles on the Bert Ragan place and the water came up to their house. On April 1942, Harry was called to serve his country in World War II. He saw lots of combat action, 33 months overseas in North Africa, Italy, France and Germany with the 439th AAA, BN. and was discharged October 1945. He is a life time member of V.F.W. post 6491 in Burlington. August 3, 1947, Harry married Ruth Lengel who lived west of the Bonny Dam, one mile west of Highway 385. They were married on her folk place, Joe and Mary Lengel. Ruth attended school Dist. 93J "Newbon School" for her first eight grades and graduated from Burlington High School in 1945. After graduation Ruth taught first four grades of school in Smoky Hill one year and two years at Ritzius School 48J. After we were married we lived on his folks place and farmed with his Dad for three years. Our oldest son Ray Louis born June 8' 1948, our second son Roger William born February 21, 1951. When he was two we bought a section, 640 acres. It was the Bill Andrews homestead place, 21 miles North of Burlington. Katherine Alene born June 2, 1953, Charlotte May born July 23, 1954 and Donald Gene born March 26, 1956. The three oldest children went to Ritzius school til 1960. They then moved our district t,o Burlington. The children helped on the farm finishing their elementary and high school in Burlington. April 1954 we put in an irrigation well, flooding 250 acres, raised corn, feed, alfalfa and wheat. We milked cows, sold cream and eggs for many years. We are still raising cattle and hogs. ln t976-77 we put two sprinkler systems which made it a lot easier, raised soybeans and sunflowers one year. We have survived droughts, grasshoppers, and hail storms. In the blizzard of February 1982, we lost eight cows from snow getting into their lungs and hogs smothered in hog sheds. On Friday December 13, 1962 our Ford tractor tools and garaLge were destroyed by fire. Katherine married Wes Adolf November 6, 1971. They now live in Joes, Colo. where he works for Y.W. Electric. She works part time at the Joes Post Office. They have two daughters Jamie and Kimberly. Roger married Suzy Gartrell September 28, L974. They now live four miles west and south of Idalia, Colo. Ranches and farms 1,800 acres of irrigation and grassland runs about 300 head cows. They have four children Chad, Brad, Duane and Darla Kay. Roger has always liked horses and rodeos. he built an arena so they could have rodeos, the neigh- riding in on his horse just before dinner time. He was invited in and stayed and ate dinner. After that he complained he didn't feel well and asked if he might lie down for a little while. When he didn't get up, Mom went into the bedroom to check on him and found him dead. Dad sent Hubert Powell to take his saddle horge home and to notify his brother Earl. From there Hubert went on to the Art Pugh Ranch (the Kenneth McArthur place) to a telephone where he called the Coroner (at that time Orin Penny). The roads were so bad that Dad had to take a team ofhorees and pull the a-bulance in to get the body. In 1936, Dad traded for his first tractor. It was a Model D John Deere on steel. He traded a truck load of horses for it. Our school in District 48-J (Ritizius) (Rock School) was never more than a mile from where we lived. Dad got most of his education here, as well as most of his children. My Dad was always a gteat promoter and believer in education and served on the school board of 48-J for many years. by Elva Powell The Harry Richards family; Standing L. to R.; Katherine, Roger, Donald, Ray and Charlotte. Seated; Ruth and Harry. August, 1969. �bors and friends all enjoy it on Sunday afternoons and evenings. Donald married satisfaction gained in meeting challenges and hardships. Susan Weyerman July 30, 1977. They now live in Idalia, Colo. where he hauls water off gas wells around Idalia. He bought 480 acres west of ldalia, farms and irrigates that. They have three boys Andy, Jeffery and Kyle. Ray married Sue Boren June 3, 1978, and now live 2 miles North of Burlington on Highway 385. They own and operate their own business by by Editors ROBB - HUNTLEY FAMILY selling Lockwood Sprinklers and under ground pipe. Ray bought 320 acres of his grandfather John Richard's place. He farms and operates that. They have four children Gianina, Jim, Landon, and Tyler, Charlotte married Tom Myer February 13, 1982. They now live in Wray Colo. She owns and operates the Charlotte's Beauty Salon, Tom works for a farmer and rancher North of Eckley, Colo. They have two daughters Shanon and Starla. Ruth worked at Grace Manor Nursing Home for three years in 1969-1972. Her family and now their 15 grandchildren keep her busy, She enjoys outside work, chickens, gardening, yard and flowers. On August 1, 1987, our children and grandchildren gave us a real nice 40th Anniversary Party with 200 relatives and friends attending to help us celebrate. by llarry & Ruth Richards F569 Arthur Delmar Robb was born near Emden, Shelby County, Missouri, on February 22,L892, the eldest son of James and Maggie Robb. In 1901, the Robb family moved to Colorado and took up farming near Flagler. Mr. Robb attended elementary schools in the Flagler area and received his secondary schooling at Fort Collins. Freda M. Huntley was born on July 21, 1889, in a dugout on the homestead of her parents located eight miles north of Flagler. She was the first child born in the Flagler community. As a young woman, Freda filed her own homestead claim about 15 miles northwest of Flagler. On August 29, 1917, Freda and Arthur were married. They farmed Freda's homestead for the next six years during which time their three sons, Lester, Dale and Delmar, were born. ROBB - HIGHTOWER FAMILY F568 Ja-es Thomas Robb was born on December 22, 1865. Maggie Hightower was born seven years later on February 2, L872. Both grew up in Shelby County, Missouri, where they net, courted and wed on February 19, 1890. They established their first home on a farm near Emden, Missouri, where they resided for eleven years. Believing that the new country of the West In 1923, the Robb family moved to Bethune where Arthur taught school for two years. Returning to Flagler, the Robbs engaged in business briefly before Arthur resumed teaching in the Flagler School and in the country schools of Shiloh, Mount Pleasant and White Plains, all north of Flagler. In 1935, Arthur became the Flagler postmaster, a position he held until his retirement in 1962. The Robbs were loyal and active members of the First Congregational Church members of the Flagler Congregational where Arthur sang in the choir and Freda participated in the Ladies Aid. In addition, Arthur belonged to the American Legion and the IOOF while Freda was active in the Rebekahs and the American Legion Auxiliary. Arthur Robb passed away on September 2L, 1973. Freda continued to reside in the family home until her advanced age required her to enter the Hugo Community Nursing Home where she lived until her death on May 10,1983. In keeping with the best tradition of their families'pioneer heritage, Arthur and Freda devoted their lives to public service and the betterment of their communitv. Church. Additionally, Maggie was one of the founding members of the Flagler "Country by Editors offered better opportunities for a young family, they purchased a farm near Bovina in the fall of 1901 and in 1904 homesteaded adjoining land five miles northeast of Flagler. The Robbs were one of the oldest families in the Flagler area. Both were active in community school activities. Perhaps as a consequence, their three oldest sons devoted all or a part of their lives to the teaching profession. Both were faithful and active Club." In their later years they were unable to meet the demands of farming and moved to Flagler, where they made their home in 1941. James and Maggie lived in perfect companionship for almost 65 years, leading productive lives, raising a family, and enjoying the respect and friendship of the entire community. Ja*es passed away quietly on February 9, 1954, at the age of 89. Maggie died a year later, on July 29, 1955. They left behind five sons and a daughter: Arthur, Gilbert, Pearl, Shelby, Chester and Ella (Huntzinger). The life of a pioneering fa-mily offered little in the way of material comfort. Life was enriched by family and friends and by the impetus and growth. Mr. Roberts was unquestionably its leading citizen. Because of his reasoning powers and his common sense, people far and neat came to him for that advice and help, which he gave so willingly and gladly to his fellow man. In 1889, the second daughter, Inez was born, in Beloit. She was a good, bright, and dutiful child. As she grew older, she beca-e quite proficient in music. She lived with her family near Stratton. Mr. Rogers was instru- mental in the upbuilding of Stratton, Co. where he located in the spring of 1893. Inez attended the State Prepartory School at Boulder, from which institution, she was compelled to leave because of heart trouble. Thinking a lower altitude would be beneficial to her, Mr. Roberts moved the family to Rogers, Ark. Inez attempted to pursue her studies in the Academy there at Rogers. Again, her heart trouble checked her ambition, and she stopped. Finally, on March 31, 1908, she realized the end w{u} near and she died with a smile on her face. Father, mother, and three sisters were left to mourn their great loss. On May 19, 1915, Jr. J.T. Rogers, himself passed into the great beyond, at the age of 63 years, ? months, and 26 days. His was a remarkable, helpful life. A life long friend paid him this tribute: "He was the truest friend I ever had. I loved him as a brother. He was kind, generous, and faithful. He never refused a favor that he could possibly grant. He was the central figure in politics in Kit Carson County. He was not a hide-bound politician, but always stood for the man most capable to fill the office for which he was candidate. He believed in clean politics and would not countenance for one moment, fraud of any kind. He would work always for the best interests of the community in which he lived, and no saloon could be established where he had controlling vote." "He did everything possible to advance the educational interest of town and county, and was loved and respected by old and young alike." by Janice Salmans ROCKWELL, STEVE AND THELMA LOPER F57r Elizabeth, Grampa's mother, was born June 27,1879 and died February L9,1927 (from an enlarged heart, the doctors said). She married George Edwin Rockwell on October 20, 1903 when he got out ofthe Army, ROBERTS FAMILY F570 J.T. Roberts was born at London Mills, Ill., Sept. 23, 1851. Here, he spent his happy childhood days, and in the spring of 1866, he moved with his parents and family to Seward County, Nebr. He was married at Seward, Nebr. to Miss Letitia Murphy, Jan. 13, 1885. As time passed they welcomed to their home four daughters; Hazel, Inez, Suzanne, and Roberta. He and his relatives took claims near Beloit, Colorado, in the spring of 1887. He founded the town of Beloit, and gave it it's having served in the Spanish American War in the Philippines. They were married in Great Bend, Kansas and immediately moved to South Bend, Washington where they lived next door to Ed's (everyone called him Ed instead of George at that time) oldest sister Flora Turner. Ed and Betty had 8 children, 4 died at birth: Edwin, born 1905, one born on June 28,19L2 and one on April 12,19L5. These are the three that are buried in the cemetery in South Bend. There was a girl born in Great Bend on January 1917. She is buried in the cemetery at Great Bend. Mildred, Scott, Steven and Al are the living children. John Steven was born in South Bend. �ROSE, CLAUS F673 Claus and Gertrude Rose came to Stratton early in 1919 with their three children, Justus, June and Maye. I was four at this time and remember little of the move from Nebraska. My father, a real estate broker, had joined the Collins firm, at that time located on the west side of Colorado Avenue in the Linford Building. A short time later the office was moved to a location on First Street. Later Charles S. Wall and Claus Rose established their own real estate business at the corner of Colorado Avenue and Main Street. This office was maintained until my father left Stratton in 1947. Mr. Wall had died in the meantime. My father was on city council, school board, was a charter member of Rotary Club, County Treasurer of Kit Carson County for eight years, and a member of what is now the United Methodist Church in Stratton. Our Family photo taken at Steve and Thebna's 45th Wedding Anniverscry. L. to R back row: Ray Rockwell, Jay Rociwell. Second row: Carol Rockwell, Thelma, Steve, and Jan Rockwell. Third Row: DeEtt, Joe, and Jim Rockwell. Washington on June 27,1910,57 minutes to midnight, his mother's birthday (he was probably born in the hospital). He, too, attended the country schools he and his brothers and sisters had attended in Kangas, and at District 14 north of Great Bend, he made 1st and 2nd grades in the same year and could spell down in spelling bees and beat in arithmetic matches; the 8th grade girls would cry. He graduated in L927, the same year Scott did as Scott was sick and missed one grade. He lived on the farm south ofStratton, and on March 18, 1939 married Thelma Loper, born on October 2,LgL7, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Floyd Loper. Thelmawas the oldest of six children. Mary, Joann, Oliver, Gladys and Marie. Thelma's father and mother were married in 1915. They lived near Saint Francis and then moved to Stratton. After several years on the farm south of Stratton, Steve, as he is known, moved to Burlington, Colorado in 1939 and worked in the County Treasurers office, latcr being elected to that office, which he left to become Administrator of the new Kit Carson Hospital in 1948. Thelma worked at the hospital also. They lived in an apartment in the hospital basement. They retired on May 23, 1980, and bought a home at 391 Cherry Street in Burlington. Steve and Thelma had two boys, Jay Steven was born on May 23, L940. Jay married Janet Kay Bules on June 11,, 1966. They had two sons, Joe Steven was born on December 9, 1967, and James Dead was born on July 29, 1969. Steve and Thelma's son, Ray Allen was born on December 28, 1943. Ray manied Carol Lee Vallier on August 23, 1965. They had two daughters, Shannon Rae was born on December 14, 1968 and DeEtt Tara was born on July 17' 1971. Thelma Rockwell passed away. by Shannon Rockwell ROGERS, ORVILLE F672 Orville Rogers homesteaded at Bird City, Kansas. He traded his homestead for a printing press and started lhe Hearld of Independence at Bird City. Later he moved his printing press to Colorado and printed the Carlisle Reporter, Carlisle was on the SE Section 29-8-42. When the railroad came through it missed that town a mile. In April, 1889, he was publishing the Claremont Journal and when the county officials were appointed, they gave J.F. Murray's paper the Boomerang all the county news. At some early date he published the Kit Carson News at Vona, and went from there to Denver and started a suburban paper called The Brooklyn Blade. In May 1890, he was publishing the "Rain BeltFarmer" on the homestead of W.D. Bean on the SE of Sec. 20-10-43 in a soddy. This publication was the local voice of a new movement, the "Farmers Alliance". We saw two issues of the Rain Belt Farmer. Instruction to farmers were given and even instructions were given to the house wives in their cooking. "The Farmers Alliance would take no advertising from townsmen", was their declaration. The Ad.uocate was quoted in his paper and thanked for their greeting. Orville was a Spanish American War veteran and was with the army of occupation at Havana until the Cuban Republic was established. Orville also published the first newspaper at Claremont: the Clarernont Journal. He died at his brother's home in Lamar, Mo., on Jan. 15, 1936, of a paralytic stroke. by Della Hendricks father was never too busy to serve in anyway to assist people in time of trouble or heartache. He always knew what to say to ease the suffering. I remember a time when I had been severely burned, hearing his foot steps in the hospital corridor. I knew then I could prevail. He was that kind, loving, strong man. We could always tell when he was on his way home. He whistled as he walked along. At one time as a youth he sang in his church quartet as first tenor. He had a beautiful voice. Any successful man has a special helpmate, his wife. This was our mother. Always fust and foremost her husband, children and grandchildren. She had an enchanting smile and ready sense of humor, a heart full of love and understanding. In those early times our mother often went to sit with a family of a departed loved one. There were no mortuaries in the area at this time. She administered to any needs of the deceased after the undertaker had gone. She and Mrs. Williams were often asked to sit the late night shift. She also often satwith a comatose individual. When the family first came to Stratton, Mother did her laundry when a movie was in progress upstairs in the Linford Building. Someone had strung an electrical line from the movie house to our house. Mother had the only electric washing machine in town. Later our house became the telephone office. Mother was very busy with her house, her family, Ladies Aid, and she was one of the founding members of MSA Club. She was a member of the now Methodist Church in Stratton. I remember her stripping her flower garden so that there might be some kind of flowers at someone's funeral. In 1921 our family was blessed with the birth of a cherished little boy John Boyd. He was a loving little one who charmed and dominated all our lives for six short years. He died ofan accidental gunshot wound on April 29, L927. Our family has grown. I hope Claus and Gertrude could be proud of all their grandchildren: Justus Rose's children: Claus Raymond, F B M, Dallas, Texas; and daughters Joan, Trudy, Frances, and Delores; June's children: Marci Levi and Jerry Scofield; Maye's children: Claus James Hume, Judge of the State Court of Appeals of Colorado; Ralph Edward, Dean of Graduate School, Cameron University, Lawton, Oklahoma; June Guy, teacher at HiPlains School, Seib- �ert, Colorado; and Larry Joe, machinist, living in Loveland, Colorado. by Maye Blodgett ROWLEY FAMILY F674 He joined the C.C.C. When he left there, he and Marian Rivers were married. They moved to Camas, Washington where they were both drowned in a boating accident on the Columbia River in 1940. They have a daughter, Catherine, still living in Canon City, Colorado. I (Ralph) was born in Allen, Kansas, on June22,1913. After leaving school, I worked for various ranchers and farmers in Kit Carson County. Alta Sesler of Seibert and I were married in 1936, and we farmed until the war broke out. We then moved to California and I worked in the Naval Shipyard at Vallejo, California. We then moved back to Seibert and farmed for a few years before moving to Denver, where we opened and ran service stations and auto repair shops until we both retired. Our children are Mary of Eastlake, CO; Charles of Lakewood, CO; and Beverly of Denver. Eva (Rowley) Walker was born in Allen, Kansas June 3, 1915. In her senior year of high school, 1933, she married Murray Walker of Seibert. She graduated from Seibert High School through a correspondence course with Professor Brown. Murray worked at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal in Denver for many years. Murray passed away December 9, 1975. Of this union 2 children were born: Michael of Awada, CO; and Linda, of This picture was taken about 1944. Back row: Pearl (Johnson) Rowley, Delberts wife, Lillian (Redwing) Rowley, Hollis wife, Alta (Sesler) Rowley Ralphs wife. Front row: Delbert Rowley, Hollis Rowley, and Ralph Rowley. Our father, Ernest E. Rowley, spent his life as a dryland farmer in Kansas and Colorado. He passed away December 18, 1939. Our mother, Mae (Castle) Rowley, moved to Denver before WWII and worked in sewing factories that had contracts with the govern- ment to make items used by the various Armed Forces. After the war she retired to take life easier. She passed away September 9, 1976, at age 90 years. Galena (Rowley) Dimmitt was born July 6, 1903, in Allen, Kansas. She married Dillman Dimmitt in 1924. They moved to Seibert from Stratton in 1929. Dillman had the White Eagle bulk plant for a time before moving to Limon and running Camp Pershing Restau- rant, Service Station and Cabins. They moved to Denver and Dillman worked for truck lines. Of this union, 3 children were born: Dillman, Jr., who resides in San Diego, CA; Dorman, who lives in Glendora, CA; and Darlene who lives in San Diego, CA. Galena is still very active and lives in San Diego, Ca. Edward was born March 31, 1905, in Allen, Kansas. As a young man he worked at various places in Kit Carson County. He went to the State of Washington and worked in a paper mill until he returned to Denver and went to work for a trucking company until he retired. Edward passed away November 2, 1984. James was born November 27,1911, in Allen, Kansas. He also worked for various farmers and ranchers in Kit Carson Countv. Westminster, CO. Glenn Rowley was born in Allen, Kansas, August 19, 1917. Glenn worked at various jobs in Seibert and Denver and he and Cecil Gates were married in July 1935. During World War II, Glenn went to Alaska to work for the U.S. Government. Upon returning, he went to work for a truck line in Denver, where he worked for 25 years. Glenn, Cecil and their daughter, Marlys, and family now live in Gulf Bteeze, Florida. Delbert was born after the family came to Kit Carson County, on February 16, I92L, north ofStratton, Colorado. After graduating from Seibert High School, Delbert joined the CCC Camp at Hugo and joined the Navy in January of 1940. He was stationed at Pearl Harbor and was there on the day of "Infamy". He mauied Pearl Johnson of Denver in 1943. After the war, he returned to Denver and like his brothers before him. went to work for a truck line and is still employed by one. Delbert and Pearl have 4 children: Glenn of Boulder, CO; Randy of Santa Rosa, CA; Carol of Golden, CO; and Nancy of Denver, CO. Hollis was born north of Stratton. CO. on May 21, 1922. He worked at various jobs prior to WW II. He joined the Army paratroops in L942 and was there for the duration of the war. Hollis maried Lillian Redwing of Vancouver, WA and they had 2 daughters: sharon of Vancouver, WA; and Kathy of San Diego. Hollis now lives in Conroe, Texas. by Ralph L. Rowley The Rowley family taken about 1962. Back row: Glen Rowley, Ralph Rowley, Edward Rowley. Front row: Eva Walker, Mae Rowley, Galena Dimmitt, and Delbert Rowley. Promised Land) Colorado. They arrived in Stratton on November 19, 1919. Their high hopes were to get Homestead Land. Dad had been convinced by his brother-in-law, Jim Edmunds, that there was still Homestead Land available; but by November 1919, there was none left in this area. The Rowley Caravan consisted of 3 wagons, t horses, 1 milk cow, household belongings, some farm equipment and the 6 children: Galena, born in 1903; Edward, born in 1905; James, born in 1911; Ralph, born in 1913; Eva, born in 1915; and Glenn, born in 1917. After a time in Stratton looking and trying to get Homestead Land, they rented the farm 9 miles north of Stratton, known as the Henry Slagle place. Their neighbors were the Lee Dimmitts, Ben Hemlins, Ben Degerings, Jim Edmunds, Milo Mitchems, Frank Beatties, B.K. Mosses and Russell Oldsons. It was on the Slagle place I was born, February 16, 1921. Our brother Hollis was born May 2L, L922. The children of school age went to the 1room Spring Creek School. That is, the ones who were not needed for the work on the farm. The summer of 1922 we moved to a place 8 miles S.E. of Stratton where our neighbors were the Harry Robinsons, Charlie Bloom and his sister Mable Bloom, Elmer Hulls, Frank Yellick, Bertha King and Henry Roush. South Pius Point was the 1-room school which Ralph, Eva and Glenn attended. The ROWLEY FAMILY F575 11 Year Trek To Seibert, Colorado Our father and mother, Ernest E. and Mae (Castle) Rowley, left Allen, Kansas in late October 1919, with 6 children for (The teacher was Goldie lverson, and later Queenie Ferris was their teacher. They later were moved to the North Pius Point School where Edith Powers was the teacher. In the Summer of 1927, we rented a place 6 miles south of Bethune known as the Brennan Place. Our new school was North Star and the teachers were Ruth Pishke and Alta Wolf. Our neighbols were the Jake Wolfs, Wayne Glazes, Ralph H rmricks, Charlie Perkins, and Andy Perkins. �When Ralph and Eva graduated from the 8th grade, they attended lst Central School, 12 miles south of Bethune. Mrs. Wolf became a teacher at lst Central and they rode to school with Mrs. Wolf. We then moved to the town of Stratton in RUDY, BENJAMIN AND AGNES r.677 1929 for 1 year, and in 1930 we moved to what I call "My Home Town" - Seibert. We made, our home in one of Jess Miller's Cabins, on the west side of town, for some time. We lived in various places in Seibert during the dust bowl years of Kit Carson County. by Delbert T. RowleY RUDNIK, EVERETT AND BERNICE In the back row are Ben Rudy and Wayne Barber along with their beet workers from Mexico. F676 F,i Bernice Emelea Hansen was born to John and Rosie Hansen of Seibert, Co. on Nov. 27, 1937. At an early age, the family moved to Vona where I, Bernice, attended school. I $ Ben and Agnes raised these vegetables from their garden in 1953. married Eldon Clark Misner December 8, 1951. After our marriage, Eldon spent 18 months in Korea and I worked at the Kit Carson County Hospital in Burlington, Colo- rado as an aid, and I particularly enjoyed working the OB Ward. To this union three daughters were born: Darlene Bernice December L4, L954; Star Lynn December 19, 1956; and Eldona Valerie Jo November 14, 1958. Eldon worked for the Colorado State Highway. He was operating a snow plow on Loveland Pass when he went over an embankment and was killed Dec. 11, 1958. On December 9, 1959, Bernice married Everett Rudnik of Cope, Colorado. A son was of Burlington in 1983. Steve farms and Darlene works with office computers. Star graduated in 1975 and maried Larry Burgess of Texas in 1980. They live in Grand Junction. Star owns and operates a beauty shop, "A Cut Above," and Larry is a real estate agent. Jo graduated in 1977 and married Jay Satterwhite of Illinois in 1979. They have two daughters and live in Rochester, New York where they are assistant pastors at Rochester. by Bernice Rudnik to North and South America. This migration continued until 1914. Among these emigrants was John Phillip Rudy, father of Benjamin. John Phillip was born September 27, 1881, Saratov Province, Volga Region, Russia. In the spring of 1891 at age nine, John Phillip sailed to America with his parents, John Peter and Katherine Daubert, and two younger brothers, John Peter and Jacob C. Upon arrival in the United States, they settled at Otis, Kansas, near the Conrad Moore family whom the Rudys had known in Russia. John, Katherine, and their sons farmed at Otis, Kansas, until 1894 when they purchased and moved to an established homestead at Ashley, Oklahoma (near Alva, Oklahoma). Phillip continued farming the "homeplace" with his father and on December 29,L902, at age 2O married 16 year old Mary Moore, born to us on October 11, 1960, Flint Eugene. In 1963, we moved to Northglenn and lived there for four years. While there I took a correspondence course and in 1964, graduated from American School in Chicago, Ill. We then moved to Burlington October 15' 1967. Bernice worked in the office of the hospital and Everett, in May 1968, became the owner of B&B Electric. Then he owned Donut King for two years. In 1979, Everett built his own business, Everett's Paint and Repair. Everett has restored two special cars: a 1923 Star and a 1929 Pontiac. Burlington High School became a big part of all of our lives. Darlene graduated in 1973 and married Steve Scott had protected the Germans from being drafted. As a consequence, hundreds of German families, mainly from the Volga Region, left Russia in the 1870's to migrate daughter of Conrad Moore. Born to this union at Ashley, Oklahoma, were Benjamin William, Albertha, and John Wesley. Ben started farming with his father in Oklahoma. On February 14, 1925, Ben married Agnes Laurel Kellnms, who was originally from Newton Stewart, Indiana. Four children were born to Ben and Agnes; Charles Phillip Rudy now living in BurA sample of beets gtown on the Ben Rudy farm. Mr. Rudy is one of 11 farmers in Kit Carson County who pioneered the sugar beet industry in the county with the advent of deep well irrigation. The immigration manifesto issued by Catherine the Great on July 22, L763, promised many things to the Germans who migrated. Some of the promises were: free exercise of their religion, freedom from taxation, and for the whole time of the immigrants'stay in Russia, they were not to be drafted into military service against their will. The manifesto added the very important statement that all the promises made to the immigrants applied also to their children and descendants, even those born in Russia. By 1871 a series of reforms by Alexander II abolished the special colonists status that the Germans had enjoyed up to thattime and put them on the seme legal status as the Russian peasants. When the new military service law was proclaimed on January I, L874, it eliminated the military draft exemption that lington, Colorado; Loyd Eugene Rudy living in Ojai, California passed away on September 28, 1984; Marjorie Lou Chambers passed away on March 13, 1960; and Karen Kay Baber living in Steilacoon, Washington. Ben and Agnes continued farming the homeplace until January, L952, when they moved to Colorado. In the spring of 1947, Ben and Agnes started farming in Colorado on two quarters of land purchased from Lester Basher and located SE1/4, Sec 32 and SW 1/4, Sec. 33. R45W, T9S south of Bethune. From 1947 to 1952, Ben and Agnes were involved in dual in Oklahoma and in Colorado. farming - hauling farm equipment such This involved as tractors, combines, plows, etc. by truck approximately 400 miles between the two states. At first Ben's family lived in rentals in Burlington, Colorado, during the working season. Then Ben and Agnes bought property at 142 12th Street and built a small onebedroom house adjacent to an existing garage. In 1951, they bought a half section farm �located, N1/2, Sec 3, R44W, T9S, west of Burlington in a three-way trade/purchase finally, Agnes became the landowner leasing her farmland to a new generation of farmers. that roamed the country. They were taken to by Agnes L. Rudy The corrals being built high to keep the horses from jumping out. The horses were branded and turned out on the range, and between J.N. Smith, Roy Sprague, and Ben and Agnes Rudy. The little house in Burlington and the two quarters south of Be- thune were a part of this trade/purchase. Ben and Agnes continued farming the land south of Bethune for five years, leasing it from Roy Sprague. As well as the Bethune land, Ben and Agnes also leased five quarters near the Correction Line, owned by Earl Geis, and four quarters just across the county line in Cheyenne County, owred by Milton Rudy. During this time Agnes supported Ben's farming endeavors by cooking three large meals each day during the summer work season for the hired crews. The noon meal was prepared, taken to the field and served there. This involved considerable planning and organizing by Agnes and required round trip drives up to 70 miles on unpaved county roads. Ben was always a conscientious farmer and was always eager to try new products and new procedures. The high yield of irrigated crops fascinated Ben and he was one ofthe pioneers of deep well inigation in the Burlington area. He had his well drilled January 22, 1955, at a depth of 310 feet and had the foresight to file his water rights in Kit Carson County. This filing proved to be wise because the water table did drop and some other wells could not be used to capacity. The method of irrigation used was ditch with aluminum siphon tubes. At one time he used a portion of his farmland to plant test plots of DeKalb seed corn. Sugar beets arived on the scene in 1956 and again Ben was nmong the first area farmers to plant sugar beets. To help the farmers cultivate the young beets, men from Mexico were bused to Colorado. Most of these Mexican workers spoke no English. They worked ten hours a day, five days a week, weeding and thinning the young beet plants with both short- and long-handled hoes. Each farmer was allotted three workers and had to provide accommodations for them. Ben and Wayne Barber shared their workers so the fields could be worked faster. An unused chicken house on the Rudy farm was cleaned and converted to housing for the six Mexican workers. The workers were very pleased with the accommodations because there was electricity and running water. Every Saturday during the hoeing season, Ben took the Mexicans in the back of his pickup to town to shop for their groceries, gifts for families, etc. On Sunday he drove the Mexicans to the local Catholic Chwch to attend mass. Ben was a member of the Methodist Church, a member of the Burlington Equity Co-op, and an active resident of the community for seven years before his death in 1959. Agnes has continued to manage the halfsection farm since Ben's death raising such crops ns wheat, corn, pinto beans, milo, and sugar beets; as well as upgrading the ditch irrigation to gated pipe and then to the present circle irrigation system. She has also purchased, improved and sold other property in the area. Time has completed a cycle Ben and Agnes started farming by leasing- land, they purchased land and did their own farming; RUEB FAMILY F578 Justin Rueb and Evangeline Schawe were married in 1944 at Speawille, Kansas. They lived on a farm 8 miles north of Dodge City, Kansas for 5 years. In August, 1949, Mr. & Mrs. Justin Rueb (Sam and Vangie) and their three young sons, John, Bill, and Pat moved to Colorado to a farm that they purchased from Lee Batterson, located 5 miles west of Stratton, Colorado. This is in the Vona School District with mailing address Vona, Colorado. The Ruebs rented farm land in the area owned by Fred Doll of Wright, Kansas. They were looking forward to living near Highway 24 and attending the Catholic Church and school in Stratton. A barn was built shortly after their arrival and the house remodeled in 1952. During this period many of our acquaintances from Kansas had already moved here, including an aunt of Vangie, Mrs. J.C. Kleisen (Loetta) and Francis Rueb (Tick), Sa-'s brother. Tick and Dorothy and family later moved to Nebraska. Children born in Colorado were, Elaine, Stan, Robert, Mark, and Justin Jr. All attended the Stratton schools and graduated from the Stratton High School. Sam and Vangie are still living on the farm. Four children are married. John to Arlene Weingardt, Bill to Paula Moser, Pat to Rita Pickard, and Mark to Kathy Jesson. There are seven grandchildren. the large corral built at Crystal Springs. There were cabins and corrals at this place. when needed were broken to ride. Crystal Springs, named by Ezra M. Lyon, my father-in-law, one of the early settlers of the community, is located on Sec. 4-9-50. It is an ideal place for a stock ranch, as there is an abundance of water and good grazing. There were no towns, no railroad, and mail was brought from Hugo by anyone going that way. Supplies also came from Hugo. Our amusements were horseback riding and dancing. The first settler to file on a homestead was J.R. Miskelly, who filed on the land known as Crystal Springs. The place is now owned by a company who are converting it into a pleasure resort. The second settler was Wm. Matthias; the third, Dick Moore, and I, Simon Rumming, was the fourth. I filed on a pre-emption in the fall of 1884. After quitting the cattle business, I settled down on our homestead, a short distance from the Crystal Springs property, built a reservoir and do-, and had plenty of water for all purposes. We organized a school district in Nov. 1887, and in order to hold the district we had to hold school at least three months. Miss Lyons taught for five years and Mr. Barney Killian of Kiowa, Elbert co., was the Co. Supt. of Schools at this time. Addie and Mollie Doughty, daughters of Ben Doughty, were just small girls, when they came here. Their mother had died and they assumed the duties of caring for the younger children, but that didn't deter them from fitting themselves for teaching and enduring the hardships of pioneer schooling in this county. Among the early settlers who found homes by Vangie Rueb RUMMING, SIMON H. F579 Born in 1854, in Hampshire, England. Came to Colo. in 1873. I, Simon H. Rumming started from Chicago early in 1873, with a group of people who were westward bound. When the covered wagon train reached Iowa, we began gathering a herd of cattle, buying up as we went along, so by the time we reached our destination we had quite a herd. Of course we could not move very fast so we did not reach Colo. Springs until the latter part of the summer of 1873. We came up the Platte River to Fort Morgan and then across the country to Colo. Springs. I saw my first buffalo on the Platte River in Neb., so we lived on buffalo meat while crossing the plains. We encountered a few Indians, but none that were not friendly. I hired out to the Stanley Bros. while in Chicago and helped them drive their cattle across the plains. Later on I went to work for the Pugsley Bros. called the KP outfit, and who had herds of cattle from the Republican River to the Arkansas River. They also had a large herd of horses. The outfit consisted of 20 cowboys, cooks, and chuck wagons. I worked for them from 1884 to 1887. I had charge of the horse herd, and it was my work to gather horses from the wild herds in the community were Jim Howell, B.F. Houtz, J.W. Hunt, Stephen Strode, F.H. and C.H. Lyon, and "Grandma" Eliza Doughty. We organized a Sunday school and church meetings in the school house. J.W. Hunt was our Sunday School Superintendent for some years and C.W. Smith, a "Holiness" missionary was our first preacher. Later he taught school in our district. Taken from early day writings. by Janice Salmane RUTTER, JACK AND MARY F680 Jack Rutter and Mary DeGraffenreid manied in Kansas City, Kansas April 11, 1947, Jack being the second son of the late D.B. Rutter and Myrtle of Plains, Kansas. Jack grew up on the farm and upon graduating from Plains High School was inducted in the U.S. Army in 1943, serving his country in the States and the Pacific and was discharged in April 1946. Soon after his discharge, Jack enrolled in the National Trade School in Kansas City, after two years, he completed his schooling in Architectural Drafting. At this time, he married Mary DeGraffenreid of Ulman, Mo., a small rural town 165 mi. S.E. of Kansas City, located in the resort area of Begnell Dam and Lake of the Ozarks. Mary �belongings, cattle, and horses to a farm 4 mi. W. lN. of Plains, Ks., which later they bought. In 1925, a son, Jack David was born. Clark and Jack attended school at Plains, Ks. Clark moved to Bethune, Co. and farmed for many years. After being in service during World War 2, Jack attended school in Kansas City, married and moved to Burlington, where he was in the Auto Parts and farming business. David "Bat" Rutter passed away in 1949 and Myrtle moved to Burlington the s'me year. She has enjoyed living in Bur- lington, always having her familyclose by and a host of friends. Her life has been centered around the church and is a charter member of the Burlington Christian Church. She enjoys the Senior Citizens Center and the fellowship with those that attend. Burlington has been good to us and she saYs, "I appreciate you all". by Jack Rutter Susan Rutter. Gottfried Weiss Farm north of Bethune, where we made our home. Dust and dry years were upon us. For the next three years Jack attended Infantry School in Ft. Benning, Ga. and Artillery School in Ft. Sill, Oklahoma. Another baby girl, Amber Kay was born Sept. L2,7952. In 1958 Jack went to work for King Motor Co. and was salesman for 15 years, so we moved to Burlington and built our present home where we now live. Jack was under sheriff for 9 mo. She is presently self-employed as a Building Contractor. Our children were born in Burlington and attended school in Bethune and both graduated from Burlington High School. Susan lives in Liberty, Mo' and has thee children, Chris, Hannah and Asher. Amber lives in Colo. Spgs., and has three children, Tabitha, Deidra, and Tarah. Living and being a part of Burlington has been a real blessing to us through the years. We are charter members of the Burlington Christian Church. Presently both teach and work in the music department, Jack having been a part of the Harmonaires, a male quartet, since being in Burlington. Singing for funerals for Amber Rutter. Hendricks Mortuary and other clubs and churches throughout the states and others, has probably been the highlight of his life. by Mary Rutter is the first daughter and third child of four' of Louie and Cora DeGraffenreid of Ulman, Mo. My father was a farmer and owned real estate in Lake Ozark. My grandfather, Geo. Riley DeGraffenreid was a road construction foreman on the Bagnell Dam. He also owned the White House Hotel built in 1932, which was the first business in Lake Ozark after the building of the Dnm. From Kansas City we moved to Sedan, Kansas where Jack was employed at the Fesler Implement Co. Later we moved to Burlington, Co. where Jack was employed at Sim Hudson Motor Co. Then Jack went into businees with Asa Calvin, which was known as Calvin and Rutter Auto Supply. At this time Jack was in the Army Reserve and was attached to Co. I. Colorado National Guard and served with the unit in Burlington as Company Commander. At this time our first daughter, Susan Carol was born June 18, 1949. She purchased land south of Burlington and in 1952 we bought the RUTTER, MYRTLE V. F581 Myrtle V. Rutter born Dec. 30, 1889 at Brumley, Mo. to Tom and Rosa Bond. One of 10 children they experienced good times and bad times, with many mouths to feed and send to school. Her father was a freighter, that hauled freight by team and wagons from Brumley, to Bagnell, Mo., which was a shipping point on the Osage River. She grew to womanhood in Brumley and operated the telephone office at the time. In 1910 she married David "Bat" Rutter and immediately moved to Pretty Prairie, Ks., where he was employed by Collingwood Grain Co. In 1912' a son was born to them. This young man was no-ed Champ Clark. In 1915, they gathered their family together, and moving their SAILER, CHARLES LESTER F682 Charles Lester Sailer was born April 20, 1898, in Whitewater, Kansas, to Charles L' and Sarah Brooks Sailer. He attended public schools in Kansas. He married Miss Mertie Lattimore, the daughter of James and Leona Logan Lattimore on April 7, 1926. Mr. and Mrs. Sailer were the parents of four children: Wayne, Dean, Marjorie and Vivian. Wayne married the former Shirley Schlickenmayer, and they are the parents of three children: Gary, Gail, and General Dean who served in the U.S. Marines Corps 1951-52. He married the former Ione Lynn, and they are the parents of a son, Bryan. Marjorie is married to Dean Stewart, and they have a daughter, Maridean. Vivian is married to Elmer Jacober, and they are the parents oftwo children: Dale and Beverly Sue. Charles Lester has farmed near Burlington since 1948, when he came here from Kansas and bought his present farm eight miles north. He farms eight hundred acres with wheat his main crop. Mr. Sailer built all the main buildings on his farm and has a comfortable home surrounded by trees. He has engaged in farming all his life, starting on his own in Pratt County, Kansas, in 1.909. In Kansas, he raised wheat, corn, and feed and also had cattle and hogs. His brand is Arrow X. Mr. Sailer has farmed during two dust eras, one in Kansas and one in Colorado. Mr. Sailer is a member of the Farm Bureau, of the Eastern Colorado Wheat Growers Association. and the First Methodist Church. He has known many hardships in his years of farming but has overcome them all with courage and hard work. Mr. Sailer is a creditable addition to the farming industry of Kit Carson County. by Janice Salmans � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Families of Kit Carson County Description An account of the resource Brief biographies of the founding families of Kit Carson County Colorado. Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Book Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Families- R Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1988 Description An account of the resource Brief histories of founding families of Kit Carson County whose names begin with "R." As told in the book, History of Kit Carson County. Type The nature or genre of the resource text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Salmons, Janice Hasart, Marlyn Smith, Dorothy Language A language of the resource English Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. History of Kit Carson County Volume 1 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource text/pdf Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Curtis Media Subject The topic of the resource History Kit Carson County Biography Genealogy Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a> https://kccarchives.cvlcollections.org/files/original/17/507/Families-S1.pdf 39153db5a87895bc8fd144a359c2297a PDF Text Text belongings, cattle, and horses to a farm 4 mi. W. lN. of Plains, Ks., which later they bought. In 1925, a son, Jack David was born. Clark and Jack attended school at Plains, Ks. Clark moved to Bethune, Co. and farmed for many years. After being in service during World War 2, Jack attended school in Kansas City, married and moved to Burlington, where he was in the Auto Parts and farming business. David "Bat" Rutter passed away in 1949 and Myrtle moved to Burlington the s'me year. She has enjoyed living in Bur- lington, always having her familyclose by and a host of friends. Her life has been centered around the church and is a charter member of the Burlington Christian Church. She enjoys the Senior Citizens Center and the fellowship with those that attend. Burlington has been good to us and she saYs, "I appreciate you all". by Jack Rutter Susan Rutter. Gottfried Weiss Farm north of Bethune, where we made our home. Dust and dry years were upon us. For the next three years Jack attended Infantry School in Ft. Benning, Ga. and Artillery School in Ft. Sill, Oklahoma. Another baby girl, Amber Kay was born Sept. L2,7952. In 1958 Jack went to work for King Motor Co. and was salesman for 15 years, so we moved to Burlington and built our present home where we now live. Jack was under sheriff for 9 mo. She is presently self-employed as a Building Contractor. Our children were born in Burlington and attended school in Bethune and both graduated from Burlington High School. Susan lives in Liberty, Mo' and has thee children, Chris, Hannah and Asher. Amber lives in Colo. Spgs., and has three children, Tabitha, Deidra, and Tarah. Living and being a part of Burlington has been a real blessing to us through the years. We are charter members of the Burlington Christian Church. Presently both teach and work in the music department, Jack having been a part of the Harmonaires, a male quartet, since being in Burlington. Singing for funerals for Amber Rutter. Hendricks Mortuary and other clubs and churches throughout the states and others, has probably been the highlight of his life. by Mary Rutter is the first daughter and third child of four' of Louie and Cora DeGraffenreid of Ulman, Mo. My father was a farmer and owned real estate in Lake Ozark. My grandfather, Geo. Riley DeGraffenreid was a road construction foreman on the Bagnell Dam. He also owned the White House Hotel built in 1932, which was the first business in Lake Ozark after the building of the Dnm. From Kansas City we moved to Sedan, Kansas where Jack was employed at the Fesler Implement Co. Later we moved to Burlington, Co. where Jack was employed at Sim Hudson Motor Co. Then Jack went into businees with Asa Calvin, which was known as Calvin and Rutter Auto Supply. At this time Jack was in the Army Reserve and was attached to Co. I. Colorado National Guard and served with the unit in Burlington as Company Commander. At this time our first daughter, Susan Carol was born June 18, 1949. She purchased land south of Burlington and in 1952 we bought the RUTTER, MYRTLE V. F581 Myrtle V. Rutter born Dec. 30, 1889 at Brumley, Mo. to Tom and Rosa Bond. One of 10 children they experienced good times and bad times, with many mouths to feed and send to school. Her father was a freighter, that hauled freight by team and wagons from Brumley, to Bagnell, Mo., which was a shipping point on the Osage River. She grew to womanhood in Brumley and operated the telephone office at the time. In 1910 she married David "Bat" Rutter and immediately moved to Pretty Prairie, Ks., where he was employed by Collingwood Grain Co. In 1912' a son was born to them. This young man was no-ed Champ Clark. In 1915, they gathered their family together, and moving their SAILER, CHARLES LESTER F682 Charles Lester Sailer was born April 20, 1898, in Whitewater, Kansas, to Charles L' and Sarah Brooks Sailer. He attended public schools in Kansas. He married Miss Mertie Lattimore, the daughter of James and Leona Logan Lattimore on April 7, 1926. Mr. and Mrs. Sailer were the parents of four children: Wayne, Dean, Marjorie and Vivian. Wayne married the former Shirley Schlickenmayer, and they are the parents of three children: Gary, Gail, and General Dean who served in the U.S. Marines Corps 1951-52. He married the former Ione Lynn, and they are the parents of a son, Bryan. Marjorie is married to Dean Stewart, and they have a daughter, Maridean. Vivian is married to Elmer Jacober, and they are the parents oftwo children: Dale and Beverly Sue. Charles Lester has farmed near Burlington since 1948, when he came here from Kansas and bought his present farm eight miles north. He farms eight hundred acres with wheat his main crop. Mr. Sailer built all the main buildings on his farm and has a comfortable home surrounded by trees. He has engaged in farming all his life, starting on his own in Pratt County, Kansas, in 1.909. In Kansas, he raised wheat, corn, and feed and also had cattle and hogs. His brand is Arrow X. Mr. Sailer has farmed during two dust eras, one in Kansas and one in Colorado. Mr. Sailer is a member of the Farm Bureau, of the Eastern Colorado Wheat Growers Association. and the First Methodist Church. He has known many hardships in his years of farming but has overcome them all with courage and hard work. Mr. Sailer is a creditable addition to the farming industry of Kit Carson County. by Janice Salmans �SALMANS FAMILY F583 Herschel ran the farm and Gene Elsev worked here part-time until 194?. Life on this farm meant happy times as well as hard work. Week-ends were times of social gatherings and meals with neighbors and friends. Some of them were: the Harris', the Clappers, the Pickards, the Brownings, the Burds, the Briggs, the Davises and the Kvestads. They shared meals, attended dances, and played cards. Bert and Roxie Kvestad drove in the yard one day and Bert said "Let's go for a "ride". Herschel inquired if a suitcase was needed but Bert didn't "tink so", they would just buy what they needed along the way! They ended up in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. They had many such times together until 1956 when Roxie becarne very ill. Gwen sat with her in the hospital until her death. Bert acted like and was treated like a grandfather in this family and therefore the mention of him in our story. Many people even thought him to be a family member when in fact he was not. Herschel and Gwen joined the St. Charles Catholic Church in 1964 where Herschel belonged to the Knights of Columbus. He also belonged to the Vona Lions Club and served on the Vona School board for about 12 vears. Gwendolyn belonged to the Vona Worthwhile Homemakers Club and cooked at the it{,.';:r..,.:. Herschel and Gwendolyn Salqrans and sons Gary and Lyndell. March ZO, rg49. Herschel Harold Salmans was born April 10, 1911 in Burdett, Ks. to his parents Walter Wm. and Hattie Sarah Salmans. He was the youngest of 5 children: LoRee Dorthy, 1901, Harry LeRoy, 1905, Irene Leona, 1907, and Lucille Sarah Henrietta, 1909. Herschell grew up in Kansas and was very active in sports at Bazine High School where he graduated in 1930. On Aug. 9, 1939 Herschel married Gwendolyn Laree Riley of Gove, Ks. They lived at Dighton, Ks. and moved on to Jetmore and lived there until 1943 when they bought the C.A. Monroe farm, 5 mi north of Vona, Colo. The house was built around 1919 or later by Mr. Monroe and some of his sons out of sod and was later stuccoed on the outside. When Gwen and Herschel moved into the house you could see the rooffrom the inside and down thru the floor boards to the basement. They made aceiling, and putdown a linoleum on the floor. A neighbor, Mr. Lester Yonts, helped Herschel cut an archway in between the kitchen and a living room, There were only four rooms in the house and they had to carry in all the water they used. On Mar. 20, 1945 their first son, Gary Gail was born weighing 10 lbs. and was delivered by Dr. V.M. Hewitt. Two years Iater on Sept. 9, another son Lyndell Lee, was born, weighing in at 13 lbs. They were both born at home. On the sa-e day Lyndell was born, Herschel and some neighbors, Billy and Roy Hanis and Bert Kvestad were putting up feed when Herschel was bitten by a rattlesnake and taken into Vona to see the doctor. After some cutting and pouring on of kerosene, it was decided to take him to the hospital in Burlington. Wilma Wilkerson (Woller) came out to help Gwen with the children. Gwen's mother Anna Riley was called and told "Herschel is in the hospital and we have a new baby boy!" Vona School. On April 9, 1969 Herschel died of a heart attack. Gwen moved to Stratton and on Mar. 20, 1971 she married Mr. O. C. Malone, in the home of Gary Salmans. In 1964 Gary Salmans had married Diane Werner and they made thier home in Stratton, Co. They had two sons David Dean, 1965 and Michael Marc, 1971. Gary worked at the Foster Lumber Yard, drove a bus for the Stratton School, worked in his own Shamrock Station, and later purchased his garage called Gary's Wrecker Service. In 19?8 Gary was killed in an auto accident, just 3 miles from the farm North of Vona. Diane remarried Al Kloeckner in 1980 and later moved to Mosca, Colorado. In 1966, Lyndell Salmans married Janice Wolkensdorfer and they made their home in Canon City, Colo. where they lived until Herschell Salmans death in 1969, when they moved to the farm North of Vona, and are now living and raising three children. James Jay 1969, Tronette Lee 1972, and Herschell Harold 1975. Lyndell farms and raises wheat and cattle. by Janice Salmans SALMANS WOLKENSDORFER FAMILY F584 Lyndell Lee Salmans was born Sept. 9, L947 at Vona, Colo., to Herschel and Gwendolyn Salmans. Lyndell attended the Vona School for 12 years and graduated in 1965. He was active in all sports and later attended the National Electronics Institute in Denver, Colo. On Nov. 5, 1966, Lyndell was united in marriage to Janice Wolkensdorfer. We moved to Canon City to a farm. This farm belonged to Lyndell's grandfather, Walter Salmans. Lyndell worked those 12 acres parttime and also worked for Canon Con- crete. I worked in a Beauty Salon and in lg6? I purchased in partnership a shop we called "Cut'N'Curl", on Main Street. When Lyndell's father passed away in 1969, we decided to move back to the farm North of Vona, and help his mother. At this time we adopted a son, James Jay born Nov. 1, 1969. Two years later we had a baby girl, Tronette Lee, May L4, L972, born on Mother's Day. On March 5, 19i15, we had our last son, Herschell Harold Salmans, (nnmsd aftet his grandfather). Raising children on the farm can be both very trying and rewarding. It takes a lot of beef, hemburgers, and pizzas to feed them. It's getting harder to accomplish this when a box of cereal at the store is $3.29 and a bushel of wheat is only worth $2.76. Our children attend the Hi Plains Schools, which are consolidated schools. Lyndell belongs to the Vona Lions Club and has served as President of this organization. We are active in the St. Charles Catholic Church in Stratton. From 19?1 to lg?b I owned the Beauty Bonnet Salon in Stratton, and belonged to the National Hairdressers Assn. Lyndell served on the Hi Plains School Board for 5 years. ln1977, Karen Smith of Burlington, wrote a letter to newspapers about the plight of farmers. It stemmed a growing ebb of concern and developed into the organization of the "P.A.A." (Partners in Action for Agriculture). Some of the people involved in the beginning were: Karen & Larry Smith, Sandee & Roland Strobel, Shirley & Vern Bauer, all of Burlington, Florine & Elvin Bauer, Seibert Patsy & Mike Eisenbart, Stratton, Janice & Lyndell Salmans, Vona, Carolyn & Darreld Dizmang, Mary & Phil Schlnmal, Ben Duell, all of Goodland, Ks. At one meeting we held in Goodland, over 1,200 people attended, including Newspeople from Radio and Television J. Evans Goulding, Colo. Commissioner of Agriculture, Kansas State Senator, Richard Gannon, Mrs. Frances Carper, a representative ofSenator Floyd Haskell, were among the guest speakers. "Farmers Seek Immediate Relief'was in the headlines, and our theme was "We farmers as business people, have a right to fair prices and fair terms." At least for a time we were given some respect for our profession. We even participated in a "Tractor Cade" and drove our tractor (a 560 IH), right up to the steps of the State Capitol Building in Denver. We turned a few heads at this unusual sight: chickens, goats, etc. and all kinds of farm equipment on the Capitol grounds. We were proud to be a part of it all. In 1983, Lyndell and I decided to remodel this old sod house of ours, and put in a bathroom. We had done without one in the house all these years. A neighbor, Joe Gurley, did the carpentry work. Every day Joe would build something, and everynightLyndell, the kids, and I would tear out another wall. We hauled several truckloads of dirt out of the house. We thought about how hard C.A. Monroe and his sons must have worked to haul all this sod in to build this house. But when we had finished, it was well worth the effort. We are still living here in 1982, and pray to continue to do so in the years ahead. by Janice Salnans �mother came from before she moved north of Burlington. During his life my dad was a farmer, blacksmith, school board member, road boss and worker, raised and sold purebred shorthorn bulls, and was a painter. During his later years when he couldn't do much else, he ...,. aa)):.:. ::):'- t*i, l',i" r',!r.; ;;,, ..; '4. repaired furniture. He is 88 years old now and still plans to "paint the roof of his house one trr t:ltt more time", We lived through dust storms, droughts, grasshoppers and crop failures. We ate wild duck, wild rabbits, lambs quarters, cooked wheat, and other things too, of course, including lots of "home-grown" food. But I don't look back on life as unhappy or deprived. If we were poor we didn't know it. Our parents made little things fun for us. Like taking us to a pond in the pasture to play in water after a rain, or my dad drowning out baby prairie dogs for us. They made cute pets, and nobody worried about rabies then. I remember once three other families, Mr. and Mrs. Gerdes, Mr. and Mrs. John M. Schaal and Mr. and Mrs. Roy McCarl were visiting. Each family had two girls the ages of my sister and me. My dad put 4 boards across a large wooden roller he had so we could all 8 teetertot at once. Simple, but oh, what fun. My mother had a big garden every year. In The Salmans fanily home when it was first bought in 1943. 5 miles north and 7z miles east of Vona, Co. SANDSTEDT. DILLON FAMILY jewelry. He is married to Zelka Herencic, whom he met while a manager of a McDonald's in Chicago. ln L977, they left Chicago F585 Carlos K. Dillon and Pauline Sandstedt were married at Burlington, Colorado, on April 9, 1939. Carlos was working at Reed Motor Company, and Pauline at King's Variety Store. In 1943, they moved to a farm near Carlos' parents, two and one half miles west of Bethune and one forth mile north of Hwy 24. During 1944 their daughter LoRayne was born, and they left the farm to live in Stratton to open their own restaurant in North Platte, Nebraska. The sold the Eagle Inn in 1981. LoRayne lives in Rockford, Illinois, where she manages a temporary help service which provides employees for both the office and the plant. She nor Jack have children. Carlos and Pauline live in an earth home outside Grant, Nebraska. They are active in the community there, and Carlos keeps his business interest alive through selling gold and silver coins. by Carlos Dillon and operated the hardware business they had bought from Barney Johnson. Their partners in the business were Phyllis and Bob Eb- erhart. On May 7, L947, a new building on Main Street housed the fullline hardware and furniture business. In 1949, Massy Harris implements and parts were added. In 1950' they purchased five GMC buses to operate the Stratton School District R4 routes. Bill Wolf, Leo Gagnon, Charles Rhea and Alvin Menke worked in the shop and were the bus drivers. The hardware was sold on February 15, 1953, to Ralph and Dean Grubbs. They retained ownership of the buses. Carlos and Pauline built a home two blocks south of Highway 24in 1949. They lived there until their move to Denver in 1960. Their second child, Jack, was born in 1954. In Denver, Carlos owned and operated his own businesses. LoRayne was graduated from Littleton High School in 1962. She attended one ye{u of college in Mexico City and one year at Mills college in Oakland, California. Carlos, Pauline and Jack moved to Oakley, Kansas, in 1967 and ultimately to North Platte, Nebraska, where Carlos sold machinery for Lepp and Osterloh. Jack was graduated form North Platte High School. Jack currently lives in Madrid, Nebraska, where he designs and builds fine silver SCHAAL FAMILY F586 San Schaal Jr. I have been asked to write something about my parents, Sam and Ruth Schaal. They lived 8 miles north and west of Burlington. My dad, Sam S. Schaal Jr., was born in 1899 and was raised north of Bethune. My mother, Ruth Church was born in Nebraska, but soon moved to Colo. and was raised south of Stratton where she graduated from First Central School. Her parents, Mr. and Mrs. George Church had a country store by First Central for awhile. My parents met in 1925, while she was teaching school in his neighborhood, and they were married in 1926, and Lila beca-e the parents of 6 children Taylor, Opal Beeson (died in 1969), Leonard Schaal, Bob Schaal (died in 1979), Garry Marvin Schaal, and Glenn Schaal (died in 1968). Strangely enough, Opal married Clark Beeson in June of 1947,and I married Duane Taylor in October of 1947, both young men who lived in the same neighborhood our the garden there was a "vine-hougs" g frame covered with screen. Vines were plantgrew and covered it, and they around ed all the sides and top of it. Some things in the garden were off limits, but we could pick wonder-berries, ground-berries, holly hock seeds, and sometimes carrots and tomatoes and have a "picnic" in the vine house. I don't have much actual history as far as dates, but during the years my dad told lots of stories about the younger days of him and his brothers and sisters. Some were pretty ornery, but perhaps less harmful than the drugs and alcohol of today. One story he told me was of a party a group of young people had. There were more people than chairs so the parents sent some one to the chicken house to bring in some orange crates to use for chairs. Soon the people sitting on the orange crates were scratching and itching from chicken mites on the boxes. Soon everyone else was itching and scratching, too. Another time he told of a widow neighbor lady asking him and his brother John, when they were about 12 and 14, to come to her house and "tramp" sauerkraut for her. They did, and she gave them sauer-kraut to take home in appreciation for their help. They took it home, but wouldn't eat it. When he was about 13 and his brothers John and Jake 15 and 16, they decided to go swimming in a pond that was covered with ice. They had to chop a hole in the ice, and just chopped it big enough to dip in. His brothers didn't want him to go as they were afraid they would all get into trouble with their parents if they found out, but he insisted so they let him. Each jumped in the hole, but a 30 second dip was long enough, and he never begged to go again. by Lila Taylor �raised about 180 turkeys and sold them to Norbest each fall. Until the mid-40s we used horses to haul feed into stacks and out to cattle, to cultivate small plots and to handpick corn. Frank and Dash were Dad's favorite team of grays; Molly and Queen were mother and daughter; Queen's foal Tom and SCHAAL FAMILY F687 Sam Schaal, Jr. One time he and 3 other young men were playing cards at the home of Ed Knodel, a friend and neighbor, who later became his brother-in-law. They decided that the two who lost would go to the nearby home of a neighbor who was hard to get along with, and take and butcher a chicken and they would cook and eat it. The two who lost went out to Ed's chicken house and killed one of his chickens and went out to a field to pick the feathers, before taking it to the house. Later, Ed discovered one of his chickens wag missing, and worse yet, it was his only laying hen. Wedding receptions were very informal, and everyone went. At one, two young men, Fred Schaal and Fred Schlichenmayer slipped into the kitchen and took all the cakes. I never did hear what happened when there were no cakes for the reception. That evening when they got home, several young bachelors found a cake in their car. A bunch ofguys would get together for hair cuts. They would save the hair and put it in a cloth sugar sack. They would sew the sack shut and drop in on the road. Someone coming along would see it and stop, thinking they had found a full sack of sugar. When he was batching on his farm north of Burlington he went to the Frank Chandler home one butchering day. Some of the Chandler children put the pig tail in a sack in his wagon for him to find when he got home. He took it to town and since it was near Christmas had Ned Brown, a store owner gift wrap and address it to the Chandler family, and mailed it. When it came, the Chandler children argued as to who could open it, but when they did it was their pig tail, come back home! A few days after my parents got married, my dad went to Burlington and parked his car in front of Ned Brown's hardware store. While he was doing his other shopping, Ned Brown, a friend and a guy who liked jokes, and his hired man tied a baby bed to the top of my dad's car. When my dad came back he warl very embarrassed and tried to get it off, but it was wired on very securely, and he couldn't get it off in a hurry. So he jumped into his car and went home. Later on, when I ce-e along they were glad they had it. by Lila Taylor The Rev. Herbert and Doris Schaal's 30th Wedding Anniversary. (June 1894). Covenant of Holy Baptism, administered Apr. 7, 1929 by Rev. Chris Maedche in Hope Congregational Church with Dorothea Schaal (Schlichenmayer) and Albert Strobel as my godparents. For more details about our distinctive Germans from Russian heritage and our Swabian ancestors, see my history about our parents, Jake and Emma Schaal. My early memorieg include our family and home, our life and work on the farm and with livestock; our enthusiastic involvement in the life and fellowship of our Church; our frequent contacts with grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins and extended family; and of course the Great Depression! Terms like crash on Wall Street, national economy, GNP, and balance of trade meant nothing to us children. Our realities included low or no prices for corn, wheat, hogs and cattle; the silent tears of weathered farmers and ranchers when Govt. agents condemned and shot a portion of their livestock; the recurring years of drought and crop failures; the fierce duststorms that blotted out gun and sky and made us gxope our way home from school with wet rags tied over mouths and noses; and endless, relentless dusf encroaching everywhere; the weary despair of failed farmers and helpless anger offoreclosed ranchers; the weathered boards, sagging gates and creaking hinges of abandoned farmsteads - these were the starck tangibles of our Depression childhood! We had many happy experiences, too inspiring worship, good music and singing, and warm fellowship in our Church; enjoyable visits to and from relatives and neighbors; the good smell of fresh - turned earth when we plowed our melon and squash Baschtan and vegetable garden each Spring; busy windmills pumping fresh, cool water for our household, livestock and gardens; a wide variety of homegrown vegetables to go with our eggs, milk and butter; getting to stay home from school to help butcher (killing and dressing two hogs and a beef, quartering them and cutting the meat, making Bratwurst, SCHALL - KIEL FAMILY blackJerry became ournextlgam; and finally we had Dick and Dan, big gentle grays that pulled hugh barge-loads offeed with ease and Leberwurst and Pressmagen, enjoying hearty F588 Schaal - Strobel and Kiel - Ilunt I am a native of Kit Carson County and a second generation descendant of Germans from Russia. Born Nov. 2, 1928 in a sod house north of Burlington, I was the second and youngest child of Jake and Emma (Strobel) Schaal. My parents named me Herbert Raymond and dedicated me through the Metzelsupp' with Eienuhr in it, trimming hams and bacons, putting them in cure and later smoking them); watching calves and occasional colts frisk around their mothers; riding horses and working cattle; hunting jackrabbits and trapping coyotes, plucking, cleaning and cooking wild ducks that got in the way of our Iver Johnson 12 gauge. Routine chores and work weren't always fun, but knowing they were essential to our survival and progress, we did them with a sense of accomplishment. We milked up to 21 cows by hand and sold the crearn, feeding the skim-milk to calves, pigs and chickens. We kept the shucker wagon alongside when we picked corn. Whitey was oul cow pony, hard riding but tireless when working cattle. We sold her colt Benny to Uncle Albert Strobels. Brother Ted and I attended Emerson School 4 mi. NW of our home. On cold mornings our parents took us; after school we walked home. Sometimes we rode Whitey, but when Emerson School burned down, its horse-barn hosted our classes until a new school was built. We tried bicycling but the roads were so rutted and frozen that walking was easier. Teachers were the Rombergs, the Lightseys and my favorite, Luella O'Hare. Our recess play included pump-p,'-p-pullaway, prairie softball, kick-the-can, and in the event of snow, fox and goose. Our Mother's tragic death on Oct. 13, 1936 (caused by a household fuel explosion) was a hard blow to our family in this period. Bro. Ted finished 10th grade at Emerson, then stayed home to help Dad. In 1940 I won the county spelling contest. In May I competed in the State contest and got to meet Governor Ed C. Johnson in the Brown Palace Hotel. At age 11 I entered Burlington High School. My classmates were considerably older, so I had stiff competition. When I graduated in 1944, I received the first Bausch & Lomb Science Award in BHS history for my research in physics and chemistry. (Forty years later our son Jim won the snme B & L Science Award upon his graduation from Billings Sr. High in Montana!) I was offered an engineering scholarship to the University of Colorado, but WW2 and essential food production kept me from taking advantage of it. My brother was inducted into the Army, and our already - ailing Dad couldn't do the farming and ranching alone. On Aug. 27, L944 Elnora Knodel, Donald Schaal, Leo Schaal and I were confirmed in Hope Church by Rev. Daniel G. Schurr. Ours was the last class required to memorize many Scripture passages and the entire catechism in the German language. Personal Bible study and prayer, intense involvement in Christian fellowship, and United Youth Camp at La Foret led to my awareness of God's call to full-time Christian ministry. In Sept. 1951 Arnold & Viola Strobel and I began our studies at Yankton College in S. Dakota. New intellectual and spiritual challenges awaited us, and we made many new friends. Among these friends was Doris Ruth Kiel, a fellow theology student. Her paternal great- great-grandparents had come from Hamburg, Germany to Illinois in 1856. Wm. (the father) fought with the Union Army in the Civil War; his son Adolph (Doris' greatgrandfather), too young to bear arms, worked as a Govt. harness and saddle maker. Adolph brought his family to Lake Preston, S. Dak. in 1902 and ran the area's leading harness shop. His son Wm. with wife Magdalena (Hupfer) homesteaded near Cottonwood, SD in 1908. Doris' father, Raynond William �Kiel. was the second of their eight children. Doris' maternal great-great-grandparents were all Quakers who came from England to the U.S. 1828-1836. Succeeding generations moved westward from Pennsylvania to Indiana to Illinois & Iowa and then to S. Dakota. by The Rev. Ilerbert Schaal SCIIAAL - KIEL FAMILY salvage, then as pa5rmaster over 440 men. We continued to serve Zion Church in Norfolk, often making extra 150-mile trips for Christmas and Easter cantata rehearsals and to prepare the confirmation class. Herb completed his graduate courses that fall and winter, in Spring 1956 receiving his B.Th. degree with special honors and recognition for bilingual ministry. That June we were called to the pastorate of First Cong'l Church in Crook, CO.; there I was ordained into the Christian ministry on Nov. 23, 1956. Our second son, Dwight Timothy, was born Mother's Day, May 12, 1957 at Logan County F689 (Schaal - Strobel and Kiel - Ilunt Doris' mother, Ruth Lillian, was the seventh of Jesse L. and Sallie L. (Stanley) Hunt's nine children. Grandpa Jesse and his father Reuben built the first Quaker meeting houses in South Dakota. Doris was born Jan. 7,t932 in Highmore, SD, the second child of Raymond and Ruth (Hunt) Kiel. When she was ?, they moved to Custer in the Black Hills. Doris finished elementary and high school there, gladuating in the Spring of 1950. Their family was very active in Custer Community Church. Moving up through other responsibilities, Doris was then elected to lead S. Dakota's Pilgrim Fellowship as state president. Her family suffered several tragedies through fire. Her infant sister died in a fire that destroyed the Grandparents Kiels'home in 1935; in L942 the family home in Custer was struck by lightning and burned to the ground; in 1948 the fanily's elevator and feed store was nearly destroyed by fire; in 1950, after a busy Easter Sunday, the Kiels' beloved Community Church burned to the ground during the night. Doris entered Yankton College that fall; in Spring 1951 her family moved to San Leandro, CA. Doris worked in a Bay area cannery that summer, expecting to continue college out there. But she decided to return to and one of the new Yankton after all students that fall -was Herb Schaal! They were no more than casual friends at first, but mutual participation in some classes, in college choir and two of its tours awakened their appreciation and deeper friendship for one another. We (Doris & Herb) were married June 3, 1954 in First Congregational Church at Yankton, the ssme week that Doris graduated with her B.A. cum laude. We spent our honeymoon summer serving Immanuel Cong'l Church in Rocky Ford, CO. and Hospital in Sterling, CO. We had served our dear people at Crook for only 2 Yz years when our Mission Board petitioned and sent us to take over the work in Argentina. We went by train to New Orleans where we boarded the freighter DEL ALBA on Dec. 19,1958. The 51-day voyage was trying because we were in cramped quarters with our two little boys and there was no lounging area. We steamed up the Amazon to Belem, then back out around the NE tip of Brazil to Sao Salvador. Then for three precarious days and nights our ship lunged and wallowed in a raging storm off Cap Frio. Monstrous, foaming waves thundered across our decks and drove salty brine through gasketed portholes. We grew so used to compensating that we staggered when we stepped onto terra firma in Rio de Janeiro. Our ship unloaded 4,000 tons of wheat in Santos, then ran into a port strike in Monte- video where Uruguayan marines occupied our ship for 7 days. Finally arriving in Buenos Aires, we experienced yet another rude introduction to South American bureaucracy, corruption and rapacious customs officials. I was superintendent of our Mission and the Evangelical Congregational Church in Argentina and president and head professor of its Instituto de Teologia for 13 years' Our seminary and headquarters were in Concordia, Entre Rios, 500 km. N of Bs. Aires. It would take volumes to tell even a part of our work and the vast area we served. In brief, however, we fulfilled five major areas of responsibility: 1. Supervision & development of mission (18 new churches & chapels, 12 parsonages, large conference hall, acquisition of property for new HQ and seminary during our years there). 2. Education & training of pastors for Argentina & Brazil (in seminary, conferences, retreats). Pastoral ministry to 21 native pastors & parishes and to "seminary parish" of 15 congtegations (the latter with the help of our attending the World Council Assembly in senior students. 4. Six major regional conferences & evan- Theology. September brought us back to Yankton; we lived in a college duplex and Doris worked as assistant program director at Station WNAX. Herb worked at sale barns gelizations per year, plus, many local evangel- Evanston, Ill. as delegates from our School of and a lumber yard and did his senior studies. On weekends (from Sept. '54 thru May'56) we served Zion Cong'l Church in Norfolk, NE 75 mi. away. For Herb's graduation Doris presented him with their first child, Mark Edward, born Pentecost Sunday, May 29, 1955. Herb received his B.A. magna cum laude with major in theology. He worked that summer and fall for the Army Corps of Engineers on the construction of Gavin's Point Da-, first as foreman of lumber izations. 5. Denominational liaison with UCBWM in New York and ecumenical liaison with many denominations and confessions within Latin America and around the world. We used mostly German and Spanish in our work, with an occasional English service for the Anglicans and for Britishers'funerals. We read and understand Portuguese, but our occasional work in Brazil was better served in German. For 4 years we were also the houseparents in Concordia seminary; Doris planned and prepared meals for 18-19 people in an antiquated kitchen with the help of a maid. Foods were basic, shopping was complicated and our life was Spartan and time- intensive. Without any vehicle the first 2 years, we got around the city on foot and bicycle, traveling the country congregations and other provinces by train, horse-drawn wagons, with primitive colectivos (buses) where they existed and when roads were passable, and crossing the large rivers by canoe, motor-launch and ferry. Our daughter Patricia Ruth was born Sept. 29, 1959 in Sanatorio Concordia with a midwife attending. When she was 17 days old, we carried her in a willow basket by train and then wagon to a large evangelization in the country. Doris trained our seminary choir and directed its German, Spanish, Portuguese and English anthems and spirituals at such events. It often rained in torrents and we walked ankle-deep in mud. There was little privacy and no indoor toilets. We "roughed it" and people appreciated our family coming to the remotest areas to share God's love and our lives with them. After a 6-yr. term we came home for deputation and furlough. Dad-Grandpa Jake welcomed us to his new home on the farm' Doris was the homemaker; Mark, Dwight & Patty attended school in Burlington; Herb preached and gave mission presentations in Colo., Wyo., Nebr., Iowa, Ohio, Calif., Ore. & Washington. Our third son, James Andrew, was born Dec.27,1965 at Memorial Hospital in Burlington (the only Kit Carson Co. native of our children!) When he was 4 mos. old, we returned to Argentina for another term. This time we flew, stopping in Panama to visit cousins Florence, Scotty and children. Spa"tan living, rigorous travel, lampant inflation, political turmoil & 5 revolutions, and too much work made our life difficult and oft times dangerous. Nevertheless, we look back on those years when we served 20,000 people in over 100 congregations in 7 provinces of Argentina as the most significant period of our ministry and mission work thus far. We returned to the U.S. in July 1971; Herb did 6 more mos. of deputation for the Mission; the family stayed with Grandpa Jake and the children attended Burlington schools. In Jan. L972 we moved to Lodi, California to serve Ebenezer Cong'l UCC. The children experienced culture shock, but adjusted successfully and were fully involved in schools and our Church. During our happy years in Lodi, Mark, Dwight & Patty all graduated from high school with honors (Patty the valedictorian of her class of 450) and Jim from 8th grade with honors. Dad Herb joined son Mark with Tanya Lokteff in marriage on July 15, 1978 in Sacrnmento. A year later he joined son Dwight with Karen Seifert in marriage on July 28, 1979 in Lodi. Patty and her fiance Steve Browning are planning their wedding for Nov. 14, 1987, probably in Lodi. Doris, Herb & Jim moved to Billings, Montana in Aug. 1980 to sewe Pilgrim Cong'l UCC. Our whole family cnme to help Jim celebrate his graduation (with honors) from Billings Sr. High in June 1984. Jim was accepted by Deep Springs in California, and we also felt drawn back to the West Coast. In June 1985 we moved to Sacramento where we enjoy being near our families here and in the Bay area. Mark was with Soil Conservation Service for some years and is now working toward his M.B.A. degree. Sanya, Adam & Sophia are our only grandchildren thus far. �Dwight is a flight systems engineer with Sperry Corp. in Phoenix and his wife Karen the accounting supervisor for a development bank. Patty was Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship's area secretar5r for 5 yrs., then moved to Seattle in Sept. 1986. Her fiance is with Gooddeeds Mission to Unreached People. They recently sent a contingent of teachers to the People's Republic of China to help that country with its education and to provide a Christian "presence" (no overt evangelization is allowed). After Deep Springs Jim plans to continue his studies with the tentative goal of teaching higher math and physics at university level. He's been teaching calculus to the newest "Deep Springers" this year. Herb, elected a nonpaid Corporate Member of our United Church Board for World Ministries in 1983, helps assess mission needs and challenges around the world. The Board meets periodi- cally to analyze and plan global mission strategy. Doris and Herb hope to continue working as partners in full-time Christian mission and ministry wherever the Lord leads them. To God be the Glory, Great Things He Hath Done! by The Rev. Herbert Schaal SCHAAL - KNODEL FAMILY twenty-five head of cattle twenty-one miles, the first day, riding on horseback. Dan was eleven years old at the time. They corralled the cattle at the old railroad Stockyard that night in Stratton. The following day, they arrived at their destination. They made their living by farming wheat and raising cattle, they also had some chickens. The house that they lived in had five rooms, it had no electricity or plumbing. They remodeled this house later on. To this day, the house still stands, and it is being lived in at the present time. Dan's grandfather, Matthew Schaal, lived with the family, south of Stratton for four years until he died on December 1, 1948. On December 10, of that snme year, the last child was born to this family, Leon James. The family had many hard times, in the 1950's; they had several bad dust storms; they were about as bad as the 1930's! They didn't raise any wheat for four years because of these dust storms. After these terrible dust storms, the years got better; they eventually got electricity and wat€r. All of the children have remained in Stratton, except for Ivan, who now lives in Denver. Dan married Alberta Lang on May 22, L965, and they have remained here in Stratton. They have two children, Alice and Gary. by Alice Schaal F590 My grandparents, Matthew Jacob Schaal, born north of Bethune, Colorado, on May 2, 1903, and Lydia Christine Knodel, also born north ofBethune, Colorado, on July 18, 1908, were united in marriage on April 15, 1931. Both were of German descent, their parents migrating to America from Russia. SCHAAL - STROBEL FAMILY F59r Matt and Lydia lived northwest of Burlington, Colorado on a small farm near the Landsman Creek, in 1931. They had two children while living here. Ruby Darlene, born November 30, 1932 and Daniel Lee, born February 4, 1934. They raised wheat and cattle while living there. They lived at a place called Prosser, trailer hitch. When they returned, they moved ten miles north and one mile east of Bethune, Colorado on Dan's grandmother's farm, where his brother Ivan Lloyd was born, October 1, 1940. They farmed with horses and tractors on their farm. They raised wheat and corn, and milked about eight cows. They lived here until May 1945, and then moved eight miles south of Stratton, Colorado on a small farm. Dan Schaal and Paul Knodel moved about forests. They were often pillaged, plundered and ravaged by invading French armies, especially during the time of Napolean. Catherine the Great, a German princess manied to Czar Peter III. beceme the Czarina of All The Russias after her husband's death. Of strong will and character, she developed her huge empire with political wisdom and economic genius. In July 1763 she issued an edict of invitation to immigrants from west-, ern Europe, offering them an array of inducements to settle and develop the regions along the Volga River and the vast, untnmed steppes of southern Russia. Thousands of Germans responded and in only four years established 104 pioneer colonies along the Volga. Catherine died in 1796 and was succeeded by Czar Alexander I. A few German colonies had sprung up near the Black Sea as early as 1781, but when Alexander issued a new invitation in 1801, thousands of new immigrants from southern Germany trekked overland with carts and wagons or floated their families and meager possessions down the Danube in "Schachteln" (box-boats), establishing new colonies around the Black Sea and in Bessarabia between the rivers Dnjestr and Pruth. The Schaals and Doblers were among the founders of Teplitz, the Strobels and others of Beresina. Many of the Russian Empire's promises to these immigrants were never fulfilled, and in time their civil liberties (administration of their own schools, freedom from conscription Our Granddad Snmuel Schaal, 17, and his Washington on a small piece of land in the country. Matt worked in an orchard and Lydia helped pick and pack strawberries and brought home in a wooden apple box on the and princes who controlled the lands and next older brother Matthias, 30, emigrated from Gnadental in Bessarabia to South Dakota in 1888. "Right after the New Year in 1891" they came to Burlington via Denver by train. (See Granddad's historic account, eolicited and published by the Burlington Record in July 1951). Granddad worked all 1929 Model A, with a two-wheel trailer she layed an egg every other day! They were people chafed under the increasing restrictions and heavy taxation of the feudal dukes World War I. behind, carrying their possessions. They returned to Colorado in May 1939. Dan brought back with him a banty rooster and hen from his aunt. He was five years old at the time. The hen took the trip very well; culture. These creative, freedom-loving etc.) and religious freedoms began to be taken from them. The colossal magnets of civil and religious freedom, of new land to be homesteaded, and of other opportunities awaiting them in America drew hundreds of thousands of Germans from Russia to the United States from the early 1870s until the outbreak of In late March, 1938, they moved to the state of Washington. They arrived at Washington the first of April. They travelled in a also thinned beets. and eastern Germany, the Swabians and their Bavarian neighbors were independent and "laid back" in character, not easily regimented, sure of their own identity and values but also appreciative of other people and their Jake and Emma Magdalena Schaal sometime after their wedding. (Schaal - Schmidke and Strobel Dobler Our parents, Jake Schaal and Emma (nee Strobel), were both natives of Kit Carson County, the children of Germans from Russia who emigrated from South Russia to South Dakota in the 1880s, then came to eastern Colorado to homestead NW of Burlington in what is still known as "the Settlement". Their ancestors were Swabians (descendants ofthe ancient Celts and cousins ofthe lrish) who lived for centuries in the forests and highlands of southern Germany. In contrast to the Hessians and Prussians of northern over this area and in the Denver ore smelters for several years, in 1892 taking a homestead I lz m| WNW of the present-day Hope Congregational United Church of Christ. Samuel Schaal and Rosina Schmidke were married on Nov. 24, 1895, their wedding solemnized by Pastor Gerhard Janssen in the original rock and adobe Immanuel Lutheran Church. Our Dad, Jake Schaal (born Jan. 4, 1897 and baptized Feb. 28, 1897), was their first child and our Uncle John (born Feb. 2?, 1898) their second. Rosina helped some neighbors who were ill with typhoid or typhus, contracted the fever herselfand died July 30, 1898, leaving her 1,8 and 5 month old boys motherless. Little Jakob and Johann were loved and cared for by their grandparents Samuel and Anna Schmidke until their father Samuel married again. �Grandpa's second union was with Dorothea Bauder, their marriage solemnized Jan. 15, 1899 by Pastor Janssen in Immanuel Church. Their union was blessed with eight children: Sam Jr., Fred, Helen (Knodel), Carl, Rudolph (died in infancy), Dorothea (Schlichenmayer), George, and Louise (Holmes). Life on our High Plains has always been rigorous and most early settlers were poor. Yet by reaaon of their strong personal relationship with God, their hard work and frugality, and their real sense of community (neighbors helping neighbors), the people of Friedensfeld (Field of Peace as the Settlement was first nemed) developed an oasis of diligent agriculture, growing numbers of diverse livestock, modest homes and tidy homesteads, good rural schools and a strong Christian community centered around the Immanuel Lutheran and Hope Congregational churches. Most of them spoke English, Swabian and High German until WW2. Our forebears had not accepted "Russification" in the Old Country, yet they incorporated many Russian words and terms into their Swabian dialect, and this linguistic mix made their oft-repeated legends and stories absolutely fascinating. They knew the Scriptures, the classic German hymns and American gospel songs, studying and singing them in their homes as well as in their churches. They farmers' ranchers, were many-talented mechanics. builders, craftsmen, blacksmiths, In time some of them and their descendants became professionals in education, business, Christian ministry and mission, engineering, architecture, journalism, music, government and service industries. When our Dad was 15, he and his classmates were confirmed in Immanuel Church by Pastor M.P. Jensen on Apr. 5, 1912. In that same year Grandpa Samuel bought the Wm. Yale place and had sons Jake and John live and work there. In 1915 Grandpa bought the Sherman Yale place from whence the longtime Yale, Colo. postoffice had served its patrons over a large area. In 191? he sold his homestead to Frank Kra-er and moved the rest of his family to the Sherman Yale place where they now built a large barn with haymow and a spacious two-story house. Grandpa, our Dad Jake, John S. and Sam Jr. also bought three half-sections of land on Mozeman Creek 7 mi. north of Burlington as the future farms of the three boys. Dad Jake operated huge "one-lunger" (10 inch piston, 12 inch stroke) Advance-Rumely "Oil Pull" tractors with matching multi- bottom plows for his father and for Harry Degering. He broke out many level tracts of prairie on their own and neighboring ranches. On his, John's and Sa- Jr.'s respective halfsections he broke out 200 acres for cultivation and left 120 acres (including the draws and dry creek-holes) for pasture. The U.S. became involved in WWI and many of Kit Carson County's young men were drafted or enlisted. Jake enlisted in the U.S. Army on Aug. 27, 1918, trained at CanP Lewis, Washington and served as a medic with Field Hospital Company 252 of the 13th Sanitary Train Regiment. The war ended before his outfit was shipped to Europe, and Jake was honorably discharged on Apr. 5, 1919 at Ft. D.A. Russell (near Cheyenne), Wyoming. He returned home and began to a frame barn with build up his farmland haymow in 1919, then a-sod and adobe house, a garage attached to the original shack and giranary, and other buildings. by The Rev. llerbert Schaal SCHAAL - STROBEL FAMILY F692 Schaal - Sehmidke and Strobel Dobler Our maternal great-grandparents and grandparents emigrated from southern Russia to South Dakota in 1885 (Jacob Strobel Sr. and family from Neu-Beresina and Christian Dobler Sr. and family from Teplitz). In 1890 they came to Kit Carson County and helped establish the new Friedensfeld settlement. Our grandfather Jacob Strobel married Katharina Dobler in 1893; in time their union Theodore, was blessed with five children Emma, John, Albert and Emil.-Our mother, Emma Magdalena Strobel, was born Aug. 10, 1896 in the family home 1 % mi. ESE of Immanuel Lutheran Church. She was baptized Sept. 13, 1896 by Pastor G. Janssen. When she was 13 72, Emma and her classmates were confirmed in Immanuel Church by Pastor M.P. Jensen on March 28, 1910. Jake Schaal and Emma Strobel were married June 26, 1921 in the original frame edifice of Hope Congregational Church, their wedding solemnized by Pastor Karl Haem- melnann. The happy couple established their home on Jake's farm, and their first son, Theodore B., was born the next year (March 21, Lg22). They were hard-working and progressive, sharing every task and fully involved in the fellowship of their Church and of their extended families. Emma's brother John, a skilled carpenter, found good work in California and Jake, Emma and little Teddy joined him there from Fall 1924 until Summer 1925. Jake helped John and his crew build Union Ice Co. plants in Woodland, Watsonville and Stockton. Emma was the housekeeper, cook and senmstress. They enjoyed the climate, exotic foliage and flow- ers, abundant fruit, magnificent scenery (including ocean beaches and giant redwoods) and the relatives who lived in northern California. When they returned home, a good harvest awaited them. Dad bought a new Fordson tractor and various implements to accelerate the mechanization of their farming operations. Then they bought a new 1926 Chevrolet truck which served faithfully for over 25 years, never incurring a ticket with its top speed of a little over 30 mph! In 1928 it and the similar trucks of Jacob Strobel and John Dobler Sr. hauled the brick and other building material from the railroad out into the Settlement for the beautiful new Hope Church building. Jake and Emma's second son, Herbert R., was born Nov. 2, 1928. The stock market crash of 1929 did not immediately affect our farm economy, and various families (including our parents) upgraded their transportation with Model A Fords or newfangled 6cylinder Chevys. Then began those seven terrible years of unrelenting drought and crop failures. Fierce winds tore the precious topsoil from under the dwindling vegetation and turned many days into choking duststorms that blotted out sun and sky. The dark dirt raged down from the Dakotas and Nebraska; the yellow dust whistled up from and our own soil Oklahoma and Texas - back and forth, the accompanied the torment mixture settling in weeds and thistles, filling road ditches and burying endless miles of fences to the top wire! Dad fought back; he forged heavy chisel points out of Army truck springs, tempered and bolted them to the beams of our Case lister. Pulling them with a John Deere "D" tractor, be ripped out huge clods and left deep furrows on the contour and acrosswinds, greatly reducing soil erosion and capturing some of the sudden rains that fell even in those dry years. We cut and and stacked russian thistles and the few stalks of cane and corn that grew. In our own shop and without power tools, Dad desigrred and built a large hammermill with long, wide throat and cylinder. We ground the thistles and stover together, sometimes adding a little alfalfa, and our cows produced good milk from this depression feed. Farms were being foreclosed, people were in despair and many moved away to the irrigated valleys and orchard regions of Colorado, Washington, Idaho and Oregon. Many of us stayed, hoarded our little cream checks to pay our land taxes, and rejoiced when we had a small barley crop in 1939 (still cut with our Massey-Harris header). In 1940 we had a fair crop of wheat and some rye which we harvested with our first Minneapolis-Moline 12 ft. pull - type combine. That same summer we bought a new M-M Model "[J" tractor and an 8 ft. M-M oneway to work our stubble. This equipment, plus a new J. Deere 12 ft. rod weeder for cleaning summer- fallow, gave us a fresh start in farming. Increasing rainfall and better crops enabled us to pay off our land and machinery and to purchase some adjoining land. The hardest blow to our family came Oct. 13, 1936 when our mother suffered fatal burns in a fuel explosion and passed away eight hours later. She had been a full partner with Dad in their mutual endeavors, a diligent, loving wife and mother, a real friend to her neighbors and an untiring worker in our Church. It was a terrible loss to us all, but Dad carried the heaviest burden of grief and loneliness, of parenting us boys and continuing our family's contribution to Church and community. Our loving and ever-present Lord, our Church and many wonderful relatives and friends helped us survive our loss and forge ahead in Christian faith. World War II came and people began to prosper with good crops and prices, with better machinery and larger operations. Herb graduated from high school and Ted was inducted into the armed forces. Jake and Herb continued their beef and grain production and bought an adjoining half-section from Grace M. and Margaret Camp. When Ted returned from service and married Ebna Gramm, they began their life and work together on that former Camp place. Our family continued to work and worship together. Both Dad and Ted served on Hope Church's board and diaconate, at times conducting services and giving the messages when there was no resident pastor. They were (are) dedicated stewards in God's Kingdom and Christ's Church, giving generously of �their time, talents and resources. One of SCHAAL, SAM Dad's special gifts to Hope Church was a new Baldwin organ in 1966 as a memorial to his beloved Emma (our mother) on the 30th anniversary of her passing. Herb felt a strong call to Christian ministry and left for Yankton College and its School of Theology in South Dakota. That decision was difficult for him, for he knew that Dad would be alone FAMILY F694 with all the livestock and farming, with housekeeping and all the ranch maintenance. But Dad and Teds' did much of their work together, and when Dad's health failed he liquidated his cattle and leased his ground to Teds'. Dad had a new home built on his farmstead in the early 1960s and enjoyed it for about ten years. He flew to Argentina in 1970 and spent six months with Herbs', visiting their various mission fields, seeing many different peoples and cultures, experiencing a revolution and even more excitement when his New Yorkbound airliner turned back to Buenos Aires because of a bomb threat! Jake's health declined further until his lower body became paralyzed in 1975. Teds' near Burlington and Herbs'in Lodi, California alternated in giving their Dad total care for three years. Jake was then in Grace Manor from Aug. 15, 1978 until his passing on Sept. 8, 1986 at the age of 89 years, 8 months and Four generations of Schaal's. Standing; Sam Linda, Ruben, Aaron and Warren Schaal, June 7, 1986 4 days. We celebrate all that God has given us a goodly cultural and spiritual heritage, honest, loving Christian parents, good times lington with her husband, Wayne Parrish, along with the hard, many opportunities to share God's love with others, and the privilege of leaving a good sxnmple to those who will follow in our steps! Joel and Jonathan. Diane and Edward are by The Rev. Herbert Schaal SCHAAL, RUBEN, JR. AND LINDA F593 In the late 1880's Matt Schaal immigrated to the U.S. from Russia with his two brothers, John and Snm, settling first in South Dakota and later making their homesteads N.W. of Burlington. Matt was married to Eva Bletzer and to this union came Ed, John, Bill, Mary, Matt, Dora, and Gottlieb. Ed married Regina Frank and had two children before Regina was tragically killed in a fire on their farm. The children were Ruben and Mabel. Ed eventually remarried and had four more children, Luella, Ray- mond, Melvin, and Rolland. After farming for a few years Ed moved the family to Idaho during the Colorado dust bowl ofthe 1930's, ultimately settling in Washington State. Ruben served in the army during WWII and married Erna Christina Weisshaar, daughter of John and Lydia Weisshaar who were from Bethune but had moved their family to Oregon in 1935. Ruben and Erna lived in Oregon during their first years together, having three children, Ruben Jr., Kathleen, and Shirley. In 1953 Ruben moved the family to Colorado, after having purchased a farm N.W. of Burlington once owned by his uncle John Schaal. Ruben and Erna were later divorced and Ruben even- tually had a second family, Diane and Edward. Kathleen now lives N.W. of Bur- and their two children, Tandi and Brandon. Shirley lives in Burlington with her husband, Stanley Shumate, and their two children, also now living in Burlington with their Mother. Lettie. Ruben Jr. was raised on the farm with Kathleen and Shirley, attending the Emmerson School House located one half mile West of their farm under the direction of Virginia E. Felch until they began going to Burlington's schools when Ruben was in the 9th grade. After graduation in 1967, hejoined the U.S. Navy and was Honorably discharged following two years of service. He married Linda McKinney, a California native, in 1971 and in 1972 they obtained the financing to purchase the necessary equipment to pioneer what is now known as Schaal Drilling Com- pany. They have since constructed and equipped over 1000 water wells for farmers and businesses in the Colorado and Kansas area, in addition to servicing domestic, irrigation, and municipal wells. They have two sons, Warren, born in 1975, and Aaron, born in 1976. Today Ruben and Linda continue operating Schaal Drilling with the active participation of Warren and Aaron. Perhaps the following poem written by Linda commemorating the company's 10th anniversary in 1982 best expresses what living in Burlington, Colorado has meant to the Ruben Schaal Jr. family; There are many fine professions that a man might chose to seek, but none of them could offer him a challenge so unique - for it has been a pleasure serving this community, providing top notch service through the drilling industry - growing with you farmers, our neighbors and our friends, has shown us more than anything where life really begins - We're proud to live in Burlington, we're proud of what we do! We say in all sincerity, we're proud to work for you! by Linda Schaal Schaal Sr., Herbert Schaal. Jake Schaal holding Herbert's son Mark. Ilomestead Days on the Plains Burlington was a little town of about 180 or 200 people, a quarter of a mile from the railroad depot when we came down from Denver. We could not see the town. as we arrived about 2:00 a.m. and we stayed in the depot until morning. There was not one building from the Montezuma Hotel up to the depot on the east side of main street, and not a building north ofthe two story structure on the corner on the west side up to the depot. The cowboys staked their saddle horses out there. South of the Montezuma Hotel were the following buildings: Frank Mann's Butcher shop, Henry Stoll Hardware, Maynard Cooke Drug store, J.W. Penfold Grocery store, Charlie Lamb Grocery store, John Hiller saloon. East of that was a livery barn and Kaiser's blacksmith shop. On the west side of main street (14), north of the location of Mrs. Wilson's dress shop was the Odd Fellow Hall, the Post Office, a bank and some other buildings. That was the whole townsite. One block west of main street, in the half block where the Hendricks mortuary is now located, was T.G. Price's cow corral. I bought a horse from him while he was located there. Mr. Price was clerk of the district court for many years, and county judge one term. The courthouse set out there all alone. The Burlington Lumber Yard was located where the Foster yard is now. Burlington had a nice brick schoolhouse, considering the size ofthe town. In 1893 Robert Campbell and J.W. Penfold built a flour mill, located just east of the depot. Mr. Canpbell was one of our early county clerks. They hired a miller from Kansas City, Mr. Edshes. He made four grades of flour - High Patent, Victor, Baker and Cowboy. There was the poor families' flour, 75 cents for a 48 pound sack. The bread looked like whole wheat, but it was good bread and many mothers taught their daughters how to bake, for you could not buy a loaf of bread in the store. All thev had was soda �crackers in wooden boxes as big as an egg case. They weighed them out to you in paper sacks. We never thought we would have as many stores in Burlington as they have today. So much for Burlington. In the spring of 1892, I took a homestead, and built a shanty on a claim. I bought a team of oxen, one cow and four heifers and started a little farm on my own. We felt happy when we could call a piece of land our own. The boys had a little song: "I got some land from Uncle Sam, And I em, happy as a clnm. When I cnme here to get my start, My neighbors they were miles apart. But now there is one on every claim, And sometimes they want all the same. O Sweet Colorado land On my dug out roof I stand And look away across the plains And wonder if it ever rains, And turn around and weed my corn And think I'll never sell my farm. Settlement to the Dartnell place, and to the Stetler and Burt Ragan places, and then across the railroad at the Equity elevator (the old one at the north end ofmain street or 14th street). From the church in the Settlement we made a road across to Claremont, now Stratton. There was not one farm until we got within two miles of town. Claremont had one store on main street. Jim Roberts operated the store. He had the post office, drugs, dry goods, grocerier and a little hardware, all in one building. He sat in a wheelchair as he could not walk, but his head was all business SCHAAL, SAM F696 Ilomestead Days on the Plains homesteaders. One was Rev. Hackenberger from the Missouri Synod. He lived northeast of Burlington. The other lived over near Kanorado. They called him Preacher Willis. I never met him, but I knew Rev. Hackenberger. We met in Burlington quite often. We had five ox teams in the Settlement Mr. Stutz, Mr. Knodel, Mr. Hefner, my brother Matt, and myself owning teams. The reason we used oxen was because they were easy to feed when you worked them, needing no grain. We fed them cane or corn fodder. That's all they needed. They are tame and don't stray like horses, and nobody had money to build a fence for pasture. Horses sold high and you had to feed them grain when you worked them. After I had some land broke out on the homestead, I took my little stock down to the river for feed. E.G. Davis, father of the Davis brothers, Louis, Ed, Rosser and Morton, would keep them with their cattle for so much a month until fall. Mr. Davis was one of our first county commissioners and was re-elected in 1893. In the spring of 1894, after I had put in some cotn and feed on my homestead and took my stock to Mr. Davis, I went to Denver in the hope of finding work, but conditions had not changed. 1894 was a very dry year in eastern Colorado. I looked for work in western Kansas and Nebraska. I would work on ranches and do anything I could get. In the fall I went home to the brother's and my homestead to spend the winter in peace and rest. The fall of 1894 several of the homesteaders left that I knew. They moved to other stakes but we had no place to go, and worked hard for what we had, so we stayed, knowing that God feeds the sparrow and would take care of ug if we trusted Him. He did take care ofus or I wouldn't be here today. antelope would run around in bunches, from 15 to 30 head in a bunch. Yes, folks, we had quite a few of them in the early years. People would go out at lambing time and catch little ones and raise them on cow's milk and tame them. E.G. Davis had a pair, a billy and nanny, for two years or more. I saw them myself. There was also a pair in Burlington. The nanny was a little shy, but the billy At noon his wife would come after him and pushhim home fordinner and bring him back to the store. I suppose she did the same thing in the morning and evening. He must have had a good wife. He had one man clerk to help him in the store and as he was the only dealer in town he could order farm implements - a plow, wagon, or anything you wanted. Give him your order and in two weeks you would have it, and you paid for the article when you Selder as cashier. That was the first good bank in Burlington. Later Winegar and Weare organized the Kit Carson Land Com- and to get trade from the Settlement he would pay 1 or 2 cents more for a dozen eggs and sell a sack of flour 5 cents cheaper than Burlington, and that would do it. You may ask how he got around if he could not walk. Well, he could wheel that chair around pretty got it. I got John Deere gang plows and a Moline wagon from him and saved $10.00 each. We had two ministers here who were and Claremont, and he told me how the would come right up to you. I saw them a few times, walking up and down the sidewalk, when I came to town. I can't remember any more who owned them or how long they had them. The country didn't settle up much during the nineties. In 1901 Gottlob Amman and family (Albert Amman's folks) cane. Grandfather Amman brought a little sled with him that a blacksmith in Nebraska made to clean small corn down in the lister furrows. The runners were four feet long, made out of 2 x 8's with four knives, two long ones in front and two short ones behind. That was the best thing made to clean corn and cane before the weeder cane out. The Ammans later went back to Nebraska. good. by Lila Taylor FAMILY In those days there were only three farms on the road from the Settlement to Burlington. We cut across country from the Five farmers lived around Claremont Wellman and Kern east along the railroad; Fuller on the north, and Hobert and Chalmers on the northeast. by Lila Taylor SCIIAAL, SAM FAMILY F596 Homestead Days on the Plains In the spring of 1895, the county commissioners shipped in spring wheat and gave every homesteader six bushels to sow. No one had a drill, sowe sowed itbyhand and plowed it under and harrowed the ground. It came up, looked like it might make wheat, then the first of June we got a rain and hailstorm that cut it to the ground and that was the end of that. Then we started to raise cattle and corn and cane for feed. It didn't take much machinery - a walking lister, a walking cultivator and a little seed was all you needed. You could plant 10 or 1.1 acres with one bushel of corn and you had two or three months to shuck it. The cobs made good fuel for the stove and in the fall the stalks made good pasture when the ground was covered with snow. By this time we all had horses and let the ox go for beef. In the spring of 1899, the John Ziegler familycame down from Tripp, South Dakota, and gettled 7 Yz miles southwest of our church. His father bought land for him and he later took a homestead. He was for many years the only farmer between the Settlement Also in 1901, A.W. Winegar and Henry G. Weare came out and organized the Stock Growers State Bank in Burlington, with W.S. pany and tried to get people from Iowa and Nebraska out here to buy land. The year 1908 was a dry one again. Corn got about three feet high and dried up and did not make good feed. We had a hard winter. It started to snow the day before Thanksgiving and kept it up until we had 18 inches ofsnow on the ground on the level and three to four feet in the yard. Our cattle didn't get out of the yard for a month. We cut all the corn and put up thistles but that feed went fast and the snow stayed on. That was the first time we had to make a sled to go to town. By January 1909, we saw that we had to eell part of our cattle to get the rest through. We could not buy feed for money. Buyers came from eastern Kansas and offered us three cents a pound for steers and two cents a pound for cows and they weighed light. Big cows brought $18.00 a head, but the buyers knew we had to sell or let them die. so we had to take it. by Lila Taylor SCHAAL, SAM FAMILY F697 Homestead Days on the Plains 1909 and 1910 were fairly good, but 1911 was like last year and this spring. Had to feed until May. We had two small elevators, Band and Abbott, but they didn't get much in, and the railroad was awful slow. Corn was 90 centg and a $1.00 bushel, and we would gladly pay it if we could get it. When they got a car, they sold it out five bushels at a man so that everbody got a little. But finally spring got around the corner and stock could get out and �help themselves. I think if we had had machinery 50 years ago like we have today, we would have done a lot better. Farming has improved a lot in the last 50 years. I would like to mention something about and sold the cream and eggs to buy groceries. The skim milk was fed to the baby calves and pigs. Geneva had turkeys in 4-H. She won several State trophys with them. We dressed them and sold them at Thanksgiving and Christmas. She also took sewing and beef fattening. Clyde's 4-H projects were breeding beef, beef fattening and a catch it calf. In 1968 Geneva married Dan Hudson. They have two children, Babette and Justin and live in Aurora, Co. On 1979 Clyde the mail. They had mail service in Burlington, but I think it was in 1891 that Yale Post Office was established. Sherman Yale was our first mail carrier and Mrs. Yale was the post master. The Post Office was in their house. They were good people. Mrs. Yale was kind of a family doctor and had some medicine. If anyone had trouble they would go to her for advice. We had a cow which was bitten on the front leg by a rattlesnake and the leg swelled up badly. The cow couldn't walk, so I went to Mrs. Yale and she said to take lard and turpentine, half of each, and rub it on the cow's leg several times a day. In a few days the cow was all right again. Mrs. Yale had the Post Office from 1891 to 1908 and Mr. Yale carried the mail for about 12 years, three times a week from Burlington to Goff Post Office, then to Landsman Post Office, then to Yale. That was a long route for horse and buggy days and the roads that we had. Latcr the Yales put in a little store and it would help in busy times, for you wouldn't have to go to town. Mr. Yale was a county commissioner after he quit carrying the mail. In 1909 we got our first daily mail route out of Bethune. Jesse McFarland was our first mail canier with horse and buggy. He had two teams, one at the Ed Stahlecker place where he would change teems every day to make the round trip. That made it better for us. We didn't have to go so far to get the mail. In 1912, I bought the William Yale place and in the spring of 1915, I bought the Sherman Yale place. Our first children were boys and the homestead was too small, and there was no land around us to buy. In 1917 I sold the homestead to our neighbors, Frank Kramer. and moved to the Sherman Yale place where we are still living with our son Carl and family in our own house, if God willing, the rest of our lives. I forgot to mention that we had five cattle ranches of good size - the John Pugh ranch, the Harry Cox ranch, the Bar T, and the Jim Cook ranch, all on the Republican River, and the Ed McCrillis ranch on the Landsman, now the Spring Valley ranch. From 1910 to 1921 this part ofthe country was well settled up and the land plowed up with big and little tractors. A.W. Winegar and F.E. Winegar did their share in bringing people in from the east. This covers the firet 30 years of my life around Burlington, as nearly as I can remember it, and I will come to a close now. Taken from the Burlington Record, July 19, 1951. Mr. Schaal passed away January 19, 1959. by Lila Taylor SCHAAL, TED AND ELMA F598 I was born Mar. 21 L922 in a sod house 77z miles north of Burlington, Colo. was the first child of Jake and Emma (Strobel) Schaal. I have one brother Herbert born Nov. married Teresa (daughter of Harvey and Taken on Ted and Atna's 40th wedding anniversary, Clyde, Teresa, Brian Craig, Braden Schaal, EIma, Ted Schaal; Geneva Babette, and Justin Hudson. 3, 1928. I went to Emerson school 4 miles northwest of our home. Two teachers taught 10 grades in the two rooms. The most kids attending were about 32, some came from quite a distance. Most of the time I rode horseback till my brother started school and there were more kids in this area, then in bad weather about 4 families car pooled. Some- times I had a trapline and caught a few coyotes, badgers and skunks, also shot jackrabbits, skinned these animals and sold the fur. That was the only spending money farm kids could earn. On Sat. I would help my Dad pick corn by hand with a team of horses and wagon. Farming was done altogether with horses until 1926 when my Dad bought a new Fordson tractor with steel wheels. They also bought a new Chev. I ton truck. Then the dry thirties came with dust storms. We still used horses to cultivate corn and pull the header barges beside the header in the wheat harvest. I remember driving the header barges when I was so small they put a box in the wagon for me to stand on. The teams of horses had more knowledge of where they were suppose to go then I did or I couldn't have handled them. I was 14 when my mother died, Oct. 13, 1936. I completed the 10th grade at Emerson the following spring. After that I stayed at home and helped my Dad full time on the farm. By 1939 we got our first combine, a M&M pull type. All the grain was unloaded by hand with scoop shovel, into grain bins on the farm. In 1945 I was inducted into the Army, first in the infantry, then transferred to MP duty. I received my Honorable Discharge and was glad to get home. On March 2,L947 I married Elma Grnmm, at her parents home, by Rev. Macon. We moved to the Camp place 3/+ miles from my home. We lived in a little white frame house. Had no running water, no phone, or electricity. We got R.E.A. in 1952. In 1959 we built a brick house and had electricity and running water. Geneva Louise was born Feb. 10, 1949. Clyde Joseph on Nov. 1, 1951. They went to Emerson school till 1959. Then the country schools consolidated with the Burlington school and the school bus picked up the children. ln 1954 Ted's Dad had surgery, then we did all the farming with two tractors. No baby sitters, so we made the pickup into a covered wagon for the two children to play in and be in the field where we worked. We also had a good dog that stayed with them. The fifties were dry years, also dust storms. We bought baby holstine calves and fed them on a bottle. We milked about 13 cows by hand, separated Jean Brenner). They have three sons, Brian, Craig, and Braden. They live on the place where Ted was born but in the new house Grandpa Jake built in 1959. Elma was born May 16, 1923 in a four room adobe house. where her brother Lawrence lives now. Her parents are the late Gottlieb and Lydia (Stutz) Gramm. I have three brothers; Loyd, Lawrence and Edmund, one sister Esther Corliss. I went to Prairie View School twelve miles north of Bethune. I remember some of the dark dust storm clouds coming up and the teacher would dismiss school. We would run the 1-% miles home trying to beat the dust storm. This was during the dirty thirties. Many farmers lost their farms, then had farm sales and moved to the western states to try to make a better living for their families. For fuel and heat in the homes it was wood stoves but wood is scarce in this country so people bought coal and burned corn cobs. I remember the family going to the pasture with a team ofhorses and wagon pick up cow chips to heat our home. For entertainment we sang around the piano and played g'mes around the big kitchen table. On Sunday the family went to the Congregational Church 11 miles north l miles east of Bethune. That is where we still go, now known as Hope United Church of Christ. In Dec 1946 I was working at the Montezuma Hotel in Burlington, Co. During the night it burned. I saw the roof go down. All our belongings burned, but everyone got out. It was rebuilt into apartments and stores. We have continued farming and cattle ranching, upgrading our cow-calf herd that we and our son Clyde have. We have stayed with dry land farming and have had to get newer and bigger machinery and tractors to raise feed for our cattle and wheat for grain. We thank God for the good health we have. We'll enjoy doing things on the farm as long as our health permits. by Ted and Elma Schaal SCHAAL, WILLIAM AND LEONA F599 As the New Year dawned in 1899, William Fredrick was born to Matthew and Eva (Baltzer) Schaal. At a very young age Bill, "batched" and herded cattle on the open range. As a young man, he worked for many of the cattle ranches. In 1920, he married Leona Sharp. Leona was born at Jasper, Missouri and was raised near Kansas City, Kansas. After attending two years of college, she cnme to Colorado to teach school. One year, she taught school north of Bethune. After Bill and Leona were married, they ] �and August, rode in the cars. The cars were parked on the siding at Muskogee and unloaded there. The parents with daughter, Clara, and son, Kenneth came in a Model T. Ford. It took two days to make the trip and they were plagued with flat tires on the trip. The house they moved into was a small house with no modern conveniences. The house was not far from the siding where the cars were parked. Clara and Kenneth were very disappointed in their new home. In Nebraska they had a nice house which was a modern home with inside plumbing. The morning after they arrival they woke up to a raging blizzard. Henry and Anna Scheierman moved to the First Central Community in 1926. Henry lost the land he had purchased in the economic crash of 1929 and the drouth of the 1930's. He Bill and family members branding cattle. The branding irons were heated in the topsy stove in the background. lived on a farm north of Bethune until the summer of 1926, when they bought a farm 10 miles south and one mile east of Bethune, where they lived and raised their children. Seven children were born to William and Leona Schaat Wilma, Gladys, Jeanne, Donald, Betty, Shirley and Virgil. Donald passed away at the age of nine months. Bill and Leo raised sheep for many years and always had a herd of cattle and many horses. In the early years of their farming, it was necessary to have several horses for farming. To do the wheat harvest, it would take 6 horses to pull the header and two horses for the header barge. Later, the wheat would have to be threshed. 'The threshers are coming' meant the women folks hurried always managed to make a living by milking cows, keeping hogs, and by churning butter to sell and selling cream. In 1940 they moved near to Stratton, and in L942 they purchased a home in Stratton. Henry passed away at Longmont, Colorado on October 25, L943. Anna continued living in Stratton until she broke her hip in the mid 1960's. After a stay in the hospital at Burlington, she moved to Grace Manor Jack and Lois Schafer Oct. 25, 1986. SCHEIERMAN FAMILY F60l Nursing Home where she spent the last years of her life. She passed away in late August 1971. In October ofthat year she would have been 100, but she never wanted to be 100. by Mabel Scheierman around baking pies in the wood burning stove on a hot summer day. This was before the time when every home had a deep freeze so this meant catching a fat hen to bake or some young frying chickens. William and Leona Schaal retired and moved into Burlington in 1972. SCHEIERMAN GARNER FAMILY F602 Kenneth Scheierman came to Kit Carson County at the age of 6 years with his parents by Shirley Matthies in the spring of 1922. He enrolled in North Pious Point with Leonard Calvin as the SCHAFER, JACK AND LOIS F600 Jack has been a life time resident of Yuma County, with farming and community work as his main interest. After his wife's death he married Lois Henry. Jack enjoys his large flock of peacocks and their fascinating ways. Lois likes to cook and give of her time to family and friends. Lois compiled a family cookbook for the Corliss family which she really enjoyed. Jack and Lois like to divide their time between their family and traveling. Their children are Douglas Schafer, Jaklin Schafer, Clifford, Gay and Kendyl Henry. Leroy, Cindy, Nicholas and Daniel Henry, Melvin, Peggy and Amber Henry, Robert and Martha Henry Maxey, Jamie and Jeffrey Kroll. Jack Arnold was born to Clyde and Stella Mae Allen Schafer on July 19, 1928 at Wray, Colorado. Lois Marie Corliss Henry was born to Sherman Henry and Grace Messing Corliss on August 9, 1935 at Burlington, Colorado. Jack and Lois were married at Burlington, Colorado on October 25, 1986. They make their home North East of Kirk, Colorado. by Lois Schafer teacher. The school was located a quarter of a mile from their first home. Five years later Henry and Anna Scheierman. Henry and Anna Scheierman were German Russian immigrants. They were both born in Russia. Henry's family came to America first settling in south central Nebraska. Mr. Scheierman helped the Thaut family come to America. Henry was engaged to be married but was jilted a few days before the wedding was to be. Mr. Scheierman and Mr. Thaut decided their children Henry and Anna should marry. They were married September 19, 1892 at Hastings, Nebraska. They had ten children. but two of the ten died as infants' The Scheiermans came to Kit Carson County because their five sons all wanted to farm. They Iived on a small farm near Sutton, Nebraska, and there was not much available farm land in that locality. Land was much cheaper in Kit Carson County, Colorado. Henry started buying land in Kit Carson County in 1919 from Joseph A. Collins, a realtor. Henry was a horse and mule buyer in Nebraska, and he shipped several car loads of horses to Colorado as payments on land. In 1922 they moved to Colorado by immigrant cars. They loaded one car with household items and another car was loaded with 8 mules and some milk cows. Sons, Herbert Kenneth and Mabel Scheierman. �the family moved to the First Central School District where he finished grade school and high school graduating in 1933. Kenneth had perfect attendance which meant he was not absent or tardy for seven years. Kenneth recalls that in 1936 money was short. In September he and Vaughn Taylor decided to catch skunks and keep them alive until the furs would be at their prime, about the middle of November. They sold them at that time to Clarence Collins for $.45 each. They tried to get $.50, but he wouldn't give them any more. Both mothers were glad to see the project go. Spending money was also received by picking up bleached bones offthe prairies and selling them. Times have really changed in values of land. Kenneth started to farm on his own in 1936. The first land he purchased was the George Hodge place which he purchased for $2.50 an acre in 1940. He has continued farming in the area south of Stratton. Ken's first marriage ended in divorce in 1951. He was awarded custody of his small daughters, Beverley and Betsy. In 1952 he married Mabel Garner who was a native of this county. She was born on her parent's ranch north of Stratton, attended grade school at Solid Center 7 years. She rode a horse to school which delighted in dumping operation for about 35 years. Checking baby calves has been one ofthe highlights for them each spring. Kenneth also says there is nothing prettier than a nice green field of wheat in the fall and early spring. Kenneth has had a goal to leave the land in as good or better shape than he found it. by Mabel Scheierman SCHEIERMAN, HERBERT FAMILY F603 {_ 1 -e ffi- \ 1936. After graduation she attended Business College in Colorado Springs for six months, and then began working in The First National Bank in Stratton. One of Mabel's earliest recollections was the time she was lost and the neighbors gathered to help search for her. Her Grand- home and put them in a pen, and they needed to do the evening chores so told Mebel to go look at the chickens while they milked. Evidently she had not remembered them bringing them home as her uncle found her late at night on the prairie Iying down with her dog. She remembers going home to a 1':r. a Herb and Vena Scheierman, 1937; Eleanor and Shirley in 193?; Herbie and Lynn, 1944. .'. --.,; tlii;',r, house full of people and being made over by everyone in their relief to have her safe at home. The Scheierman's lived in Stratton for 7 years, but in 1959 built a new ranch style house at the farm and moved to the country. Even though they lived in the country, they continued to be community minded. KenL neth served his church as a member of its i? Board of Trustees for forty years. He served i the Stratton Equity Coop Ln its Board of ,/ Directors for 24 years. He even tried politics ) and was elected County Commissioner on the I Republican ticket in IE6 and served five consecutive terms making a total of 20 years. Mabel has served her church as treasurer for 45 years and has been active in many other roles in the church. She enjoyed a number of years serving on the state level the Women ofthe Church ofGod. She served as secretary, president and missionary education director. She also served on the National Board of the Women of the Church of God and served on the Executive Committee so she flew to Indiana three times each year for these meetings. She to served the Republican party as Vice Chairman and then Chairman. Kenneth and Mabel have really enjoyed the cattle and have operated a cow/calf Vena as she cared for the two girls and often suffered from gallbladder attacks. In the fall of 1937 there was no grass or feed for the cattle so Herb and Vena and the girls moved to Denver. They lived in an upstairs apartment on Kalamath Street. Herb went to drycleaning school and later rented a drycleaning shop on East Jewel. They lived in an attached apartment. Herb did the pressing and Vena the hand finishing. Each year as spring came around Herb would dream of the farm. In the spring of 1939 they moved to a place 2 miles east of Stratton on Highway 24. (Vena didn't want to move away from electric lights and running water.) They lived there 3 days place livable and 3 tramps came - thefirst day.wasn't the They moved into Stratton to Herb custom farmed. A son Herbert Lee was born Sept. 11, 1939 in Stratton. In November 1939, Herb and Vena bought her parents' high school in Stratton and graduated in er's home. Her parents had brought them take out to Vena. He had a rubber tired wagon. These were long lonely weeks for what is now the Pansy Thomason house. her many times but no broken bones. When she didn't ride, she walked. She attended mother Hampton had given her some bantam chickens which had been at her Grandmoth- milkhouse. He had his own milk cows and would take the cream to Cheyenne Wells or First View and sell it and buy groceries to In 1947 Herbie and Lynn were walking under the eaves in the rain, needed another rain hat, so Herbie made hers by tying a washpan on her head. Herbert Scheierman and Vena Hughes were married October 12, 1931 at McCook, Nebraska. The remainder of that winter they made their home with Vena's parents, Harve and Rosa Hughes, 11 miles S.E. of Stratton, Colorado. The next spring they rented and moved to the Charlie Geist place 23 miles So. of Stratton in Cheyenne County. Herb farmed and ran cattle. The cattle roamed over a wide area it was all open range. - asLou A daughter, Shirley was born there on Sept. 11, 1932 and another daughter, Eleanor Sue on Nov. 2, 1936. During the "dirty thirty's" Herb took the cattle to pasture 12 miles south of First View, Colo. where there was better grass. He rented pasture from Bob Geary and lived in their homestead and moved onto it. It had a large two story frame house with running water (cold only) and a "path". In later years they remodeled the house, including hot water, electricity, a bathroom and finishing the upstairs. They also built a two car garage with a milk house, a new barn and cattle shed. They also added 11 more quarters of land to the 2 they bought from Hughes. Shirley attended Kindergarten in Denver and first grade in Stratton. Then she went to East Bethel for second grade. She and Eleanor then walked 1-3l miles to West Bethel until 1945 when the family lived in Stratton that winter to care for Vena's father. From then until the fall of 1950 when the school buses began picking up the country kids, Herb and Vena took the children into Stratton everyday to school 22 miles roundtrip, morning and evening. The years that followed their move to the Hughe's homestead were good years in most ways, with the usual number of joys and sorrows hailstorms and good crops - good and bad-cattle prices and too - dirt storms much rain. Another daughter, Ruth Lynn was born on August 5, 1943. In thinking back over those years many incidents come to mind. Some of these follow. (From here on the elder Herbert will be referred to as Herb and the younger as Herbie) One day each week Vena took the children to Louis and Helen (Deakin) Adkins. Vena did kitchen work for Helen in exchange for Shirley's piano lesson. Herbie was about 2 years old, being very good, standing by a low window watching the cattle. No one saw him take a wick from a "Daisy" fly killer which was behind the curtain. Soon he became violently ill. Vena took the children home and laid him on a blanket under a shade tree where it was cool. Eleanor was sent to the chicken house for eggs and Shirley to the house for milk Vena felt that he had been poisoned. She wrapped a towel around him and began forcing eggs and milk down him in a few minutes Helen's car came -speeding up the hill. She had found that the "Daisy" fly killer had been disturbed and the wick was gone. Immediately Herbie was rushed into Stratton to Dr. Keen where he and his nurse, Mrs. Borders, gave him weak �on her name was Cannibal. Every gate and barn door had to be tied or a snap put on it eggs had diluted the poison and saved his life. After going back home, Herbie was laid on the or Cannibal would open it and get out and let the cattle out. When Aunt Wilsie was teaching the girls to knit, Herbie knit a scarf for Herb said, "There's no sense waving goodbye to them; they're going along". So John just let them crawl on himself. (Guess he didn't appreciate Herb's humor). Later, when they were in a field shocking feed (miles from anyone) John asked, "Mr. Scheierman, where cows. Cannibal. Lynn about age 8 and Herbie age 12 were riding the horses in the pasture, making them jump the creek. Lynn's horse tired of the warm while he went to the house for help. The doctor put the arm in an airplane cast. One day Herb said to Vena, "Don't look now, but perfect record; you've been late every morning". Vena was thankful for the good, Iocal help that Herb hired. Clarence Brown mustard water and kept him for observation for several hours. Dr. Keen said the milk and straw in the barn, Shirley and Eleanor watching him, while Vena helped milk the Another time, Vena, the kids and the dog started up thru the field in the car to get the mail. About % mile away from home the car died and couldn't be started. It refused to run. They all got out, walked the remaining 3/a mile, got the mail and walked back home. When Herb came home, Vena told him the car had quit and he said, "Are you out of gas?" Right away Herbie, age about 5, spoke up, "Oh, no, I filled it." Herb asked how he he got the filled it. Herbie showed him - the faucet. garden hose and turned on Needless to say, it took a while to drain the water from the gas tank. When Shirley was in second grade she attended East Bethel school which was 4-Vz miles from home. One day it was so muddy that Herb couldn't go get her in the car and the mud was so deep that the horse became exhausted and wouldn't go anymore. So there was no way to go get Shirley. Herb was sure the teacher would take her home with him but Vena worried that he would leave her at Herb would alone, thinking the schoolhouse be there soon to get her. Mr. Patterson, the teacher, lived at the George Hodge place two miles from the school. He did take Shirlev she remembers how hard home with him it was for her to- keep up with his fast pace in the mud. It was a long night for Vena, wondering where Shirley was' Shirley's and Eleanor's experiences riding a horse to school usually met with disaster Iike the time (mentioned in the West Bethel Story) when Marion Maricle waved his lunch sack and scared Clarabell, she dumped them off. Eleanor told Shirley, "I'm crippled for life". So Shirley ran as fast as she could to get help. The only thing crippled was Eleanor's pride. Shirley and Eleanor spent much time playing dolls and paperdolls. They had some bought paperdolls but most were cut from Sears and Wards catalogues. Vena made beautiful dresses for the dolls. As they got older, Shirley preferred to read and embroider. She made beautiful pillowcases, etc. She also helped Vena in the house, while Eleanor, Herbie and Lynn seized every opportunity to escape to the outdoors. Shirley had two parakeets. One of them nibbled on a picture frame and died of lead poisoning - theallother the mourned for its mate by pulling feathers out of its breast. The summers (for Eleanor, Herbie and Lynn) were spent playing with the "Brown Kids". They were the children of Clarence and Catherine Brown. Clarence worked for Herb. Their children were Paul, Vivian, Bruce and Loren. They played "cowboys and Indians", "cops and robbers", rode horses and bicycles and made a playhouse called "Lardy's Cafe". The robbers rode horses while the "bankers" and "sheriff' were on one time Lynn (who was the youngest foot - hence she had to be the sherifO said, as she -ran around the corner of the barn waving a toy pistol "They wobbed another bank." One summer Herbie got a horse (Part Shetland). The first time he tried to get on her she turned around and bit him on the shoulder, leaving a terrible welt. From then game and threw her off. She received a broken shoulder and was suffering from shock. Herbie laid her down on the grass and covered her with a saddle blanket to keep her may one urinate?" Herb replied, "Any ole place you want to." John told Vena, "Mr. Scheierman is sure enthusiastic about this feed hauling". John wasn't so enthusiastic and soon moved on. There were numerous other strange temporary workers. As Herb fired one hired man he said, "You have a Lynn is walking the corral fence". She was walking on top of the 2" corral boards; the worked for them for many years, so did Norma Zogg and in later years, Alfred cast hadn't slowed her down. One of the family pets was a small white dog part Pekinese and part terrier - named FuzzWuzz He lived many years. Another pet was a crow named "Blackie". They snipped Einspahr. his tongue hoping to teach him to talk. He didn't talk, but he did learn to sit on the side of the hammock and ride in the breeze. When the kids played hide and seek, he would fly over the place where each one was hiding' He became fond of eggs, so had to be done away with because he raided the chicken house. When Eleanor and Lynn would get out their miniature doll furniture to play house, Herbie always set up a Second Hand store where they could buy and sell furniture. He always dreamed of having a shop like the one it was a shoe Hubert Hubel had in Stratton - much to and harness repair shop with fascinate a little boy. One of Herb's favorite slang expressions was "Holy Mackerel". After being to a baptismal service at church, Lynn was baptising her doll. She said, "Holy the Father, Holy the Son, and Holy the Mackerel." Another time she and Loren Brown were playing cowboys on a hot day and pretending to "die". Soon Lynn lay down under a tree and said, "Let's die in the shade." As Shirley became high school age she informed Vena that there was no way she (Shirley) could euer get a boyfriend as long as Vena had paper drapes in the living room (they were a fad) and a coal stove in the kitchen. It didn't seem to bother the boyfriends, just Shirley. Eleanor was the accident prone one. It was she who always spilled dinner on her new Easter dress or tore her new jeans crawling thru the fence to get the milk cow. How does a milk cow know when you want to go somewhere and are in a hurry? They always went to the far end of the pasture and leaned on the fence to get as far away from home as possible. Another aspect of the farm life was the various temporary hired men that showed up. The family often wondered where Herb could find such "odd" creatures. One shaved his head and took whole pieces of chicken off the platter to feed his dog. Vena put a stop to that, fast. He also ate gravy on his chocolate meringue pie. Another was an Indian named John. He was direct off the reservation and evidently didn't know much about a farm. His hair was jet black and very oiled down. The kids and Vena were afraid of him. He ate lots of salt on his pickles. One day as Herb and John were going to the field, there were many flies inthe pickup cab, John was waving his hand trying to keep the flies off of himself. During the early years, Herb and Vena milked as many as 19 cows. Often Venawould have them all milked by the time Herb came in from the field. One particular morning when Herb went to the barn, a stray Tom cat had killed the baby kittens. Herb killed the Tom cat and lined all the dead cats up in a row just inside the barn door. When Vena opened the door to help milk, there lay the dead cats. Needless to say, she wasn't very happy with Herb. After milking, Herb and the kids loaded the dead cats into "Bobby", the pickup, and headed up thru the pasture to dispose of them. On the way a rabbit jumped up and the dog gave chase and ran in front of the pickup and Herb ran over him. So they just threw the dog in with the cats and hauled them all away. A special family tradition is spending Christmas day with the Whitmore family. Vic Whitmore is Vena's sister. Their family consisted of Floyd, Vic and twin sons, Loren and Doren. In the years since Herb and Vena moved from Denver, they have never missed spending Christmas together. There have been years when sickness or distance kept various members of the families from coming but Vena and Vic have always been there. In 1987 all of Vena's and Vic's families were there including the children, grandchildren and great grandchildren a total of 35 people. The absence of Herb and Floyd who have passed away is especially felt at this time of year. Herb and Vena planned for each of the children to have a college education. Shirley attended York College, York, Nebraska; Eleanor went to Colorado A&M College in Fort Collins, Colo. and received a Secretarial Training Certificate; Herbie went to Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colo. and has a bachelors and masters degree; Lynn attended Westmar College, LeMars, Iowa, where she received her bachelors degree; she has a masters from the University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, Colorado. Tragedy struck the family when on September 1, 1963, Herb and his sister-in-law, Mabel Scheierman were involved in a headon automobile accident. Mabel was seriously injured and Herb died later that day. For the next \-t/z years Vena remained on the farm, while renting out the ground. In April 1967 she moved into a new home she designed and had built in Burlington, Co. She is still living there at 1538 Senter, Burlington, Colorado. Vena's family consists of daughter Shirley and husband, Norman Zogg, Goodland, Kansas, and their two daughters, Janet Beth (Zogc), born Dec. 29,1952, and husband Bob �Churchwell, and three children, Clinton Michael, born Sept. 20, L976, Matthew Ryan, born August 11, 1978, and Raelyn Alaine, born July 31, 1981, and Patricia Lynn (Zogg) born Nov. 19, 1957 and husband Jim Dorsch and children Cassandra Ann, born Dec. 11, 1980 and Jared Keith, born Nov. 13, 1982; daughter Eleanor and husband, LeRoy Hern- don, Stratton, Colorado, their son Edwin Dean, born Sept. 6, 1959, and wife Trudy and children Jesse Edwin, born August 21, 1982 and Amanda Lynn, born Sept. 7, 1984, daughter Carol Lou, born April 6, 1963, and daughter Kathryn Sue, born Dec. 4, 1971; son Herbert Lee and wife Verna Lee (Edwards), Fountain, Colorado; and daughter Ruth Lynn Johnson, Castle Rock, Colorado and son Jay James, born Sept. 15, 1975. by Eleanor Scheierman Herndon SCHERR, JOE F604 Married on April 21, 1931 in Collyer, Kansas, Joseph M. and Marcelline M. Scherr headed west to settle south of Seibert, Colorado. Joe was a farmer and rancher by heart and blood but never found suitable work at this time in the area, so the couple decided to try their luck in sunny, hot Arizona. After six months trial period on a large working cattle ranch, the couple decided their hearts lay in Colorado, farming and ranching on their own. In April 1935 with the help of their dear friends, George and Irene Bancroft, a small two-wheeled trailer with all their worldly possessions, thirty-six dollars in their pocket and a precious three year old daughter, Joe and Marcelline Scherr settled thirteen miles north of Seibert and started the Scherr Farm-Ranch. Joe borrowed $640.00 to invest in eight milk cows, a used 10-20 McCormick tractor, and a second hand six foot Sanders one-way. The Scherr farm was on its way to becoming the successful operation it is today in 1987. Joe and Marcelline reared four lovelv children: Patricia Scherr Brock, Madefinl Scherr Mills, Eileen Scherr Woods, and Stanley Joseph Scherr. Sixteen beautiful selling meat to the Denver and surrounding markets. In the early days of the cattle industry in the West, the rancher who had the bottom land along a creek of live water had access to in California, Florida and Indiana. Their Jacob felt the need for better grazing for his cattle and since Denver was growing and the lands extending out from the foothills had grandchildren followed. Today the girls are spread throughout the United States living children, many married with families of their own, also live throughout the States. Stan Scherr, his wife Cindy, and their children, Eric, Tiffany, and Steven, live on the Scherr Farm and continue raising the cattle and wheat that were the love of Joe's life. by Cindy Scherr SCHERRER, JACOB the surrounding hills of lush buffalo grass. already been settled, he looked farther eastward. He and his brother, Alexander, a cattle rancher near Agate, made several trips horseback into this area and found the hills and draws of buffalo grass as high as their horses' bellies. It was a good place to establish a ranch headquarters. To market their livestock they had to be driven a distance to a railroad stockyards and shipped east since the railroad was not built into Kit Carson F605 County until 1887. The Bar-T was a landmark ranch for manv years. It served as a start for many settlers One of the earliest cattle ranches in what walled barn built by T.J. Conger, a stone mason, for hay storage and protection from winter storms. The wooden part of the barn burned in the 1930s but the rock wall still Bar-T is now known as Kit Carson County was located in the northern end of the county along the Republican River and Landsman Creek. It was the Bar-T known for the brand Often the bar went over the back of the -T. critter with the T below on the right flank. A 5000 acre ranch, it was established in the early 1880s by Jacob Scherrer. It was a busy working ranch and source of employment for many pioneers and early settlers to this area. Born in Alsace-Lorraine in 1838, Jacob came to America with his parents when he was nine years old. They first settled in Iowa and started farming. In the late 1850s he started out on his own and made his way to the west and settled in Boulder, CO. He started his own freight company which provided meat and provisions to the mining camps in Colorado and Utah. He was also engaged in cattle ranching in Montana, and before Colorado became a state he was living in Denver and raising cattle, butchering and who could work there. Jacob had a large rock stood for many years serving as a wind break. Jacob planned for his sons to eventually take over the ranch and other homesites were built. One built a large rock house with, of all things, large picture windows that gave a pretty view of the river bottom lands, a cellar under the house, which could be reached from the kitchen, and electric lights provided by its own light plant. He also had built a large rock silo for forage storage. The silo is still standing. The Bar-T was sold by Jacob to his son, Jacob G. Sherrer, in 1911. He kept it until 1925 when he sold it and moved closer to Denver. They wanted to have access to schools for better education of their ten children. Jacob Garfield had maried Annette Milhoan in Burlington in 1908. Annette also ran the Hermes post office until it was abandoned. The Hermes post office and store and cream station was located across the river from the Bar-T headquarters. It handled mail for the ranchers in that area and mail being brought by wagon or horseback from Benkleman, Nebraska. The Hermes ranch was purchased by Dr. Elmer Scherrer, Jacob's son, for his son Henry. However, Henry died quite young and so the ranch was sold to William and Helen Scherrer in 1928. The house and barns were actually in Yuma County but much of the ranch land and pasture laid in Kit Carson County. Dr. Scherrer was the son ofJacob Sherrer Sr. and William was the son of Alexander Scherrer. brother to Jacob. There is little trace of the original Bar-T now except for the faint outlines ofthe adobe house, some remains of the rock wall of the barn and, of course, the rock house and silo in the pasture to the east. The rich bottom hay lands were turned into sand bars by the 1935 flood. The channel of the river was changed, cutting into the original hay fields. Most of that has been since covered with growth of cottonwood trees and may in long years to come be reclaimed as farm ground again. The Scherrers had obtained water and ditch rights for irrigation and the Holland Sherr Ranch. 1987. �ditch still has priority over the later irrigators and ranchers above and below the Bar-T. bY Regina WhiPPle SCHICK - ADOLF FAMILY F606 Ernest Frederick Schick and Leah Barbara Adolf were united in marriage on January 7, 1938 at Emmanuel Lutheran Church, north of Bethune, Colorado. Ernest was born to Frederick and Irene LeFevere Schick on August 6, 1914 at Newberg, Oregon. He was baptized in the First Christian Church in Newberg, attended grade school at Fernwood District and high school at Newberg, Oregon. Ernie was active playing football and baseball besides helping his father on the farm and with the prune and walnut drying. I was born to Gottlieb and Barbara Stahlecker Adolf on January 24, t917 and was raised on a farm in the so-called "Settlement", north of Bethune. I attended the first eight grades in a one-room adobe schoolhouse known as "Schaal School' District #22" which was located by the Sam Schaal farm house. During the Dust Bowl Days of the '30's, I moved with my parents, along with mY brothers Gottlieb, Herman, and George and Leona (who were newly married) to Newberg, Oregon in the spring of 1935. My parents had a sale and kept some furniture, etc. which we Ioaded onto a 1929 model Chevrolet truck and our 1932 Chevrolet four-door car. George and Leona took their 1928 two-door Chevy, pulling a trailer with their belongings. So away we went: "Oregon or bust!" My Dad rented a small acreage at Springbrook, Oregon near Newberg. We all found jobs picking berries, walnuts, filberts, and prunes, or whatever jobs were available. I did some housework for $15.00 a month, and later got a raise to$20.00 a month with every other Sunday off. I also worked in the cannery. While I was picking walnuts one day, a young fellow came strolling through the orchard. He stopped and chatted awhile. That stroll led to dating and later to our marriage. In October of 1937, my parents, brothers Gottlieb and Herman, and I moved back to the farm in Colorado. George and Leona stayed in Oregon a year longer, and then moved back to their farm north of Burlington, Colorado. George and Leona, her parents Henry and Lilly Fanslau, and Ernie came back for a visit the following Christmas. Ernie then decided that he wanted to marry and take me back to Oregon with him. We hustled around to get ready for a wedding in less than two weeks. In the meantime, Ernie decided to go into farming with Gottlieb' They rented a farm known as the old Lou Bramier place southwest of Burlington. I went back to Oregon with George and Leona, her folks, and Ernie, to bring back Ernie's belongings and his 1931 black Graham Coupe. On our way back to Oregon, we stopped at Wamsutter, Wyoming for the night. It was a small place with a gas station, grocery store, and a few cabins. We rented two cabins. It was a bitter cold January evening. The water pipes were frozen up and we had to melt snow in order to clean up. We had a few groceries with us so that we could do our own cooking. Leona decided that we would have pancakes for breakfast, but we had no milk. George then melted some snow and Leona made the pancakes with snow water. Our Honeymoon? After a month's stay with Ernie's family, we came back to our newly rented farm for a year. Gottlieb got married to Mabel Gramm in July of that summer. The four of us Iived together on that farm for the rest of the year. My Dad bought a 160-acre farm for us for $800.00, which at one time belonged to my great grandparents, Christian and Fredericka Adolf. It was located across the road from the congregational Church, north of Bethune, Colorado. We had some very tough times during our first few years of marriage. Ernie, not being used to the cold Colorado climate, came down with rheumatic fever and was laid up for part of the first winter. Barbara was born at the home of her Ernest and Leah Schick with children Barbara, Marilyn and Dean on Christmas day 1948 J Errries parents at Newberg, Oregon. it was a very cold, windy day' at the home grandparents, Gottlieb and Barbara Adolf, north of Bethune, Colorado on November 14, 1938. She was delivered by her Great Grandmother Margarette Adolf. She came down with smallpox at three months and lost all of her black hair. The second winter Ernie had an accident while hunting jack rabbits with Gottlieb and Herman one evening after dark. He was hospitalized for two weeks with cgt up knees �and legs, due to running through a barbed wire fence while riding on the fender of a car. Then again, we had lots of cold and snow. No one could travel with the car until the roads were opened up. Besides, we had lost all of our hogs from cholera and calves from blackleg, along with crop failures from dust and hail storms. We managed to hold on with the help of a neighbor, who let us have cows milk for the use of pasture and others who let us use their horses to do our farming. The boys had to break these horses for farming which resulted in some pretty exciting rodeos at times. We had many runaways. At one time, the horses ran through the garden fence and ruined our garden. We also picked cow chips to use as fuel in our potbellied stoves to keep us warm during the cold winter months. Fortunately, we always had plenty to eat for our family. Living on the farm, we had our own meat, eggs, milk, cream, and produce from our gardens. Marilyn was born on March 20, L942 at Burlington, Colorado. Times were beginning to get a little better by then. We later bought another farm, known as the Frank Kramer farm, also located in the Settlement. Dean was born at Burlington, Colorado on June L9, L947. We moved onto the Kremer farm shortly thereafter. In 1960 we started to build a house on 377 Pomeroy Street in Burlington. We moved into it in the fall of 1962, still live in it and "Settlement", north of Bethune. Colorado in May of 1908. My mother, Barbara Stahlecker, was born December 24, L885 in Tripp, South Dakota to Martin and Katherina Stahlecker. She moved with her family to north of Bethune, Colorado at the age of eight. Ernie's father, Frederick Schick. was born November 14, 1886 at Baudle, South Dakota. He moved to Newberg, Oregon at eighteen years. Ernie's mother, Irene Lefaiwe Schick, was born September 5, 1896 in New York to Ernest and Louise Lefaivre. She moved with her parents to Newberg, Oregon in the year 1900. Ernest and Louise were both born in Paris, France. by Leah Schick SCHLICHENMAYER BREITLING FAMILY F607 Comfort stove and make a whole oven full of popcorn. Christina died 31 August 1984. Cooking was done with "stokamich". This was the manure and straw mix that accumulated in corrals during the winter. In the spring it was cut into squares and allowed to minister at Church, Jacob and other elders of the church read from the "Bredight Buch". This contains sermons that were simply read to the congregation. Jacob died on B0 September 1937. Their 12 children were: Emma. Jacob (Jake), William (Bill), Reinhardt (Sport), Bertha, John (Johnny), Alvina, Sechart (Stub), Tafield (Shorty), Garfield (Dick), Harold, and Leona (Sis). by Robert and Linda Coles Jacob Schlichenmayer and Christina Breitling. Jacob Schlichenmayer born 28 November 1873 in Birsula, Bessarabia, S. Russia was the son of Jacob and Margarete Schlichenmayer. In 1889 his family decided to migrate to the United States. Unfortunately for Jacob he was of military age and therefore couldn't obtain an official passport to leave Russia. In order to escape Russia and avoid a military Parents and Grandparents service, Jacob and Gottlieb Bauder obtained forged passports from a Jewish forger. The passport was good enough to get them out of Russia but not into Germany where they were supposed to rejoin their families and continue on to America together. They were held at the border for several days because of the passports and because they lacked the money to pay for their passage to America. The German officials didn't want any penniless immigrants coming into Germany that would be wards of the state. Finally a telegram to My father, Gottlieb Adolf, was born November 3, 1891 at Anaba, Michaelsfeld, South Russia to Wilhelm and Margarette Adolf. He arrived in this community, the money. Unfortunately the money came too late and they were unable to accompany their parents to America. They finally managed to depart on a later ship and joined their parents Barbara and Richard Briggs and - Angela Jennifer Atlanta, Georgia; Marilyn and Fred Tafoya and Fred III Denver, Colo- Lesa rado; Dean and Eulalah Schick - Lori, Lindi, and Lacy Cheyenne Wells, Colorado. remember nights when Christina would put a rag on a broom handle, clean out the a large family. During the absence of a After moving to Burlington, Ernie still Our Family Christina was apparently a very tough lady. She rarely wore shoes, even in winter she usually did her chores barefoot in the snow. She was also a very popular midwife throughout the settlement. Many of the parents and grandparents of today's residents got their first whack on their fannvs wasn't tolerated was egg fights. Jacob always had a large garden that was necessary to raise farmed for a few years. We then rented the farm out, and Ernie drove a school bus for four years and also worked for a couple of Above all, the good Lord has blessed us daughter, Madelyne Anderson. lerated with good humor. One thing that relatives and friends at our new home. We must admit not all our days were tough luck. There were many more good and happy days then bad ones, especially with the children. We enjoyed attending their school activities and taking them on trips. both with good health and a wonderful and loving family. These were the "Days of our Lives," thus far as of July 1, 1986. their llth child, Harold, and the death of their first child, Emma Anderson, in a trolley car accident, Christina began nursing and raising both her own child and her grand- cooking and/or heat. Jacob continued raising their children and was apparently an easy going parent. When the cousins and family would all gather on weekends, fights and roughhousing was to- bitter cold day, with an open house for visit Ernie's mother, brother Harry, and received the patent on his homestead in 1902. Jacob and Christina had 12 children over a period of 28 years. In 1918 with the birth of dry for 6 months before it was used for Our children honored us on our 25th wedding anniversary on January 7, 1963, a sisters Louise, Helen and Rose, and their families along with many old friends. On 30 December 1897, Jacob was married to Christina Breitling, daughter of Phillip Breitling and Karolina Strobel. Jacob became a citizen of the United States and from Christina. Her children will alwavs also still own our farm. farmers. He later got his own truck and hauled beets and grain. After Dean graduated from high school, I worked at the Ben Franklin Store for 13 years. Since our retirement, we have traveled through most of the good old USA, a trip into Canada, and into the Baja of California. We enjoy camping and fishing in the mountains, and also travel to Oregon more often now to in Colorado. SCHLICHENMAYER. WEISS FAMILY F608 R.O., the fourth child of Jacob Schlichenmayer and Christina Breitling, grew up on the Schlichenmeyer home place in 1903. "Sport" was frequently involved in the usual Bremmen contacted their parents to send Robert and Anna Schlichenmaver. �boy games including his favorite baseball. They played on several different diamonds; one was near the present Ruben Meyer place, another was on his brother Bill's place, a third was at the Daffer place north of Stratton. As he grew older another summer occupation was helping his Uncle Fred Schlichenmayer on a threshing crew that traveled throughout the settlement area. Anna the second child of Martin and Lydia (Schmidke) Weiss also grew up on the family SCHLICIIENMAYER, JACOB AND MARGARETE KIENZLE F609 farm and went to schooljust "down over" the hill. School included the usual "3 R's" that was made more enjoyable when they had "cyphering" contests. During recess and dinner time the girls played baseball, basketball and a winter sport called "Fox and Goose". Another pastime included playing Margarete continued to live on their homestead raising their children until 1928 when she had a stroke and was bedfast until her death in 1931. Jacob and Margarete had 9 children, all of who survived to adulthood. They were: Jacob, Christina (Gilruth), Gottlieb, Margreta (Adolf), John, David, Carolina (Boll), Fredrick, and Elizabeth (Metcalf). by Robert and Linda Coles SCHLICHENMAYER, LENA WEISSHAAR F6rO "Jacks" but they used stones instead of rubber balls. A favorite family or school outing was to go to the dunes and arrowhead hunt. Another good place to arrowhead hunt was the "blowouts" that grew rapidly during the 1920's and again in the 1950's. After leaving school Anna had her first job away from home working and living at Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Woods. Sport and Anna met at a "crowd"; these were gatherings held on Sunday nights at different homes where singing, guitar playing, and the like was enjoyed. Sport was the proud owner of a blue Chevy Roadster at the time and he still had the same car on their wedding day of 29 June 1935. Sport and Anna first lived on the "Bill Stutz" place north of Bethune for one and one half years. Their first daughter, Geraldine was born there in 1936. Moving to the "Johnny Weisshaar" place (the old Phillip Breitling homestead of Sport's grandparents" about 1937, three more children were born Phyliss, Lee and Ray. Finally they purchased and moved to the Bill Weisshaar place. Two more children were born there, Dale in 1947, and Linda in 1950. Ray's death in a car accident in 1962 left their family at five children. Sport began farming with horses and later added an Oliver tractor which he bought from his brother-in-law Herman Adolf. He later purchased Internationals owning both an "M" and an "H", Sport quit farming with the help of "horse power" when Page of a team called Dick and Page died. Page's death was a very difficult time for two small boys Lee and Ray. The next years were spent raising children through both good and bad times including the "dirty 50's" and the bad grasshopper years in the early 60's. Sport took special pride in his fine Hereford cattle for many years. He also enjoyed his dairy herd, of which he could say that, there wasn't one of them that he couldn't sit down and milk without benefit of stanchion or hobbles. The children began to leave home to marry and raise their own families in 1956 when "Gerry" was married followed by the rest of the children. Sport continued farming and enjoyed his grandchildren until his death on the 20th of May 1977. Anna continues to live in her home where she does many crafts but takes special pride in her quilts. She has made special quilts for all her children and is presently making one for each of her grandchildren as they graduate. by Robert and Linda Coles -&, Margarete Schlichenmayer nee Kienzle in 1921. Jacob Schlichenmayer was born 3 May, 1848 in Hoffnungstal Cherson, Russia to Jacob and Barbara (Erlunbuch) Schlichenmayer. He was married to Margarete Kienzle on 1? October 1872 in Hoffnungstal. Margarete was born in Hoffnungstal on 16 December, 1852 to Gottlieb and Christine (Hohn) Kienzle. After having grown up and married in the German enclaves of S. Russia, Jacob and Margarete began to consider Immigration to the United States. During the 1870's to 1890's conditions were changing in the German areas of Russia. Many of the families had originally come to Russia as members of religious groups lured by free land, religious freedom and freedom from military service. By 1890 all this was changing and Jacob's sons were becoming old enough to serve in the military. Faced with the imminent draft of their oldest son, Jacob, the family decided to join the migration of German Lutheran families to the plains of the Midwest and Western United States. Choosing the area north ofpresent day Bethune, Colorado, they departed Russia in 1889, because of delays only eight family members traveled together sailing from Bremmen, Germany. Their oldest son. Jacob (born 1873) was unable to accompany the family because he had already reached military age in Russia. After many difficulties and adventures young Jacob eventually rejoined his family in Colorado. Upon arriving in the United States they traveled to the settlement by train in time for the birth ofan 8th child. Fredrick on the 4th of May, 1890. Soon after arriving in the United States, the family applied for a homestead and Jacob applied for citizenship. Jacob lived long enough to "prove up" on his homestead and died in 1900 after the birth of their 9th child. Elizabeth in 1895. Lena Schlichenmayer, celebrating her 100th birthday on June 1, 1986. Magdalena (Lena) Weisshaar Schlichenmayer was born at Talmage, Nebraska, on June 1, 1886. Her parents, John Frederick Weisshaar and Christena Margareta Wilhelm Weisshaar migrated from Germany to the southern tip of Russia. From there they left the village Lichtentaal through the Port of Odessa on the Black Sea in 1885 bound for the United States and settled in Talmage, Nebraska. In 1887 Lena at the age of nine months moved to a farm near Idalia. Colorado with her parents. In 1901 the family moved south to a farm 13 miles northeast of Bethune. The farm had a house on it with two rooms. One room was made ofsod and the other room was made of stone - both being very large. The sod room had the kitchen and dining area in it and also some of the children slept there. It was partitioned off with curtains. The rock room was partitioned off into sleeping rooms with curtains also. The floors were all of sand and dirt wet down to compact them and then swept. Later as the family increased another rock addition was added to the first rock room to be used as another bedroom. Years later an adobe house was built. They also built a barn and granary of stone and a frame �water running through it, milk and butter '.' :, ' llt, ,,f , l .,i1, :*,,, ; ,111' ::if . ri'l,'r$' were stored there. Butchering was done in the winter and hung in a safe place to stay frozen. In order to preserve it for use in the summer it had to be cured by smoking, drying or frying down and then stored in the lard in a large stone jar. No glass jars were available, therefore canning was out of the question. Cabbage was shredded and pressed into stone fr jars to make sauerkraut. Cucumbers and several other vegetables were pickled and stored in stonejars. Corn was dried and stores in sacks then hung on nails in a dry location. The Settlement was nearly all German nationality. Immanuel Lutheran Church was the center oftheir life and was attended every Schlichenmayer family, 1986. Standing L. to R.: Lawrence, Rudolph (Rudy), Vernon, George. Seated: Pete, Lena, and Freda Schaal. granary. Adobe was used for mortar to build the stone buildings. Life was extremely difficult for the family. They had one horse and a neighbor had one. They would work together so they had a "team". They used this team to break the prairie with a plow in order to plant crops and a garden. The women would hitch the team to a wagon to go to the river to wash clothes. They would take barrels along to bring back water for drinking, cooking, some washing, and also for the livestock. Besides the horse, a few cows, some hogs and chickens were added to their possessions. After the crops were harvested the men would leave the women and children on the farm and would go to Denver to seek employment to earn needed cash. As soon as the weather started clearing in the spring they would return home to tend to their farming. There were no trees available, therefore mainly cow chips and corn cobs were burned for heat and cooking. For light, lamps were used that burned coal oil or kerosene which cost about ten cents per gallon. Water was carried in from outside. All water had to be heated on the stove to wash dishes, clothes, and for bathing. For beds, ticking was purchased in town and was sewn into a mattress cover which was then filled with soft corn husks. All sewing was done by hand. Shoes weren't well fitted or particularly well made and not many stockings were owned so the children went barefoot as soon as the weather permitted even to school. Stockings were black or brown and didn't wear well nor Iast long. To make soap, the tallow, cracklings and the lard would be warmed and mixed with lye. This mixture was then cooked until done, then poured into a square pan and allowed to set and dry. After it was dry, it was then cut into squares and used for all types of washing. Fresh foods were available from the garden during the summer but preserving for winter use presented a different side. After the well house was built with a tank inside and fresh Sunday and all religious holidays except for illness or bad weather. Lena married Gottlieb Schlichenmayer on January 20, L907 in the Immanuel Lutheran church and began their married life about three miles northwest of where she grew up. This was on a homestead that was secured on December 9, 1913 under President Woodrow Wilson. Life afforded them many of the same problems as had been met by Lena's parents. They lived in a small two room adobe house until 1915 when they then built a four room adobe house. Both houses still stand although the later one has had rooms added on and is the home of her son, Lawrence. In 1919 a drive-through granary was built and in 1920 a big red barn. In 1916 they purchased their first motor driven vehicle - a Model T Touring car with kerosene lamps in front and rear plus magneta head lights. The rear lamps had red glass. In 1924 a Model T truck was purchased. On Decembet L4, 1929 they purchased their first power washer which was a Maytag. The Guarantee Bond states that the motor or magneta were warranted for one year but the spark plugs were not covered. Up until that time the washing was done in a tub on a washboard and later by a hand-powered washing machine. Lena and Gottlieb became the parents of ten children - Freda (Schaal), Frederick, Hulda (Bauder), Pete, Bernard, Elmer, Lawrence, Rudolf, and Vernon. Gottlieb passed away on September 10, 1946, and as of January 1988, four of her children are still living Lawrence, Rudy, and Vernon. - Pete, She has 11 grandchildren, 22 great-grandchildren and eight great-great-grandchildren. Pete has been employed as an auctioneer for 54 years. He and his wife, Jean (Messen- ger), reside in Bethune. Rudy lives in Burlington and has been employed by the Yersin's at the Red Front Market for 34 years, besides being a piano and guitar music teacher. Lawrence remains on the familv farm and Vernon is in Nebraska. In 1986 Lena celebrated her 100th birthdav with a reception at Immanuel Lutheran Church. At that time she had been a member of the church for 85 years. In April of 198? following the death of her son, George, she moved to Grace Manor Care Center in Burlington where she celebrated her 101st birthday. by Jean Schlichenmayer Lena's sisters and brothers at her 100th birthday celebration. Seated L. to R.: Mary Weisshaar Adolf, Lena Weisshaar Schlichenmayer, Margaret Weisshaar Stahlecker, Freida Weisshaar Fisher; Anna Weisshaar Adolf, Standing: Freida and William (Bill) Weisshaar, Jake and Carrie Weisshaar, Karl Weisshaar. �SCHMIDKE, SAM AND ANNA HAUSER F6ll Sam Schmidke was born in the Black Sea area of S. Russia in 1848. He married Anna Magdalena Hauser (b. Borodina, S. Russia) whose parents were Christian Hauser and Anna Magdelina Kubler. He and his family were part of a great migration that swept through Europe in the 19th Century. Following the precedent set by Catherine the Great of Russia in the 1760's, Czar Alexander I again invited Germans to settle about the Black Sea on land recently taken from the Turks. He promised the Germans land, religious liberty and exemp- tion from military service, in return for settling this unused land. His recruiting agents were especially successful in Southwestern Germany. Many poor German peasants in Baden, Bavaria, and Wurttemberg, suffering from the ravages of French armies during the Napoleonic Wars, were ready to move. Taking a pair of beasts, a few farm tools, and what little cash they had, they traveled more than a thousand miles to the Black Sea. Having seen armies destroy all other property, they sought land. Land hunger took them to Russia and latter brought them to the Hi-Plains of Colorado, Kansas, the Dakota's and Nebraska. In Russia, the German colonists were determined to remain German, to keep their religion and the German language. They succeeded in their goal but the years in Russia had a major influence on them. Desiring land they became and largely remained farmers, living in one or two street villages and going out each day to farm their land. They suffered considerable hardship in Russia. Their early homes were not much more than huts with windows and they faced many epidemics including cholera, smallpox, measles and typhoid. The "German Russians" didn't become a part of Russian life, keeping contact with their neighbors to a minimum. The father was almost a dictator in their own households; everyone worked hard and education was neglected. By the 1870's and 1880's things were changing in Russia. The Russians were beginning a program of forced as similation beginning by introducing Russian schools taught by Russian teachers. They also began taking away many of the Germans special privilages including their exemption from military service. When faced with these problems plus the lack of land for their children to begin new farms on, the Germans in Russia began to look towards the Great Plains of the United States for new opportunities. In American the Homestead Act and large blocks of land given to railroads made land cheap and inviting. By 1893 Sam and his family had decided to leave Russia and begin the long journey to the United States. The trip began with an overland journey to Bremmen, Germany, followed by crossing the Atlantic ocean on the ship Traster departing April 11, 1893 and arriving in N.Y., N.Y. at Ellis Island on 25 April 1893. After successfully completing the inspections at the "Island of Tears", they began traveling again. This time the destination was North Dakota. Arriving there they again decided to move, this time to Colorado in 1894 where they made their permanent home. In many ways this was not an easy life for contented to stay at home, and when we did go visiting we enjoyed real visits, something which people now-a-days know nothing the new immigrants. About the only thing that didn't change from their Russian homes At first, the wagon was our only means of transportation, Iater we got a two-wheeled road cart and then a spring wagon. I lived with my parents on the homestead until 1914, when I was married to Charles F. was the climate and their religion. While they still tended to congregate in groups of coreligionist in Colorado, just as they had in Russia they could no longer maintain the tight knit exclusive groups they once had. The Homestead Act which required each family to live five years on its own 160 acres effectively destroyed their village culture. In addition, since the land was free to all, they might have an Irishman, Dane or native-born American for a neighbor and this brought change. Compulsory education taught in English and the predominately English- speaking towns forced them to learn English and again introduced new ideas to the young. Almost immediately what was unthinkable in about. Schneider, who came to Colorado in the year 1908. He took a homestead, built a soddy, and lived there with a brother until he made proof and got title to his claim. We went to Kansas and were married and lived there five years. Then we moved back to Colorado, and I kept house for my mother and brother. I am still using some of the pieces of furniture that we used in Illinois, and shipped out here in 1890. We are now living on a homestead taken by one of my brothers in later years. Russia began to happen in America: the settler's children began to marry outside the German community. Dealing with all these changes the death of six of their children in infancy and bad crop years led to the early death of Sam in 1900. Anna continued to live in her home with her younger children until her death on August 3, 1923. Sam and Anna had six children who survived past infancy. Lydia Weiss, Samual, John, Emma Dabbler, Rosina Schaal, and Margaretta Stahlicker. by Della llendricks SCHNEIDEWIND, FREDRICK FAMILY F613 by Robert and Linda Coles SCHNEIDER, MARGARET HAWTHORNE F612 I was born in Durham, England, July 23, 1875, and came to the United States with my parents when five years of age, (1880). We lived fifteen years in Illinois, then decided to come west. Father and my elder brother came out in 1889, and father took a pre-emption, built a sod house, dug a well, and prepared the home for the rest of the family, who came in June, 1890. Seibert was little more than a few shacks, a store or two, a post office, and a depot, but it was where we got our mail and supplies that we did not bring with us. School was held in a little sod school house, that was built on a claim of one of my brothers. We had regulation desks and used books that we brought with us. Our amusements were few. Once in awhile, we would have a church services, which was usually held in the waiting room of the depot. There was no regular preacher, but when a missionary minister or evangelist happened to stop for a day or two, we would enjoy church services. Sometimes, we would have dances in the depot waiting room, or at a home that was large enough to accomrnodate Earl Schneidewind Fredrick John Schneidewind, son of Adolph and Fredrica Schneidewind, was born June 1, 1895 at Feuersville, Missouri. He was baptized and later confirmed in the Lutheran faith April 4, 1909 in the Feuersville Lutheran Church. Mr. Schneidewind lived on a farm near a small crowd. After the school house was Feuersville until 1915 at which time he built, we sometimes had dances there. We moved to Basine. Kansas. Here he met and married Dora Lena Koch worked hard all week to be permitted to ride the work horses on Sunday. Of course, there was plenty of open prairie on which to ride. We did not go out much; folks seemed to be October 22, 1925 in St. Luke's Lutheran Church in Basine. They lived on a farm southeast of Basine until 1934 when thev �moved to a farm near Bethune, Colorado. Later they moved to a farm near Stratton, Colorado, where they remained until they retired and sold the farm, bought a home in Stratton and moved there in Oct. 1967. In August J.971 they sold their home in Stratton and moved into the Burlington Rest Home. Mrs. Schneidewind passed away on January 24.1973. This couple was blessed with one son, Earl Eugene. He attended school at the Nutbrook School. He rode a horse to school. He became very ill, and died in October 1944 of a ruptured appendix. Fred lived to the age of87 years and passed away September 18, 1982. The family are buried in Claremont Cemetery, Stratton, Colorado. by Florence McConnell SCHULTE, JOSEPH AND CLARA suffered pain much of the time. Joe sustained an extremely severe broken leg while riding Peggy and her daughter Shirley and son on the draw-bar of the tractor. The tractor struck a hole in the road causing Joe's leg to slip off the draw-bar and breaking it. Joe was many months getting well. The twins were 15 years old at the time and worked in their father's place. Another time Joe lost his voice when a fire broke out and he yelled and yelled for help causing him to loose his voice for Patricia and husband Dan Witzel reside on a farm east of Stratton and have 4 sons: James, Kelly, Ryan and Scott. Barbara and husband Dave Hornung reside on a farm northwest of Stratton and have 7 children: Danny Fox reside at Haysville, Kansas. Andy, Chris, Brian, Darren, Marci, Greg, and Joni. Chris passed away on June 1, 1986. Yvonne has continued to stay on the farm. several days. Joe keeps busy selling corn, alfalfa, feed and grass seed. He has sold Pop-Up Campers for pickup trucks. Clara keeps busy croche- ting and looking after the family. All the children are married except Larry and Danny. They still make their home on the farm. In the Schulte family there are an excep- tional number of twins. Brother Henry had twin girls, sister Margaret had twin boys, Joseph had twin boys and his son Jerry had twins 1 boy and 1 girl, brother Raymond had twin girls, brother John had twin girls and his son had twins 1 boy and I girl. Brothers by Yvonne Schwieger SCOTT - JANZEN FAMILIES F616 Bernard and Clarence didn't have twins and Joe's sister Sylvana is a nun. F614 by Joe Schulte Joseph Herman Schulte was born on June 11, 1919, one of eight children in Spearville, Kansas. He grew up on the family farm near Spearville. On February 2,1932 Joe enlisted in the Army and was discharged on December 10, 1945. While Joe was stationed in Holstein, Texas he met Clara Richter of Hostyn, Texas. Clara was born on January 5, t921. On June 13, 1945, Joe and Clara were married. Joe was transferred to Cheyenne, Wyoming where they lived until he was discharged. This was the first time Clara had been away from home and she got along fine by keeping busy and finding work. After being discharged, Joe and Clara went to live in Dodge City, Kansas. In April Joe and his bride moved to Kit Carson County to a farm that was known as the W.T. Schaal place. Joe's father had purchased this land prior to Joe's discharge from the service. It consisted ofthree quarters (480 acres) offarm ground 8 miles north and 3 miles west of Bethune, Colorado. Twin boys, Larry and Jerry, were born on August 28,L946. A daughter, Josephene, was born on November 28. 1949 and died in infancy. Another son, Anthony (Tony) was born on December 29, 1950 while they lived on this farm. During January of 1954 the family moved to the Cates or the Leo Dishner farm, located 8 miles north and 3 miles east of Stratton, Colorado. This ground had also been purchased by Joe's father in 1944 for around $80 an acre. Two more children were born to Clara and Joe, Daniel on November 6, 1954 and at last a little girl, Linda, born on November 1, 1956. Joe kept busy fixing up the farm by mending and erecting new buildings and the house on this place making it a nice farmstead. He farmed inigated and dry land crops and feed for his cattle. Livestock was a part of this family's labors. Clara always had chickens and had eggs to sell for years. They also milked and sold cream during those early years. Joe was forced to retire due to emphysema, aggravated by the dust from the farm. Clara has had many health problems and has SCHWIEGER, CHRIS AND YVONNE F615 RusseII and Marilyn Scott wedding 8/16/1949 Chris William Schwieger was born in a sod house 9 miles north and 1 west of Arriba. Colorado in Lincoln County to John Schwieger and Pauline (Geisick) Schwieger. Chris was an only child. His father was born in Cook County, Illinois and later the family moved to Martin County, Minn. He came to Colorado in the early 1920's. His mother Pauline (Geisick) Schwieger was born in Frunk, Russia (a German settlement) and came to the United States in the early 1900's. They settled around Fort Collins, Colorado. When Chris was 2% months old his mother died and he then made his home with an Uncle William Schwieger and Aunt Gertrude (Bolick) Schwieger. William Schwieger came to Arriba in 1904 and homesteaded 4 miles north of Arriba. There Chris grew to man- hqod attending country schools north of Arriba and last years were in Arriba. Yvonne (Quinn) Schwieger was born in Limon. Colorado. She has 3 brothers and 1 sister. Yvonne's father was J.D. Quinn who was born in College Mound, Mo. and came to Colorado in 1919. Her mother was Eva (Cox) Quinn who was born in LaTour, Mo. She moved with her parents around 1914 to Chester, Montana where she finished school and was a school teacher for two years. Then the family came to Limon, Colorado around 1920. Yvonne Iived around the Limon area till 1940 when her family moved to a farm south ofArriba. In 1943 she graduated from Arriba High School. A few years later she was married to Chris and they resided on farms north of Arriba. Chris and Yvonne became the parents of 3 daughters Peggy, Patricia and Barbara. They were all born in the Flagler Hospital in Flagler, Colorado. In 1962 we moved 2 miles northeast of Stratton. Colorado in Kit Carson County and continued wheat farming. Our girls graduated from Stratton High School. Scott farnily Christmas 1972 Steve, Doug and Tim - Marilyn, Russell, Levi T. Scott was born in Oakley, Kansas February 12, 1889 and Ruby Vail was born in Hume, Missouri October 7, 1896. They married in Hume on March 29, 1915. They Iived on a farm there for 2 years, before moving on to Hartford, Ottowa, Michigan Valley, and finally Plains, Kansas, in 1930. Two children were born. Wanda Mae in Hartford, Kansas and Russell in Michigan Valley, Kansas. They both attended schools in Plains, Kansas. Following World War II and Russell's discharge from the Navy Air Corp. late in 1945, Ruby, Tommy (as L.T. was called) and Russell decided to look for some new farm ground. They traveled around several areas, particularly in Colorado. On an overnight stay in Burlington, they made an acquaintance with Walter Hammond, a real estate agent, who showed them around. They were looking for level land and found a farm to their liking called "The Biddle Place" 13 miles southeast of town. They moved early in 1946; Tommy and Russell farming together for several years raising wheat, feed and cattle. Russell used to drive by the Janzen's, �until his death in March of 1983 at the age little Cinderella girl who was always busy with the meals and mending and commanding Edna and Waneta to help out with cleaning the house. Our mother went to live with the Lord when Ruth was only 9 years old. This left a great responsibility of taking care of her two Nebraska. They had 4 children all born on the of 94. Russell and Marilyn still reside in Burlington as do their sons, Steve and Tim. Steve married a Burlington girl, Darlene Misner. Tim also married a Burlington girl, Debbie Beechley. They live on Tommy's farm with their two sons Nicholas and Michael. Russell also farms 3 miles South of Smoky Hill School house. Another son, Doug, and family younger sisters. She learned to cook real well and did a commendable job taking care of the home for about three years. Then Dave farm, Marilyn, Vernon, Francis, and Gracie. Iives in Houma, Louisiana. married Goldie Binkly. Dave often said he also new to Burlington and neighbors 2 miles west, in his new'46 maroon Chevy on his way to town. Marilyn was in college in California at the time and home in the summers. Marilyn's parents were Nicolie P. Janzen born June 9, 1905 at Henderson, Nebraska and Amanda Flaming born January 23, 1911 at Jansen, Nebraska. They were married January 26, 1928 near Elsie and Madrid, They lived and farmed there until 1941 when they moved to Reedley, California and later to Fresno, California. Nick was also an ordained minister. In 1945, on a trip back to Nebraska, Nick and Bobby (as Amanda was called) stopped in Burlington, where they heard about Albert Kirschmer, who was building a huge elevator in town and was looking for someone to manage a large farm southeast of town. In February of 1946 the Janzen family moved, except for Marilyn who was finishing high school in California that spring. She attended college in California. She and neighbor Russell Scott dated in the summers and were married on August 16, 1949. They began farming on their own soon after, renting land southwest of town and buying their first farm, known as "The Heinz Place" 8 miles east of Burlington in 1952. Three sons were born in Burlington, Stephen, Douglas, and Timothy. Steve married Darlene Misner, a local girl. Doug married Mary Chauvin from Houma, Louisiana where they reside. Tim married Debbie Beechley, a local girl. Steve and Tim farm south and east of Burlington. Tim and Debbie have 2 sons, Nicolas and Michael. Mary and Doug have 2 children, Amy and Timmie. Ruby Scott passed away in 1951, Tommy Scott in 1983, and Nick Janzen in 1951. Bobby and the rest of the family moved back to California in 1950 where they still reside. by Russ and Marilyn Scott SCOTT, LEVI F617 Levi or "Tommy", as he was usually called, and Ruby Scott, with their son Russell came from Plains, Kansas in late 1945 in search of farm land. Russell had just been discharged from the Navy Air Corp following World War II. They bought a farm in the Smoky Hill Area known at that time as the Buettel Place. They moved to the place in the early part of 1946. Ruby became involved in a Home Demonstration Club with ladies of the community. Russell enjoyed the Smoky Hill Gun Club. They often attended functions at the school house. Ruby died in Feb. 1951 of a heart attack. Russell married a neighbor's daughter Marilyn Janzen. Marilyn's parents came from California about the same time as the Scotts came from Kansas. Russell and Marilyn were married in August 1949. They rented a farm and moved southwest of Burlington. Some years later Tommy married Hulda Koenig from Hutchinson, Ks, and they continued to live on the Scott farm. They later moved I mile east on to the Elmer Rose Farm, which they later purchased. In the mid 60's they moved into Burlington and Russell farmed for his father. Huldah passed away in 1974 and Tommy remained in Burlington by Mrs. Ted Eberhart raised 6 children and a young wife, since they had three children within the next ten years. The first was LaVilla Fern. Four years later a son was born, and named Glenn David. SEALOCK, DAVID B. F618 Dave B. Sealock came from Jennings County, Indiana, near a little town called Scipio. He had four sisters and two brothers. He came to Denver in 1908 and worked on a dairy farm for two years. Then he and his older brother, Bill, decided to file a claim on a homestead. They started out early one nice day in March or April, across country, with a team and wagon. They headed for Stratton, which included a store, a post office, and a few other places of business. The nice day didn't last long before they ran into a howling blizzard. so bad they couldn't see where they were going. They had to keep going to keep from freezing to death. Finally they came to a small town which looked like heaven to them, and they were warmly accepted by the town of Bennett. Dave and Bill waited out the blizzard and were on their way again in a couple of days, still trying to pick their way across country and deep drifts of snow. They arrived at Bill's homestead site, and started building a little house of adobe blocks. When spring came they plowed a spot of ground and planted their first crop of potatoes. The newly plowed virgin soil was rich. Next came time for turning and plowing the sod and preparing it to plant corn. It was a long and hard task, but at the end of the day Dave walked across the grass Iand for two miles north to his homestead on the Republican River, just 12 miles north and 2 west of LaVern Janane was the last to join the family. Dave and family moved to Stratton after surviving the great flood on the Republican in 1935. There we lived until 1952, when we moved to Colorado Springs. Dave was a wonderful Christian man and he went to meet his Maker, the Lord Jesus, September 30, 1977, and is greatly missed by his entire family, but we can't be sorry for his great promotion to a Heavenly Land he had looked forward to for many years. Ruth married Harold McFatridge and they had three children: Alvin, Eileen, and Jack. Edna married Roland Hernbloom, and they had one son, David. LaVilla married Wayne Clark. They had five children: Danny, Bonnie, Lonnie, Shelly, and Randy. Glenn married Sarah Kellough. They had three girls: Cindy, Sarah Beth, and Kathleen. LaVern married Dan Lawrence and they had 3 children: Ronnie, Jannett, and Dean. by Edna Hernbloom SEAMAN - HENRY FAMILY F6l9 Stratton. There he built a small shack, started farming, and looked for a suitable gal to become his wife and helpmate. The country was very sparsely populated, and he had to look far and wide for entertainment to go to. Seven years later Dave met and fell in love with a beautiful neighbor girl who lived about 6 miles away. Her name was Ethel Thomas. In the meantime, another family had built a two story house across the road from Dave's little humble abode. He purchased this and there he took his beautiful wife and set up real housekeeping. About a year later a pretty blue-eyed blonde baby girl, whom they named Ruth May, came into their lives. Then the next year they were all blessed with another blue-eyed baby girl with auburn hair and they named her Edna Martha. Last but not least, here came a redhead with big blue eyes named Waneta Elaina. One Sunday morning their mother dressed the 3 girls up as they were going to church as usual. As Waneta came out of the house we saw she was all black from her chin to her toes because she had layed flat across a black boiler bottom that had been heated over an open flame of the kitchen stove. Ruth was the Avirene and Earl Henry's house homesteaded by William Seaman. William Seaman and Emma Florence McHenry, both natives of Missouri were united in marriage on August 5, 1890. Eight children were born to them in Missouri. They were Pearl, Chester, Dave Emmett, Orval, Florence, Avirene and Bertha. In 1906 the family moved to Oklahoma. They did not stay but a few years there. It seemed the children were sick much of the time. Emmett. the fourth son died with diptheria in Oklahoma. Father heard of homestead land that could be taken in Colorado. He left immediately to see about it. He filed on land 16 % miles north and 1 mile east of Vona in the summer of 1909. It was not long until father and mother began to prepare to move. They decided to ship some of the necessary things by railroad car. Among the things they �pulled by two horses and a boy at the back to guide the plow. Rattlesnakes were also plowed up. No church was near home. We went to Sunday school at schoolhouses. The vehicle we went in was a two-seated spring wagon drawn by two horses. Our school was two miles west of home. On nice days we walked. For lunch we took bacon and jelly sandwiches. Some days we took a little fruit. If a storm came up, some of the older brothers would come after us in a wagon. In 1916, a school was built near the Seaman home. It was made of cement. The neighbors did most of the work. The first teacher was Helen Klassen. I finished the eighth grade there. Our neighbors in the early 1900's were these families: Alva Crist, Elmer Finley, Ira Crist, and Ernest Elsey. These families visited each other quite often as there weren't places to go except for a few school programs. My grandmother Permelia McHenry also homesteaded land joining my fathers. A little one room house was built there. My sisters, Florence, Bertha and I took turns staying with her at night. Water was hauled to her in a barrel. After she proved up, the little house was moved next to our home. It is still there. Grandma died October 20. L520. Now just a little about my life. I taught school 5 years. The first one was West Bethel, south of Stratton. The year was 1920. There were 16 pupils ranging from first grade to eighth grade. I married Earl Eugene Henry who originated from St. John, Kansas, on December 22, 1925. We spent most of our married life in my old house which we bought in 1939. There were 640 acres of land at $5.00 an acre. All together I lived there 60 years. Earl and I lived together for 49 years. He died suddenly of an heart attack, January 10, L974. Our children are Lois Ione Grauerholz, who lives in New York State, and Ralph Orin who died with leukemia on May 17, 1977. Roy Robert lives near Joes. Colorado. Alma Jean Hutton lives near Kirk, Colorado, and a niece, Norma Ellen Pickerill, Iives in Littleton, Colorado. I raised her from when she was Earl and Avirene Henry and children, l. to r. Ralph' Roy, Lois, baby AIma and Norma. brought were two horses, some machinery, furniture, which wasn't much, beds and ber 4, 1984, looks about like it did 60 years ago. bedding, dishes, and cooking utensils, twelve hens and one rooster and a black and white dog which we called Lee. Two boys went with the railroad car to look after the things. The rest came on the train. Sometime in the near future a well was drilled by Charley Packer. Horses were used for power. A windmill was soon put up. The drinking water was caught in a barrel. Then 1909, my seventh birthday. We stayed in a hotel a night or two. Some one told father, a widow by the name of Mrs. Winn, had a sod one room house we could use. We stayed there several months. It was 20 miles north erected, a few buildings were built, including an adobe barn and chicken house which were used several years. A large barn was built in 1925 and several other buildings, which are Walter Devores. boys found work to do. That helped some. We We arrived in Seibert on November 26, of Seibert, close by the Frank Maag's and In the spring of 1910, a two room house was built. It was made of lumber and covered with black tar paper. The lumber was hauled from Seibert. In a few years two rooms were added to it on the east. The house is 30 feet by 30 feet with a four way roof and weather boarding put all around. Father had carpenter Mr. Charley George and Bud Johnson to oversee the work. This house today Decem- the water was carried to the house in buckets. After the house was built and windmill still there. It was hard going for a time. Two of the ate jackrabbits some. But it wasn't too long until we had meat, milk and vegetables. We burned cow chips for heat. Finally we could get coal. It had to be hauled from Vona with team and wagon. For years our light was from kerosene lamps. The chimneys had to be cleaned every day. Some of the ground was plowed up to be planted. It was done with a one furrow plow, three weeks old. This old house has many memories to me. There were three deaths in it, four funerals, four weddings and seven births. Four of my children were born in it with Dr. Hewitt attending. I said good bye to it August 22, 1977. by Avirene Seaman llenry (See photo next page.) �Winter of 1889, a total of 130 dozen eggs and 138 pounds of butter were sold. One winter in the Nineties, corn was so cheap that is was used for fuel instead of coal. which was "high". The old diary also mentions some gay social gatherings in those pioneer days, among them were spelling schools, visiting at the Sigafoos home, dinner at Johnny Fleming's and later there was Bible School and "preaching" by Reverend Lead at the Wallet school. Very often there was square dancing on Saturday evenings, at which the whole !t *I ? countryside was represented. At these gay dances the music consisted of mouth harps, a fiddle and perhaps an organ. by Wm. A. Davis SHAW FAMILY The Bethel School south and east of Stratton, 1920. SELENKE FAMILY housekeeping. On his claim, he proceeded to F620 build a large one-room sod house, which boasted of a floor, a ceiling of wood and Andrew Selenke married Frances Zieglet June 18, 1929 in Park, Kansas. They resided in Grainfield, Kansas until they moved to a farm northeast of Flagler in April 1946. They retired in 1952 and moved to a 5 acre place on the north side of Stratton. Andy was born in Odessa, Russia on Oct. L4,1904, and moved to the USA when he was 4 years old. He died in Sept. 1980. Frances was born April 11, 1906 in Collyer, Kansas and died in Dec. 19?5. Both of them died at plastered, whitewashed walls, unusual features for a sod house in those days. There, with his team of mules and the plow, he broke the virgin sod and planted a crop. That fall it was harvested and sold, providing enough their home in Stratton. F622 There followed a succession of good and poor years during which the herd of cattle grew little by little. About 1897, the Shaw's wished to be farther from the Kansas line in order to take advantage ofthe free range laws; so the family of four, including Minta and Ruby, moved seven miles farther into Colo- rado, Sec. 6-8-42. Here on the windswept prairies they built a home. They worked and live in the home previously built by Mr. toiled through drouth as well as prosperous years, rearing a family of four children: Minta, Ruby, Fred, and Jessie. In 1907, Ruby and Freddie died ofscarlet fever leaving their surviving family to carry on. Some good years following and prices increased. Mr. Shaw's major operations Shaw. This house, under her capable hands, was soon converted into a real home. tion of cattle and mules. In 1917, he sold money to enable him to return to his old home in Illinois about a year later. There he married Cora Jane Lyman on February 23, 1888. Together they returned to Colorado to included diversified farming and the produc- Frances was a homemaker and loved to The first summer they were married, "Sommy", as Mr. Shaw was called, and a neighbor drove his mule team to Denver (a in the Kit Carson County area. He kept 4 or 5 day trip) to work on the state capitol gradually grown to several thousand acres, the family resided until 1918, when they moved to Burlington and built a new home Both ofthem worked hard to raise their 12 children - Edmund Selenke, Sister Regina Selenke, Pius Selenke, Serena Simon Best, mules was overworked and too heavily loaded with rock, so he quit the job and went to Erie. There he worked on a farm until the early fall of 1889. when he returned home. The follow- Selenke, Rita O'Hayre, William Selenke, Pauline Pesek, Rose Selenke, and Mary ing Spring when the Rock Island Railroad was under construction, he worked on the grade for that, as well as doing his own farming. Like a true pioneer woman, Mrs. on Senter Avenue. Mr. Shaw became the President of the Stock Growers State Bank, a stockholder in the Esch Lumber Company, and also increased his land holding in Kansas as well in Colorado. In 1930 he passed away. Mrs. Shaw followed only three years later. There's was a life full of joys, hardships, sorrows and later prosperity. The left a rich heritage of memories to friends and to their surviving daughters, Minta Coleman of BurIington, Colorado and Jessie M. Davis of Goodland, Kansas sew. Andy was a farmer/rancher. After he "retired", he liked to trade and went to sales livestock on his place in Stratton until his death. Frances Torline, Albert Selenke, Caroline Sheldon. Serena owns the home in Stratton and Pius and his wife Lillian live on the farm in Flagler. All of their other children live elsewhere except Caroline who died in 1951. Andy and Frances had 30 grandchildren and some of them live in Kit Carson County. by Patty Borego SHAW FAMILY building, then under construction. After working a few weeks he felt that his team of Shaw's role was to stay at home during these absences, and care for the few head of stock and the garden. These were lonely days for her, since she had been accustomed to a large busy family preceeding her marriage, yet she was happy and always busy. An old diary which was kept by her, gives the following interesting information: chickens, pigs, and cows were the sources of revenue when crops failed to grow. Some years they provided enough income to pay F621 taxes on the land as well as enough for On March 20, 1987, Solomon Presley Shaw filed a claim for a homestead about five miles northwest of Lamborn, Kansas, the name of this town was later changed to Kanorado. He shipped his goods from Donovan, Illinois, to sold for 6 cents per pound. In December, 1889, 18% pounds of butter were sold for L2Yz cents per pound. Four chickens were sold for 22t/z cents each, also on the day the Fort Wallace, Kansas, the nearest railroad station at that time. From there he drove his team of mules across country to his homestead, hauling his few possessions, such as a plow, tools and a few bare necessities for provisions. In 1888, 12 pounds ofbutter were last of the corn crop was shucked, and a load was hauled to Lamborn and sold for 15 cents per bushel. A year later the price of butter was increased to 15 cents, while eggs went from 10 cents to 15 cents per dozen. Corn increased to 25 cents per bushel. During the several hundred mules to the American and French Governments for use in the armies of World War I. On this farmstead, which had Written by Minta Coleman. The above story was written several years ago and was published in "Kit Carson County and its Cattlemen" Jessie (Shaw) Davis died in 1977 and Minta (Shaw) Coleman died in 1978. Surviving decendents are Jessie's sons and their families. Jack Presley Shaw married to WilmaDaise. Theylive in Goodland, Kansas, and their daughter, Cheryl Ann Schremmer lives in Hoisington, Kansas with her husband, Eugene, and their three daughters, Kristi, Danah and Jackie Sue. William Shaw Davis, his wife Evelyn Domingo Davis with their daughter, Jessica live in Goodland, Kansas. Eugene Griffith Davis and his wife Evelyn Lohr Davis live near Burlington, Colorado. Donald Griffith Davis, their son, �married Deborah Downen. They live on the old Shaw farm with their three children, Jason, Summer and Tyler. Judy Davis, drawn tight around the head, as the bats would swoop from the rafters ofthe stage on their nightly prowl. SHERMAN FAMILY F625 daughter of Gene and Evelyn married Melvin Wagoner. They live, with their daughters by Evelyn Sherman Heather and Nicole, in Colorado Springs. Gene and Evelyn's third child, Jane married David Eves they have two sons, Joshua and Jesse, and live in Denver. SHERMAN FAMILY F624 by William A. Davis Lester and Evelyn Sherman SHERMAN FAMILY F623 Lester and Evelyn Sherman Lester Bryan Sherman, born November 10, 1896 and Helen Evelyn Sutton, born May 4, 1915 at Flagler, Colorado, ventured into their May-September marriage in L942. "Sherm and Evelyn" settled in Stratton, Colorado the first year of their marriage, and for the greater number of their thirty years together until Sherm died in May of 1972 they lived in eastern Colorado. Sherm had been born in Windom, Kansas and grew up a "trader." His father, Fred, taught him well. Sherm cut his teeth trading with the Gypsies who traveled the country in the early 1900s. Sherm's dad related that a neighbor asked if it was alright to trade horses with Sherm, not wanting to "take advantage" because he was so young. And Fred would reply: "Sure, trade with that boy, and the quicker you send him home with only the halter, the better I'd like it." It was the neighbor that went home with the halter, and trading set in Sherm's blood! Throughout the early 20s, Sherm traded in cattle. He had an eye for judging weights and would travel the country each week buying cattle, trucking them to a rail yard nearby, and shipping to the open market in Kansas City, Omaha, Nebraska, or to Iowa feeders. When Sherm weighed cattle in, he would set the weights on the scale, and most always LaBoe, who had lived at the tower since Greager had built it on the highest point of the eastern Colorado plains met her match in Sherm. It was always believed she had traveled with a circus, but Sherm could outballyhoo her. Ripley's Belieue It or Not had featured that six states could be seen from the top of The Tower, and Sherm, "on the bally," would tell people that if they looked hard they could see a man waving a red flag at the Wyoming border, a blue flag at the Nebraska border, a white flag at the Kansas border, etc. None believed this tall tale, but they did love the "telling." Sherm and Evelyn secured the lunch stop of the Greyhound bus line and each day the buses (always full with many service men going home or back to camp) stopped and had to be fed within thirty minutes. Sherm developed the original He worked "Colonel Saunders" method with Edna Smithburg, the -waitress, and Audrey Kenney, the cook, to perfect a complete hot chicken and barbequed beef menu ninety people could be served a - dinner complete in less than thirty minutes sit down at 75 cents a plate! It was a circus - Sherm would "cry" the menu as the people -alighted, LaBoe would be selling tower miniatures from her stand. Sherm and ofworking along side ofthe gandy dErncers on Evelyn seating the diners, tending the register, and in between selling Mother of Pearl jewelry with MOTHER, initials, and names written in gold wire on the face. Sherm and LaBoe always vied to see who could outsell the other. Lester I. (Jerry) Sherman recalls the last cattle drive he went on with Sherm. Jerry joined the men on his pony, Sonny Boy, and they herded from northwest of Flagler crosscountry east to the north of Bethune a three day drive. The cattle were bedded -near taught Mary and Jerry (Evelyn's children - water at night and driven during the day. Lunch and supper was carried to the riders, they were accurate. Sherm's tales were born in the many experiences of his trading, traveling and working with people. From his stint in the 20s the railroads, he had a little dittie that he adopted upon their marriage): tic-a-tum-tic-a-tum-te. "Hi-tic-a-tum Hi-tic-a-tum - tic-a-tum tie-de-ay. - embellished - his love of Sherm's tales talking. His mother claimed she named him appropriately, using the Bryan thinking of the orator and statesman, William J. Bryan. His sisters claimed he should have been an evangelist, and many friends teased that you h,new his name when you heard his "first beller" (referring to a disparaging interpretation of his initials, L.B.S.) In 1943, during World War II Sherm and Evelyn leased The Tower at Genoa. Tires and gas needed to travel and trade were rationed, and this was a unique alternative for the family's livelihood. What an experience! They opened the restaurant, manned the gas pumps, and set up living quarters in the old dance hall. They strung spreads as room partitions, and lowered the stage's curtain to cut off the draft. At night, the covers were Lester and Evelyn Sherman "I remember when we moved to Burlington in the mid-40s and lived in the old Montezuma Hotel." "The night it burned, Dad and Mom woke us up and the room was full of choking misty smoke." "We were carried down the stairs, and my great concern was that we were leaving the Christmas presents under the tree." "Out in the cold street later, we watched the pheasant hunters in the bright red underwear jump from the balcony porch." Pete and Laurice Kamla opened their restaurant so we could get in from the cold,' and we spent the night in the jail house, sleeping in borrowed clothes because we had lost everything in the fire." "It took our mother a long time to get over the loss of all our belongings." We had just sold our home in Burlington and our furniture, clothes and keepsakes were stored in our rooms or the basement of the hotel." Sherm and Evelyn loved to dance to the old favorites Dust", "Josephine", "Dark - "StarBall", Town Strutters "South" they - in fact had met in the 1930s at a dance. The big bands often played the Tracadero at Elitch's Gardens in Denver, and they frequently loaded a car full of friends to go. When Sherm was buried from The Church of God in Stratton in 1972, Merna Carlin played "Stardust" as Albert Goss, Jim Hasart, Tom Price, Tom Conarty, Bill Fehrenbach, and Albert Gwyn carried his coffin from the church. When Sherm purchased his first thoroughbred horse, Lady Silver, from R.M. Eskow in Greeley in the late 40s, he was "hooked" on thoroughbreds. Evelyn was initiated into the racing circuit, she said: "from the back end". Training started at 4:30 a.m. out to the barns, feeding and watering, -grab a quick He recalled, "Dad made me foreman and the governor's overcoat wouldn't have made me a vest pocket, I felt as big a man as any on breakfast at the track kitchen while discussing the day's races, past performances, and then back to the barns. Eve says she became "a stall expert!" Sherm went on to train and race his horses for many years. Evelyn retired to manage a bed and board motel and rooms in Stratton, going on the circuit occasionally as an observer only. Carrying the trading spirit to his last days, it is said that Sherm made a trade with Billy Bob Hendricks not long before he died. If Billy Bob would throw in certain extras on the burial, Dad would buy one of the best coffins Henricks Mortuary had. That sounds that drive." so possible! but breakfast was prepared on an open fire. Jerry and Mary attended various schools in eastern Colorado. Wherever the pasture was good, the family moved to the nearest town so the stock could be tended. The Collins Hotel in Stratton was called home when Mary entered the first grade in Stratton. Mary remembers: "It was fun living in a hotel." We had the big halls and stairways to play in." "The dining room and coffee shop was very nice at the Collins back then, tables covered with white clothes, big pitchers of ice tea and water on them, and flowers in vases." by Evelyn Sherman Evelyn Sutton Sherman lives in Flagler, Colorado at the time of this writing. She usually can be found in Tombstone, Arizona with her sister, Betty Austring, during the winter months. Lester Ivan (Jerry) Sherman has lived for many years with his family wife, Lois, and children Kathie, Scott and Brett in Durango, Colorado, and Mary Evelyn Sherman Carter with her family husband, Everette L. (Joe), and daughters, Leslie and Darlene, in Fort Collins, Colorado. by Evelyn Sherman �SHIELDS, GEORGE F626 We paid no attention nor thought until too late. I might have helped ship out some prehistoric bones, but it's too late now. by Dessie Cassity I do not write of George with any contempt or meaning to ridicule. To me George Shields was an interesting character, even if he was eccentric. The Indians are said to have a proverb, "Do not criticize any one until you have worn his moccasins." And this saying is credited to the Quakers, whether true or not, the Mr. saying, "Mary everyone is a little bit queer except you and I, and sometimes I think you are a little queer." Be that as it may, we do not wish to leave George out of Stratton history. We give Mr. Guy Brown credit for some of these incidents related here, as he lived in the hotel and George lived SHOLES, CHARLES AND TESSA F627 Tessa Sholes feeding her flock of chickens in Esbon, Jewell County, Kansas, 1880. Our mother's family came from Canada, Ohio, Indiana, and then Kansas. She was born in Lebanon, Smith County, Kansas, just across the street. 1887. The two towns are about eight miles apart. They were married in Mankato, Kansas, 1907, coming to Colorado in 1909. Moving to Colorado was the result of the Homestead Act by the Federal Government which gave a person 160 acres of land. Our father was granted a patent April 5, 1913 to SW1/4, Sec.13, Twp.10, Rng.47, signed by President Woodrow Wilson. The Homestead Act granted an individual the deed of trust to 160 acres of land if the person improved the land by living on it for five years. The government provided another way for the Mr. Collins had purchased a new hot water heater and, having plenty of hot water, invited George to come over and take a good hot bath, which he did. George dressed and went out in the cold. He took a severe cold and blamed it on the bath. Said his mother Iived to be eighty-four years old and never took a bath. Mr. Brown spoke up and said, "Maybe if she had taken baths, she would have lived to be one hundred." It was reported he went to the junk yard every day, picking up such articles as he thought might be worth something or as suited his fancy. His home soon became clogged with such things, but he hated to part with anything. One man came to buy a part of a mowing machine, but George wouldn't sell. Mr. Brown tried to buy a laundry stove, but no, George didn't want to sell. Taking over seven silver dollars, Mr. Brown again tried to buy the stove. George said, "Well, I'll Iet you have it, if you'll sell it back to me sometime." One time they went over there at dinner time. George wasn't in the kitchen or dining room, but had a plate with some grub and was seated in one of his most cluttered rooms enjoying his dinner. One thing about him, he always took the part ofwhat he thought was the underdog. If he thought anyone, poor, old or neglected, was being abused, he was never afraid to voice his opinion. He often wrote articles for the newspaper. At one time, it was said, people subscribed for these articles and never read the rest of the paper. At least they were read first. I never heard of his being dishonest. His dress was just as eccentric as the rest of his way of living. Where he got such clothes and styles we never knew, but it all was a part of George. We wondered what period of time he was living in or who his style adviser was. He would wear a red vest, a frock tail coat, both in about two sizes too small. It was like Mr. Brown said, "George gave flavor to our living and no one else has ever taken his place." individual to obtain land at this time. A Wedding picture of Charles E. and Tessa Sholes. 1907. of Stratton. Charles Eugene Sholes is the eighth generation of John Sholes I, born in England, 1676, coming to America as a sea captain and locating at Groton, Connecticut. In the fourth generation they gradually started moving west through New York, South Dakota, Iowa, and then into Kansas. Our father was born lr -::*--; I I 3 t He bought junk from the farmers and old out-moded machinery, thus helping the farmer. Also, in 1936, after the drought and dust bowl era, George paid out twelve hundred and fifty dollars for bones to people of eastern Colorado buying five carloads, one at Stratton, two at Burlington, two at Cheyenne Wells, one at Flagler, also one at Eads. He reported he shipped twelve carloads or two hundred and fifty tons. So George was a help in ways. The bones we picked and sold from our farm were much earlier, probably 1920. After that we had no bones. I have often wondered if they were buffalo bones or what. person could pay the government a certain amount of money and live on the land a fewer number of years. Our parents built a home, broke the ground, raised crops, and planted trees according to the requirements. Our grandfather, DeMott Sholes, on June 16, 1910, filed a claim in Colorado, to homestead and was granted a patent to SEI/4, Sec.14, Twp.10, Rng.47. The County road divided the two places and they were located one mile west and nine miles south Sunday School at Nutbrook School Our parents came to Stratton from Kansas by Rock Island Railroad and not by covered wagon. They sold most of their belongings before coming to Colorado, except what they were able to bring on the train. After coming to Stratton, they lived in town until a home and other buildings could be constructed on the land. The house was a frame. four-room �building with tar paper on the outside. The inside walls were wooden boards and wallpapered by our mother. Carpets and rugs covered portions of the wooden floors. The sod roof was cut from the native prairie, buffalo grass, cut into squares and placed on the roof of the house. The sod would require removing because of erosion and needed to be replaced each fall. Before a well was dug on our farm, water had to be hauled by horse and wagon in wooden barrels from our grandfather's home a mile away. It took a number of years to complete construction of all the buildings on the farm. After the house, came a chicken house. then the barn which was a large building with a hay loft, stalls for the horses on one side and milking stalls for the cows on the opposite side. Next were built metal grain bins for seed for the next year's planting and feed for the animals during the winter. The smoke house was a smaller building where meat was cured by means of dense smoke from a fire of hickory or other types of wood. The milk separator and work bench were also in this building. A cellar was dug as a storage place for potatoes, carrots, pumpkins, canned vegetables and fruits for winter meals. Next a cistern was dug and lined with cement to hold rain water and used to keep food cool by putting the food into containers and hanging by ropes over the water. Longhorn cheese was one of the favorite treats that was made at home. To make this cheese, rennet was put into sweet milk to form curds and a yellow color. After the whey was poured off, it was placed in cheese cloth and hung to drain. When this was completed, the cheese was put into a gallon can with both ends cut out and two boards cut to fit inside of the gallon can with clamps on the outside that could be tightened some each day until all the moisture was gone and then it was left to cure. Building was a continuing activity. Schools needed to be built for the children to attend during the week and church on Sunday. Sunday School and church were held when a pastor was able to get there. The pastor's transportation was by horse and he would stay with one of the families in the surroun- ding area overnight. Sundays were picnic days when neighbors could go to each other's home for dinner and friendship. Ball games for the boys and men in the afternoon were enjoyed. In the winter it was more difficult to get together because of transportation and cold weather, but neighbors and families gathered for the holidays. Mrs. Herb Griffith (Adah) was our mother's sister and her family had homesteaded a few miles from our home. We remember how Mother and Aunt Adah would send messages to each other by tying tea towels high on the windmills. The wind could be depended on to blow so they could see how many were tied to the windmill. A dark- colored towel indicated help needed. Other messages were "going to town" and "baby born." Telephones had not come to the country yet. Another experience firmly embedded in the minds of my sisters, Wava and Sarah, is while they were attending Nutbrook School. Our land was2-l/4 miles from the school and they had to walk to school when it was nice. Father had walked with them a few times to make sure they knew the way he expected always go. However, one day they :::- " decided the way was too far, so they started to cut across a field of cane and after they were into the deep part of the field they lost their sense of direction. After wandering around in the cane not knowing which way to go they finally came out of the field at the same place they started. Frightened, tired, and dusty they went the way our father told them to go and arrived at school at recess. Enough for shortcuts! To supplement the income our father years, but we have reconstructed these years to the best of our knowledge and according to the dates that we do have and the records we have been able to acquire. by Stella Sholes Arends SHORT - BUELL FAMILY worked for the railroad at the coal chutes. The engineer would stop the train so the engine was next to the water tank and coal F628 chutes so the men could refill the engine with water and the bin with coal - their source of energy in those days. No Amtrak at that time! Because of this railroad work our family lived in Limon, Colorado, for a few years before moving back to Stratton to continue working at the coal chutes. Moving into Stratton permanently in 1922, our first home and lots were on Kansas Avenue, later bought by the county for the location of the County Garage to store road equipment. The house was moved to its present location on Wyoming Avenue on the west edge of Stratton. While still living on the farm Father was foreman of the Poll Tax or Head Tax. This was a tax imposed by the County or State on each person. The assessment was $2.50 per person. At this time the men could pay the tax by working a certain amount of time on the roads in exchange for payment, usually done over weekends. This is how the roads were maintained in good condition and new roads built as they were needed. Father spent many years working for the County Commis- sioners. Some of the Commissioners he worked for were Ira Dunn, I.D. Messenger, and Ray Bowers. He operated tractor-pulled maintainers (like large graders) to build new roads, to repair and keep in good condition, and remove snow until his death. We have been told the James May family now lives on the home place and have a beautiful brick home. Electricity, telephone, and paved roads are enjoyed. Charles E. died 15 January 1935, and Tessa L. died 17 September 1956. A son, Charles D., died, 22 April 1973. He was a paratrooper in World War II and served in Japan. When he returned to Stratton, he was a contractor and builder. He built the Stratton Post Office, Trinity Lutheran Church in Burlington and many homes in the area. A daughter, Athalia I. died 15 May 1987. She married Ade Brachtenbach, they farmed north of Stratton, raised three daughters, and retired in Stratton. All are buried in Stratton cemet- Mr. and Mrs. Jim Short on the homestead. Texarado School was built on the northeast corner of their farm. eries. The living children are: Wava who married Roy Clifton and they moved to Oregon about 1940, where they worked and raised their family. Wava resides at Hebo, Oregon. Sarah married Cecil Campbell. They lived in the Stratton area, raised their family and farmed. Sarah worked in the school lunch program and in the manufacture of Stratton Mobile Homes. She now lives in Julesburg, Colorado. Stella married John Arends. They moved to the Denver area to raise their family and John was a farmer and livestock dealer. Stella lives in Brighton, Colorado. Our parents did not leave us a written history or dates of their pioneering West Marion C. Short, taken in Albuquerque, New Mexico in 1942. My parents, Martha Ann Buell of Harlin, Kentucky, and James Samuel Short of Cumberlin Gap, Virignia were married at Ewing, Virginia, in 1887. My sisters were Laura, Minnie and Pearl. Brothers were Oscar, Marion, Millard and Samuel. Sister Laura married Jim Fields and remained in Detroit, Kansas. The rest of the family moved to Colby, Kansas. I (Lena) was born there in 1909. Dad, Oscar and Marion came on to Colorado and each "proved up" on a homestead. They had to go to Kit Carson County �mother went to help out. She delivered many babies. Brother Sam bought us three girls a saddle horse. We all loved to ride. Each year we acquired more livestock. We began milking more cows and selling cream. Our brand was diamond reversed S. The men farmed their land, but kept pasture land too. The land was covered with buffalo grass, which was very good pasture. Mother made soap. The pork was cured with salt. The sausage was fried, put in three gallon stone jars and covered with hot lard. We put cucumbers down in salt brine. When we wanted to eat them, just soaked the salt out. Green beans we strung on needle and thread, and hung them up to dry. We had a potato patch, garden, dairy products and meat, so bought few groceries. We bought flour and sugar in 100 pound sacks. They were of printed material and plain. Mother made us girls dresses and sunbonnets from them. We picked up cow chips for fuel. Dad cleaned out sheepsheds and brought the large chunks home, this kept a longer fire than the cow chips. worked for the D&RG Railroad until he retired. My parents moved to F lagler in L924 so I could attend Hi-school. In 1927 Mother and I joined the Baptist church. Most of the family joined, later my husband Parker became a member, also our five sons. I married Parker Weatherly in 1929. He sold his fried pie shop in Arkansas City, Kansas. We moved to Ft. Collins for a year then back near Flagler. We farmed there until 1948, moved into Flagler, managed the M&S Cafe, then bought the Flagler Dray. We have 5 sons. Duane, Floyd and Lloyd (twins), James and Douglas. I am proud ofmy pioneer background. Dad taught us the value of being truthful, keeping promises and doing for others. Mother taught us about the love of God and the need of prayer. We led a happy life. Worked hard but always had time to visit a neighbor or go for a horseback ride. Now (1985) Sam and I are the only ones Iiving on the Shorts'that once Iived on the old homestead. by Lena (Short) Weatherly We had many neighbors, mostly from Texas. They moved on, except the Burris Lena, Marion and Pearle Short in the city park at Ft. Collins, Colorado, Sept. 2, 1929. office and file on which land they wanted, and Iive on it for a certain period of time. Then go back and they were given the title to the homestead. Dad's land was fourteen miles south of Flagler, Oscat's a mile east and Vz south of there. Marion's land was 18 miles south of Flagler and one east. They came back to Colby and in January 1910 they, accompanied by Millard and Sam, drove two covered wagons, loaded with household goods, a plow and other machinery, some pigs, chickens and a dog. They led the milk cow behind one wagon. When they got to the homestead there were no buildings or fences. Mack Newsom lived about a mile north. There were empty sheepsheds and an old house he no longer used. Dad and the boys lived there until they got some buildings done. There was a dry sand creek near by, only had to dig about four feet to water. First thing they dug a well. Then dad plowed sod and they built a sod house. They put several small windows together on the south side with a wide ledge underneath, where later mother kept her flowers. They dug a small cellar. This house was cool in summer and only needed a cookstove for heat in winter. Mother, Minnie, Pearle and I came out on the train in May. I was seven months old. Marion and Oscar each built a house on their land. A while later Marion built on to his house and started a country store. He named it "Loco" after the loco weed that was so prevalent there. About 1915, Marion became postmaster of the Loco post office, he took it over from Charles Davis and moved it into one corner of his store. He married Susan Laws. They had one son, Howard. Dad bought a well drilling rig. Sam missed a lot of school in winter to drive the horses on the rig. The saddest time for my family was when brother Millard got rattlesnake bit and died. This was in July 1910; he was fourteen. We had a lovely corn crop that fall, but the hail ruined that. Then Dad, Oscar and Marion went to Kansas to work to get money to continue farming. When a neighbor was ill family. They had two sons, Dick and Bill. They lived about a mile north and % west of us. There was a spring on their land. John Stranger's lived over the hill west of us. They had four younger children same age as my brother, two sisters and myself. Bill, Minnie, SHORT, BEN AND BESS F629 Carl and Clara. Laurents' had children our age also. Julia, Lewis, Elizabeth and Evalena' Birchfields had two girls, Leola and Lorena. Other neighbors were Newbys, Alexanders, Mack Newsoms, Vinzs and later Bill Vassios, Jim Kountz and Pete Vassios. Dad donated the north east corner of his land for the Texerado school to be built on. This was the center of activities for the community. There were programs, dances, box suppers, "Literaries" and sometimes church. Oscar. Marion and Sam were all in the Army in World War I. Sam also served in the Marines. About our families: Laura became postmistress at Detroit, Kansas: This position she held until she retired. They had five children. Oscar married Frances Beauchamp. They have two living children. They moved into Flagler. Later they moved to Washington, D.C. Oscar was a government guard there until he retired. Then they moved back to their home in Flagler. After Marion returned from the Army he, Sue and Howard moved to Ft. Collins. He went to college there one year, was on the Police force six years. Then moved to Albuquerque New Mexico where he was a Prohibition Officer and later an investigator. He worked there until he retired. Sam married Lucille Mahoney (her parents managed the Flagler Hotel). They lived in Ft. Collins 15 years. In winter he worked in the sugar factory and farmed in summer. They moved to Utah in 1944. Sam worked at the Navy Base during World War II. Then he started farming. He raised tomatoes for the canning factory and ran a dairy. They have 5 children. Sams' moved back to Flagler in 1962. Minnie married Enos Reynolds in Ft. Collins. They moved to a farm near Holly. They had two children. They were divorced. Minnie and children moved to Abilene, Kansas. Later she married Harry Davis. They had one son, Harry was an interior painter. Pearl married Carl Foust. He had two sons, age four and two. They have one daughter. They lived in Denver. Carl Bessie Coonrod and Bennie Short on their wedding day, January 5, 1911. My husband, Ben H. Short, and I both lived at Mahaska, Kansas when we were young. We were married January 5, 1911. He had come to Colorado the fall before where he and his brother, Joe, had filed on homesteads, Joe taking the east half of the section and Ben the west half. They and Joe's wife, Ruth, and small son, Kermit, rented a small house a few miles north of their homesteads where the four of them lived while Ben and Joe built a sod house on Joe's land, where he and his family took up their abode. Then Ben went back to Mahaska for the winter. Quoting from my diary: "Following a two months honeymoon spent in the old homes at Mahaska, Ks., we arrived at Seibert, Colo., �was predicted, I nearly froze my fingers picking strawberries so as not to have them {a& th freeze. Now I buy frozen strawberries! All the rest of the Short family later moved to Colorado. Ben's parents were Thomas J. and Clara Short. Their oldest son was Earl M. His wife was Inez and their sons were Robert '& *'. :ll:r,e and Leigh. Earl worked at the elevator in Seibert for many years, and later became Kit Carson County Judge. The other members of the family were Harry, Schuyler, Maude, Verna and Alice. Harry and his wife, Bessie, had one daughter, Marguerite. Schuyler married Zola Wrenn Cruickshank. Maude's husband, Ross Lowe, worked at the elevator in Seibert when they lived here, from 191b17. Verna's husband was Earl Livingston. Alice married Odbert Martin in the spring and died 5 months later, at the age of 22. Some of our neighbors in those early days were Rob and Mollie Barss, Harley and Suda Kimball, Glen and Ruby Bright, Conleys, i. .:i,,.,,:lt:"q*;],r --*'# - .dlci Our family on our farm. On the horse, Shirley, Harley, Peg, Alice, Paul and Art. Bessie holding Larry and Bennie holding Bunnie. Monday, March 13, 1911, at 8:30 a.m. Took a livery rig for our new home, arrived at 5:00. for the first time entered a sod house. We slept in board shack, 8 x 10 ft., on our claim-our future home." Our homestead was 12 miles south and 4 miles west of Seibert. We slept in the shack on our claim, and ate our meals with Joe and Ruth until the men could build a small one room house on our place. Ruth and I had a garden between us where we raised and canned all kinds of -:.,, t,f ..,... :: The homestead of Tom and Clara Short in 1913. vegetables. We so seldom got to town to buy groceries, and didn't even know about frozen vegetables. One autumn day when a storm Bakers, Hendricks, Stones, Westovers, Helveys, Dowse's, Conartys, Tilburys, Karkers and Lowrie's. A little later we had Frank and Hazel Van Waning, Floyd "Chub" and Ruby Evans, Percy and Goldie Norton, and Ellis and Ethel McConnell, and many more as the years went by. Quotes from the pages of my diary: 1911. March 29 - Bennie went to Seibert for lumber for our new house. April 16 - Began housekeeping on Easter Sunday, April 16, 1911. April 22 - Auto passed our prairie home. Aug. 18 - I went to town to meet Grandma and Aunt Nell. Drove 16 miles alone. (In bugg:y.) Sept. 11 - Dowse's barn burned. Oct. 38 - We left Seibert at 4:40 p.m. to go back to Kans. 1912: January 10 - Our sweet little baby girl was born. We named her Shirley Ruth. April 8 - Arrived at Seibert at 9 o'clock. Rob there to meet us. July 14 - Bennie & I went to the first meeting of the new Sunday School in the Manafee house, 4 miles away. 24 present. Dec. 25 - Our first Christmas away from our parents & brothers & sisters, our first one in our own home. Had such a merry time. Rob, Earl & Inez & T.R., Harry, Joe, Ruth, Kermit & Virgil and Kimball's here. Had good dinner. Bennie and I spent our evening writing letters home, also eating ice cream and cake and reading our Christmas letters and cards. 1913: Feb. 15 - Bennie and Kermit slept with Grandpa in his soddie on a bed of straw. March 14 - A terrible blizzard. a terrific wind and driving snow, but thermometer didn't go very low. Part of the roof of Joe's house blew off leaving large cracks for dirt and snow to blow in. They had to come to our house and stayed all day and night and all next day. Everything in their house got into terrible shape. We had to make bed on floor. It was simply terrible. I stepped out and it almost blew me away. Tore off our windmill wheel. Blew over all the feed stacks and scattered feed far and wide. March 22 - Bennie got home at noon. Had exciting news about a murder in Flagler. Hotel landlord shot by cook's husband. Jealousy the motive. May L2 - We went to Hendricks and saw big gas tractor plowing, turns 8 14-inch furrows. May 21 - Had big accident-our cupboard The short Family, taken on Tom and clara's Golden wedding Day, March 13, 1928. Earl, Ben, Tom, Maude, Verna, Joe, Schuyler and Harry. Seated, Clara. (dry goods box nailed to wall) fell to the floor, breaking some of my choice pieces, wedding gifts. May 26 - Cattle branding day. Our brand H 4. June 24 - Bennie and I went tc town with Father in car. Certainly enjoyed the trip. First time I had been to Seibert for 14 months. July 17 - A little boy met with sad �accident, getting arm shot off. They brot him to Father Short to take to town in auto, made SIMON FAMILY nant.) A day when everything went wrong for every one ofus. Bennie took the car and took Joe to hunt a hired girl. He didn't get any. The car broke down and Joe walked home, arrived at 5 p.m. Beenie had to get a team to haul the car to Flagler and leave it for repairs. Didn't get home until noon next day. Earl's came up and brought their Uncle Jim Harris for Bennie to take to Seibert to the train, then had to take him back home again. Rob borrowed our buggy and we had no way to go My father, Eligius (Al) Joseph Simon was born in Ast, Kansas near Andale, August 27, 1897. About 1917 his father moved the entire trip in 30 minutes. Sept. 7 - (At this time, both Ruth and I were eight months preg- after Mother until Mollie came along at nearly dark (with the buggy). I rode home with her, taking Kermit and Shirley, and then went for mother. Was rather frightened riding around on the prairie after dark, afraid I would lose the trail. We all felt so blue and worried. The damage to the car is expensive. Sept. 28 - Baby boy was born at 6:30 a.m. Named our boy Harley Harrison. Oct. 2 Bennie went after cows in the evening and I got Shirley to sleep, then lay her in the dark counting my blessings. My future looks bright and I think I shall now be perfectly happy. 1913: Oct, 21 - Mr. Short and Bennie to Burlington with Rob to get his naturalization papers. Now. 27 - Thanksgiving Day. We and Joe's all took dinner at Earls'. We have so much to be thankful for, our home, our health and our babies, and our friends and our prosperity. Dec. 31 - This is the last day of the year. Such a full year it has been. When we look back and reflect, we have been blessed with health and content and love, lifes greatest blessings. Our prayer is that the coming year may be no less kind to us, and may we be deserving of the kindness our heavenly Father bestows upon us. We raised our family on our homestead, living through horse and buggy days, Dust Bowl days, and the Big Depression of the early thirties. We had four boys and four girls. We always took them to Sunday School and Church. They went to Second Central to School. Part ofthem went to college. They all married real nice mates and raised nice F630 family to Stratton by train and car. They bought land Vz mile north and' lVz mile east of Stratton. My father and grandfather helped a construction company build a house, barn, and planted trees. His family left Kansas because of tornadoes. My mother, Rose M. Gilligan was born in San Francisco May 17, 1900. Her mother, Catherine Meagher, a widow, was interested in real estate and bought land Vz mile north of Stratton about 1918. They also came by train. Grandmother Meagher moved because of the earthquakes. My parents were married in Cleveland, Ohio on August 18, 1920. Grandfather Simon moved to Idaho but my parents returned to Stratton. They had six children - Catherine, Joe, Margaret Anne, Con, Don, and Jerry. Jerry the youngest was born in 1929. My folks went to Chicago with Jerry. The rest of us were cared for by Grandmother Meagher. Dad and Mom worked in Chicago to pay bills, buy cattle, etc. Jerry stayed in Chicago with Aunt Ann, Mom's sister, for 3 months and then came back to Stratton to be with us. The folks went through the droughts, grasshoppers, and dust storms. My Mom and Dad continued to work. The folks built a filling station in Stratton which Mom operated a good part of the time. My dad worked at anything for a wage - W.P.A., railroad section, town marshall, and at the light plant. Grandmother Meager died in 1926. We lost the farm around 1940. Grandmother Simon helped the family keep 2 quarters of land. My medicine shows, card parties, and dances. As a family we always loved picnics. All the neighbors would congregate in the early years and play baseball west of the house. We always had papers, magazines, and books to read. My parents enjoyed traveling mostly the Southern and Western states. Dad died of a heart attack in 1965 and Mom died of cancer in 1983. Catherine was Chief Pharmacist at the V.A. Hospital in Philadelphia when she died in 1973 of cancer. Don had died in 1942 as a result of an automobile accident. I, Margaret Anne, retired after 33 years of working as a nurse. I am living in Lakewood, Colo. Joe, Con, and Jerry helped my Dad on the farm, always. They were able to buy land of their own eventually. Joe lived on the home- place and farmed until he died of leukemia in 1979. He also worked parttime at the postoffice. Con always worked on the farm. He married Serena Selenke in 1956 and moved to Cheyenne County 6 miles north of Firstview. They had nine children - Ellen, Patty, David, Louise, Barbara, Janice, Ted, Ann, and Karen. Some of them continue to live in Cheyenne and Kit Carson County. Con died ofa heart attack in 1977. Serena is remarried to Bob Best and lives in Stratton. Jerry married Joan Craig and lives in Lakewood, Colo. He taught exceptional children for 30 years and is retired. They have five children - Tim, Theresa, Kimberly, Kevin, and Brigid. At present, my nephew, Ted Simon lives on the Meagher-Simon fatm Vz mile north of Stratton. The picture is the farm in the early 1920's. parents were eventually able to buy the remainder of land from their families. We always had plenty of good food. Mom canned a lot of fruits, vegetables, and beef. My Dad loved to hunt and trap and so did my brothers. We were active in Stratton functions - Stratton Day, school functions, families. Shirley married John F. Matthews. Harley married Eleanor McGriff. Viola (Peggy) married Earl Pursley, and Alice married Burr Keller. Paul's wife is Katherine Jackson, and Lloyd (Art) mamied Jane Allen. Bernice (Bunnie) married J.C. Elliot and Larry's wife is Juanita Towner. one son, Art, passed away of heart attack, same as his father did. We moved to Seibert in 1948 to the Boyd Roller house where I still live. My husband and I were the oldest members of the Seibert CO-OP, going in when it first staded in 1931. He was also on the Second Central school board for many years, member of Farm Bureau, IOOF, Town Council and the Cemetery Board. He supervised the planting of evergreen trees surrounding the cemetery. He was the Mayor of Seibert and at the time of his death on July 8, 1957. If I live until my birthday, September 10, 1986, I will be 100 years old. by Bessie Short Simon Home in 1920's, % mile north and' lVz east of Stratton. by Margaret Anne Simon �SIMON, CON AND SERENA F631 My Dad, Con, was born in the original Simon Homestead. 3 miles northeast of Stratton an June 2,1926. He attended school through the 8th grade at St. Charles, and then attended high school in Stratton. He helped his parents with the farming, until he went to work on the oil rigs to make money to pay off his farm. In the early 50's, he and his brothers, Joe and Jerry, purchased the land and home which is still ours in Cheyenne County. Together they farmed and ranched in Kit Carson and Cheyenne County. My Mom, Serena Selenke, moved with her family to Flagler, Colorado from Grainfield, Kansas in 1946. After graduating from high school in Flagler, she attended nurses training at Mercy Hospital in Denver. She then worked at Kit Carson County Hospital in Burlington. During a dirt storm on January 14, 1956, my parents, Con and Serena, were married at St. Charles Church in Stratton. Dad brought Mom to Cheyenne County in May of that same year and lived the rest of his life in Cheyenne County. Our home was 6 miles north of Firstview, Colorado. They had nine children: Ellen in'56, Patty in'57, David in '59, Louise in '60, Barbara in '61, Janice in '63, Ted in '65, Ann in '67, and Karen (myself) in'68. Through the years, my Dad and his brother Joe were able to purchase more land in Kit Carson and Cheyenne County. My Mom continued to work part-time as a registered nurse at St. Joseph Hospital of the Plains in Cheyenne Wells, Colorado. On September 13, L977 my dad died while working on the farm. My two brothers, David and Ted, were able to continue farming with the help of their sisters and mother. In August of 1979, we moved to Stratton where my Grandparents, Rose and Al Simon used to live, about 1/z mile north of Stratton. My Mom then went to work at the Kit Carson County Hospital in Burlington until 1983. On May 28,of the same year, she was remanied to Robert Best of Stratton. She and Bob reside in Stratton. Currently, Ellen lives in Denver and works for an oil company. Patty and her daughter Andrea live in Stratton. Patty works at the Kit Carson County Hospital as a registered nurse. David lives north of Firstview where my entire family grew up with his wife Coleen Witt of Cleveland. Ohio. He farms the land in Cheyenne and Kit Carson County. Louise is married to Dan Mills of Stratton and lives on a Dairy farm south of Vona. They have two sons, Andy and Brad. Barbara is living in Stratton and does various jobs including farm work. Janice lives in Greeley, Colorado and is married to Paul Pautler originally from Stratton. Ted lives in Stratton in my Dad's parent's home, about Vz mile north of Stratton. He farms with David. Ann in attending college and in majoring in Agriculture Business. Karen (myself) is attending Stratton High School and helps on the farm when needed. by Karen L. Simon SIMPSON FAMILY F632 I hear from V.S. Fitzpatrick that a history of Kit Carson County is being compiled, and Fitz (as I have called him most of my life) suggested I write to you. I was born in Kit Carson County north of Seibert on a farm in 1918. My sister Marian was born there in 1916; our brother V.L. in 1923; and little sister Lela Mae in 1929. Our parents were V.L. (Verson) and Louise Simpson. My dad went to that country to homestead a place for his mother. Marian and I graduated from Seibert High School in 1935. by Jane A. Gearhart SLISE FAMILY F633 Sod busters were intruders in the West 60 or 70 years ago but even the ranchers copied them after awhile. Some 75 years ago the Wild West had been tamed. Cattle and sheep outfits had their snug ranch buildings on rivers and creeks but usually ranged their cattle on the vast public domain. Few people foresaw any change in this way of life. Then, throughout the first two decades of this country, came a new wave of immigration. The open land erupted with sod shacks and houses, barbed wire fences crisscrossed the vast plains, old roads and trails were blocked off, and channeled onto section lines. The dry land farmer had anived. Whether these were for the better or worse depended upon the point of view. If you were an old timer, you agreed with the Indian, who grunted to the plowman, "Ugh, grass wrong side up." The first step in the new life was to find a suitable place of unclaimed land, or to buy a relinquishment from a former claimant. The claim had to be filed and a fee paid at the land office. Government requirements were fairly simple. First, one had to build a fairly habitable house. Then he had to live on the land for a period of three to five years. The land had to be improved to the sum of 91.25 an acre. But on farming homesteads 20 acres had to be plowed and planted. The old timers termed the new comers "Wrinkle Bellies" as they predicted the homesteaders would soon starve out. But their world was changing. Now prophet could predict that between 1910 and 1920, new methods of dry land farming and an increase in rainfall would usher in the "age of wheat." I, Margaret Slise, am the granddaughter of a pioneer Kansas family. My Berry grandparents immigrated from southeastern Iowa in 1866 by oxen team and covered wagon, and located in Doniphan County, Kansas. My father, John Harvey Berry, was born at Hiawatha, Kansas, in 1871, and farmed in Nemaha County when a young man. He married Marie Rose Probst on March 2, 1906, oflndianapolis, Indiana, in that city. She had immigrated to this country from Germany with her parents at the age of three in 1881 along with two brothers and two sisters. I was born on the farm of my Berry grandparents near Goff, Kansas, April 18, 1907. In August of that year, my father filed on 160 acres ofland to homestead in Eastern Colorado, in northwestern Kit Carson County, 20 miles northwest of Flagler, on the southwest quarter of section seven, township six, range 51, just south of the Washington County line and just east of the Lincoln County line. Our adjoining 160 acres was the northwest quarter of section 18, in township six of range 51, which my father filed on in about 1911, by contesting first before he could file a claim to homestead. There was an old dugout on this 160 acres. In March of 1908 my father loaded an immigrant car out of Goff, Kansas, with farm machinery, wagon, buggy, harness, household goods, one runty pig and a few chickens, and shipped the freight car to Flagler, Colorado. Dad had a big team of draft mares ready to bring out to Colorado too, when advised the horses would not do well in this high altitude. Thus, he sold the team for 9300 and bought another team, a smooth mouth grey mare and a five year old bay mare, at a farm sale at Colby, Kansas. We could drive these horses to our buggy. The grey mare died in the winter of 1912 so we did not have her too long. by Margaret Clistie Berry Slise SLISE FAMILY F634 Upon arrival in Colorado, Dad moved our belongings to a close neighbor's, Henry Guhr, a bachelor, and stayed with him while putting up the house and barn. He borrowed a sod cutter from another neighbor and put up a sod house of two rooms, 14x32 feet. A well was dug by Sam Proaps, to a depth of 144 feet to good water. Dad also put up a sod barn of 16x32 feet and later a granary, also of sod. During this time, Mom and I had gone back to Indianapolis to spend the time with her parents until the house was finished and ready to move into. We arrived in Flagler on the morning passenger train on May 1, 1908. Thus, I have been a resident of Eastern Colorado for nearly 68 years.r I can remember a lot of incidents and have forgotten a good deal too. My two sisters and a brother were born in the homestead soddy. Later in 1916 an addition was added to the house making a nice three room house which was quite comfortable even through severe winters. Other later farm buildings included a small chicken house 8x12 feet, and an outhouse. The sod blocks were cut in a low grassy place on the land and hauled by a team and wagon to the building site. By then Dad made a sod cutter, a sort of sled pulled by a teaof horses. Dad, being a blacksmith, fashioned the cutter. The sod was cut l4-inches wide and four-inches thick in long strips, and then a sharp spade was used to cut it into l8-inch lengths, which were then turned out and upside down to cure. The blocks were laid up brick style with a twelve-inch board through the walls for support, and window and door openings allowed for. A plate was put on top of the walls for the roof rafters. twelve-inch �boards nailed on, covered with tar paper and sod put on the roofgrass side up. The inside walls could be plastered to keep out mice and sparrows, or even snakes which were numerous around the place. The floors were of twelve-inch boards. About 1914 Dad dug a cellar under the kitchen and bailed the dirt out with a box sled with one horse hitched on a chain. It was my job to lead and attend to the horse. In 1914 a school district was formed and a sod building built 1% miles west of us. I started to school in 1915 as a second grader and completed the eighth grade at this Twin Lakes School. The school got its name as two big lagoons full of water from snow melt in the spring were close by on each side of the road. This school was located just over the line inside Lincoln County. Dad bought a black mare, a three year old, named Nell, from August Kalisch in about 1911. She was a mean one of Mustang ancestry, a good work horse, but a kicker. One time Dad drove a team and wagon to Bird City, Kansas, to work in the grain harvest, driving Nell and Sadie. On the way coming home. Nell took a notion to kick. So she splintered both end gates out of the wagon box. One summer she was bitten by a rattlesnake and was as docile as a kitten to doctor. Being a blacksmith, Dad shod a lot of horses in homestead days and also sharpened plow shares. He hauled flour to the Thurman store one winter from Flagler and kept his own horses shod. Mom generally drove the buggy and horse, either Maud or Sadie, to Thurman, seven miles northwest, about every week for groceries and the mail, to get a letter from home folks back East. The postoffice was a soddy too, which stood just north of the Thurman store. A Mrs. Campbell was the postmaster at the time. Once the old gray mare, Maud, stumbled and fell down, so I sailed right over the dash board of the buggy behind her. This old mare was so slow and gentle that nothing frightened her. by Margaret Clistie Berry Slise SLISE FAMILY F635 A few people were driving automobiles by this time and expected to have the right-ofway on the roads. One car drove up behind our buggy and hooted and tooted for the buggy to move out of the wagon track, but Mom kept right on and finally the car had to pull out around. Boy, was that fellow mad! Another time I was at school and Mom came driving by. I was up on top of the outhouse removing a board to get inside as the door got accidentally braced shut. I thought for sure I would be punished when I got home from school, but Mom either did not see me or recognize me. I used to have a dog sled team and had a lot of fun driving Niger and Rover. We had a lot of snow in those days and one time when I was probably nine or ten years old, the dogs took aftcr a rabbit going straight for a barbed wire fence. I laid back so I cleared the fence safely; however, Dad was watching and was scared I would get my head cut off. a farm northeast of Genoa, in the Union I also drove those dogs to a coaster wagon and it was fun to go for the mail a quarter or a mile away every day. We had a rural route delivery in 1916 out of Flagler with Ray Thompson being the first carrier; however, he left for France not long after to fight in World neighborhood, thus ending our homesteading days. This is December of 1975 and I now live by myself on 160 acres two miles northwest of War I. farming and caring for a few head of live- We used to have some severe blizzards often lasting from one to three days. About March 20,t9t2, my father nearly perished in a bad one that caught him on the way home so he unhitched the horses and led them, supposedly going in a northwesterly direction. He thought it was odd the wind kept changing directions. As he was getting tired and weary, he laid down and began to feel warm and knew he was freezing to death. He thought of Mom and we three small girls - the youngest was six weeks old, so he struggled on again. A lull in the storm revealed the house light was just up on the hill so he made it home. Too weary to remember until later that he had just tied the horses to the windmill tower, he went back out to put them in the barn. The next day he went to get the load ofhay and found where he had travelled in a circle when he became lost in the swirling snow. In about 1910 Dad bought a Jersey cow, 18 years old, for $50. She gave a lot ofgood rich milk. I took a notion to milk her one day but all the milk went on the ground. Dad sold the cow later for $51. We had milked her for two years and got two calves, besides all the nice milk, cream and butter. We had a lot of dry, Iean years and not much crop raised some times; only feed for the horses. We generally raised a garden, potatoes, corn, beans and plenty of pumpkins. By careful management, we got through the winters with some coal and several tons of cow chips to burn for fuel. We had a few hogs and a cow once in a while. We had a lot of good neighbors, and men exchanged work in harvest and threshing. When we had grain to sell, Dad borrowed a wagon and I drove one team and he the other, to Flagler several times, a 40-mile round trip for a 12-year old girl. We brought back coal, groceries and other supplies from trips to town. I once rode a wiry, young mare about 25 miles to gather a threshing crew as the Genoa in Lincoln County and I am still stock.2 I was married in February of 1940 at Goodland, Kansas, to John Elmer Slise of Genoa, a man of homestead pioneers, who came to Colorado from Minnesota and Iowa. We established our home northeast of Genoa in the Arickaree community where we farmed and ranched and started our family. We became the parents of two daughters, one of whom is Mrs. Philip (Lois) Scott, who with her husband, reside south of Lindon, Colorado.3 The younger daughter, Velma, and husband, Rodney Eccleston, with their son and daughter, reside now in Leon, Iowa. My husband and parents are now deceased, with Dad being 94 at the time of his death in March of 1966. and Mom was 85 when she passed away in August of 1963. Both Mom and Dad are buried in Loveland, Colorado, where my sister, Pauline (Polly), who is Mrs. K.S. Gurwell, lives. My youngest sister, Norma, Mrs. Verlie Holmes, lives in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and brother Wesley, is in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he pursues his vocation of mechanics.a lThis was written in December of 1975. zShe gave up farming the land in 1986; however. she continues to live on the farm (1987) and continues to care for livestock. sAfter this was written, the Scotts became the parents of two daughters, one of whom was stillborn. aWesley died in January 1986 in Augusta, Maine, where he had gone a few weeks earlier to be with his only child. He is buried at Winthrop, Maine. by Margaret Clistie Berry Slise sLoAN, E. H. F637 threshers would be at our place the next day. It took about 14 men to do bundle threshing. I recall that in about 1919 during spring rains that our sod roof leaked and to keep the beds dry, the binder canvasses were stretched over the beds, possibly the result of the roof leaking when we kids played on the house top in the summer. by Margaret Clistie Berry Slise SLISE FAMILY F636 Those were the good old days and I have a lot of happy memories of those days along with the memories of such things as the Ethel Sloan pictured at right, at the dedication of the new Burlington Library in 1959. Everett Hurst Sloan was the oldest son of Matthew H. Sloan and Ethel Grier Sloan. He prairie fires, including the horrendous one was born on November 18, 1907 near Andov- near Thurman in about 1915 or 1916. and the er, Kansas. He had one brother. Harold Sloan, and two sisters, Dorothy Wolf and devastating tornado which took the lives of friends, also near Thurman in August of 1924. My parents, sisters and brother and I moved from the homestead to 13 miles northeast of Limon in Lincoln County in March of 1925, and then three years later, to Edna Hudson both of Wichita. Kansas. Everett learned at an early age what work and responsibility was all about. He grew up on the farm and worked with horses in his early days. At 8 years his dad put him on a �Wesley School of Nursing in Wichita, Kansas. She graduated and was a Reg. Nurse. She met Everett while a student working in the hospital. She was a member of The United Methodist Church in Burlington, active in circle work. She was a volunteer and helped the Burlington Library during the time of its building program. Ethel belonged to Zonta, International and Burlington Garden Club serving as President of these organizations and being a charter member of Zonta. At one time she was a member of Inter Sese. She loved to bowl and enjoyed playing cards. Ethel passed away July 5, 1978 after a long illness. On February 24, L979 Everett married Stella E. Ciboski. They enjoyed these years by traveling and sharing activities and friends. Everett passed away on January 16, 1986 following a short illness. by Everett Sloan Sloans Motel, Burlington, Colorado built by Everett and Ethel Sloan. also filled these pits in after the oil well was finished. He farmed during the dry years and finally started a cow herd near Eldorado, Kansas. Everett Sloan married Ethel W. Miller on February 2L, 1932 at her home in Winfield, Kansas. To this union were born three children: Robert L. Sloan and twin daughters, Virginia and Carolyn. In the Early'30's Everett and Ethel bought a farm with the The office of the Sloan Trailer Court with Ethel Sloan about 1948. corn binder which was pulled by three horses and had to cut 40 rows before coming home for lunch. Later he and his brother ran a steam engine threshing crew. Everett enjoyed hunting, fishing and trapping, but had to do this on his own time as his father didn't approve of these activities as he always had things for Everett to do. He and his friends trapped to earn money by selling the furs to buy books and school clothes. Everett went to a one room school near the farm and graduated from Andover High School in 1926. He bought his first car, a Model-T-Ford with fur money for $20.00, which he used to run his trap line. Times were hard when he used his horse team in the oil fields near Wichita to dig slush pits for salt water. He WILMA MILLER F638 This was a time in Burlington, when completion of Bonny Dam brought a lively business to the trailer court and laundry. Everett built Sloan's Motel on the NW 7+ of help of his mother. This place was 2 miles east of the Cessna Air Craft plant. He also leased some land. As the years went by they built a complete farm near Wichita. Everett had 135 head of herefords and sent them to the flint hills for grazing in the summers and in 1944 the acreage. Ethel became the manager and operator of the motel while Everett continued to expand the farm operation. Three farms were acquired over a period of time. One SE of Burl., one NE of Stratton, and 10 quarters SW ofBethune. Dry land wheat was raised until irrigation became popular. Water wells were drilled on all three properties and corn was planted. The Stratton farm also supported a cow-calf operation expanding combine that came to Wichita, Kansas. In the war years he customed combined wheat from Oklahoma to the Dakotas. In 1948 he leased into a pig farrowing operation. Ethel watched all this develop into more than Everett could handle. Two farms were sold until all that remained was the 10 quarters SW of Bethune. Everett unloaded the first self propelled "Good fishing" Everette Sloan, in middle with two fishing buddies, Dallas Stevens and son on the left and Bill Flatt on the right taken in 1960. SLOAN, ETHEL land in Colorado and bought a trailer court in Burlington, Colorado and this became home. They built a motel on this property. Along with his farming wheat and later irrigated corn and sugar beets Everett and Ethel were busy working and raising their family. In 1963 they sold the motel, which carries the family name "Sloans Motel" to the Knapps and purchased two sections of land. At this time they built a home on 165 South Cherry in Burlington, Colorado. They subdivided and sold the Kansas Farm known as Sloans Addition of Wichita, Kansas. Everett and Ethel continued to farm and were able to travel now that they had sold the motel. Their son Robert married Cleta Marie Speicher and now live in Wray, Colorado. They have two sons and one daughter and two grandsons. Their daughter, Virginia married Wayne Hecht and they reside in Denver, Colorado, and have three children, two boys and one girl. Daughter Carolyn married John Hansen Jr. and live west of Bethune, Colorado. They have two daughters and one grandson. Ethel was born on September 26, 1908 at Grenola, Kansas. Her parents later moved to Winfield, Kansas where she graduated from High School. She entered nurses training at In 1963, the Motel and Trailer park was sold and a fine residence was built on the SW corner of the property, behind the motel, opposite the machine shed located there. This home contained every convenience that Ethel had done without until now. She enjoyed a real home at last and the pride of her yard and flowers. Ethel was always interested in getting involved when her time would allow. She sang duets with her close friend Fern Pray, was a member of the Home Extension Club there. After moving to Colorado, she joined the First Methodist Church and was an active member. As club president of the Zonta International, in1958, she led the ceremonies to provide and place a time capsule in the corner stone of the newly constructed Public Library, an honor that gave her much pride and pleasure. The Garden Club was greatly enjoyed by Ethel with roses being her favorite flower to raise. Ethel donated time to the hospital and made tray favors for the patients. She belonged to a bowling league and a Pinochle Club. At the Methodist Church she helped to cook and serve many funeral and wedding dinners and made items for the annual bazaar. Ethel passed away after suffering a stroke �two years before, of heart failure and other complications on July 7, 1978. After seven brothers, Ethel was the only girl born to Daniel P. and Clara Belle Wise Miller, on Sept. 26, 1908 at Grenola, Ks. The Miller's were a hard working, close knit, family with strong religious background who later moved to Winfield, Kansas. It was here that Ethel attended grammar and high school where she graduated inL927. She enrolled in Wesley Hospital School of Nursing at Wichita, where she graduated as a registered nurse after 4 years in 1931. Ethel met Everett Hurst Sloan during nurses training years and they were married at her home on Feb. 21,L932 after which she moved to Kechi, Kansas to live on his farm there. To this union a son was born, Robert Lee on Mar. 4, 1933 and twin daughters, Virginia Lou and Carolyn Sue on May 20, 1936. The years were spent at Everett's side working hard to build a farm and ranch operation. Ethel lived a life of abiding faith in God that was enriched weekly as she attended Selzer Methodist Church' Ethel raised a garden and canned vegetables for winter food. With Robert's help, she milked the cows and separated the cream to churn into butter to sell in town. Beef was raised for fteezer meat and canned and was a major source of income. Chickens were raised for meat and eggs with the excess being sold to bring in necessary income. Good times were shared with family and neighbors on all special occasions and sometimes just for fun and to laugh was therapy for the soul. Later years found Everett was gone to work his leased land in western Kansas and Colorado. Ethel was left in charge of the farm and three children. In 1945, she joined Everett on the custom combining trail as a chief cook for the family and 5 hired men. They lived in a trailer home and traveled from Texas to North Dakota on an acreage in Burlington, Co. in 1948. It was here that her family moved their home and settled first car, a Model-T Ford, with tur money tbr $20.00, which he used to run his trap lines. Times were hard when he used his horse team in the oil fields near Wichita to dig slush pits for salt water. He also filled these pits in after the oil well was finished. He then farmed during the dry years and finally started a cow herd near Eldorado, Kansas. Everett married Ethel Wilma Miller on Feb. 21, t932, at her home in Winfield, Kansas. As the years went by they leased and bought land, where they farmed and raised cattle and pigs. In the war years he took his custom combining crews from Oklahoma to the Dakotas. He leased land in Colorado in 1948, and bought a trailer court. They built a Motel on this property, and also farmed raising wheat and later irrigated corn and beets. The motel still carried the family name, which was sold in 1963. After thirty one years of marriage Everett finally built his bride her dream home. They both enjoyed their home and took pride in keeping it looking nice. He continued to farm through custom helpers and leased out the rest. On February 24,1979, he married Stella E. Ciboski and they enjoyed each others company until his death on January 16, 1986. He passed away at the High Plains Health Center in Burlington, with internment in Fairview Cemetery along side of his wife, Ethel Wilma Miller Sloan, who had preceded him in death July 7,1978, by Carolyn Sloan Hansen SLOAN, SAM AND GERTRUDE F640 down. by Carolyn Hansen Gertrude Mae (Kious) and Samuel Wesly Sloan. Taken at the home of Bill and Lorris Wickham at a birthday party about 1946. homesteaded 9 mi. SE of Stratton. 1912 to West Plains, Mo. Two years trying to eke out a living amidst rocks, he dashed into the house demanding, "Gertie, you see any moss growin'on my back? Get ready; we're going back to Colorado!" To Flagler on the train with 'a suitcase under each arm' to a farm 9 mi. SE on Sand Creek. Lived a mile east of town at one time, and delivered milk, butter, and dressed chickens. The train killed 3 milk cows. Their home south of Flagler was an old sod house. Farmed oats, barley, spring wheat, corn, feed crops, and alfalfa. Killed a 6 ft. diamondback rattlesnake. Had cattle, horses, mules, hogs. Soil and early farming techniques poor so grain crops considered good at 12 bu. per acre. Sam built and maintained most of the first graded roads in west end of county under George Huntley, county commissioner. Most young fellows of community worked for him. Son Orris, with U.E. McBride in 1915 built the road from county line west of town, to river bridge east. It became Golden Belt Road, Pikes Peak Ocean to Ocean, then highway 24. $5.00 a day working 4 of McBride's mules, and 4 of his own. Orris and Winona went to school at Sunnyside - cart and burro. Later with Dorris and Christina Galer to Second Central brggy, enclosed with isinglass, and horses. Neighbor Sol Stone built cement barn for Sloans, and later the house 150 yards west across the school district line, so children SLOAN, EVERETT HURST F639 Everett was born November 18, 1907, the eldest son of Matthew Hurst Sloan and Ethel Grier Sloan. An older sister Dorothy married Floyd Wolf of Andover, Kansas. His next younger brother was Harold Leroy Sloan of Mesa, Arizona and youngest sister was Edna May who married Vernon Hudson of Wichita, Kansas. Everett grew up on the family farm, near Andover, Kansas, worked with horses in the early days. Later he and his brother ran a steam engine threshing machine crew. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, and trapping. He and his friends trapped for fur to buy books and clothes for school and spending money. He learned at an early age what work was all about. He attended school in a one-room school house near the farm and graduated from Andover High School in 1926. He bought his This photo was taken at the home of Orris and Margaret Sloan at Selden KS. Orris'86th birthday and Lorris' 71st Birthday July 13, 1986. Samuel Wesley Sloan 2-15-1874 - 2-121950. son of John Fletcher and Samantha Ellen (Nebergall) Sloan. Gertrude Mae (Kious) Sloan 8-7-1880, first female White child born in Sheradan Co., Ks., daughter of George Lewis and Ida (Bayles) Kious. Sam, with parents, came from lll. to Nebr., then to Sheridan Co., Ks. by prairie schooner. Sam and Gertrude were married 8-11-1898. Children: Orris Benjamin 1900, adopted Winona Manuel 1903 - 1977, Dorris Christie Beatrice 1911, Lorris Ida Agnes 1915, Clarice Margaret Rosa 1917. Lost 2 infant sons. Traded their farm at Selden, Ks. in 1907 for horses, and cows, and in the spirit of adventure could go to Flagler school. Bad winters Will Lana, bus driver, used a sled and Sloan's mules. Heated soap stones and heavy comforters and 5 gal. cream cans of soup for the bus children's lunch, heated in the home ec room. Many young people lived with Sloans to attend Flagler High School. Hired men summer and winter for the farming, stack, and general chores. Orris had a header and neighbors helped each other harvest. Chilson, and Schifferns from Arriba irad threshing machines and made the rounds. Neighbors helped each other butcher, and the women canned vegetables, fruits, and meats. Gertrude was an excellent cook and an efficient practical nurse. She cared for the ill and delivered most of the neighborhood babies alone, or assisting Dr. H.L. Williams. The 1917-18 flu epidemic she, and Sam both went from home to home caring for the sick. Close friends, Mrs. Plopper, and daughter Glayds, �were among those who died. Sloans supported community and school never missed a basketball game when Dorris played (State champions in 1930). Good times for families: Literary, Box suppers, Pie socials, Sunday School, and Church at Second Central (Aunt Rose Stone taught children, Joe Short adults, and Rev. Adna Moore preached). Sloans helped establish the Fla- gler Baptist Church - company for Sunday dinner, and holidays, Farmers' Grange with County Agent and Home Demonstration Agents bringing new ideas, County Fair at Burlington, Medicine Shows (Chautauqua), rodeos with young fellows of communities participating. Sam and Orris got their calls for WWI in 1918. but the Armistice was signed prior to their date to report. 'Suitcase farmers' from Ks. and Nebr.. plowed up acres and acres of grass land. Dust bowl days ofthe 1930s brought a real "Grapes of Wrath' - air so full of red Okl. dust, a kerosene lamp was used at mid-day. Farmers took out loans, banks closed. Russian thistles were used to feed stock. Some hay was trucked in. Stock so ravenously hungry they ingested baling wire and died. Government bought cattle for almost nothing - shot and Arlene P. Ciboski Colburn. buried them. Stronghold farmers were forced to leave their homes. Sam and Gertrude went to Flagler - took a cow, and team ofhorses. He plowed gardens Kenneth N. Ciboski. - all the kids in town rode on his wagon. He bought land south of the railroad and built their home, and some small houses. He was always ready for a trade - horses, cows, land - often got'stuck'with locoed critters, and once got 2 settin'hens, and a goat to come out even. he, and his brother Tom from Selden, Ks., started to the Stock Show in Jan. 1950 - he became ill, had surgery, and blood clot took his life. Buried in the Flagler Cemetery on his 76th birthday. Gertrude became a resident at Good Samaritan Home, Simla, and died 9-4-1961, laid to rest beside her husband. Sam never met a stranger; his usual greeting to all he met on the street, "Hello, Kiddio!" Stella E. Sloan by Lorris Wickham SLOAN, STELLA E. F64l Wanda F. Ciboski Dalton. Phillip Ciboski and Stella E. Esslinger were married on May 4, 1933 in Norton, Kansas. Phillip and Stella went on a short honeymoon to Denver, Colorado and then on May 8, they made their home near Goodland, Kansas. They lived on the farm 20 miles north west of Goodland and struggled on this farm for 9 years during the dust bowl days and depression years from 1933 to the fall of 1942. President Hoover was President at the time and in 1934 President Roosevelt took over. A lot of banks had closed and hard times had taken over. President Roosevelt took over Steila E. and Phillip Ciboski, taken in Goodland, Kansas about 1948. and he closed the banks and got things rolling. In order for us to survive and have monev Everett H. Sloan to buy shoes for the children I milked 10 cows and separated the milk for the cream. I dressed 25 pound turkeys and sold them for $2.50 each, and sold eggs for 30 a dozen. We raised a bumper crop of corn in the fall of 1933 and sold it for 110 a bushel and we �Wanda F. Dalton and Arlene P. Colburn. In the fall of L942 we sold all our machinery. We had 2 cows left and a few chickens, and several pigs. We were forced out or else buy the farm so we moved to Denver, Colorado and purchased a home on 2630 South St. Paul. We bought a Chewolet car for $?50.00 the fall of L942. We could have sold it several times on account they couldn't get too many cars at that time because of the war. We could have gotten $1200 to $1500 for it but we could not sell it as we would not have had a vehicle to drive. Stella worked as a waitress in Bauer's uptown Denver and Shaners Bros. In 1946 we sold the home on South St. Paul and bought a business at Canon City, Colorado. Then in 1948 we sold the business, Fawn Hollow, in Canon City and bought a package store called Kenneth was a freshman in high school, Wanda was a seventh grader and Arlene was outstanding ability and salesmanship. These awards were received in 1952, 1955 and 1957. Stella also received a Max Factor cosmetics citation. Stella waited tables for another 8 hours after putting 8 hours in at the drug store. She started selling Compact Sweepers in 1958 and sold them until 1978. Phillip Ciboski passed away and she worked for a living. She was a widow for 10 years before she remarried. Stella began working for the Everett H. Sloan family in Burlington where she cared for Ethel Sloan until she passed away. On February 24, 1979 Stella E. married Everett H. Sloan. They made their home at 165 South Cherry in Burlington, Colorado. Stella and Everett enjoyed trips to the Flying X Ranch in Wheatland, Wyoming and also went south to Brownville, Texas and Port Isabell, Texas. On January 16 Everett H. Sloan passed away sary cake in 1937. It was an angel food consisting of five layers. I started with a dish pan and ended with any angel food cake pan. It took 30 dozen cases of egg whites. The cook stoves in those days were great and I used some cobs from the corn crop we raised in 1933 and the fall of 1934. My mother used a bouquet of soap weeds from the pasture which were beautiful for the family picture of their 25th wedding anniversary. Phil and Stella were blessed with three healthy children. Kenneth N. Ciboski, married. Arlene does volunteer work besides caring for her family. Dr. Colburn has received the MRI Scan. The images produced are of such amazing clarity that physicians abdomen and other organs and tissue masses. for 10 years. She received 3 citations for cheaper and we could not afford to buy coal any longer. We burned two grates out of the cook range that winter of 1933 and early 1934. We got hailed out 8 years out of the 9 years that we farmed. We sold the cows that were ready to calve for $5.00 each. There was no grass, no rain and no feed. The land right along the highway by Goodland sold for 250 and 500 an acre for the tax deed. I baked my parents'25th wedding anniver- Arlene Ciboski (Colburn) is married to Dr. Ralph M. Colburn Jr., twirler of Manhattan College in Manhattan, Kansas and was supervisor Hostess for TWA before she are able to pin point brain lesions and Stella also worked at Higdon's Drug Store finally decided to burn it for coal as it was Wichita. They have two girls, Kendra Lynn and Marla Nicole. After one year in Springfield we moved back to Goodland, Kansas. My husband and Ken farmed the Brinkmeier place and I waited in the first grade. Arlene and Dr.Colburn and girls. she is employed in the City building of City Liquor Store in Springfield, Colorado. tables. Wanda Dalton language. It is a very difficult language to know. His oldest daughter has studied Russian and had had 2Yz years of law at K.W. University where she graduated. Dr. Kenneth Ciboski is a Professor of Political Science in Wichita where he also teaches Russian and takes 30 college students to Russia every Christmas. He is married to Barbara Bell and after a short illness. Stella Sloan has 10 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren. They are: Brian Dalton of Columbus, Ohio; Geri Dalton Bester of Frankfort, Germany; Kent, Sheila and Craig Dalton of Reynoldsburg, Ohio; Kendra and Marla Ciboski of Wichita, Kansas; Rebecca, Sara and Catherine Colburn of Oregon, Wisconsin. The great grandchildren are; Michael and Brent Bester of Frankfort, Germany where their father, Tim Bester, is a surveyor in the Armed Service; Ryan Michael Dalton, son of Brian Dalton who is employed at Seafood Co.; and two step-great grandchildren of Mr. and Mrs. Gary Sloan. Wanda Ciboski is married to L.R. Dalton and reside in Reynoldsburg, Ohio. L.R. worked for Fiedestia Co. and is now employed by Unlimited Co. and Wanda is employed by a large loan company. They have five children, Brian and Geri Kay are married and have children. The twins, Kent and Sheila Jo are working and attending college, and Graig Francis is in high school. Kenneth Ciboski earned two degrees, one at Washington State and one at the University of Kansas at Lawrence. Kenneth earned straight A's in the study of Russian Languages. He feels that if you want to get along with the Russians you have to speak their identify problems of the spinal column, heart, Dr. Colburn is a neuro radiologist specially trained in magnetic resonance imaging. He is the medical director of Turville Bay Center and one of the staff physicians who design monitors and interpret MRI Scans. Dr. Colburn is a graduate of Northwestern University Medical School. He was a medical resident at Boston City Hospital and Harvard Medical unit, the Edwards Mallenckrost Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine of St. Louis, Missouri, and at Anchorage, Alaska. He was a former Director of Medical Imaging at St. Mary's Hospital Medical Center of Madison. Currently he is also Chief of Medical Staff at Stoughton Hospital, Stoughton, Wisconsin. Dr. and Mrs. Colburn have three girls, Rebecca Arlene, sophomore in college; Sara Noelle, sophomore in high school; and Catherine Demours, 8th grade. by Stella Sloan SMELKER - BUNCH FAMILY F642 Myrtle Violet Smelker, the oldest child of Charles and Luella Smelker, was born January 23, 1900. Myrtle had eight younger brothers so she always had to help her mother with the household and other chores. One Christmas she remembered finding presents ofhair ribbons, pencils, and tablets. She and brother Victor went to Sunday school south of the Smelker homestead, which was the first school they attended. Myrtle taught school in some of her early years. Myrtle married Cage Bunch on October 18, 1920. To this union seven children were born; Lyle 1921, Charles 1922, Oris l924,Roy 1926, Erma 1928. Arlene 1930 and Duane 1931. They moved to Boulder in 1947 and to Longmont in 1960. Myrtle and Cage were old time square dancers and belonged to several clubs and enjoyed dancing their remaining days. Myrtle died on December 8, 1986. Cage died in August 1987. by Mary Ann Smelker � https://kccarchives.cvlcollections.org/files/original/17/507/Families-S2.pdf 3d3afced18134822d12da16990cb0982 PDF Text Text SMELKER - HAZEN FAMILY F643 brother-in-laws - n O'Holloran and Tru- man Hazen, we-,c l^rst in March 1907. They carne on an emigrant car which required an attendant with a car when stobk was shipped. Charlie started preparing for his family by building a frame building on their homestead thirteen miles south and two west of Stratton. The building was fourteen by sixteen and is still part ofthe house. This part ofthe house is now the kitchen which was built in 1918 and added on to again in 1976. It is now the home of Ivan and Wilma Smelker. The women and children came later by train. They were Luella and her four children, Myrtle, Victor, George and Leon who was the baby; Luella's Mother Eliza Hazen and her three children, Irene O'Holloran, Ina, and 15 year old son Leonel; and Irene O'Hollorans' two children John and Florence. Victor remembers seeing his grandfather T.W. Smelker for the last time, as he came to Yankton to see them off on the train. Luella, George, Charles, Leonel and Ina and their mother Eliza. Truman home- steaded 10 miles south and r/z mile west of Stratton. George, Charlie, Leonel and their mother Eliza homesteaded close by. The Hazen family were vivid horseshoe players. At many family gatherings they would play all day long. Children also had their own peg and horseshoes and would play amongst themselves. Truman married Ethel Jones in 1916 and lived there til moving to town in 1945. They had no children. Truman was a great baseball fan and played for Beaverton, which was 12 miles south and 3 miles east of Stratton. They are both buried in the Stratton cemeterv. Mother Eliza Hazen is buried in Colorado Springs. George and Leonel moved back to Minnesota and Charles to Idaho. by Mary Ann Smelker Victor remembers very well aniving in Omaha, Nebraska, as he and John were told to keep hold of hands. They got caught around a lamp post and wouldn't let go. Eliza Haze, the grandmother, had to come back and rescue them. SMELKER MAGNUSON FAMILY F644 Upon arriving in Stratton, Colorado, in April 1907, Luella and her small brood, her Charles V. Smelker and Luella Hazen Smelker with daughter Myrtle in 1901. Charles Virgil Smelker and Sadie Luella Hazen were married in South Dakota. They lived in Worthing and Wagner, South Dakota. where their four oldest children were born. They were Myrtle 1900, Victor 1901, George 1904, and Leon 1906. the five youngest children were born in Stratton, Colorado. They were Wesley 1909, Delmar 1911 (died as a baby), Theodore 1914, Ivan 1918, and Dean 1921. While living in South Dakota, they rented the farmed land which was part of the Sioux Indian Reservation. As more and more families were going to areas where one could homestead, they decided to go also. With a flip of a coin they decided to go to Colorado. Charlie and his mother and sisters were much welcomed by all waiting their arrival. Charlie had been busy helping others build their houses on their own homesteads, as he was at his best doing carpenter work. He, in years to come, helped build wood and sod houses and dig @-*n*nc.o .e," . wells to supplement their income. They did not have a well on the Smelker homestead until 1914. They hauled water with an old horse called "Fritz" and 2 barrels for all those years. Before 1914, they hauled from the Minor Warren Homestead, r/t amile north. Before that well was dug, they hauled from the old Wagner ranch which was 4 miles north of the Smelker homestead and % mile east. A.V. Harden was a well driller in early days. He was a cousin to Luella Smelker and cnme to the Stratton area in 1907. Wes Bryant, Charlie Smelker and his son Victor hunted coyotes as a past time and extra income. They used a model T car to chase them down over the open prairies. They used a 22 rifle to shoot them. The Charles V. Smelker children: Myrtle, Victor, George, Leon, Wasley, Theodore, Ivan and Dean. Theodore J. Smelker family around 1957: Helen, Sharon, Ted holding Teddy and Loren Helen Marie Magnuson Smekler about 1920 �Shannon. Some of Helen's schoolmates at Lone Star included: Ethel Kasten, a classmate; Esther Kasten, Zella Wilson, Maxine Coe, Earl Coe, Edna Chinburg, Bernice Nelson, George McNeill, William McNeill' Fred Krei, Glade Larsen, Delmer Calloway, Floyd Calloway, and Dorothy Calloway. In 1931, at 12 yrs. of age, Helen moved with her family to a farm L6r/z mi. southwest of Bethune, CO. The farm was located on the NW% of 36-11-46 at the south edge of K.C. County; this is now State Land. Helen grew up on the farm along with her other sisters, Violet (Bunch), Ila (Hobgood), Vivian (Stjernhotm), and Dolores Magnuson. Helen was a great help to her mother during these years with her younger sisters and the farm, as her father had become ill and was hospitalized, at Ft. Lyons beginning in 1935. She attended school and graduated from First Central in 1936. While a high school student, Helen had been a newspaper correspondent for "The Call", a Burlington newspaper at that time. Some of Helen's schoolmates at First Central included: Lylah Ayres, Dale Lesher, Ivan Smelker, Inez Perkins, Edgar Geist, Sarah Mitchell, Estelyn Whitmore, June McArthur, and Lunette S. among Wedding picture of Elmer O. Magnuson and Mary Thomann Magnuson, October 24, l9l7 purchased some ground on his own. This included the EVz of LO-I2-47, which he purchased in the late 1940's from the Homesteader Nellie P. Flanery. This is Ted's family farm today, and is centrally located between Stratton and Kit Carson, in Cheyenne County. There was nothing, except for a windmill, on this piece of ground when Ted bought it. In 1948, along with his brothers and other friends, they built a big wooden grainery building on the place. After completion they threw a big celebration and dance, where Ted helped with the music by playing the fiddle. Around 1951, Ted purchased and moved the old Oriska School House in, and set it by the grainery. Oriska School had been just north of here 3 mi. in Kit Carson County. While still living at Cheyenne Wells, Ted and Helen had a second child, a boy, Loren Dee, born Feb. 15, 1952. In 1953 Ted moved his family from Cheyenne Wells out to the farm. The old Oriska School House became their new home for a year, while plans were underway to build a new house on the place. Again, with the special carpentry skills of brother Victor, who inherited his skills from his father, Charles, and with the help of a man by the name of Ralph Carrell. others. Among some of Helen's teachers were: by Terri Smelker Griffeth, Jennie Tressel, Campbell, Thelma Armstrong, and Otis O. Ross. Ted Smelker and Helen dated and loved to Theodore J. Smelker was born Dec. 13th, 1914, to Charles Virgil Smelker and Luella Sadie (Hazen) Smelker at their homestead 12 mi. south, 2 mi. west and again 1 mi. south of Stratton, CO, which is now the Ivan Smelker Place. Ted's given name at birth was John Theodore Smelker, but disliking his name, he later changed it to Theodore John. He was 1 of 9 children, who included, the eldest and only sister, Myrtle (Bunch), and 7 brothers, in order of birth and including Ted are: Victor, George, Leon, Wes, Delmer (who died in infancy), Ted, Ivan and Dean. They all grew up on the Smelker Homestead and attended the Smelker School by their home. Ted was said to have been babied a lot by his Mother and by his older sister, Myrtle, whogave him most everything he wanted. For many years he was known to family and friends as "Mama's Pet" which was later shorteneC to "Pet". He quit school after the 8th Grade and for a while helped out on his parents' farm, but being independent, as he was, he set out on his own and worked many odd jobs around, including some time spent on a ranch up by Canon City. His younger brother, Ivan, was also able to get work on the ranch, and when he arrived, Ivan was informed by Ted, that he was not to call him "Pet", on the ranch he was known aB "Ted, NOT PET!" In the 30's, Ted also worked at the CCC Camp out north of Cheyenne Wells for a time. He began dating Helen Marie Magnuson in 1936; she was a Senior at First Central High School at that time. Helen was originally from the Burlington area, and was the first of 5 girls born, Sept. 28, 1918, to Elmer Otto Magnuson and Mary (Thomann) Magnuson. Her baby book showed she was a big baby, weighing 10 lbs. at birth. Helen attended the Lone Star School, in Burlington's District 25, up until March 1931. County Superintendent during some of this time was Della Hendricks, also her teachers included Mona Danforth, Leonard Ziemann and Geneviene attend the many dances held in the area at that time. Dances were held at Smokey Hill' Perry Taylor's Place, Thomas Taylor's Place and Peter's Barn. In June 193?, Helen moved to Colo. Springs, where she stayed with her Uncle Arnold and Aunt Vera Thomann, where she attended and graduated from Flowers Beauty College. Ted put on many miles between the Springs and the First Central area courting Helen, and in July got himself a Model A Coach, which he was very proud of. On Sept. 3rd, Ted and Helen became engaged. Helen began her beauty career working for Mildred Wynne at a Beauty Shop in the Springs, and Ted, after working many odd jobs around, moved to Victor, CO., to be closer to Helen and to work in the gold mines there. It was a surprise to most everyone, except their parents, when the news of Ted and Helen's marriage leaked out about 3 weeks after the fact, and was printed in the newspaper. They had been married on Dec. 18, 1938, at Fountain' CO., witnessed by Ted's cousin, Orie Hightower, and Alma (Stone at that time) Hightower, both of Colo. Springs. In their newspaper write up of the secret marriage, "The Call", extended their good wishes for Ted and Helen's future success and happiness, but felt that they had somehow "slipped" in their training of the bride, (during her high school yrs). As they quipped in the paper, "She was always a good reporter and well knowing a newspaper loves a SCOOP, we wonder why she didn't let us in on the secret. Good Luck, Helen!" Ted and Helen lived, and both worked in Victor, CO., for a short time, then moved to Cheyenne Wells, CO., where Ted helped manage the Shamrock Filling Station and farmed in partnership with Art Milheim. They had their first child on Aug.22,L94L, a girl, Sharon Lee (Rhoades), born at the hospital in Burlington. During this time Ted was always looking into land purchases and deals. He wanted to farm! He traded his share of the filling station to Art for some land and SMELKER MAGNUSON FAMILY F645 who lived southeast of Stratton, and with the help of some of Ted's other brothers, and some good neighbors, like Ed Peters, Harry Pike. and Oris and Willard Blankenbaker, Ted and Helen's brand new home was built in 1953. The family lived in the basement of the house for a time, while doing the finishing touches to the upstairs. There were many a good time had by family and friends from all around the area, as Ted and Helen had lots of get-togethers in their basement. A story is still being told about a neighbor, Hary Pike, who hung by his heels from the basement rafters at a party. On Aug. 28, 1956, Ted and Helen's family was complete with the birth of another beautiful baby boy, Theodore Ray (Teddy), who was born at K.C. County Memorial Hospital in Burlington. Ted and Helen, now with their familY, Sharon, Loren, and young Ted, worked side by side during those years building up their farm and cattle operation, and supported many community affairs. In 1963 the family was struck with tragedy, when Helen's health began to fail. She knew something was wrong and within a few months, doctors discovered that she had cancer. Helen died at the early age of 45 yrs, on Feb. 29th, Leap Year, 1964, at the Burlington Hospital. Sharon, age 22, and husband, Bob Rhoades, who were attending college at Ft. Collins, CO., moved back home during that summer to help her dad with the family farm and to help with her 2 younger brothers, Loren now 12, and Teddy only 7Yz yrs. old. During Ted's bereavement he depended a great deal on his buddies and neighbors for support. Harry and Ethel Pike helped for many years in the raising of Loren and �SMELKER - VICTOR FAMILY F646 Coyote hunting,1923: Victor and Charles Smelker and their friend, Wes Bryant Victor Delos Smelker was born in Worthing, South Dakota, on December 26, 1901. He moved with parents, Charles Smelker and Luella Hazen Smelker, to Stratton, Colorado, in 1907. He has many memories of living his Mother Luella smelker with her 8 children: wes, Leon, George, victor, Dean, Myrtle, Ivan, and red in the late 1960's hospital in Denver. Ted and Helen's children are all married now with families of their own. Sharon and Bob Rhoades, live at Benkelman, NE., where Bob has built up a Veterinarian business and Sharon works at the Benkelman State Bank. They have 3 children, Keri, now married to Rich Ham, with 2 children of their own. Adrienne and Jonathan. Sharon and Bob's Theodore J. Smelker in the earlv 1930's at his parents homestead Teddy. Even after they moved to Kit Carson, their home was a special place for Loren and Teddy to visit and stay during their school years at Kit Carson, CO. On Nov. 23, L964, Ted married A. Larie (Beecham) Bauman, whose children were: Martin, Cordella (Pickerill), Rollan, and Sylvan. In the 1970's, Ted developed heart trouble and underwent 2 open heart bypass surgeries. He returned to his home after these operations and continued to work along with his sons, not as physically strong as before, but determined to stay active and be involved. Upon semi-retirement in 1978, Ted and Larie moved to Stratton, CO. Ted was in the process of turning over the farm to his boys, but since farming and ranching were always an important and rewarding part of his life, he drove out the 22 mi. most every day from Stratton, where he would spend long hours driving tractor. In the later half ofthe year, 1981, Ted was not feeling good and spent most of the month of December in the hospital. After Christmas, he was sent to St. Joseph's Hospital in Denver for tests. Ted suffered from a combination of ailments besides his heart trouble. which included diabetes. And on Jan. 14th, 1982, Ted had a fatal heart attack and died at the other children are Dana, who is a senior in College, and Brett a senior at Benkelman High School. Loren and Terri (George) reside at the home that Ted and Helen built in 1953. It has changed face since then, and is a wonderful home for our family. We have 2 boys, Ryan and Kyle who both attend grade school at Stratton Elementary. Ryan is in the 3rd grade and his teacher is Mrs. Karen Topp; Kyle is in kindergarten and Mrs. Betty Smith is his teacher. We also have a little girl, Amber, who is 3/z yrs. old and will go to Preschool next year. Young Ted and Trina (Bussen) live just south of the Home Place about a Vz mile. They have 3 little girls: Kylie, who is in 2nd grade at Stratton and has Ms. Barry for a teacher; Cassie who is 2 yrs. old; and Chelsea who is a baby at 8 months of age. Loren and Ted run the family farm that was passed on to them and worked so hard for, by their parents. The boys work together, sometimes still, with a well known "Smelker Argument". They are implementing new ideas and working toward the growth of our family farm together! by Terri Smelker early years on the eastern Colorado plains. One of his early recollections when he was about eight, was of getting up early and looking for the horses, walking r/z mile one way then the other and didn't ever know where they might be. Vic said some days he bet he walked 30 miles. His father couldn't go and would always send Vic. Their four horses they farmed out. Sometimes folks would keep them a few days which helped, but other days would always have to look for them. Vic ran his legs off some days as those horses would go four and five miles. Once as he was walking out in the open prairie, a coyote was coming straight at him, it didn't even see him and came right on. It scared Vic to death, but the coyote later saw him and turned off. Vic went to school no more than 3 or 4 months a year. The first school was a mile south of the homestead and he would alwavs walk. School was a one room soddie. Later the Smelker School was built close to the Smelker home. Vic always wanted to go to school more, but it seemed there was always feed to pick and the like. He usually went from Christmas time until spring work started. Myrtle went to school fulltime, until she got to the 8th grade. Vic caught up with her. Both of them took the 8th grade Supt. test to pass. He passed . . she didn't and he said his mother was mad. Their teacher was a Mrs. Austin. Vic was always gifted in Math. Around his fifth year he could put all down he took on. Other kids complained he didn't study, so the teacher took him on and he beat her. He got in a year of high school Algebra while in school, which was easy for him. His father wasn't near the farmer as he was a carpenter and builder. Vic worked with his father building and doing carpenter work, from whom he learned very much. In 1918, when he was 17 years old, he went to Victoria, Kansas, and worked for some Germans named Brungardt. He said they had very good meals all the time and good lunches in between. He went with his Uncle George and Leonel Hazen, who also worked in Kansas one summer at harvest time. Before this he would work for neighbors during the summers, usually for 750 a day. In 1923, Victor started working for the Denver & Rio �Grande Railroad from Salida to Colorado Springs, along the Arkansas River. Victor married Joyce Melton in 1929 while living in Pueblo, where he had worked for the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad. In 1930 they moved to the Nutbrook place, 10% miles south and 1 mile west of Stratton. In 1932 they moved to the Horstine place 9% miles south and 1 mile west of Stratton. In 1938, they moved 9 miles south and % miles west, where they still own farm ground. Vic and house on the Warren homestead was of sod, being replaced with a two story house made of lumber in 1919. Both houses were built by Minor with relatives and friends helping. Minor also being a trapper sold furs of badgers, skunks and rabbits. Means oftransportation was by a team of horses and wagon or buggy. The travel to and from Stratton took all day. When traveling in the winter, bricks were heated to take along for extra warmth. Cow chips were burned for heat. In the early years of our parents, George and Wilma, recreation was horse back riding, Joyce moved into Stratton in 1964. The sons and daughters of this family are Dorothy, Ralph, Carl and Elsie. They attend- ed Grandview, Nutbrook and Stratton schools. The family lived, farmed and grew up at the above mentioned places. These were not always easy times with drought and depression times, but there were always good times with family and friends. Vic worked as a carpenter while farming most of his working years. Then later building homes in the Stratton area. In Pueblo, he was a bridge foreman on the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad. House built on Minor and Emma Warren's farm in 1919; 1952 picture. other children Verla, Velma, Lela (died in infancy), Lola, Myrna, Franklin, Twila, Una and Arva were born. All the children wire born at home with Mrs. Deere, a midwife, being present for five of the children and Dr. Cavey for the remaining four. Minor and a very good cook and known for her hard work and tidy habits, she enjoyed working. Not just the enjoyment it brought but being able Emma Warren continued to live at the homestead also until their death, Minor in to give her children and grandchildren special 1955 and Emma in 1962. Besides farming during the 1930's, George, with his team of horses and wagon worked for WPA, helping things. Dorothy married Walter Clark and lives in Limon. Ralph lives in Stratton. Carl married Mary Ann Stegman and lives in Colorado Springs. Elsie married Richard May and lives in Stratton. Vic and Joyce live in Stratton at present and will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary in 1989. They have 12 grandchildren build roads and bridges in Kit Carson County. He also participated with other farmers on rabbit roundups to reduce the and L3 great grandchildren. by Mary Ann Smelker SMELKER - WARREN F647 the first year farming on the Cohorn farm where Vivian was born. In 1925 they moved to the original Warren homestead where the Joyce worked at several restaurants in Stratton after her children were grown. Being FAMILY swimming in creeks because of a big rain and Saturday night dances held in homes, school houses or haylofts, the latter being a family affair. In 1923 George and Wilma hiked up Pikes Peak, facing rain, sleet and hail. It took six hours to go up and three hours to come down. They were married in 1923 and spent Minor and Emma Warren's 50th wedding anniversarv in 1950. overpopulation of rabbits. Highlights of the years were family's gathering at Christmas time at Charles and Luella Smelker's home. The day was filled with aromas from a Pot Luck Dinner, elders playing cards and laughter of children playing games. This tradition was carried on for many years. In 1949 water was piped into the house and in 1951 much to everyone's delight electricity became a reality. An addition was added in 1952 making it possible to have a bathroom inside. Oh, how nice not having to go outside to the "priwy" on a cold winter night. In 1969 an irrigation well was dug. George and Wilma continued to farm until George's death in 1971. Wilma remained on the homestead until 1974. She moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado where she made her home with her daughter Twila until her death in 1986. The eldest daughter, Vivian, passed away in 1987. by Verla Martinez and Twila Smelker SMELKER, MR. AND MRS. CHARLEY Sod house on Minor and Emma Waren's homestead in 1908. F648 Mr. and Mrs. Charley Smelker came out here from Yankton. South Dakota. When they were in South Dakota they lived on a rented part of the Sioux Indian Reservation. Mr. Smelker came with an emigrant car. They required an attendant with a car where Our grandparents, Charles and Luella Smelker, with children, Myrtle, Victor, George, (our Dad) and Leon moved from South Dakota to a homestead 16% miles southwest of Stratton, Colorado in 1907. Our other grandparents, Minor and Emma Warren and children, Myrtle, Wilma, (our Mother) and Loring (Bud) moved from stock was shipped. Mrs. Smelker cnme on the train in April, 1907. They built a frame building on their Bonesteel, South Dakota, to a homestead 16 miles southwest of Stratton, Colorado in 1908, arriving by immigrant train. The first George and Wilma Smelker about 1963. homestead thirteen miles south and two miles west of Stratton. The building was �fourteen by sixteen. Mr. Smelker learned to build sod houses, and helped Tom Kelly, who built a sod house on what we knew as the John Fisher or later as the Albert Peters place. He also helped Mrs. Woods and her two sons who were east of Tom Kelly, and Mike Bell, who built a soddy on what was later the Parks place. Mrs. Woods was a mother-in-law of the two men, Kelly and Bell. While they were living there, the Kelly's had two babies die, and Mike Bell lost one baby. Mrs. Smelker helped to made a casket. Charley made the frame and box and Mrs. Smelker lined them first with cotton batting and then white silk, lid and all. I asked where they bought white silk, it it was a wedding dress or what? She said she didn't know. but thought he bought it. If he did, it was real silk in that day. The kind of thread spun by worms, not synthetic as we have now-a-days. She said Mrs. Lowe. the mother of Art Lowe of Burlington helped her with one casket and she couldn't remember who the other one was who helped. One she blind stitched around the top, keeping the stitches hidden, and the other they got brass tacks and used them to hold the silk in folds. They looked very pretty when done. The graves were dug a mile south of Smelkers' on a hillside southeast of the sod school which was just a mile south of them. Prayer was held at the graves. While Mike Bell lived here, there was a Sunday School at this sod school south of Smelkers. Mr. Bell was the superintendent, and gave Vick Smelker and his sister, Myrtle, a Bible for coming regularly to Sunday School. Smelkers, Kellys, Bells and Woods all walked, so the horses could eat on Sunday, as they had nothing to feed them but the prairie grass. And these same horses had to put in the crops. They would turn them out an hour or so at noon for their feed. There was a sod school eleven miles south and on west of Stratton, south of what was then Nutbrook. Harry Greenwood and one of these Woods boys went to school together there. One of the Woods boys, Uhl, worked for Carl Harrison's father. The Smeklers later built a lovely, commodious farm home. The lvan Smelkers live on the farm now, and have raised their family the Cheyenne Wells cemetery. Anna Belle still lives in Cheyenne Wells. by Mary Ann Smelker SMELKER, IVAN F650 Ivan Smelker, eighth child of Charles and Luella Smelker, grew up on a farm south of Stratton. He attended first through eighth grades at the Smelker School, and ninth through twelfth grades at First Central graduating in 1936. Ivan married Wilma Schaal in 1938. A family of five children were born, Gerald, Gladys, Charles, Doyle and Dolores. Ivan and Wilma first lived on a farm south of Bethune for four years. Then they moved to the Harry Greenwood farm south of Stratton and in 1948 moved to the Smelker homestead where they still live. Ivan and Wilma both grew up on a farm, having farmed all their married life which is going on 50 years. Wilma as a mother, helped on the farm doing every extra job from milking cows to driving a truck. Ivan, always a farmer, has served many years for public service. He has served as a School Board member, FHA Committee, and ASCS Committee. Gerald graduated from high school in 1957. He served in the Marines for three years. He married Lela Synder in 1961 and they have four children. At present, he is an auctioneer and they have their own sale at Wellington, CO. They live in Fort Collins, CO. Gladys graduated from high school in 1959. She married Harry Norman and they have four children. At present, they have their own construction company and live at North Platte, Nebraska. Charles graduated from high school in 1962. He attended college at Fort Collins and Pueblo graduating in 1967. He married Gloria Hoffman in 1967 and thev have three children. After college, he joined the Army Air Force and served two years in Viet Nam as a helicopter pilot. At present he is farming at Columbus, New Mexico. Doyle graduated from high school in 1963. He went to college at Sterling, graduating in 1968, and then finished college at Fort Collins. He joined the National Guard and had his basic training at Fort Bliss, Texas. He married Christine Lacey in 1971 and they have five children. They live on a farm south of Stratton. CO. Dolores graduated from high school in 1963. She attended Beauty School in Denver graduating in 1964. She worked at B & B Drug and First National Bank in Stratton. She married LeeRoy Rehor and they have three children. At present they live on a farm south of Joes, CO. by Ivan Smelker SMELKER, LEON F651 Leon Smelker grew up at his family homestead south of Stratton and attended school at the Smelker School. He was born in South Dakota in 1906. In the 1930's he worked for the Zurchers for 91.00 a day and dinner. Leon married Alice G. Milheim in July 1931, at Burlington, Colorado. They Iived on the Nutbrook place lUYz miles south and 1 mile west of Stratton when their first child Carol was born. There were 2 more daughters in the family, Joan and Elaine. Joan died in 1945. Elaine lives in Denver and Carol lives in Florida. In 1940, Leon being very industrious and needing to make a living for his family, bought a binder and later a corn picker. For some years he custom bound feed and picked corn for many farmers in the area. In 1942, Leon and Alice bought the Gilmore place 16 miles south and 2 miles west of Stratton, where they worked side by side until retire- there. Mr. and Mrs. Smelker are both deceased. by Dessie Cassity SMELKER, DEAN F649 Dean Smekler, ninth child of Charles and Luella Smelker, grew to manhood at the Smelker homestead, south of Stratton. In 1941, he married Anna Belle Winters of Cheyenne Wells. To this union four children were born; Lercy 1942, Delmar 1944, Cheryl 1947, and Ruth 1953. Dean and Anna Belle lived with Luella Smelker for sometime, then Dean went to the Army in 1944. After getting out of the service, he worked in Cheyenne Wells for his brothers Wesley and Ted. He later went to work at the Cheyenne Wells Lumber Company. He worked there until he retired. Dean died March 16, 1984, and is buried in The Ivan Smelker family October 1987. Standing; Charles, Gladys, Delores, Doyle, Gary.Seated; Ivan and Eilma Smelker. �two-story, brick schoolhouse that was where the elementary school is today. After graduating from Colorado Woman's College, I was the fashion writer in the advertising department of the Neusteter's store in Denver until my marriage in Aug. of 1945 to Lt. Kermit J. Buol in the chapel of the Plymouth Congregational Church in Denver, and Burlington again became my home. Here, we have raised our family; John, Denise Nettleton, and Diana Wiggins. They too received 12 years of education in the Burlington schools, and went on to Colorado State University. The 5th generation is now sharing the legacy of those early homesteaders. The tune of the old-time fiddler and the sing-song call of the square dance rise from :@ %b** Charles and Luella Smelker and sons Ivan and Theodore in 1922 ment. In November 1941, while Leon was who were of legal age, all filed for homesteads pi"f.i"g corn, he got his arm caught in the on land they "proved-up on" north of the then young town of Burlington. cor.t picker. Vail Derby helped him get it out Returning from 18 months of service with fv tuii"g the braces oif tnu snap rollers. His getting the U.S. Army in World War I, Edmond After roller. second the was-into aim hi- to the house, his wife Alice, pu1 on a Osgood Smith, the youngest of the family, resumed his farming interests. It was several tourniquet and his brother Ted took him to Burlington to the hospital. He was there 11 years later that he was to meet a young "schoolmarm" from Arkansas. It was a long J"y, *il"h cost $87.0b. trip to town by horse and wagon. Other times iJpon retiring Leon and Alice moved to he was able to borrow his brother Myron's 19?3. in Alice died where Color"ado, Littieton, R-orn and Sn" i* l,rri"a in the Stratton cemetery. Leon Ford Model-T to go "sparking"' later moved back to the farm, where he still lives. by Mary Ann Smelker SMELKER, WESLEY F652 Wesley Virgil Smelker, 5th child of Charles V. and Sadie Luella Smelker, was born May 9, 1909, on his parents homestead near Stratton, Colorado. He married Dorothy Grace Freeman, of Kit Carson, Colorado, on July 30, 1929. To this union was born one son, Gaylord Wesley. Wesley and Dorothy farmed near Kit Carson until 1935 at which time they moved with son Gaylord to Cheyenne Wells. He was in business at the Shamrock Garage and Farm Supply for 21 years. Wesley died September 20, 1968. Gaylord married Mary Ethel Byers, of Cheyenne Wells. They live in Canon City. by MarY Ann Smelker FAMILY F653 Born June 29, 1853 at Friendship, N.Y., my grandfather, Moses T. Smith, "came West" from Wyoming, Iowa in 1906 to settle on land in eastern Colorado, where he "broke sod" to farm, and raised livestock. Grandmother, Ella Collins Smith, joined him in 1910, and those of the family of six sisters and brothers, on a Saturday night. Time and the winds have taken their toll, but my birthplace still stands, a silent reminder of those Iong ago days. When the yucca sends forth its blossoming spires in June, and summer carpets the pastures with tenacious wildflowers, echoes of the past speak softly to this daughter of the prairie. by Dorene Smith Buol SMITH - GANGWISH FAMILY F664 educated near Gurdon, Arkansas, Grace L. Smith was encouraged to come to Colorado by her sister, Emma Dickey, who lived in Burlington, so she declined an offer of a chair in mathematics to bring "readin','riting and 'rithmetic" to frontier children, teaching one term at the Ritzius school before taking a school in the German settlement. On May 8, 1923, Smith and Smith were wed at the Methodist parsonage in Burlington by the Rev. Gatley. On a wintery, snowy March day in 1924, in the bedroom of an adobe house on the homestead. I was ushered into the world by Dr. E.J. Remington. A short time later, my dad was appointed by the U.S. Postal Service to be the first rural carrier north out of Burlington, and he became the proud owner of his first car. We moved into town, where we shared "Grandma" Boyles'house until we would move into our newly-built home on 9th St., where my brother, Leland, and I grew up in a neighborhood where there were vacant lots for digging caves or a game of "work-up", and kids to join in playing "kick the can" and other games on a summer evening. There were family get-togethers and vacation trips to visit relatives, and sometimes I was allowed to go to "the farm" for a week or so, where I would help with "the chores". SMITH - BUOL the ashes of the big barn built in the 30's, once a countryside gathering place for good times Cousins went to country schools where we often attended programs and box socials, and they lived with us at various times to go to High School. At the age of 6, death left Jeanette Smith Stahlecker motherless, and she was raised in our home. After 33 years carrying the mail, my dad retired in Nov. 1958. and he died in 1961. My mother died in March 1982, a few days before her ninety- Leonard and Geraldine Smith sitting in their front yard with Leonard's sheep dog Rex. Aren't many a. shade here. You should see their home lr;T: Leonard O. Smith was born March 17, 1923, four miles from his present home south of Flagler, Colorado. He is the only child of N.A. and Etta C. Farmer Smith. His parents came to the Flagler area from Jetmore, Kansas, in 1918. Until 1925 they lived four miles southeast of the present ranch. After World War I, they moved to Ordway, Colorado, and then to Sugar City, Colorado, where they farmed and ran a hardware store and creamery. In 1938 they moved back to Flagler to what is now the south ranch. At first they ran sheep, then changed to yearling cattle. Leonard was educated in the public schools of Sugar City and Flagler, graduating from Flagler High School in 1941. After graduation, he went into partnership with his father on the ranch. Geraldine Margaret Gangwish was born October L7,1922,in Roseland, Nebraska. She moved to the Arriba community at the age of second birthday. Later that year, my brother six months. Here she grew to womanhood and graduated from Arriba High School in 1940. was killed in an accident. For all 12 years, I went to school in the old, Colorado Springs and later worked in the She then attended Blair Business College in �ordinance depot at Camp Carson. Leonard and Geraldine were married on Sunday, September 17, L944, at the country home of the bride's uncle and aunt. Camping and fishing were a favorite of theirs, so naturally they took a long honeymoon trip to the mountains around Glenwood Springs, Colorado. In 1946 they ordered a boat from the Speigel catalog and it came to the depot in town. People thought they were nuts to have a row boat ties on top of their car! Especially in eastern Colorado! Boating and fishing are still a favorite pastime, and their children Robert and Renee sure like to water ski. Leonard is known for his work in soil conservation and water development. Thru the years, he has steadily developed grass and water resources on his land. From 1960 to 1965 he built 45 dams, 122 miles of terraces, and developed six springs. During the 70's and 80's Leonard has completed two great plains contracts and continued his management of range and cropland by building more dams, adding more terraces, and completing a stockwater pipeline of more than five miles to five different tanks. he has altered the management of his rangeland to achieve maximum grass production with minimum erosion and believes in and practices stripcropping and stubble mulching methods of farming. Leonard has received the Outstanding Cooperator of the year award in the Flagler District twice, in 1961 and 1979. Leonard and Geraldine love trees. Seems like they plant a few trees every year somewhere on their ranch. (I should say a bunch of trees!) Geraldine's dream is to have the Republican River that runs by their house lined with trees. Her dream is coming true. There are a few starting, thanks to tender loving care and a fence to keep the cows out. When they moved to their home in 1944 there weren't any trees. They have planted thousands of trees over the last 40 years. Their home now is an ggOasis On The Plains". After a brief illness in 1981. Leonard is taking things a little easier. With the help of at Vona, Colorado. Their children were George Richard Payne born 1933, William Albert Payne born 1935, and Donald Gordon Payne born 1940. George died May 1G, 1966. Laura married second Merle N. Jones on March 13, 1971, at Ustich, Idaho. Laura now lives at Bosie, Idaho. 2. Gordon Alfred Smith was born March 12, 1919, at Loveland, Colorado. Gordon married Donna Doris Clark in 1946 at Kuna, Ada co., Idaho. Donna was born Lg26 at Weber, Kansas. Their children were Leila Christine Smith born 1945, Jerry Lee Smith born 1947, Danny LeRoy Smith born 1952, and Mickey Leon Smith born 1953. They now live at Meridian, Idaho. 3. Bert Jr. Smith was born March 24, L922, at Stratton, Colorado. His nickname is June. He is single and now lives at Meridian, Idaho. 4. Bobby Lee Smith was born September 20,1925, at Vona, Colorado. On Feb. 14, 1950 he married Charlene Mary Hudson, daughter of Charlie and Mary Hudson. Their children are Cherie Bobbeth Smith born 19b1 and Calvin Neal Smith born 1953. 5. Goldie Laverne Smith was born April 1, 1940, at Boise, Ada County, Idaho. Goldie married Lawrence Eldon Gray on May 27, 1956, at Meridian, Idaho. Lawrence was born Jan.20,1936, at Boise, Idaho. Their children were Tammy Jo Gray born 1958 and Robin Michille Gray born 1960. by Linda L. Ljunggren Brandt SMITH, ASBURY F656 Asbury Smith was born in Ohio. Moving through Wisconsin and Illinois to settle northeast of Tobias, Atlanta Precinct, Saline County, Nebraska, in June 1884. Asburv Smith died Sept. 30, 1899, at the age of ?b years, 9 months, and 15 days and is buried at the Atlanta Cemetery, N.E. of Tobias, Nebraska. On the 1850 U.S. Census Asberrv Smith is living in Benton township, Hocking County, Ohio. Descendants say Asbury was a farmer and preacher. On his gravestone we find "Rev. A. Smith". Asbury Smith was converted at 18 years of age and was a member of the United Brethren church when he died. Asbury Smith's first wife was Rosanna Thompson (Rose Ann) who was born in Ohio. Their children were Nathaniel. William. Joseph, Mary, and Margaret. Asbury Smith's second wife was Hannah Jerussa Truesdale who was born Mav L834. in Pennsylvania. Their children were Salmon Peter Chase Smith, James Attaberry Smith, Albert M. Smith and maybe a daughter Aburn Smith. After Asbury's death Hannah lived with her son, Salmon Smith, moving to near Stratton, Colorado, with her son's familv between 1907 and 1910. Hannah J. (Trues- dale) Smith's parents were born in New Jersey according to the 188b Nebraska State Census. Hannah died January 2g, Lgt2, at Vona, Colorado, and is buried at Stratton. Kit Carson Co., Colorado. 1. Nathaniel H. Smith born about 1845 in Ohio is listed on the 1850 U.S. Census with Asberry Smith at the age of 5 years. I assume he died at an early age. 2. William R. P. Smith born Januarv 22. 1848, in Ohio. 3. Joseph A. Smith "Joe" born July 20, 1850, in Ohio. 4. Mary E. Smith "Molly" born about 1854 probably in Ohio. 5. Margaret Flora Smith "Flora" was born August 28, 1856, in Hocking county, Ohio. Margaret died April 10, 1926, at Friend, Nebraska, and is buried at Exeter. Saline County, Nebraska. Margaret married Samuel Trimmer October 9, 18g5, near Tobias, Saline County, Nebraska, by Rev. John Thornburg. Samuel was born about 1853 in Illinois and died about 1918. In 1885 Margaret was living with her brothers William and Joseph. In 1899 she was living at Seneca, Kansas, moving back to Western and Friend, Saline County, Nebraska. Her obituary lists her his son-in-law, the work gets done and there's still time for fishing. At the writing of this paper, Mom and Dad are headed for Alaska to fish for a couple of months. Catch a big one for me! Love you Mom and Dad! by Renee Loutzenhiser SMITH, ALBERT JOSEPH F656 Albert Joseph Smith, son of Salmon Peter Chase Smith and Laura Alice Cook, was born Oct.24, 1894, at Tobias, Nebraska. He came with his parents to Stratton, Colorado between 1907 and 1910. Only July L5, 1914, at Burlington, Colorado he married Gladys Delight Underwood, daughter of William and Mary Underwood. Gladys was born Oct. lb, 1896, at Norcater, Kansas. Gladys now lives at Medirian, Idaho. Albert died June 7, lgb6, and is buried at Meridian, Ada Co., Idaho. They had five children: 1. Laura Mary Smith was born May 14, 1915, in Stratton, Colorado. Laura first married George Richard Payne Jan. 1, 1932, Left to right: Samuel P.C. Smith, Ernest F. Smith, Laura A. (Cook) Smith, Eugene H. Smith, Albert J. Smith, Len Smith, Grace B. (Smith) Underwood, and Hannah J. (Truesdale) Smith. �children as Ira Trimmer of Friend, Nebraska; Enos Trimmer of Regina, Sask, Canada; and Mrs. Harvery Mather of Imperial, Nebraska. 6. James Attaberry Smith born March 10, 18?0, at Illinois and died July 31, 1941. James is buried at Luther, Oklahoma. On Nov. 22, 1892, James married Anna Kassebaum' daughter of William Kassebaum and Katie Crowl. Anna was born 1869 in Illinois and died 1935. Their children were Rev. William Asbury Smith, Mrs. Harold (Mildred M. Smith) Beleele, Charles A. Smith, Clarence A. Smith, Verne L. Smith, Glen Smith, Daisy Smith, Rollie Raymond Smith, and Mrs. Shadrick William (Lucy Lorene Smith) Vails. 7. Albert M. Smith born about L872 in Illinois. Albert married Anna Clark, daughter of William J. Clark, May 29, 1898, near Tobias, Saline County, Nebraska. They lived in DeWitt, Nebraska for a number of years. In 1926 Albert was living in California. In 1941 Albert was living at Lakeside, California. 8. Salmon Peter Chase Smith "Samuel" born Feb. 15, 1865, in Wisconsin. Salmon married Laura Alice Cook. 9. Aburn Smith is listed on the 1885 Saline County, Nebraska School Census as the daughter of Asbury Smith. She is six years of age. Next to Asbury Smith's gravestone is a small stone marked A.S. This may be Aburn's gravestone? by Linda L. Ljunggren fought in WW I in France and was wounded on Sept. 1, 1918. On Feb. 25, 1925, at Mankato, Jewell County, Kansas, Len married Viola Almeda Brown, daughter of Nelson Houston Brown and Clara Hannah Hoyt. Viola was born Nov. 13, 1902, in Clay Center, Clay Co., Nebraska, and is now living at Fullerton, Nebraska. After their marriage they lived a short time near Vona, Colorado where their first child was born. Moving back to Clay County, Nebraska where they lived for several years. Len was a farmer. They F657 Asbury Lindley Smith, son of Salmon Peter Chase Smith and Laura Alice Cook, was born August22,1896, near Tobias, Saline County, Nebraska. He was named after his two grandfathers. His nickname was Barry. He changed his nnme to Len Smith. Len Nebr. Their children were Tracy Ray Holmstedt, Gena Lee Holmstedt, and Edwin Lee Holmstedt. They live on a farm north of Genoa, Nebraska. 8. Orville Leroy Smith born April 23,L946, at Aurora, Hamilton Co., Nebraska. Orville was in the U.S. Army and served in Vietnam where he was wounded. Orville married Kathleen Kay Hopkins on July 5, 1969, at Grand Island, Nebr. Their children were Jimmy LaVern Smith and SherryAnn Smith. by Linda L. Ljunggren Brandt lived a few years in Hamilton County, Nebraska before moving to a farm north of Genoa, Nebraska. Upon retiring Len built a house for them in Fullerton, Nebraska. Len died April 4, 1978, at Fullerton and is buried at Fullerton cemetery. Their children are: SMITH, MR. AND MRS. E. R. F658 1. Bertha Mae Smith born January 25, 1926, at Vona, Colorado. Bertha graduated in 1944 from the Edgar H.S. in Clay County, Nebraska. Bertha married Lloyd Dean lJunggren, son of Rudolf Emil Ljunggren and Ida Marie Bieck, on January 15, L92L, at Mankoto, Kansas. Lloyd was born Jan. 15, L921, at rural Harvard, Hamilton Co., Nebraska. They live about 9 miles south of Aurora, Hamilton County, Nebraska. Their children are Louise Kay Ljunggren, Linda Lee Ljunggren, Rogene Mae Ljunggren, Roger Gene Ljunggren, Dale Lavern Ljunggren, Carol Ann Ljunggren, Connie U.S. Navy. He married first Ava May Woodward on Aug. 9, 1946, at Mankato, Kansas. Their children were Joann Marie Smith and Melvin Earl Smith, Jr. Melvin married second Mrs. Fern James on May 15, L97L, at Fremont, Nebraska. 3. Claire Lavern Smith born May 29,7929, at Fairfield, Nebr. Claire was in the U.S. Army. He married Sheryle Lee McCoig on June 19, 1955, at Fullerton, Nebraska. Sheryle was born Nov. 7, 1935, at Silver Creek, Nebraska. They had one child Wayne Lavern Smith. They live at Fullerton, Nebraska. 4. Shirley Louise Smith born October 31, 1931, at Fairfield, Nebraska. She married Donald Iven Ljunggren, son of Rudolf Emil Ljunggren and Ida Marie Bieck, on May 20, L947, at Mankato, Kansas. Donald was born June 23, \924, at rural Harvard, Hamilton Co., Nebraska. Their children are Gary LeRoy Ljunggren, Danny Rae Ljunggren, Alan Dale Ljunggren, Gale Lynn Ljunggren, Shirlette Yvonne Ljunggren, and Sherrie Christeen Ljunggren. They live at Dell Smith joined the Asbury Lindley Smith - Len He was wounded in U.S. Army during W.W.I. France in 1918. 1958, at Central Oity, Merrick Uo., Nebraska. William was born Nov. 17, 1930, at Fullerton, Jean Ljunggren, Larry Dean Ljunggren, and Joyce Ann Ljunggren. 2. Melvin Earl Smith born Feb. 15, L927, at Fairfield, Clay Co., Nebr. Melvin was in the SMITH, ASBURY LINDLEY Smith came to live near Stratton, Colorado between 1907 and 1910 with his parents. His mother died when he was 17 years ofage. Len Smith joined the U.S. Army in 1917. He Rapids, South Dakota. 5. Irvin Lee Smith born January 14, 1933, at Fairfield, Clay County, Nebraska. Irvin was in the U.S. Air Force. 6. Ivan Dean Smith born Sept. 25,L934, at Clay Center, Clay County, Nebraska. Ivan was in the U.S. Army. Ivan married Norma Arlene Sharman on August 31, 1957, at North Star, Nebraska. Their children are Lonnie Len Smith, Lynette Jo Smith, Rhonda Rae Smith, and Wanda Kay Smith. 7. Norene Marie Smith born Sept. 4, 1936, at CIay Center, Nebraska. She married William Alexander Holmstedt on Feb. 19, E. Rowland and Myrtle D. Smith on their Golden Wedding Day, Nov. 12, 1952. E. Rowland Smith & Myrtle J. Schlegel were married 12 Nov. 1902 in Omaha, NE. They immediately took the train to the Sand Hills of Cherry Co, NE where he was to settle the estate of his brother Clarence. Later they returned to Omaha where he was a contractor and home builder. Here 4 children were born to them: Theodore, Harold, Esther and Ida. Esther passed away in Nov. 1909 from whooping cough and pneumonia. In May 1910 they went back to a cattle & horse ranch in the Sand Hills 12 miles northeast of Whitman where they built and lived in a sod house for 10 years. Here Glenn, the last child was born. There were no schools or churches for many miles so with a growing family it was necessary to have a school. In the meantime Sunday School was held in their home to which some neighbors occasionally came. My father was instrumental in getting a sod school house built about a mile from our house and we kids walked to school in all kinds of weather, always watching out for rattlesnakes. My brother Harold had a great imagination and kept us entertained with his stories as we walked. Mv father also succee- �ded in persuading business people to help in getting school books and desks, also coal for the heater in the middle of the room. The teachers boarded at our house and walked to school as we did. My mother was a gentle, soft spoken lady but was brave and a hard worker. She was born and raised in the city so country living was entirely new to her. Her blind father lived with us most of the time. He always turned the old wooden wash machine and churned the butter to help Mamma. She had to cook and wash for all of us besides the teacher and one or more hired men, so was a busy person. We didn't have corncobs so we burned cow chips which Grandpa picked up, tied by a long rope with one end fastened to him and the other to a yard fence post, pulling an old wash tub along to hold the chips. Grandpa Smith stayed with us part of the time. He was crippled from having tangled with an angry cow in his younger days. We lived about 12 miles east of a group of lakes where my father put up hay every summer. He had a complete haying outfit and raised lots of horses so with a haying crew he made a good living during summers. We had many meals of delicious roast wild duck shot around these lakes. We also caught frogs in the creek near the house and enjoyed the fried frog legs. Mamma's mother came to visit us one summer and while there suffered a stroke. Her right side was paralized and she couldn't talk. She remained in this condition the rest of her life. During 1919 my father sold his land and cattle and moved the family to Colorado for Less Collins had built around 1918. and lived there until my father passed away in July 1961 and Mamma in May 1962. He lost his eyesight in Nov. 1953. They had no electricity or water in the house until they moved to town. My parents were always devoted Christians and took great pleasure in starting Sunday Schools in various school houses, also supporting the preachers who came from town to preach on occasions. After moving to town they faithfully attended the E.U.B. Church which is now the United Methodist Church. My father taught Sunday School class many years, even after he was blind, sang in the choir, was Lay Leader and Annual Conference Delegate several times. Mamma was a worker in Missionary Society and Ladies Aid, holding offices in both. She was also Financial Secretary for the Church several years. My brother Theodore passed away in 1975 leaving his wife Laura, five children, nine grandchildren and two great grandsons. Glenn and wife, Lylas live in South Dakota and Texas, have 2 children, 7 grandchildren and one great grandson. I married Edmund Boecker and we have one son Dale and wife Vicky. He is in the Air Force, stationed now in Abilene, Texas. We still live in Stratton. by Ida Boecker SMITH, J. OSCAR high school facilities. We had 2 covered wagons, the old Buick car, and 100 head of horses in our cavalcade. My brother, Theodore, a cousin, and the last school teacher F659 drove the horses, and my father would drive ahead every day in the car to find a place to Grandma and my brother Harold. During Ellen Smith, from Yale, Oklahoma. Proving up on a homestead about 15 miles north of Bovina occupied the Smith family through the years with education for the four children a major goal despite sacrifices entailed. Very active in 4-H, Oscar received many honors and several trips to state fair and Chicago's International culminating in receiving a Union Pacific Railroad scholarship, making college realistic. When he chose Colorado A. and M. after graduation from Arriba High in 1926, he fully intended to become a "county agent". Dorothy, born near Union, Nebraska, at the historic family home of her father's parents 6 miles from the Missouri's banks, moved at age 7 with her parents, Carl and Blanche Cross, to a large farm 13 miles north ofArriba where she attended country schools, completing high school at Arriba in 1929. Determined to use a joint honor scholarship received at graduation to study home economics because it seemed those offering would always be useful, she enrolled at Colorado A and M, too. Destiny permitted only one year in college together. Awareness of one another stemmed from local church activities and led to a five year courtship, culminating in marriage in October, 1932, just as the country was entering the FDR era. Oscar was teaching a country school in northern Lincoln County, picking up pupils on the way at the magnificent salary of $125 per month. Oscar's teaching, living on a farm, gathering a herd of cattle, some hogs, much poultry and gardening, plus being very involved in community life made for a busy lifestyle. Under the aegis of Dr. John Unger, Oscar, with 1500 acres under his farming direction, four children, and a full time teaching job, was regarded as more essential at home. In July, 1944, at a time when farming was a dubiously fragile endeavor due to rust and hail, men teachers were almost non-existent and family needs were escalating rapidly, Oscar and Dorothy were asked to assume positions in Arribas school system. Looming was the prospect of years of high school at a distance of 20 plus miles. For the next six years, mathematics and shop and the The next years were busy with some farming, raising cattle, and accumulating more land. We lived through the dust storms and the Depression when some of the cattle sold for $12 a head. All 3 ofus graduated from High School at First Central and went to college. They bought a house in Stratton which In 1910 at age one Oscar ca-e to Colorado with his parents, Robert Bevly and Minnie experiences with sickness and school days. Suddenly the United States was plunged into war and rationing of every type! Each night the kitchen became a tire shop to keep Oscar on the road to school. Men began to leave to serve the various armed forces: but, these years, my father would butcher cattle and sell the beef to Dack's Meat Market in Stratton for 9 cents a pound and take out half of it in groceries. largest real estate transaction consumated in recent years was completed when E.R. Smith sold his entire holdings comprising 6,880 A. of deeded land and 3000 A. of leased land to a syndicate of eastern investors." time. superintendent of Hugo Public Schools, Oscar's teaching skills were honed. The four blessed children arrived in 1933, '36, '38 and '40, respectively, adding the usual family spend the night where there was feed and corrals to accommodate the horses. It took 24 days for the trip, approximately 270 miles, including a 10 day stop-over near Wray, CO, during and after ablizzard.. He bought a half section of land 18 miles south of Stratton on the county line and built a sod house there which we moved into in March 1922. Both Grandpas came to Colorado to live with us and both passed away in the 20's, as did During the late 30's my father went into the sheep business so needed lots ofpasture land. He bought many acres and leased other land and ran a herd of 1000 sheep. During World War I[ it became too hard to find men to work on the ranch so he sold sheep, cattle, and land and moved to Stratton in 1944. According to The Burlington Record of Jan. 6, 1944: "The school, and the younger boys in upper elementary, making that decision established the family in the Stratton community to this Dorothy and J. Oscar Smith, 1973. John Oscar and Dorothy Smith and four children, Gordon Cross, Margaret Jean, John Robert, and Richard Carl, came to Kit Carson County from Arriba in Lincoln County in June, 1950, because Stratton Public School, then involved in consolidation processes, insisted that Oscar and Dorothy establish two new school programs: shop and home economics. Emotional because Gordon was a senior at Arriba High, Jean entering high English programs were the couple's "jobs". This choice led to a lifetime of championing the interests of young people and promoting their educations. Then came the Stratton move! With cooperation and help from the four children, Oscar and Dorothy met the demands of organizing and teaching in their respective departments and kept up with the children's activities. In addition to shop, Oscar taught math and Dorothy handled an added subject, usually advanced English or Spanish. During the ensuing years Oscar became principal and later superintendent of Stratton Public �Schools, a position he held for 17 years. Under his direction the initial portion of the current high school facility was conceived and built. He was highly instrumental in establishing the BOCES cooperative throughout the area schools. Because his master's studies were in guidance and counseling as well as school administration, he became alert to the educational needs of those having developmental disabilities. His caring and insistence brought about establishment of the East Central Colorado Regional Board for Developmental Disabilities, lnc. and the organization of the school in Burlington which serves a four county area. He was also an original officer of the mental health organization and the Centennial Mental Health Center. When the high school was designed, the help of home economics professionals was used in designing that department which became a model within small schools of Colorado. Dorothy rose to meet the challenge of having this facility and was successful in motivating her students in ways that led them to many honors and outstanding accomplishments. Stratton Chapter of Future Homemakers of America had four state officers during those years. She sponsored the classes of'54,'58,'62 and'71, and now enjoys homecoming reunions greatly. Supervising home economics student teacher sent by CSU. Fort Collins, and UNC, Greeley, became annual experiences. In addition to her classroom duties, Dorothy was school librarian many years. With assistance from able student volunteers, she organized the original elementary school library. These varied activities for both Oscar and Dorothy led to a constant process of continuing education. Summer school was an almost every year occurrence for one or both. Usually the choice was CSU in Fort Collins, but on occasion it was University of Denver for drivers education under auspices of AAA for Oscar and library science for Dorothy, or University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, for some other concentration. Seeing both parents receive simultaneous masters degrees in August, 1959. ceremonies at CSU remains a family highlight. Each Smith young person chose college. Gordon graduated in 1955 from CSU with a general science background and later re- ceived his masters from the University of West Virginia, Morgantown. A viral disease biologist with the U.S. Department of Public Health with headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, and Fort Collins, he and wife Elly live in Loveland. They have two grown sons. Jean completed her home economics education at CSU after her marriage to Max Mason. They have three sons and three daughters. Jean is a home economics teacher at Hi-Plains High, Seibert, and Max was a custom farmer. Max's death in 1981 brought much sadness following his long bout with cancer. Robert chose Colorado School of Mines, Golden with petroleum engineering as his emphases, joining Shell Oil Company upon graduation in 1960. Now in upper echelons of drilling management, he and wife Judy, daughter of Tom and Gladys Conarty, Stratton, live in Spring, Texas, a Houston suburb. They have a son and two daughters. Richard also chose Colorado School of Mines and petroleum engineering. Following her graduation from St. Lukes School of Nursing, in Denver, Richard and Margene, daughter of Marge and Ugene Brown, Stratton, married; they have four daughters and a son. Currently, they live in Hobbs, N.M. where Richard SMITH, L. D. (BUNT) F661 manages drilling operations for Chevron Oil Company. When they retired from guiding young people, Oscar in 1974 and Dorothy in 1975, the Smiths had accumulated 73 years in careers they sincerely loved, with most of those years spent in Kit Carson County. Retirement gave Oscar opportunity to become a farmer once again, to play more golf, become more active in Masonic Lodge, to carpenter by remodeling the Stratton home and the Lincoln County farmhouse, to travel, to attend church, mental health and East Central school meetings, and to garden, one of his favorite hobbies. The sixteen grandchildren have had to rise to the challenges of having parents whose professions demanded their cooperation and involved frequent moves about the USA and in Richard's instance to Kuwait on the Persian Gulf and Singapore. Attending baptisms, birthday celebrations, high school and college graduations, weddings, and holiday celebrations as well as greeting the arrival of great-grandchildren have made a family network that all enjoy and treasure. The October, 1982, golden wedding observance for Oscar and Dorothy found the total family hosting the affair at home base in Stratton. Involvement in Stratton civic and United Methodist Church activities, being a committee member of Kit Carson County Carousel Association since the 1975 restoration beginnings, directing with others the relocation and restoration of Stratton Public Library are a few ofthe activities Dorothy has chosen to engage her energies since Oscar's sudden death April 4, 1983. As co-chairman, she found evolvement of this book, the Kit Carson County Centennial History, the 198588 focus of many, many hours on countless days. by Dorothy C. Smith SMITII, JOSEPH A.F660 Joseph A. Smith "Joe", son of Asbury Smith and Rose Ann Thompson, was born July 20, 1850, in Ohio. On the 1850 U.S. Census Joseph was one month old and was living with his parents in Benton twp., Hocking county, Ohio. In 1885 Joseph was living with his brother, William R.P. Smith and sister, Margaret F. Smith, in Saline county, Nebraska, and in 1899 Joseph was Iiving at Claremont, Colorado. About 1910 Joseph married Mary Murray. Mary was born about 1870 in Illinois. On the 1910 U.S. Census Joseph and Mary are living in Kit Carson County, and Joseph is a Post Master. Joseph lived his last eight years in Chicago, Illinois. Joseph died March 31, 1926, in Chicago, Illinois, and is buried at Mt. Olivet Cemetery. by Linda Lee Ljunggren Brandt L.D. (Bunt) Smith, taken at his home north east of Vona in the late '60's. L.D. (Bunt) Smith was born in Hutton Valley, Missouri in 1887. He was five years old when his father married for a second time and the kids were placed in other homes. He went to live with a cousin's family and lived with the Marion Hines family until he came to Colorado with N.O. Gulley and Oscar Paine in 1909. His homestead was in the sandhills north of Stratton and he lived there into the 1970's. Oscar Paine and his mother, Mary, were Bunt's closest neighbors and friends. Bunt always said that Mary Paine was the only mother he ever had. Bunt loved to tell stories and one of his favorites was about Oscar Paine. One evening Bunt was visiting at the Paine home and he and Oscar were sitting by the stove discussing a fight that Oscar was having with a neighbor over their land that was to be resurveyed. The neighbor had threatened to shoot Oscar. Oscar's mother had set a bucket of honey that had sugared on the stove to dissolve. She had left the lid on and it got too hot, so the lid blew off with a bang. Oscar was sure that he had been shot and jumped back, upset his chair and fell to the floor. Bunt loved to tease him and never let him forget it. After a few years in Colorado, Bunt married a widow lady, Ada Glen. They enlarged Bunt's little house by adding a little room on the south. With it's south windows, it made a nice living and dining room. Ada kept the little house very neat and clean with white curtains and tablecloth. In this very tiny bedroom, I remember a huge feather bed, with a white bedspread, that filled up most of the room. Ada always wore a white apron covered with embroidery. They milked a large herd of cows and the yard was covered with poultry: chicken, ducks, geese and turkeys. Bunt had seldom gone out in crowds �Delore, but Ada loved to dance and Bunt found himself going to dances and other Co., Nebr. Their children were Mrs. Samuel Alexander (Cora Madge Cook) Lofquist, events. I first remember Bunt and Ada together at a Christmas dinner at my Grandma Paine's house. He ceme ahead of Ada saying that she had sent him over to help with dinner until she got there. In 1939, Ada passed away of a heart attack and after three years Buntwas married again. Bunt's second wife, Bettie Taylor, was born in Holden, Missouri in 1895 and received her education in Missouri. She taught school for four years at Kirk and also for four years at the Kechter school and also taught at the Boger School. Bettie was an outdoor person who loved horses, ice skating and swimming. She also enjoyed collecting dolls and making clothes for them and the dolls of the little girls she knew. Although they had no children of their own, Bettie and Bunt enjoyed kids and liked having them visit. Bettie liked to show them how to do things like crocheting and playing music. One of the outbuildings contained many books, games, and musical Havila Vide Cook, Mrs. Salmon Peter Chase (Laura Alice cook) Smith, Mrs. Robert Davidson (Minnie Bell) Renie. and Jesse Willis Cook. by Linda L. Ljunggren Brandt SMITH, M.T. FAMILY F663 "1.."::..r rtndf ._ .* toys. Bettie and Bunt worked hard all of their lives and were always ready to help anyone that needed it. They lived a simple life on the farm without electricity or an indoor bathroom and Bettie cooked delicious meals on her wood-burning cook stove. Bunt continued to do much of his work with his team of Buckskins, Judy and Star. In later years, we kept his horses during the winters and enjoyed watching him come with his team and wagon with the others, Silver and Flicka following behind. In 1959, they bought a home in Yuma and spent their winters there, but Bunt was always eager to get back to the farm in the spring. Over the years we shared many holidays and visits with them and always enjoyed their friendship. Bettie passed away in May of L974 and Bunt in September of the same year. by Opal Boger SMITH, LAURA ALICE COOK F662 Laura Alice Cook, daughter of Lindley N. Cook and Mary James, was born Feb. 8, 18?6, in Missouri. Laura married Salomon Peter Chase Smith in 1893, in Saline County, Nebraska. They came to live near Stratton, Colorado, between 190? and 1910. Lauta died on June 2,tgL}, at the age of37 and is buried at Stratton, Colorado. Laura's grandfather, Daniel Janres, was born 1806 in North Carolina. Daniel married Eve Fifer on March L5, L832, in Jennings County, Indiana. At the time of their marriage they were both living in Geneva Twp. About 1850 they moved to Folker Twp., Clark Co., Missouri. Daniel died in 1862 and Eve in L872, and. they are both buried at Bethleham Baptist Church Cemetery, rural Luray, Mo. Their children were Samuel James, Mrs. William Lewis (Maranda M. James) Spencer, Amos James, Allen James. Solomon James, John James, Mrs. Lindley N. (Mary James) Cook, Willis James, and Mrs. Franklin S. (Eliza Jane James) Cook. The Cook ancestors were Quakers, starting \ Laura Alice (Cook) Smith. with Peter Cook and Elinor Norman who came to the U.S. in 1713 from England. Peter Cook died enroute to the U.S. and his familv settled in Pennsylvania. Isaac Cook, son of Peter Cook and Elinor Norman, was born L702 in England. Isaac married Mary Houghton, daughter of John Houghton and Ann Gregg. Isaac moved his family to Craven County, S.C. Eli Cook, son of Isaac Cook and Elinor Norman, was born L74l in Pennsylvania. Eli married Martha Hawkins, daughter of James Hawkins and Martha Hollowell. t772 in S.C. Eli moved his family to Preble County, Ohio where he died. Eli Cook, son of Eli Cook and Martha Hawkins, was born L794 in S.C. Eli married Elizabeth Denney, daughter of Lazarus and Susanna Denney, in 1881, in Ohio. In 1836, Eli moved his family to Salem Twp., Henry County, Iowa, where Eli and Elizabeth both died in 1874. Joel Cook, son of Eli Cook and Elizabeth Denney, was born L822 in Preble County, Ohio. Joel married Charlotte Thornburg, daughter of Jacob Thornburg and Rachel Hammer, t842, in Henry County, Iowa. In 1864, Joel Cook moved to Folker Twp., Clark County, Missouri, where Joel died in 1878, and is buried at the Bethlehem Baptist Church cemetery, near Luray, Mo. Charlotte died 1908 in Lee Co., Iowa, and is buried at Keokuk, Iowa. Their children were Mrs. Hugh (Martha C. Cook) McClellan, Lindley N. Cook, Mary Jane Cook, Franklin S. Cook, Mrs. John Perry (Aldora Cook) Clifford, and Mrs. George (Adda Cook) Banghart. Lindley N. Cook, son of Jel Cook and Charlotte Thornburg, was born 1845 in Salem, Henry Co., Iowa. In 1870, Lindley married Mary James. Mary was born Jan. 31, 1849, in Indiana. They moved to Kansas sometime before 1882. Mary died in 188? at Fort Scott, Bourbon County, Kansas. After Mary's death, Lindley moved the family to Western, Saline Co., Nebr. in the Fall of 1892. In 1895, Lindley moved to Spring Ranch Twp., Clay County, Nebraska, where he died in 1924. Lindley is buried at Fairfield, Clay Moses Thomas Smith came to Colorado from Wyoming, Iowa to homestead. He "proved up" on his homestead and then wrote for other members of his family to come as they became of age. His wife EIla Collins Smith had remained in Iowa with the children who were still in school and came later after they had graduated from high school. His daughters, Maye and Elva came first, taking homesteads. Later, Amy, Myron, and Ed came, also "proving up" on homesteads. One daughter, Dora remained in Iowa and married there. Elva's homestead wasn't far from her father's. She carried her water from his place and also from Walter Clarks, a close neighbor. She also carried the mail by horseback and sometimes with horse and buggy from one small post office to another. I remember her telling that one morning she had been to get water and then went to carry the mail. When she returned, her water pail was empty. Later she heard that some Indians had been seen going through the country and they evidently had stopped at her little house and helped themselves to her provisions. Elva also taught school in Kit Carson County. At that time qualifications for teaching weren't very high as at one time there were only three teachers in the Burlington community with high school educations. They were Nellie Grabb, Nellie Miser, and Elva Smith. The other teachers had not graduated from high school. Elva went beyond high school having attended a Teach- ers' Normal Institute in Davenport, Iowa. She also attended Teachers' College in Greeley, CO. when the campus consisted of one building. One of the schools Elva taught was the Bauder School northwest of Burlington and boarded at the Spring Valley Ranch with the Henry Goebel family. Another school she taught was the Cook School. She also taught in District 38 before the school was named "Happy Hollow". (The name Happy Hollow was started by a teacher named Edna Swanson). Elva married Ed Bartman in 1913, who also had a homestead a short distance away. The story of their live has been submitted by their oldest daughter, Louise Wagner. Maye Smith was a seamstress and did sewing for other homesteaders. She married H.B. Morgan, who was a carpenter and later became a rural mail carrier on a route south of Burlington for a good many years. He was the first mail carrier out of Burlington. Amy Smith married Ellis Clark who had a homestead near by. Together they started the country store and post office at Morris which was located about 16 miles north of BurIington, one east and two back north. Myron Smith homesteaded about 11 miles north of Burlington. Myron answered the call to serve his country in the army during World �War I. He was stationed in France. When he heard that he had a new niece born into the Bartman family, he wrote requesting the baby be named Jeanette after a girl he had met over there. That baby was already named Edna by the time his letter arrived. He later married Ruth Bowman of Goodland, KS. They had two children - a son, Kenneth, and finally a baby daughter who they named Jeanette - now Jeanette Smith Stahlecker. Ed O.K. Smith homesteaded about 15 miles north of Burlington. He married Grace Smith a school teacher. They later moved to Burlington where he carried mail on route 3 northwest of Burlington. His slogan was "the mail must got through." Sometimes when stuck in impassible roads, he'd take the mail sack and walk to the next farm to deliver the mail. The mother, Mrs. Smith passed away at the homestead in t922. Here is a little ditty I can remember Grandpa Smith singing about homestead days. (I thing the tune was "Irish Washer Woman") How happy I feel when I crawl into bed, The rattlesnakes rattle all over my head. The dear little centipede, point of all fear, Crawls over my pillow and into my ear. Hurrah for Kit Carson (county), the home of the free The home- of the coyote, the bed bug, and flea. moved to Colorado with them. Samuel was a farmer. Samuel died Dec. 16, 1928, in Colorado and is buried at Stratton, Colorado. Samuel and Laura had six children: 1. Albert Joseph Smith born Oct.24, t894, at Tobias, Nebraska. 2. Asbury Lindley Smith (changed his name to Len Smith) born Aug. 22, L896, at Tobias, Saline Co., Nebraska. 3. Grace Bell Smith born May 28, 1898, at Tobias. Nebraska. 4. Ernest Theodore Smith born Dec. 18, 1900, at Tobias, Nebraska. Ernest married Mrs. Opal (Endicott) Hailey, daughter of Andy Endicott, on April 29, 1953. Ernest died Nov. 2, 1964, and is buried at Meridian, Ada co., Idaho. They had no children. 5. Un-named baby daughter born July 1, 1905, at Glenville, Clay County, Nebraska. 6. Eugene Harris Smith born March 1, 1907, at Glenville, Clay County, Nebraska. Eugene married Nettie Carpinter onDec.24, 1942, at Vancover, Washington. Nettie was born Oct. 11, 1910, at Gooding, Idaho. No children. Eugene now lives at Ontario, Oregon. by Linda L. Ljunggren SMITH, WILLIAM R. P. F665 We'll sing of its praises, we'll sing of its fame As we work together on our "Government claim." by Edna Bartman Stahlecker SMITH, SALMON PETER CHASE F664 William R.P. Smith, son of Asbury Smith and Rose Ann Thompson, was born January 27, 1848, in Ohio. On the 1850 U.S. Census William is 2 years old living in Benton twp., Hocking County, Ohio with his parents. In 1885 William is listed on the Nebraska State Census in Saline County, Nebraska. At the time of his father's death, Sept. 1899, William was living at Claremont, Colorado. William never married. He was a farmer. William died November 7. 1909 and is buried at Claremont cemetery, Stratton, Colorado. by Linda Lee Ljunggren Brandt SNYDER, LYLE AND PEARL F666 The Oasis Cafe and Service Station in Vona. Photo courtesy of Myrtle Anderson. The two men are Tom Burian and Maynard Edmunds. I, Pearl Marie (Hoffner) Snyder, was born in Pratt, Kansas, and my husband, John Lyle Snyder, was also born in Pratt. I graduated from Pratt high school in t924, and Lyle graduated from the same high school in the class of 1928. We were married in Pratt at the First Baptist Church, on the 12th day of November, 1934. The Reverend B.E. Mills performed the ceremony. From here, we moved to Kirk, Colorado and Iived on a farm until around 1955, when we moved into Vona. Here we took over the Oasis Cafe. The Oasis Cafe sat by the side of the road at Vona, and was a place for friends to meet and visit and make friends. It was a stopping place for people that got stuck in snow storms and floods. On one occasion we had a very bad snow storm, and had 17 trucks stranded all night, each truck had 2 men,34 men in all, and some people in cars. We called our help in, but they couldn't get there even by tractor. One of our help came in though she had to walk, that was Wanda Miller. We had several snow storms that stopped the traffic. The Oasis stayed open when needed to be. I recall one evening, when it rained so long and hard the road was closed west of Vona. Cars could not get through. One car washed over in a ditch. The cafe was crowded with people going to ball games. About 9:00 P.M. the roads were opened to go south of Vona, to another road going east and west. We had a lot of enjoyment by having banquets and special dinners for the school and community. We had several times when people would come in hungry and have no money to pay, but they got food and were thankful for it. One time, a man came in hungry, but had no money. He was a stranger going to Flagler to get work, so we gave him his meal, and a farmer came in and understood his condition. and said he would take him to Flagler and give him a job. The stranger took the job and worked all summer for the farmer. The farmer was Frances McCaffery. Frances S"muel P.C. Smith had been rabbit hunting. Salmon Peter Chase Smith, son of Asbury Smith and Hannah Jerussa Truesdale, was born Feb. 15, 1865, in Wisconsin. (Nickname would work late and on his way home would stop and eat at the Oasis. He would help several men get on their way by giving them Samuel). Moving through Illinois Samuel came to Atlanta precinct, N.E. of Tobias, Saline County, Nebraska, in June 1884 with money and paying for their lodging in Stratton. his parents. Near Tobias, Nebraska, on June 18, 1893, Samuel married Laura Alice Cook. daughter of Lindsey N. Cook and Mary James. In 1905 and 1907 Samuel was living near Glenville, Clay County, Nebraska. On the 1910 U.S. census Samuel was living in Precinct Six, Stratton, Kit Carson County, Colorado. After the death of Samuel's father his mother lived with Samuel's family and Pearl and Lyle Snyder's 52nd Wedding Anniversa- ry, Nov. 12, 1986 at Grace Manor Care Center. One very cold night four dark men came in hungry and cold. The cafe was full but they came in and asked if they could eat and move the table over to the furnace so their feet would get warm. We tried to accommodate all our customers by making them as comfortable as possible regardless of whether they were local or from a visiting town or their �creed or color. Another time a young man came in without a coat and his shoes weren't very good, there was a window broke out ofhis car, and he was cold. He was going to Kansas after his wife. He had no money and only wanted coffee. Maynard Edmunds gave him some money to eat with and we wrapped his feet in an old plastic table cloth and gave him a sweater. Harvest was always a very busy time and it usually lasted 2 to 3 weeks. Joe Doughty, the manager ofthe grain elevator entertained 29 Elevator mErnagers to a T-bone steak dinner once. We had several bus loads of school students from other states, who would call ahead and make reservations for hamburgers and ice cream. The train crews always tried to make their dinner stop at the Oasis if possible. We made doughnuts and long Johns, for which truck drivers would give us orders a week in advance for a dozen to take home. We had customers from neighboring towns come to order our doughnuts and Long Johns. Then, coffee was 100, pie 15 0, we served 2 piece chicken lunch for $1.00, 4 pieces for $2.00, and a childs plate for 250, and hamburgers for 250. That was back in the good old days. Our waitress' did their part in making the business a success by giving good service, and their friendliness made customers welcome. The sign on our door read "Through Our Doors, Walk The Finest People on Earth, Our Customers". Lyle ran the Oasis Service Station and also drove a school bus for years. We celebrated our 52nd wedding anniversary at the Grace Manor Care Center in Burlington, on November 12, 1986, where Lyle is staying. I still reside in our home in Vona, Colorado. often for sing fests. The Doblers came to America in 1885. They had 16 children. Eight of their children died in infancy and the other eight survived to come to America. Grandpa was a carpenter by trade and built mostly wagons. They also farmed in Russia. In Russia they lived in villages. Their farm ground was further away and referred to as "on the stepp." They had to bring their machinery home every evening or it would be stolen by the Russians. They probablyonly had a plow and a harrow. There were no pastures close by so the villagers hired a herder for each type of livestock. Mother told us they would start out for the pasture and they would call out that the sheep herder or goose herder was leaving. The other villagers would turn out their stock and the herders would take them out to pasture for the day. Again in the evening as the herders would arrive back at the village with their herds, they would call out that they were back. The other villagers would take their own stock and lock it up for the night. If they did not lock everything up it would all be stolen through the night. The villagers hired Russian women to hoe their fields and gardens. When these women came to work they had their hoes over their shoulders and would come singing all the way. Grandma would cook a big pot of borsht or vegetable soup for them to eat. She would take the pot out in the yard and set it on the ground, give each woman a spoon and they would sit around the kettle and eat out of the pot. Mother was 11 years old when they ceme to America. She was the second youngest of the surviving 8 children. They were on the ship 14 days with several other families. Her mother was sick all the way and also most of the children. It must have been a chore to care for them all. by Janice Salmans When they came to America they could not speak English. They were hungry, very homesick and cried a lot. Their father was out STAHLECKER DOBLER FAMILY F667 of money. Another German farmer came along and gave them bread, cheese and sausage. He helped them to a hotel and helped them to the train. They moved to Scotland, So. Dakota. They moved into a small house. Everyone had to work except the Our forefathers immigrated from Germany to Russia in the late 1700's or the early 1800's. The Stahlecker grandparents came in 1873 when their oldest son was only 2 or 3 years old. They had 11 children. Great Grandma accompanied them. Great Grandpa had passed away already. Great Grandma lived to be 92 years old. She was blind, crippled, and bed fast. When she needed more care than Grandma would give her, they came to live with our family. We had more girls to help with her care. Great Grandma passed away at our house. After she died, Grandma went back to her own house again. Our father was born in Columbus, Nebraska in 1876. He was the fourth oldest child in their family. They moved to Scotland, So. Dakota. Most of the children were born in Trip, So. Dakota. They moved to Bethune, Colorado in 1893 and boughtthe farm 3/ mile north of the Lutheran Church from A.W. Adolfs father. There were two houses on the farm they bought. When other new settlers came to Colorado, they would move in the little house until they had their own homes established. This little house was occupied most of the time. Our Grandpa loved to sing and people would meet at their house quite youngest son. Grandpa and Mother worked 3 or 4 miles from the house and had to walk. One of Mother's chores was to twist straw in tight bundles to fire the Russian oven built of adobe. This oven was used to cook. bake and heat the house. It was fired up once a day and stayed warm through the day. Mother would get very homesick and would go to the straw stack, twist straw, cry for home and fteeze. She got Sunday off after chores until evening chores. She would run home and back so she could be home longer. Then she started working for another family who had 3 children. She did housework and babysat. She was confirmed there. Her mother passed away in 1889. She was sickly but it was mostly from being homesick for her family who were scattered all over and homesick for Russia. In 1890, they came to Colorado on the train to St. Francis, Kansas. From there they loaded everything in the wagon and came to the "settlement" north of Bethune, Co. Grandpa Dobler homesteaded the 7+ of land where Hope United Church is now. They built a dugout that had a dirt floor, very small windows and little else in it. Mother planted geraniums and said they bloomed nicer here than anvwhere else. They wanted to worship. so they gathered in Grandpa's house and he would read the sermon for the services there. Once in awhile, a minister would come and hold services for them. He would do the baptizing, marriages and any other services he could for them. In 1892 they built the rock church. Each member had a certain amount of rock to haul for the building of it for a donation. They got their own minister and named it Immanuel Lutheran Church. Here in America they had to work. Several of the men worked for some of the large ranches along the Republican River. Some of the girls went to Denver to work for the rich Jewish families. Mother worked for an elderly couple. To keep her busy she had to beat eggs for an hour with the fork (the only egg beater they had then). She used these well beaten eggs for cakes or noodles and other dishes also. Thursday afternoon was their time off. Some of the German girls would go shopping, mostly window shopping together. They enjoyed one certain streetcar. It went up a hill, a while mule was hitched to the streetcar to pull it up the hill. At the top of the hill, the mule was unhitched and put on the back of the streetcar to coast down the hill. At the bottom of the hill the mule was hitched up and the process repeated again. My folks were married on September 11, 1898. They had 11 children. They started their married life in Grandpa's little house. Dad was sick before their wedding day. That morning they had a blizzard. The minister came to the house and performed the marriage there. Dad's illness was typhoid fever. They were quarantined for 6 weeks. What a honeymoon! Dad worked for different places. He tried to farm. He quit this and started to work for the railroad. They lived in Burlington at this time. Here one sister, age 2Yz years old died of diphtheria. Dad also had this illness but he recovered. Mary was born here. Next they moved to the "Norman Meyer place." This is % mile south and 1 mile west of Immanual Lutheran Church. While they lived here, 5 of us children were born. I barely remember the sod house we lived in. The house, the buggy shed and the barn were all under one roof. It had a sod roof. When it rained the roof would leak. Pots and pans were all put out to catch the water. Mother would sprinkle the floor with water before she would sweep to help settle the dust. Saturday was the day to "mop" the floor. We kids had to go to the pasture and get the yellow lime dirt from the prairie dog holes. We would pick some grass bushes, tie them tightly together and use them to brush the lime mixed with water over the floor. When it dried, it would help seal the floor and lighten the house. I was 4 or 5 years old when they built a "modern" house. It was made of adobe. had no clothes closets, a shingle roofand a wooden floor. The kitchen was papered with an oil cloth so it could be washed off. The bedrooms were white washed with lime. Lime was bought in chunks. Mother would put a few chunks in a tub and pour water over it. It would boil up like lye. When it was dissolved, she put it in an airtight container. It would keep for a long time this way. If it got hard it could not be used again. They could get blueing, the lime would not eat it up, and use it to tint the lime. This was used to paint the walls and ceiling. Then the blueing was mixed with water and applied with a corn cob in what ever width vou wanted for the borders. �The cob was rolled in the blueing and then lightly on the wall below the ceiling. It made a nice design border. Mary loved to do this so much that at times she had borders around the doors, windows, and above the moP boards too. The lime was also used to kill mites in the chicken house and the milk house. We girls had to help with farming because we only had one older brother and us 5 girls until the next brother was born' We walked to school in the spring and the fall when Dad needed the horses for farming. In the winter we had one horse hitched to a buggy and could ride to school. There was a barn at the school and all the horses were unhitched and stayed in the barn until it was time to go home. We had to go 2Vz miles to school then. Later we moved 4 miles north of Bethune and had to go SVz miles to school by walking, riding in the buggy. When I was in ?th grade we moved to Mosca, Colorado. A bus took us to school in town. It was a four room school with more children in one room than we had in the whole school in the country' It was an 8 grade school. It was a big adjustment for me to make. The first school here had five or six big boys in it besides all the other children. But the teachers were strict and made them behave even if it meant punishment. Our parents would back up the teachers on the discipline. If we got a spanking at school, we'd for sure get another one at home too. Dad would buy material in bolts to make our clothing. All of our dresses were made from the same pattern but had different trim so we could tell them apart. If one of us grew out of the pattern, Mother would take a newspaper and cut out a larger one. The dress always had another girl to grow into it. We had two dresses for school to change once a week and one dress for Sunday. We had to change into our good dress right before we were ready to go and out of it as soon as we got home so it wouldn't get dirty so fast. Our underwear was all home sewn too. A bolt or two of flannel for winter was bought and flower sacks provided the material for summer underwear. Wash water had to be carried in and out again. We heated it on the range in a wash boiler. We had a tub, wash board and home made soap to work with. The clothes were rubbed on the board to clean them. The white clothes were boiled to get them clean. The dark clothes were rubbed twice then rinsed and hung out on the line to dry. If we ran out of clothes line we would use the barbed wire fence. If we smaller kids would get them in, we would sometimes have small holes in them from the barbs. In the winter it froze the clothes and it was hard to get all the washing over with in one day. Then came the washing machine! It had a handle to push back and forth and up and down to agitate the clothes. The lid had an attachment with four knobs that moved back and forth also. It had a wringer to turn by a handle, no more hand wringing. After the hand crank machine came the gas motor and then the electric motor on the washer. Now, we even have an electric clothes dryer. Mother had a wangle iron. It had a roller like a rolling pin only longer and no handles. Then a 2x4 board with one handle and curves on the underside. She would roll this over the roller back and forth until it was straight. We had a set of irons, usually three and one handle. These were heated on the range. When one was cold, it went back on the range and got another hot one again. Next came the gas iron and then the electric iron and now no iron material. In Russia they had feather beds. Here they had strawsacks. This was a sack made as large as the bed with a slit in the middle and a couple of ties. It was filled after harvest with nice straw every year. It was laid on boards in the bed to keep it up. The ties were untied to fluff up the straw and then tied back up again. We used a small quilt to cover the slit and then a sheet or a blanket next and the rest of the bed covers. After more corn was being raised, the soft corn husks were used in place of the straw. We small kids had to go a long way to pick up the soft husks when corn was harvested. We would put them in a gunney sack and gather enough for three or four beds. Sometimes they would snap corn, pile it up at home and shuck it there. Then came bed springs with the mattress, innerspring mattresses and now waterbeds. Stoves-Russian ovens. Grandpa Adolf was the only one here to have one of these. Next came the black cast iron stove. You could buy polish to make it shine. Then came the granite range. It was an improvement because it could be washed off after use. When the coal oil stoves came to cook and heat with, we had no more fuel to carry in and ashes to carry out. Then came the gas ranges, propane ranges, electric ranges and now the microwaves. At first when little corn was raised we had few corn cobs to use for fuel. We would feed the hogs ear corn. When they had eaten it off we would pick up the cobs out of the pig pen. Some of them were very messy and we would throw them outside to dry out and burn later. These would burn longer than the clean cobs but smelled much worse. We all burned cow chips then too. We would put a double box on the wagon and take along a lunch to eat and head out to pick up cow chips wherever we would find them. If no one was ahead of you, it didn't take long to fill the wagon, but sometimes we would have to go as far as to the river. We had few sheds then and the cow chips needed to be kept dry to burn. So we would build a shed with them. We used the bigger ones for the outside walls and fill the middle with the smaller ones and heap them up to make a rounded top. Then we would take fresh cow manure and plaster it over this. It would stay dry all winter. When we needed to use some of these cow chips, we would dig a hole in the side, take what we needed and cover the hole with a blanket to keep out the snow. We would also go along the railroad tracks and pick up coal that was scattered when they fired the steam engines. If a train would come along and a good hearted fireman was on he would throw a few shovels full out so we had more to pick up. Coal could be bought if we could afford it' As more corn was raised less cow chips were burned. Everyone raised a garden. They had big 50 gallon vinegar barrels to store some food in. supplres. A rol or mears v and milk was drunk a lot. We also had corn mush to eat. AII the bread was baked at home. We butchered beef in the winter when it would keep longer. Pork was also butchered and the hams and bacon were cured and sausage was made. Mother would also fry it up and put it in a crock, cover it with lard and use it later. We also ate a lot of jackrabbits, young pigeons and sometimes we had frying chickens in the summer. We had to butcher these in the morning to serve at the noon meal so the meat would not spoil. Later we canned meats and vegetables. Then came the deep freeze for longer storage and now food is available as you need it over the counter. by Theresia Kramer STAHLECKER KRAMER FAMILY F668 William "Bill" Stahlecker was born February L7,1907 north of Bethune, Colorado to Gottlieb and Minnie Stahlecker. He was one of eight children; Clara, Otto, Gottlief, William, Emma, Bertha, John, and Anna. They attended a one-room rural school. The means of transportation was walking even though the distance to school was 3% miles. At certain times of the year, they stayed home to help with the farm work. At an early age, Bill stayed home from school and worked for an uncle and later for a close neighbor. In 1929, Bill and his father and brothers built an adobe house and other farm build- ings 7 miles north and 2 miles west of Bethune. Bill and Amelia Kramer were married in October 1929 and lived there several years until they moved 8 miles south where there was more farm ground and pasture. The dust storms of the 1930's came and farming became next to impossible. The only thing that grew were the thistles and even they were picked up and blown away. I remember helping my mother sweep up pans full of the fine dust that had sifted into the house during a storm. Some families stayed and struggled through those years while other moved to Loveland and other cities and found work there. Bill and other men worked for the W.P.A. and helped build roads and bridges. These men would have to milk their cows mornings and evenings to have cream to sell in town so they would have enough cash for groceries and other essentials. The summer of 1942 brought about more changes. Gottlieb and Minnie left the farm they had homesteaded and moved to the Paul Stoltz place for a few years before they finally moved to Loveland in 1945. Bill and Amelia, bought the homestead from Gottlieb and his three brothers and moved there with their family; Clarina, George, Willard, Margie, and Iva. (Ivan and Jean were born in 1943 and 1948.) There were usually two barrels, one filled Gottlieb still had some sheep at the farm and he would come and shear them with a Dad used a stomper to stomp the kraut down in the banel. but Bill remembers that he had to wash his feet clean and go in and stomp it down by foot. Beans and potatoes were raised. We also milked a bunch of cows. We drank separated milk and sold the cream and some eggs to buy flour and sugar or other hand clipper. It was fascinating to watch the wool clipped off all in one piece from one sheep. It would be rolled into a tight ball, fastened with twine and then it would be sold. This was an annual event that occurred each May. The first few years on grandpas' farm, we with dill pickles and one with sauerkraut. �carried buckets of water into the house for cooking, bathing, and laundering. R.E.A. brought electricity to the area in the late 1940's. Before then, we had a windcharger which made electricity and the excess was stored in batteries and used when needed. There were some good wheat crops. I remember helping serve noon meals to the thrashing crews. Neighbors always helped each other. Later on, combines did the work more efficiently. The fall crops of coes and grain were cut by a binder. It cut the stalk and tied it into bundles. The kids would go out the next day and pick up these bundles and set them into shocks. (They look like Indian teepees.) They would be hauled into the yard later and the corn was picked by hand. This was before many farmers were able to buy cornpickers and combines. Chores for the children included helping with milking, feeding pigs, baby calves and chickens and the gathering of the eggs. We brought in cut up fire wood and corn cobs to burn in the coal stove for cooking and heating. When there was extra money, we would get some coal to burn. There was no furnace to heat the place, only the stove in the kitchen. The other rooms in the house were cold in the winter. A few years alter, propane heat was purchased for the Iiving room. I also remember the two and three day blizzards we had. January 1, 1949, Uncle Chris Kramer and dad left to take Lorena Kramer to school in Colorado Springs, they got as far as Genoa and had to stay there for the duration of the storm. George, Willard and I managed to milk the cows and the other chores while mom worried and prayed. I am sure she did plenty of both and were we relieved when dad got home safe on the third day. The Stahlecker homestead is still being lived in by the third generation. George and his wife Janie along with their two boys, Jerry and Tim have done some remodeling to the inside as well as the outside. The original barn is still standing but has been patched up some. Some of the other buildings have crumbled and have been replaced, but the homestead still gives me a nostalgic calm and joy when I am there. by Clarine Stahlecker Fergus STAHLECKER WEISS FAMILY close was advantgeous as they helped each other build their homes and farm buildings. Some of the buildings and houses were built of adobe bricks which consisted of straw mixed with mud, dried into bricks and then built up into walls. The outside walls were then stuccoed. The original houses are still standing and still being lived in. Gottlieb & Minnie had 8 children, they were Otto, Clara, Gottlief, William, Emma, Bertha, John, and Anna. Fred & Jakobine had 5 children. The children grew up together very closely. They went to school and played and worked together. All of the children, even the girls had to stay home from school and help with the farm work. Some ofthem obtained 8 years of schooling, while others did not. Cattle, pigs, sheep and chickens were raised on the farm plus several kinds of crops and many garden crops were grown. The Stahleckers were self-sustaining farmers with very little bought from town. Fruit and Vegetables were canned. Watermelons were pickled in salt brine and then eaten in the fall and winter. It was a treat to eat grandmas' home-made bread spread with thick, rich cream and sprinkled with sugar. Lambs and beef were butchered and canned in jars. Ham and bacon were preserved in barrels of salt brine and the sausages were smoked in the smoke house. The families first car was a Ford probably bought in 1913 or 1914. Before then, they traveled everywhere in horse drawn wagons. They were faithful in attending the Ger- man Lutheran Church 11 miles north of Bethune. I remember a dust storm darkening the sky one Sunday before church was over. We drove with the car lights on and got as far as my grandparents where grandma cooked dinner and we ate using the light of the kerosene lamps. Grandpa and grandma retired from farming in 1945 and moved to Loveland Colorado where they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. All 8 children were present along with 35 grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren. by Clarine Stahlecker Fergus STAHLECKER, ROBERT AND MILDRED F669 My grandfather, Gottlieb Stahlecker, was born in 1878 to Martin & Catherine (Juengling) Stahlecker. They lived for a time in South Dakota before moving to the area north of Bethune, Colorado known as the German Settlement. The parents had come from Russia in the 1800's but Gottlieb and his brothers and sisters were born in Nebraska and South Dakota. Sisters Minnie & Jakobine Weiss arrived as young ladies from Russia and immediately they were admired and courted by two of the Stahlecker brothers, Gottlieb and Fred. The couples were married on August 24, 1902 in a double ceremony. They then home steaded t/q mile apart; 6 miles north and 1% miles west of Bethune. The purpose of living so together, We picked up prunes from the ground after the trees had been shaken. Then there was filberts and walnuts to pick (crawling on west ground now). Later we both worked in the cannery. I peeled twenty two bushel of pears per day but the supervision said it was not enough and unless I could do better would lose my job so I did not return. We got a job in a dairy. Robert milked 15 cows by hand and did field work and cared for sheep and angora goats. The pay was $50 per month. In October of 1936 we decided to return home to our little 160 acre farm north of Bethune. We were lucky to get most of our furniture right away as we attended a community sale where a family who were leaving were selling all of theirs. Later we needed horses with which to farm so Robert went to a horse sale and bought a bunch of wild horses. Two of them were beautifully matched bay horses which we hoped would make a team to be proud of. But this was not to be. What we did not know but found out later was that they were rodeo horses aged four and six years old, they never tamed down. As soon as the harness was on the they thought it was time to perform! Our good friend who delt in livestock bought them and probably returned to the rodeo circuit. We had paid 9100. for them which was a lot of money in those days. One horse was so mean that whenever someone came into the barn he laid back his ears and began kicking. We finally got a good four horse team broke out of the herd and sold the rest. Using this team and a one row lister Robert planted the corn. We raised some very good corn crops. They were good years! We built several adobe buildings. Using loose soil, straw and water having the horses trample it into an even mixture, and using a six tined fork it was laid up in layers. One layer upon another. Each layer was allowed to dry some before another was added. These buildings were durble and cheap but hard work to build. In 1943 we adopted a nine year old boy John Dennis. He remained with us until he was sixteen when he purchased a car and went out on his own. One year a tornado came thru it went around the buildings but when it came to the hay rack it lifted it neatly over the fence and dropped it several times (gouging a large hole in the ground each time) and finally landed F670 Mildred (Fanselau) and Robert Stahlecker were married December 11. 1934. We moved into our two room adobe house, which Robert had built the year before. It was the year of the horrible electric storms which brought dust like walls of dirt which even got into our homes and we sometimes breathed thru dampened wash cloths. It had not rained all summer nor snowed that winter and deciding the grass may have died we left in March of 1935 for Newberg, Az. smashed in the field. We enjoyed the radio programs and listened to the various plays ect. each day. A far cry from our modern T.V. pictures. We shucked the corn by hand with a team of horses and wagon with high boards on one side that would stop the ears of corn when we threw them. We usually had about twenty four head of cattle. The cows kept their calves and when they were fat in the fall we sold them. They were mostly Herefords and I always thought Colo., Ok., and Dakotas we were glad to find their pretty white faced calves were so cute. We also raised broiler chicks in a "batterv" (a brooder with shelves) They also *ete s.t"h cute fluffy little things. When they first cnme berries (crawled all day on hands and knees) next picked cherries from trees as high as telephone poles (shakey business!) picked hops, our field had 1,000 pickers working from the hatcheries in Missouri. We also had hogs and turkeys. We bought another 160 acres of grass land in about 1940 so we broke the rest ofthe other and had more to farm, (about 140 acres of There were so many people there from any kind of work. First we picked straw- �farm land). We always raised feed for the cattle and stacked it to use the next year in case of a crop failure. Later we got a little John Deere tractor (G.P.) which made the work easier and still later a small John Deere combine. We were brought up to fear debts so never went into debt and never regretted it. It was a good life - lots of laughs and a few tears. In 195? we decided to move into town. I worked as a baby sitter and was very happy doing that. I met many fine people and shared a lot of love with lots of kids. Robert worked for Great Western Sugar Company for seven seasons, helping to establish the receiving depot here in Burlington. He also did carpenter work and a Iot of painting both interior and exterior. We have lived here in Burlington now for nearly thirty years and think it's the best place in the whole wide world! Our parents were Henry and Lily Fanselau and Fred and Jacobine Stahlecker. by Mildred Stahlecker STALGREN, CHARLES AUGUST AND IDA MARIE F671 Wyo. on account of Mathilda's health. She had tuberculosis. Mathilda passed away 5 Feb., in 1892. Claus farmed the boys out in the country at Pine Bluffs, Wyo. Emil and Herman to widow and son, Johnson and Gus to an old couple, C.L. Johnson. He went to visit them often. One time he rode horseback from Cheyenne to Pine Bluffs to give Gus a horse, saddle and a22 caliber rifle. Hannah had tuberculosis in her hip and Claus sent her to a hospital in Chicago for about a year. They cured her hip, but her leg never grew. Claus married Ida Marie Jonsdotter Lett, 5 Sept. 1892. She was born 8 Dec. 1860 in Stenbrohult Parish, Sweden, and came to the U.S. 18 July 1883. Her parents were Jon Germundsson and Cathrina Pehrsdotter. She married Charles Lett and had two daughters, Hilda Irene, born 11 Dec. 1886 and Julia Wilmona, born 3 Feb. 1890. Mr. Lett died about the same time as Mathilda. The new family lived in Cheyenne, Wyo. They brought Emil and Herman to their home in Cheyenne and Gus still stayed with C.L. Johnson. Claus quit the tailor bench in man and Gus would drive the ole horse and buggy 3 miles to school. Claus took out his final papers to become a citizen of the U.S., 24 Nov. 1893, in Cheyenne, Wyo. Maude Olive was born on this place, 18 May 1893 and Ann Margaret was born 10 Oct. 1894. The family lived there about 3 years. Then Claus took a homestead 4 miles north of Salem, Wyo., about 18 miles north and west of Pine Bluffs. The improvements on this place were: three sons, Wm. Jr., Richard and Robert. Ida Lorraine married Raymond Wright and had thirty acres under cultivation. Also, Iots of married Mathilda Sophia Nilsdotter, who was born, 28 Oct. 1859. While they lived in Sweden, they had three children; Gus, born 1 Jan. 1881, Emil, born 29 Sept. 1882 and Hanna Sophia, born 26-27 Aug. 1884. When Claus lived in Sweden, he was a professional tailor and had his own shop. The family left Sweden, Mar. 23, 1888 and anived in Bradshaw, Nebr., 8 Apr. 1888, to stay with Mathilda's uncle and family. They soon moved to York, Nebr., where Claus worked as a tailor. He took out intention of becoming a citizen of the U.S. in York, Co., Nebr., the 17th of Sept. 1888, and changed his name to Claus A. Stolgren. Herman was born 9-10 Apr. 1890 in York, Nebr. In 1890, they moved to Cheyenne, World War I and II. He married Ruth Fithian, 28 May 1925. She had one son, Mark and they had a daughter, Darlene. Ruth passed away in 1927. Roy died 14 Apr. 1884, in Burlington, Colo. Darlene and Mark preceded him in death. Jo married Wm. Frailey and lives in Toole, Utah. They had he had bought near Tracy, Wyo. (just a U.P.R.R. siding). They raised cattle and milked cows, sold butter and eggs. Cattle prices raised about that time, so they were doing O.K. Emil, Hilda, Julia, Hanna, Her- building, 4 rooms, stable, 150' Iong, sheds, windmill and 160 acres, fenced. There were Claus August (Charles August) Stahl was born in Appelhuit, Hjalmeryd, Jonkoping, Sweden,30 Apr. 1858. His father was Gabriel Magnusson Stahl, who was a soldier, and his mother was Maria Christina Jonasdotter. He and had two daughters, Alice and Lois. He was a tailor and lived in Denver, Colo. He died 7 June 1972. Irene married Earl Moore Harding and lived in Seattle, Wash. Theyhad two daughters, Helen and Betty. Irene died 4 Apr. 1976. Julia never married, lived at home and died 10 Apr. 1920. Maude was a teacher and married Elbert Nider. He passed away in 1915. She married Tom Burke and they were later divorced. She came home to care for her mother in 1943. After her death. she stayed there with her two brothers, Emil and Roy. She died 5 Apr. 1950, in Denver, Colo. Anna married Charles Pratt and lived in Omaha, Nebr. They had four children, Dorothy, Clayton, Bonnie and Emil Donald. She died 9 Apr. 1951. Roy served in both Cheyenne, about 1893, and moved to a place a frame house, two rooms, 16'x24', out The Charles August Stalgren Family taken in 1904. Back row: Emil, Julia, Irene, Gus, Herman and Maude. Front row: Ida Lorraine, Charles A., Roy, Ida Marie, Pearl, Hanna and Josephine shops. He had one son, Harold. Gus died 3 July, 1975. Emil served in World War I and after the death of his father was both brother and father to his brothers and sisters. Emil spent most of his life working with horses and cattle. He died quietly at home, 21 June 1958. Hanna never married and stayed at home, doing most of the family's sewing. She passed away, 6 Dec. L922, at home. Herman married open county and good grass for cattle raising. Three children were born on this place, Roy Robert Benjamin, 3 Aug. 1897, Josephine Marie, g Sept. 1898 and Ida Lorraine, 15 Aug. 1899. Claus built that place up to a regular ranch and was doing real well, till the bad five children, Marjorie Marie, born 24 Nov. 1921; Katheryn Joan, born 31 Aug. 1925, died 30 Sept. 1926; Joyce Elaine, born 12 Jan. 1928; Bill Ray Frank, born 26 Oct. 1929; and Jacky Leigh,24 July 1938. Both Ida and Raymond were killed in an accident,4 Jan. 1948. Pearly married Clifford Chittem and lived in Denver, Colo. They had one son, Boyd. She died 8 Sept. 1969. Charles August Stalgren passed away, 9 Sept. 1907 and Ida Marie, 27 Jan.1944. They are both buried in the Beaver Valley Cemetery in Kit Carson Co., Colo. Julia, Maude, Emil, Hanna and Roy are also buried in the Beaver Valley Cemetery. bv Bill R. Wright winter killed off all the southern cows he had bought the fall before. In 1900, the family moved to Sterling, Colo. and then to Weskan, Kans. They didn't stay there very long. They moved 4 miles north of Goodland, Kans., in a covered wagon. They rented the old Russell Ranch and raised cattle. Pearl Ethel was born there, 5 July 1903. Then they moved to eastern Colo., north and little west of Kanorado. Hanna filed for a homestead there. They established residence, 15 Dec. 1905. She had to file in Hugo, Colo. They were spelling Stolgren with an a now, Stalgren. They built a sod house on this place. It had six rooms and was well furnished. They also built a frame barn, L6'x24',shed 10'x60', chicken house, granary 26' and,40', adobe milkhouse, well windmill and pump, two tanks and frame coal house. There were 2th miles of fencing and 70 acres broken out. They raised barley, corn, cane and wheat. Some good years, some bad. The children that were school age, went to the Plainview School in Kit Carson County, Colo. Gus married and lived in Denver, Colo. working for a railroad in the maintenance STALGREN, EMIL F672 "When you ask me to recall the bygone days when I was a young cowpoke, the one thing that comes to my mind are the short nights. I know that I'll never forget them. They stand out in my mind so vividly and were so much a part of my youth, that it has always been a wonder to me that in all the western stories I have read that no one ever spoke of the short time that a cowboy could spend in that wonderful bed roll. Yes, the ground was hard and sometimes it was cold and sometimes it was wet and raining or snowing, but it was always the same - I rolled up and that was the last thing I knew until it was morning." These words were spoken by Emil Stalgren. Emil Stalgren was born Sept. 29, 1882, in Sweden. He arrived in this country with his parents, Charles August and Mathilda Sophia Stalgren in 1888, along with his brother Gus and sister Hanna. They stopped first in �York, Neb., but in a short time went on to Cheyenne, Wyoming. Here Emil's father opened a tailor shop. Matilda passed away 2L Jan., 1892. Later his father remarried and they lived different places in Wyoming until Emil was Roy enlisted Oct. 23, 1918, at Burlington, Colo. to serve in World War I. He was a private in Co. D, 2nd Army Artillery Park Co., in the United States Army. He served at Ft. McArthur, Calif. He got the flu, while in the army and they thought he was going to about 17 years old, when they moved to Sterling, Colo. and shortly thereafter to die, so they put him in the tent with the critically ill. Not knowing he was that sick, Wallace, Kans. Here he learned much about how to care for himself and how to mix with the outfits and cowpunchers. He learned a Iot about horses and decided he liked them. He Roy thought they put him there to take care was roping, branding, herding and doing many other things when he should have been going to school. He did not like the pay and so he decided to go back to Wyoming. He came to a settlement called Pine Bluffs and was soon working for a man by the name of Parker. He got $30.00 per month, meals included. The Old Texas Trail went through Emil's stomping ground and he thought he was on the last drive. This was a drove of 5,000 that were being taken to Montana and they were moving and grazing slowly along. This trail meandered over a trail that was about 20 miles wide so there would be a little grass to eat on the way. He left Wyoming in 1906 and came to Kit Carson County, Colo., where the rest of the family had homesteaded. Emil was both brother and father to his brothers and sisters after the death of his father in 1907. He was a good neighbor and loved his fellow men, especially little children. Emil was inducted into the army in the spring of 1918 and served with the calvary. He received his discharge, March 14, 1919. There was a period when there was a rodeo at the Stalgren's every Sunday afternoon. The cowpunchers were always welcome at the Stalgrens and they liked to stop in. Everyone behaved. It seemed no one ever doubted Emil's ability to keep order. Just a little remark from him and everything was right again. He had a way with people of any caliber of mentality or character. On June 21, 1958, Emil's brother Roy, with whom he lived, went to town to get groceries and returned home, and not finding Emil in the kitchen as usual. looked in the bedroom. He was lying on the bed. Emil Stalgren was dead. He was buried in the Beaver Valley Cemetery, the cemetery he had helped start and had helped care for since he was a young man. Many of his relatives lay there waiting for him. by Bill R. Wright STALGREN, ROY of the others. Instead of dying, he got well. He was honorably discharged Dec. 16th, 1918. ln L922, to fill the need and make some money, while doing it, Roy, Frank Anderson and Fred Teman and his wife, bought horses locally and drove them to Utah. The Mormons, in Utah, were in need of horses, both riding & draft. A wagon was equipped with a canvas top, similar to the pioneer covered wagons, to carry the supplies and a stove for Mrs. Teman to cook on. Archie Anderson went along as far as Flagler where, by then, the horses were "trail broke". Archie then returned home and the herd moved on. Little details are known ofthe difficulties ofthe trip but one can imagine there were many. Upon arriving in Utah, the horses were sold, including the ones they were riding. Frank stayed in Utah several years and the others came home on the train. Roy & Ruth Fithian were married, Mar. 28, 1925, at Goodland, Kans. She had a son, Mark. They lived on a farm in NE Kit Carson, Co., Colo. & Sterling, Colo. A daughter, Darlene, was born, in 1925. Ruth died in 1929 and Darlene went to Iive with Ruth's aunt, Charlotte Cromwell in Lincoln, Nebr., who owned & lived in the Cornhusker Hotel. On Oct. 24, L942, he was again drafted to serve in the army, during World War II. He was inducted at Denver, Colo., and was a private with the Detachment Medical Department SCU #1758 at Camp Hale, Colo. He was discharged the 19th of Feb. 1943. He came back to Kit Carson, Co., Colo. to farm and live with his mother, brother Emil and sister Maude. Roy was generous to a fault with everything he owned. In his concern with his neighbor's welfare, it always came before his own. Roy's stock of groceries was unsurpassed by any home in the neighborhood. Canned goods of every size, shape and description were included in his horde. One of his theories behind this was that, in case of a three day blizzard, the neighbors could get groceries from him, when they couldn't get all the way into town. Uncle Roy fell and broke his hip on the 17th of March, 1981. He spent the next three years in hospitals and the Grace Manor Nursing Home in Burlington, Colo. He passed away, Saturday, Apr. 14, 1984 and is buried in the Beaver Valley Cemetery in Kit Carson, Co., Colo. F673 "On the deal," Whenever you heard these words, you knew Uncle Roy was around. His favorite comment to just about anything. No one was ever sure just what it meant, Roy Robert Benjamin Stalgren was born in Salem, Wyo. on Aug. 3, 1897. He came to Kit Carson, Co., Colo., with his parents, brothers & sisters in 1906. He was the youngest son of Charles August & Ida Marie Stalgren. The family was originally from Sweden. Before going to Colo., the family had lived in Nebr., Wyo. and Kans. Roy went to school at the Plainview School in Kit Carson Co.. Colo. Roy loved to drink coffee. Many, many cups were consumed everyday. If the coffee was not hot, then cold would do fine. A Karo syrup bucket, filled with water and coffee, in the morning and hung on the exhaust of his tractor, took care of his needs during the day in the field. The last words Roy spoke, before his death were, "I would like a cup of coffee, please." by Bill R. Wright STAPP, LEONA PUGH F674 I really nm proud ofthe distinction ofbeing the first white child born in Kit Carson County. My.parents, John and Jane Pugh, held the torch high as they answered the challenge to make for themselves a home on the vast expanse of prairie land. On coming to Wray, Colorado, November 16, 1886, from Springer, New Mexico where my father worked as a foreman on a large cattle ranch, they took advantage with many others of the privilege of filing on Pre-Emption and Homestead claims. The ones they chose are about 12 miles north of Stratton. On their arrival in Wray, my parents and friends, Mr. and Mrs. Jones, joined purses and bought a team of horses and wagons to haul the lumber for the necessary finishing touches for a sod house and started out on the 75 mile trek. A terrific storm (snow) forced them to stop in Friend, a post office between Wray and Stratton. There were two or three houses there. (Later when Idalia was organized it was abandoned.) One family living there would give shelter to weary travelers. So here we stopped. The first night the horses broke loose from their tether and it took three days of walking before they were found. By this time mother and Mrs. Jones felt it best for them to stay in Friend, so the men went on. In the meantime I opened my eyes to the beautiful Colorado sunshine on December 22. 1886. I have always listened many times to my mother telling of the three long days when father would have to go to Wray for provisions. And one time they had to put the little colt right between the mares to save him from the gray wolves. As time went on the water situation became so acute they were forced to leave the little old Soddy on the Homestead, and were fortunate in finding an opportunity to buy the famous old Tuttle Ranch. our home for many years. It is still in the family as my brother Lloyd owns it now. My brother Arthur and I roamed the hills for many a treasure find in Indian beads, trinkets and arrow heads. I loved the excitement of the fall round up, and the breaking of the young horses, both to the saddle and harness. The days in early fall when I went with the folks to pick up buffalo chips for our winter fuel wasn't one bit interesting, but I do remember what a hot fire they made with gobs of ashes to carry out. The first Christmas that I remember was such a thrill. We youngsters climbed out of bed way early and found in the stockings we had hung up the night before, a big shiny apple, an orange, popcorn ball and a big stick of striped red and white candy. Another thing that's so vivid was the fear of prairie fire when the grass dried up in the fall. One time a big one came rolling in from the south. It burned two ofour big haystacks in the big meadow. Several of the men came in at noon completely exhausted. Mother fed them all. When they left to meet the force farther north, father hated so to leave us all alone. There was danger ofhidden tongues of fire that would revive and creep down through the south hills. He told us to have wet sacks or anything we could use to beat the flames if they did come. Those dreadful things did come. We fought like demons and �Lester married Dixie Eachus; they raised blocked their path. The men returned about midnight and we were rated real heroes too in helping mother save the Place. four boys: Clifford, Gerald, Robert and David. They lived in Denver where he worked When I became eligible I took uP a homestead claim right close to my father's land, proved upon it. Then, when I tnarried the young man in Iowa, they bought it' And we used the money to build our own home there. where I lived until his death. at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal for a long time. Then in 1954 they moved to St. Louis, and I spent in Llanidloes, Wales, in 1911. It was his first visit home since leaving as a young man to come to America. My father's death in 1913 was indeed a greai shock, as mother was left with the iesponsibility of a big ranch with only young ones to help her, but a valued helper and friend, Bill Lucas, stood by and she weathered the storm. while in Butte, Montana. Then they moved Missouri, where he was a maintenzlnce man at different plants. Lawrence was most always a truck driver. He married Martha Stallsworth in 1950. They worked as managers of a hotel for a Another highlight was the six weeks father The last item in my story is full of good things as mother and I live so comfortable herJin Stratton close by my brother Lloyd and sisters, Mabet Guy and Gladys Quinn. I enjoy to the fullest every activity in our E.U.B. Church and have a wealth unsurpassed in wonderful friends. by Leona Alice Pugh StaPP wagon). the Navy for a while. bY DorothY Harwood 191?; Mildred M. 1921; Lester I. 1924; and Lawrence W. 1928. AII but Vernon got most of their education at Sunny Slope School north of Arriba. Dad was a small farmer who farmed with horses, raised wheat, barley, oats, corn and STEGMAN FAMILY F676 . . also hogs and some some beans and cane cattle. So we had our meat, milk, cream and butter. One evening as we were out pulling and picking beans after school, Mother ran onto a rattlesnake all coiled under a vine. That put a stop to our evening work. Mother raised a garden and chickens so we had some fresh vegetables to eat. Also she canned quite a lot and had plenty of eggs and fryers. She baked most of our bread; a loaf of boughten bread then was a treat. STEDMAN - PROAPS FAMILY William A. Stedman at work on drayline (middle to Marion, Oregon. They have 4 children, Letha, Diana, Cherry and Billy who was in F675 : We butchered a hog once in a while to have meat and lard. They'd make a brine of brown sugar, salt and smoke flavoring for curing the meat, using a big wooden barrel to put it in. We made our own sausage and Mom canned this in jars in the oven. We would pick up cowchips for firewood but would take out more ashes than the fuel put in the stove. They were a real quick hot fire. Also one winter I remember burning corn on the cob; corn wasn't worth too much. We used kerosene lamps to read, study and sew by at nights and a kerosene lantern to chore by if we didn't get the chores done before dark. Times were hard but we always had plenty to eat and were clean and had a roof over our head. Wayne and I began our schooling in a little sod school house 14 miles north and 2 miles west of Arriba in 1923. Then Wayne, Mildred, Lester and I finished our schooling at Sunny Slope. In 1937 the folks moved to Hugo, Colorado, where Dad had work on W.P.A. After that they moved to Ordway in 1942 where Dad *oiked as drayman and with the railroad until his passing from a sunstroke in 1946. Coal schutt where Dad worked 1943 (Bill Stedman). William (BiIl) Stedman was born at Ionia, Kansas, October 2, L884, and Miss Jennie June Proaps was born near Logan, Kansas, June 15, 1886. They were united in marriage at Bogue, Kansas the 21st day of April 1907. He was working as a citY draYman in Stockton, Kansas, at the time of their marriage, moving to Colorado and taking up a homestead north of Flagler in 1907. Here their family began. Vernon L. was born in 1910; Wayne A. 1914; Dorothy M. Mother passed awaY in 1951. Wayne, our oldest brother, worked out a lot. In his later years he worked as a miner at the big open pit at Butte, Montana, until he contacted black lung and could work no more. Then it was me, Dorothy, finishing my schooling and ready to try my wings. I met Frank Harwood at Sunday School one Sunday in 1933. We went together for quite some time and in August of 1934 we began our home together and have been together for almost 53 years, raising 4 children. Mildred, our sister, graduated in Hugo in 1938. She married a serviceman, Harland Meade, from Kentucky. They lived at Fowler and Ordway where he did a lot of trapping beside holding down a job. In 1954 they and their two children moved to Albany, Oregon. Jerome Stegman at Homecoming in 1975 Jerome Stephen Stegman was born in Kansas, May 22,1913. He was the ninth child of George and Elizabeth Stegman of Offerle. His grandparents migrated from Pfiefer, Russia. His grandparents were German-Russian. He grew up in this same area. Jerome helped his father on the farm working with horses. He helped raise broom corn and make brooms. He also helped in a nursery. In 1934 he married Josephine Katz. They farmed near Offerle. In 1946 they moved south of Stratton on a farm near the Cheyenne County line. The children attended First Central School. The home they moved into was made of sod. Electricity and telephones were not available in the area until several years later. The children felt they lived so far from civilization that they would never get to meet anyone. Farmers and neighbors formed baseball teems. These teams played in pastures where ball diamonds were set up. Some years were very good, as far as crops, but there were also very bleak years with dust storms and drought. Wheat was the major crop. Later when the irrigation wells were installed, corn became important for ensi- �lage. For quite a few years they raised turkeys and chickens. One of the fun times was when neighbors would get together to butcher chickens, another was driving cattle to the dipping vats. Jerome always had a large herd of cattle. Milking cows and selling cream helped provide for food and groceries. Large gardens were planted and much canning was done for winter foods. One of the sad times was when the two story barn burnt during the night in the fall of 1949. The light of the fire was seen for miles. Many neighbors came to help. In 1950 Jerome and Josephine built a home in Colorado Springs. Later they sold it and moved back to the farm. In 1951 Josephine was killed in an auto accident and was buried at Calvary Cemetery at Stratton. They had seven children. In November, 1952, Jerome married Dorothy Katz. They lived on the farm south of Stratton. Jerome was the first person to have an irrigation well in that area, which is pumping at the present. Mail was delivered three times a week from Bethune. One winter the children stayed in town for two weeks so they could attend school, as the roads were impassable due to the blowing snow. In 1963 Jerome felt the pressures of many problems. He decided to retire from farming and built a home in Stratton. They moved into their home in February, 1964. Jerome started driving the school bus and worked as a janitor at the Catholic Church and School. Dorothy and the children helped him in his work. He also worked for area farmers. never losing his love for cattle and the good earth. In 1976 Jerome underwent a triple by-pass. After his surgery, Jerome regained his strength and gradually went back working fulltime. Three family reunions were held, with the last being held July 18, 1982, being the greatest. It was held in Colorado Springs. All of the children were there. Thev came from California, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon and Canada. On Saturday, July 18, 1982, the reunion started with a dedication and service. A dance followed in the evening. Sunday morning was started with everyone going to Mass, followed by a pancake breakfast. The afternoon was spent taking pictures and saying goodbyes. Mary and Carl Smelker were the host for this reunion. In October 1981, Jerome lost the tips of two fingers on his right hand and again in 1982 lost the tips of two fingers on his left hand. It was during a routine checkup that the doctors discovered that he was again to have major surgery. This operation was extremely taxing on his physical strength, and he never fully recovered. Jerome and Dorothy traveled to many sports events in which their children participated. Jerome was always a sports enthusiast. he played baseball in his early days and later umpired for many games at Stratton. Jerome passed away on March 26, 1989, after a two week illness. He is buried in Calvary Cemetery. Dorothy still lives in Stratton. She is a teacher's aide and a bus driver for the Stratton School. Children of the Stegman family are as follows . . . Mary Ann Smelker married Carl Smelker on October 18, 1950. They live in Colorado Springs and have five children and six grandchildren. They own Smelker Concrete Pumping, Inc. Kenneth Jerome married Patricia J. Lillv August 30, 1975. Kenneth has three children and two grandchildren. Pat and Kenneth are both working in insurance. They own Surety Life. Their hobby is raising Paint horses. They are both involved in community functions. Andrea Geraldine married Claude Maxon in 1966. They have operated several businesses and owned several. At the present, they are taking life easy and enjoying their home in Fullerton. California. Constance Josephine married David Baker in 1961. They live in Indian Hills, Colorado. They have three children. Connie and David both love the outdoors. Elizabeth Kathleen, better known as Kathy, married Glen Leavitt in 1966 in Las Vegas where they have lived all their married Iife. They have both worked in various clubs. Kathy and Glen love to hunt and going out in the hills camping. Virginia Lee married Allan Dobler in 1g64. They have five children. At present they live in Seneca, Missouri where they are managing a chicken farm. They follow their children in sports. They also like to rodeo. Patricia Kay is living in Oklahoma City at present. Pat has 2 sons. Joe Howe, whom she married in 1979, passed away May 18th, 1982. He is buried in Calvary Cemetery. Pat plans to return to Colorado in the spring of '88. At present she is attending college. Colleen Marie married Ray Stutzman in 1966. They lived in Denver and later moved to Oregon. They have two daughters. Colleen loves to garden, can foods, and grow flowers. Both Ray and Colleen love to fish. Robert Morris married Lynette Allen in 1967. Bob and Lynette have four children. At the present, they live in Washington. Bob is in the construction business. Linda Dianne married Johnny Johnson in 1969. Linda attended Pikes Peak Institute of Medical Technology in Colorado Springs. Linda is employed as an office manager for a transport company. They have two children. The family is active in outdoor sports. George Steven married Michele Bilak on September 12, 1981, in Genessee Park in Colorado. George worked as respiratory therapist in many Denver hospitals before moving to East Rochester, New York. He works in Highland Hospital as a therapist. Michele works at Delco Products Division of General Motors. They have three little girls. Delmar Eugene married Linda Borden in 1976. Del has kept busy even with his disability. He spent long months in body cast and braces. He also underwent extensive surgery on his back and hip. Del and Linda live in Colorado Springs. Linda works in a rest home and Del runs an advertising paper. They have three children, one girl and two boys. high school days. They also played softball for summer recreation. They have four daughters. They live south of Stratton where {grome lived. They have cattle and sheep. Their joys are horses and dogs. Elizabeth Ann married Tim Pautler in L975 at Stratton, Colorado. Tim is engaged in farming. They live north of Stratton. Thev are active in many community projects. They are parents ofthree daughters. Both Tim and El?abeth graduated from Stratton High. Cynthia Josephine married Jay Robinson in 1985. They live in Fountain, Colorado. Jav works for a landscaping company. Cindy graduated from NJC, Sterling, Colorado. Cindy works as a secretary. They are blessed with two children. Rita Fracyne married John Kadaw in 1983. Rita and John both graduated from the University of Northern Colorado. Rita now works in the Weld Library District. They have a darling boy and are expecting anothei. They both enjoy hunting and fishing. Jeanine Marie married Billy Hornung in 1985. Both of them graduated from Stratton and attended UNC in Greeley. Jeanine attended and graduated from Colby Community College in June, 1984, with an associate degree in practical nursing. She graduated with Phy Theta Capa honors. Billy and Jeanine live north of Stratton. Thev are involved in ranching and farming. They have a son, Louden. Jacqueline Elaine was born on Februarv 29, 1964. She was born on her Uncle Bills' birthday, which is quite unique. She was an outstanding basketball and volleyball player. Jackie attended Adams State in Alamosa. Colorado. She played college basketball for four years. In 1983 her team went to Nationals. Jackie is teaching in Elizabeth, Colorado, in the high school. She enjoys cooking and sports. Bernard Jerome was born in 196b. He attended Stratton Schools where he was active in wrestling. His greatest challenge was to go to state competition. He was district champion all four years. In his junior year he placed third at state. His senior year, he placed fifth. Bernie attended Colby Community College his freshman year. He graduated from Sterling NJC in the spring of 1986. That fall entered the army. He is stationed at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. He plans to enter college when he returns home. Juleen Reanee was born October 6. 1966. She graduated from Stratton High. She was active in sports and many school activities. She was FHA president for two years, and chosen to National Honor Society her sophomore year. She attended McCook Community College, where she played basketball for two years. Juleen studied child care. She graduated in 1987. Juleen is working as a nanny in Colorado Springs. Though many of Jerome's children are living throughout the country, they will Theresa Marie was married to Mark Amos always have many happy memories of their lives in Stratton. Nineteen of the children have graduated from the Stratton school district. They have always felt proud to call Stratton their home town. Washington County. They have two children. Theresa loves being a mother and housekeeper. She also likes to garden and grow flowers. Stephen Jerome married Connie Livingston in 1974. Steve and Connie alwavs loved sports and participated in many during their by Dorothy Stegman in 1973. Mark was in the army at that time. They lived in Buffalo, Wyoming for a while, later moving to Flagler, where he had a welding shop. In 1985 the welding shop burned. Mark is now a state patrol officer in �STETLER, GRANT F677 I was born in Carey County, Ohio, Sept. 25, 1863, and spent my boyhood days there with my parents on a farm. Hearing the stories of the wonderful West and the opportunity of owning your own home, I decided to take my chance with the others who had immigrated into the new country. So I left my home in Ohio, and came by train to Benkleman, Nebr., then to Bird City, Ks., where an older brother was living. I came with the intention of taking a homestead in western Kansas, but soon learned that all desirable land had been taken up there. So I left my trunk with my brother and took a few supplies with me. A man bythe name of Mack Criger and I walked into Colorado, arriving on March 8, 1887. We enjoyed the trip across the plains eager to get to our destination and learn what the new land looked like, and where we would be located. It took us two days to walk from Bird City to a home owned by Bevelheimer. He was then living on the original townsite platted for Burlington, but from which the town later moved to a site 2 miles east. The night we reached the Colorado line, we were footsore and very weary. We stayed overnight with a Mr. Van Horn and family. There were blisters on our toes and the kind old lady let us bathe our feet and rub them with coaloil. I have never forgotten her kindness to us and how cheered we were to continue our journey. We both took pre-emptions joining and filed our papers at Kiowa, then decided to return to Bird City for supplies. Having no conveyance, we again set out on foot. We walked all day and came to a farm house that night, and asked for a bed. But evidently they didn't like our looks, for they told us they had no place for us to stay. So we just kept walking and walked all night. We followed the angling trail across the prairie to a place where the road forked. One trail leading east and the other angling northeast. We got started on the wrong trail and had walked some miles when we discovered our error. So, as there was no other mark by which we could find our bearings, we looked at Polaris to guide straight north to the angling road, or trail and finally arrived at Bird City. In Bird City, we bought some lumber for our house, a breaking plow, a team of mules, and a wagon. Then we put in some food supplies; consisting of flour, lard, salt side meat, and beans; and bedding, and dishes. We then drove back to our locations in Colo., and build a sod house on the line between the two claims. Criger located on the NE % of 178-44, and I on the SE % of 8-8-44. This was a substitutional little shack with a good roof and a wood floor. We lived here until we could prove on our claims. We had a home made bedstead, and used boxes for cupboards and chairs. Our mail was brought from Ft. Wallace, to Eustis, Kansas, then brought to Colo. by farmers or the stage. The mail sack was left at the home of Jim Anderson, a homesteader near us. We would take the mail sack in the back room of his home, dump the mail on the floor, and get ours out. Then return the mail to the sack, and whenever we met a man whom we knew had received mail. we told him, then he'd go to Andersons to get it. Water was hauled from Lost Man Creek until I dug a well 140 ft. deep. We then had water as long as we stayed there. While I was in Bird City, I met a James Knapp, who at that time was digging the well in the public square, in the town. Later he came to Colo. and dug a number of wells on the ranches around Burlington and for a number of years after procuring a well drilling outfit, he drilled wells and erected windmills for the STEVENS - CALL AND STEVENS - SPURLIN FAMILIES F678 settlers. When buying supplies for our new home, we made an error by purchasing a gasoline cook stove instead of a little "topsy" or cook stove, for when we got to Colo., we discovered we couldn't get gasoline here. So we dug a hole in the ground outdoors and built a fire with buffalo chips, the only available fuel. We were obliged to cook in this manner until we could purchase a cook stove some weeks later. My team of mules and a breaking plow made my living for me, for I got work among the early settlers breaking the ground for tree-culture claims and planting young trees. A number of people came from Skidmore, Mo. and took tree claims, and we got the job of breaking the ground and planting the trees. When I first came here, I brought some of fathers tools. that he used in his blacksmith shops in Flat Rock, and in Carey, Ohio. Among them a brace and bit, a square, and some other pieces. I have used them since and they are pretty well worn now. I also have a stove poker my father made for me when I was a lad. We were thrilled when we learned the Rock Island was coming through here, in Oct. and the grading begun the following April, in 1888. I helped dig the railroad well at Flagler. Fay and Alberta Stevens in the late 1920's in Benkleman, Nebr. My dad, Virgil Fay Stevens Sr., moved to western Kansas with my grandparents. The I watched the little towns grow from tents to their present size. I have seen people come, homestead was just north of Bird City, Kansas. In those days, it was not unusual to stay a short time, and go on, too discouraged see Indians pass by. My mother, Alberta Call, to stand the battle a bit longer. But there was born and raised in Geneva, Kansas. She were always a few who stayed on, endured the was 18 years old when she graduated from hardships, and have been foremost in the progress and development ofthis area. They were the real pioneers and only a few are left. By working at different jobs, I saved enough to return to Ohio, and in Jan. 1889, I was married to Etta M. Slaymaker. We returned to Burl by the new Rock Island and at once got a relinquishment, on which was a small dugout, having a floor made mostly of knotholes. What a home for a bride! We lived here until the next summer when we built a two-room house with a commodious cellar underneath. I dare say that of all the nice homes we've had since, none thrilled us as much as when we moved form the dugout, to the soddy. We got a man by the name of John Trout, to dig a well for us and gave him a cow in payment. Water was brought up by a windlass. Later we put up a windmill, built a stone milk house, and made butter, for which we always got 25 cents per lb. We lived here for about 20 years, and sold out in 1907. We came to Burl, where we bought a hardware store and retired after some years in this business. We are now living in our own home in Burlington, Colo. In May, 1937, Grant Stetler passed away. by Janice Salmans school, and moved to western Kansas to teach at a small country school. This is where she met my dad and they were married. They farmed and raised cattle until the drought of the 30's and the depression forced them off the farm. While living on the farm they had four sons, Virgil Jr., Norman, Dean and Dallas. After leaving the farm they moved to Benkelman, Nebraska, where my two sisters Sharon and Connie were born. I started school in Benkelman and went through the seventh grade. Dad had a garage where he made farm equipment. In 1947 we moved to Walla Walla, Washington, where some of dad's brothers were. None of us liked it there so we came back and settled in Burlington where dad helped his brother, Henry, build the Steven's Motel, the first large modern motel and 24 hour restaurant which was located on Rose Avenue. Dad also contracted other buildings, such as the old Save-U market, and built houses until he became ill. He passed away in 1960. My mother still lives in Burlington and celebrated her 80th birth- day in April, 1987. When I moved to Burlington in 1947 I was in the 8th grade. Tony Consbruck was the new principal. The whole school was in one building. When I was a sophomore we used to go to Stratton, usually in an old Model A Ford, or anything that would run. I met a Stratton girl, Doris Spurlin. Her folks ran a dairy and the Hollywood Creamery. We were married in September of 1953, after Doris graduated from high school. I graduated in 1952 and was working for "Jack the Cleaner". �I ran his delivery route to Stratton, Vona and Seibert. Doris had moved to Burlington with two girl friends and worked as a telephone operator. In January 1954, Doris and I, my brother Dean and his wife Freda, went to Fort Benning, Georgia. Dean and I were in the first NCO (Non-Commissioned Officers) school, class #1 at the Fort and trained with regular army and officer candidates. In 1958 Dean, Freda and their two children, Doris, and our two daughters Dana and Debbie and I moved back to Burlington from Brush. We purchased "Jack the Cleaners" and became partners in business at the D&D Cleaners located at 470 14th Street. Dean later moved to Flagler and operated an additional cleaning plant. After settling in Burlington we had three daughters, Diane, Devona, and Dee, and a son Derek. In 1975 we purchased the business from Felzien Cleaners and moved to a new location at 260 14th Street. In February, 1987, we have been in business 28 years. We have always liked Burlington and Kit Carson County. We know many people all over the county and are very glad we stopped times we had to buy hay and grain that the government had purchased and shipped in. A great deal of it was unfit for the stock to STILL, R. A. AND FREDA eat. Quite a few of the farmers sold their cattle to the government to be killed, rather than buy expensive and oftentimes spoiled F680 feed. When we came to Colorado, there was a great amount of open range, where you could graze your cattle and horses, which helped out considerably during those dry years. However, not everything was on the dark side; there were also good times to be had. These were neighborhood gatherings, visit- ing, card parties and house dances. Almost every weekend there would be a dance at someone's home, Some danced and others that didn't care to dance, played cards. The music was furnished by some of the neighbors. This usually consisted of a piano, violin, and guitar. Each family brought along some food and around midnight, refreshments of sandwiches, cake and coffee were served. A collection was taken to pay for the music. here years ago and decided to raise our family Along in the 40s, things started changing here. All our children graduated from Burlington High School. Two of our children now reside in Burlington. We have six grandchild- for the better. The crops were better and also the prices for the crops. In March 1936, Ethel Kreoger and I were united in marriage. I had a 1929 Essex car and about $40.00 in cash. I had the promise of a job on a farm northeast of Holyoke, about fifteen miles north of Wray; a rod went out the side ofthe engine. But as luck would have it, a couple of men who knew my cousin at Holyoke, came along and picked us up and took us the rest of the way to my cousin's place. I worked on this place for a few months; we then rented a farm north of Burlington. In t942. we left the farm and moved to Denver, where I worked for Remington Arms, making ammunition. We also spent a year in New Jersey, where I had a part in the making of the atom bomb. R.A., Frieda, and Andrew Still during the 1920's. After the war we moved to Hale, Colo., But faithfulness and honesty showed all where I ran the Hale Store and was Postmast- your love was true, and who would ever dream er from the Spring of L947 until August 1948. what all would come. From a horse and buggy courtship to airplane's awesome flight, you've traveled through your life in many ways. ren. Our granddaughter will be the third generation attending Burlington Schools. by Dallas Stevens STEWART FAMILY F679 We moved to a farm southwest of Stratton and lived there until February 1984. After moving there, Ethel taught school for several years. Two years were at the Nutbrook School, located 10 miles south and one mile west of Stratton. Three years were spent Calvin and Ethel Stewart on March 1970 on their 35th wedding anniversary. On March 10, 1932, from Gage Co., Nebraska, came the Stewarts H.R. and Hattie, with their three sons: Calvin, Lamar and Dean to a place 9% miles north of Burlington to what was known as the Tyler place. We arrived at the time the banks were going broke and the drought and dust storms were starting. The fall of '31 Dad came to Colorado and leased the place where we were to live, across the road from land he had purchased previously. The land owners were to do some building, including a house and some work on the barn. However, on arriving at the place, Sixty years is a long time for two to live as one "Surely, this won't last," was said by some. one miles south and one mile west of You've seen such endless changes throughout your married life together, faced it all so unafraid. You both pulled out of Stockton that cold day long ago, one by rail, the other by Model Stratton. T. I were married 38 years; we had 3 daughters: Sandra Lincoln, Marianna, Fla., Patricia You set out in your new life determined and with love to make your life as good as it could be. You've seen a lot of good times Contrasted to the bad; The dirty thirties'darkened skies of dust. at the Smoky Angle School, which was twenty I also spent several years working for the railroad and Kit Carson County. Ethel and Webb, Bethune, Colo., and Sharon Harper, Cedar Hill, Texas. In 1974 Ethel passed away; in 1976, I married Jewell Tatkenhorst. Jewell passed away in 1983. I rm now married to the former When chickens roosted early and night came at midday. The strength that pulled you Betty Miller. through was love and trust. For those whose faith together gets them My brother, Lamar, is living in Denver and brother, Dean, still resides on the home place, through those bad times, rewards are bound to come, and yours came, too. north of Burlington. we found nothing had been done. So we There have been quite a few rough times moved into a sod house that was on the place, until such time as Dad could get a house built and a great many good times. I guess you need the bad times to really appreciate the good for us. ones. The first few years were tough going, as the crops were short and prices low. We were farming with horses at that time, as were quite a few others, and at times it was touch and go as to whether we were going to get feed enough for the horses and cattle. Several Over Sixty Years and "Still' Going Strong by Calvin YY. Stewart Those fields of golden harvest seemed magical at times. The magic, though, was hard work, Mother Nature and you. And speaking of hard work, we can't forget the cows, the milking and to town you hauled the cream. Kanorado was then booming, a busy little town; a hotel, movie house, a growing dream. We want to thank you Grandma. and Grandad, thank you, too. You made us each feel special and always a part. �finishing high school in Flagler, Colorado. And memories you gave us. Too manY, here, to count. Because you have always been Second Central provided grades through ten, all attended junior and senior years in Flagler High School; Donna attended Flagler school a few years longer, Lyle graduated from Flagler High School in 1944. This time in history was an unusual young at heart. Good cooking, Christmas stockings, whistles and bubble gum, sleighrides, laughter, teats, memories we all share. With our congratulations for your shared sixty years, we give our love to you both 'cause we care. And this is so little in comparison to all you have given us. Your grandchildren and great-grandchild- time for many, upsetting many of life's ambitions and plans. After a summer at home, he entered the Army. After training, his outfit was put aboard a Liberty ship, headed for the Pacific area. Japan surrendered and these troops were among the first ren, This poem was written in honor of R.A. and Freda Still's sixtieth Wedding Anniversary, in 1983. Freda passed away in September, 1984. This poem is being placed in this book in fond memory of Grandma, by her Grandchildren, Great-Grandchildren, and R.A. who still lives in their home (north of Kanorado) over 60 years and "STILL" going strong. troops arriving there. After sailing into Nagasaki Harbor, the journey was extended to Nagoya where troops were put ashore. The first permanent outfit was at Koyoto. After a few months, all were shipped to Kochene Stadium at Osaka where men transferred to various parts of Japan. Lyle was transferred to a Signal Corps outfit in Kobe. In 1946, he was shipped back to the states and discharged in November, 1946. On January 24, L948, Lyle married Laura by Susan Corliss Elizabeth Howe of the Bovina area. She STONE, LYLE W. AND LAURA F68l Solomon W. and Rose A. Stone, Lyle Stone's grandparents Lyle W. was born September 22, L926 in a sod house built for his parents, Conrad L. & Minerva (Sloan) Stone, when they were married. His father, Conrad "Connie" was a son of Solomon W. & Rose A. Stone. In this same house, Joyce Elizabeth was born February 10, 1929. The Connie Stone family then moved to the old Moss homestead to live for a time. Here, Dorothy A. was born on the fourth of July, 1930. Connie bought some land south in the range area and built there Conrad and Minerva Stone Family sist€rs Joyce, Dorothy and Donna - LyIe and his a three room adobe house, barns, and necessary buildings to raise livestock. At this place, Donna M. was born on March 7, 1936. Lyle and his sisters, Joyce, Dorothy and Donna attcnded school at Second Central, attended school in Lincoln County, graduating in Genoa in 1945. After a try at farming on the family homestead, their last $50.00 went for seed wheat. The crop was lost that winter in blowing dust. They then moved to Denver where Lyle attended Western Television and Radio Institute. A little over two years later they returned to a home they had built in the Town of Flagler; a shop was established in July, 1951. Plans were to continue in school at Chicago, but comfort of living again in Flagler was too great. By driving school buses, combines and other odd jobs, the business was able to succeed. Laura and Lyle were proud parents of Marvin Lyle, Connie Lee, Peggy Joyce, Lenny Ray, Kelvin Eugene and Laura Beth. AII children attended Flagler Schools. Marvin attended Otero Junior College, Colorado State University, Washington State University and received a doctorate. He now is a professor at Oklahoma State University. Connie Lee attended Mesa College at Rangely one year and two years at Otero College at La Junta. He is now serving as a technician at the family shop. Lenny Ray attended college at Otero Junior College, served a time with the United States Air Force in the "cripto" area and now serves as a communi- cations technician in the family shop. Peggy Joyce lives on the Island of Molokai in the Hawaiian Islands. She attended Colorado * State Teachers College at Greeley, where she received a B.S. degree and a Masters at the University of Hawaii. She is now employed by Social Services on Moloki. Kelvin Eugene attended Colorado College in Colorado Springs and Colorado State Teachers College in Greeley where he received a B.S. degree in Chemistry. He is now chief chemist for the City of Colorado Springs. In 1956, Lyle was elected to the Board of Directors for the Town of Flagler, serving there until 1968. He then was elected mayor and served until 1972. Of this time, a most remembered problem would have been with man's best friends, the dogs. Laura, among all other duties of raising a family has served the business as bookkeeper and general manager through many years, a momentous task. In 1987, the family business has been in operation for 36 years. In conclusion, Flagler Lyle and Laura Stone and family �has been a good place to do business and especially to raise a family. by Lyle TV. Stone STONE, SOLOMON WESLEY F682 Stone, Solomon Wesley, arrived in Kit Carson County in 1914 after a grueling trip from Beverly, Kansas. He was accompanied by his son, Conrad Lyle Stone, known to most as "Connie". Other members of the family, along with household and other equipment, arrived later in Seibert by train. The family first located on the "Cardwell Place", south of Seibert where the family lived until moving to a tract of land Solomon had purchased, some 12 miles southeast of Flagler. A great amount of effort to improve this plot of ground was seen in the next few years when a row oflocust trees was planted, a large area of garden, shrubbery and trees near the homesite. Most who knew them, will recall the row of trees reaching over a half mile, the steep magnesia cliffs and winding incline of the road from the east approach. This location was a welcome change from the at Time, Pike County, Illinois and died July 4, L94L, at Flagler. Rose (Anderson) Stone was born November 12, 1863, at Newton, Iowa and died September 13, 1944, Flagler. Children of Marice Briand and Laura Lenore Briand (Stone) were Joyce Evelyn, Virginia Lenore, Maurice, Hal Burdette, Sol Lewis (Peterson) and William A. Stone were Raymond (died young), Bruck William, Rose Evelyn and Frances June. Children of Minerva Anna (Sloan) and Conrad Lyle Stone were Lyle Wesley, Joyce Elizabeth, Dorothy Anna and Donna Mae. Children of Marjory (Taylor) and Solomon W. Stone were Judeth Roann, and of second marriage to Ida B. (Reynolds), Conrad who died at birth. Conrad Lyle b. Aug. 31, 1898 (Beverly, Ks), Farmer and Stockman, lived most of his life in Flagler area, Colo. Owned ranches and farms south of Flagler, trained as a barber, practiced in Flagler a time. Died at Hoxie, Ks, Jan26,1965, married by Rev. Adna W Moore at Flagler on March 11, 1925. Minerva Anna Sloan b. July 26, 1900 (Selden, Ks), died March 24, 1978 at Hugo, Colo. Loved home and family above all else, played basketball as a youth, enjoyed School Sports and Community affairs. Children: a. Lyle Wesley b. Sept. 22,1926, Telecommunications. Lifetime in Flagler area. Married Jan.24,1948 (Limon). Laura Elizabeth Howe b. March 4, L927 (Genoa, Co), Accountant, Bus Mgr & Homemaker. Children: (1) Marvin Lyle b. June 22, L950 (Denver, Co). Doctorate in Engineering Sciences, Prof at man to Illinois where he engaged in farming. At the onset of the Civil War, joined the 99th Ill. Infantry and after many encounters, became ill at the Battle of Vicksburg from ting. No Children. unsanitary conditions at the front and later died in St. Louis, Mo., when his son, Solomon was only one year old. Solomon, his Mother and three brothers moved then to near Ft. Scott, Kansas, where his mother homesteaded, later marrying a minister who had also homesteaded there named Cardwell. The family then moved to Lecompton, Kansas, where Solomon grew to manhood. On April 20, 1887, Solomon married Rose A. Anderson at Ellsworth, Kansas. The couple spent some time at Topeka where Solomon was engaged as a stonemason in the building of the State Capitol building there. He later bought a farm at Beverly, Kansas, where his children, Alma Elizabeth (died young), Laura Lenore, William Anderson, Conrad Lyle and Solomon Wesley was born. (The youngest son of the youngest son was called Solomon for four generations!) Other members of the Stone family had homesteaded south of Seibert and reported good country, accounting for Solomon's move to Kit Carson County. Here he engaged in farming, construction and road building. He plastered many local homes, ran the concrete for the Flagler water tower, built a few rock buildings, ran sidewalks and curbs in Flagler. He operated a road-building crew when Kit Carson County improved the rural roads in this area. He was known as "Uncle Sol" and she as "Aunt Rose" to all who knew them in the area. They were active in the First Congregational Church in Flagler and the Second Central Sunday School. Solomon Stone was born August L4, L862, F683 and Maryn Kay. Children of Nettie Jo general flat rolling country about it, an oasis of greenery in a normally dry and sometimes dusty land. Solomon Stone was the son of Solomon of Bloomfield, Indiana whose father, also Solomon, had moved there from North Carolina. Solomon of Indiana moved when a young STONER, EMMA AND GALEN Oklahoma State University, Married Dec. 31, 1970, to: Bonnie Jean Flowers b. Feb. 19, 1950, Computer Op, Archaeologist, Accoun- (2) Connie Lee b. May 30, 1951 (Denver), Radio and Electronics Tech. Married Aug. 21,1976. Debra Jean Hobbie b. June 15, 1958, Homemaker, active in comm affairs. Children: (a) Robyn Kelly b. June 7, 1979 (b) Collin Lee b. November 29, 1980 (c) Apryl Denise b. June 7, 1982. (3) Lenny Ray b. May 25, 1952 (Denver), Radio and Electronics Tech. Served USAF- SAC Cryptology, Comm Married Aug 27, L972 to: Nola May Parker b. July 8, 1952, Degree in Education, teaching, active in sports. Children: (a) Randal Dean b. May 26, 1972 (b) Christopher Lee b. Nov. 23, 1973 (c) Laurie Ranae b. May 12, 1981. (4) Peggy Joyce b. Aug 13, 1953 (Flagler). Masters Deg in Voc and Rehabilitation. Lives in Hawaii (Moloki and Oahu) Works Soc. Services. Married Aug 15, 1975 to: Arthur Patrick Saguid b. Jan 4, 1951 (Oahu, Hi), Masters Deg in Spec Ed Children: (a) Tiani Elena Christina Saguid b. Oct 15, 1982. (5) Kelvin Eugune b. May 23, 1956 (Flagler), Degree in Chemistry, wks & lives in Co. Springs, Co, Chief Chemist, city laboratory. Married on Dec 27, 1980 to: Lucy Alene Shawcroft b. July 8, 1955, Col Grad. Children: (a) Daniel Kelly b. Aug 19, 1983. (b) Thomas Earl b. Nov 4. 1984. (6) Laura Beth b. June 5, 1962 (Flagler), Accounting, Homemaker, Sports Inst. Married Sept 20, 1981 to: Rick Ray Pelton b. Sept 24, 1961, Col Grad, Farming, Mechanic. Children: (a) Tyler Anthony b. Aug 25,L984. by Lyle Stone Emma and Galen Stoner. My parents, Emma and Galen Stoner, moved to Colorado in the spring of 1942 from Morton Co., Kansas, where the Stoners and Milburns were early settlers. The "dirty thirties" had already driven the rest of the Stoners to leave. When Gerald "Jiggs" Halrvard went to the Army, my folks moved to his ranch in Cheyenne County. After my school year was finished in Houghton, Kansas, my father brought me and another load ofthings up that long road north ofFirst View (from which you are supposed to get your first view of Pikes Peak if the atmosphere is just right). I thought that he had brought me to the end of the world when I saw all those miles of green pastures, which have now nearly all been plowed for farming. My parents ran steers on this ranch. Even yet then in the 40's, Dad, with the help of neighbors, drove the steers to First View to load on the train to take to the Kansas Citv market. Dad would ride along in the caboose. I had some contact with Stratton that first summer through one of our neighbors, the Gerald Clines. I came along with the Cline boys, Phillip, Lyle, and Dewaine, to C.E., a youth group at the Evangelical Church which is now the United Methodist. Sometimes we picked up Bernadean Rose and Elsie Leiber on the way. Rev. Kayton was the minister, usually called "preachers" then. As the previous year had been the last year for high school at First Central, we high school students in the Smoky Angel district were given our choice of going to Stratton, Cheyenne Wells, or Kit Carson. Attending Stratton or Cheyenne Wells would have meant living away from home during the week, so we (perhaps we thought we did the choosing) chose Kit Carson. A car load ofus, Faye and Rex Piper, the Clines, Mary Anne Blankenbaker, and John Fleming, would meet a bus on Highway 59 which had picked �up kids north of Mt. Pearl School. Mr. Floyd Mills drove the bus and would drop off the grade school kids at Mt. Pearl and end up with a load of high school students to go into Kit Carson. Since we lived at the end of the line, my sister Carolyn and I spent nearly four hours a day on the bus. Claudine attended grade school at Smoky Angle. These were the rationing times of World War II. School activities of boys' basketball games, band concerts, bond rallies and school plays went on. Sometimes Dad could spare enough gas for us to go to a "picture show", as movies were called then, in Cheyenne Wells. There was a grocery store in First View where Mother got things sometimes, but "trading" was done in Cheyenne Wells or Stratton. It was not unusual for kids to get excused at noon to go buy groceries to bring home on the bus. I worked in a grocery store in Kit Carson for a time after I graduated. People would gather at the store in anticipa- for the Gibson Store chain has kept my brother, Ronald, on the move; at present he and his wife Evelyn and their family Iive in Dodge City, Kansas. He tells of making business calls to the East and having some people think he is playing a joke on them when he tells them to send it to Dodge City. They say, "Oh, there isn't really such a place." I married Leo Kindred, son of Cora and Earl Kindred of south of Stratton. We bought a farm 5% miles south of Bethune from John Robinson twenty-seven years ago and it is still our home. We have a daughter, Carol, who lives at Sterling, Colorado. by Maxine Kindred STORRER, FRED AND HARRIET tion ofthe produce truck's arrival. It doesn't seem that there was ever enough meat or cheese for the ration coupons, people had. It was not an enjoyable time to be a store clerk behind the counter, writing down what F684 neighbors, Dudley Swan and his mother, had fuel but no food. So they moved together that winter. As often stated, no problem came of them living together. It was survival for both. Harriet Storrer's daughter Ella, can remember seeing her shed many tears long after Grandma Swan passed on. In 1917, Mrs. Storrer was taken seriously ill. Her doctor, neighbor, Mr. Storrer and two younger babies took the train to Kansas City. from Topeka to Kansas City, thinking she was dead, but they took her to St. Joseph's customers knowing. When the war was over and Jiggs Hayward returned to the ranch, myparents moved into Stratton and Dad worked at the Coop station for awhile before buying the Tom Kennedy Hospital and after six weeks stay, she came home. After many, many illnesses during her lifetime, they lacked going on three days of celebrating sixty years of marriage together before Harriet Storrer passed away. Fred and Chester have also passed away, Chester before Harriet, and Fred after her. The picture shows Mr. and Mrs. Storrer in front oftheir adobe house in 1944. The other one is Mr. Storrer with the horses that he farm north of Stratton. Even though history books do not make record of the "dirty fifties" as they do the "Dust Bowl thirties", the drought and blowing dirt prevailed throughout eastern Colorado and western Kansas, burying farm buildings and fence to the top wire, and denying farmers their livelihood. Dad worked some at the Stratton Coop shop with Roland Hernbloom, and later as a propane delivery man. He served on the Stratton School Board at the time of the reorganization when the small country schools were closed. As I recall it had to be workgd out with the state to allow the buses to pick up and transport students to the St. Charles Academy before the reorganization was voted in. Mother was always active, helping on the farm, teaching Sunday School, and helping in 4-H. The folks sold their farm in the late fifties and move into Stratton where Dad worked for the Coop. He retired after having a mild enjoyed so. There were many hard times. Crop failures etc., but all in all a good life that brings heart attack in 1969. They became Fred and Harriet Storrer in front of sod home in 1944. friends and loved ones closer together, known only by those who experienced pioneer days. Chester made his home in Denver along with his wife Hazel. Ella also made her home in Denver with her late husband, Henry Lebsack, where they both retired from the railroad. Bill and his family later settled in Golden and Cloyd and his wife, Ruby, and family made his home in Ft. Worth, Texas. Bill Storrer manied Venora Wertz in 1940. Venora was born to Henry Wertz and Mable Sheppard. Henry and Mable were married in 1904, lived in Leoti, Kansas, where they farmed with a team of horses and had a mile to walk to school. If the weather was too bad, they were kept home from school. Henry and Mable had seven children, Vernon, Claude, deceased, Cecil, deceased, Gladys, deceased, Lorraine, Venora, and Earl. Henry and Mable moved in 1936 to Johnstown, Co. with the three younger children. The two older boys moved to Sharon Springs and started farming. In Johnstown is where Venora met Bill Storrer and they got married. Later they moved to Lafayette, where Bill worked for the pleasure of going to Hawaii. We celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 1976 at the St. Charles Hall. My father died in 1979, and since then Mother has made her home in Burlington. She enjoys good health and is very active in church and senior citizen activities. Carolyn married Ralph Tryon and they live in Fort Collins, where they own and operate Paramont Laundry and Cleaners. My sister Claudine, is married to Clifford Messenger, son of Earl and Lucy Messenger, and they are presently living in Phoenix. Being a manager to the snow storms. In 1911, it was another hard winter and because of Harriet's sister in Kansas City, they had food, but they had no fuel, and the When arriving in Topeka, Kansas, the doctor informed them Mrs. Storrer had passed on. Another doctor on the train asked to examine her and found a bit of life. Mr. Storrer went people wanted, then getting it from the shelf, and supposing to know which certain customers were to have gome "under the counter" cigarettes added to their sack without other "snowbirds", living in Parker, Arizona in the winter. They had a camper trailer in which they lived and visited relatives during the summer. Most summers they set up the trailer in our back yard on our farm south of Bethune, and Dad would help Leo withwheat harvest. They took a number of trips and had Fred Storrer and Harriet Johnson were married in Kansas City, Mo. August 22,L906. In 1909, they homesteaded south of Bethune, in the WVz of Sec. 28, Range 11, Township 45. To this union four children were born: Chester, William, Cloyd and Ella. Fred came ahead and built a one room sod house and then met Harriet and they could only make it to Billy Lang's place where they had to stay for three days, at which time the cowboys were coming there for refuge. It was a sad time as people were losing livestock due Fred Storrer with his horses in 1944. International Harvester. They moved to Denver in 1941, where their first of many daughters was born. Shirley was born in 1941, is married to Milo Mcllhargey, and they live in Nampa, Idaho, and have five children, Jim, Pam, Bill, Tracy and Scott, and three grandchildren. Bill, Venora and Shirley moved to the farm south of Bethune (the Storrer homestead) and started farming with �Fred Storrer in 1945. This was the year that their second daughter was born. Linda was born in Stratton, where she now lives with her husband Bill Swanson, and they have three children, Darla, Mitchell, and Wendi. In 1948, Bill and Venora moved to the Ayers farm where Bill still farmed with his folks until they retired and moved to Denver. In 1951, number three daughter Betty was born in Goodland, Kans. Betty lives in Golden and has a daughter Veronica and twin daughters, Tabatha, and Tonya. On the farm, Bill and Venora spent winter nights making chili and playing pinochle with the neighbors, and having branding days or getting together to clean chickens, hunting, baseball games or fishing at Bonny Dam, and Iots of fish fries. Vicki, daughter number four, was born in 1960 in Burlington. She now lives in Golden with her husband, Doug Wheeler, and son John. Bill bought the old Chapman garage in Bethune, called it the Hiway Garage, where he ran it until 1963 when he moved to Denver. In 1964, a son (finally) was born to them. Lee Fredrick Storrer lives in Golden where he is a plumber. Bill is now retired from Jefco County. Cloyd Storrer and his wife Ruby have three daughters, EIla Jean, married with two boys and one girl, Judy, married and has one boy and one girl, and Joy, married and has two children. by Linda Swanson STRICK FAMILY Furniture Store, located on the end of Main Street, for about five years. He then started working for Hinkhouse Bros. and after twenty-one years is still working for Bill. After moving to Burlington, I worked for a while as a waitress in the Montezuma Hotel Restaurant. After our son, Richard Anthony, was born in 1963, I then worked at the Grace Manor Nursing Home. Then I decided to stay home and care for children of other working mothers. It is now over nineteen years later and I still have a Licensed Day Care Home. During this time our youngest daughter, Letha Josephine, was born in November of 1968. All three of our children attended and graduated from the Burlington Schools. Now Cindy with husband Bob Peter, and children Robert and Stephanie, work and live in Greeley, Colorado. Rich, after going to the University of Northern Colorado (U.N.C.) in Greeley for three years, still lives and works there. Letha Jo works and lives in Aurora, Colorado. Pete and I plan to just enjoy ourselves, our kids, and our grandkids for the rest of our lives. by Dorothy Strick STROBEL FAMILY F686 Germans From Russia F685 I am writing this story in Burlington in April 1980, for the benefit ofour children and relatives that are interested in the history of our relatives from Russia. Ninety-five years ago this spring, my father, Jacob; his older brother, Christian; and a younger brother, John; Ieft Russia for the United States of America. They came with their Uncle Phillip Breitling, uncle by marriage, and his family. Having lived near the Black Sea area, they left Russia and settled in Scotland, South Dakota. Because of financial problems, my grandfather, Jacob Sr.; a son, Gottlob; and a daughter, Carolina; stayed behind in Russia with three married Pete and Dorothy Strick and family Peter Anthony Strick was the eighth of ten children born to Tony and Josephine Strick daughters, Christina Gramm, Gottlebina Lucas, and Kathrine Haas. After aniving at Scotland, Dad and his brother hired out to farmers. Chris, being the oldest, received $100.00 per year; Dad, being 17 years old, ofKirk, Colorado. Pete grew up and attended school in the Kirk community. Dorothy Ann Marshall was the seventh of nine children born to William (Bud) and Letha Marshall of Cope, Colorado. Dorothy attended country schools until the community consolidated and then finished grade and high school at Cope. Pete and Dorothy were married in 1959 and after several moves in the first two years, we moved to Burlington in the fall of 1961. Our first home in Burlington was a basement received $90.00 and John, the youngest, received $80.00. After one and one half years, the brothers saved enough money to help their father financially, so that in the fall of old. In 1962 we bought our present home on 356 8th Street. Of course, in all these years we have added a lot of improvements to our home. At one point we had it practically In the spring of 1890, a number of families decided to come to Colorado to file on apartment on 18th Street. At that time our oldest daughter, Cynthia Ann, was one year rebuilt. When first moving to Burlington, Pete worked a few months for Charly Sholes Construction Co. He then worked for Neils 1887, my grandfather and the two unmarried children left Russia and came to America, also settling in Scotland, South Dakota. The next three years the Strobels worked on farms and in other businesses. Chris operated a creamery that used a steam engine to furnish power to run its machinery. My father collected the cream from farmers in the vicinity of Scotland three times a week and delivered it to his brother's creilnery. homesteads. These families came as far as St. Francis, Kansas, because this was as far as the railroad had been built. (This taken from the Weekly Reuiew, March 6, 1890, St. Francis, Ks.: "A special train came in Sunday and one coach was loaded with Russians and Mon- day's freight brought in several carloads of stock and goods. They numbered about 75 persons in all, and we learn that their destination is near Landsman, Colorado. They, at present are located at Dr. Water- man's old drug store building and are preparing to move. We are sorry they are going so far from our city, for that class of citizens always makes successful farmers. They are from Scotland, South Dakota and state that the reason for leaving that area was on account of the cold weather. One of them says they have to feed their cattle and livestock from Oct. 1, to May 20. They will find quite a change in that respect, for in this country stock hardly require shelter at all.") From St. Francis they came by wagon to the vicinity of Yale, Colorado which was approximately 18 miles northwest of Burlington. When this part of Kit Carson County was settled, most of the people were of German descent. They settled in an area approximately 1 mile square. This community became known as the Settlement. These people had a deep reverence for God and had a desire to worship God. They held Sunday worship services in their homes until about 1892 when they organized and built a church out of native sandstone. The church known as Rock Church, which was the beginning of the Emmanuel Lutheran Church. My parents were members of this church. However. in 1911 a new church organization came into being, The German Congregational Church. A building was erected and called the Hope Congregational Church. My parents then became members of this church. Dad attended the Congregational Church while in Scotland, S.D., and this was one of the reasons for joining the new church. These two churches contributed much to the spiritual aspect of life in this community. Both churches are still active at this time. Here grandfather, Chris and my father, each filed homesteads. which consisted of one-fourth section ofland or 160 acres. They tried to make a living on these homesteads, but because of drought and sometimes hail, they were unable to make ends meet. Therefore my father went to Denver in the fall of 1890, and worked in a smelter until spring and then tried farming during the summer. One winter he worked on a dairy called London Dairy which was located a mile north of the present Stapleton International Airport. My father's job was to take care of the horses that were used to pull the milk wagons that delivered the milk to the residents of Denver. Because my father was a lover of horses, he would get up at 2 o'clock in the morning, feed, curry comb, harness and hitch up the horses to the milk wagons so that they were ready to go at 4 o'clock. Then the drivers of the milk wagons would take off for Denver and return at 3 o'clock in the afternoon, when again my father would take care ofthe horses. Dad received 925.00 plus room and board per month on this job. One fall, dad hauled silver ore from a mine near Montezuma, Colo. to the railroad station. From there it was transported to the smelter in Denver. On Jan. 6, 1893, my father was married to Katerina Dobler. (The Doblers c'me to Colorado the same time the Strobels did.) In 1894, after Theodore, my oldest brother, was a few months old, Dad and mother went to Denver one more time. Dad worked in the �smelter again along with his brother, John. Mother and uncle John's wife kept house in the apartment they rented and picked strawberries in their spare time. In the spring of 1895, when they were ready to return to the farm north of Bethune, uncle Andrew Baltzer, who had also gone to Denver to work, offered my folks his team and wagon for their transportation home, because he could stay and work a month or two more. It took the folks three days to get home. After that farming got to be better and dad and mother had accumulated a small herd of cattle, also raising some corn and wheat. In 1913, the folks raised their first good winter wheat crop and thereafter wheat crops were usually quite good until about 1931-1932 unless it was attacked by smut. Wheat for seed had to be treated for smut, a fungus which made the kernels turn black and useless. I knew of two treatments for smut: house and the water for the tank in the corral where animals watered. We were the first family to have running water and a bath tub in the house in the settlement. The first light plant in the settlement was installed by the John Ziegler family (parents of my wife Magdalena,) in 1917. In 1918, we purchased our first light plant, a 32 volt battery set. Up to this time our only source of light was the Kerosene lamp. Our brother John, who was mechanically inclined, set up the plant, and did the electrical wiring of the house and out buildings. At that time, mother got an electric double tub washing machine. We also put an electric motor on our cream separator. Up until then they were all powered by hand. In 1925, we bought our first truck, a one was a formaldehyde and water solution Chevrolet 1 ton, complete with box and a wood cab, for $840.00. With it we could haul 65 bushels of grain, compared to 55 to 60 hauled by wagon and two horses. If a triple and the other a copper sulphate and water solution. We used the formaldehyde solution with very good results. Early seeding also bu., and pulled it by four horses. It took approximately 12 hours for a round trip to helped the problem. After we started to summer fallow, we seeded earlier and the smut treatments could be discontinued. by Albert Strobel STROBEL FAMILY F687 German Children The names of the children of Jacob and Katerina Strobel are as follows: Theodore, Nov.4, 1893; Emma, Aug. 10, 1896; John, Jan. 6, 1899; Albert, July 26, 1904, and Emil, Dec. 2, 1908. Until 1921, our sole power was horses. They did all the field work and the transporting of wheat and other commodities such as butter, cream, and eggs to market. Sometimes dad would butcher hogs and deliver the carcasges to town. In 1915 on July 4th, we bought our first car, a model T Ford, which made traveling to town much easier and faster. We would buy our gas in 55 gallon barrels for 11 cents per gallon. The cost of our first car was $545.00. The Ford Motor Company made a statement that if it would sell a half million cars in 1915, it would refund $50.00 to each customer. Ford box was used we could haul between 75 to 80 Burlington. We harvested our wheat with a header pulled or rather pushed by six horses. The header would elevate the cut wheat straw into a header box 8'x 16'mounted on awagon and pulled by two horses. After the header was full, it was unloaded by hand and the wheat stacked into stacks. About a month or two later, a threshing machine would come hauled by horses and wagon from five to eight miles away. Later in the 1920's we hauled ice with our truck. In 1928, dad bought a Willis tractor, which pulled a three row lister or a three or four bottom plow. This made the farming easier. In about 1929, the depression hit our part of the country. During the depression, the price on corn was as low as 12 cents per bushel, wheat 25 cents per bushel, two year springer heifers $12.00 to 15.00 per head,40 to 50 test cream 5 gallons for $2.00, and eggs as low as 4 cents per dozen. These are some of the things I vividly remember. The drought commonly called the dirty thirties, also started about that time and lasted until about 1938, when we started raising more corn and wheat again. At that time people started to summer fallow for wheat which made a big difference in the yields. Continuous cropping yields were from 12 to 15 bu., where summer fallow yields were from 30 to 40 bu. per acre. My brother Emil, and I bought two second hand combines, in 1943, one a 12' Baldwin and the other a 10' International Harvester. However the grain was still unloaded by hand into the granary and then again loaded by hand to be taken to market. approximately 50 to 60 bu. of corn per day if he worked from ten to twelve hours. Then later, the corn was shelled with a corn sheller. Later in about 1945, Henry Daum, an elevator man in Bethune, came up with an auger elevator, ten feet long and five inches in diameter. This elevator was driven by a one and one half horse gas engine, which moved the grain more easily. On April 25, 1931, just before the drought and dust bowl years, Lena Zeigler and I were married. We had a rough time during the 30's. We have six children: Arnold, April 26, 1932; Viola, Dec. 17, 1933; Alvin and Calvin, Jan. 21, 1936; Arthur, Jan.22,1941; and Roland, Feb. 21, 1942. We always had enough to eat as we raised our own very: potatoes, squash, and plenty of watermelon, along with cream, butter, milk and eggs. In 1923, we received over 20 inches of rainfall and therefore, had 150 acres ofcorn thatyear by Albert Strobel into the vicinity which was powered by a steam engine. It took about 12 men to make up a threshing crew. The crew consisted of one separator man, one engineer, one water- man, from four to six pitches, (who put the straw in the machine), two grain haulers, and two cooks to feed the crew. Harvesting corn was done by hand. It was husked and thrown or tossed into a wagon pulled by two horses. It was then hauled to cribs and unloaded or piled in long piles. One man could pick and the average yield was 35 bushels per acre. John, Emil, and I bought a used corn sheller from Granville Hutton. We reconditioned it and did custom shelling for three years. We charged two cents for husked corn and five cents for snapped corn per bushel. The cobs were used for fuel along with cow chips and coal. The later we could buy for $8.00 to passed the half million car mark and dad received a refund of $50.00. Dad bought his first car from Griffith Davis, the Ford dealer. In 1921, dad bought our first tractor, a $10.00 per ton. In about 1940, dad and mother, Emil and we ourselves, each bought our first propane gas ranges, which made cooking and baking much easier. comparison to the later models. However, it relieved the horses from a lot of work. Around 1916, dad and mother built a new house. The material used for the walls was adobe about 18 inches thick. The outside was covered with tongue and groove drop siding and painted. The house included the following rooms: kitchen, dining room, front room or parlor as it was called at the time, three bedrooms, another room for a pantry and a bathroom. In 1917, dad put running water to the house and corral. Water at that time was pumped by windmill into a 5'x 7'supply tank which was put into the top of a 10' x 10' hexagonal building. The supply tank was 10 feet off the ground and provided running water for the by Albert Strobel Titan 10-20. It was a clumsy machine in butter from spoiling. We also used it to make good old homemade ice cream. The ice was STROBEL - DOBLER FAMILY F689 My parents, Jacob Strobel and Katherina Dobler were born and raised in Russia in villages some 50 miles inland from Odessa, a port in the Black Sea. Their ancestors immigrated from Germany about 1810, and thus spoke German, and never Russian. They came by covered wagons by way of Poland where they had to spend the winter. My STROBEL FAMILY F688 There wasn't much leisure time. However in the winter. we would hunt rabbits and prairie chickens. Sometimes we would go ice skating at the two small dams along the Republican river. One was located by the Rosser Davis ranch and the other at the Sherman Corliss ranch. In the winter we would get ice from the above ponds or dams and store it in ice cellars or caves to be used in the summer to keep meats and milk and great-grandfather was born there that winter. In the spring they resumed their journey to the Black Sea area, which was all virgin prairie. Those that survived endured many hardships. Villages were finally established and the prairies plowed and began growing wheat and other grains. The srrrplus they hauled by wagon to Odessa and sold and exchanged for other goods they needed. Cattle, swine, poultry and sheep were also raised. The wool from the sheep was all home spun and woven into fabrics for clothing, etc. In the year 1885, when my father was 17 years old, he and an older and a younger �& there was no well at the new homestead, they had to bring water in barrels for the horses from the first farm home. Later that year my father had a well put down and a windmill erected. It was not until 1913 that Dad had his first good wheat crop. That spring his older brother Chris sold out and moved his family to N. Dak. Brother Theo went along with his uncle, but after a year or so felt called to the Christian Ministrv and enrolled in Redfield Seminary, S. Dak. From before the turn of the century and a decade into the 1900, churches and schools were built in this vicinity north west of Burlington in which my father took an active part. Before the churches were built, worship services were conducted in my Grandfather Dobler's farm home. My brother Theo and Bill Dobler were the first to go on to higher education, beyond the 8th grade. Brother Threshing grain sorgum with corrugated threshing rock on Jacob Strobel farm about 1928. Grandfather Dobler rented a farm house near Scotland to house his family of 8 children. The older children worked for farmers in the area and other businesses. Grandfather Dob- ler managed a grain elevator in Scotland. In 1890 both the Strobel and Dobler families came to Colorado after hearing that homesteads were available here in Kit Carson County, and also the climate was milder. Here again the land was all virgin prairie. My father along with others, came from the Dakotas by train to St. Francis, Kansas, where the railroad ended, and from there with horses and wagons to the Yale area some 18 miles northwest of Burlington. They worked for ranchers along the Republican River, but especially at the Cox Ranch (the now McArthur Ranch). My father helped dress native rock to build the ranch house, dated 1898;, also the barns and rock walls for corrals. My father also worked in Denver digging ditches for water lines etc; at the Globe Smelter, and then hauled ore by wagon from mines in the Montezuma area west of Denver. Street cars were then drawn by a Jacob and Katherina Strobel on their 50th Wed- ding Anniversary. January 8, 1943. brother along with an uncle and family left Russia and came to America. An eight day boat ride on a German built ship and manned by mostly German sailors, so they could at Ieast converse in their native tongue. They landed on Ellis Island, where the U.S. government maintained an emmigration station, near Liberty Island - site of Statue of Liberty. (The Statue of Liberty was unveiled the following Oct, 1886). From there they traveled by train to Scotland, S.D. where they worked for farmers in the area. It took them over a year to earn and save enough money so they could help their father and remaining family come to America also. About the same time the Christian Dobler family had come to America. My mother often related that they were on board ship over the Christmas and New Year holidays, and took 19 days from Bremerhaven to New York, as they encountered stormy seas. They settled in Scotland, S.D. area also. This is where my father and mother first met, and never in the old country. My horse and had a place where the horse could stand when the car would coast down hill. My father and mother were married Jan. 8, 1893, as were my mother's sister Christina and Pete Knodel, double wedding. That fall in November my oldest brother Theodore was born and to better support his new family, Dad again went to Denver the next spring and took along his wife and new son. This time he worked at the London Dairy, headquarters werejust north ofthe Stapleton Airport. They milked about 200 cows on an average, but my father was the hostler and cared for the horses that were used to deliver the bottled milk to Denver and bring bran, etc. for the dairy cows: also alfalfa haying along 1st creek where he was the stacker. My father finally homesteaded in the year 1906, north and west of Bethune. I am the youngest in the family and was born on the new homestead, Dec. 1908. My older three brothers, Theo, John and Albert and sister Emma (Mrs. Jake Schaal) were born where my parents lived for about 15 years, about 6 miles S.E. of the new homestead, but never obtained title to the land. The new homestead was all buffalo and gramma sod. So that spring of 1906, Dad and brother Theo plowed about 20 acres with walking plows and prepared it to plant corn and feed, and, as Theo served churches in Colorado and Dakotas and on the west coast for 50 years, the last 10 as interim pastor. Bill taught in schools around the state until he retired. I attended Prairie View School Dist #22 and graduated from the eighth grade in 1924. Brothers John and Albert also attended Prairie View School through the eighth grade; my oldest brother Theo and sister Emma, about through the sixth grade. We boys continued farming the original homestead and other land my parents had acquired before they retired; each ofus boys got 2 quarters to begin farming. Sister Emma received equivalent in cash and livestock. She married Jake Schaal in 1921. In 1986 she had a fatal accident when she attempted to kindle a fire in the cook stove with tractor fuel and the can exploded. Brother Theo married his school mate at college the same year, lg2L. Brother John married Margaret Weisshaar in 1927. In 1936 they went to Calif. where he worked at construction, concrete and carpentry. Albert and I married sisters, Lena and Anna Ziegler in 1931 and 1933 respectively. Albert and I remained through the depression and dust bowl years of the thirties. The ensuing years also had their ups and downs, but as deep well irrigation developed over the years and crops and feed for livestock became more stable, the economy was boosted consi- derably. However, the considerable drop of the water table due to the deep well irrigation poses problems as well and will require prudent management of our natural resources. Hopefully all who use and benefit from the use of these resources, directly or indirectly, will be willing to help conserve them for future generations. by Emil J. Strobel STROBEL - DOBLER FAMILY F690 In 1885 my grandparents, the Jacob Strobel Sr. and the Christian Dobler families came to America from Russia and settled in Scotland, South Dakota. Each family had 8 children and they worked mostly on farms. The Jacob Strobel Sr. family consisted of Katherine (Haas), Christina (Gramm), Gottliebena (Lukas), Christian, Jacob (my father), John, Gottlieb, and Carolina (Baltzer). The Christian Dobler family consisted of �electric lights which were run by a flywheel generator so when you came to corners or slowed down you had to race the motor to be llt.af r:l:ri lii:l i:r, ,r:,r,. .,,,1 able to see. The dash and tail-lights were kerosene which you had to light with a match when it got dark. My first ride in an auto, however, was in 1909 in an International with solid rubber tired buggy wheels and goggles had to be put on because there was no windshield and we were going the amazing speed of 15 m.p.h. Jacob Strobel plowing to plant potatoes with Prince and Jim. Spring 1928. Dora (Strobel), Christina (Knodel), Kather- ine (my mother) Strobel, John, Theresa (Leupp) Christian, Mary (Stahlecker) and Leopold. In 1890, after the Rock Island R.R. was built through Kit Carson County and homesteads were available, a number of families loaded their meager belongings, livestock and furniture in railroad cars and arrived in St. Francis, Kansas. From there they loaded wagons and came to the vicinity of Yale Post Office (later Sam Schaals farm) about 14 miles north of Burlington. It was known as the Russian-German settlement. My father, Jacob Strobel Jr. homesteaded S.E. rA L4-745 but never took out the patent or proof of it. Grandfather Strobel Sr. homesteaded just north of our Dad. Because of the drought, grasshoppers, etc. it was hard to make a living so many including Dad went to Denver to work on a dairy farm and sent his wages of $25 per month home for the others to live on. This was in 1891. Later he worked in a silver ore smelter for $2.50 per 12 hour shift. In 1893 Jacob Strobel married Katherine Dobler and built a house about 16'x 26'with sandstone. sod roof and wall to wall mud floor. My mother would go over the floor once a month or so with a thin mixture of yellow clay and wheat chaff which made the floor real hard. They put down a well but no windmill so had to draw water by windlass. (160'deep and the bucket held 7 gallons). This took a long time to water 10 or more cows and horses. Theodore. their first child was born in 1893. In 1896 Emma Strobel was born and manied Jake Schaal in 1921. I, John Strobel was born in 1899 and married Margaret Weisshaar in L92l .In 1904 Albert was born and married Lena Zeigler in 1931. In 1908, when Emil Strobel was born, there was a big snow storm with about 2 feet of snow and no help could get through so my Dad was the midwife with help from our L2 year old sister Emma. Emil married Anna Zeigler in 1933. My first recollections were in 1903 when Jacob Strobel Sr. (my grandfather) would go to Burlington with eggs and butter in exchange for groceries in a t horse-top buggy and usually brought us each a small piece of candy which we eagerly awaited. We had a large lake just south of our farm. John and Bill Wahl who lived 1 mile southwest and farmed ground north of us would haul their feed past the lake. One would get off the wagon and we would see a big black cloud of smoke because they used black powder. Then there was a big bang and thousands of ducks would rise. That was the time of Ducks Unlimited!In 1906 John Wahl was killed by lightning. Bill Wahl married Katy Adolf (A.W. Adolfs sister). In 1904 Dad added another room and wooden floors in all the house. Later that same year, we, Mother, Albert and I, went by train to Denver to visit Mother's brother Chris Dobler, wife Sophie and son Art. Enough money was had by then to buy a new 2 seater spring-buggy and a new Delavel cream separator. In 1906 because there was not enough land to farm and pasture on 160 acres, our Dad homesteaded a quarter (S.8. % 7-7-45) about 5 miles northwest of our farm with open range to the Republican River. There were problems with loco weed and the cattle and horses would eat it and become almost worthless. A week before Christmas in 1906 we moved to the new homestead and in 1907 built a new 24 x 50 adobe barn which is still used today by my nephew Leland Strobel and wife Lee. It was a dry year in 1908 and Dad cut about 35 loads of russian thistles for feed. Other feed should have been mixed with it but there was little to be had. Until 1912 we had only implements of a walking plow, Iister, harrow and cultivator. We used a threshstone which was cut out of rock and had a corrugated surface about 3'wide and 22" high. This was pulled by 2 horses over a circle of grain on the ground. All the wheat, millet and beans etc. were threshed in this manner. Dad would then winow it in the evening wind to separate the chaff from the grain. In 1912 we bought our first John Deere gang plow for 955, a McCormick 5'mower for 945 and McCormick rake for $37. Plowed about 35 acres for fall wheat and sowed about 30 acres of wheat between corn rows with a l-horse drill. So in 1913 we had our first good wheat crop getting about 1500 bushels. Ernest and Carl Fisher threshed it for us. The price of wheat was 700 a bu. but with the European War, the price later went up over $3 a bushel. Then the government pegged the price at $1.90 for a number of years. Dad bought a new Ford for $545 in 1915. It had In 1914, my brother Theodore went to Redfield College in South Dakota to study for the ministry. In the fall of L922 I bought a Harley Davidson motorcycle and went to California to visit relatives. West of the Rockies there were no roads, only ruts and old railroad beds. In Salt Lake I found that roads were still worse going west so I crated my motorcycle and shipped it ahead to Lodi and I continued on by train. I did construction work for 4 years returning home each summer except 1 for the harvest. During the fall of 1923 Christian Dobler (my grandfather) was killed by a bull while bringing home the milk cows. I returned to Colorado in 1926 and built a small house and other buildings and in December 1927 married Margaret Weisshaar (daughter of Joseph and Margaret (Schaal) Weisshaar). In 1928 my cousin Emil Strobel from Lodi and I decided to have a carload of fine Calif. grapes shipped by rail in an iced car to Colo. to sell at the county fair. However, they got delayed and didn't arrive until a week after when folks had bought most of their supply. The cost ofthis adventure was $1565. The ice got low so had to buy more and after a week only sold half. We sent the car back to Denver where a fruit dealer bought them all. Our getrich scheme got us enough to pay for the grapes, freight and an extra $100 for Emil. I got enough for the gas going back and forth. No money maker after all but a good experience. "Failure is only the opportunity to begin again, only more intelligently." Then followed the 1929 crash, depression years and the dust storms. In 1934 the government destroyed 12 ofour cattle because ofthe lack of feed. For this we were paid $174. In 1936 our only child Esther was born and left for Calif. again with my parents Jacob and Katherine Strobel but then returned within a week because of the death of my sister Emma Schaal who died in a fire. We returned once more to Calif. and built a house trailer and I worked for a construction co. We always had our house with us when we traveled. We built our present home in 1941. From our hillside we can see the Golden Gate bridge in San Francisco. I worked 30 years in construction which took us all around California, Nevada and Hawaii. In 1969 we went to Europe for three months to visit all the relatives on both sides who did not venture to America. In 1956 our daughter Esther was married to Stanley Wethern and they have 4 children, Stephen (married to Jeannine Zukoski), James, Karen and Kathy. I have been retired about 20 years and Margaret and I come back to the old farm and community whenever possible. As I celebrate my 87th birthday today, I think of the wonderful miracles and inventions that have been developed in my lifetime from horsepower to space travel. We live in the present, we dream of the future and we �:/|l.t learn truths from the past for in youth we it learn and in age we understand. :at by John L. Strobel STRODE, WILL ff ,ri' ,:::rrt: ;. t a F69r Mr. and Mrs. Will Strode were both among the early homesteaders of eastern Colorado. Mr. Strode, who passed away Jan. 15, 1965 at the age of 89, came to Colorado with his parents in 1886, when he was 11 years old. The family lived along the Republican River, not far from the Crystal Springs Ranch. Mrs. Strode's father came to Colo. in 1887. He came from Seward, Nebr. to Cheyenne Wells. He then walked from Cheyenne Wells to Flagler seeking a location for his family. He met Will Strode's father who helped him file on a homestead about 17 mi. N. of Flagler. His wife and daughter (Mrs. Will Strode who was then 5 years old) and son Frank, 3, came by train from Seward to Akron, where he met them. Mrs. Strode recalls many early-day experiences. The family came to town only once a month, bringing a load of grain and taking back provisions. Mrs. Strode and her mother would frequently walk to Arickaree and back for the mail, the round-trip being 10 miles. When Mrs. Strode's brother was small, they would take him along in a small "express wagon." Mrs, Strode's parents, Mr. and Mrs. L.J. Neff and their family moved to Flagler in 1901 and lived for several years in the house that is now standing, just north of the library. Mr. and Mrs. Will Strode were married there in 1902. L.J. Neff was a brother of Dr. Oscar S. Neff who was one of the pioneer doctors of eastern Colorado. by Janice Salmans STUTZ, FREDERICK FAMILY F692 Great grandmother Baltzer (Dorothy Sattler) came from Grosz Liebetal. Both Grand- father Frederick Stutz and Grandmother Maria Baltzer Stutz were born at Plotsk, Bessarabia. The family resided at this village except for one short stay at Mareslienfeld, in the same province. In November of 1889, the family traveled to Odessa, having gone by horse and wagon, staying overnight at Ackerman with relatives, and ferried over the widened mouth of the river. Grandmother Stutz became very ill as the family travelled by train through Austria and Germany. After passing through Berlin, they arrived at Bremen. From here they sailed for America aboard the steamship, "Saale", landing in New York after 9 days on the ocean. This was in the latter part of November. They moved to Scotland, Dakota Territory, only remaining about a month, before moving on to Colorado along with the other group that was also headed in that direction. Crist and Jacob Strobel. Otto Winter, Frederick Stutz (our grandfather), Christ Baltzer, August Adolf, Sr., Christian Grandma and Grandpa Stutz, Martha, Nettie and William, Grandma Doblers people. Dobler (our dad's family), John schaal, and Matthew Hefner were in the group. In the spring of 1897 the Stutz family travelled back to Scotland, Dakota Territory, after being in the area for a short time. They travelled 3 weeks, using horses instead of oxen. Following a 1 year stay, they returned to Colorado, again by covered wagon, when Grandfather Stutz suffered an eye ailment which threatened blindness for him if they remained in the Dakota climate. Our mother, Magdalena and her older brother drove the cattle. They crossed the Missouri River on the ferry at "Running Water" both trips. The trip back to Colorado again took 3 weeks. The cattle were shipped via rail and Frederick Stutz, an older son, accompanied the cattle. William Stutz, born Sept. 8, 1898, was just 2 weeks old when they began the trip. They arrived at their Colorado home in the middle of October, 1898. They spent the winter with the Andrew Baltzer family, which was located just east of Immanuel Lutheran Church north of Bethune. Grandfather Stutz worked for the ranchers along the Republican River for 25 cents per day. The family consisted of Frederick (who died at age 2t), Maria, Ida (who died in infancy), Ida, Edmma, Lydia, Wilhelmina, Magdalena, Annetta (who died at age 15), and Martha. Grandparents Stutz passed away in 1928 and 1929, respectively. by Art Dobler STUTZ, WILLIAM F693 I will try and say a few things about the early days. I was born in Scotland, South Dakota, September 8, 1898. My folks were Fredrich and Maria Stutz. Shortly after I was born my folks picked up what little they had and set out for Colorado in a covered wagon. It took three weeks to make the trip. They homesteaded eight miles north of Bethune, Colorado. We were at the south end of "the settlement;" from there to the Rock Island Railroad it was all open range. There were lots of cattle and horses that were owned by a few ranchers. My folks made their home on this open prairie. There were only a few antelope around, no buildings, houses or barns. I remember the first sod house we lived in. It had a dirt floor, but it was home. There was a dug well in the Landsman River two miles east of our place; that is where my folks hauled their water from with banels. There was no wood in that country so the only fuel was cow chips. I remember we had to go out and pick them up by the wagon loads and haul them home for the winter fuel supply. To go to Burlington or Stratton was, "as the crow flies" about 14 miles either way, no square corners. After dark or in a snow storm it was very easy to get lost. As I grew up I remember walking the wooden sidewalks in Burlington. Also, you couldn't just go to the store and buy a bottle of milk or a loaf or bread. In about 1906 my folks built an adobe house with a shingle roof and wooden floor. Going to school was not in heated cars, it was all on foot. Most kids had to walk two miles or more. The teachers did their own janitorial work and they were paid $35.00 a month for everything. In about 1908 or 1910 a lot of homesteaders settled in this country; they lived in frame shacks and hillside dug outs. I went to school with a lot of their children as long as they could stay. They didn't have enough clothes or shoes and some of them nearly froze to death but they still walked to school. There was no government help, no food stamps, you were on your own. A lot of the people had to leave or else they would starve, but a few stayed. Like I said we walked two miles to school but later on we got a school only one mile from home. I got my daily jogging in from home to school, I got to the point where I couJd run the full mile to school. My good wife and myself both graduated from adobe schools. We did our milking in the corral, there was no fancy milk barn. The cream had to be skimmed by hand and churned to butter. Some of the butter was molded in one pound �tl of the corn stalks. The weeds wouldn't even sprout. In 1933 I sent some hogs to Denver. Good hogs brought $2.25 per hundred. In 1934 I sold my cattle to the government for $12.50 per head. In 1935 there was no feed and the grass had all blown away so we had an auction and sold what was left on the farm. We went to Elizabeth, Colorado in 1935 and to Denver, Colorado in 1937, then the war started. We made our home in Denver but things were not good in the city either. If you could get a job they usually paid about 30 cents per hour. Thanks to the good Lord for providing us with food and clothes and our menu which was beans and bacon rind. I worked on government buildings doing heavy construc- tion like building hangers. Later on I went back into the livestock business which I enjoyed. I had a brokers license which meant I could buy and sell This is our farm home where the Stutz family grew up about 1916. anything in livestock. I handled thousands of head of cattle, hogs, sheep, horses and even a few goats. I stayed with that until the Denver Stockyards closed. I went to LaJunta, Pueblo and Salida every week and a lot of times to Stratton. My good wife worked in green houses for over thirty years. We have enjoyed our years in Denver after all the bad years we had. We raised a family of three boys and two girls, they all have their families and their own homes now. remember my dad went to Burlington several times for feed. He would come back with maybe one sack ofcorn and three bails ofhay. Later on our family got a buggy and that made things a little easier. Then in 1913 and 1914 a few autos and steamers showed up and I got to ride in some of them. When the Model T came along my family got their first one in 1915. From 1916 crops got better and things went along pretty good, but the slump started in 1929. If you think times are bad now stop The Stutz farnily ready to go to church in 1913. and think what our folks went through. I left the farm in 1919 and worked for the Bethune Lumber Company. I got into the grocery business for a few years after that. When I left the grocery business I became manager of the Bethune Lumber Company for several years. We had a good baseball team in Bethune. I was the second mayor of Bethune and member of the school board. We got the town water works in and a few sidewalks built. I was also on District 24's school board while I was on the farm until the time we left. After I left the Bethune Lumber Company, I started buying hogs in Bethune. There were lots of hogs in the country at that time. I bought from one to three carloads a week. Most of them were hauled in wagons and I shipped them to Pueblo and Denver. All I took my two youngest sisters and the teacher to school. The teacher, Lea Wellman of Stratton, took the photo about 1912. cubes and sold at the grocery store. I remember my folks had a wooden churn in a frame with a crank on it. Later the cream stations started up. That helped, because then we could sell the cream. As I grew up things changed a lot. We made our living by selling cream and eggs. We had our dry years when we were not able to raise any feed. In 1911 and 1912 we had a lot of snow and everyone had to use sleds. I the shipping was done by rail at that time. I bought two car loads that were driven in on foot. One load came from 1 7z miles northwest of town from Mr. Negus and one load from Mr. Ardueser I % miles south of town. I played the saxaphone with the Burlington We have been retired for several years now. We now make our home in Denver, Colorado. by William (Bill) Stutz, age 89 SUTTON FAMILY F694 I Remember, Sutton In recounting the many events, people and locations while putting together this history, I've revisited a period of my life that was most receptive and sensitive. Growing up in Flagler, the second daughter in a family of six children was a happy time. You might keep in mind that my "I remembers" in certain areas are surely shaded with the vagarities of childhood and years, but I have tried to "remember" with fact. My mother, Mary Emma Sutton, in 1983 celebrated her ninety-first birthday in Flagler, the beloved town she called home for most of her years. In 1907, my father, Willie (Bill) Sutton, homesteaded about six miles south of the Kipling Railroad Crossing. I believe the W.H. Lavington ranch bordered dad's property on the south. From Athens, Ohio, dad came west seeking better climate and adventure. As a young man, dad had worked in a flour mill in Hume, Missouri for an uncle, was an band. apprenticed barber, and for a time was a street car conductor in Kansas City, Mis- and in 1929 we moved back to the farm and everything was pretty steady. Prices on grain and livestock started up. By 1930, however, everything went lower. The prices of cattle and hogs started coming down. This was the time of the dirty thirties, the wind blew and there was no rain. 1932 and 1933 were worse and the dust bowl came in 1934. The wind was so hot and dry that even the leaves blew off souri. In Athens, Ohio he had traveled with In 1927 I married Alvina Schlichenmayer a doctor learning a great deal of country doctoring. Wanderlust caught him early in life. Grandmother Blakely said of dad: "He used to disappear regularly from home. When I wanted to find him, I'd go over the state line into Kentucky, call at a few horse ranches, and I'd find him at one of them." On one trip, grandmother recalled, "I discovered Willie �dinner cook, and Mike Conarty was the fry cook. We lived in a white house across the alley east of the cafe. Dad was a charter member of the Odd Fellow Lodge; he had joined in Ohio. He had a shaving mug made in Kansas City, Missouri in 1905 with his name and the three gold link emblem of the Lodge on it. He invited John Verhoefftojoin the Lodge, and John received his 50 year pin a few years before he died. Many of mom and dad's family eventually moved from the Flagler area and they adopted Gene and Mattie Ellsworth as family. They had homesteaded south of Seibert in the early 1900s. We children called Gene and Mattie uncle and aunt (as did manv in the community). Their sod house was buili with two foot thick walls, with an east and south window, a door in the south side awav from the elements. The floor was dirt, packei until it seemed to be cement. Aunt Mattie had rag rugs which she had braided on this floor. The soddie was as clean as a pin. To the north of the soddie they had a two room frame house. The furnishings in this little house were lovely - all the "treasures" Mattie had brought west from home. We girls were allowed to go in and look at the hand-painted china, ceramic and crystal lamps - but look only. Often we sat in the little house listening Taken at the homestead of Gene and Mattie Ellsworth south of Seibert, July 4, 1933. L. to R.: Helen Evelyn Sutton Sherman, Charles McDaniel, Ellamae Sutton McDaniel, Willie Sutton (back), Leslie Sutton (front), Mattie Ellsworth (back), William Lester Sutton (front), Gene Ellsworth (back), Mary Emma Sutton and Betty Sutton Austring (front). riding two horses, Roman-style (one foot on the back of each horse), going lickedy-split down the track." She would drag dad home, but it would be only a short time before he ran to the horse farms again. Dad was a trueborn horseman. This love and trust of horses brought him many years of enjoyment and occupation. My mother's parents, the Christopher family, came from Ames, Iowa and homesteaded near Flagler in 1910. Willie and Emma met through their family contacts, and in 1911they married. The first three girls of the Sutton family, Ellamea, Blanche, and myself, Helen Evelyn, were born at the old homestead ranch. My brothers, William Ivan (who died before he was one year old), Leslie Ivan, and William Lester were born after my parents had moved from the homestead closer to town. Our youngest sister, Betty Ruth was born in 1928. Life on the homestead was hard. demanding strengths to make a good life out of very scarce resources. Dad's health had not made the recovery he dreamed the west would bring, and he was homesick for the green fields of his home area. In the spring of 1917, he bought a 4-door Overland touring car and with reliable transportation, dad and mom headed back east to Hume, Missouri, selling the homestead and seeking some relief from the prairie life. The old adage, "you can't go home," rang brue when John Verhoeff came to visit in Hume the fall of 1917. John had shipped cattle to the Kansas City stock yards and braveled on to visit us. It was so good to see his old neighbor, and the humid climate back home had only brought back old health problems, so dad decided to give the west rnother try. The Sutton family headed back ;o Flagler and ever after Dad would remark, 'This country has water that is 99 percent pure, and air that is the cleanest in the world. I love the prairie." by llelen Evelyn Sutton Sherman SUTTON FAMILY while Mattie and mother visited. Aunt Mattie was an excellent cook. She could always have a delicious meal ready in no time at all. She joked that the chicken that met us at the gate was the one on the table for supper! by Mary Carter SUTTON FAMILY F696 F695 I Remember, Sutton Mother recalls when the Flagler town site was called Bowserville. Bowser being derived from the family who lived about one mile east of the township's present site, on the north side of the Rock Island tracks. Today, at this location, there stands one lone tree, and it was at this spot, mom recalls, "We used to walk down the tracks and have such nice picnics. The school picnics were often held at Bowserville, and then later when the Stewart family moved onto the property, we still had our picnics there; we children all over the pasture playing games." I've often wondered how our area in eastern Colorado so far removed from the locale of its namesake was so named. Henry Morrison Flagler, born in Hopewell, New York, was a stock holder of the Rock Island Railroad. Flagler was the promoter of the railroad that spanned the 100 miles of water and islands to Key West, Florida. He also built luxurious resort hotels in St. Augustine, Palm Beach, Miami, and other cities in Florida. Perhaps, when the railroad came to this part of the country, the event was so welcomed that the man responsible was honored. Shortly after my family returned to Flagler in late 1917, or early 1918, dad bought a cafe on street level in the Odd Fellows Lodge building. Cora Sweet was his pastry cook. Hetty Lipford was a waitress, Jim Quinn was I Remember, Sutton In about 1919 dad sold the cafe and bought Lavington's store. Noah Wold was the meat cutter and Hetty Lipford came to clerk in the dry good and notions section. The store, to my eyes, was quite large, stocked with bulk groceries. The barrels of potatoes, onions, pickles, and crackers seemed huge, standing above my seeking eyes, and tempted hands! There were cookies and candies to delight my heart, and oh, the huge round of cheese sitting on its own cutting block made my mouth water. Great wedges were cut from the round by a knife attached to the cutting board. Bananas came in huge bunches that hung from a ceiling hook. Kerosene was dispensed from a banel in the back store room. Jams came in half gallon buckets. One brand name was Delicious, and yes, it truly was! The store was heated by a large round heater with a big water tank on the top. In the twenties, gypsies roamed the country. They would come into the store, and from the age old tales that preceded them, every- one watched them carefully, thinking they were going to carry it all away. My dad had no such problems. Earl Brown had another store in Flagler. It was located where the present laundromat is now. Earl had a parrot in a cage kept on the sidewalk during the day in front of the store. All we children loved to hear its typical answer to our "Polly want a cracker?" �In 1925 dad sold his store and we moved that living room. After returning from Den- on Highway North 40. The windmill still ravages of cancer, he died at home in December of 1941. Saturdays were always "in town" days, and bo the Buchanan farm, two miles east of town stands there. It was here that I became a farmer. At ten years of age, I learned to milk cows, and help with the farm chores. Not long after, dad taught me to drive a team of horses to the "go-devil" (a weeder), and I was able to drive the team to the header barge during harvest, and the hay rack, tripping the lever and dumping the load even with the pattern rows my dad had made as he went first time around the field. Dr. Thomas retired about this time, and we bought his pony, Bonnie, buggy and harness-' ThJwhole family enjoyed her so much and later her colt, Betty Blossom, and then her colt, Princess. All the ponies had birthday parties, and mom would allow them to come onto the porch of the house we were living in, and have a taste oftheir birthday cakes baked special for the event. Dad taught all we children to ride at an early age. Many families in town owned milk cows in the '20s. We pastured the town cows and my brothers, Leslie and Lester, would take turns riding our ponies, driving the cows to pasture every morning, returning with them in the evening for milking time. Wilbur (Peanuts) Schumaker liked to help them because he could ride one of the ponies. My mother heard from "Peanuts" not too many years ago. He sent her a birthday card from his home in Fountain Valley, California. The main street of Flagler was a busy place in the '20s. The town offered most services that were needed and community life centered around the hub of the town. Art Watters had built a hotel in the early 1900s. It still stands, The Flagler Hotel. Art's brother' Tom, built a hotel in Goodland, Kansas around the same time. Both establishments were complete with outstanding dining rooms, and were the meeting places of the community. by Mary Carter SUTTON FAMILY ver where surgery and care failed to stop the everyone dressed in their best. We always had to visit William's Drug Store. I remember that the post office was next to the drug store. My brother, Leslie, had a pheasant dog that he loved to pull in his red wagon to main street. Leslie and Tippy would sit in the wagon and often Leslie would fall asleep' Mrs. Straub, the postmistress, would pull the wagon into the post office, and Tippy would not make a fuss as he knew Mrs. Straub. There they stayed until Leslie would awake. One day while Leslie and TiPPY were "parked" in front of the post office Art Waters stopped to visit with my brother and his dog, and dad passing by walked up to them and said, "Go ahead and talk with Leslie, Art, his dog won't bite you." "Oh," Art replied, "He already has!" Indeed, Tippy had grabbed Art's pant leg and pulled him away from Leslie. In those days when refrigeration was "powered" by a block of ice or cold water John Dyson kept an ice house. John, my dad, and several other men traveled winters to the Republican River east of town to cut ice from the river into blocks. Hauled back to town, the blocks were then packed in straw in the ice house, and during the summer months, I remember, we children would follow Dyson's wagon down the streets gathering and munching the ice chips left from delivery. The smithy, Ed Malbaff, worked winter and summer in his shop which was east of the present American Legion Hall. Ed presented quite a show of skill with his craft. With the iions red hot, he'd expertly pound the metal into shape - maybe an iron rim for a wagon' a wheel, or a horse shoe. Ed would dunk the piece into a tub of cold water where it crackled, and spewed forth clouds of steam. Paul Detlifsen's famous painting of the blacksmith could truly have been modeled from Ed Malbaffs shoP. by Mary Carter F697 I Remember' Sutton I remember our doctors tending to the medical needs of the community. The hospital that I recall was located where the West Hotel is today. First, I remember Dr. Neff. His dedication to his profession was so appreciated. Mom said Dr' Neff could cure wilh only the soothing nature of his bedside manner and the time he spent with his patients. There was Dr. Reed, and- Dr. McBride who married Mrs. Straub, and son Dr. John Chriss who followed in his footsteps. All dedicated men tending the need of our community on the prairie. I look at the little house on main street in Flagler today and wonder how our family managed to live within its small area' especially when I think back that mom frequently turned the living room into an infirmary where she nursed neighbors and townspeople that were too ill to return to the isolation of farms. The hospital-type bed would 9o uP, and most of the room partitioned with sheets. My father was the last one to be nursed in SUTTON FAMILY F698 I Remember' Sutton Arlie Wilson's Store of the '20s was a twostory brick building on the southeast corner of the main intersection of town. This building also housed the telephone office in the upper floor. Bretlingers lived in rooms connecting and operated the telephone of- fice. Mrs. Norris lived in rooms in the northeast corner ofthe building and ran a hat shop there. She designed and made the hats herself. Hats were most popular at the time. I remember Ellamae, Blanche and I had brown broad-brimmed beaver hats made by Mrs. Norris that we considered ever so I'd like you to deliver to your aunt, Ruby (Christopher - my mother's sister). You know, she and I attended grade school together at Second Central (located south of Flagler about 12 miles)." Mr. Will Borland, who went on to become a popular author, bought the Flagler News in 1910, and I remember how we children loved to watch the paper being printed in the basement work room under Arlie Wilson's Store. The stairs to the printing room came in from the sidewalk outside and there were two big windows where we could watch, lined up on the stairwell, noses pressed against the glass. Rodeos and races were held almost every weekend in the summer time. Tom Conarty usually rode one of dad's horses. Tom and I have often remembered the excitement of those races. The two Lundy brothers who Iived west of Flagler were horse trainers. George Lundy trained several of dad's horses in gaits. I remember riding those gaited horses - as easy as sitting in a rocking chair. And the dances all over the area in the'20s and early '30s; it didn't take much to talk anyone into organizing another before the last was over! I recall winter dances the whole family would go to, driving to "Nute" Smith's ranch and dancing 'til dawn in their big hay loft. Chores were done early, food was taken along, the old soap stone foot warmers were readied, and off we'd go. We'd have a covered dish supper, the children were bundled and put to bed on benches or piles of blankets; there would be dancing, and often a big breakfast before starting home. To be found at almost every dance in barn, hall or grange was Gertrude Peterson, who we called "shimmy Liz" playing the piano. She played by ear, and could make that instrument talk. We would ask her to play a tune, we'd hum a bar or two, and she'd pick up on it with the wink of an eye. I've seen her make a piano actually move on the floor. What a dynamic artist she was! Every harvest my dad and several neighbors would drive to Canon City with dad's rubber-tired trailer towed along and bring back potatoes, cabbages, turnips, parsnips, onions, apples and cider. They would stay with the Stegman family in Canon City who used to live neighbors before moving. In the fall we often drove to Rocky Ford for what we children referred to as "melon day"' One year, Governor Carr was there at the celebration. There was always a parade with floats from businesses and surrounding towns. Melons were piled high as small mountains in the streets, and anyone could take as many as they could carry away, Foods were canned or "put down" in cellars then to meet the family needs during winter time. Too bad melons couldn't be canned! Many years the gardens produced very little with no way to get water to the precious crops. by Mary Carter SUTTON FAMILY F699 elegant. In the homesteading days there were many country schools scattered around the prairies. Some years ago, I mentioned to Opal Conarty Joy that my mother and I were to attend a fiftieth Tesdahl family reunion in Ames, Iowa. Opal said, "I'll write a letter that I Remember, Sutton I remember coming home from the events of the season, and having mom build up the �fire in the old kitchen stove, fix hot cider, all of us placing our mittens, wet clothes and shoes close to the oven door. It was so homev and cozy. Dad would come in and we wouli take turns telling about the pictures we could see in 'ol Jack Frost's icey wonderland painted upon the panes of the windows. The winter of 1929 was a fright! There were snows that closed the highways for a long time; a passenger train drifted in on the tracks with the town people carrying food to feed them. Many drifts reached l0 and 15 feet high. I remember walking from the second floor porch of the West Hotel to the ground on a sloping snow bank. Mr. Stager had to tunnel into his garage across the street from the hotel. Dad loaded his largest sled with supplies and cotton seed and drove across country to his good friend Tom McCallum's ranch 15 miles southwest of town with feed for the animals. It was a hard winter for man and beast. Recalling Tom McCallum, brings to mind that years later when the McCallum familv were debating whether or not to "lay Tom away" with is white handkerchief around his neck. They decided he would go to his rest with it, folded just so with the triangle points to the front as he'd always worn it. Dad bought a Model T Ford Sedan when we girls were a bit older. One summer when cousin Joe came from Athens to visit. we "motored" to Manitou Springs and stayed several days to take in the sights. Then it was a special event to tour Helen Hunt's grave, the Cafe of the Winds, and always, end the stay with a picnic at the Garden of the Gods. We would eat salt water taffy, and Colorado Rainbow Trout. The relatives loved the trip, and so did we. That old Model T was shinv black, and I thought it very beautiful. We hai an accordion-folding luggage rack that was attached to the running board - a feat to load and unload that! Most winters neighbors would get together and butcher two or three hogs. Dad made his own mixture of either sugar-cure, or brine for the hams and bacons. I would help fry down the sausage and pack it in large stone crocks with lard for keeping. Food somehow seemed plentiful for our large family, although it did not come without the effort of growing, processing, and storing. Why did it seem to taste so good? During this period many people dried corn. After cutting the kernals from the cob, about two cups full were put in a clean salt sack, stitched up, and hung on the clothes line with clothes pins. The sacks were turned from end to end several times a day, and in about a week the corn was thoroughly dried and stored in the pantry. When ready to use, the corn was soaked overnight and cooked for about an hour. Having our own cows, we always had real cream - Yum, fresh milk, "Delicious" in jam buckets, lowering them into the water barrels at the windmill to keep. In the early '30s, mother grew weary of farm life, and she took it upon herself to retrieve all the farm equipment that dad has loaned out over the years, sell it and buy the little house on main street in Flagler. This home is where I live todav. During part of the early '30s dad was Flagler's Town Marshal for a time and at Ohristmas he usually played Santa Claus, passing out candy on the main street and at ;he Congregational Church. If there was snow, he would hitch a team of his favorite horses to a big sled and drive down Main Street, sleigh bells ringing. The children truly thought him to be Santa and wondered whv he knew so much about them. (The advantage, or did the children think disadvantage, witlr his barbering skills. He opened a shop in Seibert one time and tended the shop a couple days of each week. In all mv stowirre years, I remember him barbering on our bac[ porch. A great many friends would have no other touch their hair. by Mary Carter During the periods when we lived on farms in the area, Dad kept cattle. He favored short horns and often said that this land should not be broken out for farming to any degree as the buffalo grass, yucca, and cactus weie there to help hold the land. The dirt storms of the 'B0s that came from living and working with families in a closely knit community.) SUTTON FAMILY F700 I Remember, Sutton Dad was substitute mail carrier in later years. Winter time he often had to use his sled to haul the mail to the farms. Manv times people on his route would call in orders for groceries, coal, kerosene, feed, or medicine bore this statement out. Dad would onlv break bottom land, and he farmed iusi enough land to provide his own live stock feed. John Verhoeff was instrumental in teaching this to Dad, and in later years when many did not have water and grass for their cattle, John did. His conservation ofland and dams built for water served him well over the years. by Mary Carter and dad would gather the supplies to deliver with the mail. He often went north, spent the night at Aaron Thompsonls pl4ss and returned via the west route the next dav. During the height of the depression Dad worked on the W.P.A. He was a county road overseer. He built two cook shacks. one for cooking and eating, and the other with bunks for sleeping. These were pulled by a team of horses to a farmer's yard near wherever the crew was working. Dad and the crew would stay five days out, returning home on weekends. The road work was done with teams of horses hitched to Fresnos (large scoop-type shovels that moved and dumped the dilt ind gravel). Wagons with collapsible sides and bottoms hauled the dirt and gravel quite a distance. Near Flagler many cement slabs, bridges, and roads built during those years are still in use. Sam Potter and Buck Fisher both worked with my dad, and Mike Conarty was prized as a crew cook. During a recent visit with Zeke Kerl of Stratton he recalled he and dad worked side by side on old Highway 24 west of Vona during the winter of 1928 and 1929. Zeke said he broke in a nice team of mules belonging to my father on this job. Colt and Sons were the contractors that winter, and later in the summer Colt's crew moved on to build the road from Estes Park to Bear Lake. - On many occasions during road work my dad would have to pull a wagon loaded with sand and gravel out of the creek bed when other teams could not manage. Dad kept good horses, fed them well, and trained the.m verv well. His love of them spanned a life time. Money was almost nonexistent for manv years. W.P.A. gave "chits" as payment fo-r work and periodically commodities were "bought" when the W.P.A. truck arrived in town. Many women worked in the mattress factory set up in Flagler. These years brought lessons of patience, tolerance, and frugality to our family as f'm sure it did to others. Everything was put to a useful purpose, especially if nature had given it. Mom managed with the scarce resources of the time, and gave with selfless abundance to those she loved. I remember Aunt Kate, who worked in a garment factory in Iowa, sent barrels of clothes for mom to make over. Mother became an expert at this, and we girls always felt our clothes were quite suitable. Dad was able to supplement his income SUTTON FAMILY F70r I Remember, Sutton The prairie was then a haven for rabbits. prairie chickens, meadowlarks, and hawks. There used to be rabbit drives in an attempt to keep what little grass there was for tle cattle and horses. A bounty of five cents per pair of rabbit ears was paid by the goveinment. There were many prairie dog towns across the land, considered a nuisance as thev took over the area with holes and mounds. Many an acre became worthless to grow grass or farm. In driving in the country, I remember that "mirages" were quite common, In the distance were lakes of water, but on arriving at the spot there would be none! In crosscountry driving the wagon ruts were quite deep and when you were driving a c6u you soon learned how to stay in the tracks. Coming to a fence there were usually .,letdowns" and you lifted the barbed wires from the turned-up nails, stood on the wire. let the driver drive over the fence, and then you'd replace the let-down. So often I would get snagged doing this. In the '20s, there were cattle and horse traders from Illinois, Iowa, and Minnesota who came every fall. A Mr. Hannah from Iowa bought one of our cows, a beautiful Ayershire named Goldie, and we girls cried our hearts out as she was driven to the loading yard. Some time during the mid-twettlie. orrr family moved to the Ead's farm just south and east of town. As I had done on the Buchanan farm I helped with the outside work, enjoying this much more than the housework. One especially frustrating job I did have was filling the kerosene lampi and cleaning the chimneys. It seemed thai when they were lighted, the wick was never quite right, and up the side of the chimney wenl the black soot! The cleaning and trimming were then to be done all over again. When wash day came on Mondays, I wanted to hide. The water was heated on the kitchen range in the wash boiler, the tub filled for sudsing, clear water canied in for the rinsing and the bluing tubs, and then the �clothes were hung on the line. In winter we'd often bring in clothes frozen so stiff they'd stand alone. These were thrown on Iines strung in the kitchen until they were finally dry. And ironing! With those flat "sad" irons heated on the range it seemed no time until they cooled and with the handle were repla- ced, picking up a hot one from the top of the stove which might last while ironing one part of a starched, dampened, rolled-up garment from the ironing basket. Also in washing the cream separator, the discs had to be threaded onto a rod and placed in a little trough, run through soapy and scalding water. Turning that separator was also my chore, and if I didn't get it back together just right, the-re was a mess. Feeding the chickens and gathering the eggs was another chore I usually did. When I went out it seemed no matter what size container I took I always needed a bigger one. When mom would help me, she could simply gather the corners of her apron, pla,ce those extras in her neat holder, and carefully get them back to the house. by Mary Carter SUTTON FAMILYF702 I Remember, Sutton We cooked on a Majestic coal range, and we burned wood, coal, corn cobs gathered from the pig pen, and many a time, cow chips. When we gathered those chips, we were most careful to only seek the dried ones! They did make a nice bright, hot fire' During the heat of the summer we cooked on a kerosene stove that was moved outside most of the time so the house would stay cool. The fires used to boil meats during butchering season' cook the large batches of rendered lard with lye for soap, or process the canning were also set outside in the yard. The party line telephone was considered a luxury when I was a girl. One twist called central. and the combinations of long and short rings designated the various parties. Of course, each time a phone rang everyone knew who was on the line, and the "clickclicks" reminded us that whatever was said was being heard by everyone. Entertainment at home was the norm. We had a Stereoscope to view picture post cards in three dimensions. We also had a Victrola that played records. We had parties at home now that we lived in town. At evening parties, or just when company came with children, we would scare ourselves out of our wits by all hiding around the yard but the one chosen "It," and that one had to walk about singing, "The Stars are shining; the moon is bright; I hope I don't see any ghosts tonight," and when the hidden children were passed by they jumped out and frightened thegre-ryho ' was';It." Also, we'd play Annie, Annie Over, getting lots of good exercise while we tossed i baU from one side of a pitched roof to the other. You never saw the team on the other side, but each of yours kept the score fair when you caught the ball. Fox and Geese in the winter snow was sure to keep our blood warmed up as we ran the circled course to avoid the Fox who had been tagged to chase us through the paths in the snow. We had a piano when we moved to main street and my sister, Ellamea, took lessons and entertained us at many a party. I loved to recite and under the tutorage of Mrs. Gibbs took on many of the Aunt Hett recitals of the time. Social functions revolved around the church and the Odd Fellows and Rebekah Lodge, hay rack rides in the summer, sleigh rides in the winter, school sport (I particularly tiked girl's basketball). I remember the first talking movies at Clarence Wright's theater - the first one I saw was Monty Montana in Montana Moon. We never lacked for something to do - after the work was done. So many of the people who I went to school with remark of the good times they had at "Ms. Sutton's house." Letters then were mailed with a 3 cent stamp, post cards for a penny. Free movies were shown on the side of the building er's wagon with the bang board on. There was straw in the bottom of the wagon' The school district furnished the school bus body only and the interested persons would bid on the four different routes, which required the successful bidder to furnish a truck chassis so the bus body could be mounted which consisted of two side benches plus a small middle bench. No heaters in those days! First Central was able to attract very competent teachers. I appreciated all ofthem and their efforts. Names that I can remember are Violet and Edith Campbell and Thelma Lowe. (She was very understanding and tried to teach us good manners along with our other studies.) Prof. Frog, whose physics lessons I was able to use all oflife, I appreciate much. Fourteen students started out in 1922. By 1934 when we graduated there were eight of us: Leonard Beeson, Loraine Iseman housing Wilson's store. In summer, Flagler (Wood), Robert Bailey, Clair Barr, Marie Kiper (Lesher), Ella Storrer, Wesley Taylor, enjoyed Junior Chautauqua in the mornings. Sometimes we could stay on for the afternoon performances, or an evening show' A huge ient was set up in the block where the Flagler Seed plant is now. We'd have competitions presenting plays. For many years the county Inez Smith and myself, Parker Swann. Cloyd Storrer and Nora Wright (Johnson) were post was on the Chautauqua circuit. We all ichools continued this event. Also, the box suppers where all would gather, bringing their favorite dishes boxed in beautifully decorated boxes. These were auctioned off to the highest bidder with the monies going to some philanthropic project for a need of the community. You can believe that the "Romeo of each Juliet" was given an explicit description of the box she brought, and heaven forbid if he did not bid high enough to win the privilege of joining her for supper! Yes, it was a good childhood growing up in Flagler, Colorado and living on the eastern graduates and assisted us on the stage graduation night. I think none of us of that era will forget the dust bowl days, but we will remember the happy times and good people that helped us along the way. by Parker Swann SWANN, GEORGE AND BERTHA F704 prairie in the early 1900s. by Mary Carter SWANN FAMILY ..,r.r::j&r t:l::S, F703 '\e*.. 14""T" Growing up in Kit Carson County, Colorado is part of my life that I am thankful for. I was fortunate to have loving and under- standing parents, D.D. Swann and Nellie. We lived on my father's homestead seventeen t..,i .i. r.ll:' , ..,ir:l:l:ti:: '"'i'*\1:::.' I i; miles south of Bethune or twenty-six miles southwest of Burlington, Colorado. We farmed about a section of land for crops, plus had some pasture land for stock, horses, milk cows that were turned out overnight. There was lots of free range land at that time. Being born in 1916, I experienced the open prairies, horse and buggy days, and Model ,f ltrlr -dr ."' ""?#4 T's. I can clearly remember when people could go from our place angling northeast to Burlington without any trouble with fences. I remember people moving in to make eastern Colorado a wheat producing country in 192829. From all the plowing of the buffalo grass, we went through the dust bowl days in the early thirties and the hard times especially after the banks went broke. I attended the First Central School starting in L922. Mr. Greenwood was the bus driver that year. All twelve years we left home at 7 a.m. after chores were completed to arrive at school by 9 a.m., arriving home in the evening to do the chores around five or so. Due to the snows that first year we rode in a cornhusk- '_li:],:.rJ George and Bertha Swann My great grandparents, George and Bertha Swann, homesteaded south ofBethune in the early 1900's. My mother, LaDene Richardson, and her brother, Russell Clark, spent many summers out there. She told me how long it would take to get to Goodland which now takes only a little over one hour. When George and Bertha moved to Goodland, their son, Dudley Swann, took over the place. Their children are Parker, and Bertha Mclean of Lake Havasu City, Arizona, Elwin of Bullhead, Arizona, and Ilene Wood of � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Families of Kit Carson County Description An account of the resource Brief biographies of the founding families of Kit Carson County Colorado. Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Book Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Families- S Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1988 Description An account of the resource Brief family histories of founding families of Kit Carson County whose names begin with "S." As found in the book, History of Kit Carson County. Type The nature or genre of the resource text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Salmons, Janice Hasart, Marlyn Smith, Dorothy Language A language of the resource English Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. History of Kit Carson County Volume 1 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource text/pdf Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Curtis Media Subject The topic of the resource History Kit Carson County Biography Genealogy Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a> https://kccarchives.cvlcollections.org/files/original/17/508/Families-T_U_V.pdf df1504bf0291779a6384745335c7f6a0 PDF Text Text Akron, Colorado. It gives one a sense of belonging to know that some of your family helped settle this land. by Phyllis Wall There were six more children born with the help of a midwife Mrs. Lowe who was Art Lowe's mother. Georgia Megel said she helped mother when I was born. The six children were named Arthur Weslev. Vaughn, Vance, Shelby, Darrell Dean, ant Darlene Joy. We all went to the First Central TAGGART, VELMER MILLER F705 As a small child, I came to Flagler, Colo., in 1908 with my parents, John and Agnes Collier. We lived on a farm north of town for School our twelve years of schooling. Some of my classmates were Lewis Borden. Wanda Baetz, and maybe a Gooch child and others. Mrs. Gooch was the first cook for our hot lunches. Shelby helped and later he was the cook and some of us girls would get out of class early to help him. When I graduated in Miller. To this union, four children were 1945, I was the only one in my class, the others had all moved away. All of us Taylor children graduated from First Central. At the time, they held church services at the school and Mr. Ness was the minister. He lived about one half mile from us and one of my best friends was their daughter Charlette. It seemed so nice to have another girl around. Six older brothers were hard on an only girl, and another girl to talk to was great. Dad helped Ness' out by giving them coal and so In 1948, Thelma married Elmer T. Havs. He passed away in 1980. They had four children: Pamela Sue born in 1949; Angela when they no longer had any, he went clear over to Vona in his 1928 Chewolet truck. The truck bed was about as big as the beds in the several years. _ In t924, I graduated from Flagler High School and that same year married Ord h. born: Agnes Jane in 1925, who passed away in 1930; Thelma Lavonne "Bonnie" was born in 1927; Lawrence W. was born in 1g31: James W. was born in 1945. We lived on farms for many years, eighteen miles north and east of Flagler. Gail, born in 1951; Ronnie Gene born in f-gSg and Mark Wade, born in 1968. Lawrence joined the Armed Forces in 19b1. He was released when his father. Ord R. Miller died in 1953. Lawrence returned to the farm. In 1959, he and Shirley Simon were married. There were three children, two adopted. After James graduated from high school in 1963, he and Ruth Ann Bower were manied. He joined the Armed Services and after serving in Kansas and Alabama, they went to Germany where he was stationed as a helicopter mechanic. In 1965, their son, James D. was born. After a divorce, Jim married Verna Dunn in 1984, who has a daughter, Tana. In 1960, I married John L. Taggert and we made our home in Strasburg for lb years. He passed away in 1973. I came back to Flagler in 1975, where I still reside. by Velma Taggart forth. Dad got the coal from Stratton but pick-up trucks of today. We were good friends with the Ness' until they moved to Stratton. Our family raised cane and corn. Some of the corn was ground for corn flour. The cane was used as feed for the cows and horses. In the dirty 30's, the family raised dry land potatoes, which Dad delivered to Chevenne Wells and all around Burlington and Strat- ton. To keep the potatoes cool, Dad dug a 100 foot long cellar to sort and store the potatoes. After the potatoes weren't grown anymore, the cellar was used for setting hens to hatch chickens. Mother would carefully put several eggs under each setting hen to hatch for her own chicks. Then the folks bought two incubators to hatch the chickens. Thev sold chickens and turkeys to the Shanks CLfe in Burlington, a cafe that my uncle Lee Taylor bought in the early b0's. One day in the early 30's, my parents and I went to Goodland and on the way back we had to stop at Kanorado because of a dirt TAYLOR, PERRY AND NETTIE F706 My parents moved from Goodland, Kansas in 1914 to their homestead. In Goodland Dad had been working for the railroad, mostly around the round house. They came west in a wagon and their only son Perry Eugene was small enough to lay in a dresser drawer. Dad walked the cattle across the unfenced prairies while Mother drove the wagon. They stayed with some people (I do not recall their name) rcuth of Burlington and they came on west ;he next day. There was a small building on ;he homestead that they stayed in while luilding a two room soddie. In later years, as ;he family grew, so did the house. Thev also ruilt a sod milk house where *" goi o.r, lrinking water. The water came from a well hat I think maybe a Mr. Hardin dug. In this ,ame building there was a square tank which vas used for keeping the milk, cream and rutter cool. storm. We just pulled over to the side of the road and sat in the car until the storm was over. I remember it because I was so frightened. Another time there was a prairie fire, which came in from the south. School was turned out early and we were told to go right home. The fire came within about a milJ of our home. I still can see those flames racing across the prairie. It was a terrible sight. Eugene had to go away from home to work in the 30's. He first worked at Boone. Colorado at a bean farm. I can renember Pugene saying that bean farming was the hardest work he had ever done. He also worked at a ranch near Yuma at the Stiners ranch. In those days, the farm hand stayed with the people they worked for. They were all very nice people. On July 4th, 1936, a rain and hail storm came through near the Herman Baetz place. Part of the Baetz family was coming back across the creek and they did not make it because a wall of water hit them. LaDonna, the oldest daughter, was swept down the creek into the Landsman. Several neighbors, including Dad, looked for her but onlv found her glasses hanging on a fence. Her body was finally found later further down the creek toward Bethune. The boys hunted rabbits and when they got them home they would skin and hang tiEm out to dry. That would make the boyi some extra money for they would take skins into Stratton to sell to the creamery. My brothers also raised watermelon. They had to haul water to the watermelon patch from the well by the house. We ate a few and sold the rest. On Saturday night, the folks would have barn dances and the boys all played instru- ments and Mother fried hamburgers for everyone to buy. Dad always kept law and order. If there was a fight or a disorder, Dad would always be there to take care of things. There were always a lot of people from miles around and all in all, I think that evervone had a good time. The barn first was a cow shed and they put in a wooden floor and a pot belly stove to keep the chill out of the ro-om in chilly weather. Cowchips were used for heat. The chips were lit first after they were soaked in kerosene. Then the large pieces of coal (chunk coal) were added and after that the fine coal (slack coal) was added. The stove stayed warm for what seemed like forever. We would all help gather the cowchips and I always made sure they were good and dry before I would even kick them. Dad had Lloyd Megel put in a 82 volt wind charger with 16 batteries. It was so nice to have lights, and electric iron and a washer. This wind charger was used until R.E.A. came. Mom would always sew all our clothes. Sometimes sJre was up until midnight sewing for her family. Dresses for me and shirts foi the six boys. Mother also made the quilts for all of us; this is something she reallyenjoyed doing. I still have some of her quiltl after all these years. Our family had horses they worked in the fields even after the tractors were used bv others. We used horses on the header, cutting barley and stacking it until fall when thi threshing crew came in. One of these crews was the Blankenbaker crew, Rodney Blankenbaker's father. Mother and I would cook special meals during threshing. We used the best dishes and had more food on the table fo_r everyone, including the threshing crews. We always had meat and potatoes and peaches and cream. We butchered our own pork and cooked up sausage, after which we would put a layer of sausage and a layer of lard until the five gallon jar was full. The jar was put in the milkhouse. As we would need the sausage it was taken out and heated, what a tieat. Mother always had a large garden and all the vegetables were canned and stored awav for the wintgr. Later, Father and the boys dug a deep hole south of the house where'ice and snow was kept for our ice box. The ice box was wooden and didn't hold much food because the ice took up a lot of room. The ice in the ice hole would usually last until late summer. When we ran out Dad would go to Stratton and buy some from Mr. Wallgamont. Wesley, Vance and Darrell all served in World War II. They all came home except Vance who was shot down and killed the dav after his 24th birthday over the oil fields in Romania. Vance's death was something that I believe that neither Mom or Dad ever got over. Mother passed on in March 11. 1966 and Father in July of 1975. I will always remem- �ber the "good old days" when we lived south of Stratton on the "homestead". by Darleen Joy Taylor Pottorff in 1987. THOMAN, LEO AND LUCY F707 He passed away in 1942, and Mary in 1979. They had five daughters, Helen Smelker, Violet Bunch, Ila Hobgood, Vivian Sternholm and Deloris Magnuson. by Ines McArthur and Irene Kennedy THOMASON FAMILY F708 After the rivers and trees of eastern Early 1920's Montgomery & Thyne Garage in Stratton, Co. Kansas, arriving on the bleak, windy and cold Colorado plains in March 1921, was a shock to the young family of John F' and Pansy B. (Hall) Thomason. They had journeyed to Stratton from Baileyville, Kansas with their two young sons, Harold, age 4, and Galen, age 2. John's parents, Frank M. and MarY (McCartin) Thomason, had moved to Stratton the previous year (1920) along with their daughters, Bessie and Ada. John and Pansy Thomason added three more sons to their family after moving to Francis (1923), LaVerne (1926), Colorado - (1933). The family always lived and Melvin in the Idlewild School District, and all the boys graduated from Stratton High School. Both families farmed and raised cattle north of Stratton. John and Pansy left the farm and moved into Stratton in 1944, because their sons were in military service and other help was not available. Pansy lives in Stratton at 230 Kansas Avenue. Pansy Thomason celebrated her 88th birthday in 1985. John Thomason died in 1958. Harold (Hal) worked for several years in the Stratton Drug Store and now is the owner/pharmacist of the drug store in Cal- Leo and Lucy Thoman han. Colorado. Galen is retired from the U.S. Air Force and lives in Buena Vista, Colorado' Francis is a CPA and lives in Mclean, Among some of the first settlers to come to Kit Carson County, were Leo and LucY Thoman. They traveled from their home in Burlington, Iowa, to claim their land, 6 miles east ofBurlington, Colorado, near Peconic, at what was then called Carlisle. Traveling in a covered wagon, they left on Sept. 11, 1886 and arrived on Oct. 23. Because it was getting late in the fall, they hurried to make suitable living quarters by digging a cellar. This provided shelter from the winter and provided a home that met their needs till a house could be built, the following year. Leo and Lucy were married in April of 1885. Their five children were born here; Arnold, Bessie and Mary and two boys who died. Later they built an adobe house (just south of the Peconic elevators.) Leo helped build the Rock Island railroad. The children would pick up coal along the tracks that was spilled and sometimes the men would throw a shovel full off for them. In 1904, when the children ere very young Leo passed away, but Lucy carried on with the help of Arnold (10) and the girls. The relation in Iowa would send barrels of fruit and nuts in the fall to help out. Lucy passed away in L922, Close neighbors were the Teils, Stampers, Johnsons, and Martins. Arnold married Vera Dillon, she passed away in 1970. Bessie married Maynard Dunham, who passed away in 1964 and she passed away in 1984. Mary married Elmer Magnuson, a son of a homesteader west of the Smokey Hill school house. Virginia. LaVerne (Vern) is a dairy products distributor in Limon, Colorado. Melvin (Mel) teaches pharmacology at Temple University and lives in a suburb of Philadelphia. Pansy Thomason is the proud mother of five sons, grandmother of twenty, and greatgrandmother of twenty-two children' by Pansy Thomason W.T. and Olive Thyne in 1940 in Elizabeth, Co. a garage and Chevrolet agency, was manager of Stratton Co-op, was a Star-Route carrier for 20 years before his retirement. Ruth Thyne graduated from Stratton High School in 1929 and worked at the grocery store there. Russell D. Spurlin (1907-1967) came to Stratton with his parents Melvin (1878-1927) and Olive Dannevik Spurlin (1880-1963), 3 THYNE - BAKER AND SPURLIN DANNEVIK AND SPURLIN - THYNE FAMILIES F709 Olive Baker, daughter of John Bloss and Iona Taylor Baker Families (1886-1974) came from Beloit, Ks. in 1907. She homesteaded north of Stratton. William T. Thyne (1885-1975) son of Daniel and Sarah Thyne came from Doon, Iowa in 1906. He homesteaded 10 miles north of Stratton. W.T. and Olive met and married in 1911. To this union 5 children were born Ruth (1911-1976), Dan (1913), Bill (1921), Gene (1924-1980) and Mary Kay (1926-1979). He engaged in ranching and farming, operated a local dairy, ran brothers Dale (1902-1979), Gray (1905-1966)' Gene (1911-1971) and 2 sisters Alpha (1909) and Dorothy (1914), from Edmund, Ks. in 1919. Melvin was a drayman. Olive's father Otto and brother Will Dannevik moved with them and together they built several homes in Stratton. Some were block and some cement brick. Russ was working as a barber when he met and married Ruth Thyne in 1930. Four children were born to this union; Bob, Doris, Duane (Shorty) were born in Stratton and Donna was born in Cheyenne Wells where Russ was working at the light plant and Ruth helped her brother Dan in his grocery store there. Pearl Harbor was bombed and so Ruth's 3 brothers had to go to the service and this left the farm unattended so we moved back to Stratton to the farm. For a few months during the winter Russ worked in Denver at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal. In 1949 we moved 1/z mile west of Stratton, had a dairy and delivered raw milk, later we delivered homogenized. When it first came out on the market, we could hardly talk nFo �son Derek. Duane (Shorty) Spurlin graduated in 1956, spent 2 years in army, worked in grocery store for Uncle Bill Thyne in Cheyenne Wells, worked with a bridge construction company for 15 years. He married Jeanette Mast. They have 2 daughters Charlene & Rebecca. Charlene died after heart surgery at the age of 3 years in 1978 and Rebecca died in infancy. Shorty himself, in 1945 at 8 years old, came close to death when he and a cousin, John Spurlin, were climbing a 35 ft. tree. Shorty reached the top first and grabbed a wire which sent a short circuit of 2200 volts through his body and pinned him to the tree. It was only by one chance in a thousand that he lived. Such an accident usually means instant death. Shorty and Jeanette reside in Northglenn where they are managing a 358 unit apartment complex. R.D. and Ruth Spurlin in Cheyenne Wells, Co. in 1940. Donna Spurlin graduated in 1956, worked as a bookkeeper in Denver, Nebraska, California and back to Denver where she resides with her husband Robert J. Whalen. They have 2 daughters; Sherri and Patricia and grandson Kevin. Ruth, Dan, Bill, Gene and Mary Kay went to school at Solid Center, Vz mile north from homestead. We four kids, Bob, Doris, Shorty and Donna also attended Solid Center. Later Batt Realty Co. bought, moved and remodeled it and later W.T. Thyne (Granddad & Grandma) bought it for he and Olive to live in. We kids and our kids all had family gatherings there for years, so it was a big part of our lives. by Doris Stevens TOLAND, RAY E. AND GLADYS (ANNIE) FTlO Ray Ervin Toland was born in St. John, Kansas, on December 9, 1891. He was married to Gladys Kay in Hutchinson, Kansas, on August 4, 1915. They had two Melvin and Olive Spurlin 1924 in Stratton. customers into trying it. At the same time they managed Hollywood Creamery. He also was a Star-Route carrier. Later Ruth was a cook at school lunch room. Bob Spurlin graduated in 1951, served in Korean War for 2 years, spent time in Japan, worked for Highway Dept. as an engineer for 22 years. He has 4 sons, Lonnie, Vean, Ted and Doren and one daughter, Peggy. Bob was killed in a car accident in 1979 Vz mile from home. Doris Spurlin graduated in 1953, married Dallas Stevens. They bought D&D Cleaners in Burlington in 1958. They have 5 daughters, Dana, Debra, Diane, Devona, Dee and one children: Mary Ellen (Balanga) born July 6, 1916, and Max Kay born October 1, 1920. In 1933, the Tolands moved to Hugo, Colorado, then on to Stratton in 1940. They operated the "Stratton Cafe" on Main Street until December, 1945. At this time they purchased the Toland Cream Station. With the creamery still under their direction, they opened the Collins Hotel Cafe. Ray died February 6, 1951. After his death, Gladys spent several years managing the dining room of the Grand Pacific Hotel in Bismarck, North Dakota. She returned to Stratton in 1966, where she managed the Memorial Hospital Board. He died in Decembet 4, L974. Janet Toland presently resides in San Clemente, California, near Bonnie, her husband and Janet's only grandson, Trey. Marie and her husband live in Evergreen, Colorado. by Janet Toland TOWERS, BERT F71l Bert Towers came by emmigrant train to Kit Carson County with his parents, George and Emily Towers in 1906. Bert also raised horses Iike his father before him. He was well known around Burlington for he trucked cattle for a business. I, Georgia Megel, his niece, have this newspaper article about uncle Bertie. "Centennial Race Track will not be the same when the barns start to house thorough- breds for the 1961 meeting. Bertie Towers, Centennial's night watchman, died of a heart attack Saturday night. He was 77. He lived with his wife, Opal, in a trailer behind the racing offices. Their whole life was wrapped up in 'Yuma Wray', the only race horse quartered the year round at Centennial. (The horse was named Yuma because he was born at Yuma, Colo.) Each season Yuma Wray, wearing the Towers'colors, would win a race or two at Centennial. The mare, now retired, has a yearling by Pelouse . ." In 1910, I remember the prairie fire that was started by someone camping north of Kit Carson, Colo. The wind was blowing so hard and it got away from them. It burned so much in Kit Carson County. The fire moved so fast that a horse couldn't outrun it. Uncle Bertie had left for home but father tried to get him to stay. He wouldn't and before he got home, the fire had burned the horse's mane and the tassel off his tail. Father lost feed and Uncle Bert lost a barn and 9400. by Georgia Megel TRESSEL, MISS JENNIE L. F7t2 One of the most energetic, accomplished, and colorful Kit Carson County early-day settlers was Miss Jennie L. Tressel. Her popularity can be attested to by the many times that she has been mentioned in these restaurant at the Golden Prairie Inn until her death, June 7,1973. Mary Ellen was married to Rueben Balanga on July 26, 1942, and died on January 2, L957. Max Kay served 4 years overseas in World War II; was married to Janet Dillon on May l, L947. They had two daughters: Bonnie Jo (Swann) born July 1, 1948, and Marie Kay (Wolfley) born December 11, 1953. Max worked for Inland Utilities until it was incorporated into K.C. Electric Association where he was employed for 27 years. He served two terms as Mayor of Stratton, also as Justice of the Peace, a Red Cross Instructor, and a member of the Kit Carson Countv Miss Jennie Tressel with two of her "boys", Allen Greenwood and Kenneth Hoot, at Smelker School �histories. It is quite well-established that she was a homemaker probably around the turn of the century. Besides coping with pioneer life, she beco-e an outstanding educator and schoolteacher. From 1916 to 1922 she served as Kit Carson County Superintendent of Schools. She drove a team of horses hitched to a buggy when she visited the schools in the county. In later years when the horses became old, she sold them to Theodore Greenwood. One was a beautiful sorrel and when he died. Mr. Greenwood had his hide removed, tanned, and made into a beautiful robe with dark green felt cloth lining. It is kept as a family heirloom in memory of Miss Tressel. Besides being County Superintendent, she was Superintendent of the Vona School, taught in Stratton, and in many country schools. She had "a way" with children' and they would strive to please her. Instead of punishing for wrong-doing, she had a system of giving "merit points" for good behavior and deeds accomplished. So many "merit points" would earn a prize, something small but treasured by the children. If they completed their assignment, she would let them work on crafts, - shadow pictures, sewing cards, and woodworking like little stools and shelves. They used scrap lumber and a coping saw. and these little articles can still be found in the homes, cherished by the now grown children. One of her hobbies was a stamp collection, and she helped many children to become interested in stamps. At the end of her life she bequeathed her valuable stemp collection to one ofher "girls" who had pursued the hobby. Another diversion in which she was interested and knowledgeable was Parliamentary Law. So she helped the children organize a Club, elect officers, and gather solemnly for meetings on Friday afternoon, all conducted according to strict Parliamentary Law. Miss Tressel was a genial person to have at neighborhood parties and programs. She always had a reportoire of "fun" games. As far as we know, her lone relative was a frail and sickly sister for whom she took responsibility in later years. She built a nice home in Stratton, now owned bY FloYd Borders and she and her sister lived there for a time. Then the sister died and rumor had it that the gister's doctor bills for which Miss Tressel felt responsible, finally divested her of most of her finances. Miss Tressel's final days were spent here in Stratton in a little two-room house which Mrs. Rachael McNees built in her yard for her beloved friend. She had all arrangements made for her funeral including the request that six of her "boys", now grown, be her pallbearers. She was a grand old lady. than from where they moved in Indiana. Previously, Tom and Cherie were Vocational Agriculture teachers at two different high school in southern Indiana. They were FFA Advisors and coached several judging teems. In addition Cherie coached volleyball and as a licensed volleyball official in the state of Indiana. Tom was born in Burlington, Vermont on August 11, 1961, but moved a few years later to Holbrook, Massachusetts, where his parents still reside. Cherie Renee Pizarek was born August 3, 1958 in Michigan City, Indiana, which is 8 miles from where her parents still live on a farm near LaPorfe, Indiana. Tom has three younger brothers, and Cherie has one older brother. Cory was born through a previous marriage on July 22, 1981 in Louisville, Kentucky. Tom graduated from St. Joseph's Elemen- tary School in 1975, Norfolk County Agriculture High School in 1979, and Purdue University in 1984. Cherie graduated from St. Mary's Elementary School in L972, Marquette Catholic High School in 1976, and Purdue University in 1980. Cherie returned to Purdue in 1982 to pursue certification in TRIEB, THOMAS AND CIIERIE F7t3 Thomas William Trieb, Jr. and Cherie Pizarek Trieb moved to the Burlington area on September 1, 1985 with their son, Corydon Milo Garmon. They moved here in search of a drier climate and a more rural atmosphere mond Chindlen, born May 5, L952. They live at Long Beach, California. 2. Enid Irene Underwood born Oct. 11, 1928, at Columbine, Wy. Enid married Allen Rawden on June 25, L948, They have 3 children: Donald Bruce Rawden born April 14, 1950, Debbie Christine Rawden born March 23, 1952, and Allen Dean Rawden born Sept. 16. They live in Washington. by Linda L. Ljunggren Brandt Vocational Agriculture Education with a minor in biology. Her first degree is in General Agriculture with emphasis in Agronomy and Animal Science. It was in the fall of 1983 at Purdue University that Tom and Cherie first met, as they were two of twenty- VAN DE WEGHE, ALMA LIMING nine students preparing to be student teachers of Vocational Agriculture the following spring. Tom and Cherie were manied on July 20, 1985 at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Center at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. Bernadette Elizabeth Trieb was born on July 2, 1987 at Swedish Medical Center in Alma Van De Liming, had four children - and Marvin. Weghe, Robert, Melba Rehor We were raised on a farm 18 miles north and 3 miles west of Stratton. The original oneroom school house used as our home was later Englewood, Colorado. She is a welcome addition to the family. The Triebs are members of St. Catherine's Catholic Church in Burlington, where Cherie teaches CCD. Tom is an officer in the Burlington Council of Knights of Columbus. Cherie is president of Modern Homemakers, very active in the Burlington Young Mothers' Organization, and a volunteer at the Colorado Welcome Center. Tom and Cherie are 4-H leaders, too. In the past they had been active in the KCC Cattleman's association, Seibert Young Far- mers', KCC Cowbelles, and St. Catherine's Altar & Rosary. Tom is presently a feedlot assistant for Busby,Inc. by Cherie Trieb F715 My parents, William (Bill) and Hazel replaced by a house moved in from a few miles away that Dad purchased from Ray Bowers. Some of the early memories I have of my parents, I would like to share with you. We had a Majestic range that furnished the heat for the whole house, plus being used for cooking and baking. Mom its intended use - and it was so good to come baked bread often home from school to hot bread with homemade butter, jelly and jams, and frequently a big pot of beans. In the summer we would pick lambs quarter (a weed) and Mom would can it for our spinach. We also always had an abundance of homemade cottage cheese. Mom grew a big garden every summer and in the fall she made sauerkraut, hominy, pickles, and canned whatever was left that wouldn't keep in the cellar. I can remember so well Dad bringing in bushels of big white ears of corn that we shelled by hand so we UNDERWOOD, GRACE BELL SMITH by Marie E. Greenwood Grace (Smith) Underwood and Ed Underwood. F714 Grace Bell Smith, daughter of Salmon Peter Chase Smith and Laura Alice Cook, was born May 28, 1898, at Tobias, Saline County, Nebraska. Grace married Edgar Underwood, son of William and Mary Underwood, Sept. 20, 1916, at Burlington, Colorado. Edgar died Dec. 24, L956. Grace died May 19, 1961. Both are buried at Billings, Montana. They had two daughters: 1. Erma Underwood born Oct. 25, 1918, at Stratton, Colorado. Erma maried Clarance Edmund Chindlen Nov. 21. 1940, at Littleton, Colorado. They had a son, David Ed- wouldn't get any bad kernels, cooking the kernels in lye water until the hulls would slip off. then washing it over and over in cold water until all the hulls were gone and we had beautiful white hominy. Same with the kraut we took the cabbage heads, removed the -outside leaves and Mom and Dad then took turns shredding up the cabbage. Dad prepared a big vinegar barrel in the cellar where we put the shredded cabbage and salt and trarnped it down with a big club Dad had made. Then, it was weighted down with a cloth-covered lid and let set to ferment. What a treat to go down in the cellar later and bring up a big bowlful. Like all of our neighbors, we butchered our own hogs and cattle, salt cured or canned the meat, and could plan on fresh liver for supper on butchering day. Generally, the neighbors assisted each other with butch- �ering. Mom also made all our clothes. Our underwear was made from empty flour sacks that she had scrubbed on the washboard to get the label washed out. Sometimes you could still see a faint "Belle of Denver" (flour brand name) on our bloomers. Mom raised ducks and picked their feathers to make feather beds and pillows and we used fresh shucks to fill ticks to sleep on. Dad loved horses and we always had horses to ride. He was one of the last people in the community to quit farming with horses. Our cows were registered Aryshires, and milking was a joint family effort. Also, every fall we went into the pasture and picked up cow chips enough to National Bank in Denver. Now that my husband and I are semi-retired, we enjoyed traveling and being with our families. Memories are continuing to be made for my children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. by Alma Van De Weghe VANCE FAMILY F7l6 back, we stacked them in ricks and burned them in the daytime, saving the coal for banking our night fires. For recreation and entertainment we had house dances, barn celebration. Burlingtonites built a huge burning of his shirt. In 1948 Shorty built a two story brick building just east of the Bank of Burlington. There were four apartments upstairs and the lower floor housed a furniture store which he owned and operated. The bank purchased the building in 1975 and it was torn down for horseshoe contests too. After graduating from Kirk High School, I married Kenneth Idler and we had four children Donald, Gerald, Richard and - We farmed for seven years, then Wilma Jean. due to Kenneth's death from heart disease. the children and I moved to Joes and built a motel known as the "Alma Motel". Later we moved to Yuma and had a motel called "400 K Kort". In 1961 I married Maurice Van De Weghe and we moved to Denver. Donald their expansion. The family was members of the Methodist Church of Burlington where Wreath was and is very active in the ladies groups being a life member of United Methodist Women. and his wife, Mary, and 3 children, Mary Shorty served as trustee for many years and Yvonne played the organ during the 40s. Wreath is also a life member of Burlington Woman's Club having joined in 1944.Shorty Donna, Martha Ann and Donald Jr., live in Apache Jct., Arizona. Gerald and his wife, Jane, and daughters Holly Anne, Jennifer Lynn and Susan Marie, live in Buford, Georgia. Another daughter, Kendra Jo, is married and lives in Benton, Arkansas. was a member of Chamber of Commerce and Rotary Club. Weldon was very active in football, basketball and baseball and Shortv was a firm supporter of the High School Richard and his wife, Joyce, and sons William Allen and Charles Louis, live in Wheat Ridge, Melba and her husband, Rudy Rehor, presently live on Dad's homestead after having worked many interesting years in road as a mechanic and - Rudy Melba often cooking for the crew. Melba had construction one son, Bobby Bill Todd, who died in infancy. Marvin and his wife, Marjorie, live in Lakewood, Colorado. They had 5 daughters Constance Lee Briggs (deceased), Jo Ellen, -Marla, Janet and Julie. Marvin is a plumber and owns M.L. LimingPlumbing Co. JoEllen and her husband, Bill Dozier, and 3 children, Jeffery, Matthew and Emily, live in Lakewood, Colorado. Marla and her husband. Lance Shepard, and sons Aaron and Nathan, live in Morrison, Colorado. Janet and her husband, Tom Pratt, and daughter Rebecca, live in Los Angeles, California. Julie Liming lives in Lakewood, Colorado. Besides being wife and mother, I also had a brief career working for the Colorado back of their trucks or under the stars and didn't have a cook crew in a modern trailer to feed them. It was the same year at the age of 39 that Shorty received his draft call from Uncle Sam to serve in World War IL He failed to pass his physical due to a heart condition. Aug. 9, 1945 - VJ Day, victory in Japan, put an end to World War II and was a day of great bonfire at the intersection of Senter and 14th and burnt hats, shirts, and bras. As the crowd got into the spirit of things and became quite rowdy, Shorty closed up Shorty's Palace and went home. He took the back way to avoid the dances, played cards, or just gathered at someone's home and played yard games. Of course, we had the usual baseball and mother. Wilma Jean and her husband, Duane Glenn, live in Fort Collins, Colorado. They have two daughters Marie Reeger, - Jeanie who has one daughter, and Rayna Jo Hoschouer, who has 3 children. Robert (Bob) lives in Fort Collins with his wife, Gale, and daughter, Bobetta. Bob farmed several years in Eastern Colorado and Missouri, and then moved back to Colorado and was a plumber until his retirement from the Poudre Valley School system. they would have as many as "24 egg and cheese sandwiches to go". Thought they could never look at another egg sandwich. In those days custom harvest crews slept in the fill several hayracks. After bringing them Colorado. Richard's oldest son, Kenneth Richard, lives in Mesa, Arizona with his cooking and pie making; working together to make the business a success. These were the war years and it was difficult to get enough meat due to rationing. One harvest when the custom cutters were in for take-out orders, Booster Club. J.V. and Wreath Vance Family, 1944.L. to R. Yvonne, J.V.(Shorty), Weldon, and Wreath. Front, Dennis. On Dennis'es graduation from high school, May 1955, the dirt blew so terrible one couldn't drive across town to Baccolaureate. On prom night there was a choking dust storm. Jacob Vernon Vance and Evelyn Wreath Frank were married April 2L,1927. Both were natives of Jewell City, Kansas. Vernon became a baker by trade. He worked at and owned bakeries in Kansas and Colorado until eczema on his hands as well as economic reasons forced him to leave the business. After a few years of construction and truck driving, he came to Burlington in the fall of 1942 to work for Bert Meyers at the Burlington Bakery. When school was out the next May he moved his wife and three children from Goodland, Kansas to the Warren Shamburg house in Burlington at 1209 Senter St. This was the family home while the children, Yvonne 15, Weldon 13, and Dennis 6 were growing up. In Feb. 1945 Vernon and Wreath opened a short order cafe just north of the Midway Theatre. It was called "Shorty's Palace". Shorty was the nickname he had acquired since coming to Burlington. The establishment was complete with up to the minute furnishings including inlaid linoleum, elaborate soda fountain, glass pastry case, chromium gas-heated coffee urn, leather booths and table tops of a new plastic called Formica. It also sported an ever popular nickleodean. It became a meeting place for the young people whom he loved. Shorty and Wreath did the The family had lived in several towns before coming to Colorado but once they hit Burlington, they stayed. All of Shorty and Wreath's three children and seven grand- children graduated from Burlington High School and all nine great grandchildren live in or near Burlington and attend Burlington schools. Yvonne manied Ewald Hartman and lives 10 miles SE, Weldon married Donna Ormsbee and is chief maintenance of RE6J schools, Dennis married Dianne Pappan and they have a paint and gift shop in Burlington. Vernon (Shorty) died following open heart surgery Sept. 11, 1968. Wreath still lives at 239 13th, the home they built in 1962. by Yvonne Vance Hartman VASSIOS FAMILY F7t7 William Vassios arrived in Flagler, in 1g06, while employed by the Union Pacific Railroad. Born in Messinia, Greece, in 1882, he came to America in 1902. He left home at a very young age in order to take advantage of the great opportunities that America had to offer. His employment with the railroad �piano, violin and accordion. Visits with friends and neighbors were enjoyed throughout the year. Among them were the Carl Bledsoe, Ellis Huntzman and Clark Wright families living south in the Boyero area. At other times the family The home and garden in 1928 attended a club called the Busy Bees'. There was always a large noon meal. The kids played games of all sorts, often times softball. Men enjoyed horse shoes and cards. Women visited, exchanged recipes, and quilted. Some of these families included; Bill Strodes, Newt and Nels Smiths, Bourquins, Rowlands, Kountzes, and the John and Arch Verhoeffs. The Jim Kountz family lived,2Vz miles away. They were close friends, one of the ties being "Mom and Pop" and one of the first cars in 1920 brought him west to Kansas City, Colorado, Idaho, and Nevada. He worked very hard and soon bec€rme a foreman, of which he was proud. In 1906. Bill decided to homestead 15 miles south ofFlagler but continued to work on the railroad for several more years while getting his homestead prepared for his future. In January of 1912 Bill Vassios and Pansy Drougas were mauied in Chicago, Illinois. Pansy was born in Sparta, Greece, in 1889. She had come to America as a young girl of 16 to live with her brother and work in a candy factory in Chicago. As a bride of 19, Pansy came to live with Bill on their homestead in a two room sod house. Existence on the sparsely populated prairie was extremely different from the city and active community life to which she was accustomed. One of the hardest experiences was the fact that they were not near a church. They lived too far from Flagler and their own Greek Orthodox Church was in Denver. This meant very little spiritual and social life, since their nearest neighbors were also miles away. The language barrier was another deterrent. The hardships were many, but they managed to rear and educate their seven children: Mrs. Alex Jamison( Anna) of Greeley, Colo., Mrs. Charles Mallo (Tressie) of Fort Collins, Colo., Mrs. Peter Tertipes (Marv) of Cheyenne, Wyo., George Vassios of Limon, Colo., Gus Vassios of Flagler, Colo., Mrs. Jack McCollum (Ansie) of Dallas, Texas, and Mrs. John Coryell (Daphne) of Flagler, Colo. Around L922 the family moved from the original homestead to the Stanger place, which was only a mile from the Texarado school. Walking and riding horseback to school was not always pleasant because ofthe snowstorms that frequented the area. One of the highlighLs for the Vassios family at this time was the fact that they were able to provide room and board for the young teachers who taught at Texarado. These were pleasant years because the lives of everyone were enriched and lifelong friendships built. children of the same or close age group. The great depression of the 1930's was a hard thing for the family to survive, as it was with practically everyone else. But the family survived because everyone helped with the chores. At one time, they were milking 30 to 40 milk cows twice a day. The cows, pigs, chickens, turkeys, Iambs, and huge gardens kept food on the table. Bill made weekly trips to Flagler with a team of horses and a spring wagon to deliver and sell several cans full of cream and several cases of eggs for cash. One experience that the family will never forget took place on March 17,1923. We were fearful that Bill had perished in a fierce, untimely snowstorm which came up suddenly in the middle of the morning. It caused the whole herd of cattle to drift southward, just being taken along by the strong wind and blinding snow. Bill decided to try to find the cattle and turn them around, so he took off on his saddle horse. Several hours later, when the family had almost given up hope of Bill's return, his trusted saddle horse, Maude, came up to the front door with Bill sitting motionless, almost frozen to death. Icicles hung from his eyebrows, and he could not move nor speak, but God was with him and he soon returned to normal. The cattle all perished. One of the main goals of Bill and Pansy Vassios was to educate their family. Before his death, Bill had the promise of his grandchildren that they would get a good education and finish college if at all possible. They were very proud of the fact that all ten grandchildren accomplished that feat.This confirmed their belief that all things are possible in this great country. by Daphne Coryell VONDY - PAINTIN FAMILY F718 Dr. Powell worked for dad 2 summers during his college days, and became full time help after he graduated and later became a partner. We have been quite an active and close family, we are all members of the Methodist Church. Mom and Dad have both been Sunday school teachers and mom is secretary of the administrative board. We kids have After supper, the large round dining table enjoyed various activities through the church; camp, MYF, Sunday school, Bible was turned into a study table. When studies school, etc. were finished, the evenings entertainment usually included some type of music; singing, There are five children in our family: Diane, Curt, Gail, Terry, and Holly. Diane is a graduate of C.S.U. and is manager of a branch office for Mountain View Mortgage Co. She is married to Tim McNulty and they have a son Ryan Patrick, born Feb. 11, 1986. They make their home in Colorado Springs. Curt has had an adventuresome life. He attended C.S.U. for 21/z years, worked in oil fields in Montana and land leveling and plastics factory in Arizona. Gail attended dog grooming school and joined our clinic as groomer and operated her own business for 4 years, but felt that she was becoming allergic to the pet hair. She went to work as a horse-groom at Ted Simon/ Racing stable, and later started training for her dad. Terry is a graduate of C.S.U. with a Bachelors degree in Animal Science. Through his college years he spent 3 summers at Ruidoso Downs Racetrack as a groom for Ted Simon. Now he has several head of quarter horses and thoroughbreds that he enjoys training. My father, Milton Vondy, was born in Snyder, Colorado on March 6, L927, to Lawrence and Ollie Vondy. He attended Brush schools and later graduated from Brush High School. My Mother, Doris Paintin, was born at home on December 8, 1920, to George and Agnes Paintin. She attended country school at Solid Senter; transporta- tion was her old white mare, Daisy. She attended Stratton High School, and was active in dramatics and cheerleading. Dad came to Burlington in 1952, a graduate of Colorado A&M, Fort Collins, Co. with a degree in Veterinary Medicine. After visiting with the bankers, local farmers and the county agent, he decided to move to Burlington where he established his veterinary practice which kept him very busy and still does. My mother was employed at Standish Drug Store, when she met my dad. They were married at the Methodist Church in Burlington, in 1952. Mom has helped dad in the vet business since that time. Dad and mom's first home was the apartment above Milburn Jewelry Store. Then, they bought a home on 18th Street. Later they purchased five acres from Buols and built a house, barn and small animal shelter. In 1978 they sold our home and purchased the Vern Jones home 6 miles South of Bur- lington, where a quonset building was converted to a veterinary clinic and dad had lots of room for his horses. I, Holly the youngest and most spoiled (due to brothers and sisters) am active in 4-H. MYF, and school. I enjoy working on the annual staff, being on the flag corp, snow skiing, dating, and spending time with friends, especially my best friend Karla Pankratz. I also am interested in horse racing and have a colt at the track now. All of us kids have been in 4-H with quite a variety of projects and Mom and Dad have been leaders for many years. All of our 4-H years were spent with Sunshine 4-H club. Activities dad enjoys are golfing, horse racing, raising quarter horses, being a member of the Plains Rider Roping Club, which he helped organize, the Cattlemen's Associa- tion, Burlington Commercial Feedlot, and being Republican Precinct Committeeman. Mom has been a member of Modern Homemakers H.D. Club, for 31 years and B.P.W. for 8 years. She also enjoys Plains �shack in the North West part of Stratton. He then spent his time in the garage where the Kalb Brothers Walter and Kenneth had a mechanics shop. He enjoyed visiting with whoever had time to chat with him. They looked after him in his last years as he got to where he could hardly walk before he died. He is buried in Claremont Cemetery, Stratton, Colorado. He was 88 years old. by Dessie Cassity Book & Florence McConnell WALKER FAMILY F720 The Milton Vondy Family. Back row, L. to R.: GaiI, Diane, Curt and Terry. Front row, L. to R.: Doris, Hollv and Milton. Riders Roping Club, and horse racing. One of the biggest thrills for our family, was the running and winning streak of "Five Alive" in 1980. We had a family reunion at Ruidoso Downs. Ruidoso New Mexico. where we watched Five Alive run in the first leg of the triple crown ofquarter horses, the Kansas Futurity. As sometimes happens, saddness follows happiness. We found this to be very true when later in the fall, Five Alive was taken to Littleton Large Animal Clinic for surgery to remove bone chips from his knees; this brought about one of the saddest days of our lives, because while recovering he floun- dered and crushed his elbow and had to be taste like the smell of a sweaty horse. It was said many times in the old days that John Wagner was a real wizard in handling and breaking of wild horses. The brothers were asked to corral some wild horses for a friend in Cheyenne County. They made three attempts to corral them with no success. Finally were asked again and they showed up carrying rifles instead of ropes. Their next attempt at corraling the herd preceeded about as usual until they were nearing the corral gates. A big, beautiful l Forty-fifth Wedding Anniversary of Aubrey and Winnie Walker. Seated: Nina Lou Walker Ford. Aubrey Walker, Winnie Walker Lavon Walker Fisher Keeran. Standing: Pat Ford, Betty Walker, Art Fisher. Dale Walker. sorrel stallion broke back. Fred said he thought, as he saw the big beautiful horse breaking for safety, "I would sure hate to kill put to sleep. We are still running horses and dreaming of another Five Alive.! that horse if he was mine, but he has got to be stopped." He took aim and let him have by Holly Vondy to see if he was branded. and damned if he WAGNER FAMILY F7r9 Two brothers, Fred and John Wagner, moved into Kit Carson County from Cheyenne County, Nebraska, in 1903. They brought with them about seven hundred head of horses. John took a homestead about eight miles south of Stratton, where they made their head quarters for sometime. The government land was all open, so their horses' pasture was almost boundless. There were a good many wild horses in this area at that time and they caused the Wagner brothers considerable trouble. The Brothers at last got permission form the State Govern- ment of Colorado to shoot the wild stallions when ever they were caught stealing mares. The brothers were also given permission to catch, brand and break any of these wild it. Later Fred said I rode out to look him over wasn't my own horse. Later there is not much known about John Wagner as he left the county, but Fred remained and continued to run horses for some time. Fred was known in his day to be quite a booser. But he was a kind and neighborly man. As little girls, Denise and Barbara Wilson remember hiding behind some weeds in a fence row until he would pass so he would not see them and pick them up when they were walking home from school. In the early 40's Fred moved to a quarter of land he purchased and built himself a small rock house which still stands on the property. Boots Wilson looked after Fred in those years. He would go to town and get all boosed up and then Boots would see him stopped out across the open prairie and he would go get him and take him home. He was a good neighbor, always helping ponies that they desired. Fred Wagner told me, that they tried some when needed. In a bad blizzard in November 1946, he went out to see about a bunch of cattle Boots had at his place and got down in the storm and he had to crawl to the house. He risked his life but managed to save the horse steaks from some ofthe wild horses that cattle. they killed. They never relished horse steak, He later sold his property to Boots and moved into town where he lived in a one room as it always seemed to have a sweet, sweaty Lavington Garage, Flagler, Colorado; Early 1920's to 1960. Leon Lavington was the son of W.H. Lavington, who was one of Flaglers early settlers (prior to 1900). W.H. Lavington started Flaglers first general store and later the First National Bank. Wayne Aubrey Walker, born August 24, 1886, in Worth County Missouri, was the son of Marvin E. & Susan O. Marvin Walker was the son of Warner & Ruth Ann of North Carolina. The father of Warner was Daniel Walker who was the son of Davis Walker. who was born about 1770 in North Carolina. W. Aubrey Walker was schooled at Denver, Missouri, and went to business school at St. Joseph, Missouri. The Walker family moved to Springfield, Missouri, in 1906 where Aubrey worked in the accounting department of the Frisco Railroad. In 1908, Aubrey set out to fulfill a dream, that of securing a homestead near Steamboat Springs, Colo- � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Families of Kit Carson County Description An account of the resource Brief biographies of the founding families of Kit Carson County Colorado. Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Book Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Families- T, U, & V Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1988 Description An account of the resource Brief histories of founding families of Kit Carson County whose names begin with "T," "U" and "V." As found in the book, History of Kit Carson County. Type The nature or genre of the resource text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Salmons, Janice Hasart, Marlyn Smith, Dorothy Language A language of the resource English Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. History of Kit Carson County Volume 1 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource text/pdf Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Curtis Media Subject The topic of the resource History Biography Kit Carson County Genealogy Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a> https://kccarchives.cvlcollections.org/files/original/17/509/Families-W1.pdf 71b3355289d29c67d97635269f5cbd85 PDF Text Text shack in the North West part of Stratton. He then spent his time in the garage where the Kalb Brothers Walter and Kenneth had a mechanics shop. He enjoyed visiting with whoever had time to chat with him. They looked after him in his last years as he got to where he could hardly walk before he died. He is buried in Claremont Cemetery, Stratton, Colorado. He was 88 years old. by Dessie Cassity Book & Florence McConnell WALKER FAMILY F720 The Milton Vondy Family. Back row, L. to R.: GaiI, Diane, Curt and Terry. Front row, L. to R.: Doris, Hollv and Milton. Riders Roping Club, and horse racing. One of the biggest thrills for our family, was the running and winning streak of "Five Alive" in 1980. We had a family reunion at Ruidoso Downs. Ruidoso New Mexico. where we watched Five Alive run in the first leg of the triple crown ofquarter horses, the Kansas Futurity. As sometimes happens, saddness follows happiness. We found this to be very true when later in the fall, Five Alive was taken to Littleton Large Animal Clinic for surgery to remove bone chips from his knees; this brought about one of the saddest days of our lives, because while recovering he floun- dered and crushed his elbow and had to be taste like the smell of a sweaty horse. It was said many times in the old days that John Wagner was a real wizard in handling and breaking of wild horses. The brothers were asked to corral some wild horses for a friend in Cheyenne County. They made three attempts to corral them with no success. Finally were asked again and they showed up carrying rifles instead of ropes. Their next attempt at corraling the herd preceeded about as usual until they were nearing the corral gates. A big, beautiful l Forty-fifth Wedding Anniversary of Aubrey and Winnie Walker. Seated: Nina Lou Walker Ford. Aubrey Walker, Winnie Walker Lavon Walker Fisher Keeran. Standing: Pat Ford, Betty Walker, Art Fisher. Dale Walker. sorrel stallion broke back. Fred said he thought, as he saw the big beautiful horse breaking for safety, "I would sure hate to kill put to sleep. We are still running horses and dreaming of another Five Alive.! that horse if he was mine, but he has got to be stopped." He took aim and let him have by Holly Vondy to see if he was branded. and damned if he WAGNER FAMILY F7r9 Two brothers, Fred and John Wagner, moved into Kit Carson County from Cheyenne County, Nebraska, in 1903. They brought with them about seven hundred head of horses. John took a homestead about eight miles south of Stratton, where they made their head quarters for sometime. The government land was all open, so their horses' pasture was almost boundless. There were a good many wild horses in this area at that time and they caused the Wagner brothers considerable trouble. The Brothers at last got permission form the State Govern- ment of Colorado to shoot the wild stallions when ever they were caught stealing mares. The brothers were also given permission to catch, brand and break any of these wild it. Later Fred said I rode out to look him over wasn't my own horse. Later there is not much known about John Wagner as he left the county, but Fred remained and continued to run horses for some time. Fred was known in his day to be quite a booser. But he was a kind and neighborly man. As little girls, Denise and Barbara Wilson remember hiding behind some weeds in a fence row until he would pass so he would not see them and pick them up when they were walking home from school. In the early 40's Fred moved to a quarter of land he purchased and built himself a small rock house which still stands on the property. Boots Wilson looked after Fred in those years. He would go to town and get all boosed up and then Boots would see him stopped out across the open prairie and he would go get him and take him home. He was a good neighbor, always helping ponies that they desired. Fred Wagner told me, that they tried some when needed. In a bad blizzard in November 1946, he went out to see about a bunch of cattle Boots had at his place and got down in the storm and he had to crawl to the house. He risked his life but managed to save the horse steaks from some ofthe wild horses that cattle. they killed. They never relished horse steak, He later sold his property to Boots and moved into town where he lived in a one room as it always seemed to have a sweet, sweaty Lavington Garage, Flagler, Colorado; Early 1920's to 1960. Leon Lavington was the son of W.H. Lavington, who was one of Flaglers early settlers (prior to 1900). W.H. Lavington started Flaglers first general store and later the First National Bank. Wayne Aubrey Walker, born August 24, 1886, in Worth County Missouri, was the son of Marvin E. & Susan O. Marvin Walker was the son of Warner & Ruth Ann of North Carolina. The father of Warner was Daniel Walker who was the son of Davis Walker. who was born about 1770 in North Carolina. W. Aubrey Walker was schooled at Denver, Missouri, and went to business school at St. Joseph, Missouri. The Walker family moved to Springfield, Missouri, in 1906 where Aubrey worked in the accounting department of the Frisco Railroad. In 1908, Aubrey set out to fulfill a dream, that of securing a homestead near Steamboat Springs, Colo- �activities. Dale has served numerous terms as a director in the Rural Electric Program. In 1985, Dale & Betty retired, having sold the i .,: t,.1 :::taii.,.t Hrs :ti.:i,:.: business to their sons. rarjr1.r:;:rl:ir.;. Dale A. Walker, Jr. and John K. Walker thus became the seventh generation of the recorded Walker family and fourth generation Coloradoans. , by Dale A. Walker l1{{1?tii.:?ii::1i:ll,l;.r", WALL FAMILY *m.t* rigr**i.,Lird?. 'i, Flagler Hospital. Family owned and operated Hospital by Dr. W.L. and.Zeta McBride, and Dr. John and Marie Straub from 1935 to 1963. Today the building is owned by the town of Flagler, used as town Municipal Building and Town Library. gave years of service through such organiza- tions as the First Congregational Church, the Eastern Star, Flagler Women's Club, and Kit Carson County Hospital Board. Winnie passed away June 4, 196L, at Flagler, and Aubrey died October 25, 1981, in Hugo, Colorado. The Walker children grew up in the Flagler community and attended the Flagler Schools. The youngest, Nina Lou married Pat Ford. They reared four children, Tony, Kristie, Jill and Lanny. Nina Lou & Pat throughout their lives have been active in the Flagler Community. For many years they operated the Stop & Shop Super Market. Later Pat became Stop and Shop Market, Flagler, Colorado. Store began in late 1951 by owners Dale Walker and Pat Ford. In 1959 Walker and Ford bought and remodeled the former Lavington Ford Garage Building to house the present Store, now owned by Tony Ford. rado, where he hoped to ranch. Due to circumstance, he stopped off at Seibert Colorado, where he was attracted to a quarter section of land some 12 miles north of Seibert. He filed for his homestead in that location. On August 15, 1915, Aubrey was married to Winnie A. Anderson, at Flagler, Colorado. To this marriage four children were born - Dale as a Aubrey, K. Lavon, Helen O. (who died small child) and Nina Lou. In addition to farming, Aubrey served as a county road supervisor during the early 1920's. In t927, following the death of Winnie's father, the Walkers moved to the associated with the 1st National Bank of Flagler, heading up the insurance agency and acting as one ofthe directors. They have been a part of Eastern Slope Rural Telephone where Pat has acted as a director. Lavon Fisher Keeran raised her two children, Wanda Sue & Ab in the Flagler Community. Lavon was active in the activities of the school and community. For many years she was employed at the Stop & Shop Market. Lavon moved to Colorado Springs where she and her husband Wilbur were employed until their retirement in 1983. Dale Aubrey Walker, was born in 1920 at the sod house home of his maternal grandparents, the C.J. Andersons, eight miles northwest of Flagler. Dale is the sixth generation of the recorded Walker family. Following school Dale spent five years in the army during WWII. During this time he met and married Eda Betty Newland of Seattle, Washington. To this marriage two sons were born, Dale A. Jr., and John K. Dale & Betty, along with Nina Lou & Pat Ford established C.J. Anderson Homestead 8 miles northwest of Flagler where they operated the Diamond- the Stop & Shop Market at Flagler in October, 1951. Later Dale & Betty estab- Bar-A Black Angus Ranch. Later they purchased a farm-ranch joining the Anderson Ranch. In 1943, Aubrey & Winnie sold their lished two additional Flagler businesses, the Walker-Love Funeral Home and High Plains Sales, Inc. Dale & Betty were active in many Flagler activities through such organizations as the Congregational Church, youth programs, Town Board, Lions Club, County Hospital Board, and the Flagler Medical Center. In 1966, Dale & Betty purchased a food store in Limon, Colorado, and developed it into Limon Super Foods. In addition to their continued involvement in community farm holdings and moved to Flagler. Aubrey became bookkeeper for the Chewolet dealership and continued in this position past his 85th birthday. Aubrey & Winnie were active in county and community functions throughout their lives, including a lifetime of leadership by Aubrey in the Democratic Political Partv. Winnie F72l Lohnnie and Phyllis Wall were married March 27, L965, in Goodland, Kansas. We spent the first six years together farming northeast of Burlington where our two boys, Eric and Cory, were born. In 1971 we bought the Bill Schaal place south of Bethune. We farmed there until 1980 when we sold it and moved to Burlington as Johnnie had gone into the trucking business. Our third son, Tanner, was born there in 1979. We were foster parents to fifteen children for 7 years. We now live in Bethune and Lohnnie is still trucking. by Phyllis Wall WALLET AND WINTER FAMILIES F722 The Cattlemen's Association of Kit Carson County, Colorado, asked me to recall events and history of early days, and especially the Wallet Post Office, of which my father, Alfred Wallet, was the Postmaster during its entirety. The post office was opened on April 8, 1890, and discontinued on May 15, 1909. Before this date of April 8, 1890, my older brother, Fred carried mail from our community to Carlisle, south, and back twice a week on horseback. Peconic is now near where Carlisle stood; it was later absorbed by Kanorado and Burlington, after the Rock Island railroad came through. Kanorado used to be Lamborn; Kanorado, a contraction of Kansas and Colorado, is one half mile from stateline dividing these two states. Later, the mail route was formed and another office, Ashland, northeast of Wallet, was added. A Mr. Seifert carried the mail for a while, then Mr. Teaman, father of Henry and the late Charles Teaman of Burlington and Mrs. Lester Sheldon of Kanorado, carried the mail for several years with horses and buggy. All our neighbors always gathered at our home on Tuesday and Friday afternoons to visit and wait for the mail. The Ashland Post Office was later moved to the George Pratt home and I believe was discontinued at the same time as was the Wallet P.O. My father Alfred Wallet was born in Paris, France, April 25, 1840. He was eight years old when his parents arrived in America, where they first settled in New Orleans, Louisiana, in a French settlement; later, they moved to St. Louis, Missouri, where his father took out naturalization papers. Two other children were born there, Paul and Addie. My mother was born near Basco, Illinois, �on March 27, L842. Her maiden name was Margaret Ann Fleming and she was a descendant of Roger Williams of American Colonial fame. There she grew to womanhood, taught school until married to Alfred Wallet on July 2, 1869. Three children were born to this union - Fred, Maurice and Belle. My brothers were born in Illinois. The family finally moved to Schuyler, Nebraska, where I was born April 11, 1883. The altitude was low and climate damp; since mother and Fred suffered from asthma, my father came west to find a drier climate. After filing homestead rights on SW %, 9-7 -42, he returned home to Nebraska and the following April, moved the family by immigrant train as far as Haigler, Nebraska. The freight car contained household goods, 8 cows, 6 horses, chickens, geese and hogs, some farm implements and some lumber. More lumber was purchased in Haigler. We arrived at the homestead site, by following the old stagecoach route, which ran between Haigler, Nebraska and Cheyenne Wells, Colorado; said road being three quarters of a mile from our homestead. On arrival, we found that most homesteaders lived in sod houses or dugouts, so we finally built a sod house somewhat larger than most found in the vicinity. We even had a wooden floor and most earlier settlers had tamped earthen floors. by Bell Winter grow very rich. Our house, being larger than most houses nearby, was the meeting place for Sunday School, literacy and singing school. So, people came to our home, from miles around, all lonesome and needful of some social life. Later, when the school district was formed, the meetings were held there and also church services; a union church and Sunday School. Rev. Willis from down near Peconic or old Carlysle, held services at the new sod schoolhouse one half mile south of our home. Rev. Hackenberger from a farm southwest of us, also preached there; finally a Methodist Church was started and ministers from Burlington came out to preach; Rev. Yersin was a well remembered one. My first teacher was a Miss Doty. There was a dugout south and west of our place, where school was held there during the summer months. The next teacher was Viola Campbell, who later married Dr. Gillette. During Miss Doty's term, I remember an awful rain and hail storm. She gathered all of us in one corner of the room, with all of us crying, as was she also; I think I remember this so vividly because my first reader was ruined from the hail breaking the window and rain beating into and on the desk. Abraham McElfresh was the first teacher after our school house was built. He later married and was the father of our local citizens Milton and Stewart McElfresh of Kanorado. There was no railroad when we moved to Colorado; the old stagecoach trail was north- WALLET AND WINTER FAMILIES F723 I remember before the house was built, when we were still living in a small shack and covered wagon, we had some very heavy rains, mother and Fred were extremely sick until the rains stopped. No barns to shelter the stock and one horse choked to death from west of our home about three quarters mile toward Cheyenne Wells. The last buffalo killed in Kit Carson County was killed about one mile northwest of home on old stage trail, about one year after we moved on claim. When sickness came to the settlers near home, mother was nearly always called, along with Dr. Gandy or Dr. Gillette; if it were a confinement, my Aunt Mary would then be called to take care of babv and home for a couple of weeks. distemper, during the rain. Having cattle and other stock presented a great problem for by Bell Winter water, which had to be hauled by wagon and barrels from a pay well, owned by Mr. Messinger. He lived where the James Farm is now. Making a trip of ten miles or more each day, and being a bucket well - one bucket up and the other down - by hand, was not an easy task. Mother and Fred did this most of the time, while father, with neighbors helping built our sod house. A sod cutter was used to cut the virgin sod, and laid up like brick, but no mortar was put between, as the grass on sod filled in. Finally the well was begun. John Messinger, a well digger, dug ours, with father helping; very few homesteaders had a well at that time; some or all hauled, as we had done. Later, the ones who stayed to prove up on their homesteads dug wells. Since father had a well and a windmill, he pastured cattle and watered them now, at home. We had no fences those days, and so my younger brother, Maurice, and my Aunt Mary Fleming, mother's sister, had to herd the cattle. So many single men had homesteads near us, and mother did washing and ironing and baked bread, and made butter and sold chickens and eggs to them, to help eke out a living; by the way eggs were 7 cents per dozen and butter 19 cents per pound, so she didn't WALLET AND WINTER FAMILIES F724 seemed eternally grateful for the privileges of that citizenship. Mr. Hawthorne was the second person to pass away and was buried near the Hook claims. In a diary, kept by my mother, she recalls that his wife and daughter came to mother and they all made paper flowers for Mr. Hawthorne's casket . . so went the lives of the earlier settlers. This plot, where he was buried, is now called Beaver Valley Cemetery and is located north of Emil Stalgren's home. Father was County Commissioner in the '90's. During those years when crop failures were so bad, many moved away. Others who stayed on were sent aid from Colorado Springs. This aid was county wide, and out in our part of the county, our home was distribution station of such aid, mostly in the form of boxes of used clothing and such. Women came and helped make over clothes and used mother's sewing machine. Flour and food were also sent to county for distribution. Mother kept a dairy from 1890 to 1895. She kept temperature and rainfall and direction ofwind every day for five years. Father had a government rain gauge all the years he had the post office, but of course all reports were sent to Washington, D.C. each month. After Beaver Valley Schoolhouse was built, Rev. Thompson who lived just north of our home, held services there and also farther north in the Buchanan and Cody neighborhood. I remember a baptizing one half mile north of the school house in a stock tank owned by a Mr. Swallow (where Reuben Anderson now lives). A girl named Eliza Myers, rather well proportioned for size, was helped into the tank. Rev. Thompson was an older man and quite thin; when the time came for the actual baptism and the Reverend attempted to dip her into the water, she struggled and drew him under. Hysteria followed as the crowd rescued the Minister - such memories! One winter, there was an outbreak of scarlet fever, one family lost four children and there were many more deaths throughout the county. Mother was called to Charlie Peterson's who lived across the school section from us, where Earl James now lives. Emma, a girl of twelve, died from complications of the disease. My mother was there for many days, because all of the family was stricken. I recall that as the funeral procession was on its way to Kanorado, a fire which had started at Salma Shaw's broke out of control and was burning down near the road. The first death near us was Hattie Rook. She, a sister Florence and brother Alfred, staked claims cornering each other. One claim was located in the section we lived in. They had built a house on one corner of land and lived together. She died oftyphoid fever. My father drove to Burlington for a casket. F.D. Mann kept caskets also in his hardware store. Father mortgaged his team and wagon for $50.00 for the casket. Mr. Rook came the next day from her home in Kansas and released mortgage, and took the body of his daughter back home for burial. My parents were never known to turn their backs on anyone's need when they were able to perform some act of kindness. A medicine man or moving van, or anyone traveling across country always found hospitality in food or lodging or both, if necessary. My father was extremely proud that he was an American citizen, though born in France and WALLET AND WINTER FAMILIES F725 The procession had to race their teams, since the fire was moving so fasttoward them. Later, the neighborhood helped Mr. Shaw build another barn, which had burned that day having caught fire from a manure pile igniting, burning back to the building, thence to the road. Another neighbor was the Seaman farnily, composed of Mary, Linda and younger sister Maggie, brothers Will and Tom. A younger brother, Myrtie, died from typhoid fever while on the farm. The father was almost blind. but he used to walk four miles to our �place for the mail and he lived to be almost one hundred years old. In later years, due to so many coyotes, the men hunted them on horseback, in wagons and carts, for bounty money, received from the county for the pelts. The revenue was used for oyster suppers, usually held at Link White's, the men prepared the soup or stew, and girls served and washed dishes. May, Minnie, Earl, Laura and one more whose name I can't recall, were all nearly grown, and their parents were always charming hosts. Andrew Love, younger brother ofJacob Love, one time played the harmonica for our crowd to dance to, because the fiddlers didn't arrive. He was ill for several days afterward, because we danced so long and wore him out completely. In 1920, father sold the farm and moved to Kanorado, where in 1923 mother passed away at the age of81. Father died in 1926, aged 86. My personal family consists of a daughter, Irene Nutting, Holbrook, Arizona, and two sons, George Winter and Wayne Winter, both of Kanorado, Kansas, ten grandchildren and eleven great grandchildren. by Bell Winter WALSTROM McCALMON FAMILY F726 The Walstrom story started in Sweden when in 1871 a boy of fifteen, Charlie Carlson, left home as a stowaway on a ship headed for New York. He was discovered at mid-sea and given work for his board, then turned loose when he landed. After several years of working numerous places, he settled at Swedehome, Nebraska, working for others and sending for his brother and two sisters. Then in 1890. Charlie sent a ticket to Hilda Carlson, a girl his sisters knew but was only horses. It was hard work and his health later told of it. In 1933, Clarence and Velma McCalmon were married in Goodland, Kansas, and began their married life on a farm thirteen miles south of Burlington known as the "Hawthorne Big White Barn" place. They lived there four years and then moved to the McCalmon farm two miles north and one mile east, living there for twenty-five years. Clarence and Velma became the parents of two sons, and two daughters. The daughters died at birth. The sons are Charles and Dean (Hoss). They are both married and have five children and one granddaughter. Clarence, Velma, Charles, and Dean (Hoss) all attended our good old Smoky Hill School at one time. Velma, Charles, and Dean (Hoss), and four of the grandchildren also attended Burlington High School. Velma and Clarence moved to Burlington in 1962. At that time. Clarence's health failed and he passed away in 1976 after a long fight with cancer. Maurice and Olla McCalmon, who were of Scottish-German descent, came to Colorado in 1928 from Almena, Kansas, in Norton County. They had been earlier settlers in Cheyenne County, Kansas in 1906. They had a family of four sons and three daughters. Velma McCalmon Walstrom was the middle child of the McCalmons and was the only one that remained in Kit Carson County. The McCalmons bought the farm l2t/z miles south of Burlington, better known as "South Eighth Street", living there until 1938 when the drought and depression made every one move out. Clarence and Velma Walstrom moved on the McCalmon place, Iater buying it and then selling it to their sons, Charles and Dean (Hoss). In 1982, Dean (Hoss) sold his share to Charles and Roberta. It has been in the Walstrom-McCalmon family since 1927 for a total of 60 years. There has been a lot of changes in the a crawling baby when Charlie bid his parents countryside with neighbors and friends coming and going. The town has grown but the biggest change was the planting of the trees. good-bye twenty years before. Prior to sending for Hilda, he went to court and had his by Mrs. Ted Eberhart name changed from Carlson to Walstrom. The price of the ticket was $49.30 from Kaknlan, Sweden, to Osocala, Nebraska, but at that time it was like a thousand dollars now. Charles and Hilda were married in 1891 and were the happy parents of six children, three sons and three daughters. They went through lots ofhardships as all people ofthat time did. WALTERS - SHAW FAMILY The following are excerpts pieced together from a diary kept by Samuel Penn, a rado, buying a section of land three west and childhood chum of Albert Walters, when the two young men traveled together to eastern Colorado in a covered wagon in 1886 from Lowder, Illinois; from letters written between 1890-94 by Mrs. Albert (Leila Shaw) Walters; from memories typed up by their daughter, Mabel Parke, and from material gathered or written by her friend, Avis Bader Schritter, married by then. The oldest son, Julius, was in World War I, and sons, Elmer and Clarence, came with them to Burlington. Clarence went to country school in people's homes as there wasn't yet any schoolhouse in that part of the country. Later Elmer was called to the service so Clarence was left at home to help his father with the farming and cattle. That was when this was open cattle country. Long days were spent riding the range, rounding up cattle. The cowboys were real, not the "drugstore" ones of today. As the country changed, so did the style of the people. Clarence beco-e a farmer and cattleman and worked on a lot of eommittees for the betterment of the community. He also worked for years as a road builder with his . . (Sept. 3) near Stratton, Neb . . . camped . in the midst of a Prairiedog town . wolves, rattlesnakes, prairie dogs, owls, and bugs . . . (Sept. 7-9) Kingston, Colorado (north of Burlington) We crossed the south fork ofthe Republican. . drove around the prairie, the duce only knows where. There was no road . . so we had to. . guess . . Albert wanted to go one way and I wanted to go another . . We ate dinner out in the open prairie, not a track ofany kind . . lots of nice land today. We saw quite a number of wolves, wild horses and antelope. Finally saw a house . . water for our horses and camped seven miles from Elberton . . (Sept. 11) Burlington, Elbert County, Colo. Got up at 4:30 . . . and started to select -Tree Claims . . . We traveled over acres and acres of as fine plowland as anyone ever saw . saw many (new) things. . . The mirage . of the plains . . . Buffalo bones bleached white in the sun lay scattered thickly over the prairies . . . Not a house to be seen after we left the settlement . . . (Sunday, Sept. 12) We did not intend to break the Sabbath but were compelled to travel some . . . We had not yet labored six days, so we had to travel today and rest tomorrow drove to Kingston, arriving at 2:15 A.M. . . . but we wanted to get the papers on our Tree Claims started to Denver so . . drove in the night . . . (Sept. 17) At Home! We arrived "at home" today about 9:00 A.M. with our load of provisions and lumber. After hauling some water, we cooked our first meal on our new stove. It burns Agots splendidly and bakes well. After eating dinner, we went to work on Albert's house but got little done. I am now sitting in his "Sitting Room" writing this. The room has no top to it, other than the wagon sheet, stretched over a hole in the ground. This makes quite a comfortable house for Colorado. (Sept. 18) We have been at work all day on Albert's house and have not yet got it completed. Our stove is out of doors yet and every time we cook we have to turn the stove around for the wind changes forty times every day and blows forty times harder than it does in any other state I have been in . . . (Dec. 31) Kingston, Colo. I am sitting in my parlor which is nice and warm. Have been building my barn today. Albert is inHaigler (Neb.). . . Julyg, 1887. . . Well, Albert, if you can read this you will do very well . . . we will someday look over this with pleasure. F.727 In 1916, they came to Burlington, Colo- three south of town. Their daughters were . copied by Irene Willcox and edited by Georgeanna Hudson Grusing. "We (Albert and I) started Tuesday (Aug. 3, 1886). The first day we traveled about 20 miles . . . (Aug. 20) We traveled 30 or 35 miles today, camping within about 10 miles from Wymore, Neb. . . We passed through Pawnee County. The land . . . is rich and rolling . . . (Aug. 29-30) Bloomington, Neb . . . traveled up the Republican River all day. Had good road . . Saw very fine country. Very Truly your Friend, Samuel Penn" (Apparently Penn made a copy of his diary and sent it to Albert, who had moved on, soon taking out a homestead 10 miles SE of Burlington, later increasing his holdings to 5000 acres and running Aberdeen Angus cattle on his ranch.) "Dear Grandpa and Grandma (grandparents of Leila). We always try to go to town every Saturday so as to get the mail. That way we have something to read on Sunday . . . the mail is very uncertain due to a strike . . Bur- lington did not have any coal, sugar, salt, soap, and a good many other necessities, but the freights are running now. . . . Owing to the drought many people have left the country . . One man . . . went by moonlight . . . left his cattle and farm machinery that were mortgaged . . . His horses were so poor that they had to be helped up and one died the next morning . . There �are twenty-five families on the county for support now and if they keep on increasing, the county will be bankrupt by spring. WALTERS, LErLA SHAW . . . Yes we enjoyed our trip very much. We were gone five weeks . . . We started Monday, Sept,3 (from Burlington) and arrived in Colorado Springs the following Monday . . . We had a covered wagon and a gasoline stove to cook on . . very convenient . There were so many people going west. Sometimes we would get in a wagon train of 5-10 moving wagons, they were so thick . . . Peyton is potato country. . . . We se-ped . . . in the west part of town near the street car connecting the Springs with Colorado City and Manitou . . . went horseback up Ute Pass to Cascade . . . up Old Pikes Peak wagon road, 3-4 miles, but it seemed ten, it was so fearfully steep . . . light air affected us all. . . . back to the Springs and then to Denver, a four day drive over hilly roads . . . we camped on 31st and Stout Street . From Denver to Greeley (a two day drive) . . . to Fort Morgan, a desolate country Saw many range cattle . . . over a thousand in one herd . . . The cowboys are not the rough characters which the newspapers report them, but all that I saw and have met are genteel and appear very nice in society. From Fort Morgan . . . to Haigler, Nebraska, we met 15-30 wagons every day going west . . . From Haigler we came across the corner of Cheyenne County, Kansas . . to Kings- ton, Colorado, forty miles north of Burlington, where Albert had some land . . . I liked the country there . . But it is 27 miles to any store and I should hate to have to spend two days to go after a spool of thread or a paper of pins. So I guess we will not move for the present. . . We were glad to get home after five weeks . . Write often. for we always enjoy your letters. Lovingly Yours, Leila I. Walters Mabel remembered, "When I was nine . . the folks got me a new three quarter sized bed . . . My dresser was two large cracker boxes . . My grandmother had papered (her) stair wall with magazine paper and I would sit on the stairs and read them . . . We didn't have curtain rods for years, just used strings. Prairie fires were numerous . . we had smelled smoke for a few days . . . I looked out and there it was burning over east of us . . Papa went in west and backfired . . . It came within one half mile of our buildings and on east to the Kansas line. . . There were many rattlesnakes . . we had 3-4 (horses) bitten at one time . . . folks said they could tell which was #1, 2, 3, from the poison they had. . . About 1898 or 1899 a number of people had typhoid fever from the old wooden tubing rotting in their wells . . . We got telephones about 1902 . . . mail delivery . . sometime in the 1920's. In 1908, when Mabel was about 16, her mother passed on from a lingering illness. Mabel kept house for her father for many years until he died in 1936 (aged 74) nearly fifty years after first homesteading here. Thus ended the Albert Walters-Leila Shaw union, one of the first pioneer families in the Burlington area. by Georgeanna Hudson Grusing F728 Leila Shaw Walters was born April 6, 1875, in Nickelson County Penn., and died in Springfield, Ill., June 22, 1908. She moved with her parents Mr. and Mrs. Dana Shaw to Colorado in 1887. Leila attended high school in Goodland, Ks., in 1890 and the preparatory at Denver in 1900. She was married to Albert Walters, Dec. 14, 1901. For several years, she was a teacher in the schools of Kit Carson County. She was faithful in the duties of her vocation. attending the institutes and associations, availing herself of all aids for advancement. Never Charles Henry Ward II had come to us in Jan. of L947. We moved from Redding, Calif. with just one pickup loaded with our belongings. We arrived in the snow and cold and had to clean out the chimney before we could build a fire in the old coal stove in the kitchen. Elvin went to a farm sale a week later and bought enough furniture for us to get by comfortably until we got a good start in the farming. We raised wheat, feed crops and pastured cattle. We had good crops some years and bad years as far as making money goes, but we loved the outdoor life and enjoyed the animals that we had - cats, dogs, chickens, and the cattle. Over the years our family grew. Linda Sue came to our home in 1949, Elden Paul in 1953 and Daniel Lee in 1959. In 1952 when electricity came to the farms strong she was watched and guarded as a frail treasure by fond parents and a loving hus- in our area, we put in a new well with a pressure pump and piped water into the band untiring in devotion and care. house. Also with great thought and work we remodeled the house, adding another couple another distinguishing characteristic was bedrooms, a bathroom and new kitchen. In the years we lived on the farm in Kit Carson County, from 1947 through 1964 we remember the terrible dirt storms of the fifties. Also we remember the enjoyable times we had with our neighbors and the many card parties and family gatherings we attended. Reliving those years bring back memories. In March of 1960 Elvin had suffered a bad heart attack. so when the doctors told him to leave the farm we moved to Limon in 1964. Here Elvin became the manager of Limon Farm Equipment (John Deere). He and Alice had worked together as Manager and Bookkeeper for 11 years, when Elvin's second heart attack took him in May of 1976. But our years in Kit Carson County on the farm were ones we loved. This farm is now owned by the Richie's - Jim, Lavone and their sons Dean and Robin and families. They run a dairy as She was helpmate to her husband and manifested in the care and rearing of her daughter. by Editors WARD, ELVIN E. F729 After World War II. Elvin Ellis Ward decided to return to farming. He had been involved in farming all his life for he had been born on the family farm near Satanta, Kansas in 1918. Elvin had gone into the service early in 1941. He signed into the new 10th Moun- tain Infantry Division in November 1941. After training in Fort Lewis, Washington and Paradise Valley near Mt. Rainier, he was to be sent to Camp Hale, at Pando, Colorado. We met in Beverly Hills, Calif. in Sept., 1941. Our dating was interrupted by the attack on Pearl Harbor. Elvin and Alice M. Onley were married in December of L942. While Elvin was stationed in Camp Hale, high in the Colorado Rockies, Alice lived in Glenwood Springs. Elvin was sent with his division, the 87th, to the Aleutian Islands where they took Kiska Island. Alice worked in a bank in well as farm much land around the area, south of Seibert and north and south of Flagler. They have built some new buildings and made many changes. Alice was remarried in 1982 to Ben Raines, cattle buyer and seller in Lincoln County. by Alice M. Ward Raines Westwood Village, Calif., while he was gone. When he returned to the States we were again WARRINGTON, in Camp Hale. Alice lived in Leadville until the transfer to Fort Hood. Texas. From there the 10th Mountain Inf. was sent to Italy. When the war was finally over, Elvin was released to come home in Sept. of 1945. He joined Alice and baby daughter, Margaret in Garden City, Kansas. While Elvin tried several jobs in Kansas and California, he decided that the farm was the place for him. So he came to Eastern Colorado and finally purchased the farm known as the 'Old Conarty Place". It was located 10 miles south and 3 west of Seibert. Colo. This farm had been homesteaded in the early part ofthe 1900's. The old adobe house had walls 18" thick, and was divided into three rooms, bedroom, livingroom and kitchen. It had an old sink with a hand pump in the kitchen, added in the 1930's, and had cement block walls added to the outside of the house and stuccoed in the 40's. The only bathroom was at the end ofthe path near the huge old barn. By the time we moved in in Dec. 1947 there were four of us, as a son ADELINE F730 Adeline Warrington was born in Clarence Center, New York on October 4, 1884, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jacob A. Garehime, who came to Colorado and homesteaded northwest of Stratton in 1906. Adeline was four when they moved to Allen, Nebraska. Then they moved to Kit Carson County and in 1906 she homesteaded northwest of Stratton where she continued to live for many years. Adeline had a daughter, Margaret, better known as Peggy. Peggy attended Stratton School and graduated from Stratton High School. Many can recall the many times Adeline walked to town from her home and marveled at the hard work she did to maintain the farmstead. In her later years she spent part of the time in Denver and in Longmont. She passed away at the Foot Hills Nursing Home �Federated Women's Club, the Burlington Branch of American Association of University Women, Burlington Extension }Iome- in Longmont at age 87 in 1971. She is buried at Crown Hill Cemetery. makers, Gamma Phi Beta sorority, and Comet Rebekah Lodge. She was also a by Editors lifetime member of the National A-;sociation of Extension Home Economists, and the Colorado State University Alun ni Association. She enjoyed reading, sewing, knitting, WATERS, STEVE, WILLIAM AND ROBERT collecting antique glassware, gardening, and traveling. Just fifty years after her trip to northern France she again visited some ofthe areas in which she had demonstrated 4-H canning. She also traveled in Alaska, the Caribbean, and many European countries. Bertha Boger Wear was born on February 15. 1904 and died on October 25.1987. F73r Steven Waters and his wife, my great grandparents, William Waters and his wife, my grandparents, Robert Waters, and wife, my great-uncle, all came from Humbolt, Nebr. in the very southeast corner of the by Irene Boger state. They took two 160 acres homesteads, eight miles west of Colby, Kan. in 1886. William Waters plowed with oxen and a walking plow, later they had horses and WEAVER, JIM AND JOSIE mules. They herded the cattle, for Kansas is a herd state. They sold cream and eggs, had goats and hogs. By 1917, the William Waters F733 family had all modern farm buildings, running water and a 32 volt light plant. The Rock Island R.R. put a side track in to load wheat on. My grandmother picked geese and made feather beds and pillows. Grandma lived only 63 years. We thought for one thing she worked too hard. I have 2 pictures of a sod house where my grandmother ran the post office in Levant, Kan. Cora Waters lived,24 yrs, died April 1924. Floyd Waters lived 30 yrs. died April, 1928. William Waters lived about 84 yrs. Ventie Waters lived 90 yrs. Aunt Fern was 83 in 1984, and still is going. N.R. Waters proved up on 320 acres, less than Vz mile south of the south line of Kit Carson County. N. R. Waters lived 73 yrs. Our mother, Nettie Waters King, lived to be 91, passed away April, 1982. I think Walter Hammond took our mother to Colo. General, where the doctors took a brain tumor off the inside of her skull, Jan. 1940. Earl Waters and my dad, Clarence King, proved up on 320 acres, 1 % miles south of the Kit Carson County Line, on the edge of Cheyenne County. Earl Waters was born 1893, and lived till Dec. 14, 1984. by Morris King WEAR, BERTHA BOGER F732 (February 15, 1904 - October 25, 1987) Bertha Boger Wear was the first of six children born to Wyatt Boger and Mabel Frankfather Boger in a small house in East Burlington. A year or two Iater the family home was built on the block just east of the courthouse. She was a member of 4-H for six years. After graduating from Burlington High School in L922, she attended Colorado Agricultural College (now Colorado State University). During the summer of 1923 she was in northern France as a member of a Bertha Boger Wear. delegation of 4-H canning demonstration teams from Iowa and Colorado. These four girls showed canning and food preservation methods to French homemakers in the devastated area of World War I. She graduated in 1926 from Colorado Agricultural College with a Bachelor of Science degree in Home Economics. The Colorado Extension Service appointed her Home Demonstration Agent to teach foods and nutrition, clothing, home management and home furnishing, child develop- ment and community services in the counties of Mesa, Delta and Montrose, and later in El Paso County. After a number of years she was appointed State Home Agent which involved traveling to every county in the state supervising county home demonstration agents. She was married to William T. Wear of Delta on July 20, 1930, at the home of her parents in Burlington. After taking leave of absence from the Burlington Service, a son, James Wyatt, and a daughter, Barbara, were born in Colorado Springs. The family moved to Burlington in L944 where she was County Extension Home Agent from 1945 until her retirement December 31. 1965. She had 32 years of employment with the Colorado Extension Service. In December 1947, Bertha was named Colorado's outstanding woman agent for the year at the national meeting of County Agricultural and Home Demonstration Agents Association in Chicago. After retirement Bertha became involved in community activities. She was a member of the City of Burlington Zoning and Adjustment Board, Burlington Housing Authority, Library Board, Museum Board, OId Town Jim and Josie celebrated their Golden Anniversarv on June 6, 1961. The Weavers, like so many others had dreams and visions of a prosperous farm of their own. So James L. (Jim) and Josiphine (Josie), with their six small children, Myrtle, Pauline, Harry, Melvin, Glen, and Dannie packed up their possessions and headed west. Leaving Palmyra, Nebraska in a Model T side curtain car and a Model T truck, they arrived in Burlington on April 1, 1921 (April Board, and Burlington Schools Accountability Committee. She also served as Chairman of the Board of the East Central Colorado Fools Day), which was subject to many jokes in the years to follow. They found the soil to Committee, and a member of the State Social Services Advisory Committee. She was also of the railroad tracks, just off the main Mental Health Clinic, Chairman of the Kit Carson County Social Services Advisory a member of the State Extension Service Advisory Council. She held membership in the Burlington be rich farm land and so flat that thev could see for miles. Purcha sing a Vz section of land 3 miles west of Burlington on the north side highway, they erected two tents for a temporary shelter until a home could be built. The first few months were rather traumatic. Spring had not yet arrived on the plains and �Second home south of Peconic. Weaver family photo taken on December 5, 1950. L to R. Glen, Melvin, Harry, Myrtle, Laura Jean, Dannie, Donald, and Gordon. Front, Josie and Jim. it was much colder than anticipated. At that time Dannie was only four months old. The Homer Pickerill's kindly received Josie and the baby into their home until a better shelter from the cold could be provided. When spring arrived, the digging of the basement began. It had to be dug with horses and scrapers. It was a big basement with an upper story that was never finished into individual rooms. Never the less, it was a jubilant move from the tents into the new home. In this home there were three more children born into the family, Donald, Gordon, and Laura Jean. After the house was built and the family settled, it was time for the tilling of the soil. Crops of corn, barley, pop corn, and sweet stock kaffer were raised. "Some times they raised Ned", too. Ha! Jim also did custom corn shelling and hauling all over the country. The boys had their own way in contributing a share to the family's welfare. No one could have foreseen the dust bowl days nor the depression which was to follow and shatter every one's dreams. Times became harder with each year to scratch out a living. Jim started making Good home brew and sold it to help make a living. It was sold at sales, dances and such. One time when Jim was cleaning the 50 gallon crock, he told the boys to take the sediment out and throw it away. Since they were on the way to watering the pigs they poured the sediment in the trough Wedding picture of Jim and Josie Weaver on June 6, 1911. and finished filling it with water. A while later Jim went out to see what all the racket was and saw the pigs laying on their sides, some il ,:l. ,,';":l Jim. Josie. and children beside their home and side curtain car in Palmvra. Nebraska. sticking their noses through the fence and all squealing loudly. Jim immediately thought the pigs had cholera and called the vet. The vet arrived and gave th pigs a thorough examination and reported that nothing was serious. The boys were then questioned and the truth came out. One evening the authorities sent a decoy to the house to buy some beer. When Jim went to get it, the fellow gave the signal to the authorities who were waiting at a distance. When they arrived on the scene, they drank all the beer they could consume, then broke the remaining bottles and destroyed the still. Jim was taken to jail where he remained for 52 days. That was the end of the beer making venture. In 1927, the �The Big Catch. Jim's tractors and Model T truck loaded and ready for the move west to Burlington. family all went to Bird City, Kansas and picked potatoes for Jim's brother, Albert Weaver. They received potatoes for wages and then returned home and sold the potatoes for a small profit. In 1941, the family was forced to move due to Jim's failing health. This time to a farm 6 miles east of Burlington and Vz mile south of the Peconic elevator' About this same time, World War II broke out. Five of their six sons, Melvin, GIen, Dannie, Don, and Gordon were called into the Armed Service. The oldest son, Harry, having lost an eye previously was disqualified for service. During the next few years, four of them saw active duty over seas' While the sons were serving our country, the farming continued on with the help of the youngest daughter, Laura Jean, who now was the only one left at home. At the end of the war, all five sons returned home safelY. Jim and Josie celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on June 6, 1961. An open house was held at the home of Dannie and Laurine Weaver. Many friends and relatives joined in the celebration with reminiscing of the bygone years that had slipped by so quickly. The sons and daughters all married and now reside in California, Idaho, Washington, Arizona, and Colorado. Two sons, Dannie and Glen, still reside in Burlington as well as several grandchildren. Dannie continued to farm and became a successful farmer, farming on a much Iarger scale. Ryan, a grandson, is continuing on with the farming as Dannie has semi-retired. Glen specialized in equipment maintenance and also did some farm- ing. He is now retired. Jim departed this life in 1962 and Josie in 1978 and both were layed to rest in the ,,.rr,,,,,rrt,,,,,,1,,.r,,l. ,; ,#l The first home being built. Burlington cemetery. Burlington had become their home and they no longer desired to return to Nebraska. by Mrs. Melvin (Verda) Weaver and Mrs. Don (DorothY) !9eaver �i'lil'llii, i t:it:,iliiri:'ii ,..1i,. ri,',r .: 't:f" ' "::r ": ::t'l i,aat' ,iu' .r.:::. *q4,,+ 'r:;, r. * l William Jacob Weber, known as ,,Billv" spent the early years of his married life ln Hartington and Norfolk, Nebraska. He movedhis family to Colorado in 1908, settling on a homestead 14 miles north-west of Burlington. They moved to Colorado with 3 small daughters, Minnie, Margie and Opal in an immigrant rail car, with 3 horses, 2 cows and a few chickens. They built a one room frame house to start with. It was necessary to haul water in barrels for some time until a well could be drilled. Billy broke sod and planted corn using a gallon bucket with holes in the bottom of ihe bucket fastened to the plow. Billy would go to Kansas to work in the harvest fields, then to Nebraska in the fall to shuck corn till nearly Christmas time, then come back home for the rest of the winter. Their first barn was dug into a large bank of a hill. The Weber Children all attended the Blue View and Prairie View Schools. For manv years the Weber's boarded the School Teach- Jim, Josie and two of their children, Dannie and Glen, plowing the fields. ers. Lela Wellman and Harvey Jensen were a couple by name. The Weber Family remember well when Billy bought his first car; a 1916 Ford Touring. He drove it into the garage and hollard WHOO but the car kept right on going thru the garage. Billy and Iva were staunch Republicans and always enjoyed working for their choice candidate. Back in the days when voters went to Country Schools to vote; they stood outside the fence campaigning for their candidate, no matter how cold and disa- it si greeable the weather was. Billy and Iva Weber operated their ranch for 34 years; upon selling their ranch they moved into Burlington in 1942 for retire- ment. They had the opportunity of celebrating their 50th Wedding Anniversary Novembei L2, 1948, with all of their children in attendance. It was a great festivity for them. by lva Gross WEISS - STADEL/STATLE FAMILY Family members picking potatoes. F735 WEBER - COAKLEY FAMILY Carl Weiss was born 9 April, 188? in Old Areis, Russia. His parents were Johann George Weiss, born 23 April 1801 and Karlina F734 Salzsiedler born 1808. He was married three times, first to a Jingling, 2nd to Katerina Stadel/Statle and finally to Yukhon, Apolone. By the 1890's and early 1900 changing conditions and pressures in Russia led manv William Jacob Weber, son of Martin and Frances Weber, born August 22,187L in Iowa City, Iowa; departed this life September 17, 1956 at age of 85. of the German Lutheran families living in thi Black Sea area of Russia to begin immigrating to the United States. In 1902 when Carl Iva Maud Coakley, daughter of Samuel and Miranda Coakley, was born in Hillsdale, Iowa, January, L2, 1882; and departed this made the decision to immigrate, he already had several relatives living in the Lutheran settlement area north of Bethune. Colorado life October 8, 1960 at age of 78. William Weber and Iva Maud Coaklev were united in marriage November 12, 189-8 including, John Schmidke, a son-in-law. The at Hartington, Nebraska. To this union Z children were born; Minnie Lasher, Margie Knapp, Opal Towers, Katherine Tuttle. Almond Weber, Faris Weber and George Weber, (George passed away November 25, 1972). Iva Maud Coakley and William Jacob Weber on their 50th Wedding Anniversary. Picture taken November L2, 1948 in their living room in Bur- lington, Co. family made the move in 1902 leaving from the port of Bremmen, Germany on April 22, 1902 on the ship S.S. Frederich Wilhelm. In his immediate family were six children and his third wife. They were apparently fairly well to do since the shio's manifest lisLq them �as having $650.00 in their possession. Travel- ing through Ellis Island, the family encounteied problems with the medical examinations. One brother, Ludwig, was refused entry because of "pinkeye". Two of the children John age 9 and Jocobina, age 18 were held in quarantine while the authorities decided whether or not to admit them. The rest of the family could not afford to wait for them and continued on to Colorado not knowing what the children's eventual fate would be. Happily they were both released two weeks latei and rejoined the family in the settlement. Arriving in Colorado they stayed with a Fred and Gottlieb Stahlecker. While there Carl was bothered by arthritis and frequently buried himself in warm sand on the south side of the house to get relief. In 1904 he applied for a homestead in Kit Carson County. His first crop in 1904 consis- ted of 25 acres of corn. By 1910 when he "proved up" on his claim, he raised a crop of 55 acres corn, 12 acres cane, 33 acres of wheat land and stated that he usually raised a crop. He listed his improvements as "Adobe buiidings as follow: house 19 x 26 feet (2 rooms); kiichen 17 x 19 feet: barn 15 x 40 feet: barn L7 x45 feet: pumphouse 7 x 1? feet: henhouse 13 x 19 feet well with pump, windmill and tank, the whole track fenced with posts and wire fencing. Value of improvements $600.00. It cost him $16.00 to file the claim papers. Carl Weiss died 10 Years later on 11 November 1920 at his home. He was survived by 6 natural children from his second marriage. They were: Martin, Gottfried, Johannls, Bertha Schmidke, Wilhemania Stahlecker, and Jacobina Stahlecker. Martin Weiss was born in the settlement on 30 October 1890, his parents were Carl and Katerina Statle. He married Lydia Schmidke (b. 7 October 1890) whose parents were Sam Schmidke and Anna Margareta Hauser. She was a small, black-haired soft-spoken lady. Martin was only 20 years old when he was married on the 16 of March 1911. He and Lydia like many other families homesteaded on 160 acres and proved up on it. Their children remember many good times growing up on the farm, sleigh rides to church in the winter, and rides at home at night with the lantern's glowing. Winter time was also the time to take grain to town to sell. They used wagons and walked beside the wagon to stay warm. Martin had a full length coat and cap made of horse hide that went clear to his ankles; it was split in back to the waist to allow him to get into the wagon seat. School was only % mile away. The small children played "fox and goose" and the older kids played baseball. The girls had a basketball team that would go to Bethune and play the town team. The kids would trap rabbits around the corn piles and use the back legs to make jerky and add to the pork for sausage. Planning for Easter celebration began weeks before when Lydia planted wheat in a small crock or kettle for each child. When Easter arrived she would place the children's colored eggs in the kettle ofgrowing wheat for Easter morning. Just before Christmas the girls'porcelain headed dolls would disappear a month or so before Christmas to be returned on Christmas morning with new clothes. The 4th of July was celebrated in Bethune with pie-eating contests' races, games and bands. Martin's oldest daughter Anna was given by Robert and Linda Coles WEISS, MARTIN AND LYDIA SCHMIDKE F736 a young coyote to raise by her father. When the coyote was full grown the pelt was sold to buy green dress material that was used to make a new dress' Discipline was administered by Martin and backed up by a leather strap 2" wide and 14" long which the kids remember as rarely being used. When Lydia died on 29 June 1936' Martin was left with 5 children still at home to raise. Martin was not only a farmer but also a local veterinarian that was well known throughout the area. Later on in life, after the death of Lydia he still did veterinary work but the person needing help would frequently have to wait until his bread dough was through rising and sometimes even baked. He was also known for making excellent dill pickles. Martin and Lydia had seven children that reached adulthood, Carl, Anna Schlichenmayer, Irene Adolf, Hulda Kniss, Amanda Hull, Daniel and David. One child, James, died at age five. by Robert and Linda Coles WEISSHAAR FAMILY I.737 In 1885 my parents John and Christina (Wilhelm) Weisshaar arrived in the United States. They were both born in Russia, but their parents migrated from Germany to Russia to obtain a better living opportunities Martin and Lydia Weiss and two children. offered them by the Russians. This was a great disappointment so they came to the United States and took up a homestead claim here. They landed in Saracuse, Nebraska where they both worked for a farmer. In 1886 my father obtained a homestead located two miles east and two miles south of Idalia' Colorado. They had worked in Nebraska long enough to earn money to move on their homestead. They brought one horse, a cow, one ox and a few chickens. Several families from there loaded all their belongings in a freight car and came to Idalia together. The closest County Seat was Weld County in Sterling but Akron had a small office where my father walked to get his homestead papers. He said it was his fastest means of travel and the cheapest. Building materials were hauled by ream and wagon from Haigler, Nebraska and water was hauled from the Republican River for family use and also for the stock. After building a soddy and a barn for the animals and breaking sod for spring planting my father went to work in the smelter in Denver in the early fall to earn money for winter supplies and windows and doors for the house. At first heavy materials and quilts were hung to keep out the wind rain and rodents. In the absence of my father my mother had to care for the family and stock and haul water from the river, 6 miles, away. Those were hard and trying times as no one had much money and most all had large families. At one time during my fathers absence a prairie fire swept through our place. My mother got the horse in the barn but the cow was severely burned and could not be milked for a while. In 1889 my father dug a well 220 ft. deep. The dirt was drawn out with buckets tied to a rope. A lantern was kept in the well and as soon as the oxygen got low the lantern would go out so Father pulled on the rope to alert the helper outside who would pull him out of the well for a while. It was a long and worrysome and tiresome job. This was their home until 1901. My father could not obtain grassland for his horses and cows so they moved to Kit Carson County then known as Yale, Colorado. My youngest brother Karl still lives on the old home Place. By then they had two boys, Jake and John and six girls, Lena, Tina, MarY, Frieda, Margaret and Pauline. A son died in infancy and is buried in the Idalia Church Cemetary. It was hard leaving all their friends and especially their church of which they were charter members. The old soddy Church is now the United Church of Christ. After they moved to Kit Carson County two boys and one girl was born. Karl and myself, William, and Anna. My parents visited friends in the Idalia Community quite often in later years. One I remember real well was at the old John Brenner place. We kids played hard so we decided to get a drink in the old well house where we found some bottles cooling in the water barrel so we indulged. Needless to say I slept all the way home in the family buggy.We had discovered the bottles contained some of John's homebrew. In 1916 my father passed away. I was then only fourteen years old and my brother Jake was twenty years old but was soon drafted in the army so in order that we could all stay together on the farm I had to take a lot of responsibility for the farming and all the care and work for the family. My youngest brother Karl was only six years old, so with the help �of my Mother and Anna and Pauline we carried on somehow but it was a rough time for us all. The responsibility for one so young was hard. I stayed with my Mother until I got married in 1929. By then Anna, Pauline and Jake were married too and only Karl was left at home. by Freida Weisshaar WEISSHAAR SCHAAL FAMILY F738 had us stay over at his home since my arm was very swollen. I slept with his mother and she gave ice-cream as she felt sorry for me. The next morning after he set it, we returned for another 3 hour ride back to the farm. Two weeks later I started school with my cast, in the old adobe 1 room school house across from the Sam Schaal Sr. place. Also in 1914-15 when most telephone exchanges were limited to only fair sized cities, there were about 22 farmers of the Russian - German settlement that met in the Prairie View school house to organize a phone company. After numerous meetings and information as to type and costs, they decided on the least expensive system that was being used in different parts of the country, namely earth for a ground and top wire of a well mended barbwire fence that criss-crossed the area for the transmission line and had to be insulated. As rubber was scarce, all old rubber boots and overshoes were gathered and cut into I r/z inch squares. They removed the top wire staple from the post, wrapped the rubber square around the barbwire and restapled it back to the post. After insulating some 20 miles in this fashion, "presto!" they had a phone system on their very own. This cost each farmer $19.2b and included a wall phone with crank generator, 2 batteries, 1 lightening arrestor, 4-L6 ft.2 x 4's and enough phone wire to bring the line over entrances and section lines. They had no phone contact with the outside world. but this alone saved many trips and time and kept them in touch with each other. Each family had its own combination of long and short rings as its own private number. Though all bells rang on all phones, your private ring told everyone the call was for you. Listening in on a private conversation (called "rubbernecking") was forbidden but Joseph and Margaret (Schaal) Weisshaar and grandson Richard Carpenter. Taken in Loveland, CO, April 24, 1949. In the late 1880's, John and Christina Schaal came from Gnadendahl. Russia and homesteaded North of Bethune. Colorado in the German settlement. To this union was born my mother, Margaret, Chris who died in 1906 ofblood poisoning being injured from a windmill accident at age L7, John, Emil, Bill, and August. In 1904 after serving 4 years in the Russian army, Joseph Weisshaar came to America from Lichtenthal Russia and homesteaded in Bethune. Harold Weisshaar still lives on the old place today. In 190? Joseph married Margaret Schaal in the old stone Immanuel Lutheran Church and from this union came myself, Margaret (Strobel), Gottlieb (Johnny), Magdalena (Dolly Wardona), Paul, and Lydia (Carpenter). In 1915 when I was Z, my brother Joseph and I were playing in the full grain bin and crawled up in the windows where I fell to the ground below and broke my elbow. Mother called father who was working in the harvest at the Schlichenmayer place to come home at once. They placed many blankets and hay bales in the back of the old wood buggy drawn by 2 horses. That night after 3 hours driving to the town of Burlington 14 miles away we got to the Dr's who other and attended the same church. John stillremembers going to my parents wedding in 1907 when he was 8 years old and having a wonderful lamb dinner. He didn't know then that some day he would marry their first child. John played the trombone in the Burlington Band and on Saturday nights they would place the bandstand in the middle on the street and we would have a good time listening to the fine music. December L5.Lg27 we were married in the old white church in the settlement. We went on a honeymoon by train, my first time away from the settlemeni. to Denver. We moved into Johns'place and lived there until 1936. John had a general repair shop and worked many long hours making equipment and repairing broken equipment for the farmers in the communitv. I raised turkeys and the usual things most farm wives did in those times. __-In 1928 my parents Joseph and Margaret Weisshaar had a public sale and movedlrom their home to Loveland, Colorado where thev contracted work in the beet fields for a number of years. They bought a farm in Wellington, Colorado where Joseph and Paul, their sons, farmed until recent vears. The three sons, Joseph, John (Gottlieb), and Paul all served in the armed forces over seas during the second World War, as did their son-in-laws George Wardona and Elton Carpenter. They all returned safely except Gottleib who was wounded in the back in France. In 1936 after our daughter Esther was born, we went to California where we still reside today. We returned many times to our place north of Bethune to visit and work..Ihis we did by motorcycle, car, train, airplane, and bus. We returned to Bethune in 1977 and had a wonderful time at our b0th wedding anniversary with many friends and old-timers we knew and grew up with. We celebrated not always observed. They system functioned very well except when a cow jumped over the fence or a storm severed the top wire with tumbleweeds blown against the fence. After several years the barbwire was replaced with phone wire on top of 10 ft. 2 x 4's nailed to every 4th post. As more families connected our 58th anniversary this past year. Hopefully, God willing, we may live to celebrate our 60th with all the dear folks in Bethune and Burlington again in 1987. and a certain switch at Christina Knodel's house % mile north of Immanuel Lutheran Church. Each member paid her g1 a year to WEISSHAAR - to the line it was necessary to divide into B sections with about 20 phones in each section take care of the switch board. For this amount she had to stay around the house closely. In the 40's the line was replaced with regular poles and 2 wires. This connected them to the outside world at the cost of $15,000. In 1960 as upkeep and maintainance got more complicated and people had more money, a deal was made with the Mountain States Telephone Co. and they sold out for a total of $1.00 or 2 cents per shareholder and other considerations. Now they take care of the line but for considerable more than g1 per year. So from the barbwire phone to -he present dial-system connection millions of phones all over the world which can be reached in minutes without centrals or operators, we see one of our modern miracles. And some day this system will also be obsolete. While working for Rev. Chris Headche family at the Congregation Church, I was invited out to the school Christmas Program by John Strobel who was the son ofJacob and Catherine Strobel. We grew up in the settlement together as our families lived near each by Margaret Strobel WILHELM FAMILY F739 The Weisshaar-Wilhelm families were originally from Germany but had emigrated to Russia during the reign of Catherine the Great, lured there by promise of free land and other benefits, as she wanted the expertise of the industrious Germans to strengthen the country. These promises were kept until her government was overthrown by the Bolshevik political power and she and her family were assassinated. Under the new rule things did not bode well for the Germans, and those young enough, and able, began to immigrate to America. Some of their relatives and friends had already come to America by the time John Fredrick and Christina (Wilhelm) were married in 1883. Soon after they said goodbye to relatives and friends and started the long hardjourney to America. They got as far as Talmage, Nebraska, when their funds ran out, so Grandad worked for a cattleman in the area for a year in order to earn enough money to finish their iorrrnev Tn the mpqnfimp laffaro �that Imkea (Carrie) Westerbur was helping sister Frieda with her harvest cooking. Having now met his future bride, he stayed on after harvest, working, and then renting a farm near Republican City, Neb. On Dec. L2,L92l my parents were married. They later moved to near Hildreth, Nebraska, where they continued to farm. Three children were born to the family, Harold, Lee, and Alvina. In the latter part of 1930 Dad's Uncle Joe, who had homesteaded 1 mile east of his brother John's place but had moved to Loveland, CO. some years earlier, wanted a reliable center for his homestead with the option to buy. He asked Dad to move to Colorado which they did, arriving here March 1, 1931. This was the beginning of the big drought, times were hard but with perseverance and much self sacrifice they managed to hang on and raise their family. When the drought broke, and they were able to raise some crops and had increased their cattle herd, and in general got ahead a bit, they felt they were able to buy the farm, doing so in the early 40's. My parents were both active in their Wedding picture of Jakob (Jake) Weisshaar and Imkea (Carrie) Westerbuhr. They were maried December 12, L921 at Hildreth, NE. were exchanged with Grandad's sister Lena and her husband, Jacob Hasart, who were already established in the Settlement of eastern Colorado, and they were able to find a homestead for them near Idalia, Colo. In 1885 they came to Colorado. The Hasart's and new neighbors helped them build a house on their claim, and they settled in to farm and raise a family. As the family increased the quarter section was not large enough to support them, and as no other land was available near by Grandad sold the land for $500.00 and was able to buy a half section in the Settlement from a Mr. Bevere for the same amount of money. They moved in 1901, acquiring more land later. Thirteen children were born to this family, 2 dying in infancy. Magdalena (Schlichen- mayer) 1886, John 1887-1967, Christina (Fisher) 1889-19?8, Freida (Fisher) 1891, Eva Marie (Mary Adolf) 1892, Margaret (Stah- lecker 1894, Jakob 1896, Pauline (Schlichenmayer) 1900, Wilhelm 1902, Anna (Adolf) 1904, and Karl 1910. Grandad died in 1916. Grandmother remained on the family farm until her death in February, 1946. The youngest son Karl still owns the family farm at the present time. The oldest child, Lena Schlichenmayer, celebrated her 100th birthday June 1, 1986. After Grandad's death, the oldest son, John, having already married and established his own home, it fell to my father Jake to head the household, do the farming and help Grandma raise the younger children. In the fall of 1918 my dad was drafted into the Army, taking his basic training at Camp Pendleton, California. He was already aboard ship, ready to sail, when the Armistice was signed bringing an end to World War I. He was shortly discharged, and returned home to the family farm, helping his mother until the summer of 1921 when brother Bill was old enough to take over the responsibility and Dad went to Republican City, Nebraska to help his sisters Tina and Frieda and their husbands with their harvest. It so happened church and community affairs, and always found the time to help friends and neighbors as needs arose, setting a good example for we children to follow. In 1946 my brother Lee and Leona Ziegler were married and Lee took over the family farm. The folks built a house in Burlington and moved there in May of 1947. Dad' still not quite ready to retire, went to work for McArthur Implement as parts salesman keeping this job until the early 50's. When Lee decided to quit farming and take up the barber trade, Dad again resumed farming until 1961 when he retired. Harold, his wife Esther (Adolf) and family took over the farm. My folks are in reasonable good health, still able to care for themselves and their home' Dad still drives his car. They celebrated their 64th wedding anniversary and Dad's 89th birthday Dec. 12, 1985. Mother was 90 in March of 1986. They transferred their church membership from Immanuel Lutheran of Bethune to St. Pauls of Burlington when they moved to town helping to build the church there. They remain faithful members to this present day. by Alvina Guy WELLER, W. E. of where Flagler is now. Dad's cousin decided to put up a general store in a large tent - supplies were hauled from a distance as far as Denver. Later Will Lavington started a lumber camp, which my father ran. During this time he met many new settlers and helped them settle on homesteads. Most of the homes were of sod, or dugouts in hillsides. Will Lavington then built a frame building on the site of Flager and started another store and also another Iumber yard - Dad worked in both. By this time Ella Lavington, Will's wife, came out from New York and she and my father looked after both store and lumber yard. Will had started both sheep and cattle interests and spent his time with them. A few years later, a school house, a church, and boarding house had been built. The Quinns occupied the Section house for Rock Island Railroad. My mother, Alice Bishop, had lived in Penn Yann, New York, and decided to come to Flagler to visit her sister and brother-inlaw in 1891. They had a homestead eight miles northwest of Flagler. George Gates, her brother-in-law, prevailed on her to file on a homestead adjoining their land. He built a small one-room shack on the land and she and her little niece walked there each night for six months. This entitled her to the land. She later went in to Flagler to work in the Lavington home. Here she met my father and they were married November 15, 1893. My father had previously filed on a preemption of 160 acres and had built a small one-room soddy. After their marriage, they decided to build two more rooms. My mother sold her homestead to a Mr. Geo. Reinemer for $2.00 per acre. In building more rooms, my father decided not to use the upland sod, but to go to the Republican River four miles east. Long grasses and weeds growing on river sod made it stronger. The house stood many years. The project was long and back breaking, as the sod had to be cut with spades and it was heavy from water content. No floors or gcreens could they afford their first year. Burlap sacks were nailed to the ground floor and my mother washed them often. Mosquito netting, sent to her from aunts in New York, covered the windows. In time, my father laid heavy plank floors. Heavy wooden shades were made to swing open and these shut out the cold in winter and kept the hail from break the windows in summer. Sod houses, with walls two feet deep, were warm in winter and cool in summer. The walls provided deep window spaces for flower plants in winter. F740 My father, W.E. Weller, and his cousin, Will Lavington, arrived in the Flagler Area in 1888. They were both raised in Liverpool, New York. They were among the many young men who had the urge to go "West". At Fremont, Nebraska, they experienced the "Blizzard of '88". Later they pushed on with covered wagons drawn by oxen - a few horses were led behind the wagons. They worked on the Rock Island Railroad, a new trail thru Colorado. Seventy miles north, the Bur- lington was building a line. Other crews had arrived earlier. I well remember my father telling of a big burly man, Mike Quinn, who was in charge of the Railroad Camp. He was section boss at Flagler for years later. His wife cooked for the men in the camp. This camp site was at Bowserville, about 1 7z miles east The walls were plastered and brown wrapping paper was used to cover the walls until later years when wall paper was available. My parents raised a family of nine children: Robert, Alma, Homer, Glenn, Bill, Doris, Stewart, Elsie and myself. All were educated in the Flagler schools. In 1912, my father was elected County Clerk of Kit Carson County. He served four years. The Rock Island Railroad issued passes to all County officials - this allowed him to come week-ends and supervise the boys in the farm work. Much credit goes to my mother in the raising of the fanily - directing work indoors and out-of-doors. She did not always get to church but each Sunday we children were sent; the older brothers and sisters staying for church. Evening services were held. and Christian Endeavor of the �Congregation Church attracted lots of young people. Previous to my father being County Clerk, he did carpentry work and helped build many of the houses and some of the business buildings. He and my brother hauled the bigger share of the sand used in building the school built in 1916. He had helped build the old frame building used before that, and also a one-room school house - the first Flagler had. Several of our family finished High School. Most went to Denver, like many other young people, to find work. My younger sister and I taught schools in Lincoln and Kit Carson Counties. In 1931, she had a very harrowing experience when a sudden blizzard, came up and the strong winds forced her car off the road. This was about 9:30 in the morning. The next afternoon she was found by a posse of forty men on horse back, led by my brother. The car was in quite a deep ditch with only a small bit of the top showing. My sister had frost bitten hands, feet and face. She was taken to Denver hospital for a few days of treatment. As I grew up, the church, the school and lodges provided the Flagler people with worship, education and social life. A Country Club, consisting of twelve families, originally provided a social time for young and old. I moved from Colorado to Nebraska in 1926, after marrying David Way in 1925. He had moved with his folks to Aniba, Colorado, where they farmed for six years. We farmed at Milford, Nebraska, for two years and then moved to Syracuse, Nebraska, in 1929 to operate an automotive shop. He was appoint- ed Postmaster in 1943, and served f.or 25 years, when his age made retirement mandatory. We spent our winters in California with a son for ten years, but health problems do not allow us to travel now. Flagler and Kit Carson County as a whole holds lots of wonderful memories for me and I took eagerly for each week's Flagler News by Frances TVeller TVay The family moved to Cozad, Nebraska, in 1937 and Albert was Ford and Mercurv automobile dealer until 1964. He and son BoL were then associated with dealerships at Kearney, Neb., Clovis, N.M., Burlington and Fort Collins, Colo. Albert and Ruth moved back to Cozad from Fort Collins in 1981. Bob was married to Beverly Block in Cozad on April 9, 1950. They were parents of five children, Victoria, twins Rhonda and Rochelle, Valerie and Robert Eugene II. Bob died in Fort Collins in 1979. Marilyn was married to David Zimmerman in Cozad in 1957. Two sons were born to them, Williem Douglas and Bryan Dale. Bryan died at age 4 in Breckenridge, Colo. Marilyn now resides in Boulder, Colo. Albert died in Cozad on March 8, 1982. Ruth still resides in Cozad. by Marilyn Wells Zimmerman WHIPPLE, CLAIR ALAN AND GLADYS MAY F742 Alan Clair Whipple, son of IraJ. and Hattie Whipple was born September 9, 1890 on the ranch originally homesteaded by his parents and which he later owned. The ranch was located north ofStratton on the Spring Creek where it junctions with the Republican River, just up stream from the Pugh ranch. They had land on both sides ofthese rivers and hill land for pasture. He and Gladys Alma May were united in marriage, October 13, 1918, at Burlington with C.A. Yersin the officiating minister. They made their home on the ranch until after the 1935 flood forced them to move. Gladys May, daughter of Hollis K. and Sarah Jane May, was born at St. Francis, Kansas, and spent her early life on the family farm near Armel, Colorado. She received her education there in the country school and later cared for her parents until their deaths. Clair attended the Tuttle school and WELLS, ALBERT AND RUTH F74l Albert E. Wells was born August 1, 1903, in Goodland, Kansas, to Bert P. and Alta Standish Wells. Another son, Dale, was born June 25, 1906, to Bert and Alta. Ruth Adaline Augusta Pischke was born Jan. 9, 1905, in Princeton, Wisconsin, to Gustave and Ida Pischke. Ruth had four brothers and sisters, Lewis, George, Evelyn and Alice. Albert spent most of his youth in Burlington, and graduated from high school there in 1922. Ruth moved with her family to Stratton when she was a girl. Albert and Ruth were married Sept. 25, L927, at the home of her mother in Stratton. Albert worked as a Ford salesman for Cecil Reed in Burlington until 1933, when he went to work for Bill David Motor Co. in Goodland, Kans. A son, Robert Eugene, was born Feb. 23, 1929, in Burlington, and a daughter, Marilyn Yvonne, was born Nov. 22,1934, in Goodland. attendance was scheduled around the ranch and home work. The story is told of him hiding in the school attic either as a prank or to tease and disturb the other students. Once while "walking the rafters" he slipped and fell astraddle the rafter and both feet crashed through the ceiling. He had a hard time getting out of that predicament. Gladys and Clair were the parents of five children: Forrest Alan, Clifford Kendall. Maxine Mae, Mildred LaVerne. and Mavis Jean. Clifford died of leukemia and Maxine died from pneumonia following scarlet fever. Both were in their teens. Mildred died as an infant with "summer complaint" or dysen- tery. Mavis married Albert Scherrer and they lived on a farm near the old Bar-T ranch until moving in 1960, to Crawford, Colorado. Forrest married Regina Scherrer and they raised their family on his farm in northern Kit Carson Co. until ill health forced him to retire. The principal livelihood of the Whipples was from farming, and raising cattle and horses. Being active members of their community there were often called upon for their ability to help out in time of sickness and death. Clair, a self taught veterinarian, was sought after to treat livestock, especially horses. He was a skilled horseman. In his younger years he broke and trained horses for saddle back use and for teams. His children were provided a saddle horse for their own use and they spent many hours horseback, either as helping with cattle or for fun. Clifford was quite a trick rider. The Whipple brand was W quarter circle open A W. Forrest still owns this brand. Social life at that time consisted of familv or community visiting, dinners and picnics. The Whipple grove was an ideal place to gather and for children to play. The children could climb a tree at one end and scremble from branch to branch and tree to tree until they reached the other end of the rows of black walnut and elm trees without touching the ground. Another popular and important source of entertainment during the depression years was the literaries. These were public get togethers, usually held in the local school house, at which anyone who desired was welcome to take part. There were plays, musicals, and recitations, with spelling bees being the most popular. Maxine Whipple was a champion speller and frequently spelled down the adults in the competition. When some of the students could better the elders in the area it was a source of real pride. One crop Clair raised was broom corn. The crop was harvested by hand, being cut with a corn knife. It was then trucked to Pueblo for sale at the broom factory there. The man who would inspect the load for quality was blind. He would run his hands over the ends of the stalk and say, "I see. I see. This is good." or "I see. I see. This is too knottv." or "I see, yes, I see. This is straight and str-ong." or "I see. This is too crooked!" Whenever Forrest was sent with the load of corn. he enjoyed watching the blind man see with his fingers. Clair raised and used mules as well as horses for work. At one time, while working on a crew that was building local roads, he used a team of mules with a fresno to move dirt. When it came close to noon one of the mules would bray and the foreman would call out "unhitch". He had learned that those mules would not do any more work until fed and watered. Mules have peculiarities of their own. Forrest and Clifford were taught how to farm with mules. Forrest tells about the time he was weeding with a team consisting of two buckskin mares and two mules. He was about 1% miles from home and planned to finish by noon so he could move the machinerv home. But just as he started the last round one mule brayed and no matter what he did he could not finish until he unhitched and took the mules home for their noon feed and rest. He even unhitched and led them in a circle and hitched up again, but that didn,t fool the mules. He was glad when they bought their first tractor. Gladys was the typical farm housewife and raised a great deal of the family food. She was a beautiful sewer and did not let any scrap wasted. Her son still has a quilt she pieced by hand. She used Bull Durham tobacco sacks. dyed them, and worked them into a beautifui design. Since Clair did not smoke, saying that if the Good Lord had meant for man to smoke he would have built a smoke stack on his head, it is questionable where she obtained all those tobacco sacks! After the 1935 flood left their farm virtually destroyed, Clair moved his family �several times before buying a farm near Bethune. After a long struggle with diabetes he died on January 29, 1946. In 1949' September 3, Gladys died from complications following surgery. Both are buried in the family plot at Armel cemetery as are their three children who preceded them. by Regina Whipple WHIPPLE, FORREST AND REGINA F743 Forrest Alan Whipple was born to Clair and Gladys Whipple on March 6, 1920, at his Grandfather May's home near Armel, Colo- rado. Clair and Gladys were spending the winter there because their house on the farm/ranch north of Stratton was not yet completed. They then made their home at this ranch that Clair had obtained from his father, Ira Whipple, and Forrest spent his childhood there. Forrest, his brother, Clifford, and two sisters, Maxine and Mavis, attended school in the local schools, Coyote Ridge later named Sunnyside, and for a short time at Hell Creek and Midway school. They remember playing in the caves along the river banks and finding Indian beads and other objects in them. One of the family pastimes was arrowhead hunting in the pastures on the riverbottom where they believed it was an old Indian battleground. Arrowheads were also hunted in the blowouts nearby. Another pastime, at least it seemed to be, was fixing 13 fence crossings. Much of their productive land lay on either side and between the Spring Creek and Republican and the rivers meandered through the lowlands, causing the fences to be washed out at only a slight rising of the waters. After the 1935 flood, his mother, Gladys, refused to rebuild on the home place and the family moved several times before buying a farm near Bethune. So Clair could be closer to medical care, he lived there until his death but Gladys and Mavis spent part of their time with Forrest on his own farm southeast of Kirk and 25 miles northeast of Stratton so that Mavis could attend school at Kirk. Regina was born at Agate, Colorado on October 18, 1921 to William and Helen Mattingly Scherrer. In 1929 the family moved from Agate to the ranch on the Republican River northwest of Burlington. The ranch had been purchased from Will's cousin, Dr. Elmer Shcerrer, and was at one time the site of the Hermes post office and store. Regina attended grade school at the Ritzius School on the river in Kit Carson Co' and graduated from the high school in Kirk, after having spent two years in Denver at Holy Family High School. She graduated from the Seton School ofNursing at Glockner Hospital in Colorado Springs in 1944 and joined the Army Nurse Corps that spring. After two years of overseas duty she worked three years with the Indian Service at Santa Fe, New Mexico. After her marriage she continued her nursing work and was employed by Grace Manor Nursing Home in Burlington for 13 years before opening the Mode O'Day store in Burlingt<,n. On October 18, 1949, Forrest and Regina were married at St. Charles Catholic Church in Stratton. They continued dry land farming along with cattle and hog raising until 1964 when they put in an irrigation well. In 1974, Forrest retired due to ill health, and the family moved into Burlington. Five of their eight children graduated from the Liberty High School and three from Burlington High School. Regina and Forrest are the parents ofeight children. They are: Gladys Elizabeth (Liz) who is Director of Area Agency on Aging of this area through the Council of Govern- ments at Stratton. David, married to Gabrielle Snelling, and works for K.C. Electric. They have two children: Greg and Jennifer. Stephen Edward, married to Kim Doris and parents of three children: William, Bradley and Stephanie. He owns Steve's Truck and Tractor. Gerald Alexander, husband of Judith Kramer and father of two boys, Gerald and Johnathan. They live and work in Denver. Clifford James, who is in the Marines stationed in North Carolina has two children: Maria and Loyd. Regina Marie married Dennis Oldham, they have two girls: Hailey and Rachael. Dolores Ruth married James Ford and has one daughter, Crystal. Lenora Anne who is married to Scott Winslow, lives and works in Wray and they have three children: Grant, Lydia and Angelee. by Regina WhiPPle WHIPPLE, IRA AND grove of walnut and elm trees on the home- stead and the grove was known for many years as the Whipple Grove, and was the site of many community picnics. All the trees are now gone. They lived in a sod house and cut Iime rocks to build a barn and pump house/milk house combination. Ira J. was well known for the way he had with horses. He is credited with introducing (or breeding) Appaloosa horses into this area. He loved buying and selling, and was a clever free hand artist with horses and Indians being his best subjects. He rented the use of some of his mule teams to be used by the railroad crews when building the railroad through here. His brand was IJW under the horse's mane and on the cows it was IJW across their ribs. In 1902, Hattie and Ira J. moved to Jaqua, Kansas, located on the Republican River, on the Colorado-Kansas border. His land is now part of the State Lakes in southern Yuma county. Hattie died on May 14, 1919, at 57 years of age with a ruptured hernia. Ira J. continued to live near Jaqua. In 1935, when he was 80 years old, the flood caught Ira J. and he spent 14 hours on the roofofhis house before the waters receded enough and someone could get in to him and get him out via horseback. All of his household belongings and most of his machinery were lost. After the flood, Ira J. visited relatives in Ayer's Cliff, Quebec. In 1939, his daughter, Ethel, and her son, Harold, brought Ira J. home. He passed away on January 25,1940 at 85 years of age. He and Hattie are both buried in the Armel Cemetery. Ira J. and Hattie were the parents of three children, all born in Kit Carson County. r.744 Their oldest son was Dallas Dunbar Whipple, born August 23, 1888. He married Alma Juhl on July 5, 1914. They were the parents offive children: Edith Laverne, Delvin LeRoy, Ira John Whipple was born December 30, Allen. Dallas passed away on September 14, IIATTIE 1854 in Hatley, Quebec, Canada, to John and Euphrosyne Standish Whipple. His father was a farmer around the Hatley and Ayer's Cliffarea. Ira often told ofplaying around the shores of beautiful Lake Massawippi. Around 1870, he moved to the Lowell, Massachusetts area where he worked as a teamster. On September 29, L874, he was married to Irene L. Stephenson who was born in Calais, Maine in 1852 to Luke and Elizabeth Hammond Stephenson. One son, Leon Wellington Whipple, was born to this union on February 29, 1876. In 1876, Ira J. was working in Lowell as a watchman. Shortly after Leon's birth, Ira J. moved to Creston, Iowa where he sold Bibles in 1877, and later operated a dairy business. He made his deliveries with a horse and wagon, which was equipped with a bell. On February 17, 1885. he was married to Hattie Amelia Dunbar, daughter of Reverend Otis and Abigail Gooden Dunbar. She was born Jan- Authur Dunbar, Perry Donald, and Philip 1956 at Parsons. Kansas. and is buried at St. Francis. Kansas. Alan Clair Whipple was born September 9, 1890 and married Gladys May on October 13, 1918. They had five children: Alan Forrest, Maxine May, Clifford Kendall, Mildred LaVerne, and Mavis Jean. Clair died January 29, t946 at Burlington and Gladys died September 3, 1949. Both are buried in the Armel Cemetery. Ethel LaVerne Whipple was born October 16, 1895. She married Bill Armknecht, and they lived north of Kanorado where they farmed. They were the parents of six children: Harold, Howard Alan, Raymond Henry, Wilda LaVerne, Richard, and Wanda Loraine. Ethel passed away on September 27, 1952 and is buried at St. Francis. Kansas. by Liz Whipple uary 1, 1862 in Springfield, Illinois. Hattie and Ira J. moved all their belongings in wagons to Colorado in 1886. They home- WHITMORE FAMILY to live on the Spring Creek and Republican River near where they merged, near the old Early Recollections of Eastern F745 steaded north ofStratton, later moving north Tuttle ranch. Hattie brought with her several tree saplings. One was a black locust tree, which planted near the house, brought shade and beauty to the home place. Others were black walnut trees and Ira and Hattie planted a Colorado Cheyenne County, Nebraska, had an ex- hibit at the Nebraska State Fair in the fall of 1886. A number of us neighborhood boys at Emerald. Nebraska saw the exhibit and �planned a trip to Cheyenne County with a view of taking up land. We started out that same fall. Those making the trip were McFarland, Wilson, Shipe, Snyder, Sinclair and Whitmore. Our tickets took us to Cambridge, Nebraska. McFarland's brother had lived at Emerald but had moved to Wilsonville, Nebraska, in 1885. He met us and took us to Wilsonville. We looked around there for a few days, but decided to go and see what Eastern Colorado was like. We hired a man with a good span of mules and a wagon camp outfit, going first to Oberlin, Kansas, west to Atwood then southwest to Sherman Center (now Good- land), the county seat of Sherman County, then west to the Colorado line. There was no settlement in that section of Colorado at that time. There were large ranches on the Republican River and its tributaries. We found large areas of level land still open to homestead entry. We looked around for one day getting corners located and range and township numbers. Our teamster then took us to the railroad at Haigler, Nebraska, on the Burlington line 50 miles north. We paid him off and took the train to Denver, Colorado. Our filings were made at the land office. We were sure pleased with the good level land. The winter of 1886 and 1887,I helped with the farm work at home in Emerald. In the spring of 1887, father gave me a team of rather aged mules. Wilson, Snyder and I loaded a car, each ofus taking a team, wagon, breaking plow and feed. McFarland loaded a car of household goods, stock and feed. George Shipe went with him as helper. George's claim joined McFarland's on the north. All shipped to Haigler, just a few miles from the Colorado line. We had good weather for our 50 mile drive to our claims. We found. however, that March weather can be very uncertain. We camped the first night at a crossing on the South Fork ofthe Republican River, unrolled our blankets on some hay in a stable. The next morning we crossed the river with the water up to the hubs on the wagons. I had the grain deck of my wagon loaded with lumber to make a 12 x 16 stable, something to get into until we had time to dig a dugout. We reached our land the next afternoon. We made carnp. The first night was cold but not stormy. We got our water from a buffalo wallow the first few days. We soon had our stable up with the stove in one end and one team in the other end. The other team stood outside blanketed. The elements favored us. We got our dugout built before any storms came. We found water holes in a dry creek about a mile west. The middle of April, 1887, found us with our house, 12 x 16 finished. It was three in the ground, half windows, board roof with tar paper and blocks of sod to hold the tar paper on. Our bed and stove were up and we were ready for any spring storms and we had a few before summer. We, Wilson and I, broke about 35 acres each on our own claims; the law was five acres broken the first year, and five the second year. We had to plant ten acres of trees, cuttings or seeds on our tree claim. by C.J. YVhitmore WHITMORE FAMILY F746, Early Recollections of Eastern Colorado Wilson returned to Nebraska late in Julv. He had an interest in a threshing machine and operated it the balance of the summer. I stayed and in August got work with my team on a Republican River ranch, the Double Wrench, their brand, helping put up hay. I was there for six weeks. I then returned to my claim and plowed sod for a 12 x 16 hours and a 12 x 16 stable. I laid up the walls then and put on the roof the following spring. Then in the latter part of October, 188?, I started for Nebraska driving my mules. I camped out each night. The following spring I returned to my claim. There I exchanged work with the neighbors, and got my house and stable roofed. Then in July of 1888 I went back to the ranch on the Republican River and helped with the haying. I remained on the claim that winter. In the summer of 1889 I went to Colorado Springs looking for work. I had answered an ad in the paper regarding a ranch cook job. Mr. Thurlow, the president of the Thurlow Livestock Co., also president of one of the Colorado National Banks, was the man that I had to see. I was timid about approaching a bank official, especially about ajob I knew nothing about. I was directed to his private office where by direct questioning he soon learned I was not a cook. He asked if I cared to work as a ranch hand. I sure did, so he gave me a letter to the ranch foreman directing him to put me to work as cook until a real cook showed up. The ranch was located 60 miles east of Colorado Springs, out on the plains of El Paso County. The railroad ran within 35 miles of the ranch, then I could catch a ride with a freighter hauling supplies to the ranch. The driver, Bill Skinner, made three trips a week. He drove four mules, single line, That was the first single hitch I had ever since since leaving Ohio years before. Skinner used two wagons, the lead wagon loaded heavy and the trail wagon somewhat lighter. The load was about a ton per mule. In crossing sand creeks, if necessary, he would drop the trail wagon, pull across then pick up the trail wagon again. We drove 15 miles that afternoon to Holtwald. a sheep ranch. This ranch was his regular stopping place, then the next day we went on to the ranch. They had a shearing crew at work (this is describing the Holtwald setup) and Bill took me around after we had gotten our supper. The shearers and other employees would gather in small groups, two, three or four, spread a blanket and gamble for the shearing tokens. Each man got a token for each sheep he sheared. The token represented 5 cents, the price for shearing at that time. A good man could turn out 80 to 100 per day. Bill said that professional gamblers got most of their money. All in that crew were Mexicans. We were on our way by sunrise the next morning. We arrived at the ranch at 3 p.m. and that gave Bill time to unload his wagons, grease them and prepare to leave the next day. I started cooking. I didn't do too bad because when the real cook arrived I had a job. The post office, Sanborn, Colorado, was located at this ranch. The post office itself was a cubby hole in one end of the kitchen, and when the foreman was not around. I had this small job also. by C.J. Whitmore WHITMORE FAMILY F747 Early Recollections of Eastern Colorado I soon foud out that the main part of cooking was to prepare plenty of good solid food and not to let anyone get up from the table not satisfied. They furnished plenty of coffee, potatoes, ham, bacon, rice, and canned goods of all kinds. Our meat mostly during hot weather was mutton. I had to do my own butchering. It usually took two a week. When fall came they would kill a beef. The boys never kicked to me about so much mutton. I would roast the hind quarters, and make stew of the neck and ribs. Late that summer the outfit bought 5,000 mixed sheep from New Mexico. These were tailed up, and it was about October when they arrived. It was really too late for dipping but it was very necessary. The men hastily fixed up the dipping plant about a half mile up the creek from the ranch buildings. Everything went fine until they were almost through and then a late October rain started and before dark it had turned to snow. The wind came up and a regular blizzard raged. Our ranch buildings were protected by a large grove of cottonwood trees, and just south was a hay meadow. Everybody was out and excitement raged. Nearly all those sheep that were recently dipped were still wet and had to have shelter. They were taken down to the meadow out of the direct course of the wind. We stayed up all night. I kept coffee and lunch on the table all night long. The men kept the sheep moving about so none piled up. There was hardly a loss. Reports came in later from other outfits where the herders had no extra help, that the losses were heavy. The sheep had piled up and smothered. I stayed there cooking for almost six months. I just gave myself time to get back on my own claim before the six months expired. They offered me $35.fi) per month. I was getting $30.00, the ranch hands 925.00. They also offered to turn over the proceeds from the post office, which was about $60.00 per year, if I would stay but I had to decline and get back to my claim. I had spoken to Frank Gilpin, the manager of the Maryland Land and Cattle Co. They got their mail at Sanborn Post Office. I was interested in the work for the next summer. 1890. He said that he might need help and to write to him when I got foot loose. I did not go to Nebraska that winter. One met some curious characters in those days. We had a Mr. Vanderpool from Glen Falls, New York. He was red-bearded and looked in perfect health, but had come west for lung trouble. Then there was George and Steve. George was English and in his fifties and had been in the English army. He said that he had served in India and he had a big �scar on his face. The foreman told me they were both good workers, but when they were laid off in the fall would get drunk as soon as they hit town and their money would be gone cook and I were the only white employees. The rest were Mexican herders. I was my own boss after we got the hay in the stack. My work was fixing up winter camps. The winter camps did not demand much water. I would kitchen at night while I was cleaning up and take a team and scraper and make temporary dams to catch snow water and sometimes a shallow well with a pump. With snow on the ground the sheep did not get water, so they told me. When this was finished I loaded my in a few days. George would come in the tell long tales about fighting in India. I liked outside work better. The new job with the Maryland Company gave me a lot of riding, and I got almost to the Kansas line. This round up was to bring back cattle to the home range. Settlers had come in and the cattlemen had to get out. There were over fifty riders in the round up. I counted five grub wagons and camp cooks. by C.J. T[hitmore WHITMORE FAMILY F74a Early Recollections of Eastern Colorado I shall attempt to give some description of the men and women who were owners and managers of the different companies that I worked for in Colorado, during the closing days of the free range. The Cap Rock Cattle Company range on the South Fork of the Republican River in Eastern Colorado. A Mr. Ed McCrillis was the manager and part owner. He was born in New England and was in business in Boston prior to coming to Colorado in 1876. His wife lived at the ranch in the summers, in the owner's house. He had a boy hired to tend the yard and to act as houseboy. He saddled her horse, hitched it to the buckboard, etc. I was told that the hard winters broke him. In 1889 the old Elbert County was divided and Kit Carson County was formed. Ed McCrillis was elected County Clerk. The Thurlow Livestock Company's foreman told me that they made money. Mr. Thurlow came from New England. He told me himself that he came to Colorado laying on a cot in a baggage car. He had had lung trouble. Their range was the Big Sandy, Big and Little Horse Creek, and Steels Fork Creek in Eastern Colorado. They had a reported 20,000 sheep and 1,000 cattle. The Maryland Land and Cattle Company was incorporated under the laws of Maryland. Barney Gilpin was the President and his brother, Frank Gilpin, was manager. Pete Henis was the round up foreman and Frank Summers was the ranch foreman. Their range was both Horse Creeks, Big Sandy and Rush Creek. Barney stayed in Maryland, but I saw him once in awhile when he came to the ranch to visit. He looked prosperous like a good businessman should. Frank spent his winters in Maryland. He was a good polo player. He married an eastern girl in 1890. They spent the summer at the ranch, and had a colored housekeeper and chore boy. They had a lot of house guests the summer I worked there. I understood they ran into financial difficulties later and lost the ranch. I worked for Mr. llamp and Silsbee, sheepmen, for three months after the Gilpins exploded. They were on Rush Creek, fifteen miles west of Hugo, Colorado. Hamp was an Englishman and Silsbee was a Yankee from Connecticut. The old gentleman who was a WICKHAM FAMILY F749 camp outfit and went down to the ranch. They set me to hauling their winter grain from the Rock Island Railroad to the ranch. The name of the station was Resloes and it was 15 miles to the ranch. We used four mules and two wagons. I would make a trip a day and a long day it was. The sorting was completed and the remaining sheep in winter camp, so the bosses were leaving; Mr. Hamp to New England and Mr. Silsbee to Connecticut. They bid me good-bye. I left for Resoles and got to town about 11:30 a.m. The town was composed of a section house, depot and one store. I contacted the agent and located the car and found that the freight hadn't been paid for. No paid freight bill, no feed. I knew that the bosses were leaving from Hugo that day and wouldn't be back, so the agent telegraphed Hugo. The bosses paid the bill and I lost over an hour. That hour was important. I would leave the ranch before sunup, and get into town about 11 a.m.. water and feed the mules, then start to load. The grain was in 100 Ib. sacks. The grain was in the middle of the car and coal at both ends. It took a bit ofwork to load four tons. I had one sand creek to cross and had to drop the trail wagon. I would eat my lunch on the way home, arriving there about dark. This meant unloading after supper, greasing the wagons, and loading mule feed for the next day. I would be about ten before I would hit the hay. I have often wondered who the cook was; if I knew his name I have forgotten. That was in 1891. The next spring I got a letter from a ranchman living near River Bend, Colorado, offering me a job, but I had a job in Wyoming doing some surveying work. For the next several years I remained in Wyoming doing a number of different jobs during the summers, but always returned to my claim in Kit Carson County in the winter. I always received my mail at Lamborn, Kansas, as that was the name of the town at that time. It later was changed to Kanorado. During the summer of 1894 I had the Rev. Willis care for the trees on my tree claim. He had homesteaded not too many miles from me. As it was a dry year he was glad to receive the extra income. I paid him $25.00 for the gummer's work. I married Miss Gertrude Bartlett of Lincoln, Nebraska, in 1895. She had been a schoolteacher at Taymond, Nebraska. We made our home in Lincoln, Nebraska, until we moved to Scottsbluff, Nebraska. Copied from the records of the late C.J. Whitmore. Written in 1950 bv Whitmore, 85 years old. by C.J. Whitmore William McKinley Wickham, Jr. and Lorris I.A. Wickham married on December 25th, 1933. Picture was taken on November 25,1970. William M. Wickham, Jr. John Foster, born September 5, 1942, and Samuel Paul, born August 18, 1945, graduat- ed from Flagler High School. They too worked in the store and for various farmers around Flagler. They joined the Army and served in Viet Narn. Sam spent a second term in Viet Nam. When they returned home they enrolled and graduated from Northeastern Junior College in Sterling, then transferred to the University of Northern Colorado. John married Sandra Lynn Schulz of Holyoke on December 14, 1969. They built a home in Greeley and she taught at Windsor and he was Assistant Manager of the Univer- sity Book Store. They moved to Colorado Springs where he was Manager of the Colorado College Book Store. He later went into Real Estate business, and then joined Fitzgerald, Talman, Inc. as a Senior Account Executive Stock Broker. Sandra taught Special Education and kindergarten, and is currently teaching third grade in District 11. They have 2 sons: Jason Todd, an eighth grader. He played football, and has been accepted into the Pikes Peak Youth String Orchestra with his cello. Gregory John is in the sixth grade. He enjoys Science projects at school, and is interested in becoming a cartoonist. Both are becoming accomplished pianists. Sam worked as a master carpenter in the construction of homes in Greeley and Limon. He married Karen Lynn Shamburg of Burlington June 21, 1975. Construction work became slow so he joined the staff of Lincoln Community Hospital at Hugo, in the mainte- nance department, and was honored as "Employee of the Year" for 1986. They have a son Robert William, in the fifth grade and a daughter Samantha Pau- �line, a first grader. The children of William, Jr. and Lorris Wickham still hold fast to their "roots" at Flagler. Orris Lee, born November 13, 1936, graduated from Flagler High School in 1955, and from University of Northern Colorado in 1959. He worked in his parents' hardware store and for different farm families during summers. In 1960 he graduated from Navy Officer Candidate School at Newport, Rhode Island. and served aboard the aircraft carrier "The Oriskany". In 1963 he started teaching Industrial Arts and Chemistry at Kremmling, Colorado. Alice Barbara Raymond from 9airfield, Iowa was teaching Home Economics there. They were manied December 27, 1964, and in 1966 moved to Cheyenne, Wyoming where he has taught Industrial Arts in Carey Junior High for 22 years. Alice has done substitute teaching in the Cheyenne schools during these years. They have 3 sons: Clayton Douglas, in his second year at Laramie County Community College in Cheyenne, majoring in Fire Fighting Sciences and Law Enforcement. Brent Dirk is a senior at East High, and is anticipating becoming a pilot, perhaps at the Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland. Ted William is a freshman in high school, and is very interested in computer science. Orris became deeply involved in the Naval Reserves at Fort Warren, Cheyenne, and worked on military projects at various points in the United States. He retired in 1986 with the rank of Commander. He continues to serve as Blue and Gold Officer in recruiting for the Naval Academy. His extra-curricular activity now is Manager/Secretary of their Laramie County Fair Board. Alice has been very active in exhibiting in the culinary arts division of the fair, and has won Grand Champion numerous times. by Lorris T9ickham WICKHAM FAMILY F750 William M. Wickham, Sr. The winter of 1931 is remembered as the "Towner School Bus Tragedy". Mr. Wickham had 3 school bus routes to Second Central. He, Foster and Bill each drove a route. The morning of the storm all 3 buses got to school before the storm broke in full fury - they turned back home. Mr. Wickham got the Helmes children home and to the Orris Sloans when he could get no further. He put the bus in the big barn and stayed with them 3 days before he could ride Orris'horse Trixy to his home. It was after dark when he got to the draw south of his house. He called and called to get the attention of those at home. They brought a lantern so he could see to get across the bridge. Foster got all of his bus children, including the George Blancken youngsters, to their hohes, and when he got home Ione was making supper. Bill took Bruce Stone home - a small adobe house at "uncle Sol Stone's" place. He then got the Hamilton and Berry children, cousins of the Hamiltons, home (on the Ackerman place). His bus got stuck in the draw between Hamiltons and Matzkes (on the Wilson place). They braved the storm and he walked the Matzke children, Evangeline and Emogene Wickham to Matzkes, then walked home, a mile east. Bill had a 1928 Ford roadster. He put chains on it and started to go pick up the girls. The snow blew into the motor and it stalled in the yard gate, so he was forced to give up. When the storm subsided after 2 days there was nothing but the very top of the car to be seen. Tom, just a little tot asked, "What's that black thing in our gate?" Mr. Wickham, Bill and Foster made their way afoot to the stranded bus. They started scooping and were soon joined by Frank Matzke, Walter Hamilton and Elmer Buffum. They were then able to get the little girls home. Following the Towner incident when the driver and some of the children froze to death, all school buses were required to carry blankets. Mr. Wickham also put a portable kerosene heater in each bus, but never used them. Another incident found Mr. Wickham with a team hitched to a sled, horse blankets over the students' heads and a kerosene lamp under that to help keep them warm. Mr. Wickham stood at the front of the sled, driving the team, icicles 6" long forming on him. There was an understanding that if a bus motor conked out - just drain the radiator and walk to the closest farm house. It John Wanczyk, a student, tried - at to watch out the side to help Bill stay on the road, but they slipped off into the ditch, and the motor died. The "self starter" was out in front - they cranked and cranked, but no spark! - Iifted the hood - water was pouring offthe overheated engine - so - drain the radiator and walk to the Van Wanning place! Bill took the lead and Julia Wanczyk happened! brought up the end of the line. Van Wannings were having dinner, invited the group to join them at the big pot of beans and she made another huge batch of biscuits. Bedtime, and all the kids bedded down on the floor with their coats. Mr. Van Wanning put a big chunk of coal in the heating stove - and again during the night. Next morning the boys helped milk or put hay down out of the mow to feed the stock. The sun came out clear and bright, and with a 5 gallon can of water and a scoop Bill walked back north to the vehicle. It started easily. The Wanczyk and Joe Short children walked home. Bill got the Ben Short kids home, and more water for the radiator, and also at Fred Griffiths, and eventually got himself home. Foster got his bus to Fred Martins (on the Bill Conarty place), and she too made biscuits by the dozens to go with beans. One bitter cold morning when Foster arrived at school with his bus load Mr. Finley, teacher who lived at the school, asked if he'd like tojoin them for breakfast. Foster replied, "No, thank you, Mr. Finley, I had breakfast this morning." The Westover boys would come to Wickhams with rocks in their pockets to play. They once brought gourds which they threw and broke. Seeds started unwanted gourd plants around the farmstead. by Lorris Wickham WICKHAM, LORRIS AND WILLIAM, JR. F75r William McKinely Wickham, Jr. 1-25-1907 at West Plains, Mo., son of William McGlinchey and Susie Alberta (Brisbin) Wickham. Lorris Ida Agnes Sloan 7-13-1915, daughter of Samuel Wesley and Gertrude Mae (Kious) Sloan, married 12-25-1933. Children: Orris Lee 1936, John Foster 1942, and Samuel Paul 1945. Lorris was in college at Ft. Collins and when school was out they moved to Lavington Ranch SE of Flagler. Wages 930 mo., a cow to milk and grain to raise chickens, and a pig to butcher. $5 a mo. went for a Montgomery Ward gas motor washing machine - the envy of neighbors, but utilized by many. Bill's father and younger children lived 2 mi. NE. They came Saturdays to bake bread and wash. The drouth, depression and dust storms were devastating to the whole community. The May 31, 1935 Sand Creek flood brought destruction in its path and death to neighbor Gesnens. The prairie dog town N. of the house harbored rattlesnakes and one afternoon Bill and Lorris dug out and killed more than 150. They joined Ladies' Social Circle (LSC) which his mother had helped organize in 1915. Ladies took turns entertaining - a delicious dinner, then patching, embroidering or quilting, etc. for the hostess, and the men played pitch. There were school func- tions, family gathering, card parties and pooling ofration stamps to have cake refreshments. The family moved in 1937 to 25 mi. S. of Flagler to work for Carl Bledsoe. Bill helped with cattle, and sheep, while Lorris cooked for the crews, and Mrs. Bledsoe bottle-fed bum lambs. A rattlesnake coiled beneath the baby's high chair was a frightening experience. In 1938 they moved to Swink and worked for Ora Dunavan on his dairy, in the watermelon, cantaloupe, and tomato fields; 1940 to the Sloan place SE ofFlagler, and in 1941 bought the Renken place 3 mi. E. of Flagler. They farmed and milked 20 cows, and delivered cottage cheese (a ton one summer), dressed chickens, and baked goods to stores and cafe. Ed Fanselaus, Schuyler Shorts, Roy Tarpennings, Eddie Fullers, Slim Goodwins, Gene Nicholses and other neighbors exchanged farm, and household work, and had many exciting pitch games. The farm was traded for a hardware in town in 1948. Bill and Orris maned the store. John, Sam, and their little dog Snooks were constant shadows of Grandpa Sloan. Lorris kept books at the store, and worked at the Flagler Hospital - from nurse aide, to assistant in surgery, to full time cook, and 'gal Friday' until it closed. The store was sold at auction in 1955 with about 91000 clear and much more out on bills never collected. Bill worked for Oliver Blancken at John Deere. He, and his sons, Kenneth Mort, Red, Miller, Elmer Joy, Pat Burgess, and others enjoyed big game hunting. Bill also enjoyed school and community activities, and held offices in Odd Fellow Lodge - including District Deputy Grand Master. He took great pride in his gardening, assembling, delivering machinery, or any task he performed. The hospital closed in 1963. The boys were in collese or Militarv Service. Lorris went to �: w '":i; : I t l:, a& r. 11 The children of William and Susie Wickham taken in 1982. (7 of their 12 children): Back row: Tom, Ted, John. Front row: Evangeline Holtzinger, Irene Stinton. Ione Tolton, and William, Jr. Taken at the p mountain cabin on Evangeline and husband, Gerald Holtzinger. ""aa a Back row: Alice and Orris Wickham, John and Sandra Wickham, Brent and Ted Wickham, sons of Orris. Son Clay not present. Front: Karen and Sam Wickham with their children Samantha and Robert, Bill and Lorris Wickham, Jason and Greg, sons of John. Taken at our 50th wedding anniversary at Flagler Baptist Church, December 1983. organize Flagler High Alumni Assoc. in 1949, and served as secretary, and as President. Was a 4-H and Cub Scount leader. She enjoyed canning, baking, cooking, and was culinary Grand Champion at the county fair at Burlington. There were college extension classes from Greeley, Bible classes from their seminary in Kansas City, Cake Decorating classes, and teaching cake decorating classes. Orris, John, and Sam. Bill and Lorris Wickham. Taken at our home, the house my father built in Flagler, CO on our 25th wedding anniversary, December 25th, 1958. Baking, decorating wedding and anniversary cakes (from scratch), and catering receptions is still a hobby (from 1941). Since retirement, has baked at their church camp, in Black Forest north of Colorado Springs. Church and Medical Mission Tours have also been a part of her retirement - to China and Central America twice each, Philippines, Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, Zaire, Europe (Vienna, Munich, the Passion Play at Oberamergau, Geneva, London), India and Nepal. She enjoys sharing those experiences through colored slide presentation, and artifacts. bv Lorris Wickham Presbyterian Hospital School of Nursing in Denver - baked weekends for school faculty and made a Hospital anniversary cake each year to pay tuition. She graduated in 1966' and worked as office nurse in Limon 15 years' She brought what medical services she could to Flagler to save people a trip to Limon. Bill retired in Jan. 1972, but worked part time at John Deere for Tom Kennedy, and John Coryell. Oct. 19, 1973, while picking the last of his tomatoe harvest, he suffered a stroke, and entered Prairie View Nursing Home 1-12-'74. Lorris moved to Limon. They moved to Aurora in 1979, Bill to Camellia Care Center. All family members were baptized in Flagler Baptist Church, and were active in its program. Lorris served as Sunday School teacher, on the church board, as clerk, and offices in American Baptist Women including President of Eastern Assoc. Later of Rocky Mountain Assoc. in Denver, and was on the state board 22 yearc. She helped WICKHAM, WILLIAM M., SR. F752 William McGlinchev Wickham t874 - 1943. Susie Alberta Brisbin 1875 - 1915. Married 12-25-1896, Syracuse, Ill. Children: Harold T. 1898 - 1978, Myrtle Irene 1900, Foster Samuel 1904 - 197?, William McKinIey 1907, Malvina Emogene 1910 - 5 mo., John Milton 1914. Will and Susie first lived in Mich., he was a telegrapher. Moved to Mo., but heard of a 50 A. farm in Howell Co. Scraped together money to buy it and moved in 1905. It was a Garden of Eden! - but rocks, rocks! Red clover the only cash crop' Raised corn to feed horses, cows, and pigs. Garden, orchard, woods provided vegetables, fruits and nuts for the cave. Apples made into apple butter over an open fire or taken to cider mill. They dried corn, apples, made hominy, and molasses. Lived near White Church, community center. Fourth of July and Fall Festival celebrations with horse-powered merry-gorounds, Iemonade stands, bands, fire crackers, baseball, horse shoes, and basket dinners. Homesteading in Colo. sounded like Paradise - 320 A. of Free land just for living on it and cultivating the land. Grandma Brisbin had come from Ill. the spring of 1911 to claim her homestead 10 mi. SE of Flagler, and had a cement black house built. Wickhams came in Oct. Will and Harold came by emigrant car with the stock, machinery, and'goodies'from the cave. Susie and the other children were met at the train by Grandma Brisbin with borrowed team and wagon. No rocks - to build a house, No trees - for fuel, nuts or fence posts, No springs - for water for home or stock; just wide open prairies - beautiful in spring when buffalo grass was green and prickly pear cacti in bloom - but treacherous on bare feet! Very little rain - so gardens and crops meager. Sod house built for the family and a well drilled on Grandma's land, later a frame house and well on the Wickham homestead % mi. north. Children herded cattle, carried a hoe to kill rattlesnakes, picked up cow chips for winter fuel supply. Eventually posts and barbed wire bought in Flagler and fences built on some property lines. Sears Roebuck phones were connected to wire fences. Children walked LVz mi. to Albright school - Iva Reynolds a teacher. 1915 small school districts consolidated and Second Central School, 10 grades, opened. Susie died when John was 10 mo. old. Irene was'mother'for the family, till WiU married Anna Rose Valenta 1886 - 1929, on 6-24-'16. Children: Anna Rose 1918-1958, Geneva Jane 1919, Theodore Roosevelt 1920, Evangeline Veronica 1922, Ruth Emogene 1924, Thomas Lee 1927. Gertrude Sloan, Minnie Blancken, neighbors, and Dr. H.L. Williams delivered the babies. Will and Rose had pride in community, and school. They, and the older boys drove school buses, and experienced stalling in snow storms, walking children to closest house to stay overnight - or longer. They bought a new �Chevrolet truck chassis, and built wooden bus bodies. Will had many terms on the school board. Family gathered evenings around the kitchen range while Will read books to them, and Rose crocheted edgings for the little girls' dresses, which she made Smoky Hill was located seventeen miles S.E. of Burlington, Colorado. After a four month "whirlwind courtship", Leona and I were married on September 2, 1934, at Immanuels Lutheran Church eleven miles N.E. of Bethune. We heard that two people could live as cheap as one and our possessions included love and a dime. The time was during the great depression of the mostly from flour sacks. Entertainment: school programs, debates, students by bus to Flagler to shows such as Ben Hur, box suppers, card parties, summer parties, Lost 1930's and the drouth of the Midwestern Springs to dances, Ladies' Social Circle (Grandma Brisbin and Susie were charter members in 1915) for a bountiful dinner. They patched overalls, and socks, tied comforters on quilted for the hostess while the men played pitch or horseshoes. Rose was noted for delectable Bohemian foods - poppy seed biscuits, breads, and at butchering time the souse, blood pudding, sausage stuffed into the cleaned intestines. They rasied a big garden and put up lots of foods for winter. Had lots of pinto beans, sorted seed corn kernel by kernel (rats played havoc with it one year). The youngsters herded cattle, were rivals in collecting rattlesnake rattles (jerked snakes out of their holes by the tail for the dogs to kill so they could capture the rattles), trapped skunks, and sometimes got to go to town on Sat. with their folks to ship 5 gal. cans of cream to Beatrice Creamery, trade eggs for groceries and went to free shows provided by merchants. Rose died in 1929 - Tom was 2. Will took the 6 children to Texas that Christmas to see their maternal relatives - a memorable trip in a new 1929 Chevrolet car with no heater, and inclement weather. Anna Rose stayed home from school the first year, and Jone the next to fill the role as 'mother'. Mrs. Fred Martin baked bread for them until the girls learned. Weekends they washed (hand pow- states. In February 1935, following a public sale, the Gottlieb Adolf family and us moved to Newberg, Oregon. Many families from the Midwestern states migrated to the west coast in search of work to support their families. George and Leona Fanselau Wiedman married September 2,1934. three months old and mother and I lived with attended and graduated from Burlington High School. Darrell graduated from Wart- Stahlecker until March 25, LgL4, when my mother married Gottlieb Adolf. We moved to mothers farm, which became burg College of WAverly, Iowa where he met and married Darlene Petrek. At the present time he is on his 27th year of teaching in the Denver Public Schools. my grandparents Martin and Katherine hers following my fathers death. As a stepfather, Gottlieb Adolf, was special to me, and I shared equally with my brothers Gottlieb Jr. and Herman and sister Leah. I attended a one room adobe elementary school at Yale, Colorado. Eight grades were They rasied turkeys, and in the fall the family picked and pinned them (innards remained) taught by one teacher. Our earlier mode of transportation was a top buggy or spring wagon until 1917 when our family purchased a new Model T. Ford touring car. The immediate community was mainly of German Lutheran decent and worship ser- Hugo. vices at Immanuels were taken seriously. The church yard on Sunday mornings was a ered machine), ironed, baked break, and cleaned house. Later they baked and washed with the gas motor machine at bro. Bill's home - 2 mi. by cart and'Old Nig', the horse. and took them to the marketing center in The younger family all attended Flagler High School - stayed with Strohmeyers, Rowdens or brother Bill. Tom enlisted in the Navy after graduation. He was not yet 21 so brother Foster signed for him. Will moved to Flagler in L942.He became ill and spent some time in Brush with Irene and in Denver with Foster and with Evangeline, and died ?-121943. by Lorris Wickham WIEDMAN, GEORGE AND LEONA (FANSELAU) F753 I was born on December 9, 1910, near Yale, Colorado, sixteen miles N.W. of Burlington, Colorado on the farm homesteaded bv mv father. I was named George Martin foilotit of my grandfathers. My parents, Jacob Wiedman and Barbara Stahlecker were manied February 3, 1910. My father died March, 1911, at the age of thirty. At the time of his death I was only Going wages for a man, were $.25 an hour. and no coffee break. Even then jobs were scarce. Our two sons, Darrell Orin and Garvin George, were born in Oregon. In February, 1939, we moved back to Colorado to our original farmstead. The plains states had received some moisture and some crops were being raised. From 1989 until 1962 we lived on our farm located twelve miles N.W. of Burlington. Following eight years of elementary education at Emerson School, Darrell and Garvin spectacular sight with varied types ofwagons and buggies drawn by teams of horses. Some young men rode their saddle horses, sporting elaborate saddles, and bridles. They were envied by those with lesser gear and horses. Sunday afternoons were the highlight of the week. Following church services, we entertained or were entertained by relatives or friends and families. The elders would visit and rest while the children improvised their own entertainment, which varied from foot racing and tug of war (for the boys), to drowning out gophers and catching them. The girls made mud pies and played with paper dolls cut out of Sears Roebuck and Company catalogs and etc. At the age of eighteen I bought my first car, a 1926 Model T. Ford Coupe, which was next to impossible to start when the temperature got much below freezing. Anti-freeze was unheard of and keeping a radiator from freezing became a chore in winter. I lived and worked with my parents until my marriage to Leona Fanselau. Leona Gertrude was born April 30, 1916, the second daughter of Henry and Lillie Fanselau nee Bamesberger. Mildred and Geneva were the other two daughters of the family. Leona attended Smoky Hill School for ten years, graduating from there in 1931. Garvin married Sherry Kleweno in 1961 and they took over the family farm. Darrell and Garvin were both drafted and served in the U.S. Army. On September 2, Lg84, Leona and I celebrated our 50th Wedding Anniversary, which was sponsored for us by our sons and their families. by George Wiedman WIGTON, DEAN AND ARLENE F754 John Wigton was born in Kansas and lived most of his early life South of Kanorado. Kansas. He was one of a family of ten. Here he worked on the family farm until he was married to Florence Bogart. Florence came from a family of five. She spent her early years on her father's farm Southeast of Burlington. After Florence and John were married in January 1930, they moved twelve miles south of Bethune. While living here Dean was born and later Florence taught school in the surrounding communities many years and then she was County Superinten- dent of Schools. They moved eight miles Southeast of Vona in 1934. Later. thev had another daughter, Nadine. The Joirn Wigtort family farmed and raised cattle. Most of the cattle roamed for miles as there was free range and all fields were fenced. Leander Becker was born and raised South of Vona in the German Settlement. There were ten children in his family and they all helped on their parents farm. The family attended church regularly at the Mennonite Church. Leander attended eight years of schooling at the Pleasant Valley School. In 19BB he � https://kccarchives.cvlcollections.org/files/original/17/509/Families-W2.pdf 59b6e6d2172cfa80cdbd1970cd170ab9 PDF Text Text married Madeline Ott. Madeline attended Plainview School North of Vona and then attended Seibert High School. They lived and farmed South of Vona for a short time and then moved to Monte Vista, Colorado where Arlene was born. A few years later they moved back to Vona where they ran the Vona Telephone Exchange. After a short time of living in Vernon, Colorado, they bought their present farm in 1938 and moved back to Vona. Arlene attended the Pleasant Valley School for seven years. The school then consolidated with Vona. It was on this farm that Donna and Douglas were born and attended Vona School. Arlene Becker and Dean Wigton were married in 1954, and lived at Smoke Angle for four years while Dean taught. They bought their farm southwest of Stratton and started a dairy and Dean also taught at Vona for eleven years. They had seven girls Radean, Charlene, Shirley, Janell, Kathy, Rhea Kay, native lime and we never had prettier walls than those were for when the lamp was lighted the walls sparkled as though there were sparks of gold or silver in them. were born: Nellie Jane Yale, 2/12/1886 2/4/1978; Charles Seward Wilcox, 6/13/1889 We lived 3 years on this place and hauled water all the time. We got water from a man 8/18/1893; Earl Dewey Wilcox, 1/18/1898. 7 7/10/1926; William Wallace Wilcox, /I5/L89L - 2/2/L96a; Eva May Gergen, by Irene Wilcox called Way and also from the old well in Burlington. When there was no wind or repairs for the wells we got our water from the lagoons. I remember one family that lived a mile from us and had to get water from us because they had no team or wagon. They would come with their buckets and cary the water home. There was a well east of us, where Peconic is now located, and we thought if we could get there early, we (my brother and I) we would get our barrels filled and get home early. So we rose at four o'clock in the morning and when we reached the well, there were twenty barrels ahead of us, so we decided to go to the well in Burlington. We drove the six miles and when we got to WILCOX, WILLIAM WALLACE F756 William (Billy) Wilcox was the only one of the five children of Wallace Hose and Mary Margaret Wilcox who stayed in the Burlington community. He was born in Burlington, Colorado on July 15, 1891 after his parents gave up their homestead and moved to town. Burlington we found others there and deci- As a young boy, he attended the Burlington and Judy. Dean has been active in Boy Scouts and they have both been active in 4-H. Radean married Allan Mattson. They now live in Lawndale, California and they have ded to wait our turn. Just before the last man got his barrels filled, the two men at the pump came down a bit hard on the handle and it snapped in two. There was no way of fixing Charlene married Randy Gorton. They live Southwest ofStratton and now run the dairy. They have two boys, Rodney and Bryan. Shirley married Larry Squire. They live in Colorado Springs and have one son, Benjamin. Janell married Jay Pettibone and they presently live at Kanorado, Kansas. Kathy is attending college studying nursing. Rhea Kay and Judy are still living at home and Well, we inquired around a bit and learned that there was a rancher nearby by the name of Bevelheimer who had a well about LVz miles west. So we drove there. We found no one at home but we hitched our team up to the windlass and it did not take long to fill our 4 barrels. But we did not get home until about 8:00 P.M. that night. A number of wells were dug by hand and it cost about $40.00 to put in curbing which was needed to keep the sand from filling in. So you see not many could have wells. We are still using the chairs we brought out school and helped his father with the dray business. He always had a love for animals, especially horses, and for many years was responsible for the livestock for the fairs and rodeos. He would travel to all the surrounding towns to pick up the stock horses and cattle and then deliver them back again after two daughters, Anna Lee and Bethany. attending school. by Rhea Wigton WILCOX, WALLACE IIOSE F755 I was born June 6, 1853 at Courtland, Illinois. I spent my youth in Illinois 65 miles W. of Chicago. When 18 years of age I moved with my parents into Champagne County, Ill. There I married Mary Margaret Seward on March 26, 1885. (Mary Margaret was born to Samuel and Ophelia Seward on Aug. 25, 1861 in Rantoul, Ill.) She died April4, 1985 at age of 96 yrs., and 7 months. She was baptized at age 10 and was a life-long member of the Methodist Church and a charter member of the Burlington Methodist Church. I came to Colorado on March 7, 1887, with my wife and baby. We cnme by train to Stratton, Nebr.. Then, after buying a wagon and team, we went on to Benkleman where I left my wife and baby with my brother-inlaw, then I came on out to Burlington. My brother. Alvin N. Wilcox (later the first sheriff of Kit Carson County) located me on a pre-emption adjoining his. My claim being the NW% of Sec. 15-8-43. When I first came to my claim, there was not a thing in sight and one could see ten miles away. After staking my claim, I returned to Nebr. to bring my wife and baby and was gone about a week. When I ca-e back to my claim, I counted sixty shacks and dugouts from the high point ofmy land. My brother had a frame house on his claim, so we lived in that until we had our sod house built. We plastered our houses with it and no repairs this side of Haigler, Nebr. with us. We had no roof on the house so the first night they had to be left out in a storm. My wife was in tears. But it didn't hurt them and today even our great-grandchildren have played on them. One of the first nights, a very heavy rain storm came up and the roof of my brother's shack leaked so we rolled up mattresses, covered them with oilcloth and my wife and daughter sat on top of them. She held an umbrella and kept fairly dry. The water ran down a cowtrail and into a dugout, it soaked my brother's books and trunks. I have often wished for such rains since then when we needed them so much. The first year I paid taxes in Kit Carson County, I paid just 700. Rolled Oats were selling at two cents a pound so I bought a dollar's worth. When I got home I found worms in them. I haven't been able to eat oats since. My wife ordered stove polish and the storekeeper wanted to know what it was like and how one used it; anyhow, I could not get it. The only meat we had was salt "sowbelly" which we bought in large slabs at 40 a pound. We would get so tired of eating it. For a while we bought milk from a neighbor, then we bought a cow. But we never kept a herd of cows or horses. My team was a pair of sorrel broncos and they were light for farm work, but I did manage to break up 40 acres, which I put into corn. After living here almost four years I bought the dray line in Burlington and carried the mail from the post office to the depot. I was engaged in the dray business for a number of years. I served on the town council from July 3, 1893, to April 14, 1895. I was also town marshall for 13 years. To this union 5 children the fair or rodeo. At the age of 19, he married Lillian Mather Jan. 5, 1910. Lillian was the daughter of Arthur and Maude Mather. (Maude Mather will be better known as Maude Smith). Lillian died 10-23-1915. Around 1912, he took a homestead out on the river but stayed only a couple years moving back to town. To this union was born three children: Kenneth George Wilcox 7-zI-LglD L223-t952. Hazel Grace Wilcox 4-13-1912 - 3-7-1915. Elmer Wallace Wilcox 7-5-19L4 L974. - 1-9- On Oct. 2, L919, William married Ella Esther Homm. (Esther was born 8-25-1899 and came to Colorado from Gove Co. Kansas 1-7- 1919.) Billy worked for Hugh Baker in the elevator from 1923 to 1926. At that time. he started work for Sim Hudson who owned the Cities Service Oil Station. The station was then sold to Standard Oil and Billy worked for Standard until his retirement 715-1956. To this union three children were born: Dewey Eldon Wilcox 11-26-1921. Betty Jean Wilcox 4-L9-1924. Russell Dale Wilcox LL-5-L927. William (Billy) Wilcox passed away on February 2,1964. by Irene \ililcox WILKINSON FAMILY F.757 In the spring of L922 my parents Roy and Margaret Wilkinson and their children, Lloyd, Thelma, and Arlene moved to eastern Colorado to a farm northeast of Vona, where they made their home for many years. My father, the eldest son of John and Abbie Myers Wilkinson, was born June 23, t894 near Atwood, Ks. He had four brothers, Virgil, Jesse, Guy and Herschel and five sisters, Florence, Grace, Gladys, Opal, and Ruby. Two sisters, Opal and Ruby, and one �brother Herschel are still living. My mother was born at Everest, Ks. Sept. 8, 1896, the eldest daughter of Aloys and Susan Sobba Zuubek. She had five sisters, Agnes, Barbara, Evelyn, Bessie, and Ethel, and three brothers, Alex, Henry, and Chris. Four sisters, Barbara, Evelyn, Bessie, and Ethel are still living. Margaret, along with her parents, brothers, and sisters moved to western Ks. where she grew to womanhood. She was united in marriage to Roy Adelbert Wilkinson on March 24, 1915, at Beardsley, Ks. After moving to Co. two daughters Wilma, and Helen and two sons Earl and Loren were born. Lloyd was married to Virginia Havens; they lived at Vona for awhile, then they moved to Goodland, Ks. They were the parents of four children, Ferma, Lloyd Jr., Larry, and Sandy. They have 10 grandchildren. Thelma married Wayne Cushing; they have two sons; Gary, and Roy. Thelma and Wayne lived north of Vona after they were married. They moved to western Nebr., near Stratton where they lived many years, before retiring from farming and moved to Max, Nebr. They have six grandchildren. Arlene was married to John Fredrich; they had five children; four sons, Gene, Bud, Lowell, and Roger, and a daughter JoAnn. They lived in the Vona and Seibert areas, where they farmed. They divorced. Arlene then married Raymond Andrewjeski; they moved to Lakewood, Co. Two sons and three daughters were born; Rick, Mike, Shelley, Sue, and Teresa. Arlene has sixteen grandchildren. Wilma married Carl Woller on Dec. 5, 1948, at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Stratton. Co. They farmed north of Vona until 1952, when they sold their farm and moved to Vona. Carl started working for Kit Carson County in November. I have worked in the Vona School cafeteria now, Hi-Plains Elementary, seventeen years, the last nine years as School Food Service Manager; a job I enjoy very much. The students always brighten your day. I have belonged to the Kit Carson County Carousel Association since it was started. I have really enjoyed working on the cookbooks and the other things we have done to raise money for the restoration of the Carousel so it can be enjoyed by everyone now and for the future generations. We are the parents of five children; Sharon was married to Roy Trimm in 1971 in Fl. They have one son, Scott; they live in Jacksonville, Ar. Carlton, Jr., better known as "Ace", married Kathy Monroe July 23, L972; they have two sons and a daughter, Fred, Justin and Jeanie. Ace and Kathy lived in Vona for a while, then moved to Stratton. Stanley was married to Nona Eisenbart on Aug. 12, 1972. They have one son, Brian and three daughters, Michelle, Kristine, and Victoria. They live in Stratton. Cathleen lives at home. Susan was married to Allen Eden, June 27,1981. They lived in Stratton, then they moved to Moore, Ok. Susan now lives in Stratton. Helen was married to Raymond Rose; they lived in Stratton, moving to Wichita, Ks. where their son Raymond was born. They were divorced. Helen then married Dale Gyer. They had a son, Randy. Helen has two granddaughters. Earl married Gloria Chapla; they moved to Denver after he returned from the army. They have one son Jeff and two daughters Monica, and Mona, and two grandchildren. Loren was married to Prisilla Shanks; they live in Colo. Springs. They have two daughters, Rhonda and Debbie, and one grandson living and one grandson passed away at four months. Some of the neighbors I remember the folks speaking of were the Godfreys; the Finleys, parents of Eula Browning, a very dear friend; the Gulleys, parents of Opal Boger; the Crists and the Kechters. I went to a country school. I have many fond memories of those days. We never went to school on busses. The teachers had to do everything; bring in the wood and the coal even cow chips to heat the school room. I remember when going to school north of Vona, Mrs. Helen Herrell was our teacher. We went out on the prairie on weekends picking up cow chips. The teacher sometimes had to haul water to school. They also had to keep the school clean as we didn't have janitors then. We rode horses, walked or drove a buggy maybe; sometimes in the winter when there was snow we would use a sled pulled by our faithful horse Ben to take us to school. It seemed like the road was pretty long when you were small and had to walk to and from school. Some of the teachers I remember were Alvina Becker Esarey, Miss Elva Richards, Mrs. Virginia Felch, Mrs. Grace Clark, Miss Jennie Tressel, and Mrs. Helen Herrell. by Wilma Wilkinson Woller WILLIAMS FAMILY F758 In the excitement of his birth to Marion Phillip and Doris Anne Williams at 12:30 p.m. on September L4, 1922, the intended name of Lowell Lawrence Williams was recorded as Lawrence Lowell. Thus he became known as "Lary". His grandfather, Dr. Hany Lawrence Williams, delivered him with a Mabel Gray as the attending nurse. He had a special kinship with his grandparents and when they died in 1933, he was eleven years old . . he chose not to attend their funeral. After graduating from high school, he attended the University of Denver for two years majoring in chemical engineering. His fraternity was Sigma Phi Epsilon. His college career was interrupted when he enlisted in World War II. He served in the United States Army with much of the three years spent in Guam. He was discharged March 6, 1946, a day he recalls better than any family birth date or anniversary! In 1947 he graduated from Capitol College of Pharmacy in Denver. Vivienne E. Stauffacher, born September 10, L924 in Tonica, Illinois, came to Flagler December 8, 1945, as a registered nurse to work in the hospital for Drs. McBride and Straub. Larry and Vivienne were married on September 2, L947 at the First Plymouth Congregational Church in Denver. Marion Justin Williams was born to them March 19, 1958 and died March 25, 1958. The following December 12, Lisa Louise was born on her great-grandmother's birthday . . . Jenni Hawn Williams. Lisa graduated valedictorian of her high school class in Flagler and then went on to the University of Northern Colorado where she graduated Magna cum Laude with a BA degree with majors in Acoustically Handicapped and Elementary Education. The following year she completed her master's and now teaches the hearing impaired in Grand Island, Nebraska. Lisa married Rick Allen Ward, son of Donna Stone Ward and Ed Ward of Flagler on December 19, 1981, in the First Congregational Church of Flagler. Linsay Susan Ward was born in Grand Island. Nebraska on August 3, 1985. Larry Williams has worked in the family drugstore for forty years. Vivienne has been Flagler town clerk since 1979. by Vivienne Stauffacher Williams WILLIAMS - FOSTER FAMILY F759 Andrew Allen Williams and wife, Alma (Foster) and two sons, Albert Ross and Ellis Lee, came to Colorado for health reasons in 1888 and settled near Cope. His was the first immigrant car coming into Seibert, the railroad having just been completed to that point. With the exception of one year spent in Missouri, he resided on a ranch near Cope for 16 years, where he was appointed U.S. Land Commissioner and moved to Cope. This position he resigned in 1912 to move to Flagler where he resided until his death in 1917, age 73. Alma died in L924, age 78. Both are buried in the Flagler cemetery, along with their son, Ellis and his wife, Maude. Andrew was a Civil War veteran (Co. G 55th Illinois Infantry). He was wounded during the assault on Vicksburg, from which he recovered. However in 1864 due to general poor health he was medically discharged. Many years later, a doctor in Bernadotte, Illinois advised Andrew or "Uncle A" as he was referred to by many, "to move to Colorado for the benefit of my health." At the time of his death he was a stockholder in the Flagler State Bank and a stockholder and director in the Farmers State Bank of Flagler. Andrew joined the Baptist Church when a young man, so it was natural for him to assist in building the Shiloh Baptist Church. He also helped organize the Congregational Church at Cope and was Sunday School Superintendent for more than ten years. Two Foster progenitors were Methodist ministers. In reading the Foster history, religion was an important part of their life. John Lewis Dyer, known as Father Dyer the "Snow-Shoe Itinerant." is a Foster cousin. Andrew Allen's grandfather, John Williams, Sr. was born about 1766 in Maryland. He married Mary Duncan, who was born about 1767, the daughter of Charles and KeziahDuncan. John and Marywere married in Queen Anne Parish, Prince George's County, Maryland. They had six children. Andrew's father John Jr. was born in 1802 in Adams County Ohio. He married Nancy Smalley in 1831. Nancy was born in 1813 in Adams County Ohio, the daughter of Isaac and Nancy (Wikoff) Smalley. Both are descendants of old American families. John Smalley of Devenshire England cnme to America aboard the "William and Francis." He arrived at Plymouth, Massachusetts in June 1632, (New England Historical Regis- ter, Vol. 14). Pieter Claesen Wyckoff (Wikoffl of Amsterdam Holland came to America aboard the "Renesselaerswick." He arrived �4 r Alma and Andrew Williams with their first grandchild, Ruby. Taken October tvur. Maurine (Bill) Williams, daughter of Ellis and Maude Williams. Probably taken in 191?, when they lived in Flagler. per article of their marriage and reception states the place as Cope. However, my mother always told the story that her parents were married out on the prairie in a snow storm. Ellis finished his teaching term at Boyero that school year. He also taught at Cope and Hugo. Then he and Maude settled down on ; a homestead a few miles from Cope. They had ;a:.::::. iii':'l:'l :riai:r..r. U::ii. l:r"' b & V I Ellis and Maude Williams with their daughter, Treva Williams, daughter of Ellis and Maude Treva. Taken in 1909. Williams. Probably taken in 1913. New Amsterdam, New Netherland (New York) March 4, 1637 (Hoppin, Washington Ancestry and forty other families, Vol. III' pg. (Neil) Cope. They had three children: Alma Ruby, Bira Maxine and Doris Alice. According to Andrew's obituary, Ross was a stockholder and director of a bank in Ignacio, 103). Alma was the sixth generation Foster to be born in America. Her great-great-grandfather, Rev. John Foster was a veteran of the Revolutionary War. Her grandfather, Thomas served in the War of 1812. Alma's maternal grandfather, Jonathan Alder was captured by the Mingo (Iroquois) Indians when he was a boy of eight. He lived with them for twentyfour years before returning to his mother in Virginia, year 1805. Albert Ross Williams, oldest son of A'A' and AIma, (my mother, Treva, told me that grandmother AIma, called Andrew, A.A.), married Grace Ann Cope. Grace was the daughter of Jonathan Calvin and Mary Ann two children, Treva Wilma and Maurine Lee (Bill). My grandfather, Ellis, wrote, "President Teddy Roosevelt forced us to take down our fences off the Government land. As I did not think I had enough pasture to run my cattle, I sold out and moved into the store business with my brother, Ross. I owned stores in Joes, Kirk and Limon." Aunt Bill told me that she, Treva, and their mother moved to Flagler to enroll Treva in school. Ellis ran the store at Joes. There were other relatives who also lived in Flagler; namely, Dr. H.L. Williams and family, parents, A.A. and Alma, Maude's mother, Rosella Nourse and sister-in-law Bertha Nourse. Bertha, widow of Frederick Ray Nourse, Jr., owned and operated the millinery shop located on the main street in Flagler. Another cousin and family, Clyde O. Williams lived in Arriba. According to Lhe Flagler Nea,s, "Thursday, October 5th (1916), was the 51st wedding anniversary of Mr. and Mrs. A.A. Williams and was celebrated at the home of their son, Ellis Williams. The occasion was planned as a surprise for these good old people and there Colorado. AIso a stockholder in the new bank was no mistake about this feature. They were engaged in the mercantile business. Ross owned a store at Thurman; Ellis owned a the house filled with friends and relatives and the table spread for a dinner that only Mrs. Ellis can prepare, with a huge wedding cake banked and surrounded by carnations, as a of Kirk and in the Farmers State Bank in Flagler. He and his brother, Ellis were store at Joes and had joint ownership in another at Kirk, which Ross Iater sold to Ellis. Ross then moved to Denver where he died in 1954, age 88. Grace died in 1964, age 86. Flagler became home for the Ellis Williams family in 1914. On January 17, 1900 Ellis married Maude Nourse of Jericho, Missouri. Their marriage license states they were married in Kit Carson County. The newspa- invited to dinner and on their arrival found center piece." Maurine Lee married Jacob Lee Barnett and they have four children, namely Gary Lee, Thomas Ray, Mary Maurine and Viki Lynn. Bill and Lee have spent most of their married life in Sterling, Colorado. They are both retired school teachers and have always been active in their communitY. Treva married Joseph Henry Mclaughlin �and they have three children, namely Richard Ellis, Treva Jane and Margaret Maurine. The author, Margaret Maurine, married Martin Emery Clark and they have three children, namely Dale Martin, John Joseph and Theresa Jane. Theresa married Gary Dean Flynn and have one daughter, Allison Maurine. This author has lived in Montana most of her Iife but has visited Flagler several times. The visits have given me a warm close feeling. I think of my great-grandparents, grandparents, mother and aunt, going to church, to school, to the grocery store, shopping andjust generally living, working and playing. A memorable part of my heritage is from Flagler, Kit Carson County, Colorado. by Margaret M. Clark WILLIAMS, BOYD AND LYDIA F760 Very little was raised that year due to lack of moisture. The neighbors said that Swadley corn was the best for dry land farming so that was what they put in. That fall, when it was ready to be picked, the ears were next to the bottom of the stalk and half buried in the soil. Our close neighbor was a real early homesteader and was a great help to us, telling us what and when to plant. Jeff Huntzinger and family were such good people. They kept flour, sugar, coffee and such and we often had to rely on their help. Our school was only % mile away, which we called the Huntzinger School. Our mother was a good helper with everything. She planted the garden, sewed and patched and was midwife for the many babies born which was always a good crop. She gave us girls organ lessons while father gave the boys violin lessons and many a night was spent playing and singing. Later she organized a Sunday School class which was held at our school house. For enjoyment they took us to dances in a wagon. The seat was reserved for our parents with us kids in the back which was lined with straw and blankets. Later on and later Gordon Parrot, living in the Denver area before her death. Claude and his wife, Barbara, lived in the Arriba area where he worked for the Rock Island. They raised a daughter and two sons. by Ivy Stevens WILLIAMS, DR. HARRY AND JENNIE HAWN there was "Literary" which the older people enjoyed. Even though the school was only Vt mile from our home, a blizzard, came up and was so bad that we could not see Father who had started after us until we were right by him. He had a lighted lantern and was waving it around and calling our names but it was so bad, we neither saw nor heard him. Blizzards were our dread and also rattlesnakes, too, but Sod house built about 1908. Back Row: Boyd Williams (father), Lydia Williams (mother); Ivy Williams Stevens holding baby Cecil Stevens; EIsie Williams Hosmer; Viola Williams: Everett Williams; Earl Hosmer, husband of Elsie; John Williams. Husband of Viola; Charley Stevens, husband of Iqy. Front Row: Claude Williams, Clarence Hosmer, Ralph Hosmer, Alvin Stevens, and Gladys Williams Parrott. Taken about 191?. Our parents were L. Boyd Williams and Lydia Eliza (Largent) Williams. It was the year 1907 that our parents decided it was best to try their luck homesteading. At that time, many people were having the same notion so there were 2 or 3 other men from that locality who were interested in going out to Colorado to look the land over. They went by train, landing at Seibert where they got transportation to ride out and see the land. They ended up by each filing on some land, some at Seibert, but father wanted closer to Flagler and also close to school where we could finish our education. Finally finding what he thought our mother would like, too, he filed his claim which was 12 miles north and 2 miles east of Flagler in Kit Carson County, Colo. On returning home, all of us spent the winter at Oneida, Kansas, getting things ready to move. The next spring, March, 1908, we were all packed and ready to go. The men had chartered an immigrant car and had it full of farm implements, household goods, a dozen chickens, fruit, 3 or 4 cows, horses and hogs, so as to have things to start with. First they must find water, then a sod house had to be laid down and after that ground broken for farming. they never bothered us much. Once though, one of the boys was starting after the cows when a rattler was seen curled up in a snake weed. He called back and Father ran to the house to get his old shotgun and did away with the snake. The plains were beautiful hardly any - would fences. So many times people drive from corner to corner to shorten the way. At that time there were no mail routes. and we got our mail by the neighbors passing our place no electricity or phones. Later - also on those who were lucky enough to have a fence, put the telephone wires on it so they could enjoy visiting. Oh yes, and no cars either. One 4th of July we celebrated by taking our lunch and going to Flagler. Now Dr. Harry L. Williams that was a treat! We had hard times and good times, too. Most everyone was no better off than we were. When our parents could no longer tend the farm, they moved into Flagler and remained there the rest of their lives in more comfortable circumstances, never complaining. They took life as it came. There were seven of us children Clair. Elsie, Ivy, Everett, Viola, Gladys and-Claude. Clair, Everett and Gladys are deceased. Clair taught school a few years but returned to Sabetha, Ks., where he and his family owned and operated the Williams Cleaning and Pressing Establishment. He married and had two children. Elsie married Earl Hosmer and lived in Keenesburg where she spent her life. They had six children. She now lives in a nursing home. Ivy married Charley Stevens and had three sons and a daughter, living mostly in Limon and Denver, returning to Flagler about 16 years ago. Everett spent most of his life in the Flagler area. Villa married John Williams and had four children. They spent their life mostly on a farm or ranch. Gladys married Harry Blair Jennie D. Hawn Williams F76l �$50.00 payment on fixtures and stock, The Flagler Drug Company from a Dr. C. Schroyer. He moved his family into the building on Main Street and from here he conducted his medical practice and the drugstore. Art Clark served as driver for Dr. Williams both in the horse and buggy days and later when he acquired a car. Even after the purchase of the car Dr. continued to use the horse and buggy when roads were unsui- table for travel by car. He had a great fondness for horses. When the family home was built in 1915 a barn was built on the north side of the garage; it still stands today. Marion told of accompanying his father to Denver for medical supplies. His duty was to get out and open and close the gates as they crossed private property. Art Clark had many experiences with Dr. Williams which he enjoyed relating. They grew to know each other well for they spent much time together on calls that took them miles into the countryside in all kinds of weather. There were times they spent from one to Dr. Harry L. Williams Dr. Harry Lawrence Williams was born November 10, 1870 at Bushnell, Ilinois to Frances Marion and Sarah Elizabeth Foster Williams. There were four brothers and five sisters. Chalmer, the last survivor of the family, celebrated his 100th birthday on January 5, 1986 at his home in Beverly Hills, California; he died August 10, 1986. Dr. Williams received his Teacher's Certificate from Fulton County, Illinois February 13, 1893. He taught school one year in a rural area near Bushnell, illinois. Jennie D. Hawn, born December 12,L870, received her Teacher's Certificate from Fulton County, Illinois July 1, 1893. They were married at the home of her parents, Phillip and Sarah Hawn, in Remington, Indiana May 6, 1896. To this union was born four sons. The first son died at birth. Marion Phillip was born March 9, 1898, Arthur Justin born July 7, 1901 and Lowell Lawrence born July 28, 1905. After his marriage to Jennie Hawn, Dr. Williams engaged in farming on his father's farm for two years but was forced to quit because of ill health. In the late 1800's he took his wife and young son, Marion, and moved to Denver. In 1902 he entered what then was known as the Denver and Gross College of Medicine at Denver University; he graduated in 1906. He was a member of the Delta Chapter of Omega Upsilon Phi F raternity. During his years in medical school he was fondly known as "Old Abe" because of his similarity to Lincoln in appearance and character, so his obituary reads. In November of 1906 he was returning to Illinois with his family when the train became snowbound in Flagler. He purchased, with a three nights at an isolated home because the patient was too sick to leave or the weather locked them in. Dr. Williams died in Presbyterian hospital in Denver February 22,\933. Jennie left Flagler soon after to be with her son, Dr. A. Justin Williams, in San Francisco. She died at his home November 7. 1933. The youngest son, Lowell, died at the family home in Flagler on November 28,192L at the age of 16. Arthur Justin Williams graduated from Denver University with an AB degree in 1923. His fraternity was Sigma Phi Epsilon. He taught school for one year in Bethune. He graduated from Colorado University in 1928 with a degree in medicine. He married Carolyn Helbig of Denver June 26, 1928. He then continued his education by specializing in radiology. Shortly after Pearl Harbor, Dr. Williams went on active duty, returning from Europe after 3-Yz years of service with the rank of colonel. He and Carolyn had two children; Dr. Justin Lowell Williams, a radiologist living in Fresno, California and Lynn Williams Pfleuger of Ross, California. Marion Phillip Wil- liams graduated from Denver University School of Pharmacy; his fraternity was Sigma Phi Epsilon. He served in the army in the first World War. Doris Lane came to Flagler after graduating from Normal School in Michigan. And, after teaching second and third grades in 1920, she and Marion were married August 7 , I92l at the home of her parents in Gentry, Mo. Their children are, Lawrence Lowell, "Larry", Williams of Flagler, Florence Louise Lloyd of Albuquerque, Betsy Riegel of Lakeland, Florida and adopted daughter Cindy Cochran of Lakeland, Florida. by Vivienne Williams WILLIAMS, JOE AND GOLDIE r.762 Joe and Goldie Williams moved to the Millisack Place in the Spring of 1941. The Dr. Harry L. Williams (Three sons in car & Jennie to right of picture) place was badly run down and so Joe got busy and did a bunch of remodeling to make it into a home they all loved. He rented some farm ground and pasture, and ran some 200 head of cattle every summer for many years. �Doug and Mary Lou went to Smoky Hill School in 1941, where Doug graduated as 26 years, as well as with church activities and the RSVP since 1973. Near neighbors while valedictorian, and then on to Burlington High School. Classmates there were Verna Butterfield, Joe Daniel, Mary Hahn, Dale and Dixie Sparks, Lawrence Schaal, Kenneth Butterfield, and Evelyn Drager. JoNell started to school at Smoky Hill. Her teacher was Leatha Dickinson and her husband was the Principal and High School on the farm were the Kellers, Duncans, Sittsworths, Morts and Blanckens. Jake Browers now own the place. On Feb. 15, 1946, Agnes and Virgil Short were married at home with the Rev. Millie Gibbs officiating. Agnes and Roberta both taught school on war permits with Agnes finishing the Victory Heights term and teacher. Bob Williams worked on a cattle ranch for C.A. Buetel, who lived on a ranch about 2 miles north of Smoky Hill. Times were hard and most farmers milked a bunch of cows and raised chickens. They ordered 500 baby chicks every Spring. The cream and eggs were hauled to town in the back seat of their car and sold to buy groceries. Joe farmed with a team of horses until early 1950 and then bought a used John Deere tractor, which he hand painted. Henry Drager was a neighbor and was considered a good John Deere mechanic. During the war years there was very little to do for entertainment. There was a family named King who lived in Cheyenne County and they were all musicians. They would gladly come to the Williams home to play for dancing. They would move all of the furniture into other rooms and spend the evening dancing. Lots of people came from Burlington and Stratton. Lester Pierson was an excellent square dance caller. Those who didn't dance would play cards. Most of the women belonged to a community club called the Willing Workers. They would meet at different homes and make something for the hostess. One year the made mattresses in the Smoky Hill basement. Another year they met with Flora Drager and made cheese. Saturday was always shopping day for almost everybody. This was a chance to visit with neighbors and the kids often got to go to the matinee which cost just 50. Years later Joe bought the Millisack house and moved it to town. He remodeled it and made a lovely home. by Bernice Eberhart WILLIAMS, VIOLA AND JOHN F763 Viola A. Williams came with her parents, Lincoln Boyd Williams and Lydia E. Williams from northeast Kansas in 1908. Her father had filed on 160 acres. 2 miles east and 12 north of Flagler in 1907. He returned to Kansas and in 1908 he and his son, Claire, came in a box car with their belongings while Mrs. Williams and the family, Elsie, Ivy, Evert, Viola, Gladys and Claude came by train. Jim Quinn met them and drove them to the Mose Wright house, one mile east and 10 miles north of town where the family lived until a water well was drilled and a shack the family could live in was built. A sod house, L4 x 28' was built with their father laying every sod with help from the family and neighbors. Elsie went to Denver and Claire returned to Kansas while the rest of the children Roberta, one year at Shiloh. Maxine and Albert Koleber were married Nov. 20, 1947 in Denver by Rev. Robert Allingha-. The sons-in-law were all in World .., ...,':.,,. , t ,. .t - i, .' rlir' :: r ': War II. 1]' :i'. .1 The Williams' 50th wedding anniversary in 1967. L. to R.: Agnes Short, Virgil and Roberta Martin, Viola and John Williams and Maxine and Al Koleber. attended the Huntzinger School. John Williams was born in Cameron, Missouri. He came to Colorado with his parents, Daniel and Arcenia Williams, Lou, Nett, Ione and Aileen, during the 1913 blizzard and were stranded in Seibert awhile before going to the place they had purchased which the Leroy Jones now own. Mrs. Williams operated the Blake Restaurant, then the Hotel where the Legion Building is now and Mr. Williams ran a meat market in Seibert. Later Mr. and Mrs. Williams moved to Denver where they lived their final years. All are now deceased with the exception ofhis sister, Net Gelick, who lives in Sterling. In 1916, John filed a claim on a'go-back' piece of land, 3 miles east and 4 north which the Gene Nichols'now own. John and Viola were married on Feb. 15, 1917, by Judge C.A. Yersin in Burlington, and lived on his father's place, until Mr. Fisher and he could get the one-room house on the land repaired and moved there that summer. John helped A.C. Fisher with his farm work as well as with his own. This home is where the family was born. Near neighbors were the Fishers, Searcys, Chases and Brandenburgs. With school so far away and John not well, the farm was sold to Mrs. A.C. (Stella) Fisher and the Williams moved to town in 1926 where John was employed by the Farmers Union and Viola worked in the creamery. In 1936, the Williams moved 17 miles northwest ofFlagler, and lived there until the end of 1942. Their daughters stayed in town to finish high school. Roberta and Virgil Martin were married at home on Feb. 15, 1942, Rev. Millie Gibbs officiating. After they left on their honeymoon, the neighbors came and helped celebrate the Williams' 25th wedding anniversary. They were the Michals, Elricks, Larues, Millers and Holdens. The Williams purchased the Dr. O.S. Neff place and moved there on Jan. 1, 1943. John was not in the service due to an injury when young. He was a 50-year member of the Flagler IOOF Lodge 135. Viola has been a member of the Crystal Rebekah Lodge 130 since 1.930, and a member of the Flagler Congregational Church where the daughters were also members. She was also a member of the Welcome Club, Home Demonstration Club, the Gingham Girls, a charter member Connie Janel came to make her home with Agnes and Virgil Short on Dec.24,1955 when 6 days old. On July L2,L9il,Patrolman Short of Castle Rock was shot by Dean Spooner of Des Moines, Iowa, near Kremmling. Agnes passed away in 1973. Connie Short and Clint Nix were married in 1973 in the LaForet Chapel in the Black Forest. They have a daughter, Colleen Gayle, 3 years old and live in Montana. Roberta and Virgil Martin lived in Salida. Their son, Robert, his wife, Marcia, Rob, Mike and Kenny live in Pueblo. Their daughter, Cheryl, passed away in 1970 and Virgil Martin in 1982. Maxine and Al Koleber lived in Pasco. Wash., where their sons, Gary and Ron, also live. Their daughter, Joyce, and husband, Steve La voie and daughter, Donna, live in Okinawa. Al passed away in 1983. John Williams died in 1970 and an infant son, Clarence in 1917. Maxine lives in Prosser, Wash., Roberta in Salida, Colo. Viola's sisters, Ivy Stevens in Flagler, Elsie Hosmer in Brighton and brother, Claude Williams in Arriba, Coio. by Viola Williams WILSON FAMILY F764 My parents, Frank Herbert (Bert) and Maggie Wilson, moved from Lexington, Nebraska, in March 1921. They had purchased one quarter of land located 7 miles south and 1/z mile east of Stratton in the Bethel Community. The family made the trip in an Overland car. Livestock and family possessions came via train. At that time there were six children: Vivian, Elvin, Ruth, Clair, Virginia and Dorothy, who was three months old. Later another son, George, was born to them. There was a tiny two room frame house on the land when the family arrived. I was too young to recall what other buildings, if any, there were. My father said he was a "jack of all trades and master of none." Soon after becoming settled and planting the crops, he started making adobe blocks in preparation for building a house. The outside walls for a five room house were completed in 1922. When the family moved into the house the interior was not completed. The original house was used for a granary. In the following years more adobe blocks were made and a garage and chicken house was built. We children walked two miles to the West Bethel school. During some rainy, muddy weather Elvin wore high rubber boots to �school and a classmate, Floyd Whitmore' nicknamed him "Boots" a name he kept throughout his life. As well as farming for a living, Dad had a flair for carpentry and built several homes in the county, including the former Henry Wilson and Harve Hughes residences in the Bethel Community, the Frank Lesher house in the First Central area and the E'R. Deakin home near Vona. My father died October 17, 1929, and Mother was left with the family of seven children to carry on. Much of the farming responsibility fell to Boots who continued living at home until 1936. The family kept the land until about 1947 when it was sold to Kenneth Scheierman and Mother moved into Stratton, Colo., where she lived until she could no longer care for herself' She then went to the nursing home in Burlington where she died April 14, 1966. of '35. The dust lodged in the animals' coats and when the rains finally came the seeds sprouted on the cows'backs. Also large spots of the cows' hair fell out. Pleasant memories are: Mother picking and canning wonderberries, making preserves from ground cherries and yellow pear tomatoes, making braided and hooked rugs, piecing and quilting quilts, tatting and crocheting, making many of our clothes. Dad putting new soles on our shoes, braiding new halter ropes for the horses, using the forge for sharpening tools, seeing the portulaca (rose moss) blooming on the cellar roof, the hollyhocks along the garden fence, hearing the coyote howl at night, hearing the singing mockingbird perched high on the windmill, people searching for arrow heads on Rock Hill north of our house after the dust storms in 1935. As a family we often played dominoes and Elvin lived in the Stratton area until his a card game came Flinch. Our SundaY death January 19, 1978. Vivian died January 5. 1933. Ruth Nowak and family moved to papers we received at Sunday School. Some- Idaho Springs, Colo., in 1,937 and she still resides there. After serving in the military in World War I[, George and Clair and families lived for a time in Nebraska and later moved to Missouri. After World War II, Dorothy McFarland, her husband and son moved to Everett, Washington and then to Crescent City, California, where she died in August 1959 Her child, Harold, also is dead. Harold's afternoons were usually spent reading the times as a special treat we would pop homegrown corn and make taffy. by Virginia Wilson Foster Elvin and Lois Wilson. WILSON - BOWKER FAMILY widow and daughter reside in Tacoma, Washington. I moved from Stratton in 1950 and have lived in Denver since 1952. At the present time my family is in Denver or F766 nearby. As a child I was fascinated by the butchering process. We looked forward to the time when the weather would be cool enough so that the meat would keep. Through the summer months we would have fried chicken. We had pork more than beef. At the butchering time, a fire would be built under a 50 gallon gas barrel to heat the water which was used for scalding the animal so that the hairs could be scraped. The fat would be rendered into lard which was stored in stoneware jars in the cellar. The "cracklins" would be used for making laundry soap. Hams, shoulders, etc. would be salted down and put into a 15 gallon stoneware jar and kept in a cold place. Some parts would be trimmed and used for Denise, Barbara, Myrna, Lois and Elvin Wilson. "Boots", a name that remained with him all his life. His father died at an early age and Elvin being the oldest son had to go to work to help his mother take care of his four sisters and sausage - oh, how good that tast€d with pancakes on a cold morning! Also there was some meat that was made into mincement and canned to be used later in Pies. We had a cellar where canned foods, potatoes, pumpkins, squash, etc' were kept in the winter so they wouldn't freeze. In the summer it was cool, and butter, cream and milk had to be kept there. Part of our land was pasture but as the cattle herd increased, the open range was used for grazing. We younger children were responsible for watching the cattle' The range was 1/z mile over the hill to the south and sometimes we could see the animals by climbing to the top of the windmill. Other times it was necessary to walk or ride a pony to check on them. This chore seemed to us to require a tremendous amount of our time. The very dry summer of 1934 brought a complete crop failure. We cut and stacked the green Russian thistles for the cows. Even though they were green, they were "stickery" and I wonder how the cows managed to eat them. This was followed by the dust storms two brothers. Lois lsabelle Bowker was the oldest of eight children born to William H. and Mabel O. (Judson) Bowker. She was born July 22,L914 in La Vern, Oklahoma. As a young girl, she recalled many times riding their horses in the sand hills of Oklahoma. When she was ten years old they Maggie and Bert Wilson, Elvin's parents. At the age of thirteen years, Elvin Frederick Wilson came with his family to Colorado where they homesteaded. Their home was located seven miles south and two east of Stratton, Colorado. Elvin was born November 6, 1908 at Lexington, Nebraska. He came to Colorado in 1921. Here he finished his education, through the eighth grade in the Bethel Schools. Elvin wore a great big pair of overshoes to school and his schoolmates called him moved to St. John, Kansas. There she completed her education. From there, the family moved to McCook, Nebraska. They came to Colorado in 1934. They lived on a place two miles north of the Wilson place. As young people, Elvin and Lois met at Sunday School. They started dating and they recalled many times the times all the young couples got together at church on Sunday evening for parties. They were married on April 24, 1936 by Reverend Ray Hooper. They moved to the Walter Hooper place where they lived for three years. �To this union three daughters were born. Florence Denise and Barbara Jean were born in the grandmother's home. Myrna was born five years later in the Maternity Home in Stratton run by Rena Borders. Lois and Elvin moved to the J.H. Hoot place where they lived and farmed for thirteen years and then to the Rex Zurcher place formerly the old Truman Hazen place. He farmed many years with horses and then he purchased one new Oliver tractor that he farmed with until his death. Elvin enjoyed his life as a farmer and rancher. He loved the land. He enjoyed the companionship of one son-in-law for twentythree years. They spent a lot of time helping each other with their farming and also helping the neighbors thrash their crops. The special memories of childhood shared by their daughters was that they always had a real Christmas tree and Dad always bought them a box ofcrayolas and oranges and candy for their stockings. Lois had a dream of someday taking up nursing. She completed a correspondence course in nursing. They saw to it that their daughters had an education. All three girls graduated from Stratton High School. After her daughters were grown she took up cake decorating as a hobby, which grew into a full-time business. She spent many hours baking and decorating over one hundred wedding cakes plus birthday cakes for the young and old alike. Elvin and Lois together enjoyed belonging to a card club. He also loved to spend time playing cards with his family. One thing he always did through the years was to take his girls to the Kit Carson County Fair. Our one great thrill was riding the merry-go-round. Lois also spent many hours making and quilting quilts for her loved ones and friends. Elvin lived to see his youngest daughter Myrna marry in 1977. She married Ronald Bill who works for the Denver Broncos and the family all became interested in football. We were all excited the Christmas of 1978 when the Broncos won the right to play in the Super Bowl. They enjoyed the birth of a granddaughter, Debbie and a grandson Jerry and three adopted grandchildren, Raymond, Garrett, and Donna McConnell. Elvin loved to garden and always raised a big garden and Lois spent many hours canning food for her family. She also spent time teaching her daughters how to cook and sew. Lois was baptized into the Evangelican United Brethren Church in 1955. which merged into the United Methodist Church. She served seven years as President of the Methodist Women. They retired from farming and moved to town in November, 1977. Elvin got to enjoy problems. She underwent open heart surgery in 1976. After Elvin's death she lived alone and kept herself busy with her hobbies. Through the years she suffered several more attacks. In 1983 it became necessary for her to enter Grace Manor Nursing Care Center in Burlington. Lois passed on in November 1983. Elvin and Lois are buried in the family plot in Fairview Cemetery, Burlington, Colorado. by Florence McConnell WILSON, BESSIE F766 Mrs. Bessie (Peggy) M. Wilson, daughter of Emma See Lamon and Uriah M. Lamon, was born Sept. 10, 1884, in Lincoln, Ill. On Feb. 6, 1907, she married Arthur Wilson. They immediately moved to Burlington, where her husband was the editor of the Kit Carson County Record. She taught school briefly, before sharing the operation of the Racket Store here. Mrs. Wilson lived in Burlington all her married life, except for eight years, which she spent in Denver when her husband was in business there. When they returned in 1918, they established the Burlington Call and she helped operate the business until Mar. 1, 1944, when the local papers were consolidated. She also operated a gift and clothing shop at the corner of 14th and Lowell for many years. For many years she was the county vice chairman of the Republican Party and thru her political and social activities made a large circle of friends extending from her home town of Abilene, Kansas, to the capitol of Colo. at Denver. She took an active part in all elections and one ofher greatestjoys was to see a hometown acquaintance, Dwight D. Eisenhower of Abilene, become the president of the United States. The Burlington Library was founded by Mrs. Wilson in 1921 and she served as president of the board until her retirement in 1966. During this time a new library building was erected to house the collection of books and pieces of art and a room for a museum of pioneer relics. In 1928, she with two other women founded the Burlington Garden Club, which was responsible for many plantings, including the hospital grounds, as well as the roadside pines and evergreens on Highway #24. Organiza- Liskey Brothers near Lower Klamath Lake. Most of the land they leased from the Federal Government, and the Government decided to make some of the land available for homes- teaders for war veterans. Leo was not a veteran, so he lost hisjob. Since Leo's parents lived on a farm about 12 miles south of Burlington, and his grandparents, a sister and an uncle also lived some 9 miles south of Burlington, they packed up what few things they had and headed for Burlington. Times were hard and they would at least have a place to stay until spring work began. They certainly did not intend to make this their home for the rest of their lives. The drought and the dirt storms had played havoc with the whole country, and with all of the dust piles, it looked like a "jumping off place." Leo thought he could find work in Colorado Springs or Denver, but C.A. Buettel owned a ranch 3 miles north of the Smoky Hill School and he offered Leo a job at $50. per month, also a small house in which they lived. Some of the out-buildings were partly buried with the blow dirt, up to the eaves and it wasn't a very pretty sight. Bessie was born in Oklahoma and Leo in north central Kansas, where there were lots of trees. It took some getting used to when there was not a tree or even any growing things in sight. Leo worked for Mr. Buettel until the fall of 1940 when he had a chance to rent a farm owned by John Reuter, who was moving to Burlington. This farm was located 3 miles west, l south and % mile west of Smoky Hill School. In 1947 they bought that farm. The rains had come and crops and prices were good, making the economy boom. The Windscheffels rented some more ground, settled in for good and were raising their family. They had three children, Phyllis, Eldon and Gary. Leo served on the school board at Smoky Hill and then continued on the board after the school was consolidated with Burlington. In 1974 the family moved into Burlington because of health problems, and then in 1981 the farm was sold to Lewis Nider. Gary tried to keep the farm going for a while, but decided to seek employment in Burlington. Leo passed away in March 1985. What they thought in 1938 would be a temporary move, turned out to be not so temporary after all. Bessie, Phyllis and Gary are still making their home in Burlington in 1987. by Bernice Eberhart tion of the Burl cemetery district, its financial support and the landscaping of the plot was due in a large part to her endless hours of determined effort. Mrs. Bessie Wilson passed away on June 15, 1971, at the age of 87 years. by Janice Salmans his retirement only a short time when he was stricken with a heart attack and died in January of 1979. Elvin missed seeing his second daughter, Barbara, many. She and Glenn Edmunds were married May 5, 1979. Lois got to bake them a beautiful cake. She also baked her daughter Myrna's wedding cake and a beautiful cake for her oldest daughter Denise and Jim's Twenty-fifth Wedding Anniversary. Lois was stricken with health problems in 1975, learning she had diabeties and heart near the Oregon line. Leo was working for the WINDSCHEFFEL, LEO AND BESSIE F767 Leo and Bessie Windscheffel moved to the Smoky Hill Community in March of 1938, after being manied in Merrill, Oregon in January. They were living in Tulelake, Calif, WINFREY HARDWICK FAMILY F768 John Robinson Winfrey, son of Henry Winfrey and Nancy Edwards Ballenger, was born in Boone county, Missouri May 30, 1863. He was named after the Baptist preacher, John M. Robinson, who had married his parents in 1860. In 1880 when John was 17 years old, he moved with his parents to Carroll county, Missouri, near Wakenda. On Wakenda Creek the Hardwick family had built the "Hardwick Mill" about 1821. Anetta "Nettie", daughter of James E. and Teresa A. "Tracy" (Gosnell) Hardwick, was married to John Robinson Winfrey at the �home of her parents on February 2, 1885' John & Nettie farmed in Carroll county' Mo. for several years. During this time six children were born to them: James "Jimmie" Warren born Nov. 21, 1885; Virgie Lee was born Sept. 4, 1888 but died the following year on Oct. 11, 1885; Oscar Robinson born May 31, 1891; Edward Newton born Mar. 4, 1893; Grace Florence born Apr. 27, 1895; and Nora Hasseltine born Aug. 13, 1897. It was difficult to make a living on the small upland farms and the bottomlands were infested with mosquitos and fever. About 1898 they took their children, moved to Cedar County, Mo., but found the situation no better there' One more child, Cecil Otto, was born Dec. 24, 1899, while they were there. Grain and cattle prices were being pushed up because of the United States involvement in the Spanish American War, so in 1900 they moved back to Carroll County, Mo. Cecil Otto passed away with an attack of scarletina on Jan. 9, 1902. On Oct. 13, 1902 their eighth child, Floyd, was born but died with complications following whooping cough on Dec. 17, of that same year. On Nov. 26,L902, they bought 40 acres of land for $1,000 and on this farm their ninth child, Hurley Estel, was born Apr. 28, 1904. Their crops and prices had been better since moving back to Carroll County, but John was beginning to feel restless again and wanted something better. They sold their farm on Feb. 11, 1905, for $1,500, had a farm sale and loaded their household furniture on an emigrant car or box car and headed west. John, at 42 years of age, was full of enthusiasm as having paid all his debts he still had what to him was a large amount of money, $528 cash, to start the journey to a new home. On March 3, 1905 they unloaded in Atwood, Ks. Their tenth and last child. Mildred Ruth, was born on a farm about 6 miles west of Atwood on Nov. 25, 1906. During the summer of 1906 John went west to St. Francis, Ks., and followed the South fork westward into Colorado. After looking around the area a few days, John chose a plot just 3 miles south of the Cook ranch which was located about 4 miles up the river west of Hale. John's homestead application was made on June 18, 1906, 3394 and the land description was Lots 1 & 2 and N t/z of the SE % of Sec. 33 inT 5 1/z S., R 43 W. Except for a few years in Arkansas, they spent the rest of their lives in the Burlington, Kit Carson County, area of Colorado. When the family got notice that their application was approved, John, Nettie, and 6 children ranging in age from 16 years to 3 months, loaded up their belongings into a caravan of 3 vehicles and started their 3-day trek to Colorado. John and his son, Ed, led the way in a wagon with sideboards loaded with farm tools and machinery, next came Oscar and Nora in a hayrack loaded with furniture, straw ticks, feather beds, etc', and then Nettie with Grace, Hurley and baby Mildred brought up the rear in a one-horse top buggy. Their oldest child, Jimmie, had stayed in Atwood where he was working. The first night out the spent with an old bachelor where they made their first acquaintance with the prairie dweller's heating fuel, the lowly cow chip! They became well acquainted with it during the next several vears, The second day they got to within a few miles of their destination when it began to snow. Darkness set in quickly so they drove into a farmyard. The good people who lived there, the Haywards, took them in for the night, even though their house was already overcrowded. The next morning they traveled on to what was to be their home. It was a dugout 36 x 16 ft. A "dugout" was made by digging an excavation into the side of a hill so the back and side walls would all be formed by earth and only the roof and front needed to be built with lumber and tar paper. Their dirt floor usually sloped gently toward the front so any water leakage would flow out the only door. John's "dugout" was only one room but it did boast a crude wooden floor and a glass window in the front. Before the family moved in, John had made arrangements for a well to be dug by a horse-powered drill which was in use at that time. It was 120 feet to water at his homestead and they pumped water by hand for several years until they could get a windmill. Shortly after they settled into their new home, John got a job at the Cook ranch and soon was making $25 a month as foreman. The older children started to school, walking 3 miles north to the old sod school house known as the Cook School. Families had many difficulties to overcome such as loneliness, as neighbors were usually 4 or 5 miles away, frustrations of trying to raise feed for the stock, and there was always the dread of prairie fires. The dry weather and open range law made it extremely difficult to farm, but the Homestead Act required that a certain amount of land be cultivated. Cow chips from the prairie were gathered to use as fuel for cooking, as well as heating, until they began to raise enough corn so they could burn the corn cobs. The cobs made good clean fuel but burned very rapidly. Even though coal could be bought in Burlington, it was too costly for most farmers. When John filed his claim, his land was in Yuma County but on June 9, 1910, the commissioners of Kit Carson and Yuma Counties decided that the land in Township 5 % South should be in Kit Carson County, so this placed all his land in Kit Carson County. In the fall of 1914, John decided to build a new house of adobe bricks. They made wooden forms to mold the mixture of mud and straw into 12x12x16 inch blocks. When thoroughly dried, they could be used like concrete blocks in building a house. The house could then be plastered on the inside and was a big improvement over the dugout. John's house was about 24 x 24 f.eet square and had a shingle roof. Several years later, John plastered the outside with concrete to stop the wind and water erosion, and it stood until about 1978 when it started crumbling into the cellar and was pushed down. Necessity is the mother of invention and certainly that is true when you live on a farm which is 20 miles from town and your only transportation is a team and wagon. John could do about anything that needed to be done and do it well. He always had a small blacksmith shop which boasted an anvil, a shoe horses, make hinges and fasteners for barn doors and gates, and do almost anything with malleable steel. He could also build a house or other building from foundation to roof and chimney and out of whatever material, sod, frame, adobe, concrete block or brick. Since there was no veterinary within miles, John also did all doctoring of his Iivestock. About 1920, John bought his first Ford touring car. It was one of the few in the neighborhood with an electric starter and demountable rims which made it practical to carry a spare tire. Some of John's other endeavors were taking orders for "Tailor Made" suits; carrying the mail from the Bonny Post Office to meet the carrier from Burlington. In the early 1920s he bought a little grocery store from Warner Johnson; but after a year or two, sold it back to Mr. Johnson. He took a franchise to sell Lange products. These were patent medicines like Raleigh products. He bought a Model T Ford roadster, built a cabinet on the back for his products, and drove around the area selling the Lange line to farmers. The Winfreys came from a long line of Baptists and on February 18, 1916, with the help of Rev. E.M. Ayers, a Baptist preacher from Alma, Nebr., organized the Liberty Baptist Church. Rev. Ayers then held meetings in various homes and school houses. Eventually the church started holding Sunday School and sometimes Church at the Happy Hollow School, which served as their meeting place until the First Baptist Church was organized in Burlington in 1952. John and Nettie's son, Jimmie, was a predominate influence in keeping this church active so long. Everything went along well for John and his family for several years, and he was 67 years old when he raised a good corn crop in 1930. Since the price for corn was low he decided to feed it to his hogs and see if he couldn't do better by the time they were fattened in the spring. He and Nettie were both in good health but John needed a new set of teeth and planned to use the money from the hogs for that purpose. The hogs had started catching chickens, so he built a small pen with corncribbing on the south side of his blacksmith shop to keep them in until they were ready for market. He had,24 head of hogs so he thought he could not only get his new teeth but pay all his debts and have a little money left. When they were ready to sell he made arrangements with Floyd Crites, a neighbor who owned a truck, to haul them to Burlington on Saturday, March 21, 1931. John was up early but waited most of the day before Floyd sent word he had truck trouble and could not make it that day and promised to be there early the next Saturday. The next Thursday, March 26, it started to snow. All day and night and the next day and night it snowed fiercely, the wind velocity was as high as 70 miles per hour. It was one of the worst blizzards the country had ever experienced and it took more than a week to get the highway cleared to Denver. Corncribbing was used a lot for snow fences because it would cause the snow to drift on forge, a few blacksmith hammers, and a post drill for drilling holes in steel straps and bars. the side away from the wind. This is what happened to John's hog pen. The snow replace broken ones, sharpen plow shares and completely. Since it was just a temporary pen, He could improvise parts many times to drifted deep inside the pen covering the hogs tol �there was no shed for them to get away from it and despite all the shovelling he could do, belongings, loaded the rest into a box car, and the family, Jimmie included, headed west for Kansas. They arrived at Atwood, Kansas on March 3, 1905 and moved to a farm John had rented. John soon homesteaded about 70 miles west of Atwood in Colorado. Early in 1907 Jimmie homesteaded 142 acres which bordered his fathers farm of the west. His homestead entry No. 4868 and the legal description was Lots 3 and 4 and N % of SW 7+ Sec. 33 Township 5 W S. R 43 W. This land was in Yuma County at the time, but a later survey in 1910 moved the county they got wet and cold. Before the roads cleared enough to get a truck to Burlington the hogs were noticeable ill. John thought they had cholera but the Vet pronounced it "flu" caused by the exposure. Instead of improving they just kept losing weight and looking worse until finally they all died but one and it never did seem to fully recover. After working with the sick hogs for several weeks he was not able to save any ofthem and the 24 fat hogs that were supposed to get John t completely out of debt and buy his new teeth and pay the taxes, had to be piled up in the corral and burned. This was quite a blow to John and he began to talk oftrading his place for a farm in Arkansas so they could move to a place where it didn't get so cold. In the fall line to the north border of his homestead. thus placing his land in Kit Carson County. He built a small 3 room sod house on his claim less that 300 yards from his parents dugout so he could use his fathers'well and barn. The following yetr, Jimmie got a job at the Cook Ranch 3 miles north of his claim. That ranch is now covered by the Bonny Reservoir. It was there that he met Jessie Mae Biggs, a of 1933, just after the drought of the 1930s had started, John managed to trade his homestead for a small farm near Bentonville, Arkansas. They moved to the Ozarks but found the farm there pretty well run down, they were a long way from all the family, and at 70 years of age, John knew he was just not able to start over again. In 1937 when John was 73 years old he and Nettie bought a small house in Burlington and probably spent the most pleasant and carefree years of their lives in this home. Nettie had always enjoyed good health but after a short illness she passed away Jan. 6, 1953, at the age of86 yrs., 11 mo., and 6 days just 27 days short of their 68th wedding anniversary. John remained very active and mentally alert. He walked downtown about every day young lady who was helping Mrs. Myrtle Buraker with the cooking for the ranch hands. Jimmie said he thought she was the prettiest girl he had ever seen and the one he would like to marry. She must have shared his feelings as on Oct. 31, 1908 they drove to Burlington with a team and buggy and were married by the Rev. C.A. Yersin. Jessie Mae was born in a sod house on the Cook Ranch 3 miles west of Hale. Colorado James W. Winfrey and Jessie Mae (Biggs) Winfrey. Taken on their wedding day, Oct. 31, 1908. on June 16, 1890, the first child of Jessie Grant Biggs and Lillian E. (Taylor) Biggs. Both of her grandfathers were veterans of the Union Army in the Civil War. Shortly after they were married they went to Atwood and got ajob shucking corn. They both worked and by Christmas had accumulated enough money to start farming their land, so they returned to their homestead. They lived in the sod house for 7 years and the first of their 9 children were born there. In February 1909 the "Homestead Act" was liberalized to allow people in this area to and as he walked he was nearly always whistling one of his beloved old religious hymns. Many of his friends affectionately called him "Whistling Winfrey". On Nov. 29, 1956, a neighbor stopped by to see if John wanted to ride to town with him. As John bent over to pull on one of his overshoes, he gasped, slid gently offthe chair, and was gone at the age of 93 yrs. 5 mo. and 27 d,ays. Both John and Nettie were buried in Fairview Cemetery, Burlington, Colo. Two of John and Nettie's children are still Mr. and Mrs. James Winfrey and children, (left to right) Virgil, Everett, Iva, Clifton, Mabel and Lola. r !," , living, Nora Crews of Wray, Colo., and Mildred Smith of Lakewood, Colo. Information for this article was extracted ftom "The Winfrey Family", a book written by James Clifton Winfrey, who was a grandson of John & Nettie. by Alice M. Jacober WINFREY, JIMMIE AND JESSIE F769 James Warren Winfrey "Jimmie", the oldest child of John Robinson and Anetta "Nettie" Winfrey was born in a log cabin 6 miles east of Carrollton, Missouri, on Nov. 21, 1885. He received most of his grammer school education in Carroll County and attended one semegter at William Jewell College at Liberty, Missouri in 1904. He accepted the Lord as his Savior in 1902 during a revival meeting at the Wakenda, Missouri Baptist Church. In 1905 his father sold their farm, had a sale to dispose of the livestock and some personal Children of Jimmie and Jessie Winfrey taken March 30, 1972, the day of Mom's funeral. Left to right Ray, Everett, Mabel, Irvin, Iva, Floyd, Lola, Jim and Virgil. �homestead 320 acres instead of the original 160 A. Jimmie was fortunatc that there was 160 acres bordering him on the west which new church building was built at 250 Cherry St. As the membership grew, they were able to build on to the building and it is now one Hale School House Jessie accepted the Lord as her Saviour. In 1915 Jimmie built a new 5 room frame house 26 ft. by 28 ft. with a cellar underneath just Yz mile west of the soddy, had a well dug and put up a new windmill and on Nov. 21, 1915, which was Jimmies'30th birthday, they moved into the new house. The other 6 children were born there. Jimmie and his parents had always been church going people while in Missouri so they missed this association very much for there wasn't a church within 10 miles of them in any direction, so in 1916 they managed to get a young Baptist preacher, Rev. E.M. Ayers from Alna, Nebraska to come to the Hale school house for a series of meetings. Meetings were held for 12 nights and 18 people just 2 months later on March 26, Jessie had been abandoned so he filed on it immediately. Legal Description was SE % Sec. 32 T5 Vz S R43 W. In 1912 during a revival meeting at the accepted Christ. They decided to try to organize a Baptist Church so they called a meeting to be held at the home of John of the many active churches in Burlington. Jimmie sold the farm in 1954 and bought a home at 293 Cherry St., in Burlington. He passed away Jan. 17, 1972 at the age of86 and passed away at age 81 leaving to mourn their 9 children: Clifton "Jim" and wife Mildred (Bain), Kansas City, MO.; Rev. Everett L. and wife Hallie (Miser), Gadson, AL.; Iva and husband Leonard Barnhart of Edgewater, CO.; Virgil and wife Iris (Degler) of Yates Center, KS.; Mabel and husband Wade Davis of Burlington, CO.; Lola and husband Reuben Rhoades of Burlington, CO.; Irvin and wife Maxine (Lohr) of DesMoines, IA.; Ray andwife Beth (Miller) DesMoines,IA.; Floyd and wife Ellen (Magee) Independence, MO.; along with 24 grandchildren and 32 great the Liberty Baptist Church. Rev. Ayers stayed on for a year during which time take care of her ailing parents. Their first child (Emma Matilda) was born on 20 June 1864 in Canal Dover, Ohio. While in Worms, Germany three more children were born. Andrew Albert was born 31 Jimmie and Jesse are buried in Fairview Cemetery in Burlington, CO. This was written by their son Clifton October 1867, Katherine Elizabeth was born 6 May 1869, and Ludwig Edward was born 4 May 1871. During the 1870's they returned to the New Philadelphia-Dover area and lived there until the untimely death of Margaretha 15 January "Jim", who is now deceased. by Lola Rhoades WINKLER - REISS FAMILY I.770 meetings were held at various school houges, Happy Hollow, Pleasant Hill, Beaver Valley, and Plain View and during that year 32 more persons accepted Christ. They first had church and Sunday School in the Hale school and then eventually decided to uge the Happy Hollow School which was 4 miles south of the Winfreys. They called several pastors through the years but never could rally enough support to keep one steady. They would try to raise $600 a year for a preacher but sometimes could not even get that much, but even though they didn't have a pastor they continued to have Sunday School every Sunday until about 1952. When the military draft started for World War I in 1917, Jimmie was exempt because 1878. Solmon stayed in the area till about 1882 and then migrated West, settling in the late 1880's on the south side of the Republican River, which was in Arapahoe County at that time. It was on this land that he built his rock house which is still standing on the Ebeler Brothers property. Although the house is located in now Yuma Co., his mail was delivered to the Landsman Post Office in Kit Carson Co. in 1901 and maybe even before that. Just about all his business was conducted in either Burlington or Claremont. He established what is called the Winkler ditch in 1894 and during the early 1900's established a tree nursery business. Emma Matilda died very young on the 18 June 1881 at the age of almost 17. Andrew Albert married Esther Alice Bailey on 16 February 1903 and to this union ten children were born. Daughter, Mary Rosetta (1903-1974) married Emery Allen Hovermale. Children: Dorothy Helen, Earnest Elmer, Robert Leonard, Emmett Orville, Betty Maxine, Esther Virginia, Eva Lucille, Ruth Marie, Emery Jr., Ruby Darlene, and Minnie Catherine. Son, William Andrew (1905-1972) married (lst) Louise T. Riggle. Children: Frederick Lewis, Kathleen Ma- he was 31 years old, had 4 children, and was engaged in farming. All 9 of their children completed their first 8 grades at Cook School, Dist. 86, 3 miles north in Yuma County, and attended several different high schools, tilda, Mary Louise, Evelyn and George. (2nd) Alice Merty Bearnan. Children: James Lee married Letha L. Womack, Janice Marie manied Larry L. Whomble, Jerry O. married Nancy R. Neil, and Jackie Lynn married Donald D. Churches. Daughter, Clara Per- Happy Hollow, Burlington, Idalia, Wray and Bruning, NE. Like most farm families they milked cows and raised chickens for added income. Jimmie bought his first tractor in 1930 and the wheat he sowed that fall produced the best yield he had ever had, but the price cilla (1907-) married (1st) HeneryE. Geesesy. (2nd) Frank Standifer. (3rd) George Wood. Daughter, Hannah Francis (1910-) married dropped to below 50 cents a bushel. The next 7 years were rough. With the drought and dust bowl days many farmers just gave up and moved away, leaving their land to be gold for taxes. Jimmie had borrowed $3000.00 from the Federal Land Bank in Wichita, but things got so bad it was impossible for him to keep up the payments and eventually the bank foreclosed, then rented it back to him ifhe would stay there and keep trying to farm it. Before the '30's were over he managed to buy it back along with more gtass land. Two of their sons, Irvin and Ray, served in the U.S. Armed Forces in World War IL In 1952 they helped to organize the First Baptist Church in Burlington and in 1954 a The house was built in the late 1800's. grandchildren. Winfrey on Feb. 18, 1916. Those present were Rev. Ayers, John and Nettie Winfrey, Jimmie and Jesgie Winfrey, and Ed Winfrey (Jimmies'brother). It was decided to organize as Rock house built by Solomon Winkler. The house is still standing on the Ebeler Brothers Property. Solomon Winkler. (tst) WiUiam McCloskey. Child: William. (2nd) D.E. Long. Child: Bonnie. (3rd) C.L. Faulkner. Daughter, Mable Edna (1912Solomon Winkler was born January, 1842 in Tuscarawas County, Ohio to Joseph and Katherina (Neiger) Winkler who migrated from Canton Bern, Switzerland to New Philadelphia, Ohio in 1835. Solomon met Margaretha Reiss (who migrated from Wollstein, Germany) in New Philadelphia and was married 29 October 1863. They had a saloon, grocery, and dry goods business in Dover, Ohio until returning to Worms, Hesse Darmstadt, Germany to 1945) married (1st) Joseph McCloskey. (2nd) Leslie Stage, Children: Nancy, LeRoy, Geraldine. Daughter, Edith Viola (1914-) married (lst) Lorine (Tracy) Horton. Children: Walter, Everett Owen, Bertha May, Russell, Peggy Loraine, and Sharon Jean. (2nd) Monte Benson. Son, Edward Solomon (191?1972) married Christa Whaley. Children: David, Betty Jane and Edward Stanley. Three children, a baby boy (1908), Irene Alberta (1916), and Albert Eugene Maine �(192a) died in infancy. Katherine Elizabeth married John Martin Lee Yount on 6 February 1892 and to this union eight children were born. Daughter, Hazel Loretta (1896-1980) married (lst) Mr. William Bauder. Child: Ruthie. (2nd) Walter Riggle. (3rd) William Claussen. Son, Clay R. (1902-1983) married Geneva Fletcher. Children: Virginia and Norma Jean. Son, Frank F. (1902-1980) married Myrtle May Webb Hetzel. Son, Jacob S. (1907-1959) married Hazel McClure. Child: Jerry. Son, Harry G. (f907-1959) married Louise Phillips. Daughter, Margaret (1910-) married (1st) Louis Denny. (2nd) Irvin Lavier. Children: Sharon, Jackie and David. Two children: Baby boy and Howard died in infancy. Ludwig Edward married Anna M. Click on 2 July 1899 and to this union two children were born. Son. Sirvester Solomon Jefferson (1902-1980) married Mildred Weaver. Child: Shirley. Daughter, Phila Mina married Rudolph Poletti. Children: Regina, Richard, Dennis. David and Yevonne. Solomon passed away on 16 April 1917 and is buried at the St. John's Evangelical Cemetery at Idalia, Colorado. by Jackie L. Churches northwest of the present Peconic elevator, Within a short time, 2 of the family's 4 milch cows bloated and died, thus prompting the family to seek a place with good grass. This they found on the "Correction Line" 12 miles south and 3 miles west of Burlington. This place was to remain home to Dean until 1961, except for a period of time when he attended college. Dean grew up with farming and ranching, Iearning under the able leadership of his father. With cows to milk, calves and hogs to feed, tractors to drive, and a variety of other jobs to be done, the family always kept busy. Before Dean was old enough to attend school, the southwest district consolidated with the Burlington School System. He therefore started and attended school in Burlington all 12 years. Just before Christmas during his first year, the cloth topped bus he rode each day had the misfortune of having a mechanical failure and rolling over into the ditch of the then gravelled Highway 51 (now 385) south of town one morning. Several of the children were seriously injured, but fortunately they all recovered. Dean enjoyed school and took full advantage of all the opportunities it had to offer. One of his favorites was sports, especially football. During his junior year he met a senior girl by the name of Bonnie Joy Dobler. Following a 2 year WITZEL, DEAN FAMILY him home to a small house located 1 mile F77r courtship she became his bride. Bonnie was born in Sterling, Colorado on Nov. 19, 1938, to Theodore Herbert Dobler and Lydia Lebsack Dobler. Her entry into the world was made at St. Benedict's Hospital. On the cold frosty night of Oct. 10, 1939, Donald Dean was born to Franklin Leroy Witzel and Julia Lenore Pettibone Witzel at the Gieshonor Maternity Home in Goodland, Kansas. He was their first child and thev took Her parents were irrigated farmers near Proctor, Colorado because the Dust Bowl afforded no mercies to their little farm northwest of Burlington. In 1941 things began to look better and the family returned to the little adobe house 4 miles west and 5 miles north of Burlington. In this family too, there were cows to milk, eggs to gather, calves to feed, and corncobs to gather for heat. Cleaning the chicken house was one of the least favorite jobs. Bonnie rode the bus to and from school and loved going to town to school and meeting new kids. She too became active in the various activities, especially enjoying music. During this time she also became involved in the 4-H program, with Carl and Gerry Dvorak as leaders of Sunshine 4-H Club. During her senior year she fell for the football captain, Dean Witzel. Upon her graduation she accepted a secretarial position at the Kit Carson County Department of Social Services. On August 18, 1957 we were married at First Christian Church in Burlington in a very pretty summer wedding, going on to Gunnison to attend Western State College and for Dean to take advantage ofhis football scholarship. However, his love for farming was greater, and after football season was over (He played 1 season) we returned home to farm with his parents. In 1961 we moved to the Franke place, which was the original headquarters in 1900 of the Chicago Land and Cattle Company. We milked cows, raised hogs, irrigated corn, pinto beans and wheat. After a few years we changed the milch cows to a beef cow/calf operation to go along with the irrigation. Each spring for a number of years we did custom fertilizing for Western Fertilizer, applying Anhydrous Ammonia as well as dry fertilizer in later years. In the fall we did custom bean harvesting for various other farmers in the area. During these busy years we were also blessed with three children; Doug born Nov. 22,1958; Dena born Sept. 6, 1960; and Donn born Nov. 25,L964. Even through their young years they went with us to do whatever job there was to be done. Running siphon tubes out of an irrigation ditch proved to be the most "fun" job. Everybody always helped carry tubes, which meant mud from head to foot, losing an occasional shoe, and only once did someone fall into that cold water. Our children all attended the Burlington Schools. They too discovered the many new opportunities afforded to "country" kids. With a little encouragement they became involved in at least trying music, (not always with success) then sports (which we all seemed to thrive on), drama, and any kind of competition. We all worked hard at home in order to be able to go whenever the kids participated in something. This proved to be very rewarding when we attended state football playoffs (especially in 1976 when Burlington won the state championship and Doug played center on the team), Dena directing the band in her position as drum majorette and twirler, or Donn playing varsity football or wrestling in the State Wrestling Competition two years in a row. During these years Bonnie went to work in town again as a secretary to help pay for the extra driving. However, it was certainly all worth it. We also became involved in 4-H, first just the kids, and then Dean and I becams lssdsls in various capacities. We held these responsibilities in my former 4-H Club, Sunshine, for most of the next 10 years. These times were Dean and Bonnie Witzel. 1987. special when club members excelled in projects and activities and were rewarded �with trips to Chicago to National 4-H Club Congress or catching a calf at the National Western Stock Show or county fair, or just square dancing at Camp Tobin at Colorado "%r. girls. A cattle ranch had always been the dream of this young couple, but the availability of enough grass had always been a problem. State Fair. March of 1940 afforded the opportunity to Also during this time Dean served two terms on the RE6J Board of Education. In 1974 we were named Outstanding Young Farmer by the local Jaycees and placed third in a lively state competition. move to the ideal place for this dream, a farm 12 mi. south and 3% west of Burlington. Here there was lots of grass and go-back, no fences for miles, and the correction line was still only a trail. Moving day dawned bright and sunny, June of 1981 completed the transition from irrigated farming and cattle to mostly dryland farming and sheep. We began a new farmstead of our very own, located 12 miles south, 2 west and 3/ south of Burlington. We have designed and are working on an earth sheltered home (hopefully in the near future). After several years of being employed, Dean with 4-Corners Fertilizer and myself at The Burlington Record, we are once again working for ourselves. but by evening a real eastern Colorado Doug is married and has blessed us with a grand daughter, Maggie. He is employed at Herman Construction and is also getting into the sheep business. Dena is married and has blessed us with a grandson, Brian, and lives in Greeley where she is a computer operator. Donn, after attending 2 yrs. at Fort Hays problem was soon taken care of with straight State, is employed at Home Center in Burlington, and also has several other busi- ness ventures going. Involved? Yes, we remain involved. We are active members of First Christian Church in Burlington, have a feed business, work at the county fair and help out in the 4-H program whenever we can, and are members of Colorado Woolgrowers. Bonnie enjoys the Burlington Garden Club. Sometimes the schedule seems impossible, but it keeps life interesting. When you stop to realize the sacrifices made by generations before us so that we are able to be citizens of the United States of America, it is only a small favor to ask that we remain involved and continue to help make this world a better place for the next generation to enjoy some of the privileges we have had in our day. This land, despite hailstorms, drouths, and other disasters, has certainly been good to all of us. by Bonnie Witzel WITZEL, FRANK AND LENORE F772 A sod house located 9 miles north and 1 mile east of Kanorado, Kan. (in Colorado) was the birthplace of Lenore Pettibone on Nov. 9. 1916. She was the second of 4 daughters born to Clarence and Celia Smalley Pettibone. Her parents met when Celia taught at the Bert McCall School. Clarence, while transporting his younger brothers and sisters to and from school, became acquainted with and later married the local school marm, and together they raised their girls, Leah, Lenore, Maxine and Thelma. During this time they also built a new farmstead 7 miles north and Vz east of Kanorado. Frank Witzel was born in Gurley, Neb. on Oct. 8, 1915. He was the third of 5 children born to William Henry and Martha Krueger Witzel. In 1923 William and Martha brought their fanily and possessions by horses and blizzard had set in. The following morning there was a herd of range horses backed up against the house to find shelter. One of the many other experiences facing this family were the bedbugs who had already taken residence in the 3 room house. Extermination was a problem, especially with a new baby in the house. Lenore remembers setting the Iegs of the baby bed in tin cans full of kerosene, to keep them from getting on the baby. The gasoline. The first calves for the ranch were bought at the Stratton Sale Barn and hauled home in the trunk of the old Chrysler car. Gathering a reputable Hereford herd took several Frank and Lenore Witzel'on their 50th wedding anniversar5l. wagons, from Sidney, Neb., and became temporary residents of the now vacant sod house. William, also a lover of the land, farmed and raised livestock. Martha served as the community midwife, which kept her busy along with their children, Margaret, Ezra, Frank, Della and William. Frank and Lenore grew up in the same community, attending the same Sunday School, which was held at the District 76 School. Fun times were the basket dinners, neighborhood dances, and other neighborhood gatherings at various homes in the community. As the Witzels and the Pettibones neighbored back and forth, it came as no surprise when Frank chose Lenore to be his bride. They were married Jan. 22, 1934, in Goodland, Kan., and moved into a small 2 room house on Frank's parents' place. During the first years of their marriage, Frank worked along with his father. He and Lenore also ran a trapline in the area during the winter, trapping badgers, skunks, coyotes, and rabbits, selling the hides to Ebert Lynn at the barbershop in Burlington. April of 1937, they rented the Charlie Hansen place near Peconic, from Henry Hoskin. Frank's father gave them a 1020 McCormick Deering tractor on steel wheels with lugs. Farming land on both sides of the "Golden Belt Highway" (now Highway 24) they had to lay planks across the highway before crossing with the 1020, so as not to damage the roadway with the lugs of the tractor. They always had a few cows to milk and chickens for eggs. This was when you could trade a 30 doz. case ofeggs for enough groceries to last a while. During the off season of farming, Frank worked for Maynard Pratt and Abe Ratzlaff for $1.50 per day. In the fall of 1939, he worked under county boss, Jake Schlichenmayer, when the new bridge was built near the Rell Morrow place. Teams of horses were used to pull the slip or fresno during the construction. Oct. 10, 1939, their first son, Donald Dean, was born. This was a special occasion for the Pettibone family after raising a family of all years, during which they also purchased milch cows from Kenny Scheierman. Then the chance to purchase 60 head of Herefords from Charlie Gergen came along, and the numbers of the cattle operation began to increase more rapidly. Frank and Lenore continued the cow-calf herd until 1980. Nov. 17, 1944, brought the anival of Eugene Leroy, their second son. Two sons, farming, a cow herd, and custom work kept them busy year around. Frank worked on threshing crews for Frank Barber and Guy McArthur. As soon as the boys were in school, Lenore worked along side him, leaving when the school bus came in the morning, and being back home when the boys returned in the afternoon. Drought, hailstorms, and blizzards played a big part in the lives of this family. They recall butchering chickens all night July 4, 1946, following a devastating hailstorm. After a day of branding and working cattle, the storm came up, killing chickens, breaking windows, etc. Thanks to whole family working together, they were able to salvage at least part of the damage. The irrigation well in 1955, and machinery were among the many changes during their farming career. A 4440 John Deere tractor is a far cry from the 1020 McCormick Deering or teams of horses. One of Frank's favorite pastimes though is still horses, and he still has a few for his own enjoyment. In 1967 they purchased their new home in Burlington where they now reside, but are still actively engaged in farming, occasionally slipping away to enjoy some trout fishing. They followed and supported both their sons as well as 6 grandchildren as they attended and graduated from the Burlington School system, and have been active church members. In 1957 Dena married Bonnie Dobler and Doug, Dena and Donn became another generation of Witzels. In 1962 Gene manied Barbara Hayden and added Tom, Laurie and Greg. Now 2 great grandchildren have begun yet another generation. This past January Frank and Lenore celebrated 53 years of married life or, as they put it, "pulling together in a double harness". A busy but enjoyable life, with many many blessings; the smell of the freshly turned �earth, a beautiful Eastern Colorado sunset, the winter there were hot lunches. Different to mention only a few, but each new day is still al challenge for this ranching and families took turns preparing the lunches. The kids ranged from first graders to eighth farming family. graders. During a bad dirt storm, the kids had to stay at school till early morning when their parents finally picked them up. In 1943 Will, Martha, and Bill bought a by Bonnie Witzel WTTZEL, WILLIAM DON (BrLL) ranch south of Bethune for their cattle operation. Bill was drafted in 1945 and came back home the last part of 1946. The blizzard of 1946 left the family stranded for about 5 weeks. The food supply was almost exhausted F773 Frederick Witzel was born February 15, 1857, at Dolle, Germany. At age 11 he came with his parents to America, settling at Moline, Illinois. Fredericka (Guenther) Wit- zel was born at Burgstal, Germany on September 5, 1861. She met Frederick and they were married in 1881. They had 7 daughters and 3 sons - one being William Henry Witzel. "Will", as he was called, was born January 31, 1884, in Brainard, Nebraska. Herman Krueger was born on May 23, 1862, in Germany. Herman came as a stow- away aboard a ship bound for the U.S.A. when he was 17 years old. Augusta Henrietta (Wehsener) Witzel was born April 1, 1865. Herman and Augusta were married and had 3 sons and 2 daughters - one being Martha Marie (Krueger) Witzel. She was born on September 23, 1889, in Blue Earth, Minnesota. Will and Martha met in Nebraska when their two families were neighbors. Martha's family moved back to Minnesota. While in Minnesota, Herman Krueger died when he was 44 years old. He was working on a windmill and his hand became caught in the wheel. Herman turned the wheel backwards to free his hand. Infection set in and killed Herman. Augusta moved to town with the kids. Martha was sixteen and went to work for other people to help support her younger brothers and sister. Will was farming with his Dad in Nebraska. Although Will was in Nebraska and Martha was in Minnesota, they kept in touch. Will proposed to Martha on a postcard. One day Will put on his best overalls and boarded a train. Everybody thought Will was going on a business trip. Will arrived in Minnesota and found Martha. Will told Martha they were getting married, he couldn't wait any longer. They were married September 22, 1908, in Blue Earth. Minnesota. When Will returned to Nebraska, he had a wife. Will and Martha lived in Nebraska. To this before they finally got to town. Betty Lou (Bovd) Witzel was born November 25, 1928, in Polk County, Nebraska, to Pete and Ida Boyd. When Betty was 3 years old, her family moved south of Burlington. She attended one-room country school, First View, with her 4 brothers and 2 sisters. Bill and Betty met at a country dance. On February 18, L947, Bill and Betty were married in Goodland, Kansas. The next day they went home and fed cattle because of a blizzard. They lived with Bill's folks for a year. Times were hard in 1948 so Bill drove a school bus for First Central. Roads were through pastures to some homes. In 1948 Will and Martha moved to Arvada where they lived until Will died on June 23, 1963. Martha moved back down to the farm and lived with Bill and Betty until she died at home on February 26, 1986. Both Will and Martha are buried at Fairview Cemetery in Burlington, Co. Bill and Betty continue to live on the farm south of Bethune. To this union 3 children were born. The older son - Kenneth Paul and a set of twins Daniel Ray and Donna Fay. Ken is married to Donna (Thompson) and 5 children were born - Wendy, deceased, Kip, Todd, Lance and Kyle. Ken lives by and farms with his dad. Dan is mamied to Patty (Schwieger) and they have 4 sons - James, Kelly, Ryan and Scott. Dan farms southeast of Stratton. Donna is married to Dave Gwyn and they have 4 children - LaDawn, Amber, KaTina and Andrew. The Gwyn's live south of Stratton where Dave is involved in ranching. by Bill Witzel WOLFE - MATHEWS FAMILY F774 up there and graduated from the Kinsley high school. Clyde D. Wolfe, my father, was born on the Robert A. Wolfe farm at Lewis, Kansas, June 20, 1889. He attended country school Number 13 near there. He grew to manhood on the home farm learning to be a farmer, the occupation he followed all his life. Clyde and Alice met when she later beceme the teacher ofthat same country school. They were married in Kansas City, Kansas, December 15, 1914. Land was cheaper in Colorado than in Kansas. Clyde made his first trip to Colorado on a motorcycle in 1915 or 1916. He bought a quarter section of sod land two miles east and a fourth mile north of Flagler. He paid $1800.00 for the quarter section. A well was dug and a two room frame house and a frame barn were built. The weathered barn and wind mill still stand northeast of Flagler. In the spring of 1916, Clyde hired a young m€rn to drive a team and wagon loaded with supplies from Kansas to Colorado. The trip took about three weeks. The stock, machinery and household goods were brought in one end of a railroad car, the other end being used for the stock. Clyde traveled in the railroad car with the stock. Alice, with their first baby, came by passenger train in May of 1916. Clyde started farming in Colorado with horses, a moldboard plow, a disk, a single row lister and cultivator. About 1922, he bought a Case tractor, a three moldboard plow, a disk and a drill so that he could grow wheat. Horses were still used extensively. Seven children were born to the union Jack, Charity, Opal, Ruby, Betty, Robert and Clyde William. Our family lived on four different places in the Flagler area the home on the original quarter and then -the Ball place two miles east of town. In 1928, the Nielsen place, one mile east and four miles north of town was purchased. In 1934, we moved to the Henry Kliewer place one mile east and three miles north of town. We survived the depression, the drouth and the dust storms of the thirties. During the worst years our cows survived by eating thistles. We burned our share of cow chips and if we were lucky we had corn cobs. In good years we had coal. We raised, butchered and cured our own meat. We raised a big garden, canned the produce and over the years our mother hatched and raised thousands of chickens. My mother tells this story. It was about union were born 2 sons and 2 daughters. Will and his father, Frederick, sold their land in Nebraska and bought land in Colorado. They could get two acres of Colorado land to every one acre of Nebraska land. The families moved by a teom of horses and wagons in 1923. Frederick moved northeast of Bur- 1922. Silent movies were shown in Seal hall. As a special treat the folks decided to take in a movie. We all contracted small pox at the show. Fortunately we had light cases and we all survived. About 1924, radios became available. Our father bought a Crosley with a big metal horn for a speaker. It had A batteries, B batteries lington. Will moved 23 miles northeast of Burlington. Frederick died May 20, 1923, and Frederick died April L2, 1935. Both are buried at the Fairview Cemetery in Burlington, Co. While living here Will and Martha had another son - William Don Witzel (Bill) on January 9, t927. Bill was born in the sod house. Bill went to Plainview School District 33, a one-room country school 5 miles from his house. Different families each week took turns hauling kids to and from school. During My mother, Alice May Mathews Wolfe, was born on the Mathews Hereford ranch at Kinsley, Kansas, October 31, 1890. She grew Wedding picture of Alice May Mathews and Clyde D. Wolfe. married December 15, 1914 in Kansas City, Kansas. and a storage battery. It required an outside aerial from the house to a pole in the yard. Neighbors often came in the evening to listen to the radio. We also enjoyed an Edison record player with cylindrical records and a great tin horn. The great-grandchildren consider it a treat to hear that record player today. In 1938, the family moved to a farm four miles south and a half mile east of Elizabeth. �Y ,,iiffil] ' i.; i' t,lirra ',llll,:;ll''j was born on my Mother's birthday, Sept. 21, 1955. When we would move Dad would look f, :- : -t-.. for jobs in the want ads in the papers. Then we'd sell the larger household items, pack our personal belongings in a truck and car and we'd be off. When we got to our new homlre'd buy what ever we needed to get by on. I guess to some it might look like we never had much but we were always well fed and well clothed. Mom always said we got good educations too because we had to learn to get along with all kinds of people. On most of the ranches Mom would cook 3 meals a day for 10-Jp ranch hands, and still do the laundry, an{.jleaning, care it took to raise 5 children. Dadlnew and loved horses and cattle, he took good care of them and taught us to do the same. We always had a good dog, too! We were trained to care for all the animals before we ate or came in for the day. Dad was very particular about building a good fence and keeping a neat yard. Some of the states we lived in were: Nebraska, California, Idaho, Texas, and Colorado. Dad came from Herndon, Ks. and Mom from Culbertson, Nebr. We were living on a ranch at Roggen, Colo. when Gene and Jan Hadacheck from Vona cntne and asked us to work for them in 1959-60. I can Golden wedding celebration of Alice and Clyde Wolfe taken at Opal Wolfe Mauldin's home, Lakewood, Colorado in 1965. s* father stayed up all night and about 2 A.M. awakened her to view the celestial spectacle. by Charity Wolfe Clement WOLKENSDORFER FAMILY F775 My parents Urbin Raymond "Shorty" Wolkensdorfer, and Mary Louise "Marylou" Fish were married in 1941, in McCook, Nebr. My father served in W.W. II, where he was awarded the Purple Heart for a wound he Weathered barn built by Clyde Wolfe about 1916' Picture was taken in 19?9. Colorado. Jack and Charity graduated from the Flagler high school. Opal, Ruby, Betty, Robert and Clyde William graduated from the Elizabeth high school. The children all survive. All are married and have families. Jack served overseas as a marine in World War II. Clyde William served overseas in the Korean war. My brothers all reside in the Lewis, Kansas area. Opal and I live in Lakewood, Colorado. Ruby and Betty live at Elizabeth, Colorado. Our father passed away in 1978 at the age of 89. Our mother survives at the age of 95. She lives alone in her home in Elizabeth. She goes to church, writes her own checks and still raises chickens. She has twenty-six grandchildren and thirty great grandchildren. She recalls seeing Halley's Comet in 1910. Her sustained in battle. My mother kept a scrapbook of the happenings of the War as it spread across Europe. When us kids were older we always wanted to show off with the medals etc., but Dad wouldn't let us; he'd say, "put those away (or) throw them away" he, (understandably), wanted to put those dark days far behind him. I, Janice Louise, was born the eldest of five children on Feb. 3, 1947, in St. Joseph's Hospital in Denver. My mother recently gave me a copy of the bill, it was only $62.89, but I suppose that seemed Iike a lot then. My father worked on ranches, some were far from any towns. There was no elecricity, or telephones, I wonder how they did it? Dad worked hard. I can remember one cattle roundup where the men branded and worked the calves out in the pasture, and Mom brought the meal out to them. On Dec. 8, 1948, my sister Margie Kaye, was born in McCook, Nebr. and then on May 4 1950, my other sister, Theresa Raye was born in McOook also. Then we moved to a ranch called the Tausig Ranch at Kremling, Colo. where my brother Dennis John (Jack) was born on Dec. 10, 1951. From here to the Kilpatrick Ranch at Imperial, Nebr. where my younger brother Joseph Raymond (Joe), remember the blizzard of that year, the snow was so bad we missed school for two weeks. We had to make the days up by attending on Saturdays. We moved away in 1960 only to return again in 1963-64. At this time Dad worked for Roy Wasson, and Mom worked at the Kit Carson County Hospital. Then we moved back to the Reed Ranch and worked for Gene Hadacheck again. It was here that my husband Lyndell Salmans and I |.egan dating. Our house was on the correctionjidtrth of Vona, and I can still remember how excited I'd get watching for him to come down the Vona road in his brand new 1964 Chevrolet car. We graduated from High School together in 1965 and were married in 1966 at the St. Charles Catholic Church in Stratton by Father Edward Dinan. We lived in Canon City, Colo. for 3 years, then returned to the Salmans farm north of Vona. I hope to never move again because I love this Kit Carson county and the people in it. But . . . if my husband said "Let's go" I've have enough practice at moving so I'd say "I'm ready". Although my pioneer spirit had been quenched back in 1957 or '58, when I had decided to do like I'd heard tell of my forefathers and walk home from school. The one mistake I had made was, not telling anyone where I was going, and the other mistake I had made was, not taking a direct route home! I walked over the Dam, (I don't even know the name of it today, but it was near Minetare, Nebraska). When I didn't get off the school bus, my mother (very worried of course) went to search for me, and had to return empty-handed only to find me sitting there very smug. Well needless to say she took the pioneer spirit right out of me!!! She said "I'm tired of the "roughing it days", like the time when I'd killed several snakes (and she was scared of snakes) and piled them bq the burn barrel to show Daddy and there-you were right in the middle of them playing with the old dead things and the other time when Theresa was a new baby and nearly died of pneumonia, and you and Margie were playing at a stock tank you came screaming in to tell me Margie wasswimmingin the tank, I didn't know what to do, Theresa was turning blue �Henry Wood and his son Harvey Wood in the 1940's. The Gordon Burr homestead was a sod house, a barn with a stall on one end for his buggy team and a rock corral with part ofthis covered with a thatch roof of soap weeds, etc. Some of the corral rock foundation is still visible today. This is west of where my trailer house sets. The Burr homestead was known as the "horse ranch" because during this time many horse traders headquartered here. Henry Wood built a two story, four room rock house which still stands, raising his family of 6 boys and 1 girl; Lucy, Art, Haivey, Ted, Earl, Ralph, and Ivan. In 1916 they built a barn 20x80 feet which is still in good shape. In 1930 my parents Harvey and Dale Wobd moved on to the place and have operated it, later buying the place in May of 1940. They added to the old rock house in the late 30b and late 40's to its present structure and raised their family of 3 boys and 3 girls here; Lois, Bud, Merna, Bill, Bob and Audrev. From 1940 until April 1962, Harvey Wood put together some homesteads of Rosser Davis, Alfred Clair, Leah Glass Davis. Flovd Shields, John G. Davis, Johnny Jay, Elias Davis, John Glass Davis, Joseph Newberry, Jrbin Raymond and Marylou wolkensdorfer taken in Mccook, NE on May 81, rg41. tnd another kid of mine was drowning, and ;hat you'd better learn to appreciate things ike telephones and school-buses" . . . I ;hought (at the time) she'd made a little nuch of a "little ole walk" home. but todav vith raising children of my own I see hei loint very clearly. I always tell people I went to 20 schools refore I graduated and lived in 5 states. but like Colorado the best. My sister Margie narried Rodney Davis and they live south of /ona; my sister Theresa lives in Greeley, and s about to be remarried. My brother Jack is narried and lives in Shallow Water, Kansas, .nd my brother Joe is married and lives in )enver. My parents now have 10 grandchilden. They now live in Denver, but have never ost the knack to move around and Mother 98 says she's gotten quite used to it and can do it pretty well by now. by Janice Salmans William Wilcox, Morton Davis, Charles Woodard, Frank Rich, Homer Hightower, Carrie Root, Taylor, Carl Andrais, I.D. Messenger and the last piece of land, the Knoll place, making the ranch approximately 6000 acres. The late 20's and early 30's took a drastic WOOD FAMILY toll on the homesteaders due to finance, F776 Wood Ranch My grandfather, Henry Wood came here in 1909 and bought a relinquishment from Gordon Burr and moved his wife. Rachel. and family here in 1910 from Hill City, Kansas and later homesteaded the NW %, sec. 18, TW 6, range 46. moral, the "dust bowl" days. grasshopper plagues and the 193b flood. Rosser Davis moved his family after the 193b flood southeast ofthe ranch. Others moved to other parts of the country some leaving in the 1920's. While Harvey and Dale Wood were raising their family, they worked hard and long hours. Chores consisting of milking cows-, feeding calves and hogs and putting up hay and feed. In the summers of the B0's and 40's putting up the hay was done by horses stacking the hay loose. This always took from �7 to 12 hired men each summer and Dale always cooked for these men and still took care of her families needs. The hay fields on the Wood ranch have seen many changes from horse drawn machinery to the modern tractor, swathers and balers. Irrigation on the hay and alfalfa land has been a big change. My mother, Dale, and brother Bob still live on the home place, and my wife, Eva, and I live in a mobile home, moving on the place in 1960, raising our 3 children, Devin, Janet, and Lance here on the Wood Ranch. by Edward (Bud) Wood WOOD - ADOLF FAMILY r.777 ,,,;',, ,:': :' "Bud" Edward C. Wood was born Dec. 19, 1931, in a rock house twenty miles northeast of Stratton, Co., near the Republican River, to Harvey W. and Iona Dale Baker Wood. The second child of six children: Lois Wood Adolf born Jan. 8, 1930, died Feb. 26, 1955, Merna Wood Benton, born Aug. 29, 1934' William H. Wood born Oct. 9, 1936, Robert S. Wood born May 21, L940 and Audrey Wood Smith, born Nov. 30, 1943. Bud attended South Tuttle School District # 39 for six years, one year in Stratton school, then back to South Tuttle for his eighth grade. He stayed home one year then attended Kirk High, graduating in 1950. Bud was drafted into the armed services in 1952 during the Korean War. He served the ,';]:'l' Eva and Bud Wood on their wedding day June 5, ;.t:: 1955. Bud and one of his saddle horses in 1976. education. Bud and I both are members of "there's a snake out here." Bud and Philip went out and killed a big rattlesnake. They got to looking and killed 19 more! So there was enough of us as the rattlers had been bad for several years. We bought a mobile home and moved to Bud's folks' place in 1961. We still live there. Along with his Dad and brother, Bob, they raise cattle, horses, hay, wheat and corn, Their father passed away July 27, 1987. Bud enjoys raising top quality cattle and good saddle horses. Bud gets a great deal of Immanuel Lutheran Church. and our children were baptized and confirmed into the Immanuel Lutheran Church. Janet graduated from Colorado State University in 1980, Lance from the Nor- theastern Junior College, in 1979 and Devin will graduate from Utah State University in 1988. 29th Division with the 519th Engineers, being When we were first married we lived on a place belonging to Ed Stahlecker, 5 miles discharged in Oct. of 1954. Bud married Eva Marie Adolf on June 5, 1955. We had three children, Devin C. born Aug. 3, 1956, Janet M. born Sept. 3, 1958, and Lance D. born Sept. 29, 1959. All three graduated from Stratton High School. Two of our goals for our family was church and south from where we live now. We lived here for 5 years and this is where all three of the children were born. In the fall of 1960 Philip Waitman and two of his sons stopped by for a visit. The children were out playing in the yard pulling a wagon up and down the road. One of the boys came running in and said, enjoyment raising and racing thoroughbreds and running quarter horses. One of our highlights in our life has been a trip to Ireland in 1984. While there we got to go the Ireland National Stud Farm. This was a real thrill to Bud as he got to see some of the top National Studs and their young colts. They were very beautiful animals. I, Eva Marie, was born on Dec. 4, 1933 to A.W. and Mary Weisshaar Adolf. My younger brother, Allan, and I were often referred to as their "second family", as there was several years between us and the older children. I had 5 sisters and 1 brother older: Hilda (Ziegler), Amanda (Richards), Leona (Hefner), Gladys (Patterson), Art Adolf, Della (Pugh). With the exception of Della the rest were gone from home. When the kids were in school we enjoyed going to sports and activities, they were involved in. I like to sew, knit and like to be outdoors, gardening and raising calves. Bud was a 4-H leader for 8 years and I was a 4-H leader for 10 years. Bud served on the F.H.A. board for 3 years, and six years on the Stratton School board. I worked for one year at Duckwalls and 2 years as bookkeeper for J.M. McDonald Co. Our youngest son Lance married Teresa Admas on Aug. 22, L987. by Eva Wood Our family, L. to R.; Janet, Devin, Eva, Bud, Lance Wood and seated A.W. and Mary Adolf on their 60th wedding anniversary in L972, �WOOD - STORER FAMILY r.778 Henry and Rachel in Corpus Christi, Texas. Winter of 1929-80. Henry Harrison Wood, Rachel Haws "Storer" Wood, daughter Lucy Charlotte and son Arthur about 1900. at least once in the early 1900's from Vz mlle south of the farm to Vz mile north.) The south, or lower half, of the farm was purchased from Mr. Floyd Burr and the upper part was homesteaded by Henry and Rachel and it was on this part they built their home. (This home is presently owned by Harvey and Dale Wood and sons.) Besides raising the family of seven children there, Henry and Rachel bred and raised saddle and work horses, hogs, cattle, and always a large garden. The cash crop was always baled hay, eggs, and cream. Ag were all of the pioneers of the area, they were very frugal, inventive, and either "made do or do without". Ralph Wood relates the time when a "Merry-go-round" came to the old "Tuttle Store" (located only about a mile northwest of the farm adjacent to the "Messenger Farm"), that was powered by an old steam boiler. Shortly after its arrival the gates burned out and fell apart. His father, Henry, was an old hand at steam-powered threshing machines, and using some mud from a bog down on the river, fashioned some Henry H. and Rachel H. Wood around the year 1900. Henry Harrison Wood was born November 28,t870, in Shelby County, Iowa to James M. Wood and Celia Ann Harris. He married Rachel Haws Storer, daughter of Aaron Storer and Charlotte Minniss of Bloomington, Osborne County, Kansas, on Sept. 25, 1894. To them were born 1 daughter, Lucy C. Wood, and 6 sons: Arthur, Harvey, Lester (Ted), Earl, Ralph; The youngest, Ivan, was born at "Tuttle", Kit Carson County, Colo, on the 17th of June 1912. During the 15 years of residence in Kansas, Henry H. Wood was a farm laborer or share cropper, and plied a trade of following the harvest and running a threshing machine and crew. In the spring of 1909, Henry and family arrived in Burlington, Colo. by railway, and a Mr. Jake Pierce took them out to the site that was to become their new home. Located on the north side of the Republican River, approximately 20 miles NE of Statton, Colo. and within a Yz mile or so of the old "Tuttle School" (even though the school was moved grates and repaired the boiler. All of the Wood children got to ride "Free" for their Dad's services in fixing the engine. Rachel Wood was a saintly woman with a heart full of charity. She served as midwife to two-thirds of the babies born in this area (as the doctor had to come from Stratton at least an 8-hr. buggy ride away), as well as stepmother to several young women who were befriended by their only daughter "Lucy". They had been either maligned or abused by their own fathers. I'm sure Lucy enjoyed their company as well, being the only girl with 6 younger brothers. Henry and Rachel struggled hard to be sure all ofthe children had a good education, with most of them going to high school in Burlington. Art and Lucy went to college in Grand Island, Nebr. for 2 years; Ralph and Ivan both received college degrees. Harvey started to high school in Stratton, but after a couple ofdays walked home and stated that he 'didn't need that hassle'. That has been proven by his making the old homestead into one of the largest and successful ranches in the northeast corner of Kit Carson Countv. Harvey and Lucy were the only children who stayed to make their lives a part of Kit Carson County history. Lucy married EArl D. Messenger, and they resided first on the old Messenger Homestead, then in Stratton. until her death in 1948. Henry had some wanderlust in his veins, inherited from his father. As the boys grew older and departed, Henry and Rachel were driven to Corpus Christi, Texas, in fall/winter of 1929-30 by their son, Ralph; the lower, warmer climate would help with their health problems. They stayed in some cabins owned by an old sea captain, with whom Henry went fishing a great deal. They obviously were successful as the photo will attest. When his beloved Rachel passed away in May, 1933, Henry pretty well turned the ranch over to Harvey and Dale and spent his remaining years traveling throughout the Western states, fishing and hunting in Washington, Idaho, Oregon, California, and around Salida, Colo. He returned each witner to the ranch and to his daughter Lucy's home in Stratton. He passed on June 4, 1950, and he and Rachel are interred in the Burlington cemetery. by C.W. Messenger WOOD, HARVEY F779 Harvey Wood came to Colorado in 1910 as a child from Hill City, Kansas, with his parents, Henry and Rachel, sister Lucy, brothers Arthur, Lester, Earl, Ralph and Ivan. Harvey was the third child. They lived 20 miles northeast of Stratton on the Republican River. On November 11, 1928, Harvey married Dale Baker. Six children were born to this union: Lois, Edward, Merna, William, Robert and Audrey. All married but Robert. Lois and Ralph Adolf, her husband, had a pair of twin boys, Wayne and Wesley and a baby boy, Junior, two weeks old when Lois passed away in 1955. Each boy has children. .our great grands. Wayne and Vernie have two boys and orre girl, Shawn, Shadd and Shannon. Weslev and Katherine have two girls, Jamie and Kim. Junior and Debbie have one boy, Brian. Edward (Bud) and his wife Eva Adolf have �two boys and one girl: Devin, Lance and Janet. Devin is going to college in Utah; Lance and his wife live and work in Yuma, Colorado; and Janet lives in Sterling where she works for Farmland Industries. Merna and husband, Lee Benton, live 1/z mile north of Joes, Colorado. They have one girl, Lynn Benton Hill, whose two children are Brandon, 5, and Breanna, 3. Currently, Lynn is in Kansas city, Missouri, going to college. William's three boys live in the area. Mel and wife Debbie with baby Tyler, 16 months, live north of Vona. Darwin and wife Denise have two boys, Nathan, 5 years, and Niklas, 18 months. Marvin, youngest, is at Kansas to take care of Raymond's mother. After her death they returned to Burlington where they are now living in one ofthe houses moved into "Old Town", and they are both employed there. Old Town is getting to be quite an attraction being flashed on the T.V. news every evening. The huge restored old red barn, the little Methodist Church, the one room country school house, and the house the Woods family is living in, is only the beginning. Hopefully it will be a tourist attraction in years to come. by Mrs. Ted Eberhart Greeley, Colorado working and going to college part time. Grant is going to college at Rolla, Missouri. Darcy is in his second year of high school, at home with his parents. Harvey's wife, Dale Baker, was born in Kansas near Downs. In 1908 at the age of 17 months, she came to Stratton, Colorado, with her parents, John and lona Baker, a sister Olive, two brothers, Ed and Vean. They lived five miles northwest of Stratton. On the 27the day of July of 1987' Harvey WORTHINGTON FAMILY F78l Dad passed away Feb. 17, 1966 in Denver when I was 13. Ron was in the Navy and Lynn was a senior. My brothers and I farmed until I graduated from school. Lynn farmed for a few years and we leased the land for a period of time, but eventually we sold the farm. While in high school, we enjoyed going to the movies on weekends, going to the pool hall and cruising. The Phillips 66 gas station on the highway was a favorite place to hang out and work on our cars. Larry Kennedy bought a '57 Chevy from his cousin and we used to go to the drag races to watch Larry race. We also had a lot of fun going to Denver on weekends and skiing. School activities included band trips, ball games, and special programs like the Junior and Senior play. Homecoming was always one of the major events of the year, and I still enjoy attending when I can. The homecoming game in 1965 when Flagler beat Seibert 103-0 was one to remember. My brother Lynn had intercepted a pass and was running for a touchdown when F780 Raymond and Leah Woods came to Colorado from Beloit, Kansas in 1945 with their three children, Latry, Alva and Helen Ruth. Raymond went to work for Hinkhouse and Ersch on the Beverage Ranch, in the Smoky my Grandmother Cronkhite, who I don't believe had ever been to one of our gnmes, started calling to Lynn that he was running Hill Community. The children went to the Smoky Hill School, where Ruth Lengell was Larry and Alva's first teacher. Helen, Ruth's remembers her well because she spanked her Tina, Ralph, Karen, Geoff and Bard Worthington in front of their Midland, Texas home, Oct.1987' Bentley was her favorite teacher. Linda Rose was born in 1947 and Susan in My parents, Robert Riley and Shirley The Woods family moved from the Bev- erage Ranch to the Smoky Hill School where Raymond was employed by the school. Leah was one of the bus drivers and also worked in the hot lunch room. All of the Woods children went to Smoky Hill school except Susan until the school was consolidated with Burlington. The Woods moved to the Joe Lindsey place and then back to Smoky Hill, where Raymond was a mechanic and helped everybody with such problems. They bought the ground and the buildings there and later sold them to Barry Walters of Florida. Larry Woods and his family live in Oklahoma, Alva is in Wyoming. Helen Ruth, Linda and Susan are all in Colorado. After leaving the Smoky Hill Community Raymond and Leah went back to Beloit, got a lot of use hunting with Kerry Rich, Bob Polzin, Jay Fellers and other friends. The big ski. WOODS, RAYMOND 1955. off walks, and other odd jobs around town. I had a 4-H calf when I was 12 and used the money I had earned to buy a shotgun, which going to the lake and swimming or finding someone with a boat who would let us water by Dale Baker Y[ood for not spelling the word "this" . . Mrs. various organization get-togethers and card parties were always a chance to play with friends. My brothers and I were in band and played football and other sports. When band started in the 4th grade and we were able to bring instruments home, Odis Goodwin and I would stand on our porches and blow our horns at each other across the street. always be remembered. We always enjoyed - his mother still away in fact. Now Robert and live there. Edward and Eva also live across the driveway from the old home. first teacher, was Mrs. Statler, and she Legion, scouts, church and other functions and enjoyed visiting and playing pitch. The flood in '65 which filled the new dam will passed away. He and his wife had lived on the until he passed Wood place for many years AND LEAH town. Dad sold the farm house and part ofthe land and built a house at 725 Rufner. Dad and Mom were active in the American My brothers and I would earn money selling things, mowing lawns, shoveling snow home. Robert is living with his mother, Dale, at home. Audrey and husband, Doyle Smith, who live in a Kansas City suburb, have three boys: Shane, Grant and Darcy. Shane lives in when the school year was over, we moved back to Flagler, only this time we lived in the wrong way. After graduation in 1971, I went to Morgan County Community College in Ft. Morgan where I met my wife, Tina Marie Wray of Scott City, Ks., and we married in 1973. Mother married Sylvan Morris in 1971 and Margaret (Cronkhite) Worthington, came to they moved to Littleton, where they still live. brothers, Ronald Riley and Donald Lynn, in 1952. Dad had bought a half-section of land 20 miles north of Arriba at Shaw to farm. For a while they lived in Arriba where Mother's parents, Casey and Opel Cronkhite, lived. The family goon moved to a farm northwest of Flagler and I was born soon afterwards on Jan.20, 1953 in the Flagler hospital. Shortly after that, Dad bought a farm seven miles northeast of town from Mother's oldest brother, Kenneth Cronkhite Jr., where Dad farmed and raised cattle. Our nearest neighbors were Gene and Dorothy Nichols, Glen City, IA. in 1981 where I earned my M.S. degree in Geology from the University of Colo. from Seiling, Okla. with my two and Lannie Rutter, and Slim and Zoe Goodwin (who had the only phone in the area). We lived there just a few years and when I was four years old, we moved to Colorado Springs for the rvinter. However After getting a degree in Radio Broadcasting at MCCC, I served four years in the Navy as an Anti-submarine helicopter crewman. After being discharged from the Navy, I went back to college in Colorado Springs and then attended USC in Pueblo, where I earned my B.S. in Geology in 1980. We moved to Iowa Iowa in 1982. I began working as a Petroleum Geologist with Atlantic Richfield (ARCO Oil and Gas Co.) in Denver where we lived for two years. In 1984 we transferred to Midland, Texas, where we currently live at 1700 Cimmaron. Our children are Geoffrey Allan (Dec. 15, 1976, Jacksonville, FL), Karen Ann (May 27, 1981, Iowa City, IA.) and Bradley David (Feb. 5, 1984, Longmont, CO). Growing up in Flagler was a special time �because of the friends and relationships developed during that time which continue even though we have grown up and gone our and her brothers walked to school B miles, playing on the way. There was not too much time to play at home, as they were always busy with chores. They would meet the Rodwell kids on the way and would all sit down and share their lunches. Rodwells would have large cookies in their lunches and the cookies always went first. When noon came no lunch. different ways. by Ralph E. Worthington WORTHINGTON, ROBERT FAMILY In -the fall of '21, Grandad's nephew Cliffard recollects, that he and his Dad and brother stayed with Grandad and said "Nathan knew the Riemenschneiders and E7a2 talked about Mary alot. As Grandad was 24 years her senior he was cautious. but he dressed sporty and he didn't show his age." On their first date he was driving a horse and Robert and Shirley Worthington cnme to Colorado from Oklahoma in September, 1952. We had two sons, Ron and Lynn. In January of 1953 Ralph was born. We lived at that time two miles west of Flagler in the old Dragoo house. While living there the state was in the process of building Interstate 70 buggy. To keep their feet warm he brought along a hot stone and some woolen blankets. Great-grandma told them that one of Gran- ny's brothers would go along and Grandad said, "That's alright, the more the merrier." After that it was ok for them to go along by themselves. Grandad was known to sing to Granny on almost every date. Some of his favorites were "Whistling Rufus", "Doris", "My Little Girl", and "She's more to be so detoured the traffic by our house. We had lots of dust storms at that time. In 1957 we purchased a farm from Kenneth Cronkhite, 9 miles northeast of Flagler. We also purchased the Bonham place further north. We were still having dust storms and at one time the dust came in so thick it was pitch black at 8 o'clock in the morning. We had to put wet sheets up at the windows to try to keep the dust out. That was about the time farmers began to strip farm which helped. In 1960 we purchased the half block north of Charley Kellers at 8th and Ruffner in Flagler and built a house on it with the help of Babe Goodwin. We lived there at the time of Robert's death in 1966. I stayed on till all the boys graduated from high school at which time I married Sylvan Morris and we moved to Littleton, Colorado. Ron and his wife Paula and two children, Robert and Opel, now live in Kingsburg, California. He drives a truck for an insulation company. Lynn and his wife Barb and two children, Pam and Robin, live in Loveland, Colorado. He is a postman for the town of Loveland. Ralph and his wife Tina and three children, Geoffrey, Karen, and Bradley, live in Mid- land, Texas, where he is employed with ARCO as a geologist. by Shirley TVorthington Morris WRIGHT REIMENSCHNEIDER FAMILY F783 On my Mom's side: Great-great grandad William Wright lived in Maryland. He married a girl that worked in a factory. It is said that his parents didn't have too much to do with him after that. He and his bride went to lllinois for a time. then on to Galena. Iowa where my Great-grandad, Charles Other (Ollie) was born, on Feb. 26, 1850. Fire ravaged the house in Galena to destroy a lot. Great-grandad wasn't known to speak of his parents much, but at one time the family lived near Epworth, Iowa, where he met Great-grandma Catherine (Dolly) Cartnell. After they were married they lived in Dubuque, Iowa, close to the railroad tracks. Great- Grandad and Granny Wright (Mary and Nate) grandma was said to have used to feed the hoboes, as well as to trade with the Indians. She was born in Minnesota in 1852. My Grandad, Nathan Perry was born Aug. L3, L877. He had 2 brothers, Charles and Fred. Completing 4 grades of school in Dubuque he moved to Fairbury, Nebraska to begin his manhood. Later on the family moved to Oberlin, Kansas. Grandad recalls on a taped recording at the age of 84 that he and hie Dad used to come out to Colorado to hunt buffalo. He said "When the Indians were savages yet, they were traveling along one time, when they came across a covered wagon. A dog was tied up to a tree, looked like he didn't have anything to eat for a couple of weeks." The horses were still hitched to the wagon so they took the harness off and threw them across the tongue ofthe wagon. He said, "We suspected that the Indians stole the horses after they got out on the pasture. Then we saw someone coming from the East, who told us to be careful, Indians are just over the next rise." Asked if Indians were there Grandad replied, "Yeah, several of them, they must have come in trains." 1917 brought them to settle in Colorado, filing a claim on a homestead 1% miles south of Thurman. It was there they stayed until both their deaths in 1932 and 1934. Great-grandad George Frederick Wilholm Riemenschneider was born on July 31, 1861 in Edaness, Germany. Making the move to America he and his parents settled in Fort Wayne, Indiana in 1873. During 1891 he moved to Denver and worked on the B and M Railroad. Great-grandma Fredrika Carolina Kalisch was born Aug. 17, 1873 in Wisconsin. Aug. 11, 1894 marks the wedding date of my Great-grandparents. While living in Denver they had 4 kids, George, Fred, Edward, and my Grandma, Mary Augusta Amelia. After Granny was born on .Apr. 9, 1902 the family moved to a place where they purchased land, near Thurman. Then 7 more children were born, Herman, Alma, John, Aaron, Louise, Simon, and Emma. Attending school at Capitol Hill near Thurman, Granny completed 6 grades. She Pitied than Censored". Wedding bells rang on May 3, L922 for Grandad and Granny Wright. When they returned from the cere- mony in Akron, a delicious banty rooster dinner with all the trimmings was waiting for them. Great-grandma gave them a cow for a wedding present. My mother was born Mar. 2,t923, Marjorie Luceil. After Mom was born they moved from the Henry Clayton place to the Dean Place. It bordered Kit Carson, Lincoln and Washington Counties. A 2 room house part sod and part frame built sheltered the 5 more sisters that were to be born, Elma, Delphia, Rose Marie, (whom died shortly after birth), Mildred, and Darlene. Later on another section of sod was added onto the house. In the winter of '35-'36 Grandad became very ill, which left him with rheumatism and pernicious anemia. The children picked up Scarlet Fever in school and Granny was pregnant. The doctor whisked her out of the house to a neighbors'so that she and the baby wouldn't get it. That left Grandad and my mom to tend to the rest of the children and battle quarantine and then fumigation with burning sulphur. Rough times hit hard when the bank foreclosed on them and took everything they had except the cow they had received as a wedding present. In 1939 they moved to the Davies Place about 5 miles south east of Thurman. It was here that they lost a flock of turkeys to wild coyotes. Nathan Edward was born in the Flagler Hospital and the youngest girl, Ardis, was born in Hugo. Great-uncle Fred lived with them until his death in 1956 and would always stick up for the kids when they got into trouble. The farming and milking was a way of life, with the farming done by a tenm of horses. Keeping milk cows and hogs kept food on the table. (When there was money to buy them.) Granny took the cream and milk to the Flagler Depot to be shipped to Denver. Sometimes when she couldn't get to town because of bad weather the mailman, Rube Sparks would cariy it to town for her: Grandad always had a garden and raised potatoes as his favorite. Granny also raised chickens and sold eggs to the store in Anton. Grandad was well known for his love of fiddle music, and entertained friends and neighbors � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Families of Kit Carson County Description An account of the resource Brief biographies of the founding families of Kit Carson County Colorado. Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Book Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Families- W Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1988 Description An account of the resource Brief histories of Kit Carson County founding families whose names begin with "W." As found in the book, History of Kit Carson County. Type The nature or genre of the resource text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Salmons, Janice Hasart, Marlyn Smith, Dorothy Language A language of the resource English Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. History of Kit Carson County Volume 1 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource text/pdf Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Curtis Media Subject The topic of the resource History Kit Carson County Biographies Genealogy Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a> https://kccarchives.cvlcollections.org/files/original/16/510/Families-X_Y_Z.pdf 061d158c54d01f629e9365b94e7d1af6 PDF Text Text for miles around and often times played at barn dances. by Dolly Mae Elliston not suffer the hardships that others did. Mrs. Sarah Yale, whose maiden name was Sarah D. Bevier, was a native of New York oldtimers have stayed on, because there was no better place for us to go. being born in Ulster county on June 18, 1853. While still a small child she moved with her by Roscoe Conklin Yarnell parents to Illinois. She was united in YALE, WILLIAM HENRY marriage to Sherman Henry Yale on December 25, 1874. They had two children, Lillian Mae and William Henry. Lillian Mae married YERSIN FAMILY F786 A.N. Corliss. F784 William Henry Yale was born in Iowa on December 23. 1882 and came to Colorado with his parents in the fall of 1886. This is his story. Father took up a pre-emption in Sec. L2-7-45. There were no railroads here then and we traveled in a covered wagon and brought our household goods with us. Father plowed the land with a tenm of oxen. Father came our in February, 1886, filed on this homestead, and built a small sod shack. Later he built a sod dugout at the back ofthe soddy, and this gave us more room. The lumber needed for our home was hauled from Benkelman, Nebraska. Water was hauled from Lostman (Landsman) Creek, two and one-half miles east of us. Later we had a well dug with I.D. Messenger and his brother doing the work and digging the 170 feet with shovels. Then water was hauled up by a windlass. We used this well almost two years before we put up a windmill. Father got a contract to carry mail and did this for the first three years for $300.00 per year. Tho route was from Jaqua, KS, to Friend, CO. In 1889 a Post Office wag established in our home and named the "Yale Post Office." Then the mail route was from Burlington to Goff, then to Landsman, and then to Yale a distance of fifty-two miles. He made three trips a week using a horse and buggy and in all carried the mail for eleven years. When father got busy at farming, mother would carry the mail. Later Mother was appointed Post Mistress at Yale Post Office, a position she held until 1906 when the post office was discontinued at Rural Routes established. I went to a sod school house one and one- half miles from where we lived. Jas. T. Gilmore was my first teacher and I rode horseback to school. When thirteen ye{us of age I started riding for the BAR-T Ranch and worked we lived. Burt Ragan was foreman at that time and we had about one Thousand head ofcattle on the range then. I helped drive a herd of One Thousand Texas longhorn steers from Ln-ar to the Bar-T Ranch. I remember we had quite a time finding water for such a herd as the only water to be had was in the lagoons. It took us about ten days to make the trip. Our supplies at that time was brought from Bird City, Ks. We made about two trips a year so always got enough to last awhile. We were always fearful of prairie fires for the prairie was always so dry. I well remember one fire that came in from the north and burned elear down to the river. We had such hard working keeping it away from our hay stacks and we ruined a good team of horses plowing fire guards to turn it. My father was elected County Assessor in 1902 and I helped him for awhile in the office. I think my family was 4mong the earliest settlers here. But father having the mail contract gave us money to live on and we did She was a member of the Christian Church in Burlington in 1896 and later moved her membership to the Seven Day Adventist church at Stratton. She died October 22, 1929. Sherman Henry Yale died in 1922. by Marlyn llasart YARNELL FAMILY F785 I was born in Shelby County, Illinois, on July 19, 1873, and when eleven years of age came with my parents to Nebraska in a covered wagon. Father came to Colorado in the spring of 1888, and took a homestead and in the fall of the same year my two brothersin-law, V.H. Chandler and James Sparks, built a sod house on the claim and in the spring of 1889, we went to Haigler, Neb., by train, and there bought a wagon, five head of horses, three cows, and a calf, four hogs, and two dozen chickens. and came overland to Burlington, Colorado. We went at once to the sod house prepared for us, and soon got settled in our new home. Water was hauled from Lostman's Creek. about four and onehalf miles away, for about a year. Then we dug a well 130 feet deep and got 16 feet of water, which was hauled up by a windlass until we got a windmill. We did little farming, but could not make a living by doing this, so I did whatever work I could find to help the family. I hauled hay, plowed tree claims, helped run a threshing machine, did whatever I could. I remember the first Fourth of July Celebration I ever attended in Burlington; there was dancing, horse-racing, (I had a pony in the pony race) and it won and I got a prize of $3.00. This little pony had been caught on the prairie by Jim Sparks, and was about a year old that spring, the prettiest little thing I ever saw. There was a big tent Charles Albert Yersin was born in Switzerland in 1847 and came to America with his parents when he was four years old and settled in Missouri. He lived with his uncle, Henry Yersin, who allowed him to go to school "when the work on the farm was done," hence did not get much education. But by studying at home he fitted himself for a teacher. He came to Colorado, accompanied by his father-in-law, in October of 1886 with his wife and three children by way of the Union Pacific railroad to Cheyenne Wells and then by wagon and team to Burlington, Colo. After receiving a permit to teach on trail he taught school in a one room sod building for several years. After studying day and night he received certification to teach the first grade. And in 1870 he was ordained a Christian minister of the Gospel and at times was the only minister in the county who could perform a marriage service. On July 29, LgI4 he married his son W.H. Yersin to Alta B. Schaeffer of Montpelier, Ohio who came to Bethune in 1909 to teach school. W.H. Yersin opened a combination general store post office on Sept. 19th, 1910 in Bethune, Colorado. The Yersins homesteaded north of Bethune. Colo. after their marriage and in 1914 purchased the Red Front Market in Burlington, Colo. On Nov. 15th, 1916 Alta B. Yersin gave birth to a son, William Yersin, who through boyhood attended school in Burlington and after graduation received his degree from Denver University and New Mexico University in anthropology. William later went on to serve in the Colorado legislature from 1948 to 1952 and in 1948 married Naomi R. Thompson of Denver, Colo. William and Naomi had a son, Kenneth Yersin. Kenneth Yersin, aftcr attending Burlington Schools, married Della K. Webb in 1959. Of this marriage were born two sons Lincoln B. Yersin and Sullivan A. Yersin. put up on the corner where the Standish Drug is located, and that is where the dancing took place. It was a popular corner. I forgot what music they had, but am sure there was a Kenneth Yersin joined the family business in fiddler present. and attended Metro State College in Denver, Colo. graduating in 1985 with a degree in Business Administration. Sullivan A. Yersin received his grade and The year 1894 was a bad year, so dry that no crops or feed was raised anywhere, so we moved to Burlington and mother operated the old "Burlington Hotel", then located on the west side of Main Street. In 1899, I built a livery barn, and ran it till 1902 and then I traded it for the old Montezuma Hotel, and since that time I have been engaged in the hotel and restaurant business. The old barn still stands on the same location. and is the only feed barn in Burlington. I built the new Burlington Hotel, and several houses here; I have seen Burlington grow from a few little houses to the nicest little tov"n in Eastern Colo. Now in Jan. 29, 1934, many have come and gone but us 1960. Lincoln B. Yersin received his grade and high school educations at Burlington, Colo. high school educations in the Burlington School system. He attended Colorado Institute of Art in Denver, Colo. and will receive his degree in Photography in 1988. by Ken Yersin �YERSIN, CHARLES ALBERT w87 Born 1847 in Switzerland. Came to Missouri with parents when four years old. Lived with a uncle who allowed him to go to school "when the work on the farm was done" hence his education was limited. but by studying at home he fitted himself for teaching. Came to Colorado in October, 1888, with his wife and three children. Came by Union Pacific railroad to Cheyenne Wells, then the next morning hired a man with a small wagon and tea- of ponies to drive the forty miles across country to their new home on the plains. They brought with them clothing, bedding, cooking utensils, and about a thousand pounds of pork, for they butchered five or six hogs before leaving Missouri. He always liked plenty of meat at every meal. The road was heavy and the weather was threatening and at that time there were but two houses on the forty mile trip. At the six-mile house we got our first sight of the prairie dogs and snow birds, about the only living things we saw on the lonesome road. No trees, fences, not even grain of any kind. It seemed a most desolate and dreary land. We wished we were back in Missouri and had we been at the depot, we would have been tempted to take I had taught one short term of school and never expected to teach again but when crops failed year after year, and one of our horses wandered out of the barn one stormy night and died in the cold, we wondered just how we were to live. So I got out my books and spent some time studying and then got a ponies were becoming very tired and we did not want to be out on the prairie if they became unable to travel on. When we reached this house the owner informed us that he did not keep a hotel and could not take us in. Then he told us of a settler who had built a long sod house about two miles northeast of the "half-way house" and that he had plenty ofroom and he would take care ofus. Though it was getting very cold and storm clouds were threatening us, we had to drive over a rough, hilly route, the hardest part of the trip. However, we made it just as a regular blizzard struck us in all it.s fury. The owners of the home came out and welcomed us and took us in for the night. The sod house was thirty-five feet long and twelve feet wide, and was divided in the center by a canvas cover, one end ofthe house being used by the women and the other by the men. We all slept comfortably and well. The next morning the storm had abated and although it was very cold, we started for our homestead on the SW% of Sec. 19-9-44. This was eight miles away and by piling our boxes in the front end of the wagon to form a windbreak for my wife and children, we got through without anyone freezing. My father-in-law, Mr. Reed, who had accompanied us from Missouri, had taken a Yersin. by Ken Yersin permit to teach. The school was a sod building some ten miles southeast of our home. I took a supply of "grub" and some bedding and moved into the two roomed building, using the one room as a living room and the other as a school room. Teaching during the day and studying half the night, I completed four month term. I little later I got my First Grade Certificate and after that taught two or three terms in the county. I was ordained a Christian minister on the Gospel in 1870 and have been at times the only minister in the County who could perform a marriage service. I have driven many miles over the prairie in a lumber wagon to preach, to perform a maniage ceremony, or to speak the last words over the dead. I am proud of Kit Carson County and proud of Burlington, which I have helped to build. I have been here since I heard the first bell ring on the first engine of the first Rock Island train through Burlington. by Jayne Hubbell the first train east. The weather continued threatening and we discussed the possibility ofstaying over night at the "half-way house" for it seemed that the He died in January of 1980 survived by his wife, Teddy, his son, Kenneth and his wife Della; two grandsons, Lincoln and Sullivan YERSIN, \M. H. F788 William H. Yersin was born in 1916 in Burlington, Colo. where he attended grade school and high school. He received his college education at Denver University and the University of New Mexico where he majored in anthropology. At the onset of World War II he enlisted in the army and YOCUM, JESSE FAMILY Jesse Yocum started railroading ofthe age of 15 years in 1894. He was in Colorado Springs when Manitou and Colorado City were separate places, with the railroad as telegrapher and agent. He worked in many stations in Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa. Jesse and Gertrude Page were wed November 9, 1902 and were located in Almena, at the time of their marriage. They transferred to Flagler in 1916 accompanied by their sons, Edwin Laclede, and Howard Page. Jesse retired in 1937 after 57 years of service. He passed away August of 1948. Gertrude died in January of 1952. The boys attended grade school and graduated from high school in due time. LaClede went to work for the Flagler First National Bank and served as an officer and director most of 52 years, retiring in 1975. Howard attended Colorado University as a civil engineer. He was associated in Utah Construction International as consulting engineer. Howard passed away September 1976 in Burlingame, Calif. by Betty Yocum YONTS AND served four years. Upon his return from the service he became involved in the family grocery business. In 1948 he was elected to the Colorado House of Representatives F789 SAWHILL FAMILIES F790 where he served three terms in the House and was minority leader of the House during his last two terms. In 1956. he was elected to the Burlington City Council and served two twoyear terms. In 1968 he was elected mayor of Burlington for a two year term, and then served for eight continuous years on the city council again. In addition to his municipal duties, Bill was a member at one time of the Colorado State Parks Board and belonged to the volunteer fire department, VFW, Chamber of Commerce, Masons, Izaak Walton League and the Burlington Housing Authority. Bill carried on a family tradition started by his father of planting trees, and might have been called the "Johnny Appleseed" of Zella, Lester, Everett and Kieth Younts, Christmas Day 1971. eastern Colorado. His hobbies were anthropology, geology Africa. In the early 1800's five brothers came to America from Switzerland. The name was spelled with 4 "2". The five brothers changed the "z" to "s". Any "Yonts" spelled with an "s" is related some way. My father, Wythe Yonts was a relative of one of the five brothers. He married Lydia Codner in Phillip's County, Kansas in the late 1800's. Their He was married in 1949 to Naomi "Teddy" Yersin at the First Baptist Church in Denver, Colo. while serving in the state legislature in Blonnie, Ruth, and Lester. My parents homesteaded on a farm in Logan county, homestead just across the road from where we and lapidary. He had one of the largest and located so we lived in their sod house until ours was built. We hauled water from the nearest neighbor's home. Later we tried to dig a well on this land, but found it impossible owing to the innumerable small boulders and sandy condition of the soil. All wells were dug by hand in those days, which often proved difficult and costly. Later a well dug on my father-in-law's claim, furnished both families best private collections of Indian artifacts with plenty of water. 1948. and anthropological items in the area. He was familiar with all the digs in the area and during his four-year stint in the service had the opportunity to search for artifacts in children were Claude, Blanche, Bessie, Mae, Kansas near Russell Springs in 1906. We �people drowned two and one-half miles west Gesners. Their house was of Seibert - Themiles washed to three north of Seibert on to the Sawhill place. Mrs. Gesner's body was found down in Nebraska and his was found north of Stratton. In the same flood another home, owned by Roy Minter, four miles south Lester and Zella Younts Fiftieth Wedding Anniversary, Dec. 17,1977. Taken at Vona Liona Hall at their Open House. lived in a sod house until the C K & O Railroad came through and built the Logansport Depot near the homestead. My folks and one-half east of Seibert on the Republican River bank, the bank was washed away and the house floated out into the middle of the river and was left standing in the middle ofthe channel when the water went down, the people living there escaped to safety. by Lester Yonts ZIEGLER - BOEPPLE FAMILY ran the depot and post office and lived in the depot. I was eleven years old when we moved to Colorado in 1917. My mother and I came F79r by train and my father in a wagon. He brought the horses and furniture. We lived in a one room cement house the first year nine miles north and one-half east of Vona. Then we moved two miles west and one mile south of Vona. We raised corn and feed, milked Neely and Martha (Weaver) Sawhill until 1942 when we bought the farm ten miles north of Von a. Zella remained on the farm as long as she was able. She passed away Dec. 25, 1981. I still live on the farm. Our son, Keith Marion Yonts married Bernice Jane Redmond of Chicago, Illinois Oct. 15, 1956. They have one son, Keith Marion Yonts, Jr. Our son, Everet Lee Yonts married Carol Breen of Bismark, North Dakota Nov. 25, 1960. They have one daughter, Tracy Lee Yonts. There was a flood in (I think) 1935 that pushed the rails and ties off a twenty foot grade of the Rock Island west of Vona. Ten inches of rain fell overnight. There were three Richard, born in 1898, migrated to eastern Colo. by train and homesteaded in the socalled Russian-German Settlement, north of Bethune. They lived in with the Martin Stahlecker family until they had a building put up to live in. Not fully satisfied, in 1903, they moved to Oklahoma, near Covington, where some of my mother's family had moved to after living a short while in Tennessee and then had moved to Okla. also. After a year there, my parents returned to their home- were wheat, corn, oats, barley and some dryland alfalfa. In later years, we also raised 1927. Denver and I worked at construction work My father's parents remained on their farm, or homestead near Scotland until their deaths. Their home was made of adobe, a long building with mud floors, a grainery, horse barn, and a cattle shed, all under one roof, of which much of it is still standing. My parents worked and farmed in the Scotland area with my father's parents. I remember my mother saying that she sewed the suits for the men folks of the family and other clothing. In April 1899 the Zieglers, with a small son, (Mrs. Albert Strobel), Otto, Fred, the twins, Emma and Elma, (Mrs. Art Dobler and Mrs. Ralph Stahlecker), and Esther, (Mrs. Carl Arends). Richard died from a stationary engine accident, age 19, and Clara drowned, at the age of 6 years, when my mother and the three smallest children were returning from a visit in Okla. via train. There had been a cloudburst near Belleville, Kan. In the dark of the night, as this train came to this place, the train bridge was washed out, they tried to stop, but many of the train cars went down in, Many passengers were drowned including my little sister at the age of 6 years. My parents had a family of 8 to support, but when us kids were old enough to work, they kept us all busy. Dad and the boys did the farming with the horses; the various crops a new school house, depot, five stores, five cream stations, hardware store, two hotels, three garages, livery barn blacksmith shop, three filling stations, post office, two elevators, lumber yard, bank, real estate office, and two churches. For recreation there was Sunday picnics when everyone took pot luck lunches and made ice cream from the ingredients donated by the different ones. Everyone ate together and played games of baseball, horse shoe, and crocket. I, Lester George Yonts, and Zella Irene Sawhill, daughter of Neely and Martha Sawhill, were married in Burlington Dec. 17, during the dust storm years. We went to 50th and 60th anniversary celebrations. stead near Bethune again, where I, Anna was born in 1911. Here the rest of the family were born and raised; there were: Bill, Clara, Lena, cows and sold cream and raised chickens and sold eggs and raised a garden. Vona was a good town when we ceme with married Feb. 8, 1878 came from Iowa in 1906 and homesteaded three miles north of Seibert on the Republican River. Their children were Bert, Maggie, Lena, Ben, Lawrence, Reva, and Zella. The latter four came to Colorado with their parents and graduated from the Seibert school. The Sawhills farmed, milked cows, and raised several hundred chickens and sold eggs. Zella and I had three children: Eldon, Keith, and Everet. Eldon died in 1939 of paralda hyde poisoning at the age of eleven years. We resided in the Vona communities most of our married life except in the 1930's marriage. They were blessed with a long wedded life of 68 years. Highlights were their some hogs and cattle. Mom and the girls hand-milked as many as 25 cows, separated the milk and bucket fed the calves, raised chickens, ducks and geese, always had a large garden and with not much running water, John and Christina Zeigler on their farm in the 1940's. My parents, John Ziegler and Christina Boepple, were both born in Dennivitz, Russia; my father, Aug. 20, L872, my mother on Jan. 14, 1876. Both came to America with their parents; my father and his parents, William and Barbara (Friedrich) Ziegler in May of 1877, at the age of 5 years; my mother and her parents, Christian and Johanna (Kramer) Boepple, in the fall of 1876, at the age of 1 year. Both families settled on farms near Scotland, S.D. (Dakota Territory), where they grew up and spent their youth, and here they met and were given christian training through their church and family homes. Both were baptized in the Lutheran faith as infants. They were also confirmed in the Lutheran Church in Scotland; my father, April 3, 1887, my mother on March 30, 1890. In Nov. 14, 1895, they were united in Dad built a two-wheeled barrel cart with which we hauled the water to the garden. We sold the cream and eggs and that was my mother's money to feed and clothe the family. I must say, she managed quite well. For meat, they did their own butchering, mostly pork, cured the bacon and hams, fryed the other meat and put it in a crock and covered it with the rendered lard and kept it in a dug out cellar. Poultry was dressed as they were used. Mother baked the bread, sewed most of the clothes and she was always busy knitting mittens and stockings for the smaller children. All of us children received our education in the one-room "IJnion School" of 8 grades. We usually walked the 2/z miles to and from school, unless it was bad weather, then they took us by horse and wagon and later by car, which was not very often. For entertainment the various country schools took turns of inviting another school in on Friday afternoons for baseball games, cypher down contests, (spelling and arithmetic), etc. Box suppers and literaries with all the family attending were always fun. On Sunday we �l::.irlu. -, -' John Zeigler and daughter Esther Zeigler standing on a 7'high wooden windbreak by the cow shed in corral on the Zeieler farm. This windbreak is covered with dirt from the dust storms of the 1930's. always attended Sunday School and Worship services at Immanuel Lutheran Church in the Settlement. My parents were the first to have electric lights in the Settlement; also were among the first for running water in the house. Most of the houses in the Settlement were made of Adobe. In 1935, after enduring several of the "Dust Bowl" years, my parents had a farm auction and sold out. but retained the land and went to Oregon and Washington, worked in various fruit and hop harvests for a short time, along with the four younger ones of the family and my two married brothers and their families, Bill and Otto. Once again they returned to the family farm near Bethune (no place like home). In 1950, when all their children had married and on their own, they moved to Burlington, Colo. and my younger brother Fred continued farming the home place. In 1933, I married Emil Strobel who lived on a farm 5 miles north of my folks; he inherited the home place from his parents, which was also his birthplace and their homestead. We lived and farmed there until ZOOK, JONATHAN S. February 6, 1876 AND BARBARA REBER Jonathan and Barbara Zook's wedding picture, F792 name "Zook" was originally spelled "Zug" and that Jonathan's ancestor, Motitz Zug. immigrated from Germany and arrive in Philadelphia on September 2t, 1742. Jonathan and Barbara Zook were married February 6, 1876. In 1885, they took up residence in Nebraska and three years Iater moved in a covered wagon to Thurman, Washington County, Colorado, and established their "homestead". To this union were born two sons and seven daughters. Their second youngest daughter, Fanny (Faye Pangborn Ferguson), was born April 14, 1895, Barbara Reber was born April 23, 1856, in Johnson County, Iowa. She was the third child. Her father, John Reber, was of Swiss descent and was born in France in 1819. The family was Amish Mennonite. John Reber was an ordained minister. by Mrs. William E. Pangborn in Thurman and at this writing is the only surviving child. At the age of 92, she currently resides in Grace Manor Nursing Home in Burlington, Colorado. Jonathan S. Zook was born September 12, 1847, in Belleville, Mifflin County, Pennsylvania, and died on his 87th birthday, Septem- FAMILY STORY PICTURE SECTION F793 ber 12. 1934. The records reflect that the our son Leland was married in 1982. Then we moved to another farm house of Lelands, just 1% miles away and let him have the whole works there, farm, debts, work and all, and retired. This was the only move we had in our 53 years of married life, and Emil in his lifetime, outside of a few years in Burlington, Colo. to get our three children a high school education. Besides a son Leland, we have 2 daughters, Florence Scott, and Julia Liufau, 6 grandchildren, and 6 great grandchildren. My parents lived to the age of, father 98, mother 87. My mother's funeral was the day that President John Kennedy was assassinated. A sad day, but looking back over the years, I must say God's blessings were numerous, E:, 1 _:;.: "-: .:_i: :, :- by Anna M. Strobel The Zook homestead. Jonathan Zook is pictured left ofthe well. In the background is their sod home and the milk house. �Lisa 2, Kathleen 3, and Christina 4 are daughters of Tony and Susie Paintin and granddaughters of Garold and Jean Paintin. Lisa's dress was made by her maternal grandmother, Ruth Knodel. Borders family, three generations. Standing: Donald and Wesley; seated: Floyd, Rebecca, Shannon, and Dick Borders. George W. Blancken Sr., Helen, George W. Jr., Harriet, Madge, Richard, Velma, Eunice, Nona and Minnie E. Blancken, 1950. ['[.ay 24, 1959 Joe and Edna Doughty at Colby, Kansas. George W. Blancken Sr. (middle) and sons George Jr. (left) and Richard (right), July 1959. �:a:.a ;::t: & ,&3 w & :ry r,.::..at:-aa.:.. ''i" w .,i Wg 'aa:a: tq !f! li:t,l;.. W, raa *t#t .r .a ,ln ;t;a. ....,a tt:.: { t*t 1J ft t,;::1.,&&: ,,;:,.:..,' George William Blancken holding pictures of his parents and grandparents, June 1980. George, Dad Blancken, John Nordine, Mom Blancken and Arthur K., sons of Velma Blancken Nordine, July 19, 1962. Dietrick F. Blancken, George W. Blancken Sr., daughter Madge C. Blancken Martin holding first grandchild, LaVern Delmar Martin, 1942. William McGlinchey Wickham and Susie Alberta Brisbin married December 25, 1896. Mabel Walters Hudson Parke standing in front of her home in Burlington. Many of her family keepsakes and furniture are on display at "OId Town." 3iY w 9' {fr William Scott, age 10 months, and Julie Marie Cranmer, age 2, are children of David and Marilyn Cranmer and grandchildren of Garold and Jean Paintin. The rocking chair is over 100 years old and belonged to their maternal great-great grandmother, Carrie Mae Mast. Avirene and Bill Henry, 1970 at Disneyland � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource History of Kit Carson County Description An account of the resource Brief historical stories and elements from the founding and recent history of Kit Carson County, Colorado. Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Book Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Families- X, Y, & Z Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1988 Description An account of the resource Brief histories of Kit Carson County founding families whose names begin with, "X," "Y" and "Z." As found in the book, History of Kit Carson County. Type The nature or genre of the resource text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Salmons, Janice Hasart, Marlyn Smith, Dorothy Language A language of the resource English Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. History of Kit Carson County Volume 1 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource text/pdf Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Curtis Media Subject The topic of the resource Kit Carson County History Biographies Genealogy Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a> https://kccarchives.cvlcollections.org/files/original/16/415/Flagler.pdf 928934c534abb4d80a58fe631cefdca4 PDF Text Text see if the barn could be put there to compliment the Carousel. After some consideration they decided that the fairgrounds was too small for the barn. Ernest knew that Harold McArthur was going to erect a steel building on some ground that he owned just south of Rose Avenue in Burlington so they talked to Harold about it and of course the first thing that came up was that Harold did not have enough ground to house both his building and the barn. At this time they went to see the barn. Ernest McArthur and Edgar Pratt were sold on having it moved to Burlington. Douglas Hillman owned the barn and had offered to give it to the city or the county if they would move it. Edgar and Ernest then went to the city and found that there would be some ground there for the barn. Rol Hudler, the mayor, did not think that Harold McArthur would cooperate enough to move the building to the barn site, council in Burlington. The work by Ernest McArthur was primary to the conception of "OId Town". Henry Hoskin said that this is the way that he remembers how the idea was born regardIess of whatever anyone else says. Signed Henry Hoskin, board member. Old Town was built to offer the residents in this part of the country a look back at their heritage. With that in mind, the following buildings were either moved to the Old Town location at 480 South 14th Street or they were built as close to 'the way it was' as possible. The main Museum building is known as "The McArthur Building". This building houses most of the unusual antiques. It is a mixture of furniture, paintings, equipment and many, many other items. In this building you will also find the gift shop. In this building you will find a replica of Burlington as it was when it became a town (Incorporated) in the year 1888. Since Old Town is based on eastern Colorado history, a lot of informa- tion and pictures will be available to the viewer. Other buildings in the Old Town complex area as follows: The original Bethune depot; a law office constructed to show a wonderful old Wooten desk and leatherbound law books; a combination bank and land office; a barber shop; an old cream station fully equipped; a wonderful old general store; a blacksmith shop; a large two-story barn where melodramas are held during the summer months; There is an old farm house; a vintage school house; a two-room sod house; a L92l Methodist Episcopal Church from Armel, Colorado; a little frame building full of dolls, a large two-story house built in the early 1900's which is furnished with items dating back to the late 1800's; a drugstore; a saloon; a leather shop; a woodworking shop; a printing office and a research room. There is a brick town square, a wooden windmill and outhouses. You will also find many old-style street lights and boardwalks. The Old Town Board has endeavored to keep these buildings as realistic as possible. Old Town is a community project that was put together to tell the story about Bur- lington and the surrounding area. It is the hope of all involved that this facility will provide jobs as well as promote interest in \ 'l researching our heritage. We also hope this look into the past will bring back fond memories to the older folks and a realization of 'how far we have come'to the young people. -A' r 1 1. I l by Elaine Taylor d,*."'*d^ ..^..". TOWN OF FLAGLER TSll Like many other settlements along the Rock Island Railroad Line, a town's location was determined by the railroad. About every eleven miles, more or less, there was a need to replenish water in boilers of thirsty steamers of that day. Little regard for wishes of early settlers or small existing villages was given by railroad men. This is certainly evident in the location of the town of Flagler. Old Town, 198?, before completion of first phases of construction. but of course Harold was all for it so at this time the city offered to purchase the ground from Kenneth Yersin to place the barn on and Harold offered to put his steel building on the site. They both told Ernest that if he would see that the building was moved they would cooperate. Ernest McArthur contacted the mover from Colby, Kansas and arrangements were made to have the barn moved right ; j i ..*iuio .& ia. 14t' 'l " il':.illl; away, Ernest McArthur was informed that there was a church at Armel that would be donated so Ernest had the church moved to the site. Harold McArthur volunteered to move a small schoolhouse from Cope and Russell McArthur volunteered to erect a blacksmith shop on the site. At this time the city received word that the State of Colorado would build a tourist information center along I-70 at Burlington. The idea of building an "Old Town" similar to the one at Minden, Nebraska was being born and could be a tourist attraction for ELrrlinrrtnn 'fhio irlao aqmo frnm thp nifw a The oldest building and store in Flagler, built in 1890-92, owned by W.H. Lavington. Prior to this his store was housed in a "tent". �of the Rock Island depot and of a new town in the community. While these acts were transpiring, very few noticed a Mr. McGonigal from Colby, Kansas who was very busy a short distance away. He arranged for land and quietly platted a town site about a mile west of Mr. Robinson; this was recorded to have been done in 188? bv one old timer. There is little doubt some beneficial knowledge had taken him to this spot beyond the rail head. The rail head reached Bowser, a good reason for celebration and they did celebrate! Mr. Strode probably found little reason for this as the trackage continued west with no stop near Crystal Springs. Next day, Mr. Robinson wasn't celebrating either as work progressed on west a mile or so and the crew began digging a well which always accompanies a depot. Strangely, the site of well digging was right beside the land and town site Mr. McGonigal had platted! An only structure in the area was a corral, built by the Pubsley brothers, living near Hugo, who ran cattle in the area. School building in 1893, upper right. As the rail head moved westward, progress was closely watched by a few early locals who were hoping for some prosperity in its coming. There was, no doubt, considerable disappointment when the track missed Hoyt by several miles and a new town site named Seibert was established. This occurred about August, 1888. Farther west along a supposed path for the railway was a perfect place to obtain water, an excellent site for a town, near Crystal Springs and quite near the Republican River. Stephen S. Strode had settled there in 1887 and in anticipation of coming trackage, he and a few neighbors platted a town site. Streets were laid out as Chicago, Rock Island, Colorado and Railway going east-west. North-south streets were designated as Front, First, Second and so on. Hopes were high and at this time, Mr. Strode registered a bid for Crystal Springs to become the county seat ofan expected formation ofa new county. Moves were being made to divide Elbert County into several smaller counties in the territory. About this time, Bennet Robinson came to the area flrd samped at the Strode place while he constructed a residence a couple miles west. When he had finished. he established at this location a general store. In honor of a prized dog named Bowser, which had disappeared, he named his site, "Bowser." (referred to by many as "Bowserville"). Mr. Robinson received an appointment as postmaster at Bowser before July, 1888. With an established store and post-office, hopefully along right of way, he felt there would be no doubt as to the location One of the earliest church services held in the neighborhood was conducted by C.W. Smith on July 25th, 1888. Mr. Smith stated it was held in a shack or saloon building, on flat bottom land, about 40 rods northwest of the railroad bridge at the Republican River. The saloon was for convenience of railroad workers there. At a small meeting of railway officials, a name was given the new depot location. They decided to call it Malowe, to honor a railroad attorney, Mr. M.A. Lowell (spelled Mallowin some records). by Lyle W. Stone * * * * *{€ {c rf rlr * * {€ {€ * :l€ The Weekly Register No territory on earth can surpass Eastern Colorado for soil climate and prosperity. Crystal Springs is the least advertised place for its size and age of any place in Colorado. Our numerous springs of pure water is inexhaustible quantities are famous all over the east and when immigrants once reached Elbert County, they are not content until they see Crystal Springs. An abundance of water is appreciated in Colorado and a place so finely favored is certain to fill up in the course of a very short time. Preaching services were held at the S.S. Strode residence last Wednesday evening. Quite a number were present and were well pleased with the service. The track of the Chicago, Kansas and Nebraska is within sixty miles of us and coming at a rate of two miles and one furlong per day. If the track layers continue at this gait, they will reach us by the first of August. Mr. M.A. Lowe, President (?) of the Chicago, Kansas and Nebraska and Mr. W.F. Parker, Chiefengineer ofthe railroad, passed through here last week enroute to Colorado Springs. The party stopped here and had their photos taken and continued their Flagler, looking north toward railroad; Lavington Dry Goods, Williams Drug Store, Rock Island Hotel and water tank visible. overland trip to the Springs, inspecting the work between here and there. The Weekly Register of Crystal Springs, Elbert County, Colorado, July 4th, 1888. by Arch Cunningham �t II TOWN OF FLAGLER l, tiny settlement. First reported structures T3r2 In a matter of days, activity began in the were the railroad section house and water tank. Soon, soddie walls began to appear and other structures began, almost frantically, to take shape. A town well was hand dug northeast of the present municipal maintenance shop. A windlass was used to wind out water for locals and their livestock from the well. Mr. W.H. Lavington and John W. Augustine erected in partnership, a large horse tent. In this tent they operated the settlement's first general store. A fall chill arrived and tents used by railroad gangs gave little protcction from chilly nights. These tents would be little protection from winter's bitter cold. This may be the reason for frantic building in the beginning of settlement history. It is possible some distaste for the nnme given the settlement existed among its Smith Evans Land Company and the I.O.O.F. Hall' built in 1906. residents. After all, railroad men had named it. An opportunity to change this appeared with a reported visit to the rail head of an investor interested in checking on progtess of the railroad. His name was Henry Flagler and reports of his empire in Florida preceded him. A city had been named to honor him. He had just built a fine hotel, the "Ponce De Leon" and he proposed to build a rail line down through the keys. He had performed miracles in transforming part of Florida into a garden spot. To commemoratc his visit, a plan to rename the settlement and afford him a proper welcome was devised. A new name, Flagler, was acceptable; a very new hotel, hastily erected by Mr. Keegan, was renamed "Ponce De Leon," with an appropriate sign affixed to be visible from the depot. An additiond sign was painted and placed near the section - house to asgure recognition of the hotel's name. A gala celebration was January 20, 1909, "spring Fever" on Main St. Third from left is Frank Gibson' Kneeling with fishing pole i. C"tt i.t"tron. Bila Lavirigton in white blouse near "Colby Flour" seat and Bill Heiserman with long fishing pole and straw hat. -1 planned. A 1918 Progress Edition of The Flagler News and The Flagler Progress newspapers record the events of this visit. It was stated Mr. Flagler was quietly pleased with the honors bestowed upon him. (His character did not generally allow him to enjoy celebrations of this sort). Some time later, a banquet was given by Mr. Flagler for people of the area. It was held in Colorado Springs and records tell of nearly 1000 attending. There exists a question of accuracy of this account by one who has researched the life of Henry Flagler. Since the presented data was published in 1918 and should have been prepared with first hand accounts, the story has been presented as described. Postal record date more accurately a change in location of the post - office. The Bowser record has mitten on one of its pages, "Changed sit€ and name to Flagler by order of the Postmaster General, October 13, 1888. Date of communication November 6, 1888." This record marked the end of the existence of a post-office in Bowser. A very early postoffice within the new town was located across the street north of the present Otteman building. (situated in the house once occu- A quiet day in Flagler, 1908, "a one-cow town!" pied by Mrs. Nora Wright, later used as a parsonage). From here the post-office was moved to the John White store building and later to a more permanent location just north �* {c rlc * * rf€ * {€ * * ** rf€ * * FLAGLER EARLY POSTMASTERS At Bowser - Bennett Robinson The Bowser Post Office was moved to the town called Malowe, Jan. 19, 188g - 1st Flagler Postmaster Jelsche Olthoff - to Apr. 30, 1889; May 1, 1889 - 2nd Flagler Postmaster Joseph S. Whitney - to Nov. 30, 1889; Dec. 1, 1889 - 3rd Flagler Postmaster W. H. The Hotel Watters. Lavington - to ? The first Congregational minister was Rev. M. H. Meade. The first instrument filed in the County Clerk and Records office was the bond of County Clerk and Recorder, Edward R. McCrillig. The first warranty deed filed was a deed from J. B. McGonigal to the trustees of the Congregational Church in Flagler. The trustees were: W. Brown, John W. Hunt and W. Landen. Rev. Meade's residence was presumably in Seibert. The first marriage license was issued to Owen S. Small and Zippora Bryant. Marriage rite performed by Rev. M. R. Meade of Seibert. ,1.**{€{€********** Depot, Pump House and Water Tank, first buildings built in the new town of Flagler, Sept. 1988. of the present Williams Pharmacy Store. (it is possible other locations may have existed). A move much later was made to its present location. Under the name, Flagler, the small community began to grow. Mr. Wm. Schuler established a store where later the Flagler Hotel would be built. He served as postmaster, according to his recollection, following Mr. Lavington. A first frame home was built by Mr. Henry Brown. In 1889 Mr. Lavington built a new frame house about two blocks north and one west. by Lyle W. Stone �****rl€tl€********* On Thursday, George O. Gates purchased the F.E. Barnett abstract business books. This set of books is said to be the most complete accord of lands in Kit Carson County either of land tracts or city lots. Mr. Gates is one of the best qualified in this line of work as he serued with credit for four years as county recorder and was deputy recorder Smith - Bernard, 1908-1914. for two years, and possesses a thorough hnowledge of Kit Carson County titLes. The First Congregational minister was Reu. M.H. Meade. The first instrument filed in the County Clerk and Records office was the bond of County Clerk and Recorder, Edward R. McCrillig. The first warranty deed filed was a deed frorn J.B. McGonigaL to the trustees of the Congregational Church in Flagler. The trustees were: W. Brown, John W. Hunt and W. Landen. Reu. Meade's residence was presumabLy in Seibert. The first matiage license was issued to Owen S. Small and Zippora Bryant. Marriage rite perforrned by Reu. M.R. Meade of Seibert. *tf *t*{€***tlc**{c** *fut The Flagler Hotel built 1910-11, later was the Flagler Hospital run by Dr. McBride and Dr. John Straub. Today is the city hall and library. _) r\, 'it 'l �. .. . .:.):::..: . down in 1901. Mr. Robinson moved his store from Bowser to Flagler but later sold out and 't::alii .. moved away. It is evident much activitv occurred in the town of Flagler at this time. In 1895 the first class to graduate in Kit Carson County under a recognized .orl.r" oi study was the eighth grade at Flagler. Thev were taught under the direction of Mrs. tt' Charlotte (Rose) Godsman. She later serveJ at Burlington as principal to establish this course-of study there. This same year Leon .' E. Lavington finished his first schotl year; he was the first child born in the town of irtagier. It is generg-lly accepted among ,".""r."h* that Freda Huntley (Robb) wasihe first child born in the Flagler neighborhood. She was a daughter fo Mr. and Mrs. George W. Huntley, very early homesteaders. A sbddie, located about a block west of the Odd-fellows HaI on the main avenue, served as the first school. -, A first recorded teacher was Miss Mary .,::;,::.tl,l; .: An elevator shot showing Flagler in the early days. Crofteri. School was then held in a buildini constructed for a Congregational Churcf, until a grade school building was completed about 1893. Mr. J.W. Augustine wtro naJ been in.partnership with Mr. Lavington was one of the early school teachers, latei becom_ ing Kit Carson County Superintendent of Schools. Mr. C.W. Smith seried the commu_ nity as a minister and also was an early school teacher. The first doctor recorded in the new village was Dr. P.B. Godsman and may not haie lived here permanently. A first doctor remembered by one old timer was Dr. Allen. s,aying he was the first to stay here. Dr. Godsman was present at an investigation of the first murder in Kit Carson Couity, that of Mr. Harry Hatch. Mr. Hatch livedabout three miles west of Flagler. Dr. O.S. Neff arrived early, a relative of Mrs. William (Mamie Neff) Strode. He arrived at the Neff homestead from Chicago. He was suffering from TB and came for health ,"".orr.] Apparently, the climate was beneficial to hip. A.Dr. Schroyer, physician and surgeon, sold his building and stock to Or. fr. L. C'W' Smith built this beautiful hotel in 1893. Mr. Fry later made his home and ran the Republican paper, "The Flagler Advance". the hotel as well as TOWN OF FLAGLER T313 Charles Bernard opened a hardware store where the present First National Bank is located. This store was later sold to Henrv W. Brown. Earl Brown, his son, operated this store in later years at a location across the street north, where his father had built in later years. A lumber yard was established bv George Cornell located north ofa unique new home. He hauled his first supplies from Hugo where the family also operated a lumberyar-cl. This lumber was hauled by tenm and wagon. Mr. Cornell built a residence which is nowlhe lr_orye o{ John Herzog and family. Colby Hefnew built the Cottage Hotel. Across thl street southwest of the Cornell lumber yard -and was a livery barn and corrals owned operated by Mr. J.A. Mahlsteh. (in the area f*,;'.-'-' of the present bird seed packaging plant). Mr. Keegan operated his "Ponce De Lion" hotel rlong wiht a very active livery stable. Records fell us this hotel was located where the 100F building was later erected. The hotel burned First Flagler Day in 1914. Williams who arrived later, almost by acci_ dent, in the little hamlet. Dr. Williams was impressed with the community in about 190g when he observed it during an unplanned stop over in Flagler. �x Langcamp, Ann-a-Lavington, Money-making project for christian Endeavor society; Left to right --pthe-t i. S"iln U"a."r*ood, Mr.. gilagett, Mrs. Young (thoBarber's wife), Mrs. Jennie Williams, Mrs. Heiney' The "Weekly Register" published an issue at Crystal Springs on July 4, 1888. The next igsue was pubhsned at Malowe; no records tell us of its demise. Arch Cunningham was the publisher. A first publication after this was a small religous paper, "The Messenger of Love," published at a homestead south- west of Flagler by C.W. Smith. Mr. Smith was persuaded- by Mr. Lavington and David S*"yr"" to begin publishing a new newspa- per, "The Flagler Advance," in October, iagr. U.. C.W. Smith then built a house in Flagler, publishing the Advance in the basement. He later sold the house to J.J. Fry' Mr. Smith said it was an unique time in history as all county publishing went outside of Builington with no paper located there. by Lyle W. Stone pill,l,i RnNT Early day Flagler restaurant. �The Flagler Drayman. ress," a first permanent newspaper in 1908. "The Flagler News" was established in l91B by Edward Krutchen. A large number of homesteaders and settlers arrived in the late 1800s and earlv 1900s. The National Bank was established in 1908, the oldest banking institution in Kit Carson County. W.H. Lavington bought a frame building on main street to house his Dry Goods and Grocery store near the k$i - *.,,' present location of the Stop and Shop Grocery. This store had been owned bv M.F. Roberts, established in 1900 and sold to Mr. Lavington in 1902. Dr. H.L. Williams established his office and drug store across the street south of the Lavington store where Don Jones now operates his dairy. W.H. Lavington built a grain elevator. Real estate offices appeared, one operated by C.M. Smith. Mr. Smith and Mr. Bernard operated a real estate office together for a time, located jlryt north of the present Municipal Building. The Flagler Hotel was built by W.H. Lavington and W.L. Price and operated by H.B. Blanken. This hotel was complete with a dining hall and kitchen. This building is the present Municipal Building. Just south of the Flagler Hotel was located the Straub building, a lumber and hardware outlet. South of the Straub building, an early 100F Hall was erected where the Ponce De Leon hotel had burned. This was the site of an improved building in later years. An April 26, 1915 edition of the Flagler News announces that the next issue will be ; Otis Messick & Son and Bob Kelley. TOWN OF FLAGLER T3l4 published by William A. Borland of Brush. Colo. Mr. Borland had visited previously and had looked at several newspapers in the area. He was impressed by the activity, wide main ff fr f /{/4' The advance "died of starvation" in 1894. Charles E. Gibson, a homesteader living south of town, started "The Flagler Prog- *.' FaIl Festival in Flagler, 1914. In center ie Livery Stable where homesteaders kept ;heir horses when coming to seek a homestead site. �**'T K,ffi ->' *{STE * Caravan of motorcycles in front of the Flagler Hotpl. 'i **,1 ',' Lavington's float in the parade. Looking north on Main Street in the Fall of 1910-11. using materials for a garage. Seal Hall was the center of local plays, movies and community events. The Watters Hotel was the scene of local elections and a good place to eat a meal. The growing town of Flagler was without recorded official government for some time. A Flagler Commercial Club existed and was instrumental in promoting the idea of incorporation. At one of their meetings, it was pointed out that side walks, electric plants, water systems, etc., were better handled by a municipal organization. It seems town affairs and financing for needed improv- The Farmers State Bank built in 1912-14 and Reed's Cash Store & Grocery. street and general pride in the community he found here. The Simpson Clothing Store opened February 20, 1915 in the old pool hall south of Dr. H.L. Williams Drug Store. Gromer Brothers opened a new lumber yard in 1915; bad weather hampered its winter construction. At a school election in May, 1915, plans were discussed for a bond issue to build a new high school in Flagler which was soon built. In October, Dr. F.M. Thomas of Macon, Mo. Iocated in Flagler. He began a practice of Osteopathy at the residence of G.W. Johnston. J.C. Straub sold his lumber yard to Gromer Brothers and E.S. Johnson Lumber Company, saying three years were too many for the town. He then bought the ements was accomplished with a poll tax imposed by agreement of its citizens. This continued for some time after incorporation of the town. by Lyle W. Stone TOWN OF FLAGLER T315 In early 1916 petitions were circulated to assess the feeling of residents of Flagler on the matter of incorporating. An official petition was submitted to H.L. Haynes, Judge of the County Court. The court approved the action and appointed a commit- Seal and Seal Hardware stock. E.A. Malbaff broke ground for a new blacksmith shop across the road from the Lemar livery barn. The building was 24 x 50 feet and built of concrete blocks. Mr. Malbaff was operating a shop near or where Lyle Plumb later operated a shoe shop, (Jim Toney Shop). In early 1915, Dr. H.L. Williams began construction of a new concrete and brick building south of the post office. The post office was then located just south of the W.E. Hall, (Ottomans) brick store where H.C. Carper operated his barber shop in later years. Dr. Williams sold his old store to the Beatrice Creamery Company and Wm. Knies, local manager. It is possible Dr. Williams bought the post office building later First black Angus cattle in this area owned by the Lucore's of Arriba, shown at the Flagler Fall Festival in 1914. Frank Gibson, first car owner in Flagler. tee to cause publication and notice of an election in the matter. On October 17, 1916, an election was held at the Watters Hotel, with 116 votes cast, 107 in favor ofincorporation and 9 against. A Certificate oflncorporation from the State of Colorado is dated November 22, 1916. The incorporation committee, H.B. Blanken, W.H. Lavington, E.T. Epperson, D.D. Buck and Elaine Briggs called for an election to be held December 12, 1916 to elect one mayor and six trustees. On that date, Leon E. Lavington was elected mayor, A.J. Lockwood, J.H. Seal, H.B. Blanken, W.W. Reynolds, I.N. Moberly and J.W. White were elected trustees. Since that time long ago, mayors serving the town of Flagler are listed, along with date of oath and some other information. Leon E. Lavington - Dec. 1916; Leon E. Lavington - March 1918; W.R. Heiserman April 1920; Dr. H.L. Williams - (chose not to qualify) - April 1922; R.M. Farquhar (retained office) - April 1922; Dr. H.L. Williams - April 1923;P.T. Bonham - April 1925; Dr. H.L. Williams - April 1927; M.P. Williams - April 1929; Robert S. Bryan April 1930. George P. Gibbs - April 1932, Second Term - April 1934;Will Kliewer - April 1936; J. A. Fruhling - April 1938, Second Term - April 1940, Third Term - April 1942, Fourth Term - April 1944; T. Guard - April 1946; Dan Schlagle - April 1948; Leon E. Lavington, Jr. Term - April 1952; - April 1950, Second Robert Snell - (resigned Jan 1955) - April 1954; Ira Ferrier - (Appointed) - Jan 1955; �., l,.Si!s Civil War veterans, 1906. Fall Festival parade. F. A. Ottoman - April 1956; Russell R. Goodwin - April 1958; H. C. Carper - April 1960; David Rowden - April 1962, Second Term - April 1964; F. A. Ottoman - April 1966; Lyle W. Stone - April 1968, Second Term - April 1970; Richard Peterson - April a first effort to change to electric lighting occurred in a local garage; plans to furnish power to business places on main street were considered. In 1916 the wooden water tank The men in the Modern woodman organization. 1972; Rynold Fager - April 1974; Richard D. Stevens - April 1976, Second Term - (Resigned Sept 1979) - April 1978; Donald L. Jones - (Appointed) - Sept 1979; Robert L. Eikerman - (four year term) - April 1980; Steven E. Goering - April 1984. by Lyle IV. Stone TOWN OF FLAGLER T316 On June 8, 1916, the first senior class graduated from Flagler High School. In 1916 The Royal Neighbors ladies 1. Ive Reynolds; 2. Marry Girvin; 3. Mrs. Monor; 4. Millie Gibbs; Sarah White; 6. Jennie Williams; 7. ElIa Lavington; 8. Loura Davison. Early day citizens of the Flagler area: L. to R.: Mr.Rich; Mr. Boyd; Mr. Quinn; Mr. Mottinger. belonging to the Rock Island Railroad was replaced with a new steel one located farther north of the tracks. A park was promised by the railroad at the time. (I wonder if it ever developed?). The Flagler Telephone Com- pany had lines in operation both north and south of Flagler in 1917. Ida Howland operated a Millinery Shop, probably just south of the building now occupied by Terry's (Cafe). W.R. Heiserman operated a Mortuary; a "motor hearse" was part of the equipment. Dr. F.M. Thomas practiced as an Osteopath. Gromer Brothers operated a lumber yard. J.W. White was proprieter of a Barber shop: "Bring in your laundry Mondays and your hair and whiskers an5rtime." S.A. D. Culbertson bought the Watters Bros Meat Market. Princess Theatre was operated by M.R. Gromer and was showing silent movies. E.A. Malbaff had installed a new disk rolling machine. In January, 191?, Dr. E.W. Reid came to Flagler; he was expected to practice in the Straub building, just south of the Hotel Flagler. Stock was being sold in The Flagler Oil and Gas Company, who were drilling for oil nearby. In 1917 a petition to create a new county, to be named Flagler, was circulated and presented to the state legislature. Reason given was a distance of 50 to 60 Afternoon, 1913 or 1914, Fourth of July celebration, man in black suit is Dr. Neff. miles to the county seat. This bill was defeated in the next session. �A progress edition of the Flagler Progress and Flagler News was published in early 1918. In December the two newspapers merged to become The Flagler News, owned and published by William Borland. Newspaper items in 1917 and 18 include the effects of World War I on the community. August, 1917, Dr. M.C. Traw, DDS passed the examinations for the dental reserve corps, subject to call by his country. He had been practicing in the community for some time. In January, 1918, a publication of members of a home guard appeared, listing prominent members of the community. Arlie Wilson bought the W.E. Hall building in 1918. During this year a flu epidemic was rampant in the community; business places were visited only by necessity and public meetings were banned at times. Many died of what was often termed "Spanish Influenza." In 1919 casing arrived for the new oil well; some time later, the hole was pronounce dry. A soda fountain with all the "fizzes" wag installed by H.H. Kliewer at Dr. Williams pharmacy. Supt. C.H. Allen continued his work at Flagler High School in 1919 and the Flagler News installed a new modern Li- notype. This year the Flagler Fire Depart- Early day baseball team. mentwas organized. Jesse Yocum was elected first fire chief. The Flagler Hotel changed management: P.P. Stromeyer to Gus Mayot. In April, Wm. I. Sutton purchased stock and fixtures of Pedergon's Cafe. H.G. Grey barber shop changed management to its original proprietor, John W. White. One Barber Shop was located just south of the Straub building, north of the 100F Hall. An election was held on September 23, 1919 to decide whether or not Flagler would have a water works. Before the end of this year, work on the system had commenced. A decision to install an electric light plant occurred in 1919. Bids for the power house were received in November. The'20s were busy years in the community with Flagler becoming a business hub of the area. In December, 1921, electric power from the Flagler plant was turned into a heavy line serving the town of Seibert. These were years of many people and most towns did well in Kit Carson County. In L927 a few of the business places were The Flagler Lumber This colt, named "Liberty" was donated by H.C. Jones to the Red Cross of Flagler and was raffled off on April 13, 1918. \ Yard operated by John R. Miller, Palace gs Meat Market and Grocery - Chas. Jackson, J.A. White Hardware, Flagler Garage Wright and Fruhling, Leon E. by Lyle W. Stone Bert and Agnes Soule. After a big snow. TOWN OF FLAGLER Lavington - (Fords), The Flagler Hardware Co. - G.H. Rice, First National Bank - W.H. Lavington, Sanitary Barber Shop - E.W. Conarty, The Farmers Union, W.L. O'Brian DDS, Shaw Mortuary - Hamer Shaw, B.L. Miller Dray and Transfer, Nels Jorgensen (International Harvestor - Atwat- T3r7 er Kent), Leroy E. Cuckow (auto parts, wagons - equipment) and The Flagler Mercantile Co. - H. B. Blanken. In 1928, some ofthe business places, a few may have been active earlier were Flagler Cash Store - C.E. Reavis, Flagler Cleaners O.A. Groves, Red and White Food Co. - Bob Bryan, Royal Theatre, Jackson's Store Chas. Jackson, Home Market (in Jackson's The fire was started by a coal heater in the depot, winter of 1931. All ready and no place to go? 1923. store) - Noah Wold. The shock of a national financial upset in late 1920s is apparent in local history when �ads for autos and equipment begged for a change in the system where loans and charge sales could again be used. In 1929 people of TOWN OF FLAGLER T318 Flagler turned down a bid from Rocky Mountain Utilities for purchase of the light plant. This was accomplished at a vote of the people in August. Sam Combs bought a barber shop from E.W. Conarty. Nels Jorgen- sen was selling Desotos and then Crystler cars. Chas. Jackson called his store the Golden Rule Cash Store. Arthur Robb was operating Flagler Variety Store. Some other business places were White Eagle Service Station - Delbert Todd, Fred Mosher Grain - Jay Roberts, Flagler Filling Station - Pearl Lord, S.E. Teeter (cream, poultry and eggs), Leech Hardware, Guthrie's Shoe Store, Farmers Union - G.M. Baxter, Flagler Bakery Joseph Werner, Hollywood Cream Station C.B. Dean, Williams Pharmacy - H.L. Williams, Earl Browns (stil in business from long ago), and others. Walter Conarty, Kit Carson County sheriff from this area, was faced with the Orville Lindberg murder near Burlington. Mrs. Straub received a recommendation for postmaster. The Royal Theater of Flagler was making plans for new Train wreck, not identified. Train wreck near Flagler in the early 1930's. Minar. The 1936 business places include Shaw Mortuary, Palacy Cafe - May and Jay Roberts, Martin Shoe Shop, Carpers Barber and Beauty Parlor - H.C. Carper Olivette - movies with sound! In April, 1930, Sam Sprague was repairing the Rock Island Hotel. Clarence Wright began building the Wright Building, (Grand Theater). In August, O.M. Olsen bought the Rock Island Hotel. After a question of showing movies on Sunday was resolved, the Grand Theater opened. T. Guard bought the Flagler News about 1933. Pearl Lord opened a large adobe building along Highway 24 in March, 1934. It was expected to house a restautant, garage, filling station and rooms for rent. The 1930s were the dusty and dry years; many left the area. Dr. O'Brian moved away to Las Animas and Dr. Austin of that place came to Flagler, leaving again in October for Eagle, Colorado. Survival became a problem in the area. It did rain but these usually cnme in torrents and run off due to dusty conditions caused unforgettable floods, one breaking all records in 1935. Many travelers were stranded in Flagler at this time; supplies for the town were terminated in both directions. Lives were lost along the Republican River. Marion Williams operated Williams Pharmacy and children of this time will remember when he traded an ice creem cone for an egg on special days! Mrs. Gibbs Fall of 1944 train wreck which happened in a terrible fog. operated a small candy store on the west eide of main avenue, visited often by the children with their weekly allowance of a nickel. C.M. Smith was serving as Kit Carson County Judge in Burlington. Flagler Hospital was opened in the remodeled Flagler Hotel building by Dr. W. L. McBride of Seibert. A few other 1930s businees places were Law Land Office - W.H. Law, The Palace Barber Shop - Mr. and Mrs. J.A. Embree (later Campbell). Oliver Blanken was selling Willys - Overland, Willys - Knight and Whippet cars in the early 30s, Diets Funeral Home, Andre Home Mortuary, G.W. Klokenteger, Atty. In 1933 Ruby's Market appeared - W.E. ;-1.:**"";,. Y. Ruby, Tony's Shoe and Harness Repair Shop - Jim Tony, Gladden's Garage - A.K. Glad- den, The Flagler Truck Line - Herron Bros, Deluxe Cleaners - M.E. Harris and Square Deal Garage - Geo. by Lyle W. Stone By the water tower. �and in the fall of 1951, a celebration was Train derailment. planned, centering around an air show. Near the beginning of the celebration, a plane craehed into a crowd of spectators. Twenty were killed and that many injured; most were local. There was never a complete recovery from the shock of this event. Later this same year, the Flagler High School building burned. Very soon a fine new twelve grade school was constructed under the direction of Wm. McKinley after a vote on a bond issue, a tussle over bonding, and a drive for necessary local funds. Lyle's TV & Radio Service was established in 1951 by Lyle and Laura Stone; they purchased T. Guard's refrigeration and electrical business later. In 1956 Flagler installed a modern sewer system with an associated disposal plant. On May 15, 1953, Flagler Hospital closed due to increasing operating costs and ever increasing regulations. Dr. Straub continued to maintain his medical office in the building for a time and then accepted a location, Plains Medical Center in Limon, to continue his practice. Plans were developed for a medical center and later a hospital for the community. A The Republican river bridge on highway 24 east of Flagler after the flood of 1935. medical center was built. Though a permanent doctor was not found. the center was seldom without medical use. In 1964 a strenuoug effort to create indus- Ellis, Bus's Service Station, Dr. C.W. Zink, DDS, Bryan's Red and White, T.H. Hill try in the town of Flagler met with some (Conoco Products), Dr. W.L. McBride, MD, Moffett's Dry Goods Store, Nels Jorgensen ed met failure, a bird seed packaging plant remained, spearheaded by Wayne Fagerlund with help of other local citizens. This bit of industry remains and is a welcome addition (International Harvestor, refrigeration, radio) and Pearl's Garage, Cafe and Rooms (all under one roof). Certainly, there were others. The 1940's held an improvement in weather and with it the second world war. All towns felt losses of young men and their absence from the communities. Dances were accompanied by sale of war stamps and bonds. Scrap drives to produce more iron and needed staples were held. Rationing of tires, gasoline and most commodities became a way of life. Dr. Zink, who had operated a dental office in the community, closed his office to leave for the service. A few cars were sold to very lucky people by Fruhling Motor Company and Lavington Motor Company. It was not unusual to see burnpers of 2 x 6 wood instead of a normal bumper. Jorgensen success. Although most of the projects start- to the business of the town. This plant has been in. by Lyle W. Stone TOWN OF FLAGLER T319 operation for over twenty years. Natural gas was added to the utilities of the town. Hal Borland, son of Wm. Borland, publisher of the Flagler News, wrote many books through the 50s to 70s. He became a distinguished Drilling for oil south of Flagler. author and in 1970 honored his home town with "Country Editor's Boy." A memorial room exists in the Municipal Hall in his honor. In this short paper, only a very small portion of the business places and other entities of the town are listed, space will not allow mention of all things. Certainly, a book could be written about the many facets and endeavors making up the town of Flagler. Businesses of 1987 are many, including The First National Bank, L.P. Gas Service, Ottomans Cash Store and Locker Plant. Creighton Agency, Inc, The Office Recrea- tion Center, Flagler Video USA, Williams Pharmacy, Conoco Bulk Plant, M & S Texaco, Dorsch Grain Company, Flagler Aerial Spraying, D & M Steiger, Flagler Farm Equipment, Coast To Coast, Moss Corner, Flagler Farmers Co-op, Airport Restaurant, Lyle's TV & Radio Service, Flagler Equity Co-op, Colorado Bird Seed Packaging, Colorado Tax Center, R-K Hedging Service, The Mane Event, Randy's Auto Body Shop, Smith Service, Stop and Shop Super Market, Daves Barber Shop, Ron Pottorff Insurance, Terry's (cafe), Don's Dairy, High Plains Wholesale, Lark's Welding, Tip Top Service, Witts Family Store, Rowe Motors, Shideler Electric, Ethel's Beauty Shop, Koch - Opera- tions, Inc, Mac Tools, Agtec Inc, Green Horizons, J & J Parts and Repair, American Legion Club, Don's Liquor, The Flagler News, Fager Sales, Thad-Russ Ceramics, Joels Design Painting, John Shulda Electric, V & L Locks Service, Corky's Sales and Implement Company delivered an occasional International tractor and other needed items. The M&S Garage opened about 1943, so named in a "naming" contest won by Lillian Lord, by Millard and Sylvia Petersen. Flagler installed a 5 HP fire siren near the Malbaff Garage in November, L947. Curtis Clark established a cement block factory. After the war was over, Dr. John C. Straub returned from service and began a practice at the Flagler Hospital. The hospital gained national recognition for its outstanding care and special medical family teem. Just one of many memorable feats at the hospital was saving the life of Ernest Verhoeff, who had been injured internally by a bucking horse, with a new drug called Penicillin. In 1948, The Flagler News was published by a new editor and owners, Clyde and Ruth Coulter. T. Guard retired from the paper and continued in a Refrigeration and Electrical business. Nelson Stake bought and began operating the Flagler Airport. A Rural Fire Protec- tion District, using Flagler firemen, was established in 1948-9. The 1950's held tragedies in store for the town of Flagler. Economy was near a normal Plowing sod with 2 four bottom plows, Roy Bryant equipment. �l,ir' * "-: Threshing bundles of wheat. Service, The Mile Saver Shopper (shopping service publication), Soil Conservation Ser- vice, Bogart Well Service, Fashion Corner and Winfrey & County CPA's. Sincere hope is that none have been missed. This long list of business endeavors is included with the thought that in another 100 years, it will be very interesting. Remembering the restless vitality and undying hopefulness ofthose earliest inhabitants of Flagler who tired so very hard to make a worthy town of their settlement, it is not unlikely they would smile on the place Flagler has become. Generally, it is a very clean town with a neat business section, many trees and parks. There is yet a stigma among inhabitants of Flagler which seems evident in all years from the beginning, to better their community. Often, the impossible has been accomplished at great odds, to create, organize and establish. The latest accomplishment, a new golf course is an example of this community effort. Yes, I believe those special people of the past would smile if they could walk the streets of Flagler today. Very soon, on or before October, 1988, the Town of Flagler will have crossed a milestone: 100 years since steel rails tied this place firmly to the rest of the country. It should be a time for celebration and for great hope for Flagler's future. This same stigma must have been felt by earliest residents and those who followed, to make it a great place. We of today must continue this same courage and effort to preserve and make it even better. by Lyle T[. Stone They just get big in this part of the countryl �FLAGLER T320 rrirr::1r.:ri. :f: r:::l.l li: ,i' : : t.1,,:t,; -' f!l$r.;,,fi!ti ;:,.,,;11 -: ri lli.::l'.il::r:ll dfr* -: ;aai': - "*c " ;'- 'l *'i3., :.' : l:ir,llrt.i$.$?tirs{9i.i!$!a$ rl r.L -t1.", ' -i fffi5 *l i{t J1 "€- �FLAGLER CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH T32r including the pulpit, lecturn, and altar still in use in the present church was completed in 1953, and in this same year plans for a new Sunday School building were made and these plans were fulfilled in the present education building in 1954. Rev. Don Meek followed Rev. Matheny in 1958, serving until June of 1961. During these years there was a noted growth in church membership and attendance, and increased activity of the youth gtoups. In 1960, it was voted to build a new church building, and in Feb. 1961, the church voted in favor of the union of the Congregational Christian Church and The Evangelical and Reformed Church to form the United Church of Christ. In July 1961, it was decided to raise funds for the proposed building, which was completed within a few months and dedicated with appropriate ceremonies on Nov. 12, 1961. In May 1962, Rev. Ernest Maedche was First Congregational Church at Flagler from 1915 until 1961 when the new church was built. On December 13, 1888, the Flagler Congregational Church warl organized by Reverend D.H. Minnich, a circuit rider from Arikaree, who also served as pastor to five other churches in the area. The charter members were: Rev. Minnich, H.W. Brown, William Hunt, E.M. Lyon, Florence Lyon, Mr. Hatch and Mrs. Hanna Strode. Within the year, plans were made to build a church which was completed a few years later with the assistance of a $300 laon from the Congregational State Committee. The new church was one of the first buildings in the pioneer Flagler settlement, and wag at the present location of what is known as the late C.M. Smith home at Fifth and Loveland. The building was also occupied by the school when it was moved from a soddy to the church building. The building was purchased by Mr. and Mrs. C.M. Smith in about 1915 called to the Flagler Church, serving until June 1966. In Nov. 1966, Rev Leslie R. Poeschel was called to minister and served until the fall of 1972. The Rev. Frank McCall of the Arriba First Congregational served as interim pastor until Nov. L, L973, when Rev. Harvey K. Griffith was called by the congregation. Rev. Griffith in co-operation with Rev. McCall in 1976, formed a Parish Planning Committee composed of the officers of the Arriba and Flagler churches for the purpose of forming a yoked ministry. This yoked field was voted into being in June 1976 when Rev Griffith was called by the Arriba Congrega- 1912. In 1912, Reverend George Gibbs was called to minister to the church. At this time. CATHOLIC CHURCH T322 First Congregational Church, two were united in marriage in the second building, and the Rev. Harvey Griffith and Bernita Challis were united in marriage in the new church building in Nov. 1976 with the Conference minister Rev. George Otto, presiding in a Thanksgiving Day Celebration that included a dinner serving for over 200 persons. the fall of 1988. Ministers of First Congregational Church, Flagler, Colo. are: Minnich, Dec. 13, 1888 Dec. 31, 1891; Jones, Jan. 1, 1892 - Mar. 1, 1892; Tuttle, Mar. 1, 1892 - Aug. 1, 1896; Smith, Aug. 1, 1896 - Jun. 1, 1903; Edgar, Jul, 1903 - Oct. 1, 1903; Faner, Oct., 1903 - May his leadership the church membership increased to fifty-four. Rev. E.H. Blodgett ministered to the church from 1905 to 1910, followed for one year by Rev. Hopkins, 1910 to 1911, and the Rev. E.P. Owens for one year from 1911 to ST. MARY'S Council until the present time. Two ministers were ordained in the Flagler The house which is the present parsonage was purchased by the church to serve as the minister's home in 1928. Reverend Phillip Pennington served the Flagler church from 1950 to 1954. During his ministry, the Youth Fellowship was revived, a church nursery instituted, a new chancel, and served the church until 1903. and under May, 1955; G.H. Underhill, Jun., 1961 - May, 1962; F.M. McCall, Nov., 1972 - Oct., 1973; Carla Gilbert, Jun., 1972 - Oct., 1987; Natelli, Nick, Oct., 1987. ly under the guidance ofthe Parish Executive plans were being made for a new church building. In 1913, a site was selected and on Oct, 4,1914, the new church was dedicated, a building which was to serve the congregation until Nov. 12. 1961. Christmas Day, 1892, uniting Edley T. Epperson and Nina M. Miller in marriage. Rev. C.W. Smith followed Reverend Tuttle 1966; Poeschel, Nov. 1, 1966 - Nov. 1,t972; Griffith, Nov. 1, 1973 - Jun. 1, 1986. Interims: Lester Sperberg, Oct., 1954 - tion to serve as their pastor, thereby establishing the hoked ministery, with 238 members and 94 students. It has operated smooth- From 1976 through 1978 the Board of Trustees worked on a renovation program in the church buildings and the pars.onage, with some painting, carpeting, new windows for the sanctuary, and with a new kitchen, bathroom and study, along with tree removal and landscaping. at the parsonage. The Ladies Aid Society has supported the renovation and general program of the church with both their time and funds, which were raised when they have an annual summer long Bargain Shop on Main Street. It must be told also that the effective work of the boards and committees of the church has continued to keep the congregation active in the ministry that serves well both its membership and the Flagler Community. A breezeway, joining the Education building and the church was completed in the early 1980's to make one complete building, a 100th anniversary celebration is planned for and remodeled for a home. Rev. Tuttle occupied the pulpit form 1892 to 1896, and during his ministry the first wedding was performed in the church on 16, 1905; Blodgett, Jun 4, 1905 - May 16, 1910; Hopkins, May 16, 1910 - Mar 1, 1911; Owens, Jun 1, 1911 - Jun. ,l,L9l2; Gibbs, Jul. L, 191.2 - Arg., 1, 1915; Marquardt, Dec. 1, 19f5 - Dec. 1, 1917; Moore, Aug. 1, 1919 Aug, 1925; Schwab, Nov., 1925 - May, 1928; Gibbs, May 1928 - Aug. 1929; Leach, Aug., 1929 - Aug., 1932; Read, Jun., 1932 - Sept. 1932; Gibbs, Sept. 1932 - Dec. 1943; Allingham, Jan 15, 1935 - Jun., 1937; Thomas, Jun., 1937 - Mar., 1942; Bryant, Sep. 7, 1942 - Aug. 1944; Macon, Jul., 8, Lg44 - Jul 1948; Hahn, Sep. 5, 1948 - Sep. 15, 1949; Pennington, Jan. 1, 1950 - Oct. 1, 1954; Matheny, May 1, 1955 - Jun., 1958; Meek, Jun., 1948 - Jun., 1961; Maedche, May, 1962 - Jun., St. Mary's Catholic Church, Flagler. I presume the first known Catholics in the Flagler area were the Michale Quinn family who arrived to work on the railroad on March 28, 1888. Other families arriving later in the area were the Andrewjeskys who came in 1907 and the Ostrowskis who arrived in 1909. Other names remembered were Miciejeski, Greek, Bakuski, Jasjievic, Gregel and the Krafts. Once a year a Polish priest from Denver would come out to the area to offer Mass in one of the homes and to baptize the new babies born that year. Some of these families only lived in the community for three years or less. In 1930 the Charles Keller family arrived, to be followed later by Chappla, Chivilicek, Naus, Selenke, Horning, Clark, Heinrick, Lueb, Grant, Eder, Paul Wimmer, Vince Wimmer, McCormick, Lowe, Hubbard, Kelly and Ford families. These Catholics as well as the previous Catholics now traveled to Strat- ton or Hugo to attend Sunday Masses, weather permitting. In 1947 Father Edward Dinan and Father Charles Salmon from the Stratton Church saw the need for a church in Flagler and offered to take turns coming to Flagler to say Mass. Their first Mass was in a back room of the Case Implement Building on Main Street owned by Vern Naus. (This is now Randy's �Body Shop). Plans were soon made for a church building and Father Dinan appointed Charles Keller, Andrew Selenke, and Vern Naus to purchase a school building from Idalia and have it moved to Flagler and remodeled into a church. These three men donated $500.00 each and other families quickly added to the building fund. Record show the 3O by 22 ft. school house was purchased for $1,750.00 and the 4 lots on 8th St. for $750.00. George Hubbard and Charles Keller went to Brighton for church pewe. On October 26, 1947, the first Mass was offered in Flagler's St. Mary's Catholic Church. Records show the following: first baptisms: Karen Janette Eder, April 11, 1948 and Rose Ellen Grant, April 22, 1948; first marriage: Jack McKay and Myrtle Dine, Sept. 5, 1959; first funerals: Georege Oscar Epperson, Feb. 26, 1951 and Margaret (Maggie) Epperson, Dec. 24, 1956. Other baptisms, marriages, first communions, the confirmations and funerals were in St. Charles Church at Stratton. The first meeting of the Altar & Rosary Society was October 6, 1949 in the home of Maggie Epperson. President was Kathryn Hubbard and sec./treas. was Maymie Lueb. On July 2, L959, Limon's Catholic Church building was purchased as they were building a new church. This building was moved to the former George Epperson property which had been willed to the church in 1956 by Maggie Epperson. On Oct. 25, 1959, we had our first Mass in our new location. The Epperson house was converted to our Parish House. Father Dinan was still our priest. Helen McCormick has been our organist most all of these years. We are grateful to Virginia Eder who has put together with pictures a beautiful and complete history book of the church. It lists families, priests, sacraments, funerals and other special events. We now have over 25 families in our church. Father Jerry Kelleher who is also the priest for Hugo and Limon is our priest. Our lecturers are Gayla Jones and Shelly Wieser. Kelly Wieser and Jesse Bezdek, are our altar boys. Eucharistic Ministers are Ron Wieser, Tom Arensdorf, Pat Ford, Don Jones, Ray ''.f :..r:*.Y) t I ffi;* :;m Flagler Baptist Church as it now stands with the original structure and the new addition. buildings in town before the church was constructed. Meetings were held in Seal's Hall (Wickham Hardware Building), the house that C.M. Smith lived in and, some- a dollar to join. From the nine women who started the society, three circles were later formed and still meet regularly. In the fall of 1947, the Women's Mission Society began time later, a school house was moved into town north of the present Baptist Church. giving a banquet for all the Flagler High Services continued there under the pastorate of Rev. Hill. On June 30, 1918 the Flagler Baptist Church was organized, with the Rev. W.F. Henry as pastor and fourteen members. This is still being continued. Charter members were: Mr. and Mrs. J.H. Reade, Mr. and Mrs. R.S. Bryan, Mr. and Mrs. C.W. Alexander, Mr. and Mrs. H. Pangborn, Mrs. Amelia Miller, Mrs. Alma Williams, Mrs. Amelia Alexander, Mrs. Ella Stone, Mrs. Eunice Hughes and Mrs. Ethel School graduates and eighth grade graduates. In 1948, girls guild was started and remained active until 1980. by Renee Loutzebhiser TIIURMAN CHURCH T324 Stutzman. The following summer, lots were secured "Thurman's Church of circa 1915, built to place ofworship until the upper structure was completed the later part of December 1927. Dedication services were held January 29, 1928. The approximate cost was $8000.00. replace one burned in a prairie fire, stands in spite ofa devastating tornado which killed 11 people nearby in the early 1920's." Adam's book does not state this north of Flagler denomination, but old timers here remember it was Mennonite. They bring to building were Fred Probasco, John Collier, came along one summer Sunday as all the E.B. Walker and R.S. Bryan. The pastor at that time was Rev. William Peterson. The First Thanksgiving service was held in the church in 1928 with a bountiful basket dinner. The first wedding held in the sanctuary was that of Rhynold Fager and Crystal Hale on March 6, 1938. In the spring of 1939, Mr. W.H. Lavington gave a house to the church for use as its parsonage. This house is now the home of the Glenn Saffers'. Also, about this time, Mrs. congregation had gathered at the home ofthe minister, Rev. Kuhn, for a basket dinner. The menfolk had gone about 100 feet from the house to the garage to admire the preacher's new fliwer. The women and some children were in the house cleaning up after the dinner when out of the blue the cyclone swept down from the southwest, missing the garage, but lifting up the house with all its occupants and slamming it down some distance away. Many were injured, the eleven losing their T323 John Hale painted the scene behind the baptistry in the sanctuary. lives. The minister's wife and also his two About the year 1911, Grace Chapel Car was moved onto a siding just west of the Flagler Depot. The Rev. and Mrs. A.C. Lintzenger were in charge in this car which, also, had living quarters for the minister and his family. The car seated forty to fifty people. It was from the interest in evangelism of people who attended services in the Chapel Car. that a decision was made to establish a Baptist Church in Flagler. Places of worship were held in different During the years, the church had its growth Hinman and Mary Ann Wimmer. Debbie Ford is our church treasurer. Altar and Rosary Society officers are Clara Hinman, Helen Keller and Virginia Eder. Lynda Jones is in charge of our religious education program. The teachers are Jeanne Wieser, Karn Arensdorf, Char Smith and Ceceila Blackwell. by Clara Hinman FLAGLER BAPTIST CHURCH and the basement was constructed at an approximate cost of $4000.00. This was the The main workmen on the new church strengthened by the addition of members from what had been the Shiloh Baptist Church and the Twin Lakes Church, later known as the Zion Baptist Church. This church was in the midst of the dust bowl area in the mid 30's and had a hard struggle to maintain itself. At the February 2L, t92l meeting of the church, it was voted to organize a missionary society with weekly dues of fifteen cents and mind the tragic story of how the tornado daughters were among the victims. One of the daughters was holding a baby which was uninjured. The windmill and all outbuildings were strewn along the flat countryside, which was populated by the pastor's chickens running naked since the wind blast had taken off their feathers. At the mass funeral, the caskets stood outside the church and the bodies are in the little cemetery where the church used to stand before it was moved to the present site near the Thurman Post Office. �l.K According to Mrs. M.!). !'erguson of Burlington, formerly Faye Zook - Pangborn, mother of Burlington pharmacist, William Pangborn, Thurman first had a church before the turn of the century. Its Amish congregation sat for services with no singing nor music of any kind with a division down the center on one side, women on the other. Born -in men the area, she was baptized in this white frame meetinghouse which was later consu- med in the devastating fire. The wind fanned blaze swept over the hill for the northeast in about the year 1914, narrowly missing the Pangborn and Zook farms. Zion Lutheran School in the 1920's, Mr. Daberkow, teacher. Tongues of flames flared skyward for miles, 1894, by Missionary Klettke of Burlington. fed by the "go - back" bushy grass, with scarcely a homesteader left in the area to get The first congregation was formed in February, 1909 northeast of Arriba, during the time of missionary Heinrich Schmidt, son-in-law of Mr. and Mrs. Diedrich P. Blancken. barrels of water and gunny sacks on a wagon to fight the fire. Go - back grass resulted when land was given up after sod had been broken and hard - pressed settlers fled elsewhere to make a living. Soon, plans began toward beginning a congregation at Flagler. Under the guidance of the pastor at Arriba, H. Stegemann, this goal was realized with the organization of the Evangelical Lutheran Zion Congregation of Flagler, on April 10, 1911. There were ZION LUTHERAN CHURCH T326 approximately twenty-eight souls and twenty-four communicants. Voting members were: Henry B. Blancken, D.F. Blancken, William Hohenstein, Henry Schwynn, John Krause, Henry Rabe, Martin Mueller, Ed Scholote, Henry Weidenhammer and Herman Blancken. Zion's first church building was a schoolhouse, purchased and moved in from northeast of Flagler. This building stood at the southwest corner of Pawnee and Seventh. Only a few services were held in it, as Zion, in 1917, was able to buy a building of the Iowa Lutheran Synod, on the main street of Flagler, acrogs from the present church. It doubled as a facility for the Christian day school, and served well until the new church building was dedicated in 1962. An interesting note in the early history of The old church and parsonage. Zion wae the seating arrangement for worship services. As was the custom in many German - Lutheran congregations, the men sat on one side of the room and the women on the other. The Christian day school children sat in their school desks, which for Sunday worship were pushed together towards the front of the room. This practice lasted into the early 1930's. Another interesting historical note regards the role of the German language in Zion's history. In the early years, worship and instruction were in German. Through the Zion Lutheran Church Flagler, built in 1962. The history of Flagler's Zion congregation arose out of the dedication and hard work of German Lutheran families who settled in the Arriba - Flagler area in the 1890's, and of the early missionaries who ministered among them. The first Lutheran services were held in the home of Henry B. Blancken, in May, years it gradually gave way more and more to English, with German services discontinued for good in 1942. A Christian day school was an important part of Zion's history for twenty-five years. The first parochial school was begun in 1913 by Pastor H. Stegemann. It had an enrollment of two, and was taught by the pastor. Sometime in the years following this school disintegrated, and so Pastor F.B. Bierwagen started it anew in 1921. It boasted six pupils at its opening. Pastor Bierwagen taught for the fust four years. He was succeeded by student Eugene Kuechle in 1925-26, and student A.G. Schneewind in L926-27. ln 1927 Ernst Daberkow, a graduate of Concordia Teachers College of Seward, Nebraska, came as teacher, and served through the end ofthe L944-45 school term. Mr. Daberkow also served as Sunday school superintendent and teacher, and as organist, during his professional service at Zion. He currentlv still lives in Flagler, and is a faithfully - attending member of the church. The highest enrollment of the Zion Christian day school was forty seven, in 1931-32. In the 1940's dwindling resources forced Flagler and Aniba to operate a joint parochial school. The 1943-44 school year was held in Arriba. with 1944-45 and 1945-46 back in Flagler. Paster William A. Steil was a teacher during the last term. Through the years of its existence Zion's Christian day school proved a great blessing, being instrumental in the molding of not a few fine churchmen and churchwomen. Zion was received into membership in the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod at the first convention of- the Colorado District of the synod in Colorado Springs on June 8-14, t921. Lay delegate to that convention was Diedrich Blancken; pastoral delegate was F. Bernard Bierwagen, who also represented Immanuel. Arriba. Zion had been a member congregation of the Missouri Synod ever since. In the period from 1925 to 1944 the congregation requested and received subsidy from the Colorado District from time to time. By the grace of God experienced in good crops in L944,Zion was able to return the last check from the district Mission Board, and has remained self-supporting ever since. Through the years she has, in fact, been able to increasingly support the work of the church at large, through district and synod. In 1961 Zion closed out its first halfcentury and began the next with a celebration of its 50th anniversary on Cantata Sunday, April 10, under the theme "What God Hath Wrought." Services were held morning and afternoon at Flagler High School, with more than 400 in attendance at each. Guest preachers for the occasion were first resident pastor F.B. Bierwagen, and Dr. John W. Behnken, president of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. - On Sunday, September 24, ground was broken for a new church building on lots across the street to the east. Construction began in October. Architect was John Y. Brown, Jr., of Lamar; the contractor W.C. Davis, also of Lamar. Serving on the building committee was Alvin Kasten, chairman; David Michal, Wilbur Haeseker, Walter Timm and LaVern Einspahr. February 25, 1962 broughtthe laying ofthe cornerstonel and the new facility was dedicated on May 27. Total building costs were $78,008.89. The old building was put up for sale by auction. It is now a residence on Navajo Avenue. On November 25, Zion hosted a special community memorial service for assassinated President John F. Kennedy. A high point was reached at the end of 1971, with the paying off of the debt on the church building. The mortgage was burned with proper ceremony in a special afternoon service of thanksgiving and praise on June 4. In 1975 a significant change was made in Zion's constitution. with Article VI amended to read "male voting members to be eighteen years of age," rather than twenty-one. In January of 1978 the congregation decided to trade the parsonage for the Dave Morris home, a large brick ranch style house, which then became the parsonage. The difference in price was approximately $38,500. The original parsonal still stands across the street as the Dave Morris home. �As it turned out, this home required considerable expense and time in repairs, and in August of 1980 it was sold for $85,000' In November it was decided to build a new parsonage. Lots were purchased at 315 Pawnee Avenue. and a Boise Bradford II home was chosen. It was completed the following May at a cost of $71,440.50, and is the present parsonage. Also in August 1980 another amendment was made to Article VI of the constitution, "Right of Suffrage," to allow all members eighteen years and older to vote and hold office, with women excluded from holding only the offices of president and elders, according to the requirements of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. A significant- decision was made in the autumn of 1983, increasing frequency of - 1943-1945: William A. Steil - 1945'L947; Gustav G. Kreft - 1948-1950; Leslie L. Ludwig - 1950-1955; Gilbert Busarow - 19551957: Franklin L.W. Hoffmann, Jr. - 19571964; Pete D. Pedersen - 1964-1971; John B. Luttman - 1971-1975; Paul Westerlund 1976-L977; Robert C. Rowland II - 1978- 1980; Mark Yates - 1980-1981; and James M. Elmshauser - 1982-. Teachers Who Served in the Christian Day School H. Stegemann (pastor) d 1913; F.B. Bierwagen (pastor) - l92l-L925; Eugen Kuechle (student) - L925-L926.; A.G. Schneewind (student) - L926-1927; Ernst Dakerkow L927-L945; William A. Steil (pastor) - 19451946. celebration of the sacrament of Holy Communion from the first Sunday of each month to the first, third, and fifth Sundays, and major festival days. This brought Zion's worship practice closer to the historic practice of the whole Christian Church, and to Lutheran practice following the Reformation in the 16th century. Beginning in November 1984 the congregation began use of the new worship book, the Lutheran Book of Worship on Sundays, in alternation with the old worship book, The Lutheran Hynnal. Use of the two books continues on an alternating basis, offering the best of two worlds for those who come to worship. Through the years, Zion has been served by seventeen pastors (listed below). Fourteen of them have been shared with Immanuel Lutheran Church ofArriba, Colorado, reflecting the close ties that have existed with that congregation since their common origins. During much of Zion's history, the two churches have had a dual parish arrangement, sharing a pastor, an arrangement continuing very successfully at the present. Among other things the two churches share are special worship services, junior high confirmation class, and an annual Rally Day celebration in the fall. On Saturday and Sunday, June 21, and22, bv Jim Elmshauser LSC CLUB HISTORY T326 Ladies Social Circle, LSC, is best recorded and remembered in quoting an item appearing in an August 12, 1965 item in the Flagler News, celebrating the 50th anniversary of this club. This item gives a welcome record of it's founding and of many of the persons who lived in a vast area south of Flagler. Although it's beginning was in the Albright neighborhood, it popularity spread through- out school district 19 and communities surrounding it. None of us, who lived in this community will forget wonderful pot luck meals we had, nor the enjoyment of these occasions when this club met at different homes in the community. Information included in this 50th anniversary follow as copied from the Flagler News. "The first record found ofthe Ladies Social Circle was dated February 25, 1915. This meeting was held at the home of Mrs. Sam Sloan. "It was voted to limit the club to 20 members and Mrs. Adam Pfiester was taken in as a member," were contents of first minutes. On April 15, 1915, the club met with Mrs. Melvina Brisbin. It was voted to put the club money in the bank on a certificate bearing 4 percent interest. Mrs. McDonald became a new member. At the next meeting in May, each member contributed to make up the cost of funeral flowers for one of their group, Mrs. Wickham, who was the daughter of Mrs. Brisbin. Irene Wickham, who is now Mrs. AIjy Stinton and Mrs. Wilson were voted in as new members. Mrs. Ackerman as appointed to buy flowers for sick members of the "Albright" community and Mrs. Strong for the "Sunny Side" area. It was voted to open membership to more ladies and to raise dues to 25 cents per year to be held in the treasury for an emergency fund. The dues remained at this figure until 1954. It is possible that the group had organized in August, 1914, held at the home of Mrs. Sexton. Those elected were Mrs. Tom Lewin as president, Mrs. Ackerman as vice president, Mrs. Art Strong (sister of Flo Baxter), secretary and Mrs. J.B. West as treasurer. The roll that year included Mrs. Albert Ackerman, Mrs. Melvina Brisbin (Bill Wickham's grandmother), Mrs. O.C. Cristopher, (Mrs. Sutton's mother), Mrs. Fred Cristopher (son of O.C.), Mrs. W. Davenport, Mrs. Claude Ervin, Mrs. Will Grove, Mrs. Anna Holson, Mrs. Hemerick, Mrs. Clyde McDonald, Mrs. E.S. McDonald, Mrs. Adaline A. Newby, Mrs. Adam Pfiester, Mrs. Emma Reade, Mrs. E. Reiger, Mrs. Richmond, Mrs. Sexton, Mrs. Sam Sloan, Mrs. Robert Stinton, Mrs. Sol Stone, Mrs. Art Strong, Mrs. Emma Sutton, Mrs. Schmidt, Mrs. B. F. Smith, Mrs. Emma Verhoeff, Mrs. Frank Wilson, Mrs. J.B. West, Mrs. Clarence West, Mrs. Susie Wickhe'n and Irene Wickham. It was about this time, black and white marbles were purchased for casting votes for new members, that members suggested and the president requested the secretary to keep and read minutes of all meetings, that work 1986, Zion celebrated with greatjoy seventy- five years of God's grace in Word and sacrament, under the theme "Rejoice in the Lord Always!" Former pastors Paul H. Scheer and John B. Luttman preached to large crowds in the Sunday morning and afternoon services, and Holy Communion was celebrated in the morning. As the congregation reached its three- quarter century mark, it numbered 134 -4: ,l t,] baptized members and 97 communing (con- firmed) members. Officers as 1988 begins are: LaVern Einspahr, president; Dovi Beal, secretary; Agnes Otteman, treasurer; Opal Einspahr, financial secretary. Serving on the board of elders are David Edwards, Mark Otteman and Jerry Guy. Trustees are Laurel Niemann, Connie Stone and Keith Einspahr. Sunday school superintendent is Debra Stone. To God alone be all the glorY! r.l11l:i,lir,. Pastors TYho Have Served Zion, 1911 - 1988 H. Stegemann - 1911-1913; F. Bernard Bierwagen - 1914-1927; Paul H. Scheer - 1928-1934; Norman Heimsoth - 1935; Herman C. Loesel - 1936-1942; Herman H. Heine Ladies Social Circle, 1940: Front row: Bess Short, Bess Jones, Gertrude Storrs, Sue Zebaugh, Ruth Short, MArtha Price, Ina Conarty. Middle row: Lorris Wickhnm, Irene Jones, Minta Goodwin, Minnie Blanken, Elizabeth Verhoeff Wood, Donna Verhoeff Irwin, Diana McCart, Carrie Baldwin, Zola Short. Back row: Florence Newton. Minerva Stone, Ida Rowland, Ethel McConnell, Ella Radebaugh. �done for the hostess was quite often sewing Canie Baldwin, Zola Short, Florence carpet rags, making aprons, making "waists" for boys in the family and dresses for girls, gowns and skirts or making quilt tops. "It is to be understood that members bring work of their own to meetings, then when our hostess'work is finished, or ifshe should have nothing for us to do, we need not be thinking of the old proverb of Satan and the idle hands." At each meeting, members enjoyed Newton, Minerva Stone, Ida Rowland, Ethel McConnel and Ella Radebaugh. A great deal of history of the community south ofFlagler is contained in the carefully written record of L.S.C. history. Thankfully, names and dates were included in some cases. It is commendable such a record was written. News Items found in early Flagler News editions give some clue to persons residing in musical selections by one of the group such as Edith Ervin at the piano or Mrs. Strong the community, concerning LSC meetings and activities. Leading dates are of Flagler with instrumental music. November 2, 1916, L.S.C. met at the home of Mrs. Anna Rose Wickham. Ladies from Flagler attended in the interest of the W.C.T.U. hoping to institute a new chapter. Present were Mrs. W.H. Lavington, Mrs. H.L. Williams (Marion Williams'mother), Mrs. Heiserman, Mrs. Langcamp, Mrs. Traw, Mrs. Anderson (Winnie Walker's mother), Mrs. Mullen, Mr. and Mrs. W. L. Price and children, Mrs. Reece, Mrs. Frank Miner and Rev. Marquardt. The climax of a wolf hunt interrupted one meeting when the men folks brought in two wolves. Some thought was given to changing the club to a Red Cross Chapter but was later abandoned and the club remained the same. The club sponsored bake sales, bazaals, oyster suppers, and in 1919, Mrs. Sprague from Burlington taught a class in nursing at the meetings. Enrolled were Ina, Irma and Opal Conarty, Effie Eaton, Roxie Grove, Florence Newton, Mable McDonald, Sue Pfiester, Rose and Zelia Stone, Jennie Sex- ton, Etta Smith, Maggie Stinton, Flora Strode, Susie Zebaugh and Daisy Vawter. Their final examination was March 17, L921. Attendance at meetings dwindled because of the influenza epidemic. Mrs. Ploper, a member and her daughter, Gladys were taken by the disease and the L.S.C. mended and made clothing for the family. This type service was done for the Wickham family when both Susie and Mrs. Anna Rose Wickhn- died, for the Hamilton family, Leo Gant and Frank Matzke families and others. Mrs. Alexander demonstrated culling chickens for increased egg production; a demonstration also was given in hat making and in making dress forms. There were wedding and stork showers. When a member moved away, they held a surprise party for her and her family, presenting her with a gift. In later years, if a member moved outside the boundary lines, returned to the community, then moved away again, she was not presented with another gift, there were other difficulties as usual with by-laws. When Mr. and Mrs. Sexton celebrated their golden wedding anniversary the club had a surprise party and presented them with a $5.00 gold piece. During the early'20's, the members embroidered their names on quilt blocks, one for eachmember. Theypieced and quilted a quilt for each member. Mrs. Robert Stinton still has hers." A picture accompanied the above article, taken in 1948. It included the following members of that time: Bess Short, Bess Jones, Gertrude Storrs, Sue Zebaugh, Ruth Short, Rose Stone, Martha Price, Ina Conarty, Loris Wickham, Irene Jones, Minta Goodwin, Minnie Blanken, Elizabeth Ver- hoeff, Donna Verhoeff, Diana Mc Cart, News issues. March 1916. Mesdams. J.H. Reade. Adam Phiester, W.Y. Grove, W.I. Sutton and daughters, Guy McDonald and son and Mrs. John Thompson were among those attending the Social Circle at Mrs. McDonalds in Flagler. Mrs. Fred Matz was voted in as a member. A News item dated Feb. 9, 1925, "L.S.C. Club Notes" is interesting. "Mrs. Sol Stone was hostess to the LSC Club Thursday. The club's first meeting since November 20th. Fourteen members and three visitors were present. The time was spent socially. Mrs. Cary was made a member of the club. The next meeting will be with Mrs. W.F. Stone, Feb. 19th. The entertaining program was especially enjoyable at the last meeting. Little Edith Fogg spoke several pieces and her mother, Mrs. Fogg's rendering of "The Madman" held the audience in awe at the moved to the Wheeler place, Chet and Maurine Wold moved to the old W.H. Lavington ranch. Zenelda and Maurine joi- ned LSC. Zenelda remembered drawing names for "peanut sisters," a method of gift giving to one another through the year, keeping names secret. Names of members were place inside peanut shells and these peanuts were drawn from a container. Through the year at special occasions, gifts were exchanged using the name found inside the peanut shell. Mrs. Joe McCart was Zenelda's peanut sister and she remembered giving her a beautiful pair of hand made pillow cases. Zenelda said at Christmas time they sent money to service boys in WWII. She said, "Van Goodwin's had the most boys in service, a total of five." As years passed, membership dwindled. This closely matched attendance at many country schools. Although an actual ending of LSC is not known by this writer, it is possible meetings continued on after the consolidation moves of the early 1950s. Certainly, memories of these very special club meetings, often the climax of entertainment for some in the community, will never be forgotten. In those days of short funds, dust storms and dry weather, it was no doubt the only anticipated enjoyment of the time. by Lyle W. Stone anticipation of the awful tragedy to be enacted, when it turned out he was only going to shave himself. Members are kindly requested to either bring to next meeting or sent to the secretary, the finished quilt blocks for Mrs. Sexton. Mrs. D. R. Zebaugh, Secretary. March, 1925, the LSC Club met with Mrs. George Vike. Thirteen members were present. A delicious dinner was served at noon. Three new members were taken in. Next meeting will be held a the home of Mrs. Wm Wickham on April 2nd. April, 1925. "The LSC was delightfully entertained at the home of Mrs. Walter Palmer Thursday, Fourteen members were present. Mrs. Ellsworth read a selection. The next meeting will be with Mrs. Mahoney June 4th when mesdames Gaines, Griffith and Lana will be on the progr4m. June, 1925, "Mrs. Mahoney was hostess at LSC Club Thursday. Thirteen members responded to roll call. Two guests were present. A good social time was enjoyed by all. Mrs. Lana read on household hints and jokes. Mrs. Gaines propounded a riddle. Opal Conarty gave a humorous recitation. Next meeting will be with Mrs. B.H. Short, June t8th. Mesdames McDonald, F. Newton, R. Newton and Pettis will be speakers of the day." June, 1925, "Mrs. B.H. Short was hostess to the LSC Club Thursday with eighteen members and five visitors present. A good social time was enjoyed while tying a comfort for the hostess. The next meeting will be with Mrs. Joe Short Thursday, July 2. The program was good and consisted of a song entitled, "Always Picking On Me," sung by Mrs. Fogg. Recitations: "The Blacksmiths' Story," by Mrs. Pettis and "St. Peter At The Gate," by Mrs. Floyd NewCon. A chorus of girls sang "Colorado" and "Catry Me Back To Old Virginny." Mesdames, Pheister, Reavis and Short have charge of the next meeting. In the early 1940's, Jack and Zenelda Heid FLAGLER AND ARRIBA - FLAGLER SCHOOL T327 Just less than a block south and a few feet east ofthe present new school building is the site of the first school house in the Flagler community. It was a "soddie" built as a place to provide an education for children of the new settlement. School was taught in this building by a young teacher, Miss Crofteri, daughter of one of the homesteaders in the area. From sod to steel, brick and concrete is a period now nearing 100 years. In fact, in the fall of this year, 1988, this centennial milestone will have been crossed. One of the first buildings in the new settlement was a church at the corner of 5th and Loveland streets, later belonging to C.M. Smith. This building was built about 1890 for use as a Congregational Church. The school was moved from the soddie to the new church building where it remained until 1893, when a frame grade school building was finished. By this time, eight grades were taught and the first eighth grade class was graduated in 1895. A recognized course of study had been introduced in the school by Mrs. Charlotte (Rose) Godsman, making that class the first eighth grade class to graduate in Kit Carson County under such a requirement. Mrs. Godsman was then hired as principal in the Burlington school to establish this course of study there. The community grew and high school grades were added, making it necessary to utilize another building, this being one on Main Street last used by Charles Jackson for a grocery store, (previously a mortuary). In 1915, much effort was expended in trying to consolidate districts; apparently these were �partially successful, and paved the way for a bonding election to allow building a new school building at the north end of Main Avenue. All this occurred in 1915 and this year, a new brick building was constructed. One architect for the building was H.L. Manning of Denver. In early 1916 the entire school of twelve grades was moved into what was considered the finest school building in this part of the state. In May of 1916 Flagler school graduated its first high school seniors. The process of growth had not stopped, however, and by 1920 the new building was becoming overcrowded. In 1921 twenty seniors were graduated, a larger class than any graduated after L942. By 1926 the situation Most every one would wish to return to former conditions, but it is a reality of our time. It is possible the pendulum could swing, as it has so many times in history and conditions will change. Our school is now known as Arriba-Flagler School. Our school is now at a point in time when years of work in education of students has nearly reached a sum of 100 years in the Flagler community and very near this milestone in the Arriba community. It should be a time for some celebration, a time for looking at history and recording it, and a time to look ahead, hopeful of the future. The August Klute farm northeast of Flagler. by Lyle W. Stone of overcrowding demanded a remedy. Very reluctantly, the school officials re-acquired the old 1893 frame building and installed the lower four grades there. Since then, depression and war prevented any changes in that stop-gap arrangement. FLAGLER FARMS T328 During the war-time half of the 1940s it became apparent Flagler schools would have to provide a new building for the lower six grades and that a new gym would have to be built. Shortly after the end of the war, a new and larger school district was organized through consolidation mandated by the state. Construction materials again became available, and the district approved a $2235,000.00 bond issue to finance the long overdue , .18 The old Crystal Springs Ranch east of Flagler. 'rf improvements. Meanwhile the Flagler American Legion built a new gymnasium which it leased to the school. Strangely, the long struggle to build a school adequate for needs of the community was not destined to end. In 1950, [tigation was commenced which questioned the validity of the law which the new Flagler school district was organized. This made it impossible to sell bonds previously voted. The final blow came in October of 1951 when the old brick building was gutted by fire. Unable to raise money by means of a bond issue and without a single adequate classroom, people of the community loaned the school district funds necessary to construct the present twelve-grade building. In the meantime, the school conducted classes in the American Legion building and in a church basement. In the fall of 1952 Flagler school was once again in adequate quarters. The Flagler School Annex was erected in 1964-65. Since that time an indoor swimming pool has been added, enhancing swimming abilities of students of the area. A remodeling program hinged on conservation of fuel, involving changing windows, adding insulation and carpeting floors has been successful, W.R. Heiserman Ranch near Flagler. Hard times and dust bowls days, 1929-30, to survive many used cow chips for fuel. HAL BORLAND 1915-16. A dwindling number of students was apparent in the 1970s and 80s. This loss of students is caused in part by a swing in agriculture to larger acreage and bigger equipment per operator, reducing the number of families who can live on the land in the district. This phenomena might be traced also to lower prices, but greater surplusses, rather a controversial situation. In the 1970s and '80s, a reduction of school students became so acute, since state funds are based on this number, additional consolidations were necessary. In the fall of 1984 consolidation of Arriba schools and Flagler schools was made to increase the number of students attending one school. This move is the result of economic conditions of our country. It is sad to experience losses of community facilities. T329 Farmstead of Henry Kleiwer northeast of Flagler, H.E. Rice homestead west of Flasler. Hal Borland was born May 4, 1900, at Sterling, Nebr., the only son of Will A. and Sarah Borland, and moved with his parents in 1910 to a homestead about thirty miles south ofBrush, Colorado. In 1915, his father bought one of the two small newspapers in Flagler, The Flagler Neus and the family moved here. From then on, Hal became involved in the printing business and in writing but he had gone through a year of college before he acknowledged that writing was his primary interest. After completing Flagler High School with the class of 1918, he enrolled in the University of Colorado at Boulder. That fall he covered a CU football game for the Denver Post for the regular sports writer from the school and continued covering sports events and writing for the university paper for the two years he attended. He then returned to Flagler for a year where he assisted his parents with The Flagler Nen,s and was correspondent for the Denver newspapers in eastern Colorado in the summer of 1921, he left for New York City and Columbia University in a Model T Ford. He enrolled as a special student at Columbia, �meanwhile working in various news reporting jobs in New York. He worked as a telegraph editor for the United Press, as a reporter for the Brooklyn Standard Union and as an assistant editor at King Features in their syndicated weekly magazine. In 1923, he was graduated from Columbia, and submitted a group of Indian stories to Doubleday, which were accepted. His first book called "Rocky Mountain Tipi Tales" was published early in 1947. After completing the book, Hal "Barnstormed" around the country for awhile, working various lengths of time in a variety of cities, receiving writing and editorial experience. Among the places he worked were: Salt Lake City, Utah; Wells and Carson City, Nevada; Fresno and San Diego, Calif; El Paso and Marshall, Texas; Atlanta, Georgia and Asheville, North Carolina, before returning to New York where he received some public relations experience. During his visit to Colorado, he learned the Stratton Press was for sale and bought it "on a shoestring", thinking he could work four days a week publishing the paper and have three days for writing. However, he soon learned he spent seven days a week on the paper and found no time for writing. So he sold it in the spring of 1926 and moved east with his fanily, settling in Philadelphia where he worked on papers in that city. It was during this period of time, that he began selling fiction. He sold his first short story in a slick paper magazine to the Ladies Home Journalin 1927 and was able to continue with his writing. His two juvenile novels, "Valor" and "Wapiti Pete" were published along with others. In 1937, he was offered a job on the Neu York Times magazine and accepted it working as a reporter which he enjoyed. During World War II, he had opportunities for writing experiences, some he termed painful and some exhilarating. In 1943, he resigned from the New York Times in order to devote his time entirely to writing. His first wife, whom he married in 1923 in New York. died in 1944 and he maried in Denver in 1945 to Barbara Ross Dodge, herself a writer and editor. Hal passed away in Salisbury, Conn. Feb. 22, L978. There is a Hall Borland Memorial Room in the Community Library, of the Town Hall in Flagler, Colorado. First editions of his books, awards, honors, and personal mementoes have been donated by Mrs. Barbara Borland. The Hal Borland Memorial Room was prepared by the Memorial Committee: Alex Creighton, chairman; with the generous support of friends wishing to honor the memory of Hal Borland. FLAGLER AIR DISASTER T330 20 Dead; 30 injured in worst air show accident in U.S. History Crash brings horror to peaceful Flagler as- stunt plane hits crowd at show; 20 dead, 17 hurt small town - are a few stunned by air show tragedy. These of the headlines that appeared in the different papers around the area. On September 15, 1951, what started out to be a gay harvest festival ended in a very tragic event. The sudden spectacular crash brought a tragic climax to what the Flagler Lions Club had planned as an afternoon of fun. William J. Barker, a Denver Post reporter SEIBERT T331 witnessed the sudden, tragic finale to the first air show ever to be staged in Flagler. At 2:40 p.m. by Barker's calculations just as Ruble set his glider down and just before Nelson Stake, manager of the field was to take off in a dive bombing exhibition, Jones buzzed in. He was forty minutes late for a briefing for pilots participating in the show. The briefing was to cover plans and safety procedure. He said Jones flew in from the south low over the crowd at a 45 degree angle trailing smoke from the plane's sky-writing generator. The plane was not more than 200 feet off the ground and upside down. He started to roll over and up . The plane went straight for the mass of shocked human beings standing or sprawling on the field or on their automobile hoods and tops since there were no grandstands. The plane shattered as it hit the First band in Seibert - 1890! ground and tore a swath in the crowd. According to Tom Creighton of Flagler the plane cut across three rows ofparked cars. He said it looked to him like the wheel assembly of the plane hit the first row, the engine the second row, and the tail assembly the third row of cars. The plane, a silver and blue Pimm Tardin Trainer, was completely demolished along with about eight cars. The tremendous force of the impact hurled some of the victims into the air and smashed some against the cars and the ground. Some of the victims were decapitated by the force and the crash area was litered with limbs, blood and flesh. The town's only ambulance was on stand-by duty, but the plane crashed into the ambulance and put it out commission. In the cab of the ambulance was Mrs. Verna Clapp, 30, and Sandra Clapp, 3 years old. Both of them narrowly escaped death. An early day Seibert Establishment! THs Setsenr Srrta BlNx""."" sEEEE.colo . /-2.:-€' l"3!n U" *3'?o-- The following list includes those twenty accident victims: Mrs. Cleve Heid - Flagler; Mrs. Charles Keller and daughter, Zenelda, and son, John - Flagler; Mrs. Ray Thompson - Flagler; Mrs. John Hall - Flagler; Gordon McEathron and sister Bebe - Arriba: James Brandenburg and son - Flagler; Illa Mae Harwood - Flagler; William Hughes - Flagler; Harford Asher - Flagler; Virginia Moss - Flagler; Jean Elizabeth Yocum - Flagler; Mardell Simonis - Flagler; Caroline Selenke - Flagler; Connie Jean Vogel - Flagler; Marlis Stahlecker - Seibert; Lt. Norman Jones - pilot of Denver. Eleven victims were still hospitalized by the next Sunday night and all recovered. The pilot, Norman Jones, violated two rules of the agreement between the CAA and the show's sponsors. The rules were against flying under 500 feet and the other against stunting near the spectators. Although the crash was termed an accident, the Civil Aeronautics Board in Washington blamed the crash on the pilot's "utter Tom Manion's home and garage built in 1915. -::.. - .-.,:.,,,,,.,,, i . r.',. . . disregard" for safety. The report put out by the CAB called Lieutenant Jones maneuver "improperly executed". It said the pilot's recent experience was in bombers and he had no record of small aircraft flying for "considerable time". It also said he did not have military permission to fly the plane. This tragic air accident, which took the lives of several friends and relatives. will never the forgotten. Another garage in Seibert in the 1915-20 period. � https://kccarchives.cvlcollections.org/files/original/16/415/flaglervol10053.jpg 63f3e3b7cb57d4bb7cab1cffa1cd952d Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource History of Kit Carson County Description An account of the resource Brief historical stories and elements from the founding and recent history of Kit Carson County, Colorado. Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Book Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Flagler Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1988 Subject The topic of the resource history Description An account of the resource A record of the history of the Town of Flagler as recorded in the book History of Kit Carson County. Type The nature or genre of the resource text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Salmons, Janice Hasart, Marlyn Smith, Dorothy Language A language of the resource English Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. History of Kit Carson County Volume 1 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource text/pdf Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Curtis Media Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a> https://kccarchives.cvlcollections.org/files/original/16/417/History_Part_1.pdf dfd02cb896237e06d48793d036ae4c94 PDF Text Text IJ tL-i lt the county history, we were ^,^P:o-oiting able to secure manv stories ;;";;;;; that were writren and- compil"d "rd bt-ii:C fl IIo_._k!1, Delta Hendricks, Bessie id;;. H.Y. Hoskin, Bonnv C""fa *J ,";r";;#:: We chose to publisl ihese stories ual segments for vorrr reading as individ_ t*=i**r r*T*--l ff\t I d il.fi You will notice that some of ""r"*;. these refer to "" their own ,.current" framework of ti;;.' In ptacing these stories .hr;;;ld;;f;, . taken the liberty have categorically, so that suDJect "f l\i L**I**, L**i**___J tffil-*r tt lf.-f t\.'-' lii # '"--*"*i ---"{ ," pt".iig -#"r. : matter is more meaningful. It is impossibl, i I\ i****t-**-*".j i*T*-*l I-**f'***i iJ ,d | ;'** *'*{ *J i,l l' t{ If -*-**.-, I f**-r ;';;;";;'; capabilities prevent it. Ir is ;;; ffi;;# you will find. some new uits i"r""'Il"ii.li atong with what has already "i b"";;;bil#: We. are gratefully inalui"J' -;"ii;;.; compiling una putri.it;;"il,. I:-1kin..Ig' bo.oks, ..Memories" ,,Otii.;l compl.ete.d history as time, iq{l events and human **y*ry*,".$ r*L**"iJ *iii;fi *find in your tocal Kit-diril"d;t";; and t { Louisiana purchase lg03 ]:,jt] Irbraries- Colorado from 1540 to 1g6l protection from Indians, ELBERT - KIT were poor, and suppl. ** ti{i. .tt.i"ij""T#::f il: Jl,ffi jJ; Jj CARSON COUNTY begin attempts to push rhe T2 *": really about l.gb9 when the first _.*lr. . whrte, settlers came to what Elb;;; uounty, Colorado. The great .o_."tt"al,JJtj was then had brought hundreds to Auraria, -n-oJ 1ush" Lrenver- of increasing numbers of __T,: to ,..Ting the area prompted tt ry:y" oI stage, pony€xpress, ind freighiiil;;.-"'^ "a".-igr"ii# r ne maln Smokev Hill or Butterfield Ml.#;,;;ffi; from I|_11r".**t was St. Joseph, r,rancrsco routed via Kansas ti, f,"1" Station (near Limon), on to Denver. r"prd growth of the territory ^rl_1 many problems. Settlers aDout communications brought were withiut area. Iniia; f;;;'il; assignment of Iand (from south of the ^.TLir pig Sandy Creek to north'of t-h-e"ffi;;.; meant the r"ai*. *"rfr Ill::lbytrno.means ::::j: giving up rheir buffalo l;;;il; grounds. 1864, a band ofArapahoes, led bv L;hief. ^,Il/1n., Roman_ Nose ttunning Creek. murderJ;l;iil ;i .In November, 1g64, Colonel Chivineton with a detachment of men -";;t"i i;;;F;; .i-p e,"p li"o' til lioif, I "i "T".," 400_500 llri* # :;;, reservation). Some i";i;; women, Lyon and completelv r and children Ju;;#i"; ffi :, f; ijiffil"ri Arapahoes; emong th; Map ol i.rt Larson County. White Antelope and y"ii;;"w;i; Ccl:rri.i c Nebraska and Kansas Territory 1gb4 Chief Black Kettle of the lt ll."^_a_!:""nnes. escaped. The massacr", l;nelenle: kno*r tl? Sa,nd. Creek Affair, *". l;;;J;'b;;;;il; ", g,t,l:T.d discussion in the pages of CJ;.;;; rlrstorv. Following this Col. Chivington was sev_ .t.pl1*"nded and ruli"";- ;f hf;f;i;; "tilt Naturally, the Indians were infuriatJ a-s a result of such treatment. Th"fi-"c* ;;; open attacks ers, on the settlers, f";_;;;-;;;;1 freighters. Many attempt. t. _"f," -and were treaties to no avaii. G";;i"S#ff;; was. prevailed upon to make lndians. He consented. ;;';;T; by Janice Salmans Railroad map - 1gg?-1ggg. Note Muskoka, a railroad switch. �3s:<aat- -=a>/ n Ju;, 1.,"1,. rr r,";1\Y #"+ Itd. ^? ,7'+,,^.' --tF, i ,. x /l* 'z(f'l G.rFt '9--(. tt' ..:.-.-.---r4/ cq ii'--i-'*"'"n ,,--.(fr; .aT .:" g I -;17 \] A ,tu!i /' "'-.i'r --"f, S*.'h*+' R,A 1885 Map showing Elbert CountY ORIGINAL COUNTY ORGANIZATION T3 The present site of Kit Carson was first incorporated into the United States, in the u""r i803. This small area was a part of the iast Louisiana Purchase which consisted of all the ground drained by the Mississippi River. T'his piece of land was purchased by the United States govetnment from France' The small area known as Kit Carson County was located in the mid-western section of the furchase at approximately 39 30 longitude and 103 30 latitude. As the land was broken up into territories, the boundaries were changed, and this area became part of the Missouri Territory' The MissouriTerritory existed from 1819 to 1821' when it become an unorganized U.S' Territorv and then from 1854 to 1859 Colorado was part of the Kansas TerritorY' In a three day convention in Oct. of 1859' a constitution was drawn up for the Jefferson Territory. The territorial boundaries took in all of prlsent Colo. and large strips of -Utah and Wyo. Quick action was taken to ratify the territoiial constitution, and only two weeks later, the constitution was ratified by popular vote. R.W. Steele was elected Governor in Colorado counties as they appeared at the time of Statehood - z 1876 �The first mentior oiS'io."do is now made. As counties were formed, this was first situated in Arapahoe County. Denver was the county seat of this very large county. In lg?b, the western part of Douglas County, the northern part of Arapahoe County, the C-heyenne Reservations, and part of norihern Herfano County were incorporated to form Elbert County. 'Ihe area was not as large as Arapahoe County was previously and the county seat was at Kiowa. by Janice Salmans MORTON COUNTY T4 "Formation of Kit Carson County (first called Morton County)." The followine ex_ cerpts were taken from issues of the Cheyenne Wells Gazette as notated. Febru_ ary 16, 1889: "We will give a premium to the residents of towns, 12 and 18 that would rather be in Morton County than in Cheyenne." (Note townships ld and 18 of present day Cheyenne County were in Elbert County prior to the new county formations in 1889.) Iebruary 16, 1889: ,,It was only through selfish motives that the projectors of tf,e Morton County bill included towns 12 and 13. and not for the benefit of the settlers in the two towns." "The Blade of Feb. 8, says: .The people ne cnargeq ruu pounds ot potatoes and a gallon of whiskey. During the Post Civil War era, from 1gZ0 to 1885, large herds of cattle were driven from Texas through this area and delivered to the miners near Denver. There were also herds ylrAn some were pastured here, and still otheis driven to the east to railroad terminals as well Patent for , ,W as to the west. Before the 1880's, two ranches settled in the Republican River valley. They were known as the McCrillis and the Bar T Ranches. They were both horse ranches and ranged their stock from the Republican to the Arkansas Rivers. The balance of county land was dry divide land on which water couli onlv be obtained by dug wells, some of over 100 fi. in depth. This land was not all settled until the construction of the Rock Island Railroad in 1887 and attention of landseekers was called to the homesteads. The Homestead era of 1886 to 1906 brought flocks ofsettlers in and each filed on 160 acres. There are still todav marks of habitation on almost every quarte"r section of land. The United States hada land office in Hugo, Colorado, and every settler made ttre trip to file his claim. Laier, laws were changed to allow the planting of a timber claim. A timber claim was the pLnting of ten (10) acres of trees. A few sisns of thes! still remain but many have long since van_ ,r , (?""t qi' :lr r ,n - - Entry No .. -d 111.h.? , is in this office, and will be deliveted to you {rpon ssender of the Registels Duplicate Certificate. Where the Register's Grti{icarc is lost, separ3t€ aflidavit must be made {or the tract embraccd in each entty 6y the pieseot bona fide owner of the land, accosnting for the loss oI the Certi{katq and also showing ownenhip ofthe traitqlor a' portion thacof, embr,aced in.the patcnt, and that the affidavit is ma& for the ptrpose of obtaining ths pat€ot. ished. by Janice Salmans Morton County will not consent to tef ttrat portion of their territory go at present at least, as there is a great amount of taxable railroad land in the two towns.' DEoARTfv1HNT OF THE INTERIOR UNITED STATFS LAND OFFICE "February 16, 1889, Bur lington Blade said: "The Cheyenne chiefs are bold, but their raid fo-r the purpose of securing territory from Morton County will fail." February 16, 1889 Cheyenne Wells Ga- thiefs" to secure any territory from M-orton !l t"iStl, iltrr. i:;r;, driven to the Indians in Montana territorv. of zette: "We wish to inform the Blade that there has been no effort whatever bv the UNI'€D ATATES LAND OFFIC€. .,;;o iol o . Il*;e,T!?r .?6ir, if i'-, 3iile1 i1.l.1r'rrk, County. Our bill. The question as to which county is justly entitled to the strip in controversy, will be determined bv the Legislature." , .-February 23, 1889: "The Morton County bill was amended so as not to includl Cheyenne County territory, and passed. Burlington is the temporary county seat. After the bill passed, the name of the countv was changed to Kit Carson." Mgdi:q: - fn reply lo y6r;1, l,ett*r sf tire ??d,,1ns.vant :.ou s,!s lniore*i thari your noflc* ?r&s sgnt No :hs $slbsrt ssttler fo, sdvsrtlaanent .rnd ohould ba corLp).eieittilsre aE your proof r* set for thc a6il',Of tals month.Yorr irsd beit€r e;;,]1 :rnil s's rf ths .fdv*rij.ec$lent has b93n sun the proper tfune,you carn o$nre &n;, rrialrs KIT CARSON COUNTY BEGINNINGS pub)'1cat1"on brrg aot b$dn ntrde trie prooi rr11]. t1'l'1 the :{i.dvertifro,*ent hes bere conEiietorr.rf you h3.ys not'U*pen,i.;c payed: fo.r ihF adverllearlenrl Jrou had b*tter &ttenii to sans,r f111 ,rrttell . T5 From 1859 to 1870 was a gold rush era. A time when Gold Miners rushed to the Rocky Mountains. The area that was to become Kit Carson County was first settled in the T0's when a_ cowboy named Joe Miskelly located a small .ranch at Crystal Springs. Crystal Spnngs rs a branch of the Republican River and is about 3 miles east of Flagler. Joe traded at the Robidoux Store in F6rt Wal- t:ie;:{uof :-nd tf t& h;v* to bs thep:,perfs1irtiv,tpN]rlg*jvel|tgen:$n'i.' F'c*l*ctlutrr, ,, �_ Be it enacted the General Assembly of the State of Colorado: Section I. That the county of Kit Carson PICTURES T6 {.{o \Er -J*t' {1tc,rrr" ."'j' * ttre **'---'-r'."V-"f," bnrr +{+82"*n lflolgito. 'fr:"r!,rP ? a t ?3 a c a q.tsc f lnt 8o4en ,4ot _._---._za[fev ,p ar(w ,t' '{ t. .t!'6sn^y",,r' ftkPsnwwo' lto ? t:"'*no.n A*reo '.'g g.rt Fo aa ;:ltJliliti:oute 7fr{rLX tf Urh*rvi*iyiiladrre l7oaufuSifu - +a, Yt!f rr'c' t.r q/ca tD illo * F,' was traced in the 1840's bv one of the group of 10 KIT CARSON COUNTY T7 (S.8.48) An Act , To Establish The County Of Kit Carson, And The County Seat Thereof; providin* 'Lhe Appointment Of The precinct Foi And County Officers;Fixing The Terms OiC*J is hereby established at burlingto;, *t it shall remain until changed a"c6rai"e;ii* "r" and until such time all iourts of ,u"J"JrfrJi be held there and the county offices ,"-uin there. S,ection IV. There shall be held annuallv in said county of Kit Carso" fou" ter-* oiitr" 9guqty Court, commencing on the--firJ Monday in January, April, J"iv, *a'O"t"U"i, respectively; one term of the District Court 6;;t;;: Section V. All suits, civil and pe-nding in District and County "ii-i"J, ""* C;;i.;i "+ *- lu be le_gal officers of Kit Carso""C"r"tvi""a commencin_g on the third Mo"d"yi; ,.w)9 f0o t;: to lhey ar9 elected, and are hereby au"U""Jio the Governor shall appoint,u"f, oit"r-ofii_ cers as may be necessary to carry on the government of the said county, or until their s-uccessors.aredulv electgd and qualified by law. Uounty officers shall be elecled in said county at the next general election. Section III. The county seat ofsaid county + Nebr, therr respectrve ottrces lor f,ne f,erms wnrcn ., stat€ Historians. Trail traced by is hereby established, with the legal capacity anq runcttons of other counties in the State. And the boundaries are as follows,B"si""i"; at the north-east corner of Elbert Cointvi6 the west along the north line of said Elb"; lounty to the west line of range fifty.L"" (51), west of the sixth principa"l *"iiai*; thence south on said west line of fifty;; (51) to-the townships 11 and 12 south; t[";;; east along said township line to where it intersects the state line of Kansas; thence north on the east boundary line oi Elbert Co^unt1,to_the place of the beginning.- ---Section II. All county and piecinciofficers \ Elbert Qounty wherein the case of occurred in the tenitory embraced in the ""ti* new c_ounty of Kit Carson, or wherein the defen_ dant or defendants reside therei", .fr"fil", as soon as the officers of said Kit Carson County shall have been appoin;"J;e qualified, transferred by the clerks, tt order of the judges thereof, to ttre cJurtgoi "po" " the seme jurisdiction in the said county. Section VI. All county records and other county pr-oqglty, heretofore belonging to the county of Elbert, shall be ana ,6miin tt prgperty of said county of Elbert. " Section VII. The county commissioners of the said Kit Carson County shAf caure ; transcript to be made of all the records of ali property situated in the county of Kit Carson as provided by la1 and such iranscript strJi be entered, upon the records of said countv. and when so entered, shall be d"u;;J;;A held to be good and legal records.Section VIII. The present indebtedness and funds of Elbert County statt Ue appoi_ tioned between the county of Elbert ;-d-th" county of Kit Carson, in proportion to the ration which is now incfuaed within the boundaries of Kit Carson County, t;;r-; the ta-xable property of Elbert b;""t; ;; snown by assegsment rolls for the year lggg. . Section IX. The boards of courrty co--i._ sioners of said counties of Elberi a"a Xit Cglso.n shall have fult power ana a"tf,oiitv to acljust and settle all matters of revenue proper to be done on account ofthe formation of saidcounty of Kit Carson, a"a to apporiion the indebtedness of said county El[;J:;; specified in section vii ofthis aci, "f and for such purpose the said commissioners shall meet at Kiowa, in said Elbert County, upo" t* aavt notice in writing being given bv tfr" .o--i._ sioners of the other county, at any other time after the officers of Kit C-arson Co""ty .t have been duly appointed and qualifi"ll, ;;; "tt a-majority of the United Board of Commis_ sioners of said counties shall be " legal qqoJym- t9 adjust said revenue and apporti-on said indebtedness. In case there .t iufa be a quorum present at such meetint, oi-in "oi ca.e said commissioners fail to agree"on the adjustment of the revenu" a"a ""pp*Uo"_ ment thereof, and the apportionmerrt of tn" indebtedness, and the bbard of county com_ missioners of the county of Elbert -"V *"G sucn adJustment of revenue and apportion- �order and decision the county of Kit C-arson' of any person aggrieved, may appeal allowed from'the board of county commissioners-to the District Court, and upon such appeal a change of revenue may be taken, upon goott by either party to such proceed- the county was awarded to the "Colorado S-i"n. dazzette". Bids for transcribing i""o.d'. from Elbert County to Kit Carson County was awarded to Edwin McCrillis' giar tot county printing was awarded to the 'Burlincton Blade' which was also chosen as ""t.""ttto* ings. the offi-cial paper for the county'" lishing the fees of the county' preclncl ano assessor was ordered to place the valuation 'section X. That, for the purpose of estab- The first'as--sessment was made, and the said county of Kit Carson shall of land from $1.50 per acre for pasture,land XI. fn" county hereby attached to the Tenth Senatorial District, and for representative purposes 'American'horses were assessed at $30'00 head and'half-breeds'assessed from $8'00 to head. The abstract of assessments $13.00 per t""a" 'o" September 5, 1889, shows - the items: 246.560.731100 acres of lancl following""t "-itr"i"offi."t., a countY of the third class' be --section of Kit Carson is shaii be attached to the county of Elbert, and .ftJi U" attached to the Fourth Judicial District for all judicial purposes' Section XII. In the opinion of the General Assembly and emergency exists; ^therefore this act shall take effect and be in force from and after its Passage. Approved APril 11' 1889' bY Janice Salmans THE COUNTY T8 Kit Carson county was organized in 1889' io g11.00, an acie for cultivated land' per u.fo.a $eZ,gZO.O0; 60 11/10 miles of ."itto"a $508,323.58; Improvements on land $9,535.00; on public lands $24,050'00; town anJ city' lots $58,745.00; public .utilities gSf,SSO.-00; Amount of Capital emploYed in manufacture $5,500.00; 1,904 Horses gia,ioz.oo; 217 Mules $?,909.00; 2,239 Cattle izs,goa.ooi 5 Sheep $8.00; 548 SYTU $f,dAz.Oo; 5? Musical instruments $940'00; i8i Clocks and watches $914'00; 743 Carriages and vehicles $?,886'00' Witfr the introduction of the horseless carriage the people of the county expressed a desiie for good roads. Six scrapers were ordered to be distributed, to the different from a portion of the eastern end of Elbert Couttty. The county is rectangular in-outline road districts' The road fund was $43'11, ;;h;"i fund $48.00, ordinarv countv fund from north to south. ihe first county officers were appointed by by Janice Salmane *a it-OO miles from east to west and 36 miles the Governor of Colo., Job A' CooPer, throueh the influence of the Populist paper publis'hed by J.F' Murray, in Burlington' the ii*o.t all the appointees were people in the Co.l. atea, which rightfully infuriated towns in the western part of the county-' were: Judge, John Rose; Clerl(, James,rnesu; Tres. M.R-. McCauley; Assessor, A'N' Corliss; Sheriff, Jos. Smith; Supt. of Schools, II'E' Carmicheal Surveyor, Wm. Hollowell; Coroner, M.E. Cook; Commissioners, Jeremiah Lee, R.G. Campbell and Alfred Wallett' In f89b. to serve in 1900-1901: James T' Jones, Burt Ragan, J.W. Penfold, L.J' Neff, B'D' Rogers, G.H. Hobart, (there was no coroner elelted after M.E. Cook left until Dr' Blumberg was elected in 1904), C.L. Chase, N'H' Fuller, and W.G. Hargis. Elected in 1902, Judge, T.G' Price; Clerk, Wyatt Boger; Tres.' W.P. Flaming; Assesso-r, Shet-a.t Yale; Surveyor, Wm' M. Hollowell; Supt. of Schools, John F. Stott; Comm', E'T' Epperson, C.G. Burr and W.H. Hargis' There **. tto election in 1903. Officers held over until after the 1904 election. 1904: Walter Gliaster, Geo. O. Gates, Fred Flexar, James Knapp, Wm. Smith, Wm. Hollowell, Etta noee.s, lst Dist. - Conrad Gephart, 3rd Dist' - C.W- Huntley, 2nd Dist. - G'G' Burr was elected, Coroner, Dr. A.M. Blumberg' In 1906. elected commissioners for the lst and 3rd Districts were Huntley and Gephart' IIOMESTEAD PUBLICATION $594.00. Tlo dtrm*eir ar it{. ntrrm. RELINOUISHMENT. COUNTY ELECTIONST9 ,/ tr,,4 -t r-,;t /" x 4/"*t *Le .A 2 rik r,fr. t^a\ ,/,--' ;, -a a a. /"/L-t-a-tt -.,/ Most of the appointed officers were det'eata few montis later in the Nov' election' "d E.G. Davis and D.S' Harris were the exceptions. Burlington was designated as the county seat. l;,,,iL'V First Commissioners District, Burlington; . '4t-,t. .:,....-:.-....,..........,...,..,-....-.,I". Second Commissioners District, Stratton; Third Commissioners District, Flagler' Appointments were: April 1889: Co' Judg-e' p".f!-fittg; Co. Clerk and Recordet, E'y' M.Ctittit;'bo. Treasurer, H'F': N99]; .C-9' l..e.to., n.a,. Vanderpool; Co' Sheriff, A'N' Wilcox; Co. Sup't of Schools, D'S' Harris;.Co' Surveyor, Wm. Hollowell; Co' Commission- ers, Elias G. Davis, L.B. Deckjr, Jacob Brammeier. Elected: Nov' 1889: Co' Judge' F.g. Coat-*; Co. Clerk and Recorder, Dan t<auaoarlgtt; Co. Treasurer, George B.e3tiCo' e..u.tot,-O.9. McDonald; Co' Sheriff, Sam S"ia"h*; Co. Sup't of Schools, D'S' Harris; Co.- Co*-i.sioneis, E.W' Morgan; E'G' Davis; D.C. Walton. One commissioner was elected in one and two in the next election' election - Thu tt"* officials were given new offices in the west rooms of the Bank of Burlington' *tti.tt *". erected by the Townsite Co' in iA8S, tttu first building on the present site of Burlington, as there was no court house yet' The county commissioners held their first meeting in May, 1889 and the records show the foll-owing business transacted: "Official bonds of all county officers were approved. The seal ofKit Carson was approvfn" Hquor fee was fixed at $300'00 per Relinquishment form from a general land office' Disbursement of county funds, 1889-1896' Elected Nov., 1891: Judge, P'B' Godsman; Clerk, R.B. Campbell; Treasurer, John uor- ti.t, 1i.."..ot, C.W. Milleson; Sheriff, Mike Supt. of Schools, J'W'-Aug-u*ine; ftieeins; -Co"rimi=sioners, D.C. Walton, C'R' McCabe' n* Jones- Elected 1893: Wm' H' Long' "tta Ci. f"t.itt, B.F. Kaiser, J'S' Casey, Sam Porter, Wm. Burnett, E.E' Brown, !'i'G' -O"ui.,'and ;;"; W.H. Lavington' The commiselected in 1895 wJre: E'G' Davis, E'E' The following is a copy of a homestead entry publication: Notice of Publication Department of the Interior; U'S' Land Office, Hugo, Colorado, October 23, l9L2 -- Notice i-s hereby given that Harvey N' Jensen of Bethune Colorado, who on May 27, 190? made Homestead Entry ?125 Serial No' 052?9 for W%NE%, SE%NE% Section 11, �;;;;;d;; ;;-d;;;;fi hi; ." "",tr,"i quarter section under the Homestead law. This gave many of the settlers three quarter sections or 480 acres. A large part of the people who proved up on their claims borrow- ed the money on their farms from loan companies who were making loans of gl00 to $500 on quarter sections. They, then, left and turned the farms over to the lenders. Practically all of these loan companies failed in 1898 and 1894. The first rush of settlers began to quiet, when an extreme drought drove out all Homestead Entry dated May 22, 1899, signed by President William McKinley for Charley J. Farr. but the hardiest and left the countv thinlv settled. Small ranchers were running-from bb to 100 head of cattle on ranches from three to seven miles apart. To the old timers, this seems to have been the most prosperous and successful era in the history of the county as everyone was fairly well to do and debts were small. This situation continued until about 1905, when a second rush ofland buyers from Iowa, Eastern Kansas and Eastern Nebraska began to buy up all the lands which were being placed on the market at low prices. From this time on land prices began to rise, with occasional periods of recession, until at the height of the land boom, 987.50 an acre was paid for Kit Carson County lands. Wheat SW%NW% Sec. 12, Twp. 8, S-R45 west of the 6th Principle Meridian, and on July 14, 1908 made additional Homestead Entry No. 98471 for SW%NW7a Sec. 12. E1/zNWVt Sec. 11, SW% SEtl Sec. 2, Twp 8S-R 45 west of the 6th Principle Meridian has filed Notice of Intention to make final five and three year proof, to establish the claim of land above described before the County Judge in and for the Kit Carson County, Colorado at Bur- lington, Colorado on December 3, 1912. Claimant names as witnesses: George Powers, Hans P. Jensen, C.E. Mills, all of Bethune, Colorado. P.O. Hedlund, Register Late comers also purchased a relinquishment from a homesteader, which gave them the privilege of finishing the terms of the homestead. Perhaps the relinquishment was filed with the land office and a new homestead entry made. crops were good and every available acre that could be planted was plowed up and seeded. Tractor machinery was introduced and as large acreages could be easily handled, it seemed that there was no limit that could be taken from the fields. Large schools, and other public improvements were saddled on the communities and valuations were raised all over the county and when drought and by Henry Y. Hoskin wind erosion struck, and the wheat crops PRE.EMPTION failed to come in, farmers found themselves unable to meet the high taxes. The land boom Trl had ruined the countv. The Pre-emption law allowed a settler to live on the land six months then "prove up" Timbe-Critlc Cedificate Na l. 1. ,1 . . APPL'CAT|0N .t / )'I I ... .. 1. , by Jan Salmans THg UNITIID STATES OF A}IERICA, ' 8811i.fmg Tkft las lr.n &psikal ir th ourlxur rArr orrrrcli uf lh uilitr{r srar* x (irrr!:ri or rn, tr0jMm .t lrt L.s &oc - --1. L '. sha-b\ ,, .,rpr,. rr,..,. ja,,.l.u,r ,.* .\, ,;,,*.;;:,., ;.;;;; {r(lrn. liia,ril ,un.14.$ia."Toen*lragtlheOrow..hoi Tim.@ronlhclilqeiernprqirLes.,,itorlrln,rzt'-1 , t.;, . r' ili r]rrodi tjr.r lotl itr 3firct or ir.:iid r,,jrn. {ir.!rd ,^;;1,;:;-V!::, "^u it . ,,, ,a - , }:,';""i1]-.T ,.1L , ,, ,,,, hnrcut..dllr'Nr.r!,tlEs,nrIrotft.ardrhseliftt.c!r\r0r,Ln!,orrllt,!eb.r.0rt";;.,"",, !S*d. GtvENrrn.rsytirn.dlh.tr.'r,\r'^sd'rcr.r.tt.cl.:.-...:::.,...,t",.ri)*v,r,ndt,,.,hrh.t;;!f.urrrd,eftnil{F,l tri..ru!dfed,.,--7r,.1-. ,'rt ,retdS.Jrt+hbMdlt.lliilSrNl*ilja.!.tr"l"a*t,tlitx!<:... ]hr'D|!!'1,o\1.l.'..'.-.],..,{/0,'.a'i.'-,.a, ,.,-..,6"4-.L ,. ,u. j,, p,...Jt- / ./- ,y''/,'^.^ t /.. homestead guides. For a fee they would show where a homestead could be located. I will quote from parts of the pamphlet. "Citizenship: When an entry of any kind is to be made, evidence of citizenship will be required. If the applicant is native born, his own affidavit of that will be sufficient. But if he is not born in the United States. in addition to his own affidavit, he must furnish a copy of his declaration of intention to become a citizen or his certificate of full citizenship. Land can be purchased at Public sale or under the Timber and Stone Land Act. entered with script of any kind, or final proof can be made on a pre-emption or homestead can be commuted by an alien who has declared his intention to become a citizen: but he must have taken out his full citizenship papers before he can make final proof on a homestead or desert land entry." "Reservoirs and Ditches: Under the act of March 31, 1891, any person or company could locate a reservoir or ditches on public lands for the purpose of irrigation and could obtain a right to the snme, and 50 feet each side thereof that could not be disturbed by any person afterwards." there were vacant public lands within three miles of such city or town, an entry of 160 acres or less, could be made for park, cemetery or other public purposes." "Timber Claims: A person living on and improving a homestead or p.e-empiion, may cut so much timber as is necessary to make his improvements. If there is more timber on ements, he may sell the surplus." "l''*' :l "-":l:"1"*'*l To ha\,. arC io hojd n( sil ber 4i tud, !* ,*rr*o"q ,rlroru*t ,. i;.{',*."'..jtit. The following was taken from a pamphlet from Daniel Witter and Co.. who were land cleared in good faith for cultivation, than is necessary to make such improv- rt uf ritj\ehlr, LrxD ofncE rt [. iLnrrr.,r (iri.'rtu$ IUIOU ga, Ttdl ir.r. ij. rl.rtr€- !.rnr.il,! 0f Unitcd g!a!e3 ur. u* unknown, "Incorporated Cities and Towns: Where ilo all to mhon thsr gr.6rn15 shrll (omr, (6rcc.lin!: .t r!16r&rg Typical home on the prairie. The family is -. ... '",.):",,. ;.1t. "_-,.-,, " Tree Culture Claim Certificate for William P. Davis signed by President Theodore Roosevelt on the Thirtieth day of Decernber 1901. "Unsurveyed Lands: Such lands could be secured by settlement under the pre-emption or the homestead law, by entry under the desert lands act, or by location with some high priced land script. Settlers on unsurveyed lands must file on such or enter the tract within three months after plat of the survey had been filed in the land office." "Expired Entries: Homestead entries would expire by limitation in seven years after date of entry. As a rule, soon after an entry expired the claimant was notified to show cause why it shouldn't be cancelled, and if he failed to respond, it would be reported to the general land office, for cancellation and in due time be cancelled." �ryrdfJ darlE Drlrurr Lry Juslrce oI reace J.I . The first homesteaders were: Henry P. Oats, Lots L,3,4,5, and 6 of Sec. L-6-44, McCrillis, puncher; Warren J. Adams, Lot 2 of Sec. l-6-44, McCrillis, puncher; Edwin McCrillis. SW% lL-6-44, Feb. 13, 1884; Nathanial McCrillis, part of Sec. 33-6-44, Oct.25,1884; James M. Wyman, Lot 3 of Sec. 2-6-45,Bar T puncher; Mellan G. Jordan, SE SE 3-6-45, and NW SW 3-6-45, Bar T, puncher; John A. Brent, Jan. 3, 1882; Woodard, land in 23-6-46, Aprll 22, 1883, Tuttle Ranch; Riley land in Sec. 33-6-46, Jan. 16, 1882, Tuttle Ranch. The first to file on a homestead within the present limits of Kit Carson Co. were: 1. Jo Miskelly, Iand in 3-9-50, Mar. 21, 1885' Crystal Springs,2. William Matthias,3. Dick Moore, 4. Simmon Rumming, Homestead No. 15, Penelope Burr (Gordon Burr's mother,) on the Rep. river near Tuttle. Vona was settled by Perl King and E.H. Haynes, then came the Howell's, Ferris' and the Linford families. N. of Stratton were the E.G. Davis, Pugh, and W.A. Richards families. The Tuttle Ranch, established about 1876, by Dr. Tuttle of Denver, was sold to J. Austin. Dr. Tuttle was a surgeon in the confederate Army. He never lived on the ranch. J. Austin sold the upper ranch to J.J. Pugh' The lower ranch - 6 mi. down the Rep. river was sold to Harry Cox of Colo. Springs, whose mother though blind operated a hotel in Colo. Spgs. The blind Mrs. Cox when visiting the ranch gave it the sobriquet of 'Rock Haven'. She "saw" the ranch through feeling the side of the bluff with her fingers, - the rocky ledge of the bluff on the N. suggesting Rock Haven to her sensitive hands. Each week in the early '90's there were items published in the Burlington papers about the visitors and events at Rock Haven and another column from Tuttle P.O. J.W. Austin's daughter married Burt Ragan, who at that time and over a period of years was foreman for the Sherrer owned Bar T (-T) Ranch. In 1879 E.W. McCrillis obtained what is known as Spring Valley Ranch, from the fur trappers (Reecks Bros.)' The fur trappers owned "squatters" rights to that area. They had built a cozy log cabin, burned down by Indians in 1878. and rebuilt' FIRSTS OF THE COUNTY Keller. May 27, 1889 Elmer Castor and MarY - Wellis, Burlington M.E. E. Rice by Rev. J.N. Church Casper F. Fetters and June 5, 1889 - by Justice of Peace J.F. Jerusha Ann Fetters Fetters Charles W. Bennett and Aug. 19, 1889 - by Rev. J.N. Wellis Carrie B. Kimball Paul B. Godsman and Sept. 4, 1889 - Rev. Mead. Charlotte Rose by Anderson J. Pugh and Sept. 25, 1889 Marie E. Shumanand Sept. 26, 1889 - Edward W. Cain Belle V. Kyle. Long and Etta Dec. 22, 1889 - William Van Horn. by Janice Salmane Answer from the Dept. of the Interior, Dec. 9, 1916. iiI i rl,:,, ,if'rlll FINAL HOMESTEAD PROCESS T14 t tn-o.Ilr- l..,nt, rOel io lf, [f'',,,crl- \; ) ( " *'J^ 15 ,-'-,"q '!. 1', t\ \r,,r- \,*4 , ,- o,1t S'*l rr I I y. . \ t ,!-,cr-,.-^ i,s lf-c lJf r.al 4 ,{ i ..f i-lr9 * l/ -56 .' i^.\ "'lf.{r,-\ o'^ '';'\yn')'l -17/3 '" .' .-o : r'f o. a I ')'b t' / . '! 1''-.r- ,Jo J,,. a. .frr & ,'-l ,* ,-oLtt.l c,r-,,-d {a La...r.r.-. i \ -r1.,,-, '\- o\!, t,, t ^ 'do t )Y o" ,\^.rr,,r (r-,-. r.{ .,n,1 rtn! 'i-rr. -.rr.irtr ,-, u .-., t ]'^ o (( ,url'["*l;, ' ,,,' , 1 .io d^--*rAo Oa;^rVo^zt, i *-[,{^J ?O,.tn-oJl 'S"q io**, 'r; .r !,t.,,* ln ,t{r-,"ao Y VX. C. C tn^Y, '\-I .nlto^ 0,,{n. \*w,-.-"-:'.t 4 .(.yyr.,c'^tt\,'\'lrl. 1r b1^,. ,rrr,'l* , \ .' ..i,i',.r. .a..a- . ',ii:l.."l .i ,:r.l:rr'i":.:;Illlli Notice of hearing of final proof of homestead. 'E$*!l'1*','*:-' ' b4 R lie EI PT "! $,a:iit:rT4rl *,'"",., d&r' 4 :drA ' .uu^@, [":M,e;d'z'.a-q. Correspondence to apply for a land claim. T13 by Flo McConnell First child born, Mabel Parks at Walter, 1885. First boy born, Leon Lavington at Flagler, 1888. First doctor in county was Dr. Hoyt, 1886. First town in the county was Burlington, 1886. First school was in Burlington, December 26, 1886. First country school was located south of Burlington 3 miles. First marriages recorded at the Court House Mav 16. 1889 - Owen W. Small and Final three year homestead proof, Dec. 28, 1916. �@l1r l,{nilel $lntrr uf Anrpriru, O! rll h !ilpn rt.@ ,nfult{ ,h hd oil- il The ballot case for the county seat election ,hdll ilu,., 6rdh, in Precinct 12, (Beloit) in Kit Carson Cou"ty, Nov. 5, 1889: Claremont received f2 votes Hu8o, Colorado, Ith.l l!, 11.rk .".,h rest hdf of .j6ciio! t*6Dty_four in Toinshll orolon so!rh of tanfle fifty v.st of ibe Sixth kinoipai |:eridie, :olor,:Co, cort ,iDin,j three hDdred ttr6nty !cres, and Burlington received 18. county seat was located in Burlington .byThe election: Burlington 4b1 votes; Claredoni 170 votes. The Burlington Boornerang was selected as-the-official paper May 2, lggg; Assessed valuation of the county in iSSg was $440,482.00. ' ::' ' iroodro{ ]!tsoh COURT HOUSE BURNS :iytNItt{ ;;, ; "") . ; .,,) 1, o,_ . . ;, .) ,, o,. r' ",,,l./1 '2,, -J:!/ti.Ji.'t.,r., ,,.,,,,,..,.",,,",.,...:ril,i,l ", "..: "":",,,, the old settlers. In.the County Sheriffs office and that of the Assessor but little if anything r", ."*a. Fortunately the tax booke for ttr-e year 1SOZ were not in the Assessor's office. In the County Commissioners'room little of anything was saved. County Recorder, Q9o.-G.- Gates, fortunately had Lort, if all of the important records, either'in lhe "oj Woodrow Wilson, June 6. 1g1?. Tf b being adjoining the County Judges i; fare4 far worse as the Clerli Wyatl noger "fd;,wa; "private unable to enter his office to save the vault or in the large safe, and while the sJe is warped with the intense heat, it is hoped that the records will be .""ur"d. Thu lu;;; court room upstairs with all its contents wis doomed to destruction, not a thing could be land deed for Ethel M. Clark signed by president VOTING ON THE NEW COUNTY SEAT of his big safe. The office of the District Courl be. hard to duplicate. The valuable County School records were almost entirely med and the early history of the schools "orrarr"_ in this county will largely exist in the minds of T16 :;,:,,",):,: demon fire and black pall of smoke stifled and strangled the rescuers to such an exteni that they were compelled to leave the room but not until Mr. Price cooly locked the doors and court records unless the safe snouta prove resistant to the fearful heat. Mr. Boger lost sonre valuable private records wtrich iiil ,""^ii"lJl:;iJiirl::;:::r"J:"fl1;,,ti;t"1ill::.:1ll::,:lt';t,i;l;.:1.,,,:.1t;til.,lti::;l:::t.,1 j.;:,,, ,i 1,..;;;l; ,i:;:. " , ,...,,.,, ,, ,t. .;,, ;.. ,;;.;, ; ;; :;.-.:;,,1. ti 1j"i:li,tl. 'lt:. :. .,:ilr, l :; three men were in the office passing out such movables as was possible to get ouI until ihe Kit Car.son County Court _ Built in 190g, 'lne orrgrnal structure was House destroyed by fire. saved. A handsome piano which naa U"en i" use in that room for public gatherings was destroyed. The court house was a frnme building and was built by subscription,Ee Rock Island Railroad Leing one of ' ;h; heaviest contributors, .o-e 6ight""n y;; ago. In fifty minutes the flames that lit up the surrounding country with lurid light; had destroyed this ancient landmark. Fortuna_ tely,,the building was insured for about two_ thirds of its value. From such .ecords as we could get, it is learned that there was in the neiglborhood of $2,500.00, insurance on the Duudrng and contents. There was little doubt that the structure could have been saved with its contents ifthe city had possessed even a moderate sized water system. Original Kit Carson County Court Houee burned Two men were arrested Sunday night as Dec. 23, 1907. "The voters of Kit Carson County are to Rebuilding of the courthouse after the fire. Boger house and barn in background. will locate the permanent county seat ai Burlington or to remove it to Chr;mont." If the county seat was to be moved the o'clock, the startling cry of fire, fire, was decide on November 5, 1889, whether thev county would have to cover the cost of moving the records, and furniture which would cosl flom 9200 to $300 at the least. Then the first thing to be done would be to build or rent offices for the next two vears. Claremont claimed it had $2,000 in securities deposited with the Columbia Banking 9o.pqry for the purpose of building house for the use of the countv. " "ouri Burlington submitted house erect_ "o.rri ed on Block 44 consisting " of 40Xb0 ft. in size with22 ft. posts, seven finished offices on the lower floor to be occupied by the county o{{c9r9, a large 36Xx40 ft. court ,oo-, t*l adjoining jury rooms, (4'X16') on the second floor. Said building was to be constructed at a cost of $4,500 and deeded to the countv at a cost of One Dollar ($1.00). The deed was deposited inescrow, with the county commis_ sioners, to be placed on record after the election. On Saturday night shortly after seven heard and echoed from street to street and house to house; soon the bell of the Montezu_ qa HoteJ began to clang, arousing the whole city to the knowledge that a disistrous fire was in progress. Great throngs of people began to rush to the scene of tf,e conilagra_ tion and the word was passed the cotinty court house was on fire, Those persons who had been at the fire at its incipiency stated that the blaze appeared to be located under the floor of the office occupied by County Judge Glaister. How the fire could have start€d in that part of the building is a mystery as the Judge left town Saturday night for his place of business at Seibert and so far as known no one had been at.the office during the day. The writer (of th1. lytp"per article, a Burlington paper, dated Friday, Dec. 2g, 1g0Z) arrived on'the scene just as the fire came bursting out t!ryugh, the window of the Judge's piivate office. County Treasurer price with i*o o. suspicious characters and placed in ttrelait as there is little doubt that the fire was of an incendiary character. Our County Commissioners should at once arrange to build a Court House commensu_ rate with the present condition ofthis countv. It should be built ofbrick not to cost less tha'n sixty thousand dollars. The population and wealth which has been and is pouring into this county will fairly justify the-expeniiture tor a commodious and up to date court house that will be a credit to our county and our city. by Janice Salmans NEW COURT HOUSE 1950 Tt7 Carson County has a new court house! _,Kit lnls, oI course, rs not a startling announce_ ment at this time when the new building has been in use for some months. In factl the move from the old to the new building has �and Harley Rhoades of Burlington. Abstracts of assessment since then show a building fund levy of 1.0 mill was made in 1945, 1.5 mills in L945,47 and 48, 2.0 mills in 1949 and 50 and 1.874 mills in 1951. The architect, Chas. A. Kellogg of Denver was instructed to begin work on building plans early in 1949, and construction got under way the following summer. The com- missioners served as general contractors and took bids on such work as electrical, plumb- ing and heating, cement, and installing the elevator. Wm. McKinley of Burlington served as supervisor and Elmer Kerl of Vona served as foleman. The final cost exceeded the original figure due to the increase in cost of the steel strike which occurred after the construction had begun' The total cost of the new court house has been broken down by the commissioners: Wages, $?9,631.13; Materials and freight, $78,606.12; Architect's fee, $3,835.00; Electrical contract' $6'689'48; Plumbing and heating contract, $11'787'88; Elevator contract, $9,850'00; with the total cost being $190'399.61. Kit Carson County's Court House, above photo shows east entrance' been so gradual during the past three yerrs' that it has almost escaped formal notice' The new cornerstone reads that the building was reconstructed in 1950, but construction was not completed until the spring of 1952' The new building is a four story structure, finished in Carnegie marble veneer' It is situated in the center ofthe block, two blocks west of Main Street in Burlington' It's total cost of $190,000.00 has all been paid by small mill levies during the past several years' In fact. since there is about $10,000 remaining in tire building fund, no further levy will be necessary. Commissioners Reuben Anderson, (Burlington)' Ernest McArthur (Stratton) and Earl Boren (Seibert). The idea of establishing a "building fund" which would be built up for several years to finance the conversion of the new building came from the commissioners in office in 1945. They were the late George Baxter of Flagler; the late Tom Kennedy of Stratton Officials and employees carried on their work many times under very trying conditions. A public meeting room is a feature of the building. It is Iocated on the first floor and is available for all types of public meetings' Also on the first floor are the offices of the County Superintendent and the Assessor, the welfare office, and the furnace room. Formerly it was necessary to house the welfare office in another building. On the second floor are the offices of the County Clerk, the County Treasurer' the County Commissioners and the County Aeent. Law enforcement and judicial offices ar-e grouped on the third floor. These are offic-es of the Sheriff and the County Judge, the jury room and the District Clerk's office. On tite fourth floor are the county jail and modern, complete living quarters for the iailer. There is also additional storage space on the fourth floor. Formerly the jail was housed in a separate building on the court house grounds. Sam Travis, CountY Treasurer, 1956 County Treasurer's office. �recovered Bar T cattle. When we set the old chuck wagon down and the remuda of mustangs were settled to grazing nearby, the boys had to fan out and work for miles around bringing the cattle in. When the Rock Island Railroad was built we tried pretty hard to keep our cattle north of it but we still had round ups, but smaller ones. District Court room; adjoining are Judge's chambers and jury room. COUNTY SHERIFFS T18 there were instances that a buffalo cow mated to one of the Bar T bulls it was known. and while this would probably have been born A listing of the County Sheriffs as known: 1884-1888, A.N. Wilcox; 1889-1890, Sam Beidelman; 1891-1899, unknown; 1899-1900, B.D. Roger; 11901-1902, Frank Fleming; 1903-1908, James Knapp; 1909-1917, un- known; 1917-1918, E.E. Hoskin; 1919-1923, R. Lee Worley; 1923-1928, John G. Davis; 1929-1930, Walt H. Conarty; 1931-1932, Hugh Baker; 1933-1936, C.C. Gates; 19371947, Ray W. Plummer;1947-L955, Oliver C. Dunlap; 1955-1963, E.B. Ormsbee, (1st 4 year term); 1963-1967, Ed Mills; 1967-1971, Jack Heid; 1971-1984, George R. Hubbard; 1984 Sharon Heinz. and would have lived it would have been a hybrid like the mule and would not have reproduced. In a few years the buffalo entirely disappeared for there were those that would try so hard to get one. For years we had to go to Benkelman, Nebraska, for supplies and a four horse team made this trip late in the fall for we did not like to have to go during the winter if we could get by without it. We had to have round ups too, for it just had to be done to collect our cattle. We went as far south as the Arkansas River and still Then, when the homesteaders started coming in 1866, we had to keep them even closer and watch them better. We also started to put up hay for winter feed for the first time and by 1898 we had cut down cattle numbers so much that we only had 2,500 left. Then a little later we fenced in what we claimed as our ranch and we kept this grass to grow over the summer and would put out cattle inside this fence during the winter, and we just had 1,000 cattle left. We fed them hay during the winter too in this pasture. Then the homesteaders started coming on our property and filing claims and we started having trouble with them. There was a Mr. Munsinger who was locating most of them and he would come right in and lay out a claim. My father had filed on a homestead also that lay just south of the old Fleer place. Mr. Minsinger located a homesteader on this land and started to put a fence around it. There was trouble and Mr. Munsinger shot and killed our ranch foreman, Mr. Allen. Cattle were not worth very much. In 1912 we just got $3.50 for good steers. Shortly afte' 1880 we had taken out water rights on the river. The old Tuttle Ranch, 12 miles up the river, was our closest neighbor. Then later on there was the Pugh, Davis and Pugh ranches and a Harry Cox bought part of the Tuttle Spread, and Burt Ragan took a homestead close to our ranch house but he was working for us. Bill Mace took a homestead just north of Mr. Ragan. ll t6'/67a THE BAR T STORY T19 \n 1872, my father, Jacob Scherrer, and Tom Ireland teamed up to form the Republican Cattle Company and the ranch carried the name of the Bar T. This nnme came about as a result of the brand they used which was a bar over a letter "T", put on the left hip. Indians were seen often and while they had just recently been hostile there were no incidents of a serious nature. There were plenty of guns and ammunition at the ranch but there was never an attack. The Indians etole some things but nothing was done about it. They also stole a cow or steer once in awhile and it was thought these were eaten and, as cattle were cheap and the ranch had lots of them, it would have been foolish to have made an incident of such a small thing as losing a few cattle. To my knowledge there was never a band of cattle or horses driven away. If there was it would have been just small groups. It was better to get along with the Indians if you could. Buffalo were here yet, too, in 1872 but not in numbers that hindered with cattle raising. They were scattered in small bunches and on the few occasions that a cow became mated to a buffalo bull, the cow died in calving. If n7 t.l J++,^., t u4t r+n /Iv./fl.lJ,ltllnill.ltl.tn0tl// '3( edfr"^-r L vdr "-4flttlttl,lt\lfttJ Al A u^/L'N'lliftf-fN &rt{.ta $' 7 c, nnnll ,/ &,6a j 71ry *TT1 ii I j t. &3 rii lr rl I Record taken from Burt Ragan's account ledger, accounting of cattle delivered to O.P. Hughes. HT rc,-t �ri? le &o bA/. ,r_"2 utq"a*, %),!,t rl, ,,4,^zV,, l^bu ur,.,'9,1 l, | fuu Nql t, ,, to&iullt*'at ', /,fi't he camped out under the stars on ground that he was later to own. He got a job on the Bar 4w{n T Ranch working for the Republican Cattle Co. His job was to help fix fences, haul supplies or any other job that happened to ''f'E:, )l come along. He went on many a long cattle drive and round up. He helped in the driving ti of the Texas Cattle that the Republican Cattle Co. had shipped as far as Lamar. He also saw buffalo at different times. After working there for five years, he became the manager. He was for making more pay, so he started to put together a small herd of cattle for himself. He also took a homestead close by and proved up on it while working at the Bar T. In those early days as a cowboy he did not have many clothes nor did he need many. A couple of pair of pants, two shirts, boots, a good hat and a blanket was about all he ar ,4It.l ..r,,t, .:i \*r 'u {./., L' ,t., "i "t ,,eA ),,J r'.ri L ({ 'c,u cqc'- .'Ed 7 possessed. But they had good times in those days anyway. Dancing was the main amusement. There always seemed to be a good fiddler ':41t'r. I lna , U-z€ /tt *1 or two at the Bar T. Whenever they could, a good crowd would gather for a night of ,:,ttft'r, t0 il, '.. :)i.t ' enjoyment. He would never forget the big round ups. The dust was terrible and they were bothered so much with flies and sand gnats. The last big round up on the range in this part of the 8,6 b,0 , aa country was in 1888. Fred Bauder $20 per month, 1899 water. It swallowed them up. There were lots of rattlesnakes and coyotes, but the prairie dogs came in greater numbers after the settlers came in. J.G. Scherrer Denver, Colorado April 26, In 1911 the Kit Carson Land Company was med and they moved in lots of people ;ween the river and Burlington and anothplace that they settled in numbers was of rn on what they called the Idalia These people on the Idalia Flats had ir success with wheat. We were bottled up. 1957 Burt Ragan was born on March 31, 1868, at Lancaster, Iowa. He came west to western Kansas sin 1885. The next year he decided to come to Colorado, so he walked. He was then eighteen years old. His first night in Colorado big cattle days were over. We had lost lots them in a blizzard in 1905 when thev rifted over the river bank after it was filled with snow and they perished in the snow and Burt was well acquainted with Dr. Tuttle, who owned the Tuttle Ranch, and who was formerly a surgeon in the Confederate Army and was then living at Littleton, Colorado. He also knew the rancher and cattleman George Benkelman, Sr., who had cattle all up and down the Republican River. He later founded the Colorado Packing Company in Denver. He also knew Ed McCrillis who later built the "Sears" Hotel in Denver. He also knew Ed McCrillis who later became the Cattle Brand Inspector of Colorado. McCrillis at that time was connected with the Spring Valley Ranch. by Myra L. Davis t3 /1-t-<.LA-L 'i | )t y',t- , g '6 r0 E'^/A- Q r;- J./u''ar.\-/htl m At t (,, I W Eu I 1' tt'1 / D t\o I I Expenses for moving cattle tt tt pf^"11*' ,t q.nt ar:w1,. ,, *oa-ctD ^"^r.A r-(p+1 /7o1'^ / ,r '1,/ Kit Cargon County Memorial Hospital, 1950s. �Orderlies: Emergency Medical Trainees: Scott Beethe, Rnmon Cortinas, Glen Grotegeers and JFmes Timme and John Wilson. CRT. Ward clerks: Dorendo Harrel. Melanie 9eelhoof and Marjorie Sloan. Dietary: Wave McNeill, Pauline Hayden, Leola Isom, Sandra Webb, Loraine Wood and Hilda Zeigler. I,,aboratory: and X-Ray: James Jordan, ASCP; Joanne Jones and Bruce Gross. Central supply: Ardith Gulden, LpN; Iona McBlfresh and Martha Carter. Housekeeping: Anita Sandoval, Esther Perez, Marla Trevino and Maxine White. Consulting Pharmacist: Linda Hayden. Respiratory Therapy: Carl Curtis, AART. Five personnel serving on the staff for 2b years were honored at a service and presented a brick from the original hospitaf with the words engraved on them "For 2b years of Community Service, 1948-1gZB." PIONEER LIFE ON THE PRAIRIE B_ar T cowboys ready to start-roundup, carnping on the weet side of 14th St. at the north end. L. to R.; Mac Bevier, Frank Mann, unknown, chris stahlecker, b unknown, Burt Ragan, Fred Bauder. KIT CARSON COUNTY MEMORIAL HOSPITAL T20 The Kit Carson County Memorial Hospital opened its doors on June 23, L948. Construc- tion on the facility was start€d Feb. 1947, with W.M. McKinley (Supt. of Schools), accepting the responsibility of the general contractor. The project was sponsored by the Burlington Rotary Club. The hospital was built with funds received only from contributions and donations. Allotment of federal funds were held up by delays, red tape and tough breaks. Eventually the hospital board decided to build with only local funds. Donations cnme in as cash, from a few dollars to several hundred. from donated labor, from a "lO-acre wheat club" (which farmers organized and contributed all proceeds from 10 acres oftheir crop, with the rest being piled on the ground at the site of the now occupied Medical Clinic.). On hand with "the first load of bricks" so to speak, was J.S. (Steve) Rockwell, who resigned his position as county treasurer to ffrsume responsibilities as hospital adminis- trator. Rockwell and the board accumulated a surplus of approximately 9150,000 during his first 20 years to help with the construction of the new wing of the hospital, which had open house festivities Sunday, April 21, 1968. Guy Ancell was contractor for the new south wing project, which he operated on a cost-plus basis, which saved the county an estimated $50,000. This increased the 32 bed hospital to 45 beds. In addition all facilities were improved or new ones added. The staff of 44 persons represented one of the larger payrolls in the county. Cost of the new wing and improved facilities was about $350,000. Landscaping of the original grounds was a project of the Burlington Garden Club with the committee of Mrs. W.W. McKinley and Mrs. Arthur Wilson heading the effort. Another help team of the hospital has been the Hospital Auxiliary, composed of commu- nity volunteers, who met each first Mondav of the month to mend, and sew various garments and hospital supplies. Anna Buol was a charter member and first president of the auxiliary which began with seven members: Mrs. J.C. Coleman, Vice-Pres.; Mrs. C.D. Reed, Sec.-Treas; Mrs. John Revert, Mrs. Lyle James, Mrs. Alice Travis, Shannon and Alice Adams, Superintendent of Nurses. A remodeling project of the original part of the hospital was completed for occupancy in Aug. of 1972, bringing the capacity of the hospital to 51. This included two beds for intensive and cardiac care; five for maternity patients; L0 in the skilled nursing facility and 34 medical surgical beds. Rockwell resigned as administrator in 1967, at which time he assumed responsibili- ties as purchasing agent and maintenance supt. He then joined administrator Robert H. Robb as assistant administrator. Robb joined the staff Sept., 1970, after having retired as an Army major after 20 years of service. The board members were: Harold McArthur, chairman; Leo Kindsvater, vice chairman; Russ Wilcox, Sec.; and members; Dale Har- grove, Seibert; Louis Pickard, Vona; Max Toland, Stratton; and David Rowland, Flagler. Personnel consisted of 70 persons. Administration: Robb, Administrator, Rockwell, Agent, Assnt. Adminis. Business office: Thelma Mayhan, Thelma Rockwell, Virginia Williams, Bernice Rudnick and Theresa Knapp. Medical records: Eileen Stewart, Art; and Patricia Stewart. Nursing Staff: registered nurses: Dorothy Crow, director; Iva Crist, Doris Crouse, Debbie Cure, Ruth Haugey, Patricia Herrmann, Dorothea Homm, Dora Knapp, Carol McCulloch, Virginia Peterson, Nancy Roark, Hazel Stahlecker and Sara Veselik. L.P.N.'s: Alice Cichanski, Mildred Hines, Norma Lindholm nd Helen Schaal. Nurses Aides: Louise Barnhart, Bessie Boyd, Dixie Burrows, Mildred Copley, Beverly Critch- field, Jean Haines, Karol Haines, Faith Hase, Joyce Knodel, Kathy Kramer, Mabel McAr- thur, Cass Minter, Vera Perkins, Betty Smith, Debbie Smith, Mardean Stewart, Elva Mae Wall, Leah Woods, Grace Wooley and Eunice Twomey. T2r Where we now live encircled with all the embellishments of modern civilized life. our intrepid forbears knew a far different type of existence. Those who blazed the trails through Eastern Colorado, endured untold hardships and privations as great as those suffered in colonizing America. Yet many of their graves are on the plains, unmarked, and the deeds of their daring unsung. _. Kit Carson County, the crossroads of many historic trails, has not one marker or monument to perpetuate the memory of those whose courage and fortitude led to the settlement of this County and helped to make this a beautiful gateway to the beauty and grandeur of the Rockies. To answer the question of who passed this way first, we would pay tribute to the Indian tribes who chased the buffalo and antelope over the plains and left the relics of their tribal lives on most every hilltop in this County. The dust storms of 1934-198b uncovered the campfire sites of these early inhabitants. Trained eyes may read the secrets of broken pottery and fragmentary implements; experienced hands may piece together the story of their tribal lives and customs; history written not in formal documents, but in the result of their occupation. Their trails have been almost obliterated by white man, and their burial grounds despoiled by the curious settlers. The bold Cheyennes, their allies, the Arapahoes, and the more hostile Kiowas. all have left traces of their nomadic life on the plains. Today we enjoy visiting the bared camp sites and find pleasurable avocation in the study of the different types of tools, and the tribe each type represents. Stone needles, grinding stones, knives, spear heads and arrow heads in abundance are to be found. Old Indian Cemetery: Eleven miles north and four west. on the bluffs of the Landsman Creek is an old Indian burial place (sec. 33-6-44). Here is an old Indian cemetery, a pyramid of stones, several feet in height, marked graves of some chieftain or warriors. This marking was despoiled, unknowingly of course, by an early homes- teader looking for stone to build a dwelling house on his homestead. The house, now long �vacant, stands as a protest to the desecration of the ancient cemeterY. An Old Legend: After the battle of Beecher Island, survivors tell us that the Indians gathered up their dead and withdrew, going in a southwesterly direction. In a direct line of their travel are very high bluffs on the Republican River, which would be their nearest watering place, and where live springs keep the water flowing at all times. On one ofthese high elevations is a circular layer of stones which is supposed to mark the tomb of the great Cheyenne warrior, Roman Nose, killed in the battle of Beecher lsland. The site corresponds to the tribal burial customs of the Cheyenne Indians. Changes in the river's course and the great floods have uncovered several skeletons from the lower bluffs where the waters have cut away what seems to have been a cave sealed in the long ago. The Mystery Grave: The former old "Tuttle Ranch" on the Republican river and Landsman Creek holds the site of what has been a legendary treasure hunt. As this land wag crossed by the old Leavenworth and Pike's Peak Trail, many interesting stories are told of events transpiring along this trail. One is told by L.N. Corliss oi St. Atbans, Vermont. "A miner who traveled this route was dying in Chicago and tried to give directions to a point on Lands- man Creek. The directions were: "Go to Landsman, follow to a spring, southeast from the spring you will find a mound. In that He died leaving the mound you will find -" rest ofthe story untold. Hundreds visited the cave expecting to find a miner's cache of gold, but only a few Indian trinkets were revealed. The Corliss family still own the old ranch, and the younger generation has often sear- ched for the "miner's gold", but without success, although some small Indian relics were uncovered. Several graves have been found and opened, but the secret lies buried. Cowboys who rode the plains with the "KP", the "Bar-T" and the "77" cattle herds tell us of many interesting incidents of the early trails and the trading posts set up enroute. At least two of these were in Kit Carson County, and another was located just over the line in Yuma County, near what is now the Newton school; another on the Arthur Pugh ranch, and a third one north of Kipling, a railway siding, and on the south side of the Republican River. This trail was still visible in 1908 when an "old timer" called my attcntion to it. The trail was also visible on the south bank of the Republican river where it crossed U.S. Highway No. 244. This trail was pointed out to me by one who freighted from Denver with an ox-team before the advent of the Rock Island Rail- road. This trail is near the old Indian caves and in the region where a wagon train of one hundred white people were attacked by the Indians. The story of this battle was published in "The Seibert Settler", a county newspaper. The writer was from Topeka, Kansas and was visiting relation living near the battle ground. There is another old trail in the vicinity of Seibert that I traveled for many miles from 1908 to 1910 when living on a homestead located on this trail. The Kit Carson Trail leads from Bent's Fort on the Arkansas River ,o trsramie Fort in Wyoming, and passed the west side of Seibert and on to the Arickaree Creek near Cope. I saw the trail over most of this territory, but today it is most obliterated by plough shares. These early trails did not stay within the scope of boundaries ofpresent highways, but varied over considerable terrain as circumstances necessitated, sometimes to avoid low marshy ground in wet weather, sometimes, if guided by scouts, to avoid hostile Indian tribes when they were on hunting trips over the plains. Occasionally there would be a variance of several miles between the trail and various detours, but Kit Carson Trail through this county is very direct. The Smoky Hill Trail followed the South Fork of the Smoky Hill river as far as Big Springs where the Kit Carson Trail crosses it, but old settlers on the North Fork of Smoky Hill river show us a distinct trail along the south bluff of Smoky Hill river just south of the First Central School, and it appears again further west until it was obliterated by cultivated fields. The trail led onward in the direction of the "KP Ranch". In road grading in the southwest part of the County, workers have uncovered skeletons along this route. Wild Horse Corral Many western Kansas pioneers chased wild horses over this atea, according to the history of many pioneers in the late 1870's. One of their traps for catching horses was Wild Horse Corral on the Landsman or Launchman, for Dutch Jake was not distinct in the pronunciation of his home's name' These wild horse hunters also found refuge in the dugouts in the bluff. One early day trapper in Colby told of being caught in several blizzards. one in Colorado. While following a stream, he saw vapor rising from the bank at the water's edge, and investigating, he and a companion found a beaver's nesting place large enough for them to crawl in to keep snug and warm. Early Trapper's Residence The Spring Valley Ranch is the site of the Reeks Brothers' log cabin home, which was burned by the Indians in 1878, but was rebuilt in 1879. These men were trappers and their home was open to some of the older roving cowboys, such as Jimmie Gray, early foreman on the Bar T Ranch before the feuds with homesteaders. In his declining years, Jimmy often spent his winters at the Reeks' cabin. Jimmy was still riding at the age of 82. The Reeks soon after rebuilding, sold their camp site to Edward McCrillis, who had a ranch on the Republican River. The Reeks brothers settled near Beecher Island and later went to Elizabeth and are buried there. Their camp site is now known as "Spring Valley Ranch". The first man known to have his home in the Burlington locality was known as "Dutch Jake" (his surname is Harbison)' a German trapper who had a camp on the creek which crossed U.S. Highway No. 24 just west of Bethune and joins the Republican River just east of State Highway No. 51, about twenty mile north of Burlington. He lived in one of the six or seven dugouts in the bluffs of "Wild Horse Canyon, Sec. 4-7-44. Other dugouts or caves were used by buffalo hunters, then later by bone haulers. These bluffs or caves are on the Landsman Creek, designated by U.S. Survey as the proper name. This creek origin dates back to the days of "Dutch Jake" who, it is said, purchased his supplies and shipped his pelts from the old "Benkelman Ranch" on the Republican River, and not far from Colorado-Kansas line. When he would visit the ranch "Old man Benkelman" would greet him with - "Wie ghets Landsman". The word "Landsman" being used in the sense of farmer, hayseed or backwoodsman. The cowboy soon began calling the creek on which he lived the "Landsman". Early Cattle Ranches: At a time when this State was full of wild adventure, a few of the more daring men with some capital assumed the risk of establishing cattle ranches where water comes to the surface and forms living springs. Three such ranches were established in the present territory of Kit Carson County. Tuttle Ranch (TT-) This ranch was owned by Dr. Tuttle of Denver and located as early as 1876. The first building was comprised of one large room built of sod with walls three feet thick to protect the inmates from Indian attacks. Many turbulent times were encountered during the years intervening between the establishing of the early ranches and the coming of the settlers in 1886. On Hell Creek north of Seibert was the scene of an Indian attack on cowboys, in which two cowboys were killed and their bodies interred near the old Kit Carson Trail. Erosion revealed the victims of this tragedy in later years, and they were reinterred on higher ground. The bunkhouses, which were the living quarters of the cowhands, were the scenes of unsavory episodes that were always common in the early days of the West. On Tuttle Ranch reposes the earthly remains of at least one cowboy killed in a bunkhouse brawl, the result of cheating at cards. Scherrer Ranch (-T) (T) The Bar T Ranch is better known to us, as our present State Senator, Burt Ragan, was a former foreman on this ranch' Like all early day ranches, it went through many phases of western history. We are told that attacks on homesteaders, in order to discourage them, were frequent. After crops were destroyed by the range cattle, ranchers often retaliated by butchering beeves; quarrels and shootings occurred, and sometimes one or two persons were killed. Such was life on the Republican River in the vicinity of homesteader Munsinger's home and the Bar T Ranch. Munsinger did not scare, so when he was warned by the Foreman Allen and a cowboy, the former was killed and the heel shot off the cowboy's boot as he scurried for his horse. Later Munsinger was killed by another homesteader who claimed self defense. Nothing was done about either case as there were sympathizers for both parties concerned. Later L.R. Baker shot and killed a prospective homesteader who was coming over the trail from Haigler, Nebraska to Burlington, and as the trail crossed the homestead rights of Baker, he objected to the trespassing. Baker was arested and hurried to the nearest in order Cheyenne Wells railway station - violence. Relays-of horses to prevent mob were arranged along the route and the trip was made with the greatest speed in order to catch the next train. But upon arrival at Cheyenne Wells, a grim and armed crowd of men took Baker from the Sheriff and hanged him to the water tower. As the train pulled into the station, a few minutes late, the place was deserted, not a human being in sight. A lone passenger, alighting from the train, both hands filled with luggage, looked askance at the deserted village. Scott Vititow, coming to �visit his brother Tom at the latter's horse ranch, was disappointed that no one wag there to greet him, but his disappointment changed to terror as he saw the gruesome sight at the water tower. The train was receding in the distance. Impossible to catch it an-d hop aboard, he wanted to get away, but how? At last a sombrero emerged over the top of a barrel, then a face, and a voice asked. "Lookin' for somebody?" Scott then explained who he was and that he had written his brother Tom to meet him. Residents of the West knew that ranchers out on round-up received mail belatedly, so Scott was loaned a horse to ride to his brother's ranch where he had a full week alone to meditate on the scene of his arrival before his brother rode in from round-up. In the same village of Cheyenne Wells was enacted another drama which again made the populace gasp in horror. In the graying dawn of early morning a drifting breeze stirred two indistinct forms suspended from the arm of the water tower that had served as a gibbet in eking out justice to L.R. Baker for the murder of McConnell. An earlyrisingwoman, emerging from her home to look after her cows, gave a sudden gasp, then with frenzied screams brought the scantily clad citizens to their windows and doorways, where their gaze was directed by the gesticulating and pain stricken woman to the lengthy forms dangling by ropes from the erstwhile gibbet. After the first shock was dispelled, citizens hurried to learn who were the victims of the latest tragedy. They found two well known villains who, by their many forays on the scant larders of the citizens, had made themselves obnoxious to the entire village two long, lank greyhounds. A vast sigh -of relief was wafted on the early morning breeze. Ho5rt was a prosperous village established by Dr, Hoyt, who was also a surveyor, trail blazer and locator. By turning up sod along the route, he marked the trail which the emigrants were to follow to this land of opportunity. Hoyt had a hardware store, two groceries, a drygoods store operated by the I,eellutchens fanily, and a hotel, opeiated by Mrs. Wivinis, mother of Mrs. Bertie Tucker, who is well remembered as a charming resident of Seibert. A little sod school house was built, and Mrs. E.P. Trull was the first teacher. Mrs. Paul B. Godsman. who was the second teacher in this school, was for many years later Principal of the Montclair school in Denver. When I came to Colorado in 1908, I was shown a trail about one and one half miles northwest of Seibert, and which was called the "Santa Fe Trail", or the trail from St. Joseph, Mo., to Santa Fe, New Mexico. I asked Mrs. Priest about this trail. and she stated that local residents knew it as the "Santa Fe Trail" and that it was used by the emigrant wagons and freighters. This trail passed along the south bank of the Republican River and on via Hugo to New Mexico. Among the emigrants of 1886-1882 were Lee Hutchens and family from Harrison County, Mo., who were among the most prominent pioneers of the later town of Seibert. Mrs. Priest also mentioned Charles and William Blake, brothers, who were early settlers, and freighted with an ox team from the town of Hoyt. She doubted if Charles Blake, who operates a small store in Seibert, would give any information about pioneer days and doings, as he had refused to talk on the subject to her or to others who were compiling historical data. However, I like adventure, so asked Mrs. Millisack to drive to the Blake store, but to keep the engine running for a quick exit in case f was to meet a reception that had been accorded others who had met with the ',old timer's" disap- proval. Although I have known Mr. Blake fbr many years, he would not acknowledge acquaintance nor give any information whatever. I tried in various ways to get some response to recall events, but had to be gratified with a smile when I spoke of a certain event of the old times. Finally, Mr. Blake curtly arose and left the storeroom bv a back door, so after visiting a few moment-s with customers, we left Seibert. _ With my companions, we journeyed to the Collins House in Stratton, where we were graciously received by our good friend, Mrs. John J. Pugh, (Mrs. Jane E. pugh) who interestingly told us about the old Tuttle ranch, their home. I further inquired about the Indian burial ground. Mrs. Pugh told that she had seen skeletons of Indians, one of a chief, evidenced by the articles included in his grave, and also the remains of a Civil War soldier, recognized by his uniform. A musket of Civil War days was uncovered in the field. Mrs. Pugh mentioned "six Mile point" as a part of the Tuttle ranch, a site that was familiar to me, as I had passed there often in visiting schools while County Superintendent. Six Mile Point is the region I recognized as the supposed resting place of Roman Nose, the Cheyenne warrior. Mrs. Pugh is a lady of charm and culture. and has a very alert mind and retentive memory. Her daughter, Leona, was born on the "Divide" on December 22, L886, at that time part of Arapahoe County, now the south edge of Yuma County. Leona was the first child born in this vicinity. After making final proof on their pre-emption claim, they homesteaded within the present boundary line of Kit Carson County, and have been Thomas County, one in Sheridan Countv. and four in Greeley County, all in Kansasi also seven met death in Wichita, two in Scoti and four in Sherman County, Kansas. At least one died in the storm in Kit Carson County. Fred Boyd, aged twenty, and Jocab Koen_ ingheim, a_ge twenty two, left Gandy, Kansas, in a one horse sleigh to go to Voltaire, a distance of six miles. Returning in the evening, they were overtaken by the storm. They stopped at a house of a Mrs. Douglas, not far from Gandy, and were urged to turn the horse loose and stay overnight. But they refused to do this, and after obtaining a lantern, proceeded on their way. They w"ere lost in the storm and their bodies found later. The horse was found frozen in a upright position where he had broken through ihe ice in a creek. The other two men wlre from Voltaire, a man named Kerns and a bov named Harper, about fourteen years of age. Kerns was from Missouri, and the boy frJm Atwood, Kansas. Three others, who left Voltaire t_he dqy before New year's to go to Colby had not been heard from, and (at"that time) fears were entertained that they too were lost. They were Bert Hendricks. Monte Brashear and John Vandeveer. (Sherman County Herald). These three men were safe. but had a gruelling experience. Bert Hendricks, my uncle, now deceased, described his experiences in this storm to me some years ago. James Priest of Seibert told of a man who was found frozen to death under his wagon in the vicinity of Hoyt. Bert Hendricks and O.H. Hendricks were early locators in the town of Siebert. Colorado. The grove oftrees north ofSeibert were planted by O.H. Hendricks. by Della Gamble Hendricks among the county's most prominent citizens. BEECHER ISLAND and Elias G. Davis were also pioneers in tlat BATTLE {llliam_nicnards (brother of Mrs. pugh) territory and prominent in the early days on the plains. Mr. Davis and Mr. Pugh came west together, lived and worked for manv years together, and both passed to the Great Beyond within a period of three months. Ed Davis, a son of E,G. Davis, possesses an heirloom mattress brought from Illinois by an early settler. The Great Blizzard, of 1886 The blizzard of January 2nd to 6th, 1g96, is still referred to as "The Great Blizzard..,, And well it may be, for in no storm of record was the loss of human life so great, or of livestock so general. Nothing comparable to it has been experienced in the history ofthe west except the storm of March 26 and 27th. 1931, the year of the "Towner Tragedy." On Saturday, January 2nd, 18g6;the first snow gtorm of the season made its appear- ance, and continued for about twentv-four hours. Some four or five inches of snow fell. and drifted badly in the accompanying heavy wind. The weather settled somewhat on Monday, and remained pleasant until Wed- nesday night, when another storm more raging than the first, began to blow. This storm was general over most of the West and great suffering was endured. Railway trains were stalled and many tragedies occurred. Four people were frozen to death in T22 There had been a raid on a freighter's train about 13 miles east of Ft. Walale, Kansas. The Battle of Beechers Island ensued. Col. George A. Forsyth led his troops ofb0 scouts in pursuit of the Indians. They saw no signs until they arrived at the Arickaree or Middle Fork of the Republican river. At this point of the river and valley there is an island-. It was here that the Indians in countless numbers rushed at the troops. Col. Forsyth ordered his troops to take refuge. Chief Roman Nose of the Cheyenne, in war paint and headdress and riding his large spotted horse, led his men in wave after wave of furious charges. The Chief and his Medicine man were finally killed. Toward evening Lieutenant Beecher received his fatal wound. After dark. two scouts: Jack Stilwell and pierre Trudeau. v_olunteered to try to get through to Ft. Wallace. They dressed in Indian clothing to avoid being intercepted by the Indians. When the soldier's food supply becpme exhausted, they cut steaks from their dead horses, and ate without salt. It is said. after nine days the meat became putrid, so they put gun powder on it and ate it. The evening of the third day came with no word of the two scouts. Two more offered to �and the of morning The island. ieturned to the ninth day the Indians made a charge, then *itnat"*. Evidently the Indian lookouts had spotted the U.S. Cavalrymen-from Ft' Wallace. The two scouts, at risk ofbeing captured and scalped, had been successful' Scout eo but could not make it through the lines Klt Car son' s Trail Janice Salmans Vona, Colorado 183 4 To Sainl Franc-1s KANSA S trudeau'returned with the Cavalry, but Stilwell was unable to on account of having stepped barefooted on a cacti on the trek to Ft. Wallace. Upon arriving at the scene of the battle, thosl in need of 'medical attention were Hal- e immediately taken care of. Food was prepared and heartily enjoyed amid exultations at their deliverance. A monument was erected in memory of the heroes killed during battle. It was a fitting marker, placed there in 1898, but was later destroyed by the flood of 1935' The main of the river was completely changed "tt""""t by the turbulent waters, thus the-stone marking their final resting place and the site of the Eattle is forever lost to posterity' by Janice Salmans OCCURRENCES WE HAVE HEARD BUT NOT READ ABOUT T23 old Tuttle Str atton . Lilt]e Rin --Kit carson s 1834 PosL Kit Carson Co.lorado cnrinac One pioneer said there is one grave-on the prairie ior every two miles of space and began io enumerate ltto*n burial sites as West of Smokv Hill school, south of Peconic, on the prairie northwest of Burlington, -where a covered wagon was seen standing for some- time and a rider who after watching a short time to see if someone was in need of assistance, rode over to ask if they were-in need of help. He found an open grave and a woman trying to pull a stiffened body of a man from-the wagon for burial. This story is said to have been in one of the Burlington Papers in mid Pioneer Years. Four miles west and three miles south of Burlington is the grave of one of the earliest pioneeis, Frank Aldrich, whose brother Heniy's name is prominent in the earliest paper -- The Blade. The brothers had adjoining homesteads, when Frank died and was buried on the line between the southwest and southeast quarter of Sec. t8-9-44' by Myra L. David KIT CARSON T24 Christopher "Kit" Catson was one of the createst olthe "Mountain Men" and was one 6f tn" most romantic figures in Western American History. Kit Carson County, Colorado has the honor of being na-ed after him. In 1925 the county commissioners were able to purchase a fine old oil Painting of Kit Carsoni the noted scout and pioneer for whom the county had been named' It was olaced in the Court House. ' Kit Carson was born December 24, 1809' in Madison County, Kentucky (Daniel Boone's rf z4oo county). He moved to Missouri with his par"ttts when he was one year old. At 15 he was apprenticed to a saddler to learn to make saddlis, harnegses and moccasins for the mountain men. At 16, he heard tales of the west and became restless and ran away. He joined a wagon train bound for Santa Fe' There he Ieained to speak Spanish and trapped in the mountains and learned all the trails' In 1835, at the age of 26, he manied an Arapahoe Indian girl, named Prairie Flower (or Singing Grass) and they lived at. Fort ilent. Shelied in the fall of 1838 and was buried in the same robes that she was married in, at Big Timbers about 20 miles from Fort Bent. Tiey had one child, a girl -naq'ed Adeline. Aiter her mother's death, Kit Carson took the child to St. Louis, Missouri, to his relatives where she lived and received her education. She later married an army officer, a lieutenant. Kit Carson became the best known of the trappers, and was a good Indian fighter' He tu". itt" chief Indian scout and was a good friend of most of the Indians. He moved around a lot as he was never happy settled down in one place. In 1843, he married again, a 15 year old Mexican girl, Senora Josepha Jarimilla, in the church at Taos, New Mexico. They had seven children, four boys and three girls. He had a ranch home in New Mexico where his wife and children stayed when he was away' It was one of the most comfortable homes around there. In 1853 he was appointed as a Government Indian Agent for the Ute, Apache and Pueblo tribes and held that post until 1861' He organized a regiment when the Civil War br-oke out. He fought his cavalry in battles and skirmishes in New Mexico during the war. Kit and Mrs. Carson came to Boggsville iustbefore Christmas in 1867 in awagon from Taos. New Mexico. Kit Carson had just come back from Washington, D.C., on business with the government. Here they lived in a large house that his brother in law had built for him. His health was failing so that he was able to do very little work. He was suffering from an old injurY. On April 1t, 1868, Mrs. Carson died in childbirih. And on May 23, 1868, Kit Carson died in the government hospital at Fort Lyon' Both were buried near Boggsville, but later �the bodies were removed and were taken to Taos, New Mexico, for permanent burial. His brother in law took care of the children and saw them raised. Some of the children followed their fatherrs sanmpl€ in their marriages, down to the fourth generation, by being married in the same church at Taos.In November, 1858, Ed Baldwin of Anchorage, Alaska, a great great grandson of Kit Carson, visited in Burlington for a short time. He was interested in the county as it has been named for his pioneer predecessor and was seeking information of a historical nature. Taken from "The Life of Kit Carson". ,& ,dli wf b. '&:.',.' by Myra L. Davis RAILROAD INFORMATION -&*. i T26 1927 train wreck east of Vona, lifting train cars. The following items were extracted from F .ru: g{ the Cheyenne Wells Gazette asl listed. The newspaper was issued on days. Union Pacific - November 12. 1gg7 "Burlington citizens are elated over prospects of securing the Colby branch of thr Union Pacific to their town in a short time Burlington is a good town and in a country, and we congratulate them on thei prospects." November 19, 1882, "Burlington early in the week forwarded a petition contai containing the names of of all business men and many farmers int in prosperous locality to the general agent of the Union Pacific, asking that ihr night trains be stopped at Cheyenne Wells We trust that the work will bear fruit. Union Pacific should look to the Burli '1||' trade." Rock Island - January 28, 1888, ,,A Island surveyor went through town last-en route to Burlington to join a party road locators." February 18, 1888, "The country north us between Burlington and the Kanr &{*ll:,f&} Pacific railroads is full of railroad surve It seems certain that two of the routes will make a strong fight for teriitory, viz: the Union Pacific and the Rock Island. The building of even one of these li through the section this coming summer will be a great blessing to that portion of eastern Colorado. Burlington is on one or two survevs $ and is assured of one of them before the * natural trading point of this country at summer is ended. As Cheyenne Wells is the present, no small share of Burlington's boom will fall to our lot for a season. We are pleased that the towns above will catch theii roads. i, . 11. '. f']],r '. ,,&11&....,' ,t,:. :41", '.':,':. ' 11:,tf 'r1,-1' ,,f ':, ';' ' 't,t r' The old Milk Train of the Rock Island R.R. knowing there is room for all in this greai country, and would like to see them all _ Hoyt, Floyd, Beloit and Burlington shake - boom the atmosphere with an eighiy ton each." .. .Ap_ri! 14, 1888, From the State News report: "At Kit Carson another outfit of graders made their appearance on Thursday last with a trainload of mules, horses and tools. Thev are going to work on the grade of the RocL Island railroad forty miles north of that town. Graders are at work all along the line from the state line to Colorado Springs." �Mav 5. 1888, "Work on the Rock Island grade is being pushed at a splendid -rate' burlington fofuJ expect to see the headlight about the lst of November"' May 12, 1888, From the State News report: "The Rock Island railroad promises to reach Burlington by the 15th of JulY." June 2, 1888, From the State News report: aqtp:, ',,/;'L{)a ,;.:.ta:: 'itJ.ttt)il,:: {rit. ::.:1:t4' "The construction of the Rock Island we- $l,i|:At stward is making excellent progress and in a few days the road will be completed as far as Burlinston, this state. It is now estimated that t[e line i'ill reach Colorado Springs sometime in November, but probably too late for the fall traffic. Grading outfits are scattered all along the line of the new route' and the earthwork is advancing at a satisfactory pace." iune 30. 1888, "The Rock Island will reach Burlington about JulY 25th." .lutv Zt, 1888, "The Rock Island reached Burlinglon last Thursday night." February 16, 1888, "The Burlington merchants are complaining because freight rates pay 35 cents per hundred in trade for freight from here, than_ gay the extra -cents in cash to the Rock Island." ? Laying of the railroad line, 188?-88, Kit Carson County' sas was the announcement that the Chicago' Kansas and Nebraska railroad would extend their main line, which had already reached BUILDING THE ROCK ISLAND RAILROAD.,U Before the coming of che railroad, the was entirely free of fences and l herds of cattle roamed at will. one thing that gave the greatest mpetus to the settlement of government ands in eastern Colorado and western Kan- Fairbury, Neb., on through Kansas and Colorado to Colorado SPrings. In 1938, B.M. Barndollar recalled the buitding of the Rock Island and brought to the following original account: tight ""There had been a series of dry years in central and north-western Kansas starting in 1880, and the thousands of settlers who rushed in there were discouraged. Many had been impoverished to the point of want' Their horses and dairy cattle were none too good, and their wagons and farm implements r:t:'tll!,:rl: were only such as could be salvaged after severe dry years on lands in other places. All that was needed by these settlers to induce them to move into Colorado was assurance that a railroad would be built through the section where they could get'free land'." In those days there was' in the west an army of men, who for years had done nothing but railroad labor; building the great transcontinental lines that were threading their way west of the Mississippi and Miqsouri rivers. They were a sturdy lot of men, happy in hard work and hardships and only responsive to the laws and rules which they had set up for their own government, and by which tfiey [ved. They were pretty much -alik--e, mostly from Irish parentage, free from faaily responsibilities and when it came to drinking - whatever was to be had - the record has never been equalled' "First came the graders and their thousands of mules who moved the dirt by grader method. It sometimes required several weeks or months to complete the cuts and fill on a single stretch of right-of-way. Today a single slsAm shovel would do it in a short time." "The mule-skinners lived in bunk wagons' and had a big mess tent where plenty of good food was served. It was just too bad if a grade contractor happened to draw a poor cook, or if he tried to cut the quality or quantity of the chuck he served. The best skinners would leave in droves if this happened, and it meant disaster for the snmp; for only experienced men had the ability to take care of the animals and keep them in shape from sunup 'til dark. Yes, and it took plenty of grain and hay that had to be hauled great distances by wagon." "Barndollar, when 13 years old, was a water Section crew working west of Vona, 1896. Roy Leaper (foreman) with foot on rail' boy for the Kerrigan outfit. It was his duty to have a plentiful supply of clean water handy where the workers could get it quickly without interrupting the never ending train of scrapers that was passing. Water for all purposes had to be hauled in tank wagons, in .oroe .".". about 20 miles. And talk about �there was serious drinking to be done in a wet state where one could stand at a bar and call for his choice. To the last man they headed for one of the various saloons that were prepared and waiting. By l0 o'clock practi_ cally every one of those boys were howling. roaring, fi-ghting, pie-eyed stiff, singinl, swearing drunk. These two-fisted rail-roa-d builders had been in ,dry' Kansas and Colorado was'wet'." "The peace officer was one-armed Jerrv Barnes. The only thing he could do and dii do was to go to every house and advise everyone he met to stay in their homes and off the street." Lrnes ond Projects in €oster,, Colo. saloons were wreckg, but by some p.e-_ arrangement the liquor kept flowing. Stores remained closed and no women or children rt? lt.onSr..lin9 & 7 tlorrl*en ./ "By daylight many were laid out and the streets resembled a battleground. The flimsv were to be seen." "After the first few days the money ran out and the reetaurants started to do a little i | business and things assumed a more orderlv trend. But it was 2 weeks before the railroai gathered enough men to finish and B weeks before the rails were completed to Burlington." The railroad continued for many years to bring service to the farming and business communities along it's rails. _ On-October 10, 1962, the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad Comp-any was 110 years old. i-t:'' -lst!b-ail!r!s It was on October 10, 1852, that the first train chugged over the newly laid b7-pound ri- ---f I I iron rails, between Chicago and Joliet, Ill. a distance of 40 miles. This was the first fiocket train of the Rock Island lines. The first Rocket was made up of six new yellow coaches and was pulled by a tiny American-type Q-a-\ wood burning, steam locomotive. Eighty five years later the railroad introduced the first of its diesel-powered fleet of Rocket strenmliners. Significant technological advancements have made, by the Rock Island during _b-een ilg 110 years of operation. A long list o? "firsts" can rightfully be claimed by the company tlrrough the years. Among the more notable is the first use of microwavJin its vast communications network; introduction of swearing at those poor mules by their drivers, why those animals knew every word in the oath vocabulary with all the variations." "But a good 'skinner' always looked out for his team and it was a disgrace to allow an animal to develop a sore shoulder or any other ailment that was within the power of the driver to prevent." "When the grade was finished, crrne the bridge gang, who built temporary bridges so that the steel gang would not be delayed. Remember that all this material had to be hauled by wagon trains from the nearest point of the line, which at that time was Colby, Kan." "But the sensational event came after the tie and steel gang headed west out of Goodland. A train load of flat cars, each weighted down with steel and ties, with the engine on the rear, acting as a pusher. As the steel and ties were passed or rolled forward to the head of the train, the rail lavers grabbed the ties and laid them in posiiion. While others picked 'Jerrys' nailed the spikes. The spike men were the pride of the gang for they never missed a stroke. It was claimed that from the time the train left Goodland until it crossed the state line at what is new Kanarado, the steel train was never allowed to stop. The cars were passing over the newly laid rails practically as soon as they touched the ties. The rail from Goodland to Kanarado was laid in an all-time record." "When the last rail was in place across the state line, every man on the steel gang dropped his tools and quit the job. The railroad rules were if a man quit or was fired, !e would immediately get his pay check. Otherwise there would be a delay in getting all the pay that was coming." "Word had leaked out to the paymaster department ofwhat was going to happen and pay checks to that hour were soon given to each man. None were left but the engineer who had to take his engine back to Goodland without a fireman." "The tieup happened about noon and bv evening a strange, determined a"my com-menced arriving on foot. By 9 o'clock that summer evening, (1888), all had got into town. There was no time taken out to eat: L especially adapted electronic computers in its I automated yards at Silvis, Ill. and at Armour| dale, Kans., as well as its administrative functions. Says R. Ellis Johnson, president: ,,In 1962 we are convinced that the ll0 year old youngster is capable of accommodating on its own system, and through its multi_int€r_ change arrangements with other railroads. the transportation needs of all its customers. "We are proud of our high-speed Rocket freights, piggyback hotshots and our fleet of Rocket passenger trains. Our railroad is imbued with a progressive spirit and it is our proud boast that no finer employees can be found anywhere." Then in 1964, a newspaper article states: "Rock Island Post-Mortems, by Willard Haselbush, Denver Post Businels Editor. The 11 year financial illness of the Rock Island Railroad has ended in death for the carrier serving 13 states of America's heartland over 7,500 miles of track. Spokesmen for major railroads, includine the Denver and Rio Grande Western. havi advanced various proposals to dispose of the estate. Most suggested the best way would be �for the ICC to let competing railroads whose trackage duplicates that of the Rock Island in about 80% of the territory involved, take over for the Railroad." The railroad was virtually unused or little used for about the next 20 years or so, and finally went into complete bankruptcy. -The Kyle Railroad company took over in about 1985-36 and the rails are now used to transport wheat, and other farm products from our countY. on the Republican ticket in the 1920's after serving as County Treasurer for 3 years. He served for 2 - 2 year terms and ran for the third term and was defeated by the influence of the Ku-Klux-Klan which was active throughout the State during that period of time. In 1934 Bert Ragan of Burlington ran for the office of State Senator and was elected from this area. He served one term. Louis Vogt, a Democrat, served in the State Legislature. Louis was from Burlington bY Janice Salmans STATE LEGISLATORS T27 where he practiced law and also was a great thespian in the community staging many Shakespearian plays in the 1920's. William H. Yersin was elected to the Colorado House of Representatives in 1948 EARLY LAWYERS T29 T.G. Price was an early day lawyer whose name was Treverious Glorianus Price. He had a brother called Realto Executo Price and two sisters, whose names were reportedly, When In and .In The. (When in the course of events, the start of the constitution and In the, the first two words of the Bible). He was here at the start of Burlington, and erected the building where Mel Mullin had his TV shop. He homesteaded neat town, but later moved to town and practiced law. He was very prominent in the history of Burlington' P.B. Godsman, who first settled at Hoyt, had a law office just east of Rasmusgen's barber shop. He moved to Denver, where he died. He had a son, Sidney P. Godsman, who also practiced law in Burlington and later in Denver. He dways kePt in touch with Burlington, and owned property here. He was also a doctor as well as an attorney. Louis Vogt, or "Louie", was a prominent lawyer who erected the Midway Theatre and had a large house on the corner of 13th and Senter Streets. Louie was the father of Mike Vogt, local resident. He was elected to the 1935. State Senator Burt B0th General Assembly of the Colorado State Senate, Denver, Colorado January Ragan from Kit Carson County stands third from left, front row' Christopher Buchannan of Burlington w-as elected State Representative before the and served three terms. He was minority leader of the House during his last two terms. 1920's. John Boggs ran for State Representative .. ir.:,.:.,,. ;1.'.: .,.',-.,:;.,, -: ",,':, :,.,,',, : .;.. . . ,', a .'.. -, r. .:.,:,.,, ...,,\.t,,, ..r-.ri,,.,,,,.,'.-..,. I, r':.,.. MAIL CONTRACTS AWARDED T28 2/8/L902 - The following Star Route Mail contracts have been awarded by the post office department for the period from July 1, 1902 to June 30, 1906 for Kit Carson county. The contract prices per annum range from five to forty per cent higher than heretofore paid. The route, names of contractors, and iates per annum are as follows: From Cope to Seibert, Peter C. Dill $500; from Hale to Landsman, David S. Custer, $299; from Haigler to Idalia, George F. Conrad $740; From Henderson to U.P. railroad station, John Anderson $150; from Kirk to Tuttle, Frank A. Cline $159.99; from Littleton to Lamb, Stanley Dudley $300; from Thurman to Arickaree, James W. Clement $208; from Watkins to Salem, P. Peterson $200; from Ashland to Lnmborn, F.H. Odell $130; from Burlington to Burlington, E.E. Harrison, $400; from Claremont to Tuttle, Archie Dargrove, $450; from Flagler to Thurman, Edw. F. Miller $600. rVilliam H. Yersin. State Legislature, (as a Democrat) and was prominent in state politics. He was a Thespian of the first order and was the instigator of many Shakespearean plays that were produced in Burlington. These plays were put on with the help of local residents. His plays received state renown and were always well attended. Louis was a real dramatician in the court room also and won many trials by his dramatic abilitY. A.P. Tone Wilson, who came much later was a real sharp lawyer and somewhat of a prankster. I can remember that when I was a boy almost every farm with a For Sale sign Tone on it had the name "For Sale by - A.P. Wilson. Jr.". He built the building just north of the First National Bank where Percy Lounge had his shop. Mr. Newbury was a lawyer who settled on the river north east of Stratton near the Pugh Place. His homestead is now the Harvey Wood place. Newbury moved to town and never practiced law in Burlington. He had been a brilliant lawyer, but had a nervous breakdown, and never recovered' He lived in a dirt hovel just north of the Railroad station. bY HenrY Y. Iloskins EARLY DAY WATER SYSTEM T30 Most places in the early days did not have water piped in to the house. I suppose that the towns people started in the 20's and the farm people a little later. We had a cistern in the yard which was cemented and which had a PumP with buckets that picked up the water and dumped it out when turned. The buckets were about 6 inches wide and 2 inches deep. Most places in the country had a windmill with a well house. In the well house was a barrel into which the water from the well was pumped. It flowed through the barrel and probably into another barrel from which it �HINTS REGARDING THE 1916 BURLINGTON DISTRICT T311 I I q- '.*t&& +*:-' Bert and Roxie Kvestad drilling a water well on their farm in 1928. Frank Dinsmore is the well driller' Looking east at the Colorado-Kansas line, 1916. ribbons runs the purest of nature's life giving Crops Raised Wheat is one of the principal crops and produces on an average of at Ieast twenty bushels to the acre in general. Oats and barley do exceptionally well, yielding from thirty to sixty bushels to the flowed into a stock tank. One barrel was used for the house. A bucketful at a time. It was always a cool place to stop to get a drink from a dipper which hung there. Latir everyone had a supply tank through which the water ran before being used, this way a person could store up quite a bit of waier. Everything ran good until a real cold day when the well house froze up. Tlre Seilman family had a supply tank in the basement of their house and always had warm water for the cattle. This was a big item. Of course, all the water systems gave way to the submersible pump which is connected to a 50 gal., tank for storage. The air pressure keeps the water running. Each pasture had to have a windmill to furnish water for the cattle. Usually there was a tank near the mitl which had to be checked every day or so to see that there was water in it. Most windmills were Aermotors by make and every farmer had to have a knowledge of how to fix them. Not everyone would climb a windmill. Each motor haC to have oil in it and that was a yearly job to climb up and fill it with oil. When a well stoPPed PumPing it was usually because there were worn out leathers. This meant that the pipe would have to be pulled up. A large block and tackle anchored in the tower was used, there were well tools 'to facilitate separating the pipe and sucker rod. A large block with a "dog" on it was used to keep the pipe from falling back into the hole. When the cylinder came up it would be taken apart and new leathers put back in and then replaced and reconnected. It was also a practice to use a small one cylinder stationary engine and a pump jqck to get water when the wind did not blow. This was attached to a sucker rod and the jack was driven by belt. There are those who know much more about this than I but I have written it as far as my knowledge goes' It seems that through the ages, when the need becomes great enough, some genius with foresight and vision meets the need in spite of all criticisms and all other obstacles. So it is that pump irrigation came into being. Viewed from the air, the picture of this flat land, formerly a vast prairie of buffalo grass for miles and miles now turns into a panorama of growing corn, milo, or maize, even wheat. while down the furrows like silver water. Pioneer in this field was Mr. E.L. Powell of Burlington. As far back as 1938, Mr. Powell began to advocate pump irrigation. In 1948' E.L. (Earl), and his brother Floyd G. Powell, put in their first irrigation well. This proved to be a curiosity and people drove from miles around to see the sight. Kenny Wilcox drilled the first well. Finally in about 1955, there were about 100 irrigation pumps in the county' Mr. Powell alone had about four wells. And what is this pump irrigation? Without going into technical detail, it seems that under this prairie is a water bearing formation called the Ogallala formation. A drill is put down through this formation to the Fierro shale or floor. The pump is installed, powered by an L-P gas or diesel engine and lhe pu-p brings the life giving water. The farmer then directs the flow of water to the crops. Some wells were pumping 860 gal. to 1,035 gal. of water Per minute' Among those trying out the irrigation were: Jack Chalfant, Loutzenhiser Bros., Sydney V. Huntzinger, Dr. R.C' Beethe, C.D. Reed' Floyd Whitmore, Lloyd Pugh and others. Two types of irrigation were being used; ditch and sprinkler. In 1957, the crop Sugar Beet was introduced into the county, and growing was made possible because of the irrigation. The growth of sugar beets from a test plot in 1956 grew to 13,000 acres in 1965. Mr. Fowell passed away in 1958, but he lived long enough to see his dream come true with the irrigation. According to the office of the county agent' Bob Croissant, as ofApril 30, 1965 the official number of irrigation wells was 506. by Henry Y. Iloskin acre. Kaffir corn, milo maize and different kinds of cane EIre grown more or less in all parts of this country, but do best in our soil. Alfalfa does exceptionally well, both on upland and in the valley lands. A season and three cuttings will generally average five tons per acre. Watermelons and cantaloupes do well, and our product has a fine flavor and is much in demand. Mail Service Rural routes are in existence everywhere and the towns are so close together that most every farmer is served in this way. Telephone lines connect every town and rural lines are beginning to run into the country fast. The Dairy Business The dairy business is gradually assuming larger proportions. I The cream checks to our farmers amounf to a goodly sum each year. Come and Settle In This CountrY. Man, beast and field all do well in this country. What more can You ask? Come you also and live among us. We want and need more farmers, morc business enterprises and more industrier here, and we have the right country t< support them. Many have succeeded here and few havt failed. What mining and stock raising meant t( the prosperity of the state in the early da5 Colorado, the continued development of thr agricultural resources of the state means t< the prosperity of the state todaY. Where a section of the barren prairie lan< in the old days would not suppod fifty hea< of cattle, often now you will see when visitinl our country a rich, productive farm. The same land used for cattle wortl perhaps no more than $1,500 will todaj produce 15,000 bushels ofwheat valued at { ieast $1 per bushel. This is good evidence th{ through our agricultural development, prad ticed early to a greater extent' greate �prosperity than we have yet experienced is yet to come to eastern Colorado. Come to Eastern Colorado Hints regarding the 1916 Burlington District July 1916 Those who were here before you have prospered with worse conditions to meet and overcome than you will have should you decide to settle here. When you come you cannot help but by Myra Davis THE GREAT LAND , And so in turn will the man that comes SALE prosper also. trfter you. No one is leaving here, but the town and country is gaining in wealth and population yearly. Interest yourself in the country and take advantage of the opportunities we have to offer. Territory tributary to Rock Island lines in Eastern Colorado offers a splendid field to the dry farmer. The days of brilliant sunshine, the crisp dry air, and the invigorating atmosphere bring a healthful contentment that makes the farmer in Eastern Colorado take a keener joy in his work and in his living. In eastern Colorado the homeseeker is offered opportunities for substantial returns for agriculture, under ideal climatic conditions. The years have worked a revolution in farming the plains under light rainfall, soil, wind movements, length of growing season, crop varieties and tillage methods before he sets his stakes in a new communitv. The system of agriculture that brings permanent success in Eastern Colorado is ,based on livestock. Under this heading dairy fiarming furnishes the most dependable and constant source of revenue. Winter wheat and Mexican beans are the two cash crops. Corn, with kafir sorghum, Sudan grass, alfalfa and sweet clover furnish ample forage and grain for feeding and the farmer here, as in other localities, must make his first business provisions for his table out of the farm garden, poultry flock and pigs, which can be done as easily and economically as regions of greater rainfall. In Eastern Colorado good dairy cows will feturn $50 to 975 each, every year, and you pan grow every pound of feed they need. The lreat markets of Denver, Colorado Springs, pnd Pueblo, with the nearby mining districts, pan use everything raised and strong prices [revail from strong competition with Eastern parkets at Omaha, St. Joseph and Kalsas Ditv. I Eastern Colorado has every condition lavorable for making money with poultry. lhe dry climate is particularly favorable for ;urkeys. Every four or five years the rainfall s just right for seeding wheat and you can 'aise a crop of wheat that will sell for as much rs the land on which it is raised is worth. With vast areas of tillable land ready for he plow ranging in price from g7 to 915 per .cre, every acre capable of producing somehing needed to sustain life, Eastern Coloado presents an open door to health wealth nd contentment in return for intelligent ffort, packed by experience and moderate leans. We want successful farmers, for the more ,rccessful you become the more we benefit. 'here's lots of land, lots of opportunity. We ave a well organized Commercial Club that ready and glad to give impartial informaon and advice about the country. Write us rlly just what you want - Write today. from The Booster Edition was present at the great land sale held here some weeks ago and his opinion in his home paper will be given more credence than anything appearing in a home paper here. The sale was without a doubt the greatest undertaking of its kind ever attempted T32 On Tuesday, June twenty-first, 1910, the people from the Dakotas, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois and many other states began to arrive and on Tuesday night, a room and bed brought high class rates, cots and quilts were brought into use and almost every sleeping and eating accommodation were fully utilized. A number of people were compelled to sleep in automobiles or on the ground. On Wednesday morning, the crowds were augmented by hundreds of excursionists, brought in over the great Rock Island system and the streets of Burlington resembled one of the greatest fourth of July celebrations ever seen in our city. A coronet band made the air ring with melody; the hot screeching of the automobiles here and there along the streets was a terror to pedestrians; while the hoarse bark ofspeakerJin the white city were heard; where every kind of attraction was present to interest the visitors and lure the filthy lecre. Tainted money was in demand and found many patrons. The darkies quaint songs in harmony with stringed instruments. The expert ttapeze performers, the smooth juggler of various fine arts, was out in force to amuse and instruct the people. Upon Wednesday and Thursday morning, more than sixty automobiles loaded with people drove over the country, viewing the best laying land on earth. Hundreds and hundreds of miles was made by the automobilist and only words of praise was heard for our beautiful landscape. Unfortunately for the promoters of this great land sale, June month in Kit Carson county had experienced the same wretched drought which had prevailed outside of the government drawing and the men who engineered the feat certainly deserve credit for their enterprise. Below we quote what the editor Howard says: "At Burlington, Colorado last week. C.M. Guenther sold nearly a quarter million dollars worth of land in one day, in his capacity as trustee. It was a sure bargain day for buyers. The extreme hot weather fright- ened many of the timid. More than a thousand reservations for berths on a special train were cancelled when the hot winds began to blow over all the Missouri valley, with the result that the sale attendance was less than 500, where as, three thousand had been expected. It was a real bargain day in the land business. Two weeks before the date of the sale, it had been estimated that the average price ofthe land would be 912.00 per acre but the weather conditions cut lhe average down to $9.00 per acre. It is a beautiful country in Eastern Colo., much of the land lies as level as the Platte Valley. The altitude is too high for a sure corn crop, record reads that every man in the country has been maklng big money if he has been farming intelligently. Many of the farmers have grown as high as 40 bushels of wheat per acre, and all other small grains in proportion. About the only grass is buffalo and grama grass. It is not fit for hay, but it is a great producer of butter fat with the result that the cream industry is now one of the most profitable. Henry Grotelueschen, of the Platte countrv secured a half section at the Burl. sale. Thi Denver papers contained descriptions of the big sale. The feature which they said was most noteable was the remarkable physical endurance of trustee Guenther, whose task would have sent an average man to the hospital or to the grave. He began the sale in the auditorium at nine o'clock in the morning, talking 16 hours with only brief intermis- in South Dakota, western Iowa, portions of Nebraska, Kansas and other states. The small grain crops, which had made great sions for dinner and supper. Burlington Records - July 1, 1910. promise during May for an abundant harvest, had been affected. But in a lesser manner, the crops of other states, had been stricken with by Myra Davis the unusual dry spell in June. Although conditions were against the sale of lands at this time, we are informed that not a single piece of land was offered for sale out of 240 farms but what there was someone present in the auditorium that made a fairlv reasonable bid for the property. The highest bid for a farm ofraw land was thirteen dollars per acre, and this bid would probably have doubled had the usual weather conditions prevailed. The promoters, Messrs McKillip and Swallow were every inch gentlemen of the highest type and the great land sale was carried out from start to finish in a honest and up to date business way that denotes the highest skill in selling vast land acreages. Land Buyer's Bargain - Kit Carson County Record The following is from the Columbus, Nebraska Telegram and is reproduced for the express purpose ofgiving our readers an idea of what people from a distance think of conditions in Eastern Colorado. Editor Howard of the Columbus Telegram AGRICULTURE T33 Part 1 In researching for information for this section on agriculture, I came across the following editorials from the ',Blade". We must remember that these "editorials" were really promotions to bring people to this area and many ca-e seeking their fortune and a clance of obtaining land of their own. Many of these people were not skilled "farmers" but were ordinary people with a dream and lots of hope and courage that resulted in many failures and several success stories. What is amazing, that there are still descendants living here today of those hardy and skilled farmers, ranchers, and businessmen who persevered the many hardships of surviving those early years. "Editorial": No place astonishes the trav- �,'lr:':' ilit;ari l llli:llr:ia: i.:it: il r::l;lrii: : :.::llir, irlal:, lir:.'' tii::t. i; ,. ' .r::.,,]'l' iilr ... irti ::rlil: lir. t .1.: -,.. -iI lt:ir .r,:1i:1i ,1 r:i,r,,,r{ rt:itrl. i The grand age of farming, late 1930's and early 40's gaw the threshing machines still being used. The more men are gone but not forgotten. eler so much as Burlington. Only four weeks old and today almost every branch of business is represented, but still there is room for more. Travelers and land seekers crowd the hotels and eating houses and many have to undergo the painful task of standing up all night or holding down the soft side of a pine floor. Land is going fast and in a short time the area government land in this county will be of small proportions' The bounteous rainfall we have enjoyed this spring has virtually made the road to success on solid stone and the treach of progress more than sure. Labor and capital move hand in hand and their social union make everybody satisfied. No one is grumbling and east Elbert June 3' 1887. County's boom will continue it is not "Editorial": In coming to Colorado, going out of the world but coming among,a ilass of intelligent and industrious people and a country well settled. There is plenty of room for more and these vast alluvial prairies will produce enough of the necessities of life 15, 1887' to supply the state - JulY to Colorado! - If you "Editorial": Welcome are growing old with the fire and energy dying out of your life and the bouyancy of your youth leaving your limb, if you are looking fellowship of threshing crews, meals served to a dozen or with despairing gaze into the future and interesting advertisements were the onesl produced by A.W. Winegar who was a bigl away the remaining days of life in peace, promoter in this countY. longing for a quiet home where you can pass come to Colorado. If you are in search of health, wealth or happiness come to Colorado and come soon for before many months roll around every quarter section will have a house uponit and the hills that are barren will be filled with people, homes and livestock. A picture was taken in about 1910. Location is Main Street in Burlington. The large two-story building on the right is the Winegar building located on the corner of 14th Street and Martin, north of the present Bank of Burlington. Mr. Winegar was a real estate agent and he placed large ads in the Omaha, Nebraska papers and chartered special trains to bring prospective buyers from eastern T34 Nebraska to Burlington for the purpose of purchasing land in Kit Carson County. He would take them out to the country to look at the land and these Model T Fords were It is interesting to note that in 1890 the population of the county was 2,472. By this number, we see that manY PeoPle were coming west to take up homesteads' As the towns we e established along the railroad, the land agents set up office and began their big parents to this county. Many land companies bought up relinquishments from people whol did not finish proving up their homesteadl agreement for a very cheap price. They inl AGRICULTURE Patt 2 promotions by way of handbills and advertisements in newspapers in the east' The most used for transportation. Notice the large "HEADQUARTERS" sign in front of the Winegar building. A real land run in the Burlington area. Many people living today recall that these advertisements and schemes brought their, turn sold these farms later making goodl monev on the transactions. In an advertisem- �ent, in a 1920 paper, we find that the Bentley Land Co. was offering loans to purchase both improved and unimproved land and would also buy mortgages at a very reasonable discount. The real story of what agriculture was like in those early years comes from the stories of those who came here and made their homes here on the high plains. In the 1890's, one farmer planted 20 acres of wheat and his neighbors laughed at him for planting that many acres. He had to cut that wheat with a sc5rthe, then gather it up and bring it in and use a threshing rock to thresh the grain from the chaff, all hand labor. The straw was used for cattle feed and many times was sold to the cattle ranches after bad storms for g1 a load or the farmer would let them run cattle on the stack so that they would have use of the manure for fertilizer that spring. One record breaking winter, the cattle returned to the straw stacks and ate all remaining feed along with the dried manure. Such were the good old days. "Promotion" of agriculture in Kit Carson Countv $EMI-AI{I{UAI $tsokmott's il $tncftmenT $irodql $TAT[II[[IIT WJn ttrie ool,wm'm will puhl'i s lba d,,&, e br gad t' ina lurtluttotr, colo., Julv 7th.' lm, ToTba ll@onbL Eolrd ol Couur,y ooFml} ol ou mer, his r q'n'E e qryd rloloil ot lI'll CarDn Co. ' O.lor.do. !o youi goDombl€ ofi,ce adclress, dipnar is a' swbscriber ol Poopwbtiewrt. ETE ed 0 E ff J , i. t, trr&!gb!f, f,ttgrq, C{'lo, S4Dsqq6rFbalot' T F.SILI8, Eorliltto!, Colo. ru*q oltbvdt ot Bullalton, ."a.s. uoeq^N,.. sz u BuruDabD, 0oto. ,. Eaatl, ltdltr ln ' Un}INANY FIIND Doc. 3r, 190r, i318:i'. 8a g t4r € Bo, A na!g€, Br R, S,,SARAOUR; Burllngton,0olo, ot BurllEtt3D 36t3 aeAUp!I,\\{, A N ^. (:l&$Bor1, 0olo. Ba!{€, rqer (i:aagbor,t, ttrott BnuE., t-- c. w. eRUwELrr 'x.44 :s.00 90.!t tl i TrG. lrlro S0So, lgribest ot Burltlgtorr. ltrrllLKio!. Colq ' &lt btD. ! r IJ *""''^"Tii;'911'' -& . D uuo.ei1 m'e, colo. .:'-,, ,; ,,,, *r-*._**ttl1-, -a;;;6* CONTINGEN', FI;ND rbtrse suu(b ot ld.u,"Jo. u,u Hore!' le{r rhoukrdr' {:laEhoD'' (}olo' To vsrrota ouaslrldlls De, Bl. l8o2 -r.m I ,/' ntlrDra.lsuad 6 6d..4!dlDg ruYei:f&ff . ,"'IW '- L L *#&,.". Ctrcuft Ct drDo.ltcd 8.lTB{ T*t lr hraar co. tril 18.|51 g.Et J4s 90, lmd 30r.8d II " ratffico,t*roo"r,r* lv L, BIEGEL&B Rss6,NorthBesi,€r, Bu.llDlt6. eok -."_ --lffal;y iql ffiTr"rtff;t#"".1[""1,u t&-ora tlqh T o!l6nblr. --.-; DAvIs. D na <i @ : ldt:ffi! b'u& 9o 'tFN J!tr' ' (;rtfl€, let! lrip. tso$es lett iboulder. " t,T e ItosLIH E-H EDrl.lDl*4i, Crtd ftrDae, t! eua g. W ofburUDgto!, L-C """*H,lll$; -#if;ffi*#;*;ru'.1;1ffi **;Ifis,fflL:;,. li,frl, ffif;[{'mi",.sJD!0,0.,* 8, lrb.odtco, 1:rN. Jmes, l90t Is.l$a p,r:*so#-ro***',*,,*or*Hl\ =[';,1'.'il - t-, - *+..,"-.".+-ri* "',i*"Xj'*"".. RaUe. E$!o( BsrlrDttotr. B.urr5rto', qrb. POOR FUNI). --tiT:wrNirr&r1 *-* gulllDgt r, Colo, Roo8o Nodbgsi ol Eirllhgbn. "i*L:";, 't!se'|oot'bptBilrutr.to!' -*-n'lT "lwlJ ".-wrr.r<rn- --- LlaremoDt, Colo. RaBgo. cE halmn Crek. !.,I,,,, r,oNc, .! LU. a x.mlCzT -_. fl!:H LaBdlE*n, Calo. alrc w. w. PAISLEY' toi rcl - r :ty a&rBnu D q q ,los. €nalrDg Jutr. i uffi J' o ,f,r1oi''Jt-o.. o r*r Sl -.----'' farraut. oubBndlac JutrG *. Iffi. U,l.t.l{ "EdiogJur. Ra.n€d. Boutb tri,olk R€pubiloSt & '; 8€tboDr. Oolo. 8&uo. ecrb ot 8€ibEo, nCPUD',IOAN CAT.i LD Ct). o! 161t rtdo _'#*ilB-'P *--l"".lifirlff"1o, rror., .ru* 4 J ltal clu€uolt,cota -.-J.--._ 79,S1 Jgr 0o &bgy to Ky. ' .4. J F C.!t16, ioft tif,, nango, lorls ofSIflDS Crst EorlD. rlr,1r shguld(i Cori bahN l{o!go $'reor BurltsabE, Colo, Iarb@D. IJ ruc.6 Dil€ scutLrsl ' XlaF. Ilrs! 9t Bstttrg&m. A.{D88^a BALTZEB, _ E S'A !f, n:l1k^bu*sy: Efiwat". --- Itare, Ctortbei3t �These Model T Fords were used for the transportation of prospective purchasere of land in Kit Carson County. AGRICULTURE "Branding time" in the 1920's. T36 t!t., .':.]: t Ready for work. Cattle ranching in the early 1920's. North of Siebert. Real life "cowboy" Jess on Mack. .,,.. . .,t.tlft L,, Cattle struck by lightning - the cattle belonged to a George Kiefer. Location is in Section 32, township 9, Range 44, Kit Carson County. Date: Approximately 1915-1920. Herd bull with passenger - note wood tank. "Spectators" waiting for the fun to begin. �Part 3 The face of the earth seems to glow with health and beauty, and the people that live in this wonderful country go around congratulating each other due to the rise ofthe land and trying to analyze theirjoy. Even the dogs are so overcome with gladness that they catch hydrophobia and go into fits and die over it. There isn't a man idle who wants wor$. The banners of prosperity wave from every hill and the lean, hungry skeleton of starvation has gone on a tour to the cities of the east. Here the farmers pump water for their stock with windmills and do their plowing sitting on a spring seat with a box of cigars on one side and a bottle ofDenver beer on the other, while in the east they carry water from the nearest creek and walk behind a plow until they have no distinct idea whether they are shoving the plow or the horses are pulling it. The man who can't thrive, prosper and grow rich in Colorado would starve in a bakery. - AGRICULTURE r*"ll *'i::":-T36 "Afternoon break" while ehocking corn. Part 4 Breaking sod with "Horse power". "Editorial" March 29, 1888: Eastern Colorado is the place for the poor man, for the farmer, for the mechanic, for the merchant, August, 1887. "Editorial" November 1987: People living in the eastern states have no concept of our superior advantages, the vastness of our fertile prairies and our rapid improvements, unless they can see for themselves. To tell the truth of our products and our rapid settlements, seems incredible to them as their experience was so different in the early days of Ohio, Illinois and Iowa. Here whole counties almost as large as New England states, settle up in a year or so with families on nearly every quarter section while with them their settlements were confined along the streams in order that they might pasture stock for years upon the commons. The pioneer of Ohio and Indiana was considered a rustler if he opened a five or ten acre farm the first year and cared for hie family, but here there is less work opening 160 acres, each acre of which will more than remunerate one for the labor bestowed with a sod crop of corn, cane of miller, besides obtaining the title to 160 acres of choice land. If we speak of raising potatoes, cabbage or any vegetable product on sod with our irrigation they wonder if that is true or whether it isn't a scheme of the newspaper- Threshing with a handmade "threshing rock". Strobel farm. ,men to "catch a few suckers", while here on fexhibition are potatoes that weigh from two fto three pounds raised in this county. But just llet a man come out from the east, (if he dare venture) look around and see for himself the energy of our people. The improvement of our lands and new towns all clean and nice, oftimes with waterworks, elegant hotels, churches, school houses, with a genial, intelligent class ofpeople as you will find anywhere, and he begins to look around as Rip Van Winkle, to see if he hasn't been asleep for twenty years in the sleepy hollows of some of lhe eastern states. About one more year the people back east who contemplate coming rest will realize they have slept upon their rars, if they wish government land east of the Rockies, in the localities for corn and wheat. Binding oats. �Harvesting flax in the early 1900's. East of Burlington. for the laboring man, for the dispeptic and consumptive rich man, and for the balance of creation. A country of beautiful rolling prairie, black loam soil of surprising depth and durability, fine water in abundance, fresh One must remember, that to live here meant that some source of income was needed in order to start their farm. Many men left for months at a time and went to Denver to work in the smelters and railroad Zone, with markets for the abundant surplus yards; others worked in the truck garden farms along the front range and lived in tents with their families during the growing season and returning in the fall with food supplies of agricultural products almost at the door, with cheap fuel and home manufactured to last them through the winter. It was tough going for everyone. and pure air that strikes at the consumptive germ and vanquishes it like an August sun does of the principal product of the Frigid farming implements, magical towns and burroughs that might be called cities teaming with life, activity, business and substantial growth, railroads building in every direction and a class of energetic settlers who seem determined to improve the advantages nature has bestowed upon the country. With all the above grandios language in these "editorials" one wonders what people really thought when they arrived and found these barren plains with no trees, few sources "Great looking horses" Bert Kvaestad. AGRICULTURE T37 of water and the new railroad that was crossing this county in 1888. They forgot to inform the public that water wells had to be dug to the depth of 150 feet or more and many were hand dug, no easy job. Some wells were dug along the railroad by the railroad companies so that the steam engines could fill at regular intervals along the track. They were instructed not to give the settlers water but the local foreman or their wives would not agree to this as they knew that water must be shared if a populace was to be obtained. The "mortgage lifters" Strobel farm - ready to go to the field and plant wheat, "Beauty" carries wheat and water pail. Part 5 In 1908, Mr. A.N. Corliss was given a Sugar Beet Growers Contract signed by a Mr. M.K. Dunbar. The sugar company was planning on making the Republican River valley into a viable sugar producing area similar to the Platte River valley north and east of here. Breaking sod on the "High plains" with a steamer Plans were to build a sugar beet processing plant at St. Francis, Kansas. He signed a 5 year agreement with 50 acres to be planted the first year increasing to 100 acres. This project never came into fruition. According to one early homesteader it took several years before many acres were broken for farm use. It took lots ofhard work to plow up the sod and at first it was walking behind a hand plow with one or two horses pulling the plow. Lots of shoe leather was worn away during this process. Montgomery Ward had work shoes with the guarantee that if they wore out within 6 months time you would receive a new pair free. Many homesteaders received their free shoes. From one story we find that in 1907, Bb acres were broke; 1908 he farmed 45 acres; 1909 he farmed 80; 1910 he farmed 90 and in 1911 he farmed 95 acres. That probably was a very normal average for most farms. They planted feed cane for animals, wheat, barley, �.;:, l,;r;a Work horses used on the Berrv homestead from 1918 to 1925. millet and corn. Many experimented with on the homesteads because of the water new crops such as flax and beans. shortages. Gardens came first and even those were difficult to keep growing in hot weather. It took a lot of their acreage just to feed livestock as a milk cow or more plus pigs, chickens and the necessary horses had to be provided for. Living was very simple and if you had a chance to work out and receive some cash you took advantage of this when possible. Many worked for the large cattle ranches in the summer. Some took butter and eggs to town to trade for groceries and perhaps to sell directly to someone who lived in town. Of course, many in town had their AGRICULTURE Horace and Joyce loading the pickup with wheat. T38 own cow and chickens even up into the 1940's or whenever the town ordinances prohibited animals from being kept within the city limits. Life was more of a struggle for existence than one of making a living. .*" ,.i,,"ffi Water was very hard to come by at first as most early wells were hand dug or if you lived by a creek water was hauled in barrels with the horses. No wonder every drop of it was used before any was discarded. The first Hauling to town, the last job. order of business was shelter and a water well. ,It is noted that very few trees were planted I I Loading the truck, Horace and Gus Schreiner, July 4th. tr Part 6 r '1'1"1"t, dd .:t,.,,, rl,; Chow time" - note field of corn in background. John Berry feeding pigs 1926. Model T truck which Mr. lerry purchased from the Lavington Motor Co. in Flagler. Marketing cream and eggs kept many farm families alive by providing cash for groceries and clothes from the period between 1910 and 1950. The creem separator really helped this method of providing income to these farm families. The cream separator was patented in the late 1890's and it was several years before they were purchased and came into common usage. Before that cream was skimmed off with the ladle, a very slow and sometimes smelly process. Chickens were the mainstay of everyone. They were raised for fresh meat, eggs, and even feathers were used. A hog or a cow was butchered only in the winter so that it would not spoil and could be processed without refrigeration. Most meat was cooked up and sealed in fat or cured and smoked for preservation. The advent of �Heading wheat 1920's. Threshing in the 1930's and 40's. Boger family. canning equipment especially the pressure cooker, was a blessing. In 1920, under the guidance of Miss Amelia Alexander the All Star Canning Club won fame and recognition from all over the country for winning the State Fair championship at Pueblo with-their canning demonstration. The girls, Vivien Worley, Elaine Hendricks and Bertha Boger competed with well trained teams from all over the state. Miss Hendricks and Miss Boger won a trip to Europe to help teach the women how to preserve food as the families were trying to reorganize their lives from the devastation of World War I. Tarming during the 1920's required much labor and the families within the local neighborhoods helped each other by exchanging machinery and labor. The days of the threshing crews that went all over the countrv rue now a thing of the past. We hope rhat the pictures included in this agriculture section will bring back memories of that period of time. The large crews of men gathering to work and then the immense task of feeding these men took the efforts of everyone, evei children who kept the water jugs filled to shooing the flies out of the house with waving dish towels. The men working with the horses or the new huge tractors will be remembered as the giants of those days. One can hardly believe that they were capable of all the physical work that they endured. The attachment of man and beast is recorded in the relationship the farmer had with his favorite team oi horses. So many hours were spent in joint effort to provide for the necessities ofhfe. Maybe they all survived because both man and animal had to rest at midday providing a refreshing period of time for all. It is interesting to note that in the records of the Extension Office we found that extension work began in late 19lb with the organization of districts or communities for the betterment of crop, Iivestock and poultrv production along with the formation of So". and Girls clubs. These boys and girls cluLs were the forerunner of the 4-H Clubs of today. There were Boys Corn Clubs, Girls AGRICULTURE T39 Part 7 The 1920's were prosperous and times were booming and land values were climbing. Farms were growing in size and equipmerit and machinery were larger so the manbn the farm would see a future full of hope and possible financial improvement. Rumley "Oil Pull" tractor with Carl Schaal, 1920's. Sewing Clubs, Boys Bean Clubs, and Canning Clubs. Other activities for the adults werE sped improvement projects, pit silo project, livestock_ improvement, farm -"rr"g"rrr"rri and rural organization in the variou's com_ munities. Many interesting activities came from these efforts such as the drive to poison t-!e jack rabbits because of the damage they did to the growing crops. Recipes for"rabbii sausage, rabbit loaf, fried and creamed rabbit, baked and dried rabbit, chili con carne, chop suey and rabbit mincemeat were ii listed. The need to improve corn seed varieties and livestock by introducing pure bred stock for cattle and hog production were started. Families were encouraged to plant wind_ breaks around the farmsiead using trees, lilac bushes and flags for beauty. Farmirs feli that they needed help in marketing and record keeping. Plans were obtainJd b make "iceless" refrigerators available to farm fami_ lies. Grasshopper control was very important in the 1930's. By the 1940's the fbcus was on crops, s_oils, pest, forestry, poultry, dairy, husb-andry, ag economy, .rntritiorr, development, clothing, home management, "hiid and a motron picture projector was purchased plus a generator to provide electricitv at community meetings. During the 1g40's, an e_mnhasis was on the war effort and many ol the same projects. In the 1950's we find information on irrigation introduced and ir Combining wheat in the 1940's with pull combine. 1960 we see the program very similar to whal we have today. In 1935, Farm Census statistics were nol very favorable for Kit Carson Countv br figures released by the Department of Com I I I �Lindberg Here It was the custom in the early years to hold the fair in October, and often the cold, snow, rain, or sleet would darnpen the euents. :. However, one fall the weather was ideal, and prior to his history-rnaking trip to Paris in 1927, Charles Lindberg took up passengers here t'or three days during the fair. He stayed at the Montezurla Hotel, unheralded, unhnown except as just another barnstormer pilot to get paEsengers at $10 per ride. {, iitd'*&',"Mr. Hull's threshing outfit north of Burlington' Diseases of Old "The Grippe" -A uirus disease - Inf luenza Sore throat - Swelling of glands "Quinsy" - Feuer - "Lumbago" - Painful rhumatism of lower back - affecting Siatic nerue "Consumtion" - Tuburculosis - wasting awoy of the body "Catarrh" - Inflamation of nasal passages "Dropsy" - Edema - collection of water in the feet and legs "Flux" - Diarrhea - wdttery flow from the bowell "Rheumatism" - Inflamation of muscle, joints, or fibrous tissue "Gout" Inflamation of joints - excess uric acid in the blood [Jncontrollable tremor of body "Palsy" part - "St. Vitus's Dance" - Chorea - a neruous disorder - spasmatic tnouen"Lent and in' coordination Stroke of the neruous system "Epilepsy" - Schaal threshing wheat in the Settlement' Notice steam tractor' merce. Bureau of the Census. They tell a rathetic story of farming in eastern Colorado' ]uoting the report in 1934 we find land, ]18,000 acres from which no crops were rarvested due to failure (drought). Mitchel and Ada Christie with babv Virginia "Sod House Collection." �many people are hurt in the end and manv farms are sold. On the other hand this opens the door for someone to purchase land at a value that may be profitable in time. The ca-pital required for acquiring and operating a farm is huge making one wonder if the ris[ is worth it but there is such a love affair between the farmer and the land we know that there will always be someone willing to take the risk. The 1920's were difficult times on the farms due to the war effort and the unavailability of farm machinery and repairs. If you had not purchased any new equipment piior to the war it was almost impossible to do so until after 1945. There were good growing conditions during the 40's; along with the -. t:' plentiful rain came lots of hail which is typical of this country. 1945 saw the greatest grain crop in many years. Kit Carson County became the wheat and barley center of the middle west. Two davs after the harvest began the elevators at Stratton were overflowing with wheat run- Boger's corn sheller north of Vona. AGRICULTURE T40 Part 8 For purposes of comparison using figures from 1929 as a base, corn acreage was reduced 8t%; wheat 75%; oats threshed, g5%; rye 69%;bafley 90%; andhay 6Vo. The value of farms, lands and buildings for 193b, is given at $8,261,026, while in 1930 it was $14,396,018. Horses and colts for lgBE,g,725, while in 1930 it was 12,157. Mule and mule colts shrunk from 1,317 in 1930 to 52b in 193b. Cattle on January 1st. 1935 number ed.42,282, against 25,5L9 in 1930. Hogs slumped from 26,723 in 1930 to 8.518 in 1935. Wheat in the spring, towing sprinkler to irrigate the corn. The report statcs that wheat suffered severely in both acreage and yield. In 1929 wheat was threshed from 99,71G acres and produced 700,721bushels. In 1984 wheat was threshed from 25,167 acres with a yield of 93,156 bushels. The loss in farms and livestock in the state is about the same ratio. The value of hogs and pigs dropped from 462,801 to 248,770:. and wheat threshed from 17,332,160 to 6,169,685 bushels. This gives us a picture of the economic loss that was absorbed during this period of time ning as high as 55 bushels an acre and winter barley to more than 95 bushels an acre. The following article taken from the Rockv Mountain News gives a very good account oi the county's bumper crop: "With the rich prairies soil yielding better than for many years past, the only sour note in the harvest picture is an inability to obtain railroad cars to move the heavy crops to the Kansas City market." "The lack of cars for shipping purposes can become very serious if rain comes," Mr. Woodfin said. "The weather is ideal for the harvest, but if it rains there will be losses in the wheat piles on the ground." "A few years ago people were calling this a dust bowl area", Mayor Zurcher said. "I wish everyone in Colorado could see this harvest. you have to see it to believe it." Many grain storage facilities were constructed after this. Many of us today remember those years and after the war was over and machinery was manufactured again farmers purchased new tractors that were larger and wheat was still king ofthis area. Livestock production began to modernize with emphasis on larger animals finally coming popular and farm storage for grain has been built on most farms. resulting of people leaving the land in large numbers. Some left never to return but manv did come back and again ventured into farming and ranching. To give us some indication of the ups and downs in this county the following list gives July, wheat harvest, 1980. AGRICULTURE T4r the population of Kit Carson County through the years. Year: 1890 2,472;1900 1,580; 1910 7,483; 1920 - 8,915; 1930 - 9,725; tg40 7,512; L950 - 8,600; 1960 - 6,952; 19?0 7,100; 1988 - 7,668 - with today from the 1g70's In comparison to date, 1988 we find that in the mid ?0's drv land farm ground was selling for g8b - $12b per acre; Irrigated land $356 per acre and pasture land was selling for 940 - $b0 per acre. The 80's saw dry land selling for g2T8 - $400 per acre; irrigated land 9800 - $1200 per acre and pasture land brings $100 - $120 per acre. In 1988 land prices are down due to the recession of the early 80' in agriculture with dry land bringing $225 - 9275 per acre; 1986, Gleaner L2 combine, Hasart farm. Irrigated land 9325 - $500 per acre and pasture land bringing $70 - $100 per acre. It reminds us of the old rule that what goes up must also come down but the sad part is that Finishing up, waiting for the last loads of corn �made their place in this area and other crops such as truck garden vegetables have been tried. What the future brings in this area can not be imagined as of now but there will always be something new to be tried. Feed grains have made a large impact on the economy allowing the formation of large cattle feeding operations in the county. This has really been a boon for the cattle raised here providing a local market that has been very good and stable. The feedlots in this area would not have been possible without the water systems of today using electricity which powers the ever present submersible pumps that bring us the gallons of water needed for domestic and livestock needs. Can you imagine windmills providing this im- mense source of water? The 50's had the setting aside of land out of production called the "Soil Bank" and today in the 80's we see the problem of overproduction being dealt with by the "Congervation Reserve Program". The longer we live the more we see things return to the same cycles of over production or scarcity. The sugar beet industry has come and gone and many farmsteads are long gone from the peak population years ofthe 20's. The day of farm houses on nearly every quarter of ground are a thing of the past. The mechanization offarms and ranches has brought about changes that our great grandfathers wouldn't have believed. Livestock statistics for Kit Carson County; 19?5 cattle on feed, 29,000; all cattle and calves, 137,000. 1981, cattle on feed,37,000; all cattle and calves, 116,000; and cows and heifers that have calved, 34,000. 1986, cattle on feed,40,000; All cattle and calves, 113,000 and cows and heifers that have calved, 27,500. Corn harvest 198?. These figures include 1,000 to 1,300 milk cows and were obtained from the Kit Carson County Extension Office. Statistics on winter wheat, dry beans and corn for grain for Kit Carson County are as Corn in August. lCedar Rose Dairy, owned and operated by Tom I Dobler northwest of Burlington. follows. 1980 winter wheat show 332,000 acres harvested totaling 10,733,000 bushels; 1983 winter wheat harvested shows 368,000 acres with 15,164,000 bushels produced; 1985 the peak year for production shows 385,000 acres planted with 17,595,000 bushels harvested and in 1986 310,000 acres were harvested with 10,841,000 bushels produced. In 1980 7,000 acres of drY beans were harvested with total production on 119,000 l*. hundred wt. and in 1885 11,000 acres were harvested with 205,500 hundred wt. Corn for grain, 57,000 acres were harvested producing 5,669,000 bushels of corn in 1980. In 1982, 62,500 acres harvested with 7,890,000 bushels produced; 1984, 41'000 Spring is lsnbing time on the Dean and Bonnie Witzel farm, FebruarY 1988. just got on your feet financially and had- a good start in the cattle business and then the Irrigating corn with gated PiPe' Part 9 The return of the dust storms and dry years luring the 1950's forced many farmers to ,hink about drilling irrigation wells and the lry years forced the rancher and farmer who lwned cattle to sell their herds at low prices rnd then buy back at high prices. This cycle vas always devastating as it seemed that you bottom fell out. By putting down an irriga- tion well you were assured ofraising feed and grain for your livestock enterprise. Many farmers did drill wells and the age of irrigation on the high plains began. Iirigation made a large impact on th9 agriculture industry in this county. The old stand by crops of corn, milo and wheat now had the potential of producing much larger yields and new crops were introduced such as sugar beets which became a huge source of revenue for many years. Pinto beans have acres harvested with 5,916,000 bushels and in 1986,48,000 acres produces 7,056,000 bushels of corn. These figures do not include corn silage figures. The corn silage figures are; 1980, 10,500 acres harvested at 184,000 tons and 1985, 4,100 acres harvested 97,000 tons of silage. This gives us a good comparison of acres planted in the 1930's and the 1980's. What a story they tel.' With the new markets for grain such as corn sweeteners and ethanol for fuel and other products being researched and tried we hope to see a healthy future for our grain production. Wheat has always been the mainstay for this area due to the climatic conditions. �Agriculture AGRICULTURE T42 Part lO Included in this agriculture history are many pictures showing the changes in farm_ rng practices and equipment over the years and it is hoped that you will be able to paint your own picture of your life and timeJwith these photo essays. Pictures have a wav of saying more than words can ever do ,o it is with this thought that brings the close of this section of our Kit Carson County,s agricul_ ture historv. 1988 Population and Altitude of Towns in the County . _B^ethune: 152,4,257 feet; Burlington: B,2gb, 4,.L65 feet; Flagler: 574, 4,575 feet; SeiLerti 4,710 feet; Stratton: 6b4, 4,AL4 feet; Vona: 120, 4,504 feet. The Kit Carson County Extension Service _1_95, has provided a wealth of informatior, services to this county that has been irreola_ "rri cible. The following are listed in order fhat they were serving in this countv. 1915. Agent RN. Flint; 1918 H.O Strange; 1919 Adelia Alexander, Ass't agent; fSS4 bick Wooan" with S.H. Stolte Ass't and Logan Morton Ass't in 1938; 1944 Bertha WJar came as Home Agent with Nellie patterson Assit: 1947. Albert Brown, Agent; 1952, Don uhactwlck Agent with Ass't Agents Vernon Howard Enos, WarreriMauch, anJ I"r."9 Berl Stedwell in the late b0's. R.L. Croissani came in 1961 with Ass't Agent Leon Stanton; 1966 Norma Pankratz, Home Agent with C;j scracca and Bill Bennett as Ass't Agents; 1969 Darrel Schafer, Agent and .I. froee. Wolfskill Ass't Agent; R.L. Croissant, &;;; until 1979 when Larry Henry came. Noima Pankratz left in 1980 and Bonnie Sherman, Carol Fitzsimmons, Carol pfaffly we.eHome Agents; 1987 Colleen Simon, Home ege"U l^e11v D. Brewer, Jr. came as Ass't Ag"ifiri 1981. w AI,FnfD YTTILLET f Wellet, polo. 8aoge, no:ttte&t oi Bur.tiagtoD.. .['rect lYallett, f... { w ou rtshr, htp. lVallett, i;olo. 'L R&nge near 1y&nett, Colo. W4L w, II. LavINOtoN. tDd halt crop Range, gculb Fdik n€Dubllcsl 'ln laltcar'; Ftaelei. Colo. ilw Is GSV/ rt,IdANSIILAU, Da:rge, Lostmen\Cr€6k. C. 3, WELIJMAN, Llght htp, cyer slrloin. - or, Renge, 8. E, otOlareppelr Cfaremont. DAl0, C' S -J_(- E. MCORILLIA, JL Budlu gtonr Co!e. Known a,s illl double-wrench breDd. Re;ngs, Iaadsmba. _ &ryo John Buol feedlot, 1982. North of Burlington. >t< LCA Left side. U, A, I'}MB. rnge, vtclnlty ot BUrllDgtoo, Burliagtdn. ColO. --J, 0. McNAItir llf Klrt, uolo. ti$gte. z miles oast ot Klrk. Alro li3btDr*; rod braDd on l€tt std€. c H H (rEoReEEEr{DRrOKE. A. ADdreas Adotl, R BurllngtoD, Colo. Range, gand Oreek. yale, Oohb. r&ng€, rreor Tele. Mrs. M. A. B€vler, EurIafton, Colo. rgffiEESEE eU.btDd| oa Ettildo. fisrchornaW. range, eourh srid loutbw€rtb(,goDen, 5 Star Feedlot owned and o^perated by the Cure Family and feedlot in background is operated by the Hornung family northeast of Stratton. � https://kccarchives.cvlcollections.org/files/original/16/417/History_Part_2.pdf 52894eed6aabdbae23d7bd7fbe8f08e3 PDF Text Text Cutting silage with a Field Queen on the Cure farm' Livingston Simmentals, 1987. IRRIGATION BEGINS T43 :lriiija.:'r: Feb. 29, 1940. Work will start immediately on the construction of the first major irrigation dam project to be undertaken in eastern Kit Carson County. C.H. Parke, who owns ' From field to silage pile, Hasart farm, 1987' land along the Beaver Creekjust east oftown, has taken the necessary steps and made proper filings as to water and ditch rights and ihe-engineering has progressed to-a point where ionstruction will be started at any time. The dam will be of earthen construction, a center core being constructed of clay and the fills both front and back of earth and the front rip rapped with rock, wire and posts' The blui prints call for an excavation 10 ft. deep into which the base of the clay core will be sunk and this core will be built to the Baling hay, Hasart farm. Cutting cane for silage, 1986. height of the dam which is to be 25 ft. above the bed of the stream. The base of the dam, when finished, will be 141 ft. through, with a crest of 14 ft. In length, the dam will be 515 ft. and will be of sufficient height to allow use of a natural sPillwaY. The dam is to be located on what is known as the Ryan place, about 1 mi. east and 1 south of burl, on the NW% 8-9-43. Ditches will carry the water to the Parke place. There has been much talk of well irrigation and some contracts for drilling test wells in Kit Carson County. These and Mr' Parkes' dam project will be watched closely by interested parties as their success would mean a new era for Kit Carson County. Irrigation activity began in the early 1950's with the drilling of wells throughout the county. As of July 1, 1957, there were Pome tlS wlils in the area with more wells being drilled and put into production. The depth of the wells range from 200 to 325 feet, and capacities are generally 1000 to 1600 gallons pei minute, with some wells having a capacity of *ot" than 2000 gallons. Most of the wells are pumped by electric motors, Diesel, Propani, and Natural gas engines, and the cost of pumping is not as great as one would expict. the excellent soil structure, its de-pth and water retention capabilities go hand in hand with economical pumping of the amounts of water required for crop produc- acking silage, Cure farm 1980's. tion. The local soil is a silt loam which is very �easily handled. Seed bed preparation is readily accomplished by a limited number of operations because of the excellent soil structure. The soil ranges in depth from b to 40 feet before any formation such as sand, gravel or shale is encountered. At present, there seems to be no drainage problem. As of July, 1964, it was estimated there were about 730 irrigation wells on 415 farms in the tri-county area, with 400 of these wells located in Kit Carson County. The wells deliver water to about 107,000 acres of highly fertile land. Since the report was made, additional wells have been drilled. Irrigation methods used are open ditch with siphon tubes, gated pipe and sprinkler systems. In 1988 approximately 1150 wells have been drilled and put into operation providing the county with the base of grain and feed production for the livestock industrv. Supplies are more than adequate to suppiy the cattle feedlots within the county at the present time. During the 1970's and early 1980's the farm economy was booming caused by inflated prices and increased land values. This came to a halt and severe declines in land prices prompted the recession for the agriculture community that has severely effected all businesses and communities within the county at the present time. The agri-business sector is restructuring its business practices and lowering its base debt load to position itself in a better financial frame. Two questions pose to be dealt with in the future and they are the declining water levels in the Ogallala aquifer and the cost of pumping the wells in relation to the price of the commodities produced. If the figure amounts to more than what thev would receive in soil bank pa5rments, plus the 50 pct. penalty for non-compliance, they will harvest and thereby break contract with the government. What soil bank payments will mean to the eastern counties is shown by figures compiled by Warren Myers, program specialist in the Denver offices of the Federal Agriculture Stabilization and Conservation Agency. The County which will reap the largest benefit is Kit Carson, for which 94,2b4,268 is ear-marked. The money will be paid out at county level from ASC offices in the form of certificates which are negotiable as sight drafts. Before payments are made, however, it is incumbent upon the county ASC committees to determine if the farmers are in compliance with the soil bank law. The payment program, Meyers has estimated, may run into August. Although it was not the intent of the U.S. Department of Agriculture to put the soil bank _program into effect for the 19b6 crop year, because the law was passed too late tb affect a lot of basic crops, political pressures were such that the progrem was inaugurated then. As a result, Colorado farmers last year were allowed to put some of their wheat acreage into the soil bank, even though the land hid been planted and lacked promise of any crop because of the drought. The acreage reserve payments in the state in 1956 amounted to approximately $4,472,000. Average rate of payment was g6 an acre. The national average on wheat for the 1957 crop year is expected to be g20.04 an acre. Whether there will be an acreage reserve section in the soil bank in 1958 still is a matter of conjecture. Members of both political SOIL BANK parties have condemned it as a failure in what is,was designed to do - reduce surpluses by T44 In the year of 1956 on June 28, the Soil Bank Act was passed. The bill went into effect in Kit Carson County retroactively for the 1956 crop year. The bill is still in effect as far as any contracts which are not termina- ted are concerned. However, as of March 1960 no new land could be placed under contract. The general program was designed to take a certain nmount ofcropland out ofproduction ofcrops, putting it to a conservation use. This was used in order to help reduce the surplus of crops which was plagueing our agriculture economy at the time. Uncle Sam's treasury on about June 10 will start pumping $22,217,736 into the agricultural economy of Colorado all of it - almost into the eastern plains counties long-smitten by drought. This bonanza will be paymentto more than 8,000 farmers who placed a total of 1,318,826 taking land out of production Last year it cost 9200 million, and still U.S. farm production set new records. Estimated cost this year is more than $700 million. The Lg57 - 1gg4 146 Eldon Shive starts first beet irrigation on the Ben Rudy farm just east of Burlington. f House has refused to appropriate gb00 million for the bank's operation in 1958. For 1957 wheat acreage alone the govern- ment signed up 233,453 farmers in the commercial growing states to take a total of L2,784,968 acres out of production in return for an aggregate of9230,975,4?b in payments. Economists estimated that this should have reduced wheat production by 20 pct. But now the high yields in prospect indiiate another bumper, surplus-producing crop. Thinning beets with a mechanical beet thinner. of the alloted wheat acres into the 19b? acreage reserve of the soil bank. Average payment per acre so put into idleness is expected to be 916.80. Total amount paid to Colorado farmers, however, may be somewhat reduced. Some landowners planted wheat on their soil bank land. Under law, that wheat may neither be grazed nor harvested. Some of these farmers will estimate the wheat yield and multiply it by market price. THE RISE AND FALL OF THE SUGAR BEET INDUSTRY IN EASTERN KIT CARSON COUNTY Loading beets into the railroad cars. �TIIE GREAT STONE FACE CAPER T46 Mt. Rushmore you say? Miss Bonny Gaunt, now Mrs. C.G. Gould of Burlington, posed with the wives of a camera crew from the Alexander Film Studios, Colorado Springs. The carvings were done about 1923, by Philip Smith of Ttentynine Palms, California and the late Clyde Roberts, both residents of Flagler at the time. Edmund L. Smith, Flagler businessman related that as a younger brother of Philip he didn't get in on the fun. The site of Buffalo Creek is six miles north and three miles east of Flagler on the Weston Fisher ranch. Between erosion and target practice not a great deal is left of The Great Stone Faces. After a lapse of many years, 3/L/L935 Stone Face," has again Seibert's "Great sprung into the limelight. This time through a newspaper story, written by Mrs. M.H. Brown, formerly of Seibert, the mysterious The first beets in the new area were plantcd by Gene Penny (center) on April 26, and on August 16 Earl iowe1 (inset) could be proud of beeti displayed at the fair. Mr. Powell, left and Carl Luft right of Gene Penny. Ben Rudy, Melvin Sall, Conarty Bros., O.E. Powell, Wayne Barber, Earl Powell, and C.D. Reed. From that humble beginning in 1957 the industry grew slowly but steadily each year with more acres and new growers added each year. In the early 60's, when the Cuban sugar import quota was cancelled, because of Stone Face, where a cameraman "shot" more than 200 feet of scenes, those who accompan- early 70's 50,000 acres were being grown here; visiting the relic. These films will likely be shown at some theater in Eastern Colorado, but it is not yet known. probably 25,000 actes was the most Kit Carson County produced. Up until the new sugar factory at Goodland was put into production in 1968 all the beets grown here were shipped by rail to the Great Western factories at Brighton, Loveland, and Longmont, Colorado for processing. Even after the new factory was built, nearly half of the crop was shipped west for processing. By the late ?0's, after the Hunt Brothers had gained control of the Great Western Sugar Company and also because oflow sugar prices, the industry started a slow but steady decline. The crop of 1984 were the last beets planted in the county. The Great Western Sugar Company took out bankruptcy in 1984 and the growers who planted beets that year did not get paid fully for their crop' The West€rn Sugar Company who purchased the northern factories from the Great Western Bankruptcy Trustee chose not to buy the Peconic Station in 1966, piling beets. The birth of the Sugar Beet industry here in Kit Carson County came in the spring of 1957. This was due largely to the efforts of Mr. Earl Powell who had also pioneered deep well irrigation here in our area. He, along with several other influential people of the area, no-ely C.D. Reed and Jack Hines of the county ASCS committee, were able to get a 300 acre Beet allotment for the county for new growers. The first growers to grow beets for the Great Western Sugar Co. in 1957 were Gene Penny, Fred Plautz, Leonard Pieper, E.K. Edwards, Western representative of Universal Films, wired a friend at the Seibert Settler office, that he would be here to make news reels of the freak. He would need some person thoroughly familiar with the location of the cliffs where the sphynx-like object is situated. M.N. Rasmussen is such a person and his help was enlisted. On Saturday, Mr. and Mrs. Edwards, Mr. Rasmussen, his daughter, Miss Rose, Miss Bonny Gaunt and a Siebert Settler reporter visited The Great Castro, sugar beet acreage controls were lifted and the industry grew by leaps and bounds here in earltern Kit Carson County and in nearby western Kansas as well. By the Beet field in Kit Carson County, 1960's. stone attracted attention. factory at Goodland. Consequently this factory was sold to the Two State Equity CoOp to be used as a grain storage terminal for the Goodland, Kanarado and Burlington Co- op's. by Russ Davis ied him taking the part of "sightseers," The excitement caused by the "rediscovery" of this unusual example of stone carving recalls a bit of history. In August, 1923, the Seibert Settler carved a column and a half of a story devoted to the Great Stone Face. M.D. Haynes, now deputy postmaster, had visited the spot and made pictures. At that time, old-timers claimed that the Great Stone Face had antedated their earliest recollections. Others claimed that the work was more recent, some even claimed to have done the work a few months previous to the appearance ofthe article. But although there has, indeed, been some cement work done by way of repair and preservation quite recently, at that time it nevertheless was pretty well established that the work had an early historic origin. The Great Stone Face does not measure up quite to the gigantic measurements attributed to it in the Denver newspaper story, but it is nevertheless of no mean proportions. About nine feet in height, it is caryed on the solid face of a huge boulder which must weigh close to 100 tons. The work is more or less rough, but modeling and expression show a degree of skill not to have been expected among the early cowboys or hunters to whom the work is credited by some. That it is of Indian Origin seems doubtful, too, and the Indian usually expressed his artistic urge in line drawings. The profile, however, is distinctly Indian. Exactly who was the creator of this image will likely always remain a �Saturday afternoon from Denver for a visit with his mother, Mrs. Myrta Christopher' Thev returned to Denver on Monday' V.S. FitzPatrick, well known former editor of the Seibert Newspaper, is now an instructor in the United States Air Corps' He attended a Denver school for several months recently, having first learned flying in 1919' He sold his newspaper in Craig last summer' John Chalfant is stationed at Camp Bennins. near Farragut, Idaho. He is in the meJhanical branch of the service and likes it .it *' T{ very much. iee Bruner is locat€d with the aviation cadet detachment at Scott Field, III' This is not far from St. Louis. A letter to Mr. and Mrs. John Buol from W.A. Robertson, Colonel of Army Air Forces, brings the news that Kermit Buol has been seleJted by the classification board for training as a navigator. He stresses the importance oi thit woik and sends congratulations' Kermit, who is now at Santa Ana, California will be transferred soon to a west coast school for intensive training. Harry and Vernon-Dalke have volunteered for U.S. service and reported at Fort Logan, .': t, { 'r*&'la,'. &':g ' .,tif The Great Stone Face \ Bonnie Gaunt Gould with the wives of the film crew of Alexander Films' Colorado Creek 6 miles north prtifrip Snilrt ana Clyde Roberts' Buffalo Springs. Faceg were ."rr"a""r"""i-G-zil Uv and 3 miles west of Flager' mvsterv. as he would likely find few believers if he should present his claim to distinction' OUR SOLDIER BOYS ARMY TIISTORY T47 Bud Boyles is stationed at San Diego' California. Word from Mrs. Steve Stransky states that her husband has enlisted and is stationed at the Great Lakes Training station,- near These three day passes sure help in seeing the country. Gas rationing is going to put a o.t hitch hiking, at which I am gettilg "ti-o Jong pretty good. Ye Old Pal, Tb John B' Aurner Pvt. Ralph Brunemeier of Rice, California' ** horr" last week on furlough' He returned Mo"d"v. He is in a tank division, being in the service since last month. Mrs. H.B. Morgan writes from San Diego ttrai ttreir son, Lee B' Morgan, is in the U'S' service in Hawaii. He likes it there and says pineapple juice, tropical fruits and ihev ""jov coconuts. W;. Bowker has been in the hosPital practically ever gince his induction in the Colorado November lst. Leigh Short, son of Judge E.V. Short' has been tlransferred from Buckley Field' Denver to St. Petersburg, Florida. He left for there Saturday. A letter from Harold Pearce to his parents came this week. It brings the news that he is stationed in Honolulu and is in training in a motion picture school. Harold was operator at the Mid*"y theater here before being inducted into the armY. Word from Harold W. Thomason of Strat- ton states that he is with the medical battalion in Camp Edwards, Mass', but s-ays tt" ioet.t't know what kind of work he will do as yet. Mt. and Mrs. A.F. Romberg received word last week from their son Donald telling that he had been commissioned Ensign in the Naval SupPlY CorPs on August 26r lt reported for Lctive duty at the Naval Air Station, Alameda, Calif. In November he will be sent to the Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration in Boston, Mass', for advanced study. Donald is a graduate of the University of Colorado and has been in the offices of the Naval Net Depot at Tiburon, Calif., since his enlistment last dtti."go. Mrs. Stransky is the former Maxine Lynn. This office is in receipt of the following from John Aurner: The army and I are getting along just fine' armv. i""n., ato-.alled just plain Corpor"l:-I -1- "--fi""t. sargeant. and Mrs. Bernard Litty arrived Wells, Texas, visited here Sunday at the J'W' Larsen and Mrs. R.C. Yarnell homes' Lieut' and friends. He left on Tuesday tor ! t' Leonatd Wood, Mo. Mrs. Litty will remain nephew of Mrs. Yarnell. Have finaliy made Tech. First Grade, Corp' having a swell time with the stars in Holly*ooa."t have been a personal guest of Jagkie Coop"t, Kay Kayseiand Gene Autry'-H-ave Hattie McDaniels, Wallace -Lti".tv Colona, S""ty, iana Turner, Goldie Cantor, Bob H6;,'Dorothy Lamour, tt"94v L^amar and a few others' I have attended the urouman s Ctti"".u theatre, Lockheed aircraft, Douglas uii..uft, and the shipyards of Los A"qul"t' N"*l riU on seeing ihe naval yards of San Diego. -i"t"* Larry Tieman in L.A' Iast week' He is the only persott from Burlilgton I've seen g to March Field' I have been .it "o*it "" itrfo.-"d thit I might be placed in charge of all broadcasts from the field' I am now *otfi"e on a four panel mixer for the field' When completed it will not be necessary to have NBC, CBS, or Mutual to bring their eouipment'to the field for the pickup' I work i;t thil now, but their men have charge and I only helP. - N"*t has been received that Pvt' Frank E' Norton, son of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Norton, has sraduated from an intensive course in aviaiion toechanics at Sheppard Field, Texas, and is now eligible to become crew chief on bo-b"t and win a rating as corporal or Saturday for a few days visit with relatives December. Lieut. Leslie Palmer and wife of Mineral F"m". is a grandson of the Larsens and a Louis Vogt returned Sunday night from has been transferred A.E' from Indiantown Gap, Pa., to Virginia' Dr. Gene Aten is stationed at the Naval Denver. He-has enlisted in the navy and will enroll at Marquettc University in Milwaukee' which oPens SePtember 16th' Verlin Kingsbury came home Friday on furlough. He is in the U.S' Navy and must ..poti"t San Francisco by September 17th' t". *u in Spokane, Washington, which-is is the Wins Commission son of F.L. Aten of Denver and spent his early boyhood days in Burlngton. Mrs' Atencame down from Denver Saturday anct hao Just a late picture of her son in uniform' received - Second Lieut. John W. Todd came down from Denver Monday for a short visit with his oarents. Mr. and Mrs. Delbert Todd' He had visit' for a longer here ---Capt. -Calvin Ttainine Station at Athol, Idaho' He is Lieutenint Commander' His wife and daughatout 50 to 6b miles from Athol' Gene Virgil Brown, who is stationed at -Ft' Deveis, Mass., was home recently o1 -fyr- tugn visited his parents, Mr' and Mrs' ""a H.O. - Brown. Sgt. R.S. Christopher and wife came down iust completed his training in the Artillery bffi..t iandidate School at Ft. Sill, Okla'' and received his commission as Second iieutenant. He has been assigned to It' Lewis, Washington and will leave for that �place soon. Vernon Dunn went to Colorado Springs Monday, then on to Denver, where he enlisted in the U.S. Marines. He leit there at nine o'clock Wednesday night for San Diego, Calif., where he wil Le iritraining for six or eight weeks. He will try to get intJthe marine air school. Burlington friends have heard from Dr. M.E. Robinson. Capt. Robinson left Denver 'I'uesday morning for Ft. Meade, Md. He is a member of Base Hospital No. 29 of the U.S. Armv. First Lieut. John C. Straub, also a member of Base_ Hospital No. 29, left Tuesday for the same destination. Dr. Straub is a former Flagler boy. Lee B. Morgan, son of Mr. and Mrs. H.B. Morgan, former Burlington boy is in the U.S. Army. He is stationed at Fort Lewis, Washington. Pvt. Earl McKinney and a friend, pvt. pete __ Hunter, crme down from Camp Carson, Colorado Springs, Friday night and spent the weekend with Mrs. McKinney and her parents Mr. and Mrs. R.L. Wilkinson. Alvin Barber who recently enlisted is stationed at Shepard Field, Texas. Mr. and Mrs. H.C. Schell received a card from Pvt. Clyde Melton. He is in the Armv Air Service and is stationed at Saint peters_ burg, Fla. He says he will be there fo" . i", weeks. George McNeill, who was home on fur_ lough, returned to camp in Missouri. Glenn Weaver, who is stationed at phoe_ nix, Ariz., came in on the Rockett Wednes_ *"v. U",lg: a lb day furlough. He is looking nne and llkes the Armv. by Myra L. Davis FRANKLIN BAKER MURDER CASE T48 State News: Franklin Baker, the murderer of two ranchmen near Burlington, was taken from the sheriff at Cheyenne Welis by a mob of infuriated men and hanged. Town and Country News: Judge Spere has gone to the county seat to make a rlport of the recent coroner case to the County Clerk. Rectus in Curia. A Murderer Hanged by Popular Justice. Last Saturday afternoon, as two voune men from Iowa were driving toward Burl Iington from Wano in company with a liveryman, and as they wer" p"rrirrj tne shanty of Franklin H. Baker five "Uimiles northeast of Burlington, they came upon a man with wagon and team stopped in front of a house and the man see-id to be in conversation with Baker and his wife. Nearbv the house ran a ravine or draw and the liverv tenm had started down the inclevity whei Baker hollered to the parties, ..Hold on.,;As the driver was checking his horses and loo_king back to see what *as wanted, he saw Baker's wife hand Ba-ker a gu.,'."yirrg, "Here's the gun, shoot the s- b--." ,titfrii the driver put whip to his horses and Baker threw the gun up and fired when the buggy was not over two rods from him. The gun liid been loaded with buck-shot and ptaled saJ havoc at that close range with the occupants of the vehicle. E.B. McConnel's bacf was mangled with seventeen balls, while his companion, John C. Morrison, received three shots-in the back, they piercing vital parts. The driver escaping uninjured,-whipped up nrs rcam and drove to a farm house a half mile away, where the injured men were cared for until taken to Burlington later in the evening. It has been learned that the *"r, -"ri_ tioned as in conversation with Baker and wife at the time the shooting was done had been halted by them and ordered to go back on his way and turn around the claim the road ran through. Baker had become incensed at the travel across his claim and had built breast works of sod at his place overlooking the traveled highway with the intention to" tratt or shoot any and all who passed on the road. There is no breaking and of course no .-". o_n th9 land, nor any sign to give warrrine ;i the_ closing of the road. It was pure and undefiled. deviltry, brutish hate of people at rarge, and a satanic hunger for a bloody row prompting the low born friend. . Arrest followed, the prisoners were guar_ ded out of reach of the citizens of gurli"";on. and a preliminary trial called for attemit to kill while the mutilated boys *rr" ininn between life and death, and o" IUo"a"i morning Deputy Sheriff Jerry Barnes. bv I strategic move, got his prisoner into a buesv and st611ed for Cheyenne Wells at a lightriii! speed, covering the ground to the firit relai of horse, seven miles in twenty minutes. When Burlington people caught on to the move., which they were not long in doing, the popular cry was, ,,Guns, horsei and teims!" and soon two hundred men and every horse in town was in hot pursuit of tne sheriff. fhe chase lasted for the thirty-five miles inter_ vening between the two towns, the pursuine party losing members as horses winded ani hopes weakened. Qeputy Barnes arrived here about one o'clock on Monday and an hour later the advance guard of the pursuers came. , Fate, coincidence, or as some people will have. it, in the-light of subsequent ."""t., providence had delayed the west bound passenger nearly two hours for the first time in months, else we would have closed this bv saying.that the p-risoner was safely lodged in Arapahoe's jail. But the delay allowed"num_ bers- of the- rescuing party to get in and precluded-the possibility of reriroving the prisoner from the depot, where he- was guarded, to the coach in safetv. From two o'clock in the iternoon until twelve that night, Deputy Sheriff Barnes and his deputy, Charles Lynde, guarded the prisoner at_the depot and resolitely bluffed ott a crowd of near fifty men from any and every attempt to relieve them oftheir charge. Guns were numerous and flourished silenil" now and t!en, and attempts were made by I free use of the pen's weapons to overpolier the guards and return the prisoner d Bu;_ lington. The sheriff parlayed the crowd by a clever rrree to telegraph to the governor for legal advice, seeking to gain time for the arrivJoi Sheriff Harper and reinforcements, and ryaking promises to bide the word, knowins that his assistance would come in ihe irrte.l val. The ruse worked well and held peace for several hours, but at twelve o'cloct a sand storm caml up and the crowd gathered determination. At a time least tt de_puties were nabbed by bystande..'"rrd "*p"It"a, " taken away, the excited prisonir rushed from the depot with a notary's seal held above his head with his manacled t ,""av lo L."i" ""a, ti. fir""t-ioi whoever__attempted to bar liberty. Hardly had he gained tt e ai. f"fore he was_ thrown, held and ,oo" *". l"i"i dragged across railroad tracks o"". .i"J"i"E ground and pretty roughly tranatea wtrite lusuy calling on the ,.Jerry" who himself was being hustled over the ground Uy fr"f?l dozen able bodied maskJrs. " The closing scene of the great tragedy was enacted about midway of tle t.essei work ol the west approach of the coal chute. Under a span ofthis was gathered a group ofmufflJ merr; and they in charge of the prisoner, Ji unknown, were irresistibly drawn toJ*d them. A rope ending in a noose was danslins trom over a cross tie in the tressel; under iI the-murderer was dragged and told d;r";. As-he was a pretender of a religion which tre defiled, he was not amiss at thiJand;ilh til; stereotyped form of prayer meetings began with: "Oh, Lord, we are glad that ie a"J i" the condition that we are. Forgive tfrese men: they know not what they do. C"unt -" " fitii" more time that I may explain to these men." At that a voice from the crowd reminded him that- he had given the boys ti-" io pray, and the rope was tightened"o about his neck, and the inanimate form fr.r"g less and was left alone while his sorll -oiiorr_ ;;;;; its maker.and will probably give *u.f, io exprarn. I'hree murders and other attempts to kill are recorded against him on this edth alone. A coroner's jury was summoned Tuesdav morning by C.I. Spere, Justice of the peace. the body cut down, an inquest held and the remains buried near town. The verdict of the jury was to the effect _ that the deceased met his death from hanei; at the hands of parties unknown laboiini -" un1t9r_qn epidemic of transitory f."rrv. Bird McConnell, one whose life waslken - by the murderer's bullets, was one ;i;h;;; whole-souled boys whom everybody and was glad to call a friend. it" *"."d-i*d to t"u" been married on the first of May to . Vo"n* lady in Kansas and had .orir" *".i-ti establish his home before going back for his bride. Before his death he made'a wiil leavine all his property to his affianced. Hi, i;h;; arrived from Iowa Tuesday morning to {o1 the remains. He was a membei of "aie the I.O.O.F., and the members of the order in these parts did all possible to care foi friwounded and dead. John C. Morrison was a stranger in this section and was making his firlt visit io Colorado. He had no .eLtirres -a UuJ former_ acquaintance at Burlington, """ b; ;;; none the less tenderly cared for. Above three items from Cheyenne Wells Gazette, April 21, 188g. Monday'sDenuer Republican had a photo_ graph of and an interview with Mrs. Harriet Baker regarding the murder committed-lv her husband near Burlington on the lbth of April. The reporter's emotions got him and he represents the acc'essory "*"y,ith io tfre murder as an innocent, intelligent and religious, motherly country *o-io, and gives her statemenLs credence. Nothing could be wider of the truth than the accoirnt olthe affair given, and any attempt to manufacture sympathy for the woman will hardlv be a-ppreciated by those who have heard her threats, oaths, and cold blooded ments to kill any and all who attempted """o""""_ to �cross the land as well as they who were instrumental in the gudden death of her husband. Great allowances will always be made for a female criminal, but the Republican's young man rather overdid the matter' Cheyinne Wells Gazette, May 5' 1888' A sensation was created Sunday by the discovery that the body of Franklin H' Baker, ttanged by a mob at this point on the 16th.of lprit. had been taken from the grave' An invesiisation showed that the corpse had been histily dragged from the buried coffin through an opening probably kickcd in the foot eid, dragged in the muddy soilfor-a few feet and ihrown into a vehicle which had been in waiting. From the signs, the body snatchers were-not particular in their care of the remains and ii could not have been friends ofthe deceased. It can safely be set down that some medical student has been taking lectures on strangulation with Burlington's murderer for a subject. State News: A sensation has been created at Cheyenne Wells over the discovery that the remains of F.H. Baker, hanged there by a mob two weeks ago, had been stolen from the grave. A hole had been kicked in the coffi"n, the body dragged out and carried away, possibly for the education of the coming generation of sawbones. Abo*vJ two items ftom Cheyenne WeIIs Gazette, MaY 12, 1888. A Graphic Account of An Early Necktie Party. Tire following article, taken-from the Burlington Coll of last week, we feel sure-will be of interest to all of the Neus readers' There are many people here now who are familiar with faCts as set forth, but the vounger generation scarcely rcalize the tranritioti ttt"t has taken place in Eastern Colorado. Mr. R.A. McConnell, special representative of the New York Mutual Life Insurance Company in San Diego, California, and W{' McC'onnill, president of the California Mutual Finance Corporation of Los Angeles, Calif., passed through Burlington on Monday morning. These gentlemen were in Burlington on April 16, i888, *h"tt their brother, who had been shot by Franklin H. Baker, died at the Montezuma Hotel. Mr. McConnell, Silas Fonts, Dave Spear and Wheeler had made pre-emption filings ott four corners where sectioni 22-23-26 and 27, in 9-45 come iogether. Each one had built a sod house and th"ey had dug a well in the middle of the road crossing for their joint use. After- filing on his land and building his house, Mr. McConnell had returned to Iowa to close up some business affairs and on his way back came by train to St. Francis, Kans' Thi mail for Burlington was at that time broueht bv horse conveyance from St' Francis ;rd young McConnell, with John C' Morrison, another homesteader, arranged for Dassase with the mail carrier. ' Siimiles north and two miles east of Burlington, Franklin H. Baker had pre-empted thJnorth half of the north half of section 4, township 8, range 43, which ls-just-north taken by Mrs' Martha oi ttt" t-d homestead. Mr. Baker had been Coakley as a"tt"rwards a scoul and buffalo hunter over Eastern Colorado during the ?0's and was the possessor of rather a trard reputation. He had stood trial at Holdrege, Neb. on two different occasions, once ?or assault with a gun and once for assault with intent to kill. In the last case he had slashed a butcher across the abdomen with a knife' In both cases he was acquitted on the grounds of self defense' He had brought several parties from Holdre-ge and that vicinity to this part of Colorado, locating them on tree claims and pre-emptions. His practice was to take the train from Holdrege to Wray and from there drive across the country. One party located by him included B.F. Kaiser, afterwards county treasurer of Kit Carson County, W.S. Ready of Stratton and Ed Hoskin. The traveled road from St. Francis to Burlington led across one corner of Baker's land, and he had ordered travelers to go around the corner. The mail carrier, either not knowing about this or not caring, drove across the corner on this Saturday, and Baker fired a shotgun loaded with buckshot into the party in the spring wagon. A trunk in the back of t-tte wagon protected the mail carrier' Morrison received some wounds that were not deemed serious but from which he died some three years later. McConnell, however, died from his wounds on the following Monday. When they reached Burlington, Jerry Barnes, deputy sheriff for Elbert County, accompanied by Frank Mann, drove out and arrested Baker. He was brought to town and kept in the old Bon Ton restaurant; and wh91 it was seen that McConnell was bound to die and that his friends were evidently making arrangements to take their revenge on Baker, Barnel sent Mann on the road to Cheyenne Wells to make arrangements for relays of horges to be ready in case of hurried flight' After the death of Mc0onnell, arrangements were made for the preliminary hearing before Justice of the Peace Page; but before the time of the hearing, Barnes decided that he better put Baker in a safer place and left behind a iast team for Cheyenne Wells. Cheyenne Wells was reached in record time, but the train they expected to take was ten minutes late; and before it arrived, the 4elggation from Burlington was in Cheyenne Wells' The deputy wal overpowered, and Baker washanged to the coal shute in the east part of towi. He asked the men not to bind him and said that he would take his medicine' The mob was orderlY but determined' Baker was buiied at the Wells and his his body afterwards found in the South Smoky tr.totot has it that it was brought to "rrdBurlington and the bones cleaned and wired as a coimplete skeleton' The whereabouts of the skeleton is a matter of speculation' While some of the detailstliven above may be somewhat incorrect, the story in the main is correct and the ColJ will be glad to have any further information concerning the affair that any one maY have. We aie enabled to print the above interest- ing story of early day history through the co"urtesy of Mr. H.G. Hoskin. Reprinted from the Builington Call in Cheyenne County Neu's, June 3, 1926. incident of little pride. It happened during a time of distressed conditions when treacher- ous dust clouds had claimed the land. A dwindling economy' short grass, drought and hot weather, forerunner of the "dirt days," had caused an exodus of many brave people in earlier years. This left vast acres of srassland untended south of the correction l-ine and southwest of Second Central School. In this day, a term for this vast expanse of vacant land was "Free Range." Little farms and ranches were left in limbo as hardy people left to find a better place to live' Some ieft-on foot with their few belongings on their back. No matter how the incident is viewed, basis for the trouble was greed. This unhealthy trait of men, has not subsided and is, no doubt, a single sickening source of man's problems today. For some, this incident was probably an indoctrination of how to use the iaw to further one's financial condition. Local livestock ranchers were aware of an abundance of grassy acreage and ran their herds in the area. Most were amicable, and in reality did no harm to anyone except, perhaps, those still living nearby. 11 1o--st instances, allowances were thoughtfully made to assure each could share in this windfall, providing a chance to succeed for those stili hanging on. Short grass and dry weather created a need for larger acreages to sustain animals on Pasture. There were cattle and sheep men in the area, solid citizens of the community, generally with their own land or land rented for their use, occupying a good share of the area' Local sheep men may have shared in this practice of using "Free Range" at times, without disfavor, owning and renting some of the grass land. The so-called war, was not a battle between those who ran different animals, but between the community, both sheep and cattlemen and a somewhat errant or greedy outsider running !!""P. J.S. Price occupied the old Sexton place on the north edge of this area, running cattle' Jim Kountz ran sheep and cattle to the west' "Billie" Vassios also ran sheep and cattle in this area. Ora Vawter lived southwest of our school using a portion for a cattle operation in the "range.'iConrad "Connie" Stone had bought a couple quarters out in the expanse of iI, intending to use a share for cattle' Robert McCurdy owned an 80 near Connie' West of Connie Stone was Tom Rowland who grazed some of the range on occasion' DoroIhy, hi. daughter, remembered herding cattle orl. it to keep them from eating weeds which grew in patches where the wind blew out and "go-back" fields had not yet g."s.y over. These weeds made milk taste ir".tld"t.". ierrible and Iowered salability of cream' Most of the remaining residents of the area milked cows and sold sour cream. Dorothy remem- bered a time when sheep were relocated' A'B' Radebaugh lived south of Connie Stone at a placed cilled Loco. Charley Smith lived north of Mr. Radebaugh. South and a little east of Charley was Cecil Baxter and his family, trying to grub out a living by milking i:"T'.ffi*l]y,-,*:j:,JiTi S:".?i,iL'$:u]l* srrEEp_cATTLE wAR T49 Wanczyk. Giibert Smith lived a few miles south in Cheyenne County. Fred Mort and Kenleth, had located north of wild A strange event, so named by He-nry son, The Bergman family was located in Horse. in o.."rred Hoskins, unique in the County,south of A'B' Radebaugh' "ou"lv, Cheyenne iftirties. It our community during tit" "#iV perhaps an There were others in Cheyenne County' This was seldom mentioned Jiur*u.d, �is not to say all these men used the .,range," but it was a possibility not denied them] - Though quite young, I knew most persons involved in the incident. Each was law abiding, each a good neighbor. Generally, ' , most attended church on Sunday and all took an active interest in their communities. Thev were good men and helped one another, a necessity required to remain in the countrv. Times were bad with few rains; an incessant dry wind took a toll of remaining grass and crops. As if this was not enough, to be oppressed by thousands of sheep, makes it easy to understand a situation forced on many of the local stockmen. It is amusing to find, as I searched records, few lines .ecJrding encroachment of sheep on private land. Most lines recorded wrong doing of a commu- nity and of legal maneuvers. __In a June 15, 19BB issue of the Flagler News, an article appears with the headline. "Cattle Men Opposed to Running of Sheep.'; This article tells of a proteJt meetins, reminiscent of the old battles between cattle and sheep men. It was held south of Flagler and attended by forty-two people. The shlep were owned by two brothers from a distancl west of Limon. The sheep had been driven here from this area. The sheep men had rented the old Jens Petersen place and had set up camp there. Several protests had been made to the owners when sheep had encroached on a large tract ofprivate land. This was caused in part by dried up water holes and insufficient grass. It was decided at the meeting to send a dozen or so men to make a final protest. These men informed the she-ep owners and herders that the sheep had to be removed that day. Nothing was done about moving the sheep so neig[bors gathered in body and proceeded to movJ the sheep themselves. Basket lunches were taken along and a regular picnic held at noon. No opposition was encountered as the sheep were taken eight miles back to their home grounds. There were about 1000 ewes together with their lambs in the flock. the Junl 29, 1983 issue of the Flagler -_In News, a headline appeared. ,,19 Arrested-For D-riving Sheep Off Range." The description of charges seemed ominous when I read them. Nineteen farmers were arrested on a Satur- day by Sheriff Hollander of Chevenne County on warrants charging them with unlawfully, willingly, maliciously and felo- niously driving a flock ofsheep lB00 head of ewes and lambs from their-usual range. They were owned by two prominent she"ep men, Rex and J.B. Hixon and valued at $5200.00. The Hixon brothers leased several sections of land north of Wild Horse and farmers in that vicinity decided to drive the sheep north to Kit Carson County. A crowd of some fifty men, women and children her4ed_the sheep out of the country. The Hixon brothers signed compiaints for their arrest and informations were prepared by the Deputy District Attorney, J.F. Death- erage. These were gent to the District Judge at Colorado Springs for signature. Since tf,e charges were gerious in nature, an early date of the trial was expected The item stated that warrants have been issued for the anest of the following farmers: C.W. Baxter, Gust Bergman, Donald Bergman, Alex Crouse, Win Cotton. Art Wiltse, Floyd Thompson, Fred Mort, Kenneth Mort, A.R. Farley, Arthur Tryon and son, Andrew Gwartney, Dave Jemmaka, Eugene Schumacher, Gilbert Smith. A.B. Radebaugh, Frank Wanczyk and Stanley Wanczyk. It was said a large trial was expected because of the n 'mber of men involved. At least a dozen witnesses were expected at the trial. The Hixon brothers allege that they lost some sheep and others were injured whiie the band of excited farmers drove their herd off the range land. The article from which information was taken was in the Flagler News and had appeared in the East"ern Colorado Plainsman. Those arrested were named in the article and, inthe opinion of this writer, were good men of high caliber. Memory dictates a reluctance of law officials to become involved in.the problem. It is difficult to proceed in this manner unless a law is broken and can be easily proved. I am told these intrusive sheep were watered during the drive, indicat_ on the range. The cow was fresh; they put her in the corral and milked her. The-rice was much better with a little milk! Mr. Hoskins worked only a few days after the move. There might have been L tocat recommendation that he quit the job. He drew his pay and left for home in Buriineton. He was arnazed, to read in the Flagle. N"*. a few weeks later about men who had entered the. sheep camp and drove off some sheep, intimidating the herder in the process. His short record said J.S. Price might have caused a delay,in the altercation, giving him time to leave. Since Mr. Hoskin's iamiiy was prominent in Burlington, it would not have been good for him to have been involved. He mentioned papers were served on two men from Flagler, five local residents and others from Cheyenne County. It was also men_ tioned land sheep were grazing was leased by some of these men, accounting for such a ing the community group was trying to care properly for them. Many incidents occurred at this time in the community which are not reflected by news media of the time. These are added from memory and interviews with fracas. There is no record that J.S. price had a part in the incident. He was also a law abiding man taking an active part in Sunday schoJl and Church in our community. This was true oi time. records. those who lived and experienced this unusual I was about 7 years old when all this happened, and I didn't really understand until some time in the '80's when I read a short record by Mr. Hoskins of Burlington, giving information about the affair. I reriem_ ber a lot of concern and worry my parents endured, and of nearly losing some of our milk cows. More than this, I remember lack of water when wind just wouldn,t blow to turn the windmills and cows were bawling for water. Water holes dried up, as did the grass and never did it seem so hot. When winl did blow, it was turbulent and screamed so hard we had to shut down the windmills or lose them. Cactus began to gain an edge on buffalo ancl gramma grass; it seemed to like drv times. Always, we were short of funds and mv folks had to do without and utilize what thev had to remain. When things seemed as bad as they could get, the grasshoppers came and cleaned out all vegetation. Caltle were sold to the government for a pittance; many were shot on the spot, to be buried by my father as part of the deal. This instilled in me a wariness of government programs I have never overcome. Apparently in 1938, Mr. Hoskins talked to C.M. Smith. Mr. Smith knew a man in Matheson who needed ranch help. Mr. Hoskins went to him and hired out to a couple brothers on a sheep ranch. He went to work in March, beginning his experience as a sheep rancher. He spent mornings feeding ensilaei from an upright silo and added to hii learniig experiences there, trying to drive a tea- o1 unruly horses. It was lambing season and afternoons w_ere spent trying to match up lambs with their mothers. A careful watcir was kept on the newborns when they were placed as small herds in pastures. As the lambing continued, the entire herd was moved to a ranch south of Flagler. (The lone sheep shed, 2 or 3 miles west of Second Central school). Newborns and mothers were placed in_ a special wagon accompanying a cook shack on the trip. The food wai "ota not very good; no one knew very much "rra about cooking anything. One day, Mr. Hoskins said the Boss brought a sack ofrice. It was not verv good by itself in any form. Mr. Hoskins continued that they tied up an old cow found most local men whose names appear in As I beean to research this happening, I was amazed how many remembered events seemed to fit into the incident of this time. The sheep outfit had leased some land in the area, I am told, but chose to graze the entire area with several thousand animals. This was not an acceptable act, considering previous arrangements. I was amused about the cow Mr. Hoskins mentioned, her milk being used to enhance the rice. I remember Ora Vawter looking hlgn and low for a missing milk cow. It is possible, Ora found the cow a-t last when hc visited the sheep camp after a few hundred sheep had trempled his field. I could be wrone about the cow, I think not; but it is a fact. Ori was assaulted violently at the camp. Hisson, Jim, reported to his school mates what had happened and that his dad had contacted the sh-e1if! charging one of the sheep men. I am told Jim said, "They charged him with assault-and battery!" Ora was a good neigh_ bor and highly respectcd in the Jommuniiv. Certainly, this was an inexcusable act. This Sheep-Cattle incident became verv serious and associated with this time ani event was at least one death. This involved a man killed at the sheep ranch headquarters and listed as accidental and may ,"ll hau" been. Strangely, no one talked with who remembered this incident was convinced the death was aceidental. I found no records of other deaths. One murder, often erroneouslv associated with this time was that of Joe Ruestle. His body was found in November. 1929 in his shack in this area, dead ofa bullei wound. The investigation contained rumors of trouble due to the Ku Klux Klan, religion, neighborhood enmities and other imphed motives. This was before the sheep incident in 1933. Coleman Murphy lived east of Rock Cliff and was engaged in raising horses, much in demand at this time. Al a round-up to prepare them for sale, an excess of 100 head were driven into the home pasture. This must have b-een a spectacular sight. Seventy head of his horses had strayed and were reported southwest of Flagler. Troy, his son, who had worked for Matt Simsenson in his cattle operation, was sent to find them and bring them home. �oerhaps wrong' seemed justifiable' To get fi; this unusual situation trom law fl:ii"?'i irelp in Hi.'?"T.",li""il#i;;T;"; popular pop-ular a not was ;Ht1:"ii$iiqil'iJffi"$'fi"niif"f_:*1? agenc-ies if':x',$,?';':'il":,$ enfbrcement agencres course' enforcement *3HH'ffi'#j which' i""iiJTJr-uv"?i-il"i""t*rence'of feelinss remained from feelings cxistirig Cxistirig ililt". ililt"' trte euerrt, animals *a *t"it"J-data was ;A;;;;i; b""o iilr^.""ia-ir"u" his own' of nls the ""u". ;;;ilr earlier days when one took care ol i'tt often, the unskined -igrrt -i.r. This it"Jia must i#, -"r"" one s,,In sought' sought,was e"t" he been " help ."y outside "uitiJiui.iog n* *tti"rt Had ""i fi"d-ffi;tT"Ti case with rroy. one unan fi;'#;;ii;q probablv probably "o,rrd were was i"r"rber, this area i"-"-b"., .9n .Yntune with the land.,, Troy,s thoughts rrt"'il;;-p#;;;rr""*,i."q1"a i"Jtffi investigation "ril'"i-*"rlo""t"a' an acllive, an conduct to and piace hors-es il;;hhv rrr" il;ilh;;i""e centered on missing and verv restless and As Troy ;"il;;ih; t,orrg .t""p residents very ir-"e"tu-v-t"tiaents *iin ir'"**v *i]t though silent landsc"pJ"uo,rit i-. [""r-rr."a il"n"J rnrq;;;i;';";;6;a anv any most at some bullets range_ " ", open spraving spraying someone rode west he *ossed i Il I I ffiil";F:+i-".r;;idP:i."* benefit' all -t! YT-a tilendlthoueh of little benefit'.all tilendlthough and one haif structure and ;il;;i'i" satisfaction satisfactlon and two room, story s""ai, Little again' easy tt"atrt" breathe could "e"i-tt' shot ["i*Jr.i"." " "oula outcome' Davs followin the p;ti*. ;;;.;;;i;"cedintheoutcome'Davsfollow;;;.;;;i;"ced ""liri"!'..n!E;t1*; -"t'i*.tt ""'v first with retaliations' filled him-the were arrests sig;aletio i"n ing and whining bullet "ligiiu"**"ireditwlii-por."irt"tosaveit' rr"a ri""tiiirt#.tt""p u"tr vr"" srr""o ii3 expectaany g*pecptotally and uncertainty of an-y u.. and uncertaintv ,,tirurinu* wa' no accident. N"I *-"a c"".u ol th" fir" was un- ,rtir..it the fact' tne ,^""if-iirr:ti.v. protection from the law' In tact' of tions iit"t unpreparedforsuchJ";;I";h"eredhis somJJpeculation. causrllq I I^am am r.ro*o, aspect' "r of lop-sided aware verv very was tie t'ook on a *"lt* ti"t sootted mount to tn" -dh;.1o"at Jh"ep -"i *"r" not immune to t"ttut one Une time' this "".i, at guns willing not euni toted *", several uJ ;;ilil;;;;;i-totedtold tension in the area, -t" t#".;;lbd *-.. r""i iJrJ or,'io"a rn""p ;;;il;;;" a cord ibout his neck with a sixremainaninnocenttarletwithnoweaponfor ii;"tr,'d; ;"ii ii*rtrt*ot"acordabouthisneckwithasix,*"t"r,.li* ;;ttb ;; gun with others carried rifles' just in returned tioy gi." day, p,ru"a rti. eit" reco'rse. Next ;il;;;;;; i"ir"il";r*gJ "tl""rtta; "tl""ft.a; with in hand aod cros.ej-ir," ,"r,g" ^no ""il"r, was the sheep-cattre plr or {it X*J;afil,ul":11'*#ffi,TEii$".il created bv greed' ;;G;;:shlnmen ;;#d i;t" rft;ii, ;J9;"ili-si""" ii caison countv, a" "it n:fllm*f*'*i"m*tn5** and acts of bravery of *"'u ih"t" ror. were watching 19ts were times of fear' Mv te*ove the posts-' a-new i'"r-itp.,'iuleto There Jim's r"*r"tt""tt' Icanstatethenextincidentasfactbecause young and ;"ll h;e; ug -{rg t" ;;;";ii;.-t-";1. pip" tittett' Jovce' D-orothv and I nearlv grew up irt" I lived it. As I have said, I was very (Jni#. ili;i"i"""t" ffi '''il*;v': ;f a horse thit ti*e' our saddle .*a j1 ." ;;;h;;;i poor did not understand all that was transpiring. ;;;, ;;;;ri,ig ai.tlir[1""", "t ridins was done bare dozen half a about "f verv ior was looked -rrti"gtt so mostyoung' Mv folks had rg""J;ilffiil;ilp1!1r ;;;i;;t6*. we roamed the My missing. very of our m'k cows *r,i"t,-*"r" for aiiowin! the errant sheei ilitrt' ;;;"t"rt.tilrn on our range one eye in watchful horse a keeping saddre prairie, our riding mother was ariu"o, tlil *T#"i"t rtlr l*r'". r""r" *rri"t and somecar, very Ford, was old voung the "'dil.".;uv, ro"i;;pi;-;;"lved. anl cattle"Dorothv area. Dad and I werl in the horse well' once command aia"'t ii-ur searchinginanother.w""*"overahillanq had io o"rl"J[""ff. ]ilrT";;d;;; mv grandfather's house us. several were shocked at ttre scene below prru"ur, had to pay 'a .ii"vi.tg "t*ost toBringing "r;;;;d, ;;;il;t back the uneasv cows our herd awav' to riil"t trying rorl on intent ";a diiJiliJrri-u..*"i,r;r, ^ men were of last Londing memories are had_been time which thisl"Ji"gr of checks ti into the bed of a .to"['ir-rr-"r ,"u"ra-..u"i;;.;story tiat"o-o*v. father My bottom. in-tire *i""f"i"ttt"ctionswhenwerodeoff'some wash a backed into ira'r"vi'g* .9.Tg;; his ;#ii9;;;i;lriomuiie"qirii" time were' "Don't go had an instant temper, cogin-g fromgun, #3"g, :'Thq; il"-"ruo from this when rirst ir,6 sent to bring in -i"a, ul """r ttt"ttt""p camo!" mother,s side of the fanily. He-\a{ To fi;";h;;-tigrrt il^#"il-i"-""-u"i.r leave the people' I_know sheep the gratefur. see "If vou for which I am now very " ;.rit" lr;". "Ir you.pt.n ;;;; l;;;"",igr', "o cows' home!" These for Luckily, straight head ;;;"""nt! ;; it ."**' use to -aird temptation do!" iiiiig ""a to "Keep an eye out --coirt*i"t rr! might'.ri"a were able to all men ran for *re tiucr little difficult to instructions were akin times!" ao.r-"rrt for rattle snakes at all I leavebefore*"-riu"a]itaveoflenwonderoo l,rorn"rr;uli rs, rssg, tlr" g1u.1"r Astimewent.on'thesheepoutfitdeparted ri.ttirt r ed what would have-liapp"o"a that day had "";;;t. ;;il;;J;ril rr,"T".ii,".ri"" "r ror"" ti*e later' a new man' Mr' Hutton' they remained! Th";H;;;;;ffi;;; is no b"iri,i"*tr, j"alia ili.i.fut" trri* ""J the land' This ended the there "o'tiiJttrougr, t""gtti-*t.of from the ,heep outr.it, xro.19*"q"t r"q,ru.tJd*bv-c.w. ;;;';." ;;nrJ" seem; R*tgu" in the area' Mr' Hutton was a way to prove this. ri"ir"", i&"dd ends of justice^ aii drivi to and was accepted well bv his trying i;iltt*;t# d"i];d"r l riri d;i;;; sheep outfit *u, u.touirli orh" coiue'i"r,"" io, a larse number of sheep in "o"J*ir"iv. people out of the cguntry. sg.t* ili.Rliir;;ri*i*ti"g t""l"d; ;;*ilil; ""iet'uott' about when he sold out' the to followed' talkld have tt'"t I c;;i v""?r Most older peopre d.r9d niri""lii""T?,i';il;;;;;J.'. pasture land for cattle ild "c"t; became co,rirqi" this subject remember cecil w. naTt€.r.ad #;;til;iLa i"-g, ;ffi;;J, Ranch' I do ii probably Harris-Davies piii the cows, to ;l;";il his loss of about five-m'k b4"r, Crg.1".^c1"ii"e)"5.e. land had ;;il this what pr"uioi"ry aig; IL;; not wish to-even mention disaster' also crea manner sucrr ure iile'i";id;t #ffiiiJi!;ei, ii"ir"ii"iJp. hi's pending a diffeiengg, ^r" todav' one i described. rhere was i*i"** r'u"tg,L"lr il;;";; ated bv greed! r cattre were loaded *a t t"o some distanci il"iiJi!;a"u"",igi, .ri"d. Troy distances south of the iooe'rr,""p rifle was shocked to hear trr" .'r""r of a second A bullet a of whizz the I south or the U.P' tracks!-rhe cows-wer: i:'"?]#::HF}"*il#ift',e**#:""" Gnar"a bo,""tl.Td-.ld"rph Martinez' times' XX*L$tH#5;#llfi:r'ifiG"n{iu; in foundinterribleshape.Beingmilkcotllthlv Eacir-time -'lpn@U1 a continuance was sranted and tTr#i::l had dried up and *";-lfii; and thirsty. 'f:ffitti'. 6eitaintv, tt e, *.,",,"iiffi"' one dav. ftff3"r1:'i"il*ttt# storrs Franf with happening )Xf-_:1".,:*tiJ"T*^I:ltl"; ;clt*t"t this bitmissed'Aeainst 19 Farmers'" We come to the .o""iuJJ'-tr'ut r"'tt'"' tttal3f t[e 19 defendants who tr," d;;r"ttu6;tdwith threats made to cecil """J"Jiiir" loi""* felonv and misdemeanor I ;;;;;;ged going to a place i" iir""-'*i'l bv Lvre w. stone t-"-Y:L:* held several $:ffi:$: area, ""itit*"JK;;. canremembertheirleaving.Leon,ason'wasoveramattercon-cerningthedrivingofsome IIENRY IIATCH MURDER rv'a v r-- T60 or F,agrer was thrown into rhe,itt,e town *i:i$:t^nTJ"llily",l'i1!#:'d"l,t!:,]i H'$ilq by thp discovery of Henry Tuesa on ##ftil*lrl*fl,'J,"r:y pi".ia"a. crr"rg"" *"r"-Ii.r"i..JJ north of "*"i;"-*""i at his homestead rt""g ii"i"it;t-ll"tli I cannot. I know it was not freely lnade and iay bv the court has telegra-d"ff;Jil""t" ;;;;:-Dt' Godsman' of siebert'the p""pr" Ivasuelyrememberaquestiono?theability ."vi"g ti',"'irir", il;;";.iiu"a i;" results of at investigation' an countiee prt"Jtt carson Kit -"t" of cheyenne or ii;;;;";[J"q'"g trr" public' rirr"s-a"-"! made since '1ry been i"hittt tt"u" not "o.r'ii time to cope wittr a bad situation. "'i-rti"""gtvbruiseshavebeenfoundonhis had been irr"iir*a,ira"o"vrrJ-*iliitli*""irt"it part of their eource or i#.;ift;fd;"t"il;ffi;;;il*il'"u "rirt"o"" one above the left iaken and no retaliatiin oir""ouery -"d", ilil",ip i", tri"r o" h";a;;;;;* onthe'temple' il;;;itb*w-ir," of the head' The going! back ^;;;;;;; 9"li the for them urane ;;;;J-;;; . .. t'ime it was one could hardly ;;'h fi; l,";ffi vividt{ a'stranger'laterfoundtobe wrriJh qi'J"i-"ttio"tof There were otrrer events of *iir"r" the deceasid' is exerting consiremain in my memorv-aUo,rt ?0. tonswas "o'tir,,rua.wondered ::-:#:;; why these m^en were "r "";"prr"* and suspicion' and he will father, prairie hay, belongirri'to -y "it"n pr"g,r"a w i cloud of uncer- d"tu'bt" comment ;a to explain his to burned opportunitv *iri"t an given tir" prairie be large Lurned in a "p;;;;d ;fi;il#ru;;d;1h;;J;""J*.t""a"ur" theroadwestofseconJbentralschoor.To saturdav evening and the *r*htwnr;ft:ffuy*g, r,"* *lT-"",:'n*;*:^:l'*l;"?*:ii:'"?; ""ll:T;" to Fragrer �desiredtotakeaclaim..Hedroveoutoftown of KitCarsonCountyCoronerBobHendricks D;;;;. -i-h#;":Tom with the murder t,;il;;ffi;iil",n,ou,"ement .com home;;;"ft; ::ldfiti.i"lqp"a il;;l;;";;"t"i"i". rro* srories from made this not to go any further, and soon week by Thomas and charney. "ft"ll""ri"g would not-LJJ-.iil." court of taw. tvtite Jas ,,Theidentification of the other two bodies withJohnKesan,atandto".t";,;t;;;;ilu, officials charged and after being shown Hatch;s x;o i. or*i"Iir*_en;*. very happy with the llnif**l#if:ru'*l?ts"Tif;i $!;,f"*r;:i*$Till"Tfr{:[,T,1"": morning' and save ; il;;;;'"pi; I sundav "," N,r-"i..r.*"r,rir-ceme't age'cies in coro:tt5r:Tfiiyril"*Tt"lT##*:L, ;i*1";Hf;fiir:*:ril:Txj*r*r y;,hi;'d;;; i| :.1ti'T,f:$'{i"F[!i4ilil${ilf,}'; orriciars haie,,ir,o F,*r*, we ;;;"s ;,'il11",, c.,,,,,t] *:1.:3:,r*ti:;i;ri #j ;Tf'#:ffi.:5"*T."'""r101*:r:.f;*i,11 ry;q:j ,#e*-"*:t"fitn# 3fXT.'."fiji""Jil'1"{lL:*ti"f::.:S.i;;;;i Denver' Fe has beeriiocated i" ui.r'ig"" ilTflI,if:il"J'-Yruir*gliil:[tfff for his actions. and agents rrom Jerrerson ililfl.H*j::"''ffi.ft1,,]:*"f::;tjg H:,"h1],jtln;il:**"'en,orthetask focus on the ranch murders. M""v ;;;";;;?urt *"csr shourd rocus r#1"i"grffi:?f#:twru'#affi:: fii** H:"'.|:: ;ililffi ;xitiill p*r, J,i;;;',il,"si, McCORMT.K RANCH .",r.*#W.;rltAn;,.;;;;;; MURDERS rAsK p,,or FouND FoRcE possrBlE .':affH:$l!ili.!".tj,1,1,ff":'ff;. BURTAL ftT,:"",i,'"'ilffi lfi Jiffl l*":ffi:,,"ffillrt':::.**:illi:"::,r* T6r said-. .We asked for'helti;;;"th" ^iB;,";; we did get some initialty in tt One body identified . . . :J$:;.t think thev weie i""r*v "rirrl tr'"i (f " r'"rpr"ii" "e'v 162 gbg) Faced with a sma'budget-and rimited ,1$;f*r6#'ffj','.:l'"Tlf:,*.if;,1: fJ#'f,"",ixi,#*:l:ri{#i+""j:ilrf,"j t" r, reast threi'sker-Jto,,.. e,, examination F:11,":#?,trtlffffiSfilf"i,l""liT-}T fjqtt,i;;:rfrX."'."oi,.". orthe "1i.1 investigate the murders of-three men roirnd ...Thomas went on to. ".ui"i" he was ;-.8:n'H"ilit"j::*#ffiru:T:lX',;3t bv rom M"c;;: "disappointeii".,a 9ay "iu,t,,rbed; at til" crii. iliiTi:r.t:i*fyr ffi;: K.n"pp L-"gi,i't1,"- skeretons to t"ff:'*t;. "'*""u' Henry -_ rh";;''i# ;"' In a two-dav r;j,i:,.T; ai,".to. or pubric sarrry said he span colorado's newest.dirlctor-"f p"ilri'" wants to assign cBi agent David tt":?{1;;:Fyr1;1,:i:l# safetv has spearheaded the push rot dh*-f"I,i otcoior"Jorra-rr.r,r-,goda"r.Knappstated ii t"tt time.to trr"-?*]n; ;;ril force to help investieate theduril;t;;";-G'tHy'# that he.wourd preier to have the skeretons working *ilil iri'".tigators from^Kil or the bodies rouid has d;;-;";il;lv c;-;; remain in the riurlington museum. a;\,1!" \4;"#'Rii;"'1 identified. ngrige a"n"r;;;; . Anexplanati"""ir,i.rindingsisexprained eq:u:, i;'i:,,?"H#r#,1,;,"'$i:r Jefferson countv and now trt" trti"i"a-'i"il- *i*llfi:?l;ffd;fl"1d;"i::g yt r"u"*v';i'fi,6 *r. an'ou'c"d by ;;5;,:t;g#;;Tf"Htrg1ffi,; Lv'r retirrn tt em wittrin the next few davs. r,"- 6J",la" si",; " shourd eve.r.decide to parr Fi"i"T,bi:f;i""'3*t:iH:,:i+l'"*,*ii- k$#.lH"""J.' + d; #$::1n:"*::J::i':'JT:*:Hr:f*r ,",n'i['l{;,.lx::*i:,i;i:i$:lt:i!*T our society and I don't like to ;;L; unsolved." *rro *L-lolr,- .o1r?, 1?, rgzi, "i" -N.rifi with the rT:_1ry end simnlo li-o i. +L^+ rr ;;flti$t;.1}#ir:1;;iiilil;;ijr.ry __,,I have partiaily restored the one skull. ;*.*n::;1#J;:;rk: , or.':t*:'+'**f{:fff':,T:a".i6.? bilitv of forming a task foice-t" i""r.iig"L i;]itiffiJr4id+r$i",J:t"##J';; 1975. He would"il^;; b""." ,.In.anyeveritjiesearethethingslcante' the murders' The thoueht di; L;;il;ffiil 4! #;;;;; p*g9."a. H;ll"l?;;," u'"t rir"J i"i" r,i. " rhe builet pierced vou aroutlr,e iirli"ia"arhe sku' is male, age about s5-ad;ii"uth. rhe skur measure_ F:i'l'""T{5. ti:*Titffii,::il*ti":-il; ffif }i:::"jr,,HHii:' f'"'3i3,"ili*n'ffi,1,n::'ru,"::tli'*:i nnf,*fll,i'k:Tlffi.;.H.$f -:1. "': J,g#'ilf*it?i;"""J""fril:tJiffl?f3, tive trait, llt r."91 iii"'t".il?or"" ,^ or today,s livingj #JHHX1,:H'.%'*j3t"ffi":.t:lt:tj:: 20 vears . . - rtu *". pe9!e are "rii'3"gr'.-'ny ir."^very_good_idea,,, long well become realitv. hiaded. :j*r'r".x"r"il:: ;;.:'#rfl#,'ii"#'j:r:fi:::iJffrf'f';-f, *#iidtl'",1"'*: Lqfiffii'Jffi:tii#Jii;lti.t-;r";"fii see what he wants want-q dnno ltr/o 6i^ L^-.:-- --, done..we bones includef,il;";difl.tiliil'i:""T: iftt"X|f::liil:?: ili;;"; ongoing investigation on the murders ";; irioui ;ffi:iliilril31""i'h,"'"li*ffir'-1fli:'"# with and all the help we can get wiil appreciated." be "ra ;?"il'*"ii":fffJ;T,li f;ff:ijthatboth mon U"t I rtur" .,ynrr sh^,,r,r d^^ +L^* u- L r"* it in at lensr rwn nll,^- ;,,'".:***'#:.Te"tll,::x*ll,* *$f*#'d*il,i;::lH;',ffi "if,"; most #*a:*Hi#i:,*".rd*r;u"i:ff sofre startling stories -lv uitii""i'M;i;;: mick' 28' who is Tom's-son ;J;-ftt-"r _ " p.i{,1iii or"*. r,"-1""" er,rr;;fi;fi . ,,There I. ";thG I can teu you about the i#4["**rijfii?if':#iTr"]T rl fi[-ri,i,,:$]##t,$f",{iq,i},,fth pr"u nv *rooio ii"tir," t".t?or"e.ri"rii put together to investigat-e trr" a""irr. ilirr" i!:i1"{ifiit,-r:f,Hillf"'#fi"*,Tlj 5*#ff.*'i"',l,li'l; tr,","".n-.""ti""} ""Jlfi'ffii#'"":l?i5".{"r burial fuiniture is-a't.ait characteristic of the so-called uiaat" or Archaic period on the phins. ' tr,i. a"ti,,g is correct, the sku, ;$t'*tt**,,?n#i:13""Tff"i:?iiilxt ;*t{,ffg$';thu"r*'"';*;r.l* 'i*;;;;;;; i#:ilxllJ"#flff"u"e"tir,,gi"r,;''"'il; ,.r" one skurr, the bone |j'i3"'iil,{/"!*"*6,tih",:lP":l:lir3 ^ ranch in Kit carson county. ''lF;'i.?;Ts "aaitiofrJir," rt"g-"trt irr.r-"al p".t. of the lower jaws of were peoole. I dnn,r noro ir i+ t*,i"aaiii""Ji*J."., as weu the ;If:,11t'r:iliff1:*.iff:'::?['jjl ". cr'*g". r.'-tl"ii"iJ.n.,ii". round on ranch were never filed, but law enfoic;;;;; going to let this lay,,, Heinz said. ",i,,-u"i �of additional teeth. I can add nothing from these." by Jayne Hubbell THE L929 TRAIN WRECK WEST OF STRATTON T63 In 1929 I was working on the section when a wreck occurred on Spring Creek just west of Stratton. We were at that time called up there and helped where we could so I was i partial eye witness to the aftermath. The Rock Island train headed west in the early morning arriving at a bridge that was weakened by a flash flood and crashed over the bridge leaving the passenger cars in the bottom of the creek. Several people were Work completed, first test run over bridge. drowned and it was a terrible disaster. The Burlington Fire Truck was taken there to pump out the hole that the one car had fallen into and pumped steady for days. (It was an old Model T Ford Pumper). The following story ran in the Denver Post: "I have just come from the most frightful experience of my life awful tragedy - the which snuffed out a number of lives I dontt know how many when the Rock- Island,s - train went through a crack western bound fifty foot bridge over a dry wash three miles west of Stratton, Colorado. Never have I geen men and women behave so heroically. No hysteria, no screeming or weeping, only courage and grim determination to save as many lives as possible from the swirling waters of the wash. Among the heroes of this wreck, I am proud to say, is my assistant secretary, Able -. I have never known him by any othername and have known him for years. He rescued an elderly woman from the car in which I was riding. I was riding in the fifth car back of the Next day the repair crew and equipment started their job. engine, I was on my way to Denver to make km3/ry6*-r .g %tu ')of( / ,^/" ,/*a u &. w i& Ten people were taken from the wreckage who were drowned. Men indicated by arrows are County Sheriff, Bill Hendricks, Paw Penny, and Orin Penny. arrangements for the presentation of ,'The Miracle". I was sleeping in my stateroom in the rear of the car when the crash occurred. Mv wakening was rude. I was thrown out of m-v bunk and found myself kneeling on the sidl of the car, which somehow had become the floor. The car is on its left side. Above me are the windows, the early morning sun is streaming in. The glass has been smashed. Reaching up the edge of the sill, I pull myself and clnm[st out of the side of the car. The front end of the car is submerged in the wash, I see. My end is resting on the bank. The car is at an angle of forty five degrees. The car in front of mine has completely disappeared. The one in front of ihat is completely smashed. The one next to the baggage car is hanging on the opposite bank. The car back of mine is partially off the track, but it is still upright. My car is tilted on its end so that I am about even with the roof of the car back to me. Now the people are pouring out of the coaches. I climb over to the roof of the car behind me and lower myself to the ground. I wonder why I am not excited. I also �marvel an instant inwardly at my own feelings. My attitude is that of an observer rather than a participant in this fearful tragedy. Any minute now the screaming and hysteria will begin, I think to myself, but to my amazement I am mistaken. Where are Able and Thurman, my secretary? We should get busy to see what we can do for those in the front end of the car. The submerged. one in front is gone - completely like myself. He Here's Able in pajsmss rushes up to ask if I am alright. I'll send him back to save our luggage and the books of iiiriartfl ;rrr&rli "The Miracle". He lowers himself through a window. Now he is smashing a window further down in the car. He has found someone. Here is Thurman. tlt, ::1.,{,:t)a.,\aa. On-lookers watching the repair of the tresgel and track. Together we do what we can to help. The waters pour through another window Able i-'. , ::;i] has broken. He is struggling with a body, we help him and just in time, it seems, carry an elderly woman to safety. She is almost nude but is courage itself. She doesn't so much as sob. A fine boy, Able, I'm proud of him. Somehow everyone else seems to have escaped from our car but no one has seen the porter. He was probably in the front and drowned, poor fellow. For what seems like a few minutes, but !i,,: t }'i' actually is an hour, everyone helps take care which were of the injured - those in the cars derailed and smashed. At the end of the hour the water has gone down enough to make the submerged car visible. As fast as possible the injured are taken to Stratton in automobiles along the highway which parallels the railroad. Finally I leave for Stratton myself. Find a newspaper office and send in my story to the Denver Post." The above story was taken from the Denver Post. To heep in touch $rith ERIENDS View from highway 24, notn "guest car" center right. A TELEPHONE in your home is well worth the few cents it costs a day ft runs m&nY errands -handy in and is always emergencres. There is no su.bstltute for four teleDhone. The Mountain $tates Telephone & Telegreph Company Train wreck west of Stratton on Spring Creek. �THE GREAT FLOOD oF 1935 T64 A series of dry years, beginning in the late 1920's, culminated in the dryest of all years, 1934, when less than a five-inch total was recorded in much of the Great Plains area. The "Black Blizzards" of the Dust Bowl days darkened the skies at midday. The year 1935 began no less ominously. Up to the first of May little moisture had fallen. Then began three weeks of almost unceasing rains. The ground was soaked and county roads were like bogs. About May 25 the rains stopped. Up to the afternoon of May 30, mild and sunny days prevailed. Memorial services I Y were held under auspicious weather conditions, although in a few places light afternoon showers occurred. Towards evening, dwellers in the tri-corner of Colorado, Kansas and Nebraska described heavy cloud banks in the northeast. Similarly in the locality where Colorado and its three southern neighbors meet, thunder heads were observed at dusk, away to the southwest. How little those who idly noticed the cloud banks realized just what was taking place! For three days a ttemendous low pressure area had been developing along the Canadian border and moving eastward towards the Great Lakes. In like manner, a storm center had been generated in lower California and Arizona and was moving eastward into New Mexico. During the forenoon of May 29, the storm-center nearing the Great Lakes sud- denly halted, changed course and began Taking bodiee from submerged car, photo looking south. moving at accelerated speed to the southeast. It was as if the two storms foci, like two huge angry giants, had suddenly sighted each other and halting, moved forward to do battle. By evening of May 30, the one storm center was over Central Nebraska while the other was at the Southern Colorado border. The stage was set for the most terrifying clash of opposing aerial forces ever seen in this country! The center ofthat stage was a spotjust within the Colorado border, an area in northeast Colorado, between the Republican River and the Arickaree. where those streams cross the state line. There, was the focus of the lowpressure area and there, the two opposing storms met. From that whirling vortex the tempest spread in all directions for perhaps 150 miles. At the focal point of the cloudburst, twenty-four inches of water fell, and most of it in the forty minutes of the storm's greatest fury. Fifty miles away in the same period of less than an hour saw as much as twelve inches of rainfall. It staggers the imagination to picture two feet of water being laid down over hill and valley in less than an hour. The downpour was accompanied by the most incessant and vivid lightning, while the earth shook with the continual roll ofthunder. Over Pulling wreckage from water. most of the area the height of the storm came between 7:30 and 9:00 p.m., although it was a few hours later that the sweeping waters reached the area around what is now Bonny Dam. People huddled terrified in such groups as could get together. At the height of the cataclysm in the western part of Kit Carson County, Colorado, several earth tremors were distinctly felt. None tried to reason this out nor to account for it at the time, but the �green in the May sunshine were now onlv desolate patches of hot and glistening sand. The channels of streams had been altered: huge bowls torn in the rivers'beds revealed the bones of beasts that dwelt on this earth ages before the coming of man. A single leg bone measured nine feet, while a tooth from some prehistoric monster was found to weigh twenty-seven pounds. .&):W.ltt@,t&.& The deluge that drowned thousands of jackrabbits and birds on the plains also washed away millions of cubic yards of the rich topsoil requiring countless thousands of years to build up. Hundreds upon hundreds of old Indian cnmps were brought to light, and it was revealed that at one time this country had been covered by dense and huge timber. June 1, 1935, 11:00 a.m. Overlooking the flooded Republican river bottom, looking north across the river to the Harvey Wood ranch. explanation, or at least the result, was shown later. At last the rain settled to a mild drizzle. By mid-night most of the fury of the elements was spent. The day dawned clear, with fleecy clouds overhead and low valleys wrapped in feathery fog. By 10:00 a.m. the wind came up and from the rapidly drying surface of the ground, dust was whipped up in a few places to form miniature but growing "black blizzards". But what a scene of havoc and death greeted the eyes ofthe thousands ofsearchers who were out at daybreak along the valleys of the rivers and creeks. Word had spread that many who had retired early had been caught by the rushing walls of the water that swept down the unusually dry creeks and river beds, and carried away to die, in a hopeless battle against the icy waters, in darkness and alone. Scores of houses in the lower valleys had been quickly toppled from their foundations. Survivors who had escaped and fought their way to shore or to trees through the long night, had, when daylight came, found themselves surrounded by animals dead and dying. Often human beings were hard put to hold their places of safety against the approach of desperately swimming animals and snakes. For, struggling in the frigid flood, trying to avoid the debris of houses, fences, trees, hay and floating animals, the victims faced the added danger of venemous rattlesnakes, coral snakes and other vipers. Hay meadows that had been warm and Those who had believed they felt the earth tremble at the height of the storm had ample proof of their belief. All over the northwestern part of Kit Carson County and that part of southern Washington County huge cracks had been opened, leading into the bowels of the earth. Some ofthese cracks, extending for miles, were as much as six feet across, and in them, hundreds offeet below the surface. the roar of rushing water could be heard for days. Wind and farming operations have filled the upper parts or obliterated these crevices since, but there are plenty of creditable witnesses to testify to their reality. An earthquake? Well, with nature in such a convulsion. is it to be doubted? The storm was one of the major disasters in America's western history. More than 100 lives lost, and the loss in farm and town property, highway and railroad bridges and roadbeds was estimated conservatively at the fourteen million dollar figure. No one could guess nor calculate the loss caused by depleted soil; people had been made homeless and all the other products of this tragic class of the elements. Rivers more in name than in fact, that usually were dry water courses, ran a mile wide and twenty feet deep, carrying a wealth of property and topsoil into the sea. To most of us, Bonny Dam, and the many similar dams all over this plains country, are places of beauty, of rest and relaxation. But back of all this lies the comforting thought that should there come such another flood. or even any of the many that occur each year in lesser violence, Bonnie Dam stan6. as . bulwark of safety. Augmented by the practices of soil erosion prevention at the community and individual level, such structures guarantee us against another like disaster as that of the memorable night of May 30, 1935. For Bonny Dam indeed makes possible the slogan: Preservation of the soil saves death and loss and toil. by Bonny Gould lrees starting to fall in wake of the flood, note tree on far right. �Br,uo. { mrloN lortharsi of Ctcranotrg. RsEge, Dortbei,rt of ClaretDolt. :*.t' !9],:ntlti:..,;:r:*ali r1.r':":,,'.]". ' :',i;r. ..':i* .f ,:.r' J, P. Evans. *,** . : r,,.,.,ji:,3,.:, *.iJ Cloremont, Co:o. Rlnge, Lostolau's Creek. t.i TTG S, GAIEWO[D, Olsfemont, Colc. Ruge, southeast of Cls:smoDt. w1i.i6.,:... ACI ,ri$ ii*qY auGUsT l'DOLr, Burll!gton, Colo Rauge, neer Landsmen. YINOSN WISSBAUM, )l B Next sequence; tree tumbling down the river. BlrllDgtoD, Colo. range. southeest of BurllnAtoB. Fted llachenbergbr, Lanrborn, KeDs. rolge. nor;hc&st ot nrllngton F -T and rwallow- IOrK lll eactr 61r. BR \/ H. rr. KLIEII'ER, Flagler, Colo. Range, Dutk.Crock B:.'RT n.{.oAlJ, Yale. Colo. Ren{o. C-.i5. South !'o:k llepubltcan. Albeft Bur!s,ri, U Kh'k, Colo. P tlp tl lell, c&r oil g rleh& ear rDllt. raDse, i niltdi ioutheict o! Ktr'[. s.-*'-": * 3{*;dt re-.,.-- Goorgc (*, B&rDer. Newton, Co!o. jYld -- ronfs, h8ad .of :fiiliaw cre6k. m catu€ & hoiect JO Flenpv Scbmi.lt, yole, Oolo. range, wssi ol i,andllla,n. FLX Treee have vanished in flooding waters. INTEREST & PENALTY FIINN. fiSTD FIIN]}, Io Werraptsoutstsnding Dcc, 31,1902 A05.25 llo B€lr. ou iand Doc, u, 1002 "' Colloction.0 rilde, cedlllgtuouan, 32.?l _il waneq!! tilued 0 mo.. eudlrg JuDe !i5. tl6 E0. 1803: Serylger, liold Ov€lsoer Sup. R'd Dlslnctr 194.00 B.0l 6.q) Work on rood Irllllng wellr {i.00 I'o lnt p'd 6 nros, endiEg JuDe i-i.93 ... 6rl in ltands oo. 'l'red,8 JqDe 30,.1903 8{J, 190s 2tJ.{t pv Trens;ep lo cen'l (.o. Rov.uue Fund Be,l. or brnd Juqe 30, r" w&rr&Dt! p'dl fl' nros. end.faB '- June .lsc.il) 80, rrlg pldd Eo! ondrng JuEo 80, l9O3 5..o3 ,'l tnt " Bal. banqr Co. l'rea"s Jun€ ;t0; tgg_llll! 78 t.0r ADDIT}ONTI/ IIOII NTY X'IINI) ,.1'o B8l. handr Co. Treas. Dec. 31, ,18.01 r.' lJoll.ectlou 6 Eos endlng Juncl90U t0, 1903 zriS.sn Py Erl otr b&nd Co. Trear Junr 90, 1903 ??1.00 95.A1 -3108 c-N Cb&rl'it Neoilc/; Burllrrgton, Oolo. reDge, SendcrotE 80.65 FTltTE OF COLORAD(,. | ._^ NITCARSdN COUNTY: iDJ. I hereby celtify tbe tol.egolng . lo !e r truo aDd correci state6ent, of thU sev-. pral qqun-ty Fuuds, lor the rlx mouths endilrs .f uue @, 19C3, a! Bbowtr by the I^lecorda and re: pon8 rD Ery Ollce, Wltneqg py hand iDd seal lhle ?th day of re0q. Julr - (!r.aAL) Wr'..t.r'I BocErr. (lounty L'lerts. renli-atnuel lletemgnt war . 'lhg.fofeSolpg F-xalllrbeg lDd &pproved by tbe Bo&rd ot l;ogn[I_ UomlutsrtoDers of KiI Calson CouDtv. colord4o, !f',f ilsr. ott "[r,ilr',;ff,;.;;. -' v"H:titf'd 6 ttlos, erdlns Juns BurllngtoD, Colo. i?nCe, Dgfth oi Berhuno, Oblo, "+# ?.J3.61 y'y warrontsoutstardlog Junp80, lg0J 21,$ 1903 f,', S, IJle;er, 0halrmaD. J. i. W;rtppte, Ilrtrle, COlo, rriD$.9. RopBblipan r lver. �of the basin, causing local floods on many rivers in Nebraska and Kansas. The south fork of the Republican River and the Arickaree River were the principal sources ofthe flood and had the highest crest discharged in record feet per square mile of any river in the basin, the crest discharge of the South Fork of the Republican River at Newton being about 103,0fi) second feet : ::,":.-:,r t\ l *4x $t* occurring between C"mbridge and Arapahoe, "" Nebraska. Below this point the effect of channel and flood plain capacity in reducing the crest discharge were sufficient to off set the inflow from tributary streams, so that there was a flattening of the flood crest and a gradual reduction of the magnitude of the crest discharge to 170,000 second feet at Ogden, Kansas, and 120,000 second feet at the mouth of the Kansas River at Kansas City, Kansas. The loss of life was greatest in the upper parts ofthe valley in Colorado and Nebraska, where the flood occurred at night. A total of 110 lives were lost. The loss of livestock was 20,593. More than 2?0,000 acres of farm land was damaged, most of which contained growing crops of hay. Several hundred miles of highways and railroad were destroyed or Strobel family watches as Republican river rages away' damaged, also 515 highway bridges and railroad bridges. The number of homes destroyed or damaged was very large, especially in the upper part of the valley, where the water rose to unprecedented heights. In Kansas 1,485 homes and 1,552 buildings other than homes were flooded. The river measurement stations maintained by the Geological Survey and cooperating parties in Nebraska and Kansas were in operation through out the period ofthe flood with the exception of five stations that were destroyed or rendered inoperative. Determination ofdischarge at these five stations were made from flood marks and data obtained by :,' i'' ii i' :.::a.: ,. . - ir,,.. '3 'i.li, observers. It appears that other floods, especially that of 1903, have been greater than that of May and June of 1935 for the Kansas River below Junction City, although the flood of 1935 was the greatest flood that had occurred in upper part of the Republican - Kansas River Basin The Strobels could hear the roar of the water 4 miles south of the river - notice the waves. FLOOD ON THE REPUBLICAN AND KANSAS RrVE*S ,uu StorY 1 An unusually heavy storm of cloudburst intensity in Eastern Colorado and Western Nebraska during the night of May 30-31' 1935, which followed two periods of general rainfall over the Republican - Kansas River Basin earlier in the month, produced the 1935 Flood waters under Vona bridge (railroad). greatest flood on record in the upper part of the basin below Junction City, Kansas' The area of the greatest rainfall contained no precipitation stations of the United States Weather Bureau, but records obtained by local residents who measured the rainfall in miscellaneous receptacles indicate that the precipitation was 18 to 24 inches at some places in the upper part of the Republican Kansas River Basin during the night of May 30-31. During the period of May 26 to June 2. the storm extended over the greater part during the period of historical record' The flood that occurred in the spring of 1884 apparently exceeded the flood of 1903 in the lower part of the basin and is believed to be the maximum flood of record on the Kansas River, although no definite information is available as to its height or to its magnitude. The storm that caused the heavy rainfall on the Republican River Basin during the night of May 30-31, 1935, began just east of the mountains in the forenoon of May 30. In that area local residents measured, chiefly during the afternoon, as much as 20 inches, including some hail, in stock tanks. This storm followed general northeasterly direction across the headwaters of the Republican River and ended a few miles east of Curtis, Nebraska on May 31. The airline distance from the head of the Republican River in northeastern Colorado to Curtis is 215 miles. Within this area the rainfall was concentrated chiefly in the South fork of the Republi- can River but extended along the ridges dividing that basin from the basin of the Arickaree River nearly to Benkelman, Nebraska. Outside this concentrated area there were undoubtedly small areas of concentra- ted rainfall, as shown by the record of 11 inches in Section 24, Township 6, Range 55W, �but only 1 inch two miles farther south. Unfortunately the area of heaviest rainfall contained no Weather Bureau precipitation stations, and it was therefore necessary, in determining the location and approximate amount of rainfall, to obtain from local residents such information as could be furnished by those who had measured the rainfall in improvised rain gauges. Some list€d are on Sec 24, T6S, R 55W, 11 inches, measured in paint can; Sec 36, T65, R 55W, I inch, measured in paint can; Genoa Sec 12, T9, R 53W, 3 inches, rain and hail in can; Arriba Sec I T9S, R 53W, 00 inches, storm did not touch Arriba but there were black clouds all directions; Flagler, Sec 2 T9S, R 51W, 2.5 inches, measured in a glass tube; near Cope Sec 1, T4S, R 30W, 1.5 inches, Weather Bureau; Siebert Sec 34, T5S, R 49W, 7.0 inches, measured in glass tube gauge; near Siebert Sec 11, T8S, R49W, 13.0 inches, measured in concrete tank; near Joes Sec 5, T5S, R 47W ,7 .5 inches, measured in 3 gallon can; near Idalia Sec 22, T4S, R 44W, 5.5 inches, measured in vertical can; Stratton Sec 36, T8S, R 47W, .2 inches, Weather Bureau; Burlington Sec 33, T8S, R 44W .L inches, Do?; Newton Sec 10, T5, R 44, 12.8 inches, measured in stock tank. by Della Hendricks RESULTS OF THE FLOOD T66 Story II In Kit Carson County, the dsmage to farmers along the fertile valley from Flagler to the Kansas Colorado state line was massive. Many valuable alfalfa fields were covered home and caught a limb of the tree as he was swept by. Charles Farr, near Flagler, was rescued from the current by his son, Duncan. Wire fences were washed down stream with The estimated $14,000,000.00 damage to property can in no way reflect the real losses yet recalled by those who lived through that terror-filled time. The horrors of the initial shock, the learning to live with loss of human and animal life, the dreadful clean-up time, the terrible ravage in fields and the years of toil spent in trying to reclaim and restore the loved fields are very real in the memories of many. A statement was published, forbidding anyone to gather posts and wire until it was collected and allocated, so each would get a fair share of the amount recovered. Those who lost their homes in the torrential flood, sought vacated houses, where ever they could find them. Arthur Pugh, who lost his fine cattle, came to town, where he found work at an elevator and lived at the Winnegar building south of town. The barn across the road on the east is gone but the house still stands. Arthur told of his troubles, heavily in debt and nothing left except the two story stone house. which withstood the flood. He was such a fine example of manhood, he must have been demented when he hung himself in a barn. Many down the course of the flood had their homes washed from the foundation and sometimes onto another man's land. This flood caused the government to have the river surveyed and an engineer employed to build a do- across the river and land was purchased, which is known as Bonny Dam and reservoir, the latter is filled with water one mile wide and six miles in length with a depth capacity of 153 feet at the dam. At the C.C. Gates farm, eight miles northflood waters. The piece measured six and one half feet in length and was about twelve inches in diameter. Another bone was discovered, while two men were digging in the edge of the valley, eight miles north of Siebert, which seemed to be a tusk. Other unusual bones were found, so the men decided to let the Colorado water currents on each side of her, sweeping away all loose objects with its furious and divided currenLs. Dawn, to her, was never so welcome. Other down river residents had similar and more harrowing experiences. Frank Chase, who lived north ofthe river saw a boy in a tree some distance across the rolling current. He got someone to help him and rescued the lad. The boy was swept down stream from his T67 Story 4 Rev. Tyner had charge of a memorial service held at the Evangelical Church, Siebert, at 11:00 a.m. Monday for Wayne Gessner, Frances Gessner and Clarence H. Lothian. They all drowned when their house was swept away in the flood the night of May 30th. Mrs. Lothian was away on a visit to friends in Kansas and escaped the fate of the others. Senator Hill of Greeley, a brother of Mrs. Lothian was present for the service, as was another brother, who resides at Flagler. Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Gessner maried last January. by Della Ilendricks THE FLOOD IN 1935 T58 east of Siebert a huge bone from some prehistoric animal was washed out by the Mortuary of Burlington. A night ofsleepless terror was described by Mettie Love, alone at her deceased mother's home, with the river flowing on both sides of the house. The rush and roar of the river and elements of the sky were never more chilling, but there was no route of escape, with the VICTIMS posts attached. livestock swept away; fences swept to another man's property, many lives endangered and in one case a whole family swept down stream. The Wayne Gessner family, who lived two and a half miles west of Siebert were victims. Wayne, his wife and father-in-law, Mr. Lothian, were swept away. The bodies of the men were found and buried at Siebert. Months passed; then it was discovered that Nebraska bore the description of Mrs. Gessner. Investigation was made and positive identity made by a ring on a finger. The body was interred at Siebert by the O.P. Penny SERVICES FOR THREE FLOOD Arthur Pugh, who liked to show his pure bred cattle, lost them all in the flood. by six to ten feet of sand, cattle and other a body found and interred at Mc0ook, MEMORIAL University Museum Archeologist examine the bones and dig up the remains. One ofthe peculiar things noticed after the flood, was the presence of mud balls left in the river bed. These range in size from two or four inches to a foot in diameter, some much larger. Some object started rolling by the force of raging water, gathering mud on its journey and the result is an almost perfect sphere. by Myra Davis Hell Creek north of Vona. The water is from melting snow. An interview with my mother. This was a report for history that I wrote as an assignment when in the eighth grade at Liberty School. Regina Whipple Oldham. We lived on the Republican River when I was a kid, John Homm owns the place where we lived. I have some vivid memories of that flood and some people now wonder if we who lived then aren't exaggerating a bit. No, words cannot tell it how it was. We date our lives by before or after the flood because it made such a change in our lives. We had had several years of extreme drought. In the spring of 1935, we had had fierce dust storms too. But on May 30 to June 1. we had water. Momma had a hot bed with tomato and cabbage plants, north of the house, in the fenced lot with the cherry tree. This evening she sent Joe (my brother) and me out to put the frames over the bed as she �feared the threatening storm. Both of us became so fascinated by the clouds that we forgot what we were doing and were startled when Dad shouted to hurry. The sky was all black, whirling, clouds. Such furious energy and churning! The clouds were darker and denser than any we'd ever seen and were all moving to the south west as if driven by a high wind. Dad and all the family were hurrying to secure the livestock and give them protec- tion. I can remember the rains after - itandstarted dark and was just a down pour it was still raining when I went to bed. We were awakened at dawn with a distant roaring sound and my older brothers who slept in the bunkhouse calling for us to come look at the flood. We did. It was just getting daylight and I can remember how frightened and awe struck I was, there was water everywhere. All of the bottom land was under water. Our usual river of about L2 feet wide and at most 10 inches deep was now a mile wide. Dirty, muddy water rolling huge cottonwood trees end over end, making waves as high as a two story house. But Mom and Dad didn't let us look long as they made ready to leave ifnecessary. We dressed warmly and packed food and clothing and bedding. We didn't have to move to higher ground. We were protected by a natural dam or hill which was south of the small spring fed stream which flowed close to our door. In a few hours, it seemed that the water wouldn't come any higher so we children just watched. Later, we learned much about the cause of the flood. What had happened was that a rain, measuring anywhere from 12 inches to 25 inches, fell over a large area. It started above the head ofthe rivers flowing northeast and just followed the water shed down stream. Since it covered such a large area all the draws and fields and sand creeks flooded and converged into the river channel at the proper time to swell the flood. We had about 15 inches at home. Rosser Davis, up river, had an empty cow tank which was full after the rain, depth of 24 inches. Mr. Hershberger, who printed the Stratton Press, had printed an ad he meant as funny. It ran: Wanted: Rain. He said later the he regretted it as they had 17 inches there and he wondered if the Good Lord was reprimanding him. We watched the rolling waters for hours but the older people were busy saving what animals they could. Cattle and horses floated by but sometimes some would be swimming and the men would try to rescue them. My older brothers, Alex and Bob, rode the saddle horses and hurried to cut a fence as some cattle and horses were washed against it and would have drowned; they were saved. Our work horses had gone down stream but were stranded on a high piece of ground. Old Mr. Chase went out with a bucket of oats and coaxed them over to land. They just made it. A big wall of water with a tangle of wire and posts washed by just then and all that livestock would have been trapped and drowned by the tangle. Alex rode all day, channel changed and all the beautiful hay meadows were sand bars. The trees were washed away. Any machinery left on the bottom land was lost. We believe it sunk in the sand. We found an old horse drawn mower because the tongue was sticking up a foot above the sand. Lots of machinery was never found. During the preceding winter and spring Dad had sold or given hay to poor farmers who were desperate for feed for their remaining cattle. He was a frugal man and believed he should keep hay over from year to year in case of a crop failure but often said how thankful that he had not let that hay be washed away in the flood. The aftermath of the flood was severe. We needed supplies. We had no access for several days to a town but did finally make a way to Kirk, mail went out from Kirk. The county road past our place was a route for people north to get to Burlington. People built their own roads, there was at least a mile or more of impassable sand bar from our house to the other side of the river. A trail was broken or planned outand then the men hauled manure and trash to make a solid base so a car could travel across. But the wind would blow that trail full and they would have to haul more manure and eventually built up an elevated track and people could carefully drive over it. They often had to pull travelers across and especially across the stream bed as a car would bog down in the loose sand. We had a miserable time getting to church in Bur- lington, didn't go very often as it took a team to get us across the river and one to get us home. We had to help many people over that sandbar that summer, fall, and winter and summer again. It struck me as odd, the way some people act when faced with a hardship. Some people who needed to cross on the trail would apologize for the inconvenience they caused. Some offered to pay, others would help shovel the sand away or push their vehicle, some acted as if itwas our doings that there had been a flood which left blowing, drifting piles of dirty sand. Many a time our men would have to unhitch the team from whatever they were doing and rescue someone who needed help. Sundays were especially trying as people like to visit or supplies were needed and so they attempted to travel, it was no better at any of the other river crossings all along the length of the river. Once or twice I saw my brothers hurt or angry or just plain disgusted at the treatment they received and other times they felt well rewarded for a difficult job done. One especially trying day we all laugh about now, Alex took a four horse teem to pull a car back on to the track after it had churned until it became stuck. The woman pansenger heaped verbal abuse on his head, yelling for him to hurry, and accusing him of not knowing how to drive horses, etc. Finally, without saying a word, Alex unhitched his steam and started for home. The man begged him not to leave them stranded and Alex agreed to help him but only if she kept quiet. One day that summer while out helping hunt calves I found an iris in bloom. It sat all the leader towards safety and the rest alone in a pile of mud and rubbish and I wondered about the woman who had planted it. Mom told me that if that flower could live and bloom that we could find courage to go on living too. In 1938 we left the river place and moved followed. to a farm on the hills east of Kirk. Those were cattle would be washed to shallow water and would be so exhausted they couldn't get on to dry solid land. He'd help them. Once he turned a herd of horses that were so frightened they were unmanageable but he headed After the water receded. we found the trying times and the 1935 flood changed our way of life. by Regina Whipple Oldham CATASTROPIIES AND BAD STORMS THAT HAVE HIT THE COUNTY T69 aa::.aa ,:,*, Over 200 head ofcattle were found dead in the road ditches and fencerows northeast of Stratton after the 1977 late March blizzard,, the worst storm on record. Some cattle were pulled from the ditches and were still alive two days after the storm. 1886 - January 8, a blizzard 1886 - March 25-26-27, probably one of the worst to ever hit the county. Many cattle drifted away and were lost and frozen to death. Some people even lost their lives. 1888 - January 12, ablizzard. 1890 - A blizzard that caused many cattle to drift. Many wandered to the banks of Hell Gate Creek and were pushed over and were found smothered in the deep snow as they were unable to get out. 1895 - A blizzard in the first part of April. 1905 In April a storm which raged over - for sixty hours caused cattle this region ranging 100 miles from here to make their way to the shelter of buildings and fences with many dying in the streets. Thousands of cattle perished throughout eastern Colorado. Trains were twenty-four to thirty hours behind schedule. 1906 - A bad blizzard that came in March. 1913 - March 13-14, blizzard L924 - August, a tornado struck north of Flagler killing 10 persons. 1935 - May 30 - June 1. Heavy rains fell all over the county and the flood on the Republican River followed, destroying property and causing death to people and livestock. 1938 - Spring. Another Blizzard. Towner tragedy. 1939 In June, Kit Carson county was invaded-by a plague of grasshoppers. There were over 6,000,000 pounds of a combination ofbran, poison and sawdust used to try to kill them. As the plague beco-e worse they had to start to import sawdust from Wyoming and South Dakota. There were over 500 men employed from both Federal and county employees. At one time during the plague it was so bad that the trains couldn't get up the �his home place. There was no other loss to the Shaw and Walters ranches. I The men were away from the Dunham ranch, and three stacks of feed were burned. By the most heroic efforts of Mrs. Dunham, Bessie and Arnold Thomann, and Will Dunham, who came to their aid, the buildings which were on fire were saved. Mr. Little, who had recently moved on his place, lost a new barn, 150 bu. ofcorn, 50 bu. of oats, a stack of feed, hogs, a colt and chickens. Mr. Hudson lost his barn containing harness, seed and everything. Only a few reported losses among whom are E.E. Houseman, who lost his automobile, feed, pasture and five hundred dollars; Joseph Anderson lost his barn, feed and four hundred dollars; J.H. Houseman, lost his feed, a buggy and two hundred seventy-five dollars; Williem Byers lost 75 tons of feed and several horses; Mrs. M. Kelley lost a windmill, tank, lumber and one hundred dollars; Alfred Sandage lost his barn, feed and two hundred dollars; Bert Towers lost feed, a barn, wagon and other losses plus three hundred dollars; Alfred Leander lost barley, a barn. and an unknown amount of feed: May 10, 1936 dust storm with the town of Vona in background. grade outside Hugo because of grasshopperg Lowest rainfall in the county - 1894 had on the tracks. 8.43 inches; 1934-35 had 7.66 inches; 1954 had Smoky Hill. No deaths. heavy weight of the gnow L942 - The limbs from the trees and it is a broke many wonder the damage was not greater. The heavy snow bent the trees clear to the ground. The snow stopped about noon Friday and it was almost clear that night. 1948 - November 19-20. A bad blizzard, followed by two more later in the winter. t957 - March 23-24.The worst blizzard in Highest rainfall in the county - 1904 had 26.90 inches; 1915 had 27.45 inc\es; 1930 had l94l - June 8. a tornado struck around years. 1960 - January - March. Continued heavy snows with no let up. The Drought of 1893-1895 was the worst drought recorded, but no dirt blew. The Dust Bowl years came in the middle 1930's, following a drought. The Drought of L952-L957 was the longest drought recorded but no dirt blew. 6.13 inches. 26.61 inches: 1957-1958 had 26.20 inches. 1910 PRAIRIE FIRE Lewis Chapin sustained a loss of two hundred dollars; Melvill Rogers lost a good barn and a new buggy, in addition to four hundred dollars; John McCracken lost his house and barn; John Armstrong lost his barn and feed; Ed Harbour lost a barn and windmill; Ingeveld Stangiland lost a barn and feed; and many other poor settlers lost all, but we were unable to learn their names from our infor- mant. The bridge across Big Sand Creek south of town was burned; in one instance, a life was T60 in peril as the fire almost overcame a The prairie fire of Saturday, March 26, 1910, was the most destructive that ever passed over this vicinity. The dust was so every obstacle. It traveled faster than the thick and the velocity of the wind was so great that one could see no distance. The smell of smoke gave the first warning. At two o'clock the fire csme sweeping the prairie from the southwest, first striking the pastures belonging to Albert Walters, half a mile south of horseman. The awful furnace of fire rose in majestic form and leaped rods, roads and swiftest race horse! by Grace Corliss PRAIRIE FIRES T61 The old Tuttle ranch on the Republican River northeast of Stratton was owned by the John Pugh family in early days and later the Lloyd Pugh family resided there for many years. At present, the ranch is owned by Tom Price and covers quite a territory in the Spring Creek, South Fork and Hell Creek valleys. It was north of this ranch, in the hills north of the river, where a fire took place. It wasn't a big fire, but costly and did its dn'nage in a hurry. In those days, ranchers kept fire guards, which were about five plowed furrows, then 20 or 30 steps ofgrassland, then another five furrows. It was the custom to keep the grass burned out between the furrows to protect the homesteads, hay stacks and rangeland, because cattle had no feed on a range, once burned. Someone decided to burn the land off that was contained in the fire guard, without doing new plowing. There was a brisk west wind blowing. Gorden Burr, who lived on the homestead which presently is the Harvey Wood ranch, was loading hay onto a wagon A 1958 snow bank on the Clapper homegite east of Vona and was being assisted by Glass Davis. When they saw the fire sweeping toward them at a �high rate of speed, they hurried and jumped on the horses, though harnessed, and planned to help fight the blaze. However, one of the old mares had previously been hurt and if things didn't go right she would lie down and refuse to budge, which she did at this time. Glass is still laughing about the incident; however, it was no laughing matter at the time. The embers were caught up in the high wind and set the stack afire on the top instead of burning it from the bottom. Glass related that the fire did a lot of damage as it burned the haystack and wagon, plus a straw-roofed barn. Rosser Davis, a younger brother of Glass, was at home and becorne excited. There was a pond east of the Davis residence and as the fire swept on, Rosser placed some harness and other items in a cart and pushed it into the pond where it couldn't burn. There is much merriment today in retelling of these stories. However, in the days of yore, homesteaders had so little and everything was so precious, that losing small things was tragic. Glass relates that many times at night, one could see a rosy arc in the skies from fires up the Hell Creek valley, and since there was no wind, the fires would eventually burn themselves out or reach water and be quenched thusly. Mrs. Spoonemore and her daughter Judith swam out of the ditch to dry land. Spoonemore and his daughter, Corinne were washed away and were drowned, McNeill said. The bodies were recovered the next morning on the left shore of the lagoon, not too far apart, and were taken to Hendricks Mortuarv. by Grace Corliss T62 August 22, 1969 - Flash Flood Claims Lives of 2 Persons. Two people perished and two other members of the snme family escaped when they swam to safety at midnight Friday, Aug.22, when they were swept by high water off the top of their car at the side of Highway 24 two miles east of Stratton. The high waters and heavy runoff resulted from a cloudburst which fell in the area Friday, up to eight inches of rainfall being reported in the neighborhood east of Stratton. The drowning victims were identified by the Colorado State Patrol as Kenneth Spoonemore, 39, Newton, Ks,, and his daughter, Corinne,6. Swimming to safety were Spoonemore's wife, Priscilla, 38, and their daughter, Judith, 16. After reaching the shore of the lagoon into which they were swept, the two women spent the night at the Louis Husler farm home, which is adjacent to the scene of the tragedy. They were brought to Memorial Hospital in Burlington early the next morning and were treated for shock and exposure. They were dismissed and left for their home Sunday. Patrolman George McNeill investigated the accident. He reported that Spoonemore was driving west on Highway 24 in a heavy rain when his car came to an area where water was running across the road. As Spoonemore drove his car into the water the vehicle was washed off the roadway into a ditch. Spoonemore, his wife and two daughters managed to get on top of the car. They remained there for some time, but the rising, flooding dry creek water washed them off, the patrolman said. exaggerated, but there were many stranded vehicles in that area. 'We hauled people to the community BLTZZARD BLITZES AREA T63 shift to the Kit Carson County Memorial Hospital. He also stated the storm would be terriblv hard on young cattle. 'I'm anticipating i terrible death loss in young cattle shipped in,' Hubbard stated. 'The old, native cattle probably made it, but as yet we don't have a single report.' An estimated 5,000 people in this area of the state were without power for extended periods. As temperatures hovered above freezing Spring blizzard inside the garage Excerpts with graphic clarity tell the story of a harrowing blizzard time in 1979: "One of history's worst October blizzards howled into Eastern Colorado in the earlv morning hours of Tuesday, Oct. 30, deposi- ting t2 inches of snow, closing all roads and 1969 FLASH FLOOD the truck Wednesday morning and that estimates of its occupants may have been center all night,'said Hubbard, who was also called qpott 1or transportation of the morning I recall a number of stories of homesteaders burning off a piece of ground upon which to build a new home, only to lose the lumber stacked on the plot in the process. warmed it up to 70 degrees for the folk who had to spend the night in it.' The sheriff said crews had hoped to reach highways, causing widespread power outages and stranding hundreds of motorists as 60mile-per-hour winds whipped the wet snow into high drifts over a 24-hour period. "Reports of outages, injuries to stranded motorists, emergency situations and overall dnmage were still spotty and unconfirmed at press time Wednesday morning but city, county and state maintenance officials were hoping to clear up major problems throughout the day. Burlington Police Chief Carroll Johnston reported close to 100 stranded motorists had been taken to the Burlington Community Center for shelter after all available lodging in the town was filled. 'It's a mess.' said Johnston Wednesday morning. 'All the streets are blocked and we even have strav cattle in the east end of town, but most of the power is back on now.' Kit Carson County Sheriff George Hubbard called the blizzard a'real paralyzer, one of the really bad one's because of the snow's depth and lack of visibility. 'Our people are exhausted,'he said Wednesday. 'We were out in four-wheel vehicles trying to reach stranded motorists on I-70 but it was impossible to see. We couldn't get anywhere because people were stuck in cars, trucks were jack-knifed, interchanges blocked and even the snow plows couldn't get around all that stuck traffic.' Hubbard said rescue vehicles were still reaching stranded motorists east of Bethune Wednesday morning including a reported 30 motorists who took refuge in a refrigerator truck near Bethune Tuesday night. 'One of the women motorists broke her leg and they put her in the refrigerated truck with a bunch of other stranded motorists,' said Sheriff Hubbard.'They can reverse the refrigerating process in those trucks and the driver just and the strong north winds whipped the snow into drifts, worry mounted for two young men who were reported lost in the blizzard south of Bethune. Doug Beeson and Bill Gramm were reported found at 7 a.m. Wednesday morning after spending close to 24 hours in a field where they had gone to check cattle Tuesday morning. The young men were out in a pasture looking for cattle when their pickup fell into a hole completely obscured by the blizzard, according to Duane Beeson, Doug's father, who was out on horseback when he found the young men Wednesday morning. 'They stayed in the pickup and used the heater until the exhaust plugged up,'the elder Beeson reported. 'After that, they just got cold.' Blizzard damage reports continued Wednesday morning, but local people involved in the monumental work of opening roads and highways to restore service to the area were frustrated by the stranded motorists who were handicapping progress. Sheriff Hubbard also said roads were blocked with eager motorists Wednesday morning. 'It really irks you,' he said, 'the number of people who don't have brains enough to know to get out of the way of maintenance equipment. But people are that way; ifyou tell them they can't, they'll do their best to prove you wtong."' COUNTY FAIR T6,4 Old timers had small street fairs several times in the eighties, but it was not until 1908 that a "real" Fair was held. It was organized by a group of private citizens: J.K. Rouze, Wyatt Boger, A.S. King, Louis Vogt, and G.G. Burr. It was held in the new Auditorium. which had its grand opening the March before, and which stood on Fourteenth Street where the present armory is now located. The Auditorium, which was built and operated by Mrs. Martha J. Coakley and her daughter Pearl, who is now Mrs. H.C. Schell of Burlington, held the exhibits, including the first one to go to the State Fair at Pueblo. The first exhibit went from here to the Interstate Fair at Denver, with a total sum of $238 being gladly spent to show the rest ofthe state that there was more to eastern Colorado than prairie chickens, buffalo and wolves. �..l.,.i* ,?ti .,i.l']'li:., ':i:ll: ,,:llt,,l': Friday - Third Day Free for all pace or trot, purse gl00; One g-ile noveltyrace, purse g20 at each quarter, 980; two and one half mile relay raie, five horses, three to enter, two to start, purse $?b. Saturday - Fourth Day Miscellaneous Matched races, bronco bus- ting etc. 1. All harness mile heats unless otherwise stated will be governed by the rules of the American Trotting Association. 2. Running according to the American running rules. 3. Five entries required to fill and three to start all races. 4. Entry fee of 5 per cent of purses to accompany entry and b per cent additional to be charged against all money winners. 5. Horses will be called at I p.m. each day. Early picture of the Kit carson county Fair grounds, Floral Hall in foreground, 1g20's. The exhibit consisted of frames 3 ft. wide and 6 feet in length that held shocks of wheat, millet and kaffir. a period of eight or nine years to finance the Fairs. Although one pumpkin at the first fair was as large as a bushel basket, the corn was so short that many believed that crop would never be a success here. Not to be forgotten in 1908's big doings wa8 the race progrAm the holiday part. So horse scrapers were -taken to the edge oftown (then two blocks west of the present munici- pal swimming pool), and a circular track made, around which were parked several Stanley Steamers, all the buggy brigade, the surry set and lumber wagons from as far away as twelve or thirteen miles. Best winner that year was a man who was to have horses in this Fair for over a quarter ofcentury, Joe Boyles. A few years later the only world's record made here to stand, as far as is known, was captured by Joe. A pulling gauge, known as a "dynamo meter", was brought to Bur- lington and a team of his own, weighing only 1990 pounds, pulled L7/z ton 27 feet in LL seconds. In its class, this was such a phenomenal feat that offers were made from the Chicago exposition, the Purina company, and a leading beer firm for this team. Immediate- ly after the pulling exploit, the team was attached to a Roman chariot and took a blue ribbon for speed. None of the offers were accepted and the team, ag well as other winners by Boyles, was a feature ofFairs year COUNTY FAIR 1910 T65 a a r r t a lr r t a l a r r t a t rr !ta lrr I t I lt a tt I I r l .rrr!llrrrlrrrrtllrtll.r.rltlrrtriiiriiiiiiii lr r at One Hundred Dollars CASH To a Kit Carson Couaty Couple to be narried at the Kit Carson County Fair on Saturday September 27 at 1:00 P. M. lltany otber handrome gifts fron Kit Carson County Business men. Namer will be kept secret until moment of wedding. Communicate with E. C. Baker, Burlington, Colorario. after year. A need was seen for a new home for the Fair and forty acres, legally described as SEZz of NW% of Sec.36-8-44, where the present Kit Carson County Fair is held today was purchased. However thirty years had to elapse before the county could really own the Fairgrounds. T.G. Price, helped organize the Farmers and Stockmans Fair Association. This was a group of progressive local men who bought the Fair site, functioned from 1909 to 1gl?, incorporated and exists to put on county fairs. The first president was Louis Vogt, with J.K. Rouze secretary. Beautiful gold-encrusted bonds, eize 8y2Xll inches, were sold as shares in the organization at $5.00 each. Rosser B. Davis possessed No. 98 bought Oct. 10, 1910 and H.C. Schell bought No. 200 in 1917, so evidently these bonds were sold over ta | !a tI I tt I I I I I tt I a r t a t I t t I t I I I I l a l I l at I t l a a a rrrirlrrrltrrtlr.lrttr.lrrrtlrr----i--iii-iii 'fHfr |! nr,t\{;Toi.' cAr_1, 6. AJrorse distancing the field or any part thereof shall be entitled to first -or"v.' 7. If owing to bad weather or any other unavoidable cause, the society shall be unable to start one or more of its races on or before I p.m. of the last day such race or races mav be declared "off'and entrance monev shail be refunded. 8. No premium to ruled out horses. 9. Stall rents shall be $8.00 including strain. 10. The society reserves the right to trot or run races between heats. The right also is claimed to change the order of any of these events, should it be to their convenience to further the interests of the contestants. 11. Money divided 60, S0 and 10 per cent unless otherwise stated. 12. A horse may be entered in two or three races and held for the entrance fee in races started. Records made after July 20th no bar. Entries in all races close at 8 p.m. the night before the race. J.K. Rouze Sec. Burlington, Co. To the People of Kit Carson County In announcing this the second County Fair - many years in Kit Carson for Counti. We first want to heartily thank the citizens of this cgunty for their support and help given in 1909, whereby, that fair made the best record ever made in Eastern Colorado. The stock holders of this year's fair have already spent much time and money expecting to make it deserving of the great county it represents. We want in this connection to repeat our declaration of last year when we said the Fair will be open to the entire countv. The citizens of the several railroad towns in the county will have no privileges not extended to those in the remotest corners of the county. We earnestly solicit the cooperation of all the people to make this, the second Annual Fair better, if possible than the Fair of 1909. We would like a good showing of the stock of Kit Carson County, together with the Kit Carson County Fair Burlington, Colorado October b, 6, 7 and 8, l91O Speed Program Wednesday - First Day Green Harness race, purse '50; One half running race, purse 940; One half mile boys pony race (56 inches), purse $20. Thursday - Second Day 2:25 Pace or trot, purse g?5; 7e mile running race, purse $50; t7n mile free for all running race, purse $50. products of the farm and garden. We wish to make this Fair a reunion of all the people in the county. Our motto shall be to build greater, better and broader, and to make this fair a permanent feature of the countv to which our people can look forward to with increasing interest each year. J.K. Rouz, Sec. September 17, 1910 � https://kccarchives.cvlcollections.org/files/original/16/417/History_Part_3.pdf 0fca309c074a7fa07c7b1db33cfb04a3 PDF Text Text 1915 COUNTY FAIRT66 In June of 1916, a County Agriculturalist (later to be called County Agent) was firsl hired to begin duties August 1. He was P.N. Flint. who served until ill health forced him to resign in April, 1928, when H.O. Strange began. 6ne of his first duties was to help with the 1915 Fair, then to locate a market for all the counties surplus Potatoes. The following commissioners: Wyatt Boger, F.D. Mann George Gates and J.K' Rouz ippeared, at the Oct. 22, L9l.5 mee-ting with a- iequest that the county purchase the Fairgrounds, buildings, and appurtenances for the county, at the cost of $2845'61' from The Farmers and Stockmens Fair Association. In 1917, Mrs. Della Hendricks brought the first 4-H club girls. On July 20, 1918, an advertisement went out for bids for a more elaborate building' to be 38x80 ft., with 8 ft. side walls of concrete, with a hip roof. The first mill levy was partially to pay for this construction, fixed that year at .005 to raise $1'059.15. As far as can be determined, the first premium book was printed in 1919 by Arthur Wilson of the Burlington Call. In 1920' a county club leader, Miss Amelia Alexander, was hired at $2,100 per year to help the boys and girls clubs. The new grandstand was first used in 1921. With it came the first telephone service to the fair. There were improved race track facilities while the poultry building made that year, featured the first big turkey, ducks, and geese displays. The most expensive Fair to date, the grandstand got insured for $2,000 and hail damaged the roof almost at once. The Siebert band entertained the three days of the 1923 Fair, receiving $100 and much praise. FAIR PREMIUMS T67 Beard growing contest for the Kit Carson County Fair in 1948. Winners are center front. They are; I. to i j""t"tnt"g""] second place; Fred Byer, third place; Red Lindsey, first place. L.L. Reinecker in the right in announcers stand. Claude Irwin is on the left. Some true signs of the times appear in a comparison of the premium lists of 1918 and 1958. Dept. A, in 1918 was Horses. In 1958 it was Beef Cattle and Dairy Cattle B. and the horse relegated to third place. In 1918' registered Herefords taking the first prize brought $8.00, second $4, and ribbons were given. In 1958, first place takes $12.50, second $ro, ttrira $7.50 with ribbons for champions and reserve champions, while the junior raiser looked forward to upwards of 30 cents per pound for his fat steer. Still Dept. D, (now termed swine) hog, went up only 50 cents on first place - now $5.00 (1958). Sheep first place gets $3.00, and poultry got $1.00 to 1958 $1'50. Floral and Educational Departments were begun and premiums were about the same. There was a silver cup given for the farmers organization having the best booth displaying agricultural products. A fascinating category was listed in 1918-19 departments In this category, a dollar - "Monstrosities". given for the largest ear of corn, onion, was sunflower, cornstalk, beet, turnip, etc. The wet year of 1938, marked the first free fair. Always before tickets had been bought for entrance, usually at $1.00 each, but in 1928 and afterwards no fee was charged excepting to the grandstand. In 1928, came the affair of the carousel, which has been written about in great detail. August 1,1931, the question ofwhether or not to hold a County Fair was considered, and after discussion it was unanimously agreed that owing to the financial depression which had hit the county along with the nation, the Fair would be dispensed with for one year. But it was not until 1938, however, that the Fair was revived. A feature of the 1948 high jinks was a wonderful fireworks display, and in that year and several subsequent ones, it was obligatory that the men grow beards or suffer a horse tank dipping. They could avoid penalty by purchasing a smooth-shaven permit. The biggest 4-H entry to date was in 1950 and a 4-H style show become a regular feature. An entertainment agency in Denver began to supply good Friday night variety shows, which have become traditional. Right after the 1957 Fair' work went undeiway to furnish the county with a brand new grandstand. Barely finished for the 1958 fair, seating, 2,500, and costing between $50,000 and $60,000. The structure is 250 feet long and 60 feet deep. There are two front entrances, two offices, lounges, six booths in the lower front. A new ticket office and reserved seats for 225. One thing is certain, the solid institution of this County's Fair is an unique, calendar- marked occasion. September 1930 Kit Carson County Fair. �.. :rlil .:r' ,.1'.:..r:rrl.:' .,:,:: coyote while riding his horse on a dead run. .,. r .:,:, ',.r "i.,:r'',ilt: There were eight runs previously in the i: ,ir:tr, Stratton territory. At a drive nearer Kirk, .. , 4200 rabbits were killed. At the nine drives a total of about 24,000 rabbits had been ' slaughtered. One hunt was staged with the following lines: West line, 6 miles west of the Kirk and Stratton road; east line, 3 miles west of Kirk; north line, 2 miles north of the county line and the south line, one mile south of the countv line. Hunters were to be barred from catching any coyotes in the ring. These hunts beco-e very popular, with women as well as men entering into the excitement. It was likewise very beneficial to the farmers because of the great damage . these pests did to growing crops. Several farmers south of Stratton as well organized for similar hunts. In the 1950's rabbit hunts were held as the rabbit population had increased and were 1e30, Note the old wooden grandstand and open bleachers behind the beef barn with the machinery displayed by the Burlington Equitv publican river. Men were dropped o'ff around i:lf?""1*l:,itx,ti#1'l-[]ffiu1f"H'": Exchange. RABBIT IIUNTS *:T:ilI".ISIl3::l?:TJffJ::H:J::: :|;Ir',llY'r"#".:',ll;,:??ti:::fl "li:',li: they were shooting away from each other. The women of the community provided a lunch at noon. The dead rabbits were put in the truck being retrieved by the person who shot them as each man was paid so much per rabbit with the tally being kept by the truck driver. At the end ofthe hunt the count was totaled and was paid for each rabbit helping to pay for the '€ - *,t, An afternoon of rabbit hunting in 1920. .€ aE&8: 1935 rabbit drive on the L.L. Pugh ranch north Stratton. of shot shells. It provided some sporting fun and sharp skills for the participants besides getting rid of unwanted pests. In tgOg the State of Colorado allotted Kit wire netting near the center. As men neared Carson County $678.00 to pay wolf and Around 1935, rabbits became so numerous the corral, the ground seemed to move with coyote bounties. This practice was continued that the farmers and stockmen north of rabbitsandwentintotheopeningofthetrap off and on for many years relating to the populations of the coyotes at the time. On Strattonarrangedhuntingpartiestotrapand two deep. It was estimated that several thousand August 12, 1908 Mr. Ed Boger of Seibert kill them. As Ripley would say "Believe it or not", but'10,000 rabbits were killed with clubs in one drive", which centered just two milesnorthof theMortonDavisfarm. Itwas escapedthroughaweakspotinthelineatthe receivedthefollowingletterfromtheAuditor final windup. It was a sight too strange to of the State: Deartsir: I beg to acknowledge believe. Those present said they had never receipt of yours of the ?th Inst., enclosing seen more excitement. As far as can be found, scalp bounty certificate. We have placed the biggest of nine drives held. Men, in the usual manner, carried clubs, thisdrivewasthelargestofitskindinhistory. sAme on file as there are no funds available cave man style, driving herds of rabbits Seven coyotes were also killed at this drive. for their payment. Yours truly, George D. Statler, Auditor of State. Chris Seal had the distinction of roping a within a four mile square to a corral made of In the 1920's and 30's the fur market kept *lit?'Tlfl{#T{i$*ril*{n'jlili population rose again and the $1 an ear bounty was reinstated. The bounty was discontinued again and due to the loss of livestock both sheep and calves (chickens and etc.) the state came out with the program using 10-80 to poison the coyotes. Today the fur market is active with the very best pale western coyote pelf. bringing $100 each. ffiil;';*; uT:*.-' 'l ommunity rabbit hunt in the 1920's around Seibert. �i& Rabbits being corraled in the pen. GRADING ROADS T69 Commissioner John Lueken of Kit Carson County looking over the new Galion 1-30 maintainer just purchased in the 1940's. s'lAalt (fF col()li^lx, cou*".../4,1'/rr,r',' i i SoAo DrsrRrgr No. -6- ,1.,1,' i" t ,. o ..1 ' , fleccircb tt.' r,,",'" t.,u",'J,:,1.\1.:'i.-- (l.l.a,o ,atu,.nti,! t. ... tist: /o' t/,c yar tq '*1 ,. ,i,!r .' t- :], ,,, ii,::i;.:" Receipt to Frank Boger, April 4, 1898 for $2.00 for labor with team for one day in payment of road tax. by Joyce Miller Getting ready to grade roads in 1925. 1960's OIL IN KIT CARSON COUNTY T70 The Reitman No. 1 test well, 13 miles southwest of Stratton, proved to be a producer Tuesday of this week. However, testing is still underway at the well and according to word received Wednesday night, oil recovery was about 25 barrels per day, which means under some conditions this well could turn out to be a real producer after it has been thoroughly swabbed out. According to information received the well which is being drilled by Harry Royster, Denver, an independent, and the new Drilling Co., was drilled to a depth of 5,732 feet for production testing in Pennsylvania. The oil perforations were placed, however, at the 5,507 to 5,519 foot mark, in the LansingKansas City formation. Since this well had been brought in, no doubt it will be the forerunner of considerable drilling activity in the Stratton area in the very near future, and substantiates the Machinery for elevating and grading roads in 1929. belief of certain local people who have always claimed, and for very good reason, no doubt, that central Kit Carson County would some �qay De the center ofconsiderable oil activity. Ever since this well showed signs it might be a producer, leasing has taken a sudden jump in this part of Kit Careon County. Recovery of 270 feet of oil on a test of Honolulu Oil Company, Kit Carson County, Colorado. Wildcat highlights the oil news for Eastern Colorado this week. The wildcat, in Section 20, 10 south, 47 west, about seven miles southwest of the town of Stratton. is about 40 miles south of the nearest production and is attracting widespread attention in the oil industry. The drill-stem test was made in the Pennsylvania formation at 5510 to 5526 feet. Several previous drill-stem tests were made in the test well, the No. 1 McConnell, and one, made at 1718 feet, recovered a slight gas show. Honolulu Oil, San Francisco-based independent, plans to drill the wildcat to granite at around 6000 feet. The new oil show, coupled with recent discoveries in extreme Western Kansas, is focusing more and more attention on this The Indian Territory Illuminating Oil Company deserves the major credit for starting the play. It entered the area late in 1934, and throughout 1935 operated exten- sively on a well-laid plan of seismic surveying and the subsequent taking of large drilling blocks. The Gypsy Oil Company made one of the largest land deals in the history of the petroleum industry when it contracted with the Union Pacific Railroad Company for all of the road's mineral rights in east-central Colorado. The deal involved more than 900,000 acres of land on which the railroad company had paid taxes and equity in approximately 200,000 acres more on which the railroad had failed to pay taxes. To appreciate the significance of the deal, it gave the Gypsy Oil Company virtually every odd section in an area of forty miles wide and nearly 100 miles long, running from the Kansas border to the west boundary of Lincoln County, Colorado. section of the state where there has been but little exploratory drilling. About 65 miles south of the Kit Carson County wildcat, Pan American Petroleum recovered slight gas shows in the No. 1 Nevius wildcat. This test is in Section 8, 22 south, 45 west, Prowers County, six and a half miles northeast of Lnmar. A drill-stem test of the Des Moines formation at 3992 to 4030 feet recovered 15 feet of gas-cut mud. in the dust storm last Friday at their farm home along Highway 24 two miles west of Burlington. About noon the storm was at its peak, and several persons taking refuge in their home were served dinner, while others who had already eaten were served tea and coffee. Mrs. Rudy drove in to the school to get their daughter, Karen, and on arriving home was not able to see the driveway into their farm. She was stalled on the highway for about 10 minutes before she could find her way. She had been in the house only a short time when traffic began to stop. One carload of travelers were from Vincennes, Ind. on their way home from Denver where they had attended a funeral. Another carload of people were from Burns, Ore. while another car loaded with passengers were enroute to the stock show in Denver from Arnold, Kan. Another vehicle was a truck, the driver being from Kansas City. Mr. and Mrs. Charles Rudy, who had been in Goodland, returned to the Ben Rudy home to pick up their son, Randy, who had been staying there in the morning. Harvey Lambert, who had been visiting with Mr. Rudy, and Mr. and Mrs. Melton Rudy and daughter of Syracuse, Kan., ar- TAKING REFUGE FROM DUSTSTORM T7l Mr. and Mrs. Ben Rudy accommodated 20 persons whose cars were stalled or wrecked rived during the storm. By mid-afternoon the weather cleared and everyone from out of town left for their homes, being wished a safe journey to their destinations. $IO,OOO,OOO Oil Operation Start- ed in East Colorado Big Companies Seeking Leases and Royalties Expenditure by major oil companies of between 10 and 12 million dollars for geological and geophysical surveys and for oil leases and royalties in eastern Colorado presages one of the biggest wildcat oil "plags" in the west, in the opinion of Charles W. Henderson, supervising engineer of western field offices of the United States Bureau of Mines. Henderson, in a comprehensive analysis of Colorado mineral resources published Saturday in the September issue of the Mines magazine, described the recent leasing of Dust clouds in eastern Colorado. 1930's. nearly 4 million acres of land for future drilling as of tremendous importance to Colorado and the West. The blocks of leases are mostly in Cheyenne, Kit Carson, Washington, Yuma, Lincoln, Kiowa, Prowers, Bent and Otero counties. Reviewing the history of the development, Henderson said the oil play in 1935, with the exception of the drilling of two wells, was entirely concentrated on the making of seismic suryeys, and the subsequent leasing of large drilling blocks and the procuring of protection acreage. In February 1936, he said, there were at least twenty blocks of leases of sufficient size in this area to justify the drilling of test wells. By June, 1936, there were approximately 635,000 acres within thirty-one separate blocks leased golid and of sufficient size to warrant the drilling of a test on each. Much of the rest is held in rather compact form and ultimately will be converted into drilling blocks. A composite picture of dust storm and rabbils being driven on a rabbit drive in the 30's. �of all citizens of the county. It is a pastorar spot many of us have watched from its days of construction when its potential was scarcely envisioned by any of us to this time when it has become the mecca of fishermen and families seeking recreation on its shady banks and beaches, or boating, fishing, swimming and skiing upon and in its shining waters. Burlington, raging dirt storm coming in from the northwest in 1934. POLIO NAMING BONNY DAM T73 T72 In August 1955 Colorado received $286,000 of federal funds to purchase vaccine and administer the cost of the program. A Polio Vaccine Advisory Committee was appointed to decide how Colorado's plan would be operated as specified in the federal regulations. It was decided by this group that the government funds purchase 25% of vaccine allocated to Colorado and that the remaining 75% be distributed to practicing physicians through commercial pharmacy channels. At another meeting of the Vaccine Advisory Committee. a recommendation was made that the Health Department purchase 100% of the vaccine released. The vaccine was to be administered by Public vaccination clinics and/or by practicing physician's offices. The requested appropriation of $221,330 will be used to provide vaccine for 30 % of the estimated population unvaccinated under the age of 20, and to complete vaccinations with third shots of those in the same age group. It should be noted at this time that the original allotment of vaccine was distributed on the basis of population. Since many areas did not utilize the amount allotted to them, the allotment system was changed to one of supply and demand. Immunization in the school was strongly recommended so that as high a percentage of the children under twenty years of age could receive two shots before the beginning of the polio season on or about June 15. The third shot should be administered about seven months after the second shot. On March 1957, the National Foundation, the State Medical Society and The State Health Department began an intensive polio immunization educational program. The June 1952 Bonny Dam dedication souvenir book has a story of the 1935 flood and the role this catastrophic event had in providing the catalyst that brought about the construction of Bonny Dam after many years of dreaming, wishing, and trying ineffectual modes of water control. But that story makes no reference to the origin of the name. Old timers know that there was once a town called "Bonny". Materials from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation indicate the fact that this settlement, located about 25 miles north of Burlington, once contained 110 people. When a new Burlington post office was dedicated in 1959, Postmaster Dale Pralle indicated in a history he wrote for the post office that Bonny was listed first among the names of nine offices once supplied their mail by Burlington post office. Other offices listed were Beloit, Cole, Hale, Hermes, Morford, Newton, Wallett, and Yale. How long Bonny remained a post office is debatable but his family knows that Charles Barnhart bought the store there and handled the postoffice duties also for about two years. So regardless of how the name was chosen and logical as this choice for the site seems to be, all who frequent the now well-loved recreational setting would say that the name was well chosen. "Bonny" means attractive, cheerful, pleasant, healthful, pleasing to the eye. All ofthese and more are the background offeelings a day at "Bonny" brings forth. So most visitors would acclaim the choice of that name, and rejoice in the wisdom of those who chose the name for the delightful recreational area which is not in Kit Carson County but certainly contributes very much to life in the atea. by Dorothy Smith When the flood of 1935 ravished the surrounding area for many miles and many homesites on the banks ofthe tributaries and the South Fork of the Republican River were swept away with great loss of human and animal life as well as destruction of rich soil and devastation of fields by sand deposits, the role such a structure could play in the eastern Colorado - western Kansas area was clear. That some years elapsed between the 1935 disaster and completion of the structure we know, but it was built and assumed its many roles in changing life in the area. Bonny Dam is about six miles west of the Colorado-Kansas state line on the South Fork of the Republican River near the little town of Hale, Colorado. When it was dedicated on Sunday, June L, t952, with great festivity and ceremony, the program for the days of that celebration was filled with commentary and acclaim for those who had been involved in the huge project. In that program, N. Beth Woodin wrote, "Bonny Dam . . this is the story of a bargain . . . the story of how four million dollars and a year and a half of time were saved in building a dam for the people of the United States." Originally estimated to cost $17,047,000, the completion cost of Bonny Dam was $13,000,000! We would certainly agree that it was a real bargain. How that bargain is utilized is a wondrous thing, too. People from all over Colorado telephone their reservations for holiday weekends; families trail their boat and paraphernalia to the spot with high expectations of leisurely enjoying the facilities; the fisherman dons his gear and casts a line to snag a goodly fish; the water skiiers glide over the glistening waters with joyous abandon; and the farmers down the way from the dam treasure the irrigation process it provides. How much the dam and its impounded waters have contributed to a fuller life in this county as well as others cannot be overevaluated. How we do appreciate the engineering genius and the cooperation between states and the United States government that made it a realitv. RAINFALL REPORT T75 From the Burlington Record owned by Mabel Parke. The following table gives the rainfall for Burlington, Colo. for a period of 13 years, 1895 to 1907 inclusive: 1895, 20.81 inches; 1896, 16.81 inches; 1897, 1920 inches; 1898, 18.14 inches; 1899, 11.11 inches; 1900, 16.23 inches; L90L,L7.23 inches;1902, 19.86 by Agnes Rudy BONNY DAM T74 Mention of Bonny Dam cannot be omitted from the stories in this book. Although Bonny Dam lies outside the confines of Kit Carson County, that site looms largely in the minds inches; 1903, 12.39 inches; 1904, 26.90 inches; 1905, 23.71 inches; 1906, 16.36 inches and 1907, 12.16 inches. 1893-1894 were drought years. In 1894 nothing was raised on the Hi-Plains. The year 1873 was the driest that has been known on the plains. In the year 1908, very little rain fell. Only the farmers who had lived here for �deveran years and had learned dry land methods in farming raised even feed for stock. It was a bad sight to see the homest€aders selling their stock and household goods for enough money to get away. This was the 55Yeqr HistorJ Ollilonthly Cf Annus, Preeipitttion In Stratton condition around Seibert, Colo. Relinquishments on homesteads could be bought for very little, and in many cases they were abandoned when there were no buyers. The year was said to be the driest since 1873. The spring of 1909 was marked by plenty of rainfall. Crops were good in the year 1909, and 1910 was marked as a good corn raising year. Potatoes were so plentiful there was little market for them. T 1.23 0.04 0.13 0.39 0.61 0.17 0.38 0.27 1.00 0.24 0.23 Early Weather ....... The winter of 1885 and 1886 was the .. .... . .. ..... stormiest winter on record in the early history of the plains region that is now Kit Carson County. Extreme cold and one blizzard after another all winter, is told by descendants of the pioneers of the Crystal Springs Commu- ....... ....... .. .... . .. ... ...... ......... ,.,,...,, u..t/ ,........ 0.28 ......... 0.75 ......... 0.37 ......... 0.43 . . ....... 0.50 nity. WEATHERMAN I 0.94 0.32 0.49 0.39 0.87 0.10 0.25 0.13 0.20 Ll0 ......... T76 T 0.76 ..... 0.38 ..,.. 0.m ..... ..... ..... ..... l. Climate A. Nunrb.r oi drr\ in \err: 0.41 0.44 0.18 0.03 T ( lear 15l Prrrl! LLoud\ 108 d.\\ ( lord\ I d!\. . ... 0.00 ..... 0.25 ... . 0.18 ..... .... 0.it0 .. ..... .. 0.15 ... .... .. 0.20 ... .. .... 0.17 ......... 0.r0 ......... 0.19 ......... 0.€ I lh. roral rnnual !\rrigf Drccipir.rion r\ t6.51 inchc\ I Thc rr.rrge trt.inrr!riof n.r monrh. in Ln.h.'_ n: lrrrrr\ N|rrh \tr\ .lun. i.rrrnrbrr 1 7............9.23 TOTALS 19.05 55YEAn 0.35 \ (ioir\ llrgh ll .rth Ar.fu!. I nrnh l). Thr a\era8. numbc! of drt! ber$.en killins too\rs is I40 t A\.rig. d.iil\ leNncrrroru Nlr\imrm 55 58 8: 8t !ln\ 90 98 104 rm 92 9t E8 65 AVENACE Vr{n :8 50 rl APN. MAY JUNE JULY AUG. 2.6 l.0l 0.68 4.70 1.09 1.03 2.94 r.21 SEPT 2.M ocT. 3.m 1.49 0.91 5.70 1.65 0.76 1.69 0.06 0.30 5.41 1.30 0.47 0.95 2.32 1.13 0.93 2.21 2.t7 2.63 0.u 2.8 o.u 1.04 t.92 3.61 0.61 1.07 1.38 1.90 r.04 3.19 0.56 2.57 2.34 0.67 2.39 2.70 2.10 2.36 0.67 0.04 0.18 0.33 2.31 l.m 1.80 1.24 1.07 0.46 0.27 0.50 1.86 4.08 3.07 1.76 6.57 3.05 2.21 1.69 4.08 3.€ 2 I 0.r3 o.t2 2.07 3.02 2.U t.74 o.@ 1.39 5.gz 1.74 0.31 1.81 0.37 0.69 4.29' 0.34 0.67 0.70 0.41 0.35 0.32 r.0l 4.68 3.32 3.04 0.29 1.68 2.55 3.60 0.14 0.62 0.41 0.55 0.46 0.50 0.83 0.rr 1.68 1.36 t.94 1.57 1.60 0.25 1.48 6.24 4.08 3.18 2.43 3.52 1.03 0. 18 1.73 2.14 0.17 0.09 0.19 0.62 0.87 0.65 Lt8 t.t2 0.88 0.33 0.16 r.33 0.04 1.16 0.63 019 0.97 2.32 2.02 2. 0.35 0.38 2.02 0.58 o.27 0.52 2.53 \.71 0.37 28 l0 rt.5 Art Pautler, a farmer like many others in this area, for the last 18 years he had served the Stratton vicinity as the official government weather recorder. For those years he recorded many interesting happenings. Like the time he recorded an eight inch rain that fell overnight on Aug. 23, 1969. The highest temperature recorded these 18 years was 103 degrees occurring July 2, 197 4. The lowest temp. was 22 degrees below zero on Jan. 12, 1963. Also for the month of Jan. 1963, there were 17 days of below zero readings. Lowest barometer reading in these [ears was a 28.95, March L4, L973. Art said that in those years since 1958, he 6.t9 2.n 0.41 1.72 1.67 1.73 1.89 2.@ 0.92 2.43 2.48 1.56 2.t6 4.90 3.47 3.09 0.75 ?.00 0.98 2.46 0.56 0.46 0.15 3.83 l. l3 2.03 0.87 o.o2 0.84 0.26 L& t.49 0.30 0.14 2.03 5.49 0.52 0.24 o.o2 0.61 0.37 0.34 0.03 0.35 0.03 T 4.41 3.31 Lr0 0.56 3.86 2.80 3.81 2.65 0.25 0.34 0.70 0.65 0.56 0.17 3.62 1.70 2.37 0.54 0.34 0.22 0.32 2.34 1.80 1.93 25.39 0.46 l.1l t.99 2.48 9.43 2.58 0.42 4.46 0.08 2.07 0.98 0.62 4.05 1.60 2.37 2.02 r.26 3.i0 0.53 4.20 5.59 1.95 t.12 0.90 2.U 0.15 0.19 2.65 0.28 0.s7 0.49 0.59 0.04 0.70 0.89 0.82 3.39 2.50 4.31 3.s2 2.27 0.78 4.70 ?.t5 0.61 r.23 2.91 2.6 1.98 r.54 3.n 2.fi 4.U o.n 5.46 t.76 0.@ 0.69 0.58 t.72 0.47 o.67 1.71 1.03 4.42 3.74 3.19 4.71 0.54 2. 0.&r 2.\7 1.91 2.74 4.76 4.57 1.81 1.ll 0.n 0.65 0.73 o.28 2.SS 41.6S 2.57 53 2.77 13.48 .7.53 12.58 0.20........15.77 o.t2 0.'l8 t. l6 0.53 0.29 0.35 0.86 1.96 0.02 0.00 0.67 0.05 0.20 1.03 0.43 1.06 0.10. 3.03 1.43 1.86 0.5r t90 0.65 3.43 0.73 t.20 1.02 1.38 L& 0.53........,!5.OO 0.75 0.56 8.48 2.08 3.25 3.08 0.16........18.85 2.tl 0.92 3.78 1.60 2.82 0.62 2.37 4.55 1.44 1.39 0.13........15.21 0.23. .. . 0.29 0.08 3.43 0.75 0.27 0.20 2.@ 0.% 15.44 0.87 r.77 1.40 4.9 15..U1 0.01 1.33 3.31 0.07 1.42 2.67 0.51 0.56 0.71........18,94 0.32 1.58 0.73 0.m T........ 20.03 0.04..,..... 23.21 2.33 2.44 |.21 3.55 3.65 3.45 0.20 4.12 0.30 o.28 1.90 0.50 29.t3 0.58........ 16.39 0.26........ 29.36 0.35 0.91 3.m 1.73 0.9 0.40........10.82 2.2A 0.66 1s.a.t 25.78 l.6t o.u 'r.37 1.84 17.OO 't 3.53 0.53 t.u) 0.49 3.85 t.2l 0.70 0.7 I T 2.21 1.41 1.07 14.'t7 0.48 1.88 087 0.90 0.59 0.07 0.25 0.26 0.69 0.22 2.05 0.55 3.68 0.49 0.53 0.'t2 0.18 0.w........17,02 0.24 0.26 0.04 0.31 0.61 t.46 0.69........ 13.64 1.05 t.19 1.87 0.'15 0.12..... ... . .9.31 0.6 l.16 1.12 has enjoyed doing his "pant" for the weather servrce. Art was born July 4, 1909, has been a farmer stockman for 37 plus years. In 1976 at the age of 67 he planned to ease his way out of farming and turn the chores over to his sons, Gary, Tim, and Leon. They run the farm consisting of a hereford cow calf operation, irrigation, and dryland farming. Art and his wife, Sue, who he refers to as a "Superb House Wife", were blessed with three other children, too: Paul; Angela Beaner, Billings, Montana; and Betty Meierotto, of Denver. by Allen Ilurley 1r.ul 0.57 o.t2 1.93 125 ANIUUAL 0.20 0.58 0.40 0.04 1.08 0.46 0.44 0. l0 L36 ilov. DEC. l.l8 3.32 2.57 6.'t4 3.40 0.02 0.0'r 0.12 0.00 1.73 4.73 0.05 Precipitation record Climate of Kit Carson Countv 0.96 7.20 4.6 0.47 3.E2 ]N tt: 7.'11 2. 0.98 t8 [. Arinual n\c.aar r.drp.rrrLr.. it ] 1.27 4.34 r.8l 0.26 3.30 5.99 4.18 0.22 0.95 r.63 2.89 r4.5 60.5 J9 2.m 2.05 3.63 0.88 4.45 1.52 0.20 0.37 0.54 3.39 0.65 2.43 1.3r 2.20 2.28 3.43 r.5l 0.45 r.32 1.99 2.96 0.56 48 (r4 t.24 2.03 0.4{) 0.46 0.62 T T 1.33 1 17.90 2.14 T 0.36 T 0.60 0.55 0.62 0.55 o.79 1.96 0.26 0.59 1.65 0.55 0.65 0.44 0.64 0.35 t.8 0.10 0.90 0.80 2.05 0.18 0.84 0.40 0.58 79.74 1.45 50.57 0.92 36.85 0.67 0.@ 2.6 0.77 r.3l .... 25.59 0.46........14.37 14.54 15.51 15.31 't5.,t2 . 4.15 e2.o8 0.11 15.54 033........ 16.3a 0.u 0.29........14.60 ...... 23.52 T........ .t3.4a 0.10. . 0.09........16.20 0-33........20.41 r.26.... ... . 18.35 0.33........12.31 0.11........12.90 T........12.Op 0.40...,.....t4.59 ,...... 13.26 0.2s. _...... 26.04 0.99. 0.i0 ,t6.4.1 1e.38 ....... tO.5E 0.s8 22.57 .... g2g,2g o.4't ta.a4 NEqONDS FUNNISHEI' BY ART PAT'TITR Ilate 3lnGG t Tt .ta not offtclel but wcre recorded wlth tlrc .8nc squlDmcnt utGd prlor to gm. :l 41.5 57.5 0.74 0.58 0.75 0.38 �#5, could not stop in time when the bridge across Spring Creek was washed out by a flood. Calvary Cemetery: 1 mrle easf, or Dlrrruuw' north side of U.S. 24 (31-8-46). Claremont Cemetery: Northeast of Stratton % mile north on Colo. 57, 1/z mile east on gravel road. (Sec. 31-8-46). Fairview Cemetery: Northern edge of Burlington (Sec.36-8-44). CEMETERIES Flagler Cenetery: 172 miles east of Flagler T78 Rural Cemetery: Southwest of Burlington, take U.S. 385, tLl/z miles south, then 9 miles west on gravel road, (Sec. 33-10-45), established in connection with Nazarene church; all graves moved to Fairview. Rural Cemetery: L7 miles north of Flagler 4 miles east, 1 mi south and 1 mile east (Sec. (Sec. 6-9-50). Immanuel Lutheran Church: 10 miles north of Bethune, 2 miles southeast of Settlement Cemetery (Sec. 15-7-45). New Friedenburg Cemetery: 7 mi. south of Yona,2Vz miles west (Sec.8-10-48) by Janice Salmans 10-6-50). Seibert Cemetery: Northeast of Seibert, 1 mile north on Colo. 59, then 1 mile east (Sec. 34-8-49). Established 1917. Shiloh Cemetery: North of Flagler. Smit Cemetery: Northeast of Seibert, 15 miles on Colo. 59, east 4 miles then % mile Sue and Art Pautler. Art was weatherman from 1958 to the present. 1986 TRAIN WRECK T77 south (Sec. 20-6-48). Vona Cemetery: ca l/t mile north of town of Vona (Sec. 35-8-48). Grave: Go 14 mi. north of Flagler then 4Vz mile east (Sec. 21-6-50). Beaver Valley: Northeast of Burlington ca 9 miles north of I-70, ca 9 miles. Cemetery: east of U.S. 385, (Sec. 10-7-42), Established in 1919. Private church affiliated. Prairie Home: unknown. Hope United Church of Christ Congrega- tional Cemetery: (Sec. 3-6-45), 11 miles north and I mile east of Bethune. Beloit Cemetery: Southwest of Burlington on U.S. 385 callVz miles south, 10 miles west on gravel road, then 2 miles north, (Sec. 29- 10-45), Established about 1888, with the town of Beloit, some of the graves are identified by the stones. Bethune Cemetery: (Sec. 34-8-45). rli:r,,,,: Train wreck west of Stratton, Aug. 25, 1986. I llil .',,,,, ,::a.::::::,: i.{r: )3,:t). t. Authorities had determined that railroad cars loaded with wheat in Arriba, entered the main track and traveled eastbound at high *::: rates of speed before an untimely collision with a westbound train about two miles west of Stratton, in Aug., 1986. The collision left two crewmen dead. Both were employed by the Kyle Railroad. The accident is speculated to have occurred around 9 A.M. on the 25th, but was not discovered until the early morning hours of the 26th, by Bob Krason, who lived near where the wreck happened. As the runaway 14 car train passed Spring Creek, the west bound train, with two locomotives and 33 cars in line was approaching a cut in a hill. That cut is also a location of a slight bend in the track, which made it impossible for the approaching crew members to see the oncoming train. The impact of the collision was massive. The force of the impact "stacked" cars on top of each other in a chain reaction effect. Speculation as to how the cars started rolling from Arriba ranged from negligence, intentional, and simple gravity however no official statement was yet released. The location of the August 25th accident is only several hundred yards from a train accident that left 14 people dead in 1929. On July 18, 1929, Rock Island passenger train Republican River, Wood Ranch in the 1980's. REPUBLICAN RIVER VALLEY T7S �'- BurttDgtoD, Colo. BrrAe. NOrII! gEof.v. A+ ll B. MccAPLliI, Flaglcr, Colo, RrrnAe. Dtlck Creek GErIBGE AMMAN' Tale. colo. eJr, - A 93 Ranre, southwest of Ysle, t * !r 8. r,'. FLEtrrNc, z L _ LarnborD,I(anc. 3an8e, €ast of BurtlngtoE Coto. :.-=: vF lV. V. Erlckeon, BqrlingtoF, Coio. r+nge. squtboa8i ol BnrllogtoD. A -D AUGUST DEITEGO\VSI(I, BurllngtoD, Colo. nenge, * rolle Dorlh ol BurllDqtoo. slrEltrtAli r' YALE, I H Y yale 1,. O., Cqlo. Range, vlplnity ol Yalo, Y/rc (,. r,, NOIiT0N, tsurlinglon, Uolq. Range, coutlrpast of LtuillDgton. A. B. YARNDLL, Lt 4,f Y on left blp. t- Ylle Colo. Iiange, LosCnlap, n6er Yale, Colo. ___ fJ F e.'n. cnaFine\, Burhngton, Colo llenge. Soutb Beayer. J7 -+ , M. B. IIENDNICKS, _ Seibert, Colo. Renge. near Solbert. RS \J w. R. sltITIi, Clarenrobt, Colo. RaBge, ne&r 0lareuront. J. 'r'. JnNE$. r If .t- uotr, Colo Raxce. Cofl. Colo, A. E. (}RIS\YOLD, rt Bethure.Colo. - raDge, nolth ot Bethqile. HENR,Y ARITKNECET. , 7C A-U Ne$.ton, c0r0. Range, Republican River. .r tr{ tg L . Republican River in the late summer on the Corliss Ranch in the 1970's. l."rr t'ETIitt, J. ToN.DltE. t,rop. Fairbury,-Nebr. srd6 r, c. sHAF'r's1'..3l,irollii.r, R3pge. mouth ol Sand Cro€i(. peer Jaqua. nc A. B. CANT..IELD, _ BurllngtoD, Colo. Il&Dse.9 mller nortlr of Burliugtob. MII.O CR'APITTA\. Burllngto!, Colo. 4 5J ' Balgo. south ol Burllogtou. lo O D' LANGE' NeptoD. Colo. Ren8e. near NevtoD, 1F c. r.. PsaRcE. BorlllElou, Colo. Itenge, eoutb of Burllngton- F -1 r' P' LITrr{E' Bqtllnqton, Colo Boogp. rcqtlrcit d burdo! s' G' gpcny, E D H bnibn ur. r-1q u*ffil$fdllur. Jome cowboys prefer the "Jack Rabbit." �KIT CARSON COUNTY 4-IJ T81 May 8, 1914 marked the passage of the Smith-Lever Act which created the Federal Extension Service and which charged State Land-Grant Colleges with the responsibilities of providing extension work in agriculture and home economics. In Colorado the Land Grant College was the Colorado Agricultural College (now known as Colorado State University). Part of extension work which CSU was responsible for was the development of boys and girls club work (later known a 4-H) within the state. The first established boys and girls club was in Logan County (Sterling) under the leadership of D.C. Bascom, county agent. The projects offered to these young men and women were gardening, canning, sewing, cooking, corn and sugar beet production, woodwork and pig production. Kit Carson County began its boys and girls club work in 1915 under the leadership of R.N. Flint, county agent and by 1919 boys and girls clubs were located in the major communities of the county. Communities such as Plainview, Mizpah, Hermes, Golden Rule, Idlewild, Calvary, Progress, Shiloh, Republican River after the 1935 flood with Gordon Hitchcock and Merton on the Corliss Ranch northeast of Stratton. KIT CARSON COUNTY MAP 1988 Second Central, Rockcliff, Pleasant Meadow, T80 Bethel, Fairview, Jewell, Flagler, Seibert, norttl 4la9IS GENEFAL NIGHWAJ MAP Ol2 34 .: ti II t5: r 5 !! (K -llo JJ i: l2 22 3 r12 HH l,.t t! r- .L. 23 i i'. .i . --1 i20 l22 al i i .i I z2 ao f , , :. 420 t$ l'. ii- ira tro!/lr ! r. i. I, ri L l'l xi.-lt. r'i20 Jl 2a g l. r. ::*-.i-: 23.i T;- .. 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It. ta .f' x I ..\!1 1 i i, r------.'f__i 2 , I ta rot rt 'irr' !a la I 22i 2a 20 .I s2a irc i r. lat ... r' r1 I ta i*i ta ! , oo lr I T cc ll " l. -"r-1 ; i-i. roi ..i: OG ' | 1.. r. la . 12 t3 t415j!6lZ ""^"'i".., rz..r,.re ,rtrf-l-..,-1."*---..rL ..-.,*.;: .,.,,. l.' ,t" . :.1 tro 9 F ll 6 z I KIT CARSON COUNTY 35 s37 s t rc al a? 6 ro l I /2.1 I 30 20 --l 22- i 2. ^ 26 I .l 12! 54 srfl & co. lltt �The first of these was the catch-it-calf progrnm, sponsored by the Kit Carson County Cattlemen's Association. This pro- t grnm, the first of its kind in Colorado, provides ten members annually the opportunity to catch a calf at the county fair and raise a calf the next year for exhibit at the fair. During the course of the year, members involved in this program learn good manage- ment and husbandry practices which they can apply to other projects. Each member involved is assigned a sponsor who helps defray some of the costs of the project. by Perry Brewer BILL CHANCE !a,t MURDER T82 From the Flagler News Issue Jan. lB, 1g48 President Harvey Korbelik is placing Green Valley's 4-H club seal on the Charter in the basement of Green Valley school in 1951. Jessee Miller Receives Sentence Stratton, Vona, Bethune and Burlington contributed young men and women to the fledgling "4-H" clubs. Jessee Miller 79, of Seibert was sentenced in Colorado Springs last week to 10 months in Kit Carson County jail, by Judge G. Russel Miller in District Court. Since 1915 there have been many changes in boys and girls club work. Currently there are twelve 4-H clubs in the county. Willing Workers serves Flagler, Go-Getters, Seibert; Merry Mixers, Vonal 4-Leaf Clover and Country serves Stratton; Busy Bee, Bethune; and River, Plainview, Smoky Hill, Green Valley, Rural Route and Sunshine serves Burlington and the surrounding area. On the average each year there are over 250 4-H members enrolled in the 4-H program in Kit Carson County. Providing club leadership are over 150 adult volunteer leaders who teach project skills and administer over the alternating years gives 4-H members who are 9-11 years old an opportunity to experience outdoor recreation and to learn about wildlife and soil conservation. Since 1914 well over 4,000 people have either been a member of or provided leader- ship to the 4-H program in Kit Carson County. 4-H has a long and successful tradition in this county. In the 73 years since its establishment,4-H has contributed manv leaders to the community. 4-H has been an important part of this county, and as long as the traditional values it represents continues to be reflected in the people of Kit Carson County, the 4-H program will continue to be successful. From the clubs in the early 1900's who local 4-H clubs. Seventy-three years has seen vast changes in the types of projects offered to 4-H members. The second event established in the 1940's emphasized only one project, today each 4-H club offers a broad range of projects. Projects ranging from beefenterprise to childcare, and was the Annual Friends of 4-H and Achieve- course the projects which were offered over 70 years ago are still provided today, but with ment Banquet. The two fold purpose of this supper was and is to recognize and thank sponsors and supporters of the 4-H program who have donated either their time, money lor knowledge to the members and to recognize 4-H members and clubs for outstanding performance during the year. Yearly this event draws a crowd of over 300 members, leaders, parents and supporters and ranks second only to county fair as being the largest 4-H event held during the year. The late 1960's and early 70's saw the establishment of the Kit Carson County 4-H Jnmboree. A showcase for talented 4-H members. This event provides an opportunity for 4-H'ers to sing, dance, play musical instruments, perform in theatrical skits and plays and to show their skill in presenting lemonstrations and illustrated talks. In 1969 Kit Carson County 4-H joined with Yuma County, Washington County and Phillips County to form the Golden Plains \rea 4-H Program. With the joining of these :ounties developed an opportunity to share deas across the county lines. As a result of his sharing, the Golden Plains Area 4-H )Fmp was created. The Camp located at the )eecher Island Battle Grounds, The State ,akes (Hale Ponds) and the Flagler Lake, in from foods to nutrition to electricity. Of modern techniques included in the projects. Being a traditional rural county, members locally lean toward more traditional projects such as livestock production and home economics subjects. The basic premise of 4-H has remained the same from 1914 until today. To educate youth in specific life skills, leadership and citizenship. Fun is emphasized, as well, with 4-H club trips, tours and parties, occurring year around. 4-H is a family organization, parents and family members are encouraged to become involved with the 4-H'er to provide encouragement and support for the member. There are many activities associated with the 4-H program. As with most county 4-H programs the culmination of the 4-H year is the county fair. In Kit Carson County the fair tradition has existed for over 70 years. For one week during the year 4-H'ers from across the county are in the limelight as they exhibit their projects before the general public. Cattle, horses, sheep, swine, as well as general and home economics 4-H projects are judged and ribbons and awards are given to the top projects. During the early 1940's two events were established, which have survived until todav. Mr. Miller was convicted of involuntarv manslaughter last October 2 for the fatal shooting of William Eugene Chance, also of Seibert. Judge Miller granted Jessee Miller 20 days to file a motion for probation, but said that he must go to jail at once to begin serving his gentence. From the Rocky Mountain News issue Sunday Aug. 2, 1949 Jess Miller, Who Killed to Keep His Mustache, Will Soon be Free Colorado Springs, Aug. 20. Miller, - Jess 80, who shot and killed Willie Chance, 4b when Chance offered to alter Miller's handlebar mustache with a pocket knife, walks out of jail this week-end. He walks out with his famous mustache, which formerly sprayed out in wild array from beneath his nose, neatly trimmed. Sheriff O.C. Dunlap of Burlington, in whose jail Miller has been since Jan. ?, revealed here today that only last week, when Jess was taken down for his weekly shave, the spry old man suggested that his prize mustache be "trimmed up a little". There will be no fanfare when Jess walks out of the Kit Carson County Jail from a term observers here thought meant a "Life" sentence. "His term is actually up Monday, but I have a Texas trip pending and if it comes through I'll let him out Sunday night," Dunlap said today. No special meal will be served to observe his departure since the jail cook goes on vacation Saturday, Dunlap continued. "He is as pert as a rabbit and had been getting spryer every day he has been in jail," the sheriff reported. Feared He'd Die. When Jess was sentenced to 11 months in jail for involuntary manslaughter on a cold January day last winter, it was feared the aged man, used to an active life and already pacing and aching with the confinement of jail, would not live out the sentence. Taken to Burlington to serve his sentence, �Jess has taken charge of the prison yard, he has worked hard and steadily, been not a bit of the Loom and Apple Computer, and its staff spent up to 18 hours a day on location of trouble, abandoned his cane, and is really in good shape, Dunlap said. during the production which began June 14, and was expected to end June 29. every Friday, and either Sunday or Monday she will come and pick him up . . . and that's resulted in a one-day delay of shooting, by slowing production, restricting movement of vehicles to and from the set, forcing a team of horses to pull a stage coach through mud six inches deep, (in this usually extremely dry country), they had to use fake dust, and as one crew member put it, "giving us an outrageous cleaning bill." Approximately 10,000 feet of film was expected to be shot. His faithful wife has come to visit him all the celebration there will be, the sheriff continued. "I undergtand he and his wife plan to return to Seibert, where Jess has his gas station and home. at least for a short time," Dunlap said. "I have advised him to move away from there as soon as he can since feeling is still running pretty high over the shooting of Willie Chance." to court Threatened Him - According shot after having testimony, Chance was made threats to cut off the old man's mustache with a pocket knife. Evidence was introduced that Chance was walking toward Miller and that his last words were "You haven't got the guts to shoot me." "People are split over 50-50 on the ques- tion. and I think it would be best if Jess moved away from Seibert," Dunlap continued. "The Old man already has disposed of some of his property to pay some $1000 worth of court costs and I understand that he has the balance of his Seibert holdings up for Heavy rains which fell in the county The focus of attention was centered around four shots which showed the history of the farm house progressing from the buffalo on the prairie, to the stage coach, to the steam engine, to the airlane. At the completion of filming in Stratton, the staff will transfer to Dallas where it will shoot the Texas City's skyline which would be electronically impossible behind the farmhouse. After two days of filming, an actor from Los Angeles arrived for the close up shots, but producer Jim Peters decided to add a woman to the commercial. "We didn't want him to look like some old drunkwho lived by himself on the prairie." To fill that void, he turned to the local community and selected Julie Scruby of Kirk to make a brief appearance in the commercial. sale." "He's talked some of coming to Burlington SEAGRAM'S COMMERCIAL THE EAST CENTRAL COUNCIL OF LOCAL GOVERNMENTS T83 lington. The COG has established a transportation system for the elderly throughout the area, and have assisted in purchasing minibuses for Burlington, Stratton, Flagler and Vona/Seibert. It also administers s 4sels program for the elderly and has been instru- mental in the formation and funding for senior centers and/or community centers in Flagler, Seibert, Stratton and Burlington. The East Central COG has established a Revolving Loan Fund to assist with the expansion and creation ofnew businesses and thus new jobs in the county, and has been awarded designation as an Enterprise Zone which establishes special tax benefits for new businesses in the county. COG also continues to promote its Other Colorado program . i.e,, Colorado' mountains are wonderful, but so are the prairies, plains and plateaus!!! Kit Carson County residents that were full- time staff of the East Central Council of Governments in 1987 included Jo Downey, Executive Director (Stratton), Virginia Hubbell, Executive Assistant (Vona), Elizabeth Whipple, Senior Services Director (Burlington), Treva Henry, Project SMILE Manager (Burlington), Maudella Reynolds, Bookkeeper (Stratton), and Del Polly, Revol- ving Loan Fund Coordinator (Burlington). Part-time Kit Carson County staff working with the COG's Senior Services and Meals Programs include Betty Bredehoft (Flagler), Bessie Walden (Seibert), Isabell Monroe (Vona), June Pottorff (Stratton), Emma to stay." by Twila Gorton ement plans including Stratton and Bur- Mullis (Burlington), Janet Davis (Bur- lington), Helen Robbins (Burlington), and Debbie Adams (Burlington). by Maryjo Downey T84 Organized in 1973, the East Central Council of Governments is a voluntary association of the town and county governments in Elbert, Lincoln, Cheyenne and Kit Carson Counties. Its central offices have always been located in Stratton. Formed under authority of state legislation which allows for intergovernmental cooperation, the COG is governed COLORADO WELCOME CENTER T86 Research has proven that a warm welcome and high quality information enhances the by an eight-member board of directors comprised of one county commissioner and one municipal representative from each of the four counties. Kit Carson County commissioners serving on that board duing the past years include: Ted Wickham, Ralph Conrad and Doug Becker. Municipal representatives from Kit Carson County who have Home hastily built in a wheat field to depict early days to be used for a TV commercial, in Louis and Margaret Leoffler's field. Nearly 100 people buzzed around the farm of Louis and Margaret Leoffler of Stratton this week, (1987), working on the filming of two commercials for Seagram's Four Roses Whiskey. Polestar Film and Photography Production of Hollywood was in charge of producing the pair of commercials, one of approximately 60 seconds to be shown in theatres and another of about 45 seconds to be shown on television outside of the United States. Polestar spokesman Brigette Peters reported, previously had been involved with production of commercials for Porsche, Mer- cedes Benz, Puegeot, BMW, Winston, Fruit served as board members include Nyla Loutzenhiser (Flagler), Les Hase (Seibert), Zeke Kerl (Stratton) and Don Clemp (Bur- lington). Dean Stevens, county commissioner from Flagler, and Ken Yersin, city councilman from Burlington, are current board members. The Council of Governments has worked on numerous projects over the years, many ofwhich have benefited the entire region and others that have impacted Kit Carson County and its municipalities. Projects include the Colorado Welcome Center at Burlington; grants for Old Town and the Burlington Indugtrial Park; the Stratton baseball field; and the Flagler downtown revitalization project. The COG has also assisted Bethune and Seibert in developing financial packages for new sewer systems and has worked with various communities on mainstreet improv' Colorado Welcome Center located on I-70 near Burlington �experience and extends the length of a visitor's stay by an average of 2.74 days. This extended stay means the expenditure of additional dollars in not only Kit Carson County, but throughout Colorado by trav- elers coming into the State on I-70. To capitalize on these dollars, the Colorado Tourism Board, Cityof Burlington, Colorado Department of Highways and the East Central Council of Governments worked for several years to develop a Colorado Welcome Center on I-70 near Old Town at Burlington. The new center opens May of 1988 on a 10.5 acre site that was donated by the City of Burlington. The Tourism Board will pay $340,000 for building construction and landscaping, and the Colorado Department of Highways has contributed $1 million for construction of interchange, signage, parking areas, lights and related tourist facilities. The new center will be open year round and staffed by a manager and local volunteers. The Welcome Center's contribution to the area's economy ie anticipated to be quite high as it will assist in promoting Old Town, the Carousel, and local businesses that cater to the traveler. Kit Carson County Executive Manager is Kendra Rhoades; Marge Jones is Agsistant Manager. Volunteers working the : Notice the carving behind the saddle on the Zebra and the painting on back of the "sleigh seat". first quarter of 1988 included Don Beethe, Dot Beethe, Dovie Brown, Olen Brown, Part 1 Margaret Collette, Don Clnmp, Irma Clamp, Valorie Enfield, Torrie Haines, Peggy Hubbell, Winifred Jn-es, Elva Powell, Vel Pickard, Mary Richendifer, Oscarena Schreivogel, Georgia Seabert, Sally Smith, Lois Stevens, Stacie Stewart, Cherie Treib, Elizabeth Whipple and Anita Wood. by Jo Downey The Kit Carson County Carousel is a beautifully restored and fully operating carousel located at the County Fairgrounds in Burlington, Colorado. It is a 3-row stationary (the animals do not move up and down) machine housed in a dodecagonal (l2-sided) building. Manufactured by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company in 1905, it was the sixth of 89 carousels built by that company between 1904 and 1934. The Kit Carson County TIIE KIT CARSON Carousel is the only known carousel in the COUNTY CAROUSEL T86 ..:,,.1:.a:a ,i:, nation which still has full original paint. In 1979, PTC No. 6 was designated a National Historic Site by the U.S. Department of the Interior and in 1987 it was awarded National Landmark Status, making it the thirteenth National Landmark in Colorado and the only one east of Denver. Forty-six hand-carved wooden animals including a hippocampus (seahorse), a lion, a tiger, a dog, zebras, cemels, goats, deer, giraffes, and many magnificent horses march counterclockwise on the Kit Carson County Carousel. These elaborately detailed figures are mounted on a 45-foot diameter platform in rows of three. The 16 outside row animals are the largest figures and most intricately carved. Carvings adorning the saddles or the animals, themselves, include full-blown roses, Cupids, a cat with a mouse in its mouth, a goat's head, a cornucopia, and a wooden medallion with a sculpture of an Arab sheik. A giraffe has a snake twined around its neck and on the neck of a deer is a woodpecker. Behind the saddle of the zebra is a gnome sitting in a shell aiming a spear at the rider's seat. The texture of the individual animals' coats had been faithfully detailed and teeth, slathering tongues, and hooves have been carefully included. Toed animals have dewclaws and hooved animals are shod (even the Indian pony). There are real antlers on the deer and real horsetails on many of the horses. All of the figures have glass eyes of a color and expression suitable to the tempera- ment of the animal. Hand-painted decorations can be found on each of the PTC No. 6 figures. An iron cross is painted on the chest of the war horse, a rising sun appears on the cnmel's saddle and intricate flowers of varying design adorn many of the inside row animals. The saddle trappings are reminiscent of cavalry mounts used in the eighteenth century Napoleonic Wars. Housed in the carousel is a 1912 Wurlitzer Monster Military Band Organ. The organ has Beautiful grey prancing horses three abreast, notice the paintings. been fully restored and is very large, very loud, and very wonderful to hear. The "Monster Military Band Organ", or as it was more mundanely known in later years, the "Style 155", is a 100-key instrument which �measures 6'10y2" high by 8'9" wide by 3'8" deep. This large almost cubic box of brass and wooden pipes used a music roll and sold for 93,250.00 in 1912. This style is known as "The Monster" and its musical results are equal to a band of from 12 to L5 pieces. The leaded glass panels which admit a view of the numerous brass horns inside may be opened, thus making the organ sound much louder. There are 30 pipes for basses, 22 pipes for accompaniments, 100 pipes for violin, violoncello, stopped and open pipes and clarionets, and 72 pipes for piccolos and flutes. The band organ's brass instruments include 51 brass trumpets and 10 brass trombones. There are eight stops; 2 for piccolo and flutes, 1 for clarionets, 1 for trumpets, 1 for trombones, 1 for stopped basses, 1 for open basses, and 1 for bass octavo. The band organ has two drums - a snare and a bass. by Maryjo Downey THE KIT CARSON COUNTY CAROUSEL T87 Part 2 The drive machinery and center of the carousel are enclosed by 45 oil paintings mounted in tiers of three. The paintings range in size from approximately 21/z x 31/z feet to \Vz x7 feet and are representative of the lifestyle and interests of the American Victorian middle class. The artists of this delightful collection of American genre paintings and European romantic scenes are unknown. These paintings are thought to have been completed in an average of hours rather than days and are done with varying degrees of skill. Subject matter ranges from landscapes to fullJength portraits such as the "goose girl" and the Tom Sawyer-type boy Armored horse in all its splendor. teasing a cat. Styles vary from Post Impressionist to Realist. There are four chariots on the Kit Carson County Carousel. The two red chariots have elaborately carved sides but the blue ones are Huntley and I.D. Messinger, met with widespread disapproval over the $1,250, a sum considered an extravagant expenditure in hard times. Huntley and Buchanan chose not to run for re-election in 1928 because of this simply painted to look as though they are carved. Each chariot has two seats and can carry six riders. The back of each seat has a painted landscape. This carousel was originally manufactured in 1905 by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company for Elitch Gardens, an amusement park in Denver. The carousel was operated at Elitch's every summer until 1928 when it and the Wurlitzer Band Organ were sold to Kit Carson County for $1,250.00. The county commissioners who approved sentiment. the carousel's purchase, C.J. Buchanan, G.W. In 1931, the Great Depression forced Kit Carson County officials to temporarily discontinue holding the annual fair. The fairgrounds and the carousel were neglected. Cornstalks and hay for feed, made available to local farmers through a government assistance program, were stored in the carousel building and other available spaces on the unused fairgrounds. Mice, snakes and pigeons infested the building and piles of waste accumulated. In 1937, the county fair was finally resumed. The old feed was removed from the buildings and burned. The carousel was scrubbed with soapy water, re-varnished and operated once again. According to Harley Rhoades, the commissioner who was perhaps the most responsible for resuming the fair, the carousel was such a mess that there was much sentiment for burning it up with the old cornstalks! The mice had devastated the band organ, so Western and popular music was played on phonographs or tape machines for several generations offairgoers - about 45 years - until the organ was restored in 1976. PTC No. 6 is unique because it appears that each animal was individually chosen by an Elitch's representative. At the time of the original purchase, the animals intended for No. 6 were finished and in the studio, waiting to be mounted on the turntable, along with animals destined for placement on machines No. 7 and No. 8. The Elitch's agent, instead ofaccepting the order as it stood, handpicked the animals that pleased him from all of those on the factory shelves, even though several The beautiful dog with "Identification" on collar. were not part of the Elitch Garden order. PTC carvers traditionally stamped the underneath of each animal with the number of its machine and row. During restoration of the animals in 1979-1980. it was discovered that several animals bore machine No.'s 7 and 8. It also became obvious after inventorying the row numbers that the animals had not �Deen put back in the seme order as thev had been on the carousel when it was at Elilch's. by Maryjo Downey THE KIT CARSON COUNTY CAROUSEL T88 Part 3 In 1975, a committee of county citizens was formed to develop a project and join with the rest of the nation in the celebration of America's Bicentennial by choosing to begin restoration of PTC No. 6 as the countv's Bicentennial project. Art Reblitz of Colorado Springs was contracted to restore the old band organ, which after the many years of disuse, was literally a "basket case'i. It was returned, fully restored, just in time for the county fair of 1976. Although the Bicentennial was over, the project continued, as did the committee now called the Kit Carson Carousel Association which today still is responsible for the overall re,.qtq1"triott, maintenance and operations. Members include Bette Bailly, Irine Bancroft, Kathy Blakeslee, Don Clamp, Jo Downey, Robbie Fearon, Jim Knox, Bob McClelland, Joyce Miller, Will Morton. Norma Pankratz, Edgar Pratt, Iris Roth, A seaple of the artistic paintings to be found around the center of the carousel. Mabel Scheierman, Jean Schlichenmayer, Dorothy Smith, Ted Wickham, and Wiima Notice the fabulous detail on the saddle on the camel. Woller. - Grant money and donations were sought to further the restoration. John Pogzeba, an art conservator from Denver, was contacted regarding restoration of the 4b oil paintings. In 1979, Morton was given a contract to restore the original painted animals, the four chariots, and the outer rim. This project was eompleted LVz yearc later. Discovered during the restoration was a great amount of th6 original gold leaf and painted decoration. making -this a priceless treasure among America's carousels. The building which houses the carousel is a l2-sided structure with a l2-sided cupola. It was built in 1928 when the catousel- wa. brought to the Kit Carson Countv Fair- grounds. Some of the materials ,r."d in the building were salvaged from early poultry sheds on the fairgrounds. With the iZ large doors lifted, the building becomes completely open. In 1976, the building was refaced with steel siding. Lottery funds from Kit Carson County and the City of Burlington have been contributed to establish a park around the carousel. A 6-sided ticket booth with cupola was constructed in 1986 and contains a large leaded glass window of the Armored Horse. The park is lit by Victorian street lsmps and ornate park benches have been placed around the outside of the carousel building. On May 2, 1981, shortly after the balance of the restoration of the animals was completed, the carousel building was broken into and four inside-row animals stolen. The theft he trade mark shown on the Donkey's saddle. took place during a heavy rainstorm when no one was at the fairgrounds, and at a time when the burglar alarm was not functioning properly. The theft of the three small horsei and one donkey shocked not only the citizens of Kit Carson County but carousel lovers all over the countrv. �Kit Carson County Carousel Association members tied yellow ribbons around the empty poles and then initiated a nationwide awareness program to make potential purchasers aware ofthe rightful ownership ofthe missing steeds. Five months later, the animals were located by the Salina police and the FBI in a warehouse in Salina, Kangas. The PTC figure had proved too "hot" to eell. It was determined that their theft was but one of several by a large Midweet€rn theft ring specializing in antiques. Itte tttt"" horses and small donkey had received only slight dnmage during the "Great Carousel Caper". They were returned to their rightful places on the carousel after a parade through downtown Burlington on Oitober 31, 1981. The damage on the stolen figures has long been repaired, the yellow ribbons have been replaced by commemorative markers and the alarm system has since been substantially upgraded. The Carousel Aseociation will open the carousel on a daily basis during the summer as a museum beginning in 1988. Of the three to four thousand wooden carousels that were carved in America in the late 1800s and early 1900s, less than 225 remain today. The Kit Carson County Carousel and the Carousel Association have received numerous state and national awards for the preservation of what ig viewed by much of the nation as the "Jewel of American Carousels"' In 1987, the carousel was featured as one of five subjects in a National Georgraphic special, Treasures From The Past. The carousel has brought national and international recognition to Kit Carson County and its restoration and preservation is now an example to many rural communities and counties as to what can be done to preserve an area's heritage when everyo-n-e works together. The catousel's restorer, Will Morton, states, "But a carousel is more than just machine . . ' it has been called magical -by a a friend of mine. I think of it as a spiritual dimension more than just experience, more than just memories." The Kit Carson County Carousel is indeed Kit Carson County. by Maryjo Downey KIT CARSON COUNTY IIEREFORD BREEDERS ASSOCIATION Hines. he held the office for seven years. The late F.E. Kneedler served for 16 years. Lowell W. Corliss started as president in 1968 and served until 19?3. Larry Homm took the position in 1974 and is the current president of the association. During the years of the association, an emblem was designed by the mother of C.L. Hines. The emblem is a frontiersman riding a horse, carrying a rifle, traveling across a map of Kit Carson County. The emblem is still being used by the association today. In 1946, the association sponsored the first Catch-It Keep-It Contest, during the Kit Carson County Fair. The little wranglers caught young steers and then took them home to bring back to the fair next year as In 1944, the first sale was held and they have had a spring bull sale every year since then at the Kit Carson County Fairgrounds with the Bank of Burlington as the clerk. During those years the Kit Carson County Hereford Breeders Association has sold over 2600 bulls and females. A few herds in the area were actually started through the sale. The association's first president was C.L' lington, CO; Vice-President, Lowell W. Corliss, Stratton, CO; Secretary-Treasurer, Clinton Schlepp, Idalia, CO; Director, Dave Reid, Seibert, CO; Sales Manager, Susan Corliss, Burlington, CO; Members: Thad J. Douthit, St. Francis, KS; Earl Hedgecoke, Aurora, CO; Moberly Hereford Ranch, St. Francis, KS- by Susan Corliss FAIRVIEW GRANGE #2e7 T90 until 19?2 when the Kit Carson County Cattlemen's Association staded sponsoring the present day Catch-It-Calf program. During the 26 years, the 4-Hers caught 260 steers. Promotion of the 4-H Herefords has been important over the years. The association started by a money award for the Champion and Reserve Qftnmpion Herefords at the County Fair. In 1966, trophies and plaques were given out instead of money. Today, trophies are sponsored for the Open Class Champion Bull and Heifer, and a $200 award is sponsored if the Overall Champion 4-H Breeding Animal is a Hereford. On the first Hereford tour, the ranches visited were those of Cliff Hines, Ernest Notz, Jesse Jnmes, Rell Morrow, Reuben Rhoades, George D. Young, Jr., and John Homm and Sons. Approximately 400 head of registered Herefords were exhibited on the tour' In the fall of 1981, a state tour was co-sponsored by the Kit Carson County Hereford Breeders Asgociation. Ranches visited include the following: Reids Dez D Hereford Ranch, Lowell W. Corliss, Homm Ranches, Inc., Fairview Grange Hall. The former schoolhouse, 11 miles south of Bethune. Known as Midway #50. Purchased in October 1944. World War 1 was in the offing, transportation was poor, and farm prices were much too low, when 33 charter members met at the Knapp School house on JulY 8, 1916 to organize Fairview Grange #297 ' The charter 40th Annual Show and Sale in true style. members were George and Mayne Keifer, John Bloomquist, Floyd Richardson, Charles and Grace Elder, Fred and Maggie Dodd, Liltian Dodd, Lee and Lottie Raines, George and Emily Loper, O.C. and Lizzie Dunlap, Bert and Mary Loper, Alva and Anna Bacon, There was a banquet on Thursday, February 2. at the Ramada Inn in Burlington. About 100 people enjoyed the meal. Everyone ders, John and Lizzie Armstrong, L. Morgan, Robert Gottbehuet and Sons' and Schlepp Herefords. Approximately 600 Herefords were exhibited on the tour. In 1984, the association celebrated their moved to the high school for the special entertainment. Baxter Black, D.V.M., the cowboy poet, entertained for two hours for Sherman and Clara Ellsworth, Fred Matthies. T.R. and Mrs. Penfold, Martin Lan- Mr. and Mrs. O. Forster, C.E. and Blanche Nickerson. Soon there were seven Granges in Kit the audience of 200 plus. Since our banquet, Baxter Black's column is now featured in the Burlington Record each week. An open house Carson County and alljoined together to buy carloads of coal, feed and fruit at reasonable prices. The seven community Granges were: everyone viewed the cattle and enjoyed coffee and beef jerky. Champion Female was MISS TITANESS Rule #281, Burlington, 1916; Fairview #297, Burlington, 1916; Mizpah #305, Burlington' 1916; Pairview #341, Cole, 1917; Jewell #344' Burlington, 1917; Hermes #346, Hermes, 1917; Milestone #418, Burlington, 1935. By 191? we had 108 members. Depression days hit the Grangers hard. Grange dues, always low, were dropped to one dollar a year, just enough to meet the annual commitment to the State Grange. For several years Grange meetings were conducted at members homes, then as membership picked up, they moved to what the Grangers affectionately called "the Crackerbox Schoolhouse" West Faiwiew #20. This Catherine's Altar and Rosary Society did a fine job. The association is looking forward to many frequently collected blue ribbon honors for their displays of beautiful crops and garden As usual the Kit Carson County Fair- The Kit Carson County Hereford Breeders Association was formed by a group of Hereford breeders in Eastern Colorado and Northwestern Kansas in the early 1940's. The main function in the first years was a tour of the members'herds. tion are: President, LarrY Homm, But- a 4-H project. The association sponsored this was held at the livestock pavilion, where T89 County. The present officers of the associa- grounds was the sight of the Show and Sale on Friday, February 3. The show has become a trade mark of our sale. The judge, Roger Evans of Elizabeth, Colorado, started the show promptly at 10:00 a.m. The Champion Bull was 2M Ll BANNER 254 and the Reserve Champion Bull was 2M L1 SELKIRK 1?4, both were consigned by Morgan and Marcotte Cattle Co. The Champion Female was H MISS METRIC 8322 consigned by Homm Ranches, Inc. and the Reserve 473 consigned by Lowell W. Corliss. As in the past lunch was served on the grounds. Th9 $t. more years of being active in Kit Carson Grand Union #183, Tuttle, 1910; Golden building was used until July 2, 1944. Throughout this period, Grangers had a booth at the Kit Carson County Fair and vegetables. �Fairview Grange organized two 4-H Clubs in 1937 and the youngsters won many honors including several major awards during the next eight years. In 1939, a Fairview Grange girl was named the outstanding girl in the county and won a trip to Chicago, Illinois. In 1944, two boys were lucky enough to win calves in the County Fair "Catch-it-keep it" contest. The 4-H activities continued until 1972 when there were not enough children of the proper age in the Grange to sustain 4-H work. The Grange held many dances and its female contingent served many lunches to raise money for a variety of worthy community projects. Several Grange members served in the armed forces during World War II and those who remained at home strove for food production records. The Grange war bond drives went over their quota. The Grange also staged coyote and rabbit hunts and gave all the proceeds to the Red Cross. Fairview Grange moved into its own building, a former schoolhouse eleven miles south of Bethune, Midway School #50, on October 8, 1944. Every Grange meeting included social activities. In 1949 the Grange furnished Room #1 in the new Kit Carson County Hospital and helped to landscape the grounds. Grange members were active in the Young Farmers and Homemaking clubs during the fifties. In 1964, the Grange hall was sold. Then meetings were held in various community rooms in Burlington. The Grange had always been interested in civic affairs and good education. Grangers have always tried to combine social and business affairs in the best interest of the community as well as the Grange. Many residents of the area will always remember the Grange's annual oyster and vegetable soup suppers every Januar5l and its summer picnics in the park with ice cream and watermelon. The Colorado State Grange was organized in 1874. by Shirley Matthies KIT CARSON COUNTY FARM BUREAU red Jack Rabbit drives as rabbits were a real problem in those years; they even dug out roots of the winter wheat causing the fields to blow as these years were also very dry with small plant growth. Another problem was the grasshoppers which moved in and ate everything in sight. The Farm Bureau and the Extension Service built a grasshopper bait mixing machine. Shipped in sawdust and poison were mixed and sold to farmers at cost to spread on their fields. The 1941 records show H.M. Hines, President and Roy Bader as Secretary and in 1942 the insurance program got started through the Kansas Farm Bureau. In 1943 Kit Carson County had the largest Farm Bureau Membership in the state with Rio Grande County close behind. Membership was 306 with a goal of 500. Dues were 95.50 at that time. In 1945 REA was being talked about and Farm Bureau contacted farmers to sign up. 250 members were recruited for the REA that year and grasshopper mixing equipment was purchased to replace existing equipment. In 1946, Mrs. C.D. Pottorff,beceme the first president of the Association Women (later Farm Bureau Womens Committee) receiving 25 cents from each Farm Bureau membership. A large paint sprayer was also purchased as there seemed to be a need for this in the county. ln L947 the Farm Bureau organized the 10 acre wheat club which was formed for the purpose of signing up farmers who would donate L0 acres of harvested wheat to the county for the new hospital. This was a successful venture. Also a National REA representative met with the county Farm Bureau board to survey the County to approve or reject application for the REA loan. In 1949, the County Farm Bureau office opened with Irene Morrow, Secretary and Miss Bucholtz as assistant. Herb Klusman of Flagler was president. In 1955 Eddie Fuller becnme President and Orvel Aeschlimann secretary. Hildegarde Aeschlimann becnme Womens Chairman in 1956 following Mrs. Luther Tatkenhorst. 1957 shows Art Gaines of Flagler on the REA board. He reported that the REA will rent electric hot water heaters for $2.00 a month and electric stoves for $5.00 a month to be paid with the regular bill and will belong to the owner when paid for at that rate. The office secretary was paid $100.00 a month at that time with hours of f-5 PM. Truman Hooker was President and Mrs. Busby was office secretary. In 1959 our film projector was getting bad T91 The State Farm Bureau organization first began in the early 1930's in Kit Carson and Washington Counties. According to the and it was decided to let the County Commissioners trade it in on a new machine. They would purchase it as the County Farm Bureau had furnished the projector for the County Agents to use for many years. It was records of the Extension Service this organization resulted as the result of trying to form agreed that we could etill use the new machine if we needed it and the county agent county and community organization for the betterment of life on the farms and ranches. In the records of 1917 through 1920 of this county we find that reference was made of organizing community Farm Bureau and Boys and Girls clubs. Minutes found back to 1935 show C.A. Buetell, President, and S.T. Janett Vice President, both of Kit Carson County. The Bureau worked closely with the Extension Service seeking how it could would operate it. 1960 saw Dewey Jackson as President. The office was moved to the Courtney Building and started selling Blue Cross and Blue Shield health insurance. Mrs. Bill Ford was office secretary. Jack Hines retired ag insurance agent in 1961 and Gary Long was our new agent. Eddie Fuller beca-e District 3 Farm Bureau board member. In 1962 the National Farm Bureau Convention wae held in Denver with Paul Harvey as one of the speakers. Gary Long resigned as insurance agent to go and finish his college education. Bill Ford filled in and also Norm Travis sold hail insurance improve living conditions for the farming community. Community Farm Bureaus were formed and often the County Farm Bureau meetings were held at the local community. The local Community Farm Bureaus sponso- temporarily. Truman Hooker helped until the new agent Dick Bartell became our permanent agent. We also cancelled Blue Cross Blue Shield and joined the Zurick American Insurance Co. Sonny Wright from Flagler entertained us at the Annual Banquet. Dr. Ray was our speaker at our annual meeting in 1965. He also spoke to all the high schools in the County the following day urging more patriotism in our great country. Through the balance ofthe 1960's and the 70's and now in the 80's Farm Bureau has helped accomplish many things that would have been almost impossible for any one of us to do alone. One event that stands out concerned our sugar beet growers from Kit Carson County and our county Farm Bureau board ofdirectors. They were subpoened and had to go to Denver for a hearing when Rural Legal Services wanted to sue our beet growers and have the hearing out of our county, claiming prejudice, but not realizing our Farm Bureau was a state organization having petitions signed all over the state including Denver. The judge dismissed the case. Farm Bureau is a strong organization in our county. They have sponsored a Crop and Gardens Booth at the Kit Carson County Fair for many years featuring many beautiful displays of garden vegetables and field crops grown within the county. The present office building was purchased 10 years ago and we are debt free. We have grown to where we have 2 full time agents. Our county is represented by Hildegarde Aeschliman as Womens Chairman of the Colorado Farm Bureau, District 3 Womens Chairman, Dee Cure of Stratton. and also a number of our board members who serve on the District B Commodity groups of the State Farm Bur- eau. At the present time our board of directors include Orvel Aeschliman, President; Jim Whitmore, Vice President; Florence Fuller, Womens Chairman; Dee Cure, Secretary; Eddie Fuller, Gen,. Nichols, Dean Wigton, Randy Gorton, William Cure, Bob Cure, Eddie Herndon, Leland Strobel, Ted Schaal, Bruce Unruh, Allan Pizel, Dennis Coryell, directors. by Orvel Aeschlimann KIT CARSON COUNTY CATTLEMEN'S ASSOCIATION T92 ATTLEMEN'5 StocrAre The emblem was designed by Janie Stahlecker in 1985 for a contest the association held. �The Kit Carson County Livestock Associa- tion was formed on or before 1898 as they were holding meetings in the Claremont School in 1899, with J.J. Pugh as president, C.S. Wellman as secretary, and Chas. Farr as treasurer. In June, 1901, an annual meeting was held at Claremont. The Kit Carson County Record was designated as the official paper of the Kit Carson County Livestock Association in the year of 1903 in order that the paper could keep the ranchers and stockmen well informed about their livestock problems. The overcrowding of the ranges seemed more apparent all the time. Loco had sprung up and had made a rapid growth everywhere. Pink eye and black leg seemed to spread out among the cattle at this time, causing great losses to the settlers and to the cattlemen and decreasing the number of cattle on the range for a while. In the spring of 1901, it was noted that a new disease seemed to be affecting the cattle, notjust the poor weak ones, but also the best and strongest of the young cows contracted it. No one knew what it was or what to do about it. In every case the disease was fatal. All were anxious for any information about it. One of the heaviest losers of cattle was W.W. Brinkley who lost between 60 and 70 head. Then the next year there was an outbreak of the "Texas Itch". In order to cure this the cattle had to be dipped. Ranchers Parks and Wellman of Claremont had dipping plants and they were kept busy most of the time. This dipping was a move in the right direction as the disease was doing the infected herds a good deal of harm and the only cure was in application of some sort of germicide. The "Texas Itch" or "Mange" as it was later called spread so fast among the cattle that many ranchers became so alarmed that the Kit Carson County Livestock Assn. tried to do something about it. W.W. Brinkley was appointed as Stock Inspector to check on the herds. C.S. Wellman, Secretary of the Kit Carson County Livestock Assn., issued the following notice to the stockmen in June of 1903: "The stockmen should remember that the Annual Meeting of the association will be held at Claremont, June 6, 1903. Mr. F.P. Johnson, Secretary of Cole Cattle and Horse Growers Assn., has promised to attend and give a talk on organization and the State Board of Inspection Commissioners would be there and give a talk about mange and brand inspections. Tell everyone interested in stock raising to be present and enjoy the rich treat that will be given by these gentlemen. The business meeting will be at 10:00 sharp. The speaking 1:00 sharp. Cattle infected with the mange or itch could be detected in the following way: The animal would show a constant desire to scratch or rub. The coat would be rough and bald spots would become encrusted with a scaly scab. If one or more animals were infected the whole herd would be considered infected. The "Mange" finally ran its courge and was completely eradicated due to the combined efforts of all concerned. The number of cattlemen attending the Kit Carson Livestock Association meetings started to fall off and before too many years no meetings were held at all as there seemed to be nothing of vital importance to come that affected cattlemen. The association became inactive. In the early 1900's the cattlemen were trying to improve the quality of their cattle. Harry Cox, one of the big ranchers, went east to get some good blooded stock to add to his herd. Cattle at this time were selling at $3.75 to $4.00 a head for calves and that was consider- ed a fair price. Many were contracted for future delivery around the Flagler area at that price. Some were contracted at an even lower price. Good yearling calves from a registered bull were selling at $12.00 a head. Cattle would be pastured for $1.00 a head for the entire season, May 1 to October 15. Salt and good water and good care would be given them. The shipping prices at this time were very high in comparison for what the cattleman received for his cattle after they reached market. Some declared that they hardly brought enough to pay the shipping bill. The association was active off and on through the next several years. On December 15, 1941, a group of men, composed of George Baxter, Fred Page, C.E. Murphy, B.H. Short, Claude Erwin, A. Pugh, George Ohrman, H.J. Geiken, George Bancroft, Rosser Davis, A.W. Adolf, Harley Rhoades, O.C. Dunlap and Charlie Peterson, met at Stratton, Colorado, at a Farm Bureau Meeting to consider reviving the Livestock Assn., with O.C. Dunlap as the president and Rosser Davis as the secretary. They agreed to affiliate with the Colorado Stockgrowers and Feeders Association. The purpose of this Association was to improve the quality of cattle raised in Kit Carson County, and to study their diseases and cure. Also to work on the tax assessments and laws on legislation concerning the cattle too. Years ago a plastic steer was purchased for a promotional tool in the county. [t was used in some parades and then sat for several years unused. In 1981, it was suggested to make a special platform for the steer and put on official display. The steer can now be seen on Highway 385 next to the John Buol Feedlot. The cattlemen's association sponsored a Light Cattle Management Seminar held in Stratton. In 1982, Colorado State University was doing this seminar throughout the state. The cattlemen in the area really benefited from it. The CSU Extension Office in the county has helped the association so much during the years, a thank you just isn't enough. With the changing years, the office was in need of a computer. When brought to the cattlemen's attention in 1983, they were glad to donate $1,000 to the computer fund. The Extension Office has been a great help in preparing for the 1986 Colorado Cattlemen's State Convention. The computer saved many hours of work and frustration. It has also helped update our membership list for the regular mailings and the annual membership drive. Besides all the help the Extension Office does with the Feedlot Performance Contest, without them it would almost be impossible to get everything done on time. The Futures are always a concern of the cattlemen and the farmers. Lots of discussion has been held on the Futures, in private and public. November of 1983 found Lowell Corliss and Ralph Conrad attending a Fu- tures Meeting in Denver. There were 11 states represented and at the end of the day it was agreed that the Futures are detrimen- tal to the cattle industry. Resolutions from the associations were sent to the different state associations encouraging that something be done about the Futures. Through industry. In L944, they started sponsoring "The the state associations or the National Cattlemen's Association, today this is an issue Catchit" calf contest at the County Fair and that is still being worked on. kept this practice for a number of years, until the Kit Carson County Hereford Breeders took it over. For several years they held a The Kit Carson County Fair is one of the biggest events in the county. The fair queen has lots of responsibilities during that week cattle grading demonstration at individual and all during the year representing the farms. county at other events statewide. The cattlemen and cowbelles were approached to sponsor new leather banners for the queen and her attendant. In 1984, the first leather In 1953, the Cattlemen's Association sponsored a stocker and feeder sale. Buyers from far distances came to these sales because of the good quality of cattle offered for sale, most of them being raised right here in Kit Carson County, These sales went on for many years. Kit Carson County has been an "Accredited T.B. Free" area for cattle since in the 1930's, when all herds had been tested and all T.B. cattle disposed of. In 1958, the cattlemen started working to get the county a "Certified Brucellosis (Bangs) Free" area. The neighboring coun- ties were doing likewise. 1962 saw the comple- tion of this project. The cattlemen have been busy during the last few years in many ways. In 1979, the Kit Carson County Cattlemen's Association continued its support of the 4-H Livestock Judging Team. Youth in the county is very important to the association, they are our leaders and future in the cattle industry. Our beautiful landmark at the fairgrounds is a pride throughout the county. A donation to the restoration of the Carousel was definitely in line from the cattlemen in 1979. The ending result will be the pride of the future, banners were made which the girls would be able to keep after their reign. Shandra Adolf, 1984 Kit Carson County Fair Queen, wore the banner sponsored by the Kit Carson County Cattlemen's Association, The association also sponsored the banner for Becky Corliss, 1986 Kit Carson County Fair Queen. The association also works hard at continu- ing the Catch-It-Calf program during the county fair. Russell Corliss is the chairman and fair superintendent over this event. The cattlemen enjoy working with the community. They have served two barbeques, one in 1984, for the dedication of the new county airport. In 1985, for the Mike Lounge Day - to celebrate the communities own astronaut! The cattlemen continue with their Feedlot Performance Contest as a fun and learning experience. The contest also provides the funds to annually give out a scholarship to each school for a senior that will be going into an agriculture major. Hopefully encouraging the growth of the industry. The present officers and board of directors �make the association strong and able to continue, they are: 1986-1987 President Charles Clapper; Vice President - John Nichols; Secretary - Lowell W. Corliss; Recording Secretary - Susan Corliss, Board of Directors, District 1, Jim Dobler, Rolland Nider, Gary Rhoades, District 2, Roger Kliesen, Patrick Hornung, Ron Gramm, District 3, Gregg Loutzenhiser, Eddie Fuller and Ervin Jones. by Susan Corliss KIT CARSON COUNTY COWBELLES T93 On October L4, 1954, the cattlemen and their wives had a dinner meeting in the Montezuma Party Room in Burlington. The purpose of this meeting was to organize a Cowbelle group in Kit Carson County. The Cattlemen attended to their business and Marguerite Klamm from the State Office explained the work of the Cowbelles. The Kit Carson County Cowbelles was then organized, with Burdine Homm elected to serve as president, and Avis Bader elected as secretary. The Cowbelles metwiththe Cattlemen and arranged for the social and entertainment part of the meeting, and had charge of the refreshments. The first year they were organized, they gave cookbooks (Beef recipes) to most of the new brides in the county. To take care of their finances, they would serve at the various cattle sales in the countv. They affiliated with the State Cowbelie Association. The Cowbelles have been active during the past twenty years plus, on their own and by working with the Kit Carson County Cattlemen's Association. During these years, they have had several presidents. The years were unavailable which they served. Mabel Parke, Mabel Scheierman, Florence Fuller, Anita Price, Nancy Pratt, and presently Virginia Corliss have been the presidents to keep the association alive. Years ago the Cowbelles worked together to make a beautiful brand quilt. Hazel Mitchum embroidered the quilt and Nettie Hasart quilted it. The quilt was then raffled off and won by Mabel Parke. The Kit Carson County Cattlemen's and Cowbelles'Annual Banquet is held in April each year. The Cowbelles furnish their brand nepkins, placemats, and table decorations. The table decorations are always given away as the Cowbelles' doorprizes. Most years feature a raffle for a leather tooled clock, telephone book cover, album, hanging lamp, or many other leather items. The Cowbelles created a brand napkin years ago. The napkins are used at the Annual Banquet every year and for many years at the Hoof and Horn Restaurant. In 1985, with many of the brands outdated, the Cowbelles revised their napkin. The napkins were really appreciated during the Colorado Cattlemen's State Convention in 1986. To help promote the beef industry, the Cowbelles have entered several floats into the Little Britches Parade. In 1982, the Cowbelles float followed the theme, "Now and Then" on how to cook beef (from the sampfire to the outdoor barbeque). The Cowbelles took first in their division. For three years, the Cowbelles gave the Kit Carson County Memorial Hospital beef to serve to its patients on Father's Day. This project was cnlled Beef for Father's Dav. Later, the Cowbelles continued the Beef for Father's Day. Something new for Father's Day? Yes, they surprised one "Expecting" father. The first baby born on or after Father's Day won his/her new Daddy a beef certificate at a local grocery store. Iris Roths was the chairman for the Beef for Father's Day for several years. The June Beef Month continued in 1982 with all the June brides receiving a Cowbelle Cookbook from the Kit Carson Countv Cowbelles. Gay Cure was the chairman of the June Bride Committee. The Kit Carson County Fair is always a big event in the county. The Cowbelles have offered their support in several ways. The past six years the Kit Carson County Cowbelles have put up an informational booth with all kinds of beef tips and also offering the Cowbelles Cookbook for sale. In 1984 and 1986, the Cowbelles have sponsored the Kit Carson County Fair Attendant's banner. During the Beef Round-Up in lg82 at Digchner's IGA, the Cowbelles lent a hand. One day during the promotion Marcia Kliesen handed out packets of literature. During the rest of the two weeks, the customers sampled Beef Brownies, Beef Candy, and a couple more of the recipes from the Cowbelles Cookbook which were made bv Virginia Corliss. Dischner's IGA placed in the Beef Round-Up Contest. In 1984, the Cowbelles again helped by passing out beef samples. The Kit Carson County Hereford Breeders Association celebrated their 40th Annual Sale. The Cowbelles had a booth il1d gnmples of Beef Jerky made by Susan Corliss. The Cowbelles gave a donation to the 1g84 Cattle Drive for Hunger campaign. The drive was to help the less fortunate through organizations such as the Salvation Army. The Career Days in the Stratton High School found the Kit Carson Countv Cowbelles promoting beef. With lots of litlrature and the Colorado Cowbelles Beef Buzzer Board, the Cowbelles were kept busy by juniors and seniors from all over the local area. Marcia Kliesen,, Dee Cure, and Virginia Corliss worked during the Career Days. The Cowbelle Beef Cook-Off is a big event at the State and National levels. In 1984 and 1986, Kit Carson County has had entries. The Colorado Cowbelles have started a new cookoff. The Beef Bash is designed for Home Economics students in the state. The Beef Bash was held on March 28, 1986, in Greeley, Colorado. The Kit Carson County Cowbelles put an added incentive for the schools in the county. One entrant from each school would receive 925 and show their display at the 1986 Annual Banquet. The student participating was from Stratton - Patsy Miltenberger. She received Honorable Mention in the contest. Officers for 1986-1987: President - Virginia Corliss; Vice President - Marcia Kliesen and Secretary - Sharon Powell. by Susan Corliss EASTERN PLAINS ANGUS ASSOCIATION T94 The Eastern Plains Angus Association was formed in 1952 to market Registered Angos cattle. The Colorado Angus Association asked that districts be formed to help market Registered Angus. The districts and associations did not stop at the county or even the state line. Many members were from different counties and the edge of different states. These sales were held annually at the Kit Carson County Fair Grounds cattle barn. One sale was held at Producers Sale Barn. Eastern Plains Angus Association had a sifting committee that went around and checked the cattle at the different consigners, this kept the quality of the cattle offeied in the sales high. The first president was A.W. Adolf from Bethune, Colorado. Some of the directors and officers were: Marvin James, Burlington; A.W. Lambert, Yuma; Floyd Witmore, Burlington; W.R. Rehfeld, Arapahoe; Paul pollreis, Kit Carson; Chester James, Burlington; Jim Redfield, Arapahoe; Bill Lambert, Yuma; Terry James, Burlington; Carlyle James, Burlington; Doren Whitmore. Burlington; Bill Koeller, Vona; all from Colorado and William A. Davis, Goodland; Edwin Rainbolt, Kanarado; Ted Eberhart, Kanarado; all from Kansas. In 1944 A.W. Adolf bought approximately 20-25 head of registered Angus cattle from Mr. T.A. Smart from Missouri. He became a lifetime member of the Aberdeen Angus Association in May of 1949. Other Angus breeders and commercial Angus breederJ of Kit Carson County are: Lyle James, Burlington; Joe Garner, Stratton; Jacob Smit, Vona; Ray Plummer, Burlington; A.W. Adolf, Bethune; Buck Fisher, Flagler; Sidney Hunt- zinger, Flagler; Al Kitten, Stratton; Dave Richards, Burlington; Harry Smit, Vona; Burton Smit, Vona; Eddie Fuller, Flagler; Roy Johnson, Burlington; George Paintin, Stratton; Guy Paintin, Stratton; Wayne Davis, Burlington; LeRoyJones, Flagler; Gus Schreiner, Vona; Rueben Schreiner, Vona; John Smith, Vona; Benny Schreiner, Vona, all of Colorado. This is only a partial list. by Chet James DYNAMIC DIMENSIONS, rNC. T95 Dynamic Dimensions, Inc. was originally incorporated as the East Central Colorado Regional Board for Developmental Disabilities in November 1974. Following the com- munity centered program concept its purpose is to provide services for those with developmental disabilities in east central Colorado. The board's first program was the adult life enrichment class that began in July lg7b in Burlington. This activity skills and vocational training center used the current administration building at 1778 Martin Avenue from February 1977 to August 1g80 and moved adult programming to a new facility �educational program. at 1776r/z Martin Avenue. On February 24' 1986 the ECCRBDD officiallY became James Leoffler published the Kit Carson County Chapter's "Moment of Thought" with the initial edition being written on Dynamic Dimensions, Inc. (DDI). The DDI workshop provides vocational training for about 2? adults and features the manufacture of items that are aseembled primarily with the use of indugtrial sewing machines and we recycle aluminum cans. Work evaluation to identify job potential for December 5, 1961. This was an informationfilled letter mailed to every box holder in Kit Carson County and in surrounding areas (approximately 3000). "Moment of Thought" was frequently published during the year and discussed many topics quoting the "Congressional Record", J. Edgar Hoover, community placement as well as work activity for individuals in the workshop setting is also included. The life enrichment area allows clients to gain skills in minimum academic, work idjustment and socialization. Special education studenta between 16 to 21 years of age are also placed at DDI if the staffing process Jim Leoffler and Charlie Turner, Charlies 2 children. and many other authoritative sources. The "Moment of Thought" was the leader in opposing the wheat referendum. The wheat referendum offered government controls of wheat farming. The referendum was defeated in Kit Carson County by a two to one vote. identifies needs appropriate for vocational training there. Developmentally disabled people have potential for growth, development and learning. In order to realize this potential' they muit have the opportunity to make decisions, experience normal daily living, take normal risks and cope with normal consequences' exercise rights and freedoms, and take responsibility for as much of their own lives as pbssible. Our living situations are intended to provide training, guidance counseling and normal life experience to facilitate the developmentally disabled persons growth toqard more independence and self-reliance. This assumes that individuals entering our progrqm have the potential for and in fact will be moved into more independent situations. We do recognize, however, that not everyone will progress at the same pace' nor will everyone always reach a level of independence where they will not need some supervi- and Country. The information from the "Moment of member on March 18, 1962. The local chapter of The John Birch Society was organized in Kit Carson County on October 16, 1961. Don the truth again prevailed. ual needs. national defense only. All other responsibilities are reserved for the states and individ- sion and assistance to accommodate individ- The residential program began in January 19?7 with the opening of one co-educational group home for six adults at 1776 Martin Avenue. This home is currently a residence for eight females, focusing on personal and domestic skill training. A new home at 212 Marion opened in January, 1981, and provides independent living skill training for six males. These homes prepare residents for the semi-independent apartment next step living in the- community. Residential courtselors are available to work with these adults on personal skills and adjusting to community living. As these adults move into total independent living in the community, follow along counselors are available to assist them as needed. by Douglas S. Deines THE JOIIN BIRCH SOCIETY T96 The John Birch Society was founded by Robert Welch, a successful candy manufacturer. The Society was founded in Indianapolis, Indiana during a two-day presentation on December 8 and 9, 1958. Robert Welch chose John Birch as the name of his organization from a Baptist missionary in China who was murdered by the communists a few days after WW II ended. John Birch's beliefs and ideals very much embodied what the John Birch Society supports: Loyalty to God, Family, James Leoffler joined the John Birch Society on May 8, 1961 and becane a life Vondra from Boulder, Colo. was the first state coordinator. The first presentation of The John Birch Society was held a month earlier at the Leoffler home where nine members joined. All but two members continue to live in the community and still are active in The John Birch Society. The chapter membership slowly but steadily grew. The John Birch Society's goal is to return the responsibility of running our lives to each individual by returning to the very limited government that is allowed in the U.S. Constitution. The Constitution sets up a Republic, not a Democracy. Our Founding Fathers realized that a Democracy is a very dangerous form of government. Our Constitutional Republic is limited basically to uals. The John Birch Society is non partisan and functions only as an educational organization. Its sole goal is to educate the American people to the dangers of big government. The quantity of government is more dangerous lhan the quality of government. This is done through meetings, handouts, expert speak- ers, billboards, books, films, videos, letters, and many other lawful means. The Society endured some turbulent years during the 60's. The troubles started when members decided to put up along U.S. 24 a large "Impeach Earl Warren" sign in early December 1962. Earl Warren was the U.S' Supreme Court Chief Justice at that time. The decisions made by the Warren Supreme Court were unconstitutional and destroyed those freedoms guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. This large sign was burned down, the poles were chopped down, and many other attempts were made to destroy Thought" snowballed until the referendum was soundly defeated nationally two years later. Everyone said it could not be done but Every year the local members traveled with books, brochures, and other educational materials to the National Western Stockshow, Cheyenne Frontier Days, Colorado State Fair, and Kansas State Fair. The members visited many county fairs presenting information to interested Americans. "Get U.S. Out of the U.N." billboards have also been an integral part ofthe JBS progrnm to inform the American people to the dangers of World Government. The billboards are today there warning how the United Nations is designed to destroy America's sovereignty and, therefore, abolishing the freedom we enjoy. JBS members went from door to door having citizens sign petitions demanding that the United States get out of the United Nations. Today the JBS declares that the United States must get out of the United Nations and the United Nations must get out of the United States. Americans are awakening to the dangers of the United Nations. "strike for Less Government" was published in two editions to counter the American Agriculture Movement's demands for more government involvement in agriculture. The demand for parity was asking for total government. "Strike for Less Government" proved that the government is the "middle man" who is charging the consumer the high prices. The local chapter stated that returning to the competitive free enterprise system was the only solution, the government had to be removed. "Tax Reform Immediately" fliers are distributed to inform the American people about how the U.S. Congress is spending America into debt and thus charging our posterity for our expensive spending programs today. These fliers help show the American people how most of this spending is unconstitutional. Also, it shows how each this sign. The members rebuilt the sign after each attempt. Our freedom of speech and private property was under attack. James Leoffler was interviewed in front of the sign by a Denver television station. "The Denver Congressman and Senator votes on spending bills and how much it costs each of us. Today The John Birch Society also publishes every three months the "Larry McDo- published many articles and pictures concerning these signs. A "Newsweek" reporter with the communists is suicidal for America. Why do we spend $300 billion a year to protect ourselves from the communist countries but then give them loans, technology, Post" and "The Rocky Mountain News" interviewed James Leoffler but the "Newsweek" editors only published a picture of the sign. Some of the people who were misled and helped to destroy the signs came back later and helped put the signs up again. Some even apologized for being deceived and thanked the John Birch members for their nald Crusade to Stop Financing Communism." This flier shows how aid and trading material, and foodstuffs so they can continue to threaten us? This flier algo shows how each congressman and senator votes on bills dealing with aiding and trading with the communists. �John Birch Society members vigorously promoted "Stop Aid and Trade" petitions to send to the United States President, Colorado and United States Senators, and this area's United States Representatives to stop any further aid and trade to the communist countries. Approximately two-thirds of the Kit Carson County residents signed these petitions. The local chapter ofthe John Birch Society sponsors expert speakers for presentation in the area. They mail books, magazine reprints, and any other pertinent material to local residents. Local Chapter members take part in local parades advocating the importance of less government and how powerful groups of people are trying to direct America towards a World totalitarian government. This World government would offer no freedoms to the people of the world and would be operated closely along the same framework as that of communist countries. The John Birch Society follows its slogan: Truth is our only weapon and education is our only strategy. The truth always proves just and the American people are beginning to realize that America is in trouble and what the Society is presenting is being proven correct. The John Birch Society is the voluntary association of individuals whose ultimate goal and belief is that with "less government, more responsibility, and - with God's help - a better world." by James Leoffler ELECTRIC ASSOCIATION TS7 Blomendahl, Roy Bader, and C.L. Hines of Burlington, Elmer Kueker and Art Gaines of Flagler, John Schritter of Bethune and Earl Livingston of Seibert. The first officers elected were Art Gaines, president, Earl Livingston, vice-president, and Elmer Kueker, secretary-treasurer. Trips to Washington, D.C. followed a formal application to REA, but the proposed unit was not considered feasible by REA in view of the high cost of power in this area. Changes in an application plan were turned down a second and third time, but the board persevered despite the grim prospects for REA coming to this area of Colorado. In March, 1948 the board began negotiating with Inland Utilities with offices in Hugo. In May final arrangements were made for purchase at a meeting in Kansas City attended by board members, Inland officials and REA officials. In the summer of 1948 the first loan of $3,875,000 was approved by REA. This loan was to cover the purchase oflnland properties in this area and defray the expense of building the distribution system into Kit Carson County and a generating plant. Hugo, Bovina, Arriba, Seibert, Vona, Stratton, Bethune and Cheyenne Wells were being served by Inland Utilities and the Town of Flagler was purchasing power from Inland on a wholesale basis and retailing to its consumers. On September 10, 1948, Elmer Kueker as treadurer ofthe new REA unit wrote and gave a check for 955,000 to Inland officials at Hugo. The new organization had already been incorporated under the name of K.C. Electric Association. John Rose, who had served as manager for Inland Utilities, was retained as manager for K.C. Electric, as well as all other Inland employees. The first major project was construction of 108 miles of main lines and the construction of distribution system lines throughout Kit Carson County. Completed in 1951, the first rural installation occurred on Thursday, April 26, 1951, at the home of Herbert Klusman, southwest of Flagler. By July the west half of Kit Carson County was mostly energized. The Korean conflict caused shortages of aluminum and copper materials but in general construction proceeded fairly close to schedule. On May 5, 1951, KC Electric began taking power directly from the Bureau of Reclamation Big Thompson project over lines that came to Limon; from there KC took .C. Electric Association original board of direcrs elected in 1945. L. to R.: George Blomendahl, the power. L. Hines, Elmer Kueker, Earl Livingston, Art nes, Thornton H. Thomas (attorney), John systems in the towns served by KC Electric began in spring 1952 with Hugo; Flagler and Arriba in 1953; and later Seibert, Vona and Schritter Records indicate that the first formal action in organizing an REA cooperative in this area of Colorado was in 1942 at a Flagler fiarm Bureau meeting, when Art Gainesjsr. pas appointed to look into the matter. Some palk had gone on in the'30's around Flagler, put nothing transpired in that regard until [he fall of 1943 when a committee appointed py the Kit Carson County Farm Bureau pomposed of Art Gaines and Elmer Kueker pf Flagler and Roy Bader of Burlington began pork to obtain an REA unit for the Kit parson County area. Following meetings with from influential groups late 1944, the up" for REA began in "sign fn [,he county in January of 1945. During 1945 Jnany representatives h meeting of interested persons in the county elected the initial board of directors: George The rebuilding of electric distributions Kit Carson, closing with the rebuilding in Stratton in fall 1954. Subsequent loans were approved which enlarged the area served into rural Cheyenne County. KC now serves 4,236 consumers with 2,201 miles of line in Kit Carson, Cheyenne and Lincoln counties. Annual operating revenue exceeds gl million. 'r-+ I rl � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource History of Kit Carson County Description An account of the resource Brief historical stories and elements from the founding and recent history of Kit Carson County, Colorado. Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Book Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Kit Carson County Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1988 Subject The topic of the resource history Description An account of the resource A history of Kit Carson County as record in the book History of Kit Carson County. Type The nature or genre of the resource text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Salmons, Janice Hasart, Marlyn Smith, Dorothy Language A language of the resource English Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. History of Kit Carson County Volume 1 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource text/pdf Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Curtis Media Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a> https://kccarchives.cvlcollections.org/files/original/16/421/Memories.pdf 184ea68e01942c9373c7ac51b265e5ba PDF Text Text ON BEING AN O.I.C. T447 I was so pleased (to put it mildly) when they told me I could be an Officer-in-Charge. The fact that I'd never heard ofthe place or had any idea of where it was located didn't bother me at all. As it turned out, the little town (Stratton) is about 25 miles from the Kansas border, and a friend kept teasing me by saying such things aB "you better take groceries with you 'cuz they might not have stores out there in "Kansas". Other alleged friends recounted horror stories ofwinters on the Eastern plains and told me how desolate and windswept it was. By the time I left home, I had the car piled full with things I would need for camping out; planning on no electricity, running water or inside plumbing. The last things I strapped on were a wash tub, my grandma's gcrub board and my little dog. As I headed east, my car turned into a Conestoga wagon. The land was so flat that the level ground seemed higher than the road. I felt like I needed to stand up to "see". There was a momentof apprehension as Pike's Peak faded from view but then a spirit of adven- ture swept over me and I could hardly wait to begin my new job. The first day I was at the new office, the local newspaper man came over. He was also the owner, the photographer, the pressman, and the delivery boy. He wanted to photograph the dear, departed REAL Postmaster and the "new lady". The next evening, I went to the one and only restaurant in town, the Golden Prairie. An oldtimer, wanting to show hospitality to the "new lady" put a rattlegnake's rattle on the table near my plate. Gleefully, with missing front teeth, he told me "old George caught 500 of these just outside of town last summer". I touched it gingerly with a fork handle and being careful of the inflection in my voice asked why old George "caught" them. He gave me a look that seemed to marvel at my stupidity and said, "Why, lady, he sells the meat to fancy restaurants . . . tastes just like chicken, ya know". He ambled off before I could ask if the Golden Prairie was on the snake hunter's client list. I spent a few days rearranging the furniture in the office. It was one of those "open" offices where you couldn't even sneeze with- out a customer saying "gesundheit". They would come into the lobby at 8, watch us scurrying around and say "The REAL Post' master always had the mail boxed out by now", or "Ain't ya done yet?", or "Whatcha been doin' all morning?" My days were also filled with running back and forth between the front counter and the bor section. No one in town used their P.O. box keys. In the mornings, the older folk would come in and say "Let me have my mail and Gertie's too (some ancient or infirmed neighbor) and then "No, I don't know what her box number is. . . it's around the corner there, kinda high up. The REAL Postmaster always gave it to me". In the afternoons, the children would come in'kin I have my dad's mail, please" standing on tiptoe, big eyes beseeching, and my heart would melt. In the meantime, Dad had already been and asked for his own mail, and mom and grandad's too. Duringthe third week, people were beginning to say, "Oh, I forgot my key". By the fourth week, we had put the Postal Service in the red with a booming business in key sales. The office has two clerks, both of whom It was suspected that he had killed Allen, who was the foreman of the Bar T Ranch, which have been with the Service for several years. covered several miles along the Republican River. He supposedly hid in the ditch and shot Allen as he rode by. "They can do everything the REAL Postmaster can", I was told. Try as I might to be decisive and assertive and convince them I was no dummy, they knew I was in deep . . water. . when I spent hours up to my ears in the Account Book, Stamp Ledger, DMM, F1 and the FOM. There was also the spasmodic hiccuping of the calculator and the waste basket filled with reams of tape that gave me away. But they are so helpful and I appreciate them more than I can express. In one week's time, we had three major storms, one of which was the worst of the entire winter. My friends were right; the wind roared and howled and blew for a solid 48 hours with gusts up to 70 miles per hour. When I opened my front door the next morning, I discovered two feet of snow against it and there was a four-foot drift behind my 4-wheel-drive vehicle. I shoveled a path out to it, walked around it, looked under it and behind it and walked back inside, shaking my head because I knew I couldn't get it out. I looked wistfully at my fuL\ Club card but knew that even if I had a 'phone, there was no tow service to call in this small town. Finally, my determination and not-to-bedaunted spirit took over and I lunged back out to my car. After all, had I not survived past winters in a place often called the coldest spot in the Nation? I wasn't about to let a little ole eastern plains "blow" get me down. I rocked it back and forth and then with a mighty roar, when over and out of that drift, amid cheers and smiles of watching neigh- bors. I lurched and lumped away over the frozen, drifted road to open the Post Office for another day ofbusiness. All the roads into town were closed and no mail trucks could get in, but we were there to sell a stamp or commiserate about the weather. By the next morning, the snow was piled even higher, but someone had plowed the Post Office parking lot and had even shoveled a little path to the rear door near where I parked my car. These people take pride in "their" Post Office, and that day especially, I felt really proud to be part of it. I look forward to the day when I can be a REAL Postmaster. Written while Interim Postmaster at Strat- ton, 1984 by Michele McHenry THE MUNSINGER STORY T448 When Anna and Herman Homm and children came to Colorado in 1892 they rented some land on the ledge where the Launchman and Republican Rivers meet, just above the Bonny Dam is now located. To the northwest of them lived the Hracheck's. He went to Denver and worked in the brick yards for months at a time. Southwest of the Homm's lived the Munsingers. Mr. Munsinger was a locator, who hated all cattlemen. There was much friction in those days between the cattlemen and homesteaders. Munsinger was notliked in the community. The Hracheck's hogs had wandered over to Munsingers and when Mrs. Hracheck went after them, Munsinger beat her up. One night Munsinger went to Herman Homm's to get some medicine for one of his children who was sick. Munsinger was wearing a pistol which was not unusual for men in those days. The Homm's oldest daughter, Lena, went outside to get a bucket of water from the pump.When she came back inside, she said she had seen August Meyer, a bachelor, who worked for several of the ranchers, and Mr. Hracheck coming from Burlington in a spring wagon. They had gone to town to swear out a warrant for Munsinger's arrest. Abruptly, Munsinger said he had to leave. Right after he went out, they heard a shot. August Meyer came hurrying into the house and blew out the kerosene lemp. He was carrying a rifle. Herman Homm lit the lamp again. He wanted to be able to see what was going on since he did not trust Munsinger. A little later Hracheck pounded on the door, then ca-e in and said, "I killed him and I had a right to". That night Munsingers body was covered and left just outside the door where he had fallen. They had to wait for the coroner to come. During the night it snowed and the body couldn't be seen. Gutting, another neighbor, who lived about 2 miles west of Herman Homm's, nearly stumbled over the body when he came the next morning. Gutting said in German, "Turn the swine out". He hadn't liked Munsinger either because Munsinger had burned his house down. The inquest was held the next day at Herman Homm's house. The body was brought into the kitchen and laid on a bench. Since it was winter, and the only heat in the house was in the kitchen, the children, Lena, Kate, Minnie, Alma, Mary, George and possibly Tillie and John had to go to bed in the other room to keep warm since they weren't allowed at the inquest. At the inquest, Meyer and Hracheck testified that Munsinger was wearing a pistol, had called them names and had threatened to kill them. Later August Meyer told Anna Homm that Hracheck had suggested to him that since he was a bachelor, he should say that he had killed Munsinger, then skip the country before the trial. Anna told him she thought he shouldn't confess to the murder if he hadn't committed it, just to make it easier for Hracheck. He said he guessed he shouldn't either. No one ever went to jail for the murder. Munsinger was buried in the southeast corner of his place and was later moved to a cemetery. At the inquest, Mr. Dangberg, the consta- ble, who lived northeast of Idalia, told Herman Homm, "If you had done it, it would have been alright, but the ones that did kill him were no better than Munsinger". This territory was then Arapahoe County and Denver was the County Seat. by Mr. and Mrs. Clifford Homm �RATTLESNAKE TALES T44S An early day resident recalls an incident of about the year 1895, which happened to him at an old ranch about five miles west of Arlington, around 20 miles north of Rocky Ford, Colorado. This boy was still a lad in his teens when he had this experience. He was in charge of caring for some cattle and horses for Charley McCabe, during the owner's absence. The adobe was a large, oneroom house. The lad blanketed down on the floor in a corner of the room. There were no bedsteads. After going to bed, yet not asleep, he heard a noise which he thought might be a bug. He heard the noise as it passed by the head ofhis bed where he lay and went on toward the northwest corner of the room. He raised up to get a match to see what it was. He said, "Behold, it was a big rattle snake!" Being kid-like, he was so excited that he tried to hold a match in one hand for light while trying to put a boot on with the other hand. By the time he had his boots on and the old lantern lit, he threw a few sticks at it. The sticks were the kindling he stored to cook his coffee and biscuits next morning. Then by the dim light of the lantern he watched the snake crawl along until it crept into an old cupboard secured from the back of an old chuck wagon. Those old cupboards also were called a mess box. The door to the cupboard was off; therefore, it made a good place for the rattler to seek refuge. The lad said he was at a loss knowing how to get the snake out so he could kill it. Finally he took a piece of paper and set it afire and threw it back into the box, thus warming up the rattler. At this point, my friend began laughing so hard it was difficult for him to relate the story! When the rattlesnake retreated from his lair, the lad was standing near the side of the cupboard for protection and struck the gnake's head with a small piece of firewood. He thought, perhaps, the rattler had entered through a mouse hole near the door. Next question was, would there be another; so, being sort of squenmish about going back to hia original bed, he decided he would change his corner. There was a heavy table in the room, made from 2 x 6lumber. He decided he would be safe there, so he rolled up his bed quilts and placed them on the table where he slept soundly the rest of the night. Another tale of horror comes from my friend . . . There was a shack on the Smoky and he resided there for awhile. It was wonderful to have some company in early days as it was rather lonesome living alone. There was a man who came along at dusk in the evening; rather it was really dark by the time this young fellow and his company entered the shack. The man planned to eat supper and stay overnight. They were really enjoying a good conversation and visiting when the young man reached over and picked up a piece of wood to make some shaving with which to start a fire in the stove. Their only light was from an old lantern. By experience, we who have used kerosene lanterns know their feeble light is very inadequate to light a room. Deep shadows shroud the corners. Since the first piece ofwood was too hard to cut for shavings, he reached for another. He heard the frightening rattle of a snake. The visitor grabbed the lantern so the snake could be seen more clearly. By that time the snake had started to crawl back into the corner. The young man pinned the rattler to the floor by using another piece of wood; the snake then backed up, pulling its head out of the hole and they finally succeeded in hitting it on the head. My friend, who was the young man in this story, laughs a lot as he tells these tales and remarked "that was one time I was glad I had company to whip the 'snake's tail'." by Grace Corliss 4.H YEARS T450 4-H was a happy time when I was growing up. Many young people belonged to 4-H. We had a club in our neighborhood, and north of us was a very large number of young people in 4-H club work. There was also a large club south of Vona. One year all the clubs met at Vona, and we went on the train to Burlington to stay three days at the fair. The girls stayed in a tent, and the boys stayed in the barns with their animals. In remember Bertha (Boger) Wear stayed in the tent with us. I thought if I lived in town I sure wouldn't stay in that tent! We were about out of food our last meal and Bertha made us pork and bean sandwiches. They were plenty good. One summer the 4-H clubs canped for two days at what was called Davis Lakes - towhat the is now Bonny Dam. I remember going Art Boese home south of Vona to a 4-H club picnic. One time after a big rain we girls were walking to our leader's home. The ponds were full of big frogs, so we took off our long Elbert Co. Republicon", though I'm not sure except that it was, the 'Republican'. Cunningham moued upon the site of the uillage soon after. After about d year, Cunningham left and the 'Republicon'ceased to be. On my pre-emption claim southwest of town, and later on the northwest quarter of Sec. 25 south of town, I printed a small religious paper,'The Messenger of Loue'.In early Oct. '91', W.H. Lavington and David Swayzee induced me to begin a local paper and I named it'The Flagler Aduance'. Atthe Jan., 1892, session of the Co. Commissioners, the Aduance was given the contract for all the county printing for that year. Perhaps the only time it all went out of Burlington. As I remember, in Jan., '93', the commissioners gave the printing to the Burlington Republican and the Aduance, but I do not remember what share to each. (In 1894, the Aduance was given an even smaller share and finally expired of starvation in Dec. of that year.) I failed to say that the Ad.uance was moved from the country to the home I built for it in a story and a half building, north of the section house, which I sold in '96'to Fry. It may be ofinterest that one ofthe earliest church services held in the Flagler neighborhood, I held in a shack or vacated saloon building in the bottom some 40 rods northwest of the Republican railroad bridge, perhaps July 25, 1888. Malowe, as we tried to call Flagler first, was mostly a village or camp of tents, W.H. Lavington had just opened a grocery store in a tent. I was a customer of his. The post office was in a god shack a mile farther east, and the eccentric postmaster had it named Bowser in honor of this canine companion. My homestead was the NE quarter of Sec. 35-9-51, which with my tree claim aCjoining it on the south, I sold in the late '90's'to Edley T. Epperson for $400. The editor of the Ad,uance taught a four months school at Cope, carried the Star Route mail six months to Arickaree and to Thurman, then taught 8 months at Vona. Part of this time I was driving to Cope twice stockings and filled them with frogs. When y€s, you have we got to our leader's house guessed, we had fried frog legs. a month to conduct services for the Congrega- by Fern Summers (then Claremont) 24 members and Arriba, 10. Flagler paid 960, Claremont, $60, Seibert $25, and Arriba, $30, and the Missionary Society C.IV. SMITII T45l A Flagler pioneer corrects history of the town, by a letter to the editor of the Neurs, on Oct. 25.1934. tional people. In 1896, I was called to take charge as home missionary of the Flagler field, Flagler with 20 members, Stratton paid the remainder. This will show the cause of mv interest in Kit Carson Co. Sincerely yours, C.W. Smith by C.W. Snith Dear Mr. Guard. I read with interest Bessie Guthrie's "History of Flagler" in your issue of the 18th. There were one or two inaccuracies quite natural for one not on the scene in those olden days. In July, 1888, I started from Decatur co., Kans., for Elbert Co., Colo. I am quite DEATII OF PIONEER'S BABY T462 sure it was July 23 ofthat year, that I entered Colo. and Elbert CO. at Kanarado, and reached Crystal Springs the next day. The 25th I started to look for a claim in the Valley of Mud Spring Draw, southwestof "Malowe". We stopped at a shack on a ridge, a quarter of a mile east of the present town limits. In that shack a young man, Arch Cunningham, was printing what I think was the second I believe "The issue of the Republican, - "Februar5/ 12, and 15, 1887, were clear warm days and we newcomers thought we were going to have several days of good weather. Three of the neighbors took advantage ofthis and started to town for hay, grain and provisions. One of my neatest neighbors went, also another neighbor who lived nine miles farther, making him forty-four miles from town. His child had what he though was �a cold with some fever. He said to his wife: 'I will go to town today and will be back tomorrow night and will bring medicine for the child.'Kissing his wife and baby good-bye he start€d on the longjourney before daylight on the morning of February 15 with a team that had lived on half rations all winter as the grass for miles and miles around had burned off early in the fall. Late that evening the little child died. The young mother was all alone in the dugout. She started across the prairie about eight o'clock to a neighbor about three miles away, carrying the dead child in her arms. This man lived alone as his wife was to join him on the homestead in the spring. Between sobs she asked him to go about nine miles to a friend's home and bring her back with him. This friend was our nearest neighbor. The man stafed on his errand and the heartbroken young mother trudged back to her dugout hugging her dead child close to her breast. The reader will understand that we left our buggies and spring wagons back east and had only heavy wagons. The mode of travel was slow and tedious. The man arrived at our neighbor's home about midnight and related his sad story. This woman said: 'My husband has gone to town and I am afraid to take the children with me as it might be diphtheria or scarlet fever.' She told him there was a young man living on the claim south of them, but that she did not like to take her children to him so late at night, but if he would stay until morning she would get the neighbor to take care of the children and go to the sorrowing mother. piece of fat meat from which he seemed to derive much pleasure, especially if we were generous with sugar. While we were out doing chores the little girl came running out, yelling that the baby was choking. We ran to the house and, locating the trouble, jerked the meat out of his throat. Later he cried some more and we gave him more meat, but this time tied a string to it and after fastening it to the foot of the bed, charged the little girls to pull on it if the baby showed signs of choking. About sundown we saw a dark object far off on the prairie which we were sure was the children's mother. Bundling up the children we started to meet her. How glad the mother was to see her little ones safe; so were we, to know that the responsibility was off our Peaches .25, Eggs .25, Meat 1.80, Coal L.?5, Apples .25, Beans .25, Rice .25, Soap .25, Sugar.50, Coffee.25, Tea.25, Raisins.20, Lye .10, Blueing .05, Wash tub 1.25, Broom .2b, Starch .10, Coal oil .25, Pepper .10, Thread .10, Gingham 1% yds. .10, Wash board .25, Water pail .50, Grain 1.17, Postage Stamps .20. Total amt. for March $21.15 by Joyce Miller 1959 BLIZZARD HITS STRATTON T454 shoulders. The neighbors who had gone to town on the 15th had been delayed by the blizzard and did not arrive home until the morning of the 18th, shortly before sunrise, and with them the father of the dead child. By this time others had come. We failed to find a loose w board to make a coffin, but pulled one off the side of the stable. We laid a pillow in the little box, but when the young mother saw it she cried bitterly. She said that it was more than she could bear to see her baby put away in that rough box. She brought a black dress and asked that it be cut up and used to trim the coffin. Soon two feminine hands had made a wonderful change in the appearance of the little box. The funeral was held'that afternoon. We were all a bunch of inexperienced young Toward morning it had snowed about two inches, but when daylight ssme it qrss snlm with a heavy black cloud in the south west which soon spread toward the northwest. Soon the wind whipped to the northwest and between the snow that was already on the ground and what was coming down, we were in the midst of one of the worst blizzards that we ever went through, and have seen a good many of them. The storm was terrific until about nine o'clock in the evening. The morning of the 17th was bright, clear and crisp with long drifts of snow here and there. We could not help feeling out of sorts with the elements which one day play such havoc and the next morning turn around and ask the first child buried in what is now Yuma County, then Arapahoe County. This gives the reader some faint idea of the heroism of those young wives who came to Colorado in the days when the land was forgiveness. young, leaving comfort, friends and relatives Soon after sunrige we saw a team and wagon approaching with several people in it. They proved to be our neighbor's wife and three children. She told the sad story and asked us to take care of her three children far behind to stand beside stalwart young husband who fought to wrest eastern Colo- people so there was no funeral service beyond an attempt on our part to sing a hymn, repeat the Lord's Prayer in concert and sing another song. While singing at the grave, which was a little distance from the dugout, we heard the mournful howling of three coyotes on a little hill nearby. We quickly placed ourselves FuIl corrals face ranchers between them and the young mother and the children and frightened them away." This eightcen month old child was perhaps rado from the desert. by Mary E. Evans that day. We felt we could take care of the two little girls, but were not sure about the three month old baby boy. However, we were willing to do our best. She said she had just given him a good breakfast and he would probably sleep until noon, but ifhe awakened and cried very hard, we should give him a FRANK BOGER LEDGER piece of fat meat to suck. With these instructions they started on their way, for we all realized that the young mother and been all alone in her dugout with her dead child two nights and a day through the blizzard. When they arrived the young mother was putting a pretty ribbon on a little dress. With the three children we had in charge all went well until about eleven o'clock when the baby boy opened his big blue eyes and looked around for his rDirnmo, We allowed him to cry until the little girls said he might get spasms, then we hurried and gave him a T453 The following was taken from an old ledger of Frank and Flora Boger. Shows expenses of :::i::r;iii :r..'{1''i Snow, snow, snow! the month. Frank brought his bride to Colorado: March, 1896 Stove Pipe $.60, Stove 1.00, Tobacco .20, Meat .35, Crackers .25, Apples .10, Overshoes 1.00, Lodging 1.00, Horse Collar 1.00, Candy .10, Corn .30, Crackers .25, Coffee .25, Matches.05, Meat.30, Sausage .25,Beef. .20, Bread .50, Corn .50, Sugar .20, Bread .25, Canned Fruit .48, Flour .90, Potatoes .45, The season's first snowfall of the year came in the form of a paralyzing blizzard that whipped across Eastern Colorado closing traffic on all highways - but best of all brought welcome moisture to relieve the several year drought condition. All highways in Eastern Colorado were closed beginning early Friday morning and because of the huge snow drifts many side �roads were still closed Wednesday and will be blocked for a number of days yet. The moisture began falling Thursday evening about 7 p.m. in the form of a very wet snow and as the night proceeded the wind velocity increased. By early Friday morning the wind velocity was at least 70 miles per hour whipping the west snow into huge snow banks. The velocity of the wind did not begin to diminish until the middle of Friday afternoon; however, the blizzard did not abate until late Friday night. According to the local weather man 1.13 inches of moisture fell in the Stratton vicinity. Drifts of at least ten feet were seen about town, inundating cars. Schools at Vona, Stratton, Burlington and Seibert were closed until Wednesday because of the blocked roads. Even then much Stratton until about 6 a.m. Saturday, having worked through the night to open the 18 miles of highway. John Buol of Burlington lost five cattle when they drifted onto the railroad tracks near Peconic switch station between Burlington and Stratton, and were killed by the railroad snow plow. A number were reported to have lost livestock in the storm. Ernest Cure lost ten head of cattle when the animals took refuge in a ditch and were covered by the drifting snow. Tom and Jim McCormick lost a number of sheep in the storm. Other rumors of stock dying in the storm could not be confirmed at until today, Thursday. Although the snow drifted badly the temperature never fell below 20 degrees so that much of the snow melted where it fell or drifted. This storm covered a large area including Wyoming, northeast and eastern Colorado, parts of Nebraska and Kansas. Much concern was in evidence about the town of Stratton all day Friday, during the storm. because of the K.C. Electric maintenance crew, James Hansen, Albert Gwynn, Max Toland and Sam Crocker, who had left in their trucks about 2 a.m. Friday morning when the storm interrupted power distribu- tion in this area. About 3:30 a.m. Max Toland and Sam Crocker became storm bound when their truck slid off Highway 24 about 800 feet east of the driveway at the Jack Luebbers farm home. But since they did not see the farm home or could tell otherwise where they were located because of the dense, fogging wet snow, they remained in their truck until 1:30 p.m. Friday when they made their way to the Luebbers home. James Hansen and Albert Gwynn bucked the blizzard until their truck became stalled in a huge drift on highway 24 about three fourths mile west of Bethune. They stayed in their truck until the blizzard let up enough so that they could make their way to the Eugene Taylor home in Bethune. Each of the crew had radio facilities on their trucks but because of the storm could not contact the Hugo central station but a few times. In the meantime, the wives of the crew and friends made preparations to look for the men. They knew the approximate places the trucks had become stalled because of the radio contact. About 7 p.m. eleven men with two cars and a tractor left Stratton in search of the linemen. The men, J. Oscar Smith and son Richard, Lee Carpenter, Vic Carpenter, Tom, Gene and John Clark, Bob Best and Mike Lewis found Max Toland and Sam Crocker safe at the Jack Luebbers home about 8:30 p.m. All the men then went on from there battling the drifts and arrived at the second stalled K.C. Electric truck about midnight. Hansen and Gwynn had left their truck but a note in the car informed the searching party all was well. The highway snow plow left Burlington about 5:30 p.m. Friday and never reached as overalls 55 cents and rope 40 cents. At round up time in the spring and fall, representatives ofall the outfits were present to handle the cattle and identify their own. About 1896, when he was working for Met, he was with a round up group camped at the Limon Breaks after a big blizzard. While night herding the cattle, the cowboys listened all night to the wolves howling from nearby. The boys in the round up crew slept cold in their tarpaulin beds. Mrs. Fisher, the former Stella D. Strode, came to this county by covered wagon also in 1887. She was born at Mason, Texas, and her this writing. by local newspaper difficulty will be encountered by school bus drivers when they pick up and deliver the school children for some time because of the depth of the snow. Seibert schools opened Tuesday while Stratton schools did not open the account book showing expense when he was out working were; dinner at Hugo 25 cents, horse shoeing 75 cents, bed and breakfast 50 cents and personal items such FISHER T466 Mr. Fisher, who passed away January 10, 1959, at the age of 83, had spent 72 years in this part of Colorado, and had the rare privilege of seeing this area change from the prairie that had known little change for centuries into our present day world. The days of the big cattle outfits whose cattle ranged over thousands of acres were already numbered when he came here. Homesteaders were beginning to settle the land and a few years later Mr. Fisher, himself, located on a homestead and began ranching on his own. Mr. Fisher was like other young men of his day, a working cowboy, working for the big cattle outfits in the area. He took part in many round ups and was known at that time as one of the best bronco busters. Although Colorado had become a state in 1876, about ten years later when Mr. Fisher and Mrs. Fisher (who was then Stella Strode) came here, this part of the state was mostly prairie with only a few inhabitants. Large cattle outfits were located here and there where there was water and ran their stock over many thousands of acres. Mr. Fisher worked for numerous cattle outfits, one of them being the Quarter Circle. The Quarter Circle worked from the Fort Morgan area to the Arkansas River with headquarters where Sugar City is now. At the time Mr. Fisher worked for them they had 425head of mares from which to raise their saddle strings. In speaking of the early days, he recalled the last buffalo hunt which occurred in 1887. The last two buffalo ever seen in this area were railed to the flats north of Seibert after being flushed from gullies northeast of Hugo and were shot close to Hell Creek. Mr. Fisher also recalled the big Texas cattle drives, the last two of which were in the springs of 1892 and 1893. The big herds of cattle were being moved from Texas to Montana when ranching was begun there. Later Mr. Fisher told his family he wished that he had gone along on those drives. At that time he was employed by W.N. Leeper on a ranch southwest of Flagler. A family keepsake is a small account book put out by a livestock commission firm, Blachard, Shelly and Rogers of Omaha, Nebraska and Kansas City. In it he noted that he began work for the Met Cattle outfit in December 1896. The late C.J. Farr, father of Duncan Farr, was the foreman. Items in father had migrated to Missouri, then to Colorado where he took up a homestead on the Republican River. It was known for a long time as the Ranney place. The Fishers and the Strodes were among the first settlers to arrive and their houses were mostly dugouts and sod houses. They recalled that near what is now Flagler the Pugsley Brothers of Hugo had a small cabin and some corrals. At that time the railroad had not been built so settlers had to go to Akron or Haigler, Nebraska, or to Hugo for supplies; the trips taking several days depending on the distance traveled and the means of transportation which was usually a horse and wagon. The Fishers were married in Flagler on May 6, 1903, and moved to her homestead where they went into the cattle business. Mr. Fisher was the first in this area to breed up a herd of Aberdeen Angus cattle. Another highlight of the cattle business which occurred about 1918 was the building of a community dipping vat at the Fisher place. At that time it was a great improv- ement over anything that had been used. This was a cage-type affair into which the animal was loaded and dipped in the vat with power furnished by a team of horses. It was built at the Fisher place due to the central location. and the number of corrals available. It was in use for several years with ten or twelve men there every day working with the stock during the dipping season. The Fishers retired in the mid 1940s. moving into the town of Flagler. Copied from the Flagler Nears, February 12, 1959. by Editors RATTLESNAKES T456 Not many years in the past, Orval Monroe, who lived ten miles north and one and a half east of Vona, found a den of rattlesnakes on his farm. He was driving his car and saw a snake. While killing it, he saw another. His brother came to help, and in two hours they killed eighty. Within the space of five acres and with the help of other men, that day and the next, they killed a total of one hundred and twenty-five. They now knew why the little Monroe girl had been bitten by a rattlesnake a few days earlier. South of Stratton we also had a den of rattlesnakes. This was near the Herb Griffith �fields and all fields had to be fenced to keep range stock out of crops. Framing was done with horses and mules. A few homesteaders LIFE FOR THE HOMESTEADERS T467 A new day dawns on the prairie, a quite undisturbed land with its own familiar sounds - the song of a meadow lark and a turtle dove as they greet each new day, the yapping of the coyote as they prowl the prairies at night; sounds that remain unchanged with the passing of time. By the time the homesteaders came, the Indian camps were gone, the large herds of buffalo, once so numerous in this area, had disappeared - all that was left as a reminder of their presence were buffalo chips and bleached bones of buffalo carcanses that dotted the prairies. farm. Tom Holm, Bob Piper, Bill Ferhenbach, Ray Schlichenmayer, Bill and Herb Griffith, were some of the men who helped in that vicinity. They would hunt in the spring and in the fall. Results one time: twenty-five, fifty-five, sixty-eight. They never failed to get good results. Dead rattlesnakes are good results! Mrs. Harvey Wood found a four-foot rattlesnake in her garden about the time of the Monroe killing. Mrs. Nick Stoffel also killed one in her garden here in Stratton. In earlier years, Leo Klotzbach was bitten by one. No hospital, no serum! Dr. Beechley was the resident physician here then. Leo has not verified, as it was rumored, that Dr. Beechley knew herbs, as did our grand- parents, and picked a prairie herb that helped in the healing of Leo. Even then he was sick for a long time, but did reeover. Mrs. Leiber and Mrs. Cecil Eisenbart, both from south of Stratton. were bitten while in their gardens, but there was serum available drifted too farm, they worked them back closer to home. Blocks of salt were kept out for stock. There was lots of hard work, but communities found time for pleasures, too. Neighbors were neighbors - always ready to lend a helping hand with extra work or in times of and wagon, drove around looking for bones. The bones were sold and shipped to a place where they were ground and used as fertilizer. wagons with barrels of water and head in the undulating buffalo grass. There were soapweeds, pancake and pin cushion cactus, plus a variety of wild flowers that bloomed each spring. There were birds that nested on the ground, prairie dogs, prairie owls and rattle soaked gunny sacks in water to beat the fire out. They sometimes plowed a ditch as a fire guard to stop a fire. People exchanged work at harvest and threshing times, or when ever any extra help was required such as laying up sod, building buildings and fences. Commu- snakes, as well as bull snakes, hog snakes. There were ground squinels, jack rabbits, cotton tails, badgers and coyotes. All this and the prairie was still treeless. The homesteaders had many hardships to contend with coming to a virgin buffalo grass prairie - to an unmarked piece of ground that was to be their new home, with no buildings, no water, no trees, no fences -just a vast open prairie land with nothing as far as the eye could see. Brave, courageous, pioneers of Kit Carson County - Homesteaders. The first and most important things to be done were to provide something to live in and a well and windmill. The building material available was sod, so that is what most homesteaders first buildings were made of. It was an open country with free range for cattle and horses. It was not free range for sheep. Sheep could graze on the buffalo grass, but only with a herder. Sod was broken for trouble. Prairie fires were not uncommon. and any and all who saw smoke would load direction of the smoke to fight fire. They nity basket dinners were a time of getting together to pitch horse shoes, play ball and visit - everyone was welcome. Everyone was welcome at the country dances. Dances were held in homes - people would move furniture out of a couple rooms and have a dance - or in barns or hay lofts or in school houses. John Bloomquist and Lee Raines had nice barns for dances. Smokey Hill had dances in the school house and it was also used for church and Sunday School. by Isophene D. Lesher CHRISTMAS AT CAMP LEWIS T458 Camp Lewis, Washington at that time. A rattlesnake does not have to be coiled to strike. I saw one strike two feet in the air while uncoiled and flat. One Sunday Boots Wilson killed a rattlesnake and out of the wound crawled sixteen little snakes. The local papet, The Stratton Press, carried the picture. The story of the rattlesnake still continues as late as 1983. It was in the fall of the year. Jim McConnell was getting ready to wean his calves, when his son Raymond ran upon a rattlesnake, but it ran in a hole before he could kill it. A few days later, on a rather warm day, LeRoy Herndon and Leonard Beese went to Jim's pasture known as the "Fred Wagner place" to get one of their calves. In a low bottom along the sand creek they ran upon snakes and started killed them and they killed about thirty-five snakes. LeRoy's dog was helping and got bitten and they had to rush the dog to the vet or they might have killed more. by Florence Mcconnell Central Community, used oxen. The weather was the deciding factor in raising a crop. There had to be summer rains to grow a crop. There was no irrigation in these early days. Rains would fill ponds and lagoons that provided range water for stock, otherwise stock had to go back home or to a watering place. Good stockmen rode to check on cattle and horses and if the stock had roamed or And these, too, would soon disappear, gathered up by the bone pickers who, with team The land was a prairie carpeted with Boots Wilson killed this rattler with her young. even had oxen. The Griggs, in the First Rodeo at the o'c' Dunlap Ranch �don't know whether Grandpa Sam Schaal had it published in the Record,the CalI or . Our Dad, Jake Schaal, trained as a medic with Field Hospital Company 252 of the 13th Sanitary Train Regiment. World War ended before his outfit was shipped to Europe, and Dad wae discharged on Apr. 5, 1919 at Ft. D.A. Russell (near Cheyenne), Wyoming. Dad learned many useful things in his field hospital training and was adept at giving first aid, doing special and "pressure" bandaging, setting broken bones, applying and wrapping splints, etc. He was always grateful that he had been trained to help the injured and bind rather than having to up the wounded maim and kill the-enemy. by The Rev. Herbert Schaal way back east and do a little shooting once in a while so the dudes would have something to talk about after they went back home. These dudes, or tenderfeet as we called them, were our best sport. We just had to pretend a little and their imagination would do the rest. A few shots and a wild dash past the ranch house after dark was about all they could stand. They liked to ride and just had to do it. It was the most fun when you slip them a horse that was gentle in the corral but became a bronco as soon as he cleared the gate. I have seen them come to a gate and struggle around to get it open and closed and then find they had the horse on the wrong side of the fence or maybe they would be. We did not milk any of those wild cows, but once there was a fellow there who had to have some milk. Well we told him of a homesteader TOM DILLON AND THE BAR T. T459 I was born in Springfield, New York, in 1885, just one year before this part of the west Jake Schaal in his World War I uniform. Enlisted in U.S. Army on Aug. 27, I9L8. was opened for homesteaders. I did not come here until 1906, but there was still some homesteads to be taken so I took one, 15 miles north and one east ofBethune. I did not come to homestead though, I just saw the opportunity in taking one and saw that it would not interfere with what I really came for, and that was to sell draft stallions. We knew in New York State that they January 1, 1919 Dear Folks: I will try and write a few liens to let you know that I am all O.K. yet. hope you are the same, I received your letter, (Christmas) cards and check. Thank you very much for the same; was very glad to hear from home again. Well, I hope you (had) an opportunity to go to the program on New Year's eve. We had a nice Christmas program. Had a tree about 25 feet high, strung with red, yellow and green with one big white light at electric lights the top of the -tree which looked like a star it from a distance. The tree is (outdoors) sure is a pretty one. - We got pretty good treats and a fine Christmas dinner from the "Y" (YMCA). Last night we had a big New Year's program, and got treats again this afternoon. The band furnished the music for both programs. Well, I suppose it is quite cold back there now. We are having ice and heavy frosts the past three or four mornings. We did not have to drill from December 24 until January 2, but we will start to do something tomorrow again. I see the other boys (from home) quite often here lately. They are all O.K., too. Did any of you folks see Jake Weisshaar since he came home? The way they talk around here, we won't get out of here for several months. Well, this is about all I can think of now. Church services will start pretty soon now, so I will close. I wish you all a happy, brightNew Year and best wishes. Goodbye 'till we meet again. From your son and brother, Jacob Schaal We have the above letter on an old BurlingSon newspaper clipping which has no masthead or further notation on it. So we needed horse power in opening up the west, so my uncle persuaded me to come out here somewhere and form companies to buy a stallion. I recall that Henry Goebel, Posie Chandler, Lee Woodcock and Henry Johnson were in the first company. I was equipped to teach school and I took the school known as the Tuttle School. It was made of rock and I taught John Richards, his brother Harry, sister Edna and another sister, Cora; Ethel and Bertie Ragan, Clay and Hazel Yount and others. I do not remember any church close, but we held services at the school house and when a minister came through we had a sermon. Here is something that happened while I was teaching. John Richards and his two sisters were coming to school one morning, driving an old mare and the girls were picking on John. John tried to take care ofhimselfbut they were getting the best of him, so he hit the old mare a good one and threw out the lines and said, "There you are girls, I hope that old mare runs off and I hope we are all killed." But the old mare had too much rheumatism. They were not killed and John lived to raise a nice family. Yes, I worked on the old Bar T and I guess that was one of the most popular ranches of the day. Its big days were before I came. Burt Ragan came there as a poor boy and later became the manager. They never owned much land. They did not need to, they just turned the cattle loose as there were no obstructions in the first days. The cattle would drift in the storms clear to the Arkansas River and then fall in and drown. I did not hear much of the killing that took place out there. We had guns, but it was not necessary to wear them and there was plenty of n-munition. We had to wear our guns when the ranch was entertaining guests from who lived down the trail about five miles who milked a cow, so he got on a horse and started out. This man was pretty hard on a horse and he bounced so much that when the horse's back was going up he was coming down. Well he made the trip alright, but the milk must have been a little rich and sour for he had a little paddy of butter and some whey when he got back. I married in 1909 to Jessie L. Kellogg from my old hometown. Her father was out here before that buying buffalo hides. He was down in Kansas near Norton one day and there were just two little stores there. One of these men must have been new to the region for a large group of Indians came through and he was really scared. They were loaded with buffalo hides. Well, in a quick transaction Mr. Kellogg bought out the store and the same day traded the entire stock to the Indians for the hides. Those were great days that I spent at the Bar T, but it is better now. I would not want to go back to them. Mostly I helped put up hay and then went back to teaching school in the winter months. Burt Ragan, the manager then, was about ready to start out on his own as he had about 200 head of cattle. Henry Goebel was managing the Spring Valley and he traded and bought a lot. He was an accommodating man and you could always sell an animal to Henry. You could drive in a cow, calf, or even a hog and Henry would buy it for a fair price. by KCCC RATTLESNAKES MOVE IN T460 Our sandy ground is covered with a variety of grasses, sagebrush, soap weed and cactus. It is home for our cattle, horses, the coyotes, rabbits, pheasants, gophers and a few snakes. The snakes have a free range unless I discover them in my yard or we see a rattler. In October 1983, we began seeing more rattlesnakes that normal on the roads. Lyle Garner owns property to the east of us with rock cliffs facing south. We presume several rattlers were scouts, then passed the word that they had found a nice sunny location to hibernate for the winter. Lyle and Theo Borden went to these rocks looking for something to shoot at. They found �were going to get some rocks or not, but you could take a rock claim with another claim if you could find one and you could also take what you called a desert claim the same way. A desert claim was one that the government thought was too sandy and hilly to support a family. Anyway, they were on their way to this rock claim and were intending to go through the Bar T, as was the custom, and the Bar T was liking Mr. Munsinger less all the time, for one more homesteader meant a little less grass for the Bar T. Before they came to the Bar T Rattle Snakes Move In! (photo from Rich Gaddy) more than their wildest imagination would let them believe. They ca-e to get Garold and Tony to bring more guns and shovels to help them kill snakeg. They had killed 250 in just the few hours before sundown. The hunt went on for six weeks before the first snow. Each step was chosen with care. A live snake would be right beside a dead one. I was thankful for the sport of getting themselves a trophy of the skin or rattles. We kept a count from people that reported to us the number they had killed. I didn't want to know how many were taken out live in ten gallon cans. The dead ones totaled eleven hundred ninety five. Had there been this many rattlesnakes in the area for the summer, we would have seen them competing with the bullsnakes for the bird eggs. We would have been doctoring noses of curious horses all summer. Any that escaped probably decided not to trust that scout the next winter! It turned out to be an extra cold winter with lots of snow. We haven't seen many since. by Jean Paintin WE CAME FROM RUSSIA T461 This is the story of Fred Bauder as told by his wife Minnie on Januar5r 12, 1958. Fred was born in the area of Odessa in Russia in 1877 but, of course, he was not really Russian but German, as his grandfather had migrated from Germany to Russia. Fred and his parents arrived here in America in 1888 and took a homestead upon arrival, seven miles north of Bethune and just a little east. When Fred was 16 and his brother, Andrew, a little older, they were out looking for work. At first they worked on ranches as far away as north of Denver, Fred was back here working on the famous Bar T before he was 20. Most of the things that were typical ofoutfits like this happened before Fred went to work there. I have heard my father speak of some of them. One was about the time when the farm hand shot down the Mexican, when it was just a misunderstanding about a pair of gloves. Then there was another story about a man from Denver by the name of Munsinger who was making a living by locating homesteads and charging for it. He also did suweying. I do not know if he was qualified as a surveyor but someone had to do it. One day my father and Mr. Muneinger were going north to the Bar T to a rock claim. I don't know if they gate, one of the ranch wagons fell in just ahead of my father and Mr. Munsinger and told them not to come in. When the Bar T men produced three guns, Papa and Mr. Munsinger had to withdraw, but Mr. Munsinger was mad and turned around to go arm himself. I guess it had to come to showdown sometime to see if this land could be homesteaded, and the Bar T fenced in. Papa kept trying to get him to change his mind, but he kept right on going and did get a gun and come back, but he finally gave up and went the long way around to get to the rock claim. Later on they clashed again southwest of the Bar T headquarters. I think that Mr. Munsinger was surveying; he could have been as they kept getting closer with this work and Munsinger was armed this time and they shot it out. Munsinger killed the foreman and shot the heel off another man's boot. Someone asked Munsinger why he got one shot so low and he said he aimed low and did not want to kill the second man. Yes, Fred had some experiences while working on the Bar T, but they were the kind that fell the lot of all ranch hands at that time. There was lots of saddle work for they rode for miles and miles. There were lots of other things to do that the boys who think they would like to be cowboys never connect with ranch work. There was the time that he had to go to Lamar with two other men and get a trainload of Southern steers that were coming in. The train had been held up on the line by something they could not help. It may have been a washout or a wreck, I cannot remember anJrmore, but the steers cnme in in terrible shape. They were in the cars so long their hips were raw and they were awfully weak. Then they had to be branded before they left the yards, for as soon as they got them out of town they might mix with other cattle or some would stray away. There were a lot of them. I think it was 1,000. They got them branded and then started out with them through Lamar to the ranch north.Three of them were so weak that they dropped in the etreet before they got out of town and few more after that, but it was way after dark before they got them out far enough to let them bed down. Then the men were ready to try and get themselves something to eat, but before they had started, here came an official from Lsmar and said that they had to move those dead cattle out of town. They did just that with nothing to do it with but their ropes and the tired saddle horses. The year that they got this big shipment ofsteers from Lamar the ranch said that they had not made any money and Fred did not get paid his wages. They were supposed to give him $5.00 extra for every horse he broke and I think he received that. Water was sometimes the biggest problem. There was always plenty at the main ranch on the river but the cattle were many miles from there at times and wells were few and those old mills that they had then were not what we have now. Fred had to work on windmills and wells a lot and the help he had was not always good. He was working on one when the pipes slipped and came down on his hand. He had two fingers that were just dangling, so they rode into town and the doctor sewed them back on. Then the doctor left town, but not for good, just for a while. Well, this did not turn out very good, and Fred's hand startcd to mortify. They were afraid he might even lost his life. It did not seem that there was anything that could be done. But someone told him to go see a man by the name of Allen who was selling drugs in Burlington. This man had served in the Army and had been in the Hospital Medical Corps, as an assistant. He looked at Fred's hand and swore. and said "such a doctor." He removed the fingers, did some cutting and stitching, and the hand got well. Fred and I got married in 1907 and took a homestead 7 miles north of Bethune. It was not easy to establish and keep a home then, but then it was much better than when my folks started. We worked hard and we finally did get a nice ranch for ourselves totaling 1,319 acres. We raised four children and gave all a good education. Fred always did all he could to help in the community in whatever way he could. He suffered out the dry years like everyone else but hung on. Age and health forced him to give up the farm and move to town in 1946 where he could take life easier. He passed away in the spring of 1957. bv K.C.C.C. CHILDHOOD MEMORIES T462 As a child I cannot remember any special hardships. Now my parents are both deceased. We were just a short way from the South Dakota border which was then an Indian reservation. The Indians used to start prairie fires which the settlers spent many days control- ling. At present, this country is a fine ranching and farming area. When the time came for the government to ope-n the country for settlement, many people lived in sod houses. The sod houses were always cool in the summer and warm in winter. In our sod house, we used a topsy stove one winter for heat. This had what was called a drum oven on the pipe for baking. My mother baked many loaves of bread and other goodies in it. My mother had many beautiful flowers in the windows. In early days, there were no churches but there was a family who had moved into our neighborhood who organized a Sunday school. The father of this family had been Governor of the State of Nebraska. He was a fine man and worthy to be our Sunday school superintendent. This Sunday school was held in our little school house. Many are the happy memories of those days when I attended a rural school. To me, it is doubtful if anything can ever replace the rural school for children. To me. that is one �of the reasons for a strong America. The following poem recalls many blessed feelings. brothers considerable trouble. The wild stallions would come into their horse herds Our kitchen seems to be the place Where all the family gather. Round the table they will sit, Because they say, they'd rather. Our kitchen seems to be the place Which makes our house a home. and steal many of their mares and drive them miles away from the Wagner's range. The brothers at last got permission from the State Government of Colorado to shoot the wild stallions whenever they were caught stealing mares. Most of the stallions were smaller and not nearly as valuable as the Here we dance and sing and play And have no thoughts to ronm. by Grace Corliss LINCOLN HIGHWAY 19 13 the cities where there is a cattle market today. There were a good many wild horses in this area at that time and they caused the Wagner T463 According to the Cappers Weekly on Oct. 29, 1963, Halloween of 1963 was the Fiftieth Anniversary of a celebration dedicating the first proposed route of the Lincoln Highway which passed through Kit Carson County about where Highway 24 is now. I well remember Burlington's part in the celebration. The town folks had received advance word from members of a thirty car caravan of eastern people who planned to make the first transcontinental trip by car on the new Lincoln Highway that would pass through Burlington on a certain date. So the Burlington town folks, wishing to give those eastern tenderfeet a taste of western hospitality and wild west entertainment, arranged in an old fashioned chuck wagon feed and a small rodeo at the fair grounds. The caravan arrived on schedule with probably the most automobiles that had ever been in Burlington at one time; thirty four autos. The chuck wagon feed was a grand success. My brother Millard, and I, had ridden forty miles from our ranch to bring in some bucking horses. Apparently the visitors had never seen a cowboy and a bronco in action together before. They had cameras of all kinds, shooting us from all directions. For something special and different, my brother Millard put his saddle on his bronco backwards, then mounted, and rode backwards. The four cowboys that took part in the bronc riding that day were: Jim Jones of Kanorado, Bert Townes of Burlington, Millard Harrison and myself, Carl Harrison of Vona. by J. Carl Ilarrieon IIORSE RANCHING T46'4 Wagner's domesticated horses. The brothers were also given permission to catch, brand and break any of these wild ponies that they desired. So one winter they made quite a project of catching wild horses. They chose winter time when the wild horses were thin and not very strong. They would ride until they found a wild herd, then with their well fed and strong saddle horses they would be able to rope the wild horses on the prairie. They would then put a rope hobble on their catch, turn it loose and rope another, proceeding in that way until they had spent their saddle horses or caught what they wanted. In doing this the hobbled horses could be herded together and driven to their ranch headquarters without too much more trouble. Corraling a loose wild horse with a saddle horse is about like trying to corral a jack rabbit or a coyote. Since these horses had never known or learned to respect a barbed wire fence, it was almost impossible to keep them in a corral or a pasture. Keeping the horses gave them more trouble than catching them. Fred Wagner told me that they tried some horse steaks from some of the wild horses that they killed. They never relished horse steak as it always seemed to have a sweet sweaty horse like the smell of a sweaty horse. I have heard it said many times in the old days that John Wagner was a real wizard in his handling and breaking of wild horses. He seemingly cast a spell over extremely wild horses. He could then accomplish things in their handling and breaking that no one else could. The brothers had a horseman friend and neighbor in Cheyenne County, Colorado by the name of Pinky Henderson. Pinky came to them with a hard luck story. It seemed he had sold, loose on the range, about fifty head ofhorses, to a New York buyer to be rounded up, loaded and shipped at a certain time. When the time came to deliver them. he found that he was unable to corral them. There were some wild horses running his, and some ofhis horses had never been in a corral. When he was crowding them near a corral, the wildest horses in the herd would break back like jack rabbits in all directions and while he was trying to stop one critter the rest would break and run and soon the herd was scattered and gone beyond hope of stopping Two brothers, Fred and John Wagner, moved into Kit Carson County from Cheyenne County, Nebraska in 1903. They them that day. Henderson knew Fred and John were excellent horsemen with a good string of broughtwith them about seven hundred head extra good saddle horses. He had come to ask them to come down into Cheyenne County and help him corral the horses that he had ofhorses. John took a homestead about eight miles south of Stratton where they made their headquarters for some time. The government land was all open so their horse pasture qr6s elmssf, boundless. There was a fair market for horses in thoge days to the Army for cavalry horses. Many were shipped to the eastern United States and a great many were shipped to Europe. There was a good horse market at about all sold. Fred and John moved down near Henderson's place. They took with them a chuckwagon and a string of good strong saddle horses to help Henderson corral his horses. The next day the three of them went out and spent a good share ofthe day getting the horses rounded up and back near the home corral. As they neared the corral a few of the wild "quitters" as Fred called them, began to get nervous and tried to break out and leave the herd. With strong fast mounts the men managed to hold them together almost to the corral gate. A wild stallion broke back between the horsemen. In trying to stop him, they left other gaps open and a few seconds later horses were scattered and running in every direction. They let the wild horses go for that day and tried again the next day with the seme results. On the third day the wild stallions, that had succeeded in escaping twice before taking the rest of the herd with them, repeated the performance. Fred and John were pretty badly disgusted with their failures. When Henderson wanted them to try it again, they told him that they were tired running their saddle horses for nothing. They said they wouldn't help to try to corral the horses again unless he, Henderson, would allow them to shoot the quitters whenever one started to break out of the herd. Since Henderson wouldn't think of letting them shoot any ofhis horses, Fred and John packed up their chuckwagon, took their saddle horses and went home. After a week or ten days of unsuccessful attempts to corral his horses or to get other efficient help to do the job, Henderson again appealed to the Wagner brothers to help him. In the deal, he would allow them to shoot the quitters. Their next attempt at corraling the herd proceeded about as usual until they were nearing the corral gates. A big beautiful sorrel stallion broke back. Fred said that he thought, as he saw that big beautiful horse breaking for safety, "I would sure hate to kill that horse if he were mine, but he has got to be stopped." He took aim and let him have it. By the time the smoke had cleared away, he and John had killed four or five quitters. They were then able to corral the remainder of the herd without much trouble. When the gates were closed securely, Fred said, "I rode out to take a look at the big sorrel stallion that I had just killed. I turned him over to see if he was branded and dnmned if he wasn't my own hoss," by .I. Carl Harrigon CHRISTMAS ON THE PLAINS 1930 STYLE T465 The weeks before Christmas were filled with much preparation for the school program. Our school never had more than seven students enrolled in all eight grades but we always had a program that would last about 2 hours many skits, memorized solos, duets, groups. We "readings", songs - by their hems to form would hang sheets dressing rooms and curtains to draw. If the pupils had younger brothers or sisters at home they were encouraged to "speak a piece". This was always looked forward to and enjoyed because you never knew for sure what would happen. My sisters and I always had new dresses for the program that my mother had made usually out of used fabric that some of the family had given her. I remember especially a beautiful tan colored dress trimmed with a �pretty bright plaid. I had put it on to wear for the very first time and in the hurry and commotion to get ready a bottle of hair oil that one of my brothers had out to use got tipped over and spilled down the front of my new dress. Of course I had to wear something old and since the fabric was not washable (wool) the dress had to be discarded. We always had a church program to take part in also however since it served a much larger area there were alot more people to share the responsibility. I remember the church Christmag tree looked huge to me and since no one had trees in their homes it was a real sight. Real candles were placed on the tree and were lit during the program. One of the men of the congregation would stand close by to put out the fire should one occur. Santa made his appearance at the end of the progrrm with treats for all the children. I remember getting a package in the mail from Grandma Jameg (she died when I was five or six so it must have been her last Christmas.) It sat in the unheated "parlor" until Christmas morning. No present was ever opened around our house until that magical morning. In the mail also would come a box from an uncle who had a goodjob in the Oklahoma oilfieldg. We didn't open it either but we knew it would be a 5 pound box of a luxurious gift! chocolates - What I remember the year when I was about six years old my parents had given me some chickens to raiee. They told me if I took good care of them I could sell them at Chrigtmas time and I would have some money to buy presents with. When December came I asked my Dad if he would take my five hens to town and sell them for me. Realizing that the effort of catching them and taking them to town was going to be more trouble than they were worth he got out his pencil and paper and proceeded to make me a business deal. He figured out what each would probably weigh and what the going rate per pound was at the time and wrote me a check for the amount. I was very proud ofthat traneaction and altho the check was a few cents less than a dollar (this was during the depression) I managed to buy something for everyone - Mother, Dad, three brothers, and three sisters. Christmas Eve was always a very special partly because we were excited about time Santa- coming and presents waiting to be opened next morning but mostly because of the tradition of the white tablecloth and the light€d candles while we ate our bowls of steaming oyster soup. Before we started to eat however we listened to the reading of the Christmas Story. I always wanted to go to bed right after supper so morning would come faster. My sisters and I would be up in the morning long before daylight to see what Santa left in our stockings. Dad would hear us up and he would get up also to get a warm fire going in the heating stove. Our presents from Santa were usually small enough to fit into our long cotton stockings (the kind we wore daily). The foot of the sock was always filled with candy and nuts. On the table would be all the pretty bowls that we never used any other time of year and they would be heaped high with peanut brittle, hard candy, peanut clusters, nuts of all kinde. Compared to the 1980s our presents in those days were really nothing at all but I cannot ever remember being dieappointed with what I got in fact I always felt like a very lucky little girl as indeed I was. by Reta James Lounge herding cattle and horses on the free range, milking cows and delivering the cream and eggs into Vona seventeen miles away by team and buggy. by J. Carl Harrison 65 YEARS A FARMER. RANCHER T466 As I heard and saw our 1979 cattle selling at record high prices I wondered how many of our 1979 cattlemen remember or have heard their father or grandfather recall the cattle price situation back in the 1930's when there wae a surplus of cattle and a shortage of feed. There would be a fair crop of thistles on land where the planted crop had failed. The thistles were mowed and raked and stacked where, in some areas, that was the prevailing cow feed. In some instances, the stalks of the thistles were so had and stiff that a cow couldn't eat them so in a good many instances a farmer with an old type thrashing machine would make the rounds in the neighborhood and the etacks of thistles were run through the machine which ground them up fine enough that a cow could eat them. The winter weather wae hard and people were losing cattle from starvation. F.D. Roosevelt put a law through suggesting the killing of surplus cattle, and in return the government would pay the owner for what was killed. It was either that or let them starve, so I called for government assistance. At last the government crew anived. It was a hard pill to take to etand in your cattle corral and watch those government riflemen stand and shoot your cow herd down one at a time, but it was either that or see them starve. We were paid twelve dollars per head for our cows and four dollars for calves. Several of our neighbors were present at the time and I told them to butcher out anything that had any meat on them and they did. I bought corn for twenty-five cents per bushel for supplemental feed for the few cattle that I had left and bought replacement calves the next year for $1.00 per head. I have seen hundreds of head of horses on the free range of which very few were claimed by any one, almost like the old wild horse days. All that a cowboy had to do was to pick out the horse that he wanted and help himself. It used o be said that a well-mounted cowboy had a $10.00 horse and a $50.00 saddle. I fed out a carload of gteers in the early twenties on 25 cent corn and delivered them to Kansas City by rail for $6.15 per hundred pounds. And along about that time a license tag wasn't required on a car and no brake and light inspection. There was no income tax and in L924, the tax on our half-section homestead was just $12.00. About that time, I taught a country school, and was bus driver and janitor for $50.00 per month. At least it kept me off W.P.A. In the summer of 1926, I rode a horse from our homestead south of Vona to Colorado Springs to attend a summer session of a teacherg review course at Colorado College for six weeks. During that time, my wife, Winnie, and our two small boys ran the ranch alone; raising chickens, caring for the hogs, CORN HARVEST SIXTY YEARS AGO T487 Back in 1916, corn was the main cash crop in Kit Carson County, especially north of the Rock Island Railroad. There was no deep well irrigation in those days, so corn was a dry land crop. All was picked by hand as the corn picker had not yet been invented. Thirty or forty bushel per acre was considered a good yield. In those days, a corn picker was one man with a team of horses hitched to a lumber wagon. The wagon had two or three sets of side boards and a high bump board on the off side to stop the ears of corn as the shucker threw them at the wagon. A good corn shucker in getting to the field by day light and staying at it steady till dark could shuck between seventy five and a hundred bushels, depending on the quality of the corn and the general size of the ears. When a farmer hired a corn shucker, he was paid about three or four cents per bushel for his work, which amounted to somewhere from $2.00 to $4.00 per day. This depended on his speed and staying power. The shucker generally furnished his own team and wagon for which he would receive feed for his tenm and his own board and room. The boss would measure the corn that the shucker brought in as one bushel for every inch high filled in a standard wagon box. Then he had to scoop his load off after dark. A great deal of the corn raised north of Stratton was hauled directly into Stratton and sold to the Stratton Equity Coop. The Co-op bought thousands of bushels of corn by wagon box measure, which was one bushel to the inch. This was ag accurate as weighing a load and paying for one half of the weight as corn and the other half of the weight as the cob for which they received nothing. Around .500 per bushel was a fair price in those days. During the rush of corn picking season on most any day you could see a continual line of horse drawn wagons loaded with ear corn coming into Stratton from the road running straight north. There would be a solid line of wagons as far as you could see. The Co-op would have the corn unloaded in long ricks on the open land just north of the Rock Island Railroad where Miller's car wrecking yards are now. The Co-op then shelled the corn and left the cobs in long ricks which they sold back to the formers and town people for $1.00 a load. They used the cobs as fuel for cook stoves and heaters. There was a time during the 1920s when corn was so cheap that many families, mine included, didn't bother to shell the corn off the cob. Instead they used ear corn for fuel in place of wood, wood, or cow chips. by J. Carl llarrison �THE LAST ROUNDUP T468 Probably the last old style cowboy-chuck wagon roundup to take place in Kit Carson county was brought about by an odd group of circumstances back in the early twenties. But before getting to the story proper, a little back ground material is necessary. A good many residents will remember a couple of good old dry land farmers, who settled northeast of Stratton, brothers-inlaw, H.H. Woods and F.P. Powers. They decided to spread out a little in a partnership cattle venture. They went to some southern market and bought around 400 head of aged southern steers. Now for someone who had always handled gentle docile native cows, there was quite a bit to learn about handling a herd of aged southern gteers on the open range. But not knowing anything of the wild roving nature of their newly purchased herd, they decided to make use of the open range that was pretty plentiful yet in the southern part of the county. They made a deal with a farmer about 14 miles south of Stratton, Herb Ellis, to furnish water at his windmills and ride herd on the bunch. Ellis let them know that he would be pretty busy farming, but that they had a little cow pony mare that his wife could ride and that she could keep an eye on the steers in her spare time. Eventually the cattle arrived by rail. They were unloaded in Stratton, and driven out to the Herb Ellis farm. They arrived at the watering place about a half mile from the Ellis home, but just out of sight of it, about sundown. The cattle took a good drink and laid down to rest. The three men, Woods, Powers and Ellis, thought that it looked like the end ofa perfect day and from then on all they needed to do was to watch those nice gentle steers eat, drink and get fat. So they all retired to their homes without the least thought of worry. But little did they realize what was in the minds of "those nice gentle steers". The next morning at the Ellis farm, after the chores were done and breakfast over, Ellis and his wife cranked up the Model T, deciding they would drive over the hill to the herd, check the water, and perhaps make a count. But to their bewildering surprise as they crested the hill in view of the watering tanks, not a single steer was to be seen in any direction. "Oh, well", Herb says, "they likely just moved over the next hill. We will find them right there". But What!! No steers over the next hill. At that turn of events, Herb decided to drive back home, get the old saddle mare, lead her behind the car until they found the cattle and then the Mrs. could drive them back near the home place. They acted on that decision. They drove till they played the old mare out leading her behind the car and never found but 30-40 head. Then they tied the old mare to a fence, as she slowed them down too much. and drove on into the afternoon. I might mention here that what Woods, Powers and Ellis didn't know about this particular breed of long-legged steers, was they were accustomed to moving 6 to 8 miles at a time, or if they should become frightened by a dog or car they would stampede. It was nothing for them to run 8 or 10 miles without stopping. So before the day was over, Ellis and his wife decided to go home and send word to Woods and Powers of the developments and ask their advice. Early the next morning the owners, Woods and Powers, drove to the Ellis farm themselves, visibly disgruntled at the Ellis'carelessness and disability to effectively ride herd and keep tabs on a bunch of"nice old steers", and immediately took off in their car to find, round up and return those "nice old steers", to the home stomping ground. They drove a good share of the day, back and forth, round and about, and to their surprise found very few of their cattle. They did locate a small bunch near the Buzz Dunlap ranch, where they stopped and talked tn Buzz, telling him of their dilemma and asking his advice as to how best to get their wayward steers located and gathered. Wher- eupon, Buzz advised them to get an old fashioned chuck wagon, hire a crew of cowboys and conduct a real old time roundup. So, that is what they proceeded to do, and inside of a few days had secured a horse dravm chuck wagon, and hired a few cowboys and a few extra saddle horses. The cowboys that were hired were: Maynard Dunham, Buzz Dunlap, Roy Chamberlin, and myself Carl Harrison. Also helping was H.H. Woods sixteen year old son, ding snort and the stampede was on. The drivers barely escaped with their lives, as that 200 head of steers turned in fright, as one solid mass and thundered off into the night. They had done it again, only this time the bosses had seen how it happened. They learned quite a lot in those few short moments about the temperament and disposition of those nice old southern steers. They realized that it wan an impossible task to try to stop them or to bring them back in the dark. We cowboys knew nothing of the episode until we returned Monday morning, only to find our last week's work had come undone in a few fateful minutes. The bosses were out in their automobile frantically scouring the range for their wayward steers. Before noon the bosses were back in camp empty-handed, looking rather sheepish. We soon got organized and were on our way again. We tracked the herd to a sand creek about 2 miles south of Dunlaps, where we counted about 200 fresh tracks, where they crossed the sand creek still at a trot. The rest of the roundup was somewhatuneventful. We found some of the steers within 10 miles of Cheyenne Wells and First View. We spent almost another week before we found them all and delivered them back to the home range. Woods and Powers had learned through some costly experience that the farmer's wife Harvey. The two bosses manned the chuck wagon, took the extra saddle horses in tow, in her spare time with one little old pony mare was no match for that bunch of long prepared the riders three meals a day, and set up camp at night, any place night happened with a good tight fence. That is where our to overtake us. With the accumulation of steers that we found each day and added to the herd, we took turns night herding for fear of losing them all again. We started covering an area about 20 miles in diameter around the Ellis farm. At the end of 4 or 5 days we had found only about half of the herd. With Saturday night coming up, the cowboys decided they wanted to go home and rest over Sunday. Powers made the remark to us before we left, that he didn't understand why anyone should have any trouble holding that bunch of cattle. "Why," he said, "A ten year old boy with a threelegged horse should be able to keep track of that herd of steers." Oh!! What he didn't know, but was soon to learn after his help was gone and before the night was over. The bosses watched the cattle for an hour. some grazing, some lying down, so they decided to pitch their tent a few rods south of Dunlap's corrals. Just before dark, the two men had some misgivings. Powers said to Woods, "Just suppose we should sleep too soundly and those cattle should decide to move again tonight, don't you believe it would be the wise thing to do, to put them in Dunlap's corral?" They agreed that that was best. So, shortly they were out around the legged steers. So the owners rented a pasture roundup terminated. But before the cowboys left for home that last night, one of them admonished Powers, that he should get that "10 year old boy with the three legged horse", on the job for safety.!! by J. Carl Harrison BIG ROUNDUP T469 In the early 1900's the land in Kit Carson and Cheyenne Counties was principally devoted to stock raising. Most of the land was not fenced as yet, and the ranchers let their herds of horses and cattle graze for miles in any direction almost without limit over the open and unfenced prairie. Most ranchers employed range riders or cowboys who rode the range almost constantly for the sake of keeping tab on the whereabouts of the loose cattle, checking to find how far from the home ranch they were ranging, and turning some bunches back in toward the home place that had wandered too far off their home range. Some large outfits that allowed their cattle herd bunching them and driving them toward to range for many miles in all directions the corral. There wae one more thing these men hadn't realized and that was these cattle hadn't been raised around the habitats of civilized men. Namely; houses, barns, autos, men on foot, and last, but not least, as they would conduct a round up in the fall for the attempted to drive them during the time that dusk turns to darkness, past the camp tent, in which a lighted lantern had been left. At that particular instant a playful puff of wind co-e along, flapped the sides of and the entrance flaps of the already spooky looking tent. A dozen leader steers let out a resoun- sake of sorting out the sellable stock for market, branding and weaning calves, and keeping the herd near the winter feed supply. I attended one of these big roundups in Cheyenne County in 1913. It was conducted by two brothers, Bret and Ike Grey who were large operators in that area. The Grey brothers employed about 15 cowboys for the roundup. Some ofthe boys brought their own saddle horses, and with those that the boss supplied, there must have been 35 saddle horses in the remount supply string. It was �one cowboy's job to ride herd on the saddle horse herd, and follow up with the chuck wagon whenever it moved. This cowboy was cdled the horse wrangler. He would also bring the horse herd into camp, usually in the morning, or any time of day when fresh mounts were required. The cowboys would make a corral of lariat ropes, the boys themselves acting as poets in the fence. Then each cowboy in his turn would go in and catch the mount he wanted. Meals were served at the chuck wagon, I DROVE TIIE STAGES T470 Yes, I drove the stage coaches and I am not surprised that you are surprised for there are not many of us left. I do not know of any of the men that I drove with that are living. Stage coach driving had its incidents and some of them would seem precarious today, but at the time it was just a way of life and the fastest transportation that we had. It prepared by the roundup cook. Those meals were certainly relished after a day of hard riding. We each had our bedroll and slept on the softest place we could find on the ground would get you there and just about anywhere that you wanted to go. You have come a little late to get the story that I could have told you 50 years ago when drifting too far at night and also to keep them from stampeding. We never experienced a stampede on the Grey roundups, but I have seen real stampedes of herds of wild cattle who becn'ne frightened by a noise or a light at night and from any experience that was no use trying to stop a stampede of wild frightened cattle at night. I have known them could have told you of several single trips that under the stars. We took turns at night herding to keep the gathered herd from to run and travel for eight or ten mileg before stopping. Since the roundup was a good time and place to break in a green bronco there were generally a few in the remount string. Most every morning, some cowboy would draw a wild one and we would have a little exhibition. The wild horse, after being roped, would be snubbed to the saddle horn of a gentle horse, then blindfolded and eared down by a man on the gentle horse until the bronco was saddle and bridled. Then the rider got on, the blindfolds were taken off, and the horse turned loose to do his worst. This particular roundup was in process for about three weeks, and the country covered pretty thoroughly from the U.P. Railroad to the north line ofCheyenne County north and south, and from about even with Cheyenne Wells to Wild Horse east and west, moving the chuck wagon headquarters in a big circle, adding the cattle that were gathered each day to the holding herd was was moved alongwith the chuck wagon each time it changed snmping places. Several of the smaller ranchers in the areajoined the roundup for the sake of gathering their own cattle that might be scattered somewhere in the area. The cowboys were told to pick up all cattle carrying the brands of the several helping ranchers. This was my case, as I was gathering for my father, A.W. Harrison, who was located about 20 miles southwest of Stratton. Some of the old timers may remember some of the nnmss of the helping ranchers: Billy Lang, Mustache Barber, Al Hungerford, Win Cotton, Ben Brown, and Mr, Freeman. The roundup ended near an old cow camp about 20 miles NW of Kit Carson, known then as "Lost Springs", and we had nearly 2,000 head of cattle. We held them there several days working the herd, cutting out the cattle of each of the small ranchers in turn and holding them some distance from the main herd, until each was sure he had all of his brand, I then headed for home with about 30 head of my father's cattle. My time with the roundup had been well spent. by J. Carl Harrison my memory served me better. When I climbed off the lagt coach on my last drive I would have made a good story, but today I cannot remember the towns I went through. I can remember, though, some of the hills, especially coming down them. Going up a hill was of little notice when the horses had something to pull on but going down took skill and courage more than once. The passengers never knew how many times I have felt my heart up high in my throat. There is one thing that I have often wished I could do, and that is to have 4 "4-up" or "6up" of some of the horses I used to drive on one of the old stages on the same old road filled with some of the kids here in Flagler. It would be something they would never forget. This is as I remember it. Our state route was 365 miles long and it ran between Schanico and Corvallis, Oregon. My run was from Prineville to Schancio, or anyway I can remember climbing off at the end of the run in those towns. I well remember those wonderful horses. I do not see how a company could put together such a string of animals. They were of various colors but much of the same built; tall, good bodies and muscular with stamina to spare. You could not keep them from running, no matter howyoupulled they went, but just a mere whoa that they could hear and they would stop. I crossed several streams and hills and the hills were where I had to be real careful. There was one bridge of a sort and it was a $500 fine to run a horse over it. I could pull the horses down so that they were going slow, but they pranced and still shook the old bridge. I had to come down quite a hill just before going on this bridge and one day, pull as I could, the horses kept gaining speed and I noticed that the coach was pushing on the tongue team. I looked at the brakes that were on the back wheels and one of the shoes was gone. The other one was not effective for the shoes were on a benm that was hung under the coach and when I pushed on them with my foot it applied pressured to the center of the beam. This equalized them. I could not slow them down nor stop them and they acted like they really were having a time at last, but the bridge stood it and I was not caught but I thought I might be for one of the passengers knew the bridge and told me at the next stop that I was supposed to walk the horses over it. If she only knew how close they came to losing their driver on the curve leading on to the bridge. I was satisfied. We hit the bridge with dl four wheels on the planking and I was thinking as we approached it that two of them might not fit. I have a soft spot in my heart for the days I drove the stages and I think of them a lot. We came in to the station on a tear, dust fogging. That was the only way the horses would do it. I had to use the brakes, for the stop was sudden and if I did not use the brakes the coach would push the tongue tesm and tongue into the lead tenm. I climbed down and attended the baggage and passen- gers. I was through with the horses for someone else took over that. Sometimes I drove six horses, but mostly four. I carried up to 1,550 pounds of baggage and mail. This took very little time. The fresh horges were already out and hitched when we arrived. On some coaches the tongue clipped onto the coach so all you needed to do was unclip it, drive the foamy horses offand back the fresh ones in and clip their tongue on, but on most of them you had to drop the tugs on the tongue team. That was the most the servicemen ever did. They hitched the lead teams. They clipped on and off and, no matter how, changing horses never took one minute. I always looked around and usually hailed someone I knew. Conversation was loud and fast. Sometimes there were orders for me that were hard to hear. I climbed up, and on the way saw that the baggage was hard fast. I picked up the lines and released the brakes and we were off right then and just like we came in. These horses always cnme in fast and left the same way. Passengers in the back seat faced the front and more than once the start caught one of them leaning forward and I would hear their back clump against the back of the seat. At one stage stop I had to drop the mail bags off at the post office, turn a corner and then stop at the stage depot. It was at this place that I had a lead team that I well remember. This team had been passed up by several drivers because they were so hard to control. Some thought they had been used on a fire engine somewhere for they never wanted to slow up until you were ready to stop. They pulled harder on the bits than some 6-ups. I drove these horses out one day and outside of the pulling that I had to do on the lines I did not have any trouble. I will never forget though the sudden stops and quick starts. They always stopped, too, when they were supposed to. They knew we stopped at the post office and they always did, and they knew, too, that it was just a little ways and around the corner where we stopped again, but would they take it easy? No! We came into the second stop on the double. The service had a cooling offstop where they stood for awhile and they knew where that was, too, so that just as soon as they were unclipped from the stage they slid the attendant to their cooling offplace. I wish you could have driven that tenm. I rather expect that stage stops were different than most people picture them. There was lots of interest in the stage aniving. Anyone who was not in town too often made it a point to be there when the stage came in. There was more interest in the stage than in the trains. News was so valuable and more carelessly given, as it was not authenticated like it is now and, ofcourse, the isolated areas were more eager to get it and repeat it. There was no style in dress except that it seemed the more the ladies could put on the more in style they were. The bigger and wider the hat also. It looked like some of the men coming from the east had worn all the clothes �they had. These were the men coming in to make it their home and somehow get their living in this new land. They were the dandies, too, who dressed the part and told the tallest stories. I was in full charge of the coach on the road. The passengers were in my care and if I gave them an order it was to be obeyed. They were wonderful days; very, very wonderful for a young man like me. Some of the drivers were well known for only old timer's store in Flagler and probably in the county. My wife and I are enjoying good health. We hire no help and have not thought of retiring. Some of our slowest moving items have been here for some time. Anna and I saw Flagler born and have seen it grow and it has been a happy experience, a happy life being a part of it. by Roy Bader, deceased one reason or other. The stories oftheir deeds that made them known were told and retold around the stage stops. I was born July 30, 1881, and was named Earl Brown. We came to Flagler in '88 after living three years at Brewster, Kansas, and took a homestead, the northeast quarter of section 12, township 9, range 50. My wife Anna, coms for the same reason, to take a homestead, only she came later and alone and I soon changed her nnme which was Boethin to Brown. We were married September 1, 1913. We had two children that did not survive us, as one lived just for a short time and we lost the other in the 'flu epidemic of 1918. We saw the rails laid into town and it eure had a big meaning for all of us. Before this we had freighted everything from the railroad that was south of us and had gotten our mail from Bowserville. Merchandise of a minor nature was also sold at the post office and the new road came close to this and it was built fast as so many crews worked at different places. They were near Bowserville on July 4th, 1888, and the crews got in bad shape from celebrating with some kind of liquor. They said they got it at the post office and there was trouble about this as you could not dispense liquor from such. Federal trouble was trouble then, as now,as there were forts here and there. The closest one here was on the Arickaree River north of here. I was here to see some of the last cattle drives and while I understand lots of them watered at Crystal Springs, the ones I saw were west of the town of Flager. They were large droves and I think 25 or 30 men were with each drive. They powdered the earth and drank the river dry. They were not always steers, in fact, lots of times they were nearly all cows. I was pretty young and maybe that was why I was always late in getting there to see the whole thing, but I never did get over there and mingle with the punchers like I would now if I just had the chance. There was one homesteader who built the wall for his barn out of ties and that was when they were building the railroad. Well, a man from the Flagler headquarters went out and told him that he would have to return them as they were building a railroad and not barns. Well, the fellow told the railroad official that he could not make him return Union Pacific ties and they had to leave it that way. The ties stayed in the barn wall. We had our fling at the cattle business, but my father liked business better and entered it early. The homesteaders start€d raising grain just as soon as they could get it planted and about that time Dad started buying it. Everything then had to be sacked and he loaded out two cars one night after supper and that was in the early nineties. There were about a dozen farmers helping him and each car held about 500 bushels. I think I have have established a record in Kit Carson County in one respect. We have been in the some store since 1903. It is the Corn shucks were used for bed ticks (mattresses). There were also feather ticks, but that took lots of feathers. Pillows were also made of feathers. Chicken was a summer time meat and the soft feathers and down were always saved from the fowls. Kerosene lamps were used for lights and kerosene lanterns were carried for any out door chores or anything after dark. The cave (cellar) was a cool place to keep things. It was a place for potatoes, winter vegetables, fruit and all kinds of canned goods. LIFE AS A EARLY FARMERS T47l Saturday was 'town day' for the farmers a day to take in the cream and eggs and do the trading. All farmers had milk cows. Milking was one of many regular morning by Isaphene Dunlap Leeher JOIIN WILLIAM BORDERS and evening chores. The milk also had to be separated (hand-powered separator) and by Saturday, creom and eggs needed to be taken to town. Cream was kept in a cool place in five or ten gallon cans and had to be stirred with a long special stirrer during the week. Eggs were carried in egg cases (twelve, six or three dozen size) or in a bucket with grain (barley, wheat or milled) poured over them to keep them from breaking. Farmers did their weekly trading, visited neighbors (who were also in town) and on Saturday evening in Burlington, the Bandstand was pulled to the intersection of Senter and 14th Street (Main Street) and there, local talent played various band instruments. It was good entertainment. All farm wives raised big gardens, set incubators or hens and raised baby chicks. Roosters were used for fryers. Oh, how good that first 'fryer tasted about the 4th of July! Pullets were raised for the next years'layers'. Incubators cnme in 500 - 250 - 110 - 50 egg size with a kerosene heater underneath. A thermometer was placed on the eggs in hopes of keeping the heat regulated. Each egg had to be turned over every day by hand. It took three weeks from the time of setting to the hatch. Butchering was done in the fall after the weather became cool because there was no John William Borders. refrigeration. Pork meat was cured with liquid smoke and hot pepper rubbed well on the meat, or fried down. After the meat was fried and put in large stone jars, hot lard was poured over it to cover and seal the meat. Sausage was especially good prepared this way. Pork was also smoked. Beef, pork and chicken were also canned in mason jars. The fat was trimmed off the pork meat, cut into pieces and cooked in a large container, then lard was rendered off. The cracklings were used to make soap. Lye and water were added and cooked to the right consistency, then left to cool. Later it was cut into chunks and put on a board to dry. Fuels for stoves (both cooking and heating) were corn cobs, coal and cow chips. Cow chips made a good quick hot fire, but Oh - the ashes! However nothing went to waste. The ashes were put in a barrel resting on a sloping board and water was added which leached the lye from the ashes. Shoes were shined by turning a stove lid upside down, using a little water with the soot, and this was applied to shoes with a cloth or brush, then rubbed to polish. Manda I. Borders T472 �J.W. Borders was born to Mr. and Mrs. James Borders on December 3, 1881, in Reedsburg, Wisconsin. His mother was the former Miss Sarah Tabitha Musselman. J.W. was educat€d in the grade schools of Wiscon- sin and graduated from high school in Stratton, Colorado. Although he held a teacher's certificate, he never taught. He cnme to Stratton, Colotado in 1897 where there were only thirteen people in the settlement and worked with a railroad sec- tion crew for 13.5 cents per hour. About 1905 he took out a tree claim locatpd three miles north west of Stratton and fatmed for several years. He then becnrne a partner of Nason Fuller in the operation of a grocery store. After a week of this partnership, the store burned down, but was rebuilt. Later Mr. Borders went into the grain business. J.W. Borders was a widely known grain dealer throughout Kit Carson County, Colorado and also in Lincoln County, Colorado. He was the manager and main stockholder of the Snell Grain Company in Stratton for many years. The Snell Grain Company had six branches, located in Stratton, Vona, Genoa, Hugo, Flagler, and Arriba, Colorado. Mr. Borders became a grain buyer for Snell Milling and Grain Company of Clay Center, Kansas in 1911. In 1912 he bought out Mr. Snell and built a grain elevator that was added onto many times. The Snell Grain Company was reorganized and incorporated and its n'me was changed to the Snell Grain Company. It was also a closed family corpora- tion. Although the Borders Family is no longer involved with Snell Grain Company the company is still in existence in Arriba, his farming operations and through general merchandising with the development of Stratton and that section of Kit Carson County. He lived a busy, useful, active, clean and honorable life and left to his family the priceless heritage of an untarnished name. Nason Fuller was born in Canada February 6, 1846, and there pursued his education until he was sixteen years of age, when he moved to Piatt County, Illinois. He was quite small when his father died. At a young age he began work upon the home farm and when the family moved to lllinois he assisted his mother with the farm work. The family consisted of six sons and two daughters. Mr. Fuller and his brothers carried on the farm in Piatt County until he was twenty-four years old. The family then moved to Mcdonough County, Illinois, where Nason secured employment in a wood shop. He assisted in the building of wagons and in other wood County, Illinois, the daughter of George Gregg and Lydia (Majors) Ingre-. George Gregg Ingram was a stonemason and farmer. Mr. and Mrs. Nason H. Fuller moved in September, L872,to Iowa, where they resided for eleven years. Mr. Fuller worked at various occupations, but mainly did blacksmith work and farming during the period. He was successful in almost everything he undertook throughout his life. He was a man of sound judgment and discrimination and thus his named Ira D. He married Bertha Arnold and lived in Vona, where he conducted a general store. Ira and Bertha had two children, Hoyt and Susan. In 1884 a second child, Manda Iva was born from Burlington. The railroad was completed in May of 1888. Mr. and Mrs. J.W. Borders becn-e the parents of four children: Floyd, who married Rena Mae Hartwig of Vona, Colorado; Halbert (deceased), married Olive Cozine; Hazel who married Hershel C. Harrison; and Marion who married Eleanor De Walt of Longmont, Colorado. There were five grandchildren: Richard Lee, married to Pa.tricia Lowe; Donald Dee, married to Sandra Simson; Robert, who married Zulma McDermott; Diane, married to Tom Moore of Santa Fe, New Mexico; and John Wilson, married to Margaret Schwall. Robert is now married to Emma Jean Sewell. Halbert Borders passed away in 1946. Mrs. J.W. Borders passed away on March 29,L962. J.W. Borders passed away on October 29, L970. by Marion Borders T474 February, 1872, Angeline was born in Warren daughter of Nason H. and Angeline (Ingram) Fuller, on April 19, 1901, at Stratton, Colorado. Manda cqme to Stratton with her parents in a covered wagon in April of 1888. Her father, Nason Fuller, rode the first train and returned on the first passenger train SAILING AND GOOSE HUNTING were united in marriage on the 22nd, of opinions were often sought on points of law. On the 3oth of December, 1875 a son was out of the Stratton to Burlington, Colorado by Marion Borders work for three years. During this time he net his future wife. Nason H. Fuller and Miss Angeline Ingram Genoa, and Hugo, Colorado. J.W. Borders married Manda I. Fuller, Congregational Church. He served for two years as county commissioner of Kit Carson County and was recognized as a valued and progressive citizen. born to Mr. and Mrs. Fuller whom they Dennis Orth, Burlington, CO. 2 geese shot around HaIe, CO. Dec. 12, 1985. Weight 10% lbs.,9% lbs. to Mr. and Mrs. Nason Fuller. Manda I. became the wife of J.W. Borders in April of 1902. J.W. Borders managed the elevator at Stratton and was in partnership with Angeline Fuller, Manda lva's mother. Mr. and Mrs. J.W. Borders had four children, Floyd, Halbert, Hazel and Marion. Mr. Nason Fuller and his family began farming on the homestead at Stratton. His health became impaired and moved into Stratton, where he conducted a general merchandise store for two years. Mr. Fuller then sold out and engaged in the cattle business, living on the old homestead. He remained there for thirteen years and was successful but again found the work too hard for him and again left the farm. He and his wife moved to Burlington, where he worked at the carpenter's trade. After two years in Burlington they returned to Stratton at the request of their children. Mr. Fuller once more conducted a general merchandising store, but a year later his store was destroyed by fire. He was entering his store with a NASON HOYT FULLER T473 Mr. and Mrs. Nason Hoyt Fuller and family moved to Colorado in the year 1888 and homesteaded at Stratton. Mr. Fuller was closely identified through lighted lamp when he suffered a heart attack and the lamp fell, breaking, starting the fire. His friends rescued him from the burning building. Mr. Fuller sold his farm in order to obtain ready money to resume business. Nason Hoyt Fuller remained active in business until his death. which occurred on the 27th of December, 1917. Mr. Fuller belonged to the Masonic Fraternity and was a faithful member of the Dennis and Jean Orth, Bonny Dam, 198?. Local sailors have returned from a variety of late-summer regattas. Physical manifestations of their struggles are worn like badges. Many are noticed favoring aching limbs, lame shoulders or knees. Others are repairing chapped lips, exemining bruises or treating cuts, abrasions, blisters, nicks and scrapes to the skin referred to in sailing circles as "boat �bites". In spite of the inherent risks in the sport, area sailors entered and placed in two major races held recently by the Ogallala Yacht club on Lake McConaughy near Ogallala, Nebr. First place in the Trane Mac went to Sam Schreiner of Stratton sailing a Sun Juan 23. Crewing for Sam were Dennis Orth and Glen Veihmeyer of Burlington. There were 78 in the off-shore and 128 entered in one-design. Competing in the offshore division were skippers: Sa- Schreiner, Hugh Balkwill and Glen Veihmeyer. Crewing of Veihmeyer's Eagle was Bob Cook from Grant, Neb. Sa- Schreiner placed first in the off-shore "Open 2" fleet of 20 boats. In August 1987, Glen Veihmeyer also participated in a regatta out of North Platte in his Eagle trimaran on Lake Maloney. Curt Veihmeyer crewed for his father in these events. by Dennis Orth THE LARGEST AND TIIE SMALLEST T476 been the smallest man in the service, but it is upon the variation in the size of these two men that the Burlington post makes its claim. Pratt's clothing is especially made, his trouser measurements being 66 by 38. Magee takes a 32by 24 trouser and wears a size five shoe. by Marlyn Hasart THE SHORT NIGHT OF A COWBOY T476 "When you ask me to recall the by gone days when I was a young cowpoke, the one thing that came to my mind are the short nights. I know that I'll never forget them. They stand out in my mind so vividly and were so much a part of my youth, that it has always been a wonder to me the short time that a cowboy could spend in that wonderful bedroll. About the only thing that I would know was that I had been asleep and I would feel the boss kicking me, and it seemed that I had hardly closed my eyes. I cannot ever remember awakening in the night except a couple of times when the cattle went on a stampede and then I expect I got the usual kick to get me going." "Yes, the ground was hard and sometimes it was cold and sometimes it was wet and raining or snowing, but it was always the same - I rolled up and that was the last thing I knew until it was morning." These words were spoken by Emil Stalgren. We found Emil playing poker that afternoon of May 18, 1958, with his brother, Roy and two friends. We might have known it would be poker or craps, for the horses were all gone from his place and his life was made up about equally of the three. Many times we have seen him in days gone by, on his knees rolling dice with a blanket spread out on the prairie and a complete circle of cowpokes around the blanket, winning a little and losing a little with Emil and ueually losing just a little more than they were winning. These ga-es were a regular Sunday event. The boys started gathering about ten in the Rube Pratt of Kirk and C.L. "Jack" Magee of Burlington, members of The American Legion, Post No. 60 of Burlington, Colorado. morning and the dice were soon warming up. They took time out to eat a sandwich that was on the back of their eaddle or to drink a cup of coffee that was on the fire, and sometimes a drink of something a little stronger. Then about one in the afternoon a few of them would ride off over the prairie and bring in a bunch of broncoe and the rest of the day would be spent in riding these animals - not to break them to ride, but to see how hard The largest and the smallest members of they could make them buck. These same the American Legion bece-e the challenge of the Arthur Evans Post No. 60 of Burlington, horses were sold like any other horse with not Colorado. The challenge went to all other Anerican Legion Posts in the United States to match the variation in the size of it's two members. The members upon whom the Burlington post bases its claim are Rube Pratt, farmer living near Kirk, Colorado and Clarence L. Magee, local attorney. Pratt, who it is claimed as the largest marine in service during World War I, stands six feet ten inches in height and weighs 375 pounds. Magee, who is five feet one inch tall weighs 125 pounds, does not claim to have a word eaid about how they had been used, to anyone coming along wanting to buy horses. Emil Stalgren was born September 29, 1882, in Stockholm Sweden. He arrived in this country with his parents, Charles Alfred and Hannah Sophia Stalgren in 1884, along with his brother Gus and sister Hannah. Seven other children were born here: Herman, Ida, Josephine, Pearl, Maude and Anna. They stopped first at York, Nebraska, but in a short time went on to Cheyenne, Wyoming. Here Emil's father opened a tailor shop. As there was not too much business, the Stalgrens moved again. This time to Wallace, Kansas. Emil did not say just how long they remained at Wallace, but there he learned much about how to care for himself and how to mix with the outfits and cowpunchere. He learned a lot about horses, too, and decided he liked them. He was roping, branding, herding and doing many other things when he should have been going to school. He did not like the pay and so he decided to go back to Wyoming. He was about 17 at that time. He ceme to a Settlement called Pine Bluffs and was soon working for a man by the nnme of Parker, but he could not remember the name of the outfit. He was to get 930.00 per month, meals included. As he was youngest man in the outfit he was called "Kid" or "Slim". Wild horses were not much to Emil's liking and he did not try to tane any, but his brother Gus broke a few and some of them gentled down about as well as any other horse. Emil said he just did not like them and you did not have much of a horse after you went to all that trouble. They were mostly too small. Emil had to mention again here how short those nights were and we asked him how short they were, and he said he thought that in summer they were about 5 or 6 hours put in in the bedroll. One man had to stay up all night. That was always done so as to keep an eye on things and the horses that were kept close by in a bunch. If there were seven working cowboys that meant there were ?5 or 80 horses for them; four well broke horses to pull the chuck wagon, and an old skate that the cook rode and a few good ones for the boss to ride. Sometimes they would not get a bunch of cattle finished that they had rounded up that morning, and that meant that someone had to hold them together and away from the other cattle. So many were the nights that some of the cowboys were up all night. A horse and rider, moseying around after dark, always seemed to have a quieting affect on the cattle. An occasional cough, a little singing, and always that shuffling around was all that was needed, but it had to be done. The first thing the boys did when they were kicked out in the morning, was to drink coffee that was always on the fire. Biscuits of a sort were always on the bill o'fare, the rest varied a little. Fresh beef was a standby, although when they used the last of the beef they usually waited a few days before another was prepared. The other things were salt pork, prunes and raisins. Emil spent nearly all of one winter rounding up stray horses. Horses could get around pretty fast and when they got 75 miles from the home ranch that was considered far enough and they shooed them back always. He had a partner most of the time. He would be someone representing another outfit. Emil could not remember any of them that he rode with that wintcr except Emil Foreling, who later became sheriff of one of the wegtern Nebraska counties. He even saw him in later years when he went back to see his old time stomping grounds. Well, they just rode and rode and looked and looked. One thing of note was that in all that riding that winter no one asked them where they came from, where they were going or what they were doing. Emil said that you did not agk questions, you waited until information was given or you �went without it. They did stop in at places, eat and stay overnight or longer if it was necessar5r', such as storms, etc. They were on legitimate business and were not reluctant to tell who they were, whom they were working for and what they were in the vicinity for. No place was locked and they went in and stayed just the same as if someone was there. No one thought anything of doing this. They all did it. We knew Emil when he bought cattle from people far and near and he was a fair and square dealer. He just took a little time to look them over and then made a bid. He never dickered. The bid was always just a little under what he thought he could ship them for and still make a little profit. People who did not have a carload to sell liked to sell to Emil. You could buy from him also if you wanted cattle. The old Texas Trail went though Emil's stomping ground and he thought he was on the last drive. This was a drove of 5,000 that were being taken to Montana and they were moving and grazing slowly along. This trail meandered over a trail that was about 20 miles wide so there would be a little grass to eat on the way. This one went close to Pine Bluffs, Wyoming, and all the boys that were on the drive got drunk and things were held up until they got over it. He left Wyoming in 1906 and came to Kit Carson County, Colorado, to homestpad. There were not many people for neighbors as most of the first homest€aders had left and the grass had come back pretty well where they had tried farming. Emil got into the cattle business right away and soon built up a herd that numbered 400 at the peak. He thought that as soon as he had acquired the same number as his father had, he could be considered a rancher. His father had already come to Kit Careon County. He was hurt seriously out on the range when he was riding a horse that wanted to act mean all the time. The horse seemed to hate people. He had a fit when Emil was in the saddle and fell and pinned one of Emil's legs under its side, and also that foot was still in the stirrup. He had to maneuver so ae to get the horse to slide over and yet not get up, becawe if the horse did get up and his foot was still in the stirrup he would be drug to death. After some time he decided he was free, so he let the onery horse get up. His ankle was broken and the knee that was .wheeled around on the ground under the horse bothered him all the reet of his life and he never could seem to get it into a comfortable position. The cowpunchers were always welcome at the Stalgrens and they liked to step in. Everyone behaved. It seemed no one ever doubted Emil's ability to keep order. Just a little remark from him and everything wan right again. He had a way with people of any caliber or mentality or character. There never was another man like Emil. him to. One time when Reuben was elsewhere and not watching Archie, he tried it. It turned out alright. He pulled leather and asked why he did it, he said that he was not going to be thrown off the first time. They all had a lot of good clean fun. Emil regretted somewhat that some folks thought that pioneer life was lived like barbarians and heathens lived. He informed us that it was just a mile and a half west of his place to the Wallet Post Office. The minister stopped there at times and people could get married, baptized or have a funeral preached. Emil was a little on the rough side and we never saw or heard of him being in a church, but it wasjust on the surface for there was a lot of charity in his heart for anyone that needed it, the church or anyone. He was always ready to help. It was Emil's thinking that it was time someone was writing about the early cattlemen, for he said there were so many twisted ideas about the days gone by. They had no chutes in those days but they worked the cattle with horses and got the job done just as well. They did not have the cattle diseases that they have now. Cattle used to lay down outhouse were erected. The sod blocks were cut from a thick rooted grassy low place on the land and hauled by team and wagon to the building site. I was a small girl at the time but remember helping Dad with all but the first part of the house and barn. He made a sod cutt€r, a sort of sled drawn by a team of horses. Dad, being a blacksmith, fashioned the cutter; the sod was cut twelve inches wide, four inches thick, in long strips and then Dad took a sharp spade and cut the strips into 18-inch lengths and turned the sod out upside down to cure. The blocks were hauled on planks, laid on the running gears of a wagon. The blocks were laid up brick style and reinforced every so often through the wall with a twelve-inch board, with windows and doors being allowed for. A plate was put on top the walls for the roof rafters and 12 inch boards laid, covered with tar paper and sod was then put on the roof grass side up. The inside of the house could be plastered to keep out mice, sparrows and snakes. Our floors were 12 inch boards also. The doors were homemade. About 1914, Dad dug a tions in the pasture that there is today. Emil sweat€d many a horse until they were cellar under the kitchen and bailed the dirt out with a box sled with one horse hitched on a chain. It was my job to lead the horse. In 1915. I started school in a sod school house and completed all eight grades here. My two sisters and one brother also attended school here until the school was abandoned. and we moved to Limon. Colorado. in a lather and panting to get a doctor to help a person in need. The first doctor who was a by Margaret Berry Slise in a different place very night. The more separated they were the healthier they were. Black leg was bad but it seldom struck for they did not have the reasons for getting it that they do now. There was not the varia- good doctor in his way of thinking, was old Doc Fergeson and they were all pretty fair after that. He has seen a lot of improvement in the way of doctoring, but none of them had ever helped his bad leg and now it was his whole side. On June 21, 1958, Emil's brother, Roy, with whom he lived, went to town to get groceries and returned home and not finding Emil in the kitchen as usual, looked in the bedroom, He was lying on the bed. Emil Stalgren was dead. He was buried in the Beaver Valley Cemetery, the cemetery he had helped start and helped care for since he was a young mErn. Many of his relatives lay there waiting for him. by Roy Bader SOD IIOUSE LIVING T477 I will give you a brief description of our homestead northwest of Flagler, Colorado. In 1907, my father homesteaded the SW % Sec. 7-6-51 in Kit Carson Co. and in March 1908, he cnme out from Goff, Kansas to erect sod buildings. He stayed with a bachelor neigh- bor, Mr. Guhr. DIGGIN'UP OLD BONES T478 When Glass Davis was a young boy, he and his brothers recall gathering buffalo bones to sell. At one time, hunters slaughtered the buffalo very indiscriminately, leaving the meat . . just slaughtering for the hides. After a number of years, the early settlers began to arrive and there was a market for loads of buffalo bones at Haigler, Nebraska. The grandfather of the Davis children would drive the team, hitched to a wagon, while the youngsters gathered the bones, which brought $8.00 in cash or $9.00 in trade. One evening, several carcases were found close together up the South Fork of the Republican River. There were large bullet slugs under each carcass and also a whet rock, or as we call it today, a whet stone. No doubt the skinner who lost it must have had quite a loss, as it would have been a long distance to a settlement where one could have been purchased. The Davis children gathered many piles of buffalo horns and they were considered of Dad put up a two-roomed sod dwelling at the Stalgren's every Sunday afternoon. first, with rooms 14 X 16 feet. Mom and I value. One day a couple of eowboys came up the Dee and Carl Dillon were two of the main riders. Frank Barnett was there just learning. arrived May 1, 1908, after having spent a few Reuben Andereon took on one just once in a while, but he was just a kid and did not try to tough ones until the rodeo moved over the the Frnmer Ranch, which was the last place they were held. Reuben's kid brother, Archie, was always wanting to ride, but it was not river; one stayed and talked with the Davis children. He admired a pile of buffalo horns which were becoming very scarce or might Indiana. There wae a period when there was a rodeo anything for kids and Reuben did not want weekg with my Probst grandparents in Later, in 1916, Dad erected an addition to the soddy making a nice three room home which was quite comfortable through the severe wint€rs. Other buildings consisted of a tar-roofed barn, a granary and a garage in 1917. Also a small chicken house and an have been considered antiques, since there were no more buffalo roaming the prairies. This fellow admired the horns and selected several pair ofthe beauties. Buffalo horns are somewhat of a "kin" to ivory tusks. Soon the other cowboy returned from his errand to the Tuttle Ranch. The cowbovs had about a �gunny sack and a half of beautifully matched horns, and all of a sudden they spurred their horses and took off at a gallop, leaving the children with their mouths open over such an outrageous trick. In later years, Glass accompanied a man to the foothills where one of these fellows was retired in a small shack among the cedars, and was in very poor health. The visitor, who was acquainted with the buffalo horn thief, was amazed at the number of cigarettes the man was smoking. Cigarettes apparently were a new commodity. He remarked to the old cowboy, "You will kill yourself smoking those darn thing", whereupon Glass remarked, "Let him alone, he is getting just what he deserved", recollecting the high-handed thieving deal of the nice buffalo horns. Today, buffalo heads and other parts ofthe animal are often found along the South Fork of the Republican River after flood waters have receded. Many are washed out of the soil, from 10 to 12 feet deep. Many Indian relics also are found, but are becoming more scarce each year since there are so many seekers. Large Iimestone bluffs, located north of Bethune on the South Fork ofthe Republican River, have yielded large fossilized remains of giant sea turtles which have been estimated to have weighed over a thousand pounds. claimed to have originated from beautiful Arabian horses brought over by the Spaniards to ride while on their conquests. Enemies of the wild herds of horses in Kit Carson County, in early days, were ferocious wolves of the plains. The means used by early-day ranchers to protect their horses in the corrals at night were by hanging lanterns around the corral to frighten the wolves. Mountain lions are known to have been killed in this part of the country in early history. Glass Davis relates that an old horse wrangler dieclaims the stories about wild stallions having a large herd of mares. He declared that a stallion noses out (runs away) the young colts and keeps his original band. It was quite a thrill and much enjoyment to see the little bands of frolicking mustangs appear, working their way across the verdant prairie, finally making a wild and thunderous dash for their favorite watering place in the river. The river skirted the south hills of what by Grace Corliss SIM T480 now is known as the Corliss Ranch. Of course, the Wood and Corliss places had not been homesteaded at that time. All land around the Tuttle and Davis places were virgin prairie of buffalo grass with no fences. This little band of mustangs roamed the river valley and adjoining hills. My parents, Sim and Dolly Hudson, with me (Georgeanna Hudson Grusing) at the wheel on Lake Mead, Nevada, Summer 1938. If it were a hot day, Davis recalls, occasionally some mustangs would lie down in the cool, historical things that are held privately, as many are becoming lost and scattered. spring-fed waters and wallow. After their thirst was quenched, they would loiter off toward the south prairie. In those early days of history in Eastern by Grace Corliss their range hands out to round up all cattle There should be a large museum built in Kit Carson County to gather in the many with a gate and not much extra. It was located on a ranch owned bv McCrillis. Colorado, large cattle companies would send THE LAST HORSE ROUND UP T47g According to a bit of historical knowledge given by Lewis Glass Davis, Burlington, Co., about what he considers was the last round up of wild horses in this part of the country around the "Old Tuttle Ranch," and Elias Davis Ranch, located on the upper part of the South Fork of the Republican River, about 15 to 23 mileg northeast of Stratton, Co. The Davis family arived here in the spring of 1887. At present, the "Old Tuttle Ranch" is owned by Tom Price. The Davis ranch was abandoned after the big flood of 1935 and later annexed to the Harvey Wood Ranch. This part of the country in Kit Carson County was the range where a band of 11 mustangs roamed the river valley and hille to the south. According to history, mustangs lead a carefree, playful life, loafing along whenever they felt like it. Mustangs were noted to be the speediest horses for travel on the western prairies. Bands of horses are reputed to operate a form of protection to keep the herd from danger, by having one or more as an advanced guard to give an alarm at the approach of danger. This alarm is expressed by a sudden snorting, at which the body of horses gallops off with the most surprising swiftness, with their heads high and tails in the air. When the mustang got a "man-Bmell" he was off like a shot and the rest of the herd ran with him. Mustangs had a keen senee of smell and could smell men from a long distance, on a breeze. The first wild horses in North America are they could find between the Platte River and the South Fork of the Republican River. Then they would divide the cattle by brands. It is claimed also that from the Republican River, south to the Cimmarron River, large roundups in like fashion took place. When these large ranches wanted extra horses, according to what is told by histo- rians, they would send a group of horse wranglers, otherwise cow-hands, with a chuck Slqmpa George Barker and my stepmother, Hazel Hudson, stirring a "mud pot" while I (Georgeanna Grusing) look on. Later Summer 1939 in Yellowstone Park. wagon to carry their food and bed rolls. At night the cowboys would bed down on the prairie. One day, around the last of May, Davis recalls seeing such a round up in progress in the river valley, south and west of the Davis homestead buildings. Glass recalls seeing the herd of mustangs coming down the valley from the west, from the direction of the Tuttle Ranch. Some of the herd cut through a bunch of cattle rounded up while a rider appeared hazing part of the herd eastward in the vicinity of the present Wood ranch buildings. Evidently the rider had been Qhasing the horses since early morning, as his horse looked very worn. Eventually, the mustangs joined in the wild running and crossed the prairie southwest of the Davis buildings. They ran across the river by the Davis place and disappeared into the south hills where Glass says no doubt there were fresh riders waiting. After that, Glass says he never saw them again. In later years, Glass says he heard reports ofwild horses southwest ofSeibert and on the Smoky, but those were the last in this neighborhood. Glass recalls in early days that he saw ruins of a wild horse corral on the Launchman River northwest of Burlington. The corral was in fair shape but not usable. According to information, it was a dry-wash Not only did my dad, Sim Hudson, get a picture of me (Georgeanna Grusing) feeding the bears, but he also caught a better photo of Hazel, his wife, feeding a bear while Grampa George Barker and I watched. You can see I was about ready to jump out of my skin! Late summer 1939 in Yellowstone Park. Sim Hudson wasn't always an easy man to live with since he had an energetic drive that sometimes mowed people down he - but certainly was an interesting man! Long before he shot the head off of a large rattlesnake about to strike me (when I was a baby playing in a sandpile) to long after he brought my 15th birthday present (a live, full grown horse) into the house in order to surprise me, �we never knew what to expect from him! He wouldn't allow me to call him Dad, he *@LqT'1Y:,,'r":i3'i I'i:r41'rtf8lv1liYf'. man came to the lumber yard and said, "I didn't ' sleep last night because of what you said, so I got up this morning and had breakfast and decided you called me a liar and that you will have to take it back." According to Dad, he replied "Well, I slept wouldn't let me ride a bicycle, he wouldn't teach me how to drive (and he, a car dealer!) yet when I was only 10-11 and scared, he ingisted that Mother and I each ride a mule with him down to the bottom of the Grand all right, but I haven't had any breakfast, so because what was good for the goose was- good for the gander, and the gosling ae well. Sure enough, we all had a fantastic experience! He wanted photos of me feeding the bearg in Yellowstone, and of mystepmother, Hazel, we are about even." The other man was about Canyon fifteen to twenty years younger than my father, who was already well along in his thirties. They decided the place to have the fight was in the intersection by the lurnber yard and they hadjust started when I arrived and sat down on my wagon load of papers. It was a bare knuckles fight and an unusually and of Qlnmpa stirring the mud-pots and geysers, and he got them! Due tothe beef shortage duringWWII, Sim shipped Mexican oxen in by rail, driving clean fight. We later learned that Dad's opponent had been a boxer at Kansas State University and considered pretty good. Coyote Hounds them on foot from the depot on the north side of Burlington (across lawns, through rosebushes and once-clean laundry hanging on clotheslines) to a pasture 11 milee south of and where town, where they were fattened - catching a Sim conned my Iowa cousin into Once when Dad struck his opponent on the left shoulder, he went down. It was not a knock-out blow but it was a powerful blow and he went completely down. When he got up he rushed my father and grabbed him big ol' bullsnake and getting him drunk. Thereafter, for several months, the snake ehowed up regularly at the stock tank for hig "happy hour." Sim hunted and we 6f,e nlmqst, everything: bear, possum, pheasants, jack rabbits, elk, deer and antelope, to say nothing of the frog legs that kept jumping around in the frying around the body and legs. Dad hooked his left arm around his head and I heard him ask "Do you want to break clean?" Evidently he did for they did break clean and resumed the fight. Every so often I would look up the pan. Coyote Hounds Sim had a vast variety of friends, and interests, becauge he liked people for what water. I returned quickly to see the hound eat they were, not who they were. Coneequently, he hosted many a person at our dinner table (with Hazel and me doing the cooking and cleanup): old and young doctors, artists, cowboys, farmers, sportsmen, mentally retarded, business men, physically handicapped, hitch-hikers and goldminers. Sim wanted me to know dl kinds of people, but he aleo wanted me to "grow up right" and saw to it that I regularly went to Sunday School and Church, even if he did not. Although Sim and I were as different as bacon and eggs, I nm both pleased and o-uged whenever someone says I'm getting more like him every day. He was a character! He had character! He was not a hypocrite: he said what he thought; he was what he was. He provided well and loyally for his family, especially his mother; he was honest, made many loans to people down on their luck, had a good sense of humor and was a great story-teller. If I can do as well with my life as he did with his, the world will be a better place to live in. by Georgeanna Hudson Grusing COYOTE HOUNDS T48r My father-in-law, George Paintin, was proud of the hounds he kept to hunt coyotes. He rode a good horse that didn't mind carrying his catch on the saddle. He tried to convince me of the merits of keeping hounds. He may have succeeded had the hound not eaten the chicken I was preparing to clean. I placed the chicken on the doorstep while I ran in to get the scalding the last bite. by Jean Paintin THE GREATEST FIGHT I EVER SAW T4a2 Back in the forties, I saw Sonny Liston in a prize fight in Denver. Liston was in his prime and at that time he was not afraid of anyone. He was a power man and it was a real demonstration of his strength and power. But the greatest fight t ever saw was in Burlington at the corner by the Foster Lumber yard, just one block east of Winegar block on Main Street. So far as I know, there were only two spectators. I had a ringside seat (on a coaster) wagon) and Hugh Baker - the Sheriff of Kit Carson county, saw it from one block away. I was twelve or thirteen at the time. It was elmsst, six a.m. on a Sunday morning. I had been to the depot to get the Sunday papers. I had them on the wagon, as they were too much of a load to handle on a bicycle. My Dad had talked to a customer about his bill the day before as it was way over-due. The man had promised many times, but no payment had been paid. He again promised to make a payment in three weeks and my Dad said "You lied to me the last time - how can I believe you this time?" I don't know what the man said, but he did promise to pay in three weeks and it was left at that. Dad was also up before six and went down to the lumber office to work on the books. It was the end of the month and he wanted to bring his "list of accounts" up to date. That was the list of accounts payable to the lumber yard. Shortly before I arived at the corner, the street and I would see a man in a cowboy hat (HuSh Baker) looking around the corner of the First National Bank. About every ten minutes the other man would stop and ask, "Have you had enough?" Dad always replied, "You have as much to fight for as when you began." Finally, after about one hour of really heavy fighting, excellent boxing - both men still on their feet and only one knock-down, I heard my father give his seme reply to the question, "Have you had enough"? I didn't'hear what the other said. My Dad said lat€r that he said "Yes, but I think I understand you a lot better." That afternoon we went for a ride - I remember how terribly bruised my father's face was. His upper lip was swollen and I couldn't take my eyes off it. The other man canied his left arm in a sling for two or three weeks because ofa "cracked" bone. The fight was in the news service in about five minutes. Evidently, HUGH Baker went to the telephone immediately and called someone in Norton, Kansas, because Dad got a call from his boss in Norton before the day was over. The man never did pay his bill! by Carl Sr. Bruner I PUNCIIED COWS ON TIIE CHICAGO RANCII T483 The Cattlemen's Association knew that when they wentto talk to Joe Boyles he would take them back agood manyyears and he did, back to 18&t when his father, Andrew Jackson Boyles, had come to this country in a covered wagon. Joe did not remember much about that early day in Colorado thought, as he was not born until his father had left for the fulfillment of an appointment as U.S. Marshal in the Oklahoma Territory. Andrew did not stay long in Oklahoma after the strip was opened up, but returned to Colorado, where Joe grew up. In 1904 the Rutherford family had sold out �to a company from Chicago that had recently of how it had been brought up from Cheyenne come from Denmark. There was A.L. Ander- Wells in the very beginning and placed in Old Burlington, then the main part of Burlinet. ,.. Then later, how it wag moved to its present sen, Lars Larsen and Nels Nelsen. These men had connections in Chicago and called them- selves the Chicago Cooperative Livestock Conmission Co. And it was here that Joe got his firet job, and he thinks he was about 16. He was to etay with one farnily and was to get $15.00 a month and all the oatmeal he could eat. They had it boiled for breakfast, warmed over for dinner and fried for supper. Joe cannot eat oatmeal yet today. The Chicago Ranch had from 600 to 1,000 head of cattle and they ran on the wide open spaces. Joe was on the range most of the time. There was a large sheep ranch farther south and Joe found himself down there many times and he always managed to be near a sheep shack at meal time eo as to get a little variation from his oatmeal diet. Farther east from the Chicago Ranch was a big horse ranch operated by a Mr. Eversol. The Chicago Ranch was supposed to get several hundred horses from Kansas City but they never showed up. About seventy head was all that they ever had. The Chicago Ranch lost plenty of cattle that were never found and just a few horses. They all carried a 4 slash T on the right hip. There were a lot ofbutcher shops around and it was thought that here was where most of the missing cattle went. Joe's rougheet winter on the Chicago was a wintpr following a drouth and there was lots of snow. Cattle could not get through the enow to find what little feed was shipped into Burlington. He used a teqm of horses and a tenm of mulee on two sleds and would go after a load one day, stay overnight in Burlington, and on home the next day. He did this day in and day out all winter and he thought the winter would never end. Joe remained at the ranch several years and must have been a fair cowhand because he received severd raises. He gaved his money and in due time thought it was time he was getting married. Thee was a girl by the name of Vera Coad who had come to Burlington in 1906. Her parents had heard of the nice climate here so had come from Wieconsin, to take a homestead. They were married in 1914. Joe and his father saw a lot of changes take place around the Burlington area. They saw all the livery stables come and go in Burlington. Joe remembers the time his Uncle Billie's stable burned down and how 16 tenms perished in the flames. The days ofthe boots and saddles were into a slow decline when the Andersens left the Chicago Ranch. Mr. Andersen got Joe to drive his last horses into Burlington to be sold. He delivered them to the Livery Stable that stood where C.D. Reed was selling tractors. One was a horee that Joe will always remember, a good horse, strong and true, with a mild manner, eorrel in color with a white mane and tail. The last owner of the Chicago Ranch, while it could be called a ranch, wag Wm. Mead. It contained about 2,000 acres and wag all fenced. During the depression years, he went broke and the ranch was sold and was cut up into small parcels of land. So ended the historical and friendly daye of the Chicago Ranch, with not one incident to mar the good character it always carried. Joe laughed when he got to talking about the Montezuma Hotel. He recalled the story location by the use of eighteen teams of horses and mules. It seemed that it was the ambition of all its owners to keep pace with the growing Burlington. It was refaeed again and again and added onto'and remodeled. They never wanted to turn away any guests. Finally after a few years with business on a decline and the taxes much too high, they gtarted to make it smaller. Then in later years what did it do but burn to the ground. But the hotel did not die. It was rebuilt and carried on as before. Joe saw the Lester Beveridge Ranch develop and become one of the leading rancheg. They brought in registered cattle to help improve the quality of the cattle in the county. Joe was always known throughout the area for his horsemanship. He rode in the first rodeo ever held in Burlington. He never lost interest in good horses. He had many pictures of them in his home. by Roy Bader Anyway it was a lot of fun and created quite a stir. by Henry Y.Iloskin ADOBE HOMES T485 George and Agnes Paintin cnme to Colorado in 1912. Their first home was a two room sod house. It was warm in the winter and cool in the summer. The roof would always leak when it rained. One leak was sure to be over the bed, regardless where they moved the bed. Occasionally a mouse found a way in and a large bull snake tried to take up residence on a pile ofcozy quilts. It had a short life once discovered. One of Dad's philosophies of life was "it is never to expensive, if you do it yourself'. With this in mind, he and mother decided to build a bigger and better home for their growing family in 1919. Their preference was Oregon l'-ber but money was scarce so they chose the native adobe dirt that could be made into blocks. This was plentiful south of the William HOOTCH MELON STORY T484 A story worthy of mention is the "Hootch Melon Story". This was probably conceived by a number of persons. The story that ran in the Roc&y Mountain Nea.rs is as follows: "A contract which is unique is recorded to have been signed here yesterday between V.H. Chandler and three of the leading real estate firms of Burlington. Mr. Chandler, who is one of the oldest settlers in the area and one of the most successful watermelon growers in eastern Colorado, had contracted to plant and care for one acre of watermelons for each firm. In the middle of August, when the melons will be about half grown, Mr. Chandler plans to plug each melon and to plant in the cavity from which the plug comes a special yeast of his own invention. The outer part of the plug ig them replaced, and the whole covered with adhesive strips. Not only does the yeast, acting on the natural sugar content of the melon immediately begin to develop alcohol Among the tissues, but it stimulates the growoth of the fruit to a tremendow degree. Within a week the place where the melon was plugged is marked only by a brownish scar and within a month from the date of the operation ninety-six out of a hundred melons will show at least 10 percent alcohol and will exceed 30 pounds in weight. These real estate men who are, A.W. Winegar, J.A. Swenson, and E.L. Powell, are to pay Mr. Chandler $1.00 for every melon that exceeds of equals 10 percent alcohol or 30 pounds weight, and payment to be made on tests oft€n average melons from each acre. Mr. Chandler estimates that there will be from 900 to 1000 melons on each acre that will meet the test, and plans are being made for one of the most extensive real estate campaigns ever canied on in the United States." This article appeared April 1921. Thyne place just two miles south. Uncle Joe and Aunt Susie Garnerwould build oneatthe same time. Aunt Susie's father, Clark Hampton, was the engineer for the project. They built forms from wood to shape the adobe blocks and dug a round pit about a foot deep. This was the east part. To get the project underway they drove the teems of horses pulling wagons to the site ofthe adobe dirt, loaded them by hand shoveling, hauling this dirt back to their pit and unloaded, again by hand shoveling. Straw and water was added to the adobe in the pit. The mixing was done by tying a rope to the tail of one horse and the bridle or a horse behind. Several were tied in this fashion and as they walked around and around in the pit, being led by one person, their feet did the mixing. This process made the straw and adobe stick together. Once again, the shoveling began to fill the forms which were placed on a flat, level area of ground. The mud was mixed and formed at the Paintins one day and at the Garners the next. This gave time for the mud to set and shrink so the forms could be lifted off. The blocks were allowed to dry before they were laid on a concrete foundation to build the walls. The original Paintin home had four rooms and the Garners had five. The Paintins made an addition to theirs in 1929. It had a steep roof that formed a flat area on top which was covered with tin. The chimneys came thru this area. The tin was used as a fire prevention measure from sparks coming out of the chimneys. The steep roof provided a loft area above the ground floor making extra living space available. This was warm in the winter by the chimney coming thru but it was like an oven in the summer unless a shade tree was in the right spot. The stairways were built to accomodate feather beds or mattresses that would bend. The modern mattress and box springs of today proved to be a problem going up or down. Both of theee homes stand today. The Paintin home needed new replacement windows that were no longer available. Over the years the yellow jacket wasps carried the adobe away from the ceiling joists. The �knowledge for these repairs went with our pioneer parents. With the s'me philosophy as Dad's in mind, Garold and Jean buift a new wood frnms hm. in Lg77. Tbo generations of children grew to adulthood-in the adobe !oa9, \,Iarilrn and Tony wilt bring their familiee back to enjoy the new home. The old adobe home will be preserved for our collection of articles of the past. The history will be there for our grandchildren to eee. ;ouch and wonder about the etoriee behind them. by Jean Paintin THE LAST BUFFALO HUNT T486 Ae told in the 'Burlington Call,, by H.G. Hoekin, Feb. 21, 1985. When the -Union P-99ifc Railway was completed in 1g?0, it divided the vast number of buffalo oo ihe plains into two herds, the northern and the eouthern. It likewise brought facilitiee for the easy ehipment of buffalo hides and start€d the industry of hide hunting, ultimately exterminating the buffalo as a wild animal. By the early 80's the extermination was almost complete and only small scattered bunches exist€d over the west€rn plains. In the region now called Kit Carson countv. these buffalo passed through Burlington, in the summer of 188?. At this time Burlington was locat€d about where the John Lueken farm house was, and many of the businesses houses were only tents. Among the businegs tents, was the drus store of Maynard E. Cook. (Mr. Cook later moved hie stock of drugs to the present site of_B_url, about where the Dunn garage stood.) Mr. Cook's story of the hunfstated ,, . . . Remember it was quite warm, when someone gave a ehout, "buffalo!!" Only a few ofus had transportation of any kind, but managed to get somethiag to ride horses, ponies, wagons, buggies and carts. Everybodf that codd goi away on the chase. One cow, her calf and a bd -: and how they could run. Howdy! It w-aq a lonrg chase for many miles across open plains. Talk about rought riding . . . It was the most erciting race I ever saw, except the time we chased the deputy gheriff wiitr ota man Baker, to Cheyenne Wells, where he was 6rrng to a coal chute. I don,t remember now who helped-kill the buffato, but we captured the cow and the calf and the bull wa.g killed !V manV shots fired. Dr. Biehop claimed the bull and he got the hide which-he had made into a big fine coat, which I purchased from him when he left Burlington. Mr. T.G. price got the head and had it mounted. I kept the ".-oat until about six years ago (lg27), when the moths got into it and ruined it." John Anderson got the calf and sold it to Elitch's Gardens. The mounted bull's head was kept in Mr. Prices office in the court house until around 1900's when he sold it for $250, to Mr. S.B. Hovev. I! wag later said a Hoyt and Cole of Oxford, -_ Nebraska were the last of the professionai b-uffalo hunters to operate in this county, and that Dr. Hoyt was really the one who kiiled the bull. by Janice Salnans BUFFALO SKULL PROVIDES MYSTERY T487 "When the Kit Carson County Courthouse in Burlington was remodeled, ihe commis_ sioners found they had the skull of a buffal<r (supposedly the last buffalo to be killed in the area.) on their handg. They decided to take it down but eo many citizens put up a fuss. they decided to clean it and a rr-riii-U""t rpl Now comes the mystery: When Shirlev Fundingsland started to remove the dust ani accumulation of grime, a picture of an Indian spearing a buffalo was painted on it alone with the inscription; ,We were monarchs o? the Plains.' The comm. and Fundingsland were started and wanted to know who painted it?" wrote a Denuer posf article. We haven't been able to find out who painted it but the history ofthe buffalo head r1_wgll_known by the Burlington Garden CLul. The story dates back to 198g, upon receipt of a letter from a Mrs. Durineer. daughter of S.B. Hovey, one-time R"oc{ Island agent here. Inthe-letter, Mrs. Duringer explained that the skull originally hung in the o?fice of T.G. Price, Burl. real estate and insurance man. for many years. Upon his death, Mr. Hovev acquired the skull, and it followed him in his many transfers along the Rock Island. Even_ tuallV, the skullpassed along to Mr. Hovey's son-in-law, Mr. Duringer. Upon Mr. Durine_ er's death, his wife offered to send the skjl here, knowing the history of the last buffalo hunt in Kit Carson counrv. Members of the Garden club accepted the skull, and it was decided to hand it in th" court house. Harley Rhoades, H.G. Hoskin. Mrs. Bessie Wilson, and Mrs. pearl Scheli chose the spot. The skull remained in the court house until the remodeling project, when it was taken down to be cleaned and rehung. Apparentlv. the origin of the painting goei bacl severai years. Members of the Garden club believe now that the painting was always on it, but was o-nly discovered when Fundingsland started to clean the skull. by Janice Salmans FULLER MEMORIES T488 I was born in 18bb, in Warren Countv. Illinois, and cnme to Colorado in April, lgdd with husband and two children in a covered wagon. We lived in our wagon until our sod house was built, which wasin June. We were advised to come west because of my hus_ band'g health. Our household goodJ were shipped to Haigler, and later weie freighted across to our homestead, which was loiated at "Old Columbia". There was nothing in sight when we came, just stretches of prairie. dug a hole in the ground, cut a piece -We o! s-tove pipe in half and laid it over the top of the hole and built our fire there. We used no mattresses, pillows or sheets. Imagine how thrilled I was when we got our sod hdme built and had our furniture again. We had slept in our clothes-so long that it seemed queer to undress and go to bed. We also appieciated eating on a table and having a cupboard for our dishes, instead of putting them awrv in a box. We brought corn meal-and bea"s;iih us and that is what we lived on for a month. We would have fried mush for Ureamasi ana supper and bean soup for dinner. When we got some flour I made biscuits and baked them on top of the ,.stove". Si"ce we coJJ get no milk, eggs, meat, or potatoes, we had. to be content with fried mush and bean soup with biscuits, but we enjoyed this as we trai healthy appetites by not overeatine. I remember the first Sunday aftJr we had o-ur habitation, that my husband said. iokin_ gly, that he would invite the Cnmps over tor dinner. (The Qnmps were people *e l"e* i" lowa.) 8ut since he couldn't invite them, he broqsht home two lady school teachers anJ the Methodist minister, Rev. F.F. fhomas; we had bean soup for dinner and a happv afternoon. When we first located on our homestead, the- greatest problem was to get water. We had to go four miles east to h;ul ,rt", froa well, but oftcn there would be so manv ahead of us that my husband would have 6 get up at 2 o'clock and get in line so he could get home before night. When this well woJd get out of order, we had to haul water from a water hole about B miles west of here. Often times we would find pollywogs and othei things in the water, but we siraiied it throush a cloth two or three times, then boil it to mafe it fit for use. Later we got water from the railroad well dug in this vicinity. On Sept. g. our own well was finished and we drew water with a windlass. We felt that we *"r. lli" richest of people. We were never sick and mv hueband was gaining in health everv dav. " -*a Mr. Fuller built a blacksmith .irop operated it for B years and then sold it and opened a grocery store and general merchan_ drse business. We built a two_story frame house and lived upstairs and had tire ,to.e downetairs. One evening Mr. Fuller went down to the store and fainted. I hard the thud and went downstairs to find the store in flames and I pulled Mr. Fuller to the outside. I called for help. A neighbor came to n"m lui we lost everything. _ W!"" the town, Claremont, was estab_ lished, everyone moved to the new to; and that is where we started another store. _ In the fall of 1888, Mr. Fuller went back to Iowa to help harvest a corn crop ana wnen tre returned to Colorado, he cami thru on the trrst passenger train that went over the new railroad to Colorado Springs. by Angelina Fuller PAINTIN BARN BURNED T489 20, 1968. We had gone to the - It wasinJune funeral Stratton for Henry Ledpp. O" ou, we-saw heavy smoke norih of town. lly 'l ne lome trre truck was ahead of us but we had no idea where it was headed. We were only two ttfles from home when we discovered just where the smoke was coming from. We weie frantic.not knowing whethei our son, Tony, and his McGriff, were safl. 'I IIey hacl-grandfather, planned to fix fence in the pasture. We were relieved to see Tony run"irig to "s. �His Grandfather had told him to stay on the doorstep at the house while he went to see if he could save the horse that was in the barn' Garold ran to find my Dad and turned off the electricity on the waY. Once we knew everyone was safe, we looked around us. The large barn was completely burned. This was a heavy loss to us' All of our milking equipment was gone. Twenty five trundrJd bales offeed in the loft were burning and one horse was lost. Once the fire got started, it exploded and threw fire in every direction. Anything in the area that was wooden or didn't have a tin roof burned. All feed bunks, trailers, corrals, buildings, trees and the pasture were on fire' The neighbors and everyone frlm the surrounding areas helped to control the fire' Dwight Lewis turned his ir-rigation puPp.ol to sirpply water. Ernest Cure brought his water truck in close to the house to water down the roof. The feed bales would form pockets of gas and explode repeatedly. ParL- Malone broughtlhe County bulldozer out from town and d'ugtwobigtrenches attwo A.M' the next morning when they saw there was no way to control-the blaze. He pushed all the burning feed in the trench and covered it with dirt' The neighbor ladies helped serve -the huge amount-of food they prepared and brought in along with the plentiful supply that- Ed DischnJr sent out. Lots of the neighbors helped us walk the area to cover chunks of smoldering debris and get our milking facili- ties back into operation. They came back several weeks lat€r to help build the new barn. We lost a lot of material things. We only had one pitcMork left. To this day, we don't know what start€d the fire. by Jean Paintin A MODERN PIONEER T490 I emigrated to Colorado in 1957 - not in a but in a 195? Buick. I had "ou"r"d-*"gon, been further West than New York, never married only two days, and all of my belongings were in the backseat ofthat car. I am sure I ielt like a real "pioneer" at that time' especially after everyone had convinced me that ttreie were still Indian uprisings West of the MississipPi! I recall that tears flowed profusely as we drove, and drove, and drove some more over the vast "wastelandg" of Kansas' Was love really worth this? When we finally arrived in East€rn Colorado, I was greeted warmly in a home that even had electricity, a phone, and indoor plumbing - those people were-wr-ong after all - and fhadn't even seen an Indian for 1500 miles! I was very impressed by the vastnees ofthe plains and when someone said we were just going down the road a bit, I wae-not prepared Ior the 30-mile drive. At "social gatherings", people all talked about the weather and a new recipe they had tried. I thought this -was rather dull, but have since found outjust how important these two topics are to a farmer's wife; especially the recipes - I never knew people expected three full-course meals a day! th" l*gouge bewildered me and it took awhile to learn what all of this meant' Needless to say, I was the brunt of many a snicker! Where I grew up everyone went right or left, not North or South; in fact, ! don-'! recall ever knowing which way was Northl Dinner was our evening meal and I learned the hard way that this is the "noon meal" here after several people showed up for "lunch" when they had been invited for "dinner". If you use your imagination, you may be able [o visualile the thoughts I had when told of the "barrow pit" - we only had ditches in the East. A cattle guard must be a person standing at the gates!! What a boring job' We pioceeded West to California where we remained for 13 years, returning to Colorado in 19?0; this time in a station wagon loaded down with our belongings plus two children and another due anY moment. At this time, I beceme a full-time farm wife (and this is someone who would not even date an Ag School student in college). I lel:ned some more new expressions, such as "How could you have let all those pigs get ayay, I TOLD :you to hold them there" (exit for the i'You drive the pickup across the house); river and the"aocows WILL follow you' no problem" (as they take off on a run in the opposite direction); "ANYONE can drive a tiactor, could you disc the corn field?" (so how did I get caught in the fence row with the disc implanted in the back tire); "Could you take the jeep and check on the cows, there's NO WAY to get stuck in the river" (Help! The jeep is stuck, the tractor I got to pull it out is iuried and I a- running out of options); "Willyou take a load of hogs to the salelan:r" (he diin'ttell me I would have to BACK UP); and the most dreaded of all requests "Would you run to town for some repairs" (for some reason I can have every number in itt" U*t and the part WITH me and still come home with the wrong thing). Perhaps the most traumatic of all my experienies has been dressing-chickens' Ttre ottiy t*y I had ever seen a chicken was under saran wrap in the market. I can now pick feathers in less than three hours, but what as I to do when my mother-in-law can no longer pull off the heids! To this day it is a familv eame to trv and decide what part of the ihi"k"tt they are eating since my skills in this endeavor leave much to be desired. After being a "Westerner" for over 30 years, -*d I can now say that I love the country the horse collar was responsible for the phenomenal glowth of America during the 18th and t9th centuries. This unhearled implement harnessed the horsepower and fed, built and transported our youog nation. Although it was invented by the Chinese in 300 A.D., the horse collar was not widely used until European settlers brought it to America in the late 1600's. Tlie ox cart was the most common form of labor in Europe. But American settlers soon learned that the slow and dumb ox is no match for horse power. A horse can pull five times more weight than an ox. A collared horse can be easily managed through the use of a bit in his mouth, something an ox cannot wear. A horse's feet can be protected and his footing improved by iron shoes. The ox's split hooves make shoes imPractical. Finally an ox cannot wear a collar because of the formation of his neck- A collar chokes him. Instead, he must be harnessed by a large and cumbersome yoke fastened to the top of his neck and shoulder. The building of America can truly be said to be the horse collar age. Every industry and distribution system depended on the horse's collar for production and transportation. The tree in ihe forest couldn't become the building or bridge or boat until the horse in his collar, traniported it. The ore in the mine wag weless until the horse hauled it out' It was the horse with his collar that plowed the field and cultivated the grain. The horse collar enabled horses and mules to harvest the crop and carry it to market or storage. The great wagon roads and railroads that united our growing nation were graded and filled by collared horses. And who can think of the Old West without remembering the stage coach - powered by collared horses. The horse collar played an important role in the CivilWar because the armymoved in sections where there were no railroads or waterways to transport soldiers and equipment, -dug trenches, built embankments, and carried the wounded to safetY. One might say that the horse collar won the West. After carrying thousands of settlers to the new western territories, horses and mules provided the vital link between East and West. Roads leading west were streaming with freight wagons creaking and groaning, piled high with food and supplies, and being pulled by 10- or 20-mule teams slowly across h"u" even changed mY mind about Kansas - that "wast€land" is really an lhe desert or mountains. A whole years lf6, but in a different way -- You - will triins returned loaded with hides, to be expanse of growing corn and wheat! Regardini the "Indians", they still play a part in my frequently find me walkingthe rocks with my head down looking for artifacts. I have never recretted my trek "West" and would advise *"yott" whoasked that "Love" IS worth it! bY BeverlY McArthur supply of sugar, salt, coffee and other gtoceries-, clbthing and tools were delivered to the big western ranches by wagon- The waggn processed and made into clothing, harnesses, and other suPPlies. The 19th century was the age of animal power. Better plows, combines, tillage tools, drills, planters and harvesting equipment were designed to be drawn by collared horses and mules. Horse power remained important until after World War I. THE UNHEARLED HORSE COLLAR T491 The greatest invention since the wheel, the horse collar was written about in the Farrn' land News, 1972, by Ben Millikan, of Parnell, Mo. Perhaps more than any other invention, by Jin llasart �the _K.C.C. carousel. It took nine months for the Hasarts to complete th" _-tlui, ancl hours of delicate work over """o"."t a workbench and palette. "We hid in the basem""i-Ju-r-iin HASART'S MINIATURE CAROUSEL T492 While attending a showing of the Kit ^ uarson_ County Carousel Bob McClelland asked Jim what he was carving o" mentioned that he was thinkinlg of makinel ";;:;; miniature carousel and Bob ."ltiea ;,i;;; would like to see that". Jim went t o-" start€d on what is now a very rare piece"rrJ of artistry. in August of 19g8, Jim and - -Beginning Marlyn started working on their fascimile of most of the winter working on the as thq! winter was very coid and had-f,ot^s ""iou.j ; snow," said Marlvn. .. {hat began as a fascimile evolved into their own interpretation of the ;i;; only two rows of animals on "*";J the H;;;;;; carousel compared to the origin"t .""o,r."i'. thrge.- no chariots (the origiial ilA;;t: and the paintings on the center piece of the sl:uclur9. were changed by Marlyn, in an enort to "do her own thing.', But for the most parJ, the Hasart reproduition ,esembles the K.U-L;. prototype. There's actual horsehair used as the tails on certain to..". i"1i"ii ] common in both carousels) and the brieht colors used were mixed to imitate the;;ii; carousels color schemes. Throughout the winter, asJim would finish carving each animal, Marlyn *o"fJ o"i"t using oils as her medium p"vi"e ,J""i"l attention to detail in the smali ;f ""]_ir. had a lot of trouble painting tfr" said, in reference to the shar*p black ""Ur".r;.fr" arrd stripes-.J-im _agrees that detail i., wliite or"tJii" more difficult things to consider when car_ vrng. 'l'o nelp highlight details, he uses basswood fbr all of his cawings. Taken the Linde_n tree, basswood i. t[" roft".t hardwoods according to Jim. from of ifiu M*ly"-!"gan painting with the help of ^ urace Uorliss and studied under Daryl Elliot in the 1920's and she."o" b"g* t"i"t-iie"; fcw kids on her ovm. Jim l"i* .*"i"e"ii 1972.when Mgl1. bought t id ,o." supplies as a Christmas present. "*ing As.you walk through the Hasart household you'ct sweru the ducks, pheasants and prairie chicken scattered through the liri;;;;;; genuine. "We,ve had a lot of peopleiell us our prairie chicken looks real," ^."ia ff,f""-iv" ;if, the detail that makes tt Jiff"i*"".; 'jl-qnting on wooden decoys "i, ;;;h-;;;" painting a picture,,, .h;;;d. {ifficult.than rrecrse details in the carving and painting of a {e_coy are necessary to mike ii;;i-rtii.* MaryJo,Downey, it"i.-"" oi ir," iild.c. ^ uarousel Association supplied them with beautiful colored photographs ofth; apmaf from which patterns were drawn """ou"ej to stz,e whtch proved to be a difficult task. It took the Hasarts nine months to inish - their carousel, from the first stagls oi;;r_ out animal forms from t""S-e Uto"kr;? basswood, to the final screw"f"t;;th" stand on which the carousel ,"r't* Wh;;;; p.rojec-t was finished, a private .t o*irrs-*", neighbors and friend. oI th" 9lageo t'or flasarts. 'l'hese few were able to witness the unv_eiling of the second mostfamous;;; in Kit Carson County. They were t".* f,ne mtnrature carousel spin into action, "li" with The Hasart'e carousel from a different view. the help from a rotisserie moto. fo""l"Ji"ifru base of the stand which also h;;;;h;;;; reco-rder which plays recorded -"Uai". fi"'the, Monster Millitary Band Organ, a music matrtng machine located at the original carousel. The miniature carousel has been displaved at the National Carousel Co"u""tio" ti"ii ii S""p5+lgt of 1984, Stratton D"y ild;;l;; or ryu4, the preview showing ofthe television p.logram of the National Geographic Society "Treasuree From the pagt"" f"-"t*irs'thi p.T.c. No. o,lr,L sii?tt {.p,_c._cgrousel, Public Library in the spring is8i,. ;Ji-; " "r Just been shown at the reception center of Coor's- Brewery, Golden, Cotor"ao--i"oil December L2, lg87 through January 6, lggg 1fo-ng with other carousel a"ti"t"s i"ilfi; ih; H-;*t,; Miniature carousel in the ;;;J carved from wood ""ly C_olorado Carousel Society. in the stat€ and one of five in the nation "i CJ"i"a. by Marlyn Haeart The miniature carousel hand made by Jim and Marlyn Hasart, winter of rggg-g4. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource History of Kit Carson County Description An account of the resource Brief historical stories and elements from the founding and recent history of Kit Carson County, Colorado. Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Book Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Memories Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1988 Subject The topic of the resource History Description An account of the resource Various memories from citizens about important events or places in Kit Carson County as recorded in the book History of Kit Carson County Type The nature or genre of the resource text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Salmons, Janice Hasart, Marlyn Smith, Dorothy Language A language of the resource English Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. History of Kit Carson County Volume 1 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource text/pdf Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Curtis Media Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a>