Hey Luke.... Local History

How bout we tell some stories about county history. More obscure stories not everyone has heard 100 times. Anyone feel free to add a story. I'll start.

Supossedly there was a well on W 9th street in Hays that after being abandoned due to contamination was used by the local marshall to dispose of dead vagrants in to save the city burial expenses. Trash was then thrown in each time to cover them. Story was told by my grandad to my dad. Grandad was from Plainville but lived in Hays for a time in the early 1900's.

He also told dad that supposedly during construction in the Boot Hill area that a woman and child were unearthed in coffins of very nice wood. Story says that the owner of the property bought two cheap coffins to transfer them into for reburial and kept their fancy ones to make things from.

Guess it's just me for now. Ok, back during the days of prohibition a black man named Pete Penny had a junkyard along the South side of Big Creek in Ellis. He sold bootleg from his junkyard and kept authorities from finding it by hiding single bottles inside the junk so that it couldn't all be found without a very time consuming search. Men wanting a drink would go tell Pete they were in the market for pepper. What's left of his junkyard is buried under several feet of creekbank now.

Pete Penny also brought in prostitutes from what some old timers used to tell me

Ratzilla wrote:

How bout we tell some stories about county history. More obscure stories not everyone has heard 100 times. Anyone feel free to add a story. I'll start.

Supossedly there was a well on W 9th street in Hays that after being abandoned due to contamination was used by the local marshall to dispose of dead vagrants in to save the city burial expenses. Trash was then thrown in each time to cover them. Story was told by my grandad to my dad. Grandad was from Plainville but lived in Hays for a time in the early 1900's.

He also told dad that supposedly during construction in the Boot Hill area that a woman and child were unearthed in coffins of very nice wood. Story says that the owner of the property bought two cheap coffins to transfer them into for reburial and kept their fancy ones to make things from.

The well would explain the taste of Hays water. as for the coffins, I can think of some folks nowdays that would pull that stunt

LukeTHr wrote:

Pete Penny also brought in prostitutes from what some old timers used to tell me

Yeah, heard the same thing. Bet they were real honeys.

Speaking of Hays water, Back in the early 1900's there was a "pig jam" on Big Creek after a flood. Something like 200 pigs drowned and had to be removed because the creek was becoming putrid all the way to Hays.

And in the 1870's two sisters in Hays died from typhoid about 6 months apart. After the second girl died the authorities decided to investigate and found their father had dug the outhouse right beside their well.

I recall reading about a foul water problem in Hays in the creek. A team of men was sent out to investigate it and they found the carcasses of sheep that had been butchered had been thrown in big creek near Ellis causing the problem.

The old Rome townsite always intrigued me. Would love to be able to metal detect there to see what might turn up. Same goes for Sheridan and Ft Wallace.

LukeTHr wrote:

I recall reading about a foul water problem in Hays in the creek. A team of men was sent out to investigate it and they found the carcasses of sheep that had been butchered had been thrown in big creek near Ellis causing the problem.

I heard it was poop from a giant rat monster....

LukeTHr wrote:

I recall reading about a foul water problem in Hays in the creek. A team of men was sent out to investigate it and they found the carcasses of sheep that had been butchered had been thrown in big creek near Ellis causing the problem.

Could easily be that both stories are true. I do remember a story about pigs, but not sure where I saw or heard it though.

nitromaxx98 wrote:

I heard it was poop from a giant rat monster....

nitro, I'll try to squeeze you an extra one so you can have it by lunch time.

LukeTHr wrote:

The old Rome townsite always intrigued me. Would love to be able to metal detect there to see what might turn up. Same goes for Sheridan and Ft Wallace.

Oh yeah. All big on the list of dream sites. When Fort Hays sent soldiers to raid the Rome saloons they confiscated a case of very rare Highland Bitters. Man I'd be more excited than a school boy with a hole drilled in the wall of the girls locker room if I dug one of those bottles up.

better have EMS on standby for you at your advanced age.

You know me. Finding things that good would be like Underdog popping his super energy pill.

Ok, another local history tidbit....

Round Mound - Trego county - south of Riga approx 2 to 3 miles

Stories say that it was used as a lookout point by indians and military both as it is an excellent vantage point over the Big Creek valley to the north. There is the claim that there were some soldiers killed and are supposed to be burid on the west side of Round Mound. I have not been able to verify this thru any doumentation, however, there are three large rocks sitting side by side that seem to have been placed there because the chance of them rolling there on their own seems very low. They are too far off the west slope for it to be a natural occurence. They lie approx 100 to 150 yards away from the Riga road.

I'm surprised nobody from the state has explored that possibility.

Halloween past in Ellis...... I was told by a family member that tricks of Halloween were once far more extreme. One time a car was disassembled and completely reassembled on top of City Hall. Another time a cast iron bathtub was chained behind a car and was dragged down the street smashing into several parked cars as they went.

Ratzilla wrote:

I'm surprised nobody from the state has explored that possibility.

Budget cuts?

SciFi wrote:

Ratzilla wrote:

I'm surprised nobody from the state has explored that possibility.

Budget cuts?

no, it would mean they would have to get out of their cushy office in Topeka

Could be Luke. Or it could be the same reason everything in Fort Hays was and is allowed to keep deteriorating under ground in the outhouses not yet dug. They redirected all the interest to excavating Indian sites and promoting the buffalo soldier.

Celebrity stories..... In the 30's during Shirley Temple's days of fame she used to travel doing personal appearances in towns showing her films. While she was staying at the Lamer Hotel in Hays there was flooding on Big Creek. A girl riding her horse was thrown and went into the fast moving water and drown. What was described as a very large flower arrangement was sent to her funeral with condolences from Shirley.

Before he bacame a famous TV personality Lawrence Welk traveled with his orchestra. One of his stops was at Mulvey Hall in Ellis. According to my source he and his orchestra once appeared here all dressed in yellow suits. I think she said their cars were yellow too. Lawrence and his orchestra were known for wearing very bold colored suits.

I met Jody Foster back in the 70's when she played the part of Addie Pray in the TV series of "Paper Moon" They were filming in Ellis and I was hanging around watching the shoots. We talked like normal kids.

Yeah, I never got to meet the cast members. My neighbors in Hays played extras in the movie. Where did they film in Ellis?

Tatum O'Neil played Addie in the movie. Her name was Addie Loggins though. She was orphaned by a hooker and Moses Pray took her in. Was she called Addie Pray in the series?

They filmed in the pool hall, the brick house on w 13th st and down at the campgrounds. There may have been other spots but those are the places I recall. I think the Pray name was what was used in the series. would have to check to be sure

jodie foster info

Moses and Addie Pray were the names used in the series. My brother and I were school kids in one of the episodes. It was filmed at the Vincent School. We were filming there all day and they served a catered lunch that was out of this world. We were paid $500 each, and for a kid that was alot of money!!

holy crap, way to go kel. we were extras in the tent revival scene but we only got like 5 bucks. I do remember the catering, I had been hanging around enough that I was invited to eat with the makeup people. the food was great. I was really fascinated by the cameras they used. I was surprised they never yelled at me when I would look thru the viewfinder during breaks. The crew was really nice to us.

I remember we were in the pool hall watching them film a scene there and an old retired railroader walked in dressed in his bib overalls and engineers cap, since he looked like he belonged there he was able to walk right on in wtih no one stopping him. He went up to the bar and ordered a beer then someone yelled "cut" because he wasn't supposed to be there according to the script yet he looked like he belonged. There was a fuss for a few minutes, they bought him a beer, which is what he wanted in the first place, then he left and filming went on.

No kidding that was alot of money. In the early 70's that was a fortune to a kid. I didn't know much about the series being done here, but there was alot of fuss over the movie in Hays. I wonder why the movie and series havn't been on TV in ages? If either were I missed it.

With the money I got, I bought the top of the line ten-speed bike down at Evan's Bike Shop and still had over $300 left! Enough to keep me in Cherry Mash candy bars and 25 cent slushes from Alco for a couple years!

I had a speaking part and it was utterly embarrassing! They asked me how long it had been since my family had eaten. My reply was....."had coon meat week go". Does that sound like a hick, or what!!!

so how was that there coon meat?? Oh yeah Evans bike shop was a favorite. Schwinn was just the ultimatre bike, tho I never had one. The only new bike I ever had was from Sears as were my pants "toughskins" and most of my dads tools and moms appliances. Now my sisters and brother all got schwinns but I never did. A far as the cherry mash, you can have them , yuck.

cobra_kel wrote:

I had a speaking part and it was utterly embarrassing! They asked me how long it had been since my family had eaten. My reply was....."had coon meat week go". Does that sound like a hick, or what!!!

LOL.. During those times I think they ate everything but skunk. I wish they'd put the series on so we could watch for it. I checked Hulu and they don't have the movie or series.

I remember the Cherry Mash was like 15 cents when the rest of the candy bars were still 10 cents. I bought alot of the Atomic Fire Balls and Pixy Stix in those days. Pop didn't go up to 10 cents until in the early 70's either. I used to take $1 and go to Massey's Mudhole, stop at Bike's for a burger, fries, and small drink afterwards, and still have a little candy money to blow at Art's Conoco. $500 would have made me feel almost like a millionaire then.

I think the Hays Public Library has three or four of the episodes on VHS tape.

Ok, thanks. You recall the episode you were in?

It was episode #1 entitled "Settling In". Let me know if you can locate a way to watch it! Thanks a bunch!

Ok, will do.

The early county fairs were held where the FHSU football stadium now sits. Ellis city fairs were once held where the ball diamond is behind the library.

Figured I'd revive this thread so ya'll would have something to read besides arguments.

Ratzilla wrote:
The early county fairs were held where the FHSU football stadium now sits. Ellis city fairs were once held where the ball diamond is behind the library.

Figured I'd revive this thread so ya'll would have something to read besides arguments.


The Ellis County Fair used to be held where the new Tennis Courts are now and in covered slabs
behind the outfield fence on the first base side at Larks Park by the old Bandshell.

Used to be in 4-H and that is were we showed horses, cows, chickens, rabbits excetera. It went from
there to the present Fairgrounds are located now.




You are both right. First fairgrounds was back in the corner of Lewis Field as an Agricultural Society before the stadium was built. Then across main on the north side of the park as a 4-H fair. Then Schenks donated the prresent site.
Cracker

I was referring to the ones going back to at least the early 1900's, but the idea of this thread is to share info. Yes, there were also carnivals by the old bandshell. Good input guys.

Here is another link to fame for Ellis.





It was only a matter of three or four weeks before he and 40 other horses were placed in animal cars and transported to their first Army post, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Here Comanche entered the military service, a recruit cavalry mount.

Spring had arrived, and after the morning grooming, he was turned loose to graze in a large grass-covered field, sprinkled with clover and alfalfa. This was very different from what he had known on the Panhandle plains, where he had to rustle buffalo-grass for his forage. Nor were there any coyotes or wolves to guard against – he was now protected and well cared for. If it were cold, a large heavy woolen blanket was provided for his comfort; it was much different from trying to keep warm and comfortable in the river bottoms among the cottonwood trees. Here at the fort there was no yelling, no lariats whirling around his head – only a firm tone, interspersed with a few well chosen cuss-words that only a trooper would use, and a halter for leading him. True, his freedom to roam the range had been somewhat curtailed, but the care and treatment he received compensated for that loss.

It was only a few days later that he and the other 40 mounts with which he had come from St. Louis were again placed in animal cars and sent on their way to join the Seventh Cavalry, which was now in the field protecting the early settlers of Kansas from murder and depredations from the roving bands of renegade Indians. The officer in charge of escorting these cavalry mounts was none other than First Lieutenant (Brevet Captain) Thomas W. Custer, Seventh Cavalry, twice winner of the coveted Congressional Medal of Honor, and brother of the illustrious cavalry leader of the Civil War, Major General George A. Custer.

When Comanche and the other 40 horses arrived at the detachment's headquarters in the field the following report was made:

Camp Detachment 7th U. S. Cavalry

near Ellis Station, Kansas

May 27th, 1868

Lieut. A. O. Smith, 7th Cavalry,

Bvt. Capt. U. S. A.

Act'g Adjutant



Sir:-

I have the honor to report that I left Leavenworth City, Kansas at Six (6) o'clock P.M. May 16th in charge of Forty-one horses for the 7th Cavalry, was delayed at Lawrence Ks about three hours. I arrived at Elsworth City Ks about Seven o'clock P.M. May 17th and was delayed there until about Eleven o'clock A. M., May 18th and did not reach Hayes City until about Five o'clock P.M. May 18th, 1868.

And I further state that I used every exertion possible at Ellsworth City to be sent on to Hayes City without delay.

I am very Respectfully, Sec-

T. W. Custer,

1st Lieut. 7th Cavalry

Bvt. Capt. USA



This letter was enclosed and forwarded with the following letter from Major Joel H. Elliot, Seventh Cavalry.

Camp Alfred Gibbs. Kansas

May 27th, 1868

Bvt. Major Gen'l Gibbs,

Comdg 7th U. S. Cav.

Fort Leavenworth, Ks



Gen'l,

Enclosed please find report of Capt. Custer concerning the detention of his horses while enroute to Fort Hays. Aside from the unnecessary detention I found no fault with the treatment of the horses. The horses were in good condition. Some of them had distemper but most of them were looking well and I regard them as a choice lot of horses.

Very Respectfully

Joel R. Elliot.

Major 7th U. S. Cav.

Comdg Det.

Now came trying days for Comanche, and another phase in the life of a recruit cavalry mount – his introduction to saddle equipment and accoutrements, which he must learn to wear with grace and humility. Never before had he worn such contraptions or carried a rider on his back or been directed to go in certain directions by the feel of the reins on his neck and a touch of the spur on his flank. His had been a care-free roaming life on the plains, and he had been master of his own destiny. But now this was all changed and he was to have a kindly master and rider in the person of Captain Myles W. Keogh, who had admired his fine qualities only a few days after his arrival at Ellis Station and had been granted permission to purchase him as his private mount, paying the same price which the Government had previously paid for him.

Comanche was indeed fortunate in having such an owner as this gallant Irishman, and under his tutelage and keen understanding of equitation it was only a matter of days before Comanche was an ideal cavalry officer's mount. And he was to share his master's affection with another horse named "Paddy."


article link

I guess I should clarify why Comanche is famous. He was the horse ridden by Keogh in the Little Bighorn Battle and his survival of that earned him lifetime fame and the best care any horse in the army ever saw. He was given the best of feed and never ridden again

anyone recognize this location??

photo link

Yep know those hills, but I'll let others guess. If I recall right, Comanche lived to be a fairly old horse. Died in the 1890's. I like to imagine that the US rosettes I have may have once been on that horse. Guess we'll never know which horse sported them, but they were found in officers territory.

Neat stuff, gentlemen. Keep it coming!

Ellis was a MAJOR competitor with Dodge City for the Texas cattle trade. The quarantine line being placed at the Ellis -Trego county line was a bit of a problem for Ellis and a reason for Dodge to rejoice.

April 07, 1877 Page 1, Col. 2

ELLIS BURSTED

Mr. R. G. Cook returned from the K. P. road [Kansas Pacific Railroad] this week. He interviewed some of the prominent citizens of Ellis, who seemed anxious to prevent Texas cattle from being shipped from that point. They said as Ellis is east of the dead line [Quarantine line], and the farmers and local stock raisers determined and united in their opposition to encroachment of through cattle, the K. P. road and cattle drovers combined will not be able to get a hoof of through Texas cattle into the Ellis stock yards. The measures and plans for prevention recently adopted by the opposition to the cattle trade have overwhelmed the business men of Ellis with dismay, for they well know that if the law is enforced the town of Ellis will be left ‘out in the cold’ so far as the Texas cattle trade is concerned and the good, pious citizens of that ill-fated berg can have it nice and quiet to their hearts’ content.

The K. P. road may succeed in enticing a few deluded drovers over to their line, but the moment a Texas steer crosses the Ellis county line the farmers will take him into custody. The business men and railroad company may object, and try to shield the victimized cattle men, but their efforts will be in vain. The law is dead against them; the opposition are largely in the ascendency and will not spare money or labor to rid themselves — for all time to come — of the Texas cattle they so much dread; and they will succeed.

By the amendment to the dead line law last winter, Texas cattle are excluded from the only well-watered grazing country within shipping distance of Ellis, to-wit, Ness and Graham counties, leaving only dry, barren uplands and no shipping point to accommodate through cattle on the line of the Kansas Pacific Railroad.

On the other hand, our people will unanimously receive the drovers in open arms. Instead of harassing lawsuits they will be treated as honored guests, fed on the fat of the land and regaled with two bit drinks. Instead of bleak uplands where their magnificent herds will perish of thirst and hunger, we offer to conduct them (free of charge) to beautiful valleys of luxuriant grass, through which, at all seasons of the year, flow cool and refreshing streams of water, clear as crystal. Our stock yards, about ten miles west of the dead line, are the largest, most convenient for branding, watering, etc., of any yards in the West. Prices of groceries, provisions, etc., required for the herders’ camp have been greatly reduced, while the Dodge House facilities for entertaining guests comfortably are much enhanced by recent and various improvements.

I remember there being a fued over cattle. It stood to reason that Ellis would be a shipping point. All Hays really had above Ellis was the fort. Ellis had the roundhouse and rail yards, and UP had the big hotel in Ellis, and water was plentiful. Until after 1900 Hays was not a bigger town than others of the region. Hays seemed to be prone to bad fires in it's first 30 years which stifled growth, especially after the big one that took out a large part of the business district. Ellis was once the best town in the area for a stockyard.

More Ft Hays items.

At the high point of it's usage the fort was said to be home base to 3000 troops stationed there, or camped in the area.

During the cholera epidemic during the spring and summer of 1868 the camp surgeon suggested troops take two baths a week instead of the customary one.

Custer was known for being extremely strict. At the first fort in the county Ft Fletcher, his men were suffering from scurvy and when two of them snuck out of camp to get canned fruit at the fort he had half their heads shaved and paraded them around camp.

Custer did believe in R&R though. When done with a campaign he gave his men two weeks off duty to do as they wanted. The writings of a soldiers wife at the fort said they'd go to town every night and in the morning Custer would send wagons to pick them up, sometimes returning with passed out men stacked 3 deep in the wagons.

She also said they had a song they'd sing as they left for town. I may have posted it here before but it went like this....

Beer is just a nickle.
Opium is just a dime.
Whiskey is 25 cents.
Gonna have us a hell of a time.

Here's a topic that's never been in print. The most popular patent medicines used in Ellis County. Many used alcohol, opiates, or cannabis extracts. May add to this list but here's a few to start. Might do a favorite beer and spirits list later.

Hood's Sarsaparilla..... A blood medicine.
Lydia Pinkham's Vegetable Compound..... For female complaints
Paine's Celery Compound.... A tonic
Piso's Cure For Consumption...... A very popular tuberculosis cure, also used for any respiratory complaint. And popular for good reason. Contained opium, chloroform, alcohol, and hashish.
Ayer's Cherry Pectoral....For coughs and respiratory disorders.
Wakefield's Blackberry Balsam.... Cough and lung cure.
Warner's Safe Kidney And Liver Cure..... Self explanatory.
Dr. Jaynes Tonic Vermifuge..... Worm medicine.
The Cuticura System Of Curing Constitutional Humors..... The humors were the four bodily fluids thought to control health being black bile, yellow bile, blood, and phlegm.
Mrs. Winslows Soothing Syrup..... A teething and colic remedy. Contained opium.
Dr. J. Hostetter's Stomach Bitters.... A highly alcoholic general tonic. Bitters were typically high alcohol meds designed to get around prohibition laws and alcohol taxes. Hostetter's was about 47% alcohol and was given to Union troops by the trainload during The Civil War. Each soldier was given a good "dose" before battle.
Bromo Selzer..... Once contained a drug called acetanilide which had analgesic properties but impurities were found to be toxic.
The Great Dr. Kilmer's Swamp-Root Kidney, Liver, and Bladder Cure..... Self explanatory.

Boy, I could use some stomach bitters about now!

LOL.. Hostetters was flavored with a mix of herbs and orange peel. I figure it was similar to Southern Comfort.

Lydia Pinkham's Vegetable Compound was about 21% alcohol and was touted to cure a wide variety of female complaints. Sobriety was probably one of them.

Or you could try Pabst, or Anhueser Busch Malt Tonic. Supposedly a great tonic for all ages.

Ratzilla wrote:

LOL.. Hostetters was flavored with a mix of herbs and orange peel. I figure it was similar to Southern Comfort.

Lydia Pinkham's Vegetable Compound was about 21% alcohol and was touted to cure a wide variety of female complaints. Sobriety was probably one of them.

Or you could try Pabst, or Anhueser Busch Malt Tonic. Supposedly a great tonic for all ages.

Don't forget the men!

I could also try some rum and coke, or a girlie drink... or four.

Men usually just guzzled beer and whiskey as they liked while the temperence women protested it stoned on Lydia's Compound.