A Day Visiting Historic Places

My wife Karen and I are doing several quests around Kansas now. This year, we have been wanting to find 150 historic sites, buildings, places, signs, etc within a 150 mile radius of our home in Wichita. This is the 150th anniversary year of Kansas statehood, so we call this quest 150 times 3 (150X3).

Due to work schedules and some health issues, we have not been able to do as much towards this quest as I would have liked to this point in the year. Recently, on July 31, we headed out on a day trip south and east of Wichita to add some sites to our completed list.

Tornado memorial in Udall

We began by stopping at the city park in Udall to see the memorial to the people who lost their lives in the massive tornado on May 25, 1955. The tornado struck with almost no warning and killed 87, and injured another 200. Out of this destruction and loss of life came much work towards improving severe storm forecasts and warnings.

We traveled on southeast to the junction of US-166 and K-15 south of Dexter to view the Kansas Historic sign about the discovery of helium in Dexter in 1903. When the town tried to light the natural gas well that were drilled, the flames went out each time. It was discovered the natural gas contained 2% Helium. Helium was first used in balloons in World War I, but many industrial uses were developed also. There was a commercial plant producing helium in Dexter for a number of years.

Hewins Park Pavilion interior view - Cedar Vale

Our next stop as in Cedar Vale in southwest Chautauqua County. We went to Hewins Park at the southeast corner of town to visit the Pavilion there, built in 1913. I found this to be an impressive wood framed building, that the town uses for large group events. It has great ventilation since it is open on 3 sides. A semi-circular stage is at the south end. The concrete floor was added in 1946. The photo shown here is of the impressive arch wood construction of the interior.

Swinging Suspension Bridge in Moline

Our next historic site was in Moline, in Elk County. Here is the oldest swinging pedestrian suspension bridge in Kansas. It was built in 1904. Even though it was a very hot day, we got out and walked across the bridge with our dogs. The creek underneath was completely dry due to the extended drought in Kansas this year.

Grenola Monument

Continuing west on US-160, we pulled into the small town of Grenola in western Elk County. Heading downtown along the railroad track we found a limestone marker with the following statement:

"LONGHORN CATTLE DRIVE
1881 TO 1884 GRENOLA, KANSAS BECAME THE LARGEST SINGLE CATTLE SHIPPING POINT IN THE UNITED STATES.

THE "SOUTHERN KANSAS RAILROAD" WAS BUILT BETWEEN THE TWO SMALL TOWNS OF CANOLA AND GREENFIELD ABOUT 6 MI. APART. THE TWO TOWNS CLOSED RANKS AND TOOK GRENOLA AS THE CITY NAME USING THE "GRE" FROM GREENFIELD
AND "NOLA" FROM CANOLA. AS THIS WAS ABOUT 75 MI. SHORTER DRIVE FOR THE CATTLE, DROVES BEGAN COMING IN"

Also nearby, is a nice mural depicting the cattle drives, and a nice gazeebo. Across the street is the town museum, unique in the fact that it is housed in the old grain elevator. This museum is open Saturday and Sunday afternoons.

Grand Summit Railroad siding

Heading on west on US-160 into Cowley County, we pulled off north to a spot that intrigues me, the Grand Summit railroad siding. This station was active from about 1880 into at least the 1930's, but nothing remains except for a 2 track siding. I've read stories of many cattle being loaded onto rail cars here from the numerous ranches in the area during that time. Now, the area has only a few farms and ranches left. Just east of the station, the railroad crests the summit of the Flint Hills in this area and goes through a rock cut that has yielded fossils. The photo shows the lonely siding.

We were able to visit 6 historic sites during a good day of exploring.

See more of my photos of our 150X3 quest at the following address:

150X3 Quest Photos

Doing Dirt in Norton County

During a recent trip out of Kansas, Karen and I were able to explore some rural areas of southern and western Norton County in northwest Kansas.

Hills in Southern Norton County

Rummage Sale in Edmond

We came into the county from the south and drove a few miles through the hills east of US-283 till we arrived at the small town of Edmond. Here we found an old wood frame abandoned church, a brick United Methodist church, the remains of an old brick hotel and a store front which seemed to be used for a rummage sale / flea market.

Former Church in Densmore

Then, we traveled east to Densmore where sadly we found a town which has lost its businesses, schools and churches. We noticed the brick school building was being demolished and some abandoned buildings downtown, along with a limestone church. We did notice a few houses where people were still living in town.

Barbeau House in Lenora

After roaming on some dirt roads north of K-9 highway, we ended up at the town of Lenora. Here, we noticed an active downtown business district, a couple of schools, and the beautiful Queen Anne Victorian Barbeau House bed and breakfast.

St Joseph Catholic Church in New Almelo

Next, we drove west to New Almelo, where still stands the beautiful limestone St Joseph Catholic Church, built in 1900. It is an imposing structure which can be seen from quite a distance.



Finally, we drove north through rural areas of the western part of Norton County before taking the highway to the town of Norton for the night. I would still like to explore some of the northern half of the county, so we will likely be back to Norton County again before long.





Rocky outcropping - western Norton County

  

See more of our photos of Norton County at the following link:

Norton County Dare to Do Dirt photos

New Year's Day in the Gyp HIlls

One of Kansas's best treasures is the Red Hills physiographic region, which spans parts of up to 7 counties in South Central and South West Kansas. The heart of this area, also known as the Gypsum (or Gyp) Hills is in Barber and Comanche Counties between the towns of Medicine Lodge and Coldwater.

My wife Karen, has wanted to take a trip to this area since she moved to Kansas. When we saw clear sunny weather in the forecast on New Year's Day, we decided to take a day trip to this area. I have been to this area a number of times, but always enjoy going back, especially in different seasons.

On the way to Medicine Lodge, we made stops in Harper and Anthony to observe some murals, the old Runnymede Church, the 9-11 memorial and the Harper County Courthouse in Anthony. Karen has just begun a quest to photograph all the Kansas Courthouses. This will be an ongoing quest as we travel Kansas.

See Karen's Kansas Courthouses photo gallery at:

http://ke2013.smugmug.com/Karens-Photos/Kansas-Courthouses/Courthouses/14923761_nHowU#1114190037_2jkDR

We left Medicine Lodge heading west on US-160 and turned south onto the 22 mile long Gyp Hills Scenic Drive, which travels through some of the most scenic areas of the Red Hills. Heading south, then west, then back north to US-160, this drive is suitable for all vehicles in good weather, and offers great views all along it's length. Below is a small sampling of photos of this area, taken during my journeys along this road.



Gyp Hills Scenic Drive (Karen's Photo)



Gyp Hills Scenic Drive (Karen's Photo)

Flower Pot Mound (Larry's Photo)

Gyp Hills Scenic Drive (Larry's Photo)

For more information about the Gyp Hills Scenic Drive and related Gypsum Hills Scenic Byway, which together are a winner in the 8 Wonders of Kansas Geography, see the Kansas Sampler Foundation's page at:

http://www.kansassampler.org/8wonders/geographyresults.php?id=249



Dog Creek area - Lake City Road (Karen's Photo)

 Leaving the Gyp Hills Scenic Drive at US-160, we headed north on Lake City Road and viewed some of the ruins in Lake City.

From there, we headed east on River Road before turning north on another favorite road, Mingona Road towards the Elm Mills area in northern Barber County.

Approaching thunderstorm on Mingona Rd (Larry's Photo)

We had seen the Flat Ridge Windfarm windmills from Mingona Road, so we backtracked south on US-281, then east and north on Isabel Road to view them up close. By now it was dusk, so we headed north to US-54/400 and back east to Wichita.

To view more photos that Karen and I have taken in the Gyp Hills, see our photo gallery at:

http://ke2013.smugmug.com/Kansas-Exploring/South-Central-Kansas/Gyp-Hills-Photos/15389857_o5ds6#1151768249_uaNoQ

What a great way to start a new year with a trip to a beautiful area of Kansas!

Labette County Roaming

At the end of the Thanksgiving weekend, Karen and I had a chance to to some exploring in Labette County in southeast Kansas.

We visited some rural areas of the county as well as towns of Angola, Chetopa, Dennis, Mound Valley, Oswego, Parsons and Valeda.

Oakwood Cemetery - Anteitam Circle

In Parsons we looked over some of the impressive architecture downtown, including churches and the city building. Also in Parsons is the beautiful Oakwood Cemetery with it's Antietam Circle with Civil War Veterans graves.

Osage Indian Village Mural - Oswego

Oswego has a group of nice murals downtown with the highlight being the Osage Indian village mural. The farm scene mural in the Post Office and the railroad mural on a private shed were also beautiful. Also, Riverside Park at the north end of town offers an impressive view of the Neosho River below.

Sinclair Service Station - Chetopa

In Chetopa, we admired the architecture of the old mill at the east edge of town, and the beautiful Sinclair Service Station. The city building downtown has some elegant stained glass in the windows. Also, while in Chetopa, we found a flea market open on the holiday weekend and did some shopping.

In smaller towns, Mound Valley has their old brick city jail out for display and the flagpole at the middle of the downtown intersection. I was also impressed with the decaying abandoned school in Valeda. It must have been quite a building in it's heydey.

Pumpkin Creek Pony Truss Bridge- ca 1932

As always, when exploring rural areas, I try and get a sampling of some historic bridges, and Labette County does have some memorable ones. There is quite a selection of concrete arch bridges dating back as far as about 1915. There is also a few iron pony truss bridges left, with the most impressive one we saw over Pumpkin Creek just west of Angola.

Finally, we had an unexpected surprise when visiting the Mt Zion Community Church west of Big Hill Lake. We pulled up to admire this old wood country church, and found the pastor Marty Warren there, and he gave us a tour and told us about the recent renovation of this church. When I hear about rural Kansas people getting together to save and restore something important to their lives, it makes you proud to be a Kansan!

To see more of the photos Karen and I took while in Labette County visit our Smugmug photo gallery:   Labette County Photos

For more information see the following:

City of Parsons:  http://www.parsonsks.com/

City of Oswego:  http://www.oswegokansas.com/

City of Chetopa:  http://www.chetopacity.org/

Blue Skyways Labette County:  http://skyways.lib.ks.us/counties/LB/

Birds and Chocolate

Oct 30 dawned a clear day with crisp fall temps. Karen and I left Wichita well before sunrise and headed northwest to Quivira National Wildlife refuge in eastern Stafford County. Quivira and it's neighbor Cheyenne Bottoms further north are important for migrating water birds on their long journeys throughout the Western Hemisphere.

Sunrise over Little Salt Marsh

We arrived at the Little Salt Marsh area just before sunrise and went to the observation platform there. We were told by a couple of other visitors that we had missed an adult and juvenile Whooping Crane by just less than 10 min. The sun came up with it's brilliant yellow hues and I caught it just above the horizon.

Pelicans flying over Little Salt Marsh

Karen was watching the birds with binoculars while I was snapping photos as best I could. I don't have a long zoom suitable for wildlife, so most of my photos were more wide angle shots. I did capture a photo of pelicans flying over the platform.

Next, we walked the short Birdhouse Boulevard nature trail near the visitor center before driving north for a quick view of more birds in flight at the observation pullout for the Big Salt Marsh. We didn't have time to take the drive around the Big Salt Marsh on this trip.

Quivira is open daily from dawn to dusk. See the US Fish and Wildlife page at the following address:

Quivira National Wildlife Refuge (US Fish and Wildlife Service)

Also, visit my photo gallery of Quivira at the following address:

Larry Hornbaker's Quivira Gallery

After leaving Quivira, we took a short drive to Stafford to attend the 2nd Annual Chocolate Sampler Affair, sponsored by the Stafford Chamber of Commerce, Stafford Main Street Association and held on the grounds of the Henderson Inn and Retreat Center at 201 N Green Street.

Chocolate Treats

Karen and I met my sister and her husband there and we found the chocolate sampling tent, with many goodies to try, including chocolate chili. We also saw exhibitors from the area including Stafford and Barton counties.

We observed a bon bon cooking demonstration, participated in a cake walk and watched a pie eating contest. This event also features the nearby Wetlands and Wildlife Scenic Byway through the Quivira and Cheyenne Bottoms areas.

See more about the Chocolate Affair at the following web address:

Chocolate Affair

Also visit the web site of the Henderson House Inn and Retreat center, a member of the Kansas Bed and Breakfast Association:

Henderson House

My photo gallery of the Chocolate Affair can be found at the following address:

Larry Hornbaker's Chocolate Affair Gallery

Jigsaw Puzzles at Curtis Cafe

Leaving the chocolate festival around noon, our group headed to downtown Stafford for a meal at the Curtis Cafe, which is known for the hundreds of assembled jigsaw puzzles on the walls. We had a good meal here before heading back home.

What a great day to be out Exploring Kansas!

McPherson Scottish Festival

On Saturday, Sep 25, my wife Karen and I made a trip to McPherson, KS to attend the 17th Annual Scottish Festival. Karen has Scottish heritage in her family and has seen festivals in several states.

We arrived before noon and were able to see the midday ceremony and welcome. All the bands marched in seperately, along with dancers, and clans. There was a welcome from the mayor of McPherson, then a performance by the massed bands, and a Highland Fling dance.

After this, Karen and I went to the food area and did sample some ethnic food. I had a cottage pie, which is basically a beef stew inside a flaky pastry shell. It was hearty and very good. Karen had a scone with strawberries and cream which was also good.

Next, we went to listen to Alex Beaton, a well known Scottish Folk Singer, who performed some of his songs under a tent. Just as his set was finishing, the heavens opened up and we got a thunderstorm with heavy downpours. Everyone scurried under cover for 20 - 30 minutes.

Then, Karen and I watched some of the athletic competition, including the women's caber toss. We also had the chance to see the sheep herding demonstration.

Finally, we watched some of the bands perform in competition in front of some judges. Below is a video Karen shot of one of the bands.

To see some photos of the festival, follow this link to our photo gallery:

Scottish Festival Photo Gallery

Kansas Cottonwood Trees

I enjoy seeing Cottonwood trees around Kansas. Since I travel so many rural roads, I have seen many stately cottonwood trees, which are found mainly around and along streams and rivers.

The early settlers of Kansas prized finding cottonwood trees on the plains, because they knew there might be water nearby. Many of these trees were used as landmarks on the early trails.

 

See some facts about cottonwood trees at the following page from the Great Plains Nature Center web pages:

http://www.gpnc.org/cottonwood.htm

Eastern Cottonwood near Studley

I have visited both of the largest known cottonwood trees in Kansas. The largest Eastern Cottonwood is near Studley in eastern Sheridan County in northwest Kansas. According to the Kansas Forest Service, this tree is over 35 ft in circumference (measured 4.5 ft off the ground), is 96 ft tall, and has a spread of 127 ft at the crown.

The largest Plains Cottonwood tree in Kansas is off West 4th Avenue on Avery Rd in western Reno County. I actually think this tree is more massive on it's trunk since is is tighter packed. I have visited this tree several times. It is almost 31 ft in circumference, 90 ft tall, and has a spread of 98 ft. Notice the size of the trunk in the photo below compared to me with outstretched arms. Note: the Poison Ivy did not seem to bother me.




Plains Cottonwood trunk with me in front




Female cottonwood trees produce the fluffy white seeds in the spring to early summer that gives the tree it's name. See the photo below which shows a cottonwood seed shower I was in near Arlington, KS.



Cottonwood Seed Shower

 I also enjoy traveling down lanes with cottonwood trees lining both sides. A good example of this is a stretch of Herren Rd south of Greenfield Rd in Reno County, KS.



Herren Road Cottonwoods



Also, another custom that attracts people to cottonwood trees is to attach something to the tree. There is a cottonwood tree near Wetmore in northeast Kansas, that people have been nailing shoes to for over 20 years. See the article about this tree at the following address on the Kansas Sampler Foundation's web pages:

http://www.kansassampler.org/8wonders/customsresults.php?id=230

This tree inspired another. On a large cottonwood tree on his farm near Partridge, Jay Yoder has started a tree with license plates (tags). Nails and a hammer are provided so you can put your license plate on the tree facing towards your home. Karen and I visited this tree this past weekend and put her Indiana license on the tree facing northeast - See the photo below.

Jay Yoder's license plate Cottonwood

In conclusion, it's no wonder that the cottonwood tree has been named the official Kansas state tree.