Written for the 60th anniversary
by
Daisy Lockman Plotner
1991
Introduction by the author: My family roots go deep in Ford County. I’m Daisy Lockman Plotner. I am of the fifth generation of my family who have lived in Ford County. Three sets of my great, great grandparents and two sets of my great grandparents came to Ford County during the 1880’s. Their surnames were Lockman, Devoe, Platz and Jones.
I have always enjoyed history and my hobby since I was fourteen has been genealogy.
I became a member of the Ford County Historical Society about three years ago. A few months after placing membership Josephene Hulpieu, our president, asked if I would serve on the program committee. I agreed and at the first meeting of the committee Josephene brought out the 50th anniversary scrapbook of the Society. I was intrigued and thought it would be nice to celebrate the Society’s 60th anniversary in 1991 with a written history so we could know the roots of the Society.
Daisy Lockman Plotner
During this year of 1991 we have been reviewing the activities and accomplishments of the Society. Sixty years have passed since the formal organization in 1931. But before the formal organization or charter there has to be an idea, a dream, a common goal. So, with that in mind, I would like to go back sixty-five years to 1926, when the idea first immerged. [sic]
State wide attention focused on southwest Kansas in 1926 after the dedication of the marker at the Fort Atkinson site west of Dodge City. Following all the “free” publicity and attention, the old-timers and many younger “historians” began to think seriously about preserving the relics and marking the famous landmarks in Southwest Kansas for future generations. Things were changing rapidly in Dodge City and the area. During the 1920’s the tearing down of many of the old buildings and replacing them with new was becoming more and more commonplace. This may have given the group a sense of urgency to begin the task of preserving the history of the “Old West”. Interest was at a high peak.
A group met in October of 1926 to discuss organizing a historical society and to plan marking more of the well-known sites. Their most immediate goal was to mark the site of the famous Boot Hill. Other sites were also targeted–the site of the first sod house, the old public square, the Point of Rock, the Butter and Egg Road and others. Their intent was to cover the entire area of Southwest Kansas.
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Those associated with the group were H. F. Schmidt, H. B. Bell, C. C. Isely, Tom Stauth, Dr. O. H. Simpson,
“Brick” Bond, Charles States, Richard W. Evans, Frank Hobble, J.P. McCollom, Tom Bell, E. J. Riney, George Riney and others.
Three years later in 1929 the group, calling themselves The Southwest Historical Society, had still not been formally organized. They were waiting until they had a proper place to house all their collections. Newspaper articles indicate that they were waiting for the completion of the new municipal building on top of Boot Hill. The city had promised to provide a room for their museum in the basement.
On November 4, 1929, the Southwest Historical Society held a huge celebration “so the old west may live again” called THE LAST ROUNDUP on Boot Hill. This great gathering to honor the pioneers proved to be one of Dodge City’s biggest days, with the attendance of a thousand early-timers, and many thousand who came to view the long historical parade and attend the program held in Billy Sunday’s Tabernacle perched on top of Boot Hill.
Another two years went by. In February of 1931 a group met at Ham Bell’s store. A nucleus for the Southwest Historical Society was temporarily formed. S. P. Reynolds was named temporary chairman and Heinie F. Schmidt was named secretary-treasurer. Mr. Schmidt was designated to write the Kansas Historical Society for information about forming a permanent organization.
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The Society’s plan was to eventually build an addition to the municipal building on top of Boot Hill to house their museum. They decided that Boot Hill should be kept typically western. It was suggested that buffalo sod, cactus, soap weed, and hackberry trees be used for the landscaping on the hill. This would also enhance the new building which was of Spanish type architecture.
It was decided to start enrolling members. Dues would be $1.00 per year. Anyone having an interest in preserving the history of the southwest would be welcome. The membership committee was composed of Carl Etrick, Merritt Beeson, C. C. Isely, Dr. O. H. Simpson and Lem Pogue. Those who took memberships at the original meeting were S. P. Reynolds, Heinie Schmidt, H. B. Bell, Mr & Mrs. Merritt Beeson, Mr. & Mrs. Al Warren, Lem Pogue, Lloyd E. Brown, C. C. Isely, Carl Etrick, J. P. Mccollom, John B. Martin and Dr. O. H. Simpson.
During the years from 1926 to 1931, material for exhibit in the museum was being received and/or promised the Society, even before they had a place for them. In 1931 an offer was made to give the Society the Fred Skillington collection which included mounted buffalo heads, deer heads, steer heads, and other articles. Also, a collection of prehistoric fossils from the sand pit south of Dodge City was offered.
On May 11, 1931, The Southwest Historical Society was formally organized with 70 members present. The youngest of these members was 12 year old Dan Stauth.
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Officers elected were: H. B. Bell, President; C. C. Isley, Vice President; Heinie F. Schmidt, Secretary- Treasurer and Carl Etrick, Historian.
The group’s chief project was the establishment of a museum on Boot Hill in the municipal building. A committee was appointed to take part in “Old West Day in Dodge City”, a celebration on May 28, 1931, which would include the unveiling of the monument to General Robert H. Chilton, Guardian of the Trails, an early day Indian fighter. Land was being given for the Leland Speirs Memorial Boy Scout Park and Chilton Park where the monument is located at Comanche Street and Manor Drive. C. C. Isley wrote an article about the presentation where he expressed the hope that the festivity would give an impetus to the growth of the Society whose objective was to preserve the glorious history of the Southwest. (It was later noted that the keystone of the monument was taken from the old Ravanna court house, in old Garfield County, now Garfield township in Finney County. It was the only court house in Kansas that never was occupied.)
The constitution for the Historical Society was adopted in June 1931. A covered wagon was chosen by the Society as its official seal. All of the first officers were re-elected in October 1931.
It was announced in November 1931 that the Southwest Historical Society’s museum would be temporarily housed in the lobby of the Ford County Courthouse. Plans were to eventually build a museum on Boot Hill. The group continued to mark famous sites in
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southwest Kansas. Among them were the Cimarron Crossing of the Arkansas River on the Santa Fe Trail between Cimarron and Ingalls, the historic Wagon Bed crossing in Grant County and the site of the Lone Tree Indian battle in Gray County.
The Society continued to receive donations of western relics such as the “Horn Chair” that was made of Texas Longhorns. It had been made for The Columbian Club, an organizaton [sic] of Ford County women, and been exhibited at the World Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893. Another contribution was a document of particular interest to the city of Dodge City. It was a petition to make Dodge City a city of the second class and believed to have been drawn in 1884.
In January 1932, the Society met for the purpose of planning “Old West Day”. The steer head monument, modeled by Dr. O. H. Simpson, was to be unveiled at that time. The Southwest Historical Society was the sponsor for the frontier day. The Society voted to hold open the Charter Membership registration until it’s [sic] first anniversary, May 11, 1932.
The Society expressed much interest in preserving the Santa Fe Trail tracks west of Dodge City. J. P. McCollom said the Santa Fe Trail was 100 percent main line through Ford County which is not the case with the trail in many other counties. It was hoped that these tracks would be preserved.
One of the important things the Society hoped to do was to collect the written biographies of the early pioneers of the Southwest. These stories were to be
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written by their families if possible. The stories that were promised in 1932 were: Offerle family by Harry Offerle; Preston family by Mrs. Ella Preston Kester; Zimmerman family by George B. Rose; Riney family by Mrs. Blanche Riney; Beeson family by Merritt Beeson; Ridenour family by Mrs. H. B. Wood. (This has still been a goal throughout the years of the society. Interest was expressed again in 1989. To date there has not been any compilation of these stories which were written by the family members of the early settlers of the area.)
The film star, William S. “Bill” Hart, was made an honorary member of the Southwest Historical Society in 1932. Mr. Hart, always interested in history, became enthusiastic when he heard of plans to build a museum on Boot Hill.
In August 1932 The Southwest Historical Society announced it’s [sic] first museum was to be in H. B. Bell’s store on Spruce Street. Relics and artifacts, some of which dated back more that 100 years, were being placed in show cases in the store, until a suitable museum could be located for the historical society. Victor Hull turned over much of the collection of his late father and grandfather who pioneered in Gray County. (Note: We believe that Victor became a Charter member of the Society in 1931-32. He has been an avid student of history and has been an active participant in the Historical Society for the past 60 years to the present.)
Ham Bell was re-elected President and Heinie Schmidt was re-elected Secretary-Treasurer at the
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December 1933 meeting. Several things were discussed at this meeting which was held at “The Corral”, a private historical museum at the Beeson home.
Newspaper accounts continued to report the activities of the Southwest Historical Society up to 1938. There didn’t seem to be much activity during the next several years.
Following World War II, in March 1946, a group gathered to talk about a Historical Society once again. Judge Karl Miller was named temporary chairman and Merle Smith was named secretary. It was reported that there were still historic spots in the area to be marked and many artifacts of the early days to be preserved. Merritt Beeson was doing much of this alone, with his musesum [sic] of southwest history. One suggestion was to interest the group in rebuilding a replica of early Front Street, on the jagged rocky slope south of Walnut street.
Later in the same month, the group met again. This group called themselves, The Dodge City Historical Society. They said they hoped to carry on and expand the work done by previous groups of the same nature and to maintain a continuous existence to help preserve the tremendously interesting history of Dodge City and the southwest.
Judge Karl Miller presided and George Gould was designated to draft a constitution which was to be finally approved by a committee composed of Mr. Gould, C. C. Isely, Joe Hulpieu, Mrs. Merritt Beeson and Mrs. Elizabeth Shenk. Their greatest immediate problem was
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to find temporary museum quarters. They expected to have a permanent historical room in the new civic auditorium. At that time the auditorium was to be built in the side of Boot Hill. Those plans were dropped and the Civic Auditorium was later built on North Central Avenue.
We do not have any more information about the Dodge City Historical Society. Perhaps it never got off the ground. However, it should be pointed out that in the late 1940’s the Dodge City Junior Chamber of Commerce began to take interest in establishing a Boot Hill museum. In 1947 the dream of many was realized when the museum opened on top of the world famous Boot Hill. (Note: The first curator was Roy Hardin. Following him was Victor Hull.) Eventually the idea for building a Front Street Replica as had been suggested in 1946, was adopted and became a reality. The original Southwest Historical Society’s primary goal had been to see a museum established on Boot Hill. Now it was reality. The fact that it had not been brought about by their group, did not matter. At long last a home was found to display the relics and history of the old Southwest.
In 1949 the Historical Society again was being revived. Larry Yost was the President and R. Roy Taylor, Vice President. In 1950 they were re-elected and Mrs. C. R. Harner was elected Secretary and Fred Swart, Treasurer. Five new Board Members were elected. They were James A. Williams, J. P. McCollom, Joe Hulpieu, Mrs. Robert Rath and George Henrichs. The Society had been inactive for several years and their current goal
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was to find and purchase an older home in Dodge City for a museum. Another project was to seek to encourage a written history of Ford County, a proposal of Mrs. Robert (Ida Ellen) Rath which the Society endorsed.
It should be noted that at some point along the way the Society had voted to change their name from Southwest Historical Society, Inc., to Ford County Historical Society, Inc. A copy of the by-laws states January 18, 1956, as the date of incorporation.
Ida Ellen Rath served as President of the Society for 1961 – 1963. The first newsletter of the Society was issued in 1961 with Ida Ellen as editor. Ida Ellen Rath was an author and had written a history on Ford County. She offered her manuscript to the Ford County Society if they would publish it. The Society agreed and in 1964 EARLY FORD COUNTY was published.
The following was written February 26, 1991, by Lola Adams Harper Crum in Apache Junction, Arizona, about her years with the Ford County Historical Society: “Regarding my work in the Ford County historical Society I can give you no specific dates from out here in Arizona.
“When I retired from teaching in California in June of 1963 Ida Ellen Rath had written EARLY FORD COUNTY but it was still in manuscript form. She wasn’t able to publish it herself and donate it to the county but she offered to give it to the society if we would pay for the publication. At the time the society was at VERY low ebb. I can’t tell you exactly how many members were on the roll but it was probably not more than a dozen.
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There were only about half a dozen – at the most – at the first meeting that I attended.
“They had the manuscript of EARLY FORD COUNTY but no money, only a strong desire to get it published. We planned a pre-publication sale of the book and Ida Ellen, Fred Swart, R. Roy Taylor, Roy Chipman and I set out to get the job done. I think that I contacted every business in Dodge City to get them to order and pay for the books in advance. I wore out a lot of shoe leather. I don’t remember all of the fine business people who cooperated but I do remember that the banks and the Right Co-op elevator each ordered and paid for 50 books apiece. Again, I don’t remember figures but it seems like it was over $3,000. that we needed to get them published. And we did get it! Ida Ellen and I took the manuscript to the Mennonite Press in Newton. We were a mighty proud group when it came off the press and we were able to deliver the books to those who had trusted us with their money. We sold the books for $5.00 each.
“Another Dodge City business that has been an unfailing supporter and helper of our Society is the Dodge City Globe. Without their help in publishing news items concerning the progress of our projects I’m afraid we would have fallen far short of our goals. This was true not only with the county history publication but with our effort to put a tombstone for our colorful pioneer characher [sic], Ben Hodges. Through their paper we received contributions from all over [the] country, as far away as Florida and California. “With these interesting projects going on our
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membership continued to grow until our Society had well over a hundred members, again I don’t remember figures.
“Our next project was working with the county to acquire the Home of Stone from the Schmidts as a place to display pioneer living in Dodge City and a place to honor the pioneer mothers. During those early years I spent almost my full time working with the developing of the Schmidt home into a museum that the people of Dodge City would be proud to show to visitors and tourists. I believe that all of us working together have accomplished that objective.
“An equally important contribution that our Society has made to preservation of early history is the building of the Coronado Cross. It took tremendous effort and determination to get it accomplished but with the co-operation of almost everyone in the surrounding area, especially Karl Miller who donated the land, we did it. It would take pages and pages to tell the whole story.
“During these years I served first as President and later as Secretary but I don’t know how long. I know that I was very active from 1963 through 1976 when as a bicentennial project we formally dedicated the Coronado Cross. Most sincerely, Lola Harper Crum”.
Lola Adams Harper was President of the Ford County Historical Society from 1964 through 1967. The book, EARLY FORD COUNTY, was published in 1964 by the Society. Members at the time of publication were: *Lola Adams Harper, *James A. Barber, Mrs. N. C. Bickel, Nelle Burns, *Casterline Grain and Seed Co., *Evelyn Copas,
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Robert E. Eagan, *L. B. Hancock, C. R. Harner, Ruth Harner, *H. A. Hart and Co., *McCoy Skaggs Co., Inc., *John Dwight McIntyre, *Ida Ellen Rath, L. L. Taylor, *J. L. Hart and Co., Mrs. Guy Josserand, Sr., *Tom H. Ungles, *Larry Yost, Fred A. Swart, Lillian C. Swart, Victor Hull, James A. Williams, *R. Roy Taylor, Mrs. Roy Taylor, Chas. Wycoff, Ruby Liggett, *Jay S. Andrews, *George R. Henrichs, Penelope Clark, Mary L. Robinson, Helen E. Henthorn, Mrs. M. Dale Gonder, Mrs. Lydia J. Adams, Violet Watson, Vetrice Price, Mrs. Bertha Nelson. (* Life Members)
May 5, 1965, was designated as “Ben Hodges Day” with a special ceremony at the Maple Grove Cemetery. The Historical Society held a fund drive to purchase a memorial stone to place at the grave of “Ben Hodges – self-styled desperado – a colorful pioneer – 1856 – 1929” The site of the grave is north of the sexton’s house on the extreme western side of the cemetery.
In October, 1965, the Ford County Commissioners completed the transaction with Miss Elma Schmidt to purchase the Schmidt home at 112 East Vine. The house was built in 1879-80 by John Mueller from stone quarried 12 miles north of Dodge City. Occupied for years by the Adam Schmidt family the house is still furnished in the style of the turn of the century. The Home of Stone, as it has become known, became the permanent home of the Ford County Historical Society and is a museum of early pioneers with a special room dedicated to Pioneer Mothers. Violet Watson was hired to care for The Home of Stone in 1967.
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Jack Fraley was elected President of the Society in 1968. George Henrichs was Vice President, Fred Swart,
Treasurer and Lola Harper, Secretary. The Home of Stone was opened to the public on June 1, 1968. Members of the Society spent many hours and months collecting and making ready the pioneer home. In 1969, Edna Roth Garrett became the Tour Guide and continued in that capacity for 17 years. She hired various young women to help her. Visitors were quite charmed by the guides and the stories they told about the Home and the early pioneers.
In February 1972 the Home of Stone was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Society continues to have the responsibility of maintaining it for Ford County with the use of tax money and volunteer help. The Society sees that it is open during the summer months and admission has always been free.
Mrs. Elaine Lenz Reichenborn was elected President in 1969. An intensive Membership Drive was conducted during this time under the direction of Miss Karla Watkins. Membership in the Society tripled during 1969 growing from 100 members to 305. Other officers in 1969 were Vice President, Aaron Bailey; Secretary, Lola Harper; Fred Swart, Treasurer.
Ray Reichenborn, husband of the President, was a carpenter and his talents were put to good use at the Home of Stone where he built a new porch to more nearly duplicate the original in 1970. He built the doll cabinet and installed the arched red glass window above the front door among other things.
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Mrs. Elaine Reichenborn was recognized in 1973 for getting the most new members enrolled that year. It had been her stated personal goal to enroll all of her relatives — which she did.
Aaron Bailey was the President of the Society from 1970 through 1973. In 1970, Carl Clare was Vice President, Lola Harper was Secretary and Jack Fraley was Treasurer. During 1970 the “Ford County Historical Society Hand Book 1970” was printed. As far as is known this was the only year one was printed. In it was a brief history of the Historical Society, the names of the officers and Board of Directors, Committee members and a listing of all the Members of the Society (both Life Members and Annual Members), and the By-Laws of 1956.
Aaron Bailey was re-elected in 1971, with Vice President Fred Swart, Secretary Lola Harper, Treasurer Jack Fraley. During the year the Board of Directors purchased slides from Mrs. Robert Eagan of scenes of old Dodge City and old-timers. These are shown to the group by Lola Harper Crum from time to time. They are in the custody of Lola.
Dodge City’s Centennial Celebration was a year long-affair in 1972 for both the city and the Society. Aaron Bailey was once again elected President, with Carl Clare as Vice President, Lola Harper, Secretary, and Jack Fraley, Treasurer. It was the job of the Society to help in the promotion of the Centennial by selling memberships in the Dodge City Centennial, Inc., for $5.00. Members donned Centennial dress for all the
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occasions during the year. It was also the responsibility of the Society to plan “Heritage Day” during Dodge City Centennial Week.
Another Centennial was celebrated in 1973. This time the 100th anniversary of the organizing of Ford County. Once again the Society elected Aaron Bailey as President; Carl Clare, Vice President; Lola Harper, Secretary; Alice Breitenbach, Treasurer. The Society won first prize in the Ford County Centennial parade with their float, “Coronado Brings Christianity to Kansas in 1541”. This was an excellent time to get the word out about the Society’s planned event for the nation’s Bicentennial to take place in 1976.
A new President of the Society emerged in 1974. He was Carl Clare. He remained at the helm for twelve years. The articles he wrote in the newsletter are most entertaining. He used the pen-name of “Shortfellow” for his poems and Phil Osofee (philosophy) for his nuggets of wisdom. His “Interesting Notes from Out of the Past – Dug up by C. C.” and the old Burma-Shave sign slogans make great reading. He still writes for the monthly newsletter published by the Society.
Lola Harper served ably as Secretary for several years during Carl’s presidency. She continued to be the editor of the newsletter until 1976 when Josephene Hulpieu took over. Josephene has continued writing a most interesting newsletter up to the present (1991). It is no easy job getting a newsletter out every month and making it interesting and full of information, historical notes, and stories from the members at large.
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Our thanks to all the past editors of the newsletter from the first one in 1961 to the present! That is a total of 30 years of material that is not found anywhere else.
In 1974 the Society undertook the task of maintaining the little Amish Cemetery about 7 miles southwest of Dodge City. This ongoing project of the Society was begun by member, Herb Roenfeldt. Work has been done yearly with the help of Society volunteers.
In 1974 the twin sun dials located east of the Santa Fe Depot gained the attention of the Society. Rumor had it that they were an “endangered specie”. But after writing to the General Manager of the Santa Fe they learned that the dials were to remain behind the Santa Fe Depot in Dodge City. Another landmark that could have been lost was preserved.
The year of 1974 was also the year for trips in the Society. It seems that everyone was “playing follow the leader” as Carl Clare, our witty editor, pointed out in the monthly newsletter. “Trouble was that the leader didn’t know where he was going sometimes.” The group went to the 100th Anniversary of the Battle of Adobe Walls in Texas on June 27, 1974. Then to the Lone Tree Massacre site, to the Meade County Museum to meet with that county’s Historical Society and later to Ashland on a Sunday for lunch at the Hardesty House and the Pioneer Museum.
In 1975, a list of all the Ford County Society members was printed in the January 1975 newsletter. Officers were President, Carl Clare; Vice President, Roy
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Chipman; Secretary, Lola Harper Crum; Treasurer, Alice Breitenbach.
In 1974 the family of Judge Karl Miller gave about 10 acres of land about 1-1/2 miles east of Fort Dodge to the Ford County Historical Society. This was the site where it is believed that the Spanish explorer, Coronado, along with his men, held the first religious service in Kansas on June 29, 1541. The Spaniards had just crossed the Arkansas River. They were searching for the legendary Seven Cities of Gold. It had been Judge Miller’s dream to have a permanent cross erected at the site. For several years, since 1941, a wooden cross had stood there, placed by his son, Karl Miller, Jr., at the celebration of the 400th anniversary of the crossing. Another celebration marking the 450th anniversary was held this year by the Catholic Diocese on June 29, 1991.
The erection of the Coronado Cross was a planned event of the Ford County Historical Society for the Nation’s Bicentennial Celebration in 1976. On February 14, 1975, Kansas Governor, Robert F. Bennett, wrote a letter endorsing the Cross and Park Project by the American Revolution Bicentennial Commission as an official Kansas Bicentennial Project. Members of the Historical Society worked long and hard beginning in 1974 to reach their goal.
Carl Clare was the President from 1974-1985. During Carl Clare’s first two years as President the Society helped raise money for the Coronado Cross project. The funds were invested and the interest is used, along with a set portion of the Ford County
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Society member’s annual dues, to maintain the park. The cross, just under 40 feet high, was made of pre-stressed concrete in Newton. The idea to use concrete came from Len Crum. It was not an easy task. Chairman of the Cross and Park Committee was Roy Chipman; Art Leonard was Co-Chairman. Volunteers worked to prepare a park with a shelter house and benches near the Cross. (There is a good write-up in the July 1976 newsletter.) Dedication of the Cross and Park was held July 4, 1976. A time capsule was placed at the base to be opened in fifty years. It has a list of all the contributors to this project. Another dream had been fulfilled. Karl Miller’s dream began 54 years before.
In 1976, Carl Clare was President and Roy Chipman was Vice President. (Lola Harper had married Len Crum and resigned as Secretary.) The group decided they needed three new Secretaries: Recording Secretary, Donna Adams; Corresponding Secretary, Susan Bunyan, Financial Secretary, Bill Bunyan; Treasurer, Alice Breitenbach; Historian, Lola Harper Crum.
In 1976, The Society was given a six-ton metal wheel from the old flour mill on Second and Trail, which burned in 1947. Calvin Trent was responsible for the “saving” of this piece of Dodge City history. He had worked at the Dodge City Flour Mill for 47 years. The wheel is permanently set at the Wright Park in Dodge City across the street to the east of the Band Shell. A plaque was to be installed by the Society to explain what it was and how it was used in Dodge City, but to this date (1991) none has been erected.
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In 1977, the Coronado Cross monument was completed and was placed near the shelter at the Park.
For the Ford County Historical Society’s 50th anniversary in 1981, Josephene Hulpieu worked hard, along with Leila Johnson and Carl Clare to get the history together. A notebook of newspaper clippings from 1926 was prepared by Alice Breitenbach and Susan Bunyan. (See November 1981 newsletter.) A celebration was held with cake and flowers.
When asked about the twelve years that he was President, Carl Clare said, “We had some great picnics!” Every year since 1976 it has become tradition for the Society to meet at the Coronado Cross Park on Fort Dodge Road to share a picnic supper and fun.
The Society elected Jim Moran as President in 1986 and 1987. Jim, with his years of experience with the Dodge City Daily Globe, wrote some very interesting editorials in the newsletters. The ones on the brick streets in Dodge City are a fine example.
Jim pointed out in his first article after being elected, how the Society had reached their objectives with the three main projects — The Home of Stone, The Amish Cemetery and The Coronado Cross and Park. Now all were in the realm of being maintained. The major work on each had been completed.
Josephene Hulpieu, a hard worker for the Society for many years, was elected President in 1988. Officers serving with her from 1988 to 1991: Vice Presidents, Weldon Franklin, Charles Wycoff, and Clayton Hall; Recording Secretary, Karla Poteet; Corresponding
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Secretaries, Florence Smith and Nellie Stewart; Treasurers, Carl Clare and Elmer Wetzel; Publicity, Jim Moran; Parlimentarian [sic], Florence Butcher.
The Society has continued to have quality programs and an interesting newsletter during the three years under Josephene Hulpieu’s leadership. In 1991 the Society published a booklet, “The Home of Stone – Showcase of 19th Century Dodge City,” to be sold at the home. Credits for the publication go to Josephene Hulpieu, President; Helen Henthorn, Copy and Layout; Russel Lupton, Photography; Paul F. Etrick, Printing.
Sixty years have passed since the Society was formally organized. Many accomplishments have been made by both the Society and other organizations within the community. The Society from its beginning has never worked alone, but rather in cooperation with other groups. These other organizations have often been the agency to carry a historical project to its completion. The Society is ever grateful to these who have done their bit to preserve and cherish Ford County’s famous and unique historical heritage. The IDEA, the DREAM, the COMMON GOAL is still alive in 1991!
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Author’s comments:
The Society cannot be content to rest on its past accomplishments. The preservation of the past is an unending task. One of the goals of the Society was to preserve the written histories of the early pioneers. Those ordinary folk who came to this land and laid the foundation for us. They were the homesteaders, the farmers, the cattlemen, the storekeepers, the barbers, the teachers, the clergy. Everyone who “stuck to it” and civilized this area. The Society hoped, if possible, that the stories be written by members of the families. It would be this author’s view that now is the time for the Society to accept the challenge of this early goal of the Society and that families of the early settlers be encouraged to write down their stories for future generations and thus bring this project to completion.
Daisy L Plotner