USA > Kansas > Barton County > Biographical History of Barton County, Kansas > Part 3
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The site of the Fort is well known to all- at the southeast of the Walnut. It stood on a gentle eminence, nearly surrounded by a shal- low creek which might easily be made a means of defense by filling with water.
It was built of sandstone, quarried in the
somewhat resembling a "hop-scotch" bed. It was two stories high except 24 feet of the eastern part. The main entrance was at the eastern end, opening into the officers' quar- ters. There was only one window in the entire building, and that was at the eastern end. There were loop-holes along the northwest, and south sides. At the southeast and north- west 'corners there were hexagonal, two- story towers, with two sets of loop-holes for musketry. These loop-holes were arranged in sets of three on a side in each story, and pre- sented a face opening of two inches wide by 16 inches high, widening in the wall to a
SURGEON'S QUARTERS
NORTH
each side
16 ft. on
24 ft.
O
Well
16. ft.
ROOMS
24 ft.
QUARTERS
EAST
45 feet
COMMISSARY
Cellar
8 ft. deep
50 feet
16 ft.
50 ft.
QUARTERMASTER.
Cellar 8 ft. deep
OFFICERS
16 ft, on
each side
WEST
16 ft.
DINING HALL
HEAD. QUARTERS
16 ft.
20 ft.
44 feet
10 ft.'
SOUTH
PLAN OF FORT ZARAH
neighboring bluffs about three miles off. These rocks were mostly of a deep purplish brown, varying to a light brown. They were usually hewn to a pretty smooth face, and laid up in the rough, in good solid mortar. The outer walls were about 16 inches thick, the inner walls one foot. The walls inside were all well pjlastered. The roof of the building was of ten. plastered. The roof of the building was of tin. 116 feet, with an average width of 50 feet. The main portion was divided into 7 rooms,
breadth of about 16 or 18 inches on the inside. Beneath the rooms running across the ends, there were cellars dug 8 feet deep and walled with stone. To the west, at a distance of 20 feet, was the magazine, which was 12 feet square, and connected with the west cellar by an underground passage 4 feet wide. A short distance to the southeast of the fort stood the guard house, a stone building about 14 feet square. We herewith present a plan of the fort:
12×12
Passage
20 ft.
Magazine
SLEEPING
18
BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY
OTHER RUINS.
There are many evidences of oceupation surrounding the Fort, such as eellars, re- mains and traces of ranches, huts, shanties, tents, ete. On section 36, township 19 south, range 13 west, about 100 rods south of the southeast corner of the reservation, near where the old toll-bridge erossed the Walnut, appears the most formidable ruins of any. At first sight there would seem to have been a fort there onee; but it must be remembered that in those days herdsmen were obliged to build for defense. Besides, the "oldest inhabi- tant," Mr. H. H. Kidder, assures us that there was never a fort there-only a ranch. The main building is 70 feet north and south, by 30 feet across. A eross wall divides it into two rooms, the north one being 30 feet square, the south one 30 by 40. There are still some very heavy rocks in the foundation of the walls, though most of the material of which the walls were composed has long sinee been ear- ried off. The debris is still 18 inches to 2 feet high. Attached to the southeast corner ap- pears a hexagonal ruin of earth and rock, each of the sides about 12 feet long. On the west side of the building are earth-works, about 60 by 80 yards, with various eross-works and walls. These were the walls of the eorral, which was divided into apartments. The pres- ent owner of the ground has some field crop growing over the ruins; but it seems like farming under difficulties, for the soil is not so rich and damp as ordinary prairie soil.
CEMETERY.
About 300 yards northeast of these ruins, in Section 31, T. 19, R. 12 W., is the old grave yard. This bears evidence of more recent use. There are about 18 or 20 graves in all; though many were difficult to distinguish, and there may be more or less. Many of the graves have no stone or stick to mark the spot, and can only be deteeted by a slight ridge or depres- sion. Several have sandstones raised at the head and foot.
Only one grave has a stone with any in- scription. This, a brown sandstone, is broken down, and bears the following well carved, but partly effaced, inscription :
IN MEMORY OF CHARLES WELCH, Who Died Mar. 22d, 1872.
Age 1 yr and 2 Months.
The age was the most effaced, and may have been something else. At the foot a neat cross is engraved on a standing brown sandstone. The grave is covered densely with buffalo grass, and appears much older. At the foot of one grave there is a cottonwood board, with- out any inscription. At the heads and feet of a few, small stones are stuck in the ground.
Three of the graves, which are probably those of soldiers, are surrounded by stone walls 18 inches high, which are filled within
with earth. These are in the best condition of any of the graves.
RESERVATION.
Fort Zarah Military Reservation was es- tablished September 30th, 1868, by order of the president, and surveyed and laid out the same year. It is about two by two and three quarters miles in extent, and reaches from the railroad north to the hills. It contains about 3,698 acres.
On February 24, 1871, an act of Congress provided for bringing into market the lands of the Fort Zarah Reservation; and on August 11, 1871, "the Surveyor General was authorized to extend the lines of the publie surveys over the same."
In July, 1874, "the lands having been ap- praised at from $3 to $10 per aere," were of- fered at public sale at Salina, at which sale "only two lots, containing together 45.20 aeres, were sold at $4 per acre, leaving the balance subject to private entry at the appraised value."
FORT ABANDONED.
The Fort was "dismantled" in 1869. Among other work of dismantling was the removal of the tin roof at an expense to the government of $20,000; and the removal of the same to Fort Harker at a further expense of $10,000; -- fat jobs for some pcor contraetors. On ar- rival of the tin roof at Fort Harker, the re- ceiver wouldn't receive her; so the thing was dumped down on the prairie a short distance from the fort; aud it has since done good ser- viee in sheltering various settlers on govern- ment lands. The original cost of Fort Zaralı was $110,000.
After the abandonment of the Fort it be- eame a den of thieves and general rendezvous for bats and marauders. These occupied it day and night by turns,-the former hiding by day, the latter by night.
Settlements commenced in 1871. Almost immediately the hand of the granger was laid upon it, and it began to disappear little by lit- tle. Capt. E. V. Rugar was appointed a mar- shal to take care of it, which he bravely did by going to California in 1874, and letting the Fort take care of itself.
Shortly after the sale of lots mentioned above, Mr. E. C. Sooy put up a notice forbid- ding anyone to remove any rock from Fort Zarah, as the property had been purchased and now belonged to private individuals. The notice held good until all the best rock had been hauled away from the Fort by various parties at Great Bend, who made quick work of it for a short time, when the rumor was spread that there had been no sale, and the valuable stone remaining at the old Fort lasted but a very short time after; and today only a heap of rubbish, overgrown with rank weeds is left to mark the spot where the proud Fort once stood. Fort Zarah has passed into history.
19
OF BARTON COUNTY, KANSAS
INDIAN TROUBLES.
In 1868, Indians were very troublesome to the settlers and ranchers in the country at that time. They would attack ranchers and wagon trains, run off the horses and cattle, and some times kill the people.
On or about the 12th of August, 1868, word came to Fort Zarah that the Indians were murdering the settlers on the Saline, and Col. Menteen, with his company of 7th Cavalry, "marched swiftly" to their relief, and run the Indians about ten miles.
On October 2nd, 1868, Gen. Hazen reports that "about 100 Indians attacked the Fort at daylight, and were driven off; then they at- tacked a provision train, killed one of the teamsters, and secured the mules from four wagons; then attacked the ranch eight miles below (near Ellinwood) and drove off the stock."
On the 10th, Lieut, Kaizer, 3rd Infantry, reports that "at 4 p. m. a party of Indians sur- rounded and drove off six horses and two mules from citizens near Fort Zarah."
SKETCH OF PIONEER LIFE
By Ed. W. Dewey
A BOUT the 7th of July, 1871, I came into Barton county from the town of Rus- sell, Russell County, Kansas. At that time the population of Barton County consisted of but few inhabitants, and they were scatter- ed along the banks of Walnut Creek. There was no settlement on Blood Creek at that time.
One of the first settlers in Great Bend township was Mr. John Cook who, in June, 1871, built a dugout on the bank of the creek, about three miles from the present site of Great Bend. There was no stone or frame house in the county at that time. Mr. A. C. Moses and Mr. J. H. Hubbard were preparing to build frame houses. Mr. A. C. Moses had a few boards put up like a tent, and Mr. Hub- bard was hauling stone for a foundation. They had located about two miles below Mr. Cook, on the creek. The country was over- run with buffalo, which kept us awake at night with their continual bellowing and stamping. I settled on a piece of land on the creek-the southwest quarter of section 4, township 19, range 13-and took out my papers about the 15th of July, 1871. The section on which Great Bend now stands was then vacant.
There was no reliable survey of that town- ship, as there were no corners marked within the township by the government surveyors. At this time there was a surveyor by the name of H. Meriton, camped at the old fort, and laying out a town site near where old Fort Zarah used to stand, with whom I had worked during the fore part of the summer, and so I helped him lay out the townsite of Zarah-as it was called-and we also ran several lines for dif- ferent parties, mine among the rest.
That, I think, was the first survey in the county, after the government survey. At that time there were no section corners marked in any way within township 19, range 13 west. About the last of August there was a govern- ment surveying party at work sectionizing the land lying south of the river. At that time the river was nearly dry-no water running above the mouth of the Walnut. The land south of
the Arkansas was not then considered good for anything by the settlers.
Early in September a party of Pawnee In- dians, numbering about 400, all on foot, passed through the settlement, going south to trade for ponies with the southern Indians. They were all armed, and occasioned considerable alarm among us; but they were peaceable, and committed no depredations. They returned late in October, having plenty of ponies and but few arms. Two or three of them were sick, and annoyed the settlers a good deal by begging, etc. One of them died on Blood creek.
We had to send or go to Salina, on the K. P. R. R., to transact all our land business. The railroad land had not yet come into market.
There was not much land broken that sum- mer, and the only crop raised was a small piece of sod corn, about five miles up the creek from my place, which did very well. No wheat of any importance was sowed that fall.
The town site of Great Bend was surveyed out, and a large house (now the Southern Hotel) was built, the lumber being hauled from Ellsworth, on the K. P. R. R., a distance of 50 miles. A few other houses were built dur- ing the fall.
Winter coming on, I made a dugout on the banks of the Walnut, on my land, and my fam- ily came about the 16th of November. The next day it began to rain and sleet, finally turning to snow. Our things had not yet ar- rived, and we were compelled to sleep on some old hay in one corner of the dugout. The rain and snow beat in at the door. It became terri- bly cold before morning, and we came near freezing to death. The creek froze nearly solid.
PURSUED BY WOLVES.
As the winter progressed the wolves and coyotes became very savage, and it was dan- gerous for a person to be out on the prairie after dark. Sometime in December I had an adventure with wolves, which I will relate to
20
BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY
illustrate the terrible ferocity of the wolves at that time:
One evening as myself, wife and babe were returning from Mr. E. J. Dodge's (whose fam- ily had recently arrived, and where we had been on a visit). I had on a pair of skates. and my wife and babe were on a rude sled, which I had constructed, and was pushing it before me on the ice on the creek. When we had proceeded about one-half the way, we heard the wolves howl on the banks of the creek right ahead of us; and pretty soon their gaunt forms were outlined against the sky. It looked like certain death to go ahead, and al- most as certain to turn back, so I pushed ahead and the wolves ran along on the banks beside us until we were nearly home. Then, as if they were afraid that we would get away, they became bolder, and finally, as we turned a bend of the creek, there on the bank, not 10 feet off, stood about half a dozen hungry, howling wolves. As we swung around the bend, two big grays made a leap for the sled, but we were going so fast that they fell short of their intended prey, and as they tried to stop themselves their nails scratched on the ice right beside me, and I felt their hot breath in my face. Immediately I heard them coming behind, and now it was a race for life. I skated as I never skated before or since, and in a few minutes we arrived at the dugout We ran in, and grabbing my gun I shot two dead within a few feet of the door. I shot at several more, and soon they disappeared.
The winter of 1871, was one of the coldest that I have experienced in this country. A man by the name of Jamison had about 4,000 head of Texas cattle in the bottoms, by the creek, and, as the river and creek were both frozen nearly solid, the settlers had to cut holes in the ice for the cattle to drink from. The cattle suffered terribly with thirst, and be- came very ferocious. They would often attack
a person unless he was on horseback. Several people were attacked by them, and the settlers killed some to protect their lives, and for meat, as the cow-boys had run all of the buffalo out of the valley for several miles. Considerable trouble grew out of this, but no lives were lost.
The settlers lived on corn bread, molasses, and meat, and sometimes a little flour. Every- and meat, and sometimes a little flour. Every- thing we obtained had to be hauled from the K. P. R. R., and that made prices very high. Flour was $8.00 per cwt., and molasses $1.50 per gallon; bacon, 20 cents per pound; corn meal, $5.00 per hundred weight, and every- thing else in proportion.
There was some little talk of a railroad coming up the Valley, but the prevailing opin- ion seemed to be that it would cross the Ar- kansas at some point east and go down through the Medicine Lodge country. Many settlers came in during that fall, and several houses were built.
The spring opened very fine, and the prairie schoonrs carrying sttlers came in very fast, and the talk of a railroad in the near future assumed more definite shape. Considerable land was broken and planted to corn, etc., and the desert, which has since delevoped into a full blown rose, began to bud. Breaking was worth $4.50 to $5.00 per acre. The town of Great Bend commenced to build up, and things were lively. Hauling from the K. P. R. R. made work for those who had teams and some for those who had none.
The railroad reached Barton County some time in the month of June, 1872, and thus open- ed up communication with the east.
There were several houses built on the town site of Zarah during the fall of 1871 and spring of 1872. There was a big dance in Buckbee's store at Zarah on Christmas eve, 1871, and a merry time enjoyed by all.
RECOLLECTIONS OF EARLY DAYS
By David N. Heizer of Colorado Springs, Col.
I CAME to Barton County in May, 1871, in company with J. H. Prescott of Enter- prise, Miss., W. W. Weymouth of Spring- field, O., and Wm. Finn and Albert Griffin of Sedgwick, Kansas. We were looking for a lo- cation to engage in stock raising.
We arrived at old Fort Zarah about the 18th of May, 1871. On the night before our arrival we camped with the officers and directors of the A., T. & S. F. railroad, who were return- ing from a prospecting trip up the Arkansas Valley, over the proposed line of their road. They assured us they would build their road as far west as Fort Zarah within two years.
With this information, upon seeing the mag- nificent body of land on the Big Bend, as it
was then called, we concluded that here would be a favorable place to commence and build up a settlement. Accordingly we spent several days in surveying and tracing out section lines in township 19, range 13, and after concluding to locate a town on section 26, and making a survey and plat of the same, we organized a town company with J. H. Prescott as presi- dent, and authorized him to go to Salina and file on said land, under the Town Site Prcemp- tion Act-which he did. I must here recount the scenes of our first buffalo hunt.
OUR FIRST BUFFALO HUNT.
On our arrival there were myriads of these noble animals on the south of the Arkansas.
OF BARTON COUNTY, KANSAS
J. H. Prescott, Al. Griffin, and myself mounted three horses and set out. Griffin had a Henry rifle and a pair of revolvers, I had a needle gun and a pair of dragoon revolvers, and Mr. Prescott not being a marksman, but very fond of adventure, went along to enjoy the fun. We crossed the Walnut just opposite the old fort, and came to the river. It was high, the sand-bars being covered; we knew nothing about it, and felt very doubtful about being able to cross, as it looked very angry and deep. After debating some time as to whether we would venture, we concluded not to give up unless we were obliged to, and that one of the party should doff his apparel and investigate. As I was the only swimmer it fell on me to ex- plore. I prepared myself after the manner of a theater actress-only more so. The water seemed to be deepest near the bank; I expect- ed to be thoroughly baptized at the first jump. I made a tremendous jump, and lo and behold, the water, mud, sand and all was not knee deep. The spectators encored me, and the rest of the performances consisted in my running and skipping along in water from six inches to five feet deep.
We then crossed, and within a mile of the river came to where a small herd of buffalo bulls were grazing in the sand hills. Griffin and I dismounted and taking our rifles crept to the crest of a ridge about 300 yards of them. I had formerly thought buffalo were about the size of ordinary cattle, but as I looked at one through the sights of my gun, thinking what a terrible beast a wounded buffalo was reported to be, he looked to be as large as an elephant or a common sized barn. I concluded therc must be telescopic sights on my gun, and drew it back to look it over; the gun also seemed to have the ague. We finally concluded to both fire at the same bull, and becoming brave, we did so, but without any great damage to the bull, as he went galloping off with the rest. He was hurt, however, as he limped badly. This was encouraging; and getting very brave, we mounted our horses, left our rifles with Dr. Prescott, and pursued with our revolvers.
THE CHASE.
The flight of the bulls had started a large herd just beyond another hill, which we bad not seen; we, taking a southeasterly and they a southerly course, we flanked them about the middle of the herd. We then went wild, and dashed right into the midst of the herd, de- termined to have a buffalo. I could, with the fast horse I had, ride onto any of them, and finally succeeded in shooting a fat cow through the loins, so that she fell out of the herd, disabled. I was so close onto her when I fired that I could have kicked her. The rest of the herd passed on, and Griffin came to the rescue. After about a dozen shots, made in circling around the enraged beast, we brought her down.
We were not yet satisfied, and seeing a small herd of cows and calves off to the north- east, concluded we must have a calf, as they
would be better meat. We dashed for them, and after a two mile chase, got one, which we dressed, threw across my horse, and then set out for camp, leaving the old cow for the coy- otes and wolves, which were then here by the thousands.
It was some time before we could find the doctor, whom we had left behind, and almost night before we reached camp, tired and hun- gry. Never did meat taste better than did steaks from that young buffalo. We ate and were satisfied, for we had possessed the land and proven ourselves worthy hunters of the chase. But to business.
At about this time there were several prospecting parties camped near us on the Walnut, among whom was M. W. Hasley, now of Lakin township. I made up my mind to stay, as did Wmn. Finn, of Sedgwick City. Messrs. Weymouth and Prescott went with me to Ellsworth, where they took the train east for Ohio, to return in July or August.
After making a tour up the Saline river, I returned to our ranch on the Walnut, as we had taken possession of and left our stores in an old deserted stone ranch near Fort Zarah.
Finn and I remained at this ranch until about the 20th of June, when E. J. Dodge and Aaron Hartman called on vs one evening, hav- ing walked across from Russell, and about perishing on their way fiom thirst. I shall never forget a little incident that occurred that night.
CASTING OUT SERPENTS.
Messrs. Dodge and Hartman had made their bed on the floor (a dirt floor) and were about to retire. As I walked by the foot of our bunk I heard a familiar sound; calling for Finn to bring a light, which he did, we pro- ceeded to kill a very healthy young rattle- snake and cast him out. Dodge and Hartman proceeded as vigorously to gather up their bed and divide the same, preparatory to climbing a tree or seeking some other safe place to sleep. However, Mr. Dodge has always in- sisted that he felt safer when I told him that was only the second one we had killed that evening, when usnally we killed five or six be- fore retiring.
LAND AGENT BUSINESS COMMENCED.
Next day, in true land agent style, we pro- ceeded to locate Mr. Dodge, who wanted claims for himself and sons. He then selected the quarter in section 10, T. 19, R. 13., on which he now lives; but we did not get through until he succeeded in getting my team stuck in the Walnut-a little episode I have never fully for- given him for.
A MISHAP.
About the 4th of July of that year, T. L. Morris and Judge Mitchell of Quincy, Ills., made a trip to this point, ou a buffalo hunt and a prospecting tour for the Great Bend Town Company. They prospected some and hunted enough for the Judge to get heaped
22
BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY
on the plain by an unruly buffalo bull. The said bull did about seventy-five dollars worth of goring on the Judge's horse-no computa- tion made as to amount of damages done to the Judge's dignity, as the liveryman made no claim on that.
ZARAH SURVEYED.
About the same time, a survey for the town of Zarah was being made by one Meriton, for the Zarah Town Company, with Judge Miller of Ellsworth as president. Also, in the latter part of June, John Cook, John Hubbard, A. C. Moses, Ed. W. Dewey, and D. E. Benedict made calls, and Logan Reynolds and J. P. Bissell followed soon. When I first came there were no settlers below Section 14, in township 19, range 14, on Walnut creek.
GREAT BEND TOWN COMPANY.
Later, either in July or August, T. L. Morris came out again in the interests of the Great Bend Town Co., and selected section 34, township 19, range 13, as the site for their town. Geo. N. Moses, A. B. Robinson, Frank Day, and Hiram Bickerdyke were in the party
with him. Afterwards, he changed the location to section 28, the present site of the town.
In September, he began the erection of a hotel, now a part of the Southern Hotel, which was completed during the winter and occupied by Thos. L. Stone.
STRIFE FOR THE COUNTY SEAT.
Considerable rivalry was rife between the Zarah and Great Bend town folks, which final- ly resulted in the downfall of Zarah and the triumph of Great Bend.
CATTLE TRADE.
The winter of 1871-2 was a very hard one for this latitude, and not much was done for the advancement of the town and settlement until spring. The prospect of the early com- pletion of the railroad, thereby making Great Bend with its rich grazing country a desirable shipping point for Texas cattle attracted the attention of business men who had been iden- tified with the Texas trade at other points; and during the spring of 1872 the town made a very rapid growth. Business houses sprang up around the square as if by magic.
INTRODUCTION TO KANSAS
By Edward J. Dodge of Great Bend
I LEFT Wisconsin on the 5th of May, 1871, to settle on a piece of government land in some part of Kansas; and arrived in Kan- sas City on the morning of the Sth. After stop- ping in the city until the 12th, and posting up as best I could in regard to different points in Kansas, I left by the afternoon train on the K. P. road bound west.
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