Barton County Early History Notes on

Until 1860 the territory that is now embraced by the State of Kansas, was shown on the maps as The Great American Desert. Footnotes on the maps were to the effect that the soil was desert wasteland, where only buffalo and wild Indian tribes could barely exist, and undesirable for settlement.

Kansas became a territory by an act of Congress in 1854 and was admitted to the union as a State on May 30, 1861.It embraces approximately 82,276 square miles, is 411 miles east to west and 208 miles north to south.

Barton County was created in 1867 and named in honor of Clara Barton, a prominent Civil War nurse. In 1872 it was organized as a county after census taker, David N. Heizer reported that sufficient number of inhabitants resided in the county to organize. The county was previously a part of Ellsworth County for judicial purposes.

Kansas Governor, James M. Harvey, appointed Thomas L. Morris, John H. Hubbard and George M. Berry County Commissioners, and William H. Odell County Clerk at Topeka, Ks., May 23, 1872. The county was divided into three townships, it being 30 miles square caused each township to be equal in size. The eastern township was named Lakin, the central township Great Bend and the western township Buffalo. Today the county has 22 townships.

The first county election was held July 1, 1872. On Sept. 2, 1872 a petition signed by 52 voters asked that a courthouse be built. Since the Santa Fe Railroad owned and paid taxes on most of the Barton County land, that railroad built the first county courthouse. The settlers could not be taxed until patents for their land was received from the government. The Great Bend Town Company and the city council offered to lease to the county the public square, known as Lafayette Park for 99 years on which to build this courthouse and jail.

FIRST BRIDGE, 1873

On Jan. 27, 1873 bonds were voted in the amount of $40,000 to build a bridge across the Arkansas River at Great Bend. The bridge of 28 spans each 50 feet long opened for traffic by the end of that year. Also in 1873 a wooden bridge was built at Ellinwood across the Arkansas River, cost $15,000.

Grasshopper Invasion Of 1874

The grasshopper invasion of 1874 left 150 families of the county destitute. County Clerk W. H. Odell was requested to ask the government of Kansas for help for these needy destitute families. After it was estimated that $547,915 was needed, the Kansas legislature failed to provide, so, Mother Bickerdyke, Clara Barton and other famous people from the east responded to the appeal for help.

Towns Increase

Great Bend became a third class town on June 17, 1872 and was named by Hiram Bickerdyke because of the location on a big bend in the Arkansas River.

Hoisington became a town of third class in 1887 by combining the town of Hoisington, the Railroad Station of Monon, and the Post Office of Buena Vista.

Ellinwood became a third class town on April 22, 1878 and was named in honor of Captain John R. Ellinwood, a Santa Fe Engineer who helped lay out the townsite.

Claflin became a third class town in 1901 and was named in honor of Mrs. O.P. Hamilton whose maiden name was Claflin.

Pawnee Rock became a third class town on May 2, 1887.

Albert became a third class town on November 9, 1929 and was named in honor of Mr. Albert Kraisinger, a citizen who helped many townsfolk.

Susank became a third class town on May 7, 1940 and was named such in honor of W.T. Susank families, the first settlers.

Galatia became a third class town on Jan. 3, 1921.

Olmitz became a city of third class on May 3, 1920.

The towns, unincorporated in Barton County are: Beaver, Boyd, Dundee, Heizer, Hitschmann, Odin and Redwing.

Lafayette Park is a tract 300’ wide and 666’ long located in the heart of downtown Great Bend. It is the first tract of land to be surveyed on the original townsite. Great Bend Township Company founded the city of Great Bend on Section 28T-19R-13W, which at that time was in public domain and belonged to the U.S. Government. A plat filed for record in the office of Barton County Register of Deeds by Mayor A. A. Hurd on Feb. 2, 1874 states: “That Lafayette Park is set aside as a Public Park.”

SANTA FE TRAIL

Coming from the east and going west through Barton County, the easiest direction would be as follows. It should be remembered the Hispanics traveled the trail, too.

Coming from Rice County the trail went through the Ellinwood area, coming to the first curve on Highway 96 - 56. It continued on through the south part of what is Ellinwood today and a campground area was close to the present Ellinwood Packing Plant.

Continue on in a westerly direction coming to the Walnut Crossing. This is south of the above mentioned highway and about one mile east of the Ft. Zarah Park. The Trail went by the sites of the Allison-Peacock Trading Post (1855-1868), the first Ft. Zarah (1864-1866), the Indian Agent’s quarters. There has been a block house, postal relay station, other dwellings and dug-outs. A toll bridge was built across the Walnut Creek. After the second Ft. Zarah was built (1866-1869), the Trail may have crossed the Walnut Creek there. This fort was on the north side of the highway about a quarter mile east of the Ft. Zarah Park.

The trail continued on through the area where Great Bend is today and old-timers said it ran through the lawn of the Barton County Court House. The trail ruts varied due to weather conditions and terrain etc. The trail went through Great Bend turning with the bend in the river continuing on toward Pawnee Rock. The trail passed to the south of the rock continuing on toward Ft. Larned in Pawnee County crossing Ash Creek.

U.S. TROOPS

U.S. troops were frequently stationed at the Walnut crossing to scout for hostile Indians, escort the mail and passenger coaches from Cow Creek crossing to Fort Larned and back, and to protect and escort wagon trains.

The soldiers made livable quarters by digging rooms in the creek banks, mounding brush and sod on top for a roof.

The officers usually lived in tents on the nearby prairie.