Our Past Is Present November 1, 2018

November 1, 2018

            You are reading “Our Past Is Present” from the Geary County Historical Society.

            Today’s story is about “Junction City’s Violin Maker.”  Vard Ramsour was a pioneer farmer and violin maker who was born in Maiden, North Carolina in 1866. Maxwell Ramsour, Vard’s father came to Kansas in 1871 with a friend by the name of Tom Galloway.  When they arrived at their destination, which was the Briggs community eleven miles south of Manhattan in eastern Geary County, winter had set in. 

            Margaret Ramsour, Vard’s mother, and the other five children came one year later.  They arrived in Kansas in the fall of 1872 when Vard was just five years old. Max Schellner, the son of Vard’s oldest sister, Caroline, came to live or stay with the Ramsours for a time.  Max took an interest in learning to play the violin. Vard encouraged Max to take lessons and supervised Max’s practice time, even though Vard was only a few years older than Max.   Soon, Max became one of the finest violinists in the area and looked forward to a career in music.

            Vard, however, became interested in the construction of violins. In about 1930 and after much experimenting and obsessive work, Vard perfected his art and began supplying instruments for many leading violinists in the Midwest.  The wood Vard used in making his violins was all native Kansas wood and each piece had a history all its own.  Though the instruments Vard Ramsour turned out of his cellar shop were valued soon after his death at anywhere from $1,000 to $5,000, while he was alive he rarely got more than $100 to $200 for them. 

            Geary County’s old violinmaker died at the age of 76 in 1942.  And… that is today’s story on “Our Past Is Present” from the Geary County Historical Society.