Our Past Is Present July 12, 2017

July 12, 2017

            This is “Our Past Is Present” from the Geary County Historical Society.

In July of 1882, the Board of County Commissioners went to the eastern area of the county to inspect a new iron bridge at McDowell Creek.  A newspaper reporter was invited to go with them on the journey and his article published in the “Daily Union” newspaper gave a graphic description of the countryside east of Junction City.  He wrote that while the commissioners looked at the bridge he wanted to see the farms, crops and the prairie with its millions of flowers.  After leaving the city, the first thing to catch his eye was Fogarty’s 225 acres of corn.  It was as level as a floor and well cultivated.  Then he saw Captain Wright of the Cedar Springs Farm.  There was an undulating field of rye, wheat, oats and corn.  Frank’s farm, which was further along the way was the farm that Anson W. Callen, who was known as “Old Grizzly” first claimed when he came to Kansas.  On the ascent to Government Hill, there was a magnificent view of the Clark’s Creek valley.   Then it was on to the Humboldt Creek valley.  As they reached Commissioner Hobb’s place, the reporter found him and two boys wrestling with sheaves of wheat and setting them up in huge shocks.  The Commissioner showed the party the way to McDowell Creek by way of the prairie.  For five miles they followed a blind trail through acres of grass that would have fattened thousands of cattle. Lunch was taken at the sheep ranch close to the new iron bridge and after another inspection of the structure, the party headed for home.  There was more written about the landscape and the beauty of what was then Davis County than there was about the inspection of the new iron bridge, which was the intent of the trip.

            Our area IS beautiful this time of year with all the rain we’ve had.  The grasses and tree leaves are green, the creeks and rivers full and the puffy white clouds during the day and the beautiful sunsets in the evening are some of the reasons this a great place in which to live, work, play and retire.

            Thanks for reading “Our Past Is Present” from the Geary County Historical Society.