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Short Driving Tours From Great Bend, Kansas

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• Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area• Quivira National Wildlife Refuge• Kansas Wetlands Education Center• Kansas Raptor Center• Wetlands & Wildlife National Scenic Byway

Where to nest in Great BendAmerica’s Best Value Inn620-793-8486Baltzell620-792-4395Best Western Angus Inn620-792-3541Comfort Inn620-793-9000Days Inn620-792-8235Highland Hotel &Convention Center620-792-2431Travelers Budget Inn620-793-5448Travelodge620-792-7219

Visit the Wetlands...

Nest in Great Bend!

3007 10th Street • Great Bend, Kansas 67530 PH. 620-792-2750

CONVENTION & V IS ITORS BUREAU

2 • GREAT BEND Convention & Visitor’s Bureau www.visitgreatbend.com GREAT BEND Convention & Visitor’s Bureau www.visitgreatbend.com • 3

These toursare a project of

the Great BendConvention and Visitors Bureau. Contactthe Bureau for more information,suggestions, and literature (available 24/7)at 3007 10th St.. Phone: 620-792-2750www.visitgreatbend.com

One of the interesting things highlighted oneach tour is Cheyenne Bottoms, the KansasWetlands Education Center and the BasinRim Overlook. All three rate a “must-see”for everyone who gets close to Great Bend.For thousands of years Cheyenne Bottomshas hosted migratory birds plus housinghundreds more year-round. Bird watchersdeclare Cheyenne Bottoms a frequent“pilgrimage” for serious “birders.” All fourtours plus the Great Bend Tour (BritSpaugh Zoo and the Central Kansas RaptorRehab) have serious birding adventures. Sodig out your binoculars.

Historically, many things happened atCheyenne Bottoms. Of course NativeAmericans chose this area because of itsgame. Many built permanent dwellings andbecame farmers. Coronado, who came in

1541, wrote that the area around GreatBend looked much like his Spain and couldsustain life well. French trappers and otherEuropeans came to the area in the 1700s.Zebulon Pike came in 1806 and surveyors(See Tour 3, Larned) came. The Santa FeTrail travelers during most of the 1800s fedon bison (buffalo) and even prairie dogsand restocked their larders here. During theSettlement Period, there were businessmenwho built grandstands at the Bottoms for“coursing” (racing). There are photos offamous racing dogs at the Barton CountyHistorical Society (Tour 4)) and otherevents at the Bottoms. At one time,speculators even began a canal connectingthe Bottoms with the Arkansas River (Tour4). During World War II when bomberpilots were training, they practiced hittingtargets placed in the Bottoms. (See BasinRim Overlook on tour one and the GreatBend Tour, B-29 for a bit more on that.)

Geologically, Cheyenne Bottoms is a studyalso. See Basin Rim Overlook on each tour.Take time to experience CheyenneBottoms. Some day Kansas will be as wellknown for Cheyenne Bottoms as it is nowfor Dorothy and her red shoes. And, you

can say, “I was there!”

Another thing highlighted on each tour isthe Native American influence on thatparticular area. Look for the words NativeAmerican to read specifically about theGreat Bend area Native Americanpeoples—Kansas’ first residents.

What You’ll FindInside...Tour One ............................4Tour Two ............................7Tour Three..........................9Tour Four..........................12Great Bend ......................15Scenic Byway ..................22GB Convention & Visitors BureauP.O. Box 274Great Bend, Kansas [email protected] THANKS to theKansas Sampler Foundation

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WELCOME to the Heartland of Kansas!

east towards Great Bend a few miles to theMennonite Church corner. Turn south to gointo Pawnee Rock.

Pawnee Rock, Kansas. Keep looking right asyou head south into Pawnee Rock for yourfirst sight of the “citadel of the prairie” at

Pawnee Rock. Many Santa Fe Trail diary keepersmentioned Pawnee Rock as it was about the Trail’shalfway mark. When you reach Pawnee Rock, headtoward this historical landmark and monumentwhich is on Erlich Highway. Drive up to the parkingand climb the viewing platform, which is the heightof the original Rock before the railroad borrowedfrom it to build track. Stand on the platform andwatch other travelers on the Santa Fe Trail just asNative Americans did centuries ago. With wide

Tour 1WEST

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Heartland Farms

Post rock fence, LaCrosse, Kansas

Fort Larned, Larned, Kansas

The first stop on Tour 1 is a one-of-a-kind farm. Thedirections are clocked from the Tenth Street andPatton Road intersection on the west edge of GreatBend. Travel west on Tenth Street for 13 miles (thelast mile is dirt road). Turn south on a dirt road for½ miles and look west to find the driveway, which ismarked Heartland Farm. (The address is 1049County Road 390, Pawnee Rock, but the roadnumbers are confusing since three county linesconverge at the Farm.)

Heartland Farm. Begun in 1987, Heartland Farm,an 80-acre homestead, is a ministerial project of theDominican Sisters of Great Bend. Learn aboutsmall-scale sustainable organic agriculture, holistichealth, alternative energy, and the integration ofbody, mind and spirit. There are two straw balebuildings on the farm, one of which is a hermitageand the other an art studio with pottery, and thespinning room. Enjoy the 13 alpacas that bring joy, as well as wooland organic compost. There is ample space forhiking, strolling, picnicking, making a retreat,meditating, or walking the labyrinth through thegrasses. Please call ahead if you want to tour thebuildings or visit the alpacas.620-923-4585/620-786-0865.

To reach our next stop, return to Tenth and go back

open country all around, this was one of the mostdangerous spots on the Santa Fe Trail.

When leaving the Historical Rock, go back to ErlichHighway and head south toward US-56. On yourway, be sure to stop at some of the fine antiqueshops in Pawnee Rock. Take US-56 south to Larned.

Larned, Kansas. Return to US-56/K-156 andcontinue southwest to Larned, a beautiful townfilled with fine homes of diverse architecture, brickstreets, and a thriving downtown including severalantique shops. Obtain a brochure of a driving tour ofhistoric Pawnee County homes dating from 1878-1912, at Larned Area Chamber of Commerce,downtown at 502 Broadway, 620-285-6916.

Also downtown you’ll find the Central States ScoutMuseum at 815 Broadway. Open by appointment,620-285-6427. Small donation.

Santa Fe Trail Center. Just west of Larned on K-156 is the Santa Fe Trail Center whose mission is topreserve and interpret the history of the geographicarea once known as the Santa Fe Trail. The TrailCenter is open daily from 9 am to 5 pm fromMemorial Day to Labor Day. The rest of the year theCenter is closed on Mondays and major holidays.Nominal fee. 620-285-2054.www.santafetrailcenter.org

Fort Larned, guardian of the Santa Fe Trail.Continue west on K-156 from the Trail Center four

miles to theentrance of theFort LarnedNational HistoricSite. Tensandstonebuildings line thequadrangle of thisimportant oldwest fort. TheVisitor Centercontains amuseum, atheater, and awell-stocked

bookstore. Free! Hours are daily 8:30 am to4:30 pm. 620-285- 6911.

Go back to K-56 and head west to US-183 and northto Rush Center.

As you travel this road, look for long lines of trees.These could indicate a water source or, more likely, theyare hedgerows. Some of these were planted in Kansas asearly as 1850 to protect crops from roaming cattle. Oftenthe trees planted in the hedgerows are called hedgeapple trees because of the “fruit” grown on the treeswhich looks like round green balls of brain cells. Pilesof hedge apples are a sure sign of squirrels.

Rush Center—a good place to eat. Also home of a ruraltelephone company that actually gives bonuses to itscustomers at year end.

La Crosse, Kansas. You will enter from the south, so beready to turn west just inside the city limits to enter themuseum complex. The Post Rock Museum shows howearly pioneers cut and shaped the native limestone into300-pound fence posts, which still guard fields andgrazing cattle throughout the area.La Crosse is the“Barbed Wire Capital ofthe World.” Visit theBarbed Wire Museum(Rush County HistoricalMuseum) where youwill see 2200 pieces of18-inch wire, each with apatent.

On the north edge of LaCrosse, turn east on K-4toward Hoisington.

Native American. The Spaniards who came in 1541 with Coronado were forbidden to give their horses or weapons to theNative Americans in order to maintain their power over them. Over time, animals strayed and many werenever recaptured. These horses of mixed Arabian and Andalusian breeds became the ancestors of manywild mustangs prized today by collectors and breeders.

Pawnee Indians, for whom Pawnee Rock was named actually came out of Nebraska along the Platte River.The Pawnee were hated by other Indian tribes because of their unrelenting desire to have horses. ThePawnee raiding parties were made up of mostly young men who were called “prowling cowards.” Certainlythey knew the Barton County—Great Bend—area well. Usually the armed braves set out on foot, going asfar as the Gulf of Mexico to raid for horses.

James R Mead, a white hunter and later founder of the city of Wichita, wrote of the Pawnee: “…whilecamped at the springs near the head of Cow Creek (due north of Cheyenne Bottoms near Beaver, Kansas)a band of thirty-five thieving Pawnees came along from the north on one of their frequent horse-stealingexpeditions. They were skulking around in the brush near our camp, watching for a chance to steal ourhorses and possibly to get away with us if an opportunity presented itself. Knowing their intentions, as soonas it was dark we dispatched a messenger over to a Cheyenne camp about twenty miles distant. Atdaylight the next morning, the Cheyenne warriors surrounded the Pawnees and sent twelve of them to thehappy hunting ground. The rest of them scattered out over the country…”

Post-Rock Country.Notice the limestonefence posts. In the late-eighteenth and earlynineteenth centuries,limestone in sparselytimbered north-centralKansas was quarried forfenceposts as well ashouses, businesses,churches, schools, andbridges.

Native American.The signs for themuseums are carvedstone. Carved stone didnot originate with theEuropean influx—NativeAmericans also carvedsandstone. Figures suchas cows and horses arebelieved to be “recent”carvings—afterCoronado came in 1541.These signs are calledpetro-glyphs.



Otis. It just might be time to stop and eat. Try Evy’sKitchen, 213 S. Main, where the food is fresh fromscratch and the building is old—late 1800s. ThePeter Brack memorial band shell in the park onMain honors a Russian immigrant to Rush County.If you like bridges, there is a triple arch bridge 11miles north of Otis. It is called the Rush CountyLine Bridge and was built as a WPA project in 1936.

Continue east on K-4. At US-281, you will pick upthe Wetlands and Wildlife National Scenic Bywaythrough Hoisington (See Tour 2.). East ofHoisington, begin to look for the small town ofRedwing. You are near the next stop. On the south,you will see Cheyenne Bottoms and the Basin RimOverlook. Also, watch for the entrance to TheNature Conservancy Preserve at Cheyenne Bottoms.

Basin Rim Overlook. Looking south, you will see aland of international geologic significance—Cheyenne Bottoms. Rimmed by 100-foot highdinosaur-age bedrock on three sides, and by 35-footsand dunes and alluvium on the east and southeast,the basin floor lays relatively flat and featureless. Itcovers about 64 square miles and is ellipticallyshaped.

Historically, you are standing where the World WarII spotters watched their bomber pilots and crewswith field glasses to see if they hit the targets placedfor them at various places in the Bottoms. (Tour 4takes in the Barton County Historical Museum,which has information on World War II.)

The Nature Conservancy. The NatureConservancy owns and manages 7,300 acres in the

northwest portion of Cheyenne Bottoms. TheConservancy's wetlands management philosophycalls for restoration of the wetland hydrology andnative grasslands to their original state for thebenefit of the wildlife. Wildlife and Parks and theConservancy work closely together at CheyenneBottoms. The different management techniques arecomplementary.

The largest marsh in the interior of the U.S.,Cheyenne Bottoms has been officially designated aWetland of International Importance. The area isconsidered the most important shorebird migrationpoint in the western hemisphere. Free.

To continue this tour, you will want to go into theBottoms, so get on the Wetlands and WildlifeNational Scenic Byway and travel south. You’ll passby the Camp Aldrich sand road on the west side ofthe highway. This 290-acres of sandhills and woodsis an excellent facility available for camps,seminars, family reunions, and corporate retreats.

After Camp Aldrich, connect again with theWetlands and Wildlife National Scenic Bywaysouth. At the next two stops, you will continue tolearn why this important Byway is so appropriatelynamed. You are now crossing the eastern edge ofScenic Cheyenne Bottoms. Look east to find abeautiful curve building—our next stop.

Kansas Wetlands Educational Center. TheKansas Wetlands Educational Center at CheyenneBottoms opened in Spring, 2009, and interprets theKansas Department of Wildlife and Park’sCheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area, The Nature

Conservancy’s Cheyenne Bottoms Preserve, andQuivira National Wildlife Refuge (See Tour 4). TheCenter has a rooftop star-gazing deck and remotecameras for real-time wildlife viewing from withinthe building. Nature trails and observation decksprovide bird and wildlife viewing opportunities.

Cheyenne Bottoms is a 41,000-acre wetlands. Youcan enter the wetlands directly across from theCenter . Cheyenne Bottoms is a “refueler” for thehuman species as well as 320 bird species.

The Refuge is a feeding stopover for bird speciestraveling the Central Flyway crossing North andSouth America. About 45 percent of the NorthAmerican shorebird population stops at the Bottomsduring spring migration. The area is a critical habitatfor several threatened and endangered species, suchas whooping cranes, peregrine falcons (See theGreat Bend Tour, Great Bend Zoo, Kansas RaptorCenter for a note on this species.) least terns, andpiping plovers. Check at the Center for up-to-datesightings and conditions.

ContinueSouth on US156 or US 281highway intoGreat Bend.

“All wildlifewatchers shouldmake an annualpilgrimage toCheyenneBottoms…"say Bob Gress andGeorge Potts, authors ofWatching KansasWildlife.

Waldo/Luray. From Russell, take US-281 north 27 miles and east throughWaldo. Begin here to look forbirdhouses placed along the road—especially along the backroads—all theway to Luray. When US-281 turnsnorth continue on K-18 to Luray.

Downtown, Luray’s history has been preserved in aninteractive way. The former lumberyard now housesthe Yellow Dog Saloon and the Mitchell Drug Store.Both are attractions for the whole family and thebuilding accommodates group events..

Continue this tour east on K-18 to Lucas, about tenmiles.

Lucas, Kansas.To go to the Garden of Eden, located at Kansas andSecond Street. Prepare to be amazed by grassrootsart. For more amazing self-taught visionarygrassroots art, visit the Grassroots Art Center onMain Street in Lucas. At Lucas you pick up the PostRock Scenic Byway, K-232, which takes you southto Lake Wilson. A wonderful side trip, especially forNative American and Post-rock studies (see Tour 3,Lacrosse) is straight east on K-18 to Lincoln.785-525-6388

Lake Wilson. Connect with K-232, Post RockScenic Byway on the east edge of Wilson and gonorth. Immediately after you cross I-70, watch forKansas Originals Market. The Market is a visitorinformation center and features all types of Kansasproducts for sale. 785-658-2465

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the KansasDepartment of Wildlife and Parks operate WilsonLake (The Clearest Lake in Kansas) a 9,000-acre

Tour 2NORTH

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This tour is one of four that leaves from Great Bend,Kansas going into the surrounding areas. Just beforeyou enter Hoisington, you will cross Blood Creek,which forms the valley south and east—whereCheyenne Bottoms is located. There is a NativeAmerican story about Blood Creek.

Hoisington, Kansas. Visitors can still enjoy the Depression era murals inthe Post Office at 119 E. 2nd, open business hours,and the Stained-glass windows in St John’s CatholicChurch, 5th &Main. Please study the hugelocomotive mural on the east side of Main Streetcalled the “Prairie Wave Maker” which depictsHoisington’s railroad history as it crosses CheyenneBottoms. Be sure to pick up a brochure on the 62handcrafted metal art banners on the poles alongMain Street. Hoisington Activity Center is open towalkers for free and other uses have a nominal fee.620-653-4311.

Russell, Kansas.North on US-281 Visit the Fossil Station Museum,housed in the 1907 county jail at 331 N. Kansas topick up brochures of the walking and driving tours.Bob Dole (former Kansas Senator and presidentialcandidate) grew up in Russell and you can drive byhis boyhood home at 1035 N. Maple. The DeinesCultural Center, 820 N. Main, displays local andnational artists. The Post Office, open businesshours, houses a 1934 WPA wheat workers mural.620-483-6960

man-made lake. Set amongst the Smoky Hills,which is a rolling landscape of hills, buttes and hazyvalleys, grand in scale, yet possessing a delicate andsubtle beauty. Besides its great scenic beauty, thelake and its surroundings attract boaters, sunbathers,swimmers, campers, fossil hunters, hikers, hanggliders, and picnickers. The lake is accessible frommany points and a drive over the dam or the bridgeis always a scenic thrill.

Wilson, Kansas is next on this tour. Take the PostRock Scenic Byway, K-232, south from LakeWilson to “The Czech Capital of Kansas.” Twenty-two Victorian stone buildings border Wilson’s mainStreets, including the restored Opera House andHouse of Memories Museum, 415 27th Street.Check out the bakery, “Sincerely Yours” which sellskolaches (a Czech pastry) coffee. 785-658-2211.

From Wilson, head east on K-140 to Ellsworth.

Ellsworth, Kansas. Visit the Hodgden HouseMuseum Complex on Old South Main with its 1878home, livery stable, one room schoolhouse, traindepot, caboose, log cabin, windmill, general store,farm exhibits and pictures of the old FortEllsworth/Fort Harker dugouts. 785-472-4071.

From Ellsworth , head south on K-156 to the KansasWetlands Education Center at Cheyenne Bottoms.

Kansas Wetlands Educational Center. TheKansas Wetlands Educational Center at CheyenneBottoms opened in Spring, 2009, and interprets theKansas Department of Wildlife and Park’sCheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area, The NatureConservancy’s adjacent Cheyenne BottomsPreserve, and nearby Quivira National WildlifeRefuge (See Tour 4). The Center has a rooftop star-

GREAT BEND Convention & Visitor’s Bureau www.visitgreatbend.com • 9

gazing deck and remote cameras for real-timewildlife viewing from within the building. Naturetrails and observation decks provide bird andwildlife viewing opportunities.

Cheyenne Bottoms is a 41,000-acre wetlands. If theKansas Wetlands Educational Center is closed, enterthe wetlands directly across from the Center.Cheyenne Bottoms is a “refueler” for the humanspecies as well as 320 bird species.The Refuge is afeeding stopover for bird species traveling theCentral Flyway crossing North and South America.About 45 percent of the North American shorebirdpopulation stops at the Bottoms during springmigration. The area is a critical habitat for severalthreatened and endangered species, such aswhooping cranes, peregrine falcons (See the GreatBend Tour, Great Bend Zoo, Kansas Raptor Centerfor a note on this species.) least terns, and pipingplovers. Check at the Center for up-to-date sightingsand conditions .

The Nature Conservancy. The NatureConservancy owns and manages 7,300 acres in thenorthwest portion of Cheyenne Bottoms. TheConservancy's wetlands management philosophycalls for restoration of the wetland hydrology andnative grasslands to their original state for thebenefit of the wildlife. Wildlife and Parks and theConservancy work closely together at CheyenneBottoms. The different management techniques arecomplementary.

The largest marsh in the interior of the U.S.,Cheyenne Bottoms has been officially designated aWetland of International Importance. The area isconsidered the most important shorebird migrationpoint in the Western Hemisphere.

Return to the Wetlands and Wildlife National ScenicByway , K-156, and continue south to the markedcounty road NW30 and turn west to BartonCommunity College for a visit to the ShaferMemorial Art Gallery.

Shafer Gallery/Barton Community College. Shafer Gallery features extremely detailed Western

bronzes, travelling exhibits and beautifully restoredstained glass windows in a separate chapel setting.Open 10am-5pm Mon-Fri and Sun 1-4pm. Call forspecial hours or to arrange for a tour 620-793-9342.Free.

Continue west to US-281 and south into GreatBend.

Activity Center, Hoisington, Kansas

Cheyenne Bottoms, Great Bend, Kansas

Observing nature

Chase. A Cal-Maine Foods eggprocessing facility is justnorthwest of town. They gathera million and a half eggs daily.Tours are no longer available,but check the egg cartons at the

grocery store. You will doubtless findsome eggs from this facility.

Lyons, Kansas. Downtown Lyons,founded in 1871, features the beautifulRice County Romanesque RevivalStyle courthouse with native limestonedated 1910-11. Visitors also note theSalt Mine Car in front of thecourthouse. The salt mine in Lyonsopened in 1917. Lyons Salt Companyowns this mine. With other mines,Kansas produces more than threemillion tons of rock salt per year.620-257-5166

Out of Lyons, head north on K-14

Geneseo began with the homesteadingmovement of the 1870's. It overlooksthe Little Arkansas River valley to thesouth, while not far to the north thewater flows to the Thompson Creekand into the Smoky Hill River. Thehigh ridge, geologically, is known asthe Geneseo Uplift. The name wastaken from Geneseo, New York, aname of (Native American) Iroquoianorigin, meaning "shining valley" and

Tour 3EAST

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TOUR 3—EAST goes out of Great Bend on US-56 east toward Ellinwood—10 miles away.

Ellinwood, Kansas. You will enjoy buildings ofthe late 19th century that are on the NationalHistoric Record. At either the Hotel Wolf or theEllinwood Museum, pick up a driving tour mapof Ellinwood and enjoy seeing how earlyresidents of Ellinwood lived. There is aninteresting one-hour Ellinwood UndergroundWorld tour. Ellinwood has boasted many finerailroad depots in its day. One is currently used asthe American Legion on the south side of US-156. 620-564-3161

Orphan Train. Trains brought some specialresidents to Ellinwood, some of which are stillliving there. Between 1854 and 1929, an estimated200,000 orphaned and abandoned children wereplaced out in what today is known as the OrphanTrain Era. The first Kansas-bound orphan trainarrived in the state in 1867 and the last in 1930,the same year the Orphan Train movementofficially ceased operations. During that time, it isestimated that between 5,000 and 6,000 childrenwere “placed out” in Kansas homes.

Return to US-56 and continue east to Chase.

Native American.The Kansa (People of the South Wind) or Kaw Trailwhich started near Council Grove, KS ended on CowCreek about three miles southeast of Lyons. The Kawwould travel west along the Kaw Trail to their huntinggrounds in the fall and spring. The Kaw hunting campnear Lyons was locally known as Camp Stahl. Thiswas the heart of buffalo country since the Cow Creekvalley sits right on the north-south buffalo migrationroute.

Rice County was the center of the Quivira Indianculture, which was well established in the area longbefore Coronado arrived. Thousands of arrowheadshave been found on top of the ground in the Saxmanand Little River areas. Many of these are on display inthe Coronado-Quivira Museum, one block southfrom the southeast corner of the Lyons town square.Look for a bronze sculpture of an adult reading with achild on the corner at 105 W. Lyon (Open 9am-5pmMon-Sat, 1pm-5pm Sun. Closed holidays. Admissionfee is nominal. 620-257-3941. The museum displaysoriginal Coronado artifacts, information about theQuivira Indians who met the conquistadors, and alsocovers early pioneer settlement of the area. Somebeautifully preserved Tohono O’Odam (Papago)Indian baskets are also on exhibit. Wall murals depictthe Coronado/Quivira meeting. Periodically themuseum sponsors all-day fossil Safaris into CoronadoCountry. Call the museum for information.

8 • GREAT BEND Convention & Visitor’s Bureau www.visitgreatbend.com

Native Americans.Cheyenne Bottoms isnamed after the Cheyennetribe, whose warriorsfought to keep the area astheir hunting grounds. Aparticularly bloody battle in1825 left a stream runninginto the Bottoms red withblood, hence the currentname...Blood Creek.


Mushroom State Park

Quivira Indian Home, Lyons

Underground tour, Ellinwood, Kansas

Bird Watching Festival

After Harvest Festival, Ellinwood, Kansas

Cheyenne Bottoms, Great Bend, KS

Geneseo, Kansas does overlook the shining valley of the Little Arkansas River.

Kanopolis Reservoir. There are two federal parks here and two state parks. The federal parks, Venango onthe north side of the lake and Riverside below the dam on the east, cover 20,000 acres and are free to thepublic without a permit, unless you’recamping or using the beach. Also in theRiverside Park, just before crossing thedam, on the east side is the US ArmyCorps Headquarters; you can pick upbrochures there (785-546-2294).

Mushroom State Park is our nextstop. Don’t visualize little toadstoolmushrooms. Visualize giganticmushroom-shaped rock formations,some as high as 12-feet or more. Toreach Mushroom State Park, return tothe Prairie Trail Scenic Byway, HwyK-141, and travel north eight miles. Atthe Mushroom State Park sign, turnwest on a sand road and travel twomiles. There is a picnic area, a shorttrail and lots of rocks—big rocks—toclimb on. This is a great stop for thechildren.

Kanopolis, Kansas. Leave MushroomState Park via Hwy K-140 and travelwest to K-111 and south to the townKanopolis, site of Fort Harker, (NativeAmerican) an important Indian Warspost. There are sandstone officers’quarters and junior officers’ quartersthat remain in the town; the old fort’sguardhouse is a museum. Return to 156

Highway heading south toward the Kansas WetlandsEducation Center and Great Bend.

Kansas Wetlands Educational Center. The KansasWetlands Educational Center at Cheyenne Bottoms,opened in Spring 2009, and interprets the KansasDepartment of Wildlife and Park’s Cheyenne BottomsWildlife Area, The Nature Conservancy’s CheyenneBottoms Preserve, and Quivira National WildlifeRefuge (See Tour 4). The Center has a rooftop star-gazing deck and remote cameras for real-time wildlifeviewing from within the building. Nature trails andobservation decks provide bird and wildlife viewingopportunities.

Cheyenne Bottoms is a 41,000-acre wetlands. If theKansas Wetlands Educational Center is closed, enterthe wetlands directly across from the Center .Cheyenne Bottoms is a “refueler” for the humanspecies as well as 320 bird species.

The Refuge is a feeding stopover for bird speciestraveling the Central Flyway crossing North and SouthAmerica. About 45 percent of the North Americanshorebird population stops at the Bottoms during springmigration. The area is a critical habitat for severalthreatened and endangered species, such as whoopingcranes, peregrine falcons (See the Great Bend Tour,Great Bend Zoo, Kansas Raptor Center for a note onthis species.) least terns, and piping plovers. Check atthe Center for up-to-date sightings and conditions .

The Nature Conservancy. The Nature Conservancyowns and manages 7,300 acres in the northwest portionof Cheyenne Bottoms. The Conservancy's wetlandsmanagement philosophy calls for restoration of the

wetland hydrology and native grasslands to theiroriginal state for the benefit of the wildlife.Wildlife and Parks and the Conservancy workclosely together at Cheyenne Bottoms. Thedifferent management techniques arecomplementary.

The largest marsh in the interior of the U.S.,Cheyenne Bottoms has been officially designateda Wetland of International Importance. The areais considered the most important shorebirdmigration point in the Western hemisphere.

Return to the Wetlands and Wildlife NationalScenic Byway , K-156, and continue south to themarked county road NW30 and turn west toBarton Community College for a visit to theShafer Memorial Art Gallery.

Return to Great Bend by driving south on theWetlands and Wildlife National Scenic Byway—follow the signs from the Wetlands EducationCenter—to US-56 and west into Great Bend.

Native American.One phenomenal, free, historic drive is the Legacy Trail.Pick up a brochure designating this 75-mile tour of the areaat the U.S. Army Corps Headquarters or the HorsethiefArea station at Kanopolis Reservoir. History will come aliveas you visit various points of interest such as the FarisCaves where there are some very light Native Americanpictographs.

Approximately 30,000 Indians lived in this area years ago.Prehistoric culture is evident just a few miles southeast ofGeneseo. History books tell of a 150-foot long intaglio (adesign engraved into hard material just below the surface)resembling a serpent which was dug into the earth by theQuivira Indians. There are unique “council circles” in thisarea, which range from 60-90 or even 200 feet in diameter.The Tobias circle has been excavated. These are circularor elipitical shaped and their reliefs are not over three feethigh. They are dated from A.D.1500-1700 (Coronado toFrench Trappers periods). When standing at a certainplace observers have noted that the circle locations seemto be designated by how the serpent-like intaglio “points” toa circle then that circle “points” to the next one, etc. Nearthe Tobias council circle are the Peverley Petro-glyphs.Tours to these areas may be arranged through theCoronado/Quivira Museum in Lyons (pg. 9).


were drawn to the area for the foodbasket they found here. Fresh water, fish,small game, large herds of bison and amarshland rich in wildlife were some ofthe attraction, plus with the influx ofEuropeans, there was plenty of trade.

The Wichita Indians were middlemen as well asbusinessmen. French traders, in 1719, had abooming business with Plains Tribes further westwho brought buffalo robes and other furs to tradefor crops and French tools, acting through theWitchitas. These Native American goods werecarried downstream to the Mississippi River onflatboats and canoe-like boats where they weretaken to the Gulf of Mexico and shipped to Europe.The Wichitas evidently saturated the market, asmany archeological digs all over Kansas turned upWichita artifacts.

There were at least seven different Native Americanpeople groups in this area. You can see paintings ofTribal Chiefs in the Schultz Reading Room at thenext stop—Barton County Historical Museum &Village.

Barton County Historical Museum & Village.The village includes a train depot, a post office, aone-room schoolhouse, a country church, ablacksmith shop, and a pioneer home, which wasmoved from just northeast of the Walnut CreekBridge on the Barton Community College—Tour2—road. This is a wonderful museum complex. Themuseum has many collections: dolls, farmmachinery and implements, War memorabilia, B-29Airplane memorabilia, etc. A telephone switchboardand an iron lung along with many other exhibits anddisplays, many arranged in “room” settings, makethis a fascinating visit. The Museum Gift Shop is a

Tour 4SOUTH

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TOUR 4 south starts at the Arkansas River Bridgeon south Main Street (US-281).

Arkansas River. Arkansas is pronounced“R-Kansas”. Park your vehicle just southwest of thebridge and stand at the river to survey the area andto get a feel for early history because the ArkansasRiver figured heavily in Native American culture. Ifyou walk on the Hike/Bike trail on the north side ofthe River, you can more easily picture NativeAmerican life here. This total trail is seven mileslong and actually begins at The Front Door, 1615Tenth, in east Great Bend, but we will pick it up atthe river.

Great Bend, in the Arkansas River Lowlands,elevation 1,849’, was called “Big Bend” by manyNative Americans. One look at a map and one cansee why the Comanche Indians called the river“Flint Arrowpoint.” The 1,450-mile Arkansas Riverturns back south and east at Great Bend finallyemptying into the Mississippi River. Extensive landsof sand lying south of the river comprise the areaknown as the Great Bend Prairie.

According to research done at the Kansas StateHistorical Society, there were a number of NativeAmerican tribes in this region of the “big bend”:Wichita (called Quivira by Coronado in 1541),Pawnee, Comanche, Cheyenne, Arapaho, Apache,Osage, Kiowa, Sioux, Kansa and many more. They

great place to shop for local history books, Santa FeTrail items and Kansas arts and crafts. The museumis open from Mid-April through Mid-November,Tuesday through Sunday, 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm. Toursare available and weddings are welcomed at the1868 church by special arrangement. Catered mealsare available for groups; pre-arrange for these: 620-793-5125.

Travel south on US-281 toward Stafford County andits cities. A few miles south of Great Bend, you

enter Stafford County. The county is entirely in theGreat Bend Prairie—the land inside the big bend.

Stafford County. The county is almost withouteither streams or creeks, the only one of anyimportance within its borders being RattlesnakeCreek, which runs diagonally across the countyfrom the southwest to the northeast.

Now as you travel through Stafford County, look forirrigation called Center Pivot Irrigation. Floodirrigation used to be the most common method ofirrigation in Kansas, but now much of the State’sirrigated acreage is watered by center pivot systems. A poet once called the center pivot irrigationsystems the “Dinosaurs of the Plains.”

By now you will be approaching St. John the countyseat of Stafford County.

St. John, Kansas. Downtown St. John, to the westof US-281, is charming with businesses and twomuseums surrounding the square. The historymuseum is housed in a 1910 Tudor building, 302 N.Main. For information, call the City Office: 620-549-3208.The St. John Science Museum, Inc. ison the west side of the square.

From Saint John, drive south to US-50 and west 1 ½miles west on the north side of US-50 for theAfrican American Cemetery.

African American Cemetery. The first settlers tohomestead in the Stafford County area wereAfrican-American and Mormon.

African-Americans homesteaded on severaldifferent sections of the township. The highestnumber of African-Americans living in StaffordCounty has been estimated to be 400-425 in the year1914. They established the Martin Black cemeterynamed for a family of settlers in the area namedMartin. This cemetery is on US-50, 1½-miles westof US-281. The African-American people becamemembers of the African Methodist EpiscopalChurch and the Baptist Church located in St. John.African-Americans who lived in town had foundedthese churches.

Back on US-50 turn east to Stafford.

Stafford, Kansas. Ready for a cup of coffee and apiece of pie? Stop by the Curtis Café and enjoy agood lunch or great snack. You’ll be amazed by the

African American Cemetary

Dozier Winery

Soldiers Memorial, Great BendFountain - St John, Kansas WPA Project Stature of Liberty - St. John, Kansas Santa Fe Depot - Stafford, Kansas

Native American.Ancestors of the Wichita/Quivira arrivedin present Barton County probably via aland bridge connecting Alaska andRussia, and were here to meet SpanishExplorer Francisco Vasquez deCoronado and his conquistadors insummer, 1541 at the big bend. TheSpanish called the Wichita/Quiviras“picts” from the French word pique,meaning punctured or pricked becausethey tattooed their faces and bodies. Is itpossible that the Spanish also used aFrench term to call the Native AmericanWichita Tribe Quivira? Consider theFrench term for “whose side are you on?”It is “qui vive”? Some believe this is theroot for Quivira. Wichitas considered theirtribal name to mean “man” but the Indianword is closely related to the Choctawword meaning “big arbor.” This perfectlydescribes the distinctive Wichita/Quiviratype dwellings, which were tall dome-shaped huts with thatch-like roofs.


collection of over 300 jigsaw puzzles decorating thewalls. Breakfast and lunch are the meals. 620-234-5644. You can also visit the Stafford CountyMuseum on the corner of Broadway and Main. 620-234-5664

Drive north on 39 Road for approximately ten milesand three miles west to Hudson.

Hudson. The first obvious business is the StaffordCounty Flour Mill. The Mill turns out some of thebest flour in the United States –Hudson Cream Flour– prized for its extremely fine texture. Buy a bag offlour at Dillon’s Food Store or Walmart in GreatBend. 620-458-4121.

From Hudson, go east on County Road 635 rightinto Quivira National Wildlife Refuge which usedto be Quivira National Wildlife Refuge. The Refugeis a 22,135-acre Wetland of InternationalImportance and a beautiful place for wildlifewatching and hiking. From the scenic byway, followthe signs to the Visitors Center. The Visitors Centerhas interactive exhibits, and a room-sized dioramashowing Refuge habitat. You can pick up brochures,maps, bird lists and hunting and fishing regulationshere. Quivira was named after the Quiviran Indians

and is primarily managed to provide food andprotection for migratory waterfowl. This naturalarea has become a “birder’s paradise.” 620-486-2393

Dozier Winery. When leaving QuiviraNationalWildlife Refuge, head north on theWetlands and Wildlife National Scenic Byway. Inabout ten miles, begin to look for signs for Dozier’sVineyard and Winery where you can observe winebeing made in a 1910 Santa Fe Depot. You can visitfree (Open daily 1:00-6:00pm. 620-564-0195.

Return to the Wetlands and Wildlife National ScenicByway and follow it north to the Kansas WetlandsEducational Center and Cheyenne Bottoms.

Kansas Wetlands Educational Center. TheKansas Wetlands Educational Center at CheyenneBottoms, opened in Spring 2009, interprets theKansas Department of Wildlife and Park’sCheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area, The NatureConservancy’s Cheyenne Bottoms Preserve, andQuivira National Wildlife Refuge (See Tour 4). TheCenter has a rooftop stargazing deck and remotecameras for real-time wildlife viewing from withinthe building. Nature trails and observation decksprovide bird and wildlife viewing opportunities.

Cheyenne Bottoms is a 41,000-acre wetlands. If theKansas Wetlands Educational Center is closed, enterthe wetlands directly across from the Center .Cheyenne Bottoms is a “refueler” for the humanspecies as well as 320 bird species. The Refuge is afeeding stopover for bird species traveling theCentral Flyway crossing North and South America.About 45 percent of the North American shorebirdpopulation stops at the Bottoms during springmigration. The area is a critical habitat for several

threatened and endangered species, such aswhooping cranes, peregrine falcons (See the GreatBend Tour, Great Bend Zoo, Kansas Raptor Centerfor a note on this species.), least terns, and pipingplovers. Check at the Center for up-to-date sightingsand conditions .

The Nature Conservancy. The NatureConservancy owns and manages 7,300 acres in thenorthwest portion of Cheyenne Bottoms. TheConservancy's wetlands management philosophycalls for restoration of the wetland hydrology andnative grasslands to their original state for thebenefit of the wildlife. Wildlife and Parks and theConservancy work closely together at CheyenneBottoms. The different management techniques arecomplementary.

The largest marsh in the interior of the U.S.,Cheyenne Bottoms has been officially designated aWetland of International Importance. The area isconsidered the most important shorebird migrationpoint in the Western hemisphere.

Return to the Wetlands and Wildlife National ScenicByway , K-156, and continue south to the markedcounty road NW30 and turn west to BartonCommunity College for a visit to the ShaferMemorial Art Gallery.

Continue west to meet up with US-281 and thensouth into Great Bend.

Great Bend Art. Start you tour ofdowntown Great Bend with a stop theBarton County Arts Council Galleryacross Main Street to the west of JackKilby Square. They have a selection ofwalking/driving tour informationavailable. Art of all varieties is displayed

with featured artists changing frequently. Some artis for sale; every piece is unique. The Arts Councilhas many other activities. Call 620-792-4221 for acalendar of events. Gallery is open Mon-Fri,1-5:30pm.

Kansas Quilt Walk. At each corner of Jack KilbySquare, take a note of the quilt patterns made ofgranite and marble embedded in the sidewalks. Quiltpatterns were chosen because of their ties to Kansasand have names like Rocky Road to Kansas,Windmill, and Kansas Troubles. Request a brochurewith details about the patterns and a self-guidedtour. 620-792-2750.Now head north on Main Street (U.S. 281 Highway)to discover the delights of the Great Bend Zoo andKansas Raptor Center.

GREATBEND

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Great Bend, Kansas. Start at the Great BendConvention & Visitors Bureau, 3007 Tenth. Pick upbrochures in the entryway, open 24/7, or go oninside during business hours, 9-12 and 1-5 Mon-Fri,to obtain live information (and a restroom), or call620-792-2750.

To begin to see Great Bend, go east on Tenth Street(US-56/K-156) and north on US-281 (Main Street)into downtown Great Bend. Just after you turn ontoMain Street notice the mural on your left. Thismulti-cultural mural represents the diversity ofpeoples who have contributed to the Great Bendarea. (More Mural Art is mentioned further on.) Thebeautiful white Barton County Courthouse is ournext stop. It will be on your right. Find a parkingplace, you will want time to read and to walk thesquare.

Kansas Raptor Center and Great Bend Zoo.Drive north on Main Street, US-281, to find this 40-acre park. Look for the locomotive on the west side.This is Brit Spaugh Park. You’ll find playgrounds, awater park, shelter houses, picnic spots, askateboard park, and plenty of ball fields. You’llalso find the zoo and Raptor Center.

Great Bend Zoo (always free admission) wasfounded in 1962 by Brit Spaugh a local naturalistwhose interest in North American animals laid thefoundation for the present zoo. Recent zoorenovations have yielded a South American Exhibithousing a troupe of spider monkeys, capybaras—theworld’s largest rodents—and a jaguar. Jaguars don’twork and play well together so will live alone at thezoo. Visitors will be able to visit the African, Asian,Australian and North American Exhibits as well.The zoo has multiple reptiles including over tenAmerican crocodiles that are moved to the airportduring the winter so they can live inside. (Can youvisualize this twice-a-year chore?) The AquariumExhibit has a Nemo (clown fish) tank with all hisfriends. In another tank there is a piranha. There areboth salt and fresh water exhibits as well as an

Downtown, Hudson Kansas

Cinco de Mayo Celebration Art Deco Crest Theatre B-29 MemorialOil & Gas Museum & Hall of Fame

its branches. Theserowdy cow town daysbrought both danger andprosperity.

Civilization Arrives.By 1876, brick and

stone buildings had begun to replace the woodenstructures that had sprung up seemingly overnightto provide goods and services to cow punchers,farmers and town folk alike. Then, as now, thepreferred locations were along the two blockswest of the courthouse square.Through the almost 140 years of its development,Great Bend has grown to boast an Eclectic mix ofarchitectural styles. Victorian, Edwardian and ArtDeco structures rub shoulders with othersinfluenced by Federal, Modern Eclectic and Neo-Classic styles. While many buildings downtown still boast theiroriginal historic details, others have been coveredby metal and wooden facades. Nonetheless, eachhistoric building in Downtown Great Bend has astory to tell about its contribution to thedevelopment of the city.We will start our tour in the heart of DowntownGreat Bend.

1400 Main StreetIn 1872, a special election was held proposing toissue $25,000 in county bonds for erection of acourthouse and jail in the new county seat atGreat Bend. Six offices were located on the firstor ground floor and the second floor containedthe courtroom, jury room and other court offices.By June of 1877, the cupola or clock tower,which had graced the building, was removed. Itwas reportedly swaying in the brisk Kansasbreezes and officials feared the strain would


educational Barrier Reef Exhibit and a “touch tank”with starfish, crabs, snails, etc.

Zoo residents include a rare white Bengal tiger, apride of lions, a North American exhibit completewith wolves, grizzlies, black bears and an eagle andmuch more in a quiet shady setting. You can alsoparticipate in a Great Bend tradition at the park ifyou bring some bread to feed the fish, swans, geeseand ducks that make their home at the zoo. (Ifyou’re wearing sandals, keep your feet well backfrom the water.) Perfect for an inexpensiveafternoon of entertainment and education.620-793-4226.

Kansas Raptor Center will open in 2009. Thiscenter will feature raptor rehabilitation, medicaltreatment, convalescence and preparation forreturning to the wild. Some problems the birds haveencountered are highline wire injuries, gunshotwounds, poisonings, bacterial infections, andmammal-trap injuries. Healed birds are banded andsome are radio-tagged. Birds that have been helpedin raptor projects have been tracked after release andmany are doing well up to 7 ½ years later. One

encouraging report is the four endangered Peregrines who werereleased and have since had at least two clutches of offspring.Great Bend is well situated for reclaiming raptors because of thevast number of birds attracted to the area.

Wings of Wonder is a bird show at the zoo that includes raptors.Donations from this show are used to fund raptor rehab. For showtimes, call 620-793-4226. Zoo is open 9am-4:30pm daily and isfree.

Great Bend Mural Project. Now we are talking big art! Hop inyour car and take a tour of the many colorful murals on wallsscattered throughout the core of the city. Artists, school children,and volunteers began this project to paint murals that highlightGreat Bend history and culture on the walls of its businesses. ThePost Office at 16th and Williams boasts Clara Barton, civil warnurse and Red Cross Founder (and Barton County namesake—the only county of the 105 in Kansas named for a woman).Across the street east from there is the Barton County Fair mural.Go east on 16th, toward Main, to see the Migration mural at 16thand Main. A joyous multicultural community dance, which fitsthe multicultural settlement of Great Bend is on the first buildingnorth of Tenth Street on the west side. Call for a detailedbrochure locating the murals and telling their stories. 620-792-2750. Note: there are murals on Tours 1, 2 and 3.

Great Bend Historic

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HISTORIC DOWNTOWN WALKING TOUR

Great Bend PastLocated near the geographic center of Kansas,what is now Great Bend straddles the big or“great bend” of the Arkansas River, where thisfamous stream juts northward into the heart of thestate.

In 1821, Missouri trader William Becknellreached Santa Fe with a mule train of tradegoods, successfully launching what wouldbecome known as the Santa Fe Trail. By 1825, itwas evident that this would become a major traderoute to the southwest and Congress orderedMajor George C. Sibley to survey the route fromMissouri to Santa Fe. Proceeding westward alongthe north side of the Arkansas River, the Trail cutthrough the heart of what is now Great Bend.

Great Bend’s HeartGreat Bend was incorporated in 1872 and theoriginal town plat centered on two square blockswhich would become home to the Barton CountyCourthouse and the epicenter of the town’s life.When the Atchison, Topeka and Santa FeRailroad reached the Bend in 1872, not only didit bring new settlers, it brought the cattle trade.For a few brief but lively years Great Bend wasone of the major shipping points for cattlebrought up from Texas on the Chisholm Trail and

eventually damage the entire structure. In thoseearly days, the courthouse was the center of thecommunity, serving as town hall, churchbuilding, dance hall, lodge room and opera house.By 1917, it had become obvious that the originalcourthouse could no longer adequately serve theneeds of the county. The Hutchinson, Kansas,architectural firm of W.E. Hulse & Co. designedthe new building and the Manhattan ConstructionCo., Muskogee Oklahoma, contracted to do theconstruction. Work on the new building in a stylecalled “Modern (Classical) Eclecticism” began inNovember 1917 and the cornerstone was laidMarch 28, 1918. According to the Barton CountyDemocrat of that date, “The building whencompleted will be approximately 125 x 101 feetin size and 57 feet high, and will be not only oneof the finest but also one of the largest countybuildings in the state. It will be four stories inheight, built of reinforced concrete, brick, steeland stone, and will be of absolutely fireproofconstruction throughout. The total cost will be inthe neighborhood of a quarter of a milliondollars.”The ground (now called the first) floor wasdesigned to house the boiler and fuel rooms, aladies’ rest room, a public meeting room and the

Water Park Mural project, Great Bend, Kansas Barton County Historical Museum

Downtown Great Bend Christmas Lights

Barton County Junior College-Shafer Art Gallery

Barton County Courthouse, Great Bend, KansasKansas Wetlands Education Center


office of the County Farm Advisor. The first (nowthe second) floor was to house the offices of thecounty treasurer, clerk, register of deeds, probatejudge, commissioners and public construction.On the second (now the third) floor was thecourtroom, jury rooms, witnesses’ rooms andoffices for the sheriff, court clerk, county attorneyand court stenographer. Up on the third (nowfourth) floor were jury dormitories and two otherlarge rooms. Stone steps led from street level tothe main entrances on the first (now second) flooron both the east and west sides of the building, In1952, in great need of repair which would havecost $19,000, the county commissioners orderedthe steps eliminated and replaced with the presentground floor entrances. This resulted in theaddition of two more rooms to the building and,at the same time, an elevator was added to makethe upper floors more accessible. Other upgradesand renovations have been made to the buildingthrough the years.The courthouse is surrounded by a large park,which is augmented on the south by the MosesMemorial Band Shell, where the City Band playsto large crowds on summer evenings and otherevents are regularly held. To the north, the statueof a Civil War soldier stands, ever vigilant, inmemory of the members of the Grand Army of

the Republic, Union Army veterans who wereamong the earliest founders and settlers of thecity.

1401 MAIN STREETThis building, at the corner of Forest & Main, isthe oldest surviving stone and brick building inGreat Bend. Construction began in 1875 and in1876 owner A.S. Allen moved his business,begun in 1872, into the new store. It has beenextended to the west twice. In 1904, the buildingwas sold to Citizens National Bank, whichrefaced the building and altered the façade andinterior elements. Another new look came whenthe site was purchased by Farmers (later First)National Bank in the 1920s. This Federal façadeis the one that remains. Since the bank moved toa new building at Lakin & Kansas in the 1950s,the storefront has housed three shoe stores and isnow home to the Barton County Arts Council.

1403 MAIN STREETIn conjunction with the Moses brothers’ buildingto its north, this building was constructed in 1878by J.H. and Josephine Hubbard to house Mr.Hubbard’s dry goods store, which they thenleased to Brucks and Company. It is notable thatthis site was the location of J.S. Dillons and Sons'

second grocery store in the state. Besidesgroceries, it was a retail clothing location formany years and had office space upstairs. It iscurrently occupied by Dance by Design.

1405 MAIN STREETConsisting of two buildings, built at separatedates and adapted to fit together, the south halfdates from 1878, when George N. and Edward R.Moses erected a two-story stone building tohouse their mercantile store, where customerscould purchase almost anything they might need,from the cradle to the grave (literally, signspointed out that furniture and undertaking wereupstairs). In 1881, William Dunaway filled thenorth part of the property with another two-storystone building. By 1886, the Moses brothersexpanded their rapidly growing business bypurchasing Dunaway’s interests. The secondstory, known as the Union Hall, was used fordances, performances and large events. Sometimearound World War I, the two buildings werearchitecturally unified with a common brickfaçade. Following the Moses brothers operation,it was occupied by Funk & Jamison Furnitureand Mortuary, Woolworth’s, a fabric center and ispresently Cornerstone Interiors.

1409 MAIN STREETAfter a fire destroyed the original wood-frameharness shop operated by the Hiss family in 1928,this single story brick building was constructed. Ithas been rented out as a retail location since andhoused a dress shop for over sixty years. It hasonly been remodeled twice, once in 1957, whenthe building was extended to the alley, and againin 1971.

1411 MAIN STREETEdwin Tyler constructed this single-story brickbuilding in 1911. The original occupant wasGraves Drug Store and has since housed variousclothing, sewing, music and kitchen goodsoutlets, as well as a coffee house.

1413 MAIN STREETFrom its beginnings in 1888 when it was built byH.C. Nimocks, the building has been a primecommercial location occupied by dry goods,mercantile, shoe and jewelry stores. It presentlyhouses Identifications. The exterior has been littlealtered, especially the upper floor, which stillboasts much of its original Victorian architecturalornamentation.

1415 MAIN STREETJ.W. Lightbody had this two-story stone buildingconstructed in 1878 to house his dry goodbusiness, called the People's Store. By 1909, ithad changed hands and was C. Samuels’ drygoods store. Since then, it has housed a variety ofmercantile and clothing stores and is presently aphotographer’s studio. Architectural elements arestill visible on the exterior, including archedwindows, white stone sills and window hoods.

1419 MAIN STREETConstructed in 1888 by the Moses Brothers,Clayton and Edward, this building was a grandVictorian commercial building with a large,ornate metal cornice, complete with gargoyles.Unfortunately, due to damage from a fire whichdestroyed the building to its north, it wasnecessary to re-brick the front, causing the loss ofthese historic architectural details. The first floorand mezzanine have always housed retailbusinesses. The second floor, which still containsoriginal woodwork, tin ceilings and otherdecorative elements, was used for offices.

FIRE!Early on the morning of September 20, 1983, firedestroyed the historic brick and stone building at

the southwest corner of Main & Broadway. Builtto house Farmer's & Merchant's Bank in 1886 ata cost of $25,000, it was known as the OperaBlock for the auditorium housed on the upperfloor. The building has been replaced with amodern office block at 2100 Broadway.

DIRT STREETS & DESPERADOSThe photograph below shows the view lookingsouthwest from the corner of what is now Main& Broadway in the late 1870s. To the left is therear of the Southern Hotel or Drover's Cottage,Great Bend's earliest hotel and one of its firstbuildings. To the immediate left of the spinningwindmill blades is the county's first school housewhich was located on what is now the site of theGreat Bend Public Library at Forest & Williams.To the right is Culver's Implement, the presentlocation of Bank of America. Notice, too, in thebottom left corner of the photo, the "bear cage" inthe back of the wagon, used for the transport ofprisoners.

1900 BLOCK OF BROADWAYThe square, sturdy-looking, classic Federal stylebuilding at 1924 Broadway was constructed tohouse Great Bend’s Post Office in 1915. When anew Post Office replaced it in 1960, the buildingwas converted to federal offices. It was sold in1996 and now houses Great Bend Children’sClinic. As with this building, all of the earlyhistoric structures in the 1900 and 2000 Blocks ofBroadway have been replaced with 20th centurybrick business buildings.

1500 KANSASNow the site of a J.C. Penney’s department store,this building was constructed in 1960 to house aWiley's department store. In the mid-1880s, thislocation became the Morrison Hotel, one of the

Forest & Main Street Moses Merchantile Hiss Harness Shop Main StreetMoses Brothers building


grandest hotels between Kansas City and Denver.Rooms originally boasted Victorian Eastlakestyle furnishings in walnut and oak. By the early1900s, the Hotel had fallen vacant and in 1902briefly served to house the Dominican sisterswho arrived in Great Bend to found a hospitaland convent. It was later purchased by W.H. Kerr,who in 1912 planned to turn it into a school toprepare students who would spread the messageof his Church of Humanity. This once grandVictorian lady ended her days as a run-downrooming house.

1400 BLOCK OF KANSASThis block, immediately across the street east ofthe courthouse square, has had a varied history.On the north end of the block, the building nowhousing the Barton County Sheriff's offices beganits existence as a private residence. Then, for anumber of years, it served as a funeral home andmortuary. In more recent times, it was purchasedby the county and converted into offices for theSheriff's Department. To its south is the CountyJail, the core of which dates from the mid-20thcentury, but which has since been updated andmodernized. In earlier times, the County Jail andthe Sheriff's residence were in the basement ofthe original courthouse. Then, that arrangement

was replaced with a large brick building on thesite of the present jail. The location had earlierserved the city as a large livery stable.

1300 BLOCK OF KANSASThe north end of this block was originally hometo the Typer House, one of Great Bend's earlierhostelries. Frame business buildings from the1870s and 1880s were gradually replaced bybrick business buildings in the early 1900s. In themiddle of the block is the old Mazda Hotelbuilding, now occupied by offices. It holds thedistinction of having been bombed by a US ArmyAir Corps B-29 during World War II - bombedwith a life raft.

1905 LAKIN AVENUEOn the south side of the courthouse square, oneof the most distinctive buildings is the CrestTheatre. The Kansan Theatre flourished at thissite in the 1920s. In 1950, owner Ferd Selleleased the building to the Great Bend Common-wealth Theatre Corporation. They undertookmajor renovations, including adding a secondstory and the distinctive Art Moderne exteriorfacade and interior elements still in evidence. Thegrand opening of the newly renovated movietheatre, renamed The Crest, was held November

9, 1950. It now houses the Great BendCommunity Theatre and provides auditoriumspace for live theatre, concerts and other events.This building is now on the National Register ofHistoric Places.

1907 LAKIN AVENUEThis location was constructed in two parts. Itsfirst section, consisting of the western one-thirdof the building, was erected in 1902. A one-storybrick building was added as the eastern two-thirds in 1916. It has served various retail andoffice uses through the ensuing years.

1913 LAKIN AVENUECharles Andress, famous circus man andentrepreneur, built this brick building in 1909. Inthe winter months, when he wasn't on the road,Andress managed the Strand Theatre, whichcontinued in business until 1954. Since that time,the space has been used as a retail store.

1915 LAKIN AVENUEImmediately to the east of the Zarah Hotel, FrankC. Wells built this two-story brick building in1923 to house the men's clothing store he hadbeen operating since 1913. The businesscontinued in this location until 1987, when Mr.Well's son-in-law, Hubert Ochs, retired. It hassince been occupied by a sporting good store.

ZARAH HOTELIn a style typical of the 1920s, the Zarah Hotelwas constructed at the corner of Lakin and Main,south of the courthouse, by the Great Bend HotelCorporation in 1924 and 1925. The interior wasonce rife with art deco elements. An addition wasmade on the south side of the building in 1939and 1940, including a fourth floor pent house forthe manager. In operation from 1925 to 1972, thehotel also housed a number of businesses and

doctor’s offices on the first floor. Its more recentincarnation has turned it into a mini-mall with avariety of small shops under one roof.

1223 MAIN STREET In 1910, the German American Bank dedicatedtheir new building on the southwest corner ofLakin & Main. A two-story brick building con-structed in the Federal style, it is topped by atriangular pediment and boasted twelve Romancolumns. With the anti-German sentiment ofWorld War I, the bank changed its name toAmerican State Bank, which later moved to thebuilding at 1321 Main. The second storyprovided additional downtown office space andafter the bank relocated, the storefront hasgenerally housed clothing stores.

1301-1305 MAIN STREETThese premises now house jewelry and shoestores in modern brick buildings, but before beingconverted to more peaceable mercantile pursuits,this corner - indeed much of this block on MainStreet - was the stage setting for a good deal ofGreat Bend's early cow town excitement. On thiscorner stood a saloon, later converted byprohibition into a pool hall and then restaurant.Under various proprietors and different names,but generally remembered as the NuAces, thesaloon catered to the cowboys, thirsting for liquorand fun after the long, dusty trip up the ChisholmTrail to the railheads. When there was too muchliquor and the wrong kind of fun, these youngmen were likely to meet the town's early lawofficers, most of whom had served in the CivilWar. Justice was served at the end of a gun andmany a young cowboy was laid to rest in the coldloneliness of an unmarked grave.

BOASTS & BULLETSIn 1875, a correspondent for the Kansas CityTimes, described Great Bend as a placemarked by dissipation, licentiousness, crime,and daily and nightly rows. "A young Texascowboy, known this season by the name ofFrank Williams, but last year as BenCraddock, having visited the dance houseand made some boasts in regard to hisprowess in the presence of a blushingdemimonde, proceeded to distinguishhimself by attempting to kill the deputy citymarshal, W.W. Winstead. After imbibingfreely he became disagreeably noisy andflourished his revolver in a most threateningmanner. A bystander quietly slipped out andinformed the police, Jim Gainsford andWinstead, that said cowboy was threateningto shoot somebody.As they entered the saloon, the desperado'seyes caught the police-man's star. With awhoop he swung out his revolver and fired atthe approaching policemen. His fire wasreturned instantaneously by both officers ...The Texan fell instantly; a ball having takeneffect right between the eyes."

1309 MAIN STREETA.J. Buckland built the double-lot building in1887, in conjunction with Otto and Hugo Burger.A two-story brick Victorian, the two sectionswere united by a large cornice and stone windowhoods which extended across the entire front. It’scommercial use has included drug, furniture,clothing stores, as well as a “five-and-dime.”

OLD ROMEThis photograph from the 1870s shows the 1300block of Main, looking south from what is nowForest. The third storefront from the right is thefamous Rome Saloon.

1315-1317 MAIN STREETIn 1909, John Hiss and Louis Zutavernconstructed the Hiss Building. A two-story brickbuilding, it featured the commercial art decodesign typical of that era. As with many spaces inthe downtown business district, the main floorwas used as a storefront and the second storyprovided office space. Over the years, it hashoused drug and jewelry stores, a music school,dentists’ offices, a beauty shop and photographystudio

1319 MAIN STREETThe building located at 1319 Main wasconstructed in the mid-1880s. Originally adouble-lot, two-story brick building, it onceboasted typically elaborate Victorian designelements, including metal cornices and gargoyles.When the bank was constructed next door,however, the north portion of this building wasdemolished and the remaining front converted toa more contemporary style. For many years ithoused a variety of retail stores, but now servesas additional office space for the bank next door.

1321 MAIN STREETDirectly west of the courthouse’s west door, the1300 and 1400 blocks of Main Street are dividedby Forest Avenue. At 1321 Main stands theAmerican State Bank building, constructed in1919 by the First National Bank. Constructed inthe Federal architectural style, the exterior façadeis Indiana limestone. The interior of the bank wasfinished with polished marble, brass and wood,decorated with ornate columns and ceilings. Theupper levels house offices.

Zarah Hotel City Hall

Stops Along The BywayDriving the Wetlands &Wildlife National ScenicByway is a chance todiscover somethingamazing. The seasonsalong this byway are both

subtle and spectacular. In April, tens ofthousands of birds cover the wetlands withcolor, motion and sound. Snowy ploverand kildeer build hundreds of nests in the


National ScenicBywayTOURS

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Hidden Treasure The Wetlands & WildlifeNational Scenic Byway takes visitorsthrough Barton, Reno & Stafford countiesin central Kansas and showcases the hugewetlands of North America’s CentralFlyway. The byway reveals a scenic visualsurprise amid the plains of Kansas. Themarshes that anchor this drive arecomprised of acres of radiant water thatdazzle the eye and clouds of birds thattakes the breath away. Cheyenne Bottomsand Quivira National Wildlife Refuge areinternational treasures nestled in the heartof America.

Nature Rules Here Cheyenne BottomsWildlife Area, the Nature ConservancyCheyenne Bottoms Preserve and QuiviraNational Wildlife Refuge are the naturaljewels of this byway. They anchor the drivewith natural beauty and opportunities toexplore nature. These giant marshesshape the landscape of this area in a mostunique way and provide outstandingopportunities for bird and wildlife watching,hiking, and many other natural activities.The wetlands are truly alive and waiting toreveal their treasure to the traveler.

banks along Quivira’s Wildlife Drive everysummer.

Birding Festival Every odd number yearthere is a birding festival that provides oneand all an opportunity to enjoy a “natural”weekend of birding and education withguided field trips to both CheyenneBottoms and Quivira. Check with the GreatBend Convention & Visitors Bureau formore details. 620-793-1800.

For more information about the Byway (including guides & driving tours)visit: www.kansaswetlandsandwildlifescenicbyway.com

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Tours on a Tankful