Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1890-02-27

PoA0u AOI DdItOu COuuIy page III Luc
state book:
BARTON COUNTY.
1t was organized in 1872, and has an
area of 900 square miles; is located
about midway Of the state, north and
south, and the next county west of the
geographical center. The county seat
is Great Bend, situated on the Great
Bend of the Arkansas. river.
Several other important towns
in the county, are well located
and prosperous; Ellinwood, Hoising-
ton, Pawnee Rock, Claflin and Olmitz,
all situated in fine localities, with good
farming country around them. The
surface of the county is gently rolling,
and Of first and second bottom lands;
it has neither high bluffs, nor "sand
hills,' and about all good tillable land.
The first settlement was made in 1870,
and it now has a population of $4,000.
The Soil dark, rich, deep loan, and
is watered by the Arkansas River,
Walnut and Cow Creeks, all Living
Streams, and several others part of the
year. Also has abundance of good
pure we'll water that is never failing.
Barton county has made quite sue
cess in tree growth, and has many fine
groves of young timber, and quite an
amount of natural timber along the
streams. Many farmers are successful
in fruit growing, and in few years
fruit will be grown and bearing
all over the county. The Natural
Grasses of this county are the Blue
Stem, Bunch, and Buffalo varieties; the
first two are good summer grasses, the
latter is fine fall and winter grass, and
especially valuable for winter grazing.
Alfalfa Clover grows finely, and is
raised quite extensively; Red Clover
and Timothy is being sown and does
well, as the land is longer cultivated.
Blue Grass grows splendidly, and many
fine lawns are now seen. in Great Bend
and other towns of the county. The
county is therefore especially adapted
to Stock Raising, there always being an
abundance of forage, and water during
the dryest years; and with the long
pasturing season, and short winters,
Stock Raising is quite profitable. In
several townships of our county,
Creameries have been built, and in
those localities farmers are making the
milk pay nicely, in connection with the
raising of Stock.
Salt Beds are found in the southern
part of the county, and north of the
Arkansas River a bed of Rock Salt,
of excellent quality, over 100 feet thick
ness, has been tested, and is found
as nearly pure as any in the state;
where this test was made flowing well
of salt water is constantly running out
over the prairie and is quite perceptably
increasing in flow and quality, and is
the only known we'll of the kind in the
state.
One of the most Important Features
of our state is the Public Schools, and
no county of the state takes more pride
in her schools than Barton. Over one
hundred organized districts, and
schools in our county. Graded schools
at Great Bend, and other towns of the
county. The Central Normal College
is located at Great Bend. This insti-
tuition is but little past two years old ,
and is already taking rank among the
best institutions of learning of our
country; it has at this time over 200
students in attendance, and is daily
increasing. a large and commodious
brick building of twenty four rooms,
pleasantly located, with boarding
houses, rooms and conveniences for
students surrounding it, makes it
pleasant, healthy, and in every way
deserving the patronage it has now.
and in future will receive. Churches
of the various denominations are well
established, and attended. The
different business and professional
interests are we'll repre- scented. -Four
large FIGURING Mills, wb ose capacity il
1000 barrels per day; M achine Shops;
Water Works, Street Rail Way, and
other good improvements usual to cities
of Kansas. The inhab itants of the
county are generally Native Americans
and Germans.
Barton county stands at the front in
crops of all kinds, ut for want Of space
can only give of Wheat, Corn and Rye
In 1884. wheat sown s4,5l8 acres;
yield 2.ll2. $50 bus hels, being 3rd in the
state in bushels, and 1st in yield pei
acre.
In lss6,-41, ,127 cres; yield 74O, ,2st
bushels, being 1st. in the state by
1877 .086 bushels.
In 1888, ,57s acr, IS; yield 2, 1886, so
bushels. being End in the STATE
in bushels and 1st in yield. -;
In isso Ne haye nut ~ thzh 10. .dot