Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1893-03-11
The Geographical Names of Trego
County-Their Origin and
Significance.

AdHSdc yOu Oil AuOH Cd1O0J
waters" From Smoky Waters to Smoky
Hill is an easy transition, but who named
it and when I do not know; doubtless
about the time of the Louisiana cessior
to the United States. Close following
upon this came the establishment OF
frontier posts pushing further and fur.
ther into the desert, and along this route,
{the Smoky Hill came Fremont, and the
pioneers of 40 making their way to Pixies
Peak and California. Naturally they fol-
lowed the streams leading further to the
westward and skirting the banks of the
river gave names to the principal tribu-
faries that fall into it and also to promi-
nent land marks such as Cedar Bluffs and
Castle Rock. Stopping places became
stage stations and military posts. Thus
the route Of travel along the Smoky Hill
was known as the Kansas City and Den
yer trail, or later by some as the Holiday,
by others as the Butterfeld trail from
the men who established the stage route
and pony express. Here passed the Nor
mons on the famous Higira from Nau-
VOC, and doubtless after them those who
fell at Mountain Meadow.
About 1863, Fort Downer, named from
captain in the q. s. A. was established,
giving the name to the stream. Here in
1866 occurred the Fort Downer massacre
in which all but one man were killed.
Here Custer was encamped, and from
this point and Fort Hays, made several
raids upon wary red skins. He gives &C
counts of several fights, some Of which I
think, must have taken place within the
limits Of Trego.
There is place on Big creek, six miles
southeast of Wa-Keeney, where battle
was fought, q read his book SO long
since 1 cannot be positive) which I think
is identical with one where eight scouts,
from Hays or Denver, were surrounded
and after two or three days resistance
all killed.
One other event in his book is worth
mentioning while encamped on the Dow
ner. A water spout or cloud burst came
up in the night, raising the creek II feet
in the space of half an hour, washing
away baggage, tents, etc. Custer himself
lost many valuable papers. The creek
formed as it were an island around them.
although they were forced to stand in the
water. No other similar circumstance is
mentioned even by the oldest settlers,
but Custer seemed to think it characteris-
tic of the rainfall of the plains (proof of
climatic changes). A military history is
the only one where the real facts of the
earliest names could be obtained.
White Rock, fort or station, was some
ten miles east of Downer on what is now
known as Dry creek, and named from the
stone of which it was built. These long
ago were worked up by settlers into
houses and corrals.
Am not aware that any other station
was within the limits of Trego, but think
there must have been another near Ban
ner.
In 81 and '68 the county was surveyed,
and as at this time the Union Pacific was
building, an earthwork was thrown up by
Captain King, q. S. A., some three miles
east of Wa-Keeney, called by some Fort
Parks and by others Fort Ogallah, who
say that Fort Parks was six miles west.
March 3, 1868, the act of the legislature
defining Trego county was approved by
Governor Crawford. I do not know to
whom the honor of suggesting the name
belongs, but it is known to be after Cap
tain Trego, United States volunteer who
was killed in the service.
A siding was laid east of the present
site of Ogallah, and known as Ogallah
siding; Trego near the tank and Coyote
at the terminus is now Collyer.
Ogallah, according to some accounts,
was named in this way: When the Union
Pacific surveyors came up the divide
looking westward as far as the eye can
reach at one unbroken plain one exclaim-
ed with some vehemence go golleyp' by
which appellation the next siding was
called, and that the officials softened it
into Ogallah. II is really named from
the fort or old Ogallah, and that from a
tribe of Indians known as Ogallah Sioux.
Collyer was named by Chicago colo
ny in honor of the Rev. Robert Collyer of
New York, and who still supplies the G.
A. R. post of that place with literature.
If We listen to the different eastern
versions of Wa-Keeney, one has it that of
q beautiful Indian princess, who vies
with Pocahontas for place in American
history; another that of a brave who was
seeking tentswhere the fire. water OF a
pale-face was dispensed-and which bore
over the entrance this descriptive legend
"Walk In," pronounced by the Indian
(the only English words he knew "Wslk-
in-ah," which seemed suggestive of a
name. In 1879, an enterprlsing firm
from Chicago, Warren & Keeney, laid off
the town, building the first substantial
houses in it. In the naming of the place
there is something that hFinps To me a