Free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1888-1908, 1900-04-07
FIT. Hays Reservation
An Agricu1tu tural and
a Norma college

q W. iuC ~ L = =
The Bill was promptly signed
by the President and is new in the
hands of the Governor and ready
for his action as ne said last week,
1t n0w 6eZon0s 10 Kansas, If
Our 60Ue9zaor and Legislature
e0GGat 1t, and Accept 1T
He will soon issue procla
nation taking charge Of the same
as is required by the Joint ResoIu-
which Representative John SchlYer
got thro' the Legislature:
-"Resolved by the Senate and
House Of Representatives, That Ii
case tba Ft Hays military rnserva-
ton is turned over to the State of
Kansas ny the Government of the
United .,tates, that the Governor
IS hereby instructed and empower
ed to rake snch steps as in his
judgment may be deemed necessa
ry to C re for and protect the tim :
Der an buildings on said reser-
vatlon."
When the State takes charge
Mayor Haffameier will be notified.
he will call a public meeting to Sc
lect uew committee to- push on
the wor and talk over the situa
ton Note that the law requires
BOTH an Experimental station OF
the Agricultural college AND II
Western Branch OF the state Nor
NAL school to be located there to
secure that handsome tract of land
for the state
Stock ton wanted oDe two years
ago but now falls 10 line tor the
coming famous one or the Reser
vation and their Record" says:
The reservation is a beautiful
body OF fine wheat land. consisting
of II square miles or more than
1000 acres. There are many build
ings at tae old fort, but are dillapi
dated ard falling down The state
could lease 5000 acres of wheat
land ano still have lar4e BODY of
timber ior Il park ard plenty of
ground ior school buildings 1t Is
sure to settle the normal school
question at this winters session of
the Legislature
LaCrosse came near getting a
Normal school two years ago.
Now heir 'Chi9ftaln' gives our
Reservation this nice notice.
Of the 1902 students who attend
ed the State Normal school at EN-
poria last year. but 81 were from
the ives ern half of the state. This
shows ow poorly the needs of this
section have been supplied by an
institution located within 1875 miles
of the eastern border OF the state.
When the new branch of the state
Normal is established and in oper-
alton at Hays, the opportunities
then and there afforded will induce
a good attendance of those who
are now deprived of the edncatisu
al advantages to which they are
entitled, and from which they are
excluded bv existing conditions.
In tb4 K c Star they tell of our
wild ca " DAYS and give these
thrilling stories;
The people of Western Kansas
are exceedingly pleased with the
bill which has. after long waiting,
passed congress. giving the Fort
HAYS l. Nds to the state for west
ern branches Of the state normal
school and agricultural college.
Yet the old timers regret tho
passing Of So historic a landmark
as the Old Fort Hays which was
Ii the early davs one of the we'll
known army depots IN the nation
The row of officers quarters on
the reservation. just south of town.
has long been deserted and the
sheds, warehouses and stables have
furnished shelter to the coyote and
wild birds of the plains. The ne
cessltY nt statiOning soldiers in
Western Kansas has long passed,
yet it was only fsw wears sgo 10
the memory "f the old settlers
when this was a staunch defender
of the rontiel and the center of
manv thrilling advenCures IN which
were interested the entire trans
mississippi coGntrv 1t has had a
romantic history in which have
been n ngled much of the cattl.-
trade tawlessness, owing to its
proximity to HAYS, once the north
ern enc of the Texas cattle trail
1t was also an important facior in
makinS possible the opening OF
the Union Pacific, or the Kansas
Pacific rs 1T was then called
Fort Hays was originally Fort
Fletcher. aud about 1864 was ioc
ated on Big creek. fifteen miles
from its present location. It was
well garrisoned and the troops did
good work soaring submissivness
into rOvlng bands of Indians. until
a big Storm came up one dav and
sweilee the stream as only prairle