Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1907-03-05
ABILENE. KANSAS

/
1t will be of little consequence to Tim
-Hersey, the founder of this town, to
know that the City Council has sent to
his family deed for cemetery lot, to:
gether with the information that 1t will
be kept tidy at the city's expense, for
Tim died up Washington State recently.
Tim was the Vests most persistent
town builder. He founded thirty cities
and towns, but named none after him.
self, and finally died thousand miles
away from any of them.
| This was one of his creations. He
came across the plains in 1867 and built
a log cabin on the banks of Mud Creek,
where now stands 5000 mansion.
He was the first white man on the town
site, and buffalo used to feed between
him and civilization by the thousand.
His log cabin was the stopping place
for those who crossed the plains In the
early days. Bayard Taylor spent two
days there when on his western tour.
Horace Greeley was guest, and Gen.
Grant and Gen. Sheridan more than
once while inspecting the frontier forts
made this their headquarters.
Tim Hersey was known throughout
the western frontier. But others came
and town was started.
"Too thick for me-" said Jersey one
day, and with his family-all that was
left of 1t, for three little girls had died
here-he went up to the mouth of the
Solomon.
He founded the town OF Solomon; then
further up came Cawker City, Beloit,
Downs and q score of similar places,
now thriving communities. His wife
named Solomon and Abilene-both out
Of the Bible. The other towns named
themselves.
And then one day queer thing hap.
pened, one of those things that would
not be possible save In new country.
Hersey went back to Illinois to visit
his old home, and there purchased three
marble tombstones, each with proper
lettering and little verso of commemo-
ration to decorate the graves Of the three
children who died during Hersey's resi-
deuce in this city.
He shipped them here, and later came
himself, intending to put the stones in
place.
But much had happened since he left.
The wild and woolly cowboy days had
passed away. The cattle trail orgies
we're ended and the better civilization of
the new era had begun.
The cemetery that was once q wind.
blown grass covered hill had been laid
out in streets and lots and the drive
ways graded. Hersey could not find the
graves of his children. He tramped
over the hill day after day, always in
vain.
Sadly he went on west, and for TWEEN
ty years little was heard of him.
Then, last fall he wrote to the mayor
this request. He wanted the three mar.
BILE headstones that had been left here
but never properly placed. He asked to
have them forwarded to him, at least
the portions containing the lettering.
The town was stirred by the incident
and by its sympathy with the city's
founder, then an old man. After much
search two of the stones were found,
one of them being used as a doorstep.
The other was lost.
Something else was found; the graves.
A pioneer remembered that an old-time
sexton had told him when here on
visit that over the hill In little hollow
were some graves of children. A search
was made, and beneath the mat OF blue
stem prairie grass was found natural
stone marker on which could be de-
ciphered with difficulty the letters, rs.
H." One Of the children was named
Sarah,
So the city officials notified Hersey
and ordered the lot cleared and put in
shape for him. A deed was made out
and sent to the towns founder-but q
few days ago came the news that he had
passed away suddenly.
Whether or not he knew what the
town had done for him is not known.
It Is probable that there will be further
action to honor his memory, for he did
much to give the city prominence in
the days when 1t was struggling for
existence.
Il was one OF Hersey's peculiarities
that he sought to keep ahead Of civili-
cation. Had he remained in any of the
towns he founded he might have been
wealthy, for every one Of them has
made prosperous community and
those who came after him have cleaned |!
up fortunes.
The railroad was always just behind,
and when 1t caught him he moved on,
going up through the northwest part of
this state into Colorado and thence to
Wyoming. he sought the wild north
west, and there ended his remarkable
and checkered life.
he was the most restless OF ell the
Kansas town builders and In the end
reaped less than any. Unless this city,
the first In his efforts in founding towns
In this state, erects . monument 10 bis
Il 10 unlikely that he will have
even Maidstone.