The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1921-12-15
ONCE Widest FRONTIER TOWN
GREATLY CHANGED

fund for the erection of buildings for
the Catholic college at Hays, Kas., by
the Capuchin Fathers, recalls to the
few early settlers who remain, remin-
iscences of what was once the IN
tanned Great American Desert, that
contrast strikingly with the present.
cit used to be one of the toughest
rendezvous of the unspeakably rough
Kansas frontier-it is today a beauti-
full, sunny landscape of peace and
good will" DR.. J. D. Walters, profess
sor emeritus in the Kansas State
Agricultural college, who has been
associated with the educational devel-
opment of the state for fifty years,
said in describing the Hays of the
early days. Professor Walters is
author of the ''History of the Kansas
State Agricultural College" He
draws a contrasting picture from the
Hays of today when he portrays the
Hays of half a century ago.
"a visit to the city recalls to the
old Kansan much that happened there
in the days of Wild Bill and Wyoming
Pete" he said. "Fort Hays was a
general Quitting point for the Indian
campaigns that vexed Western Kan
sas from 1867 to 1878. At different
times it was commanded by army Of
fcers of more than national fame.
Sheridan, Hancock, Custer, Smith,
= 0+L 81
lesser note were stationed here, and
among the great scouts and noted
characters of the plains there is
scarcely one who at some time was
not a sojourner at the post or town.
1t was from here that General Custer
started his campaign after Black Ket-
tie, and from here that General For
sythe gathered the most of his in
trepid volunteers who fought the bat
tie of the Arickaree-that most re-
markable engagement recorded in the
annals of Indion war.
Civilizations jumping OFF Place"
'The flag was first thrown to the
breeze at Fort Hays, July 4, 1867.
But interesting as the history of old
Fort Hays may be, far more interest
ing is the history of the town which
sprang up across the creek. Origin
allv the town was known as Rome, or
at least when Hays was started there
was a little settlement known by. that
name near by, and it gave way to the
new railroad town which took the
name Of the fort. Rome was pioneer
ed by w. F. Cody, better known as.
Buffalo Bill, and Buffalo Bill got his
name at Hays or Whereabouts, because
of his skill and industry in hunting
the bison. In 1868, Bill took from
Hill P. Wilson, then post trader at the
fort, and later assistant secretary Of
state, a contract for supplying the
soldiers with buffalo meat in lieu of
beef, and he was familiar figure
about the post and town for a long
time
Naturally, the town of Hays, be-
ing the jumping off place for civiliza-
ton, became the rendezvous for many
to congregate on the frontier. Wild
Bill civilian Hickok) whom 1 knew
personally for several years, was
elected sheriff of the county in 1868,
but he did not serve out his term. He
was chased out of the country by
Lieut. Tom Custer, brother of the
general, and a company of the 9TH
cavalry. Custer had ridden his horse
into a billiard room one night, and
then killed the horse because he would
not jump on billiard table. For this
Bill arrested him and had him fined,
and few days later something like
a dozen of Clusters troopers jumped
on Bill in revenge. They cut him up
some, but he killed two of them and
wounded a couple of others, and they
fled. That night, however, a whole
company with their carbines and side
arms came to town in search of Bill,
and he rode away in the darkness with
the philosophical remark that he
couldn't lick the whole 7th cavalry.
Many Violent Deaths
Besides the two soldiers who were
buried at the fort, Bill added four
graves to the town cemetery which to
this day is known as Boot Hill There
were seventy-nine graves in this plot.
and every one was occupied by a man
who came to his death through VOL
ence, with the single exception of one.
filled by a negress known as Mrs.
Kidd Mrs. Kidd froze to death one
night, an she was the only one in that
grim burial plot whose form had not