The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1922-07-20
Churches are One of the Most ImpC
ant Of These Forces
Social Welfare Associations Should Work Hand
in Hand With Peace Officers
On Account of the Moral Influence of the Chur-
ches Hays is a Desirable Place in Which
to Live.
(By R. Kenneth Evans)

The most important of these forces,
designed especially for the governing
organization of every community so
far as the social welfare and moral
status is concerned, are the church
organizations. In Hays these organ
izations have been an important
factor in the development of the city
to its present enviable position it
maintains both in the social and
commercial world. To begin with as
a direct reuslt of these forces,
coupled with the fact that the aver
age citizen of Hays and Ellis county,
lives right because he believes in
right living, and not because the law
stipulates that he shall live right, is
that there are no slums or slum dis
tricts to serve as a blot on the face Of
this beautiful little city.
The churches and social welfare
organizations, work hand in hand
with the peace officers of the city and
county with the result that those
whose moral status has been so
lowered and their conscience so
seered that the hand of the law is
necessary to eliminate their influence.
Hence lawlessness in Hays is con-
spicuous by its absence, due to the
diligence of both the church organ
izations and the peace officers.
That Hays is a desirable place in
which to live is due in great measure
to those sturdy pioneers, who forsak-
ing birthplace and family ties, came
to the great west to build an inland
empire; WING laid the foundation and
laid it so well for future progressive
and home city and whose faith never
wavered in the city's ultimate destiny.
Hays stands as monument to their
! endeavors. The redman battled with
all his primitive cunning against the
encroachment of those sturdy empire
builders and his hand has but now
given way that the hand of the white
man might lealize the vast resources
of nature with his more advanced
methods of commercialism.
The churches Of the city have been
important factors in the bringing
about of the pleasant conditions, in
that through their congregation a
concerted effort has been made to
raise the moral standard of the coun-
| try and which has been marked with
success. Like all new and growing
western towns Hays has passed
through the period of lax law en-
forcement. But keeping abreast of
the times it is today a model educa-
tional center with librares, reading
rooms, social welfare work by auxil-
| iary church organizations and the
school bodies providing good clean
wholesale amusement for the young
and old alike.
There are six church organizations
in Hays, and number among their
membership a large per cent of the
/ city's population and it is estimated
that at least htree-fourths of the
residents profess and practice some
form of religion.
SC. Joseph s Ohurch
The st. Joseph's church with a
membership of $500 was organized
in Hays, May II, 1878, and was the
first church to be established in the
then pioneer city of the Western
Plains. The first building used as a
house of worship was constructed
that year. The growth of the con-
/ gregation, with the development of
Western Kansas, demanded a larger
house OF worship and in 1886 the
! second church was built
The present house of worship was
constructed in 1902 at an APPROX
innate cost of $4O,OO0.OO and is COM
posed of native stone. It is one of
the largest churches in Western Kan
sas and totals a large membership
among the residents OF Ellis county.
The enrolment in the Sunday
School is 700 and the auxiliary organ
izations consist OF the Young Mems