For the next few weeks, the Independent will explore the series of history stories written by C. Frost Liggett, the first newspaper man in the county when it was just beginning in the 1880s. Liggett began to write his memories of the original people who came to this area some fifty years later. He then published those stories in the Kiowa County Press in the years 1939 through 1943.
The Kiowa County Historical Society in collaboration with the Eads School District joined with 32 other Colorado institutions who received grants in May of 2000 for participation in an innovative collaboration called the Colorado Digitization Project (CDP). The CDP created a “virtual collection” of Colorado’s historic and cultural collections to make them universally accessible via a sing Internet portal.
The grant from the CDP was used to digitize the writings of local newspaper editor and prominent political figure, C. Frost Liggett. The writings, which were published in the Kiowa County Press from Liggett’s reminiscence of the original people, places and incidents of Kiowa County and surrounding areas. The project will also digitize photographs and documents which correspond with Liggett’s writings.
Pioneers
By C. Frost Liggett, Kiowa County Press
NOTE FROM Editor James LaVelle in 1939: Twenty-two years ago to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Kiowa County Press, we were favored by an interesting article written by the late C. Frost Liggett, Kiowa County Pioneer and founder of the Press. Since that time a generation of people has grown up and will probably find the information timely and interesting. Therefore, we return our issue of April 9, 1937, for Mr. Liggett’s story:
I have your letter under date of March 26th, reminding me of the Fiftieth Anniversary of THE KIOWA COUNTY PRESS. It scarcely seems to me so long ago; yet, slightly antedating the birth or creation, of Kiowa County, which resulted from the split-up of old Bent County, by what was known as the Robber Seventh session of the Colorado State Legislature, Bent County having formerly been a part of the old territorial, or original, County of Greenwood.
Now, reflecting on the evolution and events we find a long history has been made for Kiowa County during this last half century.
Along with the early settlement of the county, came the Pueblo and State Line Railroad built by the Denver and Memphis, or really the Fitzgerald and Mallory Construction Company, and absorbed by the Missouri Pacific, since which time it has been known as the latter road.
But prior to the advent of the Missouri Pacific, surveys were made for other contemplated lines, involving territory now known as Kiowa County.
The Santa Fe entered the county (then Bent) in 1873. There was a memorable race after this by the Santa Fe, and the Kansas Pacific, to reach East Las Animas, to get the cattle shipments, of large and numberless droves of Texas and southern points to this point for shipment east. A branch was started from Kit Carson, the line running south, just east of where the townsite of Eads now is, and a town was started called Whitney. The Santa Fe beat the Kansas Pacific, and the latter road was subsequently removed. Evidence of the old railroad may still be seen at certain points. The town of Whitney was located about halfway between Eads and the old George Eder homestead.
Away back in thos hectic days another railroad was surveyed through the western part of the county, which ran south of the now Missouri Pacific, and almost parallel with it. There was projected a townsite just southeast of where Galatea now is, but we have forgotten the name. Nothing worthwhile ever came of these projects, however.
The original towns of Kiowa County, aside from those projected along the other two surveys, were made by the Pueblo and State Line Townsite Company, and from Towner. Then came Stuart or Stewart, I think that Stuart (the two were adjacent) was organized on a government townsite, the only one in the county, so incorporated under local court jurisdiction. But I do not think the scheme proved successful and was finally given up.
Now we come to Sheridan Lake, an independently laid out town site, in which the railway projects organizations did not figure. So, when the railroad was put through they refused to make a stop station at Sheridan Lake. And it was a long time and only after the town had built its own depot and turned it over to the railway townsite company, that station stops and a telegraph operator was installed. Arden, two and a half miles west of Sheridan Lake was for a long time made a regular stop. Thus, the station’s potential town locations were approximately seven miles apart.
Starting from A for Arden, west we find, B for Brandon; C for Chivington; D for Dayton; E for Eads; F for Fergus; G for Galatea; H for Haswell; I for Inman; J for Joliet (formerly called Arlington Springs), now Arlington, having been moved from about a mile further up the hill to the railroad; K for Kilburn; L for Lolita: M for Meredith; N for Numa; O for Olney; P for Pultney. West of this came the Nepesta Crossing of the Santa Fe line as many be seen today, and thence paralleling that road from Boone into Pueblo.
The first newspaper, in what was to be carved out of this old Bent County, into Kiowa, was published at Sheridan Lake, with Newman H. Mix managing editor. The printing material, job press and type, was supplied by the writer, and delivered by wagon to this new town site, before the railroad went through. Then followed the Chivington Chief, with Alson W. Brown as editor for a while, but the writer soon took over the outfit. Later he moved the paper to Sheridan Lake as the Sheridan Lake Press, Sheridan Lake having become County seat of the newly made county. Subsequently along with the moving of the county seat to Eads, the paper followed, and became the Kiowa County Press, remaining for several years under the ownership and management of the writer. But finally, so many duties and requirements were made upon the writer that he found it necessary to join others to share the work and responsibilities unfolding greater accomplishments desired for the field of action.
Other newspaper creations that sprang up, ambitious to serve town booms or obtain Federal Land Office patronage, were scattered throughout the county. Among these, most of which were of rather a portable character employed an Army press and scarcely a shirt tail full of type, sought to guide the social and political destinies of the people which they were prone to serve. We recall the Eads Bandana, by J.C. Blevins; the Arlington Review, by O.L. Reed; The Galatea Courier, by Raymond Miller and Walter K. Dudley; The Arlington Blizzard, by the Boyd sisters. The Sheridan Lake Leader, The Sheridan Lake News, The Stewart Chronicle, and there were other points that boasted newspapers, that we do not just now recall. Among these editorial prodigies, we do remember, J.S. Booher, H.A. Long, Margaret Hutchcraft, Judge Randolph, Louie Wilson, Mr. J. L. Pyles. J. C. Miller among the later ones, and few others. Of the above, Alson W. Brown and Louie Wilson were accomplished artisans in the printing trade. Those mentioned were splendid people, and really sought to help and better the conditions and the communities in which they were located. Some others carried unfortunate biases and prejudices that did not always maintain the peaceful and quiet attitude intended to promote the best interests of society. However, public schools were created and maintained, and there was much cooperation and neighborliness in the jetsam and flotsam of these early day drifters.
Our knowledge of this territory, now Kiowa County, began in 1885. The territory had but few settlers at that time. The last buffalo, that we have knowledge of, in the territory being discussed was killed by Mr. Youngblood, a hunter with headquarters, at the time at Coolidge, Kansas. The animal was taken near the Rush Creek-Big Sandy junction, south of the town of Chivington, on what was later the Marion Fiscus tree claim. At that time there was no Chivington town site. But there was still evidence of a sort of stone stockade on the bluff near where the buffalo was killed, while the scene of the Chivington battle ground was some 12 miles farther north.
Of the large cattle ranches, at that time, the SS was perhaps the largest and most important operating in this section. The headquarters was located at Holley’s, where the town of Holly now is. A few miles east of Holleys, at the Kansas-Colorado state line, just north of the Arkansas River, was Trail City. Still a wild and woolly frontier town on the cattle trail from the Texas Panhandle and southern points to the north Wyoming and Dakota ranges. The town was just across the line in Codlorado, and out of Kansas jurisdiction; making it rather a tough place, of gambling joints, saloons, dance houses and the like; a tough cow town.
The SS ranch fence started here at Trail City, running in a northerly direction on the east side of Horse Creek, and bearing a little westward, striking and crossing Big Sandy Creek a few miles south of Chivington battlegrounds, where it turned westward several miles thence running south striking the Arkansas River just east of where Lamar is now located and thence east down the river to place of beginning. This was an English syndicate, and Bob Tillett was the manager. It took a horseman two days to ride around the pasture fence.
By Executive order of President Grover Cleveland, all these fences were ordered down, and to be removed from Government lands, or those that enclosed Government lands. Enforcement of the order began in 1886. There were a few lesser pastures of this character, likewise affected. Then the locating of the U.S. Land Office with the platting and building of Lamar, started a rush across the Kansas state line into Colorado. The boom had been going on in Kansas, right up to the Colorado line, but people had a holy terror of crossing into Colorado, because of the social and peace conditions, or rather because of the absence of these, mentioned above. There had also been considerable lawlessness against the new settlers, whom the stockmen called rustlers, and perhaps with some justification.
But the start had been made, and the rush for free preemption and homesteads in eastern Colorado caused a boom, and the shacks, dug out and sod houses were begun.
Westward the Star of Empire Took its Flight – This is a phrase full of dreams and realities. Hopes and heartaches. Prophecies, failures, achievements. Some were adventurers, some real pioneers. Quick beating hearts, in the earlier days of those who blazed the way into these wide-open spaces, winning their way under ever renewed efforts and aspirations; for the western settler’s life was like that.
From that time to the present covers a great space. There could be written volumes of interesting history, varied and startling comedy and tragedy, cowardice and heroism. Life and death.
Yes, it is a long and interesting story since life began, even for the Kiowa County Press. The human interest, the half century of changing environments, what has come, existed, and gone. Much has happened; much has been done.
More than 50 years ago, we became a part of what is now Kiowa County. We are still a part of the community. It is with emotional regret that we try to recall a single individual, now living, who a resident or citizen of the county territory at that time.
Perhaps, some time we may undertake to tell you about these.
