Long Time Gone

Ty Lin Williams

1978 CHEYENNE WELLS GIRLS TEAM - STATE RUNNER-UP: (Top Row, l to r) Robin Howland, Mgr., Kelly Ackerman, Lisa Harvie, Bari Rae Pedersen, Barbara Simon, Louise Simon, Cami Benge, Delta Walter, Laura Krentz and Coach Tom Falls. (Middle Row l to r) Micelle Halde, Jeannie Smith, Melanie Hapes, Kelly Gerweck, Tami Roth, Shannon Weed, Myra Sparks, Mgr.

While on the train, Beverly must have imagined trees and mountains. She was headed toward the lush vegetation and clean air of Colorado with its mountain run-off lakes, rolling hills, and high peaks scratching at the sky.

The first time a visitor happens to come to the small town of Eads in the sprawling, southeastern county of Kiowa, it’s easy to imagine what life was like a hundred years ago. Granted, there may be a storefront shuttered here and there or a building or two in significant need of repair, but it doesn’t require an abundance of imagination to picture the town in earlier years.

It was known as Tracy’s Place.  That little yellow building located just west of Eads on the highway where a hidden, and sometimes tricky, left turn would lead hundreds of people-- through the years--- to a great good place, our own Third Place.

The pandemic caused many aspects of our lives to drastically change.  The mask mandates, the social distancing, the closing of churches and businesses and schools was enough to make us crazy with fear and, in many cases, frustration.  But for Rob Morlan who lives northwest of Eads, the pandemic was a time of getting back in touch with a long-lost skill that he remembered from his childhood.  It was a time to share that skill with others.  And surprisingly enough, it was a time when Rob learned there were a lot of people ---- a whole lot of people--- out there just as worried, just as bored and just as interested in preserving what we have. 

One hundred and fifty one years ago, as the Civil War came to an end, an informal practice began in the late spring where women honored those who had given their lives in service to their country by placing flowers on their graves.  Three years later, in May of 1868, General John A. Logan officially named May 30 as the day to commemorate the 620,000 soldiers who had died in the Civil War.

Baseball.  The all American sport. The national pastime that, along with apple pie, has come to define part of our country’s identity and has permeated our language in ways we don’t even notice anymore.

Appearances can be deceiving in these High Plains of Colorado.  A small gathering of snow clouds on the horizon can, within just a few hours, become a blizzard killing hundreds of cattle.  The quiet, unassuming man in worn jeans and resoled boots may be, in fact, the largest landowner in three counties.  A tiny, quiet, humble woman may actually be someone who lived a life full of determination, independence and a self-sufficiency that was against all odds and expectations, at the time.  And, in an even greater surprise, that tiny woman with skin that bears barely a trace of wrinkles and eyes that are clear and bright may also be just a few days away from turning 100 years old.

A great man once said, “Forces of nature act in a mysterious manner. We can solve the mystery by deducing the unknown result from the known result of similar events.

In 1854, Stephen Foster – considered the father of American music – wrote a song titled “Hard Times Come Again No More”.  In its day, the song was extremely popular in both the United States and Europe, and its message was simple. Those who are fortunate and blessed with abundance in life should be mindful of what life is like for those whose day to day existence is filled with fear, worry and the burden of constant struggles.

Throughout the past four years, there have been numerous references made to the division in the United States being greater than at any time in history since the Civil War.  I have made those references myself, choosing the words to emphasize how deep the division between Americans was growing.  The purpose, at least from my standpoint, was not to be dramatic or inflammatory; rather, the comparison was used to provide a context reminding us just how devastating the effects can be of a nation that turns against itself resulting in the loss of lives of fellow citizens and a threat to the ability of our precious democracy continuing in a functional manner. 

NOTE: The following article was first published in the Independent at the beginning of 2020.  However, recently some of our readers came across the referenced photo in this article and a discussion ensued on social media.  The Independent is very happy to reprint this story about a surprisingly interesting event that occurred in Kiowa County more than 100 years ago.  –For Rob who first asked the question.

Kiowa County School District RE-1 is pleased to announce the completion of the rehabilitation of the “Old Gym,” a significant structure on the campus of Eads schools.  Thanks to grants from the Colorado State Historical Fund (SHF) and Department of Local Affairs (DoLA), which made the rehabilitation of this local icon possible, students and community members will continue to utilize the gym for many years into the future.

Sometimes getting together this blog of my Mother and Dad’s life stories, deciding in what order is a dilemma. Which came first the chicken or the egg, or in this case the rodeo or the wool?