Frontier History

3. Boot Hill Cemetery
18th & Fort
Hays, KS 67601
Hours: Sunrise to sunset
Admission: Free

When Hays City was founded in the fall of 1867, a hill that was approximately ½ mile north of town served as the location for the first burials. It became known as the Boot Hill cemetery and estimates on the number of people buried there vary from 37 to 100. The most reliable evidence shows there were approximately 79 graves. Even though the early days of Hays City were wild and dangerous, the first few deaths were actually from natural or accidental causes. The first recorded death on November 5, 1867, was due to an accident where a teamster was kicked in the head by a mule, followed by a fever and an unknown fatal ailment. In the next several years, many of the interments on Boot Hill were due to violence such as shootouts, mob hostility, alcoholism, suicides and racial strife. The last recorded burial on Boot Hill was on November 9, 1874. 

As Hays City grew further to the north and homes were built in the area and near the site of the cemetery, many of the gravesites and bodies were relocated to Mount Allen Cemetery, which was further to the north of Boot Hill. Records however were incomplete and therefore the whereabouts of all the gravesites were lost in history. 

Visitors to this site, which is located on the northeast corner of Fort and 18th Street, can see a marker called "The Homesteader" a statue by local artist Pete Felten. The statue commemorates the first cemetery of Hays City. The Boot Hill Cemetery in Hays, the oldest west of the Mississippi, was so named because many of the inhabitants "died with their boots on". By 1872, when the town of Dodge City, KS was founded, the Hays City Boot Hill was already well populated with 36 grave sites. Therefore the original Boot Hill was located in Hays, not Dodge City as many people believe.
 

4. Buffalo Herd
Frontier Park West – Highway 183 Alt
Hays, KS 67601
Hours: Sunrise to sunset
Admission: Free
Parks Department Bison Pens Link

Located on US-183 Alternate, four miles south of I-70 and directly across from Historic Fort Hays is a small buffalo herd. The Frontier Park buffalo herd was begun in 1953 with a bull named "Wild Bill" and a cow named Calamity Jane. The herd has grown to include the main bull, Max, and a harem of cows.

This area was the home to the largest herd of buffalo in North America, estimated at one time to be in the millions. The importance of the buffalo to the Native Americans of the area should not be overlooked. The Indians depended upon the buffalo for food, shelter, clothing and tools. They fought hard when millions of the animals were slaughtered as a result of the intrusion of the railroad and the white settlers. 

The Hays Parks Department maintains the buffalo herd. Although the animals appear domesticated, it should be remembered they are still wild animals and quite capable of moving very quickly and causing harm to anyone in the pen area.
 

Catharine Model Buildings Display
Special Collections/University Archives
Forsyth Library
Fort Hays State University
600 Park Street
Hays, KS 67601
785-628-5901

Hours: Monday - Friday 8:00 am-4:30 pm
Closed Saturday-Sunday

Summer hours: Monday – Thursday 7:00 am–5:30 pm Closed Friday-Sunday

Admission: Free
Website

The Special Collections Room in Forsyth Library is home to the Catharine Model Buildings Display, which consists of twenty-five buildings, plus some outbuildings such as a barn, a storm cellar and silos. The buildings range in size from 22½" wide, 60" long and 42" tall (the church) to 11½" wide, 15½" long and 9½" tall (the sod house). A description and short history for each building is available for viewing.

The display includes the St. Catherine Catholic Church and Rectory, the Leseverein Library-Casino Hall, the Sisters Convent, the Schmidt General Store/Post Office, the St. Catherine's Parochial School, the 1st public school, a dugout, a sod house, a log cabin, a Volga-German house, a garage and granary, a wash house, the Alois Dorzweiler store and Joseph A. Giebler's woodworking shop. A number of houses are also included in the display. The homes of John and Catherine Schmidt, Frank Walters, Frank E. and Anna Karlin, Albert Staab and the schulmeister, Jacob Schmidt's home. There is also both the town home and the farm home of Paul and Catherine Schmidt on display as well as the boyhood home of Leo Dorzweiler; and the Dorzweiler home in Katharinenstadt, Russia. A model building of St. Andrew Episcopal Church, located north of Hays, can also be seen in the display.

The models were built by Jerome Schmidt beginning in 2001 up until 2008 when he donated them to Forsyth Library. The display accentuates the Volga-German heritage of this area, which is documented by materials located in the Center for Ethnic Studies, also located in the library.
 

7. Chestnut Street District
Downtown Hays
2700 Vine
Hays, KS 67601
785-628-8201
www.chestnutstreetdistrict.com
Hours: 8 am - midnight
Admission: Free - sightseeing, shopping and self guided tours

Hays City was founded in August of 1867 as the Union Pacific Railway Eastern Division worked its way west. The town was named after Fort Hays, the army's military post, which was located south of Big Creek. The United States Army established Fort Hays (founded in 1865 as Fort Fletcher, renamed Fort Hays in 1866) to provide protection for settlers and railroad workers from Indian resistance. Fort Hays was named in honor of General Alexander Hays, who was a Union general, and had been killed during the Civil War in 1864 at the Battle of the Wilderness. Because many of the first citizens of the rapidly growing town were railroad workers, desperados and other notorious characters, the early days of Hays City were wild and dangerous. The soldiers from nearby Fort Hays also created a rowdy atmosphere when they came to town because many of the first businesses in Hays City were saloons, brothels, gambling houses, dance halls or other liquor establishments. Skirmishes with some of the local "rough" citizens and the soldiers only added to the reputation as a lawless and tough "end of the tracks" town.

During several months in 1869 James Butler Hickok served as the acting sheriff after several incidents prompted the citizens to form a vigilante committee. "Wild Bill" Hickok, as he became known, apparently was not elected, but served at the will of the vigilante committee. The vigilante period from July of 1868 to December of 1869 was marked by 15 homicides. The lawlessness, bloodshed and feuds that occurred during the time when General George A. Custer and his wife were encamped near Fort Hays prompted Elizabeth Custer to comment, "There was enough desperate history in that little town in one summer to make a whole library of dime novels". Between August of 1867 and 1873 there were over 30 murders in and around Hays City. The reputation as one of the most violent towns on the Kansas frontier quickly spread.

The road in downtown Hays City that is now known as Main Street was originally called Chestnut Street in the late 1800's and early 1900's. The word "City" was officially dropped from the name Hays City in 1885 and by 1930, the streets were renamed at the request of the postal service for a more orderly naming scheme. Chestnut Street was renamed "Main Street". The historic markers, buildings and streets in the Chestnut Street District provide visitors the opportunity to step back in time and relive the history of downtown Hays.  

Today the Chestnut Street District is a great place to meet with friends, dine, shop and enjoy entertainment opportunities. Downtown Hays is undergoing a process of restoration driven by the desire to preserve the history and community pride while creating the excitement of the old fashioned main street. Click here for map.
 

* Cheyenne Indian Raid Gravesite
3rd Street & Hwy 40
Victoria, KS 67671
Hours: Sunrise to sunset
Admission: Free

This is the gravesite of six railroad workers killed by Cheyenne Indians on August 1, 1867. The workers had detached themselves from the main work camp and were unarmed when surprised by Indians. Historians disagree on the exact location where the attacks occurred outside of Victoria, but a little known fact is that there were actually 7 workers attacked and killed on that day. One worker survived long enough to make his way to Fort Hays, but later died of his wounds and was buried at the Fort. The known graves at the fort have since been relocated. The other six workers were buried at this gravesite just outside of Victoria. A ceremony was held on June 5, 2003 to replace a headstone that had turned up missing from this Union Pacific Cemetery. A mysterious headstone had somehow ended up in Ellsworth County, and with the research done by several local historians, they were able to determine the origination of the headstone and bring the marker back to it's resting place in the Union Pacific Cemetery at Victoria.    
 

34. Christmas Past at Historic Fort Hays
1472 Hwy 183 Alt.
Hays, KS 67601
785-625-6812
Fax: 785-625-4785
Hours: Annual event held the first
weekend in December. 
Friday 7-9 pm
Saturday 7-9 pm
Admission: Free – donations accepted
http://www.kshs.org/portal_fort_hays

Imagine what it was like to be a U.S. Army soldier stationed in Western Kansas during the winter months. Christmas season provided the soldiers the opportunity to reconnect with some of the civilian activities and remember their families. See how the Fort would have been decorated for Christmas in the late 1800's. Enjoy strolling the fort grounds and seeing living history programs, luminaries and caroling. Refreshments served. 
 

15. Ellis County Historical Society Museum
100 W. 7th
Hays, KS 67601
785-628-2624

Summer Hours: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m Tuesday - Friday
Saturday 1 p.m.- 5 p.m. 
June- August, inclusive
Closed Sunday & Monday

Winter Hours
10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Tuesday - Friday
Closed Saturday, Sunday & Monday

Admission: Prices include admission to Volga German Haus & Harness Shop
$4.00 Adult
$1.00 Children ages 3 - 12 years 
Children under 3 years are FREE
Members are FREE

www.elliscountyhistoricalmuseum.org

Located at the corner of 7th and Main in downtown Hays, the Ellis County Historical Society Museum exists to preserve and showcase the county's colorful history.

Beginning with its infamous Wild West days, the permanent gallery highlights not only such well-known characters as "Wild Bill" Hickok, "Buffalo Bill" Cody, and General George Armstrong Custer, but also lesser-known but equally interesting scouts, buffalo hunters and other early inhabitants. Learn about the clash of cultures as the railroad forged through Native American hunting grounds.

Walk through Boot Hill located at 18th and Fort Street. No one knows how many poor unfortunate souls were laid to rest in the first cemetery west of the Missouri River to be named Boot Hill. Round out your trip through the Old West by learning to play Faro, a favorite card game of the day.

Journey forward in time to Ellis County's settlement era when nearly thirty different colonies struggled to tame the west. Englishman would establish a colony named after Queen Victoria and George Grant would bring the first Black Aberdeen Angus cattle to America. The largest groups to settle the county were Germans from the Volga River region of Russia and Bukovina of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. They and other groups of settlers would civilize the frontier.

The museum complex includes the 1879 native stone chapel, the Harness Shop and the Volga German Haus. The stone chapel is thought to be one of the oldest existing church buildings in western Kansas and is the oldest standing building originally erected as a church in Ellis County. The Volga German Haus reproduces an early German settler home complete with authentic furnishings. Not to be forgotten, children may enjoy the hands-on Learning Center where they can explore history through the toys and clothing of by-gone eras.

Yearly events include gallery walks, Pioneer Day in May, Midwest Deutsche Oktoberfest in September and the Annual Christmas Open House, the first weekend in December. A complete calendar of events is available on the museum website.

 

33. Historical Downtown Walking Tour
Downtown Hays 9th & 10th Streets
785-628-8202
Hours: Sunrise to sunset
Admission: Free

This self-guided tour provides information about the famous and not so famous people who walked the streets of Hays during the 1860's to 1880's. Twenty-five bronze plaques mark the route for the walking tour. Each marker tells of the historical significance of the building and individuals like James Butler Hickock, William Fredrick Cody and General George Armstrong Custer. Click here for a map.
 

34. Historic Fort Hays
1472 Hwy 183 Alt.
Hays, KS 67601
785-625-6812
Fax: 785-625-4785
Hours: 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Sunday 
10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Tuesday – Saturday
Closed Monday
Call for Winter hours.
Admission: $3 - Adults, $2 - Students, Senior citizens, and KSHS members, Free - Children 5 and under.
http://www.kshs.org/portal_fort_hays

Shortly after the Civil War, railroad builders and settlers began pushing into central and western Kansas with ever-increasing intensity, provoking resistance from the Native American inhabitants of the region. To provide protection, the federal government established military posts on both the Santa Fe Trail, a major immigrant route that passed through eastern and southern Kansas, and the Smoky Hill Trail, a stagecoach and freight road to Denver.

Fort Fletcher, later renamed Fort Hays, was established on the Smoky Hill Trail in 1865. After the fort was virtually destroyed in a flash flood in 1867, it was relocated to a site now just south of the city of Hays. Unlike the military posts of the earlier eastern frontier, plain forts seldom had stockades or fortification walls. Instead, officers' quarters, barracks, headquarters, storehouses and other buildings were grouped around a central parade ground. At Fort Hays, a stone blockhouse, hexagonal in shape with rifle slits and two wings extending north and south, was built as a defensive structure. But Indians seldom attacked large-scale military installations and the building was remodeled and used as the post headquarters and adjutant's living quarters. A stone guardhouse was built in 1872. It contained a room for the officer of the guard, a guardroom, prison room and three solitary cells. Except for a small stone bakery, all other buildings were of frame construction.

Garrison strength at Fort Hays normally averaged three companies, or about 210 men. Fort Hays was home to the 7th U.S. Cavalry, commanded by Lt. Col. George A. Custer, the 5th U.S. Infantry, commanded by Col. Nelson Miles, and the 9th and 10th U.S. Cavalries, better known as the "Buffalo Soldiers." Marcus A. Reno, George A. Forsyth, and Philip H. Sheridan were also among the noted military figures associated with the Fort.
In 1867, Hays City was staked out a mile to the north of the fort, and with the arrival of the railroad in October, the fortunes of Hays City and Fort Hays became almost inseparable. The military post was used as a quartermaster depot that supplied other forts throughout the West and Southwest. Such an operation required a large number of civilian as well as military personnel and Hays City consequently experienced rapid development.

In those days, Hays City was a wild town, filled with saloons and dance halls. The legendary James B. "Wild Bill" Hickok served as county sheriff for a few months in 1869, but left town the next year after a brawl with some troopers from Fort Hays. Summing up her impressions of Hays City while she and her husband were encamped near Fort Hays, Elizabeth Custer said, "there was enough desperate history in that little town in one summer to make a whole library of dime novels."

Conflicts between the Native Americans and white settlers continued in the 1870's. As the white population increased, the great buffalo herds grew smaller, slaughtered by hide hunters and sportsmen and driven away as grazing lands were fenced, and the Plains Indians, deprived of their major food source, were forced to move to other areas. With less need for the post, Fort Hays was abandoned on November 8, 1889.

In 1900, Congress gave the land to the state of Kansas to be used for a college, an agricultural experiment station, and a park. The college, now Fort Hays State University, evolved from the Western Branch of the Kansas Normal School of Emporia, while the KSU Ag Research Center, part of the agricultural program of Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas, became the largest dryland Research Center in the world. The public park, officially named Frontier Historical Park, was platted to include the remaining buildings at Fort Hays. Four of the original structures, the stone blockhouse, guardhouse and two frame officers' quarters survive today. Along with a modern visitor's center, they are administered by the Kansas State Historical Society.
 

88. Mount Allen Cemetery
27th & Vine
Hays, KS 67601
Hours: Sunrise to sunset
Admission: Free

Visitors to the Mount Allen Cemetery can piece together much of the interesting history of Hays through the grave markers and headstone inscriptions. The land for the Mount Allen Cemetery was provided by Martin Allen, an early resident and businessman of Hays City. The Big Creek Land Company, with which Allen was involved, deeded a square block of land for the county courthouse and set aside a site for the cemetery. Mr. Allen's daughter, Clara, died in February of 1874 and he did not want her to be buried in the cemetery located just north of Hays City (now known as Boot Hill) where the "roughs", criminals and other desperadoes where buried. Clara Allen and many of the early residents that died in Hays City are buried in the northeast corner of the block, which is the oldest part of the cemetery. The Mount Allen Cemetery is the only cemetery in Kansas to have two old fashioned tree swings with wooden seats. See if you can find the first one hanging from the branch of a majestic Austrian Pine tree. You'll find the second swing swaying in the wind under a large shade tree near the center of the cemetery. The Ellis County Historical Society Museum has provided special narrated guided group tours through the cemetery. For more information about Mount Allen Cemetery, contact the Ellis County Historical Society Museum.    
 

42. Old Rome Townsite - Historic Marker
West 12th St.
Hays, KS 67601
Hours: Sunrise to sunset
Admission: Free

The first town in the area was not Hays City, but the short lived town of Rome, established in May of 1867. However, the details surrounding the rise and fall of this small town are not clear. The first inhabitants of Rome appear to have been the Lull brothers from Salina, Kansas. Whether they were the town founders, emissaries of the founders, or simply the first businessmen remains a question. Also unclear is the roll William Cody played in the town's history. Some accounts credit Cody and his partner, William Rose, with the founding of Rome. Cody as a scout for the Army and Rose as a railroad contractor may have had information that could have led them to choose the site as a good location for a town, as neither the railroad nor the Fort were in the area when Rome was first settled. Regardless of their questionable status as founders, both Cody and Rose were avid promoters of the town. 
A stone marker on western outskirts of Hays shows the approximate location of the Rome townsite.

66. Wild West Festival
Municipal Park
1st & Main – Box 1717
Hays, KS 67601
785-623-4476
info@wildwestfestival.com
www.wildwestfestival.com
Hours: Annual event held July 4th weekend
from 4 pm – 11 pm
Admission: Discount tickets available in advance. Regular priced admission ticket available at the gate.

Premier festival in Western Kansas with huge fireworks display, concerts, carnival, craft booths, fishing tournament, baseball games, parade and free stage entertainment. National recording artists include top country performers, rock and roll concert and country rock bands.