Back to the land.

After three days of research, I joined Pat and Stan Smith this morning to go to the old homestead. About 30 minutes northeast of Garden City we pulled into the driveway of George Fowler. George was a nice guy, but was totally unaware that his land had any history.

We told him about the homestead papers which tell us that in 1887 there was: A sod and lumber house, 1 ½ stories – 18 x 30 ft, five windows and two doors, plastered inside and outside, value $250.00. A sod stable 18 x 22 ft., value $125.00. Two wells – 25 & 35 feet value $100.00. Sod chicken house 15 x 22 feet, value $50.00. Cellar 12 feet deep value $50.00. 30 acres broke – value $90.00. Two cows. Two calves. 100 chickens. 75 turkeys. Two beds. Two tables. Four chairs. Three trunks. Two cook stoves.

He had never seen any signs of the inhabitants. The land has been unplanted for 9 years, being placed in a “Land Conservation Bank”.

We drove around the perimeter of the southern half of the mile by ¼ mile piece of land. The census taker in 1887 listed the location as section 9, which is the southern half of the property, the northern half being on section 4.

Trying to think about homesteading, we all decided the southern end of the property, along Whipple Road, nearest to the Pawnee Creek, was the most likely place to build a house. Stan and I walked out into the field to a slight rise that had a light spot. It turned out to be a patch of milkweed. There were tons of spots around that looked worth investigating, but of course the chance of finding anything is near zero, so we just declared the milkweed patch to be the house and went back to the car.

We then drove home, passing Ravanna’s ruins which amount to the ruins of the school and the courthouse. Both are reduced to a few stones, maybe 4 to 6 feet high in the corners of the buildings.

If I lived here, I suppose I could set out some sort of grid and search the property, maybe with a metal detector, and I would eventually find something, but it would take months or years. I don’t.

I’ll stay another day or two, to see if I can find out just when they left, and if they bought any other land with that $500.00 mortgage he took out on the land in 1887. Then it’s off to Hutchinson to see if they bought anything there.

The most impressive part of today, for the moment, is the 98 degree heat I am trying to ignore.