It's hard to imagine that a place as small as the town of Kanopolis, Kansas could have much of an interesting, varied, or lengthy history. Towns of this size across the United States are all too often passed by when travelers drive through. Their miniscule populations and minimal resources, however, often hide long and colorful histories of which can easily be overlooked by even the residents of the area. This bigotry against small town life must be overcome to see the beauty and richness in our past as well as in our present.

Kanopolis, for instance, is now home to 543 people, according to the United States Census Bureau. Its own school system was integrated into that of Ellsworth's 35 years ago, and any sort of lodging for visitors to Kanopolis has not been available for nearly half a century. Churches, local businesses, and restaurants are indeed few in number in Kanopolis. The typical small town "main street" trails for just one block. Furthermore, Kanopolis is 13 miles from an Interstate highway and even a 20 mile drive (on paved roads) from the lake named after the town.

All of these and more current facts about life in Kanopolis can be presented as disadvantages to its modern day situation - the same situation facing countless small towns throughout Kansas and the Midwest. Kanopolis, it can be said, is dying. Census data gathered each decade confirms that people are slowly but surely moving away from Kanopolis to seek opportunities not available in central Kansas, and certainly no new business or industry looking for monetary benefit and a ripe pool of employees will choose such a small community to settle in. Kanopolis' population is growing older, and recent census estimates show that an average of 56 people are leaving Ellsworth County each year, with Kanopolis itself giving up five citizens annually.

Of course, if estimates continue (though they will likely fluctuate wildly in one direction or another) it would be more than a century before Kanopolis is abandoned entirely. But losing just a handful of citizens each year will begin to take its toll on the town. Businesses will fade away, industry will falter without available employees, and houses will sit empty with no one willing to move in. Unfortunately, the "estimated" future for Kanopolis and similar towns across Kansas looks bleak. With all of this current information staring passersby in the face, it's easy to see how they could think that a town like Kanopolis is nothing more than just a bump in the road with nothing to contribute and no stories to tell.

People who subscribe to that theory of thought, however, couldn't be more wrong. Not only do small towns offer fascinating histories, but they also have unique, friendly personalities in the present day.

Fort Harker, which succeeded a faltering Fort Ellsworth, played an important role in Kansas history between 1867 and 1872. Defending westbound settlers against Native Americans of central and western Kansas, Fort Harker was conveniently located by the Smoky Hill Trail, the Butterfield Overland Despatch (and successive stage lines), and the new Kansas Pacific railroad. Though Fort Harker had a relatively short run as a military base, it served an important purpose and led to the founding of Kanopolis in the same area in 1887. The Ohio syndicate, that sold plots of land in Kanopolis, had great plans for the community to be the county seat of Ellsworth and the future state capital of Kansas. The town was laid out for 150,000 residents, and four square blocks at the north end of the city were reserved for a capitol building. Obviously the state capital dream never came to be, and Ellsworth narrowly won the vote to be the county seat, leaving Kanopolis seemingly without a purpose. The story of Kanopolis could easily end with these devastating blows, but the community persevered with the people, businesses, and industry that had been drawn in by the allure of high hopes for this new city.

The story continues as rich salt veins near Kanopolis gave rise to three salt mining operations, of which the Independent Salt Company still operates today. Rich clay deposits in the area allowed Kanopolis' infrastructure to be built with brick that was produced locally. Buildings and businesses sprang up along main street, and Kanopolis continued to grow. European immigrant farming families made up the bulk of Kanopolis' population until the mining industry drew in immigrants from Mexico, which has given rise to the rich Mexican heritage that the town now celebrates. Landmarks in the area, such as Feris Caves, Fremont Knob, Mushroom Rock State Park, and even the Kanopolis Drive-In have deep histories that add to the historical character of the town.

While the documented history of Kanopolis is intriguing, it cannot quite compare to the stories that can be told by the citizens of Kanopolis. Several have lived through much of the history of the area and have unique perspectives on people, places, and events. County history doesn't record what many of these residents remember: a theater where Orozco's Portales Café is now located, the weekly dances at Kanopolis' dance hall, and a fierce rivalry with Ellsworth that is now all but forgotten.

While dwindling statistically in population and suffering from a stagnation of business and industry that has affected small towns across Kansas for decades, the spirit of Kanopolis is strong. Most lifelong residents of Kanopolis (and those who have left the town only to later return) will display a certain affection for the town that cannot be replicated in larger, more urban, and more impersonal cities. Most older Kanopolis residents love the town because of the easy going lifestyle and the friendly atmosphere.

The problem is getting people my age (or more generally, my age group: those between 16 - 24 years old) to recognize the uniqueness of small town life and to appreciate Kanopolis history. It's not surprising to hear small town residents of this generation deriding the places that they've grown up. That seems to be the status quo for young Kanopolis residents as well. The problem is not that the attitude is abnormal - in fact, it's quite normal considering 16 - 24 year olds most likely want to be far away from home to experience the world on their own.

The problem arises when this attitude follows these former residents later on in life. If an appreciation for one's small home town doesn't develop, an interest in that town's history doesn't develop either. It would be a shame for the unwritten stories and unique bits of history that haven't been recorded in any county records to be lost because one generation resented the situation and location in which they grew up. If one neglects the present, it is almost definite that they will neglect the past.

It has been a goal of mine for several months now to compile a history of Kanopolis in one source. Of course, Kanopolis history will never fill volume after volume of reference books, nor will it have its own section on a library shelf. However, I believe that preserving this history - that which is written in many different sources now as well as that which has never been written - is vital to preserving the small town spirit of Kanopolis. After doing some initial research, I realized that Kanopolis history is much more varied, long, and more widely spread out over many sources than I originally realized. Finishing a comprehensive and readable history of the town will take many months, if not years, of research with several different types of sources: federal, state, and local records, military records, newspapers, fossil and antique research, as well as personal interviews with lifelong residents of Kanopolis. I hope that I am up to the task; after all, as a history major I should be well prepared to take on a project such as this.

Kanopolis, like so many small towns across the country, may be fading into modern obscurity, but we do not have to be resigned to historical obscurity. Contrary to the prima facie view of towns like Kanopolis, we have played and can still play an important part in the world. Neglecting our present and forgetting our past will only sentence Kanopolis to a quicker demise. With a well compiled and thorough history (put together with plenty of help from Kanopolis residents), Kanopolis will never fade into history, but our mark, albeit a small one, can be imprinted forever.

Reference:

The United States Census Bureau, Kansas Incorporated Place Population Estimates, Sorted Alphabetically: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2002, http://eire.census.gov/popest/data/cities/tables/SUB-EST2002-07-20.pdf, August 28, 2003.

Oliva, Leo E., Fort Harker, Kansas State Historical Society, Mennonite Press, Inc., Newton, KS. Copyright 2000.

No matter where you may be in Ellsworth County or in most of central Kansas for that matter - the horizon of the late 1860's no longer exists. Imagine nothing but grass as far as the eye can see. Except for a narrow band of timber growing along the Smoky Hill River, the panorama is uninterrupted. A distant black mass of buffalo can be seen moving ever so slowly in its never ending search for fresh grazing.

This picture can be painted in the most romantic of terms or exposed to stark reality. In reality, the settling of the plains of Kansas required a heroism that has been nearly forgotten in this era of automobiles and electricity.

The Indian War of 1864 taught the first frontiersmen the harsh realities of claiming for themselves the traditional homeland of another people. The first settlement in Ellsworth County by Smoky Hill Thompson was abandoned in favor of breathing yet another day. For two years the dugout of that settlement fell silent of human activity.

Elisha Scates, Perry Campbell, Ira Clark and Robert Hudson, a hunting party from Davis County pressed westward, not only in search of buffalo but with an eye for new land to settle. They were from the town of Ashland. This town was not the Ashland of southwest Kansas that we are familiar with today. This Ashland, Kansas, was south of Manhattan. It had been declared the county seat of Davis County in 1857. When the county seat was moved to Junction City in 1860, Ashland began to fail.

While buffalo hunting that spring of 1866, the Scates hunting party happened on to Smoky Hill Thompson's old dugouts. They probably ventured onto Tompson's Creek by following the Salt Road, a trail that connected the Smoky Hill Trail to the Santa Fe Trail.

At the time, Salina, 30 miles to the east was the closest town. Fort Ellsworth was garrisoned by volunteer troops 6 miles northwest at the Smoky Hill cossing on the Fort Riley Military Road. Robert Hudson declared he was "home" and claimed the abandoned dugouts. Each man in turn located a suitable claim nearby along the meandering creek.

On April 19, 1866, Perry Campbell and Ira Clark returned with their families and began to build a community along the creek. They moved into the Hudson dugouts until their own claims could be improved. Families of Elijah Johnson and Robert Campbell settled in August. More families came in November and by Dec. 1 Robert Hudson, Elisha Scates, C. R. Davis and William Ewing were calling Thompson Creek "home".

According to Luther Johnson, the total number of settlers that first year was fifty-six souls. Campbell and Clark raised a crop of corn and what was described as "very fine watermelons". But, all was not heaven on earth in the new promised land. A son was born to Perry and Serena Campbell in September of 1866. She had undoubtedly suffered during her pregnancy from poor health as Dr. George Sternberg, the post surgeon at Fort Ellsworth was called to see her "during her sickness". Campbell's son was stillborn. He was buried on top of a hill not far above the dugouts. The hill overlooks Thompson Creek on the Elisha Scates claim.

An Indian scare in June of 1867 forced the settlers to abandon their claims and seek protection at Fort Harker. Cholera broke out at the same time, killing people at the post and at the newly organized town of Ellsworth. The Thompson Creek settlers endured the horror and soon were returning to their homes on the creek. George Campbell's youngest son died suddenly of the cholera on August 10. He was about 9 years old. Young Campbell was the only one of the Thompson Creek folks to die from the epidemic. He was buried on the hill, in what settlers were calling the Scates Cemetery.

The Campbells contributed more than their fair share of interments on the hill. Perry and Serena Campbell buried twins in January of 1868. The boy was named Charles and the girl, Mary. They were buried next to the brother that had begun this pioneer burial plot.

The year of 1868 brought a summer of hot, dry winds. Crops failed. Indians were again on the warpath, but this time the settlers put their faith in their own defense. Robert Hudson had built a stockade around his dugouts and everyone moved there for protection. The location was dubbed Fort Hudson. Indians raided through the area, but cut a wide swath around the well fortified Thompson Creek pioneers.

Elisha and Sarah Scates also lost two children. Thirteen year-old Albert James Scates died April 21, 1876 and nine month-old Nancy J. Scates died August 23, 1873. They, too, were buried in the cemetery that bore their family name.

The first settlers, according to Luther R. Johnson, "...faced hot winds and drouth, grasshoppers and blizzards, Indians and cholera." Some left, never to return. The Scates Cemetery fell into neglect for years. The prairie reclaimed its own with tall grass and wild roses. Some shrubs and perennials planted by loving family members, grew untended. In 1938, Mrs. J.L. Smith (Margaret Davis), descended from those early settlers, erected a monument in honor of the "... courageous men and women who braved the danger of the new west in order to find homes for their families." Over 40 persons are memorialized on the monument. Most of them are babies and young mothers. "Erected in 1938 by one who cherishes the memory of pioneer days".

Note: The Scates Cemetery is now administered by Empire township. It is listed on the U.S. Corps of Engineers self-guided tour, Legacy Trail. The map can be obtained at the Ellsworth/Kanopolis Chamber Of Commerce or at the Corps. Visitors Center, Kanopolis Lake.

Bruce Scates, Jr. and Dortha Scates of Richardson, Texas were accompanied by Steven and Penny (Scates) Williams to Ellsworth, Sunday, March 9 2003 to visit the old home land.

Bruce's great-grandfather, Elisha Scates, was one of the original settlers of Thompson Creek in 1866. The pilgrimage was the result of his daughter Penny's interest in the family history. While researching the family, Penny ran across information on the internet that mentioned a Scates Cemetery in Ellsworth County. That was approximately one year ago. It was the first time that she or her father had ever heard of the cemetery that bore their family name.

Elisha's son, John R. Scates moved to Ellsworth and became a mail carrier. Their youngest son, Bruce Randolph Scates was born in Ellsworth, Aug. 4, 1900. That is Bruce Scates, Jr.'s father. Penny's grandfather. Most of the family eventually moved away. Elisa and Sarah joined a son, William, in Fairview, Okla. Elisha died there May 31, 1902. Sarah followed him, December 12, 1908.

Pearl Scates was another of Elisha and Sarah's children. She married Earl Flanders and was the only Scates family member to remain in the area. They are both buried in the old Ellsworth Cemetery on the south edge of town. A visit was paid to their gravesite before traveling to Fort Harker. Jim Gray and Linda and Andrew Kohls were the guides for the day.

The Scates Cemetery is on the land that once was Elisha and Sarah Scates claim. The family gathered in front of the arched gateway for a picture and again at the monument dedicated to the "memory of pioneer days". The view of Thompson's Creek is an impressive panorama that bears witness not only to the Scates family origins, but to Ellsworth County itself.

Note: Jim Gray is a rancher, a historian and the co-owner of Drovers Mercantile in downtown Ellsworth. He and Linda Kohls are the founders of the C.O.W.B.O.Y. Society, an organization devoted to the preservation of the Old West.