Thursday, July 26, 1973
University Daily Kansan
Kansan Staff Photo by PRIS BRANDSTED
Baldwin-A Ouiet Town 15 Miles South of Lawrence
Kansan Staff Writer
Bv KATHY HODAK
Baldwin City Is Rich in Tradition
Baldwin City is a quiet, conservative town about 15 miles south of Lawrence where nickel and dime purchases can still be made in the five-and-ten-cent store, where people buy coffee at the street towntown and strangers alike in passing and where large Cokes are still large.
Baldwin City is probably best known as the home of Baker University, a private four-year liberal arts college affiliated with the Methodist Church.
The people of Baldwin City are proud of their community, and with reason. The city and surrounding areas are rich in tradition and historical lore. The town, composed of 175 city blocks, stands among the lush green trees of the Kansas prairie landscape. People maintain homes, plant flowers and take pride in keeping their city clean.
THE KIBEE cabin was rebuilt on the grounds of the Old Castle in 1961 and houses the original furniture and utensils of the Barricklaw family.
Three years later the old Palmyra邮 office was moved from its original location on the Santa Fe Trail to west of the Kibbee cabin renica.
From its beginning in the Old Castle.
Since 1871 when Baker University moved to another building, the old Castle has been used for such varied things as a men's dormitory, a public school, a grist mill, storage room for a nearby trailer camp for married students and a meeting place. The Old Castle is now a museum preserving the Baker University and the Santa Fe Trail.
A CONFERENCE of Methodist ministers met on April 17, 1857, in a small wooden cabin built by a man named Kibbee who later sold the cabin to Henry Barricklaw. During the meeting the ministers decided to call the minister at Palmyra, now called Baldwin City.
The University, named for Methodist Bishop Osman Maker, opened its doors in 1858. The original building, a two-story 40-foot stone structure, was the first college building in the state of Kansas. It is now referred to as the Old Castle.
Big Springs: Well, It's Peaceful; All 3 Stores, 2 Churches of It
I was daydreaming about cold beer on a Kansas-hot afternoon and managed to drive through Big Springs without noticing it until I got to the cemetery at the west end of
Actually it's not too difficult to complete
big Miss Springs driving 60 m.p.h. (i.e.
it's not hard)
Big Springs has a Lutheran Church on one end, a Catholic church on the other end, and a body shop, gas-furniture refinishing store and gas station-procere in between.
By CAROL GWINN
Kansan Staff Writer
The gas station-procery, which looked as if it might have survived one of Quantrill's raids, was closed. According to a sign, the fuel shortage Wednesday because of the fuel shortage.
"Look," said one of the men, George Davis, "this table's even got a secret drawer." He pulled the drawer out and then started pulling nails out of the top of the desk.
THE ANTIQUE STORE was open and three freaky-looking long-haired men wearing clothes splattered with varnish and other dark smudges were working on a long
A Large Coke is Still a Large Coke at the Local Fountain
"This table belongs to some of the richest people in Topeka," Davis said. "They were using it as a work bench in their garage. People butcher their furniture."
DAVIS SAID that he had a lot of customers from Topeka who wanted him to refinish their antiques. He said that he just didn't have time to do all the work.
"I'm going to turn this into an antique store," he said, looking around the room. "We're going to put a store front on it as soon as we find time."
"You must be pretty desperate if you have to do a story on Big Springs." Davis says.
"Even the body shop's moving to Lawrence pretty soon."
"What's there to do around here?" Davis repeated my question.
"THE TELEPHONE'S the biggest en-tertainment," he said. "There's eight party halls."
"That's really a game. We can't have a phone. It'd be too dangerous."
Davis said he lived in Topeka and had bought the store in Big Springs six months ago because it was cheaper than anything in Topeka or Lawrence.
"There's good traffic from the highway," he said.
"THE CATHOLIC church hasn't been used for a long time," Davis said. "I tried to buy it, but the people who own the property were the grandparents and the grandparents are buried in the cemetery."
"Why don't you do a story on Stull?" Davis asked.
"Yeah," said Jeff Graf, whom Davis calls for the "lackey" it has a gas station. Does it
"And the Lutheran church just lost its minister," Davis said. "He got a better offer somewhere else. Just packed up and moved."
"I wanted to live there," he said. "Like Alice. That's why they wouldn't sell."
have a grocery store?"
"YOU CAN BUY a loaf of bread or a can of beans at the grocery store," Davis said.
"But don't mention beer. It's a sin."
"We asked at the grocery store if they kept any booze under the counter and they just about threw us out the door," Davis said. "It's a dry town."
"We import our beer from Topeka," he said.
"About the only thing to do around here is to drink pop or go down to the grocery store and listen to all the farmers bitch about their crops," Graf said.
"I won't drink the water here," he said. "I use my well."
Although Clinton Reservoir is close,
Danish said Big Springs didn't have any
damage and could be safe.
"Lots of empty fields, though," Graf said.
"Lots of empty fields, though," Grat said. "If a farmer caught you, he'd shoot you." Davis said. "Or else he'd watch you to see what you'd do."
DAVIS SAID that when he first came to Big Springs lots of people had come to look at him to see if he had hidden any doe around the store.
"There's peace and quiet here, though." He said. "That's the nice thing about Big Spring."
"They've got to have something to talk about." Davis said.
"Yeah," said Davis, going to get a beer.
"Peace and quiet."
"There's no factories, no big businesses.
Just peace and quiet."
Baker University has grown to 23 buildings and now offers courses in 21 subject areas. The average number of students enrolled at Baker University is three times them from Kansas City and the Midwest.
MAXINE KREUTZIGER, Kansas Methodist Historical librarian, said that the international students on the Baker campus do not need to do more to make them feel comfortable and at home. Kreutziger, who worked with Baker international students before becoming librarian, estimated that there are about 10 international students on campus each year.
Baldwin City's population evidences concentrations in two areas, college-aged persons and retired persons. Mayor Virgil Reeves said that many elderly preachers thought Baldwin was home because of Baker University and so chose to retire in the city. In a situation when he said that Baldwin had retired preachers coming out its ears.
The attitudes of the township toward Baker students are mixed, according to Ava Cummings, city clerk. A few years back when college students were so sloppy, the people were upset and thought the students were wrong about the said. But things seem to be better now.
AMELIA BETTS, owner of the city paint store, said that Baldwin wasn't like it used to be when she came there to attend Baker University. "It was more involved with the community then."
"Now the university is pretty much a separate community. It might just as well be miles away," Betts said. "People don't understand university functions very much anymore."
One woman said that the townies hate the college kids and the college kids hate the townies. Reeves, however, said the college kids hate the townpeople have integrated by and large.
ALTHOUGH THE population of Baldwin City averages only 2,800 including the University students, there are about 60 to 65 retail businesses in the town. The city owns and operates its own water, electric and sewer systems and a 48-bed nursing home. The largest airplane tire outlet in the state is in Baldwin.
Baker University provides jobs for a large percentage of Baldwin's citizens. Others are employed by the public school district. And yet others commute to Lawrence or to Kansas City for employment.
Reeves said the city would like to attract a small industry, but growth seemed to be going in another direction. The city is moving into a bedroom community, he can say.
COMMUTERS FIND Baldwin particularly attractive because the community offers distinct cultural and educational opportunities not usually found in a town of
Eudora Is Housing Alternative for Students
University of Kansas students looking for a place to live sometimes turn their attention to Eudora, a town seven miles east of Lawrence on Kansas Highway 10.
By DAGMAR R. PADEN
Kansan Staff Writer
At one time, Eudora was known for its local spring. The mineral water from this spring was supposed to cure all diseases arising from bad blood, rheumatism, gout, liver complaints, diseases of the kidneys, dyspepsia and general disability, according
Eudora—A Euphoric Home for Many KU Students
KELVIN HOOVER, president of Eudora's Kawai Valley Bank, said that rent was cheaper in Eudora than in Lawrence. He said he knew of a duplex that rented for $150 and a similar duplex. A similar duplex could rent for as much as $150 a month in Lawrence, he said.
Kirigan and Halliday moved to Lawrence even though the people of Eudora were "really friendly." The cost of transportation and utilities played a strong role in their return to Lawrence, Kirigan and Halliday said.
It is not the romanticism of Eudora's past, however, that attracts most KU students. Low rents attract them, according to Kathy Kirigan, former KU graduate student. Kathy Kirigan, wife of a KU graduate student. Kirigan and Halliday used to live in Eudora.
to Mrs. J. D. Adams of Eudora.
IF ONE DOES find suitable rental housing in Eudora, he must pay utility bills. Carol Scott, a Eudora wife and mother who works at Scott Electric Plumbing and heating, said that utilities were higher in Eudora than in Lawrence.
The most important factor in Kirigan's decision to move to Lawrence was that housing is tight in Eudora. Hoover confirmed a rental housing is now hard to find in Eudora.
In Eulaera, the minimum water rate each customer is set for 1,500 gallons and the cost is $3.50. In Eulaera, the maximum water rate is 2,000 gallons a month is a $1. person uses 20,000 gallons a month, it costs $2.70 in Eulaera.
If a person uses 100 kilowatt hours of electricity each month, it costs $7.23 in
Eudora and $3 in Lawrence.
Gas is another utility to consider. It can handle 80-cubic feet costs $2.23 in Lawrence but 120-cubic feet costs $2.54 in Lawrence.
THERE IS disagreement among Eudora citizens as to whether food costs more in Lawrence or in Eudora. Oscar Westhouse of Eudora said there was a wider variety of food in Lawrence grocery stores than in Eudora markets. Scott said that she went to Lawrence to shop for groceries once a week. Mary Parskey, wife of a KKR billionaire her husband, said that she always shopping for groceries in Lawrence.
In spite of high utility bills, Eudora is an attractive place to live for those who enjoy small-town life. There are four trailer courts in Eudora. New public buildings dot the main street. There are no parking meters in front of stores.
EUDORA IS A place where funds are being raised for a public library building and where a nursing home will soon go up, Margaret Westerhouse, Eudora resident, said. Hover characterized the town as conservative and churchgoing. He also asked why the town didn't fertilise farms' where many live who work in Lawrence, Tooeka and Kansas City.
Eudora, a town of 2,200 by Hoover's estimate, appears to be a good place to live if a person likes to know his neighbors and get away from it all.
There is a medical building which houses a chiropractor, an M.D., a dentist, a pharmacy and lawyers' offices. People in the town greet the newcomer with a smile and a friendly "hello." The public high school has a new addition.
Baldwin's size.
Prospective residents are enticed by lower rents and property costs. But food prices are the same in Baldwin as anywhere else.
People living in Baldwin City can take advantage of the many cultural and recreational events at the University of Iowa, which is located in Iowa without "having to put up with the crud of big the city." Few small towns provide education from kindergarten through a
If a doctor should come to Baldwin, Stotts said, it would take a community effort to
Big Town, Little Town
So, on this page and the next, the Kansan presents a look at what small-town life is like these days. And it can be pretty nice.
Believe it or not, Lawrence is a big town. At least it, when it's when it's compared to some of the communities that lie around—communities you may never have heard of. There's Big Springs, for instance. Or Viland. But, as small as these towns may be, they're still "home" to outsize a few people.
make a go of it. People would have to stop patronizing doctors in other towns.
Work on the festival begins as early as February each year and costs about $1,000 to finance, according to Betts, who is the president of the community Manle Leaf Planning Association.
Baldwin residents are now making preparations for the 16th annual Maple Leaf Festival, the community's biggest event of the season. The place takes the third weekend of October.
THE BALDWIN Commercial organized the first fall festival in 1958. Since then more than 40 organizations have joined in the project.
"Ballad of Black Jack."
rine festival includes a carnival, a parade, a hobby show, a barbeque sponsored by the Jaycees, bus tours to historic sites in and near the city and three performances of the
The "Ballad of Black Jack" was written by Donald Mueller, assistant professor of theatre arts and playwright-in-residence at Baker University. The play, added to the Maple Leaf Festival in 1970, is performed by Baker University students and town officials are used to establish spets for needy students who wish to attend Baker University.
THE BALLAD recounts the first battle in the United States between free-state and pro-slavery forces. The battle occurred at Black Jack on June 2, 1856, five years before the start of the Civil War. The free-staters, under John Brown, won the skirmish.
Black Jack was the name of a town incorporated in 1857 on the old Santa Fe road, which served as the Pacific railroad was completed, the town began to wane. Now all that remains of Black Jack is a cemetery and a prairie where the Santa Fe Trail rails are still visible.
Although Badwin City was incorporated in 1870, the exact age of the city has not yet been determined. Early records show that it was founded by Robert C. Walters was changed to Badwin on May 22, 1862.
1858, THE Palmyra Town Company purchased a section of land adjacent to Palmyra on the south and donated it to the Kansas Educational Association for an institution of learning, later called Baker University.
John Baldwin of Berea, Ohio, settled in Palmyra about this time and began operating a grist mill, but his main interest was in further education. Before coming to the Kansas Territory, he founded Baldwin University in 1843 at Berea.
Baldwin's son, Milton, was to take charge of Baker University when it was completed, but Milton did of typhoid fever one month before the school opened. Soon after his death, Baldwin returned to him. His sister, Bailey, became the people the newly formed town to name it for him.
As the University grew, the business district of Palmyra gradually began to shift toward Saratoga. It once flourished along the Santa Fe Trail, Palmyra is no more. Only a wooden sign on a lonely country gravel road marks the location of the city's campus to Baldwin Valley and Baker University.
Townsfolk Take Pride in Their Community