University Daily Kansan / Thursday, September 29.1988
Travel
11
AH AH KANSAS?
Buffalo graze at Fort Markley outside of Seneca.
Melissa tours photograph the marker
at the center of the contiguous United States
Sights of state aren't just wheat, overalls
Story by M. Meredith Relph Photos by Daniel Starling
a poet embarking on a trip across Kansas, I envisioned a vista of long, empty highways wide and populated by more cows than people.
Like almost every other native Kanan, I had heard more than my share of "Wizard of O'jokes" and digs on my undeniably rural state, and I was determined to discover the real story than wheat. livestock and stockes.
The truth is, Kansas possesses a fascinating history. Indian tribes, pioneers seeking their fortunes in the wild and unknown territory and strong-willed settlers who homesettled on their lands and in their hertigages which provide educational sidesteps to an otherwise tedious road trip.
Highway 99 turned before us on a late summer Kansas morning. To the north and west, segments of history awaited us, and a jacket into the countryside seemed an invitation to identify authority to learn more about our state.
A complete tour of Kansas would require a great deal of time to include all of the out-of-the-way places, but there are several sightns near Lawrence that can be reached in a single day.
Located in the city cemetery, the Davis Memorial is, for all practical purposes, a tombstone. How far can you walk beyond the basic marble markers?
About 70 miles north of Lawrence is the small, quiet town of Hiawatha, which is home to just more than 3,700 people. The city's Indian heritage is noted in its name, but signs in downtown Hiawatha direct motorsite to an amusement park, but to the David K. Mackinial.
I was skeptical at the thought of traveling all this way to see a crummy tombstone.
But then I saw it.
Just inside the cemetery's wrought-iron gates stands the imposing marble-and-granite structure, making the other tombstones seem quite ordinary in both size and ornamentation.
completed in 1940, the memorial was a labor of love undertaken by John Milburn Davis in honor of his wife, Sarah Elizabeth, who died in 1930. Construction of the monument began in 1932
Built around the graves of Mr. and Mrs. Davis, the monument chronicled the Davis's life together. She was born in Naples, Italy, and show the Davieses as they looked while they were courting, as a young married couple. She was born in years. The circle is completed with a statue of Mr. Davis alone, seated next to an empty armchair which bears the inscription, "The Vacant
Then, at the foot of Mrs. Davis grave, a granite sculpture of her husband shows his grief at her
death, while at the foot of his grave is an angel, also in prayer. Mr Davies died in 1947.
I was curious as to just how much this thing cost. The Hiawatha Chamber of Commerce's Convention and Visitors Bureau said the cost of the memorial was not available, in accordance with Mr. Davis' wishes, but it has been decided that he would worth from $50,000 to $750,000.
A notebook nearby bears a list signed by at least 300 people who have visited the Davis Memorial since July. The memorial is titled "We Are Believe It or Not" in 1984, further documenting its historical value.
For the historian, Fort Markley provides an authentic look at a period of our history, and for those in pursuit of a culinary delight, the cafe at Fort Markley offers, what else, buffalo burgers.
A gift shop features Indian jewelry, moccasins, plastic tomahawks and cowboy coloring books. Shoppers may browse to the tune of "Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier," or other such melodious wonders. A tour of the grounds shows a wide array of the bride. Included on the tour is a "realistic" dinosaur egg and a replica of an Indian village.
Continued to popular Kansas lore, buffalo did not graze free on the prairies, but they still lived in Kansas all my life, and I had never laid eyes on the real
I guess Mr. Davis believed he couldn't take it with him.
Noting the importance of the Pony Express to this area, one may wish to visit Marysville. Here stands a statue of a Pony Express rider in her best attire, some of the first people to explore the state, the riders certainly cannot be written off as hokey foliage. It was because of the Pony Express that many towns spring Kansas and are thriving today.
Not far from Haiwatha we found ourselves cruising through Sensea via the Pony Express Highway. We blew through Sensea, thinking it was just another wide road that we could cross town there was a field of buffalo
we needed to check it out, but
while searching for a place to pull
over, we stumbled upon a place
with an ancient history. Books
apparently overlooked.
Highway 36 spans northern Kan-
Fort Markley was a real nort, but it was a stable for horses used by the Pony Express. James Markley, the owner of the Pony Express, on the Pony Express, has re-created a western town, complete with a blacksmith shop, a jail, a general store and a justice of the peace. He also owns
A pyramid marker denotes the spot just outside Lebanon, Kan. at latitude 39 degrees, 50 feet, longitude 98 degrees, 35 feet, the vely hut of our great nation Old Glory flapped proudly on the monument, which was dedicated April 26, 1940 by the Lebanese National Guard.
Outside of Smith Center is the very small town of Athol, a few miles north of the town. County road is a driveway At the end of the driveway is a Home on the Hill.
sus, but we traveled only as far as Smith Center. Along the way, we see that a few people who attract many people, and not only Kansai, the geographic center of Kansai, are there.
You remember the song, 'Oh,
give me a home, where the buffalo
roam,' and so on! Well, here's
the place where, in 1873, those immor
tal lyrics were penned.
Written by Brewster Higley, the song was originally titled "My Western Home" in 1947; it was reissued in 1968 as a dignitary issue of the official state song.
The musy one-room house was restored and partially rebuilt in 1944. It is a small museum of early American life. The added church in the state.
Pete Rust owns the land on which the house sits, and their house is next door.
Having reached the mudpoint of the United States, we decided to head back to the city. But on the way, we encountered one of the Kansas attractions which may be Dorothy Clark, a Dorothy and her dumb dog.
On the main dreg of Cawker Castle is a piece of Americana with a 29-foot circumference. Yes, it is one of the world's biggest balls of water.
twine.
1935, Frank Stober rollled up a baby ball of bailing twine. He thought that was pretty handy, so he kept swining twine.
At any rate, 35 years later, that ball of bounce has reached the incredible proportions of 29 feet around. That's 1,637,000 feet of witch, which, if it were stretched out, would cover 310,037 miles.
Inserted on the signs near the ball o' twine were the words "Thrift plus Patience equals Success."
cess
It ain't the flag at Iwo Jima, but
it's all ours.
Yes, the tourist attractions here in Kansas are rustic, but Kansas is a place where built through perseverance and strength, the results of ideas and hard work lay on the desi- tions and drive to succeed.
Fort Marinley outside of Seneca is a model of a Pony Express town. One of the world's largest boats of twine is in Calder City
Illustration by Dave Eames