The Park and History in Times Past

An item that came into our possession of Centennial writers brings back some old Bluff City history of times past…written perhaps in the early 1930’s as follows:

Bluff City Park Going Into Decay… Whole county should be aroused to present condition as compared with the past.

In the age of coal oil lamps, livery stables and county seat wars, the village of Bluff City was very much on the map of Harper County and it was at times a disturbing element in the battle formation of Anthony forces in the struggle for the county seat. In those days Anthony found it necessary to buy out a Bluff City newspaper and invite the editor to leave between two suns, placing an Anthony man in charge of the publication. Mayor Mardis, Mike Chloupek, the Sturdevants, Lahman, Camerrer, Lewis and Henline families still residing in that community, will recall something of this incident. But assurance is given all these people and younger generations that the purchase of the Messenger was in nowise brought about by any similar situation.

The present town was born in October 1886 when James Glover came and pitched his tent in a cornfield at the top of the hill. It was platted and property assigned as a town-site of Bluff City and papers notarized Nov. 11, 1886. After the city was incorporated in 1887, Mr. Glover became mayor and retained the office for sixteen years. To him is given much of the honor for the beautiful city park of four blocks or twelve acres within the city limits. This park is or should be an asset to the city equal to the high school building. The park is fenced, has graveled driveways and walks shaded by trees of walnut, spruce, elm, maple, locust, cottonwood, cedar, pine, oak and catalpa, and has a well of good water, summer houses and rustic seats. These were all provided by Mayor Glover and others assisting who spent many, many years and large sums of money to build and donate the park to the city. At that time it was a thing of joy and beauty forever. But alas, the park is going into decay for the lack of a caretaker. It is next to a crime for the present generation to allow this decay.

In those days Bluff City was the Kansas terminal point for the Frisco Railroad with first-class sleeping cars and through train service to St. Louis. Dad Hoskins carried the ticket punch and Spider Nick Walker was at the steam throttle.

Newspaper men had annual passes to ride to St. Louis and back. People were spending the money they raised on first mortgages of their farms. Bluff City had a big frame hotel known as the “Chillocco” with a dining room large enough to entertain the railroad men at one sitting. Engraved silverware graced the tables at every meal and the proprietor had a young lady daughter who was the most petite and graceful dancer in all southern Kansas. Pete Vance had a brickyard and Bird and Williams did almost a wholesale business in furniture. Uncle Joe Lewis had a deer park that was known all over the west and the blooded horses he raised found homes in the greatest sporting stables of the Unites States. Some of the present day readers will remember the great gallopes “Jim-A-Long” who was a sensation on the turf at New Orleans, this horse was & colt fron the Lewis farm. There are many other people and incidents that could only be pictured in a very long story of Bluff Lity in her hey-day, among them a “white Jew” clothing merchant named Franke. If he is alive today he is wealthy we are sure: if he be dead his spirit of thrift and progress should be frequently called upon to enthuse the present generation.

But all this early-day joy in Bluff City was checked when Anthony induced the Frisco railroad to bring its terminal on west to this city. The civic spirit of the community almost went out when the railroad was abandoned entirely west of Arkansas City. Weeds grew up and obliterated the rusty right-of-way for a number of years until Glover again got into the picture. He, with E. L. Kingsbury and Arkansas City organized the Kansas Southwestern Company and brought the road to life again between Anthony and Arkansas City. Kingsbury was President and Glover was Vice-President. Santa Fe rolling stock was used and finally the road reverted to that system.

However, the greatest blow of all ever suffered by Bluff City was the opening of the Cherokee Strip when the exodus from Bluff City and Anthony was from 65 to 75 percent of her people. Bats and owls came into the community and fought for supremacy until the general beating back process began to take hold. Bluff City had many disa trous fires in business structures. The big hotel went up in smoke, but many of these have been replaced with brick and other more substantial buildings of a character like that shown in this paper last week. She is beating back slowly but surely.

Electricity now sparkles on the hill at night and is used by almost every business house and residence. Geologists all agree that the town tops an undeveloped oil field. Civic pride is awakening and to an appreciable degree, yet the city park matter has not yet been agitated enough to bring results.

Since buying the Bluff City Messenger, the editor of the Republican Bulletin as well as his entire executive and mechanical associates will have a greater interest in that community, and we hope to inspire confidence and cooperation among the people of Stohrville in giving them a better newspaper than they have ever before enjoyed. In the language of Tim O’Connell, who had a scant fringe of red hair about the back of his head and never dreamed about petroleum,

“Bluff City’s the best town on earth for her size.”

(Much of the credit for providing this article goes to Billy Henline.)