Banner | Bosna
| Buckeye | Collyer
| Colona | Coyote
| Cyrus | Gibson
| Mendota | Ogallah
| Park's Fort Schreader
| Smytheville | Stockrange
| Trego | Trego
Center | Trego Station |
Tregola | Valley
| Voda | WaKeeney
| Willcox
Homesteading in Trego County
Collyer
Collyer’s
history began in January of 1878 when New York’s Reverend
Robert Collyer placed an advertisement in a Chicago newspaper
to start a Civil War veterans’ colony. Collyer, the colony’s
president, enlisted the help of a Colonel Pratt, who along with
John W. Burns, R. G. Kessler, and L. Lebron, traveled west to
find suitable land. On March 17, 1878, this committee stepped
off the train at Coyote, a small railroad settlement in what became
Trego County. Soon, this committee began filing claims for the
colony and constructing a colony house where the settlers could
live until they moved onto their homesteads and where they could
find safety during Indian scares. In all, almost eighty families
found shelter and safety under the roof of the colony house.
Because of his substantial support for the colony, including shipping
the lumber for the colony house, sending books for a lending library,
and sending a wagon and a team of horses for the colonists’
use, the colony was named in honor of Reverend Collyer.
Although the railroad brought settlers to Collyer, it soon moved
the settlement. Unfortunately, the colony house was in the railroad’s
line. A better water supply was found only one-half mile east
so Collyer was moved. Later, a man named Keeney influenced the
settlers to move the town again, this time on his land, three-fourths
of a mile further east.
The years of 1878 to 1880 brought many settlers to Collyer. Although
most came from Illinois, some came from overseas. For example,
in 1879 Victor Zadowsky came from Czechoslovakia while Edward,
Ned, Pat, and Thomas O’Toole came from Ireland. Unfortunately,
as many came to Trego County for better opportunities, they were
welcomed by dry weather and other poor growing conditions for
their crops. Desperate, some turned back, but others remained
and were soon joined by German, Bukovina German, and Volga German
settlers. The Volga Germans came to the Collyer area between 1900
and 1915.
Booming, Collyer had a dance hall, a blacksmith shop, a creamery,
two mercantile stores, and at least three churches. Its post office
was established in May of 1878, several months before the town
was officially founded in February of 1879.
Sources
Baker, Mrs. Walter. “History of
WaKeeney & Trego County and the Coming of the
William George Baker Family from Aurora, Illinois to WaKeeney,
Kansas in 1878.” Chap. in Local History as Presented to
the Trego County Historical Society. 2d ed. n.p. 1974.
Beason, Mildred Cass. “Pioneer Reminiscences of Emery Cass.”
Chap in. Local History
as Presented to the Trego County Historical Society. 4th ed. n.p.
1976.
Carman, Justice Neal. Account of Settlements in Kansas. Vol. 2.
Foreign Language Units
of Kansas. Forsyth Library; Lawrence: University of Kansas Press,
1962. Text-fiche.
Harvey, Ethel M. “The Churches of Collyer.” Chap.
in History of Collyer, Kansas. n.p.
n.d.
“Facts about Some Collyer Citizens.” Chap. in History
of Collyer, Kansas.
n.p. n.d.
“Facts Concerning Collyer, Trego County, Kansas.”
Chap. in History of
Collyer, Kansas. n.p. n.d.
“Postal Service in Collyer.” Chap. in History of Collyer,
Kansas. n.p.
n.d.
Purinton, Mrs. Ray. “History of Collyer, Kansas.”
Chap. in Local History as Presented to
the Trego County Historical Society. n.p. 1973.
Shearer, Ruth. “Ghost Towns in Trego County.” Chap.
in Local History as Presented to
the Trego County Historical Society. 2d ed. n.p. 1974.
