Burdett | Garfield
| Larned | Rozel
Homesteading in Pawnee County
Prentice, Noble Lovely. "History of Kansas". Winfield,
KS: E. P. Greer, 1899.
The Santa Fe Trail, established in
1821 for commerce and trade, followed the Arkansas River in this
area of the plains. Military escorts to protect the traders from
the Indians were sent to the trail in 1829. After the Mexican
War began in 1846, the Santa Fe Trail became the major route for
east-west commerce. When the gold rush began, gold seekers disregarded
the treaties that had set aside land for the Indians, and they
traveled across the tribal lands as they headed west. This angered
the Indians to the point that they asked for help from William
Bent who was a trader in Colorado. Bent, known for being fair,
suggested to the federal government that a strong point be established
at Pawnee Rock, and the government decided to begin building one
in 1859 at Pawnee Fork, several miles down the river. By year's
end there were 52 enlisted men with the thankless job of protecting
the traders and travelers at the only military station between
Forts Riley and Union.
In February 1860, the camp on Pawnee
Fork became known as Camp Alert, and on May 29, 1860, the camp
was renamed Fort Larned. Named in honor of the Army paymaster,
Col. Benjamin F. Larned, the new fort did not have decent housing
until 1867. New buildings made of sandstone were built, including
officers' quarters and a bakery.
In July 1872, the Santa Fe Railroad
had built its tracks to Pawnee Fork, and the soldiers began guarding
the crews working on the railroads.
Governor James Harvey declared the
official organization of Pawnee County in November 1872. The new
county was named to honor the Pawnee Indians who had lived in
the area. Larned City was named the temporary county seat, and
as a result of an election on October 17, 1873, it became the
official county seat.
In 1874 a group of Mennonite "German
Baptists" arrived to begin a new life far from their homes
in Europe. They planted the hard red Turkey wheat and stayed in
the area despite the grasshopper plague, the drought, and the
threat of Indian hostilities.
A colony of 65 Swedish families settled
in Garfield in the mid-1880's.
In June of 1878, the headquarters ordered
the deactivation of Fort Larned with troops sent to Fort Hays
and property sent to Fort Dodge.
Sources
"Panorama of Progress: Pawnee
County, 1872-1972". Supplement to The Tiller & Toiler.
Larned, KS: The Tiller & Toiler, 1972.
