Early in the
spring of 1906, three
covered wagons came up the
road from the little
railroad town, twenty miles
south of our small trading
center and post office.
A wet snow
and cold wind made the
prairie country a bleak
lonesome place. The lead
wagon drove up in front of
the long sod building on
which a big sign read: POST
OFFICE AND GENERAL STORE.
A tall
rangy built man with iron
gray hair and mustache, his
old cap resting on his head,
jumped down from the wagon
and went into the store. He
and his friends, so he told
my father the Post Master,
and storekeeper, were
looking for homestead land.
He asked if they could camp
there until the weather
settled. Permission was
given and the wagons were
driven between the store and
our sod house, where they
were protected from the
biting wind and wet snow.
For several days the
occupants of the wagons
camped in our yard. We
children were much
interested in the newcomers.
They had come from a land of
creeks, rivers, big trees,
tall corn, and an abundance
of nuts, fruits, and wild
game. We couldn't understand
why anyone would quit such a
magic land as that. Life
here in the early part of
this century, was nothing
but a wide grass covered
land, with patches of
cultivated ground, roads
angling across the prairie
to the homesteaders shacks.
It was pretty much the same
day after day.
Rufus filled on a quarter
of land west of town. He
built a sod house of one big
room. There he and his
invalid wife lived for many
years.
The family left Waverly,
Kansas on Wednesday,
February 28, 1906, arriving
at Kirk April 3,
1906. Bessie Alice
Graves kept a daily diary of
the trip, and walked all the
way. She was a beautiful
girl who enjoyed the great
outdoors, and was an
accomplished cook. When
asked why they left Missouri
and Kansas to come to
Colorado, she said that she
alway sought adventure and
did not like tornados. Her
parents came from Tennessee,
his (Rufus) father died
during the Civil War in
Arkansas.
Here is the diary:
STORY OF
BESSIE GRAVES AND FAMILY
MIGRATION TO COLORADO BY
COVERED WAGON FROM WAVERLY,
KANSAS:
Left Waverly Wednesday ,
February 28, 1906, at 10
minutes past one o'clock,
camped 8 miles west of
Waverly. Thursday, March 1,
ate dinner at Lebo, camped 6
miles west of Lebo, rained
all night.
Friday, March 2, clear in
the morning, and snowing in
the evening camped at
Emporia.
Saturday, March 3, camped
15 miles west of Emporia,
all feeling fine, passed
through Plymouth and
Saffordville.
Sunday, March 4, passed
Elindale, camped and ate
dinner at Cottonwood Falls,
crossed the Cottonwood River
at Cottonwood Falls.
Monday, March 5, morning
cold and clear. Noon ate
dinner west of Elk, cold and
snowing. Camped between Elk
and Lincoln on Middle Creek,
snowed and sleeted all
night. , Tuesday, March 6,
started for Lincolnville, 8
1/2 miles, got there Tuesday
afternoon, ate dinner,
camped there all night.
Wednesday, March 7, went
to lost Springs, 6 1/2
miles, stopped a while and
then went on to Ramona, 5
miles. Camped at Dunkard
Church, 3 miles northwest of
Ramona.
Thursday, march 8, went 4
miles north, within 1/2 mile
of Hope..drove 4 miles west
of Hope and ate dinner,
camped there for the night.
Seen first Catholic Church
at Banner City since
Waverly.
Friday, March 9, drove 4
miles to Carlton Star and
camped for dinner and then
drove 3 1/2 miles southwest,
drove through the Black
Hills and camped for the
night.
Saturday, March 10,
Cloudy and snowy all
morning. Drove 8 or 9 miles
to Gypsum and camped for
dinner. After dinner drove 2
miles and camped for the
night.
Sunday, March 11, drove
to Kipp 4 miles and ate
dinner and stopped for the
rest of the day and night.
Monday, March 12, drove
within 2 1/2 miles of Salina
and ate dinner. Drove on to
Salina and camped for the
night. Crossed the Salina
River.
Tuesday, March 13, drove
from Salina to Shipton,
about 10 miles and camped
for dinner. Then drove to
Culver 8 miles and camped
for the night. Bad weather
and road.
Wednesday, March 14, been
on the road two weeks today
at noon. Cold and snowing
this morning still in
Culver. Snowed all morning.
Drove 8 miles and ate
dinner, within 1 mile of
Tescott, then drove 6 miles
to Beverly and camped for
the night. Snowed some in
the evening. Passed a log
house.
Thursday, March 15,
snowed all day and all
night. Drove 4 miles to
Shady Bend and then 8 miles
to Lincoln and camped for
dinner. Then drove 6 miles
to Vesper and camped for the
night.
Friday, March 16, drove
11 miles to Sylvan Grove ate
dinner 1 mile west of it.
Then drove on 9 miles to
Elbon or Lucas P.O. and
camped for the night.
Crossed Wolf Creek.
Saturday, March 17, drove
8 miles and camped for
dinner on a creek. Then
drove 4 miles to Luray and
camped for the night by the
railroad tracks.
Sunday, March 18, snowed
Saturday night. Drove 6
miles over hills and
mountains to Waldo. Got
there about noon and stopped
for the day. Snowed most all
day.
Monday, March 19, sun
shining and snow blowing.
Camped at Waldo until after
dinner, and then drove 7
miles to Paradise. It was
surrounded by hills. Camped
here all night.
Tuesday, March 20, drove
10 miles to Natoma, stopped
for dinner by Paradise
Creek. After dinner drove
about 3 miles and camped for
the night on Paradise Creek.
Drove through the Blue
Hills.
Wednesday, March 21, my
18th birthday. Drove on 4
miles to Codell and stopped
a while until they went down
to town. Drove about 5 miles
northwest Codell and camped
for dinner. (Grave) passed
our first sod house between
Codell and Plainville. After
dinner drove on 4 miles to
Plainville and camped for
the night. Roads very bad.
Thursday, March 22, drove
about 7 1/2 miles to Zurich
and stopped for a while.
Drove a little and camped
for dinner. Then drove about
7 1/2 miles to Palco and
camped for the night.
(Grave) seen our first
prairie dog town before we
got to Palco.
Friday, March 23, drove
from Palco about 6 1/2 miles
and camped for dinner. Then
drove 5 or 6 miles and
camped for the night. Passed
one new sod shanty, looked
very nice.
Saturday, March 24, drove
about 9 miles, camped for
dinner. Drove about 3 miles
and crossed the South
Solomon River and Brush
Creek. Then drove about
another mile and camped for
the night in Hill City,
Graham C.
Sunday, March 25, drove
from Hill City about 6 miles
and ate dinner. Then drove
on to Penokee. Forged the
South Solomon River. Drove
within 2 miles of Morland
and camped for the night.
Monday, March 26, drove
to Morland and stopped for a
while. Then drove 4 or 5
miles to Studley and camped
for dinner. Went within 1/2
mile of Tasco. Camped for
the night within 2 miles of
Hoxil. Forged the South
Solomon River again. Crossed
Sand Creek.
Tuesday, March 27, drove
on to Hoxil and stopped for
a while. Ate dinner within 4
miles of Seguin. Then drove
on to Seguin and stopped for
a while. Then drove within
21/4 miles of Menlo and
camped for the night.
Wednesday, March 28, been
on the road four weeks today
at noon. Snowed last night.
Drove 2 1/4 mile to Morland
and stopped awhile. Then
drove 9 miles to Halford and
camped for dinner. Then
drove 8 miles, within 3
miles of Colby.
Thursday, March 29, clear
and sun shining. Drove on to
Colby and stopped for a
while and then went about 9
miles to Levant and camped
for dinner. Then drove 9
miles to Brewster and camped
for the night.
Friday, March 30, clear,
drove about 9 miles to Edson
and camped for dinner.
Weighed the wagons - ours
2360, IKES 2810, Mr. W 3040.
drove on to Goodland about 9
miles and stopped awhile.
Drove 2 miles west of town
and camped for the night.
Saturday, March 31, Drove
about 8 miles from where we
camped to Ruleton and
stopped for awhile. Drove on
about 2 miles and ate
dinner. Then drove 4 1/2
miles to Kanorado and camped
for the night. Camped within
1/2 mile of the Colorado
Line.
Sunday, April 1, drove 12
miles to Burlington and ate
dinner. Then drove about 9
miles -- -- . Drove about 2
miles and camped for the
night.
Monday, April 2, drove
about 11 miles and camped
for dinner on the South
Republican River, then drove
about 3 miles to Tuttle and
camped for the night.
Tuesday, April 3, drove
about 9 miles to Kirk.
landed about 10 o'clock. Got
weighed
M-131-P-165-B.127.M.95
