Elk County Nostalgia

[farmgal67357]

I LOVE looking at the old movie "palaces"! I especially like researching Drive In's. Did Howard ever have one?
Lisa
The Drive In in Parsons didn't close until after I was out of high school (1981)!

[W. Gray]

Elk County did not have a drive in theater.

The Hiway 54 Drive In at Eureka was the closest.

Additionally, Fall River had an indoor theater. As did Burden.

[sodbuster]

Just for the record, the highest Elk County population on record was 14,283 during the 1885 Kansas decennial census.

Waldo, I usually look at the US Decennial Census. I didn't think to look at the state census which is done mid-decade. The first US Census after the formation of EK shows the 1880 pop. as 10,623 and the 1890 pop. as 12,216 an increase of 15%. Interesting enough. Add in the Kansas State Decennial Census  in the 1885  of 14,283 and that paints a different story. 3700 up first 5 years of the decade, 2000 down the second decade. (Not exact numbers on my part). Now that makes the decade even more interesting for those interested in history.

Since you are the resident historian, in my opinion, on all things Elk County. Off the top of your head do you know what explains this boom in the first 5 years and a big exoudous in the second 5 years? If not any suggestions on where to look online to read about the 1880 to 1890 decade of Elk County.

David

David

[frawin]

David, part of your answer can be found by pulling up the Oklahoma land runs.  There were runs in 1891, 1892, 1893,1895, and 1901 and a lot of the settlers left their lands in Kansas and went on the run.

[sodbuster]

David, part of your answer can be found by pulling up the Oklahoma land runs.  There were runs in 1891, 1892, 1893,1895, and 1901 and a lot of the settlers left their lands in Kansas and went on the run.

Thanks Frank for the info. on 1890 to 1900. I did not realize that EK citizens played much of a part in the Oklahoma land runs. If I only knew a historian that knows  about Oklahoma that also, knew about Elk County. Oh, by the way you are my favorite historian.

David

[frawin]

David, it was Babe Morriss, she and her husband Byron had the Theatre for many years, Byron passed away and Babe married Feddie Joe Rhodes. Later Babe sold the Theatre to one of my Classmates, Robert Miller and I think Robert ran it until he finally shut it down. Babe and Byron had both the Howard and the Moline Theatre.

A little more history on this, Byron died in 1949 and Babe's brother Dave, ran theatre for awhile. Then Babe got hooked up with Freddie Joe (his real name was Joseph Fred Rhodes) and they were a colorful couple. Surprising Babe is buried at Howard next to Freddie. Freddie used to talk me into running him out to the Highway to get a bottle, Babe really got after me for it. I finally told Freddie I wasn't going to do it again, but one night he talked me into and he promised me he wouldn't tell Babe, the next night I had a date to the movie and Babe eat me out bigtime, Freddie told her I took him to the Liquor store.

[frawin]

Thanks Frank for the info. on 1890 to 1900. I did not realize that EK citizens played much of a part in the Oklahoma land runs. If I only knew a historian that knows  about Oklahoma that also, knew about Elk County. Oh, by the way you are my favorite historian.

David

David, you better keep Waldo as your favorite historian, he is my favorite historian and his Mother is my favorite Rosie.

[W. Gray]

I don't know the answer as to why so many people would have left between 1885 and 1890, but from that high water mark in the 1885 census there was a continuous drop at each state and federal census until the 2,882 of today. At that time, jobs would not have been a factor. Eighty-five percent of the people in Elk County knew nothing but farming for themselves.

I would think the only way to "bone up" on what caused the exodus in the late 1880s would be to read the local newspapers from the era. I have not been able to do that because my local library says they no longer can get newspaper reels from the Kansas State Historical Society.

I have read the newspapers from Howard County. Howard County started off with a US Census population of 2,794 in 1870. At the end of 1873, the county did a special census at the request of the state and came up with a tad under 13,000. Howard County was booming so much, the growth was mentioned in the governor's annual address to the state legislature. And, only 36 percent of the county land had been claimed.

A year and a half later on May 31, 1875, when Howard County split into Elk and Chautauqua that 13,000 figure had risen to only 13,632. The rapid decline in growth rate was caused by many, many settlers who found they could not make a living on the higher ground and they just up and left before the tax collector called. Back then he or she lost their farm in about five months at a sheriff's sale if the taxes were not paid when due.

Although the local newspapers do not come right out and say so, an additional factor causing the population rate to decline so much would have to have been the political events and the physical events surrounding the Boston War. Many people did not want to locate in an unstable county.

The Elk County loss may be for the same reason of not being able to make a living on the higher land.

[sodbuster]

"Although the local newspapers do not come right out and say so, an additional factor causing the population rate to decline so much would have to have been the political events and the physical events surrounding the Boston War. Many people did not want to locate in an unstable county."


Waldo, while it is easier to ask you, part of the fun is digging into the history myself and finding answers to questions that I didn't even know that I have. So I won't pester you like a two year old with questions. But I have one more. You mention the Boston War. I assume that is in Kansas and not Massachusetts, can you clarify? I think I have enough to keep me digging for a while with all that you and Frank have given me.

David

[frawin]

David, you might find it interesting that when your Mother was a little girl, Waldo's mother and family lived across the road from our family. Our family lived on the river just South of Howard.  Waldo's Mother always tells me that I was ornery and she had to get after me, it wasn't me because I wasn't born yet, I think she is talking about Uncle Wes and Uncle Dwight. I never tell her it wasn't me, she always gives me a big hug and says I grew up to be a good boy.