Brief History from
Kansas State Historical Society:
Throughout Ellis
County in the High Plains reminders can be
seen of the ancient sea that once covered
the area. Post rock
fence posts that define the
boundaries of pastures offer a window to
the ancient past. This rock or limestone,
filled with fossils,
was created over time from the ocean
sediment. The uppermost Greenhorn
Formation provided the perfect material
for fencing
and housing where wood was scarce.
Limestone also proved to be a popular
medium for post rock artists with a hammer
and
chisel.
Once prime hunting
ground for Plains Indians, Ellis County
grew after the discovery of gold in
Colorado and the push for
westward expansion. Overland trails
crossed the area, military posts were
established to guard workers on the rail
lines, and
railroads brought immigrants to farm
the rich lands.
Ellis County was
organized on October 28, 1867, by John
Bauer; Joseph Duncan; Joseph S. Clarke;
John V. MacIntosh;
John M. Schlyer; Marcus J. R. Treat;
William Rose; and William E. Webb. The
county was named for Civil War Lieutenant
George Ellis, Co. I, 12th Kansas
Infantry, and Hays was designated the
county seat.
Fort Hays was
established October 11, 1865, and the
Union Pacific Railway, Eastern Division
arrived in October 1867.
The first church was the Hays
Presbyterian founded in 1873. The first
county fair was established in Hays in
1881 and still
continues. The first school district
was formed in Hays in 1867.
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