SB453 1963 a History of the Fort Hays Kansas Branch Experiment Station
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- Branch Experiment Station ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This manuscript was written by the senior author. Much of the factual information not available in the reports of the station was sup- plied by the junior author. His long tenure as superintendent and deep personal interest in the work of the station increased greatly the au- thenticity of the publication. Most of the illustrations are from photo- graphs taken by the junior author. Invaluable assistance has been furnished by the technical staff of the station, especially W. W. Duitsman. the present superintendent, and A. L. Hallsted, A. F. Swanson, and R. E. Getty, whose long tenure made their records of outstanding value. The authors are grateful to Fort Hays Kansas State College for supplying early photographs appearing on pages 4 to 6. A History of the Fort Hays (Kansas) Branch Experiment Station 1901-19621 by Leland E. Call² and Louis C. Aicher³ The Fort Hays Branch of the fitness of new methods appli- the Kansas Agricultural Ex- cable to these higher altitudes and limited rainfall cannot be made at periment Station was estab- the Agricultural College of the lished in 1901. It was made state; and possible by a gift of land from WHEREAS, The Fort Hays mili- the United States Government tary reservation, at an altitude of 2000 feet above sea-level, contains to the State of Kansas. The a valuable body of native timber land was a part of the Fort that should be preserved to pos- H a y s Military Reservation. terity, and the land of said reserva- The reservation, no longer tion is admirably adapted for such experiments in agriculture as are needed for military purposes, required in the premises; and was turned over by the Army WHEREAS, The buildings upon to the United States Depart- said military reservation, formerly ment of the Interior, October used as residences for officers and their families, barracks for troops, 22, 1889, for disposal under storehouses, etc., are large and the Act of July 5, 1884. commodious, but cannot be moved without destruction of their value, LEGISLATIVE but in their position are of great AUTHORIZATION value, and could be used, with lit- tle additional repairs, for the pur- In 1889 the Secretary Of the poses of a branch of the State Nor- Interior directed the suspen- mal School; and sion of action on this reserva- WHEREAS, The location of a branch of the State Normal School tion to await the action of at this place would be central and Congress in regard to it. In convenient for the whole of the February, 1895, Representa- north half of the state; and tive Jno. Schlyer of Ellis WHEREAS, The said military reservation has long since been county introduced a resolution abandoned by the United States in the House of Representa- government as a military post; tives of the Kansas Legisla- now, therefore, be it ture which was adopted and Resolved, by the house of repre- concurred in by the Senate, sentatives of the state of Kansas, the senate concurring therein, That February 8, 1895, as follows: our senators and representatives in "WHEREAS, The experience of Congress are hereby requested to the settlers upon the plains of west- secure the passage of an act of ern Kansas, covering a period of more than twenty years, has demon- strated conclusively that agricul- ture cannot be pursued with profit under existing natural conditions, and that artificial means and meth- ods must be substituted therefor; and WHEREAS, The tests and ex- periments required to determine 3 Congress donating the said Fort maintained as a public park; pro- Hays military reservation to the vided, that said state shall, within state of Kansas for the following five years from and after the pas- public purposes: (1) For a west- sage of this act, accept this grant ern branch of the Kansas Agricul- and shall by proper legislative ac- tural College; (2) for a western tion establish on said reservation branch of the Kansas State Normal western branches of the Kansas Institute; (3) for a public park. Agricultural College and the Kan- Resolved, further, That the sec- sas State Normal Institute; and retary of state is hereby instructed whenever the lands shall cease to to transmit a copy of these resolu- be used by said state for the pur- tions to the president of the United poses herein mentioned the same States senate, the speaker of the shall revert to the United States.” house of representatives, and to (2) each senator and representative in This bill passed the Senate Congress from the state of Kan- February 26 and the House sas.” (1) March 2, 1895. Congress ad- On Saturday, February 23, journed March 4 and the bill 1895, a copy of said concurrent failed to receive the Presi- resolution was laid before the dent’s signature. Senate of the United States by In view of the passage of the Vice-president. It was re- Senate Bill 2799, the district ferred to the Committee on land officers were advised by Public Lands and accepted by telegram dated March 22,1895, Senate Bill 2799 introduced by that said lands were with- Senator Martin; it reads as drawn from settlement and follows: entry to give opportunity for “Be it enacted, etc.: That the further legislation. abandoned Fort Hays military res- A bill similar to No. 2799 ervation and all the improvements was introduced in the 54th thereon, situated in the state of Kansas, be and the same is hereby Congress and reported favor- granted to said state, upon the con- ably to the House of Repre- ditions that said state shall estab- sentatives by Mr. Charles Cur- lish and m a i n t a i n perpetually thereon, first, a western branch of tis from the Committee on the Kansas Agricultural College; Public Lands. second, a western branch of the This bill did not become a Kansas State Normal Institute, and that in connection therewith the law, although again reported said reservation shall be used and favorably by the second ses- sion of the 54th Congress. A be used and maintained as a public similar bill was introduced in park; provided, that said state shall, within five years from and the 55th Congress and passed after passage of this act, accept the Senate but did not come this grant, and shall, by proper up in the House. It was again legislative action, establish on said introduced in the 56th Con- reservation an experiment station of the Kansas Agricultural College, gress, in the Senate by Senator and a western branch of the Kan- Harris, and in the House by sas State Normal School; and when- Congressman Reeder, and be- ever the lands shall cease to be came a law March 28 1900. used by said state for the purposes , herein mentioned, the same shall As finally passed it reads as revert to the United States; pro- follows: vided further, that the provisions “A BILL granting to the state of this act shall not apply to any of Kansas the abandoned Fort Hays tract or tracts within the limits of military reservation in said state, said reservation to which valid for the purpose of establishing an claims have attached by settlement experimental station of the Kansas or otherwise under any public-land Agricultural College and a western laws of the United States.” (3) branch of the Kansas State Normal Acting under this law the School thereon, and a public park. Be it enacted, That the aban- 1901 session of the Kansas doned Fort Hays reservation, and Legislature passed the follow- all improvements thereon, situated ing joint resolution : in the state of Kansas, be and the “SECTION 1. That the state of same is hereby granted to said Kansas hereby accepts from the state upon the conditions that said United States the abandoned Fort state shall establish and maintain Hays military reservation, as pro- perpetually thereon, (1) an experi- vided in an act of Congress relating mental station of the Kansas Agri- 27, cultural College, and (2) a western thereto, approved March 1900. branch of the Kansas State Normal SECTION 2. That the provisions School, and that, in connection of the act of Congress, ‘An act therewith, the said reservation shall granting to the state of Kansas the abandoned Fort Hays military SECTION 2. The following-de- reservation, in said state, for the scribed tracts of land lying within purpose of establishing an experi- the limits of the reservation afore- mental station of the Kansas Agri- said, to wit: Section 36, township cultural College and a western 13 south, range 19 west; section branch of the Kansas State Normal 31, township 13 south, range 18 School thereon and a public park,’ west: section 1, township 14 south, approved March 27, 1900, are range 19 west; sections 6 and 8, hereby accepted by the state of the east half of section 7, the north Kansas. half of section 17, and the north- SECTION 3. That upon the ap- east quarter of section 18, all in proval of this act by the governor, township 14 south, range 18 west, he is requested to transmit a certi- are hereby placed under the direc- fied copy of the same to the secre- tion of the regents of the State tary of the interior of the United Normal School. It shall be their States. duty to lease or rent the said lands Approved February 7, 1901. to the best advantage, and all mon- Copy transmitted to secretary of eys derived from rents for such interior February 7, 1901.” (4) lands shall be collected by the re- gents aforesaid, who shall deposit The Legislature of 1901 the same with the treasurer of the passed an act in respect to the board, to be expended by the said division of the reservation, board of regents for the equipment making appropriations for the and maintenance of said auxiliary branch station and the branch of the State Normal School.