www.wildwestcountry.com 1 100 95 75 25 5 2 www.wildwestcountry.com 0 www.wildwestcountry.com 3 Welcome to Southwest Kansas We’re glad that you’ve taken the time to check out the place that we call home— Southwest Kansas. We believe that after you’ve looked through these pages, and then experienced the beauty of the landscapes, the warm hospitality of the people living here and the history of this great land, you will truly appreciate one of the Midwest’s hidden treasures, that we call Wild West Country. Hands on adventure and honest to goodness fun is the experience you will have in any of the 22 counties that make up this diverse part of Kansas. Excitement around every corner and new attractions and events being added on a regular basis .Come join our families in ex- periencing the wonders of the Kansas high plains. After you’ve been here for just one day, you will notice something magnificent: our sunrises and sunsets. With our wide-open spaces and endless horizons, our sunrises and sunsets are some of the most breathtaking you will find anywhere. While you are here, please take some time to stop by our small towns, visit our main streets and enjoy our people. Once you have visited with the people who live and work here, you will see why they call the “the heartland of America.” Our people are hard-working, fun-loving people who till the soil and feed the world. Welcome to the Wild West country. Enjoy your stay. 4 www.wildwestcountry.com www.wildwestcountry.com 5 Table of Contents Calendar of Events ................................................................................................49 Clark County ..............................................................................................................9 Commanche County ............................................................................................... 8 Edwards County .....................................................................................................13 Finney County ........................................................................................................ 33 ©Wild West Country Travel Guide Ford County .............................................................................................................15 Grant County .......................................................................................................... 43 Advertising Sales: Gray County ............................................................................................................ 35 Carol Schuetze Greeley County ...................................................................................................... 25 Empire Advertising Inc. Hamilton County ................................................................................................... 29 P.O. Box E, Garden City, KS 67846 Haskell County ....................................................................................................... 39 Graphic Design and Layout: Hodgeman County .................................................................................................17 J. R. Brown, Garden City, KS. Kearny County ........................................................................................................31 Kiowa County........................................................................................................... 11 Wild West Country has made every Lane County .............................................................................................................21 effort to insure the accuracy of materi- Map ...............................................................................................................................6 al presented in this guide. However, we Meade County ......................................................................................................... 37 assume no responsibility or liability for Morton County ....................................................................................................... 47 errors, changes, or omissions in this Ness County .............................................................................................................19 guide. Reproduction without permission Scott County ............................................................................................................ 23 is strictly prohibited. Seward County ........................................................................................................41 BEHIND OUR COVER Stanton County .......................................................................................................48 I saw this little quote Stevens County ......................................................................................................45 on a T- shirt and I Welcome to Wild West Country ........................................................................... 4 guess it sums up why Wichita County .......................................................................................................24 I love photography. “ I can freeze time with one click, so, what is your super power?”. When I’m not on the tractor or helping my husband Clinton with the many duties of a farm wife in South West Ness County I have camera in hand. I love to shoot just about anything and can’t wait to stick the SD card in the com- puter and start editing. With growing grandchildren in sports and activities it has kept me busy along with Senior pho- tos and families. After seeing the theme of Honest to Goodness Fun for the cover photo contest for Wild West I started trying to think of something that would fit the title. Not far from our place in Ness County is a Miss Rodeo Kansas with a four year old little boy named Gunner Foos. He was a sure candidate for my idea. He was a nat- ural with his cowboy hat, spurs, rope and two Corgi’s Meg and Ozzie who follow him everywhere. He loves horses and farm life with dad and mom. He knows he is going to be a super star now that he is going to be on the front cov- er of a magazine. Something he can share WILDWEST COUNTY at pre-school! 6A www.wildwestcountry.com A www.wildwestcountry.com With its rich history dating back to the 1880s, Comanche County offers tourists a blend of the old and the new. Here tourists can see wheat, corn, and milo fields stretching across the plains, as well as some of the most rugged land in the Red Hills — reminding them of the Black Hills in the Dakotas. Also evident are cattle grazing on the plains and the hills, providing beef for consumption throughout the nation and the world. Designated as one of Kansas’ Scenic Highways, US 160 crosses the county, offering travelers a cross section of the types of land and scenic views available here. Comanche County also boasts a number of murals painted by world-renowned artist Stan Herd — who grew up in Protection — depicting the county’s history. Actually, the county’s history predates settlers in the area, with prehistoric Indian sites located in various places around the county. Some of the old Indian relics can be seen at the Comanche County Museum in Coldwater where those and “newer” items from the “Old West” are displayed. The three towns in Comanche County — Coldwater, Protection, and Wilmore — all offer visitors and residents alike a slower-paced life-style with friendly faces and hospitality not always seen in the larger cities across the nation. All three towns boast city fine parks for picnicking and outdoor relaxation. Coldwater and Protection both offer various recreational opportunities, including baseball diamonds, swimming pools, a bowling alley, a shooting range, two golf courses, and Lake Coldwater. The 250-acre lake in a 1,000-acre park offer swimming, boating, skiing, fishing, and camping for those who enjoy the out-of-doors, as well as a short jaunt for site seeing or hiking. Coldwater’s downtown Heritage Park is home to an impressive memorial to all the veterans for the county. Nearby is the historic Chief Theatre with its pr-1950s decor, playing the top movies of today every weekend. And for the outdoorsmen, some of the finest pheasant, quail, water fowl, and deer hunting in the nation can be found right here as well. Coldwater is the home of a modern, recently renovated hospital and medical clinic, offering criti- cal care for young and old. The local school district, with grade and middle school facilities in Protection and the high school in Coldwater, offers the youth a quality education, and excellent extracurricular and athletic opportunities. And both Coldwater and Protection have modern nursing home facilities to provide for the elder-care. All-in-all, Comanche County is a great place to live, as well as an exceptional place to spend time relaxing or exploring the rich history of the area. 8 www.wildwestcountry.com Clark County was organized in Clark County is part of the southernmost tier of counties in the southwest region of Kansas. It is 1886. It was part of Ford County bordered by Oklahoma to the south, Ford County and Dodge City on the north, Meade County to previously. The county was named the west and Comanche and Kiowa counties on the east. after Charles Clarke. Clarke was a The typography of Clark County is so varied as to include a plains area in the north merging into the Big Basin, a huge natural sinkhole, then the canyon region, and finallythe beautiful, red Sixth Kansas Cavalry captain. Clark dolomite cliffs in the south. This county is primarily agricultural and depends on farming and cattle County is located in the southwest