Unusual characters make good blend of reading
Kansas joined the Union on Jan. 29, 1861, and many people know the story of its statehood and its history tied to not only the Civil War but also to the rise of political populism, the home of President Dwight D. Eisenhower and aviator Amelia Earhart.
Roger L. Ringer in his book “Eccentric Kansas: Tales from Atchison to Winfield” does not make any attempt to cover those famous stories and I’m glad he does not as I found it to be a fascinating read with tales about innovation and colorful characters.
What garnered my attention was, in particular, products and projects that never made any money yet are just as important to defining a rural state’s economy, which of course is agriculture.
Innovation is the key to advancement of an industry. The race to build a prototype car or farm tractor in the early 1900s was much like our race to get man to the moon in the 1960s. However, there was one important difference—the early inventors were doing their work on shoestring budgets. The thin purse strings were often timed with a struggling economy. Like many Midwestern states, farmers in Kansas faced an uphill ag economy in the 1910s, 1920s and 1930s.
These entrepreneurs were ahead of their time and yet their contributions were thankfully noted in “Eccentric Kansas.”
There were success stories in Ringer’s book, too, such as Harold Ensley, known as the pioneer for hunting and fishing shows. Ensley was born in Lane County near Healy on a cattle ranch. Our family would watch the shows in hopes he’d feature a lake we fished at or hunted for pheasants in a field we might have known. For all I knew about Ensley and his show—Sportsman’s Friend—I did not know that at one time he was a minister in the Church of Christ.
George Grant, who called Victoria home, imported Aberdeen Angus bulls to the United States in 1873 besides having a keen eye for cattle he was also a promoter who changed the livestock industry. In the Victoria Cemetery a large monument is dedicated in his honor.
Other fascinating stories include about early Hollywood tycoon Roscoe Conking “Fatty” Arbuckle, a native of Smith Center; Geech creator Jerry Bittle, who grew in Wichita; R. Lee Ermey of Emporia was known as the actor “Gunny,” who as a decorated veteran showed reverence to today’s soldiers; and violin virtuoso Dorothy Delay who grew up in Medicine Lodge and found fame on the East Coast but never forgot her love for her native state.
There are stories of quirky men and women, a few that were downright ornery and in one case downright mean and scary.
Most people don’t celebrate statehood with gifts but Eccentric Kansas is one that Kansans or anyone in the High Plains would find a fascinating read.
Dave Bergmeier can be reached at 620-227-1822 or [email protected].
