Too Long in the Wind

July 2009

Pawnee Rock's population shrinks

[July 3]   New population figures for Kansas' towns, townships, and counties have been released by the state Division of the Budget. The numbers show that Pawnee Rock city and township have lost people in the past year and since 2000.

Great Bend was the only city in the county to gain population. All of the townships' populations shrank.

Here's a quick look at the figures:

Pawnee Rock city had 329 people in 2008. That is down 3 from the previous year and down 27 from 2000 -- a drop of 8 percent.

Pawnee Rock Township (outside of the city of Pawnee Rock) had 175 people. That is down 1 from the previous year and down 13 from 2000 -- a drop of 7 percent.

Clarence Township (north of Pawnee Rock Township) had 117 people last year and didn't lose anyone since the previous year. It has lost 8 since 2000 -- a drop of 6 percent.

Liberty Township (Dundee) had 300 people last year, down 2 from the previous year and down 21 from 2000 -- a loss of 7 percent.

Great Bend's population was 15,564 last year, a gain of 7 over the previous year and a gain of 219 since 2000 -- a gain of 1 percent.

Barton County's 2008 population was 27,703 last year, a loss of 65 from the previous year and a drop of 502 since 2000 -- a loss of 13 percent.

Larned's 2008 population was 3,599. That is down 76 from the previous year and a drop of 637 from 2000 -- a loss of 17 percent.

Pawnee County as a whole had 6,291 people last year, down 124 from the previous year and down 942 from 2000 -- a loss of 15 percent.

Stafford County had 4,326 people last year, down 61 from the previous year and down 463 from 2000 -- a loss of 10 percent.

See the full pdf report for all the state's localities.

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Foster family's last harvest

[July 2]   Rick Plumlee, a longtime writer for the Wichita Eagle, visited Pawnee Rock this week to be there when the Foster family harvested the wheat crop. It was Maxine's last harvest on the land, and she insisted on going into the field.

Here is a bit of Rick's story. (A tip of the hat to reporter Stan Finger, who tipped me off that a story was coming.)

Sun sets on family farm

BY RICK PLUMLEE
The Wichita Eagle

PAWNEE ROCK -- Mosquitoes and a hot summer day didn't keep Maxine Foster from going out to the fields this week to check on the wheat harvest at her farm in central Kansas.

"I just wanted to see what was going on," she said. "I like to see them doing the cut."

At 90 years old, she is watching the last wheat harvest on land that has been part of her family for more than 100 years.

Maxine has always spent far more time doing than watching during harvest. Driving combines and grain trucks. Chasing down parts. Preparing meals seemingly nonstop to feed those in the fields.

"I've just about done it all," she said.

In 1950 -- 60 harvests ago -- she and her husband, Doyle, cut their first wheat together. Later, their only son, Bob, became a vital part of the harvest.

But Doyle is gone now after working the farm until he died at 91 in February 2007. And then last September -- just after he prepared the land for planting -- Bob died of a heart attack at 61. . . .

You can find the rest of the story, and Travis Heying's photos, here.

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Indian burial ground

Dewey Smith photographed the hillside east of the Mennonite Church road.

[July 1]   Dewey Ball -- "I've been here now 22 years and my father was here 10 years before that," he wrote -- has found a subject that no one has mentioned on PawneeRock.org. I hate to admit it, but the subject was a surprise to me.

Here's what Dewey wrote, and yesterday he sent some photos of a site he estimates at 5 acres:

You don't mention the Indian Burial Grounds east of the Rock just off the Mennonite blacktop road. It is owned by the late Richard Brining of Great Bend. It is about 200 ft east of the black top near the City's Well House. You can tell the land as it is fenced, has never been turned by tractors and is quite a site to see. Once you look at it you can tell it is out of place for the rest of this area.

I've never set foot on the burial site, just to be respectful. Richard bought it to preserve. I told the P.R. Historical ladies about it 20 years ago and they weren't even aware of it.

Also, Merita Rice, the assistant postmaster, tells the story how as a small girl she would swing from a rope hung in a tree on the south side of the Rock and swing into the cave. She tells how the Elders felt it was dangerous and had many truck loads of dirt brought in to fill it.

Maybe you knew these things, but thought I'd let you know. Best of luck, Dewey

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