Old Business Ads from 1902 Barnard Bee

Two names that still remain a part of the Barnard community (Griffeth and Blanding).

The bank's building still stands in Barnard and is on the way to new life.

In an earlier article on the Banter, collector's plates from the Johnson Brothers are pictured.

The Third Sister

A painting of the historic Longford tower.

There were three similar water towers built in Kansas in the late 30's and early 40's by the WPA.  The three towers were made of concrete and were built in Longford, Barnard, and Mahaska.  I happened to find the Longford tower today.  Unfortunately, it was torn down and replaced with a generic blue standpipe that was funded by government grant money.  All that remains of it is a pile of sand and its two pump houses 1 mile west of town, now kept company by the new tower.  The two historic pump houses are impressive in their own right.  The old tower, which stood in town, was demolished about 15 years ago.  Longford is a city of 79 people located in Clay County, Kansas and is actively pursuing economic development and trying to attract citizens.

I talked with a former city council member who was on the Longford city council at the time.  The story was sad but yet different from our own.  Longford applied for funds to revamp its water system.  There was enough money left over from the construction so the remainder was used to demolish the old tower.  Some had fears of structural weaknesses and others wanted to save it. 



The pile of sand at the dead end is all that remains of the tower.

 The city council was in favor of saving it but did not want to remain responsible for its upkeep and liability.  The city offered to turn it over to a group of citizens if that group would accept that responsibility and raise money for its upkeep.  Unfortunately, in this case, the group that wanted to save it was unwilling to accept the responsibility.  The city then tore it down.  They used cranes in the demolition process and during the difficult task of taking it apart, a chunk fell on a crane, completely demolishing it. 

The council member, Bill Faidley, agreed that it was a unique structure, but without anyone willing to take the tower off the small town's hands, the city council really had no choice.  Our situation, however, is quite different.

The new tower.

Pump house One near the new tower.

Pump house Two a little further away.

Barnard Bee FIRST ISSUE March 8, 1902

IT'S YOUR MOVE

Well, hello, anyway!  Here we are---the BARNARD BEE, Vol, No. 1.

How do you like it?  It's not much for size, but we will try to make it as interesting for our readers as we can, especially for those who monkey with the business end of the critter.

Some weeks ago we met Mr. Ed Marshal, one of Barnard's merchants, on the train, and he couldn't talk about anything else but Barnard.  Among other things he said the town needed a paper.  As we had a plant that wasn't working, we made a note of Barnard's long felt want, and Tuesday of this week we determined to take a look at the situation.  We cam, we saw and were conquered.  The little city looked good to us.  And we believe that when our readers cast their optics over the several columns of ads in this issue, they will conclude that the Barnard merchants are real live men---the genuine article.  There are over five pages of ads, and for the benefit of our brothers of the craft we will say that a flat rate of 25 cents an inch was charged, and cheerfully paid by the merchants for every inch of advertising in this first issue.  The rate hereafter, will be 12 1/2 c for insertion and 10 c for repeals.  Locals 5 and 4 c per line.  But home merchants will be given preferences.  No money will buy space for outside advertisers whose lines are represented by home people.  Just as long as the business men of Barnard support the paper there will be no space for outside competition at any price.

The Bee is the first paper Barnard has had for ten or twelve years.  The first venture of the kind was started by a man named Figgy sometime in the late '80s.  He called it the News.  He continued to the work three or four years and was succeeded by Ike Ballard who left the town without a paper after two years work.  Barnard was not half as good a business pint then as now.  Half the building were for rent and work was hard to get and illy paid for.  Today there is not a vacant store building nor residence in Barnard, and when you see man loafing, it's because he can't help it--he's built that way.  But you will not see many of that class in Barnard.  there is work for anyone who wants it and at good wages.

Now Barnard has wanted a paper for some time.  you have finally got one and what the printer wants to know is how many of you are going to subscribe for it.  Don't be bashful, walk right up to the captain's office and plunk down your dollar for a year's subscription.  As we said before--IT'S YOUR MOVE!


WANTED---A PLAN TO START BUILDING

It occurs to the writer that a building and loan association would do a thriving business in this little town.  while there is some building going on, yet there is positive need of more buildings both for residence and business purposes.  there is not a vacant building of any description on the town site.  A the present moment there is need of almost fifteen buildings.  Now, why wouldn't it be a good plan for our business men to get together and organize a building and loan association?  Such institutions make it possible for people to build who could not otherwise do so.  It is on the books for Barnard to be a mighty good town in the near future--fact is it's a mighty good town right now.  But there's a whole lot of ground laying around here that would make good building lots and there are renters and buyers waiting for them.

For topographical reasons, Barnard it bound to be a good business point.  We have an immense territory to draw from and we ought to see to it that no advantage is overlooked.

Had we shelter for the people we believe Barnard could increase its population 100 souls in the next three months.

Think about it.

Barnard Census Numbers

Census numbers for Barnard...

1910     425 people
1920     unavailable
1930     416 people
1940     306 people
1950     242 people
1960     unavailable
1970     unavailable
1980     unavailable
1990     129 people
2000     123 people
2010       70 people

Figures courtesy of the Lincoln County Historical Society and the U.S. Census Bureau

Water Tower Project Figures

To repair the historic Barnard water tower as a landmark...$65,000 + $2,500 per year maintenance.

To tear it down...estimated minimum $69,000...it could be even more once they get into it.

New water tower project total...about $270,000

Bonds the City of Barnard has already sold...$108,000 plus interest (when repaid)...however, there are possible project cost overruns due to sandy soil without bedrock that could result in the city selling more bonds.

Barnard Alumni Bob Wallace Publishes New Book

Robert W. (Bob) Wallace has co-authored another book.  The title is "Spy Sites of New York City."  The website is www.spy-sites.com (with the hyphen).  Robert Wallace is the former director of the CIA's Office of Technical Service, founder of the Artemus Consulting Group and contributor to the CIA's Center for the Study of Intelligence.  In addition to his co-authored books with H. Keith Melton, Robert Wallace co-authored "Nine From the Ninth:  A Vietnam Memoir."

Author:  Robert W. Wallace

A Barnard Resident's Story...The Obituary of Otto Saunders

A town's story can be told through the obituaries of its residents...

Otto Saunders

Otto Saunders was born July 29, 1899, in Lincoln to Flint and Elizabeth (O'Neill) Saunders and passed away on Feb. 24, 1983, at the Ottawa County Hospital, Minneapolis, at the age of 83 years, six months, and 26 days.

Ott and Eva Loy were united in marriage Sept. 25, 1921 and this union was blessed with five children.  They lived most of their life in Barnard and celebrated their 61st wedding anniversary last September.

Ott and Eva had an ice business for many years, and in the late '40s, he became a city councilman for Barnard, and a year later, became city marshal.  Ott was also Lincoln County Deputy Sheriff until his death, and was both fire chief and water and sewer superintendent for Barnard.  Ott helped build the water tower, sewer, and dike and retired a year ago after 35 years of service to the city.

Ott and Eva both enjoyed fishing and he loved fishing from the boar especially.  He would go out and get crawdads when he could hardly walk, just to have on hand in case someone came along wanteing to go fishing.  He loved his grandchildren and great-grandchildren and when any of them came into town they would argue over who saw Grandpa's water tower first and still think it is Grandpa's.

Ott is survived by his wife Eva, of the home; five children:  Dale of Salina, Pete of Minneapolis, Beth (Mrs. Leroy Holcom) of Gypsum, Jerry of Dodge City, and Peggy (Mrs. Norris Herbel) of Barnard; four brothers, Melvin, Colton, Calif.; Alfred, McPherson; Ludwell, Yucaipa, Calif.; and Donald, San Bernadino, Calif.; two sisters, Mrs. Ethel Smith, Salina, and Mrs. Helen Crawford, Derby; 19 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.

Services were held Feb. 26, 1983, at the Hall Memorial Chapel.  Burial was in the Milo Cemetery, Barnard.


From:

Lincoln Sentinel-Republican, 17 March 1983
Lincoln County Historical Society Obituary Archive