A History of Barnard, Kansas

Barnard, Kansas about 1904.

This history was taken from the History of Lincoln County by Elizabeth N. Barr.  It was originally published in 1908.

The Barnard territory, namely Salt Creek and Scott Townships, was settled by cattlemen about 1868.  In 1880 the lands were opened by the government to settlers.  Houston & Son, of Concordia, acted as agents.  These were the days of sod shanties, dugouts and lonesome bachelors, poor and homesick.

The Barnard Bee gives a history of the town and we quote verbatim from that paper as it is hard to change history and our write-ups would have to be the same at all events.

In the spring of 1887, when what is now called the Barnard branch of the Santa Fe was being graded, it was first thought that a town would be started near the center of Salt Creek Township, as that township voted bonds and this one did not.  O one thought for a minute that the road would plant a depot just across the line in Schott, a bondless township.  So those interested located the probable site for the new town on the land where the late Dan Saunders farm is located, in Salt Creek Township, about three and one-half miles east and one south of the present site of Barnard.

The Baker Bros. came ovdr from Ashervill and started a lumber yard just across the road from the Saunders residence.  W.D. Snapp and G. A. King were engaged to build and office fort the company.  A man named Ross Wilcox was the lumber company’s manager.

But the railroad people had other views, and it became evident that their depot would be located in Scott Township.  Immediately two town sites were plotted, one on the west edge of Salt Creek Township, the other just across the township line in Scott Township.

The town plat in Salt Creek Township was on land belonging to Mrs. Kate Nealeigh; the one in Scott Township on land belonging to A. A. Ballard.

An interesting rivalry sprung up between the promoters of the tow town sites, and the township line dividing them was son dubbed the neutral strip.  The Nealeigh site was facetiously styled “Slabtown.”  In this article we will distinguish between the two places by using the terms now in general use—East Barnard referring to the Nealeigh site, and Barnard, meaning the Ballard site.

The first business enterprise secured by either of the tow rival sites was the Baker Bros. lumber yard, which was moved from the Saunders place to Barnard on its present site.

The first general store was opened in East Barnard by W. D. Snapp and his son-in-law, Marion Loy. Lew and Lee Morse had abeen running a store in Old Milo, two and one-half miles northeast of Barnard.  Marion Loy and Geo. Snapp bought out the Morse boys at Old Milo when they found there would be no town started on the Saunders place.  Five months later (summer of 1887 W. D. Snapp bought out his son George in the store at Old Milo and he and Marion Loy moved the stock of goods to East Barnard where Geo. Saine’s house now stands.  In a short time W. D. Snapp sold out to Lee Morse, and eventually Mr. Loy retired, which once more left the Morse boys in possession of the business.  They failed in business soon after.

The first residence built in Barnard was the one now occupied by Geo. Hiserote and family.  It was buildt by Mr. Snapp as a residence for Ross Wilcox, manager of the lumber company.

In the summer and fall of 1887 East Barnard seemed to hold the edge over its neighbor across the way.  Buildings were moved in from Old Milo and some new ones were put up.  A man by the name of Gleason opened a general store; a livery stable was also started, operated by John Clark and his father.

Dave Metzgar ran the first store in Barnard; kept a small stock of flour and feed in the building now occupied by J. J. Preo’s barber shop.  The Building then stood about where E.V. Wine’s residence is located.  Doc Ballard opened up a small stock of groceries in the building now occupied by W. F. Burns and family.  Barnard’s first post office was established in the Ballard store, a man with the unusual name of Smith being the first postmaster.

Wm. Gill, father of Mell Gill, built the corner store now occupied by C. Coffman.  For a while he ran a restaurant and boarded the men who were building the railroad.  He later put in a large stock of groceries and general merchandise.  This was the first stock of goods of any importance that was put on sale in the new town.  Wm. Gill is now located in Holly, Colo., and is still engaged in the same line of business.

A man named Jim Hoffman built and operated the first hotel, the one now known as the Barnard Hotel.

J. T. Crowl built one of the first residences and still lives in the same building.  Mr. Crowl’s house and the hotel were built at about the same time, and by the same crew of men.

All this time the railroad graders were hurrying toward Barnard as fast as they could, an on or about the fourth day of December, 1887, the track was completed.  On January 15, 1888, the road was turned over to the operating department, and it is presumed that regular train service went into effect that day.

But the Barnard of today is a busy, bustling reality, and once again we invite you to come and visit our little city, look over the beautiful, prolific Salt Creek Valley, and if you know a good thing when you see it, you’ll camp right here indefinitely.

By Elizabeth N. Barr

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