St. Francis, Kansas a look at the past
Timeline
1854 - Territory of Kansas formed by an act of Congress
1861 - Admission of Kansas as a State
1873 - Cheyenne County created by the legislature
1873 - Cheyenne County surveyed
1875 - First cowboys stayed in the county all winter
1879 - The G.T. Dunn family were the first to spend the winter
1880 - Cheyenne County's population is 37
On August 23, the first post office was established in Wano at the A.M. Brenamen trading post
There are 11 farmers, 3 cattle ranches, and the first white child was born, Adelma Dunn
Kepferle was the first post office approved in the county (in the northeast of the county)
Lucius and Nancy Heaton were the first to file homestead papers in the county
1881 - Cheyenne County's population is 100
1884 - First civil suit at law in county
1885 - Wano town site selected and platted
Bird City platted
First fair in Wano
The first German-Russian immigrants arrive
1886 - Cheyenne County organized with 13 townships
Bird City selected as the temporary county seat
First courthouse was a leased building for $75 a month in Bird City
1887 - Wano is moved a few miles south by the railroad to land owned by Captain Emerson
The new town is named St. Francis
The Citizens Bank was organized April 14 and one year later renamed the Citizens State Bank
1888 - The first train arrives in Cheyenne County on July 8
The last building is moved from Wano to St. Francis
The new post office opened in St. Francis
1890 - Half of St. Francis burned down in one hour
First arrest for murder in the county
Population is 3,975
1891 - A bounty of $1.75 was placed for every wolf or coyote scalp with ears brought to the County Clerk. Five cents was paid for rabbits.
1893 - The grasshopper scourge forced many settlers to leave the area
1898 - The St. Francis Elementary School was erected
1903 - Dewey and Berry Feud
1925 - Dedication of new court house in St. Francis
1934 - Population of St. Francis was 1,834
1935 - The Republican River flood
1946 - Site for the Cheyenne County fair is purchased
1951 - Drilling of the first test oil well
1957 - New roadside park in St. Francis