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Baxter Springs News
Page 8 Friday, September 24, 1999
Brick sculpture depicts Baxter Springs heritage
The sculpture, designed and created by Paula Collins, Denton, Texas, depicts many aspects of the heritage of Baxter Springs. Collins said she visited and researched the city before designing the artwork. Created in 1995, the large sculpture shows a number of aspects spanning more than 100 years of local heritage. In the top left-hand corner, stands the old hanging tree. Well known as a place where justice was carried out in the late 1800's the hanging tree seems to stand guard over the city, just as it towered over the massacre at Fort Blair in October of 1863. Although in reality, the tree has long since died. It is said to have been located between Sixth and Seventh streets one-half block east of Military Avenue, just south of where Anna Webb's home stood on the corner of Sixth and Military. This is now the site of the Baxter Springs Historical Society's Fort Blair project. It was used often during post Civil War years. A common site for vigilante style hangings, the strong branches of the old elm tree were the demise of the many "bad men" of the rough town. According to accountings nearly a century old, the hangman's tree was situated 400 feet west of Fort Blair. Often several bodies dangled from the tree like Christmas ornaments. This tree served as justice and jury for several years. It finally died in 1955 as it succumbed to an area-wide drought. A poem, written by M.W. Harris, and found at the Baxter Springs Heritage Center reads: The Hangmen's Tree
Here at Baxter Springs Stands that old hangmen's tree
At its roots, a member of the Quantrill's Raiders gang is seen, drawn and firing. This raider symbolizes the horrific massacre which took place not far from the tree. Quantrill, a school teacher, turned guerrilla, led a group of ruffians to the fort disguised in Union uniforms. Mistaking the group as comrades, at first, the Union soldiers at Fort Blair welcomed them. When the fighting finally ended, only General James G. Blunt and 14 of his men had escaped death. Bodies of the raiders and the soldiers lay under the tree. The raider is shown in front of Fort Blair. Blunt had settled his company of soldiers at the fort just after the Civil War had ended. He and his men were on their way from Fort Scott to Fort Gibson, Okla. Also, near the tree is a burning covered wagon. Collins said the wagon is meant to show the turmoil caused by white men entering Indian territory. Baxter Springs was founded on neutral lands and was considered by many a stopping point before entering Indian territory. To the right of the tree, the sculpture takes viewers into the next century to the mining days. The chat piles are shown towering over the sculpture, much like the chat piles west of the city stand, guarding the city's borders. An old mill and miner are also part Collins' work as the miner and his pick seem to be carving out a future for Baxter Springs. Mining became a major industry in and around Baxter Springs in the 1920's and 30's. Some of the companies named in the area include: Eagle Picher M$B Co., Captain M Co., Dines M. Co., RH & GM Co., St. Louis S & R Co., Youngman and Youse M. Co., and Wade M. Co. A typical crew consisted of one crusher feeder, two jig men, one or two sack shevelers, one ball mill and one classified operator. A sludge man, two roustabouts (repairmen) and a mill foreman were also part of the crew. In the early mining days lease agreements required that ore be milled on the property so the most could be made on royalties. Each mine had its own mill. Appropriately, at the foot of the mill, is John Baxter's cabin. Collins said because a picture of the Baxter homestead was not available, she was told just to place a cabin in the artwork and entitle it Baxter's Place. This she did. John Baxter, founder of Baxter Springs, is described as a gun-toting preacher. Although most feared him, he was known as a kindly person and a good family man. Baxter and his wife, Ruth, settled with their eight children on about 160 acres of land near Spring River. Their cabin is reported to have been located somewhere in the area of East Avenue, between Sixth and Seventh Streets. This is reported to have been the first house built in Baxter Springs. In the artwork, on the porch of the Baxter cabin, stands a lady. Could it be Ruth, Baxter's wife? She is described a woman of great stature, but small frame. In Dolph Shaner's description of Baxter and his family, he writes: "The entire Baxter family coming into a camp meeting or into a trading post would arrest the attention of anyone. Led by the imposing father would be four sons, none less than six feet tall. They all, of course, wore homespun, pants in heavy boots and the older boys with beards. "The men would be followed by a frail little woman less than five feet tall and weighing less than 100 pounds. With the mother would be four buxom daughters, each above the average size for women and all dressed in linsey-woolsey, aprons and bonnets, and heavy calfskin shoes. Home life was important to Baxter. He loved music and it is said the entire family played well on the violin. They all loved dancing and the entire family, except Ruth, would often engage in a home dance, with only the closest friends invited. Baxter and his children possessed good voice and often serenaded Ruth. Baxter was feared by many and his determination to succeed could have been his nemesis, ultimately leading to his death. There are several accounts of the gun battle from which he died. The following story seems to be the most likely, according to information found at the Heritage Center. Apparently, Baxter's daughter, whose husband had passed away, had leased some property to a man named Commons, also known as Rogers. When the lease expired, Baxter served notice on Commons to vacate but he refused. Baxter then served a ten-day notice on the man, telling him to vacate or take the consequence. Baxter in company with some of his friends went to Rogers house, where they found a Mr. Morris, whom they assaulted and beat most unmercifully. Next day, Baxter, his son Thomas, and Mr. Lewis, Lewis' son and Pinking Killebrew, again went to Rogers house. When they approached the house, someone from inside opened fire with a load of buckshot. Baxter fell, mortally wounded, but said to his son, "Tom, they've killed me. Shoot them." His son seized Killebrew's gun and rushed to the cabin, forced the door open, and fired two shots, killing two men. The third man, who was Commons, escaped through the back door into the woods. Although his body has never been found, Baxter is said to be buried about 300 feet from the old hanging tree. Baxter's family moved to Bonham, Texas following his death. Winding through the sculpture is a chain. The chain is the world's longest wooden chain which is currently on display at the Baxter Springs Heritage Center. The chain, carved by Galena resident Jim Porter was shown on the "Tonight Show," when it was 705 feet long. The chain is now well over 1100 feet. That's as tall as a 95-story skyscraper - nearly a quarter of a mile. He made the chain in eight-foot sections and spliced them together. Each link is 3 inches long and about a quarter of an inch thick. Ripley's Believe it or Not contacted Porter asking to buy the chain when it was finished. He is quoted as saying, "You could fill this here building with money and it wouldn't be enough to get this chain." For the exact length of the chain, visit the Heritage Center. Just as the wooden chain winds through the sculpture, so a steam train engine enters from the right as if it could make its way through Baxter Springs' history. The railroad was an important part of the city's history as it gave a fresh boost to growth. In May of 1870, the Missouri, Kansas and Texas began operation in Baxter Springs and was the terminus railroad to the city for sometime. Railroad service provided a way for cattle herders to get beef to northern markets, making Baxter Springs a railhead. The transportation theme continues as one peers down the right side of the sculpture. Directly under the train is a Route 66 highway sign. More than 13 miles of this famous highway cut through the southeast corner of Kansas. Route 66 stems from Chicago to Los Angeles and has been depicted in song and legend during the last eight decades. Having opened through Kansas in the 1920's, merchants in Baxter Springs have always taken advantage of tourism through the city. With restaurants and other businesses cashing in on the Route 66 theme, people from all of the world have come to hear about this corner of the state. East of Baxter Springs is the Spring River bridge. Work began on the dam directly under the bridge in March of 1885. Newspaper accounts of the time depict anticipation of the bridge being built in May or June of that year. One year later, in a June 5, 1886 accounting, the bridge was said to have been viewed by hundreds of people. "There was almost a constant line of people going and coming the entire day and many were the complimentary remarks on the scene presented there. Although the flooring was not all on the bridge and it could not be crossed by teams hundreds of people walked over it and examined it to their satisfaction," read a June 5, 1886 Baxter Springs News article. Two years prior to the bridge completion, a poem appeared in the Baxter Springs News November 22, 1884 edition.
It reads:
Under the Spring River bridge Collins included the street car bridge. It is shown broken, much as it is today. The street car bridge has a significant place in Baxter Springs history as the bridge, located east on Sixth Street, opened easy access to Joplin, Mo. Many people, including miners, and families used the street car bridge as a major means of transportation, for two decades, from 1917 to 1939. Balancing out the sculpture is Quapaw Indian Chief, Victor Griffin. Griffin, who died at the approximate age of 85, in April of 1958, was a full-blooded Quapaw Indian. Griffin was born in the Osage nation in Indian territory on Quapaw creek where most of the Quapaws originally came from. He was orphaned at an early age and raised by his grandmother, Mary Stafford who was over 100 years old when she passed away.. In his early days, Griffin was interpreter for the old full-blooded Quapaws. He received his English education in the Quapaw Indian schools and had hosts of friends among both the early pioneer white men as well as the Indians. He is known for striving to keep the old Indian traditions alive. He was probably one of the most colorful and best known Indians in the territory. Because Baxter Springs is known as the "first cowtown in Kansas," Collins placed a cowboy and steer in the center of the bottom half of the mural. On the left bottom corner of the mural is a baseball bat, baseball, and glove. Collins said she included baseball for a number of reasons. Because the Little League field is so well known through the country, she said she felt it was important to the residents of the community. Also, she had found out Micky Mantel played ball here and since he had passed away a month before the sculpture was completed and she had another friend in baseball pass away, she felt compelled to include the sport in this statement about the city. Moving up the left side is a woman and children dressed in garb from the late 1800's. The stand in front of a tent with a banner marking the GAR reunions. These "old soldier reunions" as they were known, brought thousands of visitors to Baxter Springs, near the west side of Spring River. These soldiers from the Civil War enjoyed reuniting with each other and the reunions became popular with the residents of Baxter Springs. Families would come from all over the country to camp out and enjoy reminiscing and meeting each other from year to year. A Civil War soldier stands ready to fight for his beliefs just about the GAR tent. Although Kansas was a neutral, free state, it was also the site of many skirmishes between the Blue and the Gray. A profile of a black soldier is hidden in the sculpture. Collins said this subtle piece of history stems from a legend told to her while she was visiting the city. According to legend, this black soldier has been seen riding up and down either Sixth or Seventh streets, near the Fort Blair site on a brown horse. At one time there was a home, owned by a Mrs. Teeter near the fort site. Apparently she had seen the horseman on several occasions. Legend has it that once the Historical Society began rebuilding the fort, the soldier changed to a white horse. Because this is merely a legend and because he was a "ghost," Collins said she simply put a profile in the sculpture. Can you find it? |
Why is Baxter Springs the way it is today? The answer may be in a culmination of events depicted in the brick sculpture on the south side of the American Bank at Twelfth and Military Avenue.