Over 125 years ago the first Czech pioneers arrived in North
Central Kansas in their search for a better life in a new country.
Most of these immigrants arrived in America at New York harbor in
the Ellis Island vicinity after crossing the Atlantic Ocean from
Europe in passenger freight ships.
Unable to speak English, many had help to procure the necessary
train routes to Kansas. They finished their journey by securing
horses and wagons or walking from the train station to their
destinations in northwestern Ottawa county. Most likely, the only
main station at the time would have been located at Solomon.
Many also settled outside Ottawa county to live in Lincoln,
Mitchell, and Cloud counties. Some of the early pioneer families
lived in hillside dugouts. Later they quarried limestone and hauled
it in lumber wagons to build warmer dwellings and schools. You can
see the remnants of some of these early homes in the vacant fields
around the area. They also used limestone to build shelters for
livestock and as fence posts. Each family needed a well and these
were dug using pick, shovel, rope, and buckets. The wells were then
walled with limestone.
The first pioneers to die were buried in the First Creek or
Baldwin Cemetery. I have included a waypoint for this cemetery if
you would like to visit that area. In the 1880's the local
residents selected a cemetery site and elected a cemetery board. An
acre of land with a deed was donated by Mary Antene for the
Bohemian National Cemetery in 1889. Additional tracts of land were
purchased from Magdelina Boucek in 1949 and also from Ollie and
Frank Srna in 1950 to enlarge the cemetery. It was later put on the
tax rolls to generate revenue and help maintain the cemetery. Cedar
trees were planted around it in 1955. Harold Hrabe and Lowell
Tasker built a sturdy fence on the south side in 1967.
You cannot drive into this cemetery, but there is room to park
at the gate and make the short walk to ground zero. The cache is
not near any graves and you do not need to walk on any graves to
reach the cache. Please respect the area and those interred here,
limiting your search to daylight hours. This area has a lot of
history, so take time to look around. Again, if you are interested,
you can visit the Baldwin Cemetery. CITO if needed, use stealth if
warranted, rehide as you find it for the next cacher, and post no
hints or spoilers. Thank you and good luck.
Congratulations
"bar b q" : First to Find - December 12, 2010
