I can barely remember Hooser in the 50's. A house or two and maybe a barn or building and the cattle pens next to the railroad tracks. Cattle were still shipped by rail on occasion.
The following story, as best I can remember, was told to me by my father-inlaw, Ray Hawkins. The Mill's ranch was rounding up cattle, possibly to ship out of Hooser and had several cowhands to help.
One morning as the cowhands were at the Mill's barn preparing for the day's work, Jim Hutchins, who I believe was a regular Mill's employee, rode up to the barn on his horse. Jim said, you boys hear about the big tear up at Hooser? No they replied, what happened, what was tore up? Jim sat on his horse and looked them straight in the eye and said, a sparrow flew down on a horse turd and tore it all to pieces. With that he rode off without another word. I can just imagine the look on their faces and the conversation that followed. Cowboy humor is hard to beat.
12 comments:
Was Hooser a town or a train stop, or a ghost town, or all three???Did someone live there?
Hooser, a village of Dexter township, Cowley County, is a station on the Missouri Pacific R.R. It had a money order postoffice, telegraph and some general stores and in 1910 reported a population of 23 according to Kansas history site.
I don't remember the cowboy you quoted, but I like his humor. I enjoy the coffee hour at the hilltop in the afternoon cuz there are usually some cowboys telling whoppers/jokes and remenicing.
I believe Hoosier had a post office and a rural carrier up into the 30s. There were always some of the Wesbrook clan living there.
Way to go, Rick!
When my Great-Grandfather came to the area with with his two youngest children, (Grandad Phil Foust and his sister Lillian (Foust) Tunison), they lived in Hoosier. At that time, I seem to recall that Owen Hubbard also lived there. Perhaps Owen's father ran a store?
My Great-Grandfather was a farmer in Indiana with a large family. He came west following a suggestion from his doctor to perhaps allow better health for his ailing wife. (She died in or around Colony, Kansas if I remember correctly.) He survived a major head wound in the Civil War and lived with a metal plate installed in his skull. He is buried at Dexter.
He was a stone mason in the Hoosier area and built structures and bridges. It is my understanding that at least some of the stone bridges of the area had his hand in the construction. One of his older married sons came to Wauneta and perhaps owned or ran the hotel/store. His daughter, Bessie (Foust) Lefler was married to a barber in Cedar Vale. It is thought that Bessie's dad is buried close to Wauneta.
Later, my dad was born on a farm close to Hoosier.
Some of you will remember the terrible train accident on the highway close to Hoosier. A carload of boys from Winfield were coming to visit some girls from Cedar Vale when they were struck and killed by a train. I still remember seeing gruesome sights while viewing the vehicle on the lot at "Williams's Chevrolet".
Frank Hubbard definitly lived in Hoosier so I guess Owen might have tho I thought you were talking of an era before Owen's time. Frank did a lot of Prairie hay buying. Much of the upland west of Hoosier was harvested as high quality Prairie Hay. Frank Hubbard bought a lot of it and shipped from Hoosier by rail. He was acting as an agent for LC Adam Merc. Co. After teaching at some country schools (including North Cedar) He joined the Adam Store and became Vice President.
I think it is neat how every article brings out memories and comments from a whole bunch of old timers. It is like a snow ball rolling down a hill.
It truly is neat how articles bring out memories and comments. As much as I was around Bessie and Jimpy Lefler I didn't know her maiden name was Foust. Bessie and Jimpy were close friends of my grandparents, Anna and Albert Pate. Before my father died, Bessie and Jimpy were living in a house below my grandparents. Bessie did her washing in my grandparent's basement. They later bought my Aunt Grace (Comer) Craig's nice house in the Santa Fe Addition. Jimpy, indeed, was a barber and cut my hair many times. Even though he knew exactly how it was to be cut he always made me repeat my Mother's instructions, "Cut to the opening of my ear on the sides, shingled high in the back, feather edged and my Mother has marked on my forehead where she wants my bangs cut." I never knew what feather edged meant - and I still don't. Bessie and Jimpy (and I don't guess I ever knew his real name) were in the pinocle gang with Anna and Albert. Good memories.
I checked "Name" so I don't know why the Anonymous. I'll try again.
First ... looks like I incorrectly spelled the name of "Hooser".
Pat, my wife remembers the card parties involving your grandparents along with Bessie and Jimpy as her parents were also part of the group. She also remembers Dewey and Marie Burch, Melvin and Neva Schroeder, and Burketts. She said that Melvin Schroeder offered a quarter to either Donna Burch or her if they would kiss his bald head. Neither of them would comply.
Don, as you mention ... no doubt Owen Hubbard would have been too young to have had much historical influence at Hooser. At the same time, I suppose it is possible that he might have lived there as a youngster. Anyway, it is interesting to hear of his father's teaching and his connection to L.C. Adam Mercantile Company. Was not Owen a teacher also? I remember picking sand plums in a thicket at Hooser ... and what wonderful jelly!
A quick "Google" reveals "Memories of Hooser" by Caroline Meldrum Booth.
Owen Hubbard worked in the bank when I did - a wonderful man and co-worker. And, yes, Ray and Elsie Oltjen were members of the pinochle group, along with the Orville Burketts, Melvin and Neva Shrader. I remember Dewey and Marie Burch, but can't place them with the pinochle players, but am sure they were. I remember a story about Ada Mae Hubbard,
Owen's daughter. A banquet of some kind was being held in the Methodist church building basement. Ada May crawled along under the tables, biting people on their legs. She graduated in 1951 and her brother, Jimmy, in 1960.
Don, if Larman Holroyd, from Hewins, is in your afternoon coffee group, tell him Pat Pate says "hey".
I was grew up about two miles from Hooser. In the 40's Hooser had a train depot where we shipped cans of cream from, a post office with living quarters and George Prather was postmaster and mail carrier. My Dad was assistant mail carrier. Their was a house that Joe Westbrook lived in and he worked for the Meldrum brothers. A large and vacant school house that was used to store hay in and of course the stock yards that was used for shipping and receiving cattle by train.
A big response for such a small "town".
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