|
|
|
|
|
I. INTRODUCTION Sedalia is a tiny unincorporated community 7 miles northwest of Manhattan, Kansas on U.S. Highway 24. It lies in the heart of the High Prairie and the Flint Hills. Its settlers came as early as the 1850’s. They came from all walks of life. They left homes, families, jobs, and friends in the East to move west and eventually settle in the Sedalia community. What they found in Sedalia, however, was a hard life. Sedalia's residents were farmers who lived almost entirely off the land. The land they farmed was rocky and scarce of fertile soil. They endured the grasshopper infestation of 1874, the devastating drought of the 1880's, cultural changes caused by the industrial revolution, and acts of violence and destruction. Several times the community has nearly been wiped out. But its residents through the years have fought back in the tradition of its founding settlers and have succeeded in preserving the community's tradition and heritage. A small stone church is the community's only building. It stands on the west side of U.S. highway 24 seven miles northwest of Manhattan near mile marker #307. It embodies not only the community's history and heritage, but also that of Western America's settlement and its rural communities. II. EARLY SETTLERS The early residents of the Sedalia community were from wide and varied backgrounds. Some were immigrants to the United States. Some were from wealthy Eastern upbringings. Some were well-educated and successful Eastern businessmen. Some were just hard luck drifters. Most were of different religious faiths. Some came to Kansas lured by the promise of cheap plentiful land to homestead. One can only speculate what possessed others to give up successful businesses and move to the hard life on the High Prairie of Kansas. There were approximately twenty families in the Wildcat Township/Sedalia community during 1870‑1880.1 Several of these families played a prominent role in the establishment and building of the Sedalia church. Their personal backgrounds and history provide an enlightening insight into the community's, convictions and beliefs that were responsible for the church's construction, and also give an indication of the diversity of backgrounds from which the Sedalia population came. ‑ HUGH MCFADDEN COOPER - Hugh Cooper was born in Sterling Valley, New York in 1822. He was a carpenter and joiner by trade. At the age of 27 he moved to Detroit, Michigan where he engaged in
|
|
2 |
|