Flyover People
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
WHEN I signed off last week, Dave and I were leaving Winfield.
This Cowley County town was the turning around point on a recent day trip.
With a quick check of the map we decided to wiggle our way north and east to Emporia.
Following U.S. 160, just as we were about to turn north, I saw a sign pointing another direction, toward Dexter. Seven miles.
“Oh, Dexter!” I said. “Helium! Let’s go look at the helium.”
On road trips, I’m easily distracted by the town unseen. If there’s a road sign with an arrow, I wanna follow the sign. ‘Cause there’s always something to see in every odd (I mean that in a good way) little town this state has.
So we followed K-15 and headed into Dexter. This community has 350 people, Crabby Patty’s gas station, and one candy factory, Henry’s Candies.
Dexter is one of those towns where it’s quiet enough to hear birds sing on a Saturday afternoon. But sound was not left to the birds; a dog barked and a lawnmower hummed.
In 1903, natural gas was discovered under Dexter. Apparently they lit a flame to fire the well and “the roaring gas blew out the flame.” They learned later that what they had here was helium. And that was a great day for Dexter.
In the town’s Helium Memorial Park, you’ll find a capped well and a marker with benches and landscaping where they pay tribute to this noble bit of the town’s history.
Dexter has a café, the Gathering Place. I immediately wondered if they had pie, but we were too late, the restaurant had closed at 2 p.m.
Outside, the café has a mural on the wall and a lovely garden area for dining and parties. It’s decorated with plants and flowers and is a lovely asset for the community.
Back in the car, we soon found Cambridge (pop. 101). A main attraction in town is the Stockman’s Café in an old limestone building along the highway.
Across the street from the café is a blast from the past. If you remember the ‘60s, you might recall the A&W family of hamburgers.
Originally, the restaurant chain sold the Papa Burger, Mama Burger and Baby Burger. Somewhere along the line though, A&W introduced the Teen Burger. Standing on an empty lot in Cambridge is a classic statue of Teen Burger Boy holding a burger and a root beer.
An old red brick school building is now the Cambridge senior citizens center. Across the street is the 1936 high school auditorium. Near the auditorium are several monuments to schools past - preserved cornerstones from the 1881 and the 1917 schools.
We headed north to Latham (pop. 164). The Latham Saloon Bar & Grill was open for business. We stopped to photograph the Baptist church and a couple of old gas stations.
Using Marci Penner’s book, “The Guidebook for Kansas Explorers,” we found a magnificent 1901 stone arch bridge just a short drive from Latham.
From there we headed toward Beaumont. For miles we could see the monstrous windmills. The Elk River Wind Farm has 100 white-gray wind turbines which generate electricity.
The turbines are scattered across several miles of soft hills. It’s a crop of lanky machines with air-slicing steel blades making less sound than a 20-mph breeze.
In Beaumont stands an 1885 Frisco wooden water tower which helped to power steam locomotives. The tower is well cared for and is a historic treasure.
Dave and I had eaten in the café in the Beaumont Hotel once before and were happy to return. It was now suppertime, so we stayed for sandwiches.
A block away is a grass runway and the Beaumont Café is a popular destination for pilots of small planes who fly in for lunch or dinner.
The aircraft parking lot was empty but the waitress said a pilot and friends had taken off just a few minutes before our arrival.
“Those are the real flyover people,” Dave said.
“Flyover People” is online at www.flyoverpeople.net.
Cheryl Unruh can be reached at cheryl@flyoverpeople.net.
sunshine (anonymous) says...
Sounds like quite an adventure. It is always great to go exploring and discover or rediscover old treasures.
September 10, 2008 at 6:02 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )