Did You Know This About Geary County History?”
By Dr. Ferrell Miller
Geary County Historical Society Board Member
“The Episcopal Church of the Covenant Had a Military Origin”
The long history of the military and the citizens of Junction City began when Major Ogden came to Kansas in 1855 with his troops and carpenters to build a fort. With him came several men responsible for establishing the Episcopal Church in Junction City.
The first church services of any denomination in Junction City were held by The Reverend Preston, an Episcopal Priest, in a room upstairs from the jail on Jefferson Street between Eighth and Ninth Streets. The Reverend David Clarkson, who organized the Episcopal congregations in 1858 was the first Post Chaplain at Fort Riley. Clarkson was replaced by Chaplain George Henderson in 1859 and it was this man, aided by young Lieutenant J.E.B. Stuart (later Major General Stuart of the Confederate Army, who built the Episcopal Church which stands today at 314 North Adams Street in Junction City.
The $1,500 to build the church was raised from officers at Fort Riley. The building began to be built by several laymen and a stone cutter by the name of James M. Harvey, who later became the Governor of Kansas.
J.E.B. Stuart joined the Confederacy in the early 1860’s and was killed in a Civil War battle in 1864. During the Civil War, disaster struck the new parish in Junction City. The roof collapsed. Reverend Charles Reynolds came to the aid of the struggling parish, which had lost membership in part because of men being gone to war. The church was renamed “Church of the Covenant”.
A few weeks after completion of the new roof - it collapsed again. A third roof was built with money from officers of Fort Riley and citizens of Junction City. The interior was finished and furnished by 1870.
The Rectory was added in 1883. In 1911 Guild Hall was constructed. Transepts were added to a new chancel area, new classrooms and an office building were constructed to connect the church with Guild Hall.
Some of the more famous past attendees at the Episcopal Church of the Covenant include Roy Eisenhower (who was a pharmacist in Junction City and the brother of Dwight D. Eisenhower, General George Patton, General Jonathan Wainwright and Brigadier General Andrew Seitz.
“A Huge Tornado Struck in 1905”
We have had some strange weather lately with threats of severe weather, rain, snow, extended cloudiness followed by glorious sunshine. All of that sometimes happens in one day.
Today’s story takes us back to June of 1905, when a tornado struck the northeast part of Jefferson Township in Geary County at about 10:00 in the evening. It caused a great deal of damage to property and crops.
The first place it hit was the Country Club on Whiskey Lake, which was near Marshall Field on Fort Riley. Tents and camper’s outfits were carried off into adjoining fields. Some of the fourteen persons there that night took refuge in the clubhouse. Big trees were broken by the force of the wind.
Further away from the river, the storm seemed to gather force. At Jake Boiler’s place, corn cribs and a windmill were blown away. At John Cameron’s farm, the out-buildings and front porch to the farmhouse were wrecked. Mr. Cameron had finished putting up two stacks of alfalfa a few hours before the storm came and in the morning there was nothing to show where the stacks had been.
The wind turned the large barn on John McIntyre’s place on its foundation. The back part of Mrs. Rasmussen’s house was blown away. Clarks Creek was out of its banks in the morning and it was impossible to cross the Coffey, Settgast or Conrow Bridges with teams of horses on account of the water being as much as ten feet deep on the approaches.
Anyone who has lived in Kansas knows the weather can quickly change. This is especially true in the spring and summer months. Now the emergency warning systems help save lives and improved quality in buildings save some damage from high winds or even tornadoes.