"Did You Know This About Geary County History?”
By Dr. Ferrell Miller
Geary County Historical Society Board Member
“The Pre-Civil War House At 1064 West Chestnut”
Edmund S. (E.S.) McFarland was born in Clinton, New York in 1828 and learned the trade of a carpenter. In March 1852, he enlisted in the Second United States Dragoons with his regiment being in Texas before he was assigned to Fort Riley, Kansas in 1855. He then mustered out in 1857.
E.S. returned east for a few months before coming back to Kansas with his brother, James Horatio. They later settled on adjoining homesteads one mile west of Junction City and three miles from Fort Riley. Edmund built the first building in town, the “Claims House”, before Junction City was incorporated in 1859. The “Claims House” was located at what is now the corner of Sixth and Washington Street.
E. S. married Amanda Staples from Massachusetts in 1871. Edmund built the house on 160 acres of land by using the money he was given for not drinking his ration of whiskey while he served in the Army.
The McFarland’s had one daughter, Mary Elizabeth, and a son, J.E. (Ed). Some of the information about the history of the house and the area where it is located comes from Mary Elizabeth’s notebook titled Mary Remembers. Mary lived in the house until she married Henry Axtell in 1895. Mary wrote that “A deep creek and timber ran through the land coming from the south along the valley and crossed the Sixth Street Road. McFarland Road was an early pioneer trail leading out of Junction City, which ran into the Old Smokey Hill Trail. Many pioneer schooners traveled through the land.” In 1942, J.E. (Ed) McFarland sold 120 acres of the land to Glenn and Myrtle Kirkpatrick. In 1945 the Kirkpatrick’s sold 52 acres to Walter and LaVanche Homer.
The Homers completely renovated the house on the land they purchased from the Kirkpatricks. In 1949, Walter built the pond now called Homer’s Pond, which is located near Eisenhower Street across from the Devin Center for Education Support. Colonel (retired) Leland and Katherine Flynn bought the house in 1964. In 1969, Don and Mary Carrier purchased and remodeled the house and later remodeled it several times. When their son, Steve, was two or three, he often referred to the place as “Old McDonald’s Farm”. Like E.S. McFarland, Don Carrier is a “master” carpenter and just as Amanda McFarland was a teacher, Don and Mary had long careers in educating the youth in Geary County schools. The house is located at 1064 W. Chestnut in Junction City, Kansas.
“Shaken, Not Stirred”
“Shaken, not stirred” is a command often given by James Bond in the Ian Fleming novels, which become movies. It is in reference to James Bond’s preference for the making of his martini. However, today’s story is about what to do with hay after it is mowed. Should it be “shaken or stirred?”
The story comes from a July 1866 article in the “Junction City Union” newspaper. The writer stated that “his father says it don’t do nay good to keep stirring hay all the time after it is mowed, till it is cured”. Uncle John, who is a good farmer, says we “ought to keep stirring the grass all the time”. Mother says: “Uncle John cannot bear to see anyone rest for one minute, so all the while he keeps his people working whether or not it does any good.” I should like to know who is right on this subject stated the author.
Well, the reply came back stating that “it seems Uncle John was right. The more one stirred newly mown grass, the more it cured evenly and the sooner it was fit to go into the barn. Some of the best farmers used a horse hay-tender for keeping the grass in constant motion. As soon as an acre or two was mown, they started up the tender, shook up and turned over the hay until it was fit to rake. The sun did the most damage by burning and scorching the grass when the hay lay thick on the ground and was not turned. The respondent also stated that “it would be best to shake all the bunches into pieces and throw it around lightly so the air may circulate through it and raise the moisture. This would hurry along the curing process”.
Now we know that at least when it comes to curing hay, both shaking and stirring helps. However, it may be an individual choice to have a martini shaken not stirred.