St. Francis - Today

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=110 BGCOLOR="#999933" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="040006e0ddwnfv.png"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Arial" ><B>Raile Family</B></FONT><B>     |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Raile Family"><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id118.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Courthouse History"><U>Courthouse History</U></A>   |   <B>St. Francis - Today</B>   |   <A HREF="id147.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="St. Francis, Kansas An Outsiders Opinio"><U>St. Francis, Kansas - An Outsider's Opinion</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id159.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Misc. St. Franics"><U>Misc. St. Franics</U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=190 BGCOLOR="#CCCC99" TEXT="#080000" background="041bec00esnpes.png"> <div> <B><IMG SRC="2239d670.png" border=0 width="157" height="103" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <I><B>photo by Penny Raile</B></I></div> <div> <B>View of St. Francis looking east.  Picture taken from the top of the grain elevator.</B></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id115.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="St. Francis, Kansas Yesterday"><U><B>St. Francis - Yesterday</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id118.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Courthouse History"><U><B>Courthouse History</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id101.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="St. Francis Today"><U><B>St. Francis Today</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id147.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="St. Francis, Kansas An Outsiders Opinio"><U><B>An Outsider's Opinion</B></U></A></div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=370 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> St. Francis - Today</div> <div> <I>A kindly town where everyone went to the High School before his lot in life gave him college or work for his daily bread; and old acquaintance was not forgot. Like most middle-western towns, also, obscure though they may be, it was touched by all the great issues of the world.  - </I>Olive Thanet, The Man of the Hour</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="2b2ca820.png" border=0 width="202" height="130" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="2dbfaa30.png" border=0 width="250" height="163" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">     </B><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><I>photo by Penny Raile</I></FONT></div> <div> <B>Main Street St. Francis, Kansas with grain elevator in distance</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Skyscraper of the prairies.</B></div> <div> In most areas of Kansas, you can see at least one grain elevator off in the distance. Every town has at least one and, in some cases, the elevator is still standing (and may even still be used) even if the town has been abandoned.</div> <bR> <div> Grain elevators were built when very few Kansas farmers could build enough storage at their farms to store their entire wheat crop. In the early days of Kansas, each farmer hauled his wheat to town with a horse and wagon. Most Kansas towns, and grain elevators, were not very far apart.</div> <bR> <div> Grain elevators were built alongside railroad tracks, as were most Kansas towns. The wheat from area farms was collected at the grain elevator and then shipped by rail car to flour mills.</div> <div> In recent years, semi-trucks have shipped more and more Kansas wheat from the local grain elevators to larger elevators, flour mills, or to ports. Two-thirds of the wheat grown in Kansas is exported to other countries. Kansas ranks 1st among the 50 states in flour-milling capacity so much of the remaining one-third of the Kansas wheat crop is milled into flour in the state of Kansas. </div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="2ccafc90.png" border=0 width="175" height="201" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">     <FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><I>photo by Penny Raile</I></FONT></div> <div> <B>Sunflower </B> </div> <div> Northwest Kansas farmers have been growing sunflowers for a number of years.  Recently there has been a decline in production since the crop is hard on the soil.</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="2cefad00.png" border=0 width="250" height="208" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">     <FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><I>photo by Penny Raile</I></FONT></div> <div> <B>Birth place of Astronaut Ron E. Evans.</B>  </div> <div> Astronaut Evans was the Commander module pilot of Apollo 17.  He was born on this spot in St. Francis, but not in this garage.</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="2cffaa20.png" border=0 width="250" height="162" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">     <FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><I>photo by Penny Raile</I></FONT></div> <div> <B>Sawhill Park in St. Francis</B>.  </div> <div> The band shell has been the setting for many summer festivities and is one of the few left in the state.</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="2d0faa20.png" border=0 width="250" height="162" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">     <FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><I>photo by Penny Raile</I></FONT></div> <div> <B>Main Street, St. Francis. </B> </div> <div> Looking east towards the high school, this street is referred to as Main Street even though it is Washington Street.  Most locals use landmarks, not street names to give directions.</div> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="33afda10.png" border=0 width="253" height="161" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">  </B><IMG SRC="33bf8a20.png" border=0 width="248" height="162" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">  <IMG SRC="33c6aa30.png" border=0 width="106" height="163" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <B>Pla Mor Recreation</B> </div> <div> Plar Mor Recreation, referred to as the pool hall, was opened February 12, 1931 by Pete Reichert and Tom Gettle.  Pete and Martha Reichert purchased the other half of the business from Tom in 1933.  Pete died August 1, 1968.  Martha ran the business until February 16, 1981 when she sold it to Denny and Judy Davis from Goodland, Kansas.</div> <bR> <div> When the business opened during the prohibition days, it offered pool, pitch, candy and tobacco.  Beer was added after the repeal of prohibition.</div> <bR> <div> The hall is a gathering place for morning coffee by farmers and business people and as a watering hole for many people in the evening.</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="2d1faa90.png" border=0 width="250" height="169" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">     <FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><I>photo by Penny Raile</I></FONT></div> <div> <B>Cherry Creek Encampment  </B></div> <div> A memorial to the Cheyenne Indians who survived the Sand Creek Massacre</div> <div> near St. Francis (one mile west, one Mile north US Highway 27)  To learn more about the <A HREF="http://skyways.lib.ks.us/towns/StFrancis/camp.html" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://skyways.lib.ks.us/towns/StFrancis"><U>Sand Creek Massacre, click here.</U></A></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>What do folks to in St. Francis for fun?</B></div> <div> • The first week in August, county resident flock to the fair. At the fair, 4-Her's exhibit projects ranging from livestock, to photography. An old fashion Saturday morning parade with floats, clowns, and horses, and nightly entertainment makes it fun for the entire family. The well maintained home-owned carnival features games and rides, run by local volunteers</div> <bR> <div> • A beautiful one-mile walk along the Republican River on a mowed and maintained path lined with native Cottonwood, Hackberry, Green Ash, and Red Cedars. Open year round for seasonal enjoyment. Tubing during high water is exciting along this stretch of the river. </div> <bR> <div> • Located at the north edge of St. Francis, the park offers families a unique opportunity to picnic and observe geese, ducks, and beaver on small ponds. </div> <bR> <div> • The wily ring neck pheasant was introduced into Kansas in 1906 and Cheyenne County's habitat has proven to be a near perfect environment for this game bird. The season is mid-November to the end of January. Hunters come from all over the United States to hunt in Cheyenne County. </div> <bR> <div> • Golf - 9 holes, grass greens, club house, cart rental </div> <bR> <div> • The Cheyenne County Airport hosts the annual Stearman Fly-In, featuring World War II biplanes, vintage air craft, sunrise balloon flights and skydivers. Tandem Skydiving jumps are available both days of the fly-in. The most exciting ride you'll ever take! Stearman rides are available on a limited basis. </div> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>