History of city takes many forms

Sometimes sitting at a stoplight for more than one cycle can seem like an eternity; even more so if the light seems to be mis-timed or malfunctioning.

Imagine living here in a day when people sat in passenger trains for two days waiting as a huge herd of buffalo lumbered across the railroad tracks. (Frustrated and impatient, surely someone called the city, the county or the railroad to complain, possibly even to suggest buffalo crossing signs be put up!)

The history of Hays is so colorful and rich; it's almost surreal. Often we forget, take for granted or don't even pay attention to the things we have that are so very fascinating to folks from all walks of life and from every corner of the globe.

Mention the names Gen. George Custer, Wild Bill Hickok or Buffalo Bill Cody and interest and intrigue are sparked immediately. The names create instant visions of a time in America that can never be duplicated.

These visions were a reality in everyday life during the early years of Hays. Imagine living side-by-side with these historical figures that actually walked our streets and lived their legendary lives.

Four of the seven men known to have been shot by James Butler “Wild Bill” Hickok, now known for the infamous “Dead Man's Hand,” were shot in old Hays City, creating lasting fame for himself as a gunfighter. Cody earned his distinguished nickname “Buffalo Bill” while working in Hays killing 12 buffalo a day to feed railroad workers as they forged a new form of transportation to the west. The stark contrast of the rough and wild west can be no sharper than to visualize the beauty and charm of Libbie Custer, who brought elegance and refinement to the area where, as she once stated in reference to frequent gunfights, “Every night in downtown Hays was just like the 4th of July.”

Another man takes us back to a period even much earlier, yet still so very fascinating. He brushes away the dirt to reveal a piece of our history that only nature can record. This “fossil seeker,” George Sternberg, has found the fish-within-a-fish. Imagine the commotion that would cause these days.

So many people have walked our streets and molded our community into what it is today. Political figures such as President John F. Kennedy, movie stars like Ryan O'Neal and Jodi Foster, even athletes of the century Satchel Paige and Babe Didrickson all add to the nostalgia.

Fast-forward to the 2004 World Series, and then picture yourself in the stands. The excitement doubles as you look out onto the field knowing that you had the opportunity to watch, get to know personally and maybe even live with, not one, but two of the players; and they're playing against each other in this game of all games. This could only happen to a Hays Lark.

Even though fires in the late 1800s destroyed so many of the things that represent our early years, the legends remain, hopefully forever. As we come back to the present and pull away from that stoplight, we have to remember that in this fast-paced, carbon copy, cookie-cutter world we live in, it is extremely important to our future that we not forget our past.

We have so much opportunity. Our growth and renovation projects are working together to strengthen and enrich our lives and our futures. Hays really does have small-town charm with big-time fun. And I'm really glad to see that we're not the bottom of the ocean anymore!

Sunell Koerner is the mayor of Hays.