I’m Jack Kempton, a native of Goodland, Kansas, a resident from June 1908 to October 1938; at this time at (age) 95, I’m legally blind so am unable to read notes, so the following comments are off the top of my head. I want to talk a little about the Rock Island Railroad. Basically the Rock Island ran from the Chicago area through Kansas City to Denver, Colorado and there was a branch line at Limon, Colorado with service to Colorado Springs. The Rock Island had division points along this line where they changed engines and train crews, but Goodland was more than just a service division because they had facilities for repairing & overhauling engines and also had a car repair unit where they rebuilt & repaired all types of freight cars, and on top of this there was service for refrigerator cars and also stock yards for taking care of the stock trains that went through. Goodland had four passenger trains, # 8 and # 40 went east, # 7 and # 39 went west. Basically they were made of up of maybe one or two part baggage cars and a mail car, chair cars, usually a dining car, and the remainder being pullman cars. Goodland also had a local train called the “Jersey”, it was a smaller engine, with high driver wheels, pretty speedy, sort of a story book looking engine and usually pulled a couple of baggage cars and a chair car. It was local service stopping at all stations between Goodland and Phillipsburg, and then turned around and came back the same day. It carried passengers and freight between the towns along this line.

The first building at the east end of the track in Goodland was more or less the center or control place for the system through here, it contained the office of the superintendent, rail line superintendent, inspectors, detectives, and the telegraphers. The telegraph was the system that kept track of the trains all along the line. The smallest town usually had a telegrapher so they were able to tell what train went through or by semaphores signal trains. They also had a device which is kind of a loop, they put a telegram in there, the train crew would go by, slip their arm through it and pick up the telegram and read the instructions. This building also made up the train crews, sent a call boy out to notify them and all.

The next building was the depot. The original depot burned down while I was a child but I don’t remember it. It was a big two story affair, I don’t know if it had a restaurant or not, but the depot that I remember was a one story and on the east end they had facilities for express and the express agent & they had express cars and like that. On the west end of the building was a place for passengers to wait for the trains and the center of it was the ticket office.

The first structure west of the depot was the coal chute. They had a cable that went down an incline hooked on to a load of coal, pulled it up the incline, and dumped the coal into bins. Then the engines would drive underneath the coal chute to various bins and open up the chute and fill the tender with the amount of coal that they needed. From the coal chute north was the turntable. This was a pretty good sized turntable that would take a big engine and would turn around so the engine could be pushed in the different slots in the roundhouse. It was pretty good sized roundhouse. I imagine the eastern section of the round house was probably used for just servicing the engines that were going to be in and out, and then the west end of it was engines that were being overhauled.

On west of the roundhouse was the machine shop. They had huge lathes and milling machines and all in the south end of it, and then in the north end of it were forges and they had a steam trip hammer, and they did rolling, acetylene and electric welding. They were able to machine parts and rebuild parts, turn the wheels, true up the wheels, and they did quite major repairs on engines and cars.

West of the machine shop was the power house. They had immense boilers and generators for making electricity for the whole system and they also furnished steam for the whole system. At first they had a huge smoke stack built out of bricks and it was quite high, and I remember when I was quite young the day they dynamited this brick structure and took it down, it having been replaced by three steel stacks. One of the main features of the power house was a steam whistle. It could be heard all over the Goodland area, they used it as a signal for the workmen on the Rock Island, that worked in the machines, sheds, rip-track repair and all that. But also it was a signal for fire in Goodland for the fire department and/or emergency, and one time there was a prairie fire coming in from the north. We lived, I lived in the west end of town, and that prairie fire came within a block of our house. But that day they blew the emergency whistle and the workmen from the Rock Island came and went with gunny sacks and rakes and all, and they were able to stop the prairie fire.

West of the power house was what we called the rip-track. It was actually where they were able to repair and rebuild all types of freight cars, no passenger cars, but any type of freight cars.

The machine shop and rip-track had separate superintendents that checked on the work that needed to be done and they were also the places where the workmen on the railroad checked in with their time sheets or cards.

On the south side of the main line was the ice house and they had facilities to service trains with refrigerator cars. They used 300 pound blocks of ice which would come out of the ice house and up on a track and be delivered to hoppers that were on top of the end of each refrigerator car. And on east of that was the stock yards, and there were trains going through Goodland that were just all stock cars, and cowboys rode along in these stock trains, and every so often they had to unload cattle and put them out in the stock yards for water and feed.

One of the busy little engines in Goodland was the switch engine. It was a smaller engine sorta like the “Jersey” except that it had tiny wheels which gave it a lot of power and they used it to move cars in and out of the rip-track and move the cars that were being serviced at the ice house, stock yards, and around the freight yard where they broke up and rebuilt freight trains for going out. My cousins the Winchels used to take their little wagons and at the west end would go along the track and pick up coal that came off, primarily out of the tenders and coal cars going through; but if a switch engine happened to be working at the west end when we were there, usually the firemen would see us and kick off a real big load of coal for us.

While I was, well I don’t remember the year, but I know I was still in grade school, there was a general strike, and I know the machinist and the car repairmen all walked out. I think everyone walked out except probably the top brass and the train crews. I know that my grandfather and my Uncle Fred, and Uncle Dan Winchell walked out and they never did go back. Some of the workers did in time, but the railroad had brought in scabs, and built bunks, mess halls, and facilities for them confined inside the railroad yards because feeling was, in town, in favor of the people that had gone out on strike. The strike went on for quite a while, and then eventually the scabs’ families came in and began to move out into town, and I remember there was a family that moved west of where I lived at the end of 16^th and Texas. My cousin and I would use sling shots and throw rocks and stuff at these families that were west of us.

Other equipment stationed at Goodland was the wrecker, it was a steam wrecker and it had its own little unit, flat cars for repairing extra equipment, and they had box cars that were converted into bunks and dining cars. Another unit had snow plows: There are two types of snow plows, one is a wedge plow that fits in front of an engine and splits the drifts along the track, pushes them to both sides, and then they also had a big steam driven rotary unit. This rotary unit had a big fan on the front of it and it would drive into tall drifts that the plows couldn’t handle and throw the snow off the main line.

The mail cars that went through as part of the passenger trains sorted the mail as the train went along, and then where the train didn’t stop they had a device that hooked on to a mail bag from the town or wherever they were going through, of course if they had bags for the town they just threw them out, threw them off the train , but they didn’t stop. And I remember when I became the manager of the Sherman Theatre I had to do a weekly report and many a time, Sunday afternoon when Number 8 was going through I’d tear down main street, and give my report to the man in the mail car before the train switched engines and left.

My first train ride was before I started to school, I went to Topeka to see Grandmother Kempton and the rest of the clan. I really don’t remember the ride, and then also I went when WW I started and Uncle Fred was training in Camp Funston or Fort Riley I went down there and later on when I was in high school I remember going to Topeka for a DeMolay convention. And then in later years Commonwealth Theatres used to hold their conventions in Kansas City, so I took a train to Kansas City.

One of the things we used to do while we were kids in the summer time was go west of town about 5 miles to what we called the iron bridge. It was a high girder, across I think it was the Sappa or maybe one branch of the Beaver, anyway it was pretty high and it was really a treat if we could get under the bridge when a train went over it. It was the iron bridge that was right east of the Caruso elevator or I think the golf course is right north of it.

The maintenance of the track was done by what they called section gangs or crews and they replaced old ties, and compacted the road bed, or even replaced rails, put in new sidings and all, and then also there was a track inspector who rode a small motorized hand car that went out periodically to see if there were any defects or if the track needed maintenance. The progress of trains was controlled mostly by the signals of the brakeman to the engineer, and the engineer would respond by the whistle on the engine. At nighttime lanterns were used by the conductors and the brakeman. On freight cars they carried a caboose at the very end of the train which was quarters for the so called conductor or rather, maybe the head brakeman of the train, and on most freight cars, early, there was a track or walk, a wooden walk on top of the various cars and the brakeman could walk from one end of the train to the other by going on these walkways up and down the flatcars, coal cars, something like that, but kinda a pretty dangerous deal, and of course every car had air brakes connected from the engine, but if there were a break or something like that each car also had hand brakes that the brakeman could use in case the other system wasn’t working.

BIOGRAPHICAL

This story was transcribed from an audio tape received in August 2003 from H.G. “Jack” Kempton. Mr. Kempton also submitted an audio tape of his remembrances of Main Street as it was in the early days. Both tapes make fascinating listening about the early history of Goodland, KS.

H.G. “Jack” Kempton was born and reared at Goodland and started in theatre work in 1926 at Goodland. Following his years at the Sherman Theatre in Goodland he managed theatres in Hoisington, Great Bend, and Lawrence in Kansas, and for 10 years was theatre manager at Monett, Missouri, then for 8 years was in charge of advertising and art work for all Commonwealth Theatres at Columbia, Missouri. In 1966 he became manager of the Commonwealth Theatres in Garden City, managing both the State and Drive-In Theatres. Now retired, Mr. Kempton and son Jon reside in Garden City, Kansas.

Take a second and check the address label on your newsletter. If the year is highlighted with yellow marker, your dues are past due. Please help us out by taking care of any past due amount. Thanks in advance for your attention to this matter.

Tickets and a return envelope are enclosed in this newsletter. Tickets are $1.00 each or 6 tickets for $5.00. The drawing for the quilt will be held Saturday, November 15 at the monthly Board meeting. The bow tie quilt top was donated by Edith Dye and quilted by Inez Bennett and friends. Your support is very much appreciated.

The April 2001 newsletter announced that a donor recognition plaque would be created to honor any donation of $250.00 or more directed to The Ennis-Handy House. The plaque is becoming a reality. Gary Gregory has made and donated a plaque. Donor plates have been ordered and soon will be engraved. We are in the process of checking our records for accuracy. A donor’s name will appear each year a donation of $250.00 or more is given. This recognition will be on-going. See the example below:

As the holidays approach, please consider giving gift memberships to The Sherman County Historical Society.

If you have driven past The Ennis-Handy House, perhaps you have noticed three trees have been removed. Master Gardener, Christie Rasure, advised the Board to remove the diseased trees. The removal of the trees has opened up the front (south) yard and has greatly enhanced the appearance of the house.

The Board has established a goal of restoring the front and back porches as well as the balcony and gables of The Ennis-Handy House by the end of summer 2004. Curtis Hurd will donate the labor to complete the project. Rasure Lumber Do It Center will provide the materials at the best prices possible. Upper and lower spindles will be returned to the porches and balcony, and gingerbread trim will once again grace the four gables. Estimated costs for these projects are: Main Level, first floor porches--$2,018.00; Balcony on second floor level, $673.00; Gable ends--$1,216.00. Any donation of $250.00 or more for these projects will place your name on our Donor Recognition Plaque.

You may have noticed that the steps leading off the north side of the front porch have been removed, railing installed, and the green trim has been repainted. This repair work was done by Curtis Hurd. These steps were a hazard during the winter due to the accumulation of ice on them, and their removal also facilitated the repair of some sagging porch floor boards. This repair also returns the porch to its original 1907 configuration. Thank You, Curtis!

The garage/bake sale held on Saturday, August 23, brought in $325. The Sherman County Historical Society thanks those who donated items and baked goods, made purchases, volunteered help, or sent in donations for this fund raising event.

Since the July 2003 newsletter the following items have been given for exhibition at The Ennis-Handy House:

• Framed exhibit of dental tools used by Dr. Joseph H. Reed, former mayor and dentist of Goodland; by Robert Dimmitt, nephew, and Barbara Redinger, niece. Framed poster of Wizard of Oz characters, signed by Mickey Carroll, Munchkin 1939, by Robert Dimmitt, Bel Nor, Missouri.

• A McGuffeys Fourth Reader; World War I gas mask in canvas carrier; 3 cups and 1 saucer, hand painted by Freda E. Brown; and a gold tipped ebony walking cane presented to Olof Erickson in 1912 by Rock Island Carmen; all given by H. G. “Jack” Kempton, who was manager of the Sherman Theatre during the 1930s.

• From Lucille and Bob Smith of Goodland, eyeglass cases engraved with the name Dr. Vermillion; and two old style ledger accounting notebooks.

• From Mrs. Betty Parker, Goodland, a ladies blue velvet hat which belonged to her mother, Mrs. Elizabeth Geisenhoner; two eastlake style walnut side chairs, a tablecloth hand crocheted by Stella Gillen, which was a gift to Mrs. Parker when she was Worthy Matron of Eastern Star in 1944; a tile of Lincoln School, painted by June Shores; and Christmas decorations.

• From Janice (Alcorn) Dunwell, Topeka, Kansas, many text books used by the Warner, Sapp, and Alcorn families; and artifacts from the abstract office of her grandfather Wade Warner. (more complete list to come in next newsletter)

• From Dave A. Yocum, Goodland, items from the Edythe Handy auction: Handy Chevrolet advertising artifacts; Sheaffer’s ink bottle; two small pictures; ceramic wall hanging; chrome letter opener; and a pair of ladies turquoise cuff links.

• From Karen Neitzel, St. Francis, Kansas: An 1893 pump organ and stool; L. B. Merrifield piano and bench; a green overstuffed armchair; Set of white/gold dishes hand-painted by Mrs. John Bock with G monogram; 5 floral plates; Alto Saxophone used by her Uncle Arthur E. Gulick; Framed pictures: Camel riders and sand dunes; Gethsemane; Home Sweet Home; Sunbonnet Girls. Curling iron; Box of eyeglass frames; Sheet music and music books, leather music carrier; Two volume Bible; Hat box, Hand-made rugs; metal chamber pot; and many pieces of vintage clothing. These items were possessions of her mother, Mrs. Grace (Gulick) Krause, and grandparents, Dr. Arthur C. and Ella (Morse) Gulick of Goodland.