Burrton Historical Museum

Looking out over a treeless sea of native prairie grass, Leicester Day envisioned a town. A small indian trail winding up from the south was already met by another trail coming through from the east. Early in 1871, what would become the cities of Newton and Hutchinson were still just grasslands too, so a new community located halfway between the two held as much hope for prosperity as any other community on the vast, empty prairie. Leicester Day hauled in the materials to build his home, barn, and stables by horse-drawn wagon from Peabody. His nearest neighbor was over 4 miles away. Moving into his new home on June 30, 1871, the Santa Fe railroad was beginning to lay track eastward from a small cattle-stop called Newton. A few months later, the track was completed a mile south of his home on its way toward a few buildings on the prairie called Hutchinson.

Being on this east-west trail through Kansas, and halfway between Newton and Hutchinson, Leicester Day’s farmstead became a Stage Coach stop between the two towns. Commonly known as “the Halfway House” to the regular Stage travelers, it was officially known as Day Station. Often, the Day family would accommodate as many as 38 teams at one time overnight.

When the railroad came through, the Santa Fe recognized that an abundance of wind and of good, soft, clear water was available here, so they erected a windmill and a water tank along the track south of Day’s Station. To the railroad men, this stopping point was commonly referred to as “Tank.” In fact, the train timetable showed stops at Newton, Halstead, Tank, & Hutchinson.

Early in 1873, John H. Gresham envisioned a town. This would be an agricultural community, no doubt, but the prospects for becoming a merchandising center were also promising. Along the north-south trail, with a clear view down the track to the west, John Gresham built a small wood-frame mercantile store. Looking forward to the future, he dreamed of what this community could become. A Post Office was established July 1, 1873, in the Gresham Mercantile Store, and Mr. J. J. Hunt was appointed as Postmaster. About the same time, the Arkansas Valley Town Company laid off the town site, filing the town plat on September 6, 1873, naming the town “Burrton.” Mr. I. T. Burr, an official of the Santa Fe purchased land just southeast of town, lending his support to the new community which was his namesake.

The first building actually in Burrton, located South of the tracks along what is now South Depot street, was the A. W. Ballard blacksmith shop. Nearby, J.J. Hunt and J.A. Moore built their mercantile store, and then J.H. Gresham moved his store from his farm westward into the townsite. The town grew slowly and steadily over the next few years, reaching its first boom in 1877 when the Kansas Midland Railroad was built from Wichita to Ellsworth, crossing the Santa Fe at Burrton.

The earliest years in Burrton were met with anticipation and anxiety. Herds of buffalo and various Indian tribes still traveled through the area, early blizzards, tornados, and other storms were frightful, and there was the constant allure for Burrton residents to seek greener pastures in the West, or to give up, pack up, and return to the East. The entire town was barely spared several times from raging prairie grass fires started by sparks from passing trains. The grasshopper plague of 1874 was monumentally disastrous, and the blizzard of 1886, in which over 300 Harvey County residents died, was horrific.

The faintharted gave up. The dreamers sought better prospects. But the hardy and the industrious held their claim, and stayed. Burrton was their home. They kept busy improving their farms, building their homes, establishing their businesses, and making Burrton a better place to live. They filled their children with knowledge by building an exemplary school system from the earliest of days. They filled their children with hope by creating a community filled with opportunity – opportunity to work, and opportunity to enjoy the fruit of their work. Fairs, plays, community bands, literary societies, product demonstrations, and a wide variety of clubs and societies filled the days. And they filled their children with faith, by building strong, vibrant Churches and encouraging solid Christian values within the community.

These pioneers, our ancestors, deserve our respect. They deserve to be remembered.

Throughout the years, Burrton has experienced times of growth and decline of various degrees. People have come, and gone. Being the “halfway” town between Newton and Hutchinson – once our greatest asset – has in many ways become our greatest liability now to overcome. Yet those who have chosen to make Burrton their home throughout each succeeding generation have continued to build upon the toil – and dreams - of those who have gone before. This history is our legacy. It is our heritage.

In many ways, Burrton’s history is a classic story of the settlement of a country. It includes the lives of the plains Indians, herds of buffalo, schemes and plans of federal and local politicians, and rich railroad men becoming wealthier through the sale of government grant lands. It continues as, by great toil and hopeful anticipation of common men with uncommon determination, a community arises upon untouched prairie during the westward expansion in our nation’s history. The Burrton Museum is dedicated to compiling and telling this story, a story echoed in many communities across the Plains.

Most importantly, Burrton’s history is entirely unique, unlike any other community in the world. It is told in the individual lives of those who came, who left, and who stayed. It is told in the victories and tragedies of their lives, individually and as a community. Unique challenges faced, specific obstacles overcome, life and death struggles and common everyday experiences alike. It is the unique song chanted by the alumni of the Burrton Schools; it is the unique contribution offered the community by merchants, farmers, organizers and volunteers. It is the story of a unique town. It is the story of OUR town. The Burrton Museum is dedicated to compiling and telling this story, thus preserving our unique past lest it be lost to time forever.