Memories spring eternal ...

100 YEARS AGO (1907)

William Beth, who has lived in Bourbon County for 67 years, was in Fort Scott today from his farm near Fulton. He is a strong vigorous man, stands six feet high, and doesn't appear to be more than 55 or 60. He is familiar with the incidents of the border troubles of the forties and fifties. He cites incidents of the early struggles between the Jayhawkers and raiders.

Talking of old times today, Mr. Beth told of the Indians scalping a woman (Sergeant McCann's wife) on the spot where the Knox House now stands. At that time, what is now called the Plaza point, was a stockade enclosed by a solid wall of heavy eight inch timbers. In the center of the stockade were the government buildings, now standing.

75 YEARS AGO (1932)

A new sign is being painted over the front of Bright's Dry Goods store on South Main Street, Dr. and Mrs. L. W. Richardson had as guests yesterday B. J. Stith, district manager of Skelly Oil Co., headquarters in Kansas City, Mo.

News From Bronson: Plates were laid for 166 at the Mother and Daughter Banquet held at the Baptist church. This is the second event of its kind to be given in Bronson. It was a success in every way. The following menu was served: Baked ham, new potatoes, creamed new peas, hot rolls and butter, pineapple-carrot salad, radishes, jelly, olives, fresh strawberries, Lady Baltimore cake and coffee.

Mr. and Mrs. Start Stout, 11 South Holbrook, are rejoicing over the arrival Monday night, a daughter at Mercy Hospital. She has been named Suzanne. The mother before her marriage was Miss Almond Lindley, of Nevada.

Fort Scott grandparents are Mr. and Mrs. H. Lee Stout.

50 YEARS AGO (1957)

The Fort Scott High School track and field squad qualified two boys at the Pittsburg Regional for the state meeting at Wichita. They are Don Meek, who won second in the discus, and Gerald Wood, who tied for second in the pole vault, finished third in the broad jump and tied with Randy Hessong for fourth in high jump.

Photo caption: "Congratulating each other after they were named athletes of the year and awarded special citations are Gary Clayton, junior, the outstanding basketball player; Don Meek, senior, outstanding in track and the athlete of the year; Richard Rapier, senior, football lineman of the year; and Gerald Woods, senior, outstanding football back of the year."-- Tribune Photo. Photo caption: "Retiring student body president Jack Landers welcomes new student body officers after performing installation ceremonies at the annual Fort Scott High School recognition assembly. They are Jerry Wheeler, boys' vice president; Jackie Matthews, girls' vice president; and Nancy Ober, president of the student body.-- Tribune photo

25 YEARS AGO (1982)

Junior Tracey Keith scored wins in both the 1,600 and 3,200- meter runs Friday at Pittsburg, accounting for most of Fort Scott High School's scoring in the girls' division as the Tigers finished seventh overall in the nine-school South Kansas League. For the Tiger boys, junior Tim Mullane led a 1- 3 finish in javelin as the Tigers wound up eighth overall with 28 points. Mullane threw 186- 3 to win javelin competition. Keith was an easy winner for the girls in both of her main events and broke her own SEK records in both. Keith won in 5: 23.5 in the 1,600 meters-- missing her school record in that event by about 2 1/ 2 seconds-- and she re-established both league and school records in the 3,200 meters in 11: 25.

Editor's Note:

In today's "100 YEARS AGO" category is an article about William Beth, who was born at Fort Leavenworth in 1840.

The "William" in the article was the son of Richard Beth, who was a soldier in the First Dragoons, under command of Daniel Boone. In 1841 the command was sent to Fort Scott. William was one year old when he came here with his parents, Richard and Caroline (Foster) Beth.

The picture of William Beth and some information included here was provided by Mary Nelle Beth, widow of Glen Beth. Both she and Glen have been lifetime residents of Fort Scott and Bourbon County.

Glen and Mary Nelle are the parents of Alec Lee Beth, who was born and raised here and remains a resident. Alec Lee is named for his grandfather, Lee Beth, the father of Glen.

Through Alec Lee the "Beth" name in Fort Scott and Bourbon County has seen five generations. The Beth family genealogy also includes others in Bourbon County.

The following text rounds out today's "100 YEARS AGO" category: "The stockade was some 14 feet high. There was no other building in the neighborhood and buffalo were frequently seen grazing where the principal streets and business blocks of Fort Scott now stand. What is now the townsite was a wild prairie infested with wild game of all kinds. Mrs.

McCann (mentioned in the beginning) had gone down over the brow of the hill from the stockade to pick wild blackberries. Belligerent Indians inhabited the outlying country around the fort, and the stockade was built for protection of the troops against them. Mrs. McCann was caught in a surprise attack.

"Mr. Beth and Mr. Higgins, who lives north of town, were the other day discussing the question where the first store building ever erected in Fort Scott stood. They agreed that it was on the site where the C. F. Miller Implement House now stands. It was a log building built and owned and occupied by the late Col. H. T.

Wilson, father of Mrs. C. W.

Goodlander and Mrs. T. F.

Robley. The family lived in one end of the building and Colonel Wilson conducted a store in the other end of it.

"Mr. Beth knows the name of the man who shot and killed John Little, brother of Mrs. Frank Brumblay, before the war. In fact, Mr. Beth stood directly behind the man when he fired the fatal shot.

Mr. Little was deputy marshal and was running a store in an old log building where Dr.

McGraw's residence now stands. Officers were holding as a prisoner a Jayhawker, whose friends went there to demand his release. Little, so Mr. Beth says, fired on them and closed the door, barricading it. There was a transom over the door and Little climbed up on some goods to wipe the dirt from the glass.

As he was doing so, the man shot him in the forehead, "Mr. Beth was born at Fort Leavenworth in 1840. His father was a soldier in the First Dragoons, under command of Daniel Boone. In 1841, the command was sent to Fort Scott, and Mr. Beth was brought here. The old military road, leading from Fort Leavenworth to this city and on south to Fort Sill, Fort Smith, Fort Gibson and other southern frontier posts, was marked by two plow furrows 60 feet apart, all the distance.

This was to guide the marching forces."