The Story of St. Benedict

by Ledrine Bernsten
Written in German and translated to English.
Must have been written after 1803 as before that the town was know as Wildcat.

Kansas as was open for settlers and many people arrived from the North and south to homestead. It was somewhat stormy, due to many many people fighting about the subject of Kansas being a free or slave state. A few years later it turned out the fighting was in vain, (for the empire’s beard) since the emancipation of the slaves was declared.

Around this time in 1857, John Koch came to the place now called St Benedict. He found a man called Schumacker  who was from Hanover and who then moved to Vermilion Creek. It brought him no blessing because he died there in a prairie fire. John Koch became the first Man who settled  permanently.

The Indians had left the country side but from time to time they came around on their hunting trips. Their village was approximately a quarter mile northwest of where the church stands now, at a bend in the creek. The many yearly prairie fires have obliterated all traces of the Indian village.

This is how the Indians used to hunt. Some of them walked in a big circle and put fire to the prairie. This caused the game to escape towards the creek, here the Indians were hiding behind the creek and brush and shot the frightened animals. These Indians were excellent shots with a bow and arrow. They could hit a dime at fifty paces all the time. The hunting was good and the game plentiful. For many years the deer used to graze together with other animals. There were tremendous amounts of small prairie wolves and wild cats were so plentiful that the passing handlers and drivers called our place Wild Cat Creek.

While the men folks were hunting, the squaws took care of the village witch by the way did not entail very much. They knew how to prepare skins to make leather. Their children were tied on a three foot long board and placed upright against the next closest tree, (they had no cradle) they pursued their work. It appears that the little heathens were well satisfied with their treatment. At least they did not raise such a howl as our young babies.

Cleanliness was not especially considered by the Indian Squaws. If bugs became too obnoxious, they would place their clothes over an ant hill. These ants were not especially peaceful anyhow, and were not in agreement and became mad like hell about the imposition of the lowly creatures and they soon swarmed over these uninvited guests and did not rest till they had completely digested them.

When talking about the handlers and drivers who gave our creek such as un-pleasant name, one should mention that these tradesmen arrived every year during May, when the prairie grass was sufficient to permit grazing their animals. They came with their long wagon trains. Usually 26 wagons made up a train. Each wagon had five oxen hitched to it and was covered with a white canvas. And in fun we used to call them the prairie schooners. Each wagon had a driver said these whippers were later to be known as cowboys. These merchants took their wares to California, Utah, Colorado and where ever gold was discovered.

One day for these oxen harnessed trains was 15 miles more or less, they had to be concerned about their wood and water supply for man and beast. These people had to do their own cooking and each train had several cooks. These hired men also served as a reserve in case a driver got sick or died, which occurred frequently. This was witnessed after many years as the many sunken graves along the wagon trails. These burials were very simple, they dug not to deep a grave, laid the body in without a coffin and after the grave was covered the train continued on. The wolves have now marauded many a grave. if the persons were known, sometimes a piece of the wagon box was engraved with the name and stuck on the grave. The next prairie fire soon obliterated these.

These people made sure their people were well armed, each driver had two pistols and. a rifle and tremendous knives at their belts. In the evening these wagons were circled around in a corral, which was a large circle, when one wagon was pushed into another. They had at least two guards on watch at all 'times. All this precaution was necessary and it wasn't rare that the Indians attacked these trains and if the train people drew the short end in one of these fights, they were all murdered. The animals and merchandise were stolen and the wagons were burned.

Even in the year 1863, the Indians had made these trails so unsafe none of these train merchants dare go out on the plains. Through this a great shortage resulted in Colorado and while the supplies were out, everything skyrocketed in price. Flour was $28.00 a hundred weight, butter $1.50 a pound, eggs $2.00 a dozen, potatoes .50 a pound and so on. With great to do a small army was gathered to open these trails. Near Sand Creek they met up with these evil doers and the Indians took to flight, which was very easy for they were well mounted. Not so for their squaws and children, they could not flee and they readied themselves for the fight. Poorly armed as they were, these Indian women fought like crazy, however 'they could do little against, these hero troops who moved against them, and these brave ones would not return home without completing their task. Therefore, they swarmed all over these women and children and caused the bad massacre of these defenseless people. After such a brave deed this army went home jubilantly. Many women lost their lives at this occasion of very little renowned. However this had the desired result and from that time on the Indians permitted the merchants to use their trails in peace.

To get back to the subject of St Benedict, all this heavy traffic on those trails turned. out to be a small fountain of money for these still very poor settlers. They could sell butter, eggs, vegetables and other minor supplies to these drivers. The next settlements were St Joseph and Leavenworth. Soon other small villages appeared where small merchants had settled. One seven miles west of St Benedict, with the name of Ash Point where the road from Leavenworth and St. Joseph met. Another called Richmond was three miles east of St. Benedict and another called four miles northeast from here. This traffic was a blessing for the small places and was very convenient for the settlers, because here was the place where the trains camped for the night lf the time was eight.

Later on the railways were built and these businesses failed as you never saw their caravans again. These villages with their stores were deserted and the buildings were hauled away or burned in the prairie fires. Today here and there you can see a fallen sign where once these hopeful settlements stood. Even their names were forgotten by the young people and only here and there an old gray hared man can remember those wonderful times. Nowadays, this softened complaining generation with their riding plows will drive across the plains where thirty years ago these weather beaten, iron hearted drivers sang their songs around the nightly camp fires.

Little by little more Germans arrived. John Koelzer, who came from Mittel Strimmig between the Rhine and the Mosel River, John Dick was from Sachtan on the Rhine, Koch was from Herzel near Bonn. So the first settlers were all from the Rhine region. Just a Barney Blenker and Peter Bloomer from St Louis, Mattes Stein, William Bernstein and others. Neither one nor the other could speak English and they all settled as near as possible to the creek. One reason was wood and the water well and another to have some protection from the winter storms. The first huts were very poor and there was no protection for the livestock. Work was plentiful since everything had to be done from scratch. Such as the building of block house, stables, and prairie fences, plow the prairie and a hundred other things.

On Sunday there scattered living settlers usually met somewhere since this more or less was near the creek usually at John Koelzer’s near the center of the settlement. Sunday was always a happy day and since all the people had come from Germany, soon the conversation centered on the home land. Oh how homesick and sad it made us when we called the rich fertile land and vineyard covered hills of the Rhine valley. How different it was here not to hear the sound of the Church bells from hill to hill, back and forth as on the Rhine. Not to see the Muenster,  and the stately churches and the lively swallows around the fields, shrines and. crosses.

Then we looked at torn clothes and remembered those festive clothes in which we so proudly went to the village feast. These were the holy day apparel in which we made a pilgrimage to the holy towers of Trier, or the Mother of God shrine at Keveler, or the Shrine of St. Wendelin at Sachteen. How powerful home sickness had a grip on us and silence our songs and our tears mixed with the silence surrounding of Wild Cat Creek.

One or the other may have planned then and there to this inhospitable land and actually many made there plans come true and wander off. Yet most all off them were not inclined to throw their rifles into the corn fields. Most of them remained and others came and took their places of those who moved away. It became very clear something had to be done to make life at least bearable. After much consideration everyone agreed we had to have a Church and a brewery. Peter Assenmacher, a very daring character soon made himself busy with building a brewery which he accomplished at much expense and effort. it was not the best beer, that he produced but forever better than no beer. This brewery turned out failure and 20 years to soon, The people were much to poor a customer compared to people of better means later on and it was else spoiled by an unopportuned law, prohibition, which broke the brewery and you can no longer see where this brewer stood.

John Koch John Koch and John Koelzer had much better success since at the same time they concentrated on a winery. Which they accomplished with a lot of luck mainly since this business did not incur as much expense as the beer brewing. Also the prohibition law could not retard the growth of the Vineyard. All this of course took plenty of time of which the church did not fair any better but finally the task was started.

John Koch wanted to plant wheat but did not have none to plant. So he prepared for a journey north where he hoped to find someone who had seed to sell. Such a journey was not a small undertaking. Since their were no bridges and much less man should beary venture a

A mile from home without the aid of a shovel, pick and ax along yon encountered a river, you had to stop and search the river bed for passage over, after some assistance with shovel and pick you could cross. Succeeding travelers followed these trails and improved these crossings. These resulting fords were for many remaining ok many years before man fears were the only crossing. It to could build bridges and many fords were for many remaining years were the only crossing. It took many years before man could build bridges and many fords became famous as was (Haker) ford known from Missouri to California. That is how Koch, from one of his journeys met Thomas Carlin at Turkey Creek. At this time when people were so scarce one was always happy to meet a stranger which resulted in a friendship and the same applied to John Koch and an Irishman, Tom Carlin. A little difficulty of course was the conversation since there was a German and an Irishman who did not understand German. This much Koch believed to have understood that there was a Church somewhere in the northwest and he brought the happy tidings home.

The next Sunday John Koelzer and C. Blenker started the search for This supposed church. With bread and meat in a sack and armed with a heavy staff. Such a staff was a very necessary possession for Travel outfit, Because of the many snakes man wouldn’t even go to a neighbor without having one along and every pave and step One had to expect to come in hated contact with one of the many Species. There was one very large and powerful snake, which grew 7 or 8 feet in length. And 3 to 4 inches in diameter. These challenged You from quite a distance with a lot of noises. It took a very hard man who would accept the challenge. It took a well aimed powerful stroke with a heavy object not so far behind the head, which broke their back and paralyzed them. Then and only then were you assured of victory. Women and children flood from their neighborhood where such a monster made his home. Dogs would not dare to go near and even less hardy men preferred to get out of their way than to get involved in the uncertain fight with such a beast. This type was not poisonous and you no longer find this species. Much more plentiful was the rattlesnake and is poisonous. They have bitten many and put their lives in greatest danger. Usually one gave the man with such a bite so much whisky until he was thoroughly drunk. This was the only effective medicine-against snake bites. One woman near Seneca was bitten and since she belonged to abstinence club, stubbornly refused to drink and died. The rattlesnakes had a nasty habit, namely to invade human dwellings and when such a visit occurred during the daytime, it resulted in a not to friendly atmosphere. The housewife remembering the infamous deeds of the visitor attack same with the next best weapon. If she was unsuccessful took off in great haste in order not to pay with her life for such all to great bravery. The snakes preferred to pay their visits at night when everyone was asleep. She would enter through many of the holes in the floor and could explore undisturbed. Sometimes a careless mouse had crossed the snakes path, became a casualty. Sometimes one of the little chicks were taken from beneath the hen which was setting asleep in the corner. After committing this and similar misdeeds when the weather was cold and raw the snake would decide to stay overnight. In most cases the snake would curl up in the ashes near the fireplace. however if it found this to be hot or other-wise uncomfortable they would curl up with the people in bed who soon notice the icy-cold and then the whole family would get into an uproar. They would all fly out of bed. Light would be lit and children would be yanked out of their beds. Since they would believe all the beds would be crawling with snakes. Meanwhile the house would be given a sharp examination and as to where and how she managed to get into the house.

Meanwhile the snake has become fully awake and would have noticed soon the sinister and unfriendly looks, the sharp explanations mixed with dier strong cuss words that its presence was not in design. Finally after all sort of weapons had been gathered it would become very clear to her that nothing good was in store for her and that this may wind up to be a bad expedition and to avoid any unpleasant steps,, she would jump out of her occupied homestead and before anyone would realize she had disappeared. Then of course everything was searched and one would have liked to get hold of the trespasser to cool the tempers, Since she had caused so much excitement to the whole family and since even the little ones had to get out of their beds. So stood everyone with their open mouths or yell their complaints as to where she could be. Meanwhile the snake would lie somewhere in a corner under the floor and would leisurely consider her opinion about the much faint German hospitality.