Bunker Hill Kansas...The Town Of History!
In the late fall of 1869, Valentine Harbaugh and his son, William, arrived at a relay station on the Butterfield Stage route known as Bunker’s Hill. The station, so named because of the high ground on which it was situated, was surrounded by virgin prairie in all directions and inhabited by only the section foreman, Mr. J. Hession, and his family, the section crew, the men who cut wood for fuel, and the soldiers who guarded the crews from Indian attack.

Life was very difficult for these early settlers. The crew lived in boxcars parked on the siding and the Hessions lived in a small building built by the railroad company. Mrs. Hession was responsible for all the cooking, baking up to eighty large loaves of bread a week on an outdoor oven. Buffalo and other meat were brought in by hunters hired by the railroad. William Cody, “Buffalo Bill,” was one of these hunters.

In spite of the hardships, Harbaugh was delighted with the county and decided to return to his home at Columbus Grove, Ohio, to urge others to return with him. His partner in this venture was J. B. Corbett. Both Harbaugh and Corbett carried excellent credentials. Harbaugh was a Civil War veteran with a record of extreme bravery and Corbett was a college professor with a distinguished reputation. Corbett and Harbaugh purchased land from the railroad on which they platted the town of Bunker Hill.

About the first of May 1871, approximately one hundred fifty people arrived at Section 3, Township 13, Range 12 West, to begin life in their new home – Bunker Hill. Construction was the primary concern of these colonists. The first building was erected by John Warner and used for a store. The second building, a private dwelling, was built by Harbaugh from lumber sawed at Abilene from sycamore and white birch logs brought from Ohio. This house, probably the oldest building in Russell County, still stands. The colonists soon discovered that native stone was good for construction and the next building erected by Harbaugh was of stone. During the years this building served as an office building, drug store, restaurant, produce house, printing office and private dwelling. The building lasted until 1967.

John Warner was appointed first postmaster, a job that proved somewhat difficult at times. Since the train made no scheduled stops at Bunker Hill, the mail had to be thrown on and off as it sped through town. Warner became very adept at making the toss onto the train and the catch from the passing engine, but occasionally the packets of letters were not tied securely and the mail then became scattered all over the station dock. Whenever this happened, the entire town would turn out to hunt for the wind-blown mail. In September 1871, Bunker Hill was established as a regular post office and this form of entertainment ceased.

In 1872 another colony of settlers arrived. Many of the families who came at this time were to become very important to the new community. Among the newcomers were Charles and Abraham Shaffer, who established a blacksmith shop that soon became famous as far north as Beloi. William Brays served the community as a merchant, schoolteacher, justice of the peace, and postmaster, and George Lankin printed the first newspaper published in Bunker Hill.

In an effort to continually improve the town, the Dollison Brothers built the first hotel called “The Buckeye House.” It was here that Mr. Rankin set up his printing press. On May 9, 1872, the first issue of the The New Republic appeared. This newspaper was a leader in the political fight between Bunker Hill and Russell for the county seat. An election was held in 1872 and resulted in a victory for Bunker Hill, but in 1874 Russell forced a second election. Dave Adams, who, for the gift of lots in Russell, threw his support to that city.

The need for an educational system was quickly realized by these new Kansans. This need brought about the formation of a subscription school, the first school held in Bunker Hill, which was taught by Clymena Carrier. Then, on December 27, 1872, School District No. 1 was organized by the citizens of Bunker Hill with H. E. Brown acting as chairman. The school board elected in 1873 included George A. Exline, director; A. L. Voorhis, clerk; and Charles Shaffer, treasurer. Their first action was to hire Colby Hibbard, the son of a settler on Wolf Creek, as the first teacher. His salary was forty-five dollars per month and the school term was three months. The first school was held in Warner Hall, a building erected as a store. Then, on March 11, 1873, a bond election was held and bonds totaling $5,000 were voted for the purpose of building and furnishing a schoolhouse. The two-story limestone building was erected in 1873.

Although Charles Shaffer and his wife paid a sad price for their pioneering with the loss of their baby son, Freeley, they were soon able to rejoice with the birth of their daughter, Hermie, in May of 1873. Hermie was the first child born in Bunker Hill and lived her life of 61 years there. She taught many years of school at Bunker Hill, and after her marriage to Harry Morton she gave piano lessons to the children of the community. She continued these lessons until her health failed.

Dr. W. W. Bowlus was a physician in the Bunker Hill community for thirty years, until his death in 1911. A copy of an account book of Dr. Bowlus reveals that he pulled a tooth for twenty-five cents and delivered a baby for seven dollars and fifty cents. High prices in those days, so most of his patients paid him in produce or work.

The year 1879 brought James R. Bickerdyke to Bunker Hill. He immediately took charge of the Bunker Hill schools, introducing graded work into the system and encouraging children from outlying districts to complete their education at Bunker Hill. Under his direction Bunker Hill graduated its first high school students in 1886. He served the community from 1870-1902, and when he died in 1904 the citizens erected a special monument at his gravesite in the Bunker Hill Cemetery.

While Bickerdyke was teaching school in Bunker Hill, his mother, a nationally known volunteer nurse in the Civil War, joined him at his home in Bunker Hill. In peacetime she still dedicated her life to helping the men who had served with her in the Civil War. She spent her entire pension, although small, and all her son could spare to help the hardship cases which came to her attention. In 1897 “Mother Bickerdyke” celebrated her eightieth birthday, and the Kansas Grand Army of the Republic sponsored a special day for her. Notables came from all over the nation, and Mrs. Bickerdyke was presented with the gift of a house in Bunker Hill by the state Grand Army of the Republic. In was said that this was the only house she ever owned, and she died in this house in November 1901. Her body was accompanied by G.A.R. members to Galesburg, Illinois, to be buried by the side of her husband.

During the years Bunker Hill knew the joys and sorrows felt by all communities. It suffered from water shortages, the burning of its school several times, and the Depression. It experienced the closing of Bunker Hill High School and the closing of many businesses. Yet, Bunker Hill has continued to be a very civic-minded community. From 1869, when Valentine Harbaugh first set foot on Bunker’s Hill, to the present, Bunker Hill has made numerous contributions to Russell County through its citizens, organizations, and heritage. Bunker Hill has indeed paved frontiers to freedom.