The Osborne County Hall of Fame Honors celebrates the Osborne County Sesquicentennial Year of 2021, marking the first 150 years of the county's existence. The "Honors" will present, recognize, and appreciate the various aspects of Osborne County, Kansas heritage and culture both past and present in a different manner than its parent organization, the Osborne County Hall of Fame. The series of lists that comprise the "Honors" will be revealed throughout the year on this site and via other social media. All Individuals already enshrined in the Osborne County Hall of Fame are excluded from the "Honors". Happy 150th Birthday, Osborne County!
Forty-five times (that we are aware of) a team from Osborne County has won an athletic state championship. The following list honors their achievements. If any have been inadvertently missed, please do not hesitate to let us know and they will be added.
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Alton 1962-1968 Boys Football (Seven teams that together created a 51-game winning streak which stood as the state record for several years, and prior to the advent of state high school football playoffs. Therefore most certainly there was a state champion or three or four among them.)
Alton 1963 State Pee Wee
Alton 1965 K-18 Baseball
Alton 1966 K-18 Baseball (first time in the history of K-18 Baseball up to that time that a team won the state championship 2 consecutive years)
During the first 70 years of Osborne County’s history large native stands of trees were as much revered by the Euro-American settlers as they were by the Native Americans before them. These groves reminded the settlers of their former homes in the eastern United States, and a select few were spared from being leveled for construction lumber and firewood. The following ten named groves have known locations and hopefully will be cherished by today’s citizens as much as our forefathers did and preserved for the continued benefit of all.
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Austin Grove
C. P. Austin, Sumner Township. The first event reported to be held in this grove by the South Fork Solomon River on Cassius P. Austin’s farm was in 1875. Other events and celebrations followed for several decades.
Alton Empire, June 19, 1930, page 1.
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Baertsch Grove
Baertsch, Ross Township. The most famous stand of trees in Osborne County, the Baertsch Grove is considered to be one of the largest, if not the largest, old-growth grove in Northern Kansas. Picnics, family reunions, funerals, and church services have been held here alongside Twelve Mile Creek since 1871. Named for Fred Baertsch, the grove is part of the area made famous in the book Sod & Stubble.
Downs Times, August 20, 1903, page 1.
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Mrs. Bull’s Grove
Mrs. Bull’s, Sumner Township. Located on Crooked Creek just east of Alton, the grove was the site of Hiram Bull’s animal enclosure in the 1870s. It was used for a number of events even after Mrs. Sarah Bull’s removal to her former home in Wisconsin in the 1880s.
Osborne County Key, September 9, 1882, page 1.
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Rader’s/Goodlad’s/Gaylord’s Grove
Rader’s (later called both Goodlad’s and Gaylord’s), Penn Township. The first event held in this grove was reported in 1871. It was also the site of the great 1880 Old Settler’s Reunion as well as many other events through the past 150 years. Today the grove remains a popular place under its modern name of Shady Bend Recreation Area, which includes Osborne WPA Dam, Shady Bend Golf Course, WPA Scout Cabin, and the Shady Bend single track Bike Trail.
Osborne County Farmer, September 29, 1892, page 1.
Osborne County Farmer, July 6, 1911, page 1.
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Skidmore’s / Hoy’s Grove
Skidmore’s / Hoy’s, Hancock Township. This grove was first reported in a local newspaper in 1883 with hints that it had earlier been used. At that time James T. Hoy owned the grove, having previously bought the farm from a Mr. Skidmore.
Osborne County Farmer, July 2, 1898, page 6.
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McCulley’s Grove
McCulley’s, Sumner Township. The grove along the South Fork Solomon River on the William Samuel McCulley homestead south of Alton was used for major events in Bull City/Alton history from the 1870s onwards.
Western Empire, June 28, 1883, page 1
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Range’s Grove
J. L. Range’s, Hawkeye Township. First reported for an event in 1887, Range’s Grove has dwindled to only a small remnant of its former size.
Osborne County Farmer, July 21, 1887, page 4
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Paris Grove
Paris, Kill Creek Township. In March 1871 brothers William and Charles Paris homesteaded where West and East Kill Creeks combine to form the main Kill Creek. William Paris opened a grove of trees at the site for area homesteaders to come and enjoy picnics, family gatherings, and other events.
Osborne County Farmer, July 2, 1879, page 5
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Stafford’s Grove
Stafford’s, Tilden Township. The Stafford family were very well-respected homesteaders in the western portion of Tilden Township. What is believed to be Stafford’s Grove lies on Little Medicine Creek a half mile above its confluence with the South Fork Solomon River. Events are known to have been held there from the early 1970s through the 1920s.
Osborne County Farmer, July 13, 1905, page 5
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Taylor’s Grove
Taylor’s, Winfield Township. In the 1890s Taylor’s Grove along Twin Creek on Zachariah Taylor’s homestead proved to be a popular place to hold area events.
Osborne County Farmer, June 30, 1898, page 3
Osborne County Farmer, July 7, 1898, page 1
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The following are someof the groves so notable that they were mentioned in the county’s newspapers and other histories in the years prior to World War II. Unfortunately the exact sites of certain ones are now lost, while others probably were cut down at some point. In this list the name of each grove is given, followed by the township or general location known for each, and the year that the grove was first mentioned:
A. S. Avery’s. unknown, 1892
Alderson’s. Delhi, 1882
Miss Balding’s. Bloom, 1882
C. M. Bliss. Independence, 1877
Blodgett’s. Winfield, 1886
Boedecker’s. “near Paradise, Kansas”, 1916
Breakey’s (later called Warner’s). Ross, 1937
Brown’s. “on Twin Creek”, 1875
M. C. Brown’s. Natoma, 1907
Dave Bruce’s. Corinth, 1878
D. O. Braumbaugh’s [Brumbaugh’s]. Bethany, 1886
D. C. Bryant’s. Ross, 1890
Bush’s. Sumner, 1890
Chamberlain’s. Sumner, 1883
Chatfield’s. Bethany, 1883
Clare’s. Tilden, 1880
Cooper’s. Corinth, 1879
Jim Cullen’s. Delhi, 1902
Culver’s. Victor, 1881
Dennison’s. Hawkeye, 1914
George Dibble’s. Sumner, 1882
Dillingham’s. Valley, 1887
Dimond’s. Ross, 1889
Dixon’s. Bethany, 1881
Farnsworth’s. Bethany, 1912
Will French’s. Sumner, 1916
Sam Gilbreath’s . Jackson, 1893
Gilmore’s. unknown, 1910
Rev. Goodell’s. Hancock, 1882
Fred Gorham. Independence, 1879
L. L. Glasgow’s. Valley, 1887
Grove “near E. Y. Morris’”. Covert, 1882
Grove “on East Twin Creek south of Ladd’s”. Bloom, 1879
Nine notable examples of architecture, eight of which are still standing, to celebrate and PRESERVE in Osborne County, Kansas.
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Osborn House, Sumner Township (built 1883). In 1883 combmaker, book canvasser, lumberman, brickmaker, Civil War veteran, Congregational minister, politician, and stonemason Robert Scott Osborn built for his family a new house on their farmstead west of Bull City (later Alton) from native stone quarried within sight of the farm. The home sported walnut wood trim both inside and on the windows and doors. Osborn was elected to the office of Kansas Secretary of State in 1892.
The Osborn farm as it appeared in a sketch in the book “Handbook of Osborne County, Kansas” (1884).
The Osborne farmhome as it appeared in a photograph taken in the early 1900s. Porches have been added, making for a very attractive home.
The farmhouse in 2013.
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Howell House, Downs (built 1883). Downs lumberman George W. Howell built this wood frame Italianate-style home on Blunt Street in Downs in 1883. In 1885 Judge J. W. Huff became the owner, and in beginning in the 1890s the home was the home of Doctor Tasso Felix. During World War II it was converted into apartments. In the 2000s the home was renovated by Stephen and Joan Heide into the Howell House Bed & Breakfast.
Two views of the Howell House, taken in 2020.
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Poole-Harrison House, Downs (built 1890; addition in 1903). In 1890 Dr. J. G. Poole built a one-story brick bungalow on East Division Street in Downs. Four years later Dan Harrison bought the home, and in 1903 added a second story with many additional alterations to the entire home. Rebuilt in the Queen Anne style, the home is noted for its unusual fishscale shingles beneath the roof.
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Greig Log Cabin, Winfield Township (built 1891). The last surviving complete log cabin in Osborne County is also believed to be the last known to have been erected in the county. The structure is highly unusual in that the wood for the cabin was precut and then shipped to the site to be assembled as from a kit.
A bicycle tour stops at the log cabin in this image from 2007.
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Welty-Hardman House, Downs (built 1904). Businessman Henry H. Welty built his new home on East Division Street in Downs at a cost of $20,000. Later the home served as a private hospital for Dr. Jarvis Hodgson, and for several decades was the home of the Marion Hardman family. It remains the largest private residence in Osborne County.
The home as it appeared in July 1908.
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Cullens-McGuire House, Delhi Township, (built 1904). Built by John Wesley Cullens of native Post Rock Limestone, this Second Empire-style farmhouse features a hip roof broken by an unusual dormer design on each façade. An addition of cement block and wood frame was added later to the west side. There is also an octagonal storage house on the farmstead. The farm has been in the McGuire family since 1919.
The farmhome, as seen in this image from 2013.
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Melton Square Peg Barn, Bloomington (built 1920). John Melton bought the farm located across from the southeast corner of Bloomington. He erected a barn in which he used square wooden pegs instead of nails to hold the internal main frame together. It is currently the only known barn in Osborne County to be built in this manner.
Two photos of the Melton Barn, taken in 2014.
Interior of barn, showing original rough posts held together with wooden pegs.
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Craig House, Natoma Township (built 1915). In 1914 William J. Craig tore down the Sunny Kansas Sanitarium from atop the hill a half mile south of Natoma, and at the base of the hill built this beautiful home for his wife Eva from the rock salvaged from the sanitarium. While doing so he incorporated the ornate arches from the sanitarium’s main entryway into the house’s front porch. The home served as a private residence for many years until it was torn down sometime after 1981.
The Craig House, taken shortly after its completion in 1915.
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Pruter Barn, Round Mound Township (built 1918). In 1906 George Pruter erected a barn said to have “taken a train car of cement” to build. In 1918 a tornado destroyed the barn. Undaunted, George then had a new barn built upon the foundations of the old one. The new barn was a bit unusual, in that it was designed and constructed by Natoma builder Louis Beisner. Beisner had recently come up with an entirely new building design he called the “no sag concept.” In this design interlocking rib sections supported the weightbearing load of a ceiling, eliminating the need for interior support columns. The design would sweep across the country and proved to be a defining moment that revolutionized modern architecture. The Pruter Barn is a striking example of this concept.
The barn as it looked in 2007.
Also from 2007: Marci Penner, Orville Pruter, and Von Rothenberger in the barn’s hayloft.
Sixteen structures to celebrate and PRESERVE from across Osborne County!
Presbyterian Church, Natoma (1899). The icon of Osborne County architecture. Natoma’s 1899 Presbyterian Church is a rare Carpenter Gothic style and was one of the first structures anywhere to be created with local architect Louis Beisner’s own invention, the “no-sag roof” concept, which revolutionized building in general across America in the 20th Century. It was moved twice, in 1923 and again in 1949 to its present site in Natoma. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
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United Methodist Church, Natoma (built 1902). The building was moved to its present site in Natoma in 1930.
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Carnegie Library, Downs (built 1905). If not the smallest Carnegie Library in the state of Kansas, then it is certainly one of them. It has served the city of Downs for 117 years. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
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United Methodist Church, Osborne (built 1906). Known for its basement, the “Ford Parlors”, which was funded in 1919 by local lumberyard owner Joseph Ford, and for the woodcarved main doors and inside detailing created by local carpenter Harold Dunkleberg. The building has suffered through three floods, in 1934, 1935, and 1945.
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Osborne County Courthouse, Osborne (built 1906-1909). The fourth structure to house the official offices of the county, The courthouse exterior was constructed with local septarian concretions from south of Osborne, Cottonwood Limestone from Silverdale, Kansas, and from Post Rock Limestone from Glen Elder, Kansas. It is famous for the carvings of the Lion and of Medusa on the front entrance steps, and for the Face of John Wineland, who looks down on the city from high on the south side of the clock tower. The building was a nominee in 2008 for the 8 Wonders of Kansas Architecture. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
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Presbyterian Church / United Church of Christ, Osborne (built 1911). In 1948 the Presbyterian Church in Osborne merged with the Congregational Church to create the United Church of Christ. It ceased being used as a church many years ago and has passed through a number of owners since then. It is known for the large organ and for its interior carved wood details.
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Carnegie Library / Carnegie Research Library, Osborne (built 1912). The building served as the city’s library until 1995, when after some debate as to its continued existence it passed into the hands of the Osborne County Genealogical & Historical Society, which maintains it as the Carnegie Research Library. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
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United Methodist Church, Downs (built 1916). The building measures 82 by 64 feet and has a seating capacity of 650. Its colored mosaic windows have been valued at over a million dollars.
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Kindergarten School Building, Osborne (built 1921). The building housed for a number of decades the school district’s kindergarten class as well as the school nurse’s office. It now houses the offices for School District #392.
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Covert Rural High School Watertower, Covert (built 1923). The concrete block watertower was built in 1923 by Osborne stonemason Franklin Antone Rothenberger to serve as the water supply for the second Covert Rural High School building. Water was pumped by windmill from a well at the base of the hill up to the tower three blocks away.
Photo of Edith Richards standing in from of the Covert High Watertower in the winter of 1928.
The watertower as it looked in 2008.
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Alton Rural High School, Alton (built 1925). The building served the community as a high school until 1970, when it became the Alton-Osborne Junior High School. In 2003 the building was sold to a private enterprise, and in 2021 was again sold to a local organization.
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Osborne High School, Osborne (built 1929). The building is the fourth structure to house the high school in the Osborne school district’s history.
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WPA Dam, Alton, (built 1935). In 1934 the Works Progress Administration provided for a grant of $7,000.00 for the construction of a new concrete dam on the South Fork Solomon River south of the city of Alton. The new dam was constructed on the site of the former Alton Roller Mill dam, continuing a tradition of using the site for such purposes that stretched as far back as the early 1870s.
The new dam being enjoyed by the populace in 1935.
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WPA Dam, Osborne (built 1936). A Works Progress Administration grant led to the building of a new bridge across the South Fork Solomon River just south of Osborne and for a dam across the river just to the west of Osborne, one that would create a lake that would put Osborne on the map for both fishing and water recreation and bring visitors to town. When completed, the Osborne Dam was two times longer than it is today and held back a lake that stretched for three miles. However, certain city officials at the time were worried about the project’s cost, and so to save money changed the engineers’ original plans by eliminating two of the dam’s three sluices designed to channel away mud and silt. This led in a few short months to the silting in of most of the lakebed, and any hopes still harbored for an economic development windfall quickly evaporated. The Shady Bend Golf Course is now located on the silted-in lakebed.
The Osborne Dam and Lake as they appeared when completed in 1936.
The Osborne Dam in 2018. The lone remaining sluice to channel away mud and silt can be seen on the dam at left background, which is why this third of the dam and lake still survives. Note the concrete tower behind the dam in both photos.
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WPA Scout Cabin, Osborne (built 1938). This native stone structure located west of Osborne next to the South Fork Solomon River was erected using a Works Progress Administration grant. It is the home to the local chapters of the Boy and Girl Scouts and also hosts a number of events throughout the year.
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Downs Bandstand Downs, (built 1995). A gazebo, or bandstand, was erected in Railroad Park in Downs around the time of its establishment in the 19th Century. By the mid-20th Century this bandstand had been removed. In the 1990s a new bandstand was erected in the park as a functional nod to its predecessor and an enhancement to the architecture of the surrounding area.
Early postcard showing the first bandstand in Railroad Park.
The current bandstand in Railroad Park, downtown Downs, Kansas.
A selection of present buildings to celebrate and preserve from across the county.
Bull City Bank, Alton (built 1882). First a bank, and then for a long time the building served as the home for the Alton Post Office. Currently it is the location for Silly Swedes Cycle Source.
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Lipton Hotel, Downs (started 1880; completed 1884). A landmark building in the city of Downs and a visible tie back to its earliest days. Most recently it was the home of the Stuff N’ Such store.
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First National Bank & Walrond, Mitchell & Heren Office, Osborne (completed 1885 & 1886). These two native stone buildings built next to each other have now been an anchor of the city of Osborne’s downtown area well into their third century. The two structures were united under the same business in the 20th Century when they were the home for the Bloomer, Bloomer & Bloomer Law Office. Currently the home for Ameriprise Financial Services.
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State Bank of Portis, Portis (built 1887). The native stone building served as the bank’s home for a century.
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Tindal & Bros Store, Osborne (built 1888). After six years in a frame building the Tindal family erected this native stone building with brick facade, which features the iconic Mesker Bros. metal façade.
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Downs National Bank, Downs (built 1905). The Downs National Bank transformed the former Ruth family blacksmith and garage shop into an imposing structure for a successful business. From 2014 on the building has been the home of the Cushing Insurance Agency.
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Northway Lumber Company, Portis (built 1910-1911). After a fire in December 1910 devastated the first Northway Lumberyard, Lorenzo “Wren” Northway rebuilt the business and this surviving building, still standing with its traditional false front intact.
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Hardman Lumber Company, Downs (built 1917). Built for the offices of the Hardman Lumber Company and currently the location of the Downs City Office.
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Missouri Pacific Railroad Depot, Downs (built 1918). An authentic depot building restored to its original splendor as a museum and community room that honors Downs’ long history as a center of railroad commerce.
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First National Bank, Natoma (built 1931). When the First National Bank went looking for a new location it chose a site at the intersection of Second & Elm Streets and built their then-new brick building. Currently it houses Angel & Cook Public Accountants.
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Osborne County Memorial Hospital, Osborne (built 2019). One of the newest large structures built in the county, the building is a good example of the Modern style of architecture.
Arnold – Brent – Cooper – Dugan – Hall – Hampton – Kissell – Matlock – McFarland – Nesmith – Reitzel – Schneider. Twelve names to remember whenever the subject of Osborne County sports is mentioned.
James Marion Arnold was born on June 15, 1919 in Long Island, Phillips County, Kansas. James was the son of Charles and Suza (Hardman) Arnold. He received his elementary and high school education was in Downs, Kansas, graduating from Downs High School in May 1937. James played the 1937-1938, 1938-1939, 1939-1940, and 1940-1941 seasons on the University of Kansas basketball team under legendary coach Phog Allen and was a starter his senior season. James graduated from KU in May 1941 and then joined Eastman Kodak Company in their credit department as an accountant. In 1941 James enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served as a gunnery officer on the destroyer McCook during the D-Day of June 1944. He received the Bronze Star, the Combat “V”, and a citation for his actions in the war. On August 10, 1942, James was granted leave so that he could marry Evelyn Ernestine Yost in Downs. They became the parents of two children. In 1945 James was discharged from the Navy and returned to work for Eastman Kodak Company. He was transferred in 1953 to Recordak Corporation, a subsidiary of Eastman Kodak, of which he became President and General Manager. In 1965 James returned to Eastman Kodak and was made Vice President and General Manager of the newly-created Business Systems Marketing division. He is remembered as a brilliant mathematician and tactician, a fine manager, and a forward thinker in the developing field of data storage and retrieval. James retired from Eastman Kodak in 1974 and moved to La Jolla, California. From 1975 to 1985 James worked with the American Contract Bridge League and served on their board of directors. He died on May 26, 2002, in Fort Collins, Colorado, and was buried in El Camino Memorial Park in San Diego, San Diego County, California.
James Arnold grave plaque.
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Wayne Andrew Brent was born July 24, 1939 in Smith County, Kansas to Vern and Esther (Hamilton) Brent. He attended elementary school and high school in Alton, Osborne County, Kansas. In high school Wayne excelled at sports and was an all-league selection in football. But the sport he is remembered for is basketball. In 1956-1957, Wayne’s senior year in school, the Alton Wildcats varsity basketball team compiled a 26-2 record. They tied for the North-South Solomon League championship and placed first in their league, district, and regional tournaments. Wayne was the team’s leading scorer through the year and on February 5, 1957 he scored 47 points against Woodston in a league basketball game. In the 1957 Class BB state basketball tournament Wayne led the Wildcats to a third-place finish with a victory over Bronson High School on March 16, 1957. In that game Wayne scored 45 points, becoming the first player in Kansas high school history to score 40 points or more in a state tournament game. He also made 19 field goals, which is still the all-time state tournament single-game record for field goals in all classes. Wayne was then named to the Kansas Class BB All-State Basketball First Team.
On August 25, 1957 Wayne married Barbara Yoxall in Alton and together they raised three children. In the fall of 1957 Wayne enrolled at Kansas State University and lettered in basketball as a freshman. He played with the basketball team all four years and in the fall of 1961 Wayne earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Feed Technology and graduated from Kansas State University. Wayne then lived in Atlantic City, Iowa and later in Ballwin, Missouri, where he enjoys a quiet retirement life.
Wayne Brent in a 1957 image.
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Larry Wayne Cooper is the son of Glenn and Atha (Wood) Cooper and was born in Osborne, Kansas, on March 10, 1943. Larry attended the Osborne schools and played center on the varsity basketball team for the Osborne High School Bulldogs. During his senior year he averaged over 36 points a game his senior season and was named to the 1961 Class B All-State Basketball Team by the Topeka Capitol-Journal newspaper. After graduation from Osborne High Larry played basketball for two years at Hutchinson Junior College in Hutchinson, Kansas. The six-foot, seven-inch tall athlete was then recruited in 1963 by Indiana University and for the next two years played varsity center for the Indiana Hoosiers basketball team. On August 1, 1964, Larry married Martha A. Anderson at Hutchinson, Kansas. Following graduation from IU he worked for Cessna Aircraft in Wichita, Kansas. In February 1969 Larry joined Continental Oil Company (Conoco) in their Exploration-Geophysics Department as a programmer. In 1972 he was elevated to supervising programmer in the computer applications group of the Geophysics Data Processing Division in Ponca City, Oklahoma. Later Larry retired from Conoco and continues to enjoy life in Ponca City.
Larry Cooper goes up for a shot for the Hutchinson Dragons in a 1963 game.
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Leonard Mack Dugan was born February 19, 1910 at Alton, Osborne County, Kansas, and was the son of Albert and Inez Dugan. Mack graduated McCracken (Kansas) High School in 1931 and attended Wichita State University, where he played football at the center position in 1931-1934. He graduated WSU with a Civil Engineers degree. Mack stood six feet tall and weighed 218 pounds when he was drafted in 1936 by the New York Giants of the National Football League to play center. Mack played one season with the Giants before being traded to the Chicago Cardinals, for whom he played two years before ending his professional football career with the NFL’s Pittsburgh Pirates in 1939, where he played just one year. On February 27, 1942 Mack married Charlyne Maxine McCoy at Pawhuska, Oklahoma, and together they raised two sons. Mack enlisted in the U.S. Army at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, on May 13, 1942 and served in both World War II and the Korean War. During World War II Mack designed a better clutch that was then implemented in the Allied tanks, and later designed a better missile guidance system as well for the U.S. Nike series missiles. He later attained the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and at the time of his death was U.S. Army senior representative for the Army Missile Command and stationed at the Iowa Army Ammunition Plant in Middletown, Iowa. Mack was living in Burlington, Iowa when he passed away on June 20, 1967 at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. He was laid to rest in Valley View Cemetery at Garden City, Kansas.
Leonard Mack Dugan’s tombstone.
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Vance Leo Hall was born on October 19, 1921 in Concordia, Kansas, to William and Blanche Hall. He grew up in Downs, Kansas, and was the captain of the Downs Dragons basketball team. Vance averaged just over 21 points a game his senior season. Upon graduation from Downs High School Vance was offered a scholarship to play basketball for the University of Kansas and their legendary coach, Phog Allen. There Vance was a varsity teammate with another Downs alumni, James Arnold. After the 1941-1942 school year Vance left college to enlist in the U.S. Army, where he was a flight officer in the Air Transport Command. He flew B-29s and C-109s, hauling gasoline into China. After the end of World War II, he went back to the University of Kansas, graduating in 1947 with a degree in business. Vance married Margaret Freeman in Dallas on June 17, 1947, and they were the parents of six children. The Halls moved to Amarillo, Texas where they opened Vance Hall Sporting Goods, which was one of the premier sporting goods stores in Texas for forty years. Vance was president of the Western Sporting Goods Association and was on the Board of Directors. He was a member and Elder of First Presbyterian Church. Vance was on the Board of Directors of the Amarillo Country Club and a longtime member of both the Amarillo Executive Association and the American Business Club. He was also on the board of the local YMCA. In 1987 Vance was elected to the National Sporting Goods Industry Hall of Fame. Vance Leo Hall died on May 10, 2010, in Amarillo and was laid to rest in the city’s Llano Cemetery.
Vance Hall.
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Todd Kenneth Hampton was born on December 29, 1937 at Downs, Osborne County, Kansas. He was the son of Harold Dwight “Red” and Martha (Todd) Hampton. He graduated Downs High School in 1955 and that fall enrolled in Kansas Wesleyan College in Salina, Kansas, where he was a letterman in football, track, and golf. Todd letter in football for three years. As a 6-foot four-inch, 210-pound junior tackle he was named to the 1957 Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference’s All-Star Second Team and as a senior he was named to the 1958 Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference’s All-Star First Team after leading his team to its second consecutive conference championship. In November 1958 Todd was named to Who’s Who Among American Colleges and Universities. In December 1958 he was named to the national Methodist All-American Football Team. On December 4, 1958 Todd married Susan Pfeifer in Downs, Kansas. After graduation from Kansas Wesleyan in the spring of 1959 he began a career as a teacher and coach. Todd married to Doyleene Yockers on July 5, 1964 in Wichita, Kansas. In 2019 Todd was inducted into the Kansas Wesleyan University Athletics Hall of Fame. He currently lives in Greeley, Colorado.
Todd Hampton in 1965.
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Max Elton Kissell was born August 21, 1922 in Portis, Kansas. He was the son of John and Ina (Spencer) Kissell. Max went to Portis Elementary School and then Portis High School, where he was a star athlete for the Portis Tigers, especially on the school basketball team. In Max’s junior year, 1938-1939, he averaged 12.5 points per game. At age 17 and a high school senior Max stood six feet tall and weighed 165 pounds. He rather improved play in his senior year, enough that by January 1940 Max was receiving interest from college scouts as far away as Southern Methodist University in Texas, Northwestern University in Illinois, three Big Six conference schools, and a Pacific Coast school – unheard of attention at the time for a small-town Kansas kid. When the regular season ended in March 1940 Max had claimed the all-time state high school record for most points in a season by scoring 491 in 24 games while averaging 21 points a game. Eight times Max scored in the 30s. That same month the Salina (KS) Journal newspaper published the following sports blurb: “If Max Kissell, Portis (Kans.), isn’t the high scoring school basketball player in the country (491 points in 24 games), then who is?” The Associated Press news bureau picked it up and sent it out on their national newswire, and Max’s accomplishment was then carried in hundreds of newspapers across the country. In the Class B high school regional basketball tournament in Concordia, Kansas, Max hit a measured 60-foot basket for Portis at the buzzer in front of a stunned audience, who had never before seen such a feat. That spring Max was named to the Hutchinson News and several other newspapers’ All-Kansas high school basketball teams. In the fall of 1940 Max enrolled in the University of Kansas and played basketball for legendary coach Phog Allen and his Kansas Jayhawks team. He earned an athletic letter as a freshman and in January 1943 Max was playing on the varsity as a junior center for the Jayhawks. That spring he was named to the second team All-Big Six Conference basketball squad.
In 1943 Max enlisted in the U.S. Navy Air Corps, where he received his wings and commission and served as a fighter pilot during World War II. In March 1945 he married Marcile Marie Peterson, and together they raised four sons. Max was discharged from the Air Force in 1946 and in December 1947 Max returned to college at the University of Kansas and rejoined the Kansas Jayhawks basketball team. On February 23, 1948 Max was named the university’s freshman basketball coach. Max graduated from KU in May 1948 with a bachelor degree in business administration. The Kissells then moved to Bartlesville, Oklahoma and began working in the treasury department of Phillips Petroleum Company. In 1959 Max was elected assistant treasurer of the company and manager of the financial division of the treasury, a post he held for 15 years. Max also served as manager of investor relations for seven years as well as manager of corporate contributions and president of Phillips Petroleum Foundation Inc. for four years. He retired from Phillips in 1985.
Max was a deacon and president of the board of trustees for the First Presbyterian Church in Bartlesville. He also served as president of Hillcrest Country Club, president of the Petroleum Investors Relations Association of America, and a trustee of the Children’s Medical Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He was a member of the Bartlesville Masonic Lodge #284, The Scottish Rite Bodies, was a 32nd degree Mason of the Valley of Tulsa, a Shriner with the Akdar Temple in Tulsa, and a member of the Royal Order of Jesters. Max Elton Kissell died on January 23, 1999 in Bartlesville, Oklahoma.
Cartoon of Max Kissell that ran in the Kansas City Star newspaper, Kansas City, Missouri, on January 13, 1940, page 8.
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Stanton Earl “Stan” Matlock was the son of William and Pauline (Byfield) Matlock and was born on April 10, 1952 in Wichita, Kansas. He attended Wichita West High School where he was a member of the track team two years and the basketball team one year. For his junior year Stan moved to Alton, Kansas, where he played two years on the Alton Wildcats varsity basketball team at Alton High School. Stan scored 48 points in a game against Morland High School on February 3, 1970, and at season’s end was named to the North-South Solomon League All-Star First Team. He also starred on the school track team for two years. Stan was part of the last graduating class from Alton High in May 1970. He married Jolene Brummer on September 12, 1970 in Osborne, Kansas, and later served in the U.S. Air Force. Stan stayed very athletic throughout his life and loved to participate in many different sporting activities. Stan enjoyed participating in rugby and also competed in numerous triathlons and river runs. He died November 19, 2004, in Wellington, Kansas and was buried in that city’s Prairie Lawn Cemetery.
Stan Matlock tombstone.
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John Robert McFarland was born February 9, 1934 in Osborne, Kansas, the son of Sheldon and Thelma McFarland. He attended Osborne Elementary and High School. During his senior year in the fall of 1951 John quarterbacked the Osborne Bulldogs to their greatest season in school history: undefeated at 10-0, winners of the Sunflower Central League championship, and at season’s end being ranked No. 7 in the Associated Press top Ten Kansas High School Football Poll. John was named to the Topeka Daily Capitol All-Kansas High School First Team. John graduated from Osborne High in 1952 and that fall attended the University of Kansas on a football scholarship. He played quarterback for the Kansas Jayhawks from 1952-1956. With one year of eligibility left, John was asked by his former high school coach to play football for him at Central Missouri State University, giving him the opportunity to graduate from KU with a degree in Business and a degree from CMSU in Economics. John graduated from the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Dentistry in 1961. He began his practice in Topeka, Kansas, sharing the position of staffing the Shawnee County Dental Health Clinic time and an office at Topeka Dental Center. He collaborated with three other dentists in 1977 to form the Gage Dental Group. Dr. McFarland was dedicated to the quality care of the patients in his practice as well as at his volunteer work with the Kansas Foundation of Dentistry for the Handicapped and the Marian Dental Clinic. John retired from the full-time practice of Dentistry in 1999. He supported many civic endeavors and coached youth basketball and football. He was once the Topeka city handball champion, and was a racquetball enthusiast. John was recommended and accepted as a Fellow of the American College of Dentists. In 1996, he was appointed to the faculty of the LD Pankey Institute where he served part-time. On January 15, 1996, John married Karen Edmonds in Maui, Hawaii. He died of cancer on December 26, 2009 at his home in Topeka.
John McFarland.
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Kenneth Leroy Nesmith was born in February 1935 to William and Mildred (Feather) Nesmith. In the fall of 1951 the Nesmith family moved to Osborne, Kansas, where Kenneth enrolled as a junior. He excelled at sports and during his senior year in the fall of 1952 Kenneth was named to the Kansas Class B First Team All-State Football and to the Topeka Daily Capitol Kansas First Team All-State Football for all classes. In his two years as halfback on the football team the Osborne Bulldogs sported an undefeated 20-0 record and two straight Sunflower Central League championships. Kenneth graduated from Osborne High School in May 1953. That fall he enrolled at Kansas State University in Manhattan and as a freshman was the starting halfback on the Kansas State football team. By 1956 Kenneth was co-captain of the football team. He married Joyce Marie Slaven on February 1, 1957 in Beloit. Kenneth currently lives in The Woodlands, Texas.
Kenneth Nesmith, 1956 image.
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Darrell Leon Reitzel was born on the Roe Ranch in Liberty Township, Osborne County, Kansas on May 24, 1938 to Fay and Lesta (Loofbourrow) Reitzel. He grew up on the ranch just north of Waldo, Kansas and soon realized that if he played basketball his dad would let him out of chores or work on the farm. Luckily, he was an excellent athlete. Darrell went to Waldo High School as a freshman and sophomore and led the team in scoring both seasons. As a sophomore he averaged 18 points per game and scored a school-record 42 points in a single game. Darrell then transferred to Natoma (Kansas) High School to play for future Hall of Fame coach Johnny Locke. In Darrell’s junior year the Natoma team went on a 22-game win streak, losing in the regional playoffs and finishing with a 22-1 win-loss record. Darrell then transferred again, this time to play for another Hall of Fame coach, Amos Morris, at then-powerhouse Russell High School. In Darrell’s senior year of 1955-1956 Russell finished third in the state and Darrell was named to the All-Kansas State High School Basketball First Team. After watching Darrell score 29 points in the regional playoffs Kansas State University assistant coach Howie Shannon recruited Darrell to that school. Darrell was awarded a full scholarship to KSU. He missed part of his freshman basketball season due to illness, decided to transfer to then-junior college powerhouse Moberly (Missouri) Junior College for the 1957-1958 season. There he started for another legendary and Hall of Fame coach, Maurice Johns. The Moberly team was ranked #1 in the nation for most of the season. Darrell then transferred to North Texas State College in Denton, Texas, members of the Missouri Valley Conference, then the toughest basketball conference in the country. Darrell was the conference’s second leading scorer and assist leader and he was also in the top 10 in the conference in free throw percentage. After graduating from North Texas in 1960, Darrell served in the Army National Guard, where he was chosen to be the platoon leader and given awards for being a sharp shooter and outstanding soldier. He then became a very successful salesman and manager for the next 40-plus years with Procter & Gamble, Van Heusen, Speidel, British Sterling, and Citizen Watch Company. On December 18, 1967, he married Robin Kay Nay in Beaumont, Texas, and together they raised three children. When Darrell retired from sales, he became the basketball coach at Heritage Christian Academy in Rockwall, Texas, where under his tutelage his teams won 71 games in 3 seasons and a Christian School National Championship. Darrell died on May 4, 2017 in Conroe, Montgomery County, Texas.
Darrell Reitzel.
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Leon Keith Schneider was born September 30, 1945 in Osborne, Kansas and was the son of Fred and Colleen (Linder) Schneider. Leon attended elementary and high school in Osborne and excelled at sports. During his senior year Leon was the 1963 Kansas State Class B Indoor Track Champion in the 60-yard High Hurdles event with a time of 7.9 seconds. He was also the 1963 Kansas State Class B Outdoor Track Champion in the 120-yard High Hurdles with a time of 15.1 seconds, leading the Osborne boys track team to a fifth-place finish at the Class B State Track and Field Championships. After graduating from Osborne High in May 1963 Leon enrolled at Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kansas, where he was a track star in the hurdles all four years of college. Leon went on to work for City Service Company and lives a retired life in Owasso, Oklahoma.
Leon Schneider, 2015. Image courtesy of the Tulsa World newspaper.
The 4-H Key Award is given in recognition of an extraordinary 4-H career in which the applicant has amassed a list of highlights of 4-H related events, activities and achievements accomplished within the 4-H club, county/district, region or state. Less than 1% of all 4-H members are ever bestowed with the 4-H Key Award. The following is a list of those Osborne County, Kansas 4-H members who have earned this prestigious award since the first honoree in 1952. Should someone’s name have inadvertently been left out out, do not hesitate to let us know so that they can be recognized.
Osborne County Kansas Hall of Fame Honors - 2021 