Brochure

Tallgrass Prairie Tallgrass Prairie N a t i o n a l P r e s e r v e Kansas N a t i o n a l Park Service U.S. D e p a r t m e n t o f t h e I n t e r i o r "Wheneveryou stop on theprairie to lunch or camp, and gaze around, there is apicture such as poet and painter never succeeded in transferring to book or canvas... fWeJ ought to have saved a... Park in Kansas, ten thousand acres broadtheprairie as it came from the hand of God, not a foot or an inch desecrated by 'improvements' and 'cultivation'. It is only a memory now." O.W. Wilder, editor of t h e Hiawatha World, 1884 ^Ihe J^ast <j)tand Tallgrass prairie once covered 140 million acres of North America. Now less than 4 percent remains, mostly in the Flint Hills of Kansas. On November 12, 1996, Congress created the 10,894-acre preserve, protecting a nationally significant example of the once-vast tallgrass prairie ecosystem, while preserving a unique collection of cultural resources from prehistoric times through the ranching era. Greater prairie-chicken Eastern meadowlark © 8 . MOOSE PETERSON/WRP © T O M MURRAY Central North America, once called the Great American Desert, supports three types of grasslands. Tallgrass, mixed grass, and short grass prairies respond to decreasing rainfall amounts, while providing food and habitat for hundreds of prairie animals. Four grasses dominate tallgrass prairie—big and little bluestem, switch grass, and Indian grass. Travelers and traders crossed the vast prairie to find greater opportunities, but development was inevitable as settlers discovered the rich prairie soil. ©KEVIN SINK ! After John Deere invented the steel moldboard plow—it could cut • tough prairie sod—settling and cultivating the prairie grew by leaps ' and bounds. In less than a generation the prairie soil was broken, J the land settled and forever changed. I >- 'i American Indians knew well the value of the prairie and of human I harmony with nature. Tribes of Kansa, Osage, Wichita, and Pawnee I made this region their home and hunting grounds. Millions of bison | roamed the plains, providing food, shelter, and ceremonial life for the I tribes. As the United States expanded, Indian removal policies forced the • Indians onto reservations and changed their cultures. In part to subdue the Indians, the bison were slaughtered almost t o extinction. As | settlement and agriculture followed, the tallgrass prairie made its I last stand. Coyote American bison ©RON NIEBRUGGE © D . ROBERT & LORRt FRANZ A L I M E S T O N E LAYER CAKE Wild blue indigo Compass plant © A L A N DETRICK/PHOTO RESEARCHERS. INC ©KENNETH HIGHFILL/PHOTO RESEARCHERS, INC. Leaa piani ©MIKE MCDOWELL Butterfly milkweed uiue sage Gayteather Switch grass Little bluestem Big bluestem Indian grass Buffalo grass Canada wild rye © D O N KURZ ANDREW LAWSON/©DORUNG KINDERSLY ©MIKE HADDOCK ©MIKE HADDOCK ©MIKE HADDOCK ©MIKE HADDOCK ©MIKE HADDOCK ©PAUL JENKINS, WILDFLOWER FARM ©CALVIN J. HAMILTON Evening light accentuateSFlint Hills terraced limestone. ©STEVE M U L U G A N £'./> A*A"\ S ', THE FLINT HILLS OF KANSAS O v e r 2 5 0 million years a g o this area w a s a vast inland sea t h a t d e p o s i t e d g r e a t layers of limestone, shale, a n d f l i n t . The Flint Hills w e r e created as softer shales eroded away, leaving b e h i n d h a r d e n e d f l i n t shelves, in a process called d i f f e r e n t i a l erosion. T h e Flint Hills w e r e t o o rocky t o p l o w , e x c e p t in t h e bottomland of creeks a n d rivers. PRAIRIE FIRES Before humans lived here, l i g h t n i n g i g n i t e d fires raced unchecked o v e r t h e prairie until a large river or stream stoppr id t h e m . Bison f o l l o w e d t h e burning prairie, grazing )n tender n e w plant shoots. Seeing t h i s , A m e r i c a n India is used f i r e for attracting large grazing animals t o hur t. M a n a g i n g t h e prairie by using fire a n d g r a z i n g a l l o w s f o r g r e a t e r p r a i r i e diversity. Today t h e preserv e staff w o r k s t o mimic THE PRAIRIE LIVES UNDERGROUND t h e s e n a t u r a l processes for t h e prairie's h e a l t h . PRAIRIE LIFE A B O V E GROUND A significant w o r l d exists of n e m a t o d e s a n d o t h e r and reptiles evade preda- in t h e s e p o o l s a n d Over 4 0 0 species of plants, pocket gophers, coyotes, of the grouse family need h a b i t a t loss, d u e t o u n d e r g r o u n d as t h e t a l l - animals help keep the tors by t u n n e l i n g . s t r e a m s . This seldom- 150 kinds of birds, 39 types and deer. Bears, antelopes, taller, denser grasses for conversion of n a t i v e grass prairie root systems prairie h e a l t h y t h r o u g h seen underground w o r l d of reptiles and amphibians, panthers, and bison roamed nesting, b u t t h e y also prairie t o cropland a n d reach d o w n 15 t o 25 f e e t their normal life functions. O v e r 2 0 0 springs a n d — n e m a t o d e s a n d vast and 31 species of mammals t h e N o r t h American prai- need o p e n spaces w i t h development. rie b e f o r e it w a s settled. into t h e soil, surviving fire, They t u r n a n d a e r a t e soil seeps o n t h e preserve plant root systems a w a i t your discovery here. drought, and the changing by digestion or burrowing. b e g i n underground and mining rich, d e e p soils— Examples of most c o m - environment. In dry periods A h a n d f u l of sod can hold meander t h r o u g h layers gives life t o t h e creatures monly seen animals are Greater prairie-chickens g r o u n d s — f o r breeding. low ground w o r k together, prairie plants go d o r m a n t , 5 0 - 1 0 0 n e m a t o d e species, o f limestone before they above. rabbits, turkeys, ornate prefer areas a w a y f r o m W h e r e the conditions are along w i t h t h e preserve's conserving energy for microscopic w o r m s t h a t reach the surface. Aquatic box turtles, snakes, upland h u m a n activity, and their diverse, prairie chickens cultural h e r i t a g e , t o tell r e g r o w t h w h e n rain pen- e a t their w a y t h r o u g h life, like t h e e n d a n g e r e d sandpipers, collared presence indicates t h a t w i l l return t o t h e same t h e continually unfolding etrates the soil. Thousands soil. B u r r o w i n g m a m m a l s T o p e k a shiner, t h r i v e s lizards, and grasshoppers. t h e prairie is biologically leks yearly t o m a t e . The story of this fascinating diverse. These m e m b e r s birds are t h r e a t e n e d by a n d special place. c BACKGROUND ROOT SYSTEM ©HEIDI NATURA Fire stirriulat.es new growth from plant roots below ground. ©LARRY SCHWARM ' r more elusive are foxes. shorter v e g e t a t i o n — called leks or b o o m i n g Prairie life a b o v e a n d be- ABOUT YOUR VISIT The preserve is administered by the National Park Service. The historic ranch headquarters is t w o miles north of the U.S. 50 and Kansas 177 intersection, V4 mile west of Strong City, Kansas. Historic Ranch Headquarters Lower Fox Creek School, 1882. Benninghoven Ranch, 1920s. Lithograph ot Spring Hill Farm and Stock Ranch, 1887. l Stephen F. Jones. ONE R A N C H , M A N Y The preserve is open daily 9 am to 4:30 pm except Thanksgiving, December 25, and January 1. On your visit you may see ranch activities, and you are welcome to observe and ask questions. Hired hands eating watermelon, circa 1920s. HELP US PRESERVE THE SITE Smoke only in the designated area. Pets are not allowed in the buildings or the backcountry areas. Please do not climb, sit on, or disturb rock walls, buildings, or other features. FOR YOUR SAFETY Watch your step while walking the grounds. Do not enter corrals or approach the livestock or wildlife. Report accidents or safety hazards to a ranger. Hazel Slabaugh and team, 1940s. Moving Davis Ranch cattle, 1955. ALL PHOTOGRAPHS NPS OWNERS Stephen F. and Louisa Jones came t o Chase County, Kansas, Barney Lantry, Jones's neighbor and business associate, acres of pasture t o Lester and Beulah Urschel, separating When Davis died in 1955, the ranch became the Davis-Noland- the Spring Hill Ranch land f r o m the farmstead. Merrill Grain Company, later renamed the Z Bar Ranch. In by Boatmen's First National Bank in Kansas City. The National at the end of the open range period in 1878 t o create a bought the ranch f o r $95,000 in 1888, incorporating it w i t h f e e d i n g station f o r t h e Jones brothers' Colorado cattle his o w n Deer Park Place for a total of 13,000 acres. Lantry's operation. Stephen Jones began buying land f r o m individ- ranch tenants lived in the Spring Hill Ranch house. When The Benninghovens worked through the Great Depression, uals and railroads, amassing 7,000 acres. He built his Spring Barney Lantry and a son Henry died. Spring Hill and Deer but eventually lost the land in 1935. George H. Davis, a Park Trust b o u g h t the 10,894-acre parcel in 1994, d o n a t i n g Hill Farm and Stock Ranch complex near the railhead for Park Farm was divided and sold t o Charles Patten and F.W. prominent Kansas City grain dealer, bought separate ranch the ranch headquarters and the school t o the National Park convenient shipping of his Durham, Galloway, Hereford, and Freeman. In 1909 the Pattens sold 1,080 acres o f the land properties from Prudential Insurance Company of America Service in 2002. Today The Nature Conservancy is the primary polled Angus cattle t o the Kansas City market. A f t e r t h e t o O t t o and Flora Benninghoven, marking the return of a and the Urschels, reuniting the Jones/Lantry lands. Davis land owner. The Kansas Park Trust operates a bookstore on 1986 the Z Bar Ranch was sold and placed in a trust managed Colorado ranch was sold, Jones focused on raising purebred resident-owner family t o t h e Spring Hill Ranch house. The employed the Benninghovens, w h o continued t o live on the the site. Both w o r k in partnership w i t h the National Park stock and race horses. He o w n e d this land only 10 years, Benninghovens, active in t h e local agricultural community, property until 1942. After their departure. Hazel Slabaugh Service. f r o m 1878 t o 1888, b u t he left an e n d u r i n g legacy in raised cattle, sheep, and turkeys, helping t o pay o f f the and his w i f e Erma, among other familes, w e r e hired t o live the area. debt in 1917. In 1921 the Pattens sold the remaining 8,602 on the property and manage the ranch for the next 40 years. OUR PARTNERS TheNature(Xii More Information Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve P.O. Box 585 Cottonwood Falls, KS 66845 620-273-8494 www.nps.gov/tapr Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is one of over 390 parks in the National Park System. Visit www.nps.gov for more information about national parks and National Park Service programs in America's communities. AGPO:2008—339-126/80101 Printed on recycled paper. Conservancy % ^ Protecting nature. Preserving life." THE RANCH BUILDINGS 1 continuous ranching legacy f r o m t h e 1878 I LIMESTONE BARN This massive three-level Spring Hill Farm a n d Stock Ranch t o t h e Z limestone barn measures 110' x 60', with Bar Ranch t h a t sold in 1986. Over the years . t h e c a n c h h a s undergone m a n y t r a n s f o r m a - _ ground access to all three levels. It housed tions. The buildings s h o w remnants f r o m livestock and equipment, and stored hay its earliest beginnings as w e l l as changes and grain to feed the made by t h e ranch's many o w n e r s . animals in winter. In 1882, 5,000 pounds of tin covered the roof. N o r t h o f t h e historic ranch headquarters is In the 1940s four large t h e Lower Fox Creek School built in 1882 grain bins and two cupolas were added, by Stephen Jones o n land he d o n a t e d . His along with iron support d a u g h t e r Loutie a t t e n d e d classes there. beams in the barn's You are i n v i t e d t o w a l k a r o u n d t h e historic interior. ranch headquarters and school area in The Spring Hill/Z Bar Ranch represents a 2 CORRALS AND FENCES These played a pivotal role at the ranch, controlling animal flow and grazing patterns^ Stephenlones fully enclosed his 7,000 acres using a readily available resource—limestone. He also built inner pasture fences for selective breeding and grazing distribution, to prevent overgrazing any one particular area. 3 OUTBUILDINGS Built after 1900 these buildings were used as workshops and to store vehicles and equipment. 4 SCRATCH SHED Originally built in 1882 this structure enabled chickens to exercise in winter, increasing egg production. Four southfacing windows let in sunlight to warm the interior in winter, creating a very cozy environment for Mr. Jones's chickens. The building has been remodeled over the years to accommodate the needs of the ranch. 5 CHICKEN HOUSE The hillside and sod roof act as natural insulation for this 1882 building. Two vents in the barrel-vaulted ceiling regulate temperature and air flow, promoting greater egg production. The west door led into the scratch shed. 6 CARRIAGE HOUSE Built between 1910 and 1920, this building housed ranch vehicles and equipment when the Benninghovens lived here. 7 RANCH HOUSE The architectural features of this 1881 fourlevel Second Empirestyle limestone mansion include a mansard roof, large windows, solid walnut staircase, faux painted woodwork, ornate cornices, and ceiling medallions. The house was built into the hillside for natural insulation. Gravity fed the natural spring water into the home via an intricate underground piping system. 8 CURING HOUSE Jones used this 1881 structure to cure hams and others meats, which were hung from hooks 1 in the rafters. Port holes and cupola vents allowed air circulation, a requirement for proper curing. 9 OUTHOUSE This little structure behind the ranch house was built in 1881. The interior walls are roughcut ashlar stone; the exterior walls are block limestone. An unusual feature is the use of three holes, two adult and one child size. The windows are curtained for added privacy. ICE HOUSE Built in 1882, this structure was used to store ice cut from the Cottonwood River and other nearby sources. The ice was placed in sawdust and prairie hay for insulation. This g a v e _ ^ the Jones family access ' W e * . to ice year-round, a luxury for the time. The door was originally on the north side, but was moved to the south to support the changing needs of the ranch. d a y l i g h t hours using this m a p as y o u r guide. To Southwind Nature Trail and LOWER FOX CREEK SCHOOL Built in 1882, this one-room school provided a setting for educating local area students until 1930, when it was abandoned and reverted to the ranch owner. The school is a Vi-mile walk from the ranch headquarters. OKEVIN SINK