News Release

Historic Stone Fence Rehabilitation at the Preserve

Historic stone fence being rebuilt on its original foundation.

NPS

News Release Date: September 19, 2018 STRONG CITY, Kansas: Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is pleased to announce the return
of the Dry Stone Conservancy to the park and its latest stone fence building project. The work will continue throughout the autumn and early winter, weather conditions permitting.

This project will add roughly 800 linear feet of dry-stacked limestone fence to the park, seeking to replicate the look of the ranch from the early 20^th century (black and white photo is from 1900). Stone fences were historically used in the Flint Hills due to a readily available material, limestone. Fences represent stability and the end of the Open Range Era, when landowners were required by law to fence in their cattle. Before that time, landowners would openly graze their cattle on the prairie, often running into and ruining crops. Historically landowners were paid roughly 50 cents a rod (every 16 1/2 feet), which equates to about $11.00 in 2018. Fences also represented the changing times and as it is still today, good fences make for good neighbors.

The Dry Stone Conservancy has a long history of rock wall building at the park, having completed significant projects around the historic ranch grounds in 2005 and along the Southwind Nature Trail in 2012.

Dry stone construction is an ancient practice of carefully shaping stones to fit tightly together, forming walls, steps, towers and other architectural shapes requiring no mortar between the stones, with just gravity and the friction among the stones holding the structures together. In fact, at 555 feet 5 1/8 inches tall, the Washington Monument in Washington, DC is one of the tallest, free-standing dry-laid stone structures in the world. You can learn more about dry stone masonry at http://www.drystone.org/history/

Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve invites you to discover the meaning of national parks, how your park inspires you - both in personal connections and memorable experiences. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located two miles north of Strong City on Kansas State Highway 177 (the Flint Hills National Scenic Byway) and is a unique public/private partnership between the National Park Service and The Nature Conservancy. For more information, visit the preserve’s Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/NPS.TallgrassPrairie, website at www.nps.gov/tapr, email e-mail us, or call the preserve at [phone]. 
To learn more about The Nature Conservancy in Kansas, visit the Conservancy’s website at www.nature.org/Kansas or Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/TNCKansas .
 

Historic photo from 1900 showing the original stone fence. Courtesy Colorado Historical Society.

This photo is the earliest known image of the Spring Hill Ranch, year 1900. It comes from the William Henry Jackson Collection, Colorado Historical Society.