Area Information
Barber County was organized in 1873 and named in honor of Thomas W. Barber, an abolitionist who was among the first settlers of nearby Douglas County. He was killed for his anti-slavery stance on December 6, 1855.
In October of 1867, five different Indian tribes signed peace treaties with the federal government. 15,000 Indians camped nearby during the council, among them the famous chiefs Satanta, Little Raven and Black Kettle. While the treaties did not bring a lasting peace, they did allow the railroad to come to the area and made white settlement of Medicine Lodge possible.
During a period of Indian outbreaks in western and southern Kansas in 1874, Thomas A. Osborne, then governor of the state, organized the Kansas State Guards. Sun City and Medicine Lodge served as the home bases for the troops in the southern section of the state. It was the duty of the Medicine Lodge and Sun City militia to guard and keep the territory from Caldwell to Dodge City, and south to the Cimarron River, clear of marauding bands of Indians.
Average high temperatures reach 95 degrees in July and average lows get down to 18 degrees in January. The monthly rainfall average is 2.2 inches, with the majority falling in the summer. Annual snowfall averages 16.4 inches.
3 public schools provide education for all area students of all levels from kindergarten up through the end of high school. Higher education is offered by Hutchinson Community College, Barton County Community College, Wichita State University and Friends University. All are located within 90 miles of town.
Medicine Lodge Memorial Hospital serves local health care needs.
Both the Upper and Lower Barber State Fishing Lakes are located on the northern edge of town. Here you can fish for largemouth bass, channel catfish, walleye, bluegill, crappie and more.
Every few years, the town celebrates the peace treaty of 1867 with the Medicine Lodge Indian Peace Treaty Pageant. During this pageant, the community transforms into a frontier town with parades and the
Medicine Lodge Historical Night show, which re-enacts a bank robbery that took place in 1880. 300 years of Indian history are also re-enacted and condensed into a 2 hour show.
Medicine Lodge is host to the Annual Kansas Championship Ranch Rodeo. 12 teams compete in rodeo events over two days every September.
There's a lot more to explore in Medicine Lodge and Barber County. Contact us today for information on our area and the properties we currently have available. We'll help you discover the home you've
always wanted.
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