The Bissell Buzz (9-10-25)

Bissell Buzz

In August our Rodeo Parade had a theme of “Outlaws and Legends” and a random search on “legends in Phillips County” returned many names, amongst other that of Lafayette Nay. He was no naysayer, as his obituary in 1923 describes him as a man with a remarkable personality, stalwart character and upright and honorable disposition. Furthermore, he is described as always brave and courageous in danger, kind and sympathetic in times of trouble or sorrow, a friend to the needy and help to the weak, facing danger, struggling against blizzard or riding for miles through the intense heat to bring help to those in need. His good heart never wearied of helping his fellow men.

Lafe, as he was known, was born in Ohio, but had travelled much due to his father’s health. He had travelled through Ohio, Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana and Iowa before they stayed at Holt County, Missouri. There in Mound City he married Eliza Chester in 1864.

The first five families who settled in the Marvin area in 1872, which was to become Solomon Township in 1874, were the families of John Ward, William Chester, N.W. Gibbs, Mr. Pratt and Irvin Sutley. Lafayette Nay was not one of the first settlers, but had come to Kansas in 1871 on horseback to hunt buffalo. He had been across the plains to Denver before this, having noted the grassy prairies and wooded streams of this part of Kansas as being promising country in which to make homes. He sent for his wife Eliza and children in the summer of 1872. They came in a covered wagon from Missouri with her brother William Chester, who was one of the first families, as driver. After a short time however, their baby became very ill, so the Nay family went back to Missouri. Their baby recovered, but her sister died while there and was buried beside her infant brother who died in 1870. The family returned in the spring of 1873 when the weather was better to make their home in Phillips County.

They settled close to the Solomon River, which was a popular site for many of the new settlers. They had taken the wagon boxes with their canvas covers from the wagons and lived quite comfortably in them for the meantime. There was water as well as some trees for wood and fuel close by. Living close to a river always had the threat of a flood and a wagon box could easily be swept away, as did happen in a flash flood which occurred without warning one Sunday. Fortunately, the Nay’s home was safe, but they did have to help rescue a family who lost children and also all their possessions due to the wagon box being swept away. Life for a settler on the Plains was not easy. In the publication “Marvin Memories” is a lengthy record of the Nay family’s early life in Marvin, which includes buffalo hunting, Indian scares, rattlesnake bites, lighting strikes and the loss of their home due to a fire.

However, Lafayette Nay is mostly known for the fact that he and his wife Eliza, were the ones to lay out the townsite of Marvin in 1879, naming it for Captain Marvin, who was an officer of the Missouri Pacific Railroad. An 1881 newspaper clipping advertised Nay as the proprietor of a stage line between Phillipsburg and Marvin, to connect with the passenger trains running east and west.

One snippet found in the Kirwin Chief of May 12, 1883 records “Lafayette Nay had a very close call last Tuesday morning. He attempted to board a freight train while it moved at a lively rate, and if he was a man of less nerve he would probably have been killed. Then what would have become of these United States with no Deputy Marshal?”

When Lafe Nay and William Chester and their wives and children left Holt County, Missouri for western Kansas, they left several brothers and sisters behind. Within a few months various Nay and Chester families joined them to homestead here in Phillips County.

Lafe and his wife Eliza spent most of their married lives in Marvin and eventually moved to California, where he spent the last years of his life. His legacy lives on in the properties that he and his wife laid out and platted in the city of Marvin, which had its name changed to Glade in 1908.

Our museum is now closed for daily visitors, but remember our upcoming events:
Night at the Museum on September 28 at 5pm
Ellis Trail to Nicodemus Movie Screening – October 5 at 2pm and 3:30PM
Untold Stories of Indian Battles in NW KS at Huck Boyd at 9am – RSVP’s required for planning and catering purposes as well as seating arrangements. RSVP in one of the following methods: Phone 785-543-6212 (leave a message), email to ftbissell@live.com or on our Facebook page or event page.

We look forward to seeing you at one or all of these forthcoming events!

Ruby Wiehman – Curator