By KORTNEY LANG
Tiger Media Network
Fort Hays State University’s roots reside in the land on which our campus is located. As the land that surrounds campus is always changing, it’s important to make note of the history of this land. Some of that history is just 23 miles north of campus, on C2T Ranch. The findings on this ranch show us how much history can lie right beneath the surface.
Owned by Chad and Cynthia Tuttle, C2T Ranch spans across 2,200 acres of land. With the ranch being just outside of Hays, it can be hard to believe the uniqueness that lies within the property. A 150-foot-tall limestone wall, hidden canyons, and meadows are just a few of the things that set it apart from others.
“This is very unique for Western Kansas, that’s for sure,” Chad Tuttle said.
The history of the ranch dates back to the 1800s and there was always rumor of military presence on the land in the early 1870s. After some research, the family found out that in 1903 the prior owner of the land found gold on a part of the land, and it was mined until 1909. With the property being near Hays, there was always the question of whether more history was held in the land itself. This brought the family to wonder about The Battle of the Saline River.
“The Battle of the Saline River was always written about, but nobody ever knew where it was,” Chad said.
Chad told his father-in-law about the history of the gold mine, and so he ended up buying a metal detector which eventually led to the discovery of the battle.
“The first thing he found was a junk pile next to the wagon crossing,” he said.
As more people became a part of the search, they started to find more and more historical items and they began to question if it could be the battle site.
“We brought an archaeologist up from the state of Kansas, and we showed him around and told him out theories, and they agreed, this is the site of the Battle of the Saline River,” Chad said.
The family has continued to find more artifacts from the time period, and they plan to keep searching. With the history that their land holds, they decided they wanted to find a way to share it with others. Starting in 2020, they began to build campsites for visitors to come stay. Adding onto the campsites, they now offer a wedding venue, tours of their land, and much more.
Their property has brought people from all over the country, including New York City and Washington D.C.
“People are really looking for getting back to nature and getting back to agriculture,” Chad said.
This expansion of the farm has opened up many great opportunities for the family and they soon hope to connect with FHSU students to continue to share the history of their land with others.
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