Velda Klink Gochis wrote, [1]
Coming to Arkansas City in 1871, shortly after the area was opened to white settlement, were Gilbert and Anna (Bradley) Schnee. Mr. Schnee purchased 160 acres of virgin prairie, five miles southwest of Arkansas City,
Mr. and Mrs. Schnee came from a Utopian community in Indiana, that was known as the "Athens of the West" because of the many scientists and educators who had gathered there. It was an abrupt change to come to an area so recently opened to settlement.They came by train to Cottonwood Falls, as far as the railroad reached, and on by wagon to Arkansas City. Lumber for the house was brought by wagon from Wichita.
Two children were born to the Schnees, William (1872) and Louise (1875).
The farm was three miles from Indian Territory. On hazy autumn days they could smell the smoke from campfires when Indians were drying meat on wooden racks. They occasionally came by the house in long wagon trains to trade in Arkansas City.
Submitted by Velda Klink Gochis
Scanned out of the Cowley County Heritage book, Page 284.
[1] The KS GenWeb Project, Cowley County Heritage book, last item on p. 284, [URL].