City of Axtell, Kansas Webpage
City of Axtell, Kansas Webpage
This sign welcomes you as you enter Axtell on Kansas highway 110 from the junction of U.S. highway 36 and Highway 110. The Axtell Busy Bees organization erected the sign to greet visitors and residents in 1995.
In 1925, the City of Axtell and surrounding countryside wanted to honor
her men and women that served their county in the First World War.
They commissioned a famous sculptor to depict the World War I "
doughboy." This famous statue still stands proudly in Axtell
reminding all who see it of our men and women who proudly served their
country in the armed forces. The accompanying article was researched
and written by LeNore Stumpf of Axtell.
At the intersection of Fifth and Maple in Axtell stands a Doughboy monument. It is a tribute to the local men and women who served in World War I.
The monument was the brainchild of the newly formed American Legion R. R. Hendricks Post 214. It contains a plaque listing the 150 men and two nurses from the Axtell community who served their country during the Great War. It arrived in Axtell in the spring of 1925, and the April 30 issue of the Axtell Standard carried a financial statement of the memorial. The bronze Doughboy had cost $1,173, the monument base $550, bronze tablet with names $110, freight and labor $12.39. There was a balance of $150 that the town still had to raise in order to pay for this project.
This project had been in the works for two or three years with townspeople raising funds by having box socials, raffles and other forms of money-making ventures. The city had donated $500.
The statue, according to The Chamber Monthly of Spencer, Indiana, was designed and copyrighted by E. M. Viquesney of Spencer in 1920. It was titled "The Spirit of The American Doughboy. " It is a World War I infantryman advancing through No Man's Land, through stumps and barbed wire entanglements, his rifle held in his left hand while his right hand is raised high, holding a grenade. The Viquesney creation has two stumps, one front and one rear, and the sculptor's name is imprinted on the statue. These features distinguish it from Doughboys done by other sculptors.
Research now being done by T. Perry Wesley, editor emeritus of the Spencer Evening World, says there were at least 136 Viquesney Doughboy statues placed in 35 states. There were three Viquesney Doughboys placed in Kansas at Axtell, Parsons and Oakley.
Formal dedication of the Axtell Doughboy took place on " Decoration Day," May 31, 1925. The six-and-one-half-foot statue stood on a six-foot base, which had been placed on a large concrete block in the center of the main intersection of town. It remained there for 35 years but was frequently the victim of pranksters and vandals. It was also more and more frequently the victim of the ever- increasing automobile population.
In March 1955, the city obtained a lease from the railroad for a small piece of land on the northeast corner of the intersection so the Doughboy could be moved to a more appropriate location. For reasons unknown, it remained in its unenviable position for another five years. It was during this same period that Axtell was struggling to build and finance a new hospital so the monument may have been relegated to second place on the list of priorities.
In April 1960, the Doughboy and its base were removed from the concrete perch and positioned on the land at the northeast corner of the intersection. Local organizations and the city arranged for the planting of shrubs and flowers to provide a suitable location for the monument.
The monument is a noticeable feature in Axtell, and every spring the R. R. Hendricks American Legion Post 214 begins its Memorial Day services at the Doughboy.
The city water tower rises to a height of 125 feet over the city of Axtell. It can hold up to 50,000 gallons of water. Situated on the tower are various emergency communication antenna for both the city and the R.E.C. The water tower was built in 1925 and the first gallons of water were pumped into it in March of 1926.
On left side of street: Axtell State Bank, Blue Valley Telephone Relay Building, Peschel's Mart, and City Hall
On right side of street: Bloomin' Creations, Dave's Hardware, and Aces
This building was constructed after a fire destroyed our original American Legion building in 1992. Through much community effort, the building was constructed for cost of materials only. All the labor was donated. Carpenters, concrete masons, plumbers, electricians, and laborers all donated their talents to build our new community building. Many functions happen here. Dr. Lueger, D.O., maintains a small office here and sees patients on Thursday mornings.
The Axtell United Methodist Church was organized in 1878 as the Methodist Episcopal Church. This building was constructed in 1905 at a cost of $8,500. In 1940 the name was changed to the Methodist Church and in 1968 unification changed the name again to The United Methodist Church. Axtell is yoked with the Methodist church in Beattie.
Salem Lutheran Church was organized on December 18, 1874. The congregation built their first church in Lincoln township in 1884. This church building was completed in 1924. The church is yoked with Friedens Lutheran Church in Home City, KS.
Mission Covenant Church traces its beginnings to December 29, 1886 with 17 members. The name "Swedish Evangelical Zion Mission Church" was chosen. The congregation's first church was built in 1889. The present church was built in 1907.
St. Michael Church was organized in 1881. St. Bridget Parish, six miles north of Axtell, was the "mother" parish for St. Michael. It was named "Michael" after Michael Murray, who was instrumental in establishing a Catholic parish in Axtell. The church was built in 1905 by Fr. Francis Taton. The rectory (in the foreground) was built in 1996 by the parishioners and the Axtell Knights of Columbus Council #1163 to replace the rectory built in 1908 by Fr. Taton.
St. Michael Parish operates a Catholic elementary school. In 2003-04, there were thirty-one students attending.
Axtell's first public school was built in 1873 at a cost of $750. The first high school class graduated in 1888. The present two story building in this picture was built as a WPA project in 1943. A major addition was completed in 2001.
St. Michael school began operations in 1889 but with few students closed in 1894. Father Taton reestablished the school in 1917 and it has been in continuous operation ever since. From 1919 through 1941, St. Michael's offered all twelve grades of school. In 1986, the school dropped its seventh and eighth grades in order to concentrate on grades 1 through 6. St. Michael's is accredited by the NCA and the State of Kansas. It is a part of the school system of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas.
Looking Down Fifth street: Blue River Feed, Post Office, Offices of U.S.D. #488, Mark's Repair and Little Joe's 66 Service.
This building contains the city offices, a community room and the city library. It was built in 1961. In 1973, the city moved its offices and the library into this building.
This park contains a playground, ballfield, concession stand. It is used by the Axtell High School during football season.
This complex contains a number of housing units offering subsidized housing for qualifying individuals.
Rosehill Cemetery on Memorial Day, 1998. Located on North-west corner of Axtell.
St. Michael Cemetery on Memorial Day, 1998. Located one mile north of Axtell.
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