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Chase County Kansas Historical
Sketches
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History of County Music
Country western songs as we know them today
aren't something new that have sprung up in the
last 20 years or so; actually the hillbilly type of
song is the oldest form of all American songs,
Some were composed when the early English and
Irish settlers settled at Jamestown Va, The old
brass reed type of harmonica, the guitar, and the
fiddle were the only musical instruments the settlers brought along, That is wlry they wrote most
of the melodies very simply, so that they could
be played upon those instruments, The same three
instruments are still popular today with the country-western singers, but they have added the string
bass, and then later developed the steel guitar
and accordian.
Many of the songs are written from true-to-life
stories of their broken love affairs, train wrecks,
storms, and other types of tragedies These songs
reach into the human heart and leave a lasting
impression. The early Homesteaders kept pushing
westward and when one valley was all taken up,
the newcomers would move into the next valley,
homestead and settle down. Their only form of
amusement was their singing and playing of the
old songs the knew and each evening after supper
they would gather around a log fire and sing these
old songs The songs were sung and handed down
from generation to generation. Just about everybody sang in his own way, even the soldiers as
they went to war, During the Mexican border war
flare-ups, the soldiers used to sing an old war song
''Green Grow The Lilacs.''
The Mexicans heard
this song sung so often by the soldiers. that they
called the Americans "Gringos" (Green Grows):
and that name has stuck to us ever since. Then
along carne songs like "Sourwood \lourrtain''.
'`Sweet Betsy from Pike'', "Old Rattler" and the
numorous types of songs. In addition there were
old square dance fiddle tunes: such as "Turkey Irr
the Straw'', "Devil's Dream". ''Raggtime Annie''.
"Old Joe Clark ". "Buffalo Gals", etc. These
types of Songs kept growing in popularity with the
country and mountain folks and later spread to the
cities.
And so, as a result of these old tunes being
handed from generation to generation, the Kansas
Oldtime Fiddlers, Pickers and Singers Association
was formed in 1966, The purpose being to promote,
encourage and preserve oldtime music and its re-
lated skills, There are, now, six chapters in the
State. Each, meeting on Sunday afternoons, once a
month, to play and sing, for their own pleasure and
entertainment. They have also gained in popularity,
and the spectator crowds have grown to several
hundred each meeting. "there are chapters in Blue
Mound, Kansas; Tecumseh, Kansas; Lallarpe,
Kansas; Cottonwood Falls, Kansas; Osawatomie,
Kansas and Yates Center, Kansas
An Annual Fes-
tival is held each year, so all members can get
together and compete for prizes, and have pleasure,
as well as an annual membership meeting, to tend
to the business affairs of the State Association.
Written by:
Margaret Stewart, Secretary KOFf)&S
Cottonwood Falls, Kansas
Chase County Centennial, 1872 - 1972
by Lorna Marvin
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