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For several years
Baxter
Springs made little progress. By 1876, the community's
population had fallen to only about 800 residents. During this
period of hard times, it was discovered that the mineral springs had
wonderful health-giving properties and
Baxter
Springs became a famous health spa. A park was laid out on
Military Avenue near the bathhouses and people came from across the
country to drink the healing waters.
On April 19, 1876, two members of
the James-Younger Gang, Charlie Pitts and Bill Chadwell, rode into
town and robbed the Crowell Bank. Though
Jesse and
Frank James may have been involved in some manner in planning the
robbery, they were not seen. Almost three thousand dollars were
said to have been taken from the bank. This building now houses
the charming Café on
Route 66 with a sign
on the side of the building that says it was once robbed by
Jesse
James. The locals will also support this, though historians
believe that the
James Brothers were not directly involved and were no where near
Baxter Springs at the
time of the robbery.
In the late
1800s lead and zinc were discovered across the state line in
Missouri
and helped
Baxter
Springs economically by attracting more residents. Soon the
mining operations grew and reached into the southeast corner of
Kansas
and the town once again became a prosperous business center. With the
influx of miners, the dependence on the mineral springs disappeared
and the bathers eventually stopped coming.
Then, in
1926 Route
66 came through the town providing an additional source of revenue
as gas stations, cafes and motor courts sprouted up in the town.
In the
1930’s during the notorious run of Bonnie and Clyde, the Baxter
Springs General Store was said to have been robbed by the infamous
duo twice within one week. As the legend goes, Bonnie and Clyde
came through Baxter
Springs and robbed the store, only to return just a week later
when they traveled through town again and robbed it once more.
In the late
1940’s, Mickey Mantle from Commerce,
Oklahoma
played for three years with the
Baxter Springs Whiz Kids. In 1949, while playing a baseball game in the park Mantle hit a ball
into the Spring River. Later, when the game was delayed by a
rainstorm, Mantle was approached by Tom Greenwade, a scout for the New
York Yankees and signed Mantle up to play.
The 1970’s saw the demise of mining in the
area, which left a blighted mark upon much of the lands of southeast
Kansas. However,
Baxter Springs continued to thrive through the diversification of
business, agriculture and industry. Today, the small town is called
home to about 4,500 residents.
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