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History of the Lincoln County Conservation District

The Lincoln County Conservation District was chartered on January 26, 1948 by the State of Kansas.  All 105 counties in Kansas chartered conservation districts between June 22, 1938 and March 22, 1954, with Lincoln County being number 80.       A public information meeting was held on November 24, 1947, and vote took palce on December 12 and 13, 1947.  Any landowner or occupier outside of the corporate city limits could vote.  The vote passed with 241 voters casting ballots for the formation of a conservation district and there were 25 votes against. However, the issue had been voted on earlier in 1947, but did not receive the two-thirds majority vote.

Frank J. Ryan, Kansas Secretary of State appointed Joe B. Cheney and Harry E. Skinner to the Conservation District Board to serve a two year term.  Harry Gabelmann, Gerald Grout and H.H. Rector were elected by eligible votes on February 7, 1948 to three year terms.  These gentlemen composed the first Lincoln County Conservation District Board of Supervisors.      The first meeting of the Lincoln County Conservation District Board of Supervisors occured on February 19, 1948, with Joe Cheney being elected Chairman.  Harry Skinner was elected Vice-Chairman, Gerald Grout was elected Treasurer and H.H. Rector was elected Secretary.      Early activity of the board was receiving and approving Cooperator Agreement applications and selling grass seed and trees for conservation plantings.      The Methodist church was the location for the first annual meeting on March 11, 1949.  Mr. Bobst from the Soil Conservation Service State Office was the guest speaker.      The board passed a motion to support the Pilot Lost Creek Watershed Project on July 26, 1949.  Since then, the board has sponsored Salt Creek Watershed District and Spillman Creek Watershed District.