ECHS
The Ellis County Historical Society, as part of the celebration of the 150th anniversary of the founding of Hays and Ellis County, will host an authentic chuck wagon dinner and concert by acclaimed Western singer-songwriter Michael Martin Murphey on Friday, June 23, at the National Guard Armory and Municipal Park.
Tickets for the sesquicentennial fundraiser are $50. They are on sale at the Ellis County Historical Society, 100 West 7th Street, Bank of Hays, 1000 West 27th Street, and the Cerv’s convenience store located at 2701 Vine Street. Tickets are tax-deductible.
John Schaffner, a cowboy poet and chuck wagon cook, will provide an authentic cowboy meal of beef tips with gravy, cowboy hash browns, beans and biscuits, coleslaw and fruit cobbler. Tea and lemonade will be provided. Schaffner uses cast iron Dutch ovens covered with coals to cook. He was the official cook for John Wayne’s 100th birthday celebration. Schaffner also will delight guests with his cowboy poetry, which he learned as a child from an 85-year-old cowboy.
The dinner will be at 6:30 p.m. A cash bar will be open at 5 p.m., with horn roping also at that time. There will be cowboy poetry at 7:30 p.m., followed by the concert at 8 p.m.
Murphey, a multiple Grammy nominee, has six gold albums. He recorded the hit platinum single, “Wildfire.” In the summer of 1975 the song reached No. 2 on the Cash Box chart and No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also reached No. 1 on the adult contemporary charts. The song surpassed two million in U.S. sales.
“We are very excited to bring Michael Martin Murphey to Hays, and to provide an amazing dining experience, courtesy of John Schaffner,” ECHS director Lee Dobratz said. “We expect everyone will have a great time stepping back into history and getting a glimpse of life in the Wild West.”
Sponsors for the event are Chris and Don Bickle; Brad Boyer; Toby Johnson; Lorena and Wilmer Kellogg; Elaine and Verlin Pfannenstiel; Judy and Jerry Rome; Henry Schwaller; Donna and Ed Stehno; Kay and Dick Werth; Sandee and Tim Werth; Marvin Rack and Northwestern Printers; Rocking M Radio; Hays Daily News; Eagle Communications; Hays Post; and Hits 106.9.
The Armory parking lot will be reserved. General admission parking is available at the Hays Aquatic Park, in Municipal Park lots, along Main Street and at NCK Tech.