Moseley Memorial Fountain

Moseley Memorial Fountain. . , The park in the square, owned by Stafford County and maintained by the City of St. John, was established in 1879 and has become the center of activity in this small, central Kansas farming community. In 1882, the City Council gave a warranty deed of the square to the Stafford County Commissioners. At that time, the area was neglected and called, “the St. John mud and weed patch.” There was even a buffalo wallow in the park, thus the mud. In 1909, the ladies of the Hesperian Club voted to beautify the square. The buffalo wallow was drained and flowers planted. They also added small trees and a bandstand encircled by a chain fence for hitching horses. Lastly, a boardwalk was placed around the square so the ladies' dresses didn't get dirty. , In 1911, the Hesperian Club financed the cement block wall which was built around the square for $817.80. The next year, the Hesperians continued to work diligently to beautify the square with lights and walkways plus a fence and gate. Finally, they replaced the bandstand in the center of the square with a fountain. The honorable Mayor of St. John, Dr. J.T. Scott, said he would rather see the James brothers coming after him than the Hesperian ladies. They were so persistent! Judge Thomas Moseley tended most of the flowers in the park as a personal project for the citizens of St. John to enjoy and for him to also enjoy from his second story office windows on the south side of the square. The fountain was made by J.L. Mott for $700 and donated to the square by the Hesperian ladies. It was dedicated in memory of Judge Thomas Moseley on October 17, 1913, for all of his time and effort in planting flowers to beautify the square. , For decades, the fountain in the square has been a symbol of strength and harmony to all who pass by, and many have come to associate the fountain with St. John itself. The fountain has been maintained by the City of St. John and has undergone several renovations over the years. For example, the fountain did not originally have an umbrella, but the Hesperian ladies felt that it didn't seem right for water to run into the face of the statue, so a local man fashioned an umbrella for it. In 2019, the fountain was completely renovated with funds donated by James M. and Cibyl C. Ronen and family. This latest renovation included a new concrete bowl plus sandblasting and repainting of the statue itself.