Hays in Ellis County, Kansas — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Bake House
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., February 20, 2012
1. Bake House Marker
The foundation before you marks the stone bake house, where all the fort's bread was baked. The inner rectangular foundation at the east (right) end marks the oven, while the foundation of the pantry is in the west (left) end. The original wooden bake house burned down in December 1875. The post quartermaster reported that the bakery had been "a miserable affair: a stockade building with the interstices [crevices] plastered. The oven was old and needed constant repairing."
The idea of having freshly baked bread may sound appealing, but the belief at the time of the fort was that bread should sit in the open air for 48 hours before being eaten. There were reports that the bread at Fort Hays was often "sour" and "doughy." Soldiers were detailed as bakers regardless of their baking skills.
Erected by Kansas Historical Society.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Forts and Castles • Industry & Commerce • Wars, US Indian. A significant historical month for this entry is December 1875.
Location. 38° 51.691′ N, 99° 20.581′ W. Marker is in Hays, Kansas, in Ellis County. It can be reached from Highway 183 Alternate. Marker is on the grounds of Fort Hays State Historic Site, off US Hwy 163 Alternate. Touch for map.
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Regionally, this marker is in Kansas’ Smoky Hills. It is also in the American Midwest, in the Corn Belt, on the prairies, and on the Southern Plains. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Louisiana Purchase.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Buffalo Bill Cody (within shouting distance of this marker); Laundress' Quarters (within shouting distance of this marker); Blockhouse (within shouting distance of this marker); Well House (within shouting distance of this marker); Post Trader's Store (within shouting distance of this marker); Band Barracks (within shouting distance of this marker); Post Surgeon's Quarters (within shouting distance of this marker); Fort Hays Soldiers (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Hays.
Also see . . .
1. Fort Hays State Historic Site. (Submitted on September 24, 2012, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.)
2. Fort Hays State Historic Site. (Submitted on September 24, 2012, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.)
3. Fort Hays at Kansapedia. (Submitted on September 25, 2012, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.)
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., February 20, 2012
2. Bake House Foundation and Marker
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., February 20, 2012
3. Bake House Location on Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on September 1, 2020. It was originally submitted on September 24, 2012, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. This page has been viewed 514 times since then and 19 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on September 24, 2012, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.
