Clarene May Shepler, daughter of Samuel Shepler and Hester Frye, was
      born November 16, 1862 at Preoria Heights, Illinois. When seventy-one
      years old she wrote the following -
        "I came to Barber County in 1873, February 23, with my parents, two
      brothers and sister. A child of eleven years; our outfit consisted of
      two covered wagons, heavily loaded, one team of horses and two yoke of
      oxen. We camped at Elm Creek.
        Medicine Lodge consisted of a dugout where two men lived and Derick
      Updegraff's cedar log cabin. As my father and I walked to the cabin I
      saw an old gentleman standing in the doorway with his hands in his
      pockets. He was wearing black pants and white shirt; his hair was as
      white as his shirt, and he had a big broad smile. He greeted us with
      "Where in God's name did you come from, Man and Child? Did you drop
      from the sky?"
        Going fifteen miles west and across Medicine River we made camp.
      Other families who moved in were Carlo Nickels, Martins and Kertchners.
      Father made our living by cutting cedar posts and killing buffalo for
      meat and hides. They staked the hides out on the ground hair side down
      until they dried. He loaded posts and hides on the wagon and drove to
      Hutchinson returning with needed supplies. The trip took two to three
      weeks.
        As I write I recall to mind one Sunday afternoon - Mother, sister
      and I had gone over to the river beyond the timber watching for Father 
      and the boys; we were sitting on a log when we heard something or
      somebody slipping up behind us stepping lightly on the leaves. Every
      little bit a twig would break and snap. Mother drew a six shooter from
      the front of her dress before she turned to see - a wonderful flock of
      wild turkeys - fifty or sixty big fellows with shining black and gold
      feathers.
        Buffalo everywhere - I have seen thousands of them in one herd. One
      could hear them for miles come treading, tramping and bellowing from
      the hills to the river to drink.
        July 6, 1874, Indians killed and scalped three men who were cutting
      posts in a canyon southwest of Medicine Lodge.
        My brother Frank, took a load of us west on Medicine River - plumming.
      Six mounted militia men went with us for protection. We saw a heavy
      dark gray greenish cloud and heard it roaring out of the west. As we
      looked the sun was hidden, the roaring grew less, and we heard the soft
      thud of dropping things. 
      A cloud of millions of grasshoppers covered the fields and forest. When
      the sun set ther was no vegetation over the land.
        September 1874, the militia went to drive the Indians out of the 
      country. They found them and battled on Sand Creek near where Sharon is.
      They killed nine Indians and captured sixty head of ponies. Captain Cy
      Ricker came to our house and showed us nine scalps hanging from his belt.
      Never will I forget the awfullness of it all!
        As time went on more pioneers came to settle up the country.
        July 4, 1880, at Medicine Lodge, Clarene May Shepler and Orlando Vernon
      Lytle were married. This story condensed from May's original manuscript
      obtained from her grandson, Vernon Lytle, of Winfield, Kansas.
                
     Source:Chosen Land - Barber County, Kansas, pg. 290 
     Submitted by: Virginia Woodward Measday