Wabaunsee County has a deep and interesting history. Two pieces of that history involve the railroad. The Atchison, Topeka, and Sante Fe Railroad came through the county in 1880 and created the need for many of the small towns you see today…or in many cases don’t see anymore. Before 1880, the Beecher Bible and Rifle Church brought a different type of railroad through Wabaunsee County. The Underground Railroad. The Beecher Bible and Rifle Church was established in 1854 and played a role in the history of the Underground Railroad.

I wanted this as a subtle nod to show my respect for the ranchers currently in the area. The county’s terrain is extremely rocky and can be quite harsh during the heat of summer and cold of winter. The local ranchers and farmers who live and work this land are as tough as nails. The Double R reminds me of a branding you might see and so…needed to be in the logo.

Two reasons. One simple and one not so much. The Simple. Hunting is a major past time and culturally important to many locals in the area. Driving around, searching for inspiration last Fall I was reminded of this watching the deer run and meeting several locals out in orange hunting vests in pursuit. The Not so Much. I lost a dear friend and family member to cancer in March of 2021. The color orange represents kidney cancer awareness which is what his cancer was first diagnosed as before it spread. Family is and always will be most important to me. I miss him greatly and now he’s a part of this event with me.

Rock ridges baby. Everywhere you drive the ridges pop along the creeks. Mill Creek has a great historical significance to many of the original small towns of the county but the rock ridges are everywhere. Beautiful."