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.1 II1II City of Hays, Kansas Recruitment Brochure City Manager The Community !!II Hays is a dynamic Kansas community of20,000 : residents located on Interstate 70 at the ap- ~ proximate midpoint between Denver and Kansas ¡ City. This location is highly advantageous to the I local economy in terms of short-term visitors and is a factor in the growing number of indi- viduals who visit Hays as a destination instead of a stop over point. Hays has evolved as the ¡ Western Kansas focal point for higher educa- : tion, recreational shopping and medical services ~ and was recognized as an All America City in I 1996, The City of Hays has a colorful history and a bright future. "'ItA,'" HE"""A ~ II) HAYS . II) KANSAS CITY II) 'O~.~ ~~~N ". S"'NO 111\ "'~,. M ";!,~~'. H~'""~ ",,~I!I , 111\ WICHITA ) " III KANSAS The Federal government set up military posts along the Santa Fe and Smoky Hills Trails to pro- teet early settlers. Staked out just north of Fort Hays, Hays City sprang to life in 1867, pending the arrival of the Union Pacific Railroad. The City was filled with saloons and dance halls and it soon earned a reputation as a wild and violent ITontier town. Legendary figures lived among the early day locals, including Generals Miles and Sheridan, "Wild Bill" Hickok, General George Armstrong Custer and Buffalo Bill Cody, who earned his nickname here while hired to kill a dozen buffalo daily to feed the railroad workers, Now a museum, the fort was abandoned by the Army and in 1900 the land was given to the State of Kansas to be used for a college, an agricul- tural experiment station and a public park By the mid 1870's, the area had begun to settle down, Tired of the broken promises of Catherine the Great, Volga-German Catholic immigrants began to arrive ITom Russia, Life was difficult in Hays but the settlers were survivors, Often living in sod homes, they built magnificent native limestone churches, The rich Volga-German heritage, along with these impressive structures, is still preserved today. Hays is rich in its history, heritage, culture and recreational opportunities. Its many amenities and attractions include: . Fort Hays State University - A 5,600 student higher educational institution offering a va- riety of education, agricultural and applied arts degree programs at the undergraduate and graduate leveL FHSU has been recognized as an information technology leader in the State of Kansas.