Millie Fink’s was recognized for her efforts to get a segment of the Butterfield Trail in Dickinson County added to both the Kansas and National Registers of Historic Places. She was selected to serve as the grand marshal for the Labor Day parade in Chapman.
Fink said Butterfield Trail was a stage coach and freight line in the mid-1860’s from about 1864 to 1866, that was part of the Smoky Hill Trail…part of the national transportation network to the gold fields in Cherry Creek, Colorado and on to California.
“In Dickinson County is comes in on Old Highway 40, crosses the Rocky Riffle bridge, through Chapman, up over the Indian Hill cemetery, and back into Highway 40 going toward Abilene. You can still see the ruts in the area near the cemetery. Fink noted she you can walk in the ruts, adding she is about 5’4 and on her they are about hip-deep in some places. “The lucky part of is that the elements have not erased them because of being plowed. They’re in the pasture, and the water flowing down has kept those pretty much open. ”
Fink’s submitted the application that resulted in the state and national registry designation for the trail.
On her experience as parade grand marshal Fink called it a lot of fun. “It was hot but I saw a lot of people that I hadn’t seen for awhile, lots of little kids…it was a lot of fun.” Fink rode in a horse drawn Black Horse Hitch carriage from Munson Angus Farms that was driven by Ben Bennett.
