Sharing the gospel on the prairie was a wild proposition for Christian ministers – as communities popped up in the Sunflower state.

One of the first cattle towns in Kansas was named after a fiery pastor who packed a Bible and a couple of pistols, “Baxter Springs was named after John Baxter who was a Baptist preacher who stood 6-foot-7 inches tall and carried two guns,” said historian and author John Burchill.

“He kept the word of God and crime down in his town as an early cattle town.”

Burchill joined in on the KSAL Morning News to preview his upcoming presentation at the Smoky Hill Museum, ‘Cowboys and Clerics.’

The free presentation promises a look at the early years of Kansas clergy and the colorful characters who stayed the course to build their faith.

Cowboys and Clerics is Thursday, September 1, from 5:30pm to 6:30pm at the Smoky Hill Museum, 211 W. Iron.