<\body> Stories in America: Welcome to Liberal, Kansas!

Saturday, August 20, 2005

Welcome to Liberal, Kansas!

When we planned this trip earlier this year, we chose a handful of states to visit, but decided not to follow a specific itinerary. We usually go to large towns and ask people for recommendations or look at the map for points of interest. For obvious reasons, we couldn't resist going to Liberal, Kansas (population 20,218)!


The Liberal Visitor's Guide explains how the town got its name:

"In the 1880's water was a rare commodity in Southwest Kansas. Travelers and ranchers needed a place to rest their live stock and quench their thirst as they headed to the west, but when water was available it was quite expensive.

Mr. S.S. Rogers homesteaded in this area and dug a well. When visitors came through the area they asked Mr. Rogers if they could use his well. He obliged their requests, and when they had watered their livestock and restocked their water supply they asked Mr. Rogers what they owed him. "Water is always free here," Mr. Rogers would say.

The surprised visitors would respond, "That's mighty liberal of you." In time the area became known as "The Liberal Well." As the name caught on, travelers were cautioned to be sure and stop at the Liberal Well. Just a few miles off the southern Santa Fe Trail route, Liberal became an important stop in the history of westward immigration.

Mr. Rogers added a goods store so people could purchase other items they needed during their travels. Some decided to stay and farm this area and in 1886 Mr. Rogers added a post office to his store, incorporating the small community known as Liberal, Kansas."



Ironically enough, Liberal couldn't be more conservative. Bush got 79 percent of the vote in this area.

Liberal, like many small towns across America, is full of stores and businesses that are named after the town. Some remain in business, whereas most are empty. It seems that in years past, there was much more pride in maintaining the look and feel of the local community. Those that are still in business are struggling to maintain their existence even though there's little to no chance of surviving after Wal-Mart comes to town.



Much to our surprise, Liberal is also home to Dorothy and the Land of Oz!



Being that I'm a big fan of the Wizard of Oz, we had to take the tour...and a lot of photos.








Who says Kansas isn't ready for gay marriage?



46 Comments:

At 8/21/2005 5:16 AM, Blogger Unknown said...

Thank you so much for sharing this trip with us ...there is so much that people do not know about the so called heartland ... and it looks like some of these people are starting to see that they got taken for a ride...

 
At 8/21/2005 1:07 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Great stories and pictures! Have you thought about posting a US map and mapping your progress?

 
At 8/21/2005 4:58 PM, Blogger Kevin said...

Greetings Ms. Aguilar,
Thank you very much for reporting from my home state of Kansas. I grew up in Wichita but have been here in Texas for many years.
I have to admit that most of what I've heard out there in the news recently would lead one to believe that Kansas is populated by people who cannot reason or who kill for thrills. It makes me cringe whenever "Dateline Kansas" is spoken. :)
It is great to hear from those who live in this "Red" state and yet oppose the actions of this administration.
I just can't say thank you enough for getting the word out. If you come by Texas you might want to drop by the Yuppie Concentration Camp of Friendswood, TX (a suburb of Houston). You might get some interesting answers.
Ad Astra Per Aspera,
Kevin

 
At 8/21/2005 8:22 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Then why don't you move to a blue state, kevin, I'm sure you would feel more at home with those who are for evil men and against the good ones.

 
At 8/22/2005 9:41 PM, Blogger storiesinamerica said...

Kevin, I started my trip in Texas. Take a look at April and May. Unfortunately hadn't heard of the yuppie camp. Sounds interesting. I had a great time in Texas and met a wide array of people, including a Democratic cowboy from Linden, TX who calls Bush a "wannabe cowboy"; a Pentecostal "redneck" from Seadrift, TX who used to stage solo hunger strikes against corporate pollution and has written a book about environmental activism; Democrats who are breaking unspoken family rules by speaking out and protesting for the first time; moderate Republicans who believe Bush is the worst environmental president in history; Republicans who oppose Bush's foreign policy, but are afraid to speak out; as well as the more predictable subjects – a Republican who has a poster of Bush in her kitchen and Republicans who think Bush is not conservative enough.
Thanks for the comments!

 
At 8/23/2005 1:10 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

GO BUSH!!! YOU'RE THE GREATEST!!!

 
At 8/29/2005 12:27 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Anonymous =
No name. No sense. No argument. No suprise (if truly a Bush voter).

One of my best friends lives in Liberal BTW. Hope to see him there someday.

 
At 9/13/2005 8:39 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Go Bush? Oh yes. I'd love for him and his team to bail me out of a catagory 4 hurricane. Americans are so dumb. I can't believe how dumb they are

 
At 9/13/2005 7:46 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Americans are reeeeeally dumb, especially the religious ones.

 
At 10/31/2005 12:25 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

What makes the religious ones so dumb? Is it because we choose to rely on God for all our wants and needs? Is it because there is peace and security in knowing that our lives serve a purpose and that is to glorify our God and Creator? Are we stupid because we choose to live our lives with a sense of gentleness, patience, joy, love, faithfulness, kindness, and self-control that the world is unfamiliar with? What exactly makes us so dumb?

 
At 3/06/2006 1:56 PM, Blogger susan said...

How did you like the smell of liberal kansas? Great Huh? I hear that it is the smell of "MONEY", too bad most of the people here in liberal that see that money are illegal. At least Bush is "trying" to do something about that.

 
At 6/30/2006 11:44 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

susan--
what makes you so much better that you can run people down? kudos to anyone who profits off of a town that smells like shit. even "illegals". but i'm sure that you wouldn't have a problem hiring an "illegal" to clean your house for you, so long as they aren't making more money than you are. it's narrow-minded bigots like you that give the rest of america the impression that a bunch of prejudiced rednecks live around here.

 
At 7/10/2006 5:18 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Having been raised in Liberal Kansas prior to the cause of the odor and for a short while after "it" arrived in town, I can assure you the only ones making money off the odor don't even live in Liberal. I thought the town fathers were rather gutless for buying the argument about "The First Odorless Packing Plant". The only part they missed was the hide room. The town fathers were assured that "it" would employ local people and bring prosperity to the community. Problem is after a couple of years not many of the locals still wanted to work there. When the locals don't want to work there anymore, labor has to come from somewhere.

I'm assuming Susan is referring to the drug traffic by "illegals". If thats so, "IT AIN'T NOTHIN NEW HONEY". Liberal has always had a thriving drug trade and by the late 60's and early 70's some of it was taken over by those of Hispanic descent.

I would suggest to Susan (if she really is from Liberal), that if you don't like the atmosphere find someplace else to live. You could try Garden City or Dodge City. They both had "it" long before Liberal did.

My other opinion seems to be a common problem of all blogs. They can quickly degenerate from something informational or interesting in seeming anarchy. We go from a trip to Liberal, to political bashing, to illeagals, to narrow minded bigots, with a dash of religious bashing all from a trip to Liberal Kansas.

Disclaimer: I refer to the odor causing problem as "it" because I don't want some money hungry lawyer reading this post and deciding I had slandered their client. I will also choose to remain anonymous for various reasons, but I can assure you I graduated form LHS in May of 1968.

 
At 11/12/2006 6:22 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

as a travel nurse, I wanted to experience small town usa. I was disqusted as to most of what I saw in liberal kansas, I saw many illegals who were there to work in the beef industry,while the wives were on the medicaid program along with the kids,I witness animal abuse,which I gladly reported and assisted in the education thereof. While you paint a grand photo shot of your drive thru, perhaps you should stay a while in the city of your travels and see the REAL city.

 
At 11/26/2006 4:11 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

LIBERAL IS A NICE TOWN IF YOU MIND YOUR OWN BUSSINESS.
IT DOES SMELL, BUT WHAT WOULD THIS TOWN STAND ON IF IT WASN'T FOR THE BEEF INDUSTRY AND WHAT WOULD ALL THESE RED NECKS EAT? I GUESS NOTHING. ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION IS SOMETHING EVERYONE IS GOING TO HAVE TO DEAL WITH BECAUSE IT IS NOT GOING TO STOP AS LONG AS THERE IS NO AGREEMENT BETWEEN MEXICO & USA. AS TO THE DRUGS, IF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WOULDN'T DEMAND SO MANY MAYBE IT WOULD BE A DIFFERENT THING.
GROWING UP IN LIBERAL I HAD A GOOD CHILDHOOD.IT'S A GREAT TOWN.

REMEMBER IT'S WHAT YOU MAKE OF IT. DRUGS, VIOLANCE, ILLEGALS, ECT... THERE EVERYWHERE HONEY SO DON'T BE AMAYZED!!!

SINCERELY,
X-LIBERAL RESIDENT

 
At 11/26/2006 4:21 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Yes, I agree it's what you make of it. Some people are very illiterate and have the WHITE SUPREMACY IDEA, but the town of Liberal, KS. is very nice I agree it needs improvement, but what town doesn't?

 
At 11/26/2006 4:52 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Maybe this lady Susan should try getting a job @ National Beef that way she can really have a good smell of that hard-working money that illegal's have robbed her for. How about the land you're standing on? The on you robbed them for.

 
At 12/31/2006 7:32 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I LIVE in Liberal and have for over 35 years. It used to be a nice town until the early 90's when the packing plant doubled and the influx of ILLEGALS. Now, we have graffiti and crime. The odor is just on days when the wind blows from the east, which is unusual thank God. But, another plant is going in just across the OK. line and we're in for another run. We ALREADY have a minority -majority of 55%! I love Liberal, but can't wait to retire and leave to a place where ENGLISH is spoken more than Spanish!

 
At 2/04/2007 2:39 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

wow, folks! I checked in based on a web search of Liberal, Kansas. I am going to be there in a few days to attend the funeral of my grandmother. She lived there most of her life and my mom was born and raised there. I spent 5 unfortunate years in Kansas during my teen years (3 of them in Liberal). I had lots of good memories of people and things there....but I'm a completely blue liberal Democrat up in Portland, Oregon now so I'm sure I'll feel I'm entering an alien planet when I get there.

Heck, we're even flying my deceased grandma in because she's lived with my parents for the past 20 years. She would have been 100 this coming June and liked Liberal but loved Florida where she's spent the past 15 years MUCH more.

adios mi amigos. many ideas and opinions and prejudices on this board....hope you all realize we're not deserving of labels and we can all learn from one another.

 
At 6/14/2007 8:38 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Does anyone know when the Harris reunion will be this year? I'm told it is either the first or the second weekend in July but I need to now which weekend as I travel from afar and have been out of the loop for many years. I would appreciate it someone who know about this renunion would post it on this site or call me at 719-502-1745 Beth

 
At 10/05/2007 3:03 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Since Halloween is coming, and folks in Liberal are interested in things Ozian, this is a book that you may want to be aware of -- it is just out.



Burbank, Calif. -- Oct. 2, 2007 -- Alpimar Books announces the publication of Halloween in Oz: Dorothy Returns -- BOOK ONE of its series of stories set in a magical world that readers have heard of, but know so little about*, the Land of Oz. With 553 pages, the book is written in the fuller style of twentieth-first century fantasy, yet keeping the spirit of, and remaining in the era of, L. Frank Baum’s classic: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, published in 1900.

Those who miss Harry Potter and grieve for Hermione will welcome Dorothy Gale back. And Dorothy is as feisty as Hermione ever was. Some of the boys at school in rural Kansas call her a spitfire when they tease her about her tale of Oz. But Dorothy is right. Oz was not simply a dream, as portrayed in the famous movie, but a real place -- as it was for Baum. And in Halloween in Oz, it is revealed that the Land of Oz is part of a larger alternate Earth, a world called Alpimar -- where magic reigns, not science and technology.

Web site -- http://www.halloweeninoz.com
e-mail -- Alpimaroz@gmail.com
available at Amazon.com, etc.
///////

* Many things are revealed here, though others remain for the series.

How was Dorothy orphaned? Revealed

How was it that Dorothy seemed to have magic powers? Partly revealed

Why don’t tornados carry others to Oz? Revealed

Why did Dorothy’s house go there? Revealed

Was something special about Dorothy? Partly revealed

Why did the house land precisely where it did? Revealed

Why did water dissolve the Wicked Witch of the West? Revealed

Etc
__________

 
At 10/23/2007 10:31 AM, Blogger Unknown said...

Hi I am from Liberal, I graduated from Liberal High School and even though I dont live there any longer it is still home. I think Liberal is a great town, its the size of a town that everyone knows everyone and most are friendly. What upset me most was someone talking about the smell and the illegal aliens, I lived in Liberal from 1963-1992 and yes i seen the beef industry come to Liberal and the smell that comes with it, but without it there would be very little work there. so if you dont like the smell stay inside and play online. Everyone blames the illegal aliens for alot but ive seen some of the jobs they do and they arent the best jobs.but they are proud to be making a living for their family so they do it. I also think the world is changing, we need a rainbow of all colors in our world, learn about other cultures and dont think of them so much as illegal , think of them as people first...my good friend has this saying and i try and apply it to my world "its nice to be nice". Have a great day...from patsy (hall) shuster of amarillo texas now but my heart is in Liberal

 
At 11/07/2007 11:09 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Wow i completly forgot about this site. Anyways~as for hiring an illegal to do anything for me-no, i am definatly not a hipocrite, i would never have such strong feeling against something and then do something like that. yes i did try to get a job @ National beef, but i could not get one because i do not speak spanish.They said that was the only place i did not qualify. (and im sure someones SMART come back to this one is no your just to dumb you work there.whatever.) as for people in town not wanting to work ar national- i understand why the white or otherwise community of liberal does not work there. How long could you stand the majority of people around you speaking a launguage you know nothing about. There are three choices here- stand up for what you believe, adapt-(learn the launguage) or get out.
As for the attitude of if you dont like it get out, well i am doing just that getting out. I WILL NOT send my kids to a school where THEY HAVE to know another language. As for me being racist or a biget, Im not at all. Im just pissed at the government for letting this shit happen the way it has.
And another point i will guarentee you its not only the red necks around here that keep that damn plant running. and the attitude of oh well its everywhere is exactly how things get so out of control. STAND UP FOR WHAT YOU BELIEVE IN. EVEN IF IT IS AGAINST ME OR ANYONE ELSE! DONT BE PUSHED AROUND. DONT SAY OH DRUGS THEY ARE EVERYWHERE- DO SOMETHING. MAYBE SOMEONE ELSE WILL DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT TOO.

as for this comment-How about the land you're standing on? The on you robbed them for. I dont even know what you are talking about, would you mind rephrasing this?
I will guarintee you that living in this town does take a very open minded person. If you dont mind going to walmart and hearing mexican music, reading spanish labels on the shelfs, products and everything else then here is your town!! NOw i know that it is only right that they need to read what they are buying too. But come on they dont even try to learn english because there is no need.
You can graduate from the high school, votech and college without knowing one bit of english. As for moving to Dodge or Garden, haha like those are any better?
yes GREAT economy here, just not for me. It pisses me off everytime i hear about the USDA giving ANOTHER low income subsidized houseing loan to illegals, and im not exagerating -they are illegal. as in no documentation (real) to be in USA legaly. Liberal does have many nice things, lots to offer but most only if you speak spanish or have a translator.
Again, yes i do not agree with illegals being in this nation- getting many free rides- while the people who pay taxes are supposed to just shut up and blend in. however i was not commenting on my illegals suck, more how much liberal sucks for supporting illegals. thank you for listening.

 
At 7/28/2008 3:42 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

WOWWWWWWWWW...What a...welllllll
I am Spechless. I did a serch on liberal, Kansas and what do I find??
I even learn spanish..de verdad, no estoy mintiendo, I decided to start going to church each sunday, and now i really hate democrats.....I mean, i learn sooo mucho just doing a search on liberal, KS.
I been living in liberal since august 1995, I meet all kind of people, and you can be sure of something, the economy on every single town in any country is driven only and only by the people that work hard and love the place where they live, regardles of where they come from, regardless of the white looking, the brown looking or the black looking, after all all we are God's work at its best. I love liberal, i wasn,t born here, i wasn,t even born in The US. but i made my home here because i choose to. and I was allowed and wellcome by the wonderfull people of liberal. and i can mention to you many names of whites that made me feel at home and I never going to forgot that, and i can mention about many immigrants that like me, love this town as they home. is there bad people that comes from other countryes???? YES OF COURSE. shame on them for being an embarrasment to their familyes and their communities. i bet white communities feel the same when they learn about white seniors going to third world countryes to molest kids because flexible laws there. I bet no white people would like the world to tag you as a pedophile just for a few bastards that are a true disgrace to this wonderfull country.
please, let us set asside hate and go back to basics. this blog is about the beuttifull Liberal, Kansas and its woonderfull people. a small town in the middle of the American Greatness. who can go against that, I feel american, i am from Liberal, leave my town alone and if you do not like it. then get tha fck out of here, and God help you find a place where you aint going to find diversity. because there is no such a thing any more. all i can wish you is. . . Buena suerte PENDEJO. !!!!!

 
At 9/14/2008 11:35 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Liberal, Kansas is the perfect example of deeply contrasting social standards. I have lived in Liberal, both in practical and literal terms, from 1991 to 2004 and again for seven months between 2007 and 2008 for a career-starting opportunity with a local radio station. What I've taken from Liberal after an entire lifetime of irrevocably being connected to it is that there is an overwhelming sense of a social and financial hierarchy among it's citizens. This wouldn't necessarily matter if the municipal government was effective, but the last decade has proven that it is indeed ineffective. The lease of a multi-million building to an unreliable company that unsurprisingly folded and the destruction of a perfectly functioning fire station to make way for a Wallgreens made me wonder if this municipal government was really all that effective. It later dawned on me that the municipal government was just a bunch of old and rich men simply taking turns on holding positions. The fact that Joe Denoyer, a former co-worker of mine at the radio station and a considerably shrewd man to begin with, became mayor of the city of Liberal with Doug LaFreniere, who's been mayor of Liberal dozens of times before and who is missing a piece of his leg after an incident involving a train and alcohol, shows that there is really no sense of effective government. It's just a bunch of rich folk getting richer. On the other side, you have a healthy hispanic population that has certainly caused social strife among the minds of citizens. Although the issue has never been openly discussed, the tension between racial, cultural, and social differences is hard to ignore. Which is fitting for a city located in an area of the world that seems to be lost in a bygone era.

 
At 10/04/2008 5:40 PM, Blogger Gamma said...

Thanks. I'm doing research on Kansas and this was a fun thing to find. From what I have read so far, lawrence would probably be more of the place for you.
When white people came to Kansas some people loved owning slaves and people wanted to free them. There's been a tussle for the state ever since.

 
At 12/07/2008 5:46 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Wow, I work at one of the hotels in Liberal and a guest told me about this post. They didn't mention all comments though...seems like there's been some strong opinions about the town.

 
At 1/31/2009 9:23 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

hey i don't like what some people are saying about the smell of liberal and the immigrants. i am from mexico but i lived here most of my life,and i'm not illegal but i stand up for them because in this country they are the people that work hard and do any job that they are put to do, and they are the people that get the money but they have worked their ass up for it not like most of americans that do like to do hard work and get help from the goverment to feed their kids when illegal people can't declare taxes, and where does that money go to? to the people who don't want to work but get money from the illegal like their called. oh but when it comes to food it is allright to go to mexican restaurants and eat our food. this was suposed to be a liberal blog not a racist blog. people, get a job if u want to get some income, and not wait for it to fall from the sky and dont hate, everyone has what they deserve and no one can deny it. i respect americans i don't have anything against them, but i don't agree with the racist ones.

 
At 2/20/2009 2:28 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

You shouldn't have anthing against americans in gerneral PERIOD. You live in America-you are a legal resident. Therfore you are an AMERICAN!!!

I understand heritage but really do you have to be so proud of something you were willing to leave for a better life? Im really surprised more Mexicans who come to america are'nt totally against Mexico. The mexican government is willing to do nothing to help improve conditions and yet they hold onto that so strongly. Odd.

 
At 5/12/2009 9:50 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

ok..I am back...witha word of advice..check the kansas Dept of Revenue web site..go to the page with a list of delicuent tax payers. check the seward county list..bunch of " soo call indignied Americans'" bussness owners that owe thousands and thowsand to the state in kansas.
punch line is..why don't you shut your mouth and make a line in national beef to get a real job ?
I do not see one line of " white proud Americans" waiting so an ilegal alien gets fire so they can get a job. you bigots. look at your youngones! america is falling and we are here to slow the proses.
real americans are we. the ones working every day, making something happening. nos siting on our patriot but and complaining.

 
At 4/25/2011 11:09 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Grew up in Liberal.I am a product of the Vietnam war. My father,his brothers and sisters were born in the town of Woods Kansas right outside Liberal. My Father served and fought in WWII, Korea and Vietnam. His brothers also fought in numerous wars. When i started in school in Liberal the kids did not really like that I was half Asian. I remember growing up there and the town was mostly white and I was the Asian kid that their parents had fought in three wars previous. I did have some good momories of Liberal but they were few. Most my family are now buried there and I moved away along time ago. I found where I live in Arizona now is a great place to raise my family. I just went back to bury my dad and the town has changed so much and I dont recognize it. I live close to Mexico and Liberal reminds me of a classic border town but in the heart of the U.S.A. Also the town does smell really bad. I think if this country does not change it's ways, alot of towns are going to be like that. It will be along time before I return. Maybe when it can be the heartland again.

 
At 8/05/2011 9:19 AM, Anonymous suits for men said...

Kansas is the also best a place I'll been there last year and I have great experience with people there.

 
At 9/20/2011 8:48 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

My daughter, her two children ages 3 and 7 and I were traveling and came into Liberal. We couldn't get out of there fast enough! The children had fallen asleep in the car but woke up coughing and crying because the smell was so bad. We decided to just keep driving and didn't stop for anything. Too bad because there were some interesting things to see there.

 
At 10/05/2011 8:07 AM, Anonymous viagra without prescriptions said...

It is a nice presentation of the Land of Oz. It was one of my favorite movies and it is pretty old movie. I haven't read the book but it is quite something. I will check Amazon to get it for my kindle.

 
At 3/02/2012 6:09 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Is this America or Mexico? I've never seen such a large hispanic population.

 
At 6/28/2012 2:34 PM, Anonymous price per head said...

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At 10/11/2012 9:54 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

WoOoW...I lived in Kansas between 2000 and 2005. I'm of Hispanic descent cause I was born in California to parents who were born in Mexico. I consider myself Mexican and I'm proud of it. When I arrived to live in Liberal I was 20. I was a single mother to a 5 year old. I immediately found employment at the local mental health center and it was a very unforgettable learning experience for me. I grew up there kinda and I felt very welcomed by Caucasian, black, and other Hispanics like myself. In fact I loved it there and made a life long friend and still have in my memory other friends who were good to me throughout the years I lived there. I even had myself 2 bi-racial children with a man I met there and had a relationship with for some years. It was all great. It was like I said a learning experience and even became more open minded about races different than my own. I love my 2 black babies beyond belief and even though their father and I didn't make it. I regret none of what happened throughout my years there.

 
At 10/12/2012 5:54 AM, Anonymous Jay said...

It's crazy that all of you are arguing about all of this stupid stuff that has nothing to do with the actual TRAVEL POST.

With that being said. I'm from Liberal. I spent 19 years there and got the hell out as soon as I could. But it is my home town and as much as I hate certain things about it, I grew up there and became the person I am because of it.


There are many things anyone could find to complain about this little spot but you focused on the good things. So I appreciate the kind words.

 
At 3/15/2014 4:39 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Liberal hasn't been the same since they closed the B&D Social Club in Turpin

 
At 4/22/2014 7:29 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Wow y'all need to grow up, let us all realize that things change, people towns and even nations change adapt and overcome, i have been to liberal kansas and the story of this town is not just being written there it is everywhere you look, there is no.particular ethenic group of people to blame for it but greed big business and our lazy attitude, yes i said it we as american have become complaisent and rather bitch about everything and blame people for our misfortune than take a job that may seem below our standards. Do research of how this land came to be great, it took people like our forefathers to make it great and then we came and shit on it because we couldnt be bothered with working hard.

 
At 6/14/2014 6:05 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

If you are an aircraft buff or have an interest in flying history,you wont want to miss the fine aircraft museum located at the Liberal airport. There is so much to see, that you'll miss some of the collection as you walk through the museum. The staff are friendly and appreciate your interest in flying and their wonderful local collection.

 
At 8/04/2014 9:26 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

The air museum is very nice. What ticks me off the most about this town is, like a poster above stated, the people with money and property in this town. It's like they can't see the town is slowly fading away, mostly due to their greed. They want all the money or none of it at all. There is no "happy medium" with most of these folks. I'm like most people in this town, I've worked just about everywhere including National Beef and have, at times made darn good money but at the cost of my mental and physical health in the process. When you have landlords who charge a good 5-6 times what a place is actually worth to buy/rent it further exacerbates the problem. Now, i'm all for good ol'd fashioned capitalism but there is a point when you start becoming a greedy little troll instead of a person. That's when things need to be said. The hispanic property owners are jsut the same if not worse. I cant even talk to half of them because they cant speak/understand english and even if they did (which most do but act like they dont) they wouldnt rent to me because i'm not hispanic. This town has real social and economic problems it needs to overcoem before it will start to rebound in any way. Sad but true.

 
At 8/04/2014 10:47 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I think all the negative comments about Liberal need to take a step back and look objectively. Liberal is what you make of it. Just like any other small town that struggles with the changing times. From the time Liberal became incorporated, there have been sweeping changes in its local economy, as with many other mid-state's small towns. It has been affected by the great depression, the dust bowl days, world war 1 & 2, and others, the baby boom, the oil industry boom and subsequent decline, airplane industry boom and decline, national beef, modernization to name most but not all. Can you name any town in this area NOT affected by these circumstances? Liberal has done what it can to survive. It has hard working people with families and they do the best they can. Are there drawbacks? Sure, but what town is not challenged in some way? If you don't like Liberal, that is fine, but most of us try to bloom where we are planted and it is discouraging to hear all the blame and hate spewed forth. This article was intended as being mildly amusing and human interest, but these comments dragged it into something much worse and it sadly depicts the dark souls that have commented here. (if you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem....)

 
At 4/25/2016 7:50 PM, Blogger Unknown said...

1977-78 Were stellar years at the B&D. Ray, Janie, David, & Bruce we're the house band. Come Sunday night, when Kansas refused us alcohol, and after the Baptist church let out, the B&D had the best dressed group of drinks in the state! I used to party with Jack and Maxine Gibson (owned the Sally Ann restaurant in town) I loved it, and still miss it, 39 years later.

 
At 4/25/2016 7:52 PM, Blogger Unknown said...

Note.... Drinks are "drunks" that have been ran though spell check.

 
At 3/01/2019 12:09 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I grew up in Liberal. Left in the mid 1980s and haven't looked back. Don't miss it at all. It was a horrible town full of horrible narrow minded people, at least back then. And for all of idiots ranting about "illegals", have you checked the immigration status of every single Hispanic living in Liberal? No? Then you have no idea who is there illegally or legally. You're just making unfounded assumptions, which is what narrow minded bigots do best.

 

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