While not the first, Christian Barnhardt was one of the earlier settlers of Danish descent who settled in what is now Denmark, KS.
In February of 1869, a Danish immigrant by the name of Lorentz Cristiansen registered a homestead on the southeast quarter of section 23 in what would become Lincoln County, Kansas. His brother homesteaded the plot beside him. During that winter, four more homesteads were registered belonging to Eskild and Stine Lawritzen, Otto Peterson, John Mailhoss, and Mr. and Mrs. Weichel.
A group of Dog Soldiers thought to be representatives of multiple tribes and enraged by the thought of losing fertile hunting grounds to white settlers, commenced a raid upon those settlers beginning in the Danish settlement and continuing along Bullfoot Creek, killing many and injuring several more. Two women were captured. All of the Danes were killed except for Peter and Lorenzt Christiansen and their families. After fighting the natives all day, the families made their way to safer ground, eventually arriving in Junction City, where they stayed until January 1, 1871.
They returned to their homesteads on that date, bringing John Larsen, Nielson and A. Rasmussen with them. At this point there were five homesteads established in the area. A few months later 11 more Danish immigrants settled in the area. Four years later the settlement a school and a blacksmith shop. It wasn’t long before in 1875, 13 more homesteads were established. H.P. Bernhardt, Christian Bernhardt and John Bernhardt were three of the new settlers. Many descendants of these Danish immigrants remain in the area, including family names such as Christiansen, Jensen, Nielson, Hansen, Rasmussen, Errebo, Peterson, Andreson, Anderson and Hendrickson.
Through the years, of course, the children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren of these brave settlers moved on to new lives in other areas, but their roots remain in Denmark.
Many of the descendants of Christian Bernhardt from Kansas, California, Washington and Idaho visited Denmark, KS recently for a family reunion.
Debra Smith Edwards and Mark Edwards hosted a picnic for the group in the yard of the Denmark Hotel, and the descendants were able to see the home of their ancestors.
According to descendant Jim Sechrist, the family had a “fantastic” time touring the area and visiting locations in Denmark that were there when their ancestors were, the changes that have occurred since and the work the Edwards family and volunteers are doing for their community through their foundation, the Denmark Preservation Foundation.
