09/03/2026
: The Visionary Who Shaped Hays 🌳🏛️
When you walk past Martin Allen Hall at Fort Hays State University or admire the mature tree canopies lining our historic streets, you’re looking at the enduring legacy of Martin Allen (1827–1898).
Arriving in Hays City in the early 1870s, Allen was a pioneer, nurseryman, and community builder who fundamentally transformed our frontier town into a thriving community:
🌲 First Horticulturist of Western Kansas: Allen proved that trees and orchards could flourish on the High Plains. He planted the historic rows of shade trees extending north along Fort Street and served as president of the Western Kansas Agricultural Society.
🏛️ Founding Fort Hays State University’s Grounds: When the Fort Hays Military Reservation was abandoned, Allen led the charge as a state legislator and civic advocate to lobby the federal government to secure the land for agricultural research, public parkland, and higher education.
🕊️ Mount Allen Cemetery: In 1873, looking to establish a dignified final resting place for the growing community, Allen donated an acre of his own land to establish what became Mount Allen Cemetery.
Today, we remember Martin Allen not just as an early settler, but as an architect of the green, welcoming city we call home.
📷 Pictured: Martin Allen
