Editor’s Note: The Bloody Benders were a family of serial killers who lived and operated in Labette County, Kansas, between 1871 and 1873. The property, now cropland, is up for auction next month. Wood, Fern Morrow. They were surprised to find the Inn abandoned. By April 1873, the family had escaped Kansas and gone on the run. The inn was a dingy place called the Wayside Inn. (Courtesy of Kansas Historical Society). After the gruesome murders, it's believed that the Benders had fled the area and were never found, according to the KHS. This “store” was only about 100 yards from the well traveled Osage Trail. Read more. The Ingalls family did indeed leave Kansas to return to Wisconsin long before the discovery of the Benders’ house of horrors, which makes Laura’s story rather difficult to swallow. Reports stated that one child was apparently buried alive with her father. The Benders denied seeing Dr York. While only 10 bodies were found it is believed the Benders killed over 21 people during their reign of terror in Kansas. An historical marker along Highway 160, a mile from the site of the Bender Inn, tells their story. John, his wife, son, and daughter Kate operated an inn outside of Parsons from 1871 to 1873. Two men settled a claim near the town of Cherryvale in southeastern Kansas in 1870. While travelers were eating their meals, the Bender men would hit them from behind with sledgehammers. The Bender Family: Bleeding Kansas One Body At A Time. The danger in staying at the Benders came if the visitor was seated with his or her back to the canvas curtain that separated the Inn from the Benders living area. You may have already requested this item. (CNN)Ever wanted to own a gruesome piece of American history? The message is accompanied by a link of unknown origin—one that is likely an attempt to gather personal information. Whether or not Pa Ingalls ever met the Benders during their brief stay in Independence is impossible to verify. Alas the writer is now deceased, but the is still available, I recommend this book as a good starting point. So provocative was the Bender family tale, that the Bender Museum was created in Cherryvale in 1961. The group is believed to be one of the first serial killer families in America. The diner, overnight guest, or séance participant who appeared to have a large amount of money was placed in this position. Detectives followed wagon tracks to find the family’s horses, who’d been abandoned outside of Thayer, just 12 miles north of the inn. An exact replica of the Bender Inn was built with antiques and household items. The Bender family — Kansas’ first known serial killers — murdered at least 11 people at their Labette County homestead in the 1870s. John Bender, Sr., and John Bender, Jr., built a one-room timber cabin with a trap door that led to a stone cellar. They operated an “inn” offering food, groceries, and a place to camp to folks traveling west. "Prior to their ownership, which took place in the 1950s, there could have been an excavation that I'm not aware of.". While in his bedroom later he noticed a locket under his bed. The story of the Bender’s is a Kansas family who owned an inn and general store in Labette County from 1871 to 1873. The Bender’s story has become a legend in Kansas, with theories and accounts becoming bigger by the day. It featured an exact reconstructed replica of the Bender building and housed antiques and household items of the Bender days. The Benders had obviously noticed Colonial York’s disappearance and left in the middle of night. When his brother didn’t return in a normal amount of time, Colonel York rode to the Inn to inquiry about his brother. So interesting was the atrocities committed by the Bender family that in May of 1961 a museum was established in Cherryvale for the Kansas State-Wide Centennial Celebration. Well, you're in luck. The Bender family and what happened to them is still a mystery to this day. The Bender family house in 1872. The Benders built a three-sided stone and sod barn that measured 16 x 20 foot that contained an Inn, grocery store, and living quarters. The search party included Colonel York. Approximately 152 acres of land that once belonged to the "Bloody Benders". More info about Linked Data. Bender family. When he opened it he saw his brother’s wife and daughter’s photo inside. See more ideas about bloody benders, serial killers, bender. 1992. Several days lapsed before investigators combed through the Bender property — in part because of … Bruce Frank Bender 02 Jul 1893 Athlsetane Township, Clay, Kansas, United States - 15 Mar 1955 Harvey Elton Bender 23 Dec 1891 Kansas, United States - 14 Apr 1948 Ruth Bender 1910s Kansas. The family consisted of the husband John (Pa) Bender Sr., the wife Elvira Bender, the son John Bender Jr. and the daughter Kate Bender. A few Bender artifacts, including a knife and three hammers, can be seen in Kansas museums. The Bender family of four posed as Ma, Pa, grown daughter Kate and son John, living in a one-room shack on the road outside Cherryvale, Kansas. Shortly after the Civil War, Osage Indian land was opened up to settlers. As there has been much speculation as to the fate of the Bender family the following letters from the Chiefs of Police of Independence and Cherryvale, Kansas, to the author are published in part: “Cherryvale, Kansas, June 14, 1910. Primary Entity\/h3> One of the searchers identified the body of his brother, with the back of his skull smashed in and his throat slit. While Kate distracted them, John Jr or John Sr would take a sledgehammer and kill them with a powerful blow. In the spring of 1873, Dr York returned to the Benders. There was a trap door that led to a stone cellar below. In the wake of the gruesome discoveries made on the Bender property, both State Senator Alexander York and Kansas Governor Thomas A. Osborn offered substantial rewards for the apprehension of the family. Worldhistory.us - For those who want to understand the History, not just to read it. Kansas City, Mo., May 5 - It is not known how many murders the notorious Bender family committed while living in Labette County, Kansas, but after they fled nine bodies were found on the place. When he returned the next morning he brought the sheriff and several local men. Realizing the Benders had probably murdered his brother; Colonel York snuck out the front door and rode into town to get help. Bender family house | Kansas Historical Society. The Benders were an immigrant family who came to the area from Germany. However, once the property was searched, the townspeople discovered a far grislier truth: The family had gruesomely murdered at least 11 people and buried their bodies throughout the land. Kate and Ma planted a combined garden and had some fruit trees. John Jr also started killing people on the trail before they arrived at the Inn. This time he told his brother, Colonel York, that he was going to visit at the Benders. The family of four disappeared before they could be arrested. Crime -- Kansas. Confirm this request. The Bender men arrived in Labette County and claimed 160 acres near the Great Osage Trail, the only road in Kentucky that headed further west. It was rumored that he returned so often because of Kate. Some say that they escaped, others that they were executed by a vengeful posse. So provocative was the Bender family atrocities that a special museum was established in Cherryvale for the Kansas State-wide Centennial Celebration in May of 1961. Kansas was known for violence and bloodshed in its early history. The alleged family consisted of John Bender, his wife Kate, son John Jr. and daughter Kate. Four family members, including a witch, ran an Inn near Independence Kansas, and as travelers were seated at a table, Pa Bender would strike them … An exact replica of the Bender Inn was built with antiques and household items. She not only worked in her parents Inn but it has been rumored that for extra money her services would carry over into the night. Digging began and the Colonial ‘s brother was found buried, head downward. The family consisted of William Bender, aged 60; his wife, aged 55; Kate, aged 25 and John aged 23. The Bender men built themselves a small one room house, with the majority of it being used as a General Store, a curtain separating the family … The inn was located on a main road and travelers would often stop for food and rest. Pa Bender was thought to be either from Germany or Netherlands and had a different name. York searched the cellar and noticed dried blood everywhere. A historical marker erected near the site says, "Although stories abound, the ultimate fate of the murderous Bender family is uncertain. Its floor was covered in pools of blood. McCarthy and Stalin – Political Brothers? Another "Bender Family." Large search parties were organized to search for the Benders with rewards offered by Alexander York, another of Dr. York’s brothers and the Governor of Kansas. In the following few days of searching nine more bodies were discovered along with bits and pieces of headless remains. No one ever came forward to accept the reward money and no trace of the Benders was ever discovered. The Bender family's crimes were considered some of the more gruesome perpetrated on Kansas soil. It was suspected that the Benders sat travelers near the curtain and used some sort of hammer to hit them in the back of the head, before they dropped their victim through the trap door and into the cellar below. The Inn had a steady stream of visitors. It was on this land that the Benders, John Bender Sr, his wife, son John Jr, and their daughter Kate chose to set up housekeeping. Crime. It was in the nearby orchard field that the victims were found buried. However one victim who came up missing did cause alarm. Feb 9, 2016 - Explore Joseph Charlton's board "the bender family", followed by 147 people on Pinterest. 5 comments In the 1870s the people of Kansas were outraged by the crimes of the Benders , a family of four who welcomed weary travelers then murdered and robbed them. She also advertised herself as a ‘Spiritualist” and posted the following information on posters around town. So interesting was the atrocities committed by the Bender family that in May of 1961 a museum was established in Cherryvale for the Kansas State-Wide Centennial Celebration. “Dear Sir :—Yours just received. The timber cabin where the murders were committed no longer exists, and there are no structures or buildings that remain on the property. The "Bloody Benders" were a German family of four that settled a claim in southeastern Kansas in Labette County in 1871, according to the Kansas Historical Society (KHS). The "Bloody Benders" were a German family of four that settled a claim in southeastern Kansas in Labette County in 1871. The original house and Inn was nothing more than a shell in 1886 with curiosity seekers carting off bits and pieces. The search revealed a single-room timber cabin that had been divided into two by a curtain. In honor of the Kansas state-wide Centennial Celebration, an exact replica of the Bender cabin was built that housed antiques and household items. Law enforcement officials in Maine have notifiedresidents that there have been reports of people receiving text messages indicating the recipient has been in contact with a person who has tested positive for coronavirus. One person found this helpful. The Bender Family. The "Bloody Benders" Kansas Historical Marker. The infamous Kansas homestead of America’s first serial killer family known as the “Bloody Benders” is now up for sale. Nearly a dozen travelers who stopped at their small inn were murdered, and their bodies later found buried on the Benders’ property. Kate, the Benders young daughter, was lively and very beautiful. Colonel York decided to stay overnight and look for his brother the following day. ", according to the Kansas Historical Society (KHS), Miniature murders: Unsolved crimes recreated in dollhouses. The Benders kept up their murdering spree for over 18 months. An article in the Kansas City Journal between 1929 and 1932 was titled “A Visit to the Bender Farm,” and the subhead said, “This Famous Place Now a Mass of Cockle Burs and Grass.” The body was placed in the cellar until it could be buried in the garden or orchard. The Benders were a family of serial killers living in Kansas in the 1870s where they ran a general store and restaurant out of their home. In the 1870s, a family of four settled on the frontier prairie lands of southeastern Kansas, not far from the town of Cherryvale. On the side of the road near Cherryvale, Kansas a marker stands recognizing the gruesome murders that occurred in that tiny town from 1871 to 1873. The Benders, Keepers of the Devil’s Inn. When Kansas was opened up for settlers by the Kansas–Nebraska Act of 1854, easterners flocked to the west to stake their claims to cheap and sometimes even free land.
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