"How many people have you known, commissioner, that over the years have rolled into town on the big white horse and ... 'We've got it, don't worry about it, we'll take care of it.' ... and at the end of the day we get what the horse leaves behind?"
- Bob Farmer, Fort Scott City Attorney, 5/19/26
I've been thinking a lot about the future of Bourbon County lately. What progress looks like. What progress used to look like.
The quote above is from last week's Fort Scott City Commission, and a discussion about the latest (but far from the first) would-be knight in shining armor to come to Bourbon County with promises of salvation and prosperity. In the last couple of years alone, we've heard promises of STAR bonds, of rodeo arenas lined with hotels and Chik-Fil-As, of things that if we're being honest always sounded too good to be because, well...they were.
This isn't a new phenomenon - when I was on the Fort Scott City Commission in the early 2000s, an evangelist came to town promising to turn the old Western building into a seminary and a television studio. Then there was the Native American tribe (at least they said they were a Native American tribe) that was going to open that bingo parlor/casino downtown...
I'm not sure when it started, but it seems like at some point in the last 20 years we decided that real success for Bourbon County could only come from outside of Bourbon County, and that it had to be big and flashy. I think it's time we changed our perspective, and I don't mean going back to hoping for some giant new mega-employer.
The Original White Horse
Back when I was growing up, big industry was seen as the savior of Bourbon County, and for a time, it was. If you've got family who has lived here for decades, chances are you've heard of the Western Insurance company, a prominent local firm that I've read grew to employ nearly 1000 people. In 1986, it was sold, and many of those jobs disappeared.
When I was in school, American States Insurance - who I believe were the ones who bought Western Insurance - was a sizable employer in Fort Scott. One of my best friend's fathers worked there. In 1997, it was sold to Safeco. In 1998, my friend's dad and his colleagues were told that if they wanted to keep their jobs, they would have to move to Seattle.
The picture at the top of this column is of the building directly north of the hospital, a building that holds a lot of great memories for me. In 2005, I got my first corporate gig in the IT world there as a long-term temp for Great West Healthcare, and I loved it.
That building was always full, and while this could be nostalgia, it seemed like we had 300-400 people working there at any given time. The parking lot was always packed. A couple of years later, it was purchased by Cigna, and...well, at this point I'm guessing you can see the pattern.
Over the last two years we've been hit by both Timken and Valu Merchandisers closing, not to mention the hospital itself for a time. While there has recently been very good news of new occupants for the Timken and Valu buildings, I think we need to really start re-defining our view of success for Bourbon County.
Here's the deal - there's never going to be another Western. Chances are there's never going to be another Great West Healthcare, either.
As the corporate world turns more and more towards constant mergers and acquisitions, and as more jobs are outsourced not to other countries but to large language models (aka AI), chances are there will likely be more upheaval and unpleasant change in the future for Bourbon County - that's just how the world works.
What If The REAL Knights On White Horses Were Here All Along?
But did you know there is a homegrown employer in Fort Scott that employs several people, just doubled their warehouse space, and in a couple of months is going to have their products in approximately 3800 Walmart stores (aka every Super Center and then some) nationwide? This business literally started as a local mom's hobby in a garage.
Did you also know there are a pair of sisters in Bourbon County who have a custom blanket business that helps provide a living for people in both Bourbon and Crawford County, and has been on national TV shows like the Today Show? This business still operates out of two local homes.
These. Are. Far. From. The. Only. Examples.
Bourbon County's future is directly tied to local entrepreneurship. White horses — even legitimate ones — eventually move on. States with longer tax abatements, countries with cheaper labor: it's their nature. But if we continue to grow our own stable, we don't need to keep chasing white horses.
Change is coming - that's inevitable. Not all of it will be fun - that's life. But over the last few years, in a very real way we've gained a lot more than we've lost, and I believe that we can keep that going no matter what lies ahead. The choice is ours.
