2017 Summer Newsletter

Stanton Giant Roamed Hills Before Becoming Celebrity RANTOUL, Kan. — Many legends have originated about the Stanton giant, an eight-foot, six inch Kansan who used to roam the rugged hills of the Devil's Backbone beside the Marais Des Cygnes River in Miami County, Lloyd L. Griffith of Rantoul, probably the best living author ity on the giant's history, is a recognized collector of his torical data about the old frontier community of Stanton where the giant was born and lived until 14 years of age. The giant, Louis Wilkins, who was destined to entertain be fore the crowned heads of Europe was; born of normal size parents. Stanton pioneers. Wilkins also was a special guest of the czar of Russia before his untimely death at 24, Grif fith relates. The story has it, Griffith recalls, that Wilkins, at 10, was tall as any man in the valley. He soon became too big and awkward to attend school with other children of his age. His understanding parents let him roam the hills with Pot tawatomie Indians camped at nearby Indian Springs. Tales Spread Tales of the 415-1b. giant who lifted horses and carried 200-1b. hogs on his shoulders, and whose legs were so long they dragged the ground when he rode horse-back, began to circulate far beyond the valley. To escape the eyes of the curious, the crude banter, and the Jokes aimed at his gangling legs, Wilkins took to the back trails and wooded areas more and more, to be seen only by those he knew well. His exclusiveness caused legends about him to become increasingly exaggerated. Stories about Wilkins began to appear in eastern newspa pers. In 1890, a circus was playing in nearby Paola, Griffith says, and the circus agent sent for Wilkins and talked him into Joining the show. Reprinted from the Museum quarterly vol 14 no.3 1999 which was copied from pg. 2F of the Wichita Eagle - Beacon. Sunday morning, June 11,1961. People drove from miles around to glimpse Wilkins.

At that time Wilkins was 14 and already had grown to 8 foot 6 inches. It may well he that he grew considerably tall er and heavier before his, death, Griffith speculates. Wilkins toured with the circus both in America and Europe. It is told that the Stanton giant fell in love with a Russian princess while in Russia to appear before the Czar. How ever, his love was thwarted and he allegedly returned to America with a broken heart. During the voyage home he became very ill. An ambulance was summoned upon docking in New York but the patient was too large to be placed in it, and a beer wagon was com mandeered to take Wilkins to a hospital. The giant died soon after reaching the hospital — of a bro ken heart, legend has it. Griffith stated that Wilkins was buried in Oklahoma where he had purchased a home for his parents. According to Griffith, the show owners offered Wilkins' family $10,000 in gold for the giant's body, but all offers were refused:

Page 7