A Calendar, A Chief, And The Story Behind Big Bow

Long before the name “Big Bow” marked a place on the map of southwest Kansas, it belonged to a Kiowa leader whose life reflected a time of profound change on the Southern Plains.

Big Bow—known among the Kiowa as Zepko-ette—was a prominent chief during the late 19th century, a period marked by conflict, transition, and the forced movement of Native tribes onto reservations. When the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway expanded across the region, the nearby community of Big Bow took its name in recognition of the chief, linking local geography to a deeper and more complex history.

On April 30, the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum shared a glimpse into that history through one of the most remarkable artifacts associated with Big Bow—a hand-drawn calendar that stretches an astonishing 64 feet in length. Covering the years 1874 to 1891, the calendar documents daily life during a time when the Kiowa people were being forced into reservation life, a shift that forever altered their way of life.

Each vertical line on the calendar represents a single day, creating a continuous visual record of nearly two decades. Within those lines are symbols marking events of importance—moments both ordinary and profound.

One symbol, in particular, carries a quiet but powerful weight.

In a section marking the year 1882, a small bison appears, outlined in a pinkish-red hue. It marks June 23—the last time the animal appears anywhere on the calendar. By that point, the great herds that had once sustained the Kiowa and other Plains tribes had disappeared from their lands, a loss that brought devastating consequences to their culture, economy, and survival.

It is a simple mark, but one that speaks volumes.

The calendar does not explain. It does not elaborate. It simply records—day by day—until the bison is no longer there.

For a community like Big Bow, the name itself serves as a reminder of this layered history. What may seem like a small dot on the map carries with it the legacy of a leader, a people, and a moment in time when the Plains were changing in ways that could not be undone.

And sometimes, it’s in the smallest marks—like a single red bison—that the largest stories are told.