The Legend of Bash Riprock
H
e was a red-headed wild child with a bit of a temper and a free spirit who found his way from a far outside of Chicago to the Kansas Territory in 1854 when he was only 17. He settled about one mile east and four miles south of Olathe’s Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop three years before the town’s incorporation.
B
ash never met a stranger – only friends who helped him develop his reputation for fun games, incredible food, and wild nights of drinking the best spirits at his home on the outskirts of town. His reputation for sponsoring extraordinary parties, known as “bashes,” continued on during the Civil War, when both Confederate and Union soldiers would battle by day and share food and spirits at night with their red bearded, long-mustached host.
C
onfederate General Sterling Price was introduced to Bash by a mutual friend, and was a frequent visitor during his time in nearby Westport. The only documented job Bash ever had was as a layer of bricks on Kansas City Road, which naturally lead to rumors that Bash was involved in questionable activities to support his penchant for parties. Those nefarious activities also included an allegation of a stagecoach hold-up of Isadare Frleng, the friend of an influential Olathe resident. Even without proof, the cloud of suspicion was great enough to render Bash a social outcast. His popularity spiraled downward, as did his visibility, and he eventually disappeared.
O
ut of the public eye, but definitely not forgotten, especially by the family of his alleged victim. Frleng’s great-grandson, Fritz Frleng, is rumored to have based his famous cartoon character Yosemite Sam on Bash Riprock.
W
hile the legend of Bash may be just that, we hope you enjoy the bits and pieces of Olathe history that we have incorporated into our restaurant, including some of the original bricks from historic Kansas City Road. Although Bash Riprock may just be a figment of our imagination, we have taken his legendary love of celebrating with extraordinary food and spirits and made it a cornerstone of our establishment today.
E
njoy!
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