This study is about the small Alta Mills community in Alta Township, Harvey County, Kansas, and the history of how it came to be. The long journey and migration of Mennonites to Kansas and the cooperative rural spirit they brought made Alta Mills…
Against all hopes, Bellegard, the Swedish farming oasis, never truly became a town. But in symbiosis with Mariadahl, both “towns” persisted for approximately 30 years before Bellegard dissolved. Their union was the only thing that kept either town…
German families formed the community of Clearfield in Douglas County, Kansas, in the 1850s, united by language and religion. This study overviews a collection of photographs, maps, and documents detailing the history of the Clearfield Community in…
This study of Delia, Kansas in Jackson County uses photographs, personal interviews, and field research.
This paper shares the history and stories of those in the town of Elsmore, in Elsinore Township, Allen County, Kansas. The town was founded in 1866, and is still occupied today. In this paper, I used newspapers, field work, census data and Kansas…
The author gives a wonderful portrayal of the Hanover, Kansas area. She delves into many aspects surrounding the town and details its settlement using maps, historic documents, and interviews with residents.
This is a brief history over the German Catholic community of Ost in Sumner Township, Reno County, Kansas. Ost was a settlement built on the faith and persistence of the settlers that founded the town. This study uses plat maps, photographs of past…
Silkville Ranch was an experimental socialist community founded by Ernest de Boissiere in Franklin County, Williamsburg Township. Although the experiment failed due to financial challenges, Silkville persists as a ranch. This study includes…
The author describes the life of an early Irish Catholic settlement in eastern Kansas. Originally a Quaker community, Irish immigration "exploded" there just after the Civil War, eventually stamping the town with a particular religious…
William A. Pitt and fellow settlers from Trier, Germany, first settled near Carr Creek, but flooding encouraged them to relocate to the top of a nearby hill. They called their settlement Pittsburg and, later, Tipton.
The author compares three types of Welsh communities found in Kansas to determine when the Welsh language ceased common usage. A variety of historic documents were used to make this determination.
It is a sunny Saturday afternoon in Cloud County, Kansas, when the peace of the rolling tallgrass prairie is broken by cries of “Au feu! Au feu!” The French Presbyterian Church just south of St. Joseph’s was ablaze under mysterious circumstances.
The village of Hochfeld, located in the Menno Township of Marion County, Kansas, was settled in 1874 by German Mennonites on land purchased from the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad Company. Attracted by military exemption laws and new…
This study of an Irish settlement area that included parts of two counties is based on fieldwork, photographs, original church sources, and an investigation of cultural traditions.
