KANSAS SCHOOLHOUSE Exhibit Homepage
Jamie Schendt writes a history of Bean School (District #3 one room school) in Wabaunsee County. Serving an integrated landscape of both white and African American farmers, Bean School was attended by Washington Owen, first black graduate of KSU.…
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…
This document provides a comprehensive history of the lost community of Bodarc (Bois D’ Arc) from the time that the Osage Indians settled the land to present day. Bodarc was unofficially founded in 1875 and included a mill, general store,…
The lost communities of Camp Pliley, Pottersburg and Ash Grove, Kansas were settled by Civil War Veterans, Scandinavian immigrants as well as homesteading pioneers. While Pottersburg and Ash Grove locations achieved railroad service, the automobile…
The author uses oral interview and historic documents to reconstruct the details of the little community of Elm Slough in Pottawatomie County, Kansas.
Gatesville was named for Lorenzo Gates, who settled on Mall Creek in the fall of 1857. There was a school, a post office, and a railroad, but no town was ever established, even though it was an essential hub for livestock shipping.
This paper is a study of the closure of Gypsum Rural High school in Gypsum, Saline County, Kansas, and how its closure affected the community surrounding and supporting it. The study includes census data, historical newspaper articles, and web…
Even though Harveyville is considered a “Lost Town,” the community keeps the town going. Without the citizens taking pride and trying to promote the town, Harveyville would probably be a ghost town after the schools were consolidated. Harveyville is…
In 1868, Hillside Schoolhouse was built to withstand time. It had thick, limestone walls and was built on a hill, hence the name. Most Hillside students came from farm families, and were mainly of English descent.
Two towns located five miles apart make for instant rivals. Located in Riley County, the towns of Leonardville and Riley competed to establish a post office and attract the attention of a railroad. Leonardville won the first battle and boomed while…
This study of the slowly-vanishing town of Orion explores the western Kansas environment and the founding of a community in 1886. Wheat farmers claimed large farms in this area. Named for a schoolteacher, Orion had a vital life through World War II…
Founded in 1881 by individuals of German Heritage, Wheaton grew to a town with three newspapers and made early technology advancements of telephone poles and gas generator. Although the town has dwindled and the school consolidated with Onaga, the…
