#59: January 17th & 19th: 2015: A two-part road trip to kick off 2015 (Mini)
The original plan was for a larger trip on the 17th but plans changed and we wound up with just five pictures. So I tacked them on to another "micro-road-trip" I took on the 19th on the way back to Manhattan which had just eight pictures. Verdi was a decent Ghost, otherwise not much.
Part 1: January 17th
Punkin Center (NG): The ruins of a garage and a home, along with two farmsteads, mark this former town that used to have a gas station and school back in the early days of auto travel. Online research tells me the gas station closed around 1950 and since then there's been nearly nothing there. Population: At most 10
A country church northeast of Haven
Bentley (ST): Population: 530 (2010)
Part 2: January 19th
Bennington (ST): Population: 672 (2010)
Verdi (NG): An old tin elevator and a few outbuildings are the highlight of this town that hasn't been much for a LONG time; the post office closed in 1913! There appear to be no remaining business buildings and just 5 or so occupied houses. Population: 10-20
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#60: March 22nd, 2015: Missouri Vacation trip #2 and Joel trip #2
On our way home from our Spring Break vacation my stepdad Joel stopped at a few small towns and Ghost Towns in far southeast Kansas. There were a couple good Ghosts!
Baxter Springs (C) Pop. 4,238 (2010)
Cravensville (TG) The "diamond" marking the site was about 3/4 of a mile west of the intersection of US-166 and US-69, but there was nothing there and at the intersection... was a lot more. Two abandoned gas stations, one in ruins and covered with concrete remnants, old gasoline tanks, and other junk, sit on the southwest and southeast sides of the intersection. The one in ruins may have also offered lodging as it was two stories. Very impressive. Pop. 0
Keelville (TG) All that's here is a church and the largely vanished ruins of two houses.
Pop. 0
Melrose (SG) An old store that might still be open and a church sit along US-166 in this tiny place. Pop. 40-50
Chetopa (C) Pop. 1,125 (2010)
Bartlett (SG) Still incorporated, the highlight of this tiny town is what appears to be a WPA Town Hall, which is in poor condition and appears to be used for storage now.
Pop. 80 (2010)
Valeda (SG) This was the best Ghost of the trip. Visible from the highway, a brick school nearly in ruins and partially collapsed sits on the northwest edge of town. Most of the roof is gone and sits in pieces on the floor. There is also an abandoned store and an active church, and perhaps 15 occupied houses. Pop. 40-50
Independence (BC)
Winfield: A revisit to take a picture of the Cowley County Courthouse.
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#61: March 27th, 2015: Linear Trip #... oh, who's counting anymore?!?! (Mini)
Waiting only 5 days between trips, as I headed from Manhattan to Wichita for a family weekend, I visited a few Ghosts in a familiar area but I hadn't been to (to take pictures). This trip officially revisited every town that was "ruined" on my December 2004 video camera trip.
Gladstone (NG) Marked as "Gladstone Station" in my Atlas, a private family cemetery, one farmstead that is just as private, and a nearby railroad sign bearing the town's name are all that's left. I also took a photo of a nearby ruined house. Pop. Less than 5
Bazaar (NG) Bazaar's business district is completely gone, and just a small handful of houses, a church, a couple large storage sheds and a school a mile west of town are left. Nearly all that was abandoned has been torn down. Population: Approx. 30
Rural (NG) This aptly-named Ghost Town's post office closed way back in 1902! Yet it still appeared on my atlas. An old well & a brick column sat on the property of a large farmstead that was at the site of the town. A short distance south was another farmstead & two abandoned houses. That's it. Population: 5-10
Matfield Green (SG) This is about the 10th time I've been through this town, but this visit strengthened its position quite a lot. For the first time I discovered that the town has an old abandoned school. Plus there were several dilapidated houses I saw too! Unfortunately, downtown was not as impressive. Population: 48 (2010)
Brainerd: A revisit with a (much) more thorough picture taking. Several cool abandoned houses here. No old businesses though.
Hopkins (NG) Marked as "Hopkins Switch" in my atlas, the railroad tracks where the "Switch" would be are long-gone, and just a church, a large transmissions tower, a nearby small cemetery, and a few scattered houses are left here. Population: 10-20
Oil Hill (TG) This was definitely the most interesting Ghost of the trip. Not even marked on my DeLorme Atlas, the town used to be the largest oil company town in Kansas and at one time had over 20,000 people living in temporary "shotgun" houses in the early 1920s. As technology advanced and the oil began to run low, the town was quickly abandoned in the late 1950s and 1960s, all the temporary housing was torn down, and today not much is left to show a town, much less a bustling company town of 20,000, was ever here. A sidewalk is still visible along the south side of 10th Road and a few city streets are still left, but thick overgrowth (plus a few still-operating oil pumps) cover the former town which now has no buildings and nearly no ruins. A couple abandoned buildings, what they were I don't know, still sit just east of the old town. I think it's pretty cool. Population: 0
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#62: April 25, 2015: The first-ever combination Facebook/normal Road Trip (Mini)
What started out as just a Facebook Trip became an official Trip (although a "Mini" one) when I found myself with some extra time and went and visited three more towns. 8 photos were taken as part of the Facebook Trip and 15 more were added later with my digital camera to make this an official road trip. All towns visited were in the Ghost Town spectrum and all towns had been visited before, however all but one had either been visited in the brief pre-photo era in 2004 or in the dreaded "Vivitar" era in 2005, and thus these towns were documented for the first time "officially".
Waterloo (NG) Visited before photos in 2004, Waterloo has a church, an old church school, an old auto shop and a handful of houses. Not very impressive but I did get the old church school & auto shop as part of the Facebook Trip. Population: Maybe 20
Rago: The only true revisit, I got two photos of an abandoned house and an old church? in the Ghost Town as part of the Facebook Trip.
DuQuoin (NG) This was visited before but I can't remember when. Nonetheless, I had no photos of the town before this trip. The last town in the Facebook Trip, this was the best of the three, as an old abandoned store sits alone as the only remaining building in the old downtown. There is also an old school and a couple abandoned houses. 4 photos taken here as part of the Facebook Trip. Population: 10-15
Rome (NG) All three towns visited in the "official" part of the road trip were previously visited in the dreaded "Vivitar Era" in 2005. Rome was first, and is marked only by a few scattered homes, some abandoned, a large grain elevator, and what looks like an old gas station. One of the occupied homes used to be the town's school and has been heavily renovated. Population: 10-15
Corbin (NG) Corbin was the most impressive Ghost of the entire trip. When I visited in the Vivitar Era, there were a few impressive abandoned grain elevators. Unfortunately those have since been torn down, but the town has three abandoned buildings, overgrown and nearly in ruins, making up its old downtown. A lot of overgrowth and empty lots cover the rest of the town, which also has two brand new homes and a brand new church. Strange. Population: About 30
Perth (SG) Perth's downtown is completely gone, but the town did have two impressive abandoned grain elevators. Otherwise the community has just become a bunch of houses. Population: 50-75
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#63: May 25, 2015: The Memorial Day Linear Trip
On Memorial Day I set out on a risky road trip to Ottawa & Clay counties. It was the day after a rain and more was in the forecast, so I had to dodge muddy roads to visit my Ghosts. But some of them were great, including Idana, in Clay County, which debuts in the Top 20!
Lindsey (NG) A large and very abandoned tin elevator is the highlight of this little place, which has otherwise been reduced to about 5 houses. Population: 10-15
Minneapolis (C) Population: 2,017 (2014)
Alfmil (TG) Not sure if this was ever a town. It may have just been a designation for a railroad stop back in the day. Now the site is covered by storage buildings and a junkyard. The site is less than a mile west of Minneapolis and never had a post office, or really anything that would've made it a town. Population: 0
Wells (SG) Several abandoned buildings sit in this little place's downtown, but none that are really eye-popping. An old school that was converted into a house and then abandoned sits near downtown, but also isn't that impressive. Most impressive is a deteriorating tin elevator east of downtown. Population: 40-50
Vine Creek (TG) One occupied farm sits less than 1/4 mile south of the townsite, but I'm not counting it. Just a cemetery, an abandoned house and a lot of overgrowth marks this old town on an old railroad. Most of the site is not accessible because the old main street has been torn out, but it looks like not much is left. Population: 0
Longford (SG) Looks larger than it is and not much abandoned here. Pop. 78 (2014)
Oak Hill (NG) Also incorporated, but one of the smallest in the state, this was much more impressive. Most of the houses in town are abandoned, and the few buildings left in downtown are as well. The town also has a very large church for its small size, and... an Amish population! Population: 24 (2014)
Idana (NG) By far the most impressive Ghost of the trip. Downtown is compelety abandoned, with all five buildings boarded up and falling apart. A huge two-story brick building, missing all of its windows and some of its roof, sits wide open, as you can see right through. The town also has a unique concrete 2-room school, which has been burned but shows no sign of it from the outside. Population: 20-30
Clay Center (C) Population: 4,239 (2014)
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#64: August 8, 2015: Jake's special road trip... cut short
This trip, specially for my brother, was to visit several very old cemeteries in Lawrence and Leavenworth as well as some national historic sites in those cities and Lecompton... mixed in with a few Ghosts. After finishing the first leg of our trip in Jefferson County & visiting Lecompton, we went to the 1854 Pioneer Cemetery in Lawrence. After leaving, I wanted to see the KU campus and then head to Leavenworth. Just before reaching campus and less than a mile from Pioneer Cemetery, on a side street my right wheel axle SNAPS, causing the tire to lurch inwards and make my car completely immovable. After getting it towed & waiting 4 hours to get it fixed, I made a promise to my mom not to take any more road trips until I get a better car. 27 pictures were taken, so it wasn't a total wash, but this will very likely be my last trip in 2015.
Grantville (VST) Population: About 100
Newman (NG) Has an old school and what might be an old train depot, as well as some homes. Population: At most 20
Thompsonville (NG) Stone steps leading to nowhere (it was a church) is the highlight of this tiny town. Population: About 25
Medina (NG) Medina used to have a school but it's long-gone, now the town just has a few scattered homes. Population: 15-20
Perry (ST) Population: 929 (2010)
Lecompton (ST) A lot of historical buildings here. Population: 625 (2015)
Williamstown (SG) Bigtime bedroom community, has an old school still used for something. Population: 75-100
Buck Creek (NG) An old school and two houses sit about a mile northwest of the "diamond" on my atlas. At the diamond, along the railroad? Nothing. Pop. At most 5
Midland (TG) Notable for not being in my DeLorme Atlas, Midland has an old school, a feed store / gas station, and a large grain elevator complex, but no people. Pop. 0
Lawrence: Revisit to visit the 1854 Pioneer Cemetery. Shortly after leaving the cemetery my car broke down.
