Arkalon, Kansas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Arkalon, Kansas
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A pack train of burros in front of the bank in Arkalon (circa 1880–1899)
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 Arkalon, Kansas
Location in Kansas
Arkalon, Kansas
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Kansas |
| County | Seward |
| Founded | 1888 |
| Platted | 1888 |
| Named for | Arkalon Tenney |
| Elevation | 2,618 ft (798 m) |
| Population | |
| • Total | 0 |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| Area code | 620 |
| FIPS code | 20-02290 |
| GNIS ID | 484534 |
Arkalon is what we call a ghost town in Seward County, Kansas, United States. A ghost town is a place where people used to live, but now almost no one does. Arkalon was located northeast of Liberal, right next to the Cimarron River.
History
How Arkalon Started
In 1888, a railroad company called the Chicago, Kansas and Nebraska Railway built tracks through this area. Soon after, a new town started to grow there. It was officially planned out and mapped, which is called "platting."
The town was named Arkalon after Arkalon Tenney. He was the father of Hosea Eugene Tenney, who became the town's very first postmaster. A post office opened in Arkalon in 1888 and stayed open until 1929.
Life in Arkalon
Arkalon even had its own newspaper, called the Arkalon News. It was published from April 1888 to December 1892. In 1891, a simple one-room school house opened its doors for the children living in town.
A big stockyard was also built in Arkalon. This was a place where farmers could bring their cattle to be shipped by train to markets.
Why People Left
Early settlers thought the nearby Cimarron River would be great for farming. However, they soon discovered a problem. The land near the river was too sandy, and the area flooded very often. This made it hard to grow crops.
Because of these difficulties, many people started to leave Arkalon. By the 1920s, most of the original settlers had moved away. Only the railroad and the stockyards were left behind, and Arkalon became the ghost town it is today.
