Chetolah, Kansas facts for kids

Chetolah was once a small town in Ellis County, Kansas, United States. Today, it's known as a ghost town, meaning it's a place where almost no one lives anymore, and most of its buildings are gone.

The Story of Chetolah: A Kansas Ghost Town

How Chetolah Began

Chetolah started in the 1880s. Some people wanted to create a new town there. They planned out the town and built a hotel, a place to keep horses (called a livery stable), and a store. In 1888, the company that owned the land was officially named the Chetolah Town Site Company. A year later, in 1889, it changed its name to the Chetolah Land and Town Company. The people behind Chetolah hoped a railroad would come through the town, which would help it grow. However, the railroad never arrived.

The "Gold Rush" That Wasn't

Because the railroad didn't come, the town didn't do very well at first. But in the 1890s, something exciting happened – or so people thought! Rumors spread that gold had been found in the grey rocks, called Carlile Shale, in the hills around Chetolah. This started a "gold rush" that lasted for three years.

What Happened During the Gold Rush?

During this time, the town grew as people tried different ways to get the supposed gold from the shale along the Smoky Hill River. The hotel reopened, and a bridge was built across the river to help people get to the settlement.

However, the gold rush was a trick. Both Erasmus Haworth, who was the first state geologist for Kansas, and the famous inventor Thomas Edison had already said that the gold claims were fake. After people realized there was no real gold, Chetolah was abandoned. It became the ghost town it is today, with very little left to see.