List of ghost towns in Kansas facts for kids
This is an incomplete list of ghost towns in the state of Kansas. Many of the sites listed here are on private property and may be dangerous or illegal to visit. Inquire with local authorities or property owners for access to these places.
Classifications
There are many factors and reasons as to why a town becomes abandoned (or nearly abandoned). A ghost town can be defined as "a town or community that at one time had a commercial or population center, and is either wholly abandoned or faded greatly from its peak, and now is just a shadow of its former self" or basically a "town that is a shadowy remnant of what it once was". There are several reasons why a town ceases to exist.
- Transportation – With the development of major highways and interstates, people were willing to travel farther for goods and services causing local businesses in smaller towns to lose customers and ultimately close. The more businesses that close the more people are apt to want to move away to a bigger town. Transportation has played a major role in settlement in Kansas. As traffic from the Oregon and Santa Fe Trails increased, towns boomed along them. When railroads were established towns developed along the tracks or even moved to where the tracks were.
- Politics – In Kansas, the political atmosphere was highly divided. Towns were either pro-slavery or abolitionist. When Kansas became a free state in 1861, pro-slavery towns died out. Survival of a town also depended on if it won the county seat. Towns that were contenders for the county seat and lost typically saw most, if not all, of their town die out.
- Industry/employment – Towns that catered to a specific industry like coal mining or military housing were boom towns that quickly died when their markets collapsed. Some towns were abandoned in the 1930s during the Dust Bowl period which mainly relied on Agriculture.
- Schools – Schools can serve as a place of civic pride. Towns that lose their local school to consolidation can no longer root for their home team. When a school district is closed and students moved to another district, the remaining abandoned school just adds insult to injury.
- National economic depressions - There have been several economic depressions and recessions that have wiped towns off the map. As people lose their jobs or have to move because of another job, towns lose population.
- Eminent domain / flood control – Since 1951, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have sought to control floods through the building of dams along rivers and the resulting outcome is a town having to be moved or abandoned and demolished.
- Environmental degradation – remnants of lead and zinc mining can cause soil contamination that can render entire communities uninhabitable; e.g. Treece, Kansas.
Ghost towns
| Town name | County | Established | Disestablished | Current status | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White Cloud | Doniphan County | 1856 | 2008 estimated population of 227 | ||
| Ray | Pawnee County | Most of the houses were demolished or moved in the 1950s. The old Co-op remains and still bears the town name. Large berm south of the co-op is what is left from the demolition 38.174742,-98.962701 | |||
| Iowa Point | Doniphan County | 1854 | Post Office closed in 1933 | Small population near K-7 | |
| Eagle Springs | Doniphan County | 1883 | Townsite was abandoned, only ruins remain | Was a health resort that lasted into the 1930s. | |
| Geary City | Doniphan County | March 23, 1856 | Only foundations remain | ||
| Doniphan | Doniphan County | 1854 | 1943 | Still on maps but little remains | A trading post was established on the site in 1852 |
| Four Houses | Wyandotte County | Exact location unknown | Was actually a trading post from 1826-1828 | ||
| Rising Sun | Jefferson County | 1857 | mid-1860s | A Kansas River access point is near the location and named after the town. | Was a Lecompton satellite community. |
| Hickory Point | Jefferson County | 1855 | A Kansas State Historical Marker is near the location along U.S. 59. | Location of the Battle of Hickory Point, a skirmish between pro-slavery and free state forces. | |
| Arrington | Atchison County | 1854 | A small population resides along K-116. | ||
| Kennekuk | Atchison County | 1858 | |||
| America City | Nemaha County | February 14, 1857 | Post office closed in 1933 | A couple buildings and a cemetery remain | |
| Juniata | Pottawatomie County | 1854 | 1858 | On private property and not accessible | |
| Pawnee | Geary County | 1854 | 1855 | The old territorial capitol building still stands is well-preserved | Was the territorial capitol until 1855 when it was moved to Shawnee Mission. |
| Randolph | Riley County | 1855 | 2008 estimated population of 198 | Moved two miles west when Tuttle Creek Lake was built. | |
| Irving | Marshall County | 1859 | 1960 | Located on Corps land and is easily accessible. | Abandoned for the construction of Tuttle Creek Lake. |
| Alcove Springs | Marshall County | Now a well-preserved park | Was never an official town but was a stop on the Oregon Trail. Numerous carvings in the spring's rocks feature traveler's initials and other things. A member of the Donner Party is buried nearby. | ||
| Trading Post | Linn County | 1842 (established as a trading post) | A small population remains just off of U.S. 69. | Near the site of the Marais des Cygnes massacre. | |
| Centropolis | Franklin County. | 1854 | 1930 | A small population remains on a county road about ten miles northwest of Ottawa Centropolis Christian Church and Centropolis Baptist Church are open. | |
| Minneola | Franklin County | 1854 | 1860s | Was the territorial capitol briefly in 1858. Not to be confused with Minneola in Clark County. | |
| Silkville | Franklin County | 1870 | 1892 | Several buildings remain including an old house and a stone school southwest of Williamsburg. | |
| Black Jack | Douglas County | 1857 (incorporated) | 1870s | Santa Fe Trail wagon swales, a roadside park, cemetery and the well-preserved battlefield site remain and are open to public. | |
| Franklin | Douglas County | 1853 (early stage stop) | Post office closed 1867 | Nothing remains of the town except two small neglected cemeteries and Franklin Road off of K-10. | |
| Big Springs | Douglas County | 1854 | A small population remains along U.S. 40. | ||
| Calhoun | Shawnee County | 1855 | 1868 | Nothing remains of this town. | Calhoun was also the name of a county that was made up of northern Shawnee County, most of Jackson County and half of Pottawatomie County. When Shawnee County's northern border was extended, Calhoun ceased to be. |
| Indianola | Shawnee County | 1854 | mid-1860s | Nothing remains of the site. | There is an Indianola Road located near the Goodyear Plant near U.S. 24. |
| Sumner City | Shawnee County | Never established | Was mainly a paper town that was supposed to be an all-black community east of Topeka. | ||
| Uniontown | Shawnee County | 1848 | 1854 | Townsite is now located in and around the Green Wildlife Refuge southeast of Willard. | Uniontown was a trail stop and a place where the Pottawatomi would spend money. A cholera epidemic killed 22 Indians and they were buried in a mass grave. The grave is located in the center of the cemetery. Not to be confused with Uniontown in Bourbon County. |
| Peterton | Osage County | 1870 | 1930s | There is still a small population in the area. | |
| Bushong | Lyon County | mid-1880s | 1984 | 2008 estimated population of 50 | Several ruins of the downtown and old consolidated school remain. |
| Volland | Wabaunsee County | Several buildings remain abandoned in the area. | Located about ten miles southwest of Alma. Former store building currently in the process of being restored. | ||
| Newbury | Wabaunsee County | 1869 | 1888 | A small population and a huge Catholic church remain three miles north of Paxico. | |
| Army City | Geary County | 1917 | 1920 | Any remains of Army City are currently on Fort Riley property. | Army City was built exclusively for servicemen at Fort Riley during World War I. |
| Diamond Springs | Morris County | 1825 (as a Santa Fe Trail stop) | 1863 | Few remains exist but a monument to Diamond Springs was erected in Diamond Springs Cemetery | |
| Empire City | Cherokee County | 1877 | 1907 | Any remains are currently maintained by Galena. | Empire City was annexed to Galena in 1907. |
| Wilsonton | Labette County | 1887 | 1913 | Nothing remains except a cemetery. | Ella Wilson was the founder of the town and when she died in 1913, the town died with her. |
| Ladore | Neosho County | Incorporated 1869 | 1874 | Inaccessible | Was the site of a mass lynching in May 1870. |
| Octagon City | Allen County | 1855 | 1856 | Nothing remains of the townsite | Octagon City was a social experiment where the settlers of the town vowed to eat no meat. The town was so called because the main streets were laid out in an octagon. |
| Cofachiqui | Allen County | 1855 | 1860 | The site of Cofachiqui was demolished when a cement company bought the land. | |
| Mildred | Allen County | 1907 | ca. 1983 | 2008 estimated population of 58. | |
| Bassett | Allen County | 1900 | 1930s | 2008 estimated population of 21 | |
| Belmont | Woodson County | 1857 | Post office closed in 1877 | Townsite is now on private property and inaccessible. | |
| Neosho Falls | Woodson County | 1857 | 2008 estimated population of 159 | ||
| Guilford | Wilson County | 1861 | 1889 | A few ruins and structures still survive. | |
| Cave Springs | Elk County | 1875 | 1949 | Now on private property. | Cave Springs was established as a "health" resort. The resort failed in the 1880s when people starting questioning the springs' healing properties. The town was officially vacated in 1949. |
| Elgin | Chautauqua County | 2008 estimated population of 71 | |||
| Midian | Buter County | 1916 | Post office closed in 1950 | Townsite is now on private property. | |
| Oil Hill | Butler County | 1918 | 1969 | Townsite is on private property but the Kansas Turnpike does pass under Oil Hill Road just outside El Dorado. | |
| Minersville | Cloud County | 1870s | 1920s | Some houses and foundations remain along with a cemetery. | |
| Waconda | Mitchell County | The site lies under the waters of Waconda Reservoir. | Located near the Waconda Springs, a natural aquifer used by Native Americans. | ||
| Dispatch | Smith and Jewell Counties | 1869 | A church, some houses and a cemetery remain. | ||
| Webster | Rooks County | 1885 | 1953 | A small community still exists near the Webster Lake dam. | |
| Long Island | Phillips County | 1870s | 2008 estimated population of 140. | ||
| Brookville | Saline County | 1869 | 2008 estimated population of 263. | The population was once near 2,000 in the 1870s but after the turn of the century, the population began to decline. The city was also the site of the Brookville Hotel until 2000 when the hotel moved to Abilene. | |
| Sveadal | McPherson | 1868 | 1870s | All that remains is the octagonal foundation of the original building. The townsite is on private property, located on the west side of the Smoky Hill River, two miles south of the southwest corner of Lindsborg. | |
| Beach Valley | Rice County | 1857 | Townsite is now on private property. | ||
| Dubuque | Russell and Barton Counties | 1887 | A beautiful Catholic church and cemetery are all that remain. | ||
| Rome | Ellis County | 1867 | 1868 | A marker near Fort Hays State College indicates where Rome once was. | Rome was co-founded by William "Buffalo Bill" Cody. |
| Chetolah | Ellis County | 1886 | 1907 | Townsite is now on private property. | |
| Hunnewell | Sumner County | 1940s | 2008 estimated population of 75 | ||
| Runnymede | Harper County | 1887 | 1892 | Nothing remains of the town. | |
| Freeport | Harper County | 1878 | 2008 estimated population of 7. | Freeport is the smallest incorporated town in Kansas. | |
| Ash Valley | Pawnee County | 1916 | 1960s | Old roads and some structures still remain. | |
| Achilles | Rawlins County | 1875 | Post office closed in 1951. | Only a cemetery remains. | Achilles was the site of the Battle of Sappa Creek in 1875, it was one of the bloodiest Indian battles fought in northwest Kansas. |
| Mina | Marshall County | 1889 | 1940s | A railroad town, founded in 1889. The property fell into private hands and was plowed under. | |
| Mingo | Thomas County | 1887 | 1940s | The townsite become the private property of Pat Reilly, who plowed some of it under, until 1972 when it was sold to the Brown brothers. | |
| Voltaire | Sherman County | 1885 | 1889 | Nothing remains of the townsite and is now on private property. | |
| Blufton | Trego County | Nothing remains | The site of Blufton is the same as Threshing Machine Canyon which is part of Cedar Bluff State Park which is a part of the Cedar Bluff Reservoir. | ||
| Sidney | Ness County | 1870s | 1880s | Only foundations remain. | |
| Amy | Lane County | 1887 | 1954 | A small community still exists. | |
| Farnsworth | Lane County | 1880 | 1891 | Nothing remains. | |
| McAllaster | Logan County | 1887 | 1930s | A small population exists and several buildings remain. | |
| Sheridan | Logan County | 1868 | 1870s | Townsite is on private property. | |
| Coronado | Wichita County | Incorporated 1885 | 1889 | Nothing remains but some older buildings in Leoti are from Coronado. | |
| Colokan | Greeley County | 1886 | 1897 | Nothing remains of the townsite. | |
| Lexington | Clark County | 1885 | 1900 | Nothing remains of the townsite except a community building. | |
| Cash City | Clark County | 1885 | 1895 | Nothing remains of the townsite. | |
| Beersheba | Hodgeman County | 1882 | 1886 | Nothing remains of the townsite. | Beersheba was established as an experimental Jewish agricultural community. |
| Ravanna | Finney County | 1882 | Post office closed in 1922 | Only foundations remain. | Battled with Eminence for county seat of Garfield County. In 1893, Garfield County was annexed to Finney County and the feud was over. |
| Eminence | Finney County | 1886 | Post office closed in 1943. | Nothing remains of the townsite. | Battled with Ravanna for county seat of Garfield County, which ended in 1893 when Garfield County was annexed to Finney County. |
| Terry | Finney County | 1885 | 1890s | Nothing remains of the townsite. | |
| Hartland | Kearny County | 1885 | 1910s | Nothing remains of the townsite. | |
| Chantilly | Kearny County | 1887 | 1893 | Nothing remains of the townsite. | |
| Coolidge | Hamilton County | 1883 | 2008 estimated population of 86. | ||
| Kendall | Hamilton County | 1885 | A small population (approx. 50) remains. | ||
| Trail City | Hamilton County | 1885 | 1890s | ||
| Ulysses | Grant County | 1885 | The old Ulysses townsite is currently on private property but the "new" Ulysses site has an estimated population of 5,557 as of 2008. | In 1908, Ulysses moved three miles down the road to a new location in an attempt to avoid paying bonds that had become due. | |
| Santa Fe | Haskell County | 1886 | 1918 | Nothing remains and a portion of the townsite is on private property. | |
| Fargo Springs | Seward County | 1885 | 1910s | Nothing remains of the townsite. | |
| Springfield | Seward County | 1885 | 1890s | Springfield was located at the intersection of U.S. 83 and U.S. 160 north of Liberal. | |
| Palermo | Doniphan County | 1855 | Post office closed 1904 | A small population still remains eight miles southeast of Troy near the Missouri River. | |
| Bendena | Doniphan County | 1886 | 1890s | A small community remains along K-20. | |
| Kickapoo City | Leavenworth County | 1854 | Post office closed 1920 | A small population remains in the area. | |
| Bain City | Leavenworth County | 1867 | 1964 | Bain City was annexed to Leavenworth in 1964. | |
| Quindaro | Wyandotte County | 1850s | 1862 | Any remains of Quindaro are now in the city limits of Kansas City in Quindaro Park. | |
| Six-Mile House | Wyandotte County | Nothing remains of the site. | Six-Mile House, so called because of its distance from Wyandotte (Kansas City) on Leavenworth Rd, was the headquarters of the Free-State 'Redlegs' who guarded the border of Kansas from pro-slave incursions. | ||
| Padonia | Brown County | 1850s | Post office closed in 1933 | Padonia lies among a cluster of houses and farm fields. | Padonia was the site of a bloodless skirmish in the 1850s called the Battle of Padonia. |
| Ash Point | Nemaha County | 1859 | 1870 | Nothing remains of the townsite. | |
| Neuchatel | Nemaha County | 1857 | The cemetery, church, town hall and schoolhouse have all been restored and well-kept. | ||
| Blaine | Pottawatomie County | 1880s | St. Columbkillane Catholic Church and former Catholic School still stand at the intersection of K-99 and K-116. | ||
| Louisville | Pottawatomie County | 1857 | 2008 estimated population of 207. | ||
| Afton | Marshall County | 1893 | A small cemetery and church mark the townsite. | ||
| Bigelow | Marshall County | 1880s | 1960 | All that remains is the Antioch Cemetery. | Bigelow was demolished during construction of Tuttle Creek Lake. |
| Bala | Riley County | 1870 | Post office closed in 1966 | Fort Riley has now expanded into what was Bala. | |
| Monticello | Johnson County | 1857 | Post office closed in 1905 | The old school house, cemetery, and a few houses from the 1940s remain south of Shawnee Mission Parkway in west Shawnee Shawnee and Lenexa. | |
| Paris | Linn County | 1854 | Nothing remains of the townsite. | ||
| Moneka | Linn County | 1857 | 1870s | Nothing remains of the townsite. | |
| Lone Star | Douglas County | 1870s | Post office closed in 1953 | A small population remains just south of Clinton Lake near Lone Star Lake. | A community existed in the area before Lone Star was organized. A post office was formed in 1875 under Bond, then Gideon. The name Lone Star was chosen in the 1890s. |
| Potwin Place | Shawnee County | 1869 | 1899 | The site is well-preserved off of SW 6th Avenue in Topeka and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. | Potwin was annexed to Topeka in 1899. |
| Auburndale | Shawnee County | 1888 | 1899 | Auburndale is currently a neighborhood in Topeka and is commemorated by Auburndale Park. | |
| Willard | Shawnee and Wabaunsee Counties | 1860s | 1950s | 2000 estimated population of 86. | |
| Richland | Shawnee County | 1872 | 1960s | Nothing remains of the townsite except some ruins and the cemetery. | Richland is notable for being the birthplace of Georgia Neese Clark, the Treasurer of the United States under President Truman from 1949-1953. |
| 110 Mile Creek | Osage County | 1854 | 1870s | Nothing remains of the townsite, it is on private property. A Santa Fe Trail marker marks the general location along U.S. 56. | |
| Arvonia | Osage County | 1860s | Some old buildings, ruins and a church still stand in the area. | ||
| Fostoria | Osage County | Nothing remains of the townsite. | |||
| Strawn | Coffey County | 1870s | 1961 | "Old" Strawn is now located underneath the John Redmond Reservoir while New Strawn is located along U.S. 75. | |
| Miller | Lyon County | 1886 | A small population and some abandoned businesses remain in the area. | ||
| Dunlap | Morris County | 2000 estimated population of 81. | |||
| Skiddy | Morris County | 1869 | A small population (approx. 20) remains in the area. | ||
| Freedom Colony | Bourbon County | 1897 | early 1900s | Nothing remains of the townsite. | In 1905, most cabins were burned down. Frank Cotton discovered that the boards on his house were soaked with kerosene. Cotton saved his house but the remaining cabins burned to the ground. |
| Rollin | Neosho County | 1890 | 1921 | Nothing remains of the townsite except Delos Johnson's (the town founder) house and a neglected cemetery. | |
| Cato | Crawford County | 1858 | Post office closed in 1905 | The Cato Historical Preservation Association meets at 6:30 pm on the fourth Tuesday of each month at Arcadia Community Center, Arcadia, Kansas. The old school has been restored. Cato Christian Church is in good repair, but closed. A community reunion is held yearly. | |
| Farlington | Crawford County | 1870 | A small population remains in the area. | Farlington is located just southwest of Crawford State Park on K-7. | |
| Croweburg | Crawford County | 1907 | A small population remains along with some shotgun houses and some building ruins. | ||
| Monmouth | Crawford County | 1857 | Post office closed in 1955 | Very little remains of the townsite. | |
| Treece | Cherokee County | early 1900s | 2012 | 2010 Census population of 138. As of May 2012, only 2 people remain. | Due to years of mining in the area, the land in and around Treece is unstable and contaminated which had led to the citizens wanting the government to buy their land so that they can move. |
| Le Hunt | Montgomery County | 1905 | early 1930s | Some ruins remain east of the Elk City Lake. | The town was fairly bustling thanks to a central cement factory in the center of town being the biggest employer. During the Great Depression, cement sales dropped significantly and went out of business, so the town died. Most remains are now on private property. |
| Votaw | Montgomery County | 1881 | 1900 | Nothing remains of the townsite. | Votaw was an experimental colony founded by African-Americans. After 1900, the population slowly moved elsewhere. The last building burned down in 1915. |
| Hewins | Chautauqua County | 1870s | Post office closed in 1966 | A small population remains. | |
| Boston | Chautauqua County | 1871 | 1875 | Nothing remains of the townsite. | Boston was the county seat of Howard County which was split into Chautauqua and Elk Counties in 1875. Sedan became the new county seat of Chautauqua County. |
| Delaware Springs | Wilson County | 1869 | Nothing remains of the townsite. | ||
| Kalida | Woodson County | 1869 | 1883 | Currently on property known as the Kalida Farm. | |
| Defiance | Woodson County | 1873 | 1878, the post office closed in 1886 | Only a hotel remains that is being used as a residence. | |
| Reece | Greenwood County | 1870 | A small population (approx. 50) still exists. | ||
| Smileyberg | Butler County | 1904 | early 1920s | Some structures still remain. A transmission shop is open. | |
| Rosalia | Butler County | 1879 | A small population (approx. 100) still exists. | ||
| Strawberry | Washington County | 1861 | Nothing remains of the townsite. | A plaque was dedicated in 1990 commemorating Strawberry. | |
| Salem | Jewell County | 1871 | Nothing remains of the townsite. | ||
| Asherville | Mitchell County | early 1860s | A small population still exists. | ||
| Lake Sibley | Cloud County | 1865 | Post office closed in 1876. | Nothing remains of the townsite. | |
| Industry | Dickinson & Clay Counties | 1868 | A small population (approx. 20) remains. | ||
| Holland | Dickinson County | unknown | 1942 | A church, now used as a town hall, and a few houses, is all that remains. | |
| Elmo | Dickinson County | 1866 | Post office closed in 1966. | A few buildings and population remain. | |
| Abram | Lincoln County | 1870 | 1872 | Nothing remains of the townsite. | A monument was erected in 1936. Abram was the first Lincoln County Seat. |
| Carneiro | Ellsworth County | A small population remains just north of Mushroom Rock State Park. | |||
| Zarah | Barton County | 1872 | Nothing remains of the townsite. | Was originally a part of Fort Zarah which was abandoned in 1869. The last resident left Zarah in 1875. | |
| Galatia | Barton County | 1885 | 2000 estimated population of 61. | ||
| Boyd | Barton County | 1886 | 1930s | Some abandoned buildings and ruins remain. | |
| Hitschmann | Barton County | Some old buildings still remain. | All of Hitschmann is currently on private property. | ||
| Raymond | Rice County | 1872 | 2008 estimated population of 80. | ||
| Frederick | Rice County | 1878 | 2008 estimated population of 11. | Frederick is the second-smallest incorporated town in Kansas. | |
| Yocemento | Ellis County | 1906 | Some ruins of the old cement company remain as do some abandoned houses and other buildings. | ||
| Alexander | Rush County | 1869 | 2008 estimated population of 66. | ||
| Geuda Springs | Sumner County | 1857 | 2008 estimated population of 191. | ||
| Bluff City | Harper County | 1886 | 2008 estimated population of 73. | Bluff City was founded as a fraud in 1873 to swindle money from the Kansas legislature. The first settlers in the area didn't arrive until 1876. | |
| Camchester | Harper County | late 1880s | Post office moved to Manchester, Oklahoma in 1903. | Nothing remains of the townsite. | Originally named Cameron until 1900. |
| "Old" Clear Water | Sedgwick County | 1868 | 1894 | Little remains of old Clear Water but Clearwater has an estimated (as of 2008) population of 2,405. | |
| Marshall | Sedgwick County | 1872 | 1883 | Nothing remains of the townsite. | The entire town of Marshall was moved to Cheney in 1883. |
| Waterloo | Kingman County | A small population (approx. 20) remains as well as some houses and other buildings. | |||
| Castleton | Reno County | 1872 | Post office closed in 1957 | A few homes and abandoned buildings remain. | Castleton was used as the setting of Sevillinois for the 1952 movie Wait Till the Sun Shines, Nellie. |
| Lerado | Reno County | 1886 | 1887 | An old schoolhouse, church, and abandoned grocery store remain but most of Lerado is now farmland. | |
| Old Kiowa | Barber County | 1872 | 1884 | Nothing remains of the townsite. | Old Kiowa was abandoned when the railroad was built four miles to the south and a new Kiowa was established. |
| Lake City | Barber County | 1873 | A small population (approx. 30) remains. The United Methodist Church is open. | ||
| Sun City | Barber County | 1871 | 2008 estimated population of 72. | ||
| Comanche City | Comanche County | 1885 | 1905 | Nothing remains of the townsite. | |
| Hopewell | Pratt County | 1901 | 1920s | A small population (approx. 10) remains. | |
| Byers | Pratt County | 1914 | 2008 estimated population of 49. | ||
| Zenith | Stafford County | 1886 | A small population (approx. 20) still remains. | ||
| Trousdale | Edwards County | 1916 | A small resident population of about 40 remains. | ||
| Devizes | Norton County | 1873 | 1930s | A few ruins and structures remain. | |
| Kanona | Decatur County | 1880 | Some ruins and abandoned buildings remain. | The site of Kanona is currently on private property. | |
| Burntwood City | Rawlins County | 1860s | Nothing remains of the townsite. | ||
| Blakeman | Rawlins County | Little remains of the townsite. | |||
| Ludell | Rawlins County | 1884 | A small resident population remains along with some ruins and abandoned buildings. | ||
| Eustis | Sherman County | 1885 | 1887 | Nothing remains of the townsite. | The entire was moved in 1887 to Goodland. |
| Itasca | Sherman County | 1885 | 1887 | Nothing remains of the townsite. | |
| California | Lane County | 1879 | 1880s | Nothing remains of the townsite. | |
| Vega | Wallace County | 1880s | Post office closed in 1908 | Nothing remains of the townsite. | |
| Pond City | Wallace County | 1866 | Nothing remains of the townsite. | ||
| Pierceville | Finney County | 1872 | A small population remains along U.S. 50. | ||
| Englewood | Clark County | 1884 | 2008 estimated population of 95. | ||
| Sitka | Clark County | 1909 | Post office closed in 1964 | A small population and some abandoned buildings and ruins still remain. | |
| Arkalon | Seward County | 1888 | Post office closed in 1929 | A few ruins remain, but are on private property. | |
| Woodsdale | Stevens County | 1885 | late 1880s | Nothing remains of the townsite. | Battled with Hugoton for county seat of Stevens County. |
| Voorhees | Stevens County | 1887 | late 1890s | Nothing remains of the townsite. | |
| Goguac | Stanton County | 1889 | 1890s | Nothing remains of the townsite. | |
| Borders | Stanton County | 1887 | 1888 | Nothing remains of the townsite. | |
| Pardee | Atchison County | 1855 | 1888 | Nothing remains of the townsite but the Pardee Cemetery. | Named for Pardee Butler, a farmer and preacher who was sent adrift on a raft in the Missouri River by pro-slavery men. |
| Port William | Atchison County | 1856 | Nothing remains of the townsite. | ||
| Fort Cavagnial | Leavenworth County | 1744 | 1764 | Nothing remains of the old fort. | Cavagnial is an old French fort and trading post. When Lewis and Clark came through the area in 1804, they saw no sign of the old fort. The exact location is unknown. |
| Delaware City | Leavenworth County | 1854 | 1870s | Some ruins and street grades are all that remain. | |
| Springdale | Leavenworth County | 1860 | 1920s | The Kansas City Metro area has grown into the area of Springdale. | |
| Owl City | Jefferson County | 1930s | Nothing remains of the site and it is rumored that it is now under the waters of Perry Lake. | Owl City was mainly a section house on the Leavenworth and Topeka Railroad. | |
| Granada | Nemaha County | 1855 | Some ruins and abandoned building remain on what used to be Main Street. | ||
| Richmond | Nemaha County | 1855 | 1860s | Nothing remains of the townsite. | |
| Guittard Station | Marshall County | 1857 | 1900 | Some abandoned buildings remain. | Guittard Station was a major stop for the Pony Express. |
| Marietta | Marshall County | 1881 | 1920s | A small population remains as does some buildings. | |
| Stockdale | Riley County | 1957 | The townsite is under the waters of the Tuttle Creek Reservoir. | ||
| Cleburne | Riley County | 1860 | 1960 | Nothing remains of the townsite. | Originally called Big Timber until 1878. |
| Garrison | Pottawatomie County | Nothing remains of the townsite. | |||
| Aubry | Johnson County | 1857 | 1888 | Nothing remains but Aubry Township is named for the town. | Aubry was located around 192nd Street and Metcalf. |
| Oxford | Johnson County | mid-1850s | 1871 | Nothing remains of the townsite. | Not to be confused with Oxford in Sumner County, an existing city with a population of 1,049 as of 2010. |
| Sunflower Village/Clearview City | Johnson County | 1943 | 1959 | Old residences, streets and other buildings remain in and around Clearview City. | Sunflower Village was established exclusively for the Sunflower Army Ammunition Plant, the plant and town remain just off of K-10 south of DeSoto. |
| Tontzville | Miami County | 1866 | 1874 | Nothing remains of the townsite. | |
| Stanton | Miami County | 1855 | Several houses and businesses remain. | William Quantrill lived in Stanton during the winter of 1859-60. | |
| Hyatt | Anderson County | 1856 | Nothing remains of the townsite. | ||
| Lone Elm | Anderson County | 1869 | 2008 estimated population of 26. | ||
| Ransomville | Franklin County | 1878 | 1914 | The Ransom house still stands as does some other houses and buildings. | |
| Peoria | Franklin County | 1857 | 1880s | A small population remains and Peoria Township is named for it. | |
| Stull | Douglas County | 1857 | A couple of churches, some houses and the old schoolhouse remain. | Originally called Deer Creek Community until 1899 when the post office opened, the post office closed in 1903. | |
| Ottumwa | Coffey County | 1855 | A small population remains on the north edge of the John Redmond Reservoir. | ||
| Havana | Osage County | 1858 | early 1870s | Ruins of the Havana Stage Station and hotel remain and a sign has been posted on the site. | Not to be confused with Havana in Montgomery County. |
| Superior | Osage County | 1859 | The site is now part of Superior Game Farms just south of Burlingame. | ||
| Kansapolis/Rochester | Shawnee County | 1854 | late 1850s/early 1860s | Nothing remains of the townsite, only Rochester Cemetery and Rochester Road in North Topeka mark the site. | |
| Wanamaker | Shawnee County | 1891 | 1917 | Nothing remains of the townsite however Wanamaker Road, Topeka's main western edge road, bears its name. | After a tornado destroyed the town in 1917, it was not rebuilt. |
| Wilmington | Wabaunsee County | 1856 | 1872 | Nothing remains of the townsite. | The site is currently maintained as a hiking trail by a local chapter of Boy Scouts. |
| Alida | Geary County | 1858 | 1967 | The site of Alida lies underneath the waters of Milford Lake. | |
| Columbia | Lyon County | 1855 | 1857 | Nothing remains of the townsite. | |
| Agnes City | Lyon County | 1858 | early 1860s | Only a small cemetery marks the townsite. | Was the county seat of Lyon County until losing to Americus who then lost it to Emporia. |
| White Rock | Republic County | 1866 | Nothing remains of the townsite. | Founded by Thomas Lovewell. Most of the town lies under the water of the Lovewell Reservoir. | |
| Reamsville | Smith County | 1880 | A small population remains. | An Old Dutch Mill, built in 1882, was moved to Smith Center in 1938. | |
| Harlan | Smith County | 1877 | A small population remains as well as the ruins of Main Street and a high school gymnasium. | Harlan was home to Gould College which lasted from 1881 until 1891. | |
| Lindsey | Ottawa County | 1866 | Post office closed in 1942. | Nothing remains of the townsite except an old well. | |
| Lyona | Dickinson County | 1857 | Post office closed in 1888. | Nothing remains of the townsite except for a church and the old Lyona School built in 1870. | |
| Canada | Marion County | 1873 | A small population (approx. 40) remains. | ||
| Boomer City | Saline County | mid-1940s | Boomer City was established as a town to house the construction people working on the Kanapolis Reservoir. When the lake was completed, the town was abandoned. | ||
| Mariposa | Saline County | 1856 | unknown | The town barely got started and was abandoned soon after its founding. | |
| Buchanan | Saline County | 1857 | late 1850s | The town was surveyed but soon after a local child died after arrived in Buchanan, the town was abandoned. | |
| Kipp | Saline County | early 1860s | 1960s | A small population remains. | |
| Dry Creek | Saline County | 1877 | Post office closed in 1887. | An old blacksmith shop still stands but nothing else remains. | |
| Terra Cotta | Ellsworth County | 1867 | 1888 | Nothing remains of the townsite. | Ironically, in 1901, a railroad built a depot at Terra Cotta despite nothing being there. It was moved in 1934. |
| Idavale | Ellsworth County | 1893 | The Idavale Ranch is located on the Kanapolis Reservoir Legacy Trail, along with Terra Cotta. | ||
| Fairport | Russell County | 1880 | 1940s | A small population remains. | |
| Redwing | Barton County | 1890 | A small population (approx. 20) remains. | ||
| Boyd | Barton County | 1886 | A small population and building ruins remain. | ||
| Cain City | Rice County | 1881 | 1889 | After the founder, Roger Cain, died, the town was slowly abandoned. Nothing remains of the townsite. | |
| Empire | McPherson County | 1855, post office established in 1861 | late 1870s | Nothing remains of the townsite. | |
| Hukle | Sedgwick County | 1885 | 1915 | Nothing remains of the townsite. | |
| Marshall | Sedgwick County | 1872 | 1880s | Nothing remains of the townsite. | |
| Calista | Kingman County | 1880s | 1970s | An old grain elevator and a couple of houses remain. | |
| Meridian | Sumner County | 1871 | 1886 | The town never actually existed despite being named the county seat in 1871. | |
| Saratoga | Pratt County | 1878 | early 1900s | Nothing remains of the townsite. | |
| Drury | Sumner County | 1882 | A small population (approx. 20) remains along with a dam built in 1882. | ||
| Zyba | Sumner County | 1888 | 1915 | Nothing remains of the townsite, the town was wiped off the map by a tornado. | |
| Belvidere | Kiowa County | 1887 | A small population remains. | ||
| Leota | Norton County | 1873 | 1882 | Nothing remains of the townsite. | |
| Port Landis | Norton County | 1872 | Nothing remains of the townsite. | ||
| Woodruff | Phillips County | 1885 | A small population remains. | ||
| Gandy | Sherman County | 1885 | 1887 | Nothing remains of the townsite. | |
| Hawkeye | Decatur County | 1876 | 1880s | Little remains of the townsite. | |
| Coyote | Trego County | January 1868 | June 1868 | Coyote was the western terminus of the Union Pacific during construction. When the railroad moved on, Coyote was abandoned. | |
| Augustine | Logan County | 1887 | Post office closed in 1895 | Nothing remains of the townsite. | |
| Vega | Wallace County | 1887 | 1890s | Nothing remains of the townsite. | |
| Jerome | Gove County | 1886 | Post office closed in 1943 | Little remains of the townsite. | |
| Sherlock | Finney County | 1872 | In 1910, the people of Sherlock renamed the town Holcomb, which still exists. | ||
| Old Montezuma | Gray County | 1886 | 1895 | Some ruins remain in the area. | In 1912, the Santa Fe Railroad laid out a new town named Montezuma which continues to thrive. |
| Hess | Gray County | 1887 | Nothing remains of the townsite. | ||
| Morton City | Hodgeman County | 1877 | 1880s | Some ruins of old stone houses remain. | The townsite is now a part of the Hanna Hereford Ranch. |
| Ivanhoe | Haskell County | late 1880s | 1920s | Nothing remains of the townsite except for a Santa Fe Trail marker and a cemetery. | |
| Dermot | Stevens County | 1887 | Post office closed in 1929 | Nothing remains of the townsite. | The town was short-lived but the post office existed decades longer than the actual town. |
| Pleasant Plains | Morton County | Nothing remains of the townsite. | |||
| Taloga | Morton County | 1886 | 1890s | Nothing remains of the townsite. | |
| Mertilla | Meade County | 1885 | 1893 | Nothing remains of the townsite. | |
| Nirwana City | Meade County | 1886 | 1888 | Nothing remains of the townsite. | |
| Carthage | Meade County | 1885 | 1885 | The town was abandoned when Meade Center won the county seat. Nothing remains but a main street through Meade is named Carthage. | |
| Pearlette | Meade County | 1879 | 1880 | Nothing remains of the townsite. | |
| Spring Lake/Artesian City | Meade County | 1885 | 1893 | Renamed Artesian City from Spring Lake in 1887, nothing remains of the townsite. | |
| Veteran | Stanton County | 1885 | 1886 | The exact location of the first townsite of Veteran is unknown but the second location became Johnson City in 1886. | The town of Veteran was apparently founded by Civil War Veterans. |
| Annelly | Harvey County | The main street and an old schoolhouse remain. | |||
| Elk | Chase County | Post office closed in 1923 | Nothing remains of the townsite. | ||
| Farmer City | Wichita County | Nothing remains of the townsite. | |||
| Hail Ridge | Linn County | Post office closed in 1888 | Nothing remains of the townsite. | ||
| Millbrook | Graham County | 1880 | 1887 | The ruins of a schoolhouse remain in the area. | |
| Prairie City | Douglas County | 1857 | 1883 | A cemetery, ruins of an old church and an abandoned stone house are all that remain of the town. | |
| Smoky Hill City | Ellis County | 1899 | 1905 | Nothing remains of the townsite. | |
| Sibley | Cloud County | Nothing remains of the townsite. | |||
| Thurman | Chase County | 1874 | 1944 | Little remains of the townsite. | |
| Twin Mound | Douglas County | 1857 | early 1900s | A small population remains along with an old cemetery, schoolhouse and the natural mounds the town was named for. | |
| Muncie | Wyandotte County | Muncie is now a part of suburban Kansas City. | |||
| Stringtown/Woodstock | Jefferson County | 1865 | Post office closed in 1891 | Nothing remains of the townsite. | |
| Zarah | Johnson County | 1902 | Nothing remains of the townsite. | Zarah might have been located near Shawnee Mission Parkway and Woodland Road. | |
| Emerald Community | Anderson County | 1857 | Nothing remains of the townsite. | ||
| Ohio City | Franklin County | 1857 | 1864 | Nothing remains of the townsite. | Was the county seat from 1861 until 1864. |
| Williamsport | Shawnee County | 1857 | Nothing remains of the townsite. | ||
| Camp Whiteside | Geary County | 1930s | Nothing remains of the site. | ||
| Toledo | Chase County | 1860 | A cemetery and some farms are all that remain. | ||
| Wauneta | Chautauqua County | Post office closed in 1931 | A United Methodist Church is located on K-166 east of Cedarvale. | ||
| Union Center | Elk County | 1868 | Nothing remains of the townsite. | ||
| Geneva | Allen County | 1857 | Post office closed in 1942. | Little remains of the townsite. | |
| Fact | Clay County | unknown | Little remains of the townsite, a small population remains. | ||
| Victor | Mitchell County | 1959 | Nothing remains of the townsite. | ||
| Shipton | Saline County | Post office closed in 1895 | Nothing remains of the townsite. | The entire town was auctioned off in 1909. | |
| Black Wolf | Ellsworth County | 1879 | A grain elevator and some other buildings remain. | Black Wolf is currently on private property. | |
| Shaffer | Rush County | 1892 | Little remains of the townsite. | ||
| Beaver | Barton County | 1918 | A small population remains. | ||
| Wherry | Rice County | Nothing remains of the townsite. | The last building marking the site burned down in 1967. | ||
| Saxman | Rice County | A small population (approx. 30) remains. | |||
| Roxbury | McPherson County | 1866 | A small population (approx. 75) remains. | ||
| Ashtabula Colony | McPherson County | 1871 | Merged with McPherson. | ||
| Medora | Reno County | Little remains of the townsite, a small population remains. | |||
| Bayneville | Sedgwick County | 1884 | Some houses and ruins remain in the area. | ||
| Basil | Kingman County | 1892 | 1930s | All that remains is an abandoned grain elevator. | Founded as Gage until 1901. |
| Elm Mills | Barber County | 1879 | Nothing remains of the townsite. | ||
| Touzalin | Meade County | 1884 | 1885 | Nothing remains of the townsite. | |
| Centerview | Edwards County | ~1880 | Structures still stand, and two families still live on the townsite. | ||
| Acres | Clark County | early 2000s | Town has been completely vacant for a few years. Six buildings remain standing on the townsite, including an elevator and old school. | ||
| Croft | Pratt County | 2000s | Two vacant grain elevators, two vacant houses, an old school, and a few ruins remain in this town. | ||
| Comiskey | Morris County | 1887, March 4 | 1929 | Buildings owned by Day Family Farms, maintaining buildings like the schoolhouse, dance hall, and post office | First designated in 1887 by deed at File:Comiskey_Town_Deed.pdf |
| May Day | Riley County | 1871 | 1969 | No original buildings on town site, intersection of Fancy Creek Road (Riley County 376) and 1600 Road West, in northwest Riley County. Vacant one-room rural schoolhouse, 1 mile east. May Day Cemetery, 1/2 mile west on Fancy Creek Road. | Settled 1857 by Frank Droll and Ralph Niehenke, incorporated 1871. First named Stanton, then Edgerton for local booster Asahel Edgerton, but both names rejected by US Post Office. Finally named May Day, because the Post Office opened on May 1, 1871. |
Images for kids
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Arvonia, Kansas, located southeast of Reading, Kansas on the shoreline of Melvern Lake
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List of ghost towns in Kansas Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.