Places - Elk KSGenWeb - genealogy, family history

2007 Kansas Dept. of Transportation

Map by Barbara Kidwell

(1) Ames Cemetery
(2) Bunker Hill Cemetery
(3) Busby Cemetery
(4) Clear Creek Cemetery
(5) Cresco Cemetery
(6) Forrest Cemetery

(7) Green Lawn Cemetery
(8) Howard Cemetery
(9) Longton Cemetery
(10) Moline Cemetery
(11) Mt. Olivet Cemetery
(12) Mt. Zion Cemetery

(13) Oak Valley Cemetery
(14) Old Taylor Cemetery
(15) Pleasant View Cemetery
(16) Upola Cemetery
(17) Wade Cemetery
(18) Elk Falls Cemetery

Populated Places

Busby, an inland hamlet in the eastern part of Elk county, is 12 miles east of Howard, the county seat, whence it receives mail daily. The population in 1910 was 47. The nearest railroad station is Buxton on the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe, in Wilson county. Extracted 2002 by Carolyn Ward from Kansas: A Cyclopedia of State History, volume 1, page 260.

Cave Springs (historical), an inland hamlet of Elk county, is 9 miles northeast of Howard, the county seat. It receives mail daily by rural route from Severy, Greenwood county, about 10 miles northwest. The nearest railroad station is Fiat, on the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe, 5 miles west. Extracted 2002 by Carolyn Ward from Kansas: A Cyclopedia of State History, volume 1, page 300.

Elk Falls, an incorporated city of Elk county, is located in Elk Falls township on the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe R. R., 10 miles southcast of Howard, the county seat. It has a bank, a weekly newspaper (the Journal), good churches and schools, a money order postoffice with one rural route, telegraph and express offices, and a large local trade. It derives its name from the waterfall in the Elk river near by. The population according to the 1910 census report was 271. The first house at Elk Falls was a 10 by 12 box house on the claim of R. H. Nichols, and was built in 1870. A postoffice was established in the same year. Mr. Nichols put up an office in which he conducted a loan and real estate business, and a store building was erected by A. F. Gitchell and his son, Charles Gitchell, in which they conducted a general merchandise business. The first school was taught by Miss Dora Simmons, in her father's residence in 1870. The attendance was about 25. The next year the first school building was erected. Extracted 2002 by Carolyn Ward from Kansas: A Cyclopedia of State History, volume 1, page 575.

Grenola, an incorporated city of Elk county, is located on the Caney river and the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe R. R. in Greenfield township, about 14 miles southwest of Howard, the county seat. It has banking facilities, a weekly newspaper, hotels, an opera house, good public schools and churches; is a shipping point for stock and agricultural products; is supplied with telegraph and express offices, and an international money order postoffice with three rural routes. The population in 1910 was 532. Grenola was the result of the consolidation of two rival towns, Canola and Greenfield, which lay about 3 miles apart. When the railroad came through in 1879 and passed half way between them, a new town was laid out to which both towns were moved. The Grenola postoffice was established in that year. Business houses and residences were put up in rapid succession, and the town soon had a population of 700. Due to the construction work on the railroad, things were prosperous but the town was not as orderly as it might have been. There were several well patronized saloons, and quarrels and shooting scrapes were frequent. This condition subsided with the removal of the construction hands to another division of the road. The first school was taught in 1879 by John D. Simpson. The first newspaper, the Grenola Argus, was launched on its career in December of that year by John D. Stinson. The first religions services were held in the residences of the people, and in the school houses in the vicinity, by Rev. Mr. Vickers. He founded the first church in Grenola, which was of the Methodist faith. The first child born on the townsite was named Grenola Lee. She was given one of the best town lots. Grenola became a city of the third class in the fall of 1880, such action being hastened by the differences arising between the temperance and saloon elements. The first officers were: Mayor, J. C. W. Crider; treasurer, J. L. Barnes; clerk, M. W. Williams; police judge, C. A. Kelso; marshal, W. Hatchett; councilmen, William Dory, J. N. Aubushon, J. A. Weston, L. H. Smith and A. S. Browden. Extracted 2002 by Carolyn Ward from Kansas: A Cyclopedia of State History, volume 1, pages 795-796.

Howard (county seat), the judicial seat and largest town in Elk county, is located in the center of the county on a beautiful eminence overlooking the valleys of the Elk river, Paw Paw and Rock creeks, and is a station on the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe R. R. It has 2 banks, 2 weekly newspapers, an opera house, a county high school, and an ample number of good church buildings. It is a shipping point for agricultural products and live stock. A good quality of limestone is found in the vicinity. The town is supplied with telegraph and express offices and has an international money order postoffice with six rural routes. The population in 1910 was 1,163. Howard City, as it was called in earlier times, was established in 1870 by a town company, of which Samuel McFarland was president and T. A. Dodd was secretary. The management of affairs was soon left to private individuals, and the principal promoters were, John McBee, S. B. Oberlander, C. T. Adams, P. C. Tapping, Alexander Bruce, Perry and Milton Vincent and T. A. Dodd. The first business enterprise was undertaken by Oscar McFarland, who built a store in 1870. The second was a livery stable belonging to a Mr. McClure. The Howard House was built in 1871, by John Barnes and John Parrett. The third building was a saloon, and the fourth a printing office, installed by Kelley & Turner. The postoffice at Paw Paw creek was brought to Howard in 1871. T. J. Barnes was postmaster at the time. The first school was taught in 1873 by W. S. Kent, with 19 pupils in attendance. An $8,000 building was erected in 1882. The first newspaper—the Howard County Messenger—was established by Kelley & Turner in 1872. In Oct., 1877, Howard was incorporated as a city of the third class, and the following officers were chosen at the first election: Mayor, A. B. Steinberger; police judge, A. M. Bowen; city clerk, H. A. Lanman city treasurer, William Crooks; city attorney, J. A. Oliphant; city marshal, William M. Vinson; councilmen, N. Momma, William Driscoll, J. Q. Burchfield, S. Lucas and James Howell. Extracted 2002 by Carolyn Ward from Kansas: A Cyclopedia of State History, volume 1, page 867.

Longton, an incorporated city, the third largest in Elk county, is located about 12 miles southeast of Howard, the county seat, at the junction of two lines of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe R. R. It has 2 banks, 2 weekly newspapers, good schools and churches, telegraph and express offices and an international money order postoffice with three rural routes. The population, according to the census of 1910, was 611. The town was founded in 1870 by a company consisting of J. W. Kerr, J. C. Pinney, J. Hoffman, J. B. Roberts, James Reynolds and a Mr. Gardner, under the name of Elk Rapids. Wright & Kirby of Ottawa set up a steam sawmill immediately, Kirby built a storehouse, Hitching a hardware store and C. P. Alvey erected a two-story house, the upper floor of which was used by the town company. A two-story hotel was erected by George Hansbrough of Garnett. The postoffice was established in 1870 with Dr. J. W. Kerr as postmaster. The first school was taught by Miss Eleanor Smith in the same year. The first newspaper was the Howard County Ledger, issued by Adrian Reynolds in 1871. At first the new town grew very fast and at one time was the largest in the county, with prospects of becoming the county seat. It was incorporated and a list of officials elected, but the city government later went down, and was not revived for a number of years. Extracted 2002 by Carolyn Ward from Kansas: A Cyclopedia of State History, volume 2, page 187.

Moline, the second largest town in Elk county, is located 9 miles south of Howard, the county seat, on the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe R. R. and in Wild Cat township. It has 2 banks, a weekly newspaper (the Gazette), good churches and schools, telegraph and express offices, and an international money order postoffice with three rural routes. It is an enterprising little city, with all modern improvements, and is heated and lighted with natural gas. Several flowing gas wells are found in the vicinity. The population according to the census report of 1910 was 808. Moline was laid out in 1879, the survey being made by Maj. J. H. Chapman for the Moline Town company. The first building erected was a general store, opened by M. Carter and S. B. Hemmenway. A number of the buildings were brought from the town of Boston, located on the line between Chautauqua and Elk counties, as was also the postoffice. The first journalistic attempt was the publication of the Elk County Signal in 1881 by W. C. Parker and I. N. Boicourt. Extracted 2002 by Carolyn Ward from Kansas: A Cyclopedia of State History, volume 2, pages 298-299.

Oak Valley, a little town in Elk county, is on the Elk river and the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe R. R. in Oak Valley township, about 16 miles southeast of Howard, the county seat. All the main lines of trade are represented. The town is supplied with express and telegraph offices and a money order postoffice. The population according to the census of 1910 was 149. This town was founded in 1879 by John Johnson, who built the first structure and used it as a residence. The first store was opened by M. Donovan. The next building was a drug store. The depot was built the first year. A postoffice had existed at that point since 1876, under the same name. It was kept in the residence of John Johnson until 1880, when it was moved "up town." A flour mill with a capacity of 25 barrels per day was built in 1876. The first religious services were held in 1882 by Rev. Mr. Collison in the school house, which was built in that year. The first birth was that of Wilson Shoemaker, son of H. Shoemaker, and the first death that of an infant child of C. H. Jones. Extracted 2002 by Carolyn Ward from Kansas: A Cyclopedia of State History, volume 2, page 379.

Upola (historical), a station on the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe R. R. in Elk county, is located in Oak Valley township, 15 miles east of Howard, the county seat, and about 4 miles from Longton, whence it receives mail daily by rural route. The population, according to the census report of 1910, was 24. Extracted 2002 by Carolyn Ward from Kansas: A Cyclopedia of State History, volume 2, pages 838-839.