Places - Logan KSGenWeb genealogy, family history

2007 Kansas Dept. of Transportation

Populated Places

Elkader, a money order postoffice of Logan county, is located in the Smoky Hill valley, 20 miles due south of Oakley, which is the nearest railroad station, and about the same distance southeast of Russell Springs, the county seat. It is a trading center for the neighborhood in which it is situated, and in 1910 reported a population of 25. Extracted 2002 by Carolyn Ward from Kansas: A Cyclopedia of State History, volume 1, page 575.

Grinnell, a little town in Gove county, is located in the township of the same name, and is on the Union Pacific R. R., 13 miles northwest of Gove, the county seat. It has 2 elevators, a newspaper (the Gove County Record), a number of mercantile establishments, a bank, telegraph and express offices and a money order postoffice with one rural route. The population in 1910 was 350. The first newspaper in Grinnell was the Golden Belt, established in 1885. Extracted 2002 by Carolyn Ward from Kansas: A Cyclopedia of State History, volume 1, page 797.

McAllaster aka Bureau (historical), a hamlet in Logan county, is located on the Union Pacific R. R., about 15 miles northwest of Russell Springs, the county seat. It has a general store, telegraph office and a money order postoffice. The population in 1910 was 50. Extracted 2002 by Carolyn Ward from Kansas: A Cyclopedia of State History, volume 2, page 200.

Monument aka Ennis City, a village in Logan county, is located in Monument township on the Union Pacific R. R., 16 miles northeast of Russell Springs, the county seat. It has a bank, a grain elevator, a hotel, a number of stores, an express office, and a money order postoffice with two rural routes. The population according to the census of 1910 was 150. Extracted 2002 by Carolyn Ward from Kansas: A Cyclopedia of State History, volume 2, pages 304-305.

Oakley (county seat) aka Blaiseville aka Gilmore, an incorporated city of the third class in Logan county, is located in Oakley township, on the main line of the Union Pacific R. R.. and is the terminus of the Colby & Oakley branch of the same road. It is 22 miles northeast of Russell Springs, the county seat, and is surrounded by a rich agricultural district for which it is the receiving and distributing point. It is a well appointed little city with cement sidewalks, electric lights, ice plant, a commercial club, an opera house, a county high school, flour mill, steam laundry, bottling works, creamery, cold storage plant, 2 banks, a machine shop, a weekly newspaper (the Graphic), telegraph and express offices, and an international money order postoffice with one rural route. The population according to the census of 1910 was 681. Extracted 2002 by Carolyn Ward from Kansas: A Cyclopedia of State History, volume 2, pages 378-379.

Osage City aka Boaz, the largest town in Osage county, is located at the junction of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe and the Missouri Pacific railroads, 8 miles west of Lyndon, the judicial seat. It has two weekly newspapers, banking facilities, an opera house, electric light plant, creamery, hotels, and all lines of mercantile enterprises are represented. There are a number of churches and good schools. The town is supplied with express and telegraph facilities, and being the railroad center of the county has superior shipping advantages. It is the most important coal mining town in this section of the state, and produces flagstone and ochre in commercial quantities. The population of Osage City, according to the census report of 1910, was 2,432. The town was platted in Dec., 1869, after the route of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe R. R. had been fixed. T. J. Peter, superintendent of that road, and John N. Witherell, who owned a part of the site, were the principal promoters. The first buildings were erected at once and the year 1870 saw a large growth in the new town. The first store was opened by Bothel & Ryus in January, and a hotel was built by John F. Dodds about the same time. In March the second store was opened by Drew & Playford and John A. Martin started a hardware store. A large two-story brick school house was built, but it was afterward blown down. The postoffice, which had been established at Onion creek in 1868, was moved to Osage City and the name changed in March. John F. Dodds was the first postmaster. The first coal mines were put into operation in the summer by the Osage Carbon and Coal Mining company. The town was incorporated as a city of the third class on April 1, 1872, and the first officers were: Mayor, John A. Martin; clerk and marshal, A. C. Sine; attorney, S. M. Barry; police judge, J. C. Williams; treasurer, T. J. Mathews; assessor, Samuel Reed; street commissioner, Samuel Slusser; councilmen, Samuel Slusser, W. H. Hobbs, Thomas Jenkins, T. J. Mathews and O. J. Sweadman. A severe windstorm swept the town in June, 1874, blowing down two churches, the school house and a number of barns and damaging several business houses and residences. In 1882 a general conflagration occurred which resulted in the destruction of business property to the extent of $35,000. Extracted 2002 by Carolyn Ward from Kansas: A Cyclopedia of State History, volume 2, pages 395-396.

Page City aka Boaz Station, a village in Logan county, is located on the Union Pacific R. R. 12 miles north of Russell Springs, the county seat. It has a money order postoffice, some general stores, etc. The population in 1910 was 75. The railroad name is Page City. Extracted 2002 by Carolyn Ward from Kansas: A Cyclopedia of State History, volume 2, page 432.

Russell Springs (original county seat) aka Eaton, the county seat of Logan county, is an incorporated city of the third class, centrally located on the Smoky Hill river, 10 miles south of Winona on the Union Pacific R. R., the nearest railroad station. It has a bank, a weekly newspaper (the Leader), schools and churches, a fine court-house, a number of retail establishments, and a money order postoffice. The Garden City, Gulf & Northern R. R., which has been built as far north as Scott City, is in process of construction from that place to Russell Springs. When it is completed the town may realize some of the high hopes entertained by the founders in 1887. The town was laid out in April of that year. The town company spent a great deal of money in improvements among which was a waterworks system, an artificial lake stocked with fish and fowl, a $25,000 court-house and a $10,000 school house. In the election of Dec. 22, 1887, for county seat, Russell Springs won by 276 votes. Land was valuable at that time, the Eastern capitalists having loans to the amount of $1,000,000 on Logan county real estate. The next year the boom subsided, lots which had sold for from $250 up were not considered by the owners to be worth the taxes, and later sold for 10 apiece. The town lost nearly all of its population, the settlers for miles around left and the only thing which kept a single person in the town was the fact that it was the county seat. In 1910 the population was 82. Then came the news that the railroad was to be built. No one had any faith in the report until the railroad company bought 3,000 lots and paid $7,000 for them. The town then began to experience a second boom, which will in all probability prove to be permanent. Extracted 2002 by Carolyn Ward from Kansas: A Cyclopedia of State History, volume 2, pages 615-616.

Winona aka Gopher aka Gopher Station, a little town in Logan county, is located in Winona township on the Union Pacific R.. R., 12 miles northwest of Russell Springs, the county seat. It has a bank, a grain elevator, 3 or 4 general stores, telegraph and express offices and a money order postoffice with one rural route. The population in 1910 was 100. Extracted 2002 by Carolyn Ward from Kansas: A Cyclopedia of State History, volume 2, page 926.