Guest Column
NEOSHO COUNTY’S GHOST TOWNS
When most of Kansas was opened for settlement after the Civil War,
before the railroads came, small towns or trading post were started
wherever it suits the settler. Most
were short lived and only survived until the railroads came, or moved their
post or store to a railhead city where the population was gravitating. Some of the shorter lived ones were:
BIG LABETTE, 1870-1871, located north and west
of Parsons.
IRWIN, Feb. 1871-July 1871, located in
Walnut Grove township.
PALO ALTO, 1869-1872, located 2 miles northeast of Stark.
PRAIRIE Du CHEIN, 1868-1871,
located 2 ½ miles west of Thayer.
ROCHESTER, 1869-1870,
located 5 miles west of Rogers Mills.
ROSE HILL, 1870-1871, located a mile south of Galesburg.
WALNUT CREEK, 1866-1868, located near Walnut near the
county line.
VALLEY CITY, c1860’s-1871,
located in east Lincoln township.
OSAGE CITY, 1856-1859,
located 3 miles northeast of Chanute.
The longer lived ones
were:
CHARD, 1878-1888, located on the west side of Grant Township and was absorbed by Stark.
FLATROCK, 1870-1888, located 1 mile west of Kimbell, in 1879 its name was changed to Vietsburg.
HERTHA, 1887-1932, located 2 miles south and 4 miles
west of St. Paul.
ODENSE, 1886-1950’s, located in Section 18, east Big Creek Township.
ROGERS MILLS, 1859-1870, formerly Osage City northeast of Chanute.
Ft. ROACH-LADORE, c1867-c1910’s, located 5 miles north of Parsons.
CANVILLE, 1847-1873, located just south of Shaw.
JACKSONVILLE, 1866-1882,
located near the 4 corners of Neosho, Labette, Crawford and Cherokee counties.
By Charles Sesher