Many Kansans have indeed forgotten about this tiny town lost to history. Even more common are Kansans who have never heard of it before. Yet, we still think there’s something interesting here to explore. Whether you find it creepy or intriguing, this ghost town in Kansas is easy to forget if you don’t live nearby. Have you ever heard of a town like this before?
Welcome to a ghost town called Elmdale, a small place in eastern Kansas near Cottonwood Falls.
craig Cloutier/Flickr It’s an amazing sight, seeing something that was once to busy and now is nearly empty.
Elmdale used to be a hub for the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, back in 1859.
Lane Pearman/Flickr It was officially a town in 1904, and had its own YMCA in 1916.
As far as vacant, a few people do still live in areas in and around town, but not many.
craig Cloutier/Flickr They’re a hardy bunch, but they enjoy the quiet life of the town that’s been left behind by time.
Elmdale hasn’t had an easy time keeping people around. A series of floods in June 1951, July 1951, and later again in 1998 caused most of the residents at the time to migrate elsewhere.
Adam Perkins/Flickr After the floods before, a levy was built to combat the issue, but that 1998 flood overtook even that. Afterwards, anyone that could (or wanted to) moved out to higher ground.
After the great flood, many homes and buildings were destroyed or abandoned.
craig Cloutier/Flickr Additionally, the kids started attending school in Cottonwood Springs after the Elmdale schools were closed down in 1967.
Today, you can see that a handful people still live here, but it’s slowly becoming completely vacant.
craig Cloutier/Flickr Exploring a town like this is a great pastime, and you never know what cool things you’ll find inside.
There are even rumors that some of the buildings are haunted, but we’ve never seen anything ourselves.
craig Cloutier/Flickr What do you think? This town is so full of history that you can see in every board and broken window.
However, if you like doing things that don’t involve a lot of extra people, you might enjoy this 80-mile drive through some of Kansas’ best scenery. Come check it out! What are some abandoned towns you’ve explored before? Tell us about them in the comments below!
craig Cloutier/Flickr
It’s an amazing sight, seeing something that was once to busy and now is nearly empty.
Lane Pearman/Flickr
It was officially a town in 1904, and had its own YMCA in 1916.
They’re a hardy bunch, but they enjoy the quiet life of the town that’s been left behind by time.
Adam Perkins/Flickr
After the floods before, a levy was built to combat the issue, but that 1998 flood overtook even that. Afterwards, anyone that could (or wanted to) moved out to higher ground.
Additionally, the kids started attending school in Cottonwood Springs after the Elmdale schools were closed down in 1967.
Exploring a town like this is a great pastime, and you never know what cool things you’ll find inside.
What do you think? This town is so full of history that you can see in every board and broken window.
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