Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1916-01-29
THE LOST TOWNS OF Kansas


lost towns in Kansas and several bun
dred other geographical names have
disappeared.
The secretary of the Kansas His
torical society has undertaken to
compile list of the lost towns and
has written to the clerk of each coun-
" in the state and asked them to
send the names of all the towns that
existed and have disappeared. RO-
nance, tragedy, comedy, hard luck,
bloodshed, storms, floods, drought.
and grasshoppers, have all played a
part in the disappearance OF these
towns. / will tell you a little about
some of them.
The town of Runnymede in Harper
county had the real romantic history
of all the Kansas towns. In the ear
~ SOS an Englishman settled on a
ranch in Harper county. He named
his ranch Runnymede. There was
much travel and he built large
house and really ran hotel for trav-
elers into the Texas cattle country.
A friend from the Old World came
and settled nearby and the two hit
lords and rich men a chance TO send
their sons to Kansas to have a yaca-
ton and also learn the rudiments of
agriculture. The price was S500.0 90
year. The scions of the Peers and
wealthy houses of England came to
Kansas bringing their own polo pom
les and riding horses. With them
came many other Englishmen farm
ers and their families and all settled
near the town of Runnymede. The
young rich men stayed at the hotel.
They forgot all about farming the
day they landed as the broad prairies
offered fine polo grounds and the coy
otes were almost as good hunting as
foxes in their native land. High
jinks were carried on at the ranch
every night, demands for money to
pay poker debts always brought quick
responce from England when made in
the guise of buying ranch lands and
teams or tools for farming and when
the agricultural learning of the
young scamp was properly explained
to doubling father and mother at
at home. English farmer families
continued to come to Runnymede
until the town had a reputation of
400. The colony of Englishmen at
the hotel was increased during the
second year and none went home.
The young men were popular and en-
joyed life as there were great social
gatherings in the country. Several
love affairs with country maidens
were developed. Some ended happily
and others were broken off through
masculine tickleness or parental OBJ
lection from England. Then the
hard times of 1890 came along with
falling crops. The burning sun and
hot winds drove the young fellows
back home and the real settlers to
other sections soon leaving the town
deserted. A church had been built
and rector imported from England to
hold services. 1t was moved to Har-
per later and is still in use. Most of
The other houses were moved into
Oklahoma at the time the Cherok ee
strip was opened in 1898.
The town of LAHORE in Neosha
county had the hardest luck of any.
1t was located just right TO be pro =
porous community, in the center of a
line farming country and a railroad
was being built through it. The
town was established by a man nam
ed Roach and he kept hotel for the
railroad workmen. His three daugh-
tiers helped him cook the meals, make
the beds, and waite on the tables.
One evening seven toughs from the
Indian territory rode into LAHORE.
1t was pay day and the railroad men
had just received months wages
About so men slept upstairs in the
Roach hotel. The robbers went to
the house held up Reach and his
daughters and the 30 men and took
all their money. Then they took the
three girls as hostages and went
down the river for a drunken brawl.
The girls were mistreated and one of
the gang was shot and killed by the
leader when he threatened to butch
er one of the girls. The railroad men
went to the camp, rooted out the rest
OF the workers and all armed tTailed
the robbers TO their camp. They cap
tured the whole gang without a shot
as the robbers were too drunk to
make fight The girls asserted that
one of the seven men had not bother
ed them and they thought this chap