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Burdett
- Located 23 miles west of Larned,
Burdett was originally named Brown's Grove in 1876 in honor of Dr. Gallitin Brown who
settled beside a large grove of ash trees. Situated on the banks of the Pawnee River, this village was first platted in 1876 and was surrounded by a very fine
farming country which yielded some of the best wheat ever harvested in
Kansas
at that time. In 1877 it received a post office. In 1880, it became a station on
the
Atchison, Topeka
& Santa Fe Railroad on the tracks running from
Larned
to Jetmore. At this time, the name was changed to "Burdette" in honor of Robert Jones Burdette who was in
the newspaper business. Over the years, the last "e" in Burdette was
inadvertently dropped. By the turn of the century, the small community boasted a bank, a money order post office, telegraph and express
offices, a grain elevator, a hotel, and several retail stores. It had become the
chief shipping and supply point in the western part of the county and its
population in 1910 was about 300.
Burdett was the childhood home of Dr. Clyde Tombaugh, the astronomer who
discovered the former planet Pluto. The very small community of Burdett, which
as a population of just about 240 today, is located on Kansas Highway 156 about
23 miles west of
Larned,
Kansas.
Garfield - Originally called Camp Criley when it was
founded in 1872, it was a
supply station for workmen building the
Atchison, Topeka
& Santa Fe Railroad. It was named for Captain J.D. Criley, the construction superintendent.
The town got a post office in may, 1873. However, the very next year when numerous Ohio
emigrants came to the area, taking up some 30 residences, the town's name was
changed to Garfield, after then congressman from their old district in Ohio,
and later President of the United States. After taking his name, James Garfield promised to give a bell to the
first church built in the community. When
the Congregational Church was built in 1875, the received the bell which is now
housed at the Garfield Memorial Wayside Chapel, which is a replica of the
original church. The roadside chapel is located in Downey Park in Garfield on Highway
56. The Garfield Town Company officially platted the town
in December, 1873, and the
Atchison, Topeka
& Santa Fe Railroad Company located
an experimental garden of forestry here. It embraced extended across Big Coon
Creek, and included trees of many varieties.
On July 25, 1874, Garfield was plagued by grasshoppers, which
totally destroyed the area crops. By the turn of the century, Garfield had
become a primary shipping point and sported a bank, a
money order post office, telegraph, express and telephone accommodations, a
flour mill, four grain elevators, a hotel, a public library, schools,
several churches and a number of retail stores. The town was officially
incorporated in 1910 at which time it was called home to some 333 people. Today,
Garfield's population has dropped to around 180. It is located on Highway 56
about 11 miles southwest of
Larned.
Rozel -
Situated on the
Atchison, Topeka
& Santa Fe Railroad, the town was founded in
July, 1886 by the Arkansas Valley Town and Land Co., who acquired
the land from the railroad for $832 and selected a town site consisting of two
city blocks.
The name Rozel was chosen in honor of a daughter of one of the
founders of the Land Company whose name was Rozella. At the turn of the century
the town boasted a bank, a mill, a grain
elevator, a number of retail stores, telegraph and express offices; and a money
order post office. The population in 1910 was about 200. Today, the town has
just about 170 people.
Compiled by
Kathy Weiser/Legends
of Kansas, updated April, 2010.
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