Hampton - Situated on Big Timbers Creek along the Fort Hays-Fort Dodge Trail, this stop once provided good water and grass for the travelers. Here, a small community called Hampton, named for Joe Hampton, the area's first settler, was established. At the crossing, a man named Monty Leach operated a small store and became the town's first postmaster on February 2, 1877. The small community began to grow and a man named Richard Mulroy built a two-story house and later a hotel. More business were soon established including the Noble Brothers Store and a blacksmith shop operated by a man named Billy Metz. As more and more settlers came to the area, a stage company was founded by a man named John Buffer, who operated for only a two month period in 1877. However, after Buffer's failure, two men by the names of Bob Brooks and Captain G. W. Edwards opened another stage line, headquartered in Hampton. The business carried mail deliveries and passengers between Forts Hays and Dodge on a three day journey. Operating two 3-seated coaches, which would accommodate six passengers, each paid a six dollar fare for a one-way ride. Following the Dull Knife Raid in the fall of 1878, in which Cheyenne Indians left their reservation in Oklahoma and raided western Kansas, the stage service was disrupted for a week. However, it soon resumed under the escort of soldiers for a two-week period. It is unknown how long the stage operated but before long, Bob Brooks was operating a general store at Hampton. At some point the community had a school. But, for Hampton, life would be short. When nearby McCracken was organized with the coming of the railroad in 1886, Hampton began to die. Bob Brooks continued to run his store for 3-4 years following McCracken's founding, but it finally closed. Hampton's post office was discontinued on December 15, 1887, but opened again just a month later on January 18, 1888. It closed for the final time on December 15, 1910. In Blackmar's Kansas: A Cyclopedia of State History, published in 1912, Hampton was still listed as a small hamlet.

 
Tough the community is long gone today, area residents have worked to restore the Hampton Cemetery which is located about five miles east of McCracken. The town site of Hampton was located immediately south of the cemetery. Across the road from the townsite, the foundation remains of the old schoolhouse can still be seen. To the north of the foundation, several ruts of the old trail can also be spied.

Hargrave - Though Hargrave still appears on maps of today, it's post office closed  on April 30, 1950. The town was described in 1910 as being a station on the Missouri Pacific Railroad located about seven miles west of La Crosse. At that time, it had a general store, a lumber yard, a couple of other small businesses and a population of about 50 people. It's post office opened for the first time on April 26, 1890 and discontinued on April 29, 1899. A few months later, on June e, 1899, it opened again only to be closed for a second time on March 31, 1913. After almost a year it opened for the final time on February 18, 1914 before closing forever on April 30, 1950. Hargrave is located about 8 ½ miles northwest of La Crosse on Kansas Highway 4. Situated in Brookdale Township, a cemetery continues to stand nearby, located about 9 miles west of La Crosse and then three miles to the south.

Loretto - Established in 1912, the settlers of Loretto, were an offshoot of the Pfeifer parish in nearby Ellis County. Part of a large group of German-Russions who had immigrated to Kansas in 1876, these families had settled a 4 and ½  miles south of Pfeifer and attended the Holy Cross Church in Pfeifer.

From the Rocky Mountain General Store

Old West Books - Legends of America and the Rocky Mountain General Store has collected a number of Old West books for our frontier enthusiasts.  For many of these, we have only one available.  To see this varied collection, click HERE!