ELMDALE
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ELMDALE |
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NAME: Elmdale COUNTY: Chase ROADS: 2WD GRID: 3 CLIMATE: Snow in winter/Hot in summer BEST TIME TO VISIT: Anytime |
COMMENTS:
As of the 2000 census, Elmdale had a population of 50. REMAINS: Abandoned: bank, town hall, couple stores, work garages, several homes, 2-story limestone school and brick auditorium/gymnasium beside it---as well as a few homes still being lived in and a brick Methodist church (built in 1898) that I believe still has services. |
| I’m not sure about the exact year Elmdale was founded (I’ve had trouble finding detailed founding info), but it was sometime in the late 1870’s -1880’s.Elmdale is a rapidly diminishing Kansas ghost town located in Chase County, Kansas, about six miles West of Cottonwood Falls. Elmdale literally sits right off of Highway 50, near Emporia. As were several towns in Kansas, much of Elmdale was damaged by the major 1951 flood. Several smaller floods in the years since (one as recent as 1998) have also caused many long-time residents to finally pack up and move. However, several of the old town buildings still remain. There are several residents still living within the town, but the only business left going is Bummies Grocery Store, right on the edge of Highway 50. The old bank (built in 1898 but closed not long after the school closed), the old abandoned Town Hall (built by the WPA in 1936), a couple abandoned stores, some abandoned work garages, several abandoned homes, a nice red brick Methodist Church built in the late 1890’s, and a few residents still living within the town limits, are all that’s left. I believe there are services still held in the church. However, for ghost town hunters and fans, as I am one myself, the biggest attraction to the remnants of Elmdale, is the old two-story limestone school and red brick auditorium/gymnasium beside it. The old limestone was built in the late 1800’s (1880’s or 90’s), while the brick auditorium was obviously built later. The Elmdale school district closed in 1967, and sadly both of these awesome old relics still sit abandoned at the West end of town. If you are driving East on Highway 50, towards Emporia, you can see the backs of the old school facilities--almost as if they're beckoning to highway passer-bys, to come and take a look into education of by-gone days. Submitted by: Drew Roberts |
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