This past weekend, we took a trip to Kansas City.
Since the kids live on the way, we HAD to make a stop!!
I had a special gift for Claire!
The older girls were at school though.
This is the town of Delavan. Never been there before. I looked up the population in the back of our atlas, but it isn't listed since the town is unincorporated.
Founded in 1885 by Henry Kingman, the town was named for his home town of Delavan, Illinois. Just a year later Topeka, Salina and Western Railroad extended its tracks from Council Grove to a point just east of Delavan; however, the route was unused until the Missouri-Pacific Railroad took over and completed the rail line on to Colorado.
The town grew slowly, becoming a minor trading center and shipping point for the rich agricultural neighborhood by the turn of the century. In 1910, it had a bank, a money order post office with one rural route, express and telegraph offices, Christian and Methodist churches, and a public school. At this time, it had a population of just 58 and was described as "one of the most progressive villages of its size in the state." The town fared better in the early 20th Century, boasting a general store, lumber yard, farm machinery dealership, the bank, a telephone office and both a grade school and a high school.
The Great Depression however, took its toll on the small community and the bank closed in the early in the 1930s. The town got a boost during World War II when the Herington Army Airfield was established in 1942 at nearby Herrington, Kansas in adjacent Dickinson County, about seven miles west of Delavan. The Army airfield took some 14 months to build, putting a number of Delavan people to work. The base, however, closed just two years later in 1945. The Delavan High School closed in 1950, when students were forced to bus to Wilsey for classes. Delavan's post office closed in 1992. All that remains of Delavan today is the Grandview Township Community Center, which once served as the Delavan Grade School. Delavan is located about 17 miles west of Council Grove.
I spotted a pink barn! Probably just faded, but it really did look pink!
I love the Flint Hills!
Kansas isn't all flat!!
When we got to KC, we made a stop at my nephew's house to drop off some things. What is interesting is that Dennis and Cindy, shirt-tail relatives*, live within a couple of minutes! We HAD to stop of course!! Cindy had the coffee ready for us!
Dennis and Cindy used to live in Mali, where my Aunt Treva was a nurse mid-wife. She even delivered one of their daughters. Here is a picture of Aunt Treva when she delivered a baby in Africa.
Dennis and Cindy now work with SAT-7 It is really a great ministry! Click on the link to read more!
*Dennis' aunt was a missionary in Japan also, but with a different conference than my parents. And his Uncle Harry married my mom's sister, my Aunt Wava. Cindy's relatives are from the same town in Ohio and go to the same church where my mom grew up. I'm sure we are related too.
The town grew slowly, becoming a minor trading center and shipping point for the rich agricultural neighborhood by the turn of the century. In 1910, it had a bank, a money order post office with one rural route, express and telegraph offices, Christian and Methodist churches, and a public school. At this time, it had a population of just 58 and was described as "one of the most progressive villages of its size in the state." The town fared better in the early 20th Century, boasting a general store, lumber yard, farm machinery dealership, the bank, a telephone office and both a grade school and a high school.
I spotted a pink barn! Probably just faded, but it really did look pink!
I love the Flint Hills!
Kansas isn't all flat!!
When we got to KC, we made a stop at my nephew's house to drop off some things. What is interesting is that Dennis and Cindy, shirt-tail relatives*, live within a couple of minutes! We HAD to stop of course!! Cindy had the coffee ready for us!
Dennis and Cindy used to live in Mali, where my Aunt Treva was a nurse mid-wife. She even delivered one of their daughters. Here is a picture of Aunt Treva when she delivered a baby in Africa.
Dennis and Cindy now work with SAT-7 It is really a great ministry! Click on the link to read more!
*Dennis' aunt was a missionary in Japan also, but with a different conference than my parents. And his Uncle Harry married my mom's sister, my Aunt Wava. Cindy's relatives are from the same town in Ohio and go to the same church where my mom grew up. I'm sure we are related too.
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