Croweburg, Kansas Street
Crowe Coal Company, Crawford County, Kansas.
Croweburg, Kansas, is a small unincorporated community in Crawford County. As it no longer has a post office, it is technically an extinct town.
Located halfway between Arma and Mulberry, Croweburg was made up of four separate mining camps: #14 Croweburg Camp, #15 Croweburg Camp, #16 Croweburg Camp, and New Camp.
Each camp was about a half-mile apart from one another, and the community unified as Croweburg. The town took its name from the Crowe Coal Company, the principal employer of the miners. A post office was established on December 12, 1908.
In 1910, it was a station on the Joplin & Pittsburg electric line. At that time, it had an international money order post office, some local trade, and a population of 125.
Until 1912, Croweburg was a sundown town where African Americans were not allowed to live. However, that obviously changed because vintage images show the community later had both a colored church and a colored school.
Colored Baptist Church in Croweburg, Kansas.
Colored school in Croweburg, Kansas.
It also had a community hall and several businesses, including a large mercantile and a Union Hall.
The Crowe Coal Company continued operation until 1940.
Croweburg’s post office closed its doors on July 27, 1972. The old building continues to stand at the corner of Croweburg Road and Fulton Avenue.
Croweburg, Kansas Mercantile.
Community Hall in Croweburg, Kansas.
As of the 2020 census, the population of the community and nearby areas was 92.
Today, the community still has several homes and buildings but no businesses.
Croweburg is located about 12 miles northeast of Girard.
© Kathy Alexander/Legends of Kansas, May 2022.
Also See:
Extinct Towns in Crawford County
Old business building in Croweburg, Kansas courtesy Google Maps.
Sources:
Blackmar, Frank W.; Kansas: A Cyclopedia of State History, Vol I; Standard Publishing Company, Chicago, IL 1912.
Kansas State Historical Society
Wikipedia