Main Street in Arma, Kansas by Kathy Alexander.
Arma is a small town in Washington Township of Crawford County, Kansas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 1,407, and its total area was 1.14 square miles, of which 1.12 square miles is land and 0.02 square miles is water.
In 1886, the coal camp of Rust was founded at the present site of Arma. The camp was three blocks wide and four blocks long, bound on the east by the railroad.
William M. Close and his wife, Clara Volk Close, were among the early settlers of the area. They lived on a farm located a half mile south of Rust. When he saw that the coal mining industry was becoming a booming business, Close sold his farm and moved into the town. He became a carpenter and contractor, building many houses and buildings in the new town. He later sold his home to the Western Coal Company and moved to Union Center, Kansas. The coal company put down Shaft No. 50 where his home stood.
In February 1891, a town was platted on 65 acres of land, which became a stop for the Fort Scott & Southern Railroad.
Vintage Arma, Kansas.
On May 13, 1891, a post office called Arma was established in Clem Brown’s store, with John Rodabaugh as postmaster.
Missouri Pacific Railroad Depot in Arma, Kansas.
In November 1891, Mr. William F. Armacost deeded the land that lay north and east of the camp to the Missouri Pacific Railroad for a new depot. The city was named for him, and the station was to be called Armiton.
Arma’s post office closed on August 31, 1906, and reopened on February 27, 1908.
Arma was incorporated on May 18, 1909, as a city of the third class.
In 1910, Arma was a station on the Missouri Pacific Railroad. It had express and telegraph offices, a flour mill, a lumber yard, several general stores, and a population of 327. Afterward, the town grew quickly, and by 1915, it had a population of 1,742.
Sheridan Coal Company mine #7, 1915.
On November 13, 1915, a mine explosion occurred at the Sheridan Coal Company’s mine #7 one and a half miles southeast of Arma. This caused a major cave-in inside the main shaft, and rescue efforts focused on the auxiliary entryway. Rescue teams from nearby mining communities, including Black Diamond and Roslyn, were dispatched to help in the rescue efforts. The results were devastating, killing 31 miners in the blast.
Arma’s population peaked at 2,180 in 1920.
Following World War II, the American Legion in Arma built a Veterans Memorial on the southeastern corner of Arma City Park. Constructed shortly after the war, the City of Arma did the construction, maintains it, and adds new names to it. In 1946, the city began Arma’s V-J Homecoming Celebration to honor local veterans returning home from World War II. It has since evolved into a family festival and is believed to be the oldest running V-J Day or World War II celebration in the country. It is held annually on the second weekend of August.
Business building in Arma, Kansas by Kathy Alexander.
Prior to school unification, the Arma High School mascot was the Bulldogs. Today, the community is served by the Northeast USD 246 public school district in Arma, Kansas, which also includes the communities of Arcadia, Franklin, and Mulberry. The district serves approximately 500 students from Preschool through 12th grade. Its mascot today is the Vikings.
Today, Arma boasts a strong school district, established local businesses, and recreation for children with several parks, a swimming pool, and ball fields. The Arma City Library provides resources such as literature, movies, and internet access. The library also functions as a meeting location for clubs and reading groups and as a local food pantry, and it hosts a wide range of public events.
Arma is situated in the center of a rich coal deposit, which accounts for many of the earlier mines around this location. The deposit can be explored at the Miners Hall Museum in Franklin, Kansas.
The city is within a short drive to both Pittsburg State University and Missouri Southern University.
Arma, Kansas Police Department by Kathy Alexander.
Bone Creek Reservoir is nearby, four miles north and two miles west of Arma at County Road 190 North and County Road. Bone Creek Lake is a very young body of water, established in 1996 by flooding the Bone Creek Valley. From the start, it was intended to provide water for residents of surrounding counties. However, the reservoir is also a well-known spot for fishing and regularly hosts tournaments. The lake is stocked with Bluegill & Redear Sunfish, Channel catfish, black crappie, largemouth bass, and Saugeye.
Arma is just off U.S. Highway 69, nine miles east of Girard, the county seat, and about three miles west of the state line.
©Kathy Alexander/Legends of Kansas, updated April 2025.
Also See:
Bone Creek Lake near Arma, Kansas.
Sources:
Blackmar, Frank W.; Kansas: A Cyclopedia of State History, Vol I; Standard Publishing Company, Chicago, IL 1912.
City of Arma
Pittsburg Chamber
Pittsburg Memories
Travel Kansas
Wikipedia