Harvesting wheat in Butler County, early 1900s.
| Town | Post Office Dates | Additional Information |
| Aikman | None |
 Aikman Railroad Sign Board. It was On the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad four miles southwest of Cassoday. |
| Amador | 1875-1902 | In Clifford Township, Amador was located on the east branch of the Whitewater River in the northwestern part of Butler County. In 1878, it exported grain, livestock, and country produce from El Dorado, its nearest shipping point. At that time, mail was delivered by a semi-weekly stage to Plum Grove and Cottonwood Falls to D.M. Commons, the postmaster. Amador was 19 miles from El Dorado, the county seat, and six miles from Burns, |
| Aral | 1880-1902 | It was a little hamlet in Pleasant Township, about 20 miles southwest of Eldorado and three miles from Rose Hill. |
| Ayr | 1875-1885 | Ayr was a farming settlement formed in 1871 in the northwestern part of Butler County. In 1878, it had a Presbyterian church and a district school, and its mail was delivered four times weekly to S.S. Osborn, the postmaster. When the post office closed, it moved to Potwin. It was two miles from El Dorado. |
| Beaumont | 1880-1997 | An unincorporated community and semi-ghost town in Glencoe Township. It was on the St. Louis and San Francisco Railroad. |
| Bodarc | 1892-1904 | A little hamlet on Walnut Creek, about six miles southeast of Augusta, the most convenient railroad station. |
| Bodock | 1883-1885 | The post office moved to Latham. |
| Brainerd-Holden | 1870-1907 | This farming community was settled by George and Howard Neiman in Milton Township in 1869 on the west branch of Whitewater River in the northwest corner of Butler County. In 1878, its chief shipments were grain and livestock shipped from Peabody, the nearest railroad station 16 miles distant. Mail was delivered four times weekly to Thomas H. Storms, the postmaster. The name changed from Holden to Brainerd on January 25, 1886. It was. In 1910, a station on the Missouri Pacific Railroad ran from Eldorado to McPherson, 17 miles northwest of Eldorado. It had an express office and telephone connections, was a shipping and supply point for the neighborhood, and had a population of 73. It was 25 miles from El Dorado, the county seat. |
| Britton | 1872-1877 | A small settlement in the extreme south of Butler County, it was 22 miles from El Dorado, the county seat and nearest railroad station. When the post office closed, it moved to Cedar Ford. |
| Brownlow | 1871-1876 | A settlement on Hickory Creek, in the southeastern part of Butler County, it was ten miles from El Dorado, the county seat and shipping point. When its ost office closed, it moved to Sunnyside. |
| Browntown | None | Company-owned Oil Town. |
| Bruno | None | Isaac Newland was one of the town organizers. |
| Bryant | 1872-1885 | This was a small settlement in the southeastern part of Butler County. In 1878, its mail was delivered weekly to S.J. Peter, the postmaster. It was 23 miles from El Dorado, the county seat and shipping point. |
| Bunch | 1898-1904 | A rural hamlet located about 18 miles nearly due south of Eldorado and eight miles northwest of Wingate, the nearest railroad station. |
| Burgess | 1887-1888 | |
| Byard | 1858-1859 | |
| Cage | 1887-1894 | |
| Cariboo | 1873-1889 | Located in Milton Township, Cariboowas was on the Whitewater River in northwestern Butler County. In 1878, it exported grain and livestock from Peabody, its most convenient shipping point, 20 miles distant. Its mail was delivered four times weekly to W.G. McCraner, the postmaster. It was 16 miles from El Dorado, the county seat. |
| Cave Spring | 1874-1878 | Cave Spring was a farming settlement located in the valley between the Big and Little Walnut Rivers in the southern central part of Butler County. In 1878, it exported grain and livestock from El Dorado, the county seat and nearest shipping point, nine miles distant. Its mail was delivered weekly to Archibald Butts, the postmaster. |
| Cedar Ford | 1877-1893 | Cedar Ford was a hamlet located on Rock Creek, In Rock Creek Township, in the southern part of Butler County. The post office moved from Britton. In 1878, it was on the stage line to Douglass and Elk Falls, from which daily mail was delivered to Andrew B. Woodruff, the postmaster. It was 22 miles from El Dorado, the county seat and shipping point. |
| Chelsea | 1858-1907 | Located in Chelsea Township, this village was on a branch of the Walnut River in the northern central part of Butler County. It was settled in 1857, and George T. Donaldson was the first postmaster. In 1878, it had two sawmills, a general store, a blacksmith, a good district school, and two churches—Presbyterian and Methodist—and a population of 75. Livestock was its chief export. A daily stagecoach ran to El Dorado and Cottonwood Falls, delivering the mail to S.R. Farnham, the postmaster. It was eight miles northeast of Eldorado, the county seat. Today, the site is under El Dorado Lake. |
| Cornhill | 1874-1876 | A small country village located in the central part of Butler County, about five miles from El Dorado, the county seat and its shipping point. |
| De Graff | 1887-1942 | A small hamlet of Lincoln Township, it was a station on the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad 11 miles north of Eldorado. In 1910, it had a money order post office, express and telegraph service, a Presbyterian Church, telephone connections, a hotel, a good retail trade, and did some shipping. |
| Dixon-Woodward | 1877-1888 | The name changed from Woodward to Dixon on December 18, 1878. It was on the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad. |
| Durachen | 1882-1909 | An inland village of Chelsea Township, it was about 15 miles northeast of Eldorado. The population in 1910 was 58. |
| Edgcomb | 1880-1888 | It was a small community in Murdock Township in northwest Butler County. It had several homes, a post office, Jesse Aaron Hawes being the first postmaster, and a general store. |
| Foster | 1899-1905 | It was about five miles northeast of Eldorado. |
| Four Mile | 1870-1872 | The post office moved to Lorena. |
| Freedom | 1874-1900 | Located in Bloomington Township, this farming settlement was formed in 1869 on Hickory Creek in the southeastern part of Butler County. In 1878, its chief exports were corn and hogs, shipped from El Dorado, 14 miles distant. At that time, it was on a weekly stage line to El Dorado, from which the mail was delivered to Fredenck Frank, the postmaster. It had a population of about 200. |
| Gordon | 1884-1936 |
 Gordon Railroad Sign Board. A station on the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad 19 miles south of Eldorado. It was in Walnut Township, on the Walnut River. In 1910, it had a money order post office, an express office, a good local retail trade, and a population of 28. It became a Company-owned Oil Town. |
| Haskin | None |
 Haskin, Kansas, 1920. Haskin was a petroleum company town in 1920. It was a boom town created when the petroleum field was discovered and quickly became extinct once the mineral deposit had been exhausted. |
| Haverhill | 1880-1933 | A station on the St. Louis and San Francisco Railroad, it was ten miles south of Eldorado. In 1910, it had a money order post office, a cooperative telephone company, and an express office. It was a trading and shipping point for the neighborhood and had a population of 50. |
| Hickory | 1877-1880 1886 |
Located in the southeastern part of Butler County, it was 18 miles from El Dorado, the county seat and nearest shipping point. In 1878, it had a Methodist Episcopal Church and a district school, and weekly mail was delivered to A.D. Stone, the postmaster. |
| Indianola-Smithfield | 1871-1902 | Located in Benton Township, on Indianola Creek, in the western part of Butler County, this place was first called Smithfield when it was settled in 1869. The name changed from Smithfield to Indianola on June 1, 1874. In 1878, it was on the stagecoach line to Augusta and Newton, from which mail was delivered four times weekly to Dr. L.A. Harper, the postmaster. Its population was 25. It was 12 miles southwest of Eldorado and eight miles northwest of Augusta. |
| Keighley | 1880-1943 | On the St. Louis and San Francisco Railroad, in Glencoe Township, it was 16 miles southeast of Eldorado. In 1910, it had a money order post office, some local trade, and a population of 75. |
| Knipeville | 1917 | The post office was only open for about five months. The post office order of change was rescinded. |
| Koke | 1896 | The post office was open for less than a month. The post office order of change was rescinded. |
| Kossuth | None | Chartered 1858. Probably a paper town. |
| Lorena | 1872-1902 | This settlement was located in the extreme west part of Butler County. The post office moved from Four Mile. The St. Louis and San Francisco Railroad went through the land of Stephen Harrison Chase, and a townsite was laid out. He was the postmaster and station agent, and the town was named after his daughter. When Andover was laid out, Lorena died. It was in Bruno Township, 16 miles southwest of Eldorado, its nearest shipping point, and seven miles west of Augusta. |
| Midian | 1918-1950 | Company-owned Oil Town. |
| Midland | 1872-1873 | The post office moved to Minneha. |
| Minneha | 1877-1880 | Located in Bruno Township, Minneha was settled in the western part of Butler County in 1871. In 1878, it was on the daily stage line to Wichita and Augusta, from which the mail was delivered to Isaac Grant, the postmaster. At that time, it had a population of just ten people. It was 23 miles southwest of El Dorado, the county seat, and ten miles east of Wichita, its nearest shipping point. When the post office closed, it moved to Cloud. |
| Modena | 1874-1882 | Modena was established in 1872 on Eight Mile Creek in the southwestern part of Butler County. In 1878, it had Baptist and Friends congregations, and grain and livestock were exported from Wichita, the nearest railroad station 15 miles distant. The weekly mail was delivered to Mrs. L.C. Skinner, the postmistress. It was 24 miles from El Dorado, the county seat. |
| Murdock | 1872-1873 1875-1902 |
Murdock was settled in about 1870 on the Whitewater River in Murdock Township in the southeastern part of Butler County. In 1878, it had a grist mill and a district school, and it shipped hogs and corn from Benton six miles distant. Mail was delivered four times weekly to L.E. Lambing, the postmaster. It was 12 miles west of El Dorado, the county seat. |
| Nellans | 1882-1892 | In Fairmont Township. |
| New Excelsior | 1875-1880 | A post office in Glencoe Township, New Excelsior, was settled in 1870. By 1878, it had exported cattle and hogs, and mail was delivered semi-weekly to Myron H. Taylor, the postmaster. The community had a blacksmith. It was 20 miles southeast of El Dorado, the county seat, and three from the east county line. |
| Numa | 1886-1904 | It was located 18 miles south of Eldorado and five miles east of Gordon, the nearest shipping point. |
| Oil City | 1877-1880 | Oil City was established in September 1877. By 1878, it had a flour mill, a coal shaft, a general store, a blacksmith, and a population of 15. It shipped grain and pork from El Dorado, its nearest shipping point, seven miles distant. Stagecoaches ran daily to Douglass, Winfield, Arkansas City, Augusta, and Eldorado, from which the mail was delivered to E. Gimlin, the postmaster. At that time, the communities expected that the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad would extend their line to this point. |
| Oil Hill | 1917-1958 |
 Oil Hill, Kansas. Company-owned Oil Town. |
| Oil Valley | 1920-1922 | |
| Ophir | 1881-1886 | |
| Overton | 1867-1869 | |
| Palmyra | 1876-1900 | Located in Murdock Township, this hamlet was settled in about 1873 on the south branch of Whitewater River in the western part of Butler County. In 1878, it shipped livestock, grain, and country produce from Wichita, the nearest railroad station 15 miles distant. At that time, the community had a blacksmith, and the mail was delivered semi-weekly to William Fisher, the postmaster. It was 16 miles from El Dorado, the county seat. |
| Pendell | 1871-1880 | Pendell was settled in 1870 on Dry Creek in the Western part of Butler County. In 1878, it had a Methodist Episcopal church, a district school, a blacksmith, a physician, a lawyer, and a justice of the peace. It exported grain and livestock from Wichita, the nearest railroad station, 15 miles distant. It was on the stagecoach line to Newton and Augusta, from which the mail was delivered four times weekly to W. J. Estes, the postmaster. It was 19 miles from El Dorado, the county seat. |
| Pine Grove | 1874-1895 | Several families settled in Rock Creek Township in 1872. It was on the Muddy River in the northeastern part of Butler County. In 1878, it explored livestock and wheat from El Dorado, the county seat and 17-mile-distance nearest shipping point. Its mail was delivered weekly to S.P. Leeds, the postmaster. |
| Plum Grove | 1870-1888 | Located in Plum Grove Township, this village was located on the Whitewater River in the northwestern part of Butler County. In 1878, it had a Methodist Episcopal Church, a district school, two general stores, and a population of 100. It explored livestock and country produce from Peabody, some 15 miles distant. It was on the stagecoach line to Peabody, Towanda, Newton, and El Dorado, from which the daily mail was delivered to S.M. Spencer, the postmaster. It was 18 miles from El Dorado, the county seat. |
| Pontiac | 1873-1926 | Pontiac was settled in 1871 on Bird Creek in Prospect Township, in the eastern part of Butler County. In 1878, it had a Methodist Episcopal, a public school, a stone mason, a blacksmith, two school teachers, two carpenters, and a Christian Church congregation. The community exported livestock and country produce from El Dorado, the county seat and most convenient shipping point, six miles distant. It was on the stagecoach line to El Dorado and Eureka, from which mail was delivered tri-weekly to Frank Cour, the postmaster. |
| Providence | 1881-1896 | In Richand Township. |
| Quito | 1870-1881 | This village was located on the Little Walnut River in the central part of Butler County, ten miles from El Dorado, the county seat and nearest shipping point. In 1878, it had a Methodist Episcopal Church, a district school, and mail was delivered weekly to A. Ades, the postmaster. |
| Redden | 1875-1885 | Redden was located in Fairmount Township, in the northwestern corner of Butler County, about 18 miles from the county seat. Eight miles distant, Peabody was the nearest railroad point, and J.J. Lyon was the postmaster. |
| Richland Centre | 1878-1881 | |
| Smileyberg | None |
 Old Store  Transmission Shop Thomas Smiley, a prominent pioneer and well-known merchant of Rock Creek Township, came from Augusta, bought 80 acres of land on the northeast corner of section 21, and established a blacksmith shop. In 1908, he erected a small store building, 16×20 feet, on this corner and put in a small stock of groceries and dry goods. Some structures remain, and a transmission shop is open in this faded ghost town. |
| Spring Branch | 1871 | The post office was open for less than five months. |
| Sunnyside | 1876-1880 | This hamlet was located on Hickory Creek in the southern part of Butler County. The post office moved from Brownlow. In 1878, it had two churches, Methodist Episcopal and Baptist, a primary school, a general store, a blacksmith, a physician, a hotel, a justice of the peace, a constable, and a population of 25. It explored livestock from El Dorado, the county seat, and the nearest shipping point, 15 miles away. Weekly mail was delivered to William T. Mitchell, the postmaster. |
| Sycamore Springs | 1868-1906 | This was a small settlement in Sycamore Township, in northern Butler County, about 16 miles from Eldorado, the county seat and nearest railroad point. Three miles west of Cassody, it was absorbed by the larger town when its post office closed. |
| Tint | 1899-1911 | A country post office in Syracuse Township, 25 miles northeast of Eldorado and 16 miles south of Bazaar, the nearest shipping point. The population in 1910 was 20. |
| Tolle | 1885-1886 | The post office moved to Wingate. |
| Vanora | None |
 Vanora Railroad Sign Board. It was on the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad. |
| Wah Wah | 1870-1871 | The post office was only open for about eight months. |
| Walnut | 1870-1876 | It was on the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad. |
| Wendell | 1901-1904 | |
| Wingate | 1886-1889 | The post office moved from Tolle. It was in Union Township. |
| Worth | 1886-1887 | In Fairmont Township. The post office moved to Elbing. |
©Kathy Alexander/Legends of Kansas, updated December 2024.
Also See:
Sources:
1878 Gazetteer and Business Directory, R.L. Polk Company
Blackmar, Frank W.; Kansas: A Cyclopedia of State History, Vol I; Standard Publishing Company, Chicago, IL 1912.
Cutler, William G; History of Kansas; A. T. Andreas, Chicago, IL, 1883.
Kansas Post Office History