Butler County, Kansas Extinct Towns

Harvesting wheat in Butler County, early 1900s.

Harvesting wheat in Butler County, early 1900s.

Town Post Office Dates Additional Information
Amador 1875-1902 In Clifford Township.
Aral 1880-1902 A little hamlet in Pleasant Township about 20 miles southwest of Eldorado and three miles from Rose Hill.
Ayr 1875-1885 The post office moved to Potwin.
Beaumont 1880-1997 An unincorporated community and semi-ghost town in Glencoe Township.
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 The name changed from Holden to Brainerd on January 25, 1886. It was in Milton Township. In 1910, it was a station on the Missouri Pacific Railroad that 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.
Britton 1872-1877 The post office moved to Cedar Ford.
Brownlow 1871-1876 The post office moved to Sunnyside. It was located north of Latham.
Browntown None Company-owned Oil Town.
Bruno None Isaac Newland was one of the town organizers.
Bryant 1872-1885
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 In Milton Township.
Cave Spring 1874-1878
Cedar Ford 1877-1893 In Rock Creek Township. The post office moved from Britton.
Chelsea 1858-1907 In Chelsea Township, it was on a branch of the Walnut River about eight miles northeast of Eldorado. George T. Donaldson was the first postmaster. The site is under El Dorado Lake today.
Cornhill 1874-1876
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 A small community in Murdock Township in northwest Butler County. It had several homes, a post office, of which Jesse Aaron Hawes was the first postmaster, and a general store.
Foster 1899-1905 Was about five miles northeast of Eldorado.
Four Mile 1870-1872 The post office moved to Lorena.
Freedom 1874-1900 In Bloomington Township.
Gordon 1884-1936 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.
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, was a trading and shipping point for the neighborhood, and had a population of 50.
Hickory 1877-1880
1886
Indianola/Smithfield 1871-1902 In Benton Township. The name changed from Smithfield to Indianola on June 1, 1874. 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 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 for his daughter. When Andover was laid out, Lorena died. It was in Bruno Township 16 miles southwest of Eldorado 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 The post office moved to Cloud.
Modena 1874-1882
Murdock 1872-1873
1875-1902
In Murdock Township, it was 12 miles west of Eldorado and six miles north of Benton, the nearest shipping point.
Nellans 1882-1892 In Fairmont Township.
New Excelsior 1875-1880
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 Hill 1917-1958 Company-owned Oil Town.
Oil Valley 1920-1922
Ophir 1881-1886
Overton 1867-1869
Palmyra 1876-1900 In Murdock Township.
Pendell 1871-1880
Pine Grove 1874-1895 In Rock Creek Township.
Plum Grove 1870-1888 In Plum Grove Township.
Pontiac 1873-1926 In Prospect Township.
Providence 1881-1896 In Richand Township.
Quito 1870-1881
Redden 1875-1885
Richland Centre 1878-1881
Spring Branch 1871 The post office was open for less than five months.
Sunnyside 1876-1880 The post office moved from Brownlow.
Sycamore Springs 1868-1906 A rural hamlet located 20 miles northeast of Eldorado and three miles west of Cassody.
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.
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 May 2024.

Also See:

Butler County, Kansas

Butler County Photo Gallery

Kansas Destinations

Kansas Ghost Towns

Sources:

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