Kismet, Kansas, Main Street, courtesy of Google Maps.
Kismet, Kansas, is a small town located along U.S. Route 54 in Seward County. As of the 2020 census, the city’s population was 340, and it had a total area of 0.24 square miles, all land.
Chicago, Kansas, and Nebraska Railway.
On July 14, 1887, 100 feet of right-of-way in Section 4-33-31 of Seward County was transferred to the Chicago, Kansas & Nebraska Railroad from Theodore Johnson by warranty deed. When this railroad was built, a siding was constructed. The new site was called Kismet.
Although the origin of the name “Kismet” for the town is not well documented, it is believed that its meaning—”fate” or “destiny”—reflects the importance of a successful railroad crossing over the Cimarron River, located southwest of Kismet.
A work train operated from the siding as the line was built on into Liberal, Kansas, where the first “paying” train arrived on February 26, 1888. The siding here was important because it required a full boiler of water to make enough steam to power the climb up the west side of the Cimarron River Valley between Kismet and Liberal. The reverse was true when the trains were heading east after pulling up the east side of the valley. The engines took on a full load of water in Liberal, but they needed more after the long haul up out of the valley.
A post office in Kismet was established on November 14, 1888. However, it closed less than two years later on September 30, 1890.
Kismet, Kansas Mercantile.
By 1890, the railroad had reached Dalhart, Texas.
After several owners from the 1880s through the turn of the century, A.C. Olin and his wife, Emeline E. Olin, obtained title to the southwest quarter 4-33-31. This is the quarter from which the town site of Kismet was platted.
The town of Kismet was laid out and platted in the fall and winter of 1907. At about the same time, A.C. Olin opened the first General Store in the winter of 1907-1908. The plat was signed on January 1, 1908.
H.D. Massoni bought land one and one-half miles west of town, and his brother-in-law, Beler Burr, bought land south of town. D.R. Snyder already lived north of the plat, and J.H. Light lived one-half mile east of town.
On February 5, 1908, Kismit’s post office reopened. It was kept in the northeast room in a house on Main Street. John McAdams, the first rural mail carrier, utilized a horse and buggy.
A United Brethren Church was organized one-half mile west of the town site in a farm home. The first minister was Rufus Whitaker. Later, an old school building was moved to serve as a church.
An old commercial building in Kismet, Kansas, by Kathy Alexander.
A second church was built on Main Street, but it was later converted into an apartment building.
A.C. Olin built a Bible School on the location of a basement house.
In 1910, Kismet was located on the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad, 21 miles northeast of Liberal, the county seat. At that time, it had a general store, a money-order post office with one rural route, and a population of 100.
The “Labor Day Picnic” began in 1915 and continued until World War II, when it was discontinued until 1946, when it was restarted in honor of men returning from service. Later, it was renamed the “Little World’s Fair.” The community of Kismet organizes the annual event on Labor Day Weekend, featuring activities for young and old alike. The day features a parade, a carnival, a children’s tractor pull, turtle races, a free bean feed, and arts and crafts on display.
The high schools of Plains and Kismet were consolidated on July 1, 1966, and the new high school was named Southwestern Heights High School. Forming a fully unified school district #483, the new school was located at an equal distance from Kismet and Plains on Highway 54.
Elementary school in Kismet, Kansas, courtesy of Google Maps.
Kismet’s population peaked in 2000 at 484.
The community is served by the Southwestern Heights USD 483 public school district.
City Hall in Kismet, Kansas by Kathy Alexander.
Kismet is about 18 miles northeast of Liberal, Kansas, on Highway 54.
©Kathy Alexander/Legends of America, updated October 2025.
Also See:
Sources:
Blackmar, Frank W.; Kansas: A Cyclopedia of State History, Vol I; Standard Publishing Company, Chicago, IL 1912.
Kansas Post Office History
Roots Web
Travel Kansas
Wikipedia