Extinct Towns of Neosho County, Kansas

Eagle Hotel in Earlton, Kansas.

Earlton was founded in 1870. Not much progress was made until about 1876 when a railroad depot was built there. The town’s name was first spelled Earleton until it was changed to Earlton in 1950. Its post office closed on July 3, 1976. As of the 2020 census, the population of this tiny town was 60.

Hertha railroad sign, 1962.

Hertha was on the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railway six miles south of Erie. In 1910, it had an express office and a post office, with a population of 40.

Railroad depot in Kimball.

Kimball was located in Grant Township on the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railway. The plat was filed in May 1888 under the name of Dalton, but the post office and railroad station were called Kimball in honor of C.H. Kimball, president of the town’s first railroad. In 1906, Kimball had a Hardware and Furniture Store, a physician, and a general store. In 1910, it was described as a thriving little town with express and telegraph offices, a money order post office, and a population of 165. The name was changed from Kimbal to Kimball on September 1, 1950. Its post office closed in 1956.  It was about eight miles northeast of Erie.

Ladore Cemetery

Located in the southern part of Neosho County, Ladore was first called Fort Roach in honor of James N. Roach, its principal founder. The report that it was probably made the railroad junction, where shops and businesses were to be built, was the cause operating in favor of its rapid advancement, which, for a time, was scarcely paralleled.

Old house in Morehead.

Morehead, Kansas, is an unincorporated community in the Shiloh Township of Neosho County. It is also an extinct town, as its post office closed decades ago.

Railroad crossing, 1962.

Rollin was an Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad station in Erie Township. The population in 1910 was 24. It was eight miles northwest of Erie and five miles west of Shaw.

Railroad Depot in Shaw, Kansas, 1950s.

Founded in 1885, Shaw was located in Erie Township on the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad. In 1906, it had two grain dealers, two real estate dealers, a hotel, and a livery, and E.E. Eckley was the postmaster and proprietor of a General Store. In 1910, it had telegraph and express offices, a good local trade, and a money order post office with one rural route and a population of 125. There are still a few buildings in the area, including the Shaw Cemetery. It was four miles west of Erie.

Abandoned stores in Shaw, Kansas by John Vachon, 1940.

Christian Church in Shaw, Kansas  Jimmy Emerson, Flickr.

Railroad tracks in South Mound, KS.

South Mound is an unincorporated community located on the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad. The railroad tracks were removed in 1989 following its merger with the Missouri Pacific Railroad. As of the 2020 census, the population of the community and nearby areas was 27. It is located in Lincoln Township, 11 miles south of Erie.

Tioga, Kansas

Now part of Chanute.

Urbana, Kansas depot, 1962.

Urbana is an unincorporated community founded by platted in 1870 by Dr. Peters. It was located on the Missouri Pacific Railroad. From 1877 to 1878, Urbana was the site of the short-lived “Esperanza Community,” described as “a colony of communists.” They bought a hotel and ran a newspaper called The Star of Hope. In 1910, it was located on the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railway and had express and telegraph offices and a money order post office. The population in 1910 was 85. As of the 2020 census, the population of the community and nearby areas was 30. It is located in Chetopa Township, 10 miles west of Erie.