Perth, Kansas, about 1915.
Perth, Kansas, is an unincorporated community of Downs Township in south central Sumner County. It is also an extinct town with no post office.
In 1878, 16-year-old Katie McEachern from Canada purchased 360 acres in Perth. Her father and brother bought land just west of her. In 1879, McEachern sold her land to Alden Speare, and in 1881, Alden platted the Perth townsite.
A post office was established on July 25, 1882. The first store was established as a grocery measuring 16 by 30 feet and owned by Mr. Grove and Mr. Rockhold.
Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad Depot in Perth, Kansas.
The first train, a mixed passenger/freight train of the Chicago, Kansas, and Nebraska Railroad, reached Wellington on November 10, 1887. From there, it was built through Perth and Corbin and reached Caldwell in the early winter of 1888. The line ran parallel with and just west of the Wichita Southwestern Line, from Wellington to Caldwell.
Within no time, Perth became a shipping point for livestock.
By 1889, the Chicago, Kansas, and Nebraska Railroad struggled and failed to make its interest payment. The Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad began foreclosure proceedings, eventually taking over by June 17, 1891.
In 1910, Perth was on the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad and the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad. At that time, it had a bank, two milling companies, several retail establishments, express and telegraph offices, and a money order post office with one rural route and a population of 150.
Perth, Kansas Business District, about 1915.
Perth continued to grow, and between 1910 and 1914, two more additions were annexed to the original town. At its peak, Perth’s population was as high as 400, when it boasted railroads, four churches, and at least ten businesses, including a bank, a lumber yard, a hotel, several general stores, a blacksmith, a doctor, a livery stable, a school, and a real estate office.
Over the years, three different schools were built in the same location. The first wooden school caught on fire and was replaced by a new two-story school, later replaced by a brick school.
On June 2, 1935, a 50-yard-wide tornado hit Sumner County, a mill was wrecked in Perth, and three people were injured.
Silos in Perth, Kansas, by Kathy Alexander.
Perth’s post office closed on April 30, 1954.
Several homes, barns, and grain elevators continue to stand in Perth, the Union Pacific Railroad runs along its railroad tracks, and a few families still live in this once-vibrant community. However, its businesses, churches, and schools are gone.
Perth is located about nine miles southwest of Wellington near the intersection of S Clearwater Rd and W 80th St S, next to the railroad.
The community is served by Wellington’s USD 353 public school district.
©Kathy Alexander/Legends of Kansas, updated June 2024.
Also See:
Old building and silo in Perth, Kansas, by Kathy Alexander.
Sources:
Blackmar, Frank W.; Kansas: A Cyclopedia of State History, Vol I; Standard Publishing Company, Chicago, IL 1912.
Kansas Post Offices
Sumner County, Kansas
Sumner News Cow
Wikipedia
Railroad Crossing in Perth, Kansas by Kathy Alexander.
House in Perth, Kansas, by Kathy Alexander.