Redfield, Kansas 1906. Touch of color by LOA.
Redfield, Kansas, is a small town in central Bourbon County near the Marmaton River. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 90 and a total area of 0.12 square miles.
Redfield was founded in 1866 and named for Dr. Redfield, an early settler. A post office was established on May 22, 1872.
Bandera Sandstone Quarry
A mile west of Redfield, the Bandera Flagstone Quarry was instrumental in the town’s early days and an important enterprise. First developed in the 1860s, its flagstone was sent via rail as a paving material for sidewalks all across the Midwest and Central Plains. At one time, the quarry employed about 60 men.
One of the community’s mainstays was the Redfield United Methodist Church. It began in a church called Mount Zion, located three miles southwest of Redfield. This church was built and dedicated in 1879. The church had a membership of more than 80, a large group for poor roads, no bridges, and few buggies.
In 1881, the Fort Scott to Wichita Railroad came through the area.
Missouri Pacific Railroad Depot in Redfield, Kansas by H. Killam, 1956.
On December 28, 1883, John Hill deeded a portion of his land to the townsite of Redfield, which consisted of seven blocks, streets, and alleys. Dr. R.W. Lease was given a power of attorney in June 1884 to sell lots and transact the town’s business. Lease, who came to the area as a young man, put out his shingle and stayed in Redfield for the rest of his life. He had much to do with the town and community from its beginning. In civic life, he served as mayor, councilman, and school board member, participated in various other activities, and served his community as a doctor.
When the community’s activities began to center around the railroad, the people decided that the town should have a church, too. Therefore, a new one-room church was built in Redfield and dedicated in 1889. H.L. Dohm was pastor when the church cornerstone was laid. He lived in Fort Schott and traveled throughout his circuit, which comprised six churches.
Methodist Church in Redfield, Kansas, by Kathy Alexander.
Throughout the 20th century, the Missouri Pacific Railroad served the town.
In 1910, Redfield, a money order post-village, was situated on the Missouri Pacific Railroad. It was the supply and shipping point for a considerable district, had several general stores, express and telegraph offices, and a population of 225.
Redfield’s population peaked at 269 in 1920. In the following decades, the number of residents gradually fell.
Today, the community still has numerous homes, its post office is still open, and the Methodist Church still serves a congregation. However, its railroad, depot, and stores are gone.
Redfield is served by Uniontown USD 235 public school district.
©Kathy Alexander/Legends of Kansas, updated May 2024.
Old Grade School in Redfield, Kansas, by Kathy Alexander.
Also See:
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.
The Fort Scott Tribune – July 16, 1976
Wikipedia