Extinct Towns of Rush County, Kansas

Post rock fence in Rush County by Kathy-Alexander.

Post rock fence in Rush County by Kathy-Alexander.

Hampton

Hargrave 

Loretto

Timkin

Town Post Office Dates Additional Information
Belfield, aka: Bellfield 1874-1887 This settlement was formed in 1862 on Walnut Creek in extreme eastern Rush County. In 1878, it exported grain from Great Bend, the nearest shipping point. The mail was delivered semi-weekly via stagecoach. It was 13 miles from La Crosse, the county seat.
Belle Prairie None
Big Timber None  
Brookdale 1875-1888 Brookdale was established in 1874 on Walnut Creek in the southwestern part of Rush County. In 1878, it had a hotel, a general store, a lawyer, and a physician. Its mail was delivered by stagecoach four times per week to William D. Fisher, the postmaster. It was six miles from La Crosse, its nearest shipping point.
Chaffee 1896-1905 A small hamlet located about 8 miles northeast of La Crosse. When the post office closed, mail was received by rural delivery from the post office at Bison.
Economy 1871-1872  
Elm Valley 1879-1887 Was also in Ness County for a time (site moved).
Esthira 1880-1883  
Fenton 1882-1898
Fingal 1887-1910 Situated in Pleasant Dale township near the northeast corner of the county, about 20 miles from La Crosse and 11 miles from Otis, the nearest railroad station, from which place mail was received by rural delivery. First established in Russell County (site moved).
Flavius 1880-1908 Located in Belle Prairie Township, about 14 miles southwest of La Crosse and 7 miles from Nekoma, from which mail was received by the rural route.
Gilliam, Gillam 1881-1885  
Hampton 1877-1910 Hampton, Kansas, is an extinct town in Rush County. There is nothing left today.
Howe, aka: Lippard, Lippert 1882-1911  
Hutton 1878-1887  
Keimfield 1878-1887 The post office moved to McCracken.
Linndale, aka: Lindale 1888-1905
Olney 1874-1888 A small settlement formed in 1873 on Walnut Creek in the eastern central part of Rush County. In 1878, wheat was its chief product, shipped from Great Bend, its nearest shipping point. At that time, the mail was delivered semi-weekly to L.T. Delplain, the postmaster and the town’s population was 20.
Oswell 1882-1883  
Pioneer 1878-1893
Pleasant Dale, aka: Pleasantdale, Lieblichdorp 1878-1895 Primarily a German-Russian settlement, it was established about 1877. Lieblichdorp is German for Pleasant Dale.
Rock Castle None
Roland 1880-1887  
Ryan 1878-1908 Located in Banner Township 15 miles southeast of La Crosse and 7 miles south of Timken, the nearest shipping point and the place from which it received mail.
Saunders 1895-1908 Located 10 miles northwest of La Crosse and 8 miles west of Liebenthal, from which it received mail.
Scheuerman 1883-1888
Seymour 1880-1881
Shaffer 1892-1948 Located in Garfield Township on the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad 15 miles southeast of La Crosse. It had three mills, two grain elevators, a hotel, a creamery, general stores, telegraph, and express offices, and a money order post office. The population in 1910 was 45.
Stubbville None
Timkin 1888-1996 Timkin is a small town on the south bank of Walnut Creek in Rush County. It is also an extinct town, as its post office is long closed. As of the 2020 census, the town’s population was 38 and it had a total area of 0.15 square miles, all of it land.
West Point 1878-1894
Wittmund 1882-1883
Rush County, 1889

Rush County Map, 1889

©Kathy Alexander/Legends of Kansas, updated December 2024.

Also See:

Kansas Ghost Towns

Kansas Towns

Rush County, Kansas

Rush County Photo Gallery

Sources:

1878 Gazetteer and Business Directory, R. L. Polk & Company.
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
Wikipedia