EXTINCT TOWNS AND POST OFFICES OF DONIPHAN COUNTY, KANSAS

Belmont (Bellemont or Whitehead) Trading post est. by James R. Whitehead, Jan. 1852, who also operated a ferry at this location in 1853. Belmont was platted and filed June 20, 1858, on W 1/2 S15 NW 1/4 S22 & NE 1/4 S21 T2S R22E. Belmont was the temporary county seat of Doniphan County. (S&V p.276; Bird p.43 & Gray II- 24)

Bryan P.O. 1855-56, Milton Bryan, postmaster. Name changed to Wathena. (Gray II-25)

Buffalo, S10 T2S R20E. (Bird p.21; Gray II-30 & IDC p.275)

Charlestown (Charleston), S22 T2S R21E, located 1856-57 under pre-emption cert. #612 at Kickapoo Land Office. 15 or 20 houses & stores at one period. Vacated by Legislature of 1863; P.O. 1857-60, Michael Byrd, postmaster. (Bird p.20; Gray II-24 & II- 90; IDC p.18 & 341)

Cold Spring, Pony Express Station 1860. S&V p.127 locates "J. Hargis at Cold Spring." Bird p.11 shows N. & M.S. Hargis on NW 1/4 S34 and spring located on F. Bodart's NE 1/4 S34 T3S R20E. Francis Bodart settled on this claim in 1856; (see IDC p.176). This spring fed Cold Spring Branch of Wolf River and is on or near the railroad r.o.w. "Cold Spring Branch derived its name from Cold Spring near an old station on the Pottawatomie Trail near the present site of Bendena. The spring from which it rises is exceedingly cold, which suggested the name to early travelers on the old route." (IDC p.268) Joe Nardone, Western Trails Enterprises, has information that Cold Spring is in NE1/4 S36 T3S R19E north of Syracuse. This spring feeds Ryan's Branch which joins Cold Springs Branch in S30 T3S R19E.

Columbus (City) SE 1/4 S20 & SW 1/4 S21 T2S R22E. Platted May 25, 1857; P.O. 1860-67, Henry Wilson, postmaster. (Bird p.20 & 44; IDC p.18)

Cottonwood Springs, Chas. & Catherine Stewart, prop. 1855-56; owned by Hugh Finklea, Jr., in 1916. Known as the "old Chamberlain place" in 1916. Pony Express relay station 1860-61. (Gray II-157; IDC p.285).

Evansville, N 1/2 S25 T3S R21E. Filed by Col. D.M. Johnston, June 1, 1857. "-----a few houses were built in a rough manner." (Bird p.21; Gray II-24 & IDC p.18 & 275)

Fairview, S10 & S11 T3S R21E, filed June 6, 1857. Francis Burbridge says it was a ferry landing. (Bird p.21; Gray II-24 & IDC p.275)

Green Top P.O. 1857-59, A. S. Ross, postmaster. About 2 m. south of Bendena. (Francis Burbridge)

Iola, SEs 1/4 S29 T2S R20E. "Main part of town where Iola school house stands--John Taylor & Sam Herring reside on old town site, 1916." (Bird p.21; IDC p.85)

Lafayette (Landing), entered as townsite July, 1857, but had existed as steamboat landing since c1845 when millwork for the Iowa/Sac & Fox Presb. Mission was unloaded at this point. "Steamboat Landing" in small print is shown on Kansas Territorial land surveys of 1855. Fract. S13 & S14 T2S R20E. In 1868 there was a saw mill, lumber dealer, dry goods store, grocery stores, physician and "large hotel." The hotel was moved to Fanning after the Atchison & Nebraska Railroad was constructed in 1870- 71. P.O. 1857-71, Henry Lott, postmaster. (S&V p.279; Bird p.21 & IDC p.18 & 93)

LaPorte P.O. 1858-59, Alfred Barnett, postmaster. Originally named Smithton. (Bird p.20)

Lawrence No. 2 1856. Trading post & emigrant campsite on Smith Creek about 2 1/2 m southeast of Smithton.

LeRoy, platted 1857; S21 T3S R22E. This location is just north of Wathena, but Gray says LeRoy was laid out near the Bayne crossing of Wolf river. (Bird p.21; Gray II-24 & IDC p.258)

Lewiston c1856; ferry landing opposite Robidoux's Blacksnake Hills Trading Post. (KHC v.12 p.481)

Mount Vernon (Landondale); platted 1857-58 on land purchased from Sampson, Isaac & Daniel Graves. NE 1/4 S30 & fract/ S19 & 20, T2S R22E. Gen. store, warehouse, and physician. Mosquito Creek community was settled in 1854-55 by related families from DeKalb, Buchannan Co., MO, including Graves, Mosers, Kecks & Schaufflers. Sampson Graves was a teamster in 1846 with Kearny's invasion of New Mexico, and later prospected for gold in California. Townsite was vacated by the Kansas Legislature in 1863. (Bird p.20; Gray II-24 & IDC p.52 & 344)

Normanville 1861. NW 1/4 S29 T4S R19E. P.O. Mar. 21, 1862, William Normile, postmaster. Name changed in 1864 to Ridge Farm, then re-named Wolf River in 1865, and discontinued in 1866. (Bird p.39)

Palermo 1856. S5 T4S R22E. Stores, bank, newspaper, churches, mill and lawyer. P.O. 1855-1904, Frank Mahan, postmaster. (S&V p.280; Bird p.20 & 45; Gray II-44 & IDC p.223 & 225)

Petersburgh 1857 S19 T4S R19E established by Peter Cadue, a Kickapoo trader. Vacated 1863 by Kansas Legislature. P.O. 1858- 59, A. Daugherty, postmaster. (Bird p.21; Gray II-44 & 90; IDC p.223)

Ro(d)gersville P.O. 1857-59, Emerson Van B. Ro(d)gers, postmaster. 2 m. north of Troy on old Calif. road on land owned by Frank Laroff in 1916. (Gray II-24 & IDC p.270 & 381)

Smithton P.O. 1855-58, Alfred Barnett, postmaster. First Masonic lodge in KT, name changed 1858 to LaPorte. (Bird p.20 & 44; IDC p.265)

Syracuse 1858 SW 1/4 S36 T3S R19E (N 1/2 S1 T4S R19E was platted) A hotel existed c1858-62; also, a store. (S&V p.17; IDC p.154, Gray II-25)

Walnut Grove P.O. 1856-62, Grandison Wilson, postmaster; moved to Bayne's Bridge, discontinued 1870. Exact location uncertain, but probably a short distance northwest of Bayne's Bridge. (Bird p.38; Gray I-42 & IDC p.142)

Winona P.O. 1857-59, Philo Foster, postmaster. Located about 1 m. east of Doniphan/Brown Co. line where Winona schoolhouse is. (Bird p.21 & 60; IDC p.87)