8 Kansas Ghost Towns // Linn County Part 1
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- Опубліковано 27 чер 2024
- Watch Part 2 here! • 11 More Kansas Gost To...
Mound City video: • small town, USA // Mou...
Trading Post video: • Trading Post, Kansas /...
Here's part 1 of 2 of my journey around Linn County looking for ghost towns. This video covers the eastern half of the county where not only do I find some ghost towns, but I explore several cemeteries and historical sites. This was a huge area in the Kansas-Missouri border war and Bleeding Kansas saga. Places I see are: Prescott, Mantey, Mound City, Moneka, Battle of Mine Creek, Miami, Pleasanton, Potosi, Boicourt, Marais Des Cygnes Massacre site, Orchard, La Cygne, and Brooklin. This was a lot of fun and very educational!
T-shirt: Small Town Habit
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Travel blog: johnwisewsu.blogspot.com/
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Contact: jwise@goshockers.com
0:00 Intro
1:26 Mantey
3:30 Moneka
6:07 Miami
7:34 Potosi
10:58 Trading Post
11:22 Boicourt
13:54 Orchard
15:27 Brooklin
Music
Winds of Spring - The 126ers
To Weather a Storm - Dan Lebowitz
Mysteries - Dan Lebowitz
Natural Light - Chris Haugen
Watch Part 2 here! ua-cam.com/video/2wlFdapmmWA/v-deo.html
Enjoyed both parts of these video. They each had different histories. The churches and cemeteries always present a story too. The playground equipped is not seen alot. It's a neat because always a bit of kid left in us needing revived. Thanks again for your great work.
Glad to see my small town of Prescott make into your video. If you are ever back in this area again the old high school (city hall) and the original grade school (now Library) are both beautiful buildings. Great video as always.
I love those buildings! Would love to go inside and see them sometime! Thank you for the nice comment!
I will always remember the merry-go-round on the playground at Mantey. We passed it whenever we took the back roads to Fort Scott when I was a kid growing up in rural Kansas.
I don't know why and what I'm going to say but I'll try. Found your videos by random, peaceful and quiet. This video I watched now, a week after my boss died of cancer (his name is Wise, from England), it was needed somehow. The perspective. It's never static. Everything changes and shit can change wether you like it or not... What I want to say is that your videos can help people deal with painful moments. ❤
Wow that’s so nice of you to say! Sorry to hear about your boss. Glad the videos could help a little. Hang in there!
Thanks for the ride Wise guy.
Any time!
My family and I moved to LaCygne Ks in 1990 and my brother and I still live here. I've been here for 33 years now. Marais des Cygnes means Marsh of the Swans. Thank you for showing some places I haven't seen. God bless.
Thank you very much 😊
I grew up in Pleasanton and really enjoyed your video and am looking forward to part 2. I believe the town of Orchard is/was somewhere around the middle of the power plant lake. I remember driving through that area before the plant and lake were constructed.
Thank you David! I think you’re right about Orchard!
I live near Fort Scott! pretty cool to see someone that close on here
Love all the old historical buildings in mound city
Yes! Lots of cool buildings to check out!
My great grandfather helped build the grade school. My grandfather father and I went to school there.
Back in the day Prescott was a clean vibrant little town. Full of small businesses. Now it’s a dried up piece of small town America. Gone by the wayside. So said.
Loved it! Such interesting history! Love the old cemeteries! Its hard to imagine the massacres and things, just out there in the middle of nowhere! So interesting and so much to learn!
Thank you! Yeah A LOT was happening in that area. Crazy to think about!
You are making great videos , we have enjoyed traveling to several places in Kansas , Coranado Hights the rock bridges mushroom rock rock city just too name a few but had no one to give us the background of this places the way you can thanks for the informative videos
Those are some great places to visit! I actually had them in one of my first videos on the channel! Cool day trip! Thanks for the support!
Greatest Utube videos. Nice how information is explained and without an attitude. Very calm and relaxing to watch these videos
So nice of you! Thanks so much!
Another great "After dinner show". Especially nice as Kansas is my home state...for my first 36 years! Thanks!
Thanks! More to come soon!
I have been trying to go for a career change. I am enrolled at a local medical school in Des Moines in a human anatomy class right now. The unit we are on is about the cardiovascular system and naming all of the parts of the heart and the veins and arteries. Seeing your road map, some parts remind me of seeing a map of the veins 😆
😂😂😂 Good luck on your new career!
@@TravelwithaWiseguy I just started schooling so this is a long way off unfortunately.
I love your videos!! Keep them coming!!
Thank you! Will do!
I hope Y'all are doing ok and stay safe. Always enjoy your videos and amen.
Thanks! Same!
I finally got a new TV now I don't have to watch on my phone great video and finds! 👍
Nice! How does it look on the tv? I think sometimes the sound can be different from tv to a phone too.
You go to a town like Potosi where there is no evidence a town ever existed and it really makes you appreciate more the places where there are still a crumbling building or two still standing. At least that way you can get a better sense of where the town was and maybe how it was laid out.
Agreed!!
WOW! Quite a bit packed into a small area. Very interesting and informative as usual. The history connecting this area with pro and anti slavery factions was something I was unaware of, and just adds to list the number of things that can effect an area
The bridges and cemeteries you have shown us today takes me back to the days of my youth. We had.so many pony truss and overhead bridges over the creeks and rivers. Some exist on dead end or minimum maintenance roads yet, but most have been replaced. We also had several small cemeteries where old country churches had stood. It was always interesting to walk through them and check out the names and the dates on the headstones. When things would slow down a little on the farm, I was off and exploring on my bicycle. Guess that explains my motorcycling habits!
Thanks again for another great video! It mixes things I haven't seen with the memories of what I have.
Thanks! It's a very fascinating area indeed! I love finding those old bridges and cemeteries as well. Especially seeing the architecture of the bridge or design of the cemetery.
Having grown up in Kansas (Wichita, Chanutte) I really enjoy your videos of the old towns and historic locations.
Thank you! It's a lot of fun!
Thank you for doing a video of my home County on the west side of the county in the town of Centerville along the Big Sugar Creek back about two miles to the East and a mile-and-a-half to the South or Ingalls Wilder's camped back along a little branch of the creek and there's a natural spring that is called Wilder's well. It's right by an island in the creek that used to have a blacksmith forge on it. And the Bank building there in Centerville Jesse James try to Rob but he couldn't move the safe and get it open as The Story Goes that my grandparents told to me
Yes stay tuned for part 2 where I go to Centerville!! Thank you for watching and for the nice comment!
Hi john thanks for the tour . Cheers mate🇦🇺
Glad you enjoyed it!
Another great historical video! Great job. 👍
Thanks you! It was fun - part 2 was even more fun!
New subbie here. Your videos just appeared on my list and I’m happy they day. They are so interesting so far……I’ve enjoyed the two I’ve seen thus far. Will watch them all eventually. Really, very cool videos. Deb.
Thank you so much! Hopefully you continue to enjoy them! 😊
Yep, those boys from Kansas were murdered by people who believed in owning others. Your videos are something to see. You must have a great contract with Wichita State! You travel all the time. Keep 'em coming, Mr Wise guy!
Haha thanks! Actually I just try to get out on the weekend and film as much as I can then release them over a period of weeks. I never miss a day of work!
@@TravelwithaWiseguy Good work ethic. I like that. GO SHOCKERS!
I was born and raised in Linn county. I am those people and I know the history and it way more complicated than your simple statement. As most simplified and sanitized history is. I’m not angry, just making a statement.
There is also a town called Potosi in Missouri. There, it is pronounced "poe-toe-see." In the French language, the word means fortune. This makes sense because it started out as a mining community.
Yeah I wasn't 100% sure on the pronunciation. I'm sure it's probably the same as the Missouri one!
Yeah I lived in Potosi MO for awhile. My parents were from that area. It's a small town.
It's is pronounced the same as the MO town and Boicourt is pronounced Boy-court
I grew up a few miles from Potosi Ks. It was always pronounced Puhtosy.
Thanks! Wiseguy Like your video's on Kansas!🚗
Glad you like them! I appreciate it. More to come!
Nice job John! First - great work on getting to all those ghost towns. I really liked the marker shots in the video - creative and simple! Next - you really motivated me with this clip to talk with the board I serve on in our county to put out markers with all our ghost towns. It will take some work - and I'll do a video about the county soon, but - we did something very similar with our county cemetery and there is something to be said about heritage tourism - if we can help share history, and at the same time help prevent people from going private property or causing any vandalism as they go out experiencing these places - the better! You know I'm in your corner brother! Keep it up! - Dano
That’s a great idea for the ghost town markers. Wish everywhere had that! Thanks for the nice comment!!
That Prescott School is such a cool looking vintage building.
I graduated there!!!
Awesome video!! Have not been to Linn County, KS, in a good while, so this video rekindled my interest in the area and may just have to conduct a weekend exploration tour there soon. Have been all over Kansas and visited every county - each has its own story to tell. When I first got to Kansas in early 1990s, I went out exploring - probably know more about the states various histories than most native Kansas. I traveled with a book(s) called "Ghost Towns of Kansas Part I & Part II" which were very informative and detailed about each ghost town. Used to go to Mine Creek Battlefield a lot. Last time I was there was early 2000s and there was controversy about placing a Confederate Memorial at the battlefield. Have not been there since so do not know if the Confederate Memorial was put into place but do remember the park ranger saying the same thing you did about the burials in the area. I'm out of Geary County, retired from the military and stayed in the area.
Thanks! Yes I've read those books too and were an invaluable resource to get me started exploring some of these places. I really enjoyed Linn County - so much history to find! Have fun!
I live in Linn County. I learned a few new things from you. Been watching your videos for a few months now. I was surprised that you was here. Can't wait to see part two. Stay safe.
Thank you for the continued support! I learned a lot in Linn County - part 2 is fun!
I’m glad there’s someone other than me out there that would rather visit ghost towns and really small towns and look around. I think ever since I first got google earth in 2007 I’ve been fascinated. And I’ve been fascinated by old abandoned buildings since I was a young kid.
There’s a few of us around here! 😊
thanks for sharing the history.
My pleasure! Thanks for watching!
I love linn county. I went to kindergarden and 1st grade there in Prescott, and went to school in mound city from 4th grade through 9th. It will always be home. I come back to kansas for my family reunion every year. (LaCygne)
Great history video . Bridges were impressive.
Thanks! I always love finding those old bridges - sadly most of them are gone!
If you ever Come to Indiana visit Parke County, we have 31 covered bridges, 2 old Gris Mills And a restored historic town. Large festival in October.
Sounds awesome! Would love to!
Incredible video. That is such a beautiful part of the country.
Thank you! Fun area to explore!
I love your videos and appreciate the historical content. Have you ever read any of Craig Miner’s books? He was a professor of history at WSU. I enjoyed his series of books on Wichita’s history.
Thanks Colin! I don’t Think I’ve seen his books, but I’ll see if I can find any!
Love these videos and the history lessons. TFS
Thanks for watching! Much appreciated!
Love how you show where you are on a map and highlight where you are going!
Thank you!
Another awesome, informative video with some interesting history. Keep them coming Wiseguy. 😃
Thanks, will do!
I enjoyed the video. Thanks for the great info. When I was a kid in the 1960s I remember going cemetery to cemetery with family, learning about people related to us. The little cemeteries were the best, having to look thru grass for the stones. Looking for treasure.
Thanks for watching! Fun area to explore!
I found this video very interesting. All of my relatives lived in Miami County......just north of Linn County. They farmed on the Kansas side......just west of Drexel Missouri. Some tales of the border war were passed down in my family. A great grandfather was kidnapped ......and had a team of horses stolen by the some Missourians. Also, sightings of Jesse James was passed down through my family.
Thanks for the historical tour of this part of Kansas.
Thank you! So much interesting history in this area that I wasn't aware of too!
Just came across this and really enjoyed it. Looking forward to your series in Linn County. On my place east of Prescott I have the remains of 'School #50' as it's shown on the plat maps at the Courthouse in Mound City - those are a great resource too if you ever need them. Great job - thanks for doing this!
That’s awesome about the school! It was cool to see some of these schools (more in part 2). Thanks for the message!
The Marias De Cygne pronounced (mara-duh-seen) is French meaning Swan Marsh is over 200 miles long is a prominent feature of our county here.
The early french trappers/traders killed all the swans that used to migrate here through the wetlands you drove through near Boicourt. The nearby town of
La Cygne (La-seen) is french for "The Swan" We have lived here for a few years and love it.
There is not one stoplight in the whole county!
thank you for sharing. very interesting.
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks!
You were right outside of my town, Linn Valley. I am excited to see if you covered it. I really enjoy your videos man. Thank you for your hard work.
I debated about going to Linn Valley, but I read it was a newer town and I was running out of daylight. So I skipped it. Is there anything there historical that I missed?
@TraveleithWiseguy you really didn’t miss anything in Linn Valley. It is a planned community that was built in the late 70s early 80s. There is nothing of historical significance in the town. It is unique in that it was a planned community that became an actual town, but there is not really much to see. It certainly doesn’t fit into what you are looking for in each of the places you visit.
Hey, I've got an airbnb outside of Pleasanton, KS. You're more than welcome to stay here for free while you're doing the tour, if you're still in the area
Thanks for the history of Linn county
My pleasure!
Wise guy, I was born Northeast if Lacyne, near what is now Linn Valley, Kansas.
I grew up in LA Cygne, graduated high school there, building is gone now!
Was surprised you missed A few other little towns, Cadmus, A few others over around Parker! Lots of history all around the county! LaCygne was once know as the toughest town in Eastern Kansas😊
Northeast of LaCygne
Tune in for part 2 next week and you might see those 😉
When I see abandon towns & buildings I wonder what a little birdy on the wall could have told us about the people 🐝🌻
Oh the stories that could be told I’m sure!
Great video! Thanks for the info!
Thanks! Lot of history in Linn County!
There was a hippie band in the '60s named Linn County -- put out at least one album -- I guess they migrated from Kansas to San Francisco (like me).
Interesting tour. I was curious if there is information about Native American settlements in your travels or if they were to transitory to establish villages
Yes definitely! For example in the Trading Post video that settlement was set up for the main reason of trading with Native Americans. I usually focus on the history of a specific town, however, which is mostly a pioneer type situation.
@@TravelwithaWiseguy thanks, I was thinking there was something special that encouraged settlement before the European settlers such as availability of water or shelter or food, minerals etc
Look up St. Philippine Duchesne Memorial and Historical Park near Centerville, Ks. It’s an old “Indian” Mission. They have a self guided walking tour that talks about it.
@@marykunard4570 Yes! unforunately that was one of the few places I wasn't able to get to on this 2 part series because of time. I've heard it's very interesting!
Nice job! Being from nearby Hume, Mo. I enjoyed this video.
Thanks! Did you see my Hume video?
This is an interesting video and starts out in the town I live in at the school I attended in grade school. Stuff you might expect to see in old age about your town/grade school… not usually in your 30s lol
😊
I’m from Prescott. Went to grade and high school there. Left years ago.
One of the big things that I think leads to linn county shrinking so much is a severe lack of kids being Born. There's almost no real jobs in the area. When I was a kid our class sizes in Parker were around 30. It wss the largest at the time with an average of 20-25 for elementary, the year I graduated high-school it was 4 kids. Every town had their own. And then they had to merge them into 2, one lacygne and one in Parker to ensure it didn't die off.
High-school was the same.
My old town was 125 people before I left. I remeber almost everyone being above 50. With a small handful of adults. And very few kids.
Ain't no real job opportunities outside walmart and a few low paying manual labor jobs.
Lotta these small towns are gonna die off due to that.
I make more as a service member than either of my parents do. Just base net pay alone is more than my parents gross pay.
Those of us who could left. Those who couldn't tried to get a bit north to KC for schools. To my knowledge all but 4 out of 70 ish of us live within the school district. Most of them turned hard to alchohol or drugs.
Most are repeating the same cycle insisting its better than those of us who joined the military or got lucky with college.
It's just gonna keep getting worse as population goes down. So foes the money for local businesses and taxes for infrastructure.
It is sad. Places like this used to be really good to have a family. Cheap decent schools, fairly good pay for good work. You were smart enough you could really pull in good money.
Ain't the case anymore
I’m from Prescott. Hate to be the one to tell you these little towns died back in the 70’s. Very sad.
@@WilliamStevens-vf3pc yup. They died for economic reasons. Ours will die for demographic reasons.
Great video John, did you do this as a day trip from Wichita or was it an overnight trip?
This part was a Saturday, part 2 was Sunday so it was a little weekend getaway from Wichita! I stayed in Osawatomie.
I live in OP and watch a lot of Utube. It's nice to have some relatively close by topics; giving me some day-trip ideas. Go Shocks
Thank you! I like to show places that haven’t been feature on UA-cam 😊
Hey there is still a treasure legend close to where you were driving through near Mapleton. There i also one about 10 miles outside of Lacygne Kansas too that involves Jesse James and his gang.
I didn’t know about that!
I know Prescott. I try to go there each year and visit my family'
I grew up in Prescott.
Around here we call it Boy Court.... 😊
This is like your Greenwood County video.
Exactly 😊
I wish you would find Juse. I believe its in Woodson Co.
I lived in the area for a long time , the locals pronounced the name Boy court, but yours is probably correct since it sounds more French.
I actually looked it up before visiting and all I could find was the French pronunciation haha. Thanks for the correction!
Standing on 7 Highway in front of Mantey... you are a brave, brave man. Some idiot kid used to drive through there at 90 mph ;)
Probably one of mine 😅
@@carlosmontana8840 I was thinking more about the 1990's😉
@@MilsurpMikeChannel that would be about right
Great video….Does mound city have an old burial mound?
Thanks! And I'm not sure - I'm not aware of one.
Where did you find all of these out of the way Civil War spots? Is there a website you go to? I have never heard of any of these places
I try to read as much about the county as I can and then a couple of those are state parks so that helps too.
I'd love to see Russell county ks, I'm from Russell county. There's some small towns there
Would love to do Russell County someday!
What does the word incorporated/unincorporated mean referencing a small/even not so small town ? I have looked it up, but, what it says doesn't apply to towns/abandoned towns. It's kind of vague, referencing a town. There's no hurry at all. Really nice video, I like your beard (seriously), my wife won't let me have one, argh. Be good, be safe !
Thanks for the question! Incorporated usually means a town has a form of government. They have a mayor, city coucil, etc. and they have regular meetings. Almost all abandoned towns are unincorporated, but I've found a few exceptions like in my Missouri smallest towns video where a vote has to officially dissolve the incorporation. Hopefully that answers it somewhat. And thanks! I don't have a wife, so I can look as raggedey as I want haha!
@@TravelwithaWiseguy Oh I like that..... I can look as raggedy as I want. Thank you for your answer, that helped. Be good, if not good, then be safe !
Funny how from the south plains to the high plains, across the. Golden spread every great plains farming community looked the same all the way to Canada.
Was that little cavernous stone room in Mantey an old tornado shelter?
I think so! That’s my guess.
Curious as to why so many places have French names. Obviously the area was part of the Louisiana Purchase but wasn’t settled until later. Was there an active French presence or population there?
The original town of Trading Post was a French settlement, so there were obviously a lot of French connections in the early 1800’s in that area. But I’m not sure of the details.
You been to Longton Kansas way yet? I'm familiar with Southeast Kansas as I am from Winfield Ks.
I haven’t been there yet!
@@TravelwithaWiseguy pretty cool place back in the 1970s. I had a lot of relatives & ancestors from my Mom & Dad sides of family. From what I've seen & heard it is dying town. Haven't been in that area for many of years. Most of all family I knew & visited have passed on.
Which maps do you use?
I use the Delorme Atlas & Gazetteer.
It is pronounced Press cut not Press scott. Also LaCygne is pronounced Lay scene not Luh scene.
I come from anyone of these communites pick one theyre all the same
Writing about it now