Strawberry is a
ghost town
A ghost town, deserted city, extinct town, or abandoned city is an abandoned settlement, usually one that contains substantial visible remaining buildings and infrastructure such as roads. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economi ...
in
Washington County, Kansas
Washington County is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. Its county seat and largest city is Washington, Kansas, Washington. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the county population was 5,530. ...
, United States. It was first settled in the spring of 1861 and was named after the wild strawberries growing in the area.
History
Strawberry was first settled in the spring of 1861 by John Mildfelt, John Gieber, and Peter Gieber. Other settlers followed, including Peter George Stegman in 1865, and William Bell in 1868.
[ The town's first wedding took place on January 1, 1868, between John Gieber and Susanna Kieffer.][
The town's first death took place in 1870. Katherine Myers was driving her cattle home when night fell. She became disoriented and got lost. She wandered into Republic County and was shot when a settler mistook her for a ]wolf
The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the grey wolf or gray wolf, is a Canis, canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of Canis lupus, subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, includin ...
.[
On July 2, 1871, residents from the northern part of Clifton Township presented a petition to the county board to form a new township. The petition was granted. The township of Strawberry was officially created. It was named by Roger Howley and a Mr. Alcott after the wild strawberries growing in the area, specifically after a large bed near the town center.][
The town was also home to School District #18. A one-room schoolhouse was built made of limestone near the general store. It had one teacher who taught eight grades. Hulda Ellsworth was the school's first teacher who taught its first term in 1872.][
The post office was disbanded in 1904.][
In 1909,]dance hall
Dance hall in its general meaning is a hall for Dance, dancing, but usually refers to a specific type of twentieth-century venue, with dance clubs (nightclubs) becoming more popular towards the end of the century. The palais de danse was a term ap ...
which became a popular destination for travelers.[
In 1910, Strawberry's population declined to 52 people due to bad roads and transportation. During the ]Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...
, this number decreased further. The skating rink and dance hall were still very popular. In the 20s and 30s, many cars in the area had spare tire covers reading, "I Danced at the Strawberry Pavilion".[
In 1951, Strawberry's remaining buildings were demolished to make way for the construction of Kansas Highway 148.][
On August 12, 1990, a marker was placed near the site to commemorate the former town. Three hundred people attended a ceremony where archivist Dan Fitzgerald of the ]Kansas Historical Society
The Kansas Historical Society is the official state historical society of Kansas.
Headquartered in Topeka, it operates as "the trustee of the state" for the purpose of maintaining the state's history and operates the Kansas Museum of Histor ...
spoke about ghost towns.
Geography
The land around Strawberry is a prairie tillable for farming. Several streams, including Parsons Creek which runs through the town center, flow south into the Republican River
The Republican River is a river in the central Great Plains of North America, rising in the High Plains of eastern Colorado and flowing east U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map acce ...
.[
]
Demographics
Strawberry's population "at the outset" was 436. In 1878, the population was 934, and in 1880, it was 1,258. By 1910, however, the population declined to 52 people due to poor roads and transportation. This number further decreased during the Great Depression.[
]
References
Further reading
External links
* Washington County maps
CurrentHistoric
KDOT
{{Washington County, Kansas
Ghost towns in Kansas
Former populated places in Washington County, Kansas