Monthly Archives: June 2015

Close to Home

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One of my favorite “close to home” adventures is just south of Salina, KS.

Classes were in session at the Smolan High School from 1926 – 1950.  The last graduating class had 3 students.  Elementary and junior high classes were held there until the closing of the school in 1987.  In 1996 the school was occupied by the Hickory Tree BBQ Restaurant.  It’s no longer open, I miss that place!

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Salemsborg Lutheran Church.  Built in 1929.

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Certainly didn’t plan on the serpent!

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The stone pulpit stand on the site of the original sod church

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Coronado Heights overlooking the Smoky River valley

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Dickinson County, KS

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Cemetery and Church near Holland, KS

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Navarre, KS

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Woodbine, KS

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Pearl, KS

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Barn and abandoned farms near Chapman, KS

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Enterprise, KS

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Patriotic silo near Abilene, KS

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Bavaria, Brookville, and Glendale, Saline County, KS

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Bavaria is an unincorporated town in Saline County, KS located along highway 140.  It is named after the state of Bavaria in Germany, where Ernst Hohneck one of the original settlers was from.  Barvaria was originally  known as Hohneck, he came to this area in 1862.  Today just a few people live in the town.

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Brookville was a cow town that got its start in 1867 after the railroad reached this area.  The town grew quickly as a major cattle shipping point.  Numerous businesses that once thrived were 3 hotels, saloons, furniture store, drug store, elevator, livery stable and 2 lumber yards.  Today there is a junior/senior high school, numerous churches, and a saloon.  The famous Brookville Hotel Restaurant has since relocated to Abilene, KS it is  worth a stop for one of their chicken dinners!

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Glendale, Saline County, KS

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Chicken Run

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The Hall’s  Japanese honeysuckle is in full bloom.  It’s an invasive medium-fast growing vine, but I have plenty of room for it and I absolutely love the smell.  The double knockout roses have so many blooms that occasionally a hen will pick one, but they really don’t bother them at all.  Whenever I plant anything the hens gather around in search of any worms that I dig up.  I put small river boulders around the base of each plant so they won’t scratch underneath the plant.  Other plants in the run are, Butterfly Bushes, Vitex (Chaste Tree, which is really not for this area zone 6-10, but I love them and it’s worth a try), Cotenester, Hollyhocks, Maple tree, Pampas grass, other various grasses, and of course numerous weed.

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Faris Caves, Ellsworth County, KS

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The caves were constructed by Charles Griffee in the Dakota sandstone bluff along the lowlands of the Smoky Hill River in the 1880’s.  William and Winfield Faris purchased the land in 1893.  The caves were used as a spring house, generator room, living quarters,  and for a short time as a school house.

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