We spent a couple of days in the Flint Hills around Cottonwood Falls, one of my favorite places to be. It was a very cool rainy weekend.
Most of the pastures have been burnt, the grass is so beautiful and green. The tallgrass prairies of the Flint Hills are so beautiful any season.
Cattle of the Flint Hills
Mr. Farmer, we should get some Longhorns!
Clements, KS
In 1862 a post office was established at Silver Creek (not a ghost town, it’s considered an extinct town). The rail road came thru the area in 1871 and in 1881 the post office was moved to Crawfordsville, which was renamed to Clements in 1884.
Double Arch Stone Bridge built in 1887
Abandoned beautiful majestic home. South of Cottonwood Falls
Bushong, Lyon County, KS. In 1880 the railroad constructed a depot in a pasture, a town developed beside the track. Originally called Weeks – it was changed by the railroad crew to Bushong, in honor of a baseball payer, Al “Doc” Bushong. They also named another town in Lyon County after a baseball player, Comiskey. At one time there was over 150 residents calling Bushong home, now there are less than 40. A fire in the 1920’s destroyed a large portion of the town, buildings were never rebuilt. The railroad has abandoned the track and the railbed is now a nature trail.
This building served as a gas station and tavern.
This guy calls Bushong home. He was so beautiful, but noisy!! He didn’t want me getting too close!
Farmer Days 
What an awesome post. I’ve heard of the Flint Hills, but didn’t know any of that history. I love your photos (as always) and I love how they named those towns after baseball players. Very cool.
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Thanks Jessica. It’s such a vast area and it looks so different in the spring after they burn the pastures and you can see all the rock in the pastures. Being so rocky the settlers couldn’t plow the ground, so they grazed cattle on it instead of raising crops. It is the last expanse of tallgrass prairie. I’m looking forward to exploring a lot more of the area which runs from near the Nebraska boarder to south of the Kansas/Oklahoma boarder.
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I had no idea it was so rocky. I grew up at Tarkio Mo, which is in northwest corner next to Nebraska and Kansas. There are no rocks up that way. Only block dirt. I figured Kansas was the same.
Wow! That’s quite a lot of land you’re going to explore. I am a bit jealous that you were at a tall grass prairie. Love love love those.
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Hi Debra! My mom and I were driving around yesterday near the Clements arch bridge, but the view was blocked with trees. Anyway, a google search of the bridge lead me to your site! I am a painter preparing to start my Flint Hills Symphony entry for the 2020. Will you give me permission to paint from some of your photos? I particularly like the peacock. He is a perfect specimen. Beautiful shot! I’ll share photos of the finished painting, if you’re interested. Please let me know and thank for sharing the info on your site. I really enjoyed it this morning. kathy
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That would be wonderful if you would paint one of my photos. Just credit back whenever possible. I love exploring our beautiful State.
Good luck on your Symphony entry.
Glad you found me by google. There are beautiful stone bridges in Butler County too. The floods have been extremely rough on them and some have been lost.
Again, good luck on your entry. Hopefully the Weather will be better for the 2020 concert.
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Love the old buildings!
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It’s sad that there are so many old abandoned neglected buildings. Thanks for stopping by!
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I agree! I wish there were more towns like that.
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Thank you and I love to give credit! If it works out to use your photo for the entry, I will certainly let you know so you can go to the opening! kathy
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