This beautiful watch dog lives a few miles from us. I love seeing him guarding his sheep. If I sit and watch him too long, he will move his herd away. I wished Wylie could spend a day with him!!
Glad someone is restoring this beautiful home.
Watching over the prairie
Stone arch railroad bridge
I don’t often see a barn with the silo attached to it.
St. Phillip’s Catholic Church – Hope, KS
Hebron Lutheran Church – 1884 Burdick, KS
Walnut Valley Presbyterian Chruch 1870 – North of Winfield, KS
United Methodist Church – Rock, KS
EV Lutheran Church – New Gottland, McPherson County, KS
Catharine, KS
In 1876 Volga German immigrants founded and settled Catharine, KS. Located in Ellis County, it currently has a population of around 100. All the streets in Catharine are named after Saints, St. Martin, St. Leo, St. John, St. Anton, St. Mary, St. Joseph, St. Francis, St. Adolphus, and St. Catherine.
St. Catherine Catholic Church – 1892
It was a beautiful day for an adventure on the backroads. With no real destination in mind we headed north-east. I opened up my topo map and saw that I had a little sticky note that pointed to an area that said, abandoned railroad bridge. Arriving at the sticky note, was the ghost town of Lasita.
Lasita
Settled in 1880 Lasita once was a small town of 35. The farming community that surrounded the town supported the businesses and school. The elevator, cemetery and one home is all that is left of the town that once had a 2 story school, general store, blacksmith, and stockyards. There was an abandoned railroad, but the terrain didn’t support the type of railroad bridge that I was looking for. Load up Wylie, let’s head south, I see a little town and creek on the map.
South of Lasita a few miles is
Bala, KS
Settled in 1870 on its original site, it was moved 1 1/2 south when the railroad come in 1887. In the 1960’s Fort Riley expanded to the edge of town and the village died out. Only the Presbyterian Church and a few houses are left.
Found the abandoned railroad
Turn around!!
One of the largest stone arch railroad bridge in Kansas
What a treasure to have found!! Such a beautiful warm (80) autumn day.
Smaller stone arched railroad bridge about 2 miles west.
Sacred Heart Church – Emmeram, KS 1901
Emmeran, Ks was originally named Norddorf, the town was renamed to Emmeram after the church pastor Fr. Emmeram Kausler. Sacred Heart Church was built from 1899 – 1901. The first Mass was offered on Christmas Day. Closed in 1967 due to declining population. In 1998 the church was destroyed by a suspicious fire.
Ruins of Sacred Heart Church – 1901
Looking toward the once beautiful altar.
Here is a link to the history of the church Sacred Heart Church – Emmeram, KS
A Little Family Cemetery
As I was traveling on the backroad, I drove past this plot of ground that was fenced by the road, surrounded by pasture. I sensed that it was something special and looking closer I saw 2 stones peering through the tall grass.
The stones were very worn from the elements of time. Final resting place of a son and daughter was about all I could make out.
I didn’t feel that it was neglected and abandoned. It gave me comfort to see that the little cemetery was part of the prairie as they knew it. Not manicured by mowers, not in the shadows of wind turbines that are now changing the view of the prairie forever, not exposed to the things in life that make it so convenient for us today, also so detached from people right next to us and moving so fast as to not see nature and all the beauty it holds.
Pray for our country †
Have a wonderful day
Wayside Chapel – Garfield, KS
Wayside Chapel is a memorial to the Congregational Church, which was built in 1875.
The bell is from our 20th President James Garfield in appreciation for the town being named after him.
Travelers along Highway 56 are encouraged to pause for prayers to God on life’s journey
Love the sign
Autumn leaves, Jesus doesn’t
Assembly of God Church – Sharon, KS
Re-purposed church
Located in the Red Hills near Ashland, KS in Clark County is the Big Basin Prairie Preserve. Owned and managed by Kansas Wildlife and Parks it consists of 1,800 acres, where you will be able to explore a sinkhole that is 1 mile across and 100′ deep, known as the Big Basin. Big Basin and other sinkholes in the area were formed when layers of gypsum and salt formations dissolved and collapsed causing the sinks. There is a smaller sinkhole to the east of the Big Basin known as the Little Basin. Located in the Little Basin is St. Jacobs well.
Big Basin
Buffalo roam free. Be sure you know where they are before getting out of your car or hiking.
St. Jacobs Well is down this rugged trail.
This pool of water is St. Jacobs well, a natural sinkhole that has never been dry.
Little Basin – St. Jacobs well is the group of trees in the center.
Kansas is known for being a wheat state. Producing 467,400,000 bushel of wheat in 2016. Kansas also produces milo, corn, soybeans…….
You will occasionally see a field of cotton in Kansas.
I didn’t know what this crop was. Neither did the Sheriff who pulled up in the ditch with his red lights on, know what it was. (Just checking to make sure Wylie and I were okay.) Thanks to all the law enforcement officers, we really appreciate you!!!
Standing around 5′ tall
It’s canola.
Farmer Days 