Lindsborg to Wamego by way of Pillsbury Wildlife Crossing
Sunny and clear skies, along with a promised high of 25 °C, offered another opportunity to chase across the northern heart of the Flint Hills of Kansas in search of waterfalls and historical landmarks.
Interstate dominated this adventure, but only as far as Emporia. The more comfortable wide-open two lane highways unfolded through to McPherson, and north to Lindsborg.
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| Old Mill Bridge in Lindsborg, Kansas |
“Välkommen” only to pedestrian and bicycle traffic, the 1914 iron through truss bridge leading into town stood impassable, requiring a small detour to reach the highest point of the Spanish Buttes. Allegedly, Francisco Vásquez de Coronado abandoned his search for the Seven Cities of Gold at or near this 100 meter sandstone bluff.
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| Coronado Heights Castle near Lindsborg, Kansas |
The Works Progress Administration (WPA) honored the efforts of the Spanish explorer nearly 400 years later, constructing a small castle, complete with picnic grounds and toilet facilities. A few of the picnic sites have slumped and fallen over the course of time, but the castle stands strong and commands quite a view of the surrounding prairie.
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| Google Maps view of I-70 Exit 316 |
Back to the Interstate and, pavement abruptly ended at the exit for the Deep Creek area, 100 km to the east. There was no notice of termination of said situation, which presented quite the surprise at 120 kmh. However, a few more pleasant surprises appeared in reparation of the induced anxiety.
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| Deep Creek Schoolhouse near Pillsbury Crossing, Kansas |
Deep Creek School stands sentinel along what was once a historic trade route between the Pawnee and Wichita tribes. Their graves remain unmarked and undisturbed since the first settlers arrived in the region. This third rendition, built in 1892 of native sandstone, now serves as community center for the area it once educated.
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| Chris Barr’s Cabin near Pillsbury Crossing in Kansas |
One such resident might have hailed from Chris Barr’s cabin, a short distance down the road, built sometime before 1863. Discovered inside of another house torn that was torn down in 1962, it had chose to conceal its identity, after spending so much time as a station along the underground railroad.
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| Pillsbury Crossing Wildlife Area in Kansas |
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| Oz Oddities in Wamego, Kansas |
A thirst for gasoline enabled a minor moment of discovery regarding the land of Oz. The Yellow Brick Road seemed a lot wider and longer in the movie.
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| Old Dutch Mill in Wamego, Kansas |
Emerald City appears quite different too, having apparently expanded into more diverse industrial ventures. The 1879 windmill relocated here in 1925 from approximately seven kilometres north, being taken apart and reassembled numerically by one who enjoyed puzzles more than most.
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| Top: 1885 Cottonwood Dist No 11 Schoolhouse / Bottom: 1898 Hinerville Schoolhouse |
One might say that early Kansans had a great affinity for stone. This region provided plenty of stock for their exploits. Nowhere is it more evident than in the schoolhouses that litter this particular region. Two more suggested a documentary pause, before the return to the Interstate homeward.
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