Annelly, Kansas Explained

Annelly, Kansas
Settlement Type:Ghost town
Pushpin Map:Kansas
Pushpin Label:Annelly
Pushpin Label Position:right
Pushpin Map Caption:Location within the state of Kansas
Image Map1:Stouffer's Railroad Map of Kansas 1915-1918 Harvey County.png
Map Caption1:1915 Railroad Map of Harvey County
Coordinates:37.9722°N -97.2011°W
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:United States
Subdivision Type1:State
Subdivision Name1:Kansas
Subdivision Type2:County
Subdivision Name2:Harvey
Subdivision Type3:Township
Subdivision Name3:Richland
Established Title:Founded
Established Title1:Platted
Unit Pref:Imperial
Elevation Ft:1388
Population Total:0
Timezone:CST
Utc Offset:-6
Timezone Dst:CDT
Utc Offset Dst:-5
Postal Code Type:ZIP code
Area Code Type:Area code
Area Code:620
Blank Name:FIPS code
Blank1 Name:GNIS ID
Blank1 Info:484651

Annelly is a ghost town in Richland Township 9 miles southeast of Newton in Harvey County, Kansas, United States. The community was located along the Missouri Pacific Railroad line between Newton and Whitewater, but the track was abandoned in 2003.[1] As of 2020, the land is privately owned farmland.

History

Early history

See also: History of Kansas. For many millennia, the Great Plains of North America was inhabited by nomadic Native Americans. From the 16th century to 18th century, the Kingdom of France claimed ownership of large parts of North America. In 1762, after the French and Indian War, France secretly ceded New France to Spain, per the Treaty of Fontainebleau.

19th century

In 1802, Spain returned most of the land to France. In 1803, most of the land for modern day Kansas was acquired by the United States from France as part of the 828,000 square mile Louisiana Purchase for 2.83 cents per acre.

In 1854, the Kansas Territory was organized, then in 1861 Kansas became the 34th U.S. state. In 1872, Harvey County was established within the Kansas Territory, which included the land for modern day Annelly.

The community was established after the Missouri Pacific was built through the area. Annelly was named by a railroad employee for his wife Ann and daughter Ellie.[2] A post office existed in Annelly from August 25, 1885, to December 31, 1921.[3]

20th century

In 1910, Annelly, (population 25) had a money order post office, a station on the Missouri Pacific Railroad, a grain elevator, a hotel, and a general store.[4]

21st century

In 2003, the railroad track was abandoned.

Today only the Main Street (Annelly Road or SE 57th Street, accessible from S East Lake Rd. and SE 60th Street) of Annelly still exists. Until the early 2010s an old one-room school house stood near the townsite, although the schoolhouse could not be observed or approached from public roads. The school house was moved to property owned by Lewis Earl Entz. It has been restored but is on private property. For many years, even after the school closed this was the community center, for 4H and the Women's Farm Bureau which became the EHU Extension Homemakers Units. It was also where residents of the township voted for many years.

A farm house on the west end of Main Street is still occupied. The old railroad bed still passes through the townsite, and some evidence of buildings and old streets can still be seen. Gypsum Creek, a tributary of the Whitewater River, runs through Annelly.

Education

The modern day rural area around Annelly is served by the Remington USD 206 public school district.

External links

Notes and References

  1. http://www.abandonedrails.com/Newton_to_Whitewater Railroad - Newton to Whitewater; abandonedrails.com
  2. Web site: Profile for Annelly, Kansas . . 11 June 2014.
  3. Web site: Kansas Post Offices, 1828-1961 (archived) . Kansas Historical Society . 11 June 2014 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131009125036/http://www.kshs.org/geog/geog_postoffices/search/county%3AHV . October 9, 2013 .
  4. Book: Kansas: A Cyclopedia of State History, Embracing Events, Institutions, Industries, Counties, Cities, Towns, Prominent Persons, Etc. . Standard Publishing Company . Blackmar, Frank Wilson . 1912 . 77.