Sunday, April 10, 2011

Doing Dirt in Norton County

During a recent trip out of Kansas, Karen and I were able to explore some rural areas of southern and western Norton County in northwest Kansas.

Hills in Southern Norton County
Rummage Sale in Edmond
We came into the county from the south and drove a few miles through the hills east of US-283 till we arrived at the small town of Edmond. Here we found an old wood frame abandoned church, a brick United Methodist church, the remains of an old brick hotel and a store front which seemed to be used for a rummage sale / flea market.

Former Church in Densmore
Then, we traveled east to Densmore where sadly we found a town which has lost its businesses, schools and churches. We noticed the brick school building was being demolished and some abandoned buildings downtown, along with a limestone church. We did notice a few houses where people were still living in town.

Barbeau House in Lenora
After roaming on some dirt roads north of K-9 highway, we ended up at the town of Lenora. Here, we noticed an active downtown business district, a couple of schools, and the beautiful Queen Anne Victorian Barbeau House bed and breakfast.

St Joseph Catholic Church in New Almelo
Next, we drove west to New Almelo, where still stands the beautiful limestone St Joseph Catholic Church, built in 1900. It is an imposing structure which can be seen from quite a distance.


Finally, we drove north through rural areas of the western part of Norton County before taking the highway to the town of Norton for the night. I would still like to explore some of the northern half of the county, so we will likely be back to Norton County again before long.



Rocky outcropping - western Norton County
  





See more of our photos of Norton County at the following link: