Kansas Ghost Towns Part 8 - Oil Hill, Beaumont, Rock

[@vincentmancini6279]

Enjoy your videos. Wish you would linger longer at some of the buildings and sites as I am an artist and love to sketch and paint abandoned structures. Thank you

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Thank you! For me it’s a balance of showing things long enough but also having a good pace to keep people interested in watching.

[@brandiewhisenhunt289]

I sit here .. folding clothes & watching your video & they kinda make me homesick.. even though I've been in Texas 21 years ( half my life) I still miss Kansas 🥰

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Thanks for watching while doing laundry 😂😂 I really want to get down to Texas and explore some towns there. I know there are a lot of them that fit into this category!

[@brandiewhisenhunt289]

Colorado city is a neat town down here in west Texas.. but it's bigger than most you visit. So come on y'all! We welcome ya☺️

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

I’m sure there are some in the area that are smaller haha. I’ll have to do some research!

[@louispaparella5766]

@@TravelwithaWiseguy Look up Texas Escapes and the Texas Historical Society for travel ideas there

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

@@louispaparella5766 Thanks!

[@colingeorgeh]

I love your Kansas videos. Thanks for sharing.

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Thank you very much! I really enjoy doing them. I’m trying to release at least one Kansas video per month because I know a lot of the subscribers are Kansans or have some interest in The Sunflower State’s history.

[@travis303]

Your videos are actually starting to become my favorite. I love the idea of exploring these small towns so kind of living vicariously through you.

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

That’s very nice of you to say! It’s kind of an addicting hobby for me too!

[@papabear562]

A lot of us who watch John's videos feel the same way. I really wish I could do what he does, but as you say, we "live vicariously through him," and I enjoy them so much I'll watch them over and over again. Retirement does have its perks!

[@wichita603]

My oldest son took me to oil hill. I enjoyed being able to stand on a side walk. People before many years ago had walked a special kind of magic in that itself.

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

It’s hard to imagine all the people that were there! It was a happening place!

[@kcinks]

My stepdad used to work for Arnholz Coffee in the 70's and used to sell to the Beaumont Hotel. I had lunch there a couple of times.

[@JD-pm9wx]

I'm just back from work and it's such a good way to end my day. It's like a little treat after a long.... long day. Thanks !!!

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Aww that’s awesome for you to say! Much appreciated!

[@estelleadamski308]

Just found you. My great grandpa was an original homesteader in Western KS. He was from IL and after he was in the Civil War went out west. He was very successful as most were not. He never had to mortgage his land which was rare. So wonder if you will go west. I was born in KS, in Goessel, when my dad was in college at Ottawa Univ. I was raised in CA, but, I do remember the windmills and grain elevators. My family is from the Amy, Dighton area. So I do enjoy your videos. Thank and showing us the backroads of KS .

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Thanks for sharing that great info about your great grandpa - sounds like a great man! I am definitely planning to do more videos on Western Kansas. It’s just not real convenient for me living in Wichita and working full time. Hopefully this summer!

[@estelleadamski308]

@@TravelwithaWiseguy thanks so much! One day, I was so new to the computer( 7 yrs. ago) I was fascinated w/all the info. I had a list of everything I wanted to look up, but, my list was all marked up. So my great-grandpa's name popped in my head, so I typed it in, was sure there would be nothing. But the state of KS sent someone out to interview all the early homesteaders before they all passed away, so that was in 1921. So I'm proud he was important to the state to document his life. His name is James Richard Bruner!

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

That’s awesome! Welcome to the wonderful (sometimes) world of technology 😂😂 Appreciate the support of small town Kansas!

[@stixstat]

Awesome! I’ve shared this with a friend whose father flew the family to Beaumont for lunch many times.

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Thanks! I’ve heard flying into Beaumont is a bucket list trip for a lot of pilots!

[@jerryl.1033]

A lot of motorcyclists go to Beaumont on the 3rd Sunday of each month between March and October. The fly-in is the 2nd weekend of each month. Lots of fun at both.

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

I bet those are a lot of fun! It’s definitely a great spot for both groups. Glad people are visiting Beaumont!

[@jerryl.1033]

@@TravelwithaWiseguy The Beaumont Hotel is a great place to stay and the restaurant has great food with a truly sarcastic waitress.

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Haha love the sarcasm! ☺️

[@louispaparella5766]

@@TravelwithaWiseguy Cassoday and Utica Ks. also have bike (motorcycle) weekends

[@papabear562]

I just noticed that sign, "No aircraft beyond this point." 😆

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

That’s because they fly little planes in there and literally park on the road!

[@papabear562]

@@TravelwithaWiseguy That's wild!

[@oklahomasoonersfootball]

I forgot your KZbin channel and now I'm back because of my OU football videos and everything.

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Welcome back! 😂😂

[@justnerdystuff]

at 1:28 it looks like an angel is up on the roof with a halo of the sun shining on it. Turns out it's just a chimney or stove pipe.

[@davidyager8817]

Great video, always enjoy them.

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Thanks David! Appreciate it!

[@andrewwebb17]

Brilliant job. I find remarkable that 8000 lived in Oil Hill and not much remains. It must have been very temporary to begin with.

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Yeah I agree and thanks! They didn’t leave much of a trace at all!

[@louispaparella5766]

@@TravelwithaWiseguy Most company town buildings could be loaded on wagons and moved as needed

[@travis303]

Wow, that Oil Hill looks interesting. And there are still buildings standing, plus not too far away from my hometown. Would be a neat place to visit. I wonder where you hear about these places because I grew up in Kansas and never heard of Oil Hill.

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

I had heard about Oil Hill since I live in Wichita. I also had a book that mentioned it briefly. Very interesting little history!

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

There are some books named Ghost Towns of Kansas that are available if you are interested in the topic. Several volumes.

[@travis303]

@@TravelwithaWiseguy oh wow, I will have to check that out. I wonder if I can find a way to get it at the library. Yes, I still use those. I love the library :) Thanks for the recommendation.

[@billbye2427]

Thank you for the maps!

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

You’re welcome! Thanks for watching!

[@skyhigh6]

Company Store, here a little history. If you have heard the old song Sixteen Tons by Tennessee Ernie Ford, one line in the song, "I owe my sole to the company store.". Logging Companies, mining companies, oil companies had company stores. You didn't get paid with dollars but company script. You had to spend your script at the company store. You lived in company housing, bought your Christmas, food, clothing at the company store. Within 30 miles of where I live, "was" three logging camps which had company housing and company stores. So, you owed your sole to the company store.

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Yes! Love that song and have thought about that since visiting Oil Hill. Thanks for the info!

[@JonathanDElliott]

The old Oil Hill building toured in this video burned down March 31st, 2023 during a wildfire that started about 3-5 miles to the west and was stopped mostly at the Turnpike and fortunately did not damage any houses or industrial sites within El Dorado.

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

That’s too bad 😞

[@billbye2427]

beleive that oldvaircraft is a ols Beechcraft made in Wichita, ks.

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Interesting! So many planes have been made in Wichita 😊

[@louispaparella5766]

@@TravelwithaWiseguy a Beech 18?

[@rebeccaw_artist4127]

lmfao xD i grew up in rock i use to climb to the top of that elevator

[@granthill2980]

You need to make your videos longer, go thru more buildings, talk to locals etc...

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Thank you for the comment! I actually do talk to locals in many places (where there are people), most of the time they don’t want to be on camera but I get great info from them. And a lot of buildings are on private property. I usually go in ones that aren’t (like Oil Hill). I do have much longer videos available that are 20-30 minutes long!