Historic and Quirky Small Towns in Elk County, Kansas

[@justnerdystuff]

It's too bad these towns are dwindling. Nowadays, with a lot of jobs that people are able to work from their homes (one good thing about the pandemic) maybe towns that don't want to die should advertise their beautiful small towns to bring in people like that. Especially small towns that are within one hour of a larger city with amenities such as hospitals, etc.

[@OhPhuckYou]

The people that remain in these towns do not want newcomers to come. With an increased population comes increased taxes and drama. They're happy living in peace until these areas are retired. Some small towns make a comeback, but most choose or are forced to let the towns retire.

[@SusanHL]

Coach Wise, you have outdone yourself with these outtakes!! Beautiful drone shots, cool (art deco?) gymnasium, and OG Wiseguy background music to boot - so great!! 🌞

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Haha thanks! Elk County gave me a lot to work with in the outtakes 😂😂 that gym was so cool 😎

[@rosiemcnaughton9933]

Nicely maintained little towns, interesting old buildings, funny outhouses...Surprised that some of them still have a post office. I love the Elk Falls bridge and water fall. I saw some photos of it on Google maps when it has more water. It's beautiful. Thanks for the video. Oh, yes, love the goats and horses. 😁

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Thanks! Elk Falls is a fun place to visit!

[@clane1700]

I’m impressed too. Very clean and maintained towns. Beautiful. Thank you again!

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

I agree - thanks!

[@Lynevab]

Enjoyed the video. I am 75 year old from Elk Falls and still have local ties in Oak Valley, Longton, Elk Falls, Moline,.,. Nice presentation of our dying area.

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Awesome thank you!

[@Quitealways]

Nice little visit to Elk Falls. Small towns has offers of unique feature in special ways. Finally a Kansas brick street. I always look for those .

[@RonaldDailey-z8b]

If the government would bring back the Home Stead act. Some of these beautiful places can be saved

[@artgirten7818]

Great video John! Doing what you do best! The outtakes were a hoot

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Thank you - it was a fun day! Cool towns!

[@shirleymitchell1277]

It thrills me to witness you enjoying the "child within you." So many of us lose that as we age. The last elevated merry-go-round was actually called a "giant stride" back in the day. The trick was to have several children hanging from the bars then spinning one's body which then activated the "go-round".

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Trying to hang on to that as long as I can 😂

[@thoward4051]

I’m impressed with how pristine the towns appear to be given the obvious loss to the tax base. That’s certainly not the case everywhere in the USA. Thanks Coach!

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

I agree - definitely lots of effort put forth!

[@OhPhuckYou]

Something about Kansas Grandma's and Grandpa's. They take great pride in the areas they live in and will go out of their way to maintain their area. Even if it's not their property, they'll maintain it. The counties also do a good job with a Bush Hog. Small Town America is still beautiful and boastful.

[@davewinter2688]

Next time I drive through on 160 I hope I have time for side trips. I’ve already very familiar with Elk Falls and Longton. There is also the unincorporated village of Oak Valley east of Longton on 160. It has a cemetery. There is also Elk City farther east on U.S. 160 but it is in Montgomery County before you come to Independence.

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Yep Oak Valley was the first town in this video. Very nice school there!

[@davewinter2688]

@@TravelwithaWiseguy I must have not been paying close enough attention. Guess I have to watch again.

[@johnd1216]

The overhead death-go-round is called The Butterfly. We had one in North Attleboro in the 60s. It was dangerous, mainly for young children who were not strong enough to hang on vs. centrifugal force. They became projectiles. Led to abrasions, concussions and broken bones. But was fun. Won’t find them anymore, would be too many lawsuits.

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Thanks for the info - I can imagine there were a lot of injuries ouch!

[@Hobotraveler82]

Very interesting communities. Beautiful area. Learned one thing today Ghost need outhouses. 😂❤

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

😂😂

[@sdfry52]

You MISSED one of the best things about Elk Falls, the Frakes Rock Garden, 1896, and the Elk Falls Pottery, est. 1976, still operating today!

[@pigoff123]

When the swinging bridge fell in Heber Springs Arkansas my mother in Germany called to tell me it was on the news.

[@OhPhuckYou]

That's where my family is from. The saddest part of that was that Cleburne County did not assist in returning the bodies of their family members. The families had to come and load up their deceased children to bring them back for burial with their personal cars. There is a memorial at the remaining foundation of the swinging bridge that I always visit when I'm in Heber. The remains used to be a party spot for the local teenagers back in the 70's, along with Sugar Loaf Mountain. My dad has many stories involving the Swinging Bridge, a joint, a pretty girl, and Boston coming out of his 72 Novas 6X9s.

[@tinman7130]

Been thru Moline a couple decades ago out wandering on the Hawg. Spring time it was all pretty green. Like you I love to look at cemeteries. Always hoping to spot the white monuments for veterans. Loved the old school houses John. Elk county has some interesting survivors. Good job on this one John

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Thanks! This day had a lot to offer!

[@BrianMills-b8i]

I grew up on a ranch just outside of Grenola. Oktoberfest there is great fun! The first weekend of October every year!

[@CindyinArizona]

I really enjoy all of your videos. I write down the towns you go to, then do a little research on them. Very interesting history, kind of sad how most off the towns are dying off.

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

That’s really interesting you do that - very cool 😎

[@UMtiger311]

that was way more interesting than I was expecting.. lots of great finds!

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Thanks! I thought so too!

[@stephenrogers205]

Once again, another great video. I love Kansas and have relatives on both sides back to 1870s Sumner County. Hope you might get to Montgomery county.

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Would love to someday!

[@michaelgraves5188]

Another great video Coach! Keep doing what you do. ❤️🙏😎👍

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Thank you! Will do!

[@peterselten500]

Hi john cool towns so many death go rounds we all lived riding them an the rest of the stuff . Cheers mate🇦🇺

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Thanks for coming along for the ride!

[@rickybrown9383]

I live in Fredonia (Wilson Co.) and have been to Busby (we say it buzby) many times. You didn't show or talk about the artesian well there at the school? I have never not seen it flowing water in 50 + years. Enjoy your travels!

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Thanks! I didn’t see the well sorry.

[@bertholini2810]

I'm late, groceries, drug store, etc. Very nice Merry-go-Rounds ! Really pretty area there, good fishing I bet at some areas. Be good, be safe !!

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Thanks for catching up 😂

[@kcinks]

Very cool coach, this is a beautful piece of Kansas!

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Agreed thanks!

[@sdfry52]

Friday and Saturday BEFORE Thanksgiving, is the Elk Falls annual festival and self guided outhouse tour and contest, since 1996. It’s fun and quirky, actually lots to do, live band, great food, Elk Falls Pottery open house, quilt show, arts and crafts and if you’ve never been, You Just Gotta Go!

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Sounds fun!

[@BrianMills-b8i]

Part of our old home was part of the Greenfield church. A stained glass window was still in it but covered up. The house burned in the mid 1980’s.

[@Mikell-h2c]

Another great production WG keep up the good work❤

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Appreciate it! 😊

[@JenniferAlexander-yd6kj]

Finally got a chance to watch the last video of Elk County. It was a good one and provided a few laughs. Sure was interesting. I remember having to use an outhouse when I was little, but only for a short time till we got a bathroom built in our house. It was always kind of spooky for me.😂 Anyway, it was a fun time watching the last of Elk County. In fact, we are going to watch it again. Thanks for your videos and love the drone shots wherever you go. They give a good perspective of the territory.

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Thanks for watching twice! It was definitely a fun day of exploring!

[@mtgcardzandreview2756]

It's possible some of those cemeteries with the open space there could be unmarked graves.

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

True 👍🏼

[@senzanome8294]

Thanks for another great history trip back in time.

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

You bet!

[@brucefindley206]

My grandma lived in Grenola in through the 60s and 70s. Haven't been there since then. Nice to see it still standing! 🙂

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Very cool! 😎

[@brandenbender7557]

Thanks for the video. We’re gonna head to Monowi in the spring.👍🏽🍻🍺

[@warrensparks2709]

Meant to add I am a fan and thank you.

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Thanks!

[@stevehilliard1495]

Interesting video. One outhouse had a window, never seen that before. No dogs, I wouldn’t want to live there 😎😝

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

😂😂

[@stevehilliard1495]

@@logicthought25 I think the goats wish they could be dogs

[@aliceevans3377]

That first death go round proved you can't kill a death go round 😅 You could see examples of small town pride in the well kept little towns. The out houses were fun. Chelsea has out house races. One of the rules are they have to be occupied- one member sits on the throne and yells encouragement to the team mates. They wave a roll of toilet paper out the door as their teammates push them down the street. Small town fun. You found some good death go rounds and beautiful places. Safe travels and GOD bless

[@scotthall9157]

Thank you so much!!

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

You're welcome!

[@alexchaudhri2405]

Excellent work.

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Many thanks!

[@kcinks]

There is a huge outhouse celebration near Severy, not too far north.

[@kcinks]

I enjoyed part 2 a little more.

[@catherinefrancis5827]

Thank you for sharing your adventures 🙏🙏🥰🥰🇺🇸🇺🇸

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

My pleasure!

[@OnePieceatatimeranch]

That brick house in elk County looks like an old telephone operator house/telegraph

[@bigjimslade6250]

I think the aerial death go round is a Maypole. I have to agree about how well kept the towns are. When I drive across SE KS it seems that everything is fairly well maintained. Even if some old structures aren’t restored it seems someone has painted them or put a good roof over it etc. It can’t be easy to do that with the declining populations & the wind & dust.

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

I agree and I appreciate their efforts!

[@ThaneRogersPhoto]

Thanks John. I enjoyed both Elk County videos, especially the Elk Falls segment, where my dad grew up. I’m sad to have witnessed the gradual decline of the community over the last 60+ years. Some good memories though.

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Elk Falls is a really great little town to visit!

[@larryclark4791]

Interesting video, some of the old towns are kinda sad, but still trying 😢

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

For sure 😊

[@michaelporter9354]

Enjoy your travels through the Midwest

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Thanks Michael!

[@deborahross9974]

This was a interesting part of Elk County. And of course you just had to show the merry-go-rounds. Ha! Oh, John you're just a kid at heart. Ha! 😊 Happy trails to you and God bless.

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Trying to stay young at heart for as long as I can 😂

[@deborahross9974]

@@TravelwithaWiseguy Good for you. I hope you always will.. Happy trails to you and God bless.

[@deborahross9974]

@@TravelwithaWiseguy I forgot. Have you every heard of a town in Kansas called Oakley? I found it on my weather radar and looked it up. It encompasses three counties. It's West on highway 70 but has over two thousand population.. It sounded like an interesting town. Happy trails to you and God bless.

[@OnePieceatatimeranch]

A young mechanic with a family could move into a small community like that and let his kids play in the park and ride their bikes like kids used to and you’d have enough business if you were fixing tires and doing exhaust work and brakes because people have automobiles

[@stevemccoy8138]

The outhouse thing is kinda weird. I wonder if they are used.😅 All the playground stuff is Soooo COOL. 😊

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

They all smelled fine so I don’t think so 😂

[@edstipp9687]

13:29 13:29 and the kids were so good

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

😊

[@roberteshaw9520]

Hey Coach Power packed episode. Good still photos, the Busby school is a historical feature of note. These towns exude a very mellow vibe.I can see the road film on the vehicle from your travels, I give that a 10 for road film rating. If I may opine, The low rider Busby go round runs well but alas, a bug factor in your weeds factors in but, we like the low rider element, so, a9.0, just check for ticks after you ride. The green machine may have some ball bearing issues so,a 5.1 after we ran the data.Big Red, because of the excellent ride, a 9.5 and that only because of the weed factor, other wise we are looking @ a potential 10! In closing, some of the best road film as yet, keep up the good work!

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Thanks! Can’t argue with those ratings - well done 😊

[@TheScottab]

John, have you attended the annual out house tour in Elk Falls before?

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

I haven’t but it sounds fun!

[@shelliecollier7017]

As always a nicely informative video 😊

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Thank you 😊

[@juliogonzales5441]

GREAT CLEAN TOWNS 😊Oʻ

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Agreed!

[@jasonbadman8518]

Was right next to my house. Lol

[@asimplehorseman4648]

I still use an outhouse. A 3 sided outhouse. At 20 below its quite the spiritual experience(lol). Liked the few old pieces of machinery. Maybe you could show those more often? Thanks for sharing.

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Wow that would be an experience!!

[@asimplehorseman4648]

@@TravelwithaWiseguy "Builds character".

[@sandiewilliams238]

Coach, way back when, if you were ever doing some hard time in that jail...I would have periodically brought you care packages. I wouldn't bring any contraband though, no matter how many times you asked me. I guess you could have hooked up with Bonnie Parker and made a great escape! 😉

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

I appreciate the thought 😂😂

[@nadenolam8368]

Elk falls, been there many times.

[@kcinks]

The very white dirt roads are not often seen in KS.....Limestone roads I'm guessing

[@robertbenson9797]

A kid could really crash and burn off the slide with no rails. Maybe “ Death Go Down”?

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

😂😂

[@justnerdystuff]

I found out why some towns you go to have no history or anything, but your map says they were there. Apparently, map makers (like the one you use) make up fictional towns in the middle of nowhere, so that if someone tries to copy their map with that fake town they will know that their map has been plagiarized.

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Interesting 🤔

[@Federalwaywebbs]

The gym was awesome

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Absolutely I agree!

[@keithkraushaar8127]

Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you that distant runners are the best 😂😂😂

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

😂😂

[@keithkraushaar8127]

@@TravelwithaWiseguy let me know when you come to KSU.

[@williammatzek4660]

John young people leave small towns for the higher paying jobs. I like small town life. Several of my uncles moved to the Parsons area farm land is cheaper there , then south central Kansas. Have a good day!

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Thank you!

[@ronfullerton3162]

The outhouse capital of the world took me back to years past. Yep, I got to experience that life style. And I guarantee you that there were times of the year that you didn't waste much time reading a magazine while there. The winter time, who doesn't want to bare their behind to the zero degree temps? And i. The summer, things got a little close inside there! My poor city cousins didn't look forward to answering the call of nature while visiting us on the farm. One coysin even asked me just a few years ago, "How did your family ever stand to live out there?" I could only answer that was the only way we knew. Thise same city cousins didn't think that taking a bath in the milk room of the barn was very exciting either. Awwww, the good old days! John, if you like the swinging bridges, and you get to Louisa County, Iowa. Di not miss the one in Columbus Junction. It spans 262 feet across a deep and narrow ravine, and you are up in the trees growing from the ground below. Another nice video of a beautiful area with so many interesting stops along the way! Thanks again as always!

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Great story 😂😂 sounds like a heckuva bridge - thanks for the tip!

[@warrensparks2709]

Try not to say "you know." Was hard for me too.

[@imanutnur7]

You should have picked up the American flag..

[@esse1900]

My old Girl Scout heart noticed that too. Never let the flag touch the ground. But times change. The flag is now a seasonal decoration and a fashion accessory. No fault to John.