Abandoned Kansas

10/09/2026

Location: Holland Hotel RESTORED into BrickStone Lofts
Full History: https://abandonedks.com/holland-hotel/
Short History: The Holland Hotel is one of those touching stories that remind you that our historic buildings, even ones abandoned, can be restored to contribute another 100 years of history to our communities. Buildings like this serve as a map of where we've been, where we stopped, and where we can go.

George W. Holland came to Russell in 1888 after establishing himself as a lawyer in Illinois. Now, when George settled here, he was mainly practicing law and even became County Attorney for a period of time. It was during this time that he began saving his money and living what many considered frugal but not stingy.

But he soon took on a different mindset; instead of just living in Russell, he began investing in it. It wasn't long before he had a lengthy list of interests in Russell County, from wheat farms, residential properties within the city, and a large business block named "The Holland Block". He also had a hand in establishing the Russell Milling Co, Farmers State Bank, Modern Woodmen Lodges, and the Russell Telephone Company.

The first child born in Russell was Helen Benway on Sep 12, 1871, to Mr. and Mrs. John Benway, who arrived at Fossil Station (now Russell) in June, 1871. Commemorating the birth of Helen/her parents were presented by the townsite company with a deed to lot 6, block 87. The lot was known as the "Baby Lot" in honor of the first child born in the new community. This lot would later be purchased by Mr. Holland and become the site of the Hotel Holland.

09/25/2026

Location: Idana School
Full History: https://abandonedks.com/idana-school/
Short History: The Works Progress Administration, also known as the WPA, came here in 1941 to replace the earlier Idana School. This new building, officially known as the Idana Grade School, was made of concrete and had two classrooms, one held classes from first through 4th, and the other was for grades fifth through eighth.

The school was accepted by the community with a dedication ceremony that August. Kansas WPA administrator Clarence G. Nevins spoke. The community enjoyed a picnic dinner and shared stories and histories of the former school and town.

This brand new school didn't just mean upgraded facilities for the students, but marked the beginning of many upgrades for the district. Students were able to have hot lunches, finally, thanks to the WPA as well.

Each classroom had one teacher who would then teach the four grade groups. Teachers back then were only given a contract on a per-year basis and were paid roughly $90-100 a month. Unlike other public schools, the Idana Grade School was a subscription school. Students paid an annual tuition of $48.

09/11/2026

Location: Eskridge Grade School
Full History: https://abandonedks.com/eskridge-grade-school/ ‎
Short History: The beautiful and now abandoned Eskridge Grade School was designed by none other than Thomas W. Williamson & Co. Thomas W. Williamson was a well-known architect in this area of Kansas and had designed a handful of other schools like Paola, Junction City and Bird City. It was so beautiful that the newspapers even back then said "the board should be complimented on their taste for the architectural beauty and convenience of this structure."

Designed with brown brick and arched stone entryways, the school held grades K-8th grade in this building and their final years of schooling in the Eskridge High School. The school officially opened in the fall of 1921 with an enrollment of 134. William Wilson as principal. The teachers for that year were June Kersey, Comella Logan, and Kitty Ellis. Just two years later, the school would receive the high honor of being a "superior school." These honors were only given to sixty schools in the state, about one per county.

A jubilee celebration was held on December 14, 1923, to commemorate the high honor and the students and faculty who earned it. State Inspector Grace Snyder even commented that Eskridge Grade School was the best school she had ever been in during her tenure.

But outside of the look and qualifications of the school on a state level, at the community level, the school was a community center. When kids needed supplies, food sales or bake-offs were held to raise money to get them. If there was a program or games, the community showed up. Local doctors would even come directly to the school to administer vaccines instead of making them come to an office.

09/05/2026

We are so proud of the team at Meyer Landmark for taking on this project that many doubted. It’s a perfect example that a lot of these vacant and historic buildings only need one person with a vision to start the domino and get a project going.

Check out our Youtube to watch the full documentary we did on this beautiful restoration!

🏡Every unit at Meyer Landmark now has someone calling it home! What started as the Stamey Hotel in 1923 is now a neighborhood again. Thank you to everyone who believed in this building before it was ready to be believed in!

08/28/2026

Location: Sellens Pool Hall
Full History: https://abandonedks.com/sellens-pool-hall/
Short History: Sellens Pool Hall, also known as Sellens Recreation, was created in the 1920s. At the time, an upward trend was beginning for recreation parlors/pool halls. These were mostly male-dominated social spaces that consisted of smoke, billiard tables, b**r and, oftentimes, under-the-table betting.

As Russell became more populated, Sellens got more popular. Around 1935, Sellens was looking to go bigger and better. They envisioned a brand new two-story recreation hall with a second-story bowling alley. They left the above location and moved into the new one in 1936.

The area looks a bit different today than it once did. Today, when you approach Sellens Pool Hall, you wouldn't even begin to imagine the thousands of memories the townspeople carry of this place. Or what hides on the second floor.

As you walk into Sellens, you begin to imagine the pool tables, the laughter, the camaraderie. An escape from everyday life, a place to go and de-stress from the rest of the world. But on the second floor is where most of the magic lies, covered in a thick layer of dust. The bowling alley was the heart of Sellens, which is evident by the many mementos on the wall from the American Bowling Congress certifications dating back to the 1940s. Shoes still stuffed in boxes, cubbies lining the wall, and pins still on the alleys. Tom Glick laughingly remembered, "Lonnie Phillips, Bobby Wright, and I snuck up to the bowling alley in about '64. We rolled a couple of balls, then realized with the noise, we were caught--so we ran like hell!"

08/14/2026

Location: Franklin School
Full History: https://abandonedks.com/franklin-school/
Short History: Located in a suburb known as Argentine, the Argentine Board of Education purchased land from the Kansas Town Company in 1898 for a new school. Local builder Will A. Drollinger was quoted as being "the only bidder in Argentine" and was hired.

The new school was named through a local fundraising process in which citizens of the district could pay five cents to vote on one of four names. The Argentine Board of Education gave them the options: Greeley, Franklin, Irving, and Whittier. The name Franklin received the most votes, and the money collected was used to purchase a flag for the school.

By September 1898, the four-room Franklin School was occupied by four teachers and students in grades one through eight. Each teacher would teach two grades in their rooms. The first principal was Alice Beckwith.

The community of Argentine was annexed into Kansas City in 1910, making the Franklin School officially a part of the Kansas City School District. This led to a redistribution of children, and the building was no longer suitable for the number enrolled. The same year, a six-room addition was built onto the school by Thompson and Pixley Contractors.

07/31/2026

Location: German American Bank - Great Bend
Full History Here: https://abandonedks.com/german-american-bank-great-bend/
Short History: "There is no more important criterion by which to judge the commercial stability of a community than the rise and progress of her banking institutions." It is seldom that this statement is wrong. When it was announced that the German American Bank would be working to establish itself as one of the best banking institutions in Great Bend, Kansas, capital began being sold. An initial $100,000 was subscribed, and it was said that the capital could have been subscribed two or three times over with how many people wanted to buy the stock but never got the chance.

Fred Wolf moved a frame building that used to be a shooting gallery into the middle of the street for the bank to take occupancy while this building was being constructed next door. They spent $30 to purchase and move a used safe, got a second-hand adding machine and typewriter, some pens and ink, and a few journals.

The newly incorporated German American Bank set out to establish one of the most beautiful buildings in Great Bend at the time. The lobby floor was made of Tennessee marble, while the lower half of the counter and window casings were of Italian marble. The woodwork and furniture throughout the building were all mahogany and oak.

06/23/2026

The Kansas Department of Commerce announced on Monday that it is giving a $65,000 grant to the Kanopolis Drive-In Theatre, which will help it continue to operate.

The theater's digital projector broke last year, cutting their season short. The community fundraised for months to purchase a new 4K laser projector.

02/20/2026

Location: Simpson Depot
History: This small frame building, hidden in the trees along the railroad, is the Simpson Depot. Relatively no history could be found on this particular depot, although it was a Union Pacific Depot.

While I can't confirm this is the same building, a newspaper from 1913 detailed a depot being built at Simpson for a cost of $700. This would have been a reasonable cost for the frame building, leading me to believe this is referencing this building.

https://abandonedks.com

02/06/2026

Location: Roosevelt Junior High School (DEMOLISHED)
Read Full History: https://abandonedks.com/roosevelt-junior-high-school/ ‎
Snippet of History: The new Roosevelt Junior High School was ready for occupancy at the beginning of the 1927 school year. Opening enrollment was just over 400 students. Roosevelt was the first school in the city to have only junior high grades, 7th-9th, in the building. Announcements to build two other strict junior high schools, Curtis and Boswell, were planned for the following spring. Newspapers indicate George Guerther as the contractor.

In the opening year, a newspaper was established by the school body, called the Roosevelt Rough Rider. It had a circulation of about 300, with more than half the school getting subscriptions. The mascot of the school carried the same name and had the colors yellow and teal-blue.

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