Church and Building South of Ft. Scott

[SweetTater78]

We found a neat little church along highway 69, south of Ft. Scott, on the east side of the road.

We also found a building, just south of the church about 1/2 mile. Does anyone know what the building is??? A friend of mine said he thought it looks like a Municipal Building (power plant, waste water, or something) and a co-worker thought it looks like an old gym for a school.

[SubLunar]

It's about time someone from Kansas started posting.

[GlassCurtain]

I've passed that building a lot. Every time I do I formulate a plan of entry. I think I might check it out this weekend if it's nice. Any idea of what it was used for tater?

[SweetTater78]

Thanks SubLunar! We are ready for our next outing...may have to stay in Wichita this weekend, though...as they keep saying the "S" word....snow!!

I haven't a clue, GlassCurtain. There was a structure behind it...I don't know if it was like a lean-to or something. To me, it has the looks of a school-type building. I just looked at www.maps.live.com (because Google Maps sucks when it comes to Southeast KS), and it looks like there is one other building behind the main one. It would be hard for me to believe that its a Municipal building. Unless it's a pump station of some sorts.

We were glad we left when we did...just a 1/2 mile down the road, we passed the Bourbon Co. Sherriff. We didn't tresspass or anything...just looking. There are "No Tresspassing" signs everywhere!!

[SubLunar]

I was in Wichita about 14 years ago visiting a friend and we explored a huge abandoned grain elevator. I wonder if it's still there...

[Maxzillian]

Yeah, I've seen that brick building before, but never had the chance to stop and look. It still gets the best of my curiosity.

[SweetTater78]

One of my other co-workers had me show him an ariel view of that building....he seems to think it's an old power plant because he said it looks like an old strip mine to the east of the building. Beats me....until i can have a look in the door...I haven't a clue LOL

[SweetTater78]

SubLunar...I wonder which grain elevator you are referring to? Do you remember if it was in town or outside of town?

[Maxzillian]

Well, I found a topo map for the area. Sadly the building isn't identified, but it did exist since at least 1978. Oddly the large mined area is hardly shown. Some of the later topo maps of the area don't even display the building. Anyway, considering the size, I have my doubts about it being a power station. Surely some sort of smoke stack would remain if it were.

[The10ck]

Is this place located between Fern road and CR-56 road? Would be nice if maps.live would give a 3D birds eye of the area.

[AceKadet]

The brick building was a Southwestern Bell/AT&T office. Seems like it was a substation of sorts, maybe housed switching or relays. It was active up into the early/mid 90's. These days, the equipment that building used to house can be fitted into a "hut". Ah, progress.


The "church" was a school, I believe. I do remember it was used by a 4-H group up into the eighties. There used to be some really neat ruins of mid-nineteenth century stone farm houses along the east side of that stretch of 69. I'm pretty sure they're all long gone. The last one standing wasn't much more than a pile of rocks and a wall or two fifteen-twenty years ago.

[RobertB94]

I know this is an old topic but I just wanted to say I've been in the old Bell building. It's really nothing extraordinary anymore, been abandoned by all but hobos for years. Lots of trash, mildew and mold. The old church had a fire and destroyed a good portion of it. As for the old grain elevator at 54&69 highways, the metal is rusted away on the ladders so we can't get to the top anymore. Used to be an initiation of sorts to climb up and jump the 3-5 foot gap between the bins.