This is an incomplete list of ghost towns in the state of Kansas. Many of the sites listed here are on private property and may be dangerous or illegal to visit. Inquire with local authorities or property owners for access to these places.
There are many factors and reasons as to why a town becomes abandoned (or nearly abandoned). A ghost town can be defined as "a town or community that at one time had a commercial or population center, and is either wholly abandoned or faded greatly from its peak, and now is just a shadow of its former self" or basically a "town that is a shadowy remnant of what it once was". There are several reasons why a town ceases to exist.
Transportation – With the development of major highways and interstates, people were willing to travel farther for goods and services causing local businesses in smaller towns to lose customers and ultimately close. The more businesses that close the more people are apt to want to move away to a bigger town. Transportation has played a major role in settlement in Kansas. As traffic from the Oregon and Santa Fe Trails increased, towns boomed along them. When railroads were established towns developed along the tracks or even moved to where the tracks were.
Politics – In Kansas, the political atmosphere was highly divided. Towns were either pro-slavery or abolitionist. When Kansas became a free state in 1861, pro-slavery towns died out. Survival of a town also depended on if it won the county seat. Towns that were contenders for the county seat and lost typically saw most, if not all, of their town die out.
Industry/employment – Towns that catered to a specific industry like coal mining or military housing were boom towns that quickly died when their markets collapsed. Some towns were abandoned in the 1930s during the Dust Bowl period which mainly relied on Agriculture.
Schools – Schools can serve as a place of civic pride. Towns that lose their local school to consolidation can no longer root for their home team. When a school district is closed and students moved to another district, the remaining abandoned school just adds insult to injury.
National economic depressions - There have been several economic depressions and recessions that have wiped towns off the map. As people lose their jobs or have to move because of another job, towns lose population.
Eminent domain / flood control – Since 1951, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have sought to control floods through the building of dams along rivers and the resulting outcome is a town having to be moved or abandoned and demolished.
Environmental degradation – remnants of lead and zinc mining can cause soil contamination that can render entire communities uninhabitable; e.g. Treece, Kansas.
