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Unincorporated Communities
...located in Ottawa County |
Ada, Kansas
39.1514° N, 97.8892° W
39.1514° N, 97.8892° W
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Ada is a little off the beaten path today, but like most Kansas towns, it owes it origins largely to the railroad.
In its heyday, Ada boasted a hotel, stores offering all the essential goods and services, and five churches. Today, there are 36 homes, an elevator and a very active Community Center. |
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Niles, Kansas
38.9694° N, 97.4628° W
38.9694° N, 97.4628° W
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About two dozen homes populate Niles, near the banks of the Solomon River where the County’s earliest settlers homesteaded.
A ferry of sorts would get wagons across the river. Later, it would be the railroad that brought growth and commerce Unfortunately, Interstate 70 was built five miles south of Niles, convenient for today’s residents, but not within sight of motorists passing the Niles exit. The Old School is the hub of activities in Niles, now home to the local Community/Senior Center. |
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Wells, Kansas
39.1389° N, 97.5509° W
39.1389° N, 97.5509° W
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Though only about 16 homes in Wells are inhabited today, it once was an important rail depot for the thousands of cattle that were fattened up in the surrounding grasslands after their long journey up the Chisolm Trail to Abilene.
In the early 1930s, cowboys were outnumbered by Spiritualist believers when the Sunset Spiritualist Camp was relocated from the Delphos area to Wells. The worldwide Spiritualist religious movement was peaking at that time; hundreds would arrive in Delphos and, later, in Wells by train to attend séances and lectures promoting the belief that it was possible to contact spirits of the dead to gain knowledge and guidance. Today, regular Sunday services are held at Sunset Church and each June a week-long Camp attracts participants for classes and lectures by spiritualist mediums, psychics, healers and body workers. |
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