Small Town Kansas: Chelsea
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Chelsea Township, Near El Dorado, Kansas
I recently met online, Monte Manka, an 83 year old poet, who writes about his childhood memories of Chelsea. His poems made me curious about Chelsea, so I started to research it. With only a sparse population of 190, it's virtually a ghost town. Actually the town itself is under the expanded El Dorado Lake, with some residents still living in the boundaries of the township. Here's what I was able to find out about Chelsea, Kansas.
Locating Chelsea on the Map
This Book Includes Chelsea
Ghost Towns of Kansas: Volume Two
Amazon Price: $18.09 (as of 05/30/2012)
This is the second volume in the Ghost Towns of Kansas series. Originally published in 1979, this 30th anniversary reissue documents the histories of a hundred exciting Kansas ghost towns that grew, prospered, and died. This volume received numerous awards and accolades after it was released, including six related news emmy nominations and a rock album. The 30th anniversary reissue has been lovingly edited and it includes a brand new introduction by the author. The book has been out of print for over twenty years.
History of Butler County, Kansas
Poems about Chelsea
by Monte Manka
Blacksmith - Cooking with the Smith's by suburbanscenes
The Chelsea, Kansas Blacksmith
Up 13 highway
To the east of our Chelsea farm
Lived a blacksmith by the name of Orlando Buchanan
With a shop that was extremely warm.
When Dad and I arrived at the shop
You could hear the clanging of the hammer
Hitting against the Anvil
While he was molding Plowshares for some farmer.
I marveled at this large man
When I was just a kid
His arms were big and muscled
To do the work he did.
(to read the whole poem, click on the title of the poem below)
- The Chelsea Kansas Blacksmith
- Poem: The Chelsea Kansas Blacksmith - Writer: Monte Leon Manka. Year: 1930.
- Monte Leon Manka (born 1926)
- See the complete list of Monte Manka's poems about Chelsea and the years of the Great Depression on the Our Echo website. Reading the poems takes you back to the Dust Bowl era.
- Writers at Eighty and Ninety
- I have great admiration for writers who continue their craft into their eighties and nineties. Writing is something that fits quite well into a senior lifestyle. By the time a person reaches an advanced age, they have a lot of living and a wide range of experience to share with younger generations.
- The Old-Fashioned Pie Supper
- I was intrigued by octogenarian, Monte Manka's poem about his courting failure at a 1930's pie supper. Vaguely I knew of pie suppers and box suppers, where an auction was held. The winning bidder got to eat with the girl who made the pie or prepared the box supper. Sometimes the bidding was high for
- The Chelsea Kid - Monte Manka
- Monte Manka grew up in Chelsea, Kansas in the 1930s. Now in his eighties, he records his memories in poems and essays for future generations to understand what it was like in those days.
Books and Pictures about the Flint Hills of Kansas
Chelsea is located on the edge of the Flint Hills
History of Chelsea
Kansas Flag by usaflags
View other Kansas Bags
- The Early History of Chelsea
- from chapter 8 of History of Butler County, Kansas by Vol. P. Mooney, published in 1916
- CHELSEA PHOTOS -Submitted by Tim Peal Hummell
- Thiis is a picture of the church in Chelsea with Tim's Great Grandmother Estella " Carter" Peal taken in 1959. Estella and William R. Peal were married in the church in 1897. The church was built in 1888.
Chelsea School house (click on Chelsea photos above to see it all)
My Web Pages about Kansas
Kansas Wheat by okduster
View other cards on zazzle.com
Photos of Chelsea
Loaned by Monte Leon Manka
Monte Manka and his brother in the wheat field, south of their home - 1934
Manka Family Farm
Click on a photo to see it larger.
Church group on the front steps of the Chelsea Church 1920s
Chelsea Photos - Groups
Click on a photo to see it larger
Chelsea Cemetery Vandalized
- Cemetery Vandalism Angers Butler County Residents
- Vandals have struck one of the oldest and most historic cemeteries in Kansas, toppling more than 80 headstones.
- The spirit of a community - El Dorado, KS - El Dorado Times
- At least 150 volunteers and professionals turned out Saturday at Chelsea Cemetery to set up head stones and clean during a work day organized to repair the cemetery following the vandalism earlier this summer.
“I know a lot of people that are buried there, Aunts, Uncles, Mom and little Brother. Monte Manka”
Poems about Chelsea, Kansas in the 1930s
by Monte Manka
Can You Add to Our Information about Chelsea?
Please Sign Our Guest Book - Hand with Quill Pen by AntiqueImages
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Ms_Appleseed
Jul 16, 2011 @ 10:02 pm | delete
- Where I live a town of 190 people is a pretty lively place. Our town has around 40 people in it and we do not consider it a ghost town by any means! It is like living in the country with some of your friends.
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Andrew
Aug 28, 2010 @ 12:42 pm | delete
- I grew up in El Dorado, and I can't verify with documentation, but Chelsea was flooded over when they made the El Dorado lake. The cementary is still there, and there is a bridge dubbed "chelsea bridge" that was a fun spot for teens to jump off into the lake (though technically not allowed... never stopped me :) I have heard that there is a school house and some train cars under the lake from Chelsea.
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Matt
May 22, 2010 @ 10:15 pm | delete
- Accoding to Google Maps, Chesea is underwater, under El Dorado Lake. I don't think there's anything there anymore.
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Chris
Jul 26, 2010 @ 2:52 pm | delete
- That is also what I have heard. I can not find any info to supprt the fact that it was flooded by the lake though.
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heytoto
Mar 5, 2010 @ 7:31 pm | delete
- I'm enjoying this very much! Just had time to dip my toes into it this visit, so I'll come back and read deeper when I have more time later.
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A Worthy Charity
The Food For Everyone Foundation's mission is to teach and assist families everywhere to grow successful and sustainable vegetable gardens, and really enjoy the experience.
by vallain
I'm Virginia Allain, a retired librarian. Now I devote myself to writing, photography and designing books to self-publish. Having fun!
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