It's no secret that my current work in progress revolves around the railroad. In my research I found an interesting article involving some of the smaller towns along the railroad south of Topeka. Our first stop will be Wakarusa. According the article, the Santa Fe Railroad brought supplies to the end of the railroad near Wakarusa on May 15, 1869. By June 28, 1869, the tracks reached Carbondale an up and coming coal mine.

Wakarusa is a very small town situated on the Wakarusa River. What homes are left are tucked behind the trees. This small area actually reminds me of some places in the Ozarks. As my daughter and I were driving through town, all one and a half blocks of it, I took some pictures. It wasn't until after I got home that I realized one of the elongated abandoned buildings was more than likely the old depot, although I can't be for sure. But the building did look similar to many of the pictures of seen of other train depots along the railroads.

One of the things I found very interesting was found in the article and there is no way I can explain it so I'll quote it all below. You can click on the quote to take you directly to the article. The non-italicized area is what I found interesting.

Locomotive number 2 (first number 2) was purchased from the Rhode Island Locomotive works in Providence about the middle of June, 1869. "It was named Gen. Burnside after the Civil War general, Ambrose E. Burnside, who was governor of Rhode Island, an officer of the locomotive works which manufactured it, and a stockholder in the Santa Fe as well as in the construction company building the road". The number two a 4-4-0 like number one cost $11,500. First number two was quite a contrast to first number one. Number two weighted in at only 26 1/2 tons in comparison to number ones 30 tons. It was reported that Number two had to get a running start to make it up the Wakarusa hill with four or five cars. This was a problem since the Santa Feâs water supply for the locomotives was the Wakarusa river at the bottom of the hill. Fuel for number two was wood, which complicated the fuel situation, as number one was a coal burner.




Typical Kansas. A lone tree on a hill.
I love the how the trees arch over the road way.
Here we are heading toward the low water bridge. It's fun and beautiful when the water is actually flowing. But when it's still, it becomes stagnant, it turns muddy and sometimes it stinks.
We didn't spend too much time here since there was a couple target practicing with a shotgun.



This is a stream off the Wakarusa.
I have no idea how old this bridge but my imagination went wild. Can't you just see an old wagon traveling over this stone bridge on their way to church?