Pearl, Kansas

Pearl is an unincorporated rural area in Dickinson County, Kansas, United States.

History

1915 Railroad Map of Dickinson County

Pearl was founded in 1887 when John Taylor offered the Rock Island Railroad a right-of-way through his property. Taylor named the new depot after his youngest daughter. In 1890, Taylor's son, Clarence Taylor, built the first grain elevator in Pearl. The current concrete elevator was built by the Pearl Cooperative Association in 1954. The Pearl Coop consolidated with the Alida Coop in Chapman on January 1, 1994 to become the Alida Pearl Cooperative Association.

During its height, Pearl also boasted a creamery station, blacksmith/garage, general store, implement dealership, and stock yards. From 1890-1935, Pearl operated its own post office. With the consolidation of the Pearl and Big Bonanza school districts in 1902, Pearl School, Union #1 became one of the first consolidated schools in Kansas. The school was a large two story, native stone building on the main street. For several years, two years of high school were offered at Pearl. The school also boasted what is possibly the first bus system in the state. The school closed in 1954.

When the new school opened, a Methodist Sunday School and Church were formed and met in the school. In 1949, the congregation merged with the church in Enterprise. After World War I, the men of the Pearl community tore down surplus barracks at Fort Riley and used the wood to build a hall and gymnasium. The building was opened in 1922. Both the gym and school were auctioned off in 1957; neither building remains.

The Rock Island served the area for many years until the company ceased operation in 1980. The track was then used by various rail lines until being abandoned in the mid-1990s. While part of the line was scraped, the remaining track from Abilene to Woodbine has been purchased by the Abilene and Smoky Valley Railroad. All that remains in Pearl today are the tracks, the elevator, and the ruins of a solitary stone house.

See also

• Abilene and Smoky Valley Railroad

Further reading

• "Past and Present Towns of Dickinson County, Kansas" Hellen Dingler-Dickinson County Historical Society, 1999

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pearl, Kansas.

• Dickinson County Map, KDOT

v t e Municipalities and communities of Dickinson County, Kansas, United States County seat: Abilene Cities Abilene Carlton Chapman Enterprise Herington‡ Hope Manchester Solomon‡ Woodbine Townships Banner Buckeye Center Cheever Flora Fragrant Hill Garfield Grant Hayes Holland Hope Jefferson Liberty Lincoln Logan Lyon Newbern Noble Ridge Rinehart Sherman Union Wheatland Willowdale CDPs Detroit Talmage Other unincorporated communities Buckeye Dillon Elmo Holland Industry‡ Lyona Navarre Pearl Shady Brook Stoney Sutphen Upland Footnotes ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

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Coordinates: 38°51′06″N 97°02′39″W / 38.85167°N 97.04417°W / 38.85167; -97.04417