Wilmington, Kansas

Wilmington is an unincorporated community in Wabaunsee County, Kansas, United States.^[1] It is located approximately four miles south of Harveyville.

Wilmington, Kansas
Unincorporated community
Main road in Wilmington
Wilmington Show map of Kansas Wilmington Show map of the United States
Coordinates: 38°44′40.02″N 95°57′33.96″W[1]
Country	United States
State	Kansas
County	Wabaunsee
Organized	1858 [2]
Elevation [1]	1,178 ft (359 m)
Time zone	UTC-6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
FIPS code	20-79515
GNIS ID	484884 [1]

History

A post office was opened in Wilmington in 1857 and a stone church and school opened in 1870. Wilmington initially hosted 30 houses, two stores, a blacksmith, two doctors, a wagon shop and a hotel. The town met its demise when the Manhattan, Burlingame & Alma Railroad was built through Harveyville. Shortly after many businesses moved away and the population dwindled. The post office closed in 1906 and by 1910 the population had fallen to 69. The school closed in 1950, but still stands today.^[3]

Wilmington was a stop on the Santa Fe Trail.^[4]

Wilmington, 1901

Stone schoolhouse (2021)

Education

The community is served by Mission Valley USD 330 public school district.

References

1. "Wilmington, Kansas", Geographic Names Information System, United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior
2. "Extinct Towns of Wabaunsee County". Legends of Kansas. Retrieved November 19, 2023.
3. "Kansas Post Offices, 1828-1961". Kansas Historical Society. Archived from the original on October 9, 2013. Retrieved June 27, 2014.
4. "Extinct Towns of Wabaunsee County, Kansas". Legends of Kansas. Retrieved November 19, 2023.

Further reading

See also: List of books about Wabaunsee County, Kansas

External links

• Wabaunsee County maps: Current, Historic, KDOT