Toddling Through Kansas: Trego County

Ogallah

Ogallah is a tiny unincorporated community, marked by a number of old and abandoned buildings, some modest homes down gravel roads, and Ogallah Christian Church. Just down the road, you can visit the lovely historic Emanuel Lutheran Church.

Trego Center

Trego Center apparently became a settlement in 1904, but there's not much left of it today. Zion Lutheran Church still stands, along with the remains of a few buildings on the other side of the highway.

Collyer

Collyer is a small town of about 97 people just west of WaKeeney. It has grain elevators, a cemetery, St. Michael's church and school, a park, post office, a Depot Square, and a number of empty store fronts.

Not a lot was going on, so we sat on a bench, took a look around, and got back on the road.

WaKeeney

WaKeeney is a remarkably big town, at least for Trego County. At first, the name sounds like something from a Native American language, but it's not! According to TravelKs.com:

The site for the city of WaKeeney was selected in 1879 by the Chicago Land Company of A.E. Warren and J.F. Keeney. The developers combined their last names to form the unique name of their new city. The developers planned for their city to become “the Queen City of the High Plains” and had grand ideas, including the 80-foot wide brick streets which remain today.

We used WaKeeney as a base of operations for this trip. We stayed in the charming Prairie Rose Inn, which was cute, comfortable, and very affordable. The town has a lot going on, with many restaurants, businesses, and a county courthouse.

One reason for the town's large size is probably I-70, which parts ways here from US-40 as they each make their own way up the eastern slope of the Rockies.

There's a jet just chilling on the lawn in front of the Prairie Rose Inn.

We loved the colorful painted town sign downtown!

WaKeeney has its own little North Pole district. It prides itself as being "The Christmas city of the high plains." Even in May, this city utility drop box was still very much in tune with the holiday spirit!