Historical Directory of Kansas Towns [W]

WaKeeney (Trego)--Trego; K.P. R.R.;
Wakeman--Norton; 
Wabaunsee--Wabaunsee; 
Waconda--Mitchell; 
Wade--

Wadsworth Mound--Anderson; Ten miles from Garnett is Wadsworth
Mound, which was used as a lookout by the Indians and later by
John Brown, the famed abolitionist.

Wagonda--Osborne; on south fork of Solomon River;
Wagstaff--Miami; W. R. Wagstaff, pioneer
Wakarusa River Crossing--Oregon Trail
Wakarusa--A.T.S.F. R.R.
Wakefield--Clay; primary English settlement in Kansas;
Waldeck--Marion; C.R.I.P. R.R. 1887; German name; 
Waldron--Harper; Howard D. Waldron, postmaster
Walker--Elk; J. E. Walker, pioneer
Walker--Ellis; named after Pioneer; K.P. R.R.;
Wallace--Wallace; founded in 1865; 1870 K.P. R.R.;

Walnut Grove--Doniphan; P.O. 1856-62, Grandison Wilson,
postmaster; moved near Bayne's Bridge, exact location uncertain;
discontinued 1870.

Walnut/Walnut Station--Crawford; 1877 Walnut Station shortened
its name to Walnut; Fowler family contributed land for a local
cemetery (Fowler Cemetery) located in Walnut Grove Township
section 33, 6.5 m. east of Erie; M.K.T. R.R.

Walton--Harvey; A.T.S.F. R.R.; James Walton, merchant;

Wamego--Pottawatomie; Oregon Trail; Smoky Hill Trail; division of
K.P. R.R. moved here April 3, 1870;

Wannamaker--Shawnee; C.R.I.P. R.R. 1887;
Wano--Cheyenne; it only lived eight years but it was a roaring 
metropolis; 

Waseca--Johnson; name changed to Holliday; S.F. R.R.;
Washington City--Washington; founded in 1860; M.P. R.R. Central Branch;
Water Scrape; Santa Fe Trail Jornada Route; Middle Crossing

Waterville--Marshall; site of organization of Osborne, Kansas by
Pennsylvania Dutch Company; located on Little Blue River; 
M.P. R.R. Central Branch;

Wathena--Doniphan; 
Watson--Shawnee; George H. Watson, postmaster

Waverly--Coffey; 

Way--A.T.S.F. R.R.
Wayne--Republic; 
Wayside--Montgomery; Oil boom town; 
Webber--Jewell; Dan Webber, townsite owner;
Webster--Rooks County 
Weir City--Cherokee
Welch--
Welda--Anderson; German name; 
Wellington--Sumner; established in 1871.
Wells--S.F. R.R.; 
Wellsford--Kiowa; C.R.I.P. R.R. 1887; named after Colonel C.D. 
Wellsford, town promoter; 
Wellsville--S.F. R.R.;
Weskan (Monotony)--Wallace; K.P. R.R.

West Mineral--Cherokee; founded in 1896 as a mining town; 
Westmoreland--Pottawatomie; Oregon Trail; Rock Creek Crossing
south of Westmoreland. 
Weston--Geary (Davis); Liberty Township;
Westphalia--Anderson; German name; named after Westphalia, IA; 
Westport Landing--Wyandotte; Santa Fe Trail;
Westwood--
Westwood Hills--

Wetmore--Nemaha; M.P. R.R. Central Branch;
   I am trying to find the birthplace of my grandfather. The name
   that appears on my uncle's birth certificate dated April 16, 1918 is
   Witmore or Wetmore Kansas. My grandfather's name may appear as W.C.
   Handley or Carl Robert Handley. 
[Terry Handley (thandley@bellsouth.net) contributed this information.]

Wheatland--Nemaha;
Wheaton--
Wheeler--Cheyenne; named after Pioneer; 
White City (Swedeland)--Morris; M.K.T. R.R. 1868; C.R.I.P. R.R. May 1887; 
Whitehead--
Whiteside (aka Sherman)--Reno; C.R.I.P. R.R. 1887; 
Whitewater--Butler;
Whiting--Jackson; M.P. R.R. Central Branch;
Wichita--Sedgwick; Chisholm Trail; S.L.S.F. R.R. 1880; 

Wier City--Cherokee; named for a coal miner T. M. Wier who gave 
forty acres for a townsite;

Wilburn--
Wilder--Johnson; S.F. R.R.; 
Willard--Shawnee; C.R.I.P. R.R. 1887
Williamsburg--Franklin; S.F. R.R.
Williamsport--Pratt; C.R.I.P. R.R. 1887 
Williamstown--Jefferson; Charles Williams, postmaster; K.P. R.R.
Willis--Brown; Martin C. Willis, pioneer
Wilmington--Wabaunsee; 
Wilmore--Comanche; Thomas Wilmore, pioneer
Wilroads Gardens--
Wilsey--Morris County; named after John D. Wilsey, pioneer; early
1880s the M.P. R.R. was built through the county and the town of
Wilsey came into being.

Wilson--Elk;  
Wilson--Ellsworth; Bohemian or Czech settlement; K.P. R.R. 
Wilsonton--Labette 
Wilsonville--Bourbon; named changed to Bronson; M.P. R.R.;

Wilson Grove-- 

Winchester--

Windhorst--Ford; located northeast of Dodge City on "Windhorst 
Hill"; Named in honor of the German leader of the Catholic Center 
party, which opposed Bismarck; Settled by Germans from Cincinnati;

Windom--McPherson;  
Winfield--Cowley; founded in 1870 on land leased from Chief
Chetopah. 
Winkler--Riley; German name; 

Winona--Doniphan; P.O. 1857-59, Philo Foster, postmaster; located
about 1 m. east of Doniphan/Brown Co. line where Winona
schoolhouse is.
Winona--Logan; K.P. R.R.

Wolcott--Wyandotte; Herbert W. Wolcott, pioneer
Womer--Smith; Daniel Womer, pioneer
Wonsevu--Chase; 

Woodbine--Dickinson; 

Woodlawn--Nemaha; southwest of Sabetha;  Emil Jonach helped settle 
Capioma Township, brought supplies to the Woodlawn store from Sabetha 
by wagon, he ran the store for many years, he also had the postoffice 
in the store.  There is not much left at the site, a church and a 
school is all. 

Woodruff--
Woodsdale--
Woodston--Rooks

Worden--Santa Fe Trail
Wordsworth--
Wyandotte--
Wyandotte City--
Wyard--
Wyckoff (Wycoff)--Lyon; M.K.T. R.R.; Wyckoff Bottoms near Neosho 
Rapids was the name of bottom land.