Does anyone have any pictures that would show a typical WW I era CB&Q branch line station. My interest is in the old St. Francis branch that ran across the NW corner of Decatur county Kansas. The line still exists but is now part of the Nebraska, Kansas & Colorado short line. It runs through what little is left of the community of Cedar Bluffs, Kansas.
What would the grain elevators, stock handeling facilities, freight and passenger facilities (depot) look like.
I have read a lot about the community of Cedar Bluffs, Kansas (now largely gone), at it's biggest it's population was under 700. Like so many rural communities the advent of cars and trucks took away their reason for existing. With horse and wagon a round trip with shopping to Oberlin, Kansas or McCook, Nebraska would take all day. Even the cars and trucks of 1920 made a trip only a half day event. Now with ! better roads and modern vehicles it is only a matter of a couple of hours to make the same trip. Sic transit gloria!!
All that is left of the community in central Kansas (Thornburg, north of Smith Center) where my Grandmother was born and grew up is a crossroads and the Church with the local cemetary a mile to the west. My great grandfathers homestead was a mile east of the church. His decendants still farm there.
Kirby