At Concordia you will be starting in front of the Brown Grand Opera House, 310 W. 6th Street . The start time is 8:00 a.m. but come early because the Opera House will be open and serving rolls and coffee plus a quick tour. If you are returning in the evening, they are planning a program.
You are off and running heading towards Rice. If it is dry weather we are stopping and paying respects to the old stone bridge that was part of the White Way.
The highway went through Ames back then. Drive through and see how the town is doing. They have a historical marker to fill in on details.
Clyde (http://www.clydekansas.org/) is waiting for us, so be on the lookout for white flags. We have planned for pit stops at these locations. The Seifert family would like you to stop for some snacks and welcome you to their community at Seifert Jewelry Store. They just celebrated 65 years of business in the community. If you love a great cup of tea be sure and drive by the Cloud County Tea Company (http://www.cloudcountyteas.com/). They are located at the old Baptist church at 403 Lincoln. I am not sure they will be open. Their hours are Monday thru Friday. Those who are meeting us in Concordia on Friday could stop. Be sure and check out the Arboretum on the northeast of Clyde.
On our way to Clifton be on the lookout for parking meters. Make sure to bring your nickels. We will be driving by the LCL Buffalo Ranch. We are hoping to stop and see the collection of antique farm equipment, but if not be sure to check out the parking meters for a look at the buffalo. You are on Parallel Rd just like the guys that started in Atchison. The Clifton Museum is housed in an 1877 Missouri Pacific depot. If you love history and stop at every railroad spot or took pictures of every jail or building recorded on the Historical Register on the way you will not make your 2:00 p.m. meeting in Frankfort. That just means you will have to do it again! Clifton also has a jail.
Off to Palmer. We will have to make a run through because it is now one mile off the highway. It has three old gas stations, a corner bank and a wonderful St Paul Lutheran church built in 1891. It also has a community-owned café. Take a look at Tom’s blog and his article about Palmer at http://dispatchesfromkansas.blogspot.com/. If we are running late we will be bypass it, but will have pictures for you to see. But remember: this is your adventure and if want to stop or go on ahead to see some of the things you have planned for, please do so. Frankfort is planning on activities from 11:00 a.m. till 4:00 p.m. for those who are planning on going all the way. If you want to do some dirt on old Hwy 9 you can go across the paved Hwy15 and go on Hwy 148 to Osage road and that will take you into Linn.
In Linn we will be on the lookout for the white flag pit stop at where used to be the White Way Hotel. I love the mural of clothes hanging out to dry.
Greenleaf is off the road and I haven’t been able to document if the highway went through there or not. If we have time they have a great WPA community center and jail. I will post a picture of the hand- and footprint I found in front of the jail.
Barnes http://www.barnesks.net/ will be fun. They have a community restaurant and what is becoming the famous Our Daily Bread. If you haven’t got your fill of shopping your will have your choice of serveral antique shops. If you are a list person you can stop by and shop two mercantiles before you get to Frankfort.
Waterville has three buildings on the Historical Register and lots of Victorian houses that were there in 1914. Be on the lookout for the pit stop at Fancy T’s on Commercial Street (785-363-2515). If you want to explore Waterville this is a good place to start. The Weaver Hotel, Opera House and the Caboose Museum will be on the tour. Also if people like murals stop and go into the basement of the Methodist church on Highway 9.
Blue Rapids has the only round town square left in Kansas so be sure to go around—it’s on the old White Way, which once ran down 6th Street. (The current Highway 9 is 5th Street.) Take notice of the silhouettes of the baseball players. Blue Rapids had the Chicago White Sox and New York Giants play here in October 1913 on their World Tour. To get to the square you can turn on Gypsum Street which is where the silhouettes are and go one block south and then turn east and you will run into the square. Follow it around to the library, which is a pit stop. This library is the oldest library in continual use this side of the Mississippi. It is on the historical register. If you are hungry, the Blue Valley Café has a White Way Special. There are two other great places to eat on the square also. If you have the shopping bug, Round Square Antiques is open. When you get back on the highway there is an old gas station painted pink that will be open for business and also be on the look out for the second Mercantile to stop in and see (401 E. 5th St.). The Blue Rapids Museum is in the mercantile. They have Pete the Pirate there if you would like to get your picture taken with him. For later information the stories and information that has been collected for this blog will be kept at the Blue Rapids Mercantile.
Now we come to a dilemma. Those of you who want to stick to pavement might want to go on to Marysville and then over to Home and then down into Frankfort. There is a bridge out between Blue Rapids and Frankfort. If you continue on Highway 9, you can get around the detour by going east from the junction of Highway 77 and 9 approximately 4.5 miles to 14th Rd. This is a good all-weather gravel road. Turn north (left) and drive 2 miles to Tumbleweed Rd, then go east to Frankfort. This will take you in by the city cemetery.
I hope you enjoyed your journey. Remember the vision the people before us had.
kswhiteway 