Wolcott area...

[Zasco]

Hi everyone...

I was wondering if anyone here has any pictures or stories about the former town of Wolcott? I have heard a lot about this community, how it once was one of the main stops on the Kansas City/Leavenworth interurban line, it was a close-knit town where everyone knew each other and it was a nice place to live...I have always been a history buff when it came to small towns such as Wolcott and am very interested in learning more about it.

What I've seen on Google Maps still shows several streets of the former town, such as an Elm Street, Main Street, and a few numbered ones such as North 95th, 96th, 96th Terrace and 97th...and a portion of an Oak Street leading to some facility. Some old road maps I had at one time had even shown a Browne Avenue in the area...and how 99th Street once intersected with K-5 highway (aka Wolcott Drive).

I know about Thunderlake Speedway, a go-kart track, as well as Lakeside Speedway (several friends of mine have visited the latter facility and really thought it was nice...they didn't know that a town once existed there only 40 years ago). But I personally have never been to the town but again, have heard a lot about it.

It would be nice to hear from someone who is familiar with this area. Thanks.

[aknowledgeableperson]

From a history of Wyandotte County

The principal town on the Missouri Pacific Railway, main line between Kansas City and Leavenworth, is the town of Wolcott, twelve miles above the mouth of the Kansas river in the northeast corner of Wyandotte county. It was platted as Conner in February, 1868, the owners of the townsite being Alfred and William Hughes. The town has been an important shipping point and it is well supplied with stores, hotels, schools and churches. When the Kansas City Western Electric Railway was constructed in 1902 the name of the town was changed to Wolcott, in honor of the first general manager of the line, Herbert Wolcott. The railway company constructed a great electrical power plant at the place which was used to supply the power for its line between Kansas City and Leavenworth. The power house was destroyed by fire four years ago. The company has its operating headquarters at Wolcott. The population is about four hundred.

[Zasco]

Thank you for your prompt response, Aknowledgeableperson.

[longviewmo]

I assume it was abandoned for being in the flood plain?

[grovester]

If you haven't taken the road through Wolcott to Leavenworth, it's a great ride.

[Zasco]

I assume it was abandoned for being in the flood plain?

I would still like to see photos of it before everything was torn down and moved away. Yes, it probably was abandoned because of such.

[Zasco]

If you haven't taken the road through Wolcott to Leavenworth, it's a great ride.

I've heard of it...and seen the route recently via Google Maps. It's lovely. But no, I haven't personally been on it...at least, not yet.

[longviewmo]

I looked at the area with Google Earth. Best guess is that the '93 flood wiped them out. 1991 imagery shows a little town, 1997 looks like someone just wiped out all the houses and left the trees -- and those trees disappear in the "middle" part of town before 2002.

So, I looked at the KC Star Archives:

From Dec. 29, 93:

Residents of Wolcott 's 40 houses have faced an uncertain future since summer flooding forced them out, destroying homes and leaving a tangle of tree limbs, mattresses, clothes, toys and other debris scattered in streets and yards.

Much of the uncertainty ended this week when the Federal Emergency Management Agency announced that it was providing $2.3 million to buy and clear away 86 flood-damaged properties in Kansas City, Kan., and move residents to higher ground. The state and local governments will contribute $700,000 to the project.

From July 8th (a Thursday):

Storms Tuesday night and Wednesday pushed the Missouri River out of its banks at Sugar Creek and Levasy, and sections of an agricultural dike broke in the Wolcott area of Kansas City, Kan.

Looks like the area then spent at least the rest of July underwater.

[Zasco]

I noticed that on Google Earth. There were businesses and homes still there in 1991...but by 1997 all of that was gone. The big oval-shaped go-kart race track (Thunderlake Speedway) today sits between Elm and Main Streets.

But prior to 1991 there were several other streets on the opposite side of the railroad tracks...a North 94th, 93rd, and I have learned how there was also a Walnut and Hickory Street in the community as well.

Before the Great Flood of 1993 KCTV-5 had some of their staff go up to Wolcott and interview some of the residents, I didn't get to see the entire clip but from what I did see, it was a lovely small town...unfortunately, the station no longer has this in their archives.

Even though the area is still considered "Wolcott", the town was abandoned due to all of the flooding.

Thanks for your response.