Faded Dreams: More Ghost Towns of Kansas (Paperback)

by Daniel C. Fitzgerald (Author)
Key Phrases: temporary county seat, county seat election, three general stores, Sun City, Bluff City, Civil War (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"Fitzgerald breathes life into forgotten settlements, finding in each community a unique personality." -- Annals of Iowa

"Fitzgerald has done it again. Fascinating stories of a bygone Kansas. A neat book." -- James J. Fisher, Kansas City Star columnist

Product Description
Palermo was a thriving port on the Missouri in the 1850s. Steamboats lined up to load and unload merchandise. Hotels flourished and pleasure cruises came from St. Louis. When the steamboat business collapsed, the railroad came. But the railroad had no depot, and passengers had to flag down trains from the platform. After a few years, the trains stopped coming altogether. By 1904 the post office was gone.

Like hundreds of towns across Kansas, Palermo peaked then petered, leaving behind only a faded image of its former self. Now it's a ghost town--a shadowy remnant of what it once was, says Daniel Fitzgerald. Some ghost towns are completely gone, he says, while others remain as abandoned ruins or foundations. Some even have small populations and community spirit, but none are the bustling sites they once were. All are towns that time has passed by.

Providing an intriguing glimpse into the past, Fitzgerald takes us on a journey around the state--to Goguac and Itasca, routed around by the railroads; to Eustis, loser of the county seat; to Fostoria, booming then busting as a mining town; to Old Clear Water, abandoned when the sun set on the Cheyenne cattle trail; and to Paradise, ravaged by fire during the depression and unable to fully recover. He leads us through Kalida, with too little water, Strawn--now on the bottom of John Redmond Reservoir--with too much, and Quindaro before it was consumed by Kansas City.

Examining why towns declined or were abandoned, Fitzgerald chronicles the births, descents, and heyday adventures of 106 of the more alluring ghost towns in the state. And, for the ghost-town enthusiast ready for a hunt, he supplies current descriptions of these once prosperous sites where the phantoms of unfulfilled dreams linger elusively among the remains.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: University Press of Kansas (May 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0700606688
• ISBN-13: 978-0700606689
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #221,323 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ghost Towns of Kansas Part 5, December 22, 2005

By	Kansas Here I Come! "Dave" (Missouri) - See all my reviews

This was the long-awaited sequel to Ghost Towns of Kansas: A Travellers Guide, which came out in 1988. The Travellers Guide was actually a greatest hits packaging of the first three volumes, which were published from 1976-1983.

Essentially, this was the first book of all new material in about ten years. The book is a fun read, although it is uncertain whether Fitzgerald wanted this to be a travellers guide in the true sense of the word, or a true history. It is very successful as a true history, keeping the audience's attention throughout. As a travellers guide, the explorer will need more directions than this book.

This book follows 18 years of enormous success by the author with the ghost town series. It is hard to figure out which is better known-- the author or the series. Both were nearly household names in Kansas for years. The enormous success of the travellers guide almost dictated that this book would be created. Again, not meant for a cover to cover read, but a read in small doses.

While a big success on its own, this book is a little darker, a little more political in its overall statement. The introduction is probably one of the best features of the book, where Fitzgerald basically states that, if a small town can not sustain its existence on its own, then it deserves ghost town status.

This book examines a hundred different ghost towns around the state and there's a fun story about each one.

Nothing substantial on Kansas history has really been written, and has been as much fun to read, since this book was published. Mr. Fitzgerald, you are overdue for a sequel. Thousands of your fans are bored out here. Write Ghost Towns 6 before we become ghosts out of boredom with the literature we're getting these days.

Really good book, recommended.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars More ghost towns of Kansas, May 7, 2005

By	Bomojaz (South Central PA, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

This is a sequel to Fitzgerald's GHOST TOWNS OF KANSAS, which appeared in 1988. The format of this book is the same as the earlier one: sections of the state are presented and then counties within each section, with the "lost" towns being listed by county. The descriptions of each town is thorough and interesting, with many photographs being included. Anyone interested in local history of Kansas will find this (and the earlier volume) indispensible. Both books represent two of the best guides to local history now available.