You can trace the beginnings of Bigelow to 1880 when the Missouri Pacific Railroad located large depots of limestone needed for bridge construction. Jacob Inman settled in Bigelow, building a couple limestone homes to house workers for the limestone quarries. At the time, the Missouri Pacific Railroad declared the Bigelow limestone as the greatest in the world for railroad bridge construction. Missouri Pacific Railroad liked the quality of limestone so much, they purchased the entire quantity of the quarry. In the first year, 600 railroad cars of limestone left the quarries of Bigelow, employing up to 300 men. By 1910, the railroad had built all the bridges they needed, causing the quarry to close. By 1940, the quarry was reopened for a short period of time. However, limestone had fallen out of favor for construction use and the quarry was finally closed for good.
In Bigelow’s prime, it had a post office, bank, newspaper, lumberyard, doctor’s office, jewelry store, drugstore, and several general stores. Even with the closing of the quarry, the town was a busy community based on agriculture. Unlike Irving just four miles to the west plagued by a series of disasters that included the famous Irving tornado's and regular fires, the people of Bigelow survived almost 80 years with few natural or man made tragedies. The town was actually growing before residents were force to leave their homes for the Tuttle Creek project.
Of interest just to the south of the town was the Battle of Twin Mounds. In Daniel Fitzgeralds book, Faded Dreams, More Ghost Towns of Kansas, he states in 1842, "a three day battle ensued between 300 white settlers and 1,500 Indians. Fourteen men were killed along with a lot wounded." Stories tend to grow with age. In 1842, white settlers were sparse. It wasn't until 1862 before the homestead act was signed and the great western movements began. Additionally, 1,500 Indians sounds high for the time. The Kansa Indians from this area were never a large tribe and battled with the white settler for only about 10 years (1860s) before they were forcibly moved to another reservation around the Oklahoma border. Stories tend to grow with age and most likely, both numbers were much smaller than reported.
This monument and well-groomed park is all the remains of Bigelow, Kansas. Located next to the monument is a mailbox for visitors to leave a message for the descendent's of Bigelow.
On the monument at Bigelow, they used the word DEMISE on the stone inscription. The total elimination of Bigelow was a very traumatic event for the residents of the town. For the elderly, this was the only community they knew, and were forced to evacuate. Behind the monument along the road to the west is a sign that provides the location of the old school. The only solace for the people was Antioch Cemetery was spared. It's located about 1 mile west of the town.
Map Location of Bigelow. Bigelow is located approximately seven miles southwest of Frankfort, Kansas in the red circle on the map on Zenith Road. Before the bridge washed out, you could drive from Irving, also along Zenith Road to Bigelow. If you ride 17th Road south out of Bigelow, the two mounds approximately 1 mile south is the location of the Battle of Twin Mounds battlefield.
Here's a couple photos of Bigelow. The Tuttle Creek Dam story and the forced evacuation of families that homesteaded the area since 1862 gained national attention. The photos below were taken by Life Magazine photographers. Even to this day, some of the descendent's of these communities have bitter feelings for the US Corps of Engineers.
Location: Bigelow, KS, US
Date taken: May 1960
Photographer: Thomas D. McCavoy, Life Magazine
