The "Lost Towns" Project & Work of the Chapman Center

Begun in 2008, the "Lost Towns" project brings K-State students in conversation with community experts to preserve and celebrate Kansas memory. This presentation shares some of our favorite "Lost Town" stories, including Silkville, Eureka Springs, and our most recent project, Windhorst. Each community reveals a story about why settlers came to Kansas, the obstacles they faced, and the decisions they made to make it (or not!) on the Great Plains.

Mary Kohn is a Professor in English and Director of the Chapman Center for Rural Studies at Kansas State University. As director, Dr. Kohn works to bring faculty, students, and community members together to tell the stories of rural Kansas and to launch the research that will help rural communities thrive. As a sociolinguist, her work examines regional and social variation in language with a focus on the Great Plains.

This RCGS program is free and open to the public.