Bradford, Wabaunsee County
Title
Bradford, Wabaunsee County
Subject
Deconstructing the Rural Kansas Stereotype: The Story of Bradford, Wabaunsee County,
a Lost Biracial Community, 1890-1941
a Lost Biracial Community, 1890-1941
Description
Bradford, located in Section 23 of Wilmington Township, Wabaunsee County, Kansas, was a small community that tells a unique story of racial coexistence and rural population decline. Black and white residents both called the area home and coexisted in relative peace — taking classes at the same school, worshipping at the same church, shopping at the same businesses, and being buried in the same cemetery. In the 1890s and early 1900s, the community was bustling, but in the decades following, it witnessed closures and consolidations due in part to the increasing use and availability of the automobile. This study is mostly based on interviews with a local historian and publicly available historical society, library, and newspaper archives.
Creator
Karl Bauer
Publisher
Chapman Center for Rural Studies
Date
Fall 2017
Contributor
Kansas State University
Rights
Chapman Center for Rural Studies
Format
PDF
Language
English
Files
Collection
Citation
Karl Bauer, “Bradford, Wabaunsee County,” Chapman Center Research Collections, accessed January 21, 2020, https://ccrsresearchcollections.omeka.net/items/show/195.