Stafford

Very comforting, picturesque, good food and pies, small town ambience…. this is the type of place you hope to find when you’re tired and hungry on a trip. The walls of the Curtis Cafe are covered with a kazillion jigsaw puzzles. I was sort of expecting the menu to come as a puzzle we’d have to complete to see the dinner choices. The environment is a little dark but that intensifies the effect of sunlight pouring through the large front windows.

The Longton Grocery store

You can imagine how much a small grocery store is appreciated in these little towns. And it’s a struggle to keep them in business. We stopped in Longton a couple weeks ago. Though we only had time for brief visit we did a little photography, and stopped in the store to grab a few supplies. The grocery store also handles video rentals, and even sells some computer supplies.

Link: Longton’s home web site (hosted by Blue Skyways)

found in Longton, Kansas

Above: The Ted Wilde Memorial, dedicated to the first White City boy to die of wounds received at the battle front. Though you wouldn’t guess it from the fresh-kept look of the site, Private Wilde died almost one hundred years ago, in 1918.

Does your heart beat faster when you think about small town water towers? Yeah, mine too. They’re landmarks that usually go unappreciated. Other than the grain eleveators, water towers are your first sight and invitation to towns on the horizon.

I’ve been collecting photos of small town water towers, off and on, over the past year. If you like such things you’ll find a gallery of greatest hits here: Small Towns Water Towers.