Elk Falls

History

The first European-American house was built at Elk Falls in 1870, and a post office was opened that same year. Elk Falls was named for a waterfall on the Elk River, near where the town developed. Two early settlers in the rural community were the widow Prudence Crandall (who took back her maiden name after her husband died), an educator from Connecticut who had established the Canterbury Female Boarding School in the 1830s for African-American girls and young women; and her brother Hezekiah. They both died here and were buried in the town cemetery.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  172
• Ring-necked Snake

  Diadophis punctatus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Squamata
  145
• Eastern Meadowlark

  Sturnella magna (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  128
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  117
• Turkey Vulture

  Cathartes aura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  116
• Tufted Titmouse

  Baeolophus bicolor (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  108
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  107
• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  106

Largest nearby schools

• West Elk Schools
  Other · Howard · 378 students · 11.5:1 ratio
• West Elk Virtual Academy
  Other · Howard · 173 students · 24.7:1 ratio
• Elk Valley Elementary
  Elementary · Longton · 66 students · 22:1 ratio
• Elk Valley High School
  High · Longton · 47 students · 11.8:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 2.5 — 2025-12-26
  5 km SSW of Peru, Kansas
• M 2.5 — 2021-06-23
  4 km E of Eastborough, Kansas
• M 2.8 — 2021-06-10
  5 km NE of Eastborough, Kansas
• M 3.2 — 2021-03-15
  4 km NE of Eastborough, Kansas
• M 3.1 — 2021-03-15
  3 km NE of Eastborough, Kansas
• M 3.5 — 2021-03-14
  3 km NE of Eastborough, Kansas