Lost Springs

History

For many millennia, the Great Plains of North America was inhabited by nomadic Native Americans. From the 16th century to 18th century, the Kingdom of France claimed ownership of large parts of North America. In 1762, after the French and Indian War, France secretly ceded New France to Spain, per the Treaty of Fontainebleau. In 1802, Spain returned most of the land to France. In 1803, most of the land for modern day Kansas was acquired by the United States from France as part of the 828,000 square mile Louisiana Purchase for 2.83 cents per acre. From the 1820s to the 1870s, one of the most significant land routes in the United States was the Santa Fe Trail. The "Lost Spring" was one of the favorite camping spots on the Santa Fe Trail because it generally had an ample supply of good water. It was located 15 miles west of Diamond Spring, which was a day's travel for a wagon train. The spring apparently got its name because it is a periodic spring, drying up at times for a week, a month, or even two years, so those visiting the site sometimes could not locate the spring on a return trip. A stage station was set up nearby in 1859 and was known as the Lost Springs Station, but no visible evidence remains of the station. The trail was active across Marion County from 1821 to 1866. In 1854, the Kansas Territory was organized, then in 1861 Kansas became the 34th U.S. state. In 1855, Marion County was established within the Kansas Territory, which included the land for modern day Lost Springs. A post office existed in Lost Spring from August 29, 1861, to May 23, 1864. Later, the post office was reestablished as Lost Springs on July 9, 1879. In 1887, the Chicago, Kansas and Nebraska Railway built a branch line north–south from Herington through Lost Springs to…

Geography

Lost Springs is located in the scenic Flint Hills and Great Plains of the state of Kansas. The county line is 1.7 miles east of Lost Springs. The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Lost Springs has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  223
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  196
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  182
• Canada Goose (canadensis Group)

  Branta canadensis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  163
• Great Blue/Cocoi Heron

  Ardea herodias Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  162
• Double-crested Cormorant

  Phalacrocorax auritus (Lesson, 1831) · Aves
  159
• Red-bellied Woodpecker

  Melanerpes carolinus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  147
• Black-capped Chickadee

  Poecile atricapillus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  141

Largest nearby schools

• Kansas Online Learning Program
  Other · Lost Springs · 338 students
• Centre
  Other · Lost Springs · 198 students · 8.6:1 ratio