Vinland, Kansas
Vinland is an unincorporated community in Douglas County, Kansas, United States.[1] It is located south of Lawrence and north of Baldwin City.
Vinland, Kansas | |
|---|---|
Coal Creek Library in Vinland, erected in 1900, which is the oldest subscription library in Kansas | |
KDOT map of Douglas County (legend) | |
Vinland Vinland | |
| Coordinates: 38°50′22″N 95°10′56″W / 38.83944°N 95.18222°W[1] | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Kansas |
| County | Douglas |
| Founded | 1854 |
| Platted | 1860s |
| Elevation | 889 ft (271 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| Area code | 785 |
| FIPS code | 20-74000 [1] |
| GNIS ID | 479519 [1] |
History
The first settlement was made at Vinland in 1854.[2] In the earliest days of the community, some called it "Coal Creek", due to deposits of the sedimentary rock in a nearby waterway.[3] The settlement eventually earned the name "Vineland" (after the orchard of one of the first settlers, William Barnes), which later evolved into "Vinland" after a clerical error. Most of the settlers of the early community were abolitionists or Free-Staters from New England, and consequently, they opposed the extension of slavery into Kansas Territory.[4][5]
In 1859, Annie Soule and Martha Cutter helped found a library (and an associated book club), in the hopes that it "would contribute to the 'moral, social, and intellectual improvement of [the settlement's] members";[5] specifically, they hoped "to prevent dancing from becoming the only amusement in the community."[3] The library initially boasted a collection 10 books (which eventually grew to over 2,000), and residents of the small town were allowed to check them out if they contributed an annual fee of 50 cents.[6][7] The building that currently holds the collection was constructed in 1900 when the community's book supply grew too large.[7] Today, Coal Creek Library is considered the oldest subscription library in the state.[5]
Vinland was not legally platted until the 1860s.[8] A post office was opened in Vinland in 1868, and remained in operation until 1954.[9] In 1912, the population of the settlement was 75, and it housed "a fine agricultural district ... [and] express and telegraph facilities".[2] Today, the Vinland Grange Hall is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[10]
References
- ^ a b c d e "Vinland, Kansas", Geographic Names Information System, United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior
- ^ a b Blackmar, Frank Wilson (1912). Kansas: A Cyclopedia of State History, Volume 2. Standard Publishing Company. pp. 849.
- ^ a b Carpenter, Tim (November 28, 1997). "What's in a Name? Key Elements of Area History". Lawrence Journal-World. p. 3B. Retrieved April 28, 2015.
- ^ Weiser, Kathy (2017). "Vinland, Kansas". Legends of Kansas. Retrieved January 24, 2019.
- ^ a b c Isaacs, Melissa Fisher (2003). "Coal Creek Library". National Park Service. Retrieved January 25, 2019.
- ^ Yoder, Mike (July 27, 2014). "Vinland Volunteers Preserve Library as it Was in 1900". Lawrence Journal-World. Retrieved January 24, 2019.
- ^ a b "Coal Creek Library". Kansas Travel. Retrieved January 24, 2019.
- ^ Cleland, Nora (June 12, 1961). "Only Few of 45 County Settlements Left". Lawrence Daily Journal-World. p. 13A. Retrieved November 1, 2015.
- ^ . Kansas Historical Society. Archived from the original on March 10, 2013.
- ^ "Guide to the Vinland Grange and Fair Collection". The University of Kansas Libraries. Retrieved April 29, 2015.
Further reading
External links
- Douglas County maps: Current, Historic, KDOT