Wednesday, August 15, 2007

My Kansas Kronikles: Greensburg, the fall and rise, part one

On May 4, a devestating tornado destroyed most of Greensburg, Kansas. Last month as part of my trip to that state, I traveled to the rebuilding town.

My favorite image is the one on top, the destroyed stone home with the two spotless US flags.

Greensburg is named for Donald R. Green, who helped found the town in 1876. Green ran a stagecoach line between the Kansas towns of Kingman, Coldwater, and of course, Greensburg. The stage coach line road later became US 54, still an important road in Kansas, which connects Wichita to the Oklahoma panhandle. US 54 bisects Greensburg.

Interested in volunteering in Greensburg? Your first stop is on the right.

Below is a street on Greenburg's far-east end. Media depictions of the destruction of the town were accurate, roughly 90% of the town was destroyed, only houses such as this one, found in that narrow strip, survived.



Are you looking for a job? Then head over to Greenburg and the grounds of the Kiowa County Courthouse. As you can see below, they're hiring in Greensburg.





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