Kanorado History

The story of Kanorado begins with the arrival of the railroad. The land for the railroad was deeded on May 17, 1888, and later that year the first depot was built. A new depot was eventually constructed on Main Street, serving the community until the early 1970s when train and freight service to Kanorado ended. Just weeks after the railroad land was deeded, the town lots for Kanorado were officially recorded on July 5, 1888.

Kanorado was not always known by its current name. Originally called Lamborn, the town’s name was changed by the Post Office to Kanorado on September 9, 1903, reflecting its unique location straddling the Kansas–Colorado line.

The first homes in town belonged to Wayne Vernon and Addie Craft, and another small brick home east of the Methodist Church was built with bricks made locally at the brickyard south of town. Early industry also took root—Charlie Rule operated the first grain elevator, powered by a treadmill and horses.

As progress marched forward, Kanorado welcomed its first automobiles. Mr. and Mrs. Detwiler owned the town’s first “High Wheeler” car, soon followed by the Briggs family. With automobiles came the need for fuel, and by about 1913, the White Eagle Company opened an oil station in town.

Kanorado steadily grew in the early 20th century, reaching its peak between 1918 and 1926 when the population exceeded 500. Every house in town was filled—many with multiple families under one roof. During these bustling years, Kanorado supported a wide variety of businesses and services, including:

• Two hotels

• Three grocery and dry goods stores

• Five oil companies

• Two hardware stores

• Two barber shops

• Several cafés

• A bank

• Two pool halls

• Two blacksmith shops

• Two lumber yards

• A telephone exchange

• Three garages

• A campground with cottages

• Several cream stations

• A drug store and doctor

• A beauty shop

• A dance hall that also served as a theater

Cultural and social life thrived as well. The town hosted a City Orchestra, traveling shows, Chautauqua events each summer, and plays in the fall and winter. Picture shows were occasionally featured, giving residents a glimpse of entertainment from the wider world. Kanorado also had shoe repair services, a dray line, and multiple grain elevators to support its strong agricultural base.

In the fall of 1929, Kanorado drew statewide attention when it hosted the Kansas State Corn Picking Contest near the old Winter Airplane Hangar on Highway 24.

From its beginnings along the railroad to its peak years as a thriving agricultural and cultural hub, Kanorado has always been a town shaped by resilience, community, and progress. While the bustling businesses and crowded streets of the 1920s may be memories of the past, the spirit of Kanorado lives on in its history, its people, and its role as the welcoming gateway to Kansas.