Dorrance, Russell Co., Kansas
Dorrance was founded in June 1867 when the Kansas Pacific Railway reached the area. It was named after Oliver Dorrance, the railroad superintendant at the time. The first settlers were from Germany, England, and Ireland who arrived in 1870. A prairie fire destroyed much of the town center in March 1879, and the new layout was formalized in 1880.
Volga German families settled in and around Dorrance.
The following Volga German families settled in and around Dorrance:
Anschutz from Nieder-Monjou
Beisel from Dreispitz
Bisterfeld
Blehm
Dumler
Feil
Friebus
Galliart
Heffel
Heinitz
Heinze from Dreispitz
Heintz
Heinze
Henning
Herbel
Herber
Hill
Karst
Kaufman
Langhofer from Straßburg
Meier
Meis
Miller
Nuss
Prediger
Prester
Schlotthauer
Schmidt
Schwemmer
Steinert from Eckheim
Steinle from Dreispitz
Stoppel from Nieder-Monjou
Weber from Straßburg
Wilhelm
- Colony Cemetery (findagrave.com)
- Dorrance City Cemetery (findagrave.com)
- St. Joseph Cemetery (findagrave)
- Dorrance, Kansas (Wikipedia)
Pre-Volga Origin
Photo of Dorrance (about 1910) from a railroad water tower.
Source: Story of Dorrance, pp. 6-7, via Jerry Michel.
Photo of Dorrance (about 1910) from a railroad water tower.
Source: Story of Dorrance, pp. 6-7, via Jerry Michel.
Photo of Dorrance (about 1910) from a railroad water tower.
Source: Story of Dorrance, pp. 6-7, via Jerry Michel.
Photo of Dorrance (about 1910) from a railroad water tower.
Source: Story of Dorrance, pp. 6-7, via Jerry Michel.