My Cottonwood

In the late 1870s as the American population moved west and while still being formed and  missed by the railroad, Cottonwood moved a half-mile north, near the railroad, gathered strength and became the pulse of this Kansas community.  The railroad crossed both Cottonwood and the Jones' 640 acres of prairie

In the autumn of 1878, Jim and Sally Jones with their children, Carl, age four, and Linda Sue age two left Philadelphia and came West to claim their newly acquired section of Kansas prairie.  By way of an accident, the soil Jim had dreamed about soon covered him in death.

The story in the lives of many, including Sally, Carl, and Linda Sue, captured the pioneer life with its rewards, trials and temptations.  This small village was the cradle in which people, the prairie and the community interacted with events that played out over several decades.

The story moves rather rapidly. It is true, but not factual and most of the actions occurred within several generations and within one or two lifetimes.   Some incidents may seem unrelated and unconnected and not part of the story line. However the life, growth, and aging took place over time.

This story is not meant to all inclusive of early pioneer towns.  The reader is given short isolated glimpses of many pioneer towns scattered over the Great American Dessert.