Volland, Kansas is a bygone farming town which was started in the late 1800s and built against the once thriving railroad. The towering brick old store can be seen in the middle of miles of farmland as one approaches on the old two-lane highway. It is a startling sight to come upon this bright red building after lots of land and cows.
Long ago, Mexican emigrants would come in on the train to work at the surrounding farms and in the salt mine in the nearby town, Alma, Kansas. There was a horrific train wreck killing many Mexican emigrants and they were buried at the Alma cemetery.
Nature has taken over the crumbling, abandoned store. The massive amount of red brick, though, is still lovely in its architectural design.
There are leaning barns and outhouses along with old trucks, fencing, and even washtubs behind the store.
This old shack was once a place where someone lived.
At one time, someone had lived here, dreamed here, and called this home.
At one time, this had been a bustling community. The other abandoned store across the street used to have merchandise in it as if stepping back into time. The merchandise is gone and the crumbled building is now rat infested. Volland has three houses lived in and an active cattle farm across from the entrance of the one road town.
To edit: Cheryl had cleared something up for me about that big, old red brick building in her blog, Over at Flyover People Daily News, as she and her husband, Dave, were in Volland too. Her post about Volland provided the details. That building was a store and not a motel! So I changed the word ‘motel’ to ’store’ in my post. How very interesting we all were out there but missed each other! Dave Leiker at his photoblog, Prairie Dust also has photos up on Volland and surrounding area. Neat in sharing this history. Thank you Cheryl!
Copyright © 2008 by Anna Surface. All Rights Reserved.
Anna Surface
Preston Surface
I love these vignettes.
Comment by barbara — March 9, 2008 @ 11:40 am
I had fun shooting these photos and thinking about the stories that might have been.
Comment by Anna Surface — March 11, 2008 @ 7:44 am
I especially like the vines crawling up the electrical conduit, and the interior of the shack. The door at the back really adds a mystery to the photo. Does it go to another room, or outdoors, which feels kind of weird because one already feels outdoors. Nature reclaiming these old spaces, the past obscured with overgrowth, are my favorite themes in these types of sites, and you provide the visual poetry very well.
Comment by Dave Leiker — March 11, 2008 @ 5:11 pm
Hi Dave. That was beautifully written… poetic. Yes, it is one of my favorite themes, too, nature reclaiming the old spaces. There is a beauty in it as I see. Makes me wonder about the house Preston and I live in. It was built in 1895; an old house, for sure. Will it be overtaken by nature one day? Or will it be razed for something modern in its place? In these small towns like where we live, there are old abandoned houses that have sat for years and nature is taking over. Even though the house is crumbling, the grass is kept mowed. Thank you for your lovely comment and stopping by.
Comment by Anna Surface — March 12, 2008 @ 7:51 am
We had to be there close to the same time on Saturday morning. In both our pictures and yours, the shadows fall on the building at similar angles. Too bad we missed each other!
Comment by cheryl — March 12, 2008 @ 8:52 am
The bench beside the two kitchen stoves is an interesting piece. Neat shots and commentary.
Ray A. Randolph
Comment by helianthus43 — March 12, 2008 @ 10:08 am
Hi Cheryl and welcome. Yes, I agree, ‘both our pictures and yours’ were similiar angles and shadows. I checked the date when we were out at Volland and it was Thursday morning. You and Dave were there on the following Saturday morning. Really, it was so neat how we were in the Volland thing at about the same time.
There’s a lot to explore deep in that area. We’ll go back in the springtime. Thanks for stopping by.
Hi Ray and welcome. Thank you for your comment and stopping by.
Comment by Anna Surface — March 13, 2008 @ 11:09 am
Wow, I didn’t realize that people still go out to Volland anymore. My uncle lives in one the few houses left there and my grandpa used to live at the homestead across the road. I remember family telling me stories about what went on there back in the day. I miss going out there *sniffle*.
Comment by Craig Nations — March 17, 2008 @ 12:18 am
Hello Craig and welcome. I’ve gone back and forth about that big red brick building calling it a motel or a store. It is so huge and sits by the railroad, I thought for sure it was a motel. But history writers state it was a store. I sure would love to know more about Volland and that red brick building. Store? The area around Volland is beautiful and it is like stepping back in time. Neat that your uncle still lives there and your grandpa used to live there! I bet there are a lot of stories about the Volland bygone days. Thank you so much for your comment and stopping by.
Comment by Anna Surface — March 17, 2008 @ 9:30 am
I know the Alma Museum has information on Volland. I did a school project on it my senior year at Wabaunsee High School in Alma. As well as covering the building in the town and what they were used for. My favorite tidbit was of the Train Crash in 1907 just 2 miles west of Volland between No.29 and No.30. Its still the largest lost life event in Wabaunsee Co at 32 deaths I believe. If you’d like to know some more without actually going to the Alma Museum, I’d recommend my grandma just because she really knows her stuff on this part of the world. She also enjoys collecting Native American artifacts when the weather permits and has quite the collection. I sent her an email saying you might come a calling sometime.
Comment by Craig Nations — March 17, 2008 @ 9:56 am
Hi Craig. Your grandma sounds very interesting. I would love to chat with her and also see her collection of Native American artifacts. I would definitely enjoy learning more about this area. We’re only an email away (our email address listed in the ‘About…’ page). Thank you for sharing this and stopping by.
Comment by Anna Surface — March 21, 2008 @ 6:27 pm
HI. Was just reading all your comments about Volland. I have had the occasion to vist Volland several times in the last few years. My wife’s great great grandparents were Henry and Barbara Volland, the people who the town was named after. The red brick building was a general store. It was build after the one across the street became to small to handle the business. I have some information of it as to who the owners were, if you would like it.
Take Care
Chuck Townsend
Comment by chuck Townsend — July 21, 2008 @ 12:58 am
Hi Chuck and welcome. Thank you so much for sharing this information! If you would like to send the info as to who the owners were, send it to our email listed in the About Surface & Surface Photography page. We would be interested to know.
Thank you for your comment and stopping by.
Comment by Anna Surface — July 21, 2008 @ 11:05 am
There is add on the last page of the Oct 9, 1913 edition of the Alma paper. It can be found on a web site that has scanned many issues of the paper. They are intersting to search. Dick Maas
Comment by Richard Maas — July 21, 2008 @ 3:21 pm
Hi Richard and welcome. I didn’t think about that. Thank you for the tip and for stopping by.
Comment by Anna Surface — July 23, 2008 @ 7:12 am
I was wondering if you found the add that I had mentioned. The add in the paper was an notice of the grand opening of the store in 1913. My wife and I visited Volland a little over a month ago. I stopped by the museum leaving a box of tools that had belonged to my grandfather, Adolph Maas. I had been to Vollang several years ago when visiting Simons a short distance down the road to Alma. Dick Maas
Comment by Richard Maas — July 23, 2008 @ 11:43 pm
Hi Richard. I haven’t found the ad yet, and I’ve been busy. It is something I will look into when I have the time. I’d love to know more history concerning Volland.
Comment by Anna Surface — July 24, 2008 @ 10:05 am
I am sorry to interrupt this blog but I am hoping that someone can give me contact information for Anna Surface. I am hoping to possibly purchase a hires copy of one of her photos. I am interested in making a wrap out of it for an automobile. Please contact me at syoung@alliancesignsknox.com
Comment by Steve Young — September 24, 2008 @ 2:58 pm
opps egg on my face Here Im telling you about Volland and I see you have alrady been. Seems everyone has been to Volland but me but I sure plan on a trip to Kansas when I retire in 3 years. Awhile back I read about a man in Volland that saved a child from a rattlesnake and was bitten himself in the fray and passed away from the bite. Also, some history about local folks feeling bad about the unmarked graves of the train wreck victms and put up a cemetary complete with fence and placard for them. Interesting, lively place on the prairie. regards sara
Comment by sara trudo — February 18, 2009 @ 2:51 am
Hi Sara. Yes, the prairie is a lively place for sure. Thank you for your interesting comments and stopping by.
Comment by Anna Surface — February 18, 2009 @ 8:30 am
As a child I spent many happy times in Volland. Otto and Mabel Kratzer were relatives of my father and we would go and spend a few days. My favorite thing was going with Otto to hang the mail bag for the train to pick up. Their son Wally raised goats and it was a treat get to bottle feed a baby goat when we were there. Kratzer Brothers General Merchandise. I have a movie of Otto pumping the gasoline into the glass gravity type pump. I also have several advertising pieces from the store. The hardware store was across the street from the store. There was merchandise that had been in stock for more than 40 years.
Comment by Peggy Lawrey — June 10, 2009 @ 6:25 pm
Hi Peggy and welcome. I have heard much of the happy times in Volland by others. What an outstanding and unique history about Volland. I had read about the mail pick up by hanging the mail bag for the train. I’ve seen some old photos of back then, and I would love to see more. Thank you so much for sharing your memories and stopping by.
Comment by Anna Surface — June 11, 2009 @ 7:27 am
The Kratzers had lived in a house that was next door to the store but it had burned many years ago so they lived upstairs over the store. The basement of the old house was there when I was a child. The upstairs had a kitchen, living room, dinning room and I believe 3 or 4 bedrooms. Otto used to tell about the troop trains that came through and how they would empty the candy jars and a whole stalk of bananas. I am also a photographer and would love to go to Volland and take pictures.
Comment by Peggy Lawrey — June 11, 2009 @ 8:18 am
Hi Peggy. I wonder what it was like for the Kratzers to live above the store. They definitely could view the comings and goings of the town. I read a book about early Kansas about when the bananas came in on the train, bananas were new to some folks who never tasted them. What is left of the stores in Volland has really deteriorated over the years. As a photographer and one who knew Volland back then, I bet you could take some interesting photos. Thanks for commenting and stopping by.
Comment by Anna Surface — June 12, 2009 @ 8:17 am