Return To Yesteryear...Main Street Fredonia

These are my last photos of Fredonia, or at least for now. I hope that in the future John and I will return to place fresh flowers on his parent's graves and to offer them our love.

Photo below...I'm standing alongside the Gold Dust Hotel and taking a long shot down Ferdonia's main drag.

Photo below...The main street local hardware store...every town had one.

Photos below...adjacent to the hardware store is "The Back Porch", a gift basket and gift shop.

Photo below...panning down this row of old shops, once the active hub of a vibrant town.

Photo below...The local Drug Store fills in the prominent spot near the center of this city block.

Photo below...close up...I noticed a young mother and her baby exiting one of the quaint shops.

Photo below...Empty now, but once it was the Madison Street Mall, wonder what merchandise it used to sell ?

Photo below...these two lovely old buildings intrigued me, such architectural details, how beautiful they would be restored to their former splendor.

Photo above...the old red brick building is now a thrift shop, think the white building is a barber shop.

Photo below...close up of detailing on the tops of these fine brick ladies.

Photo below...I took this shot standing part way in the street looking down the avenue to my left, just past the two building in the previous photos.

Photo below...Now I'm aiming to my right showing the row of shopfronts that flank this avenue and that face the park and its band stand.

Photo above...Here you see the glorious band stand and the row of shopfronts across from it.

In warm summer evenings of days gone by, were these shops open and brightly lighted ? Was there a band playing in the park as the town's folk strolled about, talked and wandered into the little shops. Were there children laughing and playing tag or hide-and-seek in the park? One can only guess what it was like here long ago in yesteryear.

Fredonia, Trip Back In Time

Fredonia: small town just over 80 miles east of Wichita, Kansas, population 2,600.
If one dreams of an idyllic, quaint suburbia away from the maddening crowd, one with a dash of historic charm and a pinch of nostalgic atmosphere, Fredonia could well fulfill that dream.

Photo below...close up of the "Gold Dust Hotel" sign. This piece of red brick history sits proudly adjacent to Fredonia's main street.

Photos below...the Gold Dust Hotel

Photo above...Front of the Gold Dust Hotel

Photo below...Main Street side of the Gold Dust Hotel

Photo below...Close up of the fantastic detailing in the Gold Dust Hotel's red brick moulding.

Photo below...Across the street from this fine old building is a lush green park, a central green zone resplendent with the town's band stand or gazebo. Memories of times gone by and shades of the old TV show "Gilmore Girls".

Photo below...Dedication plaque on the red brick base of Fredonia's park band stand.

Coming soon...more of Fredonia's main street.

Toto...I Think You're Back in Kansas !

Photo above...Kansas prairie land, big sky country. Field of freshly mowed hay are scattered about in picturesque rolled bales.

The past couple of days have been busy with just trying to catch up: catch up on emails, snail mail, appointments, business, laundry and so on. It seems to be the rule that if you're away for a certain amount of time you will return to at least twice as many "things-to-do" when you return.

You may have noticed that I've not featured any photos of our trip through the state of Colorado. I have nothing against this lovely state, however our drive through it was met with dark and ominous skies and a great deal of rain, making photographs impossible to take. I feared we would have the same bad weather into Kansas but fortunately the gray clouds dispersed and we had a lovely day for Vada's funeral. Such a wonderful feeling to place her remains next to her beloved first husband, John's father.

The prairies of Kansas offered me an opportunity to witness big sky country, where as far as you can look in any direction you will see the horizon of the earth and above it a vast expanse of sky.

Photo below...High prairie lands offer wind blown vistas and a perfect spot for a Wind Farm.

My hubby, John, is a Kansas boy, born in Wichita. As we drove past miles of cornfields, acres of Sunflowers and fields of hay, I couldn't resist the temptation to say; "Oh Toto, I think you're back in Kansas !"

Photo below...Rolls of hay dot the freshly mowed fields, pretty enough for a painting.

Photo below...We've traveled a long way just to get here. The little cemetery in Ferdonia, Kansas, quaint,quiet and charming.

Photo below...Here, close to this attractive shade tree, our dear Vada's ashes will rest.

Photos below...Vada's urn of ashes will be place in the middle of her burial plot, below the granite headstone. Her beloved first husband, John E. Yoakum, is immediately next to her.

John has now fulfilled his promise that he would place his dear mother alongside his father. It has taken us 3 years to accomplish this, to remove Vada from her niche in the Deschutes Cemetery in Bend, Oregon and carry her across several states back to her homeland. By the Way...is anyone interested in a lovely niche for single or double cremation urns in the Chapel of the Deschutes Mausoleum ?

Photo below...Our task complete. Our prayers offered, respect and love given. Flowers now adorn their graves and we bid them fond adieu.

I haven't quite finished with my travel photos just yet, still have a few left to post and write about, but perhaps later this week. Until then, I thank each and every one of you for stopping by, I truly appreciate your visits and your comments. Blessings to you all.