White Cloud: A Hidden Town

Most people would write a blog about their hometown or a foreign place like London or Paris. I have chosen a place that is hidden and unknown to many. It is a place that I feel at home and that I visit every year. White Cloud, Kansas is a small, rural town in the northeastern corner of Kansas, roughly an hour and a half away from Topeka.  During its heyday in the late 19^thcentury White Cloud was called home to thousands of people; now a mere 200 or so live in White Cloud.

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Many would call White Cloud a ghost town. I call it a town of hidden adventure and beauty. White Cloud may not have the attractions that many “city folk” would identify with. The “attractions” that I would show visitors would be the “Four State Lookout” (a hill where you can see Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Iowa), the small (and abandoned in some cases) shops along Main Street, the Ma Hush Kah Museum (a museum highlighting the “victories”, if you will, of White Cloud), the Gingerbread House (the house where the kid who invented the piggy bank lived), and lastly the most important in my eyes, the raw beauty of its scenery. White Cloud is scattered with beautiful flora including Swamp Milkweed and Hollyhock. Deer can be found galloping through the open meadows early in the morning.

Tall trees provide shade for pure relaxation in an almost surrealistic way. White Cloud is a photographer’s dream. Its rustic, natural essence is very surreal. I would proudly show visitors the way that White Cloud’s beauty comes from its flora, fauna, and even rustic, old treasures lying forgotten in overgrown weeds. Not all attractions require rollercoasters or caged animals. White Cloud is just this. It is a place full of memories and history. It is a place where words can’t fully describe its tranquility. It is a place that seems far away and mystical when I look through the lens of one of my cameras. Along with its beauty I would introduce visitors to a local named Wolf River Bob. Wolf River Bob knows virtually everything there is to know about White Cloud. He is truly a part of the town and its history. I would also show visitors “the popular event”, the White Cloud Flea Market which occurs in early May and September.  

White Cloud may not have fancy restaurants or “world landmarks”, but its country mentality and culture, places it among one of my favorite places to go. When my family and I go to White Cloud we ride around in my grandpa’s red pickup truck and blast “oldies” music like “Blue Suede Shoes” and “Louie Louie”.  

White Cloud is a truly unique town! I would love for people to visit it and “boost its popularity”, if you will. It’s rich history, everlasting memories, and breath-taking scenery makes White Cloud a rare gem hidden deep in the heart of our country.