Westphalia

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     S.P. Cornell and J.C. Merrill had a dream in 1879. They platted and surveyed a 40 acre town site one mile west of the Coffey-Anderson County line and named it Cornell. There was a railroad station and a post office located there.

     The Flushe brothers, August, Emil and Carl arrived in 1880 and were German Catholics from Westphalia, Iowa. They were looking for a site to establish another town site for German immigrants. The Flushes decided the area was a good site and purchased 300 acres of land for $2.50 per acre and bought and several building lots in the new town site. They also purchased the partially constructed home and 160 acres of land from Cornell on the east side of the town site. The Flusche Brothers then returned to Iowa to gather their families and a group of immigrants to return to the new town site.

     The post office was known as Thomas named after the small creek running close by. The name of the post office and town wasn’t officially changed from Cornell to Westphalia until 1882. The first business was a general merchandise store built by the Flushe Brothers. This changed quickly and soon there was a blacksmith shop, drug store, hay press, corn mill and a hotel. The year 1882 when the town officially became Westphalia, there were 25 new buildings under construction or completed. By 1883 the population was 500 people and they had a church, two schools, an elevator, livery stable, doctors, and clothing and millinery stores. Stockyards were built on the north side of the railroad track. The town was a major shipping point for livestock, grain and hay. 

      J.C. Merrill built the Opera House in 1887 and it seated 300 people. It provided entertainment of plays, musical performances, dances, recitals and concerts. The first bank opened in 1887. The original counter in the Westphalia Bank is still being used today in the Farmers State Bank at Aliceville in Coffey County.

     The first newspaper in town was the “The Westphalia Times” started in 1885. Ancil Hatten bought the paper in 1889 and operated it for 49 years until his death in 1938. Harold Phares bought the paper and published it until 1941. “The Westphalia Citizen” was a paper published by Larry and Alice Nolan from 1980-1985. 

     The early days of Westphalia saw manufacturing in a cigar factory, a broom factory and bed springs were also manufactured in town. A creamery was located south of the railroad tracks and made about 3000 pounds of milk products a day, shipping most of their products toward Kansas City on the railroad.

     Fires were common in the early towns in the county and Westphalia had its share. In 1899 a large number of the original wooden structures burned and were replaced by new brick buildings. Due to the virgin prairie grass many prairie fires also burned the landscape destroying farmsteads and people even lost their lives.

     Westphalia was connected to Aliceville, Harris and Glenwood in 1904 by telephone. Following closely to the telephone was the automobile and by 1909 five residents of Westphalia were the proud owners of cars. With the incorporation of the town in 1920 they also built their own electrical light plant in 1925 and had 24 hour service.

     Mrs. Tipton donated six acres of land to the city and a park was constructed. It was named Tipton Park and the original stone gate posts still stand today. The park was used for baseball games, picnics and other family activities. Band concerts and other entertainment were held in the Opera House and many dances.

     The military called many young men from Westphalia into service and some gave the supreme sacrifice. Those included: John Murh and Joseph Mardick, Spanish American War; Dale Tipton, World War I; Lawrence Reiling, Ed Dover, Joseph Kleinsorge, and Carl Winn, World War II; and Edward Stahl, Vietnam.

     The Methodist Episcopal Church opened in 1884 and they built a new building in 1890. It burned in 1939 and they moved the Northcott Methodist Church to Westphalia in December, 1939. It was used until 1980 when the church officially closed. Later the building was sold and tore down.

     The first Catholic mass was April 13, 1880, in the Flushe home on the east side of Westphalia. Service was provided by the Carmelite Fathers from Scipio. The church grew and in July, 1881, the new Catholic Church was dedicated. In 1883 the parochial school had grown and a two story addition was made to the back of the church in 1884 for the Sisters who were teaching to live and for the school. 

     Fr. John Redeker was appointed pastor of the church in September, 1887. It became evident soon after his appointment there was need for a new building for the Church as its membership had grown to 72 families. A new church was started with much of the labor donated by members of the parish. It was the first building constructed of “Westphalia” brick made by the parishioners in the town. It had a tall steeple with three large bells, and they could be heard through the town every day. The new Gothic Style church was completed in 1890 and dedicated April 12, 1891.

     A new rectory was needed. In 1903 the large wood home used as the rectory was moved several blocks west of the church and a new brick rectory constructed. Later in 1906 the old wooden church was removed and a new two story school building was constructed. 

The public grade school was started in 1880 with classes being held a mile southeast of town. In 1883 the school was moved into town. School was held there until 1952 when the students were moved to the high school in 1952. The new elementary school was constructed in 1957 with two rooms for upper and lower grades.

     The Westphalia High School opened in 1913 and classes were held in the lumber yard that year until the new building could be completed in 1914. Basketball was played in the Opera House and Dieker’s Garage. In 1938 an addition of a gymnasium was made to the school. The year 1944 was a disaster for the high school as it burned leaving only an empty shell. Classes were held in empty buildings down town and by start of school in the fall of 1944 the new school was ready for attendance. 

     The year 1970 brought changes to the schools of Westphalia. The high school students closed and students were moved to Garnett. The St. Teresa’s School and Centerview School closed and the students began attending the Westphalia Elementary School moving into the old high school. The former elementary school houses the kindergarten and first grade classes today and the other students continue to attend classes in the old high school. Westphalia High School had a total of 782 graduates over the years. 

     From mid-1960 to 1990 businesses began to close and the population took a major decline. Basically today at the time of this writing there are two businesses, the Tastove Garage and the LeRoy Co-op in town along with the post office. The Westphalia Elementary School and St. Teresa of Avila Catholic Church continue to be open. The Westphalia Community still has spirit and can be observed in their faithfulness to their community, school and church.