Baxter Springs was a cow town until the early 1870's, when complaints by local ranchers led the Kansas legislature to ban Texas cattle from entering eastern Kansas. The cattle drives were replaced with lead and zinc mining in the early 1900's, with the town serving mostly as a host to mining company offices. With the prohibition of most mining within the city limits, Baxter Springs also attracted mine owners and operators to establish their homes there. This lack of local mining prevented the chat piles, lead contamination and scarred landscapes that other towns in the area suffered, and still endure today. Route 66 ran right down Main Street starting in 1926, adding to the towns prosperity, but not a real big deal compared to the mines.
The last hurrah for the mining industry in the area was World War II, with the boom in demand you would expect, but post war, the industry declined as extraction lead to lower grade ores that sold for lower prices, and was less in demand. Route 66 was bypassed in the 1960's, and Main Street took another hit. But Baxter Springs has recovered since then, with the city diversifying into other businesses, industry and agriculture. Several companies have their headquarters and manufacturing plants in town, providing ample opportunity for the 4000+ residents. These include ATEC Steel, Blaylock Turbochargers, and King Louie America, the "number one supplier of Union Made in the USA apparel."
66 legend has it that the Cafe on the Route, at one time the Crowell Bank, was robbed in 1876 by none other than Jesse James. I believe this story because it seems that only important and famous people are associated with Route 66, and because it is more fun to believe it than not when strolling through town. The bottom picture is of Bill Murphy's restaurant which also was a bank at one time, and yes, it too was the scene of a robbery. Log Book: 617 miles motored on old 66.
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