"It all comes out in the wash."

That's my great-grandmothers aphorism for not sweating the small stuff. It's one of those things that's been repeated down the generations.

Limestone fence posts, and the Post Rock Museum in Kansas

Imagine farming someplace that wood was so scarce that you used rock for fence posts instead. 

Back in the late 1800s you didn't go to the big home improvement store for fence posts. You got your ax and saw, hitched up your team of horses or mules, drove out to the nearest source of trees. In western Kansas or the Oklahoma Panhandle, that source was miles away, and likely only found along creeks or streams. Then you could start chopping down trees, trimming to length and hauling them back. 

That natural limestone is starting to look better as a fence post material. 

In the Oklahoma (and I'm sure Texas) Panhandle and western Kansas, you can still see rock fence posts from over a hundred years ago. 

Driving tour (of sorts)

Coming home, I drove south down US Highway 183 through western Kansas. As I got near the town of La Crosse, in Rush County, Kansas, I kept seeing more and more of the old stone fence posts. That got me thinking about the men with the axes and wagons and no trees. 

Turn off at this sign for a short scenic turnout of post rocks. 

Two county roads intersect with the state highway, giving a short (maybe a mile total) and easy drive where you can get up close with still-standing fence post rocks. 

From US Highway 183, take Rush County Road 245 south, then Avenue I east back to Highway 183. (Or do it in the other order, either way works). The red sign is at the north intersection on this map. 

Museum

In La Crosse, Kansas, there's a museum for the post rocks and the architecture built on them. 

Yes, architecture. Wood was scarce, and squared off posts were available, so people built houses and buildings from stone. 

The museum also has several restored buildings, including a railroad depot and a 1916 bank. 

More photos at Flickr

See more of my pics of the scenic turnout, the post rock museum and the restored bank.