Editing Elmdale, Kansas (section)

==History==
[[File:Elmdale, Kansas (1911).jpg|thumb|left|Main Street, 1911]]

In 1806, [[Zebulon Pike]] led the [[Pike Expedition]] westward from [[St Louis, Missouri]], of which part of their journey followed the [[Cottonwood River (Kansas)|Cottonwood River]] through [[Chase County, Kansas|Chase County]] near the current city of Elmdale.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://zebulonpike.org/maps/kansas/MAINSEKS.pdf |title=1806 Pike Expedition map through Chase County. |access-date=2016-01-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120317175019/http://zebulonpike.org/maps/kansas/MAINSEKS.pdf |archive-date=2012-03-17 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 1854, the [[Kansas Territory]] was organized, then in 1861 [[Kansas]] became the 34th [[U.S. state]].  In 1859, [[Chase County, Kansas|Chase County]] was established within the [[Kansas Territory]], which included the land for modern day Elmdale.

In 1871, the [[Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway]] built a main line east-west through Elmdale.<ref name="Santa Fe Rail History">[http://kansasheritage.org/research/rr/santafe.html Santa Fe Rail History]</ref>  In 1873, a post office was relocated from Middle Creek (an extinct town), to the rail community of Elmdale.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.kshs.org/geog/geog_postoffices/search/county:CS |title=Kansas Post Offices, 1828-1961 (archived) |publisher=Kansas Historical Society |accessdate=5 June 2014 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131009125935/http://www.kshs.org/geog/geog_postoffices/search/county%3ACS |archivedate=October 9, 2013 }}</ref>  Elmdale was incorporated in 1904.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_o8X5krq3fP8C | title=Kansas: A Cyclopedia of State History, Embracing Events, Institutions, Industries, Counties, Cities, Towns, Prominent Persons, Etc. | publisher=Standard Publishing Company | author=Blackmar, Frank Wilson | year=1912 | pages=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_o8X5krq3fP8C/page/n579 583]}}</ref>

In 1916, Camp Wood [[YMCA]] was built about 1.5 miles south of Elmdale.<ref>[http://www.campwood.org/about/ Camp Wood YMCA Information]</ref><ref>[http://www.kansas.com/sports/outdoors/article74811867.html Camp Wood hopes to attract entire families for recreation, education; The Wichita Eagle; April 29, 2016.]</ref>

There have been numerous floods during the history of Elmdale.  In June and July 1951, due to heavy rains, rivers and streams flooded numerous cities in Kansas, including Elmdale.  Many reservoirs and levees were built in Kansas as part of a response to the [[Great Flood of 1951]].  A levee was built and saved the town from numerous floods, but in 1998 a flood spilled over the levee.