Grasshopper Falls, Kansas

Shortly after the establishment of the Kansas Territory in 1854, frontier migrants stumbled upon the Grasshopper River, believing it could serve as a great source for powering a mill. The town of Grasshopper would be established in 1869 by free-staters, individuals who opposed slavery in the Kansas Territory. The town was platted in 1855. Depicted below is the duplicate survey plat for Township 8S Range 18E, where Grasshopper Falls (now called Valley Falls) is located in section 19.

The grasshopper invasion during the 1870s devastated crops, and shortly after, the town would be renamed Valley Falls with the backing of legislation. Legislation also would change the name of the river from Grasshopper to Delaware, after the Native American tribe inhabiting the area.

Valley Falls would go on to service three railroads, two large hotels, and the Meyer Creamery, which produced powdered milk and employed many of the townspeople.