Fidelity Land & Improvement Co.

Here is a little gem courtesy of the Kansas State Archives (Archives - Kansas Historical Society). These are the coal measures of the Fidelity Land & Improvement Co., which was owned in part by Robert Alexander Long of the Long-Bell Lumber Co. This image is likely from the early to mid-1890s, given that West Mineral is not even on the map. I believe West Mineral (formerly Mineral City) was organized in 1897. Other things to note on this map are how small Pittsburg was at the time (not much larger than Weir), and the “projected” railroad line from West Mineral to Pittsburg by way of Cherokee. This line was never created; instead, the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railway (Katy) was extended from Parsons to West Mineral. Eventually, spurs were constructed from the Katy to Stone City, northeast of West Mineral, but this map predates Stone City by a few years.