County featured in social media tour
Staff writer
A college student documenting his tour of Kansas made a three-day pass through Marion County last week and documented each town for a tourism book to be published at the end of his journey.
Seth Varner, a 22-year-old college student from Nebraska, plans to publish “Wandermore in Kansas,” after visiting the state’s 627 incorporated towns.
During his visit Thursday to Marion, Varner posted 101 photos of local businesses, churches, and municipal and educational facilities on a social media page.
“Like many early towns of its size, Marion too has been the home of several notable people,” Varner wrote.
On Friday, Vander said he enjoyed seeing the Historic Elgin Hotel, the courthouse, and many other locations.
“There are lots of beautiful sites around the county, from the Alexanderwohl Mennonite Church in Goessel to the Tabor College campus in Hillsboro,” he said. “Each little town has so much unique history to offer, and I’m glad that I could help encourage people to visit Marion County with the photos and information that I shared on Facebook.
“Funny story too. While in Lost Springs, I was in search of a restroom, and one of the locals let me into her home to borrow hers. She asked what on earth I was doing in a town so small, and when I told her about my project, she had a jaw-drop moment and told me that she had seen my post on Tampa the other day! She also offered me water and some brief history about the town.”
Varner visited:
May 2
- Durham, where he posted 32 photos.
- Hillsboro, where he posted 102 photos.
- Lehigh, where he posted 21 photos.
- Tampa, where he posted 32 photos.
May 3
- Burns, where he posted 46 photos.
- Cottonwood Falls, where he posted 101 photos.
- Goessel, where he posted 51 photos.
- Peabody, where he posted 86 photos.
- Tampa, where he posted 24 photos.
Thursday
- Cedar Point, where he posted 28 photos.
- Elmdale, where he posted 36 photos.
- Florence, where he posted 71 photos.
- Lincolnville, where he posted 39 photos.
- Lost Springs, where he posted 16 photos.
- Ramona, where he posted 23 photos.
- Marion, where he posted 101 photos.
He earlier traveled and documented towns in Nebraska, Iowa, and South Dakota, publishing travel books for those states.