Welcome to Clifton & Vining
Welcome
Clifton and Vining have the distinction of being located in two counties. The county line runs along the main street of both cities, which is Parallel Street. The north side of Parallel is in Washington County and the south side of Parallel is in Clay County.
Parallel Street is also Kansas Highway 9 through most of Clifton. This highway intersects with Kansas Highway 15 eight miles east of Clifton. At this junction you can turn south and travel twelve miles to Clay Center (the county seat of Clay County); Or you can turn north on Kansas Highway 15 and travel 22 miles to the City of Washington (the county seat of Washington County). Kansas Highway 9 also connects with U.S. Highway 81 twenty miles to the west, in the city of Concordia.
Should you like to learn more about the history of Clifton and Vining and see items from the past, visit the Clifton Community Historical Society Museum located in Clifton at 108 Clifton Street. The museum is open by appointment only. (Please call 455-3763 for an appointment.)
Welcome to Clifton & Vining
Clifton History
Clifton was founded in 1859 by the Manhattan and St. George Company and was named after the surveyor, M.L. Clifton. One log cabin was built and the company moved on. The town continued through the post office managed by James P. Fox. William Funnell, in 1871, opened a general merchandise store.
There were five town sites between the years of 1858 and 1869. In order to protect the area from the threat of Cheyenne Indians, Fort Clifton was built in 1864 three miles west of town. Then in 1870 the present town site was platted from Rufus Berry’s land. Clifton was incorporated in 1884 with J.W. Chadwick as the first mayor.
Welcome to Clifton & Vining
Vining History
Vining was founded in 1877 as West Clifton by Amanda and Winslow Haynes and Oliver Cooper. The name was changed to Vining in 1884 after E.P. Vining, and the town was incorporated in 1885 with James Sager as mayor. In 1881, a post office was established with Pearl A. Wilson as postmaster.
In the spring of 1879, P.H. Stepps opened a hardware store in Vining. The grain elevator was opened the same year along with a hotel and several other businesses. In 1955, a decline in population led to the closure of the post office.