LIVING IN COTTONWOOD FALLS

​The first major bridge at Cottonwood Falls was a 150-foot-long iron truss bridge constructed in 1872. The present bridge was constructed in 1914 by the Missouri Valley Bridge Company of Leavenworth, Kansas. It is one of only three remaining reinforced masonry, earth-filled arch bridges that were designed by Daniel B. Luten and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places today. The 1st post office in Cottonwood Falls was established in 1858.

In 1872, the city’s French Renaissance-style Chase County Courthouse, which sits at the head of Broadway, was built; at roughly the same time, the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway reached the Cottonwood Falls area. Through the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the area around the city was mainly divided into farms and cattle ranches. Today, the city of Cottonwood Falls is a third-class city with a population of 874 residents. While Broadway is but 3 blocks long, it is home to art galleries, boutiques, antique stores, museums, and restaurants. Broadway St. ends at the beautiful historic stone bridge, the site of the annual River Suite. It lies just 2 blocks to the West of KS Hwy 177, which is also known as the Flint Hills Scenic Byway, one of the Eight Wonders of Kansas