Elk Rapids

[W. Gray]

Longton was originally called Elk Rapids and was chartered with the state on August 23, 1870, under that name.

The US Post Office, though, objected to the name expressing concern about too many towns so close together with an Elk prefix. Elk Falls was upstream on the Elk River and Elk City downstream.

Founders regrouped and decided on renaming the town Longton, after a famous English china manufacturing town from which one of the founders hailed.

I am not familiar with the river area in Longton. Are there really Elk River rapids in the Longton area?

[Judy Harder]

I am not familiar with the river area in Longton. Are there really Elk River rapids in the Longton area?

Well I just started reading here and will try to answer your question.
There is a waterfall just south of Longton just down the hill from the water intake plant.

I have been on the bank, but not down to the river. I do know that when parents aren't looking and the river is down the town kids do sneak down there to go swimming.

It will need an older and a native of Longton to come up with the details of it.
But, we do have one.

[Carol (aka Nana 02)]

Growing up there in the 70's i remember it well, we called it the dam, we spent many days there swimming on the upper side of it. We also used to see if we could walk all the way accross with out falling, which we did alot! When we wanted to fish we would always fish below the dam.After you walked down the bank there was a big concrete slab that we would sit on. I remember High School kids would go down there after football games and build big bon fires! It may look alot different now then it did back then??