Hi! My family is really interested in moving to Howard, Moline, or Severy, KS

[Jo McDonald]

Samantha, if you want to post something, you better jump in here --- seems like the rest of us  ( or at least a few)  are "hogging the show".
  Nice that so many are willing to share with you and your family --- Kansas is home to many of us.

  If y'all want some humidity -- take a trip to Aransas Pass or Corpus Christi..Now that is humidity !!!

[frawin]

I know the area, I have purchased crude oil in that area, Also I quail hunted several times just over the line in Oklahoma near Walters, awesome bird hunting area. The best and most memorable, unforgettable people in my life were and are people from or at Howard Kansas. 
Frank
PS Howard has 800 friendly people and a few old soreheads, when I was growing up it had 1200 friendly people and a few old soreheads.

[Buddyboy]

I am going to weigh in here. My dad moved us to Moline in 1975 from Belle Plaine near Wichita. I was thirteen. We had visited my aunt there and my cousins in Longton, which was where my dad was from, many times. I honestly had not seen any teen agers when we visited. I just knew my dad was going to move me to a ghost town. Mom put her foot down and said no further than Moline and definitely not Longton. Turns out it was the absolute best thing my dad ever did. I loved my teen years there. I worked at the Library and had a great lady there, Esther Wilson, who helped me get through my teen years' angst.
I was in the first Sr. class to be at the new West Elk school. It was not that bad. I had heard about rivalries and actually witness a little tension when I first went there in 75-76. By the time we were Srs. that had pretty much passed. However, I am still a proud member of the Moline Alumni.
Things do move slower and you have to plan more. Mom went to Indy for groceries about once a month but other than that we hit the two grocery stores that were there in town and of course Mr. Campbell's cookies. You could let your kids ride their bikes around town and you knew not to get into trouble because it would get back home before you did. I know things have changed. My two houses I lived in have burned down, but I still like visiting. Even though I am not a native Moliner, it will always be my hometown. Howard has changed since I went to school there too. I agree though, you have to go to Toots. I don't know if they still have it or not, but if they do, order the upside down banana split. It was awesome. We also went to the pool there and the movies, but I notice the movie theater is gone now.
Severy was where I went to pick up my two girlfriends from High School days. It used to have a cafe that served an awesome chicken fried steak. Not been back there since the early 80's.
You won't be sorry for choosing to move here.

[Samantha]

I know the area, I have purchased crude oil in that area, Also I quail hunted several times just over the line in Oklahoma near Walters, awesome bird hunting area.

I have family that live in Chattanooga which is really close to Walters!  We live in Thornberry, which is close to all the peach orchards in Charlie.

[Samantha]

You could let your kids ride their bikes around town and you knew not to get into trouble because it would get back home before you did. I know things have changed.

I hope this isn't a thing that has changed!  When we lived in town we were afraid to take our eyes off the kids cause there were always sooo many people around.  We live away from town now but we live on a busy fm road, one that is a favorite for the air force guys to fly down on their motorcycles.

[flo]

all day and into the evening children go by my house on their bikes.  Some in a group, some alone, some are just walking and talking and having fun.  No problems.  Right now I am waiting on my granddaughter who will be walking to my house from the pool.  We won't worry about someone kidnapping her.  When she gets here I'll take her home.  That's not to say that some stranger couldn't come to town and change all this.  There were a couple registered sex offenders moved to Severy and still live there far as I know.  People like this are watched very closely in a small town.  I would not hesitate one minute to get involved if I saw a child having any kind of trouble at all, of any kind, and I think Howard is full of that kind of people.   

[Tobina+1]

Chicken Fried Steak; oh yes!  No good hometown restaurant would survive without serving that!  Along with Chicked Fried Chicken!  (WHAT?  My hubby always laughs at that.)  And good old fashioned Fried Chicken.  Tell your hubby that the only reason he'll want to back to Texas is for the fish!  Ha!

My husband moved to rural Howard/Moline to take a ranch manager job about 4-1/2 years ago.  I moved here from Kansas City a year later when we got married.  We're both originally from small, agriculture towns.  He's from South Florida, and I'm from NW Kansas.  We really enjoy the whole of Elk County and many people have made us feel welcome.  

I do most of my grocery shopping in Howard at the grocery/pharmacy store.  Batson's is doing a great job of having a wide selection of food items, and they will be expanding, again, soon.  For the rest of my household/personal items, I unfortunately haven't had very good luck at Batson's; that section is kind of slim pickings.  But, since I travel for work a lot, it's not a big deal for me to get to a Walmart every few weeks to pick up that type of stuff (and food items that Batson's doesn't carry).  I mostly go to ElDorado or Wichita.  El Dorado if I'm in a hurry and need a lot of things; they have super Walmart and Dillons grocery (45 minute drive).  Wichita if I want to do some extra clothes shopping or something (1hr 20 minute drive).  If I'm in a REAL hurry or need something badly, I'll go to Alco in Eureka (30 minute drive).  I rarely go to Indepencence since I live on the West side of the county, it's faster to go to El Dorado for the same services available.  I've even driven to Bartlesville, OK or Winfield to get stuff; just depending on my mood (being a traveler, when I sit at home too long I sometimes need to wander around).  I have friends and family in Wichita, so I just tend to go there more than anything (in spite of all the construction).

[frawin]

Tobina, if you get to Bartlesville again stop and see us and we will take you to dinner in Bartlesville.
Frank

[heather_tyler_2014]

man-o-man you will not for one second wish you could go back to texas (well hopefully) everything is good if your a pizza lover than you'll love it here or ambuger or smooth ice-cream   then we have the hcp the Howard City Pool
i live thier(pretty much) and then some  and then batsons(family market) has some GREAT ice-cream and then we have the j&l movie store and cooksons(very handy) and we have most importntly LOVE and friendlyness and a protectull eye for everyone  oh and p&j's and the nursing home and the floral shop and laundry mat and anything else ask anybody   

[Diane Amberg]

Buddyboy, if you are talking about the "fudge monkey" at Toots, its alive and well. I had one the second week in June when we were in town. Still yummy.