Founded: 1887 Population:    123 (2000)      96 (1990)    146 (1980)    184 (1928) Elevation: 1663 Latitude: 37° 26' 32" N Longitude: 98° 16' 54" W School District: USD 332 ZIP code: 67159 Area Code: 620

Zenda is located in southern Kingman County [KM] on highway K-42.  The town is mostly contained between the highway on the south and the AT&SF railway, marked with grain elevators, on the north side.
 
The grade school looks like it was built in the last ten years and is still used for kindergarten through the eighth grade.  The municipal building houses the small but award-winning library, a meeting room for 4-H and other groups, and the Friendship Meals program for senior citizens.  The city park, offering tennis and basketball courts, is well maintained.
 
The simplest and shortest route to Zenda from Wichita is to take K-42, Southwest Boulevard, through Suppesville and Norwich.  Another way is to go west from Kingman 9 miles and take SW90th 14 miles south through Calista to Zenda; this trip takes about an hour and a quarter.
 
The paved road south out of Zenda winds its way down into a surprisingly hilly part of Harper County, connecting with US 160 at Attica.

History

Rochester, Kansas, named for Rochester, Minnesota, was first settled in the mid-1880s. When the A.T.&S.F. railway was built, the town moved to the present site of Zenda in 1887 and renamed New Rochester. The name created much confusion since there were 28 other places named Rochester in the country. The wife of a Santa Fe conductor read the novel The Prisoner of Zenda and thought the name was pretty. The Post Office officially changed names on October 7, 1892. There are currently three other towns named Zenda.

Zenda has had three newspapers over the years:

• Zenda Citizen 1909 -1917
• Zenda Headlight 1923-1939
• Zenda Zephyr 1939-1941

More Zenda History

Special Events

Zenda celebrated its 110th anniversary celebration over the Labor Day weekend of 1997.

Places to visit in Zenda

One of the most interesting and unique presentations of the history of any Kansas town is on the second floor of the Municipal Building on Main Street.  Thirty-six model buildings show Zenda's Main Street as it was around the turn of the century.  Each building is "dollhouse" size with the largest about a yard high.  The models are painstakingly crafted and are displayed with pictures of the originals.  Be sure to look through the windows of the school.  By standing at one end of the room between the rows of tables you can look down Main Street and be transported back in time.  All that's missing is the smell of horses.
 
This display is open only by arrangement; to schedule a visit, contact Bonnie Bailey, the model builder. She can be reached after business hours at (620) 243-5681.  Ms. Bailey, an expert on local history, is also on the board of the local museum and can arrange for it to be opened as well.
 
The Zenda Jail on the east side of Main Street, across from The Lumber Yard, is a tiny concrete box.  The floor still has iron rings to shackle prisoners into place.

Dining in Zenda

The Lumber Yard (620) 243-6000
311 N. Main / P. O. Box 58, Zenda, KS 67159
 
The Geo. W. Ultch Lumber Co was built in 1902.  Beulah and Woodrow Graber and family opened a restaurant in the building in 1993.  The old shelves now hold antiques and interesting objects, the racks built for bolts and plumbing items now hold wine bottles, and the old Mosler safe sits in its accustomed place.
 
The menu includes prime rib the first Saturday evening of the month.
 
Reservations are suggested.

Shopping

Blasi Service Station (620) 243-5571
212 N. Main / Zenda, KS 67159

Churches

St. John's Catholic Church Founded 1909

United Methodist Church Founded 1907

Schools

Zenda Grade School [K-8]  USD 332 (620) 243-5721
306 E. Ave. A

Library

Zenda Library (620)243-5791
306 N. Main Street / Zenda, KS 67159

Museums

Zenda Community Museum (620)243-5531
Main Street / Zenda, KS 67159
Open by appointment

Notes:

• Genealogical Information for Kingman County is available on Blue Skyways.
• Zenda was mentioned in Kansas, A Cyclopedia Of State History by Frank W. Blackmar (1912).
• Zenda is on the old A.T. & S.F. branch line that ran down to Englewood.

References

Zenda, Kansas Centennial 1887-1987 Privately published 1987; copy available in Zenda Library

For more information about Zenda

Zenda Telephone Co. (620) 243-5531
208 N. Main Street, Zenda, KS 67159

Visit the Home Page for Kansas   A service of the Kansas State Library

© Copyright 1996     John & Susan Howell