Empire City, Kansas
A Forgotten Wild West Boomtown
In the late 19th century, the American frontier was still untamed, and mining booms fueled the rapid rise of towns that seemed to appear overnight. One such place was Empire City, Kansas, a Wild West boomtown that burned brightly before fading into history. Located just north of Galena, along Short Creek, Empire City was born from the discovery of lead and zinc and became a town of high hopes, fierce rivalries, and legendary lawlessness.
The Birth of Empire City
Empire City was officially founded in spring 1877 when the West Joplin Lead & Zinc Company purchased a 120-acre farm from J. Nichols and transformed it into a company town. The land was rich in minerals, attracting fortune-seekers, miners, and businessmen alike. By May of that year, 200 lots had already been sold, and construction on homes, businesses, and saloons began almost immediately.
The town’s growth was explosive. By June 1877, it was incorporated, and a post office was established the following month. Within months, 3,000 people called Empire City home, making it one of the fastest-growing settlements in Kansas at the time.
A Rivalry Like No Other
Empire City’s rise was not without conflict. Less than a mile to the south, the town of Galena was also booming, thanks to its strategic position over richer lead deposits. The rivalry between the two towns was legendary—not just a battle for economic dominance but also one of pride and survival.
In one of the most infamous moments in Empire City’s history, the town’s leaders attempted to physically block people from moving to Galena. On July 25, 1877, the Empire City council ordered the construction of an eight-foot-high, half-mile-long stockade along Columbus Street and the Short Creek bridge, effectively cutting off access to Galena. This sparked outrage.
On August 15, 1877, at 4:00 a.m., a posse of 50 armed Galena citizens attacked the stockade, tearing it down and setting fire to parts of it. Though a few shots were exchanged, little blood was spilled. The destruction of the stockade symbolized Galena’s growing dominance, and over time, Empire City began to lose its battle for survival.
The Wild Side of Empire City
If Empire City was known for anything, it was its lawless, rowdy nature. The town’s main street, Red Hot Street, became a haven for vice, lined with saloons, gambling houses, and brothels. Newspapers of the time described it as one of the wildest places in the region, where “all legitimate businesses withdrew” as outlaws, gamblers, and drunken miners took over.
One 1880s newspaper article remarked:
“The principal thoroughfare was known as Red Hot Street. It became so true to the name that all legitimate businesses withdrew and left the street to saloons, gamblers, and dance halls. For several months, the orgies that held sway on Red Hot Street were perhaps never exceeded in any other frontier mining camp.”
With little formal law enforcement, the two mining towns often descended into violence and shootouts, keeping doctors and undertakers working overtime. Despite the lawlessness, Empire City saw the development of churches, schools, and even a newspaper, The Mining Echo, which was established in 1877 but only lasted three years.
The Inevitable Decline
By the mid-1880s, Empire City’s population had dropped to around 1,000, as Galena solidified its status as the dominant mining town. The Empire City post office closed in June 1886, though it briefly reopened in 1887. By the turn of the 20th century, the ore was depleted, and the town’s economy crumbled.
The bitter rivalry between Empire City and Galena was finally settled in court, and after years of disputes, the two towns decided to join forces. On July 9, 1907, Empire City officially surrendered its status as an independent city, becoming a suburb of Galena. The last traces of its independence vanished in 1910, when Empire City was formally annexed into Galena as its Fifth Ward. The final blow came in October 1913, when the town’s post office closed forever.
Empire City’s Legacy
Though Empire City no longer exists as an independent town, its legacy remains alive in local history. The town’s wild days, legendary feuds, and lawless reputation are still remembered, and remnants of its past can be found north of Galena, where a few historic structures still stand.
In an era where boomtowns came and went with the rise and fall of the mining industry, Empire City embodied the untamed spirit of the Wild West—a town built on hope, ambition, and a little bit of outlaw grit.