Purest Water in Kansas

A sign in town says the purest water in Kansas is found in Longford. That seems to make Longford the perfect town to have a bottling plant.

The following is on the website at www.longfordwater.com:
"The water near the city of Longford is known for its natural sweetness, softness and quality of its drinking water. For years, a sign on Highway K-15 boasted of the quality of the water.

The Longford water is unique because the water is naturally filtered by the distintive underground formations in the area. The rocks near Longford form a distinctive part of the Kiowa Formation and include siltstone, relative scarce sandstone, minor lignite and abundant clay rocks. These rocks mark the base of the Kiowa Formation in parts of North Central Kansas and are named for the excellent exposures near Longford, in Southwest Clay County."

I fell for it and have been a Longford Water fan ever since. In fact I was in town the other day and picked up over 300 bottles to use at our We Kan! Conference. Wava was at lunch so I backed up to the warehouse and loaded up my bottles. She found me later taking pictures in the middle of the street.

The city, population under 100, has some pretty great things. One not pictured here (because the sun was wrong) is the Coachlight Restaurant. 785.388.2437. When it's closed on Monday everyone goes to the bar and grill across the street to eat. Pretty good having those options in a small town.



Clarissa Kramer painted this mural found on the side of a downtown building. And, the bank is the original bank in town dating back to the early 1900s and you can see historic Longford photos inside. The exterior walls feature local Dakota sandstone. They also have a post office and Janice's Dream, a great place to get your hair beautified or get directions.


This Dakota sandstone sets by the restaurant as a memorial to their centennial in 1975. Maybe you've heard of Longford because of their great rodeo! Also, the giant stone buffalo is out in a pasture about 8 miles from town.

How can a small town have all these assets? Spend some time in Longford and you'll "Get Kansas!"

KE #2 Marci Penner


View Larger Map