If I had to choose one thing that I love most about the beautiful state of Kansas, it would have to be the colorful and rolling Flint Hills. But how exactly did they get their name? Previously known as the Blue Stem Hills, the Flint Hills were renamed because of their abundance of flint (eroded from bedrock) hiding beneath the visible tallgrass prairie. While this area is nothing short of unique and gorgeous, it also has an eerie side to it, as shown by these photos captured by Kansas photographer Patrick Emerson.
"There is not much left in the village of Cedar Point. No stores, a few deserted houses and an abandoned school. It is a great place to visit to view the historic old mill."
"The saga of the West was nothing like the "western" movies. The reality was far more complex.
At places, you can still find the relics of those times..."
"Working on the Fashion Monster Benefit video has kept me in the Halloween mood. Here's a vision of the long deserted Art Deco high school. I believe now that somebody is restoring this structure!"
"The middle of Kansas contains a vast grassland which is known for the annual burning to create new grass for the grazing of animals. The area is known as the "Flint Hills" and the burning time in May is always popular with photographers... It is very fun to see, but also very smokey!"
"The Art Deco high school of Neosho Falls has long been abandoned. Once the site of Presidential visits over a century ago, now only a handful of residents remain. There remains one business - a bar."
