County of city: Elk County
Location of city: SW corner of the county; crossroads of US-160 with no major N-S Hwy
Location of city hall: Main St. & Maple St., Grenola
Elevation: 1,119 ft (341 m)
Population: 197 (2013)
"Grenola was formed in 1879 when the two communities of Greenfield and Canola relocated along the new railroad line. The community for a time was a rowdy cowtown, being a major shipping point for the cattle driven north from Oklahoma and Texas. Later, in the early 1900s, the discovery of oil and gas in the area made Grenola a bustling business place. By 1920, the population had risen to 1500.
"In the spring of 1870, John James and Hugh Hart located a town site in the southwest part of Elk County, to which they gave the name of Canola, the site being upon land owned by John Reid and H. L. Corum, the original claimants.
"The first establishments were a general store belonging to the Hart brothers, and the post office which was located at this point in March, 1870, with John Reid as Postmaster. The town progressed slowly up to 1879, when its location was changed, at which time it contained several business houses and a population of one hundred, among whom there was but one woman, Mrs. Melvin by name.
"To the north of Canola a distance of about three miles stood the rival town of Greenfield. This place has been established since 1869, the post office being located there at that time, and Rev. Mr. Vickers held the commission of Postmaster. The site stood upon a claim belonging to A. A. Toby, but only a small space was laid off into town lots. The first business started in the place was a general store belonging to A. A. Toby. But little progress was made in the building of the town, which never attained to much importance.
"The two towns thus stood rivals for some years, with Canola far in the advance. Upon the completion of the Kansas City., Lawrence & Southern Kansas Railroad through the south part of Elk County, the two places became united, the railroad having passed between them at an almost equal distance from each.
"Both towns were thus left apart from the advantages of the railroad, which they were anxious to secure. The consequence of this state of affairs was their consolidation, which took place on the 7th day of July, 1879.
"The survey of the new site was made by a man by the name of Ross, on land purchased from W. H. Guy by the Town Site Company, composed of citizens of the town. Originally the claim had been taken by Silas Gibson, who afterward sold out to C. Maris. who disposed of the same to Guy. At its formation the company numbered twenty shares of $20 each, and Thomas Hawkins was President; D. M. Reid, Secretary, and W. H. Guy, Treasurer. The number of shares have since been increased to one hundred, and as an index of the prosperity and prospects of the town, the shares have sold at a premium of twenty-five per cent since the establishment of the town site." ~ Grenola History