As homesteaders and their families moved to this area and settled the countryside, many small communities were formed in the area around Almena. It took too much time to drive a team and wagon into the town of Almena; consequently, Rayville was established north and east of Almena. Birkville was a settlement south of town, and Fairhaven was even further south and two miles west. Kyd was located northeast of town, Calvert and Seth were settlements southwest of Almena, see maps in General History section for exact locations (only Calvert remains).
Birkville School
BIRKVILLE was started around 1900 or shortly thereafter two miles south of the present junction of Highway 36 and Highway 60. The Steven Cox family with children Leota Edith (Luther) and Wesley Cox moved to Birkville in 1906. A Mr. Dibble had started a store of general merchandise (dry goods, meats, kerosene, etc.). He had worked for E.E. Keckley in Almena and had learned the general store business from him. Mr. and Mrs. Dibble lived in the back of the store with her son, Jim Yerton. Some of the families that lived in Birkville were: the Goublet Yost’s (children Esther, Ruth, Emma and his two boys Goublet and August, and her boy, Martin); the Steven Cox family; the John Duff family, (children Mabel, Edith, Lizzie, Mary, Mildred, Robert, Harold, and Leonard).
East of the store was the blacksmith shop which was run by Mr. and Mrs. Fisher. Approximately one-half mile east lived the Karnopp family; Mr. John Karnopp (father of Elizabeth Combs), Lena, and Roy. The Methodist Church and parsonage were north of the general store. W. W. Bechum and Mr. Baker both served as ministers of this church. The church burned down around 1913-1915.
With the advent of the automobile, travel to larger communities was much easier and the store closed.
The Birkville church and parsonage were north of the Birkville Store with the Rev. W. W. Bechum as minister. The church burned down around 1913, and most of the congregation went to Baker Church for Sunday services after this tragedy.