By Bronwyn Page
From The Archives
When Emerson P. Carey arrived in Hutchinson, Kansas, as a teenager in 1880, he had little more than determination. By the time of his death in 1933, he had become a millionaire industrialist whose ventures shaped the city’s economy and culture.
Carey’s rise was anchored in the salt industry, where the Carey Salt Company became one of the largest operators in Kansas. His leadership helped establish Hutchinson as a hub of salt production, a resource as vital to the state’s economy as wheat and petroleum. The Carey family’s name became practically interchangeable with salt manufacturing, their mines and operations fueling both local employment and statewide commerce.
Yet Carey’s impact extended far beyond industry. Guided by ideals of community welfare, he invested heavily in civic projects. Among his most enduring gifts is Carey Park, a 141-acre public space along the Arkansas River. Designed with winding driveways, open grounds, and even once housed a free bathing pool supplied with warm water from the salt plant, the park embodied Carey’s belief that prosperity should be shared with the public.
Carey’s vision also touched housing and infrastructure. He was instrumental in the creation of Careyville, a residential area, and played a role in securing Hutchinson as the permanent home of the Kansas State Fair. His influence extended to Willowbrook and even the location of the Hutchinson Airport, reflecting his broad commitment to civic development.
The Carey family’s passion for recreation and culture found its most celebrated expression in Prairie Dunes Country Club. Emerson Carey, an avid golfer who traveled the world playing courses in Scotland and beyond, dreamed of bringing world-class golf to Kansas. In 1935, the family commissioned renowned architect Perry Maxwell to design a course on 480 acres of rolling Kansas land. Despite challenges—including tornadoes sweeping across the site—the first nine holes opened in 1937, with the full 18 completed in 1957 under Maxwell’s son, Press.
Today, Prairie Dunes is ranked among America’s greatest golf courses, hosting national and international tournaments and drawing players from around the globe.
Perhaps the most unexpected continuation of Carey’s influence lies 650 feet underground. The mine shaft sunk by the Carey Salt Company in 1923 is today home to Strataca: The Kansas Underground Salt Museum. Visitors descend into the same tunnels once worked by Carey’s miners, exploring preserved chambers, artifacts, and exhibits that tell the story of Hutchinson’s salt industry.
Strataca stands as both a geological wonder and a living monument to Carey’s enterprise, transforming his industrial legacy into an educational and cultural attraction that draws thousands each year.
From salt mines deep beneath the Kansas plains to fairways that rival Scotland’s, Emerson Carey and his family left Hutchinson a legacy of enterprise and generosity. Their story is one of transformation, of a young man who walked into town without a train ticket and built an empire that continues to enrich the community nearly a century later.
Bronwyn Page is the Director of Operations at the Reno County Museum. She can be reached at bronwyn@renocomuseum.org