History Comes Alive -
All Over Council Grove
Key - NR- National Register; NT- Santa Fe National Historic Trail; NL- Council Grove National Historic Landmark District
1. Kaw Mission State Historic Site and Museum - Located at 500 North Mission, owned and operated by the Kansas State Historical Society. The site is open from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Wednesday thru Saturday. Admission is $3 for adults, $1 for students. KSHS, Inc., members, and children five and under are admitted for free. For additional information see the History of the Kaw Mission, call 620-767-5410, or go to http://www.kshs.org/p/kaw-mission-plan-your-visit/11859 (NR, NT)
2.Old Bell Mounment - Located at the top of Belfry Street, on the east side, the bell was brought to Council Grove in 1863, the Old Bell was erected on a wooden tower at this site in 1866. It served as an alarm, school, and church bell for nearly 20 years. The stone monument capped by the bell was erected in 1901.
3. Hermit's Cave - Located halfway up Belfry Hill on the east side, this cave was the temporay home of an Italian priest, Giovannia Maria Augustini. Born in 1801, this eccentric hermit lived here for a brief period in 1863. That fall, he left Council Grove, in the company of a wagon train owned by a wealthy merchant, Don Eugenio Romero, and walked over 500 miles to Las Vegas, Mexico (New Mexico.) (NT)
4. Last Chance Store - located at the northwest corner of Main & Chautauqua Streets, this store was erected by Tom Hill in 1857. For a brief period of time this was the last opportunity for freighters bound for Santa Fe to pick up supplies for their journey. It is the oldest commercial builiding in Council Grove. The building has served as a post office, a government trading house, and a polling place. (NR, NL, NT)
5. Santa Fe Trail Ruts - For easy-to-find covered wagon ruts from the trail, take US 56 west of Council Grove 4.4 miles to a DAR marker located on the right. This is where the Santa Fe Trail crosses the highway. Continue 1.2 miles on US 56 to County Road 1400; turn south (left), drive .6 miles. Deep ruts are on the west side of the road. The ruts are most easily seen in Spring when the grasses are still short, or after the rancher has burned. Check with the Council Grove/Morris County Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Office at 207 West Main, for additional information.
6. Cottage House Hotel - Located at 25 North Neosho, owned and operated by Dawn and Jeremiah Hershberger, this rambling two-story brick building began in 1867 as a three-room cottage and blacksmith shop. The Cottage House Hotel continued to grow in stages, including construction in 1871, 1898, and 1912. The Queen Anne addition is the most ornate and refined portion of the hotel. Today it is a completely restored prairie Victorian hotel, which has served travelers for over a century. Visitors are always welcome. For more information, call 620-767-6828, or click the link above. (NR)
7. Farmers & Drovers Bank -Located at 201 West Main, this site was previously occupied by Waldo, Hall and Company. The business had a log depot and warehouse, but used the bank building for their mail wagons that traveled to and from Santa Fe. The two-story red brick with stone trim business was constructed in 1892. It is a well-preserved example of eclectic architecture using brick and stone masonry, Romanesque arches, and a Byzantine dome and minarets. The bank building reflects the growing sophistication and prosperity of the area before the turn of the 20th century, yet today operates in a state-of-the-art environment. Bank hours are Monday - Friday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. - noon. For more information, call 620-767-5138 or visit their website. (NR)
8. Conn Stone Store - Located at the southeast corner of Main and Neosho, local merchants Malcolm Conn, Thomas Hill, and James Munkres built the store in 1858. It was one of the two most important trading posts in Council Grove during the days of the Santa Fe Trail. Trail travelers, Kaw Indians, and local settlers did business here. (NR)
9. Council Grove National Bank - Located at the northeast corner of Main and Neosho Street, this building was completed in 1887 and is an example of Western commercial architecture influenced by High Victorian Italianate style. The exterior of the building was refurbished in 1974, and again in 1978 after a fire. (NR)
10. Hays House - located at 112 West Main, Council Grove's first white settler, Seth Hays, came to Council Grove in 1847. Hays,the great-grandson of Daniel Boone and a cousin of Kit Carson, built the Hays House in 1857. Said to be the oldest continuosly operated restaurant west of the Mississippi River, today the Hays House is known as one of Kansas' finest restaurants. In the early years, the building also served as a mail distribution point, a district court, a newspaper publication site, and makeshift church. Much of the interior is original, including the stone walls, the hand-hewn beam mantlepiece in the dining area, and the large walnut beam in the basement. Hours at the Hays House are Sunday thru Thursday, 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday thru Saturday, 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. For more information call 620-767-5911. (NL, NT)
11. Seth Hays Home - Located at the corner of Neosho and Wood Streets, the home was built by Seth Hays in 1867, the home is today owned and operated by the Morris County Historical Society. Hays, a bachelor, adopted a daughter in 1867 who was cared for by Hays' slave, Aunt Sally. Aunt Sally lived in the basement of his home until her death in 1872. The Seth Hays Home is open weekends May thru September or by appointment. (NR, NL, NT)
12. Custer Elm - Located five blocks south of Main Street on Neosho (Highway !&&) at the bridge over Elm Creek, stands the remains of the Custer Elm. Legend has is it that while patrolling along the Santa Fe Trail with companies of the 7th Cavalry Regiment in 1867, George Armstrong Custer camped under the huge elm tree that flourished here. The tree measured over 100 feet tall, and over 16 feet around. Close to this same time, Custer and his wife, Libby, purchased 120 acres south of here. This property was part of his estate at the time of his death in 1876.
13. Neosho River Crossing - This is one of the most reliably documented river crossings on the Santa Fe Trail. The natural rockbed crossing of the Neosho River can best be seen from the north side of the Neosho River Bridge on Main Street. A National Parks Service Wayside Exhibit detailing the crossing is on the east side of the Neosho Riverwalk. (NT)
14. The Madonna of the Trail - Located at the intersection of Highways 56 & 177 and erected in 1928 by the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), the Madonna of the Trail depicts a pioneer mother with her two children. It honors the women and mothers who made the long trek during the time of western expansion. Made of pink Algonite stone, this is one of 12 Madonna of the Trail statues located in different states on the National Old Trails Road.
15. Post Office Oak and Museum - Located on Main Street, near the Madonna of the Trail, this Burr Oak is believed to have been 270 years old when it died in 1990. The tree is said to have served as an unofficial post office, where travelers would leave mail in a hollowed-out portion of the tree, for travelers going the opposite directions to pick up take with them on their journey. Passing caravans would also leave messages and mail for future travelers in a cache at the base of the tree. When the tree died in 1990, the trunk was then put through a chemical preservation process and returned to it's current location.
Directly behind the Post Office Oak sits a stone building that was erected in 1864, and served as both a brewery and a home. The building is built of native limestone, using sand and lime form mortar. The basement area, which served as the brewery, has walls high enough to drive in a team and wagon through the double doors on the southwest corner of the east side. Many families have lived in the home until a fire in 1984. This property is now owned and operated by the Morris County Historical Society as a museum. The building is open weekends, May thru September, 1 to 4 p.m., or by appointment. (NL, NT)
16. Council Oak - Located near Main and 3rd Street on the north side, on August 10, 1825, a council that was attended by three U.S. Commissioners, Benjamin Reeves, George C. Sibley, and Thomas Mathers, met with the Chiefs of the Great and Little Osage Nation. A treaty was signed granting safe passage for future wagon trains on the Santa Fe Trail, along with a right-of-way though Osage territory, for $800 paid to the Osage Indians under this tree. Located in what was once a stand of old growth oaks, which measured more than a mile wide, this tree was documented in the 1825 survey as measuring ten feet, nine inches in circumference. (NL, NT)
17. Durland Park - Located near Main and 3rd Stret on the north side, this beautiful park includes a replica of the city jail that was built in 1871, along with a caboose, and the Sylvan Park Depot. Also located in the park is the Buckeye Oil Engine that powered the Saunders Milling Company machinery.
18. M-K-T Depot - Immediately east of Durland Park is the Missouri, Kansas, and Texas, (M-K-T), also known as the "Katy" Railroad Depot. The original depot, built in 1869, was destroyed by fire in 1894; and the new depot was built latter that same year. Today, this depot is one of the only two remaining Kansas Katy depots still on their original sites. The railway line was abandoned in 1957. Today, the building serves as an antique and colletibles store. (NR)
19. Neosho Riverwalk - Just right off the corner of Main and Union, the Neosho Riverwalk connects the Madonna of the Trail statue, the Guardian of the Grove statue, along with the Neosho River Crossing and the Kaw Mission State Historic Site for a beautiful mile and a half walk. The Council Grove community frequently uses the Riverwalk for other activities, and is enjoyed year round by many. During the spring, the flowers bloom, and at the holidays it becomes aglow with holiday lights. It is ADA accessible, well lit, and overall an enjoyable place to take a stroll and enjoy the serenty of nature.
20. Guardian of the Grove This statue, on the corner of Main and Union, is a tribute to the Native American Kaw or Kansa Tribe. Standing across from the Madonna of the Trail, one can see the significance and power of days gone by. The Guardian of the Grove is full of symbolism; pick up a guide at the Chamber Office, 207 W. Main. This bronze statue was created by Council Grove artist Mark Sampsel, and was authorized by the Kaw Nation.
21. Terwilliger Home This 1861 stone home is the second oldest home remaining alongside the Santa Fe Trail in Kansas. In the days of the Santa Fe Trail, it served as the last house travelers passed leaving Council Grove. Today visitors can enjoy the unique experience of dining in this historic home. The Terwilliger Home is located at 803 W. Main, and is open Monday-Saturdays. The menu includes American Indian, Early American, Old World, and 20th Century cuisine. For more information, call 620-767-7986.
22. Big John Limestone Bank Barn Seth Hays built this stone barn in 1871, and is the only remaining building that comprised Morris County Poor Farm, exisiting on this site from 1889-1945. It is located approximately 1 mile east of Council Grove, on Highway 56. (NR)
23. Allegawaho Memorial Heritage Park This 158-acre park is located in the rolling Flint Hills, about 3.5 miles southeast of Council Grove off Dunlap Road (X Avenue and 525 Road.) Enjoy a peaceful hike on the land located on the last Kanza reservation while the tribe was still living in Kansas. Attractions along the trail include the monument to an unknown Kanza Warrior and the stabilized ruins of the Kaw Agency building constructed in 1861. Also, visitors can view the ruins of three stone huts built in 1861 by the United States Government. Pick up a guide for this trail at the Chamber Office, 207 W. Main St. or at the Kaw Mission, 500 North Mission. (NR)
24. Wagon Wheel Monument The hardships faced by prairie travelers on the Santa Fe Trail were numerous. This limestone monument, of a wagon wheel stuck in a rut, pays tribute to these difficulities. The Wagon Wheel Monument is located on West Main Street by the Greenwood Cemetary.